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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 20, Number 8 August 2010 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Library Science Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
World History Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Fiction Shelf Education Shelf
Psychology Shelf Gardening Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Art Shelf Cookbook Shelf Poetry Shelf
Nautical Shelf Criminology Shelf Biography Shelf
American History Shelf Library CD Music Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Gaming Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Photography Shelf
Travel Shelf Native American Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Civil War Shelf Science Shelf Crafts Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Self-Help Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Martial Arts Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf
International Studies Shelf Automotive Shelf Literary Shelf
Music Shelf Sports Shelf Computer Shelf
Military Shelf Architecture Shelf Language Studies Shelf
Business Shelf Folklore/Mythology Shelf Real Estate Shelf
Agriculture Shelf Railroading Shelf Parenting Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Economics Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast
Elinor DeWire
Paradise Cay Publications, Inc.
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837861, $19.95, www.paracay.com

The lighthouse is an icon that has fascinated many over the years. "Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast: California, Oregon, and Washington" is a DeWire Guide acting as a guide to sixty four light houses along the Pacific coast of America, filled with historical stories of men and women living at these light houses and the experiences they faced. For anyone with a fascination of light houses, "Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast" is a fine collection, not to be missed.

Death for Beginners
Karen Jones
Quill Driver Books
2006 S. Mary Street, Fresno, CA 93721
9781884995613, $12.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

Death has an annoying habit of sneaking up on you. "Death for Beginners: Your No-Nonsense, Money Saving Guide to Planning for the Inevitable" is a both useful and tongue and cheek guide to the final event of one's life, outlining how to plan and be prepared for the unexpected to avoid the endless legalities and annoyances that often come with a recent passing. Complete and comprehensive, "Death for Beginners" is a top pick for anyone who wants to spare their loved one's paperwork when they want it the least.

Contact! A Book of Encounters
Jan Morris
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393076400, $23.95 www.wwnorton.com

Contact! A Book of Encounters offers moments of prose that capture moments of travel encounters in a paragraph or two. From Harry Truman to an Indian civil servant and an Egyptian beggar, any interested in either travel or the human condition will find this a fine survey of Jan Morris' many encounters on the path to exploring world cultures. Any who have enjoyed her nonfiction will relish this!

Manual for Living: Reality
Seth David Chernoff
Spirit Scope Publishing
6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 370-249, Boulder, CO 80301
9780984093090, $15.95 www.spiritscope.com

Manual for Living: Reality: A User's Guide to the Meaning of Life offers a fine survey of wisdom and guidance to finding lasting happiness, learning how to fully experience life, and reconnecting with inner truths. It offers a new vision of what it means to be a peaceful, Godly person and tackles the hard topics of death, illness, fear, and toxic environmental influences. Highly recommended as an empowering, top pick for changing personal reality.

The Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Discovery Book
Laurens Valk
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Street, #250, San Francisco, CO 94107
9781593272111, $29.95 www.nostarch.com

The Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Discovery Book provides a fine beginner's guide to MINDSTORMS, offering clear instructions on how to use the NXT 2.0 software to build and program your own robots. Step-by-step tutorials survey complex robots and advanced programming techniques, making this a top pick for anyone new to building and programming with Mindstorms.

Collecting Rocks, Gems, and Minerals
Patti Polk
Krause Publications
701 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
1440204152, $17.99 www.krausebooks.com

Collecting Rocks, Gems, and Minerals is designed with beginners in mind and packed with valuable technical information for collectors. It offers an easily-used reference format arranged by category and color of stone and covers lapidary and mineral materials, along with organics form coral to pearl. Any collector will appreciate over 600 color photos and many basic, key references to the gem and mineral world!

My New iPad
Wallace Wang
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
9781593272753, $24.95, www.nostarch.com

The iPad is a new technology that has taken much of the world by storm with its utility. "My New iPad: A User's Guide" is a guide to the many details and nuances of Apple's brand new iPad, Apple's newest technological innovation, placing a personal computer and organizer into a format of an easy to carry around pad. From everything from using Microsoft files to cosmetic edits to using the pad for entertainment, "My New iPad" is a strong pick for anyone who wants to use their new toy to its fullest.

Enjoying Big Bend National Park
Gary Clark
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781603441018, $17.95, www.tamu.edu/upress

Big Bend National Park is one of America's places of great natural beauty. "Enjoying Big Bend National Park: A Friendly Guide to Adventures for Everyone" is a guide for planning a trip to this national park for readers of all backgrounds, regardless of their age or health. Big Bend has many things to attract tourists, and author Gary Clark thoroughly describes the park's many features. "Enjoying Big Bend National Park" is a top pick for nature tourists.

The Sierra Nevada Before History
Louise A. Jackson
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425679 $15.00 www.mountain-press.com

The Sierra Nevada Before History: Ancient Landscapes, Early Peoples is a solid study and presentation of California's Sierra Nevada prior to written historical records. Chapters cover the land's geology, climate, vegetation, animals, and human settlement, with specific focus on the Tubatulabal, the Yokuts, the Western Monache, the Sierra Miwok, the Yosemite, and the Paiute. Black-and-white photographs on almost every other page illustrate this enthralling, reader-friendly tour of a rugged and wild land's prehistory. "The soil in the High Sierra was salt-poor and the streams were low in minerals, so animals that preferred the highlands had to adapt. Some rodents, such as the chickaree, or red squirrel, that were normally vegetarian ate meat in the highest regions in order to obtain sufficient salt. Other animals and birds searched out fire ashes or mud at mineral springs to satisfy their cravings."

Creating Special Events
Lee J. deLisle
Sagamore Publishing
1807 N. Federal Drive, Urbana, IL 61801-1051
9781571675255, $59.95

A time of celebration is a time of a lot of planning. "Creating Special Events" is a guide to the many aspects that come along with planning these events, describing the process step by step. Special events empower communities, create jobs, create cash flow, and create a positive environment. But they have to be managed right to do these things, or they can have the opposite of the intended effect. Risk management is another aspect, and Dr. Lee J. deLisle discusses it well. "Creating Special Events" is a solid handbook for anyone dealing with the details of these events.

Rising from Katrina
Kathleen Koch
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
9780895873842 $14.95 www.blairpub.com 1-800-222-9796

Award-winning broadcast journalist Kathleen Koch presents Rising from Katrina: How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It All and Found What Mattered, a testimony of the devastation that the notorious 2005 hurricane wreaked upon the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Katrina's own home, as well as many others and entire communities were literally leveled in the wake of Katrina's destruction. Yet Rising from Katrina is about more than the fury of the storm; it is about the struggle to rebuild, to make sense of disaster and tragedy, and the heartwarming random acts of kindness that human beings are capable of even in the most dire circumstances. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrates this inspirational, compelling and powerful blend of judicious reporting and heartfelt sympathy.

Florence Nightingale at First Hand
Lynn McDonald
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554581917, $24.95, www.wlupress.wlu.ca

One nurse made a major difference in the way health care worked. "Florence Nightingale at First Hand" discusses the writings of Nightingale, a nurse credited with much of the reform of public health throughout the nineteenth century, an era where much of medical practice proved highly outdated, centuries old. Looking at first hand accounts, "Florence Nightingale at First Hand" is a must for anyone studying medical history.


The Library Science Shelf

The Accidental Health Sciences Librarian
Lisa A. Ennis and Nicole Mitchell
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
9781573873956, $29.50 www.infotoday.com

The Accidental Health Sciences Librarian is a 'must' reference for any librarian involved in the health sciences profession. It offers guidance on resources, tools and functions in the health sciences library world, surveying career opportunities, tools, and case history and technology reviews for any who would become a health services librarian. The approach and focus on this position's rapidly-changing functions make this a top pick!

Envisioning Future Academic Library Services
Sue McKnight
Facet Publishing
c/o Neal Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038
9781856046916, $125.00, www.facetpublishing.co.uk

The role of the library in society always changes, and good librarians stay on top of said changes. "Envisioning Future Academic Library Services: Initiatives, Ideas, and Challenges" discusses a slew of library ideas as Sue McKnight gives readers and library administrators a complete and comprehensive look at what lies ahead with libraries, and their brother in mass information, the internet. Social networking, online education, computer training, and more, "Envisioning Future Academic Library Services" is a complete and comprehensive discussion of the topic, enhanced by indexes, making it a core reference for any forward thinking librarian.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Living Well with Heart Failure
Edward K. Kasper & Mary Knudson
The John Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9780801894237, $18.85, www.press.jhu.edu

A bad ticker doesn't mean a bad life. "Living Well with Heart Failure: The Misnamed, Misunderstood Condition" is a complete and comprehensive guide to heart failure, which Edward K. Kasper & Mary Knudson guide readers through for a fuller and more complete understanding of the matter. Causes, diagnosis, treatments, and how to live well with it, "Living Well with Heart Failure" executes its purpose well. Highly recommended.

After the First Full Moon In April
Josephine Grant Peters & Beverly Ortiz
Left Coast Press
1630 North Main Street, #400, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
www.locastpress.com
9781598743647, $75.00, www.amazon.com

"After the First Full Moon in April: A Sourcebook of Herbal Medicine from a California Indian Elder" is a 272-page compendium of the medicinal uses for more than 160 plants by Native American healer Josephine Grant Peters. Drawing upon northern Californian Native American plant lore and her distinctive cultural heritage, Peters also provides the perspective of her spiritual convictions on the sharing of folk herbal medicine. With information contributions by Beverly Ortiz, "After the First Full Moon in April: A Sourcebook of Herbal Medicine from a California Indian Elder" is a unique and highly prized addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library collections in the diverse fields of Ethnobotany, Ethnomedicine, Environmental Anthropology, Native American Studies, and California History.


The World History Shelf

A Passion for History
Natalie Zemon Davis
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
9781931112970, $24.95, www.tsup.truman.edu

History is a passion that pulses strong for many, and both Natalie Zemon Davis and Denis Crouzet share this passion. "A Passion for History" is a dialogue between historian Davis and professor of history Denis Crouzet. Through their conversations, they discuss a wide variety of history, with a special focus on French Wars, the ancient tensions between the Christian and Muslim worlds, and more, "A Passion for History" is an endlessly informative and riveting read, a top pick for anyone with an interest in history as a whole.

Death and Conversion in the Andes
Gabriela Ramos
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
9780268040284, $39.00, www.undpress.nd.edu

The push of faith was a hard one when the Spaniards came to South America. "Death and Conversion in the Andes: Lima and Cuzco, 1532-1670" looks at death rituals of the people of South America during this time and how traditional native American beliefs fell to the wayside and how Christian rituals came into power. Another aspect of the Christianization of the natives and the force of the Spanish culture, Gabriela Ramos executes this history well and provides much insight into the period. "Death and Conversion in the Andes" is a solid addition to any world or Native American history collection.

Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.navalinstitute.org

A major publisher of military histories and biographies, the Naval Institute Press is also the American distributor of Seaforth Publishing's 'Seafarers' Voices' series, of which volume one "Galley Slave: The Autobiography of a Protestant Condemned to the French Galleys" (9781848320703, $27.95) and volume two "A Privateer's Voyage Round the World" (9781848320666, $27.95) are now available. Jean Marteilhe's "Galley Slave" is the memoir of a French Protestant who was condemned for his faith to serve as a galley slave in the early 18th Century and provides a vivid, eye-witness account of what the lives (and deaths) of galley slaves were like. George Shelvocke's "A Privateer's Voyage Round The World" is the personal story of buccaneering in the South Seas where the distinction between pirate outlaw and legally sanctioned privateer was often blurred -- and sometimes non-existent. Both of these outstanding and highly recommended volumes are deftly abridged and edited for modern readers by Vincent McInerney, making them enthusiastically recommended acquisitions for personal, community, and academic library reference collections and reading lists.

This is China
Haiwang Yuan
Berkshire Publishing Group
120-122 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230-1506
9781933782201, $14.95, www.berkshirepublishing.com

There are few countries with as long histories as China. "This is China: The First 5,000 Years" looks at the nation's long history through its early first unions through the Cultural revolution and Communist rule. Dealing with only the basics, Haiwang Yuan gives readers a need to know introductory to Chinese history with plenty of advice on what else to read along the way. "This is China" is a top pick for anyone who wants a more complete understanding of the history of China.

Robert Paynell's King's Bench Reports, 1625-1627
W. H. Bryson, editor
Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies
c/o ACMRS
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
9780866984171, $63.00, www.amazon.com

Born in 1602, Robert Paynell graduated Christ's College in Cambridge, England on December 1617, was admitted to Gray's Inn on June 2, 1619, got called to the bar on November 8, 1626, and became a full fledged barrister of English law on November 24, 1645. He was the author of a number of Reports for the Court of King's Bench during the reign of Charles I. Those 287 surviving reports created by Paynell from 1625 through 1627 are expertly compiled, organized, annotated, edited, and presented W. H. Bryson. "Robert Paynell's King's Bench Reports, 1625-1627" is a seminal work of detailed scholarship, enhanced with the inclusion of an extensively informed and informative introduction, an 'Index of Names of Persons and Places', and a comprehensive subject index, making it an essential and core addition to academic library British Judicial History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Parallel Doctrine and Covenants
Joseph Smith Jr., compiler
The Smith-Pettit Foundation
c/o Signature Books
564 West 400 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
www.signaturebooks.com
9781560852056, $50.00, www.amazon.com

The 'Doctrine & Covenants' is a collection of revelations to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church. The 'Doctrine & Covenants' is declared to be an essential religious text of the Mormon faith, along with the Bible, the 'Book of Mormon', and the 'Pearl of Great Price' (a collection of sacred documents translated by Joseph Smith). "The Parallel Doctrine and Covenants: The 1832-1833, 1833, and 1835 Editions of Joseph Smith's Revelations" provides side-by-side comparisons of the first three published editions permitting students, scholars, and the general public to compare these editions for their occasional variations and differences. Provided with an extensively informed and informative introduction and concluding 'Notes to the Reader' by Curt A. Bench, "The Parallel Doctrine and Covenants: The 1832-1833, and 1835 Editions of Joseph Smith's Revelations" is enhanced with four specific appendices: 'Four Others of Joseph Smith's Revelations Publishing During His Lifetime'; 'Joseph Smith's Early Published Revelations'; 'The Unauthorized 1831-1832 Publications of Several of Joseph Smith's Revelations'; and 'Current Editions of the LDS and Community of Christ/RLDS Doctrine and Covenants Compared to the 1835 Edition'. An superbly organized and presented compilation, "The Parallel Doctrine and Covenants: The 1832-1833, and 1835 Editions of Joseph Smith's Revelations" is an essential and core addition to academic library 'Mormon History' and 'Mormon Theology' reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Christian Studies Shelf

A Saint For All Reasons
Tim Muldoon
QNY
c/o Langenscheidt Publishing Group
15 Tyger River Drive, Duncan, SC 29334
9780843713817 $13.99 www.langenscheidt.com

A Saint For All Reasons: A Pocket Bible Of 100 Saints For Every Situation lives up to its title, offering a brief summary of many different saints and each saints' area of patronage. Each one-page entry of this pocket guide also includes a sample ritual and suggested prayer to invoke the guidance of the given saint. From Isidore the Farmer, patron saint of agriculture ("Lord, bless those whose hands bring forth the fruits of the Earth") to Pharaildis, patron saint of sick children ("Lord, bless this child with health"), there is a saint presented for virtually every aspect or quandary of human life. Simple black-and-white (actually dark purple-and-white) illustrations enhance this easy-to-use supplement for reinforcing one's faith and acknowledging to the wisdom, generosity, and love of noble pious human beings.

John Stone's Chronicle
John Stone
Selected, Translated, and Introduced by Meriel Connor
Medieval Institute Publications
c/o Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5432
9781580441070 $13.00 www.wmich.edu/medieval/mip/

John Stone's Chronicle: Christ Church Priory, Canterbury, 1417-1472 offers an English translation of representative selections of Benedictine Monk John Stone's notable manuscript, "Inventories of Christchurch, Canterbury" (originally written in Latin). Stone's work primarily recorded the daily life and workings of his own monastic community, from obituaries of monks to the regular liturgy to feast days and events, even notations of the weather. The chronicle itself is presented in paragraphs, each paragraph focusing on a notable individual or event as the years passed. An exhaustive introduction acquaints the reader with background information concerning John Stone, the time in which he lived, and even a map of the monastic community he spent his life in. A firsthand testimony of immeasurable value, John Stone's Chronicle: Christ Church Priory, Canterbury, 1417-1472 is highly recommended to especially to college library and Christian Studies shelves.

In God We Trust
Steve Ham
Master Books
c/o New Leaf Publishing
PO Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638
9780890515839, $12.99, www.masterbooks.net

The Bible seems to have lost a lot of power in today's society. "In God We Trust: Why Biblical Authority Matters for Every Believer" is a Christian's guide for keeping the faith and standing against those who would undermine the word of God in the name of secular authority. Empowering Christians to keep their beliefs and not to follow false leaders, "In God We Trust" is a worthy read for anyone fearful of the decline of Christian faith.

St John of the Cross
Peter Tyler
Continuum
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, New York, NY 10038
9780826475619, $21.95, www.continuumbooks.com

The sainthood of many in Catholicism is to many a debate, and St. John of the Cross is no different. "St. John of the Cross" delves into the life of the titular man, and discusses what he brought to the faith and did for Christianity. A man of practicality, a trait not always there for many big believers, he kept his faith high and his words sound. "St. John of the Cross" is a top pick for any religious readers looking for a scholarly discussion of a saint.

Making Confession, Hearing Confession
Annemarie S. Kidder
Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814654972, $34.95

Confession is more than admitting wrong doing. "Making Confession, Hearing Confession: A History of the Cure of Souls" is an analysis of confession in modern Christianity and reviews the history of confession, looking at how it has changed in recent years and its place in modern faith. With advice for priests trying to find their own understanding of confession and its value, "Making Confession, Hearing Confession" is a highly spiritual and thoughtful addition to any Christian studies collection.

Saint Augustine of Hippo
Joseph T. Kelley
Skylight Paths
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, PO Box 237, Woodstock, Vt 05091
9781594732829, $16.99, www.skylightpaths.com

Faith is not something you're born with; faith is something you find. "Saint Augustine of Hippo: Selections from Confessions and Other Essential Writings" delves into Augustine of Hippo, a man who was known for his inner conflict and life until he adopted Christianity and was baptized at age 32, and his writings show a unique view of the world that knows life outside Christianity while discussing what Christian life should be. "Saint Augustine of Hippo" is a fine addition to any theology discussion.

Church Fathers and Teachers
Pope Benedict XVI
Ignatius
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586173173, $16.95

A teacher and are two things that can not be done without. "Church Fathers and Teachers: From Saint Leo the Great to Peter Lombard" is a discussion from Pope Benedict XVI on the greatest Catholic leaders and teachers through the start of Catholicism's dominance in Europe, from the fifth through twelfth centuries and their lasting impact on the faith. "Church Fathers and Teachers" is a top pick for any theology collection, highly recommended.

When Values Collide
Joseph P. Chinnici
Orbis Books
Price Bldg., Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545
9781570758737, $25.00, www.orbisbooks.com

The scandals that the Catholic church has been facing have proved to be daunting for this millennia year old institution. "When Values Collide: The Catholic Church, Sexual Abuse, and the Challenges of Leadership" discusses the challenges that the Catholic Church faces with the recent allegations of child abuse and how it has lead to a more vehement debate of the fallibility of the Catholic Church and its leadership. A fascinating debate with much to think about, "When Values Collide" is a key read for anyone pondering the future of the Catholic church.

Faith Set Free
Will Davis Jr.
Revell Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
109 South Main Street, Corsicana, TX 75110
9780800732479, $12.99, www.revellbooks.com

Being selfless doesn't mean you have to stop being selfish. "Faith Set Free" is a book of faith and prayer aimed at not forgetting oneself in their prayers and desires to succeed and that it's not a sin to think of oneself in life. With plenty of example prayers to take thought from, "Faith Set Free" is a fine take on faith that is commonly forgotten.

What's Your Decision?
J. Michael Sparough, Jim Manney, Tim Hipskind
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
9780829431483, $10.95, www.loyolapress.com

Good decision making is a key to a good life. "What's Your Decision?: How to Make Choices with Confidence and Clarity, An Ignatian Approach to Decision Making" is a guide to making these decisions with the help of one's faith in God, trying to find what your heart wants and deciphering God's plan for you. With plenty of tools and thoughts on the matter, "What's Your Decision?" is a choice pick for the indecisive Christian.

Intelligent Design
William A. Dembski & Jonathan Witt
IVP Books
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60615-1426
9780830837427, $15.00, ivpress.com

What is intelligent design, truly? "Intelligent Design: Uncensored" is a discussion of intelligent design and what it truly means in regards to Christianity and the scientific debate that rages on in today's debate. God in the classroom, the principles of faith, its relation to evolution, and more, "Intelligent Design: Uncensored" is not a read to be overlooked in this spiritual and scientific debate.

Anatomy of the Soul
Curt Thompson, MD
Salt River
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414334158, $14.99 www.tyndale.com

ANATOMY OF THE SOUL offers some detailed surveys of neuroscience and spiritual practices, and is designed to document how these connections can change spiritual approaches to life. The Christian spirituality foundation and blending of science shows how it's possible to rewire your mind, changing brain patterns to further a Godly approach to life and the soul. The unique approach represents a smooth marriage between science and Christian belief.

Through Fire and Water, revised edition
Harry Loewen and Steven M. Nolt
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottsdale, PA 15683-1999
9780836195064 $16.99 www.heraldpress.com 1-800-759-4447

Now in a revised edition, Through Fire and Water: An Overview of Mennonite History is an accessible and reader-friendly chronicle of the history of the Mennonite faith, from its roots in the radical Reformation of sixteenth-century Europe to today's worldwide Anabaptist presence. Particular emphasis is given on the evolution of the Mennonite faith in North America and in Russia. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations pepper this edifying account of a faith firmly grounded in nonviolence - despite the brutal realities that compromise survival during the turbulence of world history. An excellent addition to general-purpose religious history shelves.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book
Gord Hill
Arsenal Pulp Press
#102-211 East Georgia St., Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1Z6
9781551523606, $12.95, www.arsenalpulp.com

Defeat doesn't mean submission. "The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book" discusses the many ways over the relations between Europeans and Native Americans where they have shown resistance even in defeat, in response to the terrible atrocities that have been executed upon them. All throughout the Americas, many struggles are depicted with a very anti-European slant. "The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book" is a fascinating story of the untold history of the Native peoples of the Americas.

Eye Witness: Unknown God
Robert James Luedke
Head Press Publishing
2201 Long Prairie Road, #107-770, Flower Mound, Texas, 75022
www.headpress.info
9780975892473, $13.99, www.amazon.com

"Eye Witness: Unknown God" is the fourth and final volume of an eight year project by author and illustrator Robert James Luedke who took as his inspiration the story of how the Christian movement began as recorded in a newly discovered and hitherto unknown 'Gospel of Joseph of Arimathea'. Forensic archeologist Terry Harper was asked to translate this unusual treatise and in doing so becomes the target of assassination by modern day forces of evil seeking to suppress the discovery. As with all four volumes in this superbly illustrated and engagingly told story, the action alternates between the present day and the first century A.D. "Eye Witness: Unknown God" is the story of the Apostle Paul and his supporters as they spread Christianity throughout the Mediterranean lands of the Roman Empire. The graphic novel format presents this well known story in a wholly fresh presentation. Part action/adventure, part religious history, Although it can be rewardingly read as a 'stand alone' graphic novel, "Eye Witness: Unknown God" continues to document Robert James Luedke as a master story teller and those new to this series will want to obtain the first three volumes: "Eye Witness: A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth" (97809875892404, $13.99); "Eye Witness: Acts of the Spirit" (9780975892428, $13.99); and "Eye Witness: Rise of the Apostle" (9780975892473, $13.99). This truly outstanding, deftly written, wonderfully illustrated, thoroughly 'reader friendly', and exceptionally entertaining four volume series will soon be available as a boxed set, making it ideal for personal gift giving and community library graphic novel collections.

Toriko, volume 1
Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro
Viz Media LLC
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781421535098 $9.99 www.viz.com

The debut volume of Toriko collects the unflipped, black-and-white Shonen Jump manga (Japanese comics) adventures of Gourmet Hunter Toriko, a man dedicated to combating and hunting the most preternaturally fierce creatures, in order to supply the most upscale gourmet restaurants with the finest delicacies! Gourmet Hunter Toriko is a superlative master of martial arts and survival skills, capable of defying gargantuan behemoths that could take down a tank! And what is the passion that drives this greatest of all gourmets? Why, to assemble nothing less than the greatest full-course meal that ever was, or will be - a meal so heavenly that he has not yet figured out what mortal ingredients could possibly compose it! With the aid of a relatively ordinary yet surprisingly courageous young follower, Toriko is out to see his dream made real regardless of the risk, in this high-spirited, exuberantly drawn and wildly action-packed manga recommended for teen and older readers.

The Royal Historian of Oz #1
SLG Publishing
577 South Market St., San Jose, CA 95113
9781593621949 $1.00 www.slgcomic.com

The first issue of the (extremely inexpensive!) black-and-white comic The Royal Historian of Oz draws readers into a different take on L. Frank Baum's classic fantasy world. In the not-too-distant future of our modern-day nation, young Frank Fizzle is the son of a man who dreams of chronicling more stories about the glorious land of Oz - despite any number of litigious threats made against him! But when Frank's father discovers magical artifacts that allow him access to the closed-off wonderland, he misuses his power to appropriate beings and artifacts, supposedly to aid in his self-driven mission to become the next Royal Historian of Oz. The denizens of Oz itself are rallied to defend their world's secrecy - and their desperate measures may include targeting young Frank Fizzle himself! Expressively drawn and smoothly presented, The Royal Historian of Oz #1 is a treat for any who have grown to love the Oz saga, and more issues in the series are eagerly anticipated!

Boneyard Volume Seven
Richard Moore
NBM Press
40 Exchange Place, Suite 1308, New York, NY 10005-2742
9781561635832 $10.99 www.nbmpublishing.com

Boneyard Volume Seven continues the black-and-white fantasy-horror-humor comic story following the (mostly) ordinary mortal Michael Paris and the lusciously beautiful vampire Abbey. The two of them are finally coming close to understanding and accepting their feelings for one another - but every time it seems as though they might be ready to progress their relationship, something seems to interrupt them. This time it's the reappearance of Lita, Michael's not-so-imaginary childhood faerie friend. Desperate to escape her betrothal to the prince of the dark faeries, Lita seeks Michael's help - drawing him into a fantastic, faraway world where humans are second-class citizens and a mysterious plague is brutally ravaging the fae folk. Michael's monstrous menagerie of friends want to help him before he literally loses his head - if they can only figure out which alternate dimension is the right one to find him! Written with charm and wit, as well as action and passion, Boneyard Volume Seven will not disappoint fans of the series yet is also a sufficiently accessible and self-contained story as to be a serviceable jumping-on point for new readers. Highly recommended.


The Fiction Shelf

The Book of Obeah
Sandra Carrington-Smith
O Books
c/o National Book Network
PO Box 62188, Baltimore, MD 21264-2188
9781846942990, $22.95, www.o-books.net

To fulfill the wishes of a loved one, one sometimes finds something far more along the way. "The Book of Obeah" tells the story of Melody Bennet, a North Carolina woman venturing to New Orleans to fulfill the wishes of her grandmother. She soon finds much more than she bargains for and learns much about a new life and new cultures. A fish out of water story with much to think about, "The Book of Obeah" is a fine choice and highly recommended read.

2013
N. Nosirrah
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
9781591810957, $9.95, www.sentientpublications.com

Just because the world has ended, doesn't mean you can't make a shiny profit. "2013: How to Profit From the Prophets in the Coming End of the World" is a unique take on the apocalypse as author N. Nosirrah tells a humorous story of the apocalypse and how to enterprise off it and make yourself a nice chunk of change in a sea of death. Hilarious and thoughtful, "2013" is a read that shouldn't be missed, highly recommended.

The Anniversary Man
R. J. Ellory
Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
9781590203279, $24.95, www.overlookpress.com

History has a tendency to repeat itself, and few can truly understand the patterns. "The Anniversary Man" is the story of John Costello and the tragic attack on him and his girlfriend to the killer who called himself the hammer of God. His girlfriend killed, him surviving, the killing subsides for awhile, only for years later for it to start again. It's up to him, burdened with his survival, to uncover the killer's motives and pattern. "The Anniversary Man" is an enticing and fun mystery, not to be missed.

One Day the Wind Changed
Tracy Daugherty
Southern Methodist University Press
PO Box 750415, Dallas, TX 75275-0415
9780870745591, $22.95, www.tamupress.com

The desert is a vast empty place - or is it? "One Day the Wind Changed" is a collection of short stories from Tracy Daugherty, as she reflects on the desert, using it as a metaphor for the emptiness of life and the search for something more. Profound and thoughtful, Daugherty gives readers a lot to expect and enjoy with her writing, leading to a fulfilling read that will be hard to put down. "One Day the Wind Changed" is a fine addition to community library collection focusing on short stories.

Night of Flames
Douglas W. Jacobson
McBooks Press
520 North Meadow Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
9781590131664, $16.95, www.mcbooks.com

For one's wife, one would endure a war itself. "Night of Flames" tells the tale of a man separated from his wife during Germany's invasion of Poland during World War II. When an opportunity to return to Poland working with British Intelligence presents itself, Jan seizes it to find his wife and save her from the Nazi oppression. A military intrigue novel wrapped in a love story, "Night of Flames" is quite the read and a top pick.

Match to the Heart
Ken Luber
Dog Ear Publishing
4010 W. 86th Street, Ste H, Indianapolis, IN 46268
9781598589092, $12.95, www.dogearpublishing.com

When leaving a world devoid of love, finding love can prove terrifying. "Match to the Heart: A Novel of Love, Angels, and Reincarnation" tells the story of Michael Tranier, as he flees his life of crime and finds himself in the care of a caring woman. But such a transition isn't so easy, as Ken Luber tells a story of adjusting and changing one's view of the world after it has been abused for so long. "Match to the Heart" is an insightful and thoughtful read, highly recommended.

Women Who Live in Coffee Shops and Other Stories
Stella Pope Duarate
Arte Publico Press
452 Cullen Performance Hall, Houston, TX 77204-2004
9781558856004, $15.95, www.artepublicoprress.com

Dangers lurk around every corner, no matter how innocent you are. "Women Who Live in Coffee Shops and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories from Stella Pope Duarte, reflecting mainly on the tragedies that face young people, exposed to the darkness of the world for the first time. From shameful fathers, from accusations of murder, to the dangers of evil people. "Women Who Live in Coffee Shops and Other Stories" is a fine and poignant read, highly recommended.

Strange Heaven
Lynn Coady
Goose Lane
330-500 Beaverbrook Court, Fredericton, NB Canada E3B 5X4
9780864926173, $17.9, www.gooselane.com

A single teen mother never comes without their baggage. "Strange Heaven" tells the story of Bridget Murphy, marauded by her fates and trying to find her place in life, she puts her unwanted child up for adoption and trying to come to terms with her strange and unusual family. Family isn't something you can't just leave behind, and Bridget slowly comes to term with it. With plenty of black humor, "Strange Heaven" is an entertaining and insightful read, not to be missed.

Black Moonlight
Amy Patricia Meade
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738715599, $14.95, www.midnightinkbooks.com

When you have an eye for a mystery, they can be hard to avoid. "Black Moonlight" is a tale set in the honeymoon of mystery writer Marjorie and her new husband Creighton Ashcroft in the 1930s. Meeting with family, Marjorie's honeymoon turns sour quick, and when murder enters into it, her expertise suddenly turns it into a working vacation. "Black Moonlight" is a fascinating and fun mystery, not to be missed.

Forbidden
Elizabeth Victoria Wallace
Black Rose Writing
2250 Military Road, Tonawanda, NY 14225
9781935605348, $18.95, www.blackrosewriting.com

Finding the truth is not always brightness and sunshine. "Forbidden" tells the story of Catherine MacDonald, a woman of seventeenth century Scotland looking for the truth behind the disappearance of her mother all those years ago. When she finds the truth, it may just be stranger than fiction. A remarkable and exciting work of historical fiction. "Forbidden" is not a work to be overlooked.

Rajmahal
Kamalini Sengupta
The Feminist press
365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4506, New York, NY 10016
9781558616080, $16.65, www.feminestpress.org

When revolutions boil, revolutions of life don't stop. "Rajmahal" tells a personal story of life and love and all the chaos behind it all in an India struggling for its own independence from the British Empire and how much a conflict on the world stage can affect life on the personal front. Profound with plenty of history intertwined in it all, "Rajmahal" is a fine read that shouldn't be missed by any literary fiction collection.

Freedom's Call
John Walker
Synergy Books
PO Box 80107, Austin, TX 78758
Phenix & Phenix (publicity)
8716 Mopac Suite 330, Autin, TX 78759
9780984076086, $19.95, www.synergybooks.net

Revolution for our freedoms isn't as pure and good as it always seems. "Freedom's Call" tells the story of Johnny Locker, a lawmaker revamping America's social security problems. But when the call for greater revolution and to overthrow the current government for a reversion to the Constitution, he soon finds that the Constitution can corrupt just as much as anything else. "Freedom's Call" is a fascinating look at politics and leadership through fiction, a riveting and highly recommended read.

The Private Lives of Trees
Alejandro Zambra
Open Letter
University of Rochester, Lattimore Hall 4100,
PO Box 270082, Rochester, NY 14627
9781934824245, $12.95, www.openletterbooks.org

The impression that one leaves behind on their children is something that picks at parent's minds for ages. "The Private Lives of Trees" is a novel from Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra, masterfully translated by Megan McDowell. Julian is a father who tells a story to his daughter every night, awaiting the return of his wife. Fearing that his wife is lost, he ponders what his daughter will think of his writing and him as she grows into an adult. Poignant and thought provoking "The Private Lives of Trees" is a fine piece of international fiction.

The Labyrinth of the Dead
Sara M. Harvey
Apex Publications
PO Box 24323, Lexington, KY 40524
9780984553501, $13.95, www.apexdigest.com

The dead want to return to life, but balance must be maintained. "The Labyrinth of the Dead" tells the story of Portia Gyony, protector of humanity who over sees the border of the shadow world and the world of the living. When his lover tries to cross over he finds himself stuck in a conflict. A unique setting with unique characters, "The Labyrinth of the Dead" is a fine and exciting fantasy not to be missed.

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

Before he founded Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard was one of the most popular and prolific writers during the 'golden age' of pulp magazines. Galaxy Press has been reprinting and making these 'time lost' tales available to a new generation of appreciative readers. These stories are flawlessly reproduced with their original cover art and interior illustrations. These classic reprints also demonstrate Hubbard's incredible versatility and ability to write gripping stories in every genre from action/adventure, westerns, romances, and science fiction, to such pulp age genres as aviation and detective stories. Four of the latest additions to the Galaxy Press roster of L. Ron Hubbard literary gems are "Cattle King for a Day" (9781592123735, $9.95); "The Trail of the Red Diamonds" (9781592123315, $9.95); "All Frontiers are Jealous" (9781592122547, $9.95); and "Hurtling Wings" (9781592122851, $9.95). These are stories, originally published more than 70 years ago that have held up quite well and are terrific reads from beginning to end. Readers and libraries would do well to visit the Galaxy Press web site at www.galaxypress.com for a complete listing of available L. Ron Hubbard titles.

The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records
Colleen Sydor
Red Deer Press
195 Allstate Parkway, Markham, ON L3R 4T8
9780889954342, $12.95, www.reddeerpress.com

The biggest challenge one faces in life is themselves. "The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records" tells the tale of Lee McGillicuddy, a thirteen year old who drives himself to greatness by keeping and breaking his own personal records. But meeting challenges isn't always an easy triumph, and when the stakes of his friend's life are on the line, Lee must meet the challenge. "The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records" is a fun and uplifting read for young readers.

O. Murray Carr
Neil Rolde
Tilbury House
103 Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner, ME 04345
9780884483328, $15.00, www.tilburyhouse.com

What drives a man to assassinate a governor? "O. Murray Carr" is the tale of Jonathan Jackson, as the governor he works for is murdered and he finds himself neck deep in conspiracy and politics, as well as romance, leading to a grand view of the American political system and its inner workings. "O. Murray Carr" is an insightful and riveting read, and is not one to be passed up.


The Education Shelf

Let's Read
Cynthia A. Barnhart & Robert K. Barnhart
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814334553, $24.95, www.wsupress.wayne.edu

Literacy is something no easier learned than just by doing. "Let's Read: A Linguistic Approach" is a guide to teaching reading and its comprehension, using a simple linguistic approach that encourages breaking down words to understand them and using this simplistic approach to understanding a lot of the words one would commonly read. "Let's Read" is a valuable resource to any literacy teacher, very highly recommended.

Inspiring the Best in Students
Jonathan C. Erwin
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416609797, $25.95, www.ascd.org

Everyone is capable of something great, they just need that drive. "Inspiring the Best in Students" is a discussion on how teachers can drive their students to perform better and further their potential and goals in life. How to encourage students to make wiser choices that improve their academics and potential as people, and more. "Inspiring the Best in Students" is a guide to be read by any teacher who wants something better from their kids.

Kids, Computers, and Learning
Holly Poteete
ISTE
1710 Rhode Island Ave., NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036-3132
9781564842657, $34.95, www.iste.org

Computers have become a cornerstone of modern American life, and learning these machines ia key to a good future. "Kids, Computers, and Learning: An Activity Guide for Parents" is a guide for parents to encourage technology skills in their children and push them to be better learners with a greater understanding of computers, and how even the least tech savvy parents can give their children a leg up in the world. With plenty of activities and a CD full of additional information and resources, "Kids, Computers, and Learning" is a fine choice for education and technology collections.

Survive and Thrive
The College of William & Mary's Center for Gifted Education
Prufrock Press Inc.
5926 Balcones Drive, Suite 220, Austin, TX 78731
9781593633936, $39.95, www.prufrock.com

A keen interest in science is something that should be nurtured. "Survive and Thrive: Project Clarion Science Unit for Primary Grades" is a guide for teachers and administrators on how to emphasize science for gifted and talented students who have just started their schooling in kindergarten and first grades. These years are vital, and much info is provided to nurture the students during this time. "Survive and Thrive" is a fine resource for any elementary school science teacher or administrator.

Quality Literacy Instruction For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Christina Carnahan & Pamela Williamson
AAPC Textbooks
PO Box 23173, Shawnee Mission, KS 66283-0173
www.appctextbooks.net
9781934575666, $59.00, www.amazon.com

Being able to read and write is a basic life skill and as essential for children with autism as it is for anyone else. But those with autism spectrum disorders require approaches to acquiring literacy skills that are educationally classified as Special Education services and techniques. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Christina Carnahan and Pamela Williamson, "Quality Literacy Instruction For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders" is a 466-page compendium in which eighteen specialists in the field of education and autism spectrum disorders have contributed specific chapters offering specific focus on the unique characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorders and how teachers can best interact with them to develop basic literacy skills. Each individual chapter focuses upon specific learn objectives. Vocabulary terms, chapter highlights, chapter review questions, chapter review answers, and a glossary, combine to make "Quality Literacy Instruction For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders" an extraordinarily useful instructional guide and manual for educators and is a core addition to professional and academic library reference collections.

Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT, 2011-2012 edition
Larry Berger, Michael Colton, Alan Hatfield, Manek Mistry, and Paul Rossi, authors
Chris Kalb, illustrator
Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
9780761158738 $12.95 www.workman.com 1-800-722-7202

Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT, 2011-2012 edition is an absolutely practical and user-friendly guide to preparing oneself for the SAT test. In addition to traditional study skills recommendations, Up Your Score also focuses on important test-taking tips for optimizing one's natural performance. "You have only about 40 seconds per problem... If you find yourself finishing ten minutes early, then you're probably working too fast and being careless... If you aren't finishing all the questions before time runs out, you might have to be a little less careful... In any case, it's essential that you have practiced enough to know exactly how fast you should be moving." A word list of crucial literary terms, and warnings against some of the most common test-question tricks (such as how nonanswers like "it cannot be determined from the information given" are almost always incorrect when offered for questions near the end of the test, since by that point many students will be rushed, harried, and less likely to be able to figure out the answer by the time limit) round out this savvy and thoroughly accessible guide. A "must-have" test preparation supplement for anyone whose educational future is dependent on their performance on the SAT.

Teaching with Digital Video: Watch, Analyze, Create
Glen L. Bull & Lynn Bell, editors
International Society for Technology in Education
180 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300, Eugene, OR 97401-2916
9781564842664, $37.95, www.iste.org

Digital video cameras have the benefits of being relatively cheap and thoroughly 'user friendly', making them ideal for use as a curriculum supplement technology supplement by classroom teachers in such diverse fields as social studies, language arts, the sciences, and even mathematics. "Teaching with Digital Video: Watch, Analyze, Create" is expertly compiled and deftly edited by the team of Professor Glen L. Bull (Co-Director, Center for Technology and Teacher Education) and Lynn Bell (Co-Editor of Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education). This 150-page compendium draws upon twelve experienced educators who are particularly knowledgeable in the utilization of digital video cameras as a teaching aid. After an informed introduction (which includes references), "Teaching with Digital Video: Watch, Analyze, Create" is divided into major sections on 'Using Digital Video across the Curriculum' and 'Digital Video Technology'. Every aspect is covered from creating digital video activity, to playing digital video clips on a computer, to capturing video from offline media, to making videos from still images, and so much more! Superbly organized and presented, "Teaching with Digital Video: Watch, Analyze, Create" is an extraordinary instructional guide and highly recommended.


The Psychology Shelf

Live Your Nonsense
Daryl Sharp
Inner City Books
PO Box 1271, Station Q, Toronto, ON M4T 2P4
9781894574310, $25.00

It may absurd, it may not make any sense, but that's what life is about. "Live Your Nonsense: Halfway to Dawn with Eros" discusses the concept of nonsense and how it may be a natural thing, and how people try to shove it out of their lives in their attempts to make sense of it all. Thought provoking and a fascinating delve into personality, thought, and reactions to it all. Jungian in nature, "Live Your Nonsense" is an intriguing exploration of the concept.

The Art of Hypnosis
C. Roy Hunter
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive, Suite 5, Bethel, CT 06801
9781845904395, $29.95, www.crownhousepublishing.com

Hypnosis has more to it than being a parlor trick. "The Art of Hypnosis: Mastering Basic Techniques" discusses hypnotherapy and the secrets and details that intertwine with it. Outlining the definition of hypnotherapy, what it's used for clinically, the power of the hypnotic state, self-hypnosis and more, "The Art of Hypnosis" is a fascinating and highly useful read.

Autism's False Prophets
Paul A. Offit
Columbia University Press
c/o Perseus Distribution
193 Edwards Drive, Jackson, TN 38301-7716
97802311446371, $16.95, www.cup.columbia.edu

Autism is a debate that has plenty of bad information flying around. "Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and The Search for a Cure" discusses autism and how bad information is leading to a generation of misinformed parents who don't understand their own children's problems and underestimating (or overestimating) their children's potential. Seeking to help readers realize the truth about Autism, "Autism's False Prophets" is a much needed read, not to be missed.

Directive Family Therapy
Jay Haley & Madeleine Richeport-Haley
The Haworth Press, Inc.
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580
www.HaworthPress.com
9780789033567, $27.50, www.amazon.com

The newest edition to the outstanding 'Haworth Series in Brief & Solution-Focused Therapies', "Directive Family Therapy" is the collaborative work of the late psychologist and directive family therapist pioneer Jay Haley and his wife Madeleine. This 156-page compendium is an ideal introduction to directive family therapy practices and principles, offering creative and tested strategies and tactics to identify problems, then craft and implement successful treatment plans. Enhanced with a complete bibliography of the Jay Haley's published works and a list of his films, "Directive Family Therapy" is thoroughly 'user friendly' and enthusiastically recommended for professional and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

History of Psychotherapy: Continuity and Change
John C. Norcross, et al.
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
9781433807626 $89.95 www.apa.org/books

Deftly compiled and co-edited by the team of John C. Norcross, Gary R. Vandenbos, and Donald K. Freedheim, History of Psychotherapy: Continuity and Change is the newly updated edition of a classic, comprehensive resource first published twenty years ago. An extensive gathering of expert contributors delineate psychotherapy theory, research, practice, education and training. Although History of Psychotherapy is packed with extensive detail, the text is surprisingly accessible to readers of a wide variety of scientific backgrounds. History of Psychotherapy is an excellent core reference and an absolute "must-have" resource for college library collections.

Workplace Psychological Health
Paula Brough, et al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781847207654 $100.00 www.e-elgar.com

The collaborative work of Paula Brough, Michael O'Driscoll, Thomas Kalliath, Cary L. Cooper, and Steven A.Y. Poelmans, Workplace Psychological Health: Current Research and Practice is a thorough overview of what psychology has to tell us about maintaining mental health in the workplace. Chapters relate the latest scientific advances in understanding the concepts and repercussions of job satisfaction, job support and job control, occupational stress and coping, work-family balance, work addiction, workplace violence and aggression, executive coaching, organizational counseling and fitness programs, and more. In today's modern era when workplace pressures have been known to spark tragedies ranging from poor occupational performance to disastrous accidents to incidents of violence, a thorough understanding of psychological health on the job is more vital and relevant than ever. An objective, studious and thoughtful resource, enhanced with an exhaustive list of references and an index, highly recommended especially for Psychology and college studies shelves.


The Gardening Shelf

Science And Technology Of Organic Farming
Allen V. Barker
CRC Press
Suite 300, 6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781439816127, $69.95, www.amazon.com

In this age of agribusiness domination of the marketplace, one of the few ways the small family farmer can hope to compete is through organic farming. Farming (and gardening) without the use of petroleum based pesticides and fertilizers. Allen V. Barker is Professor of Plant, Soil and Insects Sciences at the University of Massachusetts. In "Science And Technology Of Organic Farming", Professor Barker draws upon his more than 45 years of experience and expertise to first identify the history and define the practices that comprise organic farming. He then goes on with specific chapters addresses such diverse issues as soil fertility, plant nutrition, the management of farm manures, composting, liming, mulching, tillage, weed control, insect control, plant diseases, 'companion planting', and produce storage. Enhanced with the inclusion of a bibliography, a glossary, and an index, "Science And Technology Of Organic Farming" is an ideal 240-page textbook and instructional guide, making it an essential, core addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Agricultural Sciences and Gardening reference collections. Also very highly recommended from CRC Press for anyone seeking to convert from industrial agriculture to organic farming is Stephen R. Gliessman and Martha Rosemeyer's "The Conversion To Sustainable Agriculture: Principles, Processes, And Practices" (9780849319174, $89.95).


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Wisdom of the Heart
Ora Wiskind Elper
The Jewish Publication Society
PO Box 960, Herndon, VA 92072-0960
9780827608948, $35.00, www.jewishpub.com

Every generation has its great thinkers, and every generation should not forget the previous thinkers. "Wisdom of the Heart: The Teachings of Rabbi Ya'akov of Izbica-Radzyn" looks into the work of this nineteenth century rabbi and how he brought new thought and opinion to Hasidic Jewish thought that remains strong to this day, despite its controversial nature of the time. Written by a professor of Judaic studies in Jerusalem, "Wisdom of the Heart" proves itself a powerful read that shouldn't be overlooked.

Trials of the Diaspora
Anthony Julius
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199297054, $45.00 www.oup.com

Trials of the Diaspora: A History of Anti-Semitism in England presents a fine history of anti-Semitism in England from the middle ages to modern times. It identifies four separate versions of English anti-Semitism and offers an in-depth survey of each version. The result is a powerful coverage especially recommended for college-level or Judaic studies shelves.

Teach Them Diligently
Bonnie K. Stevens
Behrman House Inc.
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
www.behrmanhouse.com
0874411459, $18.00, www.amazon.com

It is a principle responsibility in Judaic theology and practice for children to be carefully instructed in the elements of their faith. In "Teach Them Diligently: A Midrash on the Jewish Educator's Year" author Bonnie K. Stevens draws upon her years of experience and expertise as a religious-school teacher to present a thoroughly 'user friendly' educational resource for parents, youth leaders, and teachers with respect to incorporating Jewish holidays with an educator's year-based curriculum by utilizing each holiday's core ideas and distinctive symbols. As the new school year begins the emphasis is on the fall holidays of Hanukkah and Tu B'Shevat, then as the months progress the Jewish holy days of Purim, Passover, and Shabbat are featured with the context of the classroom. Superbly organized and presented, "Teach Them Diligently" is highly recommended as a Judaic Studies curriculum supplement and instructional guide.


The Art Shelf

Flora
Janet Alling
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10011
9780825306358 $30.00 www.beaufortbooks.com

Flora: Paintings by Janet Alling is a coffee-table artbook displaying the singularly vivid artwork of Janet Alling, who devoted herself to creating works that portrayed and preserved the rapturous beauty of nature. Outside of a brief introduction, Flora is almost entirely devoted to Alling's artworks, letting the exquisite paintings of trees, plants, and flowers speak for themselves. A captivatingly beautiful collection, and a superb giftbook for anyone who loves art of the natural world.

Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art
Lynne Warren
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500515235 $45.00 www.amazon.com

Featuring 137 illustrations (110 of which are in color) of modern sculptures and artworks from the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form Balance Joy is an extraordinary portrayal of Calder's creations and the creations of those touched by his exquisite taste for balancing form, color, and movement, as well as his penchant for inventively reusing materials. Although Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art is primarily a visual showcase, the text supplements the illustrations with detailed musings on not only Calder's works themselves, but also how they influenced other modern-day artists, including Martin Boyce, Nathan Carter, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Aaron Curry, Kristi Lippire, Jason Meadows, and Jason Middlebrook. A treasury for modern art enthusiasts, Calder and Contemporary Art is the next best thing to visiting the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art in person.

Creative Glass
Danijela Kracun & Charles McFadden
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764335051 $39.99 www.schifferbooks.com

Creative Glass is an astoundingly beautiful, full-color, coffee-table art book, showcasing the glass creations of 108 artisans. From glass blowing, casting, and fusion to mosaics and stained glass, Creative Glass is an extraordinary tour of inspiration, emotion, and attention to detail, revealing nearly five hundred different art objects. Supplementing the breathtaking photography are commentaries of the various artists' individual creative journeys, and the inspirations behind the captivating works. A wonderfully worthy addition to artbook shelves everywhere.


The Cookbook Shelf

It's in the Bag
Michelle & Trent Snow
Cedar Fort
2373 West 700 South, Springville, UT 84663
9781599553856, $14.95, www.cedarfort.com

Having an emergency supply on hand isn't being paranoid; it's being smart. "It's in the Bag: A New, Easy, Affordable, and Doable Approach to Food Storage" is a guide to keeping a storage supply ready, a sort of grain silo and preparedness that one can have even in areas without miles of farm land. With plenty of recipes and tips from everything form canning, preserving, and chicken coops, "It's in the Bag" is a unique approach to food storage and can prove highly useful.

How to Build a Gingerbread House
Christina Banner
Penny Publishing
PO Box 1265, Newland, NC 28657
9780981580616, $19.95

A delectable work of art. "How to Build a Gingerbread House: A Step-by-Step Guide to Sweet Results" is a guide to crafting one's very own work of art through useful tips and tricks to turning simple candles into something that's quite the show. With plenty of ideas for making the techniques work, transforming basic concepts into something greater, and plenty of recipes, "How to Build a Gingerbread House" is quite the resource for anyone who wants to embrace gingerbread house construction.

Putting Food By, fifth edition
Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg and Beatrice Vaughan
Plume
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780452296220, $17.00 www.penguin.com

Putting Food By is a classic work on food preservation and here appears in its fifth updated edition to include the latest canning procedures, equipment and prep times. Stephen Schmidt edits this classic, which has instructed canners for over thirty years. Any library strong in basic food preparation needs this - which will include many a high school collection for those that have home economics courses!

The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook
Neal Barnard MD and Robyn Webb
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738213583, $18.95 www.dacapopress.com

Any library strong in vegan cookbooks must have The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook. It packs in over a hundred easy recipes and pairs them with color photos and explanations from a noted physician who explains the basics of a vegan diet and its health benefits. The dishes are based on ordinary ingredients and take no time, and they also have been created by Dr. Barnard with Robyn Webb, so they're original to this cookbook. Any vegan collections must add this!

The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook
Vanessa Maltin
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470440889, $19.95 www.wiley.com

The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook offers a range of recipes perfect for libraries focusing on allergy diet plans, packing in over a hundred Italian, Asian and Mexican recipes that cut gluten but add lots of flavor. From Chicken Parmesan and Coconut-Ginger Soup to Potstickers and a Chocolate Fudge cake that's gluten-free, this offers many gluten-free options and is a 'must' for any allergy cookbook library.

Muffins & Mayhem
Suzanne Beecher
Touchstone Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781439112878, $24.99 www.simonandschuster.com

MUFFINS & MAYHEM: RECIPES FOR A HAPPY (IF DISORDERLY) LIFE was inspired by a reader diagnosed with terminal cancer and wondering how to leave a legacy to her children. The author suggested a recipe box packed with memories and family stories - and this book reflects her advice and pairs food recipes with soul-filling insights on happiness and relationships. General libraries will find this a fine pick!

Viva Vegan!
Terry Hope Romero
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738212739, $18.95 www.dacapopress.com

Viva Vegan! 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers provides an outstanding collection of dishes and comes from a vegan chef with experience working in a Latino-operated restaurant. Using the basic spices of Latin cooking, this takes vegan dishes to a new level, offering professional chefs and beginners a fine set of vegan choices. Every vegan library should acquire this as an unusual addition to the collection!

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

Michael Gibson's THE SOMMELIER PREP COURSE (9780470283189, $35.00) offers a fine introduction to wine, beer and spirits for aspiring sommeliers, bartenders and wine lovers and offers its review in layman's terms so that any studying for sommelier certification or who wishes to improve their bartending skills won't be stymied by language! It packs in fine illustrations as it covers New World and Old World wines, viticulture, and other fermented spirits and acts like a study course complete with review questions, maps, key terms and more. A 'must' for any culinary collection! Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian's EDIBLE: A CELEBRATION OF LOCAL FOOD (9780470371084, $29.95) comes from the co-founders of Edible Communities Publications and packs in a fine color celebration of North America's local foods. It blends profiles of farmers, chefs and organizations with a review of local food strengths and adds some eighty seasonal regional dishes to highlight local foods across the country. College-level culinary collections, especially, will relish this!

Fast, Fresh & Green
Susie Middleton
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811865661, $24.95 www.chroniclebooks.com

Fast, Fresh & Green: More Than 90 Delicious Recipes for Veggie Lovers imparts basic secrets to cooking superior vegetable dishes and pairs full-page color photos with spicy original vegetable creations for both vegetarians and those who want innovative, different side dishes. From Smoky Spanish Carrots and Fennel with Toasted Hazelnuts to Spicy Mustard Greens with Ginger-Garlic Cream, these are innovations not to be found in any other competing vegetable cookbook - and thus key for any culinary collection.

The Titanic Awards
Doug Lansky
Perigee
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780399535840, $13.95 www.penguin.com

Travel and humor blend in this entertaining, funny survey of the travel industry and its spectacular snafus. From plane rides from hell to boat and auto disasters, this covers 'facts' such as which countries have the worst roads, where to find the world's ugliest hotel, most unfortunate city and restaurant names, and more. A hilarious presentation!

Moon Handbooks: Coastal Carolinas
Jim Morekis
Avalon Travel
1700 - 4th St., Berkeley, CA 94710
9781596615939, $17.95 www.moon.com

COASTAL CAROLINAS details restaurants, activities, and accommodations that lend to planning a fine trip to the Coastal Carolinas. From lighthouses and natural scenery to beaches, this packs in detailed maps and the firsthand experience of Jim Morekis in a top pick for any Carolina-bound!

Catch of the Day
Chef John Schumacher
KP Books
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
9781440202377 $22.99 www.fwpubs.com 1-800-289-0963

Catch of the Day: 200+ Easy Recipes for the Everyday Angler is a worthy companion to every fisherman's library, as it details a sweeping diversity of recipes to prepare and serve the fresh-caught fish. Executive Chef John Schumacher, owner of Schumacher's New Prague Hotel and Restaurant in New Prague, MN offers lean delights from Fish Kiev to Beer-Battered Fish, Tea-Smoked Fish, Spaghetti Squash Fish Boats, Coconut Pecan Trout, and much more. In addition to the methodical preparation directions and full-color photographs, Catch of the Day includes a wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques for anglers and cooks alike. Catch of the Day is especially recommended as a giftbook to anyone who loves to catch and eat their own fish.

The Zucchini Houdini
Brenda Stanley
Bonneville Books
c/o Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
9781599554273 $13.99 www.cedarfort.com

The Zucchini Houdini: Over 100 Delicious Recipes lives up to its title with a medley of easy-to-follow instructions for creating zucchini soups, salads, breads, desserts, and more. From Cheesy Green Chile Zucchini Soup to Zucchini Pizza Quiche, Zucchini Coconut Carrot Muffins, Sweet and Savory Skillet Zucchini, and more, The Zucchini Houdini is a wonderful way to create tasty, delightful surprises from the product of one's own garden or a farmer's market. An excellent and inexpensive addition to any cookbook collection, highly recommended.

International Menus for the Globetrotter
Dolores Freely
Citlembik
c/o National Book Network (distribution)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9789944424745 $22.95 www.nbnbooks.com

International Menus for the Globetrotter is a collection of "home cooking" recipes for readers of all backgrounds, all over the globe. Straightforward, step-by-step instructions reveal how to easily create a number of international favorite dishes. French, Italian, Greek, Moroccan, Turkish, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and more types of international menus of a delectable multi-course meal are presented for the reader's recreation, in this most enjoyable blend of easy-to-prepare trans-national delights.

The Pharaoh's Kitchen
Magda Mehdawy and Amr Hussein
The American University in Cairo Press
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9789774163104 $24.95 www.aucpress.com

The Pharaoh's Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Egypt's Enduring Food Traditions is more than a cookbook - it is a wealth of culinary lore and history. Full-color photography of tomb reliefs and artifacts from museum exhibitions as well as freshly prepared reconstructions of ancient Egyptian dishes, prepared just as they were thousands of years ago, illustrate this exceptional cookbook. The text offers more than thorough, step-by-step instructions for recreating the foodstuffs that archaeology shows ancient Egyptians served at banquets and dinner tables. There is also a wealthy of history, from how ancient peoples used certain ingredients to ward away parasites or spoilage, to etiquette of the era, to notations on how many of these dishes are prepared and served in Nubia today. A truly unique and extraordinarily worthy addition to exotic cookbook shelves.

Edible Wild Plants
John Kallas, Ph.D.
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423601500 $24.99 www.gibbs-smith.com

Edible Wild Plants is an in-depth guide to finding, recognizing, harvesting, and preparing wild plants to supplement one's diet. Full-color photographs on almost every page supplement the exhaustive and meticulous information about when, why, and how various wild plants are edible. From foundation greens like wild spinach or chickweed, to tart greens like curly dock or sheep sorrel, to pungent greens such as field mustard or wintercress, to bitter greens such as dandelions or sow thistle, Edible Wild Plants walks the reader through how to ensure the safety and effectively enhance the taste of foraged food. It should be noted that Edible Wild Plants is strictly a culinary foraging guide, not an herbalist or medicinal guide. An excellent, user-friendly reference, worthy of the highest recommendation for anyone considering supplementing their diet with foraged greens, whether for economic, healthful, or spiritual motives.

Be My Guest
Fay Lewis, author
Neil Corder, photographer
Struik
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9781770077805 $27.00 www.randomhouse.com

Be My Guest is a coffee table cookbook presenting sumptuous recipes worthy for entertaining high society. Each recipe comes with a simple ingredient list, easy-to-follow directions, and many are illustrated with a sumptuously beautiful, full-color photograph of the finished dish. From Chocolate-filled French Toast, to Honey-roasted Baby Chickens, French Onion Soup, Broccoli with Walnut Dressing, and much more, Be My Guest is filled cover to cover with palate-pleasing delicacies. A truly outstanding addition to any high-class cookbook collection.

The World Goes Raw Cookbook
Lisa Mann
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
9780757003202 $16.95 www.squareonepublishers.com

The World Goes Raw Cookbook: An International Collection of Raw Vegetarian Recipes lives up to its title with an amazing collection of unprocessed, vegetarian taste-tested global cuisine - from Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Walnut Tapenade, to Chocolate Chili Kisses, to Brazilian Cucumber Salad, to Tabouleh and much more. In addition to the diversity of recipes, The World Goes Raw Cookbook includes an in-depth tour of the basics of raw, vegan cuisine, including a brief primer on how to use basic tools to prepare it: blenders, cutting boards, graters, dehydrators, juicers, spiralizers, and more. Specific advice on buying organic ingredients, how to wash various different fruits and vegetables, and tips on growing one's own kitchen garden rounds out this delightful, easy-to-use, and handy resource for anyone aspiring to sample the flavorful and healthful benefits of raw, vegan cuisine for themselves. Highly recommended.

The Hunter's Table
Ducks Unlimited
Favorite Recipes Press
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
9780871975485 $29.95 www.frpbooks.com

The Hunter's Table is a wonderful cookbook specializing in the best recipes for preparing hunted game - ducks, geese, quail, bison, venison, fish, and more. From Bull's Duck-Berry Bake to Goose Enchilada Roll-Ups, Dove Kabobs, Elk with Barley Soup, Sturgeon with Brandy Orange Sauce and much more, The Hunter's Table offers a wide variety of dishes fit for a gourmet. Step-by-step instructions and colorful photography enhance this "must-have" for anyone responsible for turning the fruits of the hunt into a delectable feast. Highly recommended.

Another Dinner Is Possible
Mike and Isy
AK Press
674-A 23rd Street, Oakland, CA 94612
9781904859994 $24.95 www.akpress.org

Another Dinner Is Possible: More than Just a Vegan Cookbook lives up to its title with not only a massive compendium of accessible, easy-to-prepare vegan recipes, but also advice on pursuing a more healthful and socially responsible diet. The enhanced tips, tricks, and techniques include suggestions for growing one's own food, recommendations to follow when cooking on a large scale, insights into pursuing proper nutrition in a world full of processed foods, and more. Nearly all the recipes use ingredients that are not difficult to find, but in addition to the inventive and unusual medley of culinary combinations are a handful of Korean recipes, vegan variations of Scandinavian cold fish delicacies, and even classic Jewish dishes. Spiral-bound to fold over on its cover as needed, Another Dinner Is Possible is a treasury for do-it-yourself vegans and highly recommended.


The Poetry Shelf

St. Cecilia's Daze
Katrin Talbot
Parallel Press
372 Memorial Library, 728 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
9781934795132 $10.00 http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu

St. Cecilia's Daze is an original chapbook collection of brief, free-verse poems revolving about the liberating influence of music. Named after the patron saint of Music, St. Cecilia's Daze evokes wonder and beauty, as it touches upon the role of music in supplanting the gamut of emotions that make up the human experience, from joy to sorrow to pain and all the medley of feelings in between. "Mazurka vs. the Day": There are mornings, / Autumn Mornings so brilliant / so articulated / so crisp / When a Chopin Mazurka / silently collides with / the Day spirit // A day so radiant and joyful that / a melancholy dance can / only tug at the beauty // yearning for a joining, / a fusion of unmeasurable / sadness / with dazzling spirit // and the Day / Resists

The Breakfast Room
Stewart Conn
Bloodaxe Books
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781852248567, $21.95, www.dufoureditions.com

With much age and expertise, a bit of wisdom never does any harm. "The Breakfast Room" is a collection of poetry from Stuart Conn. Famed around Scotland for his ability, he gives readers a fine taste of Scot life and brings no shortage of entertainment. "The Breakfast Room" is a top pick for any world poetry collection. "Prize": Two writers agree that the prize doesn't/matter: one has won it, the other hasn't.//At my age, surely no one supposes/I give a toss who wins the prize//or that. Tell the, if the phone goes,/I'm outside -- dead-heading the roses.

Art and Politics, Politics and Art
D. H. Melhem
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9780815609766, $9.95, www.syracuseuniversypress.syr.edu

The world of art and politics have a unique history with one another. "Art and Politics, Politics and Art" is a collection of poetry form D. H. Melhem as she presents a unique collection of poetry focusing on this history, presenting many new perspectives and thoughts on these events. "Art and Politics, Politics and Art" is a thoughtful and entertaining read, highly recommended. "Email Surveillance": hops/on my shoulder/looks over it/swims through my gaze/waves from computer screen/floats/on my surfride/dives/into my hard drive.

He and I
Emmanuel Moses
Oberlin College Press
50 N Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074-1091
0932440371, $15.95

Understanding history is understanding life. "He and I" is a collection of poetry from Emmanuel Moses, a French poet who discusses the figures of history through his verse and makes some fascinating deductions. "He and I" is a fine addition to any poetry collection. "Note from Burgundy": The bust burnt to ash/is more of a gossip than ever/all the neighborhood passes by/from canal-lock to bell-tower/diluting however slightly its blackness/in the season's illumination.

Lovely, Raspberry
Aaron Belz
Persea Books
853 Broadway, NY 10003
9780892553594, $15.00, www.perseabooks.com

You can be philosophical without ruining someone's day. "Lovely, Raspberry" is a collection of poetry from Aaron Beltz, designed to be light in nature with a powerful message lying beneath. "Lovely, Raspberry" is a fine set of poetry, and a solid addition to any collection. "Smocks": "Bella et her smock, what had paint on it,"/grumbled Ferocio. He had been/omitting cadavers all night//Trial by Ferocio, epoxy nightmare (feminism).

The Salt Ecstasies
James L. White
Graywolf Press
250 Third Avenue N, Suite 600, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781555975616, $15.00, www.graywolfpress.org

Some people change the direction of American poetry, even if they fail to get the credit they deserve. "The Salt Ecstasies" is a collection of poetry from James L. White, an individual regarded by many poetic critics as an unsung hero of poetry. With insight into his work, "The Salt Ecstasies" is a fine collection for any hardcore poetry lover. "The Clay Dancer": You are buried in so many places/like the scattering of diseased ivory./The infamous motels of quick nights,/the way you like it and do it best.//The morning star says you didn;'t sleep well into spring/and finally gave everything away on blue paper/like the hunter's bow and ashes.//He wakes, touches himself there, looks/at the skin magazine and can't sleep.

To the New World
Valerie Duff
Salmon Poetry
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781907056284, $15.95, www.salmonpoetry.com

What is here today may not be here tomorrow. "To the New World" is a collection of poetry from Valerie Duff, discussing the passing of time of the world and the constant changes that can make the future so drastically different from the past. "To the New World" is an insightful and entertaining collection, not to be missed. "Proverb": A room with a roof is all bed/as you are bed, botanical gardens, breath/on the face. A room with no roof/in low cloud, dissolves in smoke,/the lone mound in the field, and the worst/kind offers collect. The road defrocks you.

The World in a Minute
Gary Lenhart
Hanging Loose Press
231 Wyckoff Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
9781934909126, $18.00, www.hangingloosepress.com

With three previous volumes, Gary Lenhart gives his fans another taste with "The World in a Minute", following up with his own wit and wisdom on the world around us as well as his travels through history, using both poetry and prose as his mediums. "The World in a Minute" is an entertaining read and a top pick for poetry lovers. "Headwind": A crow above a ballfield/into the wind flaps/To little gain. A yellow ball/Beyond the baseline/Blows back; we call a let./The sun stops in its track/To worry and burn./Nothing changes/except the clock./A guy my age, I call him "Pop"./He calls me a herald/of Aborted paradigms.

What Goes On
Stephen Dunn
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393338553 $14.95 www.wwnorton.com

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Stephen Dunn presents What Goes On: Selected and New Poems 1995-2009, an anthology of brief, free-verse poems (and a few stream-of-consciousness paragraphs) that touch upon both the humble realities of daily life, and the captivating moments of imagination that illuminate life with breathtaking mystery and wonder. A vivid collection that smoothly interweaves elements of light and dark, What Goes On is a rapturous experience for poetry lovers everywhere. "My Ghost": The desirable place is always another place, / my father said. The restlessness continues. / His voice was calm, though disembodied. / He didn't appear to be complaining. / And it doesn't matter, he added. // Even at that moment I knew I was speaking / to myself. You were dreaming, my wife said, / and I told her the half of it / that tries to masquerade as all - his exact words, / no mention of his face being mine.

Other Poems
Jay Millar
Nightwood Editions
c/o Harbour
PO Box 1779, Gibsons, BC V0N 1V0 Canada
9780889712423, $17.95, www.nightwoodeditions.com

The poem is a direct expression of thought. "Other Poems" is a collection of poetry from Jay Millar, covering a decade of his work discussing the many subjects of life. Thought provoking and entertaining, "Other Poems" is a fine assortment, highly recommended. "Camouflage Comes Knocking": Can you see? Scientists now believe/is it not individuals that go extinct,/but the relationships between them --/doubly screwed or twice as lucky//The tree outside has been marked for destruction. Our neighbor/is hunting for slugs with a flashlight --/I am waiting for inspiration to strike.

Starting Today: 100 Poems for Obama's First 100 Days
RacheL Zukcer & Arielle Greenberg, editor
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
9781587298714, $20.00, www.uiowapress.org

Hope was the message, but the message is hard to deliver upon. "Starting Today: 100 Poems for Obama's First 100 Days" is a collection of poems discussing Obama's early work as President of the United States and how that message of hope and change has weathered the storm of time and politics. "Starting Today" is an insightful read, and very highly recommended. "Small Parable for the Sixtieth Day" by Catherine Barnett: A man carries an armful of dogwood into the bus,/the branches wrapped in the day's paper,/the news no longer legible or haunting/or obsolete but put to use,/damp, darkened, waterlogged, bleeding/against the early spring cuttings.


The Nautical Shelf

Cruise of the Dashing Wave
Philip Hichborn, author
William H. Thiesen
University Press of Florida
University of Florida, 15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813034379 $24.95 www.upf.com

Cruise of the Dashing Wave: Rounding Cape Horn in 1860 is the authentic testimony of Philip Hichborn's first nautical voyage, in which he served as the ship's carpenter. Though Hichborn was destined to one day become an admiral and chief constructor of the U.S. Navy, but at the time of Cruise of the Dashing Wave, his unfamiliarity with shipboard life lends a vivid description to his experiences with the ship's daily routine, and the extraordinary events that disrupted it - gales, severe ice and snow, the death of a crew member, and a mutiny that almost took place. Notes, a bibliography, a few black-and-white photographs and an extensive nautical glossary round out this involving testimony - which deserves special recognition since it shows shipboard life through a (then) ordinary man's eyes, rather than those of a ship's captain or mate. Highly recommended.

The United States Navy
John C. Fredriksen
ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781598844313 $85.00 www.abc-clio.com

The United States Navy: A Chronology, 1775 to the Present is a day-by-day documentation of the contributions of America's navy. Each notable day (or set of days) listed has a brief, pinpoint summary of the crucial events that took place; enhancing the essence of this chronology are an introduction, a handful of black-and-white illustrations, twenty sidebars of more extensive detail, and a 5,000-word bibliography. An excellent, astutely researched, and strikingly user-friendly resource and reference, especially recommended for naval history and college library reference shelves.

Russian Warships in the Age of Sail 1696-1860
John Tredrea & Eduard Sozaev
Seaforth
c/o Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781848320581 $85.00 www.navalinstitute.org

The expert collaboration of Russian naval historian Eduard Sozaev and American naval enthusiast John Tredrea, Russian Warships in the Age of Sail 1696-1860: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates is an exhaustively detailed technical reference and history, featuring a wealth of black-and-white diagrams, illustrations, and period artworks. The majority of Russian Warships in the Age of Sail is packed with information blocks listing the constructor, date laid down, date launched, dimensions, armaments, classification, and more about virtually every Russian warship created from 1696-1860. Supplementing this is an overview of the role these ships played in naval history in general, and notable battles in particular, written to be accessible to readers of all backgrounds. A solid resource and treasury for anyone seeking to research these magnificent ships, highly recommended.


The Criminology Shelf

The Battle for Las Vegas
Dennis N. Griffin
Huntington Press Publishing
3665 South Procyon Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89103
0929712374 $14.95 www.huntingpress.com

The Battle for Las Vegas: The Law vs. the Mob is the suspenseful true story of the Chicago Outfit's organized, criminal stranglehold on Las Vegas - both its casinos and its streets. The Outfit set up a front man with no criminal record as the owner of their casinos, but Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal was the real power, and Tony Spilotro was the brutal and ruthless Outfit enforcer. Spilotro also the controlling power behind Vegas street crime, soon came to be known as "King of the Strip". Federal and local law enforcement declared war on organized crime, and on the Outfit, sparking a deadly clash from the 1970s through the mid-1980s. The Battle for Las Vegas is a captivating, up-close and personal account of the bitter struggle from both sides, featuring testimony from the agents and detectives driven to uphold the rule of law. Black-and-white vintage photographs illustrate this captivating account, highly recommended especially for fans of true crime.

The California Snatch Racket
James R. Smith and W. Lane Rogers
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
9781884995637 $16.95 www.woodworkerslibrary.com

The California Snatch Racket: Kidnappings During the Prohibition and Depression Eras collects fifteen shocking true crime stories of brutal killers and kidnappers, who plied their ruthless trade in 1920's and 30's California. Drawn from newspaper, police, court and prison records, The California Snatch Racket particularly focuses upon the ransom artists who targeted everyone from Hollywood figures to lavish heiresses to ordinary, powerless, and penniless individuals. A scattering of vintage black-and-white photographs illustrates this vivid and harrowing collection.

Murder in their Hearts
David Thomas Murphy
Indiana Historical Society
450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, IN 46202
9780871952851 $13.95 www.indianahistory.org

Historian David Thomas Murphy presents Murder in their Hearts: The Fall Creek Massacre, a historical counting of a grim crime. In March of 1824, a gathering of enraged and inebriated settlers viciously murdered nine Indians along a tributary of Fall Creek. The local press seized upon the lurid crime, but what made this shocking act especially notable in American history is the repercussions visited upon the perpetrators. The white men involved in the murders were singled out, tracked down, convicted by a jury of their neighbors, and - for the first time under American law - executed for their crime. A thoughtful, detailed, and well-researched examination of the American federal government's efforts to promote regional security, economic growth and peaceful interracial coexistence (with extremely limited success, if any success can be claimed at all). A worthy case study and highly recommended addition to college library shelves.


The Biography Shelf

The Lelewer Legacy
Nancy Lelewer
Ivy House Pulishing
5122 Bur Oak Circle, Raleigh, NC 27612
9781571975034, $19.95, www.ivyhousebooks.com

Some families are not torn apart by strife, but find lasting happiness. "The Lelewer Legacy: Traditions of a Loving Family" tells a more upbeat and positive story of an American family, starting with a man who immigrated to America in 1861. Through the decades, his legacy of kindness and family has stayed strong, and through the writing, Nancy Lelewer hopes other families will take heed and embrace these values. "The Lelewer Legacy" is a charming and inspirational read.

Season of Suffering
Nicole H. Taflinger
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
9780874223057, $22.95, www.wsupress.wsu.edu 1-800-354-7360

The Nazis reign brought many challenges to many lives or varying extremes. "Season of Suffering: Coming of Age in Occupied France, 1940-45" tells the story of the lives of French citizens under the reign of the Nazis in World War II. The French people, although conquered, still quietly resisted their occupiers and Nicole H. Taflinger tells the story of the people of occupied France and the occupation's effect on the children. "Seasons of Suffering" is a fine addition to any historical memoir collection.

My Remarkable Journey
Larry King
Weinstein Books
345 Hudson Street, 13th Floor New york, NY 10014
9781602861237, $15.95, www.weinsteinbooks.com

You don't speak to the news makers without making news yourself. "Larry King: My Remarkable Journey" is the memoir of famed CNN interviewer Larry King who has captivated a nation with its call-in format for decades and has made King rub elbows with some of the biggest names in the world, but it wasn't an overnight thing as King had plenty of adventures of his own. "Larry King: My Remarkable Journey" is a fascinating and top pick for any memoir reader, especially those who are fans of King's work.

Prairie Lightning
Kerck Kelsey
Pogo Press
c/o Finney Company
8075 - 215th Street West, Lakeville, MN 55044
9781880654460 $18.95 www.pogopress.com www.finneyco.com 1-800-846-7027

Written by Kerck Kelsey, a descendant of William Washburn, Prairie Lightning: The Rise and Fall of William Drew Washburn chronicles the true-life story of an extraordinary civic leader and dedicated pillar of the church and the community. Born on a western Maine farm in the 1830's, his gumption and insight guided him to become a successful entrepreneur and politician. His noted accomplishments include the development of the Minneapolis Mill Co., the creation of the St. Louis Railroad and the Soo Line Railroad, and his marriage and six children. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this resounding success story of a dedicated, charismatic, and influential man.

Dream Chasers of the West
B. L. Wettstein
Riverbend Publishing
PO Box 5833, Helena, MT 59604
9781606390214 $12.95 www.riverbendpublishing.com 1-866-787-2363

Dream Chasers of the West: A Homestead Family of Glacier Park is the biography of a proud, pioneer woman - Clara Augusta Miller, who dared to brave the untamed lands Montana's southern border of Glacier National Park in 1913. Unmarried at the age of thirty, Clara braved the dangers of frontier life in a time when survival was hard and neighbors sometimes depended on one another to survive. Dream Chasers of the West assembles Clara's story from oral interviews with people who knew Clara, as well as her letters to friends and family. Illustrated with vintage black-and-white photos of Clara, her family, and the places where she lived and toiled, Dream Chasers of the West is an unforgettable glimpse into America's wilder days as well as the true story of a steadfastly determined woman. Highly recommended.

William Clark: Indian Diplomat
Jay H. Buckley
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806141459 $19.95 www.oupress.com

William Clark: Indian Diplomat is a thoughtful and detailed biography of William Clark, with especial focus on his public career during the thirty years after the expedition with Meriwether Lewis for which he is most famous. Jay H. Buckley (Associate Professor of History, Brigham Young University) has researched treaty documents, Clark's extensive writings, and more to provide a multifaceted portrait of a complex man. Though Clark felt sympathy and compassion for Native peoples, he was unquestionably a proponent of American expansion - though he strongly and actively promoted that expansion through trade and amiable relations rather than military conflict. He was responsible for one-tenth of all Indian treaties ratified by the U.S. Senate, and arguably played a key role in dispossessing more Indians than any one other American. A handful of black-and-white illustrations enhance this engrossing portrait of a consummate diplomat, highly recommended.


The American History Shelf

Juneteenth Texas
Francis E. Abernethy, Patrick B. Mullen, Alan B. Govenar
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 13856, Denton, TX 76203
9781574412833, $29.95, www.unt.edu

When you keep a people separated for so long, they develop their own culture. "Juneteenth Texas: Essays in African-American Folklore" explores the legends that have developed from African Americans secluded from the white culture for so long, and how their own deeper African traditions blended with their new lives away from their home continent. A fascinating read of a culture too often ignored, "Juneteenth Texas" is a fine addition to any historical or cultural studies collection.

Industrial Pioneers
Patrick Brown
Tribute Books
PO Box 95, Archbald, PA 18403
9780982256558 $19.95 www.tribute-books.com

Industrial Pioneers: Scranton, Pennsylvania and the Transformation of America, 1840-1902 tells of the industrial transformation of the city of Scranton - once a small, backwoods community, Scranton grew in size to a modern-day city with 100,000 residents. Chapters reveal the phases of Scranton's transformation in chronological order, with close heed paid to how individual residents had to learn how to adapt to the forces of technology and globalization. A timeline, bibliography, and index round out this absorbing true history of a bustling city's resilient and adaptable residents, and the lessons that can be learned from their lives.

The Johnson-Sims Feud
Bill O'Neal
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574412901 $24.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

The Johnson-Sims Feud: Romeo and Juliet, West Texas Style is the true story of the last traditional family feud in Texas. The Johnson-Sims Feud had its roots in a marriage turned sour: when Gladys Johnson and Ed Sims shared a bitter divorce, and the custody dispute of their two daughters turned lethal. When Ed Sims tried to take his daughters for a prearranged Christmas visit in 1916, Gladys shot him twice in broad daylight, before a host of witnesses, and then Gladys' brother Sid ended Ed's life. Both of Ed's killers were acquitted in a court of law, prompting escalating attempts at enacting blood justice. A violent, sordid, and utterly fascinating true account, carefully researched and presented with excitement and flair as well as meticulous accuracy.

Smoking Gun
Jeremy A. Agnew
Western Reflections Publishing Company
PO Box 1149, Lake City, CO 81235
9781932738933 $18.95 www.westernreflectionspub.com 970-994-0110

Old West historian Jeremy A. Agnew presents Smoking Gun: The True Story about Gunfighting in the Old West, a no-nonsense study of what real-life gunfights in the American West truly were like, what drove the gunfighter, and why gunfight battles happened between 1865 and 1900. A number of brief biographical portraits of the Old West's most famous gunfighters are included, as are portraits of certain towns that were thought to be the worst and most violent of the time. Black-and-white photographs are sparsely distributed through this well-researched yet remarkably accessible account. A fascinating read from cover to cover, Smoking Gun is especially recommended for any writer or historian seeking to separate the facts of Western gun battle legends from the fiction.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Charming Hostess
The Bowls Project
Tzadik
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$15.00 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Charming Hostess is an extraordinary music album on CD, inspired by the earthenware "demon bowls" that have been excavated from beneath Babylonian houses. Blending the stark enlightenment of these mysterious, somewhat animalistic decorations with elements of everything from Iraqi popular to American heritage music, Charming Hostess brings to life the manipulations of mistrustful demons. Might a demon adopt an unassuming disguise, the better to trick the unprepared into an improper marriage, even compel a subsequent divorce? Are the machinations of angels truly any more benevolent? Vocals, cello, clarinet, percussion, guitar, dulcimer, harmonium and more contribute to this eclectic yet illuminating audio tour of supernatural forces. An unforgettable listening experience, all the way through.

Vranjski San
Brass Menazeri
Porto Franco Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
CD, $13.99 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Vranjski San is a riotously exciting music CD album by the group Brass Menazeri, blending Bosnian tradition and Balkan brass with wildly popular Bollywood stylings and homage to Rromani (Gypsy) influence. The result is an eclectic, original blend of classic and contemporary, a celebration of brass, funk, and jam. Vranjski San is as lively as it is emotionally enlightening, and a "must-have" for international music shelves. The tracks are "Vranjski San", "Hajde Fato", "Mikrokonstandinos + Zone Erotikos", "Izgubljeno Jagnje", "Cocekahedron", "Phirava, Daje", "Vranjanka", "Mejra na Tabutu", "Hasan's Dream", "E Davulja", "Mandilatos", "Lal Lal Hothon Pe", "Izgubljeno Jagnje Reprise", "Kozarica Kolo", and "Opa Cupa Fly". Also highly recommended for anyone curious to peer beyond America's borders for rapturous music is French singer Michele Choiniere's newly released album, "La Violette".


The Audiobook Shelf

The People's Dynasty
Professor Robert J. Shepherd
The Modern Scholar
c/o Recorded Books
270 Skipjack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781440782817 $99.99 www.modernscholar.com 1-800-636-3399

The People's Dynasty: Culture and Society in Modern China is an audio CD collection of the complete course about modern-day China, in fourteen lectures, as taught by Robert J. Shepherd (assistant professor of anthropology, George Washington University). From the monumental social and economic forces powering modern China, to the social and cultural changes that continue to affect the Chinese people in the present and future, The People's Dynasty is an absorbing and educational resource - whether for self-study or as a core addition to contemporary history course libraries. Highly recommended. The lectures are "China Today", "New Forms of Mobility", "The New Class Society", "A Home of One's Own", "Changing Family Life", "Religion and Society", "The Search for Meaning", "Ethnic Identity and Minority Rights", "Environmental Issues", "Culture, Heritage, and the Growth of Tourism", "Music, Film, and 'Soft' Rebellion", "Censorship in a Digital Society", "Culture and Identity: Is Chinese Life Becoming Westernized?" and "China, Inc.?". 7 CDs, 14 lectures.

The Ancient Future: The Dark Age
Traci Harding, author
Edwina Wren, narrator
Bolinda Publishing
186 S Long Swamp Rd, Jackson, ME 04921
9781742147222 $123.95 www.bolinda.com

The Ancient Future: The Dark Age is the complete and unabridged audiobook adaptation of a modern-day young woman thrown past the boundaries of time and space. Stranded in the Dark Age, she encounters Prince Maelgwn of Gwynedd and his loyal warriors; at first they mistake her for a nefarious witch, but soon she and steadfast fighters of a faraway time learn to rise above their fear and strive their hardest against menaces that shroud the land. A captivating saga of adventure, danger, and learning to adapt to trying times, The Ancient Future: The Dark Age is a rapturous listening experience and highly recommended. 16 CDs, 19 hours 46 min.

Super Sad True Love Story
Gary Shteyngart, author
Adam Grupper and Ali Ahn, narrators
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781449809676 $123.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Super Sad True Love Story is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of award-winning author Gary Shteyngart's novel about a man living in nigh-totalitarian future. Lenny Abramov is radically different from his fellow human beings in that he genuinely loves books, and is in fact writing the world's last diary. Smitten with a crush for a girl half his age, and targeted by the government for allegedly revealing secrets to a cartoon otter sporting a sombrero, Lenny has more than his share of intrigue to confide within his journal. A wry look at the modern information age taken to extremes, Super Sad True Love Story dares to live up to its title and is an utterly unforgettable listening experience. 11 CDs, 13.25 hours.

Alpha Relaxation System
Dr. Jeffrey Thompson
The Relaxation Company
c/o Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
9781559617567 $19.98 www.soundstrue.com 1-800-333-9185

Alpha Relaxation System is an audio program grounded in 15 years of clinical research, designed to help the listener enjoy and engage in a state of deep relaxation. No spoken words or subliminal messages are within the two-CD set. CD One: Alpha Relaxation System, Deep Relaxation is meant for use while sitting or lying down with eyes closed, in order to fully experience the deep Alpha state of EEG meditation. CD Two: Alpha Relaxation System 2.0, Active Relaxation is meant for use while one is busy working, studying, or undertaking any activity in order to promote a lighter Alpha state - one that alleviates mental stress while promoting productivity. An instruction booklet is included with this soothing, enlightening, and inspiring listening experience, exquisitely and expertly designed to calm one's mind and soothe one's nerves. 2 hours.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Stieg Larsson, author
Simon Vance, narrator
Random House
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780739384190, $40.00 www.randomhouseaudio.com

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest receives Simon Vance's award-winning actor's skills and voice which lends a gripping conclusion to the third and final novel in Stieg Larsson's best-selling trilogy. Here Lisbeth lies in critical condition in a hospital and faces three murder charges if she recovers. Her recovery will depend on fighting back in this powerful story.

Fever Dream
Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, authors
Rene Auberjonois, narrator
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781607881940, $44.98 www.hachetteaudio.com

FEVER DREAM receives a fine narration from TV actor Rene Auberjonois, who vividly captures the drama and tension involved when a special agent (who still mourns a beloved wife dead some 12 years in an accident) learns the death was likely murder. His search for answers - and revenge - spices a dramatic, lively story of intrigue perfect for any general lending library.

Penguin Audio
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Stephen King's THE EYES OF THE DRAGON (9780142427880, $39.95) enjoys a fine narrative style by Bronson Pinchot, known worldwide for his fine TV and film work, and provides an engrossing story as it tells of a kingdom in chaos after the old king dies and his successor is imprisoned by an evil prince. A fine fantasy springs to life in a new presentation, highly recommended for fantasy libraries. Stephen King's THE TOMMYKNOCKERS (9780142427897, $49.95) receives an award-winning narration by Edward Hermann, an actor who has produced many films. His narrative spices the tense supernatural thriller telling of a small town affected by a woman's archaeological find - a find that is changing the nature of humanity itself in the town. The story line comes to vivid life in this moving audio! Equally vivid is King's CHRISTINE (9780142428221, $49.95), brought to vivid life by award-winning audio narrator Holter Graham. Christine is widely feared and mistrusted - but beloved by teen Arnie. Christine isn't a woman - she's a hot car. King provides even a vehicle can provoke terror under the right circumstances - and this masterful audio brings out the tension superbly! John Grisham's THEODORE BOONE: KID LAWYER (9780142428696, $19.95) receives a fine narration by Richard Thomas, a prolific stage and film actor who starred in The Waltons. His voice brings to life the story of a teen who thinks he's one of the lawyer group - and who knows every judge, policeman and court clerk in town. His knowledge gets him involved in a dangerous murder trial in this tense thriller!

Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com

L.J. Smith's 'Night World' novels come to life in audio format, and are top picks for any lending library where vampires are of interest. WITCHLIGHT (1441820795, $19.99) receives Emily Foster's fine performance, which brings to life the story set in a vampire world much like our own, where vampires and creatures live among humans without their knowledge. Keller is a black panther who meets her match when she's hired to protect Iliana, a blonde bimbo who may be the legendary Witch Child. An exciting drama evolves. BLACK DAWN (1441820736, $19.99) enjoys a fine performance by Ted Clark Linden, who brings to life the story of Maggie, a teen whose brother is missing. Her search for him will lead her to a dangerous vampire kingdom, the Night World, in this riveting saga of a vampire prince's forbidden romance with a human. Both are picks for any fantasy audio collection. Lisa Jackson's WITHOUT MERCY (1441813209, $36.99) tells of Julia, who has been plagued by nightmares ever since her father was stabbed to death in a home invasion. Her involvement with her half-sister and a new school involves her in a dangerous series of murders in this gripping story. J.T. Ellison's 14 (1441838511, $29.99) receives a narration by Joyce Bean as it tells of a murder who suddenly stops - until four years later murders start up again, marked with his fatal signature. Has the killer returned - or is a copycat killer on the loose? Joyce Bean's gripping narrative style brings the plot to life! Deborah Coonts' WANNA GET LUCKY? (1441843760, $29.99) receives a fine performance by Renee Raudman, an award-winning narrator who spices the story of a young woman who plunges from a Las Vegas sightseeing helicopter, landing in the middle of the Pirate Show. Lucky O'Toole, head of customer relations at a resort, decides to investigate, and her findings uncover some dangerous perps in this fine tense thriller! Steve Hodel with Ralph Pezullo's MOST EVIL (144180045X, $36.99) enjoys Malcolm Hillgartner's acting and songwriting background and comes alive in audio as it tells of the author's discovery that his late father had known the victim in the Black Dahlia murder case in 1947 Los Angeles. A hidden cache of documents involves Steve Hodel in further investigations leading to the possible resolution of a decades-old series of killings in this riveting true crime expose. Philip Pullman's THE GOOD MAN JESUS AND THE SCOUNDREL CHRIST (1441857958, $19.99) receives a fine reading by an award-winning fantasy author, and provides a retelling of the life of Jesus from quite a different perspective. Mystery and power blend in this survey that considers different angles on the Christ image. Paolo Bacigalupi's THE WINDUP GIRL (1441866868, $29.99) receives an excellent performance by audiobook veteran narrator Jonathan Davis, who adds a passionate voice to this fine science fiction novel telling of an undercover factory manager searching for extinct food in a future world. When he meets half-human Emiko, he becomes involved in a dangerous underground world where calories become currency. A riveting futuristic story evolves. Kirk Franklin's THE BLUEPRINT (1441857893, $29.99) receives an excellent narration by HBO artist Dion Graham as it tells of gospel artist Kirk Franklin's faith. He explains how communications with God helped him translate life's challenges into success in this fine spiritual survey recommended for any spirituality listener. Seanan McGuire's ROSEMARY AND RUE (1441861696, $29.99) provides an outstanding urban fantasy powered by Mary Robinette Kowal's passionate reading, and tells of a parallel fairy world that lives in secret next to human realms. A murder threatens its secrets and a dying curse forces Toby to resume her old position as a knight in this fine thriller. Jack Campbell's VICTORIOUS: THE LOST FLEET (1441858709, $29.99) receives fine performance by Christian Rummel as it provides a sequel to LOST FLEET and the story of commander Geary. War continues between two worlds and Captain Geary is promoted to admiral, giving him new possibilities to either end the conflict or elevate it to new heights. A powerful military drama evolves, perfect for any audio listener seeking nonstop action and solid thrills! Andre Norton's classic WITCH WORLD (1441814078, $24.99) comes to life in a gripping audio production spiced by Nick Podehl's dramatic voice. It's the first novel of her fantasy series and here introduces Simon, a human who escapes his doom through gates to Witch World, there to find himself embroiled in warfare. A gripping saga evolves! Karin slaughter's BROKEN (1423342399, $38.99) is performed by Natalie Ross, an Earphones award-winning stage actor who lends spice to the story of a special agent investigating a Grant County prisoner's death. His probe leads to police secrets and danger from the men in blue themselves in this fast-paced thriller. Alexey Pehov's SHADOW PROWLER (144181437X, $29.99) receives Macleod Andrews' fine stage performances and background as it tells of a master thief who must work to defeat stirring danger. Collections strong in fantasy will relish this adventure story of ogres, giants and dangers and one shadow Harold, a legendary thief who may be the only one to keep the peace in a troubled land.


The Gaming Shelf

Beating 1 e4 e5
John Emms
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9781857446173 $26.95 www.everymanchess.com

Written by chess Grandmaster John Emms, Beating 1 e4 e5 is a chess strategy guide focusing upon the options that White has after the 1 e4 e5 set of moves, based on the Italian Game and the Bishop's Opening. From a meticulous perusal of the options a player has after 1 e4 e5, to suggestions for analyzing chess layouts, to a wealth of sample games with accompanying black-and-white diagrams to promote visualization, Beating 1 e4 e5 lives up to its title. An excellent supplementary resource for intermediate to advanced chess players, Beating 1 e4 e5 is highly recommended for improving one's skill and understanding of the game.

Bridge at the Enigma Club
Peter Winkler
Master Point Press
331 Douglas Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5M 1H2
9781897106594, $18.95, www.masterpointpress.com

A simple game of bridge can turn into so much more. "Bridge at the Enigma Club" is an intriguing delve into the world of bridge with exciting twists and turns. With a spattering of ideas and tips on the game as well as some delving into the world of cryptography, "Bridge at the Enigma Club" is a fascinating read that blends many concepts.

10 Ways to Get Better At Chess
Nigel Davies
Everyman Chess
c/o Globe Pequot
PO Box 480, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
9781857446333, $26.95, www.everymanchess.com

Chess is a game of skill and strategy, and can be quite overwhelming at first glance. "10 Great Ways to Get Better at Chess" is a guide to training oneself to be a better chess player and gain a greater level of skill. From how rigorously one should play, how to study one's own mistakes, and more, Written by a man with decades of high level chess playing experience, "10 Great Ways to Get Better at Chess" is a fine and solidly recommended pick for anyone with greater aspirations for their chess skills.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Sunflower
Linda Baxter Lasco, Editor
American Quilters Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781574326581, $26.95 www.americanquilter.com

SUNFLOWER: NEW QUILTS FROM AN OLD FAVORITE provides a powerful selection of nearly twenty quilts by over twenty-five quiltmakers who take the classic Sunflower block and as a foundation of inspiration for their designs. Each expands on the sunflower design in different ways. The result is a pairing of lovely color photos, black and white line patterns, and interviews with the innovators themselves!

Knitted Flowers
Nicky Epstein
SixthandSpring Books
181 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10013
9781933027944, $19.95 www.sixthandspringbooks.com

KNITTED FLOWERS provides a fine collection of stitch pattern and cord flowers and more - all of which can be knitted to add to a range of projects. Full-page color, close-up photos accompany some outstanding flower designs with multi-hued tones perfect for any knitter seeking finishing polish ideas.

Yummi 'Gurumi
Christen Haden & Mariarosa Sala
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9780740792601 $14.99 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Lavishly illustrated with beautiful, full-color photography throughout, Yummi 'Gurumi: Over 60 Gourmet Crochet Treats to make shows how to create elegant, non-edible yet insatiably cute and adorable replicas of foodstuffs, with a little hands-on skill in the art of crochet. From crocheted fruit slices to sundaes, sushi platters, sandwich bars and more, Yummi 'Gurumi is packed with meticulous, stitch-by-stitch patterns. An absolute "must-have" for anyone who loves crochet and wants to create eye-catching decorations with a difference. Highly recommended.

101 Snappy Fashions: Oodles of One-Piece Designs for Babies
Cathie Filian
Lark Books
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
9781600594946 $14.95 www.sterlingpublishing.com 1-800-805-5489

101 Snappy Fashions: Oodles of One-Piece Designs for Babies is fun, user-friendly craft guide to creating sassy, hip and savvy designs on one-piece baby outfits. Walking the reader through techniques ranging from dyeing and applique to embroidery and stamping, 101 Snappy Fashions reveals fun, fancy, and non-toxic ways to liven up baby clothes. Adorable full-color illustrations and suggestions for throwing a snapsuit-themed baby shower round out this excellent guide to unleashing one's creative flair.

Norwegian Patterns for Knitting
Mette N. Handberg
Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05033
Independent Publishers Group (distributor)
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
9781570764486 $24.95 www.trafalgarbooks.com

Norwegian Patterns for Knitting: Classic Sweaters, Hats, Vests, and Mittens is a full color guide for advanced knitters, to creating appealing and practical knitted winter clothing in the traditional Nordic style. Introducing distinct knitting techniques from the different parts of Norway, Norwegian Patterns for Knitting uses full color illustrations, meticulous directions, charts, and guidelines for crafting professional-quality garments worthy of the window of an upscale clothing store. An extraordinary, user-friendly resource perfect for any knitter determined to hone the pinnacle of her skills, Norwegian Patterns for Knitting is highly recommended.


The Photography Shelf

Phantoms of the Hudson Valley
Monica Randall
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
0879516178 $65.00 www.overlookpress.com

Phantoms of the Hudson Valley: The Glorious Estates of a Lost Era has been out of print for a long time; now this captivating compendium of black-and-white (actually, sepia-tinted) photography of deserted homes and castles, paired with spooky ghost stories and secrets of lost splendor. The result is a one-of-a-kind coffee table book that strongly encapsulates these formerly lavish living areas. A truly extraordinary book, Phantoms of the Hudson Valley is the next best thing to personally sightseeing the lost opulence and forgotten spirits of the area, and deserves the highest outstanding recommendation.

Barns of Wisconsin
Jerry Apps
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706
9780870204531, $29.95, www.wisconsinhistory.org

Barns have become more than functional buildings, they've become symbols of pride. "Barns of Wisconsin" delves into the history and style of Wisconsin's barns that have been built through the centuries and the reverence they have gained from barn aficionados. With plenty of black and white and full color photography, Jerry and Steve Apps give a fine history of brand and other things, making "Barns of Wisconsin" a top pick for anyone else fascinated by these monuments to agriculture.

The Canon Camera Hackers Manual
Berthold Daum
RockyNook
26 W. Mission St., #3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
9781933952581, $29.95, www.rockynook.com

Many cameras have potential that even the creators don't know is there. "The Canon Camera Hackers Manual: Teach Your Camera New Tricks" is a guide to maximizing the opportunities one can do with their Canon cameras by going with what isn't in the instruction manual. From other file formats, setting you normally can't use, pushing the camera's limits, and more, "The Canon Camera Hackers Manual" is a guide any photography buff will love.

The Photographer's Guide to Marketing and Self-Promotion
Maria Piscopo
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
9781581157147, $24.95, www.allworth.com

A good photographer can sell what they love to do, you just have to be smart about it. "The Photographer's Guide to Marketing and Self-Promotion" is a guide for photographers who want to become either a freelance photographer or land a job with an organization. A photography career is about how your work presents itself as much as the quality of the work, and Maria Piscopo equips readers well with knowledge to get them off on the right start for their career. "The Photographer's Guide to Marketing and Self-Promotion" is a key volume for any photography or career collection.

Fast Track Photographer
Dane Sanders
Amphoto Books
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
9780817400019, $16.99 www.amphotobooks.com

FAST TRACK PHOTOGRAPHER: LEVERAGE YOUR UNIQUE STRENGTHS FOR A MORE SUCCESSFUL PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS has been revised and expanded to provide a winning survey by a photographer who provides an assessment test online to evaluate 14 different factors to being a more effective professional photographer. This book was originally self-published and geared toward wedding photographers - but any professional and many an aspiring amateur will find its pages packed with photo business savvy!

Mastering HD Video with your DSLR
Helmut Kraus and Uwe Steinmueller
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission St., Suite 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2432
9781933952604, $34.95 www.rockynook.com

Mastering HD Video with your DSLR tells how to capture and edit video footage with the new HD technology available in so many DSLR cameras. Tips on special effects, motion picture footage, and more cover specific video features and equipment needed to shoot video. A top pick for any serious photographer's library!

Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
www.amherstmedia.com

Jeff Smith's CORRECTIVE LIGHTING, POSING & RETOUCHING (9781584289951, $34.95) tells how to make subjects look their best using different lighting and posing techniques for studio or location setups. From digital techniques for minimizing defects to addressing common age- and weight-related issues, this is a 'must' for any photographer's tool kit! The second updated edition of Bill Hurter's CHILDREN'S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY (9781584289968, $34.95) offers a fine collection of images of portraits that capture childhood. From picking camera and lighting equipment for capturing kids on the go to studio lighting and creating natural images, this offers posing tips for all ages and personalities and is a 'must' covering the various techniques of children's photographers. Rolando Gomez's LIGHTING FOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY (9781584289999, $34.95) tells how to pose and capture more sensual, appealing glamour images with insights into how light works. From basic beginning to complex set-ups, this packs in excellent tips and basic instruction to further the works of any glamour photographer.

Sculpture
Carole A. Feurman
Hudson Hills Press
P.O. Box 205, Manchester, VT 05254-9911
9781555953232, $50.00 www.hudsonhills.com

Carole A. Feurman's SCULPTURE blends a realist technique with a humanist approach and offers a monograph of her work blending photographer David Finn's close-ups and dramatic images with three decades of Feurman's works. It deserves a place in any arts or photography library, offering a fine collection of lovely works from one of the world's leading photographers of sculpture. Very highly recommended!

Boyd Norton's Outdoor Digital Photography Handbook
Boyd Norton
Voyageur Press
400 First Ave North #300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760332986, $24.99 www.voyageurpress.com

Boyd Norton's Outdoor Digital Photography Handbook: How to Shoot Like a Pro provides a winning master course study from an internationally renowned nature photographer who shares his special field techniques here. From lenses and how to compose and shoot dramatic images to various challenges in field nature photography, this is a 'must' for any photography library, pairing lovely color photos from Norton's experiences with insights on how they were achieved.

Photoshop CS5: The Missing Manual
Lesa Snider
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9781449381684, $49.99 www.oreilly.com

Photoshop CS5: The Missing Manual is a 'must' for any Photoshop CS5 reference collection. It offers a guided tour of Photoshop's new environment, telling how to bring images to life and how to take full advantage of its graphic design qualities. No technical jargon is used, here - just a conversational style and an easy introduction to the program, building on the basics of its use. No Photoshop CS5 library should be without this easy, basic handbook!

Camp Edwards and Otis Air Force Base
Donald J. Cann and JohnJ. Galluzzo
Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
9780738572147 $21.99 www.arcadiapublishing.com

Part of the "Images of America" series, Camp Edwards and Otis Air Force Base is a stunning collection of vintage black-and-white photographs portraying Massachusetts' Camp Edwards and Otis Air National Guard Base, used to train the National Guard. Each picture includes a brief accompanying caption of insightful flavor text. The result is an extraordinarily preserved visual tour of American history in the making. "The image gives a view of the rollers of the marine rollerway. Amphibious engineers had many options to get equipment on and off the beach. Which one was to be used depended on the conditions when invasions took place."

Wildlife Photography
Uwe Skrzypczak
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93102
9781933952567 $39.95 www.rockynook.com

Professional photographer and environmentalist Uwe Skrzypczak presents Wildlife Photography On Safari with Your DSLR: Equipment, Techniques, Workflow, a solid guide to the art of capturing vividly clear, unforgettable photographic images of natural wildlife. Wildlife Photography expressly focuses upon taking pictures of the wildlife of the Serengeti National Park of East Africa, yet the recommendations for adapting to the environment, learning about the habits of one's subjects, and adjusting one's preparations accordingly are vital to undertaking wildlife photography in any environment. Skrzypczak has specifically avoided drowning the reader in a sea of detailed information specific to every possible natural environment to instead concentrate on solid general principles and practices. "River crossings are difficult to photograph in bright sunlight... The combined factors of dust, haze, and the extremely high contrast produced by the foaming water make it impossible to rely on normal or automatic exposure metering. The best way to produce well-exposed images is to take test shots or to shoot bracketing sequences, secure in the knowledge that you can correct many exposure errors later at the post-processing stage." Highly recommended, especially for anyone serious about pursuing wildlife photography as either a hobby or a profession.


The Travel Shelf

Great Smoky Mountains Trivia
Doris Gove
Riverbend Publishing
PO Box 5833, Helena, MT 59604
9781606390177 $9.95 www.riverbendpublishing.com

Written and presented in question-and-answer format, Great Smoky Mountains Trivia is a delightful collection of fascinating facts about Great Smoky Mountains National Park of Tennessee and North Carolina. Readers can discover new and exciting things about everything from the area's natural history, geology, wildlife, plants, and weather to famous celebrity visitors and notorious moonshiners. An excellent supplement for "Trivia Pursuit" games and a great way to learn more about one of America's beautiful natural preserves, Great Smoky Mountains Trivia is a delight to page through.


The Native American Shelf

The Beginning of Print Culture in Athabasca Country
Patricia Demers,
Naomi McIlwraith
Dorothy Thunder, translators
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888645159 $80.00 www.uap.ualberta.ca

The Beginning of Print Culture in Athabasca Country is an extraordinary compendium of primary source material revealing how the language of the Cree Native American peoples came to be adapted and preserved in written form. Reproducing the 1883 Cree Prayer Book that was the creation of Father Emile Grouard, a nineteenth-century missionary with a talent for Native American languages who used a hand printing press to further his endeavors, The Beginning of Print Culture in Athabasca Country offers both the Cree language text and the literal English translation of the prayers. The text explores in depth the story of how Father Grouard came to learn the Cree language, as well as the overt and subtle nuances that distinguish Cree from English. The result is an extraordinary tribute to the creation of a written language, as well as a fascinating linguistic tour de force of the trials and tribulations involved in translating and preserving the tongue of a unique, Canadian indigenous culture. Highly recommended.


The Library DVD Shelf

Soul of a People
Smithsonian Networks/Infinity Entertainment
contact@smithsoniannetworks.com
No ISBN DVD, $19.98

SOUL OF A PEOPLE: WRITING AMERICA'S STORY offers a fine survey of 1930s America, discussing the story behind the Federal Writers Project of the times - one of four arts programs of Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration. The writers portrayed human triumphs and failures alike, sparking controversy in writings that changed a nation. Any American history collection needs this!

Aligned and Well: From the Shoulders Up
Katy Bowman
Well Balanced Media
PO Box 194, Ojai, CA 93023
No ISBN, $14.95 www.AlignedandWell.com

Aligned and Well: From the Shoulders Up offers a range of easy motion exercises addressing common pain, from chronic headaches and neck pain to shoulders impacted by computer work. It's a basic program for improving head and neck circulation and is a fine pick for any health collection.

Flying Cheap
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608831975 $24.99 www.shopPBS.org

Flying Cheap: Is Air Travel Safety Being Compromised? is an episode on DVD of the public television documentary series "Frontline". Exposing the drastic cost-cutting measures that the modern-day air travel industry has taken - including the increasingly widespread use of low-cost "regional carriers", the tendency to separate inexperienced pilots from the experienced ones (reducing opportunities for less experienced pilots to learn from their contemporaries), corporate pressure for pilots and personnel to work long hours even when sick, and more. Thirty years after airline deregulation, terrible accidents such as the deadly crash of Continental 3407 in Buffalo, NY - a crash that all evidence points to being preventable, and caused by pilot error - are evidence of flaws in the current system, and a blood price that will continue to be paid until stricter measures to enforce the value of human life are put in place. Highly recommended. Additional eye-opening documentaries of the "Frontline" series include "The Science and Skepticism Behind The Vaccine War" (9781608832453, $24.99) and "Obama's Deal: Inside the Battle for Health Care Reform" (9781608832293, $24.99).

Well Balanced Media
Katy Bowman
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$14.95 each www.411videoinfo.com www.AlignedandWell.com

Two healthful DVDs encourage viewers to promote their own well-being through simple exercise programs designed to prevent and counter discomfort as well as improve flexibility, and foster relaxation. "From the Shoulders Up" (30 min.) warns against common movement habits that can exacerbate problems with one's chronic ailments. Host Katy Bowman guides the viewer through five prescribed movements meant to improve circulation, digestion and elimination, muscle and bone strength, and overall health. "Fix Your Feet" (30 min.) is a similar program, but with particular emphasis on the well-being of one's feet - the advice within is helpful for dealing with everything from Plantar Fasciitis to Bunions, Hammer Toes, Shin Splints, and much more. Both are gentle, user-friendly, and ideal for anyone seeking to ease into an exercise program without excessively pushing their cardio performance.

Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef
Smithsonian Networks
Infinity Entertainment Group
c/o Greenleaf & Associates (publicity)
vicki@greenleafandassociates.com
$9.98 smithsonianchannel.com

Part of the extraordinary Smithsonian Networks documentary series, Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef is a true-life exploration of the wondrous world beneath the waves of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. From the vibrantly beautiful coral, to the uniquely beautiful marine life, to the man-made perils that threaten this underwater paradise, Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef lives up to its title as a fascinating expose of this submerged natural world. A breathtaking treasury, perfect for armchair travelers as well as public library collections. 47 minutes.

Candlemaking: A Beginner's Guide
Sharyn Pak
On Air Video Inc.
8203 Westminster Rd., Elkins Park, PA 19027
$16.95 www.onairvideo.com

Candlemaking: A Beginner's Guide is a straightforward guide to the hobby, art, and craft of creating beautiful and functional candles. Crafting expert Sharyn Pak guides the viewer through step-by-step processes (and important safety precautions!) for making a wide variety of popular candles, including cold-poured, rolled, sand, container, mold, and dipped candles. A thoughtful, thorough, and accessible instructional, highly recommended especially for anyone seeking to create distinctive handmade gifts for friends or family. 82 minutes.

Dance and Be Fit Carnaval Workout
Kimberly Miguel Mullen
Acacia
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598283143 $16.99 www.acornmedia.com

Dance and Be Fit Carnaval Workout is a fitness DVD divided into three segments, and based on the festive rhythms and joys of one of the biggest celebrations worldwide. Brimming with Brazilian enthusiasm, Dance and Be Fit Carnaval Workout is an exuberant cardio experience, as demonstrated by the lovely and energetic Kimberly Miguel Mullen. Dance and Be Fit Carnaval Workout is a wonderful and motivational addition to spice up any fitness DVD library. The segments are "Warm It Up", "Wind It Up!", "Step It Up!", "Jump Up!", and "Cool It Down". 47 minutes, widescreen.

Pretty Bird
Paramount Home Entertainment
mac@click-comm.com
1415749760 $22.98 www.paramount.com/homeentertainment

A Sundance Dramatic Grand Jury Prize nominee, Pretty Bird is an eyebrow-raising adventure of the lengths to which ordinary Americans may go to pursue their extraordinary dreams. When three unusual inventors - a charming entrepreneur, a compassionate mattress store proprietor, and a rocket scientist with a bleak worldview - team up to create a rocket belt company, the put everything they have on the line in hope of finding success. Pretty Bird blends skewed comedy, genuine warmth, and the drive to see the results of one's labor made real into a thoroughly engaging human saga. Highly recommended. 98 minutes, widescreen, rated R for language and a scene of sexuality.

The New Recruits
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608832354 $24.99 www.shopPBS.org

The New Recruits: Can Capitalism Save the World? is a one-of-a-kind documentary following an alliance of business students determined to improve quality of life for the poor and dispossessed - not by charity, but rather through capitalism, and the empowerment of having people pay an inexpensive yet sufficient monetary price in return for aid. Treating impoverished human beings as valued customers instead of charity cases promotes pride and respect on both sides. The New Recruits focuses on three individuals striving to put this principle into practice: Suraj from Mumbai, working for a company that builds pay toilets in Kenya - though the toilets are supposed to operate in slums, at the time Suraj joins they are only used by the wealthy in Nairobi. Heidi from San Diego works in India, for a company that creates solar-powered L.E.D. lights to replace kerosene among the rural inhabitants; and Joel from Tuscaloosa works with a company that sells drip irrigation systems to indigent farmers in Pakistan, but as he coaches his sales team, he discovers problems more deeply rooted than anyone could have guessed. An extraordinary and insightful documentary about realistically and practically dealing with quandaries borne of the human condition as surely as from poverty. 60 minutes. Also highly recommended is the PBS documentary "A Sense of Wonder" (9781608832460, $24.99).

Mount St. Helens: Back from the Dead
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608832644 $24.99 www.shopPBS.org

Mount St. Helens: Back from the Dead is a captivating episode on DVD of the award-winning public television documentary series NOVA, focusing on the very recent natural history of Mount St. Helens and its surrounding land. The catastrophic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens completely obliterated all life in the blast zone, and inundated the area underneath 300 feet of avalanche debris. Surprisingly, natural life reclaimed the desolate area - but the mountain is also reviving itself. Lava returned to the surface soon after the eruption, and in 2004 there were a sudden set of explosions catapulting steam and ash thousands of feet into the air. Can the volcano's activity be accurately predicted, or better understood? Mount St. Helens: Back from the Dead reveals how modern geologists use GPS, magnetic mapping, and more to uncover the secret life of a fearsome volcano. An extraordinary and absorbing presentation, enthusiastically recommended especially for public library collections. 56 minutes, widescreen.

Into the Deep: America, Whaling and the World
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608832521 $24.99 DVD / $28.99 Blu-ray www.shopPBS.org

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Into the Deep: America, Whaling and the World is part of the "American Experience" documentary series originally aired on PBS. Presenting the striking true story of the history of whaling in America, Into the Deep chronicles the adventure, the economics, and the environmental impact of whaling since its rise in the 17th century. From the riveting story of the doomed whaling ship "Essex", to how young Herman Melville learned so much about the industry that would inspire his classic "Moby Dick", and much more, Into the Deep provides an amazing window into the lasting cultural and social impact of a nautical industry. Highly recommended. 2 hours, widescreen, English SDH subtitles.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Treasury of Knowledge
Jamgon Kongtrul
Translated and introduced by Ngawang Zangpo
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393454 $49.95 www.SnowLionPub.com

The Treasury of Knowledge: Buddhism's Journey to Tibet collects books two, three and four of Jamgon Kongtrul's encyclopedic repository of Buddhist teachings as they have been handed down through the generations in Tibet. In addition to the skillfully rendered translations of the books "The Light of the World", "What the Buddha Taught", and "Buddhism Respendent in the World", there are in-depth reflections by translator Ngawang Zangpo on each chapter, as well as a bibliography and lists of various names and cited texts. An authoritative and surprisingly accessible rendition of a classic core text of Tibetan Buddhism, The Treasury of Knowledge: Buddhism's Journey to Tibet deserves the highest recommendation for personal and library Buddhist Studies shelves.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Virgin's Promise
Kim Hudson
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781932907728, $19.95, www.mwp.com

The journey from innocence and into womanhood is a major topic in modern fiction. "The Virgin's Promise" discusses this archetypal character and how to intertwine it with the hero and tell an engaging and riveting story unlike any other in today's avenues of performing arts. "The Virgin's Promise" is a solid addition to any stage writing collection, highly recommended.

Mosquito Marketing for Authors
Michelle Dunn
Never Dunn Publishing
9781453605301 $23.95 www.michelledunn.com

Industry veteran Michelle Dunn presents Mosquito Marketing for Authors, a no-nonsense guide for authors (especially self-published authors!) to effectively, efficiently, and inexpensively promoting one's book. Chapters discuss creating a niche market, identifying one's target audience, writing a press release, marketing both online and offline, networking, using a blog to promote one's business, creating a mailing list, the role of direct mail, standing out from one's competition, and much more. A practical-minded, user-friendly guide, absolutely indispensable to anyone interested in writing and publishing books for a living.


The Social Issues Shelf

Sound, Space, and the City
Marina Peterson
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
9780812242348 $39.95 www.upenn.edu/pennpress

Anthropologist Marina Peterson presents Sound, Space, and the City: Civic Performance in Downtown Los Angeles, a study of how urban public performances transform and revitalize civic space. From hip-hop to orchestra to mariachi music, Afropop, and Chinese modern dance, these diverse expressions and celebrations affect their audience in a diversity of ways, both immediate and long term. Sound, Space, and the City draws upon archival records of urban planning and policy, the author's own extensive experience with public performances, the vocalized concerns of modern urban residents and scholars, and more. The result is a collection of the lessons that can be learned about the values, advantages, and pitfalls of urban projects for space dedicated to public performances, particularly invaluable in today's modern era when more and more cities are embracing the arts as a means to revitalize their core territory. "Representation, recognition, and participation, tenets of democracy, structure public concerts as civic performances. At civic performances these terms are at once performative and political, organizing cultural identity and civic membership."

Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9780309114639 $48.95 www.nap.edu

Researched and presented by the independent, objective organization of the National Academies, National Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty is the congressionally mandated culmination of research into the career differences observable between female and male full-time, tenure-track, and tenured university professors of science, engineering, and mathematics. Drawing from a survey of random samples of roughly 1,800 faculty, as well as a departmental survey concerning policies, recent tenure, promotion cases, and recent hires in nearly 500 departments, Gender Differences reports its crucial findings in meticulous detail, and scholarly terms that are nonetheless accessible to readers who may not necessarily be familiar with advanced statistics. An exhaustive assembly of appendices rounds out this studious and insightful assessment - including copies of the surveys used, charts listing percentages and estimated probabilities, a bibliography, and an index.

WND Books
marketing@wndbooks.com
www.wndbooks.com

Floyd Brown & Lee Troxler's KILLING WEALTH FREEING WEALTH: HOW TO SAVE AMERICA'S ECONOMY AND YOUR OWN (9781935071815, $25.95) comes from the authors who predicted the 2008 financial collapse to one month and 100 points on the Dow. Their return with new predictions about eco-terrorist links to the BP oil catastrophe and Wall Street make for an eye-opening analysis by an economist and a seasoned broadcaster and political advisor, and makes Killing Wealth Freeing Wealth a fine pick for any library concerned with social change. Vox Day's THE RETURN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION (9781935071181, $25.95) tells of a columnist who predicted the collapse of the financial system some seven years ago - and who here warns that the latest symptoms of economic meltdown have only been the tip of what is to come. Ten reasons the next Great Depression will be wider, deeper and longer accompany an analysis of why today's economics are incapable of recognizing the extent of the problems. Any collection strong in economic analysis needs this.

Black Rednecks and White Liberals
Thomas Sowell
Encounter Books
900 Broadway #400, New York NY 10003
1594031436, $17.95 www.encounterbooks.com

Black Rednecks and White Liberals offers a fine challenge to many assumptions about blacks, Jews, slavery and education, tackling the favorite notions of intellectual thinking and providing a series of long essays covering mistaken policies and trends. From 'The Real History of Slavery' re-examining events to 'Are Jews Generic?', this provides food for thought from one of the country's leading commentators on racial and ethnic issues. Any social issues shelf needs this discussion.

The Abundant Community
John McKnight & Peter Block
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery St., Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
9781605095844, $26.95 www.bkconnection.com

THE ABUNDANT COMMUNITY: AWAKENING THE POWER OF FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS analyzes the impact of consumerism on families and communities, suggesting that purchase and outsourcing choices are gearing us outside communities for services and turning us into consumers and clients rather than neighbors sharing resources. This book makes a case for returning to community-based interactions and deserves a spot in any college-level social issues or business library.


The Civil War Shelf

Memoirs of the Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion, Volume 2
Robert J. Trout, editor
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
9781572337060 $49.95 www.utpress.org

Memoirs of the Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion, Volume 2: Breathed's and McGregor's Batteries is the second and final volume of a set collecting Civil War veteran's memories. Volume 2 particularly focuses upon the cavalry batteries of Captain James Breathed and Captain William M. McGregor (originally a single battery led by Major John Pelham, split in September of 1862). Presented here are Henry H. Matthews' memoir, which notably glorifies Breathed to such an extent that it is far from objective, as notes from editor Robert J. Trout observe; Richard Townshend Dodson's writings, which offer insights into the lot of individual soldiers as well as the overall descriptions of marching and fighting; and George W. Shreve's previously unpublished recollections, which are notable for their matter-of-fact portrayal of how an artillery battery effectively functioned. An extraordinary primary source and testimony, Memoirs of the Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion, Volume 2 is a worthy successor to Memoirs of the Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion, Volume 1 and highly recommended especially for college library and Civil War reference shelves.


The Science Shelf

Interactive Data Visualization
Matthew Ward, Georges Grinstein, & Daniel Keim
AK Peters
First Commonwealth Rd, Suite 2C, Natick, MA 01760
9781568814735, $89.00, www.akpeters.com

A visualization is a quick and efficient way to understand what may be otherwise indecipherable data. "Interactive Data Visualization: Foundations, Techniques, and Applications" is a textbook focusing on the importance of visualizing data and how to do so. With chapters on elaborating on the importance of visualization, understanding the data without it, the relation to the human eyes and mind, what technology has brought in the avenues of displaying and interacting data, no concept is really left untouched. Enhanced with example data, samples, a history of computer graphics, and more, "Interactive Data Visualization" is a solid text to have on hand for any community or college library collection.

Game Engine Design and Implementation
Alan Thorn
Jones & Bartlett Learning
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
9780763784515, $69.96, www.jblearning.com

Having an idea is great, but the hard part is implementation. "Game Engine Design and Implementation" is a guide to implementing one's ideas into their projects, and gaining a greater mastery of their programming language and design methods. Covering ideas for any genre, any graphical style, and more, Alan Thorn makes another excellent and complete and comprehensive entry into the Foundations of Game Development series, which serve well in helping hopeful game designers understand and pursue their dreams. "Game Engine Design and Implementation" is a fine pick and valuable resource, highly recommended.

Introduction to Geometrical and Physical Geodesy
Thomas H. Meyer
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
9781589482159 $99.95 www.esri.com

Introduction to Geometrical and Physical Geodesy: Foundations of Geomatics is an introductory text to geodesy: the science of measuring and representing the shape and size of the Earth, which is directly applicable to solving problems in cartography, GIS, engineering, and Earth sciences. Chapters spell out the basic tools and concepts of geodesy, as well as the distinction between and fundamental problems of geometrical versus physical geodesy. From different types of map projections, to angles and point positioning, heigh systems, the influence of tides and more, Introduction to Geometrical and Physical Geodesy is a solid, user-friendly reference and resource ideal for self-teaching or as a vital science course text. Black-and-white diagrams, example problems with solutions, and appendices offering a refresher on vector algebra, linear algebra, and spherical trigonometric identities round out this absolutely indispensable addition to college library and reference shelves.

Allies and Enemies
Anne Maczulak
FT Press
1330 Avenue of the Americans, 35th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780137015467, $24.99, www.ftpress.com

Bacteria is both the basis of life and the destroyer of it. "Allies and Enemies: How the World Depends on Bacteria" analyzes bacteria's place in the greater picture, as mankind fights against it at the same time embracing it. Bacteria are one of the greatest scientific enigmas, and play a part in many levels of the world, making for a fascinating read. "Allies and Enemies" is a scholarly text, and a solid addition to community and college library science collections.

The Science of Premonitions
Larry Dossey, MD
Plume
c/o Penguin Group, USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780452296329, $16.00 www.penguin.com

THE SCIENCE OF PREMONITIONS: HOW KNOWING THE FUTURE CAN HELP US AVOID DANGER, MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES, AND CREATE A BETTER LIFE comes from a doctor who himself experienced a week of accurate premonitions about his patients - then lost it. Here he documents cases of premonitions - some involving entire communities - and offers a fine survey that includes field-tested techniques for inviting premonitions. Any general-interest library will find this a winner!

Darwinian Fairytales
David Stove
Encounter Books
900 Broadway Suite 400, New York NY 10003-1239
1594031401, $27.50 www.encounterbooks.com

Darwinian Fairytales: Selfish Genes, Errors of Heredity and Other Fables of Evolution comes from a philosopher who offers a critical inquiry into Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Stove isn't a creationist nor a religious leader: he's a man of no religion' and skeptic who admits Darwin's genius while attacking the theory's own evolution into dogma. Darwinian Fairytales is thought-provoking title for any science debate!

Science Was Wrong
Stanton T. Friedman, MSC and Kathleen Marden
New Page
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601631022, $16.99 www.newpagebooks.com

SCIENCE WAS WRONG: STARTLING TRUTHS ABOUT CURS, THEORIES, AND INVENTIONS "THEY" DECLARED IMPOSSIBLE offers a fascinating blend of science and history, charting scientific scofflaws whose criticism was later proved wrong. From the impossibility of space travel to ancient Sanskrit germ theory proposals that were dismissed until the 19th century, this is a fun, enlightening read!


The Crafts Shelf

Making Mixed-Media Art Charms & Jewelry
Peggy Krzyzewski and Christine Hansen
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164018 $21.95 www.kalmbachbooks.com

Illustrated with crystal clear, full-color photography throughout, Making Mixed-Media Art Charms & Jewelry is a guide to turning ordinary trinkets and small, commonplace items into one-of-a-kind keepsakes or jewelry perfect for display or gift-giving. The "mixed media" composing such creations can be wood, metal, glass, paper, stones, beads, found objects, recycled things, vintage treasures, game pieces, bottle caps, coins, almost anything imaginable. After a brief primer on how to use basic tools to assemble creations, Making Mixed-Media Art Charms & Jewelry offers specific suggestions for creating everything from shrink plastic art charms to resin treasures to metal jewelry, wonderfully eclectic charm bracelets and much more. A detailed, practical, easy-to-use guide perfect for the creative and enthusiastic craftmaker, Making Mixed-Media Art Charms & Jewelry is highly recommended.

Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com

BeadStyle Magazine's EASY BEADING V. 6 (9780871162915, $29.95) offers a crafts and jewelry-making survey showing how to create lovely gifts and personal accessories in a snap. Over 80 projects taken from the last year of BeadStyle Magazine showcase the best projects, offering clear step-by-step photos for all project phases and lots of design notes for all levels of jewelry makers. Patricia Kimle's PERFECTLY PAIRED: DESIGNING JEWELRY WITH POLYMER AND METAL CLAYS (9780871162946, $21.95) packs in some twenty fine projects with step-by-step instructions, reviews of techniques, and tool kits for working in different mediums. Designs are varied and come from an award-winning polymer and metal clay artist who designs her own jewelry. Highly recommended for any jewelry-making collection! Also recommended for such a library is Irina Miech's METAL CLAY RINGS: SILVER JEWELRY INSPIRED BY NATURE (9780871162786, $19.95). It tells how to shape metal clay into showpiece jewelry and offers some 18 original designs, each with step-by-step photos and instructions, including ideas for sizing and variations on designs. Any jewelry-making collection will welcome this!


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

The World's Rarest Movie Posters
Todd Spoor
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764334986 $39.99 www.schifferbooks.com

Illustrated with full-color photography of astoundingly rare movie posters on practically every page, The World's Rarest Movie Posters lives up to its title as a vivid catalogue of rare and remarkable pop culture treasures. Each poster's entry features a flawless photographic representation of the poster, and detailed buying information - the number of that poster known to exist (and some of the posters are the only known ones of their kind left), the highest price that poster has been known to sell for on auction, and more. Aside from a brief introduction, The World's Rarest Movie Posters is wholly devoted to serving as a visual reference and price guide of these fragile mementos. An excellent choice not only for serious collectors, but also for anyone interested in paging through an exquisite photographic rendition of rare movie posters for a very modest price. Also highly recommended from Schiffer Publishing is the hands-on, step-by-step guide "Creating Floral Masterpieces" (9780764334597, $29.99).


The Self-Help Shelf

Runaway Husbands
Vikki Stark
Green Light Press
c/o KSB Promotions
55 Honey Creek Ave NE, Ada, MI 49301
9780986472107, $16.95, www.runawayhusbands.com

Betrayal is most devastating when it comes from nowhere. "Runaway Husbands" The Abandoned Wife's Guide to Recovery and Renewal" is a discussion of wife abandonment syndrome, when a Husband leaves their wives suddenly with no previous explanation of unhappiness. Encouraging wives to find their own peace and move forward with their lives and deal with this sudden change of life, "Runaway Husbands" is a fine and thoughtful read, and a pick for wives who may be wrongly blaming themselves.

Ask Your Inner Voice
James Wawro
Ozark Mountain Publishing
PO Box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740
9781886940703, $14.00, www.ozarkmt.com

Ignoring yourself isn't the best way to go through life. "Ask Your Inner Voice" is a guide to listening to that voice inside your head, your conscience and using it to find your way through life and gain a greater understanding of it and everything around it. Listening to it, understanding it, and more, "Ask Your Inner Voice" is a fine pick for those who want to understand what they truly want and understand what their mind is trying to say.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Don't Buy the Bull
Cassandra Toroian
Sterling & Ross
115 W. 29th St. New York, NY 10001
9780982139264, $19.95, www.sterlingandross.com

The economy of the United States has radically changed, and the old ways won't work anymore. "Don't Buy the Bull: Dispelling Disastrous Investment Advice and Money-Myths in Our New Economy" is a guide to the new rules of finance, which encourages staying debt free, much more cautious actions, working with others, planning for the long term, and more. "Don't Buy the Bull" is a book of sage, and very highly recommended advice for anyone fearful of the new economy.

Point, Click, and Save
Rachel Singer Gordon
CyberAge Books
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
9780910965866, $19.95, www.infotoday.com

Money is something a lot of mothers don't have a lot to throw around. "Point, Click, and Save: Mashup Mom's Guide to Saving and Making Money Online" is a guide to being the budget conscious mom in world that wants to see you penniless. Saving on what's important, making money along the way, and using the internet to its full power, "Point, Click, and Save" is a powerful guide that shouldn't be missed by the mom on a budget.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Boston Theater Marathon XI
Smith and Kraus Book
177 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755
9781575257716, $24.95, www.smithandkraus.com

A good show is not necessarily a long show. "Boston Theater Marathon XI" is a collection of ten minute plays from a wide list of playwrights who all provide quick, concise stories that can be easily performed on the fly by any troupe, giving anyone training a troupe or simply hosting a variety show plenty of entertaining material. For the theatre performer or just a lover, "Boston Theater Marathon XI" is a fine collection, a choice addition to any theater collection.


The Martial Arts Shelf

The Fighting Staff
Dwight C. McLemore
A Paladin Press Book
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
9781581607147, $35.00, www.paladin-press.com

The simplest of weapons can be the most effective. "The Fighting Staff" discusses the principles behind the staff when used in combat. Not favoring any discipline in particular, Dwight C. McLemore hopes to give readers a wider grasping explanation on the many essentials one must know when dealing with the combat staff. With drills for training oneself and how to spar with it and the countless techniques, "The Fighting Staff" is a must for anyone who wants to better understand the details and skill that can lie beneath a simple stick.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Retriever Puppy Training
Cherylon Loveland & Clarice Rutherford
Alpine Publications
38262 Linman Rd., Crawford, CO 81415
9781577790952, $19.95, www.alpinepub.com

A good dog can not only be a good companion, but a good partner. "Retriever Puppy Training: The Right Start for Hunting" is a guide for training one's retriever for work with hunting on the field, how to encourage them and work with the dog's personalities to get them to help you in the way you want. From exercises to retriever health and plenty of training tips, "Retriever Puppy Training" is a choice pick for anyone who wants to train their puppy to be their future hunting buddy.

4-H Guide: Dog Training & Dog Tricks
Tammie Rogers
Voyageur Press
400 - 1st Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760336298, $18.99 voyageurpress.com

4-H Guide: Dog Training & Dog Tricks offers a fine survey to teach a dog the basic training tasks and fun tricks, pairing advice and tips with basic commands. The author works with her husband operating a professional dog-training facility: her tips are specific and come with color photo examples to boot. Any general library catering to pet owners will find this an attraction.

The Private Lives of Birds
Bridget Stutchbury
Walker & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780802717467, $25.00 www.walkerbooks.com

The Private Lives of Birds: A Scientist Reveals the Intricacies of Avian Social Life comes from a 'bird detective' biologist whose field studies of birds offers many insights into bird behaviors. From understanding bird social life to becoming more aware of their needs, The Private Lives of Birds offers lay readers an opportunity to understand the science behind birding. Highly recommended!

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

Bonnie Ballard and Ryan Cheek's EXOTIC ANIMAL MEDICINE FOR THE VETERINARY TECHNICIAN (9780813822068, $69.99) appears in its second updated edition to provide a fine introduction to exotic animal practices for technicians in classroom and clinic settings. The emphasis on exotic species makes for a fine survey that includes the latest practices in exotic animal medicine, with new information bird behaviors, aviary management, and more details on reptiles, skunks, prairie dogs and more. Nutrition, husbandry, and step-by-step descriptions of common procedures range from very basic to advanced details and makes this an important acquisition. Xie's CHINESE VETERINARY HERBOLOGY (9780813803692, $129.99) is edited by Huisheng Xie and Vanessa Preast and provides vet libraries an outstanding alternative, homeopathic Chinese medicine guide for any animal. From history and dosages and pharmaceutical ingredients to clinical applications and side effects, this provides specific insights to herbs organized by ailment and should be a key acquisition for any vet collection. Also key is Ron Banks, et.al.'s EXOTIC SMALL MAMMAL CARE AND HUSBANDRY (9780813810225, $49.99), a reference for handling and treating small exotic animals in the vet clinic. From clinical techniques and diagnosis to treatment and anatomy, this offers specific details vets must have!


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Hidden Realms, Lost Civilizations, and Beings from Other Worlds
Jerome Clark
Visible Ink
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578591756, $24.95

The elements of fantasy all have basis in reality. "Hidden Realms, Lost Civilizations, and Beings from other Worlds" discusses the roots of many of the mythos and potential realties of the world, such as life within the solar system, fairies in our world, lunar civilizations, and so much more. Offering accounts on many of these supposed real encounters, "Hidden Realms, Lost Civilizations, and Beings form Other Worlds" serves as an endlessly fascinating and hard to put down read.

Complete Guide to Chakras
Ambika Wauters
Barrons
250 Wireless, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764163132, $16.99 www.barronseduc.com

Complete Guide to Chakras appears in a fine vintage edition covering the exercises and techniques involved in mastering inner energy and life. Fine color illustrations accompany questionnaires and exercises, with qualities, attributes, and self-assessments throughout. Lending libraries will find this an excellent, basic new age acquisition!


The Women's Studies Shelf

The Modern Girl's Guide to Sticky Situations
Jane Buckingham
Avon
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780061776359, $19.99 www.harpercollins.com

The Modern Girl's Guide to Sticky Situations offers a collection of 'quick fixes' to common questions, organized by situation, and covers everything from love and money to weddings and family conflicts. With candid answers to such topics as what to do with guests that won't clear out of a kitchen before a dinner is served to fighting with family over inheritance, this is packed with key tips to success and a smoother life. Any general lending library will find this a popular lend!


The Political Science Shelf

Toxic Talk
Bill Press
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
9780312606299, $26.99 www.stmartins.com

TOXIC TALK: HOW THE RADICAL RIGHT HAS POISONED AMERICA'S AIRWAVES answers media bullies who have contributed to a divided nation. From Conservative backlashes to health care reform processes to how Right-Wing Conservatives control radio debates, this offers an eye-opening survey of radio's right-wing extremists and how they are influencing the direction of the nation, making this a top pick for any library strong in civil liberties and debates over freedom of expression and radio programming.


The International Studies Shelf

The Caged Phoenix
Dipankar Gupta
Woodrow Wilson Center Press
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004-3027
Stanford University Press (distributor)
11030 South Langley Avenue, Chicago, IL 60628
9780804771894, $27.95, www.sup.org

India's history is a very strange one in the global scene. "The Caged Phoenix: Can India Fly?" discusses India and its potential in the future. From its culture to its massive population to its unique way of gaining independence from Great Britain to its longer history before the English, and more, Dipankar Gupta brings readers a view of India that is truly wide in scope. "The Caged Phoenix" is a fine pick for anyone intrigued with modern India.

Encountering the Chinese, third edition
Hu Wenzhong, Cornelius N. Grove, Zhuang Enping
Intercultural Press
20 Park Plaza #1115A, Boston MA 02116
9781931930994, $24.95 www.interculturalpress.com

The third updated edition of ENCOUNTERING THE CHINESE; A MODERN COUNTRY, AN ANCIENT CULTURE is a fine pick for any college-level student surveying the history and culture of the Chinese. It's been revised to explain how Chinese values are rapidly changing - and how etiquette and common observations are moving in very different directions. A 'must' for any who would study or understand Chinese history and modern culture.


The Automotive Shelf

Two Billion Cars
Daniel Sperling & Deborah Gordon
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199737239, $16.95 www.oup.com

TWO BILLION CARS: DRIVING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY offers a fine history of cars and the global oil and car industries, with special focus on emissions and car cultures. Chapters expose auto industry issues, problems in oil markets and distribution, and how to reform American dependence on cars, creating a powerful survey for any library strong in environmental and cultural issues.


The Literary Shelf

Where the Wild Books Are A Field Guide to Ecofiction
Jim Dwyer
University of Nevada Press
Morill Hall/MS 0166, Reno NV, 89557
9780874178111, $29.95, www.unpress.nevada.edu

To have books, we need trees, so it's in the best interests of books to protect the environment. "Where the Wild Books Are: A Field Guide to Ecofiction" is a discussion of ecological and environmentally driven fiction throughout the years and around the world. Jim Dwyer discusses these books since they started appearing in force in the 1970s. For anyone looking for fiction with strong environmental messages, "Where the Wild Books Are" is a fine addition to any literary studies collection.

The Newbery and Caldecott Awards
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838935958, $22.50, www.alastore.ala.org

These books are the best of the best; it's always a good idea to have them on hand for your library. "The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: 2010 Edition" is a guide to award winners of these prestigious awards so that one can find these books for their library and make them available to the public. Covering most of both awards history with extended features for the current winners, "The Newbery and Caldecott Awards" is a must for anyone who wants a complete and comprehensive collection for their children's library.

The Creative Crone
Sylvia Henneberg
Missouri University Press
2910 LeMone Blvd., Columbia, MO 65202
9780826218612, $44.95

The creative mind ages, but it's never dead until the body is. "The Creative Crone: Aging and the Poetry of May Sarton and Adrienne Rich" looks at the work of two poets who kept writing long into their senior years, providing a poignant insight into the mind of the elder woman and how age discrimination the plight of the elderly affects them, allowing readers to gain of understanding on the effects of age. The discussion found within is scholarly and fascinating, debating subjects such as death, being forgotten, and more. "The Creative Crone" is a choice addition to any community or college literary studies collection, highly recommended.

Ambrose Bierce's Write it Right
Jan Freeman
Walker & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780802717689, $24.00 www.walkerbooks.com

Ambrose Bierce's Write it Right: The Celebrated Cynic's Language Peeves Deciphered, Appraised, and Annotated for 21st-Century Readers is a fun 'must' for any general or language collection: it offers fun observations about applications of nouns, verbs and more, and is a fine, revealing dictionary of insights perfect for any general or literary collection!

Hemingway: So Far From Simple
Donald F. Bouchard
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781591027560, $19.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

Hemingway: So Far From Simple offers a new perspective on Hemingway's career and life, with literary critic Donald Bouchard using the postmodernist writings of Michael Goucault and others to consider Hemingway's career as a writer and how he addressed criticism of his work. High school to college-level students of Hemingway will find this absorbing.


The Music Shelf

Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method
William Bay
Mel Bay Publications, Inc.
#4 Industrial Drive, Pacific, MO 63069
9780786678709, $9.95, www.melbay.com

The guitar is a complex instrument that is difficult, but fun, to master. "Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method: Chords in Position" serves as a chord positioning guide, covering many chords and their progression to help readers practice their methods and gain a greater grasp of chords. For any guitar student, "Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method" serves as a solid resource.

Abba: The Scrapbook
Jean-Marie Potiez
Plexus Publishing
110 Riverside Dr., Apt 5E, New York NY 10024
9780859654227, $24.95 www.plexusbooks.com

Abba: The Scrapbook is a 'must' for any Abba fan or popular music library. It is packed with unique photos and memorabilia and offers a complete history of the band, from its early days in Sweden to its evolution as a world band. It's a powerful visual biography and perfect keepsake edition for any Abba fan.

MySpace for Musicians, second edition
Fran Vincent
Course Technology
20 Channel Center St., Boston, MA 02210
1435454197, $34.99 www.courseptr.com

The second updated edition of MySpace for Musicians: The Comprehensive Guide to Marketing Your Music Online is a 'must' for any indie musician. It covers all the basics of how to use the MySpace environment for promoting music, now considered the 'first step' for any serious musician. From setting up the social network's page to using MySpace from either a musician or a record label or music manager's vantage point, this in-depth coverage is a 'must' for musicians and libraries catering to them!


The Sports Shelf

The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running
Adam W. Chase & Nancy Hobbs
Falcon Guides
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762755370, $19.95, www.falcon.com

Running is great exercise, fun, and can be the way to see some sights up close. "The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running: Everything You Need to Know About" is a complete and comprehensive guide for those who want to get into the hobby of trail running and want to be equipped with knowledge to keep it a safe and pleasant experience. From exercises to gear, "The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running" is a starting runner's best friend.

Soccer and Philosophy
Ted Richards, Editor
Open Court
70 East Lake St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696769, $21.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

Soccer and Philosophy provides an unusual pairing: soccer notes by philosophers - and offers insights on ethics, metaphysics, and issues of beauty and form in the soccer environment. By blending philosophical principles and inquiry with soccer specifics, this will reach an audience not ordinarily attracted to philosophy books, and deserves a dual location on philosophy and sports shelves alike.

Human Kinetics
Box 5976, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
www.humankinetics.com

Expertly edited by the team of Charles A. Santo and Gerard C.S. Mildner, SPORT AND PUBLIC POLICY: SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE (0736058710, $65.00) is the only text that examines some of the most compelling policy issues affecting the sports world. It contains essays from a range of scholarly disciplines and offers a new perspective on economic and political issues in sport, and it covers everything from global policies to a model of nonprofit community ownership. Sports managers, in particular, as well as college-level students will find this an important collection. Marie Dunford's FUNDAMENTALS OF SPORT AND EXERCISE NUTRITION (073607631X, $29.00) provides a fine examination of sport and exercise nutrition, covering its basic concepts and reviewing the field to provide a solid introduction. The latest evidence-based information and its application to sports is revealed in a blend of success stories, boxed highlights, and sidebars of information on sport nutrition. Claude Bouchard and Peter T. Katzmarzyk edit PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND OBESITY (0736076352, $79.00), which appears in its second updated edition to survey links between physical activity, inactivity, and obesity. From areas of controversy and uncertainty to underlying physical activity research and research areas for further exploration, this packs in a fine survey highly recommended for any health or sports collection. Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN. FACSM and Andrea Chernus, MS, RD, CDE's NUTRIENT TIMING FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE (0736087648, $17.95) comes from two sport nutritionists who have worked alongside today's top athletes, including football players and marathon runners. They here combine their techniques with the latest dietary research to show how readers can create an individualized action plan to meet sport and physical needs. Athletes and collections catering to them must have this.

What Washington Can Learn From the World of Sports
George Allen
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20001
9781596985988, $27.95 www.regnery.com

What Washington Can Learn From the World of Sports belong on political and sports shelves alike, offering a unique association between sports rules and team playing and the political world of Washington DC. Chapters cover issues of ties, equal opportunity, government regulation, and working as a team and make for inspiring reading perfect for a range of readers seeking clarity in understanding Washington's political plays.

The Complete Triathlete's Training Manual
Oliver Roberts
Barron's
250 Wireless Road, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764143847, $14.99 www.barronseduc.com

The Complete Triathlete's Training Manual: A Unique Training Hide for Triathletes of All Abilities offers six graded training regimens designed to take readers from beginning to long distance and even Ironman status and focuses on routines that can build general fitness. Advice on how to buy equipment and how to avoid injury make this an invaluable guide!


The Computer Shelf

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

Jim Waldo's JAVA: THE GOOD PARTS (9780596803735, $29.99) offers a top pick for any library strong in programming languages, showing how to build large-scale software using better coding and memory management techniques. From reusable data structures to using Java RMI to move code and data, this is a fine survey for any computer library! David Pogue's WINDOWS 7: THE MISSING MANUAL (9780596806392, $39.99) covers all the new features of Windows 7, its security protection, networking, software and more. Since Windows 7 comes without any instruction, this primer serves as the 'bible' of reference details a bout how to customize and set up the Windows 7 environment. A 'must' for any computer collection! Collections catering to web developers will find solid detail and advice in Nicholas C. Zakas' HIGH PERFORMANCE JAVASCRIPT (9780596802790, $34.99), a survey of the basics of identifying problem code and improving scripts by learning how Javascript stores and accesses data. It comes from a Yahoo engineer who works with five other JavaScript experts to help Javascript run efficiently and quickly, and will appeal to any Java collection. Chris Grover's FLASH CS5: THE MISSING MANUAL (9781449380250, $39.99) provides a powerful survey of using Flash in web design, covering animation basics, Flash tools, using templates and pieces of code, and more. Learn how to create rich, interactive animations with a fine survey of Flash's strengths! Joshua Noble, et.al.'s FLEX 4 COOKBOOK (9780596805616, $49.99) provides a fine guide to web design and development using Adobe Flex. It packs in problem-solving 'recipes' for a range of applications, offering practical solutions for everything from Flex basics to working with data and developing applications. Internet developer collections must have this! Also key is Yakov Fain, Victor Rasputnis & Anatole Tartakovsky's ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT WITH FLEX (9780596154165, $54.99) provides a fine key to using Adobe Flex to build production-quality Rich Internet Applications. From choosing Flex-building frameworks and applying Flex designs to improving design efficiency, this is a powerful presentation and a 'must' for any Flex collection.

Information Representation and Retrieval in the Digital Age, second edition
Heting Chu
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573873932, $49.50 www.infotoday.com

Information Representation and Retrieval in the Digital Age offers a second updated edition of Heting Chu's popular work on information representation and retrieval, and offers numerous updates and revisions. The basics are surveyed in a review of key concepts as well as new developments, making this a sold reference for any college-level collection.

Securing the Borderless Network
Tom Gillis
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
1587058863, $45.00 www.ciscopress.com

Securing the Borderless Network: Security for the Web 2.0 World comes from a Cisco security technology expert who brings together technical guidance for companies of all sizes, surveying different scenarios from social networking systems to cloud computing and identifying key security risks and proven best-practice techniques for each. The result is a basic primer highly recommended for any advanced computer collection interested in network security issues.

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

Michael Labriola, Jeff Tapper and Matthew Boles's Adobe Flex 4: Training from the Source V. 1 (0321660501, $49.99) tells how to build and debug Internet applications and how to use the MXML language to lay out applications. Programmers learn how to create custom user interfaces quickly through a step-by-step system to building them using Flex 4's powers. A team of authors make this a powerful reference programming libraries need. Another top pick is an official training workbook from Adobe Systems, DREAMWEAVER CS5 CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (0321701771, $54.99). It offers a complete course on Adobe Dreamweaver CS5, offering 17 lessons covering all the basics of the program. Owners of Dreamweaver CS5 will find this packed with tutorials. Owners of InDesign CS5 also have a winner in ADOBE INDESIGN CS5 CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (0321701798, $54.99). It's also the official training workbook, so lends well to at-home study as it covers all the basics of InDesign with the intention of offering a 'classroom at home' for program owners who would do it themselves or supplement a course.

Core JavaServer Faces, third edition
David Geary & Cay Horstmann
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0137012896, $54.99 www.informit.com/ph

The third updated edition of Core JavaServer Faces has been revised to JSF 2.0 and is a special recommendation for any advanced Java programming collection. JavaServer faces is the standard EE technology for building web user interfaces: this offers three new chapter on using Facelets tags, coverage of many advanced tasks, and solutions to common troubleshooting and debugging issues. Advanced Java computer collections should consider this a 'must' acquisition.

Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789744279, $24.99 www.quepublishing.com

Jeffrey Hughes's IPHONE & IPAD APPS MARKETING: SECRETS TO SELLING YOUR IPHONE AND IPAD APPS (0789744279, $24.99) offers a fine step-by-step guide to marketing iPhone and iPad Apps. Learn how to identify value, target an audience, set the right price, and use social networks to create excitement in this fine specific key to cross-marketing an app. Any business or computer library will relish this! Steve Johnson's ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS5 ON DEMAND (0789744457, $29.95) provides a winning survey using a visual step-by-step format and illustrations to survey the basics of using Illustrator CS5. From creating complex objects and text to applying graphic styles to design results, this packs in all the basics in an easily-used format! Paul McFedries' FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS: MICROSOFT EXCEL 2010 (078974306X, $39.99) provides a core program for building superior spreadsheets using Excel. From creating better formulas and using formatting to pinpoint problems instantly to analyzing data with PivotTables and using advanced filtering functions, this provides a fine key for any advanced in Excel. Steve Johnson's ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS5 ON DEMAND (0789744473, $34.99) tells how to improve productivity with the CS5 interface and templates, and is a key acquisition for any Photoshop collection. From using content-aware options for scaling to changing plan text into fine images, this packs in visual step-by-step references suitable for any Photoshop library. Steve Johnson's ADOBE INDESIGN CS5 ON DEMAND (0789744465, $29.99) offers a visual step-by-step format and guide to improving productivity using CS5. From creating pages and books to applying styles to text and creating interactive PDFs, this is packed with specific tips and guided lessons.

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

Stephen G. Kochan's PROGRAMMING IN OBJECTIVE-C 2.0 I AND II (9780321720337, $TBA) is one of the most important DVD videos Objective-C programmers can learn from. It is the first complete video training course covering all the basics, assume no prior programming experience, and includes plenty of real-world expels on how to put Objective-C to use in everyday programming for the Mac. The instruction takes the form of short sessions that teach skills in 15-minute increments, making this a top pick for any learner. Lyssa Adkins' COACHING AGILE TEAMS: A COMPANION FOR SCRUMMASTERS, AGILE COACHES, AND PROJECT MANAGERS IN TRANSITION (0321637704, $39.99) offers a fine guide to coaching agile teams, offering agile coaches insights needed to create a productive software engineering environment. From evolving a leadership style to staying engaged, this is a top pick for any agile coach.


The Military Shelf

My 39 1/2 Years in the US Army Reserve
Douglas S. McLaughlin
Elderberry Press, Inc.
1393 Old Homestead, Second Floor, Oakland, OR 97462
9781934956298, $19.95, www.elderberrypress.com

Nearly four decades of military service certainly gives a man his own set of challenges in life. "My 39 1/2 Years in the US Army Reserve" is the memoir of Douglas S. McLaughlin, Sergeant First Class. Through many wars, he stayed available to the military, serving on many tours of duty and seeing much of the world along the way. A unique take on military life, "My 39 1/2 years in the US Army Reserve" is a fine pick for any military memoir collection.

Notes of a Russian Sniper
Vassili Zaitsev
Frontline / Pen & Sword
c/o Casemate Publishers
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA19083
9781848325654 $32.95 www.casematepublishing.com

The true-life inspiration for the film "Enemy at the Gates", Notes of a Russian Sniper is the firsthand testimony of Vassili Zaitsev, an expert hunter who became a skilled and talented sniper during World War II. Volunteering to fight in the battle of Stalingrad, he quickly learned how to use a rifle with a telescopic sight, and invented masterful tactics that are still studied in sniper schools worldwide. Zaitsev's legendary efforts made him a symbol of Russian resistance against the Nazis, and his own words reveal how a dedicated and determined man could hold out and fight back even in the most severe situations. Notes of a Russian Sniper is highly recommended especially for college library, military history, and military biography collections.

The Bomb
Howard Zinn
Open Media Series
c/o City Lights
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
9780872865099, $8.95, www.citylights.com

A bomb is highly impersonal. The dropper can kill hundreds, and never see any of them. "The Bomb" is the memoir of Howard Zinn, a bomber in World War II who dropped bombs along the French countryside while campaigning against Germany. After learning of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Zinn now speaks out against the use of bombs and what it can do the warfare. Thoughtful and full of stories of an old soldier who regrets what he has done, "The Bomb" is a fine posthumous release that shares much of the lost wisdom of World War II.

Fighter Pilot
Robin Olds with Christina Olds & Ed Rasimus
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312560232, $26.99 www.stmartins.com

FIGHTER PILOT: THE MEMOIRS OF LEGENDARY ACE ROBIN OLDS tells of a West Point football coach who was also a double ace fighter pilot during the jet age, and a leader best known for his leadership of the F-4 Wolfpack over North Vietnam. His autobiography recaptures the drama and passion of his times and provides a military aviation history account perfect for any military or aviation collection.

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

Gordon L. Rottman's GERMAN PIONIER 1939-45: COMBAT ENGINEER OF THE WEHRMACHT (9781846035784, $18.95) provides a fine survey of the German Pionier troops who were at the front of the blitzkrieg. They were assault troops and construction works, and used new equipment to fight: original photos and art accompany a survey of the experiences of a typical Pionier's training and actions against the Allies, and deserves a spot in any German specialty collection! Kate Moore's THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN (9781846034749, $29.95) is published in association with the Imperial War Museum in London and celebrates the 70th anniversary of the battle, offering a lavish display packed with modern art, photos, propaganda posters, and first-hand accounts. Any collection strong in British military history must have this!


The Architecture Shelf

Guide to Green Building Rating Systems
Linda Reeder, AIA
Wiley
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256
9780470401941, $75.00 www.wiley.com

Guide to Green Building Rating Systems offers a one-stop guide for choosing a green building rating system, reviewing major national rating systems from both a broad and in-depth perspective and discussing how these rating systems work differently for different types of buildings. Case study examples and reviews of all kinds of rating requirements make this a 'must' for any architectural or builder's library.


The Language Studies Shelf

Globish: How the English Language Became the World's Language
Robert McCrum
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393062557, $26.95 www.wwnorton.com

Globish: How the English Language Became the World's Language shows how and why English grew from the language of an isolated island nation to become the world's main tongue. It considers not just how English evolved in the past, but how it's still evolving today to become 'Globish', incorporating many world changes. Any literary collection from general libraries to college-level holdings will find this a fine coverage!

Abstracts and the Writing of Abstracts
John M. Swales and Christine B. Fak
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
9780472033355 $16.00 www.press.umich/edu/esl/

Abstracts and the Writing of Abstracts provides Volume 1 of the expanded, revised edition of ENGLISH IN TODAY'S RESEARCH WORLD, covering all the basics of writing abstracts and revising material on the topic. It focuses on research artless and abstracts for short communications, conferences and PhD dissertations, surveying options and linguistic challenges posed by different abstracts. Any college-level library must have this!

The Thinker's Thesaurus
Peter E. Meltzer
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393337945, $19.95 www.wwnorton.com

The Thinker's Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words offers a fine new format for the typical thesaurus entry, offering a range of entries such as thirty-two entries for 'woman', each with a clarifier. This clarifier process allows for better understanding of language and makes for a powerful presentation highly recommended for any English language reference library, from high school and college to general public library holdings!


The Business Shelf

Bootstrap Leadership
Steve Arneson
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605093451, $17.95, www.bkconnection.com

A good leader always thinks of a way to make their business succeed. "Bootstrap Leadership: 50 Ways to Break Out, Take Charge, and Move Up" is a guide to pushing oneself further to the next level of business through your own determination and will. Stating that businesses that encourage leadership and ideas often flourish further, "Bootstrap Leadership" is an uplifting and sensible business guide that encourages readers to never shun a good idea or potential leader.

Limited Liability Company
Daniel Sitarz
Nova
1103 W. College St., Carbondale, IL 62901
9781892949547, $29.95, www.novapublishing.com

It can be daunting diving into the world of business. "Limited Liability Company: Small Business Start-Up Kit" is a guide for readers who want to understand what a Limited liability company is and how to break into business using one for their own personal business. Highly detailed with no shortage of tips for establishing it, and enhanced with a CD-ROM full of resources, "Limited Liability Company" is an invaluable read for any starting independent business person.

Copycats
Oded Shenkar
Harvard Business Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422126738, $29.95, www.hbr.org

Imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery, but can also be very useful business wise. "Copycats: How Smart Companies use Imitation to Gain a Strategic Edge" is a guide to why the sometimes derided imitation can prove to be a good and useful thing in business, stating that a good proven idea can be useful if done right, although it's easy to fall into the mistaken pit of knock offs. With plenty of strategy and thought on the matter, "Copycats" is a useful resource for any business who sees innovation as creative theft.

Innovation X
Adam Richardson
Jossey-Bass
c/o Wiley
989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9780470482193, $27.95, www.josseybass.com

Innovation can be a massive key to success, but it can also be the greatest downfall. "Innovation X: Why a Company's Toughest Problems Are Its Greatest Advantage" is a discussion of innovation and how to avoid misusing it to the point of it becoming an active problem to businesses. Outlining how to use innovation effectively as its place a problem solver and bringing a whole new slew of thoughts and ideas along the way, "Innovation X" is a choice read for any business leader who has been looking at innovation as a dilemma, rather than a solution.


The Folklore/Mythology Shelf

Dark Fairies
Bob Curran
New Page Books
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601631107, $14.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Tinkerbell is not the iconic fairy of myth. "Dark Fairies" looks into the history of fairies, and their roots as evil tricksters who were out to deceive and bring people to their doom, and to be feared. Looking at their roots in folklore and fairy tales, Dr. Bob Curran discusses how they developed and how they spun into the family friendly fairy of today. "Dark Fairies" is a fascinating read for anyone excited by mythology.


The Real Estate Shelf

The Skinny on The Housing Crisis
Jim Randel
Rand
265 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06880
9780981893525, $14.95, www.theskinnyon.com

When the finances crumble, being smart is the only thing that will keep one afloat. "The Skinny on the Housing Crisis: What Every Homeowner and Homebuyer Needs to Know" is a quick and comprehensive guide to the details of the recent housing crash and how the homeowner or those seeking to buy one can stay smart, keep their home, or attain that dream home in spite of it all. Negotiations, avoiding bad product, understanding the language, and more, "The Skinny on the Housing Crisis" is a fine pick for anyone treading the current minefield of real estate.


The Agriculture Shelf

The World According to Monsanto
Marie-Monique Robin
The New Press
38 Greene Street, New York, NY 10013
9781595584267, $26.95, www.thenewpress.com

Power corrupts, and when it comes to food, Monsanto has much power in the world. "The World According to Monsanto: Pollution, Corruption, and the Control of Our Food Supply" looks at Monsanto, a company promoting itself as a life science company and claiming strict and litigious ownership over genetic modifications of much of America's food supply in the form of corn and soy. Controversial and truthful, "The World According to Monsanto" gives a direct discussion of the company's practices and what it could mean for the future of food.


The Railroading Shelf

Building Structures for Your Garden Railway
Jack Verducci
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187
9780890247198, $21.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Some people choose garden gnomes for decorations, but others prefer something a bit more historic. "Building Structures for Your Garden Railway" is a guide for customizing the mini railway you place in your garden with a railway and structures for a bit more realism and sampling for it. With ideas and advice for making these structures look as realistic as possible with plenty of effects and details, "Building Structures for Your Garden Railway" is a top pick for anyone who wants to make their garden a model of history.


The Parenting Shelf

Developmentally Appropriate Play
Gaye Gronlund
Red Leaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605540375, $32.95, www.redleafpress.org

Play is more than just wasting time; it's learning. "Developmentally Appropriate Play: Guiding Young Children to a Higher Level" is a guide for encouraging smart play in one's children and encouraging them to have more fulfilling experiences through their play. From weaving in education, interactions, and more, Gaye Gronlund offers much perspective on the power of play, and makes for quite the enlightening read for parents and early education teachers. "Developmentally Appropriate Play" is a treasure of information, highly recommended.

Every Natural Fact
Amy Lou Jenkins
Holy Cow!
PO Box 3170, Mount Royal Station, Duluth, MN 55803
9780982354513, $14.95, www.holycowpress.org

The great outdoors have a lot to offer the world and a parent should try to teach their children that. "Every Natural Fact: Five Seasons of Open-Air Parenting" is a collection of reflections on five seasons where Amy Lou spent with her son in the outdoors of Wisconsin and the lessons that she and her son learned along the way. With plenty of poignancy and thought, "Every Natural Fact" is a read that any nature loving parent will want to consider when sharing that nature with their children.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Healer
Linda Windsor
David C. Cook
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9781434764782, $14.99

To heal is more than removing injury from the body. "Healer" is a tale of Arthurian Scotland and Brenna of Gowrys, a woman who seems destined to be the queen of her people, but wanting none of it, preferring her skills as a healer. Finding an injured man and helping him recover, she finds more than healing, she finds love. But her tasks may be more than living as a hermit, and she may have to restore her kingdom yet. "Healer" is an enthralling read of dark age Scotland that will be hard to put down.


The Economics Shelf

Russia after the Global Economic Crisis
Anders Aslund, Sergei Guriev, & Andrew C. Kuchins
Peterson Institute for International Economics
1750 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036-1903
Center for Strategic & Internal Studies
1800 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
9780881324976, $22.95, www.csis.org

Abandoning communism, Russia has taken to capitalism and revitalizing its economy with much gusto. "Russia after the Global Economic Crisis" delves into the rise and development of Russia as an economic power, and how it's contending against America once more after the current economic crisis around the world settles. Russia has its problems, but its future as an economic powerhouse is assured. "Russia after the Global Economic Crisis" is a fine and very highly recommended pick for anyone who likes to think about world economics.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court, thirteenth edition
Ralph Warner
Nolo
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413311020, $29.99, www.nolo.com

Not everything calls for a massive courtroom drama. "Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court" is the thirteenth edition of a long running resource to help those who want to prepared for the small court system. From everything from starting the litigation process to defending one self to the court room itself, to reaping victory or dealing with defeat. "Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court" is an invaluable resource for those who want justice served but don't know how.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Boundaries
Christine E. Gudorf & James E. Huchingson
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589016361, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

As the world expands, its natural resources are in more debate than ever. "Boundaries: A Casebook in Environmental Ethics" discusses the current environmental landscape in the eyes of business and the law and how respect for the environment and maintaining its integrity and allowing it to continue to provide for it in the future. But privately owned water, climate change, forests, and more are the topics that will plan the world and its growth in the future. "Boundaries" is an insightful and scholarly read, highly recommended.

Coal Country
Shirley Stewart
Sierra Club Books
85 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
9781578051663, $25.95, www.sierraclubbooks.org

Mining is a dangerous thing, but some take it to the next level. "Coal Country: Rising Up Against Mountaintop Removal Mining" discusses the rise against mountain top removal mining and the dangers it poses to the miners as well as the environment. Based on the documentary film, Coal Country discusses the harmful effects coal mining has had throughout the country, and why some people are standing up and opposing the practice. "Coal Country" is a must read for those concerned about mining in America.

The Wolf's Tooth
Cristina Eisenberg
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009
9781597263979, $90.00, www.islandpress.org

There are rarely pleas to save the predator. "The Wolf's Tooth: Keystone Predators, Trophic Cascades, and Biodiversity" discusses predators and their importance to the environment and its balance. Focusing on the predator as a cornerstone of the ecosystem, Cristina Eisenberg brings a scholarly scientific treatise on the subject, to provide much in way of research and opinion on the matter. With chapters analyzing patterns in ecosystems, the ocean, how humanity has interrupted the ecosystem and how it can contribute to its repair, Eisenberg does well in presenting much food for thought. Enhanced with plenty of resources and appendixes for ease of use, "The Wolf's Tooth" deserves a place in every community and college library environmental studies collection.


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