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Wisconsin Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Prairie Plants of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
Theodore S. Cochrane, Kandis Elliot & Claudia S. Lipke
The University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, 3rd Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
0978959000, $35.00 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress 1-800-621-2736
Written by Theodore S. Cochrane (Senior Academic Curator of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Herbarium), Kandis Elliot and Claudia S. Lipke (senior artists in the Department of Botany), Prairie Plants of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum is a beautiful guide featuring full color photography throughout. Each page of this lavish guide features a different plant, with descriptions of its leaves, flowers, fruits, range and habitats in Wisconsin, and other insights, not to mention multiple images of the species' leaves and flowers especially. A brief introductory section discussing prairies, a glossary, and an index round out this lavish reference, which is surely the next best thing to visiting the UW-Madison Arboretum in person.
Landscape With Native Plants Of Wisconsin
Lynn M. Steiner
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101
0760329699, $24.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454
Beautifully illustrated throughout with full-color photography, "Landscape With Native Plants Of Wisconsin" by Lynn M. Steiner (one of the Midwest's most respected garden writers with a life-long interest in native plants) is an essential instructional guide to successful native-plant gardening in Wisconsin. This is the first gardening and landscaping guidebook to focus specifically on the use of Wisconsin's native plants and native-plant communities in home gardens and landscapes. All the basic information is provided, including how to determine what level of native-plant landscaping is appropriate for where the garden is to be located in the Badger state. This thoroughly "user friendly" compendium of expert advice on the process of designing, implementing, and maintaining a natural garden includes plant lists, solutions to commonly encountered landscaping issues ranging from deer-resistant plants, to shade gardens, to water-wise gardens, what native plants work best in different garden styles, water gardens, rock gardens, humming bird gardens, butterfly gardens, and so much more. With descriptions of some 500 Wisconsin native-plant species, varieties, and cultivars of flowers, trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens, grasses, ferns, and groundcovers, "Landscape With Native Plants Of Wisconsin" is the definitive and strongly recommended reference for any Wisconsin gardener or landscaper wanting to utilize and incorporate Wisconsin native plants.
Cicero, Classicism, and Popular Culture
Marshall W. Fishwick, Ph.D, DPhil
The Haworth Press Inc.
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, New York 13904-1580
0789025922, $24.95 www.haworthpress.com
Written by Marshall W. Fishwick, Ph.D, DPhil, Cicero, Classicism, and Popular Culture examines the seminal contributions that Greek poet, philosopher, writer, and scholar Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) has made to Western civilization in general, and modern popular culture in specific. From parallels between Cicero and Jefferson, to how Cicero's efforts to help make Latin into a universal language influenced linguistic development across the globe, to analogies between Rome and America, Cicero, Classicism, and Popular Culture sifts through threads of history to reveal hidden patterns, connections, and lessons for both the present and the future. A handful of color plates illustrate this illuminating discourse, especially recommended for college library shelves.
The World History Shelf
A Concise History Wales
Geraint H. Jenkins
Cambridge University Press
100 Brook Hill Drive, West Nyack, NY 10994-2133
0521530717, $24.99 www.cambridge.org
Written by Geraint H. Jenkins (Director of the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies), A Concise History of Wales is a compilation of up-to-date historical research as well as current discussions concerning Wales and what it means to be Welsh. The result is a thorough chronicle of the history of Wales and Welsh people from 383 to 2006 A.D. Of particular interest is the methods by which the Welsh resourcefully preserved their culture and heritage despite Anglo-Norman conquest, pestilence, volatile economic fluctuations, and more. A handful of black-and-white illustrations grace this thoughtful overview, researched with the meticulous exactitude worthy of scholars yet accessible to lay readers as well.
Brief Romanian Military History
Calin Hentea
The Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
0810858207, $55.00 www.scarecrowpress.com 1-800-462-6420
Romanian armed forces colonel Calin Hentea presents Brief Romanian Military History, a concise chronology and summary of conflicts in Romania from the 6th Century BC to the modern day. Thirty-five pages are devoted to the chronology alone; then, each chapter is divided into numerous short sections that describe a specific event, discovery, advance in military technology, or other turning point in Romanian Military History. Notes and a handful of black-and-white photographs and illustrations embellish this serious-minded, fact-heavy reference, ideal for world military history and reference shelves.
Heresy, Culture, and Religion in Early Modern Italy
Ronald K. Delph, Michelle M. Fontaine, & John Jefferies Martin, editors
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
1931112584, $49.95 http://tsup.truman.edu 1-800-916-6802
Heresy, Culture, and Religion in Early Modern Italy: Contexts and Contestations is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors examining religious reform movements on the Italian peninsula during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Individual works examine "The Turbulent Life of the Florentine Community in Venice", "Making Heresy Marginal in Modena", "Legal Remedies for Forced Monachization in Early Modern Italy", and much more. An index for quick reference rounds out this thoughtful and multidimensional scrutiny of a critical turning point in Christianity's historical evolution.
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
Buddha Is As Buddha Does
Lama Surya Das
Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
1591795591, $29.95 www.soundstrue.com 1-800-333-9185
Author, meditation teacher, and poet, Lama Surya Das is the founder of the Dzogchen Medition Center and one of the most learned and highly trained American-born lamas in the Tibetan tradition. In "Buddha Is As Buddha Does", he addresses just how to cultivate 'bodhicitta', the spirit-engine of enlightenment that allows human beings to embody and actively practice the Buddha's teaching while engaged in the real world. Lama Surya Das shows how to actively practice the ten 'paramitas' which are the transcendental virtues of daily life: Generosity, Ethics, Patience, Energetic Effort, meditation, Wisdom, Skillful Means, Higher Aspiration, Powers, and Pristine Awareness. An important and strongly recommended addition to personal and community library Buddhist Studies collections, this superbly recorded, five hour, 4 CD audiobook edition of "Buddha Is As Buddha Does" also provides contemporary examples of enlightened action based on the realization of the fundamental Buddhist tenet regarding the oneness of life.
The Platform Sutra
Red Pine
Shoemaker & Hoard Publishers
1400 6th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608
1593760868, $28.00 www.shoemakerhoard.com
Award-winning translator Red Pine has rendered the work of the controversial Sixth Patriarch of Zen into English in The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-Neng. Red Pine's commentary illuminates this classic; unlike other sutras, which transcribe the teachings of Buddha himself, The Platform Sutra transcribes the spiritual and practical teachings of Hui-Neng, whose seventh-century school of Direct Awakening still thrives today and whose wisdom continues to influence the Rinzai and Soto schools of modern Zen. The full, original Chinese text with an accompanying list of Chinese names for texts, places and the like along with extensive notes enhances this essential Mahayana reference enthusiastically recommended for Zen Buddhism reference shelves. "Fellow students of the Way, be careful. Don't think that meditation comes first and then gives rise to wisdom or that wisdom comes first and then gives rise to meditation or that meditation and wisdom are separate. For those who hold such views, the Dharma is dualistic: If the mouth speaks of goodness, but the mind doesn't think of goodness, meditation and wisdom aren't the same. But if goodness pervades both the mouth and the mind, if what is external and internal are alike, then meditation and wisdom are the same."
Mindful Dreaming
David Gordon, Ph.D.
Career Press, Inc
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564149226, $14.99 www.careerpress.com 1-800-227-3371
David Gordon, Ph.D. (membership chair for the International Association for the Study of Dreams) presents Mindful Dreaming: A Practical Guide for Emotional Healing Through Transformative Mythic Journeys, an insightful blend of Buddhist wisdom, spiritual practice, and mindful dreaming techniques. Mindful Dreaming explores what nightmares as well as happy dreams have to teach us, and offers techniques for constructing dreams of apprenticeship, embrace and mastery, embodiment, and being (witnessing consciousness). "The mood of each dream, and in particular, the mood at the end of your dream, are great measures of whether you are in alignment with your Calling and acting with wisdom and compassion for your own needs - or not." A welcome supplement to Buddhist studies shelves, as well as a certain help for anyone seeking to better understand and control their own dreams.
The Money/Finance Shelf
The Coming Widow Boom
James F. Thomas, Jr., CFP, CLU
Robert D. Reed Publishers
PO Box 1992, 1380 Face Rock Drive, Bandon, OR 97411
1931741751, $14.95 www.rdrpublishers.com
Written by James F. Thomas, Jr. CFP, CLU, The Coming Widow Boom: What You and Your Loved Ones Can Do to Prepare for the Unthinkable is a no-nonsense guide to practical financial planning, especially for women, and especially in the modern era when women inevitably tend to outlive men. Chapters discuss how to determine who to trust (advisors who finish one's sentences or talk too much about themselves are best avoided), empowering oneself emotionally and financially, constructing a vision for the future, and more. The Coming Widow Boom is unique in that it addresses both the monetary and the emotional impacts of losing a spouse, offering sympathy as well as solid strategies for coping. Highly recommended for widowers as well as for widows.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Death In The Cotswolds
Rebecca Tope
Allison & Busby
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
0749081260, $25.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756
"Death In The Cotswold" by expert mystery author Rebecca Tope is the story of Thea Osborne who becomes embroiled in murder and mystery when the autumn preparations for Samhain (the pagan origin of Halloween) are interrupted with the discovery of a body laid out like a sacrificial victim on the Notgrove Barrow. Teaming up Ariadne, with a true eccentric, Thea finds that a seemingly cozy English village has dark secrets and someone determined to keep them hidden at all costs. Rebecca Tope is a first-class storyteller and an accomplished mystery author who plays fair with the reader in her latest mystery novel, "Death In The Cotswolds" as a complex story populated with memorable characters and some truly fascinating twists and turns unrolls from beginning to end. Also very highly recommended are Tope's two earlier novels in the 'Cotswold' mystery series featuring Thea Osborne, "A Cotswold Killing" and "A Cotswold Ordeal".
Do Not Disturb
Laurence Geller
Bonus Books, Inc.
9255 W. Sunset Boulevard, Suite 711, Los Angeles, CA 90069
1566253004, $14.95 www.bonusbooks.com 1-800-225-3775
Inspired by the personal experience of author Laurence Geller, Do Not Disturb is a sultry, red-hot novel about Rolfe Ritter, a dashing global hotelier who appears to have it all - yet is inwardly haunted by the childhood memory of his father's murder amid post-World War II intrigue. When Rolfe uncovers a startling family secret, his trust in all his friends and allies wanes; even his longtime lover seems to have a dark secret. Set amid modern-day greed, corruption, complacence, and betrayal, Do Not Disturb skillfully combines suspense, passion, the threat of death gradually closing in, and the burning need to uncover the truth.
The Education Shelf
How to Reach & Teach All Students - Simplified
Elizabeth Breaux
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West, Suite 106, Larchmont, NY 10538
1596670428, $26.95 www.eyeoneducation.com
Elizabeth Breaux shares her 20 years of experience with "at-risk" students in How to Reach & Teach All Students - Simplified, a guide for teachers that emphasizes the importance of being able to connect with students in order to effectively instruct them. Chapters discuss how to make a good first impression, the power of accentuating the positive through thanks and praise, the importance of being sufficiently assertive to keep control of one's classroom and enforcing consequences, how to avoid power struggles, successful real-life teaching strategies, using rubrics for assessment, and much more. Each chapter has sections devoted to simply "what works" and "what doesn't work", making How to Reach & Teach All Students - Simplified readily accessible and to-the-point for teachers of all skill and experience levels. Highly recommended.
The Essentials of Science Grades K-6
Rick Allen
ASCD
1703 Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
1416605290, $23.95 www.ascd.org
The Essentials of Science Grades K-6: Effective Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment is a no-nonsense guide especially for elementary school teachers. Chapters include interviews with award-winning elementary science teachers and science education experts, guides to planning a curriculum of essentials, how to motivate students in science, assessment tools, current trends in elementary science education and much more. "When devising a science curriculum, schools should focus on getting all students to understand the big ideas for the topic studied. Curriculum designers can use backward design to align assessment and instruction with those big ideas. Because big ideas often rest on other big ideas and prior knowledge, outlining a progression of required prior understanding can also help teachers keep moving toward an important concept without getting bogged down by secondary factoids that may divert students from essential learning." A handful of black-and-white photographs and illustrations round out this practical-minded resource.
The Literary Shelf
Postcards from Ed
David Peterson, editor
Milkweed Editions
1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55415
1571312846, $24.95 www.milkweed.org
Published author David Peterson presents Postcards From Ed: Dispatches and Salvos From An American Iconoclast, a gathering of postcards and letters from American writer and cult hero Edward Abbey (1927-1989), known for his books "Desert Solitaire" and "The Monkey Wrench Gang", and also known for his short-tempered personality, which earned him the nickname "Cactus Ed". Arranged chronologically, most of the letters and postcards are brief, often packed with zest and a healthy dash of wit; notes and an index round out this engaging insight into a quintessential American psyche. Rarely is reading someone else's mail this much fun. Highly recommended. "I also drive slowly and 'tranquilly' at all times except when approaching an intersection. Based on mathematical reasoning, verified (so far) by experience, I believe it to be a fact that the faster you flash through an intersection the less your chance of colliding with the opposition. Do not be distracted by traffic lights, of whatever shade of blue or pink; their only function is to confuse the timorous."
The Origins of the American Detective Story
LeRoy Lad Panek
McFarland & Company, Inc.
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786427760, $35.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com
Award-winning author LeRoy Lad Panek presents The Origins of the American Detective Story, a chronicle of the creation and rise of this now-classic literary genre, particularly focusing on the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although Edgar Allen Poe essentially invented the detective story in 1841 with "Murders in the Rue Morgue", there would be years of stagnation and unoriginal popular culture dime novels until transforming social conditions would be reflected in fundamental changes in the detective novel. The rise and decline of police as an institution, the development of private detectives, the inception of the crusading news reporter, and the rise of forensic science, not to mention the literary influence of one Sherlock Holmes, would all transform and diversify the genre. A critical and close scrutiny, especially intended for literary scholars but sure to fascinate passionate detective story enthusiasts as well.
The Military Shelf
World Military Leaders
Mark Grossman
Facts On File, Inc.
132 West 31st Street, 17th floor, New York, NY 10001-2006
0816047324, $75.00 www.factsonfile.com 1-800-322-8755
Throughout recorded human history, the military leadership of a city state, a kingdom, or a nation has been a principle force in shaping events for better or for ill. A professional writer specializing in American and world history, Mark Grossman has compiled and organized "World Military Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary" which presents in an easily accessed, single volume, succinct profiles of influential military leaders from 3500 B.C.E. down to the present day. These were men whose military decisions and leadership influenced the course of history both in their own times and for subsequent generations. From Alexander the Great who conquered most of the known world of his era, to Dwight D. Eisenhower who lead the Allied forces against the Axis powers in World War II, to Charlemagne who began the process of European recovery in Europe from the chaos resultant from the collapse of the Roman Empire, to Napoleon Bonaparte, Decatur, Hannibal, Erwin Rommel, Robert E. Lee, Genghis Khan, George Washington, and hundreds of others, "World Military Leaders" is a strongly recommended addition to school and community World History and Military History reference collections, as well as a being a fascinating and informative browse for military and history buffs.
Army 101
David Axe
The University of South Carolina Press
1600 Hampton Street, 5th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
1570036608, $24.95 www.sc.edu/uscpress
Written by freelance journalist and war correspondent David Axe, Army 101: Inside ROTC in a Time of War is a straight-talk look at the state of the modern Reserve Officers Training Corps, and the lives of the college students who participate in them - in effect, minoring in the military while pursuing degrees in other fields. Drawn largely extensive interviews with ROTC recruits, Army 101 touches on everything from nighttime training exercises to the procedures and jargon of the ROTC classroom to the annual Ranger Challenge, a.k.a. "the varsity sport of ROTC". Of special note is how the war in Iraq affects ROTC recruitment and graduates; deployment in Iraq is sometimes even used as a punishment for egregious offences. "In 2004, when the situation in Iraq begins to turn south and the media start asking questions, Cadet Command issues 'public affairs guidance' to all ROTC units. The twenty-eight-page document advises cadets and cadre to be wary of reporters and even provides stock responses to potential questions [such as] Q: Should the US have taken military action against Iraq? A: Our national leaders must decide the question of whether or not the US should take military action. It would clearly be inappropriate of me to attempt to second-guess them." An unbiased, insightful look into the trials and challenges facing America's "civilian soldiers", especially recommended for anyone considering joining the ROTC.
The Travel Shelf
France
Nicola Williams, et al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
174104233X, $24.99 www.lonelyplanet.com 1-800-275-8555
Written by a team of six authors (Nicola Williams, Oliver Berry, Steve Fallon, Catherine Le Nevez, Daniel Robinson, and Miles Roddis) with 23 combined years of living in France, the seventh edition of Lonely Planet's travel guide France is as high-quality as ever, packed with up-to-date research, 184 maps, and a handful of color photographs. From locations and descriptions of restaurants, hotels, and businesses, to a solid primer on adapting to French culture, to historical insights, transportation tips, recommended tours and trails, an extensive index, and even unique touches such as the URLs of France's most popular bloggers, this updated and expanded seventh edition of France is a "must-have" for anyone determined to make the most of their visit to this proud nation. Readers can even visit www.lonelyplanet.com for additional daily updates!
Travel North Carolina
Carolyn Sakowski, et al.
John F. Blair Publisher Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive, Winston- Salem, NC 27103
0895873370, $19.95 www.blairpub.com
Now in an completely updated and significantly expanded third edition, "Travel North Carolina: Going Native in the Old North State" is a comprehensive guide written by Carolyn Sakowski, Sunny Smith Nelson, Anne Holcomb Waters, Angela Harwood, John Tarleton, and Sue Clark, a team of longtime residents of the Tar Heel State. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this compendium with sections organized by geography, listing seasonal events, places to eat, historical sites, museums and science centers, inns and bed-and-breakfasts, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended for business and pleasure travelers alike, "Travel North Carolina" is an essential planning guide to get the most out of a trip to this diverse and fascinating state from an afternoon's outing, to a weekend getaway, to an extended vacation.
The Christian Studies Shelf
The Mystery of Christ
Rev. John Behr
St. Vladimir's Press
575 Scarsdale Rd., Crestwood, NY 10707
0881413062, $16.95 www.svspress.com 1-800-204-2665
Reverend John Behr (Professor of Patristics, St. Vladimir's Seminary) presents The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death, a scholarly approach to Christian theology, penned in a systematic manner that answers quandaries that have arisen in theological and scriptural studies in recent centuries. Beginning with the Passion narratives, The Mystery of Christ discusses how holy scripture itself can be searched to find Christ, how Christ is born within those souls who are born again in the Church, and how His word becomes his new incarnation through the words and actions of those who glorify God. An inset selection of color plates illustrates this rich theological examination, open to Christians of all backgrounds despite its scholarly format.
Even the Demons Submit
Loren L. Johns & James R. Krabill, editors
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottsdale, PA 15683
0936273402, $15.95 www.heraldpress.com 1-800-759-4447
Even the Demons Submit: Continuing Jesus' Ministry of Deliverance is an anthology of essays by deliverance ministers, psychologists, pastors, biblical scholars, missiologists, anthropologists, and individuals who have experienced deliverance. The essays themselves are not entirely discrete; some represent direct, specific and personal responses to other essays. Formats of writings range from scholarly precision to pastoral reverence, yet an overall theme of the importance and power of doing God's work in the battle against evil prevails amid individual writings such as "Demonization and the Therapeutic Community", "The systemic spirit of the family", "Trusting Jesus When Quick Fixes Elude Us", case studies, and much more. A thoughtful addition to Christian dialogue shelves.
The Practical Prophet
Bishop Ken Untener
Paulist Press
997 Macarthur Boulevard, Mahwah NJ 07430
0809144298, $19.95 www.paulistpress.com
Catholic Bishop Ken Untener presents The Practical Prophet: Pastoral Writings, an anthology of inspirational and challenging essays especially for Christian ministers. The writings included are divided into the categories "Vision and Creative Imagination", "Liturgy and the Word", "Ministry of Mercy", "Consistent Ethic of Life", "Ministry of Prophet", and "The Wider Church". Each section is introduced by one of the author's trusted advisors. A plain-spoken tone, and a binding call to bring the church back to its roots form a solid common thread between diverse topics in this excellent and thought-provoking resource. The Practical Prophet is as timely and modern-thinking as it is spiritual, addressing serious present-day concerns as well as theological issues. "Day after day we read reports of past abuse by priests. This is the most agonizing experience I have ever had. It's not a thorn in my side. It's a sword in my soul. The pain comes from knowing that some youngsters have been hurt. The pain also comes from knowing that you have suffered as a member of the Catholic Church. It's on my mind every waking hour." Highly recommended.
Gospel Connections for Teens
Corey Brost, CSV
Saint Mary's Press
702 Terrace Heights, Winona, MN 55987-1318
0884896412, $4.95 www.smp.org
Written by Corey Brost, a priest with the Clerics of Saint Viator, Gospel Connections for Teens: Reflections for Sunday Mass Cycle C is a guide meant to help Christian teens prepare for Sunday Mass. Divided into sections consisting of a Gospel passage, a plain-terms discussion of the passage, and questions for reflection. Each section can be absorbed in twenty minutes or less, making Gospel Connections for Teens ideal for young Christians trying to keep up with a hectic schedule. "If a word or phrase from the Gospel grabs your heart, sit quietly for several minutes, repeating it to yourself and asking God to show you how it applies to your life. Or, reflect and possibly journal on the following question: Does your fear of failure ever stop you from taking risks for your faith?" Though intended especially for Catholic teens, Gospel Connections for Teens is a superb spiritual resource for Christian readers of all ages, and its broad selection of Gospel insights is sure to appeal to Christians of any denomination.
What Can I Do?
Barbara A. Glanz
Augsburg Books
PO Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
0806653272, $13.99 www.augsburgfortress.org
Written by certified speaking professional Barabara A. Glanz, What Can I Do?: Ideas to Help Those Who Have Experienced Loss is a guide to comforting friends, family members, acquaintances, and anyone else in one's life who has experienced the crushing loss of a loved one. Chapters offer practical advice and heartfelt recommendations, from ways to celebrate the life of the person who passed on to creating traditions that keep memories of loved ones alive. "When someone is grieving, they have no thought of themselves; they are simply in survival mode, so doing something that brings them joy and focuses simply on them is a precious gift. Present them with a gift certificate for a massage, facial, manicure, or pedicure to help soothe their soul and brighten their spirits." Though there are occasional religious references, What Can I Do? is an inclusive, highly recommended guide intended for readers of all Christian denominations and all backgrounds.
Touching the World
Dan McKanan
Liturgical Press
PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
0814631754, $14.95 www.litpress.com
Written by Dan McKanan (associate professor and chair of the theology department, College of Saint Benedict at Saint John's University), Touching the World is an eye-opening exploration of two contemporary Christian movements that reach out to serve the world and share their transformative potential. One is Camphill, inspired by Rudolf Steiner's vision of Christianity, which hosts a worldwide network of schools and villages, and the Catholic Worker movement, which today includes nearly two hundred houses of hospitality and rural farms. Touching the world applies a combined theological and ethnographic approach to its study of these movements' successes and limitations, and the positive value that Christian communities can have in the world. A deeply spiritual and uplifting account.
A Monastic Vision for the 21st Century
Patrick Hart, OSCO, editor
Cistercian Publications
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5415
0879070579, $15.95 www.amazon.com
A Monastic Vision for the 21st Century: Where Do We Go From Here? is an anthology of serious-minded essays by a variety of authors, including monks and theology professors, discussing the role of monasteries - particularly Roman Catholic Cistercian monasteries - in the modern-day world. Autobiographical reflections, spiritual insights, practical considerations, theological ponderings, and much more fill these thoughtful essays, and speculations on the future of Western monasticism. Highly recommended, especially for theology and Christology students and professionals. "We live in a culture where many scientists are so taken up with the very real achievements of recent times, that they are distorting its human significance by interpreting the data to fit the ideology of materialism. Cistercian life has a contribution to make to society as well as to the Church in this context by assuring that spirituality is rooted in the reality of the created cosmos precisely by using such discoveries to implement the contemplative program outlined in more general terms by St. Bernard and his associates."
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Zombiemania
Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg & Andrew Hershberger
Telos Publishing LTD.
c/o Fitzhenry & Whiteside, LTD
311 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135-3303
1845830032, $22.95 www.telos.co.uk 1-800-387-9776
Entertainment writers Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg & Andrew Hershberger present Zombiemania: 80 Movies To Die For, a guide especially for zombie movie connoisseurs. From "28 Days Later" to "Night of the Living Dead" to even movies that are not overtly about zombies overrunning the world such as "Pirates of the Caribbean", Zombiemania offers all the juicy, flesh-rending morsels a zombie movie lover could want. From a plot synopsis, to notes on continuity or logical quirks, to cast lists, behind the scenes tidbits, black-and-white photographs, notes on ideas borrowed from other movies and where cast members appeared before, critical analyses, and much more, Zombiemania provides an in-depth portrait of the 80 zombie movies it profiles. An additional title index with over 550 films described and cross-referenced (taking alternate titles into account) rounds out this first-rate guide, especially recommended as a Halloween giftbook.
The American History Shelf
Irish in Michigan
Seamus P. Metress & Eileen K. Metress
Michigan State Press
1405 S. Harrison Rd., Suite 25, Manly Miles, East Lansing, MI 48823
0870137646, $11.95 www.msupress.msu.edu
Written by Professor of Anthropology Seamus P. Metress and Professor Emeritus of Public Health Eileen K. Metress, Irish in Michigan is a thoughtful history of generations of Irish who have immigrated to or been born in Michigan from 1640 to the present day. Surveying urban Irish in Detroit, the Irish beyond Detroit, and Michigan-Irish demographics today, Irish in Michigan, is a thoughtfully written, fact-filled, and highly enjoyable tour of a people's shared history. Black-and-white photographs, notes, an index, and appendices listing resources for Michigan's Irish, Catholic Parishes in Michigan with heavily Irish origins, and Irish ethnic specialties round out this enlightening chronicle.
The Parenting Shelf
The Everything Toddler Activities Book
Joni Levine, M.Ed.
Adams Media
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
1593375883, $14.95 www.adamsmedia.com 1-800-872-5627
Written by experienced day care provider Joni Levine M.Ed., The Everything Toddler Activities Book: Games and Projects that Entertain and Educate is a comprehensive resource chock filled with inexpensive, age-appropriate, fun, and educational activities for toddlers, from rhymes and songs to car or plane-travel games to physical activities and holiday expressions. Each activity is outlined in a number of simple steps, such as "Ice-Cube Painting", which requires only ice cubes, craft sticks, and paint or Kool-Aid/Jell-O powder. "1) Make a tray of ice cubes. Freeze each cube with a craft stick sticking in so that you have a square Popsicle. 2) Let your child sprinkle the powdered paint on the paper. 3) Show your child how to use the ice cube on a stick as a paintbrush. The colors will swirl as the ice melts." Enthusiastically recommended for parents, babysitters, and child care providers everywhere.
Remembering My Pet
Nechama Liss-Levinson & Molly Phinney Baskette
Skylight Paths Publishing
Sunset Farms Offices, Route 4, PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
1594732213, $16.99 www.skylightpaths.com 1-800-962-4544
Pets are (or should be) a part of every child's growing up. Caring for pets teaches children so many essential values about life and responsibility. One essential and unavoidable aspect of having a companion animal is that they will inevitable die. Sometimes of old age with all the medical complications associated with aging. Sometimes suddenly from accident or injury or error. The death of a pet is also a life-teaching aspect that if properly handled, can provide a child with values that will carry on to their benefit throughout their adult years as well. "Remembering My Pet: A Kid's Own Spiritual Workbook For When A Pet Dies" is the collaborative effort of Nechama Liss-Levinson and Molly Phinney Baskette to provide parents with a means of helping children ages 7 to 13 to cope with the loss of their pet through such means as planning a memorial service, recording photo memories of their animal companion, honoring their pet's memory by sharing with and giving to others, and so much more. Strongly recommended – especially for anyone who has lost an animal companion – "Remembering My Pet" will enable a child to express and deal with their feelings by drawing, writings, reading, creating, and engaging in activities that will result in a memorial keepsake they will treasure for the rest of their own lives.
The Gardening Shelf
Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver
Fern Marshall Bradley
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
1594863083, $19.95 www.rodale.com
In "Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver", lifelong organic gardener Fern Marshall Bradley has knowledgeably compiled and skillfully organized a wealth of practical, applicable, 'user friendly' advice and instruction on dealing with pests, diseases, weeds, and other problems that beset the vegetable garden. The solutions to these diverse issues that vegetable gardens must commonly deal with are based on the cutting edge of horticultural research and offer gardeners hundreds of organic and natural solutions for plant disease, pests, and weed problems. From polytape and mesh fences, to deer repellents, to flea beetle infestations, "Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver" offers safe, effective remedies that will enhance a vegetable garden's performance producing healthy, bountiful, 'bumper crop' yields. If you have a vegetable garden of your own, you need to avail yourself of the "Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver", Fern Marshall Bradley's essential 'how to' manual.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
The Cocker Spaniel Handbook
D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D.
Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764134590, $11.99 www.barronseduc.com
Written by D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D.: The Cocker Spaniel Handbook is a well-rounded guide packed with everything the reader needs to know about raising a happy and healthy cocker spaniel. From acquiring a dog or puppy, to the many types of Cocker Spaniels, to training, grooming and feeding, requisite exercise, common medical problems and diseases, and much more, The Cocker Spaniel Handbook is a solidly accessible primer, illustrated with color photographs on virtually every page. Enthusiastically recommended especially for first-time Cocker Spaniel owners.
The Language Of Dogs
Sarah Kalnajs
Dogwise Publishing
PO Box 2778, Wenatchee, WA 98807-2778
1929242409, $39.95 www.dogwisepublishing.com 1-800-776-2665
Expertly produced by Dogwise Publishing, "The Language Of Dogs: Understanding Canine Body Language And Other Communication Signals" by professional canine behaviorist and trainer Sarah Kalnajs is a two hour, thirteen minute, two disc, instructional DVD that draws upon extensive footage of a variety of breeds to show hundreds of examples of canine behavior and body language. Pet owners, veterinary students, animal shelter workers, and dog trainers will learn how to identify common behaviors including look-aways, freezes, submissive grins, tail flags, dog smiles, sneezes, shake-offs, urogenital check-outs, displacement behaviors, and so much more. Informed and informative, "The Language Of Dogs" is strongly recommended viewing by anyone owning, encountering, or having responsibility for the care of dogs. Other very highly recommended DVDs from Dogwise Publishing for pet owners and trainers include Sarah Kalnajs' "Am I Safe: The Art & Science of Canine Behavior Assessments (1929242417, $39.95); Ian Dunbar's "Give Them A Scalpel Y& They Will Dissect A Kiss: Dog Training: Past, Present & Future" (1929242387, $29.95); Ted Turner's "The ABC's Of Behavior Shaping: The Fundamentals Of Training; Proactive Behavior Management; Extinguishing Aggression And Other Problem Behaviors" (0977264815, $29.95); and "Brenda Aloff's Fundamentals: Foundation Training For Every Dog" (192924228X, $34.95).
The Photography Shelf
Mid-Century City
Sarge Marsh
Orange Frazer Press
PO Box 214, Wilmington, OH 45177
1933197048, $24.95 www.orangefrazer.com 1-800-852-9332
In "Mid-Century City: Cincinnati At The Apex", the historic photography of Sarge Marsh is nicely supported by the brief narrative text of John Fleishchman to present the city of Cinncinnati, Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century at the height of World War II when this American Midwest metropolis featured downtown movie palaces able to seat 1500 people at a time, when there was an airport served by shiny, propeller-driven DC-3 and DC-4 aircraft and people dressed formally to fly, when a typical business office worker was equipped with a wooden desk and a black telephone, when afternoon shoppers got their lunch in noisy, boisterous cafeterias. A superb showcase presenting a now time-lost yesteryear of Cincinnati, Ohio, "Mid-Century City" is a nostalgic series of images that is especially recommended for anyone who still remembers what it was like more than half a century ago.
The Philosophy Shelf
South Park and Philosophy
Richard Hanley
Open Court Publishing
315 Fifth Street, PO Box 300, Peru, IL 61354-3000
0812696131, $17.95 www.opencourtbooks.com 1-800-815-2280
South Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating is an anthology of essays written by Richard Hanley (Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Delaware) and a few associates exploring the deeper, conundrum laced side of the rude, crude, and blockily animated television series "South Park." From religion ("May God Strike This Book Down!") to politics and sacred cows ("Die, Hippie, Die! South Park Liberals") to morality and other questionable urges ("White Jews Can't Jump") and science ("Time-Traveling Up Your Own Ass"), the essays are steeped in the show's snarky and foul-mouthed tone but also convey fresh illumination upon its subtler and parodies, as well as the author's matter-of-fact straight talk. "So here's what ought to be a sobering fact for you, if you're a Christian, whether Catholic, Baptist, or whatever. If you'd been born in different enough religious circumstances, you'd have a different religion. Not only that, but you'd likely be prancing around the place right now, utterly convinced of the truth of all that religion's doctrines. Perhaps you'd even be oppressing the members of the religion you in fact subscribe to now, on the ground that they irrationally and immorally fail to believe what you believe. In other words, you'd behave just like those jerks over there." Enthusiastically recommended, especially for fans of the show.
Husserl
David Woodruff Smith
Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
0415289750, $24.95 www.routledge.com
Written by David Woodruff Smith (Professor of Philosophy, University of California Irvine), Husserl is an in-depth examination of the life, and more intently, the philosophic concepts created and refined by Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), the founder of phenomenology movement, whose ideas were a key influence upon Heidegger. Chapters walk the reader through Husserl's philosophical system, and explore logic, ontology, phenomenology as "the new science of conscious experience", epistemology, ethics, Husserl's legacy, and more. Intermediate to advanced philosophy students will be best equipped to follow the complex concepts presented, in this ideal reference especially recommended for philosophy and college library reference shelves.
The Music Shelf
Sibelius the Orchestral Works: An Owners Manual
David Hurwitz
Amadeus Press, LLC
512 Newark Pompton turnpike, Pompton Plains, New Jersey 07444
1574671499, $27.95 www.amadeuspress.com
Written by radio commentator David Hurwitz, Sibelius the Orchestral Works An Owners Manual is a book and CD set celebrating the classic creations of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The text discusses Sibelius' musical language, symphonies, violin concerto, tone poems, theatrical music, and more, while two full-length CDs offer a beautiful cross-section of not only Sibelius' work, but also the compositions of his contemporaries and successors. An in-depth, at times modestly technical analysis, written especially for dedicated music lovers and musicologists, and a "must-have" for anyone interested in learning about and experiencing the Finnish master.
The Architecture Shelf
Judging Architectural Value
William S. Saunders, editor
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401
081665011X, $22.95 www.upress.umn.edu
Edited by William S. Saunders (Assistant Dean, Harvard University's Graduate School of Design), Judging Architectural Value is an anthology of essays by experienced authors seeking to answer the questions: what do people value in architecture, how do changing values affect opinions about architecture? From "Why Are Some Buildings More Interesting Than Others?" to "Learning from St. Louis: The Arch, the Canon, and Bourdieu" to "Eyesore or Art? On Tyree Guyton's Heidelberg Project", the essays offer a scholarly, measured debate, and ultimately indicate that making judgments about architecture involves much more than aesthetic sensibility. Especially recommended as a "big picture" supplement for professionals and aspiring architects.
The Biography Shelf
Mary Tudor
David Loades
The National Archive
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1903365988, $34.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756
There have been many biographies of Mary Tudor, the British contender against Elizabeth I for the throne of England. History being largely written by the winners, Mary Tudor became notorious for her lethal persecution of the Protestants, her unceasing efforts to deliver Britain to the Catholics, the loss of Calais to the fledgling British empire, and her decades long struggle to gain control of Britain that was to result in years of confinement by Queen Elizabeth and her eventual death at the headsman's axe at an advanced age. In "Mary Tudor: The Tragical History of The First Queen Of England", historian David Loades (Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Wales and an Associate of the Centre for Early Modern History at the University of Oxford) fully explores the dimensions of a complex life in a time of political volatility, religious wars, male domination of government, royal marriages for political advantages, personal devoutness, and a woman who was in many ways stronger than any of the men with whom she associated in her quest for royal power and Catholic supremacy. "Mary Tudor" is an articulate and very highly recommended work of impeccable scholarship that should be a part of every academic library British History & Royal Biography reference collection and supplemental reading list.
Shostakovich
Brian Morton
Haus Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1904950507, $24.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756
Demitri Shostakovich was the single most popular Soviet composer of his generation and internationally recognized for his enduring contribution to music. With a reputation in music that has only increased since his death in 1975, Shostakovich is considered by many to be the last great classical symphonist of the twentieth century. Now music historian and biographer Brian Morton has written a definitive account of the remarkable life of a gifted man who was both an acclaimed concert pianist and an influential composer in "Shostakovich: His Life And Music". From his 1934 opera 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsenk' which was ultimately denounced by Joseph Stalin and led to the composer's struggle under the 'Great Terror' inflicted by the Soviet government on its own people, to his being embraced for Seventh Symphony composition that was embraced by the government embattled against the Nazi's, to his later years of prolific composing despite enduring health problems, "Shostakovich" provides a complete and accurate description of life as a musician under the conditions imposed by the communist state. A work of impressive scholarship, "Shostakovich" is a welcome addition to community and academic library Music History reference collections, as well as very highly recommended reading for students of Soviet History.
George C. Marshall: Rubrics of Leadership
Stewart W. Husted
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
097096823X, $23.95 www.stackpolebooks.com
Written by retired U.S. Army Reserve LTC and leadership teacher Stewart W. Husted, George C. Marshall: Rubrics of Leadership is not an ordinary biography of World War II legend George C. Marshall; the focus here is specifically upon the factor within him that made him a unique, exceptional, and supremely competent leader. Featuring a foreword by General J.H. Binford Peay, III and a prologue by General Colin Powell, George C. Marshall: Rubrics of Leadership examines Marshall's talent for managing and planning the impossible, how he built a winning team and maintained morale, transformed crisis into success, engaged in conflict resolution and negotiation, devoted his life to selfless service, and much more. An eye-opening portrait of Marshall's strengths and positive qualities, and especially his personal exemplification of the best in human leadership.
Alex Swan and the Swan Companies
Lawrence M. Woods
The Arthur H. Clark Company
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
087062346X, $34.95 www.ahclark.com 1-800-627-7377
Written by historian Lawrence M. Woods, Alex Swan and the Swan Companies is a fascinating, in-depth biography of 1800's corporate tycoon Alex Swan, and the robust enterprises he founded, particularly the Swan Land and Cattle Company, one of the larger livestock companies to operate in the American West. Chapters don't just detail Swan's life; over half of Alex Swan and the Swan Companies is devoted to the stories of his former businesses long after he was no longer running them. Appendices of financial information, a bibliography, and an index round out this thoughtful, involving portrait of a self-made man's legacy.
The Martial Arts Shelf
The Demon's Sermon On The Marital Arts
Issai Chozanshi, author
William Scott Wilson, translator
Kodansha America, Inc.
575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
4770030185, $19.95 www.kodanshaamerica.com
Written by 18th-century Japanese samurai Issai Chozanshi and translated into English by William Scott Wilson, also known for his translations of "Hagakure" and "The Book of Five Rings", The Demon's Sermon On The Marital Arts is a uniquely insightful and philosophical contemplation. Presented in the format of an imagined discourse between a tengu (a mythological birdman) and an anonymous swordsman, The Demon's Sermon On The Martial Arts is much broader in scope than a simple list of strategies and maneuvers taught by assorted Japanese disciplines, extending into wisdom gleaned from Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto. The result is a guide for martial artists to perfecting the mind, rising above hesitation, indecision, or distractions, and harnessing the flow of the dynamic energy of ch'i to empower transformation. An indispensable classic of traditional Japanese culture and martial arts philosophy.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The Diabetes Travel Guide
Davida F. Kruger
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580402364, $14.95 www.diabetes.org 1-800-342-2383
Now in a completely updated and significantly expanded second edition, "The Diabetes Travel Guide" by Davida F. Kruger is the ideal resource for anyone with diabetes who needs to travel for purposes of business or pleasure. The perfect planning resource for trips ranging from across town to across the country, "The Diabetes Travel Guide" covers medical needs, snacks, a physicians note, and other essentials for the diabetic. Whether traveling by car, bus, train, ship, or plane, whether visiting a city or camping out in the wilderness, "The Diabetes Travel Guide" will prove indispensable to insuring the safety and health of the diabetic traveler. Sized to fit nicely into a coat pocket or a purse, and enhanced with website information, phone numbers, charts on adjusting medication, insulin issues, and even translations of common phrases in several different languages in case of an overseas emergency, "The Diabetes Travel Guide" is strongly recommended for anyone having (or traveling with someone having) diabetes-based health concerns.
The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program
Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.
Crown House Publishing Limited
6 Trowbridge Drive, Ste. 5 Bethel, CT 06801
1845900316, $44.95 www.chpus.com
Certified clinical hypnotherapist Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. presents The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual, a guide written to help hypnotherapy practitioners seeking give their clients a fully-scripted, ready-to-use weight reduction program. Chapters cover the eight sessions of the Weight, Hypnotherapy, and You program from stopping emotional eating with stress reduction to making sensible food choices, boosting motivation to exercise and more, how to enhance success by coaching stuck clients and recommendations for follow-up sessions, and a wealth of tips, tricks and techniques. Though intended for hypnotherapists, the sound principles behind adopting a healthier lifestyle are quite universal. An accompanying CD includes copies of useful handouts such as a Client Workbook with take-home readings and assignments. Highly recommended for professional hypnotherapists.
The Science Shelf
The Silicon Cycle
Venugopalan Ittekkot, Daniela Unger, Christoph Humborg, & Nguyen Tac An, editors
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 300, Washington DC
1597261157, $49.95 www.islandpress.com
The Silicon Cycle: Human Perturbations and Impacts on Aquatic Systems is an anthology of essays by learned authors concerning the cycle of silicon, an abundant yet oft-unappreciated element key to numerous biogeochemical processes in natural ecology. The first book in more than twenty years offering a thorough overview of the many issues associated with the silicon cycle, The Silicon Cycle summarizes the major outcomes of the project Land-Ocean Interactions: Silica Cycle, tracks the path of silicon from land to sea, and contemplates both natural geological processes as well as atmospheric and hydrological processes and human alterations to the natural controls of the silicon cycle. A technical resource written especially for experts and professionals, and an invaluable modern reference for environmental scientists and natural history scholars.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Consciousness Is All
Peter Francis Dziuban
Blue Dolphin Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 8, Nevada City, CA 95959
1577331605, $19.95 www.bluedolphinpublishing.com
Philosophy student and communications field expert Peter Francis Dziuban presents Consciousness Is All: Now Life Is Completely New, a radical reexamination of the fundamental nature of reality and human consciousness. Though founded in the writings and talks of Dr. Alfred Aiken, Consciousness Is All is unique in its precept that consciousness is the sum total of all there is - that nothing exists outside of or beyond consciousness. Thus consciousness is not a higher Self, but rather the only Self. Consciousness Is All refutes the idea that there is a would-be secondary self seeking reunion with an indeterminate "god", bur rather insists that the One Self is inclusive Wholeness and Perfection, encompassing all. "The fact that the One Consciousness is all the consciousness there is, leaves no lesser consciousness to need a teacher or way-shower. This instant, Consciousness leaves no other to be plodding or plotting; none to need awakening or spiritualizing. One Self leaves no second self to co-operate (meaning operate along with) the One. Consciousness leaves no other to reject, or even accept what It already is." A revolutionary treatise, sure to prove fascinating to anyone involved in the study of metaphysical and spiritual theories.
The International Studies Shelf
The Americanization of Europe
Alexander Stephan, editor
Berghahn Books
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
184545085X, $75.00 www.berghahnbooks.com
Edited by Professor Alexander Stephen, The Americanization of Europe: Culture, Diplomacy, and Anti-Americanism After 1945 is an anthology of essays by scholarly authors examining the progressing phenomenon of Americanization amid nations across the Atlantic, a happening deplored by some and embraced by others yet persisting nonetheless. A backlash of anti-American sentiment has become increasingly apparent in European nations as well. Essays cover major powers such as Great Britain, France, West Germany, the former Soviet Union and Italy, as well as smaller nations such as Austria, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Sweden, and Poland. A sober examination of a diversity of the types of impact Americanization has had, from high culture to popular culture, lifestyle issues, and history of anti-American sentiment. A welcome and timely addition to college and public library international studies shelves.
The Social Issues Shelf
Defining Danger
James W. Clarke
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
0765803410, $34.95 www.transactionpub.com
Written by Professor of Political Science James W. Clarke, Defining Danger: American Assassins and the New Domestic Terrorists is an examination of acts of terrorism and political violence on American soil throughout modern history. From the assassination attempts that killed four of America's presidents and tried to kill eight others, to "Oklahoma City Bomber" Timothy McVeigh, to abortion clinic attacks and abortion doctor killings, to analyses of twenty-one perpetrators of political violence on American soil, and much more, Defining Danger seeks to quantify and categorize the changing nature of violence and threat, and its impact upon American political structure. Meticulously researched and studiously assembled with the precision and eye to detail worthy of a master surgeon, Defining Danger is a welcome addition to terrorism studies libraries and reference shelves, and sure to prove an invaluable historical and analysis tool for examining modern risks and atrocities.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Jews, Sports, and the Rites of Citizenship
Jack Kugelmass, editor
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6903
025207324X, $20.00 www.press.uillinois.edu
Edited by Jack Kugelmass (Professor of Anthropology and director of the Center for Jewish Studies, University of Florida Gainesville), Jews, Sports, and the Rites of Citizenship is an interdisciplinary anthology of essays by learned authors discussing Jewish involvement in sports, from legendary athletes to ordinary people. Topics discussed include soccer games between Jews and Muslims in Casablanca, sports in interwar Tel Aviv, horsemanship and equestrian style among Jews, to stereotypes of masculinity and athletic activity (or, rather the lack thereof) as applied to Jews in comparison to other ethnic and cultural groups. An insightful, serious-minded reflection alluding to events in both modern history and the present day.
The Economics Shelf
Regional Financial Cooperation
Jose Antonio Ocampo, editor
Brooking Institution Press
PO Box 50370, Baltimore, MD 21211-4370
0815764197, $36.95 www.brookings.edu
Regional Financial Cooperation is an anthology of essays by diverse learned authors discussing the potential role of regional institutions for improving global finance and economic stability, especially in the wake of the devastating 1997 Asian financial crisis. From rationale and strategies for Asian bond market development, to the questionable future of macroeconomic coordination in Latin America, to the European experience of regional exchange rate arrangements, these scholarly and heavily researched discussions shed new light on serious issues in an increasingly globalized world. Enthusiastically recommended for advanced international economics scholars and college library reference shelves.
The Business Shelf
How To Write Better Business Letters
Andrea B. Geffner
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764135392, $14.99 www.barronseduc.com 1-800-645-3476
Now in a fully updated and expanded fourth edition, "How To Write Better Business Letters" by Andrea B. Geffner is a complete and 'user friendly' guide to the art and science of writing effective and professional business letters. "How To Write Better Business Letters" provides clear and helpful information for making optimal use of word processing software in business correspondence, as well as communicating professional on the Internet through email. Enhanced with more than seventy examples of model letters (including credit applications, letters of inquiry, orders for goods and services, formal business announcements, letters of recommendations, direct marketing sales promotional letters, and more), "How To Write Better Business Letters" is a complete and strongly recommended reference for inexperienced and novice business personnel, and has a great deal of value in refreshing and enhancing the letter writing skills of even the more experienced entrepreneur or business manager.
The Computer Shelf
The Image Processing Handbook
John C. Russ
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
0849372542, $159.95 www.crcpress.com 1-800-272-7737
Image processing is used to improve the visual appearance and transmission of images to a the human eye. It also concerns the preparation of images with respect to measuring an image's features and structures. Now in a newly updated and significantly expanded fifth edition, "The Image Processing Handbook" by academician John C. Russ (Materials Science and Engineering Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina) "The Image Processing Handbook" features an informative chapter explaining which visual cues elicit a response from the viewer; descriptions of the latest hardware and software for image acquisition and printing including digital cameras; multichannel images and an analysis of their principle components; the issues of deconvolution, extended dynamic range images, and image enlargement and interpolation, and so much more. Enhanced with more than 2000 illustrations, and with the availability of a companion CD-ROM, "The Image Processing Handbook" is a seminal and essential addition to professional and academic library Computer Science and Electrical Engineering reference collections.
The Art Shelf
How To Create Comics
Danny Fingeroth & Mi8ke Manley
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
1893905608, $13.95 www.twomorrows.com 1-919-449-0344
In a newly expanded and redesigned edition, "How To Create Comics: From Script To Print" by magazine editor and 'Spider-Man' scripter Danny Fingeroth and 'Draw!" magazine editor and 'Batman' artist Mike Manley have collaboratively worked out a complete 'how-to' book for aspiring artists wanting to create a new comic complete with original characters, then going from script and roughs to pencils, inks, colors, and lettering. Of special interest is the chapter devoted to the process of getting a comic printed and distributed. From offering a critique of characters and comics from an editor's perspective, to tips on coloring, to writing lessons, to resources lists, insights into the phenomena of web comics, "How To Create Comics" is the perfect 'how to' introduction manual for anyone who aspires to create and publish a comic of their own either in print or on the internet.
The Aviation Shelf
Introduction To Aviation Insurance And Risk Management
Alexander T. Wells & Bruce D. Chadbourne
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575242745, $84.50 www.krieger-publishing.com 1-800-724-0025
Now in an updated and expanded third edition, "Introduction To Aviation Insurance And Risk Management" is the collaborative effort of Alexander T. Wells (Academic Director of the Educational Institute of the Aviation Insurance Association) and Bruce D. Chadbourne (Professor of Aviation Business Administration, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University). This new edition features informed and informative contributions by a number of aviation and insurance industry professionals, a glossary, an appendix, self tests, and an index. Strongly recommended reading for students of the aviation industry, airline corporate executives, corporate pilots, fixed based operators, and insurance business professionals, "Alexander T. Wells & Bruce D. Chadbourne" is an essential instruction manual presenting the basic principles of insurance and risk as they apply to the aviation industry. Also very highly recommended and related title from the Krieger Publishing Company are "General Aviation marketing And Management" (1575241927, $68.50) by Alexander T. Wells and Bruce D. Chadbourne, and "Commuter Airlines" (0894649477, $59.50) by Alexander T. Wells and Franklin D. Richey.
The Archaeology Shelf
Khufu
Jean-Pierre Houdin
Farid Atiya Press
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9771730614, $35.00 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756
"Khufu: The Secrets Behind The Building Of The Great Pyramid" by Jean-Pierre Houdin is a unique study of the Great Pyramid of Egypt that combines historic photographs with computer generated 'blueprints' of the pyramid's structure with an informed and informative commentary text. Author and pyramid expert Jean-Pierre Houdin begins with a succinct historical summary of Egyptian pyramid building before the Khufu structure. Then provides a general introduction to the Khufu structure including the builders, building disciplines, and building technologies engaged in its planning and construction. Special attention is given to the King's Chamber, the Khufu ramps and passageways, and so much more. Of special note is the 'First Clues' section which includes microgravimetry, the northeast notch, 'ghost' ramps, and characteristics of certain course. A thoughtful conclusion and a bibliography round out this remarkable examination. "Khufu: The Secrets Behind The Building Of The Great Pyramid" is a strongly recommended and seminal addition to university level Egyptology and Archaeology reference collections.
Taposiris Magna
Gyozo Oros
Egyptian Excavation Society of Hungary
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
963214886X, $39.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756
"Taposiris Magna: A Temple, Fortress, And Monastery of Egypt" by Gyozo Voros is a profusely and superbly illustrated history of archaeological discoveries conducted on the coastal acropolis of Taposiris Magna which is located some 45 km west of Alexandria on Egypt's northern coast. Founded by Ptolemy Philadelphos II in the early third century BCE, the site was the subject of Hungarian archaeological excavations and studies between 1998 and 2004 under the leadership of respected archaeologist Gyozo Voros. Within the Egyptian-style pylons and enclosed walls, the archaeological excavations uncovered the foundations of a Greek-style sanctuary – making Taposiris Magna the only Greek temple found in Egypt so far. The sanctuary was deliberately dismantled in the Roman period in order to transform the temple into a garrisoned fortress. Columns from the sanctuary were used to heighten the enclosure walls for the Roman garrison. At the end of the fourth century a Christian basilica was constructed inside the fortress complex and the once Greek temple now became a monastery. From a beautiful basalt statue of Isis, to a cache of Roman bronze cultic paraphernalia, to a hoard of Byzantine gold coins and jewelry, the archaeological discoveries and data have been nothing short of amazing. A work of beautifully illustrated and meticulous scholarship, "Taposiris Magna" is an impressive and strongly recommended addition to university library Archaeological Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
The Cookbook Shelf
Upper Crusts
Sheilah Kaufman
Capital Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
193310239X, $20.00 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756
The author of many popular and successful cookbooks, culinary expert Sheilah Kaufman draws upon her many years of experience and expertise in "Upper Crusts: Fabulous Ways To Use Bread" to compile recipes that incorporate a variety of different breads into wonderful appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, and deserts. These unique and gourmet level dishes range from Cherry and Goat Cheese Strudel; Creamy Garlic Soup; Etta's Cornbread Pudding; and Chocolate-Chocolate Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Sauce; to Baked French Toast with Blueberries; Apple Charlotte with Apricot Sauce, from the White House; Parmesan Cheese Sticks; and Chickpeas with Toasted Bread and Hummus. "Upper Crusts" is a unique recipe collection that can be confidently recommended for any kitchen cook wanting to expand the menu for daily family meals as well as elegant dining occasions.
The Anthropology Shelf
Doing Java
Niels Mulder
Penerbit Kanisius
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9792111492 $15.00 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756
"Doing Java: An Anthropological Detective Story" by independent anthropologist Niels Mulder is based on Mulder's extensive field research in Java, Thailand, and the Philippines over the three decades from the 1970s to the 1990s. Actively engaged in the study of Javanese society and the author of numerous books and studies on the subject, he retired to Mt. Banahaw in southern Luzon, Philippines, in 2002 where he wrote "Doing Java" which is the second of a two volume intellectual biography and where he focuses on his work, experiences, and commentary concerning the academic climate of Yogyakarta in the late 1970s. An informative and very strongly recommended source example regarding field anthropology as experienced by Mulder, "Doing Java" is a seminal addition to academic library Anthropology reference collections, an inherently fascinating, thoughtful, thought-provoking autobiographical depiction of the life and work of an anthropologist which is particularly commended to the attention of students with respect to Javanese culture and the science of anthropology.
The Poetry Shelf
The Parthian Stations
John Ash
Talisman House, Publishers
PO Box 3157, Jersey City, NJ 07303-3157
1584980516, $12.95 1-510-524-1668
Born in Manchester, England, moving to New York in 1985, and the to Istanbul in 1996, John Ash is a superbly accomplished poet whose work has been published in several collections, and has appeared in such prestigious publications as the 'New Yorker', the 'New York Times', and the 'Paris Review'. Engaging, entertaining, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Parthian Stations" is his newest collection and continues to document his cognitive skills in free verse poetry. 'Possible': If we are dying, and we are,/if the wars continue,/albeit on somewhat altered terms,/and our cities are collapsing,/then it's best to make the most of it – //drink wine, some coffee,/take pleasure in conversation//No more than this: only/philosophies of the possible.
Sea Of Reeds
Simcha Wasserman
Tiferes
c/o Merkos Publications
291 Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213
0973460709, $5.95 www.kehotonline.com
Canadian poet Simcha Wasserman draws upon his Jewish heritage to deftly craft the simple but elegant poetry comprising "Sea Of Reeds: Poems Of The Soul In Flight". Highly recommended reading for their succinct sensitivity and reflective evocations, the thirty-six free verse poems are artfully divided into five theme-oriented sections: Torah & Tellfillah; Tzaddikim; Children; Nature; and Redemption. 'The Jewish Soul': The Jewish soul/A simple thing/At one with G-d/In everything.
Running In Darkness
Robert Currie
Coteau Books
2517 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK, Canada, S4P 0T2
1550503510, $12.95 www.coteaubooks.com 1-800-440-4471
Enthusiastically recommended reading for anyone who appreciates the breadth and depth of contemporary poetry, "Running In Darkness" is a collection of Canadian poet Robert Curries latest work. Deftly crafted free verse expressions embedded with imagination, imagery, cadence, irony, perception, humor, genuine affection and occasional loss. 'The Most Creative Act': He thinks of counterpoint the/cadence of a catalectic line that breaks/another curving back upon itself the flow/into cesura's calm texture/of vowels and consonants expectations dashed the stretch of/tension aesthetic distance.//He sets himself the task: write the poems and never/mention her smile.
Fata Morgana
Reginald Shepherd
University of Pittsburgh Press
Eureka Building, Fifth Floor, 3400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
0822959518, $14.00 www.upress.pitt.edu
Award-winning African-American poet Reginald Shepherd presents his fifth collection, Fata Morgana, a gathering of lyrical, free-verse poetry that bridges the divide between words and song. Drawing upon a diversity of sources from personal experience to history, mythology, politics, and natural science, Fata Morgana delves into the mutual effects conception, perception, the self, and a physical and social world have upon one another. At times wistful, at times adventurous, Fata Morgana dares to offer a different perspective of Eve's first awakening, hidden history within the Sahara desert, and the dust that is all that remains of humans and stars in the sky alike. Highly recommended. Feelings for Orpheus I: "Orpheus sits on the strumming esplanade / losing his head for water. Florid / light sounds noon, currents green // with overflowing sun and dumped / industrial wastes: the Chicago River turning / mineral, all emerald, tourmaline."
One Season Behind
Sarah Rosenblatt
Carnegie-Mellon University Press
5032 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15289-1021
Cornell University Press, distributor
512 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
0887484662, $14.99 www.cmu.edu www.cornellpress.cornell.edu 1-800-666-2211
"One Season Behind" is a slender, 65-page book of impeccably presented poetry that showcase the talent and imaginative skill of Milwaukee, Wisconsin poet Sarah Rosenblatt. Her verse deftly reveals the way time moves men and women along so deftly that we are often surprised as to the results of its having passed. From the innocence of a child's questions, to watching our lives unfold, to reflected feels on the contrasts between ourselves and our parents, to the details of ordinary life experiences, to the questions and aspirations and yearnings of the human heart, this little collection of verse is very highly recommended and rewarding reading for its elegance, intelligence, familiarity, and resonance in the minds and emotions of its readers. 'The Love in the House': Driving my cat home/from the hospital–one leg less–/I sing, "Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again"/in my grandmother's voice.//I am myself/but with the hinges/of my ancestors.//The love in our house keeps us loyal,/but the snow comes down/without heed for us/piling on our brows.//The changes are beyond us/as are our own natures,/staking us out in the afternoon.
Father's Eyes
Cherie Burbach
Bonjour Publishing
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
0595308600, $11.95 www.BonjourPublishing.com
Wisconsin poet Cherie Burbach uses verse to chronicle her evolution as a Christian woman who, as a girl, grew up the daughter of an alcoholic father, who had to struggle with self-destructive patterns, and who was able to eventually understand that she is a child of God. In the pages of "Father's Eyes", Burbach presents more than fifty poems that, taken collectively, reveal an autobiographical influence while illustrating through the power of carefully crafted language just what can be accomplished in even the most difficult of circumstances with the love of God. Insightful, accomplished, and occasionally inspirational, "Father's Eyes' is especially recommended reading for anyone who enjoys and appreciates personal poetry, as well as those who find themselves dealing with life issues similar to those of Cherie Burbach. 'Jagged Rocks': jagged rocks/causing our boat/to maneuver around/don't smack straight into them/they will break your vessel/and you'll drown.//Instead/work their hard edges/erode them with the rivers of God's love/let time make them/so small/your boat can glide over them, easily/barely noticing them/until they no longer/have the power/to break you.
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