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

California Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 12 December 2012 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Nautical Shelf Computer Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Art Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Technology Shelf
Gun Shelf Self-Help Shelf Automotive Shelf
Dance Shelf Business Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Education Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Social Issues Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Military Shelf Photography Shelf Health/Medical Shelf
Psychology Shelf LGBT Shelf Science Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fiction Shelf Travel Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Biography Shelf DVD Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Music Shelf Crafts Shelf Gaming Shelf
Native American Studies Shelf California Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

The Signal and the Noise
Nate Silver
Penguin Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10014
9781594204111, $27.95, www.penguin.com

THE SIGNAL AND THE NOISE: WHY SO MANY PREDICTIONS FAIL - BUT SOME DON'T provides a lively survey of the fine art of prediction, showing how we can understand its realities and how to cull data that leads to better predictions in a noisy world of more and more information. Many predictions fail due to a lack of understanding of the processes of probability and uncertainty: while we're wired to detect signals, they may be the wrong ones, or lead us in the wrong direction. Silver here examines the successes and failures involved in forecasting - and provides insights into the latest innovative forecasters from science to the stock market. Any interested in the art of prediction will find this a winner!

Geodesign: Case Studies in Regional and Urban Planning
Shannon McElvaney
ESRI Press
380 New York Street
Redlands, CA 92378-8100
9781589483163, $19.95, www.esri.com

Geodesign: Case Studies in Regional and Urban Planning provides case studies from around the world that outline the key steps and technologies involved in geodesign, illustrating the growing need for simulating the impact of design decisions in near real time so that decision makers can meet goals and reduce costs. Libraries catering to urban planners, geographers or landscape architecture students will find this packed with ideas blending science and analysis, offering designers tools to help evaluate different designs and their impact. The result is a fine reference filled with case studies and visuals: a perfect title for any concerned about real-world geodesign applications.

Ecothrifty
Deborah Niemann
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717152, $17.95, www.newsociety.com

ECOTHRIFTY: CHEAPER, GREENER CHOICES FOR A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER LIFE is a pick for any home and garden library interested in sustainable home choices, and tells how to make greener choices while saving money. From making homemade products for cleaning and skin care to growing food and considering the pros and cons of modern appliances, ECOTHRIFTY is packed with a range of time-saving suggestions any conscientious consumer will relish.

Always Put in a Recipe and Other Tips for Living
Evelyn Birkby
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road
Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
9781609381158, $19.95, www.uiowapress.org

Always Put in a Recipe and Other Tips for Living comes from an Iowa homemaker who here pairs tales of country living with favorite stories of foods, recipes, and gatherings based around food. It's not a recipe collection per se, though recipes are included: it's more of a survey of the highlights of over sixty years of life in Iowa, and comes from an Iowa farm wife's weekly column. A fun story of Iowa culture emerges, spiced with the social and culinary encounters of the region.

50 Ways to Cure a Hangover
Cara Frost-Sharatt
Spruce
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781846014056, $5.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

50 Ways to Cure a Hangover: Weird, Wacky & Wonderful Ways for Prevention & Cure will make a fun little gift book for any who occasionally enjoy their drinks too much. Smaller than a paperback but with the durability of a hardcover, this small collection of illustrated tips and tricks to banish a hangover ranges from tested and proven formulas to strange and even funny 'solutions'. Packed with wit, irony and fun, this is a whimsical, delightful collection!

Humblebrag
Harris Wittels
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, NY, NY 10017
9781455514182, $18.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

HUMBLEBRAG: THE ART OF FALSE MODESTY covers self-congratulatory social media and comes from a comedian and writer who here provides a fun and critical survey of such actions. Here are tweets, posts, and commentary online that Wittels adds his own zany observations to enhance: "Sent my personal assistant to the liquor store with, $300 cash... I'm not sure I'd sure I'd ever come back if I were her." Wittels: You'd retire with three hundred dollars? You are terrible with money. How'd you get so rich?" Recommended for any general lending collection strong in contemporary comedy!

The Critical Pulse
Jeffrey J. Williams & Heather Steffen
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023-7015
9780231161152, $27.50, www.cup.columbia.edu

The Critical Pulse: Thirty-Six Credos by Contemporary Critics asks nearly forth leading literary and cultural critics to comment on their profession, offering credos reflecting their approaches and experiences and teaching readers how to develop their own critical voices. History, culture and social reflection provide the background for a fine set of credos that defend the approaches of criticism in modern society, commenting on literature and politics along with social change and ideals. A fine pick for any college-level collection strong in critical approaches and critical thinking.


The Nautical Shelf

Great American Schooner Yachts
Rudolph Arp
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764340891, $49.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Great American Schooner Yachts is an oversized, coffee table edition celebrating the last remaining classic schooner yachts, owners and designers, and is a fine in-depth examination for any nautical library. Here Rudolph Arp uses original plans and drawings paired with images past and present to consider the construction and history of the schooner yacht, packing in gorgeous color photos of vessels around the world and providing not just color photos of interior and exterior shots, but diagrams and drawings of rigging and construction. It's a powerful celebratory reference for any nautical collection.

Patent it Yourself
Patent Attorney David Pressman
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413317190, $49.99, www.nolo.com

For some thirty years PATENT IT YOURSELF has covered the basics of getting a patent and become the 'go to' reference of choice for inventors: here patent attorney Pressman updates his volume with the latest laws, forms, and instructions geared to preparing a patent application, evaluating a product's commercial appeal, handling infringers, and protecting rights at home and abroad. Chapters are packed with forms and the latest legal advice and represent some forty years of the author's experiences as a patent attorney. Any general legal reference collection will find this a timely, popular pick!

Logo Life
Ron van der Vlugt
BIS Publishers
Het Sieraad, Postjesweg 1
1057 DT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9789063692605, $36.95, www.bispublishers.nl

LOGO LIFE: LIFE HISTORIES OF 100 FAMOUS LOGOS is a pick for arts and business collections alike, offering a survey of brands and logos and how they evolved. The histories of some 100 logos for world-famous brands are covered, with short histories accompanying examples of the logo and the steps that went into creating a superior brand name and recognition through the logo process. Any involved in creating or working with logos will find this a fine reference.

Made in Japan
Naomi Pollock
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th floor
Nyack, NY 10960
9781858945620, $49.95, www.merrell.com

Made in Japan: 100 New Products packs in innovative, whimsical products made in Japan and surveys everything from furnishings and office equipment to gadgets, prototypes, and popular limited-edition items. All of them hold several connections: they are unusual and artistic approaches to product development, and they are designed for consumers... the Japanese consumer, in particular. The focus on artistic, innovative design processes makes for a fine survey recommended for a range of collections, from business and Japanese cultural coverages to holdings strong in artistic design innovations.


The Computer Shelf

Deploying with JRuby
Joe Kutner
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356975, $33.00, www.pragprog.com

Deploying with JRuby: Deliver Scalable Web Apps Using the JVM covers the best of JVM and Rails, teaching programmers the basics by setting up an export of an existing application to JRuby, then preparing the app for the JVM platform. It fills in a gap in using JRuby for real-world applications, from adding Trinidad extensions and using TorqueBox to choosing alternative deployment strategies, and it's a top pick for any programmer with Rails and Ruby experience who want to include JVM in their repertoire.

Head First HTML and CSS
Elisabeth Robson and Eric Freeman
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780596159900, $39.99, www.oreilly.com

Head First HTML and CSS offers a fine newly revised collection of insights on web design that features a visually rich format designed for how your brain works. This means less text, lots of images, and the latest research in cognitive science lending to a coverage designed to not just teach, but offer information easily retailed. From crossword exercises to questions such as how to make links out of images, this packs in keys to creating standards-based web pages and is a fine pick for any learner of HTML and CSS.

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

Tim Wright's LEARNING JAVASCRIPT: A HANDS-ON GUIDE TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MODERN JAVASCRIPT (9780321832740, $39.99) is a fine recommendation for web programmers and is packed with modern examples covering design-level and development-level JavaScript routines. From creating secure code and maximizing usability and accessibility to storing data, interacting with users, and communicating using Ajax, this is a fine pick that includes all code samples and answers to chapter exercises on an online website for quick and easy access, making this a fine classroom guide. Mark Bates' PROGRAMMING IN COFFEESCRIPT (9780321820105, $39.99) uses CoffeeScript to write better JavaScript code, showing the right ways to compile and execute CoffeeScript and showing the syntax, control structures, and classes key to successfully using CoffeeScript's many tools. Same page code comparisons helps pinpoint how CoffeeScript improves on JavaScript and offers key tips for better development, making this a top pick for any programmer or developer's reference library.

McGraw-Hill
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
www.mhprofessional.com

The third updated edition of Joli Ballew's HOW TO DO EVERYTHING iPAD (9780071804516, $25.00) tells how to download movies, music, TV shows, apps and more, and covers 3rd generation iPad in the course of showing how to customize and get the most out of the system. From connecting to WiFi to navigating using Maps and taking photos and videos, this is packed with powerful keys to customization and usage, and is a 'must' for any seeking more than casual direction for iPad use. Stuart McClure, CNS, CCSE, et.al.'s HACKING 7 EXPOSED: NETWORK SECURITY SECRETS & SOLUTIONS (9780071780285, $50.00) is a 'must' offering network security keys and the latest tactics for thwarting digital attacks. Case studies expose the hacker's latest methods, remedies for them, and keys to strengthening and repairing a network under attack. From minimizing persistent threats and blocking hackers to case studies involving hacking of wireless technologies and device driver exploits, this pairs real-world scenarios with keys to successful defense, and will prove a 'must' for any network administrator.

Super Scratch Programming Adventure
The Lead Project
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593274092, $24.95, www.nostarch.com

Super Scratch Programming Adventure teaches the basics of programming through the fun art of making cool games, uses an intensely visual process that packs in color screen shots and images on every page, and teaches the popular educational programming language Scratch, used by millions of first-time programming learners in classes around the world. Kids learn to drag together colorful blocks of code with the program, and quickly learn programming basics while making fun games and animations. This teaches the basics through making a playable video game, and offers a full-color comic book format to encourage learning. A fine and fun winner for all ages!

My Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Craig James Johnston
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780789749468, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com

My Samsung Galaxy Nexus provides clear, step-by-step instructions with callouts to Nexus photos that show exactly what to do to set up and run the Nexus or any other smartphone running Android 4. From setting up Google services and using hidden shortcuts to using Google Phone to save money and learning how to access music and photo files, this is packed with color and often full-page screen shots throughout and is a powerful pick for any owner of the Nexus and for Android smartphones as well.

AutoCAD 2013 3D Modeling
Munir Hamad
Mercury Learning
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420414, $41.95, www.merclearning.com

AutoCAD 2013 3D Modeling provides new and seasoned users with step-by-step procedures on creating and modifying 3D models, working with cameras and lights, and more, and uses 'mixed units' of inches, meters, feet and more to illustrate tools for using AutoCAD 2013. The companion CD holds drawing exercises and projects and is packed with small projects that take the user from concept through actual AutoCAD plotting, while drawing exercises offer problem-solving workshops that teach the basics of AutoCAD 2013 commands and functions. It's a powerful survey that packs the basics of AutoCAD with real-world examples to stimulate and teach problem solving, and stands out from the usual AutoCAD reference.


The Interior Design Shelf

English Decoration
Ben Pentreath
Ryland Peters & Small
20-21 Jockey's Fields, London WC1R 4BW, UK
9781849752664, $40.00, www.rylandpeters.com

ENGLISH DECORATION: TIMELESS INSPIRATION FOR THE CONTEMPORARY HOME comes from a London-based architectural and interior designer who provides a new survey of English style in the contemporary home, offering interior design collections a fine pairing of full-page color photos and discussions of English decoration trends. A room-by-room arrangement allows readers to make connections between examples of English decoration from different periods, while discussions of entrance halls and more provide solid keys to interior design arrangements for blending English style into one's home. A fine pick for any collection strong in contemporary interior styles.

Through the French Door
Carolyn Westbrook
Cico Books
20-21 Jockey's Fields, London WC1R 4BW, UK
9781908170798, $29.95, www.cicobooks.com

Through the French Door: Romantic Interiors Inspired by Classic French Style introduces readers to the world of designer Carolyn Westbrook, known for her love of French design and interiors. Her interest is in using French inspirations and accents to create individual style, and her book reveals the latest ideas she puts into place for changing her family home. From collecting eggs to creating a French atmosphere, this goes beyond decorating to see what truly creates an inspired home, and is a top pick for any with an affection for French style.

Mid-Century Modern
Judith Miller
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845336936, $39.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

MID-CENTURY MODERN: LIVING WITH MID-CENTURY MODERN DESIGN provides an in-depth, critical guide to one of the most exciting periods in design history and covers all designs and designers from the 1940s to the 1960s. From Scandinavian furniture to the history of innovations contributing to this style, MID-CENTURY MODERN comes packed with some five hundred photos and discussions of production materials and methods, and is a recommendation for any interior design, home and garden or arts library.

Sourcebook of Scandinavian Furniture
Judith Gura
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393733877, $60.00, www.wwnorton.com

Sourcebook of Scandinavian Furniture: Designs for the 21st Century gathers over five hundred full-color illustrations of the best modern furniture from the Nordic countries known as Scandinavia, and is a strong pick for interior design collections. It selects and features modern designs that are the heart of the "Scandinavian modern" style, providing the first North American summary of modern design in this region in more than two decades. This fact alone makes Sourcebook of Scandinavian Furniture a solid reference: add in the numerous full color photos representing works from over seventy producers, detailed product specs and sources, and biographies of key Nordic designers and you have an outstanding reference, not to be missed by any with an interest in Scandinavia and its interior design arts.

The Life of a Bowerbird
Sibella Court
HarperDesign
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022-5299
9780062236852, $40.00, www.harpercollins.com

THE LIFE OF A BOWERBIRD: CREATING BEAUTIFUL INTERIORS WITH THE THINGS YOU COLLECT is a recommended pick for home and garden and collector's shelves alike, offering a key to how to incorporate collectible things into a home interior. A Bowerbird is an Australian bird that decorates its nest with found objects, and so its title is assumed for a fine collection that comes from an avid collector. From Sibella's own collections and research from her travels, this pairs lovely photos by her brother Chris, a renowned food and interior design photographer, with a reference that helps explain decorating styles and themes. Very highly recommended, this is filled with inspiration and tips on how to best display a collection or theme.


The Art Shelf

In My View
Simon Grant
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500238967, $40.00, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

IN MY VIEW: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON ART BY TODAY'S LEADING ARTISTS provides artworks from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century, images of the work by the selecting modern artist, and individual reflections on figures from art history. It's a collection of inspirational works that reside in many a modern artist's studio, offering both famous and lesser-known works and providing stories that show how artistic inspiration becomes connected and leads to challenges and growth when one artist closely examines the works of another. Black and white and color images abound in a reflection perfect for any collection strong in modern art.

Barbara Rogers: The Imperative of Beauty
Paul Ivey, et.al.
Hudson Hills Press
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953478, $60.00, www.hudsonhills.com

Barbara Rogers: The Imperative of Beauty deserves ongoing recommendation for any art library, providing the first documentation of her life and work and following her earliest influences and education. It places her work and achievements in perspective of women working in the arts in the later part of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, documenting the changes in and influences upon her style and placing her achievements in historical context of the arts world in general. The result is a key survey for any collection strong in arts or women's achievements.

The Complete Engraver
Nancy Sharon Collins
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003
9781616890674, $29.95, www.papress.com

The Complete Engraver: Monograms, Crests, Ciphers, Seals, and the Etiquette of Social Stationary is an outstanding survey of the art and use of engraved stationary and pairs a history of the social etiquette of engraving with a survey of its new visual opportunities. Lovely original examples of social stationary, calling cards, and monograms compliment the overview and an artistic section covering the mechanics of the engraving process, making this a unique recommendation for any arts holding.

Pop!
Geoffrey Rayner, et.al.
ACC Editions
6 West 18th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10011
Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge
Suffolk, United Kingdom, IP12 4SD
www.accdistribution.com
9781851496907, $59.95, www.americancollectorsclub.com

Pop! Design Culture Fashion 1956-1976 provides arts collections with a strong survey of the impact of art, music and personality on the development of design and fashion, and comes packed with full-page color illustrations in a fine oversized presentation. From the ephemeral products of pop culture design and fashion to pop art's evolution into and influence upon everyday life, this offers a wider-reaching span of analysis than competitors - some twenty years of pop culture history and art - and also offers unique, original photos of the artifacts from the era. Collector and arts holdings alike will find this a winner!

Glittering Images
Camille Paglia
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780375424601, $30.00, www.pantheonbooks.com

Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art from Egypt of Star Wars considers Western art's evolution and uses over two dozen seminal images, some famous and some obscure or unknown, from paintings and architecture to digital art and even performance pieces, that have transformed our visual world. Close analysis blends with background information that places each selected artist and work in historical context, offering a cultural critic's survey of Western art's most defining moments. Any arts collection and many a general-interest lending library will find this a top pick!

Dinosaur Art
Steve White
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857685841, $34.95, www.titanbooks.com

Dinosaur Art: The World's Greatest Paleoart is a fine collection of the works of ten top paleoartists (an illustrator who specializes in reconstructing ancient animals and their world) and pairs lovely full-page color images with the latest paleontology. Dinosaur enthusiasts and science illustrators will find this packed with lovely images that collects some of the top dinosaur art under one cover. While any arts holding will want a copy, Dinosaur Art is also a recommended pick for science holdings and provides a fine collection of some of the greatest hits in the dinosaur art world: all packaged in a fine, oversized coffee table display piece.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Color Atlas of Veterinary Histology, third edition
William J. Bacha, Jr. & Linda M. Bacha
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780470958513, $104.99, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Color Atlas of Veterinary Histology appears in its third updated edition to help students with a foundation in interpreting histologic preparations, focusing on the normal histology of eight common domestic species and revising this edition with new images, updated information, and more. Chapters have been expanded to offer basic coverage of tissue types while over 900 photomicrographs provide veterinary and vet technician students with a basic pictorial reference for interpreting histologic data. The revisions provide the latest information while a DVD with an interactive histology atlas offers zoom capability and more study review questions, making this a 'must' for any college-level collection appealing to veterinary students.

Historie Des Oiseaux
Francois Nicolas Mertinet
H. F. Ullmann
c/o 60 Cycle Media Relations LLC
38 High Avenue, Nyack NY 10960
www.ullmann-publishing.com
9783833161780, $69.99, www.ullmann-publishing.com

Historie Des Oiseaux comes from an illustrator who first made his hand-colored lithographs to identify various species: they became one of the classic works of ornithology in the late 1800s, achieving a status that crossed over from science to art fields. Over 200 bird species are documented in one volume, with accompanying discussions by Antoine Reille placing them in scientific and social perspective. The illustrations are provided in full-page, striking color capturing all the detail and depth of Mertinet's talents and providing gorgeous birds throughout. While this is a top pick for any bird-oriented holding, it shouldn't be missed by any arts library strong in the art and history of scientific illustration, either.

Not Fit for a Dog!
Michael W. Fox, et.al.
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
9781610351492, $16.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

Not Fit for a Dog! The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Food analyzes what really goes into modern manufactured dog and cat food and is a 'must' for any pet owner interested in nutritionally sound animal foods. Three vets here combine their expertise to provide an in-depth survey of the entire pet food industry and its products, revealing how it's turned the recycling of human food and agricultural wastes into a big business that doesn't necessarily reflect the dietary needs and health of animals. Any interested in everything from pet nutrition to pet food labels and what ingredients to avoid will find this a fine and in-depth survey, recommended for any general library appealing to pet owners.

Dog is My Copilot
Patrick Regan
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449407605, $16.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

DOG IS MY COPILOT: RESCUE TALES OF FLYING DOGS, SECOND CHANGES, AND THE HERO WHO MIGHT LIVE NEXT DOOR offers over twenty real-life rescue stories collected from pilots and their animal-rescue counterparts, and tells of the Pilots N Paws rescues which has transported thousands of shelter animals from death to safety. The program connects animal rescuers with pilots who donate their time and aircraft to transport them to parts of the country with a higher chance of adoption. Any library strong in heartwarming animal stories will find this inviting.

Underwater Dogs
Seth Casteel
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316227704, $19.99, www.littlebrown.com

UNDERWATER DOGS gathers Seth Casteel's lovely dog photos under one cover, presenting photos which originally stormed the Internet and packed in some 150 million views on social media sites. Each full-page color dog photo is vibrant and packed with joy and fun, offering fine and funny images that are perfect for dog lovers who want a bit of fun. From leaping labs to diving dachshunds, this will make a delightful and uniquely fun gift for any who love dog photos.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Sweet N Sassy Templates: Diamond Quilts
Phyllis Anderson
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781933726159, $27.95, www.landauerpub.com

Sweet N Sassy Templates: Diamond Quilts provides new techniques to create diamond-shaped blocks, and tells how to produce the perfect diamond in three sizes for both large and miniature quilts. Twelve quilt projects are included in a guide packed with large photos, step-by-step diagrams and drawings, color examples of finished results, and even a web-available video showing how to use the book's templates. It's a fine survey perfect for any quilter's collection.

Santa's Loading Dock Quilt
Mary Buvia
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600339, $26.95, www.americanquilter.com

Santa's Loading Dock Quilt provides quilting patterns for over 90 individual applique patterns and tells how to make holiday-themed pillows, guest towels, and even sweatshirts and sweaters. Hand or machine applique artists will find this packed with Christmas appeal and tons of ideas for holiday decorating and celebrating using easy appliques that are quick to create and apply. There are plenty of holiday needlework books on the market: having one devoted exclusively to applique makes this a winner.

The Pattern Making Primer
Jo Barnfield and Andrew Richards
Barrons
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438000831, $23.99, www.barronseduc.com

The Pattern Making Primer teaches all the basics about designing, adapting and customizing sewing patterns, and provides a strong resource for pattern making that shows how to develop patterns that handle seams, notches, fabric, and more. From rub-off drafting techniques to pockets and linings, this is packed with step-by-step processes for designing and developing successful patterns for all kinds of purposes, and is a top recommendation for any needlework reference collection.

Best Wall Quilts
McCall's
Martingale
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604682069, $24.99, www.shopmartingale.com

BEST WALL QUILTS: EASY PATTERNS FOR YEAR-ROUND DECORATING provides a fine survey on adding warmth to home projects, and features some fourteen home-oriented projects from designers ranging from Cindy Lammon to Renee Peterson. A range of fabrics and styles are offered in a step-by-step set of instructions and illustrations for patchwork and applique wall quilts alike, complimenting patterns with vivid color. Any collection strong in wall quilting opportunities will find this a winning guide.

Sock Yarn Studio
Carol J. Sulcoski
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781454702856, $19.95, www.larkcrafts.com

Sock Yarn Studio: Hats, garments, and Other Projects Designed for Sock Yarn features patterns from Wendy D. Johnson, Franklin Habit and more, and is a top recommendation for any who want sock alternatives to use up different skeins of yarn. Over twenty projects in this book cover wraps, mittens and hats and encourage using a vast array of yarns for knitting and crafts. Any knitter who wants to work with finer yarns not ordinarily associated with sock projects will find this a winner!

The Essential Edgings Collection
Nicky Epstein
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016-8810
9781936096473, $29.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

Nicky Epstein's The Essential Edgings Collection: 500 of her Favorite Original Borders comes from a famous knitwear designer who pairs lovely photos of some five hundred designs from her various popular knitting books with a wide range of ruffles, ribs, cords, twists, appliques and other finishing elements that can be applied to necklines, cuffs, closures and more. Knitters of all experience levels will find this packed with step-by-step color photos illustrating every piece of the production method, making this a top pick for any knitting collection.

Crochet Noro
Michelle Bredeson, Editor
SixthandSpring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301
New York, NY 10013
9781936096480, $24.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

CROCHET NORO: 30 DAZZLING DESIGNS presents some thirty designs from a range of top designers who provide patterns and instructions for everything from a mohair motif blanket to a miniskirt and hats. These use different yarns and patterns to offer something new for crocheters and comes from Noro, the source for creative yarns filled with color and unusual textures. Any seeking a gift for an avid crocheter who wants something different and unique will find the color photos and directions in CROCHET NORO to be attractive and intriguing.

Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs
Edie Eckman
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603429733, $19.95, www.storey.com

Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs: Creative Techniques for Joining Motifs of All Shapes includes over a hundred new motif designs and fine keys to arranging and connecting crochet pieces. Lay-flat hardcover binding lends to both use and shelving, while color photos accompany black and white patterns to supplement step-by-step keys to creation using the abbreviations common in all crochet instruction guides. A fine guide for any crochet artist looking for motifs that connect shapes.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania
Tracey Miller-Zarneke
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781781164150, $34.95, www.titanbooks.com

The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania celebrates the design and making of the movie and is written by the author of The Art of How to Train Your Dragon. Packed with color images, it includes over 400 pieces of concept art, character designs, digital art, and interviews and covers all details of the animated film's creation. With its focus on the film's creation and its insights on animation film as a whole, this is a top pick for any film collection strong in either film art or animation insights.

The Art and Making of Paranorman
Jed Alger
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452110929, $40.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

The Art and Making of Paranorman is the latest film from animation company LAIKA, who engineered Coraline, and provides a powerful story of oddball kid Norman, whose talent of talking to the dead has angered his father and made him the butt of too many jokes in town. But when supernatural witches and zombies threaten the town as an evil is awakened, it's ultimately Norman who comes to the rescue. This title documents the special effects, characters, and making of the film providing film fans with color scripts, set photos, puppets, textile details and more, and is a pick for any film holding strong in animation science. It's packed with fine color photos and a step-by-step survey of the making of the film, and will prove a lasting pick for any collection strong in animation art.

Math Goes to the Movies
Burkard Polster and Marty Ross
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421404844, $35.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Math Goes to the Movies belongs in film and science holdings alike, is based on the authors' own collection of over 700 mathematical movies, and comes packed with illustrations from screenshots to the movies themselves, exploring the presence and presentation of math in film. From Mel Gibson teaching Euclidean geometry to Abbott and Costell's bogus math and the movie 'It's My Turn', which detailed a complicated mathematical process, MATH GOES TO THE MOVIES comes packed with math and film insights alike, and is recommended for a wide audience.

Filmmaking for Change
Jon Fitzgerald
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931217, $29.95, www.mwp.com

Filmmaking for Change: Make Films That Transform the World is a top pick for any film or video reference collection, and shows artists how to produce movies that matter. Social change and ethics can be captured in film to make a profound impact in society: this book addresses the special approaches and techniques of filmmaking for social issues, covering everything from pre-production budgets and marketing using social networks and film festivals to handling shooting schedules. The practical specifics on distribution and effective marketing make this a winning pick for any filmmaker or collection catering to them.

Two Billion Eyes
Ying Zhu
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10013
9781595584649, $27.95, www.thenewpress.com

TWO BILLION EYES: THE STORY OF CHINA CENTRAL TELEVISION is a key acquisition for any college-level collection strong in Chinese current affairs or film and TV history and culture, and it provides candid interviews with CCTV's senior executives, investigative journalists, and more as well as providing China expert Ying Zhu's perspective on Chinese media culture. It's an inside account of the men, women and politics and culture that affect Chinese TV, and is a key acquisition for any who would understand modern Chinese culture and television.

The Art of Rise of the Guardians
Ramin Zahed
Insight Editions
PO Box 3088, San Rafael, CA 94912
9781608871087, $40.00, www.insighteditions.com

The Art of Rise of the Guardians outlines a Dreamworks film in which North, Bunny, Tooth and Sandy recruit Jack Frost to help them stop Pitch from putting an end to childhood belief. It's based on the children's book series by William Joyce and provides an exciting mythical adventure, and this collection packs in storyboards, character designs, and details on Dreamworks' animation process, including commentary from the director, producers and crew. Chapters cover the specific making of sequences and final versions and are packed with full-page color throughout, making this a powerful pick for any animation or film collection; especially those strong in Dreamworks coverages.


The Technology Shelf

Introduction to Infrared and Electro-Optical Systems, second edition
Ronald G. Driggers, et.al.
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781608071005, $179.00, www.artechhouse.com

The second updated edition of Introduction to Infrared and Electro-Optical Systems provides a current, detailed treatment of infrared and electro-optical systems revised to provide updates and new coverage of important areas, from integrated spatial frequency to weapons of terrorism. As such it's a comprehensive reference for any electrical engineering library, showing professionals the formulas and requirements to achieve a successful imaging system analysis and providing steps key to developing accurate performance metrics. The result is an outstanding and intricately detailed reference that will attract repeat consultation.


The Gun Shelf

The Total Gun Manual
David E. Petzal & Phil Bourjally
Weldon Owen
415 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
9781616284329, $39.95, www.weldonowen.com

The Total Gun Manual: 335 Essential Shooting Tips and Techniques provides all the basics of gun selection and usage, and belongs in any collection strong in hunting and arms. It offers field-tested tips on shooting game, staying safe in the home, shooting more accurately, and more, and is endorsed by the mighty brand of Field and stream, which lends its support for an all-inclusive book by writers of The Gun Nuts blog. A fine and extensively illustrated reference for any collection where hunting or home safety is of interest.


The Self-Help Shelf

Snap
Patti Wood
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781577319399, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

SNAP: MAKING THE MOST OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS, BODY LANGUAGE & CHARISMA covers the science on how we form 'snap' impressions and translates these impressions into information that can be used for job interviews, sales calls, personal interactions and even telephone conversations, and is a pick for business and personal improvement collections alike. From body language and dating to technological communications, this teaches readers how to draw important connections between likeability and attractiveness, and how to make the best possible impression to tailor the 'snaps' of others.


The Automotive Shelf

How to Fabricate Automotive Fiberglass & Carbon Fiber Parts
Daniel Burrill with Jeffrey Zurschmeide
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781934709986, $29.95, www.cartechbooks.com

How to Fabricate Automotive Fiberglass & Carbon Fiber Parts comes from authors who explain the basics of fabricating popular exterior and interior parts and walks car handymen through the process of using fiberglass, carbon fiber, and composite materials to construct a variety of automotive parts for all kinds of cars. From building basic molds to laying up fiberglass parts and finishing parts, this offers a range of fabrication and repair projects and covers all stages or repairing or building functional fiberglass parts. A 'must' for any serious automotive collection!


The Dance Shelf

The Dance Bible
Camille LeFevre
Barrons
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764165276, $22.99, www.barronseduc.com

THE DANCE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE RESOURCE FOR ASPIRING DANCERS provides a fine, comprehensive guide to dance for beginners who are unsure about where to start out. From locating training programs and information about basic dance techniques to ideas for developing a personal style and advice on physical conditioning and health concerns, this provides an assessment of the dance industry, offers tips and tricks to get ahead in competition, and packs everything in a reference that has lay-flat binding for quick and easy reference.


The Business Shelf

Double Entry
Jane Gleeson-White
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393088960, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com

Double Entry: How the Merchants of Venice Created Modern Finance provides a new popular history about the development of accounting, revealing the startling background of accounting techniques that permeate modern financial thinking to this day. From modern finance's roots in 7,000 B.C. and the development of written marks to track financial transactions to Renaissance changes and Pacioli's new method of bookkeeping, this is a lively and well detailed financial history survey recommended for business and general history holdings alike.

Pinterest for Business
Jess Loren and Ed Swiderski
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780789749925, $21.99, www.quepublishing.com

Pinterest for Business: How to Pin Your Company to the Top of the Hottest Social Media Network provides a complete guide to profiting from Pinterest and teaches the basics of driving sales from Pinterest. Chapters quickly explain how it works, how businesses can use it, and how to get started, pairing real-world case studies with specifics on choosing the best approach for a given business or industry. Novices to Pinterest will get up and running quickly with this handbook, which covers everything from targeting customers to 'pinning' within Pinterest's category structure.

Conscious Money
Patricia Aburdene
Atria
c/o Beyond Words Publishing
20827 NW Cornell Road, Suite 500
Hillsboro, OR 97124
9781582702926, $16.00, www.amazon.com

CONSCIOUS MONEY: LIVING, CREATING, AND INVESTING WITH YOUR VALUES FOR A SUSTAINABLE NEW PROSPERITY provides a fine survey of conscious investment strategies for personal finance collections that would understand sustainable wealth and the links between personal fulfillment and money. From identifying unique personal values and common barriers between ideals and business success to using conscious shopping to express these values, this is a powerful guide for any personal finance, business or general lending library.

SOA with REST
Thomas Erl, et.al.
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780137012510, $49.99, www.informit.com/ph

SOA WITH THE REST: PRINCIPLES, PATTERNS & CONSTRAINTS FOR BUILDING ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS WITH REST adds to the Prentice Hall Service Technology Series and provides a powerful, in-depth survey of REST, a system of service compositions that changes as new opportunities arise. IT architects and business managers looking at service orientation and the opportunities afforded by the architectural style of REST will find this an excellent collection of service-oriented patterns perfect for applying to real-world issues. This would've been featured in our Computer Shelf section but is reviewed here for its interest to any IT business manager interested in clarifying SOA and REST functions.

The Connected Company
Dave Gray
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449319052, $24.99, www.oreilly.com

The Connected Company tells companies how to overcome the phenomenon whereby customers connected by the Internet and social networking can make or break a business brand name entirely by their experience. It's all about engaging with workers, partners and customers and changing how work is done and how success is measured - and it requires a different way of thinking about both company structure and interactions with customers. Chapters examine how successful companies are networking and using connectivity to maximum advantage, offering business readers fine keys to connectivity success. A top pick for any business collection!

Producing Prosperity
Gary P. Pisano and Willy C. Shih
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422162882, $27.00, www.hbr.org/books

Producing Prosperity: Why American Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance comes from two Harvard Business School professors who show the consequences of years of poor sourcing decisions and underinvestment in American manufacturing, showing how today's operations require companies to reinvest in new products and developments in order to keep the U.S. a thriving world force. Only by putting money and attention into U.S. manufacturing can a global competitive edge be regained, and Producing Prosperity tells how, outlining major changes in business and political circles and showing how company choices are the real key to lasting change. A 'must' for any collection strong in American business growth and global competition.

Face2Face
David Lee King
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9780910965996, $24.95, www.infotoday.com

FACE2FACE: USING FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS TO CREATE GREAT CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS goes beyond Facebook and Twitter to show how a wide range of Web 2.0 tools can be used to start conversations and 'humanize' an business structure. From using photos and video to make such connections to understanding communities and blogs, this uses real examples of successful business/personal connections and explains how listening, tone, and a human-centered site design can lend to better customer attraction and engagement. A fine pick for any business looking to improve their Internet customer interactions!

Renegades Write the Rules
Amy Jo Martin
Jossey-Bass
c/o Wiley Trade Publishing Group
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9781118340516, $26.95, www.josseybass.com

Renegades Write the Rules: How the Digital Royalty Use Social Media to INNOVATE comes from the founder and CEO of Digital Royalty who shares her insights into how to continuously deliver value in a social media atmosphere. From being more aggressive and following eight Renegade Rules for lucrative digital influence to following tricks by the brand-name leaders, this outlines the basics of how to be heard, how to involve customers, and how to entertain and inform while building a brand or selling product. It's a fine guide to re-thinking business approaches to build a better digital brand, and is a 'must' for any business holding.

Mash Up!
Ian Sanders and David Sloly
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749465902, $19.95, www.koganpage.com

MASH UP! HOW TO USE YOUR MULTIPLE SKILLS TO GIVE YOU AN EDGE, MAKE MONEY AND BE HAPPIER provides a fine, essential guidebook to living life on several levels and tells how to mash-up skills and interests by picking business ideas that support each other. Interviews and profiles with business people in all walks of life who are following this philosophy to great success make for a fine collection of insights into how to combine different skills and interests for maximum personal and business impact. It's a fine pick for any business holding.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Fresh Air
Chris Hodges
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414371252, $19.99, www.tyndale.com

FRESH AIR: TRADING STALE SPIRITUAL OBLIGATION FOR A LIFE-ALTERING, ENERGIZING, EXPERIENCE-IT-EVERYDAY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD comes from a pastor and a cofounder of the Association of Related Churches, and provides a lively survey revealing how breath - the breath of God - is the essence of life and can benefit from spiritual analysis. It offers 'breathing lessons' for those who wish to breathe better and improve their connections with God in the process, and provides a fine survey of using everyday basic experience as part of the entire connection process. Highly recommended for any spirituality collection!

Deep & Wide
Andy Stanley
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780340494843, $24.99, www.zondervan.com

DEEP AND WIDE: CREATING CHURCHES UNCHURCHED PEOPLE LOVE TO ATTEND is an acquisition for church leers and offers a detailed examination of North Point Community Church and its strategy for creating churches unchurched people love. The focus is on creating meaningful and attractive weekend experiences so helpful that even skeptics are interested: chapters focus on the church's spiritual formation model and discuss the key ingredients for creating an engaged local congregation. Any church pastor needs this!

Tasting Heaven on Earth
Walter D. Ray
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802866639, $28.00, www.eerdmans.com

Tasting Heaven on Earth: Worship in Sixth-Century Constantinople offers descriptions of worship, documentation of worship practices of the times, examples of sermons, discussions of worship settings and more in a fine survey joining a documentary series of case studies of specific worshiping communities around the world. Any scholarly Christian collection will find this a fine survey which packs in photos of liturgical icons and manuscripts with drawings and firsthand accounts of worship by Maximus the Confessor and more. An excellent, scholarly survey!

Adam God's Beloved
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759949, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Adam God's Beloved provides Henri J.M. Nouwen's final book sharing the spiritual lessons he learned from a disabled young man who could not speak or move without assistance, and is a powerful survey that tells how Adam led Nouwen to a new understanding of faith. Through Adam's story he found a new way to tell God's story of Jesus in an account completed only weeks before his own death. This powerful, personal account is a top pick for any spirituality holding.

Pursuing Peace: A Christian Guide to Handling Our Conflicts
Robert D. Jones
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
9781433530135, $14.99, www.crossway.org

Pursuing Peace: A Christian Guide to Handling Our Conflicts offers Christians a fine, specific guide to resolving relational conflict, and provides a clear, step-by-step process to achieving peace in all aspects of life. The teachings are based on Biblical teachings, are Christ-centered in structure and content, and offer proven results gained by a pastor and teacher who has counseled couples, churches and Christian schools alike using these techniques. The result is a wide-ranging recommendation not just for individuals, but for any Christian leader who wants to learn Bible-based methods for conflict resolution and change.


The Cookbook Shelf

IPA Brewing Techniques, Recipes, and the Evolution of India Pale Ale
Mitch Steele
Brewers Association
P.O. Box 1679, Boulder, CO 80306
9781938469008, $24.95, www.brewersassociation.org

IPA Brewing Techniques, Recipes, and the Evolution of India Pale Ale is a 'must' for any collection strong in beer brewing recipes and history, narrowing its focus to the production and evolution of the India Pale Ale style of beer. IPA is one of craft brewing's most popular styles: here are nearly fifty recipes from historical brews to the popular modern IPAs produced by Russian River Brewing Company and more, along with details on the production of IPA around the world, the evolution of ingredients and brewing techniques, and standards for judging the IPA result. Serious brewers MUST have this: there's nothing like it on the market!

Japanese Farm Food
Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449418298, $35.00, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Japanese Farm Food is a perfect pick for those who haunt farmer's markets and for home cooks seeking surprisingly easy Japanese vegetable dishes, and is a fine pick that pairs lovely color photos by Kenji Miura with such savory delights as Egg Custard Squares with Crab and Spinach, Tomato Wedges Drizzled with Soy Sauce, and Deep-Fried Ginger Chicken. It's a compendium of eye-catching delights not to be located in competing Japanese cookbooks, making this a unique and detailed recommendation for any Asian cookbook collection.

The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2013
Editors of America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen
9781836493302, $35.00, www.cookscountry.com

The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2013 packs in recipes tested by America's test kitchen, and is a fine pick for any who find these annual collections packed with foolproof new ideas. Every year favorite recipes are profiled in this collection of the top recipes tested for the Kitchen's books, magazines and TV shows - and 2013 is no exception, blending a range of recipes from quick family-friendly dishes to regional classics. Full-page color photos pepper a gathering of fine articles and dishes that lend to superior results, making for a top pick for any general cookbook collection.

Simply Sensational Cookies
Nancy Baggett
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470278680, $29.99, www.wiley.com

SIMPLY SENSATIONAL COOKIES: BRIGHT FRESH FLAVORS, NATURAL COLORS & EASY, STREAMLINED TECHNIQUES is a different kind of cookie cookbook, and deserves a place on any dessert cookbook shelf. It packs in over 200 recipes from no-bake cookies to complex baking projects, provides updated versions of traditional cookies, and includes recipes reflecting the latest cookie-baking trends and natural ways of enhancing flavor, aroma and texture. There are one-bowl mixing methods, natural decorating options, and a section on extra-easy cookies as well as some gluten-free baking ideas, making for a colorful and sensational pick for any baker's collection.

Saltie: A Cookbook
Caroline Fidanza, et.al.
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452103020, $25.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

Saltie: A Cookbook pairs lovely color photos by Gentl & Hyers with the story of three women chefs and friends inspired by Moby Dick to open a sandwich shop and bakery. More than just a recipe collection, it pairs coverage of their story, from friendships to fascination with the foods in the classic, with personal stories of how the chefs fell in love with particular ingredients. From a Papi Romesco (soft scrambled eggs, potatoes, peppers and romesco) to adult cookie-chips, this is packed with savory and sweet delights any cook will relish.

Primal Cuts
Marissa Guggiana
Welcome Books
6 West 18th Street, 4th Floor, NY, NY, 10011
9781599621159, $40.00, www.welcomebooks.com

Primal Cuts: Cooking With America's Best Butchers has been revised and updated for modern times and is a top recommendation for any collection catering to serious chefs working with meat. Diagrams, step-by-step photos, and recipes cover everything form hot dogs to charcuterie, packing in tips on handling, cutting, working with and cooking with a wide range of meats. The latest philosophies and trade secrets of meat cutting are included in a cookbook that even offers an entire section on hamburgers. It also includes chapters on cooking with conventional and unconventional cuts and how to talk to butchers. Highly recommended as an exceptional meat cookery title!

The Art of the Wedding Cake
Mary Anne Pirro
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764339240, $29.99, www.schifferbooks.com

The Art of the Wedding Cake packs in over three hundred images to illustrate a delicious variety of cakes, focusing on various options and ideas for decorating a cake to match the wedding event. A glossary of cake decoration terms blends with keys to choosing a cake designer and insights on a myriad of decorating possibilities, from elegant traditional designs to innovations embedding nature and themes into the cake presentation. The result is a powerful collection of decorating ideas and methods that will lend to any wedding plans and is especially recommended for general lending libraries strong in wedding planning.

This Is A Cookbook
Max Sussman & Eli Sussman
Olive Press
c/o Weldon Owen, Inc.
415 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
9781616282141, $23.00, www.weldonowen.com

This Is A Cookbook: Recipes for Real Life is for any reliant on fast food and frozen dinners, and provides a fine collection of appealing food that's a big improvement on frozen or microwaved fare. From Grilled Whole Chicken and Pork Chops with Apple Chutney to Butter Poached Cod with Herb Salad, this packs in quick, delicious recipes and color photos which sound like hours-long gourmet fare, but actually are quickly produced with a minimum of ingredients. Any who tire of bachelor fare and want something elegant yet simple will find this packed with appealing recipes and variations on themes.

The Rest of the Best and More
Firefly Books
Robert Rose
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778802082, $29.95, www.robertrose.ca

The Rest of the Best and More gathers the Best of Bridge cookbooks in a handy spiral-bound hardcover perfect for either lay-flat consultation or on-shelf location. Each is packed with innovations and colorful dishes, from Roasted Salmon with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette to Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Squares. It also joins a companion BEST OF THE BEST AND MORE (9780778802990, $29.95), but stands alone as a fine collection of winning dishes from one of the most successful brand names in Canadian cookbook publishing, recommended for any culinary collection.

The Dead Celebrity Cookbook Presents Christmas in Tinseltown
Robert Mitchum
Health Communications Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757317002, $17.95, www.hcibooks.com

The Dead Celebrity Cookbook Presents Christmas in Tinseltown: Celebrity Recipes and Hollywood Memories from Six Feet Under the Mistletoe is packed with delicious recipes and fun pop culture reflections, pays tribute to various classic holiday movies and scenarios, and pairs food with fun spoofs, such as "Miracle Whip on 34th Street" and "Munch of the Wooden Soldiers". With a blend of Hollywood and tradition readers will find fun such dishes as Burl Ives's Stuffed Leg of Goat Hawaiian and Shirley Booth's Pumpkin Bread, and will find the blend of holiday recipes and movie personalities to be an attractive pairing. Any culinary collection also strong in movies and film trivia will find this a delicious read!

Crust: From Sourdough, Spelt, and Rye Bread
Richard Bertinet
Kyle Books
67-69 Whitfield Street, London, W1T 4HF, UK
9781906868819, $22.95, www.kylecathie.co.uk

Crust: From Sourdough, Spelt, and Rye Bread offers a new bread book profiling author Richard Bertinet's simple approach to homemade baking. Cuisines and chef contributions from around the world contribute to an unusual bread-baking guide that includes such dishes as a Thai flatbread packed with chilies, ginger and lime juice in the dough, or a homemade sourdough replete with flavor and perfect texture. The technique is markedly different, the dough is wetter - and the outcome better than most sourdough or bread-baking cookbooks would provide, while the accompanying DVD walks you through all the techniques and leaves no margin for error. Highly recommended for any who would absorb a different approach to artisan bread-making.

Standard Baking Co. Pastries
Alison Pray and Tara Smith
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
9781608931842, $29.95, www.downeast.com

Standard Baking Co. Pastries comes from one of the best bakeries in Maine (so designated by Travel & Leisure magazine) and provides the bakery's secrets to some of its signature dishes. Standard fans and newcomers receive color photos paired with nearly two hundred pages of baked goods; many developed by the authors themselves from their world travels - such as Chocolate Corks, which originated from their French experiences. From a Triple Chocolate Cake to Molasses Spice Cookies, it's packed with variety and flavor and will compliment any baker's collection.

Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead & Freeze Cookbook
Jessica Fisher
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
9781558327566, $16.95, www.harvardcommonpress.com

Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead & Freeze Cookbook provides a fine freezer cookbook that avoids the usual rigid patterns of traditional make-aheads. The basic premise is that anyone can make and preserve about two weeks' worth of delicious home-cooked meals in a few hours: the basics of make-ahead-and-freeze come to life in makeover versions of frozen dinners many mothers relied on in past decades. Some 200 recipes for breakfasts, lunches and dinners include fish, shellfish and vegetarian main courses and tell how best to use the freezer for maximum flavor and results.

The Latin Road Home
Jose Garces
Lake Isle Press
2095 Broadway Suite 301
New York, NY 10023
9781891105494, $35.00, www.lakeislepress.com

The Latin Road Home: Savoring the Foods of Ecuador, Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru blends a travelogue with a literary memoir and considers a range of Latin food influences that led the author to become a chef. Different cultures from different continents influence such creations as Braised Rabbit, Shrimp and Lobster Rice Stew, Roasted Squash Soup with Crab and Zucchini, and Quesadillas with Peppery Greens and Black Beans. Color photos abound, while the recipes are filled with flavor, color, and easy directions any home cook can follow.

Fix-It & Forget-It PINK Cookbook
Phyllis Pellman Good
Good Books
PO Box 419, Intercourse, PA, 17534
9781561487738, $24.95, www.goodbooks.com

Fix-It & Forget-It PINK Cookbook packs in some 700 slow-cooker recipes and provides a special edition of the familiar New York Times best-selling cookbook that includes a 'pink' section filled with stories, photos and recipes from breast cancer survivors. One dollar from every 'Pink' cookbook sold goes to benefit the Avon Foundation for Women's Breast Cancer Crusade. It's a great fundraising edition that includes recipes for all kinds of dishes, from appetizers and main dishes to vegetables, desserts and even beverages, and offers delicious recipes to support an important cause. Cookbook holdings will find its recipes appealing to any general-interest slow cooker.

The Gluten-Free Table
Jilly Lagasse and Jessie Lagasse Swanson
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, NY, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781455516889, $25.99, www.grandcentrallifeandstyle.com

The Gluten-Free Table: The Lagasse Girls Share Their Favorite Meals provides a fine survey offering recipes that feature family favorites, Southern classics, and more, and is a pick for any who would cook a gluten-free meal filled with traditional Southern comfort foods. From Sweet n Sticky Chicken Wingettes and Jalapeno and Cheddar Cornbread to Grilled Halloumi and Watermelon Salad, this is packed with color photos and appealing dishes perfect for any who want to expand their gluten-free cooking repertoire without investing in exotic or hard-to-find ingredients.

The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook
Tom Douglas and Shelley Lance
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062183743, $35.00, www.harpercollins.com

The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle provides a fine survey of creative bakery items from the Dahlia Bakery and packs in over a hundred recipes for pastries, cakes, cookies, puddings and even soup and sandwiches. All have been adapted for the home kitchen and combine sweet with savory dishes, including sidebars of information, technique tips and difficulty ratings, and stories about the recipes and the culinary heritage of Seattle. The result is a delicious, highly recommended collection for any who want original recipes and outstanding results.

The Lebanese Kitchen
Selma Hage
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, NY, NY 10014
9780714864808, $49.95, www.phaidon.com

There are a few other Lebanese cookbooks on the market; but if it's only one definitive guide to Lebanese home cooking that is desired, make it THE LEBANESE KITCHEN. It packs in over 500 recipes, collected and perfected over a 50-year time frame by Lebanese home cook Salma Hage. Over 200 color photos accompany a lovely survey of the basics of Middle Eastern and Lebanese cooking, with recipes offering new twists on classic dishes while retaining authenticity. From Pan-Fried Scallops and Tahini Sauce to Chicken Livers with Lemon and Pomegranate, this is an absolutely delicious, winning collection and will rival many a competing Middle Eastern cookbook.

Gran Cocina Latina
Maricel E. Presilla
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393050691, $45.00, www.wwnorton.com

Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America is a top recommendation for any collection strong in Latin American cuisine - even those holding books about individual countries or other general Latin American cookbooks. It's a thick encyclopedia presentation of everything needed to know to master Latin American cooking, offering recipes paired with techniques and local foods that are hard to find elsewhere. Nearly thirty years of research and travel involved journeys to every country of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking Americas, resulting in discussion and presentation of local dishes such as a Columbian Spicy Baked Corn and Cheese Patties, Puerto Rican Stewed Red Kidney Beans, Home-Cured Boneless Peruvian Ham, and others. Quite simply, a 'must have' item!


The Education Shelf

An Interpersonal Approach to Classroom Management
Heather A. David, et.al.
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781412986731, $22.36, www.corwin.com

An Interpersonal Approach to Classroom Management: Strategies for Improving Student Engagement provides classroom insights from educational psychology and shows teachers how to bridge the gap between educational psychology and peer and student-teacher management. The focus is on classroom relationships: chapters are packed with tools to achieving workable classroom structures that encourage student engagement, and strategies designed to help students identify and manage their own behaviors. From teacher roles in modeling caring relationships for students to managing diversity and organizing a classroom for maximum engagement, this is a fine study!

Cracking the AP Statistics Exam 2013
Madhuri S. Mulekar
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307945198, $19.99, www.princetonreview.com

Cracking the AP Statistics Exam 2013 is for any who want to take advantage of proven techniques for achieving a higher score. Two full-length practice tests with detailed explanations accompany a detailed review of essential exam material and provide the latest strategies reflecting test scoring changes. Any exam taker will find this the best approach to making the most of the 2013 exam!

Building Comprehension in Adolescents
Linda H. Mason, et.al.
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598572100, $34.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Building Comprehension in Adolescents: Powerful Strategies for Improving Reading and Writing in Content Areas links reading and phonics to written expression and keys for adolescent improvement, and offers a guidebook for middle- to high school teachers on how to improve students through a strategy called Self-Regulated Strategy Development, which shows students how to apply proven strategies independently. From using validated, tested SRSD methods to handling struggling learners, this teaches how to improve basic vocabulary, promote essay and story writing as well as quick writing, and how to explain instructions. The result is a fine and specific set of lessons, perfect for any educator working with adolescents.

Becoming a Legendary Teacher
William Freeman and David Scheidecker
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10018
9781616085865, $14.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

Becoming a Legendary Teacher: A Guide to Inspiring Excellence in the Classroom provides fine tools for constructing productive classrooms and encourages educators to move beyond rigid lesson plans to capture interest through innovation and interaction with kids. From maintaining high interest levels and interacting with groups and individuals to maintaining consistency and managing time, this tells how to adopt methods that succeed in motivating kids and producing measurable academic success, and is a pick for any educator's collection.

Unlearning Liberty
Greg Lukianoff
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, NY 10003
9781594036354, $25.99, www.encounterbooks.com

UNLEARNING LIBERTY: CAMPUS CENSORSHIP AND THE END OF AMERICAN DEBATE is a fine recommendation for college-level education collections strong in issues of educational policies and reform. It uses a decade of experience battling for freedom of speech on campus and comes from a First Amendment lawyer who shows how higher education fails to teach students to become critical thinkers. From violations of free speech rights involving students across the country to how these acts of censorship are filtering down into society as a whole, this is a powerful assessment that shouldn't be limited to education holdings, but should permeate into collections strong in civil liberties, social issues, and political rights as well.


The Philosophy Shelf

Answers for Aristotle
Massimo Pigliucci
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780485021383, $27.99, www.basicbooks.com

ANSWERS FOR ARISTOTLE: HOW SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY CAN LEAD US TO A MORE MEANINGFUL LIFE comes from a biologist and philosopher who argues that neither science nor philosophy alone can provide a complete picture of human life and relationships. Using Aristotelian inquiry methods, the author bridges this gap and applies the lessons and techniques of both to uncover meaning in human life. His method of combining the two achieves a more balanced set of insights, answers and methodological approaches to life's meaning, providing a treatise that will appeal to science and philosophy holdings alike.

The Catcher in the Rye and Philosophy
Keith Dromm and Heather Salter, Editors
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812698008, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

The Catcher in the Rye and Philosophy: A Book for Bastards, Morons, and Madmen joins others in the 'Popular Culture and Philosophy' series and charts the philosophical issues experienced in the classic novel Catcher in the Rye through the experiences of a privileged, alienated teen Holden Caulfield. With its in-depth look at the novel and its philosophical ramifications, quotes from writing and analysis of attitude and perspective, this is a top recommendation for both contemporary philosophy and literature holdings alike.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide 1901-2013
Roger Carp, Editor
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780897785440, $19.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Greenberg's Guides Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide 1901-2013 provides a powerful valuation guide in a pocket format that's a 'must' for take-along garage sale train fans. The 2013 edition updates all prices on O gauge Lionel trains, covering prewar, postwar and modern eras, club cars and special production items alike. All prices have been reviewed and over 2,000 are revised for this edition, while a new section lists some 400 postwar sets. A strong 'must' for any collectibles section or train buff!

American Flyer Pocket Price Guide 1946-2013
Roger Carp, Editor
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780897785457, $15.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Greenberg's Guides: American Flyer Pocket Price Guide 1946-2013 provides a 2013 edition of a valuable resource for S gauge toy train values, newly updated in its 28th edition to feature well over four hundred variations of the American Flyer train and its accessories. 1,500 prices have been revised and the pocket guide features the latest Lionel products in American models and S-Helper Service trains, making this a handy 'must' for any searching for vintage or newer items in garage sales or secondhand shops.

Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records, eighth edition
Dave Thompson
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.krausebooks.com
9781440232527, $37.99, www.shopnumismaster.com

The eighth updated edition Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records packs in over 150,000 listings for 45 RPM singles, 12-single singles, albums, 78s and LPs, and is THE reference of choice for any collecting phonograph records. From Market Watch trends and advice on buying and selling records to the latest prices, a history of the recording industry, and articles on collecting specialty items such as picture sleeves and picture discs, this is a 'must' for any serious record collector, packing in the latest values and collecting trends in a thick reference essential for any who would buy and sell records.

The Wild Duck Chase
Martin J. Smith
Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.walkerbooks.com
9780802779526, $25.00, www.bloomsbury.com

THE WILD DUCK CHASE: INSIDE THE STRANGE AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE FEDERAL DUCK STAMP CONTEST provides a fine set of insights into the world of competitive duck painting, and considers the obscure Federal Duck Stamp Program which became one of the greatest conservation initiatives in human history. This focuses on the landmark effort that became the only juried art competition run by the U.S. government, with several hundred wildlife artists competing for having their duck or goose painting on the federal revenue stamp. The focus on the 2010 contest follows fans, hunters, birder and more and makes for a lively read recommended for any general lending library.


The Social Issues Shelf

Sociology of Globalization
Keri E. Lyall Smith
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813346694, $47.00, www.westviewpress.com

Sociology of Globalization: Cultures, Economies, and Politics covers the processes of globalization and its impacts and is intended for college-level collections strong in global issues and sociology. Essays by international scholars provide students with basic themes and gather a diverse set of perspectives in the process of pairing classic scholarship and theoretical approaches with the latest research. The result is a fine reference packed with resources for more reference, form websites and films to class exercises.

Mismatch
Richard H. Sander and Stuart Taylor Jr.
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465029969, $28.99, www.basicbooks.com

MISMATCH: HOW AFFIRMATIVE ACTION HURTS STUDENTS IT'S INTENDED TO HELP, AND WHY UNIVERSITIES WON'T ADMIT IT describes how racial admissions preferences often undermine the entire educational process. It comes from two legal minds who use the latest social science research, from empirical tests to new data, to explain cases that support their contention, identifying the 'mismatch' and how it undermines students admitted using racial preferences. Alternative options accompany discussions of the secrecy surrounding racial preference systems and how a race-neutral system would expand opportunity for all.

Blue Collar Intellectuals
Daniel J. Flynn
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
9781610170208, $27.95, www.isibooks.org

Blue Collar Intellectuals: When the Enlightened and the Everyman Elevated America is about a time in the 20th century when the common man aspired to high culture and intellectuals left their lofty positions to speak to them. Here is a profile of thinkers from working-class backgrounds who addressed their intellectual work not just to peers, but to a mass audience. Social and cultural interactions are documented in a fine survey highly recommended for any social and cultural history holding.

Trillions
Maya Design
John Wiley & Sons
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118176078, $34.95, www.wiley.com

TRILLIONS: THRIVING IN THE EMERGING INFORMATION ECOLOGY comes from Peter Lucas and other principals at Maya Design, and explore the future of a connected new world where people and cultures begin to live 'in' the information world. It covers the promise and risks of a world containing literally trillions of computing devices, considers how businesses and their customers prepare to thrive in such a connected world, and discusses embedded devices, cultures permeated with computers, and how computers can help integrate with human goals and networks rather than the opposite. The result is a powerful survey of the present and coming computer revolution, and is a pick for any collection strong in social change.

Measuring the Networked Nonprofit
Beth Kanter and Katie Delahaye Paine
Jossey-Bass
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9781118137604, $34.95, www.josseybass.com

Measuring the Networked Nonprofit is edited by William T. Paarlberg and provides a fine survey of how to use measurement data and social media to assess results and become more effective. Any nonprofit leader will find this discussion of what social media can do for an organization to be an important key that goes beyond 'how to' to consider the specifics of measuring the success of the process. Chapters will appeal to philanthropists and their beneficiaries and discuss everything from sharing dashboards and networking with peer organizations to differentiating between activity and results. A 'must' for any collection catering to nonprofit organizations.


The Audiobook Shelf

Confessions of a Murder Suspect
James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
978161969194, $22.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

Confessions of a Murder Suspect receives a vivid narration by Emma Galvin, a recent drama school graduate who makes good use of her education in imbibing this story with high drama and power. It tells of Tandy, one of the last people to see her powerful parents alive, and the danger she faces from authorities when she and her brothers become the only suspects as she struggles with flashbacks of past events that could hold keys to the murderers. The tension and psychological suspense make this an exquisite pick for any audio holding.

Delusion in Death
J.D. Robb
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781455818310, $38.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

Veteran narrator Susan Ericksen performs DELUSION IN DEATH, a gripping new Eve Dallas story that comes to life in audio. A typical business gathering after work at a local watering hole turns into mayhem and murder - and it's up to Eve Dallas to find out why eighty people died and the survivors are left with memories of hallucinations and death. A gripping drama about human-created insanity, DELUSION IN DEATH is another vivid Eve Dallas investigative piece highly recommended for any mystery audio collection.

Joseph Anton: A Memoir
Salman Rushdie
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780449807811, $60.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

Joseph Anton: A Memoir is narrated by theater and voice actor San Dastor, who lends a well-done and moving voice to the autobiography of a writer who in 1989 was informed that he had been "sentenced to death" by the Ayatollah Khomeini for his crime of writing a book deemed anti-Islam. Forced underground, moving constantly, and under armed police protection, he chose the alias of Joseph Anton - and he and his family escaped murder for over nine years. His life during this time is revealed in a powerful account recommended for any with an interest in Rushdie, Islam, and the experience of living under the radar. Any general lending collection will find it a gripping saga.


The Military Shelf

The Daring Dozen
Gavin Mortimer
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849088428, $24.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

The Daring Dozen: 12 Special Forces Legends of World War II provides a new book from a journalist who probes the lives and achievements of twelve legendary Special Forces commanders of the second world war. Before the war the idea of 'special forces' didn't exist. These twelve men reshaped military policy and led their troops into the heart of battles, operating far behind enemy lines and fostering positive, revolutionary strategies that succeeded in changing the course of the war. Any military collection, particularly those strong in World War II history, must have this!

Traditional Notes
Stephen Power
Tiffey Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781908308016, $29.95, www.dufoureditions.com

TRADITIONAL NOTES: A CELEBRATION OF IRISH MUSIC AND MUSICIANS provides a fine pictorial guide to modern Irish music and focuses on Irish musicians, their instruments, and those who make them. Full-page color photos of instruments and players accompany biographical notes on the musicians and background history on Irish traditional music and instruments, making for a colorful pairing of facts and anecdotes recommended for Irish culture and ethnic music holdings.

Hawke's Green Beret Survival Manual
Mykel Hawke
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
9780762448180, $19.95, www.runningpress.com

Hawke's Green Beret Survival Manual covers shelter and survival techniques and is packed with real-world advice on surviving nearly any disaster. Illustrated techniques cover everything from what to do when your car fails in a desert to how to handle a boat capsizing or a plane crash. From fire-starting techniques from scratch and regional land layout to handling disconnected body parts, this is a fine readable reference good for before-disaster reading and quick after-disaster consultation, and will be a recommendation for military and general-interest holdings alike.


The Photography Shelf

Great Photos - Simple Cameras
Bernd Daub
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781937538026, $34.95, www.rockynook.com

Great Photos - Simple Cameras From Holga to Pinhole offers a different approach to photography that returns to simplicity in describing how simple camera techniques with traditional film can result in works of art. It goes beyond camera handling to focus on the motivation and intentions behind capturing images, considering how to develop impact without high-tech equipment. From single-use cameras and even the pinhole, this is packed with examples in full color and is an exquisite creation for any avid photographer.

Photoshop CS6 Unlocked, second edition
Corrie Haffly
Sitepoint
PO Box 1115, Collingwood VIC 3066, Australia
9780987247872, $39.95, www.sitepoint.com

The second updated edition of Photoshop CS6 Unlocked: 101 Tips, Tricks, and Techniques packs in how-tos and examples for all Photoshop CS6 operations and covers everything from designing backgrounds and working with text to optimizing images for the Web and creating a full website layout using Photoshop. Color photo examples are packed into every page, along with color screen shots and step-by-step outlines of every operation described. This makes for an intensely visual approach that leaves little to wonder about - and a highly recommended pick for any photography holding!


The Health/Medical Shelf

Nursing Research, fifth edition
Patricia L. Munhall
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
9780763785154, $82.95, www.jblearning.com

Nursing Research: A Qualitative Perspective appears in its fifth updated edition and is written for nurses and nursing students requiring a definition of and insights about qualitative research. This edition features ten new chapters, a complete update, and new research on various qualitative methods, history, narrative inquiry, and action research, among others. It surveys all the qualitative and quantitative methods and uses top researchers to consider different research and methods. A 'must' for any college-level collections appealing to nursing students.

Vaccine
Mark A. Largent
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421406077, $34.95, www.press.jhu.edu

VACCINE: THE DEBATE IN MODERN AMERICA provides a fine survey about mandated vaccines, the history of the debate revolving around them, and health issues that parents, politicians and any involved in the health services need to know. In surveying the pro and con debates over vaccine safety, this makes for a powerful coverage of side effects, health claims, and more. Any health collection catering to parents, health professionals or the general public needs this fine survey of the history and contentions of the vaccine debate.

On Moral Medicine, third edition
M. Therese Lysaught, et.al., Editors
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802866011, $70.00, www.eerdmans.com

ON MORAL MEDICINE: THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN MEDICAL ETHICS appears in its third updated edition to pack in details in an anthology for any teaching or studying bioethics. New topics range from social responsibility and vulnerability to issues surrounding aging, the mentally ill, and more, and provides a fine collection of moral considerations covering the patient-physician relationship, moral policies on bioethics, genetic testing issues, stem cell research, and virtually any modern moral issue raised by changes in medicine, technology, and treatment options.

Best Care Anywhere, third edition
Philip Longman
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609945176, $18.95, www.bkconnection.com

Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Health Care Would Work Better for Everyone appears in a third updated edition to tell how the Department of Veterans Affairs transformed its health care system from a national scandal to a model of effectiveness. Numerous improvements and innovations enabled the VA to improve its service without over-extending its budget: BEST CARE ANYWHERE recommends how to adapt their model to the health care system as a whole, considering the flaws inherent in the modern civilian health care system and how the largest integrated successful healthcare system in the U.S. can serve as a model for quick improvement. This book documents the VA's turnaround - and offers keys to how the U.S. system could follow its example. Any concerned about health costs and system operations will find this a winner!

Dr. Ruth's Guide for the Alzheimer's Caregiver
Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer and Pierre A. Lehu
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
9781610351355, $16.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

Dr. Ruth's Guide for the Alzheimer's Caregiver: How to Care for Your Loved One Without Getting Overwhelmed... and without Doing it All Yourself provides a fine survey for loved ones undertaking Alzheimer's caregiving, and provides keys to coping with the emotional and physical stresses involved. From handling family disputes and maintaining a relationship with an Alzheimer's sufferer to handling doctors and care facilities, this is a top recommendation for any health collection.


The Psychology Shelf

The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression, second edition
William J. Knaus, EdD
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781608823802, $24.95, www.newharbinger.com

The second updated edition of The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression: A Step-by-Step Program provides a fine survey considering the causes and processes of depression and provides keys to creating a personalized plan for handling it. From managing emotions that can trigger depression to making lifestyle changes that thwart depression states, this is packed with exercises that include exposure techniques, imaging, and identifying and coping with depressive situations, patterns and choices. The worksheets and exercises herein lend particularly well to any working through negative beliefs and offer new ways to cope with anger, loss and stress, making it especially recommended for any self-help collection.


The LGBT Shelf

Coming Around
Anne Dohrenwend, PhD, ABPP
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823935, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

COMING AROUND: PARENTING LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER KIDS is for parenting and mental health collections alike and provides parents with keys to coping with a child's revelation that they are gay or transgender. From facing fears over bigotry and social and religious prejudice to understanding legal issues homophobia, and how to communicate love to a child who has made such a declaration, this is a fine pick for any parenting holding and offers many specific approaches.


The Science Shelf

The Stardust Revolution
Jacob Berkowitz
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145491, $27.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Stardust Revolution: The New Story of Our Origin in the Stars considers the latest research results of a new discipline blending astronomy and biology in the search for the origins of life on Earth, and provides a fine set of insights into stardust science, which is filling in gaps in human evolutionary history. From its roots when astronomers first realized the universe is expanding and evolving to how organic molecules are made by stars, this is a fine scientific survey of human connections to space, and is a pick for astronomy, biology, and general lending collections alike.

Apocalyptic Planet
Craig Childs
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307379092, $27.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

Apocalyptic Planet: Field Guide to the Everending Earth offers readers a firsthand journey through apocalypse, considering the planet's instability, its natural disasters, and alternate futures of an apocalyptic end to the earth. He's traveled around the world investigating deserts, genetic issues, deluges, and micro-cataclysms that predict macro cataclysms. The result is a fascinating survey of the natural world and its changes, and the cycles that dictate the progress or elimination of life on Earth: a top pick for any science or nature collection, especially for general-interest readers.

The Joy of X
Steven Strogatz
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547517650, $27.00, www.hmhbooks.com

THE JOY OF X: A GUIDED TOUR OF MATH, FROM ONE TO INFINITY takes the reader on a math journey connecting math to the world around us, offering compelling perceptions of the different elements of math that are in the world we know so well. From how Google searches the Internet to how many people you should date before settling down, THE JOY OF X provides a lively survey of basic math concepts and how they operate, and is a fun and educational contribution for any interested in how math relates to everyday life. General-interest and science holdings alike will find it accessible and fun.

Regenesis
George Church and Ed Regis
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465021758, $28.00, www.basicbooks.com

REGENESIS: HOW SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY WILL REINVENT NATURE AND OURSELVES offers insights on how genetics and the process of synthetic biology - altering an organism's genetic code to make it do something that it otherwise would not - holds potential for changing the world. Such genetic engineering holds many possibilities, from creating a clone of an extinct species to changing sewage to electrical power - and it also holds possibilities for improved health and increased longevity. Any lay reader with no genetics background but with an interest in the science will find this a highly accessible, lively survey of all the possibilities.

Spillover
David Quammen
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393066807, $28.95, www.wwnorton.com

SPILLOVER: ANIMAL INFECTIONS AND THE NEXT HUMAN PANDEMIC documents the fact that most infectious diseases that afflict humans, causing epidemics and global pandemics, come from wildlife in a transfer process known as a "spillover". The science, history and health ramifications of such infections is charted in a fine survey that considers some of the major epidemics of the world, from AIDS to Ebola, detailing not only viruses of the past, but little-known yet lethal modern viruses around the world. From what sparks such spillovers to their lasting effects, this is a powerful survey for health and science holdings alike.

Drawn from Paradise
David Attenborough and Errol Fuller
HarperDesign
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062234681, $45.00, www.harperdesignbooks.com

Drawn from Paradise: The Discovery, Art and Natural History of the Birds of Paradise provides an outstanding survey documenting the beauty of the birds of paradise, with some two hundred hand-painted images by the men who originally studied them accompanying discussions and feature of some forty other species. Artwork has been especially culled from the collections of the authors and many images have rarely - if ever - seen print in a book before. Ornithology collections as well as arts holdings strong in nature illustration will find this an incredible collection, packed with stunning color plates and highly recommended for even casual appreciators of nature drawing.


The American History Shelf

When Law Was in the Holster
John Boessenecker
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142852, $34.95, www.oupress.com

When Law Was in the Holster: The Frontier Life of Bob Paul provides a fine survey covering one of the great lawmen of the Old West whose authority was a powerful influence on frontier history from California to Arizona for nearly fifty years. While today he's primarily remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the gunfight near the Ok Corral in Arizona, his life actually held wide ramifications and is captured here in a biography by veteran western historian John Boessenecker, who covers Paul's adventures as a whaler in the South Pacific in his youth to his involvement in legal positions in Gold Rush
California. Highly recommended for any Western history holding!

Homegrown in Florida
William McKeen, Editor
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813042053, $24.95, www.upf.com

HOMEGROWN IN FLORIDA provides a powerful anthology aimed at celebrating those who spent their childhoods in Florida, and considers what life was like for those who grew up in the state. Throughout each personal account of growing up and coming of age is the atmosphere and changes of the state itself, once an untamed wilderness and today best known as a state of malls, the elderly, and threatened paradise. Any who would really get a sense of the history and spirit of Florida will find this a fun and fine read!


The World History Shelf

Modern Japan, fifth edition
Mikiso Hane and Louis G. Perez
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813346946, $50.00, www.westviewpress.com

The fifth updated edition of MODERN JAPAN: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE provides an excellent all-around survey of Japanese history and culture that's been completely revised and expanded in a new edition that includes updates for post-911 and the 2011 earthquake and nuclear accident. It also includes secret diplomatic correspondence only recently released on WikiLeaks, and is packed with the latest historical insights perfect for high school to college level classes seeking a more modern discussion than the usual Japanese histories can offer.

Ajax, the Dutch, the War
Simon Kuper
Nation Books
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor, NY, NY 10003
9781568587233, $15.99, www.nationbooks.org

Ajax, the Dutch, the War: The Strange tale of Soccer During Europe's Darkest Hour is a recommendation for history and sports holdings alike and charts the rise and challenges of the Amsterdam soccer club Ajax, which held Jewish and Gentile members alike. Religion wasn't a part of the equation, and when World War II arrived, soccer became more than a sport: it was a political propaganda tool used by Hitler and Mussolini. Soccer was changed by the war even as it flourished in the occupied Netherlands, where people looked to sports for distraction. This charts the forced isolation of Dutch Jews, the changes Ajax experienced during the war, and provides a general history of the Holocaust through soccer. A captivating account, this offers a completely different perspective on the sport and its interactions with the Nazis, and is a special pick for any holding strong in World War II history.

Consider the Fork
Bee Wilson
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465021765, $26.99, www.basicbooks.com

CONSIDER THE FORK: A HISTORY OF HOW WE COOK AND EAT comes from a food historian who considers the evolution of culinary technologies and offers strong connections between the evolution of such kitchen gadgets and the advancement of cooking. Chapters consider how these kitchen preparations have changed our ideas and consumption of food itself, reaching past the kitchen to change societies and beliefs - and provides a fine survey of forks, egg beaters, frying pans, and more that have changed and shaped our culinary heritage. Science blends with a lively observational tone to make this a pick for avid cooks with an interest in culinary history and social history as a whole.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

What the Cat Saw
Carolyn Hart
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425252741, $25.95, www.penguin.com

WHAT THE CAT SAW tells of one Nela, who has been plagued by a sixth sense ever since her fiance died: she understands the thoughts of cats. While her experiences seem irrational, she nonetheless must trust her instincts when she discerns a previous tenant's cat has witnessed murder. As Nela begins to investigate the former tenant she stumbles upon a dangerous knowledge that could affect her own life in this riveting mystery novel, highly recommended for any mystery holding.

Murder, She Wrote: Domestic Malice
Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain
Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451238030, $23.95, www.penguin.com

Murder, She Wrote: Domestic Malice provides the latest novel in the bestselling series and tells of Jessica's investigation of a homicide on her own turf when a woman walks into her homeless shelter abused, and returns home to a murder scene. It seems cut-and-dried, but when Jessica investigates the crime she discovers the woman's family has secrets and lies and the real killer is still free - and dangerous. A solid mystery with satisfying twists and turns is a recommended pick for any mystery holding.

Scone Island
Frederick Ramsay
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464200533, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

SCONE ISLAND provides a fine Ike Schwartz mystery and tells of a search for peace and quiet after a sheriff and his university president fiancee become burned out from local politics. Their selected refuge on Scone Island, a rocky island four miles off Maine, doesn't give them peace though, when a suspicious accident resulting in death leads to two more murders involving Ike's former colleagues in the country and a dangerous connection that immerses them in a deadly game. Mystery holdings will find this a powerful action-packed novel!

The Cocktail Waitress
James M. Cain
Hard Case Crime
c/o Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781781160329, $23.99, www.hardcasecrime.com

The Cocktail Waitress was the final book written by James M. Cain, who wrote many classics but is best known for The Postman Always Rings Twice, and has never before been published. He was working on revisions to his story until nearly the end of his life: this combines themes from some of his prior detective novels and in a similar style tells of a lovely young widow whose husband died under suspicious circumstances, whose job as a cocktail waitress introduces her to two romances. It's a classic detective noir story in the tradition of Hamett and Raymond Chandler, and especially recommended for collections seeing popularity with these two writers and their styles.


The Fiction Shelf

This Book is Full of Spiders
David Wong
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780312546342, $25.99, www.thomasdunnebooks.com

This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It is a hilarious spoof and sequel to JOHN DIES AT THE END, which blends the genres of horror and humor in an unusual way. Here books and movies about zombies may have triggered a zombie apocalypse - despite a complete lack of zombies in the world. John Smith and David Wong find themselves on a zany, surreal chase to protect humanity from its own paranoia - and need to find out the real monsters behind the zombie paranoia. A whimsical, fun novel evolves; especially recommended for collections seeing popularity with the prior book or with zombies in general.


The Travel Shelf

Columbia, sixth edition
Kevin Raub, et.al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741797985, $26.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

The sixth updated edition of COLUMBIA is out, and packs in well over a hundred days of activities for any planning to visit the country. From colonial towns and cities to national parks, this packs in maps, detailed instructions on what to see and where to stay and eat, and provides independent travelers with itineraries and suggestions both on and off the beaten track. Blue sidebars of information highlight practical 'musts' - such as places and attractions that can't be missed - making this a fine recommendation for any collection strong in travel to South America.

Columbia
National Geographic Traveler
National Geographic Books
1145 - 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688
www.ngs.org
9781426209994, $25.95, www.nationalgeographic.com

COLUMBIA packs in color photos on every page to accompany off-the-beaten-path excursions and insider tips for any planning a trip to the country, and is a solid recommendation filled with ideas and keys to safe, interesting travel. From the Caribbean coastline to the vibrant city of Cali, this offers maps, guides and 'experiences' unique to each region of the country, and provides tourists with plenty of options other travel guides might miss. Another fine travel planner from National Geographic, this belongs in any holding strong in Latin American travel and culture.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Dark Currents: Agent of Hel
Jacqueline Carey
Roc
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451464781, $26.95, www.penguin.com

Dark Currents: Agent of Hel offers the first book in a projected new urban fantasy series and is a pick for any collection strong in this genre. Carey's prior KUSHIEL'S DART provided a critically-acclaimed debut, followed by several more in the series: this introduces one Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, who lives in a Midwestern town inhabited by ghosts, vampires, spirits and ogres: all ruled by a reclusive Norse goddess, Hel. Daisy is Hel's liaison and helps keep peace between humans and these forces, but the death of a local college boy threatens everything she's worked for in this tense thriller.

The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight
Jack Campbell
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781937077822, $26.95, www.penguin.com

The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight provides a powerful Lost Fleet series spin-off novel and tells the Syndicate World's crumbling government, where civil war is breaking out in many star systems despite its brutal attempts to restore order. A CEO betrayed and another exiled join forces to fight the Syndic government and embark on a major coup that will overcome their differences and manage civilians and alien threats alike in an absorbing military science fiction novel recommended for prior fans of Campbell's Lost Fleet series and military fiction enthusiasts in general.

The Steampunk Gazette
Major Tinker
Barrons
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764165566, $24.99, www.barronseduc.com

The Steampunk Gazette provides readers with a powerful survey of the steampunk movement's global influences as it moved from fantasy fiction to a broader pop culture complete with its own art, fashion, and even music and events. 700 photos have been specially commissioned and are unique to this coverage, which offers everything from travel to steampunk sights and events to discussions of steampunk personalities from different countries and biographies of steampunk tinkerers. Any fan of steampunk fantasy will relish this broader coverage linking the movement to cultural change.

Fire Season
David Weber & Jane Lindskold
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451638400, $18.99, www.baen.com

FIRE SEASON provides a fine new Star Kingdom novel revolving around fire weather and teen Stephanie, who along with her treecat companion is learning how dangerous the season can be. She and her good friend Karl rescue twin treecats put at risk by careless people and face both physical fire and the fires of psychic danger when a new arrival Stephanie has a crush on vanishes. As a provisional ranger she's drawn away from the search for him when fire hits the mountains - and finds her soul divided between searching for him and doing her duty to her planet. A fine novel of romance and adventure set amid the backdrop of another world makes this a pick for any science fiction holding.

Into the Woods
Kim Harrison
Harper Voyageur
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061974328, $24.99, www.harpercollins.com

INTO THE WOODS provides a new collection of short story from a best-selling author and includes a new full length novella and a number of new short original works. Fantasy readers and those interested in horror will find this a fine gathering of scenarios, including the long-waited short story resolving the riddle of the disappearance of characters from PALE DEMON and Hollows-set short stories providing history surrounding banshees, a living vampire, and ghosts alike. The result is especially recommended for prior fans of Kim Harrison who will find here a league of interrelated stories filling many gaps in her previous writings.

Bored of the Rings: A Parody
Harvard Lampoon
Touchstone Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451672664, $13.99, www.simonandschuster.com

Bored of the Rings: A Parody should be on the shelves of any collection seeing popularity with J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', and returns to print a classic parody that originally appeared in the late 1960s, to much acclaim. It arrives just in time for the motion picture release of The Hobbit and offers a fun, classic survey of Tolkien's trilogy, with a wacky edge that features one Frito Bugger of Bug End and his epic journey to save Lower Middle Earth. Spoofs on characters and plots keep this a hilarious tongue-in-cheek review perfect for avid fans of the trilogy who will readily catch all the humor of this parody.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Joss Whedon, et.al.
Dark Horse Books
10956 SE Main Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222
9781595829351, $29.99, www.darkhorse.com

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 comes from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, creators of the compelling Cabin in the Woods, and packs in a powerful graphic novel collection that offers the third and fourth stories of Season 8 plus an expanded sketchbook offering the sketches of Georges Jeanfy and Karl Moline. With its vivid cartoons of Buffy and her scythe Willow and their experiences in New York, where Buffy is transported to the future to encounter new challenges and dangers, this is a compelling saga highly recommended for any graphic novel library specializing in fantasy and paranormal adventure.

Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics
Dewey Cassell with Aaron Sultan
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490427, $24.95, www.twomorrows.com

Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics focuses on the life and comic art of Marie Severin, who made friendships in the comics world even as she colored the horror, science fiction and war comics of the EC line and spent thirty years working for Marvel Comics. Famous for her sense of humor, Severin's achievements are revealed in a tribute that comes from her work, the insights of her friends and fellow illustrators, and any involved with her. An extensive interview with Marie herself compliments the gathering of photos and artwork from her career, making this a top pick for any comic or graphic novel library.

How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You
The Oatmeal (Matthew Inman)
Andrews McMeel
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449410247, $14.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You provides a hilarious and comic collection of crazy kitties and comes from a web designer and comic illustrator who provides an amusing survey of psycho cats. From how kittens are plotting to take over the world to 15 completely new cat comics and a pull-out poster, Inman's latest collection is perfect for any cat fan and for those interested in Internet humor and fun insights. Libraries strong in either pets or humor will find this a hilarious pick.

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
Madeleine L'Engle
Farrar Straus Giroux
18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
www.fsgbooks.com
9780374386153, $19.99, www.mackids.com

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel is adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson and provides a simply outstanding survey of the classic young adult novel about siblings who travel via tesseract - a wrinkle that transports one across time and space - to save their father from the evil force that threatens not only him, but the entire universe. A WRINKLE IN TIME has never been illustrated before because the time-traveling account is complex and difficult to adapt to graphic novel format - but Hope Larson has done it, offering a vivid set of visual interpretations of even the ethereal Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Witch, among other beloved alien characters. It's reviewed here not only for its interest to young adults, but for special recommendation to any graphic novel collection interested in a solid re-interpretation true to the classic story line.

Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks
Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez
IDW Publishing
5080 Santa Fe, San Diego, CA, 92109
9781613772270, $24.99, www.idwpublishing.com

Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks offers an ongoing graphic novel story of the Locke family, this one centering around new discoveries of the history of the family. Tyler and Kinsey find themselves on a journey through time as the Locke family saga continues to spring surprises and new forms. The color graphic novel action offers consistent, powerful characters in sync with the predecessors in the series, while several revelations continue to build in unexpected twists and insights in this compelling saga, especially recommended for prior Locke & Kay fans.


The Biography Shelf

The John Lennon Letters
Hunter Davies, Editor
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316200806, $29.99, www.littlebrown.com

The John Lennon Letters is published on what would have been his 72nd birthday and packs in nearly three hundred letters, notes and doodles recovered by Beatles biographer Hunter Davies with the help of major auction houses and Beatles dealers around the world. From an early page from a homemade newspaper Lennon created as a preteen to correspondence with his fist wife, other Beatles, journalists and friends, and more, this collection is astounding in breadth and content and is accompanied by fine, insightful commentary from Hunter Davies, who helps detail many major moments in Lennon's life. A rare and unparalleled 'must have' pick for any definitive Beatles collection!

Hello Gorgeous
William J. Mann
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547368924, $30.00, www.hmhbooks.com

HELLO GORGEOUS: BECOMING BARBARA STREISAND follows her rise to fame during her New York years, profiling how Streisand broke showbiz rules to become a superstar and including plenty of background details on New York theatrical history. In 1960 Streisand was a teenager from Brooklyn with a lot of ambition: four years later she was the star of Broadway's Funny Girl and had three platinum records. HELLO GORGEOUS is about these years of her rise, and charts not only her career, but her relationships with her mother, early lovers, and first husband. Access to previously-sealed private collections of Jerome Robbins and others fills in many details about her life and makes HELLO, GORGEOUS a 'must' for any Streisand fan.

The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane
Kathleen Kaska
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813040240, $26.95, www.upf.com

The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane follows ornithologist Robert Porter Allen's nine-year crusade to find the last remaining whooping crane nesting site, and is a fine survey of the search and his resulting lectures and work against Florida overdevelopment, habitat loss, and unregulated hunting. The resulting public involvement, thanks to his efforts, led to a media blitz that led to thousands of citizens helping track the birds' migration. Chapters follow Allen's life and contributions and the ecology of Florida birds in particular, and make for a powerful nature account highly recommended for any natural history collection.


The DVD Shelf

Absolutely Fabulous
BBC
0780697901, $24.98, www.bbcamerica.com

Absolutely Fabulous: 20th Anniversary Specials comes from international comedy personalities Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley who here return to their roles as Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone in three new specials written by Jennifer Saunders. It's a hilarious account that offers fun British humor, especially recommended for prior fans of Absolutely Fabulous and collections catering to them.

Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
www.anchorbayentertainment.com
www.collagevideo.com.fordummies
www.amazon.com

Two new Element DVDs are recommended picks for any home exerciser who wants to do basic yoga or pilates routines. ACCELERATED PILATES WITH RESISTANCE BAND (013132578590, $16.98) comes from a pilates instructor with over 12 years of experience who teaches from her private studio and travels around the world to lead teacher training certification programs. Her DVD holds 45 minutes of routines that include 30 minutes of a total body workout, a 10-minute abs program, plus a resistance band. YOGA FOR ENERGY & RELAXATION (013132575896, $14.98) comes from Tamal Dodge, raised in Hawaii on his family's yoga ashram. He co-founded The Yoga Collective, one of the largest yoga studios in Southern California, and here provides yoga intended to blend relaxation and vitality in a program that includes Energy work with postures and breathing to build strength and muscle tone, and a forty-minute relaxation practice. Both are top picks for new age and alternative exercise collections.


The Women's Studies Shelf

I Want to Be Her!
Andrea Linett
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, 6th floor, NY, NY 10011
9781419704017, $19.95, www.abramsbooks.com

I Want to Be Her! How Friends & Strangers Helped Shape My Life pairs illustrations by Anne Johnston Albert with a lively read revolving around Andrea Linett's story of growing up and finding her way to fashion. She considers the women who have influenced her fashion choices and the strangers, friends and others who helped her form her own sense of style. Any woman interested in the evolution of personal style will find this a lively story of some fifty women who across five eras of her life made a listing impression on her style sense: each captured in an illustration by Anne Johnson Albert, whose art accompanied Linett's popular "Fashion Babble" feature in Lucky magazine. A 'must' for any fashion or women's issues holding.


The Political Science Shelf

The Mormonizing of America
Steohen Mansfield
Worthy Publishing
134 Franklin Road, Suite 200
Brentwood, TN 37027
9781617950780, $22.99, www.worthypublishing.com

The Mormonizing of America: How the Mormon Religion Became a Dominant Force in Politics, Entertainment, and Pop Culture is a recommendation for spirituality and political science shelves alike, and provides a coverage charting the rise of Mormon involvements in American politics and documenting how they have become one of the most successful religions in America. Their church is thriving, their message has spread around the world, and Mormons have permeated every level of American society - yet they are a mystery to many Americans. This book explores the history of Mormon belief, its permeation into American culture, and shows how an initially despised sect grew to become one of the most major religions in the country today. Any who would understand Mormons and their entry into American culture must have this!

A Presidential Nation
Michael A. Genovese
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813347219, $27.00, www.westviewpress.com

A PRESIDENTIAL NATION: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND CURES provides a fine and engaging investigation of how the presidency has changed from its original role to become closer in form and perspective to that of an imperial monarch. Over two hundred years of history are examined in a survey of how public perception of the office has changed, offering discussions about the past, present and future of the role and offering an appendix of primary resources for further documentation and discussion. Any college-level political science collection strong in discussions of the president's office and authority will need this!

The Oslo Idea: The Euphoria of Failure
Raphael Israeli
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412846110, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

The Oslo Idea: The Euphoria of Failure traces the roots of the current movement to delegitimize Israel, focusing on the illusion of the Oslo peace accords and how they served to lure new Israeli leaders into a trap. Chapters consider behind-the-scenes political threats to Israel during their participation in the Oslo accords, shows how they were used to bind Israel alone, and considers the unbridgeable points of contention that remain outside the accords. The result is a close inspection of Israel and the entire peace process in the Middle East: an analysis key to any collection strong in Middle Eastern politics in general and Israeli issues in particular.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Great Work of Your Life
Stephen Cope
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780553807516, $26.00, www.randomhouse.com

THE GREAT WORK OF YOUR LIFE: A GUIDE FOR THE JOURNEY TO YOUR TRUE CALLING provides a fine meditation on finding your optimal vocation and life's work and comes from an American yoga master who has spent years using yoga's traditions to understand such a calling. This explores ways in which one's true calling has manifested itself in lives around the world, exploring ordinary lives and how the Gita's message can inspire. It belongs in new age or spiritual holdings alike and is a recommendation for any who feel lost and who want insights on finding relevance in life.

Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places, second edition
Brad Steiger
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578594016, $24.95, www.visibleinkpress.com

Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places is the end result of author Brad Steiger's fifty years of paranormal research and is presented in an updated second edition which includes new stories and evidence of ghosts and hauntings. It offers a topical arrangement covering all kinds of spooky hauntings and packs nearly thirty chapters with accounts of different kinds of spirits and manifestations. Brad Steiger is a ghost hunter: readers become involved in his work, observations, and the logic and presence of ghosts in a lively account that goes beyond charting urban legends and delves into the stories and work of a real-world ghost hunter. New age and general lending libraries will find this an absorbing read!

Seven Thousand Ways to Listen
Mark Nepo
The Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781451674668, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Seven Thousand Ways to Listen: Staying Close to What is Sacred is a pick for new age and spirituality holdings alike and provides a fine guide on how to listen to life and live it more fully. Listening is how we stay close to the life we're given: it opens pathways to friendship which in turn brings us closer to wisdom. Readers will learn about the process of such listening, will find reflective pauses throughout the book which ask questions or offer meditations, and will find this an introduction to a personal and spiritual journey that will earn interest in any new age or general spirituality collection.

The Way of Oz: A Guide to Wisdom, Heart, and Courage
Robert V. Smith
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896727403, $29.95, www.ttup.ttu.edu

The Way of Oz: A Guide to Wisdom, Heart, and Courage discusses the values of the Wizard of Oz characters and melds them with lessons on general living to provide a road map for success for any enthusiast of film, TV, or new age self-improvement. The archetypes of all the characters are used in a blend of an autobiography of Oz creator Frank Baum and a discussion of the values and approaches of his universe. It's biography, history, literary reflection and personal growth all under one cover, which may make THE WAY OF OZ difficult to 'type', but ultimately renders it appealing to a wide audience and to a variety of collections.

Transhumanism
Dr. Joseph P. Farrell & Dr. Scott D. deHart
Feral House
1240 W Sims Way #124, Port Townsend WA 98368
9781936239443, $19.95, www.feralhouse.com

Transhumanism: A Grimoire of Alchemical Agendas investigates what may become of humans as technology and science provide ever-increasing advancements. The real question is "what shall we be?" and this book considers the agenda for a trans-human civilization, complete with genetic manipulation and the ability to re-create the world. The history and agenda of a process that ultimately threatens humanity itself is noted in chapters that discuss trends in transhuman endeavors, from the quest for enhanced 'supersoldiers' to an apocalyptic future that could transcend humanity as we know it. Any new age collection or any science holding concerned with the ethics and changes of new technology must have this.

The Deepest Acceptance
Jeff Foster
Sounds True
c/o Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue
Louisville, CO 80027
9781604078558, $24.95, www.soundstrue.com

THE DEEPEST ACCEPTANCE: RADICAL AWAKENING IN ORDINARY LIFE provides a fine guide covering self-awareness and routines for ending suffering, and is a fine pick for any spiritual inquirer searching for peace in the world. The author's informal gatherings, blogs and homemade videos have seen much interest in his teachings: THE DEEPEST ACCEPTANCE is another step in the process and provides compassionate, moving affirmations and guidances to help readers find their own acceptance of their lives and paths. The focus on living in the moment and finding wholeness in so doing makes for an inspirational and moving account recommended for new age and spirituality collections alike.


The Music Shelf

New Kids on the Block
Nikki Van Noy
Touchstone Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451667851, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: FIVE BROTHERS AND A MILLION SISTERS tells of a popular band that changed the course of music history and influenced a new generation of boy bands that followed. While their fans surrounded them in a whirlwind of adoration, backstage they were just kids who eventually quit in 1994. Normally in the music world this would be the end of the story - but the bend reunited in 2008 to become #2 on Time Magazine's list of Best Comebacks for 2011. This tells their story, from their initial rise and fall to today's popularity. Each New Kid recalls nearly thirty years of experiences with the group, making for a lively and appealing discussion for any collection strong in pop music history and culture.

Sinner's Creed: A Memoir
Scott Stapp with David Ritz
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414364568, $24.99, www.tyndale.com

Sinner's Creed: A Memoir provides the uncensored memoir of an award-winning lead vocalist of the rock band Creed, and provides close inspection of his internal struggles which eventually tainted his lyrics and lead him into a world of addiction, ultimately disbanding Creed in 2004. In the years that followed Stapp became depressed and suffered a near-fatal fall form a hotel balcony: six years later he's clean, sober, and tells his story of his rise from the pits of personal hell. His re-discovery of his faith and his ultimate recovery makes this a special pick for spirituality holdings, as well as rock music collections.

Luck or Something Like It
Kenny Rogers
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062071811, $27.99, www.harpercollins.com

LUCK OR SOMETHING LIKE IT: A MEMOIR reflects on Rogers' rough childhood in the South, his growing up in poverty, and how he developed a work ethic that served him well when he entered the music industry and enabled him to make a name for himself that lasts to this day. It's a powerful examination of the music industry, Rogers' experimentation with various musical genres, and his personal life, and is a powerful recommendation for any popular music holding. His insights, self-examination and music industry savvy makes for a compelling account.


The Crafts Shelf

Craft-A-Day
Sarah Goldschadt
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
9781594745959, $24.95, www.quirkbooks.com

Craft-A-Day provides a whimsical set of some 365 simple projects that casual crafters will find easy to make, and is a pick for any general lending collection catering to the non-specialist crafter. From celebrating Ladybug Week by making magnets and bags to creating a mini cake toper for owl Week and making a felt Snowman Ornament for Snowman Week, this packs in projects nearly anyone can do, and is a top recommendation for general crafters.

How to Kitbash Structures
Tony Koester
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780890248669, $21.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

How to Kitbash Structures provides a fine key to modifying a structure kit or combining kits, and is the perfect item of choice for model railroaders who want to customize a kit to give model buildings a unique appearance. From understanding the process and when to apply it to enhancing existing structures and combining kit parts, this is packed with keys to construction and seeking prototypes for inspiration, and is a top pick for any model railroader.


The Gaming Shelf

250 Indie Games You Must Play
Mike Rose
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781439875742, $29.95, www.crcpress.com

250 Indie Games You Must Play provides a fine guide to the creative world of indie gaming and highlights concepts and ideas that expand the boundaries of video gaming. Such games can be experimental, emotional or strange, and some make you think. This volume gathers over two hundred influential and fun indie video games, describes them and includes screenshots, and provides web links so users can play the games. Any gamer interested in video gaming will find this a key choice.


The Native American Studies Shelf

An Empire of Small Places
Robert Paulett
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA, 30602-4901
9780820343471, $24.95, www.ugapress.org

An Empire of Small Places: Mapping the Southeastern Anglo-Indian Trade, 1732-1795 provides college-level Native American holdings with a fine analysis of the development of colonial Augusta and the Indian trade, and is a recommendation for any who would understand how the region was changed from an area of different, interlinked cultures to one where each culture believed they lived in separate neighborhoods. The blend of geography, history, and social observation makes for a fine survey examining Britain's colonial empire in North America and its economic and political ties with various Indian nations.

Great Sioux War Orders of Battle
Paul L. Hedren
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806143224, $19.95, www.oupress.com

Great Sioux War Orders of Battle: How the United States Army Waged War on the Northern Plains, 1876-1877 tells of the Great Sioux War, which lasted nearly two years and pitted nearly a third of the U.S. army against Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Indians. By the time it ended the war had spread out over five states and resulted in hundreds of casualties. Paul Hedren documents the unconventional war and its leadership, considering the various battles, concepts of doctrine and training, and the various engagements in chronological order, analyzing military command structure and regiments and providing an analysis of early U.S. Army makeup and strategies. Native American and military holdings alike will find this a winning coverage.

The Voice of Rolling Thunder
Sidian Morning Star Jones and Stanley Krippner, PhD
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591431336, $20.00, www.bearandcompanybooks.com

The Voice of Rolling Thunder is a pick for new age, spirituality and Native American holdings alike and provides a fine guide from an intertribal medicine man who was a healer, teacher and activist and who befriended such artists as Bob Dylan. His unique brand of Native American prophecy and wisdom set him apart from other spiritual teachers of his times, and this offers never-before-released talks preserved by Mickey Hart sharing the teachings of Rolling Thunder in his own words and through interviews. His grandson Sidian Morning Star Jones collects and edits these unique words, highly recommended for any Native American or new age holding.


The California Shelf

Essential Art
Brian Bibby, author
Heyday Books
P.O. Box 9145, Berkeley, California 94709
9781597141697 $24.95 www.heydaybooks.com

Essential Art: Native Basketry from the California Indian Heritage Center is a fine catalog of many of the specimens in the basketry collection of the California Indian Heritage Center. Filled with over 80 detailed color photos and including 20 historical photographs, this catalog displays exceptional examples of the work of California native weavers and basket makers dating from the early 1800's to mid twentieth century. Here are presented beautiful, functional baskets to be used as tools for winnowing, harvesting, sifting, cooking, and seed gathering, as well as ceremonial baskets to be used as treasure chests, gifts, hats, a baby cradle, granaries, and also art baskets. There is also historical background on some of the known and famous basket makers, including period photos of some. Detailed analysis and explanations accompany the stunning black background photographs of the specimen baskets. Analytic commentary is condensed in chapters on A History in Baskets, A Culture of Baskets, Beyond Function, Evolving Forms, Selected Works, and Twentieth-Century Masters. In addition there are appendices on materials used for baskets, and common and scientific names for selected basketry plants, as well as an introductory detailed map of California showing the locations of the multiplicity of Native tribes whose basketry traditions are represented. "Essential Art" is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts under its American Masterpieces program, in cooperation with the California Arts Council and California State Parks.

So Far From Home: Russians in Early California
Glenn J. Farris
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141840, $21.95, www.heydaybooks.com

So Far From Home: Russians in Early California tells of Russians who, two hundred years ago, came to California to make their homes here. They established Fort Ross on the desolate shores of California, only to abandon it in 1841: historical documents and first-hand accounts - many discovered in newly accessible Russian archives and translated into English for the first time - lends to a powerful documentary about this early Russian experience in and influence upon California, offering a blend of journal entries, government documents, and even cartoons to capture the early California experience. No California history collection will want to be without this accessible, lively survey!

The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts
Robert Fletcher Manlove, PhD
Craven Street
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
9781610351485, $19.95, www.cravenstreetbooks.com

The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts is the first scholarly examination of the California Chowchilla tribe, and is a fine pick for California and Native American holdings alike. It comes from an anthropologist who traces their history from their earliest known origins to modern times, offering insights on Chowchilla kinship, social customs and the history of the interactions with Spaniards and more. They were a peaceful tribe until the Spanish arrived: they quickly learned the arts of war, united various California tribes against them, and led successful resistance movements against not only the Spanish but Mexican and American occupying forces. The result is a fine and in-depth contribution to Indian and California history alike, and deserves a place on the shelves of any serious collection.

Hands Through Stone
James A. Ardaiz
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary
Fresno, CA 93721-9875
9781610351294, $24.95, www.woodworkerslibrary.com

Sometimes evil cannot be constrained. "Hands Through Stone: How Clarence Ray Allen Masterminded Murder from Behind Folsom's Prison Walls" tells the story of Allen, the last man to receive the death penalty in California. Telling the story on how he planned the murder of multiple people from behind bars, this is a terrifying look at the mind of evil and the lengths it can go. "Hands Through Stone" is a fine addition to any true crime collection focusing on California.

Nowhere Yet
Edward Cozza
Pinot Dog
c/o Smith Publicity
1930 E. Marlton Pike, Suite I-46, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
9780988190610, $16.99, www.edwardcozzawriter.com

A certain someone and the emotions felt can change everything for us. "Nowhere Yet" is a novel from Edward Cozza as he focuses on the setting of Southern California and the impact that romance can wreak on our lives for better or worse. "Nowhere Yet" has a strong charm and riveting characters that make it a very much recommended read.

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Joseph M. McMahon and Peter Sonne's HOLLISTER (9780738595795, $21.99) joins others in the 'Images of America' visual series gathering vintage photos and pairing them with history, and comes from local authors who share memories of Hollister's evolution, from its beginnings in 1839 with the purchase of a land grant by William Hollister and his partners to modern times. Hollister was sold, split, and influenced time and again by those who would homestead and develop the rancho: chapters discuss its ongoing evolution in an intriguing survey highly recommended for any California history holding. Cynthia E. Exum and Maty Guiza-Leimert's LEIMERT PARK (9780738595870, $21.99) joins others in the Images of America series and provides over two hundred vintage images to blend with a history of one of the first planned communities in Southern California, developed in 1927 by Walter H. Leimert Sr. and designed by the Olmsted Brothers, who planned New York City's Central Park. Chapters consider its evolution from rural days to its modern cosmopolitan look complete with jazz clubs, coffeeshops, performance spaces and art galleries, and follow its growth and appeal to artists and musicians alike. Any interested in Southern California history and culture will find this a fine addition to any local history holding. Cecile Page Vargo and Roger W. Vargo's CERRO GORDO (9780738595207, $21.99) provides a fine pictorial history packing in more than 200 vintage images as it discusses a community in the Inyo Mountains of California between Owens Valley and Death Valley National Park, today a ghost town. Discovered in 1865, it was a silver town with a population of some 3,000 which faded when the silver vanished. Images from the town's boom and bust cycles accompany examples of its early and modern architecture and building styles, making for a powerful recommendation for any California history collection.


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

Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design