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The Bookwatch

Volume 8, Number 8 August 2013 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
International Studies Shelf Language Studies Shelf Criminology Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Military Shelf Computer Shelf
Music Shelf Cookbook Shelf Business Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Education Shelf Travel Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Science Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Technology Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Psychology Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Photography Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Philosophy Shelf Native American Studies Shelf
DVD Shelf Poetry Shelf American History Shelf
Crafts Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Against the Grain
Lowery Sims
Monacelli Press
236 West 27th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10001
9781580933445, $45.00, www.monacellipress.com

Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design considers the evolution of conceptual trends in modern wood making and packs in examples ranging from furniture to sculptures and installations created since 2000 which defy neat categorization aside from their medium. Modern wood artists have incorporated whimsical and fun elements into their often-surprising creations, with each of these displays offering technical departures from standard wood art works. This book accompanies an exhibit on the topic and will prove key to attendees, but also stands alone well as a fine art title recommended for any modern arts collection.

The Quick Guide to Wild Edible Plants
Lytton John Musselman and Harold J. Wiggins
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421406712, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

The Quick Guide to Wild Edible Plants: Easy to Pick, Easy to Prepare packs in over 100 color illustrations to accompany detailed descriptions to help readers recognize edible plants from nettles and day lilies to wild sorrel. The authors have, for decades, taught courses on locating and preparing local plants: this pairs recipes with insights on plant properties and provides a peppering international dishes that use the plants, from Softstem Bulrush to Black Locust Flower Fritters. With its in-depth coverage of a wide range of roots, flowers, stems and leaves of wild plants to its discussions of culinary applications, this is a reference recommended for culinary and botanical holdings alike!


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Writing the Science Fiction Film
Robert Grant
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931361, $26.95, www.mwp.com

Any collection strong in screenwriting, performing arts and film will find this a solid addition, offering insights into how to write science fiction for the genre. Classic and cult science fiction films from Star Wars to Aliens are used to show how the genre has changed, what makes it compelling to modern viewers, and how writers can adjust their science fiction writing to lend to a film production. From changing a cliche plot to turn it into something fresh and different to handling new technology and its jargon in the film environment, Writing the Science Fiction Film is packed with insights perfect for aspiring genre writers and film producers alike, and is a pick for film and literary collections.

A Quick Guide to Screenwriting
Ray Morton
Limelight Editions
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9780879108045, $12.99, www.limelighteditions.com

A Quick Guide to Screenwriting joins others in the 'Quick Guide' series, with this gathering together an assessment of principles key to understanding screenwriting basics. Any involved in the art will find this blends history, business savvy, and writing insight along with specifics on film industry requirements to teach the basics of formatting, differentiating between different types of screenplays and their requirements, and developing a story. The attention to detail without assumption of any prior industry knowledge makes this a fine recommendation for any film and creative writing holding.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Debt Cures II
Kevin Trudeau
Equity Press
9780982513705, $29.95, http://freemoney2013.com

Debt Cures II They Really Don't Want You to Know About teaches how to avoid debt and build wealth and packs its pages with not just advice on avoiding debt, but what goes on with banks, credit card lenders, and others who would profit off consumer debt. The federal government and the lending industry aren't working for the American people, and the public needs to know what's going on so individuals can fight the trend. Consumer advocate Trudeau here shares information about government and debt institutions alike, offering keys to freedom that will delight any consumer who wants a different approach to getting ahead.

Free Money
Kevin Trudeau
Equity Press
978098189709, $29.95, http://freemoney2013.com

FREE MONEY "THEY" DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT offers insights on all kinds of sources of 'free' money, from house ownership to locating free grant money from public and private institutions alike, and provides methods to locating this free money. From quick cash involving getting as much as $10K in a day to life insurance specifics and locating free medical help, this title is packed with many important strategies and resources for gaining access to money that is, technically, 'yours' already. Highly recommended for any business or consumer collection!

Happy Money
Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451665062, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

HAPPY MONEY: THE SCIENCE OF SMARTER SPENDING uses new research to demonstrate that changing the way people spend as little as $5 can increase their happiness, and provides principles that any reader can use to increase daily happiness as well as those of customers and others. The focus on spending differently rather than earning more helps readers focus on the money you have rather than strategies to keep increasing it, demonstrating the cost of wealth and the kinds of behaviors that promote happiness. Five key principles to help readers gain more happiness from their spending contribute to an important survey that should be in any general lending library.


The International Studies Shelf

The World Through Arab Eyes
Shibley Telhami
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465029839, $27.99, www.basicbooks.com

The World Through Arab Eyes: Arab Public Opinion and the Reshaping of the Middle East is a 'must' for any who would understand the region, and offers insights from ordinary Arabs who live and work there. Over a decade of original public opinion polling data from six countries lend to an examination that uses not scholarly research but experiences from everyday Arab residents to explore politics, social issues, and attitudes on everything from the U.S. to media and individual countries in the region. Any who would understand the Arab psyche must have this: it charts the evolution of different perceptions and attitudes in the region and shows how Arabs have come to view their world.

The Legacy of Tiananmen Square
Michel Corimer
Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330
Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
9780864929027, $29.95, www.gooselane.com

The Legacy of Tiananmen Square comes from a veteran journalist who covers the history of struggles to bring civil rights to China, and is a 'must' for any collection strong in Chinese history and social order. Historical research blends with interviews with dissidents living in exile to trace the events leading to social uprisings among the Chinese people, charting post-Tiananmen Square history. This book was translated from French by Jonathan Kaplansky and updated by Corimer to include updates to 2012, making for a strong study highly recommended for any collection strong in Chinese history, culture and social evolution.

Asia's Unknown Uprisings V. 2
George Katsiaficas
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604864885, $28.95, www.pmpress.org

Asia's Unknown Uprisings V.2: People Power in the Philippines, Burma, Tibet, China, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand and Indonesia 1947-2009 provides a fine social history of uprisings in the region, relating these uprisings to those of 1968 and providing a focus on events of the 1980s and 1990s for its second volume. It's difficult to find comprehensive histories of these uprisings, but this offers not only accounts of events and social interactions, but places them in perspective of world developments and major sociological theories. The result is a powerful analysis that should be in the holdings of any college-level collection strong in Asian history: a 'must' for any who already have the prior volume.

Evolving Iran
Barbara Ann Rieffer-Flanagan
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589019782, $26.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

EVOLVING IRAN: AN INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS AND PROBLEMS IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC is recommended for any college-level Middle East studies collection, and provides a strong political analysis to show how and why political decisions are taken in Iran. Any who would understand the social and political forces at work in the country need this book, which considers post-revolutionary Iranian events and which corrects much of mainstream media's perceptions. Students of the Middle East, in particular, will find this offers many insights in a reasoned and well-researched consideration of everything from the election process and the birth of a new political system to human rights issues.

Democracy in East Asia: A New Century
Larry Diamond, et.al., Editors
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421409689, $29.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Democracy in East Asia: A New Century is a pick for any political science collection at the college level and offers an in-depth survey of the political climates throughout Asia, from China and the Philippines to Thailand and Burma. A range of Asian and non-Asian authors debate the desirability and presence of democratic forces in Asia, providing in-depth discussions that embrace all the basic issues affecting the region. Any holding strong in Asian politics and social issues will find this a solid, updated volume presenting the latest dynamic issues affecting the entire region.


The Language Studies Shelf

Language Attitudes in the American Deaf Community
Joseph Christopher Hill
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563685453, $80.00, www.gupress.com

Language Attitudes in the American Deaf Community offers college-level readers an analysis that assesses cognitive, affective and behavioral types of responses toward particular language varieties, from ASL to contact signing and Signed English. It considers social groups in the American Deaf community and how they use and choose among these disparate signing types, considers racial and generational issues involved in signing communication, and evaluates different signing standards and the values they hold. The result is a unique 'must' for any collection strong in deaf community culture and issues.


The Criminology Shelf

The Anatomy of Violence
Adrian Raine
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307378842, $35.00, www.pantheonbooks.com

THE ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE: THE BIOLOGICAL ROOTS OF CRIME belongs in science and social issues collections alike, offering research into the biological roots of violence and discussing the new field of neurocriminology, which applies scientific investigation to crime and its motivations. From genetic research that shows how abnormal physiological functioning lends to criminal activities to how killers experience conditions that lend to violence, this covers social, legal, scientific, health, and ethical issues in one fell swoop, and is recommended for college-level science, health and social issues holdings alike. Any collection strong in criminology will find this a 'must'.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Burdens of the Dead
Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, Dave Freer
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451638745, $25.00, www.baen.com

Burdens of the Dead blends a vivid plot with issues of politics, magic and high drama set in an alternate 16th century where magic is a daily part of life. Here an Italian captain., Benito must deal with dangerous magic and the siege of Constantinople while discovering that his infant daughter has been abducted by agents of Venice's enemy. His efforts to rescue her will place him in conflict with his own father, who commands the evil duke's army - and the personal and political conflicts that ensue will change his world. High drama and swift action make for a powerful alternate history novel especially recommended for fans of military sci fi!


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

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

Martin Edwards's THE FROZEN SHROUD (9781564201059, $24.95) takes place on Halloween just before the First World War, and tells of a young woman's corpse found frozen and battered. Her ghost is said to haunt the area. Five years ago another women is killed in the same manner. Daniel Kind, a specialist in murder history, is fascinated by the similarities between the cases, but his fascination with history takes a frightening turn when a third murder occurs, reviving long-cold cases and requiring professional intervention that brings two investigators in touch with their own dangerous past secrets. A riveting mystery evolves, perfect for any mystery library. Tina Whittle's BLOOD, ASH & BONE (9781464200939, $24.95) is for any who enjoy the noir detective writings of Dashiell Hammett's style but who want the added bonus of a thriller in the mix, and tells of one Tai Randolph, who seeks to escape the world of homicide investigations by spending time in the bucolic Savannah. The only trouble is, the gun shop owner finds trouble even there as her ex-boyfriend shows up, asks for her help, and involves her in a case involving a stolen Civil War artifact and a new case. Murder is everywhere in her life in this story that blends intrigue with the complexities of a relationship's evolution in a fine mystery recommended for any mystery library.

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

Denise Swanson's NICKLED-AND-DIMED TO DEATH (9780451239426, $7.99) provides the second book in the Devereaux's Dime Story Mystery series featuring a store owner and sleuth. Here Devereaux Sinclair faces a complex love life and seeks to escape confusion and intrigue by looking over the antiques her friend Elsie has to sell. When Elsie is shot, she must clear her friend's name and investigate the real murderer in this fine mystery. C.S. Harris' WHEN MAIDENS MOURN (9780451414229, $7.99) is the seventh in the Sebastian St. Cyr historical mystery and is set in 1812 London, providing a gripping saga as Sebastian investigates the murder of his new bride's good friend and finds himself immersed in an investigation that also complicates their newfound marriage. Heather Blake's THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WITCHY (9780451239693, $7.99) tells of Darcy Merriweather, the Enchanted Village's newest Wishcrafter who has become involved in a town celebration when the cake delivery boy is found murdered. His ghost imprints on Darcy and she finds herself more than casually involved in uncovering the truth behind his murder in this fine supernatural thriller. Kate Carlisle's A COOKBOOK CONSPIRACY (9780451415967, $23.95) provides a new bibliophile mystery - the latest in the series - and tells of one Brooklyn, who discovers handwritten notes and strange symbols in a cookbook she was restoring for her sister. When the cookbook's owner is found dead and the cookbook goes missing, she comes to believe it was more than a case of mystery meals and her ensuing investigation probes complicated relationships in a fine, twisting story line. Laura Alden's CURSE OF THE PTA (9780451415066, $7.99) is the fourth book in the best-selling series and tells of PTA president Beth Kennedy, who hires a consultant after a financial windfall, but becomes involved in a dangerous game when he's found murdered on school property. Ella Barrick's THE HOMICIDE HUSTLE: A BALLROOM DANCE MYSTERY (9780451239747, $7.99) provides the third book in a fine ballroom dance-based mystery series, and tells of a dance show competition turned deadly when its producer is murdered, involving competitor Stacy in a dangerous search for the killer. Molly MacRae's DYEING WISHES (9780451239563, $7.99) provides a fine 'Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery' and is second in the series that includes not just a sleuth, but her supernatural sidekick. A visit to a farm involves Kath and her friends with two murders - including someone they know. Melissa Bourbon's A CUSTOM-FIT CRIME (9780451417190, $7.99) is fourth in a series of mysteries centering around a custom dressmaking shop in Texas. Here Harlow is challenged to find the murderer of a design rival before she becomes implicated in the crime - and finds her friends and business are both at risk in this riveting thriller. All are outstanding recommendations for any mystery reader.

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

Betty Hechtman's YARN TO GO; A YARN RETREAT MYSTERY (9780425252215, $7.99) provides an excellent title in a mystery series featuring a baker who hosts yarn retreats while solving crime. Casey's inheritance of a yarn retreat business from her grandmother isn't the only puzzle she's inherited: along with it comes a murder and an investigation only she can conduct. Daryl Wood Gerber's FINAL SENTENCE: A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY (9780425258040, $7.99) provides the first in a new series featuring Jenna, owner of a cookbook store and cafe located in a small California town. When she helps her aunt open a culinary bookshop, she faces more than opening day challenges when her former roommate and celebrity chef is found murdered just before they can open. Is the murder connected to the store? Virginia Lowell's ONE DEAD COOKIE: A COOKIE CUTTER SHOP MYSTERY (9780425260692, $7.99) provides the fourth book in the Cookie Cutter Shop mystery series, this revolving around a batch of special cookies and a murder. It's up to baker Olivia and her best friend to uncover the murderer in a sweet mystery filled with satisfying cookies and queries. Annette Blair's TULLE DEATH DO US PART: A VINTAGE MAGIC MYSTERY (9780425251935, $7.99) provides the sixth book in the mystery series which revolve around the protagonist's visions received from the vintage clothing she handles. Here a vintage petticoat leads her to an unsolved, old mystery and its new ramifications. Lorna Barrett's MURDER ON THE HALF SHELF: A BOOKTOWN MYSTERY (9780425262733, $7.99) provides a lovely new story of one Tricia Miles, who finds herself once more involved in a puzzling murder when the co-owner of a new bed-and-breakfast is found murdered. All are satisfying mysteries perfect for any collection!


The Fiction Shelf

Escape From Paris
Carolyn Hart
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781616147938, $13.95, www.seventhstreetbooks.com

Set in 1940s England before the German invasion, ESCAPE FROM PARIS revolves around two American sisters in Paris who risk their lives to save a downed British airman from Nazi arrest, realizing the danger they are in only when they read a public notice demanding that any harboring English soldiers are to deliver them to Nazi authorities. The Gestapo sets a trap to find such traitors, and the two sisters struggle with intrigue, danger, and romance as they find challenge and danger in occupied Paris. Any who enjoy historical settings and powerful stories of courage and love will find this a winning novel.

Baskerville: The Mysterious Tale of Sherlock's Return
John O'Connell
Atria Books/Marble Arch Press
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781476730233, $15.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Baskerville: The Mysterious Tale of Sherlock's Return offers a delightful take-off on the Sherlock Holmes tales and a focus on journalist Bertram Robinson, who meets his hero Arthur Conan Doyle on a troop ship coming back from South Africa. He's even more delighted when Doyle suggests they collaborate on a new story that brings the two to become not just friends, but co-writers and adventurers, experiencing many of the mysteries intrinsic to The Hound of the Baskervilles. Part true story and part creepy novel, Baskerville: The Mysterious Tale of Sherlock's Return is a delightful page-turner that tells of love, companionship, and a dangerous bog's deep secrets. Holmes fans will relish this engrossing tale.

G.P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Alex Grecian's THE BLACK COUNTRY (9780399159336, $26.95) provides a follow-up story to Grecian's prior acclaimed debut novel The Yard and tells of detective Inspector Walter Day, who moves outside the crime scenes of London to investigate the disappearance of a young boy and his parents in a remote coal mining town. The only evidence is a human eyeball found in a bird's nest - but it won't remain the only evidence as he uncovers close-held town superstitions, misfortunes, and an epidemic which threatens everyone. With mining falling apart, the town also seems to follow as Day embarks on a race against time to uncover the heart of a deadly mystery. Beatriz Williams' A HUNDRED SUMMERS (9780399162169, $26.95) follows her acclaimed debut novel of 2012, Overseas, with a follow-up offering a Depression-era story of love and secrets. The setting is the summer of 1938 where a New York socialite travels to her family's coastal cottage with her mother and six-year-old sister. A whirlwind romance has left her broken-hearted and intent on recovering when her plans are challenged by her ex-best friend and her former fiance, who also arrive in town for the season. Gossip, betrayal, and repressed feelings arise to challenge and confuse all of their lives in this tense novel of romance, recovery, and new beginnings. Royce Prouty's STOKER'S MANUSCRIPT (9780399158551, $25.95) provides a powerful story of terror, suspense and mystery as it tells of brothers who were outcasts even before they were orphaned as infants in Romania. Even in America the Barkeley brothers can't escape the curse that lies over them. The story begins years later, following one brother, who has become a priest in the Midwest, and the other who has become a buyer and seller of rare books. Both face the dangers and evils of their past when Stoker's famous Dracula manuscript emerges with clues hidden within its pages that reveal the burial sites of Dracul family members. Will their investigations unearth a sleeping secret best left hidden? A fine story emerges, highly recommended for any collection strong in mysteries and horror.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Seven Events That Shaped The New Testament World
Warren Carter
Baker Publishing
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
9780801039164, $21.99, www.bakeracademic.com

Seven Events That Shaped The New Testament World documents key moments in early Christian history and provides an introduction to the worlds surrounding the New Testament, narrowing its focus to seven selected key moments in the centuries before and after Jesus. It considers the beginnings of the Christian movement, documents how religious and political factors blended into the New Testament writings, and comes from a leading New Testament scholar who provides a very accessible consideration of events. His style lends to a document that is perfect for scholars and leisure readers alike, adding black and white illustrations throughout and offering plenty of insights into the cultural mix of Greek, Roman and Jewish experiences. No Christian library should be without this!

The Good Bishop
Phyllis Theroux
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781626980242, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

THE GOOD BISHOP: THE LIFE OF WALTER F. SULLIVAN offers a fine account of a bishop who reflected the love of Christ while leading his church by example, visiting prisoners, celebrating Mass with the elderly, and embracing all kinds of people. His outgoing attitude and perspective led to his humble yet spiritual message reaching a wide audience, and is covered in a fine religious biography that considers his Christian life, background, and many achievements. Any collection strong in Christian biography and following the lives of leaders will find this a top pick.

Road Trip to Redemption
Brad Mathias
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414363943, $14.99, www.tyndale.com

Road Trip to Redemption offers important keys to family relationships as it provides the autobiography of Mathias' own family structure and the revelations he faced as a busy yet contented father who notices his middle child withdrawing but receives word from God that it's more than normal teen angst. His resulting investigation into Bethany's secret will challenge their family and prompts a road trip across the country that brings them into the knowledge of how far apart they drifted, and how to return to a closer structure. Any seeking inspiring stories of revelation and family changes will find this a powerful account.


The Military Shelf

Going for Broke
James M. McCaffrey
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806143378, $34.95, www.oupress.com

GOING FOR BROKE: JAPANESE AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN THE WAR AGAINST NAZI GERMANY provides a detailed history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II and is a pick for any in-depth collection on the topic. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 Americans responded with patriotic fervor and thousands of volunteers, including Japanese Americans, rushed to recruitment centers. Most Japanese Americans were turned away and many were detailed. When the army eventually decided to admit second-generation Japanese Americans, it created the 442nd regimental Combat Team consisting of mostly soldiers drafted before Pearl Harbor, volunteers from Hawaii, and other recruits: their voices fill a collection that documents their achievements and conflicts at home and abroad, and makes for a moving story.

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

BOLT ACTION: ARMIES OF THE SOVIET UNION (9781780960906, $24.95) is a pick for Bolt Action players who want extensive information on the military forces of the Soviet Union for their war gaming endeavors. Detailed army lists will enable players to construct Soviet armies for any battle period, while sidebars of information on cost, composition, options and special rules for each game clarify what will be involved in re-creating the scenes. Any Bolt Action player will find this in-depth supplement involving and specific, packed with color images throughout. Mark Stille's THE NAVAL BATTLES FOR GUADALCANAL 1942: CLASH FOR SUPREMACY IN THE PACIFIC (9781780961545, $21.95) follows six months of battles and major encounters in Guadalcanal in 1942, and is a pick for any military history holding seeking specific details on this arena of engagement. This title details the experiences of both navies over the course of time, following its impact on the Japanese Empire and U.S. forces alike. Howard Gerrard's color illustrations accompany maps and vintage black and white photos throughout. Douglas C. Dildy & Warren E. Thompson's F-86 SABRE VS. MiG-15: KOREA 1950-53 (9781780963198, $18.95) considers the effect of advanced jet interceptors from Soviet forces during World War II, and is a pick for military and aviation collections alike. It follows battles and then de cades of competition between the world's superpowers in conducting air operations over the Middle East, Vietnam and more, and it provides a dual focus on F-86 Sabre and MiG-15 fighters in particular, pairing the history with vintage black and white and color photos throughout. Martin Pegler's THE VICKERS-MAXIM MACHINE GUN (9781780963822, $18.95) is for collections strong in weapons development, and tells of American inventor Hiram maxim, who perfected the world's first self-powered machine gun, the Maxim. He had hoped the gun would put an end to war: instead it lead to slaughters beyond past history, and served to pioneer a new era in guns. Expert Martin Pegler provides a close inspection of how this weapon changed battles, with vintage black and white photos capturing the action. Stephen Manning's THE MARTINI-HENRY RIFLE (9781780965062, $18.95) follows the British Army's first purpose-designed breechloader, which replaced the successful Snider-Enfield and offered more accurate shooting capabilities. This rifle was introduced in the mid-1870s and changed British fire power forever, becoming the mainstay of British forces as they operated around the world. Any collection strong in early colonial warfare will find this specific assessment of the rifle and its function on the battlefield to be packed with detail and insights, including many illustrations of the rifle itself. Mark Lardas' BRITISH FRIGATE VS. FRENCH FRIGATE 1793-1814 (9781780961323, $18.95) provides a solid account of early naval battles and provides a focus on the frigates who faught over forty battles. Marine and military history holdings alike will find this packed with discussion of frigate technology, battles, frigate warfare and more - all enhanced with color artwork, diagrams and vivid, historically accurate illustration. Carl Molesworth's CURTISS P-40 LONG-NOSED TOMAHAWKS (9781780969091, $18.95) documents the evolution of a modern fighter that would blend the handling abilities of the P-36 with much more performance, and is a pick for aviation and military collections alike. It provides the complete story of this evolution, from design and development through its service with the RAF, and it is packed with vintage photos and charts throughout, making it a solid visual reference as well. All are top picks for any military holding!


The Computer Shelf

Network Security A Beginner's Guide, third edition
Eric Maiwald
McGraw-Hill/Osborne
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
9780071795708, $40.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Network Security A Beginner's Guide is written by a professional with over twenty years of experience in the field of network security and provides a fully updated third edition of a classic guide to include the latest threats to systems and security best practices. From defining common security terms and assessing their meaning and response potentials in a network environment to four basic kinds of attacks, how they are implemented, and options to protecting information and systems, this explains the basics of how to create a security policy, manage and assess risks, and audit a company for best practices. With its guide to real-world practice, budget considerations, tips on applying new techniques and management skills at work, and more, this updated new edition is a 'must' for any network security collection.

Nagios: Building Enterprise-Grade Monitoring Infrastructures for Systems and Networks, second edition
David Josephsen
Prentice-Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780133135732, $44.99, www.informit.com/ph

Nagios: Building Enterprise-Grade Monitoring Infrastructures for Systems and Networks appears in its second updated edition to revise and update all information related to the Nagios platform and its tools, and is a key acquisition for any computer holding appealing to network programmers. From learning the basics of how Nagios works to optimizing it for large-scale enterprise applications, using it for system monitoring, and covering the basics of managing a Nagios system, this is filled with specifics programmers can apply to virtually any scale network operation, and is a top recommendation packed with examples on how to handle any server system - including remote applications. A 'must' for any network programmer and libraries catering to them.

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

Paul DuBois's fifth edition of MySQL (9780321833877, $49.99) continues to offer the definitive, basic reference of using, programming and applying MySQL 5.5 and 5.6, updating all information for these latest versions and providing important links between the program and real-world business applications. From getting information into a database and formulating queries to get the right feedback to the program's latest features and new opportunities, this reference covers nearly anything a MySQL developer needs to know to write MySQL programs using different languages, administer general MySQL applications, and optimize and customize the program. Collections appealing to programmers will find this a powerful reference. Christian Wenz's PHP AND MYSQL PHRASEBOOK (9780321834638, $29.99) has been updated to include PHP 5.4, and provides a pocket-sized dictionary of key code and commands that programmers will find a fine reference for any endeavor. It is concise, flexible, and packed with over 100 customizable code bits to streamline the programming process: any PHP and MySQL library will appreciate this quick reference!

Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.ciscopress.com

Wendell Odom's Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 Official Cert Guide Library (9781587143878, $59.99) packages two powerful books in one slipcase (CCENT / CCNA ICND1 100-101 Official Cert Guide andCCNA ICND2 200-101 Official Cert Guide), provides reviews of techniques and content for the latest exam strategies, and provides a complete self-study package designed to help students identify weaknesses, understand the structure and content of the exams, and prepare adequately. Over 150 minutes of video training by the author accompanies templates to help organize study time, discussions of network fundamentals and basics of management, troubleshooting sections to help master this segment of the exam, and exercises and quizzes to back up all information. The result is an extensive survey packed with specifics and keys to success that takes the latest exam structure and synthesizes the information in such a way that any can further their abilities and applications in the real testing environment. Oh - in case you want the books separately - they are available. Odem's Cisco CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-101 (9781587143854, $39.99) stands well alone, for example, as a complete study guide in itself and offers the same format - including 90 minutes of video mentoring from the author - that will help any test preparer ace the intricate, complex exam. All the successful elements contained in the library are right here for test-takers of the 100-101 version to benefit from.

For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.dummies.com

Microsoft Office 2013 For Dummies (9781118407111, $27.99) now includes a new two and a half hour DVD to accompanying a book packed with step-by-step directions covering Office 2013 basics. From entering and working with data to handling the new Ribbon interface, enhancing Word documents, and crunching data in Excel, this offers details about using Office's features and incorporating shortcuts to make the entire process easier. All of the suite's new features are covered in a book and video training program that uses real-world applications for creating documents and manipulating data. Any who look to get up to speed quickly, especially those new to the 2013 version, will find this set essential for self-study. Arduino For Dummies by John Nussey (9781118446379, $24.99) is filled with real-world examples of applied Arduino functions and is a pick for any who would learn physical computing. Electronics engineering collections as well as computer reference holdings will find this filled with keys to building basic circuits that control things, showing how to build easy prototypes using the hardware and software combination that represents an Arduino-based system. The result is a multi-faceted step-by-step introduction perfect for any who would learn Arduino's systems and potentials.


The Music Shelf

Left of the Dial
David Ensminger
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604866414, $20.00, www.pmpress.org

LEFT OF THE DIAL: CONVERSATIONS WITH PUNK ICONS features interviews by musical journalist and musician David Ensminger with some of punk music's most famous figures, from Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys to Dave Dictor of MDC, and provides a fine survey of punk music's political sentiments and cultural traditions. Punk music advocated social justice, created different insights into values and social issues, and used music to change worlds. Ensminger used key graphics from his large punk flyer collection to add visuals along with photos by Ben Desoto shot during the punk and hardcore movements, making for a fine and outstanding recommendation for any contemporary music history holding and many a social issues shelf.

Detroit Rock City
Steve Miller
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306820656, $16.99, www.dacapopress.com

DETROIT ROCK CITY: THE UNCENSORED HISTORY OF ROCK 'N ROLL IN AMERICA'S LOUDEST CITY comes from an investigative journalist and Detroit native who conducted over 200 interviews with musicians and promoters to provide an oral history of Detroit's evolving music scene. It's a pick for Detroit and music history collections alike, offering a vivid portrait of an American city and its many musical styles and musicians; from punk rocker Iggy Pop to Alice Cooper's unlikely audience in the form of inmates from a hospital for the criminally insane. Political, social and musical changes are surveyed in a powerful recommendation for any popular music collection.


The Cookbook Shelf

Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue
New York NY 10017

Kay Plunkett-Hogge & John Vincent's LEON: FAMILY & FRIENDS (9781840916195, $29.99) provides the latest book from the LEON team and packs in over 200 recipes divided into three unusual sections: Today, Tomorrow and Yesterday. Advice includes how to encourage young children to cook, and how to incorporate evening time in the family. Would-be teen cooks also get their own section: "10 Things You Should Know How to Cook Before You Leave Home". From feeding family and friends to make-ahead meals and more, this pairs family photos, stories and recipes with a focus on food's connection to tradition and home. And with such fare as Henry's Meatballs with Herb Salad or Lychees with Fresh Ginger & Sherry, there's plenty of variety to enjoy! Any cookbook collection will find this an inviting addition. Alain Coumont & Jean-Pierre Gabriel's LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN COOKBOOK (9781845337483, $29.99) comes from a pioneer promoting organic food cookery and presents over 100 of the author's recipes for breads, soups, main courses, and dishes for all meals. It opens with a focus on bread-baking, providing recipes for world-famous breads and providing insider tips on everything from achieving the right crust to creating sourdough starter. Baking bread at home is the first key to embracing the 'slow life' which involves better foods produced at a slower pace. Accompanying the bread recipes are ideas for sandwiches made with the fresh breads - then accompanying dishes which build meals from whole grains and healthy choices. Add color photos and commentary reinforcing the idea of slower foods and natural cooking and you have a fine book for any whole foods cook.

The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook
Justin Fox Burks & Amy Lawrence
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781401604820, $24.99, www.thomasnelson.com

THE SOUTHERN VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK: 100 DOWN-HOME RECIPES FOR THE MODERN TABLE is for any who want to use vegetarian dishes as either a mainstay or a side dish accompanying meat, and comes from self-trained home cooks who seek new ways of cutting back on meat consumption. The authors lost a combined 100 pounds in the course of putting together these recipes, focusing on a diet of grains and vegetables and updating traditional Southern fare. The result is a bright, appealing cookbook highly recommended for any Southern cook who wants healthier, vegetable-based dishes based on familiar appealing fare.

Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Bon Appetit's THE GRILLING BOOK: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FROM BON APPETIT (9781449427528, $45.00) is no light reference: it packs in over four hundred pages of reference on grilling techniques, tips and recipes and illustrates every one with step-by-step color photo instructions to cover not just grilling, but the basics of preparing foods for the grill, from butterflying a bird to making pizza crust. Everything from gourmet sauces and rubs to a fancy Lobster Paella or a tastier burger are included in a book packed with fresh new ideas, tried and tested techniques, and tips for successful grilling whether it be for a party or for a family. If only one grilling book were to be included in a collection - this would be a top contender! Brigit Binns's THE NEW WINE COUNTRY COOKBOOK: RECIPES FROM CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST (9781449419127, $35.00) offers a lovely survey of California history and culinary developments based on local and natural foods from around the state. Don't expect these dishes to be familiar regional specialties, either; Binns creates her own original dishes such as Seared and Braised Feta-Stuffed Chicken Thighs with White Wine and Green Olives and uses insights from local winemakers to pair her dishes with coastal California wines as well as wines from other regions of the world. The result is a lovely cookbook that incorporates California culinary culture and ingredients: perfect for California and regional American cookbook collections looking for something different.

From a Polish Country House Kitchen
Anne Applebaum & Danielle Crittenden
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452110554, $40.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

From a Polish Country House Kitchen: 90 Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food began with a family's acquisition of a falling-down Polish manor house in 1988 as Communism fell in the country. The house had been confiscated and abandoned: they began rebuilding it - and author Anne Applebaum was forced to make do with local, fresh ingredients from the Polish countryside around her. Color photos by Bogdan and Dorota Baily accompany a fine survey of modern Polish flavors and cooking and celebrates this country with dishes such as Orange-Saffron Rum Cake, Roast Chicken with Clementines, and Eggplant Cavier. The result is a satisfying collection of unique dishes highly recommended for any ethnic food collection; even those which have traditional Polish cookbooks but who seek more modern touches and interpretations.

200 Easy Mexican Recipes
Kelley Cleary Coffeen
Robert Rose
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778804369, $24.95, www.robertrose.ca

200 EASY MEXICAN RECIPES: AUTHENTIC RECIPES FROM BURRITOS TO ENCHILADAS provides a fine assembly of basic Mexican dishes any American cook can reproduce with a minimum of spices and ingredients, and tells how to use simple recipes to produce authentic Mexican creations. From Tex-Mex favorites to adaptations of traditional Mexican cuisine, this covers everything from specialty breads to fresh Baja Fish Tacos and Spicy Grilled Vegetables, and is a top recommendation for any general cookery collection.

The Yankee Chef
Jim Bailey
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764341915, $34.99, www.schifferpublishing.com

The Yankee Chef: Feel Good Food for Every Kitchen packs in over five hundred New England-based recipes in a top pick recommended for any American cookbook holding. Color photos and lively discussions accompany recipes gathered from three generations of Yankee chefs, offering a satisfying blend of traditional, classic comfort food dishes and innovations on themes. The simple fare combined with culinary and regional insights makes The Yankee Chef deserving of ongoing recommendation for any basic cookbook collection.

Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives: Funky Finds in Flavortown
Guy Fieri
Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062244659, $21.99, www.harpercollins.com

Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives: Funky Finds in Flavortown comes from a popular television show and provides the third entry in his series, offering behind-the-scenes insights into restaurants and their fare. The focus is on original chef creations and roadside stands, offering a book that acts as both a travel guide to diners (complete with a color foldout map that shows the location of each diner in this book) and a recipe guide for any who want something new, tested, and wide-ranging. From a Cioppino fish stew tweaked by a third-generation-owned restaurateur in Santa Cruz to Lauer-Kraut Burgers and a Potato and Cheese Pan-Fried Pierogi, this is packed with flavorful finds that will earn it a place in cookbook and travel collections alike.


The Business Shelf

Keeping Up with the Quants
Jinho Kim
Harvard Business Review Press
c/o Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422187258, $27.00, www.hbr.org/books

Keeping Up with the Quants: Your Guide to Understanding and Using Analytics is recommended for reference and business shelves alike, and provides an introduction covering why everyone needs analytical skills. Managers especially need to make sense of a range of data that could affect decisions, and this book reviews tools for improving an understanding of data analytics and applying this to decision-making processes. From formulating a hypothesis to interpreting analytical results and communicating these results in an organizational structure, this provides a key coverage perfect for professionals who want a better grounding in understanding and applying data results to business goals.


The Audiobook Shelf

Happy This Year!
Will Bowen
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781469278513, $24.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

Happy This Year! The Secret to Getting Happy Once and for All is read by the author and teaches how to align thoughts, words and actions to achieve better personal achievement in and satisfaction with life. The goal is to achieve an attitude change that transforms self and images of success: Will Bowen is the founder of A Complaint Free World, a nonprofit that has affected people around the world, and which promotes lifestyle changes and tools for happiness. Any self-help or achievement-oriented collection will find this an inspirational and fine pick, strengthened by the author's own fine narration of his words.

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

Arte Johnson, known for his work on TV's Laugh In, narrates Carl Hiaasen's BAD MONKEY (9780739385142, $40.00), an outstanding thriller which tells of Andrew Yancey's investigation of a boating accident which may be murder. But first he must handle a cast of characters, from a newly ex-lover to a voodoo witch, a new love, and a bad monkey. The outline of the saga is a mystery but what Hiaasen does with it turns it into a fun tale packed with twists, turns, and characters that come alive in audio. Any collection seeing popularity with Hiaasen's work will find BAD MONKEY a winner! Jim Gaffigan's DAD IS FAT (9780804147996, $32.00) is narrated by the author in an unabridged production which brings to life a comic account of five children, a two-bedroom apartment in New York City, and fun experiences surrounding too many children and too little space. It's a hilarious and fun story that any audio listener will relish, commenting on parenthood and relationships.


The Education Shelf

When Writing With Technology Matters
Carol Bedard & Charles Fuhrken
Stenhouse Publishing
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571109378, $20.00, www.stenhouse.com

When Writing With Technology Matters provides teachers with theory that supports the applications of technology in the classroom - and provides tested strategies for blending this technology into the English Language Arts curriculum. It considers the development of critical thinking, collaboration and empowerment that come from the curriculum and discusses how these goals can all be enhanced through the proper application of technology, showing teachers how to create a classroom environment that uses technology to allow students to become more effective writers. Step-by-step projects provide all the basics and can be used as formulas for success or samples for teachers planning their own technology-based projects. Education collections concerned with integrating technology with classroom goals will find this a top pick.


The Travel Shelf

Moon Colorado
Steve Knopper
Moon Publications
c/o Avalon Travel
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781612381213, $19.99, www.roadtripusa.com

Moon Colorado offers the author's inside information on where to go, what to see, and how to get around the state, to choosing among the state's ski resorts. Trip strategies include short and long tours, adventure experiences such as ice fishing, mountain biking to restaurants, and more. The book's logical division by areas of the state makes it easy to locate activities and advice for specific regions. Any destination-oriented collection covering travel to Colorado will find this a fine addition.

Bradt Guides
1st Floor IDC House, The Vale
Chalfont St Peter, Bucks, England, SL9 9RZ
www.bradtguides.com

Catriona Rainsford's The Urban Circus: Travels with Mexico's Malabaristas (9781841624440, $16.99) is a fine armchair read for any interested in Mexican culture and journeys and charts the author's two-year adventure across Mexico as she encounters a band of traveling street performers, or malabaristas, and learns circus skills and street entertainment culture. Humor, insights, and fun encounters with the different byways and cultures that is Mexico offer readers a lively survey that considers the nation's peoples, social issues, and underground worlds. Readers who enjoy accounts of circus life in general will also find this a unique story, packed with lively insights and accounts. Tom Chesshyre's A TOURIST IN THE ARAB SPRING (9781841624754, $16.99) began a year after the first uprisings of the Arab Spring when author Tom Chesshyre traveled as a tourist across Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. His is adventure travel writing at its best, charting journeys sometimes arduous and frightening, and offering discussions and encounters with all kinds of people, from preachers and smugglers to rebel soldiers. The result is a fine story that armchair readers will find involving, revealing the cultures and everyday lives of a wide range of peoples.

Italian Ways
Tim Parks
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393239324, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com

ITALIAN WAYS: ON AND OFF THE RAILS FROM MILAN TO PALERMO provides a new Italian travel book suitable for any who are interested in either journeys via train in general or Italian society in particular, and uses the author's train rides from urban to rural Italian byways to argue that it's the Italian train system which best represents Italy in the 21st century. His reflection on the history of rail travel in the country and how politics and social issues influence the train's culture and progress blends a fine travel account with background history key to any who would ride the Italian rails and understand their history. Lively writings offering insights into Italian culture and psyche make for a powerful story for any who want more insights and background.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Star Trek Cross-Stitch
John Lohman
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781476718668, $19.99, www.simonandschuster.com

STAR TREK CROSS-STITCH: EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORLDS OF CRAFTING provides needleworkers with a fun collection of some thirty cross-stitch projects made by Star Trek fans and perfect for gift-giving ideas. From tote bags to pillows, this profiles fan creations and also includes pattern images, photos of finished results, and many alternate patterns. The projects range from images of classic Trek objects to quotable phrases and even tribbles. The result is a fun array of whimsical Trek ideas
perfect for any Trekkie.

C&T Publishing
1651 Challenge Drive
Concord, CA 94520-5206
www.ctpub.com

Jona Giammalva's The Essential A-line: Make 17 Flirty Skirts from 1 Basic Pattern (9781607056690, $26.95) comes from a seamstress who tells how to make an A-line skirt from a single pattern using 17 variations to make skirts in a range of sizes. Color photos throughout accompany step-by-step instructions in a fine guide packed with keys to producing A-Line style skirts with a range of 'tweaks' so they all look differently appealing. It's extraordinary to see some seventeen variations created from one simple pattern: it comes printed on both sides so one will need to trace the pattern to use it; but the clear photos and directions leave nothing to wonder. Any sewer who likes skirts in general and the basic A-Line in particular will love this book. Simply Retro with Camille Roskelley: Fresh Quilts from Classic Blocks (9781607056843, $22.95) offers quilters new ideas on traditional quilting, exploring modern print combinations and showing how to use precuts, yardage and scraps to supersize blocks or create alternative block arrangements. From using simple half-square triangles to creating big sizes and unique pattern combinations, this is a fine collection of ideas for any who would do something different with traditional quilting approaches as a background.

Designing Fashion Accessories
Marta Rodriguez Hidalgo and Gabriel Martin Roig
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764342158, $45.00, www.schifferpublishing.com

Designing Fashion Accessories: Master Class in Professional Design uses photos, illustrations, sketches, and insights from professional designers to document trends in fashion manufacture and design, and is a pick for any serious needleworker interested in charting fashion accessories, their construction, and their art. From hats to purses and beyond, each consideration includes a materials list and tools along with a history of the accessory and its changing fashion impact. While any arts collection strong in fashion design will want to include this, it's the needleworker with an interest in fashion products who will also find it an inspiration and a revealing history.

Gooseberry Patch Stitching for the Kitchen
Gooseberry Patch
Sixth&Spring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301
New York, NY 10013
9781936096572, $22.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

Gooseberry Patch Stitching for the Kitchen offers a set of stitching projects teaching how to stitch aprons, casserole covers, tea cozies, hot pads and napkins, and is a fine pick for any looking to blend gift-giving stitching projects with kitchen-specific, useful items. Recipes, artwork and two 28" x 40" pattern sheets are packed into a handy book filled with projects to appeal to all levels of needleworker and any with an affection for cooking and entertaining.

Happy Endings
Mimi Dietrich
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781564775009, $24.99, www.martingale.com

Happy Endings: Finishing the Edges of Your Quilt teaches how to finish a quilt and is a recommendation for beginners and experienced quilters alike. New ideas cover quilt backings, battings, bindings and more, offering a new section on quilt borders and new creative ideas for finishing edges. Patterns, step-by-step color illustrations, and fun finishing techniques make for a fine collection of ideas perfect for any quilter who wants to produce polished borders and finishing touches.


The Science Shelf

Unexpected Expectations
Leonard M. Wapner
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781568817217, $39.95, www.crcpress.com

Unexpected Expectations: The Curiosities of a Mathematical Crystal Ball explores how paradoxical challenges revolving around math expectation often prompts a reexamination of basic math premises, and considers those paradoxes associated with math expectations. Any with a basic algebra background will appreciate this discussion of probability theory, the laws of probability, and applications of mathematical expectation value to results and decision making. College-level readers will find these discussions range from scientific to philosophical and provide a lively discourse embracing everything from quantum mechanics to game theory.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

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

Sarah Wolfensohn and Maggie Lloyd's HANDBOOK OF LABORATORY ANIMAL MANAGEMENT AND WELFARE (9780470655498, $64.99) is a 'must' for any collection strong in laboratory animal management and veterinary science, and appears in its fourth updated edition to update and reorganize all chapters and recommendations. It's designed with lay-flat binding with side lettering to lend to easy laboratory and library use alike, it covers principles applicable to all species as well as specific groups, and this new edition includes changes in European legislation, adds new chapters on ethical considerations, and provides new information on environments for lab animals. The result is a solid pick for any collection concerned with laboratory and testing conditions. The fourth updated edition of Simon Platt and Natasha Olby's BSAVA MANUAL OF CANINE AND FELINE NEUROLOGY (9781905319343, $149.99) includes a companion DVD and provides a fine coverage of the latest diagnostic procedures and clinical presentations of neurological diseases, expanding and adding to developments in the field and addressing the genetics and biology of common diseases. Discussions of breed associations and breeding policies, traditional Chinese approaches to medicine, and advancements in imaging technology provide vets and their offices with a key reference that offers the latest insights on changes in the field. A 'must' for any practice!


The Technology Shelf

Information Warfare and Electronic Warfare Systems
Richard A. Poisel
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781608077052, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Information warfare is the latest battle in the new war arena around the world and this book represents the first to address this style of warfare and communication electronic warfare's special challenges. It surveys EW system performance, presents results if system simulations, and provides engineers and researchers working in defense and aerospace with a survey of the properties of information communication systems, theory, and changes. Any practicing electronic warfare engineer will find this filled with key details essential for understanding the entire process and its military applications.

Understanding Smart Sensors, third edition
Randy Frank
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781608075072, $139.00, www.artechhouse.com

The third updated edition of Understanding Smart Sensors provides a complete and authoritative summary of the latest applications affecting smart sensors, and here presents a completely expanded, revised edition offering new material on everything from sensor fusion and wireless technologies to cloud sensing. Charts, diagrams and figures accompany discussions of the latest research and development in smart sensor technology, providing engineers with a solid discussion on microelectronics and its applications. Professionals will appreciate the technical in-depth discussions, the resource guide and glossary of key terms, and the blend of history and science that assure a complete understanding of the evolution and future of smart sensor technologies. A 'must' for any electronics engineering collection.

Antennas and Site Engineering for Mobile Radio Networks
Bruno Delorme
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781608077038, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Antennas and Site Engineering for Mobile Radio Networks provides electronics engineers with the first book to discuss specific antennas for commercial and private mobile radio networks, and offers descriptions of specific antennas used in mobile phone networks, how they operate, antenna site engineering specs and challenges, and the math and physics needed to understand all facets of antennas and site engineering. Explanations and real-world applications help antenna professionals make the best decisions on deployment and applications, making for a complete, solid reference.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Genetic Resources, Equity and International Law
Camena Guneratne
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9780857934949, $150.00, www.e-elgar.com

Genetic Resources, Equity and International Law joins other college-level contributions in the 'New Horizons in Environmental and Energy Law Series' and provides an in-depth, scholarly analysis of existing international law as it pertains to genetic resources and manipulation around the world. Different approaches to handling intellectual property rights and genetic materials are analyzed in chapters that document sustainable development efforts, legal ramifications, and issues of equity and resource management. Students and scholars in environmental and genetic studies to legal professionals will find this offers a fine analysis of current international law developments based on the interactions between scholars and lawyers, and will welcome the in-depth focus on genetic resources and accompanying rights issues.

Signposts
Sally E. Hadden & Patricia Hagles Minter, Editors
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA, 30602-4901
9780820344997, $26.95, www.ugapress.org

SIGNPOSTS: NEW DIRECTIONS IN SOUTHERN LEGAL HISTORY studies southern legal heritage and is a recommendation for collections strong in regional legal history and Southern culture alike. Contributors provide some seventeen essays by both established and rising scholars that consider new directions in southern legal history across time, locales and more. They explore everything from civil rights, succession, reapportionment, prohibition, legal institutions and their evolution, and more, and they provide much food for thought in social issues areas. The result is a scholarly collection recommended for any library strong in regional American history in general and Southern history and culture in particular.


The Social Issues Shelf

Who Owns the Future?
Jaron Lanier
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451654967, $28.00, www.simonandschuster.com

WHO OWNS THE FUTURE? examines the effects network technologies have had on our economy, arguing that the rise of digital networks such as Facebook and Google has led to recession and all but destroyed the middle class. Thanks to digital changes more industries face even more challenges to success - but there is an alternative that would allow technology's benefits to stabilize the middle class and allow it to grow, and this book focuses on these possibilities. Examination of recent ventures consider how the modern digital revolution has centralized wealth rather than benefiting society as a whole. The vision of a new model for a more humanistic economy makes for an engrossing survey of future choices and how technology can be purposely used to build a better social structure.

America 3.0
James C. Bennett and Michael J. Lotus
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, NY 10003
9781594036439, $25.99, www.encounterbooks.com

America 3.0: Rebooting American Prosperity in the 21st Century-Why America's Greatest Days Are Yet to Come offers an optimistic view of the future, maintaining that the country is set to enter its greatest era of prosperity yet, and using a combination of historical, political and social analysis to support this contention. Chapters present America's transition points as representing America 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. The focus is more closely on the tradition between the present (2.0) and the future (3.0), considering the pattern of the last major transition the nation experienced from small to big business and small to big worlds, and blending traditional cultural comparisons and insights with surveys of the accompanying social and political processes which will herald the new era. A fascinating survey, America 3.0 belongs in social issues and political studies collections alike.

The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu

Donald B. Kraybill, et.al.'s THE AMISH (9781421409146, $29.95) is no light treatment of the Amish people, but an in-depth survey from three authors who spent over twenty-five years researching Amish history, religion and culture. It uses archival material, oral history, and interviews to provide an in-depth survey of Amish society and provides intriguing chapters exploring how they have interacted with the forces of modern society to create a culture that has enabled them to thrive in America. Charts and black and white illustrations pepper an exploration of faith, gender, family relationships, government and civil social behaviors, and much more, offering an in-depth coverage highly recommended for any studying Amish culture. Valerie Weaver-Zercher's THRILL OF THE CHASTE: THE ALLURE OF AMISH ROMANCE NOVELS (9781421408910, $24.95) reveals the blossoming cottage publishing industry of Amish fiction. In 2012 there was one Amish romance published every four days - and this is the first book to analyze this growing trend in romance fiction and consider its roots in popular culture and literature. Romance novels with Amish protagonists are discussed in chapter that research and interview readers, publishers and authors alike to consider the roots of an Amish romance and what makes it different from the genre as a whole. While literary collections will be the most likely purchasers of THRILL OF THE CHASTE, it's reviewed here for its importance to any social issues holding, as well.

Corrupted Culture
Vincent Ryan Ruggiero
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616147495, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

CORRUPTED CULTURE: REDISCOVERING AMERICA'S ENDURING PRINCIPLES, VALUES, AND COMMON SENSE presents a strong case for restoring the traditions and values associated with Western views of human nature. In this view such nature is imperfect but holds much potential for goodness and wisdom: this analysis considers today's social problems in light of these long-held values and advocates the root causes of a culture in decline and how the downfall can be reserved. College-level collections will find this survey of cultural trends in America makes for a powerful account.


The Psychology Shelf

Ungifted
Scott Barry Kaufman
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465025541, $29.99, www.basicbooks.com

UNGIFTED: INTELLIGENCE REDEFINED explores the latest research in genetics and neuroscience and considers changes in the world of cognitive psychology and social development as he considers the world of special abilities in children and how traditional assessments of gifted and ungifted children lack in accuracy and diagnosis. Scott Barry Kaufman was himself deemed 'ungifted', sent to a school for learning disabled students, and told he would never achieve greatness. UNGIFTED is his answer to the failures of a system, documenting the science of assigning labels to children and revealing the psychology of achievement that often fails to take the individual into account. Kaufman is a professor at NYU and received his PhD in psychology from Yale, so he's in the perfect position to comment authoritatively about the labels of 'gifted' and 'ungifted' and how they evolve. Any health or education collection needs this.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Spare Parts
Renee C. Fox and Judith P. Swazey
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412851572, $29.95, www.transactionpub.com

SPARE PARTS: ORGAN REPLACEMENT IN AMERICAN SOCIETY features a new introduction by the author as it considers medical history and new major developments in the field of organ replacement from the 1980s to the beginning of the 1990s. College-level readers will appreciate the survey of biomedical advances, social and cultural changes in the perception of organ transplantation, and the history of the Jarvik-7 artificial heart in the U.S. Descriptions are based on primary data gained from interviews, participant observation, and analysis of medical journals and newspapers alike, with a new introduction reviewing some recent developments in the field. Any health or social issues collection needs this.

Step-by-Step Tapping
Sue Beer & Emma Roberts
GAIA
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781856753289, $16.99, www.octopuspublishing.com

Step-by-Step Tapping provides in-depth coverage of EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, and covers a self-help tool that provides any reader with an easy tool linking mental problem areas with acupressure points on the body. The connections between the two can help reconnect mind/body messages, and offers clear opportunities for restoring health and happiness by applying EFT tapping techniques. There's no complexity in these procedures, and all that's required is an awareness of mind/body links and how to use them, to make this a powerful pick for self-help health and alternative health collections alike.

Tai Chi - The Perfect Exercise
Arthur Rosenfeld
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738216607, $19.99, www.dacapopress.com

Ordinarily Tai Chi - The Perfect Exercise: Finding Health, Happiness, Balance, and Strength would have been featured in our Sports section for its martial arts focus - but it's reviewed here so that health holdings won't miss its important connection between tai chi and overall physical and mental wellbeing. It comes from a tai chi master and Taoist monk who considers the martial art form, explains its connections to building optimal health, and shows how it can become a part of daily life. Beginners and advanced readers are provided with physical exercises to try on their own, presented in order of difficulty for a graded learning process, and receive understanding on how it helps lower blood pressure, helps with sleep, and heightens immune system response, among other attributes. No health collection should be without this.


The Photography Shelf

Alvarado's Pin-Up Nudes
Robert Alvarado
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764344442, $34.99, www.schifferpublishing.com

Alvarado's Pin-Up Nudes offers a second collection of Alvarado's pin-up photography and provides full-page color portraits exploring his penchant for costuming, texture, and adding humor and color to his images of females. It's these techniques which set his pin-up nudes apart from traditional works and other contemporary artists, offering styling and themes that transform and expand the vision of what a pin-up art form can be. This volume celebrates the extent of his recent pin-up nudes and creates an inviting, unique assembly that any arts holding will find a fine addition.

The iPad for Photographers, second edition
Jeff Carlson
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321907479, $24.99, www.peachpit.com

The iPad for Photographers appears in an updated second edition to provide keys to using iPad and iPad mini tablets for photographers working in the field who want to forego the usual laptop. The lightweight iPad more readily lends to field work and provides a large screen, plenty of apps, and online access to sharing work when in the field. Novices to professionals will find this an in-depth discussion of how to apply iPad basics to photography, from taking shots and importing and exporting them to arranging images in the field, assigning keyword tags, and editing photos on the go. It's been fully updated with new tricks and tips, and is a 'must' for any who would use their iPad in the field!


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Combating Climate Change: An Agricultural Perspective
Manjit S. Kang and Surinder S. Banga, Editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466566705, $99.95, www.crcpress.com

College-level collections strong in agricultural studies won't want to miss this collection of articles discussing the impact of climate change on plant pathogens and diseases. Contributors come from scientists around the world and cover everything from global food security to agricultural changes, the development of more efficient food crops, and genetic mitigation of climate change effects through developing climate-resistant crops. Many issues related to agriculture's latest challenges are surveyed in a powerful collection that is technical, specific, and discusses how human intervention on agricultural production can mitigate the rigors of climate change. These articles will prove key to any student of agriculture, and should be in every college-level agricultural studies program.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Politics of Survival
Lara Trout
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823232963, $26.00, www.fordhampress.com

The Politics of Survival: Pierce, Affectivity, and Social Criticism is a pick for any collection strong in American philosophy and political structure and focuses on the reflections of Peirce and discussions of social justice. Trout provides college-level philosophy students with a fine account of how Peirce's philosophy rises above his personal prejudices to provide tools for analyzing and criticizing those who believe they hold no prejudices. Chapters consider the juxtaposition of sociology, philosophy, and psychology as they analyze Charles S. Peirce's philosophy and its impact on social criticism as a whole.

The Wire and Philosophy
David Bzdak, et.al., Editors
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
9780812698237, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

The Wire and Philosophy: This America, Man joins over seventy others in the Popular Culture and Philosophy series and is a pick for philosophy and TV and film collections alike, documenting the evolution of HBO's The Wire and how the five-season, sixty-episode dramas has achieved an enduring fame. Over twenty philosophers who are fans of the show reveal its underlying philosophical issues and explore different facets of The Wire's culture in a lively treatment that offers many links between traditional philosophical thought and modern TV and film culture. The result will fascinate a wide audience and is a strong pick for any film holding.


The Native American Studies Shelf

Bird Medicine
Evan T. Pritchard
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781591431589, $18.00, www.bearandcompanybooks.com

BIRD MEDICINE: THE SACRED POWER OF BIRD SHAMANISM is a pick for new age and Native American holdings alike, and blends scholarly research with over 200 firsthand accounts of bird encounters from traditional Native Americans and their descendants. Chapters explore the spiritual traditions of birds in Native cultures, synthesize beliefs between tribes to consider how different birds hold different spiritual meaning and impact, and consider how shamans have the ability to travel inside of birds - even after death. The result is a powerful set of bird sign interpretations that any can apply to their own beliefs.

Women and Ledger Art
Richard Pearce
University of Arizona Press
355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103
Tucson, AZ 85719-6654
9780816521043, $24.95, www.uapress.arizona.edu

Women and Ledger Art: Four Contemporary Native American Artists covers a style of art traditionally created by men to document the lives of male warriors on the Plains. Over the last forty years the ledger art form has been adopted by Native female artists who are turning stories of women's lives into ledger-style pictures. Author Richard Pearce focuses on four such modern artists and their works, offering in-depth discussions to accompany their images. Native American and arts holdings alike, as well as libraries concerned with women's history and issues, will find this a unique contribution to these fields.

Indian Tribes of Oklahoma: A Guide
Blue Clark
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806140612, $19.95, www.oupress.com

Indian Tribes of Oklahoma: A Guide blends scholarship with Native organ traditions to provide a fine story of each Indian tribe of Oklahoma. Each entry summarizes the tribe's history, culture, and blends their origin tales with archaeological research to consider their evolution and attributes. From tribal websites and bibliographical recommendations to photos of prominent tribal members and overviews of tribal achievements, this is a fine and well-detailed survey for any interested in Oklahoma Native American history.


The DVD Shelf

'Ellen Barrett Live' workouts
Ellen Barrett
No ISBN, $15.00 each, www.ellenbarrett.com

Ellen Barrett's DVD workouts offer up small pieces of exercise - each workout is about 30-45 minutes - but are designed to produce quick results, blending yoga and Pilates with dance moves for maximum, fun enjoyment. ELLEN BARRETT LIVE: FUSION FLOOR WORKOUT is done on a mat with no standing exercises, no props, and no shoes: it provides a complete workout with moves building strength. SLEEK SCULPT EXPRESS graduates to hand weights and offers choreographed movements designed to help muscles work naturally into other movements. SUPER FAST BODY BLAST furthers the efforts, using a range of motions to work the body while providing easy joint movements. The three together provide a powerful workout set that is especially highly recommended for any with injuries or special exercise requirements. They go where few workout programs go, and are designed to be easy on the body.


The Poetry Shelf

Voices of the Future
Presented by Etan Thomas
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781608462711, $18.00, www.haymarketbooks.org

Voices of the Future comes from an NBA star who created an opportunity for young poets to openly express their thoughts on all kinds of social issues, gathering the results in this volume to provide encouragement for kids to write about the issues and ideas that concern them the most. Anticipate a collection that identifies the poet and the poet's age, and organizes all poems by subject, from President Obama to racism, police brutality, and relationships. Voices of the Future is a project designed to encourage young people to express themselves and this book is a powerful portrait of that expression, highly recommended for literary, social issues and student collections alike.


The American History Shelf

America 1933
Michael Golay
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781439196014, $26.99, www.simonandschuster.com

AMERICA 1933: THE GREAT DEPRESSION, LORENA HICKOK, ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, AND THE SHAPING OF THE NEW DEAL comes from a celebrated historian who focuses on Lorena Hickok's journalistic contributions to Roosevelt's administration during the Great Depression, and is a special recommendation for any collection strong in Depression history and analysis of American history. Its focus on the New Deal and how it was reported and charted places Lorena Hickok's contributions in the limelight - as they should be - and provides documentation of how millions of Americans experienced the Depression. A powerful account, this will appeal to general-interest, American history and American political studies holdings alike.

Yellowstone National Park Past and Present
Suzanne Silverthorn & I-Ting Chiang
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764341758, $24.99, www.schifferbooks.com

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK PAST AND PRESENT is a 'must' for any with an interest in America's national park history in general and Yellowstone's evolution and development in particular, and is packed with vintage and contemporary photos throughout its discussion. From its natural wonders to the development of tourism and attention to preserving Yellowstone's natural wonders, this title surveys all of Yellowstone's management, challenges, and beauty and synthesizes all in an oversized title designed to reveal all of the park's many wonders. Any American history collection, especially those strong in national park developments, will find this a lovely addition.


The Crafts Shelf

Nails, Nails, Nails!
Madeline Poole
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452119021, $14.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

NAILS, NAILS, NAILS! 25 CREATIVE DIY NAIL ART PROJECTS comes from a Los Angeles-based stylist who provides 25 nail art projects that range from stripes and printers to glitter, and outlines professional nail-art techniques in the process. Chapters provide step-by-step photos, provide notes on when one can do one's own nails and when one should use a helping hand, and provides lovely shots of finished nails to help readers understand the entire design and its results. Any who would produce winning nails will find this an artistic 'must'.


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


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