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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 5, Number 12 December 2006 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice American History Shelf Fiction Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Poetry Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Sports Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
World History Shelf Business Shelf Nautical Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Parenting Shelf Political Science Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Biography Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Music Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Success in 30 Seconds
Seana
Aberon Publications
c/o Maryglenn McCombs Book Publicity
2817 West End Avenue, Suite 126-274, Nashville, TN 37203
0964195909 $12.95 615-297-9875

Leading image consultant Seana presents Success in 30 Seconds: Discovering the Secrets of a Winning First Impression, a guide to projecting a positive image in all walks of life - business, social, and personal. From applying just enough makeup to accentuate one's best features and play down one's worst features without overdoing it, to dressing in a stylish yet professional manner, watching one's verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors and eliminating bad habits, Success in 30 Seconds offers a wealth of easily internalized tips, tricks, and techniques. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone seeking to brush up on their people skills.


The American History Shelf

Remembrances of Times Past
Marta Hiatt
Northern Star Press
375 Redondo Ave., Box 399, Long Beach, CA 90814-1620
0962092932 $15.95

Remembrances of Times Past takes the reader on a nostalgic tour through twentieth century America, from the era of Model-T Fords and telegrams to radio fireside chats, strict rules of etiquette, manual typewriters, the debut flight of the Wright brothers, and much more. Numerous black-and-white photographs illustrate these glimpses into America's yesteryear, often driven home by individual testimonies of those who lived through the changing times. A delight for armchair travelers seeking to visit not American places, but rather American eras gone by.

Joseph Bennett of Evans and the Growing of New York's Niagara Frontier
Kevin H. Siepel
Spruce Tree Press
PO Box 21, Angola, NY 14006
0978646614 $16.95 716-949-3246

Written by journal contributor Kevin H. Siepel, Joseph Bennett of Evans and the Growing of New York's Niagara Frontier is the true story of businessman, builder, farmer, public servant, church deacon, and canal worker Joseph Bennett, who personally witnessed the taming and development of New York from the 1814 naval action on Lake Champlain through the pioneer era on the Niagara Frontier, the building of the Erie Canal, the spread of farming, and the proliferation of vacation cottages and camps. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this amazing saga of New York's evolution as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary and versatile man. A most enjoyable armchair tour through New York's pioneer roots.

Albuquerque The Next Boomtown
Cheryl Seas Gorder
DollarSmart Books LLC.
4320-C Ridgecrest #150, Rio Rancho, NM 87124
0972009523 $16.95 505-681-2880

Albuquerque the Next Boomtown presents the true story of how Albuquerque, New Mexico cultivated a thriving culture, real estate market, film industry, and general business development. Black-and-white photographs illustrate true tales of success and "bragging rights" lists filled with points such as how Albuquerque Metro ranks #1 in manufacturing productivity (as cited by Area Development Magazine, February 2004). A supplementary chapter on Rio Rancho, "City of Vision", rounds out this celebration of Albuquerque's achievements and an ideal souvenir book to remind vacationers of the pleasant times had during an Albuquerque visit. Albuquerque The Next Boomtown is also recommended reading for any business owners considering relocation or expansion into Albuquerque or Rio Rancho.


The Fiction Shelf

Buddy
Will Edwinson
Hats Off Books
610 East Delano Street, Suite 104, Tucson, AZ 85705
1587364069 $12.95 www.hatsoffbooks.com

Buddy: His Trials and Treasures is an anthology of short stories set in a simple farming valley during the 1940s, following the adventures of a typically mischievous boy named Buddy Crawford. Whenever Buddy gets himself into trouble, he learns the hard way that every action has a reaction! Childhood memories flavor this delightful collection of new discoveries through a young man's eyes, building friendships, silly mistakes, and simple growing up.

Lemon Curd
Homa Pourasgari
Linbrook Press
PO Box 2325, Beverly Hills, CA 90213
0977978001 $14.95 www.homapourasgari.com

Iranian-born American resident Homa Pourasgari presents Lemon Curd, a modern-day novel that distills her years of experience observing human relationships. Romantic tensions between two officemates are exacerbated by their natural competitive streaks. Set amid a society that prizes multitasking, business success above personal interests, and the virtual worship of naked greed, Lemon Curd reveals how life imbalance translates to personal imbalance and follows the couple's struggle to resolve both internal and external contentiousness. A page-turner, high-stakes romance.

The Divine Plan
Sarah Vigil Swiger
Burton Ernest Publishing
PO Box 75266, Colorado Springs, CO 80970-5266
0978505107 $13.95 www.burtonernest.com

The Divine Plan: A Novel of Obsession is a dark, suspenseful about the ramifications of possessing too much knowledge about one's "twin soul." A man who has searched his whole life for his twin soul finds his other half in an unfulfilling yet comfortable marriage. As her tenuous marriage erodes, he struggles to push her onto a path that reunites their destiny and let go of everything she strives to keep. Yet too much pressure can have brutal consequences upon one caught in the middle, and The Divine Plan reveals that free will and the joy of life are among the first ready casualties when plagued with too much foreknowledge about one's supposed destiny. Highly recommended.

Hot Sand and Horny Toads
Dorothy Anderson Herron
River of Life
3019 Meadow Circle, San Antonio, TX 78231
0974431923 $9.95 www.hotsandhornytoads.com

Based on true events, Hot Sand and Horny Toads: Growing Up in California in the 1940s is a novel following the thoughts of a 12-year-old girl growing up in an era when children were supposed to be sheltered from the dark realities of life. When young Molly's father doesn't come home, she realizes that her mother is teetering dangerously close to a nervous breakdown, and assumes responsibility beyond her years, bit by bit gradually discovering the truth of what happened to her father on her own. An engaging story for readers of all ages, Hot Sand and Horny Toads vividly illustrates daily life of over half a century ago, from the wildlife of the desert to operating a wringer washing machine to the three party telephone line.

A Howl for Mayflower
Dan Gilmore
Imago Press
3710 East Edison, Tucson, AZ 85716-2912
097253038X, $12.95 1-520-327-0540

An aging widower, Tobias Seltzer didn't really socialize with his neighbors, preferring the company of his books. But that all changed when he encountered Mayflower Bryant in the basement laundry of his building and she persuaded him to dance with her in his long underwear. Tobias then found himself being drawn into the lives of his neighbors including a grieving widower, a pregnant and homeless teenager, a hone-handed juggler, a Vietnam vet who was brain-damaged because of a botched suicide attempt, a woman on the edge of Alzheimer's. Tobias had to acknowledge that there a lot of problems people simply cannot solve by reading books! The debut novel of author Dan Gilmore, "A Howl For Mayflower" is a deftly woven novel laced with dark humor, memorable characters, and a descriptively painful honesty as it lays out an unexpected journey of love and self-discovery. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "A Howl For Mayflower" is exceptionally well written, making it a welcome and recommended addition to community library contemporary general fiction shelves.

Dividing Line
Jay Waitkus
National Writers Press
17011 Lincoln Avenue #421, Parker, CO 80134
0881001384 $26.95 www.nationalwriters.com

Written by journalist Jay Waitkus, Dividing Line is a suspenseful, action-packed novel about Jack Skye, a one-eyed mercenary whose dangerous work hunting murderers and terrorists comes back to haunt his personal life. He and his girlfriend become dragged into a ruthless war of attrition with a powerful underworld mob, and a seven-figure bounty is placed on his head; a figure so high that it catches the intrigue of an international assassin eager to test his skills to the limit. Meanwhile, a rival military strongman and master of a multibillion cocaine empire plunges into his own fray with the mob, planting Jack squarely in the middle of an internecine war. An explosive thriller from cover to cover.

The Devil's Bastard
Charlsie Russell
Loblolly Writer's House
PO Box 7438, Gulfport, MS 39506-7438
0976982404 $14.95 www.loblollywritershouse.com

Written by retired U.S. Navy commander and mother Charlsie Russell, The Devil's Bastard is a historical romance set in late 1700's and early 1800's Mississippi. The passionate bonds of love between young Angelique and her rescuer Mathias are heavily overshadowed by the threat of Mathias' unknown father, whispered to be a demon. To quell her doubts, Angelique must risk uncovering the hidden secret of Mathias' sire, in this stirring tale of passion, danger, and emotional rifts that endure across generations.

Silk Legacy
Richard Brawer
Privately Published
1202 Lawrence Avenue, Ocean, NJ 07712
1589614690 $19.99 www.silklegacy.com

Written by Richard Brawer, whose ancestors and cousins have run a thriving silk industry, Silk Legacy is a historical novel set in the early twentieth century about the collision of business and human interests, women's struggle for the right to vote, and a housewife treated like little more than a glorified servant by her husband. Nineteen-year-old Sarah Singer feels betrayed by the man who charmed her into marriage and now pays her scarcely any respect, and defies him to join women's groups and participate in suffrage rallies. Yet when a strike shuts down the town's 300 silk mills, she can no longer keep a tenuous balance between activism and wifely duty - she must choose sides between her Capitalist husband and his dshing Socialist brother, a union leader who is also her best friend's husband. Passion, greed, arrogance, the struggle for equality, romance, and euphoria abound in this immersive saga of the tribulations of yesteryear.

The Advent of the King
Fletcher King
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
1425914934 $29.95 www.authorhouse.com

Set in A.D. 882 in the medieval kingdom of Speyron, The Advent of the King is a dark novel about a curse of infertility that has descended upon the land, and the rumbling threat of invasion and war from the neighboring kingdom. Remorseless threats and pressures place Speyron's bachelor king in a crucible; his advisors suggest a female serf from an obscure village just might possess the answer to the dual threats to his nation from without and within. Author Fletcher King strives to be as true to medieval history and culture as possible, particularly with regard to what is known of the Catholic church during the era. Graphic depictions of violence and sex are present in dark saga; The Advent of the King is not for squeamish readers, yet its vivid detail paints an unforgettable picture of the grueling difficulties of struggling to survive in medieval times.

Paradise Lost
Patrick Lennon
Old Kings Road Press
PO Box 1050, Flagler Beach, FL 32136
1880941457 $17.95

Written by former US Air Force pilot and hospital CEO Patrick Lennon, Paradise Lost is historical fiction novel about a Cuban man caught in the midst of power struggles within and beyond the borders of his nation during the mid-twentieth century. When his younger brother is mistaken for Castro and murdered by an assassin working for the Batista regime, Ramon seeks the assassin to exact revenge, but when he sees the cruel conditions in Cuba, he changes allegiance and helps Castro put an end to the Batista government. Later, relations between America and Cuba turn sour, and the CIA blackmails Ramon into running guns for anti-Castro forces. Despite his warning to the CIA that Castro has significant Cuban popular support, the CIA proceeds with the disastrous Bay of Pigs raid. A period of quiet for Ramon follows - until he is placed firmly at the center of US-Soviet tension over the installation of missiles, in what was most likely the greatest crisis of the Kennedy administration. A singularly absorbing and suspenseful tale.

Beneath The Shadows
Lee Ann Newton & James A. Benson
Cold Tree Press
6120 Bresslyn Road, Nashville, TN 37205
1583850767 $16.95 www.coldtreepress.com

Written by former columnist Lee Ann Newton and Civil War researcher and Fort Sam Houston Garrison Chaplain James A. Benson, Beneath The Shadows is a historical novel set amid the fury and bitterness of the American Civil War. A shopkeeper called to serve his country in the war and the headstrong daughter of wealthy German immigrants are just two of the people swept by destiny and forces far greater than themselves. An epic, far-reaching saga that makes the tension of history come vividly alive through the eyes of ordinary men and women.


The Money/Finance Shelf

King of the Middle Class
Tim Larkin
King of the Middle Class Publishing
69 Main Street, West Sayville, NY 11796
097855860X $14.99 www.kingofthemiddleclass.com

Written by Tim Larkin, the son of a man who carved a respectable middle class livelihood for himself, King of the Middle Class: How My Old Man Made His Dream of Being Rich Actually Come True is a guide especially for middle class Americans feeling the squeeze on both ends. The poorest segment of the population has welfare, food stamps, and Medicaid for help; the wealthiest has obscene deductions and tax loopholes. What can the middle class do? Chapters cover how to change one's own precepts toward money, improve one's investment strategies, and much more. Step-by-step examples with figures illustrate the points and guidelines for positive-minded financial strategies, from harnessing the power of forced equity to ensure one's fixed mortgage payments send an increasing amount toward the principal, to the mechanics of a 1031 tax deferred exchange, to numerous other strategies. A charming and upbeat guide to wealth self-empowerment.


The Poetry Shelf

All This Could Be Yours
Laurie Blauner
Cherry Grove Collections
PO Box 541106, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1106
1933456388 $17.00 www.cherry-grove.com/blauner.html

The fifth collection by award-winning poet by Laurie Blauner, All This Could Be Yours is filled with darkly contemplative free-verse poetry. Individual poems are brief, yet some are strung together into a larger tapestry, such as the extended portrait of a hit man and his torrid love affair. Stanzas offer fleeting glimpses into chaotic surface thoughts amid a backdrop of endless change and cycles from birth to death. An utterly unforgettable experience. "The Photographer, When Color Misbehaves": You invent black and white, shadow and ghost, wrong and right. / Light worships your household. Rests in the furniture, / polishes the fruit you return to, hungry again. // Welcome home to photographs that slowly wear out, / stay in place like the warm circle of sun / caught at the window staring at your wife.

Summer Lines
Limerock Books
15 Mechanic Street, Thomaston, ME 04861
0974658928 $12.00

Summer Lines is an anthology of poetry published in celebration of the ten-year anniversary of the annual poetry readings conducted in the Jackson Memorial Library in the coastal village of Tenants Harbor, Maine (later moved to the Oceanview Grange in Martinsville to accommodate its increasing popularity). The most beloved poetry from the readings presented over the years, as selected from the works of five eminent poets (Jonathan Aldrich, Mary Burchenal, Christopher Fahy, Elizabeth Gordon McKim, and David Riley) has been collected into Summer Lines, creating a treasury of evocative verse meant to be freely voiced and shared. "Night: The Water Bearer": who is that man / between field and river / coattails flapping / skyward at the cold / close of January? / who is this man / who let the stars / fold over him?

Education By Stone
Joao Cabral de Melo Neto
Archipelago Books
239 West 12th Street, 3C, New York, NY 10014
0974968013, $16.00 www.archipelagobooks.org

"Education By Stone" is a compilation of verse by Brazillian poetry Joao Cabral de melo Neto that perfectly presents and showcases a unique literary talent. Ably translated into English by Richard Zenith, "Education By Stone" offers a poetic landscape that focuses upon the seemingly trivial and intransigent and discovering more than meets the ‘mind's eye'. Especially commended as an addition to scholarly and academic library International Poetry collections, "Education By Stone" will be read with reflective enjoyment by non-specialist general readers with an interest in finely formed verse that resonates both emotionally and conceptually. ‘Sugarcane Girl': Sugarcane is too virtuous/to be seen, alive, in the nude://leafy skirts from a young age dress/and re-dress her Andalusian leg.//Because she is so Andalusian,/she grows up promiscuous and pure://as a novice, without caresses,/without songs or birds or flowers.

Following Phia
Michele Reese
WordTech Editions
PO Box 541106, cincinnati, OH 45254-1106
1933456310, $17.00 www.wordtechweb.com

The superbly crafted poetry of Michele Reese takes her readers on a kind of minds-eye journey through image driven emotions that are small treasures of poetic storytelling. "I No Longer Desire Turtles": I turn my turtle loose/at the end of summer;/like an escaped convict/it dips under brown leaves/to hid and hibernate.//Yearly from the backyard/grass to the asphalt drive/its cracked carapace comes./I play trick-the-turtle/by dropping the sealed case//in water. It's shell's weight/causes frantic arms/and legs to tread water./It cranes its wrinkled neck; and tough two-holed nose//above the surface of the waves/into air. When I kiss its nose,/turtle jaws greet my lips/with the full wrath/of love.

Scratchings Of A Summer Chicken
Zona Eby Navelle
Abecedarian Books, Inc.
2817 Forest Glen Drive, Baldwin, MD 21013
0976310635, $12.99 www.abeced.com 1-877-782-2221

Drawing upon her long and eventful life, Zona Eby Navelle's poetry reflects on diverse issues and experiences as aging, holidays, love, nature, and science. Her's is a poetic imagination involves family members, space creatures, fairies, flowers, a circus, an antique shop, rain, and a trillium. "Scratchings Of A Summer Chicken" is a delightful compilation of thoroughly enjoyable, deftly crafted, and rhythmically cadenced verse that is as thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is simply fun to browse through. "In the Garden": I hid in the garden at midnight/And watched while the elves came to play./They splashed in the fountain and skipped on the wave/And the moon whisked the shadows away.//And there in the corner, mid tall Hollyhocks,/Pierot and Pierette stood apart,/Pierot's eyes were flashing – the maid's eyes were veiled/As he sang to the love of his heart.

Dying For Beginners
Patrick L. Clary
Lost Borders Press
PO Box 55, Bi Pine, CA 93513
iReadNet (publicity)
185 Wadliegh Falls Road, Lee, NH 03824
097776320X, $15.95 www.lostborderspress.com 1-866-732-36638

Patrick Clary draws upon his more than twenty years of professional and personal experienced as a hospice physician in his poetry to reflect upon the issues of death and dying. Dr. Clary's verse reveal that death can be as miraculous as birth and that living well, living fully, living each hour of each day to the fullest, is the best of all possible preparations for the inevitable experience of dying. "A Jig For My Wake": I wore loud ties bought for/50 cents in thrift shops on/Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn loved/Women from any safe distance/Lived in a suburb/Rode terrified motorcycles/Loved the abyss walked/On the grills over subways wrote/Poems loved drink from no distance/At all and lovely Irish reels//Play your tin whistles your pipes and your bones/Sing those songs I wrote for your voices of bourbon/Bury me in a suburb with my face in the rain/Under a stolen subway grill with my Wrecked Triumph to carry me up the Flatbush/Avenues of another world/Let your women fish like boys with gum to bait/The pennies on my eyes:/Bury me in a loud tie.

Loving Thoughts
Anne S. Knopf
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595390935 $13.95 www.iuniverse.com

Written by pianist and violinist Anne S. Knopf, Loving Thoughts is a compilation of rhyming and free-verse poetry that pulls at the heart - whether eliciting sympathy, tenderness, jubilation, or wonder. The power to help others is especially praised as one of the highest expressions of love and fellowship in this spiritually refreshing compilation. "Understanding": You make me smile / on a rainy day. / You hold me close / in a protective way. // You wipe my tears / when I'm feeling down. / You say it's okay / to sometimes frown. // You know how I feel / without a word or two. / I can truly say / I dearly love you.


The Self-Help Shelf

Healthy Attitudes Smart Choices
Rashun Jones
Nushape Publication
PO Box 36651, Oklahoma City, OK 73136
096697302X $14.95 www.nushapepublications.com

Psychiatric and mental health nurse Rashun Jones presents Healthy Attitudes Smart Choices: Living the Life You Choose, an instructional guide to improving one's attitude and therefore gaining the health benefits of warding away pessimism and depression. Chapters cover the power of positive affirmations, how to improve one's ability to communicate, realistic and successful goal-setting, how to reduce stress, the spiritual side of a positive perspective, and much more. Techniques and strategies that anyone can use to lift themselves out of the doldrums abound in this invigorating and emotionally cleansing self-help guide.

Sorting It Out
Cynthia Friedlob
The Alice Jean Mark Company
PO Box 7304, #392, North Hollywood, CA 91603
1411693116 $14.95 www.alicejeanmark.com

Written by self-confessed clutter sufferer Cynthia Friedlob, Sorting It Out: One Disorganized Woman Solves the Problem of Too Much Stuff is part memoir but mostly a self-help guide drawn from personal life experience to expunging excess clutter from one's life. Chapters address how to free oneself from the trap of identifying oneself through one's possessions, how to exercise appropriate restraint when buying new stuff, means of disposing or even profiting from extraneous stuff, humorous anecdotes, and much more. A wonderfully friendly, down-to-earth, and much-needed antidote to the clutter indigestion induced by too much consumption.

Fearless Leadership
Bruce E. Roselle, Ph.D.
Leader Press
810 River Lane, Minneapolis, MN 55303
097856460X $29.95 763-712-0086

Written by psychologist Bruce E. Roselle, whose specialty lies in helping organizations hire and develop great leaders, Fearless Leadership: Conquering Your Fears and the Lies that Drive Them is a self-help guide written for readers from all walks of life. Everyone must serve as a leader in some capacity, whether of thousands, dozens, a few friends or family members, while parenting one's own children, or simply leading oneself. Fearless Leadership teaches the reader how to control unconscious fears and doubts that erode the ability to lead. Chapters explore faulty beliefs that drive irrational fears, such as fear of rejection, and the harmful or self-sabotaging behaviors that can spring from fear, such as excessive perfectionism or exorbitantly costly overpreparation, and methods for nurturing healthy beliefs to counter negative tendencies. Enthusiastically recommended.


The Sports Shelf

The Care and Feeding of the True Duffer
Dennis Vannatta
Old Sport Publishing Company
PO Box 2757, Stockbridge, GA 30281
0975439227 $15.95 www.oldsportpublishing.com

Award-winning author Dennis Vannatta presents The Care and Feeding of the True Duffer: A Guide to Golf in the Real World, a humorous guide to the love of golf by a "duffer" - one who enthusiastically enjoys the sport but remains poor at it despite many years of experience - for fellow duffers. Offering insights to game improvement that the top professionals might not mention so readily, such as the importance of golfing with a partner of one's equivalent skill level in order to maximize competitive fun. Written in friendly and often chuckle-inducing terms, The Care and Feeding of the True Duffer is recommended for golf novices, veteran duffers, and anyone who loves seeing wit and wisdom injected into observations of their beloved sport.

The Great Dan Patch and the Remarkable Mr. Savage
Tim Brady
Nodin Press
530 North Third Street, Suite 120, Minneapolis, MN 55401
1932472401 $24.95

Written by Tim Brady, whose many credentials include frequent contributions to the "History Channel" magazine, The Great Dan Patch and the Remarkable Mr. Savage is the true story of an exceptional racehorse and its equally exceptional rags-to-riches owner. Did the man make the horse, or did the horse make the man? Set in the early 1900's, The Great Dan Patch and the Remarkable Mr. Savage follows equine champion Dan Patch's remarkable career from county fairs to competitive "brushes" between farm wagons on rural roads to nickelodeon films distributed for public viewing. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs and nine-minute DVD of rare film footage of Dan Patch racing round out this enjoyable glimpse of a gifted horse and a genius entrepreneur at the turn of the century.

Every Game Is Won or Lost Between the Ears
Greg Hatcher
Tiger Books Inc.
PO Box 3525, Little Rock, AR 72203
0967605512 $29.95 www.tigerbooks.net

Written by former athlete and veteran coach Greg Hatcher, Every Game Is Won or Lost Between the Ears: How To Think Like a Champion is a guide for athletes, coaches, and parents of athletes to the mental dimension of sports. Each chapter is only a few pages long yet presents a different tip, trick, technique, or insight to cultivating a winning mindset. Tips range from the importance of eliminating negative players who can't be turned around from a team - even if the "negative wizard" is the most skilled or talented player, a team will often play better without the naysayer or troublemaker among its ranks! - to rising above "champion killers" who would erode the sacrifice it takes to be the best (by pushing fattening food, alcohol, or worse drugs on would-be champions, or cajoling them to miss breakfast) to the value of quiet time before a game. Over 100 solid pieces of advice in all make Every Game Is Won or Lost Between the Ears a "must-read" especially for athletes of all ages, from Little League team members to college athletes aspiring to a professional position.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Judge and Jury
Eric Helland & Alexander Tabarrok
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621- 1428
0945999992 $15.95 www.independent.org

Written by senior economist Eric Helland and associate professor of economics Alexander Tabarrok, Judge and Jury: American Tort Law on Trial is a hard look at the overwhelming instances of inequality, corruption, and inefficiency plaguing American tort law. Drawing upon data from thousands of American tort cases, Judge and Jury explains in plain terms how the legal system really works, warning the reader that the driving factors behind huge awards are rarely law or economics, but rather jury composition and judicial elections. The authors' meticulous empirical research offers surprising findings, from the revelation that high contingent attorney fees actually reduce frivolous litigation, to an observation of extreme disparity in the size of tort awards in different regions of America. A careful discussion of options for reform rounds out this wake-up call to legal inequities and their consequences.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

2012: You Have a Choice!
Wisdom Teacher Sri Ram Kaa and Angelic Oracle Kira Raa
TOSA Publishing
PO Box 457, Tijeras, NM 87059
0974987212 $19.95 www.tosapublishing.com

Wisdom Teacher Sri Ram Kaa and Angelic Oracle Kira Raa present 2012: You Have a Choice!, a compendium of their spiritual teachings and wisdom from their Divine Connection. 2012: You Have a Choice! professes that multi-dimensional existence is modern reality, that angels are here in the present, that Leumeria, Atlantis, and Earth's Galactic origins are not myth, reveals how to create miracles, and outlines a method for seeking one's true soul mate. A profound testimony of the new age search for metaphysical enlightenment, 2012: You Have a Choice! resonates with the authors' insight into cosmology, divine prophecy and manifestations, and the complexities of human relationships.

A Promise of Eden
Alan Silverman
Tiferet Press
PO Box 1002, Arlington, MA 02474-0020
0978750802 $19.00

A Promise of Eden: Life Energy and Personal Growth in an Age of Transformation is a metaphysical examination of the power of human life energy to unite mind, body, and spirit. Drawing upon the wisdom of the East and West, A Promise of Eden gathers energy teachings from China, India, Kabbalah's Tree of Life, the Old and New Testaments, Western medicine, psychology, and astrology. A Promise of Eden also reveals how understanding life energy can reconcile seemingly irreparable differences between Darwin's theory of evolution and faith, explain the current divisive split in American society, and even point toward the resolution of the ancient disagreement between Judaism and Christianity concerning the identity of Jesus Christ. A holistic and profound exploration of human potential and the spiritual commonalities between seemingly distinct faiths.

Seasons Of The Witch
Patricia Monaghan
Creatrix Books
PO Box 366, Cottage Grove, WI 53527
097606040X, $23.75 www.creatrix.com

Now in a newly revised and expanded third edition, "Seasons Of The Witch: Poetry & Songs To The Goddess" by Patricia Monaghan (one of the early leaders of the contemporary goddess movement and a member of the resident faculty of the School for New Learning at DePaul University in Chicago), is enhanced by the inclusion of a double CD set by Arctic Siren and beautiful Goddess artwork by Sid Reger. "Seasons Of The Witch" now offers a thematic table of contents for easy access and reading, making it more ‘user friendly' than ever for the teaching of Goddess ritual and ceremony. It is the deft interweaving of Monaghan's nature motifs and Goddess imagery, her insightful writings and inspiring poetry, that have made "Seasons Of The Witch" an essential and highly recommended resource for students of Metaphysical Studies in general, and Goddess worship in particular.

The New American Ephemeris For The 21st Century
Rique Pottenger
Starcrafts Publishing
PO Bos 446, Exeter, NH 03833
0976242230, $26.95 www.starcraftspublishing.com

Based on the earlier work of Neil F. Michelsen in 1976, The Michelsen memorial edition of "The New American Ephemeris For The 21st Century: 2000-2100 at Midnight" by Rique Pottenger is newly updated and expanded with the latest Jet Propulsion Laboratory data, several other new features, all while retaining familiar data and a format relied upon by astrologers world wide. Updates and new additions include the entire 21st century from 2000 through 2100; Ceres added to the daily longitude listings; a new formula increasing accuracy of monthly position calculations of the Galactic Center; monthly positions for Eris, Chiron, Pallas Juno, and Vesta; Astro Data column phenomena sorted by time as well as by date; and planetary ingress data that includes R if planet is retrograde when it ingresses. Of special note is the Dedication followed by the ;memorial feature ‘Remembering Neil' which capsulizes the beginning years of the development of computer technology as applied to astrology. "The New American Ephemeris For The 21st Century" is a 624-page treasury of information, example and instruction that is especially recommended to dedicated astrologers and should prove to be a cornerstone of any personal, professional, and academic library's Astrological Studies reference collection.

Lessons From the Light
Kenneth Ring, Ph.D. and Evelyn Esaesser Valarino
Moment Point Press
PO Box 920287, Needham, MA 02492
1930491115 $16.95 www.momentpoint.com

Professor Emeritus of Psychology and co-founder and past president of the International Association for Near-Death Studies Kenneth Ring, Ph.D. presents Lessons From the Light: What We Can Learn from the Near-Death Experience, a compilation of both individual experiences and the latest studies concerning Near-Death experiences, or NDEs. One strong conclusion is that NDEs overwhelmingly influence or persuade those who experience them toward belief in an afterlife. Numerous personal testimonies of religious or spiritual awakening resulting from NDEs are also presented, in this positive-minded, inquisitive, and spiritually uplifting antidote to the fear of death.

Harmonious Environment
Norma Lehmeier Hartie
Lingham Press
PO Box 715, Crugers, NY 10521
0977963306 $19.95 www.linghampress.com

Design consultant, gardener, and chef Norma Lehmeier Hartie presents Harmonious Environment, a guide to transforming one's home into a life-affirming sanctuary, by harnessing the principles of Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese methodology for applying the Four Elements based on one's birth date, color, Vastu, energy work, and other factors. From practical tips for eliminating clutter to replacing harmful products with eco-friendly ones, a how-to guide for dowsing one's house, embracing the spirituality of honoring mother earth, tips for flower arranging whether with organic, air-dried, freeze-dried or silk flowers, and much more. Tips, tricks, and techniques for promoting metaphysical harmony abound in this compassionate guide, which also provides numerous references to where assorted toxin-free and "green" products can be obtained. Recommended reading for anyone seeking to revitalize their living space.

I Ching Life, revised edition
Wu Wei
Power Press
6428 Meadows Court, Malibu, CA 90265
Yorwerth Associates (publicity)
410 Fieldstone Drive, Bozeman, Montana 59715
0943015529 $12.95 406-994-0031

Now in a new revised edition, I Ching Life: Becoming Your Authentic Self distills the wisdom found within one of the most ancient forms of Chinese wisdom and divination. Wu Wei, author of a dozen books on Chinese philosophy and personal growth, presents the most enlightening secrets of I Ching in plain terms, as well as offering a simple tour of how I Ching works. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone with an interest the metaphysical rhythms and life-transformative lessons that can be drawn from millennia of Chinese philosophy. "It is unworthy of us to believe that our magnificent Universe, which contains such beauty and grandeur, would crown the ending of our lives with emptiness."


The World History Shelf

Turkey's Modernization
Arnold Reisman, Ph.D.
New Academia Publishing
PO Box 27420, Washington DC, 20038-7420
0977790886 $28.00 202-391-1591

Written by Arnold Reisman Ph.D., who has served as Visiting Scholar in Turkey at both Sabanci University and the Istanbul Technical University, Turkey's Modernization: Refugees from Nazism and Ataturk's Vision is enlightening true story of how the Turkish Government of Mustafa Kernal Atatuk and Ismet Inonu accepted German and Austrian Jews, and took advantage of these victims of racial prejudice and persecution to aid the Turkish Republic's progress in academic, scientific, and medical undertakings. Tracing the lasting impacts of builders, preservers, creators, social reformers, healers, and scientists, as well as the problems they encountered, the turbulence caused by World War II and their attempts to emigrate to the U.S., Turkey's Modernization is a fascinating parable of how Turkey capitalized upon the best and the brightest - as well as of its stumbling blocks, such as its cultural predispositions for encouraging talented scientists to be content as hired hands rather than strike out and forge new businesses. Highly recommended especially for college library, international studies and Turkish history shelves.


The Business Shelf

My Boss Sucks
Bryant Halstead and Anne Byrd
Riptide Publishing
PO Box 6153, Fredericksburg, VA 22403
0977878104 $16.95

My Boss Sucks: A Story Book and Survival Guide presents the stories of ordinary people dealing with bad bosses of every size, shape, and makeup. A handful of humorous, hand-drawn cartoons illustrate these often quirky, usually amusing (from the perspective of the reader, if not the unfortunate who had to deal with the boss), and always instructive true-life tales. A literal survival guide that illustrates by example how best to deal with the worst of office tyrants, and when the best solution of all is simply walking away. Highly recommended.

Sex, Politics, & Religion at the Office
John F. Boogaert & Douglas E. Noll
Auberry Press
2037 W. Bullard Avenue, #427, Fresno CA 93711
0977878406 $18.95 www.auberrypress.com

Written by corporate leadership and crisis management expert John F. Boogaert and former business trial lawyer Douglas E. Noll, Sex, Politics, & Religion at the Office: The New Competitive Advantage is a guide for business and corporate managers and officials to move beyond simple legal compliance with national regulations and shape corporate culture with healthy attitudes towards sex, politics, religion, and power. From setting one's "Grounded Positioning Statement" to understanding the reality of the intersection between politics and religion to learning how to be nonjudgmental, noncritical, and nonreactive when dealing with thorny sexual, religious, or values-based issues, Sex, Politics, & Religion at the Office offers valuable insight into how human beings actually think and work, and how best to be the catalyst to improved coworker and worker-management relations. True vignettes pepper this handy, sensible, down-to-earth guide which avoids any kind of moralizing and focuses on promoting intellectual and emotional well-being at the office.


The Nautical Shelf

Cruise Control
Ronald Butcher
Black Whisker Publishing
55 South Verde, Suite 235-153, Henderson, NV 89012
0978535707 $14.95 www.yoursafeplace.com

23-year U.S. Coast Guard veteran Ronald Butcher presents Cruise Control: Your Peace of Mind at Sea, an invaluable, no-nonsense guide to personal health and safety while participating in any sort of cruise. From what to do if one is forced to enter the water, to the importance of the three degrees of S.A.F.E. (the first is Seek Alternatives For Escape and stresses the importance of surveying each area for all its exits upon entering it, before a crisis hits and, say, smoke obscures the EXIT signs), to guarding oneself against thieves or attackers, to sanitation concerns, to international law, Cruise Control leaves no anchor unweighed in its detail. Butcher especially stresses the importance of taking a proactive, rather than reactive attitude towards the safety, protection, and survival of oneself and one's children. Though daunting in its warnings against the risks of falling overboard, assault, infectious diseases, legal trouble or even the horrors of nautical piracy or terrorism, Cruise Control is ultimately a positive book written by an author who truly believes the international cruise industry is beneficial overall, both in allowing passengers to see the world and experience other cultures and in bringing much-needed tourism revenue to struggling nations. Highly recommended to all readers for its general recommendations for taking charge of one's own personal safety (for example, Butcher stresses never to go quietly with someone with a gun - doing so is likely to result in death on the gun owner's terms), and an absolute "must-read" for anyone planning or thinking about a cruise trip.

Lost Gold of the Republic
Priit J. Vesilind
Shipwreck Heritage Press
3147 South Pennsylvania Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207
1933034068 $24.50 www.lostgold.com

Written by 30-year veteran writer and editor of National Geographic magazine Priit J. Vesilind, Lost Gold of the Republic: The Remarkable Quest for the Greatest Shipwreck Treasure of the Civil War Era is the fascinating true story of the hunt for the SS Republic, a steamship that sank in 1865 during a deadly storm, 100 miles from the coast of Georgia. In October 2003, after decades of failed deep-sea search operations, the company Odyssey Marine exploration discovered the sunken ship and "King Midas' dream": a field of gold coins strewn across the ocean floor. Since then, more than 51,000 coins and 13,000 artifacts have been recovered, at an estimated total value of over $75 million. Exploring the archaeological and historical dimensions of this great find, as well as the courage of the deep-sea ocean pioneers who uncovered a hidden piece of America's past, Lost Gold of the Republic is thoroughly enjoyable especially for armchair travelers and anyone interested in true tales of underwater salvage.


The Philosophy Shelf

Right and Wrong - A Useful Fiction
Allan Meyer
Second Thoughts Press
PO Box 69790, Tucson, AZ 85737
0977870111 $18.95 520-297-4496

College humanities teacher Allan Meyer presents Right and Wrong - A Useful Fiction, a cynical yet highly philosophical and astutely reasoned deconstruction of modern concepts of ethics, morality, right, and wrong, both religious and secular, as tools used to advance personal selfishness. Talking points are periodically bolded amid chapters that severely question the existence of free will in a culture and universe filled with so many deterministic forces, the abuse of language to laud what benefits the self as "good" and discredit what psychologically or materially displeases the self as "evil", and other all-too-common hypocrisies of human speech and motivation. A biting treatise, recommended for students of philosophy yet thoroughly accessible to lay readers.


The Parenting Shelf

Guiding Parents
Tom McNair
SP & A Press
PO Box 1441, San Marcos, TX 78667
0978626133, $14.95 1-866-581-0022

"Guiding Parents Succeeding Children: Reflections On Raising children In 79 Articles By A Parent, Therapist, Teacher, Coach" by psychotherapist and newspaper columnist Tom McNair is the debut title in the new ‘Your Mind and Heart' series designed to present sound advice, sage counsel, practical insights, and applicable information for parents seeking to maintain a traditional family life for themselves and their children. McNair underscores the causality connection between unfettered individualism and divorce, the deleterious impact of television and movies upon family life, issues of discipline, self-esteem, suicide, homework, sexual abuse, homosexuality, and the many stresses and demands placed upon contemporary families by the broader culture. "Guiding Parents Succeeding Children" is strongly recommended reading for anyone contemplating or engaged in the parenting of children in today's world.

Mini Methods or Madness
Janie and Roger Peterson
Behave'n Kids Press Inc.
8922 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68114
0971440514 $13.95 www.behavenkids.com

Written by licensed therapists Janie and Roger Peterson, Mini Methods or Madness: Small Steps that Make BIG Changes in Your Kids' Behavior is a practical-minded collection of simple "how-to" techniques to teach children better behavior while cultivating enduring bonds with them. Each method is easy to internalize and use, such as the importance of limiting excessive verbosity used to communicate when a child is naughty (an estimated "one word per year of life" sentence structure is recommended when communicating parental displeasure), the giving an immediate consequence for unacceptable behavior, refraining from yelling at children, and refraining from giving warnings, which only reinforce the idea that obedience is not required the first time a child is given an instruction. In addition to useful strategies, Mini Methods or Madness also offers a plain-terms overview of why these techniques work and why other methods such as negotiating with or bribing children, or continually repeating instructions without enforcing consequences, rarely have the desired effect of improving behavior or teaching children the self-control and discipline they will need as adults. Enthusiastically recommended for parents, babysitters, and anyone who works with children on a professional or personal basis.


The Political Science Shelf

The Conservative Nanny State
Dan Baker
CEPR Press
1611 Connecticut Avenue, SW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20009
1411693957, $7.90 www.lulu.com

In "The Conservative Nanny State: How The Wealthy Use The Government To Stay Rich And Get Richer", Dan Baker (a macroeconomist and Co-Director for Economic and Policy Research in Washington D.C.) has written a revealing expose on how conservatives favor government intervention to regulate the market to their own advantage. Baker documents and illustrates a number of ‘nanny state' policies that advantage the wealthy while penalizing the poor, expand the economic well being of those at the top, while diminishing the middle-class and expanding the ranks of the impoverished. The fault does not lay with the market which is simply an economic tool. The fault lays with those who manipulate that tool to unfairly favor those that have to have more, and those who have little, to have even less. Deftly written so as to be fully accessible to scholars and non-specialist general readers alike, "The Conservative Nanny State" is a 199-page treatise that needs to be read by every economics student, every free market capitalist, every elected politician, every corporate manager, and every working citizen in the country.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Fire With Fire
Allan Kahane
Pyro Publishing
191 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06880
0978520203 $24.95 www.pyropublishing.com

Written by global traveler Allan Kahne, who has experienced firsthand the increasingly negative perception of America by the world at large, Fire With Fire is gripping novel of revenge and suspense. When Jake Burke's wife and daughter are slain in a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, he devotes his personal wealth to track down and execute the lone surviving bomber in Egypt. In the process, Jake and his assistant Miranda are swept into an operation run by rogue intelligence agents who dare to combat terrorism with tactics the government cannot use - fighting fire with fire. Though fictional, Fire With Fire draws heavily upon real people and real situations to present a chillingly believable threat, from suitcase nuclear bombs (eighty-four of which are currently still unaccounted for) to the past and present realities of Egypt, Israel, and Iran. A shocking novel of violence and cruel choices in a bloody underground war.

Goodbye Evilwood
Vladimir Chernozemsky
Triumvirate Publications
7944 Capistrano Avenue, West Hills, CA 91304
1932656049 $24.95 www.Triumpub.com 1-818-340-6770

Bulgarian-born author Vladimir Chernozemsky, whose work as a documentary director and poet roused the ire of Communist State Security agents and induced him to seek asylum and citizenship in the U.S., presents Goodbye Evilwood, a dark and sensual murder mystery about a ruthless power struggle behind the scenes in Hollywood. Based strongly on Chernozemsky's own experiences and those of others, Goodbye Evilwood resonates with the negative repercussions of decadent morals, greed, and the obsessions of the rich and powerful. A suspenseful page-turner that does not let up until the very end.

Ricochet
P. M. Terrell
Paralee Press
PO Box 979, Clinton, Mississippi 39060
0978563204 $16.95

Written by a computer consulting specialist whose clients have included the U.S. Secret Service, CIA, and Department of Defense, Ricochet is a suspenseful novel of terrorist infiltration, sleeper cells, illegal immigration, and an FBI agent hot on the trail of her parents' killers. A fearsome and at times explosively violent story of stolen and misused identities and edge-of-one's seat intensity, Ricochet keeps the reader hooked right up to the fearsome finale. Also highly recommended are Terrell's previous novels, "Kickback" and "The China Conspiracy".


The Biography Shelf

Sins of the Innocent
Mireille Marokvia
Unbridled Books
2000 Wadsworth Boulevard, #195, Lakewood, CO 80214
1932961259 $24.95 www.unbridledbooks.com 1-888-732-3822

98-year-old author Mireille Marokvia presents her second memoir, Sins of the Innocent, the story of her adult life when she followed the man she loved to Stuttgart in 1939... just as Germany became tightly ensconced under fascist control. At times dark, at times embodying the spirit of hope, Sins of the Innocent chronicles the years of World War II and beyond with a candid, soul-searching eye. An emotionally powerful and moving true story of being witness to a grim hour for all humanity. Also highly recommended is Marokvia's previous memoir, "Immortelles: Memoir of a Will-o'-the-Wisp".

My Father: Il Duce
Romano Mussolini
Kales Press
7031 Columbine Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92011
0967007682 $27.95 www.kalespress.com

Written by Romano Mussolini, the son of infamous Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, My Father: Il Duce: A Memoir of Mussolini's Son contributes to history by shedding new light into aspects of the private life of "Il Duce". A riveting story of a state figure who went to great lengths to keep his private and public lives separate, who openly stated that he chose "Live dangerously" as his life's motto, and of a family that existed in continual danger of assassination, My Father: Il Duce reveals the human and family side of a complex historical figure. Highly recommended.

Household Baggage
Marna A. Krajeski
Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing
15115 Highway 36, Deadwood, Oregon 97430
1932279288 $14.25 www.WyMacPublishing.com

Household Baggage: The Moving Life of a Soldier's Wife is a charming anthology of sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, and all too truthful memories by Marna A. Krajeski, former army helicopter pilot and army wife of sixteen years. From adapting marriage and motherhood to frequent moves, long separations, and uncomfortable living quarters to coping with wartime deployments of one's spouse, Household Baggage offers invaluable insight to fellow military wives, especially new brides, with a pull-no-punches approach to the real truth of what daily life married to an active serviceman is like. Highly recommended, especially as a wedding shower or bachelorette party present!


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Dreamers
Dr. Valorie Beer
Banda Press International
6050 Stetson Hills Blvd. #313, Colorado Springs, CO 80923
0977317536 $9.95

Dreamers is a novel about a sudden evolutionary trend that spontaneously begins to affect the human race - the appearance of Pairs and Multi-Sleeper Dreams. Protagonist Harry and his familia are one such Pair, together almost since birth, raised in the same home and in love with only each other. As research assistants for a University Psychology department, they hunt for a greater understanding of Pairs and Multi-Sleeper Dreams, yet someone does not want the answers to their questions found, and sabotages their work at every turn. Who wants to keep the truth hidden, and why? The threat of danger adds a heady weight of suspense to the fantastic and intelligently written story.


The Social Issues Shelf

Building Powerful Community Organizations
Michael Jacoby Brown
Long Haul Press
10 Brattle Terrace, Arlington, MA 02474
0977151808 $19.95 www.longhaulpress.com

Written by Michael Jacoby Brown, who has more than thirty years' experience in building community organizations, Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide to Creating Groups that Can Solve Problems and Change the World is a handy step-by-step guide to creating, strengthening, and revitalizing grass-roots organizations for bringing about social change to solve problems in the community or workplace. From how to effectively recruit (learning to "listen not sell", when short or long visits are appropriate, and how to turn success into momentum) to how to mobilize resources and raise money to the steps for setting change into motion and more, Building Powerful Community Organizations walks the reader through the necessary skills and processes while warning against common obstacles and pitfalls. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone looking to harness communal effort and make a lasting difference.


The Music Shelf

City of Gabriels
Dennis Owsley
Reedy Press
PO Box 5131, St. Louis, MO 63139
1933370041 $27.00

Written by jazz enthusiast, photographer, and radio show host Dennis Owsley, City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz in St. Louis 1895-1973 is the culmination of twenty years of research into the history of St. Louis jazz. Black-and-white photographs intersperse the music history narrative of the pre-jazz era to the rise and fall of riverboats to the impact of World War II on St. Louis jazz to the polarization of jazz between the traditional style and that developed by the Black Artists' Group, or BAG. Researched in depth, featuring numerous quotes and perspectives from great figures in the jazz, City of Gabriels is a labor of love and reverence for an unforgettable city and the musical excitement it nurtured.


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
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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