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

Internet Bookwatch

Volume 23, Number 11 November 2013 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Islamic Studies Shelf Education Shelf
Military Shelf Photography Shelf Mathematics Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf Library Science Shelf Technology Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Science Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Biography Shelf Travel Shelf
Computer Shelf Social Issues Shelf Psychology Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Crafts Shelf Woodworking Shelf
Business Shelf Cookbook Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Music Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Political Science Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Railroading Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Automotive Shelf Poetry Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Gaming Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Civil War Shelf
Gun Shelf Architecture Shelf Beer/Wine Shelf
Aviation Shelf Botany Shelf Sports Shelf
Memoir Shelf Autism Shelf Relationship Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Reference Shelf International Studies Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
Anthropology Shelf Genealogy Shelf Folklore Shelf
Wisconsin Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Framing the Net
Rikke Frank Jorgensen
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781782540793, $125.00, www.amazon.com

Human rights are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. Human rights are thus conceived as universal (applicable everywhere) and egalitarian (the same for everyone). The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to serve several billion users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW), the infrastructure to support email, and peer-to-peer networks. "Framing the Net: The Internet and Human Rights" by Rikke Frank Jorgensen (The Danish Institute for Human Rights) is a 288 page compendium comprised of three major sections (Human Rights in the Internet Era; Framing the Net; ICT and Social Change); plus three appendices (Summary of internet metaphors; list of interviewees - Uganda; List of interviewees - Wikipedia); a bibliography; a glossary; and an index. Of special note is the chapter devoted to the Wikipedia as a platform for community life and collaboration. An impressive and thoroughly notated work of seminal scholarship, "Framing the Net: The Internet and Human Rights" is both informed and informative, proving to be a welcome and significant contribution to professional and academic library Internet & and Communication Policy reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Nuclear Weapons Counterproliferation
Jack I. Garvey
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199841271 $85.00 www.oup.com/us

Nuclear Weapons Counterproliferation: A New Grand Bargain criticizes the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as no longer capable of stopping the spread of weapons that can literally destroy the world. How can such deadly devices be effectively restricted from rogue governments and terrorists? Jack I. Garvey (Professor of Law, University of San Francisco) offers guiding principles and prerogatives to achieve this goal, hinging upon a United Nations Security Council Counterproliferation Resolution that would apply equally to all States. "The sanctions orchestrated for Iraq, Iran, and North Korea achieved compliance value notwithstanding the failure to achieve more direct counterproliferation objectives, by imposing considerable costs on the targeted governments. Sanctions in the hard cases are persuasive evidence for other governments that compliance with the nuclear weapons non-proliferation regime is the preferred option." Forward-thinking and extensively researched, Nuclear Weapons Counterpoliferation is quite literally a book that could help save the world, and worthy of the highest recommendation.

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
Kostya Kennedy, editor
Sports Illustrated
c/o Goodman Media
750 Seventh Avenue, 28th floor
NY, NY 10019
9781618930811, $50.00, www.amazon.com

'Sports Illustrated' is an American sports media franchise owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self-titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice. Its swimsuit issue, which has been published since 1964, is now an annual publishing event that generates its own television shows and videos. A 304 page coffee table art book, "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: 50 Years Of Beautiful" is compiled by the editorial staff of Sports Illustrated magazine and showcases five decades of the best images the made up their single most popular annual issue featuring incredibly beautiful women in provocatively scanty swimsuit attire. These are iconic images of feminine beauty and often included images of female sports stars ranging from Serena Williams to Anna Kournikova. Of special note are the first-time-in-print photo outtakes and candid shots. Organized chronologically and featuring a pictorial index of all 223 models, "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit" is a wonderful browse and highly recommended to fans of lovely women in truly memorable, full color, swimsuit photos.

Mind If I Order The Cheeseburger?
Sherry F. Colb
Lantern Books
128 Second Place, Garden Suite
Brooklyn, NY 11231
www.lanternbooks.com
9781590563847, $20.00, www.amazon.com

Some animals are carnivores deriving their sustenance from the flesh of other animals. Some animals are herbivores deriving their sustenance from plants. Humans are biological omnivores. We evolved to derive our energy and nutrients from a diet consisting of a variety of sources that include both plants and animals. So it could be considered odd in some circles for people to choose to be vegetarians or vegans and eschew the consumption of any kind of animal flesh. "Mind If I Order the Cheeseburger?: And Other Questions People Ask Vegans" by vegan Sherry F. Colb is a 256 page compendium comprised of an accessible, detailed case illustrated and logic-based explanations for a number of commonly encountered questions about veganism, ranging from its compatibility with respect to the major religions, why veganism is to be preferred to vegetarianism, and more. "Mind If I Order the Cheeseburger?: And Other Questions People Ask Vegans" is very highly recommended reading, especially for anyone considering a vegan diet or those non-vegans wanting to understand the rationale of their vegan friends or family members. An especially commended acquisition for community library Health/Medicine collections, it should also be noted that "Mind If I Order the Cheeseburger?: And Other Questions People Ask Vegans" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.49).

Survival Guide to Edible Insects
Fred Demara
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle
Boulder, CO 80301
9781610048705 $12.00 www.paladin-press.com

Survival Guide to Edible Insects lives up to its title as a no-nonsense guide to identifying and preparing insects for human consumption. In a life-or-death situation, knowing how to live off of insects is a valuable survival skill - yet in today's increasingly populous world, insect cuisine may be key to feeding humanity, since insects are ubiquitous, nutritious, and generally not as deleterious to their environment as domestic cattle, sheep, pigs, or chickens. Survival Guide to Edible Insects does not detail the full roster of 1,462 edible insects eaten regularly by people of 3,000+ ethnic groups, but rather concentrates on the most common and easily identified species. Some (such as the common housefly) are known to carry deadly pathogens and must be cooked to the point of total sterilization if they are to be consumed at all, but others (such as the dragonfly) can simply be roasted. Black-and-white photographs and a number of insect recipes enhance this ultimate supplement to wilderness survival guides!

The Complete Guide to Creating a Special Needs Life Plan
Hal Wright, CFP
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849059145, $29.95, www.jkp.com

The Complete Guide to Creating a Special Needs Life Plan provides a fine approach to blending legal, financial, and life decisions into a unified plan for a person with a disability, and is a pick for any community or academic library reference collection. It starts with the purpose of providing a meaningful life to a special needs child and blends in discussion of support systems beyond parents, from government programs to employment, residential options, and more. Any parent of a child with physical or mental impairments needs this specific resource on how to create a unique person-centered life plan, keeping in mind the unique requirements of the individual.

The Nature and Value of Happiness
Christine Vitrano
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813347271, $24.00, www.westviewpress.com

The Nature and Value of Happiness is a recommendation for philosophy and self-help holdings alike, and provides a concise discussion of aspects relating to happiness. It's not written for the avid philosophy reader but for general audiences open to philosophical thought, and blends history with modern concerns as it assesses the value and nature of happiness in contemporary life. From how the modern idea of happiness has evolved from ancient times to the present to whether happiness can be considered the ultimate goal in life, this is a powerful survey highly recommended for any general or philosophy holding.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here
Karima Bennoune
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393081589, $27.95, www.wwnorton.com

Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism documents both the author's struggles against fundamentalist violence and the experiences of others, telling of her involvement in a movement to protect fellow Muslims from intolerance both within and outside their societies. Bennoune's determination to put an end to intolerance resulted in her becoming an international human rights lawyer and activist, and her analysis of extremists and religious persecution makes for gripping reading providing case studies of human experience as well as analysis of social conflicts. Any collection strong in Muslim human rights issues around the world will find this a powerful study.


The Education Shelf

The Neglected Child
Ginger Welch, et al.
Gryphon House
6848 Leon's Way, Lewisville, NC 27023
www.ghbooks.com
9780876594780, $16.95, www.amazon.com

Child neglect is a form of child maltreatment. Child neglect is a deficit in meeting a child's basic needs. Furthermore, child neglect is the failure to provide basic physical health care, supervision, nutrition, emotional nurturing, education or safe housing. Child neglect is the most frequent form of abuse of children, with children that are born to young mothers at a substantial risk for neglect. In 2008, the U.S. state and local child protective services received 3.3 million reports of children being abused or neglected. Maltreated children/youth were about five times more likely to have a first emergency department presentation for suicide-related behavior compared to their peers, in both boys and girls. Children/youth permanently removed from their parental home because of substantiated child maltreatment are at an increased risk of a first presentation to the emergency department for suicide-related behavior. The collaborative work of Ginger Welch (a licensed pediatric psychologist and certified early childhood educator), Heather Johnson (Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education, Oklahoma City University), and Laura Wilhelm (Oklahoma Public School District Curriculum Coordinator), "The Neglected Child: How to Recognize, Respond, and Prevent" is a 128 page compendium comprised of what every adult (and especially classroom teachers) need to know on creating a safe, nurturing, and protective environment for young children who are suffering or are recovering from parental neglect. Deftly organized, informed and informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation and text, "The Neglected Child: How to Recognize, Respond, and Prevent" is very strongly recommended for professional, school, community, and library troubled child instructional reference collections.

Talking Is Hard For Me!
Linda M. Reinert, M.S., CCC-SLP, author
Emily S. Lynch, illustrator
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817
9781606131923, $18.95, www.woodbinehouse.com

"Talking Is Hard for Me!" is an excellent book that is designed to help stimulate communication skills in children ages 3-7 who exhibit delayed speech due to one of multiple medical causes. Subtitled "Encouraging Communication in Children with Speech-Language Difficulties," "Talking Is Hard for Me!" achieves its stated goals by being used by children and teachers/caregivers as a storybook with an empathetic point of view, or an instruction manual with pictures, or a resource for caregivers, family and friends. A handy list of tips and techniques for parents, teachers and caregivers is included with specific suggestions that complements the pages of story situations and illustrations. An additional glossary of speech-related terms, acronyms and abbreviations is also helpful. All content is designed for use with children ages 3-7 with delayed speech/communication. "Talking Is Hard for Me!" is a great tool for parents, teachers, caregivers, and children who need to continue learning to communicate with others.

Zero Chance Of Passage
Ember Reichgott Junge
Beaver's Pond Press
7108 Ohms Lane, Edina, MN 55439
www.BeaversPondPress.com
Smith Publicity
1930 E Marlton Pike, Suite I-46
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
9781592984763, $20.00, www.amazon.com

In the United States, charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money (and may, like other schools, also receive private donations). They are subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools, but generally have more flexibility than traditional public schools. Charter schools are expected to produce certain results, set forth in each school's charter. Charter schools are attended by choice. In exchange for flexibility, charter schools receive less funding than public schools in the same area - typically, they receive only 'head' funds (a certain amount per student) and do not receive any facilities funding which typically pays for a public school's maintenance and janitorial needs. Although charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools, they are part of the public education system and are not allowed to charge tuition. Where enrollment in a charter school is oversubscribed, admission is frequently allocated by lottery-based admissions systems. However, the lottery is open to all students. "Zero Chance of Passage: The Pioneering Charter School Story" by Ember Reichgott Junge is a 388 page history of how the law enabling the creation of charter schools came about. It's an engaging story that draws upon hitherto unpublished historical documents and first-person accounts by both those that supported charter schools and those who opposed them. "Zero Chance of Passage: The Pioneering Charter School Story" touches upon current issues in chartering and public school choice, the value of bipartisanship in passing controversial legislation, and how policy is made in the halls of congress. Informed and informative, "Zero Chance of Passage: The Pioneering Charter School Story" is a very highly recommended addition to both community and academic library collections and would is especially commended to non-specialist general readers with an interest in how charter schools came into the roster of American education alternatives.

Learn To Move, Moving Up!
Jenny Clark Brack, OTR/L, BCP
Photos by C. Scott Campbell
Cartoons by Gerard Arantowicz
Autism Asperger Publishing Company
PO Box 23173
Shawnee Mission, KS 66283
9781934575383 $35.00 www.aapcpublishing.net

A sequel to pediatric occupational therapist Jenny Clark Brack's previous sensorimotor child activity book "Learn to Move, Move To Learn", Learn To Move, Moving Up! Sensorimotor Elementary-School Activity Themes is intended for older children in the early elementary age range. The pages are packed with activities, themes, and basic lesson plans that educators or child-care providers can use to help young people develop their balance, coordination, proprioception and vestibular abilities, and more. These physical activities will also induce young children's minds to be alert and aware, the better to gain a classroom education. For example, a baseball-themed lesson suggests an action-song "Take Me out to the Ball Game" (warm-up), baseball bat exercises (vestibular), "Mat sandwich" pretend hotdog game (proprioception), balance beams in a diamond shape (balance), a T-ball stand (eye-hand coordination), a baseball book and stretching exercises (cool-down), and a hotdog snack (fine motor). Checklists, references, resources and more round out this excellent supplementary resource, highly recommended for elementary educators everywhere.

Why Teach?
Mark Edmundson
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, NY, NY 10010
9781620401071, $24.00, www.bloomsbury.com

WHY TEACH? IN DEFENSE OF A REAL EDUCATION comes from a Yale grad who wanted others to have the great education he did - and who discovered, as a professor, that he faced forces of corporate interests, high tuitions, and career-oriented interests over the love of learning itself. His essays remind readers that there's more to teaching and learning than careers and money - and they provide inspiring insights into the process of teaching to broaden the mind, not just the pocketbook. Higher learning is needed to resolve modern issues in troubled times: WHY TEACH addresses these and other issues in higher education in a pick for any education or social issues collection.

Teaching Theory of Mind
Kristina Ordetx
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849058971, $34.95, www.jkp.com

Teaching Theory of Mind provides teachers with an easy curriculum for teaching children with high functioning autism and Asperger's and focuses on interacting with others successfully using Theory of Mind. It reviews key concepts of the practice, shows how to assess a child's curriculum abilities, and provides twelve 60-90 minute lesson plans to use with small or large groups ages 7-16, along with suggested activities and methods of interacting with parents and caregivers. The result is more than a set of lesson plans: it's packed with a different approach and all the supplementary materials needed to teach the curriculum, from flash cards to cut out to a social skills poster.

Becoming Scientists
Rusty Bresser and Sharon Fargason
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571109781, $20.00, www.stenhouse.com

Becoming Scientists: Inquiry-Based Teaching in Diverse Classrooms, Grades 3-5 provides a fine survey of good science and using inquiry science to help children discover their own answers to questions. Examples come from real-world classroom applications where teachers practice inquiry science and engage students in practices as outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards, with this workbook showing how teachers can build on student backgrounds and knowledge. From enhancing science discussions to covering content, this is a solid reference for any elementary-level science teacher!

The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.princetonreview.com

Two new 2014 editions of classic student study guides for AP exam topics add to the series and provide would-be exam takers with specific, useful information suitable for study and success. Tom Meltzer and Paul Levy's CRACKING THE AP U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS EXAM (9780804124317, $18.99) pairs two full-length practice tests with a comprehensive glossary of terms, reviews of various government institutions, and detailed answers for tests, drills, and exercises. Step-by-step strategies for success aid in the study process. CRACKING THE AP WORLD HISTORY EXAM (9780307946263, $19.99) by The Princeton Review Staff adopts the same successful format, pairing two full-length practice tests with techniques to assure high scores and explanations that delve into each practice question. The result are references that college-bound students can consult to get the most out of their study habits before the AP exams are undertaken.

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com

Zak Kukoff's THE AUTISM AMBASSADORS HANDBOOK: PEER SUPPORT FOR LEARNING, GROWTH, AND SUCCESS (9781452235257, $36.95) provides an inspirational handbook that describes how to set up a peer-mentoring organization in a school to help autistic children understand socially appropriate behaviors and coach them through school demands. From starting an Autism Ambassadors program and guidelines for student ambassador responsibilities to specific interventions students can use with ASD peers, this uses Applied Behavior Analysis in a curriculum addition created and led by students, and comes packed with sample dialogues and blocked notes of why it's important for Ambassadors to interact on a particular level with students. From fire drills to riding the bus, this covers all areas of concern and is a top pick for any who want to implement a specific peer program for easing autistic children into the school environment. Thomas Del Prete's TEACHER ROUNDS: A GUIDE TO COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN AND FROM PRACTICE (9781452268156, $31.95) considers peer-to-peer teacher professional development and covers all aspects of this kind of approach to professional learning, from step-by-step tools for implementing 'teacher rounds' to creating a positive environment with maximum benefit. Examples from schools at all grade levels and in all disciplines considers how classroom instruction may be moved to peer-to-peer models, and provide excellent, constructive insights to the entire process. Gretchen Bernabei and Judi Reimer's FUN-SIZE ACADEMIC WRITING FOR SERIOUS LEARNING (9781452268613, $34.95) provides a fine guide to adolescent writing from educators who have seen success using mentor texts by students to teach all kinds of writing approaches. Over a hundred essays written by students provide one-page lessons that address grammar, text, imagery, dialogue - all the basics key to any academic writing project. Three major sections align with the Common Core, STAAR and other state assessment programs, making this a powerful collection to essay examples paired with powerful lessons. Toby J. Karten's INCLUSION COACHING FOR COLLABORATIVE SCHOOLS (9781452268217, $31.95) is for any school interested in inclusion and coaching, and provides keys to using instructional coaches to guide school teams in implementing the best inclusion strategies. From establishing baselines for performance assessment and success to engaging staff in new practices and handling co-teaching challenges, this is packed with specific exercises, approaches and insights perfect for education collections! The third updated edition of Gayle H. Gregory's DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES PROFESSIONAL LEARNING GUIDE (9781452291642, $32.95) offers an updated third edition to a classic discussion on differentiated instruction developments. This companion to DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL is a workbook of exercises that provides step-by-step training activities for professional development. It's been revised to include new strategies, a Common Core lesson planning template, and plenty of new research on coaching, evaluation, and DI practices. A 'must' for any collection strong in differentiated instruction. The second updated edition of Alfred S. Posamentier, et.al.'s WHAT SUCCESSFUL MATH TEACHERS DO, GRADES 6-12 (9781452259130, $36.95) provides a fine resource for math teachers updated for Common Core standards, and tells what works in math and how to implement it. Eleven chapters feature strategies centered around one aspect of an instruction program - some 80 strategies in all - and include short descriptions of the strategy, a summary of research, discussion of Common Core Standards, and examples from classroom applications. The result is a fine collection that includes discussion of common problems and how to overcome them. William N. Bender's DIFFERENTIATING MATH INSTRUCTION K-8: COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS IN THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM (9781452255453, $31.95) provides real-time strategies for solid results and gives teachers a good lesson plan for blending the best technologies with Common Core standards in math. From project-based learning to using Khan Academy in the classroom and new techniques for differentiating math classes, this is packed with approaches to handling students with website research projects, games, and instructional ideas that include using Wikis in classroom settings. This third updated edition provide an excellent survey and should be required reading for any K-8 math teacher. THE COMMON CORE COMPANION: THE STANDARDS DECODED GRADES 9-12 by Jim Burke (9781452276588, $30.95) is a recommendation for any teacher interested in understanding the basics of the Common Core standard system, and focuses on how to teach these standards. Spiral binding for lay-flat use accompanies a companion designed to provide teachers and departments with a set of common reference points for schoolwide implementation. Grades 9-10 standards thus appear alongside 11-12 standards to help teachers cross-compare teaching standards for different grades, content areas are arranged for quick reference, and explanations are written in nontechnical language any can understand. Instructional approaches for teaching each standard are based on the author's own classroom experience, and provides specifics based on real-world applications. Teachers and principals will find this a solid reference that any educator should have.


The Military Shelf

Normandy: From D-Day to the Breakout: June 6-July 31, 1944
Dominique Francois
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
www.zenithpress.com
9780760345580, $24.99, www.amazon.com

The Normandy landing was a critically important Allied turning point in the war against the Germany military and the eventual emancipation of Europe from Nazi domination. Compiled and written by Dominique Francois, "Normandy: From D-Day to the Breakout: June 6-July 31, 1944" is a 300 page photographic history of the Normandy invasion and provides an informed and informative history of the event. A valued addition to the growing library of World War II European Theatre histories, "Normandy: From D-Day to the Breakout: June 6-July 31, 1944" is a very highly recommended addition to community and academic library collections, and World War II studies supplemental reading lists.

To Crown the Waves
Vincent P. O'Hara, W. David Dickson, & Richard Worth, editors
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612510828 $37.95 www.nip.org

Also available as an ebook, To Crown the Waves: The Great Navies of the First World War is an anthology of essays by learned authors about the navies and naval battles of World War I. Particular emphasis is placed on each national navy's individual goals, circumstances, characteristics, and battle tactics. Each chapter focuses on a different nation's navy, covering those of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, the U.S., and a collective summary of the navies of other nations. A wealth of maps, tables, and illustrations, as well as a bibliography and an index round out this excellent, in-depth analysis and contribution to military and nautical history shelves.

Military Finances
Cheryl Lawthorne-Scott and Don Philpott
Rowman & Littlefield
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.rlpgbooks.com
9781442222144, $34.95, www.rowman.com

MILITARY FINANCES: PERSONAL MONEY MANAGEMENT FOR SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS, AND THEIR FAMILIES offers a fine collection of strategies for handling finances while serving and when returning to civilian life. Many military members are young with little or no experience in financial management, and many face frequent deployments and relocations which interfere with any financial plan. This handbook covers everything from basic banking and investment to retirement planning, home ownership or rental, creating a family budget, and paying taxes, and is specific to any military situation. A 'must' for any military family looking to gain more control over their money and choices.

Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B
Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com

Philip Haythornthwaite's NAPOLEONIC HEAVY CAVALRY & DRAGOON TACTICS (9781849087100, $18.95) receives Adam Hook's excellent color drawings to accompany diagrams, vintage black and white illustrations, and detailed analysis of the military strategies of Napoleonic battles. Heavy cavalry acted as a weapon on such a battlefield, and much depended on morale, timing and strategy laid out in instruction manuals. Period sources from official and personal records lend to an illustrated explanation of how heavy cavalry forces were deployed and equipped, surveying how they fought. Military history readers will find this an exceptional survey. The same audience will also relish Nicholas Millman's KI-27 'NATE' ACES (9781849086622, $22.95), which joins others in Osprey's aircraft series to analyze the successes and evolution of a plane that led the Japanese to successful campaigns in China in 1938. From there its pilots discovered its exceptional qualities during combat aerobatics, and flew the fighter from 1938 to 1941 in the front lines of the Pacific War. Vintage black and white photos and color illustrations throughout document the plane's evolution and encounters in battle in a recommendation for military history and aviation collections alike. Steven J. Zaloga's M10 TANK DESTROYER VS STUG III ASSAULT GUN (9781780960999, $18.95) provides an outstanding survey of the turretless vehicle which served as background support for infantry formations, then evolved to an gunned fighter with formidable firepower during the second world war. Collections strong in this era will find this an in-depth survey of the equipment used during the 11-month campaign surrounding Normandy events, and will welcome the close inspection of a tank destroyer that held its own during the war. Specially commissioned artwork accompanies vintage black and white photos documenting action. Edward M. Young's F4F WILDCAT VS. A6M ZERO-SEN (9781780963228, $18.95) follows the battles that book place between the two crafts in the Pacific arena during 1942, and considers the dogfights, tactics, equipment and battles between the two. Vintage black and white photos blend with some color illustrations to provide a fine survey of the aircraft and their encounters. David Nicolle's MANZIKERT 1071: THE BREAKING OF BYZANTIUM (9781780965031, $21.95) is a pick for any military library strong in ancient history and tells of a large Byzantine army whose particular choice of attack strategy ultimately led to its defeat. The battles at Manzikert are regarded as a turning point in Middle Eastern and world history, and are documented in depth here in a book that includes full color battle scenes, maps, and illustrations throughout. Any military library strong in ancient history and strategy will find this a winner! Robert Kirchubel's OPERATION BARBAROSSA: THE GERMAN INVASION OF SOVIET RUSSIA (9781782004080, $40.00) coves the campaigns and battles of Germany's surprise assault on Russia in 1941, and is a definitive survey of the largest invasion in not just that battle, but in the entire history of warfare. Its objective was to destroy the Soviet Union, and a quick campaign was designed to remove all obstacles to Hitler's regime. Instead Operation Barbarossa failed - but not without exacting an unprecedented toll. Osprey artwork, new maps, and modern photos accompanies in-depth coverage of one of the most definitive battles in World War II history in a reference that should be a 'must' for any military reference collection. Mark Galeotti's RUSSIAN SECURITY AND PARAMILITARY FORCES SINCE 1991 (9781780961057, $18.95) provides a fine history of military forces, artifacts, and techniques of Russian security and paramilitary forces since 1991, and comes from an international authority who considers all kinds of troop units and approaches. Color artwork and photographs throughout document uniforms and equipment alike, and provide a fine survey recommended for military and Russian history collections alike. Leroy Thompson and Peter Dennis' US COMBAT SHOTGUN (9781780960142, $18.95) covers gun manufacturers who produced combat shotguns for U.S. armed forces for various wars, and surveys the evolution of shotguns from early combat weapons to modern times. Color artwork accompanies a fine history of the guns and their development and service, lending to a vivid and well-researched pick recommended for any military or weaponry history collection. Another fine addition for this audience, joining this and others in the 'Weapon' series, is THE FN FAL BATTLE RIFLE (9781780969039, $18.95), which covers the history and development of an assault weapon created in response to the innovative German StG 44 Sturmgewehr, a compact, lightweight weapon which could fire a cartridge much further than its competitors. The Fusil Automatique Leger (or FAL) was developed by Belgium forces for NATO use but was soon adopted by police forces around the globe, and remains in production to this day. A fine survey of the weapon's capabilities makes for an excellent historical review.


The Photography Shelf

Robert E. Lee in War and Peace
Donald A. Hopkins
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
9781611211207 $34.95 www.savasbeatie.com

Robert E. Lee in War and Peace: The Photographic History of a Confederate and American Icon is a most extraordinary collection - author and Vietnam War surgeon Donald A. Hopkins searched manuscript repositories and private collections to locate every known photographic image of Confederate military mastermind Robert E. Lee - 61 pictures in total, some of them published for the first time ever. Each black-and-white image is accompanied by detailed, descriptive text. Together, the photographs and the stories behind them flow into a singularly unique, strikingly visual biography. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.

Fearless Photographer: Travel
Marc pangani
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
www.cengage.com
9781285063874, $34.99, www.amazon.com

"Fearless Photographer: Travel" is a 272 page compendium written and profusely illustrated by professional photographer to instruct aspiring photographers on how to select their destinations and adjust to new cultures, decide on the best equipment to travel with, avoid the cliche when finding and shooting subjects, getting and keeping organized, and storing photos for later use and sharing. Of special note is the chapter on Shooting Wildlife. An ideal and thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction manual, "Fearless Photographer: Travel" is strongly recommended for photography students, as well as non-specialist general readers who would like to take truly memorable photos of their excursions abroad. Also available in a Kindle edition ($24.49), "Fearless Photographer: Travel" would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Photography instructional reference collections.

Oregon Unforgettable
Dennis Frates
Marketing Department
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560375630, $32.95, www.amazon.com

"Oregon Unforgettable" is a 120 page compendium showcasing the stunning full color photography of Dennis Frates who takes as his subject matter the incredible natural beauty of Oregon landscapes. These are images that will linger in the mind long after browsing the pages of "Oregon Unforgettable" is concluded and this coffeetable sized pictorial is set back upon the shelf. A master photographer with an artist's eye, Dennis Frates has done full justice to presenting Oregon's incredible variety of 'rugged coastlines, soaring mountains, and emerald forests'. Highly recommended for personal and community library American Photography collections, "Oregon Unforgettable" would well serve as a template for other aspiring fine art photographers wanting to visually record outstanding landscape images of their own!

Their Fate Is Our Fate
Peter Doherty
The Experiment
260 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3 South
NY, NY 10001 - 6408
www.theexperimentpublishing.com
9781615190911, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Their Fate Is Our Fate: How Birds Foretell threats to Our Health and Our World comes from an immunologist and a professor who points out that birds detect environmental dangers long before humans do. He provides accounts of birds around the world and how they have sensed dangers, showing how birds can be an early warning system for all kinds of threats and offering a call to action by lay readers who can gather data that depends on the birds around them. Recommended for science and health collections alike, this examines how birds are important links between human affairs and environmental health.

Create Erotic Photography
Richard Young
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200
Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608956180, $27.95, www.amherstmedia.com

CREATE EROTIC PHOTOGRAPHY: FIND MODELS, CHOOSE LOCATIONS, DESIGN GREAT LIGHTING, AND SELL YOUR IMAGES tells how to use simple gear and special effects to create erotica on a budget, and packs in over 250 image examples in both color and black and white. All the basic photographer needs is a model, a camera and some light to achieve superior results capturing the human form: well, that and this guide, which offers ideas and specific tips for all skill levels. From booking models for a shoot to low-cost post-production strategies and working at home or in a studio location, CREATE EROTIC PHOTOGRAPHY is packed with ideas and custom tips perfect for any photographer's collection.

The Art of iPhone Photography
Bob Weil & Nicki Fitzgerald
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781937538187, $44.95, www.rockynook.com

The Art of iPhone Photography: Creating Great Photos and Art on Your iPhone explores how over forty acclaimed iPhone photographer created some of their most famous, best-known images - and uses their own words to explore the process of producing superior iPhone photography. From landscapes to street scenes, portraits to collages and beyond, this tackles the basics of using the iPhone as an artistic instrument, explores nearly 100 apps that can be used in the process, and pairs detailed step-by-step tutorials with a gallery of stunning images. The result is a recommendation for any who would use their iPhone as a tool for achieving better photographic results.


The Mathematics Shelf

Magnificent Mistakes in Mathematics
Alfred S. Posamentier and Ingmar Lehmann
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616147471, $24.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

MAGNIFICENT MISTAKES IN MATHEMATICS provides a lively discussion about whimsical, ironic, and intriguing mathematical mistakes and is a fine recommendation for leisure readers and any science and math collection. It comes from seasoned math educators who go beyond documenting and gathering historical math snafus to consider how these errors in calculation and thinking went on to affect science, math and education's basic concepts. From misuse of the concept of infinity to how proof violates the basic concept of 'betweenness', chapters consider mathematical calculations, concepts, and how errors in calculation translate to errors in logic and perception. High school to college-level collections need this survey, which will be perfect for classroom discussion.

Love & Math
Edward Frenkel
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465050741, $27.99, www.basicbooks.com

LOVE & MATH: THE HEART OF HIDDEN REALITY pairs an autobiography with fascinating insights into the world of math, and comes from a young professor of mathematics who creates a case for viewing math as not a singular discipline, but a unifying approach describing and uniting all of matter. It's about his own discovery of the wonders of math - and how he became involved in the Langlands Program, which enables researchers to translate findings from one field to another to solve problems that seemed impossible. His love of math and his fascination for its methods and applications translate to a celebratory read recommended for general-interest, mathematics, and science collections alike.

Numbersense
Kaiser Fung
McGraw-Hill Professional
The McGraw Hill Companies
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor
New York, NY 10020
9780071799669, $24.00, www.mhprofessional.com

NUMBERSENSE: HOW TO USE BIG DATA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE comes from a professional statistician who considers big data numbers and how to understand and use them, and promotes the use of Numbersense - the ability to grasp the basics of numbers, statistics and analyses. It contends that bigger and bigger amounts of data require a different approach to its analysis, and uses anecdotes and conclusions pointing out the common fallacies in number processing. The result is a powerful guide, highly recommended for any involved in business, science, information processing or any discipline where numbers and technology meet.

Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations
Victor Henner, et.al.
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781466515000, $89.95, www.amazon.com

Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations provides college-level readers with a comprehensive textbook covering both ordinary differential equations and partial differential equations, offering a complete course on both under one cover which makes this a unique contribution to the field. Examples and exercises accompany software supporting these and a text that covers all the basics any undergraduate or beginning graduate course will cover in differential equations. This doesn't require programmer knowledge nor any special computer software outside the disc provided here, and provides in-depth detail for students in the physical, engineering, biological and math sciences using examples throughout. Very highly recommended for any college collection supporting these disciplines.

Introduction To Partial Differential Equations With MATLAB, second edition
Matthew P. Coleman
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781439898468, $89.95, www.crcpress.com

Matthew P. Coleman's second updated edition of An Introduction To Partial Differential Equations With MATLAB is a pick for any college-level collection strong in applied mathematics and nonlinear science, and provides a thorough assessment updated for the latest mathematical applications. From modeling problems ranging from heat flow to sound waves and algae spread to equations based on methods of solution and physical and mathematical applications, this reviews PDEs and their applications and is a pick for advanced math collections whose patrons have an basic knowledge of multivariable calculus and ODEs. Any working with MATLAB codes and problem-solving applications need this!


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Dictionary of International Human Rights Law
Constance de la Vega
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781849803779, $160.00, www.e-elgar.com

College-level collections strong in human rights references and with a focus on international legal systems will find Dictionary of International Human Rights Law provides students and professors alike with a one-volume reference breaking down terms used in discussions of such laws. From in-depth definitions of torture, the United Nations Trusteeship Council, and international financial institutions to privacy rights and positive law, this includes cross-references, discussions of rights, legal entities, and more. The result is a powerful technical dictionary suitable for any student of international law and social issues.


The Library Science Shelf

Bringing the Arts into the Library
Carol Smallwood, editor
ALA Editions
50 East Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
9780838911754 $50.00 www.alastore.ala.org

Bringing the Arts into the Library is an anthology of essays by public library professionals discussing how the library can enrich the local population's knowledge and understanding arts, and in the process cultivate grassroots support. Individual writings include insights on public library poetry programs, hosting gatherings for local authors at the community college, creative writing programs for middle schoolers, using the arts as a spearhead to fight illiteracy, and much more. In today's increasingly commercialized world, the need for a public space to celebrate the arts rather than the almighty dollar is greater than ever, making Bringing the Arts into the Library welcome, needed, and highly recommended!

Customer Service in Libraries
Charles Harmon and Michael Messina, editors
Scarecrow Press
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9780810887480 $45.00 www.rlpgbooks.com

Customer Service in Libraries is an anthology of essays from nine American librarians, each of whom describes the best customer service practices of their own library. Their writings tell of planning technological changes with a focus on the user (who may well be a techno-neophyte), picture-book arrangements, Web 2.0 tools to make the library more accessible to users, creating effective and efficient delivery chains, practical approaches to making the library a superlative resource for homeschoolers, and much more. "Getting input from our homeschooling families was instrumental in planning how we would offer our program. We learned about special events that were already being held in our community (science fairs, spelling bees, etc.) and when other organizations held regular meetings so that our time wouldn't conflict." An excellent resource of ideas and improvements for any public library professional!

Better Library and Learning Spaces
Les Watson
Facet Publishing
7 Ridgmount Street, London, England, WC1E 7AE
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781856047630, $49.95, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by educational advisor and learning spaces consultant Les Watson "Better Library and Learning Spaces: Projects, Trends and Ideas" is a 128 page compendium comprised of forty informed and informative articles by experts in their respective fields and organized into three major parts: Projects and Trends; Trends and Ideas; Ideas and Futures. Of special note is that at the end of parts 1 and 2 editor Less Watson provides a summary, and at the end of part 3 provides concluding remarks. Informed and informative, "Better Library and Learning Spaces: Projects, Trends and Ideas" is an invaluable and seminal contribution to the field of Library Science and is highly recommended for professional and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Words Of Life
Bill Schmitt
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.undpress.nd.edu
9780268017835, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Theodore Hesburgh Library is the primary building of the library system of University of Notre Dame. The building opened on September 18, 1963, as the Memorial Library. It was named after Father Theodore Hesburgh in 1987. The library has 3.39 million volumes, the 61st largest collection among all U.S. research universities. "Words of Life: Celebrating 50 Years of the Hesburgh Library's Message, Mural, and Meaning" by Bill Schmitt (Communications and Media Specialist, Alliance for Catholic Education, University of Notre Dame) is a 160 page tribute to one of the finest university libraries of the American Midwest. The informed and informative text is enhanced with 135 illustrations and features the story behind the library's iconic mural named 'The World of Life'. Highly recommended reading for anyone who has admired this beautifully crafted and maintained academic library, "Words of Life" would also well serve as a template for memorializing the history and achievements of other academic libraries elsewhere in the country.

Practical Programming
Monique Delatte Starkey
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838986707, $40.00, www.alastore.ala.org

Practical Programming: The Best of YA-YAAC covers different kinds of programs librarians can consider to attract young adults, and come from the YA-YAAC online tools sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association. Librarians and staff will find this a basic introduction to the best new programming ideas of recent years, providing keys to staging events and conducting games, creating youth services, and coordinating youth opportunities. From activities to recipes for refreshments, this holds many different approaches and programs librarians can use to attract teen interest.


The Technology Shelf

Finite Element Modeling Methods for Photonics
B.M. Azizur Rahman and Arti Agrawal
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781608075317, $159.00, www.artechhouse.com

Finite Element Modeling Methods for Photonics provides a powerful resource describing the applications of FEM in photonics devices and covers everything from problem-solving applications to real-world examples and mathematical concepts. Engineers involved in developing photonic components will find this a powerful guide to the simulation process as a whole, with chapters including formulas, structure analysis, discussions of different methods and approaches, and investigations applying different methods to problems. The result is a powerful technical reference highly recommended for any engineering library.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Self-Publisher's FAQ
Jacqueline Church Simonds
Beagle Bay Books
2325 Homestead Place, Reno, NV 89509
www.beaglebay.com
9780974961095, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. A self-published physical book is said to be privately printed. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design (cover/interior), formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR. The authors can do it all themselves or outsource all or part of the process to companies that offer these services. In the past, self-published authors had to spend considerable amounts of money preparing a book for publication, and to purchase bulk copies of their title and find a place to store them. Print-On-Demand technology means the author, via numerous, accessible global distribution channels like Amazon.com, can have a book printed only when an order has been placed and it is available for purchase world-wide. In 2008, for the first time in history, more books were self-published than those published traditionally. In 2009, 76% of all books released were self-published, while publishing houses reduced the number of books they produced. Against this background of an ever evolving publishing industry, Jacqueline Simonds draws upon her thirteen year experience and expertise as a publisher producing more than twenty books, her work on some thirty-five publishing projects, and her book distributor work with over forty titles to write "The Self-Publisher's FAQ", a 258 page compendium covering every aspect of the self-publishing process including starting a press, standard publishing industry practices, producing print and ebook editions, required forms and web site registrations, and marketing. From developing a marketing plan, to answering such basic questions as to buying an ISBN and the role of book reviews, "The Self-Publisher's FAQ" will prove to be and enduringly valuable and practical reference. Of special note is the introduction provided by Dan Poynter, who is justifiable considered to be the leading pioneer of self-publishing. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Self-Publisher's FAQ" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone engaging in or otherwise considering self publication.

Writing Children's Fiction
Yvonne Coppard and Linda Newbery
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781408156872 $24.95 www.bloomsbury.com

Featuring tips directly from successful children's authors including Malorie Blackman, Anne Cassidy, Michael Morpurgo, Celia Rees, and more, Writing Children's Fiction: A Writers' & Artists' Companion lives up to its title as a first-rate guide, reference, and resource to the art of writing novels for young adults. Part one analyzes the history of children's literature and the modern-day diversity of its genres; part two is packed with tips, tricks, and techniques from professionals in the field; and part 3 includes broad-minded guidance such as how to shape a solid plot, create well-rounded characters, handle tricky subjects, and even finding a capable agent or publisher when ready for print. Writing Children's Fiction is an absolute "must-have" for any nascent writer trying to create a middle grade or YA novel; published children's authors will very likely discover beneficial suggestions and ideas as well!

Shady Characters
Keith Houston
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393064421, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com

SHADY CHARACTERS: THE SECRET LIFE OF PUNCTUATION, SYMBOLS AND OTHER TYPOGRAPHICAL MARKS provides a fine history of punctuation marks, creating a reference that will appeal not just to literary collections, but those involved in typographic history and social history alike. It begins with early Alexandria and moves to modern times with its survey of the evolution and changing use of eleven punctuation marks, linking punctuation choices with religion, technology, culture and literacy. With its lively dialogue and literary insights, this is a reference that will appeal across the board from scholarly to general-interest readers.


The Science Shelf

Organic Electronics
Fabio Cicoira and Clara Santato
Wiley-VCH
www.wiley-vch.de
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9783527411313 $125.00 www.wiley.com

Organic Electronics: Emerging Concepts and Technology is a reference and resource compendium of research in organic spintronics, iontronics, light-emitting transistors, organic sensors, advanced structural analysis, and more. Written for graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and professionals in the field (as well as closely related fields such as organic chemical synthesis and biomaterials), Organic Electronics is detailed and technical, requiring a strong understanding of mathematics, and supplements its chapters with black-and-white charts, graphs, and the occasional photo. An excellent addition to university and graduate school science library collections. Also highly recommended for the technology and science shelves of college libraries is "MAX Phases: Properties of Machinable Ternary Carbides and Nitrides" (9783527330119, $145.00), a scholarly compendium that collects information on MAX phases, a cutting-edge field so new that information about it was previously scattered amid scientific journals.

To The Denmark Strait
Dallas Murphy
Burford Books, Inc.
101 East State Street, #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
www.burfordbooks.com
9781580801737, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Oceanography is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean. It covers a wide range of topics, including marine organisms and ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics; plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries. These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers blend to further knowledge of the world ocean and understanding of processes within: astronomy, biology, chemistry, climatology, geography, geology, hydrology, meteorology and physics. "To the Denmark Strait: Oceanographers Search for a Mysterious Current" by Dallas Murphy is a profusely illustrated, 144 page compendium comprising a first hand account of an expedition on the research vessel Knorr under the leadership of oceanographer Robert Pickart for the purpose of confirming the existence and origin of a previously unknown oceanic current between Greenland and Iceland. Informed, informative, and enhanced throughout with the full color photography of Rachel Fletcher and Sindre Skrede, "To the Denmark Strait: Oceanographers Search for a Mysterious Current" is enhanced with the inclusion of a DVD with videos by Ben harden and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Oceanography reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Signatures of Life
Edward Ashpole
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616146689, $25.00, www.promeheusbooks.com

SIGNATURES OF LIFE: SCIENCE SEARCHES THE UNIVERSE explores the possible reasons why scientists have found no evidence supporting intelligent life in the universe, despite the efforts of SETI's astronomical search of the skies over a period of decades. Is life a universal phenomenon, or are humans unique? This examines inherent problems involved in scanning the skies for life, including the challenges of communicating with species in possession of entirely different technologies. It considers alternate ways of identifying life, discusses the 'signatures of life' emanating from Earth and how we may be missing signs of alien life both in the universe and here on Earth. Any interested in the science of extraterrestrial research will find this an engrossing, revealing survey of possibilities.

The Universal Sense
Seth S. Horowitz, PhD
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781608198832, $17.00, www.bloomsbury.com

THE UNIVERSAL SENSE considers the effects of sound on the brain, and provides both a scientific and humorous review of how this sense affects not only perception, but the brain's ability to process thoughts and images. It discusses both ambient and pronounced sounds and their different effects on the human body, sharing insights about noises, psychology, and the science of sound as it operates in the human and natural world. With its ramifications for understanding our universe, this discussion is a recommended pick for science and health collections alike.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Anatomy of the New Testament, seventh edition
Robert A. Spivey, D. Moody Smith, & C. Clifton Black
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209
Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
9780800699710 $60.00 http://fortresspress.com

Now in its seventh edition, Anatomy of the New Testament is a textbook that applies both historical and literary approaches to understanding the structure and meaning of the Biblical New Testament. Full-color maps, charts, and images intersperse the thoughtful, meticulous, yet accessible text. "The Book of Revelation was probably written during a period of crisis in the church, occasioned by the Roman government's active opposition. Tradition ascribes its message of resistance and hope in times of persecution to the reign of the Emperor Domitian, near the close of the first century (Eusebius, Ecclesiatical History, 3.18.3, citing Ignatius)." An excellent resource for classroom use, individual scholarship, or Bible study workshops, Anatomy of the New Testament is highly recommended.

Dark God
Thomas Romer
Paulist Press
997 MacArthur Boulevard
Mahwah, NJ 07430
www.paulistpress.com
9780809147960, $17.95, www.amazon.com

Yahweh of the Old Testament is perceived by many contemporary Christians as a violent, cruel, ruthless, even genocidal deity with such examples as the sacrifice of Jeptha's daughter, the slaughter of the Cannanites by the Israelites, the divine killing of the first-born sons of all the Egyptians in the pursuit of the goal of freeing the Israelites from Egyptian rule, and so many more examples of blood and death in the name of the God of the Old Testament. "Dark God: Cruelty, Sex, and Violence in the Old Testament " by Thomas Romer (Old Testament, Faculty of Theology and Science of Religion, Lausanne University) was specifically written to counter this misleading perception and to show that the commandments of a seemingly vengeful god were in truth and in fact designed to preserve Israelite faith from dogmatic complacency with the realization that He was intensely engaged in the lives of his chosen people and of all mankind to their ultimate betterment. Of special note is the chapter addressing the issue of whether God is sanctimonious and human begins sinners. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Dark God: Cruelty, Sex, and Violence in the Old Testament " is highly recommended and instructive reading for clergy, as well as non-specialist general readers within the Roman Catholic Christian community.

A Call To Serve
Stefan von Kempis & Philip F. Lawler
The Crossroad Publishing Company
831 Chestnut Ridge Road
Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977
www.crossroadpublishing.com
9780824550059, $16.95, www.amazon.com

Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church having been elected Bishop of Rome. He is thereby also the Sovereign of Vatican City. Born in Buenos Aires as the son of Italian parents, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician before entering seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1969. From 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and a cardinal in 2001. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in February 2013, on 13 March 2013 the papal conclave elected Bergoglio, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. Throughout his life, both as an individual and a religious leader, Bergoglio has been noted for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths. He is known for having a simpler and less formal approach to the papacy, most notably by choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace formerly used by his predecessors. In addition, he is known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, by starting to refuse the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election. The collaborative work of Stefan von Kempis (Editor of Vatican Radio) and Philip F. Lawler (Editor of Catholic World News), "A Call to Serve: Pope Francis and the Catholic Future" is a 160 page compendium providing interested readers with a profusely illustrated and personal story of Pope Francis -- and in that telling reveals background details of his unprecedented papal election. Drawn from conversations, interviews, insider information, and Pope Francis own writings, "A Call to Serve: Pope Francis and the Catholic Future" is very highly recommended reading for Catholics and non-Catholics alike!

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

James H. Cone's THE CROSS AND THE LYNCHING TREE (9781626980051, $24.00) is a powerful Christian history about race and religion in America and focuses on the spiritual world of African Americans. From the history of their evolution in America to the reconciliation of religion with violence and threats, God's answer the lynching and injustices, and individuals who engaged blacks about social issues, this pairs an inspirational social history with a survey of underlying Christian Biblical references that permeated the black community and provided inspiration and impetus for fostering change. The analysis of faith and race makes for a powerful, compelling Christian survey important for any spirituality collection. Tim Flinders' JOHN MUIR: SPIRITUAL WRITINGS (9781626980358, $20.00) combines biography with spiritual analysis as it surveys the spiritual life inherent in John Muir's writings and connections with nature. This coverage analyzes Muir's unique form of American spiritual perception and thinking and covers everything from perceptions of baptism and nature to pilgrimages in the wilderness. The result is a powerful work that's recommended not just for environmental or nature collections which are the usual recipients of works by and about Muir, but for spiritual holdings. Also recommended is Diarmuid O'Murchu's GOD IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE: WISDOM FOR CONFUSING TIMES (9781626980419, $20.00), which combines religion and science in a consideration of the author's quest to find a spiritual underlying theory of everything. O'Murchu is an evolutionary theologian whose works have been discussed in many circles: this fine coverage analyzes religion, the difference between this and underlying spirituality, and making sense of the world and God's place in it. Any spiritual holding will welcome this discussion.

The God Who Became Human
Graham A. Cole
IVP Academic
c/o InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 605151426
9780830826315, $22.00, www.ivpress.com/academic

The God Who Became Human: A Biblical Theology of Incarnation is a recommendation for academic collections strong in biblical analysis and considers themes in theology and the roles and events key to understanding Christianity. From the purpose of creation and its underlying divine image contention to God's acts in Israel's history and the language and image of God as a creator and voice, this considers the transformation of God to a human word accessible to all, and uses New Testament answers to consider the basic question of why God became man. Collections strong in scholarly Christian theology will find this a perfect choice.

One With Christ
Marcus Peter Johnson
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
9781433531491, $19.99, www.crossway.org

ONE WITH CHRIST: AN EVANGELICAL THEOLOGY OF SALVATION uses the Scriptures and church history to consider salvation and the basics of redemption with the living Christ, and is a recommendation for Christian collections looking for a theology centered around the salvation process. Chapters cover everything from the passive obedience of Christ to the meaning of being 'justified', sanctifications in Christ, and the Church's role in manifesting a living Christ. Christian scholars will find this a wonderful theological analysis.

Discovering Trinity in Disability
Myroslaw Tataryn & Maria Truchan-Tataryn
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781626980372, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Discovering Trinity in Disability: A Theology for Embracing Differences comes from a Ukrainian priest and a wife who specializes in disability studies who are themselves parents of disabled children, and thus provides a unique blend of spiritual and social observation and analysis of Gospel teachings and disability issues. From a history of Scripture from Hebrew to modern times to how modern churches and society view social and individual models of disability, this packs in a fine analysis that advocates building inclusive communities and spiritual teachings, and will find a home in any library strong in religious discussions of disability.

From Times Square to Timbuktu
Wesley Granberg-Michaelson
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802869685, $20.00, www.eerdmans.com

From Times Square to Timbuktu: The Post-Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church explores the lasting consequences of the shift in modern Christianity from Europe to a point near Timbuktu in Africa, and considers how changing centers of religious power have affected North America in its efforts to rebuild Christian unity. This focus on different efforts and purposes between north and south offers fine analysis of the church structure and approaches differentiating each. The result begins with a global perspective but offers important analysis of North and South religious communities perfect for any spiritual history collection.

Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration
John Chryssavgis & Bruce V. Foltz, Editors
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823251452, $35.00, www.fordhampress.com

Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration: Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature, and Creation provides a fine anthology contributing to scholarly writings on religion and ecology, and is an essay collection recommended for this audience. It connects ecological to spiritual crisis, offering analysis of Christian perspectives, orthodoxy, and the environment and nature, and it provides religious academics with discussions of human and world image, orthodoxy, the history of ecopolitics and church involvements, and much more. A fine guide for any scholarly Christian reader concerned about environmental issues!


The Judaic Studies Shelf

A Brand Plucked from the Fire
Richard Damashek
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306-6316
www.ktav.com
9781602802278, $35.00, www.amazon.com

20th Century Judaism has known its fair share of accomplished, respected, and influential rabbis. "A Brand Plucked from the Fire: The Life of Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman" is the definitive, 660 page biography of the remarkable life and accomplishments of one of the most notable of them. Although his life at age 97 is not yet complete, this definitive account of that life will serve as an admirable testament to what one man was able to accomplish in service to his community and his people. Of special note is Rabbi Schaalman's friendship with Chicago's Catholic Archbishop Joseph Bernardin. A friendship so close that the Archbishop asked the Rabbi to speak at the Archbishop's funeral -- that occasion the first time in history for such an event to occur. Informed and informative, inspired and inspiring, "A Brand Plucked from the Fire: The Life of Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman" is highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to community and academic library 20th Century Judaic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Love Letter To The Earth
Thich Nhat Hanh
Parallax Press
PO Box 7355, Berkeley, CA 94707
www.parallaxpress.com
9781937006389, $14.95, www.amazon.com

It is common knowledge that Native American cultures revered the Earth and felt an innate responsibility to live in harmony with the natural world. What is less well known by most Americans is that Buddhists feel that same moral imperative. "Love Letter To The Earth" by Buddhist teacher and author Thich Nhat Hanh is a 120 page compendium arguing from a Buddhist perspective that the problem with contemporary western capitalist cultures such as America is the notion that we humans are separate and apart from nature. Quiet the contrary, "Love Letter To The Earth" persuasively holds that our personal and collective happiness and well being are integrally dependent on the health of the planet, the soundness of the ecosystems that comprise our world, and the necessity of a mindfulness-based spirituality in order to limit the damage we inflict upon the world we to which we are so dependent. Articulate and thoroughly 'reader friendly', "Love Letter To The Earth" is highly recommended reading, especially for non-specialist general readers with an interest in environmental issues and in Buddhist thought.

The Dalai Lama On What Matters Most
Noriyuki Ueda
Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
665 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781571747013, $12.95, www.amazon.com

Noriyuki Ueda is a cultural anthropologist who undertook a two-day conversation with the Dalai Lama. "The Dalai Lama on What Matters Most: Conversations on Anger, Compassion, and Action" is a 336 page, compact and pocket-portable compendium comprised of succinct extracts from their dialogue. This collection of observations and commentaries offers the reader a wealth of practical and spiritual Buddhism-based wisdom that transcends the limiting boundaries of contemporary ideologies, politics, and cultural biases. "It is important not to think of Buddhism as a religion but as a science of the mind". As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Dalai Lama on What Matters Most: Conversations on Anger, Compassion, and Action" should be considered mandatory reading for all students of Buddhist philosophy. It should be noted that "The Dalai Lama on What Matters Most: Conversations on Anger, Compassion, and Action" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.39).


The Fiction Shelf

As Flies to Whatless Boys
Robert Antoni
Akashic Books
PO Box 1456
New York, NY 10009
9781617751554 $15.95 hc / $9.99 Kindle www.akashicbooks.com

Set in 1845 Trinidad, As Flies to Whatless Boys is an original novel about a doomed British voyage, from the perspective of a young boy blinded by its utopian dream. Erratic engineer John Adolphus Etzler believes that his mechanical invention will revolutionize humanity, and organizes the Tropical Emigration Society of London citizens to form a proto-socialist community. But the remote Trinidad swamp he has chosen is an unforgiving place, that ravages its would-be colonists with the deadly "Black Vomit" plague. The teenaged Willy is one of Etzler's dedicated followers; on the sea voyage he falls in love with a noblewoman who can't speak; they communicate through writing. Fortunately, she is not part of Willy's high-minded yet survival-impaired expedition. When Willy's father contracts the dread disease, Willy, their African helpmate John, and two Warrahoon Indians labor to carry the sick man through jungle and mountains. A bittersweet coming-of-age tale of tragedy, chicanery, high ideals, harsh realities, and the hard choice between love and family duty, As Flies to Whatless Boys is highly recommended.

Game: A Thriller
Anders de la Motte
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
9781476712888, $15.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Author Anders de la Motte has worked as a police officer and an IT security director, and now works as an international security consultant: all these jobs lends to a powerful thriller telling of one Henrick Pettersson, a slacker who finds a mobile phone on a train from an unknown company and receives messages addressed to him inviting him to play a secret game. Of course Henrick jumps at the opportunity - and finds himself involved in an increasingly complex game involving criminal acts and pranks; all of which are filmed and uploaded onto a protected server where viewers rate his performance. A Game Master oversees all behind the scenes; but when the game becomes all too real, it's up to the unlikely Henrick and his sister, a bodyguard with many secrets and fears, to overcome the layers of unreality the game is imposing on his life. Can Rebecca solve the puzzle of the game's real purpose before Henrick loses touch with reality and endangers them all? A fine story evolves, perfect for fans of high technology thrillers.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Cold Tuscan Stone
David P. Wagoner
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464201905, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

Cold Tuscan Stone provides a new Rick Montoya Italian mystery and tells of Rick's move from New Mexico to Rome, where he's beginning to settle into the life of a translator when he's tapped for an unofficial undercover role posing as a buyer for a gallery to uncover relic traffickers. What begins as a simple sting operation turns into a murder investigation when a gallery employee's murder involves Rick in a dangerous series of cat-and-mouse games. Mystery holdings will find this a fine chronicle.

The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Rose
Susan Wittig Albert
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780425260586, $25.95, www.penguin.com

The southern ladies are at it again: this time the Darling Dahlias face a flying circus visit to Darling, Alabama and a saboteur who is bent on being sure the visit turns into murderous disaster. What makes the Dahlias stories stand out from the crowd is an attention to colorful Southern scenes, culture, and interactions which are unexpected and fun. In addition to a mystery, readers receive a solid dose of Southern hospitality and gentle interactions which makes this a special pick for any harboring an affection for Southern culture.


The Biography Shelf

The Cost of Liberty
William Murchison
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
1933859946 $25.00 www.isibooks.org

Journalist William Murchison presents The Cost of Liberty: The Life of John Dickinson, a biography of America's most overlooked and little-known founders. Dickinson authored the essays "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania", served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, helped shape the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, and much more. He is perhaps best known for refusing to sign the Declaration of Independence, because the thought it was the wrong time to do so - he nevertheless took up arms to defend the nascent United States of America, unlike all but one of the Declaration's signers. The Cost of Liberty is a worthy addition to public, college, and high school Biography and American History shelves, highly recommended.

Champion of Civil Rights
Joel William Friedman
Louisiana State University Press
3990 W. Lakeshore Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
9780807154465 $29.95 www.lsu.edu/lsupress

Champion of Civil Rights: Judge John Minor Wisdom is a scholarly biography of unsung civil rights hero John Minor Wisdom, who served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1957 to his death in 1999. Wisdom wrote multiple decisions that were crucial to desegregating the American South. Author and Professor of Procedural Law Joel William Friedman has taken full advantage of his unfettered access to Wisdom's personal and professional papers to craft this in-depth scrutiny of a principled man, and a committed anti-segregationist who ironically hailed from a privileged background in New Orleans, one of America's most racially stratified cities. An index rounds out this excellent biography, highly recommended for public and college library collections.

Deep River
Keith C. Burris
GIA Publications, Inc.
7404 South Mason Avenue
Chicago, IL 60638
www.giamusic.com
$45.00, www.amazon.com

Robert Shaw (April 30, 1916 - January 25, 1999) was an American conductor most famous for his work with his namesake Chorale, with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Shaw received 14 Grammy awards, four ASCAP awards for service to contemporary music, the first Guggenheim Fellowship ever awarded to a conductor, the Alice M. Ditson Conductor's Award for Service to American Music; the George Peabody Medal for outstanding contributions to music in America, the Gold Baton Award of the American Symphony Orchestra League for "distinguished service to music and the arts," the American National Medal of Arts, France's Officier des Arts et des Lettres, England's Gramophone Award, and was a 1991 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. "Deep River: The Life and Music of Robert Shaw" by Keith C. Burris is a 630 page biography covering the life, career, and accomplishments of Robert Shaw. Detailed and comprehensive, (and the result of ten years of research and writing), "Deep River: The Life and Music of Robert Shaw" is the definitive biography of a remarkable man that is enhanced with the inclusion of a CD recording of Shaw's conducting the Brahms Requiem at Boston University. Informed and informative, "Deep River: The Life and Music of Robert Shaw" is a highly prized addition to academic library 20th Century American Music History reference collections in general, and the supplemental reading lists for students of Robert Shaw's music and career in particular.

Asa: Honoring His Life and Work
James Young & Itihari Toure
African American Images
PO Box 1799, Dept. W/SP
Chicago Heights, IL 60412
www.AfricanAmericanImages.com
9781934155769, $16.95, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of James Young and Itihari Toure, "Asa: Honoring His Life and Work" is a very nicely composed and presented 154 page history of educator, historian, and psychologist Asa Hilliard, who served on the faculty of Georgia State University fo 27 years. Professor Hillard authored a number of influential books, wrote hundreds of articles, and helped to found several organizations. "Asa: Honoring His Life and Work" provides a succinct accounting of these accomplishments as well as key descriptive explanations on important positions Professor Hillard took on a spectrum of issues including IQ testing, Egypt, 'Africentric' education, and his relationship with a number of others ranging from John Henrik Clarke, to Wade Nobles, to Josef ben-Jochannan. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Asa: Honoring His Life and Work" is informed, informative, and highly recommended for anyone with an interest in life and legacy of Professor Asa Hillard.

Lowell Thomas Jr.
Lowell Thomas Jr. with Lew Freedman
Alaska Northwest Books
c/o Graphic Arts Books
PO Box 56118, Portland, Oregon 97238-6118
9780882409146 $27.99 www.graphicartsbooks.com

Lowell Thomas Jr.: Flight to Adventure, Alaska and Beyond is the high-spirited autobiography of Lowell Thomas Jr. (b. 1923), reporter, bush pilot, fifth Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, filmmaker, and conservationist devoted to preserving Alaska's beautiful wilderness. With the assistance of award-winning journalist Lew Freedman, Thomas speaks of climbing an Alaskan mountain at age sixteen, flying around the world on his honeymoon, meeting the fourteen-year-old Dalai Lama, and much more. His lifetime of accomplishments, exploration, and appreciation for nature's beauty make for a thoroughly engaging and inspirational true story, highly recommended.

General Edwin Vose Sumner, USA
Thomas K. Tate
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786472581, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Edwin Vose Sumner (January 30, 1797 - March 21, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who became a Union Army general and the oldest field commander of any Army Corps on either side during the American Civil War. His nicknames "Bull" or "Bull Head" came both from his great booming voice and a legend that a musket ball once bounced off his head. Sumner fought in the Black Hawk War, with distinction in the Mexican-American War, on the Western frontier, and in the Eastern Theater for the first half of the Civil War. He led the II Corps of the Army of the Potomac through the Peninsula Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, the Maryland Campaign, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. "General Edwin Vose Sumner, USA: A Civil War Biography" by Thomas K. Tate is a meticulously researched and deftly written 240 page biography that is an invaluable contribution to the growing library of Civil War studies. Enhanced for the reading with an Epilogue, and appendix, extensive chapter notes, a substantial bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "General Edwin Vose Sumner, USA " is a very highly recommended and informative addition to personal, community, and academic library Civil War Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "General Edwin Vose Sumner" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Cowboy Stuntman
Dean Smith with Mike Cox
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896727892, $29.95, www.ttupress.org

COWBOY STUNTMAN: FROM OLYMPIC GOLD TO THE SILVER SCREEN follows author Dean Smith's career as a cowboy turned Hollywood stuntman, and provides a powerful autobiography surveying the family and career elements that influenced his career. From his encounters with the movie industry to how he got the chance to re-create some of the most powerful Western scenes in film, this creates a lively page-turner packed with encounters, events, high drama, and all the elements of a powerful read. While fans of cowboy memorabilia and insights will be the most likely readers of his autobiography, any interested in Hollywood stunt actors will also find COWBOY STUNTMAN packed with insights on the industry in general and stunt work in particular.

Hanns and Rudolf
Thomas Harding
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
NY, NY 10020
9781476711843, $26.00, www.simonsays.com

HANNS AND RUDOLF: THE TRUE STORY OF THE GERMAN JEW WHO TRACKED DOWN AND CAUGHT THE COMMANDANT OF AUSCHWITZ will reach readers of World War II history as well as readers of biographies, and tells the story of two Germans whose lives involved tracking down one of the most brutal war criminals of the times. The author first discovered that his own great-uncle was a Nazi hunter only after the man's death in 2006. Over the next six years, Harding read through hundreds of archives, interviewed survivors, and even traveled to Auschwitz. His investigation into the search for Hoss moves from past to present in covering the history of the war, concentration camps, and the events which led two respected men who loved their country to become symbols of evil. The result is a powerful study recommended for any reader of World War II history.


The Travel Shelf

The Civil War Lover's Guide to New York City
Bill Morgan
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
9781611211221 $18.95 www.savasbeatie.com

The Civil War Lover's Guide to New York City lives up to its title as a detailed guide to the monuments, historic sites, and landmark resources connected to the turbulent history of the American Civil War. Though New York was a Northern state, its citizens voted against President Abraham Lincoln twice, and the state was notably sympathetic to the South. Yet over the course of the war, New York provided more men, equipment, and supplies to the Union than any other city in the North. Striking, full-color photography on almost every page coupled with detailed descriptions of each point of interest make The Civil War Lover's Guide to New York City as appealing to armchair travelers as it is to vacationers with a keen interest in history!

1000 Ultimate Adventures
Brett Atkinson, et al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
9781743217191, $22.99, www.amazon.com

Whether planning for an on-site adventure or merely an armchair traveler, readers will find "Lonely Planet 1000 Ultimate Adventures" to be an outstanding, profusely illustrated, 348 page compendium packed from cover to cover with short succinct descriptions of interesting places to visit for a very special experience, the kind that create memories for a lifetime. Deftly organizing the recommended itineraries into thematic sections that range from Animal Encounters; Archetypal Africa; Mountain Highs; No-Sweat Adventures; and Active Americas; to Intrepid Antipodes; Ventures by Foot; Exhilarating Europe; Aquatic Escapades; and Awesome Asia. Informed, informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly', "Lonely Planet 1000 Ultimate Adventures" is enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library Travel Guide collections.

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

James Bainbridge, et.al.'s SOUTH AFRICA, LESOTHO & SWAZILAND (9781741798005, $27.99) provides a fine take-along tote for any destination visitor and considers Africa's southernmost trip of areas. New research, small easy to use maps, and revised coverage of small towns, local offerings, and sights and activities keep this a fine, current reference guide highly recommended for any planning a trip to the region that goes beyond the usual South Africa borders to neighboring areas. Carolyn McCarthy researches PANAMA (9781742200125, $24.99) and covers everything from beaches to rainforests, providing a strong independent traveler's guide that considers byways and the latest areas for any who would travel throughout the country. From places to stay and eat on a budget to detailed descriptions of surrounding areas, this is a 'must' for any who would visit Panama on their own. Independent travelers will also relish Chris Rowthorn, et.al.'s weighty JAPAN (9781742204147, $29.99), which explores the basics of travel throughout the country and uses the combined experiences of some 40 years of journeying by the collaborator authors involved. From sleeping and eating in small villages to local attractions and sights, this is a solid reference for any interested in Japanese culture and unique opportunities. Regis St. Louis, et.al.'s SOUTH AMERICA ON A SHOESTRING (9781741798944, $39.99) comes from experts who live and work in South America and has been updated to include a new itineraries chapter with photos, discussions of many active outdoors opportunities from hiking to rafting, and presents a vast range of ratings for accommodations and places to eat to appeal to active, independent travelers. At over 1,000 pages this is no slim tote - but then, it covers all of South America: perfect for journeyers who plan on visiting more than one country and who want a larger guidebook than the smaller regional coverages can offer.

Traveler's Tales
2320 Bowdoin Street
Palo Alto, CA 94306
www.travelerstales.com

Any interested in solid armchair travel readers will find two books exceptional, lively coverages packed with true stories from travelers braver - and zanier - than most. Marcy Gordon edits LEAVE THE LIPSTICK TAKE THE IGUANA: FUNNY TRAVEL STORIES AND STRANGE PACKING TIPS (9781609520533, $16.95), a fun set of humorous stories about some eye-opening travel experiences. From a hunt for apes in Paris to an Indian wedding which is anything but like the movies, this is packed with hilarious travel encounters that will leave readers both laughing and glad to be safely at home. Volume 8 of Lavinia Spalding's THE BEST WOMEN'S TRAVEL WRITING: TRUE STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD (9781609520595, $19.95) provides both fun and serious encounters and is a pick for both travel and women's issues collections. It is filled with accounts of holidays gone awry, close cultural encounters, and experiences that are narrated from and involve a woman's unique perspective, and it makes for lively and involving armchair enjoyment. The result are collections that offer outstanding stories of real experiences, recommended for any travel library looking for literary accounts of world journeys.


The Computer Shelf

Easy Computer Basics Windows 8.1 Edition
Michael Miller
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780789752321 $24.99 www.quepublishing.com

Featuring clear, full-color screenshots complementing its instructions on virtually every page, Easy Computer Basics Windows 8.1 Edition is a hands-on, no-nonsense instructional guide, accessible to even the most neophyte of computer users. Written especially for those running a personal computer with the Windows 8.1 operating system, chapters cover everything from setting up one's PC and a wireless home network to using the new interface of windows 8.1, personalizing Windows, Microsoft Word, learning the ropes of the Internet, communicating with email, Facebook and other social networks, watching TV/movies/other media online, safeguarding one's computer, and much more. "If you want to browse anonymously, without any traces of your history recorded, activate IE's InPrivate Browsing mode on a new tab. Display the Address bar and click the "three dot" (...) button, and then click New InPrivate Tab from the pop-up menu." Easy Computer Basics 8.1 Edition deserves to be a "pack-in" manual for anyone brand new to Windows 8.1!

Murach's Android Programming
Joel Murach
Mike Murach & Associates
4140 North Knoll Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774714, $57.50, www.amazon.com

Android is a Linux-based operating system designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google backed financially and later bought in 2005, Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance: a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. The first Android-powered phone was sold in October 2008. Android is open source and Google releases the code under the Apache License. This open-source code and permissive licensing allows the software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers. Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in a customized version of the Java programming language. In October 2012, there were approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play, Android's primary app store, was 25 billion. A developer survey conducted in April - May 2013 found that Android is the most popular platform for developers, used by 71% of the mobile developer population. "Murach's Android Programming" by Joel Murach is an accessibly written, superbly organized, 702 page training manual that is as user friendly as it is informed and informative. A complete course of instruction under one cover, "Murach's Android Programming" is a very strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library technology instructional reference collections.

The Official Ubuntu Server Book
Kyle Rankin & Benjamin Mako Hill
Prentice Hall Professional
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com www.ubuntu.com
9780133017533, $44.99, www.amazon.com

Ubuntu is an operating system based on the Linux kernel and the Linux distribution Debian, with Unity as its default desktop environment. It is distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu which often is translated as "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity". The collaborative effort of Ubuntu computer language experts Kyle Rankin and Benjamin Mako Hill, "The Official Ubuntu Server Book" is now in a newly updated and expanded third edition and continues to be the premier instruction manual for launching, maintaining, and using this outstanding (and free) server operating system. Absolutely user friendly and immediately accessible, "The Official Ubuntu Server Book" offers a complete course of instruction including automate Ubuntu installs; and deploying Ubuntu servers in the cloud. Comprehensive, informed and informative, "The Official Ubuntu Server Book" is an extraordinary manual and highly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library Computer Science reference collections. It should be noted that "The Official Ubuntu Server Book" is also available in a Kindle edition ($19.79).

Python In Practice
Mark Summerfield
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com www.informit.com/aw
9780321905635, $39.99, www.amazon.com

Python is a widely used general-purpose, high-level programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability, and its syntax allows programmers to express concepts in fewer lines of code than would be possible in languages such as C. The language provides constructs intended to enable clear programs on both a small and large scale. "Python in Practice: Create Better Programs Using Concurrency, Libraries, and Patterns" by Python computer language expert Mark Summerfield is a 336 page instruction manual that emphasizes design patters for coding elegance, faster processing through concurrency and compiled Python; high-level networking, and graphics. Comprehensive, accessibly written, and taking an especially 'user friendly' approach, "Python in Practice: Create Better Programs Using Concurrency, Libraries, and Patterns" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly valued addition to personal, professional, and academic library Computer Science instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Python in Practice: Create Better Programs Using Concurrency, Libraries, and Patterns" is also available in a Kindle edition ($17.27).

HTML5 Unleashed
Simon Sarris
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com informit.com/unleashed
9780672336270, $44.99, www.amazon.com

HTML5 is a markup language used for structuring and presenting content for the World Wide Web and a core technology of the Internet. It is the fifth revision of the HTML and, as of December 2012, is a candidate recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Its core aims have been to improve the language with support for the latest multimedia while keeping it easily readable by humans and consistently understood by computers and devices (web browsers, parsers, etc.). HTML5 is intended to subsume not only HTML 4, but also XHTML 1 and DOM Level 2 HTML. "HTML5 Unleashed" by HTML5 expert Simon Sarris is a 432 page instruction manual covering the creation of such key web components as the creation of web apps and solutions for state-of-the-art media content and interactivity with new Audio, Video, and Canvas elements. Deftly written, superbly organized and accessibly presented, "HTML5 Unleashed" is profusely illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly'. Covering all the new HTML5 features, "HTML5 Unleashed" is an especially recommended guide for anyone upgrading from previous HTML editions and a welcome addition to personal, professional, and academic library Computer Science reference collections. It should be noted that "HTML5 Unleashed" is also available in a Kindle edition ($19.79).

AutoCAD 2014: Beginning and Intermediate
Munir Hamad
Mercury Learning
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
97811938549625, $54.95, www.amazon.com

AutoCAD is a software application for 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting - available since 1982 as a desktop application and since 2010 as a mobile web- and cloud-based app, currently marketed as AutoCAD 360. Developed and marketed by Autodesk, Inc., AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 - having been purchased a year prior in its original form by Autodesk founder John Walker. The software is currently marketed in its eighteenth generation. "AutoCAD 2014: Beginning and Intermediate" by certified AutoDesk instructor Munir Hamad, is a 720 page compendium that provides a complete course of instruction on using AutoCAD 2012 - 2D Drafting. Specifically designed for those new to AutoCAD, "AutoCAD 2014: Beginning and Intermediate" is a complete course of illustrated step-by-step instruction that includes more than one hundred 'mini-workshops'; an accompanying DVD featuring drawings, practice and finished plots, 4-color figures, etc.; the use of both English and metric units in examples, exercises, projects and descriptions; covers three full projects for architectural and mechanical designs; and is a basic textbook for preparing to take AutoCAD certification examinations. "AutoCAD 2014: Beginning and Intermediate" is very strongly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library Computer Science reference collections.

SQL for Dummies, eighth edition
Allan G. Taylor
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118607961, $29.99, www.dummies.com

SQL for Dummies teaches the basics of creating more powerful databases using SQL and covers the core language and everything needed to create a database design. From storing information in a relational database structure to keeping data safe from hacking or manipulation, this appears in its eighth updated edition to cover all the basics of database language and manipulation processes. From using SQL on the Internet to avoiding 10 common mistakes, this is a 'bible' of SQL information and is a 'must' for any using the language in any form. The author is a 25-year industry veteran who lectures nationally on databases: his instructions are clear, based on real-world applications, and cover everything one needs to know about SQL's applications.

OpenGL ES2 for Android
Pragmatic Programmers
2831 Eldorado Parkway, #103-381
Frisco, TX 75033-7438
www.pragprog.com

Developers who want the basics of how to create graphics on Android will find Kevin Brothaler's OpenGL ES2 for Android (9781937785345, $38.00) a fine handbook for using the newly released OpenGL ES 3 version and making full use of its advanced effects and applications. From linear algebra and creating three-dimensional special effects to building landscapes then using them for 3-D wallpaper projects, charts and color illustrations and examples throughout offer a basic coverage of tips and tricks for using OpenGL more effectively. Any developer looking for such tips will find this a solid pick. Eewei Chen's 101 Design Ingredients to Solve Big Tech Problems (9781937785321, $36.00) helps technology teams identify problems and solutions to design. Over a hundred problem-solving ingredients are arranged here by project stages and created to provide formulas to business success, complete with examples on how companies used these formulas to solve specific business issues. The result is a tested series of design specifics perfect for any collection strong in project management, business design applications, or IT.

Tableau 8: The Official Guide
George Peck
McGraw Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor
NY, NY 10020
9780071816786, $40.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Tableau 8: The Official Guide provides an outstanding survey on how to create and distribute rich data visualizations and interactive BI dashboards and gathers best practices needed for any business intelligence project. From navigating Tableau's interface and using data fields to displaying maps, adding calculations and charts, and combining data sources to produce exceptional visual displays, this provides a step-by-step focus on creating better business communications between end users and entities, and comes with videos that demonstrate the techniques and sample Tableau workbooks on a disc. Business and IT professionals alike will find this an important survey!

Sitepoint
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com, www.sitepoint/com

Two new 'Jump Start' titles provide fine basic introductions to getting started in programs and teaches the basics in just a weekend of study. Don Nguyen's JUMP START NODE JS (0987332104, $24.95) shows how to develop and work within a dynamic node.js application, from assembling pieces of a new account to understanding the simplicity of setup code and handling different style codes. Sidebars of information and illustrations clarify the code examples throughout. Earle Castledine's JUMP START COFFEE SCRIPT (9780987247827, $24.95) teaches web developers how to work with CoffeeScript, which is altering how JavaScript is written. From working with loops and structuring code to understanding CoffeeScript basics and applying them to real-world solutions, this is packed with clear step-by-step explanations backed by code examples throughout. Both are solid references for any computer collection!

jQuery, CSS3, and HTML5 for Mobile and Desktop Devices
O. Camesato
Mercury Learning
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9781938549038, $51.95, www.merclearning.com

jQuery, CSS3, and HTML5 for Mobile and Desktop Devices: a Primer includes a DVD with all the source code and images from the text and provides a basic primer on all the features of HTML5, CSS3 graphics, jQuery and jQuery Mobile, and shows programmers with some prior knowledge how to create better code and graphics. Examples help show how to create mobile Web applications and how to create animation effects, with chapters covering all the new features of the latest researches and how they apply to web programming efforts. The result is a 'must' for any programmer looking to get to the next level.

Computer: A History of the Information Machine, third edition
Martin Campbell-Kelly, et.al.
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813345901, $42.00, www.westviewpress.com

Computer: A History of the Information Machine explores the development of computer science from its early roots as a theory to its modern incarnation in mobile computing, and is a 'must' for any studying the computer's history and evolution. A historical coverage analyzes different forms of early computers, applications, and their evolution beginning in the 1800s and covers all the key innovations affecting computer science today. This third updated edition updates all information on modern computing trends and makes for a top pick for any student of technology and computer history.


The Social Issues Shelf

Privilege: A Reader, third edition
Michael S. Kimmel & Abby L. Ferber
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813348711, $39.00, www.westviewpress.com

Privilege: A Reader appears in its third updated edition to explore elements of gender, class, disability and religion in the process of considering privilege and oppression, and provides new and recast readings to reflect the latest research in the area. Ten new readings have been added, sections have been revamped, and material has been tweaked to make readings more vivid and diverse. The result is a highly recommended reader for any collection strong in social analysis and issues of race, class, gender, and social structure.

Word of Mouse
Marc Ostrofsky
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
NY, NY 10020
9781451668407, $24.99, www.simonandschuster.com

WORD OF MOUSE: 101+ TRENDS IN HOW WE BUY, SELL, LIVE, LEARN, WORK AND PLAY blends computer insights with social and technological approaches to everything from shopping and education to health and safety, and teaches parents how to bridge the digital gap with kids by using social media, consumers how to make better shopping decisions using the 20 best mobile apps, and general users how to understand modern digital classroom approaches. Technology goes beyond computer use to cover GPS collar tags for pets and even selling crafts with the aid of a smartphone app. The result is a solid coverage of all kinds of technological innovations and how they can work to improve daily lives, and is a pick for any consumer or social issues holding.


The Psychology Shelf

From Like to Love for Young People with Asperger's Syndrome
Tony Attwood and Michelle Garnett
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849054362, $19.95, www.jkp.com

From Like to Love for Young People With Asperger's Syndrome: Learning How to Express and Enjoy Affection With Family and Friends comes from two world leaders in Asperger's and provides parents and caregivers with insights and training on how to teach children to identify the words and gestures that transmit affection. Activities are designed to help adults work with children in teaching these basic gestures, and are supplemented by insights that lead to greater understanding of the Asperger's child's special perceptions and challenges in the world. Any collection strong in parenting special needs children will find this a top addition.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Simple Qigong Exercises for Health
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392696 $16.95 www.ymaa.com

Simple Qigong Exercises for Health is a beginner-friendly guide to learning qigong (chi kung), an ancient Chinese system of breathing, stretching, and strength-building movements that make an excellent supplement to any exercise regimen. Black-and-white photographs and diagrams demonstrate the proper postures and poses, complemented by easy-to-follow instructions. Anecdotes drawn from Chinese history, translations of classic Chinese poetry, and discussion of the principles behind qigong round out this handy, compact guide to exercises that have benefitted practitioners for over 1,000 years. Highly recommended!

Spillover
David Quammen
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393346619, $16.95, www.wwnorton.com

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic provides an outstanding survey of the next human pandemic which the author maintains is likely to b caused by zoonotic virus - one that jumps from a wild animal to infect its human host. David Quammen has tracked this subject around the world from Africa to China, reports on researchers who work in space and in labs studying lethal viruses, and how other diseases such as Ebola and SARS have gained footholds. His is a powerful survey that makes the case for a dangerous possibility that is coming closer every day, and is a 'must' for science and health collections alike.

Caring for Children Who Have Severe Neurological Impairment
Julie M. Hauer, MD
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421409375, $34.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Caring for Children Who Have Severe Neurological Impairment promotes shared decision making between family caregivers and healthcare providers and details all aspect of medical care, from handling pain and feeding problems to respiratory issues. Case studies and stories show how different families approach the overall and specific issues involved in high-maintenance caregiving routines for such children, while scientific information and the latest health research is clearly explained. Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to a variety of problems are examined in a fine health guide highly recommended for any caring for disabled children.


The Crafts Shelf

Project: Necklaces
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871167514 $17.99 www.kalmbachbooks.com

Project: Necklaces continues Kalmbach Books' longstanding tradition of quality crafting guides. A detailed, user-friendly introduction to using simple tools, seed beads, wire, and basic knots prefaces thirty striking necklace designs. Each project features meticulous step-by-step instructions and full-color photography. Project: Necklaces is an excellent resource for creating distinctive, beautiful handmade gifts or "just-for-fun" jewelry, highly recommended.

North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
700 East State Street
Iola WI 54945
www.artistsnetwork.com

Mark and Mary Willenbrink's DRAWING NATURE FOR THE ABSOLUTE BEGINNER (9781440323555, $22.99) provides a fine step-by-step beginner's course on drawing nature that assumes no prior artistic experience, and is a fine pick for any who would learn basic sketching, textures, and values using nature scenes as a reference point. From drawing individual features - rocks, butterflies and flowers - to incorporating them into overall nature landscapes, this reference leaves nothing to wonder and provides such easy sketches that even those with little background will find themselves producing startlingly-authentic results in a minimum of time. Highly recommended! Lian Quan Zhen's CHINESE LANDSCAPE PAINTING TECHNIQUES FOR WATERCOLOR (9781440322655, $29.99) is a fine art guide for any collection strong in watercolor art and teaches how to blend techniques and materials to produce lovely yet simple landscapes. 12 complete demonstrations show how to capture a range of seasonal landscapes while 15 step-by-step exercises provide the basics of watercolor use. Black and white line drawings and color photos of finished results provide clear art insights and are often accompanied by bonuses, such as a website available to download a free bonus demonstration of a watercolor. The result is an outstanding pick, highly recommended for any arts and crafts library providing the basics to beginners!


The Woodworking Shelf

Hogbin on Woodturning
Stephen Hogbin
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
9781565237520, $24.99, www.foxchapelpublishing.com

Hogbin on Woodturning: Masterful Projects Uniting Purpose, Form & Technique comes from a legendary woodturner whose exhibition of unique turnings changed the industry in the early 1970s. His method of cutting apart, reassembling and carving pieces revolutionized crafter usage of the lathe and resulted in internationally-acclaimed works. This manual is the first time Hogbin has described his techniques in a step-by-step project format designed for other woodworkers to emulate, and provides keys to reproducing twelve of his masterpieces. Projects from walking sticks to bowls make for lovely basis for enhancing woodturning methods, while color photos of all works accompany fine insights into his craft. Any woodworking or crafts collection MUST have this definitive reference from a renowned expert!


The Business Shelf

Public Relations: The Complete Guide
Joe Marconi
Thomson
622 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
www.cengage.com
0324203047 $TBA www.etexere.com

Public Relations: The Complete Guide is the definitive reference, resource, and how-to guide by veteran marketing consultant Joe Marconi. Written for business professionals of all skill and experience levels in the field, Public Relations: The Complete Guide covers how public relations intersects with marketing, the importance of focusing on the message, crafting an image, understanding investor relations, how to choose a PR Agency tailored to one's needs, crisis management and PR, and much more. "Announcing the support of a cause can be risky if the public does not immediately recognize the company and the cause as a good fit. If the pairing does not look like a good match, it should at least not seem to be absurd, such as the retailer of erotic merchandise that offered to underwrite a children's nutrition program." Highly recommended, both for individual consultation among business professionals and as a valuable contribution to public and college library Business shelves.

The Board of Directors and Audit Committee Guide to Fiduciary Responsibilities
Sheila Moran, CPA, CFE
Ronald Kral, CPA, CMA
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780814431665, $34.95, www.amacombooks.org

The Board of Directors and Audit Committee Guide to Fiduciary Responsibilities reviews ten steps to protecting an organization and is directed to those Americans who serve on board or audit committees of organizations. Over three million Americans serve in this capacity, and the position involves risk and major duties. As there's increasingly less leeway for error and omission in the process, with individual board or audit committee members being held liable for wrongdoing, this book becomes even more essential as a solid reference for any who would understand the processes, duties, and crucial action steps for serving on such a committee. Very highly recommended!

What Happened to Goldman Sachs
Steven G. Mandis
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422194195, $28.00, www.hbr.org/books

What Happened to Goldman Sachs: An Insider's Story of Organizational Drift and its Unintended Consequences charts the evolution of the firm and how it changed from an ethical base to a legal base when it became a leading global corporation. In the course of charting this 'drift' it reveals what caused Goldman to move away from its foundations, and uses the author's firsthand experience, research, and analysis of SEC and other filings as well as interviews with former clients to pair a strong story with financial and ethical analysis. Any interested in Goldman history will find this a solid foundation for classroom discussion.

Starting an Etsy Business for Dummies, second edition
Kate Gatski and Kate Shoup
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118590249, $19.99, www.fordummies.com

Starting an Etsy Business for Dummies tells how to use etsy.com to sell handmade goods, crafts and vintage items, and tells how to build an Etsy shop and promote it. This second updated edition covers all the basics, from understanding the Etsy model and signing up for an account to selling items, understanding what can and can't be sold on Etsy, and marketing an Etsy business. Any business collection interested in online marketing strategies must have this!

Great Work
David Stuart
McGraw-Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor
NY, NY 10020
9780071818353, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

GREAT WORK: HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE PEOPLE LOVE comes from the O.C. Tanner Institute, a division of a leading global provider of employee recognition systems, and covers the five basic things people do to make a difference that attract others to their efforts. The focus is on 'great work' and what makes work great, and covers the skill sets and activities that differentiate this kind of work for ordinary basics. These are skills any can learn - and are covered here, in a discussion of strategies perfect for employees and business readers.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook
Better Homes and Gardens
c/o Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9781118626795 $19.99 www.hmhpub.com

The Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook is packed with over 400 healthy, taste-tested recipes that are relatively low in sugar and salt. Full-color photographs on virtually every page, nutrition facts (including exchanges), average preparation and cooking times for each dish supplement the step-by-step directions. Highly recommended for both personal and library cookbook collections - one doesn't have to be diabetic to savor mouth-watering delights such as Foccacia Breadsticks, Chipolte Chicken with Peach Salsa, Maple-Orange Roasted Carrots and Beets, Summer Corn Tortilla Soup, Vegetable Israeli Couscous, Blueberry Muffin Bars, and much more!

Taste of Home: Home Style Cooking
Taste of Home Editorial Staff
Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781617651618, $17.99, www.amazon.com

Beautifully and profusely illustrated with full color photography, "Taste of Home: Home Style Cooking" showcases 420 superbly presented recipes with the common features of being palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, and kitchen cook friendly in their preparation. The recipes range from Swiss Pear Sandwiches; Cottage Cheese Confetti Salad; Grilled Chops with Rosemary Lemon Marinade; and Broiled Fish with Tarragon Sauce; to Creamy Chicken Angel Hair; Prime Rib with Horseradish Cream; Peppermint Stick Cookies; and Easy Apricot Jam. Of special note is the entire chapter devoted to Finger Foods! Simply stated, "Taste of Home: Home Style Cooking" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections.

The Soup Maker's Kitchen
Aliza Green
Quarry Books
c/o Dalyn Miller Public Relations
9781592538447, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consomme. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purees are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from pureed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with bechamel sauce; and veloutes are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include egg, rice, lentils, flour, and grains; many popular soups also include carrots and potatoes. While there are any number of canned soups available on your local grocery store shelf, truly fabulous soups are home-made. That's where "The Soupmaker's Kitchen: How to Save Your Scraps, Prepare a Stock, and Craft the Perfect Pot of Soup" comes in. This profusely illustrated, 160 page compendium provides such comprehensive and 'user friendly' instructions that even the most novice of homemakers can make 5-Star restaurant quality soups based on meal-time preparation leftovers. The recipes comprising this gem of a cookbook range from Thom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Coconut Soup); Corn Cream Soup with Summer Vegetables; and French Onion Soup; to French Soupe de Potiron (Red Pumpkin Soup); Rumanian Beet-Vegetable Borscht with Beef Brisket; and Golden Tomato Gazpacho with Smoked Paprika. "The Soupmaker's Kitchen: How to Save Your Scraps, Prepare a Stock, and Craft the Perfect Pot of Soup" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collection!

Celebraciones Mexicanas
Andrea Lawson Gray & Adriana Almazan Lahl
AltaMira Press
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.rlpgbooks.com
9780759122819, $37.00, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of culinary experts Andrea Lawson Gray & Adriana Almazan Lahl, "Celebraciones Mexicanas: History, Traditions, and Recipes" is a 412 page compendium showcasing diversity and authenticity of the foods of Mexico's main holidays and celebrations. A unique cultural cookbook, "Andrea Lawson Gray & Adriana Almazan Lahl" provides informative insights into the traditional Mexican holidays while providing more than 200 original recipes demonstrating the versatility and culinary excellence of genuine Mexican cuisine. Of special note is the overview of Mexican eating customs and the coverage of twenty five holidays and festivals ranging from the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe; Carnaval; and Cinco de Mayo, to the Day of the Revolution; Christmas Eve; and Mother's Day. Each holiday/festival includes historical background and cultural and food information. Superbly and profusely illustrated throughout, the recipes range from Tamales with Chicken Fricassee; Mexican Hot Chocolate; and Tortilla Soup; to Mexican-style Pasta with Chorizo; Fried Sweet Plantains; and Horchata Gelatin Dessert. Informed and informative, "Celebraciones Mexicanas: History, Traditions, and Recipes" is enthusiastically recommended and would prove to be an enduringly popular acquisition to family and community library cookbook collections, as well as a distinctive addition to academic library Mexican Culture reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Cooking Close To Home
Diane Imrie & Richard Jarmusz
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
www.chelseagreen.com
9781603585194, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Showcasing more than 150 original recipes specifically arranged to follow the four seasons of the year, "Cooking Close to Home: A Year of Seasonal Recipes" will prove a popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections. Of special not is that each individual recipe includes useful "Harvest Hints" clearly informing the kitchen cook on how to find, purchase, prepare, and preserve fresh and seasonal ingredients. The emphasis is on buying and utilizing local foods. Of special note are the inspiring full color food photographs and stories of farms, orchards, and farmers' markets throughout the northeast. The recipes themselves range from Hot and Sour Spinach and Dandelion Greens Soup; Winter Kohlrabi and Cherry Salad; and Stuffed Cabbage Baked in a Rustic Curried Tomato Sauce; to Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes with Horseradish; Winter Holiday Trifle; and a Maple Blackberry Barbeque Sauce. As much fun to browse through as it is satisfying to plan and create full dinner menus from, ""Cooking Close to Home: A Year of Seasonal Recipes" is very highly recommended for both novice and experienced cooks.

The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Cakes & Cookies
Laurie Sadowski
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
www.BookPubCo.com
9781570672910, $14.95, www.amazon.com

A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein. They are distinct from other adverse responses to food, such as food intolerance, pharmacological reactions, and toxin-mediated reactions. The protein in the food is the most common allergic component. These kinds of allergies occur when the body's immune system mistakenly identifies a protein as harmful. It basically boils down to eating something you have an allergy to is hazardous to your health -- and even your life. That's why people with gluten, dairy, egg, and soy based allergies will welcome "The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Cakes & Cookies", a 144 page compendium packed with kitchen cook friendly recipes for delicious and nutritious cakes and cookies that are free of glutens, diary products, eggs, and soy elements, while still being palate pleasing and appetite satisfying. The recipes range from Triple-Chocolate Layer Cake; Orange-Pineapple Cupcakes; and Simple Buttermilk Cake; to Really Good Peanut Butter Cookies; Traditional Ginger Men; and No-Bake Frosted Mint Brownies. Simply stated, "The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Cakes & Cookies" is enthusiastically recommended for personal, family, and community library specialty cookbook collections. It should be noted that "The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Cakes & Cookies" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.69).

Vegan Indian Cooking
Anupy Singla
Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572841307, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, as well as following an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of sentient animals. A follower of veganism is known as a vegan. "Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple and Healthy Vegan Recipes" will prove a welcome addition to any personal, family, or community library vegetarian cookbook collection with its roster of beautifully illustrated vegan dishes and their clear 'kitchen cook friendly' preparation instructions. The dishes range from a South Indian Tomato and Tamarind Soup (Rasam); to a Street Corn Salad (Bhutta); to Five Lentil Stew (Panchratna Dal); to Curried Winter Melon (Ghiya ki Sabji). Of special note is the chapter devoted to vegan drinks. Enhanced with sound advice for beginners on how to get started, as well as spice blends and other shortcuts, "Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple and Healthy Vegan Recipes" is an enthusiastically recommended to anyone contemplating or already living a vegan lifestyle. It should be noted that "Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple and Healthy Vegan Recipes" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Cooking from the Heart
John Besh
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449430566 $40.00 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

The third book by award-winning chef John Besh, Cooking from the Heart: My Favorite Lessons Learned Along the Way is more than just a sumptuous recipe compendium; it's filled cover to cover with striking color photographs, and Besh's reminiscences about his love for the culinary arts and his journey to hone his skills. The result is a treasury that will appeal to both armchair gourmets and adventurous cooks of all skill and experience levels. Recipes include "Warm Goat Cheese Salad With Chris's Garlic & Anchovy Dressing", "Mussel & Swiss Chard Soup", "Wild Game Consomme with Cepes & Sage", "Basic Clafoutis" (a pastry dessert resembling a tart, that incorporates the chef's choice of fruits or nuts), and much more. An oversized hardcover edition that is as pleasurable to browse as it is to cook from, Cooking from the Heart makes a superb holiday giftbook!

The Complete Best of Bridge Cookbooks: Volume 3
Best of Bridge Editorial Staff
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
www.robertrose.ca
9780778804598, $29.95, www.amazon.com

The hallmark of this third volume of outstanding recipes from the Best of Bridge editorial staff is drawn from their folksy Foreword: "simple recipes with gourmet results". As with the first two volumes of this culinary series, "The Complete Best of Bridge Cookbooks: Volume 3" is a spiral bound hardcover that allows the cookbook to lay flat upon a kitchen counter or table. The recipes are nicely organized into four main sections: Brunch and Lunch; Starters and Sides; Entrees; and 'Baddies' But Goodies. The thoroughly kitchen cook friendly recipes range from Cheddar Apple Muffins; Papaya Avocado Salad; Mexican Black Bean Soup; and a Shrimp, Rice and Artichoke Casserole; to Beef Tenderloin with Peppercorn Sauce; Tortellini with Three Cheeses; Chocolate Truffle Cookies; and a Margarita Fruit Cocktail. "The Complete Best of Bridge Cookbooks: Volume 3" is enthusiastically recommended as ideal for creating simple meal menus with elegant, palate pleasing, and appetite satisfying results.

The Little Book Of Home Preserving
Rebecca Gagnon
Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
202 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
www.peterpauper.com
9781441313041, $10.95, www.amazon.com

Compiled by Rebecca Gagnon, "The Little Book Of Home Preserving" is a compact, pocket-sized, spiral-bound, hardcover, 160 page collection of instructions preserving seasonal agriculture products for later use in home recipes. After an informed and informative course on preserving basics (including safety issues), the recipes are organized into Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter seasons. Profusely illustrated in full color thoroughly out, the recipes range from Kumquat-Habaneior Marmalade; Limey Rum Sour Cherry Preserves; and Watermelon Caynne Jelly; to Autumn Spice Pear Sauce; Figgy Conserve; Pickled Beets; and Chipotle Mustard. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', "The Little Book Of Home Preserving" is especially recommended for the novice homemakers wanting to begin making preserves for their families, and has a great deal of value for those already experienced and familiar with home preserving.

Choosing Sides
Tara Mataraza Desmond
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9781449427115, $24.99, www.amazon.com

A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entree or main course at a meal. Compiled by culinary expert Tara Mataraza Desmond, "Choosing Sides: From Holidays to Every Day, 130 Delicious Recipes to Make the Meal" is a beautifully and profusely illustrated, 240 page compendium showcasing 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for side dishes that would grace any meal, please any palate, and satisfy any appetite. The clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes range from Cinnamon Challah Muffins; Baby Spinach with Oranges and Manchego; Ginger Honey Carrots; and Lemon Couscous with Olives and Oven Tomatoes; to Grilled Halloumi and Eggplant with Almond Mint Pesto; Layered Esquites Corn Salad; Baked Stuffed Mushrooms; and Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Herb Stuffing. Very highly recommended, "Choosing Sides: From Holidays to Every Day, 130 Delicious Recipes to Make the Meal" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Choosing Sides: From Holidays to Every Day, 130 Delicious Recipes to Make the Meal" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Mormon Mama Italian Cookbook
Shannon M. Smurthwaite
Front Table Books
c/o Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South
Springville, Utah 84663
9781462111091 $18.99 www.cedarfort.com

Featuring full-color photography throughout, Mormon Mama Italian Cookbook is a treasury of easy-to-prepare, authentic Italian dishes equally suitable for family dinners or special occasions! Delights such as "Italian Fruit Salad", "Simple Creamy Fettuccini", "Cousin Bill Rosa's Metaball Sub Casserole", "Basilica Cookie Bars", and more fill this sumptuous repository of mouth-watering meals, side dishes, sauces and desserts. An excellent introduction to the home-grown joys of Italian cuisine!

No Girls Allowed Cookbook for Men
Greg Ford
Front Table Books
c/o Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South
Springville, Utah 84663
9781462111947 $18.99 www.cedarfort.com

Despite its title, No Girls Allowed Cookbook for Men is a prime pick for cooks of any gender, skill, or experience level - provided they enjoy traditional "man food"! Recipes such as "Cheese and Potato Soup", "Hamburger Stroganoff", "Barbecue New York Steak", "Texas Sheet Cake" and more have several commonalities - they are all easy to prepare, given with user-friendly directions, and sure to stroke a man's appetite! Color photography, a measurement conversion chart, and an index round out this choice cookbook especially recommended for bachelors or any man fending for himself in the kitchen!

Made at Home
Dick & James Strawbridge
Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845336561, $19.99, www.octopuspublishing.com

MADE AT HOME: VEGETABLES comes from a father/son team who host a popular BBC TV series and here shows how to grow, harvest, preserve and cook with seasonable vegetables. From choosing the best ingredients to using a small space to produce big results, MADE AT HOME: VEGETABLES assumes no prior knowledge of growing or cooking and offers step-by-step coverage for all kinds of garden produce. Recipes are simple and pair color photos with sidebars of at-a-glance information to make the most of a garden's bounty. Newcomers to vegetables will find this a winning introduction.

Triple Slow Cooker Entertaining
Kathy Moore & Roxanne Wyss
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
97890778804444, $24.95, www.robertrose.ca

Plenty of cookbooks cover slow cooker recipes and some advocate using the cooker for entertaining, but this differs in exploring the approach of a 'triple slow cooker': one cooker with three stoneware vessels. With triple cookers you can cook three dishes simultaneously and keep them warm for a party - and this cookbook provides not only recipes but menu plans for all kinds of occasions, from child's birthday party to Halloween and seasonal entertaining. Dips, meatball main dishes, salsas, snacks, and finger foods are all explored with this specific set-up in mind, making for a top pick for owners of a triple slow cooker set-up who want entertainment-specific dishes.

The Complete Cook's Country TV Show Cookbook
Christopher Kimball & Cook's Country Editors
America's Test Kitchen
9781936493531, $29.95, www.americastestkitchen.com

The Complete Cook's Country TV Show Cookbook is published to coincide with the TV show's 6th season and includes recipes and tests from all five seasons. This cookbook is strong on presenting fool-proof, tested comfort foods such as Honey Fried Chicken, Baltimore Pit Beef, and much more, taking regional American favorite dishes and making them accessible to home cooks. There's over 50 pages of an in-depth shopper's guide to ingredients and equipment, over 250 recipes, and insights into how they were tested to achieve predictable, assured success. Fans of the TV series, especially, now can enjoy their favorite recipes in one convenient cookbook.

Agate Surrey
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street
Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com

J.M. Hirsch and Michelle Hirsch's VENTURESOME VEGAN COOKING: BOLD FLAVORS FOR PLANT-BASED MEALS (9781572841147, $19.95) is packed with insights on how to make vegan dishes that are easy to prepare and packed with flavor, and includes a wealth of main dish and side dishes dedicated to healthier eating. From Maple-Curried Carrots and Pasta Spirals with Creamy Potato and Artichoke Sauce to Creamy Tomato and Rice Soup and Couscous Curry with Dried Fruit, these dishes often take under 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish, include tips for quicker cooking - such as what skillet to select - and are accompanied by a liberal peppering of color photos throughout for added embellishment. Any vegetarian will relish the different, flavorful dishes! Paula Haney's THE HOOSIER MAMA BOOK OF PIE: DELUXE RECIPES (9781572841437, $29.95) provides an excellent cookbook from one of Chicago Avenue's best bakeries, Hoosier Mama Pie Company, and presents dishes that range from sweet to savory. The company specializes in artisanal pies made with season and local ingredients, and their cookbook reflects this focus, pairing recipes with step-by-step color photos when techniques need embellishing. The result is a pie cookbook accessible to all levels of cook, and recommended for any cookbook collection.

Charcuterie
Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393240054, $35.00, www.wwnorton.com

CHARCUTERIE: THE CRAFT OF SALTING, SMOKING, AND CURING provides a fine in-depth update of the original 2005 publication of CHARCUTERIE which promoted home curing. This update assures this book will remain the 'bible' of its genre, providing an authoritative guide to the home curing culinary movement that involves curing meats and making sausage, pates and confits. It provides reviews of key practices and different kinds of curing methods, it provides recipes for all kinds of sausages and charcuterie and their use in specific dishes, and it even includes innovative recipes such as a grilled vegetable terrine. Don't expect a 'quick' cookbook: these methods require time and a basic culinary interest. But don't expect this to be a cookbook limited to professional viewing only. Do expect a clear guide to the genre, packed with color photos and step-by-step procedures, along with discussions of what works, how, and why.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Woodland Knits
Stephanie Dosen
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781627100243, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Stephanie Dosen's 'Tiny Owl Knits', has quickly gained iconic status among knitters: her patterns are brisk sellouts (at $5.50 per pattern) online, and she has been given feature coverage in both mainstream and knitting magazines, including Bust, Handmade Living, Simply Knitting, and Yarn Forward. Now she has gathered together and showcases the patterns for more than twenty of her whimsical creations in "Woodland Knits", a 128 page, profusely illustrated compendium. Along with descriptive instructions are the occasional 'tip' boxes. All in all, "Woodland Knits" is thoroughly 'user friendly' and a very highly recommended addition to both novice and experienced knitter instructional reference collections.

Thimbleberries Scrap Quilts
Lynette Jensen
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
www.landauercorp.com
9781935726456, $24.95, www.amazon.com

A quilt is a type of blanket, traditionally composed of 3 layers of fiber: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding and a woven back, combined using the technique of quilting. A quilt is distinguishable from other types of blankets because it is pieced together with several pieces of cloth. "Thimbleberries Scrap Quilts" is a superbly illustrated, 80 page, instructional compendium of scrap quilt projects that even the most novice of quilters can readily follow to produce outstanding patchwork designs. Included are step-by-step designs for making throws, runners, wallhangings, band pillows, and more. Each showcased quilting project includes fabrics and supplies, patch creation and assembling, and full color pictures of the finished result. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Thimbleberries Scrap Quilts" is very highly recommended for novice quilters and has substantial value for even the more experienced needlecrafter.

Sewing Leather Accessories
Skills Institute Press Editorial Staff
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N.
East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781574216233, $14.99, www.amazon.com

Leather is one of the oldest 'fabrics' that humans learned to sew into form fitting garments and bags. It is also one of the most difficult 'fabrics that a needlecrafter can work with. That's why "Sewing Leather Accessories", an 80 page, superbly illustrated instruction guide will prove to be an invaluable and enduringly appreciated addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft reference collections. Offering 'user friendly', do-it-yourself projects for creating custom made leather belts, gloves and clutches, "Sewing Leather Accessories" begins with a guide to working with leathers that includes adjusting patterns for leather, preparing both natural and synthetic skins, various methods of cutting and marking, the basics for stitching leathers, and specific techniques for zippers and buttonholes. The projects include a double-buckle leather belt, a snakeskin belt with two-piece buckle, a cinched sash belt, gloves, and a clutch with snakeskin trim. Enhanced with a glossary and an index, "Sewing Leather Accessories" is a truly exceptional contribution to any needlecrafter seeking to expand their expertise to include working with leather.

Lace One-Skein Wonders
Judith Durant, editor
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781612120584, $18.95, www.storey.com

Lace One-Skein Wonders gathers contributions from lace workers around the world and provides a collection of over a hundred lace projects, each using just one skein of yarn. It's arranged by project type and includes close-ups of stitching patterns and charts, and provides lace groups for knitters of all levels who want to use lace in the creation of hats, home decor and more. Different yarn weights and applications are reviewed in a fine gathering of projects perfect for knitters seeking more detail and specifics on lace embellishments, paired with projects and color examples throughout.

Organic Fiber Dyeing
Max Hamrick
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604601114, $24.95, www.americanquilter.com

Organic Fiber Dyeing: The Colonial Williamsburg Method provides details on color-dyeing fabric techniques used by 18th century Williamsburg people, and covers nontoxic dyeing methods used in traditional ways. Nine natural color sources are revealed in 'recipes' that demonstrate how to create 14 colors for all kinds of fabrics, textiles and yarn. Photos by Barbara Lombardi round out the information and provide fine embellishment to a lovely book highly recommended for any fiber artist interested in learning non-toxic and old dyeing sources and methods.

Martingale
19021 Avenue NE
Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com

Cindy Lammon's SIMPLY MODERN CHRISTMAS: FRESH QUILTING PATTERNS FOR THE HOLIDAYS (9781604682182, $24.99) is a pick for crafts and needlework collections alike and provides 14 projects that use traditional and modern fabrics to create designs for either Christmas gift-giving or year-round celebrations. From a tree skirt and holiday stockings to lovely quilts, this shows how to incorporate quilting patterns into holiday motifs, and how to spruce up results for seasonal applications. A lovely survey evolves, perfect for year-round needleworker efforts. Kim Diehl's SIMPLE BLESSINGS: 14 QUILTS TO GRACE YOUR HOME (9781564775191, $27.99) is for any quilter who wants to incorporate quilts into a home deign and features an array of bed quilt, lap quilt and wall hanging projects that show how to make the most of home decor and quilt design. Tips range from how to use simpler techniques to polish the process to choosing borders and patterns that compliment a home's decor. The result is a fine survey, highly recommended for any needlework collection.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Last President
John Barnes
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9781937007157, $26.95, www.penguin.com

The Last President offers the third book in Barnes' series about a post-apocalyptic U.S. and tells of a small band of survivors who attempt to reconstruct the U.S. and civilization after the event known as Daybreak, which has destroyed technology and sent mankind back to the dark ages. For over a year Heather has struggled to form a government: now she and her band are in place to restart a new President, Congress and a new Constitution. The only problem is, some opposing forces don't welcome any form of government, and her attempts may only succeed in destroying a slowly-blossoming civilization. Another fine Daybreak saga is especially recommended for prior fans of the story.

Vicious
V.E. Schwab
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765335340, $24.99, www.tor-forge.com

VICIOUS provides a powerful novel of greed and power struggles, is set in a near-future world, and creates characters whose powers don't lend to heroic acts. Victor and Eli began as college roommates who came to appreciate each other's talents: a shared research interest in the supernatural and adrenaline results in experiments with superpowers - and abilities that don't lend to good results. Ten years later Victor breaks out of prison and Eli is on a mission to destroy any super-powered person he finds. Their conflicts could change the world in the gripping saga, recommended for science fiction readers.


The Music Shelf

The Music Industry, second edition
Patrik Wikstrom
Polity
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148
9780745664187 $22.95 www.blackwellpublishing.com

Part of the "Digital Media and Society Series", The Music Industry is a scholarly, insightful survey of how the popular music business has transformed in the wake of the digital revolution, including the rise of high-quality MP3 files, file sharing, and Napster. Now in an updated and revised second edition, The Music Industry examines both economic and creative issues, the practical realities of copyright, the intersection of music and the media, and much more. Anyone involved in the business of music, from recording professionals to economists studying the influence of digital market trends will find The Music Industry an absolute "must-read".

Mr. B: The Music & Life of Billy Eckstine
Cary Ginell
Hal Leonard
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781458419604, $18.99, www.halleonardbooks.com

Mr. B: The Music & Life of Billy Eckstine provides a fine biography of a 1950s singer who was one of the most popular in America. Known as "Mr. B.", he made his name singing the hits of others, formed an orchestra in 1944 that included the greatest stars in bebop jazz, and became a superstar - and yet, he fought for recognition and respect during the segregated music world of the 1940s and 1950s, and never achieved the recognition he should have to become America's first black romantic singer. This biography considers his life, achievements, and how he influenced many singers, and is a pick for any music history collection.

Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die
Willie Nelson
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062293312, $14.99, www.amazon.com

Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road features art work by musician Willie Nelson's son as it captures the words and reflections of a country singer who has decades of experience playing and promoting his music. From his early and later influences to family relationships, feelings about politics and playing, his past relationships and interests outside the music world, this captures the essence of Nelson's life and belief, packages it in a lively dialogue, and makes for a top pick for any already interested in Nelson and his world.


The Audiobook Shelf

12 Years a Slave
Solomon Northup, author
Sean Crisden, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
2 Business Park Road, Unit 2
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781452606637 $24.99 www.tantor.com

Superbly performed by veteran actor Sean Crisden, 12 Years a Slave is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the heart-wrenching memoir by Solomon Northrup (July 1808 - after 1857), who was born a free black man in the American North, kidnapped by slave traders in Washington, D.C., and sold into slavery in the South. For twelve years he worked on cotton and sugar plantations, was traded to multiple masters, and narrowly escaped death - only the fact that he was worth a sizeable amount of money as a slave kept one of his owners from murdering him. His true-life account of his twelve years of slavery is not a simple black-and-white tale of good and evil; he describes the positive qualities of the people who held him in bondage, even as he tells of slavery's most inhuman horrors. Only with the aid of others - including a Canadian who sent letters to Northrup's family, and who likely would have been executed had his role in delivering the missives been exposed - was Northrup restored to freedom in 1853. No reliable record exists of Northrup after 1857, and the circumstances of his death are unknown to this day; journalists and historians can only speculate whether he ultimately perished of natural causes, was kidnapped and enslaved again, or was murdered for trying to bring his kidnappers to justice (a doomed effort, because in that era Washington, D.C. did not allow black people to testify in court against white defendants). Northrup's personal testimony remains as an immortal bedrock about the dehumanizion and cruelty of slavery, and is worthy of the highest recommendation, especially for public library collections and personal audiobook lists. This Tantor audiobook also includes a free PDF eBook of Northrup's historic memoir. 6 CDs, 7 hours.

Wilson
A. Scott Berg, author
Jeremy Bobb, narrator
Audioworks
c/o Simon & Schuster Audio
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 12th floor
New York, NY 10020
9781442365872 $75.00 www.simonsaysaudio.com

Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning biographer A. Scott Berg presents Wilson, the definitive, in-depth life chronicle of Woodrow Wilson, America's twenty-eighth President. Now in an unabridged audiobook format read by Broadway and television actor Jeremy Bobb, Wilson is an extraordinary biography that describes Wilson the man as thoroughly as Wilson the President. Drawing upon the thousands of documents in the Wilson Archives, caches of papers owned by Wilson's physician, and interviews with Jessie Wilson Sayre (the second of Wilson's three daughters), Berg portrays Wilson as far more than the staunch leader who saw America through World War I - Wilson was also a romantic who courted his wife through eloquent love letters, a principled idealist dedicated to making the world "safe for democracy", a visionary who ahead-of-their-time ideas were precursors that prepared America for the New Deal, to the survivor of a stroke that spawned immense subterfuge and one of the greatest deceptions that the American government ever played on the public. Sweeping, thorough, vivid, and enlightening, Wilson is worthy of the highest recommendation especially for public library audiobook collections. 26 CDs, 32.5 hours.

A Long Walk to Water
Linda Sue Park, author
David Baker and Cynthia Bishop, narrators
Duets
c/o Full Cast Audio
101 Clark Street, 1st floor, Syracuse, NY 13210
9781936223121 $34.00 www.fullcastaudio.com

A Long Walk to Water is the unabridged audiobook version (brought alive by two excellent performers) of a harrowing yet thoughtful novel, accessible to young adult and adult readers alike. The story, based on true events, follows two young people in Africa, separated by decades. One is a boy caught in the crossfire of a murderous conflict; the other is a girl who must walk for eight hours a day to bring her family water. The boy becomes one of many refugees trapped in a violent and desperate search for safety, in which they are wracked by killer crocodiles, lions, and rebel fighters seeking to draft child soldiers into their ranks. The girl's life is comparatively peaceful, yet bleak, for her arduous daily walks for water mean that she cannot attend school. As cruel and tragic as both tales may appear to be, they are destined to intersect in a uniquely inspiring manner. A Long Walk to Water is ultimately a story about hope, and the human potential to make the world a better place in spite of the most difficult and terrible of obstacles. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections. 3 CDs.

War of the Worlds Global Dispatches
Kevin J. Anderson, editor
Performed by MacLeod Andrews
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781480536357 $19.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

An unabridged audiobook brought to life by award-winning narrator MacLeod Andrews, War of the Worlds Global Dispatches is a unique anthology of original stories by popular science fiction authors, including Robert Silverberg, Mike Resnick, Connie Willis, and more. Each tale is set during the horrific alien invasion of H.G. Wells' classic sci-fi pioneer story (and infamously panic-inducing radio show), and presented through the eyes of famous authors and historical figures of the era, such as Winston Churchill, H.P. Lovecraft or Jules Verne. A multifaceted and deliciously fearsome revisitation of a generational classic, War of the World Global Dispatches is an absolute "must-have" for science fiction connoisseurs! 10 CDs, 12 hours 11 min.

Snowbound
Richard S. Wheeler, author
Performed by Brian Hutchison, et. al.
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781470365714 $102.75 www.recordedbooks.com

Performed by a stellar cast of eight narrators, Snowbound is the unabridged audiobook rendition of Richard Wheeler's award-winning biographical novel about American explorer John Fremont, who searched for a railway route west along the 38th parallel. His journey took him to the Colorado mountains, where he became trapped by the unforgiving winter weather. His efforts to survive the sheer hostility of nature is an extraordinary saga, and testimony to the resilience of human will and ingenuity. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections. 8 CDs, 9 3/4 hours, tracks every 3 minutes for easy bookmarking.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, authors
Performed by Paul Boehmer
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781480563421 $19.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Dragons of Autumn Twilight is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the first volume of the classic Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy, set on the world of Krynn from the Dungeons & Dragons pen-and-paper fantasy role-playing game. In Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the gods have been silent and dragons have been only a legend for as long as humans can remember. Now, a legion of evil is swarming, threatening to plunge the land into darkness. Reptilian humanoids skulk in the shadows; dark knights pledge allegiance to the cruel goddess Takhisis, and the forgotten dragons are gathering to make war. A small band of friends finds themselves caught in the upheaval, as they unexpectedly become the protectors of Goldmoon, a woman called upon and chosen by the benevolent gods. Together, they quest for the fabled weapon that can be used against Takhisis' minions - the Dragonlance. One of the most well-known and widely beloved fantasy sagas of recent times, Dragons of Autumn Twilight is superbly brought to life by Paul Boehmer's performance, and sure to prove a popular lend for public library audiobook collections. 16 CDs, 19 hours 32 min.

Doctor Sleep
Stephen King, author
Will Patton, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781470345785 $123.75 www.recordedbooks.com

Doctor Sleep is the unabridged audiobook rendition of Stephen King's sequel to his enormously popular horror novel, The Shining. Dan Torrance, once a child with the precognitive gift of the Shining, is now a middle-aged and works at a nursing home, where his talents (and a prescient cat) aid him in bringing comfort to the dying, as "Doctor Sleep". Dan is part of an AA community that helps him cope with the legacy of his father's alcoholism and abuse. But old terrors rise anew when he befriends Abra Stone, a twelve-year-old girl strongly attuned with psychic gifts. The True Knot, a loose paranormal organization that falsely appears to be nothing more than older people living out of RVs, sustains its immortal members by slowly torturing children such as Abra to death. Dan's desperate struggle to protect Abra escalates into a soul-rending clash between good and evil, in this keenly suspenseful sequel to the terrifying epic that captivated a generation. 16 CDs, 18.5 hours.

Doing Hard Time
Stuart Woods, author
Tony Roberts, narrator
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
9781611761962 $29.95 http://us.penguingroup.com

Superlatively performed by Broadway and film actor Tony Roberts, Doing Hard Time: A Stone Barrington Novel is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Stuart Woods' high-stakes tale of murder and deceit. Stone Barrington's trip to Bel-Air to check on business and personal matters turns dangerous, when a case he thought closed reappears to take a deadly toll. To survive, let alone ferret out an unknown killer, Barrington must make the unlikeliest of alliances with a grey operative who is all-but-invisible to whatever passes for law or justice. California's most lavish excesses, from high-stakes poker tables to luxurious beachside resorts, are the stage for this intense drama of life and death! 7 CDs, 8 1/2 hours.

The Good Father
Diane Chamberlain, author
Performed by Kirby Heyborne, Arielle Delisle, and Emily Durante
Tantor Media, Inc.
2 Business Park Road, Unit 2
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781452611938 $39.99 www.tantor.com

The Good Father is an unabridged audiobook about difficult choices with no easy solutions. Single father Travis Brown has been taking care of his daughter Bella for four years, ever since he was nineteen. Their life has been difficult at times, but things take a turn for the worse when Travis loses his construction job and his home. Desperate for work, he jumps at a job offer in Raleigh... which turns out to be a criminal deception. Out of money, and out of options, must Travis resort to accepting a Devil's bargain to provide for his beloved daughter? A complex tale laced with the heartache, The Good Father is thought-provoking from beginning to end. 9 CDs, 10 1/2 hours.

Never Go Back
Lee Child, author
Dick Hill, narrator
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780307749666 $45.00 www.randomhouse.com

Never Go Back is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Lee Child's high-stakes adventure following Jack Reacher, a former military cop with a strong adherence to the principles of justice even amid the most chaotic and trying times. When Reacher travels across America to meet the new commanding officer of his old unit, Major Susan Turner, he receives one unpleasant shock after another. Turner is missing, and Reacher's name is on the line; he must stay ahead of not only criminals, but also the army, the FBI, and the D.C. Metro police in search of the truth! Superbly performed by multiple award-winning narrator Dick Hill, Never Go Back is knife-edge suspense sure to enthrall fans of the genre! 11 CDs, 13 1/2 hours.

Good Kings Bad Kings
Susan Nussbaum, author
Read by Emma Galvin, et. al.
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781622311347 $32.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com

Good Kings Bad Kings is the unabridged audiobook rendition of playwright Susan Nussbaum's prize-winning debut novel. Set in the ILLC, an institution for young people with disabilities on Chicago's South Side, Good Kings Bad Kings follows young people struggling against maltreatment and neglect. They connect with one another, resist their oppression, and change through their friendships - and their love affairs. Vividly brought to life by a cast of seven talented performers, Good Kings Bad Kings is a human saga about hope, highly recommended. 7 CDs, 7 1/2 hours.

The Ludwig Conspiracy
Oliver Potzsch, author
Simon Vance, narrator
Anthea Bell, translator
c/o Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781622311989 $39.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com

The Ludwig Conspiracy is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a high-stakes thriller. When rare book dealer Steven Lukas acquires a mysterious diary encoded by a close confidant of Ludwig II, the Fairy-tale King of Bavaria, it kicks off a whirlwind of intrigue. Ruthless rivals with no qualms about killing compete for the precious volume and its mysterious secrets! Art detective Sara Lengfeld aids Lukas in his search to unravel the diary's riddles, all while being hounded by ruthless thugs in this exciting adventure, superbly translated into English by Anthea Bell and brought alive by the smooth performance of Simon Vance. 12 CDs, 13 1/4 hours.

A Seaside Christmas
Sherryl Woods, author
Christina Traister, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.SherrylWoods.com
9781480539266 $19.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

A Seaside Christmas is the unabridged audiobook rendition of popular author Sherryl Woods' heartwarming holiday novel. Songwriter Jenny Collins grew up more than a little lonely, as the only child of a single mother; now that her mother has married into the loud (and somewhat raucous) O'Brien family, she isn't sure how to adapt. Collins travels from her established professional territory of Nashville to the shores of Chesapeake to collaborate on a Christmas entertainment event. Trailing her is Caleb Green, the singer who once broke her heart. Caleb is determined to reignite her love, and the O'Brien family welcomes her with enthusiasm, but can the disjoin pieces of her past be reassembled into a brighter future? The depth of character and storytelling adds to the festive sense of joy in this delightful holiday audiobook.

Spider-Man: Drowned In Thunder
Christopher L. Bennett
GraphicAudio
4940 Hampden Lane, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814
www.GraphicAudio.net
9781599509945, $19.99, www.amazon.com

The story is pure Spider-Man action/adventure that has made him one of Marvel Comics most popular characters. In "Spider-Man: Drowned In Thunder", J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of the Daily Bugle, has denounced Spider-Man from the beginning, convincing New Yorkers to see him as a criminal and a menace. But when a robot attack on Manhattan injures Peter Parker's students and Jameson blames Spider-Man, their feud takes on a new, personal dimension. As the embittered webslinger faces further robot attacks, each deadlier than the last, his spider-sense warns that Jameson himself is behind them, possibly colluding with Electro, Alistaire Smythe, or another of Spider-Man's mortal foes. Convinced that his worst critic has become a mortal enemy, Spider-Man declares war on Jameson -- a war the publisher is eager to wage. But in their relentless pursuit of victory, they both risk losing everything that matters to them -- and may both fall victim to the cataclysmic secret behind the robots. GraphicAudio has created a premier audio book experience by converting Christopher L. Bennet's superbly crafted novel into a dynamic 'theatre of the mind' experience. Enhanced with sound effects and music, the multi-cast performance combined with flawless production values makes the 5 CD, five hour "Spider-Man: Drowned In Thunder" very highly recommended for Spidey's legions of fans and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library audio book collections.

Highland Angel
Hannah Howell, author
Performed by Angela Dawe
Tantor Media, Inc.
2 Business Park Road, Unit 2
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781452614656 $39.99 www.tantor.com

Highland Angel is the unabridged audiobook rendition of the seventh volume in Hannah Howell's "Murray Family" series. Entrancingly performed by film, television, and theater actress Angela Dawe, Highland Angel follows Sir Payton Murray and the beautiful Kirstie MacLye, who was nearly murdered by her cruel and ruthless husband. Determined to bring her would-be killer to terms for his many crimes, she beseeches Murray's help; he accedes, aware that her passion for justice will not be denied. Adventure and amore fill this dramatic saga of a personal crusade against a remorseless and powerful enemy! 9 CDs, 11 hours.

Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200
Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com

Galaxy Press is dedicated to keeping the literary works of L. Ron Hubbard available for new generations of appreciative readers -- and with their audio book productions, new generations of appreciative listeners as well! The twin hallmarks of a Galaxy Press audio book is their flawless production values and their expert multi-cast performances. Among their latest releases are a series of outstanding action/adventure thrillers that even after several decades from their original appearances in the pulp magazines of the 30's, 40's, and 50's, still present an enormous entertainment experience for a modern audience. Among these highly recommended releases for personal and community library audio book collections are: "Golden Hell" (9781592122530, $9.95); "Sky Birds Dare!" (9781592122318, $9.95); "Dead Men Kill" (9781592122504, $9.95); "Loot Of The Shanung" (9781592123124, $9.95); "All Frontiers Are Jealous" (9781592123384, $9.95); "Arctic Wings" ($9.95). Fans of pulp fiction brought vividly to life in expertly produced productions, and community librarians seeking to build up their audio book collections with enduringly popular titles, would be well advised to visit the Galaxy Press web site at www.galaxypress.com for a complete listing of all their audio book productions of L. Ron Hubbard pulp magazine era stories.

Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.highbridgeaudio.com

Sue Scott's SERIOUSLY SILLY (9781622310074, $16.95) is an audio listen highly recommended for any Prairie Home Companion listener and provides the humor and observations of Sue Scott, a radio actor whose best works are gathered. Sue acts out a variety of parts and personalities and provides some 14 sketches and bits heard over the years on live Prairie Home Companion broadcasts. Fans will recognize her voice and appreciate her style in a fun presentation recommended for any audio collection. Garrison Keillor's LAKE WOBEGON FAMILY REUNION: SELECTED STORIES (9781622312931, $29.95) is quite different, presenting primarily monologs from Keillor about life in the Midwest that have been hand-picked from over 15 previously released collections and some 40 years of A Prairie Home Companion live broadcasts. Four discs provide fun Thomas H. Cook's SANDRINE'S CASE (9781611749816, $34.95) provides a powerful reading by Brian Holsopple, who brings to life an unusual love story in the form of a courtroom drama and mystery. Samuel and his wife Sandrine had a tranquil life until one night Sandrine is found dead in their bed - and Samuel is accused of her murder. As more facts come to life, Samuel confronts an insurmountable wave of town resentment and convictions that he's the killer - and also uncovers facts about her that bring him newfound appreciation for the person she was. A wonderful blend of mystery and romance makes for an exceptional listen! Robert Morgan's THE ROAD FROM GAP CREEK (9781622312337, $34.95) presents the Richards family, who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and charts their evolution as World War II invades their isolated world and brings their boys out into the world to fight. It's a compelling story of the entwined lives and perspectives of peoples who have lived generations with little but their own connections to each other and the world, and it provides a gripping saga that not only outlines the changed perspectives and experiences of a small community, but how isolation and war invade and ultimately change those lives. It's a powerful story highly recommended for any audio collection, and springs to life under Emma Galvin's smooth and evocative rendition.

Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouseaudio.com

Lee Child's NEVER GO BACK (978030749666, $45.00) provides a fine new Jack Reacher thriller and tells of a former military cop who journeys to the headquarters of his old unit to meet a new commanding officer - only to find many puzzles affect both his professional and personal life. Lured back to a fold which has substantially changed, Jack discovers threats to his world that all hinge on him finding his new commanding officer before disaster strikes. A fine cat-and-mouse hunting game begins, spiced with veteran narrator Dick Hill's fine voice and ability to transmit drama. Marianne Szegedy-Maszak's I KISS YOUR HANDS MANY TIMES: HEARTS. SOULS. AND WARS IN HUNGARY (9780449010136, $45.00) is narrated by the author and provides a winning survey of her parents, who met and fell in love in Budapest. Her father survived Dachau, sought out his love after nearly two years without contact, and reunited with her in a devastated Budapest in 1945 where they were wed. This family memoir traces an incredible journey through war-torn Europe and is a blend of personal autobiography and analysis of Hungary's relationship to the world. Shawn Achor's BEFORE HAPPINESS (9780804127899, $35.00) receives the seasoned voice of actor Mike Chamberlain, whose brings a smooth and passionate rendition to this self-help title focusing on positive change and why happiness leads to greater success on all levels. This audio builds on the author's prior concepts explored in THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE and considers what comes before happiness and success - and how human potential evolves and is changed by world experience. The result includes five proven strategies for changing one's perspective to be positive. Any self-help collection needs this!

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017-0010
www.hachetteaudio.com

Nicholas Sparks' THE LONGEST RIDE (9781619691384, $35.00) enjoys a vivid dual narration by New York voice and stage actress January LaVoy and seasoned author and Broadway actor Ron McLarty as it tells of Ira Levinson, alone in the world at 91 years old and stranded after a car crash. It is then that his beloved wife, who passed away nine years ago, comes to him in a vision and reviews their life together as a means of keeping him alive. At the same time a college senior's life is about to change when she meets a new love and anticipates the many changes romance will bring. How these four lives entwine makes for a vivid story spiced with insight and revelation. Also enjoy the abridged version narrated by the same readers (9781619691841, $23.00), covering the highlights of the story. Joyce Meyer's GOD IS NOT MAD AT YOU (9781611132625, $27.00) receives a vivid reading by Meyer's youngest daughter Sandra McCollom, who brings to life this audio account of Meyer's exploration of connections between a loving parent and a stern judge. Christians responded to her "God's not mad at you" post on Facebook in such quantity that she's expanded her concept here, creating a vivid analysis of how God's love can be experienced on new levels. Any Christian listener will find this accessible and inspirational. Rebecca Musser with M. Bridge Cook's THE WITNESS WORE RED: THE 19TH WIFE WHO BROUGHT POLYGAMOUS CULT LEADERS TO JUSTICE (9781478924586, $30.00) provides a fine memoir read by the author and telling of how she grew up in fear, living downstairs from her father's 'real' family and hiding her family's polygamous lifestyle from the outside world. Tired of the abuse, and of being the 19th wife of her people's Prophet, eighty-five-year-old Rulon Jeffs, she not only escaped her world but brought law enforcement to an outcome that avoided bloodshed. Her testimony to long-kept secrets about her family's polygamous cult lifestyle are eye-opening and engrossing and make for captivating listening!


The Library CD Shelf

Train to Basra ...and Other Stories
Salaam
Music and stories by Dena El Saffar
www.SalaamBand.com
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Drawn from stories that Dena El Saffar's father used to tell her about his train journey from Baghdad to Basra, Train to Basra ...and Other Stories is the 20th anniversary celebration of the eclectic Salaam Band. A wondrous showcase of Middle Eastern music and culture, Train to Basra is an extraordinary musical odyssey that resonates in the imagination long after the last note plays. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Queen of Sheba" (4:40), "Kashaniya" (5:14), "Train to Basra" (5:31), "Iraqi-American Blues" (3:58), "Lima Sahar" (3:19), "Joza Tears" (4:22), "The Mariachi Stole My Heart" (8:12), "Beledi, Baby" (4:42), "Drum Intro" (1:40), "Awakening" (6:06), "Rast Saffari" (6:32), and "Mesopotamia" (5:05).

Tales From The Grand Bazaar
Bombay Dub Orchestra
Six Degrees Records
PO Box 411347, San Francisco, CA 94141-1347
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221, Austin, TX 78748
www.sixdegreesrecords.com www.bombaydub.com
$11.94 CD / $6.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Tales From The Grand Bazaar is the product of five years of creativity across five different nations. The Bombay Dub Orchestra, originally founded in India by two men from London, has grown to encompass the rhythmic traditions of Turkey, Jamaica, and more. Rich and eclectic, the multicultural flavor of Tales From The Grand Bazaar is distinct and memorable, showcasing stellar performances on exotic instruments such as the qanun (a stringed dulcimer). Highly recommended, especially for international music collections. The tracks are "The Orange Terrace" (6:13), "Blue Mosaic" (7:16), "City of Amber" (5:39), "Sea of Marinara" (6:01), "Songs From the Seven Towers" (7:56 ), "A Time of Beauty" (5:01), "Bohemia Junction" (6:38), "Four Thousand New Colours" (8:23), and "Air Like Velvet" (5:46).

Gypsy Bells
Brianna Lea Pruett
Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85017
www.canyonrecords.com
$14.98 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Folk singer-songwriter Brianna Lea Pruett presents Gypsy Bells, an album that balances traditional folk and blues with influence from her Native American Cherokee and Choctaw heritage and musical culture. Her dulcet vocals and skill withe the acoustic guitar create an resonating, unforgettable soundscape. Gypsy Bells is a treasure for folk enthusiasts, not to be missed. The tracks are "No Diamond Ring" (3:29), "New Life" (3:07), "Seeds of Love" (3:48), "Gypsy Bells" (3:02), "Sun on the Mountain" (4:10), "Shine for You" (2:40), "Love My Free" (3:44), "It's All Right" (2:53), "Red Jacket" (3:26), "Under Your Wing" (3:39), and "Live Wire" (3:16).

Azucar Canela
Rebeca Vallejo
WMB
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Madrid's native singer Rebeca Vallejo presents Azucar Canela, a Spanish-language album that also draws upon the multifaceted legacy of jazz, Brazilian music, and joyous flamenco. The result is work that celebrates Spanish history and culture, heady with nostalgia yet brightly optimistic about the future. A joy to listen to, Azucar Canela ("Sugar Cinnamon") is enthusiastically recommended for international music collections. The tracks are "El Ciego Sol", "No Sabes", "Despertar", "Cravo e Canela", "Canicas", "Azucar, Canela", "Los Pilares de la Tierra", "Sin Piedad", "Verde Sobre Azul", and "Lullaby".

Flight 14
Uwe Gronau
Time Rider Music
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com

Evoking the free spirit of flying about of the clouds, whether by airplane or hang-glider, Flight 14 is a new-age album with instrumental songs ranging in composition from solo piano to piano-synthesizer, electric-piano, synth, and more. Relaxing and inspirational, the soaring music takes the listener on a journey to stimulate the imagination. An audio treasury for new age connoisseurs, not to be missed! The tracks are "At the Beginning" (3:27), "Magic Tree - Part I" (2:05), "Night Train" (3:09), "Lend Me Your Heart" (3:30), "Looking For" (3:42), "Prince (of the Darkness)" (4:01), "Magic Tree - Part 2" (3:30), "Father, I Miss You" (2:52), "Market" (3:43), "Lazy Morning" (3:19), "Flight 14" (4:18), "The Cleaning" (2:13), "Celebration" (3:32), "Can't Explain" (3:38), "Elegy" (1:45), "Heaven" (4:06), "The Other Way" (4:36), "Holiday" (3:30), "The Ghost Behind You" (5:14), and "What I Forgot To Say" (1:32).

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio
Kenny Barron, Gerry Gibbs, & Ron Carter
Whaling City Sound
1310 Tucker Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747
c/o Mixed Media (publicity)
20 Lockmere Road, Cranston, RI 02910
www.mixedmediapromo.com
$14.98 www.whalingcitysound.com

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio is the album of a three-man band of experienced jazz players. Some songs are debut originals; others remix member's favorite compositions from decades past. All showcase the dexterity, passion, and soul of three talented musicians dedicated to sharing their dreams. A must-have for jazz connoisseurs! The tracks are "Epistrophy" (4:39), "Promises, Promises" (4:26), "When I Dream" (8:52), "The Shadow of Your Smile" (4:33), "The Woman on the TV Screen" (6:00), "The Eye of the Hurricane" (3:29), "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" (5:06), "A Feeling" (4:07)', "Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing" (5:57), "Sunshower" (5:50), "Hear Comes Ron" (3:48), "Impressions" (4:57), "The Thrasher" (5:56), "Mr. Clean" (6:24), and "The Theme" (0:35).

California Dreaming
Afrolicious
Privately Published
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221
Austin, TX 78748
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com

California Dreaming is the debut album of tropical dance music from the energetic collective of Afrolicious. Drawing upon the rich legacies of jazz and funk, California Dreaming is brimming with love for feel-good nightlife, and the joy of losing oneself to the dance! The tracks are "California Dreaming" (4:08), "Revolution" (4:06), "Never Let No One" (4:09), "Crazy" (5:33), "Pleasuretime" (4:11), "Pleasure Power" (4:26), "Thursday Swing" (5:25), "Do What You Got To" (5:23), "Foolin'" (4:21), and "Horizons" (5:17).


The Library DVD Shelf

Saving Sunshine
Produced by Winnie Hoskyns-Abrahall and Bill Hennessy
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772659 $195.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Saving Sunshine: Keeping the Lights on with Batteries and Solar Power is a brief yet enlightening DVD documentary about the growing role that solar energy has to play in today's modern world, where the need for renewable and sustainable sources of power is greater than ever. New AC-coupled systems blend the strong points of off-grid, stand-alone solar installations and grid-tied systems; AC-coupled systems transform renewable solar energy into electricity, while offering back-up, stand-alone electricity as needed. Advances in both renewable energy and energy storage pave the way for a cleaner, more sustainable, low-carbon future. Thoroughly accessible to viewers of all backgrounds, Saving Sunshine is an excellent informational resource, ideal for public and community library environmental studies collections. 34 min., English and Spanish captions.

A Fierce Green Fire
A film by Mark Kitchell
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
www.AFierceGreenFire.com
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

An official selection of the Sundance film festival, A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet is a DVD documentary about the course and legacy of fifty years of global environmental activism, sometimes undertaken against incredible odds. From stopping dams in the Grand Canyon, to blocking toxic waste from Love Canal, the efforts of people from Greenpeace to everyday citizens have made - and continue to make - a crucial difference for the better. Special features include a timeline of the environmental movement and a resource guide. Highly recommended, especially for public, community, and college library documentary collections. 101 min.

Discoveries... America National Parks
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
13021 - 244 Avenue SE
Issaquah, WA 98027
$24.95 each www.Bennett-Watt.com

Two beautiful new, high-definition DVDs in the Discoveries... America National Parks series are the next best thing to visiting these historic sites in person. "Arizona Footprints of the Ancients" (9781604901702, 50 min.) is a glorious tour of ancient Native American dwellings, nine national monuments, and the national historic site of the Hubbell Trading Post. "Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park" (9781604901719, 50 min.) explores a site dedicated to "larger than life" American President Lyndon B. Johnson, including Johnson City and the LBJ Ranch, also known as the "Texas Whitehouse". The result is an unforgettable glimpse of locations that shaped a world-shaping President, including his first school, birthplace home, and family cemetery. Both DVDs are highly recommended, especially for armchair travelers and public library collections.

5 Mega Miles
Leslie Sansone
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
www.collagevideo.com.fordummies
013132607450, $16.98, www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Leslie Sansone: 5 Mega Miles is a walking and exercise kit packaged with a DVD instructional video, and comes complete with a resistance band, five different one-mile walking workouts, and numerous exercise options packaged into the walking program. It uses a low-impact walk paired with warmup and toning band routines to create strength training for any who would begin with walking and add appropriate embellishments for core training. A progressive program moves from warmup and toning to jogs, sculpting with the band, and ab toning routines to make the most of a walking exercise routine. Perfect for in-home training routines.

Tighten, Tone and Torch
Suzanne Bowen
Suzanne Bowen Fitness
c/o Bethany Rogers
No ISBN DVD, $14.99 www.suzannebowenfitness.com

Tighten, Tone and Torch comes from a fitness expert who advocates tightening and toning through a series of three 20-minute workout segments designed to be enjoyed either individually or as a single workout. Light weights are recommended to make the most of muscle-shaking routines that include stretch segments and controlled cardio intervals alike. The focus on a quick, challenging, affordable routine that can be fit into a busy day makes this the perfect choice for busy workers looking to challenge and tone their muscles.

With God On Our Side
A film by Porter Speakman Jr.
Rooftop Productions
c/o Vision Video (distribution)
P.O. Box 540
Worcester, PA 19490
$19.99 www.visionvideo.com

With God On Our Side is a documentary that questions the theology and political aspirations of Christian Zionism, which throws unquestioning support behind the Israeli government. But some of Israel's policies cause injustice and suffering to its Palestinian citizens. Is there a Biblical way to support Israel while also promoting peace and reconciliation for Jews and Palestinians alike? Sober, thought-provoking, and directly addressing modern-day practical, moral, and theological dilemmas, With God On Our Side is highly recommended especially for church DVD libraries. 1 hour 22 min., English and Arabic languages, English subtitles over Arabic dialogue, widescreen.

Mister Scrooge to See You!
Featuring David Ruprecht, Matt Koester, & Shannon Moore
Vision Video
P.O. Box 540
Worcester, PA 19490
$19.99 www.visionvideo.com

Mister Scrooge to See You! is an original, imaginative DVD sequel to Charles Dickens' timeless classic, "A Christmas Carol". Scrooge's holiday tale of greed, guidance and redemption is well-known - but one year after his change of heart, the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley returns with another task at hand. Scrooge is sent on a journey 170 years into the future, into a world beset with more greed than ever; it's Scrooge's appointed task to show the young, ruthless businessman Timothy Cratchit VI the error of his ways, and teach him the true meaning of Christmas! Veteran stage and television actor David Ruprecht brings the titular role of Scrooge to life, in this heartwarming and family-friendly holiday tale. 115 min., optional English subtitles, coded for all regions.

With Love... from the Age of Reason
A film by Yann Samuell with Marton Csokas
Starring Sophie Marceau
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

With Love... from the Age of Reason is an absorbing movie on DVD about a woman a crossroads. Margaret is a successful executive at a multinational construction firm. Her tightly scheduled lifestyle, down to micromanaged time blocks set aside for sex with her partner, is shaken when she receives a stack of letters that she wrote to her future self when she was seven years old. "...I'm writing you this letter to help you remember the promises I made when I was 7, and also to remind you of what I want to become..." Realizing that she misses the carefree happiness and idealism of her youth, Margaret sets out for childhood home, on a search reconnect with a side of herself long suppressed. A story of the pursuit of happiness and meaning to one's life, even if it contrasts with mainstream pressures, With Love... from the Age of Reason is heartfelt, touching, and highly recommended. 89 min., French with English subtitles.

Approaching Midnight
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
9781569943755 $26.95 www.montereymedia.com

Approaching Midnight is a dark movie blending elements of action and crime drama. Army staff sergeant Wesley Kent returns to his small hometown after serving in Afghanistan, beset by painful tragedies... his best friend died in the war, and his girlfriend Aspen perished in a car accident while he was away. But when he tries to learn more about the accident that claimed her life, he uncovers evidence of corruption, greed, and ruthlessness permeating the locality. Could Aspen's father, the town Mayor aspiring to run for Governor, be at the center of the criminal web? Edge-of-one's-seat suspense permeates Approaching Midnight, right up to the shocking climax! Bonus features include a behind-the-scenes video journal, conversations with the cast and crew, and more. 86 min., closed captioned, rated PG.

Line of Duty series 1
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781621721062 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Line of Duty is a critically acclaimed British police drama; now, series one of the tensely plotted and vividly characterized saga is available on DVD for the first time. The story is about Detective Chief Inspector Tony Gates, and the suspicions that Superintendent Ted Hastings holds about Gates' stellar track record. Gates has earned the loyalty of his teammates, and the best crime stats of anyone on the force - but his success really legitimate? Could the rising star of the force be a corrupt cop under the surface? Hastings conscripts new arrival Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott to help uncover the truth, for good or for ill! Complex personalities drive this suspenseful show, highly recommended especially for fans of quality British television. 5 episodes on 2 DVDs, 305 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles. Line of duty is not rated, but does contain coarse language and disturbing images.

Fit Mommy-to-Be Prenatal Yoga
Hilaria Baldwin
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650
Silver Spring, MD 20910
9781621721253 $16.99 www.acacialifestyle.com

Certified yoga instructor Hilaria Baldwin presents Fit Mommy-to-Be Prenatal Yoga, a DVD of three safe and proactive prenatal yoga workouts, designed especially for expectant mothers. The workouts offer suggested modifications for each trimester, and each has a different focus: one relieves back pain and develops the muscles responsible for good posture and alignment; one helps mothers open their hips in preparation for childbirth; and one aids in the relief of stress. Gentle exercise and activity throughout pregnancy is vital not only for good health, but also easier childbirth; Fit Mommy-to-Be Prenatal Yoga is invaluable especially for soon-to-be first-time mothers, and makes an excellent baby shower gift! 59 min. plus 5 min. bonus (partner stretches, featuring Hilaria's celebrity husband Alec Baldwin).

Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
$14.98 each www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Three new fitness DVDs from Anchor Bay Entertainment are readily accessible to viewers of all backgrounds, especially those who are short on time. Pilates expert Elizabeth Ordway's "Targeted Toning Pilates for Beginners" (65 min.) is part of the "Element" series of workouts, and consists of three twenty-minute programs created to strengthen those muscles that are most difficult to access, including the core, abs, and "seat lifters". A ten-minute "core strengthener" rounds out this user-friendly, strength and grace-building workout. Leslie Sansone's "Walk to the Hits: Radio Remixes" (48 min., www.walkathome.com), part of her "Just Walk" series, encourages the viewer to get active to lively music. Her High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) method alternates short bursts of high effort and periods of recovery, the better to stay burn more calories in a compact time frame. Christine Bullock leads "10 Minute Solution: Butt Lift" (65 min.), part of the excellent "10 Minute Solution" series perfect for squeezing into the busiest routines. The short, mix-or-match sessions include exercises designed specifically to tighten one's rear; a cardio "booty" camp; a standing workout that lifts the buns, a butt & thigh workout inspires by ballet, yoga, and Pilates; High Intensity Interval Training for the glutes; and an "Amazing Abs" bonus workout. All three DVDs are quality additions to enrich one's personal fitness library!

Pentrex
2652 East Walnut St.
Pasadena, CA 91107
$29.95 each www.pentrex.com

Three railroading DVDs from Pentrex continue their tradition of presenting the quality railroad entertainment for train enthusiasts. "California Western Railroad" (1563423383, 1 hour) is a narrated tour of the historic shortline headquartered in Northern California's Ft. Bragg, that winds through a coastal mountain range on its journey to the town of Willitis. Filmed in 1991, California Western Railroad takes the viewer on a scenic tour, using multiple special camera perspectives for a "you-are-there" feel! "Eastern Quebec's Ore Lines Volume 1" (156342312X, 1 hour 20 min.) explores the Cartier, an Alco-powered railroad with long trains, and the Quebec Iron & Titanium Romaine River Railway, one of the most remote railroads in North America. Visits to locomotive and car shops, as well as the computerized dispatcher's office round out this beautiful tour, complemented with descriptive narration. "Into the Allegheny Range Volume 4" (1563423057, 4 hours on 2 DVDs) is an extensive scrutiny of the CSX's Sand Patch Grade in western Pennsylvania, one of the most popular American sites among railroad fans. The narrated journeys include a ride on a pusher engine, visits to obscure branch lines, and breathtaking mountain scenery. All three make great gifts for railroad fans!


The American History Shelf

"Mr. President"
Harlow Giles Unger
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
dacapopress.com
9780306819612 $25.99 www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Award-winning author Harlow Unger presents "Mr. President": George Washington and the Making of the Nation's Highest Office, a scholarly yet accessible accounting of how America's first president shaped both his fledgling country and the office of the Presidency. Chapters tell of Washington's political cunning, his dedication to protect individual liberties as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and his establishment of presidential powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution (such as the power to spend public moneys, make foreign policy agreements, or issue executive orders carrying the weight of the law). Detailed, fascinating, and supplemented with notes, a bibliography, and an index, "Mr. President" is an excellent contribution to American History shelves for its inside look at early American politics.

Parading Patriotism
Adam Criblez
Northern Illinois University Press
2280 Bethany Road
DeKalb, IL 60115
9780875806921 $28.95 www.niupress.niu.edu

Parading Patriotism: Independence Day Celebrations in the Urban Midwest, 1826-1876 examines America's celebrations of its own founding during a crucial era when the new nation expanded its territory, created cities in the Midwest, and began to industrialize. Of particular interest is how the terrible toll of the Civil War transformed national remembrance of this holiday. "In both the planning and execution of Independence Day celebrations in 1865, Midwestern revelers drew parallels between the eastern heroes of 1776 and their own victorious armies in 1865. Making these ties explicit not only connected war veterans to their Revolutionary War kindred, but also linked the rebirth of American nationalism and patriotic loyalty brought forth by the Civil War to the battles faced by the Founding Fathers in building a national identity nearly a century earlier." Notes, a bibliography, and an index round out Parading Patriotism, a welcome and seminal contribution to American history shelves.

New Mexico: A History
Joseph P. Sanchez, Robert L. Spude, & Art Gomez
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806142562 $26.95 www.oupress.com

New Mexico: A History is a meticulously researched, thoroughly accessible history of New Mexico, from the is earliest Native American settlers to the present day. Most of the discussion examines New Mexico's transformations in the 1800's and 1900's, from a territory administered by Mexico to shifting national identities, the terrible toll of the Great Depression, and the modern flourish of "space science and civic boosterism". A suggested reading list and an index round out this excellent accounting, highly recommended especially for public and college library American History shelves.

A Yankee On Puget Sound
Karen L. Johnson & Dennis M. Larsen
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
www.wsupress.wsu.edu
9780874223156, $29.95, 188 pp., www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Karen L. Johnson and Dennis M. Larsen, "A Yankee on Puget Sound: Pioneer Dispatches of Edward Jay Allen, 1852-1855" is the story of how a young twenty-year old man made an overland trek to Oregon and his experiences and adventures during a three-year stay in the Washington Territory. Drawn from Allen's letters and diary entries, "A Yankee on Puget Sound: Pioneer Dispatches of Edward Jay Allen, 1852-1855" is an invaluable contribution to the growing library of 19th Century American Frontier History memoirs and biographies. Enhanced with occasional black-and-white period photos, extensive notes, an expansive bibliography, and a useful index, "A Yankee on Puget Sound: Pioneer Dispatches of Edward Jay Allen, 1852-1855" is a minor masterpiece of seminal scholarship and a highly recommended addition to academic library 19th Century American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

A Decisive Decade
Robert B. McKersie
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809332441 $29.95 www.siupress.com

Award-winning nonfiction author Robert B. McKersie (Society of Sloan Fellows Professor emeritus, MIT Sloan School of Management) presents A Decisive Decade: An Insider's View of the Chicago Civil Rights Movement During the 1960s, an in-depth examination of how the civil rights movement transformed the Windy City, and its legacy for America as a whole. Chapters meticulously reconstruct key historical events, from Tim Black and the Motorola Campaign to the many marches of spring and summer 1965, to the campaign for open housing, to how the movement ultimately wound down with the decade, though efforts continue particularly in the university and the Unitarian church. A handful of black-and-white photographs, notes, and an index round out this meticulous, exhaustively researched and accessibly presented chronicle, ideal for American History or Social Issues collections.

Pumpkin
Cindy Ott
University of Washington Press
PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096
978029599324, $24.95, www.washington.edu/uwpress

PUMPKIN: THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF AN AMERICAN ICON comes from a professor who considers how Americans have used the pumpkin to connect with nature and the seasons, and provides a cultural and natural history of human involvement with the pumpkin and its symbol. Food, environment, and shifts from urban to rural culture and back are documented in a fine survey that places pumpkin facts and usage in sync with one of the standing icons of America: the Thanksgiving celebration. Chapters provide a fine history in an engrossing survey highly recommended for any interested in American culture, food, and farming changes.


The World History Shelf

The Nature of the English Revolution Revisited
Stephen Taylor and Grant Tapsell, editors
Boydell Press
c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
9781843838180 $115.00 www.boydellandbrewer.com

To this day, there remains controversy over whether the English revolution - the violent military clash between King Charles I and Parliament, which would ultimately cost the king his head, and prompt a ten-year interregnum that ended when the former king's son Charles II ascended to the throne. Scholars disagree on the English Revolution's precise causes, the nature of its political/social/economic/intellectual impact, or even whether it should be labeled a "revolution" at all. The Nature of the English Revolution Revisited (volume 18 in the "Studies in Early Modern Cultural, Political and Social History" series) is an anthology of essays by learned scholars about diverse aspects of the conflict, including "Oliver Cromwell and the Instrument of Government", "The Parish and the Poor in the English Revolution", "Style, Wit and Religion in Restoration England", and much more. An index rounds out this well-researched, thoughtful exploration of a critical time in British history. Highly recommended for public and college library World History shelves!

American Relief Aid and the Spanish Civil War
Eric R. Smith
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
www.umsystem.edu/upress
9780826220097, $60.00, www.amazon.com

The Spanish Civil War was fought from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939 between the Republicans, who were loyal to the established Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a rebel group led by General Francisco Franco. The Nationalists prevailed, and Franco ruled Spain for the next 36 years, from 1939 until his death in 1975. The war became notable for the passion and political division it inspired, and for the atrocities committed by both sides in the war. Organized purges occurred in territory captured by Franco's forces to consolidate the future regime. A smaller but significant number of killings took place in areas controlled by the Republicans, normally associated with a breakdown in law and order. "American Relief Aid and the Spanish Civil War" by academician Eric R. Smith is a 206 page history of American involvement in providing humanitarian relief supplies to the Spanish civilians who were suffering horrifically because of the war. This was a time when the American government and a majority of the American citizenry were essentially isolationists with respect to European conflicts. Informed and informative, "American Relief Aid and the Spanish Civil War" is a seminal work of historical scholarship and will prove to be an enduringly valued contribution to academic library 20th Century Spanish History and American International Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "American Relief Aid and the Spanish Civil War" is also available in a Kindle edition ($48.00).

An Introduction to the History of the Principal Kingdoms and States of Europe
Samuel von Pufendorf
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail
Indianapolis, IN 46250
www.libertyfund.org
9780865975132, $14.50, www.amazon.com

Baron Samuel von Pufendorf (January 8, 1632 - October 13, 1694) was a German jurist, political philosopher, economist, statesman, and historian. His name was just Samuel Pufendorf until he was ennobled in 1684; he was made a Freiherr (baron) a few months before his death at age 62 in 1694. Among his achievements are his commentaries and revisions of the natural law theories of Thomas Hobbes and Hugo Grotius. Now reprinted for a new generation of appreciate readers under the editorship and with an introduction by Michael J. Seidler (Professor of Philosophy and University Distinguished Professor at Western Kentucy University), "An Introduction to the History of the Principal Kingdoms and States of Europe" was originally translated from German into English in 1695 by Jodocus Crull and quite influential among 18th Century scholars. An important addition to academic library collections, "An Introduction to the History of the Principal Kingdoms and States of Europe" will prove to be of extraordinary interest to students studying the development of early modern historigraphy, as well as the historical philosophic development of natural law. It should also be noted that "An Introduction to the History of the Principal Kingdoms and States of Europe" is also available in a hardcover edition (9780865975125, $24.00).

Urban Bodies
Carole Rawcliffe
Boydell & Brewer
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781843838364, $99.00, www.amazon.com

In an age before modern medicine and our understanding of the role of microbes in human disease and epidemics, the cities of medieval Europe created and implemented some surprisingly sophisticated and practical strategies for trying to combat the spread of illnesses ranging from simple fevers to the Black Plague. "Urban Bodies: Communal Health in Late Medieval English Towns and Cities" by Carole Rawcliffe (Professor of Medieval History, University of East Anglia) is a 445 page compendium providing a clear, accurate, and documented history of the environmental and public health issues that were addressed in urban areas that included dealing with urban waste, fire prevention, water, food and drink, drugs and pharmaceuticals, hospitals and almshouses, and the medical beliefs of the era. Of special note is the appendix article 'National and Urban Epidemics 1257-1530'. Enhanced with the inclusion of a substantial bibliography and a comprehensive index, "Urban Bodies: Communal Health in Late Medieval English Towns and Cities" is a masterpiece of scholarly research and a very highly recommended addition to academic library Medieval Studies and History of Medicine reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Betty Blues
Renaud Dillies
NBM Comics Lit
c/o NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing
New York, NY 10038
9781561637584 $18.99 www.nbmpublishing.com

Eisner and Harvey nominated comic author Renaud Dillies presents Betty Blues, a full color graphic novel featuring anthropomorphic characters searching for meaning in a complex and difficult world. Little Rice Duck is a jazz musician by trade; he loves his girlfriend Betty, but also devotes himself heavily to his music - perhaps too heavily. Feeling neglected, Betty becomes entranced by the attention of a wealthy tycoon who sees her as a potential conquest. Each of them eventually realizes the painful consequences of their mistakes - but will it be too late? The shaded art complements this universal story of love, regret, and lingering hope. Betty Blues is also available in various ebook formats: Apple (9781561637591), .pdf (9781561637607), Kindle Fire (9781561637614), and Nook (9781561638925).

The Myth of the Superhero
Arco Arnaudo
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421409535, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

The Myth of the Superhero receives a fine translation by Jamie Richards and provides a fine examination of superhero icons and their underlying cultural meaning. The myth of a Superman sent to America which evolves into a successful immigrant story and the transformation of an individual to a crime fighter in the form of the moral Batman makes for a powerful complication considering American culture, superhero stories of morality and strength, and how the genre provides a fine study of formulas for gods, individuals, and behaviors. Chapters include black and white illustrations of superheroes as it considers center principles in superhero comics and culture and how they relate to and reflect American goals and principles. The result is a cultural study highly recommended for any comics, graphic novels, or cartoons collection, as well as academic library American history holdings.

American Comic Book Chronicles
Bill Schelly
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490540, $40.95, www.twomorrows.com

American Comic Book Chronicles continues the series of colorful documentation, this one covering the 1950s from 1950-59. Chapters cover the most notable comic publications, a history of trends, creators and comic media for all ages, and the expanded works of Harvey Kurtzman and Carl Barks who created comics generations would come to follow for decades. From notable comic history such as the revamp of the Flash in Showcase #4 that started the Silver Age of Comics to the return of Captain America and the introduction of a new Green Lantern, the 1950s represented a blossoming age in comic history. Atomic war fears were represented in comics (including Bradbury's classic 'There Will Come Soft Rains', about an all-automated house which continues its functions after humans are dead from atomic warfare), military forces began to achieve representation in the comic world, and the conversion of MAD to a comic format gained new enthusiasts. The result is a dynamic era in comic history, neatly charted in this survey which is packed with color comic book images.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Pleiadian Principles for Living
Christine Day
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632616, $17.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Pleiadian Principles for Living: A Guide to Accessing Dimensional Energies, Communicating with the Pleiadians, and Navigating These Changing Times is the second title channeled by the author, a healer and spiritualist, and provides basic wisdom from other dimensions as it comes from enlightened beings from another star cluster who provide guidelines for living for new age believers. From using sounds and tools to work with planetary energies to understanding pre-agreements and missions from other worlds, this provides a guide to spiritual pathways and current changes facing Earth, and is a fine set of insights for any who believe in channeling and other worlds.


The Political Science Shelf

Surviving Inside Congress, third edition
Mark Strand, Michael S. Johnson, & Jerome F. Climer
The Congressional Institute, Inc.
1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 730
Alexandria, VA 22314
9780963305756 $19.95 www.conginst.org

Now in an updated third edition, Surviving Inside Congress is a practical-minded guide created especially to assist members of Congress, their staff, government relations professionals, and the general public by demystifying the Legislative Branch of the U.S. government. Chapters cover who's who in Congress, different types of legislation, the congressional committee system, parliamentary procedure, the relationship between Executive and Legislative Branches, ethics rules, issues of partisanship and polarization, and much more. The authors have drawn upon their combined fifty years of experience on Capitol Hill to create this eminently accessible, user-friendly reference and resource that should be required reading for anyone who interacts with Congress. Surviving Inside Congress is worthy of the highest recommendation especially for public and college library Political Science shelves. "The most basic principle of American jurisprudence is that we are all innocent until proven guilty. The surest reality of political life is that this basic principle doesn't apply. The unwritten by even more universal rule of political prudence holds that appearance of wrongdoing is as damaging as actual guilt."

Open Budgets
Sanjeev Jhagram, et al.
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-2188
www.brookings.edu
9780815723370, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled by the editorial team of Sanjeev Khagram (John Parke Young Professor of Global Political Economy, Occidental College), Archon Fung (Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and Citizenship, Harvard Kennedy School), and Paolo de Renzio (Research Associate, Overseas Development Institute and the University of Oxford), "Open Budgets: The Political Economy of Transparency, Participation, and Accountability" is a 264 page compendium comprising nine seminal articles ranging from the editor's title piece, 'Overview and Synthesis: The Political Economy of Fiscal Transparency, Participation, and Accountability around the World' and concluding with 'Capturing Movement at the Margins: Senegal's Efforts at Budget Transparency Reform' by Linda Beck, E. H. Seydou Nourou Toure, and Alieu Faye. An impressive and seminal body of original scholarship, "Open Budgets: The Political Economy of Transparency, Participation, and Accountability" is very highly recommended for academic library collections. It should be noted that "Open Budgets: The Political Economy of Transparency, Participation, and Accountability" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.17).

The United Nations and Changing World Politics, seventh edition
Thomas G. Weiss, et.al.
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813348476, $47.00, www.westviewpress.com

The United Nations and Changing World Politics appears in its seventh updated edition to provide a thematic approach analyzing the UN's role in world affairs, and is a pick for any college-level political studies collection. The focus on global governance issues and UN actions accompanies analysis of the latest UN activities related to world peace and conflicts, with chapters blending history with political and international legal insights. From natural disaster management to human affairs, this volume provides a detailed account of world interactions and events and is a solid reference for any world politics student.

Everyman's Constitution
Howard Jay Graham
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
9780870206344, $38.95, www.wisconsinhistory.org/whspress

Everyman's Constitution: Historical Essays on the Fourteenth Amendment, the "Conspiracy Theory," and American Constitutionalism comes from a deaf law librarian who in 1938 successfully argued that the authors of the fourteenth amendment were motivated by abolitionist fervor and Civil war outcomes. His inspection of the meaning of the amendment and its evolving applications to corporations and individuals alike is reprinted in this essay collection which provides legal and political analysis as important today as it was in the 1930s. Originally hired to write a brief on the Amendment for a supreme court case on education, Graham's work was published in law journals for decades - and this reprint offers important insights to legal and political studies collections surveying key works on constitutional analysis.

Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue
Boulder, CO 80301
www.westviewpress.com

Mark Gasiorowski has edited the seventh updated edition of THE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (9780813348650, $52.00) provides a fine comprehensive coverage of the domestic politics and foreign policies of all countries in the area, and provides college-level readers with a fine modern assessment of the issues, approaches, interactions and background of nations involved in present-day struggles. Reviews of the government and politics of each country use a central framework for assessment and organization, making it easy to cross-compare national objectives, features, and politics. From foreign policies to political milieu and history, this is a solid reference for any collection strong in Middle East history and politics. Paula D. McClain and Joseph Stewart Jr.'s "CAN WE ALL GET ALONG?": RADICAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES IN AMERICAN POLITICS (9780813347158, $39.00) appears in its sixth updated edition to contrast the political status of various ethnic groups and their influence on political processes, and is a recommendation for college-level social issues and political studies collections alike. This update includes new coverage of Obama's first term, discussions of judicial appointments and policy changes, more details on native Hawaiian issues, and more, and continues the blend of field survey and research which made earlier editions mainstays of classroom discussions. A 'must' for any political and ethnic studies reader. Recommended for Middle East history and political collections if the third updated edition of Alan Richards, et.al.'s A POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE MIDDLE EAST (9780813349282, $55.00), which updates information to include coverage of the Arab Spring in a new chapter considering this and other regional events. It uses the same focus on an economic approach to Middle East issues to provide coverage of everything from education and politics to the military, and comes from a professor of economics and other professors of social and political science who gather the latest information on the region. The seventh updated edition of Robert C. Oberst, et.al.'s GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN SOUTH ASIA (9780813348797, $45.00) is packed with new material but retains the same comparative approach examining leading nations in the region, and is also a recommendation for college-level readers. It provides major topics of inquiry from political parties to conflicts and development issues, assesses new threats to the region's stability as posed by ethnic nationalism, and considers relationships between the U.S. and various countries in South Asia. The result is a fine pick for any Asian studies collection.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Buffalo Bill on the Silver Screen
Sandra K. Sagala
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806143613, $24.95, www.oupress.com

Buffalo Bill on the Silver Screen: The Films of William F. Cody tells of an entertainer who used the Wild West concept to captivate audiences across the U.S. and Europe. Many books have been written about his showmanship - but few offer an in-depth analysis of his involvement with the film industry. This title details Cody's early association with filmmaking in its infancy, detailing Cody's involvement thanks to Thomas Edison's kinetoscope project and Cody's fascination with the industry's possibilities. In 1910 he was featured on The Life of Buffalo Bill, and after his touring show disbanded, he become even more involved in the industry. Any collection strong in film history will find this a 'must'.

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

John Badham's ON DIRECTING (9781615931385, $26.95) comes from a veteran director who explains the basics of action, suspense, and how great scenes are differentiated from good scenes no matter what the genre, and is a pick for any film holding. It analyzes scenes that don't work right, considers the elements involved in making them work correctly, and provides a director's eye to working with even the most difficult actors and getting the most from rehearsals and performances. The result is a solid reference highly recommended for any film collection or student of acting, directing and production. Houston Howard's MAKE YOUR STORY REALLY STINKIN' BIG (9781615931552, $18.95) presents the author's "360 Degree Storyweaving" process which promotes concept development across genres, and is a pick for any writer working in everything from short and feature films to YouTube and more. It comes from the CEO and founder of One 3 Productions and a leader in international strategy, and provides business and performing arts readers alike with an in-depth survey of how to move successfully from concept to franchise in creating a memorable story. From identifying needs to the idea of a 'high concept' and how it works in a setting, this analyzes the nuts and bolts of the writer's toolbox and is a top, recommended pick for business and film libraries as well as writer's reference collections.


The Railroading Shelf

Fast Trains Worldwide
Thomas Estler
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764344473, $29.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Fast Trains Worldwide provides a fine historical focus not just on the evolution of trains in general, but upon fast trains that broke records at different points in time, from the famous Rainhill Trials of 1829 to the 1955 French breakthrough of the 186 mph limit with their electric locomotives. Commercial high speed transportation systems are analyzed in chapters that provide a history of these locomotives around the world, pairing color photos throughout with charts of technical train information. From different series trains in different countries to prototypes and their special challenges, this is a 'must' for any train history collection.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Having it All in the Belle Epoque
Rachel Mesch
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804784245, $39.95, www.sup.org

HAVING IT ALL IN THE BELLE EPOQUE: HOW FRENCH WOMEN'S MAGAZINES INVENTED THE MODERN WOMAN provides a fine historical survey debating the history of high-achieving women and how the roots of these achievers can be traced back to early 1900s France. Two key photographic magazines for women created a female role model who embodied new freedoms and approaches for women, captivating large numbers of French women and setting the stage for a century of women's rights changes. This focus on these publications provides new images of this modern French figure, analyzes artistic and literary trends contributing to the rise of this culture, and blends history with literary and artistic insights throughout, making for a solid and specific pick for any women's studies collection.


The Automotive Shelf

Moto Guzzi: Motorcycles Since 1921
Jan Leek & Wolfgang Zeyen
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764343445, $39.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Moto Guzzi: Motorcycles Since 1921 is all about motorcycle design and history, and follows the history and achievements of Moto Guzzi, a manufacturer whose creations made history and revolutionized the motorcycle industry. Chapters follow his many design achievements and describe all models and technical specs. There's information about the company, details on the industry as a whole, and biographies of the people who contributed to these changes.


The Poetry Shelf

Reduced To Joy
Mark Nepo
Viva Editions
2246 Sixth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-2219
www.vivaeditions.com
9781936740574, $15.95, www.amazon.com

Very highly recommended and rewarding reading, "Reduced To Joy" is a 208 page anthology of the free verse poetry of author Mark Nepo ("The Book of Awakening") and showcases his ability to deftly create thoughtful, meditative, and occasionally inspiring poems on the theme of accepting and working with what we have in our pursuit of happiness, contentment, and satisfaction. 'Another Patience': I wonder if flowers know fear, / If they sense a storm is coming / or if the deer will eat them? Or / if like a sage having exhausted / his humanity, the flower knows / that either way, broken or eaten, / the glow releases is the same. / But I'm not a sage or a flower. / Teach me.


The Language Studies Shelf

Wisconsin Talk
Thomas Purnell, et al.
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor
Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299293345, $24.95, www.amazon.com

With its variety of Native American tribes and its long history of immigrant migrations, Wisconsin hosts one of the most linguistically diverse populations of any state in the nation. Compiled by the editorial team of linguistic experts and academicians Thomas Purnell, Eric Raimy, and Joseph Salmons, "Wisconsin Talk: Linguistic Diversity in the Badger State" is a 196 page compendium comprised of ten erudite articles of original scholarship and touching upon words that are distinctive to Wisconsin's citizenry, examples of how generations of immigrants negotiated cultural and linguistic challenges, the bilingual enrichment of Wisconsin communities, and how Wisconsin maps convey the stories of language. Of special note is the information about Wisconsin's Native American languages to aboriginal language loss throughout the world. Very highly recommended for Wisconsin school, community, and academic library Language Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "Wisconsin Talk: Linguistic Diversity in the Badger State" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Multiple-Cat Family
Shelia Webster Boneham, Ph.D., author
T. F. H. Publications
One T.F.H.
Plaza, Third and Union Avenues
Neptune, NJ 07753
9780793837984, $10.95, www.tfh.com

"The Multiple-Cat Family" is a sensitively written, practical, photo-illustrated guide to pet care for families with more than one cat or kitten. Many helpful fact and procedure pages help cat owners of all ages understand the best ways to keep their cats healthy. Eight succinct chapters deal with choosing and transporting cats, safety tips for keeping cats at home, cat socialization tips, feeding multiple cats, behavior training tips and issues, routine cat health care with a list of "when to call your vet" times, and managing illness or injury, as well as reactions to the death of your cat. "The Multiple-Cat Family" is completed by three pages of resources, websites, and helpful publications. Although "The Multiple-Cat Family" is part of a juvenile series on pet care from Animal Planet, it is also a helpful resource for adult cat owners.

Wildlife Watching In America's National Parks
Gary W. Vequist & Daniel S. Licht
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-4354
www.tamu.edu/upress
9781603448147, $25.00, www.amazon.com

One of the principle reasons given for visiting one of America's national parks is the opportunity and possibility of observing wildlife in their natural habitat. This flexbound edition of "Wildlife Watching in America's National Parks: A Seasonal Guide" is ideal as a carry-along guide to enhance the national park experience. The collaborative effort of wildlife experts Gary W. Vequist and Daniel S. Licht, "Wildlife Watching In America's National Parks" is a 244 page compendium nicely organized into by the four seasons: Spring (Mary/April/May); Summer (June/July/August); Fall (September/October/November); and Winter (December/January/February). The dozens and dozens of national parks covered range from the Grand Teton National Park, to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, to the Effigy Mounds National Memorial. Profusely illustrated, informed and informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Wildlife Watching In America's National Parks" is highly recommended for personal, family, and community library collections. It should be noted that "Wildlife Watching In America's National Parks" is also available in a Kindle edition ($18.15).


The Self-Help Shelf

Creating Well-Being
Pamela A. Hays
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433815737, $19.95, www.amazon.com

In "Creating Well-Being: Four Steps to a Happier, Healthier Life", clinical psychologist Pamela Hays draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to write this 224 page instruction manual that will enable the non-specialist general reader wanting to improve the quality of their emotional and social life through the implementation of four basic 'user friendly' steps that begins with tapping into hidden strengths and qualities, a recognition of the impact stress has upon the mind-body relationship, how to counter negative thinking, and to take positive, effective action with respect to improving our behavior, self-care, and social interactions. Insightful, astute, practical, and accessible, "Creating Well-Being: Four Steps to a Happier, Healthier Life" is very strongly recommended reading for anyone seeking personal self-improvement and would make an enduringly popular addition to community library Self-Help instructional reference collections.

Hayley Hobson's Hip Guide to Creating Your Sexy & Abundant Life
Hayley Hobson
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd, North Charleston, SC 29406
c/o Smith Publicity
1930 E Marlton Pike, Suite I-46, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
9781492135005, $24.95, 160 pp., www.amazon.com

Hayley Hobson is a mom, a wife, a yogi and a business pioneer. "Hayley Hobson's Hip Guide to Creating Your Sexy & Abundant Life" offers an accessible look at a life in the fast lane that both entertains and educates her readers. Hayley shares her unique take on relationships, spirituality and relaxation and demonstrates balancing home-making tasks with a powerful exercise regimen that can be emulated by anyone. Each chapter features various yoga poses, designed to relax and rejuvenate you as your path unfolds. Enhanced throughout with beautiful full color photography and an informative text, "Hayley Hobson's Hip Guide to Creating Your Sexy & Abundant Life" is very highly recommended for personal and community library Self-Help reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Green Intention
Sandy Moore and Deanna Moore
DeVorss Publications
553 Constitution Ave.
Camarillo, CA 93012-8510
9780875168555 $15.95 www.devorss.com

The Green Intention: Living in Sustainable Joy is a personable, reader-friendly self-help guide to cultivating one's compassion, and resolving one's innermost intentions to do good. Though written from the perspective of learning to "think green" (i.e. environmentally friendly), its transformative lessons can be applied to any issue in which the reader seeks to change themselves for the better. Most specific techniques for reducing one's energy footprint are left to other guides; The Green Intention is about setting one's heart on the right path, knowing that the right actions will follow. "Sometimes when you take a break, you need to take care of our body. However, other times, it may be your spirit, your creativity, or your relationships that need attention. Sometimes we must go into meditation in order to get clear about what's being neglected. When you meditate at a time like this, consider the question: What needs attention right now in order to give my life balance?"


The Gaming Shelf

Chess
Laszlo Polgar
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
www.workman.com
9781579125547, $27.95, www.amazon.com

Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a chessboard, a checkered gameboard with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments. Each player begins the game with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each of the six piece types moves differently. Pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's pieces, with the objective to 'checkmate' the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable threat of capture. In addition to checkmate, the game can be won by the voluntary resignation of the opponent, which typically occurs when too much material is lost, or if checkmate appears unavoidable. A game may also result in a draw in several ways, where neither player wins. The course of the game is divided into three phases: opening, middlegame, and endgame. Compiled by Hungarian chess master Laszlo Polgar, and featuring an informative introduction by chess expert and instructor Bruce Pandolfini, "Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games" is a massive, 1104 page compendium of fully diagramed chess problems, enabling even the most novice chess player to gain expertise. Each problem, combination and game are keyed to the solution archived at the back of the book. Strongly recommended for personal, community, and academic library chess instructional reference collections, "Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).

Poker For Dummies
Richard D. Harroch & Lou Kriger
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9780764552328, $16.99, www.amazon.com

"Poker For Dummies" is a 336 page instruction manual that begins with an informed and informative introduction about how this guidebook is organized, then proceeds chapters on poker gaming basics and poker gaming strategies. This is followed by chapters dedicated to specific poker games including Seven-Card Stud, Texas Hold'em, High-Low, and Omaha. This first section concludes with an invaluable chapter on Home Poker Games. The second section, Advanced Strategies, deals with bluffing, money management, and record keeping. Section three, Computers, Casinos, and Cardrooms, exhaustively covers poker tournaments, video poker, the World Series of Poker, the role of the computer in poker, and internet poker. Section four, More Poker Fun, covers poker myths, terms, and sayings, as well as 'Learning More About Poker' (including the Zen of poker). The fourth and final section addresses the issues of tells, presents ten legends of poker, 'Ten Keys to Success', what to consider before becoming a professional poker player, 'Ten Ways to Improve Your Poker Today', and concludes with 'Ten Real-Life Poker Lessons'. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Poker For Dummies" will enable even the most novice beginning to immediately improve their poker table performance and will prove to be an enduringly useful reference. Highly recommended for personal and community library reference collections, "Poker For Dummies" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.49).

Texas Hold'em For Dummies
Mark Harlan
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
http://www.dummies.com
9780470046043, $16.99, www.amazon.com

Texas Hold'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. Texas Hold'em consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer - a series of three ("the flop") then two additional single cards ("the turn" and "the river" or "fourth and fifth street" respectively), with players having the option to check, bet, raise or fold after each deal; i.e., betting may occur prior to the flop, "on the flop", "on the turn", and "on the river". Texas Hold 'em is also the "H" game featured in H.O.R.S.E and in H.O.S.E. "Texas Hold'em For Dummies" by Mark 'The Red' Harlan (avid poker player and cofounder of CyberArts, a poker software supplier to WPTOnline and other professional poker sites and casinos) is a 288 page compendium that provides the novice player with a complete course of comprehensive instruction that includes the rules and strategies for limit, no-limit, tournament, and online play; practical tips for "playing" the other players; the importance of a player's bankroll, including recommended sizes and more; hands that should and should not be played; how to camouflage play and dodge traps; when, who, and how to bluff; how to maximize wins with check-raising and trapping; The different approaches for playing in private games, casinos, card rooms, tournaments, and on the Internet; and even how to use mathematics to advantage. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Texas Hold'em For Dummies" should be considered a mandatory read for all beginners and has a great deal of value for refreshing the play of even the more experienced player of either Pot Limit or No Limit Texas Hold'em poker. It should be noted that "Texas Hold'em For Dummies" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.34).

Casino Games
John Gollehon
Cardoza Publishing
5473 South Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89119
www.cardozapub.com
9781580422932, $12.95, www.amazon.com

Whether located in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, on a Mississippi river boat or a Native American reservation, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. The industry that deals in casinos is called the gaming industry. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions. In the United States, many states are grappling with high unemployment and budget deficits and are now turning to legalizing casinos, often in places that are not tourist destinations. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertainment events, such as stand-up comedy, concerts, and sporting events. But the principle reason for visiting a casino is to play blackjack, craps, slot machines, video poker machines, baccarat, roulette, keno, or to participate in sports betting. Now in a newly updated edition, "Casino Games" by John Gollehon is a 224 page compendium introducing all of these casino games to the novice player and to provide insight and information that will provide an extraordinary and successful casino gaming experience. Comprehensive, definitive, practical, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Casino Games" is a complete course of instruction in casino-based gaming and a very highly recommended addition to personal and community library gaming collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Mormons
Roy A. Prete, editor
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th floor
Nyack, NY 10960
www.merrellpublishers.com
9781858946207, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Mormons (the nickname given to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) are a religious group founded by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844 the Mormons followed Brigham Young to what would become the Utah Territory. The center of Mormon cultural influence is in Utah, and the Mormon Church is world-wide in its membership. "The Mormons: An Illustrated History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" by Roy a. Prete (Emeritus Professor, royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario) is a profusely illustrated, 168 page introduction and overview of the Mormon Church, its history and beliefs. Of special note are the chapters on 'Mormon Lifestyle' and the role the temples in Mormonism, the importance of genealogy, an impressive list of influential Mormons. Enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a useful index, "The Mormons: An Illustrated History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" is informed, informative, and highly recommended reading for anyone curious about the Mormons.

The Assault on Priesthood
Rev. Lawrence B. Porter
Wipf & Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401-2960
www.wipfandstock.com
9781610972925, $46.00, www.amazon.com

Over last couple of decades the Catholic Church has been rocked by scandals among its priests and bishops over issues of pedophilia and sexual misconduct. This has resulted in court convictions and imprisonments of offending priests, and law suits by their victims that have wreaked serious havoc on church finances. The traditional respect accorded to the Roman Catholic priesthood has been significantly eroded in many quarters and has not been so severely challenged since the era of the Protestant Reformation. "The Assault on Priesthood: A Biblical and Theological Rejoinder" by Lawrence B. Porter (a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey and current Professor and Chair of the Department of Systematic Theology in the Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey) is a 422 page scriptural and theological tradition based response to that challenge. Erudite, comprehensive, compelling, "The Assault on Priesthood: A Biblical and Theological Rejoinder" is as informed and informative, as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, making it very strongly recommended reading for anyone concerned with the restoration of the classic place and function of priests within the Roman Catholic tradition.


The Civil War Shelf

Writing the Gettysburg Address
Martin P. Johnson
University Press of Kansas
2501 West 15th Street
Lawrence, KS 66049
9780700619337 $34.95 www.kansaspress.ku.edu

Writing the Gettysburg Address is an exhaustively researched, in-depth reconstruction of how President Lincoln's historic Civil War speech came to be. From the speech's rough draft in Washington, to Lincoln's railway journey, its revisions, and its battlefield presentation, Writing the Gettysburg Address spares no detail, and applies literary and deductive reasoning to the circumstances and motivations of the major players in the speech's creation. Exhaustive notes, references, and an index round out seminal contribution to public and college library American History and Civil War shelves.

Summer Lightning
Matt Spruill III & Matt Spruill IV
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
www.utpress.org
9781572339989, $32.95, www.amazon.com

The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28 - 30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen. John Pope's Army of Virginia, and a battle of much larger scale and numbers than the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) fought in 1861 on the same ground. The collaborative work of Matt Spruill III and Matt Spruill IV "Summer Lightning: A Guide to the Second Battle of Manassas" is a 224 page documented history of this major American Civil War engagement. Offering 'reader friendly' directions, enhanced with detailed tactical maps, the inclusion of extensive eye witness accounts, and providing insightful, descriptive, informative, scholarly analysis, "Summer Lightning: A Guide to the Second Battle of Manassas" is a welcome addition to the growing library of American Civil War Studies and highly recommended for academic library collections and supplemental reading lists.

Torn by War
Mary Adelia Byers, author
Samuel R. Phillips, editor
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806143958 $19.95 www.oupress.com

Torn by War: The Civil War Journal of Mary Adela Byers is the personal diary of Mary Adelia Byers (1847-1918), which begins during the 1862 Union occupation of Batesville and closes shortly before the war's end. (The Union occupied Batesville three times as the war progressed). Though Byers was only fifteen when she started her diary, her writings belie her maturity and intelligence. She speaks of the local society, survival during a crisis, "setting up" through the night with dying soldiers, and much more. Though Torn by War is not an unbiased perspective (Byers had lost her father when she was young, and depended on the financial support of her uncle, a slave owner and Confederate sympathizer), it is an exceptionally memorable and worthy contribution to Civil War shelves, particularly those with an emphasis on how ordinary people weathered the war's hardships. Highly recommended.


The Gun Shelf

The Gun Book For Girls
Silvio Calabi, et al.
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
www.downeastbooks.com
9781608932030, $24.99, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Silvio Calabi, Steve Helsley, and Roger Sanger, "The Gun Book for Girls" is a 256 page compendium that provides and informed and informative instruction on guns and shooting for young women with no prior experience with firearms. Replete with illustrative anecdotes and examples, "The Gun Book for Girls" emphasizes the importance of gun safety and the proper use of firearms. Of special note is the practical advice on using and maintaining a gun. "The Gun Book for Girls" provides excellent coverage of various kinds of firearms, shooting methods, and using guns for self protection. There is even useful coverage of clothing and accessories for female gun enthusiasts and profiles of women who work in the gun trade and shoot for sport, in competitions, and in their employment. Thoroughly 'user friendly', non-political, and progressively organized, "The Gun Book for Girls" is highly recommended for personal and community library instructional reference collections. Also very highly recommended are two companion titles from Down East Books: "The Gun Book for Boys" (9781608931996, $24.95 hc; $10.09 Kindle) and "The Gun Book for Parents" (9781608932016, $14.95 hc; $7.69 Kindle).


The Architecture Shelf

Chateau Country
Daniel DeKalb Miller
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764344152, $59.99, www.amazon.com

Historically, a Chateau was a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally - and still most frequently - in French-speaking regions. Most chateaus are described in English as a term for "country house". Originally immigrating from France, the du Pont family settled in the Brandywine River Valley of Delaware. Their first home had six rooms. One hundred years later, their largest house had 176 rooms and thirty-six servants on 2,300 acres of land. "Chateau Country: Du Pont Estates in the Brandywine Valley" is an intimate, informative, 272 page, stunningly illustrated portrait of the houses built by generations of the du Pont family. The informative text is superbly enhanced with the inclusion of full color photography of both interior and exterior images of the individual buildings. Alphabetically presented, the profusion of individual chateaus range from Applecross, to Greenville House, to Mount Cuba, to Owl's nest, to Xanadu. Of special note is the appendices article 'The Siege of Guyencourt'. Enhanced with the inclusion of a glossary and a directory of du Pont houses, a list of resources, and a comprehensive index, "Chateau Country: Du Pont Estates in the Brandywine Valley" is highly recommended for community and academic library American Architectural Studies collections.

Infinite Measure
Rachel Fletcher
George F. Thompson Publishing
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781938086021, $45.00, www.amazon.com

"Infinite Measure: Learning to Design in Geometric Harmony with Art, Architecture, and Nature" is a 400 page compendium in which geometer and theater designer Rachel Fletcher (New York School of interior Design), Rachel Fletcher provides visual designers of all disciplines and art forms with geometric methods and techniques for composing spaces and places harmoniously. Organized into two major sections (Geometry's Shapes and Symbols & Composing Space Plans) readers are presented with a wealth of diagrams illustrating geometric design concepts of balance and proportion. A unique work of impressive scholarship, "Infinite Measure: Learning to Design in Geometric Harmony with Art, Architecture, and Nature" is an important and strongly recommended addition to professional and academic library collections, as well as the supplemental reading lists for art and architecture students.


The Beer/Wine Shelf

Boutique Beer
Ben McFarland
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
www.barronseduc.com
9780764165740, $29.99, www.amazon.com

Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the saccharification of starch and fermentation of the resulting sugar. The starch and saccharification enzymes are often derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat. Most beer is also flavoured with hops, which add bitterness and act as a natural preservative, though other flavourings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be included. The preparation of beer is called brewing. Beer is the most popular drink in the world after water and tea. A new phenomenon in America is the rise of 'boutique' beer, that is, beers made with a wide variety of ingredients and ingredient combinations, usually by very small companies that usually have quite limited production and are often restricted to local community consumption. Compiled with expert commentary by Ben McFarland, "Boutique Beer: 500 Quality Craft Beers" is a 224 page compendium showcasing five hundred examples of the very best in boutique beer production. After a succinct and informative introduction (What Is Boutique Beer?), and an opening chapter (The Knowledge), the beers themselves are organized into nine distinctive chapters: Quench; Lager; Hop Beers; Grain; Old School classics; Curiosities; Sipper Beers; Wild and Wood; and Cellar Beers. Of special note is the "Desert Island Dozen' extensive listing. Profusely illustrated throughout and enhanced with the inclusion of a Directory and an Index of Beers, "Boutique Beer: 500 Quality Craft Beers" is highly informative and recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library collections.


The Aviation Shelf

Early US Jet Fighters
Tony Buttler
Hikoki Publications
c/o Specialty Press
99 Spring Street, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10012
9781902109305 $49.95 www.specialtypress.com

Early US Jet Fighters: Proposals, Projects and Prototypes lives up to its title with an extraordinary wealth of detail documenting the birth of the jet engine fighter in the 1940s, eclipsing the old piston-engined fighter. Black-and-white (and a few color) photographic images and vintage drawings pepper virtually every page of this technical, in-depth reference, record, and resource, covering the many planes designed for army and navy use, all-weather fighting, interception, long range escort, and much more. A "must-have" for aviation history collections!

Wings Of The Navy
Eric 'Winkie' Brown
Hikoki Publications
c/o Specialty Press
99 Spring Street, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10012
www.specialtypress.com
9781902109329, $56.95, www.amazon.com

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, specifically fixed-wing, but also rotary-wingcraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project airpower worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations. They have evolved from wooden vessels used to deploy balloons to nuclear-powered warships that carry dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, helicopters and various others. "Wings of the Navy" by Captain Eric Brown is a 272 page compendium showcasing the British and American military aircraft associated with naval aircraft carriers. Each individual aircraft is shown in a period photograph accompanied by a detailed explanatory text, line drawings, and complete schematic with all the individual parts listed and numbered. The planes themselves range from the Fairey Swordfish, to the Blackburn Firebrand, to the Grumman Hellcat; to the Douglas AD-4 Skyraider, to the McDonnell F-4K & FGA-1 Phantom. Informed and informative, "Wings of the Navy" is strongly recommended as a core addition to professional, community, and academic library Aviation History and Military History reference collections.


The Botany Shelf

Illustrated Genera Of Smut Fungi
Kalman Vanky
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
9780890544280, $139.00, www.amazon.com

The smuts are multicellular fungi, that are characterized by their large numbers of teliospores. The smuts get their name from a Germanic word for dirt because of their dark, thick-walled and dust-like teliospores. They are mostly Ustilaginomycetes (of the class Teliomycetae, subphylum Basidiomycota) and can cause plant disease. The smuts are grouped with the other basidiomycetes because of their commonalities concerning sexual reproduction. Smuts are cereal and crop pathogens that most notably affect members of the grass family (Graminaceae). Economically important hosts include maize, barley, wheat, oats, sugarcane, and forage grasses. They eventually hijack the plants' reproductive systems, forming galls which darken and burst, releasing fungal teliospores which infect other plants nearby. Before infection can occur, the smuts need to undergo a successful mating to form dikaryotic hyphae (two haploid cells fuse to form a dikaryon). Now in a significantly updated and expanded third edition, "Illustrated Genera Of Smut Fungi" by Kalman Vanky is a spiral bound, 288 page compendium enhanced with 116 black-and-white illustrations and is justifiably considered the basic reference on Smut Fungi. A masterwork of scholarship, "Illustrated Genera Of Smut Fungi" is an especially recommended reference and textbook for academic library collections and for students of mycology, phytopathology, taxonomy and botany.

Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism
Donald R. Yance
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620551004, $50.00, www.amazon.com

Adaptogens are plants that practitioners of herbal medicine claim decrease cellular sensitivity to stress. "Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism: Elite Herbs and Natural Compounds for Mastering Stress, Aging, and Chronic Disease" by clinical master herbalist and certified nutritionist Donald R. Yance is a 672 page compendium providing the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the role of adaptogens in human health. Organized into two major sections: 'Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health' focuses on a series of health issues ranging from stress, aging, thyroid and cardiovasuclar health to the immune system, cancer therapy, bone health, and weight management. 'Materia Medica' is an alphabetically organized presentation ranging from Acerola (Malpighia glabra) to Whey Protein Concentrate. Comprehensive and extensive, "Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism" should be considered an essential and core addition to professional, community, and academic library Alternative Medicine & Human Health reference collections. It should be noted that "Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism: Elite Herbs and Natural Compounds for Mastering Stress, Aging, and Chronic Disease" is also available in a Kindle edition ($28.78).


The Sports Shelf

Yoga for Runners
Christine Felstead
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450434171 $19.95 www.HumanKinetics.com

Yoga for Runners is a straightforward, easy-to-follow guide to using yoga stretches to help one's body rise to the challenges of running, from sprints to marathons. Step-by-step instructions with black-and-white photographs of poses demonstrate this basic program to promote strength and flexibility, reduce aches and pains, and improve one's performance while minimizing the risk of injury. Accessible, user-friendly, and relying on no expensive equipment (just a floor mat and/or a simple chair), Yoga for Runners is enthusiastically recommended for anyone who loves to practice any sports or fitness activity with plenty of running involved!

Spitballing
Mike Lackey
Orange Frazer Press
PO Box 214
Wilmington, OH 45177
9781939710055 $19.99 www.orangefrazer.com

Spitballing: The Baseball Days of Long Bob Ewing is an in-depth biography of George Lemuel "Bob" Ewing (1873 - 1947), a baseball player in the majors from 1902-1912, and a pitcher for consistent winner teams including the Philadelphia Nationals, the Cincinnati Reds, and the St. Louis Cardinals. A scattering of vintage black-and-white photographs enhances this intimate portrait of not only Ewing's life and sports career, but also sport of baseball as it was played over one hundred years ago. Vignettes come alive in this thoroughly accessible life story, highly recommended especially for baseball enthusiasts.

The 50 Greatest Players in Boston Red Sox History
Lew Freedman
Camino Books, Inc.
PO Box 59026
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9781933822747 $17.95 www.caminobooks.com

Veteran journalist and sportswriter Lew Freedman presents The 50 Greatest Players in Boston Red Sox History, a survey of the Boston team's most outstanding individuals of its storied 112-year history. A few pages and sometimes a black-and-white photograph are dedicated to each spotlighted individual, touching on their origins and the most outstanding moments of their careers. An excellent, reader-friendly browse for Red Sox fans and baseball trivia buffs!

New York City Baseball: The Golden Age 1947-1957
Harvey Frommer
Taylor Trade Publishing
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781589798908 $16.95 www.rlpgbooks.com

Now with a new introduction for its 2013 edition, New York City Baseball: The Golden Age 1947-1957 explores the post-World War II heyday for baseball in New York, including the rivalries of the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers. Rare interviews with the baseball stars of the era - including Monte Irvin, Mel Allen, Duke Snider, Phil Rizzuto, and many more - pepper this "must-have" for baseball history enthusiasts and armchair time-travelers. Highly recommended!


The Memoir Shelf

The Lightkeeper
Gerald Butler with Patricia Ahern
The Liffey Press
www.theliffeypress.com
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781908308252 $25.95 www.dufoureditions.com

The Lightkeeper: A Memoir is the wistful recollections of author Gerald Butler, one of Ireland's last lightkeepers before its lighthouses were fully automated in the 1990's. During his twenty-one years of service, Butler worked at the lighthouses of Bull Rock, Mizen Head, the Old Head of Kinsale, and Fastnet Rock. His true stories include tales of crews battling the elements in a fight for survival, and a detailed, eyewitness recollection of the 1979 Fastnet yacht race of 3,000 competitors; when a deadly storm surprised the racers, over 4,000 rescuers labored to save lives. An extraordinary glimpse into both the daily life and the crisis moments of a storied profession, The Lightkeeper is an excellent choice for public library memoir collections and personal reading lists.


The Autism Shelf

Social Skills Training
Jed E. Baker, Ph.D. with Brenda Smith Myles
Autism Asperger Publishing Company
PO Box 23173
Shawnee Mission, KS 66283
193128220X $48.00 www.aapcpublishing.net

Clinical psychologist and social skills trainer Jed E. Baker, Ph.D. presents Social Skills Training: For Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and Social-Communication Problems, an educational guide to helping young people with Asperger Syndrome (or other traits that make social interaction difficult) improve their socialization skills. Chapters include an overview of Asperger Syndrome (provided by Brenda Smith Myles), strategies for teaching social skills, behavior management recommendations, skill lessons, and activities, using sensitivity training and incentive programs to promote peer acceptance, and more. For example, to "bait the skill" of sharing, Social Skills Training recommends "Have students (or siblings) do an art project without giving separate materials to each. Have only one set of markers, one bottle of glue, etc., so that they must share." Or, "Give out snacks and pretend to run out, forcing students to share with each other. In case they do not share, have enough snacks on hand after all." Simple things such as talking on the telephone, greetings, dealing with losing, and much more. Every educator (or parent!) who works with autistic children should investigate Social Skills Training as a valuable reference and resource for teaching the crucial basics.

My Book Full of Feelings
Amy V. Jaffe, M.S.W. and Luci Gardner
Autism Asperger Publishing Company
PO Box 23173
Shawnee Mission, KS 66283
1931282838 $29.95 www.aapcpublishing.net

My Book Full of Feelings: How to Control and React to the Size of Your Emotions is an interactive workbook with laminated pages that can be written in with dry-erase marker, then wiped clean for new writings on a different day. Though designed especially to be helpful for children with autism and Asperger's, My Book Full of Feelings is a valuable tool for working with any child. Colorful tabs and cartoony faces correspond with different strong emotions - "Happy", "Sad", "Angry", "Calm", "Worried", and "Frustrated" - and the dry-erase pages allow a child to write down things that make him or her feel the emotion, as well as coping strategies for dealing with it. For example, a sample coping strategy for dealing with the medium-sized Worry of "Going somewhere I have never been" is "ASK: 'What is it like there?' or 'How will it go?'" Paper tear-out home-school collaborative worksheets round out excellent, easy-to-use resource for parents and professionals.


The Relationship Shelf

X that Ex
Kristin E. Carmichael, LISW
Hunter House Publishers
PO Box 2914
Alameda, CA 94501-2914
9780897936408 $15.95 www.hunterhouse.com

X that Ex: Making a Clean Break When the Relationship is Over lives up to its title as a self-help guide to resolutely ending a harmful relationship (marriage, dating, or even a friendship gone sour). Though written especially for women struggling to free themselves from abusive, manipulative, thieving, or even violent partners, the strategies and wisdom of X that Ex will also prove useful to men trying to break from a toxic significant other. Domestic violence specialist Kristin E. Carmichael identifies and clarifies the emotional manipulation techniques common to bad exes everywhere, as well as ways in which people sabotage themselves when trying to leave a bad relationship. In addition to the psychological insights, X that Ex also offers information on domestic violence hotlines and other resources created to help women in the most dire trouble. Highly recommended.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Philosophy of Arthur C. Danto
Randall E. Auxier & Lewis Edwin Hahn, editors
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60601
www.opencourtbooks.com
9780812697322, $99.95, www.amazon.com

The late Arthur Coleman Danto (January 1, 1924 - October 25, 2013) was an American art critic and philosopher. He is best known as the influential, long-time art critic for The Nation and for his work in philosophical aesthetics and philosophy of history, though he has contributed significantly to a number of fields. His interests span thought, feeling, philosophy of art, theories of representation, philosophical psychology, Hegel's aesthetics, and the philosophers Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Arthur Schopenhauer. Collaboratively compiled and edited by the team of Randall E. Auxier (Professor of Philosophy, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale) and Lewis Edwin Hahn (editor of Open Court's Library of Living Philosophers series from 1981 to 2001), "The Philosophy of Arthur C. Danto" is an 816 page compendium organized into three major sections: Intellectual Autobiogaphy of Arthur C. Danto; Descriptive and Critical Essays on the Philosophy of Arthur C. Danto, with Replies; and Bibliography of the Writings of Arthur C. Danto. Enhanced with a comprehensive Index, "The Philosophy of Arthur C. Danto" offers a comprehensive introduction to one of the most influential and scholarly American philosophers of the 20th Century, making it a significant and core addition to academic library 20th Century Philosophy collections and supplemental philosophical studies reading lists.


The Reference Shelf

The United States Government Internet Directory, 2013
Shana Hertz-Hattis, editor
Bernan Press
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.rlpgbooks.com
9781598886283, $72.00, www.amazon.com

The recent shutdown of the federal government only served to underscore how much a role it plays in the lives of the citizenry. The federal government is so large, complex, and diversified that finding internet access to a particular department or record site can often prove perplexing. That's why "The United States Government Internet Directory, 2013", deftly compiled and organized by Shana Hertz-Hattis will prove to be an invaluable reference. Listing more than 1,800 web site records accessibly organized into 21 subject themed chapters; major government publications; up-to-date organizations charts for major federal government agencies; House and Senate Committees with committee URLs; and major government web sites re4lated to the global recession and new government economic recovery programs; and (new to this edition) more than 100 web sites on non-government organizations, "The United States Government Internet Directory, 2013" is comprehensive, definitive, accurate, and thoroughly 'user friendly', making it a very strongly recommended addition to community, corporate, NGO, political lobbyist, and academic library reference collections. It should be noted that "The United States Government Internet Directory, 2013" is also available in a Kindle edition ($41.49).


The International Studies Shelf

Ruth First and Joe Slovo in the War Against Apartheid
Alan Wieder
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W
New York, NY 10001
www.monthlyreview.org
9781583673560, $23.95, www.amazon.com

Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced through legislation by the National Party (NP) governments, who were the ruling party of South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The rights of the majority black inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and Afrikaner minority rule was maintained. In 1990 President Frederik Willem de Klerk began negotiations to end apartheid, culminating in multi-racial democratic elections in 1994, which were won by the African National Congress under Nelson Mandela. The vestiges of apartheid still shape South African politics and society. Although the official abolishment of Apartheid occurred in 1990 with repeal of the last of the remaining Apartheid laws, the end of Apartheid is widely regarded as arising from the 1994 democratic general elections. "Ruth First and Joe Slovo in the War Against Apartheid" by historian Alan Wieder is the biographical story of a white man and a white woman who became heroes to subjugated South African blacks by working to abolish the apartheid system. Their complex personal story is presented in documented detail and is a critically important contribution toward an understanding of what it was like and what it cost to confront entrenched political, cultural, and economic interests that sought to defend and perpetuate South African apartheid. A blend of biography and political history, "Ruth First and Joe Slovo in the War Against Apartheid" is informed, informative, and highly recommended for academic library South African History and 20th Century International Studies collections.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Treacherous Imagination
Robert McGill
Ohio State University Press
180 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Road
Columbus, OH 43210-1002
http://www.ohiostatepress.org
9780814212318, $54.95, www.amazon.com

The literary history of the novel is replete with accusations that authors have transformed friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, or associates into the characters they have populated their works of fiction with -- often with unflattering overtones or implications. "The Treacherous Imagination: Intimacy, Ethics, and Autobiographical Fiction" by Robert McGill (Assistant Professor of English, University of Toronto, Canada) is a 208 page compendium that examines the ethics of writing such novels and short stories. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Treacherous Imagination: Intimacy, Ethics, and Autobiographical Fiction" is a unique work of seminal scholarship and a welcome, highly recommended addition to academic library Literary Criticism collections and supplemental reading lists for students with an interest into the ethical ramifications of 'autobiographical fiction'. It should be noted that "The Treacherous Imagination" is also available ins CD-ROM format (9780814293331, $14.95).


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Global Environmental Politics, sixth edition
Pamela S. Chasek, David L. Downie, and Janet Welsh Brown
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue
Boulder, CO 80301
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 West 57th Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10107
www.perseusacademic.com
9780813348964 $45.00 www.westviewpress.com

Now in its sixth updated edition, with new material pertaining to the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, the impact of the global economic crisis, and more, Global Environmental Politics is an intense scrutiny of the difficult and complex issues involved in stemming the loss of biodiversity, pollution, and other environmental threats. As the global human population approaches 7.2 billion and climbing, promoting sustainable development becomes more important than ever; Global Environmental Politics addresses how astute governance can tackle such thorny and complicated issues. A handful of black-and-white photographs, extensive notes, and an index round out this excellent addition to the "Dilemmas in World Politics" series, highly recommended especially for public and college library Environmental Studies shelves.

Liminal Zones
Kim Trevathan
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
1572339535 $26.95 www.utpress.org

Part memoir, part travelogue, Liminal Zones: Where Lakes End and Rivers Begin reflects on the precarious fragility of our environment's waterways. Auther, professor of writing and communication, and dedicated kayaker Kim Trevathan tells of his four-year exploration of the rivers and lakes of America, particularly those most strongly affected by man-made structures... especially when those structures decay from abandonment and neglect. From Blood River in western Kentucky, to the Big South Fork of Cumberland, to Montana's Clearwater River, Colorado's Dolores River, and more, Liminal Zones is an extraordinary personal tour of adventure, insight, mystery, and wonder. A treasure for armchair travelers, and a thoughtful contribution to environmental studies shelves.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Foundations of Economic Evolution
Carsten Herrmann-Pillath
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781847204745 $150.00 www.e-elgar.com

Foundations of Economic Evolution: A Treatise on the Natural Philosophy of Economics merges the disciplines of the physical, biological, and social sciences as well as philosophy with economic theory. Chapters are highly technical, in-depth, and require a solid mathematics background in some cases. Topics covered at length include ontology, economics as applied to evolution, the role of the individual in economics (which in turn draws upon what science knows about the human brain), the role of networks, institutions, technology, and much more. An extensive list of references and an index round out this complex attempt to reveal how economics intersects in tandem with other physical and social forces driving the world at large. "Prices are publicly observable and compress information about the realized states of markets. Expectations of actors do not simply follow prices, though, because prices need to be interpreted (for instance, a rising price can indicate both rising prices in the future or falling prices, depending on assumptions about the ceiling, given general market conditions.)"


The Anthropology Shelf

Mediating the Global
Heather Hindman
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804786515 $40.00 www.sup.org

Mediating the Global: Expatria's Forms and Consequences in Kathmandu is a close scrutiny of the daily life of foreign workers and their families living in Kathmandu, Nepal. Chapters cover the realities of paperwork and shopping for professional expatriates; their cross-cultural training; and common pitfalls in expatriate life. "In Nepal, spouses are restricted by local visa laws from earning money in-country, and many are banned by their husbands' companies from driving, which becomes a necessity for those placed in isolated, detached homes across the Valley; yet they are expected to have extensive social, familial and community responsibilities particular to expatriate life." An extensive bibliography and index round out this well-researched and insightful examination of the challenges, pressures, and changing characteristics of Nepal's expatriate community, as well as the lessons that can be drawn and generalized from their experiences.


The Genealogy Shelf

Ohio and the War of 1812
Eric Eugene Johnson
Heritage Books
5810 Ruatan St.
Berwyn Heights, Maryland 20740
9780788454950 $30.00 www.heritagebooks.com

Ohio and the War of 1812 is a reference and resource that will prove especially useful for genealogists and/or people researching Ohio ancestors who served in the War of 1812. Packed with reproductions of information contained in army documents, Ohio and the War of 1812 is the most thorough reference available to identify in which company a given individual served. Descriptive and informative text essays supplement the lists of names and ranks, as well as a handy glossary and military organizational flowcharts. Ohio and the War of 1812 is an excellent, detailed, and user-friendly addition to genealogical reference shelves.


The Folklore Shelf

The Last Laugh
Trevor J. Blank
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor
Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299292041, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history and effects of various media; in particular, the 'mass media'. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass communication, communication, communication sciences and communication studies. "The Last Laugh: Folk Humor, Celebrity Culture, and Mass-Mediated Disasters in the Digital Age" by Trevor J. Blank (Assistant Professor of Communications, State University of New York - Potsdam) is the debut title in the University of Wisconsin Press series 'Folklore Studies in a Multicultural World'. This 188 page compendium is comprised of an informative introduction (Cyberspace, Technology, and mass media in the Twenty-First Century), followed by seven major articles ranging from the popular use of new media for vernacular expression, to responses to celebrity deaths and falls from grace, to the transformation of sports celebrity Tiger Wood from celebrated hero to ridiculed villain. Enhanced with an Afterword (Predictions on Future Trajectories of Vernacular Expression and New Media), a glossary, extensive notes, a list of references, and a comprehensive index, "The Last Laugh" is a model of meticulous scholarship and a highly recommended contribution to academic library Cultural Studies, Contemporary Folk Lore Studies, and Media Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "The Last Laugh" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Wisconsin Shelf

One Small Farm: Photographs of a Wisconsin Way of Life
Craig Schreiner, author/photographer
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
9780870206177, $24.95, www.wisconsinhistory.org

"One Small Farm" is a poignant collection of daily life images on an authentic small dairy farm proudly owned and worked by the Lamberty brothers, Gordy and Jim, from the 1950's to 2012-13. Sensitive, story-telling portraits and paintings by camera are the fine specialty of photojournalist Craig Schreiner, who was taken by the wealth and human detail of rural evocative images found at Whistling Pines farm, near Pine Bluffs, Wisconsin. Here are multiple, seasonal, moving photos of daily dairy farm life, starkly composed and sparsely narrated. Some of the best pictures are of aging, arthritic hands, bent with years of daily labor. Many excellent shots show vintage or near vintage farm machinery in use, such as a 1948 John Deere tractor. Another photo shows the careful plaques in the barn giving the names of each dairy cow in the herd. A touch of whimsy and humor shows in a photo of a barn cat cuddling up on a Holstein cow's warm back at milking. Many photos show the brothers going about their chores together, working in rhythm. Some of the photos are of Marie Lamberty, their mother, taking potatoes to a shed to dry and helping clean out the barn after milking. The Lamberty brothers care about their work, their animals and machines, their farm and family. Craig Schreiner has captured a time tablet which may or may not be a passing way of life. "One Small Farm" is an experience in reverence for daily work, thankfulness for a good life well lived.

Wisconsin Lighthouses, revised edition
Ken and Barb Wardius
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street
Madison, WI 53575
9780870206092 $24.95 www.wisconsinhistory.org

Now in a revised edition, Wisconsin Lighthouses: A Photographic and Historical Guide is filled with striking, full color images as well as some black-and-white vintage photographs paired with extensive anecdotes and true tales from the people who used to work with historic lighthouses on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Winebago. Maps, "how to get there" directions, the latest status reports of each location, and more round out this accessible tribute. Wisconsin Lighthouses is a wonderful historical treasury, and an excellent giftbook for lighthouse aficionados everywhere!


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


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design