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Library Bookwatch

Volume 8, Number 12 December 2013 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Economic Studies Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Library Science Shelf Education Shelf
Native American Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Psychology Shelf
Language Studies Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Civil War Shelf Music Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Biography Shelf Military Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Sports Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Art Shelf Biology Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Journalism Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

We Are What We Pretend To Be
Kurt Vonnegut, author
With special commentary from Nanette Vonnegut
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
9780306822780 $12.99 www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) is one of the quintessential twentieth-century American writers, perhaps best known for his classic novels "Slaughterhouse Five" and "Breakfast of Champions". We Are What We Pretend To Be presents two of Vonnegut's little-known works: his unpublished first novella, "Basic Training" (a quasi-autobiographical story about a young man struggling to adapt to life on an Indiana farm, despite unrequited love and an oppressive patriarchal hierarchy), and his unfinished last novel, "If God Were Alive Today" (a sharply satirical work in which dependence on fossil fuels has provoked an apocalypse of Biblical proportions). An introduction by Vonnegut's daughter rounds out this "must-read" for fans, connoisseurs, and literary students of Vonnegut's classic works. Highly recommended for personal, public library, and college literature library collections.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Defending The History Of Economic Thought
Steven Kates
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781848448209, $99.95, www.amazon.com

The principle focus of "Defending the History of Economic Thought" is the crucial importance of the history of economic thought in the study of economics itself; without its history at the core of the curriculum, academician and economist Steven Kates (School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia) persuasively contends that economics is "a lesser subject, less penetrating, less interesting and of much less social value". A 160 page treatise, "Defending The History Of Economic Thought" is organized and presented in five major chapters (Preliminary thoughts; Why study the history of economic thought; Debating the role of the history of economic thought; Teaching the history of economic thought; and Defending the history of economic thought. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Defending The History Of Economic Thought" is enhanced with an bibliography and a comprehensive index, making it an impressive contribution to professional and academic library Economic Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Right To Stay Home
David Bacon
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-2892
www.beacon.org
9780807001615, $27.95, www.amazon.com

Mexican immigration into the United States continues to be a national 'hot button' political issue. "The Right to Stay Home: How US Policy Drives Mexican Migration" by photojournalist, author, and immigrant rights activist David Bacon is a 328 page compendium that focuses on the impact American domestic and foreign policies, as well as the status of the American economy have upon Mexican migrations to and from the continental United States. Of special note is the documented commentary in the section on 'Mass Firings: The Obama Administration's Workplace Enforcement Policy'. An impressive work of detailed research and cogently argued views, "The Right to Stay Home: How US Policy Drives Mexican Migration" is an informed, informative, and significant contribution to the national debate over Mexican immigration issues. Very highly recommended for both academic and community library Contemporary Social Issues reference collections, it should also be noted that "The Right to Stay Home: How US Policy Drives Mexican Migration" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.37).


The Cookbook Shelf

Chef Del's Better Than Vegan
Del Sroufe
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400
Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781939529428, $19.95, www.amazon.com

A vegan is one who abstains from the use of animal products, particularly in their diet. Compiled by vegetarian expert Del Sroufe, "Better Than Vegan: 101 Favorite Low-Fat, Plant-Based Recipes That Helped Me Lose Over 200 Pounds" is a 304 page compendium showcasing a culinary wealth of vegan recipes that will please palates, satisfy appetites, and adhere to vegan principles in both their preparation and their consumption. The recipes range from Chili Gravy; Turkish Red Lentil Soup; Sweet Potato-Black Bean Enchiladas; and Chocolate Pudding; to Spinach-Wasabi Hummus; Smoky Black Bean Flatbread; and Balsamic-Glazed Brussels Sprouts. "Better Than Vegan: 101 Favorite Low-Fat, Plant-Based Recipes That Helped Me Lose Over 200 Pounds" is strongly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library Vegetarian and Vegan cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Better Than Vegan: 101 Favorite Low-Fat, Plant-Based Recipes That Helped Me Lose Over 200 Pounds" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

My Vietnamese Kitchen
Uyen Luu
Cico Books
c/o Ryland Peters & Small
519 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10012
www.rylandpeters.com
9781849754439, $24.95, www.amazon.com

"My Vietnamese Kitchen: Recipes and Stories to Bring Vietnamese Food to Life on Your Plate" is a wonderfully illustrated, 144 page compendium compiled by Uylen Luu to showcase authentic Vietnamese recipes passed down through generations of her family. After an opening section on Ingredients, the recipes themselves are nicely organized and presented in six thematic chapters (Breakfast; Soups; Snacks; Noodles; Lunch & Dinner; Sweets. From Canh Chua Ca (Hot and Sour Fish Soup); to Bo La Lot (Lemongrass Beef in Betel Leaves); to Com Tam Suon Nuong Trung Hap (Pork, Egg Pudding and Broken Rice); to Kem Bo (Avocado Ice Cream), these elegant and exotic dishes are palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, and will turn any dining occasion into something extra special -- making "My Vietnamese Kitchen" a highly valued addition to family and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.

The Sardinian Cookbook
Viktorija Todorovska
Surrey Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street
Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841475 $22.95 www.agatepublishing.com

Illustrated with full-color photography of its mouth-watering dishes throughout, The Sardinian Cookbook: The Cooking and Culture of a Mediterranean Island is a showcase of the culinary traditions of the Italian island of Sardinia - which draws upon the legacy of Spanish, French, and Moorish as well as Italian cuisine. An extensive introduction offers an overview of enduring traditions of Sardinian cuisine - including some that were grounded in practical necessity (such as crunchy sheet bread that wouldn't spoil for shepherds who spent months out at pasture, or the proud local tradition of letting nothing edible go to waste). The Sardinian Cookbook is as much about communicating and reveling tradition and camaraderie as it is about creating sumptuous regional delights such as Malloreddus alla Campidanese (with Sausage), Lamb with Fennel and Sundried Tomatoes, Foccacia Sarda, Artichoke Heart Soup, and much more. A superb treasury or gift cookbook for any connoisseur of international cuisine!

The New Southwest
Megan Micozzi
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.hippocrenebooks.com
9780781813150, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Best known in culinary circles for her popular blog 'Scarletta Bakes', Megan Micozzi has compiled a 232 page and beautifully illustrated compendium celebrating America's southwestern cuisine with "The New Southwest: Classic Flavors with a Modern Twist". The thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from a Roasted Garlic Guacamole, to a Sonoran Honey Streusel Coffee Cake, to a Fancified Frito Pie. These are superbly presented recipes for regional dishes that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite. "The New Southwest: Classic Flavors with a Modern Twist" is enthusiastically recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!


The Library Science Shelf

Beyond Book Sales
Susan Dowd, editor
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
9781555709129 $75.00 www.alastore.ala.org

Beyond Book Sales: The Complete Guide to Raising Real Money for Your Library lives up to its title as a how-to manual for library fundraising. As library use increases and government budgets squeeze ever tighter, fundraising skills become more and more essential for enabling the library's public service. Beyond Book Sales covers how to foster a culture of giving through annual and special appeals, effective use of membership programs, handling tribute and memorial gifts, how to solicit major gifts, developing a "planned giving" program (which provides benefits to a library long after a donor's death), special types of fundraising events, getting started with online giving, securing grants, capital campaigns, and more. Charts and some black-and-white illustrations, particularly of successful brochures, round out this absolute "must-have" for library professionals in today's rough economic times.

M-libraries 4
Mohamed Ally & Gill Needham, editors
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781856049443, $80.00, www.amazon.com

"M-libraries 4: From Margin to Mainstream - Mobile Technologies Transforming Lives and Libraries" is collaboratively compiled and jointly edited by the team of Mohamed Ally Professor, Centre for Distance Education, Althabasca University, Canada) and Gill Needham (Associate Director, Information Management and Innovation at the Open University Library and Learning Resources Centre, UK). "M-libraries 4" is a 224 page compendium that offers erudite and international contributions from the leading authorities in the field. Based on the proceedings of the Fourth International M-Libraries Conference held in Milton Keynes in 2012, "M-libraries 4" explores the variety of work that libraries are doing across the world to deliver resources to users via mobile and hand-held devices. "M-libraries 4" is a unique contribution and a highly recommended addition to Library Science reference collections will especially useful and of interest to students of library and information science, as well as academic and community librarians and library staff.


The Education Shelf

Number Sense Interventions
Nancy C. Jordan & Nancy Dyson
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781598572919, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Designed specifically for use with kindergarten students, "Number Sense Interventions" is the collaborative work of Nancy C. Jordan (Professor of Education, University of Delaware) and Nancy Dyson (classroom teacher and parent cooperative school director). This spiral bound, 238 page compendium will help math impaired children learn to count to 100, recognize quantities and numerals, connect quantities to numerals, write numbers, solve story problems and written equations, perform number operations on fingers, and a great deal more! Comprised of 24 scripted lessons plus extension activities, "Number Sense Interventions" is an ideal, 'user friendly', and very highly recommended kindergarten level mathematics curriculum supplement.

Succeeding With Inquiry
Jeff C. Marshall
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org/books
9781416616085, $27.95, www.amazon.com

Along with mastering data and concepts in math and the sciences, students also need to be able to think critically, communicate effectively, and collaborate productively if they are to succeed in their chosen disciplines over the course of their careers. That is the focus of "Succeeding with Inquiry in Science and Math Classrooms" by Jeff C. Marshall (Associate Professor, Science Education, Clemson university). This 162 page compendium is organized into three major sections: Need for Inquiry in Your Classroom; Details of Inquiry Instruction; and Succeeding with Inquiry Instruction. Enhanced with the inclusion of an appendix (EQUIP), references, and an index, "Succeeding with Inquiry in Science and Math Classrooms" is a model instruction guide and highly recommended, practical, 'user friendly' reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of educating future generations of mathematicians and scientists. It should be noted that "Succeeding with Inquiry in Science and Math Classrooms" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.37).


The Native American Studies Shelf

The Nature of Empires and the Empires of Nature
Karl S. Hele, editor
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
www.wlupress.wlu.ca
9781554583287, $85.00, www.amazon.com

The newest addition to the outstanding Wilfrid Laurier University Press 'Indigenous Studies' series, "The Nature of Empires and the Empires of Nature: Indigenous Peoples and the Great Lakes Environment" is a 372 page compendium comprised of fifteen seminal articles offering Native American and Native American-influenced perspectives on the power of nature and the attempts by the United States, Canada, and Britain to control it in the region of the Great Lakes. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Karl S. Hele (Associate Profess and Director of First Peoples Studies, Concordia university and a member of the Garden River First Nation community of Anishinaabeg), "The Nature of Empires and the Empires of Nature: Indigenous Peoples and the Great Lakes Environment" is enhanced with inclusion of an extensive bibliography, an identifying list of the contributors and their credentials, and a comprehensive index. Of special note is Johyn MacKenzie's introductory commentary 'A Meditation on Environmental History'. Very highly recommended for academic library Native American and Environmental Studies reference collections, it should also be noted that "The Nature of Empires and the Empires of Nature: Indigenous Peoples and the Great Lakes Environment" is also available in a Kindle edition ($39.96).


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Introduction to the History of Christianity, second edition
Tim Dowley, editor
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
http://fortresspress.com
9780800699697, $55.00, www.amazon.com

Compiled, organized and edited by historian Tim Dowley, and now presented in a significantly expanded and updated second edition, "Introduction to the History of Christianity" is a 688 page, nicely illustrated, 2100 year history of the Christian movement beginning with the birth, life and ministry of Jesus (1-325 AD), to the acceptance and conquest based expansion of Christianity (325-600 AD), to the emergence and evolution of Christian society (600-1500 AD); to the age of reform and renewal of the Christian churches (1500-1650 AD); to the age of reason, revival and revolution with the Christian world (1650-1789 AD), to the time of the Christian cities and empires (1789-1914 AD), to a century of continuing conflict with respect to Christianity (1914-2001 AD). Of special note is the concluding epilogue 'A New Millennium'. A work of impeccable historical scholarship from first page to last, "Introduction to the History of Christianity" is enhanced with the inclusion of maps, time charts, photographs, a list of resources on the history of Christianity, a glossary, and a comprehensive index. "Introduction to the History of Christianity" is very strongly recommended for personal, family, seminary, church, academic, and community library reference collections and supplemental Christian Studies reading lists.

Spirituality In Hospice Palliative Care
Paul Bramadat, Harold Coward, Kelli I. Stajduhar
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9781438447780, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Hospice care is a type and philosophy of care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill or seriously ill patient's pain and symptoms, and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs. The concept of hospice has been evolving since the 11th century. Then, and for centuries thereafter, hospices were places of hospitality for the sick, wounded, or dying, as well as those for travelers and pilgrims. The modern concept of hospice includes palliative care for the incurably ill given in such institutions as hospitals or nursing homes, but also care provided to those who would rather spend their last months and days of life in their own homes. Compiled by editorial team of Paul Bramadat (Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, University of Victoria), Harold Coward Professor Emeritus of History, University of Victoria), and Kelli I. Stajduhar (Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Centre on Aging, University of Victoria), "Spirituality in Hospice Palliative Care" is a 214 page compendium comprised of eight seminal contributions from diverse academic disciplines and perspectives on the spiritual aspects of hospice care for those who do not easily fit within the traditional religious beliefs and categories. as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Spirituality In Hospice Palliative Care" is a welcome and highly recommended contribution to professional and academic library Religious/Spirituality Studies and Health/Medicine Hospice Care reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "Spirituality In Hospice Palliative Care" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.72).


The Psychology Shelf

Life and Loss, third edition
Linda Goldman
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8
NY, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9780415630801, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Now in a completely updated and significantly expanded third edition, "Life and Loss: A Guide to Help Grieving Children" by grief counselor and therapist Linda Goldman is a 288 page compendium designed to provide psychology students and counseling professionals with a detailed instruction guide and manual for dealing with loss and grief in children. Revealing common myths concerning grief and providing four psychological tasks of grief, "Life and Loss: A Guide to Help Grieving Children" goes on to describe techniques for working with grieving children, preparing a child for a 'goodbye visit', dealing with the loss of a pet, the role communication technology now plays in the lives of grieving children, the impact of separation, and much more. Of special note is the chapter on 'Especially for Educators' and how teachers can make a substantial difference in the lives of grieving children and the concluding chapter 'Let's Explore Resources' including the Sesame Street Initiative and an annotated bibliography for children. "Life and Loss: A Guide to Help Grieving Children" continues to be a very highly recommended and respected resource and should be a part of every professional and academic library Child Psychology reference collection.


The Language Studies Shelf

A Roman Army Reader
Dexter Hoyos
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.bolchazy.com
9780865167155, $19.00, www.amazon.com

Compiled with commentary by Dexter Hoyos (Honorary Associate Professor and Research Affiliate, Sydney University, Australia), "A Roman Army Reader: Twenty-One Selections from Literary, Epigraphic, and Other Documents" is a 264 page compendium that includes an informative introduction to the Roman army; 858 lines of unadapted Latin text in 21 selections taken from 12 literary works of antiquity; extensive notations in the back of the book; a complete vocabulary; suggested 4readings; appendices of original texts and chronologies; two maps; and seven illustrations. A welcome addition to Latin Studies supplemental reading lists, "A Roman Army Reader: Twenty-One Selections from Literary, Epigraphic, and Other Documents" will prove to be an enduringly popular contribution to academic Latin Language Studies curriculums. For teachers and librarians seeking to build up Latin Language Instruction materials in their collections, Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is a primary source for such materials. Visit their web site at www.bolchazy.com for a complete listing of their extensive Latin Language Instruction titles.


The American History Shelf

Emigrants In Chains
Peter Wilson Coldham
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260
Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806317786, $18.95, www.amazon.com

One of the little known facets of American colonial history is that those colonies weren't all populated by people fleeing England in search of religious freedom and economic opportunity. The need for labor was so intense that England's jails, workhouses, brothels, and 'houses of correction' were emptied out and their inhabitants forcibly shipped to America to work out their sentences as indentured servants and convicted felons. "Emigrants in Chains. a Social History of the Forced Emigration to the Americas of Felons, Destitute Children, Political and Religious Non-Conformists, Vagabonds, Beggars and Other Undesirables: 1607-1776" by Peter Wilson Coldham is a 198 page compendium that provides an informed and informative history of how this came about and the impact it had on colonial society. Enhanced with eight appendices and a select bibliography, "Emigrants In Chains" is a seminal study of impressively detailed scholarship and an important contribution to both community and academic library American Colonial Studies reference collections and supplemental studies lists.

Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an
Denise A. Spellberg
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
Gulotta Communications (publicity)
341 Lexinton Street, Newton, MA 02466
www.randomhouse.com
9780307268228, $27.95, www.amazon.com

One of our country's 'Founding Fathers' and the third president of the United States (1801-1809), Thomas Jefferson was also a renowned bibliophile who bought his English translation of the Qur'an in 1765, some eleven years before he wrote the Declaration of Independence (1776). It was his study of Islam that helped to confirm his insistence that America should be a country of religious freedom with no state imposed or sanctioned Christianity holding sway over any other religious belief systems. "Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an: Islam and the Founders" by Denise A. Spellberg (Associate Professor of History and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas, Austin) is a 416 page compendium that is an extraordinarily well written, researched, and seminal work that should be considered mandatory reading for anyone who believes America was founded to be a Christian nation to the denigration or exclusion of all other belief systems including Islam. Informed and informative, "Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an: Islam and the Founders" is a strongly recommended addition to both community and academic library American History collections, and is a unique and invaluable contribution to Jeffersonian Studies supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.47).

Death Valley National Park
Hal K. Rothman and Char Miller
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874179255 $24.95 www.unpress.nevada.edu

Death Valley National Park: A History chronicles the environmental and modern-day history of America's most notoriously named desert, including the tangled tale of its preservation. From the numerous debates over how big the park should be; to the conflicting interests of miners, farmers, the military, and conservationists; to its tourism value; and how it eventually became a national park in 1994, Death Valley National Park is a remarkable, in-depth saga. Notes and an index round out this superb, accessible addition to American and environmental history shelves.

Remembering the Revolution
Michael A. McDonnell, Clare Corbould, Frances M. Clarke, and W. Fitzhugh Brundage, editors
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429
Amherst, MA 01004
9781625340337 $27.95 www.umass.edu/umpress

Remembering the Revolution: Memory, History, and Nation Making from Independence to the Civil War is an anthology of essays by learned authors about the Revolutionary War as interpreted by the first three generations of American citizens. The history and memory of the Revolution quickly became thoroughly politicized; different and often conflicting interests sought to tap into popular reverence for the nation's founding to serve their own goals. No single faction gained complete dominance over the Revolutionary War narrative; indeed, America remained sharply divided as a whole, heralding the rift of the Civil War. Individual writings in "Remembering the Revolution" include "Plagiarism in Pursuit of Historical Truth", "Martyred Blood and Avenging Spirits: Revolutionary Martyers and Heroes as Inspiration for the U.S. Civil War", "Forgotten Founder: Revolutionary Memory and John Dickenson's Reputation", and much more. A welcome contribution to public and college library American History shelves.

The Long Shadow of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Jared Peatman
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809333103 $34.50 www.siupress.com

The Long Shadow of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address commemorates the sesquicentennial anniversary of President Licoln's historic Civil War speech with an examination of its legacy - not only the words themselves, but how people chose to interpret them at the time, and in the decades that followed. Lincoln's speech placed eloquent emphasis on the indissoulable connection between equality and democracy, yet his words were often selectively quoted to conveniently leave that message out. Chapters draw upon historical records to examine responses to the Gettysburg Address in 1863, wartime usages of the Gettysburg Address, its relevance to the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's and much more. The Long Shadow of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is an excellent and welcome addition to public and college library American History shelves.

Concise Lincoln Library series
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
www.conciselincolnlibrary.com
$24.95 www.siupress.com

Two books in the Concise Lincoln Library series examine how America's President during the Civil War shaped the course of national history. John David Smith's "Lincoln and the Colored Troops" (9780809332908) examines President Lincoln's invitation to feed slaves and free persons of color to join the U.S. Army as part of the U.S. Colored Troops - the first systematic effort of the American government to arm African-Americans for the sake of national defense. Lincoln's bold decision was nothing less than revolutionary for the era, though African-Americans who served will still plagued by discrimination. Racial prejudice also played a key role in notorious massacres on both sides, when Confederate soldiers executed African-American troops rather than honor prisoner of war conventions - and African-American troops responded in kind. 2012 Lincoln Prize winner William C. Harris' "Lincoln and the Union Governors" (9780809332885) studies the fine balancing act Lincoln followed between accommodating the different needs of various Union governors, and maintaining a concentrated war effort. Of particular note is the historic Altoona Conference, also called The Loyal War Governors' Conference, in which thirteen Union governors discussed state troop quotas, the Emancipations Proclamation, and ultimate support for the President. Yet as the war dragged on, it placed ever greater strains on the President's relationship with the Union governors, and the Union's eventual triumph ultimately heralded even greater political challenges. Both volumes are aptly researched and eloquently presented, and choice picks for public or college library American History collections.


The World History Shelf

With Commodore Perry to Japan
John A. Wolter, David A. Ranzan, and John J. McDonough, editors
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612512389 $39.95 www.nip.org

Enhanced with an extensive introduction, illuminating notes, a bibliography, and more, With Commodore Perry to Japan: The Journal of William Speiden Jr., 1852-1855 collects the personal journal writings of William Speiden Jr., the sixteen-year-old purser's clerk of the USS Mississippi as he accompanied Commodore Perry on his historic voyage to force an end to Japan's centuries of isolationism. Black-and-white reproductions of the hand-drawn, pen-and-ink scenes of daily life that Speiden and other crew members sketched, as well as pith paintings by Chinese artists, intersperse this invaluable primary testimony. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library world history collections.

The Lost World of Bletchley Park
Sinclair McKay
Aurum Publishing Group
c/o Quayside Publishing Group (distribution)
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1721
9781781311912 $29.95 www.quaysidepublishinggroup.com

Featuring vintage black-and-white as well as full-color photography throughout - over 200 photographs total, including many previously unpublished images from Bletchley Park's archives - The Lost World of Bletchley Park: An Illustrated History of the Wartime Codebreaking Centre lives up to its title as the definitive history of the Buckinghamshire codebreaking centre that achieved the nigh-unimaginable accomplishment of cracking the German Enigma codes. Their achievement had a crucial, possibly even decisive impact on the course of World War Two. Even before the war, Bletchley Park was a fashionable location for intellectuals, engineers, and the noblest of aristocratic traditions, as the holding of Liberal MP Sir Herbert Leon. After the war, Bletchley Park was first abandoned, then eventually transformed into a thriving museum and testament to British ingenuity and resilience. The Lost World of Bletchley Park not only covers the famous personages and codebreakers of the park, but also day-to-day life in Bletchley as a wartime town. An extensively researched visual as well as informational treasury, The Lost World of Bletchley Park is highly recommended, particularly for public and college library world history collections.


The Civil War Shelf

Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men, second edition
Jeffrey Rogers Hummel
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
9780812698435 $29.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

Now in a second edition with a new introduction by author Jeffrey Rogers Hummel (Professor of Economics, San Jose State University) and a foreword by Civil War historian John Majewski, Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men: A History of the American Civil War offers an exhaustive overview of the American Civil War as well as a close examination of the war's impact upon American society. Chapters address the political economy of slavery - including the "deadweight loss" the South inflicted upon itself, by mandating a system that conscripted virtually every able-bodied white man (the majority of whom were poor people who owned no slaves) into "slave patrols" that enforced slavery laws, and devalued the productive ability of the slaves themselves through overwork, maltreatment, and laws that forbid slaves to read or write. The overview continues with the emergence of the Republican party, the beginnings of conflict, the horrific cost of total war, the politics of Reconstruction, and much more. Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men is highly recommended not only for public and college library collections, but also for any lay reader interested in gaining a solid understanding of the Civil War from economic, political, social, and military perspectives.


The Music Shelf

Schubert's Dances For Family, Friends, & Posterity
Martin Chusid
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
www.pendragonpress.com
9781576472392, $48.00, www.amazon.com

Franz Peter Schubert (31 January 1797 - 19 November 1828) was an Austrian composer. In a short lifespan of less than 32 years, Schubert was a prolific composer, writing some 600 Lieder, ten complete or nearly complete symphonies (including the most famous of the incomplete ones, the "Unfinished Symphony"), liturgical music, operas, incidental music and a large body of chamber and solo piano music. Appreciation of his music while he was alive was limited to a relatively small circle of admirers in Vienna, but interest in his work increased significantly in the decades immediately after his death. Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms, along with other lesser lights, discovered and championed his works through the remainder of the century. Today, Schubert is ranked among the greatest composers of the early Romantic era and, as such, is one of the most frequently performed composers of the early nineteenth century. Schubert composed some 500 dances, of which about 200 were published in his lifetime. "Schubert's Dances: For Family, Friends and Posterity" by Martin Chusid is a 294 page compendium that provides an informed, informative, and long overdue study of this aspect of Schubert's compositional career. Of special note is the epilogue "Schumann, Liszt, and Brahms on Schubert and His Dances". Enhanced with a glossary of terms, a list of Schuberts dances, an extensive bibliography, and indices, "Schubert's Dances: For Family, Friends and Posterity" is an impressive and seminal work of scholarship, making it an extraordinary addition to academic library and collegiate musical department reference collections in general and Schubert Studies supplemental study reading lists in particular.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Everything Store
Brad Stone, author
Pete Larkin, narrator
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
9781619690295 $30.00 www.HachetteAudio.com

Also available in print or as an ebook, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon is the audiobook biography of a revolutionary businessman. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, achieved success as an online bookseller, but dreamed of more. He wanted Amazon to become a go-to marketplace for limitless goods and competitive low prices - the "everything store". The logistic and technical marvels continued, as Bezos boldly dared to take risks on unproven ventures such as Kindle and cloud computing. Amazon would ultimately spur a retail revolution that continues to this day. The Everything Store is an unforgettable tour of the life and business accomplishments of a modern-day Henry Ford, and is highly recommended for both personal and public library audiobook shelves. 11 CDs, 13 hours.

The Birth of Tragedy
Friedrich Nietzsche, author
Ian Johnston, translator
Duncan Steen, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843797272 $34.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

The Birth of Tragedy is the unabridged audiobook rendition of the classic treatise by famous philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), first published in 1872 as "The Birth of Tragedy out of the Spirit of Music". It was Nietzsche's first notable publication, yet poorly received by his contemporaries. At the time, Nietzsche was a professor of classical philology (the study of language in written historical sources); in The Birth of Tragedy, he contemplated the Apollonian and Dionysian elements of classical Athenian tragedy, viewing ancient plays as an art form that rose above the fundamental hopelessness, meaninglessness, and nihilism that surrounds life. Nietzsche saw the Greeks as battling with eternal pessimism, and saw an opportunity to recreate the emotional catharsis of their great works through current art forms such as Richard Wagner's operas. Now in a new translations by Ian Johnston, The Birth of Tragedy includes Nietzsche's 1871 "Preface to Richard Wagner" as well as the original book. The Birth of Tragedy remains a fascinating contribution to philosophy shelves, and is especially recommended for public and college library audiobook collections. 5 CDs, 6 hours 5 min.

Dracula's Guest And Other Stories
Bram Stoker
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
9781843795636, $34.98, www.amazon.com

Abraham "Bram" Stoker (8 November 1847 - 20 April 1912) was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula. During his lifetime, he was better known as personal assistant of actor Henry Irving and business manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London, which Irving owned. Although his novel "Dracula" is his best known work today, Stoker was a prolific writer who wrote a number of other chilling tales of suspense. Under the expert readership of Rupert Degas, nine of those stories have been collected in a 5 CD audio book edition. These anthologized stories include The Judge's house; The Squaw; The Secret of the Growing Gold; The Gypsy Prophecy; The Coming of Abel Behenna; The Burial of the Rats; A Dream of Red hands and Crooked Sands; and the title piece, Dracula's Guest. With its superb production values and total running time of 5 hours, 41 minutes, 36 seconds, "Dracula's Guest and other Stories" is pure entertainment and a highly recommended addition to personal and community library audio book collections!


The Library DVD Shelf

Masters of Money
Stephanie Flanders, writer and editor
Athena Learning
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
RLJ Entertainment (publicity)
9781621720669 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

BBC economics editor and senior advisor to the U.S. Treasury secretary Setphanie Flanders presents Masters of Money, a documentary examining the lives and ideas of three prominent economic theorists, whose concepts (and reactions against them) have had a profound effect on modern history: John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich Hayek, and Karl Marx. Each man held sharply disparate, often flatly contradicting beliefs. At the close of World War I, Keynes resigned a prestigious position in disgust when the Allies opted to economically punish Germany with burdensome reparations. Keynes correctly predicted that nothing good would come of the vengeful reparation demands, which caused runaway German hyperinflation, and ultimately kindled a crisis that fueled Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Furthermore, Keynes evaluated the Great Depression as a negative spiral - as more workers lost their jobs, they had less money to spend, which lowered demand, which caused more layoffs, and so on - that only government spending and/or job creation could reverse. Austrian-born Friedrich Hayek held a much more conservative view, believing that government attempts to alleviate recessions and depressions would only make them worse. In particular, he warned against artificially keeping interest rates low via the Federal Reserve, arguing that such a distortion would only fuel artificial bubbles and make their busts even more painful. (However, Hayek did believe in the need for safety nets). Karl Marx is remembered as the economist who inspired Communism; what is less known is that he had many good things to say about capitalism. However, Marx predicted that capitalism was ultimately doomed because bosses always forced the wages of workers ever lower, meaning that the workers could afford to buy less, eventually prompting recessions and depressions until widespread misery sparked revolution. What would each of these great thinkers say today, in response to the global economic crisis of 2009? And what lessons can be drawn from how their ideas shaped history, for good or for ill? Enlightening, accessible, and abstaining from blatant value judgments - the viewer is left to ponder the political and moral dimensions of each economic philosophy for themselves - Masters of Money is highly recommended, especially for public and college library DVD collections. 3 DVDs, 149 min. plus bonus shorts and 12-page viewer's guide, SDH subtitles, widescreen.

Photo: A History from Behind the Lens
Athena
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781621720652 $49.99 www.acornonline.com

Photo: A History from Behind the Lens is a twelve-episode DVD documentary that explores the history and development of photography up to recent times. From examining the discoveries of European and American photography, to how advances in technology created new ways to manipulate images, to the artistry of an evolving discipline - photographs created to interpret rather than simply freeze-frame capture the timeless moment - Photo: A History from Behind the Lens is sure to intrigue viewers of all backgrounds. An accompanying 12-page booklet rounds out this excellent choice for public library DVD collections. 12 episodes on 2 DVDs, 312 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles, contains nudity and sexual content.

Hot Coffee
A film by Susan Saladoff
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772926 $350.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, Hot Coffee: Is Justice Being Served? is a cautionary documentary about the notorious legal case that supposedly embodied "frivolous" lawsuits - or did it? Just why did the case of spilled hot coffee from a McDonald's drive-through - which caused the plaintiff severe burns, excruciating pain, and an expensive hospital stay - spark so much media scrutiny and anti-lawsuit hostility? Who benefits most from "tort reform"? Hot Coffee follows four people embroiled in four different court cases, and questions whether "jackpot justice" is truly as great a threat as the power wielded by corporate entities with access to the best lawyers that money can buy. Bonus material includes five short extra segments, and a discussion guide on the DVD-ROM part of the disc. Both the 86 and 50-minute versions are on one DVD, with SDH captions.

La Camioneta
A film by Mark Kendall
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
www.bullfrogfilms.com
1937772845 $295.00 www.lacamionetafilm.com

Licensed for public performance, La Camioneta is a true-life documentary about transportation, hardships, and criminal gangs in Guatemala. Decommissioned American school buses are regularly sent to Guatemala, where they are repaired, painted bright colors, and used as "camionetas" to carry the majority of Guatemalans to work. But operating a camioneta is dangerous business; local Guatemalan gangs ruthlessly extort protection money, and nearly 1,000 camioneta drivers and fare collectors have been murdered since 2006 for being unwilling or unable to pay. La Camioneta follows a single bus on the journey from serving American schoolchildren to serving the Guatemalan workforce, and offers an unforgettable glimpse into humanity's daily struggles. Highly recommended. Both a 72-minute and a 52-minute classroom version are present on the same DVD; English & Spanish languages; closed captioned.

Future Food series
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
$695.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Future Food is a six-part DVD series that grapples with a pressing question - how is the world to feed a global population projected to be nine billion by the year 2050? The search for answers takes the viewer worldwide, to six different nations. "Old or New?" surveys Peru, a land gradually recovering from the murderous depredations of the Shining Path terrorist organization. Great chefs and agricultural scientists warn against neglecting old wisdom and traditional methods of agriculture, since modern agriculture is dependent on fossil fuels that will eventually run out. "Food or Fuel?" is set in Kenya, a land with a history of famine; can cultivating biofuels be justified when the nation cannot grow enough food for its own people? Perhaps so, if the biofuels are grown specifically on "marginal lands" that are hostile to traditional food crops. Could the biofuel plant jatropha, which thrives in arid conditions, bring a better life to subsistence farmers on marginal lands? "Big or Small?" explores how agribusiness has come to dominate the USA; is "going big" truly the best way to farm food for the next generation? "Fat or Skinny?" confronts a dilemma facing India - as Western-style fast food diets spread, so does obesity, and the health problems such diets are linked to. The best answers may lie in healthy, indigenous alternatives to food selection and preparation. "Near or Far?" examines why the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture wants Nigerians to eat locally grown food, and the economic, social, and health ramifications. "Stay or Go?" travels to China, where young people are leaving the countryside for the allure of the cities; as more and more of them migrate, who will stay and grow food? All programs are thought-provoking and educational, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, and excellent choices for high school, college, and public library DVD collections. 6 DVDs, approx. 29 min. each.


The Biography Shelf

Brigham Young
Ed Breslin
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.regnery.com
9781621570400, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 - August 29, 1877) was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He succeded Mormonism's founder Joseph Smith as the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death in 1877. He founded Salt Lake City and he served as the first governor of the Utah Territory, United States. Young was a polygamist and was involved in controversies regarding black people and the Priesthood, the Utah War, and the Mountain Meadows massacre. A man of great accomplishment and great controversy, Brigham Young was a profound influence upon the people and the politics of his day. "Brigham Young: A Concise Biography of the Mormon Moses" by Ed Breslin is a 208 page biographical study that is a work of impeccable scholarship and attention to historical accuracy. Of special note is the concluding chapter 'Legacy' on Brigham Young's enduring influences long after his passing. Enhanced with an extended bibliography and a comprehensive index, "Brigham Young: A Concise Biography of the Mormon Moses" is informed, informative, and a welcome addition to personal, community, and academic library 20th Century American Biography reference collections and Mormon Studies supplemental reading lists. It should also be noted that "Brigham Young: A Concise history of the Mormon Moses" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).


The Military Shelf

The Lucky Few
Jan K. Herman
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9780870210396 $39.95 www.nip.org

Navy Medical Department historian Jan K. Herman presents The Lucky Few: The Fall of Saigon and the Rescue Mission of the USS Kirk, a heavily researched accounting of one U.S. Navy warship, the USS Kirk, that worked with a task force of U.S. Navy ships to aid the evacuation of not only American embassy personnel, but also 32,000 South Vietnamese refugees at the close of the Vietnam War. Amid the chaos of a crumbling defeat, the USS Kirk and other ships like her underwent a stunning transformation to carry out a large-scale humanitarian mission, including giving medical care, accommodating infants, and calming people's fears. Notes and an index round out this highly recommended contribution to American military and naval history shelves, particularly those with a focus on the Vietnam War. (Jan K. Herman has also produced an hour-long documentary in 2010 titled "The Lucky Few", but his book is innately capable exploring the USS Kirk's story in far more detail).

Proceed to Peshawar
George J. Hill
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612512808 $36.95 www.nip.org

Proceed to Peshawar: The Story of a U.S. Navy Intelligence Mission of the Afghan Border, 1943 is the exciting, true-life chronicle of the World War II mission of two U.S. military intelligence officers. They trekked through rugged terrain (sometimes by jeep) and navigated the deadly tension of cultural clashes, political infighting, and ethnic tensions. The meticulous notes and papers of one of the officers forms the core of the fascinating, close-up analysis of an extraordinarily difficult task, offering a glimpse into the historic complexities of a region that American foreign and military policy continue to wrestle with to this day. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library Military History shelves.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Stretching Anatomy, second edition
Arnold G. Nelson and Jouko Kokkonen
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450438155 $19.95 www.HumanKinetics.com

Now in an expanded and updated second edition, Stretching Anatomy is an in-depth, user-friendly guide to effective stretching. The tips, tricks, and techniques will prove invaluable to everyone, from practicing athletes who need to stay flexible, to those who suffer from arthritis and need a gentle, regular stretching regiment to maintain mobility. New chapters for the second edition focus on the best stretches for athletic warm-ups, customizing one's personal fitness program, and even coverage of passive static stretches that will help lower blood glucose. Filled with two-color illustrations revealing how the muscles behave in different types of stretches, Stretching Anatomy is an excellent addition to athletic, academic, and personal health collections, as well as public and college library shelves.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Stop Motion Animation
Melvyn Ternan
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438002552 $23.99 www.barronseduc.com

Illustrated with full-color photography on virtually every page, Stop Motion Animation: How to Make and Share Creative Videos lives up to its title as a hands-on, how-to guide for everyone from media students and professionals to amateurs seeking to craft memorable stop-motion internet videos. Chapters cover the basics of equipment, setup, storyboards, editing, and postproduction, as well as techniques specific to claymation, puppet animation, chalkboard/whiteboard animation, cutout and silhouette animation, Lego(R) animation, Post-It Note animation, and smartphone animation. An easy-to-follow, absolute must-have reference and resource for anyone intrigued by the field, whether as a hobby or a full-time career!


The Sports Shelf

The Ghosts of NASCAR
John Havick
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House
119 West Park Road
Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
9781609381974 $19.95 www.uiowapress.org

The Ghosts of NASCAR: The Harlan Boys and the First Daytona 500 explores a legendary mystery in the world of sports. Who truly won the first Daytona 500 race - Johnny Beauchamp, the declared winner at the finish line, or NASCAR veteran Lee Petty, who was announced to be the winner a few days later? Author John Havick, who has had a lifetime fascination with racing since his grandfather sold a car to Johnny Beauchamp, reconstructs what happened and the most likely outcome from historical records, scores of interviews, film of the race, and newspaper accounts. The Ghosts of NASCAR also gives a close-up insight into how racers of the day worked together, and particularly how Jonny Beauchamp, mechanic Dale Swanson, and driver Tiny Lund acted as a team. As much as a racing lover's trip down memory lane as it is a serious-minded, heavily-researched contribution to sports history, The Ghosts of NASCAR is highly recommended.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Penguin Planet, second edition
Kevin Schafer
Taylor Trade Publishing
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
c/o National Book Network (distribution)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781589797918 $24.95 www.nbnbooks.com

Now in an eye-catching second edition with even more striking, full-color photography as well as up-to-date information, Penguin Planet: Their World, Our World is a captivating softcover coffee table book pairing on-location photography with insightful essays about the harsh daily lives of penguins. Showcasing a multitude of species at all stages of life, Penguin Planet tells of the natural history that prompted penguin evolution (only a lack of land-based predators made their reproduction cycle possible), the hazards they endure from natural predators to the depredations of man, their extreme perseverance when raising chicks (some species literally go for months without food while incubating eggs), and much more. The next best thing to traveling to the southern hemisphere to observe wild penguins in person, Penguin Planet is highly recommended!


The Art Shelf

Charles A.A. Dellschau
Marquand Books
www.marquand.com
c/o Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor
New York, NY 10013-1507
9781935202905 $55.00 www.artbook.com

"Charles A.A. Dellschau" is an extraordinary, oversized hardcover artbook showcasing the works of Prussian-American, self-taught visionary artist Charles Dellschau (1830-1923) in full color. Dellschau's personal project of creating an illustrated manuscript about his experience in the California Gold Rush evolved into a collection of twelve, hard-bound books filled with more than 2,500 drawings imagining airships and the development of flight, before such things were reality. After Dellschau's death, the books were nearly destroyed by a fire, and saved from the garbage heap almost by chance when a junk dealer discovered them. Some have been displayed by museums, others kept by private collectors; this captivating artbook is the first monograph of Dellschau's life work, enhanced with essays from art writers, scholars, curators, and Tom D. Crouch of the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Air and Space. An absolute "must-have" for anyone intrigued by the inspirational artworks of the American counterpart to Jules Verne (who wrote science fiction about submarines decades before they were invented), "Charles A.A. Dellschau" is highly recommended, especially for public library artbook collections.


The Biology Shelf

Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, second edition
Edward A. Greenfield, editor
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
500 Sunnyside Boulevard
Woodbury NY 11797-2924
9781936113811 $175.00 www.cshlpress.com

Twenty-five years after its original publication, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual has now been revised and updated in a second edition, reflecting advances in understanding of the immune system and evolving methods of studying it. Chapters include "Immunizing Animals", "Antibody Purification and Storage", "Immunoblotting", "Cell Staining", "Electrophoresis", "Protein Techniques", and much more. Charts and some black-and-white photographs enhance this highly technical, in-depth, comprehensive reference and resource for advanced students, instructors, and professionals in the field, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual is an absolute "must-have" for hospital and college library medical bookshelves.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Ecosystem Services for Sustainability
Judith L. Bronstein, et al., authors
Ray C. Anderson, et al. editors
Berkshire Publishing Group
120-122 Castle Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230-1506
9781614729662 $29.95 www.berkshirepublishing.com

Also available in ebook format, Ecosystem Services for Sustainability examines different ways in which humankind can protect dwindling natural resources and ecosystem services - the bounty of nature that provides goods (such as drinking water from glaciers, or timber from forests), stabilize climate or water quality, offer recreational and aesthetic benefits (such as national parks), or natural processes that support the other services (such as photosynthesis and nutrient cycling). Since no one method for sustainability can cover all the needs of seven billion human beings, Ecosystem Services for Sustainability discusses a wealth of options: aquifers, the Clean Air Act, coastal management, permaculture, nutrient and biogeochemical cycling, and much more. "Using microorganisms to treat waste or pollution is called bioremediation, and understanding how microbial processes work is crucial to its success. For instance, certain organisms can be encouraged to grow by providing more or less oxygen, by adding nutrients, or by simply adding the desired organism to a contaminated soil." Economic as well as environmental impact is weighed at every turn, in this thoroughly accessible resource, written help students, professionals, and lay people alike understand the many options to maintain a flourishing, sustainable planet. Highly recommended!


The Journalism Shelf

Out of Print
George Brock
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749466510 $24.95 www.koganpageusa.com

Out of Print: Newspapers, Journalism and the Business of News in the Digital Age examines the past, present, and future of the journalism and periodical industry. A brief survey of journalism's history and evolution leads toward modern transformations that are forcing people to rethink how journalism can be accomplished, both ethically and profitably. As newspaper and magazine subscriptions crumble and website hits rise, the growing ubiquity of digital technology demands a change in business models. "This does not mean that 'print' will die. It means that the business model for daily newspapers is in trouble and that trouble is most acute for general-interest newspapers. What applies to the time-sensitive, advertising-dependent economics of newspapers does not automatically apply to books, directories or magazines. All supply different demands in different ways." Out of Print also examines multiple recent scandals that have been undermining journalistic credibility, notably the phone-hacking scandal that blackened the reputation of Rupert Murdoch's media empire. The pros and cons of possible future revenue sources are also weighed, from digital "paywalls" (which tend to be effective only for online publications with specific data that people crave and that cannot be easily replicated, such as sports statistics), to advertising-dependent models, to philanthropic giving, to public funding or tacit governmental support. Out of Print is a "must-read" for anyone in today's journalism or periodical industries, and is worthy of the highest recommendation for public or college library Media Studies shelves.


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


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