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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 21, Number 2 February 2011 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Automotive Shelf Computer Shelf
Library Reference Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Psychology Shelf
Parenting Shelf American History Shelf Art Shelf
Fashion Shelf Cookbook Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Business Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf Economics Shelf
Sports Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Travel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Gardening Shelf Crafts Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Science/Technology Shelf Music Shelf World History Shelf
Biography Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Military Shelf Education Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Photography Shelf Woodworking Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Native American Shelf Language Studies Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Library Music CD Shelf Anthropology Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf
Library Science Shelf Self-Help Shelf Poetry Shelf
Humor Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Fiction Shelf
Social Issues Self Money/Finance Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Criminology Shelf Architecture Shelf
International Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Let Me Tell You About Wine
Oz Clarke
Sterling Epicure
c/o Sterling Publishing
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8610
9781402771231, $19.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

Wine has evolved past being a widely drank and historical beverage. "Let Me Tell You About Wine: A Beginner's Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Wine" explains the details that one needs to know about the complexities of wine tasting and why it has gained such a following in today's world. Wine has been tweaked and customized that there is a wine for almost any dish and any food for it to accompany, and Oz Clarke explains everything one needs to know about the art of wine. With plenty of charts, graphs, information, and full color photography, "Let Me Tell You About Wine" is a choice pick and very highly recommended read for anyone who wants to know wine better.

The Potential of Poetry
Eric Greinke
Presa Press
PO Box 792, Rockford, MI 49341
9780983125112, $11.95, www.presapress.com

Poetry's presence in the mainstream has been waning in recent years, but there is still much in its purpose. "The Potential of Poetry" is a collection of essays from Eric Greinke, discuss the role and purpose of poetry in today's world as an art form and in the world as whole. Simple and profound work with plenty to muse on literature and art in general, "The Potential of Poetry" is a choice addition to literary studies collections.

Nature Guide to the Northern Forest
Peter J. Marchand
Appalachian Mountain Club Books
5 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108
9781934028421, $19.95, www.outdoors.org

There is a natural beauty to New England that is too often forgotten. "Nature Guide to the Northern Forest: Exploring the Ecology of the Forests of New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine" is a study and tribute to the Northeastern United States and its forests. The Appalachian Mountain Club grants a natural study guide for the region that includes an encyclopedia of plants and animals of the region. "Nature Guide to the Northern Forest" is presented in full color and is a fine pick for any nature lover or those who plan on hiking in New England.

This is NPR: The First Forty Years
Cokie Roberts, et.al.
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811872539, $29.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

This is NPR: The First Forty Years offers a fine history of NPR by the people who built NPR during its first forty decades on the air. From the first broadcast of All Things Considered during the Vietnam War protests of 1971 to the 2008 presidential election coverage, this offers analysis and history of events that built NPR and offers dozens of candid photos, transcripts of interviews, and even an audio CD gathering its top programming. No media history library should be without this!

Arena Legacy
Richard C. Rattenbury
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806140841, $65.00, www.oupress.com

Arena Legacy: The Heritage of American Rodeo is a pick for any collection strong in Western history and culture. The collections of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum contribute to a finely illustrated volume that's the first to capture rodeo's entire heritage. From its foundations to its modern features, this history is complimented by an extensive pictorial gallery of vintage and modern images packaged in an oversized presentation for maximum effect. It's a major achievement, not to be overlooked by any Western heritage library.

How to Create Fantasy Art for Video Games
Bill Stoneham
Barrons
250 Wireless, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764145049, $23.99, www.barronseduc.com

How to Create Fantasy Art for Video Games offers a guide to creating concepts, characters and gaming worlds and is a 'must' for any video game player who aspires to program. Learn how to become an artist to get a job in video game design by learning all the techniques for drawing, painting and computer graphics manipulation. From producing thumbnails to finished color, this includes not just art and programming techniques, but keys to understanding the needs of the game business as a whole - and how artists are hired.

Hamlyn/OctopusBooks USA
publicity@octopus-publishing.co.uk
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Mark Heyes's GET THE LOOK: EXTRAORDINARY STYLE ON AN ORDINARY BUDGET (9780600621591, $17.99) tells how to capture the great looks inspired by supermodels and designers - but on a budget. The elements of design and style and how high fashion looks translate to everyday design style makes for an outstanding survey from a fashion stylist who shows how to recreate top designer styles from clothing you already own and pieces easily located in a general clothing store. 10 key 'looks' are analyzed in a fine pick filled with fashion tips. Veronique Henderson and Pat Henshaw's COLOR ME SLIMMER: CLEVER DRESSING FOR A FABULOUS FIGURE (9780600621621, $17.99) comes from the Color Me Beautiful team that provided thousands of women with affordable makeover tips. This focus is on how to adjust dress to shed pounds, creating a more balanced, slim appearance. Chapters focus on color as the key to creating slim appearance, but also focus on ideal outfits for different shapes and skin tones.

Sober Cannibals, Drunken Christians
Jamie Lorentzen
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, Georgia 31207
9780881462005, $35.00, www.mupress.org

Sober Cannibals, Drunken Christians: Melville, Kierkegaard & Tragic Optimism in Polarized Worlds contrasts the writings of American writer Herman Melville and Danish writer Soren Kierkegaard, considering their interest in paradox, love of poetic imagery, and similarities of social issues. College-level collections strong in philosophy, spirituality and literary style will find this an intriguing contrast perfect for study and classroom discussion.

From Here to There
Kris Harzinski
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568988825, $17.50, www.papress.com

FROM HERE TO THERE: A CURIOUS COLLECTION FROM THE HAND DRAWN MAP ASSOCIATION packs in a fine survey celebrating everyday hand drawn maps. Gathered from a range of sources and including fictional maps, maps of unusual places, and examples drawn by historical figures, this gathers all kinds of maps and is a fine addition to cartography and arts collections alike.

Retrofonts
Gregor Stawinski
Mark Batty Publishers
36 W 37th St., Suite 409, New York NY 10018
9781935613015, $65.00, www.markbattypublisher.com

RETROFONTS packs in over 360 of the most popular fonts from 19th and 20th century type designs and is the perfect pick for any printer's collection. Its chapters open with brief overviews of each font's history and development, then includes large-size pages of font examples. Collections strong in print history and culture will find this specific, unique collection a 'must' addition.


The Automotive Shelf

This Old Corvette
Mike Antonick, et.al.
Voyageur Press
Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
0896586227, $29.95, www.voyageurpress.com

THIS OLD CORVETTE: THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO AMERICA'S SPORTS CAR gathers stories from respected Corvette historians, automotive journalists, owners and more and compliments these accounts with period artwork and current photos to make for an outstanding celebration of the Corvette's influence. Any automotive history holding will find this a lively, appealing collection.


The Computer Shelf

The iPad Project Book
Michele E. Cohen, Denis R. Cohen, Lisa L. Spangenberg
Peachpit Press
1249 - 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
032171475X, $24.99, www.peachpit.com

The iPad Project Book offers a range of ideas for creating projects, organizing, managing events, and more using the iPad. From how to stream videos or rent videos from iTunes to using the many apps available for the iPad, this is packed with color step-by-step directions throughout and is a top recommendation for any general or computer collection.

Animation with Scripting for Adobe Flash Professional CS5 Studio Techniques
Chris Georgenes and Justin Putney
Adobe Press
1249 - 8th St., Berkeley, CA 94710
0321683692, $44.99, www.adobepress.com

Animation with Scripting for Adobe Flash Professional CS5 Studio Techniques offers the first definitive guide to creating animation for the web and mobile devices using Adobe's Flash Professional CS5. Chapters cover the basics of design, character animation using run cycles, script and codes, and ActionScript and Autoscript, packing in code and color illustration throughout. A top pick for any Flash professional seeking keys to superior animation techniques.

Using Microsoft Access 2010
Alison Balter
QUE
c/o Pearson Technology Group
800 East 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240
0789742896, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com

Using Microsoft Access 2010 offers step-by-step video tutorials and sidebars of audio detail delivered through the Free Web Edition that comes with each book. The 'show me' visuals reinforce this text, which covers all the basics of Microsoft Access 2010, from selecting field types for data and building queries based on multiple tables to understanding the basics of relational database design.

Multicore Application Programming
Darryl Gove
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321711378, $49.99, www.informit.com/devlibrary

Multicore Application Programming for Windows, Linux, and Oracle Solaris offers a detailed, practical guide to high-performance multicore programming for developers who want to learn more about pitfalls and successes of multicore usage. From identifying good opportunities for using parallelism to sharing data and using automatic parallelization, this provides C programmers with a wide range of multicore ideas applicable to a range of operating systems. No advanced developer's library should be without this.

GIS Tutorial 3: Advanced Workbook
David W. Allen & Jeffrey M. Coffey
ESRI Press
380 New York St., Redlands, CA 92373-8100
9781589482074, $79.95, www.esri.com

GIS Tutorial 3: Advanced Workbook offers a fine workbook divided into sections packed with tutorials and step-by-step practices. Exercises reinforce concepts and are supplemented by a DVD containing a 180-day trial version of ArcGIS 10 software and the data used in these exercises. The result is a powerful course in a book designed ultimately for classroom study and perfect for any instruction in ArcGIS 10.

The Linux Programming Interface
Michael Kerrisk
No Starch Press
38 Ringold St., San Francisco CA 94103
9781593272203, $99.95, www.nostarch.com

The Linux Programming Interface: A Linux and UNIX System Programming Handbook offers a thick, weighty reference that will prove the definitive guide to Linux and UNIX programmers working with the interface. Descriptions of system calls, library functions, and over 200 example programs pair with tables and diagrams that teach how to write effective files, use signals, write secure programs, and much more. No Linux collection should be without!

Microsoft Press
One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399
www.microsoft.com/mspress

Katherine Murray's MICROSOFT WORD 2010 INSIDE OUT (9780735627291, $49.99) offers a powerful reference to Word 2010's advanced features and offers hundreds of solutions to common problems. From adding visual impact using SmartArt diagrams and drawings to publishing blogs directly from Word and using customization processes on documents, this will make for a fine study guide and quick reference alike, and should be on the shelf of any Word user. A top pick for advanced computer collections catering to administrators studying for the MCITP exam is WINDOWS 7 ENTERPRISE DESKTOP ADMINISTRATOR SELF-PACED TRAINING KIT by Craig Zacker and Orin Thomas (9780735627178, $69.99), covering the 70-686 exam. This prep guide covers all aspects of the certification program for supporting medium to very large Windows 8-based computing environments, and provides keys to configuration, design, managing client security and settings, troubleshooting and other tasks key to the Enterprise environment. Another top training kit is Orin Thomas and Ian McLean's CONFIGURING MICROSOFT EXCHANGE SERVER 2010 (9780735627161, $69.99), a self-paced training kit for any taking the MCTS Exam 70-662. From preparing and implementing an Exchange Server deployment to setting up groups, public folders, and monitoring Exchange databases, this teaches all the basics. Very highly recommended for any taking the test!


The Library Reference Shelf

Getting Permission, fourth edition
Richard Stim, Attorney
Nolo Press
950 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94710
1413312705, $34.99, www.nolo.com

The fourth updated edition of GETTING PERMISSION: HOW TO LICENSE & CLEAR COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS ONLINE & OFF creates a winning survey highly recommended for any general lending library. From understanding public domain and fair use issues to what determines different kinds of copyright ownership and how to understand art licensing and special conditions, this comes from an attorney and is a 'must' for any seeking copyright and permission details.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Allergies and Asthma, second edition
Michael J. Welch
American Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
9781581104455, $14.95, www.healthychildren.org

When faced with allergies and asthma, they shouldn't stop a kid from being a kid. "Allergies and Asthma: What Every Parent Needs to Know" is a guide for parents to help their children who face respiratory problems live their lives to the fullest. With tips on detecting if a problem exists, preventing attacks, choosing the right medication and treatments, and what to be aware of in certain situations, "Allergies and Asthma" is a sage guide and powerful resource for the parent who wants their child to live to their fullest.

Sandplay Therapy
Grace L. Hong
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780415570527, $36.95, www.routledgemetnalhealth.com

There's more to sandplay than messing around in the sand. "Sandplay Therapy: Research and Practice" delves into what Sandplay is, explaining its value to psychotherapy and its connection to the Jungian discipline of psychology. Grace L. Hong draws on both her history in America and Taiwan to provide a contrasting perspective on the practice and what it can teach psychologists. A study of symbols and the subconscious, "Sandplay Therapy" is a core addition to any psychological studies community or college library collection, or for those who want to study this practice of psychotherapy.

Psychedelic Healing
Neal M. Goldsmith
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions
1 Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594772504, $16.95, www.healingartspress.com

Psychedelics are quickly dismissed as the use of stoners and druggies, but could their be unseen medicinal benefit? "Psychedelic Healing: The Promise of Entheogens for Psychotherapy and Spiritual Development" explores the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in a medical situation. Banned after the sixties, new research is showing that these drugs could help fight addictions to other drugs, fight post traumatic disorder, and other mental problems. An analysis that looks deep into history as well as the true medical effects of the drug, "Psychedelic Healing" is a fascinating analysis into a taboo avenue of medicine.

Encyclopedia Of Sports Medicine
Lyle J. Micheli, M.D., editor
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.sagepub.com
9781412961158, $999.95, www.amazon.com

Exhaustively compiled and knowledgeably edited by Lyle J. Micheli (O'Donnell Family Professor of Orthopaedic Medicine, Director of the Boston Children's Hospital Sports Medicine Division, and a Harvard Medical School clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery) the "Encyclopedia Of Sports Medicine" is a four-volume, 1880 page, illustrated compendium covering every aspect and facet of contemporary sports medicine superbly presented in accessible, 'user friendly', alphabetically organized fashion. Showcasing state-of-the-art research, the "Encyclopedia Of Sports Medicine" should be considered an essential, core addition to general academic, medical school, community, and professional sports medicine practitioner reference collections. It should also be noted that the "Encyclopedia Of Sports Medicine" is also available in an electronic format (9781412961168, $1,245.00).

Influenza and Public Health
Tamara Giles-Vernick and Susan Craddock
Earthscan
c/o Stylus Publishing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9781844078967, $99.99, www.earthscan.co.uk

The Influenza epidemics of the past century taught the world much about the spread of illness. "Influenza and Public Health: Learning from Past Pandemics" is a scholarly study of pandemics throughout the world, which prove to be a threat to millions and perhaps with the rate of population growth, billions of people around the world. With each outbreak, we learn more about how people react to the disease and how to stop these outbreaks before they become truly serious illnesses. Studying each of these outbreaks, readers will learn from the Spanish Flu of 1918 to fears of the bird flu and swine flu in the past decade. With many scholars coming together with their own studies, "Influenza and Public Health" is a core addition to any history or health studies collection, enthusiastically recommended.

Tai Chi Ball Qigong
Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publication
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
9781594391996, $24.95, wwww.ymaa.com

Tai Chi offers much focus and meditation, but a simple ball added to the exercise has more benefits than one would think. "Tai Chi Ball Qigong: For Health and Martial Arts" is a guide to using Tai Chi Ball Qigong, the art of using a ball to enhance and magnify the practice. With at first a history of Tai Chi and Ball Qigong, world renown Martial arts scholar Yang, Jwing-Ming outlines the differing practices with Ball Qigong, and how to make the most of it in your practice and routine. "Tai Chi Ball Qigong" is a must for any Tai chi enthusiast and practitioner.

What Nurses Know...Diabetes
Rita Girouard Mertig
Demos Health
11 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036-8002
9781932603989, $16.95, www.demoshealth.com

Diabetes requires significant lifestyle shifts. "What Nurses Know...Diabetes: The Answers You Need from the People You Trust" is a guide to living with diabetes with tips from a registered nurse for over four decades as she provides a thoughtful break down of everything one needs to know to minimize the impact of diabetes and lead to a healthier life in spite of it. A strong resource with a glossary and plenty of wisdom from healthcare professionals, "What Nurses Know...Diabetes" is a highly recommended guide, not to be missed by those who fear Diabetes or have been recently diagnosed. Also recommended from Demos Health, "Winning the Battle Against Prostate Cancer" (9781936303038, $18.95) is an advisory guide for those who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and want to fight it the best they can, from noted urologist Dr. Gerald Chodak.

Eating the Moment
Pavel G. Somov
New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781572245433, $15.95, www.newharbinger.com

The mind is the first tool against overeating. "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Eating One Meal at a Time" is a guide to combat mindless eating, which author Pavel G. Somov believes is a major contributor to poor health and obesity. Comfort foods, bored eating, snacking when not hungry, and much more, "Eating the Moment" is a guide designed to help readers combat these practices by helping the mind be the first defense to the idle mouth.

Methods in Medical Ethics
Jeremy Sugarman & Daniel P. Sulmasy
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589017016, $39.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

As medicine advances further and further with technology, ethics remains a hot topic. "Methods in Medical Ethics" is a collection of musings and essays from an assortment of medical professionals from various schools of medical thought in their pursuit of a more thoughtful and correct practice. Privacy concerns are of more concern than ever in today's medical field, but often these concerns are challenged by increasing need for specialization and today's further reaching information databases. Additionally, concerns of professional conduct and pursuit of profit in today's more business like facilities, the pursuit of experimentation when it comes to new techniques and drugs, and much more are discussed. "Methods in Medical Ethics" is a thoughtful read for any professional who finds the line between right and wrong increasingly blurred in their pursuits.

Long-Term Care, eighth edition
Attorney Joseph L. Matthews
Nolo Press
950 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94710
1413312721, $29.99, www.nolo.com

Long-Term Care: How to Plan & Pay for It offers keys to choosing the right long-term care plan to protect assets. From evaluating insurance and comparing options to choosing a long-term care facility and understanding special needs of dementia patients, this is packed with keys updated to reflect the latest laws and resources, and is a key reference for any general collection.

W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com

Fredrike Bannink's 1001 SOLUTION-FOCUSED QUESTIONS (9780393706345, $24.95) invites professionals to help clients view problems in terms of what is going right, using this emphasis to visualize goals and solutions to build more positive approaches and relationships. Nearly 30 years of clinical practice contributes to a set of solution-focused questions that can be used to guide clients in their therapy issues, making for a fine pick for any psychology library! Also recommended for psychology collections is Igor Galynker's TALKING TO FAMILIES ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS: WHAT CLINICIANS NEED TO KNOW (9780393706000, $32.95), from a veteran clinician who offers all his insights on how to speak with family members about treatment and options. Over 20 years' experience working in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit lends to his insights from his own clinical experience and provides specifics about communication on common mental health issues. QUICK STEPS TO RESOLVING TRAUMA by Bill O'Hanlon (9780393706512, $15.00) provides a fine survey of how people recover from trauma, and comes from a psychotherapist who has worked with trauma for over thirty years. People CAN get over trauma - and there are several new, innovative approaches to helping them. This book covers four alternate approaches to treating trauma and is a pick for any mental health collection. Also recommended is Robert T. Muller's TRAUMA AND THE AVOIDANT CLIENT: ATTACHMENT-BASED STRATEGIES FOR HEALING (9780393705737, $27.95) covers avoidant clients - those who avoid attachment, closeness and painful feelings and withdraw in therapy - and provides therapists for keys to working with them. Clinical experience blends with research and theory to provide a fine survey of defensive patterns and how they can be changed. College-level psychotherapy holdings will also find important Louis Cozolino's THE NEUROSCIENCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY (9780393706420, $44.95), which offers a new second edition updating details on new technologies and understanding of neural functioning and Cozolino's therapies of interpersonal neurobiology. The shift towards 'social neuroscience' is documented in context of this fine examination of brain workings, memory, and dysfunction.

Jones & Bartlett
40 Tall Pine Dr., Sudbury, MA 01776
www.jbpub.com

Kimberly A. Galt and Karen A. Paschal's FOUNDATIONS IN PATIENT SAFETY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS (9780763763381, $57.95) covers a range of healthcare disciplines in a practical guide to creating safety in healthcare settings. Faculty members in bioethics, business, dentistry, law, and nursing as well as many other disciplines helped develop this survey: the result is an introductory textbook recommended for any college-level nursing or health library, and which is likely to be adopted as a course text for any studying basic patient safety. Lawrence F. Wolper's HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION: MANAGING ORGANIZED DELIVERY SYSTEMS, 5TH EDITION (9780763757915, $114.95) is for graduate and pre-professional students who want a detailed overview of facets of modern healthcare. This fifth edition will serve as both a classroom text and a college-level health library reference, offering updated topics on information systems, nursing management, employment laws, current healthcare in the U.S., and more. Case studies, tables, graphs and more contribute to a fine in-depth survey healthcare students will appreciate. College-level students will also appreciate Diane M. Dewar's ESSENTIALS OF HEALTH ECONOMICS (0763737976, $74.95), a fine step-by-step approach to the study of the healthcare system through economics. Undergrads receive a fine text surveying economic and public health issues alike, with descriptions of evaluative economic s and biographies of famous economists and policy figures complimenting discussion questions at chapter's end. This is a top recommended classroom text as much as a reference library acquisition!

Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD
Stanley H. Block, MD & Carolyn Brant Block
New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781572249233, $21.95, www.newharbinger.com

Mind-Body Workbook for PTSD offers a fine self-help guide to post-traumatic stress disorder and teaches a clinically proven therapeutic method called mind-body bridging to help handle it. From noticing tension and PTSD reactions to developing routines to reduce flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia and more, this offers a fine workbook key to health and stress reduction.

Whitewash
Joseph Keon
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
9780865716766, $19.95, www.newsociety.com

WHITEWASH: THE DISTURBING TRUTH ABOUT COW'S MILK AND YOUR HEALTH is a powerful 'must' for health and nutrition libraries, offering Dr. Keon's research and documentation on the safety issues affecting cow's milk. Americans sabotage their health daily by drinking milk, Dr. Keon maintains. He cites scientific literature to build the case against milk, drawing connections between milk consumption and cancer, diabetes and Crohn's disease.

Oral Soft Tissue Diseases, fifth edition
J. Robert Newland, DDS, MS, et.al.
Lexi-Comp
1100 Terex Road, Hudson, Ohio, USA 44236
9781591952862, $69.95, www.lexi.com

The fifth updated edition of ORAL SOFT TISSUE DISEASES joins others in Lexi-Comp's 'Dental Reference Library' and packs in a visual manual designed to support the diagnosis and treatment of oral soft tissue diseases. Lesions are arranged by diagnostic category and arranged in tabbed sections for quick reference, while color photos accompany keys to patient management. Dental professionals and students alike must have this!

Stay Healthy at Every Age
Shantanu Nundy, MD
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
9780801893933, $45.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Stay Healthy at Every Age: What Your Doctor Wants You to Know describes the diagnostic tests needed for 'routine maintenance' and covers common diseases and conditions that develop. His focus, however, is on prevention, and offers a series of schedules for screening and preventative medicine for any who would develop and follow an easy preventive health schedule. General health collections will find this accessible and important!


The Psychology Shelf

Emotion-Focused Therapy
Leslie S. Greenberg
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
9781433808579, $24.95, www.apa.org

Emotions are a reflection of the mind and psyche. "Emotion-Focused Therapy" is an entry into the American Psychological Association's 'Theories of Psychotherapy Series', this time focusing on emotion based therapy , explaining its purpose, history, how it works and how to execute it. Enhanced with plenty of information on the practice and the series in general, "Emotion-Focused Therapy" is an excellent entry into any psychotherapist's collection as well as any community and library psychology collection.

Stand Up for Autism
Georgina J. Derbyshire
Jessica Kingsley
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849050999, $14.95, www.jkp.com

An autism diagnosis isn't a condemnation, but it is something else. "Stand Up for Autism: A Boy, a Dog, and a Prescription for Laughter" is a memoir from Georgina J. Derbyshire on raising her autistic son and the adventures that life has brought her that few would know to expect from an autistic child, hoping to comfort and inspire other parents of autistic children along the way. Thoughtful and recommended reading, "Stand Up for Autism" is uplifting and a must for any autism collection.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960
www.jkp.com

Bo Hejlskov Elven's NO FIGHTING, NO BITING, NO SCREAMING: HOW TO MAKE BEHAVING POSITIVELY POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES (9781849051262, $19.95) offers a fine survey of behaviors that are triggered by environment, showing how to change these problems with alternative strategies to evoke positive responses. Examples cover a range of developmental disabilities that use these behavior patterns and offer concrete ideas for changing them, making this key for health and education collections alike. Also key is Jan Greenman's LIFE AT THE EDGE AND BEYOND: LIVING WITH ADHD AND ASPERGER SYNDROME (9781849051064, $19.95). It tells how to parent a child with ADHD and Asperger Syndrome, revealing the author's experience with her son's diagnosis and how their lives changed as a result. Any parent struggling with such a child will find this packed with practical tips not just from the author, but from the entire family.


The Parenting Shelf

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?
Rebecca Griffin
ACER
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9780864318787, $44.95, www.isbs.com

Parenting is a job rougher than anyone ever expects. "Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?: COllective Wisdom on Creating a Family from Conception to Birth and Beyond" discusses the many elements of raising children from the desire to conceive and the challenges that come along with it, to the relationships with the spouse, to the grand challenges of child rearing. Not drawn from experts, the tales are drawn from real parents letting out their real experiences. "Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?" is a fine collection of wit and wisdom from those who have taken on the job of parenting and lived to regret it and still find pride.

When Big Issues Happen to Little Girls
Erin A. Munroe
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757315329, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

No one stays a child forever. "When Big Issues Happen to Little Girls: How to Prepare, React, and Manage Your Emotions, So You Can Best Support Your Daughter" is a guide for parents to understanding the challenges of their own child coming into age and how to best manage these issues pertaining to sexuality, adulthood, substance abuse, and how to remember to let one's child be a child in this massive and scary world. "When Big Issues Happen to Little Girls" is a thoughtful and driven read with plenty of wisdom, highly recommended.

Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred
David Erik Nelson
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
9781593272593, $24.95, www.nostarch.com

Geekiness is genetic. "Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred: Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make With Your Kids" is an offbeat guide for parents who want to teach their children a lesson in resourcefulness and being technologically canny. With plenty of simple craft projects that will entertain in their creation as well as their completion, David Erik Nelson draws on his own experience of being a geek with a DIY streak. "Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred" is a fun and very highly recommended read, not to be missed.

Child
Desmond Morris
Hamlyn/Octopus
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9780600619949, $29.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk

CHILD: HOW CHILDREN THINK, LEARN AND GROW IN THE EARLY YEARS covers all the basics of children and their growth, from the effect birth order holds on a child's personality to why and how kids grow. Desmond Morris traces keys to a child's physical and emotional growth in a fine text that explains what shapes a child's personality. Parents and science collections alike will find this illustrated, clear coverage a winner!


The American History Shelf

Tracing the Santa Fe Trail
Ronald J. Dulle
Mountain Press
1301 South Third Street West, PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425716, $22.00, www.mountain-press.com

Mexico, a new nation at the time, drew much attention and adoration even from Americans. "Tracing the Santa Fe Trail: Today's Views, Yesterday's Voices" looks back at the historical presence of the Santa Fe Trail, as the young city drew influence from two nations and developed into a very unique country unlike anywhere else. With plenty of full color photos and scholarly discussion of this historic period, "Tracing the Santa Fe Trail" is a fine addition to any history collection and a fine pick for photography collections as well.

Notebook on Shipwrecks
H. Richard Moale
Heritage Books
100 Railroad Ave., #104, Westminster, MD 21157
9780788451713, $45.00, www.heritagebooks.com

The Chesapeake Bay has given Maryland untold prosperity, but as it gives, it also spoils with its cruelty. "Notebook on Shipwrecks: Chesapeake Bay 1800-1977" follows nearly two hundred years of the Bay's wrath, as H. Richard Moale puts forth decades of work as he compiles shipwrecks in chronological and alphabetical order, listing to his research all that is known about lost ships that have occurred throughout the region. An intriguing text with additional research notes for those who wish to do research of their own, "Notebook on Shipwrecks" is a labor of love from Moale, highly recommended.

Creating a Confederate Kentucky
Anne E. Marshall
University of North Carolina Press
116 South Boundary Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808
9780807834367 $35.00 www.uncpress.unc.edu 1-800-848-6224

Creating a Confederate Kentucky: The Lost Cause and Civil War Memory in a Border State tells of how the state of Kentucky retained strong ties to the Confederacy, even though Kentucky never seceded from the Union and more Kentucky citizens ostensibly fought for the North than for the South. After the Civil War, the people of Kentucky rallied to Democratic politics, and the racial violence and Jim Crow laws strongly associated with former Confederate states took root in Kentucky soil. Creating a Confederate Kentucky examines all sides of Kentucky's Union-Confederate postwar dialogue, from political and economic motivations to what the Kentucky people's activities (public memorial ceremonies, dedications of monuments, veterans organizations' events, and more) revealed about their motivations and drives. Chapters tell of Kentucky sentiments from 1792 up through 1935 in this thoughtful, carefully researched and plausibly presented historical study, illustrated with a handful of vintage black-and-white photographs. Highly recommended, especially for Kentucky state history shelves.

The Wreck of the Red Arrow
Dennis P. McIlnay
Seven Oaks Press
826 Walnut Street, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
9780977980536, $24.95, www.sevenoakspress.com

When something goes horribly wrong, the situation grows ever more dire. "The Wreck of the Red Arrow" tells the story of the vicious wreck of the Red Arrow train, which on a winter morning in 1947 left a town in disarray. Detailing the event, the immediate response, and the long road to recovery, Dennis P. McIlnay gives a solid and complete and comprehensive history. "The Wreck of the Red Arrow" is a fine addition to any American History collection in general, and Railroading History reading list in particular.

Inherently Unequal
Lawrence Goldstone
Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780802717924 $26.00 www.walkerbooks.com

Inherently Unequal: The Betrayal of Equal Rights by the Supreme Court, 1865-1903 is the riveting true story of how, after the Civil War, the conservative Supreme Court was instrumental in sustaining the Jim Crow era of segregation and discrimination against African-Americans. In 1875, the most comprehensive civil rights legislation seen at the time promised all Americans "the full and equal enjoyment" of public areas, but eight years later the Supreme Court voted 8 to 1 to overturn the Civil Rights Act as unconstitutional. Further rulings all but destroyed the equal protection passages of the fourteenth amendment. Inherently Unequal examines the process by which the United States became a nation defined by Jim Crow laws at the dawn of the twentieth century, drawing upon court records and period testimonies. From the well-known case of Plessy v. Ferguson to oft-overlooked cases like Williams v. Mississippi, Inherently Unequal reveals how the sum of the Supreme Court's decisions empowered racism, prejudice, and the dismal status quo, prompting mass migrations of African-Americans to the North to flee the tyranny of the state as well as seek economic sustenance. Inherently Unequal is an invaluable addition to public and college library American history shelves, and highly recommended.

Mapping America: Exploring the Continent
Tom Howells & Duncan McCorquodale, Editors
Black Dog Publishing
press@blackdogonline.com
9781907317088, $45.00, www.blackdogonline.com

Mapping America: Exploring the Continent traces the formation of the U.S. from its colonial roots through changing country and state borders to its present state, blending history and geography in a finely illustrated survey that includes not just human movements and settlements, but flora, fauna, and geology as well. Color photos and illustrations abound in a reference especially recommended for high school to college-level geography and history holdings.


The Art Shelf

One Hundred Portraits
Barry Moser
Godine
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, NH 03452
9781567923667, $35.00, www.godine.com

A good portrait speaks louder than a simple picture of a person, it speaks soul. "One Hundred Portraits" is a collection of woodcuts by Barry Moser, who has embraced the woodcut as his artistic method. He looked through history and draws on old drawings, paintings, photographs to demonstrate a grasp of what one can do with wood. Thoughtful and driven labor, "One Hundred Portraits" is well worth considering as a coffee table book or as a solid addition to any community library art collection.

Elements of Art and Principles of Design
Geral F. Brommer, consultant
Crystal Productions
PO Box 2159, 1812 Johns Drive, Glenview, IL 60025
9781562906658, $19.95

What is the story behind the many design decisions that we all so often fall back to, even when we don't realize it? "Elements of Art and Principles of Design: Hands-On Activities, Full-Color Reproductions, Descriptions of Each Concept" discusses the many ideas behind modern design and art, showing how these elements come together in artistic works and how to understand them better to use in one's own work. With worksheets and plenty of activities, "Elements of Art and Principles of Design" is a fine resource for art teachers and their students.

Art of Our Time
Patricia McDonnell & Emily Stamey
University of Washington Press
PO box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096
9780295990255, $29.95, www.washington.edu

The past hundred years have constantly redefined the term of art. "Art of Our Time: Selections From the Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University" looks at the past one hundred years of art. Drawing on fifty seven works from the museum's holdings to tell the history of international art, taking pieces from around the world, and showing them here in full color with narration of their purpose and meaning. "Art of Our Time" is a fine collection of artwork, a choice pick for coffee table book or art book collections in general.

You Can Draw in 30 Days
Mark Kistler
Da Capo
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738212418, $19.00, www.dacapopress.com

Artists are made, not born. "You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way, to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less" is a guide to unlocking the artist that waits in us all, as famous art instructor Mark Kistler, host of Mark Kistler's Imagination Station, as he helps readers get started in learning the basics on how to draw, and to advance beyond that to using their drawing as another aspect of artistic expression. "You Can Draw in 30 Days" is a must for anyone who wants to pursue art but doesn't know where to start.

A History of American Tonalism
David A. Cleveland
Hudson Hill
PO Box 205, 3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953027, $85.00, www.hudsonhills.com

At the turn of the century, American art shifted with its culture. "A History of American Tonalism 1880-1920" is an art history guide tracing this period of artistic style where color was used in graduality to apply an emotion and mood to the art, reflecting on the culture of the time, defying the rapid change of the world, clashing with the previous style of art in the decades leading to the period. Looking at the work of some of the greatest artists of the period and reflecting how they changed the discipline, "A History of American Tonalism" is a fine coffee table book and study of American art history.

Form+Code in Design, Art, and Architecture
Casey Reas, Chandler McWilliams, LUST
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568989372, $24.95, www.papress.com

Many artists have turned to a new medium for expression: software Algorithmic processed allow artists to generate complex visual forms, and this volume offers a non-technical introduction to the history, theory and practice of using software to generate art. Themes and discussions allow artists to understand the code and features key to digital design processes in a pick recommended for computer and arts collections alike.

How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, expanded edition
Adrian Shaughnessy
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568989839, $24.95, www.papress.com

How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul first appeared in 2005 to instant acclaim and has since become a basic resource for graphic designers, blending business philosophy with techniques geared to help young professionals hone their skills. This new, expanded edition provides new chapters on professional skills, global trends in design, and more.

Adobe Illustrator CS5 Revealed
Chris Botello
Delmar
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
1111130442, $70.95, www.cengage.com/delmar

Adobe Illustrator CS5 Revealed packs in four-color graphics to illustrate key concepts, comes from an expert author with over 20 years of graphic design experience, and offers updated exercises to support the latest new CS5 features. A 'new features' icon highlights all new features in the book while data file projects allow step-by-step practice applications. Any artist needs this comprehensive coverage of Adobe Illustrator.

How to Cheat in Adobe Flash CS5
Chris Georgenes
Focal Press
30 Corporate Drive #300, Burlington, MA 01803
9780240522074, $39.95, www.focalpress.com

How to Cheat in Adobe Flash CS5: The Art of Design and Animation includes a DVD for Mac and PC with sample source files and extensions for Flash animators. It provides a range of tips and ideas to help users work more efficiently with Adobe Flash CS5, offering keys to getting the best results and applying them to client projects. All new content and cheats on ActionScript and MotionEditor are included in a pick from a veteran Flash animator who packs in a range of Flash animation techniques. No Flash or animation computer collection should be without this!


The Fashion Shelf

Anna Sui
Andrew Bolton
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811868105, $60.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

Anna Sui's rock and roll looks fostered a new era in fashion and her shows created a new kind of styling and beauty. Any who follow fashion trends are likely to know her name - and ANNA SUI here packs in over 400 color images shot by photographers to accompany a season-by-season analysis of her fashion designs. The result is a lovely chronological collection of her seasonal contributions - and a 'must' for any serious fashion history library.


The Cookbook Shelf

1,001 Best Hot and Spicy Recipes
Dave DeWitt
Surrey Books
c/o Agate
1328 Greenleaf St. Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841130, $19.95, www.agatepublishing.com

The love of spice is something quite universal. "1,001 Best Hot and Spicy Recipes: Delicious, Easy-to-Make, Recipes from Around the Globe" is a guide to those who are looking for the best hot and spicy dishes from all over the planet. With the amount of dishes covering an assortment of of types from vegetarian to meat dishes, to beverages, desserts, and much more. For anyone looking for a wide array dishes with vastly different flavor with the united purpose of spice, "1,001 best Hot and Spicy Recipes" is a wonderful and very highly recommended pick.

The Golden Book of Desserts
Carla Bardi and Rachel Lane
Barrons
250 Wireless Boulevard, Happauge, NY 11788
9780764163616, $29.99, www.barronseduc.com

Dessert is your most joyful meal of the day, so don't screw it up. "The Golden Book of Desserts" is a collection of nearly three hundred recipes that can turn dessert into a sweet afterthought to something to truly look forward to. The entire book is presented in full color, with photos of each of the dishes as well as step-by-step instructions even novice cooks should be able to grasp. There is no shortage of the range of the dishes, from pies and cobblers to ice creams to puddings and custards, "The Golden Book of Desserts" is a choice and grand pick for anyone who wants to take their dessert time to the next level.

The Kitchen Classroom
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817
9781606130100, $29.95, www.woodbinehouse.com

Cooking is not only a useful skill; it's fun and has educational qualities. "The Kitchen Classroom: 32 Visual GFCF Recipes to Boost Developmental Skills" is a collection of recipes from Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, as she illustrates an guides younger chefs to be through simple yet delectable recipes that can be done by children with developmental disabilities and their teachers and parents. From healthy fruity smoothies, to grilled cheese sandwiches, to sweets like carob coconut cookies, and even meat dishes like chicken saute, "The Kitchen Classroom" ranks recipes by difficulty and is the perfect pick for parents, teachers, and children with learning disabilities who want to use the kitchen well.

Tartine Bread
Chad Robertson
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811870412, $40.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

Bread is more than a companion to a meal, it can very well be the meal itself. "Tartine Bread" is a cookbook that focuses on the bread of the Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. With plenty of tips and tricks, Chad Robertson gives readers everything they need to know to make exquisite bread all their own, far and beyond what they have come to expect out of it. These recipes are highly useful and very versatile, accompanied by full color photography by Eric Wolfinger. Sandwiches, soups, pizza, and much more, "Tartine Bread" is a fascinating pick and is very highly recommended for those who want more out of their breads.

Out of Kentucky Kitchens
Marion Flexner
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
9780813193489, $19.95, www.kentuckypress.com

With a certain soul like no place else, Kentucky has plenty to offer for good cooking. "Out of Kentucky Kitchens" is a cookbook from Marion Flexner outlining the very best of Kentucky's cooking with a wide assortment of recipes that range from delicious deserts, sauces, meats, breads, and so much more. With plenty of building blocks for a solid and excellent meal with recipes detailing the components of a fine pie or bread, "Out of Kentucky Kitchens" is an excellent and very highly recommended pick for cookbook collections.

Gatherings
Nataniel
Human & Rousseau
c/o International Publishers Marketing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9780798151146, $39.95, www.humanrousseau.com

With some food, the appearance matters just as much as the taste. "Gatherings: A Year of Invitations" is a guide for producing exquisite gourmet meals that are light, pleasing the taste buds as well as the eyes with their simple design. Aiming his entrees to be perfect for gatherings of people, be it weddings, birthday parties, and countless others, his meals are accompanied by full color photos and simple instructions for making the most out of the dish. With no shortage of vegetarian ideas (as well as meat-preparation ideas such as Steak Pies), to sweet tooth ideas like Anxiety Cake, "Gatherings" is an excellent and very highly recommended addition to any cookbook collection.

Home Food from the Garden
Sonja Jordt
Tafelberg
International Publishers Marketing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9780624047131, $27.95, www.tafelberg.com

A garden can be a fine source of fresh produce. "Home Food from the Garden" is a combination cookbook and gardening guide for readers outlining how to plant and grow their own gardens, as well as an assortment of recipes to use with the products of their labor and using these simple home grown vegetables to the fullest. Thoughtful and accented will with an assortment of full color photographs, "Home Food from the Garden" is a fine pick and very highly recommended.

Vegans Know How to Party
Chef Nancy Berkoff
The Vegetarian Resource Group
PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203
9780931411335, $24.95

Meat is overrated for the party platter. "Vegans Know How to Party: Over 465 Vegan Recipes, Including Desserts, Appetizers, Main Dishes, and More" is a guide to a wide assortment of easy to prepare vegan entrees that have a wide range from baked goods to meat imitations to party foods, to ethnic dishes, to quick and easy preparation, and much more. With easy to follow directions aimed at better health, "Vegans Know How to Party" is a must for any vegan who wants to be prepared to make more than just salads for their guests.

From the Olive Grove
Helen Koutalianos & Anastasia Koutalianos
Arsenal Pulp Press
#101-211 East Georgia St., Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z6
9781551523675, $21.95, www.arsenalpulp.com

The tiniest bit of oil can add so much flavor. "From the Olive Grove: Mediterranean Cooking with Olive Oil" is a cookbook with the virtues of Olive Oil fully trumpeted. Helen & Anastasia Koutalianos touch on many aspects where the olive oil's addition turns a good dish and takes it to the next level. With 150 Mediterranean driven recipes and an eye for health with recipes such as salmon & sea food pasta, beef tenderloin shish kabob, and avocado crab cakes, "From the Olive Grove" has no shortage of great recipes to offer.

Gluten-Free Baking Classics, second edition
Annalise G. Roberts
Surrey Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf St., Evanston, IL 60202
9781572840997, $17.95, www.agatepublishing.com

The second updated edition of Gluten-Free Baking Classics offers a vastly expanded second edition packed with over forty new recipes for gluten-free classics, from doughnuts and fresh pasta to buttermilk pancakes. Recipes are packed with spices and flavor and provide easy step-by-step directions in a fine survey key to any gluten-free collection.

Wild Fermentation
Sandor Ellix Katz
Chelsea Green Publishing
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
9781931498234, $25.00, www.chelseagreen.com

WILD FERMENTATION: THE FLAVOR, NUTRITION AND CRAFT OF LIVE-CULTURE FOODS is recommended for both culinary and health collections and analyzes the process of fermentation to provide the only in-depth recipe book of fermented and live-culture cuisine in print. This isn't just a recipe book, however: it explores the culture, cuisine and history of fermentation in world food traditions and is packed with insights on changing culinary trends, vegan needs, and more.

Appetite for Reduction
Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9781600940491, $19.95, www.dacapopress.com

APPETITE FOR REDUCTION: 125 FAST AND FILLING LOW-FAT VEGAN RECIPES uses the author's years of experience to show that healthy cooking can be lively and varied. Her vegan cookbook comes packed with surprising dishes, from curries and chilis to Upside-Down Lentil Shepherd's Pie and Chili-Lime-Rubbed Tofu. Any vegan cook needs this inspiring, unique title.

Punch
David Wondrich
Perigee
c/o Penguin Publishing (USA)
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780399536168, $23.95, www.penguin.com

PUNCH: THE DELIGHTS AND DANGERS OF THE FLOWING BOWL provides a fun history of the punch bowl, blending recipes with humor and history into how punch was first developed for entertaining. From the creation of the first distilled spirits to punch's appearance in Europe and its evolution to become a party drink, this offers a fun and quirky history paired with recipes that are packed with flavor and fun. Any culinary collection will find this a lively, fun survey.

Plenty
Diana Henry
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845335731, $29.99, www.hachette.com

PLENTY packs in over 300 recipes based on budget preparations and tips on how to spend less, waste less, and eat better. These recipes come from around the world and showcase great food that can be made on a budget. Leftovers can be transformed into outstanding winners, bumper crops of garden produce can become main dish meals, and less expensive cuts of meat can produce new options and variety. From a Creamy White Vegetable, Chestnut and Cranberry Gratin to Granny Miller's Beef, Potato and Parsley Stew, this showcases many dishes unique to this book and belongs in any culinary collection.

The Veganopolis Cookbook
David Stowell & George Black
Surrey Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf St., Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841109, $20.00, www.agatepublishing.com

THE VEGANOPOLIS COOKBOOK: A MANUAL FOR GREAT VEGAN COOKING should be a staple of any collection strong in vegan dishes. It comes from authors who helped set the trend for vegan dishes, packing in over seventy recipes from their restaurant in their first cookbook to feature ambitious recipes for cooks. From a range of vegan sauces to specialties of the Veganopolis establishment and popular website, this provides dishes ranging from a Black-Eyed Betty Salad to a Cashew Ricotta Spread that may be used in lasagna or as a side dish.

W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com

Amanda Hesser's THE ESSENTIAL NEW YORK TIMES COOKBOOK: CLASSIC RECIPES FOR A NEW CENTURY (9780393061031, $40.00) comes from an author who spent six years cooking her way through the New York Times' recipe archive. 1,000 of the paper's best dishes are culled for this collection which includes dishes from such famous chefs as Maida Heatter, Marcella Hazan, Julia Child, and more. Food writers and chefs from over 150 years of history are included in a fine blend of modern and older dishes, with dishes arranged by major food themes and timelines in every chapter offering serving suggestions and full menus for special occasions. All libraries strong in cooking must have this key reference! Also key is Mark Oldman's OLDMAN'S BRAVE NEW WORLD OF WINE (9780393334845, $19.95), a lively survey by a wine industry insider who offers stories from around the glove. From rewarding and upcoming box wines to keys on the pronunciation of unusual wines and the personal picks of over 140 wine connoisseurs, this comes packed with charts, focus on unusual wines, and keys to lost pedigrees and bargain wines around the world.

Light & Healthy 2011
America's Test Kitchen
9781933615707, $35.00, www.americastestkitchen.com

Light & Healthy 2011 offers a fine compendium of the year's best recipes - lightened up and tested for this collection. From a 1960s popular, originally-calorie-laden Chicken Cordon Bleu to Spicy Spaghetti Pie, this is packed with dishes that are old favorites modified for modern times. Extensive descriptions on why they have been altered and how they work make for an outstanding collection suitable for any general lending library.

The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com

Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer's HARVEST TO HEAT: COOKING WITH AMERICA'S BEST CHEFS, FARMERS, AND ARTISANS (9781600852541, $40.00) features over fifty of the best-known restaurant chefs in the country, from Thomas Keller and Dan Barber to Michael Paley, and pairs their business and culinary stories with full-page color photos of dishes and chefs and recipes reflecting the efforts of chefs working with local farmers. From Roasted Trout with Herb-Champagne Vinaigrette to Risotto with Fresh Peas and Pancetta, this serves up much more than another chef's cookbook collection, offering insights on the relationships between growers and chefs and presenting personal reflections from the field and the professional kitchen. Libraries catering to professional cooks will relish this! Also a pick is Fine Cooking's APPETIZERS (9781600853302, $19.95), a survey packing in over 200 recipes for events and get-togethers. How-to tips and techniques supplement detailed ingredient information and color photos for everything from Three-Cheese Quesadillas with Garlic Butter and Hoisin-Glazed Flank Steak Spirals to Honey-Nut Bars. An outstanding appetizer cookbook evolves! HOW TO SQUEEZE A LEMON: 1,023 KITCHEN TIPS, FOOD FIXES, AND HANDY TECHNIQUES (9781600853265, $19.95) comes from the editors of Fine Cooking and is a 'must' for any new cook's collection. From how best to use an ice cream scoop for scooping cooked squash to keeping cheese fresh for longer, understanding why chocolate seizes and what to do about it, and choosing between various thickening options, this is packed with outstanding tips!

Free for All Cooking
Jules E. Dowler Shepard
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738213958, $18.95, www.dacapopress.com

FREE FOR ALL COOKING: 150 EASY GLUTEN-FREE, ALLERGY-FRIENDLY RECIPES THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN ENJOY offers a versatile, gluten-free cookbook that offers recipes that can be made free of not just gluten but nuts, dairy and more. An ingredient guide made for substituting makes it easy to tweak dishes ranging from bread made from popcorn flour to crustless quiche and candy cupcakes. Any allergy-free culinary library should have this.

Avec Eric
Eric Ripert
Wiley
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470889350, $34.95, www.wiley.com

AVEC ERIC: A CULINARY JOURNEY WITH ERIC RIPERT packs in over 100 easy recipes and comes from a celebrated chef known for innovative cuisine he's created at his New York City restaurant. AVEC ERIC comes from a TV show of the same name and offers an exploration of culinary regions around the world with simple dishes reflecting each. From a California 'Honey Bee Sting' cocktail infused with honey to an Italian Grape Mostarda condiment, this is packed with easy, innovative dishes suitable for any home cook.

Anjum's New Indian
Anjum Anand
Wiley
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470928127, $24.95, www.wiley.com

Anjum's New Indian: Recipes from Indian Food Made Easy gatherings offerings from the 'Taste of Cooking' channel and gathers under one cover one 100 of the best dishes on the show. Based on the show's premise that Indian food can be light, healthy and quick, this packs in color photos throughout and dishes ranging from Red Lamb Shank Korma to Coconut Chicken Fry and Chicken with Spinach. Readers will find this packed with easy ideas in a perfect introduction to Indian cuisine!

The Farmer's Wife Harvest Cookbook
Lela Nargi, Editor
Voyageur Press
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760337998, $14.95, www.voyageurpress.com

The Farmer's Wife Harvest Cookbook packs in over 300 award-winning dishes from The Farmer's Wife, a monthly magazine published in Minnesota between 1893 and 1939. The magazine featured articles and recipes, and this book offers dishes based on home garden and farmer's market bounty, from apple Brown Betty and Honey Apricot Straws to Blackberry Roly-Poly and the classic Fried Green Tomatoes. No color photos, but the easy dishes don't need them!

Winter Harvest Cookbook, 20th anniversary edition
Lane Morgan
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1XO, Canada
9780865716797, $24.95, www.newsociety.com

Winter Harvest Cookbook: How to Select and Prepare Fresh Seasonal Produce All Winter Long appears in a 20th anniversary edition to provide a range of soups, salads, entrees and baked goods fully revised to include over 200 recipes profiling fresh produce from the winter garden. From keys to unfamiliar ingredients to menu suggestions and more, this has been expanded to include vegan and gluten-free dishes and is a 'must' for any serious collection.

Southern Living 2010 Annual Recipes
Oxmoor House
PO Box 11095
Des Moines, Iowa 50336-1095
9780848733452, $34.95, www.oxmoorhouse.com

Southern Living 2010 Annual Recipes packs in winning favorites from a year of Southern Living, packing in over seven hundred recipes from readers, chefs and more. From easy make-ahead dishes to menus and ideas, this pairs a color photo centerfold and black and white illustrations with keys to lightening favorites, making seasonal classics more accessible, and cooking and living well.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The God Tube
James Lawler
Open Court
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696486, $25.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

Faith has its own strong place in entertainment, whether we are realizing it or not. "The God Tube: Uncovering the Hidden Spiritual Message in Pop Culture" delves into religion and faith in the wider picture of entertainment. Everything from simple comedies to the Simpsons, to the overall meaning of the force, and more, James Lawler hopes to fully explore the meaning and greater message that dwell in our mind numbing entertainment. "The God Tube" is thoughtful and endlessly intriguing, highly recommended.

A Time to Plant
Kyle T. Kramer
Sorin Books
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0428
9781933495262, $15.95, www.sorinbooks.com

A simple life frees your mind to see what's truly important. "A Time to Plant: Life Lessons in Work, Prayer, and Dirt" is a thoughtful spiritual memoir from Kyle T. Kramer as he ponders his life and the world as he returns to life on a small farm and during this time comes to more complete understanding of the world. With simple thought and a reverence to the value of hard work, "A Time to Plant" is quite the read and is very highly recommended.

Faery Tale
Signe Pike
Perigee Books
c/o Penguin Publishing (USA)
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
9780399536175, $23.95, www.penguin.com

FAERY TALE: ONE WOMAN'S SEARCH FOR ENCHANTMENT IN A MODERN WORLD tells of a New York City book editor's disenchantment with her world, her mid-life crisis, and her search for something to believe in. As a skeptic on a journey to believe, author Signe Pike takes readers with her on a journey around the world exploring ancient sacred sites, local pubs, and opinions from believers and skeptics alike. Perfect for spirituality and general interest collections alike.

Green Deen
Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
Berrett-Koehler
235 Montgomery St., Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
9781605094649, $16.95, www.bkconnection.com

GREEN DEEN: WHAT ISLAM TEACHES ABOUT PROTECTING THE PLANET use research and interviews with prominent Muslim scholars, theologians and leaders to consider Islam's historic connection with the Earth. Suitable for spirituality, Muslim and 'green environment' themes alike, this packs in connections between the Muslim faith and its commitment to a healthier planet, and is recommended reading for a range of collections.

The C.S. Lewis Bible: NRSV
C.S. Lewis
HarperOne
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061982088, $34.99, www.harperone.com

C.S. Lewis is one of the most influential Christian thinkers in the world - and this C.S. LEWIS BIBLE uses his spiritual classics and his other writings to pair with words of the Scripture for maximum Biblical reading and reflection. Any who wish to use Lewis' writings as a foundation for exploring issues in faith will find this packed with critical, key reflections and food for thought.


The Christian Studies Shelf

On This Day in Christian History
Robert J. Morgan
Thomas Nelson
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9780785231899, $12.99, www.thomasnelson.com

In two thousand years, a baby by faith's standard, Christianity has amassed quite the history. "On This Day in Christian History: 365 Amazing and Inspiring Stories About Saints, Martyrs, and Heroes" looks at the history of Christianity and breaks down the history into 365 chunks, one for each day of the year. Endlessly fascinating, discussing the more well known and obscure facets of history, "On This Day in Christian History" is a fun and choice pick, not to be missed.

The Healing Christ
Robert Winterhalter
Ozark Mountain Publishing
PO Box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740
9781886940697, $14.00, www.ozarkmt.com

The healing nature of Christ is a central principle of the faith. "The Healing Christ" discusses Christ's healing power and the nature that connects this and its metaphysical nature. Drawing on the many stories of his healing, Robert Winterhalter states that through these stories, one can learn that healing isn't for Christ alone, that we all have this power as well. "The Healing Christ" is a thoughtful read for Christian and metaphysical readers.

A Maryknoll Book of Inspiration
Michael Leach & Doris Goodnough
Orbis Books
PO Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302
9781570759017, $25.00, www.orbisbooks.com

There can be days where there is no love in the world. "A Maryknoll Book of Inspiration: Readings for Every Day of the Year" is a book of affirmations from an assortment of writers as they provide a collection of wisdom designed to be soaked in daily. "A Maryknoll Book of Inspiration" is a choice collection for anyone who seeks a bit of spiritual upheaval to help them keep their chin up and remember the good things about life through the worst of it.

Explore Your Bible
Barbour
1810 Barbour Drive, PO Box 819, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
9781602608337, $1.99, www.barbourbooks.com

The Bible is by no means a short book, and most publishers haven't seemed to embrace the index format. "Explore Your Bible: 199 Bible Topics with References" serves as an index for readers to quickly assist readers in finding what the Bible has to say on various topics, arranged alphabetically. "Explore Your Bible" is a useful resource, very highly recommended.

A Carpenter's View of the Bible
Charlie March
Pleasant Word
c/o Wine Press
PO Box 428, Enumclaw, WA 98022
9781414117638, $17.99, www.winepresspublishing.com

A carpenter takes after God in their drive to create. "A Carpenter's View of the Bible" are musings of Charlie March, as he draws a connection between Biblical narrative and the way of the carpenter. With a bit of humor and drawing on many Biblical stories and their connection to Carpentry, Charlie March speaks on everything from the ark to the Tower of Babel. "A Carpenter's View of the Bible" is thoughtful and recommended reading.

The KJV Study Bible
Barbour
P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
9781616260361, $19.99, www.barbourbooks.com

Perhaps the most important book in western civilization, The Bible is well worth studying. "The KJV Study Bible" is a study guide for the most famous English translation of the bible, The King James Version. Discussing the history of this version's creation, with plenty of notes to explain the cultural gap that has formed throughout the centuries, and encouraging readers to do their own study, "The KJV Study Bible" is a strong pick for any student of Christianity who wants more comprehensive understanding of the Holy Bible.

A Way to Pray
Matthew Henry
The Banner of Truth Trust
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
9781848710870, $24.00, www.banneroftruth.co.uk

The Holy Bible is not just something to look towards for guidance, it can empower the daily prayer. "A Way to Pray" is a guidebook for Christians who want to use scripture more effectively in their work. First published by Matthew Henry three hundred years ago, O. Palmer Robertson has updated it for the modern day to help Christians blend its principles into their faith. "A Way to Pray" is a fine pick for Christians and a driven and spiritual read.

Remember the Poor
Bruce W. Longenecker
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
2140 Oak Industrial Drive NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802863737, $25.00, www.eerdmans.com

All too often Christians forget about caring for the poor as one of their virtues. "Remember the Poor: Paul, Poverty, and the Greco-Roman World" looks the disciple Paul and his relation to the economic conditions of Rome in his day, and the vital role that the poor played in Early Christianity. A work of Christian economics, author Bruce Longenecker offers challenge to both economics and theologians with his studies. "Remember the Poor" is an engaging and highly recommended read for history, economics, and Christianity collections.

This Sacred Moment
Albert Haase
IVP
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830835430, $15.00, www.ivpress.com

Divinity doesn't mean you have to be a superstar. "This Sacred Moment: Becoming Holy Right Where You Are" is an inspirational guide for Christians on becoming holy and living a life more worthy of the title. Encouraging readers to follow Christ's path, author Albert Haase gives simple and profound inspiration to finding your way in his footsteps and with memoirs of others who have chosen his path. "This Sacred Moment" is a charming and driven read for those who want a bit of divinity in their own lives.

Untold Sisters
Electa Arenal & Stacey Schlau, editors
University of New Mexico Press
MSC05 3185, 1 University of New Mexico, AL, NM 87131-0001
9780826347381, $35.00, www.unmpress.com

What drives a woman to devote herself wholly to God? "Untold Sisters: Hispanic Nuns in Their Own works" is a study of these nuns in order to gain a greater understanding of convent life in Latin America and Spain. Presented in both languages, blending them throughout, editors Electa Arenal and Stacey Schlau present a compendium of information that should educate and enlighten on the subject. With photographs reproducing relative artwork throughout, bibliographies, and more, "Untold Sisters" is a vital addition to any Christian or Hispanic driven history collection, enthusiastically recommended.

Daily Reflections for Lent
Robert F. Morneau
Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814633090, $2.00, www.litpress.org

The time of Lent is meant to be a time of spiritual reassessment for Catholics. "Daily Reflections for Lent" is a short collection of thoughts, affirmations, and wisdom for Catholics to absorb during the spiritual time of Lent to help them assess their place as a Christian. "Daily Reflections for Lent" is a strong pick for those who have much to ponder for the upcoming season of Lent.

Reboot
Peggy Kendall
Judson Press
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
9780817015657, $14.00, www.judsonpress.com

The world grows smaller, and new ideas whiz all over the planet. "Reboot: Refreshing Your Faith in a High-Tech World" is a guide to being a Christian in today's world when the stories of the Bible seem like the furthest thing from modern reality. With plenty of thought for keeping God relevant in today's world including keeping in touch with other Christians and applications of technology for faith, "Reboot" is a fine read and very highly recommended for any technology-minded Christian.

How to Rise Above Abuse
June Hunt
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736923330, $14.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Abuse can wreck lives and derail dreams. "How to Rise Above Abuse: Victory for Victims of Five Types of Abuse" is an inspirational Christian guide to help readers to overcome the challenges of abuse in their lives. From the tragedy of childhood sexual abuse to being a battered spouse, all of these shatter your lives and make it seem like it's impossible to put one's life back together. With a bit of faith, June Hunt wants to reassure readers that the impossible is possible. "How to Rise Above Abuse" is thoughtful and a choice pick for victims of abuse.

The Bible and Ecology
Richard Bauckham
Baylor University
One Bear Place, #97363, Waco, TX 76798-7363
9781602583108, $24.95, www.baylorpress.com

What is the place of religion in environmental concerns? "The Bible and Ecology: Rediscovering the Community of Creation" states that humanity must seek reconciliation not only with God but the rest of the creatures of creation to find a balance with the environment. Stating that human dominion has been exploited and is not necessarily God's plan, "The Bible and Ecology" brings faith into the environmental debates and comes to readers with a thoughtful and highly recommended addition to the discussion.

Shadows Darkness and Dawn
Thomas R. Steagald
Upper Room Books
1908 Grand Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212
9780835810326, $15.00, www.upperroom.org

Through Jesus's journeys he experienced much in the way of problems he saw needing improved upon. "Shadows Darkness and Dawn" are musings from Thomas R. Steagald as he reflects on Jesus facing his own crisis in life and his encounters with others problems and the resolutions he sought to bring himself and others. With much spirit and thought, "Shadows Darkness and Dawn" is a thoughtful and recommended read for Christians.

Divine Signatures
Gerald N. Lund
Deseret Book
PO Box 30178, Salt Lake City, UT 84130
9781606419274, $25.99, www.deseretbook.com

It's easy to lose track of God's hand in your life. "Divine Signatures: The Confirming Hand of God" is a guide to remembering that God is there for you even when it seems as if you're abandoned. Written from a perspective of Latter-Day Saints, the wisdom within should remain simple and have quite the powerful message. For any student of Christ or those looking for God in their lives, "Divine Signatures' may well be the book for them.

Living the New Testament
Paul Enns
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2607
9780825425363, $16.99, www.kregel.com

The New Testament is the story of the love and forgiveness of God. "Living the New Testament: Daily Readings from Matthew to Revelation" provides a wise assortment of writings and study of the New testament, as he uses the studies to give daily affirmations to empower the faith and help readers remember that God is with them throughout their day. "Living the New Testament" is a powerful and recommended read, not to be missed.

Ready, Set, Teach!
Delia Halverson
Abingdon Press
PO Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801
9781426709371, $15.00, www.abingdon.com

For any teacher, understanding students is of utmost concern. "Ready, Set, Teach!: Training and Supporting Volunteers in Christian Education" is a guide for Christian educators outlining what should be known as one tries to be a teacher of faith in church schools and what comes with it all. With a thoughtful approach that breaks down the concerns for many age groups, "Ready, Set, Teach!" is a useful resource, not to be ignored.

How Big Is Your God?
Paul Coutinho
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
9780829432947, $12.95, www.loyolapress.com

The only limits placed on God are created by yourself. "How Big Is Your God?: The Freedom to Experience the Divine" is a Christian encouragement urging readers to better embrace God in their lives by removing his limits and status and allowing him to be a bigger part of your life. Drawn on the many faiths of the world to enhance his Christianity, "How Big Is Your God?" is spiritual and driven, highly recommended.

Silence Speaks
Robert Nugent
Paulist Press
997 Macarthur Blvd., Mahwah, NJ 07430
9780809146499, $14.95, www.paulistpress.com

When a voice is silenced, people just listen more intently. "Silence Speaks" looks at four theologians in the twentieth century who were known for their rebellion against the church with their views, facing prohibition. Although being censored, they remained obedient to the church and in some cases, were vindicated for their beliefs. "Silence Speaks" is a thoughtful and analytical view of Catholic theology in the twentieth century, highly recommended.

The History and Heritage of African-American Churches
L.H. Whelchel, Jr.
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113-2619
9781557788931 $24.95 www.paragonhouse.com

University professor, church pastor and civil rights activist L.H. Whelchel presents The History and Heritage of African-American Churches: A Way Out of No Way, a scholarly examination of how Africa affected the early Christian Church, and how African-American Christians labored to create and perpetuate their churches own religious traditions. Focus is especially bestowed on the role certain African-American churches and their ministers played crucial events in American history. The History and Heritage of African-American Churches is highly recommended especially for public and college library collections.

Zondervan
5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
www.zondervan.com

Rob Bell's DROPS LIKE STARS (9780310327042, $19.99) accompanies a tour of the same theme by an author who examines how significant moments evolved from chaos. From tragedy and difficulty often evolve a whole new way of seeing life and the world - and perceiving divinity in the process: DROPS LIKE STARS explores the idea of how pain brings more honesty and reflection and makes this a key library addition. Mark Buchanan's SPIRITUAL RHYTHM: BEING WITH JESUS EVERY SEASON OF YOUR SOUL (9780310293651, $17.99) offers a focus on spiritual 'abiding' - or, living in rhythm with the seasons. Spiritual 'rhythms' are here compared with the seasons of the year in a survey that tells how to embrace both. Stories of people who have been through seasonal changes in spirituality make for inspirational reading recommended for any spirituality collection. Spirituality libraries will also relish Travis Cottrell's SURPRISED BY WORSHIP (9780310330356, $16.99), a fine survey of how to recognize and celebrate God and anticipate worship during hard times and where it's least expected. Worship leader Travis Cottrell here offers an inspiring, personal look at a different kind of worship and provides a fine self-reflective text perfect for any spirituality collection.

Run to Overcome
Meb Keflezighi with Dick Patrick
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414339573, $24.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

RUN TO OVERCOME provides a fine story of author/athlete Meb Keflezighi's dream of being a record-breaking long-distance runner, and his achievement of his goal as he walked a path inspired by God. Chapters cover his training experiences, obstacles, and ultimate successes, fueled by faith, in this powerful survey of a runner's unlikely path to a winning career. Sports and spirituality collections alike will relish this!

A Black Theology of Liberation, 40th Anniversary Edition
James H. Cone
Orbis Books
Price Building, Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545
9781570758959, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

A Black Theology of Liberation offers a fine, classic text in black theology from a well-known theological voice in North America. This provides a radical re-appraisement of Christianity from the perspective of the black community in North America, appeared some forty years ago, and today holds the same strength of purpose and mind as it did upon its first publication. The perspective, that any message not related to the liberation of the poor is not Christ's message - will prove eye-opening to many and this pick is recommended not just for spirituality shelves, but for any Afro-American collection.


The Business Shelf

Money Games
David M. Carter
Stanford Business Books
c/o Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804759557, $29.95, www.sup.org

Sports hasn't just been for the good of the game for a long time. "Money Games: Profiting from the Convergence of Sports and Entertainment" looks at the financial mating of Sports and Entertainment in the name of business and profits. Drawing on many examples in today's culture and explaining how it all works, and just how much business is behind today's sports, "Money Games" proves to be an excellent read for the future business man diving into the realm of sports or those simply curious about the methods behind March Madness.

Entrepreneurial Solutions for Prosperity in BoP Markets
Eric Kacou
Wharton School Publishing
c/o Pearson Technology Group
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
9780137079261, $29.99, www.whartonsp.com

The crushing weight of the entire pyramid often prevents small businesses from getting anywhere. "Entrepreneurial Solutions for Prosperity in BoP Markets: Strategies for Business and Economic Transformation" discusses bottom-of-the-pyramid markets, where new small businesses are often overwhelmed by the constant crisis they face in their market that they never get the chance to succeed, when such businesses are vital for recovery of the overall economy. Drawing on businesses around the world that have manage to break this barrier, "Entrepreneurial Solutions for Prosperity in BoP Markets" is a thoughtful and recommended read for anyone who may be entering such terms for their business.

Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Matthew Schifrin's THE WARREN BUFFETTS NEXT DOOR: THE WORLD'S GREATEST INVESTORS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF AND WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM THEM (9780470573785, $29.95) provides a key to how a set of armchair investors with typical day jobs became rich on their investment portfolios and returns. Case studies by Forbe's Matthew Schifrin considers how these investors are producing extraordinary returns from their portfolios, offering personal stories along with investment strategies and trading philosophies and rules. No would-be investor should be without this! Even wider-ranging and key to any business collection is Kevin H. Nalty's BEYOND VIRAL: HOW TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS, PROMOTE YOUR BRAND, AND MAKE MONEY WITH ONLINE VIDEO (9780470598887, $24.95), which presents a specific marketing approach to promoting a business using online video. Proven techniques for making and promoting such videos to build sales and build brand awareness make this a specific, top pick covering everything from video marketing to measuring results and making money from online video.

Don't Count on It!
John C. Bogle
John Wiley & Sons
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470643969, $29.95, www.wiley.com

DON'T COUNT ON IT! provides an intriguing anthology of Bogle's latest thinking on how numbers and financial ideas deceive us, analyzing the fall of our financial system and how to identify illusory numbers rather than basic values. From the high costs of financial money managers and their hidden failings to speculation versus investment and the realities of index fund money, this identifies many failures in financial analysis and makes for a striking, important addition to any business library.

Hard Goals
Mark Murphy
McGraw-Hill
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
007175346X, $28.00, www.mhprofessional.com

HARD GOALS: THE SCIENCE OF EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT is a pick for an who would set - and achieve - company goals. This focus on goals helps leaders use science to set and achieve goals, with no procrastination or defeat. Managers receive keys to setting goals that are achievable - even extraordinary goals - and come from the author's leadership training consultancy which studied nearly 5,000 workers from all fields to find which goals succeeded and why. Business libraries catering to managers need this.

The Talent Masters
Bill Conaty & Ram Charan
Crown Business
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307460264, $27.50, www.crownpublishing.com

THE TALENT MASTERS: WHY SMART LEADERS PUT PEOPLE BEFORE NUMBERS offers a key to managing talent as though it were a financial tool. Two leaders in the practice of talent development offer their experiences and insights on how companies regarded as exceptional talent masters analyze, understand and build talent. Myths and realities of talent management discuss the foundations of successful leadership, making this a top pick for any business collection.

Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
www.amacombooks.org

Peter Earnest and Maryann Karinch's BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL: LESSONS FOR CORPORATE SUCCESS FROM INSIDE THE CIA (0814414486, $24.95) reveals covert business practices from CIA's National Clandestine Service that can work to strengthen any organization. Business managers will receive a fine survey of insights based on intelligence service successes in a title that offers executive coaching and tested tips. No business collection should be without this fine account! Also recommended is Michael C. Thomsett's THE MANAGER'S POCKET CALCULATOR (0814416357, $18.95), a fine survey for managers called upon to justify budgets and crunch the numbers. Such managers will benefit from a guide that offers more than 100 formulas, complete with examples and instructions, for preparing budgets, explaining variants, and analyzing results. Business collection will find this a fine, practical pick!

Rebuilding Trust in the Workplace
Denis Reina and Michelle Reina
Berrett-Koehler
235 Montgomery St., Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
9781605093727, $19.95, www.bkconnection.com

Rebuilding Trust in the Workplace: Seven Steps to Renew Confidence, Commitment, and Energy offers a fine guide by authors who have spent their careers measuring workplace trust issues. This sequel to their award-winning TRUST AND BETRAYAL IN THE WORKPLACE offers a proven process for repairing relationships under a range of common workplace scenarios, making for an important practical guide for changing the experience and moving on. Workers and business owners alike can use these techniques, making this a powerful wide-ranging business library choice.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Rebel Buddha
Dzogchen Ponlop
Shambhala
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
9781590308745, $21.95, www.shambhala.com

Even in the search for a more serene life, there is greater resistance. "Rebel Buddha: On the Road to Freedom" is a guide to the simple wisdom that comes with Buddhism and the level of rebellion that goes with it. Stating that there is a rebel Buddha within us all, Dzogchen Ponlop seeks to educate readers with a Buddhism that defies the Asian tradition usually associated with the philosophy. "Rebel Buddha" is a thoughtful, enlightening and highly entertaining read, that will bring much to the table.

Buddhism Through American Women's Eyes
Karma Lekshe Tsomo, editor
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393638 $16.95 www.SnowLionPub.com

Buddhism Through American Women's Eyes is an anthology of essays by thirteen female American authors, examining a diversity of topics about Buddhism's positive contributions and modern-day legacy. Individual writings include "Forging a Kind Heart in an Age of Alienation", "Reflections on Impermanence: Buddhist Practice in the Emergency Room", "Abortion: A Respectful Meeting Ground", "Karma: Creative Responsibility", "Eastern Traditions in Western Lands", and much more. "Recognizing that all beings are interrelated and no one wants to suffer, Buddhist social ethics rests on creating maximum mutual benefit for all living beings. These two objectives - the psychological welfare of the individual and the collective welfare of society - are intimately intertwined. This gives rise to an ethic of compassion." A thought-provoking and insightful contribution to Buddhist Studies shelves, Buddhism Through American Women's Eyes is highly recommended.

Escape from the Land of Snows
Stephan Talty
The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
9780307460950 $26.00 www.crownpublishing.com

Escape from the Land of Snows: The Young Dalai Lama's Harrowing Flight to Freedom and the Making of a Spiritual Hero chronicles the true story of the 14th Dalai Lama's escape from Chinese troops in 1959. Young Gyatso was declared the reincarnation of Tibet's previous ruler when he was only two years old; over the next twenty years, he struggled to learn complex rituals and become a worthy leader (a process that forced him to stifle his naturally mischievous character). But the turning point eventually came when he had no choice but to evade thousands of Communist Chinese troops; with an escort of 300, he braved dangerous Himalayan passes on the journey to freedom and the attempt to keep hope for Tibet's independence alive through government in exile. Escape from the Land of Snows is moving, inspirational, heavily researched and mesmerizingly told. Highly recommended.

The Buddha Is Still Teaching
Jack Kornfield, Editor
Shambhala Publishers
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
9781590306925, $19.95, www.shambhala.com

The Buddha Is Still Teaching: Contemporary Buddhist Wisdom comes from a range of contributors and packs in a testimony to Buddhist teaching and its applications to modern living. Selections come from notable Buddhist teachers and offer discussions of concepts ranging from change and karma to fidelity and developing inner discipline. No Buddhist or new age library should be without this fine, easy distillation of basic Buddhist beliefs and perspectives.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Kivas of Heaven
Gary A. David
Adventures Unlimited Press
PO Box 74, Kempton, IL 60946
9781935487098, $19.95, www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com

The spiritual nature of the Hopi people have yet to be lost. "The Kivas of Heaven" discusses the metaphysical nature of the Native Americans of the American Southwest, as Gary A. David discusses the tenants of these faiths and rituals and their place in the bigger picture of the world. With an intriguing thought and plenty to fascinate the student of the metaphysical, "The Kivas of Heaven" is a choice read with plenty to ponder.

World Gnosis: The Coming Gnostic Civilization
Mark Amaru Pinkham
Adventures Unlimited Press
PO Box 74, Kempton, IL 60946
9781935487081, $19.95, www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com

World Gnosis: The Coming Gnostic Civilization comes from Gnostic Templar Grand Prior Mark Amaru Pinkham, who provides a history and overview of the teachings of Gnosticism. From the Gnostic influence on the Garden to Eden to the Essenes, Sufis, and Freemasons, this provides a fine history recommended for any new age collection seeking specific, authoritative details on Gnosticism.

The Secret Science of Masonic Initiation
Robert Lomas
Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker St., Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578634903, $18.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The Secret Science of Masonic Initiation comes from an author who has spent over twenty years studying Freemasonry. His personal insights into the history, culture and spirituality of the Craft and its practice makes for an outstanding survey considering the spiritual nature of cosmic energy and the basic science and craft of Masonic practices. Masonic collections and new age libraries will consider this a 'must'.

Strange Wonder
Mary-Jane Rubenstein
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023-7015
9780231146333, $26.50 www.cup.columbia.edu

STRANGE WONDER: THE CLOSURE OF METAPHYSICS AND THE OPENING OF AWE provides a fine, scholarly survey discussing Western philosophy's relationship to 'wonder', said to be the origin of all philosophy. This re-opens Heidegger's uncertainty principle and argues that a sense of wonder is key to re-imagining political, religious and ethical potentials. College-level philosophy collections will relish this account!


The Political Science Shelf

Liberty of Contract
David N. Mayer
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781935308393, $9.95, www.cato.org

At what extent should the law dabble in our business affairs? "Liberty of Contract: Rediscovering a Lost Constitutional Right" discusses the increasing presence in government interference in economic liberty. David N. Mayer makes his case for remembering this constitutional right and why it must remain strong as we go deeper into the twenty first century. "Liberty of Contract" is a thoughtful and highly recommended pick for community library politics and economics collections.

The Contemporary Arab Reader on Political Islam
Ibrahim M. Abu-Rabi
The University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada, T6G 2EI
9780888645579, $34.95, www.plutobooks.com

In the modern world, Islam is far from just a faith, it is a political power. "The Contemporary Arab Reader on Political Islam" discusses the politics surrounding Islam and the most important writers who discuss the politics of Islam on the world stage. The columns discuss the changing world and Islam, what Jihad means, the Palestinian crisis, the need for Islam to change itself, and much more. Countless writers converge under writing from Ibrahim M. Abu-Rabi, making for a thoughtful and insightful analysis of these major issues. "The Contemporary Arab Reader on Political Islam" is a choice and very highly recommended addition to social issues and Islamic studies collections.

Portrait of Camelot
Richard Reeves
Abrams
115 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9780810995857, $35.00, www.abramsbooks.com

PORTRAIT OF CAMELOT: A THOUSAND DAYS IN THE KENNEDY WHITE HOUSE comes with a DVD of rare, unpublished film footage and compliments this commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's election as president. Official White House photographer Cecil W. Stoughton works with author Richard Reeves to provide a fine survey of Kennedy's political atmosphere, experiences in the White House, and family interactions in a pick for any political history collection.

The Performance of Politics
Jeffrey C. Alexander
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199744466, $29.95, www.oup.com

THE PERFORMANCE OF POLITICS OBAMA'S VICTORY AND THE DEMOCRATIC STRUGGLE FOR POWER offers a different way of looking at democratic struggles for power, explaining the 2008 presidential campaign and using examples from media coverage and interviews with leading political journalists to explore the process of the battle. Any who would use the Obama campaign as a microcosm for understanding the democratic and electoral process should find this book both detailed and engaging, perfect for political issues collections.


The Economics Shelf

The Political Economy of Taxation
Paola Profeta & Simona Sacabrosetti
Edward Elgar
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060
9781848440715, $105.00, www.e-elgar.com

Taxation is the main source of income for governments, but too much crushes the people they are trying to govern. "The Political Economy of Taxation: Lessons from Developing Countries" discusses the importance of balancing taxation in developing countries where the government needs the money the most but the people aren't in the best position to be providing that money. Drawing on studies from Asia and Latin America where many countries are quickly becoming international economic powers, as well as Europe where the European Union has shifted the way the continent's economy works. Providing light to a subject that is not often enough discussed, "The Political Economy of Taxation" packed cover to cover with thoughtful information, and a core addition to any international economic studies collection.

The Doom Loop in the Financial Sector
William Leiss
University of Ottawa Press
542 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
9780776607382, $24.95, www.press.uottawa.ca

There is such a thing as too much risk in a market. "The Doom Loop in the Financial Sector: and Other Black Holes of Risk" discusses the failures of the banking system and how it left the public facing massive and unacceptable levels of risk that spun out of control and left the economy in the condition it is now. Stating that regulation against such pitfalls needs to be implemented, "The Doom Loop in the Financial Sector" explains why and how it needs to be done.

Zombie Capitalism
Chris Harman
Haymarket Books
Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781608461042, $17.00, www.haymarketbooks.org

ZOMBIE CAPITALISM: GLOBAL CRISIS AND THE RELEVANCE OF MARX provides a powerful critique of capitalism and maintains that the system poses a threat to humanity. The 'zombie' part alludes to 'zombie banks' that have proven incapable of fulfilling any positive function but remains a threat to everything - and the concept is carried out here to capitalism itself, marked as being in a zombie state. College-level collections strong in political discussions of capitalism need this!


The Sports Shelf

Contemporary Sport Management
Paul M. Pedersen & Collaborators
Human Kinetics
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
9780736081672, $89.00, www.humankinetics.com

Sports have long gone past being just a game. "Contemporary Sport Management" is a business guide to looking at the business side of sports, describing everything that one needs to know about how to successfully manage a sports team or organization, covering the details with great accuracy, ranging from sociological, psychological, legal, and other aspects of the debate completely and comprehensively. This newer addition puts a greater focus on youth and community sports, assessing the extra elements that come when using sports as a benevolent organization. Arranged well with plenty of useful indexes and resources reader available, as well as access to an online study guide, "Contemporary Sport Management" is an excellent and enthusiastically recommended addition to sports and business collections in community and college libraries.

Field of Glory: Renaissance
Richard Bodley Scott, et.al.
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219, Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849082235, $34.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Field of Glory: Renaissance offers a fine set of wargaming rules for Renaissance tabletop gaming and is designed to both teach principles and allow players to focus on battlefield tactics and deployments. Early battles around the world focus on strategies and history and offer keys to military thinking and concepts. This represents the first in a series of new Osprey wargaming series and will appeal to novices and seasoned wargame players alike.

Giants
Pat Summerall with Michael Levin
Wiley
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470611593, $25.95, www.wiley.com

GIANTS: WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE FROM VINCE LOMBARDI AND TOM LANDRY comes from a player who thought seriously about retiring from the NFL when he was traded from the Chicago Cardinals to the New York Giants in 1958. Disillusioned about professional football's miserable conditions and lousy pay, he persevered and became the spokesman of the NFL, seeing its rise to new heights. GIANTS offers his insights about the evolution of the sport and his encounters with some of its biggest names, and is a key acquisition for any library strong in NFL sports.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Best of the Britcoms
Garry Berman
Taylor Trade
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781589795662, $16.95, www.rlpgtrade.com

There is a different sort of humor that Brits don't share with some Americans, but for those who understand it, looking to the other side of the pond makes for quite the entertainment. "Best of the Britcoms: From Fawlty Towers to the Office" looks at the best one can expect from British Television. Tracing each of the shows, stating their premise, their stars, how many episodes, and more, Garry Berman lets his love of British television ring true. "Best of the Britcoms" is a must for anyone who wants to get into British comedy and its unique humor.

Hitchcock's British Films, second edition
Maurice Yacowar
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814334942, $24.95, www.wsupress.wayne.edu

California isn't the sole place where films are born. "Hitchcock's British Films" is a study of Hitchcock's earlier work on a film by film basis showing how his style and brilliance developed early in his career and how he earned a bit of notoriety and fame in his native England before becoming a film icon in America. "Hitchcock's British Films" is a choice pick for fans of his work looking for a more comprehensive study of the first parts of his career. Also recommended in the subject of Film from Wayne State University Press is "The Collapse of The Conventional: German Film and Its Politics at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century" (9780814333778, $39.95) which studies the ever changing social attitudes in the conflicted Germany and how its native films reflect this.

Fuzz & Fur: Japan's Costumed Characters
Edward & John Harrison
Mark Batty Publisher LLC
36 West 37th Street, Penthouse, New York, NJ 10018
9781935613121 $16.95 www.markbattypublisher.com

Featuring full-color photographs of fuzzy, surreal character costumes, Fuzz & Fur: Japan's Costumed Characters lives up to its title with capsule descriptions and snapshots of Japanese pop culture characters portrayed by live actors in elaborate outfits. Nearly all of these outfits cover the entire head and body, similar to the Mickey Mouse, etc. costumes that Disney theme park workers wear. A quick summary gives at-a-glance information of where in Japan each mascot-type character is from. Filled with bright colors, exaggerated anime-style eyes and faces, and simple (often wide) round shapes, Fuzz & Fur is an eye-opening glimpse into a colorful, seemingly childlike entertainment world, one that often has its roots in tourism and attempts to promote and revitalize local areas. Highly recommended as a supplement to any Japanese pop culture collection.

Fade to Black
Paul Donnelley
Omnibus Press
257 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10010
9781849382465, $29.95, www.omnibuspress.com

FADE TO BLACK: A BOOK OF OVER 1500 MOVIE OBITUARIES offers a fine survey of the lives and deaths of over 1500 movie personalities, from big stars to important film characters. Some faded to obscurity after scandal, others hid secrets or hid from the public eye. This adds almost 200 new and revised entries to a classic and detailed survey packed with information on actors and actresses of bygone times.

Hollywood Stories
Stephen Schochet
Hollywood Stories
3767 Clarington #336, Los Angeles CA 90034
9780963897275, $24.95, www.hollywoodstories.com

HOLLYWOOD STORIES: SHORT, ENTERTAINING ANECDOTES ABOUT THE STARS AND LEGENDS OF THE MOVIES gathers hundreds of vintage tales of Hollywood legends over the years and comes from an entrepreneur who told stories on his tour bus about how Hollywood came to be. Trivia history blends with intimate details of the stars, local Hollywood color, and more and packs in fun snippets of detail perfect for any Hollywood culture collection.

The Filmmaker's Eye
Gustavo Mercado
Focal Press
30 Corporate Drive #400, Burlington, Ma 01803
9780240812175, $27.95, www.focalpress.com

The Filmmaker's Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition explains how images work to tell a story, using color examples in a visual reference that demonstrates how to become a visual storyteller using film. From understanding shot types and how and why they work to visual rules, technical considerations, and when to break the rules, this packs in practical considerations that will prove key to any filmmaking collection.

The Acting Bible
Michael Powell
Barrons
250 Wireless, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764163582, $22.99, www.barronseduc.com

THE ACTING BIBLE: THE COMPLETE RESOURCE FOR ASPIRING ACTORS is for drama students and actors needing brush-up on their techniques, and packs in a range of tutorials covering everything from voice projection to understanding scripts and rehearsal procedures. Step-by-step advice accompanied by detailed illustrations makes for a fine survey recommended for novices and experienced actors alike.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Purging of Kadillus
Gav Thorpe
Black Library
1525 Hulse Road, Unit 1, Point Pleasant, NJ 08742
9781844168972, $11.99, www.blacklibrary.com

Surrounded, sometimes all a marine can do is make them pay for his death. "The Purging of Kadillus" is another entry into the Space Marine Battles Series of novels set in the Warhammer universe. Sergenat Aquila of the Ravenwing is surrounded by Ork forces with little hope for survival. Facing certain death, he must do everything he can, and that just might not be enough. "The Purging of Kadillus" is an exciting fantasy and science fiction read, highly recommended.

Blood of the Rose
Kate Pearce
Signet Eclipse
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451232489, $6.99, www.penguin.com

With all the spurned love that the Tudors reaped, it certainly attracted more than one breed of bloodsucker. "Blood of the Rose" is an entry into the Tudor Vampire chronicles, an alternate take on history where the Tudor family finds itself in clash with the vampires that seek to usurp England from the royal family. The Llewellyns, a family of vampire hunters, find themselves the Tudor's allies in their constant war. Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry the VIII might very well be an agent of Rosalind Llewellyn's eternal enemy. In the hunt to find out has cursed the king, Rosalind might be writing her own chapter in this history. "Blood of the Rose" is an exciting and fun take on history, highly recommended.

The Nascenza Conspiracy
V. Briceland
Flux
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738718941, $9.95, www.fluxnow.com

A prince and pauper tale gone horribly wrong. "The Nascenza Conspiracy" is the third novel in the Cassaforte Chronicles as depressed son of a ruling family Petro Divetri swaps places with his good friend, and finds his friend kidnapped for ransom, a fate that was meant to be him. With ambitious palace guard Emilia at his side, Petro must quickly set things right and defeat the rebels that threaten his homeland. "The Nascenza Conspiracy" is a riveting fantasy that is fast paced and won't let go.

Codename Prague
D Harlan Wilson
Raw Dog Screaming Press
2802 Farris Lane, Bowie, MD 20715
9781935738053, $14.95, www.rawdogscreaming.com

When technology lurks everywhere, it's all too easy to come out missing a few limbs. "Codename Prague" follows Vincent Prague, assassin and special agent of the Ministry of Applied Pressure. After his latest hit, he finds himself with more attention than he wants, and in the city of Prague, he has to tread lightly in a world where technology has gone way too far and Vincent only has his mind to save himself, with a few toys of course. Blending spy fiction with science fiction, "Codename Prague" is a fun read that should prove hard to put down.

The Age of Odin
James Lovegrove
Solaris
c/o BL Publishing
1525 Hulse Road, Unit 1, Pt. Pleasant, NJ 08742
9781907519413, $7.99, www.solarisbooks.com

When Ragnarok looms ahead, mortal soldiers will still be needed. "The Age of Odin" tells of Gideon Coxall, an injured British Soldier who doesn't know much else. With nowhere to turn, he joins Project Valhalla, and soon finds that his task isn't like any other, and that Norse mythology will become all the more real to him very quickly. A gripping science fiction thriller, "The Age of Odin" will prove hard to put down.

The Buntline Special
Mike Resnick
Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616142490, $16.00, www.pyrsf.com

THE BUNTLINE SPECIAL: A WEIRD WEST TALE is set in an alternate 1881 where the U.S. ends at the Mississippi River and the magic of the Native American Medicine Man has halted the white man's expansion. Here in Tombstone Thomas Edison is on a mission to discover a scientific means of counteracting magic - and Wyatt Earp and his brothers have been hired to protect the genius. Totally engaging, this alternate history is a powerful pick!

TOR Books
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com

George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois, Editors' SONGS OF THE DYING EARTH (9780765320865, $27.99) isn't a collection devoted to world's end, but a tribute to science fiction master Jack Vance, as any who know Vance's 'dying universe' works will readily see. These twenty-three stories capture his universe and honor his tradition, presenting new writings by Neil Gaiman, Tad Williams, Robert Silverberg and some of the biggest names in the industry. No Vance fan should be without! Orson Scott Card's THE LOST GATE (9780765326577, $24.99) offers a new hero in a new fantasy series with the story of one Danny North, who grew up in a family of gods long lost to power when the gates to their home world were closed. The family lives in an old house in isolated Virginia - and Danny believes he's a mage-born son with no powers at all until one day he realizes he has unusual power over the Gates - and miracles. His journey to learn his gift will change his world in this engrossing tale.

Doctor Who and Philosophy
Courtland Lewis & Paula Smithka, Editors
Open Court Publishing
70 East Lake St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696882, $21.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

Doctor Who and Philosophy: Bigger on the Inside is a pick for science fiction and philosophy holdings alike, and considers the deeper issues raised by the TV Doctor's space and time travel adventures. From how the Doctor provides insights on who we are to Doctor Who's focus on science, physics and more, this provides a fine analysis perfect for students of popular culture and science.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
Disney Hyperion
114 Fifth Avenue, 14th floor, New York, NY 10011
9781423116967, $19.99, www.percyjacksonbooks.com

Sometimes Percy wishes they stayed the stuff of myth. "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is a graphic novel offering for the first time with full color artwork the best selling young adult fantasy series, that has also been turned into a major motion picture. As series author Rick Riordian meets with artists Robert Venditti, Atilla Futaki, & Jose Villarrubia to bring the famed series to life in graphic novel form. "Percy Jackson & The Olympians" is a fine way to experience the series for the first time, or to see it once more.

The Story of Lee, volume 1
Sean Michael Wilson & Chie Kutsuwada
NBM Publishing
40 Exchange Place, Suite 1308, New York, NY 10005-2742
9781561635948 $11.99 www.nbmpublishing.com

The Story of Lee is a shojo (romance) graphic novel about a twenty-four year old young woman of the Lee family. She lives in Hong Kong and works in her parents' store, but she isn't fitting in to the life that her father wishes for her. She doesn't want to be a dentist like he planned for her; she isn't attracted to the young man he encourages her to date; she loves modern pop culture bands; and her greatest dream is to travel abroad to London. When Matt, an attractive young Scottsman visits her family store, she starts to have strong feelings for him - and the attraction isn't just one way. Can Lee and Matt successfully cultivate a relationship despite their pronounced cultural and background differences? Does Lee have any hope of reconciling with her staunchly traditional father? The expressive, black-and-white manga-style artwork superbly complements this highly recommended story of learning to adapt, grow, and change while searching for true love. (Some mature content is present - but in this case "mature" refers to complex cultural issues as much as sexual content). The Story of Lee is volume 1 in a potential series chronicling the lives of Lee, Matt, and their friends and family - hopefully the sequel is coming soon!

Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels
Robert S. Petersen
Praeger
c/o ABC Clio
130 Cremona Drive, Santa Barbara, CA
9780313363306, $44.95, www.abc-clio.com

Graphics have been used to tell a story ever since man began scrawling pictures on cave walls. "Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels: A History of Graphic Narratives" studies the history that is longer than many of us know. For centuries the format of the comic book has been alive but has not been referred to as a comic book or graphic novel, and Robert S. Petersen gives readers a fine assortment of history, discussing the first occurrences of repeating narratives starring the same character to how they have evolved into a favorite of reading in the modern day. "Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels" is an excellent and thoughtful read for those who want to understand the history behind these books.

The Horror! The Horror!
Jim Trombetta, Editor
Abrams
115 West 18th Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10011
9780810955950, $29.95, www.abramsbooks.com

THE HORROR! THE HORROR! COMIC BOOKS THE GOVERNMENT DIDN'T WANT YOU TO READ! offers an outstanding visual treasury of the pre-Coed horror comics of the 1950s. These comic book images - censored by Congress in a 1954 investigation of juvenile delinquency - have been in hiding since they were first published, so this presentation is a particularly notable addition to any comprehensive graphic novel and comics library. Two hundred covers and background stories come from original copies in the author's extensive collection while a bonus DVD offers a rare twenty-five-minute TV show that first aired in 1955 about the evils of the comic book. Simply outstanding!

Graphic Women
Hillary L. Chute
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231150637, $26.50, www.cup.columbia.edu

GRAPHIC WOMEN: LIFE NARRATIVE & CONTEMPORARY COMICS covers the lives and achievements of five key women who produced comics and graphic novels to record history. From interesting connections between comics and memory to comics exploring female relationships with men, this pairs black and white examples with literary and artistic analysis and is a pick for college level graphic novel history holdings.


The Travel Shelf

Route 66
Voyageur Press
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760338858, $30.00, www.voyageurpress.com

As America grew, Route 66 evolved from a pile of asphalt into a legend all its own. "Greetings from Route 66: The Ultimate Road Trip Back Through Time Along America's Main Street" is a photography and history book detailing the many attractions and sections of the heyday of Route 66, the highway that allowed Americans to travel from the east and west on their own power in their own cars, something that only decades for, was a multiple month affair and was quite dangerous. But the danger was gone, replaced by a road that made the journey just as fun as the destination. "Greetings from Route 66" is a fascinating and fun read, presented in full color and is enthusiastically recommended.

1000 Sacred Places
Christoph Engels
H. F. Ullman
info@ullman-publishing.com
60 Cycle Meida, 38 High Ave #1, Nyack, NY 10960
9783833154805, $29.95, www.ullman-publishing.com

The places held Sacred to the world are usually held sacred for good reason. "1000 Sacred Places: The World's Most Extraordinary Spiritual Sites" is a guide to the most awe-inspiring religious sites around the world. Many of these sites, even to a non-believer, are sites with a certain historical and artistic majesty, worth seeing in one's lifetime. From cathedrals to massive sculptures to relics of the distant past, "1000 Sacred Places" is in full color with plenty of insight and information, making it a very highly recommended travel guide.

The DeWire Guide to Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast
Elinor DeWire
Paradise Cay Publications
Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837861, $19.95, www.paracay.com

The DeWire Guide to Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast offers an outstanding guide to over sixty lighthouses from San Diego to the San Juan Islands. More than just a traveler's guide to the lighthouses, however, this packs in stories of history, courage, and lighthouse lore to add maritime history and local color to each profile. Fans of lighthouses or West Coast travel alike will find this a compelling guide!

Garden Guide: New York City, second edition
Nancy Berner and Susan Lowry
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393733075, $22.95, www.wwnorton.com

The revised edition of Garden Guide: New York City is a 'must' for gardeners planning a visit to the Big Apple. It identifies unexpected small gardens nestled throughout New York City - even those on rooftops, hidden behind facades, and just beyond a gate or inside a museum. This revised second edition features over twenty new gardens and pairs their histories with stories, maps and complete visitor information, making for a compact take-along tote for any gardening enthusiast.


The Audiobook Shelf

Touched by the Extraordinary Book Two: Healing Stories of Love, Loss and Hope
Susan Barbara Apollon
Matters of the Soul
PO Box 403, Yardley, PA 19067
www.touched-by-the-extraordinary.com
9780975403617 $34.95 www.healingstoriesoflovelossandhope.com (audiobook)
9780975403693 $24.95 www.amazon.com (print)

Also available in a print version, Touched by the Extraordinary Book Two: Healing Stories of Love, Loss and Hope is the audiobook rendition of psychologist Susan Barbara Apollon's extraordinary and inspirational anthology of true stories offering hope, spiritual connection, and reassurance to those who may be facing the darkest moments of their lives. The link between our world and what lies beyond the veil of death is reflected upon, whether through messages from loved ones who have crossed the divide, the impact of near-death experiences, remembering a beloved animal companion who is no more, thoughts on the influence of angels, and the effects, purpose, and value of prayer. Healing Stories of Love, Loss and Hope is highly recommended as a profoundly moving, thought-provoking, and ultimately positive source of comfort for anyone struggling to cope with terrible loss. 4 CDs.

Lady Windermere's Brass Fantabulous
M. Fulton
ZBS Foundation
174 North River Road, Fort Edward, NJ 12828
1931654484 $15.00 www.zbs.org 1-800-662-3345

Part One of the series "A Steampunk State of Mind", Lady Windermere's Brass Fantabulous is a brief yet fanciful audiobook adventure on CD featuring a full cast of performers. Lady Windermere is a spy; Professor Farking Foots-Foots has hidden a recording device in the brass cage of her bustle, so that whenever the Lady turns her back, she can record events transpiring behind her. In Lady Windermere's Brass Fantabulous, Foots-Foots offers his recordings as a makeshift documentary of events leading up to "The-Not-So-Great-War". Lady Windermere's Brass Fantabulous is a satire of human greed, governmental misinformation, manipulation, and the corrosive nature of commercial interests, wrapped into a gung-ho whole. Highly recommended. 1 CD, 65 min.

Steam Dreamers of Inverness, Part One
ZBS Foundation
174 North River Road, Fort Edward, NJ 12828
1931654492 $22.50 www.zbs.org 1-800-662-3345

Steam Dreamers of Inverness is a brief audiobook brimming with the spirit of adventure. When Jack, Mojo, and Claudine stumble across a steam-powered stereoscopic projector in the venerable mansion of Invernesss, they use it to discover black-white-photographic images of a Victorian town with a gigantic zeppelin hovering above it. Soon they discover that the device can transport them into the town itself - but this landscape of years gone by real, or just a dream borne of wishes and shadows? A wondrous audio fable sure to make the miles fly by in car trips, highly recommended. 2 CDs, 2 hours.

A Heartbeat Away
Michael Palmer
Robert Petkoff, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427209931 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

A Heartbeat Away is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a tautly written suspense thriller. A terrorist group has exposed people in the Capitol building to a deadly and highly contagious virus; every human being in line for presidential succession is trapped within - except for the Director of Homeland Security, supposedly the Designated Survivor. Virologist Griffin Rhodes, wrongly accused for the alleged theft of the lethal microbe from the lab that employed him, must put his mental mettle to the test to save as many lives as he can for the sake of his own freedom. Skillfully narrated by Robert Petkoff, a Heartbeat Away is a gripping saga that remains tense to very end. 9 CDs, 11 hours.

A Cup of Friendship
Deborah Rodriguez, author
Mozhan Marno, narrator
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307879172 $35.00 www.randomhouse.com

A Cup of Friendship is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a unique novel about an American woman who has found a most unusual place to belong - running The Coffee Shop in the midst of an Afghanistan war zone, where she offers warm food and hospitality to expatriates, missionaries, mercenaries, and much more. Working with her to keep the shop going is Halajan, who furtively keeps his interest in a modern romance novel from his strictly traditional son; among her clients are a British journalist, a consultant traveling abroad to earn "danger pay" in spite of his family's worries, and a wealthy socialite whose desire to do good just might overwhelm her better judgment. A Cup of Friendship is heartwarming, thoughtful, and gentle, about the impact that even the smallest of kindnesses can have amidst the harshest of settings, highly recommended. 8 CDs, 9 1/2 hours.

Surviving a Shark Attack (On Land)
Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Harper Audio
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062007070 $22.99 www.harpercollins.com 1-800-242-7737

Licensed therapist and well-known radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger presents the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Surviving a Shark Attack (On Land): Overcoming Betrayal and Dealing with Revenge, a straightforward guide to dealing with the negative experiences of betrayal, humiliation, pain, and the yearning for revenge. Surviving a Shark Attack (On Land) acknowledges that such feelings are a fundamental part of being human, and offers techniques to accept and move past them, the better to lead a contented and fulfilled life without being disrupted by excessive bitterness. Whether one is betrayed by a spouse, a sibling, a co-worker, or a friend, the crucible of emotion is the same; Surviving a Shark Attack (On Land) is an invaluable resource to learning to deal with, learn from, and make the best of the fallout. Highly recommended. 3 CDs, 3 1/2 hours.

First Grave on the Right
Darynda Jones, author
Lorelei King, narrator
www.daryndajones.com
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427211309 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

First Grave on the Right, the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Darynda Jones' award-winning paranormal novel about a modern-day grim reaper. Charley Davidson works as a private investigator part time, but her full-time job consists of guiding the spirits of dead people "into the light". But sometimes deceased spirits are unhappy about how they died (or more specifically, were murdered), and it's up to Charley to bring justice to the perpetrators. Furthermore, Charley has been encountering simmering and steamy dreams about an entity following her - something that may or may not be dead. Who is this mysterious stranger, and why does he seem so irresistible? A deliciously involving saga blending wit, suspense, and heart, First Grave on the Right is enthusiastically recommended. 8 CDs, 9.5 hours.

The Busy World is Hushed
Keith Bunin
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
1580813704 $25.95 www.latw.org 1-800-708-8863

Read aloud by the original off-Broadway cast, The Busy World is Hushed is an audio "theater of the mind" experience following Hannah, a widowed Episcopal minister. Hannah strives to translate a little-known gospel, but her daily way of thinking is challenged and changed through the insights of her scholarly assistant, and a confrontation with her "black sheep" gay son. As one dark secret after another within her family comes to light, only the unexpected insight of a stranger can help Hannah find peace and acceptance. A spiritual and dramatic saga, The Busy World is Hushed is highly recommended. 2 CDs, 107 min.

Doctor Chopra Says
Dr. Sanjiv Chopra & Dr. Alan Lotvin with David Fisher
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427210333 $29.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Doctor Chopra Says is the abridged audiobook adaptation of a "must-know" compendium of medical facts assembled by expert medical doctors and presented in plain terms accessible to listeners of all backgrounds. In a straightforward narrative style, Dr. Sanjiv Chopra and Dr. Alan Lotvin explain what the latest medical research has to tell us, as well as how to spot and avoid media hype. Specific topics addressed include which cancer screening methods are most effective; whether there is a "best" diet for any given person; the one vitamin supplement people should take (and why virtually every other supplement can be safely ignored as extraneous at best); and much more. Dr. Chopra Says is extremely informative and an excellent, practical giftbook for health-conscious friends and family. Highly recommended. 5 CDs, 6 hours.

The Sleepwalkers
Paul Grossman, author
Christian Contreras, narrator
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220, Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781615731053 $34.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com 1-800-755-8532

The Sleepwalkers is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a historical novel steeped in intrigue and tension. Set in 1932, during the last weeks of the Weimar Republic, The Sleepwalkers follows detective and decorated World War I hero Willi Kraus. Willi also happens to be a Jew, who is called to identify a young woman found dead in the river, her legs unusually deformed. He learns about a dark side to the Berlin underworld, one filled with crooked nightclubs, close-mouthed prostitutes, and a shady hypnotist. Beautiful girls are known to go sleepwalking along the Berlin streets, and the more Willi investigates, the more he learns of a troubling and terrible truth, about to wreak havoc on his friends, his family, and Germany itself. The Sleepwalkers is an enthralling presentation from beginning to end. 9 CDs, 10 hours.

American Assassin
Vince Flynn, author
George Guidall, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781449818661 $102.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Brought to life with the narration of Obie and Audie Award-winning theatrical and television performer George Guidall, American Assassin is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Vince Flynn's exciting thriller about the violent first assignment of CIA agent Mitch Rapp. Mitch lost his girlfriend and 35 classmates to a terrorist attack on Pan Am flight 103; recruited into the CIA from college, Mitch takes on a mission of revenge to assassinate the Turkish arms dealer who sold the explosives used in the attack. When Mitch's mentor and a fellow recruit are kidnapped and tortured by the enemy, Mitch must be willing to break any and all rules to save them. American Assassin is pure excitement beginning to end, and an especially recommended on long car trips to counter the sedative effect of highway hypnosis. 9 CDs, 11.5 hours.

The Shadow Queen
Anne Bishop, author
John Sharian, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781449823931 $123.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

The Shadow Queen is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Anne Bishop's captivating novel set in the dark realm of the Black Jewels. The land of Dena Nehele was once ruled by corrupt Queens; now that the Queens have been exterminated, one hundred leaderless Warlord Princes remain in the land's desiccated husk. Theran Grayhaven seeks to restore Dena Nehele to its former greatness, believing that a true Queen who remembers the Blood's code of honor and the Old Ways is the key. He finds Lady Cassidy, a woman who is not beautiful and has no faith in her own strength; but she may be the only one capable of uniting a hundred divided and bitter princes. The Shadow Queen is a sweeping, dramatic saga of the best and worst of human nature, highly recommended. 11 CDs, 12 hours.

Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1
Mark Twain, author
Grover Gardner, narrator
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
9781441778420 $140.00 www.BlackstoneAudio.com 1-800-729-2665

Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1 is the audiobook adaptation of the first of three volumes of American literary icon Mark Twain's autobiography - originally penned with strict instructions to remain unpublished for one hundred years, so that when they were released he would be long dead, rendering him free to frankly speak his mind. Twain spares no sensibilities with his dry humor, insightful ideas, and strong-willed opinions. The complete, unabridged, and authoritative edition edited by Harriet Elinor Smith, Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1 is an absolutely extraordinary glimpse into the mind of a legend, and worthy of the highest recommendation. 20 CDs, 25 hours, tracks every 3 minutes for easy bookmarking.

America By Heart
Sarah Palin
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
9781441782403 $90.00 www.BlackstoneAudio.com 1-800-729-2665

Read aloud by author, former Alaskan governor and current television commentator Sarah Palin, America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag is an unabridged audiobook testimony of love, dreams, patriotism, and the critical importance of family. Palin's discussion ranged from the hearth and home to faith, American history, the current affairs that affect modern-day culture, and affirmations of America's positive values. Brief passages from classic and contemporary texts that inspired Palin over the course of her life round out this warm-hearted testimony from a fiercely principled and independent woman. 6 CDs, 7 hours, tracks every 3 minutes for easy bookmarking.

Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.highbridgeaudio.com

NPR: THE FIRST FORTY YEARS (9781615731039, $29.95) gathers memorable recordings from forty years of news and commentary from NPR, offering a blend of humor and journalism commentary from the most popular and memorable of public radio programs. David Sedaris, Chris Rock, Car Talk and more are just a few of the NPR programs culled for this fine survey, recommended for any audio collection and NPR fans especially. Norman Maclean's A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT AND OTHER STORIES (9781615731121, $26.95) receives a fine reading by David Manis, whose smooth voice brings alive the underlying poetic nuances of a unique account of fly fishing, family interactions, and philosophy. Along with the classic 'A River Runs Through It' are two stories never before on audio, making this a fine recommendation for any audio collection strong in literary presentations. Also a top pick is Prairie Home Companion's OLD SWEET SONGS 1974-1976 (9781615735228, $24.95). This new collection of old favorites from the early years of the radio show packs in songs and fun reflections and stories with The Powermilk Biscuit Band, Papa John Kolstad, Peter Ostroushko and more packing in humor and fun. And as a companion piece, MORE NPR FUNNIEST DRIVEWAY MOMENTS (9781615730377, $22.95) also is filled with comedy and stories reflecting 'driveway moments' where NPR programs have captivated their audiences via the car radio. From Joan Rivers to Carol Burnett and Bob & Ray, this is packed with hilarious moments!

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

J.D. Robb's POSSESSION IN DEATH (1441891854, $19.99) receives a fine performance by Susan Ericksen as it provides another satisfying Eve Dallas drama. Eve's newest case comes with a kick: visions of the deceased and an uncanny familiarity with places she's never seen before. Her involvement in the mystery involves her in some unusual links - and the disappearance of eight other young women. Susan Ericksen also performs in J.D. Robb's INDULGENCE IN DEATH (1441836152, $38.99), in which Eve Dallas must discover why New York residents are being killed - with crossbows and bayonets. The trail leads to a CEO whose information has been hijacked - and Eve suspects a dangerous thrill killer is on the loose. As tense thrillers, these are a pick for any mystery collection. Mary Roach's PACKING FOR MARS: THE CURIOUS SCIENCE OF LIFE IN THE VOID (1441876626, $29.99) receives a fine performance by Santa Burr, whose award-winning voice adds drama to this exploration of space travel. From how the human body survives in space to the evidence from space simulations, this provides a fine, entertaining science survey recommended for any general lending collection.

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.hachetteaudio.com

Steve Martin's AN OBJECT OF BEAUTY (9781607886129, $34.98) receives a fine narration by Campbell Scott, film director and award-winning actor, who lends a solid and moving voice to this story of a New York artist on the rise. Lacey is determined to take on the demanding art world of the city - and her achievements reflect the highs and lows of the City's art world in this moving novel. James Patterson's CROSS FIRE (9781607886655, $39.98) receives a vivid narration by the team of Andre Braugher and Jay O. Sanders, who together bring to life the latest Alex Cross tale. Here Alex gets married and Kyle Craig is back, murder embroils Alex and FBI agent Max in conflict, and a sniper and a wedding heat up Alex's life. A powerful thriller comes to life in audio. David Baldacci's HELL'S CORNER (9781607886570, $39.98) receives a powerful dual narration by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy, is unabridged on 12 CDs, and tells of a skilled assassin working for the government who faces a high-risk covert mission. Before his mission can even begin a bomb threatens two world leaders and involves Oliver Stone in one of the most puzzling cat-and-mouse games of his career. Larry Levin's OOGY: THE DOG ONLY A FAMILY COULD LOVE (9781607886617, $24.98) receives a fine narration by accomplished film and stage actor Joe Barrett as it tells of a family's ne pet: an odd-looking puppy recovered from a dog-fighting ring. Their adoption of Oogy leads to love and family interactions in this moving story. Stacy Schiff's CLEOPATRA: A LIFE (9781607887010, $34.98) receives a fine narration by veteran Robin Miles, whose fine reading enhances this dramatic story of the last queen of Egypt. Her personality and drama, as well as her political history, are captured in an enthralling coverage key for any audio collection. Michael Connelly's THE REVERSAL (9781600247255, $39.98) receives Peter Giles' extensive acting credits in a moving story of a defense attorney persuaded to work for the prosecution when a convicted child killer is granted a retrial based on new DNA evidence. Politics and legal battles blend in a court drama packed with depth and intrigue. Amy Sedaris' SIMPLE TIMES: CRAFTS FOR POOR PEOPLE (9781600247286, $24.98) is narrated by Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello and includes a bonus PDF with photos and fun crafts. It provides tongue-in-cheek set of reflections on crafts and more, offering a fun set of reflections that include such gems as how to obtain feathers from a bird and what are the best crafting options for the criminally insane. Michael Connelly's HARRY BOSCH BOX SET (9781607887256, $49.98) receives an excellent narration by Len Cariou, stage and TV actor who brings to life three best-selling Bosch investigations: The Narrows, Echo Park and The Overlook. Any Bosch fan who wishes to enjoy his dramas in one set will find this a fine set of thrillers steeped in mystery, espionage, and murder. Philip Yancey's WHAT GOOD IS GOD? (9781607886334, $29.98) comes from a journalist and bestselling speaker whose twenty books explore different aspects of Christian faith. Here he reflects on the global question of what good is God, and travels the globe gathering answers to his query. His meetings with church leaders in different countries offer clues to the answers and lends to a dramatic listen. All are top picks for any audio collection! James Bradley's THE IMPERIAL CRUISE (9781607886709, $19.98) receives an excellent narration by Richard Poe, whose Broadway background helps bring to life this story of a huge 1905 diplomatic mission dispatched by Theodore Roosevelt to Asia. During his cruise Roosevelt would negotiate a series of secret, unconstitutional agreements which would lead to World War II in the Pacific. THE IMPERIAL CRUISE explores these events in a lively discourse, and is key for any audio history collection. Joseph Wambaugh's HOLLYWOOD HILLS (9781607889748, $34.98) receives a fine narration from Christian Rummel, who has narrated over a hundred audio titles and won several awards for his work. His voice brings to life this story of a circle of teen burglars specializing in vandalizing Hollywood homes. It'll take a veteran LAPD member to become involved in a range of interlocking vandal plans in this mystery thriller.

Penguin Audio
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
www.penguin.com

Patricia Cornwell's PORT MORTUARY (9780142428719, $39.95) receives a fine reading by Kate Burton, whose Broadway background and clear voice lends quiet drama to another Kay Scarpetta drama. This 18th in the series of novels of intrigue focuses on a port for the dead and a dangerous path to a case which twenty years later challenges her secret military ties and life in a riveting story packed with intrigue and twists and turns of plot. Walter Mosley's THE LAST DAYS OF PTOLEMY GREY (9780142428566, $29.95) receives Los Angeles actor Dominic Hoffman's fine reading, which well spices the story of Ptolemy Grey, ninety-one years old and largely forgotten in a Los Angeles apartment packed with mementos of his past. He's on his way to leading a secluded life of past memories until his encounter with a woman will bring back friendship, desire, and new challenges in this moving saga, which comes to life in audio.

Djibouti
Elmore Leonard
HarperAudio
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062008503, $34.99, www.harperaudio.com

DJIBOUTI offers an excellent unabridged account surrounding documentary filmmaker Dara Barr, who is looking for bigger professional challenges in Djibouti with the goal of filming modern-day pirates hijacking a ship. The only trouble is that in the Middle East terrorists and good guys are interchangeable - and Data and her helper become endangered in a dangerous game as they try to shoot a dramatic documentary film that could cost their lives. A fine thriller, audio collections will relish this action-packed thriller!


The Gardening Shelf

Fast, Fresh Garden Edibles
Jane Courtier
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
9781580115124, $14.95, www.creativehomeowner.com

Your garden can be more than pretty, it can save on your grocery bill. "Fast, Fresh Garden Edibles: Quick Crops for Small Spaces" is a guide to turning one's garden into a place where edible crops can be grown. With a wide assortment of full color photos, Jane Courtier equips readers with everything they need to know to succeed with their gardens, from knowing what they can support with their space and climate to how to know when it's time to harvest. "Fast, Fresh Garden Edibles" is a must for anyone who wants their own natural, homegrown vegetables.

The Sustainable Rose Garden
Pat Shanley, Peter Kukielski, & Gene Waering, editors
Newbury Books
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
9781935149163, $34.95

Roses, with their bright colors and sweet smell, have earned a special place among floral enthusiasts. "The Sustainable Rose Garden" is a collection of essays written by rosarians for fellow rose lovers. Speaking on the sustainability of roses and their surprising impact on the environment, there is much to ponder about how roses can be improved for their future. With nearly forty contributors, "The Sustainable Rose Garden" is a read that is very much recommended for the environmentally conscious rose lover.

The Undaunted Garden, second edition
Lauren Springer Ogden
Fulcrum Publishing
4690 Table Mountain Drive, Suite 100, Golden, CO 80403
9781555917074, $34.95, www.fulcrumbooks.com

The winter is the bane of many plants, but it doesn't mean natural beauty must die. "The Undaunted Garden: Planting for Weather-Resilient Beauty" is a guide to making a garden that can stand the test of the elements and their fickle nature. With design tips for the harshest regions that can still support beautiful gardens and how to make them stand the test of time and the worst winters, author Lauren Springer Ogden offers a guide with a slew of advice and plenty of full color photographs. "The Undaunted Garden" is a must for anyone who doesn't think shorter days must spell the end for their charming garden.

Basic Topiary
Dean and Geraldine Myers
Schiffer
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764336348, $16.99, www.schifferbooks.com

A garden can be a means of expression for one's home. "Basic Topiary: A Living Approach" is a guide for turning one's bushes and foliage in their yard into something special and unique, as Dean and Geraldine Myers give readers an excellent collection of ideas to shape their garden using their bushes as well as potted plants and what tools to use to make their garden the best it can be. For the creative gardener with the drive to do something special, "Basic Topiary" is a fine and highly recommended pick.

Creating a Forest Garden
Martin Crawford
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
PO Box 428
White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781900322621, $49.95, www.chelseagreen.com

CREATING A FOREST GARDEN: WORKING WITH NATURE TO GROW EDIBLE CROPS packs in advice on planning, designing and maintaining a sustainable food garden with a twist, working with forest gardening for minimal maintenance. A forest garden is a managed ecosystem modeled on woodland where nature does the actual maintenance work: chapters tell how to plan, design and choose trees, shrubs, root crops and more for maximum effect.


The Crafts Shelf

Pro Pinstripe Techniques
East Coast Artie
Art Kulture
PO Box 223, Stillwater, MN 55082
9781929133925, $27.95, www.wolfpub.com

Pinstripes aren't just some red lines, there's a lot more available to those with the artistic drive to make it more than that. "Pro Pinstripe Techniques" is a guide to pin-striping and how to make something truly fun and magnificent with it. East Coast Artie, a pinstripe artist with decades of experience brings his artistic expertise and advice from other individuals such as Nub or Orange County Choppers, and plenty of advice on making simple yet excellent designs for everyone. "Pro Pinstripe Techniques" is a must for anyone who wants to add pinstripes to their stuff to add their own brand of pizzazz.

Creative Paper Jewelry
Dafna Yarom
Sixth&Spring Books
c/o SoHo Publishing Company
101 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301, New York, NY 10013
9781936096060, $19.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

Creative Paper Jewelry pairs some twenty designs with step-by-step directions to making jewelry from basic materials. From gaining creative projects from cocktail napkins, paper scraps and unused jewelry to changing paper with paints, this teaches the basics of making, altering and using paper to provide brooches, necklaces, and a range of jewelry styles.

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

Jeff Wilson's MODEL RAILROADER'S GUIDE TO INDUSTRIES ALONG THE TRACKS 4 (9780890247716, $19.95) is the fourth book in a popular series for model railroaders offers a fine narrowed focus to layouts that offer realistic appearances beside tracks. Six unique industries that add interest to a model include rock excavating, lumber processing, waterfront operations and more in a survey of the history and operations of these industries served by rail transport. Modelers can re-create these scenes using the photos and modeling tips here. His original 101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders is updated in 101 MORE TRACK PLANS FOR MODEL RAILROADERS (9780890247761, $17.95). This picks up where his first volume left off with classic layout plans from Model railroader magazine's pages. An outstanding companion, this is a pick for any avid rail modeler. Modelers interested in military scenarios can also enjoy James K. Wechsler's BUILDING AND DETAILING REALISTIC SHERMAN TANKS (9780890247891, $21.95), a how-to construction guide for the Sherman tank that includes nearly fifty other models representing some 60 years of Shermans. From building a single Sherman to converting one Sherman type to another, this teaches how to build a customized Sherman from a resin kit and teaches all the basics of handling other fittings, using airbrushes and washes, and more.

Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred
David Erik Nelson
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco CA 94103
9781593272593, $24.95, www.nostarch.com

Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred: Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make With Your Kids offers a fine compendium of DIY projects which can be made cheaply, from cardboard boomerangs to an electric didgeridoo or a marshmallow shooter. The idea is to profile projects adults and kids work on together: chapters are loaded with budget ideas filled with a dose of technology to attract gadget-oriented kids.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Changing Problem Behavior
James O'Heare
BehaveTech Publishing
c/o Dogwise Publishing
403 S Mission St. Wenatchee, WA 98801
9780973836967, $26.95, www.behavetech.com

Understanding the mind of an animal is key to training it. "Changing Problem Behavior: A Systematic & Comprehensive Approach To Behavior Change Project Management" is a veterinary psychology manual from James O'Heare, detailing analytical approach to training behaviors out of animals that is causing issues for the owner and pet union. With the fundamentals that can apply to all species, O'Heare provides a solid and very highly recommended guide for those who must train animals. "Changing Problem Behavior" is a core addition to any veterinary psychology collection.

Chronic Pain in Small Animal Medicine
Steven M. Fox
Manson Publishing
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9781840761245, $84.99, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Chronic Pain in Small Animal Medicine deserves ongoing mention as a powerful guide for any veterinary medicine library. It offers vets and trainees alike knowledge of chronic diseases, treatment options, and the latest evidence supporting treatment choices, and is packed with physiological and biochemical theories of pain treatment alike. A top pick for any vet's collection.

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

The fourth updated edition of the weighty vet's reference Gary D. Norsworthy, et.al.'s THE FELINE PATIENT (9780813818481, $139.99) is a comprehensive 'must' for any library on feline diseases and health. This updated edition includes over 500 additional clinical photos, 84 additional chapters adding the latest research on behavior, clinical procedures and surgeries, and new CT and MRI images in the imaging section. Vets and students alike will find this offers quick reference and specific photos key to understanding feline health issues. Andrew J. Rosenfled and Sharon M. Dial's CLINICAL PATHOLOGY FOR THE VETERINARY TEAM (9780813810089, $59.99) includes a DVD of clinical cases as it surveys machinery calibration, sample handling, normal physiology and more. Chapters help team members understand clinical diagnosis tests and give adv ice on evaluation and clinical control, making for a strong pick for any vet's collection. Also recommended is Editor Gary D. Osweiler, et.al.'s BLACKWELL'S FIVE-MINUTE VETERINARY CONSULT CLINICAL COMPANION: SMALL ANIMAL TOXICOLOGY (9780813819853, $99.99). This packs in key details on the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of toxicoses and is arranged by major categories of toxicants to aid in rapid diagnosis by poisonings. More in-depth detail is added from BLACKWELL'S FIVE-MINUTE VETERINARY CONSULT: CANINE AND FELINE (9780781773607, $99.99), with over 70 additional toxicants covered, more clinical applications reviewed, and tables of detail added to appendixes for quick diagnosis. No practicing vet's clinic should be without! The second updated edition of Alex Gough and Alison Thomas' BREED PREDISPOSITIONS TO DISEASE IN DOGS AND CATS (9781405180788, $69.99) provides an invaluable and unique reference gathering under one cover all the different details on breed-specific diseases. Breed-by-breed, with one section for dogs and one for cats, describes inherited and prevalent disorders and provides details gleaned from veterinary references and research journals alike. New to this edition is expanded referencing to primary sources, an easier format, and an extended directory of genetic test providers. Highly recommended!

Wired Wilderness
Etienne Benson
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
9780801897108, $55.00, www.press.jhu.edu

WIRED WILDERNESS: TECHNOLOGIES OF TRACKING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN WILDLIFE offers a fine history blending science and technology with animal studies and U.S. political changes to survey radio tracking of wild animals. From hunters to conservation groups and beyond, this uses interviews with wildlife biologists, researchers and case studies of conservation issues to provide an outstanding survey of how wild animals are tracked and documented.


The Science/Technology Shelf

Mixing Races
Paul Lawrence Farber
John Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9780801898136, $19.95, www.press.jhu.edu

One hundred years ago, it was viewed as heresy for a person of English descent to marry a person of German descent. Now, no one seems to bat an eye to a mixture of white, black, Asian, and whatever couples. "Mixing Races: From Scientific Racism to Modern Evolutionary Ideas" analyzes the shift opinions in both the scientific community as well as the social community on the attitudes towards race. Once it was scientifically believed that a mix raced child would face genetic problems, to the modern era where evolution seems to decree that race mixing will promote a better species. "Mixing Races" is a fascinating look at how evolutionary science has changed alongside social beliefs.

Designing Interfaces
Jenifer Tidwell
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9781449379704, $49.99, www.oreilly.com

A good interface can be the deciding factor to if someone can use your program or if they return it. "Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design" is a technological design guide from Jennifer Tidwell as she gives readers a comprehensive course in what a user interface should be. UIs need to communicate what the program can do well to the user and teach them everything they need to know to make the most of their program. Tidwell explains how the eye catches some things before others, and designers need to understand this to make a more effective user interface. With plenty of tips and tricks and clarifying what's a good UI from a bad UI, "Designing Interfaces" is a sage and very useful guidebook sure to assist design students excellently.

Design and Implementation of Reliable and High Performance Software Systems
Yuri K. Shestopaloff
AKVY Press
142 Kennard Ave, North York, NY ON M3H 4M5
9780981380049, $39.95, www.shestopaloff.ca

It's not as simple as making one gear of the greater machine work; it's about making it so it all works. "Design and Implementation of Reliable and High Performance Software Systems" is a design guide from Yuri K. Shestopaloff and AKVY press as Yuri gives many examples of how to make technology work greater with one another and businesses. More than ever, keeping the machine running can prove difficult with all of these interdependent systems, and Shestopaloff explains well throughout the book. "Design and Implementation of Reliable and High Performance Software Systems" is a thoughtful and insightful resource, well to be at hand for any software designer.

The Species Seekers
Richard Conniff
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393068542, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

THE SPECIES SEEKERS: HEROES, FOOLS, AND THE MAD PURSUIT OF LIFE ON EARTH offers an engaging survey of explorers who made it their mission to catalog life on Earth. These pioneers traveled to different areas of the world and discovered and brought back new life forms and stories: this follows the human affection for nature and exploration and the discoveries made by many. Any library strong in natural history as well as many a general lending library will find this absorbing!

How the West Was Warmed
Beth Conover, Editor
Fulcrum
4690 Table Mountain Drive #100, Golden, CO 80403
9781936218028, $17.95, www.fulcrumbooks.com

How the West Was Warmed: Responding to Climate Change in the Rockies packs in a powerful essay collection from a noted environmentalist and Greenprint Denver founder who considers the range of responses to climate change in the Rockies. For over two decades the area has struggled with climate change and its impact, and today is a center for solutions to common problems. Over forty veteran journalists, scientists, and policy makers contribute to a wide-ranging survey key to any collection strong in global environmental change.

The Photographic Card Deck of the Elements
Periodictable.com
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
9781603761987, $24.95, www.blackdogleventhal.com

The Photographic Card Deck of the Elements is a card set based on five years of photography and offers a complete presentation of all 118 chemical elements, with each card including scientific data and stories about the elements. Key cards and an activity guide makes this a perfect pick for students and teachers alike!

Edison's Electric Light, revised edition
Robert Friedel & Paul Israel
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
0801894824, $30.00, www.press.jhu.edu

EDISON'S ELECTRIC LIGHT: THE ART OF INVENTION has been revised and updated from the original 1986 edition to offer a definitive study of the famous invention, is keyed to the printed and electronic versions of the Edison Papers so readers can refer to original source materials, and explore the process of the invention. Any library strong in scientific inventions and the process of theories and exploration will find this a winning survey.

Arboretum Borealis: A Lifeline of the Planet
Dana Beresford-Kroeger
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
9780472051144, $32.50, www.press.umich.edu

Arboretum Borealis: a Lifeline of the Planet describes how the Boreal tree group is key to the planet's health, and how they can promote health and counteract the effects of global warming. Chapters pair a natural history of the North American tree group with a survey of aboriginal peoples and their interactions with forests, offering both a natural survey and a series of tips to gardeners and landscape architects interested in incorporating these trees in their designs for a greener planet. Black and white and color photos complete the display.

Quantify!
Goran Grimvall
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
9780801897177, $25.00, www.press.jhu.edu

QUANTIFY! A CRASH COURSE IN SMART THINKING gathers examples from sports, literature and science alike to explain how scientists use investigative processes to make sense of the world. Essays are fun, involving, and offer easy examples outlining the basics of analysis processes, and will appeal to both general readers and collections from high school into college grades.

Almost Chimpanzee
Jon Cohen
Times Books
c/o Henry Holt & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780805083071, $27.50, www.henryholt.com

ALMOST CHIMPANZEE: SEARCHING FOR WHAT MAKES US HUMAN, IN RAINFORESTS, LABS, SANCTUARIES, AND ZOOS offers a fine exploration of what researchers are doing in the field of genetics in state-of-the-art labs, in the field, and working with chimps. From zoo exhibit designs to an attempt to breed a humanzee, this offers insights into chimps, humanity, and more, challenging myths and offering an insider's tour of the latest research insights. No natural history holding should be without!

The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide
Richard A. Muller
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393078268, $16.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide receives Joey Manfre's fun color cartoon drawings and offers a whimsical yet scientifically-accurate survey shedding light on over sixty scientific 'secrets' and ironies. The cartoon illustrations range from a consideration of how hospitals are actually generating the dreaded antimatter to why an extreme overdose of radiation is not likely to lead to cancer.

The Darwinian Tourist
Christopher Wills
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016-4314
9780199584383, $34.95, www.oup.com

THE DARWINIAN TOURIST; VIEWING THE WORLD THROUGH EVOLUTIONARY EYES shares Christopher Wills' knowledge of biodiversity to consider how ecology and evolution of interacted. Over 100 original photos accompany an ecological travel expedition to explore evolution and connections to the natural world, answering questions as diverse as how the domestication of animals changed the world and how tree species evolution has affected the planet. Any general science collection should consider this a 'must', with its strong science paired with a lively format lending to general reading.

An Engineer's Guide to Automated Testing of High-Speed Interfaces
Jose Moreira and Hubert Werkmann
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
1607839830, $139.00, www.artechhouse.com

An Engineer's Guide to Automated Testing of High-Speed Interfaces provides a fine, complete introduction to the art of high-speed digital testing auth automated test equipment, and is the first book to focus on this topic. Examples, theory, and the design and applications of high-speed digitals make for a powerful review of instruments, tests and measures, and interface standards key to any college-level engineering library.


The Music Shelf

Nine Choices
Jonathan Silverman
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498273, $26.95, www.umpress.umass.edu

Johnny Cash has far surpassed being another folk singer, he's become a legend of music. "Nine Choices: Johnny Cash and American Culture" traces the Man in Black's constant struggles through his career, a storm of rising mainstream success, his own personal demons, and the world that was rapidly changing faster than he could understand it. But through it all, his music and his thought allowed him to grasp his legendary status, and "Nine Choices" explores his legend thoroughly.

A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers
Will Friedwald
Pantheon
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780375421495, $45.00, www.pantheonbooks.com

It takes more than talent to get big, it take s a force of personality that draws people's interest in you. "A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers" delves deeply into the lives and careers of the biggest jazz and pop singers of the twentieth century, with his own research, thought and style. Each entry reads like a unique story all its own and proves to be an engaging read from one entry to the next. A heartfelt dedication to the pillars of American popular music as well as those who have pioneered its brother genres with entries on Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, among others, "A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers" is an excellent and very highly recommended addition to any musical studies collection.

The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide 2011
Alan Greenwood & Gil Hembree
Hal Leonard
7777 W. Bluemond Road, PO Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI, 53213
9781884883224, $29.95, www.appraisevintage.com

A music instrument itself is not simply a tool, but another part of your expression. Some choose to do so with a piece of history. "The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide 2011" is a guide from Vintage Guitar Magazine, focusing on the best of classic instruments that surround the traditions of rock and guitar driven music that has been the focus of the past century. Discussing everything from amplifiers, acoustic and electric guitars, basses, and other relatives of the guitar, "The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide" is an absolute must for any would be connoisseur of these classic instruments.

Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin
Jon Bream
Voyageur Press
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis MN 55401
9780760339558, $19.99, www.voyageurpress.com

Now in paperback is the first complete illustrated history of the heavy rock band Led Zeppelin, packing in color photos and album covers in a fine tribute history of the group and its members. Pages packed with ad bills, photos, memorabilia, and full color make this an exceptional tribute presentation with interviews, band histories, and biographical sketches making for an exceptional guide recommended for any serious rock music library.


The World History Shelf

Time on the Ocean
Theo Dorgan
New Island
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781848400757, $17.99, www.newisland.ie

Theo Dorgan knows the south seas well, and has seen much of his life pass him there. "Time on the Ocean: A Voyage from Cape Horn to Cape Town" is a memoir of the Southern Oceans as he reflects on his life and unusual relationship with the oceans around South Africa, including his deep family history and his journeys throughout the Ocean and its islands. With plenty of thought and history, "Time on the Ocean" is a fine read and is a very highly recommended pick.

Shakespeare's Imaginary Constitution
Paul Raffield
Hart Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave., Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781841139210, $70.00, www.isbs.com

The law of Renaissance England was never written down, but it doesn't mean it wasn't observed and ignored when needed. "Shakespeare's Imaginary Constitution: Late Elizabethan Politics and the Theatre of Law" is an analysis of Elizabethan English Law through six of the works of Shakespeare. The playhouses of the time served as a forum for political discourse through satire and analysis in subtle ways. This era did much to form the basis for English law that still hangs on to this very day. "Shakespeare's Imaginary Constitution" is a fascinating read of how art influences life and life reflects back on to art.

Narrating War and Peace in Africa
Toyin Falola
University of Rochester Press
668 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620-2731
9781580463300, $80.00, www.urpress.com

Africa has been a place of constant conflict in the past century. "Narrating War and Peace in Africa" is a collection of well researched essays and other writings that discuss the paths of a broken Africa, beaten and worn down from centuries of colonialism as the people try to move on from their tribal society into a new era. Through it all, tribal habits die hard and Africa finds itself under constant fire, with many regions adapting quicker than others. Looking at major events and the progression of civil rights, "Narrating War and peace in Africa" is a scholarly and expert analysis from many different voices on the subject, both from the outside looking in and the inside looking out. A core addition to history and international issues collections for community and college libraries.

Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History: Five Volume Set
William H. McNeill, et al.
Berkshire Publishing Group
120-122 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230-1506
www.berkshirepublishing.com
9780974309101, $575.00, www.amazon.com

An impressive and exhaustive collaboration of authors and editors William H. McNeill, David Christian, Jerry Bentley, and Jerry H. Bentley, the "Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History" is a five volume, 2220 page compendium offering 538 informed and informative articles descriptively laying out the high points of human history from traceable human origins down to the present day. Replete with sidebars. Of special note is the 'Reader's Guide' showcasing 34 subject categories. Backgrounded with meticulous research and insightful commentaries, the "Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History" is enthusiastically recommended as a core library reference for both academic and community library World History reference collections.

Wonderful to Behold
Nicholas Bennett
Lincoln Record Society
c/o Boydell and Brewer
668 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620-2731
9780901503886, $60.00, www.boydellandbrewer.com

If History is not maintained, it is quickly lost. "Wonderful to Behold: A Centenary History of the Lincoln Record Society: 1910-2010" traces the history of this organization which has continued to exist solely by those who seek to maintain their family history through out England's very long history. A wide range of history dating back to medieval times produces a diverse collection of history. Focusing on the history of the organization, its early years, the impact of the second world war where the society struggled to maintain its existence, and remaining intact through the second half of the focus period, "Wonderful to Behold" is an ideal pick for anyone with an eye for importance of personal history.

Islamic Gunpowder Empires
Douglas E. Streusand
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813313597, $42.00, www.westviewpress.com

Islamic Gunpowder Empires: Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals is a recommended pick primarily for college-level Middle East history collections but also for any library strong in Islamic history and culture. Chapters exploring the history of three empires emphasize that they were connected within a world system and were not isolated entities, with chapters offering important overviews of social, military and political ideas and practices common to all three. From society and culture to expansion practices, this covers all aspects of these Islamic empires and is a 'must' for any serious about the foundations of the modern Middle East.


The Biography Shelf

Ordinary Things
Christopher Pratt
Breakwater
PO Box 2188, 100 Water Street, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, A1C 6E6
9781550812640, $18.95, www.breakwaterbooks.com

It's how one deals with the ordinary that can make one extraordinary. "Ordinary Things: A Different Kind of Voyage" is a collection of personal memoirs from artist Christopher Pratt as he discusses life as an artist and living life in Newfoundland. With poignancy and much wit and thought, Pratt's journal will prove highly entertaining and very thoughtful reading. "Ordinary Things" is a fine pick for any memoir collection.

Sunnyside Sal
Anton Krueger
Deep South
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9780958491563, $24.95, www.isbs.com

Liberation and the changing times bring all sorts of new experience to those of the old ways. "Sunnyside Sal" is a memoir of Anton Krueger, a South African man who looks at the world rapidly change around him and reacts in a variety of ways. A fascinating read of the changing times, Krueger admits to taking liberties with some of his experiences for a better story, but that all ends up adding to the appeal of "Sunnyside Sal".

Passport Through Darkness
Kimberly L. Smith
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
The B&B Media Group (publicity)
ajennings@tbbmedia.com
9781434702128, $14.99, www.davidccook.com

With faith as her shield, she tried to stand against the worst atrocities mankind still committed. "Passport Through Darkness: A True Story of Danger and Second Chances" follows Kimberly Smith as she is faced with modern day slavery in the darkest depths of the modern world. Her story is frightening and depressing in its honesty and how through the awfulness, her faith in God allowed her to press on and try to make a difference. "Passport Through Darkness" is a riveting pick, and very highly recommended.

The Women Behind the Roses
Tilley & Andrew Govanstone
Rosenberg
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781877058936, $49.95, www.isbs.com

Alister Clark has the title of the most famous Rosarian in Australia's history. "The Women Behind the Roses" looks deeper into his personal project of naming his roses after real individuals. Tilley & Andrew Govanstone trace the history of the women behind the roses, offering a short biography on each of them, including details on the rose dedicated to them. With a focus on Alister Clark himself and black and white photographs spread throughout the book to help the story of the women, "The Women Behind the Roses" is a unique study of the rosa genus of flowers as well as the women of early twentieth century Australia.

Jihad Al-Kuffar
Michael A. Rome
Dorrance Publishing
701 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
9781434907929, $28.00, www.dorrancebookstore.com

Why do terrorists so quickly resort to destruction and violence? "Jihad Al-Kuffar" tells how Michael Rome came across a CD containing documents that are meant to spur people to violence for their causes such as suicide bombings, murder, and other acts of terror. Hoping to gain insight into why this has been the weapon of choice for these individuals and the weight of their grievances, "Jihad Al-Kuffar" is a choice and thoughtful read on today's war on terror, and terror's counterattack.

End Game
Frank Brady
Crown
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307463906, $25.99, www.crownpublishing.com

Bobby Fischer's mind was at once both brilliant and intriguing. "End Game: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall -- From America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness" is a biography of famed Chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer, following his prodigy status at a young age to his increasingly bizarre political moves, paranoia, and international status as time rolled on. Frank Brady hopes to help readers gain a better understanding of Fischer, and "End Game" serves to be quite the fascinating read.

India Calling
Anand Giridharadas
Henry Holt & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780805091779, $25.00, www.henryholt.com

The India of a few decades ago is not the India of today. "India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation's Remaking" is the memoir of Anand Giridharadas, an American who returned to his ancestral homeland of India to find something very different than what he thought. He reflects on the rapidly changing world and the changing scope of the world is bringing apart the traditional Indian family in a way much unlike the rest of the world. "India Calling" is a fascinating and insightful memoir with much to ponder about the world.

The Children's War
Peter Bodo Gawenda
Brown Books Publishing Group
16200 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 170, Dallas, TX 75248
9781934812709, $24.95, www.brownbooks.com

A child has an ever growing and fascinating perspective on war as it changes the world around them. "The Children's War: Germany 1939-1949" is a unique memoir from Peter Bodo Gawenda as he reflects on his childhood in this period of German history. Born in 1937, he shares his earliest memories of a Germany on a rise to a super power, about a Reich that was understood even by the youngest to be something major. With his father drafted into the war machine early in his life, his perspective comes even more comprehensive. Thoughtful and intriguing reading, "The Children's War" is a fine pick and is very highly recommended.

The Arms of the Infinite
Christopher Barker
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554582709, $29.95, www.wlupress.wlu.ca

Love can lead you into far less than ideal situations. "The Arms of the Infinite: Elizabeth Smart & George Barker" is a memoir from Christopher Barker as he reflects on his artistically driven parents, writer Elizabeth Smart and poet George Barker. Their romance, one of thought and going against their own parents wishes led them to raise children in imperfect means. A charming story of growing up under caring but pressing the word normal parents and filled with tragedy and challenges, "The Arms of the Infinite" is a unique and thoughtful memoir, sure to leave readers fascinated and pondering their own parents.

Only Make Believe
Howard Keel
Barricade Legends
185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 308-A, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
1569802920, $24.95, www.barricadebooks.com

On stage and screen, he did what he loved and made a life out of it. "Only Make Believe: My Life in Show Business" is a memoir of Howard Keel. Most known for his role as Clayton Farlow in the beloved television series Dallas, he discusses his early career and childhood where his father committed suicide and left him alone with his mother who moved him to Los Angeles. A moving story of someone who really loves acting and his career, "Only Make Believe" is a fine pick and is very highly recommended.

Dancing With the Devil
Louis Diaz and Neal Hirschfeld
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781439148822, $16.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Dancing With the Devil: Confessions of an Undercover Agent tells of an 'untouchable' drug kingpin and one undercover agent who was tough enough to successfully infiltrate his domain and nail him. That would be Louis Diaz, who here provides a first-person narrative telling of his life and his record-breaking cases. An action-packed autobiography telling of his confrontations with drug dealers in New York makes for a powerful true-crime saga perfect for any collection.


The Needlecraft Shelf

International Sun Bonnet Sue
Debra Kimball
American Quilter's Society
PO box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781574326796, $24.95, www.AmericanQuilter.com

Why limit your design to simple bonnets? "International Sun Bonnet Sue" is a guide for quilters who want to put some international flavor when using the famous and favored quilt character Sun Bonnet Sue and spreading some international flavor into your projects. With plenty of ideas to form your own projects with plenty of templates and patterns, "International Sun Bonnet Sue" is a choice pick for any quilter who is seeking new ways to brighten up their fabrics.

Circle of Nine
Janet Houts & Jean Ann Wright
Landauer Publishing,
3100 101st St. Ste A, Urbandale, IA 50322
9780982558690, $24.95, www.landauercorp.com

With plenty of thought and innovation, quilts can be quite the outlet for creative expression. "Circle of Nine: 24 Stunning and Creative Quilts, One Unique Quilt Setting" is a guide for using the thoughtful templates devised by Janet Honts and Jean Ann Wright to create one's own completely unique and beautiful quilt design. The setting should prove very useful, and the pair provide plenty of ideas. For any quilter looking for inspiration for their next projects, "Circle of Nine" is a solid and top pick that shouldn't be missed.

Landauer Publishing
3100 - 101st St., Suite A, Urbandale, IA 50322
www.landauercorp.com

Edyta Sitar's FRIENDSHIP STRIPS & SCRAPS (9781935726012, $27.95) invites quilters everywhere to use a simple strip panel technique designed by the author, who here presents nearly twenty quilt projects based around the strip quilt idea. You can use precut strips or cut strips from a personal stash in this fine collection, which includes hundreds of step-by-step color photos, diagrams, and directions. Another top pick is Kaffe Fassett's WELCOME HOME (9780982558683, $27.95), which comes from a fiber artist and teacher who has created vivid results from unique patterns, needlepoint, and patchwork. Kaffe Fassett's focus on color makes for a dazzling, stunning collection highly recommended for any quilting library.

Sixth&Spring Books
161 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10013
www.sixthandspringbooks.com

Rosemary Drysdale's ENTRELAC: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO INTERLACE KNITTING (9781936096008, $24.95) is a fine knitting guide: using only simple knit and purl stitches, knitters can create eye-catching pieces with texture and can incorporate these works in cables, lace and more. Step-by-step instructions with color photos feature dozens of easy stitches, explain yarn combinations, explore color and patterns, and more. Nicky Epstein's KNITTING ON THE EDGE: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION OF 350 DECORATIVE BORDERS (9781936096015, $19.95) packs in keys to different types of knitted decorative borders for a range of purposes, from ruffles and lace to flora, picots and fringes. Knitters can use these keys to blend techniques into work, with color photos packing each design and line-by-line stitching instructions for a polished finish.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Big Book of Marbles, fourth edition
Everett Grist & Lloyd Huffer
Collectors Books
PO Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
9781574326925, $29.95, www.collectorbooks.com

These little balls have earned themselves quite the following. "Everett Grist's Big Book of Marbles: A Comprehensive Identification & Value Guide for Both Antique and Machine-Made Marbles" is a guide to the finest and most collect worthy marbles that have emerged over the year, as collectors have become enraptured at the rarities and beauties that have been produced over the past century. With plenty of full color photos and pricing for some of these rare works, "Everett Grist's Big Book of Marbles" is a fine resource for any die-hard marble collector.

Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll
Alva Christensen and Laural Schwing
Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
9781574326871, $34.95, www.collectorbooks.com

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BARBIE DOLL FAMILY & FRIENDS LICENSED PRODUCTS 1961-1971: IDENTIFICATION & VALUES packs in a fine survey of all the Barbie products on the market, from Barbie paper dolls to Skipper and Midge. Color photos pack ever page with clear examples of all the products, with the latest values providing collectors with all the keys to valuing their own collections.


The Military Shelf

China, The United States, and 21st-Century Sea Power
Andrew S. Erickson, Lyle J. Goldstein, and Nan Li
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591142430, $49.95, www.nip.org

The United States is far from the only superpower any longer. "China, the United States, and 21st-Century Sea Power: Defining a Maritime Security Partnership" looks into the importance and vitality of despite the growing rivalry between America and China, that working together in matters of naval and maritime security is the best route possible for the two countries to ensure peace for both of their interests. A fourth in a series analyzing the growing power of China's navy, "China, the United States, and 21st-Century Sea Power" is a fine and very highly recommended read, not to be missed.

Guard Wars
Michael E. Weaver
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
9780253355218 $34.95 www.iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796

Guard Wars: The 28th Infantry Division in World War II is the true chronicle of how a group of citizen-soldiers we remolded into the fighting unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Division, from peacetime status to training to combat in Western Europe. Covering the years 1939-1945, Guard Wars pays especial attention to General Omar Bradley's leadership, and his role in directing a coordinated and effective, combat-ready unit. A handful of black-and-white photographs, notes, a bibliography and an index round out this excellent contribution to American military history shelves.

Combatant Commands
Cynthia Watson
Praeger Publishers
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9780313354328 $49.95 www.abc-clio.com

Combatant Commands: Origins, Structure, and Engagements is a close study of the six geographic combatant commands that form the core of U.S. military deployment worldwide. The commands examined are Northern Command, Pacific Command, Central Command, Southern Command, European Command, and Africa Command; each plays a key role in maintaining national and international security. The analyzed aspects of each command include areas of responsibility, subcommands, priorities, threats faced, and engagement institutions. "Combatant commands are permanent features of the U.S. security community with serious links to communities around the world. While the commands have their challenges, they provide conduits to groups and organizations that might otherwise be reluctant to tie themselves overtly to the U.S. government because of domestic concerns they have." Notes, a glossary, and an index round out this meticulous work of modern-day military scholarship.

Fragging
George Lepre
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896727151 $34.95 www.ttupress.org 1-800-832-4042

Fragging: Why U.S. Soldiers Assaulted Their Officers in Vietnam lives up to its title as an in-depth, scholarly study of why and how American soldiers used violence against their officers and/or South Vietnamese citizens during the Vietnam War - a phenomenon that was markedly prevalent especially when the Vietnam War is compared to World War II, the Korean War, or other American wars of the century. U.S. Army veteran and award-winning history author George Lepre examines the many factors that made the Vietnam War darkly different - the erosion of troop morale especially during the Vietnamization period, the increased prevalence of a draft that sent to war more and more soldiers who genuinely did not want to be there, the widespread use of illegal drugs (and legal drugs such as alcohol), peer pressure amid the culture of enlisted soldiers, and more. A sobering account, heavily researched and featuring a wealth of notes, Fragging offers invaluable lessons from American history that must be studied, lest America's military be doomed to repeat the evils of the past.

The Blocking of Zeebrugge: Operation Z-0 1918
Stephen Prince
Osprey Publishing
44-02 - 23rd St., #219, Long Island City, NY 11101
9781846034534, $18.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

The Blocking of Zeebrugge: Operation Z-0 1918 is the 7th title to add to Osprey's newest series RAID, which reveals acts of small units and special forces in battle. Each Raid title offers analysis of strategies of each raid, blow-by-blow events, and digital artwork to tie everything together and bring it all to life. THE LBOCKING OF ZEEBRUGGE documents the April 1918 raid by the Royal navy on the German-held ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend, and provides a fine in-depth history that military collections will relish.

Osprey Publishing
44-02 - 23rd St., #219, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com

Ian Gardner & Roger Day's TONIGHT WE DIE AS MEN: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THIRD BATALLION 506 PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT FROM TOCCOA TO D-DAY (9781849084369, $16.95) focuses on a single airborne battalion in World War II and provides an in-depth look by two British authors who consider their training, experiences, and personalities. Their entire stories come to life using first-hand accounts of the soldiers and the French civilians who witnessed the Normandy campaign and makes for a strong acquisition for any collection seeking a personal approach to World War II experiences. Ian Castle's LONDON 1917-18: THE BOMBER BLITZ (9781846036828, $19.95) joins others in Osprey's 'Campaign' series and provides a fine in-depth survey of the strategies and results of the bomber blitz in London during World War I. Military and British history are illustrated with color battle scenes, maps, and modern photos to enhance a collection perfect for any military collection. Also tops is Gavin Mortimer's THE BLITZ: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY (9781849084246, $29.95), which uses photos from the Mirror newspaper group to capture the experience of the Blitz of 1940-41. Many images here haven't seen publication before: they were censored during the war and only appear here seventy years later. Images blend with newspaper articles, diary entries, and more to compile a vivid 'you are there' report packed with over 200 period photographs. No military history collection should be without!


The Education Shelf

Reading for Meaning
Harvey F. Silver, Susan C. Morris, & Victor Klein
ASCD
1703 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416611325, $20.95, www.ascd.org

If you're left without understanding, there is no point in reading in the first place. "Reading for Meaning: How to Build Student's Comprehension, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving Skills" is a guide for educators who want to push and promote reading comprehension in their classrooms and the related solutions that come along with it. With simple advice on how to get the students more involved and thinking during the entire reading process from before hand to reflecting on the work, "Reading for Meaning" is a core addition to any educational resource collection.

Teaching as a Moral Practice
Peter C. Murell Jr. & Collaborators
Harvard Education Press
8 Story Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
9781934742785, $29.95, www.harvardeducationpress.org

There is something to be said of the role of the educator. "Teaching as a Moral Practice: Defining, Developing, and assessing professional dispositions in teacher education" analyzes the importance of imparting ethics and morality in the teaching practice, adding a philosophical angle to education, focusing on the practice of teachers teaching teachers. "Teaching as a Moral Practice" is a scholarly and thoughtful analysis of the responsibility of the teacher, a top pick for college library education collections.

Setting Up Classroom Spaces That Support Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Susan Kabot & Christine Reeve
AAPC
PO Box 23173, Shawnee Mission, KS 66283-0173
9781934575680, $26.95, www.asperger.net

Working with autism demands a different approach. "Setting Up Classroom Spaces that Support Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders" is a guide for educators who want to best set up their classrooms to enable their autistic students to attain the best education possible. With a checklist of easy things to do, supplies that are needed, and much more, Susan Kabot and Christine Reeve give no shortage of wisdom on how to make the most of the classroom. "Setting Up Classroom Spaces that Support Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders" is a strong resource for teachers and educational administrators. Also from AAPC is "Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students with Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go!" (9781934575758, $21.95), a guide to helping these troubled students succeed when their disorder works against them.

IQ and Aptitude Tests
Philip Carter
Kogan Page
525 South 4th Street, #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
9780749461959, $14.95, www.koganpage.com

Practice makes perfect, and expanding your potential is no different. "IQ and Aptitude Tests" is a collection of IQ and aptitude practice tests designed by Philip Cater to help readers gain a more complete and effective understanding of IQ tests and how to better understand and perform on them. Verbal, mathematical, and reasoning skills are all discussed effectively, and make "IQ and Aptitude Tests" a strong pick for those who seek to be prepared for their next test that matters.

Understanding Black Male Learning Styles
Jawanza Kunjufu
African American Images
PO Box 1799, Dept. W/SP, Chicago Heights, IL 60412
9781934155387, $15.95, www.africanamericanimages.com

What challenges does a teacher expect in educating young black men? "Understanding Black Male Learning Styles" is an advisory from Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu as he advises educators in special approaches they can take to reach out to young black and Hispanic students to get them involved, and the challenges they face compared to women. "Understanding Black Male Learning Styles" is a resourceful read on the challenges minority males face, highly recommended for primary and secondary school teachers.

More Than Counting
Red Leaf
Sally Moomaw & Brenda Hieronymus
RedLeaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117
9781605540290, $34.95, www.redleafpress.org

An early start on education is vitally important for later and tougher challenges. "More Than Counting" is a guide to bringing a higher degree of math into early elementary school curriculum that will help young learners get a head-start on later forms of math while still being simple enough to grasp for most students. These concepts will go far in fostering a love of learning and adeptness, and Sally Moomaw and Brenda Hieronymus draw on their own wide experience for success. "More than Counting" is a strong pick for any early childhood educator.

Perfect 800
R. Brigham Lampert
Prufrock
5926 Balcones Drive, Suite 220, Austin, TX 78731
9781593634346, $16.95, www.prufrock.com

A high SAT score is a quick trip to success in college. But for the best of the best, perfection is the minimum. "Perfect 800 SAT Verbal: Advanced Strategies for Top Students" is a guide for those students who are pushing the limits and trying to get into that top of the line top school for college. Hoping to equip students with what they need to know to turn a very good score into a perfect one, "Perfect 800 SAT Verbal" is a must for anyone who wants into their desired school.

Middle & Junior High Core Collection, tenth edition
Edited by Anne Price, assisted by Marguerita Rowland
H.W. Wilson
950 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452
9780824211028 $290.00 www.hwwilson.com 1-800-367-6770

Now in its tenth updated edition with 2,000 more recommended books than the ninth edition, Middle & Junior High Core Collection is a useful compendium of plot summaries, recommended grade levels, and quick reference information about over 8,000 books highly recommended for middle and junior high school libraries. Sweeping revisions make Middle & Junior High Core Collection easier to use than ever; the index covers books for young people on topics ranging from fiction to environmental studies to terrorism and national security issues. More than three-quarters of the recommended titles are new; the remainder are time-honored classics and standard works. Middle & Junior High Core Collection a superb "go to" resource for library and media specialists; like all H.W. Wilson library science reference tools, Middle & Junior High Core Collection was created by librarians, for librarians.

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.corwin.com

Neal A. Glasgow, et.al.'s WHAT SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE TEACHERS DO (9781412972345, $36.95) packs seventy-five research strategies that demonstrate best practices for inquiry-oriented science projects. From promoting collaborative projects and inviting contributions from a range of cultural backgrounds to understanding the latest research on the possibilities of engaging students and avoiding common pitfalls in using digital media, this provides a fine 'must' for any serious education collection. Also recommended for educators is Cheryl Rose Tobey and Leslie Minton's UNCOVERING STUDENT THINKING IN MATHEMATICS GRADES K-5 (9781412980555, $35.95), offering keys to building on a child's current understanding of math. From evaluating skills and identifying common patterns of mistakes to demonstrating the authors' proprietary QUEST cycle model and using it to provide teachers with more tools, this packs in new strategies teachers will find easily applicable to the entire experience of teaching math at grades K-5. Christopher Wells' SMARTER CLICKING: SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY POLICIES THAT WORK! (9781412966993, $26.95) offers a key to supporting appropriate use of technology for teaching and learning, to provide school leaders with a clear map for implementing technology policies. From involving everyone in successful collaboration to avoiding inappropriate use of technology and developing key use policies, this is key to any educator's library. Also key is Beverley Holden Johns' 401 PRACTICAL ADAPTATIONS FOR EVERY CLASSROOM (9781412982022, $28.95), a fine survey offering modifications and recommendations for students with special needs. The author's experience in inclusive settings offers hundreds of examples suitable for lectures, worksheets, testing and more, covering the legal basis for adaptations and offering the latest updates. Elaine L. Wilmore and Amy Burkman's PASSING THE PPR TEXES EXAM FOR EC-12 TEACHERS (9781412958448, $28.95) comes from authors who offer solid backgrounds in TExES exam development and workshops. Aspiring teachers can prepare for the PPR Exam using this book, which outlines each of the learner-centered standards, domains and more. From test-taking tips to application examples from different areas of competency, this provides an outstanding survey. David Schimmel, Suzanne Eckes and Matthew Militello's PRINCIPALS TEACHING THE LAW: 10 LEGAL LESSONS YOUR TEACHERS MUST KNOW (9781412972239, $36.95) packs in a fine survey organized into 10 lessons of one-hour sessions on student discipline, freedom of expression, and other legal issues principals must teach to staff. From warm-up activities and summaries of legal principles to common questions and answers and more, this provides a fine survey of the rights of students and teachers and how to handle common school issues. Ian Jukes, Ted McCain and Lee Crockett's LIVING ON THE FUTURE EDGE: WINDOWS ON TOMORROW (9781412982351, $29.95) offers a fine survey of digital world trends and changing futures, and is directed to educators who want to understand more about the technological world of modern students. From the phenomenon of 'Infowhelm' to the increased need for speed and the rapid changes of technology, this packs in an outstanding assessment of modern technology's promise and challenges. Mary Frances Callan and William Levinson's ACHIEVING SUCCESS FOR NEW AND ASPIRING SUPERINTENDENTS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE (9781412988964, $38.95) provides a comprehensive guide for aspiring and new superintendents and comes from two veterans who provide examples based on their years of experience. From goal setting and strategic planning to budgeting and staff communication, this is packed with keys to developing interconnections between leadership and staff and provides outstanding assessment tools. THE TURNAROUND TOOLKIT by Lynn Winters and Joan Herman (9781412975018, $40.95) offers educators a fine nine-step method based on data-driven continuous improvement processes for improving student achievement and meeting targets. Educators and administrators will appreciate these steps for 'turnaround tasks' that explain how to use data strategically for school interventions, and will also appreciate the clear step-by-step process. Kathleen Jonson, Nancy Cappelloni and Mary Niesyn's THE NEW ELEMENTARY TEACHER'S HANDBOOK (9781412978095, $35.95) appears in its third updated edition to provide everything a new elementary teacher needs to get started. From teaching with technology and preparing standards-based lessons to using techniques for professional development, this covers everything the first-year new teacher needs to know. The second edition of THE ACTION RESEARCH GUIDE: A FOUR-STAGE PROCESS FOR EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL TEAMS by Richard Sagor (9781412981286, $35.95) updates a fine easily-used action research tool set that works for modern schools. Teacher leaders and teacher teams receive new examples, activities and leadership in action in a workbook designed to be explored as you progress. David A. Sousa's HOW THE ELL BRAIN LEARNS (9781412988346, $38.95) provides an outstanding teacher's guide blending the latest brain learning research with classroom applications for teaching English language learners in K-12 settings. From brain-compatible strategies to gauging understanding, this provides tips that provide classroom-based applications for the latest learning results. From clarifying visions to implementing action, these are a solid 'must' for any education collection.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

And You Shall Tell Your Children
Ida Akerman-Tieder
Devora Publishing
3709 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218
9781934440407, $21.95, www.urimpublications.com

There is a simple spirit and determination that should unite the Jewish people. "And You Shall Tell Your Children: A Chronicle of Survival" is a story of the Jewish wisdom that should unite all Jews through their endeavors around the world. Telling the story of the people Israel, the meaning of the land, and their holy book, Dr. Ida Akerman-Tieder speaks in simple and profound wisdom. "And You Shall Tell Your Children" is a fine collection of wisdom and is very highly recommended.

Jewish Mysticism and the Spiritual Life
Lawrence Fine, Eitan Fishbane, and Or N. Rose
Jewish Lights Publishing
Sunset Farms Offices, Route 4, PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
9781580234344, $24.99, www.jewishlights.com

The Jewish mystical tradition still has much to offer the modern Jew. "Jewish Mysticism and the Spiritual Life: Classical Texts, Contemporary Reflections" discusses this tradition and its relevance in today's world. Offering some of these mystical texts in English for the first time, many contributors come together to preach the value of these texts and what they mean in today's world. Offering a good deal of thought and enlightenment, "Jewish Mysticism and the Spiritual Life" is sure to bring many readers into an interest in the mystic tradition.

God of Our Understanding
Rabbi Shais Taub
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602801530, $18.95, www.ktab.com

GOD OF OUR UNDERSTANDING: JEWISH SPIRITUALITY & RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION offers a survey linking spiritual wellness and addiction and recovery processes, considering Jewish spirituality in particular and writing of Jewish mysticism and twelve-step spiritual growth processes. Jewish wisdom lends to a fine survey promising to help millions struggling with addiction who seek spiritual solutions.


The Photography Shelf

Carnivals of the World
Marcelo Bendahan
Maestro Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9789080939684, $50.00

A true carnival is a celebration unlike anywhere else in the world. "Carnivals of the World" is a colorful and lush photography book with photographs by Marcelo Bendahan as he explores the elaborate beauty of these carnivals throughout the world, focusing on the most popular pre-Lent carnivals such as Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Something truly magnificent to see in person, much of the feeling of awe remains in these photographs. "Carnivals of the World" is an excellent choice for coffee table book, highly recommended.

Paddle North
Greg Breining
Minnesota Historical Society Press
345 Kellogg Boulevard West, St. Paul, MN 55102
9780873517782, $29.95, www.laynekennedy.com

For some, the best way to experience nature is to meet it head on. "Paddle North: Canoeing the Boundary Waters-Quetico Wilderness" is a combination memoir and nature photography guide from Greg Breining with photographs from Layne Kennedy. Breining discusses the boundary waters, the line of rivers and creeks that split the United States and Canada. Discussing not only the river, but the forests surrounding, there is a focus on this natural beauty that the two nations share and how throughout natural and human history, it is ever changing. "Paddle North" is a thoughtful nature book, well worth considering for any nature lover.

Australasian Nature Photography
South Australian Museum
Csiro Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9780643101166, $33.95, www.styluspub.com

Through ice and tropics, the southern Pacific and Indian ocean region holds some of the most intriguing bits of nature in the world. "Australasian Nature Photography" is a collection of the full array of nature that covers the region, as the South Australian museum presents full color photos of icy regions, deserts, forests, grasslands, and their wildlife and fauna exemplifying the massive range of topography that the region offers. "Australasian Nature Photography" is beautiful and is a choice pick for anyone seeking nature photography.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 for Photographers
Philip Andrews
Focal Press
30 Corporate Drive #400, Burlington, MA 01803
9780240522449, $49.95, www.focalpress.com

Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 for Photographers: The Creative Use of Photoshop Elements on Mac and is a top pick for any Photoshop collection. It focuses on Elements 9's digital imaging options and is perfect for both newcomers and seasoned Photoshop users alike. Step-by-step instructions accompany screenshots and color images and covers everything form how to import and adjust images to working with raw files and stitching images. A supplemental web site offers video tutorials backing the information contained here. A 'must' for any collection seeking specifics for Elements 9!

New York At Night
Jason Hawkes & Christopher Gray
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th floor, Nyack, NY 10960
9781858945293, $39.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

NEW YORK AT NIGHT packs in full-page color photos of the New York skyline and comes from an award-winning aerial photographer who offers a dramatic view of the skyscapes of New York at night. From Times Square to the Empire State Building and more, this travels the length of the city and provides striking photos paired with lively captions by New York Times journalist Christopher Gray. Collections strong in either urban photography or New York City views need this!

Shadow Catchers: Camera-Less Photography
Martin Barnes
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th floor, Nyack, NY 10960
9781858945385, $69.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

Shadow Catchers: Camera-Less Photography beings with a discussion of one of the pioneers of photos made without a camera, William Henry Fox Talbot, and moves to present the work of five leading practitioners of camera-less photography. Their very different works are packed into an oversized volume featuring their black and white and color creations along with an exploration of their technical processes and artistic components of their works. Photography collections will find this a unique, involving reference.

Decade
Eammon McCabe & Dr. Terence McNamee
Phaidon Press
180 Varick St., 14th Floor, New York NY 10014
9780714857688, $39.95, www.phaidon.com

DECADE is a powerful collection gathering the history of the last ten years as told in photos, documenting discoveries, history, victories, and world atrocities alike. Gathered from sources around the world, this features photos that capture every memorable moment from the last ten years, and will earn a place not just in photography collections, but in any serious history and culture library. Extraordinary images make this a powerful survey recommended for a range of libraries, from general-interest to college-level history and photography holdings alike.

Rocky Nook
26 West Mission St. Suite 3, Santa Barbara CA 93101
www.rockynook.com

Bruce Barnbaum's THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY: AN APPROACH TO PERSONAL EXPRESSION (9781933952680, $44.95) provides a newly revised edition of the original classic published in 1994, which has often been used as a classroom text reference for photographers. This has been completely updated to reflect vast changes in the digital photography world and packs in keys to visualization, imaging, techniques for digital and traditional approaches, and more. Philosophy as well as technical applications are incorporated in a top pick for any basic photography library. Also a top pick for Nikon collections is Darrell Young's MASTERING THE NIKON D300/D300S (9781933952642, $34.95), providing a wealth of experience-based information for owners of these Nikon models. Chapters explore each camera's features with an eye to exploring adjustments, tweaking, options, and all possibilities inherent in the complex systems. Color screen shot examples throughout make for a winning reference! Also winning is George Barr's WHY PHOTOGRAPHS WORK: 52 GREAT IMAGES: WHO MADE THEM, WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL AND WHY (1933952709, $39.95), a survey of the basic elements and analysis of striking images produced by the world's top photographers. With notes on each photo's evolution and technical descriptions of equipment and settings used to produce them, photographers can learn all the techniques that make each a winner.


The Woodworking Shelf

Complete Illustrated Guide to Bandsaws
Roland Johnson
Taunton
Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781600850967, $24.95, www.taunton.com

Complete Illustrated Guide to Bandsaws is a key reference for homeowners, crafters, and hobbyists alike. It covers all the basics of the bandsaw and its abilities, from blades and alignment to safety, sawing straight and curves, and selecting the right cutting techniques for the right project. Packed with color illustrations throughout, it belongs in the collection of any beginning shop owner who wants to select and use the bandsaw tool more effectively.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

South Phoenix Rules
Jon Talton
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Avenue #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590588147, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

A New York professor visiting Phoenix to research his new book is murdered - and historian/deputy David Mapstone is drawn into the investigation when his sister-in-law becomes a target also. The attempt to protect Robin draws David into a convoluted plot involving gangsters and dangers in this fine mystery!


The Native American Shelf

Daily Life During The Indian Wars
Clarissa W. Confer
Greenwood Press
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9780313364549 $49.95 www.abc-clio.com

Daily Life During The Indian Wars is packed cover to cover with true stories of how ordinary American Indian men, women, and children experienced the tumultuous (and often deadly) clash of cultures as Anglo-American settlers forever transformed the land upon which they lived. Covering the colonial period through the 19th century and Wounded Knee, Daily Life During The Indian Wars lives up to its title with tales of trade, producing and preparing food, marriage, finding housing, and family life. An extraordinary compendium that will appeal to lay readers and scholars alike, Daily Life During The Indian Wars is highly recommended especially for Native American studies shelves.

Records of the Moravians Among the Cherokees, Volume 2 1802-1805
C. Daniel Crews and Richard W. Starbuck, editors
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780982690710 $50.00 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Records of the Moravians Among the Cherokees, Volume 2 1802-1805: Beginnings of the Mission and Establishment of the School is the second volume of primary testimony, gathered from archives documenting the Moravian Church's mission work among the Cherokee people. Although the writings have historical bias in that they are primarily written by Moravian missionaries, they provide a wealth of detailed information about Cherokee customs, way of life, character, hardships, social organization and much more. The first volume in the series covered first contact between the Moravians and the Cherokees during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution; volume 2 tells of how the Moravians occupied Springplace and used it as a base to spread the Gospel. The Cherokee were in need of schooling for their children, as education was an invaluable tool to help them survive the influx of white settlers. Future volumes are slated to continue the chronicle through the Removal, the Civil War, and the end of the nineteenth century. Records of the Moravians Among the Cherokees is an utterly invaluable series for college Native American history collections, and highly recommended.

Plains Indians Regalia & Customs
Bad Hand
Schiffer
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764335365, $49.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Plains Indians Regalia & Customs is a pick for many different collections, from Native American history holdings to holdings appealing to collectors of Native artifacts. Extensive research from source material provides new research and modern color photos of replica items, teaching the history of the seven major Plains Indian tribes, their habits and beliefs, and providing true stories to accompany objects that relate to Plains life. An outstanding reference, this is a 'must' for any serious Native American library.


The Language Studies Shelf

A Livy Reader
Mary Jaeger
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
9780865166806, $19.00, www.bolchazy.com

The best way to understand the Roman period is to understand its literature. "A Livy Reader: Selections from Ab Urbe Condita" is a scholarly examination of Livy and his work, to give a view of the Roman world as a whole. Serving as a study guide to better understand Latin, "A Livy Reader" is an excellent pick for any student of the Latin language and culture. Also from Bolchazy-Carducci for Latin studies is "A Suetonius Reader: Selections from the Lives of the Caesars and the Life of Horace" focusing on the work of another writer of the classical times and how to better understand his works.

Thai Hit Songs: Thailand Fever: Volume 1
Paiboon Publishing
PMB 256, 1442A Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781887521024 $15.00 www.paiboonpublishing.com

Thai Hit Songs: Thailand Fever is a booklet and music CD combination designed especially to help motivate and reinforce students learning the Thai language. The printed booklet contains lyrics to the catchy songs with extensive explanations, a synopsis of each song, and meticulous translations of all the songs' words. The songs themselves are lively, pop culture style music featuring inventive play-on-words lyrics. Thai Hit Songs: Thailand Fever makes learning a new language fun, and is an excellent supplementary resource for Thai language learners of all skill and experience levels.


The Library DVD Shelf

Finding God
Reality Films
PO Box 91, Foresthill, CA 95631
info@reality-entertainment.com
$24.95 www.reality-entertainment.com

Finding God: The Enlightenment is a deluxe 3-DVD set about a quintessential human dilemma: how is one to find and connect with God in a world bombarded with information spread through constantly evolving technology, a world in which the demands of machines from pagers and cell phones can intrude in one's meditations and follow one to the remotest of hideaways? What does it mean to commune with God in a world increasingly saturated by fierce competition for land, food, money, and power? Finding God suggests that part of the solution to the puzzle is to step back and re-examine the human connection to Nature, and through the natural world, the Garden of Eden. Invaluable approaches to the widespread spiritual conundrum range from insights gleaned from quantum theory to philosophies of enlightenment handed down from ancient times. Beautifully filmed and engaging presented, Finding God guides the viewer to take charge of his or her own personal, spiritual quest and is highly recommended. 200 min.

The Nature of Existence Companion Series
Roger Nygard
Walking Shadows
$119.95 www.TheNatureOfExistence.com

The Nature of Existence Companion Series is a seven-DVD set intended to complement the dramatic, thought-provoking, and ultimately extraordinary movie "The Nature of Existence" ($24.95 DVD/$29.95 2-disc set), an investigative documentary about the seemingly unanswerable mysteries of life, death, the creation of the Universe, and the human search for enlightenment. Documentary creator Roger Nygard amassed literally hundreds of hours of footage to provoke the intellect and the spirit; in response to the movie's overwhelmingly positive acclaim, Nygard carefully sorted through the wealth of material that the movie had no room for to assemble a more complete and comprehensive quest to explain the unexplained. The individual DVDs of the set cover Existence & Purpose, Religion & Spirituality, God & Devil, Truth & Faith, Sin & Free Will, Sexuality & Morality, and Prayer & Afterlife. A "must-have" for anyone who was moved by "The Nature of Existence" movie, The Nature of Existence Companion Series is worthy of the highest recommendation for both personal and public library DVD collections. 7 DVDs, 14 hours.

Angie Miller's Crave Results
Angie Miller
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$19.95 www.angiemillerfitness.com www.411videoinfo.com

Angie Miller's Crave Results is a solid fitness DVD featuring a vigorous workout that puts multiple muscle groups to the test. Host and fitness professional Angie Miller guides the viewer through a workout peppered with "cardio bursts" designed to get the heart going and improve endurance. This is a total-body workout; a resistance band and step platform can be helpful, but are ultimately optional. The viewer may use the menu options to perform the entire workout or mix and match the workout segments, including warm up, core work, stretches, pre mixes and more. Crave Results is a demanding yet rewarding addition to fitness DVD collections. 63 min.

Perspective Made Simple
On Air Video Inc.
8203 Westminster Rd., Elkins Park, PA 19027
$16.95 www.onairvideo.com

Perspective Made Simple: A Practical Guide for Artists is a no-nonsense tutorial DVD concerning how to incorporate perspective into one's drawings and art. Accessible to aspiring and practicing artists of all skill and experience levels, Perspective Made Simple covers one, two, and three-point linear perspective; atmospheric perspective; figures in perspective; creating shadows; equally spaced objects; measuring/dividing space, lines, and boxes; architectural features ranging from roads to roofs to bridges and much more. Simple drawing materials such as pencils, paper, a ruler, a drawing compass, a T-square and the like are recommended to gain the maximum benefit from the invaluable instruction of Perspective Made Simple. Highly recommended to any would-be artist, and an absolute "must-have" for art school DVD libraries. 78 min.

Baroque Dance Unmasked
Created by Catherine Turocy
Dancetime! Publications
c/o WC Books
1200 County Road Rt. 523, Flemington, NJ 08822
$39.95 www.DanceTime.com 1-888-854-5602

Baroque Dance Unmasked: Workshop to Performance is a DVD documentary that lives up to its title by taking the viewer on an inside tour of Catherine Turocy's Baroque Ballet Workshop, where 18th century dance practices are preserved and taught. Every step of the process from studio to stage is revealed, as Turocy explains her process for reviving and preserving the elegance of period dance. Performance excerpts with period costuming and music courtesy of Concert Royal enhance this singularly exceptional contribution to dance DVD libraries. 48 min.

Tap Dance History from Vaudeville to Film
Andrew J. Nemr, script and narration
Dancetime! Publications
c/o WC Books
1200 County Road Rt. 523, Flemington, NJ 08822
$49.95 www.DanceTime.com 1-888-854-5602

Tap Dance History from Vaudeville to Film is an extraordinary anthology of original film footage from the 1930's and 40's featuring tap dancing at its finest, largely from the private collection of Mark Cantor's Celluloid Improvisations Music Film Archive (which consists of 4000 jazz-musicals preserved on 16 mm sound film, videotape, laserdisc, and DVD). Each choice scene was carefully researched and chosen by Andrew J. Nemr of The Tap Legacy (tm) Foundation, specifically to teach dance professionals, fans of tap, and lay viewers about this history and evolution of this remarkable, lively, athletic and graceful form of dance. Performances from legends such as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Will Mahoney, Juanita pitts, and more including acts and chorus lines comprise this jewel of dedicated tap-dancers performing their very best. Highly recommended both for dance school library collections and tap aficionados everywhere. 45 min.

Man in a Suitcase, set 1
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598284188 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

Man in a Suitcase, set 1 is a DVD collection chronicling the harrowing adventures of "Mac" McGill (played by Richard Bradford), an ex-spy wrongfully terminated by U.S intelligence. He embarks on a freelance career as a private detective based in London, yet no matter how far he travels in his new job, he inevitably seems to conflict with British authorities, the Soviets, and former colleagues in American espionage. Though he strives to clear his name, he's forced to remain on the run, accepting jobs from shady contacts of European society. An exciting series of intrigue and suspense, Man in a Suitcase is not to be missed. 15 episodes on 4 discs, 779 min., full screen.

The Untold Secrets of the Civil War
Questar, Inc.
307 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60601
9781594646195 $49.99 www.questarentertainment.com

The Untold Secrets of the Civil War is an extraordinary, six-DVD documentary about the American Civil War. Encompassing the perspectives of both sides of the deadly conflict, The Untold Secrets of the Civil War features battle reenactments and testimony from historical experts. Disc 1: Civil War Minutes-Union features never-before-seen photographs, letters, and artifacts suggesting clues to some of the most perplexing mysteries about the Union. Disc 2: Civil War Minutes - Confederates explores some little-known stories of the Confederacy, including up-close and personal looks at the ordinary men who served on the front lines. Disc 3: Gettysburg and Stories of Valor focuses on the lynchpin battle of the Civil War, but also includes stories from other clashes. Disc 4: Civil War Life puts the viewer in the shoes of a Civil War soldier, sparing no detail of the hardships they suffered, complete with dramatic reenactments. Disc 5: Horses of Gettysburg explores the crucial roles that 72,000 horses and mules played in Gettysburg, and dares to explore the surprisingly close bonds that formed between the Civil War's soldiers and the animals they worked with. Disc 6: Lincoln and Lee at Antietam is a close examination of how General Robert E. Lee's battle plans came into the hands of the Union Army, resulting in the bloodiest day of American history, with a bonus program "Great Campaigns of the Civil War". The set is a "must-have" for Civil War enthusiasts and highly recommended for home and library collections alike. 6 DVDs, over 18 hours.

Texas: Highways and Byways
a Dale Johnson film
Trailwood Films & Media
5806 85th Street, Lubbock, TX 79424
978188755047X $19.95 www.trailwoodfilms.com

Texas: Highways and Byways is an extraordinarily enjoyable DVD tour of the places, traditions, and institutions that distinguish the Lone Star State. From Palo Duro, the second largest canyon in the U.S., to the state's undying love affair with football, to the honor people pay to this day to those who fought and died at The Alamo, to Longhorn roundups that still happen in the springtime, to NASA and the McDonald Observatory's contributions to science, Texas: Highways and Byways is the ultimate taste of Texas. Especially recommended for armchair travelers, and as a souvenir to anyone who has ever been fascinated by the state that was once its own nation. 80 min.

Who Do You Think You Are? Season 1
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598284973 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Who Do You Think You Are? Season 1 collects all seven episodes of a captivating new reality series originally broadcast on NBC, in which celebrities work with genealogists, historians, and researchers to travel the world and learn more about their family history. The individuals profiled are Sarah Jessica Parker (who has an ancestral connection to the Salem witch trials!), Dallas Cowboys superstar Emmitt Smith, Lisa Kudrow (whose great-grandmother was targeted in the Holocaust), Matthew Broderick, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, and Emmy-winning director Spike Lee. An extraordinary documentary about the transformative power of learning more about one's family and ancestors, Who Do You Think You Are? is utterly unforgettable. 2 DVDs, 293 min., widescreen.

Xtend Barre: Lean & Chiseled
with Andrea Rogers
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650, Silver Spring, MD 20910
9781598285529 $16.99 www.acacialifestyle.com

Professional dancer, choreographer, and Pilates instructor Andrea Rogers presents Xtend Barre: Lean & Chiseled, a fitness DVD that blends the joy of dance with the health benefit of toning and sculpting muscles for an improved physique. The three segments of the program focus on the upper-body, the glutes/hips/thighs, and the midsection/core. Toning and cardio aspects are well-balanced in this graceful and enjoyable workout, which includes a tutorial segment especially for anyone new to the art of barre. Access to a chair and light hand weights are recommended to gain the maximum benefit from this excellent addition to DVD fitness and toning libraries. 55 min. Also highly recommended is Acacia's yoga DVD "Shiva Rea A.M. Energy" (9781598285512, $19.99).

Power Yoga
Ashley Turner, instructor
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200, Troy, MI 48084-3304
$14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Professional yoga instructor Ashley Turner hosts Power Yoga, a fitness DVD designed to help the viewer experience the practice of yoga for strength building, relaxation, and general well-being. Turner demonstrates yoga poses designed to burn calories and tone muscles, at a captivatingly beautiful landscape overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The importance of proper breathing to cleanse one's body, mind, and spirit is also demonstrated, in this excellent, easy-to-follow addition to yoga and fitness DVD collections, suitable for practitioners of all ages and backgrounds. Closed-captioned, 63 min.

Fresh Fields, set 1
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598285253 $49.99 www.acornonline.com

As originally seen on PBS, Fresh Fields set 1 collects series 1 and 2 (a total of 12 episodes) of the Emmy-winning British comedy about a couple whose two children have grown and left the home. Suburban housewife Hester Fields (played by Julia McKenzie) is ready to plunge headlong into any new challenge she can find - painting, jogging, cooking, pottery, even fencing all captivate her. Her stodgy accountant husband William (played by Anton Rodgers) has no desire to alter his set routine, yet inevitably becomes wrapped up in Hester's adventures. The witty humor never slows down in Fresh Fields, a show without a dull episode. 2 DVDs, 294 min., SDH subtitles.


The Library Music CD Shelf

New Paradigm Global Music
Carlos "Go Go" Gomez
Kidlat Records
c/o FlipSwitch Publicity
PO Box 2207, Bloomington, IN 47404-2207
$9.98 www.flipswitchPR.com

Electronica artist, Latin percussionist, priest, and martial artist Carlos "Go Go" Gomez presents New Paradigm Global Music, an album that blends the best elements of his Afro-Latin musical heritage into an enthralling whole. From the reworking of a Santeria melody in "Aremu Odudua" to the chiming bells of "Law of Attraction" to the "non-traditional mantra" of "Metu Neter", New Paradigm Global Music invests heavily in pulsing beats and timeless rhythms reworked in original ways. New Paradigm Global Music is worth dancing to out of pure joy, and is a vibrant treasury especially recommended for rousing the spirit along with the body. The tracks are "Water Dragon" (10:49), "Law of Attraction" (9:40), "Zen Dance" (6:04), "Aremu Odudua" (8:38), "Metu Neter" (6:26), "Sanctuary of the Pink Diamond" (8:34), "Saraveve" (7:05), and "Fearless Interdimensional Travelling" (7:16).

Grand Isle
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
Produced by CC Adcock
Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$21.96 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Grand Isle is the latest music CD album from Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, with aid from their producer CC Adcock. Embodying the "survivor joy" of Cajun music - the ability to transform the experience of suffering into heart-rending beauty and enthusiasm for life - Grand Isle embodies human resilience, drive, and determination in its exciting Louisiana rhythms. Vintage recording approaches distinguish this highly recommended, one-of-a-kind album. The tracks are "Dancing Without Understanding", "Chatterbox", "This Is the Time for Change", "It's Lonely", "No Regrets", "Pierre", "Waltz of Sorrow", "Grand Isle", "Lyons Point", "Too Much", "Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better", and "Au Revoir".


The Anthropology Shelf

The Hobbit Trap
Maciej Henneberg, Robert B. Eckhardt, & John Schofield
Left Coast Press
1630 N. Main Street, 400 Walnut Creek, CA 94596
9781598745726, $24.95, www.lcoastpress.com

What determines a classification of a new species, and how is it abused? "The Hobbit Trap: How New Species Are Invented" is a discussion of anthropology from Maciej Henneberg offering a study of modern anthropology and the new species theory, focusing in particular on the Indonesian island of Flores, which was nick named the Hobbit, drawing attention from the media. With a careful eye for the scientific method and better practice, "The Hobbit Trap" is endlessly intriguing, fascinating, and highly recommended.

Feasting with Shellfish in the Southern Ohio Valley
Cheryl Claassen
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
1572337141, $49.00, www.utpress.org

The lives of people eight thousand years ago tells us much about our basic nature as a people. "Feasting with Shellfish in the Southern Ohio Valley: Archaic Sacred Sites and Rituals" studies the Southern Ohio Valley and its archeological sites. Cheryl Claassen disputes the common assessment that the hunter gatherer society of the time had little in the way of culture, stating there is strong evidence of ritual and tradition even with low technology and the very real fear starvation and other primal death. "Feasting with Shellfish in the Southern Ohio Valley" is a unique and intriguing study of ancient humanity, highly recommended.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

A Concise History of the Common Law
Theodore F. T. Plucknett
Liberty Fund
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
9780865978072, $14.50, www.libertyfund.org

The history of law in the western world is one that spans back centuries. "A Concise History of the Common Law" traces the history of common law back to the time of the Romans and how it has over the centuries developed into what it is today. The events of conquest, Christianity, the Enlightenment, and more has seriously impacted the events, and Theodore Plucknett breaks down these events into a fascinating study. "A Concise History of the Common Law" is a must for any community library collection touching on the history of law.


The Library Science Shelf

The College Student's Research Companion, fifth edition
Arlene R. Quaratiello
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038
9781555707293, $49.95, www.neal-schuman.com

Research is an important skill in many avenues of life, and that is why it is so emphasized in education. "The College Student's Research Companion: Finding, Evaluating, and Citing the Resources You Need to Succeed" is a guide for college students to get them started on the finer points of research. Effective and efficient research shows in papers, leading to better grades and higher quality work. Stating that internet based sources like Google and Wikipedia can serve as good bases, the best research comes from library use. A resource with plenty of information complete with a web-based companion, "The College Student's Research Companion" is a strongly-recommended resource for starting college freshmen or for library science collections.

Best Practices for Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Courses
Christopher V. Hollister
ACRL
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838985588, $48.00, www.ala.org

Information literacy is not knowing everything, but instead knowing how to find out everything. "Best Practices for Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Courses" is a guide for academic libraries which are offering information literacy courses and how to more accurately and effectively implement them. With many writers offering their thoughts from a wide assortment of universities throughout America, this collection proves to be a treasure trove of information and wisdom. An absolute must for any college library seeking to implement information literacy courses, "Best Practices for Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Courses" is a core addition to any library science collection.


The Self-Help Shelf

Opportunism
Shraga F. Biran
Farrar, Straus, Giroux
18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780374175788, $25.00, www.fsgbooks.com

Taking advantage of things isn't an easy way to success; it's making the most of what has happened. "Opportunism: How to Change the World - One Idea at a Time" is a guide to creating those opportunities in life and to create a revolution of their own, be it of ideas or economy or something else. Too often it has been frowned upon that the opportunist swoops in to prosper, Shraga F. Biran urges people to shy away from such an idea and comes with plenty of wisdom maintaining his position. "Opportunism" is full of wisdom on opportunity, recommended reading.

Teen Esteem
Pat Palmer
Impact Publishers
PO Box 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016
9781886230873, $11.95, www.impactpublishers.com

The weight of the world comes crashing down on your shoulders as soon as those hormones start to stir. "Teen Esteem: A Self-Direction Manual for Young Adults" is a guide aimed at teens for confronting this new wave of pressure in their life and meeting it head on. Answering questions about sexuality, substance abuse, interpersonal relations and the internet, and much more, "Teen Esteem" is a thoughtful guide and excellent gift for anyone about to join the ranks of teenagerdom.

Lucid Dreaming
Robert Waggoner
Moment Point Press
PO Box 920287, Needham, MA 02492
Red Wheel, Weiser, Conari (distributor)
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781930491144, $18.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The subconscious can tell people much about themselves. "Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self" is a guide to the lucid dream and how anyone can access it. Lucid dreaming is a state of being 'awake' in one's own dreams, to have a conscious awareness of what exactly your mind is trying to tell you and what you could really want out of your life. Thoughtful, useful, and a fascinating window to quite the experience, "Lucid Dreaming" is a must for anyone who wants to experiment with the practice.

Make Every Second Count
Robert W. Bly
Career Press
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601631336, $14.99, www.careerpress.com

Good time management can fix so many things. "Make Every Second Count: Time Management Tips and Techniques for More Success with less Stress" is a guide for maximizing one's time for efficiency and getting things done. From eliminating needless activities, the courage to say no, the power of the to-do list, and much more, Robert Bly gives readers everything they need to know to overachieve with their time. "Make Every Second Count" is a thoughtful and very highly recommended read, not to be missed.


The Poetry Shelf

The Secret Admirer
Kyle Flak
Adastra Press
16 Reservation Road, Easthampton, MA 01027
9780982249581, $16.00

Poetry is simply another way of telling a story. "The Secret Admirer" is a chapbook of poetry from Kyle Flak as he uses his own love of word play to tell many a unique tale. Fun and hard to put down, "The Secret Admirer" is not to be missed. "Attic": Remember the attic?/There were eight hundred Halloween masks/up there. And a drum kit./Also: I kissed you square on/the nose for some reason. You, who taught me/how to ride a horse. I could happily/comb your brown hair all winter long/on that funky orange couch we/used to use for hearing rooftop/raindrops. It was classic./And dusty. I wouldn't go up there/alone. Missing you is my/only hobby.

Seizing the Sun and Moon
Louis Daniel Brodsky
Time Being Books
10411 Clayton Road, Suites 201-203, Saint Louis, MO 63113
9781568091365, $15.95, www.timebeing.com

Watching one's child grow into an adult is one of the most prideful and rewarding experiences one can have. "Seizing the Sun and Moon: Volume Three of the Seasons of Youth" is the third collection of poetry from Louis Daniel Brodsky as he reflects on the youth of her daughter and her young life coming to terms with what she will become. Sure to entice many a parent and poetry lover, "Seizing the Sun and Moon" is not to be missed. "Fire": They turn in a fire,/Neither gyrfalcons loosed, on the air,/By an impassioned Yeats/Hoping to see words mate,/Give birth to brilliant trilling,/Nor artful phoenixes/relying on feathered intellection//But, rather, my two precious children,/Whose twin scintillas/form a graceful, soaring shape/Against a blazing sun./They're both Noah's dove,/Which ignites my brain, with revelation./I'm the breeze that fans their fire.

Prophesying the Past
Noel King
Salmon Poetry
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781907056468, $19.95, www.salmonpoetry.com

Through much life and time, there is much to ponder. "Prophesying the Past" is a collection of poetry from Noel King, as he speaks on the subjects of times past with poignancy and thought to his poetry. "Prophesying the Past" is a worthwhile addition to any poetry collection. "Sisters at the Airport": throw arms around the years/spent on the family farm./visitor sister presents a package,/resident sister buys tea/and butters with tears/her mother's home-made brown bread,/fresh from Ireland.

Silver Roses
Rachel Wetzsteon
Persea Books
853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
9780892553648, $16.50, www.perseabooks.com

Some things are simply too good to be true. "Silver Roses" is a collection of poetry from Rachel Wetzsteon, author of three previous volumes as she brings her own blend of philosophy and skepticism to the table as she appreciates the life around her. Smart and riveting verse, "Silver Roses" is not a volume to be missed. "Gold Leaves": Someone ought to write about(I thought/and therefore do) stage three of alchemy:/not inauspicious metal turned into/a gilded page, but that same page turned back/to basics when you step outside for air/and feel a radiance that was not there/the day before, your sidewalks lined with gold.

The Book of Emblems
Matthew Ladd
Wayweiser
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781904130437, $15.95, www.dufoureditions.com

The most fascinating thing to the mind is the mind itself. "The Book of Emblems" is a collection of poetry from Matthew Ladd, as he provides his own musings and way with words on the mind and its pursuits of consciousness in its life. Offering much to think about with his poetry, drawing its titles to the devotional titles of centuries ago, "The Book of Emblems" is a grade-A poetry collection. "Coelcanth": Is it such a crime to stop writing?/We all could burn our manuscripts/and not once dwell on their absence./The world would be free of poets/Then I would be at liberty/to sit all day at the kitchen table/carving toys for my children.

Transistor Rodeo
Jon Wilkins
The University of Utah Press
295 South 1500 East, Suite 5400, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
9781607810025, $12.95, www.uofupress.com

Some poets have a drive for creativity and inspiration. "Transistor Rodeo" is a collection of award winning poetry from Joe Wilkin, a professor formerly at the University of Utah with a particular way for how the world rolls on in spite of our problems. "Transistor Rodeo" is a fun and thought provoking read, highly recommended. "The Parable of the Napkin": I walked over to you sassy/as a waitress you were/tall as a triple scoop of french//vanilla remembering what my mother told me about/women/What does she need/that only you can provide?//I brought you a napkin saying/ it's hot you'll be wanting this

Two
Paul Vangelisti
Talisman House
PO Box 896, Greenfield, MA 01302
9781584980773, $14.95

With experience and love of the work, "Two" is the noted translator and prolific poet Paul Vangelisti's latest work with the focus of opposite extremes meeting. With thought and brilliance in verse, "Two" is an excellent addition to poetry collections. "II:" We always began carefully,/first settling on how many angels/and wine glasses in the deck,/how many stifling afternoons/before any posturing about/you, me or a household of words.

Mapmaking
Megan Harlan
BkMk Press
c/o University of Missouri-Kansas City
5101 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110
9781886157774, $13.95, www.umkc.edu

Searching for what we've never had is a search few know how to properly face. "Mapmaking" is a collection of poetry from Megan Harlan, with poetry focusing on the search for something that is alien to us yet we so want. With a unique style that brings about thought, "Mapmaking" is a fine read and solidly recommended. "Animal Instinct": The Morning's soft, shiny pelt./A bird's worth of restlessness./The heart clattering like hooves on glass./Each hour's exposed, fractured teeth.

The Poetry of William Carlos Williams of Rutherford
Wendell Berry
Counterpoint Press
2117 Fourth Street, Suite D, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781582437149 $24.00 www.counterpointpress.com

Essayist and poet Wendell Berry presents The Poetry of William Carlos Williams of Rutherford, an in-depth examination of Williams' poetry, his love of the Rutherford surroundings, and the indispensable, inspirational value of Williams' work especially to poets everywhere. "In his wish for a distinctly American poetry in 'the American idiom,' Williams was theoretically if always critically a nationalist, but his practice, of poetry as of medicine, was local. As a poet he attempted a practicable local patriotism - if that word by now signifies anything at all." A handful of Williams' sample poems illuminate the thoughtful suppositions and conclusions concerning his literary genius and contributions, in this excellent addition to literary and poetry studies shelves.


The Humor Shelf

I'm Tempted to Stop Acting Randomly
Scott Adams
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9780740778063 $12.99 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

I'm Tempted to Stop Acting Randomly is the latest collection of Dilbert comic strips, known for their utterly ruthless mockery of cubical life, corporate greed, rampant incompetence, gadgetry obsession, and much more. The weekday and Sunday strips from July 26, 2009 to May 2, 2010 are presented in full color (even the normally black-and-white daily strips are colored!) although the true appeal to Dilbert has never been its minimalist art, but rather its laugh-out-loud funny writing. "'We're getting into the financial services game. That way all of our products can be imaginary.' 'Can you give me reliable investment advice?' 'Yes, as far as you know.'" No cow is too sacred and no soul is too fungible for Dilbert and his compatriots, in this mercilessly hilarious collection that makes the perfect gift for any co-worker with a wicked sense of humor.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing
Marilyn Ross & Sue Collier
Writer's Digest Books
100 Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada, L7G 5S4
9781582977188, $24.95, www.writersdigest.com

Getting your own work out there is more troublesome than one would think. "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing: Everything you need to know to Write, Publish, Promote, and Sell Your Own Book" is a guide to those who want to get their work published through the self-publishing avenue. Publishing a book is not as simple as getting it bound and printed, but promoted and sold in stores. From print on demand services to PR and more, "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" is a must for anyone who wants to embrace this endeavor to get their work out there.

The Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent
Laura Cross
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471-0640
9781601384034, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

You can have the best book in the world, but it all comes down to the sale. "The Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent: Everything You Know to Become Successfully Published" is a guide to the aspect of publishing many writers understand the least, the literary agent. Agents can help authors get their work to the next level and get it picked up and help authors turn their love and work into much more. Everything an author needs to know to find the right person with this work, "The Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent" is an excellent resource, and very highly recommended. Also from Atlantic Publishing Group is "How to Publish a Kindle Book with Amazon.com" (9781601384041, $24.95), a guide to using Amazon's Kindle service and how to use it to get your work published cheaply and on the market quickly.

What's the Story?
Rudolph H. Weingartner
University Press of America
4501 Forbes Bouelvard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9780761852766, $16.99, www.univepress.com

Anyone can tell a story, doing it well is the real task at hand. "What's The Story?: Try Your Hand and Learn the Art of Writing" is a creativity exercise of sorts, as Rudolph H. Weingartner gives a description of countless characters who he has created simple little profiles for. The exercise comes in creating stories surrounding these characters to help would be authors get a grasp on fiction writing. "What's the Story?" is a fun and exciting way to practice the fiction writing process.

Riding the Alligator
Pen Densham
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781932907841, $24.95, www.mwp.com

Everyone wants to be a screenwriter and that's what makes it so hard. "Riding the Alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing" is a combination memoir and career guide by Pen Densham for how to succeed more effectively at their careers in a cutthroat and highly competitive industry. Densham's experience is over dozen films and many TV series, and he has come to know the rough road to success and how success doesn't get easier because you've succeeded once. "Riding the Alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing" is a choice pick for the screenwriting aspirant.

The Global English Style Guide
John R. Kohl
SAS Publishing
SAS Campus Drive, Cary, NC 27513
9781599946573, $39.95, www.sas.com

Very few products stay in one country and be successful. "The Global English Style Guide: Writing Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market" is a guide to writing technical manuals that translate easy across language barriers. Calling the style Global English, John R. Kohl states how to create something that avoids questionable words and translates most clearly and easily when a translator sets to work on it, saving time and costs. "The Global English Style Guide" is a must for any business expanding their products abroad.


The Fiction Shelf

The Sleepwalker
Margarita Karapanou
Clockroot Books
c/o Interlink
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060
9781566568388, $16.00, www.clockrootbooks.com

To save a world not worth saving, God may not put up his peak effort. "The Sleepwalker" is a quirky novel where Manolis, who may be the new messiah, is put on a Greek island populated by a wide array of characters who are faced with both their own brilliance and failure of life. With plenty to ponder as well as laugh at, "The Sleepwalker" should prove a novel that is very hard to put down.

The Good-Bye Angel
Ignacio De Loyola Brandao
Dalkey Archive
1805 S. Wright Street, MC-011, Champaign, IL 61820
9781564785947, $14.95, www.dalkeyarchive.com

There are constant conflicts to stand out yet blend in. "The Good-Bye Angel" is a novel from Brazilian author Ignacio De Loyola Brandao, translated from the Portuguese by Clifford E. Landers. Telling the story of the city of Arealva, and the conflict of the community against itself, Brandao tells a story of the drive of people for themselves and their own desires versus the city as a whole, where everyone ends up wronged in some way. "The Good-Bye Angel" is a fascinating dystopian novel, highly recommended.

Paradise Lost
Steven L. Layne
Pelican
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LO 70053
9781589805903, $15.99, www.pelicanpub.com

It's almost like he was a whole new person. "Paradise Lost" is a follow up to author Steven L. Layne's previous novel 'This Side of Paradise'. Chase Maxfield returns to his high school, changing from the somewhat loser-ish individual into a hunky jock. Former most popular kid Troy Barrett faces this new intrusion with shock and curiosity, as the change seems unsettling to him. When the dead start to reappear, nothing is as it seems. "Paradise Lost" is a fun read for young adult science fiction and fantasy readers, highly recommended.

Stone Upon Stone
Wieslaw Mysliwski
Archipelago
232 Third Street #A111 Brooklyn, NY 11215
9780982624623, $20.00, www.archipelagobooks.org

No man is the same person for their entire life. "Stone Upon Stone" is a translation, excellently done from the original Polish by Bill Johnston, of a post war tale. Wieslaw Mysliwski brings his character Szymek Pietruszka to life and tells his story of life and the changes he faces. Szymek, through his many careers and lives, tries to maintain his intelligence and wisdom through it all. "Stone Upon Stone" is a riveting and moving piece of international literature, an excellent addition to any literary fiction collection.

Cute Eats Cute
C. B Murphy
North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.
PO Box 451, St. Cloud Minnesota, 56302
9780878393657, $14.95, www.northstarpress.com

There's no such thing as perfect, and the sooner it's realized the better. "Cute Eats Cute" tells the story of one Sam, teenager of the Midwest as he realizes the truth of the world around him. Caught up in a swarm of new age and environmentalism, he learns about people and what it means to be human, and to take it in all the better. A fun coming of age tale, "Cute Eats Cute" will have young adult readers struggling to put it down.

Wingshooters
Nina Revoyr
Akashic Books
PO Box 1456, New York, NY 10009
9781936070862, $23.95, www.akashicbooks.com

It's shocking that the simple color of one's skin can mean so much. "Wingshooters" follows Michelle, daughter of a Japanese and White couple who move into an all white town in Wisconsin. Ostracized by the town for being half-Asian, she secludes herself with little friends except for her grandfather, who hates the marriage of his American son and her Asian mother. When a black family moves into town, the racial tensions reach higher as injustice quickly enters the equation. "Wingshooters" is a riveting novel small town racial tensions, enthusiastically recommended.

One for Hell
Jada M. Davis
Stark House
2200 O Street, Eureka, CA 95501
9781933586304, $19.95, www.starkhousepress.com

When corruption runs deep, there is little limit to potential for cruelty. "One for Hell" tells the story of a man who comes to a Texan oil town, finds himself with a badge. As the town sinks into corruption, the man uses it to do what he deems fun, even if that is murder. A fun read of classic noir and mystery, "One for Hell" is a choice pick for readers looking for something pulpy.

Thera
Zeruya Shalev
Toby
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776
9781592642663, $24.95, www.tobypress.com

Building someone out of the ruins of the past is something that must always be done. "Thera" follows closing in on middle age archaeologist Ella Miller as she struggles with her professional discoveries as she deals with her personal challenges. As her marriage falls apart and she looks for love anew, she finds her new lover is far from perfect, the wounds of her old marriage are still strong, and her son she can't fully understand. From these shambles, she finds he must build something that works. "Thera" is a fine pick and a read that will be relevant to many women piecing together their own lives.

Face Off
Maureen Ulrich
Coteau Books
2517 Victoria Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4P 0T2
9781550504521, $12.95, www.coteaubooks.com

So much can be weighed on one wrong moment. "Face Off" is the story of young fifteen year old Jessie as she faces the rough task of being a teenager. While everything seems to go the young hockey player's way in most aspects of life, she soon finds that one wrong move can shatter her pristine life. "Face Off" is a charming tale that will relate with many teens.

The Listening Tree
Celia Barker Lottirdge
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
311 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135
9781554550524, $11.95, www.fitzhenry.ca

You can't hide from the world all your life. "The Listening Tree" follows young Ellen as she moves into the city and hides behind a tree, watching the world go by rather than participate in it. But she soon finds she must break her vow of silence, or bad things will happen to those who don't deserve it. A riveting read of coming out to face the world as a child who doesn't want to, "The Listening Tree" is very highly recommended.

Looking for the King
David C. Downing
Ignatius
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586175146, $19.95

The search for truth unites many of the greatest mind. "Looking for the King" follows the Inklings, a circle of scholars that contains some of the greatest authors of the twentieth century. In 1940, two American students of Oxford find themselves searching for the items that would connect legend and reality, evidence of King Arthur and the spear that pierced Christ on the cross. Through their studies and search, they find much on the legend of Camelot and what lies in the human spirit. "Looking for the King" is a riveting novel with solid connections to Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, a very highly recommended read.

Murder & Mayhem at Old Bunbury
Clive Endive Ogive IV
Dog Ear Publishing
4010 W. 86th Street, Ste H, Indianapolis, IN 46268
9781608446827, $25.00

Being exclusive from the rest of the world isn't the best idea when you have murderers in your ranks. "Murder & Mayhem at Old Bunbury" tells the story of exclusive private club owner Clive Endive Ogive IV, providing his usual blend of humor in high society and the many faces of deception that lurks everywhere around it. "Murder & Mayhem at the Old Bunbury" is an offbeat and fun read, a choice pick.

Stars Collide
Janice Thompson
Revell Books
c/o Baker House Books
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800733452, $14.99, www.revellbooks.com

It's easy to act like you love someone when you truly do. "Stars Collide" is a unique spin on romance as Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy, two co-stars in a hot television sitcom, find their onscreen romance becoming very real. As the secret gets out about their wedding on television and in real life, they soon find their secret love far too public. A fun novel of love, paparazzi, and family, "Stars Collide" is a read that won't be easily put down.

The Suspicious Spouse
Keith Jones
Salvo Press
17850 SW Bryan Way, Beaverton, OR 97007
9781609770075, $15.95, www.salvopress.com

Two identities can prove a very useful trick to have. "The Suspicious Spouse" follows Christopher Jenson, a cross-dresser with a sharp mind. He offers loss prevention services as both Christopher and Christina, and soon finds himself wrapped into a murder mystery and finds that he'll need to keep crossing that line in order to save a life from a violent death. "The Suspicious Spouse" is an intriguing novel with an even more intriguing protagonist, recommended. Also from Salvo Press is "Memory Leak" (9781609770136, $13.95) by Trevor Schmidt, a psychological thriller that asks many questions of present and future society.

Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly
Donald Thomas
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781605981345, $25.00, www.pegasusbooks.us

Sherlock Holmes is a mystery icon, and many new authors have taken Arthur Conan Doyle's characters in many new paths. "Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly: And Other New Adventures of the Great Detective" takes the Victorian detective into new mysteries, this time headed by Donald Thomas. As Holmes now faces things beyond the mundane, as Thomas places him at odds with the occult and the paranormal, challenging his normal reasoning. An exciting and riveting read that takes Holmes in a fun direction, "Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly" is sure to please mystery and supernatural fiction readers alike.

Nocturne
Syrie James
Vanguard Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016
9781593156282, $19.95, www.vangaurdrpess.com

Secrets will always come out, and they can spoil the most perfect of things. "Nocturne: A Haunting Story of Forbidden Love" tells of the tragedy of Nicole Whitcomb's brush with near death. Rescued from a snowstorm that blew her off the road, she finds that her savior, Michael Tyler is everything she ever dreamed of in a man, but what she doesn't know will change everything. "Nocturne" is a gripping romantic thriller that won't let go until the story is done, highly recommended.

The Radleys
Matt Haig
Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781439194010, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

To battle one's own nature is a challenge few are up to the challenge to face. "The Radleys" tells of a family in crisis. Parents Peter and Helen have been suppressing their vampiric urges in hopes for a better life for their children, but when the truth begins to emerge to their children who do not know of their true nature, their family begins to fall apart. A fascinating novel that seeks the question of family with a twist of vampirism, "The Radleys" is quite the read and shouldn't be missed.

The Bell Ringers
Henry Porter
Grove Press
841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
9780802145260, $14.95, www.groveatlantic.com

There are things more important and valuable than money to have dumped on you. "The Bell Ringers" tells the story of the burden of knowledge one Kate receives when she inherits her former lover's estate, and the knowledge that comes with it. One woman must face an England that is being consumed by control, and she finds that is up to her to bring freedom back to England from the dark path it has went down. "The Bell Ringers" is an exciting thriller that should prove hard to put down.

The Jaguar Prophecies
Phyllis Gunderson
Bonneville Books
c/o Cedar Fort
2373 W. 700 S., Springville, UT 84663
9781599554624, $14.99, www.cedarfort.com

It's hard to be a messenger with a message even you don't fully understand. "The Jaguar Prophecies" tells the story of Matt Howard, a girl attending a Mayan festival who learns of an unusual prophecy tied to the ancient people. She must warn the world before it's too late, but it isn't the easiest thing in the world to make them listen. "The Jaguar Prophecies" is an exciting thriller of the supernatural, that should prove hard to put down.

Lord of Misrule
Jaimy Gordon
McPherson & Company
PO Box 1126, Kingston, NY 12402
9780929701837, $25.00, www.mcphersonco.com

Tommy Hansel needed money quick. But his gambit will prove much more difficult than he hoped. "Lord of Misrule" follows failing stable head and horseman Tommy Hansel as his last ditch effort to save his stable comes together as a scheme to win races at long odds and huge gain. But as luck has it, he runs face off against other intriguing characters who make his endeavor ever more difficult. "Lord of Misrule" is an exciting read that horse racing fans and general fiction readers should relish.

A Good Long Way
Rene Saldana
Pinata Books
c/o Arte Publico
452 Cullen Performance Hall, Houston, TX 77204-2004
9781558856073, $10.95, www.artepublicopress.com

Adulthood comes at many kids like a pile of bricks. "A Good Long Way" follows three teenagers as they come to terms with their lives. Beto leaves home after clashing with his father one too many times and looks to Jessy for guidance on living on his own, no longer caring for school. Roel, Beto's brother, struggles with the conflicts of his father and trying to make his own way in the world. A story of growing up all too quickly, "A Good Long Way" is a solid and very highly recommended read.

Victim Rights
Norah McClintock
Red Deer Press
195 Allstate Parkway, Markham, ON L3R 4T8
97808899544472, $14.95, www.reddeerpress.com

When trust is broken, everything comes tumbling down on top of it. "Victim Rights" follows Ryan Dooley as he tries to get himself away from his life on the shady side of life with his girl Beth. But when Beth seems to be led astray, it may be easy to fall into what he tried so hard to leave behind once more. A riveting tale that will prove very hard to put down, "Victim Rights" is a thoughtful and riveting read, highly recommended.

In Winter's Grip
Brenda Chapman
Rendezvous Crime
c/o Napoleon & Company
235-1173 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M4M 3P1
9781926607054, $16.95, www.napoleonandcompany.com

The past you put behind you will come about soon enough. "In Winter's Grip" tells the story of Maja Cleary, who abandons her home town after her mother's death. But when her father dies, she finds her departure cannot be permanent as she must face the cruelty that she so desperately tried to put behind her. A story of murder, dysfunction, and the search for truth and justice, "In Winter's Grip" is a fine story and a very highly recommended one.

Mr. Toppit
Charles Elton
Other Press
2 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10016
9781590513903, $15.95, www.otherpress.com

Everyone wants to be famous, but no one wants to be famous when they find out what it entails. "Mr. Toppit" is a novel following the late author Arthur Hayman whose series the Hayseed Chronicles catches aflame after his death. As his family fights another responsible for its surge of fame, the battle becomes fierce and the fame comes hard. An entertaining novel with a grand mix of comedy and tragedy, "Mr. Toppit" is an excellent choice, highly recommended.


The Social Issues Shelf

Major League Winners
Mark S. Rosentraub
CRC Press
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9781439801598, $61.95, www.crcpress.com

Sports are a spectacle that can not only provide entertainment, but much needed economic relief. "Major League Winners: Using Sports and Cultural Centers as Tools for Economic Development" discusses the power that sports and other large gathering places have in helping economic recovery and development. Using the successes of many sports teams in how they help their town blossom and succeed, Mark S. Rosentraub says that these benefits are not a one way street, and that both the sports franchise and the city that hosts them must work together, and how they can avoid the pitfalls and failures that he discussed in his previous book, 'Major League Losers'. Written with much experience, "Major League Winners" will enlighten those to the strong power that private and public partnership can bring to all those involved.

The Food Revolution
John Robbins
Red Wheel, Conari, Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781573244879, $19.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

A diet is about just improving your health, it can make a difference in our world. "The Food Revolution: How your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World" is a 10th anniversary reprinting and update of the famed 2001 book on food politics. Discussing the impact of the American lifestyle and diet on the world, urging people to shift towards a more animal free diet for their own health and for the health of the world, it comes with a very pro-vegan and vegetarian message. "The Food Revolution" is a fine pick and very highly recommended reading.

Agriculture and Food in Crisis
Fred Magdoff & Brian Tokar
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W, New York, NY 10001
9781583672266, $18.95, www.monthlyreview.org

Can the world sustain itself with the demands of its population? "Agriculture and Food in Crisis: Conflict, Resistance, and Renewal" discusses this important problem facing the world. The advancements in food production have not been able to meet the demands of the world's rapidly expanding population. Discussing the problem the world faces in the future, a serious crisis that needs to be answered, "Agriculture and Food in Crisis" asks and answers many questions, and proves to be a thoughtful and very highly recommended read.

unPlanned
Abby Hohnson
Tyndale House
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414339399, $22.99

Certain events can radically change your world view. "unPlanned" is a memoir from Abby Johnson telling of how she shifted her view on abortion. Formerly a leader of a Planned Parenthood clinic, she left her position after assisting in an abortion procedure for the first time and became firmly a part of the pro-life camp. Encouraging those on the fence in the debate and even those staunchly pro-choice to consider her story, "unPlanned" is an intriguing addition to social issues and memoir collections.

Twelve Angry Men
Lani Guinier
The New Press
38 Greene Street, New York, NY 10013
9781595585387, $24.95

Even with America's first black president, racial profiling still reigns strong. "Twelve Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today" draws on the crisis surrounding Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and how it revealed to many Americans a very real reality, where many black men, regardless of their status or own culture, find themselves demonized. From attorneys unable to walk in their own home, being arrested for visiting family, and more, "Twelve Angry Men" analyzes a sad reality that still lives on in modern America.

Genetic Justice
Sheldon Krimsky & Tania Simoncelli
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231145206, $29.95, www.cup.columbia.edu

Where does DNA fall in the debate of civil liberty? "Genetic Justice: DNA Data Banks, Criminal Investigations, and Civil Liberties" discusses the ethics behind the DNA database, which has been amassing since the mid 1990s. Authors Sheldon Krimsky & Tania Simoncelli voice concern about the potentials for abuse of this system, stating that is not only the United States using this method, and that the use of DNA evidence is not perfect and can lead to wrongful convictions and abuse. "Genetic Justice" is a thoughtful and informative read about what is facing criminal justice in the modern day and its relation to civil liberties.

Lives in the Balance
Charles C. Griffin & Collaborators
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
9780815732891, $19.95, www.brookings.edu

When a country is on the verge of catching up to the modern world, every dollar counts. "Lives in the Balance: Improving Accountability for Public Spending in Developing Countries" discusses the importance for watching how a country spends its money when they are receiving foreign aid. Too often money is lost to corruption, and Charles C. Griffin discusses how countries can assert that this money goes to where it needs to go to make a difference. "Lives in the Balance" is a vital discussion of developing countries and the money they need to succeed, where how is more important than how much.


The Money/Finance Shelf

The Roth Revolution
James Lange
Morgan James
5 Penn Plaza, 23rd Floor, New York City, NY 10001
9781600378577, $19.95, www.morganjamespublishing.com

Taxes don't have to be an annual thing if you're smart. "The Roth Revolution: Pay Taxes Once and Never Again" is a guide tot he Roth IRA, a special type of fund that one can pay taxes on once and let grow freely and tax free for the rest of its existence. James Lange gives readers everything they need to know to make a Roth IRA work for them and their families for the long haul. For those who want to plan more effectively for a financial future, "The Roth Revolution" is a fine resource, very highly recommended.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Boone and Crockett Club's 27th Big Game Awards
Boone and Crockett Club
250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801-2753
9780940864719, $22.95, www.booneandcrockettclub.com

The hunt has left many American's lives, yet many keep the spirit alive. "Boone and Crockett Club's 27th Big Game Awards 2007-2009" is a collection of hunting stories from many dedicated hunters as they share stories of their kills and their record breaking game. With plenty of black and white photos spread throughout, "Boone and Crockett Club's 27th Big Game Awards 2007-2009" is a must for any hunting enthusiast who wants to read about the biggest and the best.

The Secrets of St. Anthony's Creek
Mike Rahtz
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
9781571884664, $16.95, www.amatobooks.com

Fly fishing is a whole new game for many traditional fishermen. "The Secrets of St. Anthony's Creek: A Flyfisher's Manual" is a humorous guide from Mike Rahtz combing his own cartoons, humor, and information spread throughout, detailing the finer points of fly fishing. Informative as it is offbeat, "The Secrets of St. Anthony's Creek" is a choice and very highly recommended pick for any would be fly fisher.


The Interior Design Shelf

Arts & Crafts Houses
Steven Paul Whitsitt & Tina Skinner
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764336706, $45.00, www.schifferbooks.com

Arts & Crafts can meet interior design and they meet together quite well. "Arts & Crafts Houses" is a photograph tour of sixteen houses which have embraced the handmade style in much of their aesthetic. In full color, this book is designed to inspire other handcrafts to take the sights they see within and apply it to their homes to create their own elements of their own, unlike any found elsewhere. "Arts & Crafts Houses" is a fascinating coffee table book and will bring much in the way of inspiration.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Universal Dimensions of Islam
Patrick Laude
World Wisdom
1501 E. Hillside Dr., Bloomington, IN 47401
9781935493570, $23.95, www.worldwisdom.com

Understanding is the key to a more peaceful planet. "Universal Dimensions of Islam: Studies in Comparative Religion" serves as a fascinating look into Islam as many writers delve into their own studies of faith, and how Islam and its culture can serve as a bridge connecting it to other faiths for a more understanding world. Insightful and enlightening, "Universal Dimensions of Islam" is a solid addition for any Islamic studies collection focusing on scholarly discussions of the Muslim faith.

Pearls from Arabia
Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi
Berkshire Academic Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781907784026, $19.95, www.isbs.com

Good sense and wisdom transcends history, far beyond any faith or creed. "Pearls from Arabia" looks at the spirit and wisdom of the Prophet Mohammed. Designed as not a religious book but instead a unique study of Mohammed's words as inspiration and light for the modern life of man, "Pearls from Arabia" is something well worth reading for its simple yet complex philosophy on life and its challenges.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Kurikara
John Maki Evans
Blue Snake Books
c/o North Atlantic Books
PO Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94704
9781583942444, $16.95, www.bluesnakebooks.com

The sword was the weapon of choice for the warrior class in Japan for centuries, and may disciplines were founded. "Kurikara: The Sword and the Serpent" analyzes the basic principles that unite these principles of sword fighting, which have heavy emphasis in many faiths of the time, such as Mikkyo and Shugendo. These principles will prove intriguing to many a fan of swordsmanship, as author John Maki Evans, who traveled to Japan and was one of the first foreigners to train under master Nakamura Taisaburo. Drawing on his own experience as well as history, "Kurikara" is a fascinating read with plenty of black and white photographs spread throughout.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change
Peter Calthorpe
Island Press
Suite 300, 1718 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009
9781597267205, $35.00, www.urbanismclimatechange.org

In much of the world, most of a country's population now lives in cities. "Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change" discusses the role of cities in the climate change debate. Peter Calthorpe states that in order for America and other nation's lifestyle to continue with the minimum of environmental impact, we must embrace new methods and new technologies and presents plans for the world up to the year 2050. Drawing on his expertise as an architect, he states our best hope is through designing our own future. "Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change" is a thoughtful and enlightening read, enthusiastically recommended.

Advancing the Science of Climate Change
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, NW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055
9780309145886, $49.95, www.national-academies.org

Climate change is one of the most hotly debated topics in today's science. The National Research Council has placed out a series of books discussing the issue with extra focus on each of the major topics involved. "Advancing the Science of Climate Change" (9780309145886, $49.95) focuses on the importance of advancing science in the continuing research into global warming. With government intervention growing, scientific research is more vital than ever. "Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change" (9780309145947, $49.95) focuses on reporting the facts that have been found on the issue and making it so that the people and politicians are well informed and are fully understanding of the issue at hand. "Limiting the Magnitude for Future Climate Change" (9780309145978, $49.95) analyzes what can be done to reduce the impact that climate change will have on our society and our world. Reducing the impact will be the first step in reacting to the climate change which cannot be stopped. "Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change" (9780309145916, $49.95) is a guide elaborating further on how America can change to meet what climate change has wrought for the country. Managing resources and protecting the people and infrastructure of society are the goals within. The series as a whole provides highly scholarly insight on the dilemma and how to answer it, making each core additions to any environmental studies community or college library collection.


The Criminology Shelf

The Color of Night
L.C. Timmerman & John H. Timmerman
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823225, $24.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

Some evil needs proper punishment. "The Color of Night: A Young Mother, a Missing Child, and a Cold-Blooded Killer" is the tragic story of Rachel Timmerman, told by her father and uncle. Two days before being scheduled to testify against a man who had raped her, she was abducted and found dead a month later with her baby daughter missing. A true story, the authors offer this story to strengthen their stance on the Federal Death Penalty act. "The Color of Night" is a sad yet true story, fueled by the hope that one horrible act can push the law to make a difference.


The Architecture Shelf

Walls
Gunter Mader & Elke Zimmermann
W. W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393732948, $40.00, www.wwnorton.com

Walls can limit your design, but for those with focus, that are simply a part of them. "Walls: Elements of Garden and Landscape Architecture" is an architecture and design guide that analyzes wall in the artistic pursuit of creating a garden or landscape that uses these barriers and limits to their fullest, instead of cursing them as hindrances. Full color photos throughout discuss the walls, breaking down how to use different types of materials, and coming with plenty of inspiration, "Walls" is a must for any designer who is looking for advice for their next project.


The International Studies Shelf

Witness to Transformation
Stephan Haggard and Marcus Noland
Peterson Institute for International Economics
1750 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036-1903
9780881324389, $23.95, www.piie.com

Stories from North Korea are almost far too cruel to be true. "Witness to Transformation: Refugee Insights Into North Korea" analyzes the growing amount of people who are escaping the North Korean regime and the harsh challenges that face them in their attempts to find a new life. Drawn off heavy research from China, South Korea, other Asian Countries and America, this study provides quite the insight on refugee life for North Koreans. "Witness to Transformation" is a vital read for those concerned about international human rights and the conflict of the Koreas.


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


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