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California Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 10 October 2012 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Social Issues Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Music Shelf Computer Shelf Sports Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Photography Shelf Business Shelf
Education Shelf Travel Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Biography Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf International Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Crafts Shelf
Art Shelf Homeowner Shelf Science Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Audiobook Shelf Military Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Christian Studies Shelf DVD Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Calendar Shelf
California Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back
Andrew Zolli and Ann Marie Healy
Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451683806, $26.00, www.simonandcuster.com

Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back comes from a global analyst who tells how to develop individual and social resilience, teaching foundation tools that may be applied across the board to individuals, organizations, economic structures and human society as a whole. Chapters take lessons from the emerging field of resilience research and apply adaptation techniques directly to common social, personal and political challenges. Stories from innovators around the world accompany case studies that outline this resilience in action, making for a fine compendium of eight basic principles of resilience and how complex systems can heal themselves when breached. Very highly recommended for general and social issues collections alike!

We Learn Nothing: Essays and Cartoons
Tim Kreider
The Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
978143818704, $20.00, www.simonandschuster.com

We Learn Nothing: Essays and Cartoons comes from a political cartoonist who provides a fun series of life lessons and is a blend of humor and cartoon insights perfect for biography and cartooning readers alike. Essays offer reflections on everything from how to 'unfriend' on Facebook and in real life to underlying truths about politics, parenthood, and human relations. The result is a powerful set of social insights couched in humor, enhanced by the author's cartoons, and perfect for any who want a combination of cartooning and social reflection.

A Labyrinth of Kingdoms
Steve Kemper
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393079661, $28.95, www.wwnorton.com

A LABYRINTH OF KINGDOMS: 10,000 MILES THROUGH ISLAMIC AFRICA tells of Heinrich Barth, an explorer who spent five years journeying 10,000 miles through North and Central Africa in 1849. It's amazing to note this story is told for the first time here, chronicling decades of Britain's failed attempts to explore the continent. Barth led an expedition to the central Sudan. A Christian who spoke Arabic and learned seven other African languages, he was the perfect man for the job and was able to pass through various kingdoms where others failed. He made the first accurate maps of the region and contributed to many important geographic discoveries. His story is vividly recounted here.


The Social Issues Shelf

Next Nature
Robert Van Mensvoort and Hendrick-Jan Grievink
Actar D Publishing
c/o ActarBirkhauser Distribution
151 Grand Street, 5th floor
New York, NY 10013
8492861533, $44.95, www.actar-d.com

NEXT NATURE is an artistic survey of nature and technology and their connections, and packs in a powerful visual presentation of images and ideas that represent this connection. From wild software and genetic surprises to evolving systems not always geared to humans, NEXT NATURE covers everything from self-evolving architecture and the desktop agriculture world of Farmville to a VISA card made of wood and technology that enhances human senses rather than numbing them to the world. Arts, social issues, environmental and technology holdings alike will find this a lively and engrossing discussion packed with eye-opening images and approaches to modern connections between man and nature! Very highly recommended: its thick appearance promises a treasure trove of visuals while accompanying insights are lively, not weighty.

Modernizing Repression
Jeremy Kuzmarov
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558499171, $29.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Modernizing Repression: Police Training and Nation-Building in the American Century provides a fine survey of police training programs and their impact on countries under American imperial influence, and makes for a fine consideration for international social issues and world issue alike. It surveys the issues surrounding these police training programs in other countries, considering its value as a cost-effective method of suppressing radical movements even as some of them only helped spread more violence and instability. Chapters probe the programs which have fostered social control and chaos alike, and offer a critical assessment of choices that have undermined U.S. strategic interests in other countries. Social issues and political studies collections will find this an excellent add - and much food for thought!

Hidden
Richard Giannone
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823241842, $27.95, www.fordhampress.com

HIDDEN: REFLECTIONS ON GAY LIFE, AIDS, AND SPIRITUAL DESIRE comes from a professor who analyzes gay life, spirituality and the challenges of AIDS and provides a religious conversation that uses Catholic insights to consider homosexuality and the Gospel. It specifically addresses the hidden nature of self and how that nature can't be hidden in order to achieve real spiritual connections, and it provides chapters that are special recommendations for Christian readers interested in social issues.

Organize!
Aziz Choudry, et.al., Editors
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604864335, $24.95, www.pmpress.org

ORGANIZE! BUILDING FROM THE LOCAL FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE is a primer on activism and is a powerful pick for any interested in how to link local organizing with global justice. Over twenty chapters come from organizers, activists, lawyers and researchers who provide keys for understanding approaches to social change that go beyond local organizing. From problems common to organizing to a historical survey of injustices and how they can be corrected, ORGANIZE offers a range of perspectives and will especially reach college students and activists with keys to success, failure, and expanding an organized movement.

Uncle Swami
Vijay Prashad
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10013
9781595587848, $21.95, www.thenewpress.com

UNCLE SWAMI: SOUTH ASIANS IN AMERICA TODAY asks Asians how it feels to be perceived as part of a larger terrorist phobia - and gathers answers and analysis of South Asian American identity in UNCLE SWAMI, a hard-hitting examination of relationships between the U.S. and this group. Humor blends with social observation and history as it probes the experiences of South Asian Americans assaulted for their beliefs and appearances after 9/11. Stories of South Asian immigrant experience blend with Prashad's own background in a complex, pointed inspection of racism in modern America.


The Cookbook Shelf

Eat Like a Man
Esquire
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811677411, $30.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

EAT LIKE A MAN: THE ONLY COOKBOOK A MAN WILL EVER NEED offers recipes for foods men like to eat and likely will want to cook, and provides all the basics, including recipes and preparation tips from male cooks. From easy explanations of basic cooking techniques, including color photos at every step, to a list of kitchen fools and dishes ranging from Meat Loaf to steaks and roasted chicken, this is packed with at-a-glance difficulty ratings, explanations that assume no prior cooking knowledge, and much more, and is a pick for any cook's collection!

The Vintage Tea Party Book
Angel Adoree
Antique Collector's Club
c/o ACC Distribution
6 West 18th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
9781851496877, $29.95, www.antiquecollectorsclub.com

The Vintage Tea Party Book is a lovely color-photo packed guide to creating a vintage tea party and is a lovely, artistic survey that is a complete guide to hosting a vintage event. From recipes that offer different tea choices such as Chilled Raspberry Soup and Candy-Striped Meringues to Chocolate Figs Dipped in Sea Salt, this is loaded with engaging color photos of completed dishes and unique table settings, and is a fine, fun guide to any who would consider creating an eye-catching vintage tea party. The focus on hosting and decorating options go far beyond the usual cookbook approach, making this a recommendation for home and garden and entertainment-oriented holdings, as well!

Fresh From Maine, second edition
Michael S. Sanders
Table Arts Media
46 Romasco Lane, Portland, ME 04101
9780984477521, $32.50, www.tableartsmedia.com

The second updated edition of FRESH FROM MAINE pairs lovely color photos by Russell French with more than 80 recipes, half of them new to this updated edition, and is a pick for any fan interested in the chefs and original creations from Maine's best kitchens. Kitchens inland and north - not just on the better-known Maine coast - are plumbed for the recipes here, which seek to reflect the state's diversity and international influences. Some chefs choose lighter variations on themes, others experiment with completely different creations, such as a Bison Ragout with Parsnip Ricotta Puree. Either way, the collection packs in award-winning, sumptuous photos and dishes that home cooks will be able to duplicate, and are paired with stories reflecting some of the state's finest culinary traditions. Any regional American culinary collection will find this a winner!

Gelato
Adriano di Petrillo
Ryland Peters & Small
20-21 Jockey's Fields, London WC1R 4BW, UK
www.rylandpeters.com
9781849752497, $19.95, www.amazon.com

GELATO: SIMPLE RECIPES FOR AUTHENTIC ITALIAN GELATO TO MAKE AT HOME provides an outstanding collection of gelato recipes and teaches how to make the classic Italian ice cream at home. These use seasonal ingredients and provide delicious variations, from Pineapple Sorbet Cinnamon Gelato to no-fat Italian Sorbetto variations and ices such as an English Strawberry Granita. Color photos of finished ices and gelatos accompany easy recipes that require only enthusiasm to duplicate, making this an eye-catching pick for any who want to try their hand with gelatos at home.

The Experiment, LLC
260 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3 South
New York, NY 10001 - 6408
www.theexperimentpublishing.com

T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. MD's FORKS OVER KNIVES (9781615190454, $13.95) advocates a simple health-saving program: eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. The authors maintain that eating meat, dairy and oils injures the lining of blood vessels causing heart disease and stroke, and here focuses on a plant-based way to better health. From Blueberry Oat Breakfast Muffins to Wild Rice Stuffed Squash and Sunny Orange Yam Bisque, this is packed with unusual flavor combinations and recipes that assure 'where's the beef' won't be the question! Vegan collections will find much here to admire. Carla Kelly's QUICK AND EASY VEGAN SLOW COOKING (9781615190430, $17.95) packs in details for using the slow cooker to produce vegan delights from Triple Tomato Soup to Lemon and Lemongrass Millet Rice, and is a top pick for any who would use the slow cooker to maximum vegan advantage. Here are over 150 recipes for primarily main-course dishes such as a Pepper and Cherry Chile in a guide that is packed with flavorful ideas, and highly recommended for busy cooks!

Cooking Basics for Dummies, fourth edition
Bryan Miller, Marie Rama, Eve Adamson
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470913888, $21.99, www.fordummies.com

The fourth updated edition of Cooking Basics for Dummies is a 'must' for any beginner new to cooking, covering the basic tools, techniques and dishes involved in preparing a meal for family or guests. It covers everything from stocking a pantry or fridge to planning a menu or making impressive sauces, and it also provides basics on budgeting, kitchen safety and disasters, and how to prepare meals for specialty diets. With its wealth of recipes, charts and a peppering of color photos, this is a fine starting place for any beginning cook!

The Easy Vegan
Janet Hudson
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker St., Ste. 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
www.hrpub.com
9781571746764, $21.95, www.amazon.com

THE EASY VEGAN: OVER 440 DELICIOUS RECIPES AND MENUS FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR packs in a vegan cookbook for any cook tired of the usual standards. Its focus is on imaginative, easy recipes anyone can cook, and uses veggie substitutes for chicken, fish and meats in hearty dishes that range from a vegetable Shepard's Pie to Merlot Stuffed Peppers and Almond Cream Soup. A fine collection for any vegan who wants to explore new tastes.

Irish Traditional Cooking
Darina Allen
Kyle Books
23 Howland Street, London W1T 4AY
9781906868765, $35.00, www.kylebooks.com

IRISH TRADITIONAL COOKING packs in over 300 recipes from Ireland from Carrot and Parsnip Mash to Country Blackberry and Apple Cake and Steak and Kidney Pie, and is a pick for any who would receive a basic, unpretentious cookbook celebrating Ireland's rural traditional dishes. Over 100 new recipes accompany tips, stories, and historical insights on Irish cuisine and customs. This cookbook first appeared nearly twenty years ago but this latest revision and update provides a fresh new focus and fine color photos that cookbook libraries will appreciate.

The Skillet Cookbook
Josh Henderson
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main Street, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98104-2555
9781570617324, $18.95, www.sasquatchbooks.com

THE SKILLET COOKBOOK: A STREET FOOD MANIFESTO offers receives from the four courses Skillet Street Food serves daily in the city, and comes from a cook who produces top meals in an Airstream trailer. This isn't just hot dogs and bistro fare: it comes from a chef who has created an empire out of his dream to feed people satisfying food on the street when they need it, and packs recipes with photos, stories, and truck classics. From Cauliflower Scramble to Roasted Duck Legs, this is packed with easy dishes anyone can do from home, and is a top pick for any looking to produce gourmet fare in a small kitchen space.

The Iraqi Family Cookbook
Kay Karim
Hippocrene Books
171 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
0781812887, $19.95, www.hippocrenebooks.com

The Iraqi Family Cookbook packs in over 150 easy recipes, a detailed guide to Iraq's history and culture, side bars of notes and family experiences, and more, al gathered from Karim's generations of her family and explorations of Iraq's regions. An earlier version of this cookbook won a world award in 2007: this new edition has been completely revised and comes packed with color photo accompaniments to flavor such recipes as Fava Beans with Rice and Dill and Apricot Soup. Collections strong in international or Middle Eastern cuisine will relish this!


The Music Shelf

The Rolling Stones 1972
Jim Marshall
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452110882, $24.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

THE ROLLING STONES 1972 features candid black and white photos by Jim Marshall, the photographer chosen by Life Magazine to accompany the band's 1972 tour and capture its members in action. Given only a week of the unlimited access he required, Jim Marshall captured on- and off-scene shots unparalleled even given the prior extensive visuals of the famous performers. Any collection strong in rock music history or photography will find this a powerful survey of the band's special culture and interactions.

Thank You Boys
Massimo Masini, Editor
Anniversary Books
Via Emilia Ovest 695/A, 41123 Modena, Italy
www.anniversarybooks.it
9788896408056, $22.50, www.amazon.com

THANK YOU BOYS: 50 YEARS WITH THE BEATLES appears in Italian and English and gathers memorabilia and memories of some fifty years of Beatles adventures and achievements. What makes this tribute stand apart from the numerous volumes celebrating the group is the Italian collector's unique atypical collection of memorabilia. Most books focus on American and British experiences and items: Masini looked for something different, and his 'finds' are reflected in a unique and eye-catching series of images and information; much of which is not to be found in a typical Western gathering. A 'must' for any avid Beatles collector looking for a different take on the topic.

2012 Greatest Christian Hits
Alfred Music Publishing
PO Box 10003, Van Nuys, CA 91410
www.alfred.com
0739089234, $16.99, www.amazon.com

2012 Greatest Christian Hits offers a diverse range of inspirational music, from ballads to up-temp rock songs, and provides over 100 pages of sheet music to accompany lyrics. Any Christian gathering will find this a fine collection with works from Casting Crowns, Laura Story, and more appearing in a deluxe annual collection. The focus on the 'best' contemporary Christian music makes this a top recommendation for any Christian gathering looking for contemporary sheet music.

Conducting Business
Leonard Slatkin
Amadeus Press
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, NY, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781574672046, $27.99, www.amadeuspress.com

CONDUCTING BUSINESS: UNVEILING THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MAESTRO is a recommendation for any collection strong in classical music and uses the author's experiences on and off the podium to examine a conductor's role and experiences. It recounts his controversial appearance at the Metropolitan Opera, his creation of summer music festivals, and discusses his conducting work on the road, in the recording studio, and more. From reading scores to handling an orchestra for the first time and interacting with musicians and others involved in production, this is a fine survey for any music collection.

How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!, second edition
Dan Erlewine
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, NY, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9780879309985, $24.99, www.backbeatbooks.com

How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great appears in its second updated edition to teach all the basics of using and improving any electric guitar, from making an initial choice and purchase to playing on stage and getting the right sound from the instrument. From evaluating all aspects of and choices in such a guitar to troubleshooting a guitar's setup and personalizing action, this edition also includes a new introduction to guitar wiring, a DVD with basics on setting up a guitar that plays in tune, and the author's favorite method for adjusting the truss rod on any guitar. A 'must' for any serious player!

Calling Me Home
Bob Kealing
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813042046, $27.50, www.upf.com

CALLING ME HOME: GRAM PARSONS AND THE ROOTS OF COUNTRY ROCK differs from any other biography of the musician's life and times, choosing to focus on the extent of his career, his strong influence that led to his being named the 'father of country rock', and the influences he had upon associates and the music world as a whole, from Elvis Costello and Patty Griffin to Emmylou Harris. It uses dozens of new interviews, unpublished letters and photos provided by his family, and plenty of insights to reach a full-faceted examination that moves beyond the sensationalism of his drug addiction and death at age 26, and into the realities of his life and times. Any music collection strong in contemporary country or rock music history will find this a 'must have' acquisition.

Mercury
Lesley-Ann Jones
Touchstone Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451663952, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

MERCURY: AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY OF FREDDIE MERCURY comes from a rock journalist who provides a complete portrait of the man who toured with Queen and has close access to the band. Over 100 interviews with those closest to Mercury, the lead vocalist for the rock band, explores the highs and lows of his life and follows Queen's slow rise to fame, its creation of music, and more. Jones traveled to Mercury's birthplace in Zanzibar, and to India where he attended boarding school, and here provides powerful personal research exploring all facets of his life.


The Computer Shelf

Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.microsoft.com/mspress

Itzik Ben-Gan's MICROSOFT SQL SERVER 2012 T-SQL FUNDAMENTALS (9780735658141, $49.99) teaches how to get a solid foundation of T-SQL concepts under one's belt for writing better queries, showing how to master the basics behind such queries and programming requirements associated with them. From creating database tables and simplifying code to using arguments, handling subclauses, and more, this is filled with examples, exercises, and keys to taking T-SQL to the next level of applications. Developers and collections catering to them will find this packed with step-by-step keys to learning in an invaluable reference loaded with insights. Joy Beatty and Anthony Chen's VISUAL MODELS FOR SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS (9780735667723, $39.99) gathers a range of visual models to help improve the way you capture and analyze software requirements for better business, and comes from two experts in methodologies who offer guidance to the visual models that have long been used in real-world, large-scale projects. These methods are applied to visual modeling best practices here and enable scenario-based guidance on how and when to combine models for best outcomes. From applying visual models across various development scenarios to analyzing and setting for a complete solution, this offers charts, graphs, templates and more in a solid reference for any software developer seeking to improve the visual modeling process.

Disciplined Agile Delivery
Scott W. Ambler and Mark Lines
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780132810135, $54.99, www.ibmpressbooks.com

Disciplined Agile Delivery: A Practitioner's Guide to Agile Software Delivery in the Enterprise is a 'must' reference for any Agile programming collection and provides a powerful framework for using Master IBM's DAD Process Framework for large, complex IT projects. Programmers receive a basic introduction to the platform, describes how to tailor it, discusses agile development and handling complex programs, and much more. From scaling agile for critical programs to initiating an agile project, this packs in routines for larger-scale projects and concerns and addresses many issues competing guides don't look at. Agile developers and libraries catering to them will find this packed with real-world applications and discussions of step-by-step processes.

Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache All in One, fifth edition
Julie C. Meloni
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780672335438, $39.99, www.informit.com/samsteachyourself

Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache All in One appears in its fifth updated edition and provides a starter kit CD that includes a complete kit for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Learn the basics of how to use the three together to create more powerful interactive websites. The step-by-step approach provides foundation lessons that build up one another and teach the basics of PHP scripting, MySQL databases, and much more. The result is a powerful course that includes all the open source software needed to set up a stable and productive environment for learning, testing and production. Charts, screenshots, workshops and more pack a complete course in a book filled with reinforcing applications and exam questions.

ATDD By Example
Markus Gartner
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321784155, $34.99, www.informit/com/aw

ATDD BY EXAMPLE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO ACCEPTANCE TEST-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT tells how business customers, testers and developers can collaborate to produce higher quality software more rapidly, and provides examples of a method that is still widely misunderstood. It provides a step-by-step assessment of the right systems for business applications, using two end-to-end case studies to show how ATDD can be applied to a wide set of circumstances. Software engineers working with business applications will find this a fine choice!

R for Dummies
Andrie de Vries
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781119962847, $29.99, www.wiley.com

R FOR DUMMIES teaches the basics of using R for data analysis, creating charts and graphs, performing statistical analysis and more, and is a pick for any new learner of the programming language. From basic introductions to practical, real-world examples of applications and step-by-step exercises with sample code, this offers complete newcomers a fine introduction and a gradual lesson plan that builds skills. A 'must' for any serious programming language library.

OpenGL Insights
Patrick Cozzi & Christopher Riccio, Editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, #300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781439893760, $79.95, www.crcpress.com

OpenGL Insights: Open GL, OpenGL ES, and WebGL Community Experiences provides writings and insights from experienced developers, researchers, educators and hardware vendors who all provide techniques for using Open GL, OpenGL ES and WebGL for development. It outlines theories and concepts, applies them to real-world applications, and includes source code and demos on an accompanying website, linking practical models for success with specific details on OpenGL's many attributes and possibilities. No other book offers the depth of technical coverage of this, making it a key acquisition for any computer collection seeking a definitive reference outlining the basics and advanced applications of OpenGL.

The Artist's Guide to GIMP, second edition
Michael J. Hammel
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street
San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593274146, $39.95, www.nostarch.com

The Artist's Guide to GIMP appears in its second updated edition to provide the first all-color guide to GIMP 2.8's many functions, and is a top pick for artists and designers who want to use GIMP and work around its tricky advanced functions. It's a powerful alternative to Photoshop - but it has some quirks. This course covers all the basics, pairing the program's tools with real-world applications and showing how to link GIMP's advanced functions to web design techniques and advertising effects. The result is an impressive survey focusing on building GIMP applied skills in a fine pick for artists, designers and computer collections alike.

Mastering Autodesk Maya 2013
Todd Palmer with Lee Lanier and Anthony Honn
Sybex
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
9781118130582, $69.99, www.sybex.com

Mastering Autodesk Maya 2013 is packed with practical examples in a guide to the entire computer graphics features of Maya. From using Paint Effects to animate and render to handling particle meshes and creating special effects, chapters cover all the latest Maya 2013 features and offer best practices and tutorials and scenarios on Maya's advanced functions: perfect for studying for the Autodesk Maya 2013 Certified Professional Exams. From creating polygons and rendering from them to settings for using the Move tool and handling particle meshes and fields, this offers step-by-step clear instructions, black and white and some color photos and graphics, and tips and tricks in an in-depth training guide highly recommended for any Maya programmer.

Game Mechanics
Ernest Adams and Joris Dormans
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321820273, $74.99, www.newriders.com

Any programmer interested in game design will find GAME MECHANICS: ADVANCED GAME DESIGN a fine basic guide to defining plays, conditions, and crafting mechanics that generate challenging, fun game play. From learning how to prototype and test at different stages of the design process to simulating game mechanics and using hands-on lessons, this packs in guidelines for applying design patterns to game mechanics and exploring the balance between game mechanics and design. The result is an excellent, technical survey highly recommended for any game designer.

Official Cert Guide: CCNA Security 640-554
Keith Barker, CCIE and Scott Morris, CCIE
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9781587204463, $49.99, www.ciscopress.com

Official Cert Guide: CCNA Security 640-554 is a Cisco exam study guide that focuses on the objectives for the CCNA Security IINS exam and comes form two experts who share keys to superior test-taking approaches. It provides an organized test preparation routine that opens with chapter quizzes to help users determine if they already know the material - helping them decide how much time to spend on each section. A companion CD-ROM offers the Pearson IT Certification Practice Test engine allowing for focus on individual topics or the entire exam. The result is a comprehensive exam workbook that teaches all the basics for success but provides enough flexibility that students can pick and choose areas of study where they are weakest and need improvement.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 Classroom in a Book
Adobe Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321822475, $59.99, www.adobepress.com

Any seeking to learn Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 will find this 'classroom in a book' offers a powerful set of 19 lessons packed with the basics, reinforced by a DVD-ROM with lesson files and video training from the Adobe experts themselves. What isn't included is Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 software - everything else is here, though, in an official training title from Adobe Systems Incorporated that includes color screen shots and examples throughout. Any interested in learning Pro CS6 will find this the perfect item of choice!

Information Need
Charles Cole
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874298, $59.50, www.infotoday.com

INFORMATION NEED: A THEORY CONNECTING INFORMATION SEARCH TO KNOWLEDGE FORMATION provides a fine monograph examining what motivates people to search for information, and creates a theory of information need as the basis for designing information retrieval systems that engage the user's beliefs and knowledge. From addressing disadvantaged sectors of society to creating a working system, this packs in details on information need theory and explains how understanding this need helps focus and fine-tune search protocols. Any college-level computer science library will find this a key acquisition.


The Sports Shelf

Peter Leone's Show Jumping Clinic
Peter Leone and Kimberly S. Jaussi, PhD
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603427173, $29.95, www.storey.com

Peter Leone's Show Jumping Clinic: Success Strategies for Equestrian Athletes is for riders at any level who want to compete in show jumping, and trainers looking for ways to help their students advance on the show circuit. Each chapter covers one of the author's basic principles of riding, adding practice activities, checklists, descriptions of basic concepts, and more. A wealth of color photo examples and 'try this' tips makes this a winning 'must' for any aspiring show jumping rider!

Call of the Mild
Lily Raff McCaulou
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10017
9781455500741, $24.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

CALL OF THE MILD: LEARNING TO HUNT MY OWN DINNER is a unique title that follows one woman's life-changing transition as she changes from a New York career to a reporting job in rural Oregon that ultimately involves her picking up a gun and learning to hunt. When she begins to spend weekends fly-fishing and weekdays interviewing hunters for her articles, she uncovers a whole new thought process related to the sport: one which acknowledged that many a hunter proved more thoughtful about the environment than she. CALL OF THE MILD is a fine pick for sports, autobiography and general collections alike!

Gold Medal Nutrition, fifth edition
Glenn Cardwell
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450411202, www.humankinetics.com

The fifth updated edition of Gold Medal Nutrition has been expanded and updated to provide a new examination of key topics on nutrients for peak performance, based on the latest research, and is a 'must' for any sports library. From getting enough nutrition and eating to bulk up to avoiding jet lag during travel to events and making wise food choices on and off the road, this covers all the basics for any competitive sport and explains how to build endurance and strength with the right blend of protein, carbs, and intake. A 'must' for any athlete and trainer.

Climbing the Seven Summits
Mike Hamill
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201
Seattle, WA 98134-1161
9781594856488, $29.95, www.mountaineersbooks.org

CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE CONTINENTS' HIGHEST PEAKS is for any who have ever thought of climbing Denali or Everest, pairing solid climbing information with experiences of those who have climbed. Professional climber Mike Hamill writes of the experiences of climbing the greatest mountains in the world, covering everything from different approaches to different mountains to what is needed to plan a climb or expedition, what to expect on each climb, summit routes, training and more. Stories from other successful climbers are gathered in a collection of insider tips based on Hamill's years of experience, while color photos of each peak round out the exciting presentation, a 'must' for any collection interested in practical mountain climbing.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Wristwatch Annual 2012
Peter Braun, Editor
Abbeville Press
137 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013
9780789211064, $37.50, www.abbeville.com

Wristwatch Annual 2012 packs in hundreds of new watch designs and provides the fourteenth updated edition to update a classic survey of wristwatch values. It's arranged alphabetically by producer for quick look-up and includes price, movement information, special notes on production or issues, available variations by brand, and extensive reference information on producers and collectible notes. The result serves as both an identification guide and as a watch reference for any who would buy or sell wristwatches from all decades, and continues to be an invaluable 'must' for any collector's library.

Greatest Handguns of the World Volume 2
Massad Ayoob
Gun Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781440228698, $27.99, www.gundigestbooks.com

Greatest Handguns of the World Volume 2 provides a companion volume that picks up where GREATEST HANDGUNS OF THE WORLD left off, and covers many more handguns that didn't make the cut in the first book. From Colts and Ruger Single Six to Walther P38 and others, this covers the best handguns for concealed carry and hunting alike, and offers a blend of history, how-to and entertaining observations to accompany color contemporary and vintage photos on nearly every page. Any gun reference collection, particularly those seeing popularity with the prior book, will find this a winning addition!

A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, fourth edition
Q. David Bowers
Whitman Publishing
4001 Helton Drive
Florence, Alabama, 35630
9780794836856, $19.95, www.whitman.com

A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars: A Complete History and Price Guide appears in its fourth updated, revised edition to provide the latest values and grading instructions for the Morgan silver dollar, and is a pick for any coin collector's library. Grids and charts of information accompany good-sized black and white photos lending to quick and easy identification, while a market analysis for each date and mint details the minting process and never-circulated pattern coins. A new appendix on Morgan dollar errors has also been added.


The Photography Shelf

Tabletop Photography
Cyrill Harnischmacher
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781937538040, $24.95, www.rockynook.com

TABLETOP PHOTOGRAPHY: USING COMPACT FLASHES AND LOW-COST TRICKS TO CREATE PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING STUDIO SHOTS tells how to capture stunning, professional-looking results in a home tabletop photography studio, and is a pick for any who would achieve polished results using tabletop techniques. From improving a photo for personal use to using strobe flashes, multi-flash exposures, smoke and special effects, and handling the demands of food photography, this covers all the basics and packs in black and white and color examples throughout, making for an affordable and fine budget coverage for any home photographer.

2013 Photographer's Market
Mary Burzalff Bostic, Editor
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781599636139, $34.99, www.artistsnetwork.com

2013 Photographer's Market is a 'must' reference for any aspiring to sell their photographs or to start a photography business, and packs in over 1,500 individually verified contacts into an updated photographer's sales market providing the very latest market contacts for working photographers. Included here are magazines, book publishers, stock agencies, contests and much more, offering the latest details on how to start and run a photography business. Both general libraries and those specializing in photography will find this a solid winner!


The Business Shelf

The New CFOs
Liz Mellon, et.al.
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749465179, $49.95, www.koganpage.com

THE NEW CFOs: HOW FINANCE TEAMS AND THEIR LEADERS CAN REVOLUTIONIZE MODERN BUSINESS spotlights the role and activities of the CFO in a business setting, and offers keys to understanding their changed roles and functions within a business setting. Winning CFOs in the next decade will be the ones who understand the new leadership model of their functions, and this book is dedicated to exploring that role, from techniques to build in continuous improvement to spreading risk management and establishing business controls. A 'must' for any serious business holding!

Grow Your Own Handmade Business
Kari Chapin
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603429894, $16.95, www.storey.com

Grow Your Own Handmade Business: How to Envision, Develop, and Sustain a Successful Creative Business is a special recommendation for crafters who want to turn their art into a business, and offers frank discussions about budgeting, licensing, marketing, taxes and legal concepts involved. Making a living from handmade items can quickly turn from a dream to a nightmare: this book outlines different approaches and processes to success and provides readers with a fine set of options, assuming no prior business knowledge. General and crafts collections will also find this a top recommendation that offers a light, understandable approach to the topic.

Business Networking and Sex
Iran Misner, PHD, et.al.
Entrepreneur Press
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
9781599184241, $21.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com

Business Networking and Sex (not what you think) provides a powerful survey of underlying assumptions in business communication that rests squarely on the shoulders of different business approaches between the sexes, and is a fine survey of gender lines and how to bridge them when conducting business. It comes from the founder of the world's largest business networking organization, Hazel M. Walker who directs the Central Indiana Region of the group, and Frank J. DeRaffele Jr, founder and president of Entrepreneurial Excellence Worldwide, Inc. The three explore similarities and differences in business approaches between the sexes, discussing networking and business relationships in a different light for a powerful survey highly recommended for any business collection or those concerned with communication between the sexes!

Work Happy
Jill Geisler
Center Street
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9781455507436, $24.99, www.centerstreet.com

WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW discusses what makes great bosses great, and how to build a happy, satisfying workplace. It offers step-by-step keys to building such a work environment, pairing real-world experience with the latest research that managers can apply to their teams, and it discusses each element of management from collaboration to conflict resolution and motivation. The result is a fine survey highly recommended for any business collection.

The Virtual Manager
Kevin Sheridan
Career Press
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601631855, $15.99, www.careerpress.com

THE VIRTUAL MANAGER belongs in any business management collection and provides a fine survey for managers handling virtual employees. It tells how to provide leadership for work-at-home virtual help, is based on years of research, and tells how to work with and incorporate the talents of virtual employees into the mix. From developing policies to fit virtual employee needs to interviewing for virtual help and engaging virtual employees in the overall company structure, this offers many specifics key to success.

How Excellent Companies Avoid Dumb Things
Neil Smith with Patricia O'Connell
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
9781137003965, $26.00, www.palgrave-usa.com

How Excellent Companies Avoid Dumb Things comes from a consultant and change agent who details the wisdom gained in 20 years of working in exceptional companies, identifying eight key barriers that are holding back even the best of organizations. Every organization has two things: employees with thousands of creative ideas for improvement, and hidden barriers to keep change from happening. Real-world examples of successful companies offer practical insights into how company structures build unwitting barriers to success - and how better companies avoid these common pitfalls. Any business owner or manager will find this a top pick.

The Shareholder Value Myth
Lynn Stout
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605098135, $16.95, www.bkconnection.com

THE SHAREHOLDER VALUE MYTH: HOW PUTTING SHAREHOLDERS FIRST HARMS INVESTORS, CORPORATIONS, AND THE PUBLIC provides a convincing point: that there is no legal obligation for corporations to maximize shareholder value, despite the assumptions of lawyers and corporate officers. Indeed, maximizing shareholder value isn't necessarily the best economic model for success, either. Chapters consider how shareholder concerns have actually harmed business decisions and choices, making for a powerful discussion key to any stock market discussion or collection.

Groupon's Biggest Deal Ever
Frank Sennett
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
125000084X, $25.99, www.stmartinspress.com

Groupon's Biggest Deal Ever: The Inside Story of How One Insane Gamble, Tons of Unbelievable Hype, and Millions of Wild Deals Made Billions for One Ballsy Joker offers insights into the controversial business decisions Groupon made that led a gamble to become success, and makes for fun and insightful reading for any who would learn more about Groupon's rise. It is an exclusive inside account of how its founder Andrew mason created a powerful online commerce engine and sparked a consumer revolt, covering everything from negotiations with Google and Groupon's decision to go public to insider accounts of heated negotiations behind the scenes. The result is a fine guide to Groupon's rise and a solid recommendation for any interested in internet marketing success stories.

The Hidden Wealth of Customers
Bill Lee
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422172315, $27.00, www.hbr.org

THE HIDDEN WEALTH OF CUSTOMERS: REALIZING THE UNTAPPED VALUE OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET offers a startling perspective: that the traditional model of growing a business - by relying on employees in sales marketing and product development - is drying. This new approach emphasizes maximizing a 'return on relationship' with a more limited pool of profitable customers that offer hidden sources of wealth - and it tells how to recognize, tap, and make the most of customer relations that result in multifaceted business benefits. Case studies accompany advice on how to identify customer value and make the most of the better ones.

Octopus
Guy Lawson
Crown Business
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307716071, $26.00, www.crownpublishing.com

OCTOPUS: SAM ISRAEL, THE SECRET MARKET, AND WALL STREET'S WILDEST CON tells, for the first time, the story of Sam Israel, who inherited a family trading business and became a renowned Wall Street hedge fund manager able to boast impressive returns under all market conditions. When his hedge fun Bayou imploded in 2005, he became the target of a global manhunt, faked a suicide jump after he was sentenced to prison for fraud, and here provided hundreds of hours of unique, exclusive interviews to the author in a story that charts his rise and fall. Business collections will find it engrossing and revealing.

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World
Michael Hyatt
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781595555038, $24.99, www.thomasnelson.com

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World: A Step-by-Step Guide for Anyone with Something to Say or Sell offers an assessment of the latest business challenge; to get the attention of those who might buy your product or service. Websites, blogs, apps and social networks can achieve this - but it requires more insight than throwing up a flashy website alone. This offers step-by-step plans for building a proven platform for success, and offers a single approach that distills all different kinds of approaches into one umbrella coverage. The result is a 'must' pick for any business collection looking for a better, all-embracing approach to building a brand identity and getting noticed.

Cross-Cultural Management in Practice
Henriett Primecz, et.al., Editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781849804073, $110.00, www.e-elgar.com

CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE: CULTURE AND NEGOTIATED MEANINGS is a powerful pick for any college-level business holding and considers the diversity of cultures around the world and how various management scenarios evolve from the transfer of business management techniques across these cultures. It analyzes the dynamics of intercultural business interactions, is based on findings provided in cases from Europe, Asia, North Africa, the U.S. and Latin America, and offers many eye-opening cases such as the chapter by Hela Tousfi 'When American Management System Meets Tunisian Culture: The Poulina Case'. The result is a powerful survey that business managers working in an international arena will find a 'must' reference.

Running a Food Truck for Dummies
Richard Myrick
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118287385, $22.99, www.wiley.com

Any who would run a food truck business will find this a solid starting point, covering everything from choosing the type of food truck to run to researching the food truck marketplace, understanding legal requirements, creating a logo and finding a location to park and sell food, and more. From menu to marketing, this covers all the basics specific to buying, parking and building a food truck clientele and is a 'must' for any entrepreneurial collection!


The Education Shelf

Cracking the OAT
Staff of Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375427572, $36.00, www.princetonreview.com

CRACKING THE OAT OPTOMETRY ADMISSION TEST offers specific strategies for reviewing physics, math, reading and science sections of the test and is a 'must' reference for any taking the exam. Math examples, graphs, charts, and keys to better test-taking routines pack two full-length practice tests and keys to reviewing basic concepts likely to appear as part of the exam. There are explanations of answers, insights into in-depth understanding, and plenty of guidelines for cracking the OAT and getting past complex, potentially confusing concepts. The resulting thorough review is a 'must' for any who would ace the OAT through a combination of practice and enhanced understanding.

Creating Standards-Based Integrated Curriculum, third edition
Susan M. Drake
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781452218809, $36.95, www.corwin.com

Creating Standards-Based Integrated Curriculum appears in its third updated edition to cover the Common Core State Standards, and offers a fine text that applies the basics of standards-based curriculum and instruction to different approaches to implementation. From developing daily activities and using assessment tools appropriately to helping students connect key questions to lasting knowledge, this uses the new standards as a basis for developing better curriculum and assessment goals, and will appeal to any educator.

Classroom Assessment Scoring System Manual: Toddler
Karen M. La Paro, et.al.
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624
Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598572599, $49.95, www.brookespublishing.com

With this fine toddler version of the CLASS tool, early childhood programs at last have an accurate and tested method for rating classrooms geared to kids from 15 to 36 months. It's a complete handbook to the CLASS Toddler tool and how to use it, from providing developmentally specific descriptions of what toddler interactions look like to highlighting areas for growth and improvement. The result's a solid pick for any early education teacher looking for a specific rating system for classroom applications.

Cracking the PSAT NMSQT 2013
Jeff Rubenstein and Adam Robinson
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307944764, $14.99, www.princetonreview.com

Cracking the PSAT NMSQT 2013 packs in proven techniques for a higher score on the exam and pairs two full-length practice tests with specific strategies for understanding different kinds of questions. Students receive targeted math drills, vocabulary drills, 'how to crack it' different explanations to help students struggling with some of the basics, and much more. The result is a highly recommended basic primer for any student facing the PSAT NMSQT.

Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth
Patty Born Selly
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, Saint Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605541198, $29.95, www.redleafpress.org

Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth is intended for those working with ages 3 to 8 and packs in a wealth of classroom activities designed to help kid learn about the planet. From recycling and waste reduction to making compost 'work' and learning about ecology and food chains, this is packed with easy activities that outline procedures, goals, materials, tips, and further connections for reinforcing the 'green planet' idea. A top recommendation for any early educator's reference collection.

Eco Literate
Daniel Goleman, et.al.
Jossey Bass
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118104576, $24.95, www.josseybass.com

ECO LITERATE: HOW EDUCATORS ARE CULTIVATING EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE offers a bold plan for blending social and ecological intelligence and builds on the success of author Daniel Goleman's emotional and social learning paradigm to provide stories on how to use empathy blended with facts to show how education that engages in ecological issues advances academic achievements and helps the school community as a whole. Chapters blend stories with keys for professional development and offers an outline of the five practices of engaged ecoliteracy in a powerful recommendation for a range of educational pursuits.


The Travel Shelf

Nepal
Bradley Mayhew, et.al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741797237, $27.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

NEPAL provides easily-used maps, practical details, and tested insights on where to go, what to see, and how to get round Nepal, and is a highly recommended pick for any who plan an independent, budget-minded trip to the country! Here are keys to eating and sleeping, attractions both famous and lesser-known, and candid assessments of the country's best attractions. The focus on a range of accommodations and choices for all levels of travel make this a highly recommended take-along tote and advance planner.

Borneo, second edition
Tamara Thiessen
Bradt Travel Guides
1st Floor IDC House
The Vale, Chalfont St Peter, Bucks
England, SL9 9RZ, United Kingdom
9781841623900, $27.99, www.bradtguides.com

The second updated edition of BORNEO provides travelers with a winning survey of a steamy jungle environment still filled with exotic wildlife and primitive tribes, and is a 'must' for any planning a visit to the country. It's been fully updated and packs in everything from cultural etiquette to arranging a jungle journey, with keys on driving in Borneo, studying in the country, and getting around by air or land. Any planning a trip to Borneo will find this key to the preparation process!

Moon Olympic Peninsula
Jeff Burlingame
Moon Handbooks
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781612381459, $14.99, www.moon.com

MOON OLYMPIC PENINSULA appears in its first edition by an author born and raised on the peninsula, and offers a fine outdoors-oriented survey of the many activities available in the region. All the details for planning a trip to Washington's Olympic Peninsula are included, from the best bed and breakfasts in the area to itineraries for families and a guide to local wineries and outdoors attractions. Any collection strong in regional Northwest travel will find this a solid planning pick.

The International Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Infections
Charles E. Davis, MD
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421403809, $26.95, www.press.jhu.edu

The International Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Infections provides a fine health coverage for travelers who want the latest guidelines for avoiding common and uncommon infections around the world, and provides the latest recommendations. From pre-trip travel clinic visits and immunizations and medications to medical kits, safe food and water practices, prevention techniques and more, this covers everything from parasites to viruses and bacteria, and synthesizes all the latest 'best practices' under one cover for maximum impact. Any travel or international health collection must have this!


The Needlecraft Shelf

Blocks, Borders, Quilts!
Sunny Steinkuhler
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604681536, $27.99, www.shopmartingale.com

Blocks, Borders, Quilts! A Mix-and-Match Workbook for Designing Your Own Quilts offerings something unique to quilters who want a foundation in quilt design: an approach that uses mix-and-match blocks in both the quilt center and borders. Almost 100 quilt blocks and dozens of pieced borders make for a fine collection packed with ideas for creating original designs. Patterns throughout make this a snap to use, while the instructions lend to a solid set of techniques for creative quilt design. Any quilter looking to take the next step into design will find this a winner!

More Creative Sewing Techniques by Machine
Nancy Fiedler, Editor
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600179, $19.95, www.americanquilter.com

More Creative Sewing Techniques by Machine teaches the basics of mastering fifteen sewing machine techniques in a pick highly recommended for any who want to advance their machine use. Experts tell how to embellish quilt projects and home decor projects alike, offering multiple techniques for each project and including small projects to reinforce learning. Few books on the market address that 'middle ground' between machine basics and advanced techniques, making this a winner for any needleworker who wants to take the next step.


The Fiction Shelf

A Conspiracy of Friends
Alexander McCall Smith
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307907233, $24.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

A CONSPIRACY OF FRIENDS provides a fine Corduroy Mansions novel centered around a lived-in mansion block in London, and provides the third installment in the series. Here the residents of Corduroy Mansion are facing struggles on many levels: politics, friendships, interconnected lives, and pets. A quirky story line expertly weaves lives together and creates conundrums and entwined situations where a faithful terrier's disappearance is involving everyone in a desperate search and renewed connections. It's a whimsical and unusual mystery, perfect for any general lending library; especially those who have seen prior interest in the series.

The Exceptions
David Cristofano
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10017
9780446567350, $24.99, www.hbgusa.com

Fans of the prior The Girl She Used to Be will find this a powerful follow-up novel centered around the Bovaro clan, one of the most respected families in organized crime, and tells of Jonathan, charged with taking out Melody Grace McCarthy, the woman whose testimony can lock up his father. The only problem is: he can't do it. And it was his own actions that helped identify Melody and her parents and sent them into a Witness Protection Program that endangers them. Romance and family ties blend in a satisfying novel of crime, redemption, and a man caught in the middle: perfect for general lending libraries, particularly those seeing popularity with the prior book.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

City of the Dead
Daniel Blake
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781438187622, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

CITY OF THE DEAD tells of one Franco Patrese, contacted by a New Orleans society belle who is desperate and afraid. She dies before she can tell Patrese any more - leading him on a wild goose chase for a murderer who dismembers his bodies. His partner in the search for crime is a devout New Orleans native with a secret past - one which pops up to haunt Patrese as he's drawn ever deeper into the underworld of a city harboring deep, dark secrets. A fine thriller evolves, perfect for general lending collections interested in mysteries and thriller.

The Twenty-Year Death
Ariel S. Winter
Hard Case Crime
9780857685810, $25.99, www.hardcasecrime.com

The Twenty-Year Death provides a first novel steeped in noir style detective fiction, and is a top pick for any enthusiastic about crime-solving stories. In it a writer and his wife finds their lives torn by violence and death - but the story is told as three separate novels, each set in a different decade and written in a style inspired by a different mystery genre name: Georges Simenon, Raymond Chandler and Jim Thompson. The three novels may stand alone but when featured under one cover as part of a whole, become steeped in intrigue and connections that keep readers riveted until the end. It's received much acclaim from top-name writers such as Stephen King - and deserves every mention. No mystery collection should be without it!

Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Sheila Connolly's SOUR APPLES (9780425251508, $7.99) provides a fine orchard mystery revolving around apple orchard owner Meg, who is finally settled into her new life in a new town when her old Boston coworker comes for a visit - just as a local dairy farmer neighbor is found dead. When murder is suspected Meg finds herself drawn into high drama in this riveting farm saga. Connie Archer's A SPOONFUL OF MURDER (9780425251478, $7.99) is set in a small town in Vermont and tells of Lucky, who inherits her parents' soup shop and questions her involvement in the restaurant business. When a blonde tourist is found frozen to death behind the shop, with her chef the prime suspect, it's up to Lucky to solve the riddle. Jen McKinlay's RED VELVET REVENGE (9780425251386, $7.99) revolves around Fairy tale cupcakes, where sales are near zero and owners Melanie and Angie jump at the chance to sell cupcakes at the annual rodeo. When a cowboy with a temper is found dead, the ladies find their business and their reputation in jeopardy. Dorothy St. James' THE SCARLET PEPPER (9780425247044, $7.99) centers around Casey, the official organic gardener for the White House, and her discovery that someone is tampering with the presidential vegetable garden. Add a reporter's death to the temperamental veggies and you have a fine politically charged gardening and murder mystery. Virginia Lowell's WHEN THE COOKIE CRUMBLES (9780425251485, $7.99) tells of Olivia and Maddie, who are working to finish a gingerbread house modeled after a mansion. When an inheritor presumed to be dead shows up to claim his father's house, trouble begins - and when he later is found murdered, tensions erupt in a small town harboring dark family secrets. Cleo Coyle's A BREW TO KILL (9780425247877, $25.95) provides the eleventh book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series and tells of a coffee bag full of contraband found after a fatal hit-and-run that could reveal clues to the killer. It's up to coffeehouse owner Clare to discover who the killer is when she faces a mystery that could impact her business in this fine novel of intrigue. All are top recommendations for any mystery library.

Champagne: The Farewell
Janet Hubbard
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464200779, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

CHAMPAGNE: THE FAREWELL provides a fine 'vengeance in the vineyard' mystery revolving around a young NYPD police detective who flies to France to attend her friend's wedding in the countryside, only to meet a charming man and encounter a murder after the wedding dinner. Her new suitor is put in charge of the investigation - and Max is banned from involvement despite her expertise. Her quiet sleuthing reveals a host of family skeletons that threaten to bring more than the wedding crashing down around them in this riveting mystery.

Seawitch
Kat Richardson
ROC Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451464552, $25.95, www.penguin.com

SEAWITCH blends fantasy and mystery in a fine new addition to the author's popular Greywalker series and features Seattle PI Harper Blaine. Here Harper's ability to move between our world and a ghostly cross-over zone lends to her ability to solve the mystery of a long-missing boat that reappears in Seattle, filled with symbols drawn in human blood. Her stormy relationship with a police detective must be set aside if the two are to solve the mystery in this engrossing, winning tale, recommended for mystery and fantasy holdings alike.


The Biography Shelf

Not Young, Still Restless
Jeanne Cooper with Lindsay Harrison
It Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062117748, $25.99, www.youritlist.com

Not Young, Still Restless: A Memoir tells of the author's second career when a phone call out of the blue from the producer of a new CBS soap opera invited her to assume a major role on a daytime TV show that was to become a hit. She decided to give it a try - and went on to become an icon known more for her daytime television programming than her prior TV work as a guest-starring actress and participant in major shows from Perry Mason to The Twilight Zone. Fans of Jeanne Cooper will find this a powerful survey covering her life before and away from soap opera, and will find this a lively memoir.

Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox
Lois Banner
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781608195312, $30.00, www.bloomsbury.com

Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox provides a winning account recommended for any collection strong in biography or insights on Marilyn Monroe. Research by Lois Banner refutes much of the myths surrounding Monroe and provides a wider-ranging survey of her life, offering new facts about her childhood, personality, and more. It focuses on Marilyn's paradoxes, utilizes exhaustive research to consider the effects of her early abuse on her personality, and uses new interviews with friends who have never talked to other biographers to provide a fine set of new insights perfect for Monroe fans who can't get enough.

The Einstein of Money
Joe Carlen
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145576, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Einstein of Money: The Life and Timeless Financial Wisdom of Benjamin Graham acknowledges the life and achievements of a man who mentored Warren Buffett, and who is credited as the primary influence on Buffett's investment approach. This is the first biography of Graham written with access to his posthumously published memoirs, and comes from a business consultant who explains his wealth-creation concepts while following Graham's successful career. Personal interviews conducted with Buffett and other top US and global value investors round out this survey, recommended for biography and business collections alike.

The Receptionist
Janet Groth
Algonquin Books
PO Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
9781616201319, $21.95, www.algonquin.com

In 1957 E.B. White interviewed author Janet Groth for a position at The New Yorker, offering the newly-graduated young Midwest woman a receptionist job which she'd remain at for over twenty years. She encountered many famous writers, dreamed of writing her own articles, and performed various services that included delivering messages walking dogs, and even becoming involved in notable writers' personal lives. As a receptionist Groth was both an insider and an outsider: she sat at the center of New York literary events, yet her position kept her outside the mainstream. Hers is a lively, inviting read for any interested in New York literary culture.

Crazy Brave
Joy Harjo
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393073461, $24.95, www.wwnorton.com

CRAZY BRAVE: A MEMOIR tells of the author's artistic life, her career as a musician and writer, and most of all, how she developed a unique poetic vision. It also tells of her abandonment by her father and of her abusive stepfather - and of her experiences at a Native American boarding school that would lead to her artistic talents being recognized and fostered. CRAZY BRAVE is a recommendation for many different kinds of collections; from Native American holdings to those interested in biographies of artists and writers.

Finding Everett Ruess
David Roberts
Broadway Books
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036
9780307591777, $16.00, www.broadwaybooks.com

FINDING EVERETT RUESS: THE LIFE AND UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE OF A LEGENDARY WILDERNESS EXPLORER follow the life of a near-mythic explorer of the 1930s who as a teen set out from his California home to the wilds of the American Southwest, which he traveled alone for four years until, in 1934, he vanished without a trace. Seventy-five years after his disappearance, FINDING EVERETT RUESS uses first-person examinations of the remote areas he trekked, interviews with Navajos still living who encountered the young man, and details about his life to reconstruct his journeys and encounters. It doesn't solve the mystery of his disappearance, but it does provide new evidence about his life and times and offers new revelations about Ruess' influence and journeys. Any library strong on American exploration will find this revealing.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Johnny Hiro
Fred Chao
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765329370, $16.99, www.tor-forge.com

JOHNNY HIRO (HALF ASIAN, ALL HERO) is a graphic novel highly recommended for any graphic novel library and provides a set of tales that explore themes of coming of age, Asian culture and politics, and much more. Here Johnny Hiro is a busboy in Brooklyn who lives with a flighty girlfriend and struggles to make ends meet while fighting monsters and being a hero in his other life. The focus on his life and issues in New York make for a vivid set of engrossing tales perfect for any fan of the graphic novel.

Agent Garbo
Stephan Talty
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547614816, $28.00, www.hmhbooks.com

AGENT GARBO: THE BRILLIANT, ECCENTRIC SECRET AGENT WHO TRICKED HITLER AND SAVED D-DAY provides a fine political biography of a self-made secret agent who tackled the Third Reich and saved thousands of American lives. Few people today recognize the name Juan Pujol: AGENT GARBO describes his fascinating life, his determination to bring down the Nazi regime, and the double life he led, becoming a key leader in international espionage to pull off one of the finest victories of the times. He held no credentials or experience yet his actions helped assure Allied gains and turned the tide of the war. It's a powerful, highly recommended addition to any World War II history holding!


The International Studies Shelf

The China Threat
Nancy Bernkopf Tucker
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231159241, $39.50, www.cup.columbia.edu

THE CHINA THREAT: MEMORIES, MYTHS, AND REALITIES IN THE 1950s offers a fine guide focusing on the depths of the cold war in which American political culture and politics blended to create Eisenhower's policy toward China. It argues that the administration's hostile rhetoric and tough actions hid quite a different presidential view of matters: one that in fact operated behind the scenes in a more balanced approach to China's challenges. Chapters center on the underlying politics and actions that ultimately pushed China into a closer association with the Soviet Union - and provides a fine account of changes in U.S. policies towards China. Any collection strong in China culture and politics or U.S. political history will find this a winning addition.


The Political Science Shelf

Beyond Global Crisis
Terrence Edward Paupp
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412846165, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

Beyond Global Crisis: Remedies and Road maps by Daisaku Ikeda and His Contemporaries provides college-level students of international politics a fine critical survey of the modern global crisis's facing mankind, from nuclear weapons proliferation and climate change to international aggression. Chapters maintain that peoples of the world are becoming more open to finding avenues of peace and mutual cooperation - and this book uses various 'road maps' supplied by noted Japanese peace activist Daisaku Ikeda and his contemporaries to provide solutions. This fine survey is a special recommendation for college-level political studies courses.

Prizewinning Political Cartoons 2012
Dan P. Turnbloom, Editor
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455616114, $19.95, www.pelicanpub.com

Prizewinning Political Cartoons 2012 provides a satisfying collection of cartoon political commentary voted award-winning by national and international judges, and is a solid pick for any who would pursue the 'best of the best' political cartoons of 2012. From comments on the military to the introduction of the iPad and more, this pulls no punches and gathers and winning productions of cartoonists whose works have appeared in national publications. A sampling of work from each artist completes this solid reference, recommended for cartooning and political studies shelves as well as general-interest holdings.

Winner Take All
Dambisa Moyo
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780465028283, $26.99, www.basicbooks.com

WINNER TAKE ALL: CHINA'S RACE FOR RESOURCES AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WORLD comes from an international economist who considers the global commodities market and the economic and political implications of China's increasing role in that market. From the reasons for escalation in commodity demand to the ongoing violent conflicts around the world triggered by this demand, this provides a powerful survey linking economics, resources management, and social disruptions. Highly recommended for any collection that would understand China's role in the world.

America-Lite
David Gelernter
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, NY 10003
9781594036064, $23.99, www.encounterbooks.com

AMERICA-LITE: HOW IMPERIAL ACADEMIA DISMANTLED OUR CULTURE (AND USHERED IN THE OBAMACRATS) tells why academic elites who have cornered the presidency since John Adams have also diluted American culture in the process, and it provides a history of social and political moves by global intellectuals who wiggled from academic into political circles. Imperial academics live in a world of theory and disdain facts. America-Lite analyzes their thought processes, why political reins have been handed over to post-religious global elitists, and provides a plain for returning control of the American political system to other than intellectuals. An intriguing survey!

The Corruption Chronicles
Tom Fitton
Threshold Editions
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451677874, $26.99, www.simonandschuster.com

The Corruption Chronicles: Obama's Big Secrecy, Big Corruption, and Big Government comes from the president of an organization called Judicial Watch, and identifies President Obama as 'Washington's most corrupt', flouting Federal laws, violating campaign finance regulations, and more. Judicial Watch is the country's largest nonpartisan government watchdog known for challenging George W. Bush and Clinton as well: this account exposes secrets the Obama administration has tried to keep secret, and provides a set of damning evidence against him to interest any concerned about the American political system.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Medical Billing & Coding for Dummies
Karen Smiley, CPC
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118021729, $22.99, www.wiley.com

Medical Billing & Coding for Dummies offers an easy start to a career in medical billing and coding, offering advice on what to expect in a billing and coding career, keys to locating the right training program, certification options, and much more. From what differentiates a medical coder from a biller to how to break into the industry and succeed, this covers everything from initial idea to successful job and working with the claim process in an office environment, and is a top pick for any thinking of entering the field.

Leading the Way, third edition
Karl Pillemer and Christine Rheaume
Delmar
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
9781133134824, $31.95 www.cengage.com

The third updated edition of LEADING THE WAY: THE BUSY NURSE'S GUIDE TO SUPERVISION IN LONG-TERM CARE has been expanded and revised to provide a fine easy and quick handbook reviewing proven methods of care. From mentoring and motivating employees to handling job stress, this provides the basics of leadership and staff management, pairing stress relievers and strategies for training with new information on performance management reviews and ethics. Nursing collections will find this a practical, quick reference.

Transitions: A Nurse's Education About Life and Death
Becki Hawkins
Lady Hawk Publishing
www.ladyhawkpublishing.com
9780984744503, $12.95, www.amazon.com

Transitions: A Nurse's Education About Life and Death provides a fine collection of stories from Becki Hawkins's patients over some thirty years of her nursing career, following her experiences as a nurse's aid, registered nurse, and oncology nurse working in home health and hospice. This collection gathers her patients' stories and follows her experiences nursing in a range of settings, from nursing homes and hospitals to patient homes. Personal struggles with health, spirituality and treatments are detailed in the form of case histories in this moving, involving collection recommended for any nursing library.

The Man with the Bionic Brain
Jon Mukand, MD, PhD
Chicago Review Pres
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
978161374052, $26.95, www.chicagoreviewpress.com

THE MAN WITH THE BIONIC BRAIN AND OTHER VICTORIES OVER PARALYSIS is a book of hope, telling the story of former high school football star Matthew, who was stabbed in the neck while breaking up a brawl at a beach party, severing all the nerves to his spinal cord and paralyzing him from the neck down. Dr. Mukand was Matt's research physician and a rehabilitation specialist and here traces his experiences from injury to when neurosurgeons implanted microelectrodes in his brain that allowed him to control a computer cursor and enabled him to perform tasks by thought. Firsthand accounts of other survivors who regained abilities after paralysis lends to an exciting, engrossing survey highly recommended for any health or science collection.

Breast Cancer Sourcebook, fourth edition
Amy L. Sutton, Editor
Omnigraphics, Inc.
PO Box 31-1640, Detroit, MI 48231
9780780812796, $95.00, www.omnigraphics.com

This fourth updated edition of a classic reference on breast cancer and its risks and treatment provides a wide range of insights on everything from types of breast cancer and common treatment complications to details on preventative therapies, nutrition, living with cancer, and more. Many changes take place in the research and treatment options available for breast cancer, and the fourth updated edition of Breast Cancer Sourcebook is a solid reference for any health collection looking for some of the latest ideas and findings on the topic.

Where to Start and What to Ask
Susan Lukas
Norton Professional
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393707847, $29.95, www.wwnorton.com

WHERE TO START AND WHAT TO ASK: AN ASSESSMENT HANDBOOK provides a fine guide to clinical assessment certain to be as important today as it was when it first appeared nearly twenty years ago. It surveys all the tools for formulating a complete clinical assessment, appeals to students and new clinicians alike, and includes a companion audio CD of the author's own thoughts about the questions professionals should ask before, during and after a clinical review. Information processing and techniques for developing professional empathy are also reviewed in a fine guide for any clinical psychology library.

Rabid
Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670023738, $25.95, www.penguin.com

RABID: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST DIABOLICAL VIRUS provides the first cultural history of the rabies virus and blends health concerns, science, and a cultural mythology to consider the progress, politics and progression of a disease that has plagued human civilization for centuries. Once contracted, rabies travels through the nervous system until it lodges in the brain where it kills nearly 100 percent of its victims. RABID considers how various cultures have responded to the disease from ancient Greek to modern times, and offer a detailed survey for any health or social issues holding.

History of a Suicide
Jill Bialosky
Washington Square Press
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781439101940, $24.00, www.simonandschuster.com

HISTORY OF A SUICIDE: MY SISTER'S UNFINISHED LIFE pieces together the personal events and emotions that led the author's sister to take her own life, exploring the impact suicide has on family and loved ones and using her personal struggle to understand her sister's choice as a platform for understanding how suicide can happen to anyone. In the course of trying to understand how her sister could take her own life, Bialosky considers a range of influences from biology and family dynamics to substance abuse, considering the difference between depression and suicide and what might be enough to make the difference between life and death. General and health collections will find this a moving saga.

Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System, third edition
Leiyu Shi and Douglas A. Singh
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
9781449683740, $82.95, www.jblearning.com

The third updated edition of Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System distills and covers the major topics covered in DELIVERING HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA by the same writers, and is designed for undergrad and grad students in health care programs. It's a user-friendly resource that considers the major characteristics and future of the U.S. healthcare system and offers a text that blends theory with real-world applications in a fully revised edition updating case studies, data, and health care delivery to reflect the latest statistics. All new material on alternative medicine, vulnerable populations, Medicare reimbursement processes, and more make this a 'must have' reference.

Delta Medicine
Yann Rougier, MD
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774645, $18.95, www.healingartspress.com

DELTA MEDICINE: NATURAL THERAPIES FOR THE FIVE FUNCTIONS OF CELLULAR HEALTH offers new age and alternative health collections a powerful survey of treating cancer and other degenerative diseases with a specific approach developed by French doctor Yann Rougier. It discusses cellular level therapies, offers an easy step-by-step method to encourage self-healing and support the several of chronic diseases, and considers the five basic functions of a cell and how to work with them. Physical and psychological exercises lend to a winner!


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Master of Zen
Tze-si Huang, Translator/Adapter
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
9781936597185, $24.95, www.worldwisdom.com

MASTER OF ZEN: EXTRAORDINARY TEACHINGS FROM HUI NENG'S ALTAR SUTRA receives fine drawings by the famous artist Demi - some ninety black and white illustrations - to accompany the survey of an illiterate woodcutter who became the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen) Buddhism. This contains his discourses and blends in a revealing autobiography, creating a fine and inspiring set of vignettes and reflections highly recommended for any Zen holding.

By Morning Light
Ginny Brock
Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
9780738732974, $15.95, www.llewellyn.com

BY MORNING LIGHT explores a mother's journey to reconnect with her son in the hereafter while rebuilding her own life, and tells of how, days after her youngest son dies, Brock experienced a vision of guiding his confused spirit to the light. Drew continued to appear in her vivid dreams, sharing his stories from his last week of life and reassuring his mother of his ongoing presence. Signs of his presence continue to affect her life in her waking hours. The result is a vivid and uplifting story highly recommended for any new age collection.

Cosmic Nutrition
Mantak Chia and William U. Wei
Destiny Books
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774706, $24.95, www.destinybooks.com

COSMIC NUTRITION: THE TAOIST APPROACH TO HEALTH AND LONGEVITY combines ancient Taoist principles of yin and yang energy with nutrition guidelines on what to eat for different yin-yang constitutions, and is a solid pick for any interested in healing foods and meals. From tips on fasting and detox applications to self-diagnostic methods from the East that help identify imbalances before disease develops, this provides new age nutrition collections with many specifics linking Taoism to health practices, and is a fine recommendation for any alternative nutrition collection.

Activate Joy: Live Your Life Beyond Limitations
AlixSandra Parness
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632135, $14.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Activate Joy: Live Your Life Beyond Limitations pairs case histories with keys to changing belief systems and achieving joy, and blends metaphysical, spiritual insights with psychology that both lead to the ultimate goal of joy. A spirited, lively discussion from a trained clairvoyant and ordained minister, this provides guidelines to recognizing the art of blessing, discarding emotional debt, and finding goodness and positive energy in life, and is a fine pick for any new age collection.

The Big Book of Reincarnation
Roy Stemman
Hierophant Publishing
8301 Broadway, Suite 219, San Antonio, TX., 78209
9780981877167, $18.95, www.hierophantpublishing.com

The Big Book of Reincarnation: Examining the Evidence That We Have All Lived Before comes from a 'skeptical believer' who here considers the issue of reincarnation and evidence for it. This volume contrasts the best-documented case studies of reincarnation from around the world, along with the latest scientific theories, to provide a powerful key to understanding those whose lives have been changed or affected by reincarnation. Skeptics and believers alike will find this a thoughtful, well-reasoned survey of spiritual and scientific concepts.


The Crafts Shelf

Classic Style Fresh Look
Irina Miech
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164575, $21.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Classic Style Fresh Look: 60 Jewelry Designs to Make and Wear teaches a new technique to making classic and contemporary jewelry and features thirty designs and variations on themes with custom projects geared to all levels. From selecting materials that reflect a personal style to changing the look of each project to reinforce that style, this provides one technique, two different looks, and a wide range of photo-illustrated projects complete with step-by-step close-up photos that leave little to wonder. Any jewelry-making collection or crafts library will find this a winner!

Zentangle Untangled
Kass Hall
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781440318269, $24.99, www.createmixedmedia.com

Zentangle Untangled: Inspiration and Prompts for Meditative Drawing offers a fun introduction to the meditative 'doodling' process that is Zentangle, an art form that uses repetitive patterns to create works of art. Anyone can do Zentangle: this book explains the entire process, offers twelve step-by-step demonstrations showing how to create tangle patterns, and teaches how to add color to pieces. Any creative artist or beginning drawer who wants to learn the Zentangle method will find this the perfect starting point, offering plenty of clear insights into the 'how and why' of this unique drawing form.


The Art Shelf

Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct
Adam Duncan Harris
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806143019, $29.95, www.oupress.com

Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct offers a fine survey of a wildlife artist who spent his life sketching and drawing animals, and pairs his sketches with the paintings for which he is better known. This book is published to accompany a traveling exhibition but stands alone as a fine and complete presentation which includes an introduction and biography of Kuhn by curator Adam Duncan Harris, a critical examination of his methods, and four essays by leading American art experts. The result joins commentary by Kuhn's peers and completes an outstanding compendium of art and insights recommended for any collection strong in American art.

Blue is the New Black
Susie Breuer
BIS Publishers
Het Sieraad, Postjesweg 1
1057 DT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9789063692810, $45.00, www.bispublishers.nl

Blue is the New Black: The 10 Step Guide to Developing and Producing a Fashion Collection comes from an author who has spent over twenty years working in all areas of the garment industry from top to bottom, and who has collaborated on many fashion projects with big companies. Here she offers arts collections and fashion developers alike a simple ten-step process to developing and producing a fashion collection, from what happens in the workplace behind the scenes in fashion development to building key business relationships in the industry. It's the newcomer to how the fashion industry works who will find Blue is the New Black a key insider's guide central to fashion and style marketing savvy.

Caveat Emptor
Ken Perenyi
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street,5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781605983608, $27.95, www.pegasusbooks.com

Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art Forger tells of an art world scandal ten years ago involving an FBI investigation, a trail of fake paintings, and the involvement of art dealers, experts and major auction houses. The investigation suddenly ended despite a wealth of evidence gathered, with the case summarily closed and hidden from public eyes. Now that the statute of limitations on these crimes has expired, CAVEAT EMPTOR is participant author Ken Perenyi's confession, and basically tells how he pulled it off. Powerful accounts of the arts world's operations and obstacles makes this a 'must' for any arts holding or general collection strong in true crime stories.

Balthazar Korab: Architect of Photography
John Comazzi
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003
9781616890414, $40.00, www.papress.com

Balthazar Korab: Architect of Photography provides a fine illustrated biography that's the first dedicated to the life and career of Balthazar Korab, tracing his journey to become a photographer and telling of a young man forced to flee Hungary who went on to study architecture before becoming a photographer. Over two hundred images from Korab's professionally commissioned architecture photography are provided in a fine visual display supplementing his life and influences, making this a top pick for any photography or architecture holding!


The Homeowner Shelf

The Natural Home
Hans Blomquist
Ryland Peters & Small
20-21 Jockey's Fields, London WC1R 4BW
www.rylandpeters.com
9781849752138, $29.95, www.amazon.com

THE NATURAL HOME features lovely color photos throughout by Debi Treloar and comes from a Swedish art director who reflects his love of nature in the materials and motifs of home decoration. From the textures of natural materials to showcases of nature's bounty and colors that enhance the 'natural home', this pairs his aesthetics with real-world houses and apartments that have embraced this natural style. The resulting commentary and examples are perfect for any home and garden collection, and feature exceptional examples of the natural home concept in action.

Eco House Book
Terence Conran
Conran Octopus
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
97818409160916027, $24.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

Eco House Book follows on the prior ESSENTIAL HOUSE BOOK and ULTIMATE HOUSE BOOK with a new focus: a complete guide to home improvement that's environmentally friendly. The idea is to reduce a home's carbon footprint with practical solutions that save hundreds of dollars and are more energy efficient. Chapters teach how this may be achieved at all levels of home redesign, from construction choices to decorating. Small changes that include repairs and redesigns focus on home energy and water use and provide advice on everything from lighting to improving insulation and using the latest green heating systems. Any home and garden collection strong in ecological design will find this a fine choice.

The Right Color
Eve Ashcraft
Artisan Books
c/o Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
9781579654085, $29.95, www.artisanbooks.com

THE RIGHT COLOR: FINDING THE PERFECT PALETTE FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE provides a fine guide to color and paint and comes from two decades of experience in color consulting. Step-by-step instructions on choosing colors for walls, floors and ceilings accompany clear guides to color in the home, covering everything from the effects of natural light on color choices to pairing art and decor with painting hues. The result is a powerful guide that provides home interior decorators with specifics on what works, what doesn't, and exactly why.

The 100 Best Projects with Reclaimed Materials
Wim Pauwels
Beta Plus
c/o Antique Collector's Club
6 West 18th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
9789089441133, $55.00, www.antique-acc.com

The 100 Best Projects with Reclaimed Materials uses beautiful color photos, an oversized presentation, and a narrowed focus on 100 'best' projects using reclaimed materials to provide a range of architectural interior design concepts perfect for a homeowner looking to remodel using reclaimed materials. Chapters display different styles, a variety of options in working with reclaimed materials, and provide architects and homeowners alike with a wealth of inspiration and candid assessments of project applications and potentials. A 'must' for any architecture, interior design or homeowner 'how to' library!


The Science Shelf

The Ocean of Life
Callum Roberts
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670023547, $30.00, www.us.penguingroup.com

THE OCEAN OF LIFE: THE FATE OF MAN AND THE SEA comes from a biologist and oceanographer who tells the history of man and the sea, showing how our life is entwined with ocean life and exploring the history of the world's oceans and the changes humans have brought to the sea. From the beginning of planet when the earth was all water to the evolution of ocean science studies, this offers a wide-ranging story of the evolution of the seas and man's affect upon them. A fine account of marine conservation and world ocean history!

Global Weirdness
Climate Central
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307907301, $22.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

GLOBAL WEIRDNESS: SEVERE STORMS, DEADLY HEAT WAVES, RELENTLESS DROUGHT, RISING SEAS, AND THE WEATHER OF THE FUTURE explains climate change to lay readers and is produced by Climate Central Inc, an independent nonprofit research organization founded in 2008 and reviewed by scientists around the world. It summarizes everything we know about climate change science, explains what's likely to happen in the future, and offers many basic insights into natural and human forces at work on the climate. Graphics pepper the discussions and all focus on the general-interest, non-scientist reader, making this a perfect pick for public lending libraries.

Energy for Future Presidents
Richard A. Muller
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393081619, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

Energy for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines gives a clear view of energy for presidents and public alike, and is modeled after a course the author teaches at the University of California in Berkeley. It's written as an extended letter to readers who are invited to imagine themselves as newly elected presidents facing energy policy decision challenges, and it provides and explains data and analyzes energy trends and issues. Any who would clearly understand the challenges of energy planning will find this an excellent starting point, suitable for general and science collections alike.

The Science of Navigation
Mark Denny
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421405124, $30.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Mark Denny here explains scientific concepts involved in navigation using non-technical language accessible to lay readers, offering key facts about the planet and how its physical properties affect travel. From early cartography and changes in the direction of true north and magnetic north to the evolution of piloting, GPS, and modern navigation aids, this blends social and cultural insights with details on travel and the science involved in navigation. Both travel and science collections will find it packed with lively history, cultural observations, and fun insights!


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Fairy House Handbook
Liza Gardner Walsh
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
9781608931736, $14.95, www.downeast.com

FAIRY HOUSE HANDBOOK explores the craft and lore involved in building a fairy house, and is a fun pick for any home and garden library. Children and adults alike receive a basic primer linking fairy mythology to construction options, offering details on everything from selecting a site and using tools to accessories and decorating. Any who want insights into a different and fun construction option will find this both whimsical and delightfully fun.

King of Thorns
Mark Lawrence
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9781937007478, $25.95, www.penguin.com

KING OF THORNS is Book Two of 'The Broken Empire' series and tells of one King Jorg, a man haunted by the ghost of a young boy, a mysterious copper box, and by his family. He's filled with rage and a thirst for revenge for atrocities committed against him as a child - and in this quest for revenge against his father he has amassed an army. Jorg still feels he can't win - but his discovery of some magic tools may give him an edge in a coming battle in this fine science fiction drama.

Time's Last Gift
Philip Jose Farmer
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857689658, $9.95, www.titanbooks.com

Time's Last Gift provides a World Newton prehistory novel in a brand new edition and is the second to be re-issued from his Wold Newton series, following the prior release of The Other Phileas Fogg. Bonus material from Farmer fans and authorities accompanies a new cover, introduction, and a new afterword by Christopher Paul Carey and a detailed chronology by Win Scott Eckert and Dennis E. Power, making this story of time-traveling scientists a fine pick for any classic sci-fi collection.

The Long Earth
Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062067753, $25.99, www.harpercollins.com

THE LONG EARTH returns to Pratchett's first love, science fiction, for the first time in three decades and represents a fine collaboration with novelist Stephen Baxter to provide a classic story telling of a chain of parallel planets earth, lying side by side and differing from neighbors. In this world one Lynsey has found the perfect isolation deep in one of the most remote regions in Long Earth, where he's comfortable being the only living person in ten planets. When lost travelers intrude on his isolation, Larry must do something about his unwelcome visitors, and a series of fun and zany encounters brings a vivid story to life.

Earth Unaware
Orson Scott Card with Aaron Johnston
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765329042, $24.99, www.tor-forge.com

EARTH UNAWARE: THE FIRST FORMIC WAR offers the next book in the Ender series, set before Ender Wiggin was born and before Battle School was built, and follows mankind's first encounter with the Formic alien species. It's a powerful story of a high-tech alien ship that invades the solar system and heads to Earth to bring the first Formic War to unsuspecting humans - and it's a gripping story of how the world of Ender's Game came to be. Highly recommended; especially for collections seeing popularity in the Ender Wiggins series.

Queen of Wands
John Ringo
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451637892, $25.00, www.baen.com

QUEEN OF WANDS is a recommendation for any collection that's seen popularity with Princess of Wands and opens with the problem Barbara faces when Janea, one of her best field operatives, is thrown into a coma by some dangerous magic. Barbara must track down the source and break the spell or Janea will be lost, and zombies will destroy mankind. A powerful blend of fantasy and detective novel keeps this fast-paced and powerful, and highly recommended for prior fans and collections specializing in fantasy or P.I. mysteries.


The Audiobook Shelf

Dream New Dreams
Jai Pausch
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307990198, $35.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

DREAM NEW DREAMS: REIMAGINING MY LIFE AFTER LOSS receives a vivid narration by Amanda Carlin in an unabridged memoir by a woman whose husband wrote a best-selling book while battling pancreatic cancer. It recounts their lives before, during and after the struggle, and most of all, offers an inspiring account of a woman who learned how to make a new happy life after her beloved partner's demise. It's a powerful and highly recommended story for any who have suffered devastating loss and want to move on.

Love is the Cure
Elton John
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781619690394, $29.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

LOVE IS THE CURE is narrated by the author/musician, Sir Elton John himself, and provides a powerful survey of AIDS and his personal experiences with those who turned AIDS from a stigma to a political statement. He recounts his life during the AIDS epidemic, offers stories of close and famous friends who joined in the struggle against AIDS, and considers how many are working to stop the disease. It's a powerful account recommended for any audio collection.

NPR Driveway Moments: Dog Tales
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781611742510, $22.95, www.highbridgeaudio.com

NPR Driveway Moments: Dog Tales offers a fun collection of dog stories and true-life dog adventures, and is a pick for any who would enjoy the full cast of National Public Radio combined with a vivid audio animal story. From William Wegman's Weimaraners to a blind dog that catches Frisbees, this is packed with some two hours of memorable moments in a fine gathering highly recommended for any public radio or animal fan.


The Military Shelf

The Bazooka
Gordon L. Rottman
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849088015, $18.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

The Bazooka provides a fine survey of the career of the bazooka and its importance in World War II, and is a pick for any military history holding focusing on equipment. It tells how the bazooka made it possible for infantrymen to stalk and kill tanks - and it follows the relatively short career of the weapon, which achieved many goals in Korea in its modified form. Vintage black and white photos and color illustrations throughout make this a fine recommendation for any military equipment history holding.

But By Chance of War
Richard C. Lyons
Lylea Creative Resources
c/o Atlas Books
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
9780615532059, $26.95, www.atlasbooks.com

But By Chance of War provides thought-provoking stories that examine the human impulse towards war, and is a recommendation for military collections interested in strong, dramatic fiction considering the impulse for conflict. AMIENS is set in France in 1918 and covers the battle surrounding the last major offensive of the German army during World War I, while the very different scenario in MORIAH is set in modern Jerusalem where a nuclear engagement spreads throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Each story features characters who must come to grips with their impulses towards destruction - and each considers the religious and military influences of the times. Military and general lending libraries alike will find this a fine read.

Double Cross
Ben Macintyre
Crown
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307888754, $26.00, www.crownpublishing.com

DOUBLE CROSS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE D-DAY SPIES provides a focus on the foundations of D-Day's military success, considering the spies and trickery that led to the successful deception operation. The deception ensured that Hitler kept an entire army waiting elsewhere for a fake invasion, saving thousands of lives and assuring Allied victory. Many stories have covered the military strategies and battles of D-Day - few have focused on the Double Cross system, which turned German spies into double agents. This delightful survey is a top pick for any World War II collection, and fills in many gaps in detail.

Forgotten Voices
Ulrich Merten
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412843027, $49.95, www.transactionpub.com

FORGOTTEN VOICES: THE EXPULSION OF THE GERMANS FROM EASTERN EUROPE AFTER WORLD WAR II provides scholarly account that analyzes the expulsion of Germans across Eastern Europe after the second world war, and is a fine pick for any studying the aftermath of and its wide-ranging implications. A mass grave of German civilians was discovered in Poland 2009, prompting insights and investigations into what amounted to atrocities committed against non-military German civilians. This book considers the nature of crimes against Germans and humanity, and gathers an impressive collection of source materials documenting the 'ethnic cleansing' of Germans from Europe post-war. It's a sobering, enlightening account for any military or social issues collection concerned with the aftermath of World War II.

The U.S. Navy SEAL Survival Handbook
Don Mann and Ralph Pezzullo
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10018
9781616085803, $14.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

The U.S. Navy SEAL Survival Handbook: Learn the Survival Techniques and Strategies of America's Elite Warriors teaches the basics of how to protect yourself in any situation and comes from the fighting force that eventually killed Bin Laden. While it's recommended here for any military collection, it also holds 'crossover' appeal to general collections strong in fighting techniques, survival tactics, and coping with virtually any kind of disaster, natural or manmade. Over a hundred color photos accompanies information on everything from finding water and hunting wildlife for food to signaling and sea survival. A 'must' for any interested in outdoor survival tactics.

Ethics Beyond War's End
Eric Patterson, Editor
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
9781589018884, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Ethics Beyond War's End provides a collection of essays by experts in ethical warfare and provides a review of policy, military processes, politics, and any interested in ways of securing a just peace after violent war. It packs in analysis of the concept of 'just war theory' and considers both the history and process of ending a war well. Ethical foundations for how war is conducted are analyzed in a powerful recommendation for military and ethics collections alike.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Clinical Small Animal Care
Kimm Wuestenberg
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780813805146, $54.99, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

CLINICAL SMALL ANIMAL CARE: PROMOTING PATIENT HEALTH THROUGH PREVENTATIVE NURSING provides a fine introduction to daily veterinary practice from initial animal assessment to the management of specific common diseases, and offers keys to best practices in veterinary care. Vet technicians and students alike will find this offers step-by-step descriptions of the basic tasks of a veterinary office, offering all the basics on patient care in a fine survey recommended for any college-level veterinary student and collections catering to them.

Julia's Cats
Patricia Barey and Therese Burson
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, 6th floor, NY, NY 10011
9781419702754, $16.95, www.abramsimage.com

Julia's Cats: Julia Child's Life in the Company of Cats celebrates the famous cook's 100th birthday with a survey of the feline pets who shared Julia's life in Paris, Provence and in California. Julia and Paul's letters and original interviews with those who knew her well accompany stories and images of Julia's lifelong devotion to food and cats alike, offering fun and intimate observations of Julia and Paul's life. A gentle, fun account emerges, highly recommended both for pet collections and any reader fond of Julia Child.

Little Boy Blue
Kim Kavin
Barrons
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764165269, $22.99, www.barronseduc.com

LITTLE BOY BLUE: A PUPPY'S RESCUE FROM DEATH ROW AND HIS OWNER'S JOURNEY FOR TRUTH comes from a journalist who decided to adopt a puppy, only to find it was a last-minute rescue from death at a shelter. Her experiences with Blue and her discoveries about his background offers an expose of a situation that exists in many shelter settings across the country, and pairs a fine story of an exceptional pet with analysis of a canine rescue movement of animal lovers who save dogs from death. Inspirational and revealing, LITTLE BOY BLUE belongs in any library where patrons are interested in stories about pets.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Who Is This Man?
John Ortberg
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310275947, $22.99, www.zondervan.com

Who Is This Man? The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus provides a fine survey of how Jesus' unusual influence, which began after his disappearance from the planet, has affected every major area of human history and fostered long-standing confusion over his identity. It shows how Jesus has been the most dominant figure in history in the last two millennia, discussing how he single-handledly changed the treatment of women, fostered a love of learning, and dissolved emperor worship - among many other things. A powerful survey makes this an important guide for any spirituality or religious history holding!

Friends in Christ
Brother John of Taize
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781626980006, $22.00, www.orbisbooks.com

FRIENDS IN CHRIST: PATHS TO A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF CHURCH provides a fine survey of friendship for practicing Christians and considers stories of friendship in biblical accounts and the teachings of early church leaders. Connections between these accounts and traditions and modern times offer a fine overview of how relationships play a key part in ecumenical unity in Christ, and make this a fine recommendation for any Christian collection!

The End
Mark Hitchcock
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414353739, $22.99, www.tyndale.com

THE END: A COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY AND THE END OF DAYS lays out Biblical prophecy in a clear way and presents interpretations of Bible passages and ideas on the key prophecy passages in the Bible. From the strengths of different views on the Rapture and the Millennium to the sequence of events predicted in the end times, this is a Bible-based analysis packed with scholarly yet lively surveys certain to interest any concerned about the Rapture. Christian collections will find it an attractive, exciting addition.


The DVD Shelf

Dr. Who DVDs
BBC America
www.bbcamerica.com
$24.98 each www.amazon.com

BBC America is slowly releasing the Doctor Who episodes in DVD sets intended for home viewers, and it's a treat to see this long-running science fiction series packaged in formats that lend to uninterrupted viewing of some of the best episodes and Doctor Who actors over the decades. The years 1966-1969 were played by actor Patrick Troughton, and story #47, THE KROTONS (0780694899) tells of the planet of Gonds, where the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe discover a world enslaved by the Krotons. The brightest Gonds are chosen to be their companions - and summarily vanish. Their investigations reveal a horrifying reality and insights into the dangerous real power of the Krotons and provides a gripping story line in a DVD that includes extras such as audio commentary with actors and managers, a documentary on actor Patrick Troughton, and an interview originally recorded in 2003 for the BBC 's Story of Doctor Who. The Jon Pertwee years took place from 1970-74, and two fine adventures are offered in DEATH TO THE DALEKS (0780694902) and the special edition SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE (0780671171). DALEKS is a Sarah Jane Smith adventure where the Doctor and Sarah are stranded on a bleak planet only to encounter an Earth expedition also stranded during a search for a rare mineral. Extras include audio commentary, discussions on the making of the video, a studio recording discussing the third Doctor character's evolution, and more. SPEARHEAD (0780671171) tells of Time Lords who have banished the newly regenerated Doctor to Earth - only to find a meteor crash brings other aliens into the fold. The Doctor and scientific advisor Liz Shaw must stop humanity from being replaced by plastic facsimiles. Extras here include discussions of the challenges for Doctor Who in 1970 as it moved into color, a photo gallery, trailers, and more. DOCTOR WHO: THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE GALAXY (0780696042) stars Sylvester McCoy in a fine story of a Doctor whose companion hates clowns. Despite his aversion to clowns, the good Doctor decides to take him to the Psychic Circus on the planet Segonax - there to find performers live in terror of a particular clown leader. Extras include deleted and extended scenes, video music set to a song, two scenes rescored, a photo gallery, and much more. Doctor Who fans will find this a classic. All these make for fine home viewing!

The Carol Burnett Show: Carol's Favorites
Time-Life
www.carolondvd.com
$59.95 www.amazon.com

Any fan of the comedian Carol Burnett must have this tribute to her show: some six DVDs in a set that includes 16 complete, unedited episodes featuring her most popular sketches. Her show appeared in the mid-1960s and ran for eleven years, receiving numerous honors and acclaim as one of the best television comedy shows of all time. This set features parodies, classic sketches, and all her finest co-stars from Steve Martin and Carl Reiner to Joan Rivers and Shirley MacLaine. A 'must' for any Carol Burnett fan and those who wish to immortalize her finest shows!


The Self-Help Shelf

Transforming Negative Self-Talk
Steve Andreas
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393707892, $17.50, www.wwnorton.com

TRANSFORMING NEGATIVE SELF-TALK: PRACTICAL, EFFECTIVE EXERCISES offers a collection of practical strategies for stemming self-critical voices, and reveals how negative voices can actually be used to advantage. Any who daily struggle with self-critical voices will appreciate this unique approach, which focuses on changing how the words are spoken, from tone or volume to changing a voice's location. The result is a kind of therapy that takes the 'inner voices' and transforms them to positive advantage: a pick for any psychology or self-help collection.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Arctic Voices
Subhankar Banerjee
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
9781609803858, $35.95, www.sevenstories.com

ARCTIC VOICES: RESISTANCE AT THE TIPPING POINT brings together first-person narratives from over thirty prominent activists, writers and researchers who write about climate change and its effects on the Arctic environment, and is a fine pick for any discussion of Arctic issues, science and politics. It comes from a world-renowned photographer, writer and activist who brings together many first-person narratives from over thirty prominent researchers, activists and writers who offer new research paired with stunning color photos of the region. The result is an eye-opening set of political, scientific and social insights highly recommended for any with an interest in the Arctic.

Everglades Patrol
Tom Shirley
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813041919, $29.95, www.upf.com

EVERGLADES PATROL comes from a law enforcement officer with the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission who here provides his experiences in the Florida Everglades, reflecting on a thirty-year career during which he saw the Glades move from a frontier wilderness to one nearly ruined by the Army Corps of Engineers. It blends stories from his patrols and experiences with insights on Florida's natural ecosystem and its changes, sharing stories of encounters with wildlife and humans and telling how he upheld the law in an often-remote wilderness setting. Over the years he's been injured and threatened by man and beast alike: some officers have even died protecting the wetlands and its wildlife. It's a vivid account that should be in the collection of any concerned about America's wetlands systems and their preservation.


The Calendar Shelf

Andrews McMeel Publishing
www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Two exceptional 2013 wall calendars are outstanding picks for any who want their wall calendar to reflect humor throughout the year. Stephan Pastis' PEARLS BEFORE SWINE comes alike in THE CREATION OF RAT (9781449417031, $13.99), a survey that blends a full-sized single panel for each month with the panel placed in context of the entire strip below. It's not just about Rat: panels include Zebra, Pig, the Croc family, and all the other hilarious characters of Pearls. Scott Hilburn's THE ARGYLE SWEATER 2013 CALENDAR (9781449417048, $13.99) provides full-color single-panel cartoons to accompany boxed and color coded days of the week below, capturing the best of Hilburn's humor - which continues to run amazingly and happily close to the long-gone, much-beloved Far Side. Both are top recommendations for any who want to start their month with a laugh!


The California Shelf

When Law Was In The Holster
John Boessenecker
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806142852 $34.95 www.oupress.com

When Law Was In The Holster: The Frontier Life of Bob Paul is the biography of one of the most iconic lawmen of the American West, Bob Paul (1830-1901), who policed the frontier of the California and Arizona Territories for almost fifty years. Expert historian John Boessenecker relates Ron Paul's time as a whaler in the South Pacific, followed by his travels to Gold Rush California, his service as a constable, deputy sheriff, and sheriff, his work as a detective. In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison appointed him U.S. marshal of Arizona Territory. His life was the stuff that movies and legends are made of, culminating in the famous 1881 gunfight near the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. A handful of black-and-white photographs, notes, an index, and a bibliography round out this in-depth chronicle of a survivor who stayed true to his calling amid a morass of loose border security, vigilantism, youth gangs, ethnic violence, and worse. The amazing true-life story of a Western legend, When Law Was In The Holster is highly recommended for scholars and lay readers alike!

The Gold Rush Letters
E. Allen Grosh & Hosea B. Grosh, authors
Ronald M. James and Robert E. Stewart, editors
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874178852 $29.95 www.unpress.nevada.edu

The Gold Rush Letters gathers the never-before-published correspondence of two brothers from Pennsylvania who left home in 1849 seeking their fortune in the California Gold Rush. Unusual among miners, Ethan and Hosea Grosh were educated and eloquent in their writings. They chronicle their travels across Mexico by land and water to San Francisco, the Sierra foothills, and Nevada's Gold Canyon, where they found silver near the nigh-legendary Comstock Lode. The letters reveal in detail the challenges and hardships of mining life, and their efforts to find their fortune, but their quest was ultimately doomed to end in tragedy; one brother accidentally struck his foot with a pickaxe and died form infection, and barely a few weeks later the other brother succumbed to severe frostbite. The letters are enhanced with notes and an index to aid the modern reader seeking to understand the era-specific references and colloquialisms. As a solid primary source of the California Gold Rush, The Gold Rush Letters is a historical treasury, highly recommended especially for public and college library American History shelves.

California's Next Century
Marcus Ruiz Evans
CreateSpace
100 Enterprise Way, Suite A200
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
9781475186024, $10.00, www.amazon.com

California has flourished in recent decades, the center of the arts and science for years. "California's Next Century" is an intriguing take on the fate of West Coast Juggernaut, musing on its status in many fields and how an Independent California Republic could be a boon to the state, the United States, and the world. "California's Next Century" is a strong addition to politics and social issues collections focusing on California, highly recommended.

Guide to Local Government Finance in California
Michael Multari, et.al.
Solano Press Books
PO Box 773, Point Arena, CA 95468
9781938166006, $90.00, www.solano.com

From budgeting and investing concerns to the forces that affect local governments throughout California, Guide to Local Government Finance in California is a 'must have' title to any who would delve deeply into the state's government finances and operations. Chapters analyze labor force size and requirements, the outlook for and guiding principles of reform in the state, development projects and pressures at the local and statewide levels, and much more, considering all the economic forces at work throughout California. The result is a top recommendation for any collection strong in government finances in general and California's local government situation in particular.

Moon Handbooks
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.moon.com

Tom Stienstra's SHASTA & LASSEN CAMPING & HIKING (9781612381770, $13.99) offers full trail and campsite descriptions, tips on nearby outdoors attractions, and scenic ratings along with difficulty ratings for trails and checklists of best hikes and campgrounds. With easy maps including driving directions to each campground and trailhead and an overall survey packed with tips for locating the best spots, SHASTA & LASSEN CAMPING & HIKING is a recommendation for any California outdoors collection! Moon's CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP (9781612381442, $19.99) provides a fine survey packed with detailed driving instructions to supplement suggested California attractions. From a 14-day 'best of the West' drive to three days in San Francisco and day trips to the Wine Country north, this accompanies over forty maps and descriptions of best places to stop, alternate routes, and all the information needed to plan a California road trip!

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd.
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Christopher Langley and Michael Prather's MOUNT WHITNEY (9780738595368, $21.99) joins others in Arcadia's popular Images of America series and provides a pictorial history with over 200 vintage images in a fine survey of the mountain and its evolution. From geological changes and the cultural history of the mountain to its place in human history and change, this covers the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states and provides a vivid account of its place in both the local community and the state. Any California history or geology holding will find this enlightening and engrossing. Jack Gibson's MOUNT TAMALPAIS AND THE MARIN MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT (9780738593173, $21.99) tells of the evolution of Marin County's water district and shows how the watersheds of the mountain and its acreage have evolved over the decades. The author has been on the board of directors of the Marin Municipal Water District since 1995: his interest in history and the Mount Tam Watershed region as a whole lends to a powerful historical and visual survey especially recommended for any Northern California collection. Tammy Durston's LEGENDARY LOCALS OF THE MENDONOMA COAST (9781467100137, $21.99) tells of the figures that have made names for themselves along California's Sonoma-Mendocino coastline, and comes from a freelance writer and professional researcher who has worked with the Sonoma, Mendocino and Annapolis Historical Societies to piece together the story of the northern California coast's evolution. Chapters discuss the unique individuals and groups who were early pioneers, adventurers, and heroes along the way, making for a vivid story packed with vintage black and white photos and vivid stories perfect for any Northern California history holding! Beverly Hennessey's HETCH HETCHY (9780738593227, $21.99) comes from an author who worked for 12 years at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, where she was director of communications and curated exhibitions at many top venues. It joins others in the 'Images of America' series using vintage photos and local writings to document history, here providing a survey of California's greatest water project, the Hetch Hetchy Project, which brought water to San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. No California holding should be without this fine account!


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

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


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