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Library Bookwatch

Volume 3, Number 6 June 2008 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice American History Shelf Photography Shelf
Military Shelf Fiction Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Business Shelf Poetry Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Criminology Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Art Shelf Education Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Biography Shelf
Computer Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Political Science Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Parenting Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Native American Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Psychology Shelf International Studies Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Economics Shelf Nautical Shelf
World History Shelf Interior Design Shelf Literary Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Civil War Shelf Gardening Shelf
Architecture Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Library Science Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Music Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Holocaust Studies Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

The Samurai Swordsman
Stephen Turnbull
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, Vermont 05759-9436
9784805309568, $44.95, www.tuttlepublishing.com

The Samurai – in modern society, it's a shallow shell of what it formerly was – exaggeratedly awesome warriors capable of sundering tanks in two with there swords. But who were the real Samurai? "The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War" is an examination of the true Samurai, who dominated Japan during its feudal era, much like Knights once dominated Europe. Going deep into the nature of Samurai as complex individuals and not just swords with legs, it looks at everything – the Samurai statesman, the Samurai artist, and more. Enhanced with full color paintings throughout, "The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War" is highly recommended for community library history and art collections and for anyone who has always had a fascination with this warrior caste.

China's Sacred Sites
Nan Shunxun & Beverly Foit Albert
Himalyan Institute Press
952 Bethany Turnpike, Honesdale, PA 18431-4194
9780893892623, $49.95, www.himalayaninstitute.org

One of the oldest and greatest civilizations of the world – China. "China's Sacred Sites" is a comprehensive and complete listing of sacred areas to Buddhism, Confucianism, and other major Chinese religions, along with the sites' history and breathtaking full-color photography. Composed in a greatly accessible format, "China's Sacred Sites" is a must for fans of Chinese history, armchair travelers, and photography buffs alike, and would do well to find itself in any community library collection.

Harmony in Healing
James J. Garber
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University, 35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412806923, $34.95 www.transactionpub.com 1-888-999-6778

Astronomer James J. Garber presents Harmony in Healing: The Theoretical Basis of Ancient and Medieval Medicine, a unique examination of the link between medicine, astronomy, and cosmology, from the era of the Greeks to the modern day. Harmony in Healing pays particular attention to the theoretical baseline of the ancient principle of universal harmony, and its role in helping humanity's efforts to resist disease. Cosmological principles have played a key role in the theory and practice of medicine throughout history, sometimes obscuring human understanding of more accurate models such as modern disease theory, but often leading the way in the spirit of scientific and medical inquisition. "Galen's theory of anatomy and physiology was easily assimilated into a Christian context because he held that God had created each part of the human body for a specific purpose. His was a teleological system utilizing Aristotle's fourth (final) cause. Galen was a pagan who, at one point, criticized Christians for not thinking rationally. This apparently did not put off Christian writers - Galen's works survived without criticism for 1,500 years." A fascinating look at how mankind's understanding of medicine and healing evolved over millennia.

The Book of IQ Tests
Philip J. Carter & Kenneth A. Russell
Sterling Press
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781402757358, $5.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

Claiming one is smarter than another can only be backed up with an IQ test – and "The Book of IQ Tests: 25 Self-Scoring Quizzes To Sharpen Your Mind" is here to help these frivolous disputes with twenty five self-scoring quizzes for fun and self-evaluation of one's own mental abilities. Covering all aspects of the typical IQ test, "The Book of IQ Tests: 25 Self-Scoring Quizzes to Sharpen Your Mind" is highly recommended to community library collections of fun and games books.

Critter Control
Larry Grupp
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
9781581606515, $34.95, www.paladin-press.com

The world is not inhabited solely by humans – and some humans live closer to the neighbors in the world than others. "Critter Control: A Homeowner's Guide to Getting Rid of Rodents, Deer, Bears, Foxes, Skunks, Birds, Snakes, and Other Pests" is a guide for those who happen to live very close to their inconsiderate animal neighbors who commonly find them invading their own homes. Countless suggestions to manage these pests themselves without seeking professional help – when to simply remove the threat, and when to take a more violent approach. "Critter Control: A Homeowner's Guide to Getting Rid of Rodents, Deer, Bears, Foxes, Skunks, Birds, Snakes, and Other Pests" is essential to any who seem to have to deal with these problems on a everyday basis.

The Public Record Research Tips Book
Michael Sankey
Facts on Demand Press
PO Box 27869, Tempe, AZ 85285
9781889150505, $19.95, www.brbpub.com

Public Records – they are there, and that is the extent of one's convenience with them. "The Public Record Research Tips Book: Insider Information for Effective Public Record Research" is a complete and comprehensive guide to expertly searching the government's public records files – covering all aspects of it. Court Record Databases, Criminal Records, Government lists, websites that aren't entirely obvious to use, and a glossary of terms that commonly occur. "The Public Record Research Tips Book: Insider Information for Effective Public Record Research" is highly recommended to community library business collections and for anyone who has to search these records often.


The American History Shelf

Long Branch in the Golden Age
Sharon Hazard
History Press
18 Percy St., Charleston, SC 29403
9781596292161, $19.99, ww.historypress.net

The vacation spot of choice for seven US Presidents – Long Branch, New Jersey. "Long Branch in the Golden Age: Tales of Fascinating and Famous People" is a historical look at this region and its past, filled with much of the figures of American history, casinos, hotel ballrooms, and so much more. One could say you can get a good look at the who's who in the history of the United States by examining Long Branch. "Long Branch in the Golden Age: Tales of Fascinating and Famous People" is a top pick for community library American history collections.

The Revolutionary Writings of Alexander Hamilton
Richard B. Vernier, editor
Liberty Fund Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Suite 300, Indianapolis, 46250-1684
9780865977068, $12.00, kbeach@libertyfund.org

A look into one of the minds that shaped this very country over two hundred years ago – that is what "The Revolutionary Writings of Alexander Hamilton" brings to the table. An examination of his viewpoints as his work is compiled into this books, one can get the idea of what one of the country's founding fathers wished his country to be. "The Revolutionary Writings of Alexander Hamilton" is a deftly compiled set of work, highly recommended to American history collections.

The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates of 1793-1794
Alexander Hamilton (Pacificus) and James Madison (Helvidius)
Morton J. Frisch, editor
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
9780865976887, $17.00 www.libertyfund.org 1-800-955-8335

Edited and with an introduction by Morton J. Frisch (Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Northern Illinois University), The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates of 1793-1794 collects the landmark debates between founding American figures Alexander Hamilton (a.k.a. Pacificus) and James Madison (a.k.a. Helvidius) about the proper roles of America's executive and legislative branches in the area of foreign policy. Hamilton was a proponent of strong executive control over foreign policy, while Madison countered with the charge that Washington's Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 would impede the Senate's ability to make war. The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates of 1793-1794 collects all of the pertinent original documents involved in these landmark debates, including Washington's Neutrality Proclamation, the full text of the Pacificus and Helvidius letters, Jefferson's letter to Madison requesting him to respond to Hamilton, and Hamilton's Americanus letters, written as a final response to Madison's rebuttal. A scholarly presentation of a classic primary source of American history, worthy of the highest recommendation for college and public library reference collections.


The Photography Shelf

On Feathered Wings
Richard Ettlinger
Abrams
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780810995253, $40.00, www.abramsbooks.com

Birds are one of the more beautiful and majestic creatures of the world – and "On Feathered Wings: Birds of Flight" is a beautiful and majestic compilation of full color photographs, shot from breath taking angles, truly amazing the viewer with the adept skills of the photographer. With nearly two hundred of these awesome images, "On Feathered Wings: Birds of Flight" is a top pick for community library collections for photography and a great coffee table book for whoever loves birds.

Sanctum
Robert Stivers, photography
Eugenia Parry, essay
Twin Palms Publishers (distributor)
54 1/2 East San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
1931885575, $65.00 www.twinpalms.com 1-505-988-5717

Sanctum is a collection of visionary photography by artist Robert Stivers, often given a unique twist through differing applications of focus. Featuring forty-one four-color plates and a thoughtful essay by Eugenia Parry, Sanctum explores topics ranging from the human figure to a conglomeration of bees to stark landscape in its search to express the unending themes of human emotion driving the endless cycle of death and rebirth. A marvelous and welcome addition to artistic photography collections.

Photography
Anne Havinga, Karen Haas, and Nancy Keeler
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
9780878466764, $22.50 www.mfa-publications.org

The latest volume in the MFA Highlights series, Photography features over one hundred gorgeous color and duotone photographs from the Museum of Fine Arts' collection. An in-depth essay following the aesthetic and technical history of photography as an art form introduces the connoisseur to the wonderfully diverse and beautiful selection. Photographs by a wide range of classic masters, from pioneers Eugene Cuevlier and Charles Marville to modern-day artists such as Hiroshi Sugimoto and Loretta Lux, distinguish this unquestionably captivating sampling. Highly recommended for photography shelves, and a true pleasure to page through - especially for anyone who can't easily reach the Museum of Fine Arts in person.


The Military Shelf

Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed
Yefim Gordon & Peter Davison
Specialty Press
99 Spring Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10012
9781580071062, $16.95 www.spibooks.com

Volume 45 in the WarbirdTech series, Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed is an extensively detailed examination of the titular MiG-21 lightweight air-combat fighter, manufactured in greater numbers than any other warplane since World War II. Designed to be easy to maintain, reliable in harsh environments, climb fast, and perform superlatively in close combat, the MiG-21's strengths literally made it a global success. Written by a pair of experts in aviation, Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed includes in-depth coverage of all MiG-21 upgrades and variants, information on combat and armament specifications, technical diagrams, an extensive development history, discussion of the plane's structural detail and internal production, and much more. Over 300 photographs, many of them previously unpublished, enhance this in-depth reference and resource for aviation buffs and professionals alike.


The Fiction Shelf

Remittance Man
Michael Worsnip
University of Kwazulu-natal Press
Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
Email: books@ukzn.ac.za
International Specialized Book Services (distrubutor)
920 NE 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 87213-3786
9781869141158, $24.95, www.ukznpress.co.za

To not be accepted by one's own family – because you are of a darker complexion than they are – a truly terrifying thought for most Americans, but for South Africans, it's a sad truth. "Remittance Man" follows Bertie King, shunned by his family, as he tries to deal with life under a national government which makes American racism look like nothing. It's a story, that although fiction, is sadly remnant of many South Africans' true stories. "Remittance Man" is deftly written and highly recommended to literary fiction shelves everywhere.

The Region of Lost Names
Fred Arroyo
The University of Arizona Press
355 S. Euclid Avenue, Suite 103 Tucson, AZ 85719
9780816526574, $15.95, www.uapress.arizona.edu

A strange occurrence – coming upon a self-epiphany while thousands of miles away from what it's about. It's what strikes Ernest & Magdalene in "The Region of Lost Names". On separate trips, the two discover their true thoughts about their families and begin to think about them- and the past mistakes of their parents. Faced with this thought, they turn to repair the mistakes of the past in this deftly written tale of a family dealing with itself. "The Region of Lost Names" is highly recommended and a top pick for community library fiction collections.

To The Death
Patrick Robinson
Vanguard Press
387 Park Avenue South, Floor 12, New York, New York, 10016
9781593154769, $25.95, www.tothedeath.com

A terrorist's bomb explodes in Logan airport – Admiral Arnold Morgan must hunt down those responsible. "To The Death" is a fast paced political thriller from New York Times Best Selling Author Patrick Robinson, and this is his finale to his much acclaimed Admiral Morgan series. In a plot to foil his own assassination, he must travel all over the world in this deftly written thriller, sure to please his legions of fans. "To The Death" is a must for community library thriller collections.

Silence of Stone
AnnaMarie Beckel
Breakwater Books Limited
PO Box 2188, 100 Water Street, St. John's, NL AIC 6E6
1550812432, $16.95, www.breakwater.nf.net

How much are some people willing to sacrifice in the name of love? "Silence of Stone" follows Marguerite de Roberval as she is abandoned with her lover, a French soldier, and her servant on an isolated island near Newfoundland. The three, dumped their due to Marguerite's love must overcome the elementals to survive, and seek revenge on the man who put her there in the first place. "Silence of Stone" has some historical accounts it is based on, making it highly recommended to community library historical fiction collections with a nod to romance.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Spiritual Leaders Who Changed the World
Ira Rifkin, editor
Sky Light Paths Publishing
PO Box 237, Sunset Farm Offices, Rt. 4, Woodstock, Vermont, 05091
9781594732416, $18.99, www.skylightpaths.com

Religion is one of the most influential concepts through all of history, and the people who push religion are some of the most influential individuals. "Spiritual Leaders Who Changed the World: The Essential Handbook to the Past Century of Religion" is a complete and comprehensive look at the past century and the individuals who through their words and actions have changed it greatly. From The Dalai Lama to Martin Luther King Jr., no one is left out of this scholarly writing – making "Spiritual Leaders Who Changed the World: The Essential Handbook to the Past Century of Religion" highly recommended to any community library spirituality collection or any reader seeking religion's impact on the modern world.

The Spoken Words of Spirit
Jim Fargiano
Outskirts Press
10940 S. Parker Rd. - 515, Parker, Colorado 80134
9781432720803, $15.95, www.outskirtspress.com

The world is regularly influenced by Spirits and the other side claims "The Spoken Words of Spirit: Lessons from the Other side". To improve one's life, says Author Jim Fargiano, one must learn to take cues from their influences and use them to move towards a healthier, more prosperous, and most importantly, true happiness. "The Spoken Words of Spirit: Lessons from the Other Side" is a deftly written book for those interested in the world of spirituality and community library collections dedicated to them.

Embracing The Miraculous
Deepika Avanti
Blue Dolphin Publishing
PO Box 8, Nevada City, CA 95959
9781577332114, $17.95, www.bluedolphinpublishing.com

You can be perfectly healthy in every way physically and still feel horrible – and "Embracing the Miraculous: Attaining Optimal Health on All Levels" addresses why. One needs to be both emotionally and spiritually healthy to truly be healthy alongside physical health. Author Deepika Avanti uses her amazing transformation from being someone who looked, acted, and felt like death to climbing massive mountains and feeling the best she has ever been in her entire life using the methods she outlines in "Embracing the Miraculous: Attaining Optimal Health on All Levels", making it a deftly composed and highly recommended spirituality book, highly recommended for community library collections.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Back to School
Alex Pomson & Randal F. Schnoor
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, 48201-1309
9780814333839, $26.95, www.wsupress.wayne.edu

Much like many Catholics have their own schools, The Jewish people have formed schools for their own children as well. "Back to School: Jewish Day School in the Lives of Adult Jews" is a look at how these schools are designed to turn children into well educated and morally correct Jewish adults – and how parents and even non-parental adults can get involved with their local schools for events and celebration, among other things. "Back to School: Jewish Day School in the Lives of Adult Jews" is highly recommended for anyone who wants to improve the education of the leaders of tomorrow's world, especially for those of the Jewish faith.

Spiritual Activism
Avraham Weiss
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Sunset Farm Offices, Rt. 4, Woodstock, Vermont 05091
9781580233552, $24.99, www.jewishlights.com

Everyone wants to change the world for the better – but where to start? "Spiritual Activism: A Jewish Guide to Leadership and Repairing the World" is a complete and comprehensive guide for young Jews who want to bring there religion along as they try to make the world a better place, and grants tips on why you should, how to do it – a good cause to follow, the strategy to execute the plans, and tips on becoming a good leader, no matter who you're leading. "Spiritual Activism: A Jewish Guide to Leadership and Repairing the World" is a top pick for Judaic studies shelves and for anyone with benevolent ambition.

More Old Jewish Comedians
Drew Friedman
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
1560979143, $16.99, www.fantagraphics.com

A voyage back into yesteryear is where author Drew Friedman is going to take his readers in "More Old Jewish Comedians". Going over known and forgotten voices back in comedy's golden era of the 1950s and 1960s, Friedman will show his readers everything there is to know about these comedians and what makes them truly great. This is a book for anyone seeking greater appreciation for the art form of stand up comedy as a whole, "More Old Jewish Comedians" is a must for all humor collections with a cross over to Judaic studies.

For the Love of Israel and the Jewish People
Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Urim Publications
PO Box 52287, Jerusalem, 91521, Israel
Lambda Publishers
3709 13th, Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11218 USA
9789655240108, $26.95, www.urimpublications.com

Is the Jewish homeland a more metaphorical concept than it seems? "For the Love of Israel and the Jewish People: Essays and Studies on Israel, Jews, and Judaism" argues that the Jews never lost Jerusalem, but took it with them as they were spread throughout the western and eastern world. Looking at the state of Israel, it examines both sides of the debate of the state's history and its roots in the Jewish faith. "For the Love of Israel and the Jewish People: essays and Studies on Israel, Jews, and Judaism" is an essential addition to any Judaic studies collection.

Laugh for God's Sake
Stanley J. Schachter
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602800182, $20.00, www.ktav.com

Being able to laugh at one's self is a sure sign of confidence. "Laugh for God's Sake: Where Jewish Humor and Jewish Ethics Meet" seeks to speak of Jewish humor and how it seems to not be exclusionary to gentiles and touches upon the very fundamental things that makes us all human. Hoping to teach readers the value of ethics as they laugh along the book, "Laugh for God's Sake: Where Jewish Humor and Jewish Ethics Meet" is a top pick for both Judaic Studies and Humor collections.


The Business Shelf

Family Wars
Grant Gordon & Nigel Nicholson
Kogan Page
525 South 4th Street, #241, Philadelphia PA 19147
9780749446307, $37.50, www.kogan-page.co.uk

Family businesses should be stress free – if anyone can get along it can be family, right? "Family Wars: Classic Conflicts in Family Business and How to Deal With Them" realizes that even families can have conflicts, and they can do far more damage than a conflict between two unrelated people. Seeking to give advice that will keep families staying together while keeping the business profitable, it's an ideal guide for any family business who doesn't want to let money get in between people and their devotion to family. "Family Wars: Classic Conflicts in Family Business and How to Deal With Them" is highly recommended for community library collections dedicated to business.

2011
Richard Laermer
McGraw-Hill
2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
9780071497275, $25.95, www.mhprofessional.com

What's the difference between a trend and a fad? It's Richard Laermer's job to know in "2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade". Looking at the commercial industry of thinking of things before uttering the line "I Wish I Thought of That", he gives advice on how to look at the world like a marketer and spot trends before they come up so one can be on the bandwagon before everyone else. A seminal and scholarly look at the ways of marketing, "2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade" is a top pick for community library business collections.


The Poetry Shelf

Separating the Seas
Kobus Moolman
University of KwaZulu-Natal Press
Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
E-Mail: Books@ukzn.ac.za
International Specialized Book Services (distributor)
920 NE 58th Ave, Suite 300, Portland OR 97213-3786
9781869141240, $24.95, www.ukznpress.co.za

Accomplished author and Experienced Poet Kobus Moolman returns with his collection "Separating the Seas" that truthfully likens itself to the painting concept of abstract art. Honestly thoughtful and thought provoking poetry filled with beautiful, vivid imagery, "Separating the Seas" is a top pick for collectors of poetry, indeed. Still Life: Winter Evening: Blue window/with bare tree.//Single night/Mounted on gravity.//Weightless wings of stillness/Flood the repetitive floor.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Yorkshire Terrier
Janice Biniok
Eldorado Ink
PO Box 100097, Pittsburgh, PA 15233
9781932904260, $32.95 www.eldoradoink.com 1-800-783-6767

Part of the "Our Best Friends" series about caring for one's beloved canine companions, The Yorkshire Terrier covers everything a Yorkshire terrier owner needs to know about feeding, grooming, exercising, housetraining, and keeping one's Yorkshire terrier safe from puppyhood to old age (in dog years). Chapters also discuss the importance of selecting the right veterinarian, legal responsibilities of dog ownership, advice for competing in dog shows and dog sports, and much more. Approximately fifty color photographs enhance this solid and accessible manual, ideal for teenaged and adult pet owners alike. Highly recommended for dog lovers in general and especially for prospective Yorkshire terrier owners. Other titles in the excellent "Our Best Friends" series include "The Boxer" (9781932904192), "Caring for Your Mutt" (9781932904208), "The German Shepherd" (9781932904215), "The Golden Retriever" (9781932904222), "The Labrador Retriever" (9781932904239), "The Poodle" (9781932904246), and "The Shih Tzu" (9781932904253).

HUP!
James B. Spencer
Alpine Publications
PO Box 7027, Loveland, CO 80537
157779043X, $24.95, No Web Address Given

Dog lovers, more specifically Cocker Spaniel lovers, rejoice. "HUP! Training Flushing Spaniels The American Way" is a complete and comprehensive guide for lovers of dogs and those who want to acquire one. Covering all aspects one needs to get started and more importantly how to make both dog and owner happy, it's the ideal training guide for anyone looking to get started. "HUP! Training Flushing Spaniels The American Way" is a grade-A pick for dog fans, and community library pets/wildlife collections in general.

Saltwater Aquarium Fishes
Ashley Ward
TFH Publications
One TFH Plaza, Third and Union Avenues, Neptune City, NJ 07753
9780793806621, $19.95, www.tfh.com

So often Humanity dismisses fish as stupid creatures who only think of survival. "Saltwater Aquarium Fishes: Understanding Behavior for Successful Fish Keeping" is an examination of the common household saltwater fish kept in modern home aquariums – and their instinctual roots in the coral reefs, which act as virtual cities for the scores of fish species found there. Claiming you can learn a lot about how to care about fish by understanding them, "Saltwater Aquarium Fishes: Understanding Behavior for Successful Fish Keeping" is a top pick for any aquarium keeper or community library pets collection.

Horses of the Storm
Ky Evan Mortensen
Eclipse Press
3102 Beaumont Centre Circle, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
9781581501858, $19.95, www.eclipsepress.com

Hurricane Katrina devastated countless human lives, but the stranded pets and other animals left in New Orleans are rarely mentioned. "Horses of the Storm: The Incredible Rescue of Katrina's Horses" is the story of the efforts of countless veterinarians and volunteers and their attempts to rescue the pets and animals who were in threat of losing their lives to the disaster. A Touching and inspirational throughout, "Horses of the Storm: The Incredible Rescue of Katrina's Horses" is highly recommended for community library pets collections and as a real treat for animal lovers.


The Criminology Shelf

A Mind For Murder
Noreen Renier
Hampton Roads
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
9781571745736, $16.95, www.hrpub.com

What is a police psychic really? Is it just fodder for TV shows for dramatic purposes? "A Mind for Murder: The Real-Life Files of a Psychic Investigator" is the look at the bizarre profession through the eyes of Court TV's Noreen Renier, formerly a skeptic of psychics herself. She speaks on what exactly they do, how they are treated in the world of law enforcement, while telling entertaining stories of her own such as her involvement with the infamous Laci Peterson case. "A Mind for Murder: The Real-Life Files of a Psychic Investigator" is highly recommended to community library true crime collections and all interested in the world of the police psychic.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

The Mysterious Receding Seas
Richard Guy
Xlibris
International Plaza II, Suite 340, Philadelphia, PA 19113-1513
9781413439915, $19.99, www.xlibris.com

Sometimes something can be so unbelievably subtle it can't possibly be noticed. "The Mysterious Receding Seas" claims that the oceans and seas of the world are receding – but their progress is so subtle that no one in history has taken note of it until now. Examining this strange phenomena, author Richard Guy talks of how it has affected the world through the generations. An interesting and intriguing read, "The Mysterious Receding Seas" is a top pick for any environmental studies collection with a focus on history.

Everglades
Anne Ake
Pineapple Press
PO Box 3889, Sarasota, Florida, 34230
9781561644100, $19.95, www.pineapplepress.com

The Florida Everglades is a one-of-a-kind ecosystem found in the United States. "Everglades: An Ecosystem Facing Choices and Challenges" is an examination of the Everglades, and the plant and animal life exclusive to the region – all of which are in danger, and facing potential extinction if the world continues going the way it has. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is looked at as well, but could it be too little too late? "Everglades: An Ecosystem Facing Choices and Challenges" is deftly compiled and highly recommended to community library environmental collections.


The Art Shelf

Notable Acquisitions
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404
97808655592254, $16.95, www.artic.edu/aic

One of the finest museums of art in the United States, "Notable Acquisitions" is a look at the Art Institute of Chicago's newest and greatest additions to their collections in the years of 2006 and 2007. Covering a broad range of artistic creations, and not just the contemporary – a good amount of attention is focused on the ancient and historical. Paintings, Sculptures, and other mediums are shown here, few are left out, making "Notable Acquisition" highly recommended for any community library art book collections.

The Symmetries of Things
John H. Conway, Heidi Burgiel, & Chaim Goodman-Strauss
AK Peters
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
9781568812205, $69.00, www.akpeters.com

One of the most base concepts of art – symmetry. "The Symmetries of Things" is a guide to this most basic concept showing that even the most basic of things can be beautiful – and addresses why the simplest of patterns mesmerize humankind and the psychological and mathematical importance of symmetry in one's every day life. "The Symmetries of Things" is an intriguing book from first page to last, highly recommended to the many collections that should welcome it.


The Education Shelf

Get Organized!
Frank Buck
Eye on Education
6 Depot Way West, Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596670723, $29.95, www.eyeoneducation.com

Successful scheduling is a hallmark of a successful and productive classroom. "Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders" is a complete and comprehensive guide for education professionals to maximize the value of their time and spend it wisely. Citing the tips as easy to execute and easier to follow, "Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders" should be considered by every school leader and for community library education collections.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

What's the Alternative?
Rachel Singer Gordon
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573873338, $35.00, www.infotoday.com

For those with library science degrees, a job as a librarian does not have the be the only option. "What's the Alternative?: Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros" is a guide for would be librarians and ex-librarians who want to apply their skills to another career field and are not entirely sure how to get started on these new career paths. Providing countless ideas for librarians and tips abound for them to find a job they can enjoy and succeed at, "What's the Alternative?: Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros" is highly recommended for community library career collections.

What They Didn't Teach You in Graduate School
Paul Gray and David E. Drew
Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VCA 20166-2012
9781579222642, $15.95, www.styluspub.com

Life in Academia – there are some things that simply won't be taught in a class room. "What They Didn't Teach You in Graduate School: 199 Helpful Hints for success in Your Academic Career" is a guide and heartfelt attempt to teach young educators and faculty what they weren't taught in their graduate school classes. With a humorous tint, it's as entertaining as it is informative, broken down into fifteen manageable chapters complete with appendixes. "What They Didn't Teach You in Graduate School: 199 Helpful Hints for success in Your Academic Career" is a top pick for any new educator, and a dual pick for education and jobs/career collections.


The Self-Help Shelf

Living Deeply
Institute of Noetic Sciences
Noetic Books
c/o New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781572245334, $16.95, www.newharbinger.com

How does one make oneself change for the better? "Living Deeply: The Art & Science of Transformation in Everyday Life" is a complete and comprehensive guide to how to change one's self, drawing from science, and countless philosophies and religions such as Christianity, modern day spirituality, others such as Native American cosmology and so much more. "Living Deeply: The Art & Science of Transformation in Everyday Life" is highly recommended for community library self-help collections.

What I've Learned Since I Knew it All
Paul Meier & Todd Clements
Tyndale House
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414312811, $17.99, toddstarowitz@tyndale.com

Happiness in life – the simplest of things, yet so hard to achieve. "What I've Learned Since I Knew It All: 12 Secrets to Living a Satisfied Life" covers a few little truths in life which if one acknowledges their life becomes so much easier – and with that, happiness can come. The truths include the fairness of life, marriage, friends, addictions, and adulthood – among others. "What I've Learned Since I Knew It All: 12 Secrets to Living a Satisfied Life" is a well composed look at life, highly recommended to community library self-help collections.

Mirrors for Men
Justin O'Brien
Yes International Publishers
1317 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105-2602
9780936663302, $12.00, www.yespublishers.com

Men so often put forth a tough front where they shun the assistance of others – a bad move claims "Mirrors for Men: A Journal for Reflection". Seeking to help men discover their self worth, their skills, and who they are as a person and when to seek out the assistance of others, the book serves as a guide to personal growth, a guide to make its readers better men and most importantly, better people. "Mirrors for Men: A Journal for Reflection" is highly recommended for community library self-help collections and for any men who wish to better themselves.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Spin Fishing Basics
Francis P. Pandolfi and Jono Pandolfi
Burford Books, Inc.
32 Morris Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081
9781580801508, $12.95 www.burfordbooks.com

Spin Fishing Basics: How to Catch Fish on a Spinning Rod, Even If You've Never Fished Before is a handy guide to spin-fishing techniques for readers of all backgrounds and experience levels. Chapters cover how to select the proper rod, reel, and terminal tackle; how to put the reel on the rod, and the line on the reel; how to cast; how fast to retrieve; what bait to put on the line; how to take care of one's gear; and many more tips, tricks, and techniques. Black-and-white photographs enhance this easy-to-follow primer, especially recommended for anyone just getting into spin fishing.

Fishing Soft Baits In Saltwater
Pete Barrett
Buford Books
32 Morris Avenue, Springfield, NJ, 07081
9781580801485, $16.95, www.bufordbooks.com

The technology of lures and baits in fishing has long advanced past the worm on a string - "Fishing Soft Baits in Saltwater: A Complete Guide to Rigs, Adaption, Techniques, and More" is a complete and comprehensive guide to the newer concept of soft baits, soft plastic imitations that seem to out perform most other baits. These lures still take skill to successfully use and, and the guide to using them lies within. "Fishing Soft Baits in Saltwater: A Complete Guide to Rigs, Adaption, Techniques, and More" is essential for any aspiring soft bait fisherman, and for community library nautical collections.


The Biography Shelf

Chicago Assassin
Richard J. Shmelter
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581826180, $24.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com 1-888-439-2665

American Crime Writers League member Richard J. Shmelter presents Chicago Assassin: The Life and Legend of "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and the Chicago Beer Wars of the Roaring Twenties, a fascinating biography set amidst the gangland violence that wracked Chicago during the Prohibition era. Chronicling the life of Vincenzo Gibaldi, who took the name "Jack McGurn" along with the sport of boxing, Chicago Assassin tells how McGurn's father and stepfather were murdered by mobsters, and how his revenge attracted the attention of the notorious Al Capone, who invited McGurn to join the organization. McGurn built a terrible reputation as Chicago's most feared gangster assassin, and may even have helped plan the infamous St. Valentine's Day massacre. He killed more than twenty people during Chicago's Beer Wars, yet was eventually spurned by the Organization he worked for, and murdered Capone's orders. A striking true crime saga, meticulously researched and providing a singularly vibrant picture of the seedy underworld that sprang up to seize advantage of the Prohibition era.

Just Call Me Mike
Mike Farrell
RDV Books
c/o Akashic Books
PO Box 1456, New York, NY 1009
9781933354484, $16.95, www.akashicbooks.com

Activists come from all walks of life – even from old television shows. "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist" is the life story of one Mike Farrell as he tells his tale of coming up into the profession of acting and landing a role in the hit series M.A.S.H., to becoming a writer and producer, to becoming an anti-Death Penalty activist. A charming story that states life has no foretold direction, "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist" is highly recommended to community library collections dedicated to biography.

Rabies Mom
Pat Caroll & Jack McGowan
Arbor Books
19 Spear Road, Suite 301, Ramsey, NJ 07446
9780980110609, $15.99, www.rabiesmom.com

Watching one's children die as they stand by powerless – one of the most horrifying thoughts to any parent. "Rabies Mom" is Pat Caroll's story of watching as his daughter Shannon died from a rabies infection as he mother did nothing – and her neglect ultimately ended up in her death. He tells his tragic story revealing that it is not always the wisest response for the legal system to default to the mother in areas of child custody. "Rabies Mom" is a deftly composed warning to custody battles and those determining it, and community library memoir collections.

Alexander Collie
Gwen Chessell
University of Western Australia Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
9780980296532, $35.95, www.isbs.com

Too often Australia's development is written off as a bunch of British prisoners sent there for punishment – when in fact there were some notable individuals in its history. "Alexander Collie: Colonial Surgeon, Naturalist, and Explorer" is a look at one of those notable individuals, Alexander Collie, a renown scientist from Scotland who did much to help the colony in its early days and helped establish it for future generations. A complete look at a oft-forgotten individual, "Alexander Collie: Colonial Surgeon, Naturalist, and Explorer" is highly recommended for community library biography collections.


The Computer Shelf

Murach's C# 2008
Joel Murach
Murach
4340 North Knoll Ave, Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774462, $52.50, www.murach.com

Learning a new programming language can prove to be highly difficult for many people, and "Murach's C# 2008" is a complete and comprehensive guide to help readers learn everything they need to know to learn how to use it, and then learn to use it to the maximum of its abilities as if they were a college graduated professional who had worked with the program for years. Leaving nothing out, "Murach's C# 2008" is highly recommended to anyone with interest in the language and for community library computer collections.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Kiplinger's Estate Planning
John Ventura, Esq.
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10006
9781427797094, $21.95, www.kaplan.com

What happens to all of one's belongings if one is randomly and tragically killed in a bus accident? Kiplinger's Estate Planning: The Complete Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Maximizing Your Legacy is a complete and comprehensive guide to estate management, whether one carries an estate worth millions or worth less than thousand. It's a guide for anyone about how to make sure one's will is carried out when one makes a purchase of metaphorical agricultural land. Kiplinger's Estate Planning is a must for anyone worried about their friends and family and wants to leave them something when the time comes, and is also highly recommended for community library finance collections.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

20th Century Costume Jewelry
Katie Joe Aikins
Collector Books
PO Box 3009, Paducah, Kentucky 42002-3009
9781574325782, $24.95, www.collectorbooks.com

Jewelry can be an ideal addition to any outfit to add class, and "20th Century Costume Jewelry: Second Edition Identification & Value Guide" is a complete and comprehensive guidebook for anyone who is collecting these kinds of pieces for their own personal use or simply as a hobby. Filled cover to cover with full cover photos, descriptions of each piece, information on rarity, price, and so much more, "20th Century Costume Jewelry: Second Edition Identification & Value Guide" is a must for any hobbyist collector or community library collection catering to them.


The Political Science Shelf

Public Opinion and the Constitutional Controversy
Nathaniel Persily, & Jack Citrin, & Patrick J. Egan
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780195329421, $29.95, www.oup.com/us

Recently, the Supreme Court overturned a law banning gay marriage in California when the population of the state voted it into law- claiming the law was unconstitutional. "Public Opinion and the Constitutional Controversy" is an examination of this debate, and many others like it where the constitution of the United States and the wishes of its public clash – a thorough look at each controversy and the beliefs on both sides of their debates. Deftly compiled, "Public Opinion and the Constitutional Controversy" is a must for any political discussion, with a nod to community library politics collections.

Global Ethics
Thomas Pogge & Keith Horton
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113-2619
9781557788702, $22.95, www.paragonhouse.com

The extent of international law is not a very strong one – most countries are governed on a code of honor – ethics. "Global Ethics: Seminal Essays" is a compilation of various essays on the subject of the ethics that the leaders of the world should follow – and how some of them do not and don't seem to be changing their ways anytime soon. Subjects such as world poverty, hunger, and tyrannical governments are the main focus, but other issues are touched on as well. "Global Ethics: Seminal Essays" is a complete and through anthology of essays from many scholarly individuals – a must for community library world politics collections.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Fantastic Female Filmmakers
Suzanne Simoni
Second Story Press
20 Maud Street, Ste 401, Toronto, ON M5V 2M5
9781897187364, $10.95, www.orcabook.com

Stephen Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas – the profession of film making seems to be a male dominated one, but there are women out there. "Fantastic Female Filmmakers" is a look at these women, who have been heavily involved in this industry even since the early days of the 1900s. Breaking through the sexist walls holding them back, they have become a major part of the film world and have made some fantastic films. "Fantastic Female Filmmakers" is highly recommended to both collections on film and community library women's studies shelves.


The Parenting Shelf

The Rules of Parenting
Richard Templar
FT Press
1 Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
9780137132591, $16.99, www.ftpress.com

Parenting – is it a natural instinct or is it learned? "The Rules of Parenting: A Personal Code for Raising Happy, Confident Children" is a guide to help those instincts or naturally gained knowledge along, promoting 100 easy to follow rules for parents to make their kids happy, the most instinctual desire of all parents. It also promotes the fact that rules, at times, are meant to be broken and that parenting is not a science, but an art. "The Rules of Parenting: A Personal Code for Raising Happy, Confident Children" is a top pick for any parent not a hundred percent sure of their abilities and for community library parenting collections.

No More Meltdowns
Jed Baker
Future Horizons
721 W. Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76013
9781932565621, $14.95, www.FHautism.com

All children are prone to fits and temper tantrums – but it may be worse for children with autism. "No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-Of-Control Behavior" is a complete and comprehensive parenting guide for parents of autistic children to manage their offspring's meltdowns, be they in public or in the privacy of one's own home. With tips on managing one's own emotions, calming one's child, why it occurs, and tips to prevent future problems, "No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-Of-Control Behavior" is highly recommended for community library parenting collections.


The Genealogy Shelf

Your Living Family Tree
Gordon Burgett
Communication Unlimited
185 Shevelin Road, Novato, CA 94947
9780979629549, $15.95, www.yourlivingfamilytree.com

What if one could see video of one's great ancestor living his life 500 years ago? Most would want to see it out of curiosity, and while that is an impossibility for the modern age, one's descendants would want to view the past as well in 2508 – and it's much more possible now. "Your Living Family Tree: Keeping Your Family Together Forever Through Print, Photos, Sound, and Video" is a complete and comprehensive guide to using all of the modern 21st century technology to compose and compile a family tree like no other before it that leaves a solid mark of memory on the modern age. "Your Living Family Tree: Keeping Your Family Together Forever Through Print, Photos, Sound, and Video" is a highly recommended guide to anyone who would want to preserve the memory of their family for eons to come.


The Native American Shelf

Pagans in the Promised Land
Steven T. Newcomb
Fulcrum Publishing
4690 Table Mountain Drive, Ste. 100, Golden, CO, 80403
9781555916428, $19.95, www.fulcrumbooks.com

Is the United States policy on the Native American Indians far more based in religion than we believe? "Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery" is a look at the government's relations with the native people of this country and how the treatment of the natives, non-Christian indigenously, may be part of a sub-conscious Christian doctrine that the country has been following for centuries. Intriguing information from first page to last, "Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery" is deftly written and highly recommended to community library Native American studies collections.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Overcoming Back and Neck Pain
Lisa Morrone
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736921688, $12.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

So often those with an illness ignore common sense - "Overcoming Back and Neck Pain" is a complete and comprehensive guide to giving people the common sense advice they need so they can get off the endless stream of medication and treatments. Teaching concepts such as posture, targeting muscles, healthy movement, and increasing one's natural healing, "Overcoming Back and Neck Pain" is a top pick for community library health collections and anyone who has tried everything with little result.

Medical Infrared Imaging
Dr. Nicholas A. Diakides and Dr. Joseph D. Bronzino
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
0849390273, $89.95 www.crcpress.com 1-800-272-7737

Edited by the inventor of the MedATR concept that engendered the first IR-CAD enabling early detection of breast cancer, Medical Infrared Imaging is an in-depth, state-of-the science textbook for students and biomedical engineering professionals alike. Chapters cover the recent history of modern medical advances that make medical applications of infrared imaging possible; the physics and physiological basis of thermal imaging; the latest concepts of the practice including dynamic thermal imaging, thermal tomography, and the most cutting-edge processing techniques for the early detection of breast cancer; and much more. A superbly researched and presented resource that spares no detail exploring the nuances a lifesaving technology.


The Psychology Shelf

Working With Parents of Noncompliant Children
Mark D. Shriver & Keith D. Allen
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
9781433803444, $59.95, www.apa.org

Behavior problems with children are always a touchy subject for many, having to face the parents if they do something to offend them. "Working with Parents of Noncompliant Children: A Guide to Evidence-Based Parent Training for Practitioners and Students" is a guide for training parents to better deal with their children and their behavioral and attitude problems that so often come up. Teaching valuable techniques for any psychologist or other professional, and enhanced with appendixes, bibliographies, and more, "Working with Parents of Noncompliant Children: A Guide to Evidence-Based Parent Training for Practitioners and Students" is a must for community library psychology collections.


The International Studies Shelf

Kenya's Quest for Democracy
Makau Mutua
Lynne Reinner Publishers
1800 30th St. Suite 314, Boulder, CO 80301-1026
9781588265906, $65.00, www.reinner.com

Democracy is spreading on its own across the globe. "Kenya's Quest for Democracy: Taming Leviathan" is a look at the African nation's own struggle to move into the first world, overcoming its own past political turmoil which proves to make democratization difficult. Looking at what must be done to make Kenyan Democracy a reality, "Kenya's Quest for Democracy: Taming Leviathan" is enhanced with a glossary, bibliography, indexes, and more, making it highly recommended to any community library world politics collection.

Road from Ar Mamadi
Camilo Mejia
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781931859530, $16.00, www.haymarketbooks.org

Conscientious Objector status is suppose to exclude one from military service – but what if you're already in the military? "Road from Ar Mamadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejia" tells this story as a veteran of the war has enough of it, and requests discharge – only to be marked as a deserter and imprisoned. Now free, Mejia tells his story and urges Americans to support an end to what he calls an unjust war in Iraq. A chilling first person perspective not often heard, "Road from Ar Mamadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejia"is a top pick for any community library collection focusing on current events.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Angels A to Z
Evelyn Dorothy Oliver & James R. Lewis
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578592128, $24.95, kae_tienstra@ktpublicrelations.com

Angels are of great interest to many a Christian, and "Angels A to Z" is a complete and comprehensive look at all of them throughout history, covering their history, origins, and more – and it's not just limited to the angels of Christianity, touching on Islamic and Nordic angels as well. Also discussing angels' relevance in common pop culture – books, movies, TV, and more – "Angels A to Z" is a top pick for angel lovers and highly recommended for community library religion collections.

Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church
Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
Liturgical Press
PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814618653, $24.95, www.litpress.org

The scandals of pedophile Priests have done untold damage to the Catholic Church, and "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus" seeks to address the issue directly. Criticizing the church's abuse of power and looking to the Bible to offer a new approach to the church's stance on sexual morality, Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church strives to focus on the people and to be forgiving of their flaws. Calling for a gradual reformation of the Catholic church, "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus" is highly recommended for community library collections concerning Catholicism.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Engine of Recall
Karl Schroeder
Robert J. Sawyer Books
c/o Red Deer Press
#1512, 1800 4th St. SW, Calgary, AB T2E 1E2
0889953457, $16.95, www.robertjsawyerbooks.com www.reddeerpress.com

Overwhelming circumstances – they're usually left to superheroes and the supernatural. "The Engine of Recall" is a compilation of stories about people who don't usually face these odds – the every day average Joe and Joanna. Pitting these normal humans against insurmountable odds, Schroeder's stories come off as human even in the strange foreign alien worlds that they must trudge through to get through their lives and survive. "The Engine of Recall" is a top pick for science fiction fans and community library collections catering to them.

Fall Out
Alan Stevens & Fiona Moore
Telos
61 Elgar Avenue, Tolworth, Surrey, KT5 9JP, England
9781845830182, $24.95, www.telos.co.uk

The hugely popular UK TV series "The Prisoner" now gets its own fan guide in ""Fall Out: The Unofficial & Unauthorized Guide to the Prisoner". Covering every episode in depth, going over the story concepts and themes inherent in every episode, interpreting every episode thoroughly and completely while enlightening fans of the series – making it a perfect gift for them. "Fall Out Boy: The Unofficial & Unauthorized Guide to the Prisoner" is an ideal addition to community library television collections.


The Economics Shelf

Forgive Us Our Debts
Andrew L. Yarrow
Yale University Press
302 Temple Street, PO Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040
9780300123531, $25.00, www.yalebooks.com

Debt affects us all – even if we carry none of it personally. "Forgive Us Our Debts: The Intergenerational Dangers of Fiscal Irresponsibility" is a look at the raging national debt and the upcoming crises that are sure to spill out from it in coming years. Examining the upcoming doomsday scenarios facing social security and Medicare, it touches optimistically on the possibility of a much brighter American future for its finances. "Forgive Us Our Debts: The Intergenerational Dangers of Fiscal Irresponsibility" is a scholarly volume, essential for college collections focusing on economics.

Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development
Rinaldo Brau, Alessandro Lanza, & Stefano Usai
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060, USA
9781847206503, $135.00, www.e-elgar.com

Tourism is a great source of income for any country – but it can have negative impacts as well. "Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development: Macroeconomic Models and Empirical Methods" is an exceptionally well informed and meticulous scholarly analysis of the source of tourism as both a boon to and a bane upon the economies of developing nations. Stating numerous suggestions and methods to control the impact of this valuable source of national income, with cogently expressed general commentaries on the issue as a whole, "Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development: Macroeconomic and Empirical Methods" is highly recommended for college library collections and personal reading lists on the subject of International Economics in general, and the economic impact of tourism in particular.


The Nautical Shelf

Further Offshore
Ed Mapes
Sheridan House
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY, 10522
9781574092530, $39.95, www.sheridanhouse.com

Offshore Sailing can be an exhilarating experience filled with marvelous sights - "Further Offshore: A Practical Guide for Sailors" is a complete and comprehensive guide for any sailor who wants to start this practice. Covering everything and every detail a sailor would need to know, including topics such as seaworthiness, dealing with foul weather, provisions, and so much more. Illustrated with charts throughout, "Further Offshore: A Practical Guide for Sailors" is a top pick for community library nautical collections.


The World History Shelf

Fairs, Markets & the Itinerant Book Trade
Robin Myers, Michael Harris, and Giles Mandelbrote, editors
Oak Knoll Press
310 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720-5038
9781584562009, $47.50 www.oakknoll.com 1-800-996-2556

Fairs, Markets & the Itinerant Book Trade is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing the ways in which the open-air book trade, as seen in book fairs, traveling peddlers and itinerant printers, affected the culture of Europe from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. Fairs, Markets & the Itinerant Book Trade includes essays such as "The Book Trade in Public Spaces: London Street Booksellers 1690-1850", "Itinerant Booksellers, Printers, and Peddlers in Sixteenth-Century Spain and Portugal", "Watching the Peddler's Movements: Itinerant Distribution in the Urban Netherlands" and much more. A thoughtful and scholarly examination of the transformative power of books and book distribution.

To Be a Roman
Margaret A. Brucia & Gregory N. Daugherty
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1000 Brown St., Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
9780865166332, $25.00, www.bolchazy.com

Rome – the single greatest influence upon western civilization. "To Be a Roman: Topics in Roman Culture" is a complete and comprehensive guide to what's usually glossed over about this great civilization – the day to day life of its citizens. Touching on the family life, the religious rituals, the homes in which they lived, and the cities they called there own, both Rome and its other cities – and so much more. The perfect resource for anyone who wants a more complete understanding of the Roman culture, "To Be a Roman: Topics in Roman Culture" is a must have for them and community library reference collections.


The Interior Design Shelf

Smart Closet Makeovers
Cynthia Overbeck Bix
Sunset Books
80 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
9780376011145, $14.95 www.sunset.com 1-800-643-8030

Smart Closet Makeovers is a handy, easy-to-use guide to getting the most out of one's closet space. Chapters not only give examples for efficiently storing goods, but also offer invaluable design guidelines and installation details, with suggestions for the most effective use of ready-to-assemble shelving and other closet systems. Tips specific to closets meant to store crafts, hobby items, toys, food, guest effects, clothes, gardening tools, home office supplies, and other options round out this thoroughly accessible guide. Over two hundred photos illustrate the numerous and handy examples in this "must-have" for anyone who is perpetually short on closet space!


The Literary Shelf

Bloom's Guides: The Stranger
Harold Bloom, editor
Bloom's Literary Criticism
c/o Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10001
www.infobasepublishing.com
9780791098295, $30.00 1-800-322-8755

A worthy contribution to the excellent Bloom's Guides series, Bloom's Guides: The Stranger is a comprehensive reading and study guide for students and lay readers alike of Albert Camus' classic existential novel "The Stranger", about a man who almost involuntarily commits an unprovoked murder, yet is unable to explain why he did it, let alone fake remorse. He is ultimately condemned not for the crime itself, but for his failure to express hypocrisy over it; he is unable to immerse himself in the physical and emotional absurdities of daily existence that demand thousands of little lies and great lies from every member of human society. Bloom's Guide: The Stranger features a strong emphasis on summary and analysis, walking the reader step by step through the nuances of this complex yet insightful work of Western literature. Additional enhancements include "The Story Behind the Story", which describes the conditions under which The Stranger was written, a biographical sketch of the author, a descriptive list of characters, and an annotated bibliography. Enthusiastically recommended especially for anyone studying "The Stranger" as part of a literary course or thesis.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

The 9/11 Report
Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon
Hill & Wang
c/o Farrar, Straus & Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
9780809057399, $16.95 www.fsgbooks.com 1-888-330-8477

The 9/11 Report is a straightforward, full-color graphic novel adaptation of the final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Featuring a foreword Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton, the Chair and Vice Chair of the 9/11 Commission, The 9/11 Report distills the report's findings concerning how the attacks happened, America's subsequent response, and the glaring weaknesses in America's security. Perhaps the most troubling part of The 9/11 is its postscript, which lists letter grades of America's actions to make itself more secure up through 2006 - most of the grades are C's, D's, and F's. "Progress in many important areas has been slow or nonexistent. While the terrorists have been learning and adapting, we have been moving at a bureaucratic crawl." A plain-terms, respectful presentation accessible to readers of all backgrounds, the 9/11 Report is recommended reading for all American citizens - and therefore a "must-have" for public library collections everywhere.

Warriors: Warrior's Return
Erin Hunter, series creator; Dan Jolley, author; James L. Barry, artist
HarperCollins Children's Books
1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019
Tokyopop
5900 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, CA 90036
9780061252334, $6.99 www.harpercollins.com www.tokyopop.com

Recommended for readers age ten to adult, Warriors: Warriors Return is the third graphic novel adaptation of Erin Hunter's beloved saga of wild felines who eschew the way of the human-owned kitty-pet for the way of the Warrior. When proud warrior Graystripe and former kitty-pet Millie return to the ThunderClan's former territory, they find it abandoned. Graystripe fears that his former clanmates have all been killed or captured by Twolegs, but Millie prods him to search for his kin. On their journey, they meet feline friends and foes, and brave the dangers of Twolegs territory. Graystripe's own code calls for him to stay far from the Twolegs, even those that give food or offer shelter; his beliefs conflict with those of Millie, who sees no shame in using the Twolegs as needed. This conflict threatens to tear apart the fragile bond of love growing between Graystripe and Millie. Graystripe must decide to what degree he should compromise his beliefs to survive, fulfill his quest, and acknowledge the feelings for Millie stirring deep in his heart. The simple yet expressive black-and-white artwork brings this adventurous tale to vivid life. Highly recommended, especially for cat fanciers of all ages.


The Civil War Shelf

Troubled State
Gari Carter
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
9781931112741, $34.95 http://tsup.truman.edu 1-800-916-6802

Troubled State: Civil War Journals of Franklin Archibald Dick is a collection of private journals written by Franklin Archibald Dick, a St. Louis attorney, Union officer, and provost marshal general. Assiduously assembled by Franklin Dick's great-great-granddaughter Gari Carter, Troubled State offers a firsthand view of historical events such as the early Camp Jackson incident (during which he was Captain Lyon's assistant adjutant general). Dick was concerned about the slow progression and horrendous cost of the civil war; witnessing the divided city of St. Louis broke his heart, and journals reflect his progression from optimism to grave doubts about the future. Thoughtfully annotated and supplemented with brief biographies as well as a family genealogy and bibliography, Troubled State is a welcome addition to Civil War primary source shelves.


The Gardening Shelf

Idaho Mountain Wildflowers, second edition
A. Scott Earle with Jane Lundin
James L. Reveal, consulting editor
Larkspur Books
2440 N. Bogus Basin Rd., Boise, Idaho 83702
Farcountry Press (distributor)
PO Box 5650, Helena, MT 59604
9781591520443, $19.95 www.farcountrypress.com

Now in an updated second edition, Idaho Mountain Wildflowers: A Photographic Compendium has been expanded with the addition of 225 more plants, almost doubling the size of the catalogue. Beautiful full-color photographs of every flower's entry, along with its common and scientific names, and an extensive paragraph of descriptive text, distinguish this wildflower compendium accessible to lay people and professional botanists alike. The entries are arranged in alphabetical order by scientific family for easy reference, and an index enhances this captivating, easy-to-use guide.

Perennials for Midwestern Gardens
Anthony W. Kahtz
Timber Press
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527
9780881928938, $29.95 www.timberpress.com 1-800-327-5680

Professional horticulturalist Anthony W. Kahtz presents Perennials for Midwestern Gardens: Proven Plants for the Heartland, a profile of more than 400 plants recommended for the Midwestern American climate, known for its unforgivingly hot and humid summers paired with brutally cold winters. Each entry gives the plant's common name and describes its flowers, leaves, habit, soil/sun/shade requirements, propagation, insect or disease problems, recommendations on where to use it and which plants complement it, and much more. Captivating color photography on virtually every page rounds out this superb reference for selecting garden plants that can thrive in the Midwest.

On Guerrilla Gardening
Richard Reynolds
Bloomsbury Publishing
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781596914490, $25.99 www.bloomsbury.com

On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries is a different kind of gardening book, describing how to use the power of gardening to beautify land one does not own - a technically illegal practice! And so those who engage in it apply tactics of Mao Tse-tung and Che Guevara to the (mostly) nonviolent acts of gardening. Cultivating plants has the potential to be an act of political defiance, yet it is a defiance meant to spread colorful blooms, fragrant smells, and happiness among neighbors rather than bloodshed or pain. Chapters cover the history of guerrilla gardening, the necessary tools, recommended courses of action (including positive propaganda tactics) and much more. A scattering of color photography enhances this eyebrow-raising gardening guide.


The Architecture Shelf

Verb Crisis
Mario Ballesteros, et. al. editors
Actar
Roca i Batlle, 2-4 08023 Barcelona, Spain
9788496540972, $42.00 www.actar.com office@actar.com

The latest in the avant-garde Verb series, Verb Crisis explores potential architectural solutions to the problems of an increasingly dense and interdependent world. Offering a diverse assortment of projects and investigations complemented with full color photography, essays, and exclusive interviews with experts in architecture, urban planning, and environmental, economic, or global affairs, Verb Crisis reveals how social needs can transform the effective structure and function of quality architecture. An excellent testimony to experimentation with a purpose, especially recommended as a source of inspiration to professional and aspiring architects preparing to build for the unique challenges of the twenty-first century.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Finding Success in the Horoscope
Jackie Slevin M.A., C.A., NCGR
Ibis Press
c/o Nicolas-Hays
PO Box 540206, Lake Worth, FL 33454-0206
Red Wheel/Weiser (distribution)
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9780892541416, $18.95 www.nicolashays.com www.redwheelweiser.com

Dean and founder of the University of Geocosmic Studies Jackie Slevin presents Finding Success in the Horoscope: The Slevin System of Horoscope Analysis, a guide to Slevin's methodology for divining one's best career path through the revelations of the stars in the sky. The crux of the Slevin System of horoscope analysis involves determining one's skills and the best way to make those skills visible to other people. A number of black-and-white diagrams illustrate this unique procedural manual, sure to benefit horoscope diviners of all skill and experience levels. Whether learning to read the stars to point the way to further one's own career or that of another, Finding Success in the Horoscope is a solid, user-friendly manual. Highly recommended for astrology buffs.

Secret Agent 666
Richard B. Spence
Feral House
PO Box 39910, Los Angeles, CA 90039
9781932595338, $22.95 www.feralhouse.com

Enhanced with a handful of black-and-white photographs, Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence and the Occult is a biography of Aleister Crowley, the founding father of modern-day occultism. Several other biographies have attempted to capture his life and personality; none of them have taken the in-depth look at his career as a British Intelligence agent that Secret Agent 666 has. Drawing upon documents garnered from British, American, French, and Italian archives, Secret Agent 666 reveals that Crowley played a role in the sinking of the Lusitania, a plan to overthrow the Spanish government, countermeasures against Irish and Indian nationalist conspiracies, and the 1941 flight of Rudolf Hess. Portraying Crowley as a patriotic Englishman who survived public vilification partly to conceal his purpose as a secret agent, Secret Agent 666 is a one-of-a-kind portrait, and worthy inclusion to shelves chronicling the history of occult practices.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
John Powers
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559392969, $14.95 www.SnowLionPub.com 1-800-950-0313

Indo-Tibetan philosophy and meditation theory expert John Powers presents A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, which distills his nearly six hundred-page classic "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism" to a more accessible survey ideal for newcomers to the doctrines, practices, meditations and tantra of Tibetan Buddhism. A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism surveys the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism; walks the reader through basic Buddhist doctrines such as karma, rebirth, and dependent arising; explains the purpose and practice of tantra; and much more. A simple, solid, and highly accessible primer, distilling the most important creeds of Buddhism to their bare essentials.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Born in the Big Rains
Fadumo Korn
The Feminist Press
The Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5406, New York, NY 10016
9781558615786, $15.95, www.feministpress.org

The horrors of female circumcision – something long since banned in the Western world, it is still practiced in many African Countries. "Born in the Big Rains: A Memoir of Somalia and Survival" is author and feminist Fadumo Korn's story of nearly dying to the barbaric practice and her rise to becoming a spokesman against the practice. A harsh and much needed criticism against the atrocity of female genital mutilation, "Born in the Big Rains: A Memoir of Somalia and Survival" has the highest recommendation to community library women's studies collections as a bastion against this cruelty that far too many young girls in the world have been exposed to.


The Library Science Shelf

What's The Alternative?
Rachel Singer Gordon
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573873338, $35.00 www.infotoday.com

"What's The Alternative?: Career Options For Librarians And Info Pros" deftly explores the latest trends and opportunities for librarians and information professionals, including researchers, and is a ‘must' for any college-level or business library holding strong in careers and re-careering. It surveys the options for both recent library school grads and working librarians, exploring everything from government work and entrepreneurial opportunities to working within organizations similar to libraries. An essential guide and core reference for any academic, community, or state job search center catering to library science majors.

The Quality Library
Sara Laughlin and Ray W. Wilson
ALA Editions
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838909522, $55.00, www.alastore.ala.org

It's what every library fears – budget cuts. The good news is that with less money it doesn't necessarily mean that the quality of the library must decease. "The Quality Library: A Guide to Staff-Driven Improvement, Better Efficiency, and Happier Customers" is the guide librarians need to deal with the growing budget cuts they inevitably face. It grants superior advice for administrators to understand their audience better, making better financial decisions, and enhanced with indexes, glossaries, and worksheets. "The Quality Library: A Guide to Staff-Driven Improvement, Better Efficiency, and Happier Customers" is an invaluable acquisition for any library trying to make their collection the best it can be.

Instant Library Lessons: Library Celebrations
Karen A. Famer Wanamaker
Upstart Books
c/o Highsmith Inc.
PO Box 800, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0800
www.keepthestorygoing.com
9781602130081, $17.95, www.upstartbooks.com 1-800-448-4887

A library, although a traditionally quiet place, should never take its silence as a sign that it is not busy. Part of the "Instant Library Lessons" series created especially for busy librarians with no time to craft lesson plans, Instant Library Lessons: Library Celebrations is a compilation of grade-specific lessons for grades K-3 for Book Week, Read Across America, National Library Week, and a celebration of Librarians. Created by award-winning elementary school library media specialist Karen A. Farmer Wanamaker, Instant Library Lessons: Library Celebrations includes reproducible black-and-white children's worksheets and illustrated cutouts, as well as step-by-step lesson plan instructions. "Instant Library Lessons: Fall Fun" is packed cover to cover with lesson plans to give students so that when they themselves are far too busy to lay out their own plans, a backup plan always lies in wait for them. Each lesson is expertly crafted and dynamic and covers each of the holiday seasons throughout the fall season – Columbus Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even touches on more obscure holidays such as Grandparents day. A wonderful, easy-to-use resource enthusiastically recommended for librarians who work with children, "Instant Library Lessons: Fall Fun" is a must for any librarian whose day to day life on the job is more hectic than anyone would expect.

Crash Course in Reference
Charlotte Ford
Libraries Unlimited
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9781591584636, $30.00, www.lu.com

Reference sections are an essential part of every library - "Crash Course in Reference" is a complete guidebook for librarians in keeping and maintaining a reference collection. Focusing on using resources to find the best and most efficient books on every subject, and information on finding the answer when it continues to elude one's search, "Crash Course in Reference" is a top pick for any librarian trying to make their collection the best possible.

Archiving Websites
Adrian Brown
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038-4512
1856045536, $99.95 www.neal-schuman.com 1-866-672-6657

Archiving Websites: A Practical Guide for Information Management Professionals is a guide written especially to teach librarians how to preserve an archive of selected portions of the World Wide Web for reference. Chapters cover the history of the development of web archiving; recommendations for website selection criteria; collection methods; quality assurance; cataloging and classifying websites; and much more. Author Adrian Brown applies his experience in managing a national Web-archiving program to this user-friendly resource. An utterly invaluable manual for libraries in the modern information age.

Library Research with Emergent Readers
Christa Harker & Dorette Putonti
Linworth Books
3650 Olentangy River Road, Suite 250, Columbus, OH 43214
1586832883, $39.95, www.linworth.com

Schools begin teaching at the age of 5 for a good reason – minds are most open to new, academic information at that time. "Library Research with Emergent Readers: Meeting Standards Through Collaboration" is a complete and comprehensive guide to teaching library research skills to younger readers and how to meet the standards that all modern American libraries must meet. Covering everything one would need to teach a young reader everything they need to know how to use the library to its full potential, "Library Research with Emergent Readers: Meeting Standards Through Collaboration" is highly recommended to community library science collections.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Save The Cat! Goes to The Movies
Blake Snyder
Michael Wiese Productions
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd. #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781932907353, $24.95, www.mwp.com

Everything there is to be done has been done before in some way. "Save The Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told" is a guide to this strange claim to cover ten genre that the populace can't seem to get enough of, a through look at fifty of the biggest movies of the past three decades to cover everything about the modern movie script – and why originality isn't really dead when it seems to be – but it's really just taking on a new costume and appearance. Written by a Hollywood veteran with thirteen successful screenplay sales, "Save The Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told" is highly recommended to anyone who's trying to break into Hollywood and for community library collections on the subject of film.

How to Write a Screenplay in 10 Weeks
Marilyn Horowitz
Atlas Books
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
9780979908910, $49.95, www.atlasbooks.com

Speed is a rare quality in artists of any sort, especially writers - "How to Write a Screenplay in 10 Weeks: A Fast & Easy Toolbox for All Writers" is a guide to improving one's writing – and being much faster as they do it. A through and complete guide to writing a first draft in less than three months, complete with a formatting manual and a writing log, "How to Write a Screenplay in 10 Weeks: A Fast & Easy Toolbox for All Writers" is a must for any writer who really wants to kick it into high gear in getting their ideas down onto paper, and highly recommended to community library writing and publishing collections.

The Best of Write Now
Danny Fingeroth
Twomorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleign, NC 27614
9781893905924, $19.95, www.twomorrows.com

Every comic book reader wanted to draw their own comics at some point as a child – but what do you do when that urge doesn't go away as an adult? "The Best of Write Now!: How To Interviews & Art From the Premier Publication About Comics Writing" is a compilation of, as the title says, the very best of a publication dedicated to the writers and artists of comic books and graphic novels with advice from big names such as Stan Lee, J.M. Straczynski, Neil Gaiman, and many more. If one is an aspiring artist or writer of comic books, the advice found in "The Best of Write Now!: How to Interviews & Art from the Premier Publication About Comics Writing" is essential and a great place to start, making it highly recommended for community library comics and graphic novels shelves.

The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier
Bonnie Trenga
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F&W Publications
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
9781582975610, $9.99, www.writersdigest.com

One can have the best grammar in the world, but if the writing is still horrible, it's going to be very technically sound horrible writing. "The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier: How to Solve the Mysteries of Weak Writing" looks at all the causes of bad writing and how to repair them and revise them. Touching on passive voice, abuse of the suffix -ing, run on sentences, and many other common accidents of writers, "The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier: How to Solve the Mysteries of Weak Writing" is an essential guide for novice writers with its unique and entertaining approach to improve themselves.

Webster's Contemporary School & Office Thesaurus
Editors of Merriam-Webster
Federal Street Press
25-13 Old Kings Highway North, #277, Darien, CT 06820
9781596950481, $7.98 www.federalstreetpress.com 1-877-886-2830

The latest trade paperback edition of Webster's Contemporary School & Office Thesaurus combines effectiveness with affordability. Featuring 150,000 synonyms and antonyms, and a brief definition (with usage in a sentence) for each entry along with a list of its synonyms and antonyms, all organized alphabetically, Webster's Contemporary School & Office Thesaurus is as easy and convenient to use as ever. A "must-have" for writer's and student's desks everywhere, particularly those who have to create compositions without immediate access to the internet.


The Library DVD Shelf

The War On Democracy
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1594587515, $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com 1-800-543-3764

Recorded human history is largely an account of the unlikely rise and inevitable fall of empires. Often, as those empires were sliding into decline their citizens were not aware that their days of empire were waning. America is no exception to this historical record. "The War On Democracy" is an informed and informative documentary on the Bush administration's heavy handed imperialism declaring their anti-democratic ideologies of imposing democracy throughout the world by dubious economic and short-sighted military means. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The War On Democracy" is written, directed, and reported by John Pilger who incorporates his personal interviews with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, as well as some of the U.S. government officials who conducted the CIA's clandestine war in Latin America during the 1980s which proved to be a template for today's Bush-era international policies. The 94 minute DVD format includes English and Spanish language versions, a John Pilger biography, and production notes. Very highly recommended viewing for civil rights activists, political reformers, and the general public in this current political season, "The War On Democracy" is a welcome and necessary addition to academic and community library collections.

Becoming Green: Growing Environmental Awareness
WGBH Boston Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
16027 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 206, Encino, CA 91436
9781593758073, $49.95, www.ssapr.com

Becoming Green: Growing Environmental Awareness is a thinpack DVD set of environmentally themed public television programs. The thinpack consists of the NOVA episode "Car of the Future", in which the public radio "Car Talk" brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi look at the environmental future of transportation; the NOVA episode "Solar Energy: Saved by the Sun" presenting the testimony of scientists, economists, and ordinary citizens seeking to better harness the untapped potential of the sun amid a world of rising oil prices; the NOVA and Frontline joint effort "Global Warming: What's Up with the Weather?" scrutinizing record high temperatures worldwide along with the increased frequency of drought, deadly flooding and catastrophic hurricanes; and the American Experience episode "Rachel Carson's Silent Spring", a devastating expose of the chemical industry's unregulated use of DDT (unfortunately, this is the one DVD of the set that is not closed captioned). Special features include printable materials for educators for "Solar Energy" and "Global Warming", and described video for the visually impaired in "Solar Energy" and "Car of the Future". An economical and educational collection, enthusiastically recommended for public library and private DVD collections alike. 4 DVDs, 277 min.

The British Empire In Color
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
AMP-8080, $24.99 www.acornmedia.com

There was indeed a time when the sun never set upon the globe-spanning British empire whose peak was reached under the reign of Queen Victoria. Ably narrated by Art Malik, the 20th century decline and eventual collapse of that venerable empire is superbly documented in an historical survey that is unique in that it is presented with color film taken from major archives and private collections. Presented in three major parts (The Decline of Empire; The Fall of Empire; The Aftermath of Empire), this mini-series charts Britain's empire country by country, beginning with India, justifiably considered the chief jewel in the imperial crown., "The British Empire In Color" proceeds with an informed and informative overview of both British contributions with respect to education, technology, law, and democracy to its possession, as well as the prejudice, discrimination, cultural bigotry and racism it fostered as a means of controlling its subject populations. Covering the partition of India and Pakistan, the creation of Palestine and Israel, the Suez crisis, the rise of Black Nationalism leading to the emancipation of the African colonies, the handover of Hong Kong to the Chinese, and more. Of special note is the use of personal letters and diary excerpts from both the British and their colonial subjects. Enhanced with the inclusion of a 26-minute 'making of' documentary on how the series was researched and developed, "The British Empire In Color" is a superb production and a very highly recommended addition for personal, community, and school library DVD collections in general.

Benny Golson: The Whisper Not Tour
Arkadia DVD
34 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
DVD, $19.98, www.arkadiadvd.com

Benny Golson: The Whisper Not Tour is a DVD of the last video recorded that reunited jazz legends Benny Golson, Art Farmer, and Curtis Fuller, along with special guest Jon Hendricks. A multiple-camera video production showcasing Golson's compositional and performance talents, Benny Golson: The Whisper Not Tour includes some of Golson's most beloved classics in non-standard form, enhanced by Hendricks' dulcet voice. The performed songs include "Are You Real?", "Out of the Past", "Blues March", "I Remember Clifford", and "Whisper Not." Bonus DVD features include a Benny Golson biography and gallery, as well as bonus musical and concert performance footage. A treat for jazz enthusiasts.

The Last Ridge
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
#20365, $24.95, www.janson.com

One of the most extraordinary campaigns of World War II was the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division who fought the Germans in the high mountain country of northern Italy and whose experiences went on to revolutionized mountain warfare abroad, as well as impacting winter sports after the war's end. Able narrated by Scot Simon, "The Last Ridge: The Uphill Battles Of The 10th Mountain Division" is a one-hour documentary that begins with the Army's rigorous training program where the troops lived outdoors in extreme cold for weeks at ta time, hiking with 40 kilo backpacks at altitudes over 4,000 meters. Without the support of tanks, trucks, or jeeps, these men had only their skies and what ever they could carry to pursue their missions. Informed and informative, "The Last Ridge" is enhanced for viewers with the inclusion of re-creations, eyewitness accounts, 3-D animation, German archival footage, and hitherto unpublished personal letters. This superbly produced and presented documentary concludes with accounts of the 10th Mountain Division's responsibility's today that extends to the remote corners of Afghanistan. Extensively filmed onsite in Colorado, Italy, Afghanistan, and Yugoslavia, and infused with insights from more than one hundred members of the 10th Mountain Division, "The Last Ridge" is highly recommended for community library DVD collections, and will be of particularly special interest to military history buffs.

The Best of Tamilee
MagicPlay Entertainment
28494 Westinghouse Pl, Suite 313, Santa Clarita, CA 91355-0930
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
#5027, $14.99 www.magicplay-ent.com www.411videoinfo.com

The Best of Tamilee is quite literally a fitness DVD due to popular demand. Collecting the best of Exercise Science expert Tamilee's routines from the "Abs of Steel", "Buns of Steel" and "Arms of Steel" videos into one DVD, plus a 15-minute bonus segment from yoga master Stacy McCarthy's "Yoga Body Lean & Defined" workout, The Best of Tamilee is an exceptional tour of what targeted workout training can really do for problem areas of one's body. Each of the four 15-minute segments can be done separately or together to suit the viewer's needs, and the only exercise equipment recommended are inexpensive three-pound to five-pound hand weights. Highly recommended. 68 minutes, color.

Stacy McCarthy's Yoga Body
Stacy McCarthy
MagicPlay Entertainment
28494 Westinghouse Pl, Suite 313, Santa Clarita, CA 91355-0930
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.magicplay-ent.com
9781934913011, $14.99 www.411videoinfo.com

Stacy McCarthy's Yoga Body: Lean & Defined Total Body Workout is a fitness DVD offering a yoga routine of postures designed to promote strength, flexibility, stamina, and balance. Though accessible to viewers of all backgrounds, the series of yoga poses do get progressively more difficult, in a routine designed to work the entire body and boost one's metabolism. The standing postures and leg exercises, expertly demonstrated by certified yoga teacher Stacy McCarthy, are meant to provide a genuine workout as well as an introduction to the wonderful benefits of yoga. A welcome addition to personal fitness libraries on DVD. 60 min., color.

Razor Fitness
947 Hamilton Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025
c/o 411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.razorfitness.com www.411videoinfo.com

Internationally recognized fitness expert Tracey Mallett hosts two exercise DVDs in the "6-minute Quick Blast Method" series. Total Body Calorie Blast (RD-0519, $14.99, 66 min.) blends cardio with deep-toning techniques to strengthen one's entire body, and particularly target the core. Cardio Blasts apply interval training for raising one's heart rate, and Mind Body Blasts combine Pilates and Yoga-inspired techniques to cultivate a more shapely body. The only recommended equipment for these workouts are simple three-pound to five-pound hand weights, but perhaps the greatest advantage to Total Body Calorie Blast is its flexibility - one can do only a segment or two in the morning for quick energy, or all of them at once for a satisfyingly complete workout. Total Body Fat Burner (RD-0518, $14.99, 66 min.) focuses entirely upon concentrating maximum calorie burn in minimum time. In addition to three-pound to five-pound hand weights, an inexpensive stability ball is recommended to get the most out of these sculpting-intensive exercises. Healthy eating tips round out both DVDs, which are highly recommended as excellent, energizing resources for anyone who needs to get in shape but can't commit to spending hours at the gym every day!

The Gates
Crystal Productions
PO Box 2159, Glenview, IL 60025-6159
CP-0299, $29.95 www.crystalproductions.com 1-800-255-8629

The Gates: A Film About the Gates in Central Park, New York City is the DVD story of a unique, massive work of art. For sixteen days in February 2005, over 7,500 gates covered twenty-three miles of Central Park walkways in New York. The Gates captures for posterity the artistry, labor, and love that went into the creation of the Gates, the response from those who enjoyed them during their all-too-brief life, and their methodical disassembly. Special features include a press conference with Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the masterminds behind The Gates, as well as a photo gallery with over fifty photographs by executive producer Mark Terk. Shot in high definition (yet fully playable on normal DVD players), The Gates is a wonderful record of a truly far-reaching and inspirational art project. 30 min., widescreen, color.

Kalashnikov Rifle Gunfighting
Gabriel Saurez
Paladin Press
Gunbarrel Tech Center, 7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
KRGDVD, $49.95, www.paladin-press.com

All over the world it seems, the rifle of choice seems to be the AK-47/74 series. "Kalashnikov Rifle Gunfighting: Too Simple to be Tactical" is an instructional video to teach its viewers the most basic techniques they need to know to effectively use the rifle in numerous situations and why this particular model is the rifle of choice in the modern urban battlefield. With nearly 100 minutes of instructional knowledge, "Kalashnikov Rifle Gunfighting: Too Simple to be Tactical" is a must for any gun enthusiast or community library instructional DVD collection.

The Hollywood Collection: Charlton Heston For All Seasons
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
#20362, $24.95 www.janson.com

Janson Media's "Hollywood Collection" series now includes a DVD tribute to Charlton Heston, the star of over sixty movies. Charlton Heston For All Seasons pays homage to Heston's many roles, from king to slave and hero to villain, in classic Hollywood films such as "Moses", "Ben-Hur", "El Cid" and "Michelangelo. Also revealed is the aspect of his personality that led him to speak out on the issues he believed in, regardless of their controversy. Highlights from some of Heston's most well-known movies intersperse this respectful homage, enhanced with extra features including a photo gallery, an interview with Gene Feldman, and a "meet the producers" segment. 85 min., color with some black-and-white footage of classic films.

The Abs Diet for Women Workout
Based on the program by David Zinczenko
Jessica Smith, instructor
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
#05-52705, $14.98 www.rodale.com 1-800-527-8200

Based on the "New York Times" best selling program by David Zinczenko, The Abs Diet for Women Workout is a high-energy DVD workout designed especially to help women burn fat and get into shape. Hosted by expert fitness instructor Jessica Smith, The Abs Diet for Women Workout includes strength training, a cardio interval workout, two abs routines designed to work all five regions of the abdominal muscles, and pilates and yoga components. In addition to a solid exercise routine, The Abs Diet for Women Workout also incorporates "The Abs Diet Eating Plan" to help viewers follow a healthier diet, and a 30-day trial to absdietonline.com. An excellent choice for fitness workout DVD libraries, The Abs Diet for Women Workout does not require the viewer to use expensive fitness equipment, though simple three-pound or five-pound hand weights and a mat are recommended. 55 min., color.

Herod's Temple
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
DVD, $19.99 www.visionvideo.com 1-800-523-0226

Herod's Temple: The Temple Jesus Knew is a documentary DVD about the history of the Temple Mount of Jerusalem, one of the best known sacred sites in the world. Over 2,000 years ago, it was known as Herod's Temple to Jesus and his disciples. Herod's Temple: The Temple Jesus Knew uses animation to reconstruct how the temple might have once looked, imagines the scene that took place when Jesus drove the moneychangers from its outer court, and the horror of the temple's fiery devastation at the hands of the Romans in A.D. 70. A fascinating and educational study sure to captivate viewers of all faiths and backgrounds. 30 minutes, color.

Camelot
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
DVD, $29.99 www.acornmedia.com

Camelot is a DVD rendition of Lerner and Loewe's Tony-nominated play of King Arthur's court, performed live on a Broadway stage and featuring legendary actor Richard Harris as King Arthur himself. In Camelot, King Arthur strives to fulfill his ideals for a just and peaceful kingdom, yet his dreams are betrayed when a doomed love arises between Queen Guenevere (Meg Bussert) and Arthur's closest friend, Lancelot (Richard Muenz). Close-up shots are judiciously applied to capture the distinctive moments of the stage performance; extras include production notes, the original Broadway playbill on DVD-ROM, and biographies of Lerner & Loewe as well as Richard Harris. A "must-have" especially for live theater fans. 147 min., closed captioned.

Honey and Clover
Viz Pictures
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
DVD, $24.98, www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

Honey and Clover is a live-action Japanese romantic comedy movie with English subtitles. A group of struggling art students eke out a hand-to-mouth life, barely making enough to eat and pay the rent; when an innocent nineteen-year-old girl with exceptional talent joins them, a complex love triangle ensues! A delightfully emotional story about the bonds of friendship, fickle whims of love, and the determination to achieve one's dream, Honey and Clover is a joy to watch and welcome addition to foreign film shelves. 116 minutes, color.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Man Who Loved China
Simon Winchester
Harper Audio
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061556272, $39.95, www.harpercollins.com 1-800-242-7737

China is once again emerging as a major player in the family of nations. But certain questions have lingered with scholars and historians. Why did China, a nation which was so inventive and which experienced five thousand years of a flourishing civilization, fail to establish an industrial revolution similar to that of the west, thereby spending the decades of the 19th and 20th century mired in poverty, revolution, and instability? Joseph Needham was a respected Cambridge scholar and scientist who in 1937 fell in love with a visiting Chinese study and through his mistress became interested in her home country. By the time he died, Needham has authored seventeen volumes on China and cited by the academic community as a singular expert on Chinese history, culture, and society. "The Man Who Loved China" is the deftly written biography of a most extraordinary man and this flawlessly produced, complete and unabridged, nine hour audio book, written and read by Simon Winchester, provides an informed and informative story of an eccentric scientist whose dedication and meticulous scholarship explained the mysteries of China to the world. This superb CD audio book edition of "The Man Who Loved China" is highly recommended for personal, academic, and community library collections.

Shooting at Loons
Margaret Maron, author
C.J. Critt, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781436119788, $51.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Edgar Award-winning author Margaret Maron presents Shooting at Loons, now in an unabridged audiobook rendition skillfully performed by actress C.J. Critt. A murder mystery set in rural North Carolina, Shooting at Loons follows Judge Deborah Knott as she is unexpectedly thrust in the center of legal and other battles between sport and commercial fishermen, not to mention old money versus new money. When Deborah discovers the body of Andy Bynum, a retired waterman respected by all, she must track down a killer amid a land where ordinary people shoot at loons, sea turtles, and sometimes even their neighbors. A suspenseful and engaging tale to the very end, featuring tracks every three minutes for easy bookmarking. 7 CDs, 7 1/4 hours.

Native Son
Richard Wright, author
Peter Francis James, narrator
Caedmon
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061457838, $39.95 www.harpercollins.com 1-800-242-7737

Performed by Peter Francis James, Native Son is an unabridged audiobook presentation of African-American author Richard Wright's well-known tale of cultural oppression and human psychopathy. Set in 1930s Chicago, Native Son follows Bigger Thomas, a black man who has grown up amid extreme racial prejudice and persecution all his life, and matured into an utter sociopath. He commits the second-degree murder of a white woman and is eventually taken to trial for his crime; he remains completely unrepentant to the last, seething with homicidal hatred for all whites, even those who tried to treat him with compassion, and even the white lawyer who defends him. A jarring cautionary tale of how societal oppression can turn the oppressed into monsters that in turn menace their oppressors, Native Son remains an enduring work of literature. 15 CDs, 17 1/2 hours.

Practically Shameless
Alyce Barry
Practically Shameless Press
PO Box 1505, Longmont, CO 80502-1505
9780979832628, $24.95 www.PracticallyShameless.com 1-303-485-5400

Practically Shameless: How Shadow Work Helped Me Find My Voice, My Path, and My Inner Gold is the unabridged audiobook rendition of author and Shadow Work facilitator Alyce Barry's self-help guide to revitalizing one's life. Barry draws upon her personal story of overcoming depression to explain the human shadow, and the transformative power of the Shadow Work processes. Shadow Work founder Cliff Barry provides a foreword to this helpful guide to positive metamorphosis, which delves into why humans resist change so much and how to tap into one's positive inner sources. Especially recommended for anyone interested in discovering the mental and emotional benefits of shadow work. 5 CDs, 5 hours 32 min.

The Immortal Highlander
Karen Marie Moning, author
Phil Gigante, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781423341611, $29.95 www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859

Read aloud by veteran theater actor Phil Gigante, The Immortal Highlander is the unabridged audiobook of Karen Marie Moning's intensely sensual fantasy novel. Adam Black is a handsome immortal possessed of nigh-insatiable desires, until a curse takes away his immortality and renders him invisible. Adam's only hope lies in the one woman who can see him: law student Gabrielle O'Callaghan, gifted with the (mis?)fortune of being able to see into both Mortal and Faery realms. A glamorous melding of magic, passion, conspiracy, and adventure, and love. 9 CDs, approx. 10 hours.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
www.canyonrecords.com 1-800-268-1141

Native American cultures are as diverse in their arts and music as those of the European nations. Canyon Records is the premier publisher of Native American music and covers the entire spectrum of Native American music ranging from pow-wow and round dance songs, to the healing and prayer songs of the Native American Church. With each of them demonstrating flawless production qualities and performances, four new releases from Canyon Records demonstrate the breadth and diversity of what is now available to the general public. "Night of the Northern Lights" (CR-6440, Total Time 61:00) features the father-daughter performances of Jay and Tinesha Begaye who blend twelve songs in traditional Navajo style with the round dance rhythms of tribal Canada. "Warscout" (CR-6437, Total Time 54.49) features twelve impressive performances by the pow-wow songs group Scouts and recorded at a live performance at Stanford. "First Light" (CR-6436, Total Time 70:14) by Cheevers Toppah and Kevin Yazzie showcases nine harmonized peyote songs in Dine and Kiowa. "Stories Told" (CR-6432, Total Time 47:34) offers six sets of harmonized peyote songs as performed Verdell Perimeaux (Lakota) and Terry Hanks (Dine) and which are associated with the rituals of the Native American Church. No personal, community, or academic library collection of Native American music can be considered either complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of these four outstanding releases from Canyon Records Productions.

Nine Heavens
Niyaz
Six Degrees Records
540 Hampshire Street, San Francisco, CA 94110-1417
$18.98, www.sixdegreesrecords.com

Niyaz is an unusual group that blends traditional and modern world music with spell-binding vocals by Azam Ali, the multi-instrumental talents of Loga Ramin Torkian, and two-time Grammy Award nominee producer and remixer Carmen Rizzo. In "Nine Heavens", this trio of international talent superbly features Persian and Urdu mystical poems written by some of the most noted of the Sufi poets, as well as two original interpretations of traditional folk songs from Khorrassan, Iran, and a memorable folk song from Maras, Turkey. A multi-cultural masterpiece, "Nine Heavens" is flawless in execution and production, making it an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library CD music collections and a 'must' for the growing legion of Niyaz fans both here and abroad.

A Long And Winding Road
Maureen McGovern
PS Classics
c/o Miller Wright & Associates, Inc.
1650 Broadway, Suite 1210, New York, NY 10019
$18.98, www.psclassics.com

Folk singer Maureen McGovern is a consummate and accomplished performer whose career began in the late 60s and is still going strong today. Her latest album is "A Long and Winding Road" in which she showcases her impressive talent and flawless performance with an eclectic mix of eighteen songs that are reflective, melodic, and superlative examples of American popular culture as presented in the folk tradition of the last forty years. The pieces comprising this simply outstanding and highly recommended album include All I Want/America; The Times They area-Cahngin'; The Circle Game; The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy); Cowboy; The Coming of the roads; Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?; Shed a Little Light/Carry It On/ The Fiddle and the Drum; Fire and Rain; Rocky Raccoon; Let It Be; By the Time I Get to Phoenix; MacArthur Park; The Moon's A Harsh Mistress; And When I Die; Imagine; and the title piece, The Long and Winding Road.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Coast to Coast in Punch Needle
Landauer Books
3100 101st Street, Urbandale, IA, 50322
9780979371141, $21.95, www.landauerbooks.com

One way to celebrate one's pride for the fifty states of the union – needlecraft. "Coast to Coast in Punch Needle: The 50 States, State Flowers, Birds, & Trees" is a complete and comprehensive guide to creating needlecraft patterns dedicated to each of the fifty states, with information involving each state's official nickname, motto, tree, bird, and flower. Enhanced with full color photos, "Coast to Coast in Punch Needle: The 50 States, State Flowers, Birds, & Trees" is deftly composed and highly recommended to community library needlecraft collections.


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

Hidden Letters
Annotated by Deborah Slier and Ian Shine
Translated by Marion van Binsbergen-Pritchard
Star Bright Books
30-19 48th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101
9781887734882, $35.00 www.starbrightbooks.com 1-800-788-4439

Hidden Letters is a treasure trove of letters and postcards written in 1942 by an 18 year old Dutch Jew named Philip "Flip" Slier, sent almost daily from Flip to his parents from within the forced labor camp that held Flip. Flip was eventually executed in the Nazi death camp Sobibor. Now translated and reprinted, completely unedited and enhanced with annotation from Deborah Slier and her husband Ian Shine, Hidden Letters is a first-person account of life in Nazi-occupied Holland. Black-and-white photographs and interviews with those who knew Flip, as well as with Selma Wijnberg-Engel (the sole Dutch survivor of the October, 1943 uprising in Sobibor) round out this firsthand testimony. A welcome addition to academic and community library Judaic Studies in general, and Holocaust Studies collections in particular.


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


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