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Volume 16, Number 9 September 2006 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Audiobook Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Political Science Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf
Hobby Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Enviromental Studies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Language Studies Shelf Adventure Shelf
Criminology Shelf Military Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Fiction Shelf Library DVD Shelf Library CD Music Shelf
Literary Shelf Genealogy Shelf World History Shelf
Mythology/Folklore Shelf Computer Shelf Architecture Shelf
Music Shelf Cookbook Shelf Photography Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Travel Shelf Gaming Shelf Metaphysical Shelf
Business Shelf Automotive Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Native American Shelf Poetry Shelf American History Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Biography Shelf Woodwork Shelf
Anthropology Shelf Parenting Shelf Civil War Shelf
Education Shelf Economics Shelf Art Shelf
Psychology Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Wisconsin: Simply Beautiful
Darryl R. Beers, RJ & Linda Miller
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.montanamagazine.com
1560371854 $29.95 1-800-654-1105

The collective effort of Darryl R. Beers, RJ Miller, and Linda Miller, Wisconsin: Simply Beautiful is an impressive compendium of full color photography celebrating the scenic wonders and diverse landscapes of the Badger State. Showcasing spectacular images of Wisconsin's flora, fauna, architecture, people and communities, each individual photographic image is accompanied by a succinct caption. Ideal browsing for the armchair traveler, Wisconsin: Simply Beautiful is a superbly organized and presented survey of Wisconsin and a "must" for every Wisconsin community library.

Consuming Nature
Gregory Summers
University Press of Kansas
2501 West 15th St., Lawrence, KS 66049
www.kansaspress.ku.edu
0700614869 $29.95 1-785-864-4155

Consuming Nature: Environmentalism In The Fox River Valley, 1850-1950 has an unusual dual nature - in one respect, it is a straightforward chronicle of the debate in Wisconsin's Fox River Valley more than fifty years ago, when the populace questioned and resisted the paper industry's heedless practice of dumping pollution into the Fox River. On a deeper level, Consuming Nature examines not only how this microcosm struggle, repeated in numerous areas elsewhere throughout the state and the nation, reflected not only the clash of economic industrial forces versus environmentalists, but also how it represented the growth of a consumer society. Consumers craved employment and products created by the paper industry, but consumers also craved the ability to enjoy recreation in Fox River, a privilege that excess pollution was about to destroy. At its core, Consuming Nature dares to advance the thesis that the modern environmental movement owes far more than most anyone would admit to the power and influence of consumer society.

Doing Nothing
Tom Lutz
Farrar, Straus, And Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
0865476500 $25.00 www.fsgbooks.com

Doing Nothing: A History Of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, And Bums In America by Tom Lutz is the true story of the American anti-work ethic from Benjamin Franklin's "air baths" to Jack Kerouac's dharma bums to the notorious slackers of Generation X to doctors declaring the medical problems of overwork and much more. The history, philosophy, and justification of goofing off, supplemented with careful research and statistics, makes for engaging reading whether for expert sociologists researching the cultural phenomenon’s of shirking or lay readers making the most of their own relaxation time. A true pleasure to read cover to cover, especially while the reader is allegedly at work.

Rhetoric: An Historical Introduction
Wendy Olmsted
Blackwell Publishing
2121 State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014-8300
www.blackwellpublishing.com
1405117729 $49.95 1-800-216-2522

Rhetoric: An Historical Introduction is a straightforward introduction to the art, skill, and history of rhetoric. Author Wendy Olmsted (Associate Professor, University of Chicago) discusses classical traditions of rhetoric, classical rhetoric and literary interpretation, and the role rhetoric has to play in contemporary disciplines. The place rhetoric has in specific great works of literature, such as Machiavelli's "The Prince", Augustine's "On Christian Doctrine", and much more is discussed at especial length. A scholarly resource especially for college students seeking to acclimate themselves to principles of persuasiveness.

Loving The Machine
Timothy N. Hornyak
Kodansha America, Inc.
575 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10022
www.kodanshaamercia.com
4770030126 $26.95 1-800-451-7556

Loving The Machine: The Art And Science Of Japanese Robots is a fascinating and informative tribute to Japanese popular culture and its love affair with humanoid robots ranging from anime's Astro Boy to automatons imagined in speculative fiction to have existed in the Edo period of Japanese history. In stark contrast to American movies portraying robots as ruthless, Terminator-style killing machines, Japanese cinema and television has a tradition of gentler robots that mimic human activities. Full-color photographs on every page illustrate this unique analysis of what Japanese culture celebrates robots, Japan's historical connections to robots, and what modern technology indicates the future holds. Loving The Machine is very highly recommended reading -- especially for modern Japanese culture buffs.

Communication Gaps And How To Close Them
Naomi Karten
Dorset House Publishing Company
353 West 12th Street, NY, NY 10014
0932633536 $39.95 dorsethouse.com

Communication Gaps And How To Close Them by international speaker, seminar leader, author, and consultant Naomi Karten is a straightforward guide especially for businesspeople, but also useful for lay readers, to effective and positive communication. From recognizing and preventing misinterpretations or disassociated definitions, to becoming aware of communication differences, to learning to see things from the other party's perspective, to the value of gathering and analyzing customer feedback, Communication Gaps And How To Close Them offers no-nonsense advice for untangling the confusion between human beings. Black-and-white illustrations and the occasional humorous cartoon add a touch of zest to this highly practical guide especially recommended for anyone in an interpersonal business job, such as management or customer relations.

Everything I Know About Men I Learned From My Dog
Clare Staples
The Free Press
1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020
0743291239 $12.00 www.amazon.com

Everything I Know About Men I Learned From My Dog by former British model Clare Staple was actually released in the UK a year ago to much acclaim, so it's been a long wait for American readers to enjoy its appearance here. Any with an interest in pets, romance, and the modern dating scene will find Everything I Know About Men I Learned From My Dog a hilarious set of links on how to train and manage either species. From 'off days' and 'superiority' to grooming for self-worth and being elusive rather than too easy, this is an hilarious, fun, and enthusiastically recommended read.

University of Indianapolis Press
1400 E. Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227-3697
www.uindy.edu/universitypress

Two excellent guides on world history and events are important additions recommended for college-level holdings strong in social or political science. James C. Hsiung's Comprehensive Security: Challenge For Pacific Asia (088093850, $16.95) appeared some time ago but deserves ongoing mention in light of modern events: it's a study explaining comprehensive security and its relationship to both traditional security perspectives and post-9/11 meanings. From virus spreads to economic security and political change, Comprehensive Security advocates a wider perspective than most. Chiara Betta's The Other Middle Kingdom: Brief History Of Muslims In China (0880938536, $19.95) is provided in both Chinese and English and provides a history of fourteen centuries of Muslims in China. One would think this would be a weighty coverage: The Other Middle Kingdom synthesizes information for a survey of both early Muslim life in China and the modern ten Muslim nationalities recognized by the PRC. Both are essential additions to any comprehensive college-level collection.

Outdoor Rooms
Tina Skinner & Melissa Cardona
Schiffer Books
4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA 19310
0764324594 $24.95 schifferbooks.com

If you dream of making your backyard part of your house, here's the book for you: Outdoor Rooms: Fresh Air Kitchens And Living Areas tells how to blend a simple lawn into a fresh-air open-'walled' room which can be made of wood, concrete, brick, or stone. From patios to kitchens, a pool house to a pavilion, Outdoor Rooms provide a wide range of options for any who would add on to an outdoor setting.

Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com

Outdoor showers aren't just for camping anymore: they're popping up as trendy home add-ons to a garden, and Ethan Fierro's The Outdoor Shower: Creative Design Ideas For Backyard Living, From The Functional To The Fantastic (158017552X $19.95) allows for a range of ideas and applications. Lovely color photos of such showers run the gamut from very simple to amazingly detailed, while choices in heating from solar to convention and choices in design offer details for virtually any setting, whether it be stone, wood, metal or tile. A fine pick for any who would restore function to an outside setting. Anne Halpin's Seascape Gardening From New England To The Carolinas (1580175317, $19.95) may not reach the West coast but East Coast residents will find this a fine guide to the shrubs and landscaping choices which enhance an Atlantic environment. The seaside residence offers special gardening challenges: salt and coastal conditions affect plant choices and growing conditions. Halpin here explains these conditions and how to best work with them.

A Passion For Asia
Cynthia Bronson Altman, et al
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, Manchester, VT 05254-9911
0878481036 $60.00 www.amazon.com

Deftly compiled by a team of imminent scholars, A Passion For Asia: The Rockefeller Legacy is an in-depth, informative study of the Rockefeller family's strong dedication to providing Americans with an understanding and appreciation for Asian art, politics, history, society and culture. Introducing the reader to the intricate collection of Asian art and culturally influenced decor, A Passion For Asia: The Rockefeller Legacy elaborates on the actual Asian culture itself, as well as detailed essays and writings on the actual art itself. A Passion For Asia: The Rockefeller Legacy has been presented on the fiftieth-year anniversary of the founding of the Asia society, and for that reason, is very strongly recommended to all readers seeking a better understanding of the Asian perspective of art, culture, politics and ethics, as well as those who are engaged in the study of general Asian society.

Retired With Husband
Mary Louise Floyd
VanderWyk & Burnham
PO Box 2789, Acton, MA 01720-6789
1889242268 $24.95 www.VandB.com

Mary Louise Floyd, herself a retired educator, community active, empty-nested mother with a retired-corporate-attorney husband, writes with a very special expertise about the challenges, strategies, and necessities of being a "first wave boomer" and entering the senior citizen years of retirement. There has always been pressure on baby boomer women to "have it all and do it all". Often that continues into the retirement years with "superwoman" expectations in "partnership marriages". Mary Floyd articulate defines and discusses the concept of "baby-boom superwoman", the "Gray Divorce" phenomenon, the challenges superwomen face with their retired husbands (and the strategies to deal with them); steps to establishing long-term goals and their achievement, all illustrated through her own experiences as on of those baby-boom superwomen. Strongly recommended reading, Retired With Husband is written with wit, humor, insight, experience, and will prove to be one of the most engaging and informative introductions to helping women (and men) in similar circumstances master the changes that are occurring in their lives as aging baby boomers themselves.

Greenwood Press
PO Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
www.greenwood.com

Hussein became Iraq's president in 1979, where he held power through terrorism into modern times. His reign was marked by three wars until he was overthrown by the US: Shiva Balaghi‘s biography Saddam Hussein (0313330778, $29.95) details lesser-known aspects of his personal life, from a difficult childhood and politically charged teen years to his involvement in politics and rise to power. His rule and its effects will be felt for decades, which makes Saddam Hussein: A Biography more than of passing interest. Lori Aqskeland edits Children And Youth In Adoption, Orphanages And Foster Care: A Historical Handbook And Guide (031-3331839, $59.95): an outstanding and unusual survey providing the first comprehensive introductory resource on individuals and groups which have contributed to ideas of what children need temporary care. Three sections of original essays survey the practice of adoption, foster care and orphanages from colonial to modern times, using primary documents by adults and children alike to round out the historical review. A ‘must' for any involved in children's social work, and for college-level specialty holdings. James M. Volo and Dorothy Deneen Volo's Family Life In 17th And 18th Century America (0313331995, $49.95) adds to Greenwood's ‘Family Life Through History' series, following the daily lives of all family members from parents and children to grandparents as they operate in society and at home. Narrative chapters provide daily insights on household operations, work, ceremonies, customs, parenting and more, while readers also receive details on the era involved, and sources of further information. Especially recommended for college-level specialty holdings on early American history and sociology.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Art Of X-Men
Peter Sanderson, et.al.
Newmarket Press
18 E. 48th Street, New York, NY 10017
www.newmarketpress.com
1557047332 $19.95 www.amazon.com

The Art Of X-Men The Last Stand: From Concept To Feature Film could've been featured in our 'Theatre and Cinema' section but sci-fi buffs will find it an irresistible heroic fantasy superhero moviebook packing in nearly four hundred illustrations from movie stills to production artwork, concept drawings and ideas. Director Brett Ratner provides commentary about the film's production, while a plot review includes critical comments about movie themes on genetics and prejudice. The photos and artwork are exquisite: The Art Of X-Men The Last Stand will thus appeal beyond the film genre well into the science fiction fan's world.

BL Publishing
1525 Hulse Rd, #1, Mt Pleasant, NJ 08742
www.blackflame.com

Dan Abnett's Horus Rising: The Seeds Of Heresy Are Sown (184416294X, $7.99) is set in the 31st millennium and tells of a galaxy-wide empire in its golden age of discovery and conquest. Favorite son Horus, promoted to Warmaster, must carry out a plan which pits him against his brothers. Graham McNeill's False Gods: The Heresy Takes Root (1844163709, $7.99) joins others in the Warhammer series, providing a sequel to Horus Rising. Familiarity with the prior book will lend a speedy acceptance of the setting here, which continues the epic story of one man's choices and its impact on the galaxy. Can sibling jealousy and Horus' injury affect the kingdom's struggle against chaos? Dan Abnett's Ravenor Returned (1844161854, $7.99) tells of Ravenor and his team, investigating a psychic substance and facing a rival and more influences form the forces of chaos.

Resolution
John Meaney
Pyr
50 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228
1591024374 $25.00 www.pyrsf.com

In Resolution, the third book of the 'Nulapeiron Sequence' trilogy, the war against The Blight has ended and the Nulapeiron people have a chance for peace except for Tom Corcorigan, revolutionary and war hero, who knows threats remain. Despite his new marriage and longing for peace, Tom's 'story crystal' reveals impending threat and a new Anomaly begins to kill of the human realms. Only Tom's forces have a chance against such an invader because Tom is a warlord who is no longer human Resolution concludes the trilogy of tales featuring Tom and is a top pick for prior fans.

Baen Books
PO Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com

These new arrivals are top picks for leisure reading. Timothy Zahn's The Cobra Trilogy (1416520678, $14.00) is military sci fi at its best: a new kind of soldier is created to fight aliens not in space but on the ground: the Cobras' weaponry is surgically implanted yet invisible until needed. And Jonny Moreau learns the hard way that not all Cobras are on Earth's side the complete Cobra trilogy under one cover is hard to beat. David Drake, Eric Flint and Jim Baen are a powerful combination of literary forces together in The World Turned Upside Down (116520686, $15.00), in which publisher Baen joins with two top authors to gather the stories which made them sci fi fans in their youth. Sources used range from Analog to Weird Tales from the early 30s on and pack in some of the finest names in the field: a must for any 'best of the best' reader of the genre. Timothy Zahn's Blackcollar: Judas Solution (1416520651, $25.00) tells of the legendary 'blackcollar' warriors, the only hope of the planet. Military aggression, a sector's tactical center prize, and the Ryqril's threat make for a fast-paced military space action story. Arlene Golds' From Dream To Dream (141652066X, $25.00) tells of dreams turning to reality. Drew finds herself lost in a nightmare of dangerous monsters a nightmare pushing into her real waking world and learns her dreams have the power to change reality. From Dream To Dream is a fine, original story that comes packed with adventure and action: a top pick.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Seeking Wholeness
Marie Evans Bouclin
Liturgical Press
Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
0814622402 $12.95 320-363-2227

Seeking Wholeness: Women Dealing With Abuse Of Power In The Catholic Church, written by professional theology and ethics translator Marie Evans Bouclin, gathers the expertise and testimony of the authors' experience striving to redress the physical and spiritual needs of women who have suffered betrayal and sexual abuse (ranging from being persuaded through an abuse of power and influence to have a sexual relationship with a priest to rape) by priests, particularly Catholic priests. Seeking Wholeness also addresses the betrayal of women who are not necessarily sexually exploited, but who are sexually discriminated against in that they are summarily dismissed from a parish or church-related job without reason or recourse. Seeking Wholeness addresses the male-centered power dynamic of the Catholic Church that utterly excludes lay people and therefore offers fewer checks and balances against corruption within, as well as stripping Catholics of responsibility for their own spirituality. Above all, Seeking Wholeness emphasizes the critical importance of recognizing the problem, of allowing and encouraging women's stories to be told. Much has been written concerning priest sexual abuse of children; less has been spoken of sexual abuse of women, and Seeking Wholeness strives to rectify the gap as well as offer steps toward healing and exposure of innate flaws in the Catholic power system and patriarchal faith doctrine that will continue to cultivate abusers until rectified.

God's Invisible Hand
Gerard O'Connell, interviewer
Ignatius Press
P.O. Box 1339, Ft. Collins, CO 80522
1586171356 $16.95 www.amazon.com

God's Invisible Hand: The Life And Work Of Francis Cardinal Arinze by journalist Gerard O'Connell compiles a series of interviews with His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, the only African cardinal currently heading a Vatican department. Essentially relating the story of Arinze's life in his own words, from his conversion to Christianity at age nine to studying in Rome and London, to working as a priest in Nigeria, becoming the world's youngest bishop, being appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1982 to lead the Catholic Church's dialogue with major world religions, and more, God's Invisible Hand offers Arinze's reflections upon his extraordinary journey of faith and labor in God's name. A handful of black-and-white photographs round out this compelling primary source of one man's dedication to God's cause.

Making Faith Fun
Amy Viets
ACTA Publications
5559 West Howard, Skokie, IL 60077
www.actapublications.com
0879463031 $9.95 1-800-397-2282

Making Faith Fun: 132 Spiritual Activities You Can Do With Kids by Amy Viets (Director of Children's Ministry, ELCA Lutheran Congregation) is a no-nonsense list of ways for parents to weave faith into daily life with their children, from infants and toddlers to preteens. The individual chapters are organized by age groups and refer to ways to remember God on the road, during chore time, in the great outdoors, at the store, at the dinner table, during special occasions, and more. Ideas range from telling stories from the Bible to emphasizing the importance of mealtime prayers to quietly donating surplus school supplies and helping neighbors with housework or yard work when they fall sick or upon difficult times. Making Faith Fun is especially highly recommended for its promotion of compassion, connections, and positive moral values in an era of increasing individual isolation.

Are You Running With Me, Jesus?
Malcolm Boyd
Cowley Publications
4 Brattle St, #309, Cambridge, MA 02138
1561012750 $15.95 1-800-225-6675

Now celebrating its 40th anniversary edition, Are Your Running With Me, Jesus? by ordained Episcopalian priest Malcolm Boyd is a groundbreaking treasury. Daring to break with the formal patterns of the era, Boyd's prayers are in a conversational tone, centered upon Jesus Christ as a compassionate Savior to whom one can pray about anything, lofty or trivial. This new edition of Are You Running With Me, Jesus? has the more outdated linguistic forms updated, and the prayers made obsolete by topicality removed. A true devotional classic, highly recommended for all Christians. "When a mind is closed and communication has ceased, how may a person be reached? If one's heart has never learned to love, or has stopped loving, how may the heart be taught, Jesus?"

Pentateuch: The Saint John's Bible
Donald Jackson
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
0814690521 $69.95 1-800-858-5450

Exquisitely handwritten and illuminated by Donald Jackson, Pentateuch: The Saint John's Bible is as much a work of art as it is a religious text. Commissioned by Saint John's Abbey and University as an expression of the Benedictine monks' daily focus on scripture and devotion to books, art, and religious high culture, Pentateuch presents sacred text in flowing English calligraphy, Hebrew book headings, and colorful marks studding the passages. The care put into each line is breathtaking. In oversized hardcover format, Pentateuch uses the sheer scope of its page to display the columns of perfectly penned scripture in vivid detail.

Preaching Without Contempt
Marilyn J. Salmon
Augsburg Fortress
PO Box 59304, Minneapolis, MN 55459
0800638212 $16.00 fortresspress.com

Preaching Without Contempt: Overcoming Unintended Anti-Judaism by Marilyn J. Salmon (Associate Professor of New Testament Theology at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities) is an in-depth study of the general misrepresentation provided by so many Christian preachers in the past concerning the Judaic religion. Providing contemporary Christian readers with a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the New Testament Gospels in their historical first-century Jewish context, Preaching Without Contempt insightfully and knowledgeably presents Jewish beliefs and offers helpful advice for avoiding the kind of stereotypes that lead to Christian driven discrimination, persecutions, pogroms and holocausts against the Jews of the past. Preaching Without Contempt is very highly recommended reading for all Christians, and most especially seminary students and the Protestant clergy.

Invoking Mary Magdalene
Siobhan Houston
Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
www.soundstrue.com
1591794226 $19.95 1-800-333-9185

Invoking Mary Magdalene: Accessing The Wisdom Of The Divine Feminine is a spiritual book and audio CD guide to invoking the sacredness of Mary Magdalene, who is mentioned in the New Testament more than any other woman. Chapters include a Magdalene litany for turning oneself over to become a vessel for Divine Feminine grace, teachings on enlightenment Jesus is said to have imparted to Magdalene alone, a guide to creating one's personal shrine to Mary Magdalene, and much more. Written by a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Invoking Mary Magdalene is a profound, reverent, and respectful guide to expressing faith and paying homage. The sessions on the accompanying CD are Guided Visualization to the Cave of Baume (11:45), The Holy Gnostic Rosary (31:37), Union with the Holy Bride (13:00), Magdalene as Grail Guardian and Queen of Shadows Meditation (9:47), and Prayer of Archangelic Protection (0:52).

Historical Atlas Of Religions
Karen Farrington
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
www.internationalpubmarket.com
1904668135 $25.00 www.amazon.com

Any interested in an overall reference covering the rise and fall of all religions will find Historical Atlas Of Religions a fascinating read: it takes a regional approach to major faiths of the world, includes tribal beliefs form all continents, and provides a visual approach to traditions, conflicts, and issues. From early to modern times, religious history comes to life.

Pathways To Spirituality
Bill O'Hanlon
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0393704890 $24.95 www.wwnorton.com

Spirituality is becoming more of a driving force in modern lives so therapists should be making more effort to integrate spirituality as a part of therapeutic practice. Pathways To Spirituality tell how to work with clients, injecting a spiritual direction into counseling routines. The author is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified counselor: his book explains pros and cons of using spirituality to help clients cope, and proscribes three different pathways to access spirituality in the therapy strategy. A fine survey results.

World Wisdom Inc.
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
www.worldwisdom.com

Does the Qur'an and hadith provide a basis for improving interfaith relations? It's unusual to find a spiritual title which doesn't take sides but The Universal Spirit of Islam achieves this goal, providing selected passages from the two which offer a better understanding of Islam. Add reproductions of Islamic art and photos to chapters contrasting Islam with Judaism, Christianity and more, and Judith Fitzgerald & Michael Oren Fitzgerald, Eds's The Universal Spirit Of Islam (1933316160, $14.95) displays its strengths. Joseph A. Fitzgerald edits Honen The Buddhist Saint: Essential Writings And Official Biography (19-33316136, $19.95), a condensed biography in English translation of a 1925 original publication. Buddhist readers will relish the rare presentation of Honen's life and teachings, as well as the background history and Fitzgerald has done a fine job of synthesizing an original multi-volume scholarly presentation into a standard paperback even non-Buddhists will learn from. Frithjof Schuon's Gnosis Divine Wisdom (1933316187, $18.95) appears in a new translation of the classic work blending religion and philosophy. It's been revised and expanded to not only feature the new translation, but to include an appendix of selections from letters, editor's notes, biographical notes and more.

Basic Principles Of Islamic Worldview
Sayyid Qutb
Mizan Press
c/o Islamic Publications International
5 Sicomac Road, #302, North Haldedon, NJ 07508
1889999342 $24.95 www.islampub.com

Executed in 1996 by the totalitarian Egyptian government as part of a crackdown on dissident leaders and movements, Sayyid Qutb was unshakeably persuaded that Islam provides an ideal framework for human existence including all of its diverse individual, social, political, economic, intellectual, and spiritual aspects. Qutb believed that all these aspects of the revealed Islamic faith had become obscured and/or distorted by alien influences both within and without the Muslim community. In Basic Principles Of Islamic Worldview, Qutb presents what he saw as the authentic mode of thought that is distinctive of Islam. Profusely illustrated with Qur'anic verses, Basic Principles Of Islamic Worldview has been ably translated into English by Rami David, enhanced with an informative preface by Hamid Algar (Professor of Persian and Islamic Studies, University of California - Berkley) placing Sayyid Qutb and his works in an historical and contemporary context while also evaluating the principle ideas presented, and is also available in a hardcover edition (1889999350, $34.95). No academic library Islamic Studies collection can be considered complete or adequate without the inclusion of Sayyid Qutb's Basic Principles Of Islamic Worldview.

The Face Behind The Veil
Donna Gehrke-White
Citadel Press/Kensington Publishing
850 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
0806527218 $22.95 kensingtonbooks.com

The Face Behind The Veil: The Extraordinary Lives Of Muslim Women In America is an illuminating and riveting string of more than fifty miniature portraits of Muslim women in America that reveals a many-faceted view of individual Muslim women, or Muslimah. There are perhaps 6 million Muslims in America; the figure is indefinite because the U. S. census does not ask Americans their religious preference. American Muslimah are extremely diverse in origins, hailing from at least seventy-seven different countries. Converts or 'reverts' also come from every ethnic group in America. Perhaps one reason Americans are unaware of the Muslimah in their midst is because they prefer not to draw attention to themselves, due to religious intolerance. There are many different groups and subgroups of the Muslimah in addition to stereotyped downtrodden, traditionally veiled women who are refugees, or facing problems of domestic violence and child custody battles. Some of the new types of Muslimah are categorized as follows: The New Traditionalists wear the veil or hijah, but also include career women as well as full time mothers. The Blenders are Muslimah who wear no head covering and so may not look "Muslim." They are often immigrants, second generation Americans, and career women, but they consider themselves spiritually Muslim. The Converts come from a mix of racial and ethnic groups and sometimes call themselves 'reverts,' because they believe everyone was originally Muslim; thus it is reversion, not conversion to the Muslim faith. Converts sometimes wear traditional women's attire, even adding gloves and long gowns to the veil. The Persecuted Muslimah are women who come to America to escape violence and repression. Coming from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and India, these Muslimah may be seeking asylum and immunity to sometimes fatal outcomes at the hands of male relatives or husbands. Finally there are the Changers, Muslimah who seek to improve the status of women in Muslim through public declarations, running for public office, and starting nonprofit humanitarian groups to help abused, poor Muslimah. Some of these champion equal rights for women within the mosque. In The Face Behind The Veil, the reader will meet individual Muslimah from each of these groups and more, thanks to tireless interviews collected and deftly edited by Donna Gehrke-White,career journalist and feature writer for the Miami Herald. There are Cherokee heritage mothers, suburban moms, career moms, literate and intellectual women, and desperately poor women who are in fear of their very lives. There are determined Muslimah, canny women who intend to take a stand to improve their future and the future of their daughters. There are many women of widely varied backgrounds who are attracted by the principles of Muslimism. The Face Behind The Veil is an effort to demystify and identify these courageous, ordinary Muslimah to the rest of their fellow Americans. Expect a surprising amount of eye-opening evidence of religious oppression in the land of the free. The Face Behind The Veil may help to correct prejudice and bigotry where it is unconscious, or even perhaps deliberate. It is a profoundly moving book.

Human Rights In The Arab World
Anthony Chase & Amr Hamzawy, eds.
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
www.upenn.edu/pennpress
0812239350 $65.00 1-800-537-5487

Human Rights In The Arab World: Independent Voices is an anthology of essays by learned authors about the unfortunate and longstanding marginalization of human rights in the Arab world, the obstacles that bar the way to implementing these rights, and pathways to improve human rights and welfare in the future. Individual essays also discuss the intersection of globalization and human rights, the especial plight of women's rights in the Arab world, case studies in Yemeni, Egypt, and Morocco, the difficulties faced by activists and NGOs pushing for human rights, and much more. A sober, serious-minded compilation of a vital current problem, especially recommended for library reference shelves.

Understanding Islam: An Introduction
C.T.R. Hewer
Fortress Press
c/o Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
0800637917 $35.00 fortresspress.com

Written by a Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations (St. Ethelburga's Centre, London) with twenty years' experience, Understanding Islam: An Introduction is an introduction to Islamic theology, customs, philosophy, worldview, culture, scholarship, and history, accessible to lay readers of all backgrounds and featuring a fair amount of black-and-white photographs. Author C.T.R. Hewer is a Christian who, despite not personally believing all of the tenets of Islam literally (because doing so would naturally require him to convert), feels that Muslims are cousins in faith and that the moral principles of Islam and exemplary life of Mohammad should be recognized. As a result, Understanding Islam is as unbiased as humanly possible in its straightforward presentation. Enthusiastically recommended particularly for public libraries, and also as a detailed primer for anyone from lay people to scholars seeking to educate themselves about Islam and the people who practice it.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Author 101
Rick Frishman & Robyn Spizman
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
www.adamsmedia.com
1593375247 $12.95 1-800-872-5627

Rick Frishman is president of Planned Television Arts and Robyn Freedman Spizman is an award-wining author. Together they have provided a truly "user friendly" instruction manual for aspiring authors trying to promote themselves and their books in a highly competitive marketplace. Offering a kind of "crash course" in the mechanics, strategies and tactics of book publicity and promotion, Author 101: The Insider's Guide To Promoting Your Book--and Yourself is a compendium of field tested, effective, "tips, tricks & techniques" for reaching the reading public that includes practical advice for writing press releases, arranging book signings, getting on the talk show circuits. Also covered are "insider tips" from authors, agents, and publishers on what to do (and not do) when promoting books. There are even special sections devoted to building grassroots support through book clubs and readers groups. All this and more are carefully, methodically laid out so as to be completely accessible to the novice author -- and has much to offer even the more experienced writers. The appendices providing extensive resource information could prove invaluable in and of itself. No aspiring author who is now faced with the task of promoting and marketing their book can afford to be without their own personal reference copy of Author 101.

Damn! Why Didn't I Write That?
Marc McCutheon
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 9357
188495556 $14.95 quilldriverbooks.com

The newly updated edition of a classic we recommended in its first publication, Damn! Why Didn't I Write That? is here to show how ordinary folk can write profitable nonfiction books. Housewives, blue collar workers and more are producing many of today's bestsellers and the message here is: you can, too. Chapters revise and revamp recommendations on where to locate profitable venues and how to fill niches repeatedly.

A Novel Approach To Writing
Alfie Thompson
Running Press
125 South Twenty-Second Street, Philadelphia, PN 19103-4399
076242401X $12.95 runningpress.com

A Novel Approach To Writing: Lights! Camera! Fiction! by movie buff and professional writing instructor Alfie Thompson is a guide to writing great novels especially for movie lovers. Chapters instruct how to watch movies with a writer's eye for what works and what doesn't, blending believable character traits into scenes and plots, using goals to reveal character motivation, judiciously applying foreshadowing and flashback, the power of the suspense of disbelief and how to encourage it, smooth plotting, and much more. A Novel Approach To Writing is a valuable supplement to aspiring and practicing fiction writers, outlining how to absorb the most advanced techniques and inspiration from multimedia experiences and transform it into improved quality within one's own work.

See Jane Write
Sarah Mlynowski & Farrin Jacobs
Quirk Books
215 Church St., Philadelphia, PA 19106
1594741158 $14.95 quirkbooks.com

See Jane Write: A Girl's Guide To Writing Chick Lit is a fabulously entertaining, wickedly practical, 192-page beginner's manual for the chick lit bestselling authors of next year, and the year after that, and maybe the year after that. A first of its kind to focus only on chick lit, See Jane Write is hilariously witty, incredibly compact, and begins with a peppy, condensed definition and history of chick lit. Because of that very important introduction, I now know that a) Chick lit started in Ireland, in the mid 90's, and b) All of Part One, The Big Picture is designed to inform, educate, and motivate the next group of wannabe chick lit authors. I particularly liked chapter four, How Writing Chick Lit Is Like Dating: "Think about it: What do you want to achieve with your novel (besides fame, fortune, and an addiction to checking your sales ranking on Amazon.com)? (p. 39)." The fantastic intimate stream of idea-framing consciousness continues at a merry pace. Are you getting how much fun See Jane Write is? That, by the way, is one of the reasons why a sense of humour is essential to the successful chick lit author (See Rule #2: Always have your wit about you. p.41). This rule ends with the key statement "...it was never a chore to read it (p.42)." See Jane Write continues on to Part Two, The Details. In eight sizzling chapters, the authors teach the basics of style, creating primary and secondary characters, structure, pacing, and piecing, grammar and punctuation, and revising and revisiting. Not only that, the last chapter is devoted to extremely savvy pointers on packaging and selling the manuscript, choosing an agent (and why you should), and dealing with rejection. Somehow I have forgotten to mention the very talented and wise coauthors of See Jane Write, you see what insouciance does to the reader? Co-authors Mlynowski and Jacobs added in Appendix 1 (p. 182) a list of "Books That Will Help You, Really." In summary, if you think you are a potential chick lit writer, this is definitely a must read for you. Additionally, if you are bored, lonely, and tired of "stuffed shirt lit", See Jane Write is even more definitively required reading for aspiring "chick lit" authors. When you are all through reading and laughing, you may be surprised how much you have learned about writing.

Fluent Writing
Denise Leograndis
Heinemann Publishing
Box 6826, Portsmouth, NH 03802-6926
www.heinemann.com
0325008264 $22.00 1-800-225-5800

Fluent Writing: How To Teach The Art Of Pacing is a guide especially for elementary and grade school teachers about how to teach the skill and art of smoothly pacing one's writing. Chapters cover basic mechanical tool such as the using patterns of threes and how to use "ands and buts" without overdoing it; basic pacing lessons such as learning how to cut irrelevant material; advanced lessons such as how to properly structure paragraphs; and much more. Lessons are supplemented with examples, recommended reading, tips for evaluating student writing, and a wealth of insights. Fluent Writing is very enthusiastically recommended for writing teachers of both public and private schools, and for aspiring writers seeking to hone their craft.

A Teen's Guide To Getting Published
Jessica Dunn & Danielle Dunn
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
1593631820 $14.95 1-800-998-2208

Now in an updated second edition, A Teen's Guide To Getting Published: Publishing For Profit, Recognition, And Academic Success is a "user-friendly" introduction to the business end of the writing world written especially for young adults. Written by two successful former teen authors, A Teen's Guide To Getting Published covers the writing skill, freelance publishing, rights and copyright information, common mistakes, scams, and risks (of particular note is the warning against distributing one's address, phone numbers, or other sensitive contact information - such things can lead to harassment by stalkers and worse), the basics of writing camps and workshops, and much more. Written in a friendly, down-to-earth tone, A Teen's Guide To Getting Published is recommended to anyone getting started in selling their writing regardless of individual age.

Writing Open The Mind
Andy Couturier
Ulysses Press
P.O. Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com
1569754764 $13.95 1-800-377-2542

Writing Open The Mind: Writing Open The Mind: Tapping The Subconscious To Free The Writing And The Writer is a 241 page idea book full of creative approaches to the process of writing. For both the serious professional writer and the creative personal journalist, Writing Open The Mind could be just what the writing workshop doctor ordered. Quirky, humorous, irreverent, yet filled with practical tips and exercises to jog loose the cobwebs and stopping places of the mind, Writing Open The Mind delivers more valuable writing gold for the miner than many a heftier, loftier tome. Perhaps what works best in Writing Open The Mind is in fact its underlying sense of playfulness. For example, who would you respond to the idea of triggering new 'mindstates' with use of hypnotic scents, lights, and sounds? If this intrigues the writer in you, read chapter four, 'Sway'. How about the notion of resequencing the mind, shuffling the nuggets, splicing things differently? Read chapter three, 'Shatter/Scramble. 'Other mind unblocking approaches include dropping into the deep subconscious, pushing against the boundaries of your work, architectures, prismatics, writing from the kindetic body (or 'Shaking Up the Curmudgeon'), and re-visions, a way to work on writing using the improvisational mind. Author Couturier also suggest working with a writing group, and inventing your own experiments. Couturier deftly quotes a gaggle of creative writing bylines in such a way as to highlight the energy unblocking magic implicit in each one. In the last chapter subsection titled 'The Secret Order of Hermeneutics and the Text of the World' he openly advocates his major agenda: "We write to understand. Thus we should write. But we can never fully understand...Thus we should keep writing (p.234)." He goes on to explain the hermeneutic circle, which is what writers do when they write, attempt to understand and interpret the world. He writes: "When we ask questions in our writing in a way that replicates the complexity of the world, the questions are better questions. That's why the writing experiments here try to replicate the complexity of this very world (p. 235)." Writing Open The Mind is a most enjoyable magician's toolbox of techniques to help the writer improve his/her writing. It deserves to be read at least twice, once for entertainment and once for understanding.

Doing It For Money
Daryl G. Nickens, editor
Tallfellow Press
1180 South Beverly Drive, Suite 320, Los Angeles, CA 90035
193129058X $24.95 1-800-851-8923

Doing It For Money: The Agony And Ecstasy Of Writing And Surviving In Hollywood is a no- nonsense, insider's account of what writing for the "Hollywood Machine" is really like. From idiotic executives to volatile stars to rewrites that shred the intentions of the original script, Doing It For Money tell it like it is, and offers a wealth of tips, such as registering one's work with the Writers Guild of America as a hedge against plagiarism (both guild and non-guild members can do this for a small fee). A highly readable account, filled with fascinating anecdotes sure to entertain even non-writers as surely as they educate aspiring writers about what to expect. Deftly edited by Daryl G. Nickens for The Writers Guild Foundation, Doing It For Money is a "must- have" reference for any aspiring or practicing entertainment industry screenwriting professionals.

The Public Domain
Stephen Fishman
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
1413304540 $34.99 1-800-728-3555

The author of "The Copyright Handbook," attorney Stephen Fishman's latest instructive and authoritative text is a "user friendly" guide to public domain usage in literature, music, art, photography, writings, movies, and other creative sources and intellectual properties. The Public Domain: How To Find & Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More, is Fishman's exhaustive and definitive 538 page (plus appendices and index) authoritative guide to public domain law and usage is impressive. Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "The Copyright Handbook devotes entire chapters to writings, music, art, photography, movies and television, computer software, architecture, maps, choreography, and collections, titles, plus a complete chapter on the internet and the public domain. Additional chapters deal with copyrights restored from the public domain; the public domain outside the United States; copyright protection and its duration; copyright notice requirements, trademarks and publicity rights, and other related areas. Chapters are succinctly and clearly written and carefully organized, with helpful tables, graphs, and illustrations, plus highlighted paragraphs for areas of special interest. The Public Domain covers a vast amount of information compactly and is a useful textbook, but it makes no claim to be a substitute for legal consultation with a qualified attorney. A handy table of icons are used to codify information throughout the book, with the icon key on page 18. An interesting chapter on the use and abuse of copyright is presented early in the book gives some helpful definitions of copyright law and its history and limitations. Stephen Fishman's The Public Domain is a pertinent text for anyone in the business of writing and publishing in the twenty-first century.


The Audiobook Shelf

Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1-800-854-7859 brillianceaudio.com

Dan Fesperman's The Prisoner Of Guantanamo (1423317807, $26.95) is set in Guantanamo and tells of an interrogator who is assigned to a stubborn Yemeni prisoner who may have valuable details on Al Qaeda. When a body washes up that of an American soldier Falk finds himself at the heart of an international crisis that blends espionage with murder. David Colacci's veteran experience lends to a fine narration of politics and realities. J. A. Konrath's Rusty Nail (1423312376, $24.95) receives a dual narration by Susie Breck and veteran Dick Hill which brings to life the story of a serial murder all people Lt. Daniels knows, and all involved in a previous case. Intrigue and mystery are brought to life. Linda Howard's Cover Of Night (1423310071, $26.95) blends suspense and romance with Joyce Bean and Dick Hill two long-time audio narrators as it tells of a rural Idaho town where a young widow's bed-and-breakfast is beset with mystery when a guest vanishes and armed men demand his belongings. Soon the whole small town will face a threat from this disappearance. Weis & Hickman's Dragons Dwarven Depths: The Lost Chronicles Volume 1 (1423316169, $26.95) comes to life under veteran Sandra Burr's voice as it provides a fast-paced fantasy listen. The companions are back and seemingly safe in a hidden valley but the Dragon Army still pursues them, so there is no real safety. From a haunted fortress to a search for a legendary hammer, each of the companions faces his own trial.

Telegraph Days
Larry McMurty
Simon & Schuster Audio
1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020
0743554515 $39.95 simonsays.com

Reader Annie Potts is known for her role on Designing women and in many other TV shows and in film, and here lends a seasoned and fine voice to Larry McMurty's winning western novel Telegraph Days, telling of siblings orphaned by their father's suicide. Journeying to a nearby town they make their mark as a sheriff's deputy and a town telegrapher, finding possible romance and fame as a result. A fine Western saga packed with adventure and romance evolves.

Full Moon Rising
Keri Arthur
Books on Tape
400 Hahn Road, Westminister, MD 21157
www.librarybooksontape.com
1415927391 $63.00 1-800-733-3000

Dramatically narrated by Justine Eyre, Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur is the story of Riley Jenson and her twin brother Rhoan. Riley and Rhoan are a rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf who work for the "Directorate of Other Races", an organization created to police the supernatural races of werewolves, vampires, ghouls and others who now live side by side with humans. It is the role of these guardians to protect humans from the depredations of their unhuman neighbors. But guardians have been disappearing and something has decidedly gone very wrong. To complicate matters further, the coming of the full moon has werewolves like Riley going out of control with the urge for sex. What is happening with the missing guardians? why must a female werewolf's love life be so complicated? Very highly recommended for fantasy action/adventure fans, Full Moon Rising is original, entertaining, and unabridged (10 hours, 10 minutes, 7 cassettes).

Company
Max Barry
Tantor Media
114 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
1400102022 $34.99 www.tantor.com

Stephen Jones is a young recruit who reports in for his first day in the Training Sales Department in Seattle's Zephyr Holdings Building only to find the department enmeshed in a scandal involving the theft of a doughnut. The result is that Stephen finds himself promoted from assistant to sales rep and while doing his best to get along with his fellow workers, has the feeling that the company is hiding something that results in people getting fired and never being heard from again. Author Max Barry has crafted a wonderfully funny black comedy about the cut-throat world of corporate management that is the stuff of white-collar nightmares and big box office movies. Superbly narrated by William Dufris and enthusiastically recommended for community library audiobook collections, Company is an unabridged 8 CD audiobook with a running time of 7 hours, and is also available in a library edition (1400132029, $69.99) and on an Mp3 CD (140013202X, $19.99).

Blackstone Audio, Inc.
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
1-800-729-2665 blackstoneaudio.com

Beverly Lewis is the accomplished author of an outstanding trilogy of novels recreating the simple life and community of the Amish. Flawlessly recorded in three unabridged formats that include audiocassette ($39.95), CD ($48.00), MP3-CD ($24.95), and superbly narrated by Maruerite Gavin, this engaging trilogy consists of The Shunning (3183, 7 hours) in which Katie Lapp hears a devastating confession from her parents on the eve of her wedding -- a confession that unravels the only life she has ever known). The Confession (3193, 7 hours) finds Katherine Mayfield shunned from her home, alone in a world of strangers, and longing for the gentle, loving embrace of the woman she hopes to call Mother). In The Reckoning (3199, 7 hours), Katherine finds solace in the delights of the modern world, but unknown to her, a long lost love is searching for her and she will be compelled to face the heritage of her past and recognize God's love. Beverly Lewis' enthusiastically recommended trilogy of life and love among the Amish will prove to be a welcome and popular addition to community library audiobook collections.

The History Of The World Cup
Brian Glanville
Naxos
416 Mary Lindsay Polk Drive, Suite 509, Franklin, TN 37067
NA440412 $29.98 www.naxosusa.com

The narrator is Bob Wilson who, as a former goalkeeper for Arsenal and Scotland, brings a special expertise to his superb narration of Brian Glanville's history of international soccer's World Cup competitions from 1930 to 2002. This complete and unabridged, 4 CD audiobook has a total running time of almost five hours surveys the 32 countries that have qualified for the soccer finals, games followed with great enthusiasm by billions of listeners and viewers from around the world. Enhanced with additional commentaries by Sir Bobby Charlton (one of the great icons of international soccer), The History Of The World Cup 1930-2002 is a unique addition to any personal or community library audiobook collection.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Best Credit
Dana A. Neal
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Cir., Boulder, CO 80301
www.paladin-press.com
9781581605013 $20.00 1-800-392-2400

The second revised and updated edition of Best Credit: How To Win The Credit Game comes from a collection agency insider and is packed with all kinds of credit and debt insights for consumers, from re-establishing good credit after bankruptcy to preventing identity theft, stopping bill collectors, and negotiating on unsecured debts. Best Credit is so filled with important facts that it's a top recommendation for every consumer; not just those starting out in the credit world.

Scams & Swindles
Silver Lake Editors
Silver Lake Publishing
111 E. Wishkah St., Aberdeen, WA 98520
1563437864 $11.95 silverlakepub.com

Scams & Swindles: How To Recognize And Avoid Internet Era Rip-Offs is a basic primer packed with insights any Internet user should be aware of. From Nigerian schemes and money laundering to phishing, id theft and investment frauds, Scams & Swindles covers method, purpose, and how to avoid becoming a victim. Mortgage fraud, spam and spyware receive insights too all with an eye to Internet dangers.


The Political Science Shelf

The Age Of War
Gabriel Kolko
Lynne Rienner Publishers
1800 30th St., #314, Boulder, CO 80301
1588264394 $19.95 www.reinner.com

America at war with the world? It's a possibility: The Age Of War: The United States Confronts The World details the lack of insight US leaders have gained from the past and it isn't just talking about the last decade, either. Chapters analyze Vietnam to Iraq, providing a blend of history and critical appraisal of US responses. Gabriel Kolko began his study of US policy at Harvard in the 1950s: his scholarly survey will interest any college-level political studies collection.

Reflections In A Bloodshot Lens
Lawrence Pintak
Pluto Press
c/o University of Michigan Press, 839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
0745324193 $26.95 www.plutobooks.com

The actions and reactions of the U.S. before and after 9/11 has done little to improve its standing in the world, especially in Muslim-populated nations around the world, and Reflections In A Bloodshot Lens: America, Islam And The War Of Ideas probes the basic differences between perceptions of Americans and Muslims around the world. It comes from a veteran CBS news correspondent with strong connections to these world communities, reflects his journalistic experience, and proves a strong survey of not only American and Islam ideas, but how misreporting has emphasized differences.

Blue State Birds
David R. Slavitt
Wesleyan University Press
215 Long Lane, Middletown, CT 06459
www.wesleyan.edu
0819568069 $24.95 860-685-7723

Blue State Birds: How A Conservative Launched A Campaign And Found Himself The Liberal Candidate (And Still Lost) is the immensely entertaining political memoir of a moderate, pro-choice, pro-gay-marriage Republican candidate David Slavitt, who dared to run against a pro-life Democrat for the Massachusetts State Legislature in 2004. Though a skilled writer, Slavitt was a political novice, absolutely blindsided by the circus of insanity pervading state politics. An engaging story of heart, soul, and fighting the good fight, Blue State Birds resists being put down until the very last page and embodies the twin spirits of determination and political participation that makes America great. Highly recommended.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Western Shirts
Steven E. Weil & G. Daniel DeWeese
Gibbs Smith
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586852485 $39.95 gibbs-smith.com

Western shirts have been around enough decades to become collectible: but what distinguishes brands, makes them collectible, or makes them special? Western Shirts: A Classic American Fashion follows both the history and collectible points of the Western shirt, offering a complete listing of Western shirt labels, covering everyday wear to costume wear, and adding plenty of photos, illustrations, and sidebars of information. A 'must' for any who either collect or love the Western shirt style.

Collector Books
PO Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
www.collectorbooks.com

A bonus DVD is included for this field guide to typical auction treasures Don and R.C. Raycroft's Raycraft's Auction Field Guide Volume 1 (1574324845, $19.95), packed with color photos, ratings, and prices throughout. In the 1950s and 60s most antiques were sold in small shops across America: today auctions on the internet are the place to go and Raycrafts' Auction Field Guide: Volume 1 is here to guide you through all possibilities. The DVD follows the authors as they find, price, research and sell the items listed, offering tips along the way. Joe Devine's Collecting Royal Copley Plus Royal Windsor & Spaulding Identification And Value Guide (1574325043, $19.95) packs in a lovely photo gallery of pieces with history and values. Royal Copley is the main focus of the presentation, though some Windsor and Spaulding pieces are presented, and about 85% of everything made at Spaulding was Royal Copley. Collectors will find this a 'must have' reference. John & Malinda Bomm's Official Precious Moments Collector's Guide To Figurines, 2nd Edition (157432490X, $19.95) provides a handy tote-size manual which will easily fit into a purse or coat pocket, offering collectors take-along accessibility to the Precious Moments treasures they may locate in flea markets or garage sales. Each figurine receives a clear color photo, issue price, and various price ranges based on condition. The authors have almost 900 pieces in their own collection and theirs is a guide enthusiasts won't want to miss.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Attitude 3
Ted Rall, editor
NBM
40 Exchange Place, #1308, NY NY 10005
1561634654 $13.95 nbmpublishing.com

Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonists covers online web cartoonists: over twenty daring, original creators whose works appear on the Net. From love and politics to humor and fun, Attitude 3 brings alternative cartooning to an offline audience in book form, presenting works and interviews with over twenty leading online cartoonists who are not limited by big media constraints and rules. Any cartoonist particularly those interested in alternative graphic novels and works will find this absorbing.

Love That Bunch
Aline Kominsky Crumb
Fantagraphics
7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
156097170 $16.95 fantagraphics.com

From romance and sex to food, Love That Bunch is a 1960s-style romp which comic and graphic novel fans will relish. Presented in black and white are tales of funny customers, organic foods, philosophy, low esteem and more: comics which represent camp comedy at its best. Fans of Crumb and alternative comics will thrill to many of the jokes and 1960s scenarios.

Playback
Raymond Chandler & Ted Benoit
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Fl, NY, NY 10010
www.arcadepub.com
1559707968 $19.95 1-800-759-0190

If you like graphic novels in classic black and white, Raymond Chandler's mysteries, or comics revolving around blackmail and murder, then this Arcade Publishing edition of Playback is for you. It holds plenty of tough talk and strong dialogue, brisk action, and well done characters: combine these with excellent graphic images and you have a very strong pick for personal and community library collections.

James Bond 007: Colonel Sun
Kingsley Amis, et al.
Titan Books Ltd.
144 Southwark Street London SE1 0UP
1845761758 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Latest in a series of James Bond daily strip collections, James Bond 007: Colonel Sun by the team of Kingsley Amis, Jim Lawrence, and Yaroslav Horak is a graphic novel compilation of black-and-white daily newspaper strips that adapted Ian Fleming's classic James Bond action-adventure story "River of Death" and Sir Kingsley Amis' James Bond story "Golden Sun" to comic format. In addition to flawless reproductions of the original strips, James Bond 007: Colonel Sun includes an introduction by Britt Ekland, a summary of how Kingsley Amis came to continue the Bond legacy after Fleming's passing in 1964, and an interview with comic-strip artist and adapter Jim Lawrence. James Bond 007: Colonel Sun is an absolute "must-have" for all dedicated James Bond fans.


The Hobby Shelf

Building And Detailing Scale Model Cars
Pat Covert
Specialty Press
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
1580070906 $24.95 specialtypress.com

Modelers receive a specific, detailed guide to painting and detailing model cars in a title which packs in over 300 color photos to illustrate techniques, materials, and fine tuning alike. Covert is a worldwide authority on car modeling and has written many articles and books on the subject, but Building And Detailing Scale Model Cars is one of his best, appealing to both newcomers and experienced modelers alike.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Reality Diet
Steven A. Schnur, MD
Avery/The Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.us.penguingroup.com
1583332502 $24.95 1-800-847-5515

There are so many diet books on the market that there hardly seems room for yet another but The Reality Diet: Lose The Pounds For Good With A Cardiologist's Simple, Healthy, Proven Plan is truly different: it comes from a president of one of Florida's largest cardiology practices, it's designed to include foods you like such as pasta and waffles, and it provides separate exercise routines for men and women, along with tips on handling restaurants and holidays. The result's an easier diet to follow than most, and comes with the authority of a M.D. specializing in heart care.

Menasha Ridge Press
2204 First Avenue South, Suite 102, Birmingham, AL 35233
$9.95 each www.menasharidge.com

Two important 'Treating Medical Emergencies' guides by Dr. Patrick Brighton for treating medical emergencies in the field are essential for any who would cultivate safety in the wilderness. Paddlers' Guide For Treating Medical Emergencies (089-7326296) covers a range of possible water injuries and problems; from exposure and fractures to animal and insect bites and self-evacuation. Dr. Brighton similar handbook Hikers' And Backpackers' Guide (0897326407) includes coverage of high-altitude problems, stings, open wound treatment, and more. No avid backpacker should be without these take-along totes: while library holdings will find them fine references, their value on the trail is especially notable.

A Perfectly Striking Departure
Nicholas T. Tilney, MD
Science History Publications
Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562
0881353825 $35.00 www.shupusa.com

A Perfectly Striking Departure: Surgeons And Surgery At The Peter Bent Brigham Hospital 1912-1980 follows the seventy-year growth of the teaching arm of the Harvard Medical School, an initially small facility which attracted an international faculty. From the influences of different surgeons-in-chiefs to changes in academic departments and perspectives, chapters follow the growth, evolution and influences of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital; and while this might be a specialty acquisition for many collections any interested in medical history will find it a fine survey.

Bird Flu What To Do
Verona Fonte, Ph.D.
Chelsea Green Publishing
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
www.chelseagreen.com www.birdfluwhattodo.com
0977103714 $14.95 1-800-639-4099

Bird Flu What To Do: Prepare To Survive by Verona Fonte Ph.D. (a psychologist for over twenty years' experience) with contributions from five experienced doctors, is a straightforward instruction manual for readers of all backgrounds about what to do and how to survive in a pandemic, particularly a bird flu pandemic. Chapters address how to prepare, including storing water and making sure water is safe to drink, what food and other goods to get and how to store it, healthy habits to adopt now to strengthen one's immune system, networking for a safer community, caregiving tips, what to do when death occurs, and much more. Bird flu specifically is extremely virulent and easily contagious simply from being in proximity to the sick; Bird Flu What To Do does not pretend to have a magic solution to the grim realities of a pandemic, but rather presents all the emergency advice that medical science and common sense have to offer in no-nonsense terms. Highly recommended.

All In My Head
Paula Kamen
DaCapo Press/Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Ctr, Cambridge, MA 02142
0738210390 $14.95 dacapopress.com

Paula Kamen was twenty-four when a contact lens insertion ignited an intense pain: over ten years later she still has the exact same headache. All In My Head: An Epic Quest To Cure An Unrelenting, Totally Unreasonable And Only Slightly Enlightening Headache is a memoir of medical hell, recounting ineffective remedies, medical frustration, and the problem of chronic pain sufferers. Included in her medical journey are interviews with over a dozen other sufferers of chronicle pain. 'Chronic Daily Headache' is a neurological disorder that affects only four or five percent of the population but its story hasn't been told before. Sufferers will find plenty to learn from here.

Demos Medical Publishing
386 Park Avenue South, #301, NY, NY 10016
www.demosmedpub.com

Two important new guides are top picks for families facing special medical challenges. Nicholas LaRocca, Ph.D. & Rosalind Kalb, Ph.D.'s Multiple Sclerosis: Understanding The Cognitive Challenges (193260331X, $19.95) is the first to discuss MS-related cognitive dysfunction, tracing the emotional and social impact of these changes, medical evaluations of symptoms, and treatment and coping options alike. Chapters cite studies, discuss patient care and provider perception of physical disabilities, and emphasize approaches to cognitive rehabilitation. Shelley Peterman Schwarz's Parkinson's Disease: 300 Tips For Making Life Easier (1932603530, $16.95) appears in a second updated edition to provide techniques for daily living and coping. From tips to caregivers providing support to subject-oriented tips for quick reference and suggestions for task management, Parkinson's Disease: 300 Tips For Making Life Easier provides important resources for patients and their families. Stacey Chillemi and Blanca Vazquez, MD's Epilepsy And Pregnancy (193203158, $16.95) examines all the issues involved in the epileptic woman's pregnancy, from nutrition and special risks to mother and fetus to what to expect, the use of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy, and more. While some advice is general to all pregnancy, it's the epilepsy-oriented health tips that make this a winner.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Kicking The Carbon Habit
William Sweet
University of Columbia Press
61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023-7015
www.columbiaedu/cu/cup
0231137109 $27.95 1-800-944-8648

Kicking The Carbon Habit: Global Warming And The Case Of Renewable And Nuclear Energy doesn't adopt the usual focus on cutting oil consumption: instead it focuses on reducing coal use. Coal-fired plants produce over half of the electricity in the US, accounting for some 40 percent of the country's greenhouse gasses. Sweet doesn't advocate a singular path of change another unusual feature but proposes a mix of environmentally sound technologies from wind power to nuclear reactors. Chapters survey not just techniques but political pros and cons, social effects, and environmental impact.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments
The Staff of Blood-Horse Publications
Eclipse Press
Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
National Book Network, dist.
4720-A Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
www.eclipsepress.com
1581501390 $24.95 1-800-462-4620

Compiled by the staff of Blood-Horse Publications, Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments is a nostalgic compilation of great instances in the history of the sport of kings. Each two-page spread of this trade paperback is devoted to memorable occasions ranging from Cigar's historic victory of the first Dubai World Cup, to the very first race call as conceived by George Schilling in the mid-20's, to the broadcast of Man o' War's funeral, each great moment is described in clear prose and illustrated with vintage black-and-white and color photographs. An enjoyable treasury and giftbook especially for horse racing enthusiasts.

Lizards
David Badger
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson #200, St. Paul, MN 55101
0760325790 $19.95 voyageurpress.com

Lizards: A Natural History Of Some Uncommon Creatures-Extraordinary Chameleons, Iguanas, Geckos & More pairs gorgeous close-up color photos by John Netherton of some thirty fascinating creatures with natural history insights from journalism professor and critics David Badger. Here's the perfect place to get the entire family interested in the world of lizards: simply gorgeous photos capture the dramatic nuances and colors and delight the eye.

Retriever Trouble-Shooting
John Dahl & Amy Dahl
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua, WI 54548
www.willowcreekpress.com
157223783X $24.50 www.amazon.com

Most retrievers are eager to retrieve but there still can be problems training them to do so properly, even in advanced settings. Retriever Trouble-Shooting: Strategies & Solutions To Retriever Training Problems comes from the authors of highly acclaimed training manual, The 10-Minute Retriever and offers the authors' own experiences and expertise in handling typical problems and coaching owners on retrievals covering many a long distance. Chapters cover line manners, bird handling, force-fetching and more, making Retriever Trouble-Shooting a 'must' for any owner or handler engaged in training a superior retriever dog.

The High Maintenance Bitch
Lori Pacchiano & Ryan Pacchiano
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main, #400, Seattle, WA 98104
1570614806 $14.95 sasquatchbooks.com

If you own a little dog, The High Maintenance Bitch is a "user friendly" guide to grooming, etiquette, discipline, and more, all tailored to the female dog owner as concerned about style as about dog training. Humor abounds in a guide covering how to gain romance despite handling a small amorous dog in traffic, and more. Pet owners will love The High Maintenance Bitch , as will the chic upward-bound girl who understands social encounters and the possibilities of pets in public places.

A Guide To The Reptiles And Amphibians Of Egypt
Sherif Baha El Din
The American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10018-2729
9774249798 $34.95 www.aucpress.com

A Guide To The Reptiles And Amphibians Of Egypt is a concise, solid, and up-to-date reference especially for herpetologists and natural scientists in need of a quick reference to the 1180 species currently recognized within Egypt. Each species' entry includes information about its taxonomy, identification, natural history, ecology, and conservation. Author Sherif Baha El Din has spent twenty years researching and studying the reptile and amphibian fauna of Egypt; his meticulously gathered data is supplemented with over 130 color photographs and black-and-white line drawings, accurate distribution maps, and a bibliography. Featuring sufficient detail and scientific rigor for professionals while retaining an accessible narrative style for amateur nature lovers, A Guide To The Reptiles And Amphibians Of Egypt is a quality reference of the highest order.


The Language Studies Shelf

Spanish: Live It And Learn It!
Martha Racine Taylor
Cypress House
155 Cypress St., Fort Bragg, CA 95437
9781879384644 $18.95 cypresshouse.com

Anyone who wishes to learn Spanish by the immersion method will now know how much work goes into researching classes offering such opportunity, because Martha Racine Taylor has done the research upon which she has based Spanish: Live It And Learn It: The Complete Guide To Language Immersion Schools In Mexico using her studies in Spanish at the college level to assess and present programs. She visited Spanish-language schools in fourteen cities in Mexico and stayed with local families: her guide covers facilities, academic background, credits, costs and descriptions.


The Adventure Shelf

The Greatest Escape Stories Ever Told
Darren Brown, Editor
Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1592284809 $14.95 lyonspress.com

To reach freedom the most famous escapers of modern times have been willing to pull off the impossible: their adventures and struggles are related in The Greatest Escape Stories Ever Told: a blend of history and drama which presents riveting stores of escape, from battling the Bastille to swimming shark-infested waters to avoid the Japanese during the war. Any interested in true life adventure will find this a compelling collection.

Pedaling To Hawaii
Stevie Smith
Countryman Press
PO Box 748, Woodstock, VT 06091
0881507091 $23.95 countrymanpress.com

Looking for high adventure? Read Pedaling To Hawaii: A Human-powered Odyssey. A Parisian bureaucrat decides to change his life and with no special skills and no money, he and his friend ride through Europe and pedal-boat across the Atlantic in 111 days. Using skates, bikes and boats and the two cross the US and then go to Hawaii their high adventures combine with life-changing insights in a story of change and motivation.


The Criminology Shelf

Bronx D.A.
Sarena Straus
Barricade Books
185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 308-A, Ft. Lee, NJ 07024
1569803056 $22.00 barricadebooks.com

This true crime memoir of author Sarena Straus, a young assistant D.A. working in the Bronx, isn't just another collection of vignettes but tackles the overall struggle against violence, considering the experiences of those living with violence on the streets and those who work against it fellow attorneys, physicians, social workers and others. From homicides to police actions and her own disturbing caseload of rapists, murderers, and batterers, Straus manages to find the human element and hope in each case, ultimately surveying the camaraderie and connections which arise from struggle and adversity.


The Military Shelf

P.O.W.
Gloria Darlene Beers
Dorrance Publishing
701 Smithfield, Pittsburg, PA 15222
www.dorrancepublishing.com
0805963308 $9.00 www.amazon.com

The atrocities of war are many, and should not be forgotten P.O.W. keeps this memory alive, linking a personal account of history from the perspective of one Lloyd King, a civilian worker on Wake Island who was a P.O.W. after the island was attacked by the Japanese during the war. From starvation to forced labor and brutality, the daily experience of a military prisoner of war come to life here.

Zenith Press/MBI
380 Jackson #200, St. Paul, MN 55101
zenithpress.com mbipublishing.com

There have been so many books about wars and their weapons that one might wonder at the need for another, but the focus is different, here: Bill Yenne's Secret Gadgets And Strange Gizmos: High-Tech (And Low-tech) Innovations Of The U.S. Military (0760321159 $24.95) narrows the focus to the secret, behind the scenes and largely forgotten inventions and theories of these wars, surveying some lesser-known weapons and military systems from World War 1 onward. These include the strange 'lobber' missile, spy satellites, night-attack systems and nuclear explosion detection devices. Chapters cover history, manufacture, testing results and more and provide plenty of black and white and color photo embellishment: a highly recommended pick any military collection should have. Harry Yeide's Weapons Of The Tankers: American Armor In World War II (0760323291, $24.95) tells how the U.S. Army went from having a near-nonexistent armored force to a world-class fighting unit almost overnight. Chapters not only review tank performance and history, but survey their development, strategies, and soldiers who operated them under impossible conditions. Vintage black and white photos on nearly every page pack the presentation. Russ Byrant and W. David Perks' USMC (0760325324, $19.95) provides a fine survey of the history and experience of the U.S. Marine. It adds to the growing 'Military Power series and reviews the branch's history and structure as well as Marine experiences in war. An impressive selection for military specialty collections and aviation holdings is Grumman F-14 Tomcat: Bye-Bye, Baby!, (0760325766, $40.00):compiled by Dave Parsons, George Hall and Bob Lawson. The dramatic oversized presentation charts a craft which had a terrible time being 'born', evolving during the era of McNamara's 'whiz kids' in the Pentagon who wanted a new fighter for both Air Force and Navy personnel the TFX. The underpowered failure eventually was halted by Tom Connolly and the Tomcat was born. Color images pack a gorgeous history of the craft's stormy history.

Osprey
443 Park Avenue South, Suite 806, New York NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com

Chris Bishop's Huey Cobra Gunships (1841769843, $15.95) follows the history of the first helicopter gunship to see combat. It's surprising to note it was designed in the 1960s, for it's still being manufactured and improved upon today, serving as a support weapon in Iraq from its original service in Vietnam. Warren Thompson's F-86 Sabre Aces Of The 4th Fighter Wing (1841769967, $20.95) interviews most of the aces from the 4th Wing, offering first-person accounts of aerial combat and rare accounts of first-time encounters with Russian pilots. Since these pilots wrote the book on jet warfare, the F-86 Sabre aces' accounts are of special note. Rene Chartreand's The Spanish Main 1492-1800 (1846030056, $16.95) focuses on early fortifications and examples of medieval styles, providing a special survey of the 'Spanish Main' an area encompassing the West Indies and the Central American and Mexican coast. An intriguing survey of not only fortifications, but politics. Steven J. Zaloga's U.S. Armored Units In The North African And Italian Campaigns, 1942-45 (1841769665, $23.95) is a very specific guide for collections strong in World War II events: it covers the area which saw the first operational deployment of US armored divisions and their organization and strategies, following tactics and changes alike. The focus on strategy makes this a very specific, recommended pick for such collections. Bernd Horn & Michael Wyczynski's Canadian Airborne Forces Since 1942 (1841769851, $17.95) covers the history and uniforms of Canadian airborne forces from World War II to modern times. While this specialty item will be limited to collections with an interest in Canadian military topics, such a collection will find it packed with history. Same can be said for Lawrence Burr's British Battlecruisers 1914-18 (1846030080, $15.95), a survey of the design, development and deployment of British battlecruisers, which were innovations in their time. Chapters provide details on technology and intelligence blends which made them effective. Abiodun Alao's Mau-Mau Warrior (1846030-242, $17.95) features color photos published for the first time as it covers the Mau-Mau Uprising of 1952-60, long presented as a primitive uprising and seldom analyzed for its strategy and skills. The uprising forced the British government to make the longest airlift in military history: Mau-Mau Warrior examines those behind the movement and their importance to African struggles. Ronald Pawly's Napoleon's Scouts Of The Imperial Guard (1841769568, $15.95) covers the leader's last and best campaign, when he'd been driven out, defeated, and most of his veterans had been killed. In this final battle he raised three regiments of mounted scouts for his Imperial Guard and here their equipment, history and uniforms are detailed. G. Rottman's Viet Cong And Nva Tunnels And Fortifications Of The Vietnam War (184603003X, $16.95) joins others in the 'Fortress' series to focus on the key fortresses and defensive systems of the era. The North Vietnamese Army was forced to dig shelters and hide weapons underground: their systems and camouflage are analyzed here.

The Devil's Topographer
David M. Owens
University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
www.utpress.org
1572334649 $33.00 1-800-621-2736

The Devil's Topographer: Ambrose Bierce And The American War Story tells one who was billed 'the first writer of fiction ever to treat war realistically'. This realism came from Bierce's experiences as a Union soldier in the Civil War, where he moved from soldier to cartographer and saw major battles of the war. Any interested in Bierce's background must have The Devil's Topographer: it outlines an important part of his life and sets over twenty of his war stories chronologically according to the story's action. This could've been reviewed in our Literary section but is mentioned here for its added interest to military literature audiences.

Andrea Press/Casemate, dist.
2114 Darby Rd., Havertown, PA 19083
www.casemate.com www.amazon.com

It's hard to easily categorize this slim title: hobbyists will find here highly detailed models and a fine set of tips on Red Baron modeling; but it's the military buff who will best appreciate the vintage photos and history which accompanies the models in Lee Preston's The Red Baron (8496527-336, $24.95). Displays of reconstructions and models include specifics down to the paint job, while vintage black and white photos provide excellent depth. The War On Terror: A Deep Review About Islamic And Other Terrorist Ways (84-96527646, $22.95) joins others in the 'Historical Warriors' series, analyzing the historical circumstances which fostered terrorism on a global scale leading to the 9/11 attacks. From terrorist strategies to a chronicle of major attacks, illustrations and drawings accompany details on Islam, jihad, and more. An excellent introduction.

Don't You Know There's A War On?
Jonathan Croall
Sutton Publishing Limited
260 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
www.suttonpublishing.co.uk
0750936991 $16.95 1-800-462-6420

Don't You Know There's A War On?: Voices From The Home Front provides an intimate 'you are there' experience chronicling the perceptions of young people during the second world war. Documents come in many forms here, from letters and poems to diary extracts and writings of soldiers. Essays by a range of authors are organized by topic, from 'Women's Work' to those out of sync with the norm. An intriguing, involving discourse, Don't You Know There's A War On? is a highly recommended addition to American History and Military History collections.

Into The Dragon's Teeth
Dany Lynch & Paul Rutherford
Atlas Books
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
www.atlastbooks.com
0878755594 $29.95 1-800-537-6272

The collaborative work of veteran journalism, television pundit and author Dan Lynch in partnership with essayist and author Paul Rutherford, Into The Dragon's Teeth: Warriors' Tales Of The Battle Of The Bulge recounts the true-life story of three American solders who fought in the World War II epic battle that came to be known as the "Battle of the Bulge". The Germans were desperate to keep the allies from entering Germany in the closing year of the war. A cruel winter held the frontline in its frigid grip. Enhanced with the inclusion of a DVD and very highly recommended for military buffs and the Military History collections of academic and community libraries, Into The Dragon's Teeth compellingly provides illustrative stories about what close order combat was really like in those dark and desperate times.

Inman's War
Jeffrey S. Copeland
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113-2619
155778860X $17.95 paragonhouse.com

Author Jeffrey Copeland (head of the Dept. of English Language and Literature, University of Northern Iowa) presents Inman's War: A Soldier's Story Of Life In A Colored Battalion In WW II, a narrative biography of an African-American who served in the American military prior to its integration under Harry S Truman. Drawn from one hundred and fifty letters written by Inman Perkins to his fiancee and later wife, Inman's War offers an intensely personal look at individual valor and suffering, and allows lay readers and historians alike to appreciate the contribution of "colored battalions" not only to the war effort, but to the improved egalitarianism of American culture. Highly recommended reading.


The Philosophy Shelf

Uncommon Dissent
William A. Dembski, editor
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road, Wilmington, DE 19807-0431
1932236309 $28.00 www.isibooks.org

It's hard to easily categorize this: both science and philosophy blend in Uncommon Dissent: Intellectuals Who Find Darwinism Unconvincing, making it a pick for college-level collections strong in either science or philosophy. Contributors discuss Darwinian evolutionary theory with an eye to revealing its problems: Dembski gathers essays from leading intellectuals who provide strong counter-arguments against Darwin's ideas.

Open Court
PO Box 300, Peru, IL 61354
www.opencourtbooks.com

A poet, a philosopher and a politician each understood the attraction of evil, depicting it in their respective genres; but it takes religious hermit and scholar Claire Ortiz Hill to put the three together under one cover in Roots And Flower Of Evil In Baudelaire, Nietzsche And Hitler (08126-95860, $27.95), pulling together their writings to examine and contrast philosophy with historical events in which evil is manifested. Her comparison will interest college-level students of both literature and philosophy and will provide excellent material for classroom discussion and further inquiry. Gary L. Hardcastle and George A. Reisch's Monty Python And Philosophy (0812695933, $17.95) is for any Python fan, whether or not they like philosophy. Here professional philosophers and amateur Python fans celebrate and discuss the unlikely intersections of humor and philosophy, with comedy blending to metaphysics and ethics blending into TV and film insights. Especially recommended for college-level readers reluctant to enter the world of philosophy.


The Fiction Shelf

Panda Diaries
Alex Kuo
University of Indianapolis Press
1400 East Hana Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227-3697
www.uindy.edu/universitypress
088093865X $16.95 www.amazon.com

It's hard to easily peg this account: it's a novel about a colonel's attempt to reclaim his life after a career in China's secret service but it's also a reflection on Chinese history and culture, surveying China's politics and effects using an insider's viewpoint in a novel form. Whether easily pegged or not, it will intrigue any interested in either Chinese politics or military fiction.

Donovan's Paradigm
Lynn Price
Behler Publications
22365 El Toro Road, #135, Lake Forest, CA 92630
www.behlerpublications.com
1933016337 $18.95 www.amazon.com

Donovan's Paradigm is a novel that will have a very special appeal to anyone in the medical profession. Kim Donovan's challenge to traditional medicine involves her in a direct conflict with a well-respected surgeon as well as involving the entire hospital: their standoff will change the hospital's world as well as their lives in this expertly crafted story of medical ethics and issues that could well be the stuff of today's newspaper headlines. A strongly recommended addition to community library contemporary fiction collections, Donovan's Paradigm clearly documents author Lynn Price as an especially talented writer who will engage the reader's total attention from first page to last.

Westbow/Thomas Nelson
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.thomasnelson.com

Laura Jensen Walker's Reconstructing Natalie (1595530679, $14.99) provides a rare opportunity to laugh at a serious subject: breast cancer. Joining others in the 'Women of Faith' fiction imprint, it's based on the author's experiences and provides a dynamic story of disease, faith, and the power of humor. Diann Hunt's RV There Yet? (159554142X, $14.99) is another in the imprint, this focusing on a cross-country RV trip for a girl recovering from spurned love and a demanding chocolate business. Her love of luxury is challenged in a road trip which offers anything but relaxation. Denise Hildreth's Savannah By The Sea (1595541608, $14.99) provides a sequel to Savannah Comes Undone but no prior familiarity is needed to appreciate this tale. Savannah's seaside week leads to an unexpected new man in her life and an unexpected ability to cope. Hilarious encounters with parents, boyfriends and bosses enhance a lively adventure.

Ursula's Maiden Army
Philip Griffin
Beagle Bay Books
3040 June Meadows Rd, Reno, NV 89509
094961019 $14.95 288 pages + maps www.beaglebay.com

Ursula's Maiden Army is historical fiction at its best. Built around the hazy tales and legends of Britannic princess Ursula in the fifth century, Ursula's Maiden Army is a reworking of the known legends and scant facts that surround the princess' maiden army of thousands who defended their homeland from invading Picts, Hibernians, and Saxons when their men did not return from their recall to the Continent, in the beginning of what would become the collapse of the Roman Empire. Ursula and her maidens use armor, horses, and cunning to defeat their enemies in hand-to-hand combat. Though destined for bloody martyrdom outside Colonia at the hands of Huns in Germania, these women did not suffer their eventual fate tamely. Instead, legend records that a British princess emasculated (and killed) Mundzuk, father of Attila, on a wedding bed. The tales of Ursula, and her friends, Pinnosa, Brittola, Cordula, Martha, and Saula in their adventures together are fiercely entertaining. Ursula is not presented as someone accustomed to killing, nor are her friends. Rather, it becomes something they are driven to accomplish as a last resort, almost a sacramental deed. Working with little historical precedent, author Philip Griffin has developed a highly charismatic figure in Ursula, believable in her deeds and choices, both heroic and human.

Scribblers On The Roof
Melvin Jules Bukiet & David G. Roskies
Persea Books
853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
www.perseabooks.com
089255326X $15.95 212-260-9256

Scribblers On The Roof: Contemporary American Jewish Fiction by Co-authors Melvin Jules Bukiet & David G. Roskies is an anthology of modern short stories by American Jewish writers, all drawn from the successful "rooftop reading" series of New York City's Congregation Ansche Chesed. Blending stoicism, comedy, and bittersweet tragedy, these short tales offer a glimpse of the human condition, and range in setting from the mundanity of daily life to the workings of a divine bar in Paradise. Each brief tale has its own delicious slant in perspective, and all are highly recommended.

Leave A Candle Burning
Lori Wick
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, OR 97402-9172
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
0736913734 $12.99 1-877-307-0662

Part of the "Tucker Mills" trilogy, Lori Wick's Leave A Candle Burning finds that when young and handsome Dannan MacKay arrives in Tucker Mills to take over the medical practice of his uncle, he feels welcomed by the town, the church family, and his patients. Dannan feels that he has it all -- until he finds himself dreaming of love, offering his home to a young orphaned cousin, and finds himself drawn to the one woman in Tucker Mills that he cannot love -- but does. Leave A Candle Burning is a superbly crafted romance novel that is engagingly entertaining from first page to last, and documents yet again that veteran author Lori Wick is a truly gifted storyteller. Also very highly recommended are the first two titles of the "Tucker Mills" trilogy: Moonlight On The Millpond and Just Above A Whisper.


The Library DVD Shelf

MacArthur
WGBH
c/o SSA Public Relations
148 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016
www.shop.wgbh.org
1593755953 $29.95 1-877-807-2622

As originally broadcast on public television, MacArthur is the documentary of a true American military hero, General Douglas MacArthur - America's most decorated officer in World War I, and a man who recovered from severe defeat from the Japanese in the opening months of the Pacific campaign, to make an ultimately triumphant return to the Philippines in World War II, and who masterminded a brilliant invasion in the Korean War only to be severely reversed by overwhelming Chinese forces. As egotistical as he was courageous, MacArthur fought doggedly against anyone who dared to question his military judgment, even the President of the United States. This in-depth documentary includes closed captions, scene selection, and printable material for educators. Enthusiastically recommended for home, school, and public DVD libraries. 2 DVDs, 240 minutes, color.

Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
$14.98 each anchorbayentertainment.com

Fitness videos have long since given way to fitness DVDs and have become an essential part of most home-based physical exercise routines for the health conscious. For those who are also under a time constraint, three "10 Minute Solution" DVDs are fun and effective. 10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix (DV14639, 54 minutes) hosted by Jennifer Galardi offers five "fun and funky" programs: Simple Slimmer, Calorie Meltdown, Fat Burning Dance Party, Butt and Thigh Blaster, and Ab Attack. These lively exercises are designed to burn off fat while working on body sculpting. 10 Minute Solution: Rapid Results Pilates (DV14625, $54 minutes) with Lara Hudson offers five specific exercises: Simple Slimmer, Arms and Should Shaper, Waist Trimmer, Total Body Blast, and Slim & Sleek Stretch. Light weights are utilized during the Arms workout. In 10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts (DV14626, 54 minutes), Kimberly Spreen offers five enjoyable ball workouts: Mix and Match Lower Body Workout, Upper Body Workout, Core Workout, Cardio Workout, and Flexibility Workout. A stability ball is required, and light weights may be used in the upper body segment. Also very highly recommended are two additional home exercise "follow along" instructional DVDs: Pick Your Level: Fat To Firm Fast (DV14628, $14.98, 44 minutes) and Pick Your Level: Weight Loss Pilates (DV14627, $14.98, 35 minutes).


The Library CD Music Shelf

Critical Mass
Dave Holland Quintet
Dare 2 Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
216 West Allen Street, Suite 137, Bloomington, IN 47403
CD $16.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

The first new Dave Holland Quintet album in over three years, Critical Mass is steeped both in the jazz tradition and in the ideal of the "working band", an ensemble that performs and records together regularly. Each of the five musicians has contributed their own composition to this toe-tapping, flawlessly recorded album of vibrancy, memories, and tribute. The songs include The Eyes have It (7:00), Easy Did It (11:16), Vicissitudes (9:56), The Leak (5:42), Secret Garden (8:42), Lucky Seven (8:35), Full Circle (12:11) and Amator Silenti (9:17)


The Literary Shelf

Shared Histories
Angela Potter, editor
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602
0820328022 $22.95 ugapress.org

Shared Histories: Transatlantic Letters Between Virginia Dickinson Reynolds And Her Daughter, Virginia Potter, 1929-66 provides correspondence at its best: a mother-daughter series of written conversations which offer solid insights into high society London and Richmond before, during and after World War II. In having the conversations between two on different continents; one Britain, one US, and in having the writings include notable frankness and opinions rather than personal events alone, Shared Histories holds value far beyond the usual family portraits, making it a top pick.

Dufour Editions, Inc.
Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
1-800-869-5677 dufoureditions.com

Charles Dickens's Hunted Down: The Detective Stories Of Charles Dickens (0720612659, $22.95) gathers stories which demonstrates the detective-writing prowess of a classic author best known for his social issues fiction. His influence on crime fiction fostered the development of a genre, while his characters and plots were based on his observations of the fledgling police detective force when he was a reporter and accompanied them on their nightly patrols. Any fan of detective fiction will find this an essential key to the early methods and choices of the genre. Jim O'Donnell's Wordgloss: A Cultural Lexicon (1843510731, $33.95) first appeared in 1990 to much acclaim: here it's been reworked and extensively revised and extended to provide essays on law, politics, science, history and language. Any interested in words and culture will learn about literary usage, word origins, cultural connections, and changing historical context in a fascinating survey. Both of these excellent titles are informed, informative, and highly recommended reading.

The Newberry And Caldecott Awards
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
0838935656 $19.00 1-866-746-7258

Now in an updated edition for 2006, The Newberry And Caldecott Awards by the Association For Library Service To Children is a straightforward catalog of children's books that received the Newberry award (2006-1922) and the Caldecott Award (2006-1938). Each entry lists the title, author, and illustrator of the book, along with a brief summary of the book's and art style, and a supplementary list of other honors the book earned. The 2006 edition also features a brand new essay by children's literacy consultant Sue McCleaf Nespeca, "Sharing Picture Books with Children to Promote Art Appreciation", which reviews the elements of great art and reveals how modern children's book artists incorporate such into their work. A superb and easy-to-use reference especially recommended for librarians.

Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, 3rd Fl, NY, NY 10014-1780
www.mla.org

Bronte's classic Wuthering Heights has received acclaim since its publication and has been taught as foundation study in high schools and colleges yet it's a challenging novel to teach. Sue Lonoff and Terri Hasseler, That's Why Approaches To Teaching Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (0873529936 $19.75) is so important for any: it surveys experienced teachers of the novel and interviews students alike to point out areas of common difficulty, offering chapters which include classroom analysis, teaching approaches, and useful critical studies alike. Any teaching this novel must have this book. Nancy L. Baker and Nancy Huling's A Research Guide For Undergraduate Students: English And American Literature (0873529243, $12.00) appears in its sixth updated edition to show undergrads how to use research time effectively. From learning how to access databases and evaluate findings to locating primary sources, Research Guide For Undergraduate Students is essential for any modern undergrad seeking to produce authoritative, well-researched papers.

Creole America
Sean X. Goudie
University Of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Steet, Philadelphia, PA 19104
081223930X $55.00 www.amazon.com

Creole America: The West Indies And The Formation Of Literature And Culture In The New Republic by Sean X. Goudie (English Department, Vanderbilt University) explores how literary culture in the New Republic era became framed amid a background of both expansionist desires of the North American continent and a push for commercial empire along the routes of West Indian trades. George Washington's Secretary of the Treasury and West Indian immigrant Alexander Hamilton came to personify the unease felt by Americans about the relations between the slave colonies of the West Indies and the supposedly free and democratic states of the independent mainland, a state of mind that Goudie terms the "creole complex". Chapters scrutinize the resulting repercussions on literary expression and daily culture in the annals of history. A serious, college-level scholarly dissection of cross-cultural dynamics.

Poetry, Politics & Culture
Harold Kaplan
Transaction Books
390 Campus Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873
0765803038 $39.95 transactionpub.com

A new 279 page comparative analysis of the poetics of T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, and William Carlos Williams is presented in Poetry, Politics & Culture: Argument In The Work Of Eliot, Pound, Stevens & Williams by Harold Kaplan (Professor Emeritus of English and American literature at Northwestern University and formerly of Rutgers University and Bennington College). Professor Kaplan uses the work of each poet to present two basic counter viewpoints: Pound and Eliot embraced a more orthodox, expatriate view of the poetic imagination grounded in outward forms of European tradition (even in Pound's case, embracing Italian fascism), while Williams and Stevens, whose poetics evolved in the wake of Emerson and Thoreau, chose a definition of poetry and poetics that was centered on nature, and transcended, or disregarded the old ideas of Christian sin, guilt, and cultural hierarchy. All four poets were seeking to redefine cultural values through poetry in a time of change and cultural and political crisis following World War I. Thus the argument becomes a mirror of opposite approaches, as seen through the poets' writings. Professor Kaplan takes the reader through a thorough consideration of each poet's background, poetics and related writings to arrive at his conclusions. Only then does he state, "If my theme has a moral conclusion it is one I have mentioned. The protagonist in the drama of poetry and life is not nature, not divinity, not history or tradition, and not a culture. It is "major man" wherever he or she is found (p. 252)." Professor Kaplan carefully lists his extra sources, including works of Emmanuel Levinas, Bakhtin, Mandelshtam, and Celan, in three Appendices and in a plethora of footnotes. Recommended for undergraduate and graduate students of American Studies, literature, poetry and history, Poetry, Politics, & Culture is not light reading, but it is very clearly written and represents definitive thinking about America's intellectual and poetic history at its finest.

Searching For Jane Austen
Emily Auerbach
The University Of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Sreet, 3rd Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress
0299201848 $21.95 1-800-621-2736

Searching For Jane Austen by Emily Auerbach (Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) is an impressively informative documentation and study of the life and writings of the remarkable historical literary figure and author Jane Austen. With impeccable scholarship, Searching For Jane Austen combines biography with literary criticism to deftly depict Austen's intricacies and her struggles with censorship and editing the romantically inclined writer was faced with throughout her life and career. A seminal study and core addition to academic library reference collections, Searching For Jane Austen is a simply outstanding work that is engagingly written and thoroughly accessible to the non-specialist general reader as it is to the academician with an interest in the life, times, and works of Jane Austen.

Virginia Woolf: Bloomsbury & Beyond
Anthony Curtis
Haus Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
190495023X $24.95 1-800-758-3756

Literary journalism Anthony Curtis reviewed the volumes of Virginia Woolf's diaries, letters, and essays when they were first published, as well as accounts of her life history and mental illness. Virginia Woolf: Bloomsbury & Beyond is his biographical expose of Woolf that seeks to answer the question, "Of what does Virginia Woolf's greatness consist?" Vintage black-and-white photographs illustrate this distinguished study of her life and literature, which also takes into account the contemporary novels that Woolf's writing was a reaction against, and especially her rebellion against the linear narrative. A fascinating read for scholars and lay readers alike, Virginia Woolf seamlessly blends the twin issues of Woolf's literary achievements and the context of their creation. Highly recommended.


The Genealogy Shelf

Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses
William Thorndale & William Dollarhide
Genealogical Publishing Company
1001 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202-3897
www.genealogial.com
0806311886 $49.95 1-800-296-6687

The collaborative work of William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide To The U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920 was originally published in 1987 and has now been reissued and is once again available to aspiring and experienced genealogists. Enhanced with the inclusion of almost 400 maps, the old county lines are superimposed over modern county lines to highlight boundary changes at ten-year intervals. Also included is a history of census growth, a precis of technical facts about each census, a discussion of census accuracy, an essay on the sources available for identifying each state's old county lines, and a statement with each map indicating which county census lists survive and which are lost, and an index listing all present-day counties, defunct counties, and re-named counties. No genealogical reference collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of the Map Guide To The U.S. Censuses.


The World History Shelf

Wars of Latin America, 1899-1941
Rene De La Pedraja
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
0786425792 $49.95 1-800-253-2187

Wars Of Latin America, 1899-1941 is a scholarly survey of turbulent conflict in Latin America during an era when border quarrels and domestic insurrections marked the difficult transition of nations from agrarian to industrial societies. Chapters discuss the war between Panama and Costa Rica; U.S. occupations of Cuba; Mexico's internal strife; the U.S.'s efforts against Pancho Villa; the phases of the Chaco War; the war between Peru and Colombia; the war between Peru and Ecuador; and much more. Black-and-white photographs illustrate the descriptive text, which tells of jungles, mountains, and deserts that were as deadly as any opposing force. A scrupulous and highly recommended text for college library and world history shelves.

Space And History In The Caribbean
Oruno D. Lara
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08542
1558764011 $24.95 markuswiener.com

The history of the Caribbean islands began long before the arrival of Christopher Columbus and the Europeans. That is why Oruno Lara (founder of the Centre de recherches Carabes-Ameriques at the University of Paris in 1982) begins Space And History In The Caribbean with describing the Caribbean Mediterranean sea and its geodynamics. Next is a historical summation of what archaeology can reveal about ancient human settlements and civilizations of the area, including the distribution of cultural groups. Lara then address European colonialism and slavery, the eventual destruction of the slavery system, a chronological survey of the crisis of the 20th Century, and a descriptive summation of the contemporary geopolitical and geostrategic problems associated with the Caribbean. Of special note is the listing of a bibliography for additional study. Superbly written and ably presented, Space And History In The Caribbean is a welcome addition to academic library Caribbean Studies and Western History reference collections.


The Mythology/Folklore Shelf

The Enchanted Lake
Sinead de Valera
Currach Press/Dufour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
1856079236 $14.95 dufoureditions.com

The Enchanted Lake: Classic Irish Fairy Stories by Sinead de Valera is a fun and engaging anthology of age-old Irish folktales and fairy legends. Featuring the stories of The Three Drinks, The Captive Princess, The Hare of Sleevebawn, The Treacherous Waters, The Jewel of Truth, The Mountain Wolf, A Prince in Disguise, and the title piece, The Enchanted Lake this anthology deftly offers a very special introduction into traditional Irish storytelling culture and folk lore. A wonderful addition to any personal or community library Fairytale, Folklore & Mythology collections, The Enchanted Lake is very highly recommended as a compendium of Sinead de Valera's most entertaining and endearing Irish fairy tale stories.


The Computer Shelf

New Riders
1249 - 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.newriders.com

The 2nd new updated edition of Jeremy Birn's Digital Lighting & Rendering (03-21316312, $50.00), a definitive lighting text, will reach photographers and computer graphics artists alike, covering all the details needed to understand how to use 3D applications to maximum effect. Learn how to paint textured details, use dynamic range images, and render in multiple passes for better control. George Maestri's Digital Character Animation 3 (0321376-005, $50.00) provides new artwork to pair with animator and writer George Maestri's insights on the theory and basic techniques of rigging, walk-cycles, lip-synch and more: all the elements which bring an animation to life. You don't have to have a prior background in digital animation to appreciate this guide, either: chapters offer both the basics of modeling and animation and progress to more advanced levels of applications and characterization, so all levels of users gain insights.

O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol CA 95472
www.oreilly.com

DV Filmmaking From Start To Finish (0596008481, $39.95) by Ian David Aronson's will reach both amateur and professional digital video users with a basic primer on differences between digital and print mediums. Familiarity with Final Cut Pro or Adobe After Effects, the two programs used here, will aid in understanding DV applications in either PC or Mac formats, while the author's background as a teacher of digital media lends a logical progression to his tips and practical applied examples. Harold Davis' Google Advertising Tools (0596101082, $29.99) tells how to make the most with Google's business advertising services – especially when All are fantastic references. From Adsense and Adwords to optimizing a site for search engine placement and working with Google ad campaigns, Google Advertising Tools touches all the basics, paid and unpaid of getting more mileage from a web site's setup, operations and campaigns. Bonnie Biafore's Quickbooks 2006: The Missing Manual (0596101848, $29.99) covers much more than just installing and using the program: it goes beyond the basics to provide a printed manual to the program geared to the financial reports and business needs of the typical modern office. Basic, daily accounting is taught under the Quickbooks 2006 program's umbrella in chapters which show how to track audit trails, run reports, and improve company data output and therefore performance. Andy Rathbone's PES: The Missing Manual (0596100930, $24.95) is another recommended winner, again helping bridge the gap between program and learner with a book which moves quickly from the basics to more advanced computer concepts – all linked to user needs. With its surveys of how software and hardware interact to how to tweak either for maximum performance, and how to troubleshoot common problems including spyware and Internet viruses, PES: The Missing Manual not only tells all, but in user-friendly language. All are top, winning picks.


The Architecture Shelf

Building The Japanese House Today
Peggy Landers Rao & Len Brackett
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, NY, NY 10011
0810959313 $40.00 abramsbooks.com

Superbly illustrated with photography from Aya Brackett, Building The Japanese House Today by Peggy Landers and Len Brackett is an outstanding collection of beautiful and decorative architectural designs drawn from the Japanese traditional and contemporary architectural ideas and ideals. Deftly co-authored to provide a wealth of usable and informed perspectives, Building The Japanese House Today offers such particulars as preliminary design decisions for building a Japanese home; design directions based on living with or without furniture a chart showing the relative proportions of components of the traditional house; lumber selection, drying and milling; design and construction of a Japanese bath; technical drawings showing how to make traditional architecture conform to western building codes; sources and contacts for materials and craftsmen; and twenty pages of professional plans and diagrams to guide readers through the simple and elegant procedures of construction. A core addition to any professional or academic library Architectural Studies reference collection, Building The Japanese House Today is very highly recommended for non-specialist general readers searching for a knowledgeable and "user-friendly" study of domestic Japanese architecture.


The Music Shelf

So I've Heard
Alan Rich
Amadeus Press Inc.
512 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
1574671332 $24.95 amadeuspress.com

So I've Heard: Notes Of A Migratory Music Critic comes from a music critic whose published music criticism column has decades of appearance here gathered under one cover for the first time. From an unenthusiastic account of a Leonard Bernstein world premiere to encounters with conductors and classical musicians in different settings both on stage and off, So I've Heard provides a set of rich insights on musicians, their inspirations, and the future of music as a whole.

Kansas City Jazz
Frank Driggs & Chuck Haddix
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com
0195307127 $17.95 1-800-451-7556

Kansas City Jazz is a chronicle of the golden age of jazz music, an era that put Kansas City on the map along with the more heavily documented jazz havens of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York. Jazz authority and former record executive Frank Driggs combines his talent Kansas City native and radio host Chuck Haddix to present an in-depth chronicle jazz styles that encompassed rough-and-tumble urban blues, and pounding piano music that would come to be known as "boogie-woogie". A tour of jazz cultural landmarks such as the Reno Club and colorful profiles of jazz figures from Mary Lou Williams and Big Joe Turner to Jimmy Rushing and Andy Kirk, along with an inset section of black-and-white photographs, distinguish this "must-read" for jazz music history enthusiasts.

Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016
1-800-634-7064 www.routledge.com

David Walley's Teenage Nervous Breakdown: Music And Politics In The Post-Elvis Era (0415978572 $19.95) blends music criticism and cultural history to survey how the rock culture and lifestyle was marketed first to a teen audience and later to consumers as a whole. Critic David Walley considers the rock culture's appearance in all aspects of American and world life, from music to politics, and how it's changed and evolved into the mainstream from an alternative venue. With chapters touching upon the icons and philosophy of the genre, this newly updated second edition provides a cultural history that is revealing and engrossing. Ronald D. Cohen's The Basics: Folk Music (0415971608, $16.95) comes from a history professor who uses scholarship and analysis from the most recent scholarly writings to contrast all kind of folk music, from local and traditional to professionals performing during the folk revival period. From record labels and producers to performers, genres and issues, college-level students will appreciate this detailed history-based survey.

A Humanistic Philosophy Of Music
Edward A. Lippman
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
www.pendragonpress.com
1576471217 $45.00 1-518-325-6100

Seventh in the "Aesthetics in Music" series, A Humanistic Philosophy Of Music is a scholarly, philosophical evaluation of music's role in communicating the human experience. Chapters expound at length upon the material, form, meaning, style, permanence, composites, context, and conception of music, and the interplay between music's creation, message and perceived meaning, and an intuitive comprehension. In particular, A Humanistic Philosophy Of Music raises the concern that the humanistic values of music are currently being subverted or ignored by overwhelming, inevitable, irreversible changes in modern culture. Recognizing change and possible loss allows for our collective memory to recall what the onward march of time is so quick to forget, making A Humanistic Philosophy Of Music especially vital reading for advanced music scholars and composers.


The Cookbook Shelf

Chocolate Coffee Caramel
Whitecap
351 Lynne Avenue, North Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7J 2C4
1552857336 $24.99 www.whitecap.ca

Cooks with a sweet tooth will find a lovely gathering of sweets between these covers, from baked goods to mousses, meringues, and fruit. From a pecan and biscuit Chocolate Hedgehog to Chocolate Peppermint Slice, and Vanilla and Carmel Swirl Ice Cream Pie, these are lovely delights. No photos, which would have enhanced the presentation but serious cooks with experience don't need them to be enticed.

The Place Setting
Fred W. Sauceman
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207
0865549907 $25.00 www.mupress.com

The Place Setting: Timeless Tastes Of The Mountain South, From Bright Hope To Frog Level by Fred W. Sauceman (Senior writer and executive assistant to the President for Public Affairs at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City) is an eclectic combination of pure homestyle southern cooking and nostalgic "down home" stories. Offering his readers expansive first hand knowledge of southern cooking, Sauceman's The Place Setting includes tasty dishes ranging from Sheri Castle's Killed Lettuce; Gertrude Ripley's Carrot Cake with Black Walnuts; and Sorghum Snaps, to Spinning Spider Warm Goat Cheese Salad; White Lily Almond-Filled Pound Cake; and Margaret Anne Mitchell's Capered Deviled Eggs. The Place Setting presents an entertaining and invaluable compilation of area restaurants, unique cooking ideas, and intriguing stories which are ideal for readers with an interest in the culinary arts and southern culture, and in search of detailed recipes and fun stories.

Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
$12.95 each www.rionuevo.com

Bright color photos accompany easy directions and a focus on the flavors of the West will appeal to new cooks as wells as experienced kitchen chefs in each book of the delicious 'Cook West' series from Rio Nuevo Publishers. Amy Reiley and Annette Tomel's Chile Aphrodisia (188789-6902) provides many unique dishes from French Toast Rellenos to Limeade with jalapenos and Grape Salsa. Gwin Grogan Grimes' Gorgeous Garlic (1887896937) presents dishes such as Roasted Garlic Quesadillas, Garlic Vinaigrette, or Grilled Corn with Garlic Lime Butter, Geraldine Duncann's Absolutely Avocado (1887896-899) provides a range of salads, cold soups, and sandwiches and baked goods; Teresa Kennedy's The Elegant Olive (18-87896880) provides salsas, Olive Salad and more; and Gwyneth Doland's Cilantro Secrets (1887896929) provides recipes for Spring Rolls, Posole, and more. Each ingredient-oriented guide offers up 50 original recipes along with tips on entertaining.

Gimme Five!
Nicola Graimes
North Atlantic Books
PO Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94712
www.northatlanticbooks.com
155643586X $16.95 www.amazon.com

Illustrated throughout with full-color photographs Gimme Five! is more than an ordinary cookbook - it's a resource for parents, babysitters, and caretakers for helping children learn to enjoy eating more fruits and vegetables. The recipes are kid-friendly and ideal for teaching young people how to prepare their own nutritious snacks and meals. From Orange & Mango Sherbet, to Root Vegetable Nests, All-in-One Tuna Risotto, Grow-Your-Own Alfal, and so much more, these recipes and accompanying tips about the nutrients and culinary history of various delicious plant foods make for a wonderful, health-conscious cookbook to share with the whole family.

Mama Nazima's Jewish-Iraqi Cuisine
Rivka Goldman
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016
www.hippocrenebooks.com
0781811449 $24.95 1-212-685-4371

In Mama Nazima's Jewish-Iraqi Cuisine, Rivka Goldman presents her memories of the culinary traditions of an ancient land that saw historical influences from the Mongols, the Turks, and India affect and enhance Iraq's ethnic and traditional cuisine among the Jewish-Iraqi community. More than 100 healthy family recipes have been compiled with dishes ranging from salads, to side dishes, to main entrees, to desserts. Each unique recipe comes accompanied by stories of friendship, loyalty, persecution, escape, exile, and celebration. From Feta Cheese and Onion Salad; Brown Eggs and Vegetables; Sweet-and-Sour Okra with Meat; and Semolina Dumplings with Zucchini; to Quince Stuffed with Meat; Rice and Lentils with Cumin and Garlic; Iraqi Pita Bread; and Candied Almond-Coconut, Mama Nazima's Jewish-Iraqi Cuisine is a superb addition to any personal, family, or community library regional/ethnic cookbook collection.

A1 Diner
Sarah Rolph
Tilbury House, Publishers
132 Water Street, Gardiner, ME 04345
www.tilburyhouse.com
0884482774 $20.00 1-800-582-1899

A1 Diner: Real Food, Recipes, & Recollections isn't just a straightforward cookbook; it gathers memories of the people who owned and worked for the A1 Diner, from which these time-tested favorite tastes have been gathered. Numerous anecdotes and recollections pepper such long-beloved A1 Diner recipes as Individual Cheese Souffles, Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce, Mike's Shrimp Scampi, Lime Avocado Salad with Pistachios, and a great deal more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this excellent cookbook of authentic diner delicacies.

Mom's Best Crowd-Pleasers
Andrea Chesman
Storey Books
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storeybooks.com
1580176291 $10.95 1-800-827-8673

Andrea Chesman is the accomplished author of dozens of cookbooks including Mom's Best Desserts and Mom's Best One-Dish Suppers. Now she has created Mom's Best Crowd-Pleasers, a compendium of 101 easy-to-prepare recipes for dishes that are perfect for informal family gatherings, casual get-togethers with friends, and delicious dishes for surprise company occasions. From finger foods and snacks; to salads for buffets, picnics, and potlucks; to main dishes and grillings; to desserts and bake sales; Mom's Best Crowd-Pleasers fully lives up to its title with such "kitchen cook friendly" offerings as Peach-Orange Muffins; Baked Rice Pilaf; Stuffed Pork Tenderloins; Grilled Turkey Burgers; and One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes. Also highly recommended for the kitchen cookbook shelf are Andrea Chesman's legendary cookbook titles: The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook and The Vegetarian Grill.

Best Of Irish Meat Recipes
Biddy White Lennon
The O'Brien Press
c/o Irish Books & Media, Inc.
1433 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2101
www.irishbook.com
0862789311 $12.95 1-800-229-3505

Best Of Irish Meat Recipes is a cookbook collection of over fifty inspirational recipes for the gourmet with a taste for Irish flavor. From beef, lamb, pork, and poultry, to game and dishes that use cured, spiced, or smoked meats, Best Of Irish Meat Recipes does not disappoint in its sumptuous suggestions and explicit instructions. Some recipes for more exotic meats also offer substitutions of easier-to-find types of meat. From Tripe and Onions, to Roast Haunch of Venison, Bacon and Cabbage, Smoked Duck with Beetroot and Orange, and more, Best Of Irish Meat Recipes is enthusiastically recommended for preparing sumptuous dinners in the Irish tradition.

Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook: Bridal Edition
Stephanie Karpinske, et al.
Meredith Books
1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50336
www.meredithbooks.com
0696222116 $29.95 1-800-678-8091

Better Homes & Gardens is an established and respected name when it comes to cookbooks. This new "Bridal Edition" showcases more than 1,200 recipes enhanced with 700 photos; offers menus ideas for romantic dinners, holiday meals, and parties with friends; provides an excellent guide to wines, cheeses, and contemporary cocktails; delivers tips and secrets to boost the confidence of new cooks; enables even the most novice kitchen cook and party giver to create flawless and fun entertainment with friends and family; and even offers practical advice for hosting a newly wed's first big holiday dinner. Of special note is the introductory information on tabletop decor and the recipes with a "Low Fat" designation. The perfect bridal shower or wedding gift, Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook: Bridal Edition includes all the recipes of the complete "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" plus a bonus section for newlyweds that will prove invaluable for the novice kitchen cook!

500 Cookies
Philippa Vanstone
Ronnie Sellers Productions
81 West Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
www.makefun.com
1569065926 $14.95 1-800-625-3386

A compact compendium of five hundred recipes for cookies drawn from all over the world, Philippa Vanstone's 500 Cookies is organized with separate chapters devoted to classic cookies, teatime cookies, cookies for kids, chocolate cookies, celebration cookies, wholesome healthy cookies, cookies for special diets, cookie bars, dessert cookies, and savory cookies & crackers. An informative introduction and a thoroughly "user friendly" index round out this remarkable collection of delicious cookie treats that range from Scottish Shortbread; Polenta Crescents; Chocolate Spice Cookies; and Cinnamon Stars; to Applesauce Cookies; Chewy Almond Cherry Bars; Cream Cheese Cookie Slices; and Blue Cheese Crumbles. Along with the list of ingredients and "kitchen cook friendly" instructions, each cookie is also illustrated with a color photograph. 500 Cookies will soon prove to be a family favorite on the cookbook shelf as it showcases traditional fare with exotic offerings suitable for any and all dining occasions from after school snacks to elegant dining occasions.


The Photography Shelf

Singular Image
Sophie Howarth, editor
Aperture
547 W. 27th Street, New York NY 10013
1597110175 $19.95 www.aperture.org

Singular Images: Essays On Remarkable Photographs covers well over 150 years of photography, from Talbot's first negative to the latest changes in photographic art. Essays collect analysis of individual photos however, not the genre as a whole, focusing on a single image's achievements and exploring artist intention, technical and historical background, and the artistic community's response. Black and white photos blend with in-depth analysis to show what makes an achievement exceptional in the photography field.

Marilyn Monroe
Bert Stern
Schirmer Art Books/Prestel FPublishing
900 Broadway, Suite 603, NY, NY 10003
www.schirmer-mosel.com
3888141915 $120.00 1-888-463-6110

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) is perhaps America's most famous "sex goddess", a young woman whose life and death have taken on mythic qualities as having been a woman of beauty and sex appeal. Bert Stern is the fashion photographer who was the last to be granted a sitting by Marilyn Monroe six weeks before she died. The photography 3-day sessions was arranged by Vogue magazine and took place at the Los Angeles Bel-Air Hotel. The sessions produces a total of 2,571 photographs (375 in color) and included fashion, portrait, and nude studies from which only twenty went on to publication in Vogue magazine. Now all 2,571 photographs have been collected under one cover in Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting (originally published in 1992 but until now having long been out of print) and are available for Marilyn Monroe fans in this unaltered compendium showcasing Marilyn Monroe at the height of her all too tragically shortened career.

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

Michelle Perskins' Beginner's Guide To Adobe Photoshop, 3rd Edition (1584281-871, $34.95) provides an excellent basic set of structured lessons to help beginners with photography background enter the digital world of Photoshop editing. Here are foundation lessons on everything from rendering and resolution to file formats and working with image enhancements. Combine these with basics on how to remove dust, dirt and scratches from a picture and you have an excellent primer. Norman Phillips' Advanced Studio Lighting Techniques For Digital Portrait Photographers (1584281863, $34.95) tells how to go beyond the basics to understand and see unusual portrait-lighting opportunities as they arise. Accent lighting, catchlights, backdrops, and sculpting the face are only some of the professional touches discussed, with plenty of color photo embellishment for each step. Bill Hurter's Best Of Professional Digital Photography (158428188X, $34.95) surveys the finer art of digital capture and how to purchase and use a digital SLR system for maximum professional results. From understanding how file formats work and how to use them to using RAW formats, The Best Of Professional Digital Photography pairs polished results with techniques for achieving them. Stephen A. Dantzig's Master Lighting Techniques For Outdoor And Location Digital Portrait Photography (1584281855, $34.95) tells how to use outdoor light to produce stunning results. From different colors and qualities of natural light to using modifiers to produce better results and using Photoshop to repair common flaws, this harnesses the best of natural light and technological repair options and assures polished results. Adobe Photoshop For Underwater Photographers by Jack and Sue Drafahl (158-4281898, $39.95) is a pick for any underwater photographer who would use Photoshop to solve image problems commonly faced by underwater photographers. From using levels and curves to correct color to removing distracting image elements and creating keyboard shortcuts for high-speed underwater photography, everything is covered here even using RAW file images for quality and control. Michelle Perkins' Professional Portrait Lighting: Techniques And Images From Master Photographers (1584281901, $34.95) examines lighting techniques used by top photographers techniques which can translate well to fashion, business or family portrait photography ventures. From designing creative lighting for unique images to getting the best on-location results, Professional Portrait Lighting is a real winner, packed with savvy tips, creative solutions and plenty of color photo examples.

Lasting Light
Stephen Trimble
Northland Publishing
2900 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
0873588940 $40.00 northlandbooks.com

The Grand Canyon is one of the most photographed natural areas on the planet, so one might wonder at the need for another book on it but Lasting Light 125 Years Of Grand Canyon Photography gathers the most striking visual works of over twenty Canyon specialist photographers who share their personal narratives on how they captured the Canyon's unique light. Stephen Trimble is himself a photographer whose approach lends powerful artistic insights to a compilation which is a 'must' for any comprehensive Arizona, Canyon or photography library.

Visual Verse
John Parkinson
Synergy Books
2100 Kramer Ln, #300, Austin, TX 78758
1933538376 $29.95 www.bookpros.com

Nationally published photographer of 35 years' experience John Parkinson presents Visual Verse, a breathtaking gallery of images of the natural world - from glaciers to islands, to time-exposure of constellations rising in the desert. Half of Visual Verse displays the wondrous photographs alongside selected classic short poems from a variety of authors; a subsequent commentary section offers a paragraph of insight into the selection and capturing of each unique snapshot. Visual Verse is a singularly gorgeous coffee-table book which is especially recommended as a gift for nature and natural photography enthusiasts.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The 7 Steps To Stardom
Christina Ferra-Gilmore
Applause Theatre Books
19 W. 21st St, Suite 201, NY, NY 10010
1557836787 $17.95 www.halleonard.com

Co-written by founder and president of "The Acting Edge", one of Hollywood's leading acting schools for 15 years, The 7 Steps To Stardom: How To Become A Working Actor In Movies, TV, And Commercials is an easy-to-use workbook-and-DVD set that gives the practical advice on earning success in the entertainment business. Printed in color with photographs and a number of consumable pages, the workbook covers how to network and find an agent, avoiding scams, taking appropriate headshot photographs, writing an actor's resume, the business side of acting, honing one's acting skills and more. The two-hour DVD is divided into seven lesson segments: You are the Product, Acting Skills, Your Photograph, Your Resume, Your Agent, Your Unions, and Networking. Written in a direct, no-nonsense instructional, The 7 Steps To Stardom is a "must-have" for anyone contemplating or getting started in a profitable career in acting.

History In The Media
Robert Niemi
ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116
157607952X $85.00 www.abc-clio.com

History In The Media: Film And Television provides college-level readers with a powerful survey of over three hundred historically-based films from moving pictures to modern times. Included in the survey is film analysis for historical accuracy, its cultural and social influences, critical assessments of artistry, and capsule summary of plot. An organization by topic and era makes it easy to locate a genre or topic, making for an important reference for any film student as well as a popular pick for browsers.

The Technique Of Film And Video Editing
Ken Dancyger
Focal Press
200 Wheeler Road, 6th floor, Burlingtion, MA 01803
0240804201 $35.99 www.elsevier.com

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, The Technique Of Film And Video Editing: History, Theory, And Practice by Ken Dancyger (Professor of Film and Television, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University) provides a thoroughly "reader friendly" introduction and survey of proven editing techniques and how those techniques influence the editing process, as well as presenting the history, theory, and aesthetics of editing in film and video. Nicely organized into three major sections (History of Film Editing; Editing for the Genre); and Principles of Editing), The Technique Of Film And Video Editing is enhanced with the inclusion of "Cutting Room Procedures", a filmography, a glossary, a selected bibliography for further study, and a comprehensive index. No film school or academic library film/video production instructional collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of The Technique Of Film And Video Editing as a core reference. Also very highly recommended for film students and aspiring film makers from Focal Press is Blain Brown's Cinematography: Image Making For Cinematographers, Directors, And Videographers (02-40805003, $44.99).

The Actor's Way
Benjamin Lloyd
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., Suite 510, NY, NY 10010
158115447X $16.95 www.allworth.com

Acting and teaching acting is revealed in an unusual form: fictional letters between a struggling New York City actor and his Quaker grade-school acting teacher. In adopting the letter format, the pitfalls of an actor's life and the realities of success are more easily captured. It's rare to see such a blending of fiction and fact, but The Actor's Way: A Journey Of Self-Discovery In Letters provides an excellent, realistic survey in a form students can more easily digest.

Michael Wiese Productions
11288 Ventura Boulevard. #621, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com ww.amazon.com

Aspiring actors and film directors shouldn't be without these excellent titles, and any film library must have them, too. Richard D. Pepperman's Setting Up Your Scenes: The Inner Workings Of Great Films (1932907084,$24.95) holds over 400 selected movie frames in a wide-screen format to teach the basics of what impacts a classic scene. Screen writers, cinematographers and others will find here an excellent survey blending black and white classic scene shots with insights on story, scene, and great choices made to produce exceptional results. Pamela Douglas' Writing The TV Drama Series: How To Succeed As A Professional Writers In TV (1932907068, $24.95) lets the reader learn from experiences of pros who produced hit TV shows. Both newcomers and experienced drama writers will benefit from instruction on how a classic script is created, episodes fine-tuned, and outline forms and their alternates used. The author uses her own experience in the industry to provide insights into what makes a show successful, and how the professional writer makes or breaks that success. James Bonnet's Stealing Fire From The Gods, 2nd Edition (1932907114, $26.95) provides foundation tools and principles for good creative story crafting, appearing in a revised, expanded second edition to survey all elements of the successful screenplay. Here are new insights on creating unity, crafting the story's progress, and more in an analysis which include new films and approaches. A vital 'how to' addition to any serious collection.

Hearing Difference
Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington D.C. 20002-3695
http://gupress.gallaudet.edu
1563682907 $59.95 1-800-621-2736

Hearing Difference: The Third Ear In Experimental, Deaf, And Multicultural Theater by Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren (Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program at the University Of Washington) is a scholarly study of the connections between hearing and deafness in theater that pushes the boundaries of experimentation, as well as deaf and multicultural theater. Applying the model of the "third ear" to cross-sensory listening through sound, silence, and moving body performance, Hearing Difference deconstructs works of playwright Robert Wilson, the National Theatre of the Deaf, and Asian American director Ping Chong, as well as tracing the evolution of theatre of the third ear from the mid-1800s to the 1960s. An intensely scholarly close study of the systems that permeate theater, especially those that most strongly distinguish and transcend it from the audio-focused realm of the radio play, Hearing Difference is especially recommended for college library and Drama Department reference shelves.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Thimbleberries New Collection Of Classic Quilts
Lynette Jensen
Landauer
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A, Urbandale, IL 50322
1890621986 $27.95 landauercorp.com

Nearly thirty of the author's designs appear in the Thimbleberries New Collection Of Classic Quilts, a new classic collection of quilts which emphasize variety in size and style. Private collection photos display the quilts as the are used in rooms, while tips on optional and alternative color combinations, display hangings, and cottage-style decorating accompany lists of fabrics, supplies, and block-by-block construction. Plenty of color photos accompany a fine result.

American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.AmericanQuilter.com

Linda Pool's Applique Lace Patterns (1574329081, $24.95) offers lovely designs for lacy quilts which are something very different from the norm. Learn how to create your own lacy applique patterns, find ideas for fabrics and techniques, and learn how to piece them together for polished results using a guide which packs color photo examples on every page and ideas for further inspiration. Roberta Benvin's More Antique Quilting Designs (157432909X, $21.95) offers full-page patterns which can reproduce an antique quilt or enhance a modern one: some six historical quilts and eighty-five quilting patterns and sampler designs from yesteryear are presented with an emphasis on the full-page patterns.

C&T Publishing
PO Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
www.ctpub.com www.amazon.com

Lorraine Torrence's new Shifting Perspectives: Trim Your Way To One-Of-A-Kind Quilts (1571203370, $27.95) offers something different to quilters: the opportunity to create lovely, artistic quilts using groups of identical blocks which are trimmed and joined. Cutting tables simplify the math process, while cutting and piecing tips cover scale, color and value as well as design matching and complimentary piecing techniques. Gwen Marston's Folk-Art Quilts: 20 Traditional Projects To Piece & Applique (1571203575, $24.95) provides twenty projects for quickly-finished quilts which will appeal to busy quilters and beginners alike. Her new collection features little quilts and full-sized patterns to make the projects easy, while materials, cutting instructions and assembly are easy to follow.

Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
www.creativehomeowner.com

Two excellent crafter's guides offer easy projects to promise much glamour. M.T. Ryan's Glamorous Beaded Jewelry: Bracelets, Necklaces, Earrings And Rings (1580112951, $19.95) offers over twenty original beaded projects created by the author which represent a range of easy, inexpensive yet eye-catching jewelry suitable for gifts. Learn how to crimp strand material, work with wire, and use different jewelry-maker's tools through a step-by-step guide to all the basics. Genevieve A. Sterbenz's The Decorated Bag (1580112-96X, $19.95) tells how to embellish handbags, purses and more by following design and production techniques which look professional but can be easily done by beginners. Over a hundred images and color directions compliment some fifty original decoration designs.

Surface Applique For Quilting
Susan Cottrell
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016
1402720017 $24.95 1-800-805-5489

Fabric artists Susan Cottrell presents Surface Applique For Quilting, a practical guide to using surface applique to create vivid paintings, pillows, wall hangings, and decorations. Black-and-white diagrams as well as full-color photographs on almost every page illustrate each step of the applique process. An introduction offers a brief refresher course in applique steps, and the individual projects listed range from decorations of birds to a quilt block tote, to a spooky wall hanging for Halloween, and much more. An excellent applique project guide and source of inspiration for intermediate to experienced level needlecraft enthusiasts.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

225 Best Jobs For Baby Boomers
Michael Farr & Laurence Shatkin
Jist Publishing, Inc.
8902 Otis Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46216
www.jist.com
1593573251 $16.95 1-800-648-JIST

The latest of the "Best Jobs" series, 225 Best Jobs For Baby Boomers is a valuable career-finding resource based on the latest government data. Featuring 225 job descriptions and over 75 best job lists, including jobs with the best pay, fastest growth, and most openings, 225 Best Jobs For Baby Boomers emphasizes that it's never too late to change one's career, make the most of past work experience and seize the future. Entries for individual jobs are brief but compact a staggering amount of information into a couple pages, including annual earnings, growth, annual job openings, % self-employed, % part-time, percentage of workers by age bracket, needed skills, valuable education and training programs, and more. Enthusiastically recommended for both public libraries and private use.

The Father Factor
Stephen Poulter, Ph.D.
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
1591024102 $18.00 www.amazon.com

The Father Factor: How Your Father's Legacy Impacts Your Career comes from a psychologist who maintains the influence of a father is key to understanding choices and roadblocks in a career. Both positive and negative impacts are surveyed, from a passive or absent father's influence to understanding how destructive messages translate into workforce action or inaction. The 'what you can do about it' section is critical for change and a successful career approach.

Take Charge Of Your Mind
Paul Hannam & John Selby
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
1571744673 $22.95 www.hrpub.com

The collaborative effort of organizational behavior and leadership expert Paul Hannam and psychologist John Selby, Take Charge Of Your Mind: Core Skills To Enhance Your Performance, Well-Being, And Integrity At Work is an extremely useful 247 page toolbook for employees who desire to lead happier, healthier, more productive lives at work. The process laid out in Take Charge Of Your Mind includes a wake up strategy or program, a positive approach to enhancing peak performance, ways to practice and encourage creativity, insight, wisdom, and integrity, and finally specific work strategies to maintain continued self-empowerment and peak performance. Take Charge Of Your Mind is full of easily implemented exercises and approaches specific to goal areas. It presents in small, easily digested segments, and it covers most general areas of work or performance problems. Written by a business entrepreneur and a psychologist, Take Charge Of Your Mind presents the latest in practical 'cognitive uplift' methods for increasing employees' mental performance and satisfaction at work. Ideal for brainstorming sessions or team-building type in-service workshops, Take Charge Of Your Mind delivers what it promises.


The Travel Shelf

Yosemite National Park
Jeffrey P. Schaffer
Wilderness Press
1200 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.wildernesspress.com
0899973833 $20.00 1-800-443-7227

First written in 1978, Yosemite National Park: A Complete Hiker's Guide is the classic in-depth reference by outdoors enthusiast Jeffrey P. Schaffer, who has personally hiked and rehiked the 1,000+ miles of trail covered. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this reference to the region's geography, history, flora, and fauna, and of course, extensive discussions of the hiking trails with highlights of the best places for views, wildflowers, camping, swimming and other activities. A separate fold-out map rounds out this one-of-a-kind must-have for any traveler interested in personally experiencing the natural wonders of Yosemite National Park.

Through The French Canals
David Jefferson
Sheridan House
145 Palisade St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
1574092332 $29.95 sheridanhouse.com

David Jefferson has carefully and personally researched the French waterway system. The result is Through The French Canals, a thoroughly user friendly guidebook now in an updated, expanded, and illustrated eleventh edition. This 320-page paperback is highly portable and indispensable for anyone wanting to cruise along stunning French scenery as viewed from its canals, rivers, and other inland waterways. Packed with full color photographs, Through The French Canals offers practical advice on suitable and unsuitable boats, equipment, cost of living, waterway signals, weather advice, stopping points, local facilities, distances, heights and depths, and tunnel lengths. One especially nice touch is the commentaries on local wines of the region. Anyone planning an excursion along the waterways of France should begin by browsing carefully the illustrated pages of David Jefferson's Through The French Canals!

Egypt
Virginia Maxwell, et al.
Lonely Planet
150 Linden Street, Oakland, CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
1740597419 $24.99 1-510-893-8555

The collaborative effort of travel experts Virginia Maxwell, Mary Fitzpatrick, Siona Jenkins, and Anthony Sattin, Egypt is now in its newly updated and expanded eighth edition as the author-researched, traveler-tested guide from Lonely Planet to experiencing the wonder of the Land of the Pharaohs, whether on a business or pleasure trip. Black-and-white and color maps and photographs illustrate this information-packed guide to key locations in Cairo, the Nile Valley, the Western Desert, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea Coast, and much more. History, hours and admission costs of landmarks, a handful of useful words, and a crash-course in adapting to unfamiliarities of Egyptian culture are among the many useful features that make the 8th edition of Egypt a "must-have".

Yosemite
Ann Marie Brown
Moon Handbooks
c/o Avalon Publishing Group
1400 - 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608
1566918758 $16.95 avalonpub.com

Moon Travel Books presents a spectacular and thoroughly updated, 256 page, second edition on Yosemite National Park. Beginning with 10 pages of color coded maps of Yosemite and a breathtaking color photo of Yosemite Falls, Yosemite packs a plethora of detailed information into an organized, easily accessible format. The first five chapters cover Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Glacier Point, Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, and the Eastern Sierra, including Lee Vining, Mono Lake and North, and June Lake and Mammoth Lake. Each of these chapters is divided into sections on exploring and recreation. The final four chapters are about Lodging, Camping, Dining, and Knowing Yosemite. There is a vast list of suggested reading and several pages of internet resources, in addition to tips for travelers, notes on the history of Yosemite and its place names, and much useful and specific information on the flora and fauna of Yosemite National Park. Specific information bytes or special tips are highlighted and blocked to set them off for the eye of the reader. If your plans include a trip to Yosemite, Yosemite is a "must buy" travel guide. Even if you just want to learn more about Yosemite and indulge in some armchair dreaming of travels in Yosemite, this is a great resource, guidebook and dreamweaver.

Langenscheidt Publishers
46-35 - 54th Road, Maspeth, NY 11378
www.insightguides.com

The 'Inside Guides' series provides travelers an opportunity to plan via armchair and explore once at destination: each book packs in color photos, local history and color, illustrations and maps to create a blend of cultural insight and travel advisory. Bermuda (1585731471, $23.95) covers the historic old sections of the island, its modern shopping, and byways and main attractions alike, Los Angeles (9812584-013, $16.95) uses expert local writers and colorful evaluations of the city's attractions paired with fine photos, Bali & Lombok (9812584056, $18.95) goes into fine depth on the islands' culture, arts, cuisine and peoples, and Tuscany (9812584072, $18.95) provides an excellent survey of the region as a whole. What sets these guides apart from the numerous travel guides on the market? An attention to a blend of vintage and contemporary color illustration throughout, an attention to fine local maps, and the unique blend of travelogue and travel guide which lends to either browsing or trip planning.

Ten Days To Get To London
Randall D. Martinez
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595325416 $9.95 www.iuniverse.com

Spine lettering would've made this slim paperback an even higher recommendation, overcoming shelving challenges but it still should be considered for its rare story of two young men who met in 1979 near Los Angeles, parted ways during college, and eventually made plans to travel to Europe together, thinking a shared adventure would help their friendship. This is their story, and Ten Days To Get To London: A European Backpacking Adventure takes the diary Martinez kept during his first trip abroad and captures the action and insights for teens and adults.


The Gaming Shelf

The Secret Code To Texas Hold'em
Jim Pontillo
Penton Overseas, Inc.
11958 Kellogg Ave., Carlsbad, CA 92008
www.pentonoverseas.com
159125552X $14.95 1-800-748-5804

No Limit Texas Hold'em poker has experienced a phenomenal growth in popularity and players in large part because of the miniature cameras that have allowed television viewers to experience the excitement and drama of tournament play. In The Secret Code To Texas Hold'em, author Jim Pontillow draws upon his more than twenty years of experience in the gaming industry (which includes operating a card room) to distill into a single, highly portable, "user friendly" instructional reference for aspiring Hold'em players. Pontillo (who has an academic background in math) treats playing poker as a combination of science and intuition. The result is a spiral bound reference that covers standard poker hand rankings, venues and styles, bets, Hold'em basics, strategy tips, a glossary, and an appendices of odds. The unique aspect of The Secret Code To Texas Hold'em is the chapter on "The Chip" which teachers players how to record play information with a kind of poker short hand. Enhanced with an accompanying CD allowing entry into an Online Poker Room and a $100 credit, The Secret Code To Texas Hold'em is the perfect introduction for the novice poker player looking to get involved with a game of Texas Hold'em!


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Arcana Mundi
Georg Luck
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218
0801883466 $24.95 www.press.jhu.edu

Arcana Mundi: Magic And The Occult In The Greek And Roman Worlds: A Collection Of Ancient Texts appears in a new edition, translating a hundred thirty ancient texts dating from the 8th century through the 4th century. It's been revised to offer several new elements, from a general introduction to an epilogue on ancient magic's appearance in early Christian and Byzantine eras. Add notes on mind-altering substances in occult practices an a detailed glossary of Greek and Latin magical terms and you have quite a different, enhanced version of the original, deserving of ongoing recommendation.

Bear & Co/Destiny/Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.bearandcompanybooks.com
ParkStreetPress.com DestinyBooks.com

Pierre Rabhi's As In The Heart, So In The Earth: Reversing The Desertification Of The Soul And The Soil (1594770816, $14.95) blends ecology with spirituality, explaining how the growing desertification of North Africa reflects the desolation claiming the hearts and souls of the Western world and how dead soil mirrors dead souls. A traditional African parable leads readers to ideas of planetary harmony and connections with the land, and comes from Rabhi's southern Algeria roots and involvement in agri-ecology with many world organizations. Mantak Chia's Iron Shirt Chi Kung (1594771049, $16.95) comes from a student of several Taoist masters who founded the Universal Healing Tao System: his blends martial arts and health, and here introduces the practice which strengths internal organs and unifies physical, mental and spiritual health through breathing exercises. Practitioners of martial arts or related exercises will find this essential. Richard Firestone, Allen West and Simon Warwick-Smith's The Cycle Of Cosmic Catastrophes: Flood, Fire And Famine In The History Of Civilization (15914030615, $20.00) presents new scientific evidence about prehistoric cosmic events at the end of the ice Age, linking legends and myths from ancestors to events which relate to each other and concluding we're entering a thousand-year cycle of increasing danger and perhaps new extinctions even our own. Richard Firestone's a nuclear physicist working at Berkeley, others are a field exploration geologist and a CEO of an international scientific consulting company. Their blend of science and new age offers a wide audience food for thought.


The Business Shelf

The Long Tail
Chris Anderson
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Street, New York NY 10023
1401302378 $24.95 hyperionbooks.com

Our world's being changed by the Internet and its extensive offerings and choices: The Long Tail: Why The Future Of Business Is Selling Less Of More provides a new business model, probing the value of millions of items which may sell a few copies versus those which sell in the millions each. Chris Anderson is editor in chief of Wired Magazine: movies, books and music are only three of the industries radically changed by the Internet and The Long Tail describes this phenomenon.

Atlantic Publishing Group
1210 SW 23rd Place, Ocala, FL 34474
www.atlantic-pub.com

Poor management may be a leading cause of small business demise, but under-funding affects many more start-ups and determines success or failure: that's why obtaining a copy of Sharon Fullen's How To Get The Financing For Your New Small Business: Innovative Solutions From The Experts Who Do It Every Day (091062755X, $39.95) is so important. From understanding how traditional financing methods work and alternative options to the all-important business plan, valuation techniques and more, you won't find many competitors offering the depth and focus here, which even delves into angel investors, IPOs, and venture capital. How To Write A Great Business Plan For Your Small Business In 60 Minutes Or Less (0910627568, $39.95) by Sharon Fullen and Dianna Podmoroff, BA, MBA, CHRP tells how to put together a business plan from scratch, using it as a vehicle for securing financing from a banker or investor. Chapters are backed by a companion CD-ROM which holds such a plan in Excel and Word to help streamline and speed up the options for putting together a solid plan. Both are 'must' acquisitions for any serious about business.

The Ebay Price Guide
Julia L. Wilkinson
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro, San Francisco CA 94107
1593270550 $29.95 www.nostarch.com

Whether you're a frequent Ebay seller or only dabble from time to time, every Ebay seller knows that setting prices is central to gaining a successful bid. The Ebay Price Guide: What Sells For What (In Every Category!) is the first reference to compile an array of items and their selling prices, from rare books to video games and jewelry. While it can't possibly hold every item ever listed, it does compile the most popular collectibles, and comes form an online auctioneer whose expertise covers some of the most trafficked Ebay categories. Each category's average sales price is listed along with high and average prices. Introductions to each section include risk assessments, tips on discounting, locating items on other venues, and more. It's a 'bible' no avid Ebay seller or buyer should be without.

Ballsy
Karen Salmansohn
How Books/F&W Publications
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45235
158180816X $14.99 fwpublications.com

Ballsy: 99 Ways To Grow A Bigger Pair And Score Extreme Business Success offers real-world business savvy and tips on how to promote your career for optimum success. Chapters use a visual approach to enhance admonitions such as 'don't be afraid to humiliate yourself' and 'perceived value is value'. A fine pick for any seeking a title on business and career value promotion.


The Automotive Shelf

Motor Racing: The Golden Age
John Tennant
Cassell/Sterling, dist.
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10156
1844032035 $34.95 sterlingpub.com

The price tag may seem weighty but actually represents a bargain for an outstanding book packed with nearly three hundred vintage images taken from the last century of auto racing in Motor Racing: The Golden Age. Here you'll find some of the most stunning photos of the last century of racing: many have never been seen before, and accompany original and insightful history. Motor racing fans will find it a top-notch survey leaving little out.

Total Performers
Charles R. Morris
CartTech Auto Books & Manuals
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MI 55056
1932494073 $39.95 1-800-551-4754

Total Performers: Ford Drag Racing In The 1960s by journalist and dedicated racing fan Charles Morris clearly documents the decade of the 60s as one packed with exciting cars, thrilling races, and substantial factory participation in the development of drag racing vehicles and technologies. Enhanced with 130 full color and 390 black/white photographs, Total Performers wonderfully showcases drag strip racing breakthroughs in automotive performance that included Ford's FE-series engine, the Police Interceptor, GT 390, Single Overhead Cam, Cobra Jet, Boss 429, and more. Here are all of the cars and their drivers that made drag racing history. Also very highly recommended from CarTech Auto Books & Manuals for car racing enthusiasts and fans is Pat Ganahl's Von Dutch: The Art, The Myth, The Legend (1884089984, $39.95).


The Social Issues Shelf

You Cannot Get There From Here
Walter F. Matras
Five Star Special Edition
c/o American Literary Press
8019 Belair Rd #10, Baltimore MA 21236
www.americanliterarypress.com
1561679232 $12.95 1-800-873-2003

You Cannot Get There From Here is a 168-page body of work based on a logical analysis of objective evidence that concludes the race to voyage to other worlds as impossible, or unfeasible, and that human resources are far better spent attempting to stem the depletion of earth's resources and to improve world populations' heath, welfare, and peaceful existence. Tolling like a bell for the deceased, author Walter Matras reminds readers of the many astronauts and cosmonauts who have sacrificed their lives and will continue to do so unless everyone admits the realization that You Cannot Get There From Here. Evidence is clearly presented to illustrate the impossibility of attaining any dream of star-settlement. Lest readers should misinterpret his conclusion, Matras states at the end of chapter 16: "Footnote - Scientific space programs must continue to ensure United States leadership in space technology, well into our future. At the same time, our scientific space endeavors should be aligned to near earth projects and leave the deep outer space travels to those with UFO fantasies (p. 143)." You Cannot Get There From Here marshals and presents a convincing array of evidence to support its thesis and compels the reader to examine underlying "magical" thinking and beliefs regarding space exploration and colonization.

Children Of Perdition
Tim Hashaw
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon Georgia 31207
0881460133 $35.00 1-478-301-2880

Children Of Perdition: Melungeons And The Struggle Of Mixed America by award winning investigative journalist Tim Hashaw is the history of mixed-race communities in America during the 300 years in which marriage between whites and nonwhites was outlawed. Melungeons, often called "children of perdition" by both whites and blacks, ranked socially below communities of freed slaves even though they had lighter skin. Persecution of melungeons included imprisonment, whipping, slavery, lunching, gun battles, forced sterilization, and exile, yet they persevered and preserved folk tales. Even in the twentieth century, there were various American schemes to forcibly exile US citizens with as little as "one drop" of black blood to Africa. In addition to tracing history, Children Of Perdition delves into psychology and the development of racism both historical and modern, as well as the practices of scapegoating, racial politics, and the impact of World War II and the Nazis. Highly recommended as both history and ancient and modern social commentary.

Teaching Terror
James J.F. Forest
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
0742540782 $29.95 rowmanlittlefield.com

James J.F. Forest (Director of Terrorism Studies at the U.S. Military Academy) presents Teaching Terror: Strategic And Tactical Learning In The Terrorist World, an anthology of serious and didactic essays by a wide selection of scholarly authors compiling knowledge about terrorist organizations - specifically, about how they are taught and self-taught. Topics of discussion range from virtual training camps to the media as a terrorism showcase to technical issues affecting potential nuclear and radiological terrorism, to renewed strategies employed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia. In compiling what modern scholasticism tells us about the transfer of knowledge among terrorists groups of various faiths and political leanings, Teaching Terror offers a vital resource of information for strategizing new ways to combat terror and protect society. Highly recommended reading.

Protecting The Homeland 2006/2007
Michael D'Arcy, et al.
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-2188
0815764596 $22.95 www.brookings.edu

Building further upon its previous edition, Protecting The Homeland 2006/2007 by the team of Michael D'Arcy, (A Lecturer in Science and Security at King's College) Michael O'Hanlon, (A Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at Brookings) Peter Orszag, (The Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings) Jeremy Shapiro, (The Director of Research for the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings) and James Steinberg (The Dean of Lyndon B. Johnson School Of Public Affairs) is a solid review of the current state of America's security, critically assessing America's remaining vulnerabilities and offering urgent suggestions to improve the situation. Topics discussed include the importance of intelligence reform, how to better protect infrastructure and provide incentives for the private sector to protect itself, border security, the roles of the Department of Defense and First Responders, countermeasures against specific weapons, and much more. Researched in depth, Protecting The Homeland drives home the message that even though readers today may feel slightly safer than they did in 2001, there remains a great deal to be done.

You Call This A Democracy?
Paul Kivel
The Apex Press
777 United Nations Plaza, Suite 3C, New York, NY 10017
www.cipa-apex.org
1891843265 419.95 1-800-316-2739

Paul Kivel's You Call This A Democracy?: Who Benefits, Who Pays And Who Really Decides is a practical, 226 page textbook for American activists and educators. It's ground breaking premise is that the distribution of economic resources in America is such that 1% of the population (the ruling class) controls 47% of the net financial wealth, while 19% of the population controls 44% of the net financial wealth (managerial class) and 80% of the population divides up 9% of the net financial wealth. The impact on society of having a ruling class is huge, as is the impact on the rest of the world. Kivel is an expert violence prevention educator, activist, and writer. His thesis in You Call This A Democracy? is nothing less than revolutionary, and it is carefully explained, documented, researched, referenced and illustrated. In addition to a hard hitting, fast moving definition of the power elite system currently in play, You Call This A Democracy? contains a workshop study guide, resources list including a videography, bibliography, glossary, magazines, and organizations and websites. If the reader wonders what the author is working for, he states it succinctly at the end in 'From the Author:' "My work is driven by a powerful question: How can we live and work to sustain community, nurture each other, and create a multi-cultural society based on love, justice, and interdependence with all living things?...I envision a society where each person is valued regardless of gender, race, cultural background, sexual identity, ability or disability, or access to wealth. This society would provide adequate shelter, food, education, recreation, health care, security, and well-paying jobs for all. The land would be respectable and sustained, and justice and equal opportunity would prevail. Such a society would value cooperation over competition, community development over individual achievement, democratic participation over hierarchy and control, and interdependence over either dependence or independence (p.227)." If you want to be aware of how to change the present system of resource distribution, read You Call This A Democracy? And pass it on to your friends.


The Native American Shelf

Not Just A Pretty Face
Molly Lee, editor, et.al.
University of Alaska Press
Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
1889963852 $24.95 uaf.edu/uapress

This second updated edition is a special pick for two audiences: any interested in Native American culture, and those with an interest in primitive dolls. From ancient carvings to tourist dolls, the authors provide a blend of literary research and oral histories along with photos of dolls and doll-making processes. These dolls have played important parts in the economic and social lives of Native Alaskans: Not Just A Pretty Face: Dolls And Human Figurines In Alaska Native Cultures is an important pick for any studying Native Alaskan history.

The Collected Speeches Of Sagoyewatha, Or Red Jacket
Granville Ganter, editor
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Ave, Syracuse, NY 13210
www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu
0815630964 $24.95 1-800-365-8929

The Collected Speeches of Sagoyewatha, or Red Jacket is a compilation of the words of Seneca and Six Nations representative Red Jacket, a highly skilled diplomat and one of the most famous Native American orators of the nineteenth century. In a political career spanning from 1790 to 1830, Red Jacket negotiated with American presidents from George Washington to Andrew Jackson, and his legacy influences discussions of native sovereignty and cultural identity to this day. In addition to presenting all of Red Jacket's major political speeches, The Collected Speeches of Sagoyewatha, or Red Jacket also includes original versions of his speeches to evangelical missionaries and land speculators, for a total of fifty speeches, some previously unpublished. With minor textual editing so as to be accessible to modern-day lay readers, and featuring essays that offer a detailed historical reference framework, archival research about the interpreters, and the immediate circumstances of each speech, The Collected Speeches of Sagoyewatha, or Red Jacket is enthusiastically recommended for library and personal Native American studies shelves.

American Indian Constitutional Reform
Eric D. Lemont, Editor
University of Texas Press
PO Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
0292713177 $21.95 utexas.edu/utpress

Since 1975 when the US government fostered a policy of self-determination for Native nations, many of the 500+ federally recognized nations have governed themselves, with some revision constitutions originally developed by the US government to hone them to Native interests. In turn these new constitutions are creating greater stability and accountability within the Native nations. The writings of tribal reform leaders, academics and lawyers come together for the first time under one cover in American Indian Constitutional Reform And The Rebuilding Of Native Nations, a top pick for college-level collections strong in Native history and culture and American politics and law.

Navajo Nation 1950
Johnathan B. Wittenberg
Glitterati Incorporated
c/o National Book Network, 4270 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
0977753190 $50.00 1-800-462-6420

Navajo Nation 1950: Traditional Life In Photographs is a compilation of 100 black-and-white duotone-printed photographs taken by Jonathan B. Wittenberg to record and illustrate life on the Navajo reservation in 1950. Truly capturing with an artist's eye the dignity and beauty of an ancient Native American culture surviving in the midst of the broader mid-20th century American nation, Navajo Nation 1950 is a showcase of photographic excellence taken with a bulky, twin-lens reflex camera enabling the preservation through a photographic record of the Navajo people and culture that includes images from the Monument Valley, Black Mesa, Navajo Mountain, Lukachukai (a high bench between the Chuska mountains to the east and the desert plain to the west), Teas Toh (close to the old Highway 66), the Window Rock Navajo Tribal Fair, and the Canyon de Chelley. Enhanced for scholars as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in Navajo culture with an index to the photographs, and appendix (Progress of a Shootings Chant), and a Navajo reservation map, Navajo Nation 1950 is a welcome addition to personal and academic Photography and Native American Studies collections.

Daughters of Mother Earth
Barbara Alice Mann, editor
Praeger
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275985628 $39.95 www.praeger.com

College-level collections strong in Native American studies will welcome Daughters Of Mother Earth: The Wisdom Of Native American Women. It goes beyond women's studies alone, maintaining that elements unnatural to Native ways of knowing have been imposed on the study of Native America elements consisting of European prejudice and male privilege. This focus on women's traditions provides essays which examines Indian lifestyles and history through women's lives and eyes. A fine approach which adds different perspective to Native history and issues.

The Four Hills Of Life
Thomas Peacock & Marlene Wisuri
Afton Historical Society Press
P.O. Box 100, Aton, MN 55001
www.aftonpress.com
1890434655 $24.00 1-800-436-8443

The Four Hills Of Life by co-authors Thomas Peacock (A professor of education at University OF Minnesota Duluth) and Marlene Wisuri (Director Of The Carlton County Historical Society in Cloquet, Minnesota) is a compilation of Ojibwe wisdom, especially as relating to the four stages of the journey of life - early childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Full color photographs and traditional-style Ojibwe artworks throughout illustrate this anthology of classic parables, true vignettes, translated poems, learning activities, and more, about everything from raising and disciplining children to seeking the meaning of life. A gem of Native American philosophy and cultural wisdom, recommended for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Rock Crystals & Peyote Dreams
Peter T. Furst
University of Utah Press
1795 East South Campus Drive, #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402
www.uofupress.com
0874808693 $45.00 1-800-773-6672

Author Peter T. Furst, whose lifelong encounter with the intellectual culture and society of the Huichol native people of Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental first begin in the 1960s, presents Rock Crystals & Peyote Dreams: Explorations In The Huichol Universe, an updated collection of numerous articles about Huichol life that Furst has previously published over the years. A common thread of personal reminiscence and background explanations permeates the writings, which often feature stories quoted from Huichol myth and legend. Smoothly blended into an unbroken narrative flow, Rock Crystals & Peyote Dreams is an unforgettable exploration of the Huichol physical and spiritual way of life.


The Poetry Shelf

Common Life
Robert Cording
CavanKerry Press
6 Horizon Rd, #2901, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
0972304576 $16.00 1-800-421-1561

Common Life is the fifth published collection of poems by Robert Cording (Professor of English and Barrett Professor of Creative Writing at Holy Cross College) and infused with spirituality. Cording's themes include conflicted spirituality and the informed mysteries of life and death. A vastness of vision infuses the verse. Starkness is embraced and celebrated. Tormented dualities and unblessed beginnings, and endings, are still nourishment for the spirit. Where Cording casts his light, surprising enlivened details spring into being. The poem A Prayer to Adam exemplifies many of his approaches to a poetic spirituality: Muse of names,/ Help us to know/ What we cannot name./ Gardener of paradise,/ Help us grow upright/ With the modesty/ Of plants that find/ Freedom in their lack/ Of choices, and thrive./ Father of death,/ Help us to live/ With our dying/ So that we may find/ Ourselves walking back/ Down a path we forgot,/ Towards a field/ Here on earth/ Where the sun is/ So bright and clear/ Even the dullest sparrow/ Is seen in the richness/ Of its browns and grays/ The streaks on its breast/ Numbered in our sight. Common Life is full of beauty and courage and hope against despair. It is poetry for our time.

Six Trips In Two Directions
Jayson Iwen
Emergency Press
533 West 25th Street, NY, NY 10001
0975362321 $15.00 emergencypress.org

Milwaukee native Jayson Iwen divides his time between the American Midwest and the Middle East where he teaches at the American University of Beirut. Six Trips In Two Directions is his debut prose poetry anthology and introduces readers to an impressive spectrum of lyrically definitive verse that is as impressive as it is original. Fossil Fuel and the Transubstantiation of Light: After I say goodbye to her, I drive all day to my secret quorum/The world is everything that is in my briefcase/When I'm almost there, I stop at a motel, wake the management, and check in./All I know about anything is what I can say about it/Every sentence is true and leads to a new sentence which is also true...

Poems: New & Selected
Marianne Boruch
Oberlin College Press
10 N. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074
0932440975 $29.95 oberlin.edu/ocpress

Marianne Boruch, (Professor of Poetry at Purdue University), has included twenty-five new poems in Poems: New & Selected, a 208 page, hardcover anthology of her poems which also includes lavish selections from her previous poetry publications. Boruch's poetry is unpretentious, specific, and at times painfully subtle. Her work seems to translate the untranslatable. A selection is quoted here from The History of The: drawing, of course "I would draw my cat/ but she'd look back. I would/ draw her but she's/ way past sleep and sheds her/ quiet like tickertape/ down the long hallway, talking/ cranky and offkey./ Of course, it's winter. I would draw/ that, but a pencil isn't fierce enough for branches stripped to nothing. To one leaf, which/ is as good as nothing. And nothing -/ that gift needs invisible ink./ I'd draw the way words feel/ in the mouth after too long without/ words, or the way the body rises after/ hours of dream, gravity/ on every bone again, that anchoring/ and ache./ Or I wouldn't. Or I couldn't. / Or I'd bury the treasure/ in the most obvious place (pp.7-8)." Boruch has indeed buried the treasure in the most obvious place; her beautiful poems.

The Sorrow Psalms
Lynn Strongin, editor
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House, Iowa City, IA 52242
087745986X $24.95 www.uiowa.edu

Compiled and edited by Lynn Strongin, The Sorrow Psalms: A Book Of Twentieth-Century Elegy is an outstanding , 204 page collection of original poetry written by sixty six individual poets to honor the dead. The collection embraces the gamut of emotions and reactions that pertain to grief and the grieving process. In her preface, Strongin discusses the evolution of the pastoral elegy, and answers a pertinent question: "How does elegy comfort? Although it cannot bring back the loved one, it can evoke him or her. By the filmic technique of capturing the beloved, one fixes the image: one exalts even as one grieves. While we cannot look into the eyes of the beloved ever again, we can evoke his or her presence so strongly that we bring a third dimension to the elegy - as Scott Cairns has observed - 'creating a new experience, a present presence, which is where our consolation lies.' (pp.xi-xii)." She goes on to find many contrasts between twentieth century and those of the Classic or Romantic eras. She explains that the anthology is divided into five sections. The first, titled "Nothing Left to Forgive," includes elegies by W. B. Yeats and John Berryman and foreshadows all twentieth century elegy. the Second, titled" By the Gas Fire Kneeling," is filled with poems of memories of the loss of close family, dear friends, and lovers. It contains poems by Denise Levertov, James Dickey, and Jane Valentine, among others. The third section is titled "While the Real One Dies;" it deals specifically with poems that mourn the death of a child. Poems by Robert Peters and Stan Rice are to be found here, along with others by Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Lietz, and more. This is described as the core section of The Sorrow Psalms, and uses child-centered imagery and child speech patterns to highlight the subject of the elegy. The fourth section, "The Open Eyes of the Dead," is filled with poems about those who died violently, all too common in contemporary history, both in war and peace. Carl Sandburg speaks authoritatively here, along with Allen Tate, Charles Fishman, W. S. Merwin, and William Carlos Williams. The last section , "White: Echo" deals with the implications of death, including the contemplation of an afterlife. Emily Dickinson is not included here, but her influence is widely felt. She is described as "the transitional bridge from pastoral elegy to the bleak modern lament focused upon one stage of grief: despair, colorless and white (p. xv)." Poems by Billy Collins, Mark Conway, Anne Sexton, May Swenson, and Charles Wright are included here with others. Beginning as a song of grief, the elegy of the twentieth century still ends with an ascent into light, and a sense of radiant joy. The Sorrow Psalms become the sorrow dances.

Continuations
Douglas Barbour & Sheila E. Murphy
The University Of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
0888644639 $19.95 uap.ualberta.ca

Continuations by co-authors Douglas Barbour (Professor Emeritus at the University Of Alberta) and poet Sheila E. Murphy is a unique free-verse poetry collaboration, in which the winding rhythm of the words reflects a "third individual" who writes differently from either poet. Connected by technology past vast distances and different worlds, the authors of Continuations express their ongoing observation of cruelties, hope, dreams, and sensory overload. "out toward the fading light / of day gone, star fallen's / feather drift's a fire inscribed imploded / but beyond bibliograph / spoken's dream said outward / flare offers freedom as gift"


The American History Shelf

Westchester
Roger Panetta, editor
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10458
0823225941 $44.95 fordhampress.com

At first glance Westchester: The American Suburb might seem a narrow focus on one small American community with interest limited to New York residents; but the focus on Westchester as a typical American suburb offers wider-ranging insights than one would think, and was designed to compliment a major exhibition at the Hudson River Museum. Leading historians and experts pair photos, paintings, maps and other images with discussions of key themes of Westchester legacy, following the amenities which have made suburban life possible and considering the suburban house as a new focal point for family and community alike. Such a life's representation in film, media and the arts is also reviewed in the course of Westchester: The American Suburb, while a centerfold of color photos adds to the attraction.


The Interior Design Shelf

The Barefoot Home
Marc Vassallo
The Taunton Press
63 South Main St., Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
1561588075 $30.00 1-800-477-8727

The Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design For Casual Living is a lavishly photographed interior design and decorating guide, with an eye for the laid-back lifestyle. Emphasis on openness, lack of clutter, serenity, ventilation, and ease distinguish these suggestions for everything from kitchens to studios to bedroom. Full-color photographs on every page, diagrams, and extensive writing not only about specific suggestions but also general themes to promote a relaxed atmosphere fill The Barefoot Home cover-to-cover. The perfect interior design antidote to the pressures and stresses of a fast-paced world, The Barefoot Home is written in a tone akin to its subject matter - easygoing and thoroughly accessible to amateur and professional designers alike. Very highly recommended and informative reading.


The Biography Shelf

Casting With A Fragile Thread
Wendy Kann
Henry Holt
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0805079564 $23.00 www.hholt.com

Casting With A Fragile Thread: A Story Of Sisters And Africa tells of the mother of three children who left her Rhodesia childhood behind fifteen years earlier to settle into a new life in America and escape her country's upheaval. When she receives a call that her youngest sister has been killed in Zambia, she returns to her native Africa to find a new sense of purpose. A vivid story of death, rebirth, and cultural discovery evolves.

Black Gold Of The Sun
Ekow Eskun
Pantheon/Random House
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0375424180 $23.00 randomhouse.com

Black Gold Of The Sun: Searching For Home In Africa And Beyond is a lyrical memoir telling of a prominent critic and Afro-American writer born to African parents in London. Always between two worlds, Eshun set off for Ghana in 2001 to find his roots: Black Gold Of The Sun chronicles his journey and search for both self and cultural influences, and makes for a vigorous, moving read.

Memoirs Of A Psychic Spy
Joseph McMoneagle
Hampton Roads
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
1571744827 $15.95 www.hrpub.com

Memoirs Of A Psychic Spy: The Remarkable Life Of U.S. Government Remote Viewer 001 tells of the first military recruit for the government to use his abilities as a 'psychic spy' during the Cold War and beyond, following nearly twenty years of psychic spying and reissuing the classic 2002 title The Stargate Chronicles in paper. His predictions and observations were startlingly accurate and his intelligence-gathering results included pinpointing the underground facility used to store Soviet missiles during the Cold War. While the Stargate project was shut down and labeled a failure, it's interesting to note that forty percent of its documents are still classified.

Bijaboji
Betty Lowman Carey
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.harbourpublishing.com
1550173928 $24.95 1-604-883-2730

Bijaboji: North To Alaska By Oar is the true-life memoir of author Betty Carey's solo two-month journey by canoe to Alaska. Braving some of the most dangerous waters of the Inside Passage, with minimal supplies and no money, often without charts, her experience with solitude and the wild coastline is recounted in a philosophical manner. Her 66-day journey sweeps the reader along with her experiences and dreams in the wilderness. Black-and-white maps and photographs illustrate this majestic tale of embracing the wonders of nature.

Running With Champions
Lisa Frederic
Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co.
639 West International Airport Road #38, Anchorage AK 99518
www.gacpc.com
0882406167 $14.95 907-278-8838

Running With Champions: A Midlife Journey On The Open Trail is the memoir of an ordinary Alaskan fisherwoman whose journey to see the finish of the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race transformed her life forever. Observing the musher's devotion to their dogs and the strenuous demands for competing in an epic race, she began volunteering at checkpoints, became an apprentice to Iditarod champion Jeff King, and at last dared to mush her own dog team. A midlife adventure, told with wit, spirit, and respect for the loyalty of man's (and woman's!) best friend.

A Circular Journey
Helen Barolini
Fordham University Press
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458
www.fordhampress.com
0823226158 $22.95 (718) 817-4795

A Circular Journey by novelist, critic, and poet Helen Barolini is a collection of fifteen essays drawn from her life memories, and her acclimation to the best of two worlds - the distinct cultures of America and Italy. From early childhood to her marriage to a poet to her experiences as a writer which connected her to Italian inspirations through themes of identity and dislocation, A Circular Journey traces each step with wisdom, heart, acknowledgment, gratitude, and optimism. A distinctive journey through the phases and transformations of life reflected in literary art.

Edge Of Midnight
William J. Mann
Billboard Books/Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
www.wgpub.com
0823084698 $19.95 1-800-451-1741

Edge Of Midnight: The Life Of John Schlesinger is the authorized biography of the filmmaker whose most famous works include "Midnight Cowboy", "Bloody Sunday", "Marathon Man", and "Day of the Locust". Written with the full cooperation of Schlesinger, his family, and his companion of 36 years Michael Childers, as well as with complete access to tapes, diaries, production notes, and correspondence, not to mention interviews with the actors, crew members, friends and colleagues who knew Schlesinger, Edge Of Midnight accurately traces the singularly amazing career of a dedicated and visionary man. Highly recommended for professional cinema researchers and intrigued lay readers alike.

Commodore John Rodgers
John H. Schroeder
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
www.upf.com
0813029635 $59.95 1-800-226-3822

Commodore John Rodgers: Paragon Of The Early American Navy is a solid, interpretive biography that observes Rodgers' role in history during America's Age of Sail in the early 1800s. Based upon extensive manuscript sources, particularly the copious Rodgers family papers, and numerous articles, essays, and monographs on American naval history, Commodore John Rodgers paints a vivid picture of the man who served with great distinction in the Quasi-War with France, the Barbary War, and the War of 1812; dedicated himself to building a strong navy of the absolute highest professional standards; and put his beliefs to the test. Enthusiastically recommended reading, especially for naval history buffs.

The Seven Addictions And Five Professions Of Anita Berber
Mel Gordon
Feral House
PO Box 39910, Los Angeles, CA 90039
1932595120 $22.95 feralhouse.com

The Seven Addictions And Five Professions Of Anita Berber: Weimar Berlin's Priestess Of Depravity is the career story of actor, dancer, poet, and sex culture icon Anita Berber, who scandalized Weimar Berlin by appearing naked in nightclubs and casinos save for a sable wrap. Her performance in Expressionist films, her disregard of all taboos and her drug habits all contributed to a life devoted to casting off restraints. Dozens of black-and-white photographs and drawings recreating Anita's "Repertoire of the Damned" illustrate this one-of-a-kind tell-all of Europe's first postmodern woman.

Witness To The Twentieth Century
Theodore McNelly
Xlibris Corporation
International Plaza II, Suite 340, Philadelphia, PA 19113
14800 Cobblestone Drive, Silver Spring, MD 209805 (author)
1413465544 $21.99 www.xlibris.com

Also available in a hardcover edition (141346552, $31.99), Witness To The Twentieth Century is Theodore McNelly's autobiography and describes his life as a student of music and French, and how he became a leading American authority on Japanese politics and the Japanese constitution. McNelly came by his interest in Japanese culture from his mother who had been born in Japan to American missionary parents. It was his grandfather who first explained to him Japan's imperial constitution which was adopted in 1889 during his grandfather's residence in Japan. Witness To The Twentieth Century is also an account of how McNelly's father, mother, and three siblings were able to sustain a middle class life style, even after his father's death and the years of the Great Depression. McNelly recounts how his performance as an operatic singer won him a four-year scholarship at the University of Wisconsin and the number of important roles he performed. McNelly goes on to discuss his training and experience with foreign languages which resulted in his recruitment by the U.S. Signal Intelligence Service during World War II. After the war he was involved in the civil intelligence section of General MacArthur's Tokyo headquarters during the occupation. McNelly's "insider" account of the formation of Japan's postwar democratic constitution, his years of teaching courses in politics and history at American military bases in German, France, England, Japan, Okinawa, and Korea, his side trips to the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, his articulate descriptions of the effects of World War II on the peoples of these lands, his interpretation of the collapse of the Fourth Republic of France, his thirty-year career as a professor at the University of Maryland at College Park, and so much more, prove the reader with a fascinating perspective on key events of the twentieth century. This is an outstanding memoir and a recommended addition to academic library Biography collections and Japanese History supplemental reading lists.


The Woodworking Shelf

Home Woodworking
Editors of Woodworker's Journal
Hylas Publishing
129 Main Street, Irvington, NY 10533
Publishers Group West, dist.
1700 Fourth St, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.hylaspublishing.com
1592582087 $19.95 1-800-788-3123

Compiled, organized and edited by the editorial staff of "Woodworker's Journal", Home Woodworking: Classic Projects For Your Home And Shop offers complete and easy-to-follow instructions for making twelve outstanding woodworking projects including a Greene & Greene Serving Table; A Greene & Greene Coffee Table, a Bowfront Bureau; a Bed for Readers, a Federal Secretary desk, an Entry Bench, a Rock-Solid Trestle Table; a One Board Hall Table, an Angler's Cabinet, a Backyard Barbecue Cart; a Portable Folding Bench, and a Classic Kitchen Island. After an informative introduction, various tools and issues relevant to shop projects are covered including sharpening techniques and station, downdraft workbench, lumber and plywood storage, mobile clamping cart, drill press vise, shop built disc sander, sandpaper caddy, avoiding kickback and binding options, and a deluxe drum sander. Home Woodworking is an elegant, core addition to any personal, shop class, or community library woodworking reference collection.


The Anthropology Shelf

Strange Creatures
Gordon Lindsay Campbell
Duckworth
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166
0715633910 $70.00 1-800-758-3756

Author Gordon Lindsay Campbell (Lecturer in Ancient Classics, National University of Ireland, Maynooth) presents Strange Creatures: Anthropology In Antiquity, a study of ancient ideas of the creation of the world, including the beginnings of life, the origin of species, from "barbarian" cultures and the early Mediterranean world to the anthropological and ethnological thought of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Extensively researched, Strange Creatures is written expressly for advanced scholars of historical scientific thought, and is particularly recommended for university libraries.


The Parenting Shelf

Flash Animation For Teens
Eric D. Grebler
Thomson
25 Thomson Place, Boston MA 02210
1598632302 $34.99 www.courseptr.com

Teens and their parents will find Flash Animation For Teens to be a very fine guide to creating animations using Macromedia Flash: Flash 8 is used to teach techniques to create games, web sites, cartoons and more and you don't have to be a computer or Flash expert to use it, either. Parents thus will find it as useful as their teens.

Parenting Your Complex Child
Peggy Lou Morgan
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814473164 $16.95 amacombooks.com

Here's a powerful, different system for gathering information about a child and planning for daily life: Morgan is both the parent of a complex child and a professional working with special-needs clients, so her dual expertise lends to a book which covers working more effectively with doctors, caregivers, and others. Create a life that supports both child and the entire family using the tips in Parenting Your Complex Child.

Like A Pro
Helaine Becker
Maple Tree Books
9050 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6P 6E5
1897066546 $9.95 www.amazon.com

Parents and kids will want to read together Like A Pro, a compendium of prowess which covers everything from skipping a stone to changing a bike tire and surfing the internet. From making an effective paper airplane to employing 'green' techniques in the home, tips offer plenty of ideas on improving life and having fun.

Improv Ideas
Justine Jones & Mary Ann Kelley
Meriwether Publishing
Box 7710, Colorado Springs, CO 80933
1566081130 $22.95 meriwether.com

Cross-referenced and indexed twelve ways, Improve Ideas packs a cd-rom filled with printable PDF files of every list with a compendium of games which have been compiled and created by the authors so its contents won't be duplicated elsewhere. Improve ideas for up to 4 players provide would-be actors with plenty of acting options.

Bully Prevention
Elizabeth A. Barton
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks CA 91320
1412939186 $25.95 corwinpress.com

This second and newly updated edition of Bully Prevention: Tips And Strategies For School Leaders And Classroom Teachers provides techniques for implementation in both elementary and secondary classroom settings, exploring the psychology of bullies, providing case studies for understanding, and offering guidelines and solutions for intervention. A recommended pick for any school leader or teacher.

20 Questions To Ask If Your Child Has ADHD
Mary Fowler
New Page Books
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564148580 $9.99 newpagebooks.com

Parents whose kids have been diagnosed with ADHD now have a simple primer to turn to which answers twenty basic questions on the condition. Here are field-tested, pragmatic answers to common questions, from how to increase such a child's self-worth to considering the pros and cons of medication.

Where Should I Sit At Lunch?
Harriet Mostache & Karen Unger
McGraw-Hill
2 Penn Plaza, New York NY 10121-2298
www.books.mcgraw-hill.com
0071459286 $14.95 www.amazon.com

While directed to teens, many a parent will want to read Where Should I Sit At Lunch?, which tells how to get the most of the high school years. From handling schoolwork and resolving family conflicts to looking for friends and assessing groups to join, here's a handbook filled with quizzes, checklists, and lessons on life. None are so culturally impoverished as those unfortunates who are barred from the intellectual legacy of the human race because they cannot read.


The Civil War Shelf

A Civil War Soldier Of Christ And Country
Mary A. Giunta, editor
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820
www.press.uillinois.edu
0252030761 $60.00 1-800-545-4703

Ably edited by Mary A. Giunta (an historian with the National Historical Publications and Records Commission), A Civil War Soldier Of Christ And Country: The Selected Correspondence Of John Rodgers Meigs, 1859-64 is a collection of personal and official letters and original documents that provide the reader with a "window" into the doomed life of a young Union officer. Laid out in complete candor is the story of John Rodgers Meigs and his relationship to family and friends, as well as his experiences as a cadet at West Point (including a meeting with Abraham Lincoln), and his life as a combatant in the Civil War. The son of a Union Quartermaster General, John Meigs official correspondence reveals what his duties were like as a military engineer and aide-de-camp to Union generals. The young soldier was to ultimately meet his death in the war (a vivid account was provided in a post-war exchange of eye-witness statements) but his memory is preserved with an impeccable scholarship within the pages of A Civil War Soldier Of Christ And Country. A model work of historical import, enhanced with the inclusion of a glossary of names, places, and phrases, as well as a selected bibliography and an index, A Civil War Soldier Of Christ And Country is a welcome and invaluable contribution to the growing library of Civil War memoirs, biographies, and histories.


The Education Shelf

A Joyful Passion For Teaching
Al Stramiello, et al.
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207
100865549974 $25.00 www.mupress.org

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Al Stramiello (Professor of Teacher Education, Tift College of Education, Mercer University), Mary Willianham (Professor of Reading, Tift College of Education, Mercer University) , and Carl R. Martray (Dean of the Tift College of Education, Mercer University), A Joyful Passion For Teaching is a commanding series of essays about committed, dedicated teaching by faculty of Tift College of Education, at Mercer University. Essayists relate to the ideal model of the Transforming Practitioner concept in education. The definition 'a living link in the educational process, is an educator who is changing internally through understanding, practicing, and reflecting such that, individually and collaboratively, he or she implements for all learners appropriate and significant life-changing experiences that effectively provide for the needs of the individual, actively engage students in the learning process, and promote life-long learning (p.2).' Within a Baptist heritage context, Tift College has selected the Conceptual Framework principles of 'To Know, To Do, and To Be' as infrastructure supports to its teacher education program. In addition, teachers who are Transforming Practitioners also must exemplify the basic processes of understanding, practicing and reflecting as components of transformation. All of the varied contributors to A Joyful Passion For Teaching demonstrate that fine quality of joyful compassion that informs the best teaching styles. From inspiration for first grade teachers to helping students to access digital media for communication, all the essay subjects continue in that best of teaching styles models. Contributors include Mary Willmingham, Ed.D., Catherine Gardner, Ph.D., H. Anne Hathaway, Ed.D., William O. Lacefield, III, Ed.D., Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda, Ph.D.,, Tracy Knight Lackey, Ph.D., and Jerry Worley, Ph.D., among others. Here are essays to inspire the coming generation of teachers and educators, stories of students and experiences so unique and yet so universal that they form a spiritual template for a dedicated teacher. All who choose the teaching profession face many challenges, not the least of these is overcoming the students' own obstacles to learning. A Joyful Passion For Teaching is a wonderful tool to re-ignite the flame of dedicated and compassionate teaching.

Master The GED/Domine El GED
InterLingua Publishing
Arco/Thompson Peterson's
423 South Pacific Coast Highway, #208, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
CD-Rom $19.95 www.SpanishGED.org

Master The GED/Domine El GED is a five CD-Rom set presented in both English and Spanish specifically designed to prepare students for their GED examinations. This simply outstanding boxed set covers Math, Science, Social Studies, Reading and Writing skills. Featuring detailed explanations written especially for students who haven't "opened a textbook" in years; numerous illustrations, charts, and tables; exercises and drills to reinforce learning, a diagnostic pre-test; and full-length practice tests, Master The GED/Domine El GED was created by experienced teachers who specialize in their respective subject matters and who have had practical experience working with GED candidates. An additional benefit of this strongly recommended boxed set is that it will also substantially assist students in learning how to take the tests and use such tools as calculators (which they are allowed to bring into the exam room). Ideal for Hispanic students who have dropped out of high school, Master The GED/Domine El GED is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to pass their GED whether they've been out of formal education for weeks, months, or years. Although each individual CD-Rom can be purchases for $29.95, school libraries, community libraries, and community center education outreach programs are advised to acquire the complete boxed set.

Approaches To Teaching Early Modern Spanish Drama
Laura R.Bass & Margaret R. Greer
Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, 3rd Floor, NY, NY 10004
0873529952 $19.75 (pb), 1-646-576-5018
0873529944 $37.50 (hc), www.mla.org

Approaches To Teaching Early Modern Spanish Drama is a compilation of essays by a variety of educators about instructing undergraduate college students about the nuances of late sixteenth and early seventeenth-century dramatic works as performed on stages in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Part 1, "Materials", covers editions and anthologies in English and Spanish, especially focusing on critical works, historical studies, illustrated books and films, and internet resources. Part 2, "Approaches", guides professors in stimulating discussion with students about how Spanish plays dared to challenge the desires of the monarchial state, the focus on honor as seen by Spanish men and women, the role of costuming in performance, and the plays' repercussions and influence in late-twentieth-century films. Other topics discussed include the accomplishments of five women playwrights, the theological and philosophical underpinnings of the plays, and connections through which the plays influenced French dramatists. Enthusiastically recommended for college instructors and college library shelves.

The Era Of Education
Lawrence J. McAndrews
University Of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820
025203080X $45.00 press.uillinous.edu

The Era Of Education: The Presidents And The Schools 1965-2001 by Lawrence J. McAndrews (Professor of History, St. Norbert College) is a close study of educational policy under presidents from Lyndon Johnson through Bill Clinton, especially concentrating on the issues of public school aid, private (particularly Catholic) school aid, and school desegregation, with concern as to the proper role of the federal government in education. Research of records from presidential and other archives, as well as interviews with key players in governmental policy have allowed McAndrews to meticulously reconstruct the evolution of internal debates, negotiations, decisions, and non-decisions over the decades. The result is an exhaustively detailed history, and absolute "must-read" for any parent, educator, or political professional, concerned about the future of local and national educational policy. Highly recommended.


The Economics Shelf

Spaces of Global Capitalism
David Harvey
Verso
180 Varick Street, 10th fl, NY, NY 10014
www.versobooks.com
1844675505 $26.95 1-800-233-4830

Spaces Of Global Capitalism: Towards A Theory Of Uneven Geographical Development is a collection of essays about fiscal crises that have wracked the developing world, from Mexico to Indonesia, Russia and Argentina. Geographer and social theorist David Harvey criticizes the failings of modern capitalism, discusses the development of neo-liberalism, and searches for answers to the globalization of inequality in the essays "Neo-Liberalism and the Restoration of Class Power", "Notes Towards a Theory of Uneven Geographical Development", and "Space as a Key Word". Intended for scholars and students across the humanities and social sciences, Spaces Of Global Capitalism is a cogent and persuasive warning of the harm that can come from neglecting harmful worldwide geo-social trends, and is highly recommended.


The Art Shelf

Struggle Over the Modern
Dennis Raverty
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
0838640214 $39.50 1-609-655-4770

Struggle Over The Modern: Purity And Experience In American Art Criticism 1900-1960 discusses the concept that there was not one, but rather two competing "modernisms" clashing for dominance in the critical field of American art in the early to mid twentieth century. One side of the debate was the more well-known formalism, which focused on "purity" in art and was superbly summarized in the writings of the late art critic Clement Greenberg. The other, more obscure viewpoint emphasized the importance of "experience" over formal purity, as expressed in the writings of Greenberg's rival, Harold Rosenberg, as well as a number of other critics. The debate would determine whether art was to be defined as merely a self-referential undertaking, or within a much broader and more inclusive category. Meticulously researched with numerous quotes, Struggle Over The Modern perfectly captures the evolution of an intense artistic and cultural clash. Recommended especially for reference shelves concerning modern art criticism and study.

From The South Seas
Christraud Geary, editor
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
www.mfa-publications.org
0878466975 $50.00 1-800-338-2665

Oceania is a region of the Pacific Ocean that ranges from New Guinea to New Zealand, and from Easter Island to Hawaii. The native populations have created a unique tradition with their sculptures, pots and paintings that are now acknowledged for their artistic values. Compiled, organized, and edited by Christraud Geary (Curator of African and Oceanic Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), From The South Seas: Oceanic Art In The Teel Collection showcases some 80 Oceanic works of art, each of which is superbly illustrated through full-color photography with an accompanying text describing the object's form and function. An informative introduction by Michael Gunn (Associate Curator for Oceanic Arts, Saint Louis Art Museum) places these showcase works within their historical and cultural context. Curator Geary discusses provenance and survey scholarship to a simply beautiful presentation of Oceanic artifacts. From The South Seas is a prized and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Art History reference collections.

Thought Through My Eyes
Klaus Ottmann
Spring Publications, Inc.
28 Front St., Suite 3, Putnam, CT 06260
0882145789 $22.00 springpub.com

Critic, curator, and philosopher Klaus Ottmann presents Thought Through My Eyes: Writings On Art, 1977-2005, an anthology of numerous essays from over the course of decades about art as juxtaposed with philosophy, literature, and science. Individual essays range from "Who Paints Abstractly?" to "Exotism", "I Am: A New Humanism in American Art and Design", "The Strange Life of Andrei Roiter's Objects", and much more. A broad selection of galley reviews and interviews with Jeff Koons, Wolfgang Laib, Moira Dryer, Richard Serra, Jessica Stockholder, Mimmo Rotella, Alain Kirili, and Ida Applebroog round out this thoughtful, serious-minded and insightfully contemplative distillation.

Painter And Priest
Veronique Plesch
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.undpress.nd.edu
0268038880 $55.00 1-800-621-2736

Featuring high-quality paper and quite a few stunning full-color illustrations, particularly reproductions of classical artwork, Painter And Priest: Giovanni Canavesio's Visual Rhetoric And The Passion Cycle At La Brigue is a close examination of Giovanni Canavesio's works in order to distinguish its characteristics drawn from Piedmontese art, Netherlandish painting, and German wood engravings. Painter And Priest emphasizes the paramount importance of intellectual and academic honesty, and how when making comparisons one should not simply "cherry-pick" iconographic imagery sources but rather look at the broader general context. An immense amount of research has been poured into this in-depth study, especially recommended for advanced scholars of religious art; extensive notes, appendices, bibliography and index round out this one-of-a-kind academic scrutiny of the history, religion, context, and philosophy of Canavesio's masterpieces.


The Psychology Shelf

A Most Accursed Religion
Greg Mogenson
Spring Publications
28 Front Street, #3, Putnam, CT 06260
0882145525 $22.00 www.springpub.com

Greg Mogenson is a psychology and in A Most Accursed Religion: When Trauma Becomes God, he writes within the scope and expertise of psychology to focus attention on the religious dimension of impact and symptom with respect to trauma upon the human psyche. Setting aside the issue of God's existence, human beings have a seemingly innate tendency to experience traumatic events in their lives as if those events were in some sense divinely ordained, sanctioned, sponsored, or at the very least -- permitted. Strongly recommended for professional and academic library "Psychology of Religion Studies" reference collections and supplemental reading lists, A Most Accursed Religion is a carefully studied, articulately presented, informative and quite thought-provoking reading.

Psychology Of Human Behavior
David W. Martin
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
www.teach12.com
DVD 1620 $99.95 1-800-832-2412

In addition to the DVD format, Psychology Of Human Behavior is a university level course of instruction available in four other formats: Videotape ($79.95), Audio CD ($69.95), Audio Cassette ($49.95), and accompanying transcript books ($35.00) with any of the course formats. Professor David W. Martin (North Carolina State University) begins this 36 lecture series (30 minutes per lecture) with an introduction to modern psychology within an historical context, then goes on to survey experimental research methods, nonexperimental research methods, trace the evolutionary theory with respect to modern psychology, descriptive present the contributions of Sigmund Freud, psychoanalytic theory, the classifications of mental illness, anxiety and mood disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, therapies, psychoactive drugs, social psychology, learning, memory, perception, and so much more. While all the formats are technically flawless presentations of Professor Martin's informed and informative lectures, the DVD edition is enhanced with more than 126 images including portraits, photographs, charts, illustrations, graphs, and a substantial amount of on-screen text to emphasis and illustrate his presentation. Ideal for high school Honors program , homeschooling , and adult education curriculums, Psychology Of Human Behavior is a strongly recommended addition to academic and community library collections.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Hunting Tough Bucks
Gary Clancy
Stoeger Books
17603 Indian Head Highway, #200, Accokeek, MD 20607
www.stoegerpublishing.com
0883173093 $24.95 1-301-283-6300

An experienced hunter who has harvested several record-book animals, Gary Clancy addresses the hunting of trophy bucks. Clancy clearly lays out the secrets for finding and taking down trophy quality whitetail bucks outside of their rutting season. Explaining the tactics and techniques needed for a successful pursuit of the quarry, Hunting Tough Bucks offers a wealth of invaluable insights and information that will enhance and improve the reader's hunting skills. The detailed and concise information provided include techniques for hunting the pre-rut buck, finding early season whitetail bucks, whitetail food and water rules, early season deer drives, hunting post-rut and late season bucks. Especially recommended to the attention of novice hunters, Hunting Tough Bucks has a great deal of value for even the more experienced hunters of whitetail deer.

Tying Flies Like A Pro
Marty Bartholomew
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
1571883703 $29.95 amatobooks.com

Tying flies is a core element in mastering the art of fly fishing. In Tying Flies Like A Pro, experienced angler Marty Bartholomew explains how to create a smartly tied fly including the short-cuts and techniques used by experts to create attractive, durable, and effective flies to lure fish upon a hidden hook. Enhanced throughout with full color photography, aspiring fly fishing anglers will learn time-saving tips and material preparation for such lures as caddisflies, mayflies, midges, stoneflies, saltwater flies, streamers, terrestrials, and attractors. drawing upon the expertise and advise of numerous experts in the field as well as his own expertise, Marty Bartholomew has created one of the most "user friendly" guides to tying flies that any novice could hope to have -- and which also has a great deal to offer even the more experienced and seasoned angler.

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