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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 18, Number 12 December 2008 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Archaeology Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Native American Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Biography Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
American History Shelf Science Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Gaming Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Music Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Photography Shelf
Travel Shelf Architecture Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Astronomy Shelf Black Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf
Education Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Railroading Shelf Military Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Economics Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf
Sports Shelf Art Shelf Genealogy Shelf
World History Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Business Shelf
Psychology Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Poetry Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Literary Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Parenting Shelf
Computer Shelf Political Science Shelf Humor Shelf
Civil War Shelf Library DVD Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Library CD Music Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library Science Shelf
Christmas Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Dance Shelf
Nautical Shelf Real Estate Shelf Egyptology Shelf
Crafts Shelf Social Issues Shelf Gardening Shelf
Transportation Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

The Tao of Now
Josh Baran
Hampton Roads
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
9781571745842, $16.95 www.hrpub.com

THE TAO OF NOW: DAILY WISDOM FROM MYSTICS, SAGES, POETS AND SAINTS collects teachings from ancient to modern times and provides daily topics for contemplation. More than just another collection of quotes, this uses a question/answer format as well as tips to consider the 'how' of happiness, from a Zen master's tips on how to achieve enlightenment today to giving up on preconceived notions. An excellent handbook for any who would 'live in the now'.

Hunger and Thirst: Food Literature
Edited by Nancy Cary
San Diego City Works
c/o Sunbelt Publications, Inc.
1250 Fayette Street, El Cajon, CA 92020
9780981602042, $12.95 www.sunbeltbooks.com

HUNGER AND THIRST is a fine anthology of food writings, covering themes of metaphorical and actual hungers, including poems and songs, and providing first-person reflections on everything from vegetarianism to favorite or first cook books. A fine gathering of comforting, evocative essays evolves centered around an appreciation of food: perfect for any culinary collection seeking to add a literary dose.

Disassembling the Archive: Fiona Tan
Philip Monk
AgYu
c/o D.A.P., Distributors
1094 Flex Drive, Jackson TN 38301-7715
9780921972457, $25.00 www.dap.com

This semi-fictional correspondence with the artist Fiona Tan departs from other considerations of her works to consider the range of influences of her works and the archives of photos and moving images as a whole. From how images tell stories and capture history to a series of 'journal' entries considering Tan's exhibition art, it's a scholarly and literary piece as well as a catalog of Fiona Tan's works.

Urban Walls: A Generation of Collage in Europe & America
Nurnham Dogancay, et.al.
Hudson Hills Press
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555952884, $60.00 www.hudsonhills.com

College-level collections strong in urban art and contemporary collage must add URBAN WALLS to their collections: it provides a fine history of collage and decollage, considering their movements, key creators, and the author's own discoveries of New York inspirational arts. Nurnham Dogancay's techniques blend layers of posters, graffiti, and other materials gathered from cities around the world offering vivid keys to the changes experienced in America and post-War European culture. A fascinating survey of the evolution of the collage movement is captured in vivid, full-page color photos blended with art movement history.

Of the Human Heart
Edward R. Hogan
Lehigh University Press
c/o Associated University Presses
2010 Eastpark Blvd., Cranbury, NJ 08512
9780934223935, $80.00, www.leigh.edu/library/lup

At the tail end of the Enlightenment, there were still many monumental science advances. "Of the Human Heart" tells of one of America's most prominent scientific minds in the nineteenth century. Benjamin Peirce worked hard towards improving the lives of Americans through his various scientific advances and work, starting at Harvard at only the age of sixteen, and his accolades have brought him across many sciences from mathematics to astronomy to geology, among others. A look into the life of a great mind and a great man, "Of the Human Heart" is worthy acquisition for any community library or college library collection dedicated to the history of science.

Altruism, Intergroup Apology, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation
Samuel P. Oliner, assisted by Piotr Olaf Zylicz
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, Saint Paul, MN 55113-2619
9781557788788, $19.95, www.paragonhouse.com

It takes good people to truly make a positive impact on the world. "Altruism, Intergroup Apology, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation" is a look at the titular concepts and how they have happened throughout history, and the lessons modern day politicians can learn from them. With looks at many religion's and culture's approaches to the subjects and how understanding is just as important as the desire to improve relations, "Altruism, Intergroup Apology, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation" is something to be considered for community library social issues collections.

Utah's Low Points
Fred J. Nash
The University of Utah Press
1795 East South Campus Drive, #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402
9780874809329, $22.95, www.uofupress.com

There are certain things not mentioned in most hiker's manuals, and "Utah's Low Points" presents one of these oft omitted facts. "Utah's Low Points: A Guide to the Lowest Points in Utah's 29 Countries" is a manual focusing on exploring this geological extremes in the state of Utah. Each county has an entry covering how difficult it is to access, suggestions on GPS use, time estimates, and much more. A must for hikers seeking new adventures, "Utah's Low Points" is recommended reading.

Fill'er Up
Jim Draeger & Mark Speltz
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
9780870203930, $29.95, www.wisconsinhistory.org

The automobile was as much an integral aspect of Wisconsin's economic and cultural evolution as it was for the rest of the country. Co-authored by Wisconsin historians Jim Draeger and Mark Speltz, "Fill'er Up: The Glory Days Of Wisconsin Gas Stations" celebrates one of the key institutions responsible for the success of the automobile in the Badger State. Beginning with an informed and informative introduction and historical overview entitled 'Wisconsin Gas Stations: Tracing Their Evolution', "Fill'er Up" showcases fifty-nine representative stations in Wisconsin's western eastern, northern, and central regions. The informative text is superbly enhanced with both historical black-and-white photos, as well as full-color photos of those original stations as they exist today. Featuring an appendix providing a map of station locations, a section of notes, and a comprehensive index, "Fill'er Up" is a unique, entertaining, and fascinating examination of the cultural and economic history of the Wisconsin gas station, making it a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, school, and community Wisconsin History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Transition Handbook
Rob Hopkins
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781900322188, $24.95, www.chelseagreen.com

All elements of the American political spectrum now agree on the importance of getting America off its dependence on foreign oil. Fueling this agreement is a collective awareness of the deleterious impact fossil fuels have upon the environment, the crippling impact of high fuel prices upon the American economy, as well as the national security implications of being so dependant upon the occasionally hostile foreign nations supplying our oil imports. Rob Hopkins draws upon his many years as a teacher of permaculture and natural building in "The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency To Local Resilience" to write a seminal instruction manual on just how communities can go about growing their own food, generating their own power, building their own houses using local resources and materials -- thereby reducing the need for imported oil to fuel their economies and activities, while at the same time keeping money in the local area and strengthening the local economy and fostering local prosperity. Enhanced with References, Resources, an Index, "The Transition Handbook" offers a thoroughly 'reader friendly', informed and informative text laced with figures and 'Tools of Transition' commentaries on everything from making the most of public events to designing productive meetings. Simply stated, 'The Transition Handbook" is a critical important contribution to the growing body of Environmental Studies literature and a 'must read' for environmental activists, city administrators, and governmental policy makers.

Scrapbooks
Jessica Helfand
Yale University Press
PO Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040
Goldberg McDuffie Communications (publicity)
www.thedailyscrapbook.com
9780300126358, $45.00, http://yalepress.yale.edu

Scrapbooking has become a popular and widespread activity for those who wish to create commemorative collection which is usually themed based and showcasing a particular life, event, or subject. In "Scrapbooks: An American History", academician and design expert Jessica Helfand as written and compiled a fascinating and seminal history of the scrapbook as a cultural phenomena from the late 19th and early 20th centuries down to the present day. Identifying notable scrapbookers ranging from Zelda Fitzgerald to Lillian Hellman to Anne Sexton, "Scrapbooks" draws from Jessica Helfand's own personal collection of more than 200 scrapbooks that collective span more than one hundred years of American history. "Scrapbooks" also covers the techniques and tools of scrapbook making, many of which are still applicable to create unique scrapbooks without the use of pre-fabricated materials such as those readily available in any craft store today. Profusely and colorfully illustrated throughout, "Scrapbooks" is a work of impressive and articular scholarship, making it an enthusiastically recommended addition to academic and community libraries, as well as informed and informative reading for anyone who has engaged in scrapbooks for themselves or a loved one.


The Archaeology Shelf

Skeletal Biology and Bioarchaeology of the Northwestern Plains
George W. Gill & Rick L. Weathermon, editors
University of Utah Press
1795 East South Campus Drive, #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402
9780874809282, $50.00 www.uofupress.com 1-800-773-6672

Skeletal Biology and Bioarchaeology of the Northwestern Plains is a compendium of scholarly and scientific essays by diverse authors, concerning what the human bones found in America's northwestern plains have to tell us about the prehistory and early history of the people who lived there. Most of the presented essays were originally part of a symposium at the Plains Anthropological Conference in Oklahoma City in 2003; the topics discussed range from paelopathology, dental pathology and human osteology to the customs of prehistoric Native American burials as compared to burials of the pioneer era and burials of Indian War-era casualties. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this seminal compendium, enhanced with an index for ease of use and a list of references cited for further study. Highly recommended.

Epigraphy and the Greek Historian
Craig Cooper, editor
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
9780802090690, $75.00 www.utppublishing.com 1-800-565-9523

Epigraphy and the Greek Historian is an anthology of essays examining how epigraphy, the study of inscriptions found on ancient artifacts such as stones, coins, and statues in order to extrapolate and corroborate historical data, has served scholars in the reconstruction of Greek history. Divided into two parts, one covering Athens and the other about the wider Greek world, individual essays include "Drakonian Procedure", "The Slave-Names of IG i3 and the Ideology of Slavery at Athens", "Rescuing Local History: Epigraphy and the Island of Thera", and much more. Extensive notes, tables, and indexes supplement this excellent contribution to the study of ancient Greek history, highly recommended especially for college library collections.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

The Little Green Handbook
Ruth Cullen
Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
202 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601
9781593598297, $9.95, www.peterpauper.com

Concern for the environment is now universal with hundreds of thousands of people altering their lifestyles to more eco-friendly behaviors. The principles of 'reduce, reuse and recycle' are widespread and becoming embedded in community policies and federal standards affecting the home, office, garden, travel, consumerism-based shopping, art and architecture. In "The Little Green Handbook", environmental activist Ruth Cullen has compiled 145 simple, easy, practical, and effective steps that anyone can use for the benefit of preserving and improving the environment upon which all live depends. From such elemental ideas as scraping plates before loading them into dishwashers and taking shorter showers in order to conserve water, to turning off lights when leaving rooms and setting timers for outdoor lighting of driveways and walkways to conserve energy, to using e-mail instead of snail-mail to conserve energy and paper, to joining a farmer's cooperative, using cloth shopping bags and diapers, to supporting 'green business', "The Little Green Handbook" is packed from first page to last with solid recommendations fully explained. As with all the Peter Pauper Press 'Little Book' titles, "The Little Green Handbook" is spiral bound to lay out flat, comes with a handy elastic band place holder, and is only 4-1/4 x 5-3/4 inches in size making it, quite literary, able to fit into a pocket. Simply stated, "The Little Green Handbook" is an ideal and highly recommended, environmentally conscious gift.

Liberty Hyde Bailey: Essential Agrarian and Environmental Writings
Zachary Michael Jack, editor
Cornell University Press
512 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
9780801447099, $29.95 www.cornellpress.cornell.edu 1-800-666-2211

Edited by Zachary Michael Jack (Assistant Professor of English, North Central College), Liberty Hyde Bailey: Essential Agrarian and Environmental Writings is an anthology of essays by horticulturalist and botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858-1954), a premier voice of his era known for helping make nature study a popular subject in U.S. classrooms, lobbying for women's rights on and off the farm, and supporting President Theodore Roosevelt's landmark conservation efforts. The essays discuss matters of workmanship, conscience, education, community, nature, the farm, poetics, and more. From "The Democratic Basis of Agriculture" to "The Fundamental Question in American Country Life" (namely, "How is one to make country life what it is capable of?") to "The Keeping of the Beautiful Earth", Liberty Hyde Bailey: Essential Agrarian and Environmental Writings is as thought-provoking today as it was when each essay was first penned. Highly recommended, particularly for college library Environmental Studies collections.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Yantra Yoga
Chogyal Namkhai Norbu
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393089, $34.95 www.SnowLionPub.com 1-800-950-0313

Written by Dzogchen and Tantra master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, Yantra Yoga: The Tibetan Yoga of Movement is an in-depth study of Yantra Yoga, the Buddhism-influenced line of yoga in parallel to the Hathayoga of Hindu tradition. This system of poses, body movements, breathing exercises, and visualization, currently found in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism in relation to the Anuttaratantras, is described in depth with a number of black-and-white photographs and diagrams serving as visual aid to anyone interesting in learning and performing Yantra Yoga. An extensive commentary of the oral instruction of Tibetan yogins and siddhas of the twentieth century, Yantra Yoga is an enthusiastically recommended addition to Tibetan Buddhism studies shelves.

Brilliant Moon: The Autobiography of Dilgo Khyentse
Michael Tweed, editor
Ani Jinba Palmo, translator and compiler
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781590302842, $35.00 www.shambhala.com 1-800-733-3000

Brilliant Moon: The Autobiography of Dilgo Khyentse is a compilation of anecdotes, stories, and recollections from the friends, family, and students of Buddhist meditation master and scholar Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Half of Brilliant Moon consists of Dilgo Khyentse's early life story told in his own words; the other half draws testimony from his wife, grandson, and spiritual heir, as well as such notable figures as the Queen Mother of Bhutan and many more. Enhanced with a handful of black-and-white photographs, extensive notes, a glossary, and a bibliography, Brilliant Moon is a welcome addition to Buddhist studies shelves strong in biographies of spiritual leaders.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Trance-Portation: Learning to Navigate the Inner World
Diana L. Paxson
Weiser Books
500 - 3rd Street, Suite 230, San Francisco CA 94107
9781578634057, $19.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

Across all manner of spiritual tradition, the ability to move from an ordinary into an altered state of consciousness is one of the most valuable skills in magic and religion. Here fantasy writer Diana Paxson offers up a guideline to trance and out of body experiences, covering experimentation, memory, pathways to higher levels, and more. A fine addition to any New Age library.

Ghosthunting Virginia
Michael J. Varhola
Clerisy Press
c/o Menasha Ridge Press
2204 - 1st Avenue South, Suite 102, Birmingham, AL 35233
9781578603275, $14.95 www.menasharidge.com 1-888-60-HIKES

Ghosthunting Virginia explores thirty legendary haunted sites in the state of Virginia, including the District of Columbia. From the Poe Museum, which is located near where Edgar Allen Poe lived and worked and is reputedly haunted by ghosts, to Ford's Theatre, subject to strange occurrences ever since President Lincoln was assassinated there, to cemeteries, battlefields, and much more, Ghosthunting Virginia is as enjoyable for armchair travelers to read as it is a useful tour destination guide for occult lovers. A scattering of black-and-white photographs illustrate this user-friendly compendium.


The Native American Shelf

Coyote Speaks
Ari Beck and Carolyn Dunn
Abrams
115 West 18th Street, New York NY 10011
9780810993723, $24.95 www.abramsyoungreaders.com

While COYOTE SPEAKS: WONDERS OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN WORLD is billed as a young person's guide and intended to be marketed to middle to high school students, it's reviewed here in our adult issue so as not to be missed by any age range. The stories and artwork of Native tribes are presented in an examination of the story-paths and lifeways of the Natives. Nearly fifty tribes are represented from across America, with chapters covering artifacts, creation myths, daily life and culture, and more. An essential and bright introductory guide to Native lives, this deserves a place on any shelf of Native American history and culture.

Plains Apache Ethnobotany
Julia A. Jordan
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806139685, $34.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Research anthropologist Julia A. Jordan presents Plains Apache Ethnobotany, an in-depth study and reference of how the Plains Apache native people of North America used more than 110 plant species in food, medicine, and rituals, and material culture. Traditionally a hunter-gathering tribe that engaged in trade with its neighbors, the Apache's abiding connection with wild plants is exhaustively documented through fieldwork and interviews conducted with elders of the Oklahoma Apache Tribe in the mid-1960s. The text is studious yet accessible to readers of all backgrounds. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoroughly comprehensive reference and resource, highly recommended for ethnobotany and Apache tribe Native American studies collections.

American Indian
National Society for American Indian Elderly
Gold Street Press
c/o Weldon Owen, Inc.
814 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781934533123, $50.00, www.weldonowen.com

Native American cultures are neither monolithically homogenous nor simplistic. They are richly diverse and sophisticated. In "American Indian" we are presented with a kaleidoscopic wealth of knowledgeable and profusely illustrated essays ranging from the Steve Wilson's informative introduction ('The Knowledge Preservation Project'), through Nephi Craig's 'Harvests of Land and Sea', to Iris HeavyRunner-Pretty Paint's 'Songs to the Spirits', to George Charles 'Bounty of the Elders. The eight informed and informative essays cover foodways, cooking, medicine and health, feasts and festivals, music and movement, art and craft, beauty in utility, and shared wisdom. enhanced with a 'Map of featured Tribes' (including the Creek, Cherokee, Apache, Navajo, Potawatomi, Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Pawnee, and Yup'ik); author and expert reviewer biographies, bibliography, and index, "American Indian" is an impressively and recommended work that is an essential addition to community and academic library Native American Studies reference collections, as well as highly recommended to non-specialist general readers with an interest in the diversity and history of Native American cultures.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Legislative Women
Beth Reingold, editor
Rienner
1800 30th St., Suite 314, Boulder, CO 80301-1026
9781588265678, $24.50, www.rienner.com

Women have been serving in political auction even before. "Legislative Women: Getting Elected, Getting Ahead" is a guide for women politicians for facing the special challenges they face in politics when compared to men. A series of essays from many female politicians and many political thinkers speak their mind on gender in politics and tell both inspirational and downer stories about their adversity. "Legislative Women" is very much a must for any women considering the world of politics.

Women & Entrepreneurship and Social Capital
Iiris Aaltio, Paula Kyro, & Elisabeth Sundin, editors
Copenhagen Business School Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave., Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
9788763002103, $52.00, www.isbs.com

Despite all of the west's advances, it is still shockingly misogynist. "Women & Entrepreneurship and Social Capital: A Dialogue and Construction" is a collection of essays and writings on the subject of female business leaders, and the special challenges they face as they climb the corporate ladder and establish their own companies. Both men and women alike speak on the subject, as it evaluates the pressure on women in many societies, including middle eastern Islamic societies, where women face a much taller order of challenges. Poignant, scholarly, and enlightening, "Women & Entrepreneurship and Social Capital" is a fine study on the business world's attitudes in gender, enthusiastically recommended to community library women's studies collections.

Daughter Zion, Mother Zion
Christl M. Maier
Fortress Press
c/o Augsburg Fortress Publishers
PO Box 59304, Minneapolis, MN, 55459-0304
9780800662417, $20.00, www.fortresspress.com

Women played major roles in ancient Israel. "Daughter Zion, Mother Zion: Gender, Space, and the Sacred in Ancient Israel" is a look at Ancient Israel and its vitally important role in history, as a major holy city for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. May concepts of history are presented and discussed in a scholarly manner offering much food for thought on the roles of women, the land they live on, and what is considered holy throughout the history of Jerusalem and Israel. "Daughter Zion, Mother Zion" is very much worth a read for anyone who enjoys history and an informed view of the diverse roles of women within the context of the Abrahamic religions.

Shapers of the Great Debate on Women's Rights
Joyce Duncan
Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780313338694, $75.00 www.greenwood.com 1-800-225-5800

Part of the "Shapers of the Great American Debates" series, Shapers of the Great Debate on Women's Rights: A Biographical Dictionary is a collection of brief yet information-dense biographical portrayals of pivotal speakers on the issues of women's rights from the 1800's to the present day. The first part especially focuses upon the once contentious issue of women's suffrage; the section about speakers who lived in the 1900's and represented "second-wave" and "third-wave" feminism covers a much wider range of issues. "In 1993, Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton, where she revitalized the court's interest in women's rights, including calling hostile work environments a type of sex discrimination under Title VII. She was noted as being principled, diligent, and the author of scholarly, balanced opinions." An excellent quick reference and resource, especially for women's studies shelves.


The Biography Shelf

Waiting for Coyote's Call
Jerry Wilson
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, South Dakota, 57501
9780977795581, $24.95, www.sdshspress.com

Carbon footprint, something environmentally minded people have been caring about for quite some time now. "Waiting for Coyote's Call: A Eco-Memoir from the Missouri River" is Jerry Wilson spending two and a half decades living the most environmentally friendly life possible. His story is of a life living alongside nature that is quite different than what most people experience. With plenty of anecdotes and intriguing stories, "Waiting for Coyote's Call" is solid and very recommended reading for environmentally oriented readers.

Paddling South
Rick Ranson
NeWest Press
#201 8540.109 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1E6, Canada
9781897126233, $16.96, www.newestpress.com

A huge journey, but Ranson has learned it was worth the trip. "Paddling South: Winnipeg to New Orleans by Canoe" tells of his epic voyage going from the Great Lakes all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. His story is incredibly intriguing and entertaining, filled with plenty of entertaining character. A solid and hilarious story about two friends right out of high school, "Paddling South" is one of the most entertaining memoirs one could find.

Some Like It Hot
Nicolyn Rajala
North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.
PO Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56301
9780878391400, $14.95, www.northstarpress.com

The sauna is something that is almost universal to many different cultures. "Some Like it Hot" is a collection of short stories and tips revolving around the relaxing activity known as the Sauna. History, traditions in various parts of the world, and lots and lots of stories involving the sauna, Rajala also touches on constructing one's very own sauna. "Some Like It Hot" is a must for anyone who enjoys time in the sauna.

Crazy Loco Love
Victor Villasenor
Arte Publico Press
University of Houston, 452 Cullen Performance Hall, Houston, TX 77204-2004
9781558853157, $26.95, www.artepublicopress.com

There are certain things expected of a young Hispanic Catholic man. "Crazy Loco Love" is the memoir of Victor Villasenor and his coming of age as a young man who pursues the opposite sex. The collision of his Catholic values and his hormones leads to an intriguing story that many will relate to as he gains experience, both through experimentation and meeting of a more mature woman. "Crazy Loco Love" is something many readers will enjoy and relate to.

Bob Marley
Garry Steckles
Interlink Books
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566567336, $17.00, www.interlinkbooks.com

An icon of Jamaica, an icon of the Rastafarian philosophy, an icon of Reggae - Bob Marley meant a lot of things to many people. "Bob Marley: A Life" is a biography of one of the most important cultural figures of the twentieth century, tracing his life from his early days to his tragic early death from brain cancer, to the still raging legal battles over the rights to his music and estate. "Bob Marley" is an educational look at this versatile man.

I am a Teamster
Terry Spencer Hesser
Lake Claremont Press
PO Box 711, Chicago, IL 60690
9781893121355, $15.95, www.lakeclaremont.com

Some history falls between the cracks. "I am a Teamster: A Short, Fiery Story of Regina V. Polk, Her Hats, Her Pets, Sweet Love, and the Modern-Day Labor Movement" is the story of labor leader Regina Polk and her efforts to campaign for better workplace conditions for everyone, idolizing Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa. A story of compassion and desire to change the world, "I am a Teamster" tells an unknown story well worth reading for those looking for the history of labor leaders.

Unfulfilled Promise
PJ Browne
Currach Press
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781856079563, $28.95, www.dufoureditions.com

Every country has its motivational people, but all too often, they leave the world too soon. "Unfulfilled Promise: Memories of Donogh O'Malley" tells of one of Ireland's own Donogh O'Malley, a highly charismatic and inspirational figure during his day. Unrestrained by the politics of his time, O'Malley died at the age of forty-seven, yet made a lasting impact on the country to this day. "Unfulfilled Promise" tells of a man who packed as much change as he could in those forty seven years.

A Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnesi
Antonella Cupillari
Mellen Press
PO Box 450, Lewiston, NY 14092-0450
9780773452268, $119.95

Throughout history, women have advanced and broken many barriers in different fields. "A Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnesi: An Eighteenth-Century Woman Mathematician" is a look at the life of a major contributor to the field of math in a time where women were still viewed as vastly inferior to men in intellectual fields. Agnesi spited this claim and did much work on the field, and slowly earned some degree of respect from history for her work. Containing not only a biography, but a translation of some of her more essential work from the original Italian into English, Cupillari does much to demonstrate the vital purpose of Agnesi's contribution. With thirteen black and white photographs of the documents of her time, indexes, and explanations of her work, "A Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnesi" is an enthusiastically recommended piece for both community and college library collections dedicated to the history of mathematics and extraordinary women.

When the Laughing Stopped
John Evangelist Walsh
Snowy Owl Books
c/o University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
9781602230293, $26.95 www.uaf.edu/uapress 1-888-252-6657

In the summer of 1935, beloved American "cowboy philosopher" and popular movie/radio star Will Rogers perished in a plane crash, on the shore of the Arctic Ocean in northernmost Alaska. By pure chance, Rogers' beloved daughter Mary happened to be performing in a play about a plane crash at the time of Rogers' death, an misfortunate coincidence that abruptly ended her career. Further ripples of the tragedy echoed in the hearts and minds of the public. When the Laughing Stopped: The Strange, Sad Death of Will Rogers explores the circumstances behind Will Rogers' passing, including an in-depth analysis of the cause of the crash and a close scrutiny of Mary's subsequent misfortune. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful, exhaustively researched account.

Starlust
Jesse Cutler
Morgan James
1225 Franklin Ave, Ste 32, Garden City, NY 11530-1693
Mantra Empowered Public Relations (publicity)
110 West 26th Street, Floor 3, New York, NY 10001-6805
9781600374180, $29.95, www.morganjamespublishing.com

The story of a rock and roll star is one we've heard many times, but never grow tired of hearing. "Starlust: The Price of Fame" is the story of Godspell Grammy award winner Jesse Cutler, best known for his hit 'Everybody Do the Duck' and his star studded rise and fall. A young prodigy, he found himself working with a who's who of twentieth century of musical acts ranging from the Rolling Stones to the Beatles and Marvin Gaye. With a portion of the funds going to the Habitat for Humanity and Guitar Center Music Foundation, "Starlust" is a great acquisition for rock and roll fans.

Mary Breckinridge
Melanie Beals Goan
The University of North Carolina Press
116 S. Boundary St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808
9780807832110, $45.00, www.unc.edu

Many city dwellers think nothing of having doctors at easy access. This was not true for rural dwellers in Appalachia in the early twentieth century. "Mary Breckinridge: The Frontier Nursing Service and Rural Health in Appalachia" tells the story of Mary Breckinridge, founder of the Frontier Nursing service, who for several years provided aid and medical care to those in need throughout this backwoods region. Her heartwarming story is one of altruism and care, making "Mary Breckinridge" highly recommended.

Samuel Adams: A Life
Ira Stoll
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9780743299114, $28.00 www.simonsays.com 1-800-223-2336

Written by veteran journalist and managing editor of "The New York Sun" Ira Stoll, Samuel Adams: A Life is an in-depth biography of one of America's founding fathers, Samuel Adams. Adams helped stir up the Boston Tea Party (though he did not participate in it), denounced "taxation without representation" as a newspaper editor, and after the Revolution he worked in politics, eventually serving as elected governor of Massachusetts. Notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this eminently readable biography balancing what is known about Adams personal and religious life with his historic contribution to early American independence and politics. Samuel Adams: A Life is highly recommended for public and college library collections alike.

Wild Bill Hickok & Calamity Jane
James D. McLaird
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
9780977795598, $12.95 www.sdshspress.com

Written by James D. McLaird (professor emeritus of history at Dakota Wesleyan University), Wild Bill Hickok & Calamity Jane is a biographical examination of the legendary relationship between two Wild West wanderers whose behavior wavered along the fine line between law-abiding and outlaw. Though Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane were in together in the city of Deadwood for only a few weeks, their exploits have become the stuff of tall tales and folklore. In Wild Bill Hickok & Calamity Jane, McLaird also examines the impact that writers and the city of Deadwood itself had on the legacy of this infamous couple. Their subsequent burial next to one another in Mount Moria Cemetery would cement their star quality status, and immortalize them in pop culture mythology. A fascinating read for anyone who wants to learn about how the daring real-life deeds (and misdeeds) of Wild Bill Hickok & Calamity Jane were destined to grow beyond imagination through the telling.


The Christian Studies Shelf

God Seekers
Richard H. Schmidt
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802828408, $20.82, www.eerdmans.com

Christianity has a long and rich history of theological contributions towards our understanding of the nature of God, the role of Jesus and the Saints, the nature of Spirituality, the role of the Church and of the community of faith, our obligations to Divinity and to each other, and so much more. In "God Seekers: Twenty Centuries Of Christian Spiritualities", Richard H. Schmidt (Editor and Director of Forward Movement Publications) has compiled commentaries from thirty-three spiritual masters recognized as of key and enduring influence throughout the evolution of Christian history. The selected Christian commentators range from Irenaeus, Origen of Alexandria, and Augustine of Hippo, to Soren Kierkegaard, Thomas Merton, and Madeleine L'Engle. Enhanced with both a bibliography and an index, "God Seekers" is deeply rewarding, thoughtful and thought-provoking reading, making it a compellingly important contribution to the growing body of Christian literature of the non-specialist general reader, and an excellent acquisition selection for personal, ecclesiastical, community, and academic library Christian History & Theology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Benedict of Aniane: The Emperor's Monk
Ardo's Life, translated by Allen Cabaniss
Cistercian Publications
c/o Liturgical Press
Saint John's Abbey
P.O. Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.cistercianpublications.org
9780879073206, $13.95, www.litpress.org

In the 9th century, a Visigothic aristocrat named Witiza was called upon by the church to revive monasticism and impose uniformity throughout the Carolingian Empire. He changed his name to Benedict, and although preferring a severe austerity for himself, wrote down what was to become known as the 'Rule of Saint Benedict', a series of rules for monks that was intended to be a moral guide capable of being complied with by beginners and the sick. This 'rule' became accepted as the standard for the Benedictine order and all Benedictine monasteries for the better part of three centuries. In "Benedict of Aniane: The Emperor's Monk", Allen Cabaniss (before his passing, a Professor of History at the University of Mississippi) has deftly translated Ardo's biographical account of this venerable and influential figure in European Christian history and made this remarkably and singular life accessible to a whole new generation of readers. "Benedict of Aniane" is a significant and recommended addition to personal, ecclesiastical, and academic library Christian History reference collections and reading lists.

Christ Our Hope
Pope Benedict XVI
Paulist Press
997 MacArthur Blvd., Mahwah, NJ 07430
9780809105618, $14.95, www.paulistpress.com

"Christ Our Hope: The Papal Journey Addresses of the Apostolic Journey to the United States" is a collection of Pope Benedict XVI's speeches that he made during his historic five day visit to the United States in April of 2008. Covering even his in flight address to the press, it's a complete and comprehensive anthology on the man's words to the American people. "Christ Our Hope" is a must for any Catholic.

Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership
Ruth Haley Barton
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830835133, $18.00, www.ivpress.com

It may seem hard to believe, being a pastor or other religious leader can be very draining on one's faith. "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry" is a guide for religious leaders who want to maintain their own faith while leading others. With tips on realizing when one is born to lead in faith, surrounding oneself with a positive congregation and more, "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership" answers a real problem that many may not realize exists for their pastors and priests.

Bible for Vital Congregations
Barbara J. Essex
The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue East, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
9780829817324, $12.00, www.thepilgrimpress.com

Language changes over time, as do cultures. What was said two thousand years ago needs translating to apply. "Bible for Vital Congregations" is a companion reader to the Bible for best understanding all of the complicated intricacies that come from one of the most important books of all time. Composed to help readers read the Bible and understand it, "Bible for Vital Congregations" is a solid choice for Christians who want to be educated about their holy book.

Life of Jesus in Icons
Francis J. Moloney
Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey
PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814632376, $34.95, www.litpress.org

Icons represent a lot in western society. "Life of Jesus in Icons: From the 'Bible of Tbilisi'" is a fresh approach to the life of Jesus through the iconic events throughout the man's life. From the Annunciation to the Ascension, each event is discussed in detail with quotes from scriptures accompanying each event alongside classical art work. A new way of reading the story of Christ, "Life of Jesus in Icons" is a strong choice for any Christian book collection.

Ireland's Saint
J. B. Bury
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Oreleans, MA 02653
9781557255570, $21.95, www.paracletepress.com

There was an Ireland before St. Patrick, but he changed Ireland into the course it is on today. "Ireland's Saint: The Essential Biography of St. Patrick" is a scholarly examination of the Saint who is Ireland's most famous saint. Coming to the island from the Roman Empire over a thousand years ago, he brought Christianity to the island and did what he could to compete with the Druidic shamans and bring peace to the warring clans. "Ireland's Saint" is a vivid and human picture of the man who's responsible for the importance of March 17th.

The Gift of Work
Bill Heatley
NavPress
PO Box 35001, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
9781600061349, $12.99, www.navpress.com

One person can make a difference when it pertains to morale. "The Gift of Work: Spiritual Disciplines for the Workplace" is a guide to making oneself a positive force in one's own workplace. Heavily Christian-oriented, the messages encourage bringing a degree of spirituality to one's office to decrease anxiety and potential violence, while making work seem less torturous that one would assume. "The Gift of Work" is recommended for any Christian in the workplace.

Medieval Christianity
Daniel E. Bornstein, editor
Denis R. Janz, general editor
Augsburg Fortress Publishers
100 Fifth Street, Suite 600, Minneapolis, MN 55402-1210
9780800634148, $35.00 www.augsburgbooks.com 1-800-328-4648

Volume 4 of "A People's History of Christianity" series, Medieval Christianity is an in-depth scrutiny of the religion and institution of Christianity from the fall of Rome and the conversion of the Germanic tribes to the beginning of the Reformation. Drawing upon primary sources ranging from handbooks, sermons, and confessional manuals to illuminated manuscripts and altarpieces, Medieval Christianity probes te nuances of medieval Christian art, architecture, devotional practices, pilgrimages, relics, heresies, revivals, crusades, programs, and much more. "The medieval church's age-old campaign against clerical incontinence... had a salutary effect, allowing it to block the process by which priestly dynasties threatened to privatize churches and treat church property as familial patrimony. In so doing, the church without any doubt assured its own survival as an independent institution within a society that was being feudalized." A scholarly and thoughtful account, accessible to readers of all backgrounds and enhanced with a handful of black-and-white illustrations as well as color plates, Medieval Christianity bears the highest recommendation for public and college library religious reference shelves, along with the rest of "A People's History of Christianity" series.

Big Picture of the Bible - Old Testament
Lorna Daniels Nichols
Winepress Publishing Group
1730 Railroad Street, Enumclaw, WA 98022
9781579219291, $24.95 www.winepressgroup.com

Big Picture of the Bible - Old Testament is a consumable study guide of Old Testament Bible stories presented in an easy-to-follow, bulleted format. "Review Questions" and "Personal Reflections" sections offer questions such as "Who fought the Battle of Jericho and how?" and "What spiritual growth lessons did you learn from the period of the Judges?" and blank lines for the user to write down their answers. A handful of maps and color illustrations, appendices, and a glossary round out this user-friendly resource for persons of faith.

Macarius Of Jerusalem
Abraham Terian
St. Vladimir's Seminary Press
575 Scarsdale, Road, Crestwood, NY 10707-1699
9780881413236, $30.00, www.svspress.com

Ante-Nicenean Fathers refers to the Christian leaders and theologians that came immediately after the generation of the original apostles and their acolytes. Macarisu Of Jerusalem, who lived and worked in the 4th Century A.D. was one of these influential men who were to shape the course of the Christian movement during the increasingly oppressive activities of the Roman Empire which finally ended with Emperor Constantin's 'Edict of Milan' in A.D. 313 which legalized and legitimized the Christian Church throughout the empire. We have only a relative scattering of letters and other writings to document the struggle of these early church fathers, but one such surviving document has now been translated with an informed and informative introduction and commentary by Abraham Terian and published by the St. Vladimir's Seminary Press as "Macarius Of Jerusalem: Letter To The Armenians, A.D. 335". An significant and critically important contribution to 4th Century Christian Studies, "Macarius Of Jerusalem" is an academically impressive model of meticulous and painstaking scholarship, and presents a seminal body of informed and informative work that is solidly recommended for personal, pastoral, academic, and seminary Christian History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The American History Shelf

From Colony to Superpower
George C. Herring
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780195078220, $35.00 www.oup.com/us 1-800-451-7556

From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations Since 1776 is an omnibus summary and reference chronicling America's foreign relations and diplomacy with the rest of the world, from its birth as a nation in 1776 to 2007 and the ongoing Iraq war. George C. Herring (Alumni Professor of History Emeritus, University of Kentucky) applies his expertise in American history in this exhaustive account accessible to lay readers and history scholars alike. "The impact of the war on Iraq and the Middle East was profound. Estimates of Iraqi war dead ranged from fifty thousand to more than two hundred thousand through 2008. The influx of Iraqi refugees destabilized neighboring countries such as Jordan and Syria. The U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq provoked fury in the Muslim world, undermining Washington's broader efforts against international terrorism. The one winner of the war was Iran, which no longer faced a strong Sunni nation to the south and had close ties with some Iraqi Shiites." A welcome addition to public and college library reference shelves alike, especially recommended as a history study textbook due to its relatively concise portrayal of centuries of international relations.

The Forgotten History Of America
Cormac O'Brien
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
18705 Lake Drive East, Chanhassen, MN 55317
www.quaysidepublishinggroup.com
9781592332991, $19.99, 1-800-328-0590

There is so much more than is taught in public school American history classes or published in traditional American history textbooks. That is why "The Forgotten History Of America: Little-Known Conflicts Of Lasting Importance From The Earliest Colonists To The Eve Of The Revolution" by historian Cormac O'Brien is such an important contribution to personal, community, and academic library American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists. The focus on the often overlooked events that shaped the course of American political life and helped to create the country that we all live in today. For example, it was not Jamestown or Plymouth that holds the honor of being the first European settlement in America, but rather the Spanish town of St. Augustine in Florida. While George Washington was indeed an exemplary leader of the newly emergent United States of America, while a young office in the it was an incident he created in the Pennslyvania woods in 1754 that set of an international conflict that came to be called the French & Indian War. These stories and more are the subject of an informed, informative, and iconoclastic history of our country. Nicely enhanced by a profusion of color illustrations throughout, "The Forgotten History Of America" is especially recommended for school and community library American History reference collections and non-specialist general readers with an interest in knowing 'the rest of the story' of America's past that was to prove so influential in creating its present.

Mud Blood and Gold
Rand Richards
Heritage House Publishers
PO Box 194242, San Francisco, CA 94119
9781879367067, $25.95 www.heritagehousesf.com

Mud Blood and Gold: San Francisco in 1849 is a historical chronicle of how the (in)famous Gold Rush affected the California city of San Francisco, especially at the peak of the gold frenzy. Drawing upon eyewitness accounts and official records, historian Rand Richards meticulously reconstructs San Francisco of over a century and a half ago, offering a vivid picture of what daily life must have been like. From the overriding ambition to get rich that drove all the comers, to how the most successful of San Francisco's wealthy actually amassed their gold (such as merchants who traded in coveted goods, and real estate speculators) to the corruption that ran rampant among city officials and the explosion of greed-fueled violence, gambling, and prostitution, Mud Blood and Gold is as colorfully descriptive as it is informative and analytical. A welcome contribution to San Francisco history shelves.

The South Dakota State Capitol
Marshall Damgaard
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
9780979894022, $29.95, www.sdshspress.com

In celebration of the centennial anniversary of Pierre, the state capitol of South Dakota, Marshall Damgaard and the South Dakota State Historical Society Press have collaborated to publish "The South Dakota State Capitol: The First Century", a superbly illustrated historical overview from its founding down to the present day. Informed and informative, "The South Dakota State Capitol" is an information packed compendium that is enhanced with the inclusion of an Appendix, a Bibliography, and an Index. The fourth volume in the South Dakota State Historical Society Press 'Historical Preservation Series', "The South Dakota State Capitol" is a core addition to all South Dakota historical society, community and school library reference collections, and would serve as a model template for similar historical studies of other state capitals as well.

Speaking Through The Aspens
J. Mallea-Olaetxe
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166, Reno, NV, 89557-0166
www.unpress.nevada.edu
9780874177626, $29.95, 1-877-682-6657

Carving names, dates, phrases, figures and symbols into trees is probably as old as the human race itself. Today in the 'Basque country' of California and Nevada, the ubiquitous aspen tree is occasionally found to have been subjected to mysterious carvings called 'arborglyphs', often featuring human and animal figures and with words or symbols in several languages. In "Speaking Through The Aspens: Basque Tree Carvings In California And Nevada", J. Mallea-Olaetxe (an independent scholar and researcher at the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno) has compiled an historical overview and representative examples of arborglyphs and provides as a context an introduction to the lives of Basque sheepherders in the America West. Enhanced with 94 black-and-white photographs and line drawings, "Speaking Through The Aspens" is a seminal work of original scholarship and a strongly recommended addition to community and academic library Basque Studies and American Western History Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Irish Americans
Jay P. Dolan
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781596914193, $30.00 www.bloomsbury.com

Jay P. Dolan (Professor Emeritus of History, University of Notre Dame) presents The Irish Americans: A History, a narrative examination of Irish-Americans. "The Irish Americans" covers the saga of Irish-American immigrants and their descendants from the American colonial era to the historical potato famine that spurred an exodus of millions of poor immigrants, to rise of Irish political power and the election of John F. Kennedy as President of the United States, to the end of the twentieth century in the year 2000. "For those Irish who rode the economic escalator up to middle-class respectability, a move to the suburbs generally followed. But more was involved than just an increase in income. A decisive influence was the migration of blacks and Hispanics into the old Irish neighborhoods... The Irish were too numerous and too complex a group to be identified with only one side of the controversy. Many were conservative bigots, hurling epithets at King and his supporters; many were numbered among the liberal activists marching shoulder to shoulder with King. The same type of division present in Chicago was true in Philadelphia and other cities where the migration of blacks into old immigrant neighborhoods led to racial confrontation... a study done in the 1980s by the sociologist Andrew M. Greeley concluded that a majority of the Irish 'have been more sympathetic to integration' than other Catholic ethnics as well as all Protestants during the 1970s." A fascinating, account that academicians and lay readers alike can enjoy, The Irish Americans: A History is an especially welcome addition to public and college library shelves.

The First 100 Years
C.W. Guthrie
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
9781560373360, $39.95 www.farcountrypress.com 1-800-821-3874

Part American History chronicle, part photography compendium, The First 100 Years is a remarkably in-depth survey of the history of Glacier National Park from 1900 to 2000. Featuring more than 200 vintage black-and-white or stunning full color photographs, The First 100 Years also has detailed text chronicling the park's astonishing and colorful history. A chronology, bibliography, and index round out this captivating volume, highly recommended especially for public library collections due to its wealth of historical information balancing quality photographs on virtually every page.

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com, 1-888-313-2665

Photography makes the past come alive and enhances any simple history of a community. Such is the basic premise of Arcadia Publishing's outstanding 'Images of America' series. Each volume in this photography oriented history showcases a specific American town, its people, its buildings, notable events, and evolution as a community. Heather D. Ferguson's "Arkansas City" (9780738552408, $19.99) began as a Kansas border town to Indian Territory, grew to be a major trade hub and transportation center, and is particularly noted for the Cherokee Strip Land Rush of September 16, 1893. The collaborative work of Katherine Mansfield Tassini, Douglas B. Rauschenberger, and the Historical Society of Haddonfield, "Haddonfield" (9780738556741, $19.99) was founded in 1701 as a place for Quakers and others to live and worship in freedom in New Jersey and played an important role in the Revolutionary War and is today a suburb noted for its residential and educational resources. "Hemet" (9780738558462, $19.99) by members of the Hemet Area Museum Association is located in California's San Jacinto Valley and the product of two 19th Century real estate developers. Originally a farm town, Hemet is now a retirement center and bedroom suburb of 150,000 people. "Big Stone Gap" (9780738553931, $19.99) by Sharon B. Weing features one of Virginia's towns that began with the coal fields of the 1880s, and became a prosperous municipality with its railroads, hotels, businesses and cultural events. A change of pace from the town histories, Tracey Gold Bennett and Nizam B. Ali's "Ben's Chili Bowl: 50 years of A Washington, D.C. Landmark" (9780738554242, $19.99) showcases a Washington D.C.-based business enterprise that opened as a hot dog and chili shop on U Street and became a renowned restaurant in the heart of the nation's capital. A characteristic of each and every one of these highly recommended 'Images of America' titles is that they are profusely illustrated with photographic images serving as perfect enhancements for the informed and informative historical texts that relate the histories that make these cited towns and cities (and restaurant) so notable additions to regional American History collections.


The Science Shelf

Head First Physics
Heather Lang, Ph.D.
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9780596102371, $29.99 www.oreilly.com

If you're in high school or college and struggle with physics concepts, HEAD FIRST PHYSICS is a recommended pick. It provides a lively connection between physics theory and the world we live in, examining basic concepts, using the latest research in learning theory to enliven presentations, and covering math and physics concepts using lively black and white drawings, photos, and large-size graphs. An outstanding physics survey evolves.

Classical Mechanics
John Michael Finn
Infinity Science Press
11 Leavitt Street, Hingham, MA 02043
9781934015322, $69.95 www.infinitysciencepress.com

College-level courses in particles and systems offer a mathematical treatment updated for the study of more advanced topics in quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and orbital mechanics with CLASSICAL MECHANICS, recommended as a classroom text or for any advanced college course on mechanics theory. From discussions of symmetries and geometric structure of space-time to discussions of particle mechanics, this is appropriate for either a year-long course, or for scientific reference.

I Am A Strange Loop
Douglas Hofstadter
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8810
9780465030798, $16.95 www.basicbooks.com

This blend of philosophy and science provides a fine survey of both, telling of symbols, loops, and brain functions in the face of physics. I AM A STRANGE LOOP offers up anecdotes, analogies, and metaphors for understanding patterns and 'strangeness', covering math, science and philosophy in the process. A surprisingly lively discussion makes for a recommended pick for both school and public libraries.

Nature's Wonders
Kelly Knauer, editor
Time Life, Inc.
PO Box 4002011, Des Moines, Iowa 50340-2011
9780761342281, $39.93 www.timelife.com

Brilliantly stunning, full-color photography illustrates virtually every page of Nature's Wonders, a tour of amazing sights and scientific discoveries about Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, cryosphere, and (subterranean) geosphere. Each two-page spread features a text summary and fun facts, sure to spark amazement in readers age 12 to 120. "Trapped in the permafrost, vegetation in the tundra typically freezes rather than decomposes after it dies, and it does not release the carbon dioxide taken in during photosynthesis. Tundra has thus been one of the planet's major carbon dioxide sinks. But as warmer temperatures worldwide heat the permafrost layer, more carbon dioxide is now being released, exacerbating the problem in a dangerous feedback loop." Though too broad-ranging to prove effective as a reference volume, Nature's Wonders lives up to its title in its ability to elicit awe, and is an utterly fascinating volume to browse. Especially recommended for sparking interest in Earth science among curious teenagers!

Geology of Utah's Rivers
William T. Parry
University of Utah Press
1795 East South Campus Drive, #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402
9780874809336, $19.95 www.uofupress.com 1-800-773-6672

William T. Parry (professor emeritus of geology and geophysics, University of Utah) presents Geology of Utah's Rivers, a thoughtful, in-depth guide to Utah's rivers including black-and-white shaded relief and geologic maps. From the natural history of the rivers, to comments on the historical exploration that discovered them, to the development of the stunning scenery that can be found nearby, Geology of Utah's Rivers is sure to appeal to geology enthusiasts of all backgrounds, from amateur hobbyists to experts interested in a fresh look at Utah's evolving landscape. A welcome addition to public library geology collections, and an excellent giftbook for any enthusiast of Utah's natural beauty!

Researching Children's Experiences
Melissa Freeman & Sandra Mathison
Guilford Publications, Inc.
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
9781593859954, $30.00, www.guilford.com

Basic research skills are a fundamental part of all scientific endeavors, but most especially crucial to the social sciences which can be particularly sensitive to distortion through effectively solicited data. Co-authored by Melissa Freeman (Assistant Professor of Qualitative Research Methodologies in the College of Education, University of Georgia) and Sandra Mathison (Professor of Education at the University of British Columbia), "Research Children's Experiences" focuses specifically on research methods and approaches to planning and implementing research projects with children and youth using a social constructivist perspective. A wealth of illustrative examples are provided with respect to eliciting life experiences of diverse youth. Such varied data-collection methods as drawing, photography, the Internet, games, interviewing, focus groups, the use of journals, and direct observation are covered, as are strategies for fostering active contributions from children as part of the research process. Of special note are the attention paid to consent and ethical issues, as well as the role of parents, teachers and school personnel, and other community members in the research process. Enhanced with the inclusion of end-of-chapter questions and exercises to insure comprehension of covered materials, a reference section, and an index make "Researching Children's Experiences" an essential and recommended addition as a curriculum text and a core addition to professional and academic library reference shelves and supplemental reading lists.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Philosophy of Human Nature
Howard P. Kainz
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696196, $29.95 www.opencourtbooks.com 1-800-815-2280

Howard P. Kainz (Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy at Marquette University in Milwaukee) presents The Philosophy of Human Nature, a thoughtful, in-depth reflection upon the philosophical controversies concerning the definition and purpose of human nature. From whether human beings are (or can become) free, to whether human instincts differ from animal instincts, to whether human personality traits and intelligence can truly be inherited, and more, The Philosophy of Human Nature tackles age old conundrums with the professionalism of a trained philosopher. At the same time, The Philosophy of Human Nature avoids bogging itself down in needless obfuscation, remaining accessible even to readers who do not have extensive training in philosophy. "Karl Marx, as is well known, analyzed patterns of exploitation taking place in nineteenth-century capitalist systems. In his early philosophical works, he makes an interesting socio-political application of gender dynamics. According to Marx, the male attitude toward females offers us the best indication of their general attitude toward nature, the environment, society in general, and the lower classes in particular. If males take women as objects to be exploited, Marx argued, they tend to have the same attitude toward the environment, the lower classes, and so forth... Communism, unfortunately, was not spectacularly successful in eliminating female exploitation; but Marx's general observation about attitude patterns may be worth considering." Highly recommended, especially for college library collections.

Heidegger: A (Very) Critical Introduction
S.J. McGrath
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802860071, $16.00 www.eerdmans.com 1-800-253-7521

Heidegger: A (Very) Critical Introduction is, as its title suggests, a highly skeptical discussion of ideas attributed to philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976). Sticking to the neologisms Heidegger himself used rather than take the "analytic" tack of swapping more commonly used philosophical terms for Heidegger's precise words, Heidegger: A (Very) Critical Introduction notes that Heidegger frequently ignored ethical, political, and theological criticisms of ontology, embodying a common flaw in logical thinking that is to accept fundamental issues (in Heidegger's case, ethical-political and theological issues) as conclusively proven when they are not. An scholarly text suitable for college library collections and intermediate to advanced philosophy students, Heidegger: A (Very) Critical Introduction is especially recommended for its willingness to challenge complex concepts even as it familiarizes the reader with their intricacies.

Philosophy Looks at Chess
Benjamin Hale, editor
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696332, $19.95 www.opencourtbooks.com 1-800-815-2280

Philosophy Looks at Chess is an anthology of twelve essays by expert philosophers, each of which critically examines fascinating (and sometimes playful) philosophical questions that draw upon chess as a reference point, metaphor, or source of inspiration. Among the topics discussed at length are "Do chess players think in words?", "Is chess really a game?", "Does chess explain how a benevolent God might exist in a world permeated by evil?", and "Is Garry Kasparov a cyborg?". "The moves chess players make during chess games are in large part determined by the threats they see to the aspects of the game they choose to value most. For example, chess players who place the highest value on their queen would be less likely to sacrifice that piece for attacking chances or mating possibilities. Just as players who value their pawn structure would be less likely to accept an open file as a compensatory justification for double pawns. These dispositions are in large part related to narratives we play by in a game, or the myths that we believe determine the 'right moves'." A highly intellectual discussion that philosophers and chess players of all experience levels can enjoy.


The Gaming Shelf

Gary Brown's Learn to Play Bridge
Gary Brown
Master Point Press
331 Douglas Avenue Toronto, Ontario M5M 1H2 , Canada
9781897106396, $17.95, pgs.119, www.amazon.com

Know how to play Bridge or always wanted to learn? The you can easily learn some of the finer points of game from a true bridge master with "Gary Brown's Learn to Play Bridge: A Modern Approach To Standard Bidding With 5-Card Majors". This thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction manual provides the reader with the basic and techniques to playing bridge. "Gary Brown's Learn to Play Bridge" takes a no assumption approach to provide readers with the most effective information, explanations and visuals. Exercises and tips are also included. Readers can then continue expanding their knowledge by logging on to www.masterbridge.com. Designed to 'teach teachers' the tools to promote bridge to new players, as well as giving newcomers to the game the tools to get enthusiastic about Bridge, "Gary Brown's Learn to Play Bridge" is easy to follow and offers a wealth of practical and applicable information. Highly recommended for personal and community library reference collections, this winner of the American Bridge Teachers' Association 2007 Book of the Year award is sure to please anyone dedicated to learning and/or improving their play.

Starting Out: The C3 Sicilian
John Emms
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9781857445701, $24.95 www.everymanchess.com 1-800-243-0495

Written by chess Grandmaster and coach John Emms, who has captained the English Team at two Chess Olympiads, Starting Out: The C3 Sicilian is an in-depth guide to how White can counter one of Black's most widely used defenses to 1 e4. Meticulously laying out the reasoning behind different moves and the core ideas driving them, Starting Out: The C3 Sicilian is packed cover to cover with diagrams and sample games to illustrate its points. Enthusiastically recommended as a supplementary resource for intermediate to expert chess players interested in fine-tuning their skill.

Dead Reign
Kevin Siembieda, et al.
Palladium Books
39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185-7606
9781574571400, $22.95, www.palladiumbooks.com

Traditional role-play gaming as pioneered by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books is an enduringly popular pastime, even in this era of computerized gaming. Combine the fun of fantasy roleplay with the popularity of zombies and you have "Dead Reign" which has been written and designed by roleplay expert Siembieda with the assistance of Josh Hilden and Joshua Sanford. Civilization has ended as we know it with the emergence of the undead. There is no government, no army, no television or internet. The cities have gone dark and zombies are everywhere. "Dead Reign" players are provided with a complete gaming universe that includes six apocalyptic character classes; sen types of zombies (plus the Half-Living); background information on zombies, 'Death Cults', random tables, a wealth of adventure ideas, all combining to make a complete role-playing game that will provide hours (and even days) of non-repetitious gaming fun. Enhanced with occasional black-and-white illustrations and 'Quick Find Tables', "Dead Reign" is a welcome addition to personal role-play gaming collections. Also very highly recommended from Palladium Books are "Beyond The Supernatural" and "Nightbane" dark fantasy role play games.

Canada Crosswords
Barbara Olson & Dave Macleod
Nightwood Editions
c/o Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
9780889712256, $12.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

Crossword puzzles have been a popular form of entertainment for generations. Co-created by crossword puzzle enthusiasts Barbara Olson and Dave Macleod, "Canada Crosswords" offers 75 Canadian themed daily-sized crossword puzzles that will offer hours of engaging fun and intellectual challenges. Featuring tricky wordplay that will test the ability of the crossword puzzle enthusiast to 'think outside the box'. Remember when totally stumped -- the answers are in the back. But no cheating now! "Canada Crosswords" is enthusiastically recommended for all crossword puzzle fans -- and not just those from Canada!


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Pitch Black
Youme Landowne & Anthony Horton
Cinco Puntos Press
701 Texas Avenue, El Paso, TX 79901
9781933693064, $17.95, www.cincopuntos.com

There are conditions that many humans live in that many Americans would deem unfit for animals. "Pitch Black" tells the story of what can be seen in the deep, dark tunnels beneath the biggest city in America, New York City. The homeless, drug deals, prostitution, are only some of the more tame things one would see in this harsh environment. Joint written and illustrated by both Landowne & Horton, their efforts tell the story of the deep depths well, making "Pitch Black" a highly recommended story worth reading.

Doctor Who: Agent Provocateur
Gary Russell, author
Nick Roche, Jose Maria Berdy, Stefano Martino, and Mirco Pierfederici, artists
IDW Publishing
5080 Santa Fe St., San Diego, CA 92109
9781600101960, $19.99 www.idwpublishing.com

Doctor Who: Agent Provocateur is the full-color graphic novel collection of issues one through six of the new Doctor Who comics, featuring the latest incarnation of the time lord in his quest to keep all causality stable. Assisted by the capable adventurer Martha Jones, the Doctor becomes inextricably involved in a cataclysmic plan to harness the energy of planetary populations to seal a rip in space and time - but the plan is critically sabotaged by the manipulations of a psychotic murderer! A high-stakes science fiction extravaganza, Doctor Who: Agent Provocateur captures the spirit of the television series and highly recommended for fans everywhere.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Volume 1
Noizi Ito, character design
Nagaru Tanigawa, author
Gaku Tsugano, artist
Yen Press
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9780759529441, $10.99 www.hbgusa.com

Recommended for older teen readers due to some innuendo, Volume 1 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya kicks off a new black-and-white manga (Japanese comic) series brimming with over-the-top enthusiasm and comedy! Ordinary high school freshman Kyon has his life turned upside down when he meets Haruhi Suzumiya, a young woman whose passion to discover exotic mysteries cannot be stopped by any human force - or even her own inability to see actual evidence those mysteries right under her nose. Suzumiya forms the S.O.S. Brigade, a school club dedicated to finding such amazing supernatural phenomena as aliens, time travelers, and espers. Aside from Kyon, the first three members to join are (gasp!) an alien, a time traveler, and an esper - all sent on a special mission to observe Suzumiya, who has the hidden powers of time and causality unbeknownst to herself! A rollicking ride starring a forceful, unapologetic, unstoppable whirlwind of a title heroine, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a blast from cover to cover. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is printed right-to-left, to keep the integrity of its original artwork.

Watching the Watchmen
Dave Gibbons, Chip Kidd, and Mike Essl
Titan Books
readerfeedback@titanemail.com
9781848560413, $39.95 www.titanbooks.com

Co-creator Dave Gibbons presents Watching the Watchmen, a treasure trove of previously unpublished, behind-the-scenes source material for the classic superhero deconstruction graphic novel Watchmen. Extensive black-and-white and color images of roughs and layouts, concept art and more make up the bulk of Watching the Watchmen; a small amount of text enhances this in-depth experience. An absolute "must-have" for anyone who considers Watchmen a beloved classic or a work of genius, and wants to know more about the process that brought it to life.

The Complete Peanuts 1969-1970
Charles Schulz
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98115
9781560978275, $28.99 www.fantagraphics.com 1-800-657-1100

The Complete Peanuts 1969-1970 is the latest in a compendium that seeks to present Charles Schulz's classic Peanuts comic strip as never before - complete and unabridged! Featuring an introduction by Mo Willems, the latest volume gives Woodstock a name for the first time, shows Snoopy's ultimately disastrous stint as the Head Beagle, chronicles Charlie Brown's heartbreak when the little red-haired girl moves away, offers a fascinating extended glimpse into the text of Snoopy's "It was a dark and stormy night" novel, and much more. One sequence particularly reflective of the stormy 1960s shows poor Snoopy caught in the middle of a riot with tear gas at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm! A "must-have" for collectors of Charles Schulz's work, highly recommended.

The Prince of Heroes Chapter 1
Rod Espinosa
Antarctic Press
7272 Wurzbach Suite #204, San Antonio, Texas 78240
9780980125504, $9.95 www.antarctic-press.com www.princeofheroes.com

The Prince of Heroes Chapter 1 is the first graphic novel in a full-color, space opera series in the tradition of Star Wars. A young boy discovers that his legacy gives him birthright to a galaxy-spanning kingdom, but only if he can remain alive long enough to claim it! He dares to make a stand against those who would tyrannize the weak, culminating in a battle against a chaotically malevolent Baron and his martial arts expert sister, (with an amusingly indecent finale!) Recommended for readers age 13 and up due to violence and mild nudity, The Prince of Heroes Chapter 1 is a wonderfully entertaining, adventure of action, drama, and simple good-versus-evil that leaves the reader eager for more.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Deep Cinema
Mary Trainor-Brigham
Michael Wiese Productions
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781932907506, $19.95, www.mwp.com

Movies can have more meaning than eye-candy, explosions, and cheap laughs. "Deep Cinema: Film as Shamanic Initiation" takes a look at serious storytelling with a message through the art of film. Mixing ancient shamanic tradition with today's top of the line film-making techniques, Brigham discusses symbolism, cultural meaning, and much more and their relevance to films. Dissecting some of today's most spiritual films, "Deep Cinema" is worth reading for those who want their films to mean more than just being pop culture.

The Best American Short Plays
Barbara Parisi
Applause
c/o Hal Leonard
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
9781557837127, $16.95, www.applausepub.com

There are more plays than just Shakespeare. "The Best American Short Plays: 2004-2005" is a collection of short plays to use in a classroom or theater to give a more modern edge to acting and drama than just the flowery language and plots of the seventeenth century bard. The plays all present a modern viewpoint with modern topics from contemporary writers, giving it a very different blend from most plays. "The Best American Short Plays: 2004-2005" is a must for any drama teacher who wants to expand their students' horizons.

The Monster Hunter in Modern Popular Culture
Heather L. Duda
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jerrson, NC 28640
9780786434060, $35.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

The character of the monster hunter has made a come back in recent years. "The Monster Hunter in Modern Popular Culture" takes a survey of the genre with TV Shows and movies such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Van Helsing. Discussing why the genre has gotten as popular as it has and the common themes among them, it gives new perspective on this media and expands one's understanding of why such things are as popular as they are. A critical dissection of the genre, "The Monster Hunter in Modern Popular Culture" is highly recommended.

The Twilight Zone
Martin Grams, Jr.
OTR Publishing
PO Box 252, Churchville, MD 21028
9780970331090, $49.95, www.amazon.com

When it debuted in October 1959 on CBS television, Rod Serling's science fiction and fantasy show 'The Twilight Zone' became a part of America's popular culture and continues to this day to be an enduringly popular classic of the Golden Age of television, brought back to new generations of viewers in what seems like perpetual reruns. This seminal and groundbreaking series has influenced Hollywood producers, screenwriters, directors, actors, comics books, magazines, and even major motion pictures. Now in "The Twilight Zone: Unlocking The Door To A Television Classic" Martin Grams has compiled and written a 798-page history of the show, including a detailed episode guide for all five seasons. Of special note are the appendices providing Production Notes and a bibliography of Twilight Zone books, comic books, and station list. Enhanced for the reader with a comprehensive Index, "The Twilight Zone" is highly recommended for community and academic library Television History and American Popular Culture reference collections, and a 'must' for the legions of Twilight Zone fans.

You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
Richard Schickel & George Perry, author
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
9780762434183, $50.00 www.runningpress.com 1-800-345-5359

Featuring a foreword by Clint Eastwood, You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story is the jam-packed, coffee-table book history of the media giant Warner Bros. Studios, from the decisions that made them stand out from competitors such as MGM, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox, to the shift that had Warner Bros. create grittier and more socially conscious movies during Hollywood's golden era, to what Warner Bros. stands for in today's multi-media conglomerates. Filled with black-and-white and color photographs, movie stills and posters, and more on virtually every page, You Must Remember This balances the wealth of illustrations with a deep and thoughtful analysis, accessible to lay readers yet sure to be appreciated by film studies students and scholars as well. Highly recommended.

Continuum
80 Maiden Lane, New York NY 10038
www.continuumbooks.com

Libraries strong in international film and culture need Houstin Wood's NATIVE FEATURES: INDIGENOUS FILMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD (9780826428455, $24.95), the first book to examine films made by indigenous people. It analyzes over fifty such films now in circulation, considering cultural stereotypes, and impact of both well-known and seldom-seen films, and considering the careers of major actors and directors. Both a regional and world-wide approach allows for an outstanding series of perspectives. Keith Cunningham's THE SOUL OF SCREENWRITING: ON WRITING, DRAMATIC TRUTH, AND KNOWING YOURSELF (9780826428691, $29.95) offers an unusual survey inspired by the mythic approach of Joseph Campbell and tinged by the psychology background of Jean Jouston, providing a survey of the act of screenwriting and how the writer's brain and experience juxtaposes to influence technique, character development, scene dynamics and results. It's a scholarly analysis recommended for any film or drama collection.


The Music Shelf

Hymns Of The Old Camp Ground
Wayne Erbsen
Native Ground Books & Music
109 Bell Road, Asheville, NC 28805-1521
9781883206567, $5.95, www.nativeground.com

Periodically in America's 19th century history waves of religious revival would sweep over frontier communities. Often held in the largest meeting halls available or in public outdoor areas where large meeting tents could be erected or stands could be built, the twin hallmarks of these revivals would be fiery preaching combined with community sing-a-longs of religious music. Now music historian and performer Wayne Erbsen has collected more than fifty of the most revered, popular, and wide-spread of these musical numbers characteristic of these community meetings into "Hymns Of The Old Camp Ground: Old Time Gospel songs With Words, Music & History". This compendium ranges from such familiar musical fare as Amazing Grace; Church in the Wildwood; Swing Low Sweet Chariot; and Poor Wayfaring Stranger; to less familiar gems like I Am Bound for the Promise Land; Methodist Pie; I Am a Pilgrim; and Wondrous Love. An eminently suitable addition to academic and community library American Music History reference collections, "Hymns Of The Old Camp Ground" is highly recommended for personal and professional reference and performance collections as well.

6 Steps to Songwriting Success
Jason Blume
Billboard Books
c/o Watson-Guptill Publications
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780823084777, $16.95, www.watsonguptill.com

Anyone with ears can tell the difference between a top forty hit, and the screaming guttural music that comes from small clubs and never emerges from there. "6 Steps to Songwriting Success: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songs" is a complete and comprehensive study and guide to the hit songs of today and how songwriters produced these record-breaking records, and more. "6 Steps to Songwriting Success" is a must for any aspiring musician who wants advice on making their own breakout hit.

Janos Starker, King of Cellists
Joyce Geeting
CMP Publishing
1409 Kuehner Drive, Suite 4, Simi Valley, CA 93063
9780975473405, $24.95, www.joycegeeting.com

A legendary figure in the music world, Janos Starker was so gifted a cellist that at the age of twelve he was teaching five students to play the instrument. He went on to enjoy a phenomenal recording career with a productive output unrivaled in his field to this very day. In "Janos Starker, King of Cellists" musician, author, and former Starker student Joyce Geeting has written an informed and informative biography of the man and his music. Covering his formative years as a young student, then as a budding professional, and finally his mature career as a teacher, concert artist and recording artist, "Janos Starker" also includes a chapter of Starker's cartoons and anecdotal stories about him by some of his students. Enhanced with a an accompanying CD, a Coda, Starkers recordings available on Amazon.com and on iTunes; a bibliography, a 'Chronology of Events', and a 'user friendly' index, "Janos Starker" is a seminal work and recommended for personal and academic library Music History & Performer reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Indeed, "Janos Starker, King of Cellists" would well serve as a template for similar biographies of other outstanding musicians.

So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star
Christopher Hjort
Jawbone Press
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94708
c/o Publishers Group West (distribution)
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781906002152, $29.95 www.jawbonepress.com www.pgw.com 1-800-788-3123

So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star is a thorough account of the rock group The Byrds, which chronicles the band's life and music, from their worldwide hit "Mr. Tambourine Man" in 1965 to their final concert in 1973. A text-heavy account interspersed with occasional black-and-white period photographs (and print memorabilia!), So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star draws upon eyewitness accounts, press reports, concert reviews, set lists, tour dates, gig locations, record releases, reviews and more to put together its day-to-day narrative. A worthy treasury, highly recommended for fans for the Byrds.

Santorella Publications, Ltd.
13 Pleasant Avenue, Danvers, MA 01923
www.santorellapublication.com 1-877-600-0049

The duet of two identical instruments is a very special and highly appreciated form of musical performance. Santorella Publications is a premier published of music for every orchestral instrument. Now there is a new five title series available to students and performers called 'Classical Duets' with each volume highlighting a specific instrument with twenty-two selections artfully arranged by Jonathan Robbins. The pieces range from Haydn's Minuet (from Minuet in G); to Handel's Bouree (from Water Music); to Schumann's The Poor Orphan (Armes Waisenkind); to Kullak's Cradle Song (Op. 62, No. 5). The five titles comprising this simply outstanding series are: Classical Duets for Trombone (TS159, $9.95); Classical Duets for Saxophone (TS158, $9.95); Classical Duets for Flute (TS157, $9.95); Classical Duets for Clarinet (TS156, $9.95); and Classical Duets for Trumpet (TS155, $9.95). Also very highly recommended for personal and professional reference collections is Jonathan Robbins' "Classical Duets for Violin" (TS367, $14.95) which includes an interactive performance CD.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Secrets for Catching Seatrout
Mike Holliday
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
9781571884350, $19.95, www.amatobooks.com

Fishing is an art of the patient, and the reward is much more fulfilling than just getting dinner. "Secrets for Catching Seatrout: Increase Your Trophy Catch" is a collection of tips and tricks for fishermen to get more and bigger catches when they row out onto the lakes in the early morning. Written by accomplished writer-fisherman Mike Holliday, he bestows his knowledge well, giving "Secrets to Catching Seatrout" a solid recommendation.

Tying Terrestrials for Super Fishing
C. Boyd Pfeiffer
The Countryman Press
PO Box 478, Woodstock, VT 05091
9780881507638, $29.95 www.countrymanpress.com 1-800-245-4151

Featuring step-by-step instructions, with each step illustrated by a different, full-color photograph, Tying Terrestrials for Super Fishing is an in-depth guide to creating and tying top-quality fishing lures. Techniques for crafting flies that resemble bait ranging from ants and termites to beetles and jassids to grasshoppers, bees, inchworms, and more are all covered, as well general advice on tools and materials, and even a some experience-tested fishing tips. The next best thing to personally receiving lessons from a fly-tying master, Tying Terrestrials for Super Fishing is enthusiastically recommended for fly fishers everywhere - the step-by-step photography is quite novice-friendly, and even veterans are sure to learn a trick or two!


The Photography Shelf

Free Flow: The Gila River of New Mexico
Jan Haley
University of Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-001
9780826344465, $27.95, pgs. 105, www.unmpress.com

New Mexico natural landscape is one of the wonders of American geology. That's why diverse environmental groups working cooperatively with New Mexico legislatures have been able to see enacted legislation to protect and preserve such splendid features as the Gila River. In "Free Flow: The Gila River In New Mexico" armchair explorers can learn of the beauty of the Gila River of New Mexico through beautifully captured full color images taken by photographer Jan Haley. Over two hundred miles this natural wonder is displayed in fine splendor of winter and summer storms , five life zones, three major forks and desert and high mountain flows. Life of the river as displayed through photographs is accompanied by inspirational poems of Carol Sinot, creating a perfect balance. Simplistic and serene this beautiful instrument of nature faces a grim reality. As explained in the introduction written by M.H. Salmon this last will river may no longer be wild under the Arizona Water Settlement Act signed by President Bush in 2004. This documentation of the Gila River seeks to be a call to action to readers to preserve this wild beauty. A seminal work, "Free Flow: The Gila River of New Mexico" is especially recommended for academic, community, library Photography and Environmental Studies reference collections and the supplemental reading lists of all nature lovers and environmental activists.

Of Woods and Water
Ron Leonetti and Christopher Jordan
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
9780253352767, $34.95 www.iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796

Photographers Ron Leonetti and Christopher Jordan present Of Woods and Water: A Photographic Journey across Michigan, a coffee table photography compendium displaying more than 100 breathtaking, full-color images of forests, prairies, savannas, wetlands, the shorelines of the four Great Lakes, and terrain crossing the Upper Peninsula. One particularly striking image shows a singularly beautiful, cloudy sunset over Lake Michigan in Duck Lake State Park. A minimal amount of text describes and frames these timeless glimpses of nature's beauty. Of Woods and Water unquestionably lives up to its title, and is an absolute must-have for nature photography enthusiasts. Highly recommended.

Wisdom
Andrew Zuckerman
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10011
9780810983595, $50.00 www.abramsbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

Crafted by multiple award-winning photographer and filmmaker Andrew Zuckerman, Wisdom is a coffee-table compendium of fifty original, black-and-white portraits of the world's leading writers, artists, designers, actors, politicians, musicians, and religious and business leaders. Among the people features are Clint Eastwood, Jane Goodall, Billie Jean King, Henry Kissinger, Nelson Mandela, Andrew Wyeth, and many more. All individuals are in their elder years, have dedicated much of their lives to their craft or service. The photographic portraits for each include a full page headshot and a bodyshot, and the text includes inspirational quotations and insightful essays from these renowned figures, such as Kris Kristofferson's statement "The heart is what matters most of all." An excellent addition to photography collections that celebrate humanity, enhanced with an accompanying documentary DVD.


The Travel Shelf

Hawaii
Luci Yamamoto & Conner Gorry
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741047158, $19.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

A vacation to Hawaii, something everyone at one time considers. "Hawaii: The Big Island" is a full color travel guide, designed for those who are finally getting around to making that Hawaiian vacation to make the most of it. The activities outlined within range from the simplest baking on the beach to fun for the entire family to sight seeing. It also takes a look at the vast and deep cultural roots of the Hawaiian people, making "Hawaii: The Big Island" a must for those who want to make the Hawaiian dream vacation a dream come true.

The Treasures & Pleasures of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, & Yemen
The Impact Guides
Impact Publications
9104-N Manassas Dr., Manassas Park, VA 20111-5211
9781570232749, $19.95, www.impactpublications.com

The cradle of civilization, the neighbors of Saudi Arabia can provide much joy to world tourists if they know what they are doing. "The Treasures & Pleasures of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, & Yemen: Best of the Best in Travel & Shopping" is a guide to going to one of these lesser known travel destinations and making the most of one's time there. Outlining the best of the best of hotels, restaurants, places to shop, and entertainment, "The Treasures & Pleasures of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, & Yemen" is an absolute must for anyone who would consider a vacation in one of these countries.

Ecotourism and Sustainable Development
Martha Honey
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009
9781597261265, $29.50, www.islandpress.org

Visiting new places can be quite the experience, but one must consider the environmental impacts of tourism. Now in a newly revised, updated, and expanded second edition, "Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise?" is an informed and informative look at 'ecotourism', the concept of tourists being respectful to the environments they visit. Honey goes over her concepts defining her more complex definition of ecotourism and outlining many important environments such as the Galapagos, South Africa, Costa Rica, and many others. "Ecotourism and Sustainable Development" is worth reading for those who like to travel but are also concerned for the places they visit or plan to visit.

The Road Atlas 2009: Deluxe Midsize
Rand McNally & Company
8255 North Central Park, Skokie, IL 60076
9780528942075, $9.95, www.randmcnally.com

Rand McNally is a premier publisher of road atlases and maps. One of their latest and most 'traveler friendly' is the 'Deluxe Midsized' edition of "The Road Atlas 2009" which is a spiral bound compendium of state and province maps, as well as a definitive collection of North American City Guides. More than just pages of maps, "The Road Atlas 2009" features selected attractions, recommended shopping opportunities, and useful visitor information resources. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Road Atlas 2009" covers all of the major metropolitan areas of the United States and Canada, is enhanced with a 'Map Legend', border crossing information, tourism contacts, even a mileage chart. All this and more makes "The Road Atlas 2009" a very highly recommended reference for personal and community library map and travel guide collections.

Equitrekking
Darley Newman
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9780811865272, $27.50, 1-800-722-6657

Before the coming of the automobile, the only way to travel the trails, roads, and countryside was by horse -- either astride a horse or in a wagon hauled by them. With the coming of 'the horseless carriage', these equine companions became relegated to recreational uses on ranches. But the public's love affair with the horse has never gone away. Published as a companion to the PBS television series 'Equitrekking' is a superbly illustrated compendium of some of the world's best horse riding destinations ranging from the romantic coast of Ireland, to the wilderness of southern Spain, to the wine country of California, to the rugged back country of Colorado, and more! The informative and engaging text by Darley Newman is liberally illustrated throughout with the color photography of Chip Ward. The result is "Equitrekking: Travel Adventures On Horseback", a compendium of places that will inspire a whole new generation to the adventure of horseback riding as a means of touring and experiences truly memorable reaches of the world both at home and abroad.

Arlington National Cemetery
James Edward Peters
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
9781890627928, $19.95 www.woodbinehouse.com 1-800-843-7323

Now in its third newly revised edition, Arlington National Cemetery is a thorough guide to America's shrine upholding the highest respect in memory of the astronauts, actors, writers, and Supreme Court justices among its 300,000 honored dead. Chapters discuss Arlington's history up to the present day, the American patriots and noted heroes buried there, major monuments and memorials including living memorials (a.k.a. tree dedications), and a handy visitor's guide. Appendices and an index round out this superb guide for any traveler seeking to visit and pay his respects to these hallowed burial grounds.

A Natural History Guide To Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Donald W. Linzey
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
9781572336124, $22.00, www.utpress.org, 1-800-621-2736

One of the country's loveliest protected wildlife and wilderness preserves, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in the southern Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. It is a prized travel destination and provides habitat to more than 100,000 species of plants and animals. "A Natural History Guide To Great Smoky Mountains National Park" by wildlife biologist and ecologist Donald W. Linzey (Professor of Biology at Wytheville community College, Wytheville, Virginia) is a superbly illustrated 292-page compendium of information providing readers with a history and environmental survey of what this national park has to offer. Drawing upon his more than fifty years of experience and expertise as a naturalist dedicated to every aspect of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Professor Linzey provides eleven tables ranging from such issues as the park's geological time line, to new species recorded in the park from 2000-2007, to bird-banding from Tremont and Purchase Knob. An informed and informative text comprehensively covering the park's flora and fauna is enhanced with the inclusion of a wealth of full color photography. With the inclusion of four appendices, extensive Notes, a Selected Bibliography, and an Index, "A Natural History Guide To Great Smoky Mountains National Park" is a work of seminal scholarship and highly recommended for professional and academic library reference collections, as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in visiting the Great Smoky Mountains national park.


The Architecture Shelf

How to Build a House
Larry Haun
Taunton Press
Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781561589678, $24.95 www.taunton.com

This step-by-step guide to building a house comes from Habitat for Humanity International and provides a fine text for any would-be builder who wants to build a simple, energy-efficient home without spending a lot. Habitat is a nonprofit group that builds affordable homes - since 1976 - and so their pages come from a huge pool of experience. Highly recommended for any home builder's library or collection catering to them, it comes loaded with color photos and building tips, graphs, sidebars of detail and more.

Fabric Architecture
Samuel J. Armijos
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780393732368, $75.00 www.wwnorton.com

College-level libraries strong in architecture will find FABRIC ARCHITECTURE: CREATIVE RESOURCES FOR SHADE, SIGNAGE, AND SHELTER is a key title to understanding how fabric structures address a range of architectural needs. Full-color photos catalog original fabric architecture creations accompanying discussions of special challenges, key design elements, implementation of fabric structures, materials, and more. Structure examples from around the world offer stunning color photos perfect for any architecture library.

From Control to Design
Michael Meredith, et. al.
Actar D
158 Lafayette Street, 5th floor, New York, NY 10013
8496540790, $39.95 www.actar.com

Created with contributions from a wealth of experts and featuring a conversation between architecture writer Sanford Kwinter and GNUFORM studio co-founder Jason Payne, Control to Design: Parametric/Algorithmic Architecture is a thoughtful presentation of six independent practices that each engage in current applications of parametric and algorithmic design techniques in architectural production. A step well beyond the first generation of digital modeling techniques, parametric and algorithmic architectural design may well be the future of architectural practice - but what precisely do they offer the discipline, and what are their weaknesses? Extensive black-and-white photography and diagrams, as well as some color photographs, illustrate this fascinating look at the cutting edge of a modern industry. An absolute "must-have" for anyone striving to keep abreast of current challenges in the field.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Best of Talkin' Horses
Ron Mitchell, editor
Eclipse Press
3101 Beaumont Centre Circle, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
9781581501926, $16.95, www.eclipsepress.com

Horse racing is a sport old and diverse, and "Best of Talkin' Horses: Chats with Some of the Thoroughbred Racing Most Prominent Personalities" is a collection of interviews from the people who make the sport happens. They talk on many issues and subjects, ranging from favorite jockeys, favorite horses, young horse racing, drugs, and so much more. A collection of Q&As consisting of many intriguing questions, "Best of Talkin' Horses" is a must for any horse racing fan.

Dog Breeders Professional Secrets
Sylvia Smart
Dogwise Publishing
403 S. Mission St., Wenatchee, WA 98801
9781929242597, $19.95, www.dogwise.com

There are tricks of every trade, including Dog Breeding. "Dog Breeders Professional Secrets: Ethical Breeding Practices" is a guide for potential dog breeders who want to get into the business and avoid breaking the industry taboos. A step by step guide to getting started, handling the business side of the trade, networking, and other vital elements one would need to get started and stay ethical in an industry where falling off the path is so easy. "Dog Breeders Professional Secrets" is enhanced with resource list, indexes, and more, making an absolute must for would be dog breeders.

Ambushed on the Jaguar Trail
Jack L. and Anna Mary Childs
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
9781933855097, $19.95 www.rionuevo.com

Ambushed on the Jaguar Trail is a captivating book of wild photography. In service of the Arizona-New Mexico Jaguar Conservation Team, Jack and Anna Childs set up "camera traps", remote-sensor cameras activated by motion and body heat, along the U.S. Mexico border. They were seeking photographs of the elusive wild jaguar, yet discovered so much more! Full color photographs of black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, coyotes, and even humans were discretely captured on film. The extensive text provides information and context about the amazing wild animals literally caught in the act, in this treasury enthusiastically recommended for wildlife lovers everywhere.

Falcons of North America
Kate Davis, author
Rob Palmer and Nick Dunlop, photography
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, Montana 59806
9780878425532, $22.00 www.mountain-press.com 1-800-234-5308

Written by avian raptor enthusiast and environmental educator Kate Davis, Falcons of North America is not a typical avian field guide; it gives an in-depth profile and analysis of six North American falcon species, including the results of research that has never been previously published in a single volume. Printed on high-quality paper and illustrated with stunningly beautiful, full-color photography on almost every page, Falcons of North America is sure to appeal to bird lovers of all backgrounds, not just conservationists and avian biologists. "...for nearly all raptor species, there is a noticeable size difference between the sexes, with the females being larger. This is called reverse size sexual dimorphism (RSSD)... Researchers have struggled to explain RSSD in raptors, and several hypotheses have been proposed. Perhaps the most accepted theory is that a larger female can lay a larger egg, and subsequently guard the nest and fend off predators, as most of the incubation and brooding duties fall on her." The six species discussed are American Kestrel, Merlin, Aplomado Falcon, Prairie Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, and Gyrfalcon, along with an extensive general discussion of falcons from morphology and physiology to their behavior, feeding, nesting, and breeding habits, to their relationship with humans. Highly recommended, and an absolute "must-have" for falcon enthusiasts of all backgrounds.


The Astronomy Shelf

The Handy Astronomy Answer Book
Charles Liu
Visible Ink
43311 Joy Rd. #414, Canton, MU 48187-2075
9781578591930, $21.95, www.visibleink.com

Everyone who has ever stared deep into space has always asked many questions that they couldn't find the answer to. "The Handy Astronomy Answer Book" is a collection of questions and answers involving the great universe that lies beyond our atmosphere. Everything, ranging from the fundamentals of the subject to the deep discussion of the formation of life in the universe is explained, enhanced with full color photographs of relevant concepts. "The Handy Astronomy Answer Book" is a solid recommendation to anyone who is in love with what lies beyond the Earth.

Observing The Night Sky With Binoculars
Stephen James O'Meara
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
9780521721707, $34.99, www.cambridge.org

Throughout recorded time, and judging by such pre-historical sites as Stonehenge, the night sky with its wheeling starry canopy has been an enduring source of interest for ground level human observation. Even in this modern age of astronomical observatories and Hubble Space Telescopes, there is a great deal of pleasure to be taken from simply observing the ever changing night sky through the various seasons of the year with a simple pair of binoculars. That's where Stephen James O'Meara's "Observing The Night Sky With Binoculars: A Simple Guide To The Heavens" comes in. Especially appropriate and recommended for novice stargazers, "Observing The Night Sky With Binoculars" features informative anecdotes about the stars and constellations, guides the beginning stargazer in locating and identifying the brightest stars in each constellation, colorful stars, double or multiple stars, star clusters and asterisms, nebulae, galaxies, variable stars, and so much more. Profusely illustrated with black-and-white images, "Observing The Night Sky With Binoculars" is specifically recommended to amateur astronomers as an excellent instruction guide to enjoying the wonders of the heavens from backyards to mountain tops.


The Black Studies Shelf

History Of The Mosaic Templars Of America
A. E. Bush & P. L. Dorman, editors
The University of Arkansas Press
McIlroy House, 201 Ozark Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701
1557288828, $24.95, www.uapress.com, 1-800-626-0090

The darkest days of America's post-Civil War era of segregation saw the emergence in the southern states of black institutions created to provide the African-American populace with services and opportunities denied them by the racist white majorities in their communities. The 'Mosaic Templars of America' was one such institution that was founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in the late 18th Century by two former slaves. It was an organization that provided illness, death, and burial insurance when those services were not available through traditional and white-owned companies and organizations. The Mosaic Templars operations expanded by 1900 to also include an insurance company, a building and loan association, a publishing company, a business college, a nursing school, and a hospital. But 1905 the Templars had expanded their number of chapters or 'Lodges' across Arkansas and had a membership roster in the thousands. When the Templars opened a new headquarters building in 1913 it was no less than Booker T. Washington who delivered the dedication speech. In the 1920s, the Templars had grown to found chapters in twenty-six states and six foreign countries. But the coming of the Great Depression of the 1930s had a traumatic effect on the Templar organization and, due to economic hardships that beset the entire nation but which were felt even harder in the African-American communities, the chapters closed and the Templars ceased operating their companies. Today only a single chapter located in the Barbados remains active. The original Little Rock headquarters building burned down in 2005 but is scheduled to be rebuilt and house the New Mosaic Templar's Cultural Center in the fall of 2008. To commemorate this unique organization and to celebrate the new cultural center, the University of Arkansas Press has reissued a photomechanical copy of the original 1924 edition of "History Of The Mosaic Templars Of America". This long out of print history is a highly recommended and welcome addition to academic library Black Studies reference collections and especially appropriate for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the history and development of segregation era African-American institutions and organizations.


The Fiction Shelf

Long Life?
Robert Begman
Durban House Press
7502 Greenville Avenue, Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75231
9780977986316, $15.95, www.durbanhouse.com

To defy mortality in the hope of achieving a kind of immortality is the basic concept that fuels the research and application of cryonics. "Long Life? A Courtroom Thriller Journey into the Unknown World of Cryonics" tells the story of Rebecca Adler, a dedicated cryonicist who, for applying this to a live person, faces a murder charge, despite claiming her alleged victim was willing, and is only suspended in animation, not dead. Joe Purcell must act as defense in a case where it isn't a matter of whom the perpetrator is, but if a crime even took place. Robert Begman's deftly written and original novel, "Long Life?" is a unique and highly recommended mystery that twists the genre to a delightful new variety.

The Long Beat Of The Metronome
Bruce Adam
Ara Pacis Publishers
PO Box 1202, Des Plaines, IL 60017-1202
9780966131871, $19.95, www.arapacispublishers.com

The literary art of the short story is alive and well in Bruce's Adam's collection of forty-two deftly written stories titled "The Long Beat Of The Metronome". Adam's is able to paint compelling word pictures that make his characters memorable and his dialogues engaging. The stories, ranging from 'Police Blotter' and 'The Choir Master', to 'Dudot Dreaming' and 'Genetic Lynx' are like listening in to a rather succinctly told tale that captures attention and often leads to thoughtful reflection after the telling is told. A master storyteller in total control of his literary craft, Bruce Adams is a writer to be aware of and "The Long Beat Of The Metronome" a collection to be prized and appreciated by those who enjoy originality and skill in a demanding and difficult form of literary expression -- the short story.

Nicholas Kristo
Rick Koestler
Dog Ear Publishing
4010 West 8th Street, Suite H, Indianapolis, IN 46268
http://ricksnovels.googlepages.com/rickkoestler
9781598584653, $19.95, www.amazon.com

"Nicholas Kristo" by Rick Koestler is a unique Christmas season novel. Set in the 16th Century, Nicholas Kristo is a young man commissioned to show the spirit of selfless giving to a world immerse in political, theological and societal corruption. he is led to a gold mine by a messenger from God. With the aid of his best friend Ben, Nicholas builds a mountaintop Mission where they created prosthesis, wheelchairs and many other useful gifts for the needy. To create these gifts, Nicholas hires the unwanted, the misfits, the unlovely, and the rejected -- and in doing so provides them with gifts that money cannot buy. When Ben's family is accused of a crime by Captain Ficci a corrupt soldier seeking to seize their land and their gold, Nicholas provides them with refuge and against great obstacles, brings about a triumph of good over evil and selflessness over greed. "Nicholas Kristo" is highly recommended for its originality, crafted storytelling, and ultimate affirmation of the human spirit.

Deadly Freedom
David Spicer
Cambridge House Press
115 W. 29th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001
9780978721367, $24.95, www.CamHousePress.com

A riveting novel that could well be ripped from the headlines of tomorrow's major newspapers, "Deadly Freedom" is a story of intrigue and assassination, conspiracy and collusion, OPEC, Big Oil, and the automotive industries as they seek to secure their lucrative controls on the world's petroleum-based economies against renewable energy and its proponents here at home and abroad. Then there is 'The Club', a covert hit squad of rogue CIA double agents who mean to take out Professor Jason Davidson and his team of researchers who have discovered a workable alternative to the world's energy needs that if brought to bear would mean an end to the annual one-and-a-half trillion dollar revenue of the major oil companies. "Deadly Freedom" is a riveting read from first page to last, the kind of action/adventure/suspense novel of which block-buster movies are made and a highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.

Dynamite and Dreams
Robert V. Hine
San Diego City Works Press
c/o Sunbelt Publications, Inc.
1250 Fayette Street, El Cajon, CA 92020
9780981602011, $12.95 www.sunbeltbooks.com

How does an Indiana farm boy become one of the nation's leading Socialists? Based on the life of one Jeb Harriman, a free speech lawyer and turn of the century era socialist candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, DYNAMITE AND DREAMS offers up a gripping saga of community struggles and change suitable for any library strong in historical fiction.

Homage to Czerny
Gert Jonke
Dalkey Archive
riker@dalkeyarchive.com
9781564785015, $12.95, www.dalkeyarchive.com

Reliving the good times is something many of us dream to do, but two eccentric and wealthy siblings may just be taking it a bit too far. "Homage to Czerny: Studies in Virtuoso Technique" is the story of a garden party. One that its hosts would like to happen twice...once last year, and this year, again...only in the exact same way, movement for movement, word for word, and more. Hilarious in its approach and masterfully translated by Jean M. Snook, "Homage to Czerny" is highly recommended and riveting reading from one of Austria's best.

Fixing America by Fixing the Vote
Hal Gauger
Artworks
1297 Grove Circle, Benicia, CA 94510-1751
9780981787107, $19.95, www.HCGauger.com

There are those who believe that the country doesn't know what's good for it. Those who believe it so much that they will force a candidate into office, even if they have to cheat Democracy to do it. "Fixing America by Fixing the Vote: Government Change at a Dogtrot" is a story on the side of the soon to be elected politician and his father. Sam Woodstock and his son Ott's political campaign seems to be going well, but Sam is faced with defending democracy and helping the country using fraud. "Fixing America by Fixing the Vote" asks serious ethical questions through fiction, highly recommended.

Waiting for Elvis
David Elias
Coteau Books
2517 Victoria Ave., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4P 0T2
9781550503944, $21.00, www.coteaubooks.com

Don't judge a book by its cover, a secular proverb used to describe many people. "Waiting for Elvis" is the story of Betty and Arty, a happily married couple who run a diner. Dealing with a disrespectful son, she finds a loner and drifter called Sam. Through her conversations, Betty learns that there isn't much joy to Sal's life, nor has there ever been. What little joy there was came from the King of Graceland. "Waiting for Elvis" is a moving literary story, a strong pick for fiction readers.

The Impostor
Damon Galgut
McClelland & Stewart
75 Sherborune Street, Toronto, ON M5A 2P9
9780771035487, $29.99, www.mcclelland.com

When one thinks things can't get any worse, they do. "The Impostor" is a story set in modern South Africa, telling of Adam. Losing his job and his home, he tries to start anew in a beat down shack on the edge of town. An old childhood acquaintance soon appears, Canning, who has the exact opposite of Adam's luck. The ensuing story between the two will alter the course of both of their lives forever. "The Impostor" is a thoroughly entertaining story, a strong choice for personal fiction collections.

The Banquet of Esther Rosenbaum
Penny Simpson
Alcemi
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9780955527234, $21.95, www.alcemi.eu

When things don't seem to be getting any worse, they always do. "The Banquet of Esther Rosenbaum" is the story of Esther Rosenbaum, a giant of a Jewish woman on the eve of Hitler's rise to power and the regime of the Nazi party. Although that is a looming fear, the present isn't exactly paradise either. Fearing that a bright future isn't available, she hopes to go out with a bang with one last banquet for everyone she cares about. Moving and inspiring, "The Banquet of Esther Rosenbaum" is very much recommended reading.

Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Blvd, Suite 200, Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com, www.goldenagestories.com

Before he became an icon of the Scientology movement, L. Ron Hubbard was a working writer whose popular stories appeared in many of the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s. Now Galaxy Press is bringing those tales of fantasy, adventure, mystery, westerns, and romance back into print in their 'Stories from the Golden Age' series. "Orders Is Orders" (9781592122950, $9.95) is the story of Marin Gunnery Sergeant James Mitchell and Private First Class Spivits who are called upon to make a 200-mile trek to bring an anti-cholera serum to a remote American consulate in Shunkien, China against impossible odds and the risk of their very lives. "Danger In The Dark" (9781592123674, $9.95) finds that when Billy Newman purchases a South Sea island he finds it to be haunted by the giant shark-god Tadamona who is bent on destroying the entire island and everyone on it -- including Billy! L. Ron Hubbard was a master storyteller and Galaxy Press is to be congratulated for bringing this vibrant and entertaining stories back in print as 'time lost' classics and the enjoyment of a whole new generation of appreciative readers.


The Education Shelf

How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students
Susan M. Brookhart
ASCD Press
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416607366, $19.95, www.ascd.org

No one can improve on anything without feedback and criticism. "How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students" is a guide for teachers and educators on how best to criticize their student's work. Too harsh, and you discourage them, too light, and they won't improve. This balance is discussed in great detail, and gives advice on giving good criticism to help their students progress as much as they possibly can. "How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students" is a solid acquisition to any educator, no matter the subject.

Curriculum Development for Adult Learners in the Global Community
Victor C. X. Wang
Krieger Publishing Company
1725 Krieger Drive, Malabar, FL 32950
1575242966, $36.50, www.krieger-publishing.com

Adult minds are much more solid than those of children, hence require different approaches for teaching. "Curriculum Development for Adult Learners in the Global Community: Volume I Strategic Approaches" is a collection of scholarly essays on adult education and how it can be improved worldwide. Covering the core principles of the concept and how different professions require different methods, and enhanced with indexes and appendixes with additional information, "Curriculum Development for Adult Learners in the Global Community" is highly recommended for anyone in charge of adult education.

African Legends, Myths, and Folktales
Anthony D. Fredericks
Teacher Ideas Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9781591586333, $25.00, www.techerideaspress.com

Africa has its own unique history and culture, and many folk tales have their origin on the continent. "African Legends, Myths, and Folktales for Readers Theatre" is a collection of African folk tales and stories for reading aloud between many different students in a classroom setting. Aimed at children nearing the end of elementary through middle school, the folk tales will give young readers an appreciation for African culture and literature. "African Legends, Myths, and Readers Theatre" is a solid choice for any educator looking to expand their student's horizons.

The Bullying Prevention Handbook
John H. Hoover and Ronald L. Oliver
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
9781934009116, $27.95, www.solution-tree.com

A bully can make a student's life miserable and make them hate school. "The Bullying Prevention Handbook: A Guide for Principles, Teachers, and Counselors" is a guide for school administrators to deal with the inevitable act of bullying and teasing in their schools. Dealing with both the bully and the victim through counseling is important, as are discussing things with both sets of parents, and how to reverse the damage caused by the act, as well as simply discouraging the act through education. It covers the wide range of types, from elementary school recess about a kid's large ears to cyber-bullying, to far more serious taunting of LGBT students in high school. "The Bullying Prevention Handbook" comes with a companion CD-ROM of extra material, making it a must for any responsible school administrator.

Educating the Other America
Susan B. Neuman
Paul H Brookes
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781557669063, $39.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Schools in areas of deep poverty have never been putting out good grades. Is this changeable? "Educating the Other America: Top Experts Tackle Poverty, Literacy, and Achievement in Our Schools" believes so, and many top educational experts speak out within. Subjects such as multi-lingual classrooms to help students who treat English as a second language, the cultural differences lower class students face from middle class students, and much more. Scholarly, complete and comprehensive, "Educating the Other America" is highly recommended reading for any school administrator or education professional.

Teaching The Story
Carol Baldwin
Maupin House Publishing
PO Box 90148, Gainesville, FL 32607
9781934338353, $23.95, www.maupinhouse.com

Teaching a child to read and write is one of the fundamental missions of any private or public school. Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, "Teaching The Story: Fiction Writing In Grades 4-8" features twenty new lessons, each of which infuse technology into the writing process. Ideal for use with reluctant writers by including wikis, digital media, podcasts, and other electronic media resources, "Teaching The Story" offers a compendium of 'classroom friendly' mini-lessons to teach children critical craft elements of writing short fiction, employing critical-thinking skills, and transfer those skills into informational writing, as well as writing in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, history, sports, and mystery. Enhanced with the inclusion of a CD with more than 70 reproducibles and customizable transparency masters, student written samples, and a how-to reference guide on implementing technology in the classroom setting, "Teaching The Story" is a strongly recommended addition to professional and curriculum supplement writing instruction reference materials collections.

Teaching Reading Sourcebook
Bill Honig, et al.
Arena Press
c/o Academic Therapy Publications
20 Commercial Boulevard, Novato, CA 94949-6191
9781571284570, $69.00, www.atpub.com

Reading is a fundamental skill that is the foundation for academic achievement and 'real-world' success. Now in a significantly updated, revised and expanded second addition, "Teaching Reading Sources continues to be a core instruction manual for classroom teachers and administrators charged with the creation and implementation of reading instruction curriculums. A part of the 'Core Literacy Library', "Teaching Reading Sourcebook" begins with an introductory overview to assessing reading levels and instruction, then comprehensively addresses the issues of word structure (both English and Spanish); print awareness; letter knowledge; and phonemic awareness. The section focusing on decoding and word study includes chapters on phonics, irregular word reading, and multisyllabic word reading. Additional sections address reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Of special note is the section 'Comprehensive Reading Model' offering a three-tier model of instruction. Enhanced with the inclusion of sample tests, activity masters, and teaching charts, "Teaching Reading Sourcebook" also features a 'Connect to Theory Answer Key', extensive references, and a comprehensive index. With this new edition providing reproducible activity masters and sample lesson models, "Teaching Reading Sourcebook" is a strongly recommended addition to professional, school district, and academic library Reading Instruction reference collections.

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

Nancy Love's USING DATA TO IMPROVE LEARNING FOR ALL: A COLLABORATIVE INQUIRY APPROACH (9781412960854, $31.95) provides a set of methods blending a collaborative inquiry process and use of data to improve student outcomes. From implementing a collaborative inquiry program to using results to change or establish collective responsibility, it's a fine guide all school administrators need. Jim Knight edits COACHING APPROACHES & PERSPECTIVES (9781412969253, $33.95), a survey designed to help professionals use coaching to support learning methods. There are many different kinds of coaching and administrators are put to the task to choose the form that best suits teacher and student patterns: this resource offers insights from many professionals in the field on different kinds of coaching and results. Linda Good's TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY: TIPS AND TOOLS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOMS (9781412960762, $32.95) shows teachers how to use digital photography to instruct young children. From using technology to enhance children's cognitive abilities to fostering belonging in young learners to encourage them to interact with their world, TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY is a powerful hands-on tool covering software and hardware options and all kinds of education applications. Education libraries will find these excellent for administrator reference.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Knit One Below
Elise Duvekot
XRX Books
PO Box 1525, Sioux Falls, SD 57101
9781933064130, $19.95, www.knittinguniverse.com

Knitting clothing for family and friends is a time-honored activity. In "Knit One Below", needlecraft expert Elise Duvekot focuses on showing aspiring knitters how to combine colors, weights, fibers, and types of yarn into versatile fabrics suitable for a divers series of step-by-step illustrated projects ranging from vests, jackets, and sweaters, to shawls, scarves, socks, and more. Each project is rated as to level of difficulty (beginners, intermediate), and full-color photographs by Alexis Zenakis of the finished garment. Even the most novice needlecrafter will quickly master the k1b stitch and each of the more than 36 designs, providing a basis to go on and create their own unique patterns and garments. "Knit One Below" is a welcome and highly recommended addition community library needlecraft reference collections in general and to personal knitting instruction in particular.

Big-Print Quilts
Karen Snyder
Krause Publications
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
www.fwpublications.com
9780896894815, $22.99, 1-800-726-9966

Quilting is an enduringly popular hobby because the quilters are making practical, beautiful, and enduringly appreciated family heirlooms with their personal needlecraft projects. In "Big-Print Quilts", quilting author Karen Snyder draws upon her many years of experience and expertise as a fabric designer with Andover Fabrics and owner of Anna Lena's Quilt Shop to create a thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction guide to incorporating big beautiful prints into quilt patterns that do not restrict them to simply borders and backs. "Big-Print Quilts" is composed of fifteen superbly presented projects offering step-by-step instructions suitable for even the most novice beginner. The presented quilting ideas range from Asian and floral prints, to paisleys and novelty prints. Of special note are the exhibited techniques are transferable and applicable to quilting with any large scale fabric. Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Big-Print Quilts" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft & Quilting instructional reference collections.

Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com

Loraine Manwaring and Susan Nelson's HOLIDAY WRAPPINGS: QUILTS TO WELCOME THE SEASON (9781564778628, $16.95) offers some six projects from wall hangings and lap quilts to table toppers, with full-page patterns accompanying clear directions on producing holiday themes. Libraries strong in seasonal needlework options will find this a fine pick. Joey Heiberg's DOLLY MAMA BEADS (9781564778789, $21.95) teaches how to make bracelets, fashion belts, and all kinds of jewelry and zany accessories with fun themes. Beaders and crafters will find it a fine collection of projects. Elissa Willms and Heather Willms's CHRISTMAS QUILTS FROM HOPSCOTCH: MERRY AND BRIGHT/WARM AND COZY (9781564778680, $24.95) provides a 2-sided book packed with both holiday and warm quilts for the winter season. From a snowman tree skirt and a winter holiday lap quilt to a quilted country advent calendar, CHRISTMAS QUILTS FROM HOPSCOTCH is a warm and project-filled guide pairing patterns with color photos and easy directions perfect for beginning quilters.


The Cookbook Shelf

500 Pizzas & Flatbreads
Rebecca Baugniet
Sellers Publishing
81 West Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
9781416205227, $15.95, www.makefun.com, 1-800-625-3386

Pizza is one of the most popular and diverse dishes of American popular cuisine. Flatbreads have become increasingly popular additions to the American diet as well. Compiled by food consultant and cookbook author Rebecca Baugniet, "500 Pizzas & Flatbreads" is a compact compendium of 'kitchen cook friendly' step-by-step illustrated recipes that range the entire gamut of pizza and flatbread dishes from thin crust to deep dish, from whole wheat to gluten free, crispy doass, aromatic naans, pocket pitas, and so much more. The diversity and variety of these pizza and flatbread recipes is truly remarkable. Virtually ever completed dish showcased in this compact cookbook will please any palate and satisfy even the most gourmet of appetites. Variety is not only the spice of life, but when it comes to pizzas and flatbreads, variety is also the key to enjoying one every day of the year without tiring.

The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner
Liz Edmunds
Palmer/Pletsch Publishing
1801 NW Upshur Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97209
KSB Promotions (publicity)
55 Honey Creek, NE, Ada, MI 49301
9780935278774, $24.95, www.palmerpletsch.com

Liz Edmunds draws upon her many years of experience in making dinner meals for her husband and seven children, as well as her expertise that enabled her to teach cooking classes at Sur La Table in Salt Lake City to create "The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner: Easy Family Meals For Every Day Of The Week". This thoroughly 'user friendly' compendium of information and recipes will enable even the most novice kitchen cook to present delicious, nutritious, budget-appropriate, family-friendly dinners every night of the week. "The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner" will make meal planning both easy and straightforward, as well as grocery shopping more organized and effective. Profusely illustrated, of special note are the Monday through Friday dinner themes, along with specific recipe sections for salads, side dishes, breads, desserts, and even 'after school snacks'. If you only have room on the family cookbook shelf for one more title, make it Liz Edmunds' "The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner"!

Dinner at My Place
Tyler Florence
Meredith Books
1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023
9780696241581, $19.95 www.meredithbooks.com

From comfort food to unique family-friendly creations even the kids will love, DINNER AT MY PLACE provides a range of dishes invented by chef Tyler Florence and provides meals that fit into both busy lifestyles and picky eater plans. From Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Relish to Mexican Pot Roast Tacos, DINNER AT MY PLACE blends Italian with innovation and is a winner, packed with juicy color photos, for any cookbook library in need of something original and different.

Enlightened Cakes
Camilla V. Saulsbury
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581826265, $22.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com

'Enlightened' cakes cut the fat and up the flavor in this cookbook, which offers many choices for cakes that are easy to make, geared to home bakers, and have been field-tested to assure perfect results every time. Over a hundred bundt, layer, cheesecakes and more hold less fat and fewer calories than traditional cakes, and many offer flavor surprises, such as a Chocolate-Lavender Layer Cake and Lemonade Cupcakes. Any collection catering to dessert bakers will find this a fine addition.

Galley Guru
Lisa Hayden-Miller
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837793, $19.95

Little place to store food, little place to cook it. Galley chefs need a few extra skills to do their jobs effectively. "Galley Guru: Effortless Gourmet Cooking Afloat" is a complete and comprehensive guide for readers who want to master their cooking art aboard a ship, no matter the size, but particularly small ones for family and small gathering voyages. With this audience in mind, "Galley Guru" proves to be quite the cookbook for its audience, and has much to offer even land-based home chefs.

New Orleans Classic Appetizers
Kit Wohl
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781589806122, $15.95, www.pelicanpub.com

What separates an ordinary dining occasion into a truly elegant dinner party is the inclusion of hors d'oeuvres. What makes any celebratory occasion at home uniquely special is the quality of the appetizers served to family and guests. That's where Kit Wohl's "New Orleans Classic Appetizers" with her 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for fifty mouth-watering, palate pleasing, appetite sparking appetizers and hors d'oeuvres comes in. Featuring a range of delightful delicacies ranging from Remoulade's Crab Cakes with Creole-Mustard Sauce; P&J Oyster Company's Oysters Bienville; Bistro Daisy's Crab Meat and Roasted-Garlic Aioli over Roasted Beets with Chives and Croutons; and Chief Greg Reggio's Redfish on the Half Shell with Dill Sauce; to La Cote Brasserie's Satsuma-Marinated Duck with Mango Relish and Satsuma Vinaigrette; Gene Bourg's Lamb Lollipops with Pecan-Mint Pesto; Cafe Giovanni's Prosciutto and Creole Cream Cheese Puffs; and Cochon's Barbecued Pork Ribs, "New Orleans Classic Appetizers" lives up to the culinary reputation of one of cuisine capitals of America. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full-color photography, "New Orleans Classic Appetizers" is enthusiastically recommended for personal, professional, and community library specialty cookbook reference collections.

Gluten-Free Baking Classics
Annalise G. Roberts
Agate Publishing
1501 Madison Street, Evanston, IL 60202
9781572840997, $17.95, www.agatepublishing.com

Today in America there are approximately three million people who are allergic to wheat, having a condition diagnosed as 'Celiac Disease'. These are people who must avoid the consumption of gluten and therefore all traditional wheat-based baked goods from breads, to muffins, to cakes, to even the simple donut. Now in a significantly revised and expanded second edition, "Gluten-Free Baking Classics" by Annalise G. Roberts offers a culinary wealth of 'kitchen cook friendly', delicious, gluten-free baked goods that will result in cakes and muffins, pies and tart shells, cookies and brownies, pizza crusts and sandwich breads, pancakes and pastas that are as light, as flavorful, and as filling as those made with wheat. Of special note are the 'Chef's Notes' providing tips and advice throughout. Enhanced with the inclusion of an introduction to gluten free baking, a section listing measurements and equivalents, and a comprehensive index, the recipes range from such classics as Cinnamon Rolls; Buttermilk Biscuits; Gingerbread; and Chocolate Doughnuts; to more exotic fare as Hazelnut Biscotti; Savory Crepes; Babka (Ukrainian Style); and Golden Italian Bread with Raisins and Fennel. "Gluten-Free Baking Classics" is a welcome addition to community library cookbook collections in general, and the family cookbook shelves of anyone having to deal with Celiac Disease for themselves or a loved one.

The Anti-Cancer Cookbook
Julia B. Greer, MD, MPH
Sunrise River Press
39966 Grand Avenue, North Beach, MN 55056
www.sunriseriverpress.com
9780962481499, $19.95, 1-800-895-4585

It has long been known and clinically demonstrated that food has a direct link to health, and that some foods are not only nutritious for the human body, they are also medical and remedial. In "The Anti-Cancer Cookbook: How To Cut Your Risk With the Most Powerful, Cancer-Fighting Foods", Dr. Julia B. Greer has compiled more than 200 specific recipes featuring ingredients that have a particular relevance for fighting various forms of cancer. The step-by-step instructions for each individual recipe are in accordance with cooking methods that protect the anti-cancer properties of the ingredients. Of special note is the cogent, practical, 'real-world' advice for making healthy menu choices when dining out. From Chilled Apple Oatmeal; Red Pepper Hummus; Maple-Pecan Broccoli; and Newport Beach Turkey Pasta Salad; to Portobello Tofu Tacos; Mahi Mahi with Citrus Sauces and Black Beans; Spice-Rubbed Filet Mignon with Grilled Tomatoes; and Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Zucchini Brownies, "The Anti-Cancer Cookbook" is a veritable cornucopia of dishes suitable for every dining occasion and highly recommended for anyone having to prepare meals with cancer prevention and treatment in mind.

Seaweed, Salmon, And Manzanita Cider
Margaret Dubin & Sara-Larus Tolley
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597140782, $21.95, www.heydaybooks.com

California's aborigines, like all Native Americans, took complete advantage of every edible resource Mother Nature could provide them. "Seaweed, Salmon, And Manzanita Cider: A California Indian Feast" is a meticulously researched and impressively presented collection of authentic Californian aboriginal cuisine based on the local foods available to them. Included in this beautifully illustrated cookbook collection are recipes involving fish, shellfish, meats, vegetables, fruits, edible flowers, nuts, seeds, and acorns. The collaborative work of Margaret Dubin and Sara-Larus Tolley, "Seaweed, Salmon, And Manzanita Cider" showcases step-by-step instructions enabling any kitchen cook to produces palate pleasing and appetite satisfying Native American recipes ranging from Barbecued Clams; Rabbit Liver with Watercress; and Roasted Agave Hearts; to Sweet Elder Jelly; Fried Yucca Petals; and Pine Nut Soup. Of special note are the extensively informed and informative commentaries and background information about the tribes, their habitats, histories and cultures. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Seaweed, Salmon, And Manzanita Cider" is a unique addition to any family or community cookbook collections, as is also very highly recommended for academic Native American Studies reference collections and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Native American cultures.

Gaia's Kitchen
Julia Ponsonby
Green Books
c/o The Countryman Press
PO Box 478, Woodstock, VT 05091
www.countrymanpress.com
9781900322256, $25.95, 1-800-245-4151

Vegetarian culinary traditions are as varied and diverse as the climates and geographies from which they originate around the world. Now in a newly revised and significantly updated edition "Gaia's Kitchen: Vegetarian Recipes For Family & Community" features a culinary wealth of delicious vegetarian dishes that range from the simple to the complex, the classic to the exotic. Compiled by Julia Ponsonby with the assistance of friends at Schumacher College, "Gaia's Kitchen" showcases vegetarian recipes from the Mediterranean, as well as California, Mexico, and India. Of special note is the commentary concerning nutritional issues, special diets, and the ecological ramifications of food production. With thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes ranging from Leek and Potato Soup; Broccoli & Red Pepper Quiche; No Frills Macaroni Cheese; and Tricolor Rice; to Fennel & Chicory Salad with Orange; Mushroom & Cream Cheese Spread; Pears Poached in White Wine & Blackcurrant; and Julia's Chocolate Cake, "Gaia's Kitchen" is a veritable compendium of nutritious, delicious, natural foods that will please both vegetarian and non-vegetarian palates alike!


The Railroading Shelf

Chicago Stations & Trains: Photo Archives
John Kelly
Iconografix
PO Box 446, Hudson, WI 54016
9781583882160, $29.95, www.iconografixinc.com

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chicago was the rail center hub of the United States and boasted some of the finest railroad stations anywhere in the country. Compiled by railroad history enthusiast John Kelly, "Chicago Stations & Trains: Photo Archives" is a 128 page compendium showcasing 136 captioned black-and-white archival images showcasing Chicago's six major railroad stations and the trains that served them. Each of these stations was unique in its architecture. Enhanced with maps, station drawings, travel brochures, and even promotional advertising, "Chicago Stations & Trains: Photo Archives" is a seminal contribution to the growing library of railroading historical reference material and an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, community and academic library Railroading History collections.

Building A Ready-To-Run Model Railroad
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com
9780890247402, $19.95, 1-800-533-6644

Model railroading is an enduringly popular hobby and pastime. Kalmbach Publishing is a premier publisher of instructional reference books for the model railroading enthusiast and one of their newest titles is Jeff Wilson's "Building A Ready-To-Run Model Railroad" which is a compilation of illustrated, step-by-step instructions specifically designed to enable the novice model railroad builder to create simple benchwork and design a track plan; create scenery with grass, trees, and more; assemble structure kits; add such realistic embellishments as roads, signs, and vehicles; select trains and get them quickly operational for a full-bodied model railroading experience. With the emphasis on utilizing 'off-the-shelf' components for a quick and easy layout, and featuring a thoroughly 'user friendly' text illustrated with more than 200 photos and diagrams, "Building A Ready-To-Run Model Railroad" is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to engage in this entertaining hobby.

Inside The Lionel Trains Fun Factory
Robert J. Osterhoff
Project Roar Publishing
PO Box 599, Winfield, IL 60190
9781933600055, $34.95, www.projectroar.com

Few toys are of such an iconic force for nostalgia as the Lionel model train. Lionel train expert Robert J. Osterhoff draws upon his many years of research and expertise to present a superbly illustrated and definitively informative history of the Lionel model train company and its enduringly popular toy train creations that were to thrill children (and adults!) here at home and around the world. It's not widely known that the Lionel company was one of America's first mass market manufacturing factories. Osterhoff lays out the origins and early years of the company in the first of four major parts comprising "Inside The Lionel Trains Fun Factory" in 'Building the Fun Factories'. Part II covers 'New Opportunities & Diversification', Part III features 'Lionelers & Their Inventiveness', and Part V is a compilation of appendices detailing Lionel Factor Departments; Timeline of Major Lionel Fun Factories; and Lionel Patents. Enhanced with a bibliography and an index, "Inside The Lionel Trains Fun Factory" is a model of meticulous scholarship, thoroughly 'reader friendly', and a welcome addition to personal, community, and academic library American Popular Culture History collections in general, and the supplemental reading lists of all model railroading enthusiasts in particular.


The Military Shelf

You Are Not Forgotten
Evelyn Grubb and Carol Jose
Vandemere Press
Box 149, Saint Petersburg, FL 33731
9780918339713, $27.95 www.vandamere.com

In 1966 a photo of a just-captured American pilot at bayonet point being treated by a Vietnamese woman for a scraped knee was released to the press by the North Vietnamese government as evidence of their humane treatment of prisoners - author Evelyn Grubb's first proof that her MIA husband was actually a prisoner of war. She waited 8 years to find he'd been killed shortly thereafter. YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN is her story of families' encounters with foreign and domestic governments during Vietnam, and of POW and MIA policies. Military collections will find it an invaluable memoir.

The Question of MacArthur's Reputation
Robert H. Ferrell
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826218308, $19.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

Douglas MacArthur is remembered as one of America's most outstanding five-star generals. His military reputation was built at the hill of Chatillon during the great battle of Meuse-Argonne in World War I. Historical accounts have lauded his leadership and bravery, in his alleged (and self-proclaimed) act of seizing the hill of Chatillon and breaking the main German line in northern France, inspiring the Eighty-fourth Infantry Brigade to greater heights. The Question of MacArthur's Reputation: Cote de Chatillon, October 14-16, 1918 dares to examine the question of what really happened on those critical few days - though it is undisputed that MacArthur's forces were victorious, there are to this day no detailed accounts of how exactly the battle progressed. Robert H. Ferrell (Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University) has pored over a multitude of imprecise accounts of the battle found in regimental and divisional histories, as well as Army records, to determine whether MacArthur's claims were, in fact, true. Presenting a moment-by-moment reconstruction of how the battle unfolded, Ferrell offers surprising new insight into history, with the revelation that MacArthur's subordinates were the true heroes. A fascinating re-examination of a critical span of days in American military history, highly recommended.

Tanks
Michael Green
Zenith Books
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 Fist Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760333518, $14.99, www.mbipublishing.com

From its original introduction to European battlefields in World War I, down to the present day, the tank has been an integral part of armored warfare. In "Tanks", Michael Green (with the assistance of James D. Brown and Christophe Vallier) has written a beautifully illustrated and informative history of the evolution of tank design from its earliest incarnations to modern productions. Among the tanks featured in dramatic detail are the American M4 Sherman and M48 Patton; the American M1 Abrams; the German Panther and German Tiger E; the Russian T34 and T55; the Russian T72; the British Centurion; the French AMX-13; and the Israeli Merkava III. Enhanced with 208 color photographs and 52 b/w photos, "Tanks" packs its 192 pages with solid information organized into chapters showcasing British, French; German; American and Russian Tanks. Of special note is the concluding chapter on 'Tanks from Other Nations'. "Tanks" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Military History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Introduction To Communication Electronic Warfare Systems
Richard A. Poisel
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781596934528, $149.00, www.artechhouse.com

Today wars are fought with more than guns, tanks, and bombs. They are also fought with computer chips, electronics, telecommunications, and satellites. Now in a newly updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Introduction To Communication Electronic Warfare Systems" by Richard A. Poisel (Senior Engineering Fellow at Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona and formerly the Chief Scientist at the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey), is the definitive textbook on the engineering aspects of communications electronic warfare systems. This newly revised edition is enhanced with the inclusion of a chapter on jamming performance over fading channels and is supported with more than seven hundred equations. Covering such diverse issues as the components, systems, and operations of electronic warfare systems; modern direction finders for communication signals; hyperbolic emitter location technologies; geolocation of low probability of intercept/antijam targets; and expert commentary concerning the future direction of communication electronic warfare systems, "Introduction To Communication Electronic Warfare Systems" is an essential and core addition to professional and academic library Military Science, and Contemporary Electronics reference collections and course studies reading lists.

Pepys's Navy
J. David Davies
Seaforth
c/o Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781848320147, $74.95, www.navalinstitute.org

It was during the mid- to late-1600s that Britain's navy became the basis for what would develop as a world-wide empire upon which 'the sun would did not set'. J. David Davies is Britain's leading naval historian and an expert on British 17th Century navy, it composition, leaders, ships, and deployments. He draws from his decades of research to write "Pepys's Navy: Ships, Men & Warfare 1649-1689", a comprehensive and meticulous history that begins when the 'Fleet Royal' was brought under Parliamentary control during the civil wars through to the accession of William and Mary to the throne of England in 1689 and the conclusion of the naval-based war with the Dutch. Every element of the British navy is addressed from its administration, ship types, shipbuilding, and naval recruitment, to its crews, seamanship, gunnery, shipboard life, dockyards, and bases. Of special note are the three major wars fought against the Dutch in the Channel and the North Sea during this forty year time span. A seminal work of superb and painstaking scholarship, "Pepys's Navy" is profusely embellished with both color and black-and-white illustrations, a list of abbreviations, notes, appendix, a bibliography, and an index. "Pepys's Navy" is a core addition to personal, community, and academic library Naval History reference collections.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Food Security for the Faint of Heart
Robin Wheeler
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, V0R 1X0 Canada
9780865716247, $16.95, www.newsociety.com

Worrying about where one is going to get their next meal is never something one wants to have to deal with. "Food Security for the Faint of Heart: Keeping Your Larder Full in Lean Times" is a book about preparation when crisis hits. In this modern world, everyone takes the existence of the supermarket for granted and has enough food for about a week, two at most. Covering the skills one needs to stay fed when disaster hits such as preservation, foraging, rationing, and more, "Food Security for the Faint of Heart" is something to keep at hand in case the worst occurs.

The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map To True Riches
Jeff Yeager
Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036
9780767926959, $12.95, www.broadwaybooks.com

Times are hard and only going to get harder as we plunge deeper and deeper into recession. But even in prosperous times it well becomes us to be careful with our money, to live frugally, and with the right kind of attitude and knowledge base, to live well, to enjoy life, and to accomplish both our personal and our professional goals within the budgetary limits of our resources both financial and otherwise. That's where "The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map To True Riches", Jeff Yeager's compendium of information, advice, suggestions, and resources will come in handy for the non-specialist general reader seeking to enjoy life more while spending less. Everything has a cost -- but you'd be surprised how many times that cost is negotiable. True value is measured in more than price tags, it's also a factor in having access to the resources required for having a successful life -- and what resources are irrelevant to obtaining a working, workable, and customized definition of 'The Good Life'. "The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map To True Riches" is replete with thoughtful and thought-provoking commentaries, lists and exercises for money-management, financial alternatives, and low-cost/no-cost activities accessible to us all. Simply stated, "The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map To True Riches" is an inspired and inspiring volume of things to consider and things to do to live better on less -- especially when the general economy is in decline.


The Economics Shelf

Does North America Exist?
Stephen Clarkson
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
9780802096531, $29.95, www.utppublishing.com

The 'North American Free Trade Agreement' and the American reaction to the Islamic fundamentalist attach of September 11, 2001 were to affect the relationship of the United States, Canada, and Mexico in ways that were previously unheard of an unimaginable. "Does North America Exist?: Governing The Continent After NAFTA And 9/11" by academician and scholar Stephen Clarkson is a seminal body of exhaustive scholarship specifically addressing the question of North America as a political and economic entity that is currently in the process of becoming a tri-part economically integrated trading block -- and the forces striving to prevent it on the grounds of national protectionism, immigration and national security issues, and political identity. "Does North America Exist?" addresses such cogent factors as institutional and judicial implications, water and environmental protection concerns, the role of corporations, capital markets, intellectual copyrights, border security, and national defense. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, a model of seminal scholarship, and a well documented body of original research, "Does North America Exist?" is a highly recommended addition to personal, corporate, governmental, academic, and community library 20th Century Economics and Political Science studies collections in general, and NAFTA reference/supplemental reading lists in particular.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

The Madrassah Challenge
C. Christine Fair
United States Institute of Peace Press
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172
9781601270283, $14.95, www.usip.org, 1-800-868-8064

A 'madrassah' is an Islamic religious school dedicated to teaching literacy and the Koran to the youth and adults of an Islamic community. Under the influence and control of militant Islamic fundamentalists, the community madrassah has been corrupted to incorporate the inculcation of violence against non-Islamic targets, as well as those elements of the Islamic community whom militant fundamentalism have declared to be heretical and illegitimate. Formerly a member of the Center for conflict Analysis and Prevention of the United States Institute of Peace, and currently a senior political scientist with the RAND Corporation, C. Christine Fair has compiled an analytical survey, "The Madrassah Challenge: Militancy And Religious Education In Pakistan" as the newest addition to the United States Institute of Peace Press' 'Perspectives Series" and has as her principle focus the use of these Islamic schools as incubators of Pakistan-based militants, the Pakistani government's efforts to deal with them, and the American foreign policy implications with respect to the arising concern about the use of the madrassah as a recruiting ground for Islamic terrorism. Insightful, thoughtful, informed and informative, "The Madrassah Challenge" is an important contribution to the national and international dialogue with respect to militant Islamic terrorism today.

Understanding Islam
Idris Tawfiq
Olive Branch Press
c/o Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566567206, $10.00, www.interlinkbooks.com

With approximately 1.4 billion worshipers making it the second largest religious group in the world today, Islam is a diverse, complex, often misunderstood faith. "Understanding Islam: A Primer" is a basic introduction and exploration of the Islamic faith from the perspective of Idris Tawfiq, a Roman Catholic priest who is also an accomplished Muslim scholar. Readers are presented with cogent and descriptive explanations of Islam's core beliefs and tenets, the role of Islam as a religion in an increasingly secular world, and which offers spiritual enlightenment and tolerance rather than a source of conflict and oppression as is far too commonly construed from today's geopolitics and newspaper headlines. A highly portable pocket-sized body of impeccable scholarship, "Understanding Islam" is especially appropriate for the non-specialist general reader wanting a better understanding and grasp of Islamic principles, tenets and beliefs as they would apply to today's issues, controversies, politics, international relations, and news stories.

Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature
David Cook
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13244-5160
0815631952, $19.95, www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu

You can tell much about a culture through its literature. "Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature" is a scholarly examination of the modern Islamic view of the apocalypse and how it applies to today's touchy and tricky ground involving the religion. Looking at the sources, the influences, the impact on society, and the messages of the literature on modern Islamic society, "Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature" is a solid way to help understand a culture that needs understanding in today's shrinking world.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

The Criminal Records Manual
Larry Henry, and Hinton
Facts on Demand Press
c/o BRB Publications
PO Box 27869, Tempe, AZ 85285
9781889150543, $24.95, www.brbpub.com

Criminal records are made available to the public for whatever use they desire. "The Criminal Records Manual: A Complete Guide to Legal, Ethical, and Public Policy Issues and Restrictions" is a guide for businesses to ethically use public criminal records in their human resources departments. With the many laws and regulations laid down that business must follow, and defines where the ethical boundary of using the records lies. "The Criminal Records Manual" is a must for any business which hires many people and wants to remain harmonious.

Know Your Legal Rights
Kiplinger
Kaplan Publishing
30 South Wacke Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
1419517538, $18.95, www.kaplanpublishing.com

When dealing with the law, if you don't know what one is doing, you've already lost. Now in a newly revised and updated third edition, "Know Your Legal Rights: Protect Yourself From Common Legal Problems That Can Really Cost You" is a guide to most efficiently dealing with personal legal problems that one is bound to face in their lifetime. With tips on figuring when legal action is necessary, when to seek professional help, and other invaluable information, it's a book of fundamentals when dealing with law. For providing everything one needs to know to defend oneself in legal battles, "Know Your Legal Rights" is well worth reading.

Avoiding Legal Liability
John Sample
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
www.krieger-publishing.com
1575242737, $49.50, 1-800-724-0025

Providing any form of service or product to the general public must always take into consideration issues of liability should members of that public take issue with what was proffered with respect to matters of health, safety, and associated or unforeseen consequences. The simple fact is that a successful law suit can break a company or devastate an individual. In "Avoiding Legal Liability For Adult Educators, Human Resources Developers And Instructional Designers", John Sample draws upon his thirty years of experience and expertise as a consultant, educator, and administrator in human resource management, training and development to provide a comprehensive, practical, real-world instruction manual on protecting an organization and its employees from legal liability lawsuits. "Avoiding Legal Liability" covers such cogent issues as liability and the training/development enterprise, equal employment opportunity and related liability, occupational safety and health related liability, negligence avoidance training and related liability, adventure training and New Age related experiential learning liability, intellectual property (copyright & trade secretes) liability issues, corporate ethics and the federal sentencing guidelines. A core addition to personal, professional, organizational, academic, and community library Judicial Studies & Practices reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Avoiding Legal Liability" is enhanced with the additional inclusion of a number of appendices which include a glossary of basic legal terms, summaries of relevant federal statues, federal and state requirements or harassment prevention training, OSHA general industry training requirements, as well safety and workplace violence training resources. Also included is a supervisory audit of training related liability, checklists for compliance with the TEACH Act and the Fair use Privilege for Educators. There is an example of a 'Permission Request' letter, guidelines for copyright registration, and examples of non-disclosure agreements for training materials, a trade secrets agreement, and a non-compete agreement. With the addition of both a Reference and an Index section, "Avoiding Legal Liability" is also the perfect textbook for MBA and Education Department curriculums as well.


The Sports Shelf

Bo's Lasting Lessons
Bo Schembechler
Hachette Book Group USA
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780446582001, $13.99, www.hachettebookgroupusa.com

You don't become a legend by just being mediocre. "Bo's Lasting Lessons: The Legendary Coach Teaches the Timeless Fundamentals of Leadership" are the words of legendary football coach Bo Schembechler on the sport of football and the art form of coaching and the leadership one must provide to bring their team to championships and fame. A must for college football fans, "Bo's Lasting Lessons" tells a story that any aspiring coach should heed and l earn from.

Mountain Bike Master
Mark Langton
Menasha Ridge Press
2204 First Avenue South, Suite 102, Birmingham, AL 35233
9780897324359, $14.95, www.menasharidge.com

For some, high speed isn't enough. They need the adventure of treacherous terrain, and mountain biking is how they venture into it. "Mountain Bike Master: Essential Skills and Advanced Techniques Made Easy" is a complete and comprehensive guide to the world of mountain biking. From everything from the most fundamental skills for those who don't know how to ride a bike, to the advanced techniques that the pros use when the terrain gets rough, "Mountain Bike Master" proves itself time and time again, making it a must for any who want to get into the activity.

Favre: His Twenty Greatest Games
Doug Moe
Trails Books
c/o Big Earth Publishing
145 North Commercial Street, Suite 100, Neenah, WI 54956
9781934553039, $18.95 www.bigearthpublishing.com 1-800-258-5830

Written by "Capital Times" and "Wisconsin State Journal" newspaper columnist Doug Moe, Favre: His Twenty Greatest Games is a tribute to the triumphs of Wisconsin's most famous football quarterback. From the highlights of the "Packers' New Glory Era" to Favre's record-breaking 2007 season, Favre is filled with play-by-play recollections of football excitement. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this must-have for any dyed-in-the-wool Favre fan.

Bo Ryan: Another Hill to Climb
Bo Ryan with Mike Lucas
KCI Sports Publishing
3340 Whiting Avenue, Suite 5, Stevens Point, WI 54481
9780979872914, $24.95 www.keisports.com

Madison "Capital Times" newspaper sports columnist Mike Lucas combines his talents with Bo Ryan himself to present Bo Ryan: Another Hill to Climb, a sports autobiography University of Wisconsin basketball coach well known for having surpassed 500 victories during the course of his record. How did he earn this impressive achievement? In his life story he explains the events and elements that shaped his coaching philosophy, and offers a wealth of insights into the world of college team sports. "I have never made it 'us against them.' That would be counter-productive. In no way do you gain any kind of an advantage by waging in your own mind a psychological battle with an individual or a particular school. It clouds your vision. So I don't do it." An inset handful of black-and-white and color photographic plates round out this testimony of how to blaze the path to victory, in an expert coach's own words.

Phillies Photos
Mark Stang
Orange Frazer Press
PO Box 214, Wilmington, OH 45177
9781933197586, $34.95, www.orangefrazer.com

From its late 19th century origins down to the present day, professional baseball has enjoyed an enduring popularity with local communities taking special pride in their teams. This has been especially true with respect to the Philadelphia Phillies. In "Phillies Photos: 100 Years Of Philadelphia Phillies Images", baseball enthusiast Mark Stang has compiled more than 245 black and white photographs of players and managers representing the 100 years of the team's existence from the days of Chuck Klein and Robin Roberts to the careers of Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard. Drawn from fourteen public and private photo archives, "Phillies Photos" celebrates the famous and the obscure. Each player photo is accompanied by the position they played, the years they were with the team, and a succinct biographical overview of their performance and statistics. Of special note are the anecdotal stories Stang was able to glean from the owners, managers, and broadcasters. "Phillies Photos" is a 'must' for all Phillies fans, and would serve as an excellent template for similar photographic histories of other major league teams.


The Art Shelf

Best of Draw! Volume 3
Mike Manley
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781893905917, $29.95 www.twomorrows.com

Where else can you find step-by-step lessons and interviews by top professionals working in comics and animation? This third volume of Draw provides a fine blend of black and white comic strip examples, sidebars of information, and interviews outlining industry challenges, how to break in, and more. Any aspiring comics or graphic novel artist needs this, as do collections catering to them.

Burning Tradition
Ken Matsuzaki
Pucker Art Publications
c/o Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu
1879985209, $50.00, 1-800-365-8929

Born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1950, Ken Matsuzaki graduated from the Fine Arts Ceramic Department of Tamagawa University in 1972 to become an apprentice to the late Tatsuzo Shimaoka who was acclaimed as a National Living Treasure by the Japanese government. After studying with this master potter and internationally renowned artist for five years, Matsuzaki established his own kiln and created memorable works of art utilizing both gas- and wood-fired kilns while developing his own distinctive Shino glaze. Now presented in "Burning Tradition", the artist and his art are showcased with a profuse gallery of his work presented in full color. Enhanced with an informed and informative essay by Asian art expert Andrew L. Maske (currently an Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of Kentucky), "Burning Tradition" is an impressive and illustrative study of a master potter, making it an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Art History collections in general, and Japanese ceramic reference shelves in particular.

Graffiti Japan
Remo Camerota
Mark Batty Publisher
36 West 37th Street, Suite 409, New York NY 10018
9780979048678, $27.95 www.markbattypublisher.com

Japan has long been known for taking Western culture and adding innovative, unique twists but graffiti has taken a distinctly different route away from its western origins, infusing Japanese culture more deeply than other art forms - and GRAFFITI JAPAN reveals these differences, offering up interviews with notable taggers and color visual images of their art. Whether you view graffiti as vandalism or public art, GRAFFITI JAPAN offers college-level art libraries and those strong in Japanese history and culture a fine survey of Japanese artists and purposes.

Art in Detroit Public Places
Dennis Alan Nawrocki
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building, 4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814333785, $24.95, www.wsupress.wayne.edu

One's art has to be the best of the best to be displayed along the streets of a major city like Detroit. "Art in Detroit Public Places" is a collection of photographs and history about the wonderful sights one can see in the Motor city. Each entry contains its location, its origin, and a black and white photograph of the of the piece. This newly revised, updated and expanded third edition is the first new edition in nine years and adds many solid landmarks, "Art in Detroit Public Places" is highly recommended for anyone plotting a trip to Detroit.

A Wood Engraver's Alphabet
G. Brender a Brandis
The Porcupine's Quill
68 Main St., Erin, Ontario, N0B 1T0, Canada
9780889843110, $16.95, www.sentex.net/~pql

Woodcutting has become a bit of a lost art form in the modern day. "A Wood Engraver's Alphabet" is a collection of twenty-six woodcuts of flower decorations, in black and white, all paper reproductions of Brandis's woodcutting work. Intriguing and artistically pleasing " A Wood Engraver's Alphabet" is something to be considered for art fans.

Moscow & St. Petersburg: 1900-1920
John E. Bowlt
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (distribution)
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780865651845, $50.00, www.abramsbooks.com

Before the domination of Communist state-sponsored and approved art with the political ascension of the Bolsheviks, Moscow and St. Petersburg, the premier cities of Russia, were home to vibrant, creative, and extraordinary communities of artists, architects, writers, dancers, and musicians. "Moscow & St. Petersburg: 1900-1920 -- Art, Life & Culture Of The Russian Silver Age" by academician and specialist in Russian art history John Bowlt (Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Southern California, Los Angeles) is a superbly written work of meticulous scholarship providing an informed and informative history of the artistic personalities and achievements represented by two outstanding decades of an artistic renaissance in a Tsarist Russia that were the last free form art movement that country was to see until the collapse of the Soviet Union. Enhanced with the inclusion of 650 illustrations (400 of which are in color), "Moscow & St. Petersburg: 1900-1920" also features a section of extensive notes, a glossary of terms and abbreviations, a bibliography for further reading, and a comprehensive index. A truly seminal work, "Moscow & St. Petersburg: 1900-1920" is especially recommended for academic library European Art History and Russian Cultural Studies reference collections in general, and the personal reading lists for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in pre-Soviet Russian contributions to the arts in particular.

Chihuly Black
Dale Chihuly
Portland Press
PO Box 70856, Seattle, WA 98127
9781576841662, $95.00, www.portlandpress.net

Art springs from the imagination of the artist and is as diverse in range, scope and composition as the talents, life experiences, and mediums employed by them. Dale Chihuly is an artist living and working in Washington state. "Chihuly Black" is an elegantly black leather bound, 208-page, coffee-table compendium showcasing 138 spectacular full color photographs of the best of his work with blown glass sculptures. For more than 30 years Dale Chihuly's work has been recognized for its artistic merit and displayed in a number of museums and his sculptures established in site-specific public places around the world. Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an informed and informative essay by Barbara Rose on the historical relevance of black works in glass and Chihuly's influence in glass sculpture, "Chihuly Black" is a seminal work whose inclusion into personal, professional, and academic library Art History reference collections must be considered essential. Also very highly recommended from Portland Press is the "Chihuly Black Note Card Set" (978157684144, $12.00) consisting of twelve note cards and envelopes.

Brilliant Strokes
Ka Bo Tsang
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9781551952161, $29.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

Chinese art is as diverse as its European and American counterparts. "Brilliant Strokes: Chinese Paintings From The Mactaggart Art Collection" is a compilation of Chinese art compiled with commentary by Ka Bo Tsang (Curator of Chinese Painting at the Royal Ontario Museum) to showcase such varied techniques as 'baimiao' (plain drawing), 'shuanggou (double outlines), gongbi (meticulous drawing), 'xieyi' (jotting down ideas), and 'mogu' (images rendered in washes with no contours), among other Chinese painting techniques. The selected paintings span some five hundred years, from the 15th Century to the present day. It should be noted that these selected examples are only a fragment of the entire Chinese Art paintings that comprise the University of Alberta's Mactaggart Art Collection. Superbly illustrated throughout, "Brilliant Strokes" is a seminal work of scholarship that is both highly recommended for academic Art History collections and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Chinese Art.

The Fundamentals Of Graphic Design
Gavin Ambrose & Paul Harris
Ava Publishing (UK) Ltd.
55a Chaple Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1BE, UK
annmiddlebrook@comcast.net (publicity)
9782940373826, $34.95, www.avabooks.ch

Graphic design is a fundamentally important aspect of contemporary daily life, ubiquitously influencing commercial advertising and consumer decisions. Co-authored by professional graphic designer Gavin Ambrose and veteran freelance writer Paul Harris, "The Fundamentals Of Graphic Design" provides an informed and informative introduction to all the varied aspects of the graphic design process. Beginning with a chapter defining graphic design, "The Fundamentals Of Graphic Design" continues with graphic design influences and creative elements; the processes comprising graphic design; the usage of graphic design with respect to print, direct mail, informational design, packaging, screen design, and environmental design; procuring graphic design employment through self-promotion and portfolios; and concludes with a chapter on graphic design production processes. Enhanced for graphic design studies with an appendix, glossary, and index, "The Fundamentals Of Graphic Design" is specifically recommended as an introductory text for graphic design students and is a core addition to academic library Art & Graphic Design reference collections.


The Genealogy Shelf

The Sleuth Book For Genealogists
Emily Anne Croom
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
9780806317878, $34.95, www.genealogical.com

Genealogy is an enduring popular activity and the Genealogical Publishing Company is the premiere publisher of reference, resource, and instruction materials for both amateur and professional genealogists. In "The Sleuth Book For Genealogists", genealogist Emily Anne Croom has compiled a thoroughly 'user friendly' compilation of advice, tips, strategies and resources for the aspiring genealogist seeking to undertake genealogical research with respect to their own family history and members. Designed for the complete novice, "The Sleuth Book For Genealogists" will help them to determine their genealogical research goals, organize what they already know or have access to, practice 'cluster genealogy' research, document their research, and note when their specific research questions have been answered and their goals met. Illustrated with case studies and research examples, practical steps are cogently laid out with a wealth of tips and the occasional quotes from fictional literary detectives that are particularly apt and germane to genealogical research. Very strongly recommended for personal and community library Genealogy Reference collections, "The Sleuth Book For Genealogists" is ideal for beginners and has much to offer even the more experienced genealogist.


The World History Shelf

Piracy: The Complete History
Angus Konstam
Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781846032400, $24.95 www.ospreypublishing.com

Piracy has been around from the time the first boats entered the ocean, and pirate expert Angus Konstam offers a thorough survey of piracy from ancient to modern times. His survey offers more of a military approach than the usual light history, probing strategy, separating fact from fiction, and tracing piracy's development through the centuries. Especially recommended for nautical and military history libraries, the depth of coverage and research exceeds most competing books popularizing the history of piracy.

Spymistress
William Stevenson
Arcade
publicity@arcadepub.com
9781559707633, $26.95, www.arcadepub.com

Sometimes the most charming person in the world is the most dangerous. "Spymistress: The Life of Vera Atkins, The Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II" is a Romanian Jew who served the English during the second World War. Only recently has her exploits been known to the public, declassified after decades of confidentiality and secrecy. Her exploits did a great part for the cause of the Allies, and her story reads just as well as any Bond novel. "Spymistress" is a must read for anyone interested in the history of espionage.

The Greatest Day in History
Nicholas Best
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th Street, Suite 1321, New York, NY 10107
9781586486402, $27.95, www.publicaffiarsbooks.com

It takes a long series of events to start a war, and it takes a long series to end it. "The Greatest Day in History: How, On the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month, The First World War Came to an End" chronicles the series of events that led to the conclusion of World War I and the unconditional surrender of the Germans. The story covers the events leading up to the surrender including the final bloody morning in great detail, informing readers with the intriguing tale. "The Greatest Day in History" is a must for anyone who wants to call themselves World War I history buff.

Lands That Hold One Spellbound
Spencer Apollonio
University of Calgary Press
MLB 19, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N 1N4
9781552382400, $34.95, www.uofcpress.com

The most intriguing history can be found in the least expected of places. "Lands That Hold One Spellbound: A Story of East Greenland" looks at the long history of eastern Greenland, from its early period to its famous, or infamous to some, Norse period known for its Viking raiders, to its recent years, filled with unknown yet intriguing history about the region, sure to please any history fan. "Lands That Hold One Spellbound" is very much recommended for someone seeking something, ironically, new in history.

Writing History in the Soviet Union
Arup Banerji
Social Science Press
c/o Berghan Books
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
8187358378, $90.00

There is history of many things, including the very history of history itself. "Writing History in the Soviet Union: Making the Past Work" is a history of how communist Russia dealt with the subject of history throughout its existence. A strange medium between encouraging the knowledge of its people and censorship, Banerji tells the story of expression, suppression, and how it was used to promote the communist ideals. From 1917 to a more free and honest approach in 1985, it's complete and comprehensive in its coverage and even has statements by Russian president Vladimir Putin himself. Enhanced with bibliographies and indexes, "Writing History in the Soviet Union" is a must for anyone who studies the history behind history.

Through Indian Eyes
Don Johnson & Jean Elliott
Apex Press
777 United Nations Plaza, Suite 3C, New York, NY 10017
9780938960553, $24.95, www.apexpress.org

The second most populous country in the world and a home to several different religions. Now in a newly revised and expanded fifth edition, "Through Indian Eyes" is a look at India and its people, their history, their customs, and the modern day. With three parts breaking the Indian people into their traditions, their history, and the modern day where India is quickly becoming a huge economic juggernaut, A intriguing history and cultural guide about a nation with a marvelous and greatly varied story to tell, "Through Indian Eyes" is a must have for any with an interest in Indian culture or are seeking to teach others.

Medieval Knights
Jose Sanchez Toledo
Andrea Press
c/o Casemate
1016 Warrior Road, Suite C, Drexel Hill, PA 19026
www.casematepublishing.com
9788496527898, $45.95, 1-610-853-9131

Today the armored knight is often romanticized in popular culture. But historically, the armored knight was a dominant instrument of war upon the European battlefield from the early medieval period to the coming of the English longbow, followed by gun powder fueled canon and rifles. Jose Sanchez Toledo is an expert in the field of Classical Antiquity and the Medieval Age who in "Medieval Knights: The Age Of Chivalry" has provided the curious reader with a superbly illustrated and informative historical overview of the methodology, customs, battlefield strategies and utility of the armored knight in the land wars of medieval Europe. A work of impressive scholarship, "Medieval Knights" is a welcome addition to any community or academic library reference collection, and especially recommended reading for students and re-enactors of medieval warfare.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

No-Nonsense Job Interviews
Arnold G. Boldt
Career Press
3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781564149961, $13.99, www.careerpress.com

The interview can mean the difference between getting the job and not. "No-Nonsense Job Interviews: How to Impress Prospective Employers and Ace Any Interview" is a guide for not fumbling what many describe as the most vital part of the hiring process. Employers don't want to waste their time with scrubs and people who would only cause trouble for the work place, and one must present themselves as competent and trouble free. "No-Nonsense Job Interviews" is a must for those who want to make sure they land the job they desire.

150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs
Laurence Shatkin, et al.
JIST Publishing
875 Montreal Way, St. Paul, MN 55102
9781593576233, $16.95, www.jist.com, 1-800-648-5478

Never was a job search resource guide so timely as the publication of "150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs". Every day the news headlines are revealing more and more layoffs by established corporations and business sectors. The current jobless index is at a record 6.5 and climbing higher every quarter. "150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs" is specifically designed to be thoroughly 'user friendly'. Readers are encouraged to first browse through the 75 best job lists to find recession-proof jobs matching their particular interest and needs. Then turn to the definitive yet succinct job description of the particular job selected for details on earnings, growth, industry information, tasks, educational requirements, work conditions, and more. Of special note are such informational tidbits as the three states with the highest concentration of recession-proof jobs being Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; to the best recession-proof job overall being that of a Computer Systems Analyst. Simply stated, "150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs" is a 422-page compendium of practical, real-world, job search information that should be on the shelves of every community library and employment center in the country.


The Business Shelf

Branding Your Business
James Hammond
Kogan Page
525 South 4th Street #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
9780749450731, $24.95 www.koganpage.com

The only way to achieve real business success is to create a memorable brand and fix it in the consumer's mind: but how? BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS is a precise key to exactly how and deserves a spot in any business library. From defining what a brand is and how perception and emotional ties relate to it to creating a unique brand and marketing it to the public, BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS is a key to any business's long-term survival.

Ad Hoc Networking
Charles E. Perkins
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Education
801 East 96th Street, 3rd floor, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.awprofessional.com 1-800-428-5331
0321579070, $59.99 www.informit.com/aw

"Ad hoc" networks are wireless, mobile networks which exist outside the Internet or other network infrastructures, and this collection of protocols and ideas from leading researchers and users of the technology provide tips on mobile computing and business applications. From compatibility and quality of service to security and costs concerns, any business or computer library alike needs this technical guide.

What If? Short Stories to Spark Diversity Dialogue
Steve L. Robbins
Davies Black
1055 Joaquin Road, 2nd Floor, Mountain View, CA 94043
9780891062752, $18.95 www.daviesblack.com

Over twenty-five inspiring lively personal stories anthologized in "What If? Short Stories to Spark Diversity Dialogue" deftly illustrate concepts of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, using anecdotes and visions to put key learnings into action in a business structure. Each story is paired with questions, an activity and an assignment to reinforce ideas, making for a fine, light business reading title.

Search Engine Marketing, Inc., 2nd Edition
Mike Moran and Bill Hunt
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Education
801 East 96th Street, 3rd floor, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.awprofessional.com 1-800-428-5331
0136068685, $49.99 www.ibmpressbooks.com

Two world-class experts discuss best practices and tips for driving search traffic to a company's website in SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING INC., which has been updated to reflect the latest search engine marketing strategies. Chapters cover the basics of writing for search, developing a linking philosophy, and how to track search marketing success. Sidebars of tables, metrics and more make for an outstanding survey any library strong in online marketing must have.

Art of Strategy
Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393062434, $27.95 www.wwnorton.com

THE ART OF STRATEGY: A GAME THEORIST'S GUIDE TO SUCCESS IN BUSINESS AND LIFE follows a successful best-selling book on game theory, applying it to everyday life and business situations to move beyond the gamer's realm. Chapters use real-life examples and case studies to pair game theory with business interactions and personal goals, covering key principles of game theory, how to change and play the game to maximum advantage, and how to employ strategy in decision-making processes. Business libraries and general-interest holdings will find it a winner.

Project Management That Works
Rick A. Morris with Brette McWhorter Sember
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814409881, $24.95 www.amacombooks.org

A widening gap has emerged between project management theory and applications, the authors maintain in PROJECT MANAGEMENT THAT WORKS. This gap isn't in holding meetings but in negotiating the upper levels of power in corporations, and negotiating with project sponsors. This book helps handle deadlines, difficult projects, and communications at all levels, offering project managers tips on how to get data and use it to support and streamline project objectives. A top pick for any business collection strong in project management applications.

When You Have to File for Bankruptcy
Matt Pelc
Atlantic Publishing
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601382092, $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

Bankruptcy is on the rise and here's a book general-interest libraries will find a good solid lend: a guide explaining how the bankruptcy process works. Part 1 describes what filers need to know to assess long-term goals and bankruptcy results, Part II details what will happen upon filing, and the third part tells how to rebuild credit later. A good, solid book packed with considerations key to understanding the entire process.

Guerrilla Marketing on the Internet
Jay Conrad Levinson, Mitch Meyerson, & Mary Eule Scarborough
Entrepreneur Press
2445 McCabe Way, Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614
9781599181943, $21.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com

The internet has revolutionized many things about business, including advertising. "Guerrilla Marketing on the Internet: The Definitive Guide from the Father of Guerrilla Marketing" is a marketing guide for selling one's product with little investment using the vast resources that the internet provides. Promoting ten strategies on the subject, backed up with case studies and advice on expertly crafting a website, "Guerrilla Marketing on the Internet" is enhanced with a bonus Internet Jumpstart Kit, making this a must for any who want to use the internet to push their product.

Greening Your Business
Daniel Sitarz
Earthpress
1103 W. College Street, Carbondale, IL 62901
9781892949462, $29.95, www.earth-press.com

Profitable and Green are not mutually exclusive qualities. "Greening Your Business: The Hands-On Guide to Creating a Successful and Sustainable Business" is a guide to turning one's company into one that is environmentally friendly with little or no damage to one's efficiency and profit. Energy and water use, waste, transportation, and other subjects are touched upon on how one can make their business much friendlier to the environment. "Greening Your Business" is a must for any environmentally-minded entrepreneur.

The Innovation Handbook
Adam Jolly, editor
Kogan Page
525 South 4th Street, #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
9780749453183, $45.00, www.koganpage.com

The best way to a fortune is to create a new and hot selling innovation. "The Innovation Handbook: How to Develop, Manage, and Protect Your Most Profitable Ideas" is a guide for businesses in crafting new and innovative ideas, and more importantly, putting those new and innovative ideas to good use. With a business approach to the many aspects of developing something from an innovation to a possible hot selling success, it leads entrepreneurs through every step. "The Innovation Handbook" is very much worth reading for anyone whose business relies on developing new ideas.

A Little Less Conversation
Tom Asacker
Paramount Market Publishing
950 Danby Road, Suite 136, Ithaca, NY 14850
9780980174526, $19.95, www.paramountbooks.com

Standing out means the world in the field of advertising. "A Little Less Conversation: Connecting with Customers in a Noisy World" is an advertising advice manual that advocates standing out is of utmost importance. Asacker discusses from start to launch about creating a brand that the target customer will remember above all other brands, and how to turn that recognition into sales. "A Little Less Conversation" is solid and informative, a strong consideration for advertising professionals.

Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business
Fred S. Steingold
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413307542, $29.99, www.nolo.com, 1-800-955-4775

Nolo Press is the premier publisher of do-it-yourself legal guides and resource publications specifically designed for non-specialists. Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded fifth edition, Nolo Press has published "Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business" by corporate law expert and attorney Fred S. Steingold in which is compiled an exhaustive collection of professional advice, commentary and explanation for the small business entrepreneur on how to create legal contracts, hire employees and consultants, protect trade secrets, create non-compete agreements, prepare corporate bylaws, prepare an LLC operating agreement, record meeting minutes, borrow and lend money, buy a business, lease commercial space, purchase real estate, and more. "Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business" includes more than sixty relevant business forms and an accompanying CD-ROM includes all the information and step-by-step instructions needed and necessary to completing and using the forms correctly. As is a continuing feature of all Nolo Press titles, "Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business" is thoroughly 'user friendly' from first page to last. Also very highly recommended is Fred Steingold's companion publication, the Nolo Press edition of "Legal Guide For Starting & Running A Small Business" (9781413308532, $34.99).

Kogan Page
525 South 4th Street #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
www.koganpage.com

The authors' extensive experience working in the field of workplace mediation supports Nora Doherty & Marcelas Guyler's ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO WORKPLACE MEDIATION & CONFLICT RESOLUTION (9780749450199, $39.95), a fine guide important to any library catering to business professionals. It considers how working relationships tend to break down, leaving companies open to costly litigation processes, and it considers how mediation works and how it is employed in the workplace. An excellent set of case histories and examples emphasizes processes and successful outcomes. Barry Cushway's HANDBOOK OF MODEL JOB DESCRIPTIONS (9780749452247, $110.00) offers managers opportunity to look at over 200 job descriptions based on actual jobs. These descriptions will help managers in redesigning jobs, training, performance assessment and more, and is offered in two parts: selecting a job title and locating missing job elements to add to it. Sarah Cook's ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT (9780749449445, $45.00) explores the foundations of 'employee engagement', considering how a company can work to create a committed workforce, how they can engage staff, and how they can overcome common obstacles. Checklists of common barriers and case history lessons make for an outstanding, practical guide based on real-world experience. Business libraries will find these winners.


The Psychology Shelf

Art Therapy and Anger
Marian Liebmann, Editor
Jessica Kingsley
Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960
9781843104254, $34.95 www.jkp.com

Professionals in a range of therapies are often called upon to work with angry clients, and ART THERAPY AND ANGER shows how such a therapy provides a better outlet for expression of complex thoughts and feelings. This isn't just for kids - the usual focus of art therapy guides - it provides adults as well a range of options and details on how to diffuse emotions through art. Contributions from art therapists who work with children, offenders, and clinics alike make for an invaluable set of insights and art therapy applications.

The Consulting Room And Beyond
Therese Ragen
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780881634723, $29.95, www.routledge.com, 1-800-634-7064

Psychoanalysis has come a long, long way since the founding of this medical system for understanding and treating mental and emotional dysfunctions both organic and social. But rarely has it had such an accessible commentator as Therese Ragen who deftly draws upon her many years of experience and expertise in a series of articulate, engaging, informed and informative essays on the general subject of psychoanalysis and its impact upon both patient and practitioner in "The Consulting Room And Beyond: Psychoanalytic Work And Its Reverberations In The Analyst's Life". The ninth volume in the outstanding Routledge 'Psychoanalysis in a New Key' series, the essays comprising this 150-page compendium combine elements of a professional memoir with case studies and illustrative examples. The result is a highly recommended and unique contribution to the growing library of psychoanalytic literature in general, and a compelling, recommended addition to academic and professional collections, as well as student and non-specialist reading lists, in particular.

Spirituality and the Therapeutic Process
Jamie D. Aten & Mark M. Leach, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
9781433803734, $69.95, www.apa.org

Science hasn't been able to pinpoint it, but spirituality can mean a great deal in the healing process. "Spirituality and the Therapeutic Process: A Comprehensive Resource From Intake to Termination" is the work of many professionals in the field of therapy, speaking out on their experiences with the touchy subject of spirituality with their patients and using it to help them heal their patient's woes. Enhanced with an index, "Spirituality and the Therapeutic Process" is a brain trust well worth reading for both therapists and non-specialist general readers.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Answering Consumer Health Questions
Michele Spatz
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038
9781555706326, $65.00, www.neal-schuman.com

Answering questions is always a helpful action, but sometimes the people who ask are not the most cooperative."Answering Consumer Health Questions: The Medical Library Association Guide for Reference Librarians" is a manual for those in charge of answering questions from patients, who from their ailment or health problem, may appear as rude or problematic. Telling how to deal with these patients ethically while dealing with their ailment and giving them the information they need, it covers everything from legal liability to the special needs of gay couples. "Answering Consumer Health Questions" is a must for any medical library collection looking for a solid reference and text for dealing with inquisitive patients.

Diabetes Sourcebook
Karen Bellenir
Omnigraphics
PO Box 31-1640, Detroit, MI 48231
9780780810051, $87.00, www.omnigraphics.com

Diabetes is a rapidly rising epidemic in America, riding the rising obesity's rates coattails to a very serious issue in today's society. "Diabetes Sourcebook" is the newly updated and expanded fourth edition, completely and comprehensively covering almost everything a student or physician would need to know, updated with the most up to date research. Chapters cover the definitions of diabetes and its statistics, the lifestyle changes the afflicted's day to day lives, what physicians and doctors can do, what it can lead to, the potential fatal implications, and what current medical science is doing to combat the problems Diabetes brings humanity. Filled back to the rim with information and enhanced with a subject dictionary, cookbooks, assistance for finding medical care, "Diabetes Sourcebook" is well worth the investment for anyone facing the ailment or any physician who wants to specialize in its treatment.

Creative Recovery
Eric Maisel and Susan Raeburn
Trumpeter
c/o Shambhala
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
9781590305447, $16.95, www.shambhala.com

The creative energies that all people have can be used for more than art or inventing. "Creative Recovery: A Complete Addiction Treatment Program That Uses Your Natural Creativity" is a guide for creative types who have been plagued with an addiction they have struggled to overcome. With many examples and ideas for readers to help put their creativity to use, no matter what it is, be it prose, poetry, painting, or anything else, it helps creative types deal with the addictions that may plague them. With solid and fresh ideas throughout, "Creative Recovery" is worth acquiring for any artisans who want to be free of the diseases that plague them.

Observing Bioethics
Renee C. Fox & Judith P. Swazey
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4308
9780195365559, $45.00, www.oup.com

A little over a hundred years ago, it was forbidden to do research on human corpses. Today, it's still touchy ground. "Observing Bioethics" is a discussion of Bioethics and how they have taken form over the past years. Cloning, stem cell research, simple human anatomy classes are all covered under the banner, and morality has a huge role in what's appropriate to do with the remains of both humans and animals. Educational, enlightening, and a look into the future of biology and what it could bring, both technologically and ethically in coming years. All this makes "Observing Bioethics" worthwhile reading for those in such fields and for non-specialist general readers.


The Self-Help Shelf

The Mindful Woman
Sue Patton Thoele
New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781572245426, $15.95, www.newharbinger.com

Going through life on automatic is no way to live. "The Mindful Woman: Gentle Practices for Restoring Calm, Finding Balance, & Opening Your Heart" promotes a more mindful approach to life for women, in which every act they do begins to have more meaning. With much wisdom and advice throughout for sprinkling more thought onto life, "The Mindful Woman" is very solid and recommended reading for any woman who wants to break out of cruise control.


The Poetry Shelf

The Pear As One Example
Eric Pankey
Ausable Press
1026 Hurricane Road, Keene, NY 12942
9781931337397, $16.00

An intellectual and a teacher, Eric Pankey brings his poetic skill to the table with "The Pear As One Example" is his massive, for poetry standards, tome of his work, collected over twenty four years of his life. As his eighth book to his name, "The Pear as One Example" is a lot of bang for the poetry readers buck. "The Kingdom Likened to a Field of Weeds": The green is not wheat, but mustard/That once sown flourishes to seed./Wherever it falls, it takes hold.//The field, an indelible smear/Of darnel, thistle, and burdock,/Stinks of rank fullness and welter.//A swarm hovers like the wet smoke/Of an effigy set afire/And dragged across the brambled field.//Within its chirm and drone, crows turn./The axle of the sun is locked./No shade falls on the kingdom of weeds.

Flawed Landscape
Sharif S. Elmusa
Interlink Books
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566567343, $15.00, www.interlinkbooks.com

A lot can change in a person over twenty one years. "Flawed Landscape: Poems 1987-2008" is award nominated poet Sharif S. Elmusa's solo anthology of poetry. Focusing on the themes of war, family, and exile, his work is powerful and moving, making "Flawed Landscape" a vivid portrait of a man's life through poetry. "The Two Angels": Among the things mother told me as a child://Every person has two angels//standing on his shoulders./And they weigh every deed./On the right, Nakir, /for the good deeds;/for the bad, Nakeer, on the left.//That is why my gait is tilted now/and as the years pass--/ my back will grow hunched.// Such nakedness!

Winter Sky
Coleman Barks
The University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
9780820332376, $26.95, www.ugapress.org

A man who has worked with and loved poetry all of his life, Coleman Barks has picked up more than a thing or two about writing the stuff. "Winter Sky: New and Selected Poems, 1968-2008" is an anthology from the acclaimed translator whose poetry is simple and complex at the same time as it is poignant. Poetry from a man who went out of the way to compose a letter protesting the Iraq War on its very eve, "Winter Sky" is much worth reading for poetry fans. "A Walk in the Botanical Gardens": We get it in our heads/ to inspect the undersides of each/waist-high Queen Anne's lace,/to find the black bug always at home/in his apartment of green scaffolding.//I don't understand why we want each other so much./Some of my wanting is curiosity./Each time, here's something living inside./I want you. I want you./What are we saying.//Eventually we eat the flower of our need,/bug and all,/and we're just out walking nowhere,/ with no schemes.

Second Nature
John Witte
University of Washington Press
PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096
9780295988597, $19.95, www.washington.edu/uwpress

Prolific and critically acclaimed poet John Witte brings readers his third collection of poetry in "Second Nature". Using skilled and expert verse to explain his views of the world, human nature, and history, his message in optimistic and uplifting, as well as poignant and powerful. "Second Nature" is worth reading for many a poetry reader. "The Seed": The jade dwarf/smiled or sneered a fetal god/we were young and far from home the terra-cotta wrestlers.//grappling the woman/nursing a dog in the shadows a thief/crunched dense fleshy a stubbly spongy muzzle snarling.

On Purpose
Nick Laird
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393067767, $23.95, www.wwnorton.com

A man with many published works under both novels and poetry, "On Purpose" is the work of someone who has seen much in the world, originating in Northern Ireland, now living in Rome. Tackling a wide arrange of emotions, Laird seeks to make readers laugh as well as cry. "On Purpose" is the work of much life experience, a great choice for poetry-enthusiasts. "Use of Spies": Upright and sleepless,/having watched three bad movies,/I am flying across the ocean to see you.//I am a warrior and nothing will stop me,/although in the event both passport control/and a stoned cabbie from Haiti will give it a go,/but I meant to mention something else.

Words By the Water
William Jay Smith
The John Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
9780801890659, $16.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Chosen by the government as a consultant on poetry, "Words by the Water" is an anthology of one of the great American minds of poetry, William Jay Smith. Drawing on his massive experience as a man and a scholar of poetry, he presents some of his own, and fails to disappoint. "Words by the Water" is very much recommended reading for poetry fans. "Contemplation of Conspiracy":Where the table-leg projects into the yellow autumn/sunlight/like the poor premise of an argument,/the plotters gather, rotting wood at a creek's end/tirelessly planning the devastation of the spirit,/wiring the heart for a final explosion.//Where can they lead you but over the bridges of beetroot/into the country of spiders?//Do not follow them to their camp pitched in a cranny; bring your fist down hard on the table .../ and send them flying.

Marginalia Poems from the Old Irish
Louis McKee, translator
Adastra Press
16 Reservation Road, Easthampton, MA 01027
9780977666799, $18.00

Who knew Monks had such a knack for poetry? "Marginalia Poems from the Old Irish" is a collection of nineteen quatrains from Irish monks who composed the poems hundreds of years ago. The poems are not what one would expect from holy men of the middle ages, and prove to be quite entertaining to modern audiences. "Marginalia Poems from the Old Irish" is quite the treat, masterfully translated from the original old Irish by Louis McKee. "Apology": Don't be blaming the poets, man - / it's not their fault;/ you will get no more from a pot/ than what's in it.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Stranger Room
Frederick Ramsay
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. 1st Avenue #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590585351, $24.95 www.poisonedpenpress.com

Elder Jonathan Lydell III is proud of his Southern history connections - connections which don't seem to matter to the current generation. Nearly 150 years an unexplained murder took place inside the Lydell's locked stranger room - and the murderer was never caught. When an identical murder is committed in the newly restored room, historical knowledge takes a dangerous turn in this gripping mystery.

Death in Daytime
Eileen Davidson
Signet
c/o New American Library
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
9780451225641, $6.99 www.penguin.com

Alexis is proud of the work she does on a popular daytime drama - but the new head writer is blaming her for stealing romance and is on a vendetta against her. When she confronts her nemesis and she's found murdered the next day, it's up to Alexis to investigate and free herself from being the prime suspect in this fine murder mystery recommended for libraries strong in murder mystery novels.

The Soul Hunter
Melanie Wells
Multnomah
601 North Larch Street, Sisters, OR 97759
1590524276, $12.99, www.mpbooks.com

Psychologists aren't detectives. But Dylan Foster must become one. "The Soul Hunter" tells of Dylan Foster and the murder that literally spilled out on her door step. A strange string of events leads her into being the investigator for it, and it leads her to believe that there is little that she would consider sane involving the case. "The Soul Hunter" is a solid and entertaining suspense novel, recommended.

Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Rebecca Kent's HIGH MARKS FOR MURDER (9780425222041, $6.99) tells of young ladies at a finishing school and a home management teacher's investigation of murder. The headmistress's investigation of a teacher's death reveals it was no accident - and Meredith wonders how to explain the teacher's ghostly presence after, in this fine blend of mystery and ghost story. Claudia Bishop's THE CASE OF THE ILL-GOTTEN GOAT (9780425222072, $6.99) tells of a vet and his wife who find themselves with more than small animals on their hands when a milk inspector is found dead in a milk vat. Too many possible suspects have the doc and his wife hopping in this fine mystery. Margaret Grace's MAYHEM IN MINIATURE (9780425223055, $6.99) tells of a retired miniature Victorian room creator - an unlikely detective for a murder investigation, until a nursing home gardener is found dead and one of her own craft students is the suspect. Gerry's search for the real murderer offers a fast-paced examination of a different world. Kaye Morgan's SINISTER SUDOKU (9780425223062, $6.99) tells of Liza, conducting a sudoku class in the minimum-security wing of the Seacoast Correctional Facility where students have too much time on their hands. When her best student - - soon to be released - turns up dead in her room Liza finds herself the object of an unusual murder investigation. Maggie Sefton's FLEECE NAVIDAD (9780425223604, $23.95) pairs knitting patterns and recipes with a fine mystery revolving around Christmas plans in Colorado. Kelly and friends have changed their house to a winner wonderland - but their project, helping the town's librarian to learn to knit - results in murder and an unexpected involvement in its investigation in this small-town mystery. Cleo Coyle's ESPRESSO SHOT (9780425221778, $23.95) provides a fine Coffeehouse Mystery title including recipes and coffee-making tips along with the story of a wedding threatened by murder and a caterer who also has her doubts about the wedding's viability. A cast of characters involved in possible murder make for a gripping, unpredictable story line.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Torah and Commentary: The Five Books of Moses
Sol Scharfstein
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602800205, $35.00 www.ktav.com

Any Judaic studies collection strong in Biblical research and commentary needs Torah and Commentary: The Five Books of Moses. It offers a new, readable translation of the Torah, Judaism's most important text, and adds interpretations of over 2,000 biblical passages by classical and contemporary rabbinic commentators alike. Add color illustration, historical and cultural background, spiritual insights and biographical sketches and you have a powerful presentation recommended as a 'foundation title' to scholarly Judaic studies libraries.

Contemporary Israel
Robert O. Freedman, editor
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813343853, $40.00, www.westviewpress.com

Israel has never been the home of quiet peaceful Jews, although it yearns to be. "Contemporary Israel: Domestic Politics, Foreign Policy, and Security Challenges" is an examination of modern Israel and the many challenges it faces, particular with its violent neighbors and constant battle with terrorism. The rough road they face isn't helped by the politicians of the country butting heads just like any other. A look at the many challenges that Israel faces like many other countries tells the story. "Contemporary Israel" is invaluable for understanding Israeli politics.

Coping with Adversity
Joel A. Roffman & Gordon A. Fuller
Brown Books
16200 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 170, Dallas, TX 75248
9781934812228, $16.00, www.brownbooks.com

Adversity exists everywhere in life, dealing with it is what matters. "Coping with Adversity: Judaism Response to Illness and Other Life Struggles" is a combination of both secular and Judaic wisdom in coping with the inescapable adversity that everyone faces in every avenue of life. The combination brings a two pronged approach to dealing with the challenges of life, and if one can't help someone, the other will. "Coping with Adversity" is a moving and very helpful self-help manual.


The Literary Shelf

Eden's Outcasts
John Matteson
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393333596, $17.95 www.wwnorton.com

During Louisa May Alcott's youth her father was a contemporary of Emerson and Thoreau, and desired perfection for his family and life. Louisa challenged him with her moodiness and her longing for fame and wealth. Their stormy yet loving relationship is probed in EDEN'S OUTCASTS, a pick for both general-interest libraries strong in biography and for literary collections seeking a complete set of perspectives on writer Louisa May Alcott's influences and life. A lively tone accents facts and insights.

Literature of the Caribbean
Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport CT 06881
9780313328459, $49.95 www.greenwoodpress.com

Any high school to college-level library strong in Caribbean or world literature will find LITERATURE OF THE CARIBBEAN a powerful survey. From analysis of Jamaica Kincaid to Michelle Cliff, extensive biographical and literary history for selected Caribbean authors tie into the underlying writings of Caribbean authors as a whole, making this an invaluable survey for any student of the region.

Posthuman Metamorphosis
Bruce Clarke
Fordham University Press
University Box L, 2546 Belmont Ave., Bronx, NY 10458
9780823228515, $26.00, www.fordhampress.com

Science fiction asks many questions about possible future, which could become realities in mere decades. "Posthuman Metamorphosis" serves as a dual examination and discussion of both fiction and reality, looking at the ethical problems that come with the advancement of cybernetic technologies. Defining humanity when humans can become what could no longer be purely human, it looks at many subjects, such as social implications, media, and the literary world. Incredibly interesting to those who think about the future of humanity and science, "Posthuman Metamorphosis" is solidly recommended reading.

The Gulistan of Sa'Di
W.M. Thackston, translator
Ibex Publishers
PO Box 30087, Bethesda, MD 20824
9781588140586, $60.00, www.ibexpublishers.com

One of the most iconic books in the country of Iran, "The Gullistan of Sa'Di" is unknown to western readers, until now. W.M. Thackston brings western readers a direct translation of the text, each page side by side with both the Persian writing and English. For over seven hundred years, the book has influenced Persian writers as much as Chaucer or Shakespeare have influenced western writers in English. A key to understanding the Iranian culture, "The Gullistan of Sa'Di" is very much worth reading for world literature students and for community and college library world fiction collections.

The Brontes
Harold Bloom, editor
Bloom's Literary Criticism
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10001
9781604131369, $45.00, www.chelseahouse.com

A sisterhood of great writers, The Brontes have made their mark. "The Brontes" is another edition in Bloom's Classic Critical Views series. Wildly popular in their day, they have became a major force in the history of English writing. Bloom and his critics look at the full catalog of their writings and discuss each of them in full, ranging from their novels to their poetry which was published under pseudonyms. "The Brontes" is a thorough and scholarly examination of icons of English literature.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Spiritual Leadership in the Global City
Mac Pier
New Hope Publishers
PO Box 12065, Birmingham, AL 35202-2065
9781596692411, $19.95, www.newhopepublishers.com

New York, San Francisco, these two cities have much more in common than being simply large. "Spiritual Leadership in the Global City" is a look at religion in these behemoth cities that act as representations of the world as a whole. Examining the acts of religious leaders in these cities, it gives advice for urban pastors and priests who still have to make difference in a rapidly changing world. With advice from some of today's leading spiritual leaders, "Spiritual Leadership in the Global City" is something to be strongly considered for city-dwelling church leaders.

Hurry Up and Meditate
David Michie
Snow Lion
605 West State Street, PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14850
9781559393065, $14.95, www.snowlionpub.com

A time to rest and think has numerous health benefits...but really, who has the time? "Hurry Up and Meditate: Your Starter Kit for Inner Peace and Better Health" is a guide to making time for a little peace, quiet, and meditation when one's life doesn't seem to present any opportunity for it. With a blend of scientific logic and poignant wisdom, Michie offers a plan that can improve one's quality of life in ways they didn't think possible. "Hurry Up and Meditate" is something to consider for anyone who thinks their life could use a bit more rest.


The Parenting Shelf

Between Fathers & Daughters
Linda Nielsen, EdD
Cumberland House
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581826616, $16.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com

BETWEEN FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS: ENRICHING AND REBUILDING YOUR ADULT RELATIONSHIP provides an entertaining book for fathers and daughters who want more from their relationship. It's based on two decades of work with hundreds of fathers and daughters and blends case history stories of real people with tips for improvement, exercises for communications, strategies for self-assessment, activities, and more. An outstanding survey useful for building or improving upon father/daughter connections.

12 Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery
Allen Berger, Ph.D.
Hazeldon
Center City, MN 55012
9781592854868, $14.95 www.hazelden.org

To grow in recovery, emotional growth is key - which means facing up to defeatist attitudes and understanding how sobriety is placed at risk. Common beliefs can easily sabotage recovery: Allen Berger provides tools with insights on how change happens and how a daily program can help tailor and direct change to avoid messing up the recovery process. Any library catering to addicts needs this.

The Second Nine Months: A Memoir
Vicki Glembocki
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738211015, $24.00 www.dacapopress.com

When daughter Blair was born the author assumes maternal bliss would carry her through the next challenging nine months of caring for the new baby - but she came to doubt herself as she experienced the many challenges of motherhood. Any expecting mother or new mother will welcome her memoir THE SECOND NINE MONTHS, which covers all the challenges of being a new parent and uses her experience to identify factors professionals never told her in advance. A fine general-interest lending library acquisition.

The 7 Habits of Happy Kids
Sean Covey
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
1416957766, $19.99 www.simonsayskids.com

In 7 Oaks all kids are friends and learning something new together. Here seven illustrated stories demonstrate how to keep the 7 Habits in mind through life's byways and possibilities, pairing amusing stories with values and principles based in the adult 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE. Parents wishing to start their kids off early in the program will find this a most accessible, important approach that deserves space in any parent's library.

You Don't Know Anything...!
Nadir Baksh, Psy. D. and Laurie Murphy, Ph.D.
Hohm Press
PO Box 2501, Prescott, AZ 86302
9781890772826, $12.95, www.hohmpress.com

Everyone thinks they know it all as a teenager, it's a fact of life. "You Don't Know Anything...!: A Manual For Parenting Your Teenagers" is a collection of advice and wisdom on dealing with the walking volcanoes of hormones that are teenagers. Tackling subjects of how youth is different in the twenty-first century, how to effectively talk to them about the dangers that come with age, and proper discipline for the age group, "You Don't Know Anything...!" is a must for any parent with a tween on their way to teen and anxious about it.

Intentional Grandparenting
Peggy Edwards & Mary Jane Sterne
Fulcrum Books
4690 Table Mountain Drive, Suite 100, Golden, CO 80403
9781555916152, $16.95, www.fulcrumbooks.com

There are plenty of books on parenting, but what about grandparenting? "Intentional Grandparenting: A Contemporary Guide" is a collection of principles and advice for grandparents who want to be more than the old people Mommy and Daddy make their children visit. Enlightening grandparents on the rapidly changing trends of today's world including new techniques of raising children, safety ideas, the rise of technology, same-sex unions, and much more, "Intentional Grandparenting" is perfect for keeping up to date with the latest social issues. "Intentional Grandparenting" is a solid a much recommended acquisition for any loving parent of a parent.

Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
www.prometheusbooks.com

Parents will appreciate Christopher M. Johnson, MD's handbook How to Talk to Your Child's Doctor (9781591026198, $18.95), on how to speak with a child's physician, which address a range of concerns from common tests and diagnostic procedures to understanding blood tests, antibiotics, and other common experiences of children. Blend physiology with insights into health issues and common physician/parent breakdowns in communication and you have a winner. FUTURE BIOETHICS: OVERCOMING TABOOS, MYTHS AND DOGMAS by Ronald A. Lindsay (9781591026242, $28.95) surveys debates surrounding controversies in bioethics, analyzing claims made by policy makers and ethicists on topics ranging from genetic engineering to stem cell research. From links to revolutionary therapies developed as a result of bioethics to legalizing physician assistance for the dying, FUTURE BIOETHICS is a fine tool for college-level courses in bioethics.


The Computer Shelf

Perfect Software
Gerald M. Weinberg
Dorset House Publishing
353 West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014
9780932633699, $29.95, www.dorsethouse.com

Humans aren't perfect, so why do we expect it of our software? "Perfect Software: and other Illusions about Testing" is a guide for software developers telling them that perfection is an unreasonable goal when it comes to software. With charm, Weinberg entertains as he informs about how a good software development team moves forward and does what they can to make the product the best it can before they shove it out into public. "Perfect Software" is a must for any head of a software development team.

Murach's ASP.NET 3.5
Anne Boehm & Joel Murach
Murach
4340 North Knoll Ave., Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774486, $52.50, www.murach.com

Programming for the Web is very different from programming for an offline application. "Murach's ASP.NET 3.5: Web Programming with C# 2008" is the famous Murach series entry on internet programming with the popular ASP.NET 3.5 software. With chapters on minimizing the size of one's application for streamlined usage to fundamental skills to building databases and much more than that, it gives a full expert education in what one needs to maximize their ability with the program for professional use and to maximize their business. A complete and comprehensive reference on ASP.NET 3.5 Web Programming, "Murach's ASP.NET 3.5: Web Programming with C# 2008" is a must have for any potential user of the program or business who wants to train their employees.

Fluid Simulation for Computer Graphics
Robert Bridson
J.K. Peters Ltd.
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
9781568813264, $59.00 www.akpeters.com

College-level courses strong in fluid simulation will find this a key reference for practitioners in this field, offering tips on the math of simulations, advanced techniques in the field, and implementation of ID and other models. From using particles to track secondary fields to identifying boundary conditions, it's a technical resource suitable for college-level computer and science libraries alike.

Picture Yourself Learning Microsoft Access 2007
Faithe Wempen
Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1598638416, $14.99 www.courseptr.com

There's no better beginner's introduction to Access on the market than this: it will appeal to any used to Office 2007 but new to Access, its database unit, and it tells how to create and share databases, use queries and forms, and create queries to summarize data. The visual approach offers charts and screen samples throughout - in full color - and covers all the basics.

My New Mac
Wallace Wang
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Street #250, San Francisco CA 94107
9781593271640, $29.95 www.nostarch.com

Any who need help with a brand new Mac, whether it be a mini, iMac or other version - will find this 'first Mac' user's book invaluable. It's got a project-oriented approach which keys useful things to lessons, it tells how to use Mac's many tools to best advantage, and it shows how to do everything from transfer photos from digital camera to computer to sharing files, listening to podcasts, and more. A 'must' for any brand new to the Mac system.


The Political Science Shelf

Reflections of a Political Economist
William A. Niskanen
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001
9781933995205, $24.95 www.cato.org

Fifteen years of William N. Niskanen's articles on policy analysis are gathered under one cover in REFLECTIONS OF A POLITICAL ECONOMIST: SELECTED ARTICLES ON GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND POLITICAL PROCESSES. These articles range from discussions of taxation and retirement funding to terrorism and corporate governance, with a separate section covering public choices and economics and concluding with a section of the author's book reviews analyzing the works of other economists. College-level libraries strong in economics and politics will find this a wide-ranging collection perfect for debates.

Intergovernmental Management for the 21st Century
Timothy J. Conlan & Paul L. Posner
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036
9780815715412, $64.95, www.brookings.edu

Local, county, state, federal, America's government is a hierarchy of many layers. "Intergovernmental Management for the 21st Century" takes a look at the complex system of government that the United States has used throughout its entire existence. With several essays from many great modern political thinkers, taking a look at the topic, looking at the issues at hand, and the problems with the current system. More than fifteen different writers present well formed and scholarly opinions, sure to widen the knowledge of its readers. "Intergovernmental Management for the 21st Century" is a strong choice for any community library collection on politics.


The Humor Shelf

The Ultimate Game Guide to Your Life
Christopher Monks
Tow Books
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
9781582975344, $12.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

The Ultimate Game Guide to Your Life: Or, The Video Game as Existential Metaphor is a tongue-in-cheek guide to life itself - from the uncomfortably being born to the sudden stop at the end - that couches all its wit, wisdom, and insight in the format of a video game strategy guide. If all of life is a game, then The Ultimate Game Guide to Your Life is a walkthrough filled with tips, tricks, and techniques for achieving a high score of "life points". "Mini Game: Dodge Ball - Most often, recess is when you'll get the chance to play this mini game. Be the last person left without getting hit, and you'll earn one Life Point. Finishing anywhere else will lose you a Life Point." Simple monochromatic illustrations of iconic, video game-style avatars at all stages of life pepper this chuckle-inducing guide. Highly recommended, especially for diehard video game fans, who will definitely pick up on all the gamer in-jokes!


The Civil War Shelf

Texas Civil War Artifacts
Richard Mather Ahlstrom
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574412512, $60.00 www.tamu.edu/upress 1-800-826-8911

Texas Civil War Artifacts: A Photographic Guide to the Physical Culture of Texas Civil War Soldiers is an in-depth compendium, featuring black-and-white photographs on glossy, high-quality paper of American Civil War artifacts ranging from swords and pistols to buckles, buttons, portraits of soldiers, and much more. Each item is given a full page to display its image, while the facing page lists a data sheet of facts about the artifact's origin as well as brief supplementary commentary. A museum-quality visual reference, accessible to lay readers and historians alike, especially recommended for Civil War enthusiasts and collectors.

Gustavus Vasa Fox of the Union Navy
Ari Hoogenboom
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9780801889868, $40.00 www.press.jhu.edu 1-800-537-5487

Written by Ari Hoogenboom (professor of history emeritus, Brooklyn College, City University of New York), Gustavus Vasa Fox of the Union Navy: A Biography is a meticulously researched and presented biography of the man commonly held most responsible for the U.S. Navy's exceptional success in the Civil War. Chapters chronicle Fox's naval service from his debut as a midshipman in 1838, to his participation in the Coast Survey, his captainship of a steamer that traveled from New York to Havana to New Orleans, to his crucial role in the effective blockade of the southern coast during the Civil War. Hoogenboom was personally neither for nor against slavery, but rather dedicated to preserving the Union. As he witnessed the invaluable contribution of black sailors, he became an advocate of freedom and voting rights for African-Americans. He was as skilled in working with politicians and administrators as he was in naval matters, and shared a close working relationship with Abraham Lincoln. A handful of black-and-white diagrams illustrate this detailed and thoughtful study of an exceptional leader and true patriot.


The Library DVD Shelf

Yoga With Your Baby
Jackie Long
Yoga With Love
www.yogawithyourbaby.com
DVD, $19.95 jackie@yogawithlove.com

New parents can connect with their baby and toddler even in a busy world with the help of a special DVD that melds teachings from Buddhism, yoga, and neuroscience to offer an interactive format perfect for newcomers as well as yoga practitioners of all types. Kids ages 3 months to 4 years are the perfect age range to benefit from this DVD of some 20 yoga practices for adults, 15 baby yoga poses, and songs to sing.

Cardiokickboxing DVDs
Lynn Hahn
Bayview Films
107 Pink Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
DVD, $19.99 Each www.getrealfit.org www.amazon.com

Cardio kickboxing uses different martial arts stances and forms to strengthen the body, offering agility moves and workouts lending to weight control and body toning alike. KICK and PUNCH AND FIRM by Lynn Hall offers user-friendly workouts that require no prior knowledge to prove useful. The fun, lively workouts are outstanding exercise and martial arts routines and offering maximum kickboxing benefits to all levels of users - and to libraries catering to them.

Children of the Stones
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
$24.99 www.acornmedia.com

Children of the Stones is the DVD collection of all seven episodes of a British science fiction thriller, filmed on location at the Avebury stone circle (which is older than the nearby Stonehenge). When astrophysicist Adam Blake (whose other credits include "Blake's 7") and his teenage son Matthew come to research the standing stones, they discover fascinating and harrowing mysteries hidden in the stones' past. The seemingly druidic Rafael Hendrick holds an inexplicable sway over the entranced "happy ones" of the local village - and why is it said that "nobody ever leaves the circle"? The menace gradually builds up to the suspenseful climax, in this exciting and dramatic saga enhanced with interviews, production notes, series trivia, and a photo gallery. Highly recommended. Approximately 174 min., full screen, color.

Makeup Assignment - Brow Abilities
Monique Powers
Empowers Beauty, Inc.
PO Box 16245, Beverly Hills, CA 90209
$24.99 www.MakeupAssignment.com www.MoniquePowers.com

Licensed esthetician Monique Powers, who has over 15 years of experience as a makeup artist and eyebrow specialist, presents Makeup Assignment - Brow Abilities, a how-to DVD teaching teenagers and women of all ages how to create, groom, and enhance one's eyebrow shape, regardless of one's natural eyebrow structure. Step-by-step instructions walk the viewer through the composition of an aesthetically pleasing eyebrow shape, how to fake a full eyebrow, how to efficiently and effectively use inexpensive eyebrow tools and makeup, and more. An easy-to-follow, professional-quality instructional highly recommended to not only prospective and professional makeup artists, but also to any woman determined to look her best. 20 minutes, color.

Dance Off The Inches: Dance It Off Ballroom
Kristina Milova, host
Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
$14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Part of the energetic Dance Off the Inches series, Dance Off The Inches: Dance It Off Ballroom is a fun exercise DVD featuring cardio ballroom routines perfect for burning calories and getting into shape. Ballroom dancer Kristina Milova guides the viewer through mini dance routines that draw upon three of the most popular styles of ballroom dance. No partner is needed for these samba, cha cha, and jive routines that make working out as fun as it is tummy-flattening. A Dance Off The Inches Step Guide teaching the viewer ten basic dance steps in ten minutes rounds out this welcome addition to DVD fitness libraries. 61 minutes, closed captioned.

The Romance of a Vanishing Race
Rich-Heape Films, Inc.
5952 Royal Lane, Suite 254, Dallas, Texas 75230
$29.95 www.richheape.com 214-696-6916

The Romance of a Vanishing Race collects three vintage motion pictures of Native Americans and their daily culture, originally filmed in the early 1900s and featuring tribal chiefs who participated in the last Great Indian Council, including some who fought at the Battle of Little Big Horn. The first, "The Romance of the Vanishing Race" (released 1916, 29 min.) features Navajo, Pueblo, Crow, and Hopi tribes and re-enactments of Indian battles on the plains as well as tribal ceremonies and medicine men. "Rodman Wanamaker Expedition of Citizenship to the North American Indian" (released 1913, 26 min.) has Dr. Joseph Dixon explain the important symbolism of the flag to different Indian tribes and their dedication ceremonies. "Winter Farm Life on a Crow Reservation" (released 1921, 8 min.) features World War I French hero General Ferdinand Foch, and shows scenes from reservation life including the butchering of a cow, erecting a teepee, and the ceremonies to welcome General Foch. Suitable for viewers of all ages, The Romance of a Vanishing Race preserves invaluable evidence of Native American culture and is an enthusiastically recommended addition to public and college library DVD collections. 63 minutes, captioned, black-and-white.

Kathy Smith: Total Body Lift
Kathy Smith
Lionsgate
2700 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$14.98 www.lionsgatedvd.com www.411videoinfo.com

Kathy Smith: Total Body Lift is a fitness DVD featuring energetic, dance-inspired exercises as demonstrated by host Kathy Smith. Expensive equipment is not required, though a simple mat, towel, chair for support, and light weights are recommended. The workout itself consists of a five-minute warm-up, upper body lift, leg lift, butt lift and tummy lift, and can be customized to a degree; a music only option is also available for the audio track. A user-friendly DVD suitable for all ages and experience levels, Kathy Smith: Total Body Lift is a welcome addition to any exercise DVD collection. Approximately 69 minutes, full screen, color.

Rules of the Road
Vat 19
11783 Borman Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146
$34.95 www.Vat19.com

Rules of the Road is an interactive driver's educational course on two DVDs, ideal for teenagers but also useful for adults seeking to refresh their driving knowledge and awareness. Disc 1 is specifically prepared to help the viewer pass the written driving test with flying colors, as well as sample the Virtual Driver experience to heighten awareness of one's surroundings. From parallel parking to highway merging, night driving, right-of-way rules, and more, the viewer is guided through everything he or she absolutely must know before getting behind the wheel. Disc 2 includes a complete behind-the-wheel curriculum ideal for assisting parents and teachers, enhanced with tips on auto safety, car maintenance, preventing road rage, and what to do in case of an emergency. A bonus of nine printable drive packets spanning ninety-five pages, as well as eight interactive practice DMV written tests round out this enthusiastically recommended addition to school and community library collections. Rules of the Road is also the perfect gift for any teen who has just turned old enough to start learning how to drive! 192 minutes, English and Spanish subtitles.

Cook's Country Season One
Chris Kimball
WGBH Boston Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781593758431, $34.95 www.ssapr.com

Cook's Country Season One is the DVD collection of all thirteen episodes from season one of the public television show "Cook's Country", featuring Chris Kimball and America's Test Kitchen Chefs. A distinctly American cooking show that demonstrates how to create great recipes like Chocolate Blackout Cake, Cincinnati Chili, Raspberry Chiffon Pie and much more, Cook's Country Season One also broadens its informative repertoire with general food shopping and preparation tips, tricks, and techniques, such as which cookware, kitchen tools, and supermarket foods are most worth buying. Printable versions of 26 selected recipes round out this highly enjoyable presentation of tasty delights, highly recommended for viewers of all levels of skill and experience in the kitchen. Approximately 5.5 hours, closed-captioned.

Lionel Nation 2
A McComas/Stachler Production
TM Books & Video
PO Box 279, New Buffalo, MI 49117
9781932291735, $19.95 www.tmbv.com 1-800-892-2822

Kindred spirit to the first Lionel Nation DVD yet featuring all-new footage, Lionel Nation 2 is a DVD tour of a prewar layout and collection of amazing model railroad trains. Laid out by expert craftsman, and hobbyist Norm Charbonneau, the made-to-scale trains are stunningly realistic, sure to delight and inspire model railroad enthusiasts. Additional material includes a behind-the-scenes look at a toy train auction, a tour of the engines and cars that inspired the Lionel brand's new series of Conventional Classics, and model railroad operating tips. Lionel Nation 2 is a treat for anyone with an interest in model railroading. 60 minutes, color.

Composing the Beatles Songbook
MVD Entertainment Group
PO Box 280, Oaks, PA 19456
$19.95 www.MVDb2b.com 1-800-888-0486

Composing the Beatles Songbook: Lennon and McCartney 1966-1970 is an independent DVD documentary examining the partnership and music of Lennon and McCartney, widely beloved creator of some of the most popular songs by the classic 60's rock band "The Beatles". Filled with rare footage including classic Beatles performances, and also testimony from friends of the pair, Composing the Beatles Songbook is sure to prove as inspirational as it is educational to songwriters today. Extras include extended interviews and biographies, in this superb gift for dyed-in-the-wool Beatles fans. 112 minutes, black-and-white.

Encounters With John Wesley
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
#501297D, $19.95, www.visionvideo.com

Few itinerant preachers in 18th Century England would equal the accomplishments of John Wesley as he went around the country spreading the Protestant gospel and founding Methodist societies. As with all Christian reformers, Wesley faced unrelenting persecution, endured tremendous hardships, and was both fearless and dedicated in his Christian labors. Now a thirty-minute story of his life has been produced in a DVD format starring Mark Topping as John Wesley in an action-packed docudrama filmed on location in New Room, Bristol (the oldest Methodist chapel in England), and the Charles Wesley house. The DVD format is enhanced with the inclusion of an interview with Mark Topping. Of special note are the dramatized versions of four sermons by John Wesley. Superbly produced and thoroughly engaging from beginning to end, "Encounters With John Wesley" is very highly recommended for personal, church, and community library Christian Studies and Christian DVD collections.

Language Partners: Building a Strong Foundation
Boys Town Press
14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010
0974788961, $24.95 www.boystownpress.org 1-800-282-6657

The third DVD in the Early Intervention Illustrated Series, Language Partners: Building a Strong Foundation teaches parents of deaf or hard of hearing children how to create a language-rich environment that gives children the tools they need to develop thinking, communication, and learning skills. Simple techniques ideal for use early in child's life when their language-learning ability is amazingly malleable make Language Partners: Building a Strong Foundation easy to follow and utterly invaluable. Especially recommended for public library collections and parents or caretakers of young, hearing-impaired children. 20 minutes.

Blue Dragon Volume 1
Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
DVD, $14.98 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

Based on the hit role-playing game for the Xbox 360, Blue Dragon Volume 1 collects the first five episodes of the Japanese animated fantasy-adventure television series. Featuring the main characters from the game (all of whom were designed by Dragonball Z creator Akira Toriyama), Blue Dragon follows the plucky young hero Shu and his friends - his cool-headed rival Jiro, the sensitive girl Kluke, the boisterous Devee Marumaro, and the icy warrior woman Zola in their quest to combat the spreading evil of Nene and the Grankingdom. The titular Blue Dragon itself is Shu's shadow come to fierce life, the better to fight for courage and justice! The plot of the animated Blue Dragon series differs significantly from that of the Xbox 360 game, to the extent that it could be considered an alternate universe; anyone who has played the game is sure to enjoy the surprises in this new story. Blue Dragon Volume 1 is a family-friendly DVD, particularly recommended for fans of fantasy, anime, and dragons! English, 100 minutes, color.

Blue Dragon, Volume 2
Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
1421522640, $14.98 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

Containing episodes 6-8, volume 2 of Blue Dragon continues the family-friendly anime (Japanese animated) DVD series loosely based on the popular Xbox 360 role-playing game about a group of young people who can bring their animal-like shadows to life to fight for what's right in a fantasy world threatened by war. Though the personalities of Blue Dragon's characters (and their nemesis, the villainous Nene) will be familiar to game players, as well as much of the musical score, the storyline is completely different from that of the game, to the extent of being set on a parallel world. Led by the mysterious Zola, wielder of Killer Bat shadow that never speaks, Shu (Dragon shadow), Jiro (Minotaur shadow), Kluke (no shadow yet), and Marumaro (Sabertooth Tiger shadow) must defend themselves against not only invading Grankingdom spies and attacks at sea, but also the gushing gratitude of a young girl with the power to turn invisible or change shapes! Trouble is, their klutzy newest admirer has a tendency to accidentally hurt as easily as help - and she just might have a crush on Shu, much to Kluke's dismay! A saga of fantastic action, rivalry, and a dash of intrigue, Blue Dragon Volume 2 is highly recommended to viewers of all ages. 100 minutes, color.

A&E Home Video
c/o A&E Television Networks
235 East 45th Street New York , NY 10017
www.aetv.com

CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK: THE BEST OF SEASONS ONE AND TWO (1422913228, $12.95) tells of Criss Angel, part Cirque du Soliel, part magician, who has taken magic to new realms in his series of hit shows featuring his death-defying stunts. These stunts are performed live and never with camera trick, and this collection captures a powerful magician's best episodes from his first two seasons. Fans of British comedy will relish THE BEST OF MR. BEAN VOLUME 2 (1422919501, $9.95), a collection starting Rowan Atkinson as the amazing Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean is always in trouble and funny - and this collection offers up some of the ongoing bests of his world in a hilarious set of outrageous circumstances and mishaps. Both will appeal to a wide audience.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents 2009
Jeff Herman
Three Dog Press
c/o The Jeff Herman Agency
3 Elm Street, Stockbridge, MA 01262
9780977268245, $29.95, www.jeffherman.com

Having written a manuscript is only the first and initial step toward being published. In many ways, it is the easiest part of the publication process. Turning that manuscript into a published book requires special knowledge, targeted skills, and useful contacts beyond those required to simply write well. That's where a reference and resource like "Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents 2009" will prove invaluable. Now in a completely updated and substantially expanded 19th edition, "Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents 2009" is a 1070-page compendium of practical and descriptive information that begins with five individual sections listing publishing conglomerates, independent U.S. publishers, university presses, Canadian publishers, and literary agents. That alone would make this exhaustive reference a worthwhile addition to any writer's reference shelf. But "Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents 2009" is made even more useful with the inclusion of an impressive 'Advice for Writers' section providing 'real-world' information on all aspects of the publishing process from literary agents, to book proposals, to time management, to rejections, and more. Of special note are the concluding sections dedicated to providing insight and information with respect to Independent Editors and Resources for Writers. Enhanced with a Glossary and an exhaustive Index, "Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents 2009" is an enthusiastically recommended resource guide for novice and experienced authors alike!

My Book's Published -- Now What???
John F. Harnish & Jane M. Martin
Infinity Publishing.com
c/o Buy Books On The Web
1094 New Dehaven Street, #100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713
0741450003, $19.95, www.amazon.com

'Now What?' is a question that ever published author will have to address whether or not they are self-published, published by an independent small press, an established university publisher, or one of the large New York publishing conglomerates. John F. Harnish is the voice of experience, practicality, and authority in all things related to publishing. Co-authored by Jane M. Martin and featuring contributions by dozens of authors and publishing professionals, Harnish has now published "My Book's Published -- Now What???: The Owner's Manual For Your Books", a compendium of informed and informative essays on every aspect of post-publication operations for the novice author and the neophyte small press publisher. Addresses such diverse but thematically appropriate issues as copywriting; Amazon.com; a 'first book order'; selling in non-bookstore venues; the roles of freelance marketers, book reviewers, and the internet; conferencing, networking, and so much more, "My Book's Published -- Now What???" will prove to be an invaluable source of advice, insights, tips, and ideas for marketing a published book. Of special interest is the extensive chapter on 'Increasing Your Book's Revenue Flows'. Novice publishers should consider "My Book's Published -- Now What???" a critically important addition to their studies as they seek to master the 'learning curve' for successfully marketing and selling a published book, while even experienced authors will find a great deal of useable background information and insights into the marketing and promotion process. Also highly recommended is John F. Harnish's "The Amazing Book Publishing Evolution In The United States" (074145100X, $14.95).

The Amazing Book Publishing Evolution In The United States
John F. Harnish
Infinity Publishing.com
c/o Buy Books On The Web
1094 New Dehaven Street, #100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713
074145100X, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Author and writing seminar instructor John F. Harnish draws upon his many years of experience and expertise in "The Amazing Book Publishing Evolution In The United States: What Every Writer Needs To Know Before Becoming A Published Author!!!". This is a compendium of solid, real-world, 'Dutch Uncle' advice offering insights, tips, techniques, and resource information that will stand any and all aspiring authors wanting to break into print, as well as an invaluable refresher for newly published authors wanting to more firmly establish themselves as professionals able to support themselves through their literary work. Of special note are the chapters devoted to the disadvantages of traditional publishing, considerations associated with subsidy publishing, as well as the advantages of self-publishing. Informed and informative, "The Amazing Book Publishing Evolution In The United States" is a very highly recommended and thoroughly 'reader friendly' addition to any writer reference shelf and supplemental reading list. Also very highly recommended by John F. Harnish is "My Book's Published -- Now What???" (Infinity, 0741450003, $19.95).

Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus
David Auburn, et al.
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780195342840, $40.00, www.oup.com/us

Words are a writer's tools. The larger the writer's vocabulary the more options available for expressing ideas. That's why every dedicated writer seeking to master their craft will have a good thesaurus as a core part of their personal and professional reference shelf. Now in a completely updated second edition, the "Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus" provides more than 300,000 synonyms and 10,000 antonyms, with real-life example sentences. enhanced with notes on American English usage by Bryan Garner, Word Spectrums showing shades of meaning between polar opposites, and a comprehensive language guide, The "Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus" is a core reference work suitable for professional authors and non-specialist general writers alike. This new edition also features Word Toolkits and Wordfinder, two invaluable aids that will help to define and delineate nuances of word usage. Simply stated, the "Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus" is a core and recommended addition for personal, professional, community, and school library Writing/Publishing reference collections.

Time to Write
Frank Milligan
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
1884956769, $16.95 www.quilldriverbooks.com

Frank Milligan's TIME TO WRITE: DISCOVERING THE WRITER WITHIN AFTER 50 is for any who believe themselves 'too old' to learn new tricks. It offers a set of tips on how to take a work from initial idea to published manuscript, reviewing writer's secrets, shortcuts to help make up for lost time, and details on how to make the most of the second half of life. General-interest libraries - especially those catering to older adult would-be writers - will find this a popular lend.

The Grammar Detective
Gillian Hanson
Continuum
80 Maiden Lane #704, New York NY 10038
9780826498076, $14.95 www.continuum.com

THE GRAMMAR DETECTIVE: SOLVING THE MYSTERIES OF BASIC GRAMMAR offers up a series of short illustrated murder mysteries and exercises based on puzzles, from word searches to crosswords - to introduce and reinforce grammatical skills. From nouns to clauses and phrases, this covers punctuation and grammar and provides a fine method of either introducing English grammar or offering an easy refresher course for adults.

Adventures In Pen Land
Marianne Gingher
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
www.umsystem.edu/upress
9780826218179, $19.95, 1-800-828-1894

Marianne Gingher is the author of four published books, as well as numerous pieces of fiction and essays which have appeared in a number of periodicals ranging from the Southern Review; the Oxford American; and the North American Review; to the Washington Post Magazine; Redbook; Seventeen; and the New York Time Book Review. So it is only to be expected "Adventures In Pen Land: One Writer's Journey From Inklings To Ink", her biographical memoir of life as a writer, be a particularly deftly presented and thoroughly engaging account that begins with her story of being a child working a con to obtain a copy of the 'Ding Dong School Book' (which was a blank book in which children could write their own stories), continues her adventures in the world of competition to be a published author, to her experiences as an established Southern writer within the broader context of American literary culture. Packed from cover to cover with anecdotal stories, "Adventures In Pen Land" offers insights into the impact her marriage, family, teaching career, pop culture, writing workshops, and other hinderments to publication has had upon her career as an author of fiction and essay. Although there are a sprinkling of insightful advice and ideas to be gleaned by other aspiring authors yearning for publication, "Adventures In Pen Land" is especially recommended reading for anyone wanting to know what the life of a working writer in the real world is like.

The Successful (Liberty Nut) Author 2009
John Longenecker
Contrast Media Press
PO Box 6195, Lakewood, CA 90714
9780981738253, $16.95, www.ContrastMediaPress.com

The well known constitutional principle of "Freedom of the Press" throughout most of American history meant that whoever owned the press was the one who would enjoy the freedom to publish. With the revolution in publishing technology thanks to the computer and the internet has come an expansion of that privilege to the point that anyone can now have their work published thanks to the 'desktop computer revolution' and access to the World Wide Web. This has been especially true of those who would publish in the area of politics, social issues, and the culture wars. John Longenecker is a dedicated advocate of all the constitutional freedoms fundamental to the preservation of an American democracy founded upon freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and freedom to participate. Toward those ends he has published "The Successful (Liberty Nut) Author 2009: The Liberty Purist's Guide to Patriotic Platforming Before You Publish", a compendium of advice, insights, observations, practical information, and real life counsel on how to successfully publish as an independent in an era of expanding government and high-speed communication. "The Successful (Liberty Nut) Author 2009" is especially commended to the attention of aspiring authors of controversial works, novice publishers of iconoclastic materials, and anyone else with an interest in successfully getting published and effectively marketing their work once it has seen print.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Bad Dream No. 13
Eerie Von
Ghastly Records
c/o MVD Entertainment Group
PO Box 280, Oaks, PA 19456
$14.95 www.MVDb2b.com 1-800-888-0486

Recorded entirely without the use of computers, Bad Dream No. 13 is a dark rock music CD that blends elements of trance and heavy metal into one intense experience. An accompanying booklet spells out the lyrics of this enthralling, up-close scrutiny of the dark side of life and the human experience. "Meet Death": Meet death, she's your friend, in a long, long black dress / she's in love, she's in love, with your unhappiness. / You haven't lived, until you, partake of her charms, / you have not died, until you've died in her arms. / I recognize the mask she hides behind, I realize there's a shadow behind her smile. / I play along, with her siren song, I play along until her last note is sung." The tracks are A Cage Is A Cage, The Bone Drone, In The Shade, Downontheslab, 2 Tears in a Bucket, Prelude to Death, Meet Death, Bad Dream, The Perfect Criminal, The Velvet Shroud, Sing Sinner Sing!, Case Study #107/Rec. Room 3A, and Benediction #2.

Seems Like Old Times
Helen Marcovicci
Andreasong Recordings
c/o Miller Wright & Associates, Inc. (publicity)
1650 Broadway, Suite 1210, New York, NY 10019
$28.49 www.millerwright.com www.marcovicci.com

Seems Like Old Times is a music CD album featuring Helen Marcovicci, who once sang at New York nightclubs under the name of Helen Stuart during the war years. On her eightieth birthday, she went on tour, singing to the piano music of her daughter Andrea to sold-out houses across America. Helen's voice is as beautifully clear and evocative as ever; just listening to Seems Like Old Times can practically transport one to the lounges of yesteryear. Especially recommended as the perfect gift to anyone who loves to luxuriate in the sweet style of singing similar to that of "Casablanca" and other famous motion pictures. The tracks performed include many songs by famous composers; they are Smiles (2:33), My Melancholy Baby (3:29), Seems Like Old Times (3:25), It All Depends On You (3:23), I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) (2:36), The Twelfth of Never (2:07), Autumn Leaves (2:47), I'm a Fool To Want You (2:11), Don't Blame Me (2:40), In the Still of the Night (1:59), Russian Lullaby (2:01), Blue Skies (3:24) [sung with Andrea Marcovicci & Shelly Markham], For All We Know (1:39), and Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1:36). Total runtime 35 minutes 59 seconds.

Afterplay
Brian Kelly
Skylight Music
c/o The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
$13.98 www.briankelly.com

Award-winning contemporary instrumental pianist Brian Kelly presents Afterplay, a jazz album featuring his piano and percussion stylings enhanced with additional musician's contributions on the alto sax, drums, trumpet, trombone, flute, and guitar. All pieces are the original compositions of Brian Kelly, and they reveal his love of music that sings with pure, eloquent energy and joie de vivre. An audio delight for jazz enthusiasts everywhere. The tracks are River Rush (5:15), Smiling South (4:22), New Vision (4:44), Snowflakes Rising (3:31), Flavor Seven (4:46), Afterplay (4:44), Heaven On Earth (4:39), Celtic Fire (3:41), Stone Shine (5:05), Reach For The Stars (4:53) and Sunchaser (3:32). 49 min. 15 sec.

Chopteeth
Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band
Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$14.97 www.rockpaperscissors.biz www.chopteeth.com

A dozen musicians blend their talents in Chopteeth, a celebration of West African music blended with American pop elements. Featuring hip-shaking percussive rhythm, five-piece horns, call-and-response choruses, Chopteeth exults in Afrofunk while unashamedly reaching out to other musical elements as diverse as salsa and Balkan time signatures. An album of pure enthusiasm, meant to stimulate the joy of dance as much as the pleasure of good listening, Chopteeth is highly recommended for public library as well as private international music collections. The tracks are Struggle (5:28), Weigh Your Blessings (5:53), Upendo (5:34), Snake Eyes (3:49), Dog Days (5:24), Wili Ninneh (3:07), Herky Jerk (5:06), Eyi Su Ngaangaa (5:20), Fogo Fogo (6:44), and No Condition is Permanent (6:15).

Teslim
Kaila Flexer & Gari Hegedus
Next Village Music
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$19.49 www.rockpaperscissors.biz www.kailaflexer.com

Teslim is an instrumental music CD created by classically-trained violinist Kaila Flexer (violin, viola) and self-taught musician Gari Gegedus (lauto, baglama, bulgari, divan, cura, lavta, oud, viola, tarhu, frame drum, and pennywhistle), with contributions from special guests Shira Kammen and Julian Smedley (fiddles), Olov Johansson (nyckelharpa), and Liza Wallace (harp). Reveling in the distinctive time signatures found throughout the Balkans, Greece, and Turkey, Teslim embodies not only a syncretic harmony between cultures but also a tribute to the personal friendship between fellow artists. An inspirational album, Teslim overflows with the joy that went into making it. Highly recommended. The tracks are Camila's Song (4:37), Ajuar de Novia Galana / Timarxou Street Dojo (8:38), El Meod Na'ala (6:43), Knight of Cups (4:46), Azade (5:44), Taxim (2:30), Stone's Throw (for Carla) (3:26), Kiana's Waltz (8:16), Elk/High Tide/Yetierre (6:52), Aley Givah (2:15), Petalouda (7:59), and For a 5 / Karsilamas for Sara (5:05). 60 minutes, 6 seconds.


The Audiobook Shelf

Heat Lightning
John Sandford
Penguin Audio
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
9780143143628, $39.95 www.penguin.com

Eric Conger has won the Golden Earphones award and provides a gripping narration to accompany the equally compelling HEAT LIGHTNING, a Virgil Flowers thriller in which he faces a humid Minnesota summer, a body found near a veterans' memorial, and a rash of murders where victims have lemons in their mouths. His investigation reveals a possible hit list - and a long one, at that. Audio libraries specializing in mystery will find it a winner. The abridged version (9780143143635, $29.95) is also a winner, bringing a condensed version of the highlights to listeners who want just the top moments.

Descartes' Bones
Russell Shorto, author
Paul Hecht, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781436138024, $92.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Award-winning historian Russell Shorto presents the unabridged audiobook rendition Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason, a fascinating blend of philosophy and (admittedly morbid) history. Rene Descartes, famous for saying "I think, therefore I am," a phrase with the underlying tenet that true knowledge lies in facts and research rather than church teachings. After Descartes' death, his remains became subject to surprisingly ghoulish greed - humans have fought over, stolen, and sold his bones, and the location of his skull remains a perplexing mystery to this day. A saga that spans six nations, three centuries, and three burials, while also exploring the philosophical implications of Descartes' legacy, Descartes' Bones is a truly remarkable look at how one man's ideas can literally affect himself and all around him long after his passing. Tracks are present every three minutes for easy bookmarking. 8 CDs, 9.25 hours.

Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon
Samuel Dashiell Hammett, author
Michael Madsen, Sandra Oh, Edward Herrmann, et. al., narrators
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
9781433252488, $40.00 www.BlackstoneAudio.com 1-800-729-2665

Brought to exciting life by a full cast (including Michael Madsen, whose acting credits include "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill, Vol. 2"), Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon is an unabridged audiobook rendition of the classic story, first published in "Black Mask" magazine in 1929, that inspired an unforgettable and beloved mystery movie. Protagonist Sam Spade, the embodiment of the jaded, tough-as-nails private eye that has become a universal archtype in detective fiction, becomes caught up in a web of intrigue due to the womanly wiles of the mysterious Brigid O'Shaughnessy. As edge-of-one's-seat captivating today as it was eighty years ago, Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon is a classic that hard-boiled mystery buffs everywhere are sure to enjoy. 3 CDs, approximately 3 1/2 hours.

Enchanted
Elizabeth Lowell, author
Anne Flosnik, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781423332350, $29.99 www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859

Read aloud by stage and television actress Elizabeth Lowell, Enchanted is an unabridged audiobook about the fire of romance. An arranged marriage between the warrior Simon the Loyal and a Norman heiress is meant to bring peace to the Disputed Lands, but marriage alone cannot bring the love needed to save nations - Simon has vowed never to love, believing the emotion to be weakness, while his bride is psychologically wounded from the deepest level of betrayal, and cannot bring herself to trust any man. Even so, an attraction stirs; Simon must learn the value of cherishing another above one's own life, while his new wife must learn the freedom of trusting one who is worthy of it. A sweeping, emotional saga of how only the enchanting power of love's passion can save not only individual people, but also entire nations. 10 CDs, approximately 12 hours.

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

Elin Hilderbrand's A SUMMER AFFAIR (1600242324, $39.95) receives an excellent narration from Isabel Keating, acclaimed for her Broadway theatre work, which brings to life this story of one Claire, who has assumed all burdens and granted all requests so wound up with a hard-working devoted husband, four kids, and a successful career. Her life changes when a billionaire enters her world and offers seduction - away from her carefully ordered, successful life. Martina Cole's CLOSE (1600242685, $29.98) offers a fine novel narrated by Nicola Duffett, whose voice spices the emotional impact of a story of Patrick, on his way up in his world until the criminal underworld he's attacking is thwarted by his growing love for one Lily. When Lily is left on her own, how can she survive? A poignant novel will appeal to any female audio listener. The Rich Dad's Advisor series hold many words of wisdom for newcomers to finance, and ken McElroy's THE ABCS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (1600242898, $24.98) is no exception. It tells how to decide when to manage property vs. hiring experts, how to maximize cash flow, and what to expect as an owner-manager. The audio helps reinforce lessons. Kathleen Kent's THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER (1600244505, $34.99) receives Mare Winningham's fine movie and stage experience as it tells of Sarah, weak with illness in 1752 who writes a letter to her granddaughter telling her deepest family secret: events of Salem, Massachusetts. An outstanding, different novel of the Salem witch trials provides a gripping story. Brad Meltzer's DEAD EVEN (1600244777, $24.98) receives experienced audio narrator Scott Brick's smooth and gripping voice as it tells of Sara, an attorney who has a fine case on her hands until her husband - also an attorney - is appointed on the opposite side. Underlying secrets further affect and influence a case gone awry both in court and at home in this gripping thriller, which springs to life in audio format. THE LUCKY ONES by Nicholas Sparks (1600243711, $39.98) benefits from screen and stage actor John Bedford Lloyd's smooth rendition as it tells of a Marine who finds a smiling young woman's photo during his third tour of duty - and experiences a sudden steak of luck. The photo becomes his lucky charm - and he soon finds it grows compelling beyond a one-time lucky streak.

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

Daniel Silva's MOSCOW RULES (1423327977, $36.95) receives veteran narrator Phil Gigante's smooth and dramatic audio performance as it provides a new Gabriel Allon novel, this having Allon in Russia where he finds he has new rules to play by in his spy work - Moscow's rules. A dramatic novel of espionage excels in audio format. J.D. Robb's STRANGERS IN DEATH (1423337484, $36.95) enjoys veteran Susan Ericksen's smooth and vibrant audio style as it tells of one Eve Dallas, who explores connections between friends and strangers alike in 2060 New York, where a prominent businessman is found dead in his apartment. Her investigation of murder reveals underlying crimes and shady actions in this hard-hitting drama. Terry Brooks' GENESIS OF SHANNARA: THE GYPSY MORPH (1423322746, $33.99) enjoys veteran Phil Gigante's warm and experienced voice as it tells of a future world where the U.S. is a blighted land ruined by plagues and pollution, where survivors live in fortified compounds, and where magic has re-awakened a counter-world of good. William Kent Krueger's RED KNIFE (1423341759, $34.95) receives veteran audio narrator Buck Schirner's smooth voice as it tells of a racial gang war turning a small Minnesota town into a battlefield. A father's revenge on a local gang turns into war and it's up to Cork, a man of mixed heritage, to uncover the truth behind the murders and top escalating violence in this tense thriller. Philip Roth's INDIGNATION (1423369726, $26.95) receives Dick Hill's smooth and professional voice as it tells of 1951 America, where student Marcus is beginning his sophomore year at a Ohio college - away from home, as his hard-working father seems t have gone mad with concern over his growing boy. A powerful coming-of-age story emerges. Iris Johansen's QUICKSAND (1423329066, $34.95) provides a powerful pairing in a reading by Jennifer Van Dyck with a fine and vivid voice lending drama to an Eve Duncan forensics investigation centering around an anonymous phone call, a long-vanished daughter, and a detective who will do anything to bring Eve some kind of peace. Audio libraries will find these popular lends.


The Library Science Shelf

Technology Projects
Patricia Ross Conover
Linworth Books
3650 Olentangy River Road, Suite 250 Columbus, OH 43214
1586833049, $39.95, www.linworth.com

One of the principal functions of a school library is to furnish teachers and students with instructional reference materials for projects suitable for supplemental curriculum activities. "Technology Projects For Library Media Specialists And Teachers, Volume 2: Books, Boxes, And All Things Fun To Make" is a compendium of fun and educational do-it-yourself projects and activities for children in grades K-8, each of which takes sixty minutes or less using Microsoft's PowerPoint program. The step-by-step instructions are enhanced with multiple illustrations of computer screens. The projects are organized into three chapters -- Books; Boxes; and miscellaneous activities. The projects themselves range from a party hat, to a bird house, to jig saw puzzles. Thoroughly 'kid friendly' and all kids of fun, "Technology Projects For Library media Specialists And Teachers, Volume 2: Books, Boxes, And All Things Fun To Make" is a welcome and recommended addition to school library reference collections and an ideal curriculum supplement activity resource appropriate for use by home-schooling parents as well.


The Christmas Shelf

2008 Christmas with Southern Living
Southern Living
Oxmoor House
Box 2262, Birmingham, AL 35201-2262
0848732286, $29.95 www.oxmoorhouse.com

The Christmas experts at Southern Living magazine offer a 2008 version of how to cook and entertain Southern-style, with lessons for all readers. From over a hundred forty brand new recipes for desserts and dishes perfect for company entertaining to decorating tips for the holidays, traditional or modern whimsical, elegant to basic - 2008 CHRISTMAS WITH SOUTHERN LIVING is a holiday choice perfect for seasonal entertainment - and for any collection offering seasonal tips.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry
Yvonne J. Markowitz & Elyse Zorn Karlin
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
9780878467341, $45.00 www.mfa-publications.org

Any library strong in art history in general or jewelry history in particular will find IMPERISHABLE BEAUTY: ART NOUVEAU JEWELRY an excellent pick, covering the European Art Nouveau movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jewelry designers reflected typical European arts history and produced a free-flowing form of design that made their work unique - and IMPERISHABLE BEAUTY offers full-page color photos capturing the best of these pieces.

Mauzy's Rare, Unusual and Unique Depression Glass
Barbara & Jim Mauzy
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764330315, $24.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Plenty of books on Depression-era glassware are on the market so it's refreshing to view a different focus in Mauzy's Rare, Unusual and Unique Depression Glass, a book directed to avid collectors who have come across rare pieces needing identification. Also exceptional are good-sized color photos displaying the pieces, along with notes on makers and history. There are no valuation notes here, but the survey of over 200 noteworthy pieces of vintage glassware - many thought to be the only one in existence - makes for an outstanding specialty item.


The Dance Shelf

Aerial Dance
Jayne C. Bernasconi and Nancy E. Smith
Human Kinetics
Box 5976, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736073965, $39.95 www.humankinetics.com

The aerial dance performances of twelve leading companies on DVD accompany something truly unique: the first book to profile this new dance genre. From its historical roots to how to become an aerial dancer and how to judge aerial performances differently, AERIAL DANCE offers insights and direction from experts who developed and work in this genre. Any library strong in modern dance in general needs this.


The Nautical Shelf

Sheridan House
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
www.sheridanhouse.com

Any library strong in nautical 'how-to' information or offshore sailing needs Ed Mapes's FURTHER OFFSHORE (9781574092530, $39.95), directed to sailors who already have the basics down and who want to go further than day sailors usually achieve, to bluewater heights. The author is a USCG certified Master Mariner, sailing instructor and delivery skipper and has years of sailing behind him. Highly recommended as a definitive guide to everything from boat insurance and weather to watchkeeping and safety. John Kretschmer's THE BEST USED BOAT NOTEBOOK (9781574092349, $29.95) is a 'must' for any would-be boat buyer, particular as the used boat market is growing. The author's column of the same name has long been a popular feature of Sailing Magazine, and this book presents some of the best reviews of a variety of boats, common problems, and tips on repair, parts, and pricing. An added feature of ten recommended new boats for world sailing completes the value of this collection.


The Real Estate Shelf

How To Sell Your Home In Any Market
Loren K. Keim, author
Sphinx Publishing
c/o Sourcebboks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
(630)961-3900, www.sourcebooks.com
9781572486980, $16.95, pgs. 262, glossary and appendix

Having a tough time selling a home in this volatile market? What can you do to improve you chances of selling your home and getting an offer that you are hoping for? From experienced real estate broker Loren Keim, comes a compendium of expert advice in "How to Sell Your Home In Any Market". Keim discusses six universal challenges and common mistakes that include Poor Staging, Incorrect Pricing, Improper Marketing, Location-Challenged Properties, Functional Obsolescence and 'No One is Buying in Your Area', explaining each one and then providing a detailed explanation of how to correct or counter the problem. "How To Sell Your Home In Any Market" is an easy to read book provides quick tips, checklists, and photos, to provide a clear step approach to achieving a goal of selling your home, even in though markets. Included are a list of resources and websites to help the home seller be more proactive in selling their home, for example a website which allows home sellers to create an online brochure featuring photos and information about their home which increases your marketing exposure. Thoroughly 'user friendly' and ideal for the non-specialist general reader, "How To Sell Your Home In Any Market" is a strongly recommended instructional guide for anyone selling their home and a critically important addition to community library reference collections.


The Egyptology Shelf

The Egypt Code: A Grand Plan
Robert Bauval
The Disinformation Company, Ltd.
163 Third Avenue, Suite 108, New York, New York 1003
1-212-691-1605, www.warwichassociates.net/EgyptCode
9781934708002, $27.95, pgs. 352 + 51 color photos

The mysteries of the tombs, pyramids, and beliefs of the Egyptians continues to spark iconoclastic theories. "The Egypt Code: A Grand Plan" is a provocatively informative book wherein author Robert Bauval presents his "grand unified theory" which shows how from earliest times beginner around 3000 BC to the closure of the Egyptian civilization with the death of Cleopatra and the dominant control of Rome in 30 BC, the pharaohs correlated what they saw in the sky to what they built on the ground. Fascinating perspectives and thoughts lending to this theory that not only did Egyptians mirror on the ground what they saw in the sky, but that the changes in the sky landscape, matches the changes on the ground, for example the size and placement of a pyramid. "The Egypt Code: A Grand Plan" presents an articulate and thought provoking set of ideas and explanations, which will bring about great discussions for some time to come. Recommended for public and Egyptology and Metaphysical Studies collections, "The Egypt Code: A Grand Plan" is a fascinating read that is as thoughtful as it is thought provoking.


The Crafts Shelf

The Art of Turned Bowls
Richard Raffan
Taunton Press
Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781561589548, $24.95 www.taunton.com

World-class turner Richard Raffan provides a fine guide to turning bowls in his ART OF TURNED BOWLS, a tutorial teaching bowl design and longevity of product. The focus is on creating lovely shapes and wood which continues to delight as it changes and ages: first published as TURNED-BOWL DESIGN in 1987, this new edition has been completely updated with new information and color photos. Any woodcrafting library needs this.


The Social Issues Shelf

Immigration
Ilan Stavans, Editor
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780313348020, $55.00 www.greenwood.com

IMMIGRATION focuses on Latino immigration, culture and issues and provides a powerful examination of many different considerations and immigrant experiences across the country. From political and social misrepresentations of immigrants to experiences of immigrants, this focus on the Latino cultural experience in America is a 'must' for any high school to college-level library strong in Latino issues.

Cracking the Code
Thom Hartmann
Berret-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery #650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781576756270, $14.95 www.bkcurrents.com

What is political communication, how has the Right mastered it, and how can other groups fight back? Thom Hartmann's background as a psychotherapist and ad executive lends to a series of techniques gained from real life and applied successfully to real-world scenarios. Plenty of case history examples document visual communication differences, discovering more powerful words and methods of imparting them, and more. Highly recommended for any library, whether business, political or general-interest.

Phony! How I Faked My Way Through Life
Andrea Stanfield
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781591026556, $16.95 www.prometheusbooks.com

In 1998 the author told a lie that began her professional life: in an interview with an accounting department she claimed she held a bachelors degree in business from a large university. Using impressive interviewing skills she perpetuated this phony background, using her first entry as a stepping stone to larger gains. "Phony! How I Faked My Way Through Life" documents the history of a born liar with a high school diploma who thus wound up as the manager of the two largest financial districts in the firm. Fraud in professional credentials is an enduring social problem and not a year passes without some misrepresentation coming to light -- often making the headlines. "Phony! How I Faked My Way Through Life" is a striking and informative read and recommended for both business and general-interest collections.


The Gardening Shelf

Vanished Gardens: Finding Nature in Philadelphia
Sharon White
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
0820331562, $28.95 www.ugapress.org

While VANISHED GARDENS would be a likely pick for Pennsylvania libraries in general, it offers stories, histories of people and plants, and surveys of wider-ranging issues making it a powerful consideration of an urban area's evolving gardens. From the gardens of a colonial botanist to a large 18th century farmer's diary to modern times, VANISHED GARDENS is an excellent pick for any gardening library.

Great Gardens of the Berkshires
Virginia Small & Rich Pomerantz
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
www.downeastbooks.com
9780892727483, $35.00, pgs. 144, 1-800-685-7962

Breathtaking gardens have been an integral part of domestic American landscapes and have long provided healing effects on the mind, body and soul of those that grew and tended them as well as those who merely enjoyed their beauty and diversity. "Great Garden of the Berkshires" showcases both public and private gardens in a beautifully illustrated and informative compendium. Author Virginia Small integrates the stories behind the creation of each of these unique places, enhanced throughout with stunningly presented photos as captured by Rich Pomerantz. "Great Gardens of the Berkshires" will inspire the gardener in you with ideas about texture, color schemes, plant combinations and more. Featuring heartwarming and charming explorations of the richness such great public gardens as The Mount, Naumkeag, Chesterwood, Ashintully and the Berkshire Botanical Garden, "Great Gardens of the Berkshires" is the next best thing to personally exploring these personal floral paradises and discovering just what inspired their creation. Recommended for gardeners, or anyone with an interest in landscape and design, "Great Gardens of the Berkshires" is especially suitable for all public and private library Gardening/Landscaping reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Transportation Shelf

The Model T: A Centennial History
Robert Casey
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801888506, $24.95 www.press.jhu.edu

The Model T Ford was the nation's first mass-produced, affordable vehicle and made for a revolutionary change in America's auto industry, so having a new history just in time for the car's centennial celebration is a treat. From those who conceived of, built and purchased the car to the underlying technological leaps associated with the Model T, this gripping history is a fine pick for any library including transportation history books on the shelf.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Slanted Jack
Mark L. Van Name
Baen Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
1416555498, $24.00 www.baen.com

Jon, a nanotech-enhanced ex-soldier, agrees to help a con man friend - and finds himself embroiled in the past as the simple deal turns into a complicated mess involving interstellar governments and a frontier world. Swift action and high drama make SLANTED JACK a winning science fiction thriller.


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


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