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

California Bookwatch

Volume 8, Number 12 December 2013 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Christmas Shelf Photography Shelf
Sports Shelf Cookbook Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Mathematics Shelf
Science Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Music Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Education Shelf World History Shelf Computer Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Crafts Shelf Art Shelf
Political Science Shelf Military Shelf Business Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Biography Shelf
Travel Shelf Relationship Shelf California Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Star Product Designers
Irene Alegre
HarperDesign
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062210265, $39.99, www.harpercollins.com

Star Product Designers: Prototypes, Products, and Sketches from the World's Top Designers offers arts and business holdings alike a complete catalog of products offered for the home and displays all the handmade sketches, drawings, and computer renderings to show how the product was designed. Top designers contribute their designs and sketches, featured products include many innovations and unique items, and color illustrations of both products and their use makes for a lively collection of the latest product lines and ideas. It's hard to neatly 'peg' the audience here, which will range from artist designers to homeowners, business marketing companies, and more. The focus on colorful full-page art assures clear and detailed attention is paid to all kinds of fun innovations.

Letting in the Wild Edges
Glennie Kindred
Permanent Publicaitons
The Sustainability Centre
East Meon, GU32 1HR, UK
9781856231174, $24.95, www.permanentpublications.co.uk

Letting in the Wild Edges provides a lovely inspirational guide to the wild places in the world and offers a seasonal journey through the year with a focus on growing native edible and medicinal plants and trees in gardens and wild areas alike. It teaches the basics of foraging and making these medicines and advocates a blend of cultivation and wilderness that promises new ways of reconnecting with nature. Black and white illustrations throughout permeate a guide perfect for any who would forge new connections with nature.

Activities for Older People in Care Homes
Sarah Crockett
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849054294, $21.95, www.jkp.com

Activities for Older People in Care Homes: A Handbook for Successful Activity Planning covers everything from crafts to gardening, knitting, exercise games and cooking, and is a pick for any working in a care home who wants adult-oriented activities. It's often difficult to hone in on activities which will appeal to adults and which are positive experiences: the author covers the basics of dementia, how activities serve to help conditions, and provides a range of options and assessments of financial and social considerations. The result is a powerful pick recommended for any working with dementia patients and older adults.

Weeds: A Farm Daughter's Lament
Evelyn I. Funda
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
9780803244962, $21.95, www.nebraskapress.unl.edu

Weeds: A Farm Daughter's Lament tells the story of the author's family, immigrant history, and farming and tells what happened when in 2001 her parents sold the last of the farm they'd worked since 1957. The family's loss is explored against the backdrop of their overall farming experience, Czech immigrant background, and the issues facing farming communities today. With its pairing of autobiography with social issues and farming specifics, Weeds is a powerful story highly recommended for any social issues or general collection strong in immigrant experiences or farming.

Boundaries in an Overconnected World
Anne Katherine
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781608681907, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

How to set boundaries in a world that relies upon and celebrates constant connectivity is the subject of a fine guide that refines traditional ideas of setting and maintaining boundaries for modern readers. It comes from a therapist who addresses the specifics of establishing such boundaries with social media, smartphones and the internet, and provides tools to keep readers safe in cyberspace and in the world. It acknowledges the desire and benefits of being connected while outlining methods for maintaining privacy and 'de-connecting' at times, and it points out the dangers and distractions of such engagements without condemning the entire technological world. The result is a fine guide to any modern technology user who wants a refined approach to setting boundaries both on- and off-line.

1,227 Quite Interesting Facts to Blow Your Socks Off
John Lloyd, et.al.
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393241037, $15.95, www.wwnorton.com

1,227 Quite Interesting Facts to Blow Your Socks Off pairs trivia facts with surprising and fun, entertaining ideas gleaned from BBC television's popular quiz show QI, and is a special recommendation for any reader who enjoys trivia fats. General lending libraries will find this a popular and fun collection with pages of four facts arranged sometimes thematically, sometimes randomly. Each fact is connected and sometimes there are satisfying surprises deriving from this connection. The result is a fun, absorbing collection especially recommended for trivia fans.

Undressing the Art of Playing Dress Up
Cosplay Deviants
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764345685, $50.00, www.schifferbooks.com

Undressing the Art of Playing Dress Up provides a fine survey of Cosplay (dressing up as characters from pop culture), gathering pinup-style full-page color photos in a collection that profiles female cosplayers from around the world. Cosplay Dreviants' models capture popular characters from gaming, comics, anime and science fiction alike, with over 300 images packing pages and interviews discussing the finer art of cosplay in a top pick recommended for both popular culture and pinup-style arts collections.

Intelligence and Surprise Attack
Erik J. Dahl
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589019980, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Intelligence and Surprise Attack: Failure and Success from Pearl Harbor to 9/11 and Beyond provides a fine assessment recommended for security studies and intelligence collections, narrowing the focus to the study of surprise attack and how intelligence processes succeed and failure. From warnings and actionable alerts to historical studies of American intelligence over the last seven years, this incorporates the author's own background as a career intelligence officer and discusses mistakes and their avoidance in a 'must have' for any intelligence or terrorism history collection.

Best Food Writing 2013
Holly Hughes
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738217161, $15.99, www.dacapopress.com

Best Food Writing 2013 is the latest addition to the series and gathers the best prose from the past year's books, newspapers, websites and magazines. From critical assessments of food and cooking to sections on home cooking, essays on travel and good food, sections on healthy fare and discussions of local food trends, this is packed with literary and culinary reflections on a wide range of food topics from farming to cooking. Any interested in good, solid literary writing and culinary examinations will find this an outstanding compilation of intriguing discussions perfect for foodies and libraries catering to cooks and food fans.

India in Word & Image
Eric Meola
Welcome Books
6 West 18th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10011
9781599621289, $60.00, www.welcomebooks.com

India in Word & Image has been updated and expanded and here provides lovely photos by Eric Meola designed to capture the glories of India, from a photographer who has returned repeatedly to the country to photograph its land, peoples and culture. Meola's journeys took him from the Himalayas and monasteries in the North to temples of the South and points throughout the country. Each of his pictures are reproduced in an oversized, lavish collection providing a lovely visual document accompanied by quotes form major writers whose works reflect Indian observations. The result of this collaborative blend of literature and art makes for a lovely celebration of the country, worthy of gift-giving and display.


The Christmas Shelf

Sleigh Rides Jingle Bells & Silent Nights
Ronald D. Lankford Jr.
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813044927, $21.95, www.upf.com

Sleigh Rides Jingle Bells & Silent Nights: A Cultural History of American Christmas Songs is a fine holiday pick and considers American values as they appear in traditional Christmas songs. Popular culture and sociological analysis blend in a lively survey of over seventy-five years of such songs and how they evolved, from Gene Autry's rendition of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' to Elvis Presley's 'Blue Christmas'. Black and white photos supplement lively discussions of pop culture and music.


The Photography Shelf

Photography Q&A
Zack Arias
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321929501, $29.99, www.newriders.com

Photography Q&A: Real Questions. Real Answers provides a fine survey from an editorial and commercial photographer who here answers over 100 questions that he answered for the public. They cover everything from gear and marketing a photo to street photography, using models, setting up a photography business and more, and teaches the basic model for starting a serious endeavor and getting paid. Packed with the author's years of experience and accompanied by black and white and color images throughout, this is a pick for any photography collection looking for an assembly of real-world, tested advice.

National Geographic Dawn to Dusk Photographs
National Geographic Publishers
c/o National Geographic Society
1145 - 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688
9781426211799, $40.00, www.ngs.com

National Geographic Dawn to Dusk Photographs: The Magic of Light gathers a lovely display of images from around the world and joins others in the publisher's photography book collection - this one illustrating the power of light to change a landscape or nature display. The photos tell of a single day from daylight to dark and provide images taken under all kinds of circumstances in all kinds of situations, from close-ups to landscapes and more. Many of the photos come with insights from their photographers explaining how they took the shot. All of them were chosen to illustrate the power of light in nature, and the use of a large-page format and full color captures under one cover the variety of images in the natural world. Having all this in one place makes for a stunning display!

2014 Photographer's Market
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
700 East State Street, Iola WI 54945
9781440329425, $34.99, www.artistsnetwork.com

No aspiring photographer should be without the basic, annually-updated Photographer's Market, and this 2014 edition appears in its 37th printing to provide an outstanding key to selling photography. All the markets, from consumer publications to stock photo agencies, art fairs, photo tours and trade publications, are covered here with an eye to showing who is buying, what they're paying, what they're looking for, and how to submit - and protect - one's work. The result is an outstanding and current selection of markets, all updated, and all supported by a free online subscription for buyers.

Mastering the Nikon D7100
Darrell Young
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781937538323, $39.95, www.rockynook.com

Mastering the Nikon D7100 is a strong recommendation for any owner of the new camera and provides an exploration of its features and capabilities using step-by-step color photo examples and explanations for best practices. From all settings and hardware options to suggestions for various shooting styles, this offers a fine blend of screen shots, highlighted sections of information, and reviews of the basics for any owner of the Nikon D7100, a complex camera that benefits from in-depth instruction that moves far beyond your usual condensed camera manual of information.

Modern Bridal Photography Techniques
Brett Florens
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608955824, $29.95, www.amherstmedia.com

Modern Bridal Photography Techniques teaches how to create professional-quality bridal portraits in a guide that teaches portrait styling and using various lighting situations to create amazing results. From using light modifiers and hardware to adding motion to images and capturing bygone eras either in clothing or by pose structure, Brett Florens provides a wealth of professional insights from his own successful practices and creates a collection of images both traditional and modern. No photography library should be without his in-depth guide!

Photoshop Elements 12: The Missing Manual
Barbara Brundage
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449341657, $44.99, www.oreilly.com

Photoshop Elements 12: The Missing Manual provides a fine guide for learning how to cut, edit, retouch and modify photos as well as how to share and use them, and is a top pick for any working with Photoshop Elements 12. Both Windows and Mac versions are covered in a guide that pairs color screen shots and photo examples throughout with sidebars and boxes of quick at-a-glance information. This approach makes for a guide perfect for users new to the many tools and approaches to photo editing that Elements incorporates. Another nice feature: this book can be used as a step-by-step tutorial or as a quick at-a-glance reference. Any new to or refreshing their knowledge of Elements 12 will find this an easy reference.


The Sports Shelf

Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy
Bret Contreras
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450429290, $21.95, www.humankinetics.com

Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy: Your Illustrated Guide to Strength, Power, and Definition provides a powerful guide to exercise using the unusual format of anatomical artwork that reveals how primary muscles work with surrounding bones and ligaments. It pairs specific, step-by-step exercises with training advice on how to sculpt the body without using machines or expensive equipment, and covers all muscles in providing over 150 bodyweight exercises that can be performed any time without any special equipment. The result is a fine pick recommended for any planning a workout routine, and for collections catering to bodybuilders.

Fifty Bicycles That Changed the World
Alex Newson
Conran
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781840916300, $20.00, www.octopusbooksusa.com

Fifty Bicycles That Changed the World is an excellent addition to The Design Museum's 'Fifty Series' and is a pick for both designers and bicycle enthusiasts alike. It gathers images of the technological evolution of the bicycle form, from concepts to commercial models, and lists 50 of the most important bicycles from around the world. Cyclists will find it packed with black and white and color photos along with discussions of what elements made each design revolutionary. An excellent survey results, perfect for any sports history and cycling collection.

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

Simple Qigong Exercises for Health provides keys to improving health using 10-20 minute exercises to promote healing, and offers an easy way to learn the Chinese system of qigong (gentle breathing, stretching and movements). It relies on using the Eight Pieces of Brocade, a popular qigong healing exercise set, to improve health by improving blood circulation and stimulating the immune system. Clear photos demonstrate correct poses while instruction covers both movements and how they work. Highly recommended for any martial arts or general sports or health collection.


The Cookbook Shelf

Three Squares
Abigail Carroll
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465025527, $27.99, www.basicbooks.com

THREE SQUARES: THE INVENTION OF THE AMERICAN MEAL comes from a food historian who explains the origin of modern eating habits. The modern 'three square meals a day' concept actually is a recent cultural phenomenon: Americans didn't originally view dinner is either a main meal or a focal point for entertaining, and the concept of snacking between meals is relatively new, also. This history provides a fine survey of eating habits from colonial to modern times, and provides a fine cultural survey of the values that seeped into the American meal plan. The result is a fine pick recommended for American history and culture libraries, general-interest foodies, and any collection appealing to cooks.

The Heart of the Plate
Mollie Katzen
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547571591, $34.99, www.hmhbooks.com

If author Mollie Katzen's name sounds familiar - it should. Her Moosewood Cookbook in the 197s changed the way vegetarian fare was viewed and prompted many a novice to embark on a lifetime of vegetarian food exploration. Now The Heart of the Plate: Vegetarian Recipes for a New Generation achieves the same, offering revamped and new dishes - some 250 - that represent lighter fare, spicier foods, and easy preparations suitable for entertaining or daily home feasts. From Soft Polenta to Orange Rice, Spring Lasagna made from vegetables and Farro and Tuscan White Beans, color photos accompany easy directions, 'optional enhancements', and more. The result is an outstanding vegetarian cookbook any home will appreciate!

Cook's Illustrated Baking Book
Cook's Illustrated
America's Test Kitchen
9781936695586, $40.00, www.americastestkitchen.com

Cook's Illustrated Baking Book offers over four hundred recipes from the magazine and covers all the basics key to baking success, from measuring flour more accurately to using unsalted butter for baking and storing ingredients. These little considerations are just some of the tricks of the trade which differentiate 'foolproof' recipes from ones which can produce different results, and which make this baking cookbook recommended over others. From an 'Ultimate Banana Bread' containing six bananas and a key to imbedding extra banana flavor into the results to a New York Style Thin Crust Pizza recipe and variations on Classic Brownies, this pairs black and white photos throughout with in-depth discussions of what makes each recipe a winner. Novices especially will find this clearly discusses winning approaches to baking.

An American Family Cooks
Judith Choate, et.al.
Welcome Books
6 West 18th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10011
9781599621241, $45.00, www.welcomebooks.com

An American Family Cooks pairs Judith Chaote's anecdotes from family experiences in the kitchen from a childhood on a farm to growing up in San Francisco and raising a family in Manhattan with recipes that come from three generations of cooks, all spiced with food photography from her husband Steve Poole and paintings by Stephen Kolyer. The result is a wide-ranging blend of cookbook and memoir that includes lovely color illustrations throughout and discussions that include wine pairing suggestions, insights on the author's experiences with particular dishes and their surrounding culture, and more. From holiday cooking to unforgettable classic mainstays of the kitchen, this is a lovely gift and home cookbook for any interested in the culture, lore and foolproof recipes of American regional fare.

Memories of Gascony
Pierre Koffmann
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781845337094, $34.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk

Memories of Gascony has been many years out of print, so it's a pleasure to see it re-appear in a new edition with new photos and a new design. Originally published in 1990, it became a classic, offering over a hundred seasonal dishes the author first learned to cook from his grandmother in rural Gascony, France. This is more than a recipe collection: it's a celebration of the region's culture and feel, pairing recipes with reminiscences and showing how a world-class cook learned his craft. Seasonal dishes blend with autobiography and stories of mouth-watering foods, making this a lovely culinary celebration for any with affection for France or French cooking.

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

Boutique Beer: 500 Quality Craft Beers is for any interested in the craft beer industry and covers the world in considering different brewers and their creations. From ingredients and the brewing process for specialty beers to assessments of their qualities and considerations of what makes them the 'best' brews, Boutique Beer pairs brewing history with brewing insights, is packed with full-page color photos throughout, and is the item of choice for any brewer interested in the traditions and products of the world's best modern producers.

Fix It and Forget-It New Cookbook
Phyllis Good
Good Books
PO Box 419, Intercourse, PA 17534-0419
9781561488001, $19.95, www.goodbooks.com

Fix-It and Forget-It New Cookbook: 250 New Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes comes from a series of cookbooks that are based on slow cooker recipes: the books were packed with recipes and no photos. This new cookbook appears in full color and provides a wide range of tested recipes to make in a slow cooker, and covers everything from appetizers and casseroles to breakfasts, sweets, and even beverages. Each recipe is a snap to follow and only really requires a slow cooker for success. Pointers on 'why I like this recipe' accompany instructions for novices who know little about cooking, but it's the new color photos that make this new edition so much more accessible to this audience!

Consider the Fork
Bee Wilson
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465056972, $16.00, www.basicbooks.com

CONSIDER THE FORK: A HISTORY OF HOW WE COOK AND EAT first appeared in 2012 and here appears in a new paperback format with a Reading Group Guide. It comes from a food historian who considers the different technologies that have contributed to revised kitchen strategies, and provides basic tips on how some inventions caught on and others faded by the wayside. Chapters cover everything from cutlery to egg beaters and more, providing a history of the concurrent evolution of cooking and technology. With its lively survey of how kitchen technology changed the world, this blends science, personal reflection, and a lively history in a presentation for culinary and history collections alike.

Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers
John Palmer and Colin Kaminski
Brewers Association
P.O. Box 1679, Boulder, CO 80306
9780937381991, $19.95, www.brewersassociation.com

Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers offers up the third book in Brewers Publications' 'Brewing Elements' series for neo-professional home brewers, and offers an in-depth review of water chemistry specifics and treatment that affect the brewing process. From water reports and quality to changing recipes to reflect water style, this makes important connections between beer styles, desired results, and water, and is important for understanding the effects of water on flavor. There are plenty of general recipe-filled titles on home brewing, but any who want to move beyond such cookbooks will find this a key to one of the basics of the craft, highly recommended for any collection appealing to home brewers.

Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking
Lidia Matticchio Bastianchi and Tanya Bastianchi Manuali
Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780385349444, $35.00, www.aaknopf.com

Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking packs in over a hundred recipes that are simple dishes any cook can easily produce, adds full page color photos throughout, and provides such dishes as Eggplant and Rice Parmigiana, Meatball and Eggplant Tagliatelle, Tuna with a Mimosa Sauce, and much more. Family heritage blends with the author's interest in teaching and her focus on 'commonsense' dishes that are hearty and basic to Italian fare. Each recipe receives an introduction that discusses its origins and attraction. The result is a lovely collection of attractive dishes any will find the perfect introduction to Italian home cooking.

Peruvian Power Foods
Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD and Jamie Shaw
HCI Books
c/o Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757317224, $18.95, www.hcibooks.com

Peruvian Power Foods: 18 Superfoods, 101 Recipes and Anti-Aging Secrets from the Amazon to the Andes is recommended with a note: many ingredients here are available from health food and natural food stores and may be difficult to locate. From camu powder and sacha inchi oil to lucuma powder and kiwicha, these are specialty ingredients not to be found in every grocery store. Cooks with access to such markets will find this an exceptional survey by a registered dietitian who focuses on 'superfoods' from his native Peru and brings recipes to Western cooks. Over 2,000 photos of foods through Peru from jungles to farms compliment the author's investigation of these foods as he spoke with chefs, fishermen, farmers and more to learn how they used these ingredients. The result is a book packed with exciting photos and insights you simply won't find elsewhere: highly recommended for any interested in Peruvian cooking and power foods in general.

The Flavorful Kitchen Cookbook
Robert Krause and Molly Krause
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1721
www.quaysidepublishinggroup.com
9781592335893, $21.99, www.fairwindspress.com

Any home cook interested in new flavor combinations will find The Flavorful Kitchen Cookbook an outstanding new approach to food. Flavor trios are accompanied by recipes providing an example of how to use it, with discussions considering why certain flavors work together and how to get the most from them. Recipes don't require anything special: ordinary kitchen pantries and supermarkets will have everything needed. Another bonus is some 50 color photos throughout. Any who want an exciting new approach to marrying flavors will find this a winning choice.

Sassy Cookies
Luane Kohnke
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455617692, $19.95, www.pelicanpub.com

Sassy Cookies: Sweet, Spicy, and Savory Treats with Swagger focuses on unusual cookie recipes from around the world and which contain unusual ingredients - and by this, read 'goat cheese', 'green tea', and more. Flavor combinations gained by spice and texture marriages are one of the keys to success here, providing a cookie cookbook which is anything but your run-of-the-mill rehashes of tradition. Here you can find Anise-Scented Pistachio Cookies, Rosemary-Oatmeal Butter Cookies, or Tarragon-Lemon Cookies. Delightfully different, and a 'must' for any cookie baker seeking innovative new ideas.

The New Patissiers
Olivier Dupon
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500516928, $60.00, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

The New Patissiers is a perfect pick for that dessert cook who 'has everything': it provides recipes from nearly forty of the world's finest pastry checks and provides samples - in color - of their confections. Also included are over eighty recipes for cakes, petis fours, pastries, candy, ice creams and more providing the best of dishes which feature unusual ingredients, combinations, and approaches. This isn't recommended for the amateur so much as for the food fan and would-be chef who will find the hundreds of photos and recipes to be luscious representations of the best of modern cooking - and lavish enough for impressive gift-giving or coffee table display.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

23 Years on Fire
Pyr
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148096, $16.95, www.pyrsf.com

23 Years on Fire provides an exciting Cassandra Kresnov novel and tells of a woman who is called upon to lead an assault against a world where the civilian population is going through hell - just as she's also thinking of battling New Torah, where synthetic soldiers are changing the face of military battle. In both places she seems the only one to call a halt to the crisis; but it's on the planet Pantala where she meets three street kids who bring out unusual sentimental attachments. Can a killer afford to choose between her mission and her feelings? A fine military story with an emotional twist evolves.

Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard
Kim Newman
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857670860, $24.99, www.titanbooks.com

Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard offers a new addition to the Anno Dracula series - the first in over a decade - and follows several other new additions to pair literary references with an alternative history story in which the heroes of Stoker's original Dracula fail to stop the Count's conquest of England. Prior books in the series presented an alternative Europe as a result: this novel is set in 1976 and tells of vampire reporter Kate, who helps a young vampire boy who comes to America and becomes Johnny Pop, attaching himself to Andy Warhol and inventing a new drug that gives vampire powers to its users. The vivid horror vampire story that evolves is a strong pick for any who hold affection for vampire sagas.

The Water Thief
Nicholas Lamar Soutter
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd, North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781467972277, $14.99, www.amazon.com

THE WATER THIEF is a lovely rebuttal to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and offers a simple story set in the future and revolving around the life of one Charles Thatcher, employee to a corporate business that owns just about every business in the world. Charles is a team player - until he meets a woman that helps him see the greed in his employer, and who advocates changes. This novel deserves a place on the shelves of any library strong in dystopian future stories, and encourages readers to think about issues of freedom, greed, values, and reality's manipulation. It's a powerful saga that deserves to be in every school and debated by any who question authority and elements of freedom in society.

I, Robot: To Obey
Mickey Zucker Reichert
Roc
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451464828, $25.95, www.penguin.com

I, Robot: To Obey takes Isaac Asimov's concept to another level and provides Book Two of a new trilogy authorized by Asimov's estate. Here Dr. Susan Calvin is in the middle of an argument between those who would destroy all robots and those who would use them for evil. When a violent crime involves her in government factions, Susan's connections with either side are threatened - and as she struggles with being a student and tackling mysteries around robots, she finds herself at odds with not just one side, but both. While I, Robot: To Obey stands well on its own, it's particularly recommended for fans of the prior books who will find its sequel neatly continues a fine blend of science fiction and thriller.

The Lost Stars: The Perilous Shield
Jack Campbell
Ace
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425256312, $26.95, www.penguin.com

The Lost Stars: The Perilous Shield adds to the new spin-off Lost Fleet series begun in Tarnished Knight, and is a recommendation for readers of this new series. In this second book the Midway Star System is under attack, and Gwen and Artur must not only survive but must tap new and old allies to create a government both free and secure. It's up to Iceni and Drakon to set up a flotilla through space that can move above the feuds wrecking a fragile peace - but military operations and assassination attempts are relentless and a new threat appears that may render all these points moot. The result is a powerful piece of military and political science fiction especially recommended for fans of Tarnished Knight.

Treecat Wars
David Weber and Jane Lindskold
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451639339, $18.99, www.baen.com

Treecat Wars provides a new Star Kingdom novel and is set on the planet Sphinx, where winter is forcing the treecats of the Landless Clan to seek new territory - where there is none. Their neighbors won't give up anything to help them and even Stephanie Harrington, the treecats' advocate, is not there to help them. Can the remaining crew find a way of helping the treecats - and can Jessica and Anders keep denying their growing attraction to one another despite their connection and loyalty to the absent Stephanie? A fine story evolves with plenty of underlying subplots keeping it fast-paced and interesting.

Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz
Juan Ortiz
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781781166703, $39.95, www.titanbooks.com

Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz is recommended for arts and science fiction collections alike, but is a special pick for any interested in Star Trek history and culture. It's created by an avid Trekkie who here collects movie-style posters, each representing one of the 80 episodes from the original series. It's a creation of unique images from the series that considers what a poster would look like if each episode was a movie event, and it combines Ortiz's unique art with posters that look like comic books, pulp novels or advertisements. The result is a lovely collection that will excite any Trekkie.

The Cusanus Game
Wolfgang Jeschke
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765319081, $25.99, www.tor-forge.com

The Cusanus Game successfully blends science fiction and thriller and is set in a world where an atomic disaster has contaminated Northern Europe with radioactivity. Economic and political chaos is destroying the world, human DNA is mutating, plants are going extinct, and a secret research facility in the Vatican is working hard to restore the planet in 2052. It also claims to have time travel. When Domenica's lover tells her he knows this future, she finds herself journeying to and toying with dangerous possibilities in this gripping saga of philosophy, science fiction, and danger, recommended for science fiction and novel readers alike.


The Social Issues Shelf

Race Frameworks
Zeus Leonardo
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807754627, $34.95, www.tcpress.com

Race Frameworks: A Multidimensional Theory of Racism and Education is a pick for education and sociology holdings alike, and provides an in-depth introduction to the primary frameworks for researching and teaching about race and racism in education. It comes from a philosopher who considers frameworks that lend a critical approach to race issues, considering four such theories - Critical Race Theory, Marxism, Whiteness Studies, and Cultural Studies - with an eye to analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each. Teachers receive a solid foundation contrasting these basic theories and also receive ideas on how to integrate them into a single, more effective unified approach.

Emily Gets Her Gun
Emily Miller
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781621571926, $27.95, www.regnery.com

Emily Gets Her Gun... But Obama Wants to Take Yours is an outright attack on the anti-gun lobby who, Emily Miller maintains, is trying to destroy Second Amendment rights - and it portrays how 'radical gun control activists' have manipulated gun-related tragedies to foster their own anti-gun agenda. It provides Miller's own story of the obstacles she faced in trying to get a legal gun in DC, it considers how Second Amendment rights are being attacked across the country, and it condemns Obama's gun control agenda. Combining research and new facts with Miller's opinions about gun rights and freedoms, this is a hard-hitting story of how anti-gun activists work. Any collection strong in conservative or pro-Second-Amendment rights will find this a hard-hitting analysis.

The Good Struggle
Joseph L. Badaracco
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422191644, $25.00, www.hbr.org/books

The Good Struggle: Responsible Leadership in an Unforgiving World discusses the special responsibilities and challenges of being a leader today and explains how to lead under these changed circumstances. While it was written with a business audience in mind, it's featured here because many of its lessons translate into discussions affecting social and political leaders alike, with the experiences of entrepreneurs working as guides to handling unstable worlds. Managers receive keys to identifying basics, making critical decisions under pressure, and determining what core values lay at the heart of such decisions. The result is a fine recommendation for business and social issues collections alike.

Social Networks and Popular Understanding of Science and Health
Brian G. Southwell
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421413242, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Social sciences collections strong in networks and social interactions as well as science and health collections will find Social Networks and Popular Understanding of Science and Health: Sharing Disparities a solid discussion of how these networks can reach out and teach people. People are not consistent in their sharing of information with those around them: a fact that ironically seems to conflict with the presence and use of social media systems as information-sharing portals. This book documents various ways people learn and share information about health and science, reviewing existing research and disparate studies to consider how and why some types of information are shard over others. Any student of social science, science or health will find this holds important keys to understanding how information is imparted and why policymakers and practitioners often run up against obstacles when trying to use social media systems.

Anarchy, Geography, Modernity
Elisee Reclus
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604864298, $22.95, www.pmpress.org

Anarchy, Geography, Modernity: Selected Writings of Elisee Reclus is edited by John P. Clark and Camille Martin and represents the first in-depth review of the thoughts and writings of political theorist and anarchist Reclus. It gathers together writings on feminism, racism, animal rights and more, offering social and political analysis and providing reflection on his historical account of earth and humanity's progress. From his critique of all forms of domination to his insights on cultural change, this is a powerful selection suitable for any college-level political or social studies library.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Playbill Broadway Yearbook, ninth edition
Robert Viagas, Editor
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781480341593, $39.99, www.applausebooks.com

The Playbill Broadway Yearbook appears in its ninth annual edition to cover June 2012 to May 2013, and uses the style of a high school yearbook to explore theatre's highlights of the year. At least one member of the cast or crew from every show reports on behind-the-scenes events for the shows, while entries from all eighty-one Broadway shows of the season provide lively color photos, scrapbooks of pictures, photos of actors and participants (provided in a yearbook-style collection of small images) and discussions of everything from musical numbers, orchestras, and more. The result is a memorable and fun yearbook of major Broadway events perfect for a keepsake edition.

Storytelling Techniques for Digital Filmmakers
Ross Hockrow
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608955862, $19.95, www.amherstmedia.com

Storytelling Techniques for Digital Filmmakers: Plot Structure, Camera Movement, Lens Selection, and More provides a fine guide to filmmaking and shows film writers and directors alike how to take control of a plot and narrative to better engage an audience. From what to shoot and presentation choices to using different cameras for special effects and handling emotional elements to build conflict and scene resolution, this shows how to tell a story that successfully captivates an audience, and provides a powerful guide to characterization, shooting scenes, and much more. No filmmaking library should be without this!

Finding Funds for Your Film or TV Project
Gini Graham Scott
Limelight Editions
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9780879108786, $14.99, www.limelighteditions.com

Finding Funds for Your Film or TV Project provides aspiring film producers with a complete review of each phase of creating and funding a film to TV project, from creating promotional material and preparing documentation to the banking details of how to handle funds, and is a 'must' for any interested in the business side of film production. Chapters cover the usual business basics, such as building a business plan, but includes industry-specific tactics - such as creating trailers and sizzle reels and writing a crowd-funding pitch. Trends in the film industry and keys to getting and closing deals make this a 'must have' reference for any film library.

Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
www.titanbooks.com

Joss Whedon's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: A FILM BY JOSS WHEDON (9781781169353, $14.95) includes Whedon's full screenplay, a galley of photos from the set, and an interview with the director, and is a recommendation for any collection interested in Whedon's works in general or Shakespeare in particular. It provides a fine survey of movie features and casts from Whedon's other films and discusses specifics of Whedon's Shakespeare adaptation, which incorporates much humor into the mix. The result is a celebration of both the movie and Whedon - and is recommended for any film collection. Film collections will also appreciate Scott Campbell's GREAT SHOWDOWNS: THE RETURN (9781781168899, $14.95), a new collection of the artist/author's confrontations between the great characters in film history. These images and fun 'showdowns' from film offer artistic renditions of fun moments and chaotic encounters, and documents epic clashes that are not only memorable but impossible - such as the Giant Squid vs. the Sperm Whale. The result is a whimsical and fun collection recommended for any film collection and many a general-interest holding.

Moments That Made the Movies
David Thomson
Thames & Hudson Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500516416, $39.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Moments That Made the Movies provides an illustrated collection from a film critic and writer who considers key moments in some seventy films over a hundred-year time span, and pairs written word with images that offer a lovely visual journey of movie history. In focusing on special moments in film he provides both anticipated moments and surprises in both mainstream and offbeat movies from the silent era to modern times. From classics to cult films and from discussions of images to film-making's finest achievements, this is a lovely visual and written pairing that will be perfect for any film or arts library.


The Mathematics Shelf

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper
John Allen Paulos
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465089994, $14.99, www.basicbooks.com

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper points out that math is part of nearly every newspaper report and article, and comes form a mathematician and author who explores this thought in A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper, a quirky and fun assessment reprinting a classic in trade paperback to reach a wider audience. John Allen Poulos provides a new preface to the discussion of hidden mathematical concepts in the daily paper. Readers could expect discussion of misleading statistics or math inaccuracies, but this goes beyond such a focus to provide a refreshing different, from using chaos theory to illustrate fallacies in economic predicting to applying logic to the news, using arithmetic to assess reports, and more. In arranging his book in sections like a newspaper, he further adds to a delightful series of assessments.

Good Math
Mark C. Chu-Carroll
Pragmatic Programmers
2831 Eldorado Parkway, #103-381, Frisco, TX 75033-7438
9781937785338, $34.00, www.pragprog.com

GOOD MATH provides a fine survey of numbers and logic and provides over two dozen essays from the author's popular "Good Math" blog. From concepts and proofs to fun examples, this covers the basics of numbers, their odd relationships, the evolution of Roman numerals and their use today, and modern linear logic and theory. While the focus is on mechanical computing and number relationships, the overall inclusion of exciting math concepts lends meaning to the numbers and makes this more than a programmer's reference. Any general-interest collection interested in a lively discussion of math will want this.

Mathematical Card Magic
Colm Mulcahy
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466509764, $29.95, www.crcpress.com

Mathematical Card Magic: Fifty-Two New Effects blends recreational mathematics with a focus on magic, and provides a fine collection of card magic tricks that will appeal to both audiences. This is not a volume for the casual magician, but a collection of fun approaches for math students looking for entertainment value as well as educational enlightenment. Chapters are detailed and provide not just step-by-step coverage of the trick, but insights into the underlying math governing the trick's success. The result will appeal to college-level math collections and any aspiring magician who has the basics 'down' and wants to tackle more advanced, math-based applications.

Magnificant Principia
Colin Pask
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616147457, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

MAGNIFICANT PRINCIPIA: EXPLORING ISAAC NEWTON'S MASTERPIECE comes from a mathematician who sets out to explain a dense piece of literature that has largely remained a mystery to many, and provides a fine guide to Newton's works based on the final edition of the Principia. It analyzes Newton's approach to scientific investigation, considers how Newton established a unique framework for inquiry on classical mechanics and astronomy, and discusses scientific findings in Newton's time as a whole. The result is an excellent survey, highly recommended for math and science history holdings.


The Science Shelf

Spillover
David Quammen
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393066807, $16.95, www.wwnorton.com

SPILLOVER: ANIMAL INFECTIONS AND THE NEXT HUMAN PANDEMIC follows the author's personal quest for answers on how animal infections affect humans, and began twelve years ago in Central Africa where he discussed the outbreak of Ebola with two Bantu village men. At the same time a mysterious virus was killing their loved ones, it was also killing gorillas in the jungle. And herein lay the source of Quammen's revelation: that most infectious diseases that humans struggle with came to us from wildlife in a process described as "spillover". This new book traces the science and history of the concept and its influence on world epidemics, exploring everything from AIDS and SARS to Lyme disease and documenting some newer viruses in other countries which have successful translated from animals to man. Any concerned with health and science in general and epidemics in particular will find this a powerful assessment of dangers.

Alien Universe
Don Lincoln
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421410722, $29.95, www.press.jhu.edu

ALIEN UNIVERSE: EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE IN OUR MINDS AND IN THE COSMOS is a dual consideration of Western civilization's images and thoughts about Aliens and beliefs surrounding their visages and presence, and an exploration of the scientific possibility of whether advanced Alien civilizations exist. By combining the latest research with historical perception, ALIEN UNIVERSE successfully creates an outstanding inquiry highly recommended for any science-based collection looking for a blend of historical references and modern-day probes. While college-level readers would be the most likely enthusiasts, general-interest audience will find it of equal interest.

Invisible Worlds
Julie Coquart
H. F. Ullmann
c/o 60 Cycle Media Relations LLC
38 High Avenue, Nyack NY 10960
9783848001842, $49.99, www.ullmann-publishing.com

Invisible Worlds: Exploring Microcosms uses a large coffee-table style format to pack photos into an artistic, colorful consideration of objects from nature, from biology and chemistry to minerals. Photomicrography collections are rare and even rarer still is a perfect balance of artistic insights into the making of photomicrographs and the science being displayed. Invisible Worlds succeeds in attracting both users; from artists to scientists. It packs its pages with inviting images and it's filled with insights into the minute and colorful worlds and images available only through photomicrography efforts. Any interested in micro-worlds will find this a powerful display.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Climate Change and the Oceans
Robin Warner and Clive Schofield, Editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781848448186, $125.00, www.e-elgar.com

Climate Change and the Oceans: Gauging the Legal and Policy Currents in the Asia Pacific and Beyond considers the effects of climate change on the oceans and its wider-ranging impact on maritime activities with a special focus on the Asia Pacific region, and is a top pick gathering research and opinions from a wide range of disciplines. In addition to much scientific information there are legal and policy issues examined in the course of assessing climate change's impact. The focus is on mitigating adverse impacts, and provides researchers and college-level students with a fine blend of ecological and political science discussions perfect for classroom debates. Many focuses on climate change don't consider political impacts in depth: this book includes all such concerns and is a solid starting point for taking environmental changes and relating them to human impact and strategy changes.


The Music Shelf

The Martin Ukulele
Tom Walsh & John King
Hal Leonard
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781476868790, $30.00, www.halleonardbooks.com

THE MARTIN UKULELE: THE LITTLE INSTRUMENT THAT HELPED CREATE A GUITAR GIANT provides an in-depth history of the Martin guitars built by the C.F. Martin company in Pennsylvania and uses archives from the Martin factory to consider the company's evolution. From its early production and sales to the rare ukuleles the company produced over the decades, this pairs many images of ukuleles with a lively history of the instrument and the manufacturer that became a name brand for it. The result is a powerful survey that is a 'must' for any music history collection; especially those focusing on Hawaiian history in general or instruments in particular.

Power Tools for Ableton Live 9
Jake Perrine
Hal Leonard
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781458400383, $39.99, www.halleonardbooks.com

Power Tools for Ableton Live 9 includes a dvd-rom and explains the basics of Ableton Live, and comes from a certified trainer with years of experience making music with Ableton Live. Most competing examinations explain its features: this actually focuses on exercises designed to walk users through these features by applying them to common real-world scenarios. From creating a track from beginning to end to using Live 9 in a DJ performance, this is packed with practice materials derived from real-world usage, and offers plenty of details including audio content, video tutorials, samples, and third-party plug-in demos. Any user of Live 9 will consider this a key reference.

Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.backbeatbooks.com

Peter Aaron's IF YOU LIKE THE RAMONES...HERE ARE OVER 200 BANDS, CDs, FILMS AND OTHER ODDITIES THAT YOU WILL LOVE (9781617134579, $16.99) joins others in the series and provides a fine music guide that links pop culture to the Ramones. Fans of the band will find this an exploration of the group, their music, and their own influences, from surf rock and girl groups to hard rock and beyond, and will also appreciate the discussions of movies, cartoons, TV shows and other cultural influences on group members. Any music collection strong in popular rock music influences will find this a fine survey, lively and filled with colorful reflection. Tony Sclafani's THE GRATEFUL DEAD FAQ (9781617130861, $24.99) is a pick for any rock history library and provides a fine guide to the Dead and its fan base. Charismatic leader Jerry Garcia died in 1995, but his music continued with live releases and this FAQ guide is a pick for any avid fan who wants an in-depth profile of the band's overall contributions to rock music and pop culture. It covers everything from music to band member biographies and history, covers tours and career achievements, and packs in rare images any Grateful Dead fan (and rock music collections catering to them) will appreciate.

Richard Wagner: The Lighter Side
Terry Quinn
Amadeus Press
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781574674415, $27.99, www.amadeuspress.com

Richard Wagner: The Lighter Side provides a fun, illustrated collection of quotes, anecdotes and tales from the life and works of German composer Wagner, and is a fine pick for any classical music or opera fan. Photos, caricatures and reproductions of rare art accompany a fun gathering representing over twenty years of the author's collection of information on each of Wagner's completed operas, pairing insights into his life and work with explorations of the Wagner experience and trademarks of achievement. The result is a lovely, inviting survey recommended for classical music holdings.

Legends, Icons & Rebels
Robbie Robertson, et.al.
Tundra Books
75 Sherbourne Street, 5th floor
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 2P9
9781770495715, $35.00, www.tundrabooks.com

While LEGENDS, ICONS & REBELS: MUSIC THAT CHANGED THE WORLD is billed as juvenile non-fiction by the publisher, it's reviewed here for a rich historical content that will appeal to all ages well into adult circles, and is a powerful blend of memoir, tribute and history from three music industry veterans. Short profiles provide personal stories of artists while 2 cds include plenty of music to accompany the anecdotes and discussions of their musical influences. Writers speak of special challenges faced by these artists, their rise and fall, and how their contributions to music changed the face of the world. The lovely coffee-table presentation packed with color photos throughout makes this one of the best, most highly-recommended histories to appear in 2013!

Johnny Cash: The Life
Robert Hilburn
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316194754, $32.00, www.littlebrown.com

Johnny Cash: The Life provides an outstanding and definitive biography of a very famous and colorful personality - and the first question even fans will ask is "why the need for another biography?" Johnny Cash has been the subject of numerous biographies over the decades and also has written his own autobiography - but this one, coming from a long-time music critic who was the only music journalist in attendance at the Folsom Prison concert in 1968, is one of the few to interview Cash and his wife June for the last time, months before their deaths. The combination of personal familiarity and expertise contributes to a powerful survey of the singer's private life and is a 'must' for any Cash fans who just can't get enough.

The Rhino Records Story
Harold Bronson
Select Books
1 Union Square West, Suite 909
New York City, NY 10003
9781580791288, $24.95, www.selectbooks.com

The Rhino Records Story: Revenge of the Music Nerds is a 'must' for any collection strong in popular music history, and considers the start, evolution and achievements of the Rhino Records music label. This doesn't come from a reporter: it comes from an insider who participated in the birth of Rhino Records in the 1970s, and traces how it evolved from the back room of a small record shop to become a multimillion dollar corporation. Chapters reveal company success, encounters with stars, and a business approach that placed it on top of other record companies. The first-person revelations make this a powerful and winning account, perfect for any popular music history reader!


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Placebo: A Reader
Franklin G. Miller, et.al., Editors
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421408668 L32.00, www.press.jhu.edu

The Placebo: A Reader is a 'must' for any professional health collection including discussions of media ethics, and provides a fine definition of the placebo effect and its physiological and ethical ramifications. Investigation of this effect emerged in the 1950s in response to the development of controlled clinical trials that used placebos to help evaluate new drugs. However, only relatively lately is it being studied for its overall importance to mind/body interactions. From the nature of the effect and experimental studies to ethical issues of using placebos in research, this reader compiles all relevant information under one cover and is a pick for any student of medicine.

Surgery at a Glance, fifth edition
Pierce A. Grace and Nel R. Borley
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com
9781118272206, $44.95, www.wileymedicaleducation.com

Surgery at a Glance deserves ongoing recommendation as it appears in an updated new fifth edition to provide students with a summary of a comprehensive lecture course in surgery. It's arranged in an 'at a glance' format, which provides quick visuals and easy keys to understanding, with key facts supplementing discussions of major surgical conditions. New chapters on Orthopaedics, updates on post-surgery management, and a website packed with supportive resources to the text makes for a volume filled with important insights any student will find important.

Boost Your Brain
Majid Fotuhi, MD, PhD with Christina Breda Antoniades
HarperOne
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
9780062199270, $25.99, www.harperone.com

Boost Your Brain: The New Art and Science Behind Enhanced Brain Performance is a 'must' for any health collection seeking information on the latest brain research, and comes from the founder and chairman of the Neurology Institute for Brain Health. He's spent 25 years researching the brain and his new findings support the idea that brain power can be boosted at any age. The latest technologies provide control over the size of our brains, and this book uses that research to provide a 12-week plan for improving brain function. From specific methods to increase brain size and performance to preventing 'senior moments' and cognitive decline, this offers self-help techniques and hope to any who want more control over their brain functioning.

Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children, second edition
World Health Organization
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9789241548373, $24.00, www.stylus.com

Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children: Guidelines for the Management of Common Illnesses with Limited Resources provides a second edition of a classic covering common illnesses, packages it in a pocket-sized tote for easy take-along consultation, and provides the latest clinical guidelines based on a review of evidence for both inpatient and outpatient care. Guidelines for hospitals with basic labs and medicines focus on managing major causes of child mortality in most developing countries, covering common procedures, diagnosis, patient monitoring, and common surgeries. Anyone working with children in a hospital setting needs this updated reference!


The Fiction Shelf

The Lowland
Jhumpa Lahiri
Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780307265746, $27.95, www.aaknopf.com

The Lowland is centered around two brothers born just fifteen months apart, who in the 1960s are drawn to polar opposite movements. Udayan is drawn to a rebellion focused on eliminating poverty, while Subhash is involved in quiet, non-political scientific research in America, leaving his brother and family in India. When he discovers what happened to his brother in the lowland, he returns home only to find himself immersed in a searing emotional and political conflict that will involve him against all hope. Any interested in political novels centered around family relationships and social justice will find this a hard-hitting winner.

Storm Front
John Sandford
Putnam
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780399159305, $27.95, www.penguin.com

STORM FRONT provides a fine Virgil Flowers novel and centers around Virgil Flowers, who gets a visit from an Israeli investigator chasing a smuggler and a dangerous relic. It all sounds too much like a movie or impossible treasure hunt - until Virgil discovers there are a host of crazy terrorists all seeking the same thing. Plots, subplots, and a changing, captivating story line keep STORM FRONT fast-paced and vigorous: a read especially recommended for fans of espionage thrillers.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Ghost Gone Wild
Carolyn Hart
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425260753, $25.95, www.penguin.com

Ghost Gone Wild provides a fine Bailey Ruth ghost story and the fourth in the series of Ruth sagas. For newcomers, Bailey is a ghost who returns to earth with good intentions, but she doesn't vanish when her mission is over - instead she becomes more involved. This time it's saving a young man from killing himself - only it becomes more complicated when the young man's aunt recruits Bailey to help her find the person who wants her nephew dead. A complex, satisfying and always-changing plot powered by a spirit makes for a different kind of mystery, especially recommended for seasoned readers seeking something different.

Nightzone
Steven F. Havill
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464200694, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

NIGHTZONE provides a fine new Posadas County mystery and opens with the dilemma of Ne Mexico rancher Miles Waddell, who inherits, $330 million (after taxes) and decides to use it to build NightZone, an astronomy-based theme park. Unfortunately there are eco-terrorists who object to the power such a park requires - and when one of them is killed trying to chain-saw power lines, the other is indicted for murder when he guns down a cop trying to stop his flight. From then on murders occur regularly, and it's up to over-seventy-years-old Gastner to become an unwilling investigator in what evolves to be a series of lethal encounters. Any fan of murder mysteries will relish the vivid and unusual setting and plot of this novel!

The Chocolate Book Bandit
JoAnna Carl
Obsidian
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780451239549, $22.95, www.penguin.com

The Chocolate Book Bandit: A Chocoholic Mystery tells of Lee McKinney Woodyard, who owns a chocolate shop and is considering joining the literary board - until murder is placed on the agenda and a retired member is found dead. Now everyone at the meeting is a suspect - and everyone has a motive for murder, it seems. How can Lee uncover the real killer when there's no end of suspects in sight? A fine mystery centered around chocolate and literature will delight any who enjoy murder mystery investigations.

The Blood Gospel
James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell
Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
9780061991042, $27.99, www.williammorrow.com

THE BLOOD GOSPEL provides a fine addition to 'The Order of the Sanguines' series and blends science with historical mystery. An earthquake in Israel kills hundreds and reveals a hidden tomb, prompting three very different investigations to explore an ancient discovery that soon involves them in brutal present-day politics. The mystery of what was preserved in the tomb - a rich relic said to be written by Christ's own hand - soon evolves into international adventure espionage involving Erin and her two investigators in a desperate race against time to uncover miracles and mysteries. Any who like a solid blend of religious insights and adventure ala Indiana Jones will find this a high-charged thriller perfect for any mystery or fiction library.

The Deliverance Trilogy
A.K. Frailey
www.akfrailey.com

Three books in A.K. Frailey's 'Deliverance Trilogy' series provide Christian fiction readers with a blend of adventure, fantasy, and spiritual reflection which are designed to both entertain and provide hours of thought. First in the series is ARAM (9780989103541, $14.35), a story of a man's search for God in a world filled with evil forces. It details Aram's birth (before Israel was founded), his encounters with a hostile world where evil lies not just outside his community, but within, and how three warring factions discover connections which in fact bind them together. There's romance, mystery, discovery, and all kinds of adventure wound into Aram's life. The second novel in the trilogy, ISHTAR'S REDEMPTION: TRIAL BY FIRE (9780989103510, $12.95) provides a related book in the series and tells of one Ishtar, cursed and exiled from his roots, and how he comes to find friends in the world who face their own forms of exile and enlightenment. Chapters cover defining influences in his life, past and present choices, and the structure of change that will lead to his own spiritual and personal evolution. NEB THE GREAT: SHADOWS OF THE PAST (9780989103534, $14.35) provides a prequel that brings these first books together, providing a prequel that considers the shared ancestry of the first two title protagonists and the third protagonist of Neb the Great, raised to conquer until a woman changes his life and gives him sons who will change history. One son is the father of Aram - the other will fall further into a world of greed and corruption. Set in the land of Ur, these are the stories of promises, commitments, treachery and change. They're also interconnected sagas of personal demons and salvation, and bring messages of promise and hope to Christian readers who will readily recognize the parables and ideas in each of these stories.

Allegiance and Betrayal
Peter Makuck
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9780815610151, $19.95, www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu

Allegiance and Betrayal: Stories provides a fine set of literary stories centered around the family and its interactions, and provides a diverse set of scenarios from the family farm to a bar and a swimming pool. Each story covers the mystery of families, love, rifts between individuals and generations, and more, and each provides an example of allegiance, conflict, betrayal within the family structure. The result is a powerful story replete with regional characters and influences, perfect for any literary collection strong in short stories.

Mrs. Poe
Lynn Cullen
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781476702919, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

MRS. POE is based on historical fact and provides a tantalizing story of poet Edgar Allen Poe, his mistress, and his wife. Set in 1845 New York City, it tells of poverty, crime and conflict but most of all it tells of how a love triangle formed between Poe, his frail wife Virginia, and Frances, who is drawn into the relationship by Poe's compelling personality and his admiration for her work. An affair eventually evolves that will become its own gothic horror story, assuming the macabre proportions of Poe's own writings. The result is a compelling literary novel based on a powerful figure but filled with an addictive exploration of romance, tragedy, and heartache. Any novel fan will find this an absorbing read.

The Stranger You Know
Andrea Kane
Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9780778315018, $24.95, www.harlequin.com

The Stranger You Know tells of Glen Fisher, a serial killer caught by Casey Woods and locked up. Everything seems settled from the prior The Girl Who Disappeared Twice story - until the murders begin again. Is it a copycat - or is the current guarded killer not really the killer? The Forensic Instincts team is back again, revisiting an old case and trying once more to capture a deadly serial murderer who raps and kills red-haired college girls. All the action is tied to phone calls to Casey Woods: can events be changed to find the latest psychopath? A powerful story of an unusual case and thwarted team efforts makes this a winning saga.

The Round House
Louise Erdrich
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
97802065254, $15.99, www.harperperennial.com

The Round House is a National Book Award winner and centers around a woman living on a North Dakota reservation who is attacked. Details are slow to surface be cause of the woman's condition and fears, and both the police and her family find mystery surrounds the event. His mother's decline since the attack involves thirteen-year-old Joe and his father, a tribal judge, in a series of investigations to get answers which will lie deep in tribal history and rituals. It's a powerful and captivating story of Native American and women's rights, and is a solid pick for any collection strong in literary novels or Native American issues.


The Education Shelf

The Culturally Proficient School, second edition
Randall B. Lindsey, et.al.
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781452258386, $27.00, www.corwin.com

The second updated edition of The Culturally Proficient School: An Implementation for School Leaders provides a fine update to the first edition and includes new case histories that demonstrate facts about educational diversity, new discussions of skills development, and new ideas for creating a culturally proficient institution. With diversity being the buzzword in so many administrative circles, this groundbreaking book covers many basics and the latest insights on assumptions and practices, with chapters surveying both leadership behavior patterns and how culture translates under varying traditions. The result is a reference any education collection should have.

Teach Me With Pictures
Simone Griffin, et.al.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849052016, $32.95, www.jkp.com

Teach Me With Pictures: 40 Fun Picture Scripts to Develop Play and Communication Skills in Children on the Autism Spectrum includes a cd-rom of printable scripts along with photocopiable pages of black and white pictures, and is the perfect pick for parents and teachers who want to encourage skills in children on the autism spectrum. Play skills can be developed using picture scripts and step-by-step instructions that teach sequences and support child development. The accompanying cd-rom also affords the opportunity to print scripts in color, making this a solid pick for therapy, school and home applications alike!

Getting Teacher Evaluation Right
Linda Darling-Hammond
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807754467, $25.95, www.tcpress.com

Getting Teacher Evaluation Right: What Really Matters for Effectiveness and Improvement is a pick educators will appreciate, and considers how to apply research-based results to teacher evaluation processes. Guidelines and models for achievement are linked to evidence of student learning patterns, educational experiences around the world with teacher assessment models, and how standards-based systems are implemented from the ground up. From contrasts of different systems of evaluation to supporting professional learning, this is a top recommendation for any teacher's education library.

Great Afterschool Programs and Spaces That Wow!
Linda J. Armstrong and Christine A. Schmidt
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605541228, $44.95, www.redleafpress.org

Great Afterschool Programs and Spaces That Wow tells educators how to create an outstanding afterschool program and packs in hundreds of ideas and photos based on successful programs. From setting up a quiet reading nook to handling clutter and common issues impairing programs, this offers a process for establishing routines, involving parents and the community, and creating rich indoor and outdoor spaces alike. Any who work in early childhood and with after- or before-school programs will find this a treasure trove of information.

American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom
Katrina Fried
Welcome Books
6 West 18th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10011
9781599621272, $45.00, www.welcomebooks.com

One might anticipate that American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom would be a text about teaching but actually it's much more: it's a coffee-table-size visual celebration of teaching achievements and it centers on joyful pictures of teachers with students. Over a period of two years author Katrina Fried interviewed and wrote stories of notable teachers from kindergarten through twelfth grade, from public and charter schools across the country. This pairs narratives with fine photos to cover the special techniques and achievements of educators who use creative methods to change their students' lives. It's an outstanding celebration recommended for gift-giving and teacher collections alike.


The World History Shelf

The History of the Renaissance World
Susan Wise Bauer
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393059762, $35.00, www.wwnorton.com

The History of the Renaissance World: From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople adds a new volume to Susan Bauer's 'Story of the World' series that began with ancient worlds, and provides a continuation of history; this one considering the ideas associated with the Renaissance and how they evolved over time. The period of time under discussion was one of many invasions and uprisings around the world, charted here and analyzed for their underlying ideas and influences. Very different cultures and faiths around the world were undergoing change and struggle simultaneously: The History of the Renaissance World traces these changes and provides important discussions of interconnected events in renaissance times. History collections will find this a fine addition.

Voices of Early Modern Japan
Constantine Nomikos Vaporis
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813349008, $36.00, www.westviewpress.com

Voices of Early Modern Japan: Contemporary Accounts of Daily Life During the Age of the Shoguns is a 'must' for any serious college-level collection strong in Japanese history and culture, and provides a comprehensive collection of primary source documents spanning the Tokugawa period of early Shogun Japan. Documents are divided thematically from the period starting 50 years prior to the time through the fall of the Tokugawas in 1868, and they offer a range of social, political and economic insights of the times at all levels of Japanese society. Sections guide readers to key aspects of each included document and allow opportunity for critical discussion and assessment in a fine pick for any student of Japanese history and culture.


The Computer Shelf

Reverse Deception
Sean Bodmer, et.al.
McGraw Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor
New York, NY 10020
9780071772495, $40.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Reverse Deception: Organized Cyber Threat Counter-Exploitation belongs in any collection strong in networking and security and offers tested security techniques and case studies on how to assess a network's vulnerabilities and how to block intruders. From diverting attackers and making honeypots to identifying malicious software, this offers all the basics of creating a reverse deception campaign to thwart cyber-intruders, and provides an excellent series of insights for any software engineer concerned about network security and reverse deception strategies.

Murach's Android Programming
Joel Murach
Mike Murach & Associates
9781890774714, $57.50, www.murach.com

Murach's Android Programming provides a new book for developers who want to get the most out of the Android app market, and requires only a foundation in Java programming to begin. Chapters tell how to get started with Android development, from obtaining and installing software to customizing the programs, using the Tip Calculator to test Android devices and debug them using Eclipse, and how to reach potential users with the new app. Explanations of each topic are accompanied by step-by-step how-to details that beginners and experienced developers will find leaves nothing to guess. The result is a solid reference for any would-be Android programmer who wants to enter the world of app development.

Galaxy S4: The Missing Manual
Preston Gralla
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com
9781449316303, $19.99, www.missingmanuals.com

Galaxy S4: The Missing Manual covers the Mini and other TouchWiz Galaxy S4 models and is a 'must' for new owners who want to get the most from their new smartphone. Advice from technology expert Preston Gralla gives the basics on how to go online, listen to music, watch movies, and take photos. From new ways to link via chat and video to playing games as a group, sharing documents and photos, or using the Cloud to store music, this covers both basic and advanced techniques and is a 'must' for any new owner of the Galaxy S4.

Test iOS Apps With UI Automation
Jonathan Penn
Pragmatic Programmers
2831 Eldorado Parkway, #103-381, Frisco, TX 75033-7438
9781937785529, $36.00, www.pragprog.com

Test iOS Apps With UI Automation: Bug Hunting Made Easy is edited by Brian P. Hogan and directed to iOS developers and QA professionals trying to reproduce issues to resolve them. It teaches techniques of scripting user interfaces, debugging, reproducing performance issues, arranging test codes, and automating everything, and it teaches basic strategy using Apple's tools. From writing UI Automation tests that help prevent regressions to launching apps in a specific state and using isolated testing formulas, this provides programmers with a host of tools and tested approaches for failsafe troubleshooting, and should be a tool in any iOS developer's reference library.

HTML5 Programming with JavaScript for Dummies
John Paul Mueller
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
http://www.dummies.com/
9781118431665, $29.99, www.wiley.com

HTML5 Programming with JavaScript for Dummies provides a fine basic guide for any who want to use HTML5 and JavaScript in a wide range of applications. From understanding objects and how to use them in JavaScript to organizing tasks and making applications more interactive, this teaches how to apply basics to all kinds of programming objectives. With its clear visuals, screen examples, and black and white code boxes, this is a top pick for any who would program more effectively.

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

Python in Practice: Create Better Programs using Concurrency, Libraries, and Patterns is for Python programmers who want to move to the next level of achievement, and teaches basic design patterns for better coding and faster processing through concurrency. Proven design patterns are illustrated with real-world examples, including three complete case studies, and teach how to create programs that are compatible with present and future Python versions. All code here has been tested in Linux and much has also been tested on OS X and Windows platforms. With plenty of information throughout, this is a top recommendation for any developer looking to move forward in Python.


The Audiobook Shelf

Gone
James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781611130393, $35.00, www.hachetteaudio.com

GONE provides a fine unabridged Detective Michael Bennett thriller, receives a striking dual narration by Danny Mastrogiorgio and Henry Leyva who bring the story to life, and tells of a crime lord who has declared war on Detective Bennett's family. Bennett was the only US official to succeed in putting Mexican strongman Manuel behind bars: now he's out and vows to kill all of Bennett's family. He and his ten adopted children are living in a secluded area but Manuel's murder of others to draw him out forces Bennett out of cover and into a desperate cross-country battle. All this comes to life in audio, highly recommended for any audience interested in thrillers.

Hardwiring Happiness
Rick Hanson, PhD
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780804128131, $40.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

HARDWIRING HAPPINESS: THE NEW BRIAN SCIENCE OF CONTENTMENT, CALM, AND CONFIDENCE is narrated by the author and appears in a fine unabridged presentation that shows what individuals can do to override the brain's programming towards depression. The brain is wired to learn quickly from bad experiences over good ones - an ancient survival mechanism - but here neuropsychologist Rick Hanson shows how to use everyday experiences to build new neural pathways that attract happiness. He provides four steps to build a brain strong enough to overcome its old bias toward negativity, with techniques requiring just minutes a day. Any committed to happiness will find this audio filled with techniques for achieving this goal.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Zen and the Spiritual Exercises
Ruben L.F. Habito
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781626980464, $25.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Zen and the Spiritual Exercises provides a fine comparative religion guide that is based on the author's experience directing such exercises with Christians, and is a pick for Christian and new age readers alike. It shows how these Zen exercises can apply to Christian principles, discussing the points where Zen principles and Christianity interest, explaining differences between them, and how the convergence of both paths results in higher processes for both disciplines. From reading scriptures with a Zen perspective to understanding guidelines for arriving at decisions, chapters provide a solid set of insights perfect for any spiritual reader and collections catering to them.

Autism and Spirituality
Olga Bogdashina
Jessica Kingsley Pubishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849052856, $32.95, www.jkp.com

Autism and Spirituality: Psyche, Self and Spirit in People on the Autism Spectrum refutes the common notion that people with autism can't comprehend spiritual meaning, and provides a fine guide that says in fact those with autism comprehend spirituality in meaningful ways far more significant than those without. Chapters discuss sensory and perceptual differences, how spiritual intelligence develops, and suggests ways that autistic individuals may be spiritually supported. The result is a powerful guide recommended for any spirituality collection and for any dealing with autism and its larger religious ramifications.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Miller's Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2014-15
Judith Miller
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845337919, $45.00, www.octopuspublishing.com

Miller's Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2014-15 provides a fine guide packed with the latest valuations and tools designed to help understand the antiques market, and pairs these values with solid advice on buying and selling, including assessing market trends. This classic is updated every two years to remain current and this edition provides in-depth coverage on everything from furniture and jewelry to clocks, Oriental antiques, textiles, and even new information on Arts & Crafts and arts movements. A section on early model boats and a page on meteorites for purchase rounds out the focus that explains how antiques are valued and why one piece is valued over another. Any antiques reference collection needs this comprehensive volume.

Greenberg's Guides: Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide 1901-2014
Roger Carp, Editor
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780897785464, $19.99, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Greenberg's Guides: Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide 1901-2014 appears in a pocket tote-sized reference that will prove perfect for collectors seeking a take-long reference to Lionel trains. Some 400 pages provide a comprehensive guide to Lionel O gauge trains of all eras, with this edition including a new section listing Lionel Corp. Tinplate and updating over a thousand prices. From 11,000 modern products to special productions and the latest details, this is a 'must' for any Lionel train enthusiast.

A Guide Book of Civil War Tokens
Q. David Bowers
Whitman Publishing
4001 Helton Drive, Florence, Alabama, 35630
0794824536, $24.95, www.whitmanbooks.com

A Guide Book of Civil War Tokens provides an in-depth coverage for collectors of Civil War tokens and packs in over 2,000 color images, values in multiple grades, rarity ratings, and historical background perfect for any interested in collecting Civil War tokens. This is the only modern price guide to such tokens on the market, and provides a detailed survey on how to collect tokens. No coin collector's library should be without this detailed and unique reference.

Blue Book of Modern Black Powder Arms, eighth edition
John B. Allen
Blue Book Publications
8009 34th Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55425
9781836120352, $24.95, www.bluebookofgunvalues.com

There are numerous valuation and reference guides to guns on the market, but the eighth updated edition of Blue Book of Modern Black Powder Arms includes nearly all black powder reproductions and replicas since 1959, including all new inline and modern muzzleloaders, and packs in not only values, but references to makes, models, proofmarks, and more. Collectors and owners will find this holds all the information needed to locate, assess and maintain such firearms, and will appreciate a wide selection of black and white images, an expansion that adds over 140 manufacturers and trademarks, and updated coverage up to most 2013 makes and models.


The Interior Design Shelf

Materials for Interior Environments, second edition
Corky Binggeli, ASID
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118306352, $95.00, www.wiley.com

The second updated edition of Materials for Interior Environments is arranged by types of materials and applications and helps designers choose the right interior materials by knowing strengths and weaknesses of different materials. From safety codes and costs to energy concerns, finishing pieces, and installation according to industry and code standards, this packs in over five hundred color illustrations along with everything needed to assure success. From aesthetics to installation and manufacturing, this includes synthetics and discusses fabric weights, backing boards, vinyl flooring and more. No designer or architectural reference library should be without!


The Crafts Shelf

AmiguruME
Allison Hoffman
Lark Books
67 Broadway, Asheville, NC 28801
9781454703976, $17.95, www.larkcrafts.com

AmiguruME: Make Cute Crochet People could have been featured in our 'Needlework' section but is actually more appropriate for any who like to work on crafts for children. It shows how to create crochet or knit small stuffed dolls, pairs crochet instructions with step-by-step how-to photos, and packs in ideas for customizing and creating an AmiguruME doll. Any who work with crochet or knit will find it easy to create these fun dolls with chapters focusing on facial features, hairstyles, and clothing. Accessories are also included in this fine project-oriented guide.

Beautiful LEGO
Mike Doyle
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593275082, $29.95, www.nostarch.com

Beautiful LEGO provides an impressive color survey of author Mike Doyle's models of cities along with the eye-catching works of over 70 artist working with nearly 400 LEGO models, and is a top pick for crafts collections where LEGO art is of interest. This is no simple survey of easy projects for beginners, but a selection of outstanding creations from architecture to portraiture, with a focus on using LEGO as an art form. While this could have been featured in our 'Arts' section, it's reviewed here because it's a treasure trove of impressive projects perfect for any LEGO fan, and is a top pick for modelers looking for project ideas and insights.

The Absolute Beginner's Guide: Making Chain Mail Jewelry
Lauren Andersen
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164803, $21.99, www.kalmbachbooks.com

The Absolute Beginner's Guide: Making Chain Mail Jewelry provides all the basics needed to get started in the craft, from equipment and pieces to weaves and projects. Step-by-step photos are the heart of a guide that pairs directions with visuals every step of the way, reviewing the basics and then applying them to some 18 necklace, bracelet and earring projects. From combining chain mail with other mediums and beads to mixing colors, this approach is a winner for any chain mail beginner and is recommended as a basic introduction for any crafts collection


The Art Shelf

The Beauty of Zentangle
Suzanne McNeill, CZT
Cindy Shepard, CZT
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
9781574217186, $24.99, www.foxchapelpublishing.com

The Beauty of Zentangle: Inspirational Examples from 137 Tangle Artists Worldwide is packed with color illustrations of zentangle art and lovely images throughout, selected by editors of Design Originals, who publishes such art, and is a fine collection of works from many breakthrough artists. It accompanies the art with discussions by artists and covers the basics of how zentangle is created - by drawing easy patterns. From coffee cups and boxes to drawings and fabric art, zentangle styles cross artistic boundaries and reach into all kinds of art forms - and this collection illustrates some of the best, providing artist insights and wide-ranging examples perfect for any newcomer as well as those already familiar with the form and its concepts.

Things Come Apart
Todd McLellan
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500516768, $29.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Things Come Apart: A Teardown Manual for Modern Living gathers some fifty design classics arranged by size then intricacy and displayed in a format that considers the world's most iconic designs and objects from cameras and clocks to bicycles and more. It blends lovely photos with essays by those involved in restoration and design art and covers the history and making of teardowns and reverse engineering pieces. Author Todd McLellan is a photographer who specializes in commercial art: his collection is packed with intriguing images of machines and tinkerings, with colorful pages accompanying lovely pieces. Arts holdings will find this a lovely addition.

Queens of Hearts
Marya Garcia
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764344978, $34.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Queens of Hearts: The Art of Marva Garcia provides over 100 full-page, color images to display the collection of images from Spanish photographer Marya Garcia, whose love of 1950s pin-up and cinema combine with her focus on tattooed women. The works present a wide range of lighting techniques, custom sets, and unique props and costumes, taking pinup art to a whole new level. Fans of traditional pinup culture will find this packed with contemporary and often striking, unusual images, and will want to place Queens of Heart in any pinup history coverage.

Painters and the American West: Volume 2
Sarah A. Hunt, et.al.
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780988177406, $80.00, www.oupress.com

Painters and the American West: Volume 2 gathers works from the Anschutz Collection at the American Museum of Western Art, a public museum, and provides a fine companion volume to Painters and the American West, another Anschutz Collection published in 2000. This volume includes some of the works featured in the earlier book plus recent acquisitions and documents the collection's transition from a preserve to an education research for Denver and western art patrons. An introductory essay by curator John Wilmerding provides background for appreciating the museum's holdings and approach. Any collection strong in Western art in particular will find this a wonderful gathering.


The Political Science Shelf

Campaigns and Elections American Style, fourth edition
James A. Thurber and Candice J. Nelson, Editors
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813348353, $39.00, www.westviewpress.com

Campaigns and Elections American Style appears in its fourth updated edition to bring together leading political scientists and campaign professionals who imparts the basics of how American elections and campaigns work. It's been completely updated and revised with essays considering the influence of the Internet and social networking and new essays exploring the latest new laws on campaigns. With its new chapter on GOP strategies and general election tactics, this is a 'must' for high school to college-level readers involved in political studies.

Our Political Nature
Avi Tuschman
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148232, $24.95, www.prometheusbooks.com

Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us is the first book to analyze the roots of moral values in a political arena, and shows how political bent is linked to measurable personality traits that involve perceptions of human nature and inequality. These values lead to specific voting patterns and choices that sometimes work against logic and economic interests. Chapters explain how these political sentiments influence everything from local political choices to larger issues of social interaction and relationships, making important points based on the latest research. No college-level political studies collection should be without this blend of political science and psychology!

America's Way Back
Donald J. Devine
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road, Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
1610170636, $29.95, www.isibooks.org

America's Way Back: Reclaiming Freedom, Tradition, and Constitution provides college-level political studies readers as well as general-interest audiences with an analysis of factors that have led to current declines and circumstances, and goes further to explore a way American can recover from economic, moral and political stagnation and conflict. The problem is that progressivism has corrupted both parties - and the federal government has become ineffective. Yet political leaders still follow the same failing routines and throw good money after bad. This considers a new brand blending conservative philosophies with a focus on a more flexible system to balance freedom and traditions in the Reagan mode, and is an important pick for any political studies collection.

When Things Went Right
Chase Untermeyer
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781623490133, $35.00, www.tamupress.com

When Things Went Right: The Dawn of the Reagan-Bush Administration offers an insider's personal account of Washington politics at the beginning of the Reagan-Bush era, and comes from a former Texas state legislator tapped by his friend George H.W. Bush after the 1980 election. His journal entries describe how the Reagan administration handled national and international politics, how Reagan's former rival Bush become an important contributor to the process, and how connections between the two evolved. The result is a fine and important survey highly recommended for history and political science collections alike.


The Military Shelf

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

Military Finances: Personal Money Management for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families provides military members with a fine guide to everything from understanding and using the banking industry to planning for retirement, investing, and buying insurances. Coverage includes veterans, those currently serving, and military members planning for a transition and provides all the specifics linking military employ to financial concerns. All the common routines of military service, active duty and lifestyle are covered in chapters that cite the latest military routines and strategies, how to link them to personal benefit and financial management, and how to gain the most from benefits and their investment. No military collection should be without this.

The Book of Camouflage
Tim Newark
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
9781782008316, $9.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

The Book of Camouflage: The Art of Disappearing provides a short but sweet coverage of the development of camouflage on the battlefield, from German patterns in World War II to current day camo worn in the deserts of the Middle East, and is a fine addition to any military holding. Black and white and color close-up photos of camo accompany a history of changing patterns and the decisions behind them, making this a very specific and excellent addition to any military history collection.

Under the Wire
Paul Conroy
Weinstein Books
345 Hudson Street, 13th floor, New York, NY 10014
9781602862364, $26.00, www.weinsteinco.com

Under the Wire: Marie Colvin's Final Assignment provides a hard-hitting story of what it's like to be in Syria during war. Marie Colvin was killed in a rocket attack there in 2012: as a war correspondent she'd developed a fearless attitude in covering world conflicts. She ultimately sacrificed her life for what she believed in. This story belongs in a variety of collections; from military accounts to journalism and biography holdings alike. It provides the story of Marie Colvin's evolution, her influences, and how she reported on and tried to change the face of human suffering in the Middle East. Her story is a powerful and highly recommended saga.

The Devil's Garden
Steven Zaloga
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
9780811712286, $32.95, www.stackpolebooks.com

The Devil's Garden: Rommel's Desperate Defense of Omaha Beach on D-Day retells the story of the "Bloody Omaha" engagement under new light, with the purpose of explaining just why Omaha Beach was so bloody. Military historian Steven Zaloga provides a different viewpoint of the battle, recounting it from the Germans' point of view and offering moment-by-moment analysis of the obstacles they faced and the defenses they mounted against the Allied invasion. Rommel's actions in particular are considered against the backdrop of German experience with the minefields he deployed during the bloody confrontation. Add vintage black and white photos throughout and you have a powerful, highly recommended reference that should be in any military history collection.


The Business Shelf

How to Buy and/or Sell a Small Business for Maximum Profit, second edition
Rene V. Richards
Atlantic Publishing
c/o Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601389329, $29.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

How to Buy and/or Sell a Small Business for Maximum Profit is directed to any small business entrepreneur who wants to buy or sell a small business, and packs in topics related to due diligence, valuation, raising capital, and more. All types of small business buys and sells are covered in a guide that covers all the basics for both buyers and sellers, offering step-by-step assessments of when to buy or sell and how to do so. Constance H. Marse provides the updates to this revised second edition, which comes with a companion cd-rom packed with all the forms found in the book.

Engaging Government Employees
Bob Lavigna
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780814432792, $24.95, www.amacombooks.org

Engaging Government Employees: Motivate and Inspire Your people to Achieve Superior Performance is a fine pick for any manager of employees who work for government agencies, and provides a key to greater success. It's based on empirical evidence combined with the author's three decades in public sector HR, and provides managers with tools to help motivate employees. From discussing differences between government and private business operations and employees to leveraging employee talents by appealing to their public service interests, this is packed with keys to increasing employee productivity and fulfillment. Any interested in employee involvement at the government service level will find this a specific, important book!

Leading from the Emerging Future
Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605099262, $24.95, www.bkconnection.com

Leading from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies considers the modern challenges of ecosystems and financial systems alike, considering why the human race consistently heads in undesirable directions with poor outcomes, and providing alternatives. It's a call for action for a different paradigm for leadership and business goals, offering alternatives that incorporate awareness of entire social and economic systems and consider outcomes good for all. Inspiring chapters linking social views and world views with business goals provide social sciences and business students alike with a different, positive vision of the future. Highly recommended!


The Christian Studies Shelf

Untie the Strong Woman
Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD
Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
9781622030729, $19.95, www.soundstrue.com

Spirituality collections strong in Catholic images and new interpretations of women's strengths will find Untie the Strong Woman: Blessed Mother's Immaculate Love for the Wild Soul to be a powerful analysis. It considers the promise of the figurehead of the Holy Mother and considers the figures of the Madonna, our Lady of Guadalupe, and other presentations of the image of the Holy Mother. With chapters considering 'skin mothers' and ethnic influences, women's decisions about preserving and mending life, and spiritual images of compassionate mothers, this crosses religions and perceptions to provide a wider, all-embracing survey of women in spiritual imagery, making it a must for spirituality and women's collections alike.

The Catholicity of Reason
D.C. Schindler
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802869333, $30.00, www.eerdmans.com

The Catholicity of Reason is a recommendation not for casual Christian collections but for those appealing to scholarly readers, and offers an argument that maintains that reason is a foundation requirement to remaining open to both God and spiritual thought. Modern and classical theologians and philosophers are examined in an analysis that links basic philosophical thinking to spiritual reflection and considers a new model for joining the two often-disparate disciplines. The result is a fine survey highly recommended for any philosophy or Christian collection.

Philippians, Colossians
Graham Tomlin, Editor
IVP Academic
c/o InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 605151426
9780830829743, $50.00, www.ivpress.com

Philippians, Colossians continues InterVarsity Press's series 'Reformation Commentary on Scripture' and provides an excellent analysis based on the main themes of the Pauline letters and lessons presented from them by the Reformers. It provides insights from scholarly writers over the decades who have commented on these works, considering the heart of Reformer thinking and providing major commentary on Scripture for those with an interest in history and the evolution of belief. The result is a highly recommended analysis perfect for any Christian academic reader.

Evolution by God, revised edition
Michael Bash
Ink & Quill
c/o Sandpiper Publicity
223 Zinfandel Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448
193652595X, $14.95, www.sandpiperpublicity.com

Evolution by God is an essay collection that provides a powerful survey considering God's true name and how it can change the world, and blends science and religion in an account that revises the first edition and adds a new chapter on Biblical scripture and homosexuality. Examples from the Old Testament show why the Bible in fact doesn't oppose such relationships, while discussions connect science and social issues with Biblical teachings. From how scientists can't disprove the existence of God to ways in which religion and spirituality enhance modern life, this is a thought-provoking analysis recommended for any spirituality library.

Spiritual Letters
Sister Wendy Beckett
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781626980518, $24.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Any spiritual collection strong in religious insights in general and the contributions of Sister Wendy Beckett in particular will find Spiritual Letters a welcome contribution, departing from prior focus on Beckett as the "art nun" and providing her perspectives on living a spiritual life. Responses to those who approached her asking about this life take the form of letters gathered from her responses and kept by their recipients over the years, which accompanies a fine autobiographical preface discussing these writings. The result is a lovely addition to any spiritual collection seeing popularity in Beckett's previous works.

ESV Gospel Transformation Bible
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
9781433537189, $33.99, www.crossway.org

The ESV Gospel Transformation Bible appears in an English Standard Version and its purpose is to help readers see "Christ in all of Scripture" and understand God's word. It's a Bible edition which focuses on how this message appears throughout the Bible in various forms, how it changes readers, and how specific passages illuminate spiritual beliefs. The focus on how God's grace works in daily lives, paired with specific scripture reference and analysis, allows Bible students to more readily understand the Bible's word and its impact in daily lives, making this a strong 'must' reference for any scholarly spiritual Christian holding.

The Mormons
Edited by Roy A. Prete
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th floor, Nyack, New York 10960
9781858946207, $34.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

THE MORMONS: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS provides a fine pictorial introduction to the church and its followers, and follows the evolution of the church and its belief from New York in 1830 to its presence as a world religion with nearly 15 million members in 150 countries. This history covers key elements in the Church and explains all its beliefs and practices, packing in full-page color photos to accompany scholarly yet lively discussions of Church history. No spirituality collection should be without this compelling and accessible coverage.


The Needlecraft Shelf

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

Thimbleberries Scrap Quilts provides scrappy quilts for all skills and easy patchwork designs, and is an important reference for any beginner new to the scrap quilt concept. From throws and table runners to wall hangings and full bed quilts, this packs in over a dozen patchwork projects with blocks and color, pairing step-by-step instructions with diagrams and illustrations. Highly recommended for any new to quilting.

The Field Guide to Fleece
Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781612121789, $14.95, www.storey.com

The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds and How to Use Their Fibers provides knitters, spinners and weavers with a very specific discussion of fleece and different sheep breeds. Fiber crafters need to understand these specifics to make intelligent decisions on use: this comes from the authors of the Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook and provides all kinds of basics on fleece weight, length, colors and characteristics. Packaged in a take-long paperback, this is a fine reference for any working with fleece.

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

Woodland Knits: An Enchanting Collection of Over 20 Forest-Themed Knits is a lovely, different knitting guide that names its knit projects after forest themes and often incorporates whimsical ideas, such as My Bear Sweater or the antler-topped Deer Hat. It provides little projects using luxury yarns and woodland themes and blends discussions of stitchery and production with patterns for accessories that are very affordable. The result is a special, fun recommendation for knitters looking for nature-themed projects and fun, easy ideas.

Quilts Made With Love
Rachel Griffith
Martingale
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604682892, $24.99, www.shopmartingale.com

Quilts Made With Love To Celebrate Comfort, and Show You Care provides 19 engaging quilts that are quick and simple to construct, yet provide beautiful polished results, and is a pick for any beginner's quilting project library. It shows how to create signs of caring for all occasions from weddings and anniversaries to deployment, it teaches how to choose fabrics with quilt messages in mind, and it shows busy crafters how to make the most of their quilting time. Add full-color photos and patterns throughout and you have a winner!


The Biography Shelf

Dead Man Rising
Larry Skahill
Propel Publishing
http://www.larryskahill.com/contact
9780985834104, $14.77, www.larryskahill.com

Dead Man Rising: From a Watery Grave to an Incredible Life is hard to neatly categorize: it can best be described as a Christian memoir of survival and revelation and documents how an afternoon of birthday spearfishing in California turns into the author's fight for life after he's run over by a fishing boat and nearly cut in half. The near-death experience which results places Larry in close proximity to death and its possible aftermath. Despite the fact that he survives his grave injuries, Larry finds his entire world changed: his career vanishes and his life becomes one of re-creating new purposes and visions. Dead Man Rising is an inspirational account of the author's journey: in the process of this journey it provides many keys to readers looking to reinvent their own life purposes, and is a pick for any inspirational collection.

The Boy at the Gate
Danny Ellis
Arcade Publishing
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781611458923, $24.95, www.arcadepub.com

The Boy at the Gate: A Memoir provides an inspirational story of a child seeking meaning in his life - and discovering music and its power of healing. In the 1950s the author was eight, abandoned by his mother, and left in Ireland's notoriously brutal Artane Industrial School for orphans, run by abusive Christian Brothers. Ellis grew up seeking meaning in his life. His point of view as an eight-year-old is recounted here in a poignant memoir that reviews painful childhood memories, methods of survival, and his evolution to become a successful musician. The result is a powerful memoir, highly recommended for any general lending library.

Jack London: An American Life
Earle Labor
Farrar Straus Giroux
18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780374178482, $30.00, www.fsgbooks.com

Jack London: An American Life provides a fine biography of London which moves beyond analysis of his books and considers his lively and colorful life. The idea is to present facts in such a manner that London's psyche is revealed, with insights into his complex personality, his fears, his many ailments, and his struggles. His relationship with his second wife Charmian, previously unpublished passages from his personal writings, and insights into his works rounds out a detailed and complex biography which retains a lively yet scholarly tone, making it appropriate for literary and general-interest collections alike.

Breaking New Ground
Lester R. Brown
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393240061, $24.95, www.wwnorton.com

Breaking New Ground: A Personal History provides a fine personal memoir from an environmental leader who here recounts his involvement in founding the global environmental movement. Brown has been heralded as one of the world's great modern thinkers: this memoir considers the sources of his inspiration, how he became environmentally active, and how he came to found the Worldwatch and Earth Policy institutes and how he promoted solutions to major environmental problems. Any who wonder how Lester R. Brown came to formulate his ideals will find this a fine documentation of the entire process.


The Travel Shelf

Tony Wheeler's Dark Lands
Tony Wheeler
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781743218464, $15.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

Tony Wheeler's Dark Lands stems from a prior book, Bad Lands, in which he detailed his journeys to world trouble sports and listed the additional countries he never got to. Dark Lands is the sequel and provides a first-person story of his journeys through dark destinations, from Pakistan and Haiti to Israel and Palestine and the Congo. His journey is paired with fairy tale insights that reflect the challenges of the country being featured. The result is an armchair travel read packed with political and social insights, adventure, and the sagas of a traveler who definitely chose the roads - and countries - less traveled.


The Relationship Shelf

The Jealousy Workbook
Kathy Labriola
Greenery Press
4200 Park Blvd. PMB 240, Oakland, CA 94602
9780937609637, $19.95, www.greenerypress.com

The Jealousy Workbook: Exercises and Insights for Managing Open Relationships comes from a counselor and nurse specializing in polyamorous singles and couples who has spent years helping people manage jealousy. This book covers her insights and provides readers with exercises she has developed on how to handle a jealousy crisis. Over forty which exercises and explanations can be done with a partner or in counseling, before or during a problem - and all can apply to all kinds of relationship structures. The result is a unique and key resource for any who want to handle issues of jealousy, especially in polyamorous relationships.


The California Shelf

San Francisco's Playland at the Beach: The Golden Years
James R. Smith
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
www.cravenstreetbooks.com
9781610351935, $22.95, www.amazon.com

Playland (also known as Playland at the Beach and Whitney's Playland beginning in 1928) was a 10-acre seaside amusement park located next to Ocean Beach, in the Richmond District at the western edge of San Francisco, California along Great Highway where Cabrillo and Balboa streets are now. It began as a collection of amusement rides and concessions in the late 19th century and was known as Chutes At The Beach as early as 1913. It closed Labor Day weekend in 1972. Compiled with commentary by James R. Smith, "San Francisco's Playland at the Beach: The Golden Years" is a 152 page compendium showcasing more than 300 vintage photographs illustrating the history of this historic part of San Francisco with its rides, dinning, sightseeing, socializing, and attractions that would serve as a template for a great many of the amusement parks that would follow it in other parts of the state and around the country. Informed, informative, and a wonderfully nostalgic browse, "San Francisco's Playland at the Beach: The Golden Years" is highly recommended and a welcome addition to academic library California History reference collections.

California Through Russian Eyes, 1806-1848
James R. Gibson
The Arthur H. Clark Company
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780870624216, $45.00, www.ahclark.com

California Through Russian Eyes, 1806-1848 is compiled, translated and edited by James R. Gibson and joins the prior volume in the 'Early California Commentaries' series, providing a second volume focusing on early Russian experiences in California. In the early 19th century Russia established a colony in the state that lasted until 1841, when Fort Ross and Bodega Bay were sold to John Sutter. This collection of Russian accounts is invaluable to any California history holding: many have been translated here into English for the first time, and provides experiences and impressions of the state from a range of early explorers, from mariners to scientists and government officials. From politics to social history, California Through Russian Eyes is packed with encounters gleaned from journals, archive collections and more and are a treasure trove of detail for any California history buff.

California Fruits Fakes & Nuts
David Kulczyk
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
www.woodworkerslibrary.com
9781610351942, $14.95, www.cravenstreetbooks.com

California Fruits Fakes & Nuts: True Tales of California Crazies, Crackpots, and Creeps is a fine survey that provides short biographies of nearly fifty California personalities, from outright criminals to dreamers. It uses these biographical portraits to offer a different cross-section of California history and culture, focusing on eccentrics and washed-up celebrities as well as murders, and it provides an entertaining survey from frontier to modern times. Any who want a definitive, fun alternate history will find this perfect for leisure browsing or historical review.

San Francisco's Playland at the Beach
James R. Smith
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
www.woodworkerslibrary.com
9781610351935, $22.95, www.cravenstreetbooks.com

San Francisco's Playland at the Beach: The Golden Years is a 'must' for any San Francisco history holding and comes from a city historian who provides a sequel to his acclaimed 2010 book covering the early years of Playland. The former book told of Playland's development: this book picks up where the last left off, covering 1940 to 1972, the height of Playland's popularity before its subsequent decline and closure. Rare black and white and color photos accompanies an extensive historical survey of the amusement park's heyday and provides a definitive reference for any collection strong in California history in general, amusement park history and culture, and San Francisco history in particular.


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

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


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design