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California Bookwatch

Volume 5, Number 1 January 2010 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Christian Studies Shelf Economics Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Gardening Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Military Shelf Photography Shelf
Computer Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Self-Help Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
International Studies Shelf Social Issues Shelf Education Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Art Shelf American History Shelf
Parenting Shelf Automotive Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Sports Shelf Gaming Shelf
Hunting/Fishing Shelf Music Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Business Shelf Travel Shelf
Science Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Reference Shelf
Biography Shelf Library DVD Shelf Literary Shelf
California Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

10-Fold Origami
Peter Engel
Tuttle
364 Innovation Drive, N. Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9784805310694, $19.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com

10-FOLD ORIGAMI: FABULOUS PAPERFOLDS YOU CAN MAKE IN JUST 10 STEPS tells paper crafters how to work origami to turn paper into lovely decorations. A range of finished designs demonstrates many different folds and crimps and assigns a difficulty rating to each project so newcomers can gauge their skills levels and advancements. Color photos on facing pages accompany step-by-step descriptions and illustrations of folds in a title more detailed and progressively educational than competing origami guides - and perfect for general library lending.

South of the Border with Disney
J.B. Kaufman
Disney Editions
114 - 5th Ave, New York NY 10011
9781423111931, $30.00 www.disney.com

South of the Border with Disney: Walt Disney and the Good Neighbor Program 1941-48 tells of a journey Goofy and Donald make to South America to embrace very different cultures in Saludos Amigos. In time this revolutionary cartoon choice would be followed by another feature, then a series of short cartoons produced for entertainment and education exploring Latin American settings and issues. Few may know the story behind these creations, which is why South of the Border with Disney is a key survey, telling of the Good Neighbor program initiated by Nelson Rockefeller. Disney's influence on the program was monumental and this color drawing-packed guide is key to understanding it - and highly recommended for any general lending library.

Tokyo Vice
Jake Adelstein
Pantheon
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307378798, $26.00 www.pantheonbooks.com

TOKYO VICE: AN AMERICAN REPORTER ON THE POLICE BEAT IN JAPAN comes from the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the Tokyo Metro Police Press Club, and offers an insider's guide to Japanese society and crime. As a teen he went to Japan seeking tranquility, but worked his way from a student to a crime reporter, then into the exclusive press club. His observations of a little-known, seedy side of Japan is a 'must' for any library strong in Japanese culture and social issues.

Master Mechanics & Wicked Wizards
Glen Scott Allen
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558497030, $29.95 www.umass.edu/umpress

Master Mechanics & Wicked Wizards: Images of the American Scientist as Hero and Villain from Colonial Times to the Present traces the changing social image and culture of the scientist and is a pick for science and social issues libraries alike, at the college level. It provides a history of the thread running through scientific depictions in popular culture and literature, considering periods and movements fostered by technology fairs, utopian fiction, political movements and the rise of pseudosciences in recent decades. Teachers and students of cultural studies will find it a powerful analysis of changing scientist image.

Two is Enough
Laura S. Scott
Seal Press
1700 - 4th St., Berkeley, CA 94710
9781580052634, $16.95 www.sealpress.com

TWO IS ENOUGH: A COUPLE'S GUIDE TO LIVING CHILDLESS BY CHOICE explores common assumptions surrounding parenthood and why many are not opting in. Data from a survey she undertook of childless couples forms the basis of an examination of motivations and experiences, blending in firsthand narratives of how couples made the decision to be childless and how it affected their lives.

Halfway to Each Other
Susan Pohlman
Guideposts
2100 Kramer Lane Suite 300, Austin, TX 78758
9780824947804, $22.00 www.guideposts.com

One of the most inspirational reads of last year, HALFWAY TO EACH OTHER: HOW A YEAR IN ITALY BROUGHT OUR FAMILY HOME is a 'must' for any collection strong in family values. After 18 years of marriage the author was ready to leave as she felt her marriage and life drifting away - but when she and her family left their busy world behind to travel to Italy for business and then to live, vast changes happened. Faith and hope enters into a warm, inspiring story of how change brought their family back together. Even general-interest libraries will find this a powerful pick, and religious collections strong in family values will love it.

Unclutter Your Life in One Week!
Erin Rooney Doland
Simon Spotlight Entertainment
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439150467, $22.00 www.simonandschuster.com

Unclutter Your Life in One Week! offers a fine resource for uncluttering. Packed with organizing tips, Unclutter Your LIfe in One Week! comes from an organization expert who offers a day-by-day plan for purging clutter. Its valuable connections between business and personal life clutter provide readers with keys to integrating all facets of life and makes for an excellent general library addition.

Harley-Davidson Panhead Restoration
Rick Schunk
Wolfgang Publications
Box 223, Stillwater, MN 55082
1929133812, $34.95 www.wolfpub.com

Harley-Davidson Panhead Restoration discusses Panheads and the older Harley bike, offering tips on materials makeup, and how to disassemble the chassis, repair the fork, and more. Over 500 color step-by-step photos provide extensive, detailed restoration tips far above any competing guide and make this a 'must' for any Harley owner wishing to work on an older bike.

Citizen Engineer
David Douglas and Greg Papadopoulos with John Boutelle
Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ
0137143923, $29.99 www.informit.com/ph

CITIZEN ENGINEER: A HANDBOOK FOR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE ENGINEERING offers the insights of two computer industry engineers who focus on two topics: eco engineering and intellectual property. It considers how and why engineering has changed and offers tips to engineers of all types who want to begin thinking in a different way. Collections catering to engineers in particular will find this an absorbing title.

Breaking the Sound Barrier
Amy Goodman
Haymarket Books
Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781931859998, $16.00 www.haymarketbooks.org

Breaking the Sound Barrier offers a series of articles and writings and comes from the host of the daily radio and TV program Democracy Now! It provides a powerful set of insights based on the journalist's many observations of the democratic process, from observations of climate change politics to Wall Street socialism, media rights, and more. Collections strong in democratic processes need this.

How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free
Ernie J. Zelinski
Visions International Publishing
Box 4072, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6E 4S8
9780969419495, $16.95 www.vipbooks.us

How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free offers retirement basics that go far beyond the usual money-oriented approach, offering inspirational advice on how to enjoy life. From taking early retirement and putting money in perspective to make it work to generating purpose with creative goals and taking charge of health, this packs in many options and insights perfect for any general lending library.

Debrett's Etiquette for Girls
Fleur Britten
Debrett/Antique Collector's Club
18-20 Hill Rise, Richmond, Surrey TW10 6UA, UK
9781851495733, $35.00 www.antiquecollectorsclub.com

Debrett's Etiquette for Girls offers the ultimate girls' guide to etiquette and comes from a commissioning editor at the Sunday Times. From yachts to dinner parties, handling champagne and being a good hostess, this provides plenty of insights on etiquette standards to suit any celebration or social interaction, and is recommended as a contemporary etiquette acquisition for any lending library.

A Cracking of the Heart
David Horowitz
Regnery
One Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20001
9781596981034, $24.95 www.regnery.com

A Cracking of the Heart provides a powerful reflection on life and loss in this story of a father and daughter's estrangement and a slow eventual reunion ended by sudden death. Author David Howoritz was a conservative with a very liberal daughter: his reflections are powerful insights on what really matters: "When death takes someone you love, there is no looking back. And there is only looking back."

A Book of Silence
Sara Maitland
Counterpoint
2117 - 4th St, Suite D, Berkeley CA 94710
9781582435176, $25.00 www.counterpointpress.com

A Book of Silence tells of an author raised in large family who was a vocal feminist and mother all her life - and the, in her late forties, found herself living alone in the country and loving its silence. Her exploration of silent areas of the world leads to a book delving into the cultural history of silence and its meaning - and absence - in contemporary life. A fine reflection on something missing from most of our lives.

Eating the Dinosaur
Chuck Klosterman
Scribner
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781416544203, $25.00 www.simonandschuster.com

EATING THE DINOSAUR is for any library strong in cultural reflection or history. It provides a survey of our mass consumption of popular culture, offering new, previously unpublished pieces reflecting on everything from the radical nature of football to time travel's cultural attraction and how irony is handled. From the lyrics of ABBA and other groups to the best response to social and political allegations of misconduct, this is a hilarious - and pointed - set of cultural observations.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Year of Living Like Jesus
Ed Dobson
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310247777, $19.99 www.zondervan.com

THE YEAR OF LIVING LIKE JESUS: MY JOURNEY OF DISCOVERING WHAT JESUS WOULD REALLY DO details the author's year of trying to live in Jesus' sandals. Pastor emeritus Ed Dobson offers a day-by-day journal of his experiences, prayers, and discoveries, tying his life experiences to his spiritual evolution in a powerful survey highly recommended for any spirituality library. Unparalleled in its perception and honesty, it's an inspirational read for all religious faiths but especially for Christians.

Hidden Worldviews
Steve Wilkens and Mark L. Sanford
IVP Academic
Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830838547, $22.00 www.ivpress.com

HIDDEN WORLDVIEWS: EIGHT CULTURAL STORIES THAT SHAPE OUR LIVES considers challenges to Christianity that come from worldviews that are reflected in consumerism, nationalism, and scientific naturalism. New age thinking and the evolution of postmodern tribalism and how they affect worldview makes for a series of stories linking spirituality to changing Christianity perspectives in an analysis suitable for any college-level religious library.

40 Loaves: Breaking Bread With Our Father Each Day
C.D. Baker
Waterbrook Press
12265 Oracle Blvd. #200, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
9780307444905, $14.99 www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

40 LOAVES offers a solid survey of faith's challenges, from religious rules and questioning to how to begin asking questions of God. Forty soul-searching questions from the author's own conversations with God make for a set of religious inspirational reflections highly recommended for any Christian library.

Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth
Alister McGrath
HarperOne
383 Sacramento St #500, San Francisco CA 94111-3653
9780060822149, $24.99 www.harperone.com

Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth comes from a church historian and religion expert who argues that the church must preserve categories of heresy and orthodoxy when considering lines and boundaries of sanctioned Christian beliefs. From heretical beliefs and practices that proved more repressive than rival orthodox claims to multiple alternatives rejected when the church had no power to enforce one view over another, HERESY is a powerful historical perspective perfect for Christian collections strong in historical debates.

Ostriches, Dung Beetles, and Other Spiritual Masters
Janice McLaughlin
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570758423, $18.00 www.orbisbooks.com

Ostriches, Dung Beetles, and Other Spiritual Masters draws important connections between the wildlife of Africa and teachings about ourselves that come from their actions. From lessons in self-acceptance and humility to quotes from scripture and ways to apply wisdom of the wild to everyday living, this is a fine, revealing guide for any Christian spirituality library.

Social Justice Handbook
Mae Elise Cannon
InterVarsity Press
Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830837151, $20.00 www.ivpress.com

SOCIAL JUSTICE HANDBOOK: SMALL STEPS FOR A BETTER WORLD provides Christian readers with a survey of social justice issues and explains Christian approaches to justice. Suitable for both religious and social issues college-level collections, this surveys challenges form domestic violence and debt relief to homelessness and environmental stewardship, offering dozens of practical exercises for taking action. Highly recommended, it's more than another review of social issues, but a call to action.


The Economics Shelf

The Meltdown Years
Wolfgang Munchau
McGraw Hill
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10121-2298
0071634789, $29.95 www.mcgraw-hill.com

THE MELTDOWN YEARS: THE UNFOLDING OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS comes from an economic columnist who believes the current meltdown is not so much an American problem requiring an American solution, but the result of the entire global financial system's interactions - requiring an international effort to fix it. His global perspective is a 'must' for any library strong in world economic history and interactions.


The Interior Design Shelf

Speed Decorating
Jill Vegas
Taunton Press
Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781600850332, $21.95 www.taunton.com

SPEED DECORATING is a 'must' for any who love decorating and want to make quick transformations to any room in the house. It comes from a decorator who is a professional stager and tells how to make these changes in a week or less - differing from the usual decorating book that involves weeks or more of hard work. From linking personal style to a room's potential to trading existing fixtures and furnishing for new ones and experimenting with color, this is packed with practical applications for any busy would-be home decorator.


The Gardening Shelf

Edible Heirlooms
Bill Thorness
Skipstone Publishing/Mountaineers
1001 SW Klickatit Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134
9781594851421, $18.95 www.mountaineersbooks.org

Any West Coast gardening library needs EDIBLE HEIRLOOMS: HERITAGE VEGETABLES FOR THE MARITIME GARDEN. It presents nearly thirty edible plants best suited to gardens from British Columbia to California, exploring their history, heirloom variety qualities, and growing tips and best uses. The result is a survey key to any West Coast gardener's collection.

Flora Mirabilis
CatherineHerbert Howell
National Geographic
1145 - 17th St. NW, Washington DC 20036-4688
9781426205095, $35.00 www.ngs.org

FLORA MIRABILIS: HOW PLANTS HAVE SHAPED WORLD KNOWLEDGE, HEALTH, WEALTH AND BEAUTY offers gorgeous illustrations paired with stories of botanical exploration and trade through the ages. It's a fine survey illustrated with unique collector's edition reproductions and offers a host of botanical designs and explorations perfect for both specialty botany libraries and general lending collections alike.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Living Green: The Missing Manual
Nancy Connor
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9780596801724, $19.99 www.missingmanuals.com

Living Green: The Missing Manual packs in everything a consumer needs to know about building up a 'green' lifestyle, from conducting a home energy audit and replacing harmful cleaning chemicals with natural alternatives to eating greener, shopping better, and connecting with others. A powerful survey, this offers plenty of information for newcomers to green living and is a pick for any general lending library.

Power from the Sun
Dan Chiras with Roberg Aram and Kurt Nelson
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1XO, Canada
9780865716216, $26.95 www.newsociety.com

Power from the Sun: Achieving Energy Independence offers a fine guide to solar energy and is written for the layperson wishing to install a solar electric system. Homeowners and business owners will appreciate an easy guide to all the solar energy options, from solar site assessment to inverters, batteries, and more. A top pick for any collection catering to homeowners interested in alternative energy sources.


The Cookbook Shelf

Music in the Kitchen
Glenda Pierce Facemire
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
9780292718159, $34.95 www.utexaspress.com

MUSIC IN THE KITCHEN: FAVORITE RECIPES FROM AUSTIN CITY LIMITS PERFORMERS packs in food, family stories, photos and insights compiled from an AVCL veteran, who includes full-page color photos of performers with easy dishes. It's a fine blend of recipes and music insights, from Robert Earl Keene's 'Bacon-Wrapped Dove Breasts' to Loretta Lynn's 'Country Collard Greens', and provides outstanding color and style perfect for libraries strong in music personalities and cooking alike.

Nigella Christmas
Nigella Lawson
Hyperion
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401323363, $35.00 www.hyperionbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

NIGELLA CHRISTMAS: FOOD, FAMILY, FRIENDS, FESTIVITIES arrived a few weeks too late for more timely December mention but still deserves a spot in any lending library where Christmas books are of interest. It provides ideas, recipes, planning and cooking ahead advice, and more to make Christmas enjoyable, offering fine recipes with seasonal inspiration and simple menus for feeding friends and family.

Eating Animals
Jonathan Saffran Foer
Little, Brown
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780316069908, $25.99 www.hachettebookgroup.com

EATING ANIMALS is a carefully researched, funny and personal look at what we eat and why, and how our choices affects our lives and environment. Jonathan Foer builds a case for 'ethical vegetarianism' and packs in viewpoints from farmers, food reform activists, and everyone in between. The result is a powerful exploration recommended for any general lending library.

Clean Food
Terry Walters
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
www.sterlingpublishing.com
9781402768149, $30.00 www.amazon.com

CLEAN FOOD: A SEASONAL GUIDE TO EATING CLOSE TO THE SOURCE packs in over 200 recipes for healthy sustainable eating, based on fresh produce and simple dishes. From Lentil Walnut Pate to Fennel and Orange Salad and Pad Thai With Tofu, this is packed with easy, sustainable-friendly dishes making the most of seasonal produce. No pictures, but the easy recipes don't need them.

The Asian Grandmother's Cookbook
Patricia Tanumihardja
Sasquatch Books
119 S. Main St. #400, Seattle, WA 98104
9781570615566, $35.00 www.sasquatchbooks.com

The Asian Grandmother's Cookbook: Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens comes from an author who interviewed, cooked with and connected with grandparents who contributed their own family dishes for this collection - many of which have been handed down verbally from mother to daughter for generations. With color photos and profiles of the grandmothers behind the dishes, this packs in a treasure trove of delights, from Steamed Meatballs with Tangerine Peel to Black Bean Steamed Fish. Any library strong in Asian cookbooks will find this a winner.

Gordon Ramsay's Maze
Gordon Ramsay
Key Porter Books
6 Adelaide St E, 10th Floor, Toronto Ontario M5C 1H6 Canada
9781554702114, $35.00 www.keyporter.com

GORDON RAMSAY'S MAZE features recipes by Jason Atherton and dishes from Gordon Ramsay's world-famous Maze restaurant. From this one might surmise it's just a collection of the restaurant's winning dishes - but it's more. They're presented as they'd be served in the restaurant and are followed by additional recipes using the same main ingredients geared to everyday meals. Home cooks will find this a fine collection based on a collection of small dishes as well as traditional two- or three-course meals, and lending libraries will appreciate the color photos throughout.

Food Journeys of a Lifetime
Keith Bellows
National Geographic
1145 - 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688
9781426205071, $40.00 www.ngs.org

Food Journeys of a Lifetime adds to National Geographic's collection of illustrated gift books and provides a fine itinerary of foods, dishes and restaurants worth traveling to. From Tokyo's freshest sushi to the best vintages of the finest French wineries, this blends a travelogue with a culinary history and survey perfect for any serious culinary collection.

The 99 Cents Only Stores Cookbook
Christine Jory
Adams Media
57 Littlefield St., Avon, MA 02322
1598694693, $12.99 www.adamsmedia.com

The 99 Cents Only Stores Cookbook tells how to cook gourmet on a budget, and comes from an author who decided to make great meals solely with items she found at 99 cents stores. The result is a fine gathering, from Texas Beans and Hominy to Tomato Corn Soup. Even more important: these recipes and techniques can translate well to other bargain store gourmet items.

Science of the Oven
Herve This
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd St., New York NY 10023
9780231147064, $22.95 www.cup.columbia.edu

Culinary science comes to life in a collection applying scientific method to the kitchen. The chemical art of cooking s considered in a survey of common culinary techniques and practices, examining food's molecular components and considering how flavors are created and how the properties of liquids, oils and fats play into basic culinary practices. Culinary libraries strong in science will find this a winner.

In Search of Bacchus
George M. Taber
Scribner
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781416562436, $30.00 www.simonandschuster.com

IN SEARCH OF BACCHUS: WANDERINGS IN THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WINE TOURISM explores the business of wine tourism: while this could also have been reviewed in our 'travel' section, it's also a top pick for any food and wine library, discussing wine-making regions, memorable meals, and regional specialties around the world. Wine lore, history and travel blend nicely in a delicious memoir perfect for general food and wine collections.

Save the Deli
David Sax
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10003
9780151013845, $24.00 www.hmhbooks.com

SAVE THE DELI: IN SEARCH OF PERFECT PASTRAMI, CRUSTY RYE, AND THE HEART OF JEWISH DELICATESSEN provides a history and social survey as well as a culinary journey across the U.S. and the world in search of authentic delicatessen food. The author's discussions of the food itself, from how it's made to its distribution, provides a vivid and mouth-watering survey perfect for any culinary library.

Cake Keeper Cakes
Lauren Chattman
Taunton Press
63 South Main St., Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781600851209, $17.95 www.taunton.com

CAKE KEEPER CAKES: 100 SIMPLE RECIPES was chosen by Food & Wine as one of the best dessert books of 2009 and offers a fine gathering of some 100 recipes for simple cakes designed for quick baking and interesting presentation. They're updated versions of old favorites made with wholesome ingredients and include tips on basic baking, pans, and storage. Only a few color photos - but the easy recipes don't need 'em.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Encyclopedia of Cobalt Glass
Tom Felt and Gene & Bernadette Girard
Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
9781574326154, $39.95 www.collectorbooks.com

Encyclopedia of Cobalt Glass: Identification & Values packs in color photos and values using good-sized images perfect for identification projects. From cocktail shakers and compotes to decanters and table settings, Encyclopedia of Cobalt Glass is organized by type of glass for quick reference and is a pick for any serious glass collector's library.

Miriam Haskell Jewelry, second edition
Cathy Gordon & Sheila Pamfiloff
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310
9780764333316, $59.99 www.schifferbooks.com

Miriam Haskell Jewelry appears in its revised second edition to provide a powerful reference to her costume jewelry and its prices. This gives collectors key information to make intelligent buying decisions, offering details on the art, design, style, materials and construction of Haskell jewelry and packing in over 500 color photos of the jewelry collection. Any jewelry collector needs this.

2010 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000
George S. Cahaj, Editor
Thomas Michael, Market Analyst
Krause Publications
700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
9780896898141, $60.00 www.krausebooks.com

The latest 37th edition of 2010 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 is a 'must' for any serious coin collector's library: it provides updated and comprehensive details on up to five grades of preservation, the latest market values, and detailed descriptions for nearly every world coin minted in the 20th century. With maps, small black and white coin images, and a searchable CD featuring the ability to magnify images to 400%, this is a 'must' for any serious coin collector.

A Guide Book of United States Coins
R.S. Yoeman
Whitman Publishing
3101 Clairmont Rd, Suite C, Atlanta, GA 30329
9780794828424, $29.95 www.whitmanbooks.com

Since 1945 the GUIDE BOOK OF UNITED STATES COINS: PROFESSIONAL EDITION has appeared to collectors. This Professional Edition offers an expanded, revised volume with wire side binding for lay-flat consultation, and blends more photos and higher-grade valuations with listings of additional varieties and rare coins. Professional collectors will find this a key acquisition.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Imager's Challenge
L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
TOR Books
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780765321268, $27.99 www.tor-forge.com

IMAGER'S CHALENGE offers a fine new novel in the Imager portfolio and follows IMAGER, which introduced one Rhennthyl, whose hidden ability to visualize things and make them real leads to fine adventure. His new duties as an imager liaison leads to new dangers and a new enemy's intention on destroying Rhenn in this vivid story that includes gangs, romance, terrorists and politics. Science fiction libraries need no prior familiarity with IMAGER to find this a compelling read.

Dragon's Ring
Dave Freer
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
9781439133194, $24.00 www.baen.com

DRAGON'S RING is a fine choice for any fantasy library, telling of the world of Tasmarin, a place of dragons cut off from all others worlds and filled with magic. Fionn, a black dragon, is set to destroy the place- and it will take all the magic available to thwart him - and a human mage, long gone from the dragon's kingdom. Swift action makes this a pick for any serious fantasy collection.

Elegy Beach
Steven R. Boyett
Ace Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780441017959, $24.95 www.penguin.com

ELEGY BEACH offers a fine sequel to Steven Boyett's AERIEL and is a recommended pick for any library that found AERIEL a popular lend. In Ariel the laws of the universe have changed overnight and magic rules the world. It was published by Ace some 24 years ago to rave reviews. ELEGY BEACH provides the sequel, takes place thirty years after 'the change', and is set in a small community in California as it follows the lives of two young men born after 'the change'. A dramatic, moving story evolves, highly recommended for any serious science fiction collection.

Quiet War
Paul McAuley
Pyr
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781591027812, $16.00 www.pyrsf.com

THE QUIET WAR is set in 23rd-century Earth, ravaged by climate change and looking to the ideal of a pre-industrial Eden. Politics is controlled by a few power families and millions are imprisoned in crowded cities or forced to rebuild ruined ecosystems, where in space descendants of refugees from Earth's regimes have constructed a range of self-sufficient cities. A fragile system is breaking down and threatening humanity in this thriller.

The Lexicon
Steve Vander Ark
RDR Books
1487 Glen Ave., Muskegon, MI 49441
9781571431745, $24.95 www.rdrbooks.com

Any collection strong in Harry Potter analysis will welcome THE LEXICON: AN UNAUTHORIZED GUIDE TO HARRY POTTER FICTION AND RELATED MATERIALS. It packs in a scholarly encyclopedia of Potter details and comes from a librarian who gathers an A-Z compendium of Potter names, places, events, and history. A 'must' for any serious Harry Potter library.

Don't Panic
Neil Gaiman
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781848564961, $14.95 www.titanbooks.com

DON'T PANIC: DOUGLAS ADAMS & THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY appears in a new, updated edition to celebrate the life and work of Douglas Adams. Here Gaiman covers all of Adams' work, from Doctor Who scripts to his famous Hitchhiker originals through their book, TV and radio show renditions, offering a powerful guide perfect for any Adams fan or library catering to them.

Heart's Blood
Juliet Marillier
ROC Books
375 Hudson, New York NY 10010
9780451462930, $24.95 www.penguin.com

HEART'S BLOOD tells of a young scribe who arrives in the garden of a man cursed among his people - a scribe who admires the rare plant known as heart's blood, and who brings comfort to a house divided by a curse and strife. But scribe Caitrin has a far more complicated calling: to unravel a sorcery web woven by his ancestors before it claims his life and love. A powerful, rich fantasy evolves.

Dracula: The Un-Dead
Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt
Dutton
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780525951292, $26.95 www.penguin.com

DRACULA: THE UN-DEAD provides the sequel to the original classic written by the great-grand nephew of Bram working with noted Dracula historian Ian Holt. Based on Bram Stoker's own handwritten notes and plot threads from the original version, this offers an outstanding contribution essential for any Dracula collection, is set 25 years after Dracula's destruction, and focuses on the mysterious experiences of heirs to the plague. An outstanding literary piece evolves.

Tempted
P.C. and Kristin Cast
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Ave, New York NY 10010
0312638302, $17.99 www.stmartins.com

TEMPTED is a fine fantasy novel telling of an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess who involve Zoey Redbird, High Priestess in training, in a gripping mystery. Zoey is beginning to believe in her mission to fight a spreading dark force at her House of Night school - but soon finds if she doesn't use her power to stop the evil from spreading, it will infest those closest to her. A powerful story, TEMPTED is recommended for any general lending library strong in fantasies for both young adults and adults.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Final Approach
Rachel Brady
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. 1st Ave. #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590586556, $24.95 www.poisonedpenpress.com

This Emily Locke mystery revolves around a PI who re-enters Emily's life seeking her help - reconnaissance at a Texas sky-diving establishment over a thousand miles away. Emily's ties to her own child lost in an accident gives her a dangerous edge in a mystery involving a new missing child in a tense thriller perfect for mystery libraries.

Holiday Grind
Cleo Coyle
Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780425230053, $23.95 www.penguin.com

Although HOLIDAY GRIND arrived too late for feature in our holiday issue, it deserves ongoing recommendation for any solid mystery library, offering a fine holiday-based mystery surrounding Clare Cosi, owner of the Village Blend coffeehouse who finds St. Nick dead in the snow. Suspecting it's more than a random mugging, Clare begins an investigation that endangers her own life in this holiday thriller.


The Military Shelf

Modeling US Armor of World War 2
Steven J. Zaloga
Osprey
443 Park Avenue South, Suite 806, New York, NY 10016
9781846033988, $39.95 www.ospreypublishing.com

Modeling US Armor of World War 2 offers a survey of tanks and fighting vehicles in the war and comes from a renowned modeler and AFV expert who provides a definitive guide to modeling these vehicles. Four building projects offer in-depth techniques applied to modeling efforts in a step-by-step guide packed with photos from the author's personal collection of WWII armor.

McCoy's Marines: Darkside to Baghdad
John Koopman
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760337387, $17.99 www.zenithpress.com

McCoy's Marines: Darkside to Baghdad blends memoir and biography with a battle history of experiences fighting in the Middle East, and comes from a newspaper reporter who captures the war in Iraq as it was lived, fought and felt. He rode with the Marines in saw combat for the first time himself, and provides an eye-opening story of war experience from an insider's view. Military and general libraries strong in Iraq experience will find it involving.


The Photography Shelf

101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs
Matthew Bamberg
Course Technology
20 Center St., Boston MA 02210
1598639021, $29.99 www.courseptr.com

101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs is a fine survey on using composition and technical methods to achieve amazing images both in shooting and in editing the results. Different themes are provided with fine image examples of using particular photography skills. New digital camera owners and collections catering to them will find this provides a quick jump-start to achieving the best results.

The Naked and the Lens
Louis Benjamin
Focal Press
30 Corporate Dr. Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803
9780240811598, $34.95 www.focalpress.com

THE NAKED AND THE LENS: A GUIDE FOR NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY tells how to achieve lovely results, aspiring fine photos to demonstrate how shots can be technically achieved. From idea to lighting, artistic re-interpretations of the nude form, finding models and RAW capture, this covers all the basics and offers resources for photographers. Very highly recommended.

The Basic Book of Digital Photography
Tom Grimm and Michele Grimm
Plume
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780452289550, $24.00 www.penguin.com

From the authors of the popular BASIC BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHY comes a fine digital photography guide packing in details on how to compose the best shots with a range of cameras. From picking a camera to suit needs to editing and improving photos with computer software, this is packed with color examples and specifics to improve any photographer's skills.

Photography Unplugged
Harald Mante
Rocky Nook
26 W. Mission St. #3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
1933952474, $49.95 www.rockynook.com

PHOTOGRAPHY UNPLUGGED: A TRIBUTE TO KODACHROME, THE GREATEST SLIDE FILM EVER MADE comes from a strong modern German photographer who began as a travel photographer and later taught composition. It gathers both Mante's works and teachers a different view of photography that goes beyond the usual modern focus on digital image editing, instead advocating uncropped and unmodified scenes. All these images were captured on Kodacrome's slide films and offers a fine focus on the power of photography composition.

Portrait Lighting for Digital Photographers
Stephen Dantzig
Amherst Media
175 Rando St, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207
9781584282655, $34.95 www.amherstmedia.com

Portrait Lighting for Digital Photographers: The Basics and Beyond is a 'must' for any serious portrait photographer's growth. It provides a review of techniques for setting and controlling a range of lights and lighting modifiers, creating classic lighting patterns and working with strobes and outdoor shoots. The progressive learning approach builds on basics to move photographers to more advanced techniques in this solid survey.

The Photoshop Elements 8 Book for Digital Photographers
Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321660331, $49.99 www.newriders.com

The Photoshop Elements 8 Book for Digital Photographers offers a fine guide for digital photographers that tells how to use professional tools to produce professional results. From how to retouch portraits and color correct any photo to using sharpening techniques and handling common digital image problems, this offers a survey of some fine workarounds to common issues and offers a host of easy techniques Photoshop Elements 8 users will relish.


The Computer Shelf

Vmware VI and vSphere 50K
Steve Jin
Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ
0137153635, $59.99 www.informit.com/ph

Any advanced computer collection strong in networking and virtualization needs Vmware VI and vSphere 50K. It tells how the VI 50K fits into a Cloud Ready vSphere environment, discusses the basics of configurations and moving VMs across different platforms without disruption, and tells how to avoid common pitfalls that Vmware VI developers face. Advanced computer libraries will find this a 'must have'.

Linux in a Nutshell, updated edition
Ellen Siever, et.al.
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway South, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9780596154486, $49.99 www.oreilly.com

Libraries strong in system administration or Linux programming will find LINUX IN A NUTSHELL to be a powerful updated edition offering a focus of Linux options and all the latest new options for applying Linux commands. From learning hundreds of shell commands and understanding the Bash shell interpreter to processing text with expressions and using administrative tools, LINUX IN A NUTSHELL provides an extensive reference for any serious computer collection.

Cloud Computing and SOA Convergence in Your Enterprise
David S. Linthicum
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0136009220, $44.99 www.informit.com

Cloud Computing and SOA Convergence in Your Enterprise tells of cloud computing and comes from an IT innovator who explains what cloud computer means. From costs, values and risk-related drivers beyond the move to cloud computing to how to assess cloud computing and SOA for an organization, this offers advanced programmers and computer collections a solid guide to building disruptive infrastructure and next-generation platforms.

Programming Cocoa with Ruby
Brian Marick
Pragamtic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356197, $34.95 www.pragprog.com

Programming Cocoa with Ruby is a top pick for any advanced programming library specializing in Ruby, blending Cocoa developers and Ruby programmers' concerns under one cover. Any Ruby programmer who has never written a Mac app will appreciate the hands-on, example-filled tutorial of Programming Cocoa with Ruby, offering opportunities to build real-world Cocoa applications using agile development techniques. Simply outstanding.

PM Crash Course for IT Professionals
Rita Mulcahy, PMP
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Education
800 E. 96th St., Indianapolis IN 46240
158720259X, $59.99 www.ciscopress.com

PM Crash Course for IT Professionals offers project management tools and techniques that IT professionals can use to address challenging projects. It offers IT project ideas for those on a budget, comes from a project management trainer, and covers the basics of planning, scheduling, budgeting and more, using exercises to reinforce concepts. A winning guide.

Web Analytics 2.0
Avinash Kaushik
Sybex, Inc.
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
989 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103
9780470529393, $39.99 www.sybex.com

Web Analytics 2.0 offers a key to the power of web data, offering solutions for challenges in realizing website economic value and managing data and showing how to leverage experimentation and testing to create customer-oriented websites. WEB ANALYTICS 2.0 is packed with data-driven insights on how decisions can create value and enhance website experiences, making this a powerful acquisition for any collection on web creation.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Child Abuse Sourcebook, second edition
Joyce Brennfleck Shannon
Omnigraphics
Box 31-1640, Detroit, MI 48231-1640
9780780810372, $93.00 www.omnigraphics.com

The second updated edition of CHILD ABUSE SOURCEBOOK remains a 'must' reference for any serious health library or general lending collection. It packs in information about children from statistics and symptoms of mistreatment to therapies, long-term consequences of various kinds of abuse, and more. With the latest facts and revised research statistics, this is a top pick to remain on top of all the latest findings and resources on the topic.

Iron Heart
Brian Boyle with Bill Katovsky
Skyhorse Publishing
555 - 8th Avenue #903, New York NY 10018
1602397716, $24.95 www.skyhorsepublishing.com

IRON HEART: THE TRUE STORY OF HOW I CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD is an inspirational 'must' for any general lending library, health collections, and sports libraries alike. Author Brian Boyle was the victim of a terrible car crash that demolished his car and changed his life from that of a bodybuilder to a shattered man. He was on life support for two months and was pronounced dead eight times by doctors - yet lived to regain his strength and return to his bodybuilder condition. His amazing comeback is a powerful, inspirational piece.

Think Twice
Michael J. Mauboussin
Harvard Business Press
1110 2nd Ave, New York NY 10022
9781422176757, $29.95 www.harvardbusiness.org/press

THINK TWICE: HARNESSING THE POWER OF COUNTERINTUITION is a recommended pick for business and psychology collections alike. It focuses on the influences on decisions, the process for deciding well, and how this process conflicts with how our minds naturally work when the stakes are high. Our brains choose simplified patterns in such cases, often thwarting the efforts to achieve clarity. THINK TWICE discusses how to overcome these patterns, providing a fine approach to decision making for libraries strong in business or psychology alike.

Pink Brain Blue Brain
Lise Eliot
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10003
9780618393114, $24.00 www.hmhbooks.com

Pink Brain Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps - and What We Can Do About It offers insights into gender differences, arguing that the brains of boys and girls are shaped by how they spend their time. Her insights on brain development differences between boys and girls reveals some reliable differences between men and women's brains - but nearly none between the brains of boys and girls. General-interest and health libraries will find this a lively, popular read.

Weekends at Bellevue
Julie Holland
Bantam Books
c/o Bantam Dell Publishing Group
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
9780553807660, $25.00 www.randomhouse.com

WEEKENDS AT BELLEVUE follows the author's experiences with medical school, residency, and more and tells of a young doctor who is determined to make it in a man's medical world. Julie Holland's nine years of experiences are detailed in WEEKENDS AT BELLEVUE: NINE YEARS ON THE NIGHT SHIFT AT THE PSYCH ER, a gripping account recommended for medical and public library collections alike.

Anatomy for Artists
Dr. J. Fau
Dover Publications
31 E. 2nd St., Mineola, NY 11501
0486470245, $14.95 www.doverpublications.com

Anatomy for Artists could also have appeared in our 'Arts' or 'Crafts' section but is featured here because health libraries also should consider it. This reprints the 1849 classic on anatomy, re-creating a basic art guide to anatomy originally compiled for artists. It also adds a CD-ROM that includes every illustration from the book in a powerful resource for artists and health libraries alike.

Freedom from Meltdowns
Travis Thompson, Ph.D.
Paul Brookes Publishing
Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
1557669864, $24.95 www.brookespublishing.com

Daily meltdowns and tantrums are a huge challenge in a family struggling with autism and related disorders - finally there's a book packed with a focus just on meltdowns that offer parents and professionals clues to short-circuiting the experience. From pinpointing triggers and preventing escalation to understanding how health conditions and other disorders contribute to meltdowns, this packs in tips, strategies, and anecdotes form the author's case studies and personal experience and is a fine, practical guide.

Essential Medical Terminology, third edition
Peggy Stanfield, et.al.
Jones and Barlett
40 Tall Pine Dr., Sudbury, MA 01776
0763749133, $64.95 www.jbpub.com

College-level libraries strong in medical terminology teaching will find this a powerful pick to either support courses or serve as a self-teaching guide. Students of all levels in the allied health professions receive all the detail needed to learn medical terminology and the latest medical terms. From a new chapter on cancer medicine to new tables, references and a CD-ROM instructional, this is a real winner for colleges with medical libraries or teachings.

The New Executive Brain
Elkhonon Goldberg, Ph.D.
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Ave, New York NY 10016-4314
9780195329407, $19.95 www.oup.com/us

THE NEW EXECUTIVE BRAIN: FRONTAL LOBES IN A COMPLEX WORLD provides a fine survey by a scientist, clinician and educator who has completely revised and expanded his previous book to blend in the latest details on what science can tell of the human brain. From the latest findings in neuroscience and neuropsychology to how choices affect the brain and how language may not be a result of the central adaptation of the left hemisphere, this is a 'must' for any health or general collection.

Integrative Mental Health Care
James Lake, MD
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393705362, $34.95 www.wwnorton.com

Integrative Mental Health Care: A Therapist's Handbook offers mental health professionals and college-level libraries catering to them an advanced primer on research and clinical practices classified as 'integrative medicine'. It provides the latest evidence blended into an integrative psychiatrist's experience in different therapies and blends in case histories on everything from treating mood changes to psychotic symptoms. A powerful presentation key to any serious mental health collection.

Medicine Trails: a Life in Many Worlds
Mavis McCovey and John F. Salter
Heyday Books
Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141178, $21.95 www.heydaybooks.com

Medicine Trails could also have been reviewed in our 'Native American' area but is featured here for its importance as a modern medicine woman tells her story of Indian and white worlds and her skills for both. It's one of the few first-person accounts of Native American healers and provides insights into modern-day medicine healing, Native American life, and more.


The Audiobook Shelf

Say You're One of Them
Uwem Akpan
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781607883418, $18.95 www.hachetteaudio.com

Robin Miles and Dion Graham provide a powerful narration of a fine set of stories in a collection that reflects the ability of kids to survive against all odds. A family living in a shanty in urban Kenya tries to find gifts for the holidays, a Rwandan girl narrates her family's attempt to find stability in a chaotic world, and more in this series of African vignettes: a powerful collection.

Letting Go
Philip Roth
Brilliance Audio
Grand Haven, MI 49417
1441801111, $39.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

LETTING GO receives Luke Daniels' fine professional voice adds fire and life to this account, Roth's first full-length novel published just after Goodbye, Columbus when he was twenty-nine. It provides a story of mid-America's changing morals and tells of a newly discharged Korean War vet freed from duty and reeling from his mother's recent death. A fine classic for any audio lending library.

We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives
Paul Shaffer with David Ritz
Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307577092, $35.00 www.randomhouseaudio.com

We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives receives a powerful reading by author Paul Shaffer, whose strong voice brings to life these stories of great personalities of music, stage and film while recounting his own life. His experiences in the entertainment industry move from his first applause standing at the organ in his synagogue at age twelve to broadcasting from the Ed Sullivan Theater: his encounters with some of the biggest names in music and acting makes for a personal, engrossing listen that libraries will welcome.

Why Our Health Matters
Andrew Weil, MD
Penguin Audio
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780143145295, $29.95 www.penguin.com

Why Our Health Matters is read by the author himself and provides a timely, important survey of medicine and how it can change lives. Dr. Weil maintains that basic good health care is a right - and he debunks major myths of American medicine as he considers how excellent care is possible. Audio and health collections will find this an involving listen.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Icelandic Knitting Using Rose Patterns
Helen Magnusson
Search Press Ltd.
Wellwood, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, TN2 3DR
9781844483112, $24.95 www.searchpress.com

Icelandic Knitting Using Rose Patterns is a unique 'must' for any library strong in knitting directions. It provides a survey of rose-pattern knitting in Iceland, covering the basics of how to apply traditional Icelandic knitting techniques to a range of projects from sweaters to baby hats. Any collection catering to knitters will find this a fine gathering packed with color photos and keys to unusual projects.

The Sweater Chop Shop
Crispina Ffrench
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 02147
9781603421553, $18.95 www.storey.com

THE SWEATER CHOP SHOP: SEWING ONE-OF-A-KIND CREATIONS FROM RECYCLED SWEATERS packs in details that don't even need a sewing machine to work. From felting wool and putting pieces for a new project to using simple hand-sewing skills to put it all together, this comes form a noted designer who provides lively specifics on how to recycle old sweaters.

The Joy of Sox
Linda Kopp
Lark Press
67 Broadway, Asheville, SC 28801
9781600592850, $22.95 www.larkbooks.com

The Joy of Sox offers an outstanding knitter's selection of some 30 basic patterns offering different kinds of socks, from cable and lace patterns to color work. Fun stories, useful tips from designers, and using hand-painted yarn for extra impact makes for a powerful presentation simply packed with colorful designs and unique alternative sock-knitting options perfect for libraries catering to knitters.

Quilts from Paradise
Cynthia Tomaszewski
Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Ave NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
9781564779021, $28.99 www.martingale-pub.com

QUILTS FROM PARADISE is a key acquisition for any quilter's library and comes from a best-selling author and international teacher who offers bright, bold colors of island flowers and patterns. Some fourteen pieced and appliqued quilts are offered with lovely colors and instructions, perfect for any quilting library.

Quilter's Academy V. 1 - Freshman Year
Harriet Hargrave & Carrie Hargrave
C&T Publishing
Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
9781571205940, $27.95 www.ctpub.com

Quilter's Academy V. 1 - Freshman Year offers a skill-building course in quiltmaking using eleven projects to illustrate nine skill-building classes. From directions for making eleven quilts to learning how to design quilts, this packs in a progressive learning tool and color photos throughout to help students move beyond quilting basics. Quilting libraries will relish this.

Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs XIX
Rug Hooking Magazine
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
9781881982685, $24.95 www.stackpolebooks.com

Each year for the past 19 years Rug Hooking Magazine has published this annual volume collecting the finest rugs narrowed from numerous entries and selected by judges for their striking elements. The result is a powerful pairing of a full-page, close-up color image of each rug with a piece about how the rug was constructed, and judges' notes. Libraries catering to hand-rug hookers will find this a key acquisition.

Socks from the Toe Up
Wendy D. Johnson
Potter Craft
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, NY, NY 10019-4305
9780307449443, $22.95 www.pottercraft.com

Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits packs in sock ideas for all levels of knitters, form newcomer to those who are veterans in search of new ideas. Fine patterns, tips on finishing socks, lace patterns, tips on handling heels and toes and more pack color photos with easy step-by-step directions perfect for libraries strong in knitting guides.

Bits of Bargello
Karen Gibbs
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781574329834, $24.95 www.americanquilter.com

Bits of Bargello offers eight quilt and wall hanging projects blending bits of bargello with traditional machine piecing and applique for maximum impact. Here are projects that use different bargello sequences to offer new ways of displaying this pattern. Quilters - especially those used to bargello - will find this a fine innovative direction.


The Self-Help Shelf

Extraordinary
John Bevere
Waterbrook
c/o Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group
12265 Oracle Blvd. #200, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
9780307457721, $22.99 www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

Extraordinary: The Life You're Meant to Live blends spirituality, self-help and divine empowerment in a fine title revealing how everyone was 'meant for more' in life. EXTRAORDINARY reveals how to create a life that surpasses the usual definitions of success or fulfillment. Chapters are packed with insights on making this happen in a pick for new age and spirituality collections alike.

How to Rule the World from Your Couch
Laura Day
Atria Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439118207, $24.00 www.simonandshcuster.com

For over twenty years healer and teacher Laura Day worked to teach people how to use their intuition to strengthen themselves and their goals - including finding love, healing, and making better decisions. This explains the levels of intuition that guides her purpose and path, showing how these levels can be applied to daily life in all its aspects. From intuition to telepathy, precognition and remote viewing, this pairs anecdotes and examples with fine assessments of resources, relationships and life goals in a top pick for any general lending library.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Cunningham's Book of Shadows
Scott Cunningham
Llewellyn Worldwide
2143 Wooddale Dr, Woodbury, MN 55215
9780738719146, $19.95 www.llewellyn.com

Cunningham's Book of Shadows: The Path of an American Traditionalist offers the spells, rituals and magical correspondences used by Scott Cunningham in the early 1980s. Readers will find his a positive voice offering practical advice on how to practice living Craft daily, from handfastings and covenings to weather divination and recipes. A fine addition to any magic collection.

Cosmic Conversations
Stephan Martin
New Page
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601630773, $16.99 www.newpagebooks.com

Cosmic Conversations: Dialogues on the Nature of the Universe and the Search for Reality features interviews with Peter Russell, Barbara Marx Hubbard, and other leading thinkers of our times and considers astronomy, philosophy, and spirituality regarding the nature of the universe. It examines key concepts to be gained from new scientific findings and cosmological thinking and is a fine addition to any new age collection.

Living in the Tao
Mantak Chia and William U. Wei
Destiny Books
One Park St., Rochester, VT 05767
9781594772948, $22.95 www.destinybooks.com

LIVING IN THE TAO: THE EFFORTLESS PATH TO SELF-DISCOVERY is a fine survey of Eastern philosophy and offers techniques to help move beyond the limits of time and space to connect with inner truth. Living in the Tao should be effortless - and this book emphasizes and teaches practices that each day can transform a life into one of peace. What to do - and what not to do - make for specific instructions new age libraries will welcome.

Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes
Robert Kull
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781577316749, $15.95 www.nhewworldlibrary.com

Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes comes from an author who traveled to a remote island in the Patagonia wilderness with enough supplies to live alone for a year. His diary of his year alone chronicles both physical and mental challenges and makes for a powerful account in Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes: a 'must' for any new age collection.

The Physics of Miracles
Dr. Richard Bartlett
Atria Books/Beyond Words
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781582702476, $24.99 www.beyondword.com www.simonsays.com

THE PHYSICS OF MIRACLES will change ideas about what is possible, based on physics, transformations, and applications for healing. He follows up his popular MATRIX ENERGETICS with a guide based on his seminars, offering new views on healing and transformation and supporting energetic healing work with physics. New age collections will find this involving.


The International Studies Shelf

Stones Into Schools
Greg Mortenson
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670021154, $26.95 www.penguin.com

STONES INTO SCHOOLS: PROMOTING PEACE WITH BOOKS, NOT BOMBS, IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN continues the saga begun in THREE CUPS OF TEA, surveying the ongoing efforts of author Greg Mortenson's work to promote peace through education. He's established over 130 schools, most of them for girls, in Pakistan's remote regions: this offers high drama and follows his institute's efforts to establish schools in the secluded northeast corner of Afghanistan.

The Other War
Ronald E. Neumann
Potomac Books Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166-2012
9781597974271, $27.50 www.potomacbooksinc.com

THE OTHER WAR: WINNING AND LOSING IN AFGHANISTAN provides a powerful account of the author's role as the U.S. ambassador who came to Kabul from Baghdad as the U.S. ambassador with a lifetime in the greater Middle East. His account of how the war there unfolded over the next two years considers politics, policies and social issues and pinpoints faults in the U.S. operations there, documenting failures as well as successes. Key for any collection strong in Middle East history and culture.

Women in Taiwan: Sociocultural Perspectives
Ya-Chen Chen, Editor
University of Indianapolis Press
1400 E. Hanna Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46227-3697
9781880938737, $29.95 www.uindy.edu/universitypress

College-level libraries strong in both Asian studies and women's issues will relish the interdisciplinary collection Women In Taiwan: Sociocultural Perspectives. It makes for a fine addition to collections strong on women in Taiwan, covering family, marriage, feminism and political, literary and social issues. Scholarly collections will find it a winner.

Start-Up Nation
Dan Senor and Saul Singer
Twelve Publishers
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446541466, $26.99 www.twelvebooks.com

START-UP NATION: THE STORY OF ISRAEL'S ECONOMIC MIRACLE considers how a nation of only 7.1 million and only 60 years old produces more start-up companies than larger, stable nations of the world. This focus on politics, business and culture offers insights that are key to understanding both Israel and global economic challenges and makes for a survey that will go far beyond the usual Judaic studies collection, reaching into libraries strong in business, social science, and history.

Why Iceland?
Asgeir Jonsson
McGraw-Hill
Two Penn Plaza, 23rd Floor, New York NY 10121-2298
0071632840, $22.95 www.mhprofessional.com

WHY ICELAND: HOW ONE OF THE WORLD'S SMALLEST COUNTRIES BECAME THE MELTDOWN'S BIGGEST CASUALTY tells how Iceland changed from one of Europe's poorest countries to one of its wealthiest, with the typical Icelandic family seeing its wealth increase by 45% - a wealth built on the worldwide credit boom that then collapsed in 2008. Within a week all the wealth disappeared and Iceland's banking sector was seized by the government. This analysis of its economic meltdown considers a banking empire's rise and fall and comes from an insider who is head of Research and Chief Economist at the former largest bank in Iceland. While it's a 'must' for any business collection, it's reviewed here because its readability and message makes it key to any general lending library.


The Social Issues Shelf

Trails of Hope and Terror
Miguel A. De La Torre
Orbis Books
Price Bldg, Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545
9781570757983, $20.00 www.orbisbooks.cojm

Trails of Hope and Terror: Testimonies on Immigration offers a constructive conversation on immigration in seven sections that take an immigration issue (economics, borders, family values) and included stories by undocumented migrants and those who work with them. Each chapter concludes with a poem or inspirational piece. A fine addition for any library strong in immigration history.

Virus Alert
Stefan Elbe
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231148689, $45.00 www.cup.columbia.edu 1-800-944-8648

VIRUS ALERT offers a fine security analysis of the implications of HIV and AIDS and covers evidence to view it as a security issue, with political consequences in response choices and the dangers involved in global efforts to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS through national security policies. College-level libraries strong in political and social issues will find this an outstanding discussion.

Social Change 2.0
David Gershon
High Point
c/o Chelsea Green Publishing Company
1649 Route 28A, West Hurley, NY 12491
9780963032775, $27.95 www.chelseagreen.com

SOCIAL CHANGE 2.0: A BLUEPRINT FOR REINVENTING OUR WORLD begins with the idea that people are the natural starting point for changing the world for the better - that personal responsibility on individual basis begins the process. Chapters go on to explore how to build and reinforce leadership strengths to support social change on a wide level, from adopting a low-carbon diet to changing war options. College-level collections strong in social issues debates will welcome this wide-ranging perspective.

Drug War Zone
Howard Campbell
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
9780292721791, $24.95 www.utexaspress.com

DRUG WAR ZONE: FRONTLINE DISPATCHES FROM THE STREETS OF EL PASO AND JUAREZ is based on access to the drug smuggling world of the border and studies the drug war through the lives of direct participants. Half the book consists of oral histories from drug traffickers, the other from law enforcement officials. The detail and personal 'insider' viewpoints from both sides make this a 'must' for any library at the college level studying border issues in general and drug law enforcement in particular.

Distracted
Maggie Jackson
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781591027485, $18.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

DISTRACTED: THE EROSION OF ATTENTION AND THE COMING DARK AGE offers the idea that our culture is becoming a society of fragmentation, detachment and diffusion. The distraction comes from technological advances and journalist Maggie Jackson ponders our cyber-centric world and how it may be interfering with critical thinking processes. A key pick for any course debating technological pros and cons.

Diversity in Mind and in Action
Jean Lau Chin, Editor
Praeger/ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9780313347078, $400.00 www.praeger.com

DIVERSITY IN MIND AND IN ACTION offers three volumes examining the importance of understanding, supporting and encouraging cultural diversity across all arenas of society on many levels. College-level audiences will find this packs in social, political, legal and business observations in a cross-cultural resource packed with the latest research and developments covering diversity. Volume 1 is MULTIPLE FACES OF IDENTIFY, Volume 2 is DISPARITIES AND COMPETENCE and Volume 3 covers SOCIAL JUSTICE MATTERS. A powerful reference for any college strong in social issues.

Muslim Mafia
P. David Gaubatz and Paul Sperry
WND Books
marketing@wndbooks.com
9781935071105, $25.95 www.wndbooks.com

MUSLIM MAFIA: INSIDE THE SECRET UNDERWORLD THAT'S CONSPIRING TO ISLAMIZE AMERICA offers many powerful and startling allegations from an author who worked as an intern at the Council on American-Islamic Relations - only to discover a conspiracy to destroy American society and promote radical Islam in this country. From their campaigns against key homeland security personnel to connections between CAIR and Middle East radical interests and political kings, MUSLIM MAFIA is a chilling expose recommended for any concerned about Islamic issues in America.

Making the Most of the Water We Have
David B. Brooks, et.al., Editors
Earthscan/Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Dr, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781844077540, $79.95 www.styluspub.com

Making the Most of the Water We Have: The Soft Path Approach to Water Management packs in a review of how political economies worldwide have introduced 'soft path' approaches to the demand for water. This approach begins by ensuring the ecosystem needs for water are satisfied first, reducing human uses of water through economic and social incentive plans. A powerful survey, this is a pick for any serious conservation library.

Aqua Shock: The Water Crisis in America
Susan J. Marks
Bloomberg Press
731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
9781576603321, $24.95 www.bloomberg.com/books

Aqua Shock: The Water Crisis in America exposes the little-known fact that the U.S. is in the midst of a water crisis - once believed to be a problem only in dry regions of the country, and now prevalent coast-to-coast. Susan Marks documents current water conflicts being fought over land and in the courtroom as evidence of this crisis, adding the opinion of water experts across the country as she makes a strong case for better water management. Recommended for any library strong in resource management.


The Education Shelf

Discipline in Special Education
Allan G. Osborne Jr. and Charles J. Russo
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Ave., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412955119, $31.95 www.corwinpress.com

Teachers of special education students can learn to make appropriate disciplinary decisions without violating the right of students with disabilities with the aid of Discipline in Special Education, a survey by two experts who link existing legislation and rights with guidelines for suitable disciplinary actions under IDEA of 2004. Any school member involved with such students will find this analyzes case law, offers a review of IDEA's disciplinary mandates, and clarifies its provisions. A 'must' for any special education collection.

Go Green Rating Scale for Early Childhood Settings
Phil Boise
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117
9781605540061, $19.95 www.redleafpress.org

Go Green Rating Scale for Early Childhood Settings helps providers of licensed child care facilities to adopt a set of standards for 'green' child care. From measuring their facilities for greenness to considering air quality, cleaning products, pesticides, and recycling, this packs in important keys to environmental health and is a 'must' for any childhood or education library.

Teaching the Moving Child
Sybil M. Berkey
Brookes Publishing
Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
1598570641, $29.95 www.brookespublishing.com

TEACHING THE MOVING CHILD: TO INSIGHTS THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR K-3 CLASSROOM draws many important links between learning and movement, discussing motor abilities, strategic use of lighting and seating, recognizing student stress, and more. OTs here address different sensorimotor issues and their role in the learning process, providing educators with keys to improving learning skills in an invaluable guide recommended for any early education collection.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant, second edition
Paula Pattengale
Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9780813813028, $49.99, www.amazon.com

The second updated edition of Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant provides a step-by-step guide providing vet assistants with essentials on performing basic procedures, from preparation to follow-up. From techniques based on the Association of Veterinary Technician Educator's list of recommended skills to appendices, a glossary, and more, this packs in details for new vet assistants and those studying the course at the college level.

Rescue Matters!
Sheila Webster Boneham, Ph.D.
Alpine Publications
38262 Linman Rd., Crawford, CO 81415
9781577791010, $14.95 www.alpinepub.com

RESCUE MATTERS! HOW TO FIND, FOSTER, AND REHOME COMPANION ANIMALS; A GUIDE FOR VOLUNTEERS AND ORGANIZERS should be in the library of any serious animal lover and any library catering to them. Its author has been involved in rescue programs since the early 1990s and this surveys the issues involved in volunteer jobs working with pets. From guidelines for matching pets and people to legal issues and checklists, this is packed with sample documents and considerations.

We Bought a Zoo
Benjamin Mee
Weinstein Books
345 Hudson St., 13th Floor, New York NY 10014
9781602860957, $14.95 www.weinsteinbooks.com

WE BOUGHT A ZOO tells of the author's adventures when he moved his family to a dilapidated zoo where over 200 exotic animals would be their neighbors. His dream as to run the zoo like a family business - a dream changed by a devastating illness and loss. Benjamin and his kids struggled to make their dream successful - and WE BOUGHT A ZOO is an inspirational read on many levels, suitable for any general lending library.

Don't Look Behind You
Peter Allison
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9781599214696, $16.95 www.lyonspress.com

Don't Look Behind You offers a fine set of observations from a safari guide who encountered all kinds of animals in the course of his work. These true stories offer adventures telling of dangerous, close-up encounters with animals, and makes for a fine collection offering vivid reading for any interested in wildlife, animals, outdoors travel, and fine armchair adventure.


The Art Shelf

How to Airbrush Pin-Ups
Frank Season
Wolfgang Publications
Box 223, Stillwater, MN 55082
1929133804, $27.95 www.wolfpub.com

How to Airbrush Pin-Ups gathers seven start-to-finish airbrushing sequences spread over 144 pages and packed with over 600 color photos, offering works by experienced and famous artists. Each chapter includes a Q&A with the artist, allowing readers to understand the artist and the airbrush techniques they work with. A 'must' for any working with airbrush and for crafts libraries catering to them.

Paint Amazing Watercolors from Photographs
Henry W. Dixon
North Light Books
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1600611257, $29.99 www.fwmedia.com

Paint Amazing Watercolors from Photographs shows how to begin with a strong photo and then use watercolor to provide a unique interpretation of that photo. From how to compose light and color in a photo that translate well to paintings to sections of specific advice for painting people, places and things, this is a 'must' for any who would use a camera to inspire watercolor work.

Inside the Painter's Studio
Joe Fig
Princeton Architectural Press
37 E. 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568988528, $35.00 www.papress.com

An art gallery is the end result of not just painting but physical displays and a painter's daily routine. Artist Joe Fig explores the working life of the professional artist in a presentation that collections over twenty artist interviews and visual documentation of their studios. It was originally intended to serve as research material but provides a powerful resource for painters who want to know how art is achieved, from coming up with titles to collaborative efforts. Any artist's library needs this.

New York Art Deco
Richard Berenholtz
Welcome Books
6 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9781599620787, $19.95 www.welcomebooks.com

New York Art Deco offers a photo exploration of the city during the 1920s and 30s, packing in a survey of art deco styles and capturing city landmarks representing this style. Color photos by Richard Berenholtz display the finest examples of art deco architecture and offers text by writers, artists and personalities of the era, making for a fine recommendation for New York fans and arts libraries alike.

The Function of Form
Farshid Moussavi
Actar-D USA
158 Lafayette St., 5th Floor, New York NY 10013
9788496954731, $39.95 www.actar-d.com

THE FUNCTION OF FORM is a 'must' for any serious college-level arts collection. It proposes a new theory of form based on repetition and differentiation, offering a way for function in built forms to be conceptualized as a transversal process. Architecture and arts libraries will find this a technical, comprehensive analysis of the parts of forms that interact and reciprocate, going beyond text to pack pages with finished designs offset by pages of diagrams and explanations.

The Lens of Impressionism
Carole McNamara
Hudson Hills Press
P.O. Box 205, Manchester, VT 05254-9911
9781555953256, $50.00 www.hudsonhills.com

THE LENS OF IMPRESSIONISM: PHOTOGRAPHY AND PAINTING ALONG THE NORMANDY COAST, 1850-1874 offers a stunning collection of paintings, photos and drawings arguing that social, artistic and technological developments along the Normandy coast impacted the development of early Impressionism and made Normandy a center for photographers and painters of later decades. Dialogue between photographers and painters are explored in a series of photos and paintings made by some of the most famous artists of this period, and make for a key acquisition to any college-level arts library.


The American History Shelf

A Place of Belonging
Phyllis Demuth Movius
University of Alaska Press
Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
9781602230644, $17.95 http://www.uaf.edu/uapress

A PLACE OF BELONGING: FIVE FOUNDING WOMEN OF FAIRBANKS, ALASKA is a powerful pick for any library strong in American women's history in general or Alaska history in particular. It centers on five women who settled in Fairbanks between 1903 and 1923, using their letters, memoirs, and club records to recreate a history of women who made a major impact in Fairbanks history. All were part of the pioneering spirit and had lasting effects on Fairbanks developments.

A Bubble in Time
William L. O'Neill
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 66042-2694
9781566638067, $27.50 www.ivanrdee.com

A BUBBLE IN TIME: AMERICA DURING THE INTERWAR YEARS, 1989-2001 provides a powerful survey of the decade leading up to the second Bush presidency and 2001, offering a view of the prosperous 1990s and the evolution of terrorism, struggles abroad, and botched government programs and arrogance. A powerful social history, this deserves a place in any contemporary American history library.

On Hallowed Ground
Robert M. Poole
Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780802715487, $28.00 www.walkerbooks.com

ON HALLOWED GROUND: THE STORY OF ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY provides a history and assessment of the creation of the Arlington National Cemetery. From the creation of the mansion and its lands which was a family plantation owned by Robert E. Lee before he joined the Confederacy to how it became a Union headquarters and burial ground for soldiers, any general lending library and many a military collection will find this an excellent survey.

Harvard Square: An Illustrated History Since 1950
Mo Lotman
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
115 W. 18th St., New York NY 10011
9781584797470, $50.00 www.stcbooks.com

Harvard Square: An Illustrated History Since 1950 offers an oversized, visual journey through one of this country's must influential public places, offering a decade-by-decade account of the events and people of Harvard Square. It will earn its place in any library strong in regional American or Massachusetts history, featuring fine photos and interviews with over a hundred of the people who influenced the square's history and development.


The Parenting Shelf

Unmarried with Children
Brette McWhgorter Sember, J.D.
Adams Media
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
1598695878, $12.95 www.adamsmedia.com 1-800-872-5627

Unmarried with Children: The Complete Guide for Unmarried Families comes from a parenting expert who discusses the unique legal and parenting issues of the unmarried couple. Sember is a former attorney expert in non-traditional families: her guide discusses family rights, court-ordered or independent child support, marriage and domestic partnership arrangements, and more. Any general lending library will find this a key acquisition.


The Automotive Shelf

Complete Guide to Street Supercharging, updated edition
Pat Ganahi
CarTech Books
3996 Grand Ave., North Branch, MN 55056
9781932494938, $24.95 www.cartechbooks.com

This represents the first color book on supercharging and provides an updated edition of the best-selling guide, offering a supercharging expert's guide to the latest technology and ideas. From tutorials on how blowers work to details on used superchargers and styles, this is a 'must' for any serious automotive library.

Porsche 917 x 17
Jeffrey R. Zwart
David Bull Publishing
4250 E. Camelback Rd. Suite K150, Phoenix, AZ 85018
9781935007043, $149.95 www.bullpublishing.com

With its handsome, slipcased edition and in-depth presentation packed with nearly two hundred black and white and color photos, PORSCHE 917 X 17 is a top pick for any serious automotive library. It comes from a renowned automotive photographer and director who offers images of seventeen of some of the most historic 917s, using dramatic angles and controlled lighting along with portraits from 15 Porsche drivers. Any serious car history collection must have this!


The Philosophy Shelf

The Golden Compass and Philosophy
Richard Green and Rachel Robison
Open Court
70 East Lake St #300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696714, $19.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

The Golden Compass and Philosophy is a pick for any collection offering THE GOLDEN COMPASS and wishing to appeal to students of modern philosophy. It represents the 43rd volume in the Popular Culture and Philosophy series, offering reflective questions based on the fantasy plot, from a liar's fight for truth to why some knowledge can't be made freely available. An excellent link between modern fantasy writing and philosophical reflection.

World Warcraft and Philosophy
Luke Cuddy and John Nordlinger, Editors
Open Court
70 East lake St. Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696738, $19.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

Any library seeking to make philosophical concepts accessible to everyday readers will relish WORLD OF WARCRAFT AND PHILOSOPHY: WRATH OF THE PHILOSOPHER KING. It uses the multiplayer online role playing game with over twelve million subscribers to offer philosophical and ethical queries. Players will find this a fine way to consider their actions in a new light, and libraries seeking modern philosophy guides will welcome this different approach.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Documentary Superstars
Marsha McCreadie
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., New York NY 10010
9781581155082, $19.95 www.allworth.com

DOCUMENTARY SUPERSTARS: HOW TODAY'S FILMMAKERS ARE REINVENTING THE FORM provides a well-researched examination of how documentaries are made and how they evolved. It comes from a film critic who explores the innovation of the modern-day documentary and offers in-depth film descriptions and new commentary from some big names in the field, and is a top pick for filmmakers and film buffs alike.

Star Trek: The Art of the Film
Mark Cotta Vaz
Titan Books
144 Southwark St., London SE1 OUP
9781848566200, $29.95 www.titanbooks.com

Star Trek: The Art of the Film is a lovely illustrated hardcover celebration of the movie's pre-production paintings, concept sketches, set designs and more, and is a top pick for any library strong in Star Trek patrons or film history. It packs in color photos throughout and is an outstanding pick for library or gifting alike.

American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood
Marc Eliot
Harmony Books
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
9780307336880, $25.99 www.randomhouse.com

American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood offers an in-depth, thorough survey of the life of actor Eastwood, considering his life and the rise of his successful career. In particular, AMERICAN REBEL considers the most recent fifteen years of his life - the most important of his entire career - in a biography highly recommended for any film collection.

An Actor's Work on a Role
Konstantin Stanislavski
Routledge
270 Madison Ave., New York NY 10016
9780415461290, $24.95 www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com

An Actor's Work on a Role provides the author's classic exploration of the rehearsal process and techniques of his actor training system, making for a strong reference for any college-level library strong in drama, film and acting. This is a new translation that includes his original teachings plus supplementary material and notes from the rehearsals themselves, making a case against method acting and its traditions.

An Actor's Work: A Student's Diary
Konstantin Stanislavski
Routledge
270 Madison Ave., New York NY 10016
9780415551205, $24.95 www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com

An Actor's Work: A Student's Diary offers a fine new translation by Jean Benedetti, offering an accurate English survey of Stanislavski's system and providing a treatise that is faithful to the author's original intentions, putting the two books AN ACTOR PREPARES and BUILDING A CHARACTER into one volume. A 'must' pick for any serious acting library.

We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives
Paul Shaffer with David Ritz
Doubleday & Company
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780385524834, $26.00 www.doubleday.com

We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Showbiz Saga tells how a child from a remote Canadian town goes to Broadway fame, moving from his early years at a synagogue to later performances at a strip joint and in dives until landing his first gig in musical theater, there to perform with Gilda Radner and other greats. His personal life lights up in an autobiography highly recommended for any library strong in either theatre memoirs or showbiz exposes.


The Sports Shelf

Sport Nutrition for Coaches
Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD
Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736069178, $24.95 www.hkusa.com

Sport Nutrition for Coaches is a 'must' for any sports library - not just coaches - offering solid insights into nutrition basics in general and an athlete's basic nutrition needs in particular. It offers tips on working with athletes with special dietary concerns and disorders, shows coaches how to develop a nutrition plan for both individuals and the entire team, and provides keys to creating healthy eating habits. Any library catering to sports professionals needs this specific, detailed guide.

Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman
Matt Stone and Preston Lerner
Motorbooks
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 1st Avenue North #300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760337066, $30.00 www.motorbooks.com

Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman is a 'must' for any sports collection strong in automobile racing. It tells how Newman entered the racing world, explores his partnership with Carl Haas that produced eight CART/Champ Car titles during 25 years of Indy car racing, and uses trackside stories and interviews with those who knew Newman. The result is a blend of sports history and biography perfect for any sports library.

Snake Vs. Mongoose
Tom Madigan
Motorbooks
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 1st Avenue North #300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760334867, $35.00 www.motorbooks.com

SNAKE VS. MONGOOSE: HOW A RIVALRY CHANGED DRAG RACING FOREVER is a 'must' for any motorsports collection. It pairs vivid color photos throughout with a survey of a headliner racing feud that turned into a Hot Wheels promotion elevating drag racing to a multimillion-dollar business. A fascinating history tells how drag racing evolved to its current status.

When the Game Was Ours
Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson with Jackie MacMullan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116
9780547225470, $26.00 www.hmhpub.com

This story of two basketball greats will appeal to any interested in NBA insider accounts, detailing the physical and psychological contest between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. In reviewing two key players with two very different approaches to the sport, WHEN THE GAME WAS OURS packs in some amazing facts of the rivalry between two greats. Any library strong in basketball history needs this.

The Diehard Fan's Guide to Buckeye Football
Mark Rea
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001
9781596985735, $24.95 www.regnery.com

The Diehard Fan's Guide to Buckeye Football comes from a journalist who explores over a hundred years of Buckeye football, covering national championships and Heisman Trophy winners alike. Here's a history of the greatest games and players packed with lists of top players by decade, tributes to favorite memories, and more. A powerful guide for any football reference collection.

The First Fall Classic
Mike Vaccaro
Doubleday
1748 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780385526241, $26.95 www.doubleday.com

THE FIRST FALL CLASSIC: THE RED SOX, THE GIANTS, AND THE CAST OF PLAYERS, PUGS AND THE POLITICOS WHO REINVENTED THE WORLD SERIES IN 1912 is a 'must' for any library strong in baseball history and culture. It covers a cast of characters who during the course of just eight games spanning nine days elevated the sport to World Series fame, involving sports and political worlds alike in the finest World Series ever played. Collections strong in baseball history must have this.

Life in the Ring
John E. Oden
Hatherleigh Press
5-22 46th Avenue, Suite 200, Long Island City, NY 11101
9781578263110, $15.00 www.hatherleighpress.com

LIFE IN THE RING: LESSONS & INSPIRATION FROM THE SPORT OF BOXING provides a powerful account of boxing and offers connections between boxing and life experiences. From making a comeback to winning without taking shortcuts, these vignettes are powerful accounts highly recommended for any lending library strong in sports insights and life reflections.


The Gaming Shelf

Understanding Chess Endgames
John Nunn
Gambit
99 Wallis Rd., London E9 5LN, England
1906454116, $24.95 www.gambitbooks.com

Understanding Chess Endgames comes from a world-famous chess players who explains everything necessary to understand how chess endgames work. It's the endgame where precision is key and errors produce failures. This book offers a world champion's insights into how to play the game and packs in a fine set of key concepts and pitfalls essential to understanding chess. Any library that already contains beginner's guides needs this advanced player's handbook.

The Most Valuable Skills in Chess
Maurice Ashley
Gambit
99 Wallis Rd., London E9 5LN, England
1904600875, $17.95 www.gambitbooks.com

Any avid chess player who would absorb knowledge of the game beyond the rules will appreciate a unique approach that examines the basic characteristics of each piece and shows how the piece can be used to win pieces or give checkmate. This comes from 'the Tiger Woods of chess' and offers players an outstanding survey of moves that lead to victory. Any chess library will appreciate the approach.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Shooter's Bible, 101st Edition
Jay Cassell, editor
Skyhorse Publishing
555 - 8th Avenue, Suite 903, New York NY 10018
1602398011, $29.95 www.skyhorsepublishing.com

This year's SHOOTER'S BIBLE offers a new edition covering all the new guns, ammo and optics and has been picked up by a new publisher after its long-time publisher Stoeger Publishing closed its doors. It offers the 2008-09 edition's New Products section, an article on "The 50 Best Guns Ever Made" and more in an outstanding 'bible' for any sports or hunter's collection.

Upland Autumn
William G. Tapply
Skyhorse Publishing
555 - 8th Avenue, Suite 903, New York NY 10018
160239783X, $29.95 www.skyhorsepublishing.com

UPLAND AUTUMN: BIRDS, DOGS, AND SHOTGUN SHELLS tells of a man devoted to his gun, his dog, and roaming the hills of New England. A bright, evocative text follows his travels, friendships, and appreciating of shooting and the woods alike in a fine choice for any general lending library.

Fly Fishing Tailwaters
Pat Dorsey
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
9780811705127, $49.95 www.stackpolebooks.com

Fly Fishing Tailwaters offers a collection of tailwater tactics for all kinds of fly fishermen, packing in details on tailwater trout fishing from an expert on the topic. From how tailwaters work to hatches, some 50 fly patterns for some of the best imitation flies, and more, this packs in all kinds of details and tactics. A 'must' for any serious fly fisherman's library, packed with color photos and specific details throughout.

The Life and Legend of Sheridan R. Jones
Jospeh Hilko
Whitefish Press
4240 Minmor Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45217
9780981510286, $54.95 www.whitefishpress.com

The Life and Legend of Sheridan R. Jones may be intended for young adult reading but is reviewed here for its unique interest to any collection strong in fishing lore. It tells of Sheridan Jones and his quest for the perfect fishing lure: a journey that resulted in expertise, fishing articles, and a blossoming career. At the height of his popularity he retired as a writer to dedicate his life to education. Any sports or biography collection will find this a vivid account, packed with color illustrations and photos throughout.


The Music Shelf

Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales
Clarence Clemons and Don Reo
Grand Central Publishing
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446546263, $26.99 www.hachettebookgroup.com

BIG MAN tells the story of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, considering the makeup of the bad, its charismatic leader, and the 'big man' - author Clarence Clemons - who commanded stage. It's the first book written by a member of the band and tells a different kind of rock story - offering real behind-the-scenes stories of the E-Street Band and Clemons' life. Libraries will find this a powerful pick for any rock music collection.

The Rolling Stones Easy Guitar Tab Anthology: 20 Classic Hits
Alfred Publishing
Box 1003, Van Nuys, CA 91410-0003
0739060627, $19.95 www.alfred.com

The Rolling Stones Easy Guitar Tab Anthology: 20 Classic Hits offers guitar tabs for twenty top Rolling Stones winning songs and is a pick for any lending library strong in guitar player's guides. From 'Gimmie Shelter' to 'Paint It Black' and 'Ruby Tuesday', these are all solid Stones hits in a guitar tab collection rated 'easy' for any player.

2,000 Guitars: The Ultimate Collection
Tony Bacon, et.al.
Thunder Bay Press
10350 Barnes Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA 92121
1607100126, $34.95 www.thunderbaybooks.com

If only one comprehensive, colorful guide to guitars were to be selected by a discriminating library, it should be 2,000 Guitars: The Ultimate Collection. This packs color photos throughout in a detailed visual and historical guide to the guitar, covering everything from early acoustics to the latest electrics and offering insights into how some of the finest guitar innovations came to be. It will delight a range of patrons, from casual browsers to avid musicians interested in the guitar's history.

Dylan: 100 Songs & Pictures
Omnibus Press
c/o Music Sales Corp
237 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10010
9781846094460, $49.95 www.musicsales.com

Any library seeking to offer a comprehensive Dylan collection will welcome Dylan: 100 Songs & Pictures. It features full sheet music of his most important songs, stories behind them, and some 100 rare photos. The chosen songs for this collection match Dylan's odyssey and make for a key acquisition for any music library featuring Dylan focuses.

Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful
Phil Griffin
Collins Design
c/o HarperCollins
19 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061864155, $30.00 www.harpercollins.com

Author and photographer Phil Griffin received unparalleled access to the band's lives and archives: since Bon Jovi has offered few insights into its makeup and background, this access translates to a 'must' for any Bon Jovi collection. From members' lives on the road and at home to the span of a 25-year career paired with unique black and white photos, this is a powerful pick any music library needs.

Thelonious Monk
Robin D.G. Kelley
Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10020
9780684831909, $30.00 www.simonsays.com

THELONIOUS MONK: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL provides the first full biography of the jazz legend, is based on exclusive access to the Monk family archives, and blends in ten years of research with family members and friends. The result is an outstandingly well-detailed survey promising to be a key, foundation acquisition for any library strong in jazz music and musicians.

Man of Constant Sorrow
Dr. Ralph Stanley and Eddie Dean
Gotham Books
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781592404254, $27.50 www.penguin.com

MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW: MY LIFE AND TIMES is a 'must' for any avid country music collection. Here a bluegrass musician looks back on his six decades in music, telling his story of his career and his observations of the evolving genre of country music. No country music library should be without this inspiring classic!


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Eyes Wide Open
Mariana Caplan, Ph.D.
Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
9781591797326, $18.95 www.soundstrue.com

EYES WIDE OPEN: CULTIVATING DISCERNMENT ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH offers a survey of enlightenment, bliss, and illusions, considering the best way to integrate spiritual practice into everyday living and offering insights to guide on a spiritual path led with clarify and ideals. Practitioner for any tradition receive a guide to defining spirituality in daily living, making this a pick for any spirituality collection.

Counterfeit Gods
Timothy Keller
Dutton
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780525951360, $19.95 www.penguin.com

COUNTERFEIT GODS: THE EMPTY PROMISES OF MONEY, SEX AND POWER, AND THE ONLY HOPE THAT MATTERS comes from a nationally famous minister and author of other spirituality books and here considers how readers can identify the false idols in their lives. From the real Biblical meaning of faith to connections between faith and heart desires, COUNTERFEIT GODS packs in a powerful presentation key to any spirituality collection.

Nothing Created Everything
Ray Comfort
WND Books
Los Angeles, CA
9781935071235, $25.95 www.wndbooks.com

NOTHING CREATED EVERYTHING: THE SCIENTIFIC IMPOSSIBILITY OF ATHEISTIC EVOLUTION uses science itself to argue against the theory of evolution, confronting atheists on their own ground and using their own arguments to claim that it's atheists who preach a faith-based doctrine. Followers of evolution offer science fiction, Ray Comfort maintains - and point by point, Comfort makes his case. Religious Studies libraries and students will relish the attention to detail.

Simply An Inspired Life
Mary Anne Radmacher & Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Conari Press
500 - 3rd St., Suite 230, San Francisco CA 94107
9781573244572, $16.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

Simply An Inspired Life: Consciously Choosing Unbounded Happiness in Good Times & Bad is a powerful pick for any learning to navigate their own life with acceptance and an open heart. It offers clear instructions on how to modify perceptions and attitudes to reach this level of clarity and joy, and is a fine and lovely survey of how to make a conscious choice to live simply and happily. Any general lending library needs this.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Dream Homes
Joyce Zonana
Feminist Press
365 - 5th Ave, Suite 5406, New York NY 10016
9781558615731, $15.95 www.feministpress.org

DREAM HOMES: FROM CAIRO TO KATRINA, AN EXILE'S JOURNEY tells of the daughter of immigrant Egyptian Jews who details her quest for roots and belonging around the world after the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. Their struggles in new country America after fleeing Cairo, their frustrations and Zonana's journey to find her place in the world and meet with extended family in South America makes for a vivid journal of experiences especially recommended for any Jewish collection.

The Jews of West Point in the Long Gray Line
Lewis L. Zickel
KTAV Publishing
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602801172, $35.00 www.ktav.com

The Jews of West Point in the Long Gray Line comes from a 1949 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and offers a survey of the institution's Jews who have attended and served as professional military officers. It blends a history of Jews at West Point and in the military with an autobiography of Colonel Zickel's experiences and excerpts form a questionnaire he sent to each of the 630 living Jewish graduates of West Point and makes for a fine history suitable for any military or Judaic studies library.

Subversive Sequels in the Bible
Judy Klitsner
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch St., 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
9780827608887, $35.00 www.jewishpub.org

Subversive Sequels in the Bible: How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other is recommended not only for Jewish collections, but for any library strong in Bible studies. It comes from a Bible teacher who pairs biblical stories to show how a later text will often comment on or even subvert an earlier one, and provides strong parallels between biblical passages and original readings of familiar narratives.


The Business Shelf

The Definitive Personal Assistant & Secretarial Handbook
Sue France
Kogan Page
525 S. 4th St., #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
9780749453459, $24.95 www.koganpage.com

The Definitive Personal Assistant & Secretarial Handbook packs in details for all management assistants, secretaries and executive assistants and covers everything from communication skills to organizing meetings and events, managing time, presentation skills, networking, and managing conflict on the job. It's a powerful survey offering concrete methods to help prioritize work and handle typical scenarios personal assistants face. Business collections will welcome it.

Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad
Richard P. Finnegan
Davies Black
20 Park Plaza #1115A, Boston MA 02116
9780891062387, $34.95 www.davies-black.com

Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad is for any business library strong in human resources and business management. It surveys employees, profits, and how to put processes into place to cut employee turnover, and packs in discussions of a retention model for talent that is built on strategy and outcomes. Plenty of books tell how to instigate employee incentive plans, but few provide the bigger picture of retention as does this.

Coaching for Performance, fourth edition
John Whitmore
Nicholas Brealey Publishing
20 Park Plaza, #1115A, Boston MA 02116
9781857885354, $24.95 www.nicholasbrealey.com

The fourth updated edition of COACHING FOR PERFORMANCE: GROWING HUMAN POTENTIAL AND PURPOSE is a powerful pick that's been extensively revised and expanded in a new edition explaining the basics of coaching. Examples of high performance from business and sport are provided along with new chapters discussing advanced transpersonal coaching. Business collections will find this an excellent, specific pick.

The 168 Hour Week
Kevin Hogan
Network 3000
3432 Denmark Ave., #108, Eagan, MN 55123
9781934266144, $24.95 www.network3000publishing.com

The 168 Hour Week: Living Life Your Way 24/7 offers a system to beat procrastination and meet goals and comes from a personal development leader who blends research with hundreds of coaching experiences to teach something different about achievement and time management. His 'life plan' is based on thousands of international studies and is key to not just business goals, but life goals in general, making it a pick for business and general libraries alike.

The Greatest Trade Ever
Gregory Zuckerman
Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780385529914, $26.00 www.broadwaybusinessbooks.com

The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History tells of a 2006 hedge-fund manager who realized the housing and mortgage industries were headed for major disaster - and who figured out how to make a fortune from his perception. Ridiculed by investors and housing industry professionals, Paulson bucked the odds and placed his hedge fund on the line with his predictions - and won big time. THE GREATEST TRADE EVER tells how - and is key for any financial collection strong in investing processes.

Financial Statements, revised edition
Thomas R. Ittelson
Career Press
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601630230, $17.99 www.careerpress.com

Libraries strong in business and accounting will relish the revised, expanded edition of FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND CREATING FINANCIAL REPORTS. It provides fine introduction to the topic, showing that anyone can understand the basis of finance and accounting, and discusses concepts using a basic, easy approach translating teaching to real-world scenarios. It's a top pick for any business library.

The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook
Richard Wiswall
Chelsea Green Publishing
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603581424, $34.95 www.chelseagreen.com

The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook is a top resource for any farmer trying to link their finances with farming realities. It shows how farmers can become more efficient, better managers of employees, and how they can turn a profit and is based on the author's twenty-seven years of experience at Cate Farm in Vermont. Business and farming collections alike will find this a key acquisition.

Dealing with the Tough Stuff
Margot Fraser and Lisa Lorimer
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery St. #650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
9781576756652, $16.95 www.bkconnection.com

Dealing with the Tough Stuff: Practical Wisdom for Running a Values-Driven Business comes from a Birkenstock founder and former Vermont Bread Company CEO and offers personal insights and reflections not to be found in the usual business 'how to' manuals. Each chapter tackles a set challenge, from honesty in handling employees to how to handle business disaster and challenges. These powerful insights are a 'must' for any serious entrepreneur and for collections catering to them.

The Janus Principle
Joann Mills Laing and Don Mazzella
Brick Tower Press
1230 Park Avenue, New York NY 10128
9781883283704, $14.95 www.thejanusprinciple.com

THE JANUS PRINCIPLE: FOCUSING YOUR COMPANY ON SELLING TO SMALL BUSINESS offers marketing executives advice on identifying and reaching small business buyers, showing how to reach this large market and how to understand differences between large and small business concerns. So many business marketing guides focus on big business, it's a relief to find something different - and highly recommended for any business library!

The Design of Business
Roger Martin
Harvard Business Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422177808, $26.95 www.harvardbusiness.org/press

The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage offers a survey that blends innovative knowledge with the use of current knowledge to generate company breakthroughs. It's based on case studies and hands-on consulting work and uses a range of business experience to show how successful design thinkers in business and the arts contributed to tackling new approaches and revenue sources.

The 77 Deadly Sins of Project Management
Management Concepts
8230 Leesburg Pike #800, Vienna, VA 22182
9781567262469, $29.00 www.managementconcepts.com

The 77 Deadly Sins of Project Management offers a compilation of contributions by experienced project managers who tell common 'sins' that hinder, stall or throw projects off track. From personal experiences and historical events to the costs of failing to understand these project management challenges, this book is a 'must' for any business library strong in project management guides.

Burst This!
Frank McKinney
Health Communications Inc.
3201 SW 15th St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
0757313833, $24.95 www.hcibooks.com

BURST THIS! FRANK MCKINNEY'S BUBBLE-PROOF REAL ESTATE STRATEGIES comes from a real estate 'czar' whose real estate investments have survived all kinds of economic conditions. From his insights on six real estate cycles and how to handle them to the truth on real estate's ups and downs, this tells investors how to handle market fluctuations for maximum profit. A fine choice for any real estate investment collection.

Monday Morning Motivation
David Cottrell
Harper Business
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061859380, $21.99 www.harpercollins.com

Monday Morning Motivation: Five Steps to Energize Your Team, Customers, and Profits provides a new addition to Cottrell's Monday Morning series with a step-by-step program offering business leaders tools to maximize company potentials. By investing just one hour every Monday morning for ten weeks, leaders can successfully redirect an organization's energy and achievement. A fine formula, this will appeal to any business leader and to libraries catering to them.

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
Carmine Gallo
McGraw Hill
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10121-2298
0071636080, $21.95 www.mcgraw-hill.com

The key points that change another CEO PowerPoint into an amazing experience, making Jobs one of the most captivating business communicators in public, are condensed and covered here for any who want to be great in front of an audience. From sticking the 'rule of three' and using Jobs' techniques for presentations, readers receive specifics from one who has studied and analyzed all of Jobs' performances. Business libraries and any collection strong in public speaking and sales need this.

Baked In
Alex Bogusky and John Winsor
Agate Publishers
1501 Madison St., Evanston, IL 60202
9781932841466, $20.95 www.agatepublishing.com

BAKED IN: CREATING PRODUCTS AND BUSINESSES THAT MARKET THEMSELVES provides a step-by-step guide on how to succeed in the changing business marketplace, offering companies tools for innovation and change. It demonstrates practices for changing marketing strategies based on digital technology and media and the activist marketplace, and is a 'must' for any serious business library.

The 85% Solution
Linda Galindo
Jossey-Bass/Wiley
989 Market St., 5th Floor, San Francisco CA 94103-1741
9780470500163, $22.95 www.josseybass.com

THE 85% SOLUTION: HOW PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY GUARANTEES SUCCESS - NO NONSENSE, NO EXCUSES argues that the only real accountability in business is personal - and the only way to achieve it is to accept responsibility for outcomes of choices and actions. Tips on how to achieve personal accountability connect business goals with this accountability and offers ideas for all to realize success through acceptance of this concept. Business collections will find it inspiring.

Innovation Passport
Mary Jo Frederich and Peter Andrews
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0132390760, $29.99 www.ibmpressbooks.com www.mcp.com

INNOVATION PASSPORT: THE IBM FIRST-OF-A-KIND (FOAK) JOURNEY FROM RESEARCH TO REALITY offers insight into IBM's FOAK Program for delivering profitable innovation, showing examples from one of the world's most successful innovation initiatives and showing how to get these innovations to market fast. Actual project examples pepper a collection showing how these processes happen - from effective collaboration to protecting intellectual property.

The Inner Edge
Joelle K. Jay
Praeger Publishing/ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9780313378058, $32.95 www.abc-clio.com

THE INNER EDGE: THE 10 PRACTICES OF PERSONAL LEADERSHIP draws on principles of leadership combined with Jay's experiences with hundreds of leaders from the nation's most successful companies, and offers coaching to help leaders overcome challenges, leverage opportunities, and maximize time. Practices are key issues that will help guide managers at different levels, showing how they can achieve business and personal success. Serious business collections must have this.

Lead Your Boss
Joihn Baldoni
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
0814415059, $21.95 www.amacombooks.org

LEAD YOUR BOSS; THE SUBTLE ART OF MANAGING UP offers a fine plan for delivering what the boss and team needs, telling how to think like a boss without stealing the position, how to turn ideas into action, and how to handle criticism. A manager who truly supports a boss with his own perspectives support the entire team's efforts - and this tells how in a selection key for any business library.


The Travel Shelf

Cycling Italy
Ellee Thalheimer
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741796148, $24.99 www.lonelyplanet.com

CYCLING ITALY is a take-along tote for any planning a visit to Italy and who wants to see the Italian countryside via bicycle. From bike maintenance tips and listings for sleeping, eating and facilities to travel tips on resort towns, historical villages, and more, this offers top rides for all ability levels and a range of traveler interests.

After the Death of a Salesman
Roger Rapoport
RDR Books
1487 Glen Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49441
1571430628, $15.95, www.rdrbooks.com

AFTER THE DEATH OF A SALESMAN: BUSINESS TRIPS TO HELL is a hilarious account of travel disasters, from a Madagascar cruise scout who finds the largest cockroach in the world inside her luggage to a California investor who travels through France on his wife's passport. Business scenarios are outrageous and fun and this will prove an outstanding, funny gift for any business or travel enthusiast.

Paris Quiz
Dominique Lesbros
Little Bookroom
435 Hudson St., 3rd Floor, New York NY 10014
9781892145826, $14.95 www.littlebookroom.com

PARIS QUIZ: HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW PARIS is the perfect item of choice for both travel libraries strong in European history and culture and as a gift choice for any Francofile. Some four hundred provocative and curious trivial questions offer multiple choice queries on Parisian culture and history perfect for a fun game.

Virgin Islands
Susanna Henighan Potter
Moon Handbooks
1700 4th St., Berkeley, CA 94710
9781598801835, $17.95 www.moon.com

VIRGIN ISLANDS offers a Moon handbook for any planning a trip to the Virgin Islands, whether it be a limited sailing adventure or a beach jaunt. Over twenty detailed maps accompany the author's firsthand experiences and pack in details on tourist sights, accommodations, restaurants, and more. An excellent pick for any destination-bound traveler.


The Science Shelf

What's So Great About Granite?
Jennifer H. Carey
Mountain Press
Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425631, $18.00 www.mountainpress.com

What's So Great About Granite? Offers photos by Marli Bryant Miller and offers an in-depth survey of granite's characteristics and science. Any interested in granite will find this covers all the basics, from differing properties of granite to how granite forms, plate tectonics, and where it's found. Collections strong in easy geology guides will find this an appealing title.

How to Guard An Art Gallery
T.S. Michael
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
9780801892998, $25.00 www.press.jhu.edu

From the maximum number of pizza slices one can get by making four straight cuts through a circular pizza to stamps and additive number theory, distance formulas, ad more, How to Guard An Art Gallery and Other Discrete Mathematical Adventures packs in key links between math concepts, formulas, and everyday puzzles and will provide libraries with a lively math guide for any general reader.

Prehistoric Life
DK Publishing
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780756655730, $40.00 www.dk.com

PREHISTORIC LIFE: THE DEFINITIVE VISUAL HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH offers a definitive guide for all ages. It is packed with colorful illustrations pairing silence with visual insights, exploring the geographic forces that shaped the Earth, how animals and plants evolved, and offering an illustrated catalog of prehistoric species. Written by active professional paleontologists from around the world, this packs in a fine survey of the evolution of life on Earth and is a 'must' for any general lending library seeking eye-catching visual science guides.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Dr. Seuss & Co. Go to War
Andre Schiffrin
New Press
38 Greene St., New York NY 10013
9781595584700, $29.95 www.thenewpress.com

Dr. Seuss & Co. Go to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of America's Leading Comic Artists was published nearly a decade ago and sold over a hundred thousand copies, introducing readers to Seuss' political cartoons. This new collection provides early work and commentary spanning six years of the war era, offering illustrated examples of changing attitudes and wartime reflections in a powerful gathering of black and white images recommended for any general lending library.

The Glamour Girls of Don Flowers
Alex Chun & Jacob Covey
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
1560977132, $19.95 www.fantagraphics.com

Don Flowers had a long career in newspaper cartooning that spanned over forty years and his cartoon images were at their height producing a single-panel pin-up cartoon strip named Glamour Girls. This gathers his popular cartoon pin-up girls under one cover, showcasing his skills and providing a fine collection highly recommended for any serious graphic novel and cartoon collection.

The Marvel Encyclopedia
Alastair Dougall, Editor
DK Publishing
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
9780756655303, $40.00 www.dk.com

THE MARVEL ENCYCLOPEDIA: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE CHARACTERS OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE has been updated and expanded to pack a huge oversized volume with over 1,200 of Marvel's finest characters. The company's best artists provide work backed by authoritative text supplied by top Marvel comic book experts in a reference powerful for new fans and any who grew up admiring the Marvel universe.

Confessions of a Swinging Single Sea Turtle
Jim Toomey
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
0740785516, $12.99 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Confessions of a Swinging Single Sea Turtle provides sea-faring cartoon strip lovers yet another fine Sherman's Lagoon collection of strips; this following Fillmore the sea turtle as he searches for love using some offbeat mating rituals. Black and white and color strips alike provide a vivid, ongoing recommendation for both newcomers and prior fans.


The Reference Shelf

Strange Maps
Frank Jacobs
Viking Studio
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780142005255, $30.00 www.penguin.com

STRANGE MAPS: AN ATLAS OF CARTOGRAPHIC CURIOSITIES spans centuries and the world in a unique map book blending color maps with quirky statistics, observations, and political as well as literary commentary. Humor abounds in a collection that uses cartography to point out ironies and inconsistencies in perception, making for a fine collection for any general library.

Stylized
Mark Garvey
Touchstone Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781416590927, $22.99 www.simonandschuster.com

Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White's Elements of Style appears more than fifty years after the original publication of Strunk and White's classic, and offers a lively analysis and history of this standard writing 'Bible'. From William Strunk Jr.'s self-publication of its first edition to White's essay and involvement, this is a lively survey recommended for any college or general library offering the Strunk and White reference.


The Biography Shelf

Finding It
Valerie Bertinelli
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439141632, $26.00 www.simonandschuster.com

FINDING IT - AND SATISFYING MY HUNGER FOR LIFE WITHOUT OPENING THE FRIDGE provides a fine memoir of the TV personality and follows her life, her romance, the extended family featured in her prior LOSING IT, and how Valerie continues to work on and respond to life challenges. A fine story of family ties, film industry success, and personal challenges makes for a powerful memoir perfect for any general lending library strong in TV personalities.

Last Words
George Carlin
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439172957, $26.99 www.simonandschuster.com

LAST WORDS represents ten years of the author's life and provides a powerful autobiography published posthumously and based on hours of taped interviews, drafts, and the humor that marked Carlin's life and talent. It's a funny, honest story of his life from his childhood to his rise to fame and offers many candid assessments perfect for any general-interest library.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress
Rhoda Janzen
Henry Holt
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780805089257, $22.00 www.henryholt.com

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress considers her childhood religion and the stereotypes affecting Mennonites in a lively, often hilarious memoir surveying her return to her childhood home. Rhoda Janzen's life changes when she leaves her high-powered career world to return home to her religious family. Her revelations about her failed marriage and past offer an involving, in-depth survey any general-interest library will find moving and revealing.


The Library DVD Shelf

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs
DVD
Image Entertainment
20525 Nordhoff St., Suite 200, Chatsworth, CA 91311-6104
014381346527, $19.98 www.image-entertainment.com

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs is a top pick for any DVD collection featuring history and exploration. It's narrated by actor Christopher Lee and packs in dramatic picture and sound following the explorations of the Egyptian tombs with all the drama and adventure of an Indiana Jones adventure. All ages will find this a vivid account.

Karen Joy Allen DVDs
Bridgestone Multimedia Group
$14.95 Each www.gobmg.com

Three powerful workout videos are fine picks for any DVD workout library or home collection, each offering something different. CARDIO PRAISE (9780740319150) uses exercises that are current and fun, blending strength training and cardio with dance. Work out with the kids with A FUN WORKOUT FOR KIDS (9780740319174), packed with kid-friendly music and easy routines leading kids through dance. CARDIO AND CORE DANCE BLAST (9780740319167) introduces toning and shaping through using JoyFitstix, which weigh under a pound and allow for quick, safe movements to keep rhythms and create muscles without weight use. Exercise and home collections will find these fine picks.

Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training
Anchor Bay
235 East 22nd St., Suite 15, New York NY 10010
91313166649, $14.98 www.anchorbayent.com/fitness

Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training features celebrity trainer and 'Work Out' TV hit show star Jackie Warner's personal program, and is perfect for those who would train at home using her signature circuit workouts. Here the Power Burn has been revved up in a series of maximum efficiency workouts and steps reduced to 15-minute segments for easy and quick use. Busy home exercises will love this approach.

Susan Hyatt's Rockstar Workout
Susan Hyatt
Passport to Fitness
$15.98 www.amazon.com

Susan Hyatt's Rockstar Workout provides a powerful program based on the breathing secrets that top performers use on stage. Susan Hyatt trained with 'American Idol' vocal coach Ron Anderson and provides a fine pairing of these breathing techniques with tips on burning up to 800 calories per hour. Home workout libraries will find this a different, winning approach.

Stories from the Vaults, Season 2
Tom Cavanagh
Smithsonian Networks
17742216592, $19.98 www.smithsonianchannel.com

Stories from the Vaults, Season 2 tours the Smithsonian Institution and offers stories of some of its rarely-seen treasures, introducing people who are studying these secrets behind the scenes and considering mysteries of science, pop culture, and more.


The Literary Shelf

Kurt Vonnegut's America
Jerome Klinkowitz
University of South Carolina Press
1600 Hampton St., 5th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
9781570038266, $34.95 www.sc.edu/uscpress

KURT VONNEGUT'S AMERICA is a literary survey highly recommended for any college-level collection strong in Kurt Vonnegut. It blends discussion of his fiction, essays and works with personal exchanges and biographical background to follow the relationship between his work and culture, and is key to any understanding of Vonnegut's work.


The California Shelf

California Odyssey
William R. Goulding
Arthur H. Clark
2800 Venture Dr, Norman, OK 73069
9780870623738, $45.00 www.ahclark.com

California Odyssey: An Overland Journey on the Southern Trails is recommended for any basic California history library: it's a powerful first-person account of the southern Gold Rush route in 1849, and comes from an early explorer who kept a personal diary of his experiences. Goulding was one of the rare educated Gold Rush participants who regularly wrote: his account of encounters with people, wildlife, and trail life is a 'must' for any serious California history collection.

Our Better Nature
Philip J. Dreyfus
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806139586, $24.95 www.oupress.com

OUR BETTER NATURE: ENVIRONMENT AND THE MAKING OF SAN FRANCISCO recounts the history of San Francisco from Indian villages to its current status in the world, focusing on interactions between the city and land and how human habitation has changed the region. Early settlement patterns, ways residents o the growing city remade the landscape to suit their needs, and new attention to ecological pursuits makes for a winning presentation no Northern California library should be without.

A Community Organizer's Tale
Mike Miller
Heyday Books
Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141185, $21.95 www.heydaybooks.com

A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER'S TALE: PEOPLE AND POWER IN SAN FRANCISCO is a 'must' for any library strong in Bay Area history. It charts the rise and fall of the Mission Coalition Organization, a story of San Francisco's Latino Mission District and strategies inspired by community organizer Saul Alinsky and civil rights that helped deter urban renewal and preserve the rights of low-income tenants. Libraries strong in either local history or civil rights need this.

'Images of America' series
Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com

California libraries strong in regional history should consider Arcadia's 'Images of America' series 'must have' additions for any general lending collection. Each book is based on access to vintage and historic photos not ordinarily available in public collections and thus offers unique pictorial insights into bygone times, while the small-town focus offers portraits of places often given only cursory attention (or none at all!) in larger California history books. Dolores Gomez and Christy Thilmany's BRISBANE (0738570486, $21.99), for example, offers pictures of a small town nestled in the hills right next to San Francisco but unknown to many City residents. Its rural roots were evident nearly into recent decades and its black and white images are powerful testimonies to these roots. Jay Jennings' KNOTT'S BERRY FARM; THE EARLY YEARS (0738569216, $21.99) surveys Knott's Berry Farm, a tourist attraction before Disney that began as a small roadside berry stand in Buena Park, California and grew into one of the most popular amusement parks in the world. Over 200 rare images follow its evolution. Alice Eby Hall's THE CAJUN PASS (0738570753, $21.99) represents a cooperative effort by the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society, Victor Valley Museum and Mojave Historical Society and the author, and provides a fine set of images of the Cajon Pass and its history. All are powerful additions to any California local history library.


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

Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net


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