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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 18, Number 9 September 2008 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Business Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Fiction Shelf American History Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Biography Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf Education Shelf
International Studies Shelf Social Issues Shelf Music Shelf
Parenting Shelf Literary Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
World History Shelf Military Shelf Psychology Shelf
Travel Shelf Sports Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Mythology/Folklore Shelf Native American Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Art Shelf Cookbook Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Photography Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Jewelry Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Aviation Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Gardening Shelf
Library Science Shelf Real Estate Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Political Science Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Urban Studies Shelf Architecture Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Computer Shelf
Crafts Shelf Library Reference Shelf Science Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Gaming Shelf Humor Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Music Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

The Power of a Positive Attitude
Roger Fritz
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814410138, $15.00 www.amacombooks.org

Attitude affects all facets of our lives, from how we handle stress and communicate at work to how we view difficulties. This book is for any library strong in business and conflict resolution: it translates a positive attitude to a business pursuit and shows how to achieve by becoming a better listeners, handling bosses and subordinates better, and how to conquer factors that work against positive results.

The iPod & iTunes Handbook
Contel Bradford
Atlantic Publishing
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601381224, $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

Apple has revolutionized the digital music industry with its iPod and iTunes systems and now there are many different pods and players available. So how can a consumer tell which to buy and how to run and customize them? THE IPOD & ITUNES HANDBOOK tells how, showing how to create playlists, sync iPods to a computer, convert videos to play on an iPod, and more. It's a 'must' for any general-interest lending library and many an iPod owner.

Through Chinese Eyes
Edward Vernoff & Peter J. Seybolt
Center for International Training and Education
777 United Nations Plaza, Suite 3C, New York, NY 10017
The Apex Press (publicity)
PO Box 337, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
0938960512, $24.95, www.cipa-apex.org

China has been in a cultural turmoil over the past hundred years. Now in an updated and expanded third edition, "Through Chinese Eyes" is an impressively informative compilation of essays and thoughts direct from the mouths of those who have experienced it the people of China. From the communist revolution of the late 40's and the following decades to the sweeping reforms and social changes that have occurred since 1980, it's an enlightening and intriguing set of memoirs and ideas from a voice not often heard to western ears. "Through Chinese Eyes" is highly recommended to anyone who wants to understand the modern Chinese people.

Residential Wiring
Jeff Markell
Craftsman
6058 Corte del Cedro, PO Box 6500, Carlsbad, CA 92018
9781572182042, $42.00, www.craftsman-book.com

Power is essential to residences in the twenty first century, so wiring is essential as well. "Residential Wiring: To the 2008 NEC" is an introductory text for electricians to be. Focusing on making electricians' work meet the demanding standards of the NEC the National Electrical Code. With professional level standards, author and wiring expert jeff markell goes over the uses of every bit of an electrician's tools, dealing with older wiring systems, replacing or adding new wires, repairing your mistakes, and troubleshooting issues, among other topics. Enhanced with a CD-ROM with a study guide program to help would-be electricians cram the vital information into their heads, "Residential Wiring" is an essential instructional and reference guide for students, do-it-yourself amateurs, and professional electricians.

Explore Wisconsin Rivers
Doris Green & Michael H. Knight
Trails Books
c/o Big Earth Publishing
145 North Commercial Street, Suite 100, Neenah, WI 54956
9781934553121, $18.95, www.bigearthpublishing.com, 1-800-258-5830

Wisconsin's river systems have been critical to the state's developmental history and continue to provide irreplaceable economic and recreational resources fundamentally necessary to insure the prosperity of the Badger State. Ranging from minor tributaries to major thoroughfares, Wisconsin's reviewers were the produce of glaciation and geologic conditions that helped to shape the landscape as we know it today. They served as transport Native American systems that were readily adopted and exploited by European settlers. They served as energy, food, commerce, and recreational sources and today offer memorable recreation experiences and essential ecological supports. In "Wisconsin Underground" Wisconsin author and academician Doris Green explored Wisconsin's caves and cave systems. Now in "Explore Wisconsin Rivers" she turns her expert attention to the beauty and history of Wisconsin's rivers and rivers systems in terms of both their history and their beauty. Personally traveling hundreds of miles of Badger State rivers, exploring their natural and cultural aspects, Doris Green (with the assistance of Michael H. Knight) has produced an informed and informative travel guide perfect for planning a recreational itinerary for enjoying what Wisconsin rivers have to offer. The format is the grouping of rivers according to which body of water they ultimately pour into. Section one offers four rivers emptying into Lake Superior; Section two showcases six rivers emptying into Lake Michigan; Section tree describes nine rivers running to the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico. Enhanced with occasional black-and-white photography, "Explore Wisconsin Rivers" is enthusiastically recommended as an essential guide for anyone interested in Wisconsin's river systems and is a core addition to both academic and community library Wisconsin Studies & History reference collections.

Cheng & Tsui Company
25 West Street, Boston, MA 02111-1213
www.cheng-tsui.com 1-617-988-2400

China is a major trading partner of the United States. It is currently the focus of millions of people world wide as the host of the 2008 Olympics. It is a thriving economy and an ancient country that has a great deal to offer by way of literature and culture, business opportunities and recreational resources. The Cheng & Tsui Company is a premier publisher of books on and about China, its languages, people, and culture. Four such recent and very highly recommended examples are the Cheng & Tsui edition of the "Chinese Measure Word Dictionary: A Chinese-English English-Chinese Usage Guide" (9780887276323) painstakingly compiled by Jiquing Fang and Michael Connelly; "Tales And Traditions: Readings In Chinese Literature" (9780887275340) collaboratively compiled by Yun Xiao, Hui Xiao, and Ying Wang; "The Moon Is Always Beautiful And Other Essays" (9780887276378) published in simplified and traditional characters including Pinyin by Weijia Huang and Qun Ao. Also very highly recommended is "Generation Gap And Other Essays" (9780887275364) which presents readings in the Cheng & Tsui Company 'Readings in Korean Culture' series. Immensely beneficial for Chinese language students, as well as recommended reading for those already proficient in Chinese traditional characters, these are volumes that would enhance any personal or academic library Chinese Cultural Studies and Linguistic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Web of Conspiracy
James F. Broderick & Darren W. Miller
CyberAge Books
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
9780910965811, $19.95, www.infotoday.com

The internet has become a platform for millions around the world to say their piece on world events. "Web of Conspiracy: A Guide to Conspiracy Theory Sites on the Internet" is a guide to finding proper conspiracy discussion websites throughout the internet. The guide tries to siphon out the completely insane theories throughout and promotes websites that give solid knowledge and evidence for their claims, including sites that seek to debunk the conspiracies. "Web of Conspiracy" is a must for anyone who fervently seeks truth in many of the world's mysteries.

The Lure of Antiquity and the Cult of the Machine
Horst Bredekamp, author
Allison Brown, translator
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
1558760946, $18.95 www.markuswiener.com

The history of art encompasses all aspects of human creativity throughout the annals of recorded human history. Horst Bredekamp (Professor of Art History at Humbolt University, Berlin) presents The Lure of Antiquity and the Cult of the Machine: The Kunstkammer and the Evolution of Nature, Art, and Technology, a close examination of the baroque Kunstkammer - a display of art and unusual discoveries assembled by wealthy Europeans in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. These proto-museums, meant to illuminate the mechanistic order of all things, featured exhibits from minerals to exotic plants, animals, statues, and machines. The baroque Kunstkammer was not only a celebration of the human potential for creativity, argues Bredekamp, but was also the nascent progenitor of the modern-day exchange of ideas and thought within cyberspace. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful treatise, fluidly translated from the original German by Allison Brown.

What the Bleep is Going on Here?
Rafe Mair
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC V0N 2H0 Canada
9781550174588, $24.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

It's never too late to fight for progress, and at seventy-six, Rafe Mair won't stop. "What the Bleep is Going on Here?" is a collection of essays and ramblings about his opinions about the world and life in general, giving his ideas and thoughts about how the world is and how the world should be. He invites readers to read and make up their own minds whether he's right or not, citing that complete agreement is not as the world should be. "What the Bleep is Going on Here?" is highly recommended to community library collections dedicated to current events.


The Business Shelf

The Alpha Factor
Wes Ball
Westlyn Publishing
www.thealphafactor.com
9780980003109, $27.95

To become more profitable, companies need to become less vulnerable to competitive pressures. The Alpha Factor is based on a 15-year research project into what creates sustainable success and market dominance, and culls over 100,000 interviews and tests with over 70 companies to provide the secret of business longevity. The result is a moving, involving account any size business and libraries catering to them needs.

The Complete Guide to Writing Web-Based Advertising Copy to Get the Sale
Vickie Taylor
Atlantic Publishing
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471-0640
9781601382320, $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

Web copywriters are in high demand and web copy is one of the most demanded forms of copywriting. Any who would enter the field will find everything needed to either become a copywriter or use one effectively, making for a top pick business collections will relish. Chapters explain differences between online advertising types, blogging, e-mail marketing and more, and offer business owners overviews of web optimization, strategies and business testing. It's an excellent guide business and computer libraries need.

Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org

Most companies still believe they can save a lot of money by outsourcing jobs overseas but when does the money issue become offset by other issues? The new, revised expanded edition of Ron Hira and Anil Hira's OUTSOURCING AMERICA (081440989X, $14.95 ) exposes how the trend affects us all, linking outsourcing efforts to economic shifts towards globalism and how it affects immigration policies and job security. From the policies counties use to attract US employers to how individuals can avoid becoming an outsourcing victim, OUTSOURCING AMERICA: THE TRUE COST OF SHIPPING JOBS OVERSEAS AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT is an excellent pick business collections need. Denis Hauptly's SOMETHING REALLY NEW: THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO CREATING TRULY INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS (0814400329, $21.95) offers a three-step approach to creating and marketing new products in any industry, covering the basics of how product ideas are obtained, placed into production, and marketed. From understanding needs and filling them to strategies for getting colleagues and executives to support a new product venture, SOMETHING REALLY NEW offers inspiration based on real-life marketing experiences.

Limited Liability Company
Gregory C. Damman
Self-Counsel Press
1704 N. State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
9781551807430, $19.95, www.self-counsel.com

The benefits of a Limited Liability Company are great, and this newly updated and expanded fourth edition of "Limited Liability Company: How to Form and Operate Your Own" will tell readers how to reap the benefits. Outlining what an LLC is, who can take advantage of it, the downside to the formation of one, all the legal and tax issues come with it, it thoroughly explains if an LLC is right for the reader's organization. Enhanced with a CD-ROM that will be helpful in doing the legal work to create one's own LLC, "Limited Liability Company" is a must for any small business owner.

Six Disciplines Execution Revolution
Gary Harpst
Six Disciplines Publishing
c/o Planned Television Arts
1110 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10022
9780981641102, $12.95, www.sixdisciplinespublishing.com

How does one make their particular business excel past all their competitors? "Six Disciplines Execution Revolution: Solving the One Business Problem That Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and practical guide to help business owners answer that very question. Promoting 'The Excellence Business Model', which pushes balanced strategy and execution, successful entrepreneur and author Gary Harpst helps new business owners deal with anticipated and unexpected challenges as they occur and how they to avoid failure before such difficulties become an insurmountable problem. "Six Disciplines Execution Revolution" is an excellent pick for anyone looking to make their business venture an enduring success.

The eBay Business Start-Up Kit
Richard Stim
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413308655, $24.99, www.nolo.com

eBay can be a great avenue to ordinary people wanting to earn money through buying and selling in the comfort of their own home. "The eBay Business Start-Up Kit: With 100s of Live Links to All the Information & Tolls You Need" is a complete, comprehensive, 'user friendly', step-by-step guide to becoming an eBay entrepreneur. From becoming a power seller to dealing with the legal troubles to handing returns, nothing is left to guesswork. Enhanced with a CD-ROM full of useful resources, "The eBay Business Start-Up Kit" is a must for anyone wanting to start their own eBay business with a minimal of start up capital and a maximum of revenue return.

Web Marketing for Small Businesses
Stephanie Diamond
Sourcebooks, Inc.
PO Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois, 60567-4410
9781402211768, $16.95, www.sourcebooks.com

The internet is a powerful tool for many things, such as marketing. "Web Marketing for Small Businesses: 7 Steps to Explosive Business Growth" is a guide for small time entrepreneurs who seek to use the internet to turn their companies around. With advice on finding the right tools and methods to doing so, using the concept of 'Web 2.0', connecting with your customers, online selling, and keeping track of this massive monster, "Web Marketing for Small Businesses" is a must read for any small time business who want to expand.

A Culture Of Rapid Improvement
Raymond C. Floyd
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781563273780, $40.00, www.crcpress.com, 1-800-272-7737

Employees who are good at their job are the bedrock upon which any corporation or business is founded. In "A Culture Of Rapid Improvement: Creating And Sustaining An Engaged Workforce", Raymond C. Floyd draws upon his more than forty years of industrial management experience and expertise to lay out the principles and practices that all corporate managers and business owners must apply if they are to establish, improve, and maintain employees who will insure the competitive advantage and commercial success of any enterprise regardless of the goods or services that company offers in today's highly competitive and volatile marketplace whether it is local, national, or international in scope. Winner of the Shingo Prize and having the distinction of having led businesses from two different industries that were both recognized by 'Industry Week' magazine as being among the 'Best Plants in America', Floyd shows management how to develop shared values and beliefs as a foundation for a dynamic business culture, how to engage all employees in joining that new culture through opportunities to initiate and participate in its improvement, as well as how to measure, evaluate and manage the performance of the new business culture. Of special note is the final section spanning a two year period of six month intervals in applying principles of change and development within the organization that will result in the inculcation of strategic goals from inception to accomplishment. Each chapter concludes with a succinct summarization of the principles and ideas covered in that chapter making "A Culture Of Rapid Improvement" an ideal textbook for MBA programs, a highly recommended addition to academic and corporate Business Management reference collections, as well as an informed and informative read for anyone aspiring to improve their business management skills within a corporate structure.

The Business Start-Up Toolkit
Daniel Sitarz
Nova
1193 W. College St., Carbondale, IL 62901
National Book Network (distribution)
4501 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, MD 20706
9781892949431, $39.95, www.novapublishing.com

Getting started is always the toughest part of starting one's own business. "The Business Start-Up Toolkit" is a guide for those who want to get started but aren't entirely sure how. Giving advice on legal problems in a business start-up, to gathering the money necessary to taxes and more, author Daniel Sitarz offers a complete, comprehensive, and 'user friendly' manual offering step-by-step guidance to successfully launching any business regardless of the products or services it will offer in the marketplace. Sitarz also discusses various forms of businesses, such as limited liability companies, corporations, partnerships, and more. "The Business Start-Up Toolkit" comes with a CD ROM with all the legal forms you need, making it a must for any novice entrepreneur.

Getting the Best From People
Martha I. Finney
FT Press
1 Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Pearson Education
200 Old Tappan Rd, Old Tappan, NJ 07675
9780132354912, $18.99, www.ftpress.com

How do you get the best out of your workers, their A-Game? "The Truth About Getting the Best From People" is a guide for managers and leaders on just that. With advice on keeping their workplace positive and dedicated to the company's goals, motivation facts and myths, and general leadership advice to bring the best out of oneself above all else, "The Truth About Getting the Best From People" is a finely written leadership guide, highly recommended to community library business collections.

Dictionary of International Business Law
Lucas Otto
Global Professional Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing LLC
PO box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9780852976586, $40.00, www.styluspub.com

Legalese is a common term applied to the crazy language of lawyers but what of the language of business? "Dictionary of International Business Law" is a complete and comprehensive glossary of business terms, organized into sections. Each entry explains the topic thoroughly with the intent of helping managers across the board understand the language of businesses, a language that can be incredibly confusing at times. A top pick for any in the harsh world of business, "Dictionary of International Business Law" is highly recommended to community library business collections.

Subject to Change
Peter Merholz & Collaborators
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein HWY N., Sebastopol, CA 95472
9780596516833, $24.99, www.oreilly.com

The world is ever changing, and the world of business changes even faster. "Subject to Change: Creating Great Products and Services for an Uncertain World" is a guide written to help businesses stay on top of this rapidly changing world. Focusing on developing products and brands that can evolve as needed, "Subject to Change" offers advanced strategies for understanding the world of selling, and products that can keep up with chaotic times. "Subject to Change" is a must for anyone who wants a solid and agile business under their command.

The Offshoring Of Engineering
Committee on the Offshoring of Engineering
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9780309114837, $54.00, www.nap.edu, 1-888-624-7654

America's corporate integration into a global economy has both its winners and its losers. The phenomena of 'downsizing' and 'offshoring' has had severe and widespread implications for American workers -- including its engineers. "The Offshoring Of Engineering: Facts, unknowns, And Potential Implications" is a comprehensive study of this subject and after an informative introduction laying out its goals and processes, covers the issues relevant to identifying trends and prospects of offshore outsourcing engineering as a high-skill service job; identifies the effects of offshore outsourcing engineering jobs with respect to the specific industries of software development, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, personal computer manufacturing, construction engineering, and semiconductors. This is followed by reports on workshop findings with respect to trends and impacts, implications for engineering education, and effects upon public policy. Enhanced with six specially commissioned papers and seven specific workshop presentations, "The Offshoring Of Engineering" also includes three appendices: Workshop Agenda; Workshop Participants; and Biographical Information. An invaluable contribution, "The Offshoring Of Engineering" should be considered a core addition to professional and academic library collections, and essential reading for governmental policy makers, corporate advisors, engineering students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest on the impact current American economic policies are having with respect to contemporary globalization efforts and practices in the corporate world.

The Art Of Clairtone
Nina Munk & Rachel Gotlieb
McClelland & Stewart
75 Sherbourne Street, 5th floor, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5A 2P9
9780771065071, $45.00, www.mcclelland.com, 1-800-788-1074

During the 1960s, the Clairtone Sound Corporation had a meteoric success in design and was known for its ability to reflect the spirit of those turbulent, sophisticated, cosmopolitan, experimental times. Founded in 1958 by two young Canadians, Peter Munk and David Gilmour, Clairtone was especially acclaimed for its iconic designs and masterful designs for everything from stereo cabinetry to television panels. Their advertising successes made Clairtone designs an integral part of the popular culture. Their rise to prominence was as dramatic as their sudden collapse and is provided with an insightful commentary by co-authors Nina Munk and Rachel Gotlieb. Enhanced with 250 illustrations (including previously unpublished drawings, rare film stills, confidential memorandums and original photography), this informed and informative corporate history is enhanced further with interviews with its founders, designers, engineers and salesman and is a fitting memorial to one of the most iconoclastic companies that Canada has ever produced. A fascinating read, "The Art Of Clairtone: The Making Of A Design Icon, 1958-1971" is highly recommended reading as a model corporate history.

Performance Consulting
Dana Gaines Robinson & James C. Robinson
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781576754351, $29.95, www.bkconnection.com

To do something without understanding it is a sure recipe for failure. Now in an updated and expanded second addition, "Performance Consulting: A Practical Guide for HR and Learning Professionals" is an informed and informative guide for avoiding commonly encountered Human Resources failures. Drawing upon their years of experience and expertise, co-authors Dana Gaines Robinson and James C. Robinson offer a more complete understanding designed to assist Human Resource personnel to better use their skills in evaluating employees and performances within the context of corporate needs. "Performance Consulting" is a must for HR people and anyone who must look to Performance Consultants on a regular basis.

Loud & Clear
Karen Berg
Career Press
3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781564149879, $14.99, www.careerpress.com

All of the most successful people have a solid filter between their brain and their mouth. "Loud & Clear: 5 Steps to Say What You Mean and Get What You Want" is a practical and 'real world' guide to getting what one wants without making a complete fool of oneself. Good speaking is a skill that must be learned and mastered. Body language, speech mannerisms, and being able to connect with listeners are all part of effective speech. "Loud & Clear" is an invaluable instructional for anyone who wants to get their message across properly.

Business Cases for Info Pros
Ulla De Stricker
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573873352, $39.50, www.infotoday.com

Case by Case basis is a common saying, but for Info professionals, it's all the more true. "Business Cases for Info Pros: Here's Why, Here's How" is a business manual for information professionals who want to offer their client the specialized treatment they deserve. With extra advice on dealing without of the ordinary problems and financing, "Business Cases for Info Pros" comes enhanced with sample presentations, an index, making it highly recommended for information people who want to be the best at what they do.

China Business Culture
Yuan Wang, Xin Sheng Zhang, & Rob Goodfellow
Thorogood
c/o Stylus Publishing (distribution)
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9789810487041, $29.95

Culture is more than just how the common man lives; there is also the culture of business. "China Business Culture: Strategies for Success" is a complete and comprehensive guide to the business culture of the Chinese. Describing the customs and traditions of the business men in this far eastern country, the book makes itself a must for understanding their complex rules and how it may be different from traditional western practices. "China Business Culture" is a must for any who seek to due business with the nation.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Mix n Match Meals in Minutes For People With Diabetes, second edition
Linda Gassenheimer
American Diabetes Association
1701 N. Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580402895, $16.95 www.diabetes.org

Busy schedules and lack of information are no excuse for diabetics wishing healthier lifestyles and meal plans, and Mix n Match Meals in Minutes For People With Diabetes shows exactly how to achieve the most with a series of meal plans and tools to help diabetics prepare the dishes they enjoy. 'Quick and easy' define breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes and there's even a 'speed meals' section of tips for 15-minutes-and-less meals. Any general-interest or health library catering to diabetics know how in-demand food preparation books are, and this joins a growing number of winners.

Eating for Recovery
Molly Siple
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9781600940446, $17.95, www.dacapopress.com

Alcohol destroys families, destroys relationships, it also destroys bodies. "Eating for Recovery: The Essential Nutritional Plan to Reverse the Physical Damage of Alcoholism" is a guide to reversing the long term physical damage than heavy drinking does to the body. First covering what alcohol does to the body, it outlines what to consume to speed recovery and other activities one can do to help the process along. With recipes and day by day diet planners, it's a complete and comprehensive guide to getting your body the resources it needs to help one in a fight against alcohol addiction. "Eating for Recovery" is a must for anyone who is trying to overcome their past demons.

Living Long & Loving It
Irvin M. Korr & Rene J. McGovern
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781591025726, $18.95, www.prometheusbooks.com

The modern elderly are not sentenced to the kind of the senior life of poverty and restricted opportunity typical of their grandparents' generation. Co-authored by Lrvin M. Korr and Rene J. McGovern, "Living Long & Loving It: Achieving a Healthy and Active Lifestyle" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide for those who are striding past the fifty years of age mark and don't want to resign themselves to the rocking chair for the rest of their lives. With a wealth of practical (yet little known) tips, tricks and techniques for staying upbeat about life and health in our senior years, "Living Long & Loving It" outlines the are vulnerabilities associated with our advancing years that must -- and can -- be successfully dealt with by ordinary men and women in ordinary circumstances. 'Reader friendly' from beginning to end, "Living Long & Living It" is a must for seniors who have lived an active life and want to stay that way.

Thinking Your Way to Better Health
Andrew Goliszek
Booklocker Publishing
PO Box 2399, Bangor, ME 04402
Publishers Marketing Agency (publicity)
PO Box 24906, Winston-Salem, NC 27114
9781601454973, $16.95, www.booklocker.com

Is it really all in your head? "Thinking Your Way to Better Health: How to Use the Mind-Body Connection for Health and Self-Healing" is a look at the mind and body connection and how it can help the human body heal. Examining why we get sick and how we overcome it naturally, Dr. Andrew Goliszek is suggesting nothing radical or extreme just simply motivating one's body to do what needs to be done, so that one can be back on his feet faster and without an ailment. "Thinking Your Way to Better Health" is a fine and much needed acquisition to anyone who agrees with the proverb 'Mind over Body'.

The Age of Dedoctorization
Aydin Z. Bill
American Literary Press
8019 Belair Rd., Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
1934696129, $16.95, www.americanliterarypress.com

What happens when business starts to run health? "The Age of Dedoctorization: Memories of a Psychiatrist" is Aydin Bill, a doctor in psychiatry, and his views on his time serving as the last remaining administrator who was a psychiatrist in one of the first private psychiatric hospitals. He expresses his distaste in the lack of care when business takes over. An attack on the problems with some modern psychiatric care, "The Age of Dedoctorization" is a must for those concerned with quality over saving money.

The Handy Anatomy Answer Book
Naomi E. Balaban & James E. Bobick
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578591909, $21.95, www.visibleink.com

The human body is one of the great marvels that is so often overlooked as the marvel it is. "The Handy Anatomy Answer Book: Your Smart Reference" is a deep look into the complex creature that is humanity. With well more than a thousand questions asked and answered about the human body, it will educate and inform. "The Handy Anatomy Answer Book" is a must for anyone who is studying the human body or just has a curiosity that must be satisfied.

Journeys of Heartache and Grace
Melody Chatelle
Langmarc Publishing
PO Box 90488, Austin, TX 78709-0488
9781880292358, $18.95

To be faced with death at such a young age, truly a horrible experience. "Journeys of Heartache and Grace: Conversations and Life Lessons From Young People With Serious Illnesses" is a collection of compelling stories from these children who have to push every bit of their bravery to keep their spirits up in such a terrible time. Their insights on the short life they have experienced is uplifting, making "Journeys of Heartache and Grace" a must read for those who want their hearts to beat with renewed vigor in their appreciation of life and what life has to offer, despite serious illnesses.

Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease
Rosalind Joffe & Joan Friedlander
Demos Health
386 Park Ave, Suite 301, New York, NY 10016
9781932603682, $18.95, www.demoshealth.com

Chronic Illness can be a problem with the quality of our lives, but it doesn't mean one has to stop living it. This is the premise of co-authors Rosalind Joffe and Joan Friedlander in "Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend!", a book of encouragement and practical wisdom for those women who are faced with some form of chronic illness on top of dealing with a career. Focusing on how to overcome it for your career and how to excel at it, it's an optimistic although realistic look, also containing chapters on dealing with job loss from illness. Any woman with a chronic illness needs to read and can substantially benefit from "Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease".


The Fiction Shelf

Master of the Delta
Thomas H. Cook
Harcourt Inc.
15 East 26th Street, New York NY 10010
9780151012541, $24.00 www.harcourt.com

Jack Branch has returned to his father's Delta estate to teach at the local high school. During his class on historical evil he's shocked to discover student Eddie is the son of local murderer the Coed Killer and tries to mentor the boy to help him set a good example. When a friendship with the boy's father ensues, danger evolves in this masterful mystery recommended for any general-interest collection strong in novels and mysteries.

Blood Etc.
Gee Williams
Parthian
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781905762071, $17.95, www.parthianbooks.co.uk

Award winning author and writer Gee Williams brings readers a treat with "Blood, Etc.", a collection of short stories. The stories, mature and unique to appeal to many reader's tastes, tackle subjects such as families, memories, obsessions, and other topics. Engrossing and captivating, "Blood, Etc." is highly recommended to all general unique fiction fans as reading worth their time.

Small Lives
Pierre Michon
Archipelago Books
232 Third St. #A111, Brooklyn, NY 11215
9780972869218, $15.00, www.archipelagobooks.org

We're all ultimately a part of something bigger. "Small Lives" is from acclaimed French author Pierre Michon, deftly translated into English by Jody Gladding and Elizabeth Deshays. The story follows a series of eight lives and how they are all intertwined with each other, Michon himself explores humanity through their lives, and begins to discover something about himself as he writes. Touching and inspiring writing, "Small Lives" is highly recommended to world fiction fans everywhere.

Sailor Girl
Sheree-Lee Olson
The Porcupine's Quill
c/o Timinkster, RGD
68 Main Street, Erin, ON N0B 1T0, Canada
9780889843011, $27.95, www.sentex.net/"pql

What drives a nineteen-year-old girl to find herself on a harsh ship? "Sailor Girl" is Kate McLeod's story of her time on a Great Lakes Grain boat. She is trying to get over a harsh relationship with a boyfriend who treated her as if she was sub human, and she finds comfort in the brutal labor that comes with being a sailor. A tale of growing up done in an unusual and unique way, "Sailor Girl" is highly recommended for its sweet blend of elements and original presentation.

How to Make a Wave
Lisa Hurst-Archer
Red Deer Press
311 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135
9780889953956, $12.95, www.fitzhenry.ca

What is the reason we're sometimes miserable? "How to Make a Wave" follows young Delia, who with her low self-esteem, shuts herself out from the world. She faces the world and finds that maybe shutting herself in wasn't so bad when she finds the painful history of her family. But she learns to face in a desire to learn the truth. That truth may make a wave in his previously stagnant life, making "How to Make a Wave" a unique and highly recommended piece of fiction.

If Every Month Were June
Tony Bender
Fulcrum Books
4690 Table Mountain Drive, Suite 100, Golden, CO 80403
9781555916602, $14.95, www.fulcrumbooks.com

There's a line between appreciating a tasteful picture of a swimsuit calendar model and driving across the country to meet her. "If Every Month Were June: A Comedic Quest for True Love" follows Hooter Pridley as he crosses than line. Smitten with Trixie Foxalot, he begins to drive to Los Angeles and meets an array of characters. Laugh at loud funny, "If Every Month Were June" is recommended for anyone looking for novel that will be too humorous to put down.

In Love
Alfred Hayes
Peter Owen Ltd.
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9780720612943, $25.95, www.dufoureditions.com, 1-800-869-5677

The late Alfred Hayes (1911-1985) was a prolific and talented writer whose credits include seven novels and a series of screenplays and adaptations for television. Perhaps the very best of his novels is "In Love", a story set in Manhattan during the 1940s when a middle-aged man relates to a young stranger the story of a last love affair that was replete with lust, emotion, depression, and a dysfunctional relationship. A finely crafted work of enduring literary merit which was originally published in 1953, "In Love" is now once again available to a new generation of appreciative readers and is an especially recommended addition to both academic and community library collections.

Vanish
Tom Pawlik
Tyndale Fiction
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414318936, $12.99, www.tyndalefiction.com

Storms are violent things, and often frighten to those caught out in them. "Vanish" is a story of where that fear is rightful, as Connor, Helen, and Mitch, all strangers to one another, find themselves alone after a violent storm leaves them the only pieces of humanity left around. Or are they? Their hunt to find other people leads them to a conclusion that may just make them hope they were alone once more. "Vanish" is an intriguing story of suspense, sure to keep readers reading all the way through.

A Violet Butterfly
Mae Turner
Infinity Publishing
1094 New DeHaven Street, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713
0741441020, $16.95, www.infinitypublishing.com

Friendship is something all too often lost to the sands of time. "A Violet Butterfly" is the tale of six friends, each of whom considers one another the best friends they could possibly have. But time has a way of separating people; eventually the six are brought back together a decade or so after they last met. One of their own is dead, and their friendship is strained. Can they recover what they once had, or is it even worth the effort? "A Violet Butterfly" is a story of friendship undergoing a severe test, and how much human bonds can endure. Highly recommended.

Terminal Vibrato
Stanford Pritchard
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th, Street, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10011
9780825305139, $23.00, www.beaufortbooks.com

A life is barren without the inclusion of other people. "Terminal Vibrato: And Other Stories" is an anthology of short stories by Stanford Pritchard, an award winning novelist, poet, and playwright. His stories focus on the relationships between people and how they form the very people involved in them. The stories speak to the soul, and will entertain alongside enlighten. "Terminal Vibrato" is a unique set of writing which is highly recommended for personal, community, and academic Literary Studies and Short Story collections.

Leslie
Richard Matturro
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama, Station 22, Livingston, Alabama, 35470
9781604890037, $15.95, www.livingston.uwa.edu

Nostalgia can be a cruel mistress. "Leslie" follows the titular character as she reminisces about an old boyfriend from decades ago back when she was only a bright eyed youth. As she pursues him, she begins to find information that effects her idealized picture of him. She questions her desire to meet him once more, for it may very destroy her memories that she cherishes so. "Leslie" is a story of cherished memories and the present that threatens to taint them. An entertaining tale all the way through, "Leslie" is a highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Fiction collections.

The Cult of Quick Repair
Dede Crane
Coteau Books
2517 Victoria Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4P OT2
9781550503920, $18.95, www.coteaubooks.com

Quick fixes never seem to last. "The Cult of Quick Repair" by Dede Crane is a deftly compilation anthology of steamy stories following the lives and adventures of some truly unique and gripping characters. Focusing on contemporary life and everything that goes with it, these are stories filled with dark comedy that fills everyone's everyday life. "The Cult of Quick Repair" is a great set of deftly told tales that anyone living the modern life will relate to with great ease and enjoy with equally great satisfaction.

Anatevka
Joseph Krasniansky
Anatevka Publishing
Suite 3, Butlers Wharf, New Road, Hebden Bridge
West Yorkshire, HX7 8AF, United Kingdom
9780955904509, 9.50 British Pounds, www.anatevka-publishing.com

In a kind of stream-of-consciousness style of storytelling, "Anatevka" is novel that presents the mental ramblings of a 59-year-old man of Russian-Jewish origin who is being treated in a hospital in the North of England for cancer. He once wrote a screenplay based on the story of his mother and grandmother who were separated by the Cold War for 44 years. It was a screenplay for a movie that was never produced. As he lays in his hospital bed under the influence of morphine, he reminisces about his life and the screenplay, as well as experiencing vividly erotic dreams about the various women he has known in his life. As the doses of morphine are increased, the boundary between fact and fiction in his mind becomes increasingly blurred until at the end, he can no longer distinguish between the film he has created in his head and what had actually happened in his life. "Anatevka" is a novel offering fascinating perspectives on the lives of three generations within a single family who endured the events, challenges, and changes in some 70+ years of Russian and European history from Stalin's purges of 1937 to the collapse of Soviet Communism, to the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001. Author Joseph Krasniansky is a deftly skilled novelist with a unique flair for memorable storytelling populated with equally memorable characters. The result is a highly recommended read that is as entertaining as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking.


The American History Shelf

John Smith's Chesapeake Voyages 1607-1609
Helen C. Rountree, Wayne E. Clark, and Kent Mountford
University of Virginia Press
PO Box 400318, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4318
9780813926445, $35.00 www.upress.virginia.edu 1-800-831-3406

John Smith's Chesapeake Voyages 1607-1609 is a scholarly, extensive, and detailed examination of Captain John Smith's historic voyages exploring the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers. Smith himself documented his travels with care; the famous event when he was captured and brought before the great chief Powhatan was only one highlight of a vast and intrepid adventure. John Smith's Chesapeake Voyages 1607-1609 reconstructs Smith's travels day by day, discussing the Native American reaction to British territorial encroachment as well as Smith's viewpoint, and meticulously calculates the winds, tides, and local currents Smith would have faced on his journey. Illustrated with a scattering of black-and-white as well as color maps and vintage artworks, John Smith's Chesapeake Voyages 1607-1609 is a seminal contribution to American history shelves in general and Chesapeake Bay history shelves in particular. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.

"A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia"
Thomas Hariot
University of Virginia Press
PO Box 400318, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4318
9780813926056, $35.00, www.upress.virginia.edu, 1-800-831-3406

The men of the 15th and 16th centuries who first explored the Eastern seaboard of the New World left written records of their travels that have been of significant interest to 21st century scholarship and academia. Thomas Hariot's "A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia" is a facsimile edition of the 1590 Theodor de Bry Latin Edition featuring the modernized English text is a four hundred year old document published for the Library at the Mariners' Museum by the University of Virginia Press. The original, highly illustrated edition served to provide Europeans with their first introduction to the American continent and shaped contemporary European perceptions of North America -- and subsequent research on that period ever since. Containing hand-colored illustrations from the period, the original is one of only three recorded copies with colored plates still in existence. This superbly produced and highly recommended edition with the inclusion of a contemporary English text for present day academia should be considered an essential and core addition to academic library American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Technology, Innovation, and Southern Industrialization
Susanna Delfino & Michele Gillespie
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826217950, $24.95, www.press.umsystem.edu

The stereotype of the south has always been one of a people backwards and not up with the times. "Technology, Innovation, and Southern Industrialization: From the Antebellum Era to the Computer Age" seeks to dispel that myth by discussing the south's contributions to America's revolutions in technology as the country entered the twentieth century and brought technology to the forefront of humanity's achievements. With a look at southern inventions so often overlooked as southern, "Technology, Innovation, and Southern Industrialization" is a history book that any southern intellectual can look on with pride for his region.

Brides of the Multitude
Jeremy Agnew
Western Reflections Publishing Company
PO Box 1149, 951 N. Highway 149, Lake City 81235
9781932738490, $16.95

The Old west brothel shares as much of a historical image as does the cowboy or undertaker. "Brides of the Multitude: Prostitution in the Old West" is a look at where the income of many of the old western cowboy dollars went the houses of ill repute. Looking at the women themselves, why they came to the oldest profession in history, and how they dealt with the daily hazards of the profession such as contraception and venereal diseases. The information found within is intriguing and of interest to any history fan who wants a look at what is never taught in school. "Brides of the Multitude" is enthusiastically recommended to history collections everywhere.

Lincoln at Peoria: The Turning Point
Lewis E. Lehrman
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
9780811703611, $29.95 www.stackpolebooks.com 1-800-732-3669

Lincoln at Peoria: The Turning Point is an in-depth, historical and critical analysis of Abraham Lincoln's three-hour speech delivered at Peoria on October 16, 1854. The speech would come to mark a crucial turning point in Lincoln's political career, and therefore the history of America. Chapters give extensive historical context and frame of reference to Lincoln's speech, which firmly established his opposition to the further extension of slavery in the American republic and embodying Lincoln's anti-slavery campaign. A seminal and scholarly reference, Lincoln at Peoria is especially recommended for college library and American history shelves.

Lincoln's Lost Legacy
Simon Topping
University Press of Florida
University of Florida, 15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813032283, $65.00 www.upf.com 1-800-226-3822

Lincoln's Lost Legacy: The Republican Party and the African American Vote, 1928-1952 is a scholarly study of an astounding shift in American politics - how the Republican party, once the party of President Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, lost the support and the votes of the descendants of the black slaves it once freed. Why did so many African-Americans leave the Grand Old Party and join the ranks of the Democratic Party in the 1930s and 40s? Author Simon Topping (lecturer of American Studies at the University of Plymouth, England) reveals how, during 1928-1952, the Republican party shifted toward an institution favoring big business and small government - and how it utterly neglected the concerns of African-Americans, in particularly dragging its feet on such issues as anti-lynching laws and the abolishment of the poll tax. "To make matters worse, the GOP repeatedly fashioned ad hoc alliances with the Dixiecrats, the worst elements of American politics, throughout the period. The Dixiecrats were antidemocratic and unashamedly racist, lacked any real mandate, were utterly contemptuous of northern (and, indeed, world) public opinion, and were answerable only to themselves... these racist reactionaries, due to their entrenched positions within Congress, were much more important politically to both the Democrats and the Republicans than African Americans, regardless of the strategic importance of the black vote in the north. African Americans were extremely badly let down by both parties." An absolute must-have for any library or private collection strong in American political history.

Island Folk: The People of Isle Royale
Peter Oikarinen
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
9780816653362, $16.95 www.upress.umn.edu

Freelance writer and photographer (and Lake Superior resident) Peter Oikarinen presents Island Folk: The People of Isle Royale, an eminently readable history of the working fishing community that is the people who call Isle Royale home. Illustrated with a scattering black-and-white photography revealing the natural beauty of the land and the hardy spirit of the people who live there, Island Folk: The People of Isle Royale lives up to its title with its chronicle of memories that tell how the island transformed from a simple fishing village to a popular destination for tourists who come by boat or seaplane. Especially recommended reading for anyone preparing to see Isle Royale for themselves - or for armchair travelers ready to savor the next best thing to visiting Isle Royale's residents in person.

The Texas Republic
William Ransom Hogan
Texas State Historical Association
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, D0901, Austin, TX 78712-0332
Texas A&M University Press (distribution)
Drawer C, College Station, TX 77843-4354
www.tamu.edu/upress 1-800-826-8911
9780876112205, $24.95, www.tsha.utexas.edu, 1-800-687-8132

Texas historian and academician first published his ground breaking revisionist history "The Texas Republic: A Social & Economic History" in 1946. His major innovation was to present the lives of ordinary people as well as the major military and political icons that had dominated the field with prior histories of the Lone Star State. Professor Hogan produced a history that was immensely popular with both academia and the general reading public. Long out of print, the Texas State historical Association has brought this landmark Texas history back into print for the edification of a new generation of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Texas history. Clearly a work of a pre-Civil Rights era, the role of African Americans and Tejanos is largely ignored. Nonetheless, "The Texas Republic: A Social & Economic History" is highly recommended reading as an example of how the portrayal of Texas history was beginning to turn away from an exclusive focus upon the great men of the Republic period, toward a more comprehensive perspective that would include the lives, contributions and accomplishments of common citizens. Of special note is the new and informative introduction to this classic work by Gregg Cantrell who holds the Emma and Ralph Lowe Chair in Texas history at Texas Christian University.

In Defense Of Our Neighbors
Mary Woodward
Fenwick Publishing Group Inc.
3147 Point White Drive, Suite 100, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co.
PO Box 10306, Portland, OR 97296-0306
978097451072, $24.95, www.fenwickpublishng.com

One of the tragic consequences of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 was the panicked reaction of the American government resulting in the forcible relocation of the Japanese Americans into internment camps for the duration of the war years. "In Defense Of Our Neighbors: The Walt And Milly Woodward Story" is the true and personal account of a husband and wife who used the pages of their Bainbridge Island, Washington newspaper 'Banbridge Review' to plead for compassion and restraint with respect to the government's relocating the 227 men, women and children of Japanese descent who lived on Bainbridge Island (a half-hour ferry ride from Seattle across the waters of the Puget Sound) on March 30, 1942 in accordance with orders originating with President Roosevelt. This was the first relocation effort the government engaged in and became the model for all the other community evacuations up and down the western coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. During the years of internments, Walt and Milly continued to publish news of their neighbors' weddings, births, deaths, and other milestones -- including details of the conditions of those internment camps to which their neighbors had been exiled. This obscure episode of 20th century American history is told in great and documented detail by Mary Woodward, the daughter of Walt and Milly and includes previously unpublished photos from local historical societies, poignant reflections from internment survivors and Bainbridge locals, and is a unique, informative, and highly recommended addition to academic and community library 20th Century American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Self-Help Shelf

Stop Being Pushed Around!
Lynda Bevan
Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Superior Book Promotions (publicity)
1202 Pine Street, Marquette, MI 49855
9781932690453, $14.95, www.lovinghealing.com

Sometimes just developing the fortitude to do things can make a world of difference in itself. "Stop Being Pushed Around! A Practical Guide" is a guide to building self esteem, self confidence, and in general just standing up for oneself when it comes to relationships. Encouraging readers to stand up to that boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, and attempting to make a relationship as it should be, a fifty-fifty affair. "Stop Being Pushed Around!" is what you can do to make your relationships happier for you and why you shouldn't feel selfish about it.

You're Amazing
Claire Mysko
Adams Media
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
9781598697131, $8.95, www.adamsmedia.com

Society asks so much of its teenagers, so what is a teenager to do? "You're Amazing: A No-Pressure Guide to Being Your Best Self" is a guide aimed at teenage girls to better deal with the stress that is being a teenage girl. It tackles the problems with sound advice, touching on topics such as high school, balancing family, friends, and yourself, young romances, and so much more. "You're Amazing" is the perfect gift to any stressed out teenager.

Prayers for Hope and Comfort
Maggie Oman Shannon
Red Wheel, Weiser, Conari Book Publishers
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781573243193, $15.95, www.redweheelweiser.com

Prayer is a universal phenomena and practice which is exclusive to no single religion. "Prayers for Hope and Comfort: Reflections, Meditations, and Inspirations" is a collection of prayers and sage wisdom from a great span of sources. From Martin Luther King Jr. to Confucius, "Prayers for Hope and Comfort" is an impressive and memorable compendium of great religious wisdom in the form of prayers ranging from Christianity to Buddhism. As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is inspired and inspiring, "Prayers for Hope and Comfort" is very highly recommended addition to personal, community Religious Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Heal & Forgive II
Nancy Richards
Blue Dolphin Publishing
PO Box 8, Nevada City, 95959
9781577332206, $16.00, www.bluedolphinpublishing.com

Inner family arguments can truly be devastating and heart wrenching. "Heal & Forgive II: The Journey from Abuse and Estrangement to Reconciliation" is a guide for families to better deal with their conflicts. Richards draws on her own experiences and estrangement from her family for nearly a decade and a half. Saying that restoring family harmony requires efforts from all involved, "Heal & Forgive II" is a must for any at ends with a member of their immediate family.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Of Parrots and People
Mira Tweti
Viking Press
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670019694, $25.95 www.penguin.com

Some 50 million parrots are kept as pets in this country, yet their nature remains oblique to many. Parrots score at the level of three- to five-year-olds on human intelligence tests, they can live to be a hundred, and the species has also become fragile and is vanishing. OF PARROTS AND PEOPLE comes from a journalist and parrot expert and blends science with history and humor, making for a winning, appealing book highly recommended for non-specialist general readers with parrots for pets, any general-interest library, and academic library science collections specializing in natural history.

TFH
One TFH Plaza, Third and Union Avenues, Neptune City NJ 07753
www.tfh.com

If you've ever seen your aquarium fish look hungry for more, then Michael R. Hellweg's Culturing Live Foods: A Step-by-Step Guide for Culturing One's Own Food for the Home Aquarium (9780793806553, $35.95) is for you. It tells how to make happier fish by cultivating live foods they like plants, multi-celled organisms, crustaceans, mollusks and worms over 80 such foods in all. Culture methods, materials needed, color sidebars of reference information and more make for discussions of species, care, and what kinds of aquarium fish they can feed. Libraries specializing in aquarium owner's guides will find this offers something different for the avid aquarium owner. Robert M. Fenner's THE CONSCIENTIOUS MARINE AQUARIST (9781890087999, $69.95) is an outstanding library reference. Revised and updated in a second edition, it provides saltwater hobbyists with a wealth of detail on keeping a successful saltwater aquarium. Chapters cover, in detail, everything from water health and saltwater species biology to discussions of setup options, maintenance, and more. Color photos abound and the information is detailed, not cursory. A top pick any saltwater hobbyist and collections catering to them must have. Equally recommended as Chris R. Brightwell's THE NANO-REEF HANDBOOK: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO REEF SYSTEMS UNDER 15 GALLONS (0793805724, $26.95). Details on all aspects of such an aquarium system cover filtration, lighting, water quality, temperature control, and stocking levels: all key considerations hobbyists need.

Human to Horseman
Rick Lamb
Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
9781570763946, $24.95, www.horseandriderbooks.com

The bond between man and horse is ancient. "Human to Horseman: A Journey of Discovery, Growth, and Celebration" is a book of advice, tips, tricks and techniques for any aspiring horseman or horsewoman who want to master their skill riding horses for fun, for competition, or for work. Covering both the basic techniques riders should know to get started to advanced techniques to training horses oneself, "Human to Horseman" is a must for anyone who loves enjoys riding horses.

Frog Oddities & Trivia
Time O' Brien
Ripley Publishing
7576 Kingspointe Parkway, Suite 188, Orlando, 32819
9781893951334, $9.88, www.ripley.com

Frogs have always occupied a strange place between gross and fascinating. "Frog Oddities & Trivia: A Journey Through the Rapidly Shrinking World of Amphibians" is a compilation of facts and trivia about the amphibious creature. Also of focus is their endangered status and how many species of frog are in danger of extinction. Sure to please the offbeat child who falls into the fascinated category in their opinions of Frogs, "Frog Oddities & Trivia" would be an ideal gift for them.

Animal Subjects
Jodey Castricano, editor
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5
9780889205123, $38.95, www.wlupress.wlu.ca

Animals are an invaluable part of today's society. But is the cruelty necessary? "Animal Subjects: An Ethical Reader in a Posthuman World" is a look at how modern humanity treats its relatives in the animal kingdom. With countless essays on the subject from writers all over the world and close to the fields at hand, the thoughts and ideas presented are complete and scholarly, sure to inform and enlighten readers to new ideas they never would have thought of. "Animal Subjects" is of high recommendation to any ethical studies course and college library collection on ethics.

Veterinary Technician's Daily Reference Guide: Canine and Feline
Candyce M. Jack, LVT and Patricia M. Watson, LVT
Mark S. Donovan, DVM, consulting editor
Blackwell Publishing
2121 State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014-8300
9780813812045 www.blackwellpublishing.com 1-800-216-2522

Now in a fully revised and updated second edition, Veterinary Technician's Daily Reference Guide: Canine and Feline is an in-depth reference for veterinary technicians in practice or training. Spiral-bound to lay flat for easy reference, Veterinary Technician's Daily Reference Guide: Cats and Dogs covers all aspects of a technician's responsibility when looking after dogs and cats, from simple physical examination to specific nursing and technical procedures. Information is cross-referenced with chapter tabs for ease of quickly looking up critical matters. Almost 200 images (more than 100 of them new) illustrate this solid resource, assembled by two experts each with an associate degree in veterinary technology. A "must-have" for anyone seriously pursuing or engaged in the field of veterinary medicine for dogs and cats.

Frogs & Toads of Big Bend National Park
Gage H. Dayton, Raymond Skiles & Linnea Dayton
Texas A&M University Press
Drawer C, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781585445769, $12.95 www.tamu.edu/upress 1-800-826-8911

Amphibian life is as diverse as it is global, as fascinating as it is essential in the ecosystem it is an integral part of. Printed on high-quality paper with a moisture-resistant cover, and illustrated with full-color photographs of frog and toad species on virtually every page, Frogs & Toads of Big Bend National Park is a nature guide accessible to amateur naturalists and professional herpetologists alike. Consisting of an overview followed by a species-by-species listing that includes how to identify a given frog or toad and its natural history, Frogs & Toads of Big Bend National Park is the definitive guide to its subject matter. An absolute "must-have" for anyone interested in casually or professionally studying Big Bend National Park's fascinating amphibians and reptiles.

Dogtown
Bob Somerville
Sellers Publishing
161 John Roberts Road, S. Portland, Maine 04106
9781416205265, $16.95, www.rsvp.com

For a species dubbed Man's best friend, canines are sadly horribly abused by their so-called friends. "Dogtown: A Sanctuary for Rescued Dogs" is the story of the country's biggest no kill animal sanctuary. The sanctuary focuses on keeping animals in loving homes and off the streets and away from cruel masters. An uplifting tale that dog lovers will relish, "Dogtown" is enhanced with more than eighty full color photos, earning it an enthusiastic recommendation.

The Ethical Dog Trainer
Jim Barry
Dogwise
PO Box 2778/701 B Poplar St. Wenatchee, WA 98807-2778
9781929242566, $19.95, www.dogwise.com

Ethics are involved in every sort of business, regardless of what the goods or services being offered to the public maybe. Because it involves working with canines, author Jim Barry justifiably asserts that something as simple (and as complex) as dog training especially requires a firm foundation of ethics. "The Ethical Dog Trainer: A Practical Guide for Canine Professionals" is an informed and informative guide to ethics regarding this specialized profession. "The Ethical Dog Trainer" is a must for anyone considering this profession or is in it and needs a discussion of what is right and wrong in this field, especially when it is inevitable that a dog trainer must cope with such ethical decisions as dealing with an abusive client who will not treat their dog right. "The Ethical Dog Trainer" should be a part of every professional and community library Pets/Wildlife reference collection in general -- and Canine Care and Training supplemental reading list in particular.


The Biography Shelf

Behind Every Man
Joan Stauffer
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806139524, $19.95 www.oupress.com

After Nancy Cooper married Charlie Russell in 1895 she helped turn him from a common ranch hand who sketched in his spare time to a full-time artist who sold and exhibited around the world. BEHIND EVERY MAN: THE STORY OF NANCY COOPER RUSSELL provides a striking story of the woman who made Charles Russell a world-famous artist: it deserves a spot in any art history library, any library strong in women's studies, and many a general-interest collection, painting a vivid portrait of Nancy Cooper in the only full-length coverage of her life and contributions.

Searching for Dad
Byron Ricks
Brown Books
16200 North Dallas Parkway #170, Dallas, TX 75248
9781934812129, $17.95 www.brownbooks.com

Author Byron Ricks shares his story about the challenges he faced and who he became growing up without a father, creating a memoir which is more than about his life alone, but mirrors the experiences of children raised without fathers. Fathers who don't realize the impact of their absence, and mothers uncertain of how to fill a father's shoes, will also find plenty of revelation in this hard-hitting account of growing up fatherless.

Flory: A Miraculous Story of Survival
Flory A. Van Beek
HarperOne
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022
9780061176142, $23.95 www.harpercollins.com

In 1939 as Nazi forces became a reality, the Jewish population through Europe faced options to flee and lose all or go into hiding. The author, a Holocaust survivor, faced this choice and her story follows her dark journey as she relates her teen years spent in terror when the Nazis invaded her neutral homeland of Holland. Any library strong in first-person Holocaust memoirs needs this.

Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian
Scott Douglas
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780786720910, $25.00 www.dacapopress.com

Librarians are known for their knowledge of the system and penchant for silence, but QUIET, PLEASE goes beyond the stereotypes in presenting a series of librarian profiles to spice the profession. From a librarian who thinks Thomas Pynchon is Julia Robert's latest love to a patron who believes the government is canceling her print jobs, patron as well as librarian anecdotes and history are blended into a survey of library events and fun circumstances from Carnegie to modern Afghanistan, making for a fun and whirlwind tour perfect for any general-interest lending library.

Undercover
John W. Schilling
AMACOM
c/o American Management Association
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814474500, $24.00 www.amacombooks.org

UNDERCOVER also deserves mention for any library strong in business, healthcare, or social issues but it's also a fascinating true crime memoir telling of the accountant author's joining of Columbia Healthcare Corporation, a network of public hospitals, where he changed from an ordinary employee and citizen to a covert FBI informant and top witness for the Justice Department in the largest criminal healthcare fraud case in U.S. history. His choice placed him and his family in danger and challenged his career path, ethics and more in this fascinating autobiography of a whistleblower.

Memoirs of a Southern Woman of Letters
Grace King
Pelican Publishing
1000 Burmaster, Gretna, LA 70053
9781589800656, $30.00 www.pelicanpub.com

Grace King's memoir of life in New Orleans from the Civil War to the Depression traces the crises and changes in Crescent City society, so it's more than just another autobiography by a Southern belle. King became an independent woman and breadwinner, breaking with Southern tradition to pursue an intellectual career and defending the South: hers is an absorbing, winning memoir perfect for collections strong in either autobiography, women's writings or Southern history.

Outlaw Journalist: The Life & Times of Hunter Thompson
William McKeen
W.W. Norton
500 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393061925, $27.95 www.wwnorton.com

Any collection strong in the works or life of Hunter S. Thompson will relish OUTLAW JOURNALIST. It offers up a definitive biography of the inventor of 'Gonzo journalism', going beyond examination of his use of drugs and his drinking to consider the writer and man who was considered an outlaw in his industry and a hero to the world. Both general-interest and journalism libraries will find it an absorbing pick and a popular, lasting lend.

Not My Turn to Die
Savo Heleta
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814401651, $22.00 www.amacombooks.org

NOT MY TURN TO DIE: MEMOIRS OF A BROKEN CHILDHOOD IN BOSNIA tells of the author's struggle for life in 1996, just after the end of the Bosnia-Herzegovina war, when the then-17-year-old faced the man who had tried to kill his grandfather and terrorized his family during the war a man who had been a former family friend. From his childhood pre-war to his internment, freedom, and eventual healing, NOT MY TURN TO DIE will find its place in any general-interest library.

Still Alive!
Herbert Gold
Arcade
116 John Street, #2810, New York, NY 10038
9781559708708, $25.00, www.arcadepub.com

One doesn't survive three quarters of a century by hiding in their home. "Still Alive! A Temporary Condition" is Herbert Gold looking back on his long life and wondering where it all went to. With a Bohemian look at life and the changing times throughout the twentieth century and the dawning of the twenty-first, his imagination brings much cleverness and thought for readers to feast upon. "Still Alive!" is a fresh memoir from a man who is not so fresh, highly recommended.

A Persistent Peace
John Dear
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
DeChant, Hughes, & Associates (publicity)
1440 N. Kingsbury, Chicago, IL 60622
9780829427202, $22.95, www.loyolapress.com

People who spend time in Prison are violent criminals, not men of peace. "A Persistent Peace: One Man's Struggle for a Nonviolent World" is the story John Dear, a man who converted to Christianity later in his life and decided to take up the call to spread Jesus's famous words 'love thy neighbor as you love thyself.' The wisdom, while celebrated by many, isn't universally accepted, as his stands against several get him into trouble. A saddening and inspiring story at the same time where one can have such a positive message for it to be ignored, "A Persistent Peace" is a must for anyone seeking a biography of a different sort.

Rebel
John Singleton Mosby
Bison Books
c/o University of Nebraska Press
1111 Lincoln Mall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0630
9780803216099, $19.95, www.bisonbooks.com

The Lawyer is never seen as a figure who could become a fierce and zealous warrior. "Rebel: The Life and Times of John Singleton Mosby" is the life story of an unsung hero. When the civil war kicked off, Mosby was a simple attorney in Virginia, but soon rose through the ranks of the army as the war raged on. When the Confederacy fell apart, his loyalty was devout, and he is often promoted as the last confederate officer to surrender. The legend that his life doesn't end there, as the following half century is filled with interest, even serving for President Theodore Roosevelt. "Rebel" is a must read of a man whose life, despite not having the renown it deserves, is fine and excellent reading indeed.

Only as Good as Your Word
Susan Shapiro
Seal Press
1400 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608
9781580052207, $15.95, www.sealpress.com

The adventures of making it as a professional writer it's more than an endless stack of rejection slips. "Only As Good As Your Word: Writing Lessons from My Favorite Literary Gurus" is author Susan Shapiro's memoir of her life trying to make it with her pastime of writing. Focusing on the wisdom imparted on her from her countless mentors over the years, it serves as an excellent source in itself for writers and aspiring writers. "Only As Good As Your Word: Writing Lessons from My Favorite Literary Gurus" is highly recommended to community library memoir collections.

No Such Thing as a Free Ride
Simon & Tom Sykes
Goose Lane
330-500 Beaverbrook Court, Fredericton, NB, Canada E3B 5X4
9780864925053, $19.95, www.gooselane.com

At its best, soliciting rides from the side of the road can be a truly memorable adventure in traveling across the country, "No Such Thing as a Free Ride?: A Collection of Hitchhiking Tales" is what it says it is, an array of stories from those who have traveled long distances on the kindness of others to give them a ride. The stories are wide and varied, representing the experiences of people of many different creeds, class, and type mingle out on the road. "No Such Thing as a Free Ride?" is an entertaining collection, and especially recommended reading for anyone who has ever hitchhiked across the country -- or contemplates doing so.

Traveling Home
Charlotte Hill & Don White
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
9780825428999, $11.99

Cancer isn't something that happens to twenty year olds. "Traveling Home: A Young Man's Story of Courage and Faith" is a mother and uncle's recollection of a man taken from the world far too soon. Peter Hill was diagnosed with a cancer at age twenty, passing away a year later. His acceptance of his fate at such a young age is the center of the story as they tell of his last months on this Earth and his embrace of God. "Traveling Home" is a must for any parent who is faced with a similar tragic situation.

Going Over All The Hurdles
John A. Beineke
Indiana Historical Society Press
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
9780871952608, $17.95, www.indianahistory.org

Equality of all races was not a widely embraced idea in the United States until the past few decades. "Going Over All The Hurdles: A Life of Oatess Archey" is a story of a remarkable man. Marion, Indiana, known by many for notorious lynchings, was not open to a black intellectual and law man. Oatess Archey overcame that anyway, working up from a lowly janitor to teacher to coach to FBI agent to sheriff. His overcoming of the odds makes for a good read, making "Going Over All the Hurles" highly recommended to those who want to read of a man beating racism, and an invaluable contribution to community and academic library Black Studies and 20th Century American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Pearl of Great Price
Sergei Hackel
St. Vladimir's Seminary Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Crestwood, NY 10707-1699
9780913836859, $15.00, www.svspress.com

The Jews were not the only victims of Hitler's genocidal and homicidal policies. "Pearl of Great Price: The Life of Mother Maria Skobtsova 1891-1945" is her story of why this remarkable woman is canonized by the Orthodox church. An unconventional nun having two failed marriages, given birth to children, she answered the call to faith as World War II swept Europe. Supporting both the refugees of a battered and beaten France and the Jews, she soon found herself in the concentration camps with them. Even forced there, she continued her efforts to help people, eventually earning a tragic death for her efforts. A welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Holocaust Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Pearl of Great Price" is the true story of a truly remarkable woman, and an enduring testament to the human spirit.

Victor Herbert: A Theatrical Life
Neil Gould
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823228713, $44.95 www.fordhampress.com 1-800-247-6553

Written by Neil Gould, Artistic Director of the Victor Herbert Festival held annually at Saratoga Springs, New York, Victor Herbert: A Theatrical Life is the in-depth biography of one of late nineteenth and early twentieth century America's cultural leaders: Victor Herbert, author of scores of songs, marches, concerts, and more. Victor Herbert is best known as one of the grandfathers of modern musical theater; his talented compositions amalgamated theatrical, classical, and popular elements. Gould's biography explores not only the life of the man, but the fine nuances of his musical work, and the turnings of America popular culture during Herbert's era. A studious account that is nonetheless accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Victor Herbert: A Theatrical Life is enthusiastically recommended for American music history collections.

Kenneth Milton Chapman: A Life Dedicated to Indian Arts and Artists
Janet Chapman and Karen Barrie
University of New Mexico Press
MSC04 2820, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
9780826344243, $34.95 www.unmpress.com 1-800-249-7737

Kenneth Milton Chapman: A Life Dedicated to Indian Arts and Artists is the true-life biography of scholar, author, and artist Kenneth Milton Chapman, whose study of Pueblo pottery was unparalleled among Anglo-Americans during the first half of the twentieth century. More than an expert in Native American arts, Chapman became a respected and beloved figure whose influence helped foster a virtual renaissance of Southwest pottery craft during the 1920s. Illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, Kenneth Milton Chapman: A Life Dedicated to Indian Arts and Artists spares no detail in recounting Chapman's life, studies, and legacy. A welcome addition to biography and Native American studies collections alike.

The First Vice Lord
Arthur J. Bilek
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581826395, $24.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com 1-888-439-2665

The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee is the thoroughly researched biography of mobster Big Jim Colosimo, and how he ruled Chicago's notorious segregated red-light district. Jim Colosimo was an Italian immigrant who grew up in Chicago's tenements; he rose from sweeping streets to operating a brothel to earning the title of vice lord. The First Vice Lord is a true crime story not for the faint of heart, as it tells of the most brutal excesses of the prostitution trade - luring women from across the nation with false promises of good jobs or other perks and effectively enslaving them into years of sexual violence for profit. Corruption within Chicago was endemic; the efforts of reformers to end white slavery and close down the red-light brothels was only gradually successful. Big Jim Colosimo would see the virtual end of the Levee's days as a red-light district, and scale back his operations significantly, yet his ultimate downfall came not from the law, but from his rivals - he was gunned down in middle age, most likely through the machinations of a rival mobster. A fascinating account that lay readers and Chicago history scholars alike will surely appreciate.

Still Growing
Kirk Cameron
Regal Books
1957 Eastman Ave., Ventura, CA 93003
9780830744510, $22.95, www.regalbooks.com

The curse of the child star and the teen heart throb, to be corrupted by Hollywood at such a young age. "Still Growing" is Kirk Cameron, former star of the hit sitcom 'Growing Pains', story of his life. He discusses his time on a show becoming someone he now despises and hates, someone who would do something as cold as firing his mother. When the stardom started to fade, only then did he learn what he did. "Still Growing" is Cameron's tale of correcting past mistakes and becoming a better person through finding God, sure to inspire readers everywhere.

The Seven Lives of Colonel Patterson
Denis Brian
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13244-5160
0815609272, $26.95, www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu

A man of many different talents, the life of Colonel John Henry Patterson seems like the work of fiction. "The Seven Lives of Colonel Patterson: How an Irish Lion Hunter Led the Jewish Legion to Victory" is a biography well earned, following the life of this revolutionary man. Following his life through his time starting out as a hunter and his adventures in East Africa, from his ardent fighting for the state of Israel later in life, it's a complex look at a complex individual. "The Seven Lives of Colonel Patterson" is a must for biography fans looking for a truly remarkable story.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Praying with Icons
Jim Forest
Orbis Books
Walsh Bldg, Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545
9781570757587, $22.00, www.orbisbooks.com

While some religions condemn graven images of holy people and objects, both Orthodox and Roman Catholic forms of Christianity embrace them as part of their worship and ritual. "Praying with Icons" is an exploration of this phenomena. Examining icons and considering how Christians utilize and incorporate them to strengthen their spiritual links to the divine, author Jim Forest offers a fresh look at the icon-employing Christianity and why it does what it does. Very highly recommended and informative reading for anyone studying Christian ritual, dogma, and practices as a whole, "Praying with Icons" is a scholarly look at divine art and objects, and an invaluable addition to seminary and academic library reference collections.

His Angels Are in Charge
Frances Cotton Woodard
Person Publishing Company
555 S. Shoreline Blvd., Suite 104, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
0976808331, $24.95, www.pearsonpub.us

Every generation has its challenges through its life. "His Angels Are in Charge" is the true and deftly told history of Frances Woodard and her family through seven generations, from her own grandmother to her own great grandchildren. With a strong Christian message, Frances reflects on her life and how times have so drastically changed in what seems to be a simple less than a century span. Highly recommended reading, "His Angels Are in Charge" is a compelling generational story of family that many will find themselves able to identify with relate to.

On the Way with Jesus
Richard Showalter
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottdale, PA 15683
9780836194159, $16.99, www.heraldpress.com

What drives people to spread the word of Christ? "On the Way with Jesus: A Passion for Mission" is Richard Showalter's push to spread the word of God throughout the world. He reflects on his time traveling the world and preaching Christianity from Africa to Asia. Also discussing missionary work as a whole with the moral and political implications that come with it, "On the Way with Jesus" is a deftly compiled body of writing, certain to inform and inspire anyone interested in the work of Christian missionaries here at home or abroad in the world.

New Birth or Rebirth?
Ravi Zacharias
Multnomah
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200, Colorodo Springs, CO 80921
B&B Media Group (publicity)
109 South Main Street Corsicana, TX 75110
9781590527252, $11.99, www.mpbooks.com

As the leading religion of the west is Christianity, so one of the leading religions of the East is Hinduism. "New Birth or Rebirth: Jesus Talks with Krishna" is a unique and scholarly examination by Ravi Zacharias of the two religions and how they relate. Written as a fictional conversation from the perspective of Subramaniam, a Hindu, it asks many questions of both religions, pointing out several intriguing facts, and asking interesting questions. "New Birth or Rebirth" is a fascinating book on religion, offers a fresh perspective, and is a welcome addition to personal and community library Religion/Spirituality reference collections.

Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be
Donna Partow
Revell
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800730727, $13.99, www.revellbooks.com

God wants what you want, God wants you to be happy. That is the thesis of Donna Partow in "Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be: A 90 Day Guide to Living Proverbs 31 Life", a Christian work aimed at women who want to live their life more involved with their faith. "Becoming the Woman God Wants me to Be" is highly recommended reading that in adherence to a Christian perspective, will improve women's relationships, health, finances, and more. "Becoming the Woman God Wants me to Be" is invaluable reading for Christian women wanting to embrace the divine.

Intimate Friendship with God
Joy Dawson
Chosen Books
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55438
9780800794415, $12.99, www.chosenbooks.com

A special relationship with God is what most Christians cherish. Now available in a newly revised edition, "Intimate Friendship with God: Through Understanding the Fear of the Lord" is a guide for those seeking to have that same cherished relationship with the lord. With advice on embracing God in life in every aspect, Dawson gives a guide for those who have departed slightly from their faith and want to fully embrace them. "Intimate Friendship with God" is something those readers will enjoy and put use to its advice.

Psallite
The Collegeville Composers Group
Liturgical Press
PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814630884, $24.95, www.litpress.org

Music has been a part of Christianity and Christian worship from the very beginning of the Christian movement. "Psallite: Sacred Song for Liturgy and Life" is an impressive anthology of sheet music and lyrics that will sure to give any church a new array of songs that will touch souls and reinforce faith in God. With the lyrics for hundreds of gospel songs and sheet music to accompany it, "Psallite" is an ideal acquisition for any church library or gospel music enthusiast's collection.

Twentieth-Century Global Christianity
Mary Farrell Bednarowski, editor
Augsburg Fortress Publishers
100 Fifth Street, Suite 600, Minneapolis, MN 55402-1210
9780800634179, $35.00, www.augsburgbooks.com 1-800-328-4648

Christianity is a contemporary and worldwide religion that influences individuals, communities and nations around the world, helping to shape human cultures and societies throughout the decades of the 20th century. As the seventh volume of the outstanding 'A People's History of Christianity' series from Augsburg Fortress Press (under the general editorship of Denis R. Janz), "Twentieth-Century Global Christianity has been compiled, organized and edited by Mary Farrell Bednarowski (Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Minnesota) and showcases the diversity and creativity of Christian contributions to the major developments that shaped 20th century history. Eighteen informed and informative contributors present the enormous range of Christian influences and contributions from the sugar cane fields of Central America, to the jails of Eastern Europe, to the urban life of European countries, to the cities of America. From local changes to world-wide influences, "Twentieth-Century Global Christianity" is an impressive, profusely illustrated, and highly recommended compendium of meticulous scholarship deserving of inclusion into ecclesiastical, academic, and community library Christian Studies reference collections.

1 & 2 Peter and Jude
David R. Helm
Crossway
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
9781581349603, $29.99, ww.crossway.org

A part of the series entitled 'Preaching the Word', "1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ's Sufferings "is about being straight about one's faith and how to face the challenges towards God and the gospel on the subjects of contradiction, false teachings, and staying faithful in the face of it all. With tips on how to interpret the Bible to help one's life in the modern era, defending one's faith quickly and sharply, and finding strength in faith. A seminal piece, "1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ's Sufferings" is a top pick for community library Christian studies collections.

The Forgiveness Book
Alice Camille & Paul Boudreau
ACTA Publications
5559 W. Howard Street, Skokie, IL 60077
9780879463564, $14.95, www.actapublications.com

To let bygones be bygones is a simple concept, yet difficult for many to do. "The Forgiveness Book" lives up to its title, as it offers a wealth of solid advice on how to forgive. In addition to helping readers understand and embody forgiveness, "The Forgiveness Book" also evaluates instances when something simply shouldn't be forgiven. Sure to be of interest to Christian readers. "The Forgiveness Book" is especially recommended for church library collections.

The Eastern Path to Heaven
Geshe Michael Roach & Lama Christie McNally
Seabury Books
445 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9781596270978, $16.00, www.seaburybooks.org

Christianity is a western religion but the teachings were sent east. "The Eastern Path to Heaven: A Guide to Happiness from the Teachings of Jesus in Tibet" is the story of Thomas, one of Jesus's apostles who went along the trade roads to spread the gospel to the east. A study of this little known expedition and how it affected the development of Eastern cultures, "The Eastern Path to Heaven" is an intriguing piece of religious history. A highly recommended and scholarly addition to academic library Metaphysical Studies and Christian Studies reference collections, "The Eastern Path to Heaven" is something to be considered by both historians and theologians.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Bodhi Tree Grows in L.A.
Bhante Walpola Piyananda
Shambhala
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massuchusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
9781590305683, $14.95, www.shambhala.com

The most unexpected of places can be the setting of a profound religious experience. "The Bodhi Tree Grows in L.A. Tales of A Buddhist Monk in America" is the author's personal and introspective reflections on his time in Los Angeles. He spreads his wisdom with enlightening tales about assisting those who need help when they need it most, and how to apply Buddha's teachings in even the most un-Zen of settings. "The Bodhi Tree Grows in L.A." is highly recommended to American Buddhists everywhere who want to maintain their faith in their chaotic world.

Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way
Aryadeva and Gyel-tsap
Ruth Sonam, translator
Geshe Sonam Rinchen, additional commentary
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393027, $29.95 www.SnowLionPub.com 1-800-950-0313

Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way is a classic Buddhist text originally written to explain how, according to Nagarjuna, the practice of yoga enabled those following the Mahayana path to earn Buddhahood. As such, The Four Hundred Stanzas is one of the foundational classics of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. Gyel-tsap's commentary on Aryadeva's text is written in the form of a dialogue that uses the worlds of Aryadeva as a direct response to hypothetical and practical assertions, questions, and objections. Further enhanced with additional commentary by teacher of Buddhist philosophy and practice Geshe Sonam Rinchen, and translated into English by Rinchen's expert interpreter Ruth Sonam, Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way is a core text, and an absolute must-have for Mahayana Buddhist studies shelves.


The Poetry Shelf

Warhol-O-Rama
Peter Oresick
Carnegie Mellon University Press
5032 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15289-1021
Cornell University Press Services (distribution)
PO Box 6525, Ithaca, NY 14850
9780887485039, $16.95

A book of poetry about one man is unusual approach, but Peter Oresick makes it work in "Warhol-O-Rama". Andy Warhol was a pop artist who was known for associating with wide variety of people from all walks of life and using the ideas such diverse encounters engendered in his art, be it painting, film making, or writing. Oresick uses an artist's inspiration to write about the artist who inspired him, and the poetry is as original and entertaining as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. "Warhol-O-Rama" is highly recommended as a book of deftly written poetry and a fascinating read for the legendary Warhol's legions of fans.

In Daily Accord
Frank Golden
Salmon Poetry
c/o Trudy Corporation (publicity)
335 Main Avenue, Norwalk, CN 06851-1552
DuFour Editions (distribution)
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781903392751, $23.95, www.salmonpoetry.com

Experienced poet, novelists and short fiction writer Frank Golden brings poetry lovers something to enjoy with "In Daily Accord". The poems, inspired by Haiku and Senryu formats, seeks to express several views of the world from different voices to give readers a more inspiring look at the world in that their view is far from the only one that exists. "In Daily Accord" is a unique collection of short poems, easily enjoyed in short bursts or all at once. An unnamed sample from the "November" chapter: At three o'clock in the morning/I was reminded that the floor/Of our house was unclean.

Toad to a Nightingale
Brad Leithauser
David R. Godine Publisher
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, NH 03452
9781567923414, $20.95, www.godine.com

What mumbling communications go on between on between two very different members of the animal kingdom? "Toad to the Nightingale" is a collection of poetry from Brad Leithauser, who is prolific with four books of poetry before hand. An exchange between the titular pair proves unique and entertaining, and the great art from his brother Mark Leithauser does the verse justice. "Toad to a Nightingale" is highly recommended for poetry fans who look for odd twists on old formulas.

Season of Flowers and Dust
Gregg Mosson
Goose River Press
3400 Friendship Road, Waldoboro, ME 04572
9781597130561, $12.95, www.gooseriverpress.com

Autumn has always been viewed as the sickening and death of the world. "Season of Flowers and Dust" is experienced poet Gregg Mosson's thoughts deftly laid out in meter and rhythm. He speaks on the cycle of dying, death, and rebirth that occurs yearly in the Pacific Northwest. "Seasons of Flowers and Dust" is a vivid and moving book of poetry that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking . "December Ice": Frost-webbed grass:/a thousand handfuls of starfish.

Flower of Perhaps
Ra'hel
Toby Press
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
9781592642151, $14.95, www.tobypress.com

Jewish poetry fans who have not the time to learn Hebrew rejoice, as "Flowers of Perhaps" has been masterfully translated into English by Robert Friend. Ra'Hel is a Russian Jew who was one of the earlier movers to Palestine. Her poems speak of her times, an important time for Jews around the world. A bilingual anthology, "Flowers of Perhaps" places both Hebrew and English texts side by side, and is certain to please readers who appreciate poetry with historical value. "Pride commanded...": Pride commanded: with my own hands...//With my own hands/I broke the thread/I burnt the bridge,/and into the heart of an infant joy/I thrust the knife.../with my own hands.

Moon on the Meadow
Pia Taavila
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE / Washington, DC 20002
9781563683640, $24.95, www.gupress.gallaudet.edu

The deaf, lacking the ability to hear the spoken word, put a special emphasis on the written. "Moon on the Meadow" is a collection from Pia Taavila, a professor of English at Gallaudet University, one of the foremost universities for the deaf in America. The poetry speaks on visual description, evoking emotion from a world without sound showing that it isn't required to enjoy the beauty of the world. "Moon on the Meadow" is a unique offering, a top pick for poetry lovers everywhere. "Slant Cinquain": Slim, bare/treetops laced the/hidden moon, our sky a/fog no sun could break/we talked till birds called.

Spanish Ballads
W.S. Merwin
Copper Canyon Classic
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556592782, $14.00, www.coppercanyonpress.org

Classics are poems that transcend the time of their creation and continue down through the generations to impact those that hear or read them. Newly released by Copper Canyon in its classics collection, "Spanish Ballads" is a compilation of just such poetic fare. This impressive anthology of poetry truly lives up lives up the claim of 'classic' with W.S. Merwin's magnificent verse and deftly skilled writing. Containing a great many subjects and forms ranging from episodic narrative to song-styled poetry, "Spanish Ballads" is an original representation showcasing the last few centuries of the Spain's poetic literature and legacy.

The Freedom Business
Marilyn Nelson, author
Deborah Dancy, artist
WordSong
c/o Boyds Mills Press
815 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431
9781932425574, $18.95 www.boydsmillspress.com 1-877-512-8366

The Freedom Business is a unique poetry collection, in which each poem is created in response to the true-life memoir of Broteer Furro (1729-1805), later dubbed "Venture Smith", the first African known to document his capture and life as an American slave. As the decades passed he eventually earned his freedom, and that of his wife and children. Poet Marilyn Nelson places pages from Furro's eighteenth-century prose memoir side-by-side along with original poetic works, illustrated by the dark, earthy watercolor collages of artist Deborah Dancy. The whole is a work of art that reveals emotion, determination, and survival; the daily life of a practical man for whom everything had a price - even his life, and the lives of his family. Highly recommended.

With Mouths Open Wide
John Caddy
Milkweed Editions
1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55415
9781571314277, $18.00, www.milkweed.org

The very best of a long and storied career, "With Mouths Open Wide" is an anthology of John Caddy's poetry ranging from over three decades of his writing. With a sharp wit that will entertain readers as well as inspire them as Caddy tells his tales of overcoming his disabilities. "With Mouths Open Wide" is a collection of poetry from a master, sure to please those who love poetry. "Solstice Sky": This long night solstice sky is filled with fires/that burn through air so cold/on this small northern place/of tilted Earth, air so cold/it carries echoes of the void,/the heatless absolute of space,//yet these ancient stars/are the memories of fires/that burned long before eyes/ever tilted up to them/and thought of light.


The Education Shelf

The Giant Encyclopedia of Lesson Plans
Kathy Charner, Maureeen Murphy, & Charlie Clark, editors
Gryphon House
10726 Tucker Street, Beltsville, MD 20705
9780876590683, $34.95, www.ghbooks.com

The years between three and six are vital to children's educational development. "The Giant Encyclopedia of Lesson Plans For Children 3 to 6: More Than 250 Lesson Plans Created by Teachers for Teachers" is a guide for preschool and kindergarten educators who want to give the young children the intellectual stimulation they need to be the smartest they can be for elementary school and later. The lessons tackle a long list of subjects such as shapes, colors, counting, reading, and more elementary but vital educational topics. "The Giant Encyclopedia of Lesson Plans for Children 3 to 6" is a must for teachers of this range who want diverse, effective lesson plans.

Mobilizing the Community to Help Students Succeed
Hugh B. Price
ASCD Press
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416606963, $21.95, www.ascd.org

It takes a village to raise a child, as the proverb goes. "Mobilizing the Community to Help Students Succeed" is a guide for community leaders who want to encourage educational success in school age children. With ideas for initiatives, moral support, involving parents, involving local businesses, and using the media as well, all ideas are fresh and sure to be effective. "Mobilizing the Community to Help Students Succeed" is a solid guide for those who want to go farther in the education of our children.

152 Ways to Keep Students in School
Franklin P. Schargel
Eye on Education
6 Depot Way West, Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596670877, $29.95, www.eyeoneducation.com

Highschool drop out rates are still high, despite educators' best efforts. "152 Ways to Keep Students in School: Effective Easy-To-Implement Tips for Teachers" is a complete and comprehensive anthology of ideas for teachers. All of them are meant to be simple and quick solutions that educators can use to encourage their students to get the spirit to keep going in school and make something of their life. "152 Ways to Keep Students in School" is a must for any educator who measures their own worth in their pupils' success.

Peak Performance for Smart Kids
Maureen Neihart
Prufrock Press
5926 Balcones Drive, Suite 220, Austin, Texas 78731
9781593633103, $16.95, www.prufrock.com

Talent is only worth anything if it has any ability to be utilized. "Peak Performance for Smart Kids: Strategies and Tips for Ensuring School Success" is a scholarly handbook for educators in charge of teaching gifted and talented students how to maximize their education. Observing seven common traits and habits of children who enjoy success in school, and how to take advantage of these habits for the best experience possible, "Peak Performance for Smart Kids: Strategies and Tips for Ensuring School Success" is highly recommended for community library education collections.

User's Guide to Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation
Miriam W. Smith, Joanne P. Brady, & Nancy Clark-Chiarelli
Paul H. Brookes
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781557669483, $30.00, www.brookespublishing.com

The first four years of schooling are vital to one's development in learning language and literacy skills. "User's Guide to Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation" is an informed and informative guide to the educational system known as 'Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation K-3' or simply shortened to ELLCO K-3. Explaining why this system is effective, how it should be implemented, and how to use it effectively, co-authors Miriam W. Smith, Joanne P. Brady, and Nancy Clark-Chiarelli offer classroom teachers a fresh approach to the developing and promoting the literacy skills of young children. "User's Guide to Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation" is an instructional that should be considered by all educational professionals working with language and literacy programs for elementary school children.

How to Succeed in College Mathematics
Richard M. Dahlke
Bergway Publishing
PO Box 701785, Plymouth, MI 48170-0970
9780615168036, $27.95, www.bergwaypublishing.com

Many liberal arts students fear the dreaded subject known as mathematics. "How to Succeed in College Mathematics: A Guide for the College Mathematics Student" is a thoroughly 'user friendly', practical, and effective guide for those students wanting to master this harrowing and difficult subject with academic success. With advice about absorbing all the knowledge one can in these classes, fighting off anxiety, and just plain dealing better with math classes, it's a complete and comprehensive guide that is ideal for the non-specialist general reader wanting to improve their ability and understanding of mathematics. But most of all, "How to Succeed in College Mathematics" is especially recommended to anyone engaged in or planning on enrolling in a college level math course.

Purposeful Writing Assessment
Susan Koehler
Maupin House Publishing
PO Box 90148, Gainesville, FL 32607
9781934338186, $23.95 www.maupinhouse.com 1-800-524-0634

Created for instructors of students in grades 3-8, Purposeful Writing Assessment: Using Multiple-Choice Practice to Inform Writing Instruction is a guide to conducting writing assessment tests based on multiple-choice practice, covering the three major aspects of writing: focus/organization, style/composition, and conventions/mechanics. A hands-on, easy-to use reference and resource complete with 15 skill sets including one assessment for pre-testing and one for evaluating student mastery of a given skill, answer keys, re-teaching tips, a bibliography of additional resources, and more. Enthusiastically recommended for writing instructors, especially given how literacy and composition skills have become more important than ever in today's world.

Ready for Preschool
Nancy B. Hertzog
Prufrock Press Inc.
5926 Balcones Drive, Suite 220, Austin, TX 78731
9781593633110, $16.95, www.prufrock.com

The first five years of human life are by far the most important for development. "Ready for Preschool: Prepare Your Child for Happiness and Success at School" is a guide for parents who want to equip their children for the future using a preschool. With advice on finding the right educator and preparing one's child mentally for the new and somewhat strenuous academic experiences likely to be laid ahead of them, it's a complete and comprehensive guide to preschool. "Ready for Preschool" is a must for any parent considering preschool for their child.

Speech & Language Development & Intervention In Down Syndrome & Fragile X Syndrome
Joanne E. Roberts, Robin S. Chapman, Steven F. Warren
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781557668745, $39.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Every child, regardless of the degree of their developmental disabilities, is entitled by federal law to the best education they can benefit from. This holds especially true with respect to their ability to communicate with others. The impressively collaborative work of Joanne E. Roberts, Robin S. Chapman, and Steven F. Warren in compiling contributions from twenty leading experts and specialists in this field, "Speech & Language Development & Intervention In Down Syndrome & Fragile X Syndrome" is the newest addition to the 'Communication and Language Intervention' series from the Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company. Presenting an advanced body of work for aspiring and practicing professionals, "Speech & Language Development & Intervention In Down Syndrome & Fragile X Syndrome" presents cutting edge research and clinical insights into the behaviors, characteristics and genetics associated with these two genetically-based conditions; explains how speech and language develop across the life span of human beings; identifies for application the principles of effective assessment with members of every age group; demonstrate specific interventions that support speech and language development; show how to tailor assessment and intervention to individual needs and abilities; illustrate the application of assessment and intervention techniques that can be utilized with other disabilities such as autism; and underscores the necessity and value of family involvement in education and treatment approaches. "Speech & Language Development & Intervention In Down Syndrome & Fragile X Syndrome" is an essential and invaluable contribution to professional and academic library Speech-Language Pathology and Developmental Disabilities reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Corwin Press
2465 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.corwinpress.com

The second edition of Alfred Posamentier and Sephen Krulik's PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGIES FOR EFFICIENT AND ELEGANT SOLUTIONS GRADES 6-12: A RESOURCE FOR THE MATHEMATICS TEACHER (9781412959704, $34.95) tells math teachers how to help students become skilled problem solvers, offering methods for helping students find patterns, absorb visual representations, and understand new problems and updated strategies. From sample problems to demonstrations of how such techniques can be incorporated into existing routines, PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGIES is an excellent guide. Douglas B. Reeves' ASSESSING EDUCATIONAL LEADERS, 2ND EDITION (9781412955180, $35.95) covers performance evaluation processes for both individual and organizational improvement. It blends the 10 Dimensions of Leadership with a new tool for providing feedback to senior leaders, surveying three critical aspects of leadership and each process. Terrence E. Deal and Peggy Deal Redman's REVIVING THE SOUL OF TEACHING; BALANCING METRICS AND MAGIC (9781412940528, $25.95) offers educators a wonderful wake-up call to regaining a joy in teaching, and is a fine pick for practicing teachers and student teachers alike. It covers how teachers can influence and inspire learners, but blends in the basics of testing and accountability. Teachers receive a practical and inspirational account perfect for revitalizing interest. Elaine K. McEwan's 10 TRAITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS: RAISING THE ACHIEVEMENT BAR FOR ALL STUDENTS (9781412905282, $33.95) covers unique characteristics of schools that help students make gains in performance. Each chapters focuses on a research-based trait and examines its impact on student achievement, offering observations from theorists and scholars paired with examples of documents and forms used in effective schools. Administrators, in particular, will find it invaluable. Eric Jensen's FIERCE TEACHING: PURPOSE, PASSION AND WHAT MATTERS MOST (9781412963305, $28.95) comes from a brain expert who shows educators how they can achieve consistent learning outcomes using brain-compatible teaching methods. From physical and social to environmental factors that influence learning, FIERCE TEACHING packs in plans for all grade levels which have been teacher-tested in actual school settings, making it an invaluable guide for practicing educators and libraries catering to them. The second edition of Michael Hickman and Erin O'Donnell Wigginton's COOPERATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING ACTIVITIES FOR SOCIAL STUDIES GRADES 6-12 (9781412965798, $33.95) provides an updated edition of lessons in five areas of social studies: geography, politics, economics, culture and history. Each includes clue cards, objectives, tasks and worksheets to promote teamwork, cooperative learning, and student analytical skills. The resulting teacher resource will interest any educator and any library with references for them.


The International Studies Shelf

Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora
Carole Boyce Davies, editor
ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781851097005, $295.00 www.abc-clio.com 1-800-368-6868

A three-volume encyclopedia set packed with over 500 entries, Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora discusses the global history of how people from Africa have spread out to other continents - some by choice, others through abduction and the slave trade. The resulting mix of global cultures would never be the same. Edited by Carole Boyce Davies (professor of African Diaspora Studies, Florida International University of Miami), Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora is a scholarly account filled with maps revealing crucial locations and transit patterns of the African Diaspora, illustrated with eye-catching photography, Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora is at once both an accessible resource and a work of exacting research on Diaspora communities, locations, peoples, culture, arts, historical events, organizations, theories and more. Highly recommended especially for public and college library collections.

My Kashmir
Wajahat Habibullah
United States Institute of Peace Press
1200 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
1601270313, $14.95, www.usip.org

Two nuclear powers and an ancient hatreds seem like a surefire recipe for an international disaster. "My Kashmir: Conflict and the Prospects of Enduring Peace" is an educated look at the growing Pakistan and Indian conflict. With a focus on Kashmir, the land that the two nations have disputed over the past decades, being the breaking point that could potentially spiral the world into nuclear war, it discusses all sides of the debate and offers advice and options for peace. "My Kashmir" is a must for anyone who wants a more thorough understanding of the India/Pakistan conflict.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Last Crusade
Michael A. Palmer
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles VA 20166
9781597971652, $17.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com

THE LAST CRUSADE: AMERICANISM AND THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION is a pick for not just Middle East collections but for history, political and social issues holdings at both the college and public library lending levels. The author argues that the U.S. is engaged in a political crusade to modernize the Islamic world forcing Islamic societies to adopt a more materialistic approach that conflicts with Islam itself. Chapters follow the issues involved, Islam's failure to modernize, and its determination to use force to resist.

Distracted
Maggie Jackson
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, New York NY 14228-2197
9781591026235, $25.95 www.prometheusbooks.com

Attention span builds cultures, connections and social structure yet it's something lacking in the modern world where multitasking is a given. DISTRACTED: THE EROSION OF ATTENTION AND THE COMING DARK AGE examines the nature of attention, its impact, and its erosion in the modern world, offering a history and analysis which will appeal to college-level collections strong in either health or social issues. Chapters consider awareness, focus, and how they affect the hallmarks of achievement.

Renewing America's Food Traditions
Gary Paul Nabhan, Editor
Chelsea Green Publishing
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
9781933392899, $35.00 www.chelseagreen.com

RENEWING AMERICA' FOOD TRADITIONS: SAVING AND SAVORING THE CONTINENT'S MOST ENDANGERED FOODS is one of the most important social issues books on the market, and is a recommended pick for any college or public lending library strong in American food issues. It is an illustrated, dramatic call to action to celebrate and conserve the diversity of foods that gives North America its cultural diversity, pairing recipes with discussions of folk traditions linked with rare food plants and animals in North America. It also offers the first-ever list of foods at risk in America - some thousand in all and shows how individual efforts can make a difference in recovering such foods. An invaluable guide for any library strong in American culture, culinary history, health or social issues.

Hunting the American Terrorist
Terry D. Turchie & Kathleen M. Puckett
History Publishing Company
PO Box 700, Palisades, NY 10964-0700
9781933909349, $24.95

The Terrorist is not something of strictly Arabic manufacture. "Hunting the American Terrorist: The FBI's War on Homegrown Terror" is a look at what many Americans don't know exists those who would call themselves American citizens and do harm upon their own people. A look at these bizarre individuals and the acts they have visited upon us, such as Timothy McVeigh and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings, it also gives the optimistic light on how these individuals are cracked down upon daily. A frightening and eye opening look at a subject not often talked about, "Hunting the American Terrorist" is a must for anyone who would truly understand Terror.

Segregation
James H. Carr & Nandinee K. Kutty, editors
Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Gulotta Communcations (publicity)
341 Lexington Street, Newton, MA 02466
0415965330, $36.95, www.routledge.com

Segregation is still alive in America, and it's still doing damage to society. "Segregation: The Rising Costs for America" is a collection of scholarly essays on this subject. Speaking on how the last few decades have moved toward lowering the racial walls of society and how although progress is being made, it still exists and is costing America. "Segregation" is a must for those who want to understand the racial issues that plague society to this day.

Schooling Passions
Veronique Benei
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804759069, $24.95, www.sup.org

India is the home of more than one billion people and it is one of the most diverse countries on the planet. "Schooling Passions: Nation, History, and Language in Contemporary Western India" is an in-depth examination of the schools of western India. India, with its mixed Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu populations. The schools try to appeal to the one thing that all of them have in common that they are all Indians. "Schooling Passions" is a model that American schools could draw ideas from on what to do and what not to do.

New Rights Advocacy
Paul J. Nelson & Ellen Dorsey
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
1589012046, $26.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Human rights around the world have been a major goal of many companies doing business around the world in the past few years. "New Rights Advocacy: Changing Strategies of Development and Human Rights NGOs" is a scholarly and well-researched treatise on these human rights movements, and how they work to improve universal human rights. Covering the many non-governmental organizations around the world, "New Rights Advocacy" looks at each in turn, analyzing what they're doing right or wrong in pursuit of their goals. "New Rights Advocacy" is a must for any discussion on human rights groups around the world.

Sustainable Automobile Transport
Lisa Ryan & Hal Turton
Edward Elgar Publishing
William Pratt House, 9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060
9781847204516, $125.00, www.e-elgar.com

World oil supplies are dwindling by the day, making the American automobile dependence tougher to maintain by the day. "Sustainable Automobile Transport: Shaping Climate Change Policy" is a scholarly written look at the other problems outside oil consumption being a problem for America's automobile based future. Offering suggestions for a better future alongside a thorough examination of the problems, "Sustainable Automobile Transport: Shaping Climate Change Policy" is a top pick for college social issues collections as a informed and informative text on the subject.

Dying to Live
Joseph Nevins
City Lights Books
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
9780872864863, $16.95, www.citylights.com

Illegal immigration has become one of the intensely controversial social issues of our day. What are the side effects of the United States' stern position on Mexican immigration? "Dying to Live: A Story of U.S. Immigration In an Age of Global Apartheid" is a definitive criticism by author Joseph Nevins of the U.S.'s practices on immigration today. Following the story of Julio Cesar Gallegos, a man who died crossing the border to try to reach his wife and son, it's an eye opening account of immigration that is judicially defined as illegal -- and the cruelty that sometimes lies within. Discussing human rights and homeland security as well, "Dying to Live" is a deftly written treatise on immigration, a must to those who want to further understand the subject.


The Music Shelf

The Musicians Handbook: A Practical Guide to Understanding the Music Business
Bobby Borg
Billboard Books
c/o Watson-Guptill
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
9780823099702, $19.95 www.watsonguptill.com

This revised edition of a musician's classic handbook offers even more exclusive interviews and information on what really happens behind closed doors, revising thirteen chapters covering all aspects of the music industry, from royalties and attorney fees to the costs of bookkeepers and managers. Musicians and any library catering to them will find Borg uses his experience as a touring artist and music educator to provide key insider's observations about common and hidden pitfalls throughout the industry, making for an invaluable set of lessons.

Beatles for Sale
John Blaney
Jawbone
1400 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94708
9781906002091, $19.95, www.jawbonepress.com

In the twentieth century, few groups had the impact of the Beatles. "Beatles for Sale: How Everything They Touched Turned to Gold" is a look back on the fab four and their phenomenal success. The stories how they sometimes winged it and came up with hit songs, the stories of how their life resembled that of the archetypal rock group, they are never dull and boring. With focuses on their influence outside music as well, "Beatles for Sale" is highly recommended reading for Beatles fans everywhere.


The Parenting Shelf

The Second Nine Months: A Memoir
Vicki Glembocki
DaCapo LifeLong Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
2300 Chestnut #200, Philadelphia, PA 19103
9780738211015, $24.00 www.dacapopress.com

When the author's daughter Blair was born she experienced maternal bliss with her new baby, until she began to doubt her skills. THE SECOND NINE MONTHS outlines the truth about her first months with her new baby, covering the common fears new mothers have about motherhood. Any new mother needs THE SECOND NINE MONTHS: it covers all the basics and teaches common areas of confusion and concern.

Overcoming Your Parents' Divorce
Elisabeth Joy LaMotte
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823294, $14.95

Just because your parents divorce does not mean that in your own marital relationship that you are destined to as well. "Overcoming Your Parents' Divorce: 5 Steps To a Happy Relationship" is a divorce coping book aimed at an audience so often forgotten in this area adults. With practical 'real-world' advice on dealing with the shadow of one's parents failure and how to overcome it within our own lives for a healthier future, the advice offered by Elisabeth Joy LaMotte is specifically designed to put relationship worries behind us. "Overcoming Your Parents Divorce" is recommended to the non-specialist general reader with the comforting message that marital success is not circumscribed by genetics or parental example.

Too Safe for Their Own Good
Michael Ungar
McClelland & Stewart
75 Sherbourne Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M5A 2P9 Canada
9780771087080, $18.95, www.mcclelland.com

Is there such a thing as too safe? "Too Safe for Their Own Good: How Risk and Responsibility Help Teens Thrive" is written by Michael Ungar for Canadian students, but some of the concepts set forth within clearly apply to America teens as well. With the increasing sheltering that comes with their age, trying to shield teens from community ills and unwise behaviors becomes too much and they aren't able to learn and internalize the limits and realities of life. Proposing a method that is unique between giving teens a dose of real life while still keeping them in relative safety, "Too Safe for Their Own Good" is a unique contribution to public discourse, as well as a good and recommended read for parents and for educational professionals both in Canada and the U.S.


The Literary Shelf

Your Own, Sylvia
Stephanie Hemphill
Alfred Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780375837999, $15.99 www.randomhouse.com/teens

While this verse interpretation of poet Sylvia Plath was intended for teen audiences, it's reviewed here because it'd be a shame to limit its meaning to teens alone. Stephanie Hemphill uses verse herself to interpret the events and influences that summed the life of tragic poet Sylvia Plath. Her approach is unique and her verse a testimony to the ongoing power of the poem.

How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries
Kathy Lynn Emerson
Perseverance Press
c/o John Daniel & Company
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95919
9781880284926, $14.95 www.danielpublishing.com/perseverance

Any library catering to either writers or mystery readers needs How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries, a survey telling how to write a historical mystery story. From different historical eras and their research and murder mystery trends to the art of writing a solid historical intrigue piece, chapters cover plots, settings, the experiences of seasoned writers, and more: everything needed to write a professional, polished historical mystery.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare's Plays
Cynthia Greenwood
Alpha
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781592577088, $18.95, www.idiotsguides.com

The works of Shakespeare are world renown but can be a little intimidating for someone just starting out. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare's Plays" is a guide for those who want to better understand this series of famous works without earning a Master's degree in English Literature. Covering both his major plays such as Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet to his lesser known ones, the guide also entertains with facts and stories about each of the plays and the man behind the pen himself, Shakespeare. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare's Plays" is a must for any stage actor who doesn't fully understand the bard's work.

The Marlow-Shakespeare Connection
Samuel L. Blumenfeld
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
9780786439027, $45.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

William Shakespeare. Real Name: Christopher Marlowe? "The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection: A New Study of the Authorship Question" is a look at something that some literary critics would dismiss as heresy that legendary author and playwright William Shakespeare did not exist and all of his writing was in fact done by supposedly dead contemporary Christopher Marlowe. With evidence to back up the outrageous claim, Blumenfeld will have readers too, contemplating that William Shakespeare is more legend than man.

The Canterbury Tales
Robert Boenig & Andrew Taylor
Broadview Press
2215 Kenmore Ave., Buffalo, NY 14207
9781551114842, $22.95, www.broadviewpress.com

One of the great English classics, an illustrated edition "The Canterbury Tales" has been re-released by Broadview Press in the original Middle English to be read and interpreted on its own and not processed for contemporary readers through translators. For easier understanding for some readers, Robert Boenig and Andrew Taylor have provided annotations on Chaucer's archaic English language for more complete comprehension. An enduringly popular satire of his own time, contemporary readers will find for themselves why "The Canterbury Tales" is an authentic literary classic. A superbly printed and presented edition, "The Canterbury Tales" is especially recommended for academic library reference collections.

All Quiet on the Western Front
Bloom's Guides
Bloom's Literary Criticism
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10001
9780791098301, $30.00, www.chelseahouse.com

"All Quiet on the Western Front" is a well-known work throughout the western world. "Bloom's Guides: All Quiet on the Western Front" is a complete and comprehensive book on the book. Exploring Remarque's work, looking at the roots and meanings scattered throughout that may not be obvious to a simple reader, it is also enhanced with a collection of critical essays discussing the work's impact on the world of literature and the world in general. This Bloom's Guide to a literary classic is a must for any student or non-specialist general reader wanting better understand the nuances, historical references, character insights, and writing style that created "All Quiet on the Western Front."

Maxwell: Later Novels and Stories
William Maxwell, author
Christopher Carduff, editor
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
9781598530261, $35.00 www.loa.org

Maxwell: Later Novels and Stories is the second volume of The Library of America's quality presentation of author William Maxwell's classic stories and novels. The writings presented were selected by editor Christopher Carduff, who also wrote the extensive notes on text, which are eminently useful for placing references to historical figures or events in context. The stories and improvisations largely come from Maxwell's writing career later in his life, dating from 1957 to 1999; selections include the novels "The Chateau" and "So Long, See You Tomorrow" and stories "The Value of Money", "Billie Dyer", "The Room Outside", and many more. A thoroughly accessible and beautifully bound edition of tales by an author exquisitely skilled at rendering tragedy with a distinctively American cultural style. Also highly recommended for public library and private literature collections is the companion volume, "William Maxwell: Early Novels and Stories" (9781598530162, $35.00).


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Funerals with Today's Families in Mind
Doreen M. McFarlane
The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
9780829817867, $18.00, www.thepilgrimpress.com

Death is inescapable, and families must face it happening to the ones they hold dear. "Funerals with Today's Families in Mind: A Handbook for Pastors" is a guide for religious leaders in helping family during tough times, when they are in need of tender care the most. Covering the issues family face, what a pastor could do to help, and the question of religious issues be it with the deceased or the attendees. "Funerals with Today's Families in Mind" is a sensitive guide to eulogizing the dead, even if their beliefs clashed with one's own.

Amish Grace
Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, & David L. Weaver-Zercher
Jossey-Bass
c/o John Wiley & Sons
989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
9780787997618, $24.95, www.amishgrace.com

Sometimes kindness comes from the least expected of places. "Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy" is a look back at the shocking kindness shown by the Amish after a horrible tragedy in the Nickel Mines of Pennsylvania claimed the lives of ten schoolgirls. Shattering the stereotype of the Amish as a backwards people who condemn the outside world for their heretical ways, it's a refreshing look at a good, albeit unique type of people. "Amish Grace" is a refreshing tale of the good side of religion.

The Blessing of Blessings
Roberta Ervine, translator
Cistercian Publications
c/o Liturgical Press
2427 Bond St, University Park, IL 60466
9780879072155, $21.95

True wisdom never dies and never goes out of date. "The Blessing of Blessings: Gregory of Narek's Commentary on the Song of Songs" is deftly translated work written in the ancient Armenian language by Roberta Ervine. The commentary, although focusing on the work at hand, offers timeless insights derived from the ancient Christian wisdom of Gregory of Narek who espoused concepts and admonitions that still apply today. Encouraging Christians that the love of god is immortal, "The Blessing of Blessings" is recommended for Christian scholars and non-specialist general readers alike.

America's Secular Challenge
Herbert London
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
9781594032271, $18.00, www.encounterbooks.com

Could extremist secularism be doing as much damage as extremist religions? "America's Secular Challenge: The Rise of a New National Religion" is an examination of secularism and its impact on America. Herbert London, president of the Hudson institute, lays out his argument against something that the country so often ignores in the idea of tolerance and political correctness. "America's Secular Challenge" is a top pick for anyone who thinks political correctness may be going too far.

The Baker Pocket Guide to World Religions
Gerald R. McDermott
Baker Books
6030 E. Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
9780801071607, $9.99, www.bakerbooks.com

In dealing with other cultures, Christians sometimes forget that their religion isn't the only one. "The Baker Pocket Guide to World Religions: What Every Christian Needs to Know" is a crash course in the faiths of the world so that Christians may better understand the world around them. With an essay from a speaker from each of the many faiths of the world, today's spiritual leaders, customs and traditions of each, and more, it's highly educational in its content. "The Baker Pocket Guide to World Religions" is a must for anyone who wants to avoid a faux pas when traveling abroad.


The World History Shelf

Masculinity in the Reformation Era
Scott H. Hendrix & Susan C. Karant-Nunn
Truman State University Press
100 E. Normal St., Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
9781931112765, $48.00, www.tsup.truman.edu

What is seen as manly by a culture is a good window of that culture in general. "Masculinity in the Reformation Era" is a look back at the era as Western Christianity was split in two between the Protestants and Catholics. This split's impact on the family and gender roles at the time is explained through some well written and intriguing essays that dissect the mind set of the male at that time, the status of chivalry, among other topics. "Masculinity in the Reformation Era" is highly recommended to any library focusing on gender issues or history in general.

The Summer the Archduke Died
Louis D. Rubin, Jr.
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826218100, $24.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

In 1914, European social order and society was a house of cards needing only the slightest pressure to collapse into chaos. Literary scholar Louis D. Rubin, Jr. (University Distinguished Professor of English, Emeritus, at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) presents The Summer the Archduke Died: On Wars and Warriors, an anthology of essays discussing the outbreak of World War I in Europe in 1914 and the events of subsequent years. Topics covered include German militarism, America's role in the war, British-American politics, the decline of the British caste system, and an intriguing comparison between the political impact of the Mitford sisters and Violet Bonham Carter, who used her social position to improve the status of women. A thoughtful, erudite, and analytical collection, especially recommended for college library shelves.


The Military Shelf

Military Spouse's Complete Guide to Career Success
Janet I. Farley
Impact Publications
9104 Manassas Drive Suite N, Manassas Park, VA 20111
1570232695, $17.95 www.impactpublications.com

Military spouses often sacrifice personal career goals by accepting low paying, limited jobs to fit in with their spouse's career, so it's refreshing to see a guide geared to military spouse career objectives and special concerns. From creating a great, changing network to using military resource programs effectively, Military Spouse's Complete Guide to Career Success is a fine guide any military spouse will find very useful.

Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781846033100, $18.95 www.ospreypublishing.com

Leonid Krylov and Yuriy Tepsurkaev's SOVIET MIG-15 ACES OF THE KOREAN WAR (9781846032998, $22.95) joins others in Osprey's 'Aircraft of the Aces' series, providing a comprehensive survey of how the USSR's top planes performed and made a big difference in Korea, surveying the first generation of jet fighters in Korea. Pilot exploits are covered in black and white and color, here. Gregory Fremont-Barnes' VICTORY VS. REDOUTABLE: SHIPS OF THE LINE AT TRAFALGAR 1805 (9781846031342, $17.95) covers the combined British, French and Spanish fleets who clashed off Cape Trafalgar on the Spanish coast in a duel of bravery. The action at Trafalgar comes to life in a series of studies of ships, crews, and naval warfare. Rene Chartrand's THE FORTS OF NEW FRANCE IN NORTHEAST AMERICAN 1600-1763 (9781846032554, $18.95) is for any library strong in early military technology. It covers the area ruled by France in North America from the 16th to the 18th centuries, discussing fort design, technology and defensive strategies and providing full-color illustrations: maps, charts, and photos. Ken Ford's GAZALA 1942: ROMMEL'S GREATEST VICTORY (9781846032646, $19.95) provides an in-depth, technical survey of the Rommel military campaign and battle experiences, studying him at the height of his powers and survey his strategy. Color maps and vintage black and white photos throughout enhance a moving account.

The War Chronicles
Joseph Cummins
Fair Winds
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781592332960, $29.95, www.fairwindspress.com

War has always been an evil that mankind has visited upon itself. "The War Chronicles: From Chariots to Flintlocks" covers more than two thousand two hundred years of history in the subject of warfare. Such subject as Persia's campaigns in Greece, the invasion of England in 1066, European campaigns in the New World, to its final chapter on America's rebellion against their British masters. "The War Chronicles" is a must for anyone fascinated with this aspect of human nature, be they scornful of what has come to pass, or glorify the heroes that each conflict spawns.

Battle Exhortation
Keith Yellin
The University of South Carolina Press
1600 Hampton Street, 5th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
9781570037351, $39.95, www.sc.edu/scpress

Morale plays a huge roll in how well a soldier fights. "Battle Exhortation: The Rhetoric of Combat Leadership" is a look at the encouragement battle leaders so often offer to their men. With a glance at its long history of orators rallying their troops, it also looks forward about how today's leaders are honoring tradition while giving their men the inspiration they need to be the best fighters they can. "Battle Exhortation" is a scholarly look at how one's mind set and the mind set of his allies can mean the difference between life and death in the field of battle.

Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa
Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Ret.)
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591140030, $19.95 www.navalinstitute.org 1-800-233-8764

An award-winning historical account written by marine combat veteran and award-winning military historian Joseph H. Alexander, Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa is a close look at one of the deadliest battles of the Pacific Theater during World War II. First published in 1995, and now available in a new paperback edition, Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa tells of America's struggling amphibious assault on a seemingly invulnerable Japanese island fortress of scarcely three hundred acres. Six thousand men died, yet lessons were learned from their sacrifice; Alexander puts forth a persuasive argument that without the hard-won strategic wisdom garnered at Tarawa, the larger amphibious victories that followed at Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa might never have happened. Utmost Savagery remains an indispensable addition to World War II military history shelves.

World War I The African Front
Edward Paice
Pegasus Books
45 Wall Street, Suite 1021, New York, NY 10005
9781933648903, $35.00 www.pegasusbooks.com 1-800-272-0945

It was called a 'World War' because it seemed that for the first time in recorded human history, the battlefield extended to every corner of the globe. Written by former Cambridge history scholar Edward Paice, World War I The African Front: An Imperial War on the African Continent is an in-depth historical chronicle of the East African front of World War I. Though British troops quickly overwhelmed the threat of German naval bases in Africa, the land war would prove to be much more deadly to troops and civilians alike. The in-depth discussion of the horrors of war provides not only an meticulously objective description of the battlefront, but also a visceral understanding of why veterans of the war in France claimed to prefer life in the trenches to serving in East Africa. A handful of black-and-white photographs enhance this worthy addition to World War I history shelves. Especially recommended for public and college library collections.


The Psychology Shelf

Introduction to Neuropsychology
J. Graham Beaumont
The Guilford Press
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
9781593850685, $45.00, guilford.com

The only thing harder than brain surgery is mastering it without cutting the head open. "Introduction to Neurospsychology" is what it says it is a scholarly introduction to science of neuropsychology. With a scientific dissection of the human brain and why it affects humanity the way it does, it's an explanation that will move those learning about the field far in their knowledge. Now in a newly expanded and updated second edition covering well more than two decades of brain science, "Introduction to Neuropsychology" is a must for any college library reference or psychology collection.

Psychotherapy and the Everyday Life
Emily Budick & Rami Aronzon
Karnac Books
118 Finchley Road, London, NW3 5HT, United Kingdom
Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781855754294, $43.95, www.karnacbooks.com

There is still a small stigma remaining about seeing a psychologist in the modern day, but "Psychotherapy and The Everyday Life: A Guide for the Puzzled Consumer" is here to comfort them and encourage them to seek the help they need, and how to make sure the help they are seeking is the right one cautious of those psychologists who care for little more than their patients' money, and cautious of programs that just aren't right for some people. A deftly compiled and highly recommended guide, "Psychotherapy and the Everyday Life: A Guide for the Puzzled Consumer" is a must for community library collections catering to psychology and for anyone who is thinking of or has just started a psychiatry program.

Your Brain
Matthew MacDonald
Pogue Press
c/o O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastol, CA 95472
9780596517786, $24.99, www.missingmanuals.com

It's what enables you to read this review. It's what enables mankind to do anything. It's what makes human beings -- human. "Your Brain: The Missing Manual: How to get the Most From Your Mind" is a blend of health and psychology in how to make use of the one computer that we all use every day. With an analysis simple enough to let non-specialized general readers understand how the brain works, the informed and informative text focuses on many subjects, each of which is a part of understanding how the mind works and how we can get our minds to work even better. With care instructions on how much one sleeps and what you feed it, how to maximize one's mental power, the effects of aging and the bombardment of daily emotions, "Your Brain" is a unique guide that should be sought after by any who want to maximize what they can accomplish with their mental abilities and resources.


The Travel Shelf

Belly Up to the Bar
J.S. Mitchell
Cumberland House
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581826364, $14.95, www.cumberlandhouse.com

Usually to dine in one of New York's finest restaurants, one must send in a reservation months in advance. "Belly Up to the Bar: Dining with New York City's Celebrity Chefs Without Reservation(s)" is what it says it is a guide to fine dining in the Big Apple without needing months of preparation time. Stating that the experiences in these excellent bars and restaurants are more to it than just the food, it is a complete and comprehensive guide to getting in the door. "Belly Up to the Bar" is highly recommended to anyone visiting New York and sports refined palate.

Sidewalks
Rick Kogan & Charles Osgood
Northwestern University Press
629 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL 60208-4210
9780810151932, $21.95, http://nupress.northwestern.edu/

There are hundreds of books written about the people and places that comprise Chicago. Fortunately, there's always room for one more -- if it's good enough! "Sidewalks: Portraits of Chicago" combines the narrative text of Chicago native son Rick Kogan with the color photography of Charles Osgood. The result is a fascinating, informative, unique introduction to memorable characters, fascinating histories, and cultural diversities that are what make Chicago a true urban gem of the American Midwest. Readers will be engagingly introduced to Chicago's many and diverse neighborhoods illuminated and illustrated with evocative images of the people encountered and places traversed along the sidewalks and walkways of the Windy City. "Sidewalks: Portraits Of Chicago" is an engaging read and highly recommended for Chicago libraries, Chicago citizenry, and anyone planning a visit to Chicago for either business or pleasure.

Colorado Lake Hikes
Dave Muller
The Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
9780979966316, $24.95, www.mountaineersbooks.org, 1-800-553-4453

The high country of Colorado offers a wealth of outdoor recreational experiences for hikers. Part of 'The Colorado Mountain Club Guidebook' series, and now in an newly updated and expanded second edition, "Colorado Lake Hikes" by hiking and cross-country skiing enthusiast and 'The Denver Post' columnist Dave Muller offers a fully illustrated collection of one hundred hikes to 145 different high-country Colorado lakes. Aspiring hikers and outdoors enthusiasts are provided with four levels of hikes ranging from easy to difficult. Each particular hike is accurately described in practical detail including round-trip distances, estimated hiking times, starting elevation, highest elevation, elevation gain, difficulty rating, and a list of relevant maps. Of special note is the 'user friendly' locator map in the front of "Colorado Lake Hikes". Enhanced with color photographs and maps throughout, "Colorado Lake Hikes" is a superb on-site guide and highly recommended for anyone planning a walking trip through Colorado's beautiful lake country. Also very highly recommended and a part of 'The Colorado Mountain Club Guidebook' series is "The Colorado Trail: 7th Edition" (9780976052524, $24.95) which is the official guidebook of The Colorado Trail Foundation and includes integrated GPS waypoints, expert planning advice, full color maps for each of the 28 trail segments, elevation profiles, descriptions of the trail segments, and even information for resupply at nearby towns.


The Sports Shelf

The Book of Sports Virtues
Fritz Knapp
ACTA Publications
5559 W. Howard Street, Skokie, IL 60077
9780879463489, $14.95, www.actapublications.com

There's more to a game of sports than winning and losing. "The Book of Sports Virtues: Portraits from the Field of Play" is an assortment of stories telling of athletes and their virtues in their chosen sports. Be it a tale of Appreciation involving Lou Gehrig, Nobility involving Jackie Robinson, or Unity involving Olympic hockey teams, "The Book of Sports Virtues" is a collection of virtue and should be read by any coach or sports educator who want to impart good sportsmanship on their students.

The Business of Sports Agents
Kenneth L. Shropshire & Timothy Davis
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
9780812240849, $29.95, www.upenn.edu/pennpress

It takes skill to deal with the massive corporations that are NFL, MLB, and NBA teams, just like it takes skill to play in those leagues. This newly expanded and updated second edition of "The Business of Sports Agents" is a guide to the subject of the title of the book. Covering the recent changes in the industry, including one agency closing in spite of its size, the constant changes that the business faces, and more. It also covers recent legal challenges, and the league's backlashes against some agents' tactics. "The Business of Sports Agents" is highly recommended for anyone looking to get into the industry.

En Garde!
Carlos Velez III
Wish Publishing
PO Box 10337, Terre Haute, IN 47801, USA
Cardinal Publishers Group (distribution)
2222 Hillside Avenue, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46218
9781930546899, $16.95, www.wishpublishing.com

Fencing is very different than other sports, and that may be its appeal. "En Garde! A Girl's Introduction to the World of Fencing" is a guide for young girls that wish to get involved in this unique sport. Explaining the sport well from its rules, regulations, to its history and how it came about in a world where the sword has long since been retired as a weapon of protection. "En Garde!" is a great gift to any girl who shows interest in the sport of fencing.

Blacks at the Net: Volume Two
Sundiata Djata
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
9780815608981, $29.95 www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu 1-800-365-8929

The final volume of the series, Blacks at the Net: Black Achievement in the History of Tennis, volume two complements and completes the work begun by volume one. Author and Northern Illinois University history teacher Sundiata Djata gives black achievement in the sport of tennis extensive scrutiny on par with previous studies of black achievement in the other sports. Chapters examine both the contributions of individual athletes such as Evonne Goolagong and Ronald Agenor, and aspects of black involvement the sport as a whole, from "Image and Style" to "Advertising and the Black Tennis Professional." "Despite Black Professional players' successes, the issues of race and gender have remained constant. Even with the Williams sisters and James Blake serving as role models, there are fewer black professionals on the tour at the start of the new millennium than in the 1970s." A welcome contribution to sports history shelves.


The Philosophy Shelf

Sartre Explained
David Detmer
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696318, $19.95 www.opencourtbooks.com 1-800-815-2280

Philosophy is a foundational key to establishing our understanding of the world and man's place in it. David Detmer (Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University Calumet, and Executive Editor of "Sartre Studies International") presents Sartre Explained: From Bad Faith to Authenticity, a solid introduction to the ideas of twentieth-century French philosopher and author Jean-Paul Sartre. Written in terms readily accessible to novice philosophy students or even lay readers, Sartre Explained covers the philosophical movement called phenomenology, and the key ideas portrayed in Sartre's writings, including not only his philosophical works such as "Being and Nothingness" and "Critique of Dialectical Reason", but also his plays "No Exit" and "The Devil and the Good Lord", the novel "Nausea", and biography "Saint Genet". A superb primer, especially recommended for college libraries and as a textbook for introductory philosophy courses.

Seeds
Georges Kassabgi
Llumina Press
PO Box 772246, Coral Springs, FL 33077-2246
9781595268433, $15.00, www.llumina.com

Georges Kassabgi was an engineer engulfed in the complex and materialistic culture of our time. "Seeds: For a Conversation on the Reality of Human Nature and Behaviors" is an impressively diverse compilation of Kassabgi's creative work when he stepped away from the narrowed confines of science and embraced the histories of all of the world's religions -- including Atheism and the world's various philosophies. His productions are unique, making "Seeds" an unusual, distinctive, and recommended body of work that will prove to be both thoughtful and thought-provoking for those seeking to establish philosophically consistent values throughout their own lives.


The Mythology/Folklore Shelf

The Dragon Prince
Thich Nhat Hanh
Parallax Press
PO Box 7355, Berkeley, CA 94707
9781888375749, $16.95 www.parallaxpress.com 1-800-863-5290

Buddhist monk, Zen master, human rights activist, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh takes the reader to Vietnam's age of myths and folklore in The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends from Vietnam. The fifteen stories within include traditional and historical legends as well as brand new folktales inspires by Vietnam's recent past. Key themes within the tales extol the virtues of cooperation, reconciliation, mindfulness, and the importance of understanding that all beings are truly interconnected. A handful of simple, stylized black-and-white illustrations enhance this wonderful collection, highly recommended especially for community library collections and non-specialist general readers with an interest in mythology and folklore from around the world.


The Native American Shelf

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

Canyon Records is the premiere producer of authentic Native American music, both traditional and contemporary. Four of their latest titles include two albums of northern style Pow-Wow performances and two Native American Church (Peyote) albums. "Spo'Mo'Kin'Nan" (CR-6435, $15.98) by the renowned group Black Lodge showcases Pow-Wow songs recorded live at their White Swan performance. Marked by precision drumming and harmonic singing, the fifteen pieces comprising this outstanding album have a combined total running time of 72 minutes, 33 seconds. "Red Rock" (CR-6434, $15.98) by the legendary drum group Northern Cree is a series of 14 songs performed live in Muckleshoot and demonstrates the energy of the Pow-Wow circle. With a total running time of 62 minutes, 14 seconds, the pieces comprising this outstanding recording range from Roads of Red, to Sky High, to Me-Kwan. "Into The Future" (CR-6441, $15.98), performed by Gerald Primeaux, Sr. features nine harmonized peyote songs of the Native American Church and showcasing a singing legacy of Native American sacred music with gourd, water drum, and gently layered harmonies. Total running time: 59 minutes, 6 seconds. "Blessings: Peyote Songs" (CR-6399, $15.98) by Jeff McClellen, Kyle Robedeaux and Brian Stoner features ten deftly performed pieces from the Southern Plains of Oklahoma and are firmly rooted in the spiritual traditions and rhythmic prayer guides of the Native American Church. No personal, academic, or community library Native American collection can be considered either comprehensive or complete without the inclusion of this flawlessly recorded albums from Canyon Records, the oldest and largest recording company specializing in Native American music. Enthusiasts and librarians are encouraged to visit their website at www.canyonrecords.com for a complete listing of their titles.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Caliphate
Tom Kratman
Baen Books
Box 1043, Riverdale, NY 10471
1416555455, $24.00 www.baen.com

It's the 22nd century, and Europe has bee turned over to Moslems, atheism has been exterminated, homosexuals are killed, and Christians are a second class citizen denied many rights. Petra, a German girl, is sold into slavery in this world; but unlike most girls she can read and learns from her grandmother's diary of a magic place across the sea: America. Her struggle to find freedom makes for a fast-paced, involving story perfect for science fiction collections.

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials: A Multiple Allegory
Leonard F. Wheat
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781591025894, $19.95 www.prometheusbooks.com

Philip Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy is a modern fantasy hit, so any college-level collection strong in science fiction analysis will find Leonard Wheat's title the perfect analytical companion piece to the series. Readers will find discussions of symbolism and allegory as well as religion and British literature as a whole to be insightful and revealing, lending to classroom discussion at either the high school or college levels.

No Free Lunch
Simon Haynes
Fremantle Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
9781921361081, $19.95, www.isbs.com, 1-800-944-6190

With his gift for satire, science fiction author Simon Haynes is the Australian Terry Pratchett. In evidence I submit "No Free Lunch", a rollicking SciFi showcasing the adventures of that square-jawed, square-shooter spaceman Hal Spacejock. A cunning rival is determined to ruin Hal's space freighter business. A trainee peace officer facing a dangerous investigation and a planet with more bugs than a new computer system are all elements of a riotously funny tale that finds Hall trying to decide whether to take on a rival in order to save his own business, help the attractive trainee with her hazardous first mission. Hal Spacejock, cargo pilot for hire whose moto is 'At Spacejack Frieghtlines, the customer comes first!', must deal with the Peace Force, the Forzen Council, and a host of unexpected plot twists. Of special note for his growing legions of fans is the Hal Spacejock website at www.spacejock.com.au "No Free Lunch" will leave science fiction enthusiasts eagerly looking forward to the next thrilling, quirky, and humorous adventure of Hal Spacejock, interplanetary entrepreneur!


The Art Shelf

Frida Kahlo: Song of Herself
Salomon Grimberg
Merrell Publishers
1858944384, $22.95 www.merrellpublishers.com

The Mexican folk artist Frida Kahlo's life is well known yet she remains an enigma: here psychiatrist and Kahlo expert Salomon Grimberg introduces an interview she gave towards the end of her life to her psychologist friend Olga Campos an interview which was never published, yet lends great insights into Kahlo's life. Campos's reflections on their relationship accompanies this unpublished survey and makes for an outstanding presentation essential for any folk art library or Kahlo collection.

Sweet on the West
Denver Art Museum
The Institute of Western American Art
100 West 14th Avenue Parkway, Denver, CO 80204-2788
University of Oklahoma Press (distribution)
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806199696, $21.95 www.oupress.com, 1-800-627-7377

When one thinks of the old west, they think of cowboys, Indians, gold rushes, and... candy? Published by the Denver Art Museum with the support of The Institute of Western American Art, "Sweet on the West: How Candy Built a Colorado Treasure" is the story of one of the most famous candies of the modern world, the Jolly Rancher. Although modernly known for fruit based hard candies, the Jolly Rancher company started with chocolates and being a soda tap product. Its history over the past century is showcased through photographs, drawings, and old advertisements. "Sweet on the West" is an entertaining and informative story about how one company in Colorado became synonymous with a popular delicacy in the modern era.

John Romita Jr.
George Khoury & Eric Nolen-Weathington
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614
9781893905955, $14.95, www.twomorrows.com

Spider-Man, Wolverine, Gambit, Daredevil, are all names and characters well known to Marvel comic fans everywhere. "John Romita Jr." is the eighteenth entry in the Modern Masters series, looks at the art and design of John Romita who has drawn all of these Marvel characters and a great many more. Romita's art has had a major impact on Marvel for the past three decades with his original blend of great art, great storytelling, and great professionalism. JRJR, as he has been dubbed by his fans, is one of the most enduringly popular Marvel artists and storytellers, and "John Romita Jr." is a 'must' for his legion of fans, as well as being a very highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library reference collections.

A Marquetry Odyssey
Silas Kopf
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555952877, $65.00, www.hudsonhills.com

The art of Marquetry, the art of crafting pictures into wood, is ages old. "A Marquetry Odyssey: Historical Objects and Personal Work" is Silas Kopf's fascinating and informative history of a specialized subject in the field of art. "A Marquetry Odyssey" survey's this art form's long and distinguished history, ranging back from its origins in ancient Egypt down to the present day. Kopf goes into his own work in the field, explaining his influences derived from historical precedent and examples from great Marquetry artists down through the ages. A core addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Art History reference collections, "A Marquetry Odyssey" is an excellent introduction to the art and a thoroughly 'reader friendly" explanation of its roots and origins for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the Marquetry art work.

In Contemporary Rhythm
Peter H. Hassrick and Elizabeth J. Cunningham
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806139487, $34.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Illustrated with vintage black-and-white photographs as well as copious full-color artwork, In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein collects the work of one of the founders of the Taos Society of Artists, Ernest L. Blumenschein (1874-1960). In Contemporary Rhythm not only showcases Blumenschein's critically acclaimed work, but also contemplates the history and inspiration behind his creations in the exhaustively in-depth text. A welcome addition to public library as well as private artbook collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

Regional Greek Cooking
Dean and Catherine Karayanis
Hippocrene Books Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
0781811465, $24.95 www.hippocrenebooks.com

Plenty of other cookbooks cover Greek cooking: what makes this extraordinary is it's a family cookbook showcasing dishes from the key regions of mainland Greece as well as the islands, and blends recipes with both historical notes and family anecdotes. There aren't the full-page, color photos of competitors on the market but there are color-coded pages, Greek favorites and even nearly sixty recipes for Greek drinks. The dishes are both appealing and easy to duplicate.

The Spirit of Tea
Frank Hadley Murphy
Sherman Asher Publishing
126 Candelario Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
9781890932350, $21.95, www.shermanasher.com

Tea has been a beverage enjoyed through the centuries, and has had much attributed to it in culture. "The Spirit of Tea" is a look at the mystical nature of the six categories of tea and how humanity has treated them throughout history. Offering new ideas about each of them and their value to spirituality, "The Spirit of Tea" should be considered by anyone who takes their tea with curiosity.

French Toast
Donna Kelly
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423602484, $16.95 www.gibbs-smith.com 1-800-748-5439

Illustrated with sumptuous color photography sure to make the reader's mouth water, French Toast: Sweet & Savory Dishes for Every Meal is a cookbook filled cover to cover with unique variations on the widely beloved delicacy of french toast. From "Surprise Inside" breakfast sandwiches filled with sweetened cream cheese to "Tropical Paradise" french toast flavored with coconut, pineapple and rum to "Tomato Basil Monte Cristos", French Toast: Sweet & Savory Dishes for Every Meal lives up to its title. An index for quick reference rounds out this "must-have" recipe book for gourmets who love french toast!

Recipe Of The Week: Ice Cream
Sally Sampson
Wiley
c/o John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
9780470169452, $16.95, www.wiley.com, 1-800-225-5945

Ice cream is the all-American treat -- and not just to be enjoyed in the summer time! Cookbook author and ice cream afficionado Sally Sampson has compiled a year-long compendium of delicious ice cream dishes in "Recipe Of The Week: Ice Cream - 52 Easy Recipes For Year-Round Frozen Treats". Here are thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' instructions for wonderful dishes showcasing recipes for ice cream, sorbets, and gelatos. The beautifully illustrated recipes range from Cocoa Sorbet; French Vanilla Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce; and Coffee Granita; to Dark Chocolate Gelato with Cranberries and Nuts; Nutmeg Ice Cream; and Orange Pineapple Coconut Sorbet. A 'must' for all ice cream devotees, "Recipe of The Week: Ice Cream" will make an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library kitchen cookbook collections!

Savor Wild Game Cookbook
Chuck Johnson & Blanche Johnson
Wilderness Adventures Press, Inc.
45 Buckskin Road, Belgrade, MT 59714
1932098178, $24.95, www.wildadvpress.com, 1-800-925-3339

The truly successful and ethical hunting expedition will result in a harvest of game for the family dining table. Now kitchen cooks everywhere can have access to a compendium of 'user friendly' recipes for the preparation of all manner of game animals that would satisfy any appetite and please any palate in Chuck and Blanche Johnson's "Savor Wild Game Cookbook". There are easy to follow recipes that will satisfy any appetite and please any palate based on duck, pheasant, goose, dove, quail, prairie and forest grouse, woodcock, turkey, deer, elk, buffalo, squirrel, rabbit, and more. Of special note is are the listed recommendations of wines for wild game, a variety of sauce, stocks, and marinade recipes. The "Savor Wild Game Cookbook" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library specialty cookbook collections.

Galley Guru
Lisa Hayden-Miller
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837793, $19.95 www.paracay.com 1-800736-4509

Galley Guru: Effortless Gourmet Cooking Afloat is a gourmet cookbook especially for anyone faced with the challenging task of cooking on the seas - with strictly limited space that won't necessarily stay stable! Yet gourmet cooking (rather than just subsisting on canned stews) is entirely possible with proper preparation and organization. Recipes ranging from "Jiffy Hot and Sour Soup" to "Pouch Potatoes", "Tequilla Shrimp", "Chocolate Ginger Pie" and much more feature not only step-by-step instructions, but also symbols denoting whether a given dish can easily be prepared at a remote anchorage, while the boat is moving, at heavy seas, etc. "The secret to cooking in a small space, especially one that won't stay still, is to be very organized. Use a plastic shoebox for the spices you need for the meal. You can put spice bottles in it and put it in the sink so it doesn't slide around as you are cooking." An absolute "must-have" for anyone who lives or works aboard boats for an extended period of time, yet is determined to prepare the best possible meals for themselves and others. Galley Guru is also highly recommended for anyone who has to cook in other tight and possibly moving spaces, such as on an RV or a train, or even a cramped college dorm.

The Happy Camper's Cookbook
Marilyn Abraham & Sandy MacGregor
Clear Light Publishing
823 Don Diego, Santa Fe, NM 87505
1574160249, $14.95 www.clearlightbooks.com 1-800-253-2747

Spiral-bound to wrap its front cover around and lay flat for easy reference, The Happy Camper's Cookbook: Eating Well Is Portable is a collection of recipes and cooking tips ideal for anyone on the go, whether camping, living in an RV, or just trying to scrounge up dinner when there's "nothing" in the house. Recipes range from a versatile "Country Pork Rub" ideal for use on meat to be cooked in the smoker, to "Cajun Stir Fried Rice Dinner", side dishes like "Maggie's Green Beans", "Chili Torta" (the perfect way to use up leftover chili), "Pink Salad", and much more. The tips and tricks range from how to effectively reheat food to how to turn cabbage soup into a hearty supper. An easy-to-use recipe guide especially recommended for anyone short on kitchen or refrigerator space who tends to run aground of too many leftovers!

The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook
John Schlimm
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581826517, $24.95, www.cumberlandhouse.com, 1-888-439-2665

Beer is more than just America's favorite alcoholic beverage, it is also a key ingredient in a wide variety of culinary delights and great meal time dishes. Now beer beverage expert and knowledgeable gourmet John Schlimm has compiled more than 400 beer-based recipes in "The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook". Included are beer-based recipes for appetizers, breads, soups and chilis, salads, fruits and vegetables, sandwiches, sauces, marinades, as well as beef, pork, poultry, wild game, fish, and more. Of special note are the beer-based recipes for desserts! There are even 150 beer-based recipes for mixed drinks, chuggers, shots, chasers, party punches, milkshakes, and flaming drinks. Sprinkled liberally through out the collection are little quotes and maxims in tribute to beer and beer drinking. A comprehensive Index makes this massive recipe collection quite easy to use when planning menus. "The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook" truly lives up to its title and is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library specialty cookbook collections.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Financial Intelligence
Karen Berman & Joe Knight
Harvard Business Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422119143, $24.95, www.financialintellegencebook.com

You get what you pay for is a commonly repeated proverb because it is so commonly true. Co-authored by Karen Berman and Joe Knight, "Financial Intelligence for IT Professionals: What You Really Need to Mow About the Numbers" is an informed and informative guide to understanding that Information Technology (IT) requires an infusion of capital to get the best use out of it. With basic information on understanding IT-related statements and balances, estimates and their effects, challenging data, investments, and so much more. Highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Business reference collections, "Financial Intelligence for IT Professionals" is essential reading for anyone wanting to get the most out of their IT dollar investment.

How You Can Profit From Credit Cards
Curtis E. Arnold
FT Press
1 Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
9780132353779, $19.99, www.ftpress.com

Credit card debt is something many Americans fear -- and justifiably so. "How You Can Profit From Credit Cards: Using Credit to Improve Your Financial Life and Bottom Line" is a practical, effective, informative, and 'user friendly' guide to using the creator of debt to become the obliteration of debt and a boon for personal and professional financial success. A guide to credit management and the responsible use of credit cards to increase credit rating and even to make money, "How You Can Profit From Credit Cards" should be considered essential reading for anyone first starting with one or more credit cards and wanting to avoid the pitfalls of excessive and unnecessary debt.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Climatic Cataclysm
Kurt M. Campbell
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
9780815713326, $28.95, www.brookings.edu

Could Global Climate do more than create environmental chaos? "Climatic Cataclysm: The Foreign Policy and National Security Implications of Climate Change" looks at the other implications that a shifting climate could visit upon a world. Pondering scenarios ranging from likely to full on possible doomsday-level scenarios, they are all explained on what they mean for the world, how they can be averted, and how they can be dealt with if it's too late to avert it. "Climatic Cataclysm" is an enlightening look at how nature can wreak havoc on politics.

Windpower
Christopher Gillis
Schiffer
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764329692, $24.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Wind blows across the world everywhere, plentifully without provocation and what is even more important, without cost. "Windpower" is an examination of one of the many proposed solutions to energy in today's world. Clean and cheap, people have been using windpower for centuries, and many scientists are pushing for its comeback to help fend off America's insatiable appetite for power. Enhanced with color photographs and diagrams, "Windpower" is a must for anyone who wants to further understand this green power source.

Revolution on the Range
Courtney White
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009
9781597261746, $25.95, www.islandpress.org

The cattle ranch has always been a staple of the Texan stereotype. "Revolution on the Range: The Rise of a New Ranch in the American West" is telling of how that stereotype is being challenged by these ranchers working with environmentalists. Originally a source of conflict and friction between ranchers and environmentalists, but groups now work together to bring a common alliance to make the most of the land without destroying it. An inspiring portrait of how a conflict went from death threats to compromise, "Revolution on the Range" is an upbeat look at politics for a change, as well as a highly recommended addition to personal, community, academic library Environmental Studies and Environmental Activist reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Born Under a Bad Sky
Jeffrey St. Clair
AK Press
674-A 23rd Street, Oakland, CA 94612-1163
CounterPunch
PO Box 228, Petrolia, CA 95558
9781904859703, $19.95, www.akpress.org

Nature is all around us, and depending on where you are, its ecological health can vary greatly. "Born Under a Bad Sky" is an anthology of essays looking at the ailing side of nature, where it has been neglected and exploited. From the White Death of Iraq, to the creatures of Arkansas, "Born under a Bad Sky" offers the reader a compelling portrait of the world as a whole. It also touches on the role of politicians, and optimistically, those who are turning governmental environmental policies around. A very strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Environmental Studies reference collections, "Born Under a Bad Sky" is a must for non-specialist general readers wanting to know the environmental state of the world today.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

The History Of Watches
David Thompson
Abbeville Press
137 Varick Street, Suite 504, New York, NY 10019-1105
9780789209184, $45.00, www.abbeville.com, 1-800-343-4499

In "The History Of Watches", author David Thompson (Curator of the Horological collections in the Department of Prehistory & Europe at the British Museum) collaborates with Saul Peckham (a photographer for the British Museum for twenty years) to produce a visually stunning, highly informative, authoritative overview of timepieces ranging over the past five hundred years. Every variety of watch is represented from 16th century early stackfeed watchers, to the precision chronometers of the 18th and 19th centuries, to the mass-produced watchers of the 20th century. More than 80 watches are discussed in detail with a text that is wonderfully enhanced with more than 250 finely detailed photographs featuring all aspects of watches from their outer casings to their inner workings. "The History Of Watches" is a welcome addition to any personal, academic, or community library reference collection. Also highly recommended from Abbeville Press for watch collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts are to previously published works: Stefan Muser and Michael Horlbeck's "Classic Wristwatches 2008-2009: The Price Guide for Vintage Watch Collectors" (9780789209351, $35.00), and Peter Braun's "Wristwatch Annual 2008: The Catalog of Producers, Prices, Models and Specifications" (9780789209313, $35.00).


The Photography Shelf

Face to Face
Rick Sammon
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9780596515744, $34.99 www.oreilly.com

Rick Sammon is known for his travel and adventure photo guides, but FACE TO FACE offers something different: a focus on the art of making people pictures using a range of methods to capture subjects. These take the form of lessons contrasting different approaches to images and people, using Sammon's own subjects and methods as examples. It's an excellent guide for any photography library, particularly those specializing in portrait photography.

Lighting for Photography: Techniques for Studio and location Shoots
Dr. Glenn Rand
Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
9781584282266, $34.95 www.amherstmedia.com

Learn how to control light effectively to make for more striking photos in Lighting for Photography: Techniques for Studio and location Shoots, a manual covering lighting skills. From understanding the physics of light as it relates to photography to producing flawless exposures and tackling common lighting challenges, this book is a 'must' for any library strong in photography.

The French Country House
Christians de Nicolay-Mazery & Bernard Touillon
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
9780865651944, $29.95, www.vendomepress.com

A quaint blend of the old world and the new. "The French Country House" is a look at this unusual and unique combination of two worlds. The French countryside, although showing modernization, is still a look back through history to hundreds of years ago where many of the buildings and objects of the medieval period still stand stoically, relics of an elder era. The full color photographs, beautiful and poignant, tells the stories of the centuries in worlds simply cannot. "The French Country House" is a riveting and highly recommended book of photography.

Historic Photos of Chickamauga/Chattanooga
James A. Hoobler
Turner Publishing
200 4th Avenue North, Suite 950, Nashville, TN 37219
9781596524125, $39.95, www.turnerpublishing.com

In war there are always losses and great leaders try to minimize them when and where they are able. "Historic Photos of Chickamauga/Chattanooga" is a fascinating compilation of superbly executed and poignant black and white historic photographs telling the legendary Civil War story of Union General William S. Rosecrans and his taking of Chattanooga, Tennessee from defending Confederate forces while losing only six of his own men in the process. A photo history of this dramatic campaign shows the harsh times and ugly realities of this historic American military conflict. With an accompanying text that is both informed and informative, "Historic Photos of Chickamauga/Chattanooga" is an important addition for personal, academic, and community library Civil War Studies and American Photographic History reference collections.

Central Oregon Impressions
David M. Morris, Fred Pflughoft, Bob Woodward
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
1560374365, $9.95, www.farcountrypress.com, 1-800-821-3874

The American landscape, both natural and human, offers a wealth of beautiful imagery that expert photographers with an artist's eye have captured in full color within the pages of "Central Oregon Impressions". Part of the visually outstanding 'Impressions' series published by Farcountry Press, "Central Oregon Impressions" is a compilation of captioned photographs that evoke the emotions and conceptual inspirations that the region offers its local residents and vacationing visitors alike. Also very highly recommended are other visually celebratory photographic compendiums from Farcountry Press including "Boston Impressions" (1560374373, $9.95); "Missoula Impressions" (156037442X, $9.95); and "Omaha Impressions" (1560374330, $9.95). Students of photography and armchair travelers are encouraged to visit the Farcountry Press website at www.farcountrypress.com for a complete listing of their invaluable locally-oriented photographic tributes to American cities and landscapes.

Road to Freedom
Julian Cox
University of Washington Press
PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096
9781932543230, $40.00, www.washington.edu/uwpress

One of the most tumultuous and chaotic times in American history was the era of the Civil Rights Movement. "Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement 1956-1968" is a photographic history of this time when people were willing to go into the streets to protest a then racist government and society. The story of the movement is told through poignant black and white photographs, making "Road to Freedom" a good coffee table book for those who feel strongly about the movement, and for community library collections focusing on books of photography.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Combat Knife Throwing
Ralph Thorn
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
#CKT2, $20.00, www.paladin-press.com, 1-800-392-2400

The use of the knife as a weapon of both defense and offense in military and martial arts personal combat is an essential survival skill. Now in a fully updated and expanded edition, knife fighting expert Ralph Thorn draws upon his many years of experience and expertise in "Combat Knife Throwing" from Paladin Press to provide the reader with a comprehensive and illustrated instruction manual for using the knife as a throwing weapon with an emphasis on safety as well as accuracy. All aspects of knife throwing training are covered including making a throwing knife, building targets, practicing a variety of knife throwing techniques that include both underhand, overhand, and sidearm throws. Of special note are the chapters on psychological and physical condition, hunting and recreational skills, and the newest 'cutting edge' developments in the art and science of weapons throwing. "Combat Knife Throwing" is an invaluable and core addition to any personal or professional Martial Arts and Military Combat reference collection.


The Jewelry Shelf

Jewelry Just for You!
Kalmbach Publishing Company
P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780871162618, $19.95 www.beadandcraftbooks.com

Most books on jewelry making assume a narrow focus on producing a wide range of jewelry, but style-conscious jewelry makers will find more appeal in JEWELRY JUST FOR YOU!, which also teaches how to pair jewelry with clothing for maximum impact. Step-by-step photos on making pieces compliment instructions on how to pair jewelry to specific features. Four different face types and four different necklines offer specific style and jewelry-making options, making this perfect not just for crafts libraries, but for fashion-conscious collections.

Diamond Ring Buying Guide
Renee Newman GG
International Jewelry Publications
500 W. Main St., Suite C-200, Alhambra, CA 91801
9780929975405, $18.95, www.reneenewman.com

Diamonds are one of the most valuable materials in the world. "Diamond Ring Buying Guide: How to Evaluate, Identify, and Select Diamonds, & Diamond Jewelry" is now in a newly updated and expanded seventh edition, seeking to give readers the education they need to make informed purchases in an arena where a little knowledge counts for a lot when spending money. Covering subjects such as the style, fake diamonds, precious metals, customs, and in general being smart about purchases, "Diamond Ring Buying Guide" is a must for anyone in the market for a piece of jewelry that may cost them thousands of dollars.

Imperishable Beauty
Yvonne J. Markowitz and Elyse Zorn Karlin with Susan Ward
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
9780878467358, $29.95 www.mfa-publications.org 1-800-338-2665

Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry is an art book showcasing jewelry that exemplified the European Art Nouveau movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Though an essay acquaints the reader with the history and aesthetics of art nouveau jewelry, for the most part the full-color photographs of breathtaking artistic creations speak for themselves. From a colorful blue-and-white brooch shaped like a swallow to a gold hair comb decorated with a profile of a dragon on a wave, the style, drama, and pathos of these three-dimensional creations are sure to captivate the imagination. Enthusiastically recommended for jewelry art book collections.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Top Secret: The Truth Behind Today's Pop Mysticisms
Robert M. Price
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NJ 14228-2119
9781591026082, $24.95 www.prometheusbooks.com

Millions have or have read THE SECRET, a spiritual survey that captured American attentions. But what is the secret within The Secret? Robert Price blends his knowledge of theology with spiritual wisdom and biblical criticism to analyze Rhonda Byrne's best seller plus other popular spiritual books that have promised American spiritual revitalization. From old traditions to new doctrines and the differences between them, TOP SECRET is a fine pick for both new age and spirituality collections.

Secrets of Antigravity Propulsion
Paul A. LaViolette, Ph.D.
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions
Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767
9781591430780, $24.00 www.bearandcompanybooks.com

The secret history of antigravity experimentation from Tesla to the B-2 Advanced Technology Bomber is covered in a survey of advanced gravity-control technologies under secret military development for decades. Numerous field-propulsion devices and technologies that have huge thrust-to-power ratios are surveyed in chapters which offer new science ideas and theories perfect for any new age library.

The Complete Book of Chart Rectification
Carol A. Tebbs, M.A., C.A.P.
Llewellyn Worldwide
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738713083, $34.95 www.llewellyn.com

Astrologer Carol Tebbs solves the long-standing astrology chart problem of questionable or unknown birth times, showing how to recognize consistent patterns in which astrological indicators correspond with a client's dramatic life changes. Tables, diagrams, and an easy step-by-step procedure for identifying and filling in the missing details makes for a fine survey of rectification efforts, including case studies of famous individuals. New age libraries will find it invaluable.

2013
Marie D. Jones
New Page Books
3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
Warwick Associates (publicity)
17404 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95476
9781601630070, $15.99, www.newpagebooks.com

December 21st, 2012, the last day of the Mayan Calendar. "2013: Envisioning the World After the Events of 2012" is a hypothetical look at the future if the 2012 doomsday scenario were to come into being. It ponders on the topics of the world after an earth shattering series of events, and how life will drastically change on the social, political, and geographical scales. "2013" is a unique examination of a possibility.


The Aviation Shelf

Dayton Air Show
Ty Greenlees & Timothy R. Gaffney
Orange Frazer Press
PO Box 214, Wilmington, OH 45177
9781933197456, $24.95, www.orangefrazer.com

The Airplane, despite being 105 years old, is still a marvel and fascination to many. "Dayton Air Show: A Photographic Celebration" is a photographic look at Dayton Ohio's treasured air show. From the first show in 1910 featuring the inventors in the Wright Brothers, to the modern incarnation where families bring their children to marvel art the skills of the pilots and their aircraft, "Dayton Air Show" is packed from cover to cover with full color photographs and informative writing, a must for any air enthusiast. A highly recommended addition for aircraft enthusiasts, as well as both academic and community library Aviation History reference collections.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Branding Miss G
Michelle Miller
Sumach Press
1415 Bathurst Street, #202, Toronto, ON, M5R 3H8, Canada
9781894549721, $28.95, www.sumachpress.com

Feminist groups have been around for decades, but getting the steam and attention needed is a difficult endeavor. "Branding Miss G: Third Wave Feminists and the Media" is the story of one group getting the attention they desired. Their marketing scheme is unique and eye catching, and didn't push the feminist aspect too far all in the name of bring women's studies courses to Ontario schools. "Branding Miss G" is a message to other famous groups on how to push their messages effectively.

When Our Mothers Went to War
Margaret Regis
Nav Publishing
PO Box 5624, Bellingham, WA 98227
9781879932050, $29.95, www.navpublishing.com

The efforts of the men in World War II have labeled them as heroes, but what of the fairer sex? "When Our Mothers Went to War: An Illustrated History of Women in World War II" tells why the generation of World War II is referred to as The Greatest Generation. These women, when many of the men were off giving their lives in Europe and the Pacific, gave more than just moral support, constructing the ammunition, weapons, and vehicles that the men used to win the war. A story of the second great war and the home front through pictures, "When Our Mothers Went to War" is a solid addition to any collection seeking books on history and for women's studies as well.


The Gardening Shelf

The Gardener's Bedside Reader
Kari Cornell, Editor
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street #200, Saint Paul, MN 55101
9780760326572, $27.95 www.voyageurpress.com

Any gardener seeking a bedside companion will relish this reader which pairs stories and essays with vintage ads, gardening memorabilia, botanical drawings, and color photos to inspire and entertain readers. Celebrated gardeners share their techniques and inspirations, while reflections on spiritual connections with the land and tips on design round out the offerings.

The Vertical Garden
Patrick Blanc
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393732597, $60.00, www.wwnorton.com

A different type of garden, designed for an area where real estate is invaluable, "The Vertical Garden: The Nature of the City" is Patrick Blanc's look at these creations that can be created in almost any urban setting. To the city they bring a visually pleasing image in an area where people only ever see is asphalt and concrete. The gardens can range from any height, from half a story tall to slowly growing up the sides of skyscrapers. Covering the history and skills involved in creating such gardens, "The Vertical Garden" is a must for anyone who wants to create a magnificent arrangement of plant life and doesn't have much horizontal to work with.


The Library Science Shelf

Bookmatch
Linda Wedwick & Jessica Ann Wutz
International Reading Association
800 Barksdale Road, Newark, DE 19714-8139
9780872076198, $22.95, www.reading.org

The right material for the right child is the difference between the child's apathy and a lifelong enthusiasm for reading. "Bookmatch: How to Scaffold Student Book Selection for independent Reading" is a system for librarians to help guide readers on the right path. With nine categories ranging from book length, language level, genre, and more, it's a thorough system to help match children with appropriate subject matter to read. "Bookmatch" is a must for librarians who want to get children reading.

No School Library Left Behind
Carl A. Harvey
Linworth Books
3650 Olentangy River Road, Suite 260, Columbus, OH 43214
1586832336, $39.95, www.linworth.com

The school library is often a child's first experience to the concept of a library. A school librarian should seek to make it a special one to plant the seeds of encouragement and a love of books. "No School Library Left Behind: Leadership, School Improvement, and the Media Specialist" takes a look at school libraries and offers school librarians hope and encouragement on how to turn their library into something far more special. With advice on collaborating with faculty, students, and parents, it's an ideal read for any school librarian. "No School Library Left Behind: Leadership, School Improvement, and the Media Specialist" is highly recommended for community library science collections.

Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries
Jack O'Gorman, editor
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838909430, $80.00, www.alastore.ala.org

The information era has exploded and brought countless references and resources out into the world. Now available in a newly updated and expanded seventh edition, "Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries" is a complete and comprehensive collection for librarians who want to maximize the amount of information they can place in their libraries. With essays from librarians on their experiences, their ideas should inform and inspire. The book contains specific chapters dedicated to each of the subjects in classical learning, and how each one is treated differently in reference compendiums. "Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries" is a must for any librarian who is dealing with the reality of limited resources, with aspirations bigger than their own library.

Copyright for Administrators
Carol Simpson
Linworth Books
3640 Olentangy River Road, Suite 250, Columbus, OH 43214
1586833235, $39.95, www.linworth.com

Copyright law is something libraries and schools always need to be wary of violating. "Copyright for Administrators" is a complete and comprehensive guide to better understanding copyright laws. Aimed at school administrators, it's a crash course in teaching them about the common and uncommon issues that would so often appear in the field. Up to date, "Copyright for Administrators" is enhanced with indexes and glossaries, making it a must for education professionals.


The Real Estate Shelf

The Homeowner's Guide to Foreclosure
James I. Wiedemer
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10006
9781427797681, $18.95, www.kaplanpublishing.com

Foreclosure is something thousands live in fear of. Now in a newly expanded and updated second edition, "The Homeowner's Guide to Foreclosure: How To Protect Your Home and Your Rights" is a complete and comprehensive manual on foreclosure and how to deal with it. With much advice given on how to fight it and prevent it when the bills begin to pile up, how to pursue legal advice and dealing with the flood of forms that comes with all this, the second edition is a welcome one. "The Homeowner's Guide to Foreclosure" is a must for all who are faced with the threat on a regular basis.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Meditations at Sixty: One Person, Under God, Indivisible
Eliyahu Safran
KTAV Publishing
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602800380, $25.00 www.ktav.com

Judaism offers many insights into the relationships between body and soul, and the meditations here explore that relationship for people of all religions. From the transformative nature of death and its puzzling aspects to Jewish concepts which relate to dress, action and impact, MEDITATIONS AT SIXTY blends religion, philosophy, Judaic studies and spirituality in a satisfying volume recommended for any spirituality collection.

Cool Jew
Lisa Alcalay Klug
Andrew McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
9780740771132, $12.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

In the past century, being cool and faithful to your religion have rarely coincided. "Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe" is a guide to getting with the times while keeping it cool between oneself and G-d. Tackling the many things Jews find in mainstream gentile society, it grants advice on many subjects about combining the faith and fun. "Cool Jew" is a unique and hilariousness book, highly recommended as a gift for any Jewish teen.

Commitment and Complexity
Rabbi Yehuda Amital
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602800304, $19.95, www.ktav.com

Traditional Long standing wisdom stays that way for a reason it can apply even to the modern age. "Commitment and Complexity: Jewish Wisdom in an Age of Upheaval" is a Rabbi's opinions and views on the current world and its turmoil. Using traditional Jewish wisdom and the guidance of the Torah and Talmud and applying their lessons to the modern world, the views, despite being thousands of years old, are new and refreshing to the common era. "Commitment and Complexity: Jewish Wisdom in an Age of Upheaval" is a must have for community library Judaic studies collections.

Canada's Jews
Gerald Tulchinsky
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, ON M4Y 2W8, Canada
9780802093868, $45.00, www.utpublishing.com

One of the few places to open them with open arms, the Jews have a long history with Canada. "Canada's Jews: A People's Journey" is a look back at the long line of Canadian Jews. With the history ranging from 1760 and forward, it explains how Canadian Jews have forged their own unique identity in the country, which gives them unique qualities from Jews elsewhere in the world. All is not sunshine and rainbows, however, as it also speaks on the dark side of Canadian Antisemitism. "Canada's Jews" is a must for any with interest in Canadian and Jewish history.

Daughters of Sarah
Eva Martin Sartori & Madeleine Cottnenet-Hage
Holmes & Meier
PO Box 943, Teaneck, NJ 07666
0841914451, $20.00, www.holmesandmeier.com

English isn't the only language Jewish writers ply their trade in. "Daughters of Sarah: Anthology of Jewish Women Writing in French" is a collection of essays and stories from French Jewish women from the past two hundred plus years. The writings reflect on many subjects, not just those regarding France or Jewish culture. "Daughters of Sarah" is a must for anyone who wants a different sampling of Jewish writers in the world.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Blues Man
Rob Vollmar & Pablo G. Callejo
NBAA Comics Lit
c/o NBM Press
40 Exchange Place, Suite 1308, New York, NY 10005-2742
9781561635320, $24.95, www.nbmpublishing.com

The blues is music from the soul, and one man has a lot to be blue for. "Blues Man" is a graphic novel uniquely assembled like a blues song to tell its story. Lem Taylor is being chased across Arkansas, wrongfully accused of things he did not do. The dark scenery of the late 1920s paves the way for a highly engaging and entertaining tale, giving "Blues Man" our highest recommendations.

Wormdye
Eamon Espey
Secret Acres
75-22 37th Avenue, #452, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
9780979960918, $13.00, www.secretacres.com

Original and unique, "Wormdye" is a graphic novel like no one has seen. A bizarre story involving alien technology, the River Styx, and corn, the entertainment value is nonstop through the whole thing. Through its humor it also offers insights on the human experience as a whole, from everything from relationships to religion to death. "Wormdye" is a must for anyone seeking something offbeat and different.


The Political Science Shelf

Won't Get Fooled Again
Joseph H. Boyett
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
0814409318, $24.00 www.amacombooks.org

WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN: A VOTER'S GUIDE TO SEEING THROUGH THE LIES, GETTING PAST THE PROPAGANDA, AND CHOOSING THE BEST LEADERS should be in every public library and in the hands of every American voter. It shows readers how to become more informed and demanding, surveying politicians and public leaders and using five years of research into the social psychology of political persuasion to discuss tricks politicians use to gain support. Readers receive specific sets of signs and symptoms to help analyze candidate personality traits, and will learn much from chapters packed with insights.

Campaign and Election Reform, second edition
Glenn H. Utter and Ruth Ann Strickland
ABC-CLIO
130 Cremona Drive, PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 94116-1911
9781598840698, $55.00, www.abc-clio.com

Elections are the foundation of any democracy, and the foundation of any free country. "Campaign and Election Reform" looks at voting and the issues surrounding it in the modern era. Debating the use of electronics and how computers can be fallible, "Campaign and Election Reform" explores ways to make rigging foolproof so that elections are more honest. Widening its scope beyond American democracy, "Campaign and Election Reform" examines the errors and innovations different countries have made, and is highly recommended for anyone who wants to better understand democracy.

The Sleeping Giant has Awoken
Jeffrey W. Robbins & Neal Magee, editors
Continuum Books
80 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
9780826429698, $19.95, www.continuumbooks.com

What are the dangers of religion mixing with politics in America? "The Sleeping Giant Has Awoken: The New Politics of Religion in the United States" is a collection of thoughts on the subject, running from the 2004 presidential race to 2008. The ideas found within offer much knowledge, ideas, and points out many ideas that one may have not have thought of before on the subject. An ideal anthology of essays to expand one's mind, "The Sleeping Giant Has Awoken" is a must for anyone who would truly understand religion's place in politics.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

What I Really Want to Do On Set in Hollywood
Brian Dzyak
Lone Eagle Books
c/o Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
9780823099535, $19.95, www.watsonguptill.com

The 'credits track' of some movies can run almost ten minutes become of the dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of people it takes to make a modern film. "What I Really Want to Do on Set in Hollywood: A Guide to Real Jobs in the Film Industry" is a guide to jobs outside the known one such as actor, director, producer. Covering the countless jobs you tend to only hear about at the end of movie credits, it offers in depth descriptions and advice on finding the job that may be the right one for the reader. "What I Really Want to Do on Set in Hollywood" is a unique guide to making one's way in Hollywood.

The Oxford Companion to the American Musical
Thomas Hischak
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780195335330, $39.95, www.oup.com

High School Musical has sparked interest in the genre of musicals once more, but "The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television" is a guide to the history of the genre focusing on America's past great musicals such West Side Story, Rent, and Grease with looks in on the great minds behind them such as Andrew Lloyd Webber. Covering anything anyone would want to know about the American musical, "The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television" is a top pick for community library collections dedicated to television, movies, and theatre.


The Language Studies Shelf

Greek & Latin Roots Keys to Building Vocabulary
Timothy Rasinski & Collaborators
Shell Education
5301 Oceanus Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1030
9781425804725, $24.99, www.shelleducation.com

Greece & Rome have huge influences on the western world, including the languages we speak. "Greek & Latin Roots: Keys to Building Vocabulary" is a look at the grammar of the Greek and Latin languages. Covering prefixes, suffixes, bases, and more, all to facilitate learning how to speak these ancient and historic languages, "Greek & Latin Roots" is highly recommended for any language studies shelf.


The Urban Studies Shelf

Urban Fiction
Gunther Feuerstein
Edition Axel Menges
c/o National Book Network
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9783930698264, $138.00, www.nbnbooks.com, 1-800-462-6420

Throughout recorded human history, the concept of an ideal city has been a part of every culture that had some form of metropolis. That municipal idea is known in literature and legend as Utopia. In "Urban Fiction: Strolling Through Ideal Cities From Antiquity To The Present Day", Gunther Feurstein (who until his retirement was a professor at the Hochschule fur Gestaltung in Linz and also a lecturer at the Akademie der blindenden Kunste and the Technische Universitat in Vienna) takes the reader on an impressive series of examinations covering some 350 cities created and occupied throughout various periods time and in countries around the world. Accompanying an informed and informative text are more than 500 illustrations and overflights of 800 additional dream cities. The result is a lexicon of utopian notions of the ideal city, notions created by philosophers, artists, travelers, saints, dreamers, and city planners. From Palmanova, Freudenstadt, and Guise, to Brasilia, Lingang, and Auroville, intermixed are utopias drawn from literature, archeology, myth, and social reformers. Some are works of sheer imagination, others the result of innovative thinkers and hard work. Enhanced with the inclusion of a Bibliography, an Index, and a listing of Photo Credits, "Urban Fiction" is very strongly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists as a unique, original, and seminal contribution to Urban Studies.


The Architecture Shelf

Positions
Frederic Edelmann & Francoise Ged, editors
Actar
Roca i Batlie, 2-4, 08023, Barcelona, Spain
9788496954502, $39.95, www.actar.com

China is home to some of the world's most famous architecture -- old and new. Compiled and co-edited by Frederic Edelmann and Francoise Ged, "Positions: Portrait Of A New Generation Of Chinese Architects" is an impressive visual survey of more than forty finished building structures created over the last five years (2003 to 2008) by Chinese architects and their architectural firms, representing a new generation of building designers who are making their presence known for innovation, style, beauty, utility, and even grandeur upon the world stage of architectural design. Featured with full color photography are works by the China Architecture Design & Research Group, Jiakun Architects, Atelier Deshaus, Mada S.P.A.M., MAD Studio, Fake Design, TM Studio, Urbanus, Studio Pei-Zhu, Amateur Architecture Studio, Atelier Feichang Jianzhu, Atelier Z+, Qi Xin Architects and Engineers, Standarchitecture and the Architectural Design & Research Institute of Nanjing University. A welcome, original, and highly recommended addition to professional and academic Architectural Studies reference collections, "Positions" is informed, informative, and occasionally inspiring. Also highly recommended is Actar's bilingual English/Chinese language edition of "Mad Dinner: A Monograph on the Beijing-Based MAD Office" (9788496954212, $49.95) co-edited by Brendan McGetrick and Chen ShuYu.


The Interior Design Shelf

Eat-In Kitchen
Catherine Warren Leone
Creative Homeowner Press
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
www.creativehomeowner.com
9781580114127, $19.95, 1-800-631-7795

The kitchen is the heart of every home and the center of daily life. "Eat-In Kitchens" is an impressive compilation of interior designs, concepts, and examples from fashion and home design expert Catherine Warren Leone of what can be done to enhance the beauty, utility, and efficiency of the kitchen as a place for all occasions including breakfast, brunch, lunch, mid-afternoon snacking, dinner, and late night dining. Profusely illustrated with full color photography by Mark Samu, "Eat-In Kitchen" is a visual and conceptual celebration of the conveniences and pleasures of creating a single space in which the acts of cooking, eating, and enjoying quality time with family and friends. A welcome and invaluable contribution to personal, professional, and community library Interior Design reference collections, "Eat-In Kitchen" is specifically intended to help the non-specialist general reader to select just the right layout to maximize the available space; create individual 'kitchen zones' for food preparation, cooking, serving, and cleanup; select eco-friendly and visually appealing cabinetry, paints, flooring, and appliances; and crate an overall color scheme in compliance with professional standards of quality. Whether creating a new kitchen in a new home, or seeking to rehabilitate, update and modernize an existing kitchen facility, "Eat-In Kitchens" is the perfect source of ideas as to what can be done by anyone, anywhere, anytime, and on any budget.

At Home By The Sea
Bruce Snider
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
9780892727544, $40.00, www.downeastbooks.com, 1-800-685-7962

Home built by the water are as popular today as they were throughout the whole of recorded human history. Superbly enhanced by two hundred color photographs taken by Brian Vanden Brink, "At Home By The Sea: Houses Designed For Living At The Water's Edge" has architect Bruce Snider taking the reader on a spectacular tour of twenty sea-side homes from Canada's Bay of Fundy, to the tropical splendor of St. Barthelemy, to such landmark sites as South Carolina's Hilton Head, Massachusetts' Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard, to California's Belvedere and Carmel, to several stunningly beautiful locations in Maine. Floor plans and site planes for most of these showcased homes are provided, as well as seaside vista views, home interiors, decks, porches. Windows, mirrors, building materials and decorative items are set within the context of interior designs. A beautiful book for browsing, "At Home By The Sea" is replete with inspirations and examples for those seeking ideas for their own projects and a welcome addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Don't Sabotage Your Submission
Chris Roerden
BellaRosa Books
PO Box 4251, 1060 Ragin Lane, Rock Hill, SC 29732
9781933523316, $17.95, www.bellarosabooks.com

There are a number of factors that can doom the commercial success of a book, regardless of the quality of the writing. "Don't Sabotage Your Submission: Save Your Manuscript From Turning Up D.O.A." is an invaluable and thoroughly 'user friendly' guide for aspiring writers trying to get their work published. With sage and sound advice from someone who has been on the other side of the editorial table for years, Chris Roerden draws from her experience and expertise to point out what writers have to avoid when sending out their manuscripts to publishers. Her purpose is to give novice authors the best chance possible, by relying on the skill instead of random technicalities to turn their manuscripts and proposals into published works available to a reading public. The tips are practical, plentiful, and 'real-world' based, which makes "Don't Sabotage Your Submission" a must for anyone who seeks to become a published author.

Fiction Writer's Workshop
Josip Novakovich
Story Press/Writer's Digest Press
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
9781582975368, $16.99, www.fwpublications.com, 1-800-726-9966

The primary purpose and goal of a writer's workshop is to help writers improve their writing. Simply stated, but often quite difficulty to accomplish because like most things in life, writer workshops can be classified into one of three categories -- the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, award-winning writer and teacher Josip Novakovich's "Fiction Writer's Workshop" is clearly one of the good ones in the form of a comprehensive instructional that covers every aspect of the art of fiction while providing aspiring and practicing writers with all the tools and techniques useful to developing the consistent, day-to-day discipline so fundamentally necessary for becoming a success professional at the literary craft. Offering more than one hundred writing exercises, with each exercise including a specific statement of purpose to guide the aspiring author through every step of the creative process, "Fiction Writer's Workshop" also provides self-critique questions with each exercise for assessing written works with an eye toward identifying weaknesses and strengths before moving on to the next lesson. Enhanced with the full text of eight acclaimed short stories complete with analysis and exercises suitable for modeling and the reinforcement of 'lessons learned', "Fiction Writer's Workshop" is appropriate for all fiction writers regardless of personal writing styles. Especially recommended for those aspiring to write publishable works of fiction, the "Fiction Writer's Workshop" should be considered indispensable reading for anyone who has every considered or attempted writing the kind of novels and short stories that would attract the attention of academia, the general populace, and generations of future readers yet unborn.

Writer's Block Busters
Velina Hasu Houston
Smith & Kraus, Inc.
PO Box 127, Lyme NH 03768
9781575255972, $17.95, www.smithandkraus.com, 1-888-282-2881

Sooner or later, every author will encounter the dreaded condition called 'writer's block'. This is when no ideas occur to the writer who may well sit and stair at a blank page in the typewriter or a blinking cursor on the computer screen for hours, days, weeks, and longer. For just such inevitable occasions, and drawing upon her many years of experience and expertise writing more than 30 plays (including fourteen of which were commissioned assignments complete with deadlines), Velina Hasu Houston has compiled a series of 'user friendly' and real-world productive activities and actions in "Writer's Block Busters: 101 Exercises To Clear The Deadwood And Make Room For Flights Of Fancy". Each exercise occupied a single page and is succinctly presented in one paragraph. Occasionally enhanced with quotable quotes, each exercise is designed to prompt the blocked writer to start composing on the spot. Here's an illustrative example: Homecoming: Character A has suffered torture, enslavement, insults, and disrespect in order to return to the side of a loved one. He or she returns home only to find that his or her loved one is gone. Place that sense of rupture and loss in your protagonist. Write. "Writer's Block Busters" should be on the ready reference shelf of every aspiring or seasoned author -- because no matter how gifted or inspired you may be in the pursuit of your craft, sooner or later that dreaded condition known as 'writer's block' will strike. That's when you will reach for your copy of "Writer's Block Busters" and be glad you have it handy!

The Half-Known World
Robert Boswell
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
9781555975043, $15.00, www.graywolfpress.org

Robert Boswell is the author of five novels and teaches creative writing at New Mexico State University, the University of Houston, and in the Warren Wilson MFA program. Therefore he brings to "The Half-Known World: On Writing Fiction" as very special expertise in his examination of the workings of fiction that will prove enormously useful to aspiring writers seeking to master their craft, as well as offering fascinating insights to academia and non-specialist general readers with respect to the issues facing literary writers from Leo Tolstoy to Alice Munro. Occasionally drawing upon his own experiences as a creative writer, Boswell provides details and examples of what it means for writers to experience what he describes as the 'half-known world' of fiction where the best fiction converges surprise and meaning for the benefit of the reader. Presenting an engaging series of essays that address a range of issues from Process and Paradigm; to Narrative Spandrels; Urban Legends, Pornography, and Literary Fiction; to Politics and Art in the Novel, and so much more, "The Half-Known World" is highly recommended reading, especially for anyone seeking to write their own 'Great American Novel'.

MLA Style Manual
MLA
Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, New York, NY, 10004-1784
9780873522977, $32.50, www.mla.org

The Modern Language Association is referenced throughout academia and the publishing industry as the standard setter for matters of grammar and other aspects of writing. Now available in a newly updated and expanded third edition, the "MLA Style Manual: And Guide to Scholarly Publishing" is their thoroughly comprehensive and 'user friendly' guide for publishing a useful reference that will be especially appreciated by those new to publishing and an indispensable reference for anyone needing a reference work on publishing standards. The newly expanded and updated third edition offers invaluable and practical advice on a broad spectrum of publishing issues ranging from stating sources and electronic submission, to new information on copyright and fair use practices. "MLA Style Manual" is an essential and indispensable reference work for any publishing company or self-published author looking for the best way to make their books viable in today's volatile and competitive marketplace.

Crafting Fiction, Poetry, & Memoir
Matthew Leone, editor
Colgate University Press
c/o Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu
0912568194, $19.95, 1-800-365-8929

The writer conferences, seminars, and workshops are all useful forums for aspiring writers and practicing authors to hone their technical skills, acquire insights into their craft, and take away inspiration to pursue with renewed vigor their chosen profession. Compiled and edited by Matthew Leone (Director of the Annual Colgate Writer's Conference at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York), "Crafting Fiction, Poetry, & Memoir: Talks From The Colgate Writers' Conference" is a collection of fifteen informed and informative presentations on various aspects of creative writing ranging from creative nonfiction, to the rhythms of poetic expression, to issues of author-narrator-character dynamics, to getting published. The next best thing to having actually been in attendance and sitting on the front row, "Crafting Fiction, Poetry, & Memoir" is highly recommended reading for anyone who aspires to excel in the writing of successful novels and short stories, memorable and well-crafted poetry, as well as engaging works of nonfiction including biographies, memoirs, and more.

What Writers Need To Know About Publishing
Jerry D. Simmons
WritersReaders.com
www.writersreaders.com
Author Marketing Experts (publicity)
PO Box 421156, San Diego, CA 92142
9780978924706, $19.99

Because of the huge number of excellent instructional books available to the aspiring writer, there is very little need to 'reinvent the wheel' when it comes to the point where authors are ready for their manuscripts to be published and made available to the reading public. Drawing upon his twenty-five years of experience and expertise as a New York publishing executive, Jerry D. Simmons has written an excellent general introduction with "What Writers Need To Know About Publishing". A great deal of basic information is provided with respect to the publishing industry and the publishing process from acquisition to marketing -- precisely the kinds of background info that every author needs to know when dealing with a publisher. As good as it is (and it is very good indeed), in laying out and informed and informative presentation of the general basics that should be a part of every writer's understanding of the role of publishers and what writer's can (and should) expect as part of the process of being published, "What Writers Need To Know About Publishing" does not provide information on the role that reviews and review publications play in book marketing. But there are several excellent titles available to fill that gap. A detailed 'Contents' list makes up for the absence of an Index. Simply stated, "What Writers Need To Know About Publishing" is an excellent general introduction, an informative and well presented read, and an valuable addition to any writer's supplemental reading list on getting published in today's highly competitive publishing industry.


The Computer Shelf

Multiplayer Gaming and Engine Coding for the Torque Game Engine
Edward F. Maurina III
AK Peters
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
9781568814223, $64.00, www.akpeters.com

The Torque gaming engine has much potential to offer developers. "Multiplayer Gaming and Engine Coding for the Torque Game Engine" a reference manual focusing on the titular subjects and how the Torque game engine can be used to create remarkable games. Not for beginners, the book assumes basic familiarity with Torque, and the advanced approach will be appreciated by those who want to get right to learning new techniques instead of reviewing old ones. An accompanying CD-ROM is included to assist the learning experience, making "Multiplayer Gaming and Engine Coding for the Torque Game Engine" a must for aspiring Torque masters.

Murach's Oracle SQL and PL/SQL
Joel Murach
Murach
4340 N. Knoll, Fresno, CA 93722-7825
9781890775509, $52.50, www.murach.com

For the past quarter of a century and then some, Murach has been bringing programmers the most complete and comprehensive manuals on the subject. "Murach's Oracle SQL and PL/SQL: Training and Reference" lives up to that banner of quality perfectly well, giving programmers all the knowledge and tolls they need to master SQL statements and create truly effective and efficient databases for themselves and their companies to use. "Murach's Oracle SQL and PL/SQL" is almost a must for anyone looking to master the topics discussed within.

O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.oreilly.com

JavaScript was developed in a hurry before it could be refined, and thus has more 'bad parts' than most programming languages. Senior JavaScript architect at Yahoo! Douglas Crockford in JavaScript: The Good Parts (9780596517748, $29.99 ) lends expertise to the topic (he's considered a key expert by many in the field) and provides a survey of the language which enables effective code development. Any library strong in Java development and analysis needs JAVASCRIPT: THE GOOD PARTS. Philipp Lenssen's GOOGLE APPS HACKS (059651588X, $29.99) provides a collection of hacks and tricks to offer different ways of customizing Google Apps, from its email and spreadsheets to some of its desktop applications such as Google Earth. Owners of Google Apps learn all about document sharing, embedding web pages into Google Calendar, adding photos to its mapping system, and more. Advanced programming collections will relish Rick Copeland's ESSENTIAL SQLALCHEMY (9780596516147, $34.99), a powerful survey for Python developers who need to access relational databases. From customizing routines and creating objects to building a mapper and providing an active record pattern, this survey of SQLAlchemy will delight patrons of advanced developer guides. Chris Seibold's BIG BOOK OF APPLE HACKS (9780596529826, $34.99) provides a new, big collection of tips and tricks to get the most out of a Mac OS X, iPhone, or new iPod or Apple TV. From shortcuts and customizing processes to adding peripherals and protecting the system with backups, this is a key reference for any Mac user or library catering to them.

Agile Adoption Patterns: a Roadmap to Organizational Success
Amr Elssamadisy
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Education
801 East 96th Street, 3rd floor, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.awprofessional.com 1-800-428-5331
0321514521, $44.99 www.pearsontechgroup.com

Proven patterns for succeeding with Agile in an organization are presented in a series of case studies and hands-on exercises in Agile Adoption Patterns: a Roadmap to Organizational Success. Here are the most common stumbling points teams face in implementing strategy, along with tips on how to teach, train, and bring customers on board to an agile environment. Any Agile project manager will find this an excellent series of tips, making this perfect for software engineering collections.

IT Governance
Alan Calder & Steve Watkins
Kogan Page
525 South 4th Street #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
9780749452711, $90.00 www.koganpage.com

IT GOVERNANCE: A MANAGER'S GUIDE TO DATA SECURITY AND ISO 27001/ISO27002 is a top pick for college-level, professional IT and computer collections. It surveys business practices and IT management, appealing to managers and organizations with details on how to handle information security risks. This new edition has been fully updated with the latest regulatory and technological changes and offers the latest revisions to ISO 27001 and ISO 27002, covering all the basics of ISO certification and data security.

Mastering CSS with Dreamweaver CS3
Stephanie Sullivan and Greg Rewis
New Riders
1249 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0321508971, $49.99 www.newriders.com

Dreamweaver is the leading web authoring tool and CSS is the recommended method for creating accessible web pages, yet it's a common idea that the two cannot operate smoothly together. That's why Mastering CSS with Dreamweaver CS3 is an essential acquisition for any serious programmer's library: it covers the latest tools for building CSS-based sites and covers all the basics of how to use CSS styling under Dreamweaver's tools. Highly recommended, it's packed with color charts, screens and examples throughout.

Designed Maps: A Sourcebook for GIS Users
Cynthia A. Brewer
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100
9781589481602, $39.95 www.esri.com/esripress

College-level libraries strong in either cartography or GIS mapping design will appreciated DESIGNED MAPS: SOURCEBOOK FOR GIS USERS, which offers easy basic guidelines for creating the cartographic effects using ESRI ArcGis Desktop software. These designs show how a dataset may be portrayed by a map, offering demonstration maps with details needed to achieve effective designs. The result is a powerful sourcebook any GIS collection needs.


The Crafts Shelf

The Pocket Paper Engineer
Carol Barton
Popular Kinetics Press
6005 Yale Avenue, Glen Echo, MD 20812
9780962775222, $26.95, www.popularkinetics.com

Crafting a pop-up book can be something as entertaining to a child as it is to an adult. "The Pocket Paper Engineer: How to Make pop-ups step-by-step: Volume two Platforms & Props" focuses on the items and stages used to set the scenes in pop up books, which in many ways are just as important as the characters themselves. Focusing on ideas that almost anyone can create out of everyday items, it provides ten samples that are sure to inspire readers to create their own. "The Pocket Paper Engineer" is a must for anyone who doubts that paper and scissors can be fun.


The Library Reference Shelf

Goode's World Atlas, 21st edition
Howard Veregin, editor
Rand McNally
8255 North Central Park, Skokie, IL 60076
0528853392, $39.95, www.randmcnally.com

The world of 2008 may be different from the world of 2007. "Goode's World Atlas", world renown and widely used by educational professionals at the college level, is back with the twenty first edition of its atlas. This new edition contains maps regarding topics such as the spreading HIV infections, the advancement of Women's rights, among other topics. It also features expanded features of older versions, such as more in-depth demographic maps for the United States. Drawn from the most advanced digital mapping technology available, "Goode's World Atlas" is the leader of atlases, highly recommended for anyone in the market for an atlas, or must be on the bleeding edge of knowledge in this subject.

Timeless Earth
Hammond
36-36 33rd Street Long Island City, NY 11106
9780843709933, $59.95, www.langenschedit.com

There is a seemingly never-ending struggle between historical preservation and the contemporary needs of the people. "Timeless Earth: 400 of the World's Most Important Places" is a look at some of the most magnificent places on the planet, accompanied by magnificent and beautiful full color photographs of each. The four hundred are drawn from both natural wonders of the world, man-made wonders ancient, medieval, and modern to create a blend of the world's wonders. With an informative text on each showcased example discussing their significance, "Timeless Earth" is an entertaining and educational experience under one cover, making it a great choice for those looking for something to leave on their coffee table, as well as a welcome and popular addition to school and community library reference collections.


The Science Shelf

Health Physics in the 21st Century
Joseph John Bevelacqua
Wiley-VCH
c/o John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
www.wiley.com 1-800-225-5945
9783527408221, $170.00 www.wiley-vch.de

College-level science and health libraries alike need the depth of coverage of Health Physics in the 21st Century, a survey of radiation-generating technologies affecting health physics and radiation protection professionals alike. Over 200 problems with solutions are included in material that covers everything from fission and accelerators to space and important problems in physics and health science. The charts, graphs and explanations are abundant and clear in this weighty, recommended pick.

Understanding Lasers, third edition
Jeff Hecht
Wiley
c/o John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
9780470088906, $69.95 www.wiley.com

College-level libraries strong in science and technology titles will appreciate this easy introductory guide to laser technology, which moves from the foundations of how lasers work and how they are used to discussions of specific advanced laser types, applications, and the science involved. Add drawings, tables, and multiple-choice quizzes and you also have a study guide suitable for college-level classroom assignments.

Applied Electromagnetics Using QuickField and Matlab
James R. Claycomb
Infinity Science Press
11 Leavitt Street, Hingham, MA 02043
9781934015124, $69.95 www.infinitysciencepress.com

College-level courses on electromagnetism as well as engineers seeking a reference on the topic will find Applied Electromagnetics Using QuickField and Matlab an outstanding reference helpful for using the two computer software packages for calculating results, charge and distributions. Application-based examples cover everything from brain tumors to fuel cells and provide a range of applications, figures, simulations (on an accompanying cd-rom) and specifics, making for a weighty and detailed discussion advanced engineers will appreciate.

Neuroengineering the Future: Virtual Minds and the Creation of Immortality
Bruce F. Katz
Infinity Science Press
11 Leavitt Street, Hingham, MA 02043
9781934015186, $49.95 www.infinitysciencepress.com

Computer and science collections at the college level will find important a controversial book which describes concepts of neuroengineering, which have already produced cochlear implants and promise many new advancements. From discussions of how the brain works to surveys of neural technologies, devices that can interact with the brain, and more, chapters discuss mind, machine, and transition points between the two. The science is specific, yet discussions are easy to absorb.

The Privatization of Space Exploration
Lewis D. Solomon
Transaction Books
300 McGaw Drive-Raritan Center, Edison, NJ 08837
9781412807593, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com 1-888-999-6778

THE PRIVATIZATION OF SPACE EXPLORATION: BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY, LAW AND POLICY is a pick for any college-level collection strong in space science. It provides an important view: that linking space exploration to entrepreneurial rather than scientific goals could move the space program from the property of NASA and a few aerospace firms to the business environment, fostering a renaissance in space use and space flights. Tips on how to move space purposes from the government to the private sector make for intriguing reading and recommendation for business and science collections alike.

Adam's Ancestors
David N. Livingstone
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
0801888131, $35.00 www.press.jhu.edu

ADAM'S ANCESTORS: RACE, RELIGION & THE POLITICS OF HUMAN ORIGINS provides both college-level and general-interest lending libraries with a fine history of non-Adamic humanity and the debates surrounding it, considering the alternative notion of Adam's descendants: that humans inhabited the Earth before or alongside Adam, and their descendants still occupy the planet. Religion, science and anthropological concerns are all presented in an outstanding survey.

Aurora Torealis
Marco Beretta, Karl Grandin, & Svante Lindqvist, editors
Science History Publications
PO Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562-1240
0881353981, $49.95, www.shpusa.com

Science is always science, no matter when it's done. "Aurora Torealis" is a compilation of scientific writings throughout history. With writings from countless big thinkers of the past and laying out their ideas on topics from the enlightenment to Horticulture to E-books to Jules Verne, it's a huge sample of thoughts and ideas, sure to open and expand the minds of any reader who gives it their time. "Aurora Torealis" is a must for any community library collection dedicated to science and science history.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Uneasy Relations
Aaron Elkins
Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
9780425221761, $23.95 www.penguin.com

Before the last Neanderthal left the planet, he co-existed with his cousin Homo sapiens: did they get along, or fight? When a spectacular archaeological find excites a professor, all seems enlightening and amazing until a series of accidental deaths casts a shadow over the discovery and involves one Gideon, who begins to piece together clues of a bigger picture than even the murders themselves. Any interested in exciting, complex murder mysteries and libraries catering to them will love UNEASY RELATIONS.

The Unraveling of Violeta Bell
C.R. Corwin
Poisoned Pen Pres
6962 E. First Avenue #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590585016, $24.95 www.poisonedpenpress.com

Newspaper librarian Maddy never gives story ideas to her newspaper: her job is research until four old ladies at a garage sale lead her to an unusual feature story that results in murder. Now she's part of an investigation whether she likes it or not and involved in a dangerous case. Libraries with strong mystery collections will find this a fine novel of mystery and intrigue.

Death Finds a Foothold
Glyn Carr
Rue Morgue
87 Lone Tree Lane, Lyons, CO 80540
9781601870223, $14.95, www.ruemorguepress.com

Over forty years and still as classic and entertaining a read as ever. "Death Finds a Foothold" is a classic mystery apart of the renown in Britain "Filthy" Abercrombie Lewker series. Visiting a friend near a popular mountaineer destination, Lewker finds trouble finding him once more as foul play inevitably occurs. He sets out to bring justice to those responsibly. "Death Finds a Foothold" is a must for any who are fans of vintage British mystery novels.

Perfectly Healthy Man Drops Dead
Bruce Hartman
Salvo Press
PO Box 7396, Beaverton, OR 97007
1930486812, $16.95, www.salvopress.com

People in their prime aren't suppose to drop dead. "Perfectly Healthy Man Drops Dead" is the story of an ex-lawyer who is accused of murder for his former partner in his old firm is found dead. With him the perfect patsy for the crime, the police, the mob, and others seek after him and put to rest any moves for him to save himself. His life becomes more and more complicated as the mystery becomes more and more complex - "Perfectly Healthy Man Drops Dead" is a gripping mystery from first page to last, a top pick for community library mystery collections.

Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles
John H. Watson, M. D.
John S. Fitzpatrick, editor
Riverbend Publishing
PO Box 5833, Helena, MT 59604
9781931832960, $12.95, www.riverbendpublishing.com 1-866-787-2363

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuth Sherlock Holmes is the best known and most popular detective in literature. The Baker Street Irregulars is a major Sherlock Holmes fan club whose members have written a number of impressive post-Doyle tales of their crime-fighting hero. In "Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles", John S. Fitzpatrick has provided the legion of Sherlock Holmes fans with an anthology of newly discovered Sherlock Holmes tales as reported by his trusty and trusted assistant, Dr. John H. Watson. Now we have five new tales of deductive reasoning and high adventure to add to the Holmes cannon: The Discovery; The Opera House Murder; The Tammany Affair; The Ghosts of Red Lion; and The Mysterious Woman. This new compendium of Holme's crime solving activities is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an 1897 map of Southwestern Montana; plus fourteen historical black-and-white photographs. "Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal and community library Sherlock Holmes collections -- and a 'must' for every dedicated Baker Street Irregular!!

Anatomy of a Killer & A Shroud for Jesso
Peter Rabe
Stark House Press
2200 O Street, Eureka, CA 95501
9781933586229, $14.95, www.starkhousepress.com

Peter Rabe brings readers a treat with two mystery novels with noir inspirations combined under one cover. "Anatomy of a Killer" follows hitman Sam Jordan. Good at his job, he slips up and makes the gravest error one can make in line of work becoming attached to another human being. "A Shroud for Jesso"is the story of Jack Jesso dealing with a boss who wants him dead and a business deal which is far from on the level. Both of these original stories by Peter Rabe are engaging from beginning to end, making "Anatomy of a Killer & A Shroud for Jesso" an ideal pick for those looking for a solidly written and thoroughly entertaining read.


The Gaming Shelf

Pawn Sacrifice!
Timothy Taylor
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
9781857445657, $24.95, www.everymanchess.com

The making of a small sacrifice for a larger gain, is a common tactic of chess masters. "Pawn Sacrifice! Winning at Chess the Adventurous Way" is a guide to the game of chess centered around this common, yet effective tactic. Outlining when it's a good idea, when it's foolish, and when it's just reckless, "Pawn Sacrifice!" is a guide to improve the chess game of any who play it. "Pawn Sacrifice!" is highly recommended to any who take pride in the way they play the game.

Caro's Secrets of Winning Poker
Mike Caro
Cardoza Publishing
PO Box 98115, Las Vegas, NV 89193
9781580422505, $14.95, www.cardozabooks.com

The came of Poker, despite being perceived as simply a card game of gambling, is a matter more of skill than luck in the long run. "Caro's Secrets of Winning Poker" is written by Mike Caro, who is widely recognized as one of the poker's most talented mind's. In the pages of this instructional guide, Caro reveals secrets and explains strategies so that both casual and serious players alike can improve their game by substantial margins. With an introduction included for novice players, countless other tips for newbies and pros alike, "Caro's Secrets of Winning Poker" is very highly recommended reading for anyone seeking master the game of poker and wants advice from a master player.

How to Beat Low-Limit Poker
Shane Smith & Tom McEvoy
Cardoza Publishing
PO Box 1500, Cooper Station, New York, NY 10276
9781580422116, $9.95, www.Cardozapub.com

There are so many books out there for poker players looking for high stakes games but what about the 95% of players who stick to low stakes games? "How to Beat Low-Limit Poker: A Beginner's Guide to Winning Big Bucks at Little Games" is the guide for the little guy who isn't out to make themselves filthy rich, but wouldn't mind leaving with their wallet a little heavier. With ten tips and strategies designed specifically for low limit games, "How to Beat Low-Limit Poker: A Beginner's Guide to Winning Big Bucks at Little Games" is a deftly written instructional for any low stakes player who wants an edge in their games.


The Humor Shelf

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Takes a Swing at Baseball
The Bathroom Readers' Institute
PO Box 1117, Ashland, OR 97520
9781592238828, $12.95, www.bathroomreader.com

When nature calls, it's wise to bring some entertainment along. "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Takes a Swing At Baseball" says the entertainment should be educational as well. With nearly three hundred pages of intriguing and enthralling trivia, it covers the history of baseball with facts that many people don't normally know about America's pastime such as promotional gimmicks used by stadiums. "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Takes a Swing At Baseball" is a must for any baseball fan who wants to make their time on home base go a little easier.


The Library DVD Shelf

Terry Pratchett's Discworld Collection: Wyrd Sisters & Soul Music
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
DVD, $39.99 www.acornmedia.com

Terry Pratchett's Discworld Collection: Wyrd Sisters & Soul Music collects the animated adaptions of two of Terry Pratchett's widely beloved Discworld fantasy series. Created by the award-winning animators of Cosgrove Hall Films, these DVDs faithfully bring both novels to life with their wit and wisdom intact - and even a little extra polish not possible on the printed page, such as the toe-tapping rock-and-roll pastiches in the "Soul Music" soundtrack. In "Wyrd Sisters", three witches have to confront a destructive king - but they cannot use their magic to overthrow him directly, because what magic rules, magic destroys. Only the true heir to the throne can set things right - or can he? In "Soul Music", Death literally takes a holiday, leaving his recently orphaned teenage granddaughter (the child of his adopted daughter and his former apprentice) to take over the Duty. It's a difficult enough job, but when she encounters a handsome young man possessed by the essence of rock-'n'-roll, she is determined to save him before the music burns out his life, Duty be damned! Suitable for viewers of all ages (though adults will more readily grasp the sophisticated dimensions of Pratchett's humor), Terry Pratchett's Discworld Collection is an absolute "must-have" for fans of humorous fantasy in general and Pratchett's work in particular. Special features such as storyboards, an interview with Terry Pratchett, character bios, and more round out this treasury, worthy of the absolute highest recommendation for both library and personal collections, as well as for birthday or holiday gift-giving.

Faerie Tale Theatre
Koch Vision
c/o Koch Entertainment
22 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050
Foundry Communications (publicity)
KOC-DV-6544, $99.98

Actress, producer and director Shelley Duvall created one of the most original and popular approaches to classic fairy tales with the creation of her 26 episode television series 'Faerie Tale Theatre'. Each week children and their parents were treated to live action performances of beloved fairy tales featuring headlines stars that included Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, James Earl Jones, Liza Minnelli, Eric Idle, Howie Mandell, Carrie Fisher, and so many more of Hollywood's best known. The roster of directors was equally prestigious and included Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Medak, Tim Burton, Roger Vadim, and others just as renowned. Great attention was given to costuming and set design in every episode that ranged across a spectrum of cultures to include such diverse stories as 'Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp', to 'Cinderella', to 'The Little Mermaid', to 'The Three Little Pigs', to The Pied Piper of Hamelin, and twenty-one others. A 7-disc boxed set of flawlessly recorded productions, the DVD format includes such bonus features as "Lost Episode: 'Faerie Tale Theatre's Greatest Moments'; Vintage Faerie Tale Theatre, Presentation Reel with Shelley Duvall, and B-Roll Promo Footage. The box set is enhanced with the inclusion of a photo-rich 112-page storybook featuring all 26 fairy tales, as well as a '3-in-1' Faerie Tale Theatre Game (custom playing cards, memory math and trivia). Ideal for both family and community library DVD collections, "Faerie Tale Theatre" will prove to be an enduringly popular treat for both children and adults!

The Dali Dimension
Joan Ubeda, et al.
MVD Entertainment Group
H-840 North Circle Drive, Oaks, PA 19456
#1001DVD, $24.95, www.MVDb2b.com

Most people know Salvador Dali as the peculiarly mustached surrealist painter of drooping clocks. "The Dali Dimension: Decoding The Mind Of A Genius" is an award-winning investigatory documentary that, through a series of rare film clips and interviews with the artist himself, delves into Dali's interest in psychoanalysis, relativity theory, and mathematics. Ably narrated by Joseph Nuzzolo, "The Dali Dimension" is the collaborative effort of documentarians Joan Ubeda, Susi Marques and Eli Pons. Of special note is the never previously available footage of Dali feverishly working on a series of drawings, using ink spread and splashed with a large a large palette knife. Students of Dali's work will find "The Dali Dimension" both informed and informative. Superbly produced and featuring leading experts in the fields of science talking about their personal experiences with Salvador Dali as a man of science as well as an artist, "The Dali Dimension: Decoding The Mind Of A Genius" is a compelling addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library DVD documentary collections.

Meals In Minutes
Stevie Ray
Learning ZoneXPress
PO Box 1022, Owatonna, MN 55060
www.learningzoneexpress.com
1571756949, $49.95, 1-888-455-7003

Sooner or later, almost every one experiences an accident in the kitchen or a problem with poorly prepared and/or poorly stored foods. Laced with comedy but showcasing spot-on advice for safety in the kitchen, with the foods stored there, and with the meals prepared there, "Meals In Minutes: Kitchen & Food Safety" is a 19 minute DVD specifically designed to entertain and inform viewers from sixth grade Home Ec classes to young adults just starting their culinary careers as homemakers, to experienced adults in need of a refresher on food and kitchen safety. Featuring a split screen format illustrating both safe ('Do Stevie') and dangerous (Don't Stevie) practices in the kitchen, and using 'real world' examples such as making an apple crisp, spaghetti with meatballs, and a dinner salad, "Meals In Minutes" covers such issues as hand washing, knife safety, cross-contamination, burns and cuts, food storage, and more. The DVD format includes a closed caption feature for those that need it. "Meals In Minutes" is especially recommended for family, school, and community library instructional DVD collections.

Dueling Guitars
Paul Bollenback & John Hart
Arkadia DVD
34 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
V.I.E.W. Video (distribution)
34 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
72021, $19.98, www.arkadiadvd.com www.view.com

Whether acoustic or electric, the guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments. In the hands of a master performer, the guitar can evoke an enormous range of emotional responses. Now two masters of the guitar, Paul Bollenback and John Hart, team up to demonstrate what guitar duets can accomplish in creating original and memorable music in "Dueling Guitars", a flawlessly recorded DVD showcasing a total of 78 minutes of performance and an additional 40 minutes of bonus features. The performances including Alone Together; Scenes from a Song; Superstition; I Mean You; Reflections of Jaco; From This Moment On; Double Gemini; But Not For Me, and Trio (Duo) Slant. "Dueling Guitar" bonus features include a performance clip of 'You Must Believe in Spring'; John Hart and Paul Bollenback biographies; John hart and Paul Bollenback interviews; 'instant access' to songs and solos; Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Stero Audio; Digitally Mastered Audio & Video; and DVD Recommendations. A superbly produced performance DVD, "Dueling Guitars" is recommended for personal and community library collections, and should be considered a 'must' viewing experience by guitar enthusiasts and aspiring performers.

The Sensation Of Sight
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
9781569946596, $24.95, www.montereymedia.com

A multiple award winning independent film, "The Sensation Of Sight" is the story of Finn, a middle-aged English teacher entering a mid-life crisis precipitated by personal tragedy. Finn sells encyclopedias to town locals, as his anxieties mount and he finds himself pursued by an unrelenting ghost. This is the deftly portrayed story of loneliness and disconnection that in the end leads to an unanticipated awakening and personal redemption. Showcasing the talents of David Starthairn, Ian Somerhalder, Daniel Gillies, Jane Adams, Ann Cusack, Elisabeth Waterston, Joe Mazzello, and Scott Wilson, all under the direction of Aaron J. Wiederspahn, "The Sensation Of Sight" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library DVD film collections.

Hot Body Boot Camp
Amy Bento
Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
www.anchorbayentertainment.com
DV15557, $14.98, www.nrgfitness.net

DVD technology has brought about a revolution in home-based fitness and exercise routines. The newest addition to the popular '10 Minute Solution' series, "Hot Body Boot Camp" is comprised of a series of ten-minute segments that enable the viewer to work out for as little as ten minutes or as long as an hour to condition the body while enhancing stamina, agility, coordination, and improving reaction time. The five segments comprising this outstanding DVD include Hot Body Cardio; Ab Assault; Rock Bottom Sculpt; Calorie Blasting Drills; and Better Body Stretch. With the step-by-step illustrated example of NASM certified group fitness instructor Amy Bento, the first four of these segments induce sweat, raise the heart rate, and challenge muscles to the point of fatigue. The final segment offers respite and recovery from the vigorous and effective workout. A DVD enabled bonus feature of the highly recommended and thoroughly 'user friendly' "10 Minute Solution: Hot body Boot Camp" is the ability to crate individualized and customized workouts by programming any of the five segments in what ever order the viewer wishes to work out to. Also very highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library exercise DVD collections are Leah Sarago's "10 Minute Solutions: Dance Off Fat Fast" (DV15959, $14.98); Suzanne Bowen's "10 Minute Solution: Pilates Perfect Body" (DV15957, $14.98); and Jessica Smith's "10 Minute Solution: Quick Tummy Toners" (DV15958, $14.98).

Pure Barre
Carrie Rezabek
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
DVD, $19.95, www.purebarre.com

"Pure Barre" is an instructional DVD showcasing a specific series of exercises drawing upon ballet, pilates, and the Lotte Berk Method to assist viewers in developing and maintaining a superb physique. This series of exercises are the creations of dancer/choreographer/fitness guru Carrie Resabek whose Pure Barre Technique is ideal for both the home and the gym. Before beginning this unique system of exercises, viewers will need two sets of weights (one heavier set and one lighter set), a mat, a small towel or sock, and a sturdy support to hold onto such as a counter-top or a chair. "Pure Barre" begins with a light warm-up and arm work using light hand weights to increase the heart rate and tone the upper body. Then targeted and user friendly exercises are provided for the legs, sea and abs. Stretches throughout the workout help create dancer-quality slim, lean and flexible muscles. A superbly produced exercise DVD instructional, "Pure Barre" is a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Health & Exercise DVD collections and routines.

Flying The Secret Sky
WGBH Boston Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
WG42679, $24.95, www.ssapr.com www.shop.wgbh.org

"Flying The Secret Sky" is a 75-minute documentary showcasing The British RAF's little known activities in transporting military aircraft from North America to England before America's entrance into World War II. This hazardous and secretive aspect of military aviation in 1940 preceded America's entry into the war and was part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's assistance to Britain's efforts to defend themselves against Hitler's attacks. "Flying The Secret Sky" is the story of dedicated, risk-taking young pilots who flew across a wartime Atlantic in unarmed aircraft as told by the flyers in their own words. Of special note is the American civilian pilot who transported Winston Churchill. Enhanced with a profusion of previously unseen home movies and rare footage of Ferry Command aircraft and crews, "Flying The Secret Sky" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Aviation History and World War II European Theatre DVD collections.

Backyard Lacrosse
Marty Schupak
Youth Sports Club
9 Florence Court, Valley Cottage, NY 10989
9780978945169, $24.95

A Native American sport going back centuries, Lacrosse was introduced to Europeans and became on of the most popular sports world wide. It is currently the fastest growing team sport in America. "Backyard Lacrosse" is an instructional 38-minute DVD showcasing creative drills and fundamental techniques of interest to both novice and experienced lacrosse players. Each of these exercises can be down in an ordinary backyard, school playground, and either alone or with teammates. Appropriate for players ages 10 and older (especially the competitive high school player), "Backyard Lacrosse" covers stick control, scooping fundamentals, cradling, shooting techniques, creative drills, dodging, an equipment over view, and a wealth of practical tips that will enhance lacrosse player performance. "Backyard Lacrosse" is a strongly recommended addition to personal, school, community center, and community library Sports & Athletics instructional DVD collections.

The Gladys Aylward Story
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
501244D, $14.99, www.visionvideo.com 1-800-523-0226

The newest addition to the outstanding Vision Video series 'The Torchlighters: Heroes of the Faith', "The Gladys Aylward Story", a thirty-minute animated video for children ages 8 through 12 that presents a true account of a Christian missionary who helped more than one hundred Chinese orphans to escape the onslaught of the Japanese when they swept through China in 1940 massacring whole populations in their conquest. Glady's Aylward's embarked with the orphans upon a one hundred mile trek over the mountains of China to a safe haven. With only her determination, faith, and commitment to those children entrusted to her care, Gladys Aylward was able to accomplish one of the truly legendary rescues of World War II. This superbly recorded DVD is enhanced with English and Spanish languages with optional English subtitles, and is enhanced for the viewer with the additional inclusion of a documentary featuring biographer Carol Purves and Gladys' adopted son, Clifford Liu. A comprehensive leader's guide with lessons plans, background information, reproducible student handouts, and more make "The Gladys Aylward Story" ideal for home schooling and church schooling curriculums. Additional resources are available online at www.torchlighters.org. Also highly recommended from Vision Video (a premier publisher of DVDs for the Christian community) are their other new releases including "Reflections on the Lord's Prayer for People with Cancer" (501260D, $19.99); "Somebody's Daughter" (501284D, $19.99); and "Advent Calendar on DVD 2: Christmas Carol Edition" (501283D, $14.95, 25 segments, total running time of 115 minutes).


The Audiobook Shelf

Silks
Dick Francis & Felix Francis
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780143143857, $34.95, http://us.penguingroup.com

Superbly narrated by Martin Jarvis, "Silks" is the collaborative work of Dick and Felix Francis. This unabridged, 9 disk audio book is a compelling racetrack murder mystery set in Britain. Defense Lawyer Geoffrey Mason is not only a barrister in London's Old Bailey, but an amateur jock with a passion for horse racing. When a fellow jockey is brutally murdered by a pitchfork through the chest, Mason is called upon to defend Steve Mitchell, a fellow jockey and the most likely suspect. A story of violence, intrigue, and threats upon his own life, Geoffrey Mason is faced with a complex web of possibilities and unknowns that must be resolved if his client is to be cleared -- and his own life preserved. Dick Francis is an acknowledged master of race track mysteries, and this flawlessly recorded audio book edition of "Silks" is a 'must' for his legions of fans.

The Garden Angel
Mindy Friddle
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
CV050, $102.75, www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Audio books are the perfect format for passing the time while having to other things from household chores to driving in traffic. Recorded Books is the premier publisher of audio books be they abridged or unabridged, cassette or CD. A flawlessly produced, 9 disk audio book capably narrated by Julia Gibson, "The Garden Angel" is author Mindy Friddle's debut title and the story of Cutter, a hard-working woman making her living by waiting tables and writing obituaries for the local paper. She is also dedicated to preventing the sale of her family's fairly run-down ancestral home by any means she can. Every time a potential buyer comes calling, Cutter makes every effort to play down any possible charm to be found within the crumbling walls of her dilapidated home. While this is going on, Cutter's younger sister is engaged in an affair with a local (and married) English professor. It's when the professor's reclusive wife seeks out the 'Other Woman' and runs into Cutter, rather than with the philandering sister, that an unlikely, quirky, and comforting friendship begins. Laced through and through with genuine humor, characters to care about, and plot twists to engage the listener's appreciative attention, "The Garden Angel" is highly recommended for personal and community library Audio Book collections. (9 disks, total running time 10.75 hours).

The Giant Book Of Poetry
William H. Roetzheim, editor
Level 4 Press, Inc.
13518 Jamul Drive, Jamul, CA 91935
9781933769400, $29.95, www.level4press.com

Poetry is as old as recorded human history. It was a storytelling device long before the advent of written language. It is a form of communication and artistic creation that is found in every culture around the world. Originally published as a 752-page book (9780976800125, $19.95), "The Giant Book Of Poetry" is now available as a 19-disc CD boxed set that presents this impressive anthology of 550 poems through the talents of thirteen professional actors and voice artists. Flawlessly recorded, the poems span history from approximately 4,000 BC down to the present day. The poems are grouped according to subject categories that include Poems of Romance; Poems of Inspiration and Faith; Poets Look at Lust, Betrayal, and Lost Love; Poets Look at Eternity; Poets Look at Growing Up and Growing Old; Poems for Children of All Ages; Poems of Ghosts, Evil, and Superstition; Poems of Loss and Sorrow; Poems of Nature; Poems of Working; Poets Look at War and Peace; and Poets Look at Writing, Art, and Poetry. A truly impressive body of superbly executed works, "The Giant Book Of Poetry" under the deft and knowledgeable editorship of William H. Roetzheim is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Poetry and Audio Book collections.

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

Alice Sebold's THE ALMOST MOON (1600240305, $39.98) receives three-time Oscar nominee Joan Allen's fine professional acting voice as it tells of Clair and Helen, a parent and child locked in a dangerous relationship and what happens when a boundary is crossed that will change both their worlds. The 24-hour period which follows, brings revelations to both in this moving novel. Deanna Hurst powers Joshua Ferris' story THEN WE CAME TO THE END (1600242820, $19.98), with her firm songwriting and speaking skills adding drama to the story of coworkers fighting for jobs, perks, and survival in a cutthroat business environment. Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez's HATERS (1600242179, $9.98) receives New York stage actress Flora Diaz's excellent, dramatic style as it tells of a high school girl who finds her classmates in her new Southern California school cruel especially the wicked and beautiful Jessica. Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran's ZOOM: THE GLOBAL RACE TO FUEL THE CAR OF THE FUTURE (1600240607, $24.95) comes from an engineer and economy magazine editor who together consider the scope of the oil problem and its likely solution, which lies directly in common transportation choices. Nelson Demille's NIGHT FALL (1600240941, $14.95) receives Scott Brick's professional, seasoned voice as it tells of a deserted island, video sex, and a terrible blast when an airline explodes. Paula White's YOU'RE ALL THAT: UNDERSTAND GOD'S DESIGN FOR YOUR LIFE (1600240321, $22.98) tells of the author's own painful experiences and where she found keys to healing and new life. She narrates her own account of finding meaning in life and a positive path for living it and provides an inspirational audio especially recommended for Christian collections. Two new 'Rich Dad' audios are excellent for young adults and newcomers to financial savvy. Kwn McElroy's ADVANCED GUIDE TO REAL ESTATE INVESTING: HOW TO IDENTIFY THE HOTTEST MARKETS AND SECURE THE BEST DEALS (1600242855, $24.98) tells listeners how to watch top markets, identify and close deals, invest in multifamily housing, and more, offering the next steps in achieving financial independence through real estate investing. Robert Kiyosaki's INCREASE YOUR FINANCIAL IQ (160024260X, $24.98) is narrated by film and commercial voice artist dave Mallow who provides a smooth and absorbing voice to solid tips on how to be more financially savvy. Joseph Wambaugh's HOLLYWOOD CROWS (1600241530, $39.98) receives Christian Rummel's fine audiobook voice, seasoned with years of experience, as it tells of seduction, booze, burglary and murder in Hollywood. Add a beautiful woman into the mix and you have a riveting, fast-paced winner that springs to life in audio. David Baldacci's STONE COLD (1600240488, $31.98) receives actor Ron McLarty's moving voice and tells of one Oliver Stone, leader of a mysterious club that is feared and respected by leaders in Washington, D.C. This thriller tells of how men from Stone's past are turning up dead with one Harry Finn the unifying force. James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge's STEP ON A CRACK (1600242790, $14.98) receives a fine narration by John Slattery and Reg Rogers, veteran audiobook narrators who provide a vivid dual style to the story of detective Michael Bennett, father of ten who is called in when a dangerous mastermind succeeds in sparking an unprecedented fray just as Michael's wife succumbs to a terrible disease. Can New York City be saved even in the aftermath of the death of the woman he loves? Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr.'s HER WAY (1600242227, $14.98) comes from award-winning reporters whose biography is paired with the fine acting voice of Erik Singer. It's the first balanced portrait of the most important woman in American politics Hillary Clinton - and will remain a popular listen as long as Clinton is active in politics (for many years). Douglas R., Emron D. and Aaron R. Andrew both author and narrate a classic account of the quickest route to early financial independence in MILLIONAIRE BY THIRTY: THE QUICKEST PATH TO EARLY FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE (1600241492, $29.98), a survey of the path to financial freedom. Father Doug Andrew didn't want to see his kids on the usual financial treadmill for the next forty years so he passed to them his secrets of success and all became winner, starting out of college with entry-level jobs paying about, $30 kay a year and following steps outline here to each achieve a net worth of over, $1 million. Dave Pelzer's MOVING FORWARD: TAKING THE LEAD IN YOUR LIFE (1600242286, $29.98) receives strong narrative skills by L.J. Ganser, who has narrated over 300 audiobooks and won an award from the Audio Publisher's Association. His voice spices a strong assessment of how leaders handle conflicts and how conflict management habits determine success. The directions are even easier to absorb in audio format. James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge's THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X (1600242006, $22.98) receives a fine narration by NBC actor Milo Ventimiglia as it tells of a man born with the power to create a secret which has helped him survive yet is proving his greatest challenge. Add a dilemma which makes his power key to mankind's survival and you have a gripping thriller which springs to life in audio. All are excellent choices.

Brilliance Audio
c/o Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859

Actor Scott Brick's excellent film performance background lends drama to his reading of Stephen J. Cannell 's story of Truit Hickman in Three Shirt Deal (142332661X, $36.95), where a small-time crook doing life in California's brutal prison for the murder of his mother. Shane helps investigate and review the case and uncovers a dangerous series of new facts that could reveal a real murderer in hiding. Audio libraries will find it a popular drama read. Robert Crais' CHASING DARKNESS (1423344375, $34.95) receives James Daniel's smooth voice and is especially timely considering California's latest fire season. Set in a L.A. summer, it tells of evacuation, murder, and an unsolved case that comes back to light three years later. A riveting murder mystery excels under audio treatment. Terry Brooks' THE TANGLE BOX (1423350391, $29.95) receives veteran narrator Dick Hill's excellent style and decades of experience as it tells of Ben Holiday, a former Chicago lawyer now king of the Magic Kingdom of Landover. Ben finds himself imprisoned within the Tangle Box, lost in its world, when conjurer Horris gets the upper hand and works evil and a mysterious woman who has vanished from the elven kingdom is the only one who can rescue him in this fantasy thriller come alive in audio. John Lescroart's BETRAYAL (1423339681, $38.95) receives David Colacci's warm voice and experienced style as it tells of a San Francisco defense attorney Dismus Hardy and detective Abe Glitsky who agree to clean up a fellow attorney's caseload only to discover a detailed, dangerous case awaits resolution. A host of perils and a question of innocence enhances a gripping narrative. Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant's GOTTA KEEP ON TRYIN (1423349768, $36.95) receives a strong narration by the authors as it tells of two lifelong friends, close as sisters and reunited as adults, now co-owners of a business. Each must face issues from the past in order to come to grips with the future in this moving story. Dr. Sue Johnson's HOLD ME TIGHT: 7 CONVERSATIONS FOR A LIFETIME OF LOVE (1423363655, $29.95) comes from the developer of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and provides a simple admonition: forget about learning how to argue better or analyzing the past, and recognize the underlying co-dependency that exists between partners. The way to enhance or save a relationship under such conditions is to be more responsible to the other, and to emphasize this emotional connection: her program, narrated by veteran audio reader Sandra Burr, tells how to achieve this underlying connection. Sara Paretsky's BLEEDING KANSAS (1423319818, $40.95) receives Susan Ericksen's highly charged narrative style and is set in the Kaw River valley where the author grew up, telling of two entwined farm families affected by a Wiccan who moves into an empty farmhouse and begins practicing pagan rites. Tensions and confrontations emerge in a gripping audio drama. Anne Perry's BUCKINGHAM PALACE GARDENS (159600276X, $40.95) receives a hard-hitting narration by veteran Michael Page, who has recorded over 50 titles for this publisher alone. His voice spices a survey of Buckingham palace after a fatal house party draws in one Thomas Pitt to investigate the crisis. An avid thriller evolves. Stephen Coonts' DEEP BLACK: CONSPIRACY (1423337131, $36.95) receives a dual narration by Coonts and Jim DeFelice and a powerful reading by Christopher Lane, who adds high drama to the story of an apparent suicide, the interrogation of a Marine sniper, and a Deep Black agent who has uncovered the trail of a killer. High-tech weapons, undercover agents, and a plot to destroy the U.S. make for vivid action in an audio highly recommended for any lending library where patrons favor realistic international dramas.

Penguin Audio
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Veteran audio narrator George Guidall provides a tense story of a CIA agent who returns to the fold restless, recovering from wounds from his last job, and facing new Taliban terrorist activity requiring Wells' expertise to investigate in the gripping Alex Berenson story THE GHOST WAR (9780143142850, $39.95). A fine thriller evolves. Kevin Phillips' BAD MONEY (9780143143284, $29.95) receives Scott Brick's excellent acting skills as it provides a solid non-fiction account of oil troubles, debt, and the bursting of the American financial bubble. Any collection strong in nonfiction economics listens needs BAD MONEY: RECKLESS FINANCE, FAILED POLITICS, AND THE GLOBAL CRISIS OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM. Audio collections focusing on the classics must have the 50th Anniversary Edition of Jack Kerouac's ON THE ROAD (9780143142737, $29.95), narrated by award-winning actor Will Patton who lends a charged and vivid voice to Kerouac's adventure story of two friends who make four cross-country road trips. Raymond Khoury's THE SANCTUARY (9780143142331, $39.95) receives veteran narrator Richard Ferrone's smooth voice as it provides a powerful new political thriller set in 1750 Naples and 2003 Baghdad. Three men and a swordfight, a deep-hold secret, and a mission which crosses centuries to modern-day Baghdad politics creates a gripping saga. Timothy Keller's THE REASON FOR GOD: BELIEF IN AN AGE OF SKEPTICISM (9780143142942, $34.95) offers questions and doubts for believers and comes from the pastor of a Presbyterian Church in New York City. His list of the most frequent doubts skeptics bring to his church and his answers results in an inspirational presentation written with atheists, agnostics and skeptics in mind. Religious collections as well as general-interest lending libraries will find it thought-provoking. Jodi Picoult's HARVESTING THE HEART (9780143143321, $39.95) receives actress Cassandra Campbell's warm and vivid reading as it tells of a mother who abandoned character Paige, and how her absence and memories affected her life. In-depth detail is vivid and brings the novel to life, making this a top recommendation for any interested in complex, high-quality novels with powerful characterization and equally powerful narration. Ildefonso Falcones' CATHEDRAL OF THE SEA (9780143142935, $44.95) receives Paul Michael's extensive stage and film background and talents as well as his voice experience of over fifty audios as it tells of espionage and international intrigue centering around the cathedral of Santa Maria de la Mar. Arnau has joined a powerful guild of stoneworkers to help rebuild a church and his friendships and betrayal will affect his life and 14th century Barcelona in this historical thriller. Lauren Willig's SEDUCTION OF THE CRIMSON ROSE (9780143142959, $39.95) is narrated by stage actress kate Reading, who lends an impassioned voice to this modern day 'Pride and Prejudice', continuing a series about Pink Carnation spies during Napoleonic War times. Fans of spy and historical mystery books will relish this story of Mary, who accepts a secret assignment on behalf of the Pink Carnations: to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Tulip, a French spy. Plots, subplots, intrigue and history blends with Eloise Kelly's research into early English espionage to make for a gripping story. Stuart Woods' SANTA FE DEAD (9780143143185, $29.95) receives stage actor Michael Kramer's excellent skills as it provides a new thriller featuring Santa Fe trial lawyer Ed Eagle. Ed finds himself testifying as a witness for the prosecution in the trial of his ex-wife Barbara only to find she's still able to make his life hell. His involvement with hit men, detectives, and big money leads him on a journey to discover just what his wife is up to in this thriller. Steve Coll's THE BIN LADENS (9780143143239, $39.95) receives Erik Singer's smooth voice and Broadway experience as it tells of the rise of the Bin Laden family and the oil fortune which earned them a place in not just the Middle East, but in Western history as well. Concurrent with the family biography is a survey of global integration and interactions key to understanding world politics and an invaluable guide.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Cuilidh
Julie Fowlis
Shoeshine Records/Cadiz Music
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.juliefowlis.com
SPIT032, $17.98, www.shoeshine.co.uk

Julie Fowlis is a dedicated Gaelic singer whose researches and performances have brought Gaelic music to the forefront of appreciative European and American audiences. "Cuilidh" is her newest contribution to a steadily increasing body of work and ranges from lighthearted mouth music to serious ballads chronicling life and loss on the rugged Outer Hebrides island and its surrounding sea. Her hauntingly beautiful performances of twelve distinctive, historically authentic, beautifully sculptured songs in the Gaelic language are flawlessly recorded, making "Cuilidh" a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library CD music collections.

A Traveler's Guide To Mars
Ian Tescee
Privately Produced
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
ITC-21232, $15.99, www.musicphrenia.com www.iantescee.com

Ian Tescee draws upon his more than twenty-two years of experience and expertise with creating electronic music to compose and perform "A Traveler's Guide To Mars", a collection of fourteen original and unique works inspired by space scientist William K. Hartman and utilized in the major planetarium production about Mars at the Carnegie Science Center's Duhl Digital Dome in Pittsburgh. Tescee utilizes keyboard synthesizers and electronic drums, analog guitars, and even sings on one of the tracks. Enhanced with a half-dozen NASA commands and a countdown, a cello solo by Nancy Snustad, the faint quoting of a line from the Ray Bradbury short story 'The Lost City of Mars', "A Traveler's Guide To Mars" also features music written by electronic musician Russell Story, and 'The Wooden Prince' based on a theme by Bela Bartok. The individual pieces comprising this flawlessly produced and highly recommended CD include The New World (5:27); Passport (6:01); Earthrise (4:01); The Lost City of Mars (4:16); Aquamarine (3:43); The Wooden Prince (2:24); Dust-Red Sky (2:02); God of War (2:42); Beneath the Ice (2:09); It's Time to Go Back: Part 1 (2:48); It's Time to Go Back: Part 2 (3:54); Space Tourist Mars (5:23); Life on Mars (4:50); Billions and Billions of Stars (3:54).

Tibetan Chants for World Peace
The Gyuto Monks Tantric Choir
White Swan Records
6395 Gunpark Dr. Ste. A, Boulder, CO 80301
Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$16.98 www.whiteswanrecords.com www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Tibetan Chants for World Peace is an audio CD of transcendent Tibetan Buddhist chants, some of which have never before been heard outside of Gyuto Tantric Monastic University until the twenty-first century. The Gyuto monks perform low-pitched throat singing that supplicates for the well-being of all life on Earth. No monk is permitted to perform these chants until he has undergone extensive initiation, empowerment, and training over the course of many years. A one-of-a-kind audio encapsulation of the music wholly dedicated to spreading mercy and love to the world, Tibetan Chants for World Peace carries the absolute highest recommendation for public library CD collections and for Buddhist studies shelves. A fold-out insert with photographs of the monks and information about the chants is included, and all royalties for the sale of Tibetan Chants for World Peace go to Gyuto Tantric University.


The Needlecraft Shelf

American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.AmericanQuilter.com

The traditional little sunbonnet figure familiar to so many takes on new life in this set of original designs of appliqued and embroidered sunbonnet figures who appear in blocks, borders, or as part of scenes in Betty Alderman's PRECIOUS SUNBONNET QUILTS (9781574329513, $24.95). From redwork to applique, full-page patterns accompany easy step-by-step project guidelines needlework collections will find invaluable. Kay M. Capps Cross's A BLACK & WHITE GARDEN (9781574329520, $24.95) tells how to use a black and white background and variations on themes to make an outstanding quilt. From quilts that are placemat-size to full-size quilts with foundation piecing, A BLACK & WHITE GARDEN pairs patterns with full-page color photos of quilt examples.

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

Nancy Mahoney's block patterns in Applique Quilt Revival (9781584776222, $26.95) come from the 1930s and update classic patterns from the Depression era. Some fourteen quilt patterns showcase unique design and offer up quick, easy materials and cutting directions, complimented by patterns and color photos throughout. Quilting libraries will find this an excellent embellishment upon traditional block projects of the era. Ilene Bartos' MAPLE LEAF QUILTS: 12 PROJECTS, 9 TRIANGLE TECHNIQUES (9781564777690, $26.95) offers a new twist on the traditional Maple Leaf block quilts, presenting some 12 projects that feature new ways of using Maple Leaf blocks. From making triangle squares to points, this packs in plenty of tips for personalizing a quilt. Jennifer Kooy Zoeterman and Linda Lenich's NEEDLE FELTING WITH COTTON AND WOOL (9781564777966, $19.95) tells how to combine cotton and wool fabrics in nine projects ranging from a pillow and wall quilts to a photo frame and more. An introductory section of basics leads to some diverse project representations. THE LITTLE BOX OF SOCKS (9781564778031, $19.95) by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott provides some 20 creative sock projects for knitters to produce, from different colors and textures to a range of styles. These take the form of 'project cards' with sizes, supply lists, and step-by-step directions perfect for avid knitters. Susan Kisro's INSTANT BARGELLO (9781564778543, $14.95) pairs full-page color photos with easy step-by-step directions for making lovely bargello quilts from animal motifs to mermaids and more. Basic quilting instructions pack a simple 24-page introduction to the method. Sara Louise Harper's CABLE CONFIDENCE: GUIDE TO TEXTURED KNITTING (9781564778185, $24.95) provides a range of cabling projects, teaching how to use stitch charts, cable needles, and more. From pillows to scarfs and sweaters, CABLE CONFIDENCE gives all beginners a boost and a fine introduction to textured knitting basics.


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


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