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California Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 3 March 2012 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Metaphysical Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Music Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Gardening Shelf Architecture Shelf
Military Shelf Cookbook Shelf Computer Shelf
Photography Shelf Crafts Shelf Travel Shelf
Science Shelf Botany Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fiction Shelf Biography Shelf Literary Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Business Shelf
Art Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Audiobook Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Education Shelf Social Issues Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
California Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Farm Anatomy
Julia Rothman
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603429818, $16.95, www.storey.com

Any collection strong in farm topics will delight in the hand-done color drawings of Julia Rothman, which accompany her discussions of life on a farm. From parts of a milking machine to the anatomy of a pig to bee terminology and identification, FARM ANATOMY: THE CURIOUS PARTS & PIECES OF COUNTRY LIFE is packed with facts and whimsical surveys and provides a wealth of farm lore.

Colour Me Beautiful Make Up Manual
Veronique Henderson and Pat Henshaw
Hamlyn
9780600623229, $17.99, www.hamlyn.com

Colour Me Beautiful Make Up Manual offers the latest addition to the Colour Me Beautiful guides and offers a fine guide that helps readers identify which favorite celebrity has your colors and how to emulate their look. Six color types covering four age ranges detail four looks for each color and face shape in a recommendation for any general lending library strong in beauty and makeup guides.

The Bloomberg Way
Matthew Winkler
Bloomberg Press
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118030172, $45.00, www.wiley.com

THE BLOOMBERG WAY: A GUIDE FOR REPORTERS AND EDITORS provides journalists and writers with a reporting and style guide written by Bloomberg News editor-in-chief Matt Winkler, offering specifics to the public for the first time. The Bloomberg Way has guided Bloomberg News reporters and editors around the world, and this book provides its basic principles, discussing everything from accuracy and fact-checking to the influence of money on news reporting choices. From companies and markets to grammar, words and terms, this provides a thorough analysis key to any college-level journalism collection.

Normal Life
Dean Spade
South End Press
7 Brookline Street #1, Cambridge, MA 02139-4146
9780896087965, $16.00, www.southendpress.org

NORMAL LIFE: ADMINISTRATIVE VIOLENCE, CRITICAL TRANS POLITICS, AND THE LIMITS OF LAW provides a fine survey of the politics and legal controversies surrounding trans and queer rights, and assumes the state and its legal services and policies are benign and perhaps benevolent. It critiques the current strategies using a legal rights approach and provides examples of an organized trans movement that is demanding legal reforms. From hate crimes to problems involved in rights, this is a fine survey for any college-level gender rights or legal collection.

Chernobyl 25 Years Later
Alla A. Yaroshinskaya
Transaction Press
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842969, www.transactionpub.com

Chernobyl 25 Years Later: Crime Without Punishment is a pick for any college-level collection strong in environmental conservation and Russian studies, and synthesizes the few professional papers translated from Russian into English, going beyond the prior lack of detail to include discussions based on original sources published in Russian. The human effects of the disaster are charted, from accounts by those who lied through it to reporters who defied the Soviet bureaucracy to provide reports. Actions after the disaster chart ongoing snafus and dangers in a title that reviews the latest medical data on Chernobyl people's health and the lasting impact of Chernobyl on the modern world.

Too Big to Know
David Weinberger
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465021420, $25.99, www.basicbooks.com

TOO BIG TO KNOW: RETHINKING KNOWLEDGE NOW THAT THE FACTS AREN'T THE FACTS, EXPERTS ARE EVERYWHERE, AND THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM IS THE ROOM provides a fine survey that shows that knowledge itself has changed form and approach, moving from a methodical foundation of information producing building blocks to a world where there are a trillion facts, a billion opinions, and much back-and-forth discussion of what is true and false. Paper can't hold all this - so knowledge has been reduced to something unsettled and questionable. How are we going to put the pieces back into the knowledge puzzle to get everything to work smoothly again? That's the subject of TOO BIG TO KNOW, a title that discusses networks, connections, links, and where and how scientific and popular knowledge is moving.

Oh My Gods
Philip Freeman
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451609974, $27.00, www.simonandschuster.com

OH MY GODS: A MODERN RETELLING OF GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHS offers a vivid readable collection of classic myths and is intended for adult readers. It recreates these myths with all their passion, sensuality and surprises, choosing the major Greek and Roman myths and offering twists on original stories for modern times. From different views of Jason as a hero mariner or a selfish lout to why Lucretia felt she had to kill herself after rape, this takes a close look at some of the finest myths of history.

Nuclear Weapons, Justice and the Law
Elli Louka
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9780857931085, $175.00, www.e-elgar.com

Nuclear Weapons, Justice and the Law is a recommendation for college-level readers studying the nuclear non-proliferation order, its fairness, and its applications to international and regional institutions. Policymakers and any involved in addressing the international nuclear weapons debates will find this packed with solid, scholarly research that analyzes security initiatives, international institutions and their management, international courts of justice, and more. A fine choice for any involved in international law, justice, and nuclear regulation!

Notes and Comments on the Composition of Terrestrial and Celestial Maps
J.H. Lambert
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands CA 92373-8100
9781589482814, $24.95, www.esri.com/esripress

Notes and Comments on the Composition of Terrestrial and Celestial Maps offers a new English translation of an original 1772 German edition that introduced several distinct map projections still in use today - and unavailable for several years. Collections strong in cartography and engineering will find this a strong collection, edited by a noted geographer (Waldo R. Tobler) and including an expanded preface and updated references. Very highly recommended!

What's Wrong With Benevolence
David Stove (Andrew Irvine, Editor)
Encounter Books
900 Broadway #601, New York NY 10003-1239
9781594035234, $23.95, www.encounterbooks.com

What's Wrong With Benevolence: Happiness, Private Property, and the Limits of Enlightenment offers a wide-reaching account suitable for college-level collections strong in philosophy, political science, economics and business alike, and considers the claim that when benevolence is universal and disinterested, it leads to the forced re-distribution of wealth and lower rates of productivity. Essays consider that in fact the idea benevolence may be a cause of poverty is not a paradox - and shows how connections between benevolence and communism have lead to confusion and mistrust. Footnotes, bibliographies and more support the scholarly contention identifying benevolence as something different. What's Wrong With Benevolence is an especially strong pick for college-level collections.

Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup
Gabriela Hernandez
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764336904, $49.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup provides a fine survey of beauty and facial trends through the 1920s to modern times, offering color images of trends for eyes, lips, and face and covering the influences on makeup development and applications. Timelines, profiles of famous innovators and faces, and vintage color palettes document the changing definitions of beauty in this outstanding pick for fashion, history and arts collections alike.

The New New Rules
Bill Maher
Blue Rider Press
5 Kendal Drive, Oberlin, OH 44074-1901
9780399158414, $26.95, www.blueriderpress.com

THE NEW NEW RULES: A FUNNY LOOK AT HOW EVERYBODY BUT ME HAS THEIR HEAD UP THEIR ASS provides a hilarious account gathering new and old observations about the modern world, and is a special pick for general-interest collections and any with an affection for Bill Maher. Comedy and social observation blend in a satisfying set of essays and discussions of New Rules for modern times, making for a whimsical social and political commentary collection.

Organize Your Mind Organize Your Life
Paul Hammerness, MD & Margaret Moore with John Hanc
Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road
Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9780373892440, $16.95, www.harlequin.com

Organize Your Mind Organize Your Life comes from a psychiatrist and ADHD researcher and an executive wellness coach and provides a fine survey combining science and applied psychology to cover a proven method of overcoming disorganization and distraction. From basic rules of order to symptoms of poor concentration, absent mindedness, and chronic clutter, this covers the stress involved in missed opportunities and provides rudimentary organization keys in a step-by-step manner that leaves nothing to question.

Freeing Yourself from Anxiety
Tamar Chansky, PhD
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
44 Farnsworth St., 3rd Floor, Boston MA 02210
9780738214832, $16.00, www.dacapopress.com

Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: 4 Simple Steps to Overcome Worry and Create the Life You Want comes from a clinical psychologist who explains how to liberate yourself from anxiety. It's for everyone, covering daily frustrations and how to react to them more positively. From an introduction on how the brain handles anxiety to steps to seeing problems in a more rational manner, case histories supplement keys to possible thinking patterns in a title recommended not just for psychology holdings, but for any general lending library strong in self-help books on positive change.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Unconditional Forgiveness
Mary Hayes Grieco
Atria Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781582702995, $15.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Unconditional Forgiveness: A Simple and Proven Method to Forgive Everyone and Everything comes from the Midwest Institute for Forgiveness Training and teaches a program to help readers forgive any type of transgression, from daily small frustrations to larger issues that have taken on a life of their own. It provides tools needed to let go of the past and move forward with a light heart, and blends humor with insights and real-world applications of techniques. The step-by-step approach makes it easy to follow!

Bringing Home the Dharma
Jack Kornfield
Shambhala
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston MA 02115
9781590309131, $24.95, www.shambhala.com

Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are offers a fine survey by one of America's top Buddhist teachers and offers key lessons gained from over forty years of study and practice. What makes this a pleasure is the focus on applied Buddhism, from conscious parenting techniques to finding forgiveness and committing to healing suffering in the world. Simple meditation practices for awaking the inner Buddha feelings in us all compliment discussions of applied Buddhism in daily life, making this a fine recommendation for Buddhist and general spirituality collections alike!

Solving the Communion Enigma
Whitley Strieber
Tarcher
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9781585429172, $25.95, www.penguin.com

Solving the Communion Enigma: What Is to Come revisits the author's own encounters with The Grays and considers how his extraterrestrial friends fit into the larger story of unexplained phenomena around the world. It's a pick for any collection that has seen popularity with Strieber's prior alien encounter books, and presents the case that recent increases in unexpected phenomena are a sign that humanity is in the process of transitioning to a new era. It blends his personal strange encounters with a larger picture of the world and its changes, and is an intriguing pick for any fan of Whitley Strieber's works.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2012
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel
Black Dog Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
9781579128838, $27.95, www.blackdogandleventhal.com

Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2012 comes from two major authorities on antiques and collectibles in this country, and provides the 44th updated edition of a standard classic on the topic. This new guide includes some 40,000 prices and 2,500 color photos of antiques and collectibles offered for sale over the last year, providing short histories and updated price information for collectibles arranged into over 700 categories. Sidebars of further detail, tips on antique special care and needs, and cross-references along with a complete index make this a reference 'bible' suitable for collectors and any general lending library catering to them.

Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins, 5th edition
Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton
Whitman Publishing
3101 Clairmont Rd Suite C, Atlanta, GA 30329
9780794832391, $39.95, www.whitmanbooks.com

Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins is edited by Ken Potter and offers Volume II of an updated 5th edition covering half dimes to gold coins and bullion. Lay-flat hardcover binding with spine lettering leads to easy access and reference while black and white photos of the coins pack a new volume over thirty pages longer than the fourth edition, offering more than 100 new varieties. Most additions are within the modern series, but the entire bullion section is brand new. Any avid coin collector MUST have this reference.

Cult Eyewear
Neil Handley
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th floor, Nyack, NY 10960
9781858945095, $49.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

CULT EYEWEAR: THE WORLD'S ENDURING CLASSICS provides a fine illustrated survey of the stories behind over thirty top eyewear brands from the 1780s to modern times, and is a pick for arts and collector's libraries alike. It covers the companies, designers, artistic trends, and innovations of individuals and provides a fine history of how eyewear has evolved over the centuries. A fine pick for any collection strong in fashion design history.


The Music Shelf

The Ultimate Rock Guitar Fake Book, second edition
Hal Leonard
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9780881889789, $34.99, www.halleonard.com

200 songs pack in the second updated edition of The Ultimate Rock Guitar Fake Book, with each song including keys for melody, chord diagrams, transcribed guitar parts in notes and tab, and lyrics. Music ranges from Kiss and Pearl Jam to Counting Crows, Del Shannon, Aerosmith, Green Day, Elvis Presley and more, and packs in a fine compendium of rock music recommended for any player who wants the keys to performing contemporary rock songs.

Satan Is Real
Charlie Louvin with Benjamin Whitmer
IT Books
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780062069030, $22.99, www.YourItList.com

SATAN IS REAL: THE BALLAD OF THE LOUVIN BROTHERS is a powerful title perfect for any interested in country western music. First, it appears in 'old dime novel' hardcover format complete with the old-fashioned .10 price on the cover and an appearance that looks classically aged. SATAN IS REAL charts the rise of the Louvin Brothers as teens when they became radio show regulars in Chattanooga after winning a singing contest, then as rising stars who traveled around the country. From 1952-55 the brothers recorded gospel music, but wanted to try secular music. The division brought about by alcoholism reflected the brothers' widely differing personalities and approaches to life: one blended only by their harmonies. Highly recommended as a powerful memoir perfect for any music collection!

Crazy Enough
Storm Large
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781439192405, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

CRAZY ENOUGH: A MEMOIR follows musician and singer Storm Large's life from her childhood visiting her mother in mental institutions to her own lasting fears, reinforced by doctors, that she had inherited her mother's genes for insanity. It was predicted that she too would be crazy - but not until her twenties. Storm spent the years after in pursuit of experiences before the expected insanity would set in - and struggled with a growing heroin addiction until a chance invitation to sing with a friend's band reintroduced her to music and lead to a road that veered away from mental illness. Storm's story of growing up fearful of mental illness combines with her growing musical talent in a powerful survey highly recommended for any music collection!

The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide 2012
Alan Greenwood & Gil Hembree
Vintage Guitar Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781884883231, $29.95, www.halleonard.com

The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide 2012 could have been featured in our 'Collector's Shelf' section but is reviewed here instead for its fine survey of over 2,000 brands supported by over 1,300 photos and discussions of the latest guitar prices. It analyzes values based on a range of sources and the latest edition succeeds in reflecting brands and models of Rickenbackers, Hondos, and more. Black and white photos pack descriptions of each guitar, its different models, and its different features and prices. A fine pick for any guitar collector and for collections catering to musicians.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Quality Companion
Mike Kooiman and Jim Amash
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh NC 27614
9781605490373, $31.95, www.twomorrows.com

The Quality Companion provides the first look at the Golden Age publisher whose productions included fine art, memorable characters, and sparked such lasting, modern comic influences as Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, Plastic Man and others now appearing in DC Comics. It consists of an encyclopedia A-Z character profile of all heroes, reprints in full color several 1940s key stories from rare collector comics, and blends a chronology withy an oral history and discussion of the evolution of major Quality characters. Black and white images accompany discussions of comics teams, creators and individuals in this outstanding survey recommended for any definitive comic history holding.

How to Write Comics
Stan Lee
Watson Guptill Publications
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780823007097, $45.00, www.watsonguptill.com

HOW TO WRITE COMICS comes from a legendary successful comic writer who was the co-creator of Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk and other classics. His coverage features the works of other major comics artists, from Jack Kirby to Alex Ross, as it provides both a history of modern comic books and a projection of their future. Chapters cover the basics of how to create meaningful characters and plots, discuss script challenges and different comic book styles, and shares the basic tips on breaking into the comic writing industry, making this a 'must' for any serious, aspiring comic writer.

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

Fans of Dik Browne's comic strip HAGAR THE HORRIBLE have two wonderful titles to acquire that collect the dailies in two fine books in chronological order. DAILIES 1974 TO 1975 (9781848562349, $19.95) provides the Hagar family tree along with an introduction, then black and white strips from Hagar's many Viking adventures. All Hagar's mishaps, friends and family are featured in this comprehensive collection. DAILIES 1976 TO 1977 (9781848562356, $19.95) offers more black and white panels of adventures and insights into the cartoonist's art as it further follows Hagar's exploits around the world and at home. The two-volume set together provides a comprehensive set of Hagar adventures perfect for avid fans who may have missed some Hagar exploits.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Politics in the Bible
Paul R. Abramson
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412843102, $49.95, www.transactionpub.com

Politics in the Bible is a recommendation for college-level spirituality readers and its focus is on connections between the Bible and issues of justice and politics. Students involved in political science and religious studies receive an invitation to analyze stories taken from eighteen of the thirty-nine books of the Hebrew Bible, and fifteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. Chapters also argue that the Bible should be read and analyzed by the non-believer as well as believers, who will find within it a wealth of insights on political connections, social issues, and Western morality. A fine pick for any college-level collection!


The Christian Studies Shelf

Defending Inerrancy
Norman L. Geisler and William C. Roach
Baker Books
c/o Baker Book House
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780801014345, $21.99, www.bakerbooks.com

Defending Inerrancy: Affirming the Accuracy of Scripture for a New Generation provides a fine analysis of the doctrine of inerrancy, which has been taught for a millennium and is now being questioned. It comes from one of the original drafters of the "Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy" and his coauthor and defends the traditional understanding of inerrancy for new Christians being called to the challenge of defining God, truth and language. Any spiritual studies collection needs this!

Relentless
John Bevere
Waterbrook Press
12265 Oracle Blvd. #200, Colorado Springs CO 80921
9780307457752, $19.99, www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

RELENTLESS is all about power: spiritual power wielded by men and women in Bible and modern times which enabled them to not just survive, but become leaders. It offers biblically grounded truths needed to help overcome adversity in trying times, and comes from one who used to be a quitter in all his tasks, who has been living a passionate Christian life for over three decades. RELENTLESS focuses on developing God-given talents and explores the process by which people become relentless forces both in their faith and throughout their interactions with the world around them. It's a top pick for any Christian collection.

Gustavo Gutierrez: Spiritual Writings
Daniel G. Groody
Orbis Books
Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302
9781570759475, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Gustavo Gutierrez: Spiritual Writings offers works selected and introduced by Daniel G. Groody and is a recommendation for any Christian collection. Gustavo Gutierrez was a Peruvian priest whose major work A THEOLOGY OF LIBERATION challenged all Christians to hear the gospel from the viewpoint of the poor. His connections between Christianity and poverty present a collection that focuses on God's love of the poor and provides close inspection of living with Christ in the world.

The Christian Writer's Market Guide 2012
Jerry B. Jenkins and Christian Writers Guild
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
1414363479, $24.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

The Christian Writer's Market Guide 2012 is a top pick for any who would get published in the Christian market, and offers book publishers, lists of contests, e-book discussions, listings of conferences and workshops, and much more. Over three hundred book publishers and over five hundred periodicals are included with the latest information on publisher needs, rates of pay, circulation figures, and contacts. Other books cover the secular market: this focus on the Christian market offers many opportunities for spiritual writers to break into the markets focused on spiritual writings.

Kisses from Katie
Katie Davis with Beth Clark
Howard Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451612066, $24.00, www.simonandschuster.com

KISSES FROM KATIE: A STORY OF RELENTLESS LOVE AND REDEMPTION provides a fine autobiography telling of Katie Davis' mission to care for poor orphans living in Uganda. She was a homecoming queen and senior class president who rejected college and lost her parents' approval and most of her friends so she could move to Uganda - where she only knew one person and didn't speak the language. Religion motivated her mission, which began when a short trip to Uganda changed her world. Her inspirational story is a top recommendation for any Christian collection and documents the lasting effects of living a missionary life.

A Vision for the Aging Church
James M. Houston & Michael Parker
IVP Academic
c/o InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 605151426
9780830839483, $24.95, www.academic.ivpress.com

A Vision for the Aging Church: Renewing Ministry for and by Seniors offers a church-oriented Christian guide to addressing needs of an aging population and places the church at the center of helping the elderly and disabled. It provides a Christian perspective on assistance, showing how the church is obligated to act as a counter cultural advocate on aging, and it offers keys on how churches can help the elderly and benefit simultaneously. Any Christian collection catering to pastors and church organizers will find this a thought-provoking guide.

Surviving the Stained-Glass Jungle
William L. Self
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon GA 31207
9780881462562, $19.00, www.mupress.org

A veteran pastor examines the world of church and ministry based on over fifty years of personal insights in Surviving the Stained-Glass Jungle, a recommendation for any Christian collection appealing to church ministers and pastors. It considers issues of ministry ranging from burnout and stress to administration challenges, offering chapters that are packed with details for an audience of parish leaders of all kinds of denominations. The author's church leadership embraces nearly thirty years of experience and provides real-world tested solutions, not just theory, making this an invaluable guide for any church leader!


The Gardening Shelf

The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm
Peg Schafer
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603583305, $34.95, www.chelseagreen.com

The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm: A Cultivator's Guide to Small-Scale Organic Herb Production provides practical advice for any wanting to grow organic Chinese herbs, and surprisingly represents the first cultivation guide of its kind. Plenty of books discuss recipes and applications of Chinese herbs: few offer growing tips for herbs in all climates of the U.S. Chapters come from a longtime grower and teacher and provide keys to domestic medicinal cultivation. Chapters pair color photos (both close-ups and non-close-up views) with plant descriptions, notes on field production and propagation, companion plants, and harvest and yield. A 'must' for any involved in growing Chinese medicinal herbs, and for both alternative health and gardening collections.

Propagation Techniques
Geoff Hodge and Rosemary Ward
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845336424, $19.99, www.octopusbooks.com

Propagation Techniques provides a new guide to making more plants from a range of approaches, from taking cuttings to harvesting and sowing seeds, splitting perennials, and more. It appears in association with The Royal Horticulture Society and comes from two experts who tell how to perform some 20 of the most popular techniques. From breaking the dormancy of sweet peas to trouble shooting common propagation issues, this offers ideas for over five hundred selected varieties. Any gardener's reference collection will find it a winner!

The Complete Guide to Your Root Cellar
Julie Fryer
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601383419, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

The Complete Guide to Your Root Cellar: How to Build an Underground Root Cellar and Use It for Natural Storage of Fruits and Vegetables provides an outstanding survey that covers the entire process of building and using a root cellar for fruit and vegetable storage, and is a pick for any homeowner and gardener who would make the most from garden bounty. It covers the basics of which specific vegetables and fruits are good to keep in a root cellar, discusses when and how to bring in a harvest and prepare them for storage, and discusses root cellar management and various types of cellar construction. (Closets are included in the survey, so one needn't have an underground basement to have a successful root cellar.) In short - this is a fine pick for any who would make the most of a garden harvest.


The Architecture Shelf

Tiny Homes Simple Shelter
Lloyd Kahn
Shelter Publications
P.O. Box 279, Bolinas, CA, 94924
9780936070520, $24.95, www.shelterpub.com

Tiny Homes Simple Shelter updates the original 1973 book Shelter, which offered drawings of five small buildings recommended as a starting point in providing one's own home. In this book some 150 builders have created tiny homes under 500 square feet and feature a range of inspirations, from homes on wheels and on the water to homes in the streets, garden sheds, and more. Much of the blossoming 'tiny house movement' has been inspired by Shelter's original 1973 title, so it's especially fine to see this updated survey that offers innovations on the theme and gathers examples form around the world. Numerous websites, blogs and plans for tiny homes are included here, with color photos packing nearly every page. There's nothing quite like it on the market, making this a 'must' bible of detail for any collection appealing to owner/builders and homeowners.

Unassisted Living
Wid Chapman and Jeffrey P. Rosenfeld
Monacelli Press
236 West 27th Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10001
9781580933025, $45.00, www.monacellipress.com

UNASSISTED LIVING: AGELESS HOMES FOR LATER LIFE documents the move away from assisted living centers and provides architecture and home collections alike with a firm grasp on the housing elements that can allow seniors to age safely their homes. The six sections in this book also document changes particular to different kinds of situations, from urban settings to non-traditional household makeups and those seniors who seek to build a community. The focus reflects the Boomer Generation's diverse thinking and values, and offers a range of multigenerational and diverse alternative housing plans and ideas. Any general or architectural library will welcome this unique guide!


The Military Shelf

Desert Rat 1940-43
Tim Moreman
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849085014, $18.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

DESERT RAT 1940-43: BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH TROOPS IN NORTH AFRICA provides a fine survey of the British troops who actively fought Italy and Germany on land: the only British forces to endure intense land combat. Made up of units from across the British Empire, these men were known for their powerful battles. DESERT RAT 1940-43 uses photos, newly commissioned artwork by Steve Noon, and source materials to tell what it was like to fight under challenging conditions. Any military collection, especially those strong in British combat forces, will find this a fine pick.

Intel Wars
Matthew M. Aid
Bloomsbury
175 - 5th Avenue #300, New York NY 10010
9781608194810, $28.00, www.bloomsburyusa.com

INTEL WARS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE FIGHT AGAINST TERROR comes from a secrecy and intelligence historian who considers inside stories of how and why our war against extremism isn't working. From spy networks hampered by paperwork and bureaucracy to overlapping and questionable jurisdictions, INTEL WARS is based on interviews from Wikileaks cables and other newly declassified documents and shows how our soldiers lack the right information to make headway in the war against terror. This fine narrative offers rich insights perfect for any military collection and many a general-interest holding strong in terrorism analysis.

Warfare in Woods and Fields
Anthony Clayton
Indiana University Press
601 N. Morton St., Bloomington IN 47404-3796
9780253356888, $29.95, www.iupress.indiana.edu

Warfare in Woods and Fields comes from a military historian who describes major events involving fighting in the woods from the 1st to the 21st centuries. Chapters discuss changing strategy, weaponry, and more and provide a powerful wide-reaching timeline of events from warfare before weapons to post-1945. Descriptions of convoys, hunters, woods regiments and more survey uniforms, strategies, and woods encounters to trace the evolution of warfare in the field. Any military history collection needs this fine survey.

The Operators
Michael Hastings
Blue Rider Press
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10014
9780399159886, $27.95, www.penguin.com

THE OPERATORS: THE WILD AND TERRIFYING INSIDE STORY OF AMERICA'S WAR IN AFGHANISTAN provides a fine firsthand account of the war on the ground and considers America's military culture and how America deploys its forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also includes previously unpublished material on President Obama and other officials, analyzes Pentagon exit scenarios, and provide an insider's insights from years spent covers the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With military and social history included, this is a wide-ranging analysis of military and political policies and is a 'must' for any military holding and for collections strong in Middle East politics and culture.


The Cookbook Shelf

One Girl Cookies
Dawn Casale & David Crofton
Clarkson Potter
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307720481, $22.50, www.randomhouse.com

ONE GIRL COOKIES: RECIPES FOR CAKES, CUPCAKES, WHOOPIE PIES, AND COOKIES FROM BROOKLYN'S BELOVED BAKERY is a treasure trove of baked goods from The One Girl Cookies bakery in Brooklyn, and is perfect for dessert lovers seeking something different. It includes family stories and heirloom recipes - many passed down for generations - and adds innovations on traditional themes for added flavor. Many cookies are named for someone special, while chapters offer headings keyed to the bakery's most popular productions, from comfort cookies and party fare to whoopee pies and tarts. Lovely color photos accompany these signature productions, recommended for any collection seeing interest in baking.

John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Nancy Baggett's KNEADLESSLY SIMPLE: FABULOUS, FUSS-FREE, NO-KNEAD BREADS (9781118169438, $19.99) provides a fine collection of easy no-knead bread recipes that use recent advances in slow-rise, no-knead bread making to produce savory treats. In the past such books have focused on quick breads and largely sweet breads; but this book differs in its focus on breads that have much of the character of kneaded productions. Recipes for Cheddar and Chilis Bread, San Francisco-Style Sourdough Bread, and Caraway Beer Bread offer much of the crumb and complexity of traditional kneaded breads in this fine presentation recommended for any busy yet aspiring home bread baker. Weight Watchers' ONE POT COOKBOOK (9781118038123, $29.99) pairs over 300 recipes with over 100 color photos and profiles one-pot meals that include complete nutritional descriptions and PointsPlus values for following the Weight Watchers program. Weight Watchers dieters will find this offers many family-friendly, fast dishes that are a cinch to produce, and will appreciate the tips and sidebars of information that offer variations on themes and quick recipes. A 'must' for any general lending collection appealing to Weight Watchers dieters.

Eat More Love
MarijeVogelzang
BIS Publishers
bis@bispublishers.nl
9789063692001, $49.00, www.bispublishers.nl

Eat More Love offers food concepts by food designer Marije Vogelzang, whose design studio and restaurant creates fare for food installations and food events. It discusses and analyzes the nature of eating as an active concept and verb and discusses her food projects, offering insights on what it means to be a Food Designer. Different themes, from a 'connection dinner' to a funeral dinner or 'faked meat', are analyzed in an outstanding survey recommended for any culinary collection.

Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook
Elizabeth Gordon
Lyons Press
c/o Globe Pequot
P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
9780762777518, $24.95, www.LyonsPress.com

Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook is a treasure trove for those who struggle with food allergies and especially for families where individuals have different food restrictions. It provides a compendium of comfort foods where EVERY recipe is free of gluten, dairy, soy, nuts and eggs and makes it easy to cook for the entire family from one guide. The focus is on foods that duplicate the appeal of allergen-filled foods, and 100 recipes provide dishes ranging from Jelly donuts and Sloppy Joes to Potato Salad, Nachos, and a range of desserts. Anyone who regularly cooks knows how difficult it can be to leave main ingredients such as egg and gluten out of some of these dishes, but Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook offers recipes that are a snap to put together, making this a top pick for health and culinary libraries looking for allergen-free cookbooks.

The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth

The Seasonal Cocktail Companion
Maggie Savarino
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main Street #400, Seattle WA 98104
9781570617553, $18.95, www.sasquatchbooks.com

The Seasonal Cocktail Companion includes a range of different seasonal ideas based on ingredients for different kinds of mixes, from craft cocktails and do-it-yourself bitters to making homemade syrups, booze-infused fruits, and more. It tells how to create cocktails from Farmers Market fresh holdings and teaches the basics of creating foundation drinks unique in their flavors and approaches. Any interested in cocktails and any collection strong in homemade booze needs this!

The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook
Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston MA 02118
9781558322035, $17.95, www.harvardcommonpress.com

The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook is a recommendation for any rice cooker owner who wishes to do more with the rice cooker than just make rice. Indeed the cooker can be used to make one-pot meals, side dishes, even desserts and appetizers, and this book packs in recipes and methods for a range of dishes. From Shrimp and Grits to Tomato-Rice Pilaf, Spaghetti Squash Alfredo, and Chocolate Rice Pudding, this offers a variety and international flavors perfect for any seeking to expand their kitchen applications.

Home-Grown Harvest
Rebecca Woods, Editor
Ryland Peters & Small
trade@macmillan.co.uk
9781849751490, $27.95, www.rylandpeters.com

Home-Grown Harvest: Delicious Ways to Enjoy Your Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables provides fruit and vegetable dishes by offering a chapter heading revolving around each individual fruit and veggie. Contents are first arranged by type of veggie - 'Root', 'Bulb', 'Podding' or 'Fruiting' vegetables, etc.; then by specific vegetable and fruit. Color photos accompany dishes such as Roasted Onions and Sausages, Tagine of Artichokes, Potatoes & Peas, and more. Any used to the traditional seasonal arrangement will find the chapter headings and arrangement lends particularly well to quick location of specific ingredients, making this a top pick for any vegetable cookbook collection.

The Speedy Sneaky Chef
Missy Chase Lapine
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA 19103
9780762443291, $20.00, www.runningpress.com

The Speedy Sneaky Chef offers over eighty new, faster healthy recipes with fruits, veggies and whole grains that are lower-calorie, and can be fixed in minutes. Also included are healthier short-cuts for store-bought foods and tips on how to bake a cake from scratch in just five minutes, how to make a hearty family dinner in under 20 minutes, and more. Parmesan Chicken French Fries, Crispy Coconut-Crusted Chicken and Chili Fusilli are only a few of the many quick dishes that can be completed at the drop of a hat. Highly recommended for any busy cook's collection!

Quick-Fix Vegan
Robin Robertson
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449407858, $16.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Any with an interest in vegan cooking will appreciate this cookbook, filled with over a hundred fast, easy recipes for putting meals on the table in 30 minutes or less. From Moroccan-Spiced Pumpkin Soup to a flavorful Korean Hot Pot and a Tuscan Kale Lasagna, this is a treasure trove of international ideas that eliminates the perception that vegan food is time-consuming and requires many specialty ingredients. No color photos, but these are very easy recipes and home cooks can readily reproduce them without added embellishment! Any general culinary collection and of course all vegan and vegetarian collections will relish this!

My Japanese Table
Debra Samuels
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive
North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9784805311189, $27.95, www.tuttlepublishing.com

My Japanese Table: A Lifetime of Cooking with Friends and Family offers color photos throughout by Heath Robbins and a fine introduction for those who already love to eat Japanese food but are hesitant on making it themselves. The author learned Japanese homestyle dishes that are easily prepared once a few basics are absorbed, and she presents them here for newcomers to the cuisine. From a Classic Chicken teriyaki to Tempura and Udon Noodles, these dishes are quick and easy to make, inviting any beginner to the world of home-cooked Japanese cuisine.

Masala Farm
Suvir Saran, et.al.
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811872331, $29.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

MASALA FARM: STORIES AND RECIPES FROM AN UNCOMMON LIFE IN THE COUNTRY is an outstanding Indian cookbook that shares the Indian author and New York City chef's retreat to a 67-acre farm where he pairs his Indian chef background with fresh ingredients reflecting a mix of seasonal fare, his favorite spices, and more. The farm yarns and lessons make for inviting reading and reflection while the dishes themselves offer take-offs on traditional Indian fare perfect for those who want an Indian-influenced cookbook. You won't find dishes like New Year's Black-Eyed Pea Curry or a spicy Chocolate-Nut Brittle in every Indian cookbook! Very highly recommended as a cut above the traditional approach to Indian cuisine: any ethnic cookbook library will find it packed with innovative, fine dishes.


The Computer Shelf

XAML Developer Reference
Mamta Dalal and Ashish Ghoda
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735658967, $39.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

XAML Developer Reference is a recommended resource for any learning or using XAML Developer and for Microsoft.NET programmers, and provides a fine survey of how to build an interactive user interface. From using the book's templates to customize UI elements to applying different event systems in WPF and using animations for 2D and 3D purposes, this is an outstanding survey for any XAML Developer user.

iPhone: The Missing Manual
David Pogue
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449301774, $24.99, www.oreilly.com

iPhone: The Missing Manual is for any using the Apple mobile phone and covers the 4S newest version of the Apple phone. It covers all the basics of the IOS 5 software and provides a color guide to everything from basic set-up to advanced functions. Learn how to find, manage, and use add-on programs and how to use everything from VoiceOver to the advanced camera feature in a title packed with keys to customizing and making the most of all the iPhone's many options and add-on possibilities. The color sidebars of information and keys to software make this at-a-glance manual a 'must' for any iPhone user.

PHP Master
Lorna Mitchell, Davey Shafik, Matthew Turland
Sitepoint
1829 Market Street, Suite 202, San Francisco CA 94103
9780987090874, $39.95, www.sitepoint.com

PHP MASTER: WRITE CUTTING-EDGE CODE is a reference for PHP developers who want to refine their server-side applications with better programming approaches and code. PHP creators learn how to use an object oriented programming blueprint to create professional applications, protect code against attacks and hacks, use easy benchmarking tools, and more. The result is a fine, definitive guide professionals will use to further their basic skills.

Cloud Computing
Venkata Josyula, et.al.
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
1587204347, $39.99, www.ciscopress.com

Cloud Computing: Automating the Virtualized Data Center offers a complete guide to managing cloud-based services and provides solutions and tested best practices to help Cisco partners, service providers, and any who want to use the Cloud. Key concepts needed to deploy clouds and discussions of the Cisco approach to cloud technologies compliment chapters packed with charts, diagrams, and keys to adding services and working with flow. A fine pick for any programmer working with Cloud applications in a Cisco environment.

The Eclipse Graphical Editing Framework (GEF)
Dan Rubel, Jaime Wren, Eric Clayberg
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321718380, $44.99, www.informit.com/aw

The Eclipse Graphical Editing Framework offers Java tool developers a fine survey on how to construct graphical editing products that blend with Eclipse, and is a tip for any Eclipse user or developer interested in creating graphic tools. It introduced GEF, Draw2D and Zest, helping new developers understand these services and then adding more advanced topics on using different layers on various kinds of projects. From modifying scaling to building models and working with tools, this provides an outstanding survey recommended for any Java developer's collection.

The Tangled Web
Michal Zalewski
No Starch Press
38 Ringold St., San Francisco CA 94103
9781593273880, $49.95, www.nostarch.com

THE TANGLED WEB: A GUIDE TO SECURING MODERN WEB APPLICATIONS comes from a top security expert and explains how browsers work and why they're all basically insecure. It provides an overview of the entire browser security model, pinpointing vulnerabilities and providing details web developers can use to increase web security. Readers should have some computer security knowledge but will receive instruction on how to perform more advanced tasks like HTML sanitization and using modern security features. Security researchers concerned with making better web applications that survive attacks will find THE TANGLED WEB the perfect starting point for success.

The Intranet Management Handbook
Martin White
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford NJ 08055
9781573874267, $69.50, www.infotoday.com

The Intranet Management Handbook offers a comprehensive to intranet management and uses over fifteen years of consulting experience to provide a wealth of examples, techniques and more. From managing technology and selecting software to evaluating risks, marketing the intranet, and writing strategy, this covers all aspects involved in intranet management and will find its place in any collection appealing to IT professionals involved in developing and managing and organization's intranet.

Mac Kung Fu
Keir Thomas
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356821, $35.00, www.pragprog.com

MAC KUNG FU: OVER 300 TIPS, TRICKS, HINTS AND HACKS FOR OS X LION teaches how to master the everyday tools of the Mac to customize and streamline the Mac's operations. Each tip is short, quick, and allows Mac users to use the book as a quick reference rather than the usual step-by-step tutorial. From making the Dock really small to gaining quick access to advanced functions, this is an outstanding pick for any Mac user!

The Healthy PC
Guy Hart-Davis
McGraw-Hill
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor
New York, NY 10020
0071752919, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

THE HEALTHY PC: PREVENTATIVE CARE, HOME REMEDIES, AND GREEN COMPUTING provides a fine survey of how to get a PC back up and running more efficiently - even if it's an older machine. From protecting against malware and spam to performing maintenance and upgrades on your own, THE HEALTHY PC is packed with step-by-step insights on settings, security, controls, file sharing, safe Internet surfing, and much more. Every PC owner should read this!

Fast Guide to Cubase 6
Simon Millward
PC Publishing
info@pc-publishing.co.uk
9781906005177, $29.95, www.pc-publishing.com

Fast Guide to Cubase 6 covers all the basics of the program and is a 'must' for any user. From installation and set-up to music production, mixing, and plug-ins, chapters offer black and white board and screen shots, diagrams, discussions of control functions and more. Master the program which is key to modern music production with a guide that blends Cubase knowledge
with music technology and musician objectives in recording, and learn how to manipulate and customize the program in this top recommendation for any collection strong in Cubase discussions.

Bulletproof Web Design, third edition
Dan Cederholm
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321808355, $44.99, www.newriders.com

The third updated edition of Bulletproof Web Design: Improving Flexibility and Protecting Against Worst-Case Scenarios with HTML5 and CSS3 advocates replacing cumbersome code with streamlined content and outlines standards-based strategies for building designs linked to how users actually view a website. Each chapter begins with an example of an 'unbulletproof' site that uses ordinary HTML-based techniques; then moves to outline revamps and makeovers that replace bloated code with lean versions. This revised, updated third edition adds CSS3 and HTML5 methods and redesigns case studies with new examples in a pick for any web designer's collection.

Cubase 6 Power!
Michael Miller and Robert Guerin
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
1435460227, $39.99, www.courseptr.com

CUBASE 6 POWER! THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE offers step-by-step coverage of the Cubase 6 program and is a top reference for any involved in using the digital audio production program. It covers all the basics then moves into customizing directions, explaining how different features work and how to choose between them to tweak a recording project. Tips and explanations offer plenty of opportunities for mixing a recording and customizing Cubase to take full advantage of its strengths! Musicians and recording artists working with digital formats will appreciate its in-depth explanations.

HTML5 and CSS3, 7th edition
Elizabeth Castro and Bruce Hyslop
Peachpit Press
1249 - 8th St., Berkeley CA 94710
0321719611, $39.99, www.peachpit.com

The 7th updated edition of HTML5 and CSS3: Visual Quickstart Guide provides a fine survey using real-world code examples to guide readers step-by-step through learning HTML and CSS from scratch. Newcomers as well as those with some familiarity who want a progressive review will find this filled with examples and color screen shots, while tips on everything from changing text case to setting the page for an element makes for a guide packed with detail. Highly recommended for any learner who wants a methodical approach to the program!

Easy Mac OS X Lion
Kate Binder
QUE
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789748150, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com

Easy Mac OS X Lion covers all the basics of working with the Mac's OS X Lion operating system and offers illustrated step-by-step coverage on using many Mac applications. Each task offers screen shots in full color and easy approaches to all the basics, building on knowledge so that no skills level is left behind. From initial purchase and app download to chatting with friends online and sharing files, this packs in all the basics!

Advanced Software Testing V. 3
Rex Black & Jamie L. Mitchell
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781933952390, $49.95, www.rockynook.com

Advanced Software Testing V. 3: Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Technical Test Analyst is written for the analyst who wants to gain advanced skills in test analysis, design and putting testing into action. It teaches the basics of how to evaluate system designs and underlying technology, showing how to prepare for the ISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst exam and offering sample exam questions for most learning objectives. It's packed with detail from the President of a leading systems company and a consultant working in software testing for over twenty years, and thus holds field-tested authority and insights for any advanced software reference collection.


The Photography Shelf

Sketching Light
Joe McNally
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321700902, $49.99, www.newriders.com

SKETCHING LIGHT: AN ILLUSTRATED TOUR OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF FLASH comes from a man who has been telling stories with photos for over thirty years. His focus here is on lighting solutions for dozens of pictures, offering close analysis of how he creates light for his pictures using both small and big flash units. From modifiers to flash technology and a range of approaches, this offers sets of color photos that teach and demonstrate flash usage. Variables, step-by-step discussion of influences on photo results, and keys to selecting the right flash and settings make this one of the top books on the subject, especially recommended for semi-pro photographers who would get the most from flash settings.

The Art of Flower Photography
Lucian Niemeyer
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764336331, $34.99, www.schifferbooks.com

The Art of Flower Photography is a pick for any interested in capturing the close-up details of flowers in photos, and pairs over two hundred color photos of a variety of flowers with professional photography insights on their creation. Discussions include the steps needed to set up appropriate lighting, color, and equipment and accompany displays of flowers from around the world photographed in a wide range of settings under various conditions. Any aspiring nature photographer will find this a 'must' acquisition.


The Crafts Shelf

Personal Geographies
Jill K. Berry
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
144030856X, $24.99, www.createmixedmedia.com

PERSONAL GEOGRAPHIES: EXPLORATIONS IN MIXED-MEDIA MAPMAKING provides over twenty mixed-media map projects featuring a range of techniques and providing a gallery of maps by contributors from around the world. From narrative maps to maps of experience and maps exploring the self, these chapters offer step-by-step map-making instructions and offer fine guidelines for creating a range of personal maps. A top pick for any crafting collection seeing popularity with scrapbooking and other tools combining imaging with journaling.

Building a Model Railroad Step by Step, second edition
David Popp
Kalmbach Publishing Co.
P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
8679890248324, $21.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Building a Model Railroad Step by Step provides the second updated edition of a fine guide based on the construction and expansion of the author's N scale Naugatuck Valley Railroad. This edition cover the additional of a large industrial switching area and teaches all the basics of setting up a successful home layout with prototypical trains and scenery. Any collection strong in model railroading will find this a specific, popular choice!

Keith's Top Tips for Watercolour Artists
Keith Fenwick
Search Press USA
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
9781844484805, $19.95, www.searchpress.com

Watercolor artist Keith Fenwick here shares his hints gleaned from years of experience, and provides a hardcover lay-flat binding format perfect for any who would paint weather, foliage, water and more. Nearly two hundred quick techniques cover everything from using photos to masking tape and painting specific challenges, with color sidebars of detail accompanying small watercolor examples. 'Painting trees', for example, covers patting, stippling, twitching and sponging to achieve a range of results. Any watercolor artist will find this filled with insight.

Dollar Origami
Won Park
Thunder Bay Press
c/o Baker & Taylor Publishing Group
10350 Barnes Canyon Rd, Ste 100
San Diego, CA 92121
1607102811, $19.95, www.thunderbaybooks.com

DOLLAR ORIGAMI is more than a book: it's a kit created by an origami master offering ten models that can be made with any U.S. paper currency. Sample currency included in the kit accompany step-by-step directions in the book on how to make koi fish and other fun origami. It's not suitable for library lending but as a gift kit for any interested in origami, it can't be beat, providing an easy method for producing origami from a material widely in circulation.


The Travel Shelf

USA's Best Trips
Sara Benson, et.al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741797350, $24.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

USA's Best Trips: 99 Themed Itineraries Across America offers fine itineraries for planning all kinds of trips, from rural day trips to long weekends and trips that lend to family fun. Maps accompany every trip while discussions of trips ranging from two days to two weeks provide all the basics on getting to a destination, eating and drinking, and exploring the areas. Any who wants a road map to successful touring around the US will find this a winner!

Moon Cabo
Nikki Goth Itoi
Moon Handbooks
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781598808902, $16.99, www.moon.com

MOON CABO includes La Paz and Todos Santos and provides a fine survey of activities, accommodations, restaurants and more. The purpose is to provide destination-bound visitors with keys to planning a trip to Cabo: over thirty itineraries, maps, and discussions offer the author's firsthand experience in a guidebook perfect for any trying to plan a trip covering the region's highlights.

Off the Beaten Path
Ruth J. Colvin
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9780815609933, $24.95, www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu

Off the Beaten Path: Stories of People Around the World tells of the author and her husband, who have traveled around the world visiting over sixty countries and providing literacy training. They founded Literacy Volunteers of America Inc. and met people from all kinds of worlds: this rich chronicle of their experiences of other cultures and traditions offers a powerful survey blending cultural insights with social inspection and is a pick for both travel and world sociology holdings alike.


The Science Shelf

The Glorious Golden Ratio
Alfred S. Posamentier & Ingmar Lechmann
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616144234, $27.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Glorious Golden Ratio discusses the Golden Ratio and how it was discovered, and comes from two math professors who consider the appearance of the Golden Ratio throughout history. Techniques used to construct it accompany discussions of the various geometric figures in which the Golden Ratio is embedded. From relationships between the Golden Ratio and other famous number sets to appearances in nature, literature and technology, this provides a wide-ranging discussion that requires only a basic knowledge of geometry and algebra to prove inviting. College-level collections will welcome this discussion!

Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country, second edition
William J. Fritz and Robert C. Thomas
Mountain Press
Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425815, $24.00, www.mountain-press.com

The second updated edition of Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country covers the active geological environment of the region and offers 19 road guides where tourists can explore the area's volcanic legacy. Tourists will find these guides offer rich geologic information based on observable phenomenon evident from any tour. Color photos, maps, and discussions point out places of interest and fill in geologic history, making this a fine destination-oriented travel choice for any planning a road trip. This edition has been completely revised and uses the latest scientific thinking!

Theodore Gray's Elements Vault
Simon Quellen Field and Theodore Gray
Black Dog & Leventhal
151 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
9781579128807, $39.95, www.blackdogandleventhal.com

Theodore Gray's Elements Vault provides an outstanding blend of art and science and builds upon Gray's best-selling book THE ELEMENTS, offering real element samples, removable documents, and a photographic coffee table tribute to the periodic table. Gray has been obsessed with collections and photographing samples of the table: this package is filled with samples and color and while not suitable for the rigors of library lending, is a top recommendation for any budding young scientist.

Binocular Vision
Spencer Schaffner
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498860, $24.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Binocular Vision: The Politics of Representation in Birdwatching Field Guides begins with popular birdwatching guides from the late nineteenth century and moves to the electronic options of modern times, and is a pick for any interested in the changing methods and representation of birding. The field guides are discussed and compared within context of conservation and environmental management issues, and provide a fine discussion of field guide evolution. Natural history holdings will find this a top pick!

The Aha! Moment
David Jones
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421403311, $25.00, www.press.jhu.edu

The Aha! Moment comes from the author known for his Daedalus column and tells stories about scientific thinking and creators - including his own contributions to mainstream science such as his notion of chemical gardens in space. His theory focuses on creativity and weird scientific experiments and provides an engrossing yet scientific examination of the process of discovery. A top pick not to be limited to science holdings, this will reach many a general-interest reader with its fascinating, readable and lively insights.


The Botany Shelf

Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains, second edition
Jon Farrar
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House, Iowa City IA 52242
1609380711, $39.95, www.uiowapress.org

The second updated edition of Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains is a 'must' guide for any collection strong in wildflower species of the Nebraska region and provides updated nomenclature, refined plant descriptions, revised photos and a new design. It arranges species by color and provides scientific and botanical information for all of them, including discussions of preferred habitats and descriptions of each species. Clear color photos allow this to be used as a field guide for each of the 274 wildflowers under discussion, making this a fine pick for any Midwest collection.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

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

Jane Finnis's DANGER IN THE WIND (9781590588901, $24.95) provides the fourth Aurelia Marcella Roman mystery and is set in summertime in 100 AD. Aurelia runs an inn and is always busy, but when a soldier is murdered in his bed and a letter may disguise a plea for help, Aurelia finds her interests divided. Add a prediction of violence by the murdered soldier and a family caught in a web of intrigue and death and Aurelia finds herself caught up in plots which may be political and dangerous. Any reader of historical mystery will find this engrossing. Priscilla Royal's A KILLING SEASON (9781590589472, $24.95) provides a fine Medieval mystery centered around a Baron's return from crusade. When his sons begin to die in strange accidents, people wonder whether his journey has incurred the wrath of God rather than religious favor. The Baron's descent into melancholy worries friend Sir Hugh, who soon finds a strange connection between the deaths and other events at the castle. Another fine historical mystery evolves. Bill Fitzhugh's THE EXTERMINATORS (9781590585405, $24.95) offers the first in his 'Assassin Bug' thriller series and is set in Oregon, where the pest control crew is still engaged in creating a natural product - using gene sequences to create a killer bug for bugs. 'Killer' is the operative word in a mystery which offers many twists, technological turns, and satisfying drama. Perfect for mystery readers seeking a different kind of plot! Betty Webb's DESERT WIND (9781690689793, $24.95) provides a Lena Jones mystery revolving around Lena's Pima Indian partner, who is arrested in Arizona prompting her rush to his aid. Her investigation of his arrest turns up dangerous associations, murder, and a community facing dangerous mining practices and a host of mysterious deaths. The twists and turns of plot and the underlying politics are involving and exceptional! Steven Havill's ONE PERFECT SHOT (9781590589540, $24.95) tells of a county employee found shot to death in broad daylight, leaving Undersheriff Bill Gastner with more questions than answers. It could be an accident - or it could be a murder in which the victim appears to have been a passive one. Add the troubles a new deputy is causing in the department and you have a fast-paced read that's impossible to put down!

The Bride Wore Black Leather
Simon R. Green
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10014
9781937007133, $25.95, www.penguin.com

The Bride Wore Black Leather provides the 12th and final book in Simon Green's 'Nightside series, ending the tale of P.I. John Taylor. Here John works from the heart of London in the nightside, where dreams and nightmares can come true, and where monsters and angels exist. John is settling down there and is even getting married - but his greatest happiness is soon to be questioned in this tense thriller, hard to put down and perfect for prior fans of the Nightside series!

Explosive Eighteen
Janet Evanovich
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780345527714, $28.00, www.bantamdell.com

EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN provides a fine Stephanie Plum novel centered around the bounty hunter's dream vacation turned nightmare as she flies back to New Jersey from Hawaii alone, with her seatmate murdered along the way. Thugs and FBI alike are seeking a photo he was supposed to be carrying: a photo only Stephanie has seen, making her the next target. A cat-and-mouse game evolves in this moving thriller, highly recommended for any fan of Stephanie Plum's adventures!


The Fiction Shelf

The Uninnocent
Bradford Morrow
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York NY 10004
97816059282656, $25.00, www.wwnorton.com

THE UNINNOCENT (STORIES) provides a fine survey of troubled people in a collection of literary short stories that are represented as 'darkly comic' - and fulfill their descriptions. It was written over a ten-year time span and comes from a literature professor whose narratives are diverse, gothic and dark in tone, yet filled with strong characters operating in macabre yet frighteningly realistic settings. The result is a powerful collection suitable for any library seeing popularity in the modern short story vignette format.

Believing the Lie
Elizabeth George
Dutton
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10014
9780525852589, $28.95, www.penguin.com

BELIEVING THE LIE offers the 17th book in the Lynley series, is set in the Lake District of England, and revolves around Inspector Lynley's investigation of a drowning on a country estate. When he delves deeper into matters surrounding the family he discovers more motives, secrets and danger bubbling under the surface and comes to suspect the drowning might be anything but accidental. From a recovering drug addict son to a lovely protective mother, BELIEVING THE LIE provides many twists and turns throughout an investigation that is increasingly bizarre. Both prior fans and newcomers to the Lynley setting will find this an involving read.

When She Woke
Hillary Jordan
Algonquin Books
Box 2225, Chapel Hill NC 27515-2225
9781565126299, $24.95, www.algonquin.com

WHEN SHE WOKE tells of Hannah, whose life has been devoted to church and family until her arrest and subsequent identification as a Chrome: a criminal whose skin color has been genetically altered to match the class of their crime. Hannah's crime is murder, her victim her unborn child - and danger and change follows her in struggles to regain her humanity. Set in a future world, WHEN SHE WOKE is a passionate and involving story recommended for any literary fiction or science fiction holding.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty
Joshilyn Jackson
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780446582353, $25.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty tells of three generations of Slocumb women who face change when a hidden grave is unearthed in the backyard, leading teen Mosey Slocumb to investigate. The oldest Slocumb woman struggles to keep her secret, while the middle-aged Slocumb woman, silenced by a stroke, holds the only real answers to the grave. It's basically a Southern mystery at its best, with a dangerous family secret fueling passions and conflicts that could change the lives of all. General lending collections strong in novels and mysteries will relish this!

Lunatics
Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel
Putnam
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780399158698, $25.95, www.penguin.com

LUNATICS is a hilarious novel that reflects the combined efforts of an award-winning humorist and a TV writer and prize-winning novelist. Together they form a writing team that here presents the character of one Philip Horkman, a happy pet store owner, and Jeffrey Peckerman, the only sane person in a world filled with jerks who is experiencing a bad day. The two of them find their disparate and desperate lives joined by a series of events that lead them to become fugitives from the law, pursued not just by the police but by bears, revolutionaries, pirates and a terrorist dressed as Chuck E. Cheese. Zany encounters and twists and turns of plot make for a fine survey recommended for any general fiction collection and especially for those seeing prior enthusiasm for Dave Barry's unique brand of humor.

Fup
Jim Dodge
Heyday
Box 9145, Berkeley CA 94709
9781597141581, $9.95, www.heydaybooks.com

FUP first appeared in 1983 and is a hilarious story that tells of Jake, a 99-year-old grandfather with a passion for gambling and whiskey, a grandson who loves to build fences on land with no livestock, and a mallard with a fondness for booze and romance. The result is a hilarious set of encounters that are compelling and fun stories in a brief read recommended for any literary collection.


The Biography Shelf

Phillis Wheatley
Vincent Carretta
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens GA 30602-4901
0820333387, $29.95, www.ugapress.org

Phillis Wheatley: Biography of a Genius in Bondage provides a fine biography of the originator of African American literature, and is (surprising to note) the first full-length biography of Wheatley. It covers her importance both as a writer and as a black woman, covering her achievement as the first English-speaking person of African descent to publish a book - and only the second woman to do so in America. Many facts about Wheatley are revealed by a scholar who holds extensive knowledge of trans-Atlantic literature and history in a powerful pick recommended for any college-level American literature collection.

Michael Buble Onstage Offstage
Michael Buble and Dean Freeman
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451674712, $27.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Michael Buble Onstage Offstage provides an outstanding survey from a singer who has sound over 25 million records and is a pick for any who want to know more about his private life. Dean Freeman's extensive black and white and color photos of Buble provides fine accompaniment to Buble's autobiography, with fine visual embellishment providing the perfect accompaniment to his story of how he become immersed in music and rose to fame. A pick for any popular music collection!

Dragon Fighter
Rebiya Kadeer with Alexandra Cavelius
Kales Press Inc.
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780979845659, $18.95, www.kalespress.com

DRAGON FIGHTER: ONE WOMAN'S EPIC STRUGGLE FOR PEACE WITH CHINA is a 'must' autobiography for any interested in China political and social issues, and is packed with insights on human rights and freedom issues in that country. Using Rebiya Kadeer's life story as foundation, this tells of her experiences as a refugee child, self-made multimillionaire, and later as a political dissident protesting human rights violations in her country. Kadeer lists names, dates, and identifies Chinese government corruption in a hard-hitting examination of nonviolent protest and how the ethnic minority the Uyghurs have been systematically eliminated by the Chinese government. Any collection strong in world human rights or Chinese social issues must have her account.


The Literary Shelf

Tablet & Pen
Reza Aslan
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393340778, $21.95, www.wwnorton.com

TABLET & PEN: LITERARY LANDSCAPES FROM THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST provides a fine anthology of Middle Eastern literature and features writings from countries across the Mid-East, from works written in Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Urdu - and on a wide range of topics. Historical material and a fine introduction contribute to a title arranged linguistically and chronologically, making for a reference that is easily accessed by a range of interests and from different perspectives. There's nothing quite like it on the market, making TABLET & PEN a top reference for any Middle Eastern and international literature collection.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Writing Stories
Carolyn Coman
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571108715, $17.50, www.stenhouse.com

Writing Stories: Ideas, Exercises, and Encouragement for Teachers and Writers of All Ages comes from an award-winning author who has written stories for children and young adults and taught writing to all ages. She believes that good writing lies in the ability to build a good story, and her book provides basic strategies and inspiration for developing character, plot and dialogue. This could have been featured in our 'Education' shelf, but is reviewed here for its fine guidelines for aspiring writers of all ages.


The Money/Finance Shelf

7 Money Rules for Life
Mary Hunt
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800721121, $17.99, www.revellbooks.com

7 MONEY RULES FOR LIFE: HOW TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE comes from a financial columnist who paid off over, $100,000 in unsecure credit card debit, and who provides readers with business and economic insights that can lead them to conquer their debt and spending habits. She's collected seven simple rules that enable readers to get their finances in order and to fix financial problems of the past. Chapters cover the basics, such as spending less than earnings and saving for the future. A fine pick for any general lending library appealing to consumers or business readers alike!


The Business Shelf

Quicken 2012: The Official Guide
Bobbi Sandberg
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
0071776001, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Quicken 2012: The Official Guide tells how to manage personal finances and use Quicken's planning options to manage business budgets and bills, and is a pick for any small business using Quicken. This official guide pairs the software's capabilities with common small business concerns, offering details on how to create customized forms, track income and expenses, use debit reduction tools, and more. Learn how to plan for retirement and simplify tax preparation with this official guide: all that's required for adapting Quicken to a small business!

The End of Diversity As We Know It
Martin Davidson
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605093437, $34.95, www.bkconnection.com

The End of Diversity As We Know It: Why Diversity Efforts Fail and How Leveraging Difference Can Succeed stems from the author's conversation with a CEO client during a consultation and prompted his questioning of companies that claimed to 'do' diversity without designing the initiatives to adapt to a company's strategy. This title analyzes the ways in which traditional efforts fail to help business performance, and considers the failings of modern diversity training along with specific examples of how to identify differences relevant to organizational challenges and changes. Companies should welcome differences in lifestyles, viewpoints and more: this book tells how to use diversity as a new inspirational resource motivating true business innovation, and is a pick for any serious business library.

eBay for Dummies, 7th edition
Marsha Collier
John Wiley & Sons
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118098066, $24.99, www.wiley.com

The 'For Dummies' series offers outstanding in-depth picks that specialize in assuming no prior knowledge of subjects, and the 7th updated edition of eBay for Dummies is no exception to the rule. It stands out from other books covering eBay by providing keys to all the basics, from setting up an eBay account to finding bargains in the search engine, learning about sellers, and selling your own things. Everything from promoting sales with social media to opening an online store and handling taxes is included in this handy all-in-one guide!

There's Money Where Your Mouth Is, third edition
Elaine A. Clark
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, Suite 510, New York, NY 10010
1581158785, $24.95, www.allworth.com

Any performing arts or business collection will find There's Money Where Your Mouth Is: A Complete Insider's Guide to Earning Income and Building a Career in Voice-Overs appears in a third updated edition to join a relatively few other titles discussing the subject. Any who would break into the industry receive a guide that explains the demand for voiceover work, providing sample commercials and script copy as well as vocal exercises and self-promotion. From audiobook reading and producing demos to corporate narration and video games, There's Money Where Your Mouth Is covers a much wider market than most and this updated edition includes new tips on making a demo and advanced copy-reading strategies.

Entrepreneur Press
2445 McCabe Way Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614-6244
www.entrepreneurpress.com

Ivan Misner, PhD, et.al.'s BUSINESS NETWORKING AND SEX (NOT WHAT YOU THINK) (9781599184241, $21.95) explores the similarities and differences between the sexes and how these affect a business relationship and networking efforts. Both men and women will find this includes research backed by humor and case histories, ultimately showing how to build quality business networking contacts with both sexes. From different sex perspectives on networking's pros and cons to different expectations about the network process itself, Business Networking and Sex is a fine pick for any business holding. Dan S. Kennedy & Jeff Slutsky's NO B.S. GRASSROOTS MARKETING: THE ULTIMATE NO HOLDS BARRED - TAKE NO PRISONERS - GUIDE TO GROWING SALES AND PROFITS OF LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES (1599184397, $17.95) joins a professional teacher with a local-level marketing specialist to provide insights to local small business owners who are struggling with eroding profits from online competitors, big box stores, and more. It covers the basics of grassroots marketing, introduces the ideas of finding a solution somewhere between traditional and non-traditional marketing approaches, and shows how to key media with relationships and compatible objectives and perceptions. Most local marketing programs fail: here's what's needed to overcome the odds.

The First-Time Manager, sixth edition
Loren B. Belker, Jim McCormick, Gary Topchik
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
08144178306, $17.95, www.amacombooks.org

The First-Time Manager is a top recommendation for any business library and tells what novice managers can do to recognize pitfalls and problems, and to succeed. It covers the basics of hiring and firing, leadership, managing time and work teams, handling superiors and more and appears in a revised sixth edition including new material on employee engagement, encouraging innovation, and helping improve company success. Insights cover everything a manager will need to know and makes for an invaluable guide!

Smart Thinking
Art Markman, PhD
Perigee Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780399537226, $25.00, www.penguin.com

SMART THINKING: THREE ESSENTIAL KEYS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, INNOVATE, AND GET THINGS DONE offers an assessment of what qualities differentiate 'smart thinking' approaches from regular intelligence and shows how it can not only be learned, but applied to real-world issues. From developing smart habits that allow the acquisition and application of knowledge to understanding a formula for such success in all areas of life, from business to personal endeavors, SMART THINKING provides a high-quality survey for any business or general lending library.

Grow
Jim Stengel
Crown Business
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307720351, $27.50, www.crownbusiness.com

GROW: HOW IDEALS POWER GROWTH AND PROFIT AT THE WORLD'S GREATEST COMPANIES comes from the former global head of marketing of P&G Jim Stengel, who provides the latest research on why some businesses grow while others stagnate. It explores the findings of these studies, based on Stengel's global ten year growth study of over 50,000 brands, and explains how a typical business can realize and encourage ideals in all parts of business: ideals that directly lead to top- and bottom-line growth. The latest business research blends with neuroscience and analysis of consumer habits to provide business leaders with a concrete blueprint for business growth, and is a top pick for any business collection!


The Art Shelf

Living and Painting in a Changing New England
Loring A. Coleman (Hugh Fortmiller, Editor)
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953416, $65.00, www.hudsonhills.com

Over 50 paintings accompanies a fine autobiography of an artist whose sight failed, and who was told that after seven decades as an artist, he might never paint again. These paintings defy the diagnosis and accompany his insights on a fading New England, covering his adventures and travels as a motorcyclist and his many observations of New England's byways and roads. As a dual blend of autobiography and artistic insight, this packs in gorgeous full-page color photos and is a fine pick for any arts collection!

Typography Sketchbooks
Steven Heller and Lita Talarico
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781616890421, $40.00, www.papress.com

Typography Sketchbooks offers a glimpse into the world of type designers with a sketchbook and survey of designers who create typefaces and world images. It is a pick for collections already strong in typography art and who want a contemporary collection for readers interested in either hand or on-screen typography, offering a gathering of examples, innovations, and reflections on a changing art. A fine gathering for any arts holding interested in the art and creation of type.

Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge
Roman Dirge
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781845769390, $34.95, www.titanbooks.com

Roman Dirge's drawings are dark fantasies based on dreams, alcohol and other worlds and reflects both his love of taxidermy and oddities in life. This is the first collection of his works, and offer rare and previously unpublished pieces to accompany black and white and color panels of his art. TAXIDERMIED features big-eyed, strange girls and dark figures from nature: it emphasizes powerful scenes and unexpected twists and turns and is a top pick for fantasy and contemporary art collections alike.

Making It in the Art World
Brainard Crey
Allworth Press
307 West 36th St., 11th Floor, New York NY 10018
9781581158687, $19.95, www.allworth.com

Making It in the Art World: new Approaches to Galleries, Shows, and Raising Money shows how aspiring artists can break into the art world and comes from the author's experience getting their solo show into the Whitney Museum. They even got the Whitney to gave them, $10,000 to fund the show. Their approach is unusual but uses over twenty-five years of experience in the art world to provide artists with descriptions of how he and others achieved gallery placement and profitability. Methods range from using Kickstarter to raise funds to taking gallery curators out to tea and provide a wide range of details on how publicity and modern fundraising work. Any art library and many a business holding needs this!


The Needlecraft Shelf

Knitting Beyond the Edge
Nicky Epstein
SixthandSpring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301
New York, NY 10013
9781933027012, $29.95, www.sixth&springbooks.com

Knitting Beyond the Edge: The Essential Collection of Decorative Finishes provides the third in a series focusing solely on edging, and offers creative decorative finishes for all types of garments. From cuffs and collars to closures, this focuses on a range of techniques for creating all kinds of garments, and accompanies lovely color photos with fine step-by-step surveys of embellishment processes. A top pick for any needlework collection!

Accent on Angles
Susan Purney Mark
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604680416, $22.99, www.martingale-pub.com

Accent on Angles: Easy Strip-Set Quilts comes from a designer who makes use of strip sets and angled cuts in nine projects, offering innovative keys to using blocks and strips in new ways. From enhancing a design with raw-edge applique to using subtly shaded fabrics, this offers fine step-by-step insights on how to create a different set of angles and results with little complexity and only minor adjustments in technique. Any quilting collection will appreciate this approach!

Scrap-O-Lator Quilts & More
Dianne Springer
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600155, $19.95, www.AmericanQuilter.com

Scrap-O-Lator Quilts & More teaches how to use quilting scraps to make small quilts, placemats, toys and more, and is a fine choice for any avid quilter who seeks a guide to using up quilting scraps. From folding chairs and rugs to bathroom accessories, this outlines a wealth of projects that utilize a scrap stash and build fun projects from bits and pieces. Any quilter or needleworker seeking to use a stash's bits and pieces will find this an inspirational guide fueled by step-by-step projects!

Custom Crocheted Sweaters
Dora Ohrenstein
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781600597985, $22.95, www.larkcrafts.com

CUSTOM CROCHETED SWEATERS; MAKE GARMENTS THAT REALLY FIT provides a fine survey of sweater designs that uses 10 projects to teach fitted crochet techniques. From dropped-shoulder to fitted sleeves and yokes, this teaches the basics of taking accurate body measurements and altering patterns to fit properly. Many crochet titles don't address this subject, which is why CUSTOM CROCHETED SWEATERS stands out from the crowd!

Utility Quilting
Carolyn Forster
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726142, $27.95, www.landauercorp.com

UTILITY QUILTING: SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR QUICK HAND QUILTING provides an outstanding survey for modern quilters who want to quilt by hand using a stress free, quick and easy method. It provides 25 favorite designs, stitches and knots and teaches techniques with large photos and step-by-step directions, offering 10 quilt projects that demonstrate these applications. From tacking and basting ideas to step-by-step color photos and illustrations, the depth and detail allow quilters to absorb and apply new techniques, making this a strong recommendation for newcomers and advanced quilters alike!


The Audiobook Shelf

One on One
John Feinstein
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781611135657, $29.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

One on One: Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game receives a fine narration by David De Vries, an award-winning actor and voice artist who has narrated dozens of audiobooks, and provides a fine account of encounters with the great figures in the sport. John Feinstein has met dozens of the great players and here captures their achievements, personalities, and more, presenting scores, game night experiences, and beyond. Any interested in coaching and sports will find this an outstanding survey!

Random House Audio
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouseaudio.com

Jim Stengel's GROW (9780307944153, $35.00) receives a fine reading by Marc Cashman, named one of the 'Best Voices of the Year', who spices and enhances an account of a ten-year growth study featuring 50,000 brands. Jim Stengel shows how the world's fifty best businesses connect financial performance to human emotion and values for growth, and is based on empirical business research. Any nonfiction business audio collection will find the combination of spirited reading and business and psychology insights to be fascinating listening. Richard Bonin's ARROWS OF THE NIGHT: AHMAD CHALABI'S LONG JOURNEY TO TRIUMPH IN IRAQ (9780307940698, $40.00) receives a vivid reading by Kaleo Griffith who brings to life the story of a man dedicated to returning his once wealthy family back to prominence in a changed Iraq. His journey home would require the cooperation of both Iran and its enemy the U.S. as his autobiography traces an exile's effort to change his homeland and return to Iraq. The vivid account will be celebrated by any with an interested in Middle East experiences.

This I Believe: Life Lessons
Dan Gediman, Editor
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781611745597, $22.95, www.highbridgeaudio.com

THIS I BELIEVE: LIVE LESSONS is edited by Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Mary Jo Gediman, and comes from a popular radio series describing the core belief and guiding principles by which Americans live. The collection here springs to life in audio, offering original radio essays read by the authors and providing first-person reflections form all walks of life. Their descriptions of important lessons learned over a lifetime makes for an inviting, detailed listen recommended for any inspirational audio library.

Worm
Mark Bowden
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781455825226, $29.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

WORM: THE FIRST DIGITAL WORLD WAR is performed by veteran narrator Christopher Lane and tells of cybersecurity experts who faced a rapid computer infection of unprecedented magnitude. The U.S. government was only vaguely aware of Conficker, a worm that posed a threat to the entire Internet community, and this title considers the efforts to locate and lock down the worm in the face of online chaos. It all comes to vivid life in WORM and makes for a top listen for any computer or audio nonfiction collection. THE THROAT by Peter Straub (9781455829910, $29.99) provides a close to his Blue Rose Trilogy and is recommended listening for any who have enjoyed the other novels. Patrick Lawlor, a classically trained stage actor with nearly two hundred audio narrations to his name, brings the conclusion to life as it winds through the presence of a copycat killer who threatens Tim's own wife.


The American History Shelf

Righteous Violence
Larry J. Reynolds
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens GA 30602-4901
9780820341408, $24.95, www.ugapress.org

RIGHTEOUS VIOLENCE: REVOLUTION, SLAVERY, AND THE AMERICAN RENAISSANCE provides college-level American history and literary collections with a study key to understanding the American Renaissance, using the writings of Fuller, Emerson, Douglass, Thoreau and three others to show how these key writers responded to slavery and the Civil War. It considers their responses to political violence and change, offering a close examination of the moral and social perspectives of each other and the writings which they produced to influence different perspectives. Any title strong in early American political history will find this a fine survey!

Uneasy Allies
David A. Zonderman
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498662, $28.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

UNEASY ALLIES: WORKING FOR LABOR REFORM IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY BOSTON offers college-level readers a fine guide analyzing what motivated workers in the early 1830s to work together, considering the social, political and economic pressures that brought them together and tore them apart. It considers the changing alliances of the times and how workers learned about social change in the course of early labor associations, and it comes from a history professor who provides a fine survey for any interested in American labor law and history.

Alaska: A History
Claus-M Naske and Herman E. Slotnick
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806140407, $39.95, www.oupress.com

Alaska: A History offers a fine survey of Alaska's history and pairs discussions of its geography and Natives with insights on the influence of the Russians and their occupation, Alaska's addition to mainland America, and how it finally earned a place in the country's interests when gold was discovered there. This chronological history of the region and state's history offers plenty of political, economic, social and cultural insights and is a 'must' for any America history holding at either the high school or college level. It provides the depth and details any will require to thoroughly understand Alaska's place in the United States.

The Partnership
Philip Taubman
Harper
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061744006, $29.99, www.harpercollins.com

THE PARTNERSHIP: FIVE COLD WARRIORS AND THEIR QUEST TO BAN THE BOMB covers the nuclear disarmament initiative launched by five men from different political sides, each originally involved in developing the U.S. nuclear arsenal. These five men are concerned about nuclear terrorism: enough so that they've changed direction and are working to end the weapons program their work developed. Philip Taubman considers their allegiance and tells of their campaign to ultimately eliminate nuclear weapons, and pairs biographies with history in an outstanding, well-researched survey recommended for any collection strong in nuclear issues.

Roger Williams and the Creation of The American Soul
John M. Barry
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670023059, $35.00, www.penguin.com

Roger Williams and the Creation of The American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty comes from an award-winning writer who considers the major differences that have divided America: the relationship between church and state and individual freedoms versus state powers. It provides insights into the origins of these conflicts with a focus on the English Civil War and Puritan America, using the story of pioneer Roger Williams and his battle for religious freedom to examine the roots of American beliefs on civil liberties. Williams operated in two worlds: in England and as a colonist in America. This provides a moving, powerful survey of these worlds, their intersecting histories, and his influence on both, and is a pick for any serious American history holding.

Lost Kingdom
Julia Flynn Sifer
Atlantic Monthly Press
841 Broadway, New York NY 10003
9780802120014, $30.00, www.groveatlantic.com

LOST KINGDOM: HAWAII'S LAST QUEEN, THE SUGAR KINGS, AND AMERICA'S FIRST IMPERIAL ADVENTURE is a lively survey of Hawaiian history and is a 'must' for any American history and many a general-interest library. It offers a survey that considers the discovery of the kingdom, an isolated island paradise that remained isolated until the latter part of the 18th century, when Captain Cook began the first in many conflicts between an expanding American empire and the Polynesian island kingdom. A series of encounters with the West would change their world forever, presented in this gripping history which is hard to put down and recommended for all kinds of libraries.


The World History Shelf

After the Fall
Walter Laqueur
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
978125000088, $26.99, www.stmartins.com

AFTER THE FALL THE END OF THE EUROPEAN DREAM AND THE DECLINE OF A CONTINENT comes from a historian who predicted Europe's current crisis six years ago. Here he continues the discussion, analyzing how Europe is at a crossroads and the elements that will affect its future path. Chapters discuss the European Union's various options, its choices and challenges, and its relationships with the rest of the world in a discussion of why Europe is having such difficulties at the moment. European history and culture holdings, in particular, will find this a solid pick.

Haiti: The Aftershocks of History
Laurent Dubois
Metropolitan Books
c/o Henry Holt
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780805093353, $32.00, www.hholt.com

Haiti: The Aftershocks of History explores Haiti's history and current affairs and offers a fine survey showing how much of the country's history has been changed by the United States, which deliberately excluded it from the Monroe Doctrine, then invaded it in 1951. The motivations of racist Western nations and their lasting impact on Haiti's politics, history and culture are told in a lively survey that uses the works of historians, anthropologists, and political scientists to closely consider a nation that rarely receives its own focus.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

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

Etienne Cote, et.al.'s FELINE CARDIOLOGY (9780813812427, $149.99) is the first book devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in cats, and is designed for clinical reference. Four internationally recognized authors offer discussions of the latest research and applications in daily veterinary practice, surveying recognition and management of cardiovascular diseases in cats and covering approaches for treatment. Add information not easily located elsewhere, such as anesthesia of suspected heart patients and drug applications, and you have a powerful veterinary reference recommended for practicing vets and vet students alike! Kurt A. Grimm, William J. Tranquilli and Leigh A. Lamont's ESSENTIALS OF SMALL ANIMAL ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA, 2ND EDITION (9780813812366, $69.99) presents the basics of managing small animal anesthesia patients in a clinical setting, and is arranged as a quick reference. This edition has been logically reorganized with a new structure and increased focus on pain management, offering new chapters on equipment and managing conditions. The classic Lamb and Jones' Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia is distilled unto quick usable form but with references to Lamb and Jones. New chapters and complete revisions make this a classic. Carlos A. Risco and Pedro Melendez Retamal's DAIRY PRODUCTION MEDICINE (9780813815398, $124.99) presents an in-depth survey of the production of livestock and quality milk and presents research on medicine, nutrition, genetics, and economics alike. The entire range of concerns involving milk production is presented in a book that considers different specialties of veterinary medicine and dairy cattle production, providing the latest information on all developments in the field. Any agriculture or large-animal vet's collection will find this a solid reference presented by experts. INVERTEBRATE MEDICINE by Greg Lewbart (9780813817583, $164.99) appears in its second updated edition to offer a complete update to the previous coverage of invertebrate husbandry and veterinary care. The latest details on medicine advances and clinical conditions are provided in chapters organized by taxonomy covering sponges, corals, crabs, and more. Zoo vets, lab animal professionals and any technical reference collection catering to them will find this essential. Also key to any practice is Christopher L. Norkus' VETERINARY TECHNICIAN'S MANUAL FOR SMALL ANIMAL EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE (9780813810577, $59.99), providing vets with a quick yet detailed reference on emergency and critical care medicine. From initial patient assessment and triage to stabilization processes, monitoring, and resuscitation, this covers specific conditions organized by section for quick reference, comes from leading vet specialists in critical care, and includes access to a companion website featuring case studies, images and review questions.


The Education Shelf

Teaching Children Gymnastics, third edition
Peter H. Werner, Lori H. Williams, Tina J. Hall
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
1450410928, $35.00, www.humankinetics.com

The third updated edition of Teaching Children Gymnastics helps teach kids skills in traveling, statics and rotation and provides specific material on scope and sequence for grades K to 5. Teachers benefit from the tips of three authors with national and international gymnastics expertise and receive newly updated material on everything from inclusion and behavior management to teaching and assessing fitness. Real-life scenarios, summaries and questions complete this basic guide.

The Early Sprouts Cookbook
Karrie Kalich, Lynn Arnold, Carole Russell
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul MN 55117-1065
9781605540429, $29.95, www.redleafpress.org

The Early Sprouts Cookbook is a fine pick for any concerned with early childhood nutrition, from daycare providers to early childhood teachers and parents. It packs in recipes for nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack dishes small kids will approve of and love - recipes that contribute to better diets. From recommended nutrition guidelines for young kids to an approach that incorporate the latest USDA and CACFP guidelines, this offers tips on working with families and kids to provide better nutrition, and is a top pick for any early childhood educator.

CompTIA Security+ SY0-301 Authorized Practice Questions Exam Cram, 3rd edition
Diane Barrett
Pearson Education
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789748282, $34.99, www.pearsonITcerticification.com

Any potential IT professional cramming for the CompTIA Security+SY0-301 exam will find this offers practice questions and all of the approaches needed to pass the exam the first time. It comes with a complimentary CD with over 800 practice questions supported by complete explanations of all answers and covers everything from network security to access control and cryptography. The Quick-Check Answer System helps learners find answers to questions while a Cram Sheet includes tips and keys for jogging memory. A 'must' for any studying for the exam.

The Art of Slow Reading
Thomas Newkirk
Heinemann
PO Box 6926, Portsmouth, NH 03802-6926
0325037310, $25.00, www.heinemann.com

The Art of Slow Reading: Six Time-Honored Practices for Engagement teaches a different kind of literacy: one based on slow absorption that links reading to life-changing experiences. The basics of developing critical thinking processes are promoted in the context of developing slow, thoughtful reading habits in students. Chapters consider everything from writing to reading aloud and provide proven techniques for engagement. Any educator's collection needs this!

NCLEX-RN Strategies, Practice, and Review
Barbara J. Irwin and Judith A. Burckhardt
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th floor, New York, NY 10006
9781607148777, $34.99, www.kaplanpublishing.com

Any preparing to take the NCLEX-RN exam will find the updated 2011-12 NCLEX-RN Strategies, Practice, and Review to be a 'must have' in the arsenal of review strategies. It provides two practice tests, answers over 600 exam-style questions, and offers new access to an online course with a Kaplan instructor, plus more practice online. An accompanying CD-ROM includes a computer-based practice test, detailed explanations of answers, and a disc that works with either Mac or Windows. A top, recommended 'must have' for any student of the exam!

Teach Like a Champion Field Guide
Doug Lemov
Jossey-Bass/Wiley
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9781118116821, $32.95, www.josseybass.com

Teach Like a Champion Field Guide: A Practical Resource to Make the 49 Techniques Your Own is for teachers of grades K-12 and offers a survey of 49 techniques key to teaching. Activities here are designed to help teachers reflect and self-assess their techniques and effectiveness, allow them to compare strategies, and provide keys to motivating students. It comes from a K-12 administrator and professional development trainer and is a top pick for any teacher's collection.

Math Exchanges
Kassia Omohundro Wedekind
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571108265, $24.00, www.stenhouse.com

Small math-group instruction has been long used as a format for teaching children who struggle with math: in this title math coach Kassia Wedekind uses such instruction as the basis of her math workshop approach for all, offering keys to setting up short, focused sessions that address the math needs of a range of students. Her title is filled with tested theories and directed for practicing teachers who want to set up their own successful math exchange workshops, and is a fine pick for any education collection.

AP Calculus
David Bock, MS & Shirley Hockett, MA
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764146930, $18.99, www.barronseduc.com

AP CALCULUS provides a proven strategy for taking tests and offers four full-length model Calculus AB tests and four model BC tests that mirror the actual AP tests in length, types of questions, and difficulty. An accompanying outline provides the five key concepts central to AP exam success, while study tips, a review of test topics, and tips on using the calculator more effectively provides students with the opportunity to pinpoint and correct weaknesses in comprehension and test-taking skills. Any studying for the AP Calculus exam needs this comprehensive survey!

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

Joe Crawford's ALIGNING YOUR CURRICULUM TO THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS (9781452216478, $25.95) addresses the upcoming problem of simplifying and implementing the new Common Core State Standards by 2014, and shares the author's proven process for building a local curriculum based on these new standards. From developing a system for connecting different assessments and objectives to understanding how CCSS currently works in the real world, this is packed with guidelines suitable for any education collection. Lynne Schrum edits EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY FOR SCHOOL LEADERS (9781452217277, $27.95) which joins others in the 'Best of Corwin' series showcasing key chapters from various Corwin publications. This focus offers tips and strategies from real-world applications on developing educator policies for technology, comes packed with case history examples and sidebars of information, and teaches schools how to handle change and the rules of the new knowledge community. Jennifer Booker Madigan and Georganne Schroth-Cavataio's MENTORSHIP OF SPECIAL EDUCATORS (9781452202884, $31.95) provides a powerful guide to mentoring and is a pick for any special education collection. It tells how to attract, retain and support special educators and provides research-based tools that can be used within the regular and diverse classroom alike. Chapters cover everything from mentoring strategies specific to special education to collaborating with parents and helping students transition. A fine guide packed with keys to success! SAFE AND PEACEFUL SCHOOLS: ADDRESSING CONFLICT AND ELIMINATING VIOLENCE by John Winslade and Michael Williams (9781412986755, $36.95) discusses modes of practice for constructing peaceful interactions, from peer mediation and circle conversations to uncovering bullying, developing teams to combat violence, and teaching students how to handle violence constructively. From vignettes and sample activities to agendas and charts, chapters offer a range of ideas for encouraging peaceful interactions in school. Ron Nash's FROM SEATWORK TO FEETWORK: ENGAGING STUDENTS IN THEIR OWN LEARNING (9781412997942, $26.95) shows teachers how to create a student-centered environment that transforms learners from passive attendees into active participants and classroom leaders. It combines the author's classroom experience with the latest brain-based research on movement, memory and learning and is packed with real-world strategies teachers will appreciate. Cara F. Shores edits THE BEST OF CORWIN: RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (9781452217413, $27.95), which profiles key chapters from acclaimed Corwin publications by topic. This includes many invaluable chapters and topics, from determining applications of research-based intervention models to RTI leadership, using progress monitoring data, and much more. An invaluable, top pick for any educator's library! Marcia L. Tate's SOCIAL STUDIES WORKSHEETS DON'T GROW DENDRITES (9781412998757, $36.95) provides a fine survey from a teacher who brings her unique 'dendrite-growing' teaching strategies to educators in a collection of methods for engaging K-12 students in social studies. These aren't theories but classroom-proven strategies that provide over 200 grade-level activities for applying them. Teachers learn how to use visual, auditory and kinesthetic methods for building experiences that maximize understanding and retention.


The Social Issues Shelf

Ideas That Matter
A.C. Grayling
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465025213, $18.99, www.basicbooks.com

Ideas That Matter: The Concepts That Shape the 21st Century comes from a philosopher who maintains that ideas drive history forward and understanding their nature is key to citizens creating a better world. It offers his personal review of the key ideas that shape our world, from science and ethics to general subjects concerning the future, war, and romance. It embraces politics, social issues, philosophy, religion and science equally and considers how ideas translate to possibilities of past and future learning. Any general reader interested in the creation and advancement of ideas will find this a winner.

Blue Collar Intellectuals
Daniel J. Flynn
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road, Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
9781610170208, $27.95, www.isibooks.org

Blue Collar Intellectuals: When the Enlightened and the Everyman Elevated America provides a fine social history of a time in the 20th century when everyone aspired to high culture and when intellectuals spoke with everyone. These were thinkers from working-class backgrounds who provided intellectual works to a mass audience, and this book focuses on the individuals and works that circulated among the general population during this time. Any college-level social history or issues collection will find this thought-provoking!

Between Terror and Tolerance
Timothy D. Sisk, Editor
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589017825, $32.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Between Terror and Tolerance: Religious Leaders, Conflict, and Peacemaking provides college-level readers with a fine collection offering chapters discussing links between religion, nationalism and intolerance, offering country case studies of social divisions and conflicts brought about by religious doctrine. These selected cases show how religious leaders interpret their doctrines and affect human rights issues, ameliorate or mediate conflict, and more, and offer inspections of policies and programs by organizations that embrace religious leaders as keys to solving social ills. Any college-level course in politics, social and religious connections will find this a winning, detailed discussion.

Shit Matters
Lyla Mehta and Synne Movik, Editors
Practical Action Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Dr., Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781853396922, $39.95, www.styluspub.com

SHIT MATTERS: THE POTENTIAL OF COMMUNITY-LED TOTAL SANITATION covers the CLTS sanitation program which originated in rural Bangladesh in 2000 and which offers a focus on change through participatory techniques. It uses the Bangladesh research and experiences throughout Asia and Africa to cover changes in sanitation policy and practice, provides articles by leading scholars and practitioners, and assesses lessons in sanitation policy and field applications. College-level collections strong in sociology, sanitation, and health will all find this a fine collection documenting successes and issues involving poverty and sustainability.

Narratives of Citizenship
Aloys N.M. Fleischmann, et.al., Editors
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, University of Alberta
Edmonton AB Canada T6G 2E1
9780888645180, $39.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

Narratives of Citizenship: Indigenous and Diasporic Peoples Unsettle the Nation-State provides thirteen essays considering cultural arts and products that represent concepts of citizenship as a narrative construct in Canada and beyond. The writers use indigenous and diasporic works along with mass media depictions of such peoples to consider the political and cultural notion of citizenship, and provide scholarly, in-depth examinations suitable for college-level collections strong in issues of immigration, citizenship, and cultural perspective.

The Corporate Whistleblower's Survival Guide
Government Accountability Project
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605099866, $19.95, www.bkpub.com

The Corporate Whistleblower's Survival Guide considers the ethics, actions, and processes that whistleblowers go through in reporting abuses, and is the first book to help these whistleblowers develop proactive strategies to survive. It covers making the right decisions, finding allies, and how to handle retaliation methods, offers legal insights on legal rights, and provides details on fellow whistleblowers through the 2010 health and financial reform and food safety legislation worlds. New legislation and protections are discussed also, making this a pick for any social issues collection as well as many a general lending library.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Making the Transformational Moment in Film
Dan Fleming
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781615930609, $29.95, www.mwp.com

Making the Transformational Moment in Film: Unleashing the Power of the Image takes key moments in the films of Vincent Ward (primarily) and some others and uses them to illuminate the process of capturing that moment in unexpected ways, making this a top reference for aspiring filmmakers and collections catering to them. Chapters consider how visual composition, narrative, characterization and plot elements come together in an 'aha!' moment key to the film's progression and effectiveness, using visual examples to capture Ward's visionary productions and to analyze why they stand out from the crowd. Film technique and theory blend with real-world analysis in a fine guide pairing hundreds of film images with close inspection. This is not about Ward's films so much as about the techniques he employs, most successfully, to make them winners. Any film student will find this enlightening and powerful!


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Between Their Worlds
Barb & J.C. Hendee
Roc
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451464354, $26.95, www.penguin.com

Between Their Worlds continues the Noble Dead saga and tells of the expected return of dhampir (half-vampire) Magiere and half-elf Leesil. They've come from Wynn, but she can't leave with them: she needs to access ancient texts to complete her location of the last two orbs sought by the Ancient Enemy - but she's also a prisoner in her pursuit. Fast-packed action, confrontations, and the overriding pursuit of two keys to lasting peace - or war - keep this a strong fantasy especially recommended for prior readers of the Noble Dead scenario.

Sisterhood of Dune
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765322739, $27.99, www.tor-forge.com

Any fan of the prior DUNE sagas will welcome the new arrival of another approach to the series: one that is set over eighty years after the last of the thinking machines were destroyed in the Battle of Corrin, when the radical Butlerian movement opposes computer technology and a fierce leader is determined to eradicate machines from the planet. Meanwhile the first reverend Mother and head of the Sisterhood's school keeps a dangerous secret as political struggle brews across society. This is first in a projected new trilogy set in the early foundations of the Dune Universe and is a 'must' for followers of the series.

The Ninth Circle
R.M. Meluch
DAW Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780756406943, $24.95, www.dawbooks.com

The Ninth Circle provides a fine novel of the USS Merrimack and the fifth installment in the Merrimack series, and is especially recommended for those with prior familiarity with the story. Earth's space forces are affected when alien invaders are discovered by an expedition to Zoe. The trouble is - the Ninth Circle and the palatine Empire have also discovered Zoe - and everyone is bent on exploiting its unique attributes. Military sci-fi at its best comes to life in this addition to the formidable Merrimack stories, recommended for any science fiction holding.

Captain Nemo
Kevin J. Anderson
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857683427, $12.95, www.titanbooks.com

CAPTAIN NEMO: THE FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF A DARK GENIUS is a top recommendation for any who enjoy Jules Verne-style action. Adventurer Nemo here circles the globe, discovering lost cities, the hidden land at the center of the earth, and more. Struggles against pirates, slavers and more lead him to become captain of the futuristic vessel the Nautilus in this gripping adventure, highly recommended for any who enjoy swashbuckling futuristic stories.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Disabilities Sourcebook, second edition
Amy L. Sutton, Editor
Omnigraphics
155 W. Congress Suite 200, Detroit, MI 48226
9780780812222, $95.00, www.omnigraphics.com

The second updated edition of DISABILITIES SOURCEBOOK offers people with disabilities and caregivers a fine survey of all kinds of issues, from cognitive problems to physical issues caused by chronic illness, injury and trauma. Chapters survey different options for assistive technology and mobility aids as well as therapies that promote independence. Chapters also survey pain management, exercise and more.

The Journal of Best Practices
David Finch
Scribner
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439189719, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband tells of one woman's 200-question analysis that diagnosed him with Asperger Syndrome. With this diagnosis came not only new insights behind his repetitive behaviors and focus on different topics but new challenges on how to live with the syndrome. The couple's marriage was in crisis, but they both decided to fix what was broken, and JOURNAL OF BEST PRACTICES comes from the author's own notes on his behaviors and how to change them. Any collection strong in Asperger's Syndrome will find this a powerful survey.

Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
www.basicbooks.com

Jeanne Safer, PhD's CAIN'S LEGACY: LIBERATING SIBLINGS FROM A LIFETIME OF RAGE, SHAME, SECRECY AND REGRET (9780465019403, $25.99) tells of the serious sibling strife affecting many adult relationships. It comes from a sibling expert who uses nearly forty years of experience treating siblings to explain why brothers and sisters who fail to confront childhood hurts drift apart or become permanently estranged as adults. Case studies and interviews blend with insights from the author's own psychotherapy practice in this powerful guide, recommended for any general-interest or psychology collection. Eric Topol, MD's THE CREATIVE DESTRUCTION OF MEDICINE: HOW THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION WILL CREATE BETTER HEALTH CARE (9780465025503, $27.99) offers insights into the digital future of medicine and how it will change physicians and patients alike. Chapters survey cloud computing, social networking, advanced imaging and more with an eye to showing how digital medical fields are already changing how patients and physicians interact. New technology and the development of treatments based on the population over the individual make for an involving discussion of the practices and ethics of the new digital world.

Dirty Minds
Kayt Sukel
Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451611557, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

DIRTY MINDS: HOW OUR BRAINS INFLUENCE LOVE, SEX, AND RELATIONSHIPS analyzes the latest research in the sciences and health fields to offer connections between this research and why we do what we do when we're in love. It offers a new perspective on brain research, considering love addiction, risks in relationships, the neurobiology of attraction, and more, pairing humor with a range of concerns relating to romance. General-interest libraries will find this an inviting acquisition pairing science with a lively discussion suitable for lay readers.

The Wisdom of Menopause
Christiane Northrup, MD
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780553386721, $22.00, www.bantamdell.com

The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health During the Change provides a fine bible for middle-aged women with questions on sex and health in mid- to later life. A new section on sex after fifty, updated mammogram guidelines, and strategies to combat osteoporosis for life offer the latest research in a newly revised, updated title recommended for any general lending library where women's health is of interest.

Push
Chalene Johnson
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9781609613334, $26.99, www.rodalebooks.com

PUSH: 30 DAYS TO TURBOCHARGED HABITS, A BANGIN' BODY, AND THE LIFE YOU DESERVE comes from the creator of the popular TurboJam and TurboFire programs, which have resulted in her personal fitness 'empire, and is her first book. Her expertise translates well to a 30-day system that will help develop new habits resulting in weight loss. From pinpointing PUSH goals to cultivating new habits to make lasting changes and finding a 'soul-mate workout' that gets you excited about exercising, this is packed with insights and perfect for any exercise library.

Chair Yoga
Edeltraud Rohnfeld
Singing Dragon
400 Market St. #400, Philadelphia PA 19106
9781848190788, $19.95, www.singingdragon.com

CHAIR YOGA: SEATED EXERCISES FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING provides some 90 easy exercises that have been specially developed to include those with limited mobility, helping this stand out from the crowd of exercise guides that assume full functioning. Clear directions offer keys to routines that don't require prior knowledge of yoga or exercise, with movements accompanied by explanations of their benefits. Yoga teachers who want to blend chair yoga into their classes as well as those who want an at-home problem accommodating limited mobility will find this a top pick from a qualified yoga teacher.

Anatomy 360 Degrees
Dr. Jamie Roebuck
Thunder Bay Press
10350 Barnes Canyon Road, San Diego, CA 92121
1607102137, $39.95, www.thunderbaybooks.com

Anatomy 360 Degrees: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Human Body provides an oversized, full-color 3-D reference for the human body and provides the latest technology on anatomical details, with cross-sections and full rotations showing a 360 degree view of the human body. The latest facts on health and disease are included but the book's amazing anatomical structures are the heart of a color reference that excels in detail and large-sized presentations. There are other references on the topic - but none hold this title's structure, color, and detail - making it a 'must' for any library seeking a comprehensive anatomical reference holding appeal for all kinds of readers.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Groundwater Management Practices
A.N. Findikakis and K. Sato
CRC Press
6000 Broken Sound Pkwy, NW #300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9780415619875, $159.95 www.crcpress.com

Groundwater Management Practices is a recommendation for any college-level collection strong in resource management, and offers contributions by experts from several countries who describe different groundwater management practices that work for them. Chapters discuss past and present practices, the legal and regulatory issues affecting groundwater management in Asia, Europe and the U.S., and provide analysis of concerns relating to local aquifers, water quality and geologic influences on water safety and resources. Charts, graphs and black and white photos pepper a scholarly analysis perfect for any collection strong in environmental engineering and resource allocation.


The California Shelf

Rancho Mirage
Leo A. Mallette
Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
0738575011, $21.99, www.arcadiapublishing.com

Rancho Mirage joins other 'Images of America' visual histories to celebrate the founding and growth of a town located in Southern California between Palm Springs and Palm Desert. It documents the discovery of water in the region's notoriously dry area, how date farms and ranchos developed as a result, and how these early farming communities evolved into desert residential communities with a focus on golfing attractions. Photos here come from individuals, organizations, country club files and the City of Rancho Mirage and make for an outstanding history perfect for any Southern California history holding!

Under the Big Black Sun
Paul Schimmel, et.al., Editors
Prestel
575 Prospect St. #301, Lakewood NJ 08701
9783791351391, $60.00, www.prestel.com

Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981 is a top pick for any California collection strong in California artists. It documents art in California during a particularly volatile social and political environment, offering essays by leading curators, artists, and critics who explore the evolution of pluralist art movements in the state at the time. From gender issues to politics and war, social concerns are explored in relation to the artistic trends of the time in a top survey. The majority of the pieces and presentations focus on Southern California culture, making this especially recommended for any Southern California collection.

The Creaky Knees Guide Northern California
Ann Marie Brown
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main St., Suite 400, Seattle WA 98104
9781570617416, $18.95, www.sasquatchbooks.com

The Creaky Knees Guide Northern California: The 80 Best Easy Hikes offers a fine hiking guide filled with easy-to-walk hikes throughout Northern California, and will prove a special pick for seniors, families with kids, or anyone who wants to enjoy nature without intense hiking. From elevation gains to the latest driving directions and easy ratings of each hike's difficulty, this is filled with recommendations that offer easy access.


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

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


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