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The Bookwatch

Volume 6, Number 11 November 2011 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Parenting Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Art Shelf Computer Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Business Shelf Economic Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Audiobook Shelf Sports Shelf
Photography Shelf Library DVD Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fiction Shelf Travel Shelf Science Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Social Issues Shelf Automotive Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf World History Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf American History Shelf Architecture Shelf
Music Shelf Biography Shelf Education Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Political Science Shelf
Crafts Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Military Shelf Nautical Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

A Decade of Hope
Dennis Smith with Deirdre Smith
Viking Press
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10014
9780670022939, $26.95, www.penguin.com

A Decade of Hope: Stories of Grief and Endurance from 9/11 Families and Friends arrived a few days before the anniversary date but deserves ongoing recommendation for any collection where the events and lasting effect of 9/11 are evident. It provides a decade of gathered reflection and hours spent with the family of victims, presenting accounts through the eyes of a range of individuals whose lives changed forever that day. As a testimonial to hope and survival, A Decade of Hope is moving, reflective, and recommended for any general lending library!

Rising Above Bullying
Rosemary Hayes and Carrie Herbert
Jessica Kingsley Publisher
400 Market St. #400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849051231, $24.95, www.jkp.com

RISING ABOVE BULLYING: FROM DESPAIR TO RECOVERY covers bullying and its traumatic results, and reveals these results using the stories of eight children who have experienced extreme bullying then recovered through the help of a special learning center's program. Now parents and any working with children can have access to this approach in a title that surveys common issues, what teachers and parents can do to help a kid who is being bullied or one who is the bully, and how to teach kids survival skills to cope with bullies. The blend of practical advice and survival keys makes this a winner!

Maphead
Ken Jennings
Scribner
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439167175, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

MAPHEAD: CHARTING THE WIDE, WEIRD WORLD OF GEOGRAPHY WONKS reflects the author's passion for geography and the wider world of geography enthusiasts, and is a fine pick for any general-interest collection. It surveys map fairs, specialty map librarians and collections, the computer geeks at Google Earth and more, offering chapters that probe the map's culture and history. Anecdotes and analysis discuss geographic illiteracy, GPS technology, and the map enthusiast's world. A lively, fun tone makes for an involving read!

Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
www.press.jhu.edu

Virginia L. Naples, et.al.'s THE OTHER SABER-TOOTHS: SCIMITAR-TOOTH CATS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE (9780801896644, $110.00) blends new research with previously published accounts to consider all aspects of the natural history of saber-tooth cats. From their world distribution patterns and how they interacted with non-prey animals to their biology and natural history, this pairs fine drawings with the latest information in a college-level collection suitable for any paleontological collection. E. Paul Zehr's INVENTING IRON MAN: THE POSSIBILITY OF A HUMAN MACHINE (9781421402260, $24.95) provides a vivid deconstruction of the Iron Man fantasy to consider if modern technology can create a suit of armor similar to the Iron Man story. Scientific analysis is used to consider how Iron Man's suit allows Stark to become a superhero - and how brain-machine interfaces can work to achieve the same. A fine pick for science and general holdings alike. Any collection strong in wildlife and natural history will relish James G. Sanderson and Patrick Watson's SMALL WILD CATS: THE ANIMAL ANSWER GUIDE (0801898854, $24.95). Even those well versed in small cats will find plenty of new names here to wonder at: Pallas' cat, fishing cats, sand cats, and more. Black and white photos accompany a lively set of insights on these varied cats, making for a scientific and fun guide.


The Parenting Shelf

Keeping Your Child in Mind
Claudia M. Gold, MD
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
9780738214856 $15.00 www.dacapopress.com

Keeping Your Child in Mind: Overcoming Defiance, Tantrums, and Other Everyday Behavior Problems by Seeing the World Through Your Child's Eyes comes from a pediatrician who focuses on how to act around kids. Stories from her own pediatric practice accompany tips on how parents can understand a child's view of the world, with modern studies and the latest research in child behavior considering a child's age-appropriate needs and interactions with adults. From infants to teens, this offers different approaches to nurturing and build relationships with a child and is a pick for any parenting library.

Have a New Teenager by Friday
Dr. Kevin Leman
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800720216 $17.99 www.revellbooks.com

Have a New Teenager by Friday: From Mouthy and Moody to Respectful and Responsible in 5 Days focuses on teen years and how teens can get through adolescence to become great adults. Surprisingly Dr. Leman maintains that the teen years can be the most fun years of life for everyone - and the secret lies in keeping your teen in your world while understanding his world. Chapters show how to overcome common teen obstacles and challenges to improve communication and gain mutual respect.

The Secret Power of Middle Children
Catherine Salmon PhD and Katrin Schumann
Hudson Street Press
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9781594630804 $25.95 www.penguin.com

The Secret Power of Middle Children: How Middleborns Can Harness Their Unexpected and Remarkable Abilities offers the first book on middle children and discusses birth order and its impact on family relationships. Middleborns are agents of change - more so than firstborns and lastborns. They have diplomatic skills, are outgoing, and are motivated more by fairness than money. This book offers insights on middle children at all stages of psychology and development, and insights into the advantages of being a middle child.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market St. #400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com

Joanne Steer and Kate Horstman's HELPING KIDS AND TEENS WITH ADHD IN SCHOOL (9781843106630, $34.95) offers a focus on different key issues affecting children with ADHD and school changes affecting them, and is a pick for any special needs or parenting collection. Each chapter focuses on a single issue around school transition and uses tested, proven successful strategies and tips to achievement in a workbook packed with photocopiable sheets to help kids learn. From goals to testing strategies, this is a winning guide! Deborah M. Plummer's HELPING CHILDREN TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNICATION SKILLS: THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS AND THERAPISTS (9781843109594, $32.95) packs in fun ideas to help kids ages 4-11 with a speech or language disorder to develop communication skills. Activities, games, and techniques for helping kids develop specific skills accompany tips for customizing the activities and a theory section covering how play can be a therapeutic tool for enhancing communication. It's a fine activity book packed with working ideas to use with either groups or individuals and includes resources for speech and language therapists, students, teachers, parents and any working with kids!


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Clean Energy Nation
Congressman Jerry McNerney PhD and Martin Cheek
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
9780814413722, $27.95, www.amacombooks.org

CLEAN ENERGY NATION: FREEING AMERICA FROM THE TYRANNY OF FOSSIL FUELS discusses American energy use, dependence, and climate change and provides a fine survey on how to achieve energy independence. The focus here is on coverage of what can be done - and what is already working - to resolve the issues, and considers the potential of alternative energy's pros and cons. The focus offers concrete goals for strengthening the country and its energy industry as a whole, making this a powerful recommendation for any lending library.


The Art Shelf

Abstracts: 50 Inspirational Projects
Rolina Van Vliet
Search Press
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
9781844487158, $25.95, www.searchpress.com

Abstracts: 50 Inspirational Projects provides artists with a fine survey on how to see abstractly and how to create ides and concepts from a range of sources, from music to visual inspirations. 50 projects and suggestions for 100 more are accompanied by full-page color photos and a fine attention to step-by-step detail and sources for inspirational improvisation. Any arts and crafts collection will find this a fine survey!

Designing Diagrams
Jan Gauguin
BIS Publishers
bis@bispublishers.nl
9789063692285, $49.00, www.bispublishers.nl

DESIGNING DIAGRAMS: MAKING INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE THROUGH DESIGN provides a fine survey of the tools and techniques used by builders and architects to model and demonstrate data and landscapes. From putting together uncluttered graphs and making volume diagrams for displaying quantitative measures to using GIS systems, this provides color diagrams accompanied by discussions of practical applications and the entire diagramming process. Arts and statistics collections at the college level will find this a top pick.

Generative Art
Matt Pearson
Manning Publications
Box 261, Shelter Island, NY 11964
1935182625, $39.99, www.manning.com

GENERATIVE ART is a pick for arts and computing collections alike, and explores the techniques and applications of algorithmic art forms. Examples of generative art accompany steps the author followed to create each art piece using the Processing programming language. While this could have been recommended in our Computer Shelf section, it's featured here for its dual interest to art students, as well.

Experimental Painting
Lisa L. Cyr
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.fwpublications.com
144030811X, $27.99, www.artistsnetwork.com

Experimental Painting: Inspirational Approaches for Mixed Media Art pairs twelve step-by-step demonstrations of experimental art techniques from making custom tools to freeform painting with demonstrations covering mixed-media processes in the overall art world. It's a fine companion to her popular ART REVOLUTION, offering artist Lisa L. Cyr's insights into two- and three-dimensional techniques. Aspiring mixed-media artists will find this packed with color and ideas.


The Computer Shelf

iOS Recipes
Matt Drance and Paul Warren
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356746, $33.00, www.pragprog.com

iOS Recipes tells programmers how to take an iPhone and iPad application to a new level and comes from a former Apple expert and a graphical-systems programmer who join to provide a fine set of solutions to common problems in iOS development. iOS developers receive an overview of U1Kit and its elements and how they apply to different projects, and receive chapters that show how to tweak games and apps using iOS recipes proven successful. Programming collections will find this a fine addition!

Java All-in-One for Dummies
Doug Lowe
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470371725, $39.99, www.wiley.com

Java All-in-One for Dummies provides a fine key to learning about creating websites and mobile applications using Java. From the basic of what Java does to working with files, databases, and Java's database interface, this provides keys to coding and using Java to create effective, interactive sites. Any programmer or collections catering to them will find this more than a basic primer, covering the basics on Java's strengths, weaknesses, and real-world applications.

Sybex
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.sybex.com

Eric Wing's Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012: No Experience Required (9780470945063, $39.99) provides students with a step-by-step introduction to learning Revit and uses a sample four-story building to teach the basics of using Revit to design and document an architectural project. From using formulas to importing and exporting to other formats, Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012: No Experience Required is the perfect starting place for engineers and architects seeking to learn Autodesk's Revit standards. Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 by Richard Graham and Louisa Holland (9781118016817, $79.99) provides a fine detailed tutorial for AutoCad Civil 3D and is a pick for engineers who want the latest details on AutoCad Civil 3D's abilities. Working engineers with a basic familiarity with AutoCad will find the Civil 3D coverage offers the latest guidelines to using the software, from best methods in creating, designing and displaying data to preparing for the Civil 3D 2011 Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams. A great reference for working professionals who want the latest details!

Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com, www.informit.com/aw

Doug Hellmann's THE PYTHON STANDARD LIBRARY BY EXAMPLE (9780321767349, $59.99) offers literally hundreds of tested modules for interacting with the internet and computer operating system, and is a fine pick for any developer's library. It builds on the author's popular Python Module of the Week blog series and explains both code and techniques for using the Python library more effectively. Users receive a complete coverage of Python's Standard Library and will find this an outstanding reference offering all the keys to building better Python applications. Klaus Forster and Bernd Oggl's HTML5 GUIDELINES FOR WEB DEVELOPERS (0321772741, $34.99) provides a fine web programmer's guide to HTML5 and comes from two pioneering web developers who discuss new techniques through examples. It's packed with tips for integrating HTML5 with JavaScript and the DONM, presenting HTML5 examples supported by current browsers and discussing the major challenges of HTML5 development processes. A fine pick for any starting to work with HTML5 programming! Technical collections will welcome Capers Jones and Olivier Bonsignour's THE ECONOMICS OF SOFTWARE QUALITY (0132582201, $79.99), recommended for any college-level collection strong in software engineering. Data from hundreds of software organizations show how integrated inspection and static analysis and testing can achieve stronger deficit removal rates. Engineers receive chapters that teach how to quantify non-functional quality and how to achieve better results from QA and testing. Very highly recommended!


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.writersmarket.com

The 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market (1599632284, $29.99) provides a fine writing reference packing in resources for novelists and short story writers, and packs in over 1,500 listings and articles from industry insiders. From identifying markets to getting paid, this revamps all contact and listing details and so each revision remains an essential acquisition, not something to 'fudge' on. The 2012 Photographer's Market (1440314195, $34.99) does the same for photographers seeking market for their work, updating marketing listings, covering a wide range of opportunities from magazines to stock agencies and ad firms, and including a free 1-year subscription to ArtistMarketOnline.com with the latest industry news. These are required, key acquisitions for any general lending library and any serious novelist or photographer who wants the latest industry trends and contacts at their fingertips.

2012 Guide to Literary Agents
Chuck Sambuchino, Editor
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1599632292, $29.99, www.writersmarket.com

2012 Guide to Literary Agents offers a fine resource for locating a literary agent and has completely updated contact and submission information for agents seeking new clients. Advice accompanying these listings comes from top agents - some forty - and accompany articles on the entire process, from making a query and crafting a proposal to protecting works. Representations, terms, and member agents are include with each literary listing making for a powerful reference highly recommended for any collection appealing to would-be writers.


The Business Shelf

Good Company: Business Success in the Worthiness Era
Laurie Bassi, et.al.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609940614, $27.95, www.bkconnection.com

Good Company: Business Success in the Worthiness Era comes from an economist and human capital expert who provides a fine survey of a hopeful new economic era where bad corporate behaviors are no longer rewarded and 'good guys' do win. Chapters examine the business foundations of being a food company, offer a Good Company Index ranking the Fortune 100 companies on their records as employers, sellers and stewards of good practices, and provide keys on how businesses can become such a company.

Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach
Michael H. Frisch, et.al.
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
081441687X, $34.95, www.amacombooks.org

Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach comes from a team of veteran coaches and trainers and offers readers a model for developing a personal coaching style. It outlines the coaching relationship, discusses what each person brings to an organization and business relationship, and covers the basics of the executive coaching process. Chats, plans, contracts and other basics are covered in chapters that teach how to excel at listening and organization and how to assess and work with a business for maximum results.

The New Rules of Marketing & PR, third edition
David Meerman Scott
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118026984, $19.95, www.wiley.com

The New Rules of Marketing & PR discusses all the basics of how to use social media and viral marketing to reach buyers directly, and provides a completely revised, updated third edition of a best-selling business classic. It's been four years since the first edition published and the author has spent all his time traveling and speaking about these new marketing opportunities. This third edition represents another extensive rewrite and includes tips and new stories gleaned from these travels, continuing to make this a top recommendation for any business marketing collection.

Worksite Health Promotion, third edition
David H. Chenoweth
Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736092919, $64.00, www.humankinetics.com

Worksite Health Promotion appears in its third updated edition to provide Dr. Chenoweth's professional consultant expertise to a wide range of readers. Updated details on HIPAA, GINA and other standards affecting workplace health, new sections on health management and budget development, added information on the latest health data and e-health technology, and expanded coverage of program evaluation are only a few of the additions to this fully revised survey of key issues affecting employee needs, making this a 'must' for any serious business holding.

The Mediation Process
Christopher W. Moore
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9780787964467, $57.00, www.josseybass.com

The Mediation Process: Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict appears in an updated, revised third edition to include an even more in-depth look at the cultural understandings of mediation. Any practicing in the field will fid it draws on case histories and examples form the authors own international mediation process, offering both general chapters on how to build trust to specifics on opening, organizing and closing a mediation session. Any business collection needs this!

Mastering Technical Sales, second edition
John Care and Aron Bohlig
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062 USA
1596933399, $85.00, www.artchhouse.com

Plan the perfect pitch, demonstrate products more effectively, negotiate contracts, and learn common selling mistakes and how to overcome them with the second updated edition of Mastering Technical Sales, a pick for any college-level business collection. This reference pairs case studies with timely topics and is directed to the marketer directly responsible for selling high-tech products or working with business training groups. A fine, technical survey!

Take the Lead
Betsy Myers with John David Mann
Atria Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439160671, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

TAKE THE LEAD: MOTIVATE, INSPIRE, AND BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOURSELF AND EVERYONE AROUND YOU offers keys to effective leadership and uses personal stories from her experiences in government and in academia to discuss leadership and how it may be cultivated. Seven principles to guide leaders are surveyed, from building closer connections and collaboration to achieving clarity and taking risks. It's a fine survey and top recommendation for any business library strong in leadership skills.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Extreme Money
Satyajit Das
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780132790079, $29.99, www.ftpress.com

EXTREME MONEY: MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE CULT OF RISK uses over thirty years of the author's personal experience in global finance to reveal the dangerous money games that have fostered fake growth and wealth while endangering jobs and the world's economic climate. 'Extreme money' is the name Das assigns to this high-stakes world of banking which has come to dictate world economics - and 'extreme money' is a key recommendation for any economics or international financing collection.


The Psychology Shelf

Shrink Rap
Dinah Miller, MD., et.al.
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9781421400129, $19.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Shrink Rap: Three Psychiatrists Explain Their Work is a strong recommendation for parents and families interested in different types of psychiatry services offered to patients. It uses three psychiatrists from different specialties to explain how psychiatry works, comes from the authors' popular blog and podcast, and discusses the successes and failures of psychiatry and psychological treatments. Any health collection will find this a key acquisition.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Killer Colas
Nancy Appleton, PhD & G.N. Jacobs
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
9780757003417, $15.95, www.squareonepublishers.com

KILLER COLAS: THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT SOFT DRINKS comes from an anti-sugar pioneer who pinpoints serious health concerns over soft drinks: concerns documented but ignored by an industry determine to profit at the expense of health. Links between colas and the increase of obesity, diabetes, cancer and other conditions are detailed along with the history and growth of the soft drink industry and its powerful influence. From the addictive qualities of soft drinks to links between colas and American health decline, this provides a powerful condemnation and study on why colas are dangerous to health. General and health libraries need this!

Alzheimer Disease Sourcebook, fifth edition
Amy L. Sutton, Editor
Omnigraphics
Box 31-1640, Detroit MI 48231-1640
9780780811508, $85.00, www.omnigraphics.com

The fifth updated edition of Alzheimer Disease Sourcebook provides a powerful reference with updated information on the causes, symptoms and stages of AD and other forms of dementia, and is a top pick for any general lending or health collection. Over sixty chapters cover the basics from how the brain declines to diagnosing and treating symptoms of dementia, living with AD, and caregiver concerns. A 'must' for any serious health collection, especially those where patrons are interested in the elderly!

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl
Sandra Beasley
Crown
c/o Random House Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307588111, $23.00, www.randomhouse.com

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales From an Allergic Life comes from an author who has lived with severe food allergies since infancy, from diary and nuts to seafood, and tells of the lives of those similarly diagnosed. People with food allergies don't have to be victims but they do have to understand their conditions and live differently. Chapters cover her health struggles and documents the course of a life lived with a deadly problem.


The Audiobook Shelf

Pacific Heights
Paul Harper
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1455823635, $29.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

PACIFIC HEIGHTS provides a fine novel performed by Mel Foster, an Audie award winner with a strong acting background, and tells of former intelligence officer Martin, who faces a dangerous genius who can obtain any information he needs. His entry into the rich Pacific Heights world and his affairs with the wives of two powerful businessmen lead Martin on a dangerous mission to stop a man well versed in psychological warfare - and possibly murder.

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

Preston & Child's COLD VENGEANCE (9781609413866, $39.98) receives a fine reading by Rene Auberjonois whose spirited voice lends drama and action to the story of a special agent who discovers his wife was murdered - and who seeks revenge and her betrayers. His search will take him from Scotland to New York City - and the more he digs into his wife's past, the more he learns she may have been involved in her own murder. A gripping audio thriller evolves! Equally gripping is James Patterson and Marshall Karp's KILL ME IF YOU CAN (9781607884675, $34.98), narrated by actor Jason Culp who lends drama and interest to the story of an innocent art student who finds, $13 million in diamonds and finds himself leading a complex life, hunted by killers. A top-rate thriller evolves that springs to life in audio! Speaking of top thrillers, Nelson DeMille and Thomas Block's MAYDAY (9781611138375, $24.98) receives a powerful reading by Scott Brick who has narrated prior unabridged stories by DeMille for Hachette, so here lends uniformity and high drama to the story of a missile that strikes a jumbo jet leaving three survivors to land the plane or perish. High drama packs this top pick! George Pelecanos' THE CUT (9781609417918, $29.98) provides a fine novel narrated by HBO's Dion Graham, who has made his name on Broadway and off Broadway, and tells of Spero Lucas, hired for special investigations for a defense attorney after he returns from serving in Iraq. He is good at recovering stolen property - but when he's hired by a business to find out who has been stealing, problems evolve in this fast-paced novel of intrigue.

Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Jussi Alder-Olsen's THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES (9781611760354, $39.95) receives a fine reading by actor Erik Davies, who has appeared in film and TV and whose dramatic skills and voice lends to the first in a series featuring chief detective Carl, who was a fine homicide detective in Copenhagen until he was nearly killed. His companions didn't survive and Carl blames himself - until a promotion leads him to a new special investigation division with a unique purpose. Intrigue and engrossing twists of plot keep this an outstanding survey! Lev Grossman's THE MAGICIAN KING (9781611760255, $39.95) receives a fine reading by Mark Bramhill, who has many theatre credits to his name and whose dramatic reading lends to this fine sequel to the best-selling THE MAGICIANS. Here Quentin is attending a secret college for magic in upstate New York and has graduated only to discover the magical utopia of his childhood is actually real - and dangerous. His probe of this unpredictable fantasy world makes for fine fast-paced listening suitable for any fantasy audio collection. Readers of classics who want a fine audio to listen to will relish John Steinbeck's classic SWEET THURSDAY (9780142429242, $39.95) in audio, narrated by actor Jerry Farden and appearing unabridged on CDs. It's a postwar continuation of CANNERY ROW and is also set in California's Monterey, offering an outstanding survey of a host of protagonists. Clive Cussler and Justin Scott's THE RACE (9781611760170, $39.95) is narrated by actor Scott Brick, who provides a fine and passionate drama to this story returning Isaac Bell to listeners. It's 1910, and chef investigator P.I. Bell faces danger when he faces down one Harry Frost, who has made his millions leading a gang of murderers in cities across the country. A dangerous cross-country game emerges in this thriller. W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV's VICTORY AND HONOR (9781611760309, $39.95) provides a new novel in Griffin's 'Honor Bound' saga and pairs it with actor Scott Brick's smooth and vivid voice. Scott lends a tone of excitement and action to this espionage story, providing political intrigue and telling of a possible world war centered around one Joe Stalin and his ambitions. Daring encounters and conflicts keep this fast-paced and charged.


The Sports Shelf

Throw Like a Girl
Jennie Finch with Ann Killion
Triumph Books
542 South Dearborn St. #750, Chicago IL 60605
9781600785603, $14.95, www.triumphbooks.com

THROW LIKE A GIRL: HOW TO DREAM BIG & BELIEVE IN YOURSELF offers motivation and discussions for female athletes and is a pick for athletic and women's issues holdings alike. Chapters come from a NCAA softball champion and gold medalist and cover everything from femininity and body image to peer pressure, nutrition and competition. Her advice blends memoir with sports insights in a top pick for any female athlete.

Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61852-5076
www.hkusa.com

Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek's BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD: AN INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE BUSINESS OF SPORT (145041303X, $19.95) comes from a sport business analyst for Fox Sports and other TV shows, and offers an insider's view of the boardrooms and negotiating strategies of sport's financers and key players. It covers many things not featured in sports titles, from how sponsors receive return on investments to how pro teams negotiate with governments to make a stadium deal and how sports agencies maximize value of in-demand clients. Any sports library interested in the business angle will find this a key reference. Volker Nolte edits the second updated edition of ROWING FASTER: SERIOUS TRAINING FOR SERIOUS ROWERS (0736090401, $24.95), a comprehensive guide packed with techniques for optimizing rowing strokes, increasing strength, and upping rowing speed. Contributions from Olympic medalists and rowing experts from around the world accompany the latest research on adaptive rowing techniques, tips on team management, and more, making this a 'must' reference for any rowing club or collection catering to them!


The Photography Shelf

The Passionate Photographer
Steve Simon
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321719891, $44.99, www.newriders.com

THE PASSIONATE PHOTOGRAPHER: TEN STEPS TOWARD BECOMING GREAT provides practical tips and hints for becoming a fine photographer, from working on personal projects that inspire to shooting a large volume of work in a targeted manner that lends to competence and creativity. All the building blocks for self-improvement are presented in strategies for shooting, editing, and creating a body of 'passionate' photos that lend to advancement. Any photography library must have this!


The Library DVD Shelf

Element: Hatha & Flow Yoga for Beginners
Tamal Dodge
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
www.anchorbayentertainment.com
01313235964, $21.98, www.amazon.com

Second-generation yoga instructor Tamal Dodge has designed an entire program designed for bare-bone beginners, and packages it in a DVD kit that pairs two 30-minute practices to explore yoga with a woven, cotton yoga strip used in the Hatha practice to increase flexibility. The DVD contains both static and flow programs and presents basic, challenging postures in sequences beginners can readily follow. Any newcomer to Hatha will find this essential.

Element: Total Body Pilates with Mini Ball
Lisa Hubbard
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
www.anchorbayentertainment.com
013132359793, $21.98, www.amazon.com

Element: Total Body Pilates with Mini Ball uses a small inflatable ball the size of a beach towel along with a DVD of an ocean view and instruction to provide two workouts from a Pilates expert. The mini ball emulates the work done by several Pilates machines, the ocean view on the accompanying DVD enhances the background, and the kit with ball and instructional DVDs blend classic Pilates with modern moves in two programs: one 20 minutes for a fast-paced workout for busy viewers, and a longer 30-minute program that narrows the focus on core strength. Any seeking a simple home Pilates instructional program will find this package appealing.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Kage - The Shadow
John Donahue, PhD
YMAA
Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
9781594392108, $12.95, www.ymaa.com

Kage - The Shadow provides a fine martial arts thriller and the fourth in John Donahue's repertoire, discussing the deepening relationship between student and teacher as it tells of a wasteland outside of Arizona where a cross-border smuggler is found dead. An author's mysterious death and an assassin's mission involves Connor Burke in a dangerous journey to investigate an underground movement that leads him to native cultures and an ageless mystery. A fine blend of intrigue and fantasy evolve in a fast-paced martial arts thriller.

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Nicholas Kilmer's A PARADISE FOR FOOLS (9781590589342, $24.95) provides a fine Fred Taylor art mystery and explores an unusual scenario: a tattooed woman's art comes from a rare, valuable work which Fred Taylor knows to be important. His search for the source of the tattoo art leads him to an illegal tattoo parlor and plenty of denials that the work of art exists in this vivid chase for the truth, recommended for any mystery library. Also recommended is Mitchell Scott Lewis' MURDER IN THE 11TH HOUSE (9781590589502, $24.95), first in a projected 'David Lowell' series blending astrology with mystery. An unusual detective agency uses the signs to solve cases - and in this case, the charts and David Lowell's knowledge may not be enough to solve the murder of a state judge and prove the innocence of a bartender wrongly accused of the crime. A fast-paced, unusual mystery evolves! DEVIL'S PLAYTHING by Matt Richtel (9781590588871, $24.95) tells of an elderly woman in her 80s who suffers severe dementia - and who carries a dangerous memory buried within her that could change the world for the worse. Her grandson, an investigative medical journalist, is assigned to figure out her secret before a conspiracy goes wrong - and his search for the truth will attract an attention that changes their lives in this fast-paced thriller.

Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Susan Wittig Albert's THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE NAKED LADIES (9780425241288, $25.95) is third in the Darling Dahlias Mystery series set in 1930s Alabama and featuring the ladies of a garden club who also solve local mysteries. Here an elderly recluse faces visitors who may be dangerous dancers - and who may have more on their minds with a visit than a racy past. The garden club becomes involved in a cover-up in this gripping story, recommended for any general mystery collection. Margaret Coel's THE PERFECT SUSPECT (9780425243480, $25.95) provides a fine Catherine McLeod mystery and an exciting sequel - three years later - to her popular BLOOD MEMORY. Here an upscale neighborhood seems an unlikely place for a governor candidate's murder - but when his wife is arrested, it's up to journalist Catherine McLeod to follow up on a tip that states the real murderer left the scene - and was not wife Sydney. Danger stalks her too, in this fine sequel recommended for any mystery collection. Also recommended for general libraries is Susan Wittig Albert's THE TALE OF CASTLE COTTAGE (9780425243503, $24.95), which joins others in the 'Cottage tales of Beatrix Potter' series and is a special pick for prior fans. Set in the summer of 1913 after her recovery from illness, this tells of Beatrix's struggle to finish an overdue writing project so she can marry her fiance and settle down. Unfortunately illness and writer's block aren't her only problems: thefts on construction sites and stubborn in-laws who won't condone their wedding add to a mystery and a vivid novel of England.


The Fiction Shelf

Ready Player One
Ernest Cline
Crown
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307887436, $24.00, www.crownpublishing.com

Ready Player One is a lively story suitable for science fiction and novel collections alike, is set in a near future world, and tells of one Wade Watts, who escapes poverty by spending his hours jacked into an online utopia. In OASIS you can be anything - and can be on any world or in an alternate reality. In the midst of this universe the ultimate lottery ticket is hidden by a millionaire who promises his fortune will go to the person who can solve the riddles he's scattered throughout his universe. Wade solves the first puzzle- and finds himself in a dangerous race that will even threaten his life in this riveting story.


The Travel Shelf

Apples Are from Kazakhstan
Christopher Robbins
Atlas & Company
15 West 26th Street, 2nd floor, NY, NY 10010
9781934633939, $15.00, www.atlasandco.com

Apples Are from Kazakhstan provides a fine survey by an author who enjoyed unprecedented access to the Kazakh president as he traveled the country. His story of encounters with nomads and their culture, the rich country that is Kazakhstan, and the traditions of its diverse peoples makes for a powerful travel memoir of a little-covered region - and a 'must' for any armchair traveler's collection!

Lonely Planet
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Peter Dragicevich, et.al.'s PERTH & WEST COAST AUSTRALIA (9781741790467, $21.99) is a fine take-along tote for any planning a trip to the area, and especially for independent travelers who want solid, tested and new advice on where to stay, eat, and what to do. From a pull-out map of Perth and listings of regional attractions to smaller area maps and highlighted sidebars of unusual information, this provides an outstanding read for any traveler to the region, and for travel collections that seek more of a regional focus on Australia than the all-in-one general guides offer. MONGOLIA (9781741793178, $29.99) by Michael Kohn and Dean Starnes offers independent travelers a fine guide to a little-covered region which requires flexibility and knowledge to traverse successfully. Chapters offer small city maps, sidebars of historical and culture notes, and practical keys to lodging and other travel specifics that will make it a snap to plan a Mongolian visit from afar. KUALA LUMPUR MELAKA & PENANG (9781741792164, $22.99) by Simon Richmond provides an excellent, in-depth survey perfect for destination-oriented travelers to Kuala Lumpur and the region. Small maps, the latest tips from travelers to the region, and hints on where to go and what to see make this a top take-along tote. James Bainbridge, et.al.'s MOROCCO (9781741795981, $25.99) provides a fine take-along tote designed for any independent traveler to Morocco, and pairs small maps of selected areas with plenty of information on where to stay, what to do, where to eat. The cultural and social insights make this a particularly involving title for any bound for Morocco.


The Science Shelf

The Inquisition of Climate Science
James Lawrence Powell
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023-7015
9780231157186, $27.95, www.cup.columbia.edu

The Inquisition of Climate Science offers a fine assessment of the controversy surrounding climate science and climate change, documenting how media and special interest groups have succeeded not only in 'warping' the facts, but in casting overall disbelief in the scientific process as a whole. It's the first book to examine the history and milieu of the climate science denial process as a whole, documenting the deniers, their lack of credentials, their industry funding, and more. The dual focus on the nature and interests of deniers and the logic of their beliefs makes this a 'must' for any college-level science collection.

Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com

Theodore Anderson's PLASMA ANTENNAS (160807143X, $139.00) covers the emerging technology of plasma antennas and is designed for professionals working in the design and protoypes of plasma antennas. Experimental work in the field and the latest developments are covered in discussions that include technical equations and over 70 illustrations. From overall plasma physics to smart antennas and steerable plasma antenna systems, this provides technical insights engineers will find key to understanding and working with such antennas. PHASED ARRAY ANTENNAS WITH OPTIMIZED ELEMENT PATTERNS by Sergei P. Skobelev (9781608071906, $139.00) provides engineers with an in-depth reference detailing array element characteristics and different approaches to optimum design. Numerical calculations serve as models for engineers in this fine reference. Artem Saakian's RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION FUNDAMENTALS (1608071375, $135.00) is another key reference for professional engineers and students who specialize in antenna and radar systems and covers all the basic facts of electromagnetic wave propagation of radio frequencies. From radio wave classification and antennas for different applications to equations and key discussions with nearly two hundred illustrations, this provides an outstanding survey for any college-level engineering library's reference collection. Elisa Bertino and Kenji Takahashi's IDENTITY MANAGEMENT: CONCEPTS, TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS (9781608070398, $99.00) provides a fine technical survey of digital identity management technology and its function in enhancing the network user experience and protecting privacy. It covers the basics of how to design and assess identity management issues and provide solutions with technical chapters reviewing the best practices in identity management, explanations of basic techniques, and more. Software and engineering professionals will find this a top pick! Leo A. Wrobel and Sharon M. Wrobel's DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE (1596934689, $99.00) provides a fine survey of communications technology and critical infrastructure, showing how to simplify risk assessments and emergency procedures to disasters affecting our infrastructure. From developing safeguards and standards for such systems to creating plans for assessing vulnerabilities in everything from power grids to government agencies, this is a reference for any working in disaster management and for college-level collections catering to them. Victor C. Chan's THE MICRO-DOPPLER EFFECT IN RADAR (9781608070572, $139.00) is a fine reference for any college-level engineering collection and provides scientific, technical insights into the micro-Doppler effect in radar, from basic principles to applications. Engineers will find in-depth details on math and physics of the effect with technical theory paired with working examples. A DVD includes MATLAB source codes for simulations and radar data processing. A 'must' for any radar engineering collection!


The Cookbook Shelf

How to Make Your Own Drinks
Susy Atkins
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845336011, $16.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

How to Make Your Own Drinks provides a fine recipe collection of drinks using fresh, local ingredients as their base. From locating sources of such ingredients to selecting and handling bottles and giving homemade drinks as gifts, this tells how to create alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks alike, and teaches the basics of making floral, wild, citrus, infused and other drinks. An outstanding pick!

Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
www.dacapopress.com

Lois Dieterly's SINFULLY VEGAN: MORE THAN 160 DECADENT DESSERTS TO SATISFY EVERY SWEET TOOTH (9780738214887, $18.00) provides an updated, revised edition of SINFULLY BEGAN and adds 20 new recipes to her original title offering dairy-free dessert dishes. From ingredient substitutions and beakdowns of total time and nutrition for each dish to healthier options for desserts, this covers everything from vegan staples to creating quick dishes and is a pick for any vegan library. Alice Feiring's NAKED WINE: LETTING GRAPES DO WHAT COMES NATURALLY (9780306819537, $24.00) offers insights on the concept of natural wines and comes from a leading advocate for them, who makes her case that good California wine can only be made without additives and chemicals. The author's own winemaking experiments and experiences are detailed in a fin survey of the natural wine movement and changes in the modern wine market.

Good Bite Weeknight Meals
Sepideh Saremi, Editor
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470916582, $29.99, www.wiley.com

Good Bite Weeknight Meals: Delicious Made Easy provides fine everyday recipes gathered from Web food bloggers and packs in over 140 dishes for quick family meals, pairing color photos of tem from Matt Armendairz of MattBites.com. These dishes come from everyday people who faced long workdays, picky eaters and other challenges to food preparation: rather than resorting to fast foods, they adapted and developed homemade dishes that use modern appliances and techniques for quick and easy results. Any home cook who want chapters organized by main ingredient and recipes that go like lightning but feel like gourmet, should have this!

The Fearless Baker
Emily Luchetti and Lisa Weiss
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780316074285, $29.99, www.hbgusa.com

The Fearless Baker: Scrumptious Cakes, Pies, Cobblers, Cookies, and Quick Breads That You Can Make to Impress Your Friends and Yourself comes from a pasty chef and provides nearly two hundred recipes along with advice beginners can use to produce flawless baking results. From classics to variations and new desserts, this pairs a glossary of common terms with discussions of appropriate baking equipment, the best ingredients, and tips to producing near-flawless cookies and desserts. Fun drawings accompany a fine pick for any baker.

Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies
Alice Medrich
Artisan Books
c/o Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
9781579653972, $25.95, www.artisanbooks.com

Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies is a powerful book that offers new rules for cookies and new spins on classic tastes, pairing recipes with tips and ideas. Each recipe opens with the author's search for an ideal texture or taste, explores her journey, then provides a tested, proven successful recipe for obtaining the desired results. Color photos pepper a collection that will appeal to any cookie baker looking for something different.


The Social Issues Shelf

Black in Latin America
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10003
9780814732984, $26.95, www.nyupress.org

Black in Latin America provides a different in-depth survey of the African migration to the New World: one that tells how over ten and a half million were taken to the Caribbean and Latin America. Most surveys focus on what happened in America: this traces the cultural and social changes that began with these early African descendants and continues to this day. How race and African ancestry influence modern Latin America makes for a fine survey of the slave experience and a key acquisition for any college-level social issues and Afro-American history holding.

The Solemn Sentence of Death
Lawrence B. Goodheart
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498464, $80.00, www.umass.edu/umpress

The Solemn Sentence of Death: Capital Punishment in Connecticut provides a detailed study of the only state that has consistently executed people since 1960, and offers a history of Connecticut's death penalty that covers both the types of crimes that earned the death penalty to how executions changed over the decades. Collections strong in legal and social issues will find this a fine survey of one state's consistent habits and issues surrounding the legality of death.

EcoMind
Frances Moore Lappe
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue, New York NY 10016
9781568586830, $26.00, www.nationbooks.org

ECOMIND: CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK TO CREATE THE WORLD WE WANT provides a fine survey that presents evidence that human beings see the world through a filter of basic belief patterns - and believe that there's not enough of anything. This idea that there's a basic 'lack of goods' fosters fear, guilt and hostility and actually creates scarcity. Chapters survey the world's current mental map, document its unscientific roots, and provide insights into connectedness and change that encourages more positive thinking patterns. It blends anthropology, biology, neuroscience and other disciplines with social issues and insights on the processes of change, making for a fine pick for a range of general-interest and science holdings alike.

The Ghetto
Ray Hutchison and Bruce D. Haynes, Editors
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder CO 80301
9780813345031, $40.00, www.westviewpress.com

THE GHETTO: CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES provides original essays from leading scholars who consider the ghetto's various forms and differing issues. It presents original essays form leading scholars, providing essays that cover regions of the world and consider differing world experiences. Any urban studies or sociology program at the high school to college level needs this fine analysis.

Manufacturing Hysteria
Jay Feldman
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375425349, $28.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

MANUFACTURING HYSTERIA: A HISTORY OF SCAPEGOATING, SURVEILLANCE, AND SECRECY IN MODERN AMERICA provides a survey of various forms of public hysteria, from World War I to post-September 11 attacks, and provides a survey of how elected officials and the media capitalize on public fear to isolate minorities and halt civil rights and liberties. While the policies and approaches of J. Edgar Hoover are identified as part of the cause, Feldman offers analysis that shows these tendencies have always been a part of America's psyche. Any collection strong in social issues needs this!

Epic Win for Anonymous
Cole Stryker
Overlook Press
141 Wooster St., New York NY 10012
9781590207109, $25.95, www.overlookpress.com

Epic Win for Anonymous: How 4Chan's Army Conquered the Web introduces the world of 4chan, exploring its mostly-anonymous online members, web influence, and describing one of the Internet's oldest and largest websites where millions of anonymous members post and discuss cultural oddities. More than a discussion of the site, this analyzes the culture of Anonymous and 4chan and includes reflections from hackers, academics and more who discuss how this culture of anarchy affects Internet and Web culture as a whole. It has a bad reputation among some and is viewed as a positive force in other circles: EPIC WIN FOR ANONYMOUS is a recommended pick for computer and social issues holdings alike.


The Automotive Shelf

How to Build Period Correct Hot Rods
Gerry Burger
CarTech
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch MN 55056
9781934709320, $24.95, www.cartechbooks.com

How to Build Period Correct Hot Rods is a 'must' for any hot rodder's library and any car buff's reference collection, providing a fine how-to guide to selecting and installing the correct components for a vintage hot rod. Veteran hot rod buff Gerry Burger explains how to identify, buy or build a period correct hot rod from the 1950s through the 70s, offering assessments of stock parts and high-performance parts and explaining how to match parts to a rod.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Just Around the Corner
Kari M. Carr
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604680362, $24.99, www.martingale-pub.com

JUST AROUND THE CORNER: QUILTS WITH EASY MITERED BORDERS tells how to create a 'frame' using folded fabric strips, a ruler and a sewing machine to create scalloped edges and more. Nine projects from quilts to table toppers outline all the basics of creating and using such strips, pairing patterns and color photos with step-by-step descriptions. Mitering used to be challenging: not so with the technique presented in JUST AROUND THE CORNER, recommended for any quilter's collection!


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Anna Dressed in Blood
Kendare Blake
TOR Books
c/o Tor/Forge
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780765328656, $17.99, www.tor-forge.com

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is slated for a teen audience with its teen ghost hunter protagonist, but is a fine dark novel for any age reader and is reviewed here for its interest to adult readers as well as teens. Cas kills the dead, as is his heritage - and he travels the country with his witch mother and spirit-sniffing cat to follow legends about the murderous dead. One stymies him: a legend called Anna Dressed in Blood, who turns out to be a girl mixed up with curses, still wearing the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder. She's a killer who spares his life - and he finds this intriguing. A ghost hunter novel of a different type evolves in a satisfying fantasy packed with twists and turns of plot.

Heaven's Shadow
David S. Goyer & Michael Cassutt
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780441020331, $25.95, www.penguin.com

Heaven's Shadow is the first book in a trilogy and opens a series with the discovery of an unknown object on collision course with earth. An international competition to land on the object and make claims pits two rival astronaut teams in a race that will ultimately result in an unexpectedly dangerous confrontation. Science fiction and suspense blends in a fast-paced plot that is hard to set aside. Highly recommended for any science fiction or fantasy collection.

Gears of War: Coalition's End
Karen Traviss
Gallery Books
c/o Pocket Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439183953, $26.99, www.simonandschuster.com

Gears of War: Coalition's End provides a fine bridge novel for the Gears of War trilogy and continues the story of the Delta squad and their struggles against the Locust Horde, which has swarmed over and killed much of humanity. Mankind's war against extinction is nearing an end, and it's up to a handful of refugees to rebuild their world and face a different siege from an unexpected, deadlier force. As military science fiction goes, this is a winner.

Baen Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
www.baen.com

Michael Z. Williamson's ROGUE (9781439134627, $24.00) is military science fiction at its best: it tells of one Kenneth Chinran, commander of a unit charged with taking out an entire planet during a war. Chinran's conscious is bothering him - but one of his man becomes a trained sociopath with a new mission. Only Chinran can track down the killer in his own unit in this captivating military survey perfect for any military science fiction collection. David Drake and John Lambshead's INTO THE HINTERLANDS (9781439134610, $25.00) tells of Allen, born on a distant colonial planet hoping to work his way into a higher social level as a country squire. Unfortunately his relatives send him on a journey for investment opportunities in the Hinterlands - where he finds a ragtag group of traders and poor people struggling to make a better life for themselves. When military conflict enters the Hinterlands, Allen finds himself at the heart of a battle that may determine his destiny in this fast-paced military novel.


The World History Shelf

Moscow December 25, 1991
Conor O'Clery
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th Street, #1321
New York, NY 10107
9781586487966, $26.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

MOSCOW DECEMBER 25, 1991: THE LAST DAY OF THE SOVIET UNION provides an outstanding history of end of the Union and the power struggle between Gorbachev and Yeltsin, and appears in time for the 20th anniversary of the end of the Soviet Union. It uses one day's events for a close examination that comes from over 100 primary sources in both English and Russian, interviews with all involved, and the author's own reporting as a Moscow correspondent during those final times. Any collection strong in Russian history needs this in-depth coverage!

The Swerve
Stephen Greenblatt
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393064476, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

THE SWERVE: HOW THE WORLD BECAME MODERN blends biography with history to consider how a 1417 Italian man's travels to remote monasteries seeking out ancient pagan Roman manuscripts would result in a discovery that would change the world. THE SWERVE reads with the excitement and passion of a novel but provides a fine accounting of the foundations of modern thinking and the evolution of culture and society. Any interested in early history and the evolution of human culture will find this an accessible read and a 'must' addition to library history holdings.

The Women of the Cousins' War
Philippa Gregory, et.al.
Touchstone
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451629545, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen, and the King's Mother explores the historical characters and lives behind Philippa Gregory's Wars of the Roses novels, describing the lives of the heroines of her books. Gregory uses original documents, archaeology and histories of witchcraft in her biographical survey of a duchess who became the first lady of two rival courts, historian David Baldwin discusses the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the first commoner to marry an English king for love, and Michael Jones writes of Margaret Beaufort, of the House of Tudor. A fine pick for any history collection or fan of Philippa Gregory's historical novels.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Kenneth Drobatz, et.al.'s MANUAL OF TRAUMA MANAGEMENT IN THE DOG AND CAT (9780470958315, $79.99) provides a quick reference for any vet seeking to stabilize an animal after trauma, and should be on the reference shelves of any practicing clinic. It covers specific types of trauma and its management, using an outline format to speed at-a-glance information perfect for emergency consultation. Clinical details are accessible to clinical and emergency settings alike, making this a detailed, essential reference. Clifford Smith & Alfred Jarecki's ATLAS OF COMPARATIVE DIAGNOSTIC & EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY (9781405171076, $99.99) is for college-level veterinary science holdings and offers over 400 color photos of normal and abnormal blood cells in lab animals. Such photos are arranged in chapters by species and accompanied by notes, with this revised new edition surveying the latest research and findings in laboratory animal hematology. A fine college reference! J. Scott Weese & Martha B. Fulford's COMPANION ANIMAL ZOONOSES (9780813819648, $124.99) provides a fine resource on diseases transmissible between animals and humans and surveys the latest research on disease incidence, risk, and management. The extent of companion animal zoonoses is surveyed in a title that offers vets and pet owners with details on preventing the spread of diseases. Prevention and control are covered in chapters that discuss diagnosis, distribution patterns, and more. Heidi Featherstone and Elaine Holt's SMALL ANIMAL OPTHAMOLOGY: WHAT'S YOUR DIAGNOSIS? (9781405151610, $54.99) provides a fine overview of the range of ophthalmic conditions in dogs and cats, from discharges to blindness, and pack in illustrations for each case that will assist vets in making accurate diagnosis. Basic information on common and uncommon eye conditions enables clinicians to develop appropriate diagnostic and treatment plans and step-by-step photos make this a top technical recommendation suitable for any clinic or vet's collection!


The American History Shelf

American Orient
David Weir
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498792, $26.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

AMERICAN ORIENT: IMAGINING THE EAST FROM THE COLONIAL ERA THROUGH THE 20TH CENTURY covers the American fascination with the Far East, exploring why the Orient and its image held quite a different meaning for Americans than Europeans. Unlike Europeans, Americans shared the experience of early colonial struggles with the peoples of China and India, and had a different perspective of the Oriental experience as a result. American writers in surveying Eastern writings found much to compliment the evolving values of the West, and this survey considers the fantasy and reality of the Oriental image in early America. Any college-level early American history collection will find this a scholarly, intriguing history.


The Architecture Shelf

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture, second edition
Francis D.K. Ching
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470648858, $55.00, www.wiley.com

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture provides a fine second edition of a classic gathering that blends text definitions with hundreds of line drawings illustrating key concepts in architecture, and is a pick for both architecture and homeowner collections. It's grouped by themes and offers terms that can be accessed in different ways, creating a key reference for interior designs and all manner of folk involved in the building trades.


The Music Shelf

Modern Guitar Rigs
Scott Kahn
Hal Leonard Corporation
PO Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213
9781423499442, $24.99, www.halleonard.com

MODERN GUITAR RIGS: THE TONE FANATIC'S GUIDE TO INTEGRATING AMPS AND EFFECTS is a pick for any working musician's shelf and is for players who want to move beyond a simple pedal board and combo amp. It offers instructions for building pro-level rigs and includes a DVD, exploring effects loops, rigs of leading guitar players, amp setups and configurations, gear, and more. Interviews with leading custom rig builders accompany black and white photos and illustrations and keys to getting the most from a guitar and rig arrangement.


The Biography Shelf

Caravaggio
Andrew Graham-Dixon
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393081497, $39.95, www.wwnorton.com

CARAVAGGIO: A LIFE SACRED AND PROFANE could also have been featured in our 'Arts' section but is reviewed here for a fine survey equally recommended for any literary general-interest collection strong in the arts and in biography. Detailed chapters pair analysis of Caravaggio's pictures with insights on how he created them and the life influences that led to his art. It covers the intrigue in his life, from courtroom drama to conflicts, outlines the circles of Italy in which he traveled, and covers his brief controversial life before his death at age thirty-eight. Original Italian source materials lend to this powerful reconstruction of his life and times.

Prime Time
Jane Fonda
Random House
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9781400066971, $27.00, www.randomhouse.com

PRIME TIME provides Jane Fonda's autobiography and also explores how the years between 45 and 50 - and beyond - can continue to prove some of the most satisfying years of life. From the importance of performing a 'life review' to asking what the ordinary person can do with a longer life, this blends a memoir with a guide to making the most of one's life, and will gain attention in any general-interest lending library simply through the Jane Fonda brand on the book.

Ethan Allen: His Life and Times
Willard Sterne Randall
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10100
9780393076653, $35.00, www.wwnorton.com

Ethan Allen: His Life and Times focuses on a hero of the American Revolution whose single predawn attack on a British fort in 1775 made him famous. It's satisfying to see a more in-depth historical review of Ethan Allen's life and times: coverage comes from a renowned biographer who uses new source material to provide the only complete account of Ethan Allen and the late eighteenth-century New England world he inhabited. Any American history holding needs this survey of Ethan Allen's legacy and achievements. It's in-depth, detailed, and recreates the politics and controversies of eighteenth-century New England.

Deer in the Headlights
Levi Johnston
Touchstone
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451651652, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS: MY LIFE IN SARAH PALIN'S CROSSHAIRS tells of Governor Palin's near-son-in-law who was seventeen when Palin became the vice presidential nominee. He was her daughter's live-in boyfriend and here provides his insider's view of Palin family interactions, politics, and more. Any who would understand more about the Palin family and its values, and the effects of high-level politics on family interactions, will find this an involving account of how Palin moved from welcoming Levi as part of her family to bullying him in courts. Any general lending library will find this a popular pick!

Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist
Peter L. Berger
Prometheus Books
59 Jon Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616143893, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist provides a memoir by a man who has published books on different aspects of the American social scene since the 1960s, and whose long-standing reputation is actually more an evolution of authority than a scholarly ambition. Indeed Peter L. Berger 'stumbled' into the field of sociology and his position of authority - and Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist recounts his journey. It's more than just a survey of how he entered the profession - it celebrates the other adventures his interest has led to and discusses the intellectual issues that motivated his work. Vignettes and discussions of global sociology make for a fine memoir especially recommended for any college-level sociology collection.

Bonhoeffer
Eric Metaxas
Thomas Nelson Publishers
565 Royal Parkway, Nashville TN 37214
9781595552464, $19.99, www.thomasnelson.com

As Hitler and the Nazis rose, a small number of saboteurs worked to thwart him from inside the Third Reich - and one of these men was pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This biography of his work discusses his spirituality and spying and offers a powerful account of his decision to leave the safety of America to return to Hitler's Germany to continue his opposition, and provides an in-depth survey of the man and his many achievements. Any collection strong in spirituality, World War II or biography will find this a solid survey.

My Work is That of Conservation
Mark D. Hersey
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
0820338702, $24.95, www.ugapress.org

My Work is That of Conservation: An Environmental Biography of George Washington Carver traces the life and achievements of an Afro-American scientist best known as the man who developed a wide range of uses for the peanut. Carver's life and achievements have largely been forgotten: this offers a thorough assessment of his evolution, agricultural thinking, and his involvement with poverty and farming. Carver's idea of scientific agriculture would affect Southern environmental thinking as a whole, and this outlines in detail Carver's life and contributions in a key acquisition for science, ecology and Afro-American biography holding alike.

Sempre Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag
Sigrid Nunez
Atlas & Company
15 West 26th St., 2nd Floor, New York NY 10010
9781935633228, $20.00, www.atlasandco.com

Sempre Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag is a recommendation for any collection where writer Susan Sontag's works have been of interest. Author Sigrid Nunez was an aspiring writer when she met Sontag, and dated his son, moving into the apartment with them. Sontag's influence on Nunez is documented in a blend of memoir and autobiography that adds a much more personal approach to Sontag's personality and achievements than the usual scholarly study of her writings. SEMPRE SUSAN is thus essential for any well-rounded study of Sontag's works and times!

Harriet Hosmer: A Cultural Biography
Kate Culkin
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498396, $26.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Harriet Hosmer: A Cultural Biography tells of one of the turn of the century's most respected sculptors who opened the field of artistic expression to women. This explores not just her life but her times, pinpointing women's issues and surveying her work with a group of expatriate writers and artists who worked from Rome in the mid-19th century. Of particular note is analysis that more broadly includes women's rights advocates' use of art to promote their cause, and Hosmer's influence on them all.

William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com, www.harpercollins.com

Amy Ephron's LOOSE DIAMONDS... AND OTHER THINGS I'VE LOST (AND FOUND) ALONG THE WAY (9780061958748, $19.99) celebrates friendships and romance and offers keys to fortune, friendships and life's changes. It provides a fine autobiography that follows her life from childhood tough marriage and considers the ups, downs and challenges that come with modern living, celebrating friendships and memories alike and exploring all kinds of challenges in life. Any general lending library will find this a vivid, fun read! Bristol Palin's NOT AFRAID OF LIFE: MY JOURNEY SO FAR (9780062089373, $25.99) provides a fine memoir by the daughter of Sarah Palin and recounts how her life was changed by her mother's politics. She was pregnant when her mother was chosen as John McCain's Vice Presidential running mate, and NOT AFRAID OF LIFE offers personal views of her life, her relationship with her former fiancee and unexpected pregnancy, and how her faith guided her through hard times. A striking account evolves. Linda Hogan's WRESTLING THE HULK: MY LIFE AGAINST THE ROPES (9780062030207, $25.99) recounts Hogan's long marriage to wrestler Hulk Hogan, exploring the truths behind her successes and struggles and the evolution of their relationship. From their first encounter to Linda's two decades of growth as his career takes off, this reveals everything from how they built a family life and business empire to how she learned of her husband's affair with a younger woman. General-interest collections will find these memoirs of very public figures engrossing.


The Education Shelf

Philosophy of Education, third edition
Nel Noddings
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813345314, $33.00, www.westviewpress.com

Philosophy of Education returns a classic text to print in a newly updated third edition packed with philosophical thought related to teaching theory and practice. Chapters include a new chapter on multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism in teaching and provide both a history of the teaching process and an update to the evolution of educational perspectives and approaches. College-level teacher collections will find this a fine addition!

Schools for Misrule: Legal Academia and an Overlawyered America
Walter Olson
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 601, NY, NY 10003
9781594032332, $25.95, www.encounterbooks.com

Schools for Misrule: Legal Academia and an Overlawyered America blends history with commentary on corporate legal processes and analyzes the legal academic system and its influences. Legal scholars have affected academia at many different levels: SCHOOLS FOR MISRULE documents this trend, documenting dubious lawsuits and the effects of legal misrule on all kinds of systems. Society has gotten increasingly litigious in a dangerous trend - and SCHOOLS FOR MISRULE maintains the types of legal teachings in law schools is part of the problem. With its discussions of political and legal changes, this is a top pick for any concerned about legal trends in America.

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

FIVE PRACTICES FOR ORCHESTRATING PRODUCTIVE MATHEMATICS DISCUSSIONS by Margaret S. Smith and Mary K. Stein (9781452202907, $29.95) is a pick for teachers working with math students and encourages classroom discussions that teach basic math reasoning skills. More than just another title on how to teach math, it's a survey of how to instigate and direct productive discussions about math deductions and reasoning, and advocates a full-classroom approach that encourages participation beyond memorizing formulas. Any math teacher needs this! Marilyn L. Grady's LEADING THE TECHNOLOGY-POWERED SCHOOL (9781412949484, $28.95) provides a fine survey of current technology and how to integrate it into the school structure and curriculum. K-12 school principals receive keys to assessing classroom technical needs, handling cyber safety issues, creating an interdisciplinary approach, and more, and will find this essential to building a fine technology environment. Theory blends with case study histories for maximum understanding. Diana L. Stephens & Randall B. Lindsey's CULTURALLY PROFICIENT COLLABORATION - USE AND MISUSE OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS (9781412986984, $29.95) provides a fine case for recognizing professional school counselors as leaders of change. It offers keys and a framework for utilizing school counselors as change agents for results-based programs and school change, pairing case stories with activities for building educator skills as leaders and agents of such changes. Any collection strong in school leadership will welcome its proactive approach. Babette Moeller, et.al's MATH FOR ALL PARTICIPANT BOOK GRADES 3-5 (9781412995214, $38.95) outlines a mathematics professional development program for inclusive classrooms which was developed by the Education Development Center and Bank Street College of Education. From how to assess and work with student strengths and weaknesses to using specific strategies to teach math concepts, this offers real-world-tested lessons and links neurodevelopmental demands of math interactions with student abilities. Step-by-step insights on how to customize the materials make this a winner.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Servant Books
c/o St. Anthony Messenger Press
28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
www.servantbooks.org

Rebeca Vitz Cherico edits ATHEIST TO CATHOLIC: STORIES OF CONVERSION (9780867169577, $13.99) offers compelling stories of conversion by individuals who provide unique accounts of personal journeys that led them to the Catholic Church. It's first person storytelling at its best and outlines the process to conversion which proves different for each person, with the variety lending a diverse sense of discovery to any Catholic reader or collection catering to them. Julie Davis' HAPPY CATHOLIC: GLIMPSES OF GOD IN EVERYDAY LIFE (9780867169744, $14.99) comes from the author's popular blog Happy Catholic and provides quotes from popular culture and the Bible alike. Her reflections discuss what it means to be a Christian in the modern world, reflect on ideas of suffering and living a good life, and provide examples from media paired with a lively set of insights to make for a fine and fun read for any Catholic.

Not a Fan
Kyle Idleman
Zondervan
5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids. MI 49530
9780310331933, $14.99, www.zondervan.com

NOT A FAN refutes the popular idea that Americans are 'fans of Jesus': in fact, it maintains that Jesus doesn't want fans and it condemns the 'fan culture' that has become a popular way of describing Christianity. It comes from a pastor who reveals new statistics about religion in this country - and is designed to motivate Christians to consider the elements and processes of becoming a true disciple rather than a casual 'fan'. A fine pick for any Christian collection!

Zondervan
5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids. MI 49530
www.zondervan.com/books

Bryan Chapell's THE HARDEST SERMONS YOU'LL EVER HAVE TO PREACH (9780310331216, $19.99) offers pastors keys to developing sermons based on life's tragedies and difficulties, offering suggestions on how to approach different kinds of tragedies and addressing everything from issues of abortion and suicide to death from lingering illness. Sermons of other preachers serve as a fine resource guide in this highly recommended pick for any preacher's collection. John C. Lennox's SEVEN DAYS THAT DIVIDE THE WORLD: THE BEGINNING ACCORDING TO GENESIS AND SCIENCE (9780310492177, $16.99) pairs historical review with an exploration of major interpretations of the seven days presented in Genesis to consider the confusion surrounding Scripture versus science. This approach shows that Christians can be faithful to science and biblical interpretation alike, showing that Genesis offers more insights about God and creation's intention than mere focus on planetary age alone.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

A Lamp in the Darkness
Jack Kornfield
Sounds True
Box 8010, Boulder CO 80306-8010
9781604074482, $19.95, www.soundstrue.com

A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times pairs a book with a CD program packed with spiritual and psychological insights and offers in-depth tools for positive change. Spiritual and healing teachings become a program for practice and meditations that are intended to transform difficulty into positive perspectives and paths. New age and spirituality holdings alike will find this a fine synthesis of thought and action.

Religion in America
Denis Lacorne
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023-7015
9780231151009, $29.50, www.cup.columbia.edu

RELIGION IN AMERICA: A POLITICAL HISTORY comes from a French political scientist who argues that religion has played a key role in the American republic's formation because of its blend of skepticism, American pragmatism, and religious innovation over two centuries of American history. Suitable for college-level political history and religion holdings alike, RELIGION IN AMERICA provides a European's perspective of religion's evolution and influence in this country, offering analysis of the role of religion in American lives and political pursuits. A fine scholarly assessment and history, this is a recommendation for any college-level collection!


The Political Science Shelf

Three Famines
Thomas Keneally
Public Affairs
250 West 57th Street, #1321, New York, NY 10107
9781610390651, $27.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

THREE FAMINES: STARVATION AND POLITICS surveys the man-made triggers and political choices that cause famine. It's a hard-hitting consideration of how droughts and crop shortages in countries that rely on one or two staple crops result in starvation and provides a history of the three largest food shortages around the world in modern history and the political choices revolving around who to feed. Both victims and villains are covered in a fine survey of three famine experiences vastly separated by time and place but offering examples of how administrative and political incompetence have been as dangerous as crop failures. Political and social history holdings at the college level will find this comparison intriguing and worthy of classroom debate.


The Crafts Shelf

Encaustic Mixed Media
Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
1440308705, $24.99, www.fwmedia.com

Encaustic Mixed Media offers something new to the crafts shelf: the perspective that art supplies need not be limited to crafts stores. From tar and patching plaster to using clayboard or creating retro shadowboxes with miniature chairs, ENCAUSTIC MIXED MEDIA: INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND SURFACES FOR WORKING WITH WAX provides a wide range of tools and techniques perfect for that artist seeking something different.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide
James Fadiman, PhD
Park Street Press
c/o Inner Traditions
Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774027, $18.95, www.innertraditions.com

The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide provides a detailed review of visionary drugs and their use in psychotherapeutic applications and for increased personal awareness. His survey provides new uses for LSD and other psychedelics, considers common myths about them, discusses dosage and low-dose applications, and considers how psychedelic use can lead to personal breakthroughs and spiritual understanding. New age collections will find this a winner!

Meditation for Multitaskers
David Dillard-Wright, PhD
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
1440524904, $19.95, www.adamsmedia.com

Meditation for Multitaskers: Your Guide to Finding Peace Between the Pings comes with a CD of guided exercises and comes from a meditation expert who uses Eastern and Western traditions alike to bring serenity to a daily routine. It's designed for those who are over-achievers and hard workers and tells how to use these to cut the busy life and get relief, whether at the office or at home. The multifaceted approach allows this access to business people and is especially recommended for this as well as general audiences.

New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
www.newpagebooks.com

Jim Harold's CAMPFIRE: TRUE GHOST STORIES (9781601631947, $14.99) is written by the host of two popular podcast programs and provides almost six dozen ghost stories told to the author by some of his thousands of listeners. These were selected as some of the most frightening, perfect for reading in the dark, and provides a range of tales not to be found in other ghost story collections from a teen who plays with an Ouija board only to find a connection to the devil to a deceased grandfather's connection to butterflies. Any collection strong in ghost stories will find this satisfyingly diverse and different. Dr. Bob Curran's THE WORLD'S CREEPIEST PLACES (9781601631909, $15.99) provides a fine survey of the paranormal and comes from an author who visits some of these sites, examining their history, tradition and the creepy feelings they evoke in visitors. From Ireland to the Middle East, he visits and analyzes the places where people have long reported visits from the otherworld, from vampires to zombies and ghosts. General lending libraries will find this a popular pick.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

2012 North American Coins & Prices
David C. Harper, Editor, et.al.
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781440217258, $19.99, www.krausebooks.com

2012 North American Coins & Prices is a reference for any coin collector with holdings from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It packs in nearly 47,000 individual coin listings that are organized by country, denomination and date of issue, and it includes small black and white photos to aid in the identification process. This latest edition vastly updates the section on Canadian coins, revamps market prices from all three countries, and while some of the changed prices don't appear to accurately reflect true market value - particularly in Mexican coins - it does a good job of documenting the types of coins on the market. A good starting place for any coin collector.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Carmine Infantino
Jim Amash with Eric Nolen-Weathington
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490250, $26.95, www.twomorrows.com

Carmine Infantino is the artistic penciler and cover artist who helped define the characters and setting of the Silver Age of comics, helping create the modern Flash Gordon and Batman and serving as the editorial director and president of DC comics. His life, career, and pencil work is profiled in this in-depth interview covering the extent of his works and experiences in the comics industry, making this a 'must' for any collection strong in comics history.


The Military Shelf

Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
www.ospreypublishing.com

Martin Pegler's OUT OF NOWHERE: A HISTORY OF THE MILITARY SNIPER, FROM THE SHARPSHOOTER TO AFGHANISTAN (9781849086455, $14.95) provides an excellent military history and a revised edition to consider all aspects of a sniper's training, psychology, tactics, equipment and training. The major wars of modern times where snipers are profiled provide first-hand accounts from veteran snipers and does a fine job of documenting the importance of snipers in military operations. Any military library will find this packed with insights. Scott McGaugh's BATTLEFIELD ANGELS: SAVING LIVES UNDER ENEMY FIRE FROM VALLEY FORGE TO AFGHANISTAN (9781849085151, $24.95) provides the fine biography of one Jonathan Letterman, a Union surgeon during the Civil War credited with being the 'father' of American military combat medicine. He coordinated the first battlefield evacuation system, and along with others in the military developed battlefield medical techniques that saved lives. BATTLEFIELD ANGELS documents these key medical personnel and their life-saving efforts and will appeal to military and medical collections alike.


The Nautical Shelf

Paradise Cay
Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
www.paradisecay.com

Carolyn and Bob Mehaffy's CRUISING GUIDE TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, 2nd Edition (0939837730, $29.95) provides a fine cruiser's guide that's been updated and revised to offer Hawaiian cruisers all the basics. From finding anchorages and harbors - and charts that help identify and guide to each - to histories of each destination and descriptions of its current offerings, this is a top pick. Ed Bowler's CRUISING GUIDE TO SAN DIEGO BAY (0939837552, $29.95) provides a complete compilation of the latest sailing information about San Diego Bay and its harbors and includes current bay rules, charts, identification of marinas and anchorages, and lists of hotels, restaurants and other locales of interest to cruises. The latest information is presented in a top cruiser's guide for any destination-bound cruiser.


The Women's Studies Shelf

The New Latina's Bible, updated edition
Sandra Guzman
Seal Press
1700 - 4th St., Berkeley CA 94710
9781580053587, $19.95, www.sealpress.com

The New Latina's Bible: The Modern Latina's Guide to Love, Spirituality, Family and La Vida provides a fine survey offering advice on a host of topics of concern to Latina women, from family and body image to careers, and gathers the stories of modern Latina women as examples of special challenges affecting this group. The author provides an updated new edition that contains two new chapters on domestic violence, dating and depression and discusses spiritual legacy as well as social values and Latina experience. Any women's or ethic issues collection will find this filled with practical ideas and insights.


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


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