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California Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 1 January 2012 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Anthropology Shelf
Business Shelf Cookbook Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Computer Shelf Crafts Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Military Shelf Audiobook Shelf Criminology Shelf
Education Shelf Music Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Sports Shelf Biography Shelf
International Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Science Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Fashion Shelf Art Shelf Aviation Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Gardening Shelf Travel Shelf Photography Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Library DVD Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Automotive Shelf Nautical Shelf California Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

A Victorian Flower Dictionary
Mandy Kirkby
Ballantine Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780345532862, $22.00, www.randomhouse.com

A Victorian Flower Dictionary provides a lovely dictionary and illustrated gift book pairing a dictionary searchable by flower and emotion with color drawings and over 300 flower profiles. History, literature and psychology blend with gardening insights to make for a gorgeous presentation perfect for any gardening or gift purposes.

Worm: The First Digital World War
Mark Bowden
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway, 4th floor, New York, NY 10003
9780802119834, $25.00, www.groveatlantic.com

Worm: The First Digital World War tells the story of the Conficker worm, a piece of malware that infected more than twelve million computers around the world in 2008. It exploited security flaws in Windows and spread within weeks, linking infected systems to form a network under illicit outside control capable of overpowering vital computer networks around the world - even the Internet. The U.S. government was only vaguely aware it its threat and it ell to a group of geeks and programmers to save the day - but this book chronicles a larger threat and should be on the shelves not just of computer collections, but any general lending library.

Virgil's Golden Egg and Other Neapolitan Miracles
Michael A. Ledeen
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842402, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

Virgil's Golden Egg and Other Neapolitan Miracles: An Investigation into the Sources of Creativity tells how Neapolitans are considered the most romantic, entertaining people in the country. Most great Italian designers and artists come from Naples, and this title traces the influences and sources of creativity in Naples, using the Virgil metaphor to suggest original answers in Neopolitan life and perspective.

Mob Rule Learning
Michelle Boule
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford NJ 08055-8750
9780910965927, $24.95, www.infotoday.com

Mob Rule Learning provides the first comprehensive book about the 'unconference' movement and the impact of 'mob rule' on training, showing how camps, unconferences and peer learning can be more effective than traditional conferences. It provides a step-by-step approach for emerging education and training for all kinds of business and community purposes, and covers the basics of conferences, program planning, and more.

Folks, This Ain't Normal
Joel Salatin
Center Street
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9780892968190, $25.99, www.centerstreet.com

Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World comes from a farmer who discusses how far we've gone from simple, sustainable living off the land and in community spirit -and he offers insights on his perceptions of 'normal' and how to get there. His thought have been profiled in many places and his messages on food and sustainability have appeared in many culinary magazines and books, but here he's able to present the extent of his thinking about modern farming, food, and beyond. Any social issues or food reference library will find his style lively and pointed.

Thanksgiving: An Illustrated History
John Wesley Thomas & Sandra Lynn Thomas
Schiffer Publishing Inc.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atgen, PA 19310
9780764338298, $29.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Thanksgiving: An Illustrated History arrived too late for a more timely holiday mention but deserves recommendation year-round as a fine collection of over 700 illustrated newspapers, magazine covers, postcards and prints tracing the holiday's history from the Pilgrims to present day. Vintage pictures from a range of sources provide a fun, often whimsical collection of Thanksgiving holiday images and come from Collier's, Women's World, Saturday Evening Post, and many more. A lovely tribute to Thanksgiving!

When Disaster Strikes
Matthew Stein
Chelsea Green
P.O. Box 428, White River Junction VT 05001
9781603583220, $24.95, www.chelseagreen.com

When Disaster Strikes: A Comprehensive Guide for Emergency Planning and Crisis Survival shows how to formulate a disaster preparedness plan specific to a family's particular needs, discussing how disasters are survived and steps to survival, from storing food to mastering survival techniques. From staying healthy in a pandemic to self-defense, this covers all the bases and is a 'must' for any general lending library.

Three Days in the Hermit Kingdom
Eddie Burdick
McFarland & Company
Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
9780786448982, $39.95, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Three Days in the Hermit Kingdom: An American Visits North Korea is a key acquisition for any collection interested in insights on the elusive North Korea, and offers a rare, regime-sanctioned excursion by a North American who visited the country for three days. From his sanctioned excursions to national moments to how the author, a Korean speaker, gained more information than the English narrations provided by his Korean guides, this offers a rare look at North Korean culture and social issues.

Currency Wars
James Rickards
Penguin Portfolio
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9781591844495, $26.95, www.penguin.com

CURRENCY WARS; THE MAKING OF THE NEXT GLOBAL CRISIS focuses on actions taken by U.S. policymakers in recent years to prop up economic growth - and how these actions are prompting a currency war that could ultimately endanger America. The author's background in global capital markets and his position as a consultant to the U.S. defense community lends authority to a consideration that provides a history of the nature of currency wars and an assessment of how to handle the next one. It pinpoints specific actions and decisions that are detrimental to such an event, offers four alternative ideas for the dollar, and is a 'must' for any business or economics collection as well as many a lending library.

The Crown Jewels
Anna Keay
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500515754, $65.00, www.thames.wwnorton.com

THE CROWN JEWELS is a wide-ranging pick highly recommended for arts and collectibles collections as well as any with an interest in jewelry history. It offers a lavish, oversized pictorial presentation telling the story of the crown jewels, is published in association with the Royal Collection and Historic Royal palaces, and offers specially commissioned new photography just for this book! The text comes from an expert in English court history whose original research compliments photos inventorying every item of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. Very highly recommended as an outstanding presentation.

Whateverland: Learning to Live Here
Alexis Stewart & Jennifer Koppelman Hutt
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470907580, $24.95, www.wiley.com

Whateverland: Learning to Live Here is simply hilarious - especially for those under thirty or able to appreciate them. It pairs candid, sometimes jaded, feisty true-life stories with a spin on style and attitude on everything from dieting and marriage to dating and sex, and offers an un-self-help book that focuses not on changing one's flaws to suit the world, but changing worldview to help accept oneself. Chapters offer a sassy survey that range from open gossip to fun observation in a recommendation for any general or teen collection.

A Good Goodbye
Gail Rubin
Light Tree Press
P.O. Box 36987, Albuquerque, NM 87176-6987
9780984596201, $21.95, www.lighttreepress.com

A GOOD GOODBYE: FUNERAL PLANNING FOR THOSE WHO DON'T PLAN TO DIE provides an outstanding coverage of funeral arrangements and covers everything from cremation to caskets. Dosed with light humor and practical insights, it is intended to impart important funeral arrangement details that most don't know about until faced with a death in the family, and is designed to explore all options and reduce family conflict. Any general lending library should have this reference.

The Future of Looking Back
Richard Banks
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735658066, $24.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

The Future of Looking Back provides a powerful survey that considers how history, memory, and memorabilia are changing as the result of digitalization. Physical artifacts are being replaced by virtual ones: how will these new digital records connect us and change how we perceive relationships, the past, and events? This is a powerful survey from a Microsoft researcher who considers how our current digital world is changing our legacies, and is a recommendation for any lending library.

Industrial Evolution
Lyle Estill
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
9780865716742, $17.95, www.newsociety.com

INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION: NEW SOLUTIONS FOR A LOW CARBON FUTURE is a pick for business and sustainability collections and offers the story of how a small group of committed entrepreneurs introduced in Small Is Possible thrived during the current economic recession and have produced a model of sustainable local economy that can be applicable to future needs. It offers concrete solutions, applied models of success and failure, and is a pick for any collection strong in community issues.

Seriously...I'm Not Kidding
Ellen Degeneres
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780446585026, $26.99, www.hbgusa.com

Any collection strong in humor or Ellen Degeneres must have SERIOUSLY...I'M KIDDING. It gathers her stand-up humor and offers her observations of life, from honesty to happiness, and provides insightful and fun chapters packed with opinion and irony alike. It helps to have a prior appreciation for Degeneres and her humor: those with such a familiarity will find this a wonderful collection that demonstrates her power works as well in print as it does on stage!

Powering the Future
Robert B. Laughlin
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780465022199, $24.99, www.basicbooks.com

POWERING THE FUTURE: HOW WE WILL (EVENTUALLY) SOLVE THE ENERGY CRISIS AND FUEL THE CIVILIZATION OF TOMORROW visits the distant future when today's fuel sources are gone, arguing that future energy will be packaged and transported much as today, and that all the alternative energy sources are known today, so no new discoveries will change either the crisis or its options for resolution. These alternatives won't be considered until carbon-based fuel prices outstrip the alternatives - and chapters offer an assessment of synthetic fuels and their various options, along with cheap ways of retrieving carbon. The world won't run out of energy, but the transition away from fossil fuels itself will be difficult. POWERING THE FUTURE paints various scenarios for this transition period in a 'must' for any natural resources collection.

Lone Star Law
Michael Ariens
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726956, $49.95, www.ttupress.org

LONE STAR LAW: A LEGAL HISTORY OF TEXAS is a pick for either Texas history holdings or collections strong in legal history, and offers an engaging yet in-depth narrative surveying the evolution of law and legal culture in Texas from early days to modern times. The evolution of property, family, business and criminal laws offer thorough understanding of the climate in which they evolved, and explains the different cultural influences on Texas legal process. Highly recommended!

Fair World
Paul Greenhalgh
Papadakis
c/o ACC Distribution
6 West 18th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011
9781906506094, $60.00, www.antique-acc.com

Fair World: A History of World's Fairs and Expositions from London to Shanghai 1851-2010 is an outstanding survey highly recommended for a range of collections, from general-interest to history and arts holdings. It packs in photos and in-depth details of the great world fairs and expositions, offering a coverage that provides details about each fair and its unique characteristics. The outstanding focus provides lively discussion of elements unique to each world fair, covering its features, promotion, attractions and impact on its audience. The drama and excitement of the fairs is captured in a fine oversized presentation packed with images and history!


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide
Roger Carp, Editor
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780897785419, $18.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Any collector of Lionel trains or any interested in toy train values in general will find this pocket-sized tote a fine, handy guide. Product listings include prewar, postwar and modern eras and include prices for accessories and trains alike. It's a price guide reference, so there are no color photos - just the latest values arranged in a fashion lending to at-a-glance information perfect for toy and train collectors.

Dish
Shax Riegler
Artisan
225 Warwick St., New York NY 10014-4381
9781579654122, $35.00, www.artisanbooks.com

DISH: 813 COLORFUL, WONDERFUL DINNER PLATES is a fine recommendation for arts and collectibles shelves alike, and offers lovely full-page color photo displays by Robert Bean to accompany a survey of decorative dinner plates. Centuries of plates are profiled from ancient times to modern day, with colorful big photos accompanying histories of plate-makers, trends, and dish designs.

The Book of Colt Paper
Cassandra Faulkner, Exec. Editor
Blue Book Publications Inc.
8009 - 34th Avenue South, Suite 175
Minneapolis MN 55425
9781936120147, $59.95, www.bluebookinc.com

The Book of Colt Paper 1834-2011 is the only book ever published on the range of historical images, catalogs and brochures from Colt. Some of the oldest - and only - surviving images of San Colt are include here, along with Colt-printed books, brochures, newsletters and promotional materials. Two indexes include a general listing of names and places and a chronological listing of important publications and their dates. Serious collectors will find this a winner!


The Anthropology Shelf

Language, Culture and Society
Zdenek Salzmann, et.al.
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder CO 80301
9780813345406, $48.00, www.westviewpress.com

Language, Culture and Society: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology represents a major revision in this 5th update, adding three new chapters on language in a globalized world and its reflections of culture and thinking, modifying structure for easier flow, and adding a study guide with answers, glossary and more. Anthropology professors gather college-level works key to any serious linguistics or anthropology holding in this highly recommended collection.


The Business Shelf

Red Alert
Stephen Leeb
BusinessPlus
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9780446576239, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

RED ALERT: HOW CHINA'S GROWING PROSPERITY THREATENS THE AMERICA WAY OF LIFE discusses key commodities in our lives and show the Chinese are working hard to monopolize the world's fading resources. This country is now dependent on China for rare earth materials, minerals, and the materials for other critical systems. While America's been fighting wars, China's been quietly amassing vital commodities from around the world to upgrade its infrastructure and strengths. Business, political and social issues collections alike must have this important analysis.

Reinventing Fire
Amory B. Lovins and Rocky Mountain Institute
Chelsea Green
Box 428, White River Junction VT 05001
9781603583718, $34.95, www.chelseagreen.com

Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era offers a new business model based on some thirty years of real-world applications, and is a solid pick for any business person wanting a concrete guide to the 'hows' of using existing technologies for energy and jobs. From graphs showing projected declines to examples of transition points and re-invention choices, REINVENTING FIRE is a positive, practical perspective highly recommended for any business collection!

Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits
Debbie Millman
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, Suite 510, New York, NY 10010
9781581158649, $29.95, www.allworth.com

Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits offers a fine discussion of what makes brand names work, analyzing big company successes and their design choices. What a 'brand' really means evolves here from a series of discussions between Debbie Millman and different business leaders who have built successful brands in different industries. He result is a powerful series of interviews offer invaluable branding insights, perfect for business managers seeking to solidify branding pursuits in the marketplace.

StandOut
Marcus Buckingham
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781400202379, $22.99, www.thomasnelson.com

Managers and business people alike will find STANDOUT: THE GROUNDBREAKING NEW STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT FROM THE LEADER OF THE STRENGTHS REVOLUTION provides a powerful introduction to organizational leadership and strengths, and is a pick for any company looking for practical innovation applications. Most strengths assessments are analyzing style: this provides details on how to take your work to the next level, based on personal attributes and skills. Nine 'strength roles' are provided with discussion of the 'edge' involved in each. Business collections will find this inspirational and well-done.

The Coming Jobs War
Jim Clifton
Gallup Press
1251 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781595620552, $24.95, www.galluppress.com

THE COMING JOBS WAR is a 'must' for any business or social issues holding and makes a bold assertion that job creation is the world's most pressing issue, outpacing environmental and even terrorism concerns. Countries that don't make this issue a priority - or fail to address it properly - will find their societies failing to the point of revolution. This is based on Gallup World Poll findings and offers some keys to creating good jobs. Cities, not federal government programs, hold this key - and promoting entrepreneurship and jobs needs to take priority over all else for these cities. A 'must' for any collection either business or general concerned about job creation and the future of the workplace.

Quickbooks Small Business Accounting 2011
Leslie Capachietti
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
0071748598, $30.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Quickbooks Small Business Accounting 2011 offers the only official guide to Quickbooks 2011 and shows small business owners how to set up a basic accounting system using Quickbooks. It's been endorsed by QuickBooks maker Intuit and offers not just keys to setup and use, but best practices for everything from tracking inventory and managing sales to payroll and tax routines. Learn how to configure and customize QuickBooks with a fine survey that is a winning coverage of all the basics and beyond.

Infinite Vision
Pavitha K. Mehta & Suchitra Shenoy
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605099798, $19.95, www.bkconnection.com

INFINITE VISION: HOW ARAVIND BECAME THE WORLD'S GREATEST BUSINESS CASE FOR COMPASSION offers a fine survey of a paradox about 'best' business practices in the Aravind Eye Care Hospital, founded without money or a business plan. The goal to erase curable blindness offers the first book to tell a hospital which became one of the world's largest eye care institutions. Its actions provided an alternative model so radical that it became a popular Harvard Business School case study and makes this a top pick for any business collection.

Infinite Possibility
B. Joseph Pine II & Kim C. Korn
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605095639, $26.95, www.bkconnection.com

INFINITE POSSIBILITY: CREATING CUSTOMER VALUE ON THE DIGITAL FRONTIER updates the twelve-year-old best-selling THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMY to account for new digital opportunities, and is a pick for any business library seeking popularity with its predecessor, as well as newcomers. Executives and experience designers receive a survey of how technology is changing our experiences - and how it creates new worlds of imagination and experience. Value is created with digital substances as much as material goods, and this title focuses on recognizing and marketing that different value.

Successfully Navigating the Downturn
Donald Todrin
Entrepreneur Press
2445 McCabe Way #400, Irvine, CA 92614-6244
9781599184197, $19.95, www.entrepreneur.com

Successfully Navigating the Downturn deserves ongoing recognition as a powerful survey teaching small business entrepreneurs how to survive the economic collapse, which brings with it dying revenues and debt. The author has over thirty years experience solving difficult business problems, and here offers five specific strategies designed to relieve debt and survive downturn conditions. It actually goes beyond survival and tells how to prosper during hard times, making it a lasting reference for not just this economic crisis, but any difficult period.

Now You're Thinking!
Judy Chartrand, et.al.
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0132690136, $22.99, www.ftprss.com

NOW YOU'RE THINKING! CHANGE YOUR THINKING REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR CAREER TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE offers fine insight for any who would use this book as a blueprint for thinking more effectively. From thinking out of the box and making better decisions to understanding the processes that lead to superior results, this pairs a case history of courage with instruction and examples for superior thought, and is a pick for any business or career collection as well as general lending collections strong in self-help.


The Cookbook Shelf

Essential Pepin
Jacques Pepin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547232799, $40.00, www.hmhbooks.com

ESSENTIAL PEPIN offers a cookbook and DVD package under one cover and has been selected and updated from the thousands of recipes he's created over the years. Dishes come from his many phases of culinary interest, from contemporary and haute cuisine to country French booking and more, following his career in the food world and providing hundreds of dishes. A 3-hour DVD bound into the finished book demonstrates nearly 100 techniques cooks need to know, from how to truss a chicken to making mousse. Any serious home cook will find this a favorite.

Bake Something Great!
Jill Snider
Robert Rose
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto ON M4P 1E2, Canada
9780778802815, $29.95, www.robertrose.ca

BAKE SOMETHING GREAT! 400 BARS, SQUARES & COOKIES comes in a wire-o hardcover format which lends to both easy shelving and lay-flat kitchen use, and is packed with a range of easy baking from brownies to shortbread, nut bars to cookies. All levels of bakers will find the presentation lovely, packed with some 80 color photos and filled with fun insights on easy baking. Nothing earth-shatteringly new - just all the favorites and tried-and-tested bars under one easy cover!

The Family Meal
Ferran Adria
Phaidon Press
180 Varick St., 14th Floor, New York NY 10014
9780714862538, $29.95, www.phaidon.com

THE FAMILY MEAL: HOME COOKING WITH FERRAN ADRIA presents the first home cooking cookbook by the chef and restaurant owner and profiles almost 100 recipes and menus inspired by his establishment and eaten by the staff every day. These dishes are easy to fix and meant for family dining and range from Roast Chicken with Potato Straws to Mexican-Style Slow-Cooked Pork and more. It's arranged by three-course menus to provide home cooks with complete meals at a glance, and is packed with step-by-step color photos leaving nothing to guesswork. Any general lending library will find this a popular choice.

Cookies: At Home
Culinary Institute of America
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470412275, $34.99, www.wiley.com

Cookies: At Home With the Culinary Institute of America offers up nearly a hundred dishes ranging from cookie classics to new inventions and variations on a theme. There are also 12 cookie projects from ice cream sandwiches to gingerbread houses - all tested by the kitchens of the Culinary Institute and guaranteed to be foolproof! Color photos assures a winning, eye-catching collection that will stand out from the others in any general lending library.

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2012
America's Test Kitchen
DeborahPub@aol.com
1933615966, $39.95, www.americastestkitchentv.com

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2012 offers every recipe from the TV show up through the 2012 season and is a pick for any collection seeing popularity with the other Test Kitchen guides. Recipes here have been tested at least two dozen times to assure foolproof versions, provide technical insights on why each recipe works, and make for a weighty, outstanding reference perfect for any cookbook collection.

Mourad: New Moroccan
Mourad Lahlou
Artisan
225 Varick St., New York NY 10014-4381
9781579654290, $40.00, www.artisanbooks.com

Mourad: New Moroccan provides an outstanding survey that combines a cookbook with a memoir and is a pick for any interested in Middle Eastern fare. It explores the author's cooking style which balances techniques from Morocco with the ingredients of Northern California, features over 170 recipes and techniques, and covers the modern tastes of California. Over 200 photos accompany the author's original adaptations of Moroccan cuisine to California ingredients and flavors, making this an outstanding survey for any ethnic-inspired collection.

Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day
Jeff Hertzberg, MD and Zoe Francois
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
9780312649944, $27.99, www.stmartins.com

Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day represents the third in the 'Five Minutes a Day' series and features the simple yeast dough that has changed the idea of home bread baking. Over 100 new recipes accompanied by color photos offer a cookbook for the busiest professional and teach how to use stored, no-knead doughs to make dishes ranging from pita to pizzas and pies. These recipes take virtually no time to produce, making this a 'must' for any serious culinary collection.

Ciao Italia: Family Classics
Mary Ann Esposito
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312571214, $40.00, www.stmartins.com

Ciao Italia: Family Classics packs in over 200 recipes from three generations of Italian cooks, and is a top pick for any who would produce Italian regional foods. From a Roasted Sea Bass with Fennel, Oranges and Olives to Pumpkin Risotto and Creamy Cauliflower Baked in a Mold, this is packed with delicious dishes not to be found elsewhere. Any Italian cookbook fan who wants something out of the ordinary will find this filled with wonderful dishes and easy directions.

Lost Restaurants of New Orleans
Peggy Scott Laborde and Tom Fitzmorris
Pelican Publishing
1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781589809970, $39.95, www.pelicanpub.com

Lost Restaurants of New Orleans pairs a pictorial celebration of bygone restaurants of new Orleans with classic dishes from these establishments, pairing them with recollections of locals and photos that capture the culinary cuisine of New Orleans. The best former eateries around the city are celebrated, with healthy doses of New Orleans local color and culture mixed in with recipes you won't find elsewhere. Also included are histories of different famous restaurants, making for a pick for culinary and history collections alike.

Meals in Minutes
Jamie Oliver
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401324421, $35.00, www.hyperion.com

MEALS IN MINUTES: A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO COOKING GOOD FOOD FAST provides a fine guide for home cooks with over 50 new meals offering main and side dishes achievable in half an hour - including roast beef and other meals that normally take time. Cooks CAN produce good quality foods quickly and on a budget, and MEALS IN MINUTES shows how, with shortcuts and step-by-step explanations simplifying the process of making courses. Add a peppering of color photos and you have a real winner!

Bought, Borrowed & Stolen
Allegra McEvedy
Conran Octopus
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781840915822, $24.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk

Bought, Borrowed & Stolen: Recipes & Knives from a Travelling Chef represents a survey of special things the author's eaten on her world journeys - dishes that moved her - and which she's recreated using her notes and memory of special tastes. As a child her historian father took her on world travels and she was encouraged to keep a diary, but her notes consisted less of cultural observations and more about all the new foods she was experiencing. Her Food Diaries formed the basis for this title, for her future as a professional chef, and for a profile of the best of what she ate in some 20 countries. Color photos and illustrations round out a lovely survey!

The Sweet Life
Sam Talbot
Rodale
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9781605290959, $32.50, www.rodale.com

THE SWEET LIFE: DIABETES WITHOUT BOUNDARIES comes from a Top Chef finalist and a Type 1 diabetic diagnosed at the age of 12. Diabetes has affected but not stopped his life or career, and this features over seventy of his innovative recipes for dishes anyone can enjoy. There's no bland foods here: dishes such as Steamed Little Neck Clams with Mustard Sauce, Coconut and Lemongrass Soup with Lime and Cilantro, and Beef Tacos with Charred Tomatillo-Pepper Relish are packed with flavor and innovation, making this a top pick for diabetic and culinary collections alike!

Wild Flavors
Didi Emmons
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781603982858, $34.95, www.chelseagreen.com

WILD FLAVORS: ONE CHEF'S TRANSFORMATIVE YEAR COOKING FROM EVA'S FARM provides over 150 recipes using nearly fifty plants and spanning all the seasons, and is a pick for any who would pair uncommon herbs with vegetables. From calaminth and lovage to wild foods such as wild roses and sorrel, this provides growing and foraging information for these uncommon garden plants, keys to using and preserving them, and easy recipes. A peppering of color photos makes this a winner for any vegetarian or general culinary collection!

The Hot Knives Vegetarian Cookbook: Salad Daze
Alex Brown and Evan George
Mark Batty Publisher
68 Jay Street, Suite 410, Brooklyn, NY 11201
9781935613336, $25.00, www.markbattypublisher.com

The Hot Knives Vegetarian Cookbook: Salad Daze pairs fine color photos by Amanda Marsalis with a lovely garden produce-oriented book and provides dishes that are paired with beer selections and soundtracks to make for a man-appealing guide. From a Winter Seitan and Spiced Carrots loaf to a section on pickling everything from okra to grapes, this features uncommon creations not to be found elsewhere and is a fine addition to any vegetable cookbook collection.

Desserted
Kate Shaffer
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
9780892729913, $29.95, www.downeast.com

DESSERTED: RECIPES AND TALES FROM AN ISLAND CHOCOLATIER tells of the author's move to Maine and her newfound chocolate shop there, Black Dinah Chocolatiers - one of the finest chocolate companies in the country Over forty chocolate recipes range from candy to gingerbread pancakes and pies, with discussions of Maine communities and environments rounding out the fine presentation. Cooks interested in gourmet chocolate and fans of Maine alike will relish this fine read!

125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes
Carol Fenster
Avery Books
c/o The Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781583334256, $18.00, www.penguin.com

125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes comes from an expert on special diets who has written several popular gluten-free cookbooks and who here provides over a hundred quick vegetarian dishes for cooks. The author grew up on a wheat farm, so her conversion to gluten-free dishes was a challenge. Of special interest are directions on how to blend gluten-free vegetarian foods
with meat-loving palates and families with sweet tooths. A fine presentation!

Les Petits Macarons
Kathryn Gordon and Anne E. McBride
Running Press
2300 Chestnut St., Philadelphia PA 19103
9780762442584, $18.00, www.runningpress.com

Les Petits Macarons: Colorful French Confections to Make at Home is a 'must' for any collection strong in dessert cookery. It offers simple dishes any home cook can easily and quickly produce, offers range of shells both sweet and savory to accompany different kinds of fillings, and outlines three basic meringue methods - French, Italian and Swiss - to accompany the easy recipes. There are a few other macaron cookbooks on the market; but none so wide-ranging and diverse with the savory inclusions making for an exceptional, winning and unique presentation.

Cooking with Mustard Empowering Your Palate
G. Poggenpohl
Schiffer Books
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764336430, $19.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Cooking with Mustard Empowering Your Palate offers recipes for 16 widely different types of mustards and is a pick for any cook who wants to explore how to use them to best advantage. More than thirty recipes are accompanied by color photos and clear directions on how the mustards differ from one another and how to use them in dishes that profile them to best advantage. Any cookbook collection that doesn't have much in the way of an in-depth mustard-stand-alone cookbook needs this.

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School
Kathleen Flinn
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670023004, $26.95, www.penguin.com

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks follows the progress of nine novices from varying backgrounds as she samples their cooking and teaches them cooking skill basics. The students learn how to make food choices, shop economically, and how to handle food without the expense of a culinary school, inspiring readers to do the same. THE KITCHEN COUNTER COOKING SCHOOL brings her advice and insights to every novice home cook and teaches the basics with humor and fun, including easy recipes that are foolproof and impressive starts. A top pick for any aspiring home cook!

Once Upon a Brisket
Stephanie Pierson
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City MO 64106-2109
978-1449406974, $29.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

The Brisket Book: A Love Story with Recipes is the only cookbook entirely devoted to the brisket cut of beef, and packs in history, culinary advice, cartoons, and of course, winning brisket dishes. From a cranberry Temple Emanu-el Brisket with cranberry sauce to soups and burgers, this pairs recipes from notable chefs with color photos and illustrations throughout, making it a fine pick for any culinary collection, especially those with a few beef cookbooks who would see popularity with a lively, specialized title!

The I Love Trader Joe's Around the World Cookbook
Cherie Mercer Twohy
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781569759882, $17.95, www.ulyssespress.com

The I Love Trader Joe's Around the World Cookbook packs in over 140 international recipes using foods from Trader Joe's: and since the grocery store now has branches around the U.S., a wide audience will find this useful. From an Asian Potsticker Soup to African Spicy Coconut Rice and a Caribbean Mango-Lango Salad, this provides a fine pick for any Trader Joe's fan who wants to use some of their pre-made products in outstanding ethnic dishes. Color photos abound and compliment the easy recipes!

Making Cupcakes with Lola
Victoria Jossel & Romy Lewis
Ryland Peters & Small
trade@macmillan.co.uk
9781849751865, $24.95, www.rylandpeters.com

Making Cupcakes with Lola comes from the creators of the company, London's fashionable cupcake bakery, and provides a cookbook packed with unusual cupcake inventions not to be seen in your typical cookbook. From Mango Berry Swirl to Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes and Chocolate Cheesecake, color photos accompany mouth-watering dishes!

What Chefs Feed Their Kids
Fanae Aaron
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762760954, $24.95, www.lyonspress.com

What Chefs Feed Their Kids: Recipes and Techniques for Cultivating a Love of Good Food pairs fine food photography by Viktor Budnik with a solid discussion of chef meals for kids, offering a professional's insights on how to get kids to appreciate food. It comes from a first-time mother and lifelong foodie who sought advice from some twenty award-winning chefs on how they handled their own kids' palates. Chapters provide concrete keys to engaging kids and offer stories about chef family lives and kid-oriented choices. Recipes included make this a powerful survey recommended for culinary and parenting collections alike.

Whole Beast Butchery
Ryan Farr with Brigit Binns
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9781452100593, $40.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

Whole Beast Butchery: The Complete Visual Guide to Beef, Lamb, and Pork shares lessons from the author's sold-out classes on traditional butchery and is a key acquisition for any collection strong in meat-cutting and meat processing. Beef, Lamb and Pork receive their own in-depth sections with keys to butchering and cooking each type of meat. The focus on home butchering offers many tips geared to home cooks and should be considered a 'bible' for any comprehensive meat reference collection.

Apple Pie
Ken Haedrich
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany St., Boston MA 02118
9781558327429, $14.95, www.harvardcommonpress.com

Apple Pie: 100 Delicious and Decidedly Different Recipes for America's Favorite Pie offers a fine guide to apple pie baking that features a hundred recipes just devoted to apple pies and pastries. These recipes feature combinations of ingredients that go beyond the traditional apple pie, from Pumpkin Applesauce Pie to Frozen Apple and Peanut Butter Cloud Pie. Any enthusiast of the apple who wants to go further will appreciate this fine collection.


The Self-Help Shelf

Living in Gratitude
Angeles Arrien
Sounds True
Box 8010, Boulder, CO 80306
9781604070828, $22.95, www.soundstrue.com

Living in Gratitude: A Journey That Will Change Your Life comes from a cultural anthropologist and teacher who shows how emotion is a choice - and provides a 12-month survey of the four portals of gratitude: blessings, learnings, mercies and protections. Journaling exercises, lessons and more offers a spiritual survey of gratitude and accompany wisdoms from around the world, making this a recommendation not just for spirituality holdings, but any collection strong in change.

The Color of Rain
Michael & Gina Spehn
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310331971, $22.99, www.zondervan.com

THE COLOR OF RAIN: HOW TWO FAMILIES FOUND FAITH, HOPE & LOVE IN THE MIDST OF TRAGEDY offers a fine memoir of what happens when two childhood classmates die of cancer just weeks apart, bringing their spouses together to share grief and, ultimately, a new passion for life. It's all about recovery and survival in the face of tragedy, and offers a compelling portrait for any spirituality or inspirational collection.

Affluence Intelligence
Stephen Goldbart, PhD and Joan Indursky DiFuria, MFT
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
9780738214245, $25.00, www.dacapopress.com

Affluence Intelligence: Earn More, Worry Less, and Live a Happy and Balanced Life should reach many in these hard economic times and proposes that true wealth is the entirety of a person's life, not just what's earned or saved. Seven parts of real affluence are identified here as doing work you love, having relationships that bring joy, feeling safe, and living a purposeful life, among other pieces. Outlines of these seven attributes come with a quiz to help reader determine their personal success and offers a program to help re-evaluate priorities and values in a piece recommended for any inspirational collection.

Mindfulness
Mark Williams and Danny Penman
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9781609611989, $24.99, www.rodale.com

MINDFULNESS: AN EIGHT-WEEK PLAN FOR FINDING PEACE IN A FRANTIC WORLD includes a downloadable audio and comes from an Oxford professor who tells readers how to reduce anxiety and depression - even chronic pain - using Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for even minutes a date. Mark Williams and his colleagues developed this program, and his book provides both a scientific basis for its effectiveness and exercises that can blend meditative practices into daily life to overcome negativity. A fine inspirational pick for any general lending library!


The Computer Shelf

Official Cert Guide: CCNA ICND2 640-816, third edition
Wendell Odom, CCIE
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
1587204355, $39.99, www.ciscopress.com

The third updated edition of Official Cert Guide: CCNA ICND2 640-816 is a top pick for any taking the master exam and deserves ongoing mention as the best in-depth study guide one could own. From chapter-opening quizzes that help students assess knowledge and limitations to key concept reviews and practice exam questions on the DVD, this shares top test-taking tips, helps identify and change areas of weakness, and provides a new edition updated with new exercises and enhancements to key concepts. A 'must' for any taking the exam!

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

Dave Hendricksen's 12 ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR SOFTWARE ARCHITECTS (0321717295, $39.99) offers a close analysis of the specific relationship, personal and business skills that can be taken into account when developing a winning resume to become an architect, and is a key pick for software architecture workers. This covers not just technical but non-technical skills needed to succeed in this position, comes from a long-time software architect, and teaches career-building strategies for achieving the position of Software Architect in a competitive world. Business and computer collections alike will find it a winner. James L. Williams' LEARNING HTML5 GAME PROGRAMMING (0321767365, $29.99) provides a fine guide to game programming and teaches the basics of HTML5 innovations that make it possible to create fine games. From creating games using SVG vector graphics to using JavaScript to drive them, this is loaded with code examples, exercises, and keys to planning and optimizing game performance and is a 'must' for any serious game programming holding! The third updated edition of Jason Weathersby, Tom Bondur and Lana Chatalbasheva's INTEGRATING AND EXTENDING BIRT (0321772822, $54.99) is a pick for any advanced programming collection string in Java or Eclipse and introduces programmers to BIRT architecture and technology. This technology enables programmers to building customized reports and to work with the Eclipse Plug-In Development Environment to build plug-ins to extend BIRT operations. From installing BIRT to blending it into applications, this latest update provides newly revised details on everything from developing reports and data extractions to using more effective scripts. Fred Long, et.al.'s THE CERT ORACLE SECURE CODING STANDARD FOR JAVA (0321803957, $49.99) provides Java programmers with a powerful survey offering rules to eliminate bad coding practices that can lead to exploitable vulnerabilities. This focus on Java security measures provides noncompliant examples and solutions, teaching the basics of recognizing vulnerable code and improving coding techniques. It analyzes language behaviors, API and security architecture, and considers security at all levels of Java's processes. An outstanding 'must' for any Java developer's collection! Agile collections will benefit from Alan Shalloway, et.al.'s ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR THE AGILE DEVELOPER: A GUIDE TO BETTER PROGRAMMING AND DESIGN (0321543734, $44.99). It covers the basics of software engineering with Agile, offering key factors associated with Agile projects and methods of measuring results. From design to technical practices, software engineers receive a basic coverage of key skills Agile developers need, and will find this a fine addition to any Agile development library.

Introducing HTML 5, second edition
Bruce Lawson and Remy Sharp
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321784421, $34.99, www.newriders.com

The second updated edition of Introducing HTML 5 provides a fine survey showing how to adapt the HTML 5 language to modern browsers. From a review of problems HTML5 can solve to handling multimedia, Javascript APIs already embedded into program structures, using new web databases and more, this is packed with keys to using HTML5's many powers.

Mac OS X Lion On Demand
Steve Johnson
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789748193, $34.99, www.quepublishing.com

Mac OS X Lion On Demand includes online workshops and over 500 of the most essential Lion tasks, offering a step-by-step color survey of these tasks that includes screen shots accompanying highlighted sidebars of procedures. From using the App Store and other apps to using Safari and setting up a task management schedule with iCal, this offers numbered steps and tricks and tips and is a key to customizing Lion's powers. Any Apple-oriented collection should include this very specific guide!

Getting to Know ESRI Business Analyst
Fred L. Miller
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
9781589482357, $59.95, www.esripress.com

Getting to Know ESRI Business Analyst is a top recommendation for any who would use Business Analyst for GIS business solutions, and is a pick for computer and business holdings alike. It covers the latest version of the software that provides analysis and mapping tools, reviews the GIS server technology for sharing models throughout a business, and covers the Analyst Online application that provides on-demand access to further tools. Business professionals and students already somewhat savvy in Business Analyst will find this packed with illustrated step-by-step exercises that cover the typical challenges a business faces during start-up and growth.

CompTIA Security+ Exam Guide, third edition
Wm. Arthur Conklin and Greg White
McGraw-Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of Americas, 45th Floor, New York NY
0071771476, $60.00, www.mhprofessional.com

The third updated edition of CompTIA Security+ Exam Guide offers a fine revision covering all the exam basics and has been completely updated to cover exam SYO-301 in complete detail. Chapters read like a classroom in a book, offering objectives, exam tips and practice questions, explanations and more. An accompanying CD-ROM features two full practice exams and a pdf copy of the book. From general security to the specifics of legal issues, privacy, and infrastructure security, this is a 'must' for any collection!

Sams Teach Yourself the Twitter API in 24 Hours
Christopher Peri, PhD
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0672331101, $34.99, www.informit.com/sams

Sams Teach Yourself the Twitter API in 24 Hours offers a fine series of step-by-step instructions, quizzes, and keys to working with the Twitter API. It teaches programmers the basics of building Twitter clients, using mobile Twitter apps for iPhone and Droid, and more, offering lessons building upon Twitter applications. Black and white screen shots accompany clear directions perfect for any computer holding where social media usage is of interest.

Drupal User's Guide
Emma Jane Hogbin
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0137041292, $39.99, www.informit.com/ph

Drupal User's Guide: Building and Administering a Successful Drupal-Powered Web Site comes from a Drupal site developer who offers keys to all steps of building sites using Drupal, from planning to launch. Chapters teach how to use Drupal 7's new improvements, cover the basics of search engine optimization and customizing Drupal themes, and show how to capture content, use Views, and choose third-party modules to build all kinds of sites. Any web development collection needs these specifics.

Introduction to Information Science and Technology
Charles H. Davis and Debora Shaw
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874236, $59.50, www.infotoday.com

Introduction to Information Science and Technology provides a fine guide to information science and discusses historical background, information needs, computers and networks, developing information policies and more. It was written by ASIS&T members and volunteers who provide a fine survey of information technology effects on communications and information policies, and is designed as an introductory text for students in the field. Any college-level computer or information science collection must have this!

Head First HTML5 Programming
Eric Freeman & Elisabeth Robson
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9781449390549, $49.99, www.oreilly.com

Any programmer who wants to create dynamic web pages will find this book on web design and development uses the latest HTML5 to create not just pages, but web applications that work with desktops and mobile browsers alike. It teaches the basics of building these applications using modern standards and best practices and shows how the APIs interact with pages. The latest brain research on learning contributes to a visual format that lends to intuitive learning, making this a top pick over any other HTML5 primer.

Microsoft OneNote Plain & Simple
Peter Weverka
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735660540, $24.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

Microsoft OneNote Plain & Simple is packed with color illustrations and screen shots on every page and covers all the basics of the OneNote program, from creating and storing notes to linking them, drawing and organizing them, and using them in research. The easily-followed steps and screenshots accompany tips and techniques and exercises designed to help learners quickly apply concepts to completed results. It's a powerful survey yet emphasizes at-a-glance learning for those on the go, and is a pick for any computer collection teaching OneNotes.

Work Item Management with IBM Rational ClearQuest and Jazz
Shmuel Bashan and David E. Bellagio
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0137001797, $59.99, www.ibmpressbooks.com

Work Item Management with IBM Rational ClearQuest and Jazz: A Customization Guide is for any computer collection strong in software engineering and uses experiences with IBM customers to link theory with best practices. From advanced customization techniques to different phases of workflow development and best practices for different work item applications, this offers plenty of customization insights for getting the most from ClearQuest and Jazz, and is a pick for any developer's reference collection.

The Art of R Programming
Norman Matloff
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593273842, $39.95, www.nostarch.com

The Art of R Programming: A Tour of Statistical Software Design surveys software development with R, teaching object-oriented programming basics and showing how to use R to arrange data into simpler formats. From using graphs to visualize complex data sets to locating new packages for image manipulation and using advanced debugging, this is packed with keys to translating statistical computing to everyday usage, and is a pick for any serious computer reference collection.

The Magic of Computer Graphics
Noriko Kurachi
Edited by Michael Stark
CRC Press
c/o Taylor and Francis
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
9781568815770, $49.95, www.crcprss.com

The Magic of Computer Graphics provides a fine history and survey of the creation of computer graphics effects, which have affected everything from video games and film to medical lab imaging and more. Chapters cover technical aspects of rendering and imaging, offering diagrams, equations, explanations of HDR environments, image-based BRDF models, and more. This advanced technical survey of computer graphics is recommended for college-level engineering and computer technology collections, where it will stand out from others on the subject for its attention to technical formulas and details.

Clojure in Action
Amit Rathore
Manning Publications
maba@manning.com
1935182595, $49.99, www.manning.com

CLOJURE IN ACTION covers the basics of Clojure and is a pick for programmers who want to get started - fast - with this JVM application. Chapters pair a Clojure tutorial with the basics of creating web services, developing, and programming with Clojure. It assumes familiarity with an OO language like Java or C++ but requires no prior familiarity with Lisp or Clojure itself to prove accessible. Advanced programming collections will relish this!

Propellerhead Reason 5 Tips and Tricks
Hollin Jones
PC Publishing
c/o O'Reilly Media Inc
1005 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9781906005207, $19.95, www.pc-publishing.com

Propellerhead Reason 5 Tips and Tricks offers musicians and computer music makers a fine guide to using Reason in daily music-making. It is accessible to a wide range of readers, from beginners to advanced users, and covers all the basics from computer setup to linking Reason with other programs and customizing sounds and results. All the instruments, such as the new Thor Polysonic Synthesizer, are covered in a fine survey of mixing and publishing tracks perfect for computer-oriented musicians.

iPad2 for Dummies
Edward C. Baig and Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118176795, $24.99, www.wiley.com

iPad2 for Dummies teaches all the basics of navigating the iPad2's interfaces, offering an all-color guide to the iPad's latest software and teaching everything from apps to setting up the device and using it with iCloud. From using Twitter and Facebook to connecting to Wi-Fi and troubleshooting an iPad, this is packed with the latest details and appears in an updated third edition to cover all the basics.


The Crafts Shelf

Creative Chain Mail Jewelry
Bead& Button
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164216, $19.95, www.kalmbachstore.com

Creative Chain Mail Jewelry explores designs and potentials for jewelry pieces made from jump rings and offers projects ranging from bracelets and necklaces to rings. Different chain mail weaves and how to add in beads and other color embellishments provide jump ring jewelry makers with a range of projects designed to explore the full potentials of chain mail jewelry. Add large color photos of completed projects and small step-by-step pictures and you have a winning presentation!

Drawing the Head and Hands
Andrew Loomis
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857680976, $39.95, www.titanbooks.com

Drawing the Head and Hands provides a fine facsimile format from an illustrator whose art instruction books have long influenced great artists. This is second in Titan's program of facsimile editions and is packed with black and white illustrations and details on head and hand drawing basics. Any aspiring artist will consider this a key bible featuring one of the best instruction guides in print.

Dimensional Bead Embroidery
Jamie Cloud Eakin
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781600597961, $26.95, www.larkcrafts.com

Dimensional Bead Embroidery: A Reference Guide to Techniques is for any jewelry maker interested in bead embroidery techniques, and teaches the basics of different embroidery methods and bead applications. Chapters cover both common and new stitch options, providing nine step-by-step projects that teach how to blend techniques into one's own designs. Needlework and jewelry holdings will find this a fine, clear collection of bead embroidery projects.

Stitch, Cloth, Paper & Paint
Angie Hughes
Search Press USA
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
9781844487332, $19.95, www.searchpress.com

Stitch, Cloth, Paper & Paint: Mixed Media Ideas & Inspiration provides an outstanding survey packed with illustrations exploring mixed media opportunities for textile artists and papercrafters. This book contains methods and projects for hand and machine stitching, paints and paper and packs in nearly three hundred color photos documenting all steps of the process. A wealth of ideas makes for a winner!

Crafting with Cat Hair
Kaori Tautaya
Quirk Books
215 Church Street Philadelphia PA 19106
9781594745256, $14.95, www.quirkbooks.com

Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make With Your Cat literally tells how to use the cat to craft - or, its abundance of hair anyway. If fur balls and too much shedding are an issue, this book will help turn those lemons into lemonade, showing how to turn clumps of fur and hair into soft handicrafts. This originally was published in Japan in 2009: it's a pleasure to see it more widely available, and it makes the perfect gift choice for that cat fancier who has bemoaned the presence of too much cat hair.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Price of Civilization
Jeffrey D. Sachs
Random House
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9781400068418, $27.00, www.atrandom.com

The Price of Civilization: Reawakening American Virtue and Prosperity comes from an author versed in international economic problem solving who considers America's economic ills and offers a call for Americans to restore virtues of fairness, honesty and foresight. His analysis of political and economic shortcomings in this country, shortsighted solutions to long-range issues, and more maintains America has underestimated the effects of globalization on this country - and provides both economic and social psychology answers to problems. Any political or social issues collection will find his analysis astute.

Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.basicbooks.com

Thomas Sowell's THE THOMAS SOWELL READER (9780465022502, $29.99) gathers the writings of an economics professor who is a prolific writer and social observer, and represents the only book collecting the extent of his writings on different topics under one cover. From economics and racial issues to politics and family, this reprints works from his columns, essays and other writings, adds autobiographical sketches for insight into the sources of his inspiration, and is a 'must' for any collection seeing popularity in other Sowell works. James Livingston's AGAINST THRIFT: WHY CONSUMER CULTURE IS GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND YOUR SOUL (9780465021864, $27.50) provides a powerful testimony exploring the process and morality of spending. From the philosophy of consumption to the psychology of shopping and thrift, his coverage maintains that thrift won't solve the current economic crisis and indeed more consumer spending induced by a redistribution of income will be the key to economic recovery. A fascinating survey, recommended for general and social issues collections alike.

Gun Fight
Adam Winkler
W. W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393077414, $27.95, www.wwnorton.com

GUN FIGHT: THE BATTLE OVER THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS IN AMERICA documents the 2008 legal battle for Second Amendment rights - by Alan Gura, a young litigator who had never before argued a case at the Supreme Court. GUN FIGHT comes from a law scholar who offers an overview background history of the extent of gun rights struggles in this country, and offers some startling insights in the process - such is that the founding fathers favored gun laws more restricted than those being proposed today. Any collection strong in civil liberties need this survey.

How to Win Friends & Influence People in the Digital Age
Dale Carnegie & Associates
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451612578, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

How to Win Friends & Influence People in the Digital Age revamps a winner that proved a classic over seventy-five years ago, offering new insights based on today's new communication standards that affect success in business and personal lives alike. Modern readers are offered formulas for successful engagement no matter what the communication method, outlining ways to use social media to influence others and improve outcomes. A top pick for general and business holdings alike.

Gay in America
Scott Pasfield
Welcome Books
6 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9781599621043, $45.00, www.welcomebooks.com

Gay in America comes from a New York City photographer who provides over two hundred pages of photos and personal stories from some 140 gay American men, introduced by activist Tom Kirdahy and his husband Terrence McNally. Photographer Pasfield traveled over 52,000 miles across all fifty states over three years gathering images and stories of gay men from all different walks of life: this offers their shared homosexuality and provides a stunning guide to photography and social issues holdings alike.

How Civilizations Die (And Why Islam is Dying Too)
David Goldman
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001
9781596982734, $27.95, www.regnery.com

How Civilizations Die (And Why Islam is Dying Too) maintains that the Muslim world is in danger of dying even without U.S. involvement, from a combination of its declining birth rate, repressive traditions, and trends that are stressing Muslim social structures. The looming collapse is causing Islamic terrorists to rise - and its death spiral threatens the West as well as itself. Chapters offer a plan on how the U.S. can survive the coming world stresses, and explain that faith remains the best option for survival.

Images of Black Modernism
Miriam Thaggert
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498310, $28.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Images of Black Modernism: Verbal and Visual Strategies of the Harlem Renaissance provides a fine focus on the years 1922 to 1938, a key period in black cultural history, and shows how literary and artistic elements helped undermine stereotypes. Visual and verbal techniques for representing blackness are provided in a coverage that discusses different forms of black expression and representation. College-level collections strong in Afro-American history and culture will find this a scholarly, insightful recommendation!

The Concrete Dragon
Thomas J. Campanella
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003
9781568989686, $24.95, www.papress.com

THE CONCRETE DRAGON: CHINA'S URBAN REVOLUTION AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WORLD is a pick for urban studies, global issues and architecture collections alike and discusses China's urban growth policy over the last twenty years. From the appearance of giant malls, theme parks and McMansions to its incorporation of past politics with present changes, THE CONCRETE DRAGON offers thought-provoking surveys of changing communities across China, pairing study with the author's observations and the experiences of Chinese architects and developers. A unique, recommended pick for any China or urban studies collection!


The Military Shelf

Ki-44 'Tojo' Aces of World War 2
Nicholas Millman
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849084406, $22.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Ki-44 'Tojo' Aces of World War 2 joins others in Osprey's 'Aircraft of the Aces' reference series and considers his this model represented a radical departure from the Japanese Army Air Force's emphasis on aerobatics. Chapters consider the lasting impact of the plane, its appearance on every front, and its unique role as the best gun fighter in the Japanese air force. Campaigns and their strategies are analyzed in an outstanding survey packed with photos and recommended for aviation history and World War II collections alike.

Leadership in Dangerous Situations
Patrick J. Sweeney, et.al, Editors
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591148326, $34.95, www.usni.org/navalinstitutepress

Leadership in Dangerous Situations: A Handbook for the Armed Forces, Emergency Services, and First Responders provides a fine survey of dangerous situations for leaders at all levels - especially those with less experience - and comes from a former battalion commander who directs a leader development program at West Point, a former law enforcement officer, and a research psychologist. The writings here cover everything from obedience and courage to influence and decision-making under life-and-death scenarios, and make for a powerful survey highly recommended for any military or leadership collection.

The Handbook on the Political Economy of War
Christopher J. Coyne and Rachel L. Mathers, Editors
Edward Elgar
9 Dewey Court, Northampton MA 01060
9781848442481, $295.00, www.e-elgar.com

The Handbook on the Political Economy of War is a serious study highly recommended for college-level readers of either political issues or military issues, defining political economy and war and offering essays from a range of scholars from economic and political to sociological and cultural perspectives. From why wars begin and how they are waged to alternatives to conflict, civil war, arms issues, and nation building, this offers a detailed, in-depth and comprehensive reference perfect for any military or political issues holding.

The Untold Civil War
Neil Kagan, Editor
National Geographic Books
c/o National Geographic Society
1145 - 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688
9781426208126, $40.00, www.nationalgeographic.com/books

The Untold Civil War: Exploring the Human Side of War comes from a Civil War historian and provides a new perspective on the Civil War. It uses over a hundred previously untold personal stories from the times to explore different aspects of the war, from the lives of soldiers to those who lived alongside battlefields. The lesser-known stories offer both military and civilian perspectives on the Civil War and provide an outstanding survey suitable for any general collection or military holdings strong in Civil War history and culture.

David and Lee Roy: A Vietnam Story
David L. Nelson and Randolph B. Schiffer
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726949, $29.95, www.ttupress.org

David and Lee Roy: A Vietnam Story provides a powerful exploration of friendship and military duty and is a pick for any collection strong in Vietnam references. Lee Roy Herron and his high school buddy David Nelson signed up for Marine Corps officer training in the 1960s, which took them in different directions in their lives. When Lt. Lee Roy Herron was killed on the front lines two months into his tour of duty, Nelson mourned him - but in 1997 began a probe into his friend's death that would lead him to military archives, and even to Vietnam. A powerful survey evolves in this winning memoir.


The Audiobook Shelf

Five Chiefs
John Paul Stevens
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9781611137125, $29.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

FIVE CHIEFS enjoys an outstanding reading by Gregory Itzin, known for his Emmy-nominated role as president Logan on Fox TV's show. Here he lends his acting prowess to a fine memoir by Justice John Paul Stevens, who was the third-longest-serving Supreme Court justice in American history. He worked with five chief justices and this is his account of the Court's operations, from his personal experiences with these justices to his own term. His autobiography blends with insight on the justice system to make for an outstanding survey!

Prime Time
Jane Fonda
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307934130, $40.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

Jane Fonda herself narrates this survey of making the most of health and fitness in the second half of life, making this a fine pick for any audio collection. It explores the years between 45 to 50 and 60 and beyond, considering the different phases of life and aging and offering her vision for successful living. Her insights on how to lead a healthy life make for a survey that offers ongoing positive inspiration for a large audience. Any general lending collection will want this!

New York to Dallas
J.D. Robb
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1441837314, $38.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

New York to Dallas is performed by veteran narrator Susan Ericksen, whose warm and enchanting voice contributes to another 'In Death' novel; this revolving around Eve Dallas' struggle with one of her earliest criminals, who is now out of jail and bent on revenge. He leads her on a puzzling chase that winds her back in the town she fled long ago, to there face down a danger and memories she thought long buried. Mystery collections - especially those seeing popularity with the prior 'In Death' novels - will find this engrossing.


The Criminology Shelf

Mafia: The Glamour of Crime
Fien Meyendonckyx
Tectum Publishers
info@tectum.be
9789079761791, $59.95, www.tectum.be

Think 'Mafia' and many images spring to mind of the world-wide crime ring. Think Mafia: The Glamour of Crime and translate these images into an oversized photography guide examining the phenomenon. MAFIA blends an examination of myth and history with photos and color illustrations from movies, posters, ads and popular media to provide a compelling examination of Mafia personalities and images. While it's an artistic presentation worthy of any arts collection, it should also be a top pick for any lending collection strong in true crime representations.


The Education Shelf

Inquiry
Nancy Fichtman Dana, Carol Thomas, Sylvia Boynton
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412992473, $31.95, www.corwin.com

INQUIRY: A DISTRICTWIDE APPROACH TO STAFF AND STUDENT LEARNING offers a fine inquiry into job-embedded professional development programs and helps districts and managers define and implement an inquiry-based process for adult and student learning. It provides an inquiry model that helps define questions, data, and collaboration techniques to improve results, and is a solid real-world-based 'must' for any supervisor, manager, or educator.

Beyond the Bubble Grades 2-3
Maryan Wickett & Eunice Hendrix-Martin
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571108173, $24.00, www.stenhouse.com

Deserving of ongoing recommendation is Beyond the Bubble Grades 2-3: How to Use Multiple-Choice Tests to Improve Math Instruction. It offers insights into measurement, algebra, geometry, and probability and provides six problems for each discussion, which reviews the topic, objectives, and offer students strategies for successful test-taking. Dozens of examples and tests make this a fine survey for educators who want to show how to use multiple-choice tests as the basis for providing better math instruction techniques.

Grow Your Own Teachers
Elizabeth A. Skinner, et.al.
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY 10027
9780807751947, $30.95, www.teacherscollegepress.com

GROW YOUR OWN TEACHERS: GRASSROOTS CHANGE FOR TEACHER EDUCATION describes the evolution of a local school reform movement in Chicago that is now a model for school and teacher change at the grassroots level. It blends case histories and accounts of reforms with insights into urban student needs and how parents can work with teachers to shape reforms, and is a key survey of how to organize a school for effective change.

Celebrate Nature!
Angela Schmidt Fishbaugh
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1068
9781605540344, $29.95, www.redleafpress.org

CELEBRATE NATURE! ACTIVITIES FOR EVERY SEASON comes packed with hands-on activities to help kids connect with nature and is a pick for elementary school educators and childcare providers alike. It's divided by season and introduces seven themes with an eye to helping teachers integrate nature into classroom studies. All the disciplines are supported, from math to reading and language skills, in this collection of school and at-home activities revolving around nature.

Cowboys Count, Monkeys Measure, and Princesses Problem Solve
Jane M. Wilburne, Ed.D., et.al.
Brookes Publishing
Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598571066, $24.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Cowboys Count, Monkeys Measure, & Princesses Problem Solve: Building Early Math Skills Through Storybooks is a pick for early childhood educators and teaches how to engage youngsters and help develop their mathematical thinking skills. It provides a tested approach to math instruction that targets basic math skills, connects math to a young person's world, and keeps students interested. Math concepts are blended with storytime elements to build student interest, with sample lesson plans linking such stories to math standards established in the NCTM guidelines. Educators will find this a fine survey!


The Music Shelf

Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa
Pauline Butcher
Plexus
110 Riverside Apt 5-F, New York NY 10024
9780859654791, $19.95, www.plexusbooks.com

Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa comes from Zappa's former personal assistant and offers a fine intimate survey of her life with Zappa. She lived at a log cabin in the Hollywood Hills with Frank and his family and spent 24/7 in his company, running his fan clubs and affairs. FREAK OUT offers a personal and business combination that pairs a wider-ranging view of life in the late sixties with a focus on his life and works. A 'must' for any popular music holding.

Fleetwood Mac
Mike Evans
Sterling Publishing
387 Park Avenue, New York NY 10016
9781402786303, $29.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

Fleetwood Mac: The Definitive History is truly a definitive presentation highly recommended for any rock music holding. It offers an oversized text lavishly illustrated with black and white photos and surveys the 1970s rock music group, pairing these rarely-published photos and archive memorabilia with biographies of the musicians and insights on their various creations. Any Fleetwood Mac fan shouldn't be without this definitive guide: a powerful visual and verbal tribute to their many achievements.

It's So Easy (and other lies)
Duff McKagan
Touchstone
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451606638, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

It's So Easy (and other lies) is a fine selection for any library strong in rock music memoirs, recounting the group Guns 'N Roses and its rise to fame. Duff blends a memoir of his twelve years as its bass player with his own personal struggle with drugs and his eventual success both as a businessman and as a father. Any interested in the band and its evolution will find this insider's memoir to be appealing.

George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Olivia Harrison
Abrams
115 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9781419702204, $40.00, www.abramsbooks.com

George Harrison: Living in the Material World is a lavish, oversized presentation edited by mark Holborn and released to coincide with Martin Scorsese's documentary of the same name that aired in October. It uses his diaries, letters and memorabilia and comes from his wife, who celebrates his years both as part of The Beatles and as an independent musician. Interviews with his famous contemporaries round out the visual survey packing in black and white and color photos to consider his life, times, influences and creations. Any Beatles collection needs this!

Iron Man
Tony Iommi with T.J. Lammers
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
9780306819551, $26.00, www.dacapopress.com

IRON MAN: MY JOURNEY THROUGH HEAVEN & HELL WITH BLACK SABBATH comes from the heavy metal group's lead guitarist - the only original member who stayed with the group form its beginnings - and tells how he evolved a career with Black Sabbath against all odds - including losing the ends of two middle fingers on his hand from an accident. His compensation for his ability resulted in a unique sound and today he's known for producing tones that set Black Sabbath apart from any other band. Their interactions with other famous music personalities and Tony Iommi's perceptions of the music world make this a 'must' for fans of the group and any collection profiling rock music history.

Basic Pro Tools for Guitarists
Richard J. McIlvery
Alfred Publishing
PO Box 10003, Van Nuys, CA 91410
0739071904, $19.99, www.alfred.com

Basic Pro Tools for Guitarists is written by a guitarist for guitarists and is designed for all skill levels, discussing everything needed to know on working with electric and acoustic guitars. Its focus is on working on recording projects using Pro Tools, and covers the basic theory of guitar recording, microphone management, and more. A companion DVD completes the steps to producing a superior result.

Drinking with Strangers
Butch Walker with Matt Diehl
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062101372, $25.99, www.harpercollins.com

Drinking with Strangers: Music Lessons from a Teenage Bullet Belt offers a survey of singer-songwriter Butch Walkers musical growth and is a fine pick for any contemporary music collection. It covers the extent of his music career from Georgia to Hollywood, his experiences with the Marvelous 3 band, and his role as a successful record producer and performer. He left home at age seventeen moving from Georgia to Los Angeles: this documents his journey and his successes. Popular music collections strong in autobiographies should find this an appealing addition.

The Doors
Greil Marcus
Public Affairs
250 West 57th St., #1321, New York NY 10107
9781586489458, $21.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

THE DOORS: A LIFETIME OF LISTENING TO FIVE MEAN YEARS explores how The Doors and their rock sound have endured over decades where other notable groups have faded, considering The Doors as an example of their generation's attitudes and life and consider the history of the band's rise and lasting attraction. Chapters focus on the music and how and why it's held up over time, making this a fine blend of music history and analysis perfect for rock music holdings.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Records of North American Big Game, 13th edition
Jack Reneau & Justin Spring, Editors
Boone & Crockett Club
250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801
9780940864740, $49.95, www.booneandcrockettclub.com

The 13th updated edition of Records of North American Big Game provides another statistical celebration of wildlife management in North America and packs in over 5,000 new entries from new World's Records for Grizzly and different types of elk to documentation of nearly 28,000 trophies ranked according to their scores in 38 categories of North American big game. Hundreds of portraits of top-ranking trophies accompany a color section of photos of game species, chapters on the latest issues affecting hunting and wildlife management, and more. Any serious hunter or hunting library must have this!


The Martial Arts Shelf

Shin Gi Tai
Michael Clarke
YMAA
P.O. Box 480, Wolfeboro, NG 03894
9781594392177, $22.95, www.ymaa.com

Shin Gi Tai provides a fine survey of karate-do training methods that have gone by the wayside in traditional karate training today, offering a survey of mind-body techniques and how to develop both for maximum benefit. Chapters go beyond the usual philosophy and technique of karate that so many competing titles focus upon to address the entirety of the discipline and its mental and physical aspects. Any serious karate trainee needs this!


The Sports Shelf

Fenway 1912
Glenn Stout
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547195620, $26.00, www.hmhbooks.com

Fenway 1912: The Birth of a Ballpark, A Championship Season, and Fenway's Remarkable First Year celebrates the 100th year of Fenway and probes the unfold history of how it came to be. Chapters offer plenty of colorful characters, players, historic moments and insights but focus on behind-the-scenes details of Fenway's development and success, making this a 'must' even for collections that have other Fenway celebrations - but not the complete history.

Soccer Anatomy
Donald Kirkendall
Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
9780736095693, $21.95, www.humankinetics.com

SOCCER ANATOMY provides an outstanding survey on conditioning and strength training and is geared specifically for soccer players. It packs in nearly two hundred color anatomical illustrations and nearly eighty exercises arranged anatomically by legs, abdomen, back and arms and comes from an expert in soccer conditioning. A 'must' for any soccer player or coach!

West by West
Jerry West
Little, Brown and Company
c/o Hatchette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780316053495, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

WEST BY WEST: MY CHARMED, TORMENTED LIFE provides a fine survey of a sports icon who was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His autobiography surveys his life, his evolution as a ball player, and more. It covers everything from a challenging childhood to his relationships and evolution in the sport, and documents a fine progression and growth. Any sports collection strong in basketball history and personalities will find WEST BY WEST a popular selection.


The Biography Shelf

Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451648539, $35.00, www.simonandschuster.com

STEVE JOBS is a powerful definitive biography that comes just after Steve's demise and is based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over a two-year period - as well as interviews with family, colleagues and friends. As such it's likely to prove much more definitive and insightful than any other title that might appear, and deserves a lasting place in any biography holding. It covers the life of a genius who changed the world through his vision of personal computers, music, animated movies and more, and adds the further plus of being a cooperative affair where the author had leeway over the book's content. It's rare to find such an inclusive biography without limits by its cooperating subject. STEVE JOBS packs in candid, intimate details and is a 'must' for any computer or general holding.

Keeping the Faith
Wayne Flynt
University of Alabama Press
Box 87030, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
0817317546, $29.95, www.uapress.ua.edu

Keeping the Faith: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives comes from a scholar who is a history professor at Auburn University. His memoir details his academic career, the research he conducted which has contributed vastly to Alabama's historical analysis and knowledge base, and considers the methods he's used to give lectures and impart that history to the public. It's a scholarly, in-depth read suitable for college-level history and autobiography collections alike; particularly those strong in Southern history.

A Heart for Freedom
Chai Ling
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414362465, $22.99, www.tyndale.com

A Heart for Freedom comes from the Commander in Chief of the Student Democratic Movement Protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989 and shares her account of events, from her personal odyssey to become an activist to her escape from China and her personal mission to affect her homelands policies. It not only tells what really happened at Tiananmen, it provides a fine story of her escape to America and her quest for freedom here. Collections strong in political autobiographies in general and China social issues in particular will find this a moving memoir.

Extraordinary, Ordinary People
Condoleezza Rice
Three Rivers Press
c/o the Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307888471, $15.00, www.randomhouse.com

Extraordinary, Ordinary People comes from the former secretary of state and traces her childhood in Alabama, when blacks led segregated lives, to her adulthood. Her descriptions of family strengths and values, interactions, and how her parents in particular shaped the lives of many in their community makes for a powerful saga recommended for any autobiography holding.

I'm With Fatty
Edward Ugel
Weinstein Books
345 Hudson St., 13th Floor, New York NY 10014
9781602861374, $15.00, www.weinsteinbooks.com

I'M WITH FATTY blends humor with an autobiography and weight loss account by an author who spent a year trying to lower his weight and regain his health - without pills. His obsession with food and his battle to control his obsession with Ben and Jerry's ice cream - among other things - makes for enlightening and hilarious reading highly recommended for any general lending library's collection.

Dear Me....
Joseph Galliano
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781451649642, $20.00, www.simonandschuster.com

DEAR ME...A LETTER TO MY SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF offers letters from famous people from Stephen King to Suze Orman, offering tips the new-adult personalities would give to their teen selves if they had the chance. Reproductions of the actual letters accompany photos of many of the writers at age sixteen and provide some common associations in this fine survey, recommended for any general lending library interested in autobiography or advice pieces.

Lucille Ball FAQ
James Sheridan and Barry Monush
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard
33 Plymouth St. Suit 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781617740824, $19.99, www.applausebooks.com

Lucille Ball FAQ has been published to mark the centennial birth of Lucille Ball and offers a celebration of her life with facts ranging from a complete Lucy timeline to lists of her awards, recorded songs, episodes, inside jokes, performances, and much more. A prior affection for Lucy is required to fully appreciate this collection of facts: that given, LUCILLE BALL FAQ is a comprehensive detailing of her life, achievements, and personality and is a top recommendation for film and biography holdings alike.

Kris Jenner And All Things Kardashian
Kris Jenner
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451646962, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Kris Jenner And All Things Kardashian provides a memoir that surveys her life and that of the infamous Kardashian clan, and is a pick for any collection strong in autobiographies of famous personalities. Here she shares her daily hectic celebrity lifestyle and covers everything from marriage and faith to love and divorce. Candid assessments of her marriages, relationships, friendships and family and even her controversial parenting style make for a fun read, pairing a centerfold of black and white photos with a lively writing style perfect for general lending collections.

Cornelia James Cannon and the Future American Race
Maria I. Diedrich
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498419, $28.95, www.umass.edu.umpress

Cornelia James Cannon and the Future American Race provides a fine biography of the life of Cornelia James Cannon, the wife of a Harvard professor and mother of five who became a writer and reformer, producing novels and essays during the 1920s and 30s on a range of controversial topics. Her works discussed women's rights, immigration and other issues at a time when little was being said - and she inspired many reform activities which would not have taken place without her. College-level collections strong in social issues, history, and biography will find this a fine study!


The International Studies Shelf

Red Star Over Iraq
Johan Franzen
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231702300, $60.00, www.cup.columbia.edu

Red Star Over Iraq: Iraqi Communism Before Saddam considers the role of destabilizing factors in Iraq before Hussein's ascent to power and is a 'must' history for any who would understand the country's evolving politics and how they got to their current position. Iraq's present situation is the result of Hussein's iron fist and the failings of international sanction - but it has a long history, and this history is key to understanding Iraq's progress and problems. No college-level Middle East collection should be without it!

The Green Movement in Iran
Hamid Dabashi
Transaction Press
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412818414, www.transactionpub.com

The Green Movement in Iran is edited and introduced by Navid Nikzadfar and is a pick for any collection strong in Iran's culture and politics. It reflects on Iran's June 2009 election, its aftermath, and the emerging Green Movement which evolved from it and offers a survey of events, history, and political ramifications. From debates over the election's validity to discussions of overall politics in Iran, this provides an in-depth examination of the county's Green Movement and is a pick for any collection strong in Middle East politics.


The Political Science Shelf

Testing the National Covenant
William F. May
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589017658, $24.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Testing the National Covenant: Fears and Appetites in American Politics provides the author's vision for America and uses this country's political and religious history to consider the concepts of contract and covenant at play in American politics for centuries. It argues that the biblical idea of a covenant offers more promise than that of a contract in binding and directing the key players in American political and social circles. Any college-level American political studies shelf needs this!

Injustice
J. Christian Adams
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001
9781596982772, $27.95, www.regnery.com

Obama's justice department is lawless and ridden with scandals and corruption: that's the basic message from an attorney who probes Obama's 'radical racial agenda' and policies which discriminate against White Americans. Cases are used to explore how the government responsible for enforcing equal protection in fact has been going in the other direction. Conservative and legal and social issues holdings will find this fiery and thought-provoking.

Crude Awakening
Amanda Coyne and Tony Hopfinger
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781568584478, $26.99, www.nationbooks.org

CRUDE AWAKENING: MONEY, MAVERICKS, AND MAYHEM IN ALASKA is a 'must' for any collection strong in either Alaskan history and culture or natural resource issues. It focuses on three people involved in Alaskan politics - Senator Ted Stevens, oil tycoon Bill Allen, and former governor Sarah Palin - and comes from investigative journalists who consider corruption and political scandals at the heart of oil interests. Any collection strong in political influences upon natural resources will find this a powerful pick!

Capitol Punishment
Jack Abramoff
WND Books
marketing@wndbooks.com
9781936488445, $25.95, www.wndbooks.com

CAPITOL PUNISHMENT: THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT WASHINGTON CORRUPTION FROM AMERICA'S MOST NOTORIOUS LOBBYIST blends autobiography with an assessment of the corrupt world of federal politics, and comes from a man who became the most powerful lobbyist on Capitol Hill during a 10-year period. The author was at the center of a huge scandal and was sentenced to prison: his expose reveals the actions of politicians as well as his own actions, and is a key acquisition for any who would uncover truths about how America's politics really work.

The Dictator's Handbook
Bruce Bueno de Mesquite and Alastair Smith
Public Affairs
250 West 57th St. #1321, New York NY 10107
9781610390446, $27.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics comes from two political scientists who consider the successes and failures of different politicians, viewing government from the perspective of leader survival patterns. The unusual focus on political survival tactics makes for a powerful survey on revolutions, political reforms, and why natural disasters seem to strike poorer nations more than rich. Politicians aren't depicted as villains, just leaders often struggling to balance and achieve their political objectives. Any political studies collection needs this!


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Promoting Psychological Well-Being in Children with Acute and Chronic Illness
Melinda Edward and Penny Titman
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market St. #400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781843109679, $34.95, www.jkp.com

Promoting Psychological Well-Being in Children with Acute and Chronic Illness is a powerful survey that promotes the psychological well-being of children with medical conditions. Any professional working with a child will find this packed with strategies ranging from relaxation techniques to preparing a child for procedural distress and helping them feel empowered. A solid pick for any health professional's reference collection, this should be in the libraries of any who work with children.

Phantom Voices, Ethereal Music & Other Spooky Sounds
Neil G. Bauman
Integrity First Publications
49 Piston Court, Stewartstown, PA 17363-8322
9781935939061, $22.49, www.integrityfirstpublications.com

Phantom Voices, Ethereal Music & Other Spooky Sounds: Musical Ear Syndrome covers the basics of auditory hallucinations that hard of hearing people often experience, and is a key acquisition for any collection strong in hearing loss experiences. It surveys 'phantom sounds' that too few openly talk about, and is the first to cover the medical basis for 'musical ear syndrome'. Case histories accompany medical documentation and keys to eliminating or controlling such phantom sounds. The lack of spine lettering will make this a shelving challenge but it's still a pick for any health shelf.

Contemporary Medical-Surgical Nursing, second edition
Rick Daniels & Leslie Nicoll
Delmar Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
1439058601, $186.95, www.cengage.com/delmar

The second updated edition of Contemporary Medical-Surgical Nursing is a 'must' for any college-level nursing studies holding, and offers many revisions to the classic text, including concepts that support holistic nursing, evidence-based research, more than three times the number of case studies and nursing care plans than in the prior edition, and much more. The same chapters packed with basic nursing information are supplemented by a more focused approach and features that link real-world interactions and the latest research and technology with nursing standards.

Breast Cancer: 50 Essential Things You Can Do
Greg Anderson
Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker St., Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781573245364, $16.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

Breast Cancer: 50 Essential Things You Can Do considers the role of nutrition, and Vitamin D in particular, in the treatment of breast cancer and recommends a specific nutritional program that emphasizes green vegetables and whole grains - and high levels of vitamin D supplements. Women receive critical keys to understanding their diagnosis and determining a treatment plan in this fine survey of how to manage ongoing medical care.

The Intervention Book
Kathy L. & Brad Lamm
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781573244954, $16.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The Intervention Book: Stories and Solutions from Addicts, Professionals, and Families offers step-by-step advice for staging an intervention and comes from a 12-step recovery editor who teaches how to understand and stage an intervention. From different types of interventions to advice from professionals and families who have used these techniques successfully, THE INTERVENTION BOOK is recommended for any collection dealing with addiction and recovery.

Advanced Thai Yoga Massage
Kam Thyne Chow
Healing Arts
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774270, $24.95, www.healingartspress.com

Advanced Thai Yoga Massage: Postures and Energy Pathways for Healing is a fine bodywork title for any interested specifically in the healing potentials of Thai Yoga Massage. It's based on a blend of yoga and the martial arts and is a method where practitioners use their hands, feet, arms and legs to guide the recipient through yoga postures while massaging the body's energy pathways and pressure points. Chapters offer black and white step-by-step photos to accompany written instruction, with a centerfold of color photos illustrating these energy pathways. New age and health collections alike will find this an outstanding pick!

Healing Touch
Dorothea Hover-Kramer, EDD, RN, DCEP
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
9781604074529, $16.95, www.soundstrue.com

HEALING TOUCH: ESSENTIAL ENERGY MEDICINE FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS offers keys to learning one of the mot accepted energy-healing modalities in the world, and offers both the theory and research to provide the feel of Healing Touch in action. Case studies and practices show how the touch changes lives and provides a fine survey of how it can release trauma and promote recovery. Both new age and traditional medical collections will find this an outstanding survey!

What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite
David DiSalvo
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616144838, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite discusses why people consistently choose options that undermine long-term goals - and why self-sabotage is a common pick. It comes from a science writer who maintains what a brain wants is not necessarily what it needs - and that 'happy' choices often lead to errors and distortions. His consideration includes social psychology, cognitive science and even business and includes conclusions from many top thinkers in neuroscience to devise a self-help program that changes these negative patterns.


The Science Shelf

Fool Me Twice
Lawrence Otto
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9781605292175, $25.99, www.rodale.com

FOOL ME TWICE: FIGHTING THE ASSAULT ON SCIENCE IN AMERICA belongs in any serious science or social issues collection and considers the widening split between American science and American democracy. Anti-science views and ideas have become so mainstream that they are taken as truth, interfering in politics and affecting policymaking and decisions. From appointments of top scientists to leadership positions to accepting non-evidence-based policies, this identifies problems and offers concrete solutions for re-integrating real scientific method back into social and political decision-making circles. A winner for any science or political shelf!

A More Perfect Heaven
Dava Sobel
Walker & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780802717931, $25.00, www.walkerbooks.com

A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos offers a drama surrounding the events that led Copernicus to finally complete his research and publish his controversial results on the cosmos and man's place in it. Science history holdings will find this a powerful blend of biography and science analysis, considering the life of Copernicus and how he evolved and published his world-changing theory. Science history holdings and many a general library will find it lively and involving.

Science in a Democratic Society
Philip Kitcher
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst NY 14228-2197
9781616144074, $28.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Science in a Democratic Society comes from a philosopher who explores the challenges of blending scientific process and progress with a democracy. Science and political science holdings alike will appreciate this narrowed focus on areas in which science fails to address social needs, using examples ranging from climate change to biomedical research to examine the process, successes and failures of the scientific process in a democracy. College-level science and political studies collections will find this worthy of classroom assignment and discussion.

The God Species
Mark Lynas
National Geographic Books
1145 - 17th St. NW, Washington DC 20036-4688
9781426208911, $25.00, www.nationalgeographic.com

THE GOD SPECIES: SAVING THE PLANET IN THE AGE OF HUMANS examines how we chart our future as a human race by considering nine Earth processes and their limits which could change human life if their boundaries are crossed. It considers some controversial ideas, such as nuclear power being our best weapon against climate change, and it considers the social and political influences on each of the nine Earth processes and how human culture change the world. Lynas proposes that it's our mission to manage the planet - and that only we can act as Gods in our deciding the fate of the Earth.

Race and the Genetic Revolution
Sheldon Krimsky and Kathleen Sloan
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231156974, $35.00, www.cup.columbia.edu

Race and the Genetic Revolution: Science, Myth, and Culture offers a collection that surveys the historical origins and current uses of the idea of race in science. The discussion offers an analysis of the role of race in DNA databanks and consider recreational genetics and the rise of for-profit genetic testing. Health and science collections alike will find this college-level discussion offers important connections between science and cultural awareness of race, and makes for key reading for students
and researchers alike.

The Physics Book
Clifford A. Pickover
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
9781402778612, $29.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

THE PHYSICS BOOK: FROM THE BIG BANG TO QUANTUM RESURRECTION, 250 MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF PHYSICS is written not for the science student as much as for the general-interest buff who wants an overview of 250 of the most powerful discoveries in physics research. Physics explores reality as well as science and this provides powerful topics ranging from quantum resurrection and parallel universes to black light technology. Usually physics books are written with the science buff in mind: this pairs eye-catching color photos with simple surveys of concepts in a survey recommended for leisure browsers with an interest - but not a prior background - in physics. The connection between physics and everyday life makes this suitable for general-interest holdings.

An Elephant's Life
Caitlin O'Connell
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762763740, $29.95, www.lyonspress.com

AN ELEPHANT'S LIFE: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT FROM AFRICA blends animal photography with natural history to offer a personal look at elephant society, and comes from a leading field biologist who has researched and photographed elephants in nature for nearly twenty years. Photodocumentary tools mix with narrative journal insights to provide a more personal portrait of the elephant than competing elephant surveys.


The American History Shelf

Gun Thugs, Rednecks, Radicals
David Alan Corbin, Editor
PM Press
Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604864526, $20.00, www.pmpress.org

Gun Thugs, Rednecks, Radicals: A Documentary History of the West Virginia Mine Wars is a pick for American history and social issues holdings alike and surveys the union battles involved in the West Virginia Mine Wars of 1912 and 1921: two workers' rebellions that drew national attention. It comes from accounts by leaders, participants, and journalists who reported on events and provides a close inspection of the politics and social issues involved in the struggles of the miners. Articles, speeches and source material pack a solid and well-detailed history.


The World History Shelf

American Nations
Colin Woodard
Viking Press
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780670022960, $30.00, www.penguin.com

AMERICAN NATIONS: A HISTORY OF THE ELEVEN RIVAL REGIONAL CULTURES OF NORTH AMERICA offers a fine history of the continent and its rivalries and alliances, explaining how the concept of American values differs across the country and how intra-national differences have affected the entire nation. He argues there's never been one America, but several - and offers a history that moves from colonial to modern times considering how these different values and perspectives evolved from different ethnographic characteristics.


The Fashion Shelf

Vogue: The Covers
Dodie Kazanjian
Abrams
115 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9780810997684, $50.00, www.abramsbooks.com

VOGUE: THE COVERS provides a fine collection of images from Vogue that have steadily influenced style and fashion for over 120 years. Some 300 fashion covers are profiled along with the stories behind their creation, with 500 color illustrations and five prints complimenting a history of the magazine's choices in showcasing fashion photography. It appears in chronological order by decade and packs in the work of top Vogue artists. Any serious fashion history holding must have this!

Fashion Design Drawing Course
Caroline Tatham & Julian Seaman
Barron's
250 Wireless, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764147302, $23.99, www.barronseduc.com

Fashion Design Drawing Course provides a fine updated edition of FASHION DESIGN DRAWING COURSE and is a pick for any interested in fashion design. From finding inspiration for creating gorgeous fashion collections to using drawings to develop style and building a portfolio, this reviews all the basic principles, practices and techniques and includes discussion of the latest digital art techniques. Jemi Armstrong & Wynn Armstrong offers editing on this powerful revised edition.


The Art Shelf

M.C. Escher Pop-Ups
Courtney Watson McCarthy & Martin Howard
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500515907, $29.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

M.C. Escher Pop-Ups is an outstanding collection for pop-up art collectors in general and fans of M.C. Escher's geometric creations in particular. While pop-ups aren't suitable for the rigors of library lending, this is highly recommended to general collectors for its amazing translation of Escher designs into pop-up format: a remarkable achievement. It's produced in association with Escher's estate and provides 3-D pop-up creations of remarkable paper architecture. There is another pop-up on the market: this is a fine addition to any Escher enthusiast's collection!

Artful Adornments
Yvonne T. Markowitz
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02115
9780878467686, $55.00, www.mfa.org/publications

ARTFUL ADORNMENTS: JEWELRY FROM THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON features over a hundred works of jewelry art, with nearly two hundred color illustrations capturing works from one of the world's best collections. The collection comes from five continents and nearly six millennia and offers a fine survey of jewelry from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Any collection strong in jewelry collecting or art will find this a winning collection!

Beth Van Hoesen
Bob Hicks, et.al.
Hudson Hills Press
P.O. Box 205, 3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953447, $95.00, www.hudsonhills.com

Beth Van Hoesen: Catalogue Raisonne of Limited-Edition Prints, Books, and Portfolios is a 'must have' acquisition for any college-level arts collection serious about either Beth Van Hoesen or printmaking artistry in general. It is a definitive, weighty catalog of her works and includes works from limited-edition books, prints and catalogs and includes artist notes and sketches. Full-page examples of her printmaking works and discussions of her approaches make this a serious, comprehensive contribution.


The Aviation Shelf

Douglas DC-3 Dakota Owner's Workshop Manual
Paul and Louise Blackah
Haynes Publishing/Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760342916, $28.00, www.zenithpress.com

The Douglas DC-3 Dakota Owner's Workshop Manual covers all marks from 1935 on and provides keys to owning, flying and maintaining this transport aircraft. Specialty aviation reference sections will find this a top coverage of the Dakota's makeup, covering its design, development and history and including perspectives from owners, crew and ground engineers alike. It comes from an aircraft enthusiast and a restoration expert and is packed with clear color photos of interior and exterior aircraft parts.


The Language Studies Shelf

Al-Kitaab fii Ta 'allum al-Arabiyya, third edition
Kirsten Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect St. NW, Washington DC 20007
9781589017474, $69.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Al-Kitaab fii Ta 'allum al-Arabiyya: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic: Part One comes with a DVD-ROM and has been extensively revised and re-organized in a new third edition. It teaches skills in formal and colloquial Arabic, including reading, listening, speaking, writing, and cultural knowledge, and covers colloquial and formal/written Arabic alike. College-level students with a basic understanding of the Arabic written language will find this a solid focus suitable for independent study as well as a supplemental classroom text.


The Needlecraft Shelf

America's Quilted Garden Blocks
Faye Labanaris
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600070, $24.95, www.americanquilter.com

America's Quilted Garden Blocks offers over fifty flower blocks celebrating the 50 US states and 4 territories, and is a lovely plan that includes a pattern CD bonus with details on each state such as nicknames, state birds, trees, and more. Full color photos accompany instructions on construction and make this a fine addition to any quilter's project collection!

Lacy Little Knits
Iris Schreier
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781579907174, $19.95, www.larkcrafts.com

Lacy Little Knits promotes creating lacy garments without following patterns or charts, and this book teaches how to look at knitted fabric to understand how to build the next row. Her technique does away with complications and 'formula knitting' and advocates more versatile modular knitting projects that can be done anywhere, anytime, with a minimum of attention. Patterns begin with easy instruction and move to advanced designs, all based on lace. Color photos and details throughout assure a winning collection of contemporary styles.

60 More Quick Knits
Cascade 220
Sixth&Spring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301
New York, NY 10013
9781936096213, $17.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

60 More Quick Knits comes from the founders of Cascade Yarns and features the 2-ply Cascade 220 sport weight yarn. Here are twenty hats, twenty scarves and twenty mittens knitted using the yarn, offering new designs from over 30 knitwear designers. A wide range of color choices and treatments makes this a fine guide for any who would use the Cascade 220 line to make unique, memorable products, recommended for any collection strong in knitting.

Spinning Wool: Beyond the Basics
Anne Field
Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05033
9781570764646, $24.95, www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

SPINNING WOOL: BEYOND THE BASICS is for any who have mastered the basics but want more. It's a revised, expanded edition of a classic that adds new illustrated projects, offering new ways to weave, knit or crochet with the newly spun yarn. From wool types and updates of new samples and photos to analyzing fleeces and getting most from a spinning wheel, chapters packed with detail cover everything from different wools to different spinning wheels and options.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Buddha is Still Teaching
Jack Kornfield
Shambhala
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston MA 02115
9781590306925, $19.95, www.shambhala.com

The Buddha is Still Teaching offers a fine collection of essays on Buddhism and offers selections from fine modern Buddhist teachers who provide insights on Buddhism's ongoing relationship to today's culture and society. Sylvia Boorstein, the Dalai Lama, Ram Dass, and many others provide important meditations recommended for any collection strong in Buddhist principles.

Tibetan Yogas of Body, Speech and Mind
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Snow Lion Publications
Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393805, $18.95, www.snowlionpub.com

Tibetan Yogas of Body, Speech and Mind provides new age collections with a fine survey of traditional practices key to Buddhist faith and spirituality. It provides Tibetan meditation practices to all levels of students and keys such practices to specific work with the body and mind, pairing the Tibetan yoga exercises with visualizations and meditation insights. From the five indestructible warrior sounds to visualizing healing flames and more, this is a fine pick recommended for Buddhist and new age holdings alike.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
www.orbisbooks.com

Kristin Johnston Largen's BABY KRISHNA, INFANT CHRIST: A COMPARATIVE THEOLOGY OF SALVATION (9781570759321, $30.00) considers how Krishna and Christ both were imagined in childhood, offering distinctions and comparisons between how Christians understand Jesus and how Hindus understand Krishna. Stories about their births and childhoods offer fascinating contrast and consider different variations on themes, approaches, and how the two stories lead to different perceptions of God. Any spirituality collection will find this a detailed, strong contrast. Catholic collections will find important Tom Roberts' THE EMERGING CATHOLIC CHURCH: A COMMUNITY'S SEARCH FOR ITSELF (9781570759468, $24.00). It comes from a journalist who offers a different survey of the Church's role in spreading the Gospel, considering the methods of modern Catholicism and its role in a changing community church. Chapters analyze cases of Church crisis, consider the changing roles of church authorities, and provide detailed insights into the methods and processes of Catholicism. Bryant L. Myers' WALKING WITH THE POOR: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (9781570759390, $30.00) appears in a revised, expanded edition to consider various theories on the causes of poverty, challenging readers to follow Jesus by embracing the poor. Chapters tell how to achieve this in a fine guide for Christians of all church traditions. It outlines principles for working with the poor and using this experience to connect theology and economics, and documents development practices and transformation goals. Christians contemplating missionary work especially will find this a solid connection between economics and faith.

I Will Sing the Wondrous Story
David W. Music & Paul A. Richardson
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207-0001
9780881462432, $35.00, www.mupress.org

I Will Sing the Wondrous Story: A History of Baptist Hymnody in North America provides a fine history of Baptist hymnody, starting with a review of the British roots and following its evolution in America from New World origins to modern day. Readers receive a fine review of the social and spiritual contexts under which Baptist congregational song evolved, offering a survey of texts and tunes as illustrations of topics and including insights on major contributions by Baptist composers. Any collection strong in spiritual music insights will consider this a winner!

The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry
Andrew Root & Kenda Creasy Dean
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 605151426
9780830838257, $18.00, www.books.ivpress.com

The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry considers the concept and applications of youth ministry services, offering a discussion of theories, practices of youth ministry people, and how youth ministry is typically seen as a lightweight mission. Youth ministry suffers from the traps of self-justification and isolation but it needs to become part of an overall theology and mission, and the authors provide a strong survey of youth ministry's actions and purposes in a discussion that belongs in any Christian ministry collection.

Barefoot Church
Brandon Hatmaker
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310492269, $18.99, www.zondervan.com

BAREFOOT CHURCH: SERVING THE LEAST IN A CONSUMER CULTURE shows how the modern church can be a catalyst for individual and social change, and uses the author's own journey to document how serving ideally affects the entire community. Practical ideas for applying the principles of benevolence to community needs are accompanied by many examples in a pick highly recommended for any spirituality holding.

The Exceptional Life
Stephen Arterburn
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55438
9780764204258, $19.99, www.bethanyhouse.com

THE EXCEPTIONAL LIFE: 8 POWERFUL STEPS TO EXPERIENCING GOD'S BEST FOR YOU tells how to upgrade one's life to 'exceptional', and shows how to relinquish a bad thing to gain a fantastic goal. From changing impatience to patience and letting go of resentment to gain love to understanding the costs of anger and negative patterns, this blends religion and self-help and is a pick for any who would lead an inspired, better life.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Sin: A Guide for the Perplexed
Derek N. Nelson
T&T Clark
c/o Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, New York, NY 10038
9780567542755, $24.95, www.continuumbooks.com

Sin: A Guide for the Perplexed provides a fine survey interpreting the meaning of sin and its meaning in modern theology. Nelson's study interprets biblical material on sin and provides overviews of major theological thinkers and their perspectives on the subject. College-level collections will find this an excellent starting point for discussions of sin and its interpretation and spiritual applications.

The Last Testament
David Javerbaum
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451640182, $23.99, www.simonandschuster.com

THE LAST TESTAMENT: A MEMOIR BY GOD offers a humorous look at God's reflections on mankind and individual problems, and is a fun collection of observations, ironies, and pet peeves that blends cultural, spiritual and social observations. It reflects on what moves God, what annoys him, and offers a fun blend of observations perfect for spirituality and general lending libraries alike.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Ultrasonography
Frances Barr and Lorrie Gaschen, Editors
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781905319305, $107.99, www.wiley.com

BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Ultrasonography is a top pick for any veterinary or student vet's collection and provides an overview of the physical properties of the imaging technique. From equipment to procedures, this surveys the basics of ultrasound and animal body systems, offering comparisons of ultrasound results with radiography and providing images of normal anatomy and abnormalities. The accompanying DVD contains over 100 video clips to support the text. Highly recommended!

How the Dog Became the Dog
Mark Derr
Overlook Press
141 Wooster St., New York NY 10012
9781590207000, $26.95, www.overlookpress.com

How the Dog Became the Dog: From Wolves to Our Best Friends provides a fine examination of the dog and its relationship to humans, including perspectives on how the dog shaped our development. New scientific, genetic and archaeological research argues that the change from wolf to dog evolved over mutual benefit and from this association breeds emerged. The history of dogs and their impact on human lives makes for a lively survey suitable for any general collection!

In a Dog's Heart
Jennifer Arnold
Spiegel & Grau
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780679643715, $25.00, www.randomhouse.com

IN A DOG'S HEART: WHAT OUR DOGS NEED, WANT, AND DESERVE - AND THE GIFTS WE CAN EXPECT IN RETURN provides the author's own best practices and experience as the founder of Canine Assistants, a non-profit organization that trains and provides service dogs. Chapters discuss how to keep a pet safe, how to handle the changing needs of an aging dog, how to choose and train a puppy, and how to handle behavior issues. The entire extent of a dog's life is covered in a warm account perfect for general and pet-oriented holdings.

K-9 Trailing: The Straightest Path
Jeff Schettier
Alpine Publications
38262 Linan Rd, Crawford, CO 81415
9781577791195, $34.95, www.alpinepub.com

K-9 Trailing: The Straightest Path comes from a nationally-known K-9 trainer who offers a clear training guide to trailing and scent discrimination dogs. It outlines training techniques based on some 20 years of the author's experience, and covers everything from selecting the right dog to developing a handler/dog relationship and training the dog. His is a meticulous step-by-step training method perfect for any serious about their dog training.

Guide to the Birds of North America, sixth edition
Jon L. Dunn
National Geographic
1145 - 17th St. NW, Washington DC 20036-4688
9781426208287, $27.95, www.nationalgeographic.com

The sixth updated edition of Guide to the Birds of North America is a fine winner for any general-interest or birder's collection and will appeal to beginners and experienced birders alike. It's been redone with a new design, 300 new illustrations, over twenty new-to-North America species, and 40 subspecies maps unique to this guide. Any interested in bird identification will find this a real winner!

The Small-Scale Poultry Flock
Harvey Ussery
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781603582902, $39.95, www.chelseagreen.com

The Small-Scale Poultry Flock is a recommendation for any who plan on working with poultry in the garden and offers a key to raising a small flock based on natural ecosystems. From making your own feed and breeding and brooding the flock to managing poultry in the garden and butchering, this is packed with color photos, sidebars of information, and provides everything the would-be, first-time poultry farmer needs. Rural collections especially will find this a winner!


The Gardening Shelf

A Landowner's Guide to Managing Your Woods
Ann Larkin Hansen and Mike Severson
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603428002, $19.95, www.storey.com

A Landowner's Guide to Managing Your Woods provides a fine introduction to sustainable forestry on personal property whether it be 1 or 100 acres, and shows readers how to manage personal woodlands to maintain value, improve habitats and tree health, and even create income from timber harvests. Methods for developing ponds, trails and more accompany profiles of landowners and their choices in managing their woods. A fine pick for any homeowner's reference library and many a sustainable land management collection.

Urban Agriculture
David Tracey
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865716940, $21.95, www.newsociety.com

Urban Agriculture: Ideas and Designs from the New Food Revolution provides a fine guide to urban food and gardening issues and offers proven gardening ideas for windowsills, balconies, small urban plots and backyards, and much more. It offers insights on how to gain higher crop yields from smaller spaces, offering examples, expert interviews, and more. Any interested in urban food and gardening must have this!


The Travel Shelf

Nepal Trekking and the Great Himalaya Trail
Robin Boustead
Trailblazer Publications
info@trailbazer-guides.com
9781905864317, $24.95, www.trailblazer-guides.com

Nepal Trekking and the Great Himalaya Trail is a top pick for any trekker who plans a visit to Nepal, offering a combined route and planning guide to help anyone organizing a trekking journey to Nepal. From popular to new routes, this surveys everything from choosing a trek - whether independent or guided - to navigating urban areas and understanding the customs and peoples of Nepal. A 'must' for any destination-bound Nepal trekker!

A Tramp's Wallet
Sam Pickering
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon GA 31207
9780881462357, $25.00, www.mupress.org

A Tramp's Wallet follows a vagabond's adventures as he spends six months roaming through Australia and New Zealand, having adventures and seeing the countries. From lecturing on a cruise ships to riding trains cross-country and seeing rainforests, Sam Pickering provides a lively account of his encounters with strange animals and unusual peoples, and is a fun, lively guide for any seeking armchair adventure.

The New York Times 36 Hours
Barbara Ireland, Editor
TASCHEN America
107 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
9783836526395, $39.99, www.taschen.com

The New York Times 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada appears in a fine updated volume to document over a hundred North American destinations - including over 600 restaurants and over 400 hotels along the way. Color-coded tabs and ribbons profile cities in each region and accompany nearly 1,000 photos from the New York Times. All stories have been updated and adapted for this volume, making this a 'must' for any travel collection.


The Photography Shelf

Photographically Speaking
David duChemin
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321750446, $44.99, www.newriders.com

Photographically Speaking: A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images is about learning the visual language that is photography and how it succeeds, and shows how to use that understanding to create better, higher-impact photos. This language is composed of elements and decisions, and assignment photographer David Duchemin discusses these elements, choices, and their underlying meaning. A fine pick for any photographer's collection!

Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis
David Wills and Stephen Schmidt
IT Books
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780062036193, $40.00, www.youritlist.com

Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis gathers spectacular work from Marilyn's key photographers under one cover, offering a fine collection of images from every period of her adult life up to weeks just before her death. These aren't just the typical Marilyn shots that turn up in most books: they include previously unseen Kodachrome and Carbro prints of Norma Jeane, color digitally restored pinups, rare photos from set sessions, and rare candid shots. Even collections already well packed with Marilyn photo images will consider this rare item, outstanding for any collection.

Mastering the Nikon D7000
Darrell Young
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
9781933952802, $34.95, www.rockynook.com

Mastering the Nikon D7000 provides important experience-based information for any owner of the new D7000 camera: a complicated professional camera that needs explanation and instruction in order to take full advantage of its many advanced features. Step-by-step details on use and attributes cover everything from adjustments to how and when to use each option. All the camera's buttons and menus are explored in a manual easy to understand, and filled with color illustrations and examples. A fine choice for any D7000 owner and photography reference holdings.

Behind the Shutter
Salvatore Cincotta
Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo NY 14226
9781608952649, $34.95, www.amherstmedia.com

BEHIND THE SHUTTER: THE DIGITAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL SUCCESS shows how to build a thriving photography business and provides a business plan and cost analysis to get the most out of such an endeavor. From using blogging and social networking to locate clients and connect with existing clients to designing customized packages, chapters loaded with color photo examples teach how to market to specific groups and how to make the most of a wedding photography business.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Alien Vault
Ian Nathan
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760341124, $35.00, www.voyageurpress.com

Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film appears in a slipcased box and provides annotated storyboards, concept artwork by Giger, sketches and construction designs, costume examples by Moebius, and rare photos of cast and crew. Any avid fan of Alien - and collections catering to them - will find ALIEN VAULT packs in behind-the-scenes insights throughout. It includes ten 'artifacts' enclosed in vellum envelopes so is not an easy selection for an active lending library, but is a top pick for fans of the Alien world.

Technical Theater for Nontechnical People, second edition
Drew Campbell
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd St., New York NY 10010
1581153449, $19.95, www.allworth.com

Technical Theater for Nontechnical People is for any performing arts collection and offers a resource for producers, actors, dancers and others involved in live performance. Keys to backstage management and concerns include everything from choosing appropriate show space to lighting design and tools for creating moods, costume sketches and design standards, and much more. A 'must have' for any serious actor, stage or film collection.

Stage Fright
Martin Puchner
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9891421403991, $30.00, www.press.jhu.edu

STAGE FRIGHT: MODERNISM ANTI-THEATRICALITY & DRAMA is a pick for college-level collections and offers a survey of theatre studies and the emerging of a modernist resistance towards the theater. Surveys of modernist drama and theatre provide college-level scholars with insights into plays, psychology, and modernist thinking. Philosophy as well as arts and drama collections will find this thought-provoking.

Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com

Sandy Frank's THE INNER GAME OF SCREENWRITING (9781615930616, $18.95) covers the underlying basics of what makes a screenplay or movie great, blending theory with assessments of screenwriting's less obvious challenges. It covers story forms that works and explains why underlying drama and emotion changes a screenplay from ordinary to exceptional. More importantly, it draws important links between these approaches and commercial success and interests, making this a fine choice for any who would become a superior screenwriter, and to film collections and writer's collections catering to them! D.B. Gilles' THE SCREENWRITER WITHIN: NEW STRATEGIES TO FINISH YOUR SCREENPLAY & GET A DEAL (9781615930579, $22.95) is a recommendation for beginning screenwriters who want to get started in the professional world, and combines light humor with solid insights on breaking into the industry. Chapters use both pop culture history and the author's own experiences to teach the basics of how to develop a screenplay, how to create a finished product, and how to market it. It's quick, light, but fact-filled reading and a 'must' for any serious about screenwriting.

Soundtrack Success
Jeffrey P. Fisher
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
159863254X, $39.99, www.courseptr.com

SOUNDTRACK SUCCESS: A DIGITAL STORYTELLER'S GUIDE TO AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION comes from an author who has over twenty years experience providing music, sound, video and media production services for corporate and commercial clients, including indie films. His account shows how to put together a better soundtrack and is not specific to any single piece of software, making it a wide-reaching recommendation. From fixing problems and improving sound to creating an entire soundtrack, this offers the basics on how to record, edit, mix and provide superior soundtracks. A companion DVD offers video tutorials and examples to reinforce the book's concepts.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Out of Oz
Gregory Maguire
William Morrow
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780060548940, $26.99, www.harpercollins.com

Out of Oz is a highly recommended pick for any who enjoyed the series begun with WICKED, and provides the fourth and final volume to this series. Based on the Wizard of Oz setting, the series offers a different perspective on the land of Oz and Out of Oz returns to the land, which faces an invasion of Munchkinland, and where the Cowardly Lion is an outlaw on the run. Dorothy interacts with a host of protagonists in a series of unexpected encounters to make for a satisfying, fun story!

11/22/63
Stephen King
Scribner
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
978451627282, $35.00, www.simonandschuster.com

11/22/63 takes the assassination of JFK in Dallas and postulates what would happen if one person had the power to undue fate. In 2011 in a small Maine down a mid-thirties divorced high school teacher receives a strange call from a diner owner - and discovers the man's secret to his amazingly low prices. But more than just selling food at a discount, Al want to go back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination - and he's too sick to do so himself. It's up to Jake to undertake the journey back in time, solve the questions surrounding Kennedy's murder, and possibly transform his own future. A powerful story emerges: one any general lending library will find compelling, back by the Stephen King name.

Zone One
Colson Whitehead
Doubleday
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780385528078, $25.95, www.doubleday.com

ZONE ONE comes from a novelist who considers the end of the world when a pandemic has destroyed the world and divided mankind into the uninfected and the infected. The plague has passed, but its aftermath lives on: the military has taken over, rebuilding is attempted, and one member of a civilian team clearing Manhattan is fighting for survival in a vastly changed world. ZONE ONE deserves ongoing mention as a fast-paced recommendation for novel and science fiction holdings alike!

Last Breath
Rachel Caine
New American Library
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451234872, $17.99, www.penguin.com

LAST BREATH: THE MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES adds to a best-selling series and is a special pick for collections seeing popularity with its predecessors. Here student Claire Danvers learns three vampires have vanished - and discovers the problem is a newcomer to town named Magnus. He's not really human - but is he a vampire, or something more? A fine survey evolves, recommended for any library where vampire novels are of interest.

Spellbound
Larry Correia
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
9781451637755, $25.00, www.baen.com

SPELLBOUND: BOOK II OF THE GRIMNOIR CHRONICLES is for dark fantasy fans and especially for fans of Book 1, and offers the second installment of the new dark urban fantasy series. The Grimnoir Society has successfully protected people with magic for decades - but when a magical assassin makes an attempt on President Roosevelt's life, the crime is attributed to the society - and its members must flee the law while investigating. A former PI and Grimnor knight, Jack, receives a phone call from a man he helped kill - and that sends a strange plot even stranger in this fast-paced fantasy, recommended for any fantasy holding.

The Ninth Circle
R.M. Meluch
DAW Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780756406943, $24.95, www.dawbooks.com

THE NINTH CIRCLE provides the fifth installment of the Tour of the Merrimack series and takes place in a world where Earth's space forces, long at war with the Palatine Empire, is affected by the finding of DNA-based life and aliens on a distant world. Opposing forces converge on the world in a battle that will determine its fate - and the possible fate of civilization itself. Military encounters and fast-paced action make this a top winner.

The Wild Girls
Ursula K. Le Guin
PM Press
P.O. Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604864038, $12.00, www.pmpress.org

THE WILD GIRLS may sound familiar because it's Le Guin's Nebula-winning story and is newly revised and reprinted here in book form for the first time. No Le Guin collection should be without this story of two captive children who are determined to seek out justice - even if it leads to a violent end. This passionate story shines on its own in a fine addition to any serious sci-fi holding!

Fenrir
M.D. Lachlan
Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145279, $16.00, www.pyrsf.com

Fenrir tells of an alternate world in which Vikings are attacking Paris and demanding the Count's sister in exchange for sparing the city. The Count needs a living saint to help God solve the conflict - but the Vikings have their own living gods as well, and a mythical wolf might hold the only key to reuniting opposing forces. A powerful story of heroism and confrontation evolves.

Firebird
Jack McDevitt
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St. New York NY 10014
9780441020737, $24.95, www.penguin.com

FIREBIRD provides a fine new Alex Benedict novel, the sixth in a series that has already run a nebula for one of its novels. Here a recent sighting of lights moving through the sky by an eccentric physicist, Chris Robin, results in a chase that leads him to buy four interstellar yachts, which vanish one by one. The last is named Firebird - and when Alex investigates Robin's life, his search for the lost vessel will lead to a massive secret that will either lead to murder or change the universe. Any science fiction collection will find this a powerful winner!

Obsessed with Star Trek
Chip Carter
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452101712, $29.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Obsessed with Star Trek is trivia gaming at its best and is a top pick as a gift selection for any avid Star Trek buff who can't get enough. 2,500 questions cover all the original TV shows and movies in an interactive game that includes an electronic scoring module. The accompanying book packs in stills from episodes, discussions of the series and its evolution, and black and white illustrations accompanying every set of trivia questions. A 'must' for any Trek fan!

Philip K. Dick and Philosophy
D.E. Wittkower, Editor
Open Court Books
70 East Lake St., Suite 300, Chicago IL 60601
9780812697346, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits adds to the Popular Culture and Philosophy series and is recommended for philosophy and science fiction holdings alike. It analyzes the dark science fiction creations of Philip Dick, exploring his surreal landscapes, philosophies, and mystical novels which hold both religious and philosophical overtones. Any college-level collection strong in science fiction, philosophy or both will find this a winner!

Stone Spring
Stephen Baxter
ROC Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451464187, $25.95, www.penguin.com

STONE SPRING: THE NORTHLAND TRILOGY provides the first book in a new saga set ten thousand years ago when Britain is linked to Europe and is home to a simple tribe. Teen Ana lives in Northland, but the environment around her is changing - and when she meets a traveler from a distant city protected from such changes, she envisions a great wall that will save her peoples and change the world. A riveting story of her growing ambition and the seeds of this change sets the stage for two more powerful books in the trilogy, recommended for any science fiction collection.

The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick
Pamela Jackson and Jonathan Lethem
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
222 Berkeley St., Boston MA 02116
9780547549255, $40.00, www.hmhbooks.com

The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick comes from the journal entries, notes, diaries and letters to friends written by Dick and covers, in depth, his philosophical perspective on life and his works. Readers may know some of his works - over forty novels and over a hundred short stories were published during his lifetime - while others will know the signature films that originated form his pen: films such as Next, Blade Runner, and Paycheck. Here Dick documents eight years trying to understand the entire universe, offering entries that blend dreams with visionary experiences. No fan of Dick or his writings should be without this in-depth collection!


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Emily Brightwell's MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE MISTLETOE MIX-UP (9780425243367, $14.00) arrived too late for more timely holiday mention but deserves ongoing recommendation for mystery fans, offering a Victorian setting and a murder mystery revolving around a Christmas holiday, interrupted by fire and a deadly murder. It's up to Inspector Witherspoon to determine who the killer is - and up to Mrs. Jeffries to help in this involving cat-and-mouse mystery. Laura Childs' SKELETON LETTERS: A SCRAPBOOKING MYSTERY (9780425243893, $25.95) offers the ninth scrapbooking mystery in the series and is a pick for both prior fans and newcomers to the scrapbooking mystery series. It blends scrapbooking tips with a fine mystery novel suitable for mystery and crafts holdings alike and covers a murder investigation and a strange homicide that involves a member of the scrapbooking circle. Mystery libraries will find this a sensational choice! Carol K. Carr's INDIA BLACK AND THE WIDOW OF WINDSOR (9780425243190, $14.00) provides a new 'Madam of Espionage' mystery that's the second book from Carr, and is set in 1877 when Queen Victoria holds a seance at which the spirit of her departed Prince Albert instructs her to change her plans and spend the holiday at their Scottish home. Scottish nationalists intend on assassinating the Queen - and intrigue and deception - and possibly murder - are in the air in this fine historical mystery.

A Study in Sherlock
Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger, Editors
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Avenue #103, Scottsdale AZ 8251
9781590585498, $29.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

A Study in Sherlock provides fine short mysteries by master writers in the field, from Neil Gaiman and Laura Lippman to Lee Child and Jan Burke, and provide over a dozen stories inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Mystery, comedy and even black and white drawings make for a real winner highly recommended for lending libraries seeing ongoing popularity in Holmes-type sleuthing mystery styles.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

On the Origin of Beauty
John Griffin
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
9781935493983, $23.95, www.worldwisdom.com

ON THE ORIGIN OF BEAUTY: ECOPHILOSOPHY IN THE LIGHT OF TRADITIONAL WISDOM suggests it's possible to better understand nature's beauty and concepts of nature in order to halt humanity's destruction of the environment. He blends elements of spirituality, philosophy, ecology, and ethics to consider the real perception of beauty and its impact, and considers that Nature's beauty may be the key to changing consciousness and healing the planet. Color illustrations accompany a fine survey of environmental healing potentials perfect for spirituality and new age collections alike.

Surfing Aquarius
Dan Furst
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781578635016, $21.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

SURFING AQUARIUS: 11 PRINCIPLES FOR EMBRACING THE COSMIC SHIFT profiles 11 key principles and how they will affect our lives. It comes from a professional astrologer who describes what life can be life in an age based on abundance with a spirituality that unites people and objectives. Chapters survey opportunities in the current wave of change, and discuss predictions, planetary charts, and more. New age collections will find this filled with keys to embracing change.

Meditation: The Complete Guide
Patricia Monaghan and Eleanor G. Viereck
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato CA 94949
9781608680474, $17.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

Meditation: The Complete Guide: Techniques from East and West to Calm the Mind, Heal the Body & Enrich the Spirit is a fine basic pick for any new age collection strong in meditation and growth, and offers a completely revised, updated edition covering over forty different meditation practices. Readers gain keys to understanding such preferences in exercises that pair their personal tastes to appropriate practices. All major forms from Christianity to Islam and Hindu are covered in a fine blend of history and meditation applications.


The Library DVD Shelf

Farscape: The Complete Series
A&E Videos
c/o A&E Television Networks
235 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017
1422979296, $199.95, www.aetv.com

On Blu-ray disc format at last is all 88 episodes plus over 15 hours of bonus features on 20 discs in an outstanding set highly recommended for any science fiction fan. All the seasons come to life in unparalleled vivid Blu-ray quality, which acts like a virtual theatre in the home. Three archival documentaries, featurettes, audio commentaries and more pack a superior presentation that will be a top pick for any prior fan or newcomer to the Farscape universe.

Yoga for Runners
Christine Felstead
Stingbabe Productions
cf@yogaforrunners.com
No ISBN, $21.95, www.yogaforrunners.com

YOGA FOR RUNNERS: INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM adds to a series designed to keep runner healthy and avoid injury, and comes from a lifelong runner who blends her passions for yoga and running with a program to improve runner fitness. From stretches and yoga poses that specifically benefit running to strengthening quads and adductors and the core and back, this is packed with keys to runner conditioning and perfect for any at-home exerciser with an affinity for both yoga and running.

Dr. Who: The Complete Sixth Series
BBC America
0780682750, $79.98, www.bbc.com

Dr. Who: The Complete Sixth Series offers a six-disc set containing all 13 episodes of the new season and continues to follow the adventures of the Doctor - currently Matt Smith in his latest incarnation - and his sidekicks Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill). While familiarity with the series is not essential to enjoying this series, it does help - and newcomers will also find more accessibility through an introduction to each episode that explains the foundation concepts of The Doctor, his Tardis, and his companions. Monsters, aliens and more make this a vivid and compelling set of science fiction stories perfect for repeat viewing or gift giving.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Uncreative Writing
Kenneth Goldsmith
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231149914, $22.50, www.cup.columbia.edu

UNCREATIVE WRITING offers a unique concept of creative writing techniques in the digital world, and is a fine addition to any college-level collection strong in creative writing and literary studies. It explains how the online environment is changing writing and language, examines a range of texts and techniques related to writing and Internet search methods, and considers different approaches, from robo-poetics to legal influences, in the new writing environment. Selected writers and their practices are reviewed in a series of accessible essays perfect for college-level writers.


The Automotive Shelf

Elva
Janos Wimpffen
David Bull Publishing
4250 E. Camelback Road, Suite K. 150
Phoenix, AZ 85018
9781935007135, $99.95, www.bullpublishing.com

ELVA: THE CARS, THE PEOPLE, THE HISTORY provides the only in-depth history of Elva, a company that fostered revolutionary changes in the world of auto design and testing. It considers the rise of Elva, its widespread industry influence, and how it fell upon hard times to eventually fade into relatively obscurity. ELVA packs in color and black and white photos and illustration on nearly every page of its discussions of motor racing history and culture, documenting all of its successes and failures and describing the relative few key players behind the Elva name. ELVA is one of those pivotal, definitive auto history guides that must be on the shelves of any serious auto history buff and collections catering to them: there's simply nothing like it in print!


The Nautical Shelf

South Pacific Anchorages, second edition
Warwick Clay
Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd.
ilnw@imray.com
9780852884829, $78.95, www.imray.com

The fully revised second updated edition of SOUTH PACIFIC ANCHORAGES is newly available for any cruiser who wants a specific guide to every anchorage in the South Pacific. The author's own information and investigation are the basis for this exploration, which has been fully revised in this new edition. Discussions of bays, coves, anchorage pros and cons, and anchorages nearby make this a top reference for any nautical or cruising library!


The California Shelf

Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles Art 1945-1980
Rebecca Peabody, et.al.
J. Paul Getty Research Institute
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1679
9781606060728, $59.95, www.getty.edu

Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles Art 1945-1980 explores postwar American art from a Southern California perspective, analyzing the art scene there and providing the first detailed scholarly survey of the region's art. It's a refreshing change from the typical analysis of East Coast-centered movements, embraces over a decade of research, and provides text and visual surveys documenting the works of well-known and lesser-known artists working in painting, sculpture, performance and video art alike. A powerful survey, recommended for California art holdings in particular - but also for any general art history library.

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

Fortuna Depot Museum's FORTUNA AND THE EEL RIVER VALLEY (0738575224, $21.99) uses images from Fortuna area community members, the museum and volunteer fire department, and more to accompany stories of the region's peoples and influences. Fortuna resides along the Eel River in Northern California's Humboldt County, a region affected by the logging industry. Its evolution receives detailed coverage in an exciting survey recommended for any California history shelf. Bob Bunyan and the Aliso Viejo Community Foundation's ALISO VIEJO (0738574244, $21.99) provides a fine history through photos and tells of the rapid rise of a city that only thirty years ago was a 6,600-acre working ranch located in the San Joaquin hills. Now 48,000 residents inhabit it, and this history of one of the last big ranches to be developed as a community makes for a fine pick for any California history holding.


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


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