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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
How to Be A Woman Online
Nina Jankowicz
I. B. Tauris Publishers
c/o Bloomsbury Press
www.ibtauris.com
9781350267572, $14.95, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Woman-Online-Surviving-Harassment/dp/1350267570
Synopsis: When Nina Jankowicz's first book on online disinformation was profiled in The New Yorker, she expected
attention but not an avalanche of abuse and harassment, predominantly from men, online.
All women in politics, journalism and academia now face untold levels of harassment and abuse in online spaces. Together
with the world's leading extremism researchers, Jankowicz wrote one of the definitive reports on this troubling
phenomenon.
Drawing on rigorous research into the treatment of Kamala Harris (the first woman vice-president) and other political and
public figures, Nina also uses her own experiences to provide a step-by-step plan for dealing with harassment, abuse, doxing
and disinformation in online spaces.
The result is "How to Be A Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back" -- an effective
instruction manual and guide for female researchers, female journalists, and all women with a profile in the online space we
now collectively refer to as Social Media.
Critique: An absolutely essential addition to personal, professional, community, governmental, college, and university
library collections on Gender Abuse in general, and On-Line Misogyny and Hate email in particular, "How to Be A Woman
Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back" is an ideal blend of DIY instructional guide and
imperative, indispensable 'how to' manual for women having to deal with online abuse. Sad to say, but in today's
increasingly volatile and abusive American society, every girl and every woman who ventures out onto the internet needs to
give this 'survival guide' a careful and close reading. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "How to Be A Woman
Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Nina Jankowicz is a Washington DC-based writer and analyst with a focus on Eastern Europe and the
former Soviet Union. She is currently a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars' Kennan
Institute. Previously, she served as a Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellow, a role in which she provided strategic
communications guidance to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. Her writing has been published by The New York Times, The
Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, Foreign Policy and others. Nina was a 2017 Foreign Policy Interrupted Fellow.
The Wongs of Beloit, Wisconsin
Beatrice Loftus McKenzie
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299335946, $22.95, PB, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wongs-Beloit-Wisconsin-Beatrice-McKenzie/dp/0299335941
Synopsis: Through family interviews, original photographs, and national records, and with the publication of "The Wongs of
Beloit, Wisconsin", Professor Beatrice Loftus McKenzie traces the many lives of a resilient multigenerational family whose
experiences parallel the complicated relationship between America and China in the twentieth century.
In the early 1900s, Charles Wong moved from Guangdong Province to the United States and opened the Nan King Lo
Restaurant in Beloit, Wisconsin. Soon after, his wife Yee Shee joined him to build the "Chop House" into a local institution
and start a family.
When the Great Depression hit, the Wongs shared what they had with their neighbors. In 1938, the tragic murder of Charles
Wong murder left his wife Yee Shee to raise their seven children (ages one through fourteen) on her own. Rather than return
to family property in Hong Kong, she and her children stayed in Beloit, buoyed by the friendships they had forged during the
worst parts of the 1930s.
The Wongs thrived in Beloit despite facing racism and classism, embracing wartime opportunities, education, love, and
careers within the U. S. McKenzie's collaboration with descendent Mary Wong Palmer reveals a poignant story of Chinese
immigrant life in the Upper Midwest that adds a much-needed Wisconsin perspective to existing literature by and about
Asian Americans.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, informative, and fully engaging read from cover to cover, "The Wongs of Beloit,
Wisconsin" underscores the value immigrants have steadfastly proven to be as they became (and continue to become) an
integral part of the American populace. Exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, "The Wongs of
Beloit, Wisconsin" is an important and unreservedly recommended addition to all community, college, and university library
Asian American History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. In particular and especially, every Wisconsin
community and academic library Wisconsin History & Biography collections should include a copy of "The Wongs of
Beloit, Wisconsin" by Professor Beatrice McKenzie. It should further be noted for personal reading lists that "The Wongs of
Beloit, Wisconsin" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.49).
Editorial Note: Beatrice Loftus McKenzie is an Emeritus Professor of History and held the William and Gayle Keefer
Professor of Public Humanities from 2017-2021 at Beloit College.
Linden Publishing
c/o Quill Driver Books
www.quilldriverbooks.com
Three new self-help guides provide readers with solid resources for self-discovery and growth, and are recommended picks
for libraries specializing in inspirational writing. All are powerful picks for discriminating libraries looking for lasting
lending value and books that also promote book club and reader group discussions.
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Ecohappiness-Nature-Activities-Happier/dp/0941936503
Parents receive two strong guides in this publisher's latest features; one of them being Sandi Schwartz's Finding
Ecohappiness: Fun Nature Activities to Help Your Kids Feel Happier and Calmer (9780941936507, $19.95) is a strong
guide for parents and families. Activity guides for kids are nothing new, but what sets Finding Ecohappiness apart from
most is its focus on linking nature activities with emotional healing and happiness.
Parents with kids who need calming will find these many creative suggestions (complete with checklists of activities and
sidebars of instructions for effectively working with kids to make the most of a nature experience) to be the perfect formula
for both engagement and introducing important links between calming and nature discoveries.
https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Your-Child-Can-Differences/dp/1610353862
Yes! Your Child Can: Creating Success for Children with Learning Differences by Victoria E. Waller, Ed.D.
(9781610353861, $18.95) should be the first book a parent chooses when their child has been diagnosed with a learning
challenge. It addresses family relationships, support systems, and how to best work with such children, sharing Dr. Waller's
techniques for creating success and a sense of empowerment and achievement in kids with learning differences. The
step-by-step guidelines and discussions of science that supports her real-world-tested techniques provides hope and specific
direction.
https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Our-Hands-Crafting-Life/dp/1610355016
Doug Stowe's The Wisdom of Our Hands: Crafting, A Life (9781610355018, $16.95) links self-help to creativity as it
explores how working with one's hands results in a fuller life. Stowe is both an educator and craftsman who spent some
forty-five years as a woodworker and twenty as a teacher of handcrafts. This dual role allows him to flavor a memoir with
instructions and insights on the connections between craft work and a sense of achievement that can create new bonds in a
community and society as a whole.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Landscapes for Writers and Game Masters
Scott Rice-Snow
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476683577, $29.95, PB, 250pp
https://www.amazon.com/Landscapes-Writers-Game-Masters-Authentic/dp/1476683573
Synopsis: Landscape science tells fascinating stories, whether in writing fiction or creating a role-playing game. Earth's
varied terrain provides many examples of scene-specific challenges and resources for story characters, with distinctive land
features, compelling locations, and intriguing traits.
Landslides, floods, coastal erosion, glacier movement, and volcanism can deliver fresh plot points and alter the social
character of an imagined region. Characters traveling different river types encounter very different puzzles, opportunities,
and combat environments and the same variety awaits within other classic settings, such as caves, mountains, deserts,
shorelines, and volcanic zones. Atypical landscapes such as tundra, karst, and vast glacier surfaces can breathe fresh air into
any stories.
"Landscapes for Writers and Game Masters: Building Authentic Natural Terrain into Imagined Worlds" by Scott Rice-Snow
is a reference source for creative writing and game world building. It delves deeply into many landscape characteristics that
help set the tone, shape character behavior, and drive the plot. Chapters are divided into diverse geographic environments,
from rivers and shorelines to caves and volcanoes, and show how knowledge of the terrain can deliver plot points, add
veracity, pose key problems, establish conflict, and lead into the next scene. Readers will discover how authors and game
masters can effectively weave land and terrain into their stories.
Critique: Illustrated in black-and-white photos, "Landscapes for Writers and Game Masters: Building Authentic Natural
Terrain into Imagined Worlds" is an invaluable and innovative resource for the novelist and the video game creator.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Landscapes for Writers and Game Masters: Building Authentic
Natural Terrain into Imagined Worlds" is a unique and recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
college, and university library Writing/Publishing collections. It is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.99).
Editorial Note: Scott Rice-Snow is Emeritus Professor of Geological Sciences at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.
He has published research in river, glacial, and karst geomorphology, as well as hydrology, geoarchaeology, and geoscience
education. He also hosts the ground4inspiration.net website, documenting unique landscape features and their
narrative/gameplay potential.
Write Like You Mean It
Steve Gamel
Brown Books Publishing Group
16250 Knoll Trail, Suite 205, Dallas, Texas 75248
https://www.brownbooks.com
9781612545271, $19.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Write-Like-You-Mean-Mastering/dp/1612545270
Synopsis: With the publication of "Write Like You Mean It: Mastering Your Passion for the Written Word" award-winning
journalist and content writer Steve Gamel dives into his best advice for writers that he has gathered over the years.
With stories from his early years and frequent foibles as a journalist, Gamel equips aspiring writers with trade tips to learn,
tools to utilize, and lessons to write stronger content. He has designed a compendium of experience based
recommendations, instructions and insights that will be exceedingly useful to all kinds of writers: first-time writers, veteran
writers, nonfiction writers, fiction writers, freelance writers, college writers, high school writers, writers who own their own
business, and anyone else wanting to put pen to paper (a keyboard to computer) any kind of story of their own.
Simple steps in each chapter break down the productivity practices of creatives, the organization needed to get to the finish
line, and the purpose behind it all: drawing readers in with quality content and style. Steve Gamel also discusses the
intentional processes behind organizing ideas, conducting interviews, beating writer's block, networking, editing, and
publishing. Whether an old hand at writing, a novice, or a college professor aspiring to write full-time, "Write Like You
Mean It: Mastering Your Passion for the Written Word" will prove to be as informative as it is inspiring!
Critique: With instructive chapters organized into three major sections (Start Writing!; Writing to a Purpose; Write Like
You Mean It to Be Read), "Write Like You Mean It: Mastering Your Passion for the Written Word" is further enhanced for
the aspiring writer with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, and a six page bibliography of Reference and
Resources for Further Reading, six pages of Endnotes. Practical, comprehensive, exceptionally well organized, and
thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Write Like You Mean It: Mastering Your Passion for the Written Word" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of aspiring and
seasoned writers alike that "Write Like You Mean It: Mastering Your Passion for the Written Word" is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Steve Gamel has an informative website about his work and services at
https://www.editthisllc.com/about
How to Tell a Story
Aristotle, author
Philip Freeman, translator
Princeton University Press
41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
http://press.princeton.edu
9780691205274, $16.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Tell-Story-Ancient-Storytelling/dp/0691205272
Synopsis: Handed down from ancient Greek literature, Aristotle's Poetics is arguably the most important book ever written
for writers and readers of stories -- whether it be novels, short fiction, plays, screenplays, or nonfiction.
Aristotle (384-322 BC) was the first to identify the keys to plot, character, audience perception, tragic pleasure, and dozens
of other critical points of good storytelling. Despite being written more than 2,000 years ago, the Poetics remains essential
reading for anyone who wants to learn how to write a captivating story -- or understand how such stories work and achieve
their psychological effects.
Yet for all its influence, the Poetics is too little read because it comes down to us in a form that is often difficult to follow,
and even the best translations are geared more to specialists than to general readers who simply want to grasp Aristotle's
profound and practical insights.
With the publication of "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" ably
translated into English for an American readership by Philip Freeman contemporary and aspiring authors and readers are
provided with the most readable translation of the Poetics ever yet produced, making it an indispensable handbook that is
more accessible, engaging, and useful than ever before.
In addition to its inviting and reliable translation, a commentary on each section, and the original Greek on facing pages, this
edition of "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" features unique bullet
points, chapter headings, and section numbers to help guide readers through Aristotle's unmatched introduction to the art of
writing and reading stories.
Critique: A complete course of Aristotelean instruction that is impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" must be
considered essential reading by anyone aspiring to write stories that would be successfully attractive to an author's intended
audience. This splendid edition from the Princeton University Press is unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Literary Studies collections and as a textbook for creative writing
workshops curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, aspiring (and experienced)
writers that "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught
by Plato, he was the founder of the Lyceum, the Peripatetic school of philosophy, and the Aristotelian tradition.
Editorial Note #2: Philip Freeman is the author of more than twenty books on the ancient world, including the Cicero
translations How to Think about God, How to Be a Friend, How to Grow Old, and How to Run a Country (all from
Princeton University Press). He also holds the Fletcher Jones Chair in Humanities at Pepperdine University.
Simple, Brief, and Precise
Darrel Waltkers
GIA Publications, Inc.
7404 South Mason Avenue, Chicago, IL 60638
www.giamusic.com
9781622775958, $24.95, 266pp
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Brief-Precise-Write-Clarity/dp/1622775953
Synopsis: "Simple, Brief, and Precise: How to Write with Clarity" is a straightforward, practical, easy-to-use tool to improve
writing in which author, academician, and writing instructor Darrel Walters draws from his experience reading tens of
thousands of pages as a university professor to create an essential reference and guide. "Simple, Brief, and Precise" is an
invaluable instruction guide for anyone aspiring to make better use of the English language and the writtenword.
Critique: A DIY writing workshop seminar in the form of a book, "Simple, Brief, and Precise: How to Write with Clarity" is
an exceptionally effective and comprehensive textbook that is especially and unreservedly recommended for anyone seeking
to become adept, efficient and compelling with their writing whether it is for a business report, a letter to a family member,
or the next Great American Novel. While an outstanding selection choice for personal, professional, community, college,
and university library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for students, academia, corporate executives,
freelance writers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Simple, Brief, and Precise: How to
Write with Clarity" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.70).
Editorial Note: Darrel Walters earned a PhD from the University of Michigan, advised masters and doctoral students at
Temple University for 24 years, and now presents writing seminars for business professionals and university students and
faculty.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change, revised edition
Yoram Bauman, author
Grady Klein, illustrator
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781642832334, $29.00, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Introduction-Climate-Change-Revised/dp/1642832332
Synopsis: Now in a newly revised and expanded edition, "The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change" by the team of
author/storyteller Yoram Bauman and artist/illustrator Grady Klein offered something entirely new in the form of a fun,
illustrated guide to a planetary climate crisis. If that sounds like an oxymoron, you've never seen the carbon cycle
demonstrated through yoga poses or a polar bear explaining evolution to her cubs.
This fully updated edition of "The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change" includes the latest scientific data from the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
A lot has happened to the climate over the last decade, and "The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change" tackle the
daunting statistics with humor and scientific accuracy in a format recognizing that it is better to laugh than to cry when
confronting mind-blowing facts about our changing world. Readers will become familiar with critical concepts, but they'll
also smile as they learn about climate science, projections, and policy.
Sociologists have argued that we don't address climate change because it's too big and frightening to get our heads around.
"The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change" clearly and effectively takes the intimidation and gloom out of one of the
most important challenges of our time.
Critique: Fun, informative, thought provoking, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, this newly
revised edition of "The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change" from Island Press is especially and unreservedly
recommended for the reading lists of climate change concerned readers from 8 to 88 -- as well as a vital and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, elementary school, middle school, highschool, and community library
Climatology collections in general, and Environmental Science & Policy supplemental curriculum studies lists in
particular.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The New Health Economy
Gary Bisbee Jr., author
Donald Trigg, author
Sanjula Jain, author
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647122539, $89.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/New-Health-Economy-Ground-Leaders/dp/1647122538
Synopsis: Over the past decade, the health economy has experienced the most dramatic change since the passage of
Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid, demographic-driven Medicare growth,
and the digitization of health records have rapidly changed the traditional dynamics of the field -- and the COVID-19
pandemic has accelerated this process. Experienced and aspiring health sector leaders must navigate an increasingly
complex health care landscape in order to conceive, create, and implement solutions to improve our health care system now
and in the future.
"The New Health Economy: Ground Rules for Leaders" provides health professionals with a 360-degree look at the field by
exploring four pillars of the health economy: politics, policy, providers, and personalization. Topics covered include the
federal government's role as the largest payer and regulator of health care, health care finance and the shift from the
fee-for-service model toward value-based care, the increasing consolidation of provider networks, and data-driven
personalizations inside and outside of the field.
Drawing from interviews with top leaders in the field (including a former CDC director, a former FDA commissioner, and
the current CEOs of Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson) "The New Health Economy" is an essential guide that compares each
sector before and during the COVID-19 crisis. These comparisons shed light on how the pandemic has accelerated recent
trends in health care and provide leaders with an outline for a strategic path forward.
"The New Health Economy" also brings together the best thinking from across the health care sector, providing insight into
COVID-19's impact on the health economy and setting the ground rules required to shape a new health care system as we
emerge from the pandemic. This valuable resource will benefit CEOs and other leaders in the health economy, from
hospitals to provider networks and beyond.
Critique: The collaborative project of health care economics expets Gary Bisbee Jr., Donald Trigg, and Sanjula Jain, "The
New Health Economy: Ground Rules for Leaders" is informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an
informative Introduction (The U.S. Health Economy), and Appendix (COVID-19 Timeline of Key Events), a ten page
Bibliography, nine page Index. With a special relevance for health care providers and consumers, governmental health care
policy makers, American economists, "The New Health Economy" is an invaluable and comprehensive study. Exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "The New Health Economy: Ground Rules for Leaders" is highly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted for students, academicians,
economists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Health Economy" is also available in
a paperback edition (9781647122546, $29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note #1: Gary Bisbee Jr., PhD, MBA is founder, chairman, and CEO of Think Medium. He has held leadership
positions spanning Wall Street, academia, and health policy. Prior to founding Think Medium, Bisbee was cofounder,
chairman, and CEO of The Health Management Academy. He holds an MBA in health care and finance from the Wharton
School of the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD in chronic disease epidemiology from Yale University.
Editorial Note #2: Donald Trigg is the former president of Cerner Corporation, a Fortune 500 supplier of health care
information technology. Trigg has almost a decade of experience in Washington, DC, working at the highest levels of
presidential politics and in a set of senior policy roles in both the legislative and executive branches.
Editorial Note #3: Sanjula Jain, PhD is a health economist working with executives of large health systems and health care
organizations, including Fortune 500 companies. She is the Chief Research Officer of Trilliant Health and on faculty at the
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She earned her PhD in health services research and health policy from Emory
University.
Traumatic Brain Injury
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309490436, $49.00, PB, 244pp
https://www.amazon.com/Traumatic-Brain-Injury-Accelerating-Progress/dp/030949043X
Synopsis: Every American community is affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) from causes as diverse as falls, sports
injuries, vehicle collisions, domestic violence, military incidents and more. Each of these tragic events can result in injuries
across a spectrum of severity and age groups.
Just as the many causes of TBI and the people who experience it are diverse, so too are the physiological, cognitive, and
behavioral changes that can occur following injury.
The overall TBI ecosystem is not limited to healthcare and research, but includes the related systems that administer and
finance healthcare, accredit care facilities, and provide regulatory approval and oversight of products and therapies.
TBI also intersects with the wide range of community organizations and institutions in which people return to learning,
work, and play, including the education system, work environments, professional and amateur sports associations, the
criminal justice system, and others.
"Traumatic Brain Injury: A Roadmap for Accelerating Progress" examines the current landscape of basic, translational, and
clinical TBI research and identifies gaps and opportunities to accelerate research progress and improve care with a focus on
the biological, psychological, sociological, and ecological impacts. This report calls not merely for improvement, but for a
transformation of attitudes, understanding, investments, and care systems for TBI.
Critique: An official 'Consensus Study Report' of the National Academies of science, Engineering, Medicine, "Traumatic
Brain Injury: A Roadmap for Accelerating Progress" must be considered as a core and critically important addition to
college and university medical library collections, and as a TBI medical school curriculum textbook. Furthermore, it will
have immense relevance and interest for the personal reading lists of medical students, doctors, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject of Medical Technology & Research in general, and Traumatic Brain Injury assessment
and treatment in particular.
Editorial Note: The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes the publications of the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine. NAP publishes more than 200 publications per year on a wide range of topics in science,
engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative, independently researched information on important matters in science
and health policy.
The Joy Choice
Michaelle Segar, Ph.D.
Hachette Go
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780306826078, $29.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Choice-Finally-Achieve-Exercise/dp/0306826070
Synopsis: What if you could easily and joyfully resolve the in-the-moment conflicts that often derail your eating and
exercise goals? Much of what we've been taught about creating change in eating and exercise is simplistic, outdated, and for
many, misguided.
Michelle Segar has devoted decades to the study of how to achieve lasting changes in eating and exercise and other self-care
behaviors. With the publication of "The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise" Segar
reveals the surprising reasons why our eating and exercise plans so often crash when they come up against real life. She
calls these conflicts "choice points", and shows that they are the real place of power for achieving lasting changes in eating
and exercise.
"The Joy Choice" offers a fresh, brain-based solution that turns the old behavior-change paradigm on its head. A
groundbreaking book, "The Joy Choice" will liberate you from the self-defeating obligations and rigid requirements of past
diet and workout regimens and reveals what emerging research suggests really drives the consistent choices that power
sustainable change.
Designed from cutting-edge decision science and real-world experience coaching clients, you will discover the easy,
flexible, and three-step joy-infused decision tool that works with the chaos of daily life, guiding you to finally achieve and
maintain your eating and exercise goals once and for all -- and enjoy doing it!
Critique: Not just another simple (and simple minded) food and exercise fad 'how to' guide, "The Joy Choice: How to
Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise" offers readers a 'real world practical', effective, and healthy
minded approach to succeeding for achieving and maintaining optimal physical and mental health. Informatively enhanced
with the inclusion of two Appendices (Getting Started Picking The Joy Choice: An Eating Example & Professional Goals
and Industry Cases), a fourteen page listing of Acknowledgments, twenty-six pages of Notes, and a seven page Index, "The
Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise" is an especially recommended addition to
personal, professional, and community library Health/Medicine and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Joy Choice" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, MS, is an award-winning, NIH funded sustainable behavior change researcher
at the University of Michigan and a lifestyle coach. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create
sustainable healthy behavior change that are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being, and gym membership
retention. Inaugural chair of the United States National Physical Activity Plan's Communication Committee, former director
of the University of Michigan's SHARP Center, and consultant to companies like Kaiser Permanente, Walmart, and
Anytime Fitness, she is frequently interviewed in major media outlets like The New York Times, NPR, Prevention, Real
Simple, and The Wall Street Journal.
The Insomnia Diaries
Miranda Levy
Aster
c/o Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781783254187, $12.99 PB, $2.99 Kindle, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Insomnia-Diaries-Miranda-Levy/dp/1783254181
"The Insomnia Diaries: How I Learned to Sleep Again" joins a host of books on the topic, but features an important
difference: it's written not by a doctor, but by one who suffered from insomnia after a catastrophic event...for eight years.
Miranda Levy sought help from a range of specialties, from physicians to hypnotists, therapists, personal trainers, and
alternative medicine practitioners, with little respite. Her story is supplemented by the work of sleep expert Dr. Sophie
Bostock, a scientist who developed a digital program, Sleepio.
Highly recommended, especially to the attention of anyone suffering sleep disorders themselves, "The Insomnia Diaries:
How I Learned to Sleep Again" deftly blends a memoir with health science to make for a powerful account that is more
accessible than in most competing books written by doctors who come from a singular conviction.
Editorial Note: Miranda Levy is a journalist and author of more than 25 years' experience. Starting out on magazines
including Cosmopolitan and New Woman (RIP), she then hacked it at the Daily Mail and Sunday Mirror before heading
back to glossies and the launches of Glamour and Grazia. She had two babies, wrote The Rough Guide to Babies in 2006
and became editor of Mother & Baby, where she was twice nominated for a British Society of Magazine Editors award.
Now a freelance writer and editor for national newspapers, she covers many topics - but particularly health - for titles
including the Telegraph platforms, the Mail on Sunday and the i. Miranda has contributed to the Spectator, the Jewish
Chronicle and the New York Post.
The Education Shelf
Learning and Teaching While White
Jenna Chandler-Ward, author
Elizabeth Denevi, author
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
www.countrymanpress.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781324016748, $37.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Teaching-While-White-Communities/dp/1324016744
Synopsis: For too long, white educators have relied on people of color to make changes to a relentlessly racist school
system. Racial equity will not come until white educators recognize their role in supporting racist policies and practices, and
take responsibility for dismantling them.
"Learning and Teaching While White: Antiracist Strategies for School Communities" is an accessible guide to help white
educators, leaders, students, and parents develop an explicit, skills-based antiracist practice.
Through their own experiences working with school communities, and the strategies and tools they have developed,
academicians and educators Jenna Chandler-Ward and Elizabeth Denevi share how white educators can gain greater
consciousness of their own white racial identity; analyze the role of whiteness in their school systems; rethink pedagogical
approaches and curricular topics; address the role of white parents in the pursuit of racial literacy and equity; and much
more.
Featuring 11 black-and-white illustrations, "Learning and Teaching While White" will empower white educators to be part
of creating a more equitable educational system for all students.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of three Appendices (The Cost of Racism to White
People; White Antiracist Activists; Cycle of Oppression), an eight page Bibliography, and a twenty-two page Index,
"Learning and Teaching While White: Antiracist Strategies for School Communities" is an invaluable study and highly
recommended to the attention of all faculty members aspiring to end systemic racism, bigotry and bias in their school
system, be it a grade school, trade school, college or university. While highly recommended for community and academic
library Contemporary Educational Issues collections, it should be noted for student teachers, faculty members, school policy
makers, academics, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Learning and
Teaching While White: Antiracist Strategies for School Communities" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$19.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212021449, $31.95, CD).
Editorial Note #1: Jenna Chandler-Ward is an educator, diversity consultant, and cofounder of the popular professional
development site Teaching While White. With over two decades of experience, she has been an educator in non-profits,
schools, and colleges working with students from kindergarten to adult learners. Jenna was also a founder and co-director of
the Multicultural Teaching Institute, which produces workshops and a conference for educators on issues of equity and
inclusion.
Editorial Note #2: Elizabeth Denevi is an educator, diversity consultant, and cofounder of the popular professional
development site Teaching While White. As Director of the Eastern Educational Resource Collaborative, Dr. Denevi has
worked with educational institutions across the country to promote equity and diversity pedagogy. She is also an Assistant
Professor at the Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling.
Building the Innovation School
T. Philip Nichols
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807766798, $105.00, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Innovation-School-Infrastructures-Classrooms-dp-0807766798/dp/0807766798
Synopsis: There is no shortage of innovations on offer for schools. Hardly a week passes without someone marching out the
latest device, app, service, curricular add-on, or instructional technique that, we are told, is sure to cure the perennial woes
of systemic education.
"Building the Innovation School: Infrastructures for Equity in Today's Classrooms" by T. Philip Nichols (Assistant
Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Baylor University) is an investigation of this enchantment with
"innovation" and its implications for not only everyday teaching and learning, but also the future of public education.
Based on a study of The Innovation School (a public high school organized around makerspaces, design thinking, and
personalized technology) Professor Nichols challenges conventional wisdom about how educational transformation unfolds
and argues that the popular understanding of innovation exacerbates inequality and undermines teacher and student
autonomy.
"Building the Innovation School" demonstrates how attending to the infrastructures of innovation leads to educational
change that is driven by the interests and values of educators. Repair rather than disruption is the focus -- a commitment to
schools that allow all students to flourish.
Educators and school policy makers are: Shown how specific innovations actually work over time in the everyday life of the
classroom; Provided resources for breaking through the hype of current (and future) innovations-of-the-day; Offered a
framework for "innovating from below," tailoring local innovations to the needs, values, and priorities of students,
educators, and the community; Given an appendix of resources for teachers and administrators interested in applying the
frameworks from "Building the Innovation School" in their own schools and classrooms.
Critique: Informatively enriched for the reader with the inclusion of an informative Foreword by Yasmin B. Kafai, an eight
page listing of References, and an eight page Index, "Building the Innovation School: Infrastructures for Equity in Today's
Classrooms" is an especially valued and unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college, and university
library Experimental Education Methods & Theories collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
educators, academicians, school policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Building the Innovation School: Infrastructures for Equity in Today's Classrooms" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780807766781, $34.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.20).
College Admission 101, third edition
Robert Franek
The Princeton Review
PrincetonReview.com
c/o Penguin Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593450574 $12.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/College-Admission-101-3rd-Challenges/dp/0593450574
Synopsis: This friendly, helpful Q&A book from the editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review presents simple answers to
your toughest questions about navigating the college admissions process, figuring out financial aid, and getting into the
university of your choice!
As The Princeton Review's Editor-in- Chief and nationally renowned expert on education, Robert Franek speaks with tens
of thousands of anxious students and parents each year, advising them on how to turn their college hopes into reality.
College Admission 101 is an accessible, timely collection of the 60+ most-asked questions Rob hears. Uncomplicate your
search with straightforward answers to questions like:
How has college admissions changed since 2020?
What changes are coming to the PSAT and SAT?
Should I take the ACT, SAT, or both?
What's more important: GPA or test scores?
How do I write a game-changing college essay?
What extracurricular activities do colleges want to see?
How does the financial aid process work?
Critique: Now in an updated third edition with insights into how the college admissions process has changed since 2020 and
the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, College Admission 101: Expert Advice for the New Challenges in Admissions,
Testing, Financial Aid, and More is a "must-have" for every aspiring college student. Chapters offer guidance in researching
a good college, anticipating changes to the SAT and ACT standardized tests, how to present one's high school transcript and
extracurricular activities, tracking down financial aid and scholarships, the pros and cons of taking a "gap year" before
college, and much more. Thoroughly accessible and reader-friendly, College Admissions 101 is a potentially life-changing
reference and resource, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that College Admissions 101 is
also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
The Science Shelf
New Directions for Chemical Engineering
Consensus Study Report
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309268424, $50.00, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Directions-Chemical-Engineering-Medicine-Academies/dp/0309268427
Synopsis: Over the past century, the work of chemical engineers has helped transform societies and the lives of individuals,
from the synthetic fertilizers that helped feed the world to the development of novel materials used in fuels, electronics,
medical devices, and other products. Chemical engineers' ability to apply systems-level thinking from molecular to
manufacturing scales uniquely positions them to address today's most pressing problems, including climate change and the
overuse of resources by a growing population.
"New Directions for Chemical Engineering" details a vision to guide chemical engineering research, innovation, and
education over the next few decades. This report calls for new investments in U.S. chemical engineering and the
interdisciplinary, cross-sector collaborations necessary to advance the societal goals of transitioning to a low-carbon energy
system, ensuring our production and use of food and water is sustainable, developing medical advances and engineering
solutions to health equity, and manufacturing with less waste and pollution.
The report also calls for changes in chemical engineering education to ensure the next generation of chemical engineers is
more diverse and equipped with the skills necessary to address the challenges ahead.
Critique: Peer reviewed, impressively informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "New
Directions for Chemical Engineering" is unreservedly recommended for professional, college and university library
Technology, Engineering, and Chemistry Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: The US National Academies Press was created to publish the reports issued by the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the
National Research Council. It publishes nearly 200 books a year on a wide range of topics in the sciences. (Wikipedia)
Travels with Trilobites
Andy Secher
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231200967, $39.95, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Travels-Trilobites-Adventures-Paleozoic/dp/023120096X
Synopsis: Trilobites were some of the most successful and versatile organisms ever to exist. Among the earliest forms of
complex animal life, these hard-shelled marine invertebrates inhabited the primal seas of the Paleozoic Era. Their march
through evolutionary time began in the Lower Cambrian, some 521 million years ago, and lasted until their demise at the
end of the Permian, more than 250 million years later. During this vast stretch of planetary history, these adaptable animals
filled virtually every available undersea niche, evolving into more than 25,000 scientifically recognized species.
With the publication of "Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic", trilobite expert Andy Secher invites the
reader to come along in search of the fossilized remains of these ancient arthropods as he explores breathtaking
paleontological hot spots around the world -- including Alnif, Morocco, on the edge of the Sahara Desert; the Sakha
Republic, deep in the Siberian wilderness; and Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia.
"Travels with Trilobites" also offers a behind-the-scenes look at museums, fossil shows, and life on the collectors' circuit.
Features hundreds of photographs of unique specimens drawn from Secher's private collection, showcasing stunning fossil
finds that highlight the diversity, complexity, and beauty of trilobites, "Travels with Trilobites is consistently entertaining
and impressively informative. "Travels with Trilobites" deftly combines key scientific information about these captivating
creatures with wry, colorful observations, and inside stories from one of the world's most prolific trilobite collectors.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, enhanced throughout with magnificent photographic imagery, this coffee-table style
(8.75 x 1.25 x 11 inches, 1.02 pounds) edition of Andy Secher's "Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic" from
the Columbia University Press must be considered an essential, core addition to personal, professional, community, college,
and university library Paleontology collections in general, and supplemental curriculum Trilobite studies lists in particular. It
should be noted by paleontology students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject the
"Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.06).
Editorial Note: Andy Secher is a field associate in paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History and the co-
editor of the museum's trilobite website. His private collection comprises more than 4,000 trilobite fossils.
Age of Dinosaurs
Yang Yang, author
Chuang Zhao, illustrator
Chen Mo, translator
Brown Books Publishing Group
16250 Knoll Trail, Suite 205, Dallas, Texas 75248
https://www.brownbooks.com
9781612545288, $29.95, HC, 233pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dinosaurs-Field-Guide-Ancient-World/dp/1612545289
Synopsis: Two hundred and thirty-five million years ago it was the dawn of the age of dinosaurs, an age that would last until
a global catastrophe some sixty-five millions years ago.
Around the globe, dinosaurs were taking dominion over their territory. With the publication of "Age of Dinosaurs" by
author Yang Yang and artist/illustrator Chuang Zhao, dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages will discover their confidence as they
ruled the planet for hundreds of millions of years ago -- roaming the land, certain that they could never die.
These fascinating creatures multiplied in large numbers, developed into numerous species, and spread to all corners of the
earth over the course of three geological periods. "Age of the Dinosaurs" covers the dinosaurs during Triassic, Jurassic, and
Cretaceous periods, showcasing their lives and evolution over time.
"Age of Dinosaurs" will transport you to a time before mammals and humans existed. With its full-color illustrations of the
world of dinosaurs before we knew it, this first volume from the PNSO Field Guide to the Ancient World.
Critique: With full page museum quality artwork in support of scientific research based commentaries, this coffee-table
style (9.49 x 0.93 x 12.43 inches, 3.32 pound) edition of "Age of Dinosaurs" is as fascinating as it is informative.
Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Age of Dinosaurs" is ideal and recommended for personal,
professional, community, or academic library Paleontology collection in general, and supplemental curriculum Dinosaur
studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Zaho Chuang (a scientific artist), and Yang Yang (an author of scientific children's books), started working
together when they jointly founded PNSO, an organization devoted to the research and creation of scientific art in Beijing
on June 1st, 2010. A few months later, they launched Scientific Art Projects Plan: Stories on Earth (2010-2070). The plan
uses scientific art to create a captivating, historically accurate narrative. These narratives are based on the latest scientific
research, focusing on the complex relationships between species, natural environments, communities, and cultures.
Age of Ancient Sea Monsters
Yang Yang, author
Chuang Zhao, illustrator
Chen Mo, translator
Brown Books Publishing Group
16250 Knoll Trail, Suite 205, Dallas, Texas 75248
https://www.brownbooks.com
9781612545301, $29.95, HC, 189pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Monsters-Field-Guide-World/dp/1612545300
Synopsis: With the publication of "Age of Ancient Sea Monsters" by author Yang Yang and artist/illustrator Chuang Zhao,
marine dinosaur fans of all ages will take a trip back in time to some five hundred million years ago, and explore the
underwater depths dominated by ancient sea monsters.
Ably translated into English by Chen Mo, "Age of Ancient Sea Monsters" reveals the many mysteries of the aquatic reptiles
lurking below sea-level as they develop long and sharp teeth, massive tails, and unparalleled strength! These features
allowed them to defeat all that was in their path and become the unchallenged hegemons of the ocean.
Readers will also learn about the evolution of sea monsters across the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods as each one
takes control of its own destiny. "Age of Ancient Sea Monsters" tells the story of how these courageous ocean creatures
adapted to new environments and worked for their survival.
Critique: "Age of Ancient Sea Monsters" is third volume from the simply outstanding PNSO Field Guide to the Ancient
World series and will inspire paleontology enthusiasts everywhere to explore their nearby lakes, ponds, and oceans! A
pleasure to browse through, replete with full page artwork, impressively well written, "Age of Ancient Sea Monsters" is
particularly recommended for inclusion into personal, professional, community, college, and university library Paleontology
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Zaho Chuang (a scientific artist), and Yang Yang (an author of scientific children's books), started working
together when they jointly founded PNSO, an organization devoted to the research and creation of scientific art in Beijing
on June 1st, 2010. A few months later, they launched Scientific Art Projects Plan: Stories on Earth (2010-2070). The plan
uses scientific art to create a captivating, historically accurate narrative. These narratives are based on the latest scientific
research, focusing on the complex relationships between species, natural environments, communities, and cultures.
Age of Pterosaurs
Yang Yang, author
Chuang Zhao, illustrator
Chen Mo, translator
Brown Books Publishing Group
16250 Knoll Trail, Suite 205, Dallas, Texas 75248
https://www.brownbooks.com
9781612545295, $29.95, HC, 191pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pterosaurs-Field-Guide-Ancient-World/dp/1612545297
Synopsis: The Pterosaurs ("wing lizard") were flying reptiles of the extinct clade or order Pterosauria. They existed during
most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 to 66 million years ago). Pterosaurs are the
earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight. Their wings were formed by a membrane of skin, muscle, and
other tissues stretching from the ankles to a dramatically lengthened fourth finger. (Wikipedia)
Long before the invention of the airplane, the mighty pterosaurs were the first flying vertebrates and the largest flyers ever.
How could these excellent flyers master the difficult trick? How did their body adapt to flying? In their millions of years of
flying, how did they evolve further?
With the publication of "Age of Pterosaurs" by the team of author Yang Yang and artist/illustrator Chuang Zhao, readers
will enjoy joy learning all about pterosaurs throughout the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods as they evolve into the
greatest flyers of all time.
The second volume from the PNSO Field Guide to the Ancient World, and ably translated into English by Chen Mo, the
Brown Books Publishing Group edition of "Age of Pterosaurs" follows the great achievements of the pterosaurs who
believed in the power of their dreams.
Critique: This coffee-table style (9.25 x 1 x 12 inches, 2.9 pounds) volume features beautiful illustrations throughout as it
presents a series of inspirational stories of the pterosaurs' reign over ancient skies. As definitively informative as it is
inherently fascinating, "Age of Pterosaurs" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, college, and university library Paleontology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Zaho Chuang (a scientific artist), and Yang Yang (an author of scientific children's books), started working
together when they jointly founded PNSO, an organization devoted to the research and creation of scientific art in Beijing
on June 1st, 2010. A few months later, they launched Scientific Art Projects Plan: Stories on Earth (2010-2070). The plan
uses scientific art to create a captivating, historically accurate narrative. These narratives are based on the latest scientific
research, focusing on the complex relationships between species, natural environments, communities, and cultures.
The Psychology Shelf
A History of Delusions
Victoria Shepherd
Oneworld Publications
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9780861540914, $27.95, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/History-Delusions-Substitute-Husband-Walking/dp/0861540913
Synopsis: A delusion is a false fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence. As a pathology, it
is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, hallucination, or some
other misleading effects of perception, as individuals with those beliefs are able to change or readjust their beliefs upon
reviewing the evidence. (Wikipedia)
The King of France (thinking he was made of glass) was terrified he might shatter -- and he wasn't alone. After the Emperor
Napoleon met his end at Waterloo, an epidemic of Napoleons piled into France's asylums. Throughout the nineteenth
century, dozens of middle-aged women tried to convince their physicians that they were, in fact, dead.
For centuries we've dismissed delusions as something for doctors to sort out behind locked doors. With the publication of
"A History of Delusions: The Glass King, a Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse", author Victoria Shepherd maintains
that delusions are more than just bizarre quirks -- they hold the key to collective anxieties and traumas.
A groundbreaking and unique history of mental illness, Victoria Shepherd uncovers stories of delusions from medieval
times to the present day and implores us to identify reason in apparent madness.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and compelling read, "A History of Delusions: The Glass King, a Substitute Husband
and a Walking Corpse" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in psychological pathologies and the
history of mental illness in the form of personal delusions. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library Psychology/Mental Illness collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "A History of Delusions" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Victoria Shepherd holds an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia. She conceived and
produced the ten-part series A History of Delusions for BBC Radio 4. She has produced scores of documentaries and major
strands for BBC Radio 4.
The Cookbook Shelf
The Backyard BBQ Bible
Oscar Smith
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922417602, $29.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Backyard-BBQ-Bible-Essential-Knowledge/dp/1922417602
Synopsis: Comprised of more than 100 recipes for grilling outdoors, "The Backyard BBQ Bible" Sydney-based food writer
and photographer Oscar Smith is the ideal DIY guide to getting the best out of any barbecue whether it's a modest charcoal
stand-alone or a gas-burning beast with all the bells and whistles.
The recipes designed for cooking in the great outdoors include the barbequing of chicken, beef, lamb, pork, seafood and
veggies. There are even options for side dishes and desserts!.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with the full color photography of finished dishes (of special note is Southern-
Style Baby Back Pork Ribs!) this palate pleasing, appetite satisfying compendium is a 'must' for all dedicated BBQ
enthusiasts and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections.
Wood-Fired Feast
Jon Finch
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946258, $34.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wood-Fired-Feast-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/1784946257
Synopsis: With the publication of "Wood-Fired Feast: Over 100 Recipes for the Wood Burning Oven", Jon Finch
demonstrates that when it comes to wood-fired ovens, pizzas are just the start! Whether new to wood-fired cooking or a
food lover looking to step up your outdoor cooking game, "Wood-Fired Feast" provides everything needed to be known
about using and maintaining a wood-fired oven and transform the novice into a master of the wood burning oven.
"Wood-Fired Feast" presents invaluable advice on using a wood-fired oven, the tools and equipment needed, tips on wood
selection and cooking temperatures, and easy step-by-step instructions for building and maintaining a fire. That's all in
addition to the more than 100 recipes, some of which have been created by guest celebrity chefs including Dan Toombs (aka
The Curry Guy).
From street food to family meals, and small bites to decadent desserts, the recipes comprising "Wood-Fired Feast" come
from all corners of the globe, proving that the potential of the wood-fired oven knows no bounds.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated the finished dishes with full page color photography throughout, "Wood-Fired Feast: Over
100 Recipes for the Wood Burning Oven" is an essential instructional guide and cookbook for anyone wanting to master the
art of cooking with a wood burning oven. With its profusion of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes, "Wood-Fired
Feast" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections.
Editorial Note: Jon Finch is a live fire and BBQ cooking expert, food writer and festival maker. He is the founder of
Grillstock festival and is also a contributor in a number of other festivals and fire and feast experiences. He co-owns Quay
Street Diner and is a chef for Delivita Wood Fired Ovens as well as Weber BBQ. Jon is the author of three best selling cook
books and gives masterclasses nationally. He has an informative website at https://chompchomp.co.uk/
Persiana Everyday
Sabrina Ghayour
Aster
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781783255146, $34.99, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Persiana-Everyday-Sabrina-Ghayour/dp/1783255145
Synopsis: "Persiana Everyday" is an all-new collection of more than 100 fuss-free, crowd-pleasing Middle Eastern cuisine
recipes for everyday eating from Sabrina Ghayour, the author of the award-winning, Sunday Times bestselling cookbook
"Persiana".
With each featured recipe specifically designed to ensure maximum flavor with the greatest of ease (including no-cook,
quick-prep, quick-cook and one-pot dishes), "Persiana Everyday" is full and illustrated compendium of generous, inviting
and delicious recipes to cook again and again for family and friends.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of full page color photographs of finished dishes, "Persiana Everyday" is an ideal
culinary resource for planning memorable menus feature Middle Eastern cuisine ranging from Aromatic Spiced Beef &
Tomato Polow; Pomegranate Chicken Wings; Sauteed Zucchini with Mint; and Spicy Nutty Roasted Cauliflower; Spiced
Coconut Chickpeas; Sage Butter, Feta & Black Pepper Pasta; and Tahini & Chocolate Marmar Cake -- and so many more
palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99), "Persiana Everyday" is highly recommended, especially for personal, professional, family, and community library
Middle Eastern & Ethnic Cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Sabrina Ghayour is an Iranian-born, self-taught home cook turned chef, cookery teacher and food writer. She
made her name hosting the hugely popular 'Sabrina's Kitchen' supper club in London, specializing in Persian and Middle
Eastern flavours, and went on to be named the Observer's Rising Star in Food. Her cookbook, "Persiana", is a worldwide
bestseller. She is also the cookbook author of Sirocco, Feasts, Bazaar and Simply.
Parks and Recreation: The Official Cookbook
Jenn Fujikawa
Smart Pop Books
c/o BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637740873, $24.95 136pp
https://www.amazon.com/Parks-Recreation-Official-Jenn-Fujikawa/dp/1637740875
Synopsis: "Parks and Recreation: The Official Cookbook" by Jenn Fujikawa is the ultimate way for fans to visit the
kitchens, restaurants, and Harvest Festivals of Pawnee, IN, without ever leaving their homes.
And though "there has never been a sadness that can't be cured by breakfast food," home cooks of every skill level will be
able to recreate meals for any time of day, including: Leslie Knope's Favorite JJ's Diner Waffles; Eagleton Crepes; Ron
Swanson's Meat Tornado Burrito; Paunch Burger's Double Bason Grenade Deluxe; Chris Traeger's Turkey Burger and
Literally the Best Salad You've Ever Had; Stu's Stew; April and Andy's Most Amazing Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ever
Made; Ben's Calzones; Donna's Mimosas; Marshmallow Ron Swansons; Sweetums Sugar Splash Floats.
Featuring more photos, quotes, and many vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options than there are rules, "Parks and
Recreation: The Official Cookbook" serves up something culinary for every fan!
Critique: Wonderfully illustrated in full color throughout with pictures of finished dishes and Parks & Recreation stars,
"Parks and Recreation: The Official Cookbook" is as fun to simply page through as it is easy for kitchen cooks to recreate
the showcased culinary delights that are as palate pleasing as they are appetite satisfying. A 'must' for the legions of Parks &
Recreation fans, "Parks and Recreation: The Official Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99)
and will prove a welcome addition to both personal and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Jenn Fujikawa is an author and content creator specializing in lifestyle and pop culture. She has created
content for Disney, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, and more. Her recipes have been featured on Buzzfeed,
LA Times, Food & Wine Magazine, and the cover of Food Network Magazine. Jenn is also the author of The Gudetama
Cookbook, The I Love Lucy Cookbook: Classic Recipes Inspired by the Iconic TV Show, I Love Lucy: The Joys of
Friendship, and the co-author of The Goldbergs Cookbook.
The Artful Pie Project
Denise Machessault, author
Deb Garlick, author
White Cap
c/o Fitzhenry & Whiteside
www.fitzhenry.ca
9781770503601, $39.95, HC, 324pp
https://www.amazon.com/Artful-Pie-Project-Savoury-Recipes/dp/1770503609
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Artful Pie Project", collaborative culinary authors Denise Marchessault (who holds a
Grand Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu, a cooking instructor, and the author of "British Columbia From Scratch" and Deb
Garlick (whose art graces international book covers and is in private collections worldwide) featuring more than 50 recipes
covering the pie spectrum from galettes, to pastry dumplings and slab crumbles -- plus French Canadian classics such as
Tourtiere and Tart au Sucre!
Beyond pie recipes, "The Artful Pie Project" is a compendium of practical and effective tips for dodging pie failures and
creative ideas for using precious scraps of leftover dough. There is also a selection of accompaniments to partner with
favorite pie recipes.
Critique: A true and dedicated pie lover's delight to simply browse through, as well as profusely and beautifully illustrated
throughout with full color photography and illustrations,"The Artful Pie Project" is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in
organization and presentation -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
family, and community library collections.
Bake
Paul Hollywood
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781635579291, $40.00, HC
https://www.amazon.com/Bake-Best-Ever-Recipes-Classics/dp/1635579295
Fans of British baking television well know the name of Paul Hollywood and his lively expertise on baking matters. These
readers, plus newcomers to Hollywood's style and range of interests, will find Bake: My Best Ever Recipes for the Classics
to be an outstanding gathering of some of his biggest attractions. Those who expect the book to be filled with sweet items
alone will be especially pleased to find that it includes savory fare ranging from a Thai Chicken Pie to Hand-raised Sunday
Lunch Pie. From Cheese Crackers to English Muffins, breads, pizzas, sponges and puddings, Hollywood features a host of
attractive ideas for classic baked goods, tapping his years as a professional baker and judge to profile the highlights of his
career. Even cookbook collections that already have a healthy array of baking cookbooks will find many outstanding
recipes, here.
Cooking With Plant Based Meat
America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen, Publisher
www.americastestkitchen.com
9781954210028, $27.99 HC, $15.99 Kindle, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Plant-Based-Meat-Next-Generation-Alternatives/dp/1954210027
Years ago, Cooking With Plant Based Meat might have been considered by a library to be a specialty choice only for
collections with extensive vegetarian sections. But as the idea and availability of plant based meat moves from exotic to
everyday, there is even more need for a book like Cooking With Plant Based Meat to appear in the average personal,
professional, or community library's culinary collection.
With its typical attention to foolproof recipes and how and why they work, America's Test Kitchen is in the perfect position
to produce a definitive "keeper" on the subject of cooking with plant-based meats, "Cooking with Plant-Based Meat: 75
Satisfying Recipes Using Next-Generation Meat Alternatives" from America's Test Kitchen comes with good-sized color
photos of completed dishes, explores meat substitutes that produce the best meaty-type flavors, and discusses why these
substitutes work.
The vegan and vegetarian recipes profiled within are packed with flavor beyond the meat substitute, as in a Meat-Lover's
Veggie Banh Mi sandwich which includes sauces and zests, or Toasted Orzo Pilaf with Meatballs, Fennel, and Orange.
The diversity, international influences, and foolproof recipes create a superior survey that should be the item of choice if just
one book on plant based meat cookery were to be chosen for a lending library or a family cookbook collection. The 75
vegetarian dishes with tasty and filling meat alternatives are excellent for entertaining, or just plain healthy home cooking.
Highly recommended! It should be noted for personal reading lists that Cooking With Plant Based Meat is also available in
a Kindle edition ($15.99).
The Wine/Beer/Spirits Shelf
Bourbon Is My Comfort Food
Heather Wibbels
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813186894, $27.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bourbon-Comfort-Food-Heather-Wibbels/dp/0813186897
Synopsis: "Bourbon Is My Comfort Food" by Heather Wibbles reveals the delicious beauty of bourbon cocktails and the joy
of creating them. Whether readers are new to bourbon or steeped in its history and myriad uses, with this informative guide
they will gain the knowledge to make great bourbon cocktails, share them with friends and family, and expand their whiskey
horizons -- because the only thing better than bourbon is sharing it with a friend.
From building your home bar to basics on cocktail technique, bourbon and mixed cocktails expert Heather Wibbels
showcases more than 140 variations on classic bourbon cocktails (like the Old-Fashioned, the Manhattan, Whiskey Sours,
Highballs, Juleps, and more) in approachable ways. She also features several Cocktail Labs, which invite readers to explore
classic cocktail elements and experiment with flavors, textures, infusions, syrups, and garnishes.
But more than that, "Bourbon Is My Comfort Food" is a celebration of ten years of bourbon education and cocktails by
Bourbon Women, the first group dedicated to women and their love of the spirit. Heather Wibbels celebrates with cocktails
from the Bourbon Women leadership team, branches across the nation, and winners from the group's annual Not Your Pink
Drink contest -- inviting the reader to get out their cocktail shaker and explore the wide world of bourbon cocktails!
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full page color photography, this coffee-table style edition (8 x
1 x 10 inches, 2.5 pounds) of "Bourbon Is My Comfort Food" is an elegant compendium of thoroughly 'user friendly' recipes
for memorable bourbon based cocktails and other drinks -- and begins with practical 'how to' and 'what to do' information on
Bourbon Basics and Stocking Your Bar. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99), "Bourbon Is My
Comfort Food" will prove to be a prized addition to personal, professional, and community library Wine/Beer/Spirits
collections.
Editorial Note: Heather Wibbels is an award-winning mixologist, former chair of the Bourbon Women Board of Directors
and current managing director, photographer, and digital content creator. Wibbels works with brands and companies to
develop cocktails and deliver cocktail education for home mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts, turning cocktail lovers into
whiskey drinkers one drink at a time. She develops, writes, and photographs content for her own website at:
www.CocktailContessa.com
The Cocktail Cabinet
Zoe Burgess
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784727994, $24.99, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cocktail-Cabinet-science-pleasure-perfect/dp/1784727997
Synopsis: A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or
more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely
across regions of the world, and many websites publish both original recipes and their own interpretations of older and more
famous cocktail.
For several generations now, a cocktail is the preferred answer to so many after work, pre-weekend, Saturday night, holiday
lunch, get-together and dinner party cravings. Always welcomed, but often by the amateur recreated with little success.
With a vast scope of information on all things cocktail, drinks researcher and developer Zoe Burgess introduces "The
Cocktail Cabinet: The art, science and pleasure of mixing the perfect drink", a comprehensive and detailed guide to creating
professional cocktails. Throughout seven chapters she breaks each showcased cocktail down into their five basic tastes and
considers the flavor profiles of the key spirits included, analyzing why certain pairings work so you can fully understand the
building blocks of this delectable art.
"The Cocktail Cabinet" is a reliable and accessible companion to cocktail-making, no matter what your knowledge, skill or
budget may be. It identifies the basic equipment to invest in, provides practical tips on set up, explores techniques used and
advises on the most versatile, readily available ingredients to purchase for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails -- so
no one misses out. With accompanying illustrations, the structure, method, flavor profile and finished results can be
visualized with ease.
Understanding these elements will insure creating, developing and executing dream cocktails, and ensuring that
cocktail-making at home is an effortless and enjoyable experience as offered by any experienced and professional bar
tender.
Critique: A cocktail lover's delight to page through, "The Cocktail Cabinet: The art, science and pleasure of mixing the
perfect drink" is beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography. So thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization
and presentation, "The CockTail Cabinet" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to personal,
professional, and community library Cocktail & Mixed Drink instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: Zoe Burgess is a drinks researcher and developer who has created menus for bars and restaurants including
Dinner by Heston, 69 Colebrooke Row and Bar Termini and worked as a consultant for many brands such as Pernod Ricard.
She also trains mixologists and runs Atelier Pip, which is an independent flavor profiling company.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
What Did You Eat Yesterday? 18
Fumi Yoshinaga
Vertical
c/o Kodansha
www.kodansha.us
9781647290900 $12.95 pbk / $7.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/What-Did-You-Eat-Yesterday/dp/1647290902
Synopsis: From the James Tripee Award Winning author, Fumi Yoshinaga, comes a casual romance between two middle-
aged men and the many meals they share together.
A hard-working middle-aged gay couple in Tokyo come to enjoy the finer moments of life through food. After long days at
work, either in the law firm or the hair salon, Shiro and Kenji will always have down time together by the dinner table,
where they can discuss their troubles, hash out their feelings and enjoy delicately prepared home cooked meals!
Critique: What Did You Eat Yesterday? is a long-running, black-and-white manga graphic novel series about the everyday
life of Shiro and Kenji, a middle-aged gay male couple, with emphasis on home-cooked cuisine. One member works at a
law firm; the other in a hair salon; both relish culinary delights at the dinner table as they share their respective daily ups and
downs. In volume 18 of What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Shiro and Kenji are both approaching their sixties, and Kenji is
horrified to discover that Shiro has been making plans for the end of his life. Furthermore, an unexpected problem at work
may force Kenji to relinquish his position as manager, or perhaps even leave the salon permanently. As always, appealing
culinary creations are sprinkled throughout this saga of love, exquisite cooking, and navigating life's difficult challenges.
Highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that What Did You Eat Yesterday? 18 is also available in
a Kindle edition ($7.99).
American TV Comic Books 1940s-1980s
Peter Bosch
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605491073, $29.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/American-TV-Comic-Books-1940s-1980s/dp/1605491071
"American TV Comic Books 1940s-1980s: From the Small Screen to the Printed Page" by Peter Bosch focuses on
television shows and the comic book adaptations made from them, providing a year-by-year history of these efforts that
follows some two thousand adaptations across five decades.
While fans of comic book history will of course be the major audience for this survey, so will students of media history and
studies that focus on the creative art of interpreting television in different formats. Popular American TV shows from the era
turned into comics included The Lone Ranger, Rawhide, Zorro, The Andy Griffith Show, The Monkees, The Mod Squad,
Adam-12, Battlestar Galactica, The Bionic Woman, Alf, Fraggle Rock, V, and more.
Bosch also includes artist profiles, influences on television show successes, and notes about their translation into comic
format in a highly visual piece replete in color images of comic book covers and art. The result is a 'must' for any personal,
professional, community, college, and university library collection strong in definitive comic book history, as well as being
highly recommended for television and media studies supplemental curriculum studies lists.
The Audiobook Shelf
Queens of the Underworld
Caitlin Davies, author
Annie Aldington, narrator
Isis Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781399121897, $98.95, Library CD
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781399121897
Synopsis: Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, Ronnie Biggs, the Krays... All have become folk heroes, glamorised and romanticised,
even when they killed. But where are their female equivalents? Where are the women who were street robbers, gang leaders,
diamond thieves, gold smugglers and bank robbers?
"Queens of the Underworld" by Caitline Davies and dramatically narrated by Annie Aldington reveals the incredible story of
female crooks from the 17th century to the present. Ranging from Moll Cutpurse to the Black Boy Alley Ladies, from jewel
thief Emily Lawrence to bandit leader Elsie Carey and burglar Zoe Progl, these were all charismatic women at the top of
their criminal games and enterprises.
But female criminals have long been dismissed as either not 'real women' or not 'real criminals', and in the process their
stories have been lost.
Critique: Now rescued from an under-served obscurity, "Queens of the Underworld" is complete and unabridged audio book
(10 CDs) that provides fascinating and detailed stories of British women from the 17th century to the present day who
famously (or infamously) turned themselves into what today would be classified as career criminals. Of special appeal to
students of criminology and true crime biography fans, "Queens of the Underworld" is very highly recommended for
community and academic library audio book collections. It should be noted that "Queens of the Underworld" is also
available in an MP3-CD format (9781399121903, $TBA, 1 Disc).
Editorial Note #1: Caitlin Davies is a novelist, non-fiction writer, award-winning journalist and teacher. She is also the
author of six novels, six non-fiction books, and several short stories. She has written for The Independent, The Sunday
Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Her books include Bad Girls: a History of Rebels and
Renegades, a history of Holloway Prison. She has an accessible website at https://www.caitlindavies.co.uk/
Editorial Note #2: Annie Aldington has a wealth of acting experience and is a highly regarded audio artist who is the go-to
voice for many top-selling authors, including: Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers, Roberta Kray, Jessie Keane, Helen
Carey and Dilly Court. She is equally at home in front of a mic or performing in comedy, classical or contemporary drama.
She has a website at http://www.anniealdington.co.uk
Blood Pact
Heather Atkinson, author
Angus King, narrator
Ulverscroft Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781800482852, $110.95, Library CD
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781800482852
Synopsis: After the defeat of the rival Gordon and Thompson families, the Blood Brothers' reputations as feared lieutenants
of the McVay clan are firmly established. The Gallowburn has become an untouchable stronghold in their capable hands.
However, danger rears its head in another form - Mob boss and Jamie's deadliest foe, Cameron Abernethy.
Still fighting to be released from prison, Cameron decides to use the Lawson family, the Blood Brothers' biggest rivals, to
discover his daughter's whereabouts. With his enemies getting closer, and the police on his tail too, Jamie has some
impossible choices to make. This is his last chance to live the life he's dreamed of with the woman he loves, but first he's got
to make sure he's not caught or killed!
Critique: Angus King's superbly performance as narrator brings novelist Heather Atkinson's "Blood Pact" brilliantly to live
in a true theatre of the mind experience for the listener. Of special appeal to fans of the crime novel, this complete and
unabridged audio book edition of "Blood Pact" (11 CDs) is an especially recommended addition to community library audio
book collections. It should be noted that "Blood Pact" is also available from Ulverscroft Audio in an MP3-CD format (1
Disc).
Editorial Note #1: With over sixty books now available on Amazon Kindle, Heather Atkinson is fortunate enough to write
full-time. She regularly publishes new book and her fans can follow Heather on various internet platforms including:
Website: www.heatheratkinsonbooks.com; Twitter at #heatheratkinso1; Facebook: The Books of Heather Atkinson;
Instagram: heathercrimeauthor
Editorial Note #2: Angus King is a Scottish actor based in London & Glasgow. He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
and works regularly on television, Motion Capture and the West End and his voice can be heard in audiobooks, political
campaigns, radio drama, corporate videos, computer games, ADR and much more. He has a website at
https://angusking.net
Sweeter Than Honey
Joy Avery, author
Tamika Katon-Donegal, narrator
Leon Nixon, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713657781, $22.99, Library CD, 10 Discs
9781713657798, $14.99, MP3-CD, 1 Disc
https://www.amazon.com/Sweeter-Than-Honey-Hill/dp/1713657791
Synopsis: Baker extraordinaire Rylee Harris has a recipe for everything -- except love. It's been five years since she lost her
husband, but romance is still a struggle for Rylee. In her small hamlet of Honey Hill, North Carolina, Rylee knows she'll be
the talk of the town when she finds someone new.
To ease her mother's worries about her love life, Rylee impulsively invents a fake relationship with the only man who's
caught her eye: the town sheriff, Canten Barnes. It's supposed to be a secret, but secrets don't last long in Honey Hill. One
bit of gossip leads to another, and soon the whole town thinks Rylee and Canten are an item.
As Rylee and Canten embark on a make-believe relationship to save face, they slowly realize that their feelings for each
other aren't fake at all. Can Rylee and Canten keep the charade going -- or will the town's prized baker and respected
lawman take a real chance on love?
Critique: The stuff of which Hallmark movies are made, the complete and unabridged audio book featuring the narrative
storytelling talents of Yamika Katon-Donegal and Leson Nixon take full and entertaining advantage of Joy Avery's
impressive flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven novel that lends itself so well to a fully engaging theatre of
the mind experience on the part of the listener. Of special appeal to contemporary romance fans, both audio book editions
(Library CD & MP3-CD) are highly recommended for personal and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Joy Avery is a member of Romance Writers of America and Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. Fans can
find her books and sign up for her Wings of Love newsletter at www.joyavery.com. They can also connect with her on
Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest @authorjoyavery
The Peacekeeper
B. L. Blanchard, author
Darrel Dennis, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713649953, $24.99, Library CD, 8 Discs
9781713649960, $14.99 MP3-CD, 1 Disc
https://www.amazon.com/Peacekeeper-Novel-B-L-Blanchard/dp/1713649969
Synopsis: North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada don't exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded
by an independent Ojibwe nation. And in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past.
Twenty years ago to the day, Chibenashi's mother was murdered and his father confessed. Ever since, caring for his
still-traumatized younger sister has been Chibenashi's privilege and penance. Now, on the same night of the Manoomin
harvest, another woman is slain. His mother's best friend. This leads to a seemingly impossible connection that takes
Chibenashi far from the only world he's ever known.
The major city of Shikaakwa is home to the victim's cruelly estranged family - and to two people Chibenashi never wanted
to see again: his imprisoned father and the lover who broke his heart. As the questions mount, the answers will change his
and his sister's lives forever. Because Chibenashi is about to discover that everything about their lives has been a lie.
Critique: A superbly crafted and deftly narrated, complete and unabridged 9 hour and 42 minute audio book experience,
"The Peacekeeper" is an Alternate History Science Fiction novel dramatically performed by Darrell Dennis who brings to
life author B. L. Blanchard's alternate history based Native American drama. All the more impressive when considering that
this is Blanchard's debut as a novelist, ""The Peacekeepers" offers the listener an extraordinary theatre of the mind
adventure. Either one of the Brilliance Audio editions (Library CD / MP3-CD) of "The Peacekeeper" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections.
The Library CD Shelf
Envolee
Ariane Racicot
www.arianeracicot.com
Canada Council for the Arts
$20.00 CAD CD / $10.00 CAD digital
https://arianeracicot.bandcamp.com/album/envol-e
Montreal pianist and composer Ariane Racicot presents her debut album Envolee, featuring five original compositions that
draw upon a wide range of jazz piano styles. Antoine Rochefort on electric bass, Guillaume Picard on drums, and Martin
Plante on drums contribute their talents to heighten the intensity and rhythm of the evocative, genre-bending music pieces.
Envolee is a choice pick for both personal and public library collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Vertige,
Coffee and Cigarettes, Bicycle Ride, Crepuscule, and A ciel ouvert.
Fray
Queen Kong
www.queenkongtoronto.com
Canada Council for the Arts
https://queenkong1.bandcamp.com/album/fray
$15.00 CAD digital
https://queenkong1.bandcamp.com/album/fray
Fray is the debut album of the Toronto-based band of klezmorim (Jewish folk music performers) Queen Kong, led by
drummer and composer Lorie Wolf, and featuring Michael Winograd on clarinet, Max Forster on trumpet and electronics,
Nathan Dell-Vandenburg on trombone, Tom Richards on sousaphone, Graham Campbell on guitar, Beth Silver on cello,
and Jaron Freeman-Fox on violin. The ten original songs is an adventure in creative use of metering, and a confluence of
myriad musical styles fused into a klezmer celebration. Fray is a welcome addition to multicultural music collections, highly
recommended for klezmer connoisseurs and public libraries. The tracks are Kavod-19, Bethema, Let Me Take My Time,
If/Then, Kaddish for Jonny, East 3rd and C, Di Zun Vet Aruntergyn, Pirate Max, NBK, Kaddish for Jonny II, and
Moshi.
Calling You From My Mountain
Peter Rowan
www.peter-rowan.com
Rebel Records
www.rebelrecords.com
$14.98 CD / $8.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Calling-You-Mountain-Peter-Rowan/dp/B09X73PQXB
GRAMMY-award winning artist Peter Rowan presents Calling You From My Mountain, an album showcasing his acoustic
guitar music and folksy vocals. The songs cross genre boundaries from bluegrass and Americana to country rock, jazz,
reggae, and more. Calling You From My Mountain is a treasure for acoustic guitar connoisseurs, a choice pick for public
library music collections, and also makes an excellent gift. Highly recommended! The tracks are New York Town, Veil of
Deja Blue, Come Along Jody, Little Joe, The Song That Made Hank Williams Dance, A Winning Hand, From My
Mountain (Calling You), Frog on the Lilly Pad, The Red The White and the Blue, Light at the End of the World,
Penitentiary Blues (Big Brazos), Dream of Heaven, and Freedom Trilogy.
Breaking News
Clinton Fearon
Boogie Brown Productions
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-News/dp/B09ZYDCWBW
Breaking News is an original, full-length album by reggae master Clinton Fearon, composed during the COVID-19
pandemic. The lyrics stress the need for common sense and compassion, and the music conveys the beating of a steady heart
and the strength of the soul in trying times. Profound and emotionally moving, Breaking News is highly recommended not
only for reggae connoisseurs, but also for anyone in need of the supportive power of quality music. The tracks are Breaking
News, Don't Dump it, Social Unrest, New Chapter, Have Some Fun, Sweet Morning Sun, Brace Yourself, I Wanna Dance,
Trod On, I Am Thankful, and Unbeatable Dub.
Epistle
Jacob Chung
jacobchungmusic.com
Three Pines Records
threepinesrecords.ca
$10.00 CAD digital
https://jacobchung.bandcamp.com/album/epistle
Toronto saxophonist/composer Jacob Chung (b. 2000) presents his debut release Epistle, an original music album written
for quintet performance. Christian Antonacci on trumpet, Felix Fox-Pappas on piano, Thomas Hainbuch on bass, and Petros
Anagnostakos on drums contribute their talent to this swinging, energetic Canadian jazz delight, highly recommended
especially for connoisseurs of the genre. The tracks are Triage, Bouncin' at Bonafide, Epistle I: Conviction/II; Justification,
Epistle III: Sanctification, Epistle IV: Glorification, and Sizzler Kebab.
Into Another Land
Shiri Zorn, George Muscatello, and Mauricio Zottarelli
www.shirizorn.com
Privately Published
$TBA
https://shirizorn.hearnow.com
Into Another Land is a beautiful music album featuring Shiri Zorn's soul-stirring vocals, George Muscatello on guitar, and
Mauricio Zottarelli on percussion. Eight songs, two of them original compositions, push the boundaries of jazz to explore
contemplations on life, love, and the beauty of the fleeting moment. Into Another Land is a joy to experience, highly
recommended. The tracks are Witch Touch, How Deep is the Ocean, Zingaro, Beautiful Love, I Wasn't Ready, vivo
Sonhando, Willow Weep for Me, and Detour Ahead.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Various Stages of a Garden Well Kept
R. R. Davis
https://www.rrdavis.com
Blackwater Press
www.blackwaterpress.com
9781735774732, $19.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.bookdepository.com/Various-Stages-Garden-Well-Kept-R-R-Davis/9781735774732
Synopsis: Loosely based on true events, "The Various Stages of a Garden Well Kept" by R. R. Davis is a multi-generational
novel about relationships and family. Short, punchy chapters provide a fragmented framework to the stories, which
gradually begin to come together into a whole.
In 1920 Irini Gaspari, a young Greek woman, leaves behind all that she holds dear - her family, and particularly her friend
Martha - and emigrates to America, bound for an arranged marriage to a man she has never met.
After tragedy strikes and her closely-knit family gradually seems to crumble to pieces, little Marieta finds her own path into
womanhood in the changing world of the 1950s and 1960s. She faces struggles and joys, and tends to her garden where each
plant and tree bears a memory of someone, while a dianthus holds a bitter secret.
Jumping forward to 2010, in Akron, Ohio, two brothers, Herman and Richard, in spite of their very different personalities,
seem to have in common an awkward relationship with love. In their own, de-romanticised ways, they are looking for 'the
one.' They navigate romance, and take care of an ageing mother riddled with dementia and an obsession for... her garden.
The lives of these characters are interwoven through Frieda Kahlo: an introspective and enigmatic calico cat who drifts
between reality and the spiritual world, connecting the generations of characters.
A mysterious character reveals his true identity at the end of the novel, and sets the scene for a much needed happy
ending.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "The Various Stages of a Garden Well Kept" is author R. R. Davis'
debut as a novelist, this original and exceptionally well written collection of memorable characters and an inherently
interesting and narrative driven story of the emigrant in America is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal reading lists and community, college, and university library Contemporary Literary Collections.
Editorial Note: Author R R Davis is in the process of publishing his second novel and writing his third. R. R. Davis has a
website at https://www.rrdavis.com and can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/robertricharddavis
The Beach Trap
Ali Brady
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593440155, $17.00, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beach-Trap-Ali-Brady/dp/0593440153
Synopsis: When twelve-year-olds Kat Steiner and Blake O'Neill meet at Camp Chickawah, they have an instant connection.
But everything falls apart when they learn they're not just best friends -- they're also half sisters. Confused and betrayed, the
girls break off all contact.
Fifteen years later, when their father dies suddenly, Kat and Blake discover he's left them a joint inheritance: the family
beach house in Destin, Florida. The two sisters are immediately at odds. Blake, who has recently been demoted from regular
nanny to dog nanny, wants to sell the house, while social media influencer Kat is desperate to hold on to the place where she
lived so many happy memories.
Kat and Blake reluctantly join forces to renovate the dilapidated house, with the understanding that Kat will try to buy Blake
out at the end of the summer. The women clash as Blake's renovation plans conflict with Kat's creative vision; meanwhile,
each sister finds herself drawn into a summer romance. As the weeks pass, the two women realize the most difficult project
they face this summer will be coming to grips with their shared past -- and learning how to become sisters.
Critique: A deftly crafted, impressively original, and thoroughly fun read from first page to last, "The Beach Trap" by Ali
Brady will prove to be a welcome and appreciated addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Beach Trap" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Ali Brady is the pen name of writing BFFs Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey. "The Beach Trap" is their
first book together. Alison lives in Chicago and works as a VP creative director at an advertising agency. She is also the
author of "You and Me and Us" and "Little Pieces of Me". Bradeigh lives with her family in Utah, where she works as a
physician. She is the author of the psychological thriller, "Imposter".
Mustique Island
Sarah McCoy
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780062984371, $27.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mustique-Island-Novel-Sarah-McCoy/dp/0062984373
Synopsis: It's January 1972 but the sun is white hot when Willy May Michael's boat first kisses the dock of Mustique Island.
Tucked into the southernmost curve of the Caribbean, Mustique is a private island that has become a haven for the wealthy
and privileged. Its owner is the eccentric British playboy Colin Tennant, who is determined to turn this speck of white sand
into a luxurious neo-colonial retreat for his rich friends and into a royal court in exile for the Queen's rebellious sister,
Princess Margaret -- one where Her Royal Highness can skinny dip, party, and entertain lovers away from the public
eye.
Willy May, a former beauty queen from Texas (and who is also no stranger to marital scandals) seeks out Mustique for its
peaceful isolation. Determined to rebuild her life and her relationships with her two daughters, Hilly, a model, and Joanne, a
musician, she constructs a fanciful white beach house across the island from Princess Margaret -- and finds herself pulled
into the island's inner circle of aristocrats, rock stars, and hangers-on.
When Willy May's daughters arrive, they discover that beneath its veneer of decadence, Mustique has a dark side, and like
sand caught in the undertow, their mother-daughter story will shift and resettle in ways they never could have
imagined.
Critique: "Mustique Island" by skilled storyteller and novelist Sarah McCoy will have a special interest for readers who
enjoy elements of mother-daughter relations, the ties and trials of friendship, and the unpredictable impact of divorce. A
riveting read from start to finish, "Mustique Island" is unreservedly recommended for community library General Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Mustique Island" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200970223, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Sarah McCoy is the author of the novels Marilla of Green Gables, The Mapmaker's Children, The Baker's
Daughter, and The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico. Her work has been featured in Real Simple, The Millions, Your Health
Monthly, Huffington Post, Writer Unboxed, and other publications. She hosted the NPR WSNC monthly radio program
"Bookmarked with Sarah McCoy" and previously taught English and writing at Old Dominion University and at the
University of Texas at El Paso.
The Perfect Golden Circle
Benjamin Myers
https://www.benjaminmyerswriter.com
Melville House
https://www.mhpbooks.com
9781612199580, $27.29, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Golden-Circle-Benjamin-Myers/dp/1612199585
Synopsis: Over the course of a burning hot summer of 1989, two very different men (Calvert, an ex-soldier traumatized by
his experience in the Falklands War, and his affable friend Redbone) set out nightly in a decrepit camper van to undertake
an extraordinary project.
Under cover of darkness, they traverse the fields of rural England in secret, forming crop circles in elaborate and mysterious
patterns, painstakingly avoiding damaging the wheat to yield designs so intricate that their overnight appearances inspire
awe amongst a mystified public.
And as the summer wears on, and their designs grow ever more ambitious, the two men find that their work has become a
cult international sensation -- and that an unlikely and beautiful friendship has taken root as the wheat ripens from green to
gold.
But as harvest-time beckons (and as media and the authorities begin to take too much interest in their work) Calvert and
Redbone have to race against time to finish the most stunning and original crop circle ever conceived: the Honeycomb
Double Helix.
Moving and exhilarating, tender and slyly witty, "The Perfect Golden Circle" is a story about the futility of war, the
destruction of the English countryside, class inequality, and the ability of beauty to heal trauma and fight power.
Critique: Having a very special appeal to readers with an interest in contemporary metaphysical fiction, "The Perfect Golden
Circle" by Benjamin Myers is an extraordinary, deftly crafted, and inherently fascinating novel that is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library collections. One of those novels that will linger in the mind long after the
book is finished and set back upon the shelf, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Perfect Golden Circle" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in England's Upper Calder Valley in West Yorkshire, Benjamin Myers is a British former
music journalist whose work appeared in leading publications including NME, Melody Maker, MOJO and Kerrang. He has
since gone on to become one of the UK's leading novelists, with several award-winning books including The Gallows Pole,
which won the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction; The Offing, which was a Times (of London) and BBC Radio book
of the year; and Pig Iron, which won the Gordon Burn Prize. He has also published poetry and short fiction, and has
continued to write journalism for such publications as The Guardian, New Statesman, and New Scientist.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Forest of the Hanged
Liviu Rebreanu, author
Phoebe Cho, illustrator
Center for Romanian Studies
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592110308, $40.70, HC, 326pp
https://www.amazon.com/Forest-Hanged-Liviu-Rebreanu/dp/1592110304
Synopsis: The story of Apostol Bologa, a middle-class Romanian officer serving in the Austro-Hungarian army who
undergoes a transformation as his sense of national consciousness awakens, leading him to make a critical choice that many
faced during this era, "The Forest of the Hanged" by Liviu Rebreanu is a classic Romanian novel that lends valuable
psychological insights into the tragic situation confronting minorities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War
I.
The novel's protagonist, Bologa undergoes an evolution whereby begins to see beyond class distinction and the veneer of the
civilized world. As the hero states, "The soul is the same in the peasant girl as in the countess, at all events in its bare
essentials. Only the shape has been changed by civilization." The inner struggles confronted by Bologa as he confronts the
savagery and injustice of war are emotionally portrayed by the author.
"The Forest of the Hanged" is rightfully considered one of the greatest novels in Romanian literature. Novelist, playwright,
short story writer, and journalist Liviu Rebeanu (November 27, 1885 - September 1, 1944) was one of Romania's most
distinguished literary figures. His novel "Ion" is arguably the first modern Romanian novel.
It is interesting to note that "The Forest of the Hanged" is based on the life of the author's brother, Emil Rebreanu, a
Romanian officer who served in the Austro-Hungarian army.
Critique: An inherently compelling, deftly crafted, emotionally charged, and simply riveting read, this edition of "The Forest
of the Hanged" is impressively illustrated by talented young artist Phoebe Cho, and includes an informative introduction by
A.K. Brackob -- making it especially and unreservedly recommended for inclusion into community, college, and university
library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Forest of the Hanged" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9781592111138, $24.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
It's Alive!
Julian David Stone
https://www.juliandavidstone.com
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781626349315, $22.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Its-Alive-Julian-David-Stone/dp/1626349312
Synopsis: In the summer of 1931, life was good for Junior Laemmle. Though only twenty-three years old, he was the head
of all movie production for Universal Pictures, and under his reign, the studio flourished. So much so, he was about to be
bestowed with the greatest honor a young executive can receive in Hollywood: a promotion to vice president of the entire
company. What's more, Carl Laemmle, his father and founder of the studio, was returning to California for the first time in
years to personally present the honor to his son. -- Or so Junior thought.
When his father arrives, Junior discovers that instead of being grateful for transforming and catapulting the out-of-date
studio into the future, his father is obsessed with Junior's next production: Frankenstein. Like the year before, Carl is
fervently against making another grisly and gothic film, despite Dracula becoming a huge hit -- a film project which Junior
fought for and personally oversaw through production. Also not helping Junior's cause, though the film is just days away
from beginning production, the final choice between Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff to play the role of the Monster, has yet
to be made.
Although a work of fiction, "It's Alive!" by Julian David Stone provides an authentically thrilling and vibrant portrait of
1930s Hollywood centered around the chaotic and exciting days just before the filming of the beloved cult-classic film,
Frankenstein. Woven with hopeful passion, emotional vulnerability, staunch determination, and creative fulfillment, readers
will be swept along with breathless cinematic pace through events that will not only change the lives of everyone involved,
but Hollywood itself.
Critique: Paying full attention to historical detail, "It's Alive!" will be of particular interest to students and fans of 1930
studio driven movie making. Absorbing, entertaining, and an inherently fascinating novel, "It's Alive!" is highly
recommended for community library fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists for fans of horror
movies and film historians, that "It's Alive" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.69).
Editorial Note: Julian David Stone's previous work includes screenplays for Disney, Paramount, Sony, and MGM; the
full-length play, The Elvis Test; and several short-form documentaries on Frank Sinatra for Warner Bros. He is also the
writer and director of the hit cult comedy feature film, Follow the Bitch. Recently he began writing books including: The
Strange Birth, Short life, and Sudden Death of Justice Girl (which is about the world of the 1950s live television). Julian is
also the author of No Cameras Allowed: My Career As An Outlaw Rock & Roll Photographer. He has a website at
https://www.juliandavidstone.com
A Gathering of Men
Rona Simmons
https://ronasimmons.com
Koehler Books
3705 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
www.koehlerbooks.com
9781646635856, $31.95, HC, 262pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Men-Rona-Simmons/dp/164663585X
Synopsis: In the little town of Candor, North Carolina, the town barber brandishes a copy of the May 1927 Charlotte
Observer. On the front page is the announcement of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis on its cross-country flight.
At the outskirts of town, best friends Lake, Roger, and Jim take turns hurling their wingless crate down a hill. Eyes closed,
they imagine their future alongside Lindy. But Pearl Harbor changes everything. The boys will have their chance to fly - not
over North Carolina farm fields, but across Germany on bombing runs, facing a determined Luftwaffe. The odds of
completing their tours of duty are slim.
Although a work of fiction, "A Gathering of Men" by Rona Simmons is based on a true story. It is an account of the boys
who board their aircraft for the first time and the men they become in the blink of an eye. The terrors they witness and the
pressure to go up again and again and again brings them to the breaking point. It is a compelling story about shattered
dreams and enduring friendship, duty, and honor.
Critique: With the publication of "A Gathering of Men", author Rona Simmons has demonstrated herself to be one of those
singular novelists who seem to have a natural flair for bringing the past back to life and engage their readers with a true
'theatre of the mind' experience. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Military Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Gathering of Men" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781646635832, $18.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.49).
Editorial Note: Rona Simmons has authored historical fiction and nonfiction. She is also the author of "The Other Veterans
of World War II: Stories from Behind the Front Lines" shedding light on little-known aspects of the Second World War.
The daughter of a WWII fighter pilot and wife of a US Navy pilot, Rona is proud to honor veterans and their stories through
her work. Her articles and interviews have appeared in regional and national literary journals and in online and print
magazines and newspapers. Rona has her own website at https://ronasimmons.com
Aureus
Joan Cathcart
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781639370078, $19.00, PB, 278pp
https://www.amazon.com/Aureus-Joan-Cathcart/dp/1639370072
Synopsis: In twelfth-century England, soldiers' bloody corpses flew into a castle courtyard, catapulted by a trebuchet, on the
order of King Henry II. The king had declared war on the Earl of Boulton, giving him the opportunity to execute a "terrific
air show", in the mocking words of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. This astonishing performance was just one
of many events provoked by the discovery of a Roman treasure called the Aureus.
Political and military conflict dominated Henry's reign. With new words and weapons, "Aureus", a new historical novel by
author Joan Cathcart, explores this violent landscape and the monumental egos that drove these struggles. Marriage
betrothals, begotten by the need for war, peace and allies, were the critical glue in patching together the shifting coalitions of
the Middle Ages. This practice provides the backdrop for Aureus's budding teenage romance, interrupted by parental
match-making, warfare, exile, the mighty English church and, of course, the quest for the treasure.
Critique: An eloquent and thoroughly engaging read from start to finish, "Aureus" by novelist Joan Cathcart is a deftly
crafted, impressively original, steadily compelling, and thoroughly entertaining historical novel that is an especially
recommended addition to both personal reading lists and community library Historical Fiction collections.
JFK & the Muckers of Choate
Scott Badler
www.ScottBadler.net
Bancroft Press
PO Box 65360, Baltimore, MD 21209
www.bancroftpress.com
9781610885669, $25.00, HC, 324pp
https://www.amazon.com/JFK-Muckers-Choate-Real-Life/dp/161088566X
Synopsis: In the turbulent times of a young man's high school experience, he must find his way, make himself known to his
peers, and most of all, establish himself in the oftentimes hostile world he is trapped in. A work of 'reality based' fiction,
"JFK & the Muckers of Choate" by novelist Scott Badler takes a look at John F. Kennedy's time in high school at Choate, a
preppy, Waspish, all-boys boarding school.
As a Catholic at a time when anti-Catholic sentiment was rampant, JFK finds that his four years in this Connecticut
institution are much more jagged, complicated, and high-stakes than he expects. Why? It turns out that the future president
actively defied Choate's sometimes authoritarian rulers and, in his own personal rebellion, associated himself with, and led,
a number of similarly-minded iconoclasts who wind up as his closest companions, both then and afterward.
JFK's chaotic and adventure-filled high school days, as narrated by JFK himself, not only tell us a great deal about an
important, yet largely unchronicled, stop on his rapid journey to the presidency, but, because although an historical novel, it
is entirely based on real events, offering us a thoroughly enjoyable and illuminating look at a charismatic American icon
whom most readers will adore -- many of a new generation for the first time.
Critique: An inherently absorbing read from first page to last, "JFK & the Muckers of Choate" showcases author Scott
Badler's genuine flair for extrapolating from biographical realties and using them to created a persuasive and entertaining
work of historical fiction. Having an appeal for the legions of baby-boomer generation of JFK admirers, and available for
personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99), this edition of "JFK & the Muckers of Choate" from Bancroft
Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Scott Badler was born and raised in Los Angeles and remembers he and other Jack Kennedy supporters
hollering "Nix on Nixon!" at Vice-President Richard Nixon's followers on the school yard on Election Day, 1960. After
graduating from San Francisco State University, he moved to Massachusetts where he received a M.Ed. from Cambridge
College and taught "Humor Writing" at Harvard. The author of two books of humorous non-fiction, What's So Funny About
Looking for a Job? and Oh, Brother! he has had published numerous essays, comedic articles and short fiction. He has a
website at www.ScottBadler.net
Bone Necklace
Julia Sullivan
Brandylane Publishers
5 South 1st Street, Richmond, VA 23219
www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781953021533, $33.95, HC, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Necklace-Julia-Sullivan/dp/1953021530
Synopsis: In the summer of 1877, the bedraggled remains of the Nez Perce tribe took on the U.S. Army and, despite being
badly outnumbered and outgunned, emerged victorious. Inspired by true events, "Bone Necklace" by novelist Julia Sullivan
fully captures the intensity, violence, and unexpected conclusion of America's final "Indian War" as told from the
perspectives of a Nez Perce warrior, an Idaho militiaman, and an English painter who gets caught up in the violence.
Combining heart-thumping action with an unforgettable cast, the novel centers on the relationship between two fighters,
who are both enemies and allies in this war.
"Bone Necklace" is a tale of survival in which the Nez Perce not only overcome staggering odds but also win the grudging
respect of a war-weary nation. While deeply rooted in American history, this remarkable story continues to resonate,
illuminating modern debates around institutional racism, journalistic bias, and the call for courage in times of moral
crisis.
Critique: Although a work of meticulously researched fiction, "Bone Necklace" will have a very special appeal to readers
with an interest in Native American history. Exceptionally well written and with the highest recommendation for
community library historical fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bone Necklace" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9781953021540, $19.95), as well as in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Julia Sullivan is a lawyer in the United States and a solicitor in England and Wales. Throughout her career,
she has worked to expose and root out injustice. She started working on her novel "Bone Necklace" more than twenty years
ago, after visiting the Big Hole Battlefield in Wisdom, Montana. She first became interested in the Nez Perce story because
of the great injustice the tribe had suffered. What kept her interested was their conduct during the war. While under attack,
the Nez Perce won the respect of a broader society whose prominent members were unapologetic racists. At the end of the
war, Canada offered them political asylum.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
"The Fairy Pastoral" and "Songs"
Anna Faktorovich, translater
Anaphora Literary Press
https://anaphoraliterary.com
9798750086658, $25.00, HC, 156pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Pastoral-Songs-Re-Attribution-Modernization/dp/B09K236LX1
Synopsis: A standard "Shakespearean" comedy takes a group of youths who are attracted to those who are not interested in
them, and regroups them by the conclusion into neat pairings of three or four marriages. In contrast, Fairy Pastoral appears
to have been censored because the men in the pairings are wooing their intended partners from the beginning, while the
women are homicidally opposed to marriage and prove to the men how much they hate them during the plot, only for them
all to be forced into four marriages that all of them are miserable in by the resolution.
The setting is the Forest of Elvida inhabited by a kingdom of fairies. Events open with a power-transfer from Princess
Hypsiphyle to Prince Orion over accusations of mismanagement. Then, the Princess attempts to regain power across the
competitive hunt the Court undertakes.
Political and romantic tensions are repeatedly interrupted with slap-stick comedy of Schoolmaster Sir David trying to teach
literature while his rear-end is showing, he is falling asleep, and in rare instances when he manages to relate a coherent
lecture, the students fail to comprehend his meaning.
This is a satire not only on the miseries that accompany forced-marriage, but also about the failures of pedagogic
institutions, and irrational transfers of political power through subterfuge and sexism.
Critique: Ably presented by Professor Anna Faktorovich, "Fairy Pastoral" is Volume 8 in the British Renaissance
Re-Attribution and Modernization series and will have a very special appeal to students and academicians with an interest in
Elizabethan era pastoral plays and satiric dramas. While highly recommended for academic library literary fiction and drama
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Fairy Pastoral" is also available in a paperback edition (9798750086146, $20.00) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Metropolis
Monte Schulz
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98115
www.fantagraphics.com
9781683965794, $34.99, HC, 676pp
https://www.amazon.com/Metropolis-Monte-Schulz/dp/1683965795
Synopsis: Regency College senior Julian Brehm's uneventful student life is derailed when he falls for Nina Rinaldi, a
beautiful young revolutionary engaged in political activism against the authoritarian regime that rules the country and wages
a deceitful, distracting war.
Julian's love for (and moral alliance to) Nina eventually leads him into a vast undercity beneath the metropolis. Then, east
by train and into the war zone itself, where mortal danger in that expanding cemetery of millions threatens Julian's life; what
he witnesses will alter how he perceives the Republic and ultimately his fate within it.
Julian's adventure can be seen as our own, a world of vacillating morality and unceasing violence. Apathy and passion. Fear
and courage of purpose. Julian's is a hero's journey into the dark unknown.
A love story, which extends in many directions. A war novel of incredible scope and horror. A suspenseful mystery novel
with a moral puzzle at its core. And a coming-of-age tale of a young man seeing the world he was born into, more
dangerous and more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. "Metropolis" is a meditation on the meaning of virtue and
goodness in the face of the most monstrous crimes. It could just as easily be the story of ourselves in the world as it is today
-- and tomorrow.
Critique: Eloquent, engaging, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Metropolis" showcases author Monte Schulz impressively
skills as a novelist and storyteller. A modern masterpiece of literary fiction, "Metropolis" will have a distinctive appeal to
readers with an interest in dystopian novels, and is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and
university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: The son of the famous cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, Monte Schulz received his M.A. in American Studies
from University of California, Santa Barbara. He published his first novel, Down by the River, in 1990, and spent the next
twelve years writing a novel about the Jazz Age.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Highlander's Substitute Wife
Terri Brisbin
Mills & Boon
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780263296051, $31.95, HC, Large Print, 385pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9780263296051
Synopsis: When highlander Ross MacMillan lifted his new bride's veil he discovered that she is not the woman he agreed to
marry but her beautiful younger sister, Ilysa MacDonnell! The new MacMillan chieftain must accept Ilysa as his wife, for
retaining his clan's lands depends on her father's support. But why is she there? Are her aims to help him or her father?
Drawing out Ilysa's secrets will kindle an alliance more powerful (and passion) -- than Ross had ever imagined.
Critique: A cleverly crafted and inherently fascinating historical romance set in the Scottish highlands, "The Highlander's
Substitute Wife" by novelist Terri Brisbin is an immensely entertaining read from first page to last. This large print
hardcover Mills & Boon edition of "The Highlander's Substitute Wife" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to
community library Romance Fiction collections with its special appeal to fans of medieval historical romance novels.
Editorial Note: Terri Brisbin is a three-time RWA RITA finalist and has had more than 50 historical and paranormal
romance novels, novellas and short stories published since 1998. She has an informative website at
www.terribrisbin.com
The Schoolmaster's Daughter
Suzan Lindsay Randle
Lindford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444849257, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 252pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444849257
Synopsis: It's 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Eighteen-year-old Louisa Marchington, a headmaster's
daughter who's trying to find her place in local society and the world at large, is caught up in the celebrations. She meets
George Jevcott, a baker's apprentice, who has ambitions to one day become master of his own establishment. However,
before long they're both faced with obstacles to overcome, and decisions to make that affect their families as well as
themselves.
Critique: An inherently entertaining historical novel by an author with a thorough mastery of the romance genre, "The
Schoolmaster's Daughter" by Suzan Lindsay Randle is an extraordinary and fun read from beginning to end. The stuff of
which BBC productions and Hallmark Movies are made, this large print paperback edition of "The Schoolmaster's
Daughter" is a very fine and recommended addition to both personal reading lists and community library Historical
Romance collections.
Editorial Note: There is a website featuring an informative article about Suzan Lindsay Randle at
https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/2021/07/12/writer-of-the-week-suzan-lindsay-randle
Fake It Till You Bake It
Jamie Wesley
St. Martin's Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250801852, $16.99, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fake-Till-You-Bake-Novel/dp/1250801850
Synopsis: Jada Townsend-Matthews is perhaps the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a
reality dating television show. When she comes home to lick her wounds, Jada finds herself working at San Diego's newest
cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell.
When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use the misunderstanding to their
advantage to help the struggling bakery and rehabilitate Jada's image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes
love is the most unexpected ingredient.
Critique: "Fake It Till You Bake It" by Jamie Wesley is an original and fun read from cover to cover -- and will have a very
special appeal to fans of romance novels with happy endings. While highly recommended for both personal reading lists and
community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted that "Fake It Till You Bake It" is also
availabloe in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
The Western Fiction Shelf
Fire Wolf
Michael D. George
Linden Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848618, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 234pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444848618
Synopsis: Fire Wolf is a emotionless and deadly hired killer now heading to a remote settlement in answer to a telegram
message. On his way there, he tangles bloodily with three wanted outlaws in the ghost town known as Gold Strike. When
other outlaws show up, they vow vengeance and set out on his trail. Upon arriving in Jamesburg to find the man he thinks
has hired his lethal services, it seems that no one is expecting him. No one apart from the actual man who has hired Fire
Wolf.
Critique: "Fire Wolf" by western novelist Michael D. George has everything the western action/adventure fan craves --
gunplay aplenty. With a roller coaster of a plot with unanticipated twists and turns, this large print paperback edition from
the Linford Western Library is complete, unabridged, and highly recommended for both personal reading lists and
community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Michael D. George has written more than 100 western novels under his real and several pen names,
including Bury Them Deep in War Smoke, Dry Gulch Outlaws, and Shadow Shooters. There is a website dedicated to the
books of Michael D. George at https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/michael-d-george
Dead Man's Return
Derek Rutherford
Linden Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848564, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 258pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444848564
Synopsis: How far along the trail of violence and killing can a good man walk before he becomes as bad as those that he is
hunting? A terrible fear paralyses the town of Leyton, Texas. On the morning that Sheriff Jack Anderson is to hang a
16-year-old boy for a horse theft the boy never committed, Jim Jackson arrives in Leyton searching for the man that
betrayed him and sent him to hell for 10 years. Is Jack Anderson that man? And how can Jim Jackson exact revenge in a
town full of cold-blooded and desperate killers? In the final part of Jim Jackson's story, the trail of intrigue and corruption
(as well as the body count) rises into the upper echelons of the Texas political system, leading to a violent and dramatic
finale that will have repercussions at the highest levels.
Critique: Derek Rutherford seems to be one of those masters of the western genre who is able to evoke a true 'theatre of the
mind' experience for his readers. Case in point -- "Dead Man's Return". The plot twists are gripping, the gun play lethal, the
characters memorable, the story pure action adventure. This new large print paperback edition of "Dead Man's Return" from
the Linden Western Library is solidly recommended to the attention of dedicated western fans and community library
Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Derek Rutherford is the author of five Westerns, including Dead Man Walking, and numerous short stories
in the western, crime, science-fiction, and horror genres.
Tanner's Revenge
Michael Stewart
Linden Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848762, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 228pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444848762
Synopsis: When a gang of outlaws kill Deputy Jack Tanner's ma and pa, he hunts them down, one by one. The trail leads
him deep into the mountains of Mexico, where he encounters the mysterious Queen of Meseta de Plata (boss of the
notorious "thieves' town") and ultimately confronts the gang's leader, the evil Amos Payne in the ultimate showdown.
Critique: A riveting vengeance quest western action/adventure by novelist Michael Stewart, this large print paperback
edition "Tanner's Revenge" from the Linford Western Library series is the stuff of which Clint Eastwood movies were
made. From first page to last, "Tanner's Revenge" is a simply riveting read and one that is unabashedly recommended for the
personal reading lists of dedicated western buffs and community library Western Fiction collections.
The End of Nowhere
Patrick Dearen
Five Star Books
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432888541, $25.95, HC, 223pp
https://www.amazon.com/End-Nowhere-Five-Star-Western/dp/1432888544
Synopsis: It's 1917, and the Mexican Revolution has the Big Bend of Texas aflame. But the firestorm is no greater than the
one inside newspaper reporter Jack Landon. Disillusioned, he flees down the road to nowhere and finds himself in
Esperanza. Populated by people of Mexican heritage, the small village on the Texas bank of the Rio Grande is a target of
Texas Rangers Company B, which unjustly considers it a bandit den.
Jack befriends a teenaged boy and his adult sister, Mary, who teaches in the Esperanza school. As Jack assimilates to life in
Esperanza, the threat of Rangers looms large. Eventually a day of reckoning descends, and it envelops Jack and Mary and
the entire village.
Critique: Although a work of fiction, "The End of Nowhere" is based on what actually happened at Porvenir, Texas, on
January 28, 1918 -- the darkest moment in Texas Rangers history. An inherently engaging read from first page to last, "The
End of Nowhere" by Patrick Dearen is an especially well crafted and highly recommended addition to both the personal
reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: The author of twenty-six books and winner of the Spur Award of Western Writers of America, Patrick
Dearen wears two hats. As a historian and folklorist, he digs deeply into the lore and legend of the West and produces books
that appeal to both scholars and general readers. As a novelist, he draws on this reservoir of knowledge and crafts stories of
people interacting with a harsh and yet beautiful environment. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he preserved the firsthand
accounts of 76 men who cowboyed before 1932. These interviews, along with decades of archival study, have enriched
Dearen's novels and nonfiction books.
The Not So Quiet Life of Calamity Jane
K. Lyn Wurth
Five Star Books
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432871352, $25.95, HC, 286pp
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Quiet-Life-Calamity-Jane/dp/1432871358
Synopsis: Martha Jane Cannary was a western woman who ran through names like whiskey, but one nicknam stuck and she
became known to history as Calamity Jane. Stranded in a Virginia City mining camp, this orphan blasted through the 1860s
West, determined to be noticed and tell her own story.
"The Not So Quiet Life of Calamity Jane" shatters the veneer of legends to reveal her tenacious heart. Rowdy and seemingly
hell-bent on her own destruction, this devoted friend, jilted lover, sometime wife, and heartbroken mother wandered the
West she loved. She shot up saloons, performed in bordellos and Wild West shows, worked when she had to, cared for the
sick, and lied about what she couldn't change.
Critique: Although a work of fiction, "The Not So Quiet Life of Calamity Jane" was meticulously researched by author K.
Lyn Wurth who is ably to so vividly bring to the appreciative attention of a new generation of western fans an original,
remarkable, legendary woman of the American West! Also available in a large print paperback edition (Wheeler Publishing
Large Print, 9781432871369, $25.99), "The Not So Quiet Life of Calamity Jane" is particularly recommended for personal
and community library Western Fiction collections.
Last Comanche Warrior
James D. Crownover
Five Star Books
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432885977, $25.95, HC, 334pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Comanche-Warrior-James-Crownover/dp/1432885979
Synopsis: Three times, Adam Bain and his twin sister, Eve, escaped capture by attacking Indians; once by Adam and his
brother, Noah, jumping off a hundred-foot-high bluff into the Llano River.
But the day comes when their luck runs out, and Adam and Eve are captured by Mescalero Apaches. Because of Adam's
flaming red hair, the Indians name him Rojo Pelo. Eve is named Castaano Rojizo because of her auburn hair. They are
carried to the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico Territory where Adam is adopted by the chief, Elkhorn, and enters
training to become an Apache warrior with five Apache boys.
Comancheros from the Rio Grande valley bring whiskey into the village for trade, and Elkhorn is murdered in the ensuing
wild debauchery. Rojo kills the murderer and leaves the village to avoid a feud with the murderer's kin. He carries Elkhorn's
body to the family burial cleft in the Guadalupe Mountains and spends several months living alone in the mountains where
he determines to join Quanah Parker and the Quahadi Comanches.
The Comanches take him on a raid into Mexico to determine if he has the skills to become a Comanche warrior. Rojo gains
notoriety as a warrior fighting the hide men who are killing off the buffalo. He participates in the second battle of Adobe
Walls and the ensuing war against settlers on the Great Plains. When Quanah and the Quahadi decide to surrender to the
army, Rojo joins others who refuse to surrender.
Critique: From start to finish, the action is non-stop in "Last Comanche Warrior" by James D. Crownover. The stuff of
which legendary western movies were made, "Last Comanche Warrior" is a terrific read from cover to cover and a welcome,
unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Direct Legacy: A Cold War Spy Thriller
James Stejskal
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636241197, $27.95, HC, 332pp
https://www.amazon.com/Direct-Legacy-Snake-Eater-Chronicles/dp/1636241190
Synopsis: It is the height of the Troubles and Northern Ireland lies under a shadow when Neil Fitzpatrick, a rogue Green
Beret soldier, is recruited by the Irish Republican Army to help prepare a terrorist attack, Paul Stavros, his former teammate,
is sent to stop him and bring him home alive. Fitzpatrick, the American son of an Irish rebel who was forced to flee his
birthplace, is a Special Forces demolitions expert. Fitzpatrick knows his trade and has a personal agenda with the IRA.
Alarm bells erupt when the US government learns that Fitzpatrick has gone over to the IRA. The American public can't find
out that one of its elite soldiers is involved in terrorism and the US government won't rely on the British to find him. They
need someone who knows Fitzpatrick and how he operates. Who better than one of his former teammates?
Paul Stavros is also a Special Forces veteran. He knows little of the Irish Troubles but is about to learn. What he does know
is how to fix problems and Neil has just become his biggest headache. But before Stavros can go operational, he must
endure an arduous and hazardous selection process to be accepted by the joint SAS-intelligence cell that will back him up.
The British aren't happy with Stavros on their turf; they'd rather do the job themselves -- quickly, cleanly, and
terminally.
Once, Fitzpatrick and Stavros were comrades and friends. Now they are pawns on opposite sides of an ugly war where all is
fair and no one is innocent. The British want to kill one, the IRA wants to kill the other. It's a race to see who will be
first.
Critique: A riveting read with a very special appeal to fans of military action/adventure novels that, while works of fiction,
have authors who pay direct addition to historical details. With the publication of "Direct Legacy", author and military/CIA
veteran James Stejskal is demonstrated to be among that elite number of writers who can turn out a narrative driven tale of
historical thriller that fully engages the reader from first page to last. Deftly crafted and also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $16.95), "Direct Legacy" will prove to be an enduringly appreciated and popular addition to personal
reading lists and community library fiction collections.
Editorial Note: James Stejskal, after 35 years of service with US Army Special Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency,
is a uniquely qualified historian and novelist. He is the author of the definitive history: "Special Forces Berlin Clandestine
Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956-1990: and "Masters of Mayhem: Lawrence of Arabia and the British
Military Mission to the Hejaz".
A Poisonous Page
Kitt Crowe
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781643859200, $26.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Poisonous-Sweet-Fiction-Bookshop-Mystery/dp/164385920X
Synopsis: It's summer festival time in Confection, Oregon, and that means a barrage of tourists making cash registers ring at
Sweet Fiction Bookshop. But what should be bookseller Lexi's most lucrative time of year turns disturbing when a member
of the chamber of commerce suddenly dies of a heart attack. Not entirely unexpected (considering her family history) but it's
a different story when another chamber member dies just one week later -- also, presumably, of natural causes.
Something about this doesn't read right to Lexi. And it gets more unfathomable when her friend Dash (who dated both
women) stands accused of murder! With Cookie, her lovable border collie mix, at her side and countless volumes of
inspiration on her shelves, Lexi opens the book on another perplexing case. Who could have murdered two prominent
townspeople without leaving even a hint of evidence on the scene? And why is an irksome-but-intriguing detective always
seeming to catch her and Cookie working the case?
Lexi's Confection Rose-colored glasses come off when she learns of thorny discussions among the council members,
involving a string of secretive real estate transactions. Enlisting her faithful fellow members of the Macaroon Book Club,
Lexi sets out to bind the clues together and clear Dash's name. But if she can't devise a clever trap for the real killer, she may
soon end up with a very unhappily ever after of her own.
Critique: Simply stated, Kitt Crowe is a master of the cozy mystery genre as continues to be demonstrated with "A
Poisonous Page", the second title in her new 'Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery' series. A fun read from cover to cover for all
dedicated mystery buffs, "A Poisonous Page is both recommended for community library Myster/Suspense collections and
available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Dreamscape Media, 9781666583786, $22.99, CD).
Thunder Road
Colin Holmes
http://bycolinholmes.com
CamCat Books
https://camcatbooks.com
9780744304978, $24.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Road-Colin-Holmes/dp/0744304970
Synopsis: When an Army Air Force Major vanishes from his Top Secret job at the Fort Worth airbase in the summer of
1947, down-on-his-luck former Ranger Jefferson Sharp is hired to find him, and because it turns out that the Major owes a
sizable gambling debt to a local mobster. The search takes Sharp from the hideaway poker rooms of Fort Worth's Thunder
Road, to the barren ranch lands of New Mexico, to secret facilities under construction in the Nevada desert.
Lethal operatives and an opaque military bureaucracy stand in his way, but when he finds an otherworldly clue and learns
President Truman is creating a new Central Intelligence Agency and splitting the Air Force from the Army, Sharp begins to
connect dots. And those dots draw a straight line to a conspiracy aiming to cover up a secret that is out of this world --
literally so!
Critique: A carefully crafted and original suspense thriller of a read, "Thunder Road" by Colin Holmes is the stuff of which
block-buster action/adventure movies are made. With many and unexpected plot twist and turn, "Thunder Road" is an
inherently fascinating and entertaining novel that showcases the narrative storytelling style of novelist Colin Holmes. Highly
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Thunder Road" is also available in a paperback edition (9780744304978, $24.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$2.99).
Editorial Note: Colin Homes writes novels, short stories and screenplays. He is also an honors graduate of the UCLA
Writers Program, a former board member of the DFW Writers Workshop and serves on the steering committee of the DFW
Writers Conference.
The Locked Room
Elly Griffiths
Mariner Books
www.marinerbooks.com
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780358671398, $27.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Locked-Room-Ruth-Galloway-Mysteries/dp/0358671396
Synopsis: Three years after her mother's death, Ruth is finally sorting through her things when she finds a curious relic: a
decades-old photograph of her own Norfolk cottage (before she lived there) with a peculiar inscription on the back. Ruth
returns to the cottage to uncover its meaning as Norfolk's first cases of Covid-19 make headlines, leaving her and Kate to
shelter in place there. They struggle to stave off isolation by clapping for frontline workers each evening and befriending a
kind neighbor, Zoe, from a distance.
Meanwhile, Nelson is investigating a series of deaths of women that may or may not be suicide. When he links a case to an
archaeological discovery, he breaks curfew to visit Ruth and enlist her help. But the further Nelson investigates the deaths,
the closer he gets to Ruth's isolated cottage -- until Ruth, Zoe, and Kate all go missing, and Nelson is left scrambling to find
them before it's too late.
Critique: A compelling and well scripted novel of mystery and suspense, "The Locked Room" continues to demonstrate
author and novelist Elly Griffiths literary skills and narrative style storytelling as she creates original and thoroughly
entertaining thrillers featuring women sleuths. While also available for the personal reading lists of her growing legion of
Elly Griffiths fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99), "The Locked Room" is also confidently recommended for
community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "The Locked Room" is also
available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200967964, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Brighton, England, Elly Griffiths is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton
mystery series, as well as the standalone novels The Stranger Diaries (which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel) and The
Postscript Murders. She is also the recipient of the CWA Dagger in the Library Award and the Mary Higgins Clark
Award.
Ravenstone Chronicles
J. Harper Haines
Epicenter Press
https://epicenterpress.com
9781684920228, $16.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ravenstone-Chronicles-Jan-Harper-Haines/dp/1684920221
Synopsis: Cara Fielding, an Athabascan journalism instructor at the University of Alaska, unexpectedly finds herself in the
middle of the violent death of a distant relative, her Aunt Lucy's neighbor, in the Native village of Goldspring, where an
Athabascan artifact is now missing.
Critique: The Ravenstone is an artifact that is central to the ancient healing beliefs of Alaska's Athabascans. With the
publication of "The Ravenstone Chronicle", author J. Harper Haines has deftly crafted a riveting suspense thriller of a read
with a novel that is enhanced with accuracy in its description of the Native American Athabascan culture. While also
available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99), "The Ravenstone Chronicle" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Over the years, Jan Harper Haines (a graduate of the University of Alaska) has collected the often shamanic
stories of her Athabascan ancestors. In l935 her mother was the first Alaska Native woman to graduate from the University
of Alaska and a building was named for her. Jan has written for numerous publications, including articles about her great
uncle Walter Harper, who in 1913 was the first man to summit Denali. A former secondary education teacher, Jan also has a
twenty-year career in advertising.
One Of Us Is Dead
Jeneva Rose
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9798200706846, $28.99, HC, 318pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Us-Dead-Jeneva-Rose/dp/B09BDRZR42
Synopsis: In the pages of Jeneva Rose' new novel, "One of Us Is Dead", the reader will meet the women of
Buckhead -- a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.
Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she's been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband.
When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge.
Crystal has stepped into Shannon's old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she's up
against.
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon's crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to
take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book.
Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients' secrets and darkest desires. But will she
ever tell?
Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead -- and who will wind up dead? They say that
friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly!
Critique: The friendship of women combined with bone-chilling, compulsive page turning suspense, "One of Us Is Dead" is an inherently fascinating, deftly crafted, impressively compelling, and rousingly original story that is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99) and highly recommended for both personal reading lists and
community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Jeneva Rose is also the author of "The Perfect Marriage", which has been published in nearly a dozen
languages and optioned for film. "One of Us Is Dead" is her third novel.
Goldhammer
Haris Orkin
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781684339679,$20.95, $5.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Goldhammer-James-Flynn-Escapade-Haris/dp/1684339677
Goldhammer returns the character of James Flynn to newcomers and prior fans alike, providing another thrilling escapade
that revolves around Flynn's latest delusional encounter. Flynn, a mental patient convinced he's a secret agent for Her
Majesty's Secret Service, meets a young actress who believes that Gary Goldhammer, the most powerful producer in
Hollywood, wants her dead. Flynn engineers her escape and now she and Flynn are on the run from Goldhammer's personal
army. They face a dangerous adversary who can buy anyone and control any situation. So begins a cross-country adventure
that takes them from Hollywood Boulevard to the mansions of Malibu to the casinos of Las Vegas. Along the way, Flynn
enlists the aid of an elderly sex symbol from Hollywood's Golden age and together they uncover a conspiracy to control the
minds of every human being on Earth. Readers receive a compelling and fun story that contains the high-octane action of a
James Bond thriller paired with a wry sense of humor.
Haris Orkin is adept at portraying Flynn's delusional world view as noble and even heroic. His ability to develop characters
that encounter and defy one another's preconceptions and objectives makes for a story especially strong in confrontations
and dialogue. Fans of international spy stories, mystery and intrigue, and suspense and thriller action adventures will all
relish Flynn's latest struggles, whether they are newcomers to his world or prior fans from the other stories. Haris Orkin
builds a gripping series of encounters which are satisfyingly unpredictable. Goldhammer is highly recommended reading for
audiences who enjoy the comedy of The Kingsman, the pathos of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Jason Bourne-style
action, all mixed together in a rollicking cocktail. Shaken. Not stirred.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Grief of Stones
Katherine Addison
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250813893, $24.97, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Grief-Stones-Cemeteries-Amalo/dp/1250813891
Synopsis: As a Witness for the Dead, Thara Celehar can speak to the recently departed: see the last thing they saw, know the
last thought they had, experience the last thing they felt. It is his duty to use that ability to ascertain the intent of the dead
and to find the killers of the murdered.
Celehar's time in the city of Amalo has brought him both friends and enemies -- and a great deal of notoriety. Now, when
solving the murder of a marquise raises more questions than it answers, he finds himself exploring Amalo's dark
underside.
His investigations lead him to the Cemchelarna School for Foundling Girls, where all is not as it seems. Discovering the
truth about its headmistress will lead Celehar deep into the city's history -- and into the shattering depths of the loss he fears
the most.
Critique: Deftly combining the elements of dark fantasy and mystery, "The Grief of Stones" is novelist Katherine Addison's
second title in her outstanding fantasy series 'The Cemeteries of Amalo'. Original and a fully absorbing read from first page
to last, "The Grief of Stones" will have a very special appeal to fans of epic action/adventure fantasies. While highly
recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of all dedicated fantasy fans that "The Grief of Stones" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.99).
Editorial Note: Katherine Addison's short fiction has been selected by The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror and The Year's
Best Science Fiction. Her novel, "The Goblin Emperor", won a Locus Award. Under the pen name of Sarah Monette, she is
also the author of the Doctrine of Labyrinths series and co-author, with Elizabeth Bear, of the Iskryne series.
Three Swords
C. L. Werner
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839081101, $16.95, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Swords-Marvel-Legends-Asgard/dp/1839081104
Synopsis: During a fierce battle to free the people of Skornheim, the valiant Warriors Three (Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun)
encounter an ancient mystic who bears ominous tidings for Asgard. Three sorcerous brothers who call themselves the
Enchanters have wrought evil across the realms, and are building armies with which to conquer the Realm Eternal.
It has been foreseen that only one heroic trio can end their wicked plot. But the Enchanters are scattered through time and
space, each fortified by their magical Living Talisman. The Warriors Three must be cast across the cosmos, to explore
strange worlds, and risk life and limb against unimaginable odds to stop these sorcerers before they can overthrow Odin's
rule.
Critique: With the publication of "Three Swords: A Marvel Legends of Asgard Novel" by C. L. Werner, this newest
addition to the ever expanding Marvel Universe will prove especially welcome for the personal reading lists of all dedicated
Asgard fans. Also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Three Swords: A Marvel Legends of Asgard
Novel" will prove to be an impressively entertaining and enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction
& Fantasy collections.
Editorial Note: C. L. Werner has writeen many novels and short stories spanning the genres of fantasy and horror, and has
written for Warhammer's Age of Sigmar and Old World, Warhammer 40,000, Warmachine's Iron Kingdoms, and Mantic's
Kings of War.
Dragons of Light and Chaos
Amy Wolf
Lone Wolf Press Ltd.
www.amy-wolf.com
9798449024442, $14.99 print / $3.99 ebook
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragons-of-light-and-chaos-amy-wolf/1141339513
Dragons of Light and Chaos is the first book in the Spinners of Time series. It introduces seventeen-year-old Abaroz, a girl
who has lived her life in the underground city of Dardan. In this world, even the light of a candle hurts her eyes, attuned to
darkness that's dictated by the goodwill of the Sah who rules her family's corner of the world. Readers walk the torch-lit
hallways with Abaroz guiding them through this world before she faces leaving it for a world of light and dragons, driven to
this new environment by the corrupt Sah who goes after her father.
Dragons of Light and Chaos is no light leisure read, but an epic fantasy that embraces a host of characters, special interests,
and battles involving dragons and the greed and depravity of men. Abaroz becomes immersed in dangerous treachery that
makes her a vulnerable target, especially as she doubts her choices and her abilities. Young adults will find her story a
compelling saga because it equally embraces her ability to move into a very different world to make a difference both in her
family's future and, as a side benefit, in the environments of everyone she loves. Her adjustment to rapidly changing
paradigms and realities lends to an exploration of the kinds of mental growth and changes young people need to absorb and
experience in order to become authoritative, powerful people in their own right, rather than pawns of greater powers.
Wolf's story includes all the trappings of high fantasy, but wraps these in the psychological profile and growth of a girl
forced to reassess her role during war, consider possible romance, and embrace both factions and forces she once thought
were not a part of her world. The result is an engrossing, action-filled story that rests firmly on solid character development
and a different kind of coming-of-age scenario that young adult fantasy readers, especially, will appreciate. Abaroz's astute,
dual navigation of family and her own fears creates a compelling adventure highly recommended for young adult fantasy
readers (and many an adult) interested in sweeping epic stories of war, growth, and legacies which are not as they initially
seem.
The American History Shelf
Chicago: An Illustrated Timeline
Ellen Shubart
Reedy Press
PO Box 5131, St. Louis, MO 63139
www.reedypress.com
9781681063010, $39.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Illustrated-Timeline-Ellen-Shubart/dp/1681063018
Synopsis: Located along a lazy, swampy slow-moving river, in a sea of prairie grasses as far as the eye could see along its
flat plain, Chicago unexpectedly arose as a thriving, prosperous city. Chicago's story is one of meeting challenges over and
over again.
From its inauspicious location, the city developed as a trading location, a transportation hub for the emerging new United
States of America, and a magnet for immigrants seeking jobs and a new lifestyle. In its history, it rose from the ashes of the
Great Chicago Fire, spotlighted its own success at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, and birthed and nurtured the American
architectural phenomenon, the skyscraper.
Replete with vignettes and memorable photography, "Chicago: An Illustrated Timeline" by academician and Chicago
historian Ellen Shubart, follows the city of Chicago's story from its trading post beginnings to its role as a possible
American megacity. Using chronology as its structure, the timeline unveils events that are happily remembered, such as the
two world's fairs held in Chicago or the Cubs' winning the World Series, and those that often are not talked about, such as
the Race Riots of 1919 or the Influenza of 1918.
Guided by historical figures from various areas of life, first settler Jean Baptiste DuSable, Mayor Richard J. Daley, or
Muddy Waters this visually informative history covers all aspects of Chicago life, from art and architecture, to craft beer and
restaurants to sports. It also tracks the history of architectural styles, the growth of the immigrant communities, and the
development of Chicago-style politics.
Join author and Chicago tour guide Ellen Shubart on this detail-packed, visual journey through one of America's most iconic
cities.
Critique: The next best thing to going on alive tour of the Windy City with Ellen Shubart, "Chicago: An Illustrated
Timeline" will have a special appeal to both the armchair traveler and the on-site visitor. Informative and memorable,
"Chicago: An Illustrated Timeline" is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college,
and university library American History & Travel collections -- and would serve as an excellent template for illustrated
histories of other major American cities.
Editorial Note: A life-long Chicagoan, Ellen Shubart spent more than two decades as a journalist, taught at the college level
for a number of years, and ended her career as an advocate for sustainable city planning. A historian by training, with
Masters degrees in U.S. History and Historic Preservation, she has written another book for Reedy Press, What's With
Chicago?, and two for Arcadia Publishing - Glencoe, Illinois and Taylor Street, Chicago's Little Italy. In retirement, she is a
docent at the Chicago Architecture Center and gives tours of Chicago architecture.
The World History Shelf
The Rise of Persia and the First Greco-Persian Wars
Manousos E. Kambouris
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399093293, $42.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Persia-First-Greco-Persian-Wars/dp/1399093290
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Rise of Persia and the First Greco-Persian Wars: The Expansion of the Achaemenid
Empire and the Battle of Marathon", historian Manousos Kambouris revisits the epic events of the first Greco-Persian War
and the Persian invasion of Greece.
Kambouris provides details on the Persian perspective and sets the war in the context of the rise of Achaemenid Persia as
the superpower of the day and the expansion of their empire into Europe. After relating the earlier Persian campaigns in
Europe he shows how the Ionian Revolt, by the Greeks of Asia Minor already under Persian rule, was instrumental. Darius
I, the Persian King of Kings ordered the invasion of Greece ostensibly to punish the Greeks, and more specifically the
Athenians, for their support of the Revolt and to contain further insurgencies but in truth to achieve god-ordained world
dominance.
Describing the invasion in great detail, Kambouris also analyses the king's immense (even if occasionally exaggerated)
army, considering its composition and logistical constraints. The campaign leading to Marathon and the decisive battle itself
are then clearly narrated. Manousos Kambouris' meticulous research brings fresh insights to this timeless tale of defiance of
the odds and victory for the underdog.
Critique: Featuring impressive illustrations, "The Rise of Persia and the First Greco-Persian Wars: The Expansion of the
Achaemenid Empire and the Battle of Marathon" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an Introduction (A True
Cultural World War), and Epilogue (Normality Resumed), an eight page Bibliography, and a four page Index. As
fascinating as it is informative, "The Rise of Persia and the First Greco-Persian Wars: The Expansion of the Achaemenid
Empire and the Battle of Marathon" is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, college, and university library Hellenic History and Ancient Greek Military History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "The Rise of Persia and the First Greco-Persian Wars: The Expansion of the Achaemenid Empire
and the Battle of Marathon" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Manousos E Kambouris has a background in scientific writing, contributing chapters on a wide range of
disciplines to various edited volumes and journals. He has been researching Ancient Greek warfare for many years and has
published numerous articles in 'Archeologija Prirodne Na' (Archaeology and Science), 'Ancient Warfare', 'Military History',
'War & History', 'Nuova Antologia Militare', 'Third Eye' and 'Hellenic Nexus'. He has written three previous books on
Marathon, Salamis and Xenophon's Ten Thousand. For the past 8 years he has been an historical consultant to the
experimental archaeology group Koryvantes, the Association of Historical Studies.
Religion & Classical Warfare: The Roman Empire
Matthew Dillon, editor
Christopher Matthew, editor
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473834309, $49.95, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Classical-Warfare-Roman-Empire/dp/1473834309
Synopsis: Religion was integral to the conduct of war in the ancient world and the Romans were no exception. No campaign
was undertaken, no battle risked, without first making sacrifice to propitiate the appropriate gods (such as Mars, god of
War) or consulting oracles and omens to divine their plans. Yet the link between war and religion is an area that has been
regularly overlooked by modern scholars examining the conflicts of these times.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by academicians Matthew Dillon and Christopher Matthew, "Religion & Classical
Warfare: The Roman Empire" directly addresses that omission by drawing together the work of diverse experts from across
the globe. The chapters have been carefully structured by the editors so that this wide array of scholarship combines to give
a coherent, comprehensive study of the role of religion in the wars of the Roman Empire.
Aspects considered in depth include: the Imperial cults and legionary loyalty; the army and religious/regional disputes;
Trajan and religion; Constantine and Christianity; omens and portents; funerary cults and practices; the cult of Mithras; the
Imperial sacramentum; religion & Imperial military medicine.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a list of Abbreviations, a listing of the contributors and their
credentials, figures, illustrations, and an eight page Index, "Religion & Classical Warfare: The Roman Empire" is an
extraordinary, unique, and informative contribution to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Roman Religion, and Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Religion & Classical Warfare: The Roman
Empire" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note #1: Dr Matthew Dillon is Associate Professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of New
England, New South Wales, Australia. His previous works include The Ancient Greeks in their own Words (2002).
Editorial Note #2: Christopher Matthew has just completed his doctoral thesis on hoplite warfare at MacQuarie University
in Sydney, where one of his assessors has said he 'singlehandedly advanced the whole field'. He has also been invited to
lecture on the subject at other Australian universities. This book is closely based on his doctoral thesis.
The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248-260
Paul N. Pearson
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399090971, $42.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Empire-Crisis-248-260-Abandoned/dp/1399090976
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248-260: When the Gods Abandoned Rome", British
historian Paul N. Pearson provides a narrative history of a dozen years of turmoil that begins with Rome's millennium
celebrations of 248 CE and ends with the capture of the emperor Valerian by the Persians in 260.
This was a period of almost unremitting disaster for Rome, involving a series of civil wars, several major invasions by
Goths and Persians, economic crisis, and an empire-wide pandemic, the 'plague of Cyprian'. There was also a sustained
persecution of the Christians.
A central theme of "The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248-260" is that this was a period of moral and spiritual crisis in which
the traditional state religion suffered greatly in prestige, paving the way for the eventual triumph of Christianity.
The sensational recent discovery of extensive fragments of the lost Scythica of Dexippus sheds much new light on the
Gothic Wars of the period. Author and historian Paul Pearson has utilized this new evidence in combination with in-depth
investigations in the field to develop a revised account of events surrounding the great Battle of Abritus where the army of
the emperor Decius was annihilated by Cniva's Goths. New light is shed on a period which is pivotal for understanding the
transition between Classical civilization and the period known as Late Antiquity.
Critique: Simply stated, no personal, community, or academic library Roman History collection can be considered up to date
without the inclusion of Paul N. Pearson's "The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248-260: When the Gods Abandoned Rome". A
masterpiece of original scholarship, this informed and informative study is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of
plates, maps, a Prologue (Millennium), an Epilogue (Rome Abandons the Gods), a nineteen page listing of Cited Literature,
thirty-nine pages of Notes, and a seventeen page Index. It should be noted for students, academics, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in Roman History that "The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248-260: When the Gods Abandoned
Rome" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Paul N. Pearson is Honorary Professor of Geology at Cardiff University and has a long-held passion for
Roman history. He has written numerous peer-reviewed articles and is the author of the highly praised 'Maximinus Thrax:
from Common Soldier to Emperor of Rome' (Pen & Sword, 2016).
Roman Empire at War
Don Taylor
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473869080, $34.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Empire-War-Compendium-D/dp/1473869080
Synopsis: With the publication of "Roman Empire at War: A Compendium of Roman Battles from 31 B.C. to A.D. 565",
Professor Don Taylor catalogues and offers a brief description of every significant battle fought by the Roman Empire from
Augustus to Justinian I (and most of the minor ones too).
The information in each entry is drawn exclusively from Ancient, Late Antique, and Early Medieval texts, in order to offer a
brief description of each battle based solely on the information provided by the earliest surviving sources which chronicle
the event. This approach provides the reader a concise foundation of information to which they can then confidently apply
later scholarly interpretation presented in secondary sources in order to achieve a more accurate understanding of the most
likely battlefield scenario.
In writing the battle descriptions, Professor Taylor has not sought analyze the evidence contained in the surviving accounts,
nor embellish them beyond that which was necessary to provide clarity to the modern reader. He allows the original writers
to speak for themselves, presenting the reader with a succinct version of what the ancient chroniclers tell us of these
dramatic events.
"Roman Empire at War: A Compendium of Roman Battles from 31 B.C. to A.D. 565" is an excellent first-stop reference to
the many battles of the Roman Empire.
Critique: Impressively informative and a welcome contribution to the growing library of Roman Military Histories, "Roman
Empire at War: A Compendium of Roman Battles from 31 B.C. to A.D. 565" is particularly recommended to both academia
and the non-specialist general reader. An exceptionally well organized and presented volume, it should be noted that
"Roman Empire at War: A Compendium of Roman Battles from 31 B.C. to A.D. 565" is also available for personal reading
lists in a paperback edition (9781399085205, $26.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Don Taylor holds a PhD in European History with a concentration in Ancient Mediterranean Studies
from Fulbright College of the University of Arkansas (USA). Since 1995 he has served as a university professor in
European and Ancient History at Hardin-Simmons University, Texas and he has published and/or lectured on various topics
of Greek and Roman history.
The Hitler Assassination Attempts
John Grehan
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399018906, $34.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hitler-Assassination-Attempts-Changed-History/dp/1399018906
Synopsis: Throughout his political career, Adolf Hitler was the subject of numerous assassination plots, some of which were
attempted, all of which failed. While a few of these have become well known, particularly the bomb explosions at the
Burgerbraukeller in Munich in 1939 and the Stauffenberg Valkyrie attempt carried out at the Wolfsschanze on 20 July 1944,
many others have received far less attention - until now.
With the publication of "The Hitler Assassination Attempts: The Plots, Places and People that Almost Changed History",
historian John Grehan reveals all of the known planned or proposed assassination attempts on Hitler, ranging from Chicago
to London and from Sweden to the Ukraine. Some of these plots have not previously been presented to the general public by
historians.
All manner of methods were proposed by those willing to bring Hitler's life to a premature end and Hitler was well aware of
the danger which lurked potentially around every corner of every road, railway track, every building and even every
individual. As a result, an immense, multi-layered security apparatus surrounded the Fuhrer day and night. Despite this, and
knowing the risks they faced, many people sought to kill the German leader, and some very nearly did. Yet Hitler survived,
often by just a minute or a millimeter, only to finally die at his own hand.
These plots and conspiracies are detailed and documented in "The Hitler Assassination Attempts", along with a unique
collection of photographs of many of the proposed or actual assassination locations. All will be revealed in this fascinating
compilation of the obscure, the fanciful and the carefully considered attempts to assassinate Hitler.
Critique: An invaluable and unique contribution to the growing library of World War II histories and biographies, "The
Hitler Assassination Attempts: The Plots, Places and People that Almost Changed History" is an extraordinarily informative
and innately fascinating read. A choice and recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library
World War II collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military
history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Hitler Assassination Attempts: The
Plots, Places and People that Almost Changed History" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: John Grehan has written, edited or contributed to more than 300 books and magazine articles covering a
wide span of military history from the Iron Age to the recent conflict in Afghanistan. John has also appeared on local and
national radio and television to advise on military history topics. He was employed as the Assistant Editor of Britain at War
Magazine from its inception until 2014.
The Civil War Shelf
Lieutenant General James Longstreet
F. Gregory Toretta
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636241173, $34.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lieutenant-Longstreet-Innovative-Military-Strategy/dp/1636241174
Synopsis: Lieutenant-General James Longstreet (January 8, 1821 - January 2, 1904), commander of the First Corps of the
Army of Northern Virginia, was a brilliant tactician and strategist. Prior to the Civil War there were many technological
developments, of which the rifled musket and cannon, rail transport and the telegraph were a few. In addition, the North
enjoyed a great advantage in manpower and resources. Longstreet adapted to these technological changes and the disparity
between the belligerents making recommendations on how the war should be fought.
Longstreet made a leap of thinking to adjust to this new type of warfare. Many others did not make this leap, including
Robert E. Lee, "Stonewall" Jackson, Bragg, Hood and Jefferson Davis. Unfortunately, his advice was not heeded and given
the weight it deserved. In contrast to many other southern generals, Longstreet advocated for defensive warfare, using
entrenchments and trying to maneuver the enemy to assault his position, conserving manpower, resources and supplies.
With the advent of the highly accurate and long-range rifled musket, offensive tactics became questionable and risky. This
caused Longstreet to come into conflict with General Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. Longstreet opposed the Gettysburg
campaign and Lee's battle plans at Gettysburg against General Meade and the Army of the Potomac. At Chickamauga,
Longstreet was at odds with General Bragg on how to proceed after the stunning victory by the Army of Tennessee over
Rosecrans and his forces.
Longstreet was never given full authority over an army in the field. He was a pragmatic and methodical general and had his
suggestions been utilized there arguably would have been a better outcome for the South. Many historians and biographers
have misunderstood Longstreet and his motives, not focusing on the total picture.
"Lieutenant General James Longstreet: Innovative Military Strategist: The Most Misunderstood Civil War General" by F.
Gregory Toretta offers a fresh and unique perspective on Longstreet and the Civil War. This narrative takes a new viewpoint
of the Civil War and the generals who tailored their designs to pursue the war, analyses Longstreet's views of the generals
and the tactics and strategy they employed and examines why Longstreet proposed and urged a new type of warfare.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, an Epilogue (General Longstreet's Strategy and
Tactics), twelve pages of Notes, a four page Bibliography, and a six page Index, "Lieutenant General James Longstreet:
Innovative Military Strategist: The Most Misunderstood Civil War General" is an impressive work of meticulous and
original scholarship offering an inherently fascinating and informative contribution to the growing library of American Civil
War histories and biographies. While also available to students, academia, and Civil War buffs in a digital book format
(Kindle, $20.95), "Lieutenant General James Longstreet: Innovative Military Strategist: The Most Misunderstood Civil War
General" is unreservedly recommended as a key and important addition to personal, professional, community, and academic
library American Civil War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: F. Gregory Toretta is a writer and historian with a passion for the American Civil War, accumulating an
extensive library and undertaking copious research.
Spectacle of Grief
Sarah J. Purcell
University of North Carolina Press
116 South Boundary Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808
https://uncpress.org
9781469668321, $95.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Spectacle-Grief-Public-Funerals-America/dp/1469668327
Synopsis: With the publication of "Spectacle of Grief: Public Funerals and Memory in the Civil War Era", Sarah J. Purcell
i( the L. F. Parker Professor of History at Grinnell College), provides an illuminating history that informatively examines
how the public funerals of major figures from the Civil War era shaped public memories of the war and allowed a diverse
set of people to contribute to changing American national identities.
These funerals often featured lengthy processions that sometimes crossed multiple state lines, burial ceremonies open to the
public, and other cultural productions of commemoration such as oration and song. As Professor Purcell reveals, Americans'
participation in these funeral rites led to contemplation and contestation over the political and social meanings of the war
and the roles played by the honored dead. Public mourning for military heroes, reformers, and politicians distilled political
and social anxieties as the country coped with the aftermath of mass death and casualties.
Professor Purcell also shows how large-scale funerals for figures such as Henry Clay and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson set
patterns for mourning culture and Civil War commemoration; after 1865, public funerals for figures such as Robert E. Lee,
Charles Sumner, Frederick Douglass, and Winnie Davis elaborated on these patterns and fostered public debate about the
meanings of the war, Reconstruction, race, and gender.
Critique: A unique and invaluable contribution to the growing library of American Civil War histories, "Spectacle of Grief:
Public Funerals and Memory in the Civil War Era" is a masterpiece of original scholarship and an unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections. Informationally
enhanced with the inclusion of illustrations, maps, sixty-two pages of Notes, a thirty-six page Bibliography, and a fifteen
page Index, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Spectacle of Grief: Public Funerals and Memory in the Civil War Era" is
also available in a paperback edition (9781469668338, $34.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.49).
The Civil War on the Mississippi
Barbara Brooks Tomblin
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813167039, $49.99, HC, 388pp
https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Mississippi-Captains-Campaign/dp/0813167035
Synopsis: Flowing from its source in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River borders or passes
through ten different states and serves as one of the most important transportation systems in the country. During the Civil
War, both sides believed that whoever controlled the river would ultimately be victorious. Cotton exports generated
much-needed revenue for the Confederacy, and the Mississippi was also the main conduit for the delivery of materials and
food. Similarly, the Union sought to maintain safe passage from St. Louis, Missouri, to Cairo, Illinois, but also worked to
bisect the South by seizing the river as part of the Anaconda Plan.
Drawing heavily on the diaries and letters of officers and common sailors, and with the publication of "The Civil War on the
Mississippi: Union Sailors, Gunboat Captains, and the Campaign to Control the River", Barbara Brooks Tomblin (who
taught military history at Rutgers University and is the author of several articles and books) explores the years during which
the Union navy fought to win control of the Mississippi.
Her approach provides fresh insight into major battles such as Memphis and Vicksburg, but also offers fascinating
perspectives on lesser-known aspects of the conflict from ordinary sailors engaged in brown-water warfare. These men
speak of going ashore in foraging parties, assisting the surgeon in the amputation of a fellow crewman's arm, and liberating
supplies of whiskey from captured enemy vessels. They also offer candid assessments of their commanding officers,
observations of the local people living along the river, and their views on the war.
"The Civil War on the Mississippi" not only provides its readers with a comprehensive and vivid account of the action on
the western rivers; it also offers an incredible synthesis of first-person accounts from the front lines.
Critique: An invaluable and inherently interesting work of groundbreaking Civil War scholarship, "The Civil War on the
Mississippi: Union Sailors, Gunboat Captains, and the Campaign to Control the River" will prove to be a welcome and
instructive contribution to community, college, and university library American Civil War histories. Informationally
enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an eight page Bibliography, forty-four pages of Notes, and a twenty-five page
Index, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War historians, and Civil War buffs that
"The Civil War on the Mississippi" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780813186771, $30.00) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Bluejackets and Contrabands
Barbara Brooks Tomblin
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813125541, $40.00, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bluejackets-Contrabands-African-Americans-Union/dp/0813125545
Synopsis: One of the lesser-known stories of the Civil War is the role played by escaped slaves in the Union blockade along
the Atlantic coast. From the beginning of the war, many African American refugees sought avenues of escape to the North.
Due to their sheer numbers, those who reached Union forces presented a problem for the military.
The problem was partially resolved by the First Confiscation Act of 1861, which permitted the seizure of property used in
support of the South's war effort, including slaves. Eventually regarded as contraband of war, the runaways became known
as contrabands.
With the publication of "Bluejackets and Contrabands: African Americans and the Union Navy", academician and historian
Barbara Brooks Tomblin examines the relationship between the Union Navy and the contrabands. The navy established
colonies for the former slaves, and, in return, some contrabands served as crewmen on navy ships and gunboats and as river
pilots, spies, and guides.
"Bluejackets and Contrabands" presents a rare picture of the contrabands and casts light on the vital contributions of African
Americans to the Union Navy and the Union cause.
Critique: Bringing out of an undeserved obscurity the African-American element of the Civil War struggles on the side of
the Union and in direct opposition to the Confederacy, "Bluejackets and Contrabands: African Americans and the Union
Navy" is an extraordinary and impressively informative contribution to 19th Century African-American history in general,
and Civil War histories in particular. Original, informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, no
personal, professional, community, college, or university library American Civil War collection can be considered
comprehensive or up-to-date without the inclusion of Barbara Brooks Tomblin's "Bluejackets and Contrabands: African
Americans and the Union Navy". This unique work of Civil War scholarship is also available for the personal reading lists
of students, academia, Civil War historians, Civil War scholars, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in African-American history in a paperback addition (9780813186870, $30.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$28.50).
Unceasing Fury
Scott L. Mingus Sr., author
Joseph L. Owen, author
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215557, $32.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unceasing-Fury-Texans-Chickamauga-September/dp/1611215552
Synopsis: It was the Civil War's largest battle second only to Gettysburg, but until recently, very little of consequence had
been written about Chickamauga. You can count on one hand the number of authors who have tackled Chickamauga in any
real depth, and most of their works cover the entire battle. Left unmined and mostly forgotten are the experiences of specific
brigades, regiments, and state-affiliated troops. Scott Mingus and Joseph Owen's "Unceasing Fury: Texans at the Battle of
Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1863", is the first full-length book study to examine in detail the role of troops from the
Lone Star State.
Texas troops fought in almost every major sector of the sprawling Chickamauga battlefield, from the first attacks on
September 18 on the bridges spanning the creek to the final attack on Snodgrass Hill on September 20. Fortunately, many of
the survivors left vivid descriptions of battle action, the anguish of losing friends, the pain and loneliness of being so far
away from home, and their often-colorful opinions of their generals.
The authors of this richly detailed study based their work on hundreds of personal accounts, memoirs, postwar newspaper
articles, diaries, and other primary sources. Their meticulous work provides the first exploration of the critical role Texas
enlisted men and officers played in the three days of fighting near West Chickamauga Creek in September 1863.
"Unceasing Fury" clearly provides the Lone Star State soldiers with the recognition they have so long deserved.
Critique: An exceptional work of original research and meticulous Civil War scholarship, "Unceasing Fury: Texans at the
Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1863" is a significant and unreservedly recommended addition to the growing
library of American Civil War histories and biographies. Especially appropriate for both community and academic library
collections, informatively enhanced with the inclusion of two Appendices (Overall Casualties at Chickamauga in Texas
Commands & Individual Texas Casualties at Chickamuga by Regiment), a fourteen page Bibliography, a four page list of
Acknowledgments, and a fifteen page Index, "Unceasing Fury: Texans at the Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20,
1863" also readily available for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Scott L. Mingus, Sr., has written nineteen Civil War books. His biography of Confederate General
William "Extra Billy" Smith won the 2013 Nathan Bedford Forrest Southern History Award and the Dr. James I. Robertson,
Jr., Literary Award, and was also nominated for the Virginia Literary Award for Non-Fiction. A contributor to Gettysburg
Magazine, Scott also maintains a blog on the Civil War history of York County (www.yorkblog.com/cannonball). He
received the 2013 Heritage Profile Award from the York County Heritage Trust for his contributions to local Civil War
history.
Editorial Note #2: Joe Owen is a National Park Ranger at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park in Johnson City,
Texas. He is also a co-author of two books about Hood's Texas Brigade, Texans At Gettysburg: Blood and Glory with
Hood's Texas Brigade, (2016), and Texans at Antietam: A Terrible Clash of Arms, September 16-17, 1862, (2017), and is
the author of Lone Star Valor: Texans of the Blue and Gray at Gettysburg (2019). Joe received the 2019 Jefferson Davis
Gold Medal from the Daughters of Confederacy for outstanding research and writing.
The Military Shelf
General Jan Smuts and his First World War in Africa, 1914-1917
David Brock Katz
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636240176, $37.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/General-Smuts-First-Africa-1914-1917/dp/1636240178
Synopsis: World War I ushered in a renewed scramble by European powers for control of Africa. At its helm, General Jan
Smuts grabbed the opportunity to realize his ambition of a Greater South Africa. He set his sights upon the vast German
colonies of South-West Africa and East Africa -- the demise of which would end the Kaiser's grandiose schemes for
Mittelafrika. As part of his strategy to shift South Africa's borders inexorably northward, Smuts even cast an eye toward
Portuguese and Belgian African possessions.
Jan Smuts, whose abilities as a general were much denigrated by both his contemporary and then later modern historians,
was no armchair soldier. This cabinet minister and statesman donned a uniform and led his men into battle. He learned his
soldiery craft under General Koos De la Rey's tutelage, and another soldier-statesman, General Louis Botha during the
South African War 1899-1902. He emerged from that war, immersed in the Boer maneuver doctrine he devastatingly waged
in the guerrilla phase of that conflict. His daring and epic invasion of the Cape at the head of his commando remains
legendary.
The first phase of the German South West African campaign and the Afrikaner Rebellion in 1914 placed his abilities as a
sound strategic thinker and a bold operational planner on display. Champing at the bit, he finally had the opportunity to
command the Southern Forces in the second phase of the German South West African campaign.
Placed in command of the Allied forces in East Africa in 1916, he led a mixed bag of South Africans and Imperial troops
against the legendary Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and his Shutztruppe. Using his penchant for Boer maneuver warfare
together with mounted infantry led and manned by Boer Republican veterans, he proceeded to free the vast German territory
from Lettow-Vorbeck's grip.
Often leading from the front, his operational concepts were an enigma to the British under his command, remaining so to
modern-day historians. Although unable to bring the elusive and wily Lettow-Vorbeck to a final decisive battle, Smuts
conquered most of the territory by the end of his tenure in February 1917.
With the publication of "General Jan Smuts and his First World War in Africa, 1914-1917: Incorporating His German South
West and East Africa Campaigns", military historian David Brock Katz makes use of multiple archival sources and the
official accounts of all the participants to provide a long-overdue reassessment of Smuts's generalship and his role in
furthering the strategic aims of South Africa and the British Empire in Africa during World War I.
Critique: An fully impressive work of exhaustive research and meticulous scholarship, "General Jan Smuts and his First
World War in Africa, 1914-1917: Incorporating His German South West and East Africa Campaigns" by Professor David
Katz rescues from an undeserved obscurity on of the truly fascinating general officers of World War I. While very highly
recommended for inclusion into community, college, and university library World War I History & Biography collections,
as well as supplemental curriculum 20th Century South African History studies lists, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists that "General Jan Smuts and his First World War in Africa, 1914-1917: Incorporating His German South West
and East Africa Campaigns" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: David Brock Katz lectures at the Army and Defence Colleges of the South African National Defence Force
and is an active member of the Andrew Mlangeni Regiment (formerly the South African Irish Regiment). He completed his
MMil in Military History (cum laude) and a PhD in Military Science in the Department of Military History at the Faculty of
Military Science of Stellenbosch University. He is a research fellow at Stellenbosch University in the Faculty of Military
Science. He has published extensively on South African military history and doctrine and can be followed on Twitter at
https://twitter.com davebrockkatz
Normandy: From Cotentin to Falaise, June-July 1944
Friedrich Hayn, author
Linden Lyons, translator
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636241562, $45.00, HC, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Normandy-Cotentin-Falaise-June-July-Wehrmacht/dp/1636241565
Synopsis: With the publication of "Normandy: From Cotentin to Falaise, June-July 1944", historians and military history
buffs are offered a unique perspective on the decisive early weeks of the Normandy invasion in 1944, from the perspective
of Friedrich Hayn, a German Army Corps Intelligence officer stationed in Normandy at the time of the Allied invasion, who
during the invasion was the department head for enemy messages processing (Ic) in the staff of the LXXXIV AK.
"Normandy: From Cotentin to Falaise, June-July 1944" discusses in detail the events leading up to the creation of Falaise
Pocket, described by the Friedrich Hayn as the "tragic turning point of an entire front". It also discusses in detail the
conditions in the American landing section and explains how the German troops based there came to be defeated.
Critique: Providing the German view of D-Day, as personally witnessed by a German Army Corps intelligence officer in
Normandy at the time of the Allied invasion, now published by Casemate, and ably translated into English for an American
readership by Linden Lyons, "Normandy: From Cotentin to Falaise, June-July 1944" is a unique, informative, and inherently
fascinating study that, while also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.490, is an
absolutely essential and core addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library World War II
history collections in general, and D-Day Norman Invasion supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note #1: Friedrich Hayn was the head of the intelligence section of the German LXXXIV Army Corps in
1944.
Editorial Note #2: Linden Lyons holds a master's degree in history from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He
also studied German at the University of Freiburg and librarianship at the University of Canberra. He is the translator for
Panzer Operations, Vitebsk, and Leningrad in the Die Wehrmacht im Kampf series.
The Business Shelf
Radically Human
Paul R. Daugherty, author
H. James Wilson, author
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781647821081, $30.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Radically-Human-Technology-Transforming-Business/dp/1647821088
Synopsis: In their groundbreaking book, "Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI" (Harvard Business
Review Press, 2018), Accenture technology leaders Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson showed how leading
organizations use the power of human-machine collaboration to transform their processes and their bottom lines. Now, as
new AI powered technologies like the metaverse, natural language processing, and digital twins begin to rapidly impact both
life and work, those companies and other pioneers across industries are tipping the balance even more strikingly toward the
human side with technology-led strategy that is reshaping the very nature of innovation.
Now with the publication of "Radically Human: How New Technology Is Transforming Business and Shaping Our Future",
Daugherty and Wilson once again team up to show this profound shift continuing (and fast-forwarded by the pandemic)
toward more human (and more humane) technology.
Artificial intelligence is becoming less artificial and more intelligent. Instead of data-hungry approaches to AI, innovators
are pursuing data-efficient approaches that enable machines to learn as humans do. Instead of replacing workers with
machines, they're unleashing human expertise to create human-centered AI. In place of lumbering legacy IT systems, they're
building cloud-first IT architectures able to continuously adapt to a world of billions of connected devices. And they're
pursuing strategies that will take their place alongside classic, winning business formulas like disruptive innovation.
These against-the-grain approaches to the basic building blocks of business -- Intelligence, Data, Expertise, Architecture,
and Strategy (IDEAS) -- are transforming competition. Industrial giants and startups alike are drawing on this radically
human IDEAS framework to create new business models, optimize post-pandemic approaches to work and talent, rebuild
trust with their stakeholders, and show the way toward a sustainable future.
With compelling insights and fresh examples from a variety of industries, "Radically Human: How New Technology Is
Transforming Business and Shaping Our Future" will forever change the way you think about, practice, and win with
innovation.
Critique: With a special appeal to readers with an interest in the advances of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on
strategic business planning in the 21st Century, "Radically Human: How New Technology Is Transforming Business and
Shaping Our Future" is unreservedly recommended as a core and fundamental addition to personal, professional,
community, corporate, college, and university library collections and supplemental Computer Design & Architecture
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, corporate executives,
entrepreneurs, AI developers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Radically Human: How
New Technology Is Transforming Business and Shaping Our Future" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.90).
Editorial Note #1: Paul R. Daugherty is Group Chief Executive-Technology and Chief Technology Officer, Accenture, New
York. You can find him on Twitter: twitter.com/pauldaugh, at accenture.com/us-en/about/leadership/paul-daugherty,
linkedin.com/in/paul-r-daugherty, and on Facebook.
Editorial Note #2: H. James Wilson is Global Managing Director, Thought Leadership & Technology Research at
Accenture, San Francisco. Daugherty and Wilson are the authors of Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI
(HBR Press). You can find him at: accenture.com/us-en/about/leadership/james-wilson, on Facebook, and at
twitter.com/hjameswilson and linkedin.com/in/h-james-wilson.
Digital Marketing QuickStart Guide
Benjamin Sweeney
ClydeBank Media
www.clydebankmedia.com
9781945051098, $24.99, PB, 335pp
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Marketing-QuickStart-Guide-Simplified/dp/1945051094
Synopsis: Digital marketing is the component of marketing that uses the Internet and online based digital technologies such
as desktop computers, mobile phones and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services. Its
development during the 1990s and 2000s changed the way brands and businesses use technology for marketing. As digital
platforms became increasingly incorporated into marketing plans and everyday life, and as people increasingly use digital
devices instead of visiting physical shops, digital marketing campaigns have become prevalent, employing combinations of
search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, influencer marketing, content
automation, campaign marketing, data-driven marketing, e-commerce marketing, social media marketing, social media
optimization, e-mail direct marketing, display advertising, ebooks, and optical disks and games have become commonplace.
Digital marketing also extends to non-Internet channels that provide digital media, such as television, mobile phones (SMS
and MMS), callback, and on-hold mobile ring tones. The extension to non-Internet channels differentiates digital marketing
from online advertising. (Wikipedia)
Digital marketers tap into an unprecedented ability to discover and reach motivated customers at scale. Now more than ever,
digital marketing strategies are the key for emerging brands, new and veteran entrepreneurs, and businesses of all sizes to
convert customers in digital spaces. With the availability of cost-effective advertising, content marketing, social media
marketing, email marketing and more, there has never been a better time to connect with customers and grow a
business.
In "Digital Marketing QuickStart Guide", author and veteran marketer Benjamin Sweeney distills a decade's worth of
marketing experience into a crash course that covers everything from marketing fundamentals to sophisticated digital
strategies. The "Digital Marketing QuickStart Guide" equips its readers with the skills and strategies they need to reach
customers and grow their businesses.
Critique: Comprehensive and exceptionally well organized and presented, the "Digital Marketing QuickStart Guide" is
essential reading for: Entrepreneurs who want to take control of their digital marketing and grow their business; Freelancers
and members of the gig economy looking to diversify their service offerings; In-house or agency marketers who want to
brush up on digital marketing fundamentals; Business and marketing students who need a digital marketing edge;
Influencers, artists, creators, and anyone who needs to sell or connect with more people in digital spaces! While highly
recommended for personal, professional, corporate, and community library Business & E-Commerce collections, it should
be noted that "Digital Marketing QuickStart Guide" is also available in a spiral bound edition (9781636100272, $32.99),
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Benjamin Sweeney is a digital marketer and author with over a decade of digital marketing experience. He
maintains a focus on the business sphere that draws from scholarly research and on practical experience from time spent as
an entrepreneur and consultant. With well over one million written words under his belt and a marketing role that has him
sending more than a million emails a year, Ben knows what it takes to get more customers for a small business, no matter
what industry they're in.
Innovation for Entrepreneurs
Marc H. Meyer, author
Chaewon Lee, author
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781800375093, $170.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Innovation-Entrepreneurs-Marc-H-Meyer/dp/1800375093
Synopsis: "Innovation for Entrepreneurs" presents a powerful but easy to apply toolkit for innovation and is based upon
Professors Marc H. Meyer and Chaewon Lee's decades of experience and expertise as company founders and innovators for
corporations around the globe.
This instructive textbook includes guidance for developing new product and service ideas with genuine impact, building
teams around these ideas, understanding customers' needs, translating these needs into compelling product and service
designs, and creating initial prototypes. It also helps students learn how to scope and size target markets and position an
innovation successfully relative to competitors. These methods are fundamental for any new, impactful venture.
"Innovation for Entrepreneurs" is comprised of a series of frameworks and methods that build upon one another to the final
deliverable -- an innovation project developed by student teams, solving problems for specific types of users and use cases.
Each chapter introduces readers to entrepreneurs and their stories of innovation and venture development, across different
sectors of the economy and regions of the world.
Going to a core theme of "Innovation for Entrepreneurs", each of these entrepreneurs has tackled a societal-focused problem
and created economic value for themselves and their investors. These are stories of inspiration and achievement -- and they
illustrate the major frameworks provided. Each entrepreneur faced a problem or challenge solved by the methods presented
in that chapter. The authors' own entrepreneurial and corporate innovation experiences then complement these examples
with additional industry applications of the method. Then, each chapter concludes with exercises for students to apply their
newfound knowledge to their innovation projects. The book's final chapter then shows students how to best integrate their
work from each chapter into a compelling presentation.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Innovation for Entrepreneurs" must be considered as an essential
book for all undergraduate and MBA students. Indeed, Students in business schools will find this comprehensive textbook
addressing a subject missing in many business school curriculums -- how to design a distinctive new product or
service.
At the same time, the methods-based approach combined with its inspiring stories makes this book a great learning platform
for engineering and science students thinking about starting their own ventures or working for others upon graduation. All
this combines to make "Innovation for Entrepreneurs" an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to corporate,
college, and university library Entrepreneurship and Business Management collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and aspiring entrepreneurs that "Innovation for Entrepreneurs" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781800375116, $55.00).
Editorial Note #1: Marc H. Meyer, Robert Shillman Professor of Entrepreneurship and Matthews Distinguished University
Professor, Northeastern University, US.
Editorial Note #2: Chaewon Lee, Professor of Business and Administration and Provost for International Affairs, Seoul
National University of Science and Technology, South Korea.
Leading with Heart
John Baird, author
Edward Sullivan, author
Harper Business
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063052932, $29.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Heart-Conversations-Creativity-Purpose/dp/0063052938
Synopsis: With the publication of "Leading with Heart: Five Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results",
leadership coaches John Baird and Edward Sullivan share hundreds of hours of research and firsthand accounts of guiding
leaders at some of the world's most respected big brands and small startups (Apple, Nike, Google, Slack to name a few).
Through their coaching and research they uncovered the 5 behaviors transformative leaders engage in to connect
authentically with their teams.
"Leading with Heart" underscores the importance of mentors and leaders being: Aware of their people's needs; Helping their
people to confront the fears that hold them back; Understanding their own desires & what drives their people; Leveraging
their unique gifts & help people find their own; Connecting with their core sense of purpose & helping people find
theirs.
The key to achieving these behaviors is asking the right questions and having conversations that connect you and your
employees on the deepest human level -- conversations the authors coach you on how to navigate.
At a time when workplaces are struggling to build high-morale and connected cultures, "Leading with Heart" will help
leaders to unlock the best version of themselves and those around them with transformative results.
No matter where you are in your career, "Leading with Heart" is your launch point to leading with heart. By encouraging
you to ignore outdated "leadership hacks" and embrace introspection and growth, "Leading with Heart" will guide you to
ask the right questions and find your own answers. Now you too can create a leadership game-plan that is authentic to you
and brings out the best in those around you.
Critique: Offering a complete course of instruction on the subject of becoming an effective business coach and/or mentor,
"Leading with Heart: Five Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results" will also have a special appeal to
readers with an interest in business processes, leadership and motivation. Impressively organized and thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in presentation, "Leading with Heart: Five Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results" is
especially recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, college, and university library Contemporary
Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "Leading with Heart: Five Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete an unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200972760,
$41.99, CD).
Editorial Note #1: John Baird is one of the premier executive coaches in Silicon Valley, and over the past twenty-five years
he has worked with top leaders at start-up organizations as well as at Fortune 500 firms like Apple, Nike, and Twitter. He
founded several companies, including ExecutivEdge, Edgeman Coaching, and the Velocity Group, where he is currently
chairman, and serves as a fellow at Sapphire Ventures and on various nonprofit local and national boards. Baird holds a PhD
in organizational communication and leadership from Purdue University.
Editorial Note #2: Edward Sullivan is the CEO and managing partner at Velocity Group. His twenty-five-year career as an
executive coach and political consultant has taken him around the globe coaching and advising start-up founders, Fortune
500 executives, and heads of state of foreign nations. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington
Post, Forbes, Fast Company, USA Today, and Nasdaq, among others. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School and an
MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.
The Political Science Shelf
The Digital Republic
Jamie Susskind
Pegasus Books
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781643139012, $28.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Republic-Freedom-Democracy-Twenty-First/dp/1643139010
Synopsis: Not long ago, the tech industry was widely admired, and the internet was regarded as a tonic for freedom and
democracy. Not anymore. Every day, the headlines blaze with reports of racist algorithms, data leaks, and social media
platforms festering with and promoting falsehoods and hatred.
With the publication of "The Digital Republic: On Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century", author Jamie Susskind
argues that these problems are not the fault of a few bad apples at the top of the industry. Rather they are the result of our
failure to govern technology properly.
"The Digital Republic" charts a new course. It offers a plan for the digital age: new legal standards, new public bodies and
institutions, new duties on platforms, new rights and regulators, new codes of conduct for people in the tech industry.
Inspired by the great political essays of the past, and steeped in the traditions of republican thought, it offers a vision of a
different type of society: a digital republic in which human and technological flourishing go hand in hand.
Critique: Our American style democracy has been dramatically impacted with the emergence of computer technology and
social media. This impact is now so great and pervasive that the very continuation of our democracy is under serious and
immanent threat of being overthrown and replaced with a form of autocracy arising from the manipulation of a significantly
large percentage of our citizenry through the digital manipulation of information. All this makes "The Digital Republic: On
Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century" a timely and urgent warning if our democracy, as we have known it, is to
survive. This is not hyperbole, it is a discomforting truth. While "The Digital Republic" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community, college, and university library Contemporary Political Science & Digital Technology Policy
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental policy makers, technology
corporation executives, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Digital
Republic" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Jamie Susskind is a barrister and the author of "Future Politics: Living Together in a World Transformed by
Tech" (Oxford University Press, 2018), which received the Estoril Global Issues Distinguished Book Prize 2019, and was an
Evening Standard and Prospect Book of the Year. He has fellowships at Harvard and Cambridge and currently resides in
London.
Government Issued Opinion
Dennis F. Poindexter
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476687124, $29.95, PB, 231pp
https://www.amazon.com/Government-Issued-Opinion-Manipulating-Perceptions/dp/1476687129
Synopsis: Intelligence services, businesses, governments, and political parties use a sinister methodology called an influence
campaign to sway the core values of their own citizens, countries and others around the globe. This method is used by many
different types of world governments (including the U.S.) and can pervade many different sectors of public life. Even
seemingly powerful politicians are impacted by influence campaigns.
While influence campaigns differ from political campaigns or corporate advertising, they share similar characteristics. Both
influence behavior by manipulating beliefs to produce an outcome favorable to the campaign goal.
With the publication of "Government Issued Opinion: The Dark Science of Manipulating Perceptions and Policies", Dennis
F. Poindexter explains the mechanisms of influence campaigns and how they affect policy making, often in surprising ways.
Chapters detail examples of influence campaigns waged by various governments throughout the years and suggest how the
public consciousness should deal with these strategies. As targets of these campaigns, citizens must understand how our
leaders use them for their own benefit.
Critique: In this present age of The Big Steal vs. The Big Lie in American presidential politics, "Government Issued
Opinion: The Dark Science of Manipulating Perceptions and Policies" should be considered essential reading for political
science students, academia, politicians, and most particularly, the non-specialist general reader concerned about the survival
of our American style democracy.
Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Appendix (Foreign Threats to the 2020 U.S. Federal Elections, twenty-four
pages of Notes, a twenty page Bibliography, and a three page Index, "Government Issued Opinion: The Dark Science of
Manipulating Perceptions and Policies" is a timely and urgently recommended addition to community, college, and
university library Contemporary Political Science, Political Psychology, and Political Propaganda collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
It should also be noted that "Government Issued Opinion: The Dark Science of Manipulating Perceptions and Policies" is
readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Dennis F. Poindexter has been a staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives and made information
warfare assessments for Ballistic Missile Defense, the National Command Authority and the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency. He has also performed counter-terrorism operations for the FBI and worked with the White House Critical National
Cybersecurity Initiative Number 7.
Labor, Nature, and the Evolution of Humanity
Mary-Alice Waters, editor
Pathfinder Press
PO Box 162767, Atlanta, GA 30321-2767
https://www.pathfinderpress.com
9781604881202, $7.00, PB, 184pp
https://www.pathfinderpress.com/products/labor-nature-and-the-evolution-of-humanity
Synopsis: Because without understanding how human society, since our remotest ancestors, has been created through social
labor, working people remain prisoners of the capitalist epoch in which we live today.
Without knowing how our labor transforms nature, how it's the motor force along humanity's ongoing road, we can't see
beyond the class exploitation that warps every aspect of our social relations, ideas, and values.
The dictatorship of capital hasn't always existed. It is only a few hundred years old. Like slavery and serfdom before it,
capitalist rule had a beginning -- and will have an end.
Only the revolutionary conquest of state power by the working class, conscious of our class position and conditions of
emancipation, can open the door to a future. One based not on dog-eat-dog capitalist exploitation, degradation of nature,
subjugation of women, racism, and war. A world built on human solidarity. A socialist world. That's what a long view of
history and a close reading of "Labor, Nature, and the Evolution of Humanity: The Long View of History" helps us
understand.
Critique: Having a special appeal to students of Communism, Socialism, Capitalism, and the economic history of the United
States, "Labor, Nature, and the Evolution of Humanity: The Long View of History" is an informative, thought-provoking,
iconoclastic, and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Political Science and Contemporary Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Mary-Alice Waters is a socialist feminist, journalist and activist in the United States. Waters became
involved in Trotskyist politics at a young age, and joined the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the fall of 1962 while a
student at Carleton College in Minnesota in the fall of 1962. She became the editor of their youth paper, Young Socialist,
and the national secretary of the Young Socialist Alliance.
In December 1968, she joined the editorial staff of The Militant and was named managing editor in 1969 and editor in chief
in January, 1971.
In the early 1980s, Waters, along with Jack Barnes and others in the SWP leadership, began to reject the label of
"Trotskyism" and the theory of Permanent Revolution, in favour of building links with the Cuban Communist Party and
Sandinista National Liberation Front.
Today, Waters is the President of the Pathfinder Press and the editor of New International magazine. She has also written a
number of books on political topics. (Wikipedia)
The Sports Shelf
Pliability for Runners
Joseph McConkey, MS
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578269105, $16.95, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pliability-Runners-Approach-Training-Preventing/dp/1578269105
Synopsis: With over dozens of exercises and sport-specific workout plans (all backed by modern, field-tested science),
"Pliability for Runners: The Breakthrough Method to Stay Injury-Free, Get Stronger and Run Faster" by Joseph McConkey
(exercise physiologist and coach at the Boston Running Center) offers the key to achieving optimum athletic performance
while breaking the injury cycle.
Recreational runners, cross country and track runners, competitive road racers and professional athletes across the globe
understand the critical importance of taking proper care of our body. Without proper upkeep, muscle fatigue, repetitive
motion injuries and the general wear-and-tear of day-to-day living takes its toll on our body, making it less coordinated,
more restricted and less responsive to the demands of athletic activity.
"Pliability for Runners" offers a complete and thorough breakdown of improving our body's pliability, runners of all skill
and experience levels can take advantage of increased flexibility, stronger muscle resilience and better performance during
(and after) workouts.
Pliability is the key to running injury free and outperforming the competition. Each year there are 50-60 million people in
the US that run regularly, with over 50% of them suffering a running injury. Pliability (the loosening, softening and relaxing
of muscles) is in the midst of a major 'movement' in the realm of professional sports, physical therapy and health/fitness to
help offset these kinds of injuries.
"Pliability for Runners" comprehensively covers: Muscle strength; Range of motion; Explosive power; Chronic muscle
tension; Endurance; Flexibility. Simply stated, "Pliability for Runners" is the breakthrough book that redefines running
performance and injury prevention.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Pliability for Runners: The Breakthrough Method to Stay
Injury-Free, Get Stronger and Run Faster" must be considered essential reading for both the novice and the experienced long
distance runner. A 'must' for the reading lists of anyone aspiring to becoming a professional athlete in the sport of running,
"Pliability for Runners" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
highschool, college, and university library Sports Training, Stretching, Exercise & Fitness collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Pliability for Runners" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
After Jackie
Jeffrey S. Copeland
Paragon House
3600 Labore Road, Suite 1, St. Paul, MN 55110-4144
https://www.paragonhouse.com/wp
9781557789488, $19.95, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/After-Jackie-Fifteen-Pioneers-Baseball/dp/1557789487
Synopsis: Most people know the story of Jackie Robinson and his courage and struggles when breaking the color barrier in
Major League Baseball. However, Jackie was the pioneer for only one of the sixteen teams in Major League Baseball at the
time. What about the "other fifteen" pioneers?
With the publication of "After Jackie: Fifteen Pioneers Who Helped Change the Face of Baseball" by Jeffrey Copeland we
are at last provided with the accounts of there struggles in breaking the race barrier of professional baseball.
While they faced many of the same hurdles and roadblocks as Jackie, each had individual twists and turns in his journey
pioneering great change in race relations in baseball and American society. Mr. Robinson took the field for the Brooklyn
Dodgers in April of 1947, but it wasn't until twelve years later that the last team added a person of color (Pumpsie Green, in
1959, for the Boston Red Sox).
Critique: An inherently fascinating and detailed story of the racial integration of professional baseball, "After Jackie: Fifteen
Pioneers Who Helped Change the Face of Baseball" is a unique and groundbreaking history that will have a very special
appeal to dedicated baseball fans and readers with an interest in 20th Century African American history. Exceptionally well
written and presented, "After Jackie: Fifteen Pioneers Who Helped Change the Face of Baseball" is also available for
personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95) and very highly recommended for community, college, and
university library Baseball History & Biography collections.
Editorial Note: Jeffrey S. Copeland, is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan and former member of the ownership
groups of the Waterloo Indians and Waterloo Diamonds He has also written for sports publications, including Sports
Collectors Digest, and has also authored and edited over thirty books.
Kiira Korpi
Kiira Korpi, author
Jere Nurminen, author
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476685083, $29.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kiira-Korpi-Surviving-Ruthless-Championship/dp/1476685088
Synopsis: Finnish figure skater Kiira Korpi's career included triumphal championships and bitter disappointments. Trained
from early childhood in a sport that demands uncompromising self-discipline and unrelenting work, her "fight until you
make it" attitude brought her success and fame -- as well as an insidious performance anxiety.
Mental and physical burnout forced her retirement in 2015. With interviews and quotes from family, friends, coaches and
competitors, Korpi's candid memoir describes the making and eventual undoing of a champion, reveals a darker side to the
"ice princess" image of women's figure skating and advocates a more holistic, athlete-centered model of training.
Critique: An impressive and candidly informative sports biography, "Kiira Korpi: Surviving the Ruthless World of
Championship Figure Skating" will have a very special appeal to fans of professional figure skating. While also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49), "Kiira Korpi: Surviving the Ruthless World of Championship Figure
Skating" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to community, college, and university library
Contemporary Sports Biographies in general, and the personal reading lists of all dedicated professional ice skating fans in
particular.
Editorial Note #1: Kiira Korpi is the winner of several European Figure Skating Championship medals and Grand Prix
events, a five-time Finnish Champion and two-time Olympian. Now a psychology student living in New York, she trains
young skaters using positive coaching methods.
Editorial Note #2: Jere Nurminen is Director of Communications and Brand at Yle (the Finnish Broadcasting Company),
where his long career as a sports journalist has focused on figure skating.
The Biography Shelf
Prince Eugene of Savoy
James Falkner
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526753533, $42.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Eugene-Savoy-Against-Ottoman/dp/1526753537
Synopsis: Prince Eugene of Savoy-Carignan (1663-1736), French born of an Italian mother, was destined for the church, but
fled France as a young man and chose the life of a soldier. He entered the service of the Habsburg Emperor Leopold I in
1683 and rose rapidly to become one of the greatest military commanders of the age, playing a leading role in the wars
against both the Ottoman Turks and the French.
With the publication of "Prince Eugene of Savoy: A Genius for War Against Louis XIV and the Ottoman Empire", historian
James Falkner provides the first full biography of Eugene to be published in English for forty years, and reconstructs his
military campaigns in compelling detail, as well as describing his career as a politician and statesman.
Eugene first showed his military genius during the siege of Vienna in 1683 where the Ottoman Turkish threat to western
Europe was thrown back, and he commanded the Imperial army at the resounding victory over the Ottomans at Zenta in
1697. Most famously for English readers, he joined John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough in the victory over the French
at Blenheim in 1704 and served alongside Marlborough at the subsequent victories at Oudenarde and Malplaquet. His later
triumph, again over the Ottomans, at the capture of Belgrade in 1717, sealed his reputation as a great captain.
A lifelong bachelor and fond of women, Eugene was both a typical hard-bitten soldier and an accomplished diplomat, as
well as a great patron of the arts. His summer palace, The Belvedere in Vienna, stands today as a fine monument to this
extraordinary man.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and informative, as well as featuring maps, illustrations, a Chronology of the Lifer of
Eugene, a Note on Terminology, Nomenclasture and Dating, and Appendix (The Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Empire
and the Habsburg Monarchy), eleven pages of Notes, a three page Bibliography, and a nine page Index, "Prince Eugene of
Savoy: A Genius for War Against Louis XIV and the Ottoman Empire" is a masterpiece of historical biography and will
prove to be a highly prized addition to community, college, and university library European History & Military Biography
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Prince Eugene of Savoy" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $25.00).
Editorial Note: James Falkner is a leading authority on eighteenth-century warfare and he has made a special study of the
military exploits of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. His book, Great and Glorious Days: Marlborough's Battles 1704-1709, is
one of the outstanding studies of the subject. His other books include Blenheim 1704, Ramillies 1706, Marlborough Goes to
War: Eyewitness Accounts 1702-1713, Marlborough's Sieges, Marlborough's Battlefields, Fire Over the Rock: The Great
Siege of Gibraltar 1779-1783, Marshal Vauban and the Defence of Louis XIV's France, Marlborough's War Machine and
The War of the Spanish Succession, 1701-1714.
Soldier, Rebel, Traitor
Alexander R. Brondarbit
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399003476, $34.95, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Soldier-Rebel-Traitor-Wenlock-Roses/dp/139900347X
Synopsis: John Wenlock, first Lord Baron of Wenlock (c.1400/04 - 4 May 1471), was a leading diplomat, courtier and
soldier during the Wars of the Roses whose remarkable career offers us a fascinating insight into one of the most turbulent
periods in English medieval history. And yet he has hitherto been overshadowed by his more illustrious
contemporaries.
With the publications of "Soldier, Rebel, Traitor: John, Lord Wenlock and the Wars of the Roses", historian Alexander
Brondarbit has provided a meticulously researched and perceptively informative biography bringing this historical character
out of an undeserved obscurity. It establishes Lord Wenlock as a major figure in his own right and records in vivid detail
how this shrewd nobleman found his way through the brutal conflicts of his times.
Lord Wenlock served in Henry V's military campaigns in France in the 1420s before moving on to a career in the royal
households of Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou and Edward IV. As a diplomat, he led multiple embassies to Burgundy and
France and, in addition to the kings he served, he was closely connected with other notable figures of the age such as
Richard Neville, earl of Warwick. But Lord Wenlock's speciality was on the battlefield where he took part in many raids,
skirmishes and sieges and in three major battles including the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 where he lost his life.
Using primary sources as well as contemporary assessments in chronicles and letters, Alexander Brondarbit gives a nuanced
description of the main episodes in Wenlock's long career and throws new light on the motivation of a man who has been
labeled a 'Prince of Turncoats' because of his frequent changes of allegiance.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative historical biography that is especially recommended for
community and academic library British History and Military Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists, "Soldier, Rebel, Traitor: John, Lord Wenlock and the Wars of the Roses" is further for students and academia with the
inclusion of maps, a list of abbreviations, a glossary, twenty-two pages of notes, a ten page bibliography, and an eight page
Index. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, historians, and the non-specialist general reader with an
interest historical European military biographies that "Soldier, Rebel, Traitor: John, Lord Wenlock and the Wars of the
Roses" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Dr Alexander Brondarbit is a medieval historian and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society whose research
is focused on late medieval English politics and the Wars of the Roses. In addition to a number of academic papers and
magazine articles on these subjects, he is the author of Power-Brokers and the Yorkist State, 1461-1485. His previous
appointments include lecturing on medieval history at Oregon State University and the University of Winchester. He is
currently an Academic Planning Analyst at UC Santa Cruz.
"No Man Knows This Country Better"
Gary S. Williams
The University of Akron Press
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
http://www.uakron.edu/uapress
9781629221489, $59.95, HC, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Knows-This-Country-Better/dp/1629221481
Synopsis: With the publication of ""No Man Knows This Country Better": The Frontier Life of John Gibson" by Gary S.
Williams, the reader is introduced to an unheralded hero among our nation's Founding Fathers who worked with seven
Presidents, knew a dozen Continental Army generals, and served as an officer of increasing rank in every frontier conflict
between 1758 and 1813.
During the American Revolution, John Gibson (May 23, 1740 - April 10, 1822) led a regiment at Valley Forge, was in
command of Fort Laurens during a month-long Indian siege, and by the time of the Yorktown Campaign was commander of
the Western Department at Fort Pitt. From the time he was nearly burned at the stake during Pontiac's Conspiracy through
his service as Governor of Indiana Territory during the War of 1812, he consistently served with courage and integrity.
But it was more than just his military record that makes Gibson stand out. As an Indian trader on the frontier, Gibson's
reputation for honesty and his ability to master several Native American languages made him a valuable treaty negotiator
and an important cross-cultural figure. His fairness towards Native Americans extended to his personal life as he was a
single father to two mixed race children.
Gibson was not without enemies in his lengthy career. Simon Girty hated him, Albert Gallatin called him incompetent, and
some of his own neighbors threatened to scalp him for being overly partial to Indians, and to hang him for supporting the
federal government during the Whiskey Rebellion. But Gibson stood tall as a citizen and public servant, and his efforts to
help establish our nation and to expand and protect its borders makes his life synonymous with his times.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an eight page Bibliography, twenty-two pages of Notes, and a nine
page Index, "No Man Knows This Country Better": The Frontier Life of John Gibson is a thoroughly researched,
extraordinarily informative, and exceptionally well written biography that lifts from an undeserved obscurity a key figure in
Colonial America, the American Revolution, and 18th and Century Native American history. An extraordinary work of
original scholarship, "No Man Knows This Country Better": The Frontier Life of John Gibson" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community, college, and university library American Political &
Military Biography collections, as well as American Revolution and Native American History supplemental curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Gary S. Williams is a retired librarian who has written many articles on Ohio nature and history, as well as
four books on Ohio history and a guide to hiking Ohio. He has a B.A. in History from Marietta College and a Masters in
Library Science from Kent State University.
Edward I's Regent
Michael Ray
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399093545, $49.95, HC, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Edward-Regent-Cornwall-Englands-Greatest/dp/1399093541
Synopsis: Born at Christmas 1249 to Richard, Edmund of Cornwall was nephew to Henry III and cousin to Edward I. His
eventful childhood took him to Germany when his father was elected king there. He was captured at the battle of Lewes and
imprisoned for more than a year. Returning from crusade, he witnessed the brutal murder of his half-brother, which left him
as heir to his father, the richest man in the kingdom.
Throughout his life, Edmund played a crucial role in medieval England. As Regent of England, Earl of Cornwall and the
richest man in the land, he was a leading force of the late-thirteenth century.
With the publication of "Edward I's Regent: Edmund of Cornwall, The Man Behind England's Greatest King", historian and
biographer Michael Ray considers Edmund's life, his use of his wealth to lend to the king and others and to be a major
benefactor of religious houses. His piety saw him found two new religious houses, rebuild another and bring the Holy Blood
relic from Germany to Hailes abbey. His record as Regent of England for three years is assessed. The wide spread of his
lands, which included 13 castles and more than 800 places in 27 counties, and his tenants are set out as is his place in the
local community.
The basis of his wealth and its sources, including money from his lands but also from tin mining and marine dues in
Cornwall, is also explored and his knightly affinity and his close associates and officials are considered. On a personal level,
"Edward I's Regent: Edmund of Cornwall, The Man Behind England's Greatest King" examines his unsuccessful, childless
marriage with the sister of the Earl of Gloucester.
Edmund was a key figure throughout Edward I's rein and the late-thirteenth century. "Edward I's Regent: Edmund of
Cornwall, The Man Behind England's Greatest King" is an insightful and detailed account of the man behind England's
'greatest king'.
Critique: Meticulous researched, impressively informative, exceptional in organization and presentation, "Edward I's
Regent: Edmund of Cornwall, The Man Behind England's Greatest King" by Michael Lum rescues from an undeserved
obscurity a critically important figure in 13th Century European history, "Edward I's Regent: Edmund of Cornwall, The Man
Behind England's Greatest King" by Michael Lum is a critically important and commended addition to personal reading
lists, community library collections, and academic supplemental Medieval British & European History studies lists.
Editorial Note: After school in Shropshire, Michael Ray read geography and town planning at King's and University
Colleges, London. Retiring early from a planning career, he returned to KCL and obtained a PhD after a study of aliens in
thirteenth-century England. He has since been published in books, journals and on websites including Academia.
Antarctic Pioneer
Joanna Kafarowski
https://joannakafarowski.com
The Dundurn Group
www.dundurn.com
9781459749535, $21.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Antarctic-Pioneer-Trailblazing-Jackie-Ronne/dp/1459749537
Synopsis: Jackie Ronne (October 13, 1919 - June 14, 2009) was an ordinary American woman whose life changed after a
blind date with rugged Antarctic explorer Finn Ronne. After marrying, they began planning the 1946-1948 Ronne Antarctic
Research Expedition. Her participation was not welcomed by the expedition team of red-blooded males eager to prove
themselves in the frozen, hostile environment of Antarctica.
On March 12, 1947, Jackie Ronne became the first American woman in Antarctica and, months later, one of the first women
to overwinter there.
The Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition secured its place in Antarctic history, but its scientific contributions have been
overshadowed by conflicts and the dangerous accidents that occurred. Jackie dedicated her life to Antarctica: she promoted
the achievements of the expedition and was a pioneer in polar tourism and an early supporter of the Antarctic Treaty. In
doing so, she helped shape the narrative of twentieth-century Antarctic exploration.
Critique: Rescuing from an undeserved obscurity, "Antarctic Pioneer: The Trailblazing Life of Jackie Ronne" is the
extraordinary biography of a woman who succeeded in an activity that was historical considered to be the exclusive domain
of men. Informative enhanced with the inclusion of black-and-white photography, an informative Prologue & Epilogue, a
'Women in Antarctica Map, two Appendices, eighteen pages of Notes, a twenty-eight page Bibliography, and a six page
Index, "Antarctic Pioneer: The Trailblazing Life of Jackie Ronne" by biographer Joanna Kafarwski is a compelling and
unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Women's Biography collections in
general, and Antarctica History in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Antarctic Pioneer: The Trailblazing Life of Jackie Ronne" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Joanna Kafarowski is passionate about researching
and writing about the lives of women in polar history. She is also the author of "The Polar Adventures of a Rich American
Dame: A Life of Louise Arner Boyd", which is the first comprehensive biography of a female Arctic explorer. She has an
informative website at https://joannakafarowski.com
Home, My Story of House and Personal Restoration
M. G. Barlow
https://www.mgbarlow.com
Black Rose Writing
PO Box 1540, Castroville, TX 78009
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781684337767, $18.95, PB, 189pp
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Story-House-Personal-Restoration/dp/1684337763
Synopsis: In childhood, M.G. adores her old family house as if it were a guardian with heart and soul. After her mother dies,
her father soon remarries and sends her brothers and her, one at a time, off to live with older siblings. M.G. buries her
affection for that home, along with the family divisions and pain of her mother's departure. She becomes that kid -- the one
who falls through the cracks, and stumbles into adulthood wrecked, scarred, and undisciplined.
All the while, another vintage house, busy protecting an immigrant family in an historic mill community awaits. Years later
as an adult, M.G. falls in love with the place, despite its cracked cement, broken stoop, and the chipmunks whizzing in and
out from under a door. As M.G. researches her home and repairs its broken parts, she discovers the gradual personal
restoration that ensues as a result.
With the publication of "Home, My Story of House and Personal Restoration: A Memoir", M. G. Barlow deftly braids the
history of a New England house and town with teachings of motherhood, loss, and tradition -- plus a little romance and
humor along the way.
Critique: An absorbing, thought-provoking, entertaining, and memorable account, "Home, My Story of House and Personal
Restoration: A Memoir" is an impressively written and fully engaging read that will have a special appeal to anyone
struggling with grief, bereavement, suicide, and family disappointments and disillusions. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Contemporary American Biography & Memoir collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Home, My Story of House and Personal Restoration: A Memoir" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: M.G. Barlow graduated magna cum laude from Clark University and was a journalist in central
Massachusetts. She has also written extensively about diseases, life sciences products, and on the business of healthcare for
commercial organizations. She maintains a website at https://www.mgbarlow.com
Uncredited: The Life and Career of Virginia Gregg
Lona Bailey
BearManor Media
PO Box 71426, Albany, GA 31708
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629339276, $45.00, HC, 544pp
https://www.amazon.com/Uncredited-hardback-Career-Virginia-Gregg/dp/162933927X
Synopsis: Virginia Gregg (March 6, 1916 - September 15, 1986) had one of the most recognizable faces and voices in
American media for over 40 years. In radio, television, and film, Virginia went largely uncredited for many of her legendary
performances including "Norma Bates" from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic Psycho.
In radio she was a favorite on classics like Dragnet, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, and Richard Diamond, Private
Detective.
On television she was a regular guest on shows such as Dragnet, Gunsmoke, and The Twilight Zone.
In film she gave her most memorable performances in productions including Psycho, Operation Petticoat, and Spencer's
Mountain. Read the incredible story behind the familiar face and voice that until now has never been told.
"Uncredited" by biographer Lona Bailey is Virginia's life story of great tragedy, resilience, and perseverance far more
compelling than that of any character she ever portrayed. Readers will discover the great lady behind the hundreds of
unforgettable characters she gave our world.
Critique: An impressively detailed, exceptionally informative, well written and inherently fascinating biography that will lift
Virginia Gregg from an undeserved obscurity, "Uncredited" will have a special and particular appeal to radio, television and
film historians and non-specialist general readers with an interest in actor/entertainer biographies. While highly
recommended as a well deserved addition to community, college, and university library Theatre/Cinema/Television History
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Uncredited" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781629339269, $35.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Our Laundry, Our Town
Alvin Eng
Empire State Editions
Fordham University Press
45 Columbus Avenue, Rm 312, New York, NY 10023
www.fordhampress.com
9781531500368, $27.95, 212pp
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Laundry-Town-American-Flushing/dp/1531500366
Synopsis: "Our Laundry, Our Town: My Chinese American Life from Flushing to the Downtown Stage and Beyond" is a
memoir that decodes and processes the fractured urban oracle bones of Alvin Eng's upbringing in Flushing, Queens in the
1970s.
Back then, his family was one of the few immigrant Chinese families in a far-flung neighborhood in New York City. His
parents had an arranged marriage and ran a Chinese Hand Laundry. From behind the counter of his parent's laundry and
within the confines of a household that was rooted in a different century and culture, he sought to reconcile this insular
home life with the turbulent yet inspiring street life that was all around them -- from the faux martial arts of tv's Kung Fu to
the burgeoning underworld of the punk rock scene.
In the 1970s, NYC, like most of the world, was in the throes of regenerating itself in the wake of major social and cultural
changes resulting from the Counterculture and Civil Rights movements. And by the 1980s, Flushing had become NYC's
second Chinatown. But Eng remained one of the neighborhood's few Chinese citizens who could not speak fluent
Chinese.
Finding his way in the downtown theater and performance world of Manhattan, he discovered the under-chronicled Chinese
influence on Thornton Wilder's foundational Americana drama, Our Town. This discovery became the unlikely catalyst for
a psyche-healing pilgrimage to Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China (his ancestral home in southern China) that led to writing
and performing his successful autobiographical monologue, The Last Emperor of Flushing. Learning to tell his own story on
stages around the world was what proudly made him whole.
As cities, classrooms, cultures, and communities the world over continue to re-examine the parameters of diversity, equity,
and inclusion, "Our Laundry, Our Town" will reverberate with a broad readership.
Critique: Providing an inherently interesting and informative perspective, "Our Laundry, Our Town: My Chinese American
Life from Flushing to the Downtown Stage and Beyond" is a deftly crafted memoir that will prove to be an welcome
addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary American Biography & Memoir collections and Asian
American supplemental curriculum studies lists. Of special appeal to readers with an interest in playwriting, script writing,
and the 20th Century Chinese emigrant assimilation experience, it should be noted that "Our Laundry, Our Town" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.49).
Editorial Note: Alvin Eng is a native New York City playwright, performer, acoustic punk raconteur, and educator. His
plays and performances have been seen Off-Broadway, throughout the United States, as well as in Paris, Hong Kong, and
Guangzhou, China. Eng is the interviewer/ editor of the oral history / play anthology Tokens? The NYC Asian American
Experience on Stage (Temple University Press / Asian American Writers' Workshop). His plays, lyrics, and memoir
excerpts have also been published in numerous anthologies. Eng's spoken-word videos, songs, storytelling, and commentary
have been broadcast and streamed on National Public Radio among others. He is a a two-time appointee to the Fulbright
Specialists roster of Theatre / U.S. Studies scholars and a three-time recipient of NYSCA/ NYFA Fellowships. He has an
informative website is www.alvineng.com
Unsettled: A Reckoning on the Great Plains
Dawn Morgan
University of Regina Press
www.uofrpress.ca
9780889778603, $89.00, HC, 392pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unsettled-Reckoning-Plains-Dawn-Morgan/dp/0889778604
Synopsis: A surprise rodeo leaves a buffalo bull dead and a cowboy gored to death. Seeing the death of the one man who
was kind to him, and knowing it was his fault, Dawn Morgan's father goes on a bender and ends up dead. His sudden death
and the mystery around it, combined with the blundering way Morgan learns of it, forces her to reflect not only on the events
of the bloodied corral, but also the buffalo herds decimated and Indigenous Peoples displaced to make way for settlement in
what was becoming ranching country in the prairies.
Unsettled is a deeply moving work of literary non-fiction, a probing memoir examining family tragedy in relation to stories
(both fact and fiction) of settlers and Indigenous Peoples on the Great Plains. With the publication of "Unsettled: A
Reckoning on the Great Plains", Morgan shares the internal struggle between resistance and allegiance to the
settler-descendent stories she grew up with while paying respects to her father and documents the censorship she faces from
her mother, loyal still to the pioneer myth of the early twentieth century.
It is only when both parents are gone that Morgan is liberated to write a story of reckoning on the northern Great Plains.
Critique: An extraordinary and compelling memoir, "Unsettled: A Reckoning on the Great Plains" by Dawn Morgan
(Associate Professor of English at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada) will have a very special
appeal and relevance to readers with an interest in European settlement of the Great Plains, resulting in the forcible removal
of Indigenous tribes from the contested area. An impressive combination of biography and history, "Unsettled: A Reckoning
on the Great Plains" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library
Canadian Biography & Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Unsettled: A Reckoning on
the Great Plains" is also available in a paperback edition (9780889778573, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.97).
Strong Ties
Katharine Ogden Michaels with Judith K. Adamson
Rare Bird Books
https://rarebirdlit.com
9781644282175, $25.00
https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Ties-Business-Philanthropy-Leadership/dp/1644282178
Strong Ties: Barclay Simpson and the Pursuit of the Common Good in Business and Philanthropy belongs in memoir,
business, and social issues libraries alike. It presents a powerful survey of California leader Barclay Simpson, whose ideals
and drive embraced and changed the lives of many in the San Francisco Bay Area. Main author Katharine Ogden Michaels,
a family friend and insider, captures the complexities and contradictions of Simpson with great subtlety and aplomb. Judith
K. Adamson also contributed to this compelling biography.
Simpson was an unlikely candidate for such wide-ranging changes, and is proof that individuals can come from ordinary
circumstances to become extraordinary influencers. His drive to save the family business, teetering on bankruptcy, would
have been deserving of a story alone, but Simpson didn't stop with the family's wellbeing. He went on to pursue a vision of
cooperative and mutual business activities which empowered his employees, then translated this microcosm of business
success to the broader world, offering lessons and insights that changed the perspectives and nature of many other
businesses in the Bay Area.
Many books provide discussions of how to give back to or involve communities in business pursuits. Few adopt the
practical, real-world applications that Barclay Simpson fostered in his life and world, making Strong Ties an exceptionally
powerful portrait of success. From concepts of transformational philanthropy to the projects Simpson successfully grew,
readers gain insights not just into his life and philosophy, but on how these ideals translated to the real world. Simpson tried
many things, and never quit. The book points out that "It is not just Barc and Sharon's generosity, but their motives for and
methods of giving, that moves..."
Readers interested in business links to community growth and the process of developing transformational philanthropic
pursuits will find no better starting place than Strong Ties, which should be in every library strong in business or
philanthropical topics, and an intrinsic part of business and book discussion groups about how to improve the world.
The Native American Studies Shelf
American Indians at the Margins
H. Roy Kaplan
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476684901, $49.95, PB, 358pp
https://www.amazon.com/American-Indians-Margins-Stereotypes-Impacts/dp/1476684901
Synopsis: Since the earliest days of America as a nation, racist imagery has been used to create harmful stereotypes of the
indigenous people.
With the publication of "American Indians at the Margins: Racist Stereotypes and Their Impacts on Native Peoples" by H.
Roy Kaplan, the conflict between invading European white settlers and the indigenous groups who occupied the land that
became the United States is described through the context of race and racism.
Using depictions from art, literature, radio, cinema and television, the origin and persistence of such stereotypes are
explained, and their debilitating effects on the well-being of Indians are presented. The text also explores their
accomplishments in attempts to maintain their sovereignty, dignity and respect.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an informative Introduction (The Forgotten Minority:
How Stereotypes Marginalized the Indians), a three page Epilogue, a twelve page Appendix (List of Federal and State
Recognized Tribes), forty-two pages of Notes, a sixteen page Bibliography, and a seven page Index, "American Indians at
the Margins: Racist Stereotypes and Their Impacts on Native Peoples" is a critically important contribution to college and
university library Native American Demographic Studies collections and supplemental Native American History curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Native American Rights political
activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "American
Indians at the Margins: Racist Stereotypes and Their Impacts on Native Peoples" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: H. Roy Kaplan, a former executive director of the Tampa Bay region of the National Conference of
Christians and Jews, teaches courses on race and ethnic relations for the University of South Florida, Tampa. The author of
six other books, he was named a Hero of Education by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Earth Is All That Lasts
Mark Lee Gardner
Mariner Books
www.marinerbooks.com
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780062669896, $28.99, HC, 560pp
https://www.amazon.com/Earth-All-That-Lasts-Sitting/dp/0062669893
Synopsis: Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull have become iconic Native Americans whose significance in 19th Century
American western history undeniable. Together, these two Lakota chiefs, one a fabled warrior and the other a revered holy
man, crushed George Armstrong Custer's vaunted Seventh Cavalry. Yet their legendary victory at the Little Big Horn has
overshadowed the rest of their rich and complex lives. Now, based on years of research and drawing on a wealth of
previously ignored primary sources, Western author and historian Mark Lee Gardner delivers the definitive chronicle,
thrillingly told, of these extraordinary Indigenous leaders in "The Earth Is All That Lasts: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the
Last Stand of the Great Sioux Nation".
Both Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull were born and grew to manhood on the High Plains of the American West, in an era
when vast herds of buffalo covered the earth, and when their nomadic people could move freely, following the buffalo and
lording their fighting prowess over rival Indian nations. But as idyllic as this life seemed to be, neither man had known a
time without whites. Fur traders and government explorers were the first to penetrate Sioux lands, but they were soon
followed by a flood of white intruders: Oregon-California Trail travelers, gold seekers, railroad men, settlers, town builders
- and Bluecoats. The buffalo population plummeted, disease spread by the white man decimated villages, and conflicts with
the interlopers increased.
On June 25, 1876, in the valley of the Little Big Horn, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, and the warriors who were inspired to
follow them, fought the last stand of the Sioux, a fierce and proud nation that had ruled the Great Plains for decades. It was
their greatest victory, but it was also the beginning of the end for their treasured and sacred way of life. And in the years to
come, both Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, defiant to the end, would meet violent (and eerily similar) fates.
An essential new addition to the canon of Indigenous American history and literature of the West, "The Earth Is All That
Lasts: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the Last Stand of the Great Sioux Nation" is a grand saga, both triumphant and tragic,
of two fascinating and heroic leaders struggling to maintain the freedom of their people against impossible odds.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a two page Map, a four page listing of Native American
Informants, ninety-six pages of Notes, a twenty-eight page listing bibliography of Resources, and a fourteen page Index,
"The Earth Is All That Lasts: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the Last Stand of the Great Sioux Nation" is an extraordinary
work of exhaustive research and meticulous scholarship. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Earth Is
All That Lasts: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the Last Stand of the Great Sioux Nation" is a welcome and recommended
addition to community, college, and university library Native American History & Biography collections. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"The Earth Is All That Lasts: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the Last Stand of the Great Sioux Nation" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200972654,
$41.99), and in a large print paperback edition (HarperLux, 9780063242098, $30.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Lee Gardner is also the author of "Rough Riders, To Hell on a Fast Horse" and "Shot All to Hell: Jesse
James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape", which received multiple awards, including a Spur Award
from Western Writers of America. An authority on the American West, Gardner has appeared on PBS's American
Experience, as well as on the History Channel, AMC, the Travel Channel, and on NPR. He has written for National
Geographic History, American Heritage, the Los Angeles Times, True West, and American Cowboy.
The Library Science Shelf
Library Lin's Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction
Linda Maxie
Spoon Creek Press
https://spooncreekpress.com
9798985923407, $29.95, PB, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Library-Curated-Collection-Superlative-Nonfiction/dp/B09ZLD21H5
Synopsis: "Library Lin's Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction" is a librarian's A-list of nonfiction books organized
by subject area -- just like a library.
Linda Maxie (aka Library Lin) combed through 65 best books lists going back a century. She reviewed tens of thousands of
books, sorted them according to the Dewey Decimal Classification system, and selected an entire library's worth for you to
browse without leaving home.
"Library Lin's Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction" is comprized of summaries of outstanding titles in every
subject and suggestions for locating reading material specific to your needs and interests.
"Library Lin's Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction" offers a broad survey of all the nonfiction categories, with titles
on everything from the A-bomb to Zen Buddhism. Readers browsing through its pages may well find themselves immersed
in whole subject areas that they might never have thought they would be interested in.
Critique: Unique and inherently fascinating, impressively comprehensive and exceptionally well organized and presented,
"Library Lin's Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction" will be of immense interest to dedicated bibliophiles,
inquisitive booksellers, library science professionals, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in cataloging,
bibliographies, and indexes. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
academic library collections, it should be noted that "Library Lin's Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Linda Maxie is a retired librarian with a passion for matching the right book with the right reader. After
earning an MLS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she spent her career working in public, elementary,
and high school libraries, where she obsessively pored over book reviews, intent on building the perfect collection.
Embracing Change
Silke Higgins, editor
Ngoc-Yen Tran, editor
Association of College & Research Libraries
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838937662, $86.00, PB, 330pp
https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Change-Alternatives-Traditional-Assignments/dp/0838937667
Synopsis: The pedagogical value and real-life applicability of traditional research writing assignments has been investigated
since at least the 1990s, and the increase in adoption of alternative assignments could be an indication that students are
questioning their long-term benefits. Traditional research writing assignments do not always align with the goals and
outcomes that students set for their education.
Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Silke Higgins and Ngoc-Yen Tran, "Embracing Change: Alternatives to
Traditional Research Writing Assignments" is a compendium of existing alternative assignments from librarians and
classroom instructors and examines their benefits and drawbacks, impact on various student populations, and the support
needed to make them successful.
In two parts (Analog-Driven Assignments and Technology-Driven Assignments) contributing authors offer a wealth of
insight into the theory and practice of utilizing alternative assignments. Case studies detail the development of assignments,
their implementation, lessons learned, and assessment, and provide examples and reference materials for incorporating or
refining your own alternative assignments.
The projects covered include: How students engage with writing gray literature; Producing a local voting guide; Creating
museum-level exhibit labels; Composing and printing original poems using a letterpress; Developing finding aids; Writing a
children's book; Creating infographics and lightning talk videos; Learning digital literacy using podcasts; A variety of digital
humanities projects.
"Embracing Change" is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, highlights the value of alternative
assignments, and provides librarians and educators with practical guidance for creating, implementing, and supporting
alternatives to research writing assignments.
Critique: Comprehensive, informative, exceptional in both organization and presentation, "Embracing Change:: Alternatives
to Traditional Research Writing Assignments" is of particular interest and relevance to Library & Information Science
students and Library Staff In-Service Training programs, as well as a critically important and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, and academic Library Science instructional reference collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Silke Higgins is an associate librarian for research and instruction at San Jose State University. She holds
an MLIS from San Jose State University. Her primary field of library and information science research revolves around the
role libraries play in furthering the academic success of nontraditional and international students, with focus on English as a
foreign language (EFL). Her writing on library and non-library related research has been published nationally and
internationally; she is also the coeditor of Supporting Today's Students in the Library: Strategies for Retaining and
Graduating International, Transfer, First-Generation, and Re-entry Students (ACRL Publishing, 2019).
Editorial Note #2: Ngoc-Yen Tranis the coordinator for teaching and learning at Seattle University. She holds an MLIS from
the University of Washington. The focus of her research is on high-impact educational practices, especially the high-impact
practice of undergraduate research experiences. Her library and information science research revolves around scholarly
communications topics and information literacy instruction. She has published her research and writing in multiple journals,
including College and Research Libraries, The Reference Librarian, and Internet Reference Services Quarterly. She is also
the co-editor of the book "Supporting Today's Students in the Library: Strategies for Retaining and Graduating International,
Transfer, First-Generation, and Re-entry Students" (ACRL Publishing, 2019).
The Art Shelf
Propagazioni: Giuseppe Penone at Sevres
Giulio Dalvit, author
Xavier F. Salomon, author
Giles
https://gilesltd.com
9781913875251, $17.95, HC, 72pp
https://www.amazon.com/Propagazioni-Giuseppe-Penone-at-S%C3%A8vres/dp/1913875253
Synopsis: A major figure in the Arte Povera movement of the late 1960s, the renowned Italian artist Giuseppe Penone (b.
April, 3, 1947) is known for his exploration of the relationship between art and the natural world in a body of work that
includes sculpture, performance, works on paper, and even garden design. His first works in porcelain, the exquisite disks
presented here, draw attention to the moment of touch (the convergence of surface and skin) that underpins so much of his
work.
Published to accompany a special exhibition of works by Penone organised by New York's Frick Collection, "Propagazioni:
Giuseppe Penone at Sevres" is a new volume that comprises eleven porcelain disks that the artist made during his 2013
collaboration with the Manufacture Nationale de Sevres, the influential porcelain factory founded in the 18th century. A
continuation of his Propagazioni (Propagations) series, begun in 1995, which includes various media, each disk bears the
imprint of one of the artist's fingertips. One of them is in gold, its imprint a variation on the artist's index finger. Never
before presented to the public, the disks are installed in a gallery adjacent to a porcelain at the Frick's temporary home on
Madison Avenue, kindling a rich artistic dialogue which is further explored in this remarkable volume.
Critique: With the publication of "Propagazioni: Giuseppe Penone at Sevres by Xavier F. Salomon (deputy director and
Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, The Frick Collection, New York) and Giulio Dalvit (assistant curator of Sculpture, The Frick
Collection, focusing on the museum's sculpture and medals collections), have created an inherently fascinating and expertly
illustrated volume that is further enhanced with the inclusion of a two page Bibliograpy. This unique study will prove to be
a valued and very special addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Art History collections. .
The Art of Drawing Manga
Talia Horsburgh
Walter Foster
c/o The Quarto Group
https://quarto.com
9780760375440 $22.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Drawing-Manga-manga-step-Collectors/dp/0760375445
Synopsis: Explore 35 step-by-step how-tos and more than 100 additional tips and tricks for creating a variety of manga
characters, animals, and scenes in The Art of Drawing Manga.
With 144 pages of in-depth instruction and hundreds of reference images, The Art of Drawing Manga is suitable for all
manga artists and enthusiasts, regardless of skill level or age. From learning the basics of drawing archetypal characters with
intriguing personalities to creating action-packed poses and even drawing entire manga scenes from scratch, this is the
ultimate guide to creating all things manga. This book shows how to draw people and animals, develop intriguing
characters, create eye-catching poses and scenes, and write stories and dialog for a manga book.
All instruction is easy to follow, so you can quickly learn to draw different faces and expressions, hairstyles, clothing and
accessories, animals (both real and fictional), heroes, villains, sidekicks, and so much more.
Step-by-step instructions make the drawing process approachable for beginning and aspiring artists.
Projects range from simple and easy chibis to more detailed scenes with multiple characters in action poses.
Also included are tips for developing your own style, while looking to common styles for inspiration.
Templates at the end of the book allow for easy practice of character faces and poses.
With everything you need to start in the world of manga, The Art of Drawing Manga is your ultimate guide to creating your
own characters and developing your own original manga books and stories.
Critique: The Art of Drawing Manga is a full-color, step-by-step guide to drawing characters, animals, poses, and scenes in
the style of manga (Japanese comics). Chapters demonstrate the basics of creating black-and-white art, shading, and
colorization, as well as drawing characters, facial expressions, dynamic poses, and putting everything together to tell a story
in one's own unique style. Thoroughly accessible and user-friendly, The Art of Drawing Manga is an excellent starting point
for anyone with a creative interest in graphic novel storytelling, highly recommended! It should be noted for personal
reading lists that The Art of Drawing Manga is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).
The Nature of Creativity
Jane E. Hall
Merrell Publishers
www.merrellpublishers.com
9781858947013, $35.00, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Creativity-Mindful-Approach-Making/dp/1858947014
Synopsis: As we become increasingly aware of the power of nature to lift our spirits, so, too, are we becoming more
conscious of the role that mindfulness can play in sparking our creativity.
With the publication of "The Nature of Creativity: A Mindful Approach to Making Art & Craft" renowned textile artist and
embroiderer Jane E. Hall brings this perception together. As a successful professional artist, Jane still finds great happiness
and inspiration in connecting with nature, and here encourages the reader to attune to the beauty of the natural world as a
way of stimulating their creativity.
Jane begins by explaining how spending time in nature helps us to engage the senses and rediscover playfulness, and
outlines her belief that one should embrace the process of making art rather than focusing on its final form. She shares the
special spaces, both indoors and out, that allow her imagination to have free rein, and then presents 10 creative ideas
inspired by nature.
These 'Creative Contemplations' first explore building your own treasure collection of materials to use in artistic projects,
and then move on to the creation of a range of beautiful designs: stunning mandalas of petals, leaves, and shells; delicate
dreamcatchers; a dainty purse of honesty seed pods; handmade birds' nests; exquisite embroidered butterflies; 'woodland
fairies' composed of lichen-covered twigs and feathers; and much more. Some 'Contemplations' include step-by-step
instructions, while others feature the stories behind their making in order to inspire you to push beyond your perceived
creative limits.
Jane's writing style is uplifting and engaging, and the text throughout is accompanied by specially commissioned
photography. No matter how skilled or unskilled you believe yourself to be, "The Nature of Creativity" will nurture artistic
thoughts and help to find inner happiness through the natural landscape, unlock artistic potential and breathe creativity back
into daily life!
Critique: Impressively illustrated throughout with full color photography, "The Nature of Creativity: A Mindful Approach to
Making Art & Craft" is an inherently fascinating and inspiring read that will have a very special appeal to nature and mixed-
media crafts. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Nature of Creativity: A Mindful Approach to
Making Art & Craft" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Contemporary Arts & Crafts collections.
Editorial Note: Jane E. Hall is an acclaimed fine and textile artist and embroiderer whose work has featured in numerous
exhibitions and magazines. She is based in Dorset. Her previous publications are The Art and Embroidery of Jane Hall:
Reflections of Nature (2006) and The Art of Embroidered Butterflies (2012).
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
The Sound Effects Bible
Ric Viers
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932047, $34.95, Library Binding, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Effects-Bible-Create-Hollywood/dp/1615932046
Synopsis: A complete and comprehensive instruction guide and 'how to' manual for recording and editing sound effects,
"The Sound Effects Bible" by veteran sound engineer Ric Viers covers an impressive range of thematically appropriate
topics and issues including microphone selection, field recorders, the ABCs of digital audio, understanding Digital Audio
Workstations, building your own Foley stage, designing your own editing studio, and so much more.
Critique: Expertly written, impressively organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "The Sound Effects Bible"
is essential reading, not only for cinematic film and video sound technicians, but the directors, actors, producers, editors,
camera operators, and other crew members working with sound engineers whether in a studio setting or at an on-site
location. While a fundamental and essential addition to personal, professional, film school, and academic library Video
Direction & Production, Movie Direction & Production, and Performing Arts collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists, it should be noted that "The Sound Effects Bible" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781932907483, $28.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.439).
Editorial Note: Ric Viers knows sound effects. His work appears on more sound effects products than anyone else on Earth!
In 2015 he celebrated the release of his 666th sound effects library "Haunted FX" with 666 sound effects to wake the dead.
He's started his own sound effects studio, written a book about the subject, and founded Blastwave FX - the world's first all
HD sound effects publishing company. His location sound credits include hundreds of productions for nearly every major
television network, Universal Studios, Dateline, Good Morning America, Disney, and many others.
There Are No Small Parts
John DiLeo
Glitterati Incorporated
www.glitteratiincorporated.com
9781943876907, $35.00
https://www.amazon.com/There-Are-Small-Parts-Performances/dp/1943876908
Libraries strong in media studies and film criticism need to be sure There Are No Small Parts: 100 Outstanding Film
Performances with Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less plays a major role in such collections. It represents film historian
John DiLeo's seventh book on cinema, narrowing its focus to screen artists who have made strong impacts with scenes that
were ten minutes or less in duration. There are numerous film criticism books on the market, but this emphasis on how to
capture succinct moments that make a lasting impact on viewers is outstanding in its focus, representation, analysis, and
contentions.
Film students receive a chronological survey that begins in 1935 with selected features that progress to modern times. Each
film includes screen time, a profile of the actor who made the moment sparkle, and an analytical eye to revealing
behind-the-scenes biographical details that contribute an understanding of the actor's background up to their memorable
movie moment. This history proves essential in setting the stage not only for better understanding that stellar moment, but
its importance in the actor's evolution and the industry's milieu. The entire survey takes the form of a blend of biographical
and critical inspection that places each actor's roles and key moments in the broader perspective of their other achievements.
These aren't succinct and short inspections, but examine the extent of influences that led to the actor's memorable moment,
even if the other contributions were less than stellar or unextraordinary (some roles were unforgettable and some were
not).
The result turns out to be more than biographical applause, but is a critical consideration of what makes and breaks an actor,
their role, or a movie's plot. Film students, in particular, will find these engaging and engrossing discussions offer many
insights about the film industry (and their actors) and how it evolved and grew.
The Photography Shelf
The Complete Beginner's Photography Course
Ben Hawkins
Ilex Press
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781781578551, $29.99, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Beginners-Photography-Course-Modular/dp/1781578559
Synopsis: While digital cameras have made photography more accessible than ever, taking full creative control of your
equipment should be every photographer's aim.
With the publication of "The Complete Beginner's Photography Course: A Modular System for Success", photography
writer and expert Ben Hawkins uses his extensive experience to deliver a unique modular system of learning. Covering all
of the key genres, a range of diverse projects will teach every essential skill, technique and technical competency, while also
offering inspiration and delivering a beautiful image for your first portfolio.
"The Complete Beginner's Photography Course" covers: Mastering every skill, technique and camera setting essential for
great photography; Learning at your own pace through a difficulty-rated modular system that increases in challenge as your
competency grows; Getting to grips with every genre of photography from landscapes to portraits and nature to
reportage.
Critique: Profusely and effectively illustrated with full color photographs throughout, "The Complete Beginner's
Photography Course: A Modular System for Success" is an ideal introductory instruction guide and how-to manual on the
art and science of modern photography that will enable even the most novice of photographers to produce truly memorable
photographs. Comprehensive and extraordinary in organization and presentation, "The Complete Beginner's Photography
Course: A Modular System for Success" is highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and
university library Contemporary Photography collections. It should be noted that "The Complete Beginners' Photography
Course" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Ben Hawkins is an award-winning writer and journalist specializing in photography and creative media. He
was the group editor of Practical Photography magazine, 2013-20, and regularly contributes to magazines including
Amateur Photographer and Outdoor Photography. He has interviewed some of the world's most revered film photographers,
including Albert Watson, David Bailey and Bob Carlos Clarke.
The Economic Studies Shelf
Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
Paul D. Reynolds
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781802206739, $135.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurship-Economic-Development-Business-Creation/dp/1802206736
Synopsis: With the publication of "Entrepreneurship and Economic Development: The Global Scope of Business Creation"
by Paul D. Reynolds (Honorary Professor of Entrepreneurship, Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK and Founding
Coordinating Principal Investigator, Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Program) addresses the importance of business
creation, which is endemic in subsistence indigenous cultures, widespread in developing economies, and a critical feature of
adaptation in the most advanced economies. Professor Reynolds offers systematic comparisons of six stages of economic
development which provide information about the adjustments in the economic and social context affecting participation in
business creation, the sectors where activities occur, and the nature of the contributions to economic growth and
adaptation.
Implications for public policy varies for countries at different stages of development. "Entrepreneurship and Economic
Development" includes an introduction to harmonized data developed over the past two decades while avoiding technical
complexity. Descriptions are based on representative samples of business creation with an emphasis on grassroots business
creation in countries during all stages of economic development.
Entrepreneurship, economic development and public policy scholars and faculty as well as policy analysts focusing on
economic development will benefit from the breadth of knowledge included in the exploration of business creation that
comprises "Entrepreneurship and Economic Development".
Critique: Informationally enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of two Appendices (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor
Program and Economic Development: Cross-Stage Descriptions), a five page listing of References, and a five page Index,
"Entrepreneurship and Economic Development: The Global Scope of Business Creation" is a timely and important addition
to personal, professional, corporate, college, and university library Business Development and Entrepreneurial collections
and supplemental curriculum Contemporary Economics studies lists.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Zambia and Malawi
Darren Pietersen, author
Luke Verburgt, author
John Davies, author
Penguin Random House South Africa
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781775847373, $32.00, PB, 544pp
https://www.amazon.com/Snakes-Reptiles-Zambia-Malawi-Struik/dp/1775847373
Synopsis: Zambia and Malawi are home to 240 known snake, lizard, terrapin, tortoise and crocodile species; of these 13
snakes and lizards are endemic to the region. "Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Zambia and Malawi" is the first
book of its kind for the region, and describes every species of reptile known to occur in the two countries -- including
several new discoveries.
Deftly organized into four sections reflecting the four orders: snakes, lizards, tortoises/terrapins and crocodiles, "Field Guide
to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Zambia and Malawi" provides a comprehensive description of each order, suborder and
family, followed by genera and species accounts.
Each species account covers diagnostic features, subspecies/taxonomic notes (where applicable), habitat, behavior, prey and
predators, reproduction and range, and whether the species is venomous and poses a danger to humans.
The accounts are supported by stunning color photographs and up-to-date distribution maps that draw on over 16,000
recorded observations. Diagrammatic illustrations demonstrate morphological details useful for accurate identification. To
aid identification, dichotomous identification keys (based predominantly on morphological differences) guide users to the
correct genus and species.
"Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Zambia and Malawi" features an informative introduction, plus descriptions
and maps of the region's biogeography and diverse habitat types, as well as a discussion on different venom types and the
basic principles of snakebite treatment.
"Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Zambia and Malawi" is a unique guide and an important contribution to the
literature on reptiles in Africa, and will appeal to both the novice and experienced herpetologist, as well as visitors the
region and nature enthusiasts in general.
Critique: "Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Zambia and Malawi" is profusely and effectively illustrated with full
color photography throughout. Comprehensive, informative, impressively organized and presented, "Field Guide to Snakes
and Other Reptiles of Zambia and Malawi" is also available for personal, professional, community, college, and university
library African Wildlife collections in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
The Computer Shelf
Continuous Architecture in Practice
Murat Erder, author
Pierre Pureur, author
Eoin Woods, author
Pearson Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
www.pearsoned.com
9780136523567, $44.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Architecture-Practice-Addison-Wesley-Signature/dp/0136523560
Synopsis: With the publication of "Continuous Architecture in Practice: Software Architecture in the Age of Agility and
DevOps", authors and computer experts Murat Erder, Pierre Pureur, and Eoin Woods have taken their extensive software
architecture experience and applied it to the practical aspects of software architecture in real-world environments.
"Continuous Architecture in Practice" provides hands-on advice for leveraging the continuous architecture approach in
real-world environments and illuminates architecture's changing role in the age of Agile, DevOps, and cloud platforms. This
instructive guide will help technologists update their architecture practice for new software challenges.
As part of the Vaughn Vernon Signature Series, "Continuous Architecture in Practice: Software Architecture in the Age of
Agility and DevOps" was hand-selected for the practical, delivery-oriented knowledge that architects and software engineers
can quickly apply. It includes in-depth guidance for addressing today's key quality attributes and cross-cutting concerns such
as security, performance, scalability, resilience, data, and emerging technologies. Each key technique is demonstrated
through a start-to-finish case study reflecting the authors' deep experience with complex software environments.
The key topics covered include: Creating sustainable, coherent systems that meet functional requirements and the quality
attributes stakeholders care about; Understanding team-based software architecture and architecture as a "flow of decisions";
Understanding crucial issues of data management, integration, and change, and the impact of varied data technologies on
architecture; Architecting for security, including continuous threat modeling and mitigation; Architecting for scalability and
resilience, including scaling microservices and serverless environments; Using architecture to improve performance in
continuous delivery environments; Using architecture to apply emerging technologies successfully.
Critique: Comprehensive and exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Continuous Architecture in Practice:
Software Architecture in the Age of Agility and DevOps" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal,
professional, and academic library Software Design, Development & Engineering collections. It should be noted for
personal reading and reference that "Continuous Architecture in Practice: Software Architecture in the Age of Agility and
DevOps" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note. "Continuous Architecture in Practice: Software Architecture in the Age of Agility and DevOps" can be
register for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. the details for registration
are inside the book.
Murach's Java Programming, sixth edition
Joel Murach
Mike Murach & Associates
www.murach.com
9781943872879, $59.50, PB, 704pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murachs-Java-Programming-Joel-Murach/dp/1943872872
Synopsis: Whether Java is your first language or whether you've lost count, the newly updated and expanded sixth edition of
"Murach's Java Programming" is a comprehensive and essential DIY instructional reference. For those new to programming,
the self-paced approach taken in "Murach's Java Programming" allows the reader to absorb all that's required of a
programmer as they learn Java itself, with plenty of practice exercises along the way.
For the more experienced programmer, this same approach allows skimming through the familiar to focus on what's new,
helping to learn Java faster and better than ever before. At the end, both the aspiring and the experienced programmer will
have all the Java skills needed on the job, including those for object-oriented, database, and GUI programming.
Critique: Complete, comprehensive, exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, this new sixth edition of
"Murach's Java Programming" is particularly and especially recommended for personal, professional, community, and
academic library Java Programming Reference and Object-Oriented Software Design instructional reference
collections.
Editorial Note: Joel Murach has been writing and editing books about computer programming for over 20 years now.
During that time, he has written extensively on a wide range of Java, .NET, web, and database technologies.
The Archaeology Shelf
Athens, Etruria, and the Many Lives of Greek Figured Pottery
Sheramy D. Bundrick
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299321000, $119.95, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Etruria-Figured-Pottery-Wisconsin-Classics/dp/0299321002
Synopsis: A lucrative trade in Athenian pottery flourished from the early sixth until the late fifth century B.C.E., finding an
eager market in Etruria. Most studies of these painted vases focus on the artistry and worldview of the Greeks who made
them, but with the publication of "Athens, Etruria, and the Many Lives of Greek Figured Pottery", Professor Sheramy D.
Bundrick shifts attention to their Etruscan customers, ancient trade networks, and archaeological contexts.
Thousands of Greek painted vases have emerged from excavations of tombs, sanctuaries, and settlements throughout
Etruria, from southern coastal centers to northern communities in the Po Valley. Using documented archaeological
assemblages, especially from tombs in southern Etruria, Professor Bundrick challenges the widely held assumption that
Etruscans were hellenized through Greek imports.
Professor Bundrick marshals evidence to show that Etruscan consumers purposefully selected figured pottery that
harmonized with their own local needs and customs, so much so that the vases are better described as etruscanized.
Athenian ceramic workers, she contends, learned from traders which shapes and imagery sold best to the Etruscans and
employed a variety of strategies to maximize artistry, output, and profit.
Critique: Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photos, "Athens, Etruria, and the Many Lives of Greek Figured
Pottery: is a unique, informative, and inherently fascinating work of original and meticulous scholarship. Impressively well
written, organized and presented, this insightful study is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, and academic library Ceramic Art History collections in general, and Hellenic Archaeology supplemental
curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Athens, Etruria, and the Many Lives of Greek Figured Pottery" is also available in a paperback
edition (9780299321048, $32.50).
Editorial Note: Sheramy D. Bundrick is a professor of art history at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and the
author of "Music and Image in Classical Athens".
The Language Studies Shelf
Japanese for Busy People I: Kana Version, revised fourth edition
Association for Japanese-Language Teaching
Kodansha
www.kodansha.us
9781568366203 $29.95 pbk / $17.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Busy-People-Book-download/dp/1568366205
Synopsis: The 4th Revised Edition of Japanese for Busy People is the most popular Japanese language textbook series in the
world.
Since it was first published in 1984, the focus of the Japanese for Busy People series has always been to teach Japanese for
effective communication.
As suggested in the title, this is a concise course for busy students who want to learn natural, spoken Japanese as efficiently
as possible in a limited amount of time.
The new Japanese for Busy People: Revised 4th Edition is made up of three volumes: Book I, Book II, and Book III. Book I
is available in both romanized and kana versions, similar to the Revised 3rd Edition.
The Kana Version is exactly the same as the Romanized Version except for the scripts used throughout the book: hiragana
and katakana.
The Kana Version is therefore recommended for those who have already learned kana (as these scripts are collectively
called) or are learning them with Japanese for Busy People Kana Workbook or another such text. Studying Japanese in
kana, rather than in romanized script, can lead to fluent pronunciation and facilitate a smooth transition to the study of
kanji.
Critique: Now available in a revised fourth edition, and bundled with a free audio download, Japanese for Busy People I:
Kana Version is an excellent, consumable textbook suitable for classroom use or self-study. Japanese for Busy People I is
available in both romanized and kana versions; the kana version facilitates studying Japanese in its own written syllabary,
rather than transcribed into an English alphabet, and makes an excellent intermediate step in preparation for studying the
kanji writing system. (Kanji are not covered in Japanese for Busy People I: Kana version.) The chapters cover how to
understand and express basic things, such as greetings, asking the time, interactions while shopping, simple descriptions,
asking permission, and much more. The reader is invited to practice listening to and repeating the audio download, and
write exercises in the book. Japanese for Busy People I is a "must-have" especially for tourists or business travelers
interested in learning useful, basic Japanese quickly, as well as those with a broader interest in the language and culture
searching for a good way to start learning the basics. Highly recommended! It should be noted for personal reading lists that
Japanese for Busy People I: Kana Version is also available in a Kindle edition ($17.99).
The Self-Help Shelf
Happy Mind, Happy Life
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637742112, $22.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Mind-Life-Science-Well-Being/dp/1637742118
Synopsis: During his 20 years as a GP, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee has seen first-hand that motivation isn't always enough for us
to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's only when we learn how to support our own mental wellbeing and cultivate core
happiness that these choices become easy.
With the publication of "Happy Mind, Happy Life: The New Science of Mental Well-Being", Dr. Chatterjee shares
cutting-edge insights into the science of happiness and reveals 10 simple ways to put you back in control of your health. It
features real-life case studies and more than 20 practical exercises, including lessons on how to: Find your flow; Create
distance from your phone; Deal with criticism
Whether you are at a crisis point or simply want to experience more joy, "Happy Mind, Happy Life: The New Science of
Mental Well-Being" will help you feel calmer, more confident, and able to live your life to the full. Your body and mind
will thank you.
Critique: Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Happy Mind, Happy Life: The New Science of
Mental Well-Being" is beautifully illustrated throughout with full page, full color photography. As 'real world practical' as it
is inspiringly motivational, "Happy Mind, Happy Life: The New Science of Mental Well-Being" is the next best thing to
sitting in on a Dr. Chatterjee seminar and will prove to be an enduringly appreciated and valued addition to personal,
professional, community, and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collection. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Happy Mind, Happy Life: The New Science of Mental Well-Being" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is regarded as one of the most influential doctors in the UK. A practicing GP for the
last two decades and resident BBC Breakfast doctor, Dr. Chatterjee wants to inspire people to transform their health through
making small, sustainable changes to their lifestyles. Leading the charge on how healthcare and medicine is understood in
the UK, Dr. Chatterjee most recently co-created a lifestyle medicine course with the Royal College of GPs, which has now
been delivered to over 400 GPs and health care professionals. Host of the #1 iTunes podcast, Feel Better, Live More, and
presenter of BBC 1's Doctor in the House, Dr. Chatterjee is the author of two Sunday Times bestselling books and his TED
talk, "How to Make Diseases Disappear," has now been viewed over 2.6 million times.
Purpose, Passion, and Pajamas
Genevieve M. Piturro
River Grove Books
c/o Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781632992901, $16.95, 202pp
https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Passion-Pajamas-Transform-Connection/dp/1632992906
Synopsis: "Purpose, Passion, and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the Human Connection, and Lead with
Meaning" is the story of Genevieve Piturro's triumphant leap off the corporate ladder to find her life's true calling. What
started with a simple question from a little girl led Genevieve to conceive of and build the nonprofit Pajama Program in
2001, resulting in a featured appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and an awe-inspiring display of compassion
throughout the US and beyond. Today, Pajama Program has distributed over seven million pairs of pajamas, opened 63
chapters across the US, and established reading centers for children.
In her inspirational narrative, Genevieve Piturro shows her readers how to: Notice and listen to the quiet, internal voice
nudging you in a new direction; Lead with empathy, passion, and purpose; Realize the importance of the human connection
we've lost in our modern world.
Purpose, Passion, and Pajamas brings the reader to the heart of the matter with eye-opening lessons in leadership, personal
growth, and the motivational tools to "find your pajamas."
Critique: With a narrative writing style that is ideal for non-specialist general readers an interest in philanthropy and non-
profit organizations, is more than simply a well written memoir, it is also inspired and inspiring call for each of us to
improve ourselves while improving the world around us. Interested readers will want to note that Benevieve Piturro has a
relevant website at https://OneLightOneSpirit.com and that more information on the Pajama Program is available at
https://www.PajamaProgram.org. While "Purpose, Passion, and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the
Human Connection, and Lead with Meaning" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and
community collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Genevieve Piturro founded the hugely successful national non- profit Pajama Program when a six-year-old
girl's question almost 20 years ago changed her life forever. After a career in television marketing, she jumped off the
corporate ladder. Today, her Pajama Program has delivered seven million Good Nights filled with magical gifts of pajamas
and books to children throughout the US. Genevieve is now a professional speaker and consultant, sharing life and
leadership lessons she learned through her Pajama Program journey. Genevieve has been the recipient of many awards,
including the Shining World Compassion Award; SmartCEO Award of New York; Edith C. Macy Award for Distinguished
Service (Westchester Children's Association); Friend of Abbott House Award; ANDRUS's Heart for Children's Award; and
the Thomas J. Caramadre, Jr., Humanitarian Award. Her life story has been featured in several books, including Angels on
Earth: Inspiring Real-Life Stories of Fate, Friendship, and the Power of Kindness by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski
and Unselfish: Love Thy Neighbor as Thy Selfie by Paul D. Parkinson. She has a website at
https://www.GenevievePiturro.com
The Travel Shelf
Chicago Scavenger
Jessica Mlinaric
Reedy Press
PO Box 5131, St. Louis, MO 63139
www.reedypress.com
9781681063584, $29.95, Spiral Bound, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Scavenger-Jessica-Mlinaric/dp/1681063581
Synopsis: "Chicago Scavenger" is a unique guide by Chicago resident Jessica Mlinaric to the hidden gems of Chicago's
neighborhoods. The on-site visitor is offered an interactive mission to explore 17 neighborhoods across the city.
No ordinary travel guide, "Chicago Scavenger" deciphers the clues and tracks down the photos to leading the visitor to over
300 little-known museums, vibrant public artworks, nature areas, overlooked historical markers, charming cafes,
architectural oddities, and more.
Ideal for itinerary building, "Chicago Scavenger" showcases the nation's first Black art museum and a B&B run by monks,
raising a glass at Chicago's smallest bar, and taking a stroll down a real yellow brick road. From Pullman to Rogers Park,
seek the thrill of discovery in Chicago's unique and diverse neighborhoods, "Chicago Scavenger" offers surprising stories
and the creation of fun memories. With "Chicago Scavanger:, urban explorers, foodies, culture enthusiasts, history geeks,
and anyone curious about Chicago can put their skills to the test, solve riddles solo or team up with family, or challenge
friends with an engagingly mysterious and exciting way to experience what Chicago has to offer off the well beaten
path.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized, impressively informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Chicago
Scavenger" is a very special and unique form of travel guide that is especially and unreservedly recommended for both
residents and tourists alike. Very highly recommended for personal, professional, and library American Travel Guide
collections, "Chicago Scavenger" could well serve as a template for similar off-beat guides to other major American
citiers.
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood, Jessica Mlinaric is also the author of "Secret
Chicago: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure". Her writing and photography covering culture and travel has
appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, GQ, the Architect's Newspaper, Chicago magazine, and more. Jessica founded
urbnexplorer.com in 2010 to share stories that inspire the culturally curious traveler.
Alaska Adventure 55 Ways
John Wolfe Jr., author
Rebecca Wolfe, author
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680515428, $24.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Adventure-Ways-Southcentral-Explorations/dp/168051542X
Synopsis: John Wolfe Jr. and Rebecca Wolfe, are a father-daughter team that with the publication of "Alaska Adventure 55
Ways: Southcentral Wilderness Explorations" collaboratively describe activities spanning the broad swath of Southcentral
Alaska, 300 miles north to south and 350 miles east to west.
This unique and specialized travel guide features activities on the lakes and peaks of the Kenai Peninsula, the Anchorage
front range, the Matanuska and Susitna Valleys, and the Copper River basin, taking in Chugach and Denali State Parks,
Chugach National Forest, Kenai Fjords and Wrangell St. Elias National Parks, several wildlife refuges, and portions of the
Iditarod National Historic Trail.
With an emphasis on adventures regular people can enjoy and destinations that don't require highly technical skills,
expensive flights to remote locations, or demanding levels of athletic fitness, "Alaska Adventure 55 Ways: Southcentral
Wilderness Explorations" will have a very special appeal to all ages, with its family-friendly shorter options and trip
extensions adding up to more than a hundred "ways" to adventure in Alaska.
Critique: Nicely illustrated with color photos, "Alaska Adventure 55 Ways: Southcentral Wilderness Explorations" is
exceptionally well written, impressively organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation -- making it an ideal
resource for DIY itinerary planning for visitors, vacationers, and locals alike. While highly recommended for personal,
professional, and community library Travel Guide collections, it should be noted that "Alaska Adventure 55 Ways:
Southcentral Wilderness Explorations" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note #1: A lifelong Anchorage, Alaska resident John Wolfe Jr. studied at Middlebury College in Vermont and
then returned to Alaska and founded the nonprofit Alaska Huts Association. He and his wife, Gretchen Nelson, included
their daughters in outdoor excursions as they grew up. John became co-author of this guide with his mother, Helen
Nienhueser, in 1994. Although he has guided on Denali, John loves the simple peak scrambles of the Chugach Mountains
best of all.
Editorial Note #2: Rebecca Wolfe has been hiking in Southcentral Alaska since childhood. She earned a bachelor's degree
from Smith College and a master's of architecture from Montana State University. Becca enjoys finding new ways to
experience the Alaska backcountry on skis and by bike, though backpacking in the mountains is when she feels most at
home. She splits her time between Mojave, California, and Anchorage, Alaska.
The Christian Studies Shelf
Bible Conversation Cards
Ink & Willow
c/o WaterBrook
10807 New Allegiance Drive, Suite 500, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
www.waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780593235270, $19.95, Card Deck, 100pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Conversation-Cards-Memorize-Explore/dp/0593235274
Synopsis: "Bible Conversation Cards: 100 Verses to Memorize and Explore with Your Family" from Ink & Willow is a
colorful, interactive card set that walks you through 100 Bible verses to help families establish a firm foundation in God's
Word. The front of each card features a single verse to memorize. The back offers three discussion questions, in progressing
levels of complexity, to make Scripture accessible to kids of all ages and encourage familes to go beyond simply
memorizing verses.
The Bible verses are grouped into five themes that will help families foster conversation around:
Who is God?
Who is Jesus?
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Who am I in Christ?
How do I grow in Christ?
Packaged in a durable box, and with category tab dividers for easy reference, these sturdy conversation cards are the ideal
companion for family dinners, devotionals, or road trips.
Critique: Of special appeal and highly recommended to parents and Sunday School teachers throughout the Christian
community wanting to introduce themselves. their children, or their students to the Bible, "Bible Conversation Cards: 100
Verses to Memorize and Explore with Your Family" is an extraordinary, fun and effective way to proceed.
Editorial Note: Ink & Willow products infuse contemplation and inspiration into the regular spiritual practice of
creative-minded Christians, wherever they are in their faith journey. Each thoughtfully curated gift product is based in
biblical truth and sparks a reminder of how God reveals beauty in the midst of our ordinary.
God, Who On Earth Are You?
Stephen McCarthy
Christian Alternative
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789049435, $15.95, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/God-Who-Earth-Are-You/dp/1789049431
Synopsis: The mysterious 'Other' that many of us sense and that Christianity (drawing on the life of Jesus) calls God, is the
starting point of "God, Who On Earth Are You?: Mystery and Meaning in Christianity Today" by Stephen McCarthy.
But, the Christian Churches are no longer conveying the wonder of the Christian mystery, the challenging nature of Jesus'
message for the world but also God's deep, merciful love for us and the invitation into a relationship with him through
prayer or through other spiritual practices including pilgrimage. Church teaching has become tired and routine. It should be
fundamentally renewed and their institutional structures reformed for today's world.
The final chapters comprising "God, Who On Earth Are You?" consider how Christians should engage with the seemingly
intractable problems ranging from environmental destruction, to the inhuman exploitation of many people, and the obscene
levels of inequality, that so universally characterize society today.
An autobiographical thread runs through the text as the McCarthy, a committed Catholic Christian, draws on experiences
and vignettes from his own life. The final conclusion is one of hope; God will not abandon us or his world, though we do
not know how the future will unfold.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "God, Who On Earth Are You?: Mystery and Meaning in Christianity Today" is
exceptionally well written, thoughtful and thought-provoking -- making it unreservedly recommended reading for all
members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations. It should be noted for the personal reading
list of clergy, theologians seminary students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "God,
Who On Earth Are You?: Mystery and Meaning in Christianity today" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$10.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Schrassig, Luxembourg, Stephen McCarthy is a 'Cradle Catholic' who studied physics
in Oxford and then moved on to development economics. Taking early retirement to deepen his understanding of theology
and spirituality, he walked the Camino de Santiago and followed the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius.
Jesus and the Bicameral Brain: Knowing and Being
James P. Danaher
Paragon House
3600 Labore Road, Suite 1, St. Paul, MN 55110-4144
https://www.paragonhouse.com/wp
9781557789471, $19.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Bicameral-Brain-Knowing-Being/dp/1557789479
Synopsis: According to philosophy, theologist, and academician James P. Danaher, it is time to rethink the gospel. When
the church of five hundred years ago started selling indulgences, it was time to rethink the gospel. Jesus repeatedly says
"follow me" and his words instruct us concerning how to do that. Unfortunately, his words also put us at odds with the
world, so we invent doctrines that are merely things to believe in order to find ways around his words. When today's
Christianity is reduced to a gospel of material prosperity and the service of political issues like abortion and homosexuality,
it is time to rethink the gospel and rediscover Jesus' words.
If one believes that they know the gospel, the spiritual journey to which Jesus calls us comes to an end. The words of Jesus
are always addressing what goes beyond our knowing but not beyond our experience. Jesus' words cannot be formed into
doctrines and theologies. They are living words meant to take root at the core of our being and lead us through this spiritual
journey that is the gospel. Neurologists have shown that the brains' right hemisphere relates more to intuition while the left
is related to language and logic.
In 2009, Iain McGilchrist's groundbreaking work, "The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the
Western World", revealed the enormous differences between the knowing left-brain, and the right-brain which opens us to
what is beyond our knowing. With the publication of "Jesus and the Bicameral Brain: Knowing and Being", Danaher uses
the bicameral brain model to help explain the spiritual journey to which Jesus calls us.
The gospel is not something to know but something to be, but the words of Jesus are never compatible with the left-brain's
knowing that we have inherited from the world. Jesus' words are meant to be experienced from that level of consciousness
that takes us beyond what we know in order to experience the transformative journey that is the gospel.
Critique: Erudite, challenging, insightful, iconoclastic, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Jesus and the Bicameral Brain:
Knowing and Being" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Christian Philosophy & Theology. While
very highly recommended for inclusion into seminary, college, and university library Philosophy & Theology collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, clergy,
seminary students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Jesus and the Bicameral Brain:
Knowing and Being" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: James P. Danaher is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and past head of the Philosophy Department at Nyack
College, New York. This is his ninth book about Jesus and the Gospels.
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Knowledge of Pressed Ware
George Huemmer
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781638672456, $78.00, PB, 274pp (Amazon, $58.10)
https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Pressed-Ware-George-Huemmer/dp/1638672458
Synopsis: Currently residing in Casselberry, Floriad, George Huemmer's main hobby is researching glassware and
manufacturing companies of glass. With the publication of his heavily researched compendium, "Knowledge of Pressed
Ware: Trademarks, Labels, and Logos on U.S.A. Glass Companies" antique dealers and pressed war glass collectors now
have a dependable and up-to-date reference that is as comprehensive as it is 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Knowledge of Pressed Ware:
Trademarks, Labels, and Logos on U.S.A. Glass Companies" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library Antiques & Collectibles reference collections. It should be noted for
personal use that "Knowledge of Pressed Ware: Trademarks, Labels, and Logos on U.S.A. Glass Companies" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Needlecraft Shelf
100 Mini Cross Stitch Designs
Rosemary Drysdale
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946272, $23.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/100-Mini-Cross-Stitch-Designs/dp/1784946273
Synopsis: Cross-stitching is a form of sewing and a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches
in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture. The stitcher counts the threads on a piece of evenweave fabric (such
as linen) in each direction so that the stitches are of uniform size and appearance.
The cross stitch is making a big comeback with modern crafters. Providing the perfect introduction for beginners, "100 Mini
Cross Stitch Designs" by Rosemary Drysdale will also appeal to intermediate and advanced cross stitchers looking for
inspiration. This DIY manual provides a detailed section on tools and materials, instructions on getting started, reading cross
stitch charts, essential stitches and finishing touches.
With so many wonderful designs to choose from, selecting a project is likely to be the most time-consuming part of the
whole process! From bees to bicycles, caravans to cupcakes, and rockets to rainbows, there are contemporary subjects and
styles to suit every taste. Display your stitches in an embroidery hoop, frame or greeting cards or choose a pattern that
adorns clothing, home furnishings or other decorative items. Plus, there are useful tips on how to add your own personality
to projects and ways to incorporate leftover thread or fabric.
Critique: Profusely illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly' in approach, "100 Mini Cross Stitch Designs" is a complete and
comprehensive course of instruction that is exceptionally well organized and presented, making it ideal and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft collections.
Editorial Note: Rosemary Drysdale grew up in the north of England near Newcastle, and learned to knit as a small child.
She was at the forefront of the cross stitch craze in the 1990s, traveling the world teaching workshops and giving
demonstrations. She is recognized as a global expert on black work embroidery, as well as a teacher of many other advanced
stitching techniques. Drysdale joined Vogue Knitting in the late 1990s and has consulted to some of the top yarn brands in
the industry. A prolific designer, she has had over 1000 designs published. she can be followed on Instagram
@rosemary_drysdale -- Also there is a website dedicated to her at
https://createwhimsy.com/projects/spotlight-rosemary-drysdale-embroidery-artist
Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds
Beth Hoyes
Walter Foster Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780760375365, $22.99, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Embroidery-Made-Easy-Beautiful-techniques/dp/0760375364
Synopsis: "Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds" by embroidery expert Beth Hoyes is a collection of 12 detailed,
full-color patterns with which both aspiring and established embroidery artists will discover how to employ the art of thread
painting to create a range of popular birds and waterfowl from around the world, including North America, the Amazon rain
forest, and Europe.
Thread painting is the name for using single strands of embroidery floss to create lifelike images with beautifully blended
gradients of color and detail. Fortunately, the process is not as hard as it sounds! After learning a bit about how to create
gradients and blend colors, anyone can create incredible embroidered masterpieces.
"Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds" includes: A primer on embroidery materials, setup, and thread painting
techniques; Patterns that indicate where each color should go and when the gradients should begin; For each project,
step-by-step instructions and reference images of the finished piece.
Perfect for needlepoint artists of all skill levels, there is no better time to learn how to create beautiful birds in
embroidery.
Critique: Impressively 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds" is an ideal
tutorial featuring easy techniques for anyone wanting to learn how to embroider a variety of colorful birds, including a
cardinal, a barn owl, and a puffin. Simply stated, "Embroidery Made Easy: Beautiful Birds" will prove to be a welcome and
appreciated addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: Beth Hoyes is an embroidery artist and art therapist who runs a small embroidery business
@rabbithatdesigns
The Woodworking Shelf
Sharpening Carving Tools for Beginners
Lora S. Irish
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781497103122, $9.99, PB, 32pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sharpening-Carving-Tools-Beginners-Woodworkers/dp/1497103126
Synopsis: It is an axiom among wood workers every where: Keep all your woodcarving tools and knives sharp and
safe!
If you're new to the craft of carving, knowing how to properly sharpen your tools is a crucial, fundamental skill. "Sharpening
Carving Tools for Beginners: Learn to Keep Your Knives, Gouges & V-Tools in Tip-Top Shape"is condensed and
illustrated instructional guide by wood working expert Lora S. Irish who offers clear, step-by-step guidance to walk
beginners through the basics of sharpening knives, gouges, V-tools, and chisels.
Also included are informative sections on safety, basic sharpening techniques, what to keep in your sharpening kit,
sharpening both double-edged and single-edged blades, tool storage and cleanup tips, protecting sharp edges, cleaning stops,
and sharpening stones.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Sharpening Carving Tools for Beginners: Learn to
Keep Your Knives, Gouges & V-Tools in Tip-Top Shape" is essential and invaluable reading for all novice wood workers --
making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community woodworking and wood crafting
instructional reference collections and school wood shop class curriculums.
Editorial Note: Lora Irish is an internationally known artist and author who is also a frequent contributor to Woodcarving
Illustrated and Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts magazines.
Complete Guide to Bird Carving
Woodcaring Illustrated Editors
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781497102774, $19.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Carving-Beginner-Advanced/dp/1497102774
Synopsis: "Complete Guide to Bird Carving: 15 Beautiful Beginner-to-Advanced Projects" is comprised of 15 step-by-step
projects drawn from the pages of Woodcarving Illustrated. This edition of the "Complete Guide to Bird Carving" includes
wood carving patterns for a variety of recognizable birds, including woodpeckers, chickadees, owls, blue herons,
goldfinches, and more.
From simple whittled songbirds to realistic hummingbirds, the "Complete Guide to Bird Carving" is a DIY project guide
featuring various techniques on how to carve wood birds such as whittling, relief carving, and power carving. This
thoroughly 'user friendly' combination of instructional guide and how-to manual is perfectly adaptable to any skill level,
from beginner to advanced. Also included are helpful overviews on materials, tools, adding texture, painting, and
finishing.
Critique: Profusely and effectively illustrated throughout with full color photography and step-by-step DIY instructions,
"Complete Guide to Bird Carving: 15 Beautiful Beginner-to-Advanced Projects" will be a welcome and enduringly
appreciated contribution to personal, professional, and community library Woodworking & Woodcarving collections.
Editorial Note: As the leading how-to magazine for woodcarvers, Woodcarving Illustrated promotes woodcarving as a fun
pastime and recognized art form. Whether you're just getting started in the world of woodcarving or have been making chips
for decades, Woodcarving Illustrated is designed to help you make the most of your carving time. Each quarterly issue is
jammed with projects, instructions, photos, tool reviews, tips, and techniques. Expert guidance from the world's most
talented carvers helps you to complete more projects and hone your skills.
Whittling Workbook
James Ray Miller
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781497102705, $17.99, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Whittling-Workbook-Publishing-Flat-Plane-Woodcarvings/dp/1497102707
Synopsis: Comprised of 14 simple projects to carve,"Whittling Workbook" by James Ray Miller is an ideal instruction
manual and 'how to' guide for anyone seeking a range of easy wood carvings they can accomplish with just one knife --
including the roughing out stage!
All that is needeed is a copy of the "Whittling Workbook", blocks of wood and one knife to achieve the 14 exciting projects
featured within these pages (no band saw needed).
The projects range from a simple strawberry and a whimsical wand to a sea captain, Martian, pig, sunflower, princess,
dinosaur, and more, each approachable project includes detailed step-by-step instructions photography, a pattern, reference
photos, and helpful tips to walk you through the entire process from start to finish.
Also included are insightful overviews on a wide range of fundamental topics and techniques to equip you with the skills
you need before you begin a project. The helpful opening sections cover tools, types of wood, basic carving cuts, painting
and finishing techniques, safety notes, and how to join a carving community.
Critique: Profusely illustrated and thoroughly 'novice friendly', "Whittling Workbook" will have special appeal to anyone
who would like to learn this ancient woodworking craft -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, and school wood shop instructional reference collections. It should be noted that the
"Whittling Workbook" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).
Editorial Note: James Ray Miller is a protege of decorated Scandinavian-style carver, Harley Refsal. A young and
up-and-coming carver, James has been a regular contributor to Woodcarving Illustrated since 2010 and published his first
book, Whittling Flat-Plane Animals, with Fox Chapel Publishing in 2020.
Learn how to create projects with elements of classic flat-plane carvings, but that also offer a fresh, contemporary style, with
Whittling Workbook!
The Gardening Shelf
Borde Hill Garden: A Plant Hunter's Paradise
Vanessa Berridge, author
John Glover, photographer
Merrell Publishers
www.merrellpublishers.com
9781858946900, $70.00, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Borde-Hill-Garden-Hunters-Paradise/dp/1858946905
Synopsis: Borde Hill Garden is set in historic parkland in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in West Sussex,
England. The Elizabethan mansion was purchased in the 1890s by Colonel Stephenson Robert Clarke who set about
creating the garden and woodland using plants from several continents brought back to England by the great plant hunters of
the early 1900s. Well over a century and three generations later, Borde Hill remains in the ownership of the Stephenson
Clarke family, and today is renowned for its collection of rare shrubs and trees.
"Borde Hill Garden: A Plant Hunter's Paradise" is structured in two main parts. For the first, 'The History', Vanessa Berridge
has had exclusive access to the Borde Hill archive, which contains not only family photographs but also a wealth of written
sources, such as letters between Stephie and nurserymen, directors of botanical gardens, other landowners, and plant
hunters. Giving unique insight into the horticultural world and social history of the interwar years, this correspondence
reveals acts of courage by such famed plant explorers as George Forrest and Ernest Wilson and the professional level of
accomplishment of Stephie and his gardening acquaintances.
The second part of "Borde Hill Garden: A Plant Hunter's Paradise" takes the reader on an extended tour of the garden,
illustrated by the glorious photography of John Glover. Borde Hill is laid out as a series of intimate outdoor 'rooms',
including the Old Rhododendron Garden, the Rose Garden and the terraced Italian Garden. With its variety further
encompassing wide lawns that flow out into the countryside, many plant species not found elsewhere in Britain and one of
the country's largest collections of privately owned rare trees, it is no wonder that Borde Hill lays claim to offering visitors
the world in one garden.
Concluding with information on Borde Hill's historic plants, its many RHS Awards of Merit and its 70 champion trees, this
authoritative, engaging volume is a fitting celebration of one of Britain's great heritage gardens.
Critique: A beautifully and profusely illustrated coffee-table style (9.84 x 0.55 x 11.42 inches, 3.55 pounds) volume is a
garden enthusiasts delight from cover to cover. Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly'
in organization and presentation, "Borde Hill Garden: A Plant Hunter's Paradise" is a welcome and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Gardening/Horticulture
collections, as well as Garden Design supplemental curriculum studies lists
Editorial Note #1: Vanessa Berridge is a gardens writer with an in-depth knowledge of British garden history. She is also the
author of The Joy of Gardening (Summersdale, 2014), The Princess's Garden (Amberley Publishing, 2015), Great British
Gardeners (Amberley Publishing, 2018), and Kiftsgate Court Gardens: Three Generations of Women Gardners (Merrell,
2019). She also contributed to The Gardens of England, published by Merrell in 2013. She was the launch editor of The
English Garden magazine in 1997 and now writes about gardens, garden historian, and food for newspapers and
periodicals.
Editorial Note #2: John Glover has been a garden and landscape photographer for more than 40 years. He has won
numerous International Garden Photographer of the Year Awards.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Ultimate Guide to Crystals
Rachel Hancock
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780760376614, $26.99, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Crystals-Beginners-Healing/dp/0760376611
Synopsis: "The Ultimate Guide to Crystals: The Beginner's Guide to the Healing Energy of 100 Crystals and Stones" by
Rachel Hancock is is a comprehensive instructional guide and 'how to' manual for the novice who aspires to understand and
work with stones.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Ultimate Guide to Crystals" provides an illustrated and
thoroughly 'user friendly' introduction to all of the key crystal applications and concepts, including: How to use crystals with
other practices such as feng shui, meditation, and reiki; Crystal correspondences such as color and which stones should and
should not be used together; How to use crystals in ritual, gridwork, and in crystal remedies.
Crystal practitioners will learn the science as well as the art of crystals, including crystal lattice systems, MOH hardness
scales, high and low vibration crystals, and energetic concepts such as entrainment and how to use intention to work and
manifest with your crystals.
"The Ultimate Guide to Crystals" also includes profiles and meanings for the 100 stones every crystal practitioner should
know and work with.
Critique: An ideal and comprehensive introduction to the varieties, uses, and purposes of crystals, including divination,
healing, and magic, "The Ultimate Guide to Crystals: The Beginner's Guide to the Healing Energy of 100 Crystals and
Stones" is an extraordinary and solidly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library
Metaphysical Studies collections.
Editorial Note: Rachel Hancock is a Certified Advanced Crystal Practitioner, Reiki Master, and holds a bachelor's degree in
Physical and Health Science with a minor in Psychology. She, along with her husband Joel, is the founder of
LovingThyselfRocks, one the top crystal purveyors and crystal education sites on Instagram. Founded in 2018, Rachel's
mission is to promote the power of self-love and healing crystals.
The Railroading Shelf
Backwoods Railroads
D. C. Burkhardt
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
www.wsupress.wsu.edu
9780874224092, $60.00, HC, 180pp
https://www.amazon.com/Backwoods-Railroads-Branchlines-Shortlines-Western/dp/0874224098
Synopsis: Originally published in 1994, and now in newly updated edition with new content and additional images,
"Backwoods Railroads: Branchlines & Shortlines of Western Oregon" by D. C. Burkhardt continues to present an engaging
description of western Oregon's evolving contemporary branchline and shortline railroad operations.
In the pages of this coffee-table style volume (8.9 x 0.9 x 11.4 inches, 2.8 pounds), Burkhardt's unique photojournalistic
account focuses on the Willamette Valley and its bordering mountain chains-the Coast Range, the Cascades, and the
Siskiyous, capturing a sense of the state's rural, small-town character and heritage.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a two page Bibliography, a two page listing of Acknowledgments,
and a ten page Index, "Backwoods Railroads: Branchlines & Shortlines of Western Oregon" is impressively detailed and
illustrated. Having a very special appeal to dedicated railroading buffs, "Backwoods Railroads: Branchlines & Shortlines of
Western Oregon" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, college, and
university library U.S. Railroad History collections and supplemental studies curriculum lists.
Editorial Note: Photojournalist D. C. Jessie Burkhardt first encountered the Ann Arbor Railroad (one of his key subjects)
when he visited Frankfort, Michigan, in 1969. The community, the railroad, and the car ferries it served sparked a strong
connection, and it became a focal point of his travels and later became a feature of some of his books. Burkhardt currently
works for a private contractor transporting train crews in the Northwest and has published several books on railroad
history.
The Automotive Shelf
Early Funny Cars
Lou Hart
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613256985, $42.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Early-Funny-Cars-1964-1975-Lout/dp/1613256981
Synopsis: With the publication of "Early Funny Cars: A History of Tech Evolution from Altered Wheelbase to Match Race
Flip Tops 1964-1975", Lou Hart showcases the evolving early years of Funny Car drag racing when doorslammers morphed
into flip-top rail monsters. This was the era that featured historic mounts ranging from Arnie "the Farmer" Beswick, Al "the
Flying Dutchman" Vanderwoude, and "Jungle" Jim Liberman, to Don "the Snake" Prudhomme, and many more!
The metamorphosis from doorslammers to fiberglass flip-top dragsters wasn't ever a cut and dry plan. As drag racers pushed
the envelope for more speed, a series of innovations quickly evolved and refined the genre.
Funny Cars cut their teeth in the A/Factory Experimental (A/FX) and Experimental Stock (X/S) classes in 1964 with the
2-percent Mopars that looked funny with their axles moved forward. However, it was Jack Chrisman's supercharged,
nitro-fueled 427 Supercharged Factory Experimental (S/FX) Comet Caliente that trailblazed the class on which the NHRA
turned its back and the AHRA fully accepted. Showmanship became the draw in the dawn of Funny Car with half-track
burnouts and flame-throwing headers that packed fans five deep at the fence.
By 1969, the NHRA had no choice but to create a class for these nitro-breathing, flip-top-sporting rail bruisers,
indoctrinating the Funny Car (F/C) class at the Winternationals with 40 cars vying for 16 places in the field. The rest, as
they say, is history!
Critique: Inherently interesting and profusely illustrated throughout, "Early Funny Cars: A History of Tech Evolution from
Altered Wheelbase to Match Race Flip Tops 1964-1975" is impressively informative and will have a very special appeal to
car buffs and automotive historians alike -- making it a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and academic library Automotive History collections.
Editorial Note: A life long car enthusiasts and growing up with the first sights and sounds of the muscle car conception, Lou
Hart attended his first drag race at Lions Drag Strip at the age of 9 with his trusty Kodak "Brownie" camera in hand. He
loved to document all his visits to the strip. Although not a professional writer, Lou Hart's views are seen through the eyes
of the fan, and he strives to give back, reliving the times and history of drag racing's golden era.
The Gaming Shelf
Heckadeck Playing Cards
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781297212913, $19.95, Card Deck
Synopsis: The standard deck of 52 playing cards is a staple of game night, but with Heckadeck (a 160-card deck that not
only includes the classic cards, but adds all-new ranks, suits, face cards, and other creative elements that open a whole range
of exciting new play possibilities), game night just got significantly more entertaining.
Heckadeck from Chronicle Books includes hearts through diamonds and Aces through Kings, but also acorns, clouds,
arrows, and planets -- plus zeroes and elevens, Beasts, Hunters, Travelers, an all-suited Watcher, and other delightfully
illustrated additions.
An accompanying 36 page booklet offers twists on such classic card games as Crazier Eights, Hearts [and Clouds], Go Fish
with Dynamite, plus rules for new games including Epic Match and Beast Hunters, as well as guidance for inventing your
own games, and even tips on predicting the future with this unique and family-friendly and fun extended card deck.
Critique: Heckadeck cards are 3.75 x 3.75 x 2.63 inches, serving games of 2-8 players -- making it a very highly
recommended source of endless fun for all ages and a prized addition to personal and family gaming collections,
The Criminology Shelf
The Girl I Never Knew: Who Killed Melissa Witt?
LaDonna Humphrey
Genius Book Publishing
https://geniusbookpublishing.com
9781947521810, $17.25, PB, 238pp
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Never-Knew-Killed-Melissa/dp/1947521810
Synopsis: On December 1, 1994, Melissa Witt was kidnapped from the Bowling World parking lot in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Her lifeless body was found 45 days later in the Ozark National Forest. For over two decades the identity of Melissa Witt's
murderer has been hidden among the dense trees and thorny undergrowth rooted deeply in the uneven ground of a remote
mountaintop.
Determined to find answers, LaDonna Humphrey has spent the past seven years hunting for Melissa's killer. Her
investigation, both thrilling and unpredictable, has led her on a journey like no other.
"The Girl I Never Knew: Who Killed Melissa Witt?" is a suspense thriller of an account of LaDonna Humphrey's passionate
fight for justice in the decades-old murder case of a girl she never met in person. Her unstoppable quest for the truth has
gained the attention of some incredibly dangerous people, some of whom would like to keep Melissa's murder a mystery
forever.
Critique: The stuff of which true crime documentaries are made (and is currently being made!), "The Girl I Never Knew:
Who Killed Melissa Witt?" is a riveting read from first to last and will have a very special appeal for criminology students
and true crime readers. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Law
Enforcement, Criminology, and True Life Crime collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Girl I
Never Knew: Who Killed Melissa Witt?" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: LaDonna Humphrey is a writer, documentarian, investigative journalist, private investigator and an advocate
for victims of crime. And for the past seven years, LaDonna has found herself passionately entangled in seeking justice for
19-year-old murder victim, Melissa Ann Witt. In her pursuit of justice for Melissa, LaDonna has co-produced the
documentary "Uneven Ground: The Melissa Witt Story" to be released later this year.
Murder at Minnesota Point
Jeffrey M. Sauve
North Star Editions
https://northstareditions.com
9780578341392, $14.99, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Minnesota-Point-Jeffrey-Sauve/dp/0578341395
Synopsis: Billed as the crime of the century in 1894, with the publication of "Murder at Minnesota Point", author Jeffrey M.
Sauve tells the twisted, sensational true story of a young, unidentified woman found slain on the isolated sandy shores of
Minnesota Point, Duluth, Minn.
For two weeks, her corpse was displayed for public viewing in hopes of discovering her identity. After she was buried in an
unnamed pauper's grave, her assailant breathed a temporary sigh of relief. Over the next two years, city detectives pursued
numerous suspects from every corner of the country. The manhunt captivated a nation enthralled with the sensational details
and deepening intrigue.
Only by chance, an overlooked satchel containing incriminating evidence was brought forth, breaking open the case.
Speculation suggested that the wanted man was a bigamist and a serial killer, having slain his first wife in 1890 and two
other people in 1893. His evil past included chumming with the infamous Minneapolis killer Harry Hayward. The two men
may have acted together in dispatching the woman in Duluth.
"Murder at Minnesota Point" is the result of the Jeffrey Sauve's exhaustive 10-year study that traces the villain's descent into
ruin. This is the engrossing story of a long-forgotten murder and one that the reader will not soon forget.
Critique: With a very special appeal to readers with an interest in True Crime stories, "Murder at Minnesota Point" is a
compulsively compelling account from first page to last. With all the drama of a crime novel, this factual account is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and highly recommended for both personal reading lists, community
library True Crime collections, and college/university library Criminology collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Jeffrey M. Sauve has been featured in the Minneapolis StarTribune, Minnesota Historical Society's
MNopedia, MinnPost, MPR Radio, and TPT television. An award-winning author and historian, Sauve has written eight
books and numerous articles for local and regional publications. After serving 20 years as an archivist at St. Olaf College in
Northfield, MN, he now pursues a successful writing career.
Warding Off Evildoers
Joan Arehart-Treichel
Armin Lear Press Inc.
www.arminlear.com
9781956450255, $18.95
https://www.amazon.com/Warding-Off-Evildoers-Joan-Arehart-Treichel/dp/1956450254
Warding Off Evildoers is an expose of those who commit evil and represents a vivid piece of forensic psychology that
explores the creation, intent, and operations of the criminal mind. It comes from a senior staff writer for Psychiatric News
and synthesizes decades of Joan Arehart-Treichel's interviews with psychiatrists on the subject, as well as her research into
studies of criminal minds. This is not the first book to tackle the subject of evildoers in society and how their criminal minds
operate. But it differs from most in its inclusion of forensic experts and its focus on studies that reveal "...who evildoers are,
how they got that way, and most crucially, how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from them." This approach
makes the survey not just accessible to lay readers, but of prime importance in establishing boundaries, inspections, and
savvy that will help protect citizens and their families from evildoers in society.
Discussions range from the definition and moves of evildoers to the influences of genes and environment on their
development, covering how to identify an evildoer, different levels of evildoing, and (perhaps most important of all) how to
safeguard self and family from predators in society. This sets Warding Off Evildoers apart from the majority of studies on
the subject, bringing it to the attention of ordinary, everyday citizens seeking information that will help keep them safe.
Each chapter concludes with references for further reading that both support the author's contentions and reinforce the
scientific foundations of her statements.
Warding Off Evildoers initially sounds like an occult title; but its message is anything but supernatural. It considers the
threats to health that walk among us, acknowledging that the potential for evildoing exists in us all and analyzing the steps
that can be taken to either avoid and mitigate its impact, or guide loved ones in a different direction. Many of the findings
may be eye-opening to readers who harbor prior opinions on the subject. They certainly were to the author: "In the process
of compiling this book, I have learned a lot about evildoing - things I hadn't known before. For example, some people show
signs of depravity already in early childhood; women as well as men can be stalkers, and that stalkers, regardless of gender,
can be dangerous; and while some of the most ghastly acts are committed by individuals with a severe mental illness, most
vile acts are perpetrated by individuals who are sane."
The result is a powerful lesson in personal safety, moral and ethical choices, and better understanding the incarnation and
presence of evildoers at all levels of society. While Warding Off Evildoers is highly recommended for any general-interest
library, its message will ideally be profiled in mental health, safety, and awareness groups and book clubs dedicated to
psychological understanding and improving members' lives with better information.
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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