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California Bookwatch

Volume 11, Number 8 August 2016 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Agriculture Shelf Education Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Science Shelf Crafts Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Computer Shelf Business Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Cyberspies
Gordon Corera
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681771540, $29.95 www.pegasusbooks.com

Cyberspies: The Secret History of Surveillance, Hacking, and Digital Espionage comes from a BBC New Security Correspondent who considers the evolution of espionage and technology from early times to modern, and provides a fine background that explains and explores how modern cyberspies came to be. Stories come from politicians, hackers, and spies themselves as they tell of different cyber terrorism attacks, rising issues of data security, and espionage in the worlds of international business and science alike. By having the entire history and background of spy and hacking activity in hand, readers will better be able to understand the special challenges and impact of cyberspies and the evolution of the worlds in which they operate.

Star Trek: The Official Guide to Our Universe
Andrew Fazekas
National Geographic Press
101 West 104th Street, Suite 8, New York, NY 10025
www.nationalgeographic.com
9781426216527, $24.95, www.nationalgeographic.com/books

Star Trek: The Official Guide to Our Universe: The True Science Behind the Starship Voyages pairs scenes from various renditions of Star Trek episodes with discussions of the science involved, and presents enthusiasts of the series with an excellent way of absorbing Star Trek's underlying scientific principles. Chapters are loaded with astronomical photos and tips on stargazing, discussions of alien worlds and life forms, features the nebulae and spacecraft construction in the series, and more. Each chapter links a Star Trek feature, story, or scientific principle with wider-ranging discussions of the latest research and discoveries. The result will attract Trek fans and general-interest astronomy readers alike with a format that is chatty yet loaded with facts.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Whitman Publishing
4001 Helton Drive, Florence, Alabama, 35630
www.whitman.com

Three new "Search and Save" coin reference guides provide a satisfying blend of coin albums for collecting and reference book, which offers colorful illustrations and coin history to accompany pages of collecting pages with protective plastic sleeves to keep the coins from falling out. Many of the coins featured can be collected from circulation, but some require some special search skills. Abraham Lincoln Cents (9780794844387, $9.95), State Quarters (97807984844400, $9.95) and Nickels (9780794844394, $9.95) all are powerful picks especially recommended for beginning collectors who will receive encouragement, organization, and formats that lends well to understanding coin history and the collection process.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Way of the Spiritual Warrior
Imre Vallyon
Sounding-Light Publishing Ltd.
PO Box 771, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
9780909038496, $19.95, www.soundinglight.com

The Way of the Spiritual Warrior: the Timeless Path to Enlightenment considers the soul, spiritual self-assessment, and how better understanding the concept of the warrior path and techniques can lead to not just better understanding of universal life forces, but applications of these forces in such a way that transforms lives. New age readers of wisdom science will find this account packed with insights on the wheel of birth and death, transformative processes, and insights about Unity Consciousness, and will find it a powerful addition to their reading lists.


The Agriculture Shelf

Handbook of Photosynthesis, third edition
Mohammad Pessarakli, Editor
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781482230734, $229.95, www.crcpress.com

The third updated edition of Handbook of Photosynthesis is highly recommended for any college-level agriculture collection, and offers a wealth of new ideas and research on photosynthesis that have come to light over the last ten years from various studies and areas of expertise. Nearly forth original chapters compliment in-depth revisions and updated to prior material, so the book's almost entirely new - which makes its price tag more than worthwhile to any prior edition owner. Over a hundred authors around the world discuss their research and latest science in photosynthetic processes, while a new section on its molecular science has been added. The result is a powerful, in-depth survey that is quite simply a "must have" acquisition for any college-level botany or science collection.


The Education Shelf

How Schools and Districts Meet Rigorous Standards Through Authentic Intellectual Work
M. Bruce King, Editor
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781483381077, $30.00, www.corwin.com

"How Schools and Districts Meet Rigorous Standards Through Authentic Intellectual Work: Lessons from the Field" provides a discussion pairing the research-based, tested framework of AIW with a survey of how it meets Common Core and other standards, using case histories of AIW implementation processes in various schools and at different levels to outline the process of collaboration and professional development that it offers. Templates, organizers, models and AIW conclusions accompany charts, graphs and tips for a discussion that is well-rounded and specific: highly recommended for any educator looking at AIW's applications and processes.

Discovering the Culture of Childhood
Emily Plank
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605544625, $24.95, www.redleafpress.org

Discovering the Culture of Childhood is a top recommendation for early childhood educators and considers childhood culture, from belief systems to language and expressions as well as social interactions, and how it leads to better insights for the educator. The approach here involves examining this culture of childhood and understanding its perspective, using case history examples to demonstrate how problem solving opportunities were identified and fostered in early learning settings. As important as discussions of what worked are illustrations of what approaches failed due to misreading childhood communications and culture.


The Audiobook Shelf

Every Exquisite Thing
Matthew Quick
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781478978385, $25.00, www.hachetteaudio.com

Vanessa Johansson adds a smooth and compelling voice to this saga of a star athlete and dutiful daughter whose beloved teacher awakens the rebellious side of her by giving her a mysterious cult classic book. As Nanette finds herself exploring new facets of her personality, she also develops new relationships and faces different challenges which all come live in a powerful audio story of transformation. Any listener interested in a coming of age story with a difference will find Every Exquisite Thing makes for a powerful saga.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Indexing Tactics & Tidbits: An A-Z Guide
Janet Perlman
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
www.infotoday.com
9781753875257, $45.00, www.amazon.com

Indexing Tactics & Tidbits: An A-Z Guide is a reference for indexing professionals working in the industry, and offers many insights into the process of using indexing software, understanding clients, handling certification processes and databases, and more. From mashups and bids to marketing tips all indexers should know and references that lend to better indexing, this reference also includes typical client problems and how to handle them, scheduling challenges, and more, making it a 'must have' reference for any professional indexer.

Ten Characteristics of Quality Indexes
Margie Towery
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
www.infotoday.com
9781573875264, $45.00, www.infotoday.com

Ten Characteristics of Quality Indexes: Confessions of an Award-Winning Indexer comes from an industry professional whose own reputation is synonymous with high quality work, and culls some two decades of the factors that set her indexing work apart from others. From what makes a quality index and how to achieve an approach that incorporates consistency and solid results to the author's own challenges as she developed her indexing abilities, any indexer who would better understand what makes for indexing quality will find this a powerful discussion.


The American History Shelf

Gold Rush in the Klondike
Josephine Knowles
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
www.quilldriverbooks.com
9781610352703, $22.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

Gold Rush in the Klondike: A Woman's Journey in 1898-1899 excels in presenting the frontier experience from the vantage point of Josephine Knowles, an ordinary Victorian woman who traveled with her husband to the Klondike during the Gold Rush of 1898, and provides a memoir based on a manuscript which hasn't seen publication before. Knowles faced many challenges and surprises as she endured a harsh winter, faced disease, and came into contact with unsavory elements of society who were sometimes violent and more often crass. Her year in the Yukon at the height of the Rush brings to life not just a bygone era, but the sentiments and daily experiences and dangers of the Gold Rush world. Women's history and general American history collections alike, especially those strong in Gold Rush experience, will find hers a rare, important addition.


The World History Shelf

Cool: How Air Conditioning Changed Everything
Salvatore Basile
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823271788, $19.95, www.fordhampress.com

Cool: How Air Conditioning Changed Everything provides history readers and social science students alike with a review of how air conditioning evolved and changed life in America, and is recommended not just for college collections but for any seeking a pairing of history and lively social insights. Chapters survey how air conditioning was created, marketed, and how political figures and business interests alike entered into the process. The result is a wide-ranging discussion that seemingly begins with a narrow topic but which blossoms out to embrace the many changes this technology brought.


The Science Shelf

Computational Physics
Darren Walker
Mercury Learning
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9781942270737, $49.95, www.merclearning.com

Computational Physics joins others in the "Essentials of Physics" series and is intended as a basic college-level introduction to computational physics. Computers are used for a wide range of scientific applications, and this book is designed as an overview of the scientific programming process, presenting exercises in physics problems and examples of working programs. From solving boundary value problems and applying partial differential equations to computer generations of formulas and calculations, this primer offers a thorough coverage any college-level computer science or physics student will find key to understanding.


The Crafts Shelf

Tie Dip Dye
Pepa Martin and Karen Davis
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
www.barronseduc.com
978143805331, $18.99, www.amazon.com

Tie Dip Dye at first looks to join a host of tie-dye how-to books on the market; but take a second glance; because the techniques and results of this dip dye guide is nothing like the 1960s tie dye one may envision. It offers techniques for homemade designs that require little in the way of equipment or knowledge, it shows how dip-dying may be combined with textured stitching and rubber bands or twine to create intriguing new patterns, and it is filled with ideas that lend not just to clothing, but to home furnishing. Any who want a different variation on the tie dye theme will find many lovely ideas here, with the step-by-step instructions and photos that make them easy to duplicate.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Latino/a American Dream
Sandra L. Hanson and John White, Editors
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
www.tamupress.com
9781623493899, $40.00, www.tamupress.com

The Latino/a American Dream provides a fine set of essays by social scientists who explore the interactions, achievements, and obstacles of Latinos as they reach for the American dream, considering the economics, history, social challenges and perceptions of this dream and how it differs between recent Latino immigrants and those a few generations later. College-level readers of social issues and political science will find it a powerful survey that compares Latino conditions with those of other ethnic groups in this country, and which asks many important questions for any who would consider changing or contrasting facets of the American dream.


The Computer Shelf

Alternate Reality Games
Charles Palmer and Andy Petroski
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781498722384, $39.95, www.crcpress.com

Alternate Reality Games: Gamification for Performance is a primer recommended for any collection strong in computer game development processes, and offers a fundamental guide to the basics of such games. Discussions of alternate reality game formats, examples of various forms of such games, case studies covering their creation and programming challenges, and guidelines for creating such a game include discussions on how to create characters, plots, and action and makes the perfect starting point for game builders new to alternate reality models.


The Business Shelf

The Five Roles of a Master Herder
Linda Kohanov
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608683381, $24.95 www.newworldlibrary.com

The Five Roles of a Master Herder: A Revolutionary Model for Socially Intelligent Leadership is recommended for self-help and business collections alike. While her focus is on leadership and collaboration, the concepts are based on her equestrian work and discusses five different roles that translate to unique leadership opportunities. The key to better leadership lies in balancing these basic concepts and applying them to business and social models alike. Chapters offer insights on how to determine which of the five roles are dominant in one's personality and how to apply them in supportive situations. New age and business readers alike will find The Five Roles of a Master Herder offers many insights into leadership opportunities.


The Cookbook Shelf

K Food
DaHae and Gareth West
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781784721596, $24.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

K Food: Korean Home Cooking and Street Food presents the traditional cuisine and recipes of Korean dishes and explores how they are blending with Western influences to create new foods, and belongs on the shelves of any who want to explore and cook Korean-influenced dishes. Some incorporate just a few changes to traditional approaches - such as with a Sweet and Spicy Pork Belly Buns which removes vegetables from the traditional picture and slices the meat into thinner strips more suitable for the bun than traditional stir-fries; while others represent real changes - such as the Shrimp Po'Boy with Yija Mayo, which takes a decidedly Korean approach as it takes an American sandwich and adds a citrus-flavored mayo to the mix. Any who appreciate fusion ideas will relish this innovative Korean-based cookbook's approach.

Finding the Flavors We Lost
Patric Kuh
Ecco
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062219541, $26.99, www.eccobooks.com

Finding the Flavors We Lost: From Bread to Bourbon, How Artisans Reclaimed American Food comes from the restaurant critic of Los Angeles Magazine and provides a close inspection of the history of the artisan food movement in America. This sweeping survey covers nearly a hundred years, documenting the rise of 'radicals' who taught and fostered nearly-forgotten artisan breads, beers, and cheeses in the 1970s and moving backward to the history of food crafting through the decades. From what defines 'artisanal' products to the social influencers on food product development and dissemination, Finding the Flavors We Lost will attract any interested in food history and development in America.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Title Wave
Lorna Barrett
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425282700, $26.00, www.penguin.com

Title Wave tells of Tricia and her sister, who decide to book a cruise for a much-needed rest as their bookstore is being rebuilt following a fire. Unfortunately, they've chosen one of their passions as a cruise topic - a mystery event - and the fun quest for adventure turns too serious - and deadly when a fellow passenger is murdered. The mystery quickly turns into a real-life investigation as Tricia and Angelica race against time and waves of danger to find out who did it - and why.

Books of a Feather
Kate Carlisle
Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451477705, $25.00, www.penguin.com

Books of a Feather is set in San Francisco and tells of a book restoration expert who is approached by a birder society president with a big project: to repair a book of Audubon drawings spoiled by spilled wine. But when said president is murdered, Brooklyn has her own opinion about what did him in and why - and soon a series of odd events has her chasing clues and fleeing for her own life. A powerful story evolves that will delight book fans interested in captivating murder mysteries.


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

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


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