Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / The Bookwatch

The Bookwatch

Volume 3, Number 5 May 2008 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Computer Shelf Military Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf
American History Shelf Education Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Business Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Sports Shelf Literary Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Travel Shelf Library DVD Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Photography Shelf Fashion Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Antarctic Destinies
Stephanie Barczewski
Continuum
80 Maiden Lane, #704, New York NY 10038
9781847251923, $26.95 www.continuum-books.com

ANTARCTIC DESTINIES: SCOTT, SHACKLETON AND THE CHANGING FACE OF HEROISM follows the changing reputations and historical discovers of three early explorers of the Antarctic and their entwined lives and objectives. The idea of the heroic explorer and their special challenges comes to life in chapters that reveal their changing images, their lives, and how and why their reputations have changed in the literature. Any general-interest library strong in exploration history and Antarctic history in general will find this invaluable.

Empowering Electric and Gas Utilities with GIS
Bill Meehan
ESRI
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100
9781589480254, $34.95 www.esri.com

The delivery of utilities takes much energy in itself, and GIS systems can help save money by maximizing safety - covered here in a survey of GIS connections to energy provision. A fictitious utility, AnyTown Energy, is used as a case study to follow its conversion to GIS, with case studies adding details on GIS real-world applications. Utility executives, technology managers, and any GIS professional or library catering to them will find this coverage essential and important.


The Computer Shelf

Patterns in Network Architecture: A Return to Fundamentals
John Day
Prentice Hall Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0132252422, $54.99 www.prenhallprofessional.com

Students of network architecture and teachers assigning reading will find PATTERNS IN NETWORK ARCHITECTURE an excellent survey which takes a different approach to solving network architecture issues. Seven basic, still unanswered, questions identified during the ARPANET's development reveals protocols, patterns, and common conflicts. The result is an outstanding guide for any advanced networking computer library.

Upgrading Sap
M.C. Sens
Infinity Science Press
11 Leavitt Street, Hingham, MA 02043
9781934015155, $54.95 www.infinitysciencepress.com

Sap upgrade techniques are commonly confusing, with the concepts challenging: that's why college-level collections and courses strong in SAP systems needs UPGRADING SAP. The software system needs constant upgrading between releases and here's the manual to provide a complete review of the entire upgrade process, including descriptions of all processes and tools. College-level collections with SAP instructionals shouldn't miss this.

AutoCad 2008 Essentials
M. Hamad
Infinity Science Press
11 Leavitt Street, Hingham, MA 02043
9781934015063, $49.95 www.infinitysciencepress.com

There are plenty of AutoCad instructional books on the market, but what makes this different is its focus on the basics, and its use of 'mixed units' of measurement to illustrate drawing and editing tools for the application. It's designed for novice users of AutoCad 2008 and is perfect for self-teaching or classroom instruction: no previous CAD experience is needed and the 21 'workshops' which comprise the lesson plan are based on small projects, covering all first level commands. An excellent starting point for AutoCad learners.

GIS For Web Developers
Scott Davis
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
0974514098, $34.95 www.pragprog.com

Advanced collections strong in either GIS or programming will welcome GIS FOR WEB DEVELOPERS: ADDING WHERE TO YOUR WEB APPLICATIONS. It provides all the basics of how to locate free sources of GIS data on the web, manipulate such data in code, how to use free web toolkits incorporating GIS results and patterns, and more. With the survey of websites a basic key to understanding GIS applications, GIS FOR WEB DEVELOPERS makes for an excellent applied learning tool for any studying either GIS applications or web development resources.

The Making of Second Life
Wagner James Au
Collins
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022
9780061353208, $25.95 www.harpercollins.com

The virtual world known as Second Life has attracted over a million active users, and offers users an opportunity to 'build' new personal worlds. THE MAKING OF SECOND LIFE is not another programming book about how it was made - it's a behind-the-scenes story of why and covers the story of its evolution. From how it developed from a simple user-controlled philosophy unusually versatile in activities to its economic and social success, THE MAKING OF SECOND LIFE is an eye-opening view of the program's ongoing evolutionary process, and will appeal to both computer-specific libraries and general-interest collections.

X Power Tools
Chris Tyler
O'Reilly Publishers
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596101953, $39.99 www.oreilly.com

The X Window System is the foundation of graphical desktops on both Linux and Unix systems and supports advanced features of modern graphics cards, so X Power Tools' articles on the topic are a top pick for any advanced computer library specializing in Unix. It offers an introduction to how the system works, considers useful utility programs and applications, covers software that work with X, and reviews the basics of building networks and systems with X. Any advanced Unix or Linux computer reference library will find it useful and specific.


The Military Shelf

The Apathetic and The Defiant
Craig Leslie Mantle (editor)
Canadian Defense Academy Press
PO Box 170000 Station Forces, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7K 7B4
9781550027105, $49.95, www.dundurn.com

No army is full of perfectly behaved, virtuous, bastions of chivalry, and the oft-forgotten Canadian military is no different. "The Apathetic and The Defiant: Case Studies of Canadian Mutiny and Disobedience, 1812-1919" is a comprehensive guide of all reported occurrences of Canadian military wrong doing from the War of 1812 to the tail end of World War I, where there triumphs and victories had pushed these black sheep into the background. "The Apathetic and The Defiant: Case Studies of Canadian Mutiny and Disobedience, 1812-1919" is highly recommended to community library military history collections.

Your Military Family Network
The Military Family Network
Capital Books, Inc.
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166
9781933102351, $24.95 www.capital-books.com 1-800-758-3756

Thousands of soldiers on the reserve list are torn away from their families and friends back home. "Your Military Family Network: Your Connection to Military friendly Resources, Benefits, Information, Businesses and Advice" speaks of a community of experts and professionals who are there to keep soldiers in touch with the world back home they had left behind. Inside are suggestions for building your own personal and community support network, instructions on military moving, resources for everything medical, guidance on legal rights, living in military, support for parents, guidelines to stay fit, and state by state specific support for soldiers. "Your Military Family Network: Your Connection to Military Friendly Resources, Benefits, Information, Businesses, and Advice" is highly recommended for any soldier on the reserve list hoping to keep in touch and be prepared for if they are called upon in these tough times, and for community library military collections.

Osprey Publishing
400 Hahn Road, Westminster, MD 21157
www.ospreypublishing.com

Ronald Pawly's NAPOLEON'S MOUNTED CHASSEURS OF THE IMPERIAL GUARD (9781845032578, $17.95) adds to the 'Men-at-Arms' series in focusing on the uniforms and history of the world's military forces. This survey of the Guard cavalry unit associated with Napoleon provides text researched from the original regimental records and writings, and offers early paintings and drawings plus color plates of uniforms to spice results. Steven J. Zaloga's ARMORED TRAINS (9781846032424, $17.95) adds to the 'New Vanguard' series covering the design and history of machinery of warfare through the ages, this focusing on armored trains first seen during the American Civil War and later moving to World War I and beyond. Technical detail offers insights on how these trains were used in combat, pairing color artwork and illustrations with vintage black and white photos for added impact. W. Sarnecki and D. Nicolle's MEDIEVAL POLISH ARMIES 966-1500 (9781846030147, $17.95) is for any collection strong in early military history and covers the uniforms, equipment and strategies of early Medieval Polish armies. Early paintings, photos and drawings spice a review by a medieval specialist illustrator and two author researchers. Konstantin S. Nossov's HITTITE FORTIFICATIONS C. 1650-700 BC (9781846032073, $18.95) is also for the early military library, covering small fortified city-states and their fortresses. Alejandro de Quesada's THE US HOME FRONT 1941-45 (9781846032080, $18.95) is for any specialty World War II collection, covering the organizations and efforts at work in the home front of the war effort. David Fletcher's SHERMAN FIREFLY (9781846032776, $17.95) reveals one of the most powerful tanks used by Allies during World War II, while Gordon L. Rottman's THE BERLIN WALL AND THE INTRA-GERMAN BORDER 1961-89 (9781846031939, $18.95) surveys the rise and fall of the border between East and West Germany, and how it operated. David Nicolle's POITIERS AD 732 (9781846032301, $19.95) surveys early Islamic forces in Europe and the battle of Poitiers, where Christian forces confronted a large invading Islamic army and were victorious. Simon Miller's VIENNA 1683: CHRISTIAN EUROPE REPELS THE OTTOMANS (9781846032318, $19.95) tells of a Sultan's assault on the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, charting a campaign which marked the beginning of the end of the Ottoman empire in Europe. Tony Holmes' F-14 TOMCAR UNITS OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (9781846032059, $22.95) joins others in Osprey's 'Combat Aircraft 70' series, discussing the F-14 Tomcat fighter and its role in military combat. Specialty military libraries will find them fine acquisitions.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

My Life in Art
Konstantin Stanislavski
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
9780415436571, $35.00 www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com

Before writing his opus manual on acting technique, Stanislavski wrote an autobiography he hoped would detail his life and philosophy - but his publisher insisted on many cuts and changes to its length, resulting in a diminutive version Stanislavski hated - and completely revised for a 1926 Soviet edition. For the first time translator Jean Benedetti brings English readers this complete Soviet edition, pairing it with new photos and illustrations and creating a keepsake edition for any college-level collection serious about acquiring drama classics.

Film on Paper: The Inner Life of Movies
Richard Schickel
Ivan R. Dee
1332 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566637597, $18.95 www.ivanrdee.com

College-level libraries strong in film studies courses will find moving this collection of short essays on books about film, coming from a critic who not only reviews these books but offers uses them to discuss movie content, actor approaches, director and producer influences, and how the film industry operates as a whole. His different approach provides plenty of detail perfect for any college-level collection strong in film studies - and many a general interest lending library as well.

The Kite Runner
David Beniof
Newmarket Press
18th E. 48th Street, New York, NY 10017
9781557048011, $19.95, www.newmarketpress.com

Khaled Hosselini delivers us to his experiences of watching his novel The Kite Runner coming to life in "The Kite Runner: A Portrait of the Marc Foster Film". A touching and heartwarming film looked at from another angle, this is a full on behind the scenes look on the film, detailing every process of creating the film, with over one hundred color photos from the border of western China where the movie was shot, along with the full screenplay for the film. Highly recommended for lovers of the movie and for anyone who wants a behind the scenes look at the movie- also for community library film collections.

How to Be a Working Actor
Mari Lyn Henry & Lynne Rogers
Back Stage Books
c/o Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
9780823088959, $19.95, www.watsonguptill.com

Getting started in many careers is undeniably the hard part. "How to Be a Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, and Television" is a comprehensive and through guide to help actors get started on the right foot and not be waiting tables for the rest of their lives. With essential advice on how to put together a professional wardrobe, creating a solid resume, communicating the right way with ones agent, working on and improving ones weaknesses in the craft, and so much more. "How to Be a Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, and Television" is a must have for any aspiring actor and for community library collections on Theater and Cinema.

One Less Bitter Actor
Markus Flanagan
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
9781591810636, $15.95 www.sentientpublications.com

Hollywood is a vicious dog eat dog world and surviving in it can be difficult. This is where "One Less Bitter Actor: The Actor's Survival Guide" comes in, and grants aspiring thespians great and sage advice such as how to combat being typecast, bad habits to avoid, the deadliest questions to be asked, and dealing with the crushing disappointment of rejection. Written by Hollywood veteran Markus Flanagan with over two decades of experience, "One Less Bitter Actor: The Actor's Survival Guide" is recommended for actors everywhere and needs a place on every community library shelf devoted to the art of acting.

The Real, Low Down, Dirty Truth About Hollywood Agenting
Rima Greer
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Avenue, Sanger, CA 93657
9781884956690, $14.95 www.quilldriverbooks.com 1-800-497-4909

What do you call twelve Hollywood agents buried up to their necks in the sand? Not enough sand says "The Real, Low Down, Dirty Truth About Hollywood Agenting", which spells out every little dirty detail, secret, and scandal that so fuels Hollywood's existence. Well told by writer and Hollywood agent Rima Geer, she uses her nearly two decades of experience to show the reader how exactly they are to fight up into the Hollywood ranks and no matter how much you hate them, that you need an agent and you need to keep that agent. Highly recommended for anyone with aspirations of Hollywood stardom or for anyone who just wants to learn how the gears in the interesting clock of show business turn.

Let's Put on a Show
Stewart F. Lane
Heinemann Drama
c/o Reed Elsevier Inc.
361 Hanover Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801-3912
9780325009810, $17.95, www.heinemandrama.com

There are many reasons to put on a theater production, and not just because it's entertaining for both its participants and its audience. "Let's Put on a Show!: Theatre Production for Novices" is a complete and comprehensive guide to help anyone who lacks experience in running theatre productions to get started to produce their own show. Written by a Tony-Award winning Broadway producer in Stewart F. Lane, "Let's Put on a Show!: Theatre Production for Novices" grants advice on selecting the right show to start out with, finding a place to run it, running auditions, rehearsals, promotion, and so much more to get would-be producers off on the right foot. Well composed and informative, "Let's Put on a Show!: Theatre Production for Novices" is highly recommended for community library theatre collections and for any theatre lover who wants to produce something of his own.

An Introduction to World Cinema
Aristides Gazetas
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786439072, $35.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com 1-800-253-2187

Few mass mediums have as wide spread and enduringly influential cultural impact as the movies. Written by playwright, director, and teacher of 30 years' experience Aristides Gazetas, An Introduction to World Cinema is now in an updated second edition. A scholarly, college-level textbook concerning the global history of film as an art form, as well as an analysis of its effect on society and politics, An Introduction to World Cinema chronologically covers major developments in film worldwide from its early beginnings to the modern day. A handful of black-and-white photographs and an index round out this excellent general primer. "During the postwar years, Kurosawa saw the national recovery of Japan as a moment in history when his own cinematic voice could respond to the new political and social climate. He attempted a didactic cinema that would express his own thematic concerns about human moral responsibility to others and the emotional desire for power. Kurosawa's heroes combat the ethical and psychological dilemmas that influence their beliefs and actions."


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Moses: Envoy of God, Envoy of His People
Mosheh Lichtenstein
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602800120, $35.00 www.ktav.com

Moses' biography follows his development as a leader from his youth through adulthood, surveying crisis points, issues, philosophy, spirituality and more. All the episodes of his life are reviewed using an interpretation method based upon a literary analysis of the text considering his worldly interactions - a Medrash-oriented survey which blends such analysis with emotional and spiritual impact. Other explanations and explorations are included in a fine analysis perfect for Christian and Jewish libraries alike.

Mentor of Generations
Zev Eleff, Editor
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, N 07306
9781602800113, $29.50 www.ktav.com

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik's MENTOR OF GENERATIONS: REFLECTIONS ON RABBI JOSEPH B. SOLOVEITCHIK gathers over fifty essays by his students and peers, offering up anecdotes and insights about the Jewish leader who encouraged the growth of an Orthodox Jewish community in Boston, ordained thousands of rabbis at Yeshiva University, and furthered Orthodox Judaism in America and Israel. College-level and in-depth collections strong in Judaic studies and history will find the many contributors and their insights cover some six decades of the life of the 'Rav'.

In Those Days, At This Time
Eliezer Segal
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
9781552381854, $24.95 www.uofcpress.com 1-800-565-3770

A new approach to the sacred traditions of Judaism, "In Those Days, At This Time: Holiness and History in the Jewish Calendar" brings touch of humor and entertainment to the deep rooted religious traditions of the Jewish people, while not stumbling onto the point of parody. Still informed and informative about its subject matter, "In Those Days, At This Time: Holiness and History in the Jewish Calendar" is highly recommend to Judaic studies shelves and for Jews who want a refresher course on their heritage alongside a little laugh.

Seder Stories
Nancy Rips
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, Tennessee, 37211
9781581826432, $14.95, www.cumberlandhouse.com

Passover is the annual celebration to celebrate Jewish Freedom, and by far one of the most important days on the Jewish calendar. "Seder Stories: Passover Thoughts on Food, Family, & Freedom" is filled with 101 'memories' in the form of stories, anecdotes, blurbs, and more, broken into four segments representing a broad theme related to the Jewish celebration of freedom for each. Focusing on every part of the celebration, "Seder Stories: Passover Thoughts on Food, Family, & Freedom" is highly recommended for community library Judaic studies collections and for any non-specialist general reader who would want a greater understanding of the celebration.

Genesis: The Book with Seventy Faces
Esther Takac
Pitspopany Press
40 East 78th Street, Suite 16D, New York, NY
Stuart Schnee PR stu@stuartschnee.com (publicity)
9781932687927, $29.95 www.amazon.com

The Book of Genesis is the first of the five books attributed to Moses in the Torah. To aid families who wish to teach their children ages 8 to 14 the traditional stories of Genesis as part of their preparations for Bar or Bat Mitzvah examinations and ceremonies, "Genesis: The Book with Seventy Faces" by psychologist and children's author Esther Takac encourages children and parents to read together as a part of a shared Torah study. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Genesis: The Book with Seventy Faces" includes a 'reader friendly' text which is enhanced with source material and historical background in margin boxes, as well as references to end notes for commentaries and source materials. Especially recommended for personal, family, synagogue, and community library Judaic Studies reference collections for young readers, "Genesis: The Book with Seventy Faces" is a superb introduction to the lore and literature associated with the Book of Genesis.

Defending the Human Spirit
Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein
Feldheim Publishers
208 Airport Executive Park, Nanuet, NY 10954
158330732X, $39.99, www.feldheim.com

Today's Moralists all too often come and promote values from the Christian Bible - but has America considered listening to other sources for information? "Defending the Human Spirit: Jewish Law's Vision for a Moral Society" is a look at the Jewish Law's vision for a more moral society, one with a more optimistic view of the human spirit, and has been ahead of the curve on human rights before, and with ideas still fresh and new to western law. Deftly written and composed by the lead Rabbi of South Africa, "Defending the Human Spirit: Jewish Law's Vision for a Moral Society" is highly recommended for community library Judaic studies collections and with a crossover to law shelves.

The Legacy of German Jewry
Hermann Levin Goldschmidt, author
David Suchoff, translator
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823228263, $50.00 www.fordhampress.com 1-800-247-6553

Written by Hermann Levin Goldschmidt (1914-1998), who founded and directed the Judisches Lehrhaus in Zurich from 1952 to 1962, and first published in 1957, Legacy of German Jewry is a thorough reexamination of the German-Jewish experience, now available in English translation. Part One explores the transition to modernity, retracing the philosophical accomplishments of thinkers such as Moses Mendelssohn, Spinoza, and religious figures such as Baal Shem Tov. This modern path embraces the concept that "remnants" of the radical past could provide ideas and impetus for re-envisioning the modern world. Part Two discusses the political history of the Jews in modernity and the facets of Jewish culture as perceived in German-Jewish thought and exemplified in the public figures of Leo Baeck, Hermann Cohen, and Franz Rosenzweig. Part Three examines the post-Auschwitz complex, and draws upon the Book of Job for strength to overcome the tremendous trauma inflicted by the horrors of the Holocaust. A visionary work that embraced the concept of multiculturalism before the word itself was commonly used, Legacy of German Jewry is highly recommended as a welcome contribution to Judaic studies shelves.

Zion Before Zionism
Arnold Blumberg
Devora Publishing
c/o Simcha Media
P.O. Box 5329, Englewood, New Jersey 07631
9781932687828, $21.95, www.devorapublishing.com

1838: For the first time in hundreds of years, Jews could have a permanent home in the Islamic holy city of Jerusalem. "Zion Before Zionism: 1838-1880" follows the early days of the Jewish immigration back to the holy land of Jerusalem, although the region was still under control of the Ottoman Turks. Focusing on the early attitudes and interactions with the native Palestinians of the region, "Zion Before Zionism: 1838-1880" is a thoroughly informed and informative history sure to educate its readers on an oft-forgotten time in the Zionism movement. Highly recommended to both history shelves and community library Judaic studies shelves.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Arab Awakening & Islamic Revival
Martin Kramer
Transaction Books
300 McGraw Drive-Raritan Center, Edison NJ 08837
9781412807678, $29.95 www.transactionpub.com

ARAB AWAKENING AND ISLAMIC REVIVAL: THE POLITICS OF IDEAS IN THE MIDDLE EAST is a pick for any collection serious about Middle Eastern politics, history or studies. Arab nationalism has lessened in the region even as Islamic ideology has spread. This provides a critical, college-level survey of Arab nationalism, Islamic fundamentalism, and its implications for Middle East peace and culture. The essays form the only chronological telling of Arab nationalist trends and is essential for any complete understanding of the region's special challenges.

The Mahfouz Dialogs
Gamal al-Ghitani, author
Humphrey Davies, translator
The American University in Cairo Press
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9789774161278, $22.95 www.aucpress.com 1-800-758-3756

The Mahfouz Dialogs collects memories, views, and jokes of Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006), winner of the Nobel prize for literature, the first writer in Arabic to earn a mass audience, and a target of fundamentalist assassins in his elder years, in part for daring to voice such beliefs as "No blasphemy harms Islam and Muslims so much as the call for murdering a writer" in response to the fatwa to murder author Salman Rushdie. Touching on topics ranging from politics to the connection between Mahfouz's novels and his life to human idiosyncracy, The Mahfouz Dialogs is garnered from informal meetings between Mahfouz and his intimate friends over the course of nearly half a century. Moderated by novelist Gamal al-Ghitani and skillfully translated into English by Humphrey Davies, The Mahfouz Dialogs is a "must-read" for anyone seeking to understand this pioneering and influential author. Highly recommended.


The American History Shelf

Best of Covered Wagon Women
Kenneth L. Holmes
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806139142, $19.95 www.oupress.com

The diaries and letters of women who traveled to the west during the 19th century 'go west' push offer eight primary source accounts, these selected for their powerful visions of family, friendships, and experience. Women's studies collections as well as those strong in general historical review will relish a gathering of letters and diaries from those who experienced the movement, with historical notes by Kenneth L. Holmes furthering the experience, adding invaluable background information.

The Making of FDR
Linda Lotridge Levin
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781591025771, $27.95 www.prometheusbooks.com

THE MAKING OF FDR: THE STORY OF STEPHEN T. EARLY, AMERICA'S FIRST MODERN PRESS SECRETARY tells of one of the most influential men in mid-20th-century America - the press secretary who got Roosevelt's image and message out to the press, helping shape his image and programs during the Depression and World War II. More than just another FDR biography, this highlights the actions and approaches of the behind-the-scenes man who helped not only publicize FDR, but furthered programs that were to change America. Any high school to college-level history holding needs this.


The Education Shelf

From Good Schools to Great Schools
Susan Penny Gray & William A. Streshly
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412948999, $31.95, www.corwinpress.com

Leadership in anything is the difference between mediocrity and greatness, and "From Good Schools to Great Schools: What Principals Do Well" elaborates on that point. Promoting that schools need a good leader to do well, it encourages principals across the nation to ask "What can I do to make a difference and life my school to excellence?", an optimistic question the book hopes to help them answer with in-depth discussions, reflection questions, and comparisons between a good businessman and a good principal. "From Good Schools to Great Schools: What Principals Do Well" is a must read for anyone in a position of leadership in any educational facility and should find a place on any community library education shelf.

Making Your School Safe
John Devine and Jonathan Cohen
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807747834, $19.95 www.tcpress.com 1-800-575-6566

Over the past couple of decades, violence in American schools has become one of the biggest concerns in modern society. "Making Your School Safe: Strategies to Protect Children and Promote Learning" suggests measures of social and emotional learning alongside character education and crisis-preparedness programs. Covering widespread concerns from bullying to major catastrophic events, "Making Your School Safe: Strategies to Protect Children and Promote Learning" is recommended to educators everywhere and should be on every community library education shelf.

Deaf Education in America
Janet Cerney
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
1563683628, $49.95, http://gupress.gallaudet.edu

Deafness is nowhere the limiting disability that it once was in society, and as time continues on, educators enabling deaf students to function nearly and as fully as anyone else. "Deaf Education in America: Voices of Children from Inclusion Settings" grants readers a detailed examination of integrating deaf students into a standard educational classroom of the hearing, and the benefits that can be reaped from this process. It completely evaluates the risks as well, and offers solid steps and procedures to better educate America's deaf children. Highly recommended to educators everywhere, Deaf Education in America should be in every community library education collections.

Autism in Your Classroom
Deborah Fein, Ph.D. & Michelle A. Dunn, Ph.D.
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
9781890627614, $19.95 www.woodbinehouse.com 1-800-843-7323

There are more children with autism in schools than ever before in the history of American public education. "Autism in Your Classroom" gives educators the practical information and guidance they need to support these children with ASDs, or Autism Spectrum Disorders. "Autism in your Classroom" is a much-needed resource that gives teachers the understanding of the types, causes, characteristics, and treatments of these ASDs. Deftly written by Deborah Fein, Ph. D., a clinical and research neuropsychologist with 35 years of experience and serves as Professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut; and fellow Ph. D Michelle A. Dunn, an Associate professor of neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine with 25 years of experience. The combined expertise of the two make "Autism in Your Classroom" invaluable to any educator who would hope to understand and properly handle Autistic students' special needs. Also very highly recommended from Woodbine house is "Autism 24/7: A Family Guide To Learning At Home And In The Community" (9781890627539, $19.95) by autism specialist Andy Bondy and speech/language pathologist Lori A. Frost.

Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities
Arlyn Roffman, PhD
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780375764967, $13.95, www.princetonreview.com

Learning Disabilities do not have to be a giant neon sign blinking "I can't" over ones head - they can be overcome just like any other disability. "Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities: Navigating the Transition from High School to Adulthood" is a comprehensive guide for guidance counselors and others responsible for assisting these individuals onto the next stages of their life. Advice on understanding the transition planning process under the IDEA of 2004, how to accept these individuals more, and how to prepare them for their life long careers. "Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities: Navigating the Transition from High School to Adulthood" is a must have for any educator in charge of these special needs students and for community library education shelves.

No Biting
Gretchen Kinnell
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781933653563, $15.95 www.redleafpress.org 1-800-423-8309

Biting among toddlers is a complicated issue of safety, psychology, and childhood development that is of immediate and practical concern to any parent, daycare provider, or preschool teacher. Now in an expanded and updated second edition, "No Biting: Policy And Practice For Toddler Programs" by Gretchen Kinnell (Director of Education and Training, Child Case Solutions, Syracuse, New York) specifically layouts out practical and effective technique-building tactics and strategies for dealing with a child who bites. "No Biting" explains why toddlers bite, how to respond when biting occurs, and how to deal with ongoing biting incidents. Of special note is the advice on developing biting policies. Enhanced with illustrative sample letters to parents, policy statements and incident reports; "No Biting" also incorporates material on how language development and spatial awareness can lead to biting among toddlers. Highly recommended reading for anyone working with preschool aged children, "No Biting" is an informed and informative instruction manual that will provide sound and effective guidance for working with the parents of children who bite -- and are bitten.

Making & Writing Words: Essential Word Families, Grades 2-4
Timothy Rasinski, Ph.D. and Roger Heym, M.A.
Shell Education
5301 Oceanus Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1030
9781425805456, $59.99 www.shelleducation.com 1-877-777-3450

Intended for educators of students in grades 2-4, Making & Writing Words: Essential Word Families, 40 Sequenced Word-Building Lessons is a ring-bound compilation of lesson worksheets with transparencies ideal for teaching young people about phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, and vocabulary. Each lesson is presented in three components: a teacher page with the content, a corresponding and photocopiable response sheet that students use for that lesson, and a transparency that matches the student page, the better to help guide students in writing the words that are part of each lesson. By way of example, lesson 17 is about the phoneme "eed" as in "feed", "bleed", "freed", "exceed", etc., while lesson 32 is about the phoneme "ow" (or "how") as in "allowance", "eyebrow", "cowboy", etc. An extremely easy-to-use resource, enthusiastically recommended for grade-school educators.

Learners, Learning and Educational Activity
Judith Ireson
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780415414067, $45.95 www.routledge.com 1-800-634-7064

Professor of Psychology in Education Judith Ireson presents Learners, Learning and Educational Activity, a discussion of advanced educational concepts that collects ideas and research from psychology and social theory. The primary emphasis is that learning in schools and other settings is best understood and improved staying alert to both the needs of individual learners and the educational contexts in which learning takes place. Chapters discuss diverse cultural perspectives on learning and thinking, the interconnections between the individual and his or her culture both at home and at school, how to best optimize interactions for students' learning, and more. "Classroom talk may also be used to encourage children's participation in meaningful exchanges that build on and develop their ideas and lines of thinking. Particular forms of interaction encourage these types of exchange, especially those that reduce the teacher's traditional, domination of classroom talk through transmission of information. Exchanges that encourage dialogic, as opposed to monologic, styles of interaction provide students with space to explore an express their own ideas and think about them in relation to those of their classmates and their teacher." A welcome contribution to educational studies shelves that reviews crucial topics and problems confronted by teachers and educational professionals on a day-to-day basis.

Focus on Literacy
Jan Lacina & Patricia A. Watson (editors)
Association for Childhood Educational International (ACEI)
17904 Georgia Ave., Ste 215, Olney MD 20832
9780871731722, $22.00, www.acei.org

Effective Content literacy is the ability to read, write, and communicate efficiently in each content area. "Focus on Literacy: Effective Content Teachers for the Middle Grades" examines content literacy and how it is deficient in today's schools. Providing tips and advice to pushing it more effectively and to challenge resistance to the concept, "Focus on Literacy: Effective Content Teachers for the Middle Grades" will help middle school and junior high school teachers become more effective teachers in all areas. "Focus on Literacy: Effective Content Teachers for the Middle Grades" is an invaluable resource for all educators and is highly recommended for community library education shelves.

What Really Matters In Fluency
Richard L. Allington
Allyn & Bacon
c/o Pearson Publishing Group
75 Arlington Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02116
9780205570584, $31.99 www.ablongman.com 1-866-346-7314

The ability to read easily, accurately, and with good retention of content is an indispensable building block to a successful academic career throughout all grade primary and secondary grade levels. In "What Really Matters In Fluency: Research-Based Practices Across The Curriculum", Richard Allington (a past president of the International Reading Association and the national Reading Conference) draws upon his years of expertise (including having authored more than one hundred published papers on reading difficulties) to focus on voluntary reading as an overlooked aspect of reading fluency. Providing a thoroughly 'teacher friendly' curriculum supplement framework, Allington also addresses what fluency is, how it develops, as well as why it is important. Founded upon solid research-based instructional advice, "What Really Matters In Fluency" should be considered an essential study and a core addition academic library Literacy Studies & Teacher Education reference collections and supplemental reading lists for new and experienced reading instructors and classroom teachers.

Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education
Jonathan A. Plucker, Ph.D. and Carolyn M. Callahan, Ph.D., editors
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
9781593632953, $99.95 www.prufrock.com 1-800-998-2208

Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says is a massive compendium that digests an immense amount of empirical research concerning education of gifted children into readily accessible essays. The collaborative effort of dozens of experts, Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education looks at what the latest statistics have to say about homeschooling, talent search programs, individual educational subjects from math to elementary and secondary science to music, the neural basis of giftedness, cognitive characteristics of the gifted, and much, much more. "Ewing and Yong (1992) compared learning style preferences among ethnically diverse groups of gifted students and found many significant differences among gifted Black, Mexican American, and American-born Chinese students concerning their preferences for noise, light, visual modality, studying in afternoon, and persistence. This study revealed that Mexican American students were most characterized by responsibility, motivation, and preference for kinesthetic modality, and gifted American-born Chinese students were persistent, responsive, and preferred to study in the afternoon and in bright light. However, for gifted black students, the three least preferred variables were auditory modality, structure, and noise." An excellent reference and resource especially recommended for educators of gifted students in all grades.

QGE = A: Quality Generic Education is the Answer
Win Straube
University Press of America
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group (dist.)
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9780761837718, $36.00 www.univpress.com 1-800-462-6420

Education is more than just a seasonal political football for aspiring politicians. It is the foundation for a prosperous, free and democratic nation. A new education system for obtaining the best education at the lowest possible cost - "QGE = A: Quality Generic Education is the Answer" is a proposition for a revolutionary new way to educate our children. Author Win Straube has quite the mind for new solutions as an inventor, scientist, and engineer, to connect everyone to the best educators for any given subject in the world. "QGE = A: Quality Generic Education is the Answer" is something that all educators should read and consider and carries our highest recommendations to community library education shelves.

The Educator's Guide to Assessing and Improving School Discipline Programs
Mark Boynton & Christine Boynton
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416606116, $21.95 www.ascd.org 1-800-933-2723

There's no way around it - no matter how great your school is, it's inevitable that you'll encounter a disciplinary issue. "The Educator's Guide to Assessing and Improving School Discipline Programs" seeks to provide a framework for preventing as many disciplinary problems as they possibly can - and grant advice for dealing with unavoidable ones that will come up. For principal components: clearly defined parameters of student behavior, effective monitoring of students, positive relationships with students, and appropriate consequences for misbehavior create the foundation of "The Educator's Guide to Assessing and Improving School Discipline Programs." Authors Mark (a retired elementary & middle school principal & teacher) & his wife Christine Boynton (an elementary school principal herself) provide everything an educator needs to make an effective disciplinary policy for their schools. Enhanced with a Frequently Asked Questions section, a bibliography, and a comprehensive index, ""The Educator Guide to Assessing and Improving School Discipline Programs" is invaluable to any educator who is in charge of such things in their school and for community library education shelves in general.

College Teaching
Michael W. Galbraith
Krieger Publishing Company
P.O. Box 9542, Melbourne, FL, 32902-9542
9781575242941, $27.50, www.krieger-publishing.com

Composed by a college professor with over twenty years of experience, "College Teaching: Developing Perspective Through Dialogue" is a deftly written guide set out to help college professors be more effective educators in life and in the classrooms. Exploring nine areas in the subject of teaching such as Gaining insight on self, first classes, methods and techniques, Evaluation, and others. A personal and conversational tone is used, and the some subject matter may be found as controversial to some, "College Teaching: Developing Perspective Through Dialogue" is highly recommended for community library education collections, and for any college professor looking to improve their craft.

Saving Our Students Saving Our Schools
Robert D. Barr and William H. Parrett
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781412957939, $39.95 www.corwinpress.com 1-800-818-7243

Now in an updated second edition, Saving Our Students Saving Our Schools: 50 Proven Strategies for Helping Underachieving Students and Improving Schools lives up to its title with fifty experience-tested recommendations, from "Eliminate Ineffective and Destructive Interventions" such as automatically failing a percentage of students (or believing that a percentage are destined to fail) due to "normative-curve mentality" stepped in obsession with probability graphs, to "Incorporate Technology Across the Curriculum" and "Create Reentry Opportunities for Expelled Students". Saving Our Students Saving Our Schools is partly a consumable book, offering a handful of pages for teachers to write down their thoughts for discussion. Though especially recommended for educators serving in America's most troubled schools, Saving Our Students Saving Our Schools is filled cover to cover with tips, tricks, and techniques and recommendations that even those most successful schools will find useful. "For older students with basic skill deficiencies, cross-age tutoring has proven to be particularly effective. The practice of older students tutoring younger students both enhances the self-esteem and strengthens the basic skills of the older students and is also very effective with the younger students."

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.corwinpress.com

SUPERINTENDENT LEADERSHIP by Ealine L. Wilmore (9781412955416, $27.95) tells superintendents how to apply the ELCC standards for improved, district-wide performance. It's written by the past president of the NCPEA, and examines the foundations of these benchmarks, their practice and applications, and uses case study examples form real-world models to address issues of district culture, community involvement, and more. Mark E. McBeth's THE DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP TOOLBOX: ESSENTIAL PRACTICES FOR SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS (9781412957175, $38.95) translates current leadership research into a program for change, offering analysis of differences between shared leadership and distributed leadership approaches, Facilitators and leaders in all industries - not just education - receive clear assessments of leadership options and practices, case studies, and keys to motivating staff and furthering school reform efforts. Randall Lindsey, Stephanie Graham, R. Chris Westphal jr and Cynthia L. Jew's CULTURALLY PROFICIENT INQUIRY: A LENS FOR IDENTIFYING AND EXAMINING EDUCATIONAL GAPS (9781412926027) tells how to promote equity and change a school's educational environment, showing educators how to create an evaluation process and rubrics to examine educational gaps and identify educational equity issues. A cd-rom of tables and spreadsheets completes the invaluable information. Kaia Tollefson and Monica K. Osborn's CULTIVATING THE LEARNER-CENTERED CLASSROOM: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE (9781412949972) packs in tips on how to facilitate learning communities within and outside the classroom. From moving from educational theory to applied practice to shifting teaching approaches and planning instruction for individuals, small groups or an entire class, the keys here will provide teachers with a lifetime of options. Corwin Press's 'Engage the Brain' titles ($15.95 each) offer graded activity books perfect for compiling activities based on accompanying books. GAMES for Grade 4 by Marcia L. Tate (9781412959292) grades 6-8 (9781412959520), Grade K (9781412959339), Grade 5 (9781412959285), Grade 1 ((9781412959322) Grade 2 (9781412959315) and Grade 3 (9781412959308) all pack in practical activities to reinforce learning and support research-based strategies. There are also workbooks for grades 6-8 specific to MATH (9781412959261) and LANGUAGE ARTS (9781412959278). The 'Reading Puzzle' workbooks are also geared to grades: PHONICS (9781412958219), FLUENCY for grades 4-8 (9781412958288), PHOEMIC AWARENESS for grades K-3 (9781412958202). COMPREHENSION for grades K-3 (9781412958240), and SPELLING (9781412958264) and VOCABULARY ((9781412958271) for grades 4-8, and FLUENCY for grades K-3 (9781412958233) each provide worksheets of activities for teachers who want to support developing reading skills in students. Gayle H. Gregory and Elizabeth Hammerman's DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SCIENCE, GRADES K-8 (9781412916516) provides educators with a host of keys on how to help students understand and adapt to scientific curriculum. Grade-appropriate sample lessons and guidelines for creating performance tasks pack chapters filled with case studies and methods. Janet A. Hale's A GUIDE TO CURRICULUM MAPPING: PLANNING, IMPLEMENTING, AND SUSTAINING THE PROCESS (9781412948920) is an outstanding survey of putting data-based decision practices into real world teaching experiences. Four types of curriculum maps and guidelines for deciding what tap to use include details on selection, application, and assessment. Janet Hale's work with thousands of educators offers steps for mapping effort which can fuel become a part of school cultures. Kay Burke's WHAT TO DO WITH THE KID WHO… DEVELOPING COOPERATION, SELF-DISCIPLINE, AND RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CLASSROOM (9781412937016, $39.95) appears in its third updated edition to provide teachers with a model for encouraging cooperation in the classroom. Current theories and research on classroom management provide the latest tips, with this edition featuring over 100 new classroom scenarios, examples, and activities plus updated statistics that reference NCLB and IDEA 2004. It's a 'must' for any in-depth college-level educator's library - in fact, all are top picks college-level education collections will find invaluable.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

16 Myths of a Diabetic Diet, 2nd Edition
Karen Hanson Chalmers, MS, RD, LDN, CDE
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580402879, $14.95 www.store.diabetes.org

"I can't have foods with sugar" is just one of the myths people with diabetes hear - and which is wrong. A healthy diet can allow for an occasional sugar treat: it's the focus on such a diet which is important, and here the most common misperceptions about diabetes is featured along with tips on shopping, food groups, and 'special diets' for diabetics.

Acupoint and Trigger Point Therapy for Babies and Children
Donna Finando, L.Ac., L.M.T.
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594771897, $19.95 www.healingartspress.com

Acupoint and Trigger Point Therapy for Babies and Children: A Parent's Healing Touch shows parents how to release restricted muscles and allow bodily energy to flow freely to aid in the body's healing abilities with colds, infections, diarrhea and other common conditions. Acupoint and trigger point touch therapy are covered in depth, with verbal explanation of techniques and logic accompanied by pictorial examples. Basic children's anatomy and physiology are presented in easy terms parents can understand, making this an excellent pick for any parent's library.

Cancer on $5 a Day
Robert Schimmel with Alan Eisenstock
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9780738211589, $22.00 www.dacapopress.com

CANCER ON $5 A DAY: HOW HUMOR GOT ME THROUGH THE TOUGHEST JOURNEY OF MY LIFE comes from a stand-up comedian who discusses her how humor got him through his battle with cancer. From his banter with nurses to his search for alternative options, CANCER ON $5 A DAY doesn't detract from cancer's seriousness - but it does offer a refreshing alternative to approaching it. Any health collection or general lending library needs this.


The Audiobook Shelf

Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com

Humans living on the dangerous world of Pern have long struggled with the deadly Threadfall, combated by dragons - now three female apprentice harpers face a different kind of danger when a plague spreads and tests friendship, love, and life itself in Anne McCaffrey's DRAGON HARPER (1423314662, $36.95). Susan Ericksen provides a vivid, gripping narrative accompaniment to this story of ongoing survival challenges and the resourcefulness of a new generation. Sara Paretsky's BLEEDING KANSAS (1423319818, $40.95) receives Susan Ericksen's warm and inviting experienced voice as it tells of two families linked by both heritage and dark family secrets. Modern violence holds roots in the past and teens become embroiled in a family war in this gripping saga.


The Business Shelf

Are You Dumb Enough to Be Rich? 2nd Edition
G. William Barnett II
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
0814474039, $18.95 www.amacombooks.org

Real estate investments have generated excellent results even in 'down' markets, and the second updated edition of Are You Dumb Enough to Be Rich? Explores these opportunities, providing a special 120-day plan for beginning investing in real estate. Even those with no real estate or financial background can follow the ideas and opportunities presented here, with a new edition including the author's new 'hot mapping' system for figuring out where to invest, and updated, concrete strategies for success.

How to Read/Understand Financial Statements
Brian Kline
Atlantic Publishing Company
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34474-7014
9781601380128, $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

HOW TO READ AND UNDERSTAND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT discusses the four main financial statements - balance sheets, income and cash flow statements, and shareholders' equity - and reveals how to interpret them to gain the complete story. Small business owners and others who need to understand what these statements and analyses mean receive tips on lingo, interpretation, and clear explanations of financing activities. An excellent addition not just to business collections, but any general-interest library.

Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com

Mary Larsen and Teri B. Clark's HOW TO OPEN AND OPERATE A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL REDESIGN, REDECORATING AND HOME STAGING BUSINESS (9781601380234, $39.95) includes a companion cd-rom with all the forms from the book plus an editable business plan in MS Word format to accompany tips on how to how to turn home staging into a lucrative small business. From a designer's typical day to handling customers, any who would make a career of real estate staging needs this. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WORKING FOR YOURSELF by Beth Williams and Dr. Jean Murray (9781601380487, $29.95) provides tips on how to start a small business - including key self-question tips before opening on how to organize, register, and finance such a venture. From basic licensing and laws to hiring and advertising, this provides a guide through all aspects of business ownership. Dan Blacharski's THE SAVVY BUSINESS TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES IN OTHER COUNTRIES: TH DOS AND DON'TS TO IMPRESS YOUR HOST AND MAKE THE SALE (9781601380135, $24.95) packs in the basics on working in over 40 different countries and handling their different etiquette. From native foods and religious and proper greetings and economic concerns, this is a 'must' for any who would travel overseas for business. All deserve a spot in any serious business library collection.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Career Contentment
Jeffrey Garton
ASTD Press
Box 1443, Alexandria, VA 22313-1463
1562865064, $22.95 www.store.astd.org

Why won't job discontentment go away?? From the myths of job satisfaction and how to make successful career choices to avoiding ruts and meeting employer expectations, CAREER CONTENTMENT: DON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS! Is packed with tips on what makes or breaks a career, how to appreciate employers and identify satisfying career paths and options, and more. An excellent, highly recommended pick for any library strong in career counseling or job placement services.


The Sports Shelf

Your Brain on Cubs
Dan Gordan, Editor
Dana Press
745 - 5th Avenue Suite 900, New York NY 10151
1932594280, $19.95 www.dana.org

YOUR BRAIN ON CUBS: INSIDE THE HEADS OF PLAYERS AND FANS blends medical science with insights on how the Chicago Cubs offers a method for understanding brain functions and ballpark attractions. From issues of loyalty and illusion to how viewers become experts, sports here is used as a foundation for considering brain functioning, game controversies from drugs to perception, and more: perfect for both sports and health libraries.

The Rise and Fall of Dodgertown
Rody Johnson
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813031941, $24.95 www.upf.com

THE RISE AND FALL OF DODGERTOWN: 60 YEARS OF BASEBALL IN VERO BEACH is a specialty item for baseball collections and Vero Beach area residents who enjoy game history. It charts the history of the Dodgers, who have been coming to Vero Beach every spring since 1948, and it tells of an entire culture and community which sprang up around the rise of 'Dodgertown'. Baseball fans will find this an engrossing history.


The Literary Shelf

Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
Gail Ashron
Continuum
80 Maiden Lane Suite 704, New York NY 10038
9780826489364 $14.95 www.continuumbooks.com 1-800-561-7704

High school and college-level literary collections strong in Chaucer studies will find CHAUCER'S THE CANTERBURY TALES a fine reader's supplemental guide which introduces readers to Chaucer's life and times. Chaucer's history and culture are surveyed in chapters which provide a critical approach to the Tales based on recent critical analysis, blending readings of key tales with ideas questioning approach, genre, language and even culture. Students will find it an excellent approach.


The Cookbook Shelf

Betty Crocker Cookbook: Whole Grains
Wiley Publishing
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
9780470080603, $19.95 www.wiley.com

Plenty of cookbooks cover whole-grain cooking, but none of the 'stamp' of authority and ease as does the reputation of the long-standing Betty Crocker. Over 140 recipes provide simple ways of integrating whole grains into family meals, offering explanations, chapters on slow-cooker meals and quick dinners, tips on how to cook and eat whole grains, and more. The full-page color photos of finished dishes are appealing and inspirational, making this a top pick for any general-interest lending collection.

Cooking with Shakespeare
Mark Morton and Andrew Coppolino
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780313337079, $55.00 www.greenwood.com

COOKING WITH SHAKESPEARE is part of the 'Feasting with Fiction' imprint and details recipes, table habits, dining and festivities in Shakespeare's times ala his plays and writings. Chapters are divided by food type - mutton and lamb, fish and seafood, vegetables - and provide tips on old-fashioned cooking from Shakespearean times, from how to make Gallantine to making spice cakes. A rich, fun survey of early cooking methods and recipes evolves for modern readers and libraries interested in culinary history.


The Travel Shelf

Nahanni Journals
R.M. Patterson
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada T6G 2E1
0888644779, $29.95 www.uap.ualberta.ca

Raymond Patterson is a Londoner who finds his journey to Canada's wild Northwest Territories provide adventure and outdoor challenges unlike any of his life. NAHANNI JOURNALS trace his journeys from 1927-1929 and are powerful, revealing stories perfect for armchair adventurers and travelers catering to them. Highly recommended.


The Library DVD Shelf

Anchor Bay
2950 North Hollywood Way, 3rd Floor, Burbank, CA 91505
www.starzhomeent.com

Any who would embark on a home fitness program will come to know the Anchor Bay label well: it holds some of the most exciting fitness videos available, suitable for a home exercise or library alike. CARDIO GO-GO DANCE CRUNCH WORKOUT (01313153459, $14.98) offers the CRUNCH fitness program on DVD, for people of all fitness levels. It provides a workout environment based on easy dance routines that are fun, and provides step-by-step examples from dance instructor Gypsy Clark. Michelle LeMay is a fitness and dance professional with twenty years experience: her DANCE WORKOUT FOR DUMMIES (01313153499, $14.98) packs in two different twenty-minute workouts for any who are novices at either dance, exercise or both. Movements begin with easy foot patterns and build on basics to make for simple routines. Gabrielle Reece's prenatal fitness DVD FIT & HEALTHY PRENATAL WORKOUTS ($14.98) is designed by Reece, her personal trainer, and approved by a leading OBGYN, and provides prenatal workouts perfect for pregnancy at all levels. Six 15-minute workouts provide instruction through the first trimesters. Suzanne Bowen is an AFAA certified group fitness and Pilates instructor and her 10 MINUTE SOLUTIONS: SLIM & SCULPT PILATES (01313153439, $16.98) provides many upper and lower body sculpting solutions as well as total body and specific workouts for abs and flexibility. Ten-minute workouts are designed to slim and reshape the body. The 2-disc set YOGA BOOTY BALLET: MASTER SERIES (01313153539, $19.98) present a new targeted set of workouts in two DVDs: one Goddess Abs which provides short 20-minute exercises to focus on abs and core work, and AM Latte, which offers dance segments designed for mornings. Both offer excellent keys to fitness. Also able to be done in ten-minute segments are the 10-Minute Solution picks DANCE IT OFF & TONE IT UP (01313154329, $16.98) and FAT BLASTING LATIN DANCE MIX (01313153399, $14.98): each picking dance routines which are broken down into 10-minute exercise workouts. LATIN DANCE includes routines from Salsa and cha-cha to merengue, DANCE IT OFF provides tips on body sculpting and high energy dancing. All are fine picks for busy individuals who want simple, quick home routines requiring a minimum of prior knowledge, floor space or special equipment.

GT Media
c/o Rodale Press
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
www.womenshealthmag.com www.rodale.com 1-800-527-8200

Three 'Women's Health' titles are excellent and easy workouts offering core moves and trainer's tips for those who would exercise at home. TOTAL WORKOUT IN TEN! (9780766231184, $14.98), PERFECT BODY WORKOUT (9780766234000, $14.98) and ULTIMATE FAT BURN! (9780766231191, $14.98) provide exercisers with routines developed by the editors of Women's Health magazine, combining athletic drills, strength training and high-impact cardio. All are outstanding recommendations. Men aren't left out of the program, either: MEN'S HEALTH 15-MINUTE WORKOUTS includes four 15-minute workouts geared to burning fat and adding muscle, and can be done either at home or at the gym.

Kristy Rowberry, RN
JTV Productions
P.O Box 1367, Orem, UT 84059
www.jtvfitness.com

KRISTY'S CARDIO COMBAT (60 minutes, $19.99) and KRISTY'S BODY TONING (90 minutes, $19.99) are two superbly produced exercise DVDs which features Kristy Rowberry, a Registered Nurse with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology and hour-long courses of exercise which are fun and challenging workouts. CARDIO COMBAT is a movement-enhanced, dance-based routine, and BODY TONING packs in over 70 minutes of toning workouts for the whole body. Both offer vigorous routines for staying fit, and are recommended for any home fitness program and any lending library catering to such patrons.

Razor Fitness
947 Hamilton Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025
1595523850, $14.99 www.razorfitness.com

Just 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week is the key to staying young, with flexibility, balance and strength offering anti-aging formulas for success - and Dr. Lynn's Anti-Aging Workout for Every Body video workout focuses on flexing and toning, comes from a mother, wife and grandmother, and teaches restorative stretching and toning in a 40-minute workout program. It's an outstanding program for any in their middle years who wish to stay youthful and flexible. Michelle Dozois' YOUR BEST BODY CIRCUIT: YOUR BODY BREAKTHROUGH (1595523901, $14.99) focuses on reshaping the body and getting rid of fat. It blends cardio intensive intervals with sculpting exercises and weight loss workouts, includes an 'express' 35-minute workout, and many testimonials and nutritional suggestions perfect for home exercisers. Jennifer Kries has two excellent fitness videos: NEW BODY! PILATES BEGINNER MAT WORKOUT (1595524134, $14.99) covers the basics of building core strength and great flexibility for better posture and appeal, and can be done in 35-minute instructions; YIN YOGA (1595524126, $14.99) provides breathing, stretching and poses connected to meridian patterns and pathways, and targets the deeper connective tissue for optimum exercise. All are top picks for any new age or exercise collection.

Asperger Syndrome and Employment
Nick Dubin
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1843108496, $19.95 www.jkp.com

People with AS can find it difficult to work in any environment involving socialization with others, but there is hope for change - and that's where the video Asperger Syndrome and Employment comes in. Nick Dubin discusses his own experiences at work, interviews former employers who assess his strengths, weaknesses and the affects of AS on his job, and offers a source for teens and adults with AS who want to succeed in the workplace. Invaluable, and packed with many solutions.

Endurance for Movement
Trcie Long
Braun Media
11763 95th Avenue North, Maple Grove, MN 55369
1599875292, $14.99 www.bmsdigital.com

Create lean, long muscles with core exercises which require a minimum of equipment - a stability ball, cloth rag and light to medium 3-10 lb weights, guided by fitness instructor Tracie Long, who founded the V Health Club in South Carolina, and who choreographs dances. Her fitness videos focus on core strength, endurance and strength and offer vivid routines exercisers will appreciate.


The Needlecraft Shelf

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

Knitters and crocheters seeking different projects handbooks will find STITCHSTYLE SOCKS (9781564778277, $17.95) offers up some 20 knit and crochet styles to produce fine new designs and innovative sock creations. Knowledge of knitting and crochet abbreviations and methods is essential but any who have the basics down - and collections catering to knitters and crocheters, will relish the fine projects and color photos. Beginners and advanced crocheters will relish A TO Z OF CROCHET: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR THE BEGINNER TO ADVANCED CROCHETER (9781564778567, $28.95), which walks users step by step through new techniques from basic to advanced methods. Over 1,000 close-up color photos of each step feature real hands holding yarn, clarifying and revealing stitches which drawings can't capture. Highly recommended for any who would learn basic crochet or move to the next level.

Scallops Sew Easy
Marie Seroskie
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781574329353, $22.95 www.AmercanQuilter.com

Detailed instructions on techniques for making scallops for any project, from table runners and blocks to borders and towels. Here's an easy blend of patterns, directions and stitching how-tos which combines very basic machine stitches with construction methods perfect for sewers and quilters. The color photos add excitement, making this a fine pick for any quilter's collection.


The Photography Shelf

Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
www.AmherstMedia.com

MASTER GUIDE FOR TEAM SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY by James Williams (9781584282150, $34.95) tells how to capture athletes and game action on film, from selecting the right equipment suitable for sports photography to getting league and school sports assignments, scouting locations, and posing groups and individuals. With so many participating in sports, it will prove a pick not just for aspiring pros, but for parents wishing to capture their child's sports moments in a more professional manner. Jennifer George's ART OF PREGNANCY PHOTOGRAPHY (9781584282181, $34.95) tells how to capture the pregnancy experience at all stages, showing how to photograph the mother-to-be either alone or with her partner, or with the whole family. Techniques and insights on poses and positions accompany tips for retouching, enhancing lighting and color, and interviews with pregnancy portrait photographers. Bill Hurter's BEST OF PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY (9781584282235, $34.95) is packed with techniques and images from a range of professionals who make their living through portrait photography, so any would-be pro will want to have this. It covers both technical and aesthetic qualities of portrait photography, provides image examples in sepia and color, and is filled with professional insights. All are top picks for both general interest and art library holdings.


The Fashion Shelf

High Fashion Hats 1950-1980
Rose Q. Jamison and Joanne E. Deardorff
Schiffer Publishing Company
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764324500, $29.95 www.schifferbooks.com

More than a fashion guide, this detailed and authoritative reference compendium focuses on collectible designer hats from 1950-80 and is very highly recommended for both fashion collections in art libraries and collector's reference libraries with its fine survey of the hairstyles, hats and history behind them. The millinery glossary pairs well with period photos of the hats in use and the fine color photos throughout, making for an excellent collection of images, price guides and history perfect for either art or collector's references.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Dragon Done It
Eric Flint and Mike Resnick, editors
Baen Books
PO Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
9781416555285, $24.00 www.baen.com 1-800-223-2336

The Dragon Done It is an utterly engrossing anthology of fantasy short stories with a noir twist! These private eyes live in worlds with not only dames and guns, but also witches, magic, monsters, and even creatures from nursery rhymes. From the return of John Justin Mallory (the hero of Mike Resnick's "Stalking the Unicorn: A Fable of Tonite") in "The Long and Short of It", to a female ex-cop recently turned vampire in Tanya Huff's "This Town Ain't Big Enough", to Little Jack Horner in Neil Gaiman's "The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds", to Santa Claus himself, retired and down on his luck, in Michael M. Jones' "Claus of Death", these sleuths adapt to their magical settings with the same two-fisted grit characteristic of any classic noir hero. Dragons per se may be in short supply, but dastardly culprits, lying clients, and seedy urban alleys abound in this thoroughly addictive treasury of 'whodunnits'. Highly recommended.

Alpha
Catherine Asaro
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
1416555129, $7.99 www.baen.com

Charon was a ruthless criminal who created and traded in illegal robots and androids so his death benefits the world - unfortunately his android Alpha survives to bring his legacy to the world. Alpha is indistinguishable from a human woman but has superpowers - and General Thomas finds her as intriguing as she is dangerous. For she is carrying out her last orders from her maker - and Thomas finds her too human to kill. An intriguing story of robots, androids, and a touch of love evolves.

A Holy Bloody Day
Malachi E. Maynard
Booksurge LLC
7290-B Investment Drive, Charleston, SC 29418
9781419620928, $14.99 www.booksurge.com

A world run by dragons and demons - but the brightest light can best be seen in darkness. "A Holy Bloody Day: Prologue to the Unholy Fire of Blood Trilogy" is a darkly sinister and passionate fantasy of legendary proportions. Debut novelist Malachi E. Maynard hopes to make his mark on the fantasy genre in a big way, questioning the every nature of good and evil in this epic fantasy. Two demon brothers will battle a goddess who wishes to plunge the world into a dark and deadly Time of fire, having to deal with one's distracting lust with a lovely elven creature, and the decision whether they should aid the world or hasten its destruction. With influences from "The Golden Compass", "A Holy Bloody Day: Prologue to the Unholy Fire of Blood Trilogy" serves as a great introduction in what is sure to be a great series. Enthusiastically recommended for any fantasy lover and for Science Fiction/Fantasy community library collections.


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


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design