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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 4 April 2007 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Poetry Shelf World History Shelf
Literary Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf American History Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Library DVD Shelf Art Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Science Shelf Education Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf Computer Shelf Psychology Shelf
Military Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Political Science Shelf
Travel Shelf Sports Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Business Shelf Biography Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Cookbook Shelf International Studies Shelf Music Shelf
Architecture Shelf Library CD Music Shelf Economics Shelf
Anthropology Shelf Philosophy Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Gaming Shelf Archaeology Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Civil War Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com 1-800-955-9659

The Linford Western Library is a series of superbly produce, large print, paperback western novels published by the British firm of F. A. Thorpe and distributed in the United States through Ulverscroft. Five of their latest titles (and guaranteed to please fans of novels set in the American frontier) include Tom Benson's "The Land Grabbers" (9781846175831); Jake Douglas' "Sound of Gunfire" (9781846175855); Terry Murphy's "Broken Star" (9781846175879); Owen G. Iron's "The Drifter's Revenge" (9781846175862); and David Bingley's "Lawman's Lament" (9781846175848). Each of these thrilling sagas of the Old West is present in a large print format, making them especially ideal additions to community libraries wanting to add to their Large Print book collections books that would have a special appeal to older male readers who would benefit from a large print text. Community librarians with a responsibility for developing large print collections would be well advised to visit the Ulverscroft website at www.ulverscroftusa.com and request their free publications catalog with a complete listing of thousands of large print titles in all genres and categories, fiction and non-fiction alike.


The Poetry Shelf

Aqua Regia
F. J. Bergmann
Parallel Press
University of Wisconsin - Madison Libraries, Madison, WI 53706
1893311872, $10.00 http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu

When not writing some rather impressive verse, Wisconsin poet F. J. Bergmann works at Avol's Bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin, and helped to establish www.madpoetry.org (a local public service poetry website) as well as create her own personal website www.fibitz.com. A chapbook of her poetry has now been published by Parallel Press and will nicely serve to introduce other poetry enthusiasts to the unique, lyrical, and rather extraordinary poetry of that is the work of F. J. Bergmann. 'The Mysteries': and whether they did or didn't/the knife was talking to the gun/the trees were taller than the house/something was living in the basement/its tail left swirls in the smeared dust/they were sorry when it didn't come back/they had the knife ready and waiting/the gun slept under a feather pillow/no one explained to them why

Straight Ahead
Clare Shaw
Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
1852247509 $21.95 www.dufoureditions.com

Written by women's mental health activist Clare Shaw, herself a survivor of mental instability and admissions to psychiatric wards during young adulthood, Straight Ahead is a collection of poetry depicting loss, closeness, collapse, and delight - all the aspects of being alive, including the inevitability of decay. The free verse celebrates evocative patterns of sound and rhythm, and the subjects consider both the cruel and wonderful sides of living. An evocative, emotionally resonating collection. "Maybe Somewhere" You wake with each lover you left, / morning sun and the air hung with dust. / Maybe somewhere, all the lives you could have lived / are still going on; shops, work, / a patch of garden, the usual things. / Early evenings soft with voices, / the small gestures you learned to forget. // The houses you could have lived in. / A woman takes down a pan from a high shelf / as a child you should have known / rides on your shin to a song / that would have driven you mad / if you'd heard it. Again and again.

New Jersey
Betsy Andrews
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
029922144X $14.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress 1-800-621-2736

Winner of the 2007 Brittingham Prize in Poetry, New Jersey is a book-length, free-verse poem that weaves a diverse portrait of America, from its landfills and wetlands to its weapons labs, politics, and human consciousness. Heavily grounded in industrial metaphor, New Jersey is keenly whetted with savage honesty about the death of a thousand cuts inflicted by the demands of technology, war, industry, and pollution. "Turnpike immaculate, the salt marsh flanked in / masks, cupids, urns, plumage, syringes, food wrappers, cigarette butts, / the carved and gilded heraldry of a clean-up crew called Special Removal, / leasing themselves like automobiles registered to a series of dummy corporations / wraparound ballistics the belief in an extraordinary rendition of / the axiom 'let every soul be subject'".


The World History Shelf

The Banquet
Ken Albala
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6975
0252031334 $40.00 www.press.uillinois.edu 1-800-545-4703

Professor of History Ken Albala presents The Banquet, an examination of the tradition of fine and extravagant dining in Western Europe during 1520-1660. During this era, banquets were used to display a host's wealth and power, gather nobles from disparate places together, and disseminate political propaganda; The Banquet explores the evolving nuances of this practice and trends such as the increased use of dairy products, a move toward lighter meats such as veal and chicken, refinement of aesthetic senses and aromatics, and other style progressions notable in their parallel of other aspects of Renaissance art and culture. Though scholarly in tone, The Banquet is surprisingly accessible to readers of all backgrounds curious about what the Renaissance aristocracy ate and how they ate it; notes, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index round out this fascinating contribution to Renaissance and culinary history shelves.

Secret Societies
Una Birch, author
James Wasserman, editor
Ibis Press
c/o Nicolas-Hays, Inc.
PO Box 540206, Lake Worth, FL 33454-0206
0892541326 $18.95 www.nicolashays.com

Secret Societies: Illuminati, Freemasons and the French Revolution is a reprinting of historian Una Birch's classic treatise, originally published in 1911, with extensive annotations, an introduction, biographical sketches, and a history of the French Revolution by James Wasserman. The core of Secret Societies focuses upon links between the fierce violence and lasting societal changes wrought by the French Revolution and the roles that mysterious, clandestine organizations such as the Freemasons and the Illuminati may have played in the transformation. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, and so Secret Societies explores what lessons can be drawn from the Revolution and applied to modern times, as well as the question as to whether secret societies exert influence upon the world, and if so how much. A venerable classic, now in a more accessible form than ever before.

Murder in Marrakesh
Jonathan G. Katz
Indiana University Press
601 N. Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
0253348153 $29.95 http://iupress.indiana.edu

Written by Jonathan G. Katz (Professor of History, Oregon State University), Murder in Marrakesh: Emile Mauchamp and the French Colonial Adventure is a chronicle of events leading up to and following the ruthless murder of Emile Mauchamp, a young French doctor serving in Morocco in the years leading up to World War I. Mauchamp, though a dedicated public servant, was also an ardent French patriot; rumors flew about that he was a spy. He was slaughtered by a mob and his possessions plundered; his death became the opportunity for an increased military presence that would transform Morocco forever. Murder in Marrakesh examines all sides of the historic case, including reflections on French-Moroccan relations, colonial pride, and conflict between civilizations. A serious-minded, heavily researched, yet highly readable account revealing hard-learned lessons of history.

Famous First Facts
Joseph Nathan Kane, Steven Anzovin, & Janet Podell
H.W. Wilson
950 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452
0824210654 $185.00 www.hwwilson.com

Now in an updated sixth edition with roughly 1,000 new entries and a few new black-and-white images, Famous First Facts is a massive hardcover compendium of amazing achievements, discoveries, and events in world history. More than 7,500 entries total stretch from 10,000 B.C. (earliest human artifacts found in America) through 2006 A.D. Featuring multiple entry indexes by year, subject, day, name, or geographical area, and organized into 16 sections on subjects ranging from social and scientific realms to technology, arts, sports, religion, literature, and much more, Famous First Facts remains a solid reference especially recommended for public and school libraries. A sample famous first fact: in 1658 New Amsterdam (now New York City), the first police force was employed, consisting of eight men.

Hidden History
Brian Haughton
New Page Books
3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564148971 $17.99 www.newpagebooks.com 1-800-227-3371

Written by archaeologist and devote of the esoteric Brian Haughton, Hidden History: Lost Civilizations, Secret Knowledge, and Ancient Mysteries is an amazing survey of mystic places, people, events and structures throughout history. From clues to the true identity of the Queen of Sheba, to ongoing debates concerning the Great Sphinx, to the Irish Newgrange megalith hundreds of years older than the Giza Pyramid and Stonehenge, to evidence for the origins of the Greek myth concerning the Minotaur, each chapter sheds new light on ancient quandaries of human history. A scattering of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fantastic volume; though highly speculative at times, Hidden History is sure to be a treat for anyone with a taste for ancient fables, wonders, and conundrums.


The Literary Shelf

The Secret Wound
Marion A. Wells
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
0804750467 $60.00 www.sup.org

The Secret Wound: Love-Melancholy and Early Modern Romance hypothesizes that understanding the medical profile of the melancholic lover is vital for understanding the definitive patterns of literary early modern romance. Applying a detailed historical basis to support its precept of investigating the psychological structure of romance, The Secret Wound particularly studies romance and melancholy in classic literary texts such as "Orlando Furioso" and the "Gerusalemme Liberata". Female melancholy in the context of the romance quest is also pondered at length. An intriguing, well-reasoned, in-depth exploration of a critical literary component.

Thornton Wilder Collected Plays & Writings on Theater
Thornton Wilder
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
1598530038 $40.00 www.loa.org

The most comprehensive one-volume edition of dramatist Thornton Wilder's work published to date, Thornton Wilder Collected Plays & Writings on Theater is an 800+ page compendium of plays Wilder wrote throughout his career, essays that reveal Wilder's reflections on his own plays, an epistolary account of the film adaptation of the classic play "Our Town", a chronology, notes, and much more. Of special interest to literati is material that has never before been published: scenes from "The Emporium", an ambitious yet unfinished play that evolved out of Wilder's involvement with existentialist philosophy in his postwar years, as well as the complete screenplay that Wilder wrote for Alfred Hitchcock's movie "Shadow of a Doubt" just prior to reporting for military service in 1942. Like all Library of America editions, Thornton Wilder Collected Plays & Writings on Theater features a sturdy hardcover binding, a compact, relatively lightweight design, and an inset ribbon bookmark. A "must" for classic theater shelves, and recommended for college and public library collections.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

101 Original One-Minute Monologues
Glenn Alterman
Smith & Kraus, Inc.
300 Bedford Street, Building B, Suite 213, Manchester, NH 03101
157525431X $11.95 1-800-895-4331

Award-winning playwright Glenn Alterman presents his seventh book of original monologues in 101 Original One-Minute Monologues (Volume 3 of the 60 Seconds to Shine series), created especially for actors who are more and more often given one-minute auditions in which to showcase their talents. There are monologues here for men and women, ranging in tone from dramatic to comedic to seriocomedic. Many of the monologues cover topical subjects, and an introduction offers suggestions for choosing and presenting the right one at an audition. Enthusiastically recommended for practicing and aspiring actors everywhere. A sample dramatic monologue of an adult son lambasting his father for being rude to an attendant: "Does that make you feel strong, Dad, huh? Important? How could you? That poor guy takes so much pride in what he does. It may not be much, but to him, to him it's everything! So maybe he didn't go to college, or even high school, but what he does here... He's got his dignity, Dad, and you just tried to take it away from him. The way you talked to him just now, like he was nothing. Maybe handing out towels in a men's room isn't as prestigious as being a big CEO, but... You know, y'know, let's forget dinner, Dad. Suddenly, suddenly I lost my appetite."

Sinascape
Gary G. Xu
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
0742554503 $24.95 1-800-462-6420

Associate professor of Chinese, comparative literature, cinema studies, and criticism Gary Xu applies knowledge gained from his working relationship with filmmakers in Sinascape: Contemporary Chinese Cinema, a comprehensive examination of transnational Chinese-language films of the turn of the millennium. Sinascape applies its sharp-eyed focus to spotting trends and interpreting aspects in Chinese cinema, and uses examples of popular Chinese movies to illustrate its points, but should not be confused with a grand catalog of Chinese films. Movies dissected at length in the essays include "Hero, House of Flying Daggers", "Devils on the Doorstep", "My Camera Doesn't Lie", "Kung Fu Hustle", "Goodbye, Dragon Inn", "Millennium Mambo", and "Hollywood Hong Kong". Occasional black-and-white photographs, a bibliography, and an index round out this guide recommended for cinema students and philosophically inclined fans of Chinese cinema.


The American History Shelf

Storytelling in Yellowstone
Lee H. Whittlesey
University of New Mexico Press
MSC04 2820, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
0826341179 $27.95 www.unmpress.com 1-800-249-7737

Yellowstone National Park historian Lee H. Whittlesey presents Storytelling in Yellowstone: Horse and Buggy Tour Guides, the culmination of years of research into folk tales, legends, and some fascinating true stories told by stagecoach-driving tour guides who used to be a staple of Yellowstone National Park prior to 1920. From unique accounts of contact with reclusive Native American tribes, to tall tales and humorous exaggerations, to comments on the portrayal of Yellowstone in early photos and movies, Storytelling in Yellowstone is a treasury sure to appeal to scholars and lay readers alike. Storytelling in Yellowstone consists partly of the stories themselves, though a preponderance of the text is methodically devoted to probing the tales' history, usage, and veracity. Occasional black-and-white photographs round out this seminal contribution to American folk tale literature.

Catastrophe to Triumph
Richard S. Hobbs, Ph.D.
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
0874222893 $24.95 www.wsupress.wsu.edu

Written by historian Richard S. Hobbs Ph.D., Catastrophe to Triumph: Bridges of the Tacoma Narrows is a fascinating examination of the true story behind the Tacoma Narrows Bridge fiasco. In 1940, just 129 days after its creation, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge literally fell apart. Yet the flaws in its workmanship were apparent well before its spontaneous destruction - its undulations were so readily visible that it earned the nickname "Galloping Gertie". Catastrophe to Triumph reveals the inside story of government agencies that hired a New York firm to revise the original plans, who knew about the immediate danger, and why too little was done too late to prevent the bridge's final doom. Catastrophe to Triumph also recounts how a second bridge built on part of the original substructure succeeded while the first one failed. Written to be accessible to lay readers as well as engineers, and filled cover to cover with vintage black-and-white photographs, Catastrophe to Triumph is a gem of American monument and engineering history.

Arizona Sheriffs
Jane Eppinga
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703-0250
188789621X $16.95 www.rionuevo.com

Western historian Jane Eppinga presents Arizona Sheriffs: Badges and Bad Men, a rousing history of how Arizona's law enforcement personnel have combated crime from the 1880s to the 1990s. Illustrated with occasional vintage black-and-white photographs of real-life Western lawmen, Arizona Sheriffs covers historical events such as the Pleasant Valley War, the sheriff as executioner, manhunts then and now, the connection between rodeo and lawmen, sheriffs who became corrupt, and much more. Written for readers of all backgrounds, Arizona Sheriffs is an exciting slice of Arizona state history, especially recommended for public library collections and American West history shelves.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Quilts For Ice Cream Lovers
Janet Jones Worley
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
1574329251, $21.95 www.aqsquilt.com

In "Quilts For Ice Cream Lovers", quilting expert Janet Jones Worley showcases ten full-size quilting projects, plus seven smaller projects, designed to enable even the most novice needlecrafter to produce simply beautiful pieces that would serve as perfect gifts or as home decor embellishments. Each do-it-yourself projects is superbly illustrated with careful and methodical, step-by-step directions that take the aspiring through ever stage of the quilt's construction. Thoroughly 'user friendly', Janet Worley's "Quilts For Ice Cream Lovers" is an impressive and confidently recommended addition to any dedicated needlecrafter's quilting project reference collection.

Shibori For Textile Artists
Janice Gunner
Kodansha America, Inc.
575 Lexington Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10022
1568363664, $27.95 www.kodanshaamercia.com 1-800-451-7556

Janice Gunner (Vice President of The Quilters Guild of the British Isle) has been teaching patchwork, quilting and shibori for the past 30 years. Now in "Shibori For Textile Artists", she draws upon her considerable experience and impressive expertise to introduce needlecrafters and fabric artists to the Japanese technique known as 'shibori' (from the Japanese word meaning 'to squeeze or wring'), a practice of dying gathered or bound fabric to produce vivid patterns. Enhanced with more than one hundred colorful illustrations accompanying step-by-step instructions on how to create beautiful, unique, unpredictable shibori effects, "Shibori For Textile Artists" is a complete introductory manual that will have a very special appeal and utility for quilters, embroiderers, and textile artists wanting to master the techniques of shibori in projects of their own. Featuring the historical and cultural background of shibori, and covering techniques involving tied-resist, wrapped-resist, clamp-resist, folded-resist, and pleated-resist, as well as immersion, space, and indigo dying, "Shibori For Textile Artists" will prove a highly prized and appreciated addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Needlecraft and Fabric Arts reference collections.


The Library DVD Shelf

Robin Of Sherwood: Set 1
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650, Silver Spring, MD 20910
DVD, $59.99 www.acornmedia.com

"Robin Of Sherwood: Set 1" is a five disk DVD boxed set that includes all thirteen episodes of the outstanding 1980 British television series about Robin Hood and his adventures. Enhanced with the hauntingly beautiful music of the British folk music group Clannad, this beautifully produced and elegantly photographed, costumed, and enacted version of the Robin Hood myths is heavily infused with Celtic mysticism and includes more than eight hours of special features beyond the individual episodes themselves. The DVD format allows for commentaries on selected episodes, two retrospective documentaries, outtakes, 'The Electric Theatre Show' behind-the-scenes documentary, bonus footage, and more. Now available through the Acorn Media Company, this digitally remastered, 4:3 full screen, closed caption, DVD boxed set has a total running time of 676 minutes, and is enthusiastically recommended as an enduringly popular addition for personal and community library DVD collections.

More Than Dreams
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
#501117D, $24.99 www.visionvideo.com 1-800-523-0226

"More Than Dreams" is a 187-minute, full-color, DVD 'docu-drama' that tells the story of a genuine phenomena taking place throughout the Muslim communities world wide. Individual Muslims over the past few decades have been experiences dreams and visions of Jesus Christ. "More Than Dreams" presents five such incidents where form Muslims who, because of their personal experience with this phenomena, have embraced Christianity. Each of the five stories includes a segment explaining what it means to follow Christ. The five highlighted stories are told using the native languages with English subtitles and includes Khalil, a radical Egyptian terrorist who was transformed when Jesus appeared to him; Mohammed, a Nigerian herdsman who survived attempts on his life by his father when the young man found Christ – a faith that eventually was to lead his father to a faith in Christ as well; Dini, an Indonesian teenager who became filled with the peace of Christ even in the face of persecution by her fellow Indonesian Muslims; Khosrow, a young Iranian man who was depressed and hopeless until he met Jesus and became filled with joy; and Ali, a Turkish Muslim addicted to alcohol who, wile on pilgrimage to Mecca, found Christ as the solution to his addiction. "More Than Dreams" is a unique and inspiring work that should have as wide an audience as possible within both Christian and Muslim communities.


The Art Shelf

The Rembrandt Book
Gary Schwartz
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
0810943174, $65.00 www.abramsbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

Compiled and written by one of the world's leading experts on the life and work of Rembrandt von Rijn as part of the 400th anniversary of his birth, "The Rembrandt Book" is a 384-page compendium of biography and history of the Dutch master's life and art. Beautifully and visually enhanced with 700 full-color illustrations, "The Rembrandt Book" also provides interested readers with an introduction and analysis of all the various controversies and debates over Rembrandt in terms of just how many paintings and drawings can be accurately and definitively attributed to him. A core addition to personal, community, art school, and academic library Art History reference collections, "The Rembrandt Book" is most especially recommended to the attention of art historians, art students, art enthusiasts, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the colorful life and personal mysteries involving one of Europe's most famous and influential painters.

Andy Warhol Portraits
Tony Shafrazi, editor
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10014
0714846678, $69.95 www.phaidon.com

Andy Warhol is one of the best known American artists of the 1960s and renowned for his uncoventional life and art as well as is enduring influence on American pop culture. An influence that continues down to the present time several decades after his death. Famous for his iconic images of Marilyn Monroe and Campbell Soup Cans, he also made art out of the facial images of political, social, entertainment, sports, and music celebrities of his day. This particular body of his work has been compiled and edited by Tony Shafrazi, who enhances this 320-page coffee table art book with 350 color illustrations and informative essays by art critic Carter Ratcliff and art historian Robert Rosenblum. The men and women whose images were made immortal by Warhol range from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giorgio Armani, Truman Capote, Jimmy Carter, Joan Collins, Clint Eastwood, Herman Hesse, Alfred Hitcock, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Lenin, Robert Mapplethorpe, Liza Minnelli, Princess Diana, Yves Saint Laurent, O.J. Simpson, Elizabeth Taylor, Tennessee Williams, Natalie Wood, Mao Zedong, and hundreds of others. An important contribution to academic library 20th Century American Art History reference collections, "Andy Warhol Portraits" is a 'must' for the personal collections of Warhol's legions of admirers.


The Audiobook Shelf

Mistress Of The Art Of Death
Ariana Franklin
Books On Tape, Inc.
400 Hahn, Westminister, MD 21157
9781415936986, $100.00 www.booksontape.com 1-800-541-5525

Four children have been murdered in medieval Cambridge and the Catholic townfolk blame their Jewish neighbors for the deaths. To save them from a rioting mob, the Jews of Cambridge are placed under the protection of the King Henry II while a scientific investigation is launched to catch the true killer. King Henry calls upon his cousin, the King of Sicily, to ask for his finest 'master of the art of death", a practitioner of the earliest form of medical examiner in Europe. The Italian doctor selected for the task of discovering the killer of children turns out to be a woman named Adelia, and in a backward, superstitious, patriarchal England, Adelia must conceal her gender while tracking the killer – who is preparing to kill again! "Mistress Of The Art Of Death" is a superbly crafted mystery novel by Ariana Franklin that is brought to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience by the narrative talents of Rosalyn Landor in this complete and unabridged, 11 CD audiobook production that has a total running time of 13 hours, 12 minutes. "Mistress Of The Art Of Death" is an especially recommended addition to community library audiobook collections and a 'must' for anyone who enjoys historical murder mysteries set in medieval Europe.

The Trail to Peach Meadow Canyon
Louis L'Amour
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
0786161906, $27.00 www.BlackstoneAudio.com 1-800-729-2665

Written by the legendary western author Louis' L'Amour, "The Trail to Peach Meadow Canyon" is the story of Mike Bastian who was orphaned as a child and taken in by the notorious outlaw Ben Curry, and raised to take over Curry's empire of crime. Now a grown man, Mike has the fastest draw and the best tracker around. Curry, ready to retire and hand over the reigns to his protegee, sets Mike to the task of planning and carrying out a gold-train robbery. Mike has a choice, to continue on in the path Curry laid out for him all those long years past, or to carve out a destiny and future of his own. But if he refuses the outlaw life, he very well may not be able to leave the gang still breathing. To complicate matters, Mike has fallen in love with Drusilla, Curry's real daughter who doesn't know about her father's outlaw career. Whatever Mike decides, a showdown is in the offing. "The Trail to Peach Meadow Canyon" is vintage L'Amour and enhanced with the dramatic and skilled narrative talents of Jim Gough, this complete and unabridged 3 CD audiobook recording is enthusiastically recommended for western novel enthusiasts, and a welcome addition to community library audiobook collections. Total Running Time: 3 hours

Fleet Walker's Divided Heart
David W. Zang
Legacy Audio Books
PO Box 11183, cincinnati, OH 45211
0977988341, $39.95 www.legacyaudiobooks.com

It will come as a surprise to most baseball enthusiasts, but Jackie Robsinson was not the first African-American to play baseball in a major league. That honor fell to Moses Fleetwood Walker who achieved college baseball stardom while a student at Oberlin College in the 1880s. But Walker was expelled from professional baseball because of the devastating and pervasive racism of the day, including ill treatment by his team mates, his opponents on the field, and Cap anson, a star of the Chicago White Stockings, who drove Walker and the few other African-Americans in the major leagues out of the game, where blacks wanting to play baseball formed the Negro League teams and were excluded from the major league teams until Robinson's barrier breaking inclusion so many years later into the exclusive club that was professional major league baseball. Walker was more than just a gifted baseball player. In addition to being an outstanding athlete, he was also an inventor, a civil rights activist, an author, and an entrepreneur. Born on October 7, 1856 in Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, Walker died on May 11, 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio. "Fleet Walker's Divided Heart" is a superbly written and enthusiastically recommended biography by David W. Zang of a truly remarkable life filled with accomplishment and frustration, triumph and tragedy, and which now has made into an audiobook CD featuring the impressive narrative talents of Andrew L. Barnes.

Reclaiming Nick
Susan May Warren, author
Brooke Sanford, narrator
Oasis Audio
289 South Main Place, Carol Stream, IL 60188
1598592092, $22.99 www.oasisaudio.com 1-800-323-2500

He hadn't really intended to be a 'prodigal son', but when his father dies and leaves half of the Silver Buckle ranch to his former best friend, Nick Noble returns home to face up to his past mistakes and insure that the ranch stays in the Noble Family. As he seeks to overturn his father's will, family secrets surface and there's someone unknown who will stop at nothing, not even murder, to insure that Nick fails. Minnesota author Susan May Warren has written a thoroughly entertaining novel that has all the elements of suspense and romance in this very highly recommended, professional abridged, 6 CD, audiobook edition with a total running time of 7.6 hours and which is ably narrated by Brooke Sanford.

Memory Books
Howard Engel
BTC Audio Books
c/o Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
0864924704, $24.95 www.gooselane.com 1-888-926-8377

Co-narrated by Ron Halder and Donna White, "Memory Books" by Canadian mystery writer Howard Engel is the story of small-town private investigatory Benny Cooperman who, after being left for dead from a blow to the head by an unknown assailant, wakes up in a hospital and in the middle of a mystery. All Benny can remember is that he was close to figuring out a mystery but can't remember anything else – including the name of his girlfriend, Anna Abraham. To complicate things further, Benny is suffering from a brain injury that allows him to still write, but not be able to read! But with the help of Anna and the use of a small notepad dubbed the 'memory book', Benny engages in some dedicated bedside sleuthing. Author Howard Engel (who in real life suffers a similar brain injury to that of his lead character) has created a terrific 'who dunnit' style mystery with a medical theme that will engage the reader's total and rapt attention from beginning to end. Expertly abridged and originally broadcast on CBC Radio, "Memory Books" is especially recommended to mystery buffs and, with a total running time of 3 hours and 30 minutes, is a welcome addition to any community library audiobook CD collection..

Death Before Wicket
Kerry Greenwood
Bolinda Publishing, Inc.
48 Oxford Woods, Falmouth, ME 04105-3401
1740938917, $56.00 www.bolinda.com 1-888-235-2019

"Death Before Wicket" is the story of Phryne Fisher who is planning a little trip to Sydney for a bit of tourism and attending the Artist's Ball with a young painter of her acquaintance. But all these plans unravel when her maid finds that Phryne's sister has gotten herself involved with shady characters and doings in Sydney's murky underworld and nightlife. Then there are the two young men who beg Phryne for help in clearing a friend of theirs from a charge of theft. What evolves is a gripping mystery of greed, fear, blackmail, secrets, lies, and the sinister influences of deep magic! Author Kerry Greenwood has crafted an elegant story that is fully fleshed out with a cast of memorable characters and unexpected plot developments certain to grip and engage mystery fans from beginning to end. This flawlessly recorded, complete and unabridged CD audiobook features the professional narrative talents of Stephanie Daniel. Strongly recommended for personal and community library audiobook collections, "Death Before Wicket" has a total running time of 8 hours and 10 minutes on seven compact dics.

The Valley
Di Morrissey
Bolinda Publishing, Inc.
48 Oxford Woods, Falmouth, ME 04105-3401
1740938828, $120.00 www.bolinda.com 1-888-235-2019

Tucked between rugged peaks, the valley is divided by an impressive river and features peaceful green contours. The valley is also a place where generations of tribes, families, and individuals are kept – until the day when a woman returns to the valley and begins to ask uncomfortable questions. The result is the slow discovery of the story of a forgotten valley pioneer whose life is entwined with her own. In investigating her own family history, more is uncovered and revealed than was ever expected – secrets that were intended to stay buried in the past. With "the Valley", Australian author Di Morrissey has written a complex, beautifully scripted, enthusiastically recommended story that is superbly narrated by Kate Hood. This flawlessly recorded, unabridged, audiobook format has a total running time of 17 hours and 40 minutes on 15 CDs housed in a hard plastic shell case for an extended shelf life.


The Science Shelf

American Scientists
Charles W. Carey, Jr.
Facts On File, Inc.
132 West 31st Street, 17th floor, New York, NY 10001-2006
0816054991, $65.00 www.factsonfile.com 1-800-322-8755

The latest title in the outstanding Facts on File 'American Scientists' series is "American Scientists" which is a compendium of biographical profiles of the men and women in every scientific discipline who are acknowledged contributors to their respective fields of study. Organized alphabetically for ease of use as a general reference, almost 300 entries highlight the lives and contributions of scientists who have significantly impacted society in general and the scientific community in particular. Enhanced with 74 photographs, cross-references, an extensive bibliography, a general index, and two subject indexes (one by discipline and one by year of birth) the scientists range from Rachel Carson, to Edwin Hubble, to Linus Pauling, to Werner von Braun. Every school and community library should acquire and have available for their students and patrons and copy of "American Scientists" from Facts on File in either the Science History or Bibliography reference collections..

The History Of Science: 1700-1900
Frederick Gregory
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
#1210, $99.95 (DVD) www.teach12.com 1-800-832-2412

Professor Frederick Gregory is an esteemed member of the University of Florida whose 3 part, 36 lecture series "The History Of Science: 1700-1900" offers informative, superbly presented, 30 minute presentations that survey the historical development of experimental, empirical, observational-based natural science beginning with the dawn of European Enlightenment and came to dominate as the accredited and preferred source and means of information about the natural world through the 19th century. Artfully combining history and science, Professor Gregory's lectures are each such gems of academia instruction that both students of history and science, as well as the non-specialist general public with an interest in the history of science will find themselves totally engaged and appreciative of the struggle to understand how the natural forces of the world work within complex webs of physics, chemistry, biology, electromagnetism, biomechanics, medicine, electricity, evolution, astronomy, thermodynamics, and so very much more. Of special note is the concluding lecture on 'The End of Science?'. Also available in an audio CD format ($69.95); an audiotape format ($49.95); and with transcript books for every lecture comprising this simply outstanding course of study ($35.00), "The History Of Science: 1700-1900" is a strongly recommended acquisition for academic library collections from highschool to university, and an ideal addition for community libraries and as a homeschooling curriculum supplement.


The Education Shelf

Marvelous Minilessons For Teaching Beginning Writing, K-3
Lori Jamison Rog
International Reading Association
PO Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139
0872075915, $22.95 www.reading.org 1-800-336-7323

"Marvelous Minilessons For Teaching Beginning Writing, K-3" offers classroom teachers forty precise, concise, research-based, classroom-tested, thoroughly 'kid friendly' introductory and skill building lessons in writing for children ages 5 through 8. These lessons are specifically and expertly designed to help children generate and organize
their ideas before setting them down on paper, then transform their pre-writing ideas into an appropriate connected text; craft effective leads including attention to details and vocabulary; the use of conventional spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar; as well as revising their writing to improve clarity, style, and effectiveness. Enhanced with notes and reproducible material, "Marvelous Minilessons For Teaching Beginning Writing, K-3" is an ideal and confidently recommended supplement for classroom teachers working with 5 to 8 year old students. Also very strongly recommended as a companion resource from the International Reading Association is Arlene C. Schulze's "Helping Children Become Readers Through Writing: A Guide To Writing Workshop In Kindergarten (9780872075665, $16.95).


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

I Love a Cop
Ellen Kirschman, Ph.D.
The Guilford Press
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
159385353X $16.95 www.guilford.com

Written by clinical psychologist Ellen Kirschman, Ph.D., whose specific area of expertise lies in helping police officers and their families, I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need To Know is a straightforward, "tell-the-facts" guide, now in a newly revised edition, written especially for the significant others, spouses, and family members of police officers. Being a cop is a demanding job, and sometimes the very skills required for competence - such as being able to suppress strong emotions like fear, anger, or even compassion - are harmful to officers' private and personal lives if carried over to the home. I Love a Cop gives practical, no-nonsense advice to what to expect from the demands of the job, coping with stress or trauma, and much more. Of especial value are the chapters about dealing with domestic abuse, threats of suicide, or other severe cases and problems - including how to recognize the warning signs and when there is no other option than to just get out. Though I Love a Cop is intended especially for the loved ones of police offers, its solid advice is also highly recommended for the loved ones of anyone in a high-stress, risky or demanding occupation. I Love a Cop is also highly recommended as supplemental reading for anyone considering a policing career, as there is also plenty of sage wisdom about what to expect on the job and how to balance demands of the job with those of family life.


The Computer Shelf

The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook, second edition
Randolph Hock
Cyberage Books
c/o Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
0910965765 $24.95 www.infotoday.com 1-800-300-9868

Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher is a solid guide for anyone who uses the Internet for research, including librarians, students, teachers, writers, business professionals, and just about anyone looking for reliable information on anything. Chapters cover how to efficiently glean information from sources ranging from newsgroups and forums to online reference texts, images, audio, and video; tools specific for shopping and product finding; publishing tools such as blogging and podcasting resources; and much more. An extremely handy resource for anyone interested in expanding their internet use beyond what Google will show, and enthusiastically recommended for anyone ready to embrace the modern Information Age.


The Psychology Shelf

Termination in Psychotherapy
Anthony S. Joyce, William E. Piper, John S. Ogrodniczuk, & Robert H. Klein
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20002
1591477301 $59.95 www.apa.org

Written expert psychotherapy professionals Anthony S. Joyce PhD, William E. Piper PhD, John S. Ogrodniczuk PhD, and Robert H. Klein PhD, Termination in Psychotherapy: A Psychodynamic Model of Processes and Outcomes is an in-depth examination of clinical, theoretical, and empirical literature concerning termination of psychotheraputic practice - the point at which therapy winds down and the patient prepares for life after treatment. Chapters discuss both patient-induced and therapist-induced termination, patient characteristics and variations in termination processes and outcomes, clinical principles that can be drawn from empirical research, and much more. A scholarly analysis written for professionals, seeking to concisely yet thoroughly present the latest cutting-edge understanding of how best foment a smooth transition for the patient.

The Gambler Romancing Lady Luck
Billye B. Currie, Ph.D.
Inner City Books
PO Box 1271, Station Q, Toronto, ON M4T 2P4, Canada
1894574192 $25.00 www.innercitybooks.net

Written by licensed psychologist and Jungian analyst Billye B. Currie Ph.D., The Gambler Romancing Lady Luck: A Jungian Exploration is a one-of-a-kind examination of gambling from a Jungian perspective. Exploring the archetypal underpinnings of the gambler through focus on the imagery of Lady Luck and the spectrum of human behavior ranging from casual gameplay to outright addiction, The Gambler Romancing Lady Luck applies case stories to illustrate its insights into the internal and external forces that encourage humans to play games of chance. A handful of black-and-white illustrations add a touch of classic imagery of Lady Luck to this thoughtful, serious-minded dissection of human motivations and compulsions.


The Military Shelf

Lucky Thirteen
Ken Wiley
Casemate
1016 Warrior Road, Suite C, Drexel Hill, PA 19026
193203353X $32.95 www.casematepublishing.com 1-610-853-9131

Author Ken Wiley tells of his service in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II in Lucky Thirteen: D-Days in the Pacific with the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II, a military memoir in first-person perspective. Wiley was only 17 when he enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1943; in the Pacific Theater, he was given responsibility of commanding "Lucky Thirteen", his own Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel. His task was to shuttle troops and supplies form the transport to the beaches, often while under fire and during inclement weather conditions. He served in campaigns for the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Philippines, and Okinawa. Lucky Thirteen recounts beach combat, kamikazes and suicide boats, sniper fire, and dangerous jungle river expeditions as well as sad tales of lost loves, friends made and lost, and humorous accounts of shipboard life. A personable and engaging tale of World War II from an oft-overlooked point of view.

The Wolves of World War II
Hans Thiel, author
Ivan Fehrenbach, translator & editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
0786429712 $29.95 www.mcfarlandpub.com 1-800-253-2187

The Wolves of World War II: An East Prussian Soldier's Memoir of Combat and Captivity on the Eastern Front is the true-life story of author and East Prussian farmer Hans Thiel, who was conscripted into military service on September 1944, close to the end of World War II. Thiel felt a troubled resignation toward the Nazi Party, yet feared that the end of the war would result in utter destruction for his nation. Taken prisoner by Soviet forces, Thiel endured for three years as a postware prisoner, held first by the Red Army then transferred to camps under Polish control. The Wolves of World War II covers agrarian life during the war, Thiel's combat experience, and the harshness and atrocities inflicted upon postwar prisoners in retaliation for German military war crimes. A handful of black-and-white photographs and maps illustrate this stark, unflinchingly honest account.

Of Men and Material
Gary J. Schmitt & Thomas Donnelly, editors
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
1150 Seventeenth Street, NW Washington DC 20036
084474249X $20.00 www.aei.org/books

Co-edited by American Enterprise Institute resident scholar Gary J. Schmitt and resident AEI fellow and "Armed Forces Journal" contributing editor Thomas Donnelly, Of Men and Material: the Crisis in Military Resources is a collection of scholarly essays discussing a very real problem - the erosion of cores strength in American military forces. From the billions of dollars spent on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, to the under-replenishment of military equipment, to the difficulty in successfully recruiting sufficient warm bodies for the Army and Marine Corps, the United States military has undergone a "hollow buildup" with dangerous shortfalls. The essays are "Numbers Matter", "Protracted Wars and the Army's Future", "Age and Indifference Erode U.S. Air Power", "Number and Capabilities: Building a Navy for the Twenty-First Century", and "The Marine Corps: A Hybrid Force for a Hybrid World". Each underscores key weaknesses and sizeable gaps between America's strategic ends and military means, and exhorts difficult choices that must be made soon given the current rate of expending resources while failing to properly replenish them. Highly recommended.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time
Lynne Eldridge, M.D. & David Borgeson, MS, MPT
Beaver's Pond Press, Inc.
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 216, Edina, MN 55439-2129
1592981593 $19.95 www.beaverspondpress.com www.bookhousefulfillment.com

"In 2004, the medical world was shaken a bit when scientists found a link between the incidence of breast cancer and antibiotic use... There has been much debate about this study, but given the increasing resistance of microbes to antibiotics, it generates further concern over the overuse of antibiotics in the United States." Written by Lynne Eldridge, M.D. and David Borgeson, MS, MPT, Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time: Practical Advice for Preventing Cancer is a health and wellness guide to preventing cancer through avoiding carcinogens and implementing lifestyle and diet practices that can reduce cancer risk. From a healthy sex life to the right amount of sleep to maintaining a proper weight, choosing one's medications carefully, and much more, Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time covers reasonable, practical strategies with a strong benefit for overall health. Written in plain terms for lay readers, Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time is highly recommended for its solid health and lifestyle improvement advice.

Medicine Hands
Gayle MacDonald, MS, LMT
Findhorn Press
305a The Park, Findhorn, Forres IV36 3TE, Scotland
c/o Independent Publishers Group
814 N. Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60610
1844090906 $29.95 www.findhornpress.com

Now in a newly revised and enlarged edition, Medicine Hands: Massage Therapy for People with Cancer is an in-depth guide to using massage to lessen the deleterious effects of chemotherapy and radiation, relieve pain, and improve overall quality of life for cancer patients. Written by massage therapist Gayle MacDonald, Medicine Hands is intended especially for fellow massage therapists, offering years of professional experience and wisdom concerning techniques, learning to assess the needs of patients, special considerations for therapy upon patients with common side effects of cancer, children living with cancer, or patients nearing the moment of death. Extensive references, black-and-white photographs, and plain-spoken, highly accessible writing style distinguish this enthusiastically recommended supplemental resource for massage professionals everywhere.


The Language Studies Shelf

Signing Fun
Penny Warner
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
1563682923 $19.95 http://gupress.Gallaudet.edu 1-800-621-2736

Written by child development instructor Penny Warner, Signing Fun: American Sign Language Vocabulary, Phrases, Games, & Activities is a guide to learning American Sign Language for readers age 11 and up. Each handsign is illustrated with cheerful and cartoony black-and-white pictures. Presenting 441 useful signs for a variety of favorite topics, practice sentences with everyday phrases, games and activities for practicing signs, tips on how to sign or fingerspell, use numbers, and communicate with deaf people, Signing Fun is highly recommended as an excellent beginner's book and vocabulary builder for learning ASL.

The Latin Centered Curriculum
Andrew A. Campbell
Non Nobis Press
c/o Memoria Press
4105 Bishop Lane, Louisville, KY 40218
1930953712, $17.95 www.memoriapress.com

"The Latin Centered Curriculum: Home Schooler's Guide To A Latin-Centered Classical Education" was specifically written and designed by Andrew A. Campbell (a practicing homeschooler who holds advanced degrees in Germanic Literature and Languages, with a speciality in Medieval Studies) to enable parents and teachers a ready and 'user friendly' manual for providing children with the basic principles of a Latin and Greek oriented classical education. Beginning with a brief history of the modern classical movement, Campbell goes on to examine the predominate role of Latin in a classical western education and how the various parts of a classical curriculum come together into a coherent whole. Covering Latin, Greek, and Logic, Campbell also addresses English studies, classical studies, Christian and modern studies, mathematics and science. More than offering theories of classical education, Campbell provides commentary and an overview of a practical curriculum that can be readily implemented at home or in the classroom. "The Latin Centered Curriculum" is especially appropriate for Christian parents wanting to acquire a substantial understanding of just what is involved with providing their homeschooled child with a classical education. Also very highly recommended from Memoria Press as ideal curriculum materials for the study of Latin and Greek is their "Famous Men of Rome" series ($39.95, for grades 3 and up); their "Famous Men of the Middle Ages" set ($16.95), the "D'Aularies' Greek Myths" series ($45.00, for grades 3 and up); and the comb-bound Horatius at the Bridge Guide" ($14.95). Homeschooling parents who are considered developing a classical education based curriculum for their children would be well advised to visit the Memoria Press website at http://www.memoriapress.com for a full listing of all their curriculum materials, supplements and online courses.


The Political Science Shelf

A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
Howard Zinn
City Lights Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
0872864758 $16.95 www.citylights.com

Written by historian, playwright, and World War II veteran Howard Zinn, A Power Governments Cannot Suppress is a scathing attack against America's political and ethical failings, using examples of atrocities America perpetuated in history - from massacres in Vietnam to abuses of Chinese immigrant labor workers to complicity in the genocide of East Timor and much more - to add context to current ills such as the extended toll of the war in Iraq. "There is no certainty as to what would happen in our absence [in Iraq]. But there is absolute certainty about the result of our presence - escalating deaths on all sides." Zinn is firmly anti-death penalty and decries its usage as well. Of especial interest in A Power Governments Cannot Suppress is the author's denouncement of a disturbing tendency to compartmentalize the Holocaust, to forget the millions of non-Jews that were executed along with 6 million Jews, and worse, neglect the occurrence of modern acts of genocide thereby betraying the memory of victims of the Holocaust genocide. A strident call to action, speaking out against governmental and human misdeeds, and vociferously encouraging the reader to stand up and take action..

Political Philosophy
Adam Swift
Polity
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
0745635326 $26.95 www.blackwellpublishing.com 1-800-216-2522

Now in a revised and expanded second edition featuring a new chapter specifically about democracy, Political Philosophy: A Beginners' Guide for Students and Politicians by Adam Swift (Fellow in Politics and Sociology, Balliol College) is a highly accessible text for students, lay readers, and novice political philosophers concerning basic political principles that are used to govern society. Chapters describe and discuss philosophical constructs such as social justice, liberty, equality, community, and democracy, and especially dissect common misperceptions and assumptions concerning the denotative meaning of certain principles and labels. Laden with examples designed to prompt the reader to think long and hard concerning what political concepts such as "social justice" truly mean, Political Philosophy is enthusiastically recommended not just for students, but for anyone seeking to prepare themselves to cast a well-informed vote in elections.


The Travel Shelf

Along Interstate 75
Dave Hunter
Mile Oak Publishing Inc.
Suite 81, 20 Mineola road East, Mississauga, ON Canada L5G 4N9
KSB Promotions (publicity)
55 Honey Creek NE, Ada, MI 49301-9768
1896819346 $23.95 www.floridaonline.com

Written by professional writer, photographer, and cartographer Dave Hunter, Along Interstate 75 is a guide for travelers and tourists alike. Spiral-bound to lay flat or fold over on itself for easy use on the road, Along Interstate 75 is filled with easy-to-use, colorful maps, state-by-state highlights, "local knowledge" tips such as FIPS/SAME codes for all I-75 counties (used with portable "severe weather" radio alert units, and difficult to obtain while on the road!), recommended hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions, and much more. A "must-have" resource for anyone planning a long drive along Interstate 75.

Paddling Southern Minnesota
Lynne Diebel & Robert Diebel
Trails Books
923 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703
1931599785, $19.95 www.trailsbooks.com 1-800-236-8088

For most people, canoeing, kayaking, and river rafting in Minnesota is restricted to the Bountry Waters northern area of the state. Now with the publication of "Paddling Southern Minnesota", avid outdoors enthusiasts are presented with a do-it-yourself guide to 85 separate adventure opportunities and resources for canoeing, kayaking, and river rafting the streams and waterways of the southern have of this beautiful upper midwest state. Thirty-eight river systems are clearly identified and described ranging from Blue Earth, Hawk Creek, and Snake, to the St. Croix, Zumbro, and Mississipi. Enhanced with detailed maps and superb photography, as well as practical information on water conditions, wildlife, river history and sheer scenic beauty, "Paddling Southern Minnesota" is an indispensable and strongly recommended guide to planning a trip down any of Minnesota's southern waterways whether it be for a daytrip, a weekend excursion, or an extended vacation.


The Sports Shelf

Baseball's Iron Man
Jeff Seidel
Sports Publishing LLC
804 North Neil St., Suite 100, Champaign, IL 61820
1596701722 $14.95 www.sportspublishingllc.com

Written by seasoned sports journalist Jeff Seidel, Baseball's Iron Man: Cal Ripken Jr., A Tribute is about star Orioles player and Baltimore baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball's Iron Man is not a biography per se, but rather a close examination of Ripken's genius on the field, how he earned his renowned status, and his passion for the game itself. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this excellent celebration by a baseball fan, for baseball fans, and it is entirely fitting that a portion of the proceeds for Baseball's Iron Man will be donated to the Cal Ripken Sr. foundation.

The Search for the Perfect Driver
Tom Wishon with Tom Grundner
Sports Media Group
2500 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
1587263114 $22.95 www.amazon.com

Written by golf club designer Tom Wishon with former golf club maker Tom Grundner, The Search for the Perfect Driver is a one-of-a-kind book especially for golf players who wonder why they can spend a small fortune on just the right driver only to see their shots worsen. The average driver length on the PGA tour of 2004-2005 was 44.5 inches, implying that the best golfers in the world felt they couldn't control a 45 or 46-inch club with optimum precision; and yet it is this size of club, unwieldy to most golfers, that is commonly presented to ordinary golfers in stores and shops. This striking detail and other nuances of why and how too many drivers are designed from the factory to be unhittable in the hands of an average golfer in The Search for the Perfect Driver, as are details concerning how to fix driver faults by looking at one's own shots, how to choose the right driver for one's swing, retrofitting, special needs for female, child, senior, and advanced golfers, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone serious about improving their golf score, as is Winshon's and Grundner's previous guide, "The Search for the Perfect Golf Club."


The Judaic Studies Shelf

A Plausible God
Mitchell Silver
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
0823226824 $22.00 www.fordhampress.com 1-800-247-6553

Written by philosophy teacher Mitchell Silver, A Plausible God: Secular Reflections on Liberal Jewish Theology is a studious, serious-minded discussion for intermediate to advanced students, scholars, and practitioners of religious philosophy. Examining the "liberal" concept of God that has emerged in monotheistic tradition since the seventeenth century, A Plausible God poses the question: does belief in a malleable, naturalistic deity come from, or lead to, a different political, moral, psychological, or aesthetic phenomena from simple atheism? Chapters inquire about "the usefulness of a plausible God", issues of idolatry and its avoidance, fundamental changes that different shades of belief allow or promote in human behavior, and much more. Though A Plausible God is written specifically with the cognition of Jewish thinkers in mind, changes in contemporary Christian thought, Eastern religious traditions, and "New Age" religion are also considered. An extensively researched, skillfully articulated presentation.


The Business Shelf

Selling Results
Bill Stinnett
McGraw-Hill
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121-2298
007147787X $29.95 www.mhprfdessional.com

Written by Sales Excellence Inc. founder and president Bill Stinnett, Selling Results: The Innovative System for Maximizing Sales by Helping Your Customers Achieve Their Business Goals is a guide to maximizing one's sales success through increasing deal size, whether in terms of volume purchased or duration on contracts; accelerating sales velocity through shortening one's development process and/or the customer's buying process; improving the accuracy of sales forecasts; and much more. Written in plain terms for practicing sales professionals of all walks of life, Selling Results is an invaluable resource packed cover to cover with wisdom borne from experience. "A [business] relationship is typically not the reason a customer decides to buy, but it can have a huge influence on who they openly share information with and who they ultimately decide to buy from. The quality of your client relationships is important, but the quantity also matters." The step-by-step instructions for categorizing sales opportunities and dimensions that can be improved to create a more favorable sales environment are particularly useful in this excellent supplementary resource for career salesmen and saleswomen, whether they are on a lot floor or proposing a merger.

Contractor's Survival Manual
William D. Mitchell
Craftsman Book Company
6058 Corte del Cedro , Carlsbad, CA 92009
1572181729, $38.00 www.craftsman-book.com 1-800-829-8123

The construction industry is as profitable as it is competitive. Now in a revised, updated and significantly expanded new edition, "Contractor's Survival Manual" by licensed architect and successful general contractor William D. Mitchell (and now revised by Brian E. P. Beeston) offers practical, step-by-step, process-by-process advice and instruction on starting, operating, and maintaining a construction business. Mitchell covers such issues as setting realistic goals, the use of limited partnerships, working with local building officials, calculating finances (including overhead, contingency and profit margins, structuring a company, building financial reserves, project estimations, scheduling and contracts, marketing and building a prospect list, billings and collections, the impact of economic cycles, using other people's money, alternatives to bankruptcy, dealing with lawsuits (including judgements and liens), becoming an effective salesman with prospective clients, and generally knowing the all the ins and outs of the contracting business. Enhanced with major new sections on using personal computers for bookkeeping, scheduling, and other tasks, web addresses for information resources appropriate for construction contracting, the "Contractor's Survival Manual" is an absolute necessity for those new to the business, and has a great deal of practical value for even the more experienced contractor in the field.


The Biography Shelf

Bob Dylan
Kathleen Mackay
Omnibus Press
c/o Music Sales Corporation
257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010
0825673305, $22.95 www.omnibuspress.com 1-800-431-7187

Bob Dylan is an icon of American popular music whose work and performances have influenced and inspired folk musicians and rock stars ranging from Pete Seeger to Bruce Springsteen. "Bob Dylan: Intimate Insights From Friends And Fellow Musicians" by biographer Kathleen MacKay provides Dylan's legions of fans with an intimate portrait of the man and his music in a published 'oral history' drawn from extensive interviews with his friends and associates. Superbly organized, here are the memories and reminiances regarding Dylan as related by such luminaries as Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny rivers, and dozens more. No one who has ever thrilled to a Dylan song or who were fortunately enough to catch him in a live performance will want to miss reading this outstanding biography which is enhanced with the inclusion of fourteen black-and-white photographs, source notes, an extended bibliography, and a listing of websites for musicians.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

How To Write And Publish Your Own eBook
Jim Edwards & Joe Vitale
Morgan James Publishing
1225 Franklin Avenue, Suite 325, Garden City, NY 11530-1693
1600371523, $19.95 www.morganjamespublishing.com 1-800-485-4943

The collaborative work of Jim Edwards and Joe Vitale, "How To Write And Publish Your Own eBook...In As Little As 7 Days" is a complete, methodical, step-by-step instruction manual in publishing ebooks. Both Edwards and Vitale are drawing upon their enormously successful careers publishing ebooks and now share their particular body of expertise to reveal all of the steps and processes that will enable publisher to expand their revenue streams through the inclusion of a line of ebooks. "How To Write And Publish Your Own eBook" is particular recommended to the attention of self-published authors and small press publishers wanting to participate in the growing ebook market which shows strong promise of becoming more and more economically viable as the internet and the lap top computer become as commonplace with young generations as print publications and audiobooks are to their elders. Any author and any publisher considering expanding into the ebook market with their titles should give a careful reading to this superbly organized and presented 'do-it-yourself' manual.

Book Typography
Michael Mitchell & Susan Wightman
Oak Knoll Press
310 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720-5038
0948021667, $69.95 www.oakknoll.com 1-800-996-2556

A critically important part of publishing books is their physical appearance, which in turn is dependent on their design. "Book Typography: A Designer's Manual" is a complete and thoroughly 'user friendly' introduction to the basic principles and applications of typography to insure readily accessible communication to the reader. Type font selection, size, and positioning are essential elements in the construction of a book regardless of genre or category of publication. From poetry, to novels, to illustrated books, to reference works, "Book Typography" will prove invaluable to the novice while having a great deal of practical utility for even the more experienced publisher. Of special note is the chapter on "The Basic Terms of the Trade" which provides extended definitions of technical terms applicable to publishing. An impressively comprehensive, single volume typographical reference work, "Book Typography" is an essential, core addition to the reference libraries and supplemental reading lists of aspiring manuscript editors, copy-editors, proofreaders, production managers, and publishers.

The American Directory Of Writer's Guidelines, sixth edition
Stephen Blake Mettee, Michelle Doland, Doris Hall
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
1884956580, $29.95 www.quilldriverbooks.com

Knowledgeably compiled and meticulously edited by the team of Stephen Blake Mettee, Michelle Doland, and Doris Hall, "The American Directory Of Writer's Guidelines" is an 816-page, alphabetically organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly' compendium of more than 1,700 magazine editors and book publishers along with descriptive explanation of what these editors and publishers want when considering submissions from freelance writers. Now in a substantially expanded and newly updated sixth edition, "The American Directory Of Writer's Guidelines" offers more than 1,300 periodical publishers and more than 400 book publishers, along with their criteria for work that is either commissioned or submitted on spec by aspiring writers wanting to be published. This superbly organized reference provides detailed submission guidelines that will help a writer to determine if their particular projects are suited to a given magazine or book publisher, as well as providing an indispensable resource when seeking an appropriate publication outlet for a proposal or a manuscript. "The American Directory Of Writer's Guidelines" will prove to be an invaluable and indispensable asset to any professional (or aspiring to be profession) author regardless of the genre of work they are pursuing in their writing career.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Hawai'i Farmers Market Cookbook
Joan Namkoong & Haley Matson-Mathes, editors
Watermark Publishing
1088 Bishop Street, Suite 310, Honolulu, HI 96813
0977914321, $13.95 www.bookshawaii.net 1-800-900-2665

Expertly compiled and co-edited by by culinary expert Joan Namkoong and Les Dames d'Escoffier chef Haley Matson-Mathes, "The Hawai'i Farmers Market Cookbook: Fresh Island Products From A To Z" features more than 100 recipes, each of which showcases locally grown produce deftly prepared into appetite satisfying, palate pleasing dishes suitable for every dining occasion from simple family meals to elegant celebratory dining. From Avocado Tampura; Sauteed Broccoli Raab with Pancetta; and Grilled Eggplant; to Hearts of Palm, Avocado and Jicama Salad; Sweet Onion Tartlets; and Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Onion Marmalade, the recipes comprising "The Hawai'i Farmers Market Cookbook" are easy-to-follow and so thoroughly 'user friendly' that even the most novice kitchen cook can lay out a menu that would delight any dedicated gourmet!

Panna Cotta
Camilla Saulsbury
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
1581825951, $16.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com 1-888-439-2665

Food writer, food scholar, recipe developer, cookbook author, and an acknowledge San Francisco Bay area gourmet, Camilla Saulsbury once again applies her considerable experience and impressive expertise in compiling flavorful, lovely, savory, 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for one hundred delectable dishes involving Panna Cotta (an elegant Italian custard). Thirty of these culinary delights are shown in their final form with wonderful full-color photography that enable even the most novice chef just what to expect and how they might be served as part of a memorable meal. From Lemon-Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Crushed Raspberry Sauce; Caramel-Coconut Panna Cotta; and Strawberry Daiquiri Panna Cotta; to Winter Spice Panna Cotta with Cabernet-Caramel Sauce; Cauliflower Panna Cotta with White Truffle Oil; and Gorgonzola Panna Cotta with Red Currant Gastrique and Crispy Prosciutto, "Panna Cotta" is a speciality cookbook recommended for anyone wanting to add a gourmet Italian touch to their dining menus.

Vegan Vittles
Jo Stepaniak
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
1570672008, $19.95 www.bookpubco.com 1-800-695-2241

For more than forty years, Jo Stepaniak has been engaged with vegetarian and vegan issues, has authored more than siteen books and hundreds of articles on compassionate living and vegan cuisine, and the creator of 'Ask Jo', a colume that appears on 'Grassroots Veganism, her website at www.vegsource.com/jo "Vegan Vittles" was originally published some ten years ago and provided illustrated, 'kitchen cook friend', plant-based recipes. Now in a revised and expanded second edition, "Vegan Vittles" features more than 75 new recipes along with updated ingredients and practical cooking tips. From Maple Walnut Ganola; Southern-Fried Tofu; Barbecued Tempeh; and Gooey Grilled Cheese; to Not Your Mama's Meatloaf; Moroccan Millet; Coconut Rice; and Vegan Antipasto, "Vegan Vittles" is an outstanding and enthusiastically recommended compendium of vegan dishes that would grace any dining occasion, please any palate, and satisfying any appetite!


The International Studies Shelf

Global Perspectives On The United States
David Levinson & Karen Christensen
Berkshire Publishing Group
314 Main Street, Suite 12, Great Barrington, MA 01230
1933782064, $275.00 www.berkshirepublishing.com

A two volume, non-artisan survey drawing upon contributions by experts which include government officials, academic scholars, business professionals, and ordinary citizens from around the world, "Global Perspectives On The United States: A Nation By Nation Survey" is an impressively informed and informative general resource surveying and analyzing the role and image of the United States from the viewpo0ints of the peoples and nations of the world. Featuring 140 articles that have been knowledgeably compiled and collaboratively edited by David Levinson and Karen Christensen, "Global Perspectives On The United States" highlights the complications and contradictions that are basic components of a range of viewpoints the peoples and societies of other countries have towards America in matters and issues that range from economics, to jurisprudence, to cultural norms, to social concerns. A strongly recommended and core addition to academic and community library International Studies reference collections, "Global Perspectives On The United States" is enhanced with the addition of more than 150 sidebars and photographs, statistical tables, biographies, a world map, a timeline of key events, and a list of general resources for further information on perspectives regarding the United States.


The Music Shelf

Ireland's Best Tin Whistle Tunes For Children
Harry Long
Mel Bay Publications
PO Box 66, Pacific, MO 63069
1857201558, $43.99 www.melbay.com 1-800-863-5229

Expertly compiled by Harry Long, "Ireland's Best Tin Whistle Tunes For Children" features guitar chords and an accompanying CD while showcasing the music for 110 Irish tunes, traditional songs, and musical numbers for Christmas. Each entry is graded on the basis of difficulty making this compendium of Irish music ideal for use with primary school music classes and individual Irish traditional music instruction. From 'The Star of County Down', to Emma's Farewell to Cortown', to 'The Tara Jig', to 'The Milliner's Daughter', these superbly presented pieces are especially 'kid friendly' compositions and arrangements that are especially recommended for personal, family, school, and community library Irish Music collections. Also very highly recommended from Mel Bay Publications are two other Irish 'tin whistle' music book/CD titles: "Ireland's Best Tin Whistle Tunes 1" (WM 1325) and "Ireland's Best Tin Whistle Tunes 2" (WM 1374).


The Architecture Shelf

Unbuilding
Bob Falk & Brad Guy
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
1561588253, $30.00 www.taunton.com 1-800-477-8727

We live in an age of recycling. It's not only environmentally sound, but economically profitable. This applies just as much to reusable and salvageable building materials from structures scheduled for demolishing, as it does to ordinary newspapers and soda cans. Now U.S. Forest Products Laboratory research engineer Bob Falk has teamed up with Brad Guy (Director of Operations at The Hammer Center at the Penn State School of Architecture) to publish "Unbuilding: Salvaging the Architectural Treasures Of Unwanted Houses" an instruction guide to salvaging materials that can be reused and recycled from homes and other buildings by literally and carefully dismantling the original structures piece by piece. These materials can include ornate hardware, period lighting fixtures, windows, doors, mantels, hardwood flooring, and anything else that continues to have esthetic and commercial value. Often these are 'yesteryear' items that cannot be matched by anything available to day and have great financial worth in and of themselves. The authors draw upon their many years of expertise and experience in advising about new tools, deconstruction processes, and alternatives to conventional demolition tactics. "Unbuilding" is strongly recommended to the considered attention of building contractors, demolition experts, and environmentally conscious salvagers, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in recycling building materials for their value, utility and esthetics.


The Library CD Music Shelf

M'bem Di Fora
Lura
Times Square Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
216 West Allen Street, Suite 137, Bloomington, IN 47403
$16.98 rockpaperscissors.biz www.timessquarerecords.net

Portuguese singer Lura presents M'bem Di Fora ("I Come From The Country"), her second North American music CD album, which draws heavily upon her love of her countryside home, and the unique musical traditions of the Cape Verde islands. Cape Verde is a semi-arid island string of ten islands hundreds of miles from mainland Africa; each island has its own distinct rhythms, and all of them formed inspiration for Lura's lively music anthology. From the hope of people waiting for rain to return, to the ambience of midsummer celebration, to the song about a daughter who fell in love with a poor islander rather than fulfill her mother's dream of marrying a rich foreigner, the songs of M'bem Di Fora embodies a pure love of country life, despite its hardships.

Sephardic Super Party
Avner Levy
Tara Publications
4001 Fallstaff Road, Baltimore, MD 21215
SF-AVL-10D, $16.98, www.jewishmusic.com www.//tara.com 1-800-827-2400

Avner Levy and the Ensemble provide lively, energetic, joyous, enthusiastic performances that are flawless recorded in their new CD, "Sephardic Super Party". Featuring oriental and Sephardic melodies the selections showcased in this impressive album include: Chai (3:34); Yo-Ya (3:26); Hora (3:03); Laner V'livsamim (4;34); D'ror Yikra (7:25); Middle Eastern Medley (7:16); Hakinor Hane'eman (2:25); Ba lashchuna (2:58); Ayelet Chen (3:20); Ahavat Hadasah (2:48); Haperach B'gani (3:25); Yemenite Medley (3:32); and Hatamoon Ha'eter. A thoroughly entertaining compilation of memorable music, "Sephardic Super Party" is especially recommended for personal and family Jewish Music collections, as well as being a welcome and seminal addition to community and academic library Multicultural Music reference shelves.

Bullfrog Jumped
Trade Root Music / Alabama Folklife Association
2169 Shadybrook Lane, Birmingham, AL 35226
Alabama Traditions 110, $19.49 www.alabamafolklife.org

Featuring forty-two superbly performed and recorded southern folksongs that were recorded live and in the field during the summer of 1947 that mothers, grandmothers, teachers, and babysitters sang to children, "Bullfrog Jumped" is a unique CD recording that is enthusiastically recommended as a core addition to academic and community library American Music History reference collections, and a delightful addition to the personal music libraries of folk music enthusiasts. These were all 'kitchen table' recordings where a portable disc recorder was set up in the homes of ordinary folk who sang their favorite songs just as their parents had sung them, and just as they now sang them to their own children. Here showcases are songs intimately passed down from generation to generation. From 'All the Little Horses, to O Johnny Dear, to Ain't Gonna Rain No More, to Frog Went A-Courting, to When I was a Young Girl, this is a first class collection of authentic folk music. Enhanced with an accompanying 72-page booklet, this carefully remastered CD (and on some tunes you can still hear the noises made by a needle on a vintage vinyl recording disc) provides a listening experience as truly entertaining as it is authentically historic.

Collectables Records Corp.
PO Box 35, Narberth, PA 19072-0035
www.oldies.com 1-800-446-6426

The Collectables Records Corporation is a premier source of inexpensive CD recordings featuring the music and performances of the top recording artists and groups in all genres of American popular music from the 1930s through the 1990s. Ideal for personal and community library music collections, each CD recording is beautifully remastered and provides a flawless listening experience. Among their newest releases are some of the finest examples of American music from past decades that will prove nostalgic for the older generations and introduce younger generations to the best of what popular music had to offer from jazz to pop to rock-n-roll. Highly recommended listening, the new titles from Collectables Records include "Long Island Harmony" (COL-CD-8638) by Soundtrack with such tunes as 'Church Bells May ring' and 'Why Don't You Believe Me'; "Afternoon in Paris" (COL-CD-6752) by John Lewis and Sacha Distel, featuring 'I Cover the Waterfront' and 'Willow Weep for Me'; Freddie Hubbard's "The Black Angel" (COL-CD-6750) with five memorable arrangements including 'Spacetrack' and 'Coral Keys'; "Boss Sounds" (COL-CD-6749) with Shelly Manne playing 'Margie', 'Idle One', The Breeze and I', Frank's Tune', Wandering', and 'You Name It'; Teddy Charles' "Word from Bird" showcasing 'Laura', and 'When Your Lover has Gone'; and "Sylvia Syms Sings" (COL-CD-6748) featuring twelve memorable pieces and a total running time of 36:20. Librarians seeking to build a first-class music collection for their patrons would be well advised to visit the Collectables Records website at http://www.oldies.com for a complete listing of the hundreds of recordings that are now available to the public – with more being added to the roster of their impressive 'Golden Oldies' CD title list every month.

Climbing The Gates
Falkner Evans Trio
Consolidated Artist Productions
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
CD100, $13.97 www.jazzbeat.com

The Falkner Evans Trio features Falkner Evans on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums. Together they produce traditional jazz characterized by what Evans calls 'complex structures with discernible melodies laid over the top, and lots of improvisation'. The result is toe-tapping, finger-snapping, head-bobbing rhythms that resonate in the mind and imagination of the listener. Highly recommended to the attention of dedicated jazz enthusiasts, "Climbing The Gates" has a total running time of 57:30 and is comprised of nine major performances which include: Easy to Remember (7:03); Ask Me Now (6:09); October (7:39); Floating from Florence (4:59); Feel Free (7:44); Luna Blue (5:38); I'm through with Love (6:04); Talking Rocks (6:20); and the title piece Climbing the Gates (5:54).

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

Two new CDs from Canyon Records are truly extraordinary recordings by R. Carols Nakai that would be especially appropriate and strongly recommended for personal, academic, and community library Native American music collections. "Inner Voices" (CR7021) features the native American flute accompanied by memorable harmonies of strings in new arrangements of classic Nakai melodies. With a total running time of 57:56, the individual pieces include Canyon Reverie (5:57); Winter Solstice (4:33); 12/20/82 Song (3:05); Amazing Grace (3:66); Daybreak Vision (7:12); Kokopelli Wind (5:44); Songs for the Morning Star (4:22); Catfish Muse (10:36); Woodsong C (2:55); and the title piece, Inner Voices (8:51). "Ancient Future" features the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet in an album of songs that draw upon collective musical experience and influences ranging back hundreds of years. Beautifully performed and flawlessly recorded, with a total running time of 58:07, the performances include Calling the Rain (4:51); Blood memory (5:53); Home on the Strange (4:45); Austrian Waterfall (6:44); Amo Platu (6:06); Stick Figures (2:28); Talking Stick (6:04); Orinoco Delta (3:37); Lowly, Little John (3:06); Tectonic Contexture (4:51); Torch Runner (2:58); and the title piece, Ancient Future (6:38).

Aman Iman: Water is Life
Tinariwen
World Village
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
216 West Allen Street, Suite 137, Bloomington, IN 47403
$18.98 rockpaperscissors.biz

Aman Iman: Water is Life the latest, brilliantly vibrant album by the band Tinariwen, a group of Tuareg nomads-turned-rock-performers. Known for the daring, hard-edged bluesy sound and their commitment to Tuareg independence, Tinariwen presents Aman Iman with documentation offering transliteration and English translation of the lyrics, which speak profoundly of exile, resilience, and determination in spite of strife and division. Aman Iman speaks out against both governmental dominance and the tendency to look too much inward and too little outward within traditional Tuareg society itself. A passionate, soul-charged album that embraces life and calls out for change. The tracks are Cler Achel (4:25), Mano Dayak (5:41), Matadjem Yinmixan (5:43), Ahimana (5:43), Soixante Trois (4:56), Toumast (4:25), Imidiwan Winakalin (4:25), Awa Didjen (4:11), Ikyadarh Dim (3:35), Tamatant Tilay (3:19), Assouf (3:56) and Izarharh Tenere (5:02).


The Economics Shelf

Talking Past Each Other
David Kusnet, Lawrence Mishel, Ruy Teixeira
Economic Policy Institute
1333 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Est Tower, Washington, DC, 20005
1932066276, $9.95 www.epi.org

The collaborative effort of David Kusnet (formerly the chief speech writer for President bill Clinton from 1992 through 1994), Lawrence Mishel (President of the economic Policy Institute), and Ruy Teixeira (Joint Fellow at the Center for American Progress and the Century Foundation), "Talking Past Each Other: What Everyday Americans Really Think (And Elites Don't Get) About The Economy" is based on a series of focus groups in 2005 and 2006 in which the Economic Policy Institute asked middle-class Americans to discuss their economic insecurities. This study reveals a profound ambivalence about the economy in general, and a widening gap between the ways that everyday Americans and the influential elites talk about the economy in particular. Strongly recommended reading by professionals and non-specialist general readers alike, "Talking Past Each Other" also address this perception gap between the elites and the public in terms of how to bridge these differences and allow for changing economic, social, and political conditions. Of special note is the section offering twelve specific and applicable suggestions for elites to 'speak American' when presenting and discussing economic issues to the general public.


The Anthropology Shelf

Light At The End Of The World
Wade Davis
Douglas & McIntyre
201-2323 Quebeck Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
1553652673, $14.95 www.douglas-mcintyre.com 1-800-367-9692

an anthropologist and the author of several books (perhaps the best known of which is 'The Serpent and the Rainbow'), Wade Davis is explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society and has quite literally traveled the world to search out and study other cultures and their uses of sacred plants. In "Light At The End Of The World: A Journey Through The Realm Of Vanishing Cultures" he has compiled essays based on his researches into the lives, traditions, beliefs, customs, and ceremonies of tribal cultures that range from the Canadian Arctic to the deserts of North Africa, from the rain forests of Borneo and the Amazon, to the mountain communities of the Andes and Tibet, from the swamps of the Orinoco to the wilds of British Columbia, to the cultural landscape of Haiti. All of these cultures share one thing in common – they are in danger of losing their unique ways of life in the face of expanding technological and population encroachments and competitions for resources. A strongly recommended addition to academic, community, and personal library Anthropology and Social Issues reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Light At The End Of The World" is a compelling read that is an engaging as it is informative, as compelling as it is instructive.

Rivers of Change
Bruce D. Smith
The University of Alabama Press
PO Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
0817354255 $40.00 www.uapress.ua.edu 1-800-621-2736

Now in an updated new edition, Rivers of Change: Essays on Early Agriculture in Eastern North America by Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History archaeologist Bruce D. Smith is a serious-minded chronicle and compendium of what years of research have to say about plant domestication and food production in eastern North America. Occasional black-and-white diagrams and photographs illustrate this studious guide, written for intermediate to advanced students and professionals. Chapters cover "The Floodplain Weed Theory of Plant Domestication in Eastern North America", "The Independent Domestication of Indigenous Seed-Bearing Plants in Eastern North America", "Hopewellian Farmers of Eastern North America", and much more. Extensive citations and an index form the foundation of this thoroughly researched and didactically presented compendium of the latest theories concerning early North American agriculture.


The Philosophy Shelf

Experience as Philosophy
James Campbell and Richard E. Hart, editors
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
0823226387 $60.00 1-800-247-6553

The latest volume in the American Philosophy series, Experience as Philosophy is an anthology of nine extended essays by learned authors concerning the works and concepts expressed by philosopher John J. McDermott. Topics discussed include "Living Creatively, While Terminal", "What Does It Mean to Have an Ethics?", "The Necessity of a Cultural Pedagogy", and much more. An afterword by McDermott himself rounds out this thoughtful, scholarly, and well-reasoned examination of civil and spiritual problems addressing the modern American community.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

How to Raise Chickens
Christine Heinrichs
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101
0760328285 $19.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

Written by rare-breed advisor and expert Christine Heinrichs, and reviewed for adherence to poultry industry standards by Dr. Clint Rusk (Purdue University Associate Professor, Ag. Education Department), How to Raise Chickens: Everything You Need to Know is a comprehensive manual for novice and experienced chicken raisers. How to Raise Chickens is an all-inclusive guide, written in straightforward terms to be accessible to readers of all backgrounds, whether they want to raise 5 or 50 chickens, on a small city lot or a 40-acre farm, for eggs or for show. Full-color photographs on every page illustrate this straightforward manual of breed types, housing, feeding, incubation and care of chicks, selection and culling, showing, aviation influenza, and much more. Tips, tricks, techniques, as well as basics such as "Before introducing new birds to your flock, always quarantine them for two to four weeks. Some diseases take time to develop." make How to Raise Chickens an absolute "must-have" for anyone considering the practice.


The Gaming Shelf

The Pirc in Black and White
James Vigus
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1857444329 $25.95 www.everymanchess.com 1-800-243-0495

Former British Junior Champion James Vigus presents The Pirc in Black and White, an in-depth strategy guide for intermediate to advanced chess players concerning the special counterattack to White's most popular opening move, 1e4. Built upon a strategy of allowing White to build a large pawn center only to undermine it by attacking with pieces and timely pawn strikes, the Pirc is potentially devastating yet carries a heavy risk of simply being swamped by the central attack. The Pirc in Black and White explores the many variations of the pirc and how to defend against it, with numerous diagrams and sample games to illustrate principles and examples - indeed, virtually every page of The Pirc in Black and White is devoted to displaying sample games. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone seeking to fine-tune their chess-playing skills.


The Archaeology Shelf

Rethinking Wetland Archaeology
Robert Van de Noort & Aidan O'Sullivan
Duckworth
c/o International Publishers Marketing (IPM)
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
0715634380 $22.00 www.ducknet.co.uk 1-800-758-3756

Written by Senior Lecturers in Archaeology Robert Van de Noort and Aidan O'Sullivan, Rethinking Wetland Archaeology is a thoughtful discussion of the place that wetland studies should rightfully have amid broader geographical, cultural, and theoretical frameworks. Chapters examine evidence of social identity in wetland archaeology, politics and practice in wetland archaeology, biographical approaches to material culture, and more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this studious, well-researched, yet persuasive call for reintegrating findings of wetland archaeology into current theoretical debates.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Western Fly-Fishing Strategies
Craig Mathews, author; Rod Walinchus, illustrator
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
1592288464 $18.95 www.lyonspress.com 1-800-836-0510

2005 "Angler of the Year" as selected by "Fly Rod & Reel" Craig Mathews presents Western Fly-Fishing Strategies, a no-nonsense how-to guide for fly fishermen of all skill and experience levels. Written especially with Western waters in mind, Western Fly-Fishing Strategies covers fly-tying skills, the effects of weather and wind on Wester fishing, tips, tricks, and techniques, and numerous anecdotes told with the love and passion that only a true fisherman can express. Black-and-white photographs and an inset selection of color plates illustrate this conversational, easy-to-understand guide.


The Civil War Shelf

Irish Confederates
Phillip Thomas Tucker
McWhiney Foundation Press
McMurry Station, Box 637, Abilene, TX 79697-0637
1893114538 $16.95 www.mcwhiney.org

Historian Phillip Thomas Tucker presents Irish Confederates: The Civil War's Forgotten Soldiers, an examination of some of the South's most overlooked fighting men. Chapters focus upon the Irish-Americans in specific regiments and brigades, such as the Irishmen who served in the First Missouri Confederate Brigade at the Battle of Champion Hill, and the Celtic-Gaelic rebels of the Tenth Tennessee Infantry Regiment of Volunteers. Black-and-white photographs, a bibliography, and an index round out this brief but illuminating collection of true stories of Irish Confederate ferocity and battlefield valor. A welcome and much needed addition to Irish-American history and reference shelves.

M. Jeff Thompson
Doris Land Mueller
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
0826217249 $14.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

Teacher Doris Land Mueller presents M. Jeff Thompson: Missouri's Swamp Fox of the Confederacy, an accessible and engaging biography of southeastern Missouri's Meriwether Jeff Thompson, who waged a guerilla war materializing out of the countryside to attack Union forces and evading traps set for them by Northern commanders. Dubbed "Swamp Fox" by General Ulysses S. Grant himself, Thompson had courage and skill despite leading poorly equipped and loosely trained soldiers, yet he was not invincible; captured in August 1863, and released twelve months later in a prisoner exchange, he participated in Sterling Price's ill-fated raid into Missouri. Yet after the war, he was one of the first Southern leaders to seek reinstatement as a U.S. citizen, and strived to allay hostilities among fellow Southerners. Thompson was also known as "Poet Laureate of the Marshes"; M. Jeff Thompson: Missouri's Swamp Fox of the Confederacy includes numerous excerpts of his writings to supplement the straightforward biography and occasional black-and-white photographs and illustrations. A welcome addition to Civil War biography and reference shelves.

If I Am Found Dead
David Lee Poremba, editor
Ann Arbor Media Group
2500 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
1587262835 $26.95 www.AnnArborMediaGroup.com 1-877-722-2264

Edited by historian David Lee Poremba, If I Am Found Dead: Michigan Voices from the Civil War presents written letters that comprise firsthand testimony of the Civil War from four Michigan soldiers. Of the four, one perished during the conflict; one returned to a normal life; one was accused of murder and tried three times; and one invented a brand of ginger ale that remains famous in the region to this day. Though the four were of disparate backgrounds, their letters each provide an equally vivid glimpse of wartime life through a soldier's eyes, from observations of officers' leadership abilities to the suffering of residents who lived where the war was waged to the omnipresent threat of death on the battlefield - many of the letters were penned just before or just after an armed conflict. A welcome addition to private and library collections of primary sources and testimonies of the Civil War, highly recommended.

Black Southerners in Confederate Armies
J.H. Segars and Charles Kelly Barrow, editors
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
1589804554 $18.95 www.pelicanpub.com 1-800-843-1724

Black Southerners in Confederate Armies is a fascinating scrutiny of a historical phenomenon - slave and free African-Americans who served as southern allies, and in some instances as soldiers and sailors, for the Confederate Army in the American Civil War. Though disagreement remains to this day as to the number of Black Southerners who served and whether their military contributions were significant, their seemingly paradoxical stories make for singularly compelling reading. Black Southerners in Confederate Armies draws information from reliable sources ranging from newspaper articles to veterans' accounts to miscellaneous surviving documentation to present its true stories of these unusual African-Americans with a scholarly attention to detail. Some reproductions of historic documents illustrate the pages of this welcome addition to library and personal Civil War history and reference shelves.


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


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