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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 25, Number 1 January 2015 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Fiction Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Cookbook Shelf Poetry Shelf
Computer Shelf Botany Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Crafts Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Humor Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Architecture Shelf
Holiday Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Biography Shelf Social Issues Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Sports Shelf Travel Shelf Wine Shelf
Military Shelf Self-Help Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Education Shelf Music Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Gardening Shelf Railroading Shelf
Business Shelf Psychology Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Mathematics Shelf International Studies Shelf
Criminology Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Reference Shelf Economic Studies Shelf Library Science Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Science Shelf Photography Shelf
Anthropology Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Furthering America's Research Enterprise
Richard F. Celeste, Ann Griswold, and Miron L. Straf, editors
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9780309305228 $64.00 www.nap.edu

Furthering America's Research Enterprise is a scholarly analysis of the value of scientific research in the United States, which has led to incredible discoveries and technological advances. In today's era of lean budgets, how can America's cherished tradition of scientific innovation and discovery continue? Furthering America's Research Enterprise examines why American scientific research has historically been so successful, what lessons can be learned from the benefits of these research investments, and how those who allocate funds for scientific research can optimize their limited resources. An especially valuable tool for policy makers and those in private or public institutions that fund research, Furthering America's Research is well-reasoned, plain-spoken, and highly recommended.

The Sibling Survival Guide
Don Meyer and Emily Holl, editors
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
9781606130131 $21.95 www.woodbinehouse.com

Accessible to both teen and adult readers, The Sibling Survival Guide: Indispensable Information for Brothers and Sisters of Adults with Disabilities lives up its title as a practical, non-nonsense resource. Testimony, insights, and tips from people with disabled siblings fill the pages of this positive-minded, life-affirming guide. Topics range from everyday problems, to relationships and marriage, to legal issues and planning for the future. "...neither the US Treasury Department nor the Social Security Administration (SSA) recognize power of attorney when the individual's governmental benefits are concerned. Therefore, if you have power of attorney for a beneficiary who receives Social Security benefits, you must still file an application to serve as his representative payee." An absolute "must-have" for family members of people with disabilities, The Sibling Survival Guide is worthy of the highest recommendation.

Honeymoon
Patrick Modiano, author
Barbara Wright, translator
David R. Godine, Publisher
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, NH 03452
9781567925388 $16.95 www.godine.com

Patrick Modiano (winner of the 2014 Noble Prize for Literature) presents Honeymoon, an original novel about a midlife crisis that gradually subsumes perception of time. The central character Jean B. has spent his life making documentary films about lost explorers; now, it is Jean who feels aimless. He abandons his wife and career, leaving a false trail, and hides in a Parisian suburb where his own memories and imaginings drawn from a past meeting with a refugee couple encroach upon his waking reality. Superbly translated from the original French by Barbara Wright, Honeymoon is slightly surreal, profoundly reflective, at times tragic, and highly recommended.

Paying for College Without Going Broke
Kalman A. Chany with Geoff Martz
Princeton Review
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780804125482, $20.00, www.princetonreview.com

Paying for College Without Going Broke tells how to calculate the costs of college, locate sources for different kinds of financial aid, and plan for financial backing to avoid costly mistakes. The focus is on how to maximize financial aid eligibility as well as how to save for college. Chapters cover everything from picking colleges to filling out paperwork and assessing assets. The result is a solid reader that goes beyond the usual focus on locating scholarships to consider not just available financing, but how to qualify for it.

Daily Zen Doodles
Meera Lee Patel
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781612433592, $16.95, www.ulyssespress.com

Daily Zen Doodles: 365 Tangle Creations for Inspiration, Relaxation and Mindfulness packs in a doodle zentangle drawing for each day of the year, with each page offering a prompt or starting point for using doodles to encourage mindfulness and contemplation. Add inspirational quotes and encouraging sheets and what you have is a sketchbook with a difference: a collection of inspiring invitations to use doodling and zentangle drawing to achieve peaceful meditation results. The result is a cut above your usual craft guide, and especially recommended for new age thinkers and aspiring artists with a purpose.

Indians Don't Cry
George Kenny, author
Edited with an afterword by Renate Eigenbrod
Translation by Patricia M. Ningewance
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M5
9780887557699 $27.95 www.uofmpress.ca

The second book of the "First Voices, First Texts" series focusing on little-known literature by Native American authors, Indians Don't Cry is a bilingual edition the first book of stories and poems by indigenous Canadian poet and playwright George Kenny. Each two-page spread has the original Anishinaabemowin text on the right, and an expert English translation on the left. The stories and poetry vividly portray the everyday challenges of indigenous peoples seeking to survive amid urban settler society. Inspirational and thought-provoking, Indians Don't Cry is especially recommended for public library collections. "Sunset on Portage (from the bus depot): the Winnipeg sun dies / lastly // on the blue logo // of the Bank of Montreal // Fluorescent and neon lights, / man's creation // supplants // God's technology."

The Killdeer
Michael Cotter
Parkhurst Brothers Publishing
PO Box 356, Marion, MI 49665
www.parkhurstbrothers.com
9781624910609, $28.00, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Michael Cotter was born near Austin, Minnesota, in 1931 on the farm that had been in his family since 1876. He was the youngest of eight children and was raised in a strict Irish-Catholic household. However, the barn and fields were a different world, populated by hired men who were hoboes, drifting in during the Great Depression. The tales comprising "The Killdeer: And Other Stories From the Farming Life" reflect those two conflicting life styles, blended together with Cotter's own version of Irish humor. This 240 page compendium is comprised of twenty-two deftly told and wonderful stories. Enhanced with the inclusion of 'Reading Group Extras', an Author Biography, and concluding with a section of 'Questions and Answers with Author Michael Cotter', "The Killdeer: And Other Stories From the Farming Life" is an inherently entertaining and highly recommended read. Certain to be a popular addition to community library collections, "The Killdeer: And Other Stories From the Farming Life" is also available in a paperback edition (9781624910425, $18.00) and a Kindle edition ($9.99).

My Boy, Ben
David Wheaton
Tristan Publishing, Inc.
2355 Louisiana Avenue North, Golden Valley, MN 55427
9781939881045 $18.99 www.tristanpublishing.com

International tennis star David Wheaton presents My Boy, Ben: A Story of Love, Loss and Grace, the memoir of time spent with his beloved and faithful Labrador named Ben. Their enduring bond enriched everyday life. My Boy, Ben is a gentle and sometimes wryly humorous saga of ups, down, and hijinks. The message of God's eternal grace is also subtly woven through the wonderful, true-life stories, in this timeless treasury.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Publishing & Marketing in the Digital Age
Debbie Elicksen
Self-Counsel Press Inc.
4152 Meridian Street, Suite 105-471, Bellingham, WA, 98226
www.self-counsel.com
9781770401952, $18.95, www.amazon.com

In "Publishing & Marketing in the Digital Age", Debbie Elicksen draws upon her more than 20 years of direct media experience as a content creator and transmedia producer to write a 180 page instructional guide designed specifically for authors and publishers working in an increasingly digital world. "Publishing & Marketing in the Digital Age" covers digitally based content creation, publishing platforms, marketing, funding resource development, website creation, blogging, audio and podcasting, YouTube, webcasts and webinars, social media platforms, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, transmedia, and public relations. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Publishing & Marketing in the Digital Age" is an informed and informative read that should be considered mandatory for aspiring authors and novice publishers, and which has a great deal of practical value for even the more experienced professionals within the publishing industry.

The Heyday of Malcolm Margolin
Kim Bancroft
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597142878 $20.00 www.heydaybooks.com

The Heyday of Malcolm Margolin: The Damn Good Times of a Fiercely Independent Publisher is the true-life story of Malcolm Margolin, creator of the cultural institution of Heyday Books, which has served since 1978 as a publisher of books about California - from the tales of Native peoples to hardworking immigrants, from efforts to protect Calliope hummingbirds to knife-edge political tensions along the California-Mexico border. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this adventurous, insightful, and delightful saga of storytelling.

The Book Trade In Early Modern England
John Hinks & Victoria Gardener, editors
Oak Knoll Press
310 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720-5038
www.oakknoll.com
9781584563273, $55.00, www.amazon.com

In the late fifteenth century, the book trade in England was modest in scale and ambition, hamstrung by legislation, centered in London and heavily dependent on its European connections. During the seventeenth century a nationwide market for books emerged and in 1695 the Licensing Act lapsed, allowing provincial printing to develop. By the early decades of the eighteenth century the trade had been radically transformed: it was national in character, better organized and perceptibly 'modern' in its structure. These essays, from recent 'Print Networks' conferences, shed light on this transformation, revealing the practices and perceptions of authors, translators, producers and collectors, the shifting geographical networks that characterized the early modern book trade and, crucially, what these changes meant for readers. Contributors: Maureen Bell, Bernard Capp, Sara Barker, Stacy Erickson, Victoria Gardner, John Hinks, Lucy Lewis, Dan Mills, Harry Newman, Charlotte Anne Panofre, Renae Satterley, Louise Wilson. A seminal anthology of outstanding scholarship, "The Book Trade in Early Modern England: Practices, Perceptions, Connections" is the twelfth volume of the outstanding Oak Knoll Press 'Print Networks' series and provides an invaluable historical overview of how the publishing industry for the English speaking reader evolved into a viable commercial enterprise. Informed and informative, "The Book Trade in Early Modern England: Practices, Perceptions, Connections" will prove to be an invaluable and much appreciated addition to academic library collections.

A Long Way from the Armstrong Beer Parlour
Richard Landon
Oak Knoll Press
310 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720-5038
www.oakknoll.com
9781584563303, $49.95, www.amazon.com

Richard Landon (1942-2011) was the long-time director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto, where he also taught courses in bibliography, book history, as well as rare books and manuscripts librarianship. "A Long Way from the Armstrong Beer Parlour: A Life in Rare Books: Essays by Richard Landon" is a 440 page compendium comprised of Landon's personal essays deftly collected into three major sections: Autobiography; Bibliography and Book History; Collecting and the Antiquarian Book Trade. Erudite, informed and informative, these essays will be of special interest to bibliophiles, as well as those actively engaged in the publishing industry, academic and community library systems, and rare book collectors. Of special interest for dedicated collectors and rare book librarians in charge of acquisitions is Landon's essay 'Who Owned it and Why It Matters: Provenance'. Enhanced with an excellent introduction by Marie Elena Korey, "A Long Way from the Armstrong Beer Parlour: A Life in Rare Books: Essays by Richard Landon" will prove to be a prized addition to personal, professional, and academic library collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Now We Can All Go Home
Catherine Browder
BkMk Press
University House, Room 224
5100 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110-2446
www.umkc.edu
9781886157934, $15.95, 238pp, www.amazon.com

"Now We Can All Go Home" by Catherine Browder is a 238 page compendium comprised of her novellas which envision a future for the principal characters in three of Anton Chekhov's plays (The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, and The Three Sisters), and are all set in Russia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Exhibiting a major literary talent of her own, Catherine Browder does Checkov's novels and the characters that inhabit them a full measure of justice with new and imaginative storytelling that rivals Checkov himself. Erudite, ingenious, original, and vivid, "Now We Can All Go Home Together" is very highly recommended reading and would prove to be an exceptional addition to community and academic library Literary Fiction collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Sex and the Spiritual Teacher
Scott Edelstein
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
9780861715961 $16.95 www.wisdompubs.org

Sex and the Spiritual Teacher is a serious-minded discussion about the problems stemming from sexual transgressions between spiritual teachers and their students. "Spiritual teacher", in this context, can refer to a person of authority in any faith. Chapters discuss topics such as "Creating Healthy Teacher-Student Relationships", "Sex and Spiritual Experience", "Monogamy and Its Skeptics", "When a Spiritual Teacher Transgresses: Responses of a Healthy Community", and much more. "As Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sangye Drolma points out, 'You have to use the same moral standards for an enlightened person as you do for a normal person. Enlightenment is no justification for sociopathic [or other harmful] behavior.'" Sex and the Spiritual Teacher is highly recommended as a valuable resource, filled cover to cover with practical strategies for both individuals and spiritual communities.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Jesus: A Visual History
Donald L. Brake, Sr. with Todd Bolen
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
c/o Academic PS (publicity)
9780310515371 $29.99 www.zondervan.com

Jesus: A Visual History lives up to its title with stunning, full-color photography and artwork throughout. The extensive, descriptive text also paints a vivid portrayal of the land, the culture, and the people who surrounded Jesus. Retelling Jesus' dramatic story from archaeological, biographical, anthropological, and deeply spiritual perspectives, Jesus: A Visual History is thoroughly accessible to browsers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended, especially for church libraries, Bible study reading lists, and personal edification.

Pope Francis: Life and Revolution
Elisabetta Pique
Loyola Press
3441 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
www.LoyolaBooks.org
Goldberg McDuffie Communications
9780829442137, $22.95, www.amazon.com

Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the reigning pope of the Catholic Church, in which capacity he is both Bishop of Rome and absolute sovereign of the Vatican City State. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III in 741, 1,272 years earlier. "Pope Francis: Life and Revolution" by journalist Elisabetta Pique is a 313 page biography of one of the most beloved and influential reformist popes in the 2,000 year old history of the Roman Catholic church. An extraordinary and detailed record of the life and times of Pope Francis, this biographical compendium is impressively skilled research that is superbly presented so as to be fully accessible for the non-specialist general reader. Very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as seminary, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted that "Pope Francis: Life and Revolution" is also available in a paperback edition (9780829442175, $16.95), and a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Billy Graham: Candid Conversations with a Public Man
David Frost
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.cookministries.com
9780781411356, $17.99, www.amazon.com

William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. (born November 7, 1918) is an American evangelical Christian evangelist, ordained as a Southern Baptist minister, who rose to celebrity status in 1949 reaching a core constituency of middle-class, moderately conservative Protestants. He held large indoor and outdoor rallies; sermons were broadcast on radio and television, some still being re-broadcast today. Graham was a spiritual adviser to several Presidents; he was particularly close to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson (who was considered to be one of Graham's closest friends) and Richard Nixon. He insisted on integration for his revivals and crusades in 1953 and invited Martin Luther King, Jr. to preach jointly at a revival in New York City in 1957. Graham bailed King out of jail in the 1960s when he was arrested in demonstrations. Graham operates a variety of media and publishing outlets. It is estimated that more than 3.2 million people have responded to the invitation at Billy Graham Crusades to 'accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior'. "Billy Graham: Candid Conversations with a Public Man" is a 224 page compendium comprised of conversations between Billy Graham and David Frost and provides invaluable insights into Graham's perspective on a diversity of issues ranging from personal fame, family, politics, faith, and personal growth. Enhanced with the inclusion of entertaining and illustrative stories drawn from Graham's earliest crusades, his civil rights activities, and his spiritual mentoring of American presidents, "Billy Graham: Candid Conversations with a Public Man" is an inherently fascinating and informative read that is very highly recommended to the legions of his admirers. It should be noted that "Billy Graham: Candid Conversations with a Public Man" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99), an Audio Book CD edition ($13.35), and in an Audio Book Download format ($14.95).

T.D. Jakes Speaks to Men
T.D. Jakes
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55438
9780764212871, $19.99, www.bethanyhouse.com

T.D. Jakes Speaks to Men provides a fine survey packing three of Jakes' prior books under one cover: LOSE THAT MAN AND LET HIM GO!, SO YOU CALL YOURSELF A MAN?, and T.J. JAKES SPEAKS TO MEN. It takes the concept of manly behavior and spiritual insight and melds the two with devotional reading directed to ordinary men, and it offers discussions of God-based masculinity and compromise that stay firmly rooted in Biblical insight while embarking on a fine journey to spiritual reflection. Christian men will find this a solid series of discussions.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

The Handy Islamic Answer Book
John Renard
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy road, #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
http://www.visibleinkpress.com
KT Public Relations
9781578595105, $21.95, www.amazon.com

Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Allah), and for the vast majority of adherents, also by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of hadith) of Muhammad (c. 570-8 June 632 CE), considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. "The Handy Islamic Answer Book" is a 435 page compendium comprised of descriptive and explanatory information on the history, beliefs, cultures, and practices of Muslims. Deftly organized into twelve chapters ranging from 'An Overview of Islam', to 'Themes in Islamic Spirituality', to 'Islam and Other Faiths', to 'Knowledge, Scholarship, and the Islamic Humanities. Enhanced with six appendices, a two page bibliography (Further Readings), a twelve page Glossary, a sixteen page Timeline, and a useful Index, "The Handy Islamic Answer Book" is comprehensive, informative, and will serve to introduce one of the world faiths to an American readership who might have a distorted impression of Islam due to the barbarities and cruelties of terrorist organizations such the Islamic State. "The Handy Islamic Answer Book" is very highly recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest is understanding Islam, as well as community and academic library Islamic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Mecca: The Sacred City
Ziauddin Sardar
Bloomsbury USA
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781620402665, $30.00, www.bloomsbury.com

Mecca: The Sacred City comes from one of the key Muslim speakers today and reveals the story of the city from Biblical to modern times, considering religious struggles and rebellion surrounding the Middle Eastern city past and present. Sardar moved to Mecca in 1975 for work and completed one of the five pillars of the Muslim faith during his pilgrimage there: his book covers his studies on Muslim faith and Mecca in particular, and includes modern-day challenges as well as its history. Any interested in Mecca ad its importance will find this a fine, detailed survey - especially those studying Muslim history and culture.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Jewish Meaning in a World of Choice
David Ellenson
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd floor
Philadelphia PA 19103-1399
9780827612143 $45.00 www.jewishpub.org

Jewish Meaning in a World of Choice: Studies in Tradition and Modernity is an anthology of scholarly essays by David Ellenson, chancellor of Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion. Writings discuss Jewish life in an open society, the quest for a balanced theology, and the role of rabbis and the rabbinate. An extensive bibliography supplements this thought-provoking compendium of both practical and spiritual philosophy. Individual essays include "An Ideology for the Liberal Jewish Day School: A Philosophical-Sociological Investigation", "Interreligious Learning and the Formation of Jewish Religious Identity", "Transformations of the Rabbinate: Future Directions and Prospects", and more. A welcome addition to public and college library Judaic Studies shelves.

The Sacred Encounter
Rabbi Lisa J. Grushcow, DPhil, Editor
CCAR
9780881232035, $22.95, www.ccarpress.org

The Sacred Encounter: Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality is no light read: it's a key resource on the topic of sexuality and Judaism and provides scholars with a serious collection of articles by rabbis and scholars from across the Jewish spectrum who adds to the subject of religious perspectives on sexuality. Each section blends personal reflection, scholarly assessment, and references to Jewish text, and each covers topics as diverse as Biblical and classical rabbinic views of human sexuality and Jewish law, historical cultural and social changes, liberal Judaism as it pertains to LBGT issues, and ethics. It's the second volume in the CCAR Cahllenge and Change Series and is a 'must' for any scholarly Jewish studies collection.


The Cookbook Shelf

Clean Eating Freezer Meals
Tiffany McCauley
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street
Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455619085 $25.95 www.pelicanpub.com

Clean Eating Freezer Meals is a cookbook designed especially for making nutritious, healthy meals emphasizing natural, unprocessed food. The twist is that all dishes are "freezer-friendly"; family providers short on time can store these breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts in the freezer. Meals can later be withdrawn from the freezer and made ready-to-eat in minutes. Recipes include Mexican-Style Breakfast Burritos, Garlicky Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna Rollups, Hawaiian Baked Beans, Chinese 5-Spice Stir Fry, Thai-Style Coconut Shrimp Soup, Balsamic Cherry Pork Chops, Creamy Mango Popsicles, and much more. Highly recommended!

Cooking Well
Sonali Ruder
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578263721, $12.50, www.amazon.com

Compiled by physician and chef Sonali Ruder, and featuring contributions from Jo Brielyn, "Cooking Well: Anti-Aging: Over 100 Easy Recipes for Health, Wellness & Longevity" is a 176 page culinary compendium comprised of nutritious, delicious, and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes, each of which are as palate pleasing as they are appetite satisfying! The recipes range from Raspberry Almond Chia Pudding; Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pistachios; Stuffed Patty Pan Squash with Quinoa, Grass-Fed Beef, and Spinach; and Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala; to Mushroom Barley Risotto; Roasted Maple Dijon Carrots; Maple Orange Spice Cranberry Sauce; and Dark Chocolate Almond Biscotti. "Cooking Well: Anti-Aging: Over 100 Easy Recipes for Health, Wellness & Longevity" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that ""Cooking Well: Anti-Aging: Over 100 Easy Recipes for Health, Wellness & Longevity" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Happy Herbivore Holidays & Gatherings
Lindsay S. Nixon
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781940363264 $19.95 www.benbellabooks.com

Happy Herbivore Holidays & Gatherings: Easy Plant-Based Recipes for Your Healthiest Celebrations and Special Occasions lives up to its title as a treasury of vegetarian and vegan recipes, suitable for a whole foods, plant-based diet (no oil or animal products, including dairy or eggs). Appetizers, party foods, and entire meals are included; recipes are grouped according to their appropriate season or event, from Thanksgiving to Easter/Passover to picnics, kid-friendly parties, romantic occasions, and more. Recipes include mouth-watering delights such as Stuffed Acorn Squash, Creamed Kale, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, Lemon-Rosemary Meatballs (made with kidney beans, not meat). Highly recommended, as are author Lindsay S. Nixon's previous "Happy Herbivore" cookbooks.

Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Dinners
Better Homes & Gardens
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhpub.com
9780544336698, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Where exotic diets fail, sensible and healthy eating will succeed. Especial with meals planned with the assistance of the "Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Dinners: 200 Calorie-Smart Recipes that Your Family Will Love". This colorfully illustrated, 300 page compendium is comprised of two hundred palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dishes that are as nutritious as they are delicious. Each recipe provides calorie, fat, protein, and fiber information that will prove invaluable. The dishes range from Herbed Chicken, Orzo, and Zucchini; Vegetable-Loaded Pasta Bake; Crunchy Peanut Pork Lettuce Wraps; and Steak Sandwiches with Spicy Aioli; to Pork Tacos with Spicy Watermelon Salsa; Tuna-Nectarine Salad with Bread Toasts; Porcini Eggplant; Miso-Ginger Kale; and Chocolate-Sesame Cookies. All entrees are 425 calories or less; side dishes are 100 calories or less; and desserts are 200 calories or less. Of special interest is the 'Make it a Meal' feature suggesting serve-alongs for every main-dish recipe. Very highly recommended for personal and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Dinners: 200 Calorie-Smart Recipes that Your Family Will Love" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.22).

The Modern Kosher Kitchen
Ronnie Fein
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781592336357, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Kashrut (in English - Kosher) is the set of Jewish religious dietary laws. Among the numerous laws that form part of kashrut are the prohibitions on the consumption of unclean animals (such as pork, shellfish (both Mollusca and Crustacea) and most insects, with the exception of certain species of kosher locusts), mixtures of meat and milk, and the commandment to slaughter mammals and birds according to a process known as shechita. There are also laws regarding agricultural produce that might impact on the suitability of food for consumption. "The Modern Kosher Kitchen: More than 125 Inspired Recipes for a New Generation of Kosher Cooks" is a superbly illustrated, 208 page compendium comprised of fully kosher recipes for dishes that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite. These 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from Seared Tuna Steak Sticks with Wasabi-Sesame Dip; Chicken Soup with Curry and Apple; Roasted Vegetable Hash with Egg and Horseradish Creme Fraiche; and Pan-Seared Marinated Hanger Steaks with Peppers and Onions; to Double Corn Fritters with Scallion and Chile Pepper; Bread and Tomato Gratin; Braised Lamb Shoulder Roast with Chocolate; and a Honey Cashew-Cranberry Pie. As much fun to browse through as to create a family meal menu from, "The Modern Kosher Kitchen: More than 125 Inspired Recipes for a New Generation of Kosher Cooks" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99) and very highly recommended for any and all personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections.

100 Best Juices, Smoothies and Health Snacks
Emily Von Euw
Page Street Publishing Company
27 Congress Street, Suite 103, Salem, MA 01970
Trina Kaye Organization
www.pagestreetpublishing.com
9781624140914, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled by popular food blogger Emily Von Euw, "100 Best Juices, Smoothies and Health Snacks" is a beautifully illustrated, 208 page compendium comprised of imaginative and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes that will please any palate, satisfy any appetite, help with weight control issues, and generally supplement a healthy life style. The recipes range from a Lime and Apple Aura; Herb Happiness; Radical Rootz; Berry Citrus Blitz; and Pina Colada; to Blueberrylicious Smoothie; Curried Carrot Cream; Spiced Mylk; and Peppermint Spirulina Bars with Chocolate Fudge. As much fun to browse through as it is inspiring to prepare delightful culinary treats with, "100 Best Juices, Smoothies and Health Snacks" is truly extraordinary and highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "100 Best Juices, Smoothies and Health Snacks" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.89).

Rock Recipes
Barry C. Parsons
Breakwater Books Limited
100 Water Street, St. Johns, NL, Canada, A1C 6E6
www.breakwaterbooks.com
9781550815559, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Compiled by Canadian culinary expert Barry C. Parsons, "Rock Recipes: The Best Food From My Newfoundland Kitchen" is a beautifully illustrated, 312 page compendium showcasing the very best Newfoundland has to offer by way of fine dining. Each recipe features a succinct commentary, along with an ingredients list and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', step-by-step instructions. The dishes range from Spice Rack Sage Butter Roast Chicken; Maple Chipotle Barbeque Braised Ribs; Pan-Seared Scallops with Fettuccine in Bacon Fennel Cream Sauce; and Spicy Mango Orange Prk and Cashews; to Sweet Mustard and Bacon Potato Salad; Turkey and Black Bean Soup; Strawberry Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes; and Lemon Coconut Crumble Bars. Of special note is the recipe for Chocolate Souffle Cake with Irish Cream Whipped Cream and Caramel Drizzle -- A Gluten Free Recipe. Perfectly showcasing the best of Newfoundland cuisine, "Rock Recipes: The Best Food From My Newfoundland Kitchen" is very highly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Sunday Casseroles
Betty Rosbottom
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781452121208, $24.95, www.amazon.com

A casserole (from the French word casse meaning a case), is a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel. The word is also used for the food cooked and served in such a vessel, with the cookware itself called a casserole dish or casserole pan. Casseroles in the United States or continental Europe usually consist of pieces of meat (such as chicken) or fish (such as tuna), various chopped vegetables, a starchy binder such as flour, rice, potato or pasta, and, often, a crunchy or cheesy topping. Casseroles have long been a culinary staple of the American kitchen. Ably compiled by cooking instructor and syndicated columnist Betty Rosbottom, "Sunday Casseroles: Complete Comfort in One Dish" is 176 page compendium comprised of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly casserole dishes that would be wonderfully appropriate for any and every dining occasion from daily family fare to holiday celebration. Deftly organized into seven major sections (Chicken and Turkey Favorites; All Manner of Meats; Seafood Specials; Market Vegetables; Casseroles Under Cover; Casseroles with Pasta; Breakfast Casseroles), the recipes range from a Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Bacon Casserole; to Turkey Cutlets Baked with Gruyere and Onions; to Cold Nights Sausage and Potato Gratin; to Baked Fish on a Bed of Spinach, Chickpeas, and Tomatoes; to Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmigiano; to Chipotle Chili Baked Under a Cornbread Crust, to Crab-Stuffede Pasta Shells with Orange-Scented Tomato Sauce. Beautifully illustrated throughout with the photography of Susie Cushner, "Sunday Casseroles: Complete Comfort in One Dish" is the perfect addition to any personal, family, or community library cookbook collection! It should be noted that "Sunday Casseroles: Complete Comfort in One Dish" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Einkorn Cookbook
Shanna Mallon & Tim Mallon
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
Dalyn Miller Public Relations
www.quartous.com
9781592336425, $22.99, www.amazon.com

Collaboratively compiled and edited by the culinary team of Shanna and Tim Mallon, "The Einkorn Cookbook: Discover the World's Purest and Most Ancient Form of Wheat" is an impressively illustrated, 176 page culinary compendium comprised of recipes for dishes that are as palate pleasing and appetite satisfying as they are nutritious and kitchen cook friendly to prepare. The recipes range from Decadent Chocolate Chip Belgian Waffles; Curried Cauliflower Puff Pies with Parsley Mint Chutney; Kale and Red Pepper Risotto; and Breaded Lemon Chicken with Capers on Pilaf; to Spicy Salmon over Cilantro Lime Einkorn; Ravioli with Sundried Tomatoes, Capers, and Ricotta; Kale and Cremini Vegetable Pot Pie; and Small-Batch Mini Cherry Banana Galettes. As much fun to browse through as it is delightful to plan meals with, "The Einkorn Cookbook: Discover the World's Purest and Most Ancient Form of Wheat" is truly extraordinary and highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "The Einkorn Cookbook: Discover the World's Purest and Most Ancient Form of Wheat" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).

United States of Bread
Adrienne Kane
Running Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500
New York, NY 10107
9780762450060 $20.00 www.runningpress.com

United States of Bread is both a home bakery cookbook and a treasury of American heritage recipes for homemade bread (some with a modern twist where appropriate). From Oatmeal Bread to Sourdough Rye Raisin-Walnut Loaf to Chocolate Swirl Bread with Crumb Topping and much more, there's a loaf for every occasion! Detailed recipe instructions, useful kitchen tips, and snippets of culinary history round out this baker's treasury. Highly recommended!

Practically Raw
Amber Shea Crawley
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449460082 $19.99 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Illustrated with full-color photography, Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make lives up to its title as a user-friendly resource for "raw" cuisine: healthy, vegan, gluten-free and soy-free recipes that do not rely on processed food. Certified raw chef Amber Shea has created recipes that work well with ordinary kitchen equipment and ingredients. Many recipes have options for variations or food substitutions as well. Easy-to-make culinary delights include Tropic Thunder Smoothie, Buckwheat Oat Biscuits, Fiesta Taco Roll-Ups (the "meat" is made from ground sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pistachios), Cinnamon Crumble Coffee Cakes, and much more. Cooking and nutrition tips abound in this practical-minded, hands-on cookbook and raw food lifestyle guide.

Food Truck Road Trip - A Cookbook
Kim Pham and Philip Shen with Terri Phillips
Page Street Publishing Co.
27 Congress Street, Suite 103, Salem, MA 01970
9781624140808 $21.99 www.pagestreetpublishing.com

One doesn't have to live in the big city to enjoy its walkabout culinary sensations! Featuring full color photography on virtually every other page, Food Truck Road Trip - A Cookbook is filled with more than 100 of the tastiest authentic recipes of street food vendors. Grab-'n'-go delights include Jalapeno Corn Cakes, Spiced Spareribs with Chimichurri Sauce, Traditional Swabian Soft Pretzels, Falafel Mezze Plate, Nectarine Raspberry with Tarragon Pops, and much more. Highly recommended for anyone interested in creating a taste of metropolitan cuisine at home!

The Best Green Smoothies On The Planet
Tracy Russell
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781940363271, $16.95, www.amazon.com

In "The Best Green Smoothies On The Planet", Tracy Russell has compiled 150 delicious, nutritious, and kitchen cook friendly vegan recipes for healthy smoothies suitable for any and all occasions. Opening with general instructions on how to make perfect green smoothies and the best green smoothie ingredients, "The Best Green Smoothies On The Planet" organizes and presented the individual smoothie recipes into nine categorical chapters: Detox and Cleansing Green Smoothies; Weight Loss Green Smoothies; Antioxidant Green Smoothies; Fitness and Energy Green Smoothies; Immune-Boosting Green Smoothies; Calcium-Rich Green Smoothies; Heart-Healthy Green Smoothies; Iron-Rich Green Smoothies; and Mood-Enhancing Green Smoothies. Enhanced with the inclusion of Notes, an Index, and a Recipe Index, "The Best Green Smoothies On The Planet" is a unique and highly prized addition to any personal, family, or community library cookbook collection. It should be noted that "The Best Green Smoothies On The Planet" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

South Your Mouth
Mandy Rivers
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
www.quailridge.com
9781938879012, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Mandy Rivers is an award-winning recipe writer and food blogger. In "South Your Mouth" she has compiled a 224 page compendium showcasing palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, and kitchen cook friendly recipes for southern dishes ranging from a Homemade French Onion Dip; Creamy Cheese Grits; Easy Slow Cooker Chili; Easy Lipton Onion Oven-Roasted Potatoes; and Blackened Chicken Pasta Alfredo; to Butter Baked Shrimp with Lemon; Cheeseburger Pie; Sweet and Tangy Smoked Sausage; Chocolate Mint Cream Cake; Fudge-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars; and Mama's Apple Cider Pie. Each recipe is accompanied by a succinct introduction. A great deal of fund to simply browse through and a simply wonderful resource for menu planning, "South Your Mouth" is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights
Nesta Ramazani
Ibex Publishers
PO Box 30087, Bethesda, MD 20824
www.ibexpublishers.com
9781588140876, $26.00, www.amazon.com

Ably compiled and presented by Nesta Ramazani, "Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights" is a 400 page compendium comprised of examples of authentic Persian cuisine with each individual recipe so carefully laid out that each and every dish is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' for even the most novice of homemakers. The recipes range from Green Plumb Soup with Meat and Herbs; Homemade Yogurt; Sour Cherry Rice with Chicken; Liver and Kidney Casserole; and Pan-Fried Lamb Kabab; to Lentil Rice with Meatballs; Stuffed Eggplant; Green Pea Salad with Yogurt; and Walnut Cookies. A true culinary cornucopia of palate please, appetite satisfying dishes, "Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights" is very highly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.

Basil Thyme Coriander and Other Herbs
Jean-Paul Grappe, author
Marcella Walton, translator
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
311 Washington Street, Brighton, Massachusetts 02135
978155452887 $22.95 www.fitzhenry.ca

"Basil Thyme Coriander and Other Fine Herbs" is a delectable homage to the appreciative use of fine herbs in the francophone style of cooking exemplified by author/chef Jean-Paul Grappe of l'Institut de tourisme et d'hotellerie du Quebec. Studded with stunningly presented color photographs of carefully garnished examples of herb-laced cuisine, "Basil Thyme Coriander and Other Fine Herbs" is the English translation of the original publication in French. Here are many imaginative recipes for entrees and dishes featuring the use of a host of delicate cooking herbs, including dill, basil chervil, chives, cilantro, tarragon, lavender, hyssop, bay, marjoram, lemon balm, mint, mustard, sorrel, nettle, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. In addition to featuring appropriate recipes and presentations, the history and preferred uses of each herb is explored, with identifying color photographs of different variations. Some recipes feature unusual spring vegetables found in Quebec, such as stonecrop in Pike Back with Nettles and Stonecrop (p. 85), or cardoons in Sauteed Rabbit with Cardoons Steamed with Bay (p. 21). In addition to fabulous, lovingly presented entrees, this herb breviary contains many handy special tips and cooking techniques, plus basic recipes for different stocks and court -bouillon, with step by step photo-illustrations of specific butchering or deboning techniques. Finally, a glossary of terms on dark background pages with highlighted blue and white text aids in the demystification of special cooking vocabulary words. So explore this collector's informed sampling of delicate Quebecois treatments of uses of herbs, savoring such dishes as Scallops Poached in Almond Milk with a Savory Emulsion, Shad with Sorrel, Dill Crusted Lamb Chops, Grilled Halibut with Parsley Butter and Lime Emulsion, Cucumber Cream with Basil Tomato Flakes, or even Madeleine Island Lobster Scented with lemon Balm. A reverence for the delicate lacings of fresh green herbs permeates all the pages of this exotic treasure of a cookbook.

Dessert Mash-Ups
Dorothy Kern
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781612433653 $21.95 www.ulyssespress.com

Featuring full-color photography of its sumptuous offerings on every other page, Dessert Mash-Ups: Tasty Two-in-One Treats Including Sconuts, S'morescake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie lives up to its title as a creative cookbook of deviantly delicious delicacies. Each dessert is a distinguished fusion of favorites; step-by-step recipes walk the reader through creative cookery such as Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, Turtle Pudding Pie, Tiramisu Dip, White Chocolate Coconut Pie Fudge, and much more. Suggestions for ingredient substitutions and an index round out this compendium of dessert delights that are sure to be the hit of any gathering or celebration!

Paleo Takes 5 - Or Fewer
Cindy Sexton
Page Street Publishing Company
27 Congress Street, Suite 103, Salem, MA 01970
Trina Kaye Organization
www.pagestreetpublishing.com
9781624140754, $21.99, www.amazon.com

Canadian Cindy Sexton is the founder of 'Paleodish' and in "Paleo Takes 5 - Or Fewer: Healthy Eating was Never Easier with These Delicious 3, 4 and 5 Ingredient Recipes" has created a superbly illustrated, 224 page culinary compendium showcasing simple but elegant dishes that are as easy to prepare as they are nutritious and delicious. The recipes range from Lobster with Tarragon Parsnip Fries; Sage-Infused Mustard and Onion Pork Chiops; Indian Butter Chicken; and Pan-Seared Scallops with Bacon and Spinach; to Crab Meat with Juicy Mango-Avocado Salsa; Twice-Baked Stuffed Sweet Potato; Potato and Hungarian Sausage hash with Fried Duck Eggs; Saffron Steamed Mussels; and Root Vegetable Chips with Coarse Sea Salt. A truly extraordinary culinary collection, "Paleo Takes 5 - Or Fewer: Healthy Eating was Never Easier with These Delicious 3, 4 and 5 Ingredient Recipes" is enthusiastically recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Paleo Takes 5 - Or Fewer: Healthy Eating was Never Easier with These Delicious 3, 4 and 5 Ingredient Recipes" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.89).

The Frugal Paleo Cookbook
Ciarra Hannah
Page Street Publishing Company
27 Congress Street, Suite 103, Salem, MA 01970
www.pagestreetpublishing.com
9781624140884, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Compiled by Cirarra Hannah, "The Frugal Paleo Cookbook: Affordable, Easy & Delicious Paleo Cooking" is a beautifully illustrated, 208 page compendium of wonderfully 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes that are as palate pleasing and appetite satisfying as they are healthy and nutritious. The recipes range from a Tex-Mex Casserole; Oven Roasted Jerk Chicken; Aloha Sliders with Pineapple Relish; and Pot Sticker Meatballs; to Maple Walnut Scotch Eggs; Caramelized Onion Frittata; Roasted Carrot Soup; and Sweet Potato Tater Tots! "The Frugal Paleo Cookbook: Affordable, Easy & Delicious Paleo Cooking" is very highly recommended for any and all personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!

Good Cheap Eats
Jessica Fisher
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
9781558328433, $16.95, www.harvardcommonpress.com

Good Cheap Eats: Everyday Dinners and Fantastic Feasts For $10 or less advocates eating flavorful, nutritious dinners for less than, $10 a meal, and comes from an author who does it all the time. This food blogger has honed the fine art of inexpensive cooking, and offers recipes that are made from scratch, quick to cook, and easy on the pocketbook. From Beef Potpie with Flaky Cheddar Crust to Broiled Bruschetta or No-Egg Spinach Meatballs, these are dishes any cook can produce. Most are accompanied by color photos, which adds value and interest to the presentation.

Baking Chez Moi
Dorie Greenspan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780544176492, $29.99, www.houghtonmifflin.com

Baking Chez Moi: Recipes From My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere explores French desserts and is a pick for any who are interested in French cooking in general and baking in particular. Over five years ago the author decided to interview and write about some of the best French pastry chefs and their art, and set about investigating what ultimately turned into the simpler baking creations rather than the complex, eye-catching chef masterpieces. The recipes here come from several different regions in France and include some dishes one normally wouldn't associate with French baking, such a desert made of corn flakes and chocolate that is familiar to most French children. Home bakers receive chapters divided into easily-digestible themes ("Plain Cakes", "Fancy Cakes") that include plenty of baking basics perfect for newcomers to either French food or baking in general. Color photos abound.


The Poetry Shelf

The Poem She Didn't Write and Other Poems
Olena Kalytiak Davis
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
www.coppercanyonpress.org
9781556594595, $23.00, www.amazon.com

While poetry is the language of love, it is also the language of love lost, innocence lost, youth lost, and aspirations unfulfilled. It is a language that Olena Kalytiak Davis has truly mastered in all its simplicity, complexity, and nuance. "The Poem She Didn't Write and Other Poems" is a 110 page compendium comprised of just such poetry written in a physical style reminiscent of E. E. Cumming in her avoidence of capital letters. All in all, an impressive body of intensely personal experiences that have a universal resonance that is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Poetry collections.

South From Istanbul
Ken Hebson
Green River Press
172 Country Drive, Guilford, VT 05301
No ISBN, $TBA

The first place winner in the poetry division of the 2014 Writer's Digest self-published books competition, "South From Istanbul" is a 35 page compendium comprised of Ken Hebson's free verse poetry. Each poem is a literary gem. Simply stated, "South From Istanbul" is deserving of as wide a readership as possible. 'Weekend Retreat': A couple times ago when I was here / I wrote a poem which i have since forgotten. / It mentioned a pond and lotuses, silence and meditation. / we sat solid under a tiny circus tent, / as our guru played our chakras on this ancient sitar. / Then he talked a bit about our life / and our being one with mother earth. / he spoke of our bodies as water and empty space / that vibrate, resonate to waves of sound, / sounds that can produce harmony or its opposite. / ragas are specific to times of day as are we. / eight periods of three hours, each with its own music, / and tomorrow. then he played his sitar and we sat, / trying to be still, but bothered by the biting flies. / After that we broke for lunch / and I wrote that poem I mentioned.


The Computer Shelf

Microsoft Excel Functions And Formulas, third edition
Bernd Held & Theodor Richardson
Mercury Learning and Information, LLC
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781937585501, $49.95, www.amazon.com

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application developed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. It has been a very widely applied spreadsheet for these platforms, especially since version 5 in 1993, and it has replaced Lotus 1-2-3 as the industry standard for spreadsheets. Excel forms part of Microsoft Office. Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, "Microsoft Excel Functions And Formulas" is a 375 page compendium written by the team of Micro Excel experts Bernd Held and Theodor Richardson. Deftly organized into ten information packed chapters ranging from Formulas in Excel, to Date and Time Functions, to Database Functions, to Working with Array Formulas, "Microsoft Excel Functions And Formulas" is enhanced with the inclusion of a four part appendix (Excel Interface Guide) and a comprehensive Index. Replete with spread sheet illustrations and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Microsoft Excel Functions And Formulas" is an essential addition to personal and professional Microsoft Excel user instructional reference collections.


The Botany Shelf

Field Guide to Wisconsin Grasses
Emmet J. Judziewicz, et al.
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299301347, $29.95, 356pp, www.amazon.com

The Poaceae (also called Gramineae or true grasses) are a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants. With more than 10,000 domesticated and wild species, the Poaceae represent the fifth-largest plant family, following the Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae. Grasslands are estimated to compose 20% of the vegetation cover of the Earth. Poaceae live in many other habitats, including wetlands, forests, and tundra. Domestication of poaceous cereal crops such as maize (corn), wheat, rice, barley, and millet lies at the foundation of sedentary living and civilization around the world, and the Poaceae still constitute the most economically important plant family in modern times, providing forage, building materials (bamboo, thatch) and fuel (ethanol), as well as food. The collaborative work of Emmet J. Judziewicz (Professor of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point), Robert W. Freckmann (Professor Emeritus of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point), Lynn G. Clark (Director of the Iowa Ada Hayden herbarius and Professor of Biology, Iowas State University, and Merel R. Black (Research Associate, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Poiknt and manager of the 'Plants of Wisconsin' web site) "Field Guide to Wisconsin Grasses" is a profusely illustrated guide to the grasses of the Badger State and deftly organized into five major sections (Morphology: Grass Structure; Agrostology: The Study of Grasses; Grasses in Wisconsin Plant Community; Keys to the Grass Genera of Wisconsin; and Field Guide to Wisconsin Grasses). Enhanced with a six page Glossary, a four page list of References, four pages of Illustration Credits; and a eleven page Taxonomic Index, "Field Guide to Wisconsin Grasses" is a critically important, informed and definitive work that is a strongly recommended addition academic library collections, as well as every Wisconsin community library system. It should be noted that "Field Guide to Wisconsin Grasses" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.22).


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something
Jeffrey Brown
Top Shelf Productions
PO Box 5885, Astoria, NY 11105-5885
9781603093484 $19.95 www.topshelfcomix.com

Partly in color and partly in black-and-white, Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something collects a gallery of comics, newsletters, one-off gags, and drawings that were once exclusive to an elite fan club (i.e. anyone who sent creator Jeffrey Brown five dollars). Incredible Change-Bots is a loving, and sometimes uproarious, parody of the "giant transforming robot" cartoons that children of the 80s and onward fondly remember. Incredible Change-Bots takes the surreal to another level when the transforming robots, trapped in an endless war, engage in oddly human relationships. "'Honkey, um, can I talk to you? ...I think I've got some rust. Down there.' 'But... how... I don't have any... where did you get some rust?' 'I don't know?'" A "must-have" for fans of the previous graphic novels, Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something is just plain fun to browse!

Dungeon Twilight: The End of the Dungeon
Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim, story
Art for High Septentrion: Alfred
Art for The End of the Dungeon: Mazan
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
9781561639199 $14.99 www.nbmpub.com

The fourth and concluding volume of the Dungeon saga, Dungeon Twilight: The End of the Dungeon is a full-color fantasy graphic novel, set in a war-torn world populated by anthropomorphic characters and fantastic beasts. Natural disaster and the machinations of a malevolent, dominating entity threaten to eradicate the very air living beings need to breathe. The aged dragon Dust King (Marvin) contemplates that the time for his heroic death may have come, but the brash, strong-willed Marvin the Red has other ideas. Zakutu, daughter of the Great Khan, fights along with Marvin the Red to defend the seven objects of Destiny, while Herbert and the Dust King are captured by the Dark Entity and compelled to swear allegiance. The artwork has a gritty, surreal style that aptly reflects the ruthlessness of interdimensional war. Dungeon Twilight does contain graphic violence and some nudity, and is recommended for adults or very mature teens.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Snow Queen and Other Stories
Hans Christian Andersen, author
Read by Clare Corbett
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
9781843798712 $17.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

The Snow Queen and Other Stories is an unabridged audiobook adaptation of the classic fairy tale for all ages. When the mysterious Snow Queen sweeps young Kay away to her distant palace in the frozen north, Kay's friend Gerda must undertake an arduous and dangerous quest o bring him back! Four other beloved tales from Anderson's boundless imagination are also included: "The Leap-Frog", "The Old House", "The Snowman", and "The Daisy". The Snow Queen and Other Stories is ideal for gift-giving or for public library audiobook collections. 2 CDs, 2 hours 4 min. Also highly recommended is Thomas Hardy's "Under the Greenwood Tree" (9781843798378, $34.98, 5 CDs, 6 hours 17 min.), an unabridged historical audiobook. Under the Greenwood Tree is set in a secluded village where the arrival of an attractive school mistress prompts a grand rivalry for her affections, even as the modern invention of the organ threatens to render the traditional village band and choir obsolete.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
www.latw.org
9781580819633, $29.95 (CD), www.amazon.com

Adapted into an audio play by the team of David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright, and employing a full cast performance under the direction of Alexis Jacknow, "The Hound Of The Baskervilles" is a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience for the listener. Enhanced with music, sound effects, and a live audience 'talkback' with Leslie S. Klinger (editor of the "New Annotated Sherlock Holmes", this L. A. Theatre Works edition of "The Hound Of The Baskervilles" is a solid entertainment from beginning to end. This truly extraordinary production is enthusiastically recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library audio book collections. (2 DCs, 1 hour, 46 minutes).

The Island Of Doctor Moreau
H. G. Wells
Mondello Publishing
Box 13470, Mill Creek, WA 98082
9781940650111, $19.95, www.mondellopublishing.com

"The Island of Doctor Moreau" by H. G. Wells is a true classic of early science fiction and horror. In it, we hear the story of Edward Prendick, an Englishman who becomes stranded on a mysterious island which is ruled by a brilliant but malevolent, overlord, the eponymous doctor. Through this imaginative adventure, Wells explores fundamental ideals of morality and the innate meaning of human nature. With its multicast performance, sound effects, music, and flawless production values under the direction of Bruce Van Deventer, this audio book edition offers the listener a true 'theatre of the mind' experience and is very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections. (3 CDs, 154 minutes).

Citizens Creek
Lalita Tademy, author
Performed by Bahni Turpin and J.D. Jackson
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781480562509 $29.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Superbly performed by the duo Bahni Turpin and J.D. Jackson Citizens Creek is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of an original work of historical fiction. The story follows Cow Tom, an African-American slave sold as a child to a Creek Indian chief; Cow Tom's extraordinary gift for languages makes him an invaluable translator for his Creek master and military generals. The Civil War changes Cow Tom's world forever, but will it bring him freedom? The second half of Citizens Creek portrays Rose, the courageous granddaughter of Cow Tom. Rose fights against political and social injustices that oppress both African-Americans and Native Americans. An extraordinary, inspirational story about not only survival, but also the indomitable will to make the world a better place, Citizens Creek is highly recommended. 13 CDs, 15 hours 43 min.

Vanessa and her Sister
Priya Parmar
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780553398441 $40.00 www.randomhouseaudio.com

An unabridged audiobook production read by a full cast, Vanessa and her Sister adapts Priya Parmar's novel about classic author Virginia Woolf and her artist sister Vanessa. When Vanessa falls in love, it puts stress on their close bond as sisters; Virginia feels abandoned and becomes increasingly self-destructive. An unfolding tragedy set amid the bustle of prewar London, Vanessa and her Sister is powerful, emotional, and highly recommended. 9 CDs, 11 hours.

The Swords of Riverside
Ellen Kushner & Delia Sherman
SueMedia Productions
PO Box 227, Carle Place, NY, 11514
www.suemediaproductions.com
B00NPP418O, $34.95 (CD), www.amazon.com

"The Swords of Riverside" is a multicast performance that combines two novels action/adventure novels. In "The Privilege of the Sword" a young woman ready to take it on and make her fortune in the alluring and alarming world of Riverside. Well-bred country girl, Katherine knows all the rules of conventional society. Her biggest mistake is thinking that they apply here. Katherine's host and uncle, Alec Campion - the decadent Mad Duke Tremontaine - is in charge here, and to him, rules are made to be broken. When he decides it would be far more amusing for his niece to learn swordplay than to follow the usual path to ballroom and husband, her world changes forever. Blade in hand, it's up to Katherine to find her own way through a maze of secrets and betrayals, nobles and scoundrels - and to gain the power, respect, and self-discovery that come to those who master the privilege of the sword. "The Fall of the Kings" is a stunning tale of Riverside is set in the same world of labyrinthine intrigue, where sharp swords and even sharper wits rule. Against a rich tapestry of artists and aristocrats, students, strumpets, and spies, a gentleman and a scholar will find themselves playing out an ancient drama destined to explode their society's smug view of itself - and reveal that sometimes the price of uncovering history is being forced to repeat it. With its flawless production values, "The Swords of Riverside" comes alive for the listener as a true 'theatre of the mind' experience. Enhanced with music and sound effects, complete and unabridged, "The Swords of Riverside" is something extraordinarily special and very highly recommended for both personal and community library audio book collections. (43 CDs, Running time: 45 hours, 10 minutes).

The Quiet Revolution
Jay F. Hein, author
Fred Stella, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781480593374 $14.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

The Quiet Revolution: An Active Faith that Transforms Lives and Communities is a nonfiction audiobook about a little-publicized yet dramatically impactful change in America. President George W. Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative was a program that spurred the spread of faith-based community groups dedicated to helping their fellow human beings. The stories of ordinary volunteers inspired to help their neighbors in need are inspirational, and the efforts of generous people light the way to a better future. Highly recommended, especially for public library collections. 5 CDs, 5 hours 58 min.

The Forest Kingdom Saga: Once in a Blue Moon: Volumes 1 & 2
Simon R. Green
Graphic Audio
4940 Hampden Lane, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20814
www.graphicaudio.net
Volume 1, 9781628510812, $19.99, CD
Volume 2, 9781628510881, $19.99, CD, www.amazon.com

The two volume, 16 CD, Graphic Audio edition of Simon R. Green's "The Forest Kingdom Saga: Once in a Blue Moon" continues the story of Hawk and Fisher, who became immortal during the original war against the Demon Prince. Now some three generations later the Demon Prince is once again threatening to unleash a new demon war upon the human kind. But in addition to Hawk and Fisher, there are now their children and their grand children, and others (including an almost immortal war dog, a ghost, and diabolical weapons as dangerous to themselves as to their enemies) to aid them in their opposition to the Demon Prince. This is a grand saga involving superb multicast performances, sound effects, and music. Flawless production values and a compelling, complex, action-adventure fantasy make for a true 'theatre of the mind' experience. Simply stated, "The Forest Kingdom Saga: Once in a Blue Moon" is very highly recommended for both personal and community library audio book collections. Graphic Audio is a premier producer of outstanding audio book which can be found listed on their web site at www.graphicaudio.net.

Under Drake's Flag
G. A. Henty
Heirloom Audio Productions, LLC
PO Box 362, Thomson, IL 61285
www.hentyalive.com
#66979, $29.95, CD, www.underdrakesflag.com

"Under Drake's Flag" is the story of Ned Hawkshaw who is about to take the greatest adventure a boy could ever imagine with one of the most celebrated heroes in history - Sir Francis Drake! Ned fights off a shark attack, survives a shipwreck, engages in fierce battles on sea and land, and eventually comes face to face with evil itself - the Spanish Inquisition. Experience the swashbuckling tale that pits faith against fear, and helps Ned grow from a boy into a man. Live the Adventure (tm) and board The Golden Hinde for an epic quest of courage on the high seas! This movie-quality audio theatre was recorded in London and features a cast of stellar actors (including acclaimed British actor Brian Blessed), state-of-the art sound design from award-winner Mark Drury (The Chronicles of Narnia audio series), and a stunning music score composed by John Campbell (Lamplighter Theatre, Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, Adventures in Odyssey). An impressive production featuring equally impressive multicast performances, and superbly enhanced with the inclusion of music and sound effects, "Under Drake's Flag" is very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections. It should be noted that "Under Drake's Flag" is also available in a Digital Download edition ($20.00).

Anne Manx And The Blood Chase
Claudia Christian, Moira Kelly, Patricia Tallman
The Radio Repertory Company of America
P.O. Box 8546, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663-8546
0977134245, $19.95 (CD), www.rrca.com

Synopsis: Anne Manx, the galaxy's finest P.I., is dying! Anne trails a cryptic clue to Balduria seeking to save her life. Hot on her tail, the flame-haired fiend, Jean Richmond is going to steal the secret to multiple lives for herself. Jam-packed with fast-paced dialog and two-fisted double entendres, Anne Manx and the darkly duplicitous Brighid, spiral into danger as they try to outwit Chief Arum and the entire planet who are literally out for their blood. Excellent production values nicely enhance a true 'theatre of the mind' experience that is highly recommended for science fiction fans that appreciate a well crafted tale replete with unexpected twists and surprising turns. This two-disc CD edition of "Anne Manx And The Blood Chase" is very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections. It should be noted that "Anne Manx And The Blood Chase" is also available in a Digital Download edition ($7.99).

The Divine Cactus Tea Cantina RV-Mare
Rene Risher-Kelly
Maritime Productions
www.maritimeproductions.com
9780996079600, $44.00 CD or download, www.cdbaby.com

When the road won't stop calling and you're not sure why, sometimes you just need to answer. In "The Divine Cactus Tea Cantina RV-Mare", Bernie packs up her class A motorhome and leaves her career, home and current life in the Midwest after a shocking twist of events. Never looking back, she hits the road on a long journey in an effort to grab a little fun and a whole lot of soul searching. What she finds is a colorful, chilling & unusual, mysteriously intriguing new world as she is introduced to all that is still wild about the west. Winter Texan madness, Supernatural mayhem, Steamy encounters, Psychedelic cross-dressing, Haunted abandoned insane asylum, King Ranch ghost horses, an RV park full of unconventional characters for an unexpected entanglement with all that's odd roaming about in the desert of the dead on her way into the tropics of Brownsville. Flawless productions values underscore deftly crafted and performed original storytelling that is impressively enhanced with music. Solid entertainment from beginning to end, "The Divine Cactus Tea Cantina RV-Mare" is comprised of fourteen original short stories, and five 'infotainment supplements (Musical Intro; Peyote; Huichol Indians (Peyote People); Two Spirt Belief System; and Madhouse Perspective). Solid entertainment from beginning to end, "The Divine Cactus Tea Cantina RV-Mare" is highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections, as well as anyone taking a long haul road trip!

Three Wishes
Liane Moriarty, author
Heather Wilds
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781494503994 $42.99 www.tantor.com

Three Wishes is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a novel about the triplet Kettle sisters, each age thirty-three going on thirty-four. Lyn Kettle strives to balance the responsibilities of work, marriage, and motherhood; Cat Kettle learns a shocking secret about her own marriage; and the free-wheeling Gemma Kettle contemplates whether all her relationships will last no longer than the turn of the season. Sisterly charm and camaraderie fill this delightfully witty story! 10 CDs, 11.5 hours.

Shopaholic to the Stars
Sophie Kinsella
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouseaudio.com
9780385361705, $40.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

Shopaholic to the Stars is narrated by Clare Corbett, who provides a powerful reading to supplement a powerful new addition to her 'Shopaholic' series. Here Becky is newly arrived in Hollywood, starry-eyed, and filled with hope for her family and new opportunities. She can't wait to absorb Hollywood's culture and see a celebrity: unfortunately, her ambition to become a personal stylist to the stars introduces her to the bad side of Hollywood, as well. A fine romp begins, perfect for fans of light and compelling leisure reads and vivid characters.

Festive in Death
J.D. Robb
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781480511651, $38.99, www.brilliance.com

Festive in Death receives a fine performance by Susan Ericksen whose evocative voice brings to life the story of Eve Dallas, who is struggling with homicide and holidays simultaneously. A personal trainer is murdered and a cryptic holiday note left on his body, calling into question a vengeful ex-girlfriend. But that would be too easy: Eve Dallas suspects something more, and her instinct leads her to a list of enemies surpassing even her own Christmas list. This is a fun investigative story that's just perfect for the holidays, and for murder mystery fans - and especially for prior fans of Eve Dallas investigations!

Penguin Audio
Penguin Audio Books
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
http://us.penguingroup.com

Steven Johnson's HOW WE GOT TO NOW (97816117633386, $30.00) pairs a vivid reading by actor George Newbern with an exploration of the history of innovation over the centuries, and is packed with stories of brilliant mistakes that led to fortunate innovations. Connections between different fields, the history of urban areas, clocks, computers and more, and discussions of vivid serendipity make for a vivid listen that accompanies a six-part TV series on PBS, creating a fun and educational listen that any history or trivia buff will appreciate. Stuart Woods' PARIS MATCH (9781611763133, $35.00) is narrated by Tony Roberts, an actor who has appeared on numerous Broadway stage productions and in films, and whose familiar, evocative voice enhances the story of Stone Barrington's latest journey to Europe, where he (predictably) gets into trouble in Paris. An old enemy is pursuing him, while back home a key project is in trouble - with ramifications for not just individuals, but nations. Readers will find this gripping saga hard to stop listening to. Anne Lamott's SMALL VICTORIES (97817611763706, $30.00) is narrated by the author and provides essays that focus on messages of hope - perfect for holidays and their aftermath. They discuss forgiveness and transformation, how we can turn to love in a range of situations, and how one's responses to life's slings and arrows can be modified to make the most of everything. As such, they are beacons of hope in a world of negativity and, when narrated by Lamott herself, become even more powerful messages.

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

James Patterson's PRIVATE INDIA: CITY ON FIRE (9781478985419, $26.00) tells of jack, who opens the Mumbai branch of Private, an elite detective agency, and sets top agent Santosh on a difficult case; the hunt for a killer who is targeting women in a series of chilling ritual killings. The Private team faces great obstacles and little clues in this riveting story of murder, drama, and an impossible city-wide investigation in India. David Baldacci's THE ESCAPE (9781478982807, $30.00) is narrated by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy and provides a vivid story as it tells of a brother convicted of treason and national security crimes who escapes from prison to also become a wanted criminal. It seems up to his younger brother to bring him to justice: the only problem is, others are also pursing him and don't want him to survive. What evolves is a masterful chase and in this respect the audio format brings events to life as McLarty and Cassidy's narration adds a vivid immediacy to events and a tension that excels in audio format. Michael Connelly's THE BURNING ROOM (9781619694262, $40.00) is narrated by Titus Welliver, an actor and painter who has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, and whose voice and acting abilities bring this detective story to life. Harry Bosch and his rookie partner investigate a cold case that is once more alive and dangerous, and find themselves trying to solve a murder that turns into a political hot potato. As they race against time, new evidence and new leads turns the case dangerous and leads to another unsolved case with even more ramifications. A powerful thriller evolves, perfect for audio detective and thriller enthusiasts. Amanda Palmer's THE ART OF ASKING OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LET PEOPLE HELP (9781478982883, $30.00) comes from a musician, songwriter, activist and blogger and discusses the finer art of asking for audience support. While she's been both acclaimed and criticized for this, what she asks for succeeds in connecting her with her audience, friends, and life - and this exploration of relationship barriers and the finer art of asking provides a powerful survey advocating interaction in the new environments of cultural exchange. From philosophy to autobiography and more, this is a fine survey that comes to life in audio and deserves a special place in general-interest audio collections.


The Library CD Shelf

Whispers the Falling Snow
Dan Chadburn
www.DanChadburn.com
Privately Published
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$15.13 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Classically trained pianist Dan Chadburn presents Whispers the Falling Snow, an instrumental, solo piano album in tribute to the joys of the winter season. Most of the songs are improvisations upon traditional and long-beloved carols; three tracks ("Returning Home", "Winter Waltz", and "Whispers the Falling Snow") are Chadburn's original creations. A truly beautiful listening experience, Whispers the Falling Snow is highly recommended. The tracks are "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" (4:27), "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella" (4:20), "Returning Home" (4:23), "Silent Night" (3:44), "In the Bleak Midwinter" (4:18), "What Child is This" (3:49), "Winter Waltz" (3:42), "Away in a Manger" (4:01), "Angels We Have Heard on High" (3:35), and "Whispers the Falling Snow".

Cha Cha Cha
Abelardo Barosso with Orquesta Sensacion
World Circuit
worldcircuit.co.uk
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
http://abelardobarroso.officialstore.co.uk/Shop
9.99 Brit pounds / $TBA US

Available as a CD, vinyl, or high-resolution download, Cha Cha Cha is an album of fourteen of the most widely beloved songs recorded by the "Golden Voice of Cuba" Abelardo Barosso, with Orquesta Sensacion. Remastered for the first time in 60 years, these classic songs reverberate with passion and intensity. The album includes in-depth liner notes, with full lyrics in Spanish and English as well as rare, vintage photography. Highly recommended, especially for classic international music collections! The tracks are "En Guantanamo" (3:01), "La Hija de Juan Simon" (3:08), "Tiene Sabor" (3:09), "El Guajiro de Cunagua" (3:05), "Un Brujo en Guanabacoa" (3:04), "El Panquelero" (2:54), "El Huerfanito" (2:57), "El Manisero" (3:13), "La Mulata Rumbera" (3:00), "Yo te Cansa (Na Teresa)" (3:01), "Macarina" (3:00), "Bruca Manigua" (3:38), "La Reina del Guaguanco" (3:11), and "Triste Lucha" (3:25).

Sanctuary III: Beyond the Dream
Sherry Finzer
www.sherryfinzer.com
Heart Dance Records
c/o New Leaf Distributing Company
$14.63 CD / $8.91 MP3 www.amazon.com

The eleventh music CD of superlative flautist Sherry Finzer, and third album in her solo Sanctuary series, Sanctuary III: Beyond the Dream is a wondrous medley of flue playing, electronic effects, synth pads, and sounds of nature. Sweeping and visionary, Sanctuary III evokes a sense of peaceful journey and reverence for the Arizona desert. Highly recommended. The tracks are "The Way" (8:18), "Hallelujah" (6:06), "Beyond the Dream" (6:00), "Frost Runes" (6:55), "Amazing Grace" (6:01), "Another Time and Place" (8:05), "Wayfaring Stranger" (6:07), "Grace" (6:51), and "Song for Rex" (5:48).

Dawn
Emma Donovan & the PutBacks
HopeStreet Recordings
c/o Press Junkie PR
$17.99 CD / $5.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

The debut album of indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan and Melbourne rhythm band The PutBacks, Dawn is an Australian composition that captures the nation's darkest and most hopeful moments. The songs are closer in heritage to Aboriginal musical traditions than modern soul, flowing with raw, unfettered emotion. Excitedly entrancing to the point of overwhelming, Dawn is an enthusiastically welcome to international music shelves. The tracks are "Black Woman", "My Goodness", "Dawn", "Mother", "Daddy", "Keep Me In Your Reach", "Come Back To Me", "Voodoo", and "Over Under Away".

Kirike
Kasse Mady Diabate
Six Degrees Records
c/o Press Junkie PR
$31.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com

Kirike is an original album from Kasse Mady Diabate, one of West Africa's luminaries of music. A Mali native who moved to Paris, Diabate draws upon the Mali music tradition of griot in his resounding, velvet-voiced songs, performed in the Bambara language. A unique treasure, Kirike is a "must-have" for international music collections. The tracks are "Simbo" (5:28), "Sori" (6:04), "Ko Kuma Magni" (6:50), "Sadjo" (4:33), "Toumarou" (4:33), "Kirike" (5:37), "Douba Diabira" (7:21) and "Hera" (8:11).

Midnight Rhumba
Johannes Linstead
www.johanneslinstead.com
Earthscape Media
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$13.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Midnight Rhumba is a wild and exciting album filled with rhythms inspired from the tropics, and the superlative guitar playing of award-winning instrumentalist Johannes Linstead. Accompanied by Gypsy violin, Afro-Cuban percussion, piano, and even a smattering of accordion, Linstead enthusiastically celebrates cross-cultural musical fusion in an album that virtually embodies the joy of welcoming a new year. A fantastically energetic soundscape from beginning to end! The tracks are "L'Italiana" (3:54), "Radio Argentina" (5:02), "Pineapple Grove" (5:14), "Siempre (Now and Forever)" (5:10), "El Lobo" (4:44), "Balzac's Brew" (3:41), "Angel on my Guitar" (3:47), "The Oracle" (5:44), "Midnight Rhumba" (4:33), "Calypso Island" (3:44), and "Bewitched" (4:49).

Ethnotronica
Ireesh Lal
Privately Published
c/o Press Junkie PR
$TBA CD / $5.34 MP3 www.amazon.com

Ethnotronica is the debut solo album of multi-instrumentalist and programmer Ireesh Lal. Fusing original electronic music with aspects of East Indian tradition and elements of the Western jazz trumpet, Ethnotronica transcends cultures, borders, and genres. A surging, heady mix of incredible joy de vivre, Ethnotronica is especially recommended for connoisseurs intrigued the radical revelry of daring to be different! The tracks are "Electrolounge" (3:55), "Liftoff" (3:54), "Haunted" (3:37), "Novacane" (3:52), "Spirits" (3:41), and "Shooting Star" (3:16).

Gymnosphere: Song of the Rose
Jordan de la Sierra
Unity Recrords
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$16.49 CD / $17.49 MP3 www.amazon.com

Gymnosphere: Song of the Rose is an instrumental music CD, digitally remastered from the original vinyl album that has been out-of-print for over 30 years. A unique creation from a specially tuned piano, Gymnosphere defies classification - cutting-edge for its era, yet possessed of a timeless quality that transcends genres. As much of an exploration as it is a soundscape, Gymnosphere is a "must-have" for connoisseurs. 2 CDs.


The Library DVD Shelf

Get Wise to Portion Size
Learning ZoneXpress
667 East Vine Street
Owatonna, MN 55060
$79.95 www.learningzonexpress.com

Get Wise to Portion Size is an educational DVD for all ages spotlighting a little-noticed American trend... the steady increase in the size of meal and snack portions. Larger portions mean more calories, and increasing portion size is a major contributor to America's problems with obesity and related health issues. A registered dietitian explains why portion size matters, with tips for controlling portion size when eating out or at home, in this brief but informative account highly recommended for public and school library collections. 18 minutes, closed captioned.

Plastic Paradise
A film by Angela Sun
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1941545246 $350.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a documentary about a growing environmental hazard. Due to the motion of water currents, trash discarded into the Pacific Ocean naturally congregates at Midway Atoll, in a horrific, ever-increasing floating monstrosity. How can plastic pollution be contained? Emphasizing the critical importance of recycling, Plastic Paradise warns that the environment is everyone's responsibility, and that humanity cannot turn a blind eye to its own garbage forever. Highly recommended. 57 min, SDH captions.

Groundswell Rising
Renard Cohen, director/producer
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
194154519X $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, Groundswell Rising: Protecting Our Children's Air and Water is a documentary about the spreading opposition to hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking", an extremely lucrative means of extracting fossil fuels from the earth with hydraulically pressurized liquid. Fracking essentially injects a host of toxic and carcinogeous chemicals into the environment, with negative repercussions on the local waterways, wildlife, and communities. The stage is set for a battle of wills between corporate interests and ordinary people concerned for the air and water that future generations will inherit. Groundswell Rising is thought-provoking, forboding, and highly recommended. 70 min. (a 52 min. version is also on the DVD), SDH captions. Also highly recommended is "Oil & Water" (1941545165, $295.00, 78 & 55 min. versions on the same DVD), a documentary eight years in the making about two young men dedicated to making the Ecuadorian Amazon a better place - one striving to clean up a toxic disaster, the other attempting to launch the first company in the world able to certify oil as "fair trade".

Where Am I?
Written and directed by Bruce Mohun
Produced by Sue Ridout
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1941545181 $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

How are people or animals able to find their way, and why are some better at navigation than others? The documentary "Where Am I?" (43 min., SDH captions) reveals what the latest scientific findings have to say about this intriguing topic. Navigation relies on both memory and imagination to chart a path. Originally created for the CBC series "The Nature of Things" with David Suzuki, Where Am I? is as fascinating as it is educational, and licensed for public performance. Also highly recommended is "The Allergy Fix" (1941545157, $250.00, 43 min., SDH captions, licensed for home use only), a documentary about the recent, dramatic rise in childhood food allergies, conflicting scientific theories about what causes allergies and how best to treat them, and innovative medical advances that offer hope to the long-suffering.

Who Killed Alex Spourdalakis?
Written & directed by Andy Wakefield
The Disinformation Company
220 East 23rd Street, Suite 405
New York, NY 10010-4659
9781939517340 $19.98 www.disinfo.com

Who Killed Alex Spourdalakis? is a chilling documentary by the Autism Media Channel about injustice, incompetence, and desperation, which culminated in the alleged murder of a Chicago teenager. Alex Spourdalakis was mute and afflicted with severe autism; he was happy as a child, but as he became older he was beset with gastrointestinal pain and inflammation, and became violent as a young adult. Misdiagnosed by successive doctors, he was put in locked restraints for over 70 days and subjected to powerful psychotropic drugs. Alex's overwhelmed mother and godmother eventually planned to end his suffering through mercy killing, followed by their own (unsuccessful) suicide. A tragedy that reveals the fatal, systemic flaws of America's healthcare system, Who Killed Alex Spourdalakis? is highly recommended. Bonus features include an interview with the filmmakers, a brief success story featurette, and a tribute to Alex. 66 min. plus 17 min. of extras, closed captioned.

Levitated Mass
A film by Doug Pray
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$27.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Levitated Mass (89 min.) is an amazing documentary about a unique work of modern art that is also feat of modern engineering. Avant-garde land artist Michael Heizer selected a 340-ton boulder from a desert quarry and transported it to a seemingly tenuous perch above a gigantic, walled slot in the ground. Dubbed "Levitated Mass", this creation was a triumph of art over bureaucratic as well as physical obstacles, and captured the imagination of thousands of stunned observers, just as the story behind it will inspire the minds of many more. Also highly recommended for art documentary collections is Altina ($27.95, 89 min.), a biographical DVD about a trendsetting Jewish-American artist known for her boldness, her work to aid Holocaust survivors and the civil rights movement, and her inventive creations including the Harlequin "cat's eye" sunglasses worn by stars such as Lucille Ball.

Neigong
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392986 $49.95 www.ymaa.com

Tai chi, qigong, and kung fu expert Dr. Yang presents Neigong: Martial Qigong for Internal Power, a two-DVD set designed to teach the viewer about the traditional Chinese art of neigong (which literally translates to "internal skill"), a practice that involves coordinating movement and breathing and applying Daoist and Buddhist techniques to cultivate and store one's qi (energy) as well as maximize circulation. Neigong can be incorporated into health or martial arts practice; benefits of neigong mastery include increased stamina, the ability to hit with more force, and improved stability. Dr. Yang guides the viewer through a wide variety of exercises that can aid relaxation, assist in meditation, and also supplement personal fitness, culminating in a follow-along neigong workout. Neigong: Martial Qigong for Internal Power is an absolute "must-have" for anyone interested in learning more about the practice of neigong or incorporating its benefits into their fitness or daily routine. 340 min., English narration with English subtitles.

Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
c/o Fit PR
www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Instructor Lisa Wheeler guides viewers in two fitness DVDs from Weight Watchers, the well-known provider of weight management services, are accessible to viewers of all skill and experience levels, and suitable for incorporating into busy schedules. Neither DVDs require any expensive exercise equipment; incorporating a simple set of 3-10 pound dumbbells is optional. "Weight Watchers: 7 Day Tone & Burn" ($14.98, 65 min.) has two 30-minute workouts designed for alternating days of the week, with one day a week set aside to rest. One routine is the Burn Workout, emphasizing energetic cardio rhythm; the other is Tone Workout, which focuses on body sculpting and circuit training. Both workouts play with fitness professionals demonstrating beginner, intermediate, and advanced versions, allowing the viewer to customize the experience as needed. "Weight Watchers: 10-Minute Belly, Butt & Thigh Tone Ups" ($14.98, 66 min.) is an anthology of six ten-minute workouts ideal for targeting specific areas of the body. They can be mixed or matched to taste, and instructors demonstrate beginner, intermediate, and advanced movements for each program. Both DVDs are excellent, user-friendly additions to any fitness collection.


The Needlecraft Shelf

More Quick & Easy Hexie Quilts
Julia C. Wood
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com
9781604601671, $22.95, www.amazon.com

In "More Quick & Easy Hexie Quilts", needlecrafter Julia C. Wood shows how to make hexies from circles utilizing an historical Appalachian method but with a modern flair! Quilters will learn how to create hexies with no papers and no plastic templates! Included are invaluable tips on appliqueing hexies to backgrounds by hand or machine, along with beginner projects that come together quickly. Variety is the key for "More Quick & Easy Hexie Quilts" with quilts that are modern, whimsical, and even a quilt made from men's shirts. Thoroughly 'user friendly' throughout, "More Quick & Easy Hexie Quilts" is a very highly recommended addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Annie's
P.O. Box 8000, Big Sandy, TX 75755
www.anniescatalog.com

Annie's has become a premier publisher of 'how to' books for needlecrafters. Two of her latest and best are (for those who crochet) Dedri Uys' "Amamani Puzzle Balles (9781573675697, $10.00, 64pp) and (for those who quilt) Carolyn S. Vagts' "Learn to Quilt with Panels" (9781573675802, $14.99, 80pp). Replete with illustrations, patterns, and thoroughly 'user friendly', step-by-step instructions, each and every project is a needlecrafter's gem. Both of these superbly designed and presented instructional guides will prove to be immensely popular additions to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections.


The Crafts Shelf

Felt So Good
Tone Rorseth
Sellers Publishing
161 John Roberts Road
South Portland, ME 04106
9781416242578 $19.95 sellerspublishing.com

Felt So Good: 70+ Felted and Plain Wool Designs for You and Your Home lives up to its title as a compendium to creating decorative, functional, and memorable gifts or keepsakes from wool. The wool used can be purchased, or recycled from worn or out-of-style wool sweaters. Full-color photography complements the step-by-step instructions for creating felt envelopes, barstool covers, dog coats, slippers, hot water bottle covers, headbands, and much more. Handy photocopiable or traceable patterns and an index round out this "user-friendly" crafting guide!

Crafting With Paracord
Chad Poole
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
www.ulyssespress.com
9781612432885, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Parachute cord is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes. This cord is useful for many other tasks and is now used as a general purpose utility cord by both military personnel and civilians. This versatile cord was even used by astronauts during the 82nd Space Shuttle mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The braided sheath has a high number of interwoven strands for its size, giving it a relatively smooth texture. The all-nylon construction makes paracord fairly elastic. Compiled and presented by Chad Poole, "Crafting with Paracord: 50 Fun and Creative Projects Using the World's Strongest Cord" is a superbly illustrated, 108 page compendium showcasing craft projects, each with thoroughly 'user friendly' step-by-step instructions. The easy and fun projects range from braids for fun bracelets and watchbands; weaves for one-of-a-kind leashes and luggage straps; wraps for tough knife and flashlight handles; knots for decorative lanyards and clasps; bars for handy ropes and keychains, and much more. Also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99), "Crafting with Paracord: 50 Fun and Creative Projects Using the World's Strongest Cord" is enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library Crafts/Hobbies instructional reference collections.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Collecting Vintage Plastic Model Airplane Kits
Craig Kodera
Specialty Press
99 Spring Street, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10012
9781580072236 $24.95 www.specialtypress.com

Packed with full-color photography on virtually every page, Collecting Vintage Plastic Model Airplane Kits showcases these treasures of pop culture, some of which are extremely difficulty to obtain today. Interspersed with anecdotes from lifelong hobbyists, Collecting Vintage Plastic Model Airplane Kits is the next best thing to spending a small fortune on hard-to-find models! "What makes this kit so collectible? Study it closely. Hint: Since when does the Army Air Corps have blue stars on white roundels? The idea that there was questionable thinking at [kit manufacturer] Aurora is considered a reason, as this one shows."

Vintage Dirt Bikes: Enthusiasts Guide
Doug Mitchel
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
www.cartechbooks.com
9781929133314, $27.95, www.amazon.com

A Dirt Bike is a motorcycle that is specially designed for off-road events. Compared to road-going motorcycles, off-road machines are simpler and lighter, having long suspension travel, high ground clearance, and rugged construction, with little bodywork and no fairings for less damage in spills. Wheels (usually 21" front, 18" rear) have knobby tires, often clamped to the rim with a rim lock. Compiled with an informative commentary by dirt bike expert Doug Mitchel, "Vintage Dirt Bikes: Enthusiasts Guide" is a profusely illustrated, 144 page compendium showcasing an impressive roster dirt bikes that were manufactured over the past several decades. Very highly recommended reading for motorcycle enthusiasts, "Vintage Dirt Bikes: Enthusiasts Guide" will prove to be especially useful to anyone considering acquiring or restoring a vintage dirt bike for themselves.


The Humor Shelf

Wetter Louder Stickier
Rick Kirkman & Jerry Scott
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9781449458256, $18.99, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of cartoonists Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, "Wetter, Louder, Stickier" is the thirty-first volume in their popular syndicated newspaper strip 'Baby Blues'. This 216 page compendium is comprised of the adventures (and misadventures) of parents Daryl and Wanda in raising/coping with their three children: Zoey, Hammy, and Wren. From simple smiles to laughing out loud, each and every strip is a joy. With the occasional succinct commentary giving back ground information to a particular strip, "Wetter, Louder, Stickier" is a "must read" for the legions of Baby Blues fans -- but if this is your first introduction, be warned -- "Wetter, Louder, Stickier" will lead to an irresistible compulsion to acquire and enjoy all thirty of the previous collections! Highly recommended for personal reading lists and academic library collections, it should be noted that "Wetter, Louder, Stickier" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.49).


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Immortal Mind
Ervin Laszlo with Anthony Peake
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781620553039 $16.95 www.innertraditions.com

Also available as an ebook, The Immortal Mind: Science and the Continuity of Consciousness Beyond the Brain postulates the idea that consciousness exists beyond the confines of the physical human brain, or any living organism, and is continually present in the cosmos. The evidence pointing toward the continuity of consciousness includes stories of near-death experiences, after-death communication, reincarnation, and perceptions received in altered states of mind. Authors Laszlo and Peake make a compelling case for the theory that the purpose of consciousness is to evolve through manifestation in living beings. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, The Immortal Mind is highly recommended for metaphysical studies shelves.


The Architecture Shelf

The Pitot House
James Wade, author
Robert S. Brantley and Jan White Brantley, photographers
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street
Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455619320 $24.95 www.pelicanpub.com

Part of the Louisiana Landmark Series, and also available as an ebook, The Pitot House: A Landmark on Bayou St. John is a full-color coffee-table book showcasing a historic work of architecture, first constructed on the bayou in 1708. Both modern color and vintage black-and-white photography reveal the beauty of the architecture and design of this stately home, exemplary of Creole architecture, and the text relates its storied history, including technological improvements added to it as the decades progressed. The Pitot House is a choice pick for architecture shelves or casual browsers, highly recommended.


The Holiday Shelf

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens, author
Zdenko Baisc, illustrator
Running Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500
New York, NY 10107
9780762450909 $18.95 www.runningpress.com

Featuring a wealth of fabulous, full-color artwork with a Victorian steampunk twist, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol presents Dickens' timeless holiday short story, along with the classic Dickens stories "A Christmas Tree" and "The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton". It's the breathtaking illustrations that truly set this deluxe edition apart, vividly capturing the fables' sense of magic, wonder, and mystery. Superb for gift-giving or simply reliving this wonderful yuletide tale, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is highly recommended.

Christmas in Nevada
Patricia D. Cafferata
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166, Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874179491 $26.95 www.unpress.nevada.edu

Christmas in Nevada is a compendium of delightful stories about how people in Nevada have celebrated the yuletide holiday from 1858 to modern times. Individuals portrayed in their festivity range from former governors Bob List and Richard Bryan, to Basque-American writer Robert Laxalt, to ordinary Nevadans from a diversity of cultural backgrounds. Extraordinary tales include the story of three miners trapped underground for 45 days during the Christmas season, Tonopah's "Nevergreen" tree, and Reno's Santa Pub Crawl with lively, costumed revelers. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this delightful tribute.

The Season of the Nativity
Sybil MacBeth
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
9781612614106 $17.99 www.paracletepress.com

Part memoir, part light theology, and part resource of spiritual activities, The Season of the Nativity: Confessions and Practices of an Advent, Christmas & Epiphany Extremist invites readers of all walks of life to explore Christmas celebration on a deeper level. Illustrated with full-color photography throughout, The Season of the Nativity is packed with ideas for everything from unique advent calendars to using one's whole body to learn and reenact biblical parables, to planting bulbs and watching them grow in parallel with seasonal anticipation. An inspirational treasury from cover to cover, filled with spiritual musings to reflect upon year-round, The Season of the Nativity is highly recommended.

Candy Canes and Christmastime
Linda Hoffman Kimball, compiler and illustrator
CFI
c/o Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
9781462114634 $12.99 www.cedarfort.com

Candy Canes and Christmastime: Enhancing the Holidays in the Real World is an anthology of amusing anecdotes and true-life testimonies from a diversity of holiday celebrants. These tales not only entertain, but also help families experience the sacred elements of the Christmas season. From unique traditions that promote family togetherness, to time and money-saving tips, to insightful reflections, Candy Canes and Christmastime is a timeless treasury.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Die I Will Not
S.K. Rizzolo
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781464203020, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

Die I Will Not tells of an unhappy wife and young mother who fears her family will be beset by scandal and danger. Her father was accused of treason and murder decades ago; now a dead editor's secret leads Penelope to battle scandal, risk her reputation and life, and search out a killer. History and 1813 London come alive in this powerful saga, highly recommended for fans of historical mysteries who are looking for a combination of powerful history background and involving plot.

The Treasure of Peta Nocona
Lee Pierce
www.leepierce.info
Barking Rain Press
PO Box 822674, Vancouver, WA 98682
9781935460701 $12.95 pbk
9781935460718 $5.95 ebook www.barkingrainpress.org

The Treasure of Peta Nocona is a historical thriller about an archaeological expedition turned into a desperate fight for survival. Master gunfighter Mace Brown (not his real name) reluctantly agrees to lead a team to survey and study ancient Indian ruins in the Palo Duro Canyon, unaware of the dual threats of a gang of outlaws and a renegade Comanche war chief. Tautly written, The Treasure of Peta Nocona is suspenseful and exciting to the very end, and a treat for fans of the genre.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Innate Immunity And Inflammation
Ruslan Medzhitov, editor
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
500 Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury NY 11797-2924
www.cshlpress.com
9781621820291, $135.00, www.amazon.com

The innate immune system, also known as the nonspecific immune system and the first line of defense, is an important subsystem of the overall immune system that comprises the cells and mechanisms that defend the host from infection by other organisms. The cells of the innate system recognize and respond to pathogens in a generic way, but, unlike the adaptive immune system (which is found only in vertebrates), it does not confer long-lasting or protective immunity to the host. Innate immune systems provide immediate defense against infection, and are found in all classes of plant and animal life. They include both humoral immunity components and cell-mediated immunity components. Compiled and edited by Ruslan Medzhitov, "Innate Immunity and Inflammation" is a 240 page compendium comprised of fourteen seminal contributions by experts in the field of immune system studies. The papers range from 'Microbial Sensing by Toll-Like Receptors and Intracellular Nucleic Acid Sensors; to The Chemokine System in Innate Immunity; to Inflammation and the Blood Microvascular System; to Approaching the Next Revolution? Evolutionary integration of Neutral and Immune Pathogen Sensing and Response. Enhanced with the inclusion of a five page Index, "Innate Immunity and Inflammation" is a critically important addition to academic library Medical Science reference collections and Immune System Studies supplemental studies reading lists.

Behcet's Disease
Joanne Zeis
Mercury Learning and Information, LLC
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781938549403, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Behcet's Disease, sometimes called Behcet's syndrome, or Morbus Behcet, Behcet-Adamantiades syndrome, or Silk Road disease, is a rare immune-mediated small-vessel systemic vasculitis that often presents with mucous membrane ulceration and ocular problems. Behcet's disease (BD) was named in 1937 after the Turkish dermatologist Hulusi Behcet, who first described the triple-symptom complex of recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, and uveitis. As a systemic disease, it can also involve visceral organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, pulmonary, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and neurological systems. This syndrome can be fatal due to ruptured vascular aneurysms or severe neurological complications. "Behcet's Disease" by BD expert Joanne Zeis is a 125 page compendium the provides a history, explanation, and description of this ailment in the United States and Western European countries. Of special note are the descriptions of diagnostic features, as well as information on medications both current and in development. Enhanced with the inclusion of an accompanying disc containing figures, photographs, and web links to references in the text and other sources of information, "Behcet's Disease" is strongly recommended for academic and medical center reference collections in general, and medical professionals dealing with cases of Bechet's Disease in particular. It should be noted that "Behcet's Disease" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.95).

Losing Patience
James Peinkofer, LCSW
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
www.newhorizonpressbooks.com
9780882824789, $15.95, www.amazon.com

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a constellation of medical findings: subdural hematoma, retinal bleeding, fractures, and cerebral edema from which physicians, consistent with current medical understanding, infer child abuse caused by violent shaking. In a majority of cases there is no visible sign of external injury. Shaken baby syndrome is, a subset of the broader form of child abuse termed abusive head trauma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies SBS as 'an injury to the skull or intracranial contents of an infant or young child (< 5 years of age) due to inflicted blunt impact and/or violent shaking'. Knowledgeably written by SBS expert James Peinkofer (who draws upon his more than eighteen years of professional experience and expertise in the field of medical and mental health clinical social work), "Losing Patience: The Problems, Alarms and Psychological Issues of Shaken Baby Syndrome" is a 240 page compendium that identifies which infants and children are most vulnerable to SBS; what to look for (and look out for) in a caregiver; and what families should do if they suspect SBS is occurring. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Losing Patience: The Problems, Alarms and Psychological Issues of Shaken Baby Syndrome" is critically important reading for family members and friends having to deal with SBS issues, and is a critically important addition to community library Health & Medicine reference collections. It should be noted that "Losing Patience: The Problems, Alarms and Psychological Issues of Shaken Baby Syndrome" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.91).

Natural Remedies for Inflammation
Christopher Vasey, N.D.
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781620553237 $14.95 www.innertraditions.com

Natural Remedies for Inflammation lives up to its title as a resource of 33 natural remedies for common inflammatory maladies, including asthma, allergies, hay fever, colitis, arthritis, eczema, and more conditions. A medical disclaimer warns that Natural Remedies for Inflammation is expressly intended to supplement the care of a trained doctor, and cannot substitute for the judgment of a medical professional; with that understood, the plain-terms recommendations are simple and thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Color illustrations enhance the down-to-earth suggestions ranging from anti-inflammatory plants to dietary recommendations to hydrotherapy. An excellent, user-friendly pick.


The Biography Shelf

Mark Twain's Mississippi River
Peter Schilling Jr.
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
www.hbgusa.com
9780760345504 $30.00 www.voyageurpress.com

Featuring vintage black-and-white as well as modern full-color photography throughout, Mark Twain's Mississippi River is a memorable coffee-table biography of the classic American author, accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Particular emphasis is placed on Mark Twain's days as a steamboat pilot, a life experience that brought him close to the river - both its friendly side facilitating commerce and its dark side from flooding to its use in transporting slaves. Twain's connection to the river would ultimately be reflected in his literary masterpieces and legacy to future generations. Mark Twain's Mississippi River is a fascinating browse, and a welcome addition to public library biography and literary studies collections.

Theo: An Autobiography
Theodore Bikel
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor
Madison, WI 53711-2059
978029900548 $26.95 www.uwpress.wisc.edu

Theo: An Autobiography With Reflections Upon My Ninetieth Year is the self-told life story of award-winning actor, singer, and progressive activist Theodore Bikel. Now in a new edition celebrating Bikel's ninetieth birthday, Theo: An Autobiography includes both the original 2002 postscript and a new 2014 postscript reflecting upon the decades. An index rounds out this striking portrait, notable for Bikel's recollections of monumental events in twentieth century history (such as the rise of the Third Reich, the inception of the nation of Israel, the McCarthy paranoia of the 1950s, and the turbulent 1960s). Highly recommended for public and college library biography shelves.

The View from the Back of the Band
Chris Smith
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336
Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574415742 $24.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis is a biography of legendary jazz drummer Mel Lewis (1929-1990), born Melvin Sokoloff to Jewish-Russian immigrants in Buffalo, New York. A full-time professional musician by age 17, Mel Lewis was a master of attuning his drumming to support virtually any turn of music. He was well-known as a fellow band member of Stan Kenton and Thad Jones, yet perhaps his greatest legacy was his time spent mentoring young musicians, as well as his hundreds of sideman recordings. An index and selected discography supplement this superbly engaging portrait of a vibrant musician's life, passions, and achievements.

Measure of a Man
Martin Greenfield & Wynton Hall
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781621572664, $27.99, www.regnery.com

MEASURE OF A MAN: FROM AUSCHWITZ SURVIVOR TO PRESIDENTS' TAILOR provides the powerful story of a man who began sewing in Auschwitz at age 15, mending the shirt of the SS guard who had just beaten him. He not only survived his imprisonment, but today is known as "America's Greatest Living Tailor', and this autobiography is his story of how he survived four concentration camps to forge a new life for himself. Chapters consider how he began his new life and career in New York, how he rose to become involved with presidents and stars, and how he kept his spark and preserved his life. From his insistence on high standards to his reliance on a sense of humor, Martin Greenfield the clothier evolved to make a difference in the world, and this survey of his career will serve as inspirational testimony to tenacity and the will to survive.


The Social Issues Shelf

Social Justice and the Indian Rope Trick
Anthony de Jasay, author
Hartmut Kliemt, editor
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Indianapolis, IN 46250
www.libertyfund.org
9780865978843, $22.68, www.amazon.com

Anthony de Jasay was born at Aba, Hungary in 1925 and was educated at Szekesfehervar and Budapest, taking a degree in Agriculture. In 1947-48 he worked as a free-lance journalist, his activity forcing him to flee from the country in 1948. After two years in Austria, he emigrated to Australia in 1950 and took a part-time course in Economics at the University of Western Australia. Winning a Hackett Studentship, he went to Oxford in 1955 and was elected a research fellow of Nuffield College where he stayed till 1962, publishing papers in the Economic Journal, the Journal of Political Economy and other scholarly journals. In 1962 he moved to Paris and worked there as a banker, first in an executive capacity and then on his own account, till 1979, doing investment business in several European countries and the United States. In 1979, he retired to the Normandy coast where he still lives. He has a wife, three children, and three grandchildren. While his initial interest and training were in economics, he has later turned to political philosophy, and his writings draw on both. He has published five books, several of which have been translated into a total of six languages, as well as numerous articles, mainly in English but also in French and German. Anthony de Jasay writes Reflections from Europe, a monthly column for The Library of Economics and Liberty. "Social Justice and the Indian Rope Trick" is a 200 page compendium comprised of papers written by Anthony de Jasay on the subjects of social justice and economics. Erudite, informed, informative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, "Social Justice and the Indian Rope Trick" very highly recommended for community and academic library collections, as well as supplemental reading lists in Economics and Social Justice studies curriculums. It should be noted that "Social Justice and the Indian Rope Trick" is also available in a paperback edition (9780865978850, $14.50).

Defending Beef
Nicolette Hahn Niman
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120, White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603585361, $19.95, www.chelseagreen.com

Defending Beef: The Case for Sustainable Meat Production comes from an environmental lawyer and vegetarian who became a cattle rancher, and dispels popular myths of how cattle are bad for the planet. It gathers scientific data and examples from around the world to argue that cattle can help build carbon-sequestering soils to enhance biodiversity and prevent desertification, and it makes a convincing if not unusual argument for beef production at a time when the case has been all but closed against it. With its unusual focus, this is a top pick for any interested in sustainable food production in general who want to consider beef production in a new light.

The Occupy Movement Explained
Nicholas Smaligo
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812698558, $21.95, www.opencourt.com

The Occupy Movement Explained: From Corporate Control to Democracy blends personal and political accounts of Occupy Wall Street and other movements, and connects this to wider social issues. Its purpose is to clear up misconceptions of the Occupy manifesto, create a clear map of its history as a nation-wide movement, and document the reasons behind its waning as a popular resistance tool. Any interested in Occupy's history or culture - especially high school to college-level social and political issues holdings - needs this!

Who Killed the American Family?
Phyllis Schlafly
WND Books
9781938067525 $26.95 wndbooks.com

Prominent conservative spokeswoman Phyllis Schlafly presents Who Killed the American Family?, a sharp indictment of both individual and institutional attacks on the American nuclear family. Schlafly denounces a society saturated with media that promotes a "hookup" culture, encouraging young people to cohabitate instead of marry; the "it takes a village to raise a child" idea imported from Africa (when the truth is that African children are much more likely to survive if they have a living mother); legal bureaucracy that punishes fathers and husbands; financial incentives that undermine the family bond; and much more. "The federal Bradley Amendment takes us back to the cruel days of debtors' prisons. It forbids a child-support debt from being retroactively reduced or forgiven. The courts must enforce payment regardless of any change in a father's income, whether he is sent to war or locked up in prison, unemployed or hospitalized or even dead, even if DNA proves he is not the father, and even if he is never allowed to see his children." Though not all readers may agree with Schafly's severe criticism of feminists or the LGBT community, her writing does shine harsh light upon America's social ills. Who Killed the American Family? is worth reading regardless of one's political persuasion, as it points out problems that need to be addressed - or else the next generation of American families will pay the price.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Compulsion: Heirs of Watson Island
Martina Boone
marthaboone.com
Simon Pulse
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 4th floor
New York, NY 10020
9781481411226 $17.99 www.kids.simonandschuster.com

Suitable for teen or adult readers, Compulsion: Heirs of Watson Island is a dark fantasy about a generations-long curse. When Barrie Watson's mother passes on, Barrie trades the confinement of her childhood home for a different type of imprisonment at her aunt's South Carolina plantation. An ancient spirit's curse lingers, manifesting in magical gifts that double as irresistible compulsions. As the last Watson heir, Barrie must unravel the mystery of her lineage's darkest secrets, and face off against hidden enemies, if she is ever to win her own freedom. Shadowy and introspective, Compulsion is as fascinating as it is thought-provoking.

The Ice Dragon
George R.R. Martin
Tor Teen
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765378774, $14.99, www.tor-forge.com

THE ICE DRAGON tells of winter child Adara, who isn't afraid of the winter or the ice dragon that terrifies others, but has always been in her life. In her fourth year she touched it, in her fifth she rode it, and in her seventh, she finds that only the love between she and her ice dragon an keep the fire dragons from destroying the world. If the setting sounds familiar, it's because adults have enjoyed the Song of Ice and Fire series. Now teen and adult readers have access to the vivid tale, in a new edition enriched by lovely black and white drawings by Luis Royo.

Stranger
Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780470014804, $18.99, www.penguin.com/teens

While billed for a teen audience, STRANGER is recommended here because it shouldn't be missed by any adult fan of scifi: it's a dystopian novel that is engrossing and revolves around Ross, a prospector who lives in a post-apocalyptic works where people possess strange powers, from super strength to the ability to warp time itself, and where an ancient book holds keys to a new future. Ross escapes with his artifact, which holds a power nobody has seen before; but his discover will bring with it a world of hurt. The story is detailed, well drawn, and compelling: it would be shame to limit this to young adults because there's plenty of complexity and action suitable for adult readers, and recommended for both audiences.

Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com

Three novels in the new Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson offer epic adventure and a powerful quest that will especially attract readers interested in compelling sci-fi and fantasy reads. MISTBORN (9780765377135, $12.99) opens the quartet with a startling premise: a hero once tried to save the world - and failed - resulting in its devastation. A thousand years have since gone by, and a new, younger hero and a new threat arise once more to change the future of this world. Can hope survive and can past patterns change? THE WELL OF ASCENSION (9780765377142, $12.99) provides Book Two of the story, which tells of a street urchin who has grown into the most powerful Mistborn in the land. It's up to her and a young nobleman who loves her to build an empire - but attacking adversaries are threatening everything they've achieved. THE HERO OF AGES (9780765377159, $12.99) completes the trilogy and shows how a single action can return evil into the world, even though the best of intentions are behind it. Vin has been tricked into releasing the mystic force from the Well of Ascension and a series of clues may be the only thing between saving and destroying the world. The trilogy is epic science fiction adventure at its best, and will reach young adult to adult audiences alike.


The Sports Shelf

The Days of Roger Federer
Randy Walker
New Chapter Press
1175 York Ave., Suite #3, New York, NY 10065
c/o Independent Publishers Group (dist.)
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.ipgbook.com
9781937559373 $19.95 www.NewChapterMedia.com

The Days of Roger Federer is a celebration of the athletic career and legacy of Swiss professional tennis player Roger Federer, currently ranked #2 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals. Written in a unique day-by-day format, The Days of Roger Federer isn't journal-style, or in chronological order; instead, every day from January 1st to December 31st has multiple entries describing momentous events in Federer's storied career on that specific day, during various years. Interspersing the fact-filled sports highlights are author Randy Walker's brief insights and commentary, or occasional quotes from Federer himself. "Many pinpoint Roger Federer's first-round loss to Mario Ancic as one of the worst losses of his career, but years after the loss, Federer said it taught him a valuable lesson. Said Federer, 'What it taught me was not to underestimate any opponent, no matter where they're from, what technique they have, what ranking they have.'" Equally enjoyable to browse in short bursts or all at once, The Days of Roger Federer is enthusiastically recommended for tennis fans.

Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.humankinetics.com

Dan Trink's HIGH-INTENSITY 300 (9781450455275, $22.95) is an unusual pick for exercisers in that it encourages readers to choose workouts that will meet specific strength and conditioning goals. Thus, the 300 workouts examining the most challenging of such programs isn't about using them all; but about understanding their approaches. Detailed directions, photos and training trips accompany discussions of difficulty levels and daily goals in a book that begins with a progressive program and concludes with 40 of the hardest workouts. Any who want more 'meat' to their training program should examine these routines for maximum benefit! Dick Bate and Ian Jeffreys' SOCCER SPEED (9781450424578, $19.99) packs in nearly forty drills to improve soccer skills, and is a requirement for modern training because more agile players have entered the sport and increased the game's challenges. From routines for increasing balance and agility to techniques to keep opponents guessing, this is packed with keys to understanding the game, its technical skills and tactics, and how to improve everything from dribbling to passing and scoring.


The Travel Shelf

Under the Radar Michigan: The First 50
Tom Daldin with Jim Edelman and Eric Tremonti
Scribe Publishing Company
www.scribe-publishing.com
c/o KSB Promotions
9780991602100 $24.95

Also available as an ebook, Under the Radar Michigan: The First 50 is a travel guide inspired by the Emmy award winning PBS television series of the same name, known for showcasing the state's amazing places to visit, eat, live, or start a business. Illustrated with full color photography throughout, Under the Radar Michigan is an eye-opening tour of Michigan's proud delights, from the Dinosaur Gardens (a walking tour of incredible dinosaur replicas) to the Domaci Art Gallery to Grovebox Studios (dedicated to helping fledgling music artists gain recognition) and much more. A treasury for armchair travelers and Michigan tourists alike!

You Only Live Once
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781743601648, $29.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE: A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCES FOR THE EXPLORER IN ALL OF US provides a compendium of travel ideas gathered with one purpose in mind: to fosters an enthusiasm for learning and experiencing new things that go beyond a two-week vacation or a quick foray into unknown countries. It combines gorgeous color photos with information and graphics that coalesce around one point: experiences that only happen once in a lifetime. Those with bucket lists should be prepared to expand them, while those who prefer their travel take place in an armchair will find the illustrations compelling and absorbing. Both audiences will relish the approach and vibrant presentation of YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE.


The Wine Shelf

The Winemaker's Hand
Natalie Berkowitz
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
c/o Gulotta Communications (publicity)
9780231167567 $27.95 http://cup.columbia.edu

The Winemaker's Hand: Conversations on Talent, Technique, and Terroir is a celebration of the art and craft of creating wine. Interviews with more than forty winemakers from the United States and abroad discuss their talents, experience, and passion for growing grapes and producing wine. Perspectives from Chile, England, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and the United States are included in this contemplative reflection. A joy to browse, The Winemaker's Hand is especially recommended for sophisticated wine connoisseurs.


The Military Shelf

The Worth of War
Benjamin Ginsberg
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616149505, $24.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Worth of War offers an unusual argument: that contrary to belief that war is represents the height of irrational behavior, it in fact proves the real indicator of rationality and survival. Those societies who are best able to assess and thwart dangers are usually the ones to survive warfare, while technological advancements often have their roots in conflict. War spurs economic development, social change, and political connections. This isn't a promotion of conflict, but it sure does extend much food for thought in its discussions of the underlying good brought about by war.


The Self-Help Shelf

The Power of Patience
M.J. Ryan
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781573245999, $14.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The Power of Patience: How This Old-Fashioned Virtue Can Improve Your Life teaches how to gain more patience with everyday affairs and how to reduce the feeling of being rushed and stressed, and teaches how to use the virtue of patience in the process of bringing more love into life. By slowing down and reclaiming patience, we bring more into our lives that allow us to clearly set priorities and lifestyles that work. This book both makes a case for patience and tells how to reclaim it.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Of All the Gin Joints
Mark Bailey
Algonquin Books
PO Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
9781565125933, $21.95, www.algonquin.com

Of All the Gin Joints: Stumbling Through Hollywood History is illustrated by Edward Hemingway and packs in stories of movie stars who are often leading crazy lives. From the beginnings of the silent film industry to the 1970s, Bailey considers the lives, events and circumstances surrounding not only Hollywood celebrities, but the directors, screenwriters, and producers around them. Packed with outrageous tales, this is a fun read for any who like stories about Hollywood and its oddities.


The Education Shelf

Handbook of the Recognition of Prior Learning
Edited by Judy Harris, Christine Wihak, and Joy Van Kleef
The National Voice for Lifelong Learning
http://shop.niace.org.uk
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR, 97213
9781862018617 $39.95 www.isbs.com

Handbook of the Recognition of Prior Learning: Research Into Practice is an anthology of essays by learned authors about an exciting new field of academic and educational studies: recognition of prior learning, or RPL. Research in this domain contributes to a better understanding of how human beings learn and remember, which can in turn be used to modify instructional techniques for improved success. Individual chapters include "RPL, labour markets and national qualifications frameworks: A policy perspective", "Technology and RPL", "RPL in higher education: Past, present and potential", "RPL in further and vocational education and training", and much more. An index rounds out this welcome contribution to college library educational studies shelves.

Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com

Mark S. McCaffrey's CLIMATE SMART & ENERGY WISE (9781483304472, $25.00) comes from an expert on climate and energy education, and offers a key to understanding climate and energy teaching processes. Chapters consider which topics fit into a curriculum, discuss Next Generation Science Standards and how teachers can meet them, and offers ways of teaching climate change to appropriate grade levels. With sample learning activities and a list of age-appropriate resources online, this provides teachers with everything necessary to teach climate change at appropriate grade levels. Wayne A. Callender's USING RTI IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A TRAINING MANUAL FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION (9781452290560) offers educators a discussion of effective, applied uses of RTI theory for secondary students and is a pick for any who would identify at-risk students and help them early in the process. It considers how a step-by-step RTI program may be implemented, how student intervention plans can be tailored for individual students, and how to develop monitoring techniques that work in a classroom and individual setting alike. Discussions on applying RTI to special education concerns are particularly insightful, making this book an invaluable read.


The Music Shelf

The Jesus and Mary Chain
Zoe Howe
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250030245, $26.99, www.stmartins.com

The Jesus and Mary Chain offers an unexpectedly funny biography of the rock group's evolution and is told by the band members and their associates. It's also the story of the rise of 1980s music and the evolution of a band that rose to the top with an unusual approach to pop music, and will prove unexpectedly entertaining even for those readers who aren't already familiar with the group. The band has not received a lot of analysis before; so having this expose makes for a number of surprising revelations key to understanding the group's members and unique contributions to the field of rock and pop music.

Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story
Rick Bragg
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062078223, $27.99, www.harpercollins.com

Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story tells about the legend of rock and roll - through his own eyes. For two years he shared his life story with prize-winning author Rick Bragg, and the narrative appears here with the full flavor of Lewis' history and observations. From his spotlight sessions with such notable giants as Johnny Cash and chuck Berry to his struggles with faith, music, and the demands of stardom, this is a vivid and personal memoir and a 'must' for any popular music history collection.


The American History Shelf

The American Plate
Libby H. O'Connell
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139
Naperville, IL 60563
9781492603023 $26.99 www.sourcebooks.com

The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites is primarily a history of the foods indelibly tied to America, enhanced with over a dozen time-honored recipes (such as the instructions for "Shoo Fly Pie", "Fried Catfish", "Scrapple", or "Red Cross War Cake"). Chapters cover staples of the Native Americans, to colonial faire, and the sagas behind uniquely American culinary creations, even modern innovations like cold cereal and TV dinners. Entrancing and mouth-watering, The American Plate is a welcome contribution to history and culinary shelves, highly recommended.

Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt
Mark Will-Weber
Regnery History
c/o Regnery Publishing, Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781621572107, $27.99, www.regneryhistory.com

MINT JULEPS WITH TEDDY ROOSEVELT: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL DRINKING provides a fine survey of liquor in Presidential matters, and explores the role of drink in everything from social settings to nuclear weapons negotiations and more. It comes from a journalist who considers everything from temperance laws to teetotalers and drinkers, and it pairs fun trivia with eye-opening historical facts. The result is a survey highly recommended for any interested in Presidential history or the history and influence of alcohol on American political processes.


The World History Shelf

Chasing Gold
George M. Taber
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781605986555 $29.95 www.pegasusbooks.us

Chasing Gold: The Incredible Story of How the Nazis Stole Europe's Bullion is the eye-opening true story of how the Nazis made a naked grab for Europe's gold bullion in order to finance their genocidal war. A different type of World War II history book, Chasing Gold almost reads like a thriller at times, packed with true stories of greed, murder, political intrigue, and corrupt money laundering that persisted well past the war's end. Highly recommended.

Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods, Volume 1
David A. Fiensy and James Riley Strange, editors
Fortress Press, P.O. Box 1209
Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
9781451466744 $69.00 http://fortresspress.com

David A. Fiensy (professor of New Testament, Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky) and James Riley Strange (associate professor of religion, Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama) present Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods, Volume 1, a studious omnibus of information about ancient Galilee, focusing on the historical period of 100 BCE to 200 CE. Chapters include a general overview of Galilean history, as well as specialized research on taxation, ethnicity, religious practices, road systems, trade, education, health, village life, houses, and the urban-rural societal divide. An amazing, fact-filled, exhaustively researched yet eminently accessible portrait of the birthplace of Jesus, Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods, Volume 1 is highly recommended especially for college library world history collections.


The Gardening Shelf

Bountiful Bonsai
Richard W. Bender, author
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759
9784805312704 $14.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com

"Bountiful Bonsai: Create Instant Indoor Container Gardens with Edible Fruits, Herb and Flowers" is a fascinating exploration of the possibilities of adaptive bonsai gardening techniques to produce indoor container gardens for sources of fruits, herbs, and flowers, in addition to the basic bonsai gift, living plant beauty. The author is an experienced bonsai gardener, with many unique bonsai creations and credits to his name. Here he shows how to use instant bonsai techniques to create delicate sculpted indoor plant gardens, with pleasant fragrances, herbal offerings to the kitchen, fruits for eating or cooking, flowers for contemplative pleasure, and medicinals such as tea tree or camphor laurel. All this information is organized into 6 chapters and less than 130 pages, with an overview of bonsai, ideas for creating instant bonsai, exploring beautiful bonsai possibilities, finding your future bonsai, long term bonsai care, and the bountiful harvest. Many photos of examples of beautiful bonsai plants are included, with specific information about the care and preparation needed to nurture and encourage the bonsai plantings. Many specific plants are described especially in Chapter three, Beautiful Bonsai Possibilities, including Dwarf Natal Plum, pineapple sage, and the New Zealand tea tree. Both the idea of creating "instant" bonsai and providing long term bonsai care are explored in depth in chapters four and five. Chapter Six, The Bountiful Harvest, discusses actual recipes using fruits of bonsai gardening, such as limequat or calamondin marmalade, Salmon Citrus Cheese Ball, plus added forays into the art of winemaking. A favorite quote of the author's love of bonsai winemaking activities: "The artistic symmetry of drinking a decades-old wine made from a bonsai while viewing bonsai that have been in training that long is very appealing... (p. 118)." The reader senses that another publication may be forthcoming, perhaps on the topic of bonsai winemaking. Some of the author's favored vintages are pictured: Lemon Drop, Citrus Symphony blend, and Strawberry Lemon Guava wine. The author also suggests a favorite trick: When cooking rice, add half a cup of herbal wine to the rice for the last five minutes of steaming. Delicious! For this and many more creative ideas and explorations of the art of bonsai, read "Bountiful Bonsai" and savor the centuries of knowledge that permeate every page.

Eat Your Greens
David Kennedy
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717510, $29.95, www.newsociety.com

EAT YOUR GREENS: THE SURPRISING POWER OF HOME GROWN LEAF CROPS is about gardening and vegetables, and discusses how to grow and utilize a range of varieties in a kitchen garden. It reviews modern commercial practices, gardening techniques, and provides recipes to preserve a harvest. From growing vertical greens to preserve space to understanding leaf concentrates, this advocates a range of techniques for not just growing vegetables, but growing the best nutritional veggies. The result is a guide essential for any home cook/gardener who wants to best from any size garden effort.


The Railroading Shelf

Great American Railroad Stories
Trains Magazine
Kalmbach Publishing
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9781627001823, $24.99, www.kalmbach.com

Kalmbach Publishing is best known for its crafts titles, but this standout gathers over seventy years of train articles from the definitive Trains Magazine - many of which have not been printed since their original appearance in the magazine. It pairs these articles with historical photos and reflections of the magazine's editors and contributors, and gathers under one cover a range of diverse and appealing train stories. Train buffs will find this the perfect item of choice for entertaining and historical reflection.


The Business Shelf

Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com

Susan Fowler's WHY MOTIVATING PEOPLE DOESN'T WORK... AND WHAT DOES: THE NEW SCIENCE OF LEADING, ENERGIZING, AND ENGAGING (9781626561823, $24.95) comes from a top leadership researcher and coach who advocates for something different in the business world: a halt to motivation strategies. People are already motivated - but not necessarily in the ways business can control. Chapters use the latest scientific research to consider models and action that will help leader direct rather than push. The argument is that the usual system of reward attached to motivation lacks because there are better alternatives. Her Optimal Motivation process shows how to address different psychological needs for better results, and makes for a program that provides managers with many alternative approaches. Marcia Reynolds' THE DISCOMFORT ZONE: HOW LEADERS TURN DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS INTO BREAKTHROUGHS (9781626560659, $18.95) shows leaders how to develop specific kinds of conversations that lead to growth and reduce employee resistance to change. It comes from a leadership coach who identifies the Discomfort Zone as an uncomfortable place where individuals are most open to learning and change, considers how leaders can create these strategic zones for optimum results, and blends in recent research in learning to consider what kinds of questions address the brain's built-in defenses and shows how to create atmospheres for optimum acceptance and learning. Both books are recommended picks for business collections strong in leadership and alternative approaches to employee development.


The Psychology Shelf

When All Else Fails
Rubin Battino MS
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5, Bethel, CT 06801
9781845908942 $29.95 www.crownhousepublishing.com

Practicing therapist Rubin Battino MS presents When All Else Fails: Some New and Some Old Tools for Doing Brief Therapy, a thoughtful discussion of tools, techniques, and options for therapy when there is little time to spare. Although multiple methodologies (gestalt therapy, neurolinguistic programming, encounter groups and group therapy, psychodrama and more) are discussed, the role and value of hypnosis receives especial focus. When All Else Fails is a superb resources especially for professional seeking to broaden their practice and options.

Essentials of Hypnosis, second edition
Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D.
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8
New York, NY 10017-9209
9781138814288 $44.95 www.routledge.com

Now in an updated second edition, Essentials of Hypnosis is a detailed introduction to the field of hypnosis and its use in neuroscience, psychology, and as a treatment tool. Principles and methods of hypnosis are also discussed at length. Author Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D. draws upon his experience as a clinical psychologist and family therapist, and is the recipient of multiple lifetime achievement awards from the International Society of Hypnosis, the American Psychological Association's Society of Psychological Hypnosis, and more. Highly recommended especially for college library shelves.

A Practical Guide to PTSD Treatment
Nancy C. Bernardy & Matthew J. Friedman, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433818325, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD may develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events, such as sexual assault, warfare, serious injury, or threats of imminent death. The diagnosis may be given when a group of symptoms, such as disturbing recurring flashbacks, avoidance or numbing of memories of the event, and hyperarousal, continue for more than a month after the occurrence of a traumatic event. Most people having experienced a traumatizing event will not develop PTSD. People who experience assault-based trauma are more likely to develop PTSD, as opposed to people who experience non-assault based trauma such as witnessing trauma, accidents, and fire events. Children are less likely to experience PTSD after trauma than adults, especially if they are under ten years of age. War veterans are commonly at risk for PTSD. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by academicians and PTSD experts Nancy C. Bernardy and Matthew J. Friedman, "A Practical Guide to PTSD Treatment: Pharmacological and Psychotherapeutic Approaches" is a 194 page compendium comprised of eleven critically important papers on PTSD experts and researchers deftly organized into three major sections: Background and Assessment; Pharmacological and Psychotherapeutic Approaches; Comorbid Disorders and Unique Presentations. Enhanced with a fourteen page Index, "A Practical Guide to PTSD Treatment: Pharmacological and Psychotherapeutic Approaches" is a seminal publication that should be a part of every academic library's Psychology/Psychiatry reference collection in general, and PTSD treatment supplemental studies reading list in particular.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

At The Cutting Edge 2014
Dwight H. Merriam, editor
ABA Publishing
321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-7598
9781627228404, $49.95, www.amazon.com

Compiled and edited by Dwight H. Merriam, "At The Cutting Edge 2014: Land Use Law From The Urban Lawyer" is a 187 page compendium comprised of eight original papers on a variety of legal ramifications of land use issues. From Daniel P. Dalton's 'The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized persons Act - Recent Decisions and Developments'; to 'Recent Developments in Eminent Domain: Public Use' by the team of Mark M. Murakami, Bethany C.K. Ace, and Robert H. Thomas; to Sorell E. Negro's 'Recent Developments in Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change'; to 'Recent Developments in Regulatory Takings' by Robert H. Thomas, "At The Cutting Edge 2014" offers a wealth of up-to-date information directly applicable to land use issues in the law. "At The Cutting Edge 2014" is very strongly recommended for professional and academic library Judicial Studies reference collections in general and land use law supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Secrets of the Oak Woodlands
Kate Marianchild, author
Ann Meyer Maglinte, illustrator
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597142625 $18.00 www.heydaybooks.com

Secrets of the Oak Woodlands: Plants & Animals Among California's Oaks lives up to its title as a user-friendly guidebook to the flora, fauna, and ecology of California's woodlands. Beautiful, realistic color illustrations are interspersed among descriptive text, thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds. A wonderful enrichment for hikers and nature lovers, Secrets of the Oak Woodlands is highly recommended. Also a choice pick is Gordon W. Frankie, et. al.'s "California Bees & Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists" (9781597142946, $28.00).

Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?
Andrew Lawler
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781476729893 $26.00 www.simonsays.com

Veteran journalist Andrew Lawler presents Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization, an amazing chronicle of the domestic chicken, from its jungle fowl origins to its use in cockfighting to its roles in agriculture, cuisine, religious rituals, gambling games, and medicine. "...much of the Roman knowledge of raising chickens appears to have come from the Greek island of Delos, a center of a lucrative poultry production that likely provided a model for the business at home. By the height of the Roman Empire, chickens were a common sight in the bustling marketplaces." Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? is as entertaining as it is educational, and enthusiastically recommended for public library collections.

Australian High Country Raptors
Jerry Olsen
CISRO Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9780643109162, $69.95, www.amazon.com

Birds of prey, also known as raptors, hunt and feed on other animals. The term "raptor" is derived from the Latin word rapere (meaning to seize or take by force). These birds are characterized by keen vision that allows them to detect prey during flight and powerful talons and beaks. Compiled with expert commentary by Jerry Olsen, "Australian High Country Raptors" is a very nicely illustrated, informed and informative, 340 page compendium devoted to providing an complete presentation on all of the birds of prey that fly the skies of Australia. Enhanced with two appendices (Diurnals; Sick and Injured Raptors); a two page listing of scientific names of raptors mentioned in the text; a thirteen page bibliography (References), and a comprehensive Index, "Australian High Country Raptors" is an extraordinary instructive reference that is especially recommended for professional and academic library Aviary Studies reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "Australian High Country Raptors" is also available in a Kindle edition ($55.96).


The Mathematics Shelf

Combinatorial Maps
Guillaume Damiand and Pascal Lienhardt
CRC Press
Suite 300, 6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781482206524 $99.95 www.crcpress.com

Combinatorial Maps: Efficient Data Structures for Computer Graphics and Image Processing is a scholarly resource intended especially for researchers and graduate students in geometric modeling, computational and discrete geometry, computer graphics, and image processing and analysis. Chapters discuss data structures, operations, and algorithms that are particularly valuable when working with subdivided geometric objects. Covering applications of combinatorial maps in computer graphics processing, basic topological and mathematical concepts, constructing n-Gmaps and n-maps, and more, Combinatorial Maps includes black-and-white diagrams, numerous sample algorithms, a bibliography, and an index. An excellent technical teaching tool, especially recommended for college library mathematics and computer science shelves.

Compressible Flow and Euler's Equations
Demetrios Christodoulou & Shuang Miao
International Press of Boston
PO Box 43502, Somerville, MA 02143
www.intlpress.com
9781571462978, $58.00, www.amazon.com

In mathematics and physics, there is a large number of topics named in honor of Leonhard Euler, many of which include their own unique function, equation, formula, identity, number (single or sequence), or other mathematical entity. Many of these entities have been given simple and ambiguous names such as Euler's function, Euler's equation, and Euler's formula. Euler's work touched upon so many fields that he is often the earliest written reference on a given matter. It has been said that, in an effort to avoid naming everything after Euler, discoveries and theorems are named after the first person after Euler to have discovered it. Compressible flow (gas dynamics) is the branch of fluid mechanics that deals with flows having significant changes in fluid density. Gases, but not liquids, display such behavior. To distinguish between compressible and incompressible flow in gases, the Mach number (the ratio of the speed of the flow to the speed of sound) must be greater than about 0.3 before significant compressibility occurs. The study of compressible flow is relevant to high-speed aircraft, jet engines, gas pipelines, commercial applications such as abrasive blasting, and many other fields. The ninth volume in the outstanding 'Surveys of Modern Mathematics' series from the International Press of Boston, "Compressible Flow and Euler's Equations" is a 581 page monograph considers the classical compressible Euler Equations in three space dimensions with an arbitrary equation of state, and whose initial data corresponds to a constant state outside a sphere. Under suitable restriction on the size of the initial departure from the constant state, the authors establish theorems which give a complete description of the maximal development. In particular, the boundary of the domain of the maximal solution contains a singular part where the density of the wave fronts blows up and shocks form. Academicians and mathematicians Demetrios Christodoulou and Shuang Miao obtain a detailed description of the geometry of this singular boundary, and a detailed analysis of the behavior of the solution there. The approach is geometric, the central concept being that of the acoustical spacetime manifold. Very strongly recommended for academic library Advanced Mathematics reference collections, "Compressible Flow and Euler's Equations" will be of particular interest to scholars and scientists working in partial differential equations in general and in fluid mechanics in particular.


The International Studies Shelf

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China
Xi Jinping
Shanghai Press
c/o Tuttle Publishing (dist.)
364 Innovation Drive
North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9781602204096, $16.95 pbk
9781602204089, $24.95 hc

Xi Jinping (born 15 June 1953) is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, the President of the People's Republic of China, and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission. As General Secretary, Xi is also an ex officio member of the Politburo Standing Committee, China's de facto top decision-making body. Son of communist veteran Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping rose through the ranks politically in China's coastal provinces. He served as the Governor of Fujian between 1999 and 2002, then as Governor and Party Secretary of the neighboring Zhejiang between 2002 and 2007. Following the dismissal of Chen Liangyu, Xi was transferred to Shanghai as the Party Secretary for a brief period in 2007. Xi was promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee and Central Secretariat in October 2007 and was groomed to become Hu Jintao's successor. He served as Vice-President of the People's Republic of China between 2008 and 2013. Xi is now the leader of the People's Republic's fifth generation of leadership. He has initiated a renewed campaign against corruption, further market economic reforms, governing with greater emphasis on the law and legal institutions, and a comprehensive national renewal under the neologism "Chinese Dream". "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" is compiled by the State Council Information Office of China, the CCCPC Party Literature Research Office and China International Publishing Group, and published by Foreign Languages Press in an English edition for an American readership. "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" is a 515 page compendium comprised of Xi Jinping's major works from November 15, 2012 to June 13, 2014; it comprises 79 speeches, talks, interviews, instructions and correspondence in 18 chapters. Each item is accompanied by relevant notes about Chinas social system, history and culture for readers reference. It also includes 45 photos taken at different stages of Xis life, providing readers with more information about his work and life. "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" will contribute to interpreting the concepts and principles of governance of the CPC leadership, and help the international community to learn more about and better understand China's ideas, path of development, domestic and foreign policies, and response to international concerns about China. "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections.


The Criminology Shelf

Stagecoach Robberies in California
R. Michael Wilson
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786479962 $55.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com

Also available as an ebook, Stagecoach Robberies in California: A Complete Record, 1856-1913 is a meticulously researched compendium detailing the 458 documented stagecoach robberies that took place in California from 1856 to 1913. Intriguing tales abound among the researched stories; some robberies involved murder, others wild pursuit and capture, and still others had so little stolen that the robbers were never sought out. Drawing from contemporary newspapers and other sources, Stagecoach Robberies in California is a thorough and welcome addition to California and criminology history collections.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Not Trying
Kristin J. Wilson
Vanderbilt University Press
PMB 351813, Nashville, TN 37235-1813
www.vanderbiltuniversitypress.com
9780826519986 $9.99 ebook
9780826519962 $49.95 hc
9780826519979 $22.95 pbk

Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats, Not Trying: Infertility, Childlessness, and Ambivalence gathers interviews of women are infertile or involuntarily childless, yet feel ambivalent about the situation. Modern science offers a host of methods to treat infertility, yet not every infertile woman wants to subject herself to the expense of such methods, or become an adoptive mother, defying the stereotyped view that lack of fertility is an existential crisis. "Just as motherhood is not necessarily a chosen role and does not always equate to fulfillment, infertility and childlessness are often not chosen but they do not preclude fulfillment." A fascinating, serious-minded gathering of and reflection upon true-life testimonies, Not Trying challenges the reader to think about societal definitions of womanhood, the role of motherhood, and women's life choices - including the choices of single, widowed, divorced, and lesbian women. Highly recommended for public and college library Women's Studies shelves.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Sherlock Holmes Companion
Daniel Smith
Aurum Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.qbookshop.com/aurumpress.com
9781781314043 $27.99 www.amazon.com

The Sherlock Holmes Companion: An Elementary Guide is an in-depth resource to the classic, universally beloved detective hero. Accessible to casual fans and literary scholars alike, The Sherlock Holmes Companion covers not only every Holmes story by Conan Doyle, but also more recent interpretations of Holmes from Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey Jr. In addition to chronological plot summaries of every Holmes story, there are biographies of the major characters in the Holmes saga, an intriguing biography of Conan Doyle, contemporary interviews of actors who portrayed Holmes on stage or screen, and numerous timelines and details down to the variety of firearms Holmes used. A "must-have" for fans of the mystery genre's most iconic character!


The Reference Shelf

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2015
World Almanac Books
c/o Infobase Learning
132 West 31st Street, New York, NY 10001
c/o Rosen Group PR
9781600571909, $13.99 www.worldalmanac.com

Now in a new edition that includes 2014 election results, top 10 news topics, the year in pictures, and more, The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2015 is jam-packed with facts, covering everything from profiles of 196 nations worldwide to sports statistics. An extensive index aids in quick reference, and a handful of color maps and photographs spice up the neatly organized data. The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2015 isn't entirely composed of statistics; text passages cover topics such as proper etiquette for handling the American flag, a summary of TSA travel regulations, highlights of world history, and much more. World Almanac and Book of Facts is the definitive "must-have" for public library and personal reference shelves.


The Economic Studies Shelf

The Economics of Peace
J. Frederick Arment
McFarland
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786496389 $35.00

Also available as an ebook (9781476618906), The Economics of Peace: Freedom, the Golden Rule and the Broadening of Prosperity examines the transition from nation-state capitalism to a collaborative economy regulated by the judicial system. Economic prosperity is indeed compatible with peace, and arguably vital for it; The Economics of Peace particularly studies how the "Golden Rule" reciprocal ethic ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you") and organizations that embrace it are keys to successful peacetime commerce and stability. Highly recommended, especially for college library economic studies shelves.


The Library Science Shelf

More Library Mashups
Nicole C. Engard, editor
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874984 $45.00 www.infotoday.com

More Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library Data is an anthology of projects from 24 creative library professionals, about how to "mash up" free or low-cost digital tools and techniques to improve service and meet challenges. Individual writings include "Curating API Feeds to Display Open Library Book Covers in Subject Guides", "Searching Library Databases Through Twitter", "Telling Stories with Google Maps Mashups", "Mashing Up Information to Stay on Top of News", and more. An invaluable resource for librarians seeking to stay abreast of the digital revolution!


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Environments of Guam
Danko Taborosi
The Bess Press
3565 Harding Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816
9781573064538 $24.95 www.besspress.com

Also available as an ebook, Environments of Guam is accessible to environmental scientists and lay readers alike. Filled with full-color maps and photography, Environments of Guam describes terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine environments of this beautiful island nation. A glossary, bibliography, and list of Chamorro (the indigenous language of Guam) names of various species round out this user-friendly guide and resource.


The Science Shelf

Introducing Astronomy: A Guide to the Universe
Iain Nicholson
Dunedin
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR, 97213
9781780460253 $19.95 www.isbs.com

Illustrated with striking, full-color photography throughout, Introducing Astronomy: A Guide to the Universe is a thoroughly accessible guide for readers of all backgrounds. Iain Nicholson (former Principal Lecturer in Astronomy, University of Hertfordshire) guides the browser on an incredible tour of the planets of the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe beyond. Scientific terms (such as "gravitational lensing", the manner in which mass distorts light) are carefully explained, often with accompanying diagrams. A glossary and suggestions for further reading round out this fascinating guide, created not only to enlighten people but also to inspire them to learn more about this wondrous scientific discipline.


The Photography Shelf

Portrait Photography: The Essential Beginner's Guide
Sarah Plater & Hannah MacGregor
Ammonite Press
www.ammonitepress.com
c/o GMC Distribution
9781781450895 $26.95 www.thegmcgroup.com

Portrait Photography: The Essential Beginner's Guide lives up to its title as a hands-on, user-friendly instructional and resource for mastering the basics of professional-quality portrait photography. Chapters address equipment essentials, issues of handling lighting and scouting locations, and working with infants, toddlers, children, teens, couples, or families. Suggested lessons make Portrait Photography an excellent resource for self-teaching or formal instruction. Highly recommended.


The Anthropology Shelf

Blood and Fire
Sharryn Kasmir and August Carbonella, editors
Berghahn Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn, NY 11201
9781782383635 $95.00 www.berghahnbooks.com

Also available as an ebook, Blood and Fire: Toward a Global Anthropology of Labor is a scholarly anthology examining the precariously ebbing role of labor throughout the world. Each of its six chapters is an ethnography from a different contributor, scrutinizing a different area of the world (Colombia, India, Poland, Spain, southern US, and northern US). Blood and Fire draws upon long-term fieldwork to examine how labor struggles have faltered, become disconnected from the societal mission to advance the greater good, and the reactions and fallout from this change. Applying principles of global anthropology to the dilemma, Blood and Fire portrays an uncertain future. A thought-provoking and studious title, ideal for college library anthropology shelves.


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