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The Bookwatch

Volume 6, Number 1 January 2011 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Social Issues Shelf Political Science Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Music Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Military Shelf Fiction Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Psychology Shelf American History Shelf Civil War Shelf
World History Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Science/Technology Shelf Biography Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Business Shelf Art Shelf Photography Shelf
Fashion Shelf Crafts Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Computer Shelf Travel Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Literary Shelf Education Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf Sports Shelf Gender Issues Shelf
Native American Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Nautical Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

90 Days to Success in Grant Writing
Timothy Kachinske and Judith Kachinske
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
1435454863, $19.99, www.courseptr.com

90 Days to Success in Grant Writing is a pick for any novice grant proposal writer who wants a step-by-step survey of the basic skills and techniques of grant writing. From researching grant opportunities to outlining and writing grant proposals, this offers a survey of tools and examples perfect for a range of grant-writing possibilities.

The Uses of Pessimism
Roger Scruton
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016-4314
9780199747535, $29.95, www.oup.com

THE USES OF PESSIMISM illustrates scenarios contrasting realism with pessimism in an analysis that maintains that optimists and idealists have long wrought havoc in the world. Having a false sense of promise can be as dangerous as having complete negativity: this illustrates and makes a case for 'hopeful pessimism' and considers its applications in social and political evolution in a survey highly recommended for high school to college level collections and many a general lending library.

Don't Sing at the Table
Adriana Trigiani
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061958946, $22.99, www.harpercollins.com

DON'T SING AT THE TABLE: LIFE LESSONS FROM MY GRANDMOTHERS comes from a popular best-selling novelist who provides a blend of memoir and biography to consider her family history and the roots of inspiration for her popular novels. Lucia Bonicelli and Yolanda Trigiani lived through the twentieth century as working women: their choices demonstrated a strong approach to life and living and their values and spiritual traditions receive fine attention in this survey, recommended for any fan of Adriana Trigiani's writings.

Oh No She Didn't
Clinton Kelly
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., NY, NY 10020
9781439163160, $25.99, www.simonandschuster.com

OH NO SHE DIDN'T: THE TOP 100 STYLE MISTAKES WOMEN MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM teaches women how to outfit themselves with style and offers a fun look at fashion snafus in this survey of 100 'fashion offenses'. From platform flip-flops to pajamas in public, this is a fun consideration perfect for any general lending collection.

Peace Meals
Anna Badkhen
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439166482, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

PEACE MEALS: CANDY-WRAPPED KALASHNIKOVS AND OTHER WAR STORIES comes from a war correspondent who has traveled to some of the most torn places in the world. One would expect her account to be packed with violence: instead, her memories focus on ways of life in the most violent places on earth, and presents moments of life such as sharing a meal with friends while war rages outside the door. Her experiences with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan make for an eye-opening presentation.

The Secret of Chanel No. 5
Tilar J. Mazzeo
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061791017, $25.99, www.harpercollins.com

The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume provides a fine portrait of the evolution of a world-class perfume empire. With a focus on how No. 5 evolved from a special marketing strategy that never should have succeeded, this provides a fine story of Coco Chanel, her connections with the scent, and the overall world of perfume making and marketing.

Let's Bring Back
Lesley M.M. Blume
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811874137, $19.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

LET'S BRING BACK: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FORGOTTEN-YET-DELIGHTFUL, CHIC, USEFUL, CURIOUS AND OTHERWISE COMMENDABLE THINGS FROM TIMES GONE BY provides a lovely nostalgic encyclopedia celebrating everything from the habit of wearing a cape to the opera or owning a cuckoo clock to parlor games, calling cards, and even a recipe for original Girl Scout cookies. This A-Z encyclopedia packs every entry with a history and fun reference, making this a fun pick for leisure browsing for any general lending library.

The Next Ten Minutes
Andrew Peterson, EdD
Beyond Words
20827 NW Cornell Road, Suite 500, Hillsboro, OR 97124
9781582702742, $17.99, www.beyondword.com

The Next Ten Minutes: 51 Absurdly Simple Ways to Seize the Moment offers a guide to personal transformation through everyday routines. Original created for use in his psychotherapy practice, these exercises use ordinary activities but stretch them to the ten-minute limit, blending Buddhism with fine insights.

Keep the Change
Steve Dublanica
Ecco Press
19 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780061787287, $24.98, www.eccobooks.com

KEEP THE CHANGE: A CLUELESS TIPPER'S QUEST TO BECOME THE GURU OF THE GRATUITY offers an in-depth survey to the finer art of tipping, considering the tipping aspects of the American economy and how it works. Dublanica waited on table for nine years: his survey of tipping comes from interviews with all kinds of workers who rely on tips, and his facts about tipping in the U.S. provides lively, practical applications for any general lending library.

The Pledge
Michael Masterson
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470922408, $24.95, www.wiley.com

THE PLEDGE: YOUR MASTER PLAN FOR AN ABUNDANT LIFE teaches readers how to reinvent life by putting together a personal master plan - a contract between the 'you' of today and the person you've decided to be. His approach is based on business principles and offers fine keys to transforming vague ambition to concrete realities. Any library will find this a winning presentation!

Harmony
Prince of Wales, Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly
HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061731310, $29.99, www.harpercollins.com

HARMONY: A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT OUR WORLD comes from HRH The Prince of Wales who outlines how humans must reconnect with Nature to restore balance in the world. Photos, charts and illustrations explore the ancient world, the ongoing issue of world harmony, and discuss geometry, music, early philosophy and more in a fine historical survey of how humans have searched for - and sometimes achieved - harmony.

Proofiness
Charles Seife
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670022168, $25.95, www.penguin.com

PROOFINESS: THE DARK ARTS OF MATHEMATICAL DECEPTION offers keys to understanding how pure math can be skewed for impure ends. How statistics can be twisted and how they become 'bad' is the topic of a fine survey that blends social issues and math, showing how numbers and mathematical misinformation complicates and puzzles life. No library should be without this, whether at the school or general level!

Manifesting Change
Mike Dooley
Atria Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781582702759, $21.99, www.simonandschuster.com

MANIFESTING CHANGE: IT COULDN'T BE EASIER advocates living the life of your dreams, and building on concepts begun in Mike Dooley's INFINITE POSSIBILITIES. From self-analysis to tell who we really are to spreading change in our lives, this breaks down metaphysics behind daily life and outlines some important things we can to accelerate positive change.

Glad No Matter What
SARK
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781577319351, $18.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

Glad No Matter What: Transforming Loss and Change into Gift and Opportunity draws direct connections between changing what hurts into something that helps, explaining that it's what we do with what is happening to us that counts. From new ways to live with change and loss and handling past experience or patterns to keeping touch with ourselves in emotional times, this is packed with handwritten, color notes easy to absorb and follow.


The Social Issues Shelf

Humanizing the Economy
John Restakis
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0 Canada
9780865716513, $19.95, www.newsociety.com

HUMANIZING THE ECONOMY: CO-OPERATIVES IN THE AGE OF CAPITAL is recommended not just for college-level collections strong in business but for social issues collections interested in knowing how corporate capitalism is failing to meet the basic demands of people around the world. A history of the co-operative movement and its promise for a more humane future outlines a social movement taking place and highlights its progress in this illuminating, involving survey.

The Monster
Michael W. Hudson
Times Books
c/o Henry Holt & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, Suite 400, New York, NY 10010-7725
9780805090468, $26.00, www.henryholt.com

THE MONSTER: HOW A GANG OF PREDATORY LENDERS AND WALL STREET BANKERS FLEECED AMERICA - AND SPAWNED A GLOBAL CRISIS offers a fine expose of the Wall Street gang who were behind the scenes of the biggest financial scandal in American history. From their early influences and how many learned how to forge signatures and create fake documents to the rise of the subprime mortgage business behind the stories of Ameriquest and Lehman Brothers, this is a 'must' for any who would understand how and why we're where we are at today.

New Threats to Freedom
Adam Bellow, Editor
Templeton Foundation Press
300 Conshohocken State Road, Suite 670, West Conshohocken, PA 19428
1599473518, $25.95, www.templetonpress.org

NEW THREATS TO FREEDOM details a number of new threats to freedoms - threats often largely seen as beneficial to society. Innovative thinkers challenge these new threats, offering insights ranging from failed promises of internet freedoms to the rise of behavioral psychology and transnationalism. More than just an outline of threats, it provides keys to intellectual resistance of such threats and will prove a fine acquisition for any college-level social issues collection.

Rebooting the American Dream
Thom Hartmann
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery St., Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
9781605097060, $24.95, www.bkconnections.com

REBOOTING THE AMERICAN DREAM: 11 WAYS TO REBUILD OUR COUNTRY is a top pick not just for business collections, but for any social issues coverage. It discusses how big business has changed the American dream and outlines 11 specific steps to remedy the problems. Radio talk show host Thom Hartmann reveals the policies and events that have led to our current dilemma, and tells how to change the effects produced by Reaganomics and other bad decisions.

Disaster on the Horizon
Bob Cavnar
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781603583169, $14.95, www.chelseagreen.com

DISASTER ON THE HORIZON: HIGH STAKES, HIGH RISKS, AND THE STORY BEHIND THE DEEPWATER WELL BLOWOUT discusses the history and events of Deepwater Horizon, providing the first comprehensive book on the causes of the disaster. Bob Cavner indicts industry and government alike as he traces roots of malpractices and political influences on poor decisions.

Mashed Up
Aram Sinnreich
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498297, $24.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

MASHED UP: MUSIC, TECHNOLOGY AND THE RISE OF CONFIGURABLE CULTURE details the rising musical and cultural movement in modern networked communications and presents interviews based on conversations with dozens of DJs and music industry executives to tackle tough questions in sampling, file sharing and marketing styles. College-level collections strong in either music or popular culture will find this a fine analysis of cultural change, technology and music-fueled social change.

American Freak Show
Willie Geist
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401323943, $23.99, www.hyperionbooks.com

American Freak Show: Completely Fabricated Stories of Our New National Treasure comes from the co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe and offers a fun insider's perspective on today's modern media culture. From a parade of pop culture personalities to political characters, this offers a series of satirical essays and fun commentary perfect for any general lending collection strong in humor and social issues alike.

The Dragonfly Effect
Jennifer Aaker, et al.
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, 5th floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9780470614150, $25.95, www.josseybass.com

The collaborative effort of Jennifer Aaker & Andy Smith with Carlye Adler, THE DRAGONFLY EFFECT; QUICK, EFFECTIVE, AND POWERFUL WAYS TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO DRIVE SOCIAL CHANGE offers a focus on social media and social issues, showing how to use social media to make a difference in the world. Most books focus on business opportunities: this reveals keys to goal achievement and shows how to focus, grab attention, and take action to that everyone can use social media more effectively. Original case studies of global organizations such as Gap, eBay and Facebook abound, but it's the social implications that set this apart from competitors.


The Political Science Shelf

If We Can Put a Man on the Moon...
William D. Eggers and John O'Leary
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422166369, $24.95, www.harvardbusiness.org/press

If We Can Put a Man on the Moon... Getting Big Things Done in Government argues that partisan bickering is stalemating the entire concept of government achievement. This analyzes how government tackles big challenges, is based on a review of over seventy-five government undertakings in the U.S. and abroad, and shows what influences success versus failure. Lessons from disasters provide eye-opening accounts of what went wrong and how factors influencing failure could be avoided.

Broke
Glenn Beck
Threshold Editions
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., NY, NY 10020
9781439187197, $29.99, www.simonandschuster.com

BROKE: THE PLAN TO RESTORE OUR TRUST, TRUTH AND TREASURE provides an outstanding survey pairing a history of 234 years of political and economic changes with an analysis of the Constitution and how it's been thwarted over the years. Startling revelations reveal lies by both political parties and provide the conclusion that no single individual or party can fix the current broken system alone. A 'must' for any social or political history collection.

Boiling Mad
Kate Zernike
Times Books
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780805093483, $25.00, www.nytimes.com

BOILING MAD: INSIDE TEA PARTY AMERICA offers the first definitive account of a misunderstood movement from a New York Times reporter who has covered the Tea Party more than any other journalist. It tells behind-the-scenes stories of activists behind the Party, considers politics and motivations, and follows its evolution through the experiences of its participants and originators. Any who would understand the history and influences of the Tea Party movement need this!

Radical-in-Chief
Stanley Kurtz
Threshold Editions
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439155080, $27.00, www.simonandschuster.com

RADICAL-IN-CHIEF: BARACK OBAMA AND THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SOCIALISM comes from an author who has dedicated the post two years to investigating the roots of President Obama's political ideas. His conclusion: President Obama is a socialist. Horrors! Chapters blend biography, history and political science along with social issues in a probe many a political and social issues collection will welcome for debate.


The Needlecraft Shelf

American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com

Joe Cunningham's MEN AND THE ART OF QUILTMAKING (9781574326765, $28.95) is the only book to provide designs by 30 modern male quilters, discussing how they think and feel about their quilts. Interviews with these men are accompanied by over 100 photos of quilts typical of each man's works, and 9 patterns for creating one of their designs. A 'must' for any interested in men's participation in needlework. Judy Woodworth's FREEMOTION QUILTING (9781574326710, $26.95) is a pick for any quilter interested in using a free-motion quilting machine. 28 quilt patterns and closeups of the author's stitching blends how-to with patterns, with over 200 color photos and how-to illustrations leaving nothing to puzzle. Dianne S. Hire's VIVACIOUS CURVY QUILTS (9781574326741, $26.95) provides the author's easy curved piecing techniques and provides eleven wall hanging projects that teach each technique. Color photos capture the particulars of a survey that explores all the possibilities of using the curve in a quilting project.

Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders
Judith Durant, Editor
Storey
210 Mass Moca Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603425797, $18.95, www.storey.com

Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders is edited by Judith Durant and adds to Storey's 'One-Skein Wonders' series with the fourth book in the series. Sock yarn isn't just for knitting socks: it is available now in many fibers and blends and offers a range of options. New ideas here come from yarn shops and designers across North America who provide 101 patterns in a fine guide.

Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com

Kim Diehl's SIMPLE GRACES: CHARMING QUILTS AND COMPANION PROJECTS (9781564779922, $28.99) provides a new collection of the author's original pieced and appliqued designs, with eight quilts accompanied by at least one additional companion project from tea towels to pillowcases. Ideas for more projects pepper a survey that teaches how to mix prints and colors and add easy embellishments for polished results. Claudia Plett and LeAnn Weaver's MORE LOOSE CHANGE: 14 QUILTS FROM NICKELS, DIMES, AND FAT QUARTERS (9781564779946, $24.99) outlines fun ways to use 5" and 10" squares and fat quarters, featuring projects that make best use of fabric, cutting charts that show different options, and more. Designer tips enhance this ideal pick. Lynn An Majidimehr's FLOWER SHOW QUILTS (9781564779342, $27.99) provides a collection of applique on patchwork canvas, showing how unusual flowers may be created from pieced backgrounds. 10 projects blend patchwork with floral applique techniques and show how to create different flower motifs in projects ranging from small wall hangings to lap quilts. McCall's FAST FAVORITES FROM QUILTING (9781604680263, $24.99) offers projects from McCall's Quilting and McCall's Quick Quilts, offering a single volume packed with 20 patterns from both magazines. Projects are flexible, can be used with different fabrics and colors, and offer patterns that are fat quarter friendly and often suitable for other precuts. Doreen L. Marquart's SATURDAY STYLE: CASUAL KNITS FOR WEEKEND WEAR (9781564779182, $26.99) should be a pick for any knitter or needlework library. It offers a selection of easy knits that need minimal finishing and range from pullovers and cardigans to a jacket. The focus on casual, easy and stylish knits makes this a fine project collection for knitters seeking something different. Full-page color photos of the knits on models accompany easy materials lists and step-by-step directions.

All-Star Quilts
Helen Frost & Blanche Young
C&T Publishing
1651 Challenge Drive, Concord, CA 94520-5206
9781571209580, $24.95, www.ctpub.com

ALL-STAR QUILTS: 10 STRIP-PIECED LONG STAR SPARKLERS provides 10 quilt projects based on stars and teaches a strip-piecing method to make stars without having to cut diamonds. Packed with color examples, patterns, and easy step-by-step directions, this is a fine pick for any quilter seeking an easier way of producing star quilts.

Cardigans
Louisa Harding
SixthandSpring Books
c/o SoHo Publishing Company
101 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301, New York, NY 10013
www.sixthandspringbooks.com
9781933027883, $24.95, www.amazon.com

CARDIGANS offers over 25 designs from Louisa Harding, who takes the popular but largely outdated style and adds new spice to it. The designs offer adaptable options and creative embellishments and shows how to use cables, buttons and more to add spice. Lovely color photos accompany a fine survey of the cardigan sweater's versatile options.

Quilts en Provence
Kaffe Fassett
Taunton Press
Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781600853241, $24.95, www.taunton.com

KAFFE FASSETT'S QUILTS EN PROVENCE: 20 DESIGNS FROM ROWAN FOR PATCHWORK AND QUILTING provides a fine survey of complete instructions for creating museum-quality quilts based on Fassett's line of Rowan fabrics. Designed by some of the world's top quilters, this packs in directions for creating each and includes tips and techniques representing three decades of experience: a 'must have' for any quilter's library.

New Complete Guide to Sewing, updated edition
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570-7000
9781606522080, $35.00, www.rd.com

NEW COMPLETE GUIDE TO SEWING: STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUES FOR MAKING CLOTHES AND HOME ACCESSORIES appears in an updated edition that offers new projects from Simplicity patterns and a fine, comprehensive approach to creating wardrobes and home embellishments alike. It first appeared in 1978, but this presents 20 newly updated project and revamps simple directions, with thousands of illustrations and diagrams covering each step of sewing in over 350 pages. Coverage of professional shortcuts and keys to polished results make this a special recommendation for success!


The Music Shelf

Finishing the Hat
Stephen Sondheim
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780679439073, $39.95, www.aaknopf.com

FINISHING THE HAT: COLLECTED LYRICS offers all the lyrics from his musicals from 1954-1981, from West Side Story to Sweeney Todd, but goes far beyond this presentation, offering never-published songs from each show that were cut out, discussing his collaborations with Leonard Bernstein and others, and adding anecdotes, observations and history to the mix. Behind-the-scenes photos from each production, handwritten notes, and more make this a 'must' for any Sondheim, music or theatre collection!

Me
Ricky Martin
Celebra/New American Library
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451234155, $26.95, www.penguin.com

ME tells of a music career spanning nearly three decades and offers a far more personal perspective of his life and feelings for the first time. From memories of his early childhood and family sacrifices to achieve his dreams to his controversial sexuality and its consequences, this is a 'must' for any fan of Ricky Martin's music.

Becoming Jimi Hendrix
Steven Roby & Brad Schreiber
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306819100, $17.95, www.dacapopress.com

Becoming Jimi Hendrix: From Southern Crossroads to Psychedelic London, the untold story of a Music Genius provides the first in-depth story of the formative years of Hendrix, pairing over 20 photos and a complete sessionography with a tour itinerary and survey of Hendrix's early musical influences. Over a hundred interviews with those who knew Hendrix best during those years makes for a key acquisition for any rock music history holding.

Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney
Howard Sounes
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306817830, $29.95, www.dacapopress.com

Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney is a 'must' for any library seeking a definitive representation of the Beatles. It provides the first in-depth biography of Paul McCartney, following his life story from childhood to his rise to fame to his disastrous second marriage to Heather Mills, and is based on original research including over two hundred new interviews. A 'must' for any McCartney collection.

Gone to the Country
Ray Allen
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820-6903
9780252077470, $25.00, www.press.uillinois.edu

GONE TO THE COUNTRY: THE NEW LOST CITY RAMBLERS & THE FOLK MUSIC REVIVAL focuses on the cultural impact of a Northern band's Southern roots music, detailing the evolution and music of the New Lost City Ramblers, who helped foster a resurgence of interest in southern roots music during the folk era of the 1950s and 60s. Biography, history and social analysis blend in a survey recommended for any music history holding.

Mozipedia
Simon Goddard
Plume
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014-3658
9780452296671, $30.00, www.penguin.com

MOZIPEDIA: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MORRISSEY AND THE SMITHS provides the first in-depth examination of Morrissey and his music, and is a 'must' for any Morrissey fan. Years of interviews and research into his life results in a gathering of every song, album, and idea relating to Steven Patrick Morrissey. 600 entries and two photo inserts lend to a 'must have' for any rock music collection or Morrissey fan.

The Ultimate Metallica
Ross Halfin
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811875059, $35.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

THE ULTIMATE METALLICA is a 'must' for any fan of the group and any rock music history holding. It collects the best of Ross Halfin's images, taken over the years with exclusive access to the band. His candid photos cover both on-stage and backstage images and pack in over 250 photos, including a foreword by Lars Ulrich and an afterword by Kirk Hammett. Highly recommended!

Big Man
Clarence Clemons & Don Reo
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446546256, $14.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

BIG MAN: REAL LIFE & TALL TALES offers an outstanding autobiography and story of Clarence Clemons, the saxophone player of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Her Clarence and his friend and writer/producer Don Reo consider his childhood to modern times, following Clemons' musical evolution, his friendship with Bruce Springsteen, and his encounters with other famous musicians.


The Cookbook Shelf

America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, third edition
Daniel J. Ackere
America's Test Kitchen
DeborahPub@aol.com
9781933615486, $34.95, www.americastestkitchen.com

The third updated edition of the spiral-bound America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook packs in well over a thousand kitchen-tested recipes, along with hundred of step-by-step photos by Carl Tremblay. While America's Test Kitchen has churned out many a 'best of' volume based on their foolproof and exhaustive kitchen testing, this holds several different facets. More than just a recipe collection, it's also an instructional course and a family cookery reference under one cover. Side bars of information cover equipment and ingredients alike, making this an outstanding home reference.

The Family Dinner
Laurie David with Recipes by Kirstin Uhrenholdt
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446565462, $29.99, www.grandcentrallifeandstyle.com

THE FAMILY DINNER: GREAT WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR KIDS, ONE MEAL AT A TIME offer chapters that include over seventy kid-approved, easily-prepared recipes, fun table games to help engage kids at the table, tips on teaching green values to kids, and specific family dinner tips for divorced and single parents. The idea here is to present much more than a recipe of quick dishes or even child-friendly dishes, but to make the dinner table a center of family engagement - and this is admirably achieved in a pick for parental or general collections alike.

Raw Food for Everyone
Alissa Cohen with Leah J. Dubois
Avery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9781583334034, $35.00, www.penguin.com

Raw Food for Everyone: Essential Techniques and 300 Simple-to-Sophisticated Recipes provides a fine raw food cookbook packed with the author's best recipes, from smoothies and juices to raw cheese, pancakes, raviolis, and even chips. The recipes are unique presentations that all illustrate the high points of raw food cuisine in a pick for any library strong in raw food cuisine.

Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

Tom Hudgens' THE COMMONSENSE KITCHEN: 500 RECIPES PLUS LESSONS FOR A HAND-CRAFTED LIFE (9780811872225, $35.00) emphasizes self-sufficiency and American cuisine which blends regional specialties with ethnic dishes common to American cooks. From Red Chile Enchiladas to My Mother's Polish Sausage Stew, this packs in appealing dishes and also teaches life skills that include making homemade soaps. Joanne Chang's FLOUR: SPECTACULAR RECIPES FORM BOSTON'S FLOUR BAKERY & CAFE (9780811869447, $35.00) covers everything from homemade pop-tarts to chocolate croissants and comes from an author raised in a traditional Chinese household where sweets were scarce. Her evolving interest in sweets led to her work in some of the best pastry kitchens in the country, while her lack of a formal culinary education actually makes this survey more accessible to average cooks than the chef-based presentations usual in a higher-level dessert cookbook.

My Calabria
Rosetta Costantino with Janet Fletcher
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393065169, $35.00, www.wwnorton.com

MY CALABRIA: RUSTIC FAMILY COOKING FROM ITALY'S UNDISCOVERED SOUTH is the first cookbook devoted to the cuisine of Calabria, a region separated from the rest of Italy by a mountain range and water on three sides. This separation has resulted in a different cuisine based on local, fresh ingredients and hot peppers - very different from the rest of Italy! Rosetta Costantino is a popular cooking teacher specializing in Calabrian food from her family roots, so is in the perfect position to provide this fine cookbook, highly recommended for any ethnic cooking collection!

Falling Off the Bone
Jean Anderson
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470467138, $29.95, www.wiley.com

FALLING OFF THE BONE packs in over a hundred sixty recipes that take cuts of meat and showcase their attributes. From stews and pot roasts to Swiss steaks and simple fare, this pairs curries and chilies with roasts and basic comfort food, adds color photos throughout, and shows how cheaper cuts of meats can be cooked to produce amazing results. Any cookbook collection seeking a superior meat cookbook needs this mouth-watering gathering of 'best' dishes!


The Military Shelf

Predator
Matt J. Martin with Charles W. Sasser
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760338964, $28.00, www.zenithpress.com

PREDATOR: THE REMOTE-CONTROL AIR WAR OVER IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: A PILOT'S STORY offers a fine first-person account of fighting the global wars on terror. Predator missions and personal insights into a program only recently classified as 'secret' make for exciting stories of armed insurgency and urban warfare, bringing a 'you are there' feel to the idea of the Predator - a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) - as a cold killing machine. No military collection should be without this unique assessment.

Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219, Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
www.ospreypublishing.com

BRITISH DREADNOUGHT VS. GERMAN DREADNOUGHT, Jutland 1916 (9781849081672, $17.95) by Mark Stille provides a powerful story of the British and German battleships of two great fleets. Coverage of their differing weaponry, crew, and strategies offer a moment-by-moment reconstruction of events and analyzes the outcome of the struggle in a military assessment perfect for collections. Stephen Bull's TRENCH: A HISTORY OF TRENCH WARFARE ON THE WESTERN FRONT (9781846039379, $24.95) comes from a trench expert who provides a complete picture of trench warfare on the Western Front. Specifics include trench construction, weaponry and tactics used in defense and attack, and surveys of life in the trenches, with plenty of vintage black and white photos enhancing the presentation. Military collections will find this specific and key. DEFENSE OF JAPAN: 1945 by Steven J. Zaloga (9781846036873, $18.95) joins others in the Fortress imprint and discusses the design and history of key Japanese fortresses of 1945. The only things that stood between Japan and an Allied invasion were their coastal defenses: this is the first book, ironically, to consider these fortifications and provides diagrams, specially commissioned artwork, and rare sources to explore the topic. Gordon Williamson's U-BOAT TACTICS IN WORLD WAR II (9781849081733, $18.95) provides a fine, narrowed history of u-boat tactics that uses wartime source material documents and manuals to explain operational tactics used by German subs during the war. Any collection strong in military strategy will consider this a key survey. Neil Short's THE FUHRER'S HEADQUARTERS: HITLER'S COMMAND BUNKERS 1939-45 (9781846035821, $18.95) provides a powerful map showing the locations of all of Hitler's bunkers and fortifications on the eastern and western fronts, includes photos and specially commissioned artwork, and provides a fine introduction to Hitler's command fortifications. The result is a specific, in-depth feature perfect for any World War II collection! Joining other 'Men-at-Arms' series titles is Dr. Nigel Thomas' WORLD WAR II SOVIET ARMED FORCES (1) 1939-41 (9781849084000, $17.95), a survey representing the first of three books detailing the uniforms and organization of the forces leading to Allied victory in Europe. Color illustrations of Army, Air Force, Navy and NKVD personnel accompany a survey of the Soviet forces to the first months of the war.

Hanoi Jane
Jerry Lembcke
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498150, www.umass.edu/umpress

HANOI JANE: WAR, SEX & FANTASIES OF BETRAYAL offers a historic and scholarly analysis of the myth and origins of Hanoi Jane, considering fantasies of home-front betrayal and considering how the Hanoi Jane expression and myth began. Anxieties about America's declining global status and deteriorating economy fueled an antiwar movement and popular conflicts with the military: this reconsiders the origins of the myth and its impact on American social and military culture alike.

Brute
Robert Coran
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780316758468, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

BRUTE: THE LIFE OF VICTOR KRULAK, U.S. MARINE tells of a legendary Marine and is written by a journalist and biographer who offers an intimate portrait of the Marine who led America's victory in the Pacific and the successful D-Day landing. Robert Coram received unique access to facts about Krulak - including his deepest secret that he feared could have destroyed his career. BRUTE is a top pick for any military biography collection documenting a vivid life and military career.


The Fiction Shelf

The Love Goddess' Cooking School
Melissa Senate
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., NY, NY 10020
9781439107232, $15.00, www.simonandschuster.com

The Love Goddess' Cooking School provides a fine novel blending romance with cuisine as it tells of Holly, in between chef jobs and making decisions that involve fleeing food and love. Holly's Italian grandmother's cooking was rumored to save marriages: will Holly's inherited skills gain her love? A fine, involving story emerges.

Valley Forge: A Novel
Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen
Thomas Dunne Books
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
9780312591076, $27.99, www.thomasdunnebooks.com

VALLEY FORGE: GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE CRUCIBLE OF VICTORY offers a fine novel sequel to the best-selling TO TRY MEN'S SOULS, picking up where the narrative left off and starting a year after Washington's surprise attack on Trenton. Set in the winter of 1777, this follows the suffering and strategies of Washington and German volunteer Baron von Steuben, offering a vivid story highly recommended for any military or general lending library.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Mayo Clinic Guide to Self-Care, sixth edition
Mayo Clinic
Good Books
PO Box 419, Intercourse, PA 17534-0419
9781561486762, www.mayoclinic.com

The sixth updated edition of Mayo Clinic Guide to Self-Care provides the latest Mayo-backed answers for everyday health concerns. From warts and wrinkled skin to treatments for arthritis and bursitis, this is packed with clear illustrations, sidebars of detail, and explanations lending to a quick reference for any family or library.


The Psychology Shelf

Self Comes to Mind
Antonio Damasio
Pantheon
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307378750, $28.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

SELF COMES TO MIND; CONSTRUCTING THE CONSCIOUS BRAIN comes from a key neuroscientist who considers the question of how consciousness is created. He's spent the last thirty years studying and writing about brain function: here he examines new scientific evidence that shows that consciousness is a biological process created by the brain. Science and health collections alike will find this fascinating reading.


The American History Shelf

Beyond the American Pale
David M. Emmons
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806141282, $34.95, www.oupress.com

BEYOND THE AMERICAN PALE: THE IRISH IN THE WEST, 1845-1910 goes against your usual Irish-American history coverage to discuss the reality: that the Irish went everywhere in America and had as much presence in the West as in the East. The focus on the Irish in the West - as opposed to the East - offers a survey of western realities and experiences as the Irish interacted with other groups, describing how they helped reshape the times and were key in the conquering of the western frontier. College-level history holdings will welcome this fresh perspective.


The Civil War Shelf

Practicing Medicine in a Black Regiment
Richard M. Reid, Editor
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558497399, www.umass.edu/umpress

Practicing Medicine in a Black Regiment: The Civil War Diary of Burt G. Wilder, 55th Massachusetts follows an era when Massachusetts began recruiting black soldier to serve in the Civil War. Burt Green Wilder, a Harvard-educated doctor-in-training, was among the first white officers commissioned to staff the 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and for several years recorded his experiences in a diary. This presentation documents biased treatment and differences in treatment between black and white troops, and offers an unusual record key to any in-depth Civil War library.


The World History Shelf

Pirate Hunting
Bennerson Little
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166
9781597972918, $29.95, www.potomacbooksinc.com

PIRATE HUNTING: THE FIGHT AGAINST PIRATES, PRIVATEERS, AND SEA RAIDERS FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT is a top pick for a range of collections, from those with a general interest in pirates to others covering military and nautical history. The survey analyzes tactics, strategies, and historic battles between pirates and others, covering naval warfare and maritime commerce alike.

Paris Between the Wars 1919-1939
Vincent Bouvet and Gerard Durozoi
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
9780865652521, $50.00, www.vendomepress.com

Paris Between the Wars 1919-1939: Art, Life & Culture provides a fine survey of Paris in the years following World war I, when it attracted artists and intellectuals from around the world. The melding of cultural forces in Paris during the two decades between the wars are captured in a survey exploring achievements in all the arts, and packs in a visual feast of drawings, paintings, period photos, ads, film stills and more. Arts and history holdings strong in French and European history must have this.

Conquest, Tribute and Trade
Howard J. Erlichman
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616142117, $28.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

CONQUEST, TRIBUTE, AND TRADE: THE QUEST FOR PRECIOUS METALS AND THE BIRTH OF GLOBALIZATION tells the intertwined stories of Portugal, Spain and the Dutch Republic, where were able to overturn centuries of Muslim commercial domination in Africa and Asia to rise quickly to world powers. From world explorers and voyageurs to how mineral wealth funded the first global empires, this is a pick any college-level world history collection needs.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask
Mark Mittelberg
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414315911, $24.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask (with answers) offers a survey of questions ranging from issues of evolution and God and why Jesus is perceived as the son of God to why abortion is a big Christian issue and how one religious book can be right and others wrong. Bible teachers and any spreading the word will find this thought-provoking assessment packed with questions and clear responses.

Orbis Books
Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302
www.orbisbooks.com

Wes Howard-Brook's "COME OUT, MY PEOPLE!" GOD'S CALL OUT OF EMPIRE IN THE BIBLE AND BEYOND (9781570758928, $30.00) provides a powerful review of two competing religious perspectives - one of creation, the other of empire - that appear throughout the Bible. Discussions of power and faith and how they affected empires and beliefs makes for a fine spiritual analysis recommended for any scholarly Christian collection. Thomas H. Groome and Michael J. Daley edit RECLAIMING CATHOLICISM: TREASURES OLD AND NEW (9781570758638, $22.00), a fine survey of the Catholic Church before Vatican II. Key spiritual writers and leading theologians discuss spiritual wisdom from these times and provide a resource for regaining the foundations of American Catholicism. Terrence W. Tilley's FAITH; WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T (9781570758799, $22.00) provides a slim but pointed study on the essentials of faith. The dual coverage of its definition and what it does not embrace offers much food for thought and makes this a fine recommendation for any spirituality collection.

Bible: The Story of the King James Version 1611-2011
Gordon Campbell
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016-4314
9780199557592, $24.95, www.oup.com

Bible: The Story of the King James Version 1611-2011 reviews the evolution of the King James Version of the Bible, which is reaching its 400th anniversary edition and remains one of the most frequently used editions in the world. Fine illustrations from early editions accompany a history of the King James translation in a survey highly recommended for both spiritual and general lending libraries.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Generous Justice
Timothy Keller
Dutton
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St. New York NY 10014
9780525951902, $19.95, www.penguin.com

GENEROUS JUSTICE: HOW GOD'S GRACE MAKES US JUST comes from a best-selling author who explores the idea of justice and how everyone can use the Bible as a guide for modern day human rights issues. The core message of the Bible is doing justice for the poor in a way that reflects the nature of God: this book provides a powerful survey of the nature of generosity and its spiritual links.


The Science/Technology Shelf

Massive
Ian Sample
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780465019472, $25.95, www.basicbooks.com

MASSIVE: THE MISSING PARTICLE THAT SPARKED THE GREATEST HUNT IN SCIENCE comes from an investigative journalist who uses his experience as a science correspondent to examine the story behind the search for the God Particle. The definition of the Higgs boson and how it gives everything mass, and why it's important, comes alive for readers with little prior science background. Recommended for general-interest and science collections alike!

Roadside Geology of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington D.C.
John Means
Mountain Press Publishing
P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425709, $24.00, www.mountain-press.com

Roadside Geology of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington D.C. is a pick for any East Coast collection strong in history and geology. It offers a survey of rocks and landforms key to the region's geologic history, organizes it in such a manner that visitors to the states can readily observe geology for themselves, and uses over thirty road guides to discuss the rocks and forms visible from a car window or in a local park. Collections strong in East Coast travel and science history will relish this specific guide.


The Biography Shelf

PacMan
Gary Andrew Poole
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780306819490, $25.00, www.dacapopress.com

PACMAN: BEHIND THE SCENES WITH MANNY PACQUIAO, THE GREATEST POUND-FOR-POUND FIGHTER IN THE WORLD belongs on the shelves of any boxing collection. It blends the first major biography of Pacquiao with a survey of the entire sport of boxing. Pacquiao is regarded as the sport's most charismatic fighter, achieving legendary status previously afforded only Ali. He's the only fighter to win seven world championships in seven different weight classes. His biography will draw immediate interest from any boxing fan.

The Dangerous Otto Katz
Jonathan Miles
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781596916616, $26.00, www.bloomsburyusa.com

THE DANGEROUS OTTO KATZ; THE MANY LIVES OF A SOVIET SPY examines a spy who seems to often be at the center of crucial historical moments. Katz talked Arthur Koestler out of a life-threatening mission in the Spanish Civil War, may have married film star Marlene Dietrich, and more. This biography blends historical background in its analysis, covering secret meetings, Western celebrities, and more. General lending collections will find it compelling!

Is it Just Me?
Whoopi Goldberg
Hyperion
114 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011
9781401323844, $22.99, www.hyperionbooks.com

IS IT JUST ME? OR IS IT NUTS OUT THERE? Provides an engaging, fun set of observations blending Goldberg's experiences with her observations of life and its inconsistencies. Observations offer a funny but pointed look on civility and how it's interfering with the quality of life for everyone. From a list of socially-acceptable things to bring for a kid on a plane to how role models disappoint, this is an engrossing read.

My Lie
Meredith Maran
Jossey-Bass
989 Market St., San Francisco CA 94103
9780470502143, $24.95, www.josseybass.com

MY LIE: A TRUE STORY OF FALSE MEMORY tells of a daughter who at age 37, an award-winning journalist, accused her father of sexual abuse. Ten years later she realized, nearly too late, that he was innocent. Meredith Maran's experience with false memory is important on several levels: it traces her own divided life and it also closely examines the phenomenon of false memory.

All By My Selves
Jeff Dunham
Dutton
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780525951414, $25.95, www.penguin.com

ALL BY MY SELVES: WALTER, PEANUT, ACHMED, AND ME provides a top autobiography written by a comedian and ventriloquist whose politically-charged dummies and comments have been a top TV hit for years. Now millions of fans will learn the story of the man behind the dummies, and how he added different twists on the traditional ventriloquist comedy routine. Any who love Jeff Dunham's show must have this book, and any general library collection will see it a popular lend.

Claude Levi-Strauss
Patrick Wilcken
Penguin Press
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9781594202735, $29.95, www.penguin.com

CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS; THE POET IN TE LABORATORY provides a fine prove into the anthropologist's life, revealing the influence that led him to his then-radical ideas. Original research conducted in France and Brazil and interviews with Levi-Strauss himself lend depth and perspective to this survey of his ideas and life, making this a 'must' for any collection containing his theories and studying his influence.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Great Penguin Rescue
Dyan DeNapoli
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781439148174, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

THE GREAT PENGUIN RESCUE: 40,000 PENGUINS, A DEVASTATING OIL SPILL, AND THE INSPIRING STORY OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST ANIMAL RESCUE tells of a 2000 oil spill off south Africa which endangered the habitat of 75,000 penguins. The huge rescue operation that evolved brought over 12,000 volunteers from around the world to save the birds: this documents the event and comes from 'The Penguin Lady' whose extensive work with penguins contributed to the cause. Any general interest or natural history collection will relish this!

Fraser's Penguins
Fen Montaigne
Henry Holt & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 400, NY, NY 10010-7725
9780805079425, $26.00, www.henryholt.com

FRASER'S PENGUINS: A JOURNEY TO THE FUTURE IN ANTARCTICA provides a dramatic natural history of Antarctica's penguins and come from Bill Fraser's thirty-year study of Adelie penguins. During this period this region of Antarctica has warmed faster than nearly any place on earth, affecting the penguin that depends on sea ice to survive. Author Fen Montaigne spent five months working as a member of Fraser's field team between 2005-2006: his observations of how rising temperatures are changing life in Antarctica makes for a gripping saga no natural history holding should be without.

What a Difference a Dog Makes
Dana Jennings
Doubleday
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780385532839, $21.00, www.doubleday.com

What a Difference a Dog Makes: Big Lessons on Life, Love, and Healing from a Small Pooch comes from a New York Times editor who wrote a blog on his aging dog Bijou and how the dog helped his cancer recovery. The post received nearly 700 comments: here a book expands on Dana's thoughts about Bijou and other animals he's known in his life. The result is a top pick for any collection strong in general animal accounts.

Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Lynelle R. Johnson's CLINICAL CANINE AND FELINE RESPIRATORY MEDICINE (9780813816715, $89.99) emphasizes a user-friendly format and offers chapters on a range of disorders. General practitioners and vet students receive a reference that uses a consistent layout and an easy at-a-glance format, along with black and white and color diagnosis photos. No vet's collection should be without this! Lisa Powell, Elizabeth Rozanski and John Rush's SMALL ANIMAL EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE: CASE STUDIES IN CLIENT COMMUNICATION, MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY (9781405167529, $49.99) uses real case study examples to teach vet students about situations likely to arise in emergency practice. This collection of short case studies provides a proven technique that has proved successful in veterinary medicine for case review: each chapter presents a real case, highlights pitfalls vets can encounter, and reinforces concepts of better communication.


The Business Shelf

About Face
Dan Hill
Kogan Page
525 S, 4th St #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
9780749457570, $29.95, www.koganpage.com

ABOUT FACE: THE SECRETS OF EMOTIONALLY EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING reveals new keys to success, covering how modern ads can target emotions using data from eye tracking and facial coding to analyze consumer response. Ten rules for such emotionally effective strategies pinpoint techniques and powerful results from high-impact emotion-driven marketing.

The Social Media Bible, second edition
Lon Safko
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470623978, $29.95, www.wiley.com

The second updated edition of The Social Media Bible has been revised and updated with user feedback and content, and offers the latest techniques, platforms and technologies for understanding and effectively using social media marketing. Interviews with 50 experts accompany keys to winning in social media efforts in this fine survey, highly recommended for any business collection.

King of Capital
David Carey and John E. Morris
Crown Business
c/o Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0307452999, $27.50, www.crownpublishing.com

KING OF CAPITAL: THE REMARKABLE RISE, FALL, AND RISE AGAIN OF Steve SCHWARZMAN AND BLACKSTONE comes from two veteran financial reporters who provide the inside story of how Schwarzman and his co-founder Pete Peterson built themselves a financial powerhouse that weathered crises and prospered. The insider's story tells how they controlled corporations around the globe and provides a fine account of behind-the-scenes dealings. Financial history collections will find this though-provoking.

Get Rich with Apps!
Jesse Feiler
McGraw-Hill
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Fl., NY, NY 10121-2298
0071700293, $19.95, www.mhprofessional.com

GET RICH WITH APPS! YOUR GUIDE TO REACHING MORE CUSTOMERS AND MAKING MONEY NOW covers the rapidly changing apps landscape and its many opportunities for making money. In 2010 over three billion apps had been downloaded from apple's App Store by iPhone and iPod touch users worldwide in just eighteen months - this shows businesses how to reach more customers and expand and develop new revenue streams using the apps market. From using old-fashioned programs to drive traffic to brick and mortar and websites to building an effective app, this covers both integration and construction and invites business and computer users alike to appreciate new opportunities in business development!

What Would Google Do?
Jeff Jarvis
HarperBusiness
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061709715, $26.99, www.harpercollins.com

What Would Google Do? provides a bold analysis from a blogger who analyzes Google's approaches to uncover forty clear rules to manage a company. Visionary, counterintuitive measures identified from Google's revolutionary approaches are recommended for a range of businesses and political scenarios in a fine blend of business and social history.

Career Press
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
www.careerpress.com

CEO PRIORITIES: MASTER THE ART OF SURVIVING AT THE TOP by Neil Giarratana (9781601631268, $15.99) goes beyond the usual rhetoric to provide new and potential CEOs with an affordable blueprint for settling in and setting new strategies. The author's had decades of experience in the CEO realm and provides here a unique book on business leadership discussing practical, behavioral and theoretical issues CEOs regularly face. Attorney Linda Gordon Howard's THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT HANDBOOK (9781564149121, $14.99) offers a fine, comprehensive overview of sexual harassment from a range of perspectives, from defining the term and the process of complaint to identifying 'hostile environment harassment' and other forms. Lawyers, non-lawyers and all business owners need to see this!

It's Not Just Who You Know
Tommy Spaulding
Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307589132, $23.00, www.broadwaybooks.com

It's Not Just Who You Know: Transform Your Life (And Your Organization) by Turning Colleagues and Contacts into Lasting, Genuine Relationships provides a fine new book sharing secrets for creating the kinds of relationships that positively impact career goals. There's lots of books on networking, but this goes beyond the 'who you know' approach to show how building relationships that help others result in win-win situations overall.

Organizational Culture and Leadership, fourth edition
Edgar H. Schein
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, 5th floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9780470190609, $45.00, www.josseybass.com

Organizational Culture and Leadership appears in its fourth updated edition to provide management libraries with a completely updated edition of a classic, based on modern business realities and research. Chapters consider changes in culture and business environments, how leadership has changed within and outside of business, and how leaders transmit and reflect culture. A top analysis for any college-level business collection!

Networking for People Who Hate Networking
Devora Zack
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery St., Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
9781605095226, $16.95, www.bkconnection.com

Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected provides a fine survey of social interactions by an avowed introvert - and a successful consultant. This exposes the reasons why some dislike networking - and how the common myth that networking is about small talk and constant contact doesn't necessarily reflect reality. A fine survey, this is a pick for any business shelf.


The Art Shelf

Grant Wood: A Life
R. Tripp Evans
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, NY, NY 10019
9780307266293, $37.50, www.aaknopf.com

Grant Wood: A Life charts the life and influences of one of America's most famous regionalist painters. It probes the realities of the man and his image, considering his classical training, bohemian lifestyle, and his early influence on American painting. Any who have enjoyed his work and wished to know more about his life will find this biography extensive, detailed, and packed with artistic and personal revelations.

Street Sketchbooks: Journeys
Tristan Manco
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811877282, $35.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

Street Sketchbooks: Journeys provides an appealing title for any fan of street art. Twenty-six new artists around the world are profiled: they've opened their sketchbooks for this title and trek around the world exploring different street art landscapes. From urban streets to highway bypasses, this documents many different possibilities and is packed with fine color insights throughout.


The Photography Shelf

Leroy Grannis
Jim Heimann, Editor
TASCHEN America
107 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
9783836523974, $19.99, www.taschen.com

LEROY GRANNIS: SURF PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE 1960S AND 1970S includes an essay by Steve Barilotti as it provides surfers and surf-oriented collections with a lavish, oversized production blending black and white and color photos celebrating surf photography. The photos of surfers, waves and close-ups make for a fine presentation highly recommended presentation perfect for any sports or photography holding!

Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
www.amherstmedia.com

Jeff Smith's STUDIO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY: TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS (9781608952465, $34.95) teaches photographers who have the basics down how to design more flattering lighting setups. From preparing for sessions and understanding each client's objectives to testing lighting and using high and low key lighting, this packs information into a key survey highly recommended for any serious photography holding. Wes Kroninger's LIGHTING: DESIGN TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS (9781608952540, $34.95) packs in keys to fine lighting and offers strategies for handling project planning and understanding how the properties of light affect a subject. From portrait lighting demands and differences between that and simpler set-ups to choosing the right light sources for different effects, this provides an excellent, specific analysis packed with color photo examples.

Pro Secrets to Dramatic Digital Photos
Jim Zuckerman
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781600596384, $19.95, www.pxiq.com

Pro Secrets to Dramatic Digital Photos teaches how to capture quality in digital images that 'pop', offering insights into easy techniques any photographer can duplicate. Examples from Jim Zuckerman's own collection accompany discussions of not just techniques but special equipment, making for a clear, compelling survey.


The Fashion Shelf

The Fashion File
Janie Bryant with Monica Corcoran Harel
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446572712, $26.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

THE FASHION FILE: ADVICE, TIPS, AND INSPIRATION FROM THE COSTUME DESIGNER OF MAD MEN is for any fan of AMC's Mad Men, and comes from the award-winning costume designer who creates all the outfits for the hit show. Tips on design, dressing chic, accessories and more come from a fashion artist who uses these same tips to create memorable figures for the big screen. Any library strong in contemporary fashion will find this an attraction.


The Crafts Shelf

Kalmbach Publishing
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com

Melody MacDuffee's LACY WIRE JEWELRY (9780871162939, $21.95) teaches how to make jewelry using just a spool of wire and a few tools. From producing lacy filigree edging and wraparound or inset bezels to producing sculptured wire centerpieces, this packs in nearly thirty projects that each provide step-by-step instruction. Color photos enhance a collection representing the author's some twenty years of jewelry design background: perfect for any jewelry or crafting collection. MAKING ELEGANT JEWELRY FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS (9780871164254, $17.95) comes from the Beadstyle Magazine and offers a range of projects for creating classy jewelry pieces. Jewelry makers and collections catering to them receive clear color photos and step-by-step instructions including detailed supply lists and basic tools and techniques. An excellent choice for those who want to move to the next level of jewelry making.

Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People
Amy Sedaris
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446557030, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

Humor and crafter's tips blend in SIMPLE TIMES, a survey that questions the creation and makers of crafts. From the best crafting options for the criminally insane to why making rock candy likely didn't work and producing pompom covers for the professional golfer, this is a fun, different take on crafts highly recommended for any crafter and for humor collections alike.

Creative Paper Cutting
Shufunotomo, Editor
Trumpeter
c/o Shambhala
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston MA 02115
9781590307311, $19.95, www.shambhala.com

CREATIVE PAPER CUTTING: BASIC TECHNIQUES & FRESH DESIGNS FOR STENCILS, MOBILES, CARDS & MORE packs in a fine survey on how to change a sheet of paper using paper cutouts. A range of styles and techniques are covered with step-by-step directions and templates offering the basics for making embellishments for cards, gift wrap, collages and more.


The Audiobook Shelf

Penguin Audio
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Vicki Myron with Bret Witter's DEWEY'S NINE LIVES: THE LEGACY OF THE SMALL-TOWN LIBRARY CAT WHO INSPIRED MILLIONS (9780142428597, $29.95) receives Andrea Gallo's fine reading and tells of an Iowa library cat, Dewey Readmore Books, and his ongoing adventures. The author had no intention of writing a Dewey sequel - but due to popular demand she produced more fun stories about the library cat's antics, which come to life in this fine audio presentation. Jan Karon's IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS (9780142428405, $39.95) pairs a powerful reading by Erik Singer with a Father Tim novel revolving around a vacation, a priest, and a promise. Joining others in the Father Tim series, this fills a three-year gap in Karon's stories and returns Cynthia to the limelight. Prior fans in particular will relish this new story. Lewis Black's I'M DREAMING OF A BLACK CHRISTMAS (9780142428559, $25.95) arrived too late for holiday mention but provides a fine author-narrated story anyway, in a hilarious, pointed condemnation of the Christmas season. From his own Christmas rituals that have nothing to do with traditions to doing a USO Christmas tour, this is hilarious any time of year! Kathy Reichs' VIRALS (9780142428160, $26.95) receives stage actress Cristin Milioti's dramatic flair and voice as it provides a strong adventure telling of teen Tory who moves to the middle of nowhere to live with a marine biologist dad she's never known, only to meet a group of science geek peers encountering strangeness at a local research institute. Dramatic action evolves as DNA changes begin.

Brilliance Audio
Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com

DEMON SEED springs to life once again, taking an older science fiction movie about computer horror and providing new life in Dean Koontz's audio drama (144181728X, $34.99) enhanced by Christopher Lane's seasoned voice. When Susan's in-home computer takes more than usual charge of her world, its sentient curiosity traps her into a dangerous experiment in this gripping science fiction audio saga. David Weber's FLAG IN EXILE (1441866191, $29.99) receives Allyson Johnson's entertainment background and fine smooth voice as it tells of Captain Honor Harrington, who is trying to heal bitter wounds from past political and military conflicts. A newborn Navy needs her experience, so she has to return to duty - and to face those who hate here - in this interstellar science fiction drama. Jack Higgins' DRINK WITH THE DEVIL (1441843442, $29.99) receives a fine performance by veteran Michael Pqage, who has recorded over 50 tiles for Brilliance and is a Professor of Theatre and an actor. His dramatic voice spices the account of a deadly treasure hunt between an Irish militant who wants to finance a war and a former IRA enforcer who wants to retrieve the gold before he gets there. Highly dramatic action comes to life in audio. Michael Connelly edits MURDER IN VEGAS (1441836969, $29.99), a fine collection of new crime tales performed by audio veterans Phil Gigante and Joyce Bean, who bring to life tales of gambling and Vegas culture. Works by James Swain, Michael Collins and others provide a satisfyingly diverse collection of scenarios and intrigue. Pat Conroy's THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE (144181499X, $49.99) receives a fine audio narration by award-winning narrator Dan John Miller, who spices and brings to life a powerful story of four cadets who survive hazing and a proud military institute. Their loyalty and friendship will survive dangerous tests in this brilliant, dramatic saga.

Random House Audio
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouseaudio.com

Bill Bryson's AT HOME (9780739315262, $45.00) is narrated by the author and provides a fine survey of the author's home. While this might sound self-serving, it actually uses a room-by-room assessment to consider history: the bathroom, for example, sparks a survey of the history of hygiene. Social evolution and cultural influence contribute to a lively survey of how households evolve and reflect the culture they're in. Jeff Lindsay's DEXTER IS DELICIOUS (9780307577542, $40.00) is read by the author, who provides a spirited survey of Dexter Morgan's homicidal life, which revolves around the idea that he only kills people who deserve it. An investigation of the disappearance of a teen who has been abducted leads to a bizarre chain of events in this thriller.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Etiquette of Freedom
Gary Snyder, Jim Harrison & The Practice of the Wild
Counterpoint Press
2117 Fourth Street, Suite D, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781582436296, $28.00, www.counterpointpress.com

This book companion to the film The Practice of the Wild pairs a DVD of the movie with a survey, edited by Paul Ebenkamp, of a series of conversations between Gary Snyder and Jim Harrison. Any collection strong in Beat generation history and culture will find this a compelling pick.

Why? Because We Still Like You
Jennifer Armstrong
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446545952, $25.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

Why? Because We Still Like You: An Oral History of the Mickey Mouse Club is for any who fondly recall the TV show created by Disney in 1955, who wanted it to fund and promote his upcoming Disneyland theme park. The Club's performers and creators offer insider accounts of experiences in Why? Because We Still Like You, a pick for general collections and TV/film libraries like. Original interviews with Mouseketeers accompany personal photos from the participants that appear on a color sixteen-page insert. Any who appreciated the show will relish this expose.


The Computer Shelf

The Game Maker's Companion
Jacob Habgood, Nana Nielsen and Martin Rijks
Apress, Inc.
233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013
9781430228264, $39.99, www.apress.com

PC owners running the Windows 2000, XP or Windows 7 will appreciate this fine game development survey in The Game Maker's Companion: Game Development: the Journey Continues. It offers a sequel that picks up where the last book left off and is thus a recommended pick for continuing the process of developing techniques to add depth to game characters. Any involved in computer game development will benefit from specific tips by industry professionals.

Using Microsoft Publisher 2010
Brien Posey
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
800 E. 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240
0789742969, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com

Using Microsoft Publisher 2010 offers an integrated package pairing video tutorials, web access and audio sidebars with a book covering all the basics. For the price of the book you get online access anywhere with a web connection, and get to enjoy the audio and video learning tools. A top pick for any self-taught Microsoft Publisher 2010 beginner!

Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
800 E. 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240
www.informit.com/ruby

Michael Daley's LEARNING IOS GAME PROGAMMING: A HANDS-ON GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR FIRST IPHONE GAME (0321699424, $39.99) is a pick for any iPhone or iPad programming technician's collection. It tells how to plan high-level game design, how to use game loops to assure logical progression, and how to build game entities and make them work properly. From making a 2D tile map game to understanding how successful iPhone games work, this introduces technology, terminology and more in a powerful, recommended pick! The second edition of Paul Clements, et.al.'s DOCUMENTING SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURES: VIEWS AND BEYOND (0321552687, $64.99) continues to be a top recommendation for software engineering collections. This new edition offers more focus and detail than the previous, providing the most complete, current guidance on how to capture an architecture. From what information to document to rules for documentation processes and styles, this is a 'must'. Mocky Habeeb's A DEVELOPER'S GUIDE TO AMAZON SIMPLEDB (0321623630, $39.99) provides an in-depth, technical reference to building cloud computing solutions with Amazon Simple DB. Simple DB allows any organization to use Amazon Web Services, and this offers developers an in-depth guide to building production solutions using Amazon Simple DB. A 'must' for any serious developer collection.

Artistic Web Design Using Adobe, Dreamweaver and Photoshop
Vickie Ellen Wolper
Jones & Bartlett Learning
40 Tall Pine Dr.,Sudbury, MA 01776
9780763785949, $59.95, www.jblearning.com

Artistic Web Design Using Adobe, Dreamweaver and Photoshop: An Introduction is a 'must' for any who would understanding Web artistry. A CD-ROM with images, web pages and more accompanies a discussion of design theory and applications using Photoshop with other programs. Projects and exercises form the foundation for learning here, making this an exceptional self-tutorial linking artistry to major programs and their features.

Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, fourth edition
Richard Grant & Phil Bull
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Street, #250, San Francisco, CO 94107
9781593272579, $34.95, www.nostarch.com

The fourth updated edition of Ubuntu for Non-Geeks tells how to make the transition to Linux easy, offering hands-on instruction to help users get comfortable with Ubuntu fast. The latest features of 10.4 offers five new chapters that cover common software tasks in a top pick for any computer collection strong in Linux information.

GIS Tutorial 1: Basic Workbook
Wilpen L. Gorr and Kristen S. Kurland
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100
9781589482593, $79.95, www.esri.com

GIS Tutorial 1: Basic Workbook provides a fine workbook for ArcGIS 10 users, packing in scripted exercises that present step-by-step instructions teaching the basics of GIS workflows. Assignments encourage reviewing GIS basics and using them creatively and offer challenging choices that help users solve common problems using GIS approaches.

Oracle Solaris 10 System Virtualization Essentials
Jeff Victor, et.al.
Prentice Hall Professional
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
013708188X, $44.99, www.informit.com

Oracle Solaris 10 System Virtualization Essentials is a pick for any college-level technical collection strong in Oracle Solaris engineering. It provides a fine introduction to the topic of computer virtualization and the systems that support it, offering administrators and oracle Solaris support staff a key to understanding operating systems, migration processes, and security and scalability of workloads. It completely covers all concepts and features of system virtualization and is key to any in-depth understanding.

MCTS Exam 70-662: Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Self-Paced Training Kit
Orin Thomas and Ian McLean
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly Media
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9780735627161, $69.99, www.msdn.microsoft.com/practices

MCTS Exam 70-662: Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Self-Paced Training Kit is an exam prep guide key to seeking a paced series of lessons in an official Microsoft study guide. From learning to prepare an Exchange Server 2010 deployment to setting up mailboxes, distribution groups, and more, this is a top pick for any serious computer library.


The Travel Shelf

Lonely Planet
150 Linden St., Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Carolyn McCarthy, et.al.'s CENTRAL AMERICA ON A SHOESTRING: BIG TRIPS ON SMALL BUDGETS (9781741791471, $25.99) packs in detailed itineraries to help independent, budget-minded travelers get started on a Central American journey. From highlights of top recommendations by fellow travelers to a 'green' index of ecofriendly alternatives, this holds small black and white maps, extensive details on where to stay and what to experience, and choices for off-the-beaten-path journeying perfect for young travelers in particular. Carolyn McCarthy's PANAMA (9781741791549, $21.99) packs in tailored itineraries for a Panama trip to combine with keys to the entire country's urban and rural attractions. Independent travelers receive a take-along tote packed with advice on everything from recommended accommodations and restaurants to off-the-beaten-path options. Greg Benchwick's CANCUN, COZUMEL & THE YUCATAN (9781741794144, $21.99) offers outdoor adventure-oriented surveys of the entire region and provides top itineraries along with coverages of local history and color. A bonus chapter on neighboring Tabasco and Chiapas accompanies keys to the best of the Yucatan Peninsula in a handy take-along tote 'must' for any destination-bound visitor. Also top picks are Lucas Vidgen and Daniel C. Schechter's GUATEMALA (9781741791495, $21.99), covering the country's towns, villages and unique culture, and Matthew D. Firestone, Carolina A. Miranda and Cesar G. Soirano's COSTA RICA (9781741799748, $21.99) which provides an in-depth survey of the popular travel destination packed with maps, photos and local color!


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Dr., Woodbury, MN 455125-2989
www.llewellyn.com

Gede Parma's BY LAND SKY & SEA: THREE REALMS OF SHAMANIC WITCHCRAFT (9780738722825, $16.95) explores the ancient trinity and its Greek, Hawaiian and other customs and roots. Methods for working in all three realms are provided in a survey that teaches basic techniques for energy work and various expanding consciousness projects. New age collections strong in Wiccan rituals and introductions will relish this! Cassandra Eason's ANGEL MAGIC: A HANDS-ON GUIDE TO INVITING DIVINE HELP INTO YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE (9780738721781, $16.95) offers quick and easy angel magic from a recognized angel authority. Chapters focus on how to attract harmony and healing into everyday life and offer quick, easy techniques anyone can used to enhance angelic communication processes. New age collections strong in applied angel magic will relish this! Such collections also will consider Richard Webster's THE COMPLETE BOOK OF AURAS: LEARN TO SEE, READ, STRENGTHEN AND HEAL AURAS (9780738721804, $16.95) a key survey blending parapsychology with keys to recognizing and interpreting an aura. Step-by-step directions for feeling and handling an aura make for a very specific 'how to' guide.

Man-Made Monsters
Dr. Bob Curran
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631367, $14.99, www.newpagebooks.com

MAN-MADE MONSTERS: A FIELD GUIDE TO GOLEMS, PATCHWORK SOLDIERS, HOMUNCULI, AND OTHER CREATED CREATURES offers a lively survey of paranormal mythology and keys to exploring man-made monster concepts. Major legends accompany reflections on cloning, created life, and legends and offer many fine insights for those who would consider myths.


The Literary Shelf

Orwell: Life and Art
Jeffrey Meyers
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820-6903
9780252077463, $25.00, www.press.uillinois.edu

ORWELL: LIFE AND ART provides a fine assessment representing an Orwell scholar's lifetime of work, and is a 'must' for any college-level literary collection. It covers the novelist's childhood and pairs autobiographical writings from the beginning of his career through the Spanish Civil War, analyzing his major works with attention to his psychology and influences. Any student of Orwell will find this a key analysis!


The Education Shelf

Student-Designed Games
Peter Hastie
Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736085904, $24.00 www.humankinetics.com

STUDENT DESIGNED GAMES: STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING CREATIVITY, COOPERATION, AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT provides a fine guide for students and teachers, showing them how to devise games that are inclusive, educational and fun. Game templates presented here can be adapted or used 'as is', and teaches key tactical concepts and awareness in the design process, not just the play experience. Education and sports collections will find this a real winner!

School, Family, and Community Partnerships, second edition
Joyce L. Epstein
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344478, $50.00, www.westviewpress.com

School, Family, and Community Partnerships appears in its second updated edition to offer educators and researchers a fine key to developing goal-linked programs of school, family and community partnerships. Methods for applying theory and research accompany a historical review and exploration of research on parent involvement. Any college-level education collection needs this!


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Dead Man's Chest
Kerry Greenwood
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Avenue #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590587973, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

DEAD MAN'S CHEST provides a fine Phryne Fisher mystery and is especially recommended for collections seeing avid interest in the prior Phryne books. Here Miss Phryne is off to Queensland for a holiday with no murders: but as usual murder and danger follows close behind, involving Phryne in a series of dangerous encounters leading to a buried treasure at sea in this excellent, dramatic read.

A Holiday Yarn
Sally Goldenbaum
Obsidian
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451231581, $23.95, www.penguin.com

A HOLIDAY YARN provides a fine Seaside Knitters mystery: it arrived too late for holiday mention but is a fine year-round pick, especially for the holiday season. The Seaside Knitters are enjoying snow and indoor knitting plans - until the death of Mary's cousin Pamela leads them to investigate a dangerous cloud hovering over one of their members. An excellent blend of knitting and mystery evolves.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Ghost Town
Rachel Caine
NAL
c/o New American Library
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451231611, $17.99, www.penguin.com

GHOST TOWN is the next book in Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series, and is a special pick for any collection that has seen popular lending with its predecessors. Both young adult and adult readers will be captivated by this survey of Morganville, where humans and vampires coexist, and where Claire Danvers faces more trouble as both vampires and humans face extinction.

Bones of Empire
William C. Dietz
Ace
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780441019229, $24.95, www.penguin.com

BONES OF EMPIRE is set in the far future, when the Uman Empire has colonized worlds yet is now fragile. Jak Cato is a bioengineered cop - so his skills come to a head when he catches a glimpse of the empire's Emperor - and realizes the leader is not human. A fine, tense thriller evolves blending the best of mystery and science fiction worlds.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

101 Classic Toy Trains: Best of the Postwar Years
Roger Carp
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164100, $24.99, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Steam trains, locomotives, diesels, rail cars and more are covered in this fine survey of entries presenting history, production facts, and more. Any toy train hobbyist will find this a treasure trove of detail based on the popular 'Collectible Classics' column from Classic Toy Trains Magazine. After explaining his criteria for selecting 100 classics, Roger Carp provides a fine blend of color photos and details that include each train's latest values. Collectors must have this!

Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide 1901-2011
Roger Carp, Editor
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780897785396, $18.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide 1901-2011 is a 'must' for any Lionel collector who regularly haunts garage sales and auctions seeking Lionels. Everything needed to know before buying, selling or trading is included here on all Lionels and accessories, wit product listings describing each item, variations, and suggested, latest values based on collector statistics from around the country.

A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, third edition
Q. David Bowers
Whitman Publishing
3101 Clairmont Road Suite C, Atlanta, GA 30329
9780794822699, $19.95, www.whitmanbooks.com

A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars: A Complete History and Price Guide appears in its third updated edition to provide the latest market analysis for each date and mintmark of the Morgan silver dollar. From exploring die varieties to grading standards and the changing marketplace for Morgans, this is a 'must' reference for any collector's library.

Rare Coin Investing
David L. Ganz
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1440213585, $24.99, www.shopnumismaster.com

Rare Coin Investing: An Affordable Way to Build Your Portfolio offers coin collectors an excellent and different approach to collecting: one tied to investing. Tips on how coin collectors can see a profitable return on small investments center around how a portfolio of coins gains in value and how to build such a portfolio using low-cost coins as investments. Collectors and investors alike will find this an excellent survey packed with the author's own successful investment strategies.

Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide, 29th edition
Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
9781574326970, $19.95, www.collectorbooks.com

This yearly updated guide represents a key acquisition by any library appealing to general collectors. Each section is updated by a category expert to reflect the latest prices and trends, with small full-color pictures illustrating different collectibles for easy identification. From specialty lace and linens to various types of glass, this is packed with references to virtually every category and makes for the perfect starting point for the general collector.

Everett Grist's Big Book of Marbles, fourth edition
Everett Grist and Lloyd Huffer
Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
9781574326925, $29.95, www.collectorbooks.com

EVERETT GRIST'S BIG BOOK OF MARBLES appears in its fourth updated edition to provide a fine basic identification and value guide for both antique and machine-made marbles. Each page packs in color photos of marbles arranged by company and type, making for quick and easy identification. The result is a top pick for any marble collector seeking the latest values.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Represent Yourself in Court
Paul Bergman & Sara Berman, attorneys
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
1413312691, $39.99, www.nolo.com

Represent Yourself in Court: How to Prepare & Try a Winning Case tells how to file court papers, prepare for a trial, and understand the court process as a whole. Pretrial and trial processes are broken down into clear, easy steps for both plaintiffs and defendants, so no matter what the purpose - from bankruptcy to divorce or renter disputes - the overall process is covered. General lending collections must have this invaluable consumer's reference to the legal process!

Administrative Law in the Political System, fifth edition
Kenneth F. Warren
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344560, $75.00, www.westviewpress.com

Administrative Law in the Political System appears in its fifth updated edition to provide legal, social science and political collections alike with a comprehensive text exploring the role of administrative law in public policy. Chapters offer 100 new and current cases to consider the latest political climate of the Obama administration, beginning each chapter with an edited case and comments and questions. College-level students will find this a 'must' reference, and many will find it an assigned classroom text!

Law Dictionary, sixth edition
Steven H. Gifis
Barron's
250 Wireless Road, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764143573, $14.99, www.barronseduc.com

Over 5,000 legal terms are defined and documented with citations in this handy pocket guide to law, a top pick for any law student, legal professional, or general lending library. Its take-along tote format makes it most accessible and handy while the definitions are clearly written.

The Best 172 Law Schools, 2011 Edition
Eric Owens & Staff of Princeton Review
Princeton Review
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375427893, $22.99, www.princetonreviewbooks.com

The 2011 edition of The Best 172 Law Schools uses ranking lists to reveal the top law schools based on best professors, classroom experience, careers and more. This gathers the experiences of over 18,000 law schools at top programs and documents key information on accredited law schools, so none of the ranking lists is based on The Princeton Review's opinions, making this a fine, key acquisition!


The Sports Shelf

Fitness Illustrated
Brian Sharkey
Human Kinetics
Box 5976, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736081585, $21.95, www.humankinetics.com

Fitness Illustrated offers more than the usual advice on diet and exercise, probing each type of activity to show what results in better fitness and what doesn't work. From how a body changes with different types of exercise to how aerobic activity can be gauged and how to shape and tone your core, this is packed with color anatomy and exercise photos to clarify all explanations. A top pick for any athlete.

Western Herbs for Martial Artists and Contact Athletes
Susan Lynn Peterson, Ph.D.
YMAA
Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
9781594391972, $20.95, www.ymaa.com

Western Herbs for Martial Artists and Contact Athletes: Effective Treatments for Common Sports Injuries covers over sixty herbs readily available in health food stores for treating bruises, sprains, adrenaline and any health issues common to athletic performance. Each herb is considered for its safety, effectiveness, and includes instruction on how to use it to enhance sports training. This should be on the shelves of any sports library, as well as many a health collection.

Practical ECG for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine
Greg Whyte and Sanjay Sharma
Human Kinetics
Box 5976, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736081941, $29.00, www.humankinetics.com

Practical ECG for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine offers a fine reference for students working with exercise electrocardiograms, and offers a basic theory applied to interpretation of both normal and abnormal ECG traces. The authors' clinical experience and published research combines with a fine focus on athletic hearts and sports health issues, making for a fine resource for any working in the exercise field.

On the Way to Fun
Roberto Dillon
A.K. Peters Ltd.
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
9781568815824, $29.00, www.akpeters.com

ON THE WAY TO FUN: AN EMOTION-BASED APPROACH TO SUCCESSFUL GAME DESIGN outlines a fine framework linking human emotions and instincts to successful game design, blending a theoretical framework with keys to analyzing game play. The framework is then applied to both successful and unsuccessful games to make for a fine survey for any who want to properly design and develop ideas to maximum benefit!

Knocking on Heaven's Door
Marty Dobrow
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498433, $24.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

KNOCKING ON HEAVEN'S DOOR: SIX MINOR LEAGUERS IN SEARCH OF THE BASEBALL DREAM considers life in baseball's minor leaves, comes from an award-winning sportswriter, and considers the lives and culture of six minor league players all struggling to achieve. They are all represented by the same team of agents, and their stories begin during spring training in 2005 and ends in the fall of 2008. An outstanding survey, this will earn its place in any baseball collection.


The Gender Issues Shelf

Becoming
Yishav Garbasz with Vivian Sobchak
Mark Batty Publishers
36 W. 37th St., #409, New York NY 10018
9781935613008, $21.95, www.markbattypublisher.com

Specialty, college-level gender issues collections as well as arts collections interested in photos with movement will find this flip-page book unique and intriguing. It follows, in color photos, the transition of Yishav Garbasz in her movement from a male to a female body. Over 900 photos were taken daily: only 87 have been selected for this flip-page survey, making it a top visual presentation of nude shots following the changes. Specialty arts and gender collections will find it unique.


The Native American Shelf

University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com

Kristina L. Southwell and John R. Lovett's LIFE AT THE KIOWA, COMANCHE, AND WICHITA AGENCY: THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF ANNETTE ROSS HUME (9780806141381, $34.95) is a 'must' for any serious Native American library. It covers the rise of a sleep Oklahoma town now billed as the 'Indian Capital of the Nation' - a frontier village when Annette Ross Hume arrived in 1890. Her black and white photos trace an era of growth and this gathers them under one cover for the first time, making for a fine survey of Native regional history. Mark van de Logt's WAR PARTY IN BLUE: PAWNEE SCOUTS IN THE U.S. ARMY (9780806141398, $34.95) documents the height of the Plains Indian wars when Pawnee Indian scouts lent their services to the U.S. Army, leading missions into dangerous territory and organizing attacks against enemy camps. This documents experiences from the Pawnee perspective and outlines battles and encounters using military records and modern interviews with current Pawnee tribal members. Military and Native American collections alike will relish the unusual, detailed history.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Schocken Books
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.schocken.com

Rodger Kamanetz's BURNT BOOKS: RABBI NACHMAN OF BRATSLAV AND FRANZ KAFKA (9780805242577, $25.00) comes from a teacher who for many years taught a course in Prague on Franz Kafka. His consideration of the unexpected connections between Hasidic master Rabbi Nachman and Kafka - which includes spiritual connections and even their co-invention of new forms of storytelling that explore the search for meaning in an unjust world - makes for an outstanding survey any Jewish studies collection should have! Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' FUTURE TENSE: JEWS, JUDAISM, AND ISRAEL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY (9780805242690, $26.95) issues a call for world Jewry to reject the image of Jewish people as being alone and surrounded by enemies in the world, and to reclaim Judaism's original connections with God. Chapters use Judaism as a blueprint for recovery from world ills and makes for passionate, inspirational reading.


The Nautical Shelf

Schooner
Alison Shaw and Tom Dunlop
Vineyard Stories
RR1 Box 65-B9, Edgartown, MA 02539
9780615342672, $44.95, www.vineyardstories.com

SCHOONER: BUILDING A WOODEN BOAT ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD tells of a boat-building movement based on the past: building wooden boats in the traditional way. Nat Benjamin and Ross Gannon are among the rare boat builders who build plank-on-frame boats, and their experiences celebrates years of boatbuilding techniques and is captured in full color in SCHOONER. No nautical collection should be without this unique presentation which captures the entire art and experience of building a seaworthy wooden craft by hand.

Atlantic
Simon Winchester
Harper
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061702587, $27.99, www.harpercollins.com

ATLANTIC: GREAT SEA BATTLES, HEROIC DISCOVERIES, TITANIC STORMS, AND A VAST OCEAN OF A MILLION STORIES blends nautical history, natural science, and more in a discussion of the history of the Atlantic Ocean. From the geological origins of the ocean to mankind's changing relationship with the Atlantic as it became a bridge between old and new worlds, this provides a lively survey perfect for any general collection.

Cape Horn to Starboard
John Kretschmer
Burford Books
101 East State St. #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
9781580801621, $16.95, www.burfordbooks.com

Cape Horn to Starboard: The Classic Chronicle of Rounding the Horn in a 32-Foot Sloop provides a new introduction by the author and first appeared in 1986. This reprint chronicling the voyage of a college dropout who retraced the route of the clipper ships from New York to San Francisco by way of Cape Horn makes for a fine chronicle for any nautical library.


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