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California Bookwatch

Volume 8, Number 6 June 2013 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Cookbook Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Fashion Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Business Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Computer Shelf
Biography Shelf Social Issues Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Science Shelf Women's Studies Shelf
Travel Shelf Art Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Education Shelf International Studies Shelf
Nautical Shelf Sports Shelf Photography Shelf
Military Shelf Crafts Shelf American History Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Music Shelf California Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Future Primal
Louis G. Herman
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781608681150, $19.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

FUTURE PRIMAL: HOW OUR WILDERNESS ORIGINS SHOW US THE WAY FORWARD comes from a political philosopher who argues that a different examination of human origins is needed to fully understand the makeup of our core humanity and recover from global political unrest and ecological collapse. This title considers the lives of the San Bushmen hunter-gatherers of South Africa, using them as a model for understanding how life would be without warfare, slavery or fighting. The idea is that we use this experience and wisdom to create a new earth-centered planetary political model - Herman calls this model 'primal politics' and provides a philosophical and social view of how it would operate. The result is a fine analysis of an alternative social model, highly recommended for any new age collection.

Plowing with Pigs
Oscar H. Will III & Karen K. Will
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717176, $24.95, www.newsociety.com

Plowing with Pigs and Other Creative, Low-Budget Homesteading Solutions is a pick for any food and gardening collection strong in rural accounts of living off the land, and tells how to build a sustainable lifestyle that solves common homesteading challenges. Traditional knowledge is combined with different options, offering everything from pole building from woodlot materials to replacing farm machinery with homemade hand tools and farming small grains for big profits. From an organic kitchen upgrade to building fences, this pairs black and white photos and illustrations with clear 'how to' coverage in a pick recommended for any collection strong in rural sustainable farming and living.

The Treasures of Bruce Lee
Paul Bowman
Applause
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781476886848, $45.00, www.applausebooks.com

The Treasures of Bruce Lee follows the career and contributions of an actor, writer, teacher and director who was singularly responsible for much of the popularity revolving around Asian martial arts in the West. This account tells of his family, his passion and his world, using previously unpublished photos and removable facsimile documents from the Lee family archives to trace Bruce Lee's life and works. The result is an amazing collection that won't withstand the duress of library lending, but which is perfect for any martial arts fan.

Why Does the World Exist?
Jim Holt
Liveright
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780871403599, $16.95, www.wwnorton.com

Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story considers the roots of why there is 'something' rather than 'nothing', and is a pick for philosophy and science collections alike, considering cosmology, spirituality and philosophical questions of existence. Chapters will appeal to general-interest readers with their focus on different theories of God and existence, adding a sense of humor to considerations of spiritual meaning versus 'big bang' philosophy. Any general collection will find this a popular pick, accessible to a diverse audience.

The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera
Harvey H. Jackson III
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA, 30602-4901
9780820334004, $28.95, www.ugapress.org

The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera: An Insider's History of the Florida-Alabama Coast provides a powerful social history of a region of the Florida-Alabama coast which evolved into a tourist destination from the late 1920s to the early 1930s, when it changed from a small collection of fishing villages to a region known as "The Redneck Riviera". Southern history, culture, and social and natural history changes are related in the course of exploring this region's evolution and importance to Southern heritage: the result is a powerful survey and addition to any collection strong in Southern sentiments and history.

Children of the Days
Eduardo Galeano
Nation Books
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor, NY, NY 10003
9781568587479, $26.99, www.nationbooks.org

CHILDREN OF THE DAYS: A CALENDAR OF HUMAN HISTORY uses inspiration from each date of the year to provide a collection of 366 vignettes spanning the centuries from ancient to modern times, capturing key moments of human experience throughout science, history, and societies. His celebrations of the lives of well-known individuals and events makes for a fine reader packed with moments and reflections, filled with celebrations and insights perfect for any who would read an inspirational piece of human history a day.

Do Not Go Quietly
George & Sedena Cappannelli
Hay House
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
9781401942496, $24.95, www.hayhouse.com

Do Not Go Quietly: A Guide for Living Consciously and Aging Wisely for People Who Weren't Born Yesterday come from co-founders of AgeNation, experts on social and organizational change who here provide strategies and tools for those who will soon be 50 years and older. Younger people who want to be better prepared for the physical and psychic effects of aging will find this a fine survey of the social, political, and health issues separating those over 50 from younger people. Chapters discuss life rules, life achievements, and difficulties in aging using many case history examples and social science findings. The result is a top recommendation for any new age, health, or general lending library.

What Would Grace Do?
Gina McKinnon
Gotham Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781592408283, $26.00, www.penguin.com

What Would Grace Do?: How to Live Life in Style Like the Princess of Hollywood provides a focus on Grace Kelly's style secrets, covering her ability to adapt her style to her life events and blending a biography with a style manual and inspirational life lessons. The mix is perfect for modern women looking to understand the special lure of Grace Kelly and her methods of style, entertainment, friendships and career. From discussions of stars and celebrities to parenting tips for raising young royalty, this will appeal to many women with a quirky sense of style and fun perfect for any general lending collection!

The Big, Bad Book of Beasts
Michael Largo
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062087454, $18.99, www.harpercollins.com

The Big, Bad Book of Beasts presents an array of amazing facts about animals from real to those extinct and mythical, presenting the author's research on all kinds of encyclopedias of beasts. For hundreds of years such collections of 'facts' rivaled only the bible as the 'most read' book of the Western world - and they contained such amazing creatures as eagles listed side-by-side with sea monsters. Curious facts about animals offer many contemporary revelations about animal fetes, human interactions with them, and amazing animal abilities, making this a powerful gathering of curious facts perfect for general-interest browsing and science collections alike.

The Drunken Botanist
Amy Stewart
Algonquin Books
PO Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
9781616200466, $19.95, www.algonquin.com

THE DRUNKEN BOTANIST: THE PLANTS THAT CREATE THE WORLD'S GREAT DRINKS explores plants that have produced the world's spirits and provides a fine botanical history covering the science and history of over 150 plants, flowers, trees and fruits that have contributed to drinks. There are many insights to be had, here - such as the fact that sugar beets provide the base alcohol in many orange liqueurs, or the contribution of mojito mint from Cuba, which differs from most spearmints. A two-color format accompanies over fifty drink recipes, growing tips for gardeners, and a combination of humor and science that will please a wide audience, from cooks and culinary fans to those involved in botany and gardening.

Time Travel
David Wittenberg
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823249978, $27.00, www.fordhampress.com

Time travel fiction, whether it be in literature or film writing, is a setting for thought experiments in which theoretical questions about storytelling, history, and temporality are represented in the form of plots. This survey uses film theory, physics, philosophy and more to link changes in time travel fiction to shifts in science through the ages, showing how a public understanding of new scientific concepts leads to changes in the literary 'time machine' device. Works by well-known time travel writers and pulp fiction writers from the 1920s through the 1940s accompany analysis of TV shows and modern cinema to consider how mainstream audiences of time travel narratives become engaged. The result is a wide-ranging college-level survey suitable for all kinds of collections.

Gem Identification Made Easy, fifth edition
Antoinette Matlins, PG, FGA
Gemstone Press
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
9780943763903, $38.99, www.gemstonepress.com

Now in its fifth edition, Gem Identification Made Easy: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying & Selling comes from experts Antoinette Matlins and Antonio Bonanno, who here explain how to identify gems and stones, how to identify fakes versus the real thing, and how to care for them. More than just a review, this provides a system of identification and explains the basics of using simple professional tools in the identification process, teaching how to spot flaws in diamonds and gemstones, how to treat or improve the color of many gemstones, and how to spot the latest imitations. All information has been updated to reflect changes in gemstone selling and identification, making this a top pick for any would-be collector.


The Cookbook Shelf

Pressure Cooker Perfection
America's Test Kitchen
9781936493418, $19.95, www.americastestkitchen.com

PRESSURE COOKER PERFECTION: 100 FOOLPROOF RECIPES THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU COOK provides a fine guide to cooking under pressure and covers all the basics; from what to look for when first selecting a pressure cooker, considering options such as electric versus stovetop, and making both fast food and fancy dinners using the pressure cooker. Chapters packed with recipes assure perfection from chefs who have tested each dish to develop these 100 'foolproof' recipes. Any who would try pressure cooking will find this a key ingredient in the formula for success.

Mad Hungry Cravings
Lucinda Scala Quinn
Artisan Books
c/o Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
9781979654382, $27.95, www.artisanbooks.com

Mad Hungry Cravings: 173 Recipes for the Food You Want to Eat Right Now covers everything from pizza to milk shakes, and offers foolproof dishes for feeding the family with comfort foods they love. Busy families can cook at home with just a little advance planning, a well-stocked pantry, and simple recipes. Here recipes are organized by categories that make them easy to mix and match, from breakfast to soups and sandwiches, and feature everything from Old-School Meatloaf to Teriyaki-Glazed Wings. From a family-pleasing Beefy Black Bean Soup to Pulled Pork, this is filled with dishes recommended for any family and for cookbook collections in general-interest libraries.

The New Jewish Table
Todd Gray & Ellen Kassov Gray
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250004451, $35.00, www.stmartins.com

The New Jewish Table: Modern Seasonal Recipes for Traditional Dishes comes from a chef who married his Jewish wife, introducing him to a new world of Jewish cooking. In 1999 the author blended his love for farm-to-table ingredients with his passion for Jewish cuisine, opening the Equinox Restaurant in Washington, D.C. This cookbook from his creations presents over a hundred recipes that blend traditional Jewish fare with fresh seasonal ingredients and new ideas for changing traditional dishes. From a Spring Poached Salmon Mousse with Cucumber Salad to Pistachio-Crusted Loin of Lamb, this features many dishes any Jewish home cook will find exciting.

Sicily
Editors of Phaidon
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780714863528, $39.95, www.phaidon.com

Sicily blends a cookbook with a travelogue, pairs color photos with recipes and commentary, and provides specially commissioned photos and over fifty new recipes to travel the extent of Sicily's provinces. Each chapter takes a province, provides its history and culinary cooking methods, and pairs images from Sicilian kitchens with local dishes. The result is a meld of travel and culinary insights, perfect for cookbook collections seeing popularity in Italian offerings, who want to go a step further.

Put 'Em Up! Fruit
Sherri Brooks Vinton
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781612120249, $19.95, www.storey.com

Put 'em Up! Fruit teaches home cooks how to preserve fruit, offering a step-by-step photographic instruction for the basics of canning. Some 80 recipes for preserving fruit with classic and modern flavors teaches how to cook using these preserves: something most canning guides don't do. And the cooking involves not just desserts, but main courses. Innovative ideas provide alternatives, options and variations on themes, making this a top recommendation over other preserve guides.

The Little Paris Kitchen
Rachel Khoo
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452113432, $35.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

The Little Paris Kitchen: 120 Simple but Classic French Recipes offers a modern approach to Cordon Bleu cookery and comes from a cook who has only two gas burners and a mini-stove to cook on. Despite this limit, fresh home-cooked French meals can be easy to put together - and this offers makeovers of dishes such as Boeuf Bourguignon, Coq qu Vin and more. Innovations incorporate international as well as French recipes, and accompany insights on French living and culinary heritage. Fresh ingredients, easy techniques, and local fare are the foundation of a guide any cookbook collection will find lovely and accessible.

150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes
Camilla V. Saulsbury
Robert Rose Publishers
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778804420, $24.95, www.robertrose.ca

150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes presents a range of dishes that can be made with ebelskiver puffs, both sweet and savory, and offers a blend of traditional dishes and new innovations on a theme. All that's needed is an ebelskiver pan to produce many winning puffs, from Scallion Curry Puffs with Chutney to Salted Carmel Ebelskivers, Sesame Halvah Puffs, and more. Several centerfolds of color photos enhance a winner highly recommended for any who have an ebelskiver pan and want an array of dishes that go beyond the usual sweet sensations.

One-Pot Wonders
Clifford A. Wright
John Wiley
c/o Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
www.hmhpub.com
9780470615362, $23.99, www.amazon.com

ONE-POT WONDERS is a pick for any who would use a single pot to cook a meal, whether it be slow-cooked stews or stir-fries and skillet meals, works or casseroles. Some 250 recipes from around the world gather simple meals ranging from a Moroccan Tangine of Lamb and Onions to Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry and Scrambled Eggs and Black Bean Burritos. The array of one-pot possibilities, international influences, and attention to dishes that can be served at any meal makes this a winner highly recommended for any cookbook collection; particularly those appealing to busy cooks!

Comfort Food
Southern Living
Oxmoor House
PO Box 11095, Des Moines, Iowa 50336-1095
9780848734862, $19.95, www.oxmoorhouse.com

COMFORT FOOD: A DELICIOUS TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE pairs a kitchen guide and food reader with insights on comfort food recipes shared at supper clubs or passed down within families, and packs in over 150 dishes ranging from Banana Pudding to Quick and Easy King Ranch Chicken Casserole or Seafood Gumbo. From a traditional Red Velvet Cake to a Southern classic in a creamed Corn Baked Pudding, this pairs color photos with comfort food dishes key to American kitchens, and is a winning guide recommended for any general lending collection; particularly those strong in American traditional dishes.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Rising Seas
Vivien Gornitz
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231147392, $40.00, www.cup.columbia.edu

Rising Seas: Past, Present, Future highlights sea level changes and the history of human activities and impact on rising seas. It uses data from paleoclimatological and geological records and modern climate models to review all the challenges rising seas bring to human endeavors, from managing shorelines at risk to understanding the thinning of global ice sheets and how major sea level oscillations have been recorded from Earth's past geological history. The result is a powerful blend of history, science, and social science and belongs in any college-level collection concerned about sea level science and environmental impact.

Climate Myths
John J. Berger
Northbrae Books
1807 Bonita Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709-2117
9780985909208, $9.95, www.northbraepublishers.com

Climate Myths: The Campaign Against Climate Science provides a powerful description of the fossil fuel industries' successful twenty-year campaign to mask the causes and effects of global climate change, showing how it operated to create doubt about the reality of climate change and its causes, and how the campaign fostered stories that became popular belief. From its initial position denying the reality of climate change to its latest contention that such change may be real, but still too costly to think about, this attacks the myths surrounding climate change and explains to general-interest readers the realities of not only climate change, but industry campaigns to invalidate scientific findings. The result is a powerful study recommended for any science and social issues collection.


The Fashion Shelf

The Wardrobe Wakeup
Lois Joy Johnson
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
9780762445844, $23.00, www.runningpress.com

The Wardrobe Wakeup: Your Guide to Looking Fabulous at Any Age comes from a fashion and beauty expert who provides a book especially for middle-aged women who want a style update, and comes from a woman who has spent over thirty years styling thousands of women, from everyday women to models and celebrities. From updating a closet to reflect modern fashion to wearing comfortable clothing to get a sleeker silhouette and understanding the pros and cons of fashion trends, this offers a makeover approach which is, in effect, a lifetime program for positive change. Highly recommended for any women's or fashion collection.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Modern Cartooning
Christopher Hart
Watson Guptill Publications
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
978082307141, $21.99, www.watsonguptill.com

MODERN CARTOONING: ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES FOR DRAWING TODAY'S POPULAR CARTOONS could also have been featured in our Arts or Crafts sections, but is mentioned here for its special interest to any who want to learn how to create effective cartoons. Basic tips for creating a range of hilarious characters in wacky scenes are offered in a guide designed for beginners - including those new to cartooning. Step-by-step discussions of the drawing process include a fun compilation of illustrations and a tutorial that discusses how to capture characters and use drawings to create stories. The result is a powerful, highly recommended pick for any who aspire to draw and market cartoons or graphic novels.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Gate Thief
Orson Scott Card
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765326584, $24.99, www.tor-forge.com

The Gate Thief tells of Danny North, still in high school yet harboring the memories and selves of some thirteen centuries of gatemages. The Families want to kill him if they can't control him - and he's too powerful for them to control. This second book in the Mither Mages series stands well either alone or as a continuation of the saga for prior readers: chapters tell of Danny's continually evolving powers, his confrontation with enemies including a powerful mage called Bel, and the evolution of his responsibilities concerning the Great Gates. The result is a powerful addition to an evolving saga, packed with twists and turns and exquisite tension. Science fiction collections, particularly those seeing popularity with the opening novel in the series, will find this a winner.

The Heretic
Tony Daniel and David Drake
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451638813, $25.00, www.baen.com

THE HERETIC is set on the planet of Duisberg, one of thousands that reverted to chaos after the galactic republic fell. The planet's god is actually a supercomputer from the past, which has decided to avoid another collapse scenario by preventing civilization from rebuilding. And every few centuries the barbarians slaughter all educated classes and support the computer's aims. Until this year, when the son of a military officer decides to stop the barbarians and break the computer's powers. A powerful military science fiction story evolves in this fine story, recommended for collections seeing enthusiasm for military science fiction writing.

Appalachian Overthrow
E.E. Knight
Roc
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451414441, $24.95, www.penguin.com

APPALACHIAN OVERTHROW provides a novel of Vampire Earth and offers up a new story in the series. Recommended for prior readers already familiar with setting and premise, and those interested in vampire detective stories, this takes up where VALENTINE'S EXILE left off and tells of the alien friend of David Valentine, who is captured and begins a new life as a slave, bodyguard, mine worker, and activist who organizes mine workers against their masters. His efforts will result in an uprising that spreads through Appalachia in this powerful Vampire Earth series, highly recommended for fantasy and horror collections alike.


The Business Shelf

The Lawyer Bubble
Steven J. Harper
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465058778, $26.99, www.basicbooks.com

THE LAWYER BUBBLE: A PROFESSION IN CRISIS chronicles the beginning of the burst of the legal profession bubble and comes from a lawyer and law professor who explores how the legal profession came to this point. There's a growing disparity between the number of lawyers produced and the number of law jobs available, and increasing levels of attorney dissatisfaction: THE LAWYER BUBBLE traces how these crises came to be, reveals some astonishing and depressing numbers about the future of the profession, and provides a well-researched guide to the legal profession's hidden issues. Any collection strong in social and legal issues must have this.

Reimagining Business History
Philip Scranton and Patrick Fridenson
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421408620, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Reimagining Business History belongs in American history and business collections alike and provides new approaches to understanding the evolution of companies, corporate strategies, and resources. Most resources on the history of American business focus on the evolution of single businesses, business figures, or segments: this is one of the few to focus on larger patterns and causes of corporate success. This consideration offers a vast rethinking of the entire field and its approach, considering how it can develop in an age of global markets and diminishing resources.

Decisive
Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Crown Business
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307956392, $26.00, www.crownbusiness.com

DECISIVE: HOW TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES IN LIFE AND WORK considers how decisions are made by political and business leaders and how to overcome common obstacles in decision making processes to make better choices. It comes from a professor at the Graduate School of Business in Stanford and his brother, a professor, and offers in any-depth analysis of the options involved in decision-making. Choices are often made based on what we want to be true instead of what is true, or based on pre-existing beliefs. The result is a powerful consideration that reveals the heart of decision-making processes.

Doing More With Teams
Bruce Piasecki
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118484951, $25.00, www.wiley.com

Doing More With Teams: The New Way to Winning explores how to encourage a new kind of competition so that organizations which accept this challenge see better growth and innovation as a result. It's a new formula for creating and encouraging teamwork that challenges the concept of individualism and offers real-world examples of teams that have created meaning, purpose, and new principles for shared responsibility. Chapters show how firms based more on such principles get ahead faster and more efficiently, and they discuss principles of winning, losing, and team interactions with an eye to challenging traditional notions of team-building. Any business manager will find this an intriguing read.

The International Bank of Bob
Bob Harris
Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780802777515, $26.00, www.walkerbooks.com

The International Bank of Bob: Connecting Our Worlds One, $25 Kiva Loan at a Time details Bob's journey from a travel writer to a third-world microlender - a journey which began when Bob founded Kiva.org, a non-profit website where ordinary people can invest in microloans to help alleviate poverty world-wide. Before long all his travel money was invested in supporting hundreds of mom-and-pop businesses around the world - and Bob began a journey to these businesses and countries to meet recipients of his own Kiva loans and collect their stories. Part travelogue and part business insight, this connects travel and culture with international investments on small businesses in third-world nations, and makes for a powerful survey recommended for travel and business collections alike.

Leadership Lessons from Cherokee Nation
Chad "Corntassel" Smith
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
9780071808835, $22.00, www.phprofessional.com

Leadership Lessons from Cherokee Nation: Learn From All I Observe comes from a former principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and provides a solid coverage of management techniques based on turning his 300,000-people nation from one in disarray to a functioning entity. His model for business restructuring the success is based on a traditional Cherokee prayer that encourages learning from different perspectives, and provides chapters applying lessons that the Cherokee Nation has successfully used to grow and develop. From its successful healthcare system to huge increases in jobs and assets, this is packed with powerful insights key to any aspiring business.

The Introverted Leader
Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, PhD
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609942007, $19.95, www.bkconnection.com

THE INTROVERTED LEADER; BUILDING ON YOUR QUIET STRENGTH highlights the common challenges introverts face at work and offers a four-step specific program to handle work challenges ranging from public speaking to managing co-workers. It blends leadership tips with insights on how an introvert can still be a leader, teaching how to rely on one's natural work style to advance a career and get the most out of co-workers. The business world is extroverted and introverts typically don't do well: this book will be a 'must' for any who want to advance in their careers, using their introverted personalities as a strength, not a weakness.

Innovation Business as Usual
Paddy Miller and Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg
Harvard Business Review Press
c/o Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422144190, $25.00, www.hbr.org/books

Innovation Business as Usual: How to Help Your People Bring Great Ideas to Life provides a key to encouraging innovation in the workplace, suggesting that leaders at all levels encourage innovation as an intrinsic part of the business structure. Instead of arranging brainstorming sessions and off-site study, this book tells how to encourage key behaviors of innovation at every phase of business, from focus and connection to embedding creativity throughout the workplace. Businesses that follow this practice will find innovation not a sideline venture, but an overall effort that will enhance the entire structure.

Organizational Health
Naomi Stanford
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749466022, $39.95, www.koganpage.com

Organizational Health: An Integrated Approach to Building Optimum Performance promotes attention to overall organizational health, which involves assessing flexibility and changing appropriately to business stimuli, and is a recommended pick for any manager who wants case studies paired with exercises to help students understand the culture and business relationships within an organization. Chapters include input and reflection questions and provide strong opportunities for classroom discussion and organizational assessment alike. The result is a solid primer geared for college-level students of business and organizational analysis.

Good Morning, Beautiful Business
Judy Wicks
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781933392240, $17.95, www.chelseagreen.com

Good Morning, Beautiful Business: The Unexpected Journey of an Activist Entrepreneur and Local Economy Pioneer provides a powerful title that helps redefine business using the author's own business structure of her White Dog Cafe as a model for change. Her business incorporates elements of spirituality, kindness, community, justice and more, offering a focus on creating life-nurturing routines rather than selling product. Wicks created a community hub in the process of fostering one of the nation's first restaurants to feature local, organic and humane foods and here offers her memoir of how her social activism began. The result is an inspirational and powerful account of how business can be a transformative process adding life and nurture to not only itself, but to its community. Any business or new age collection must have this.

The One Thing
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Bard Press
5275 McCormick Mt. Drive
Austin, TX 78734
9781609945329, $24.95, www.bardpress.com

THE ONE THING: THE SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE TRUTH BEHIND EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS comes from the co-founder and chairman of Keller Williams Realty International, who argues that a common problem is that we try to do too much - and that the key to success is ignoring everything we could do, and focusing on the one thing we should do. Identifying this one priority makes everything else easier - and helps achieve goals in less time. Chapters tell how to find this 'one thing', how to cultivate it, and how to understand its cascading domino effect. The result is a powerful recommendation for any business collection; particularly those appealing to entrepreneurs and start-up ventures.


The Money/Finance Shelf

The Affluent Investor
Phil DeMuth, PhD
Barrons
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764165641, $22.99, www.barronseduc.com

The Affluent Investor: Financial Advice to Grow and Protect Your Wealth teaches how to tailor asset allocation to match your personal life, from avoiding Wall Street fees to understanding the basics of primary asset protection and tax minimization strategies for high-net-worth readers. Investments are geared to the affluent investors and make for a fine survey highly recommended for any who fall into this category and who find strategies and tax considerations differ for this group of investor.


The Computer Shelf

The Essence of Software Engineering
Ivar Jacobson, et.al.
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321885951, $39.99, www.informit.com/aw

The Essence of Software Engineering: Applying the SEMAT Kernel is a pick for software engineering collections and covers an international initiative designed to identify a universal standard for software engineering. It introduces this kernel and tells how to apply it when developing software, and is written for software professionals who lead teams and who need to evaluate the best practices for their work. A range of methods involving SEMAT are surveyed in chapters that discuss everything from building the skinny system to understanding logical progressions in team development efforts. The result is a recommendation for software engineering reference collections; particularly for those leading or developing teams.

Microsoft Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies
Greg Harvey, PhD
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118510100, $34.99, www.wiley.com

Any interested in the basics of using Excel will find this a thorough coverage of the many features of Excel 2013, linking these features to their real-world applications. Beginners receive fine coverage on Excel basics and introductions to working with worksheets and print reports, while advanced users who have the basics down receive keys to preventing formula errors, details on data sharing and including graphics in charts, and tips to managing and filtering large amounts of data. The result is a solid coverage highly recommended for all levels of Excel users, and packed with tips on how to apply all of the program's advanced features.

Lean UX
Jeff Gothelf with Josh Seiden
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449311650, $24.99, www.oreilly.com

LEAN UX: APPLYING LEAN PRINCIPLES TO IMPROVE USER EXPERIENCE provides an in-depth coverage of the Lean UX approach to interaction design and is directed to programmers who want to learn basic UX principles and techniques for applications. Lean UX allows focus on the experience of being designed, rather than deliverables alone. This book shows how to use insights from a product team and how to design in short cycles to analyze what works best along the way rather than after the fact. From integrating Lean UX with Agile to characteristics of a successful style guide, this is a fine coverage recommended for any who would learn a new form of design.

iOS In Practice
Bear Cahill
Manning Publications Company
20 Baldwin Road, Shelter Island, NY 11963
9781617291265, $44.99, www.manning.com

iOS In Practice packs in nearly a hundred techniques and offers a focus for any IT developer involved in iPhone or iPad development. Real answers to practical problems in such construction are covered using the experience of the author, an iOS developer, who presents nearly a hundred specific techniques for programming anything from data and media management to location awareness. The sample apps presented allow programmers to understand all the basics of their construction, teaching foundation app development and creative design approaches all at once. Any programmer who knows Objective-C and wants to develop apps will find this a 'must'.

Core Java Volume II - Advanced Features, ninth edition
Cay S. Horstmann and Gary Cornell
Prentice Hall Professional
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780137081608, $59.99, www.informit.com/ph

Core Java Volume II - Advanced Features is a weighty, 1,000+ page volume that appears in its ninth updated edition to offer a definitive guide to Java's advanced features, and is designed for serious programmers who want a tutorial covering Java's advanced language and library features. Tested code examples are easy to understand, are linked to the latest best-practice approaches to coding, and provide insights to real-world challenges faced by professionals. From building production software using steams, XML, advanced Swing techniques, JavaBeans and more to handling advanced platform security and understanding the latest Java SE 7 features, this is a 'must' for any working with core Java operations.

The Computer Incident Response Planning Handbook
N.K. McCarthy
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
9780071790390, www.mhprofessional.com

The Computer Incident Response Planning Handbook: Executable Plans for Protecting Information at Risk provides a fine networking and security guide that teaches IT professionals how to safeguard their organization against cyber incidents, teaching how to develop the plans, how they work, and how to use ready-to-implement CIRPS derived from living incident response plans. From minimizing post-event litigation and brand impact to protecting shareholder value, this goes beyond most discussions to consider the heart of cyber-attacks and their effects on the entire business structure. The response plans are specific and useful for organizations of an size, offering step-by-step plans for the entire management and containment process. A 'must' for managers and IT professionals alike.

NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching, second edition
Ron Fuller, et.al.
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9781587143045, $69.99, www.ciscopress.com

NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching: Next-Generation Data Center Architectures is a complete guide to configuring and managing the NX-OS environment. Now in a second edition updating all prior information on the subject, NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching provides IT professionals working in the Cisco environment with clear essentials key to building strong unified core processes. Five new chapters address all kinds of new technologies and their applications within the environment, from LISP to Layer 3, while a step-by-step case study of a customer who migrates from Cisco Catalyst to a Nexus-based system makes for clear real-world examples and experience. Best practices have also been updated for the latest in security, protocol, network support, visibility and much more. The result is an in-depth technical guide highly recommended for any Cisco programmer or IT professional.

Core Data, second edition
Marcus Zarra
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781937785086, $33.00, www.pragprog.com

Core Data: Data Storage and Management for iOS, OS X, and iCloud teaches the basics of Core Data, management principles, and how Core Data blends with iCloud uses, and is a fine pick for any IT professional working with iCloud. It comes from a Cocoa expert who teaches the basics of Core Data, how to create an application using it, and how to improve an application using basic Core Data principles. From reducing mapping models to using Core Data in a multithreaded environment, this second edition updates all examples for OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6, and teaches how to integrate an application into an iPhone or iPad environment. Any who would learn to apply Core Data effectively will find this a strong teaching tool.

The Web Designer's Roadmap
Giovanni DiFeterici
Sitepoint
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780987247858, $39.95, www.sitepoint.com

The Web Designer's Roadmap provides an all-color guide to how designers go about creating product, and uses interviews from a range of design experts to illustrate the range of the entire creative process involved, from initial concept to finished web design. Most books on the topic focus on the computer applications of design: this one focuses on the creative process, offering a non-academic book packed with insights on the entire process. The result is a lively discourse filled with information highly recommended for any who would understand the overall process of web design.


The Biography Shelf

I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp
Richard Hell
Ecco
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.eccobooks.com
9780062190833, $25.99, www.harpercollins.com

I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp provides a fine autobiography of musician and writer Richard Hell, who was at the center of the punk movement of the 1970s when he began his band Television and spearheaded what was to evolve into a movement. Hell's autobiography details his coming of age and the evolution of the punk rock movement, following his relationships, his musical advancements, and how a friendship turned into an artistic collaboration that led to the formation of an alternative band and more. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for music and autobiography collections alike; especially collections interested in the evolution of modern pop rock movements.

Everybody Matters: My Life Giving Voice
Mary Robinson
Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780802779649, $26.00, www.walkerbooks.com

Everybody Matters: My Life Giving Voice provides a compelling political autobiography and comes from the former president of Ireland and former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her story is as much a story about human rights issues as it is about her life, but it uses her life as a basis for exploring the evolution of these issues and her consciousness. Mary was the only girl among five children in a Catholic family, and was to be a nun before she recognized her true calling, pursuing human rights and fairness in political arenas. From her years as an activist lawyer winning landmark cases advancing the causes of women to her role in helping Ireland evolve, this is a powerful survey highly recommended for any collection strong in politics, women's issues, or women's autobiographies.

Bolivar
Marie Arana
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781439110195, $35.00, www.simonandschuster.com

BOLIVAR: AMERICAN LIBERATOR provides a powerful biography of the man who freed six countries in Latin America from Spanish rule, and who experienced a vivid, changing life as a result. He was orphaned early, raised by a black nurse, and lost a young wife shortly after they married. He pronounced himself a dictator, escaped assassination attempts, and died of tuberculosis at age 47 - yet his achievements live on, and his efforts changed the face and nature of South American politics and nations. This in-depth and vivid biography follows his entire life and influences, from his childhood to his campaign against Spain. Primary documents were used to create this accurate, fresh portrait of the man and his world, perfect for any collection strong in world politics, history, or Latin American issues.

Helga's Diary
Helga Weiss
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393077971, $24.95, www.wwnorton.com

HELGA'S DIARY: A YOUNG GIRL'S ACCOUNT OF LIFE IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP tells of a girl born in Prague in 1929 who experienced a happy childhood until World War II broke out and Hitler began his reign of terror. As Jews, the Weiss family found themselves subject to many new laws restricting their freedoms - and eventually found themselves deported to concentration camps - first Terezin, then Auschwitz. Of some 15,000 children brought from Terezin to Auschwitz, only 100 lived to see the end of the war: Helga was one of the lucky few, which makes her diary - written during the ordeal - a particularly striking 'must' for any collection strong in Jewish history and memoirs.

My Way
Paul Anka
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0312381042, $29.99, www.stmartins.com

MY WAY: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY will attract both music collections and those seeking autobiographies, and offers an entertaining autobiography by one of the legends of the music business. At just 15 years old his #1 hit song "Diana" made him a teen idol of the 1950s and sparked a career which evolved a number of hits. He saw the British invasion coming long before it got to America, toured the world to keep his musical career fresh and evolving, and even returned home to a comeback career. His stories of encounters with famous personalities and fellow musicians from Michael Jackson to Tom Jones provides a powerful and intimate set of musical and social observations perfect for any music or autobiography library.


The Social Issues Shelf

Big Data
Viktor Mayer-Schonberger and Kenneth Cukier
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9780544002692, $27.00, www.hmhbooks.com

BIG DATA: A REVOLUTION THAT WILL TRANSFORM HOW WE LIVE, WORK, AND THINK explores a hot trend in technology that involves consumer prediction and information analysis, providing a thought-provoking survey of the rise of 'datafication' - the ability to keep tabs on all kinds of patterns down to people's motivations and individual movements. Stories of such 'big data' presented here come from the healthcare, business and traffic management sectors, among others, and provide astute consideration of the pros and cons of the movement, from the end of privacy to the possibility of imposing penalties on consumers based on the likelihood of their possible intentions. The result is a powerful guide that belongs in social issues and computer collections alike: a survey of how data collection is evolving to become the next social revolution.

On Message
Theo Theobald
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749464875, $19.95, www.koganpage.com

ON MESSAGE: PRECISION COMMUNICATION FOR THE DIGITAL AGE provides expert tips on how to keep up with the latest new media, adapt one's writing style to fit it, and how to do it right. From communicating across borders and developing loyalty to building a personal brand and handling blogs and more, this pairs exercises and tips on writing with keys to better communication style, and makes for a powerful presentation recommended for any collection strong in social media, marketing, writing, and modern communications culture.

Restricting Freedoms
Vladimir Shlapentokh and Eric Beasley
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412849722, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

RESTRICTING FREEDOMS: LIMITATIONS ON THE INDIVIDUAL IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA provides a powerful and in-depth survey for college-level social and political studies collections that considers how America's society operates with restrictions on all kinds of civil rights, from medicine and religion to speech. The question "how can there be real freedom with restrictions" is asked, and answered in chapters that consider the relationship between freedom and restrictions. Any collection strong in debates over American civil liberties, freedoms, censorship and modern American society needs this in-depth discussion.

Making Hope Happen
Shane J. Lopez, PhD
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
8671451666229, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

MAKING HOPE HAPPEN: CREATE THE FUTURE YOU WANT FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS comes from a psychologist and business professor who here considers how hope happens in the world, and how it drives achievement. More than an analysis of hope, it offers a specific program for achieving hope and blending it into daily life, considering the science of hope and prediction and blending the author's original research into the survey of psychological elements key to well-being. The result is an analysis of the social impact of hope and how to realize and tailor it in everyday life.

Priests of Our Democracy
Marjorie Heins
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10003
9780814790519, $35.00, www.nyupress.org

Priests of Our Democracy: The Supreme Court, Academic Freedom, and the Anti-Communist Purge tells of teachers and professors whose battles led to Supreme Court decisions banning the witch-hunts against academic freedom that occurred in the 1950s, and is a key acquisition for any collection strong in academic freedom, the history of civil rights, or anti-Communist campaigns of the 1950s. Political, legal and social history blend in a powerful collection matching personal stories with discussions of academic freedom and challenges to modern times, making this a top pick for any college-level holding strong in social civil rights history.

Mountains Beyond Mountains
Tracy Kidder
Delacorte Press
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780385743181, $16.99, www.randomhouse.com/teens

While Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A man Who Would Cure the World is written with young adult audiences in mind, it's reviewed here for its wider interest to adult audiences, discussing medical student Paul Farmer's mission to cure infectious diseases and bring modern medicine to third world nations. His dedication to the humanitarian process and world health offers a powerful biography displaying how one person's determination can change worlds. In a world stressed by change and infused with a feeling of helplessness, this is a breath of fresh air recommended for collections beyond young adult audiences alone.

The Missing Myth
Gilles Herrada
SelectBooks, Inc.
1 Union Square West, Suite 909, NY, NY 10003
9781590792421, $19.95, www.selectbooks.com

THE MISSING MYTH: A NEW VISION OF SAME-SEX LOVE is for social science collections strong in gay studies and considers the history and sociology of the role of homosexuality in the evolution of the human race. From biological influences on sexual diversity to the movements that led to homosexual behavior being prohibited around the world and why it has persisted throughout history, this offers a different view of homosexuality that blends science, psychology, and social issues under one cover. It's a wide-ranging, sweeping study accessible to any studying homosexual history and culture.

Maroon the Implacable
Fred Ho and Quincy Saul
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604860597, $20.00, www.pmpress.org

Maroon the Implacable: The Collected Writings of Russell Maroon Shoatz is a recommendation for social science and political studies shelves alike, and comes from a political prisoner who has been held unjustly for over thirty years. He was an active leader of the Black Liberation Movement in Philadelphia, has escaped form maximum-security prisons, and who has much to say about the social and political issues affecting his race. This is the first published collection of his written works and includes new essays written especially for this volume. Any collection strong in black history and liberation analysis will find this a solid reference.

From Poverty to Power, second edition
Duncan Green
Practical Action Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781853397417, $37.95, www.styluspub.com

FROM POVERTY TO POWER: HOW ACTIVE CITIZENS AND EFFECTIVE STATES CAN CHANGE THE WORLD has been fully revised and updated in this new second edition, and argues that a radical redistribution of power, opportunities and assets is required to make any real, meaningful dent in the cycles of poverty and inequality. It will take active citizens to drive this change, because those living in poverty need a voice in determining their own future and it also takes effective state structures to see this change move beyond the ideal process to full development and deployment. Climate change only adds a sense of urgency to matters, and all are considered in this wide-ranging, college-level analysis of the human impact of global financial and food crises, highly recommended for any social and political studies collection.


The Library DVD Shelf

The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies
MPI Home Video
16101 S. 108th Ave. Orland Park, IL 60467
0788610384, $14.99, www.mpihomevideo.com

The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies stars Buddy Ebsen and reunites some of the stars of the 1960s-70s series in a new comedy telling of the death of Granny and Jed's return home to live in his country cabin while Jethro stays in California as Hollywood movie producer. The Clampetts become involved in U.S. government intrigue and many twists and turns of plot evolve as the Beverly Hillbillies face some new challenges and new lifestyles. The result is a fine movie for any fan of the prior comedy series who wants to enjoy new adventures and a revised, updated story line.

Doctor Who: Carnival of Monsters
Robert Holmes
BBC America
7475 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite #1100
Bethesda, MD 20814
0780671023, $34.99, www.bbcamerica.com

Doctor Who: Carnival of Monsters adds another volume to the John Peatwee years of 1970-74, and follows the Doctor as he sets off on a test flight in the Tardis, to land aboard a cargo ship crossing an ocean in 1926. Other interplanetary visitors embark on vessel, encounters turn deadly, and a series of unexpected adventures turn a cruise into a deadly carnival of monsters (thus, the show's title). Any who follow Doctor Who will find this reissue of an early show to be compelling. Add audio commentary, uncensored edits, and more and you have an exceptional production recommended for any avid Doctor Who enthusiast.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Tunisian Crochet Encore
Sheryl Thies
Martingale Publishers
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604682250, $24.99, www.martingale-pub.com

Tunisian Crochet Encore: New Stitches, New Techniques, New Patterns packs in over twenty projects that illustrate the extent of applying Tunisian crochet techniques, offering tips on everything from combining regular crochet with Tunisian style to providing patterns easy enough for crochet beginners to quickly absorb. As a follow-up to her basic introduction, this provides more projects and more guidelines to incorporating Tunisian crochet into any style. Packed with color photos and clear examples, this is a 'must' for any crochet crafter and for collections appealing to them; especially for those with her prior book who want more depth and different projects.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The God Argument
A.C. Grayling
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781620401903, $26.00, www.bloomsbury.com

THE GOD ARGUMENT: THE CASE AGAINST RELIGION AND FOR HUMANISM offers a fine addition to the debate about religion and secularism, and considers the various historical and scientific arguments for the existence of God - then considers alternatives to religion, based on evidence and a desire to do and be good. Humanism is an ethics of sympathy based on an effort to make sense of and direct the human condition and impulse: this movement provides an argument for an ethical perspective all can live with outside of religious perspective, and provides insights into how arguments for the existence of God are flawed and why an alternative to religion is needed. Any spiritual or secular collection needs this fine survey!

The Serpentine Wall
James F. Harris
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412849708, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

THE SERPENTINE WALL: THE WINDING BOUNDARY BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE IN THE UNITED STATES provides a fine, scholarly examination of the relationship between Church and State in the U.S., and offers key readings and scholarly contributions examining the legal, religious and political separation of church and state in this country. Recommended for college-level political science, social studies and spirituality holdings alike, THE SERPENTINE WALL is packed with many key, important observations that will appeal to any considering historic and contemporary changing religious relationships.

From Suffering to Joy
Prem Baba
SelectBooks, Inc.
1 Union Square West, Suite 909
New York, NY 10003
9781590792346, $16.95, www.selectbooks.com

FROM SUFFERING TO JOY: THE PATH OF THE HEART provides a fine guide to self-discovery from a Brazilian master teacher of Indian spiritual lineage who here blends spiritual thinking with psychology for an integrated mind/body approach. From working with your inner child to thwart limiting psychological problems to taking responsibility for negative patterns and their effects on others, this is a fine discussion of the Path of the Heart and how to follow it for maximum benefit.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Splendors of the Rosary
Pierre-Marie Dumont
Magnificat
c/o Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781936260447, $19.95, www.ignatiuspress.com

Splendors of the Rosary: Encountering the Mysteries of Christ with Mary comes from the founding publisher of the monthly magazine Magnificat and provides meditations and quotes on Catholic spirituality, pairing lovely color photos and illustrations with prayers, evocations, Biblical passages, and reflections. From the Third Sorrowful Mystery to The Baptism of the Lord, this reinforces traditional Catholic teachings and perceptions with lovely passages deserving of reflection and thought, and is a recommended pick for any Christian collection.

50 Simple Questions for Every Christian
Guy P. Harrison
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616147273, $18.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

50 Simple Questions for Every Christian provides a question and answer format that considers many basic issues key to Christian thinking, from defining what constitutes a miracle and considering what is meant by 'end times' to connections between atheism and dictators, the costs of Christianity, and whether the U.S. is truly a Christian nation. The result is an outstanding collection of easy questions and dialogue considerations which any Christian will find compelling - and basic to understanding not only the tenants of Christian belief, but how it interacts with the modern world.

Loving Work
Mike Hayes
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759888, $16.00, www.orbisbooks.com

LOVING WORK: A SPIRITUAL GUIDE TO FINDING THE WORK WE LOVE AND BRINGING LOVE TO THE WORK WE DO provides spirituality holdings with a motivational, inspirational religious perspective on work, and offers tools for discovering patterns in what is important and where God might be calling. Young adults to adults who look to identify God's path in their lives will find this an inspirational work filled with first-person insights, examples, and applications of God's process at work. Any business or spirituality collection will find this a fine key to exploring such connections.

Willing to Walk on Water
Caroline Barnett
Tyndale Momentum
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414372297, $14.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

Willing to Walk on Water: Step Out in Faith and Let God Work Miracles through Your Life is a pick for any who would integrate belief and purpose into daily living, and will enhance collections interested in reach out to spiritual believers who would add more insights into God-given purposes in life. From blending gifts and passions into daily living with understanding how God's purposes lend to doing what you care most about, this is an inspirational, uplifting assessment of spiritual calling recommended for any religious collection.

The Christian Homemaker's Handbook
Pat Ennis and Dorothy Kelley Patterson, Editors
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
9781433528385, $25.00, www.crossway.org

The Christian Homemaker's Handbook provides a fine reference tool for homemaking, blending Scripture teachings and instructions for projects with a manual designed for modern Christian women and their homes. Essays discuss home and hospitality, spiritual health, and how husbands and wives can honor one another under Christian teachings. From educating children at all ages to Biblical foundations for parenting and handling money and Church contributions, this is a specific guide any Christian woman will want to consider.

Open Your Heart to the Magic of Love
Lester R. Sauvage, M.D.
Better Life Press
c/o Warwick Associates
18340 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95476
9780982353295, $15.95, www.amazon.com

Open Your Heart to the Magic of Love: A Healer's testament to Health, Happiness and Compassion comes from a retired physician who performed thousands of life-saving operations and is the founder of a major medical facility. This is his fourth book, promoting a spiritual action guide to achieving happiness by offering love, compassion and serving God. From attaining optimal health and considering the difference one has made in the world to religious belief and how it changes lifestyles, this promotes faith, belief, and compassionate thinking as intrinsic to the healing process, and is a pick for health and spirituality holdings alike.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Les Miserables: From Stage to Screen
Benedict Nightingale and Martyn Palmer
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10010
9781476886831, $45.00, www.applausebooks.com

Les Miserables: From Stage to Screen provides a fine collection illustrated with images from behind the scenes of theatre and film productions, telling of the rise of the show from a modest Paris production into an award-winning, famous affair thanks to the collaborative efforts of its writers and theatrical producer. The musical is now on screen, and this coverage documents its rise to fame, including 20 items of memorabilia such as a first-night party invitation, original stage and costume designs, and scene drawings for the film. Lavishly illustrated with color photos and memorabilia, this is a top pick for any fan of Les Miserables.


The Science Shelf

Starfish: Biology and Ecology of the Asteroidea
John M. Lawrence, Editor
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421407876, $100.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Starfish: Biology and Ecology of the Asteroidea provides college-level science and nature collections with a powerful coverage by the world's leading experts on starfish, and is a recommendation for any collection strong in sea world science. It provides detailed information on the comparative biology and ecology of starfish of the world, offering comparisons of well-studied species, scientifically accurate illustrations, and the latest marine science surrounding them. Any library strong in marine biology will find this a well-detailed scientific collection surveying all the latest starfish facts.

Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia
Donald F. Glut
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786472222, $99.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia is a 3-volume set recommended for paleontologist and lay readers alike and provides the definitive work on dinosaur science and the latest studies surrounding them. From fieldwork and lab studies and the historical evolution of paleontological research, this considers different theories of dinosaur natural history and extinction, provides an organization of the various taxa into a workable order, and compiles dinosaurian genera, including excluded genera or doubtful genera. Packed with illustrations of life models made by experts based on original fossil material, this is a treasure trove of the latest findings and facts, and is a 'must' for any holding that wants a solid dinosaur reference.

Letters to a Young Scientist
Edward O. Wilson
Liveright
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780871403773, $21.95, www.wwnorton.com

Letters to a Young Scientist comes from a biologist who considers whether genius lends to good science, and offers many arguments that consider the influence of passion, a strong work ethic and imagination as being among the roots and major influences of developing good scientific routines. Some sixty years of the author's teaching contribute to a celebration of biology and a focus on the myths surrounding it, offering keys to common pitfalls, the importance of scientific speculation and day dreaming, and the process of becoming a scientist. The result is a solid reference, highly recommended for any budding scientist and collections appealing to them.

Divided Spheres
Edward S. Popko
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466504295, $69.95, www.crcpress.com

Divided Spheres: Geodesics & the Orderly Subdivision of the Sphere holds full color throughout and provides a detailed introduction to the math of Buckminster Fuller's invention of the geodesic dome. Any math collection concerned with spherical modeling will find this offers a basic yet complex introduction that begins with the principles of spherical design and the main categories of subdivision based on geometric solids. From how to apply basic to advanced-level CAD techniques to their subdivision to modern applications of the concept in product design, engineering and science, this blends art with scientific inquiry, providing a college-level coverage of geometry that will bring math alive for any who want a discussion of sphere science.


The Women's Studies Shelf

The Girls of Atomic City
Denise Kiernan
Touchstone Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451617528, $27.00, www.simonandschuster.com

THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WOMEN WHO HELPED WIN WORLD WAR II shares the true story of young women and the role they played in the Manhattan Project, offering the experiences of some half a dozen who worked on the Project from secretaries and nurses to chemists. In 1942 the Oak Ridge facility began to grow, to become a secret city of some 75,000 people by 1945. Work was shrouded in secrecy, but a community formed despite the secrets and this account probes these workers using interviews with dozens of surviving women and Oak Ridge residents to chronicle their daily lives and achievements. Military collections and those strong in women's history will find this a solid addition to any collection.


The Travel Shelf

Rwanda, fifth edition
Philip Briggs
Bradt Guides
1st Floor IDC House, The Vale
Chalfont St Peter, Bucks, England, SL9 9RZ
9781841624181, $27.99, www.bradtguides.com

The fifth updated edition of Rwanda provides a fine pick for any independent traveler who wants in-depth information specific for Rwanda. What sets this guide apart from most others is that Rwanda is often covered only lightly in larger guides to overall Africa. This means that specifics such as hikes, trains, parks, and cultural opportunities unique to the nation are passed by. This book updates the prior edition and remains the ONLY English-language guidebook to the country, covering its history, culture, and sights. For independent travelers to the country, this is a 'must' for take-along tote (it's compact and easy to pack and consult) and for advance planning like!

Pacific Northwest's Best Trips
Mariella Krause, et.al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741798159, $22.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

Pacific Northwest's Best Trips packs in some 33 journeys throughout the Pacific Northwest and is a solid reference for any road traveler who wants itineraries and suggestions linking up some of the best journeys in the region. From 2-day escapes to week-long road trips, this offers regional attractions, byways and detours off the beaten track, keys to putting together logical routes filled with diverse options, and much more. Maps make it easy to match and string together different routes, while nicely organized driving trips are accompanied by color photos for added attraction. A top recommendation for any collection strong in Pacific Northwest travel.

Secret New York: An Unusual Guide
T.M. Rives
Jonglez Publishing
17 boulevard du Roi, 78000 Versailles, France
9782361950248, $19.95, www.jonglezpublishing.com

Secret New York: An Unusual Guide explores New York City's past and present by exploring its secret gardens, hidden subway tunnels, tombstones and more, and provides a lively history of the city through exploration of its quirky, underground treasures. From an old horse stable topped with a Venetian palazzo filled with Moroccan tiles to strange history with either a quirky twist or a sense of humor, this provides readers with a solid resource to learning about New York City's oddities and unique history. Any interested in an alternative guide to the City's lesser-known wonders will find this an exciting blend of travelogue and cultural history.

Tourist Trains Guidebook, fourth edition
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871167712, $19.95, www.kalmbach.com

The fourth updated edition of Tourist Trains Guidebook packs in nearly five hundred train rides, dinner trains, trolleys, museums and more in a fully updated guide written by Trains Magazine editors and contributors, adding some 40 new sites and updating all others. It's arranged by state and province, offers directions on what to see and where to go, and provides a website, email address and phone number so any rail fan can check on train hours, admission fees, and anything else. Because tourist trains are so widely scattered and different, this is a 'must' for avid fans who want to keep up on the latest information, and provides all the details needed to plan a trip.

The Turk Who Loved Apples
Matt Gross
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306821158, $15.99, www.dacapopress.com

THE TURK WHO LOVED APPLES AND OTHER TALES OF LOSING MY WAY AROUND THE WORLD celebrates independent travel, gathering essays about the author's travels around, from his first trip as a young child in the back of his family's station wagon to his longer-ranging world travels. Wild adventures, encounters with diverse peoples, and mishaps and encounters from independent travels make for an engrossing and fun collection of adventures and misdeeds that any armchair traveler will relish. Very highly recommended for any who would gain vicarious enjoyment from travel adventures.


The Art Shelf

The Practical Handbook of Color for Artists
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438001968, $24.99, www.barronseduc.com

The Practical Handbook of Color for Artists teaches aspiring artists all the basics of mastering principles for using lines, light and shadow, perspective and color, and incorporates color theory with practice. Chapters explain the color wheel, color charts, and how to use colors in different media, then provide easy step-by-step exercises that build stepping stones reinforcing concepts. From using color to create mood or capture emotion to building textures, this covers techniques that apply to all kinds of media, from oils to pastels, and are accompanied by hundreds of color photos and illustrations. No arts or crafts collection should be without this specific instructional primer.

The Illustrated Contemporary Pin-Up
Jessie Jovich Martin, Compiler
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764342769, $34.99, www.schifferbooks.com

The Illustrated Contemporary Pin-Up provides a fine artistic blend of traditional and digital media to capture the works of artists from around the world who blend their modern styles into traditional pinups. The result is a different, modern take on the topic of pin-up art that packs in nearly three hundred examples from a range of inspirations, from 70s cinema to comic books, fantasy and more. Graphic artists and private illustrators who penned these modern pinups also contribute their reflections on the genre, their inspirations, and their works. The result is a satisfyingly-diverse selection of pinup art that provides an excellent range of examples of how contemporary pin-ups take the art a step further. Especially recommended for collections already strong in pinup artistry.

Celtic Mysteries
John Sharkey
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500810569, $14.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

CELTIC MYSTERIES provides an excellent survey of the history, symbols and achievements of Celtic art, and is recommended as an introductory primer for any just starting on a study of Celtic arts. From bards and Druids who operated in arenas laced with psychic and supernatural meaning to symbols created in Celtic art forms, this provides a fine introductory discussion blending mythology and symbolism, and is a recommendation for high school to college and general-interest holdings looking for a solid primer for Celtic arts or cultural studies.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Before Atlantis
Frank Joseph
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781591431572 $16.40 www.innertraditions.com

Any new age collection strong in ancient mysteries and spirituality will find this a satisfying blend of science and spirituality that reconsiders modern theories of evolution and the origins of civilization. Joseph reveals the origins of modern human civilization to 75,000 years ago, when a catastrophic volcano eruption in Indonesia reduced humanity from two million to only a few thousand worldwide. He explores biological evidence supporting the aquatic ape theory and other pre-human cultures, and considers Stonehenge, mystery cults, legendary early peoples, and more. Any collection strong in new age history and early civilizations will find this a compelling alternative survey.

The Complete Guide to Interpreting Your Own Dreams and What They Mean to You
Kim Morgan
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601385901, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

The Complete Guide to Interpreting Your Own Dreams and What They Mean to You offers up a fine pick for any who would understand dreams, teaching the basics of how to interpret some of the most common subjects in dreams from death to falling and flying, and how to understand what recurring dreams are trying to impart. Tips on making better use of dreams include building a dream-inducing environment, keeping a journal to track them, and understanding links between dreams and extrasensory perception. The result packs in over 1,000 symbols linked to common dream scenarios and their meaning, and is a 'must' for any just beginning to delve into the world of dream interpretation.

Spirit Walking
Evelyn Rysdyk
Weiser Books
65 Parker Avenue, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578636412, $21.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

SPIRIT WALKING: A COURSE IN SHAMANIC POWER comes from a practitioner who tells how we can connect with the spirit world to heal. Tested shamanic techniques are revealed in a step-by-step guide to blending shamanic practices with daily life, from prayers and rituals to learning to shape-shift, divination, and traditional healing. The result is a powerful assessment of shaman traditions from different cultures, offering new ideas on energy, spirit, and how they translate to affecting daily life. New age collections will find this a specific, revealing guide.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Bouncing Back
Linda Graham, MFT
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781608681297, $17.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your brain for maximum Resilience and Well-Being uses the latest neuroscience research to explore how a hardwired brain can regain resilience key to recovery and growth. Exercises and examples throughout teach how to rebuild clarity, connection and more, creating an environment which fosters flexibility and saves relationships and jobs alike. This all comes from a licensed psychotherapist and meditation teacher who blends psychology with neuroscience and then applies theories to daily activities and routines that reinforce flexible thinking patterns. Highly recommended for any psychology and self-help collection.

Hippocratic, Religious, and Secular Medical Ethics
Robert M. Veatch
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589019461, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Hippocratic, Religious, and Secular Medical Ethics provides a fine college-level survey of professional codes for physicians and how professional groups create such codes. Robert Veatch is a professor of medical ethics and here contends that the Hippocratic Oath is an offensive code of ethics that should be banned from the profession and replaced with better language and codes based on moral norms shared by all. The 2005 Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights serves as a model for a better code, making this a fine recommendation for any medical professional's collection.

The Family Guide to Mental Health Care
Lloyd I. Sederer, MD
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393707946, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Family Guide to Mental Health Care: Advice on Helping Your Loved Ones comes from the medical director of the country's largest state mental health system and provides the first in-depth coverage directed to families struggling with a loved one's mental illness. Families receive a wealth of information on not only the disorder, but how to assess professionals helping them, and how to locate the right treatment. From depression to schizophrenia, this covers medications, how the mental health system works, and how families can work with systems to gain the best benefits from it. The result is an invaluable 'must' bible packed with resources for any family facing mental illness.

The Happiness Choice
Marilyn Tam
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118493168, $24.95, www.wiley.com

The Happiness Choice: The Five Decisions That Will Take You From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be comes from an author who was an unwanted, abused child who evolved into a humanitarian and international businesswoman. She reached her goals and chose consistent paths that led to happiness and peace - and here details these paths in a road map recommended for any inspirational collection. Stories, tips and insights direct readers to specifics on how to gain the life they want, offering keys to reconnecting with life's purpose and developing a healthy physical and mental perspective on life as a whole. The result is a solid gathering of tools any can use to achieve a joyful life.

Marriage Rescue
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882824307, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

MARRIAGE RESCUE: OVERCOMING TEN DEADLY SINS IN FAILING RELATIONSHIPS identifies the ten things that partners are most likely doing to disrupt a marriage, showing how to overcome each of these obstacles to build a better relationship and conquer problems. Chapters identify the ten common denominators that lead to turbulent marriages and struggles, giving tips and techniques for developing skills that will last a lifetime. Any interested in incorporating these tips into their relationships will find this filled with solid keys to success.

The Trauma Tool Kit
Susan Pease Banitt, LCSW
Quest Books
c/o The Theosophical Publishing House
PO Box 270, Wheaton, IL 60189-0270
9780835608961, $18.95, www.questbooks.net

The Trauma Tool Kit: Healing PTSD From the Inside Out offers a fine guide to healing stress symptoms and offers a blend of yoga and trauma insights to draw connections between trauma and healing routines. It provides a synthesis of East/West thought as it approaches ideas for mending and healing the physical body and psyche, identifying safety issues common among traumatized individuals and discussing step-by-step yoga techniques tied to different facets of healing. This will find a place in health and new age collections alike, with its unified theory and examples of routines that can heal stress.

The Inevitable Hour
Emily K. Abel
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421409191, $32.95, www.press.jhu.edu

THE INEVITABLE HOUR; A HISTORY OF CARING FOR DYING PATIENTS IN AMERICA challenges three popular American myths surrounding health care and dying: that medicine has always tried to control the process, that it superseded the role of families and spirituality, and that only with the high-tech hospital did an institutional death become dehumanized. She shows that hospitals often resisted accepting dying patients, and dying patients were left to expire in poverty. The result is a powerful assessment of medicine's involvement with death and dying: a history highly recommended for any medical or ethical issues holding.

Girl in the Water
Nancy Fox-Kilgore, MS
Health Communications Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757317415, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

GIRL IN THE WATER: A TRUE STORY OF SIBLING ABUSE is a powerful memoir that details one girl's experience of extreme bullying and torture from her sister, who was two years older. Nancy Kilgore was nine when her eleven-year-old sister Sherry tied up and was made to look into the sun and other instances of physical torture and threats to kill her occurred daily. Sibling abuse is (until now) an untold secret; this book breaks new ground in exposing the author's terrible experiences, how her home was turned into a prison, and the lasting effects of bullying and sibling abuse. The result is a powerful testimonial highly recommended for any health collection strong in family interactions.


The Education Shelf

Supervision That Improves Teaching and Learning, fourth edition
Susan Sullivan and Jeffrey Glanz
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781452255460, $41.95, www.corwin.com

Supervision That Improves Teaching and Learning appears in its fourth updated edition to cover strategies and techniques of applied supervision for instructional improvement, and is a fine pick for any who want to empower teachers for better instructional delivery. It's been fully updated and revised to include new observation tools, new case studies on alternative approaches to super vision, a new chapter on transformational change, and summary sheets and observation charts for classroom applications. The workbook is simply packed with information and reinforcing materials, making for a powerful pick highly recommended for any classroom that seeks more engaged learning from its students.

Winning Ways for Early Childhood Professionals set
Gigi Schweikert
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605541426, $19.95, www.redleafpress.org

Winning Ways for Early Childhood Professionals offers a fine three-pamphlet set offering one copy each of Understanding Infants, Understanding Toddlers and Twos, and Understanding Preschoolers, and is a strong recommendation for any early childhood collection. New teachers, college student and veteran teachers alike will find this set offers clear insights into the capabilities and education of all three groups, teaching how to develop age-appropriate routines and programs and how to respond to children at difference age levels. Each book offers psychological understanding paired with tested techniques to enhance early learning development, and each is an outstanding pick for any early childhood education collection.

Linked Courses for General Education and Integrative Learning
Margot Soven, et.al., Editors
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781579224868, $29.95, www.styluspub.com

Linked Courses for General Education and Integrative Learning: A Guide for Faculty and Administrators is a pick for any collection strong in college teaching and offers insights on learning communities through specific examples of best practices. It provides a model for success: one that's flexible yet specific in linking teacher collaboration with linked paired courses, and it provides descriptions of such courses by instructors who developed them. Chapters discuss the science and art of building learning communities, offering tips for program evaluation and assessment processes that provide strong keys to educational collaboration and success.


The International Studies Shelf

Taiwan: Nation-State or Province?, sixth edition
John F. Copper
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9781813346922, $36.00, www.westviewpress.com

Taiwan: Nation-State or Province provides a newly revised, updated edition considering Taiwan's geography and history, political system and covering its uncertain political status. College-level political studies collections will find it a fine argument that suggests Taiwan should be independent from China, even though economic links indicate the opposite. This sixth updated edition includes enhanced coverage of immigration issues, China's economic and military rise, Taiwan's changing relationships with China and the U.S. and more, considering the outcome of the 2012 presidential election and providing an outstanding, in-depth coverage.


The Nautical Shelf

World Voyage Planner
Jimmy Cornell
Cornell Sailing
c/o Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780957262607, $33.00 (Kindle), www.paracay.com

World Voyage Planner is a guide that tells how to plan a voyage from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world, and provides sidebars of information on recommended sailing times, tropical storm times, and world cruising routes to accompany detailed information on tropical storms, currents, and how to plan segmented trips to any part of the world from any part of the world. From the East Coast to Europe to the West Coast through the Panama Canal or to Hawaii or Asia, this packs in details of major voyaging routes, alternative routes, and how to plan for major trips. The result is packed with maps, charts, and tips from one who has a long history of ocean cruising, and who provides all the insider's information for an avid sailor to do the same.


The Sports Shelf

Beyond Home Plate
Jackie Robinson
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110
Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu
9780815610014, $29.95

Beyond Home Plate: Jackie Robinson on Life After Baseball comes from his syndicated newspaper columns and considers Robinson's lasting pursuit of social progress. It collects the columns he wrote for the New York Post and the New York Amsterdam News, considering his life and work following his years in baseball. While it's reviewed here for its interest to any who have followed Robinson's sports career, this book will easily reach into college-level collections strong in social issues, offering a hard-hitting collection of pointed columns perfect for any collection which would move beyond Robinson as a sports figure to consider his life after his baseball career.

Biomechanics of Sport and Exercise, second edition
Peter M. McGinnis
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9780736051019, $83.00, www.humankinetics.com

Biomechanics of Sport and Exercise appears in its second updated edition to provide college-level sports and exercise students with simple terms and presentations of biomechanical concepts, with illustrations demonstrating the science of how the body generates forces to maintain position. Common activities are used to explore mechanical concepts, with chapters offering visual and verbal analysis perfect for better comprehension. This second edition includes more sample problems, a quick reference guide of frequently used equations, a new chapter on technology, review questions at the end of each, and everything needed to make this a college course reference.


The Photography Shelf

No Ordinary Days
Maggie Taylor
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780985878412, $95.00, www.upf.com

NO ORDINARY DAYS gathers photographer Maggie Taylor's work from 1998 to 2012, displaying works that use not the camera but the flatbed scanner. A found object and image manipulation software such as Photoshop changes the original image, offering surrealistic and vivid settings and layering in rich colors and symbolic pieces. There are relatively few monographs focusing on digital artists who work in this medium: Maggie Taylor's work helps define a genre as well as breaking new ground, and makes for a top recommendation for any modern arts collection looking for representations of found art and digital display.

Swissted
Mike Joyce
Quirk Books
215 Church Street Philadelphia PA 19106
978594746116, $40.00, www.quirkbooks.com

SWISSTED: VINTAGE ROCK POSTERS REMIXED AND REIMAGINED evolved from the author's love of vintage alternative music and typography, and takes rock concert posters and reimagines them through Swiss modernist design techniques. Some 200 micro-perforated, ready-to-frame concert posters highlight the indie and alternative bands of the '70s, '80s and '90s, offering an oversized presentation of full-page color celebrations recommended for arts and rock music enthusiasts alike. The result is a powerful survey, highly recommended for any fan of indie bands who wants quality concert poster renditions suitable for framing.

Photography Business Secrets
Lara White
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118488409, $34.99, www.wiley.com

A successful photography business is 20% photography and 80% business - so this book isn't about the photography end, but the business end that so many photographers fail at. It provides a proven method for getting control of one's photography business, from choosing a niche and developing a brand and identity to creating the right photo business plan and making sales. Everything from insurance and accounting to handling clients is covered in a top recommendation for any aspiring photographer who wants to cultivate a successful business.

Photographing Your Children
Jen Altman
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452110578, $22.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR CHILDREN: A HANDBOOK OF STYLE AND INSTRUCTION provides a manual for parents to make lasting memories of their kids, and offers insights into how to use digital cameras to take better photos of fast-moving kids. From picking a camera and learning photo basics to setting up kid-friendly shots, this accompanies lovely images of children with insights on how to take the best photos of a child, and is a fine instructional for any parent who wants to learn some basics centered around photographing children.

Icons
Markus Klinko and Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
9780762446766, $25.00, www.perseusbooks.com

ICONS comes from a duo who provide strong shots in celebrity and fashion photography, and who have produced album covers for Mariah Carey, David Bowie and others. It gathers their works and some of the defining iconic images they have produced, gathering the most memorable images from some eighteen years of their career and accompanying stunning color photos with text based on interviews with the photographers and stars alike. The process of photographing celebrities is thus captured both visually and verbally, providing a powerful pairing of some 150 color photos with specifics on how they were achieved. Any interested in either the celebrities or the process of capturing them in a photo will find this a fascinating, memorable read!

Step-by-Step Lighting for Studio Portrait Photography
Jeff Smith
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200
Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608956227, $29.95, www.amherstmedia.com

Step-by-Step Lighting for Studio Portrait Photography provides quick, easy lessons for newcomers to professional portrait lighting techniques, and teaches the basics of how to make subjects look their best through proper lighting. From selecting equipment for this purpose to building different light setups, positioning lights and clients, and customizing each lighting setup, this teaches how to use both hard and soft lighting and is a strong pick for any aspiring photographer.


The Military Shelf

Battle Ready
Mark L. Donald with Scott Mactavish
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780312600754, $26.99, www.stmartins.com

BATTLE READY: MEMOIR OF A SEAL WARRIOR MEDIC provides a fine memoir of SEAL Lieutenant Mark L. Donald, who received the Purple Heart, Navy Cross, Silver Star, and Bronze Star. As a combat medic he served for nearly twenty-five years under some of the most dangerous combat conditions in the world. His account of these conditions involves readers in the life of a warrior medic who both saves and takes lives. It's also the story of how a Hispanic American moved away from a dead-end life into one that was meaningful, by enlisting in the military and accomplishing heroic feats. The result is a powerful memoir highly recommended for any military collection!

Italian Navy & Air Force Elite Units & Special Forces 1940-45
P. Crociani & P.O. Battistelli
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B
Long Island City, NY 11101
9781849088572, $18.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Italian Navy & Air Force Elite Units & Special Forces 1940-45 provides a fine history of Italian military forces and shows how fewer than 250 men inflicted greater damage on the Allies than any other Italian naval unit. These elite Italian specialists did heavy damage and provided a core unit that continued to fight for Mussolini alongside the Germans. This coverage uses vintage rare wartime photos and new color pictures of uniforms and equipment to narrow the focus on the unit's many achievements, with M. Stacey's illustrations making this a key survey for any World War II military collection.

Small Wars
Michael Gambone
University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
9781572339149, $49.00, www.utpress.org

Small Wars: Low-Intensity Threats and the American Response Since Vietnam explores America's approach to small wars post-Vietnam, considers the evolution of U.S. intervention processes and strategies, and explores the history and results of these small war encounters. Chapters consider smaller actions and how they influence military planning and deployment strategies, tracing the development of American warfare and its ongoing departure from conventional tactics. Any military holding will find this history engrossing.


The Crafts Shelf

Art Journal Freedom
Dina Wakley
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
700 East State Street, Iola WI 54945
9781599636153, $26.99, www.createmixedmedia.com

ART JOURNAL FREEDOM: HOW TO JOURNAL CREATIVELY WITH COLOR & COMPOSITION packs in pages of detail on journaling and provides keys to color and composition, using dozens of journal pages to display the possibilities of art journaling. From using contrast, symmetry and black and white images to ten step-by-step technique demonstrations and chapters covering how colors mix and how composition may be used as a tool, this is a powerful survey highly recommended for any who would go beyond text or art coverages alone to incorporate journaling basics with art education. Any arts and crafts collection will consider it a winner, packed with color examples throughout.

Mixed-Media Master Class
Sherrill Kahn
C&T Publishing
1651 Challenge Drive
Concord, CA 94520-5206
9781607054238, $29.95, www.ctpub.com

Mixed-Media Master Class With Sherrill Kahn teaches new ways of using paints, inks, markers and more in a step-by-step guide packed with color photos and insights on everything from adding color and texture to quilts, art pieces, and just about any fabric or paper surface. From pole wrapping and using foam for printing to developing textures with metal paint and using inktense products in new ways, this is packed with specifics backed by step-by-step photos throughout, making for a colorful and fun addition to any crafts collection.


The American History Shelf

Gunfighter in Gotham
Robert K. DeArment
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142630, $29.95, www.oupress.com

GUNFIGHTER IN GOTHAM: BAT MASTERSON'S NEW YORK CITY YEARS is a recommendation for any collection strong in New York City history or accounts of the justice system of the 1800s, and follows the growth and legend of sheriff Bat Masterson, which began when an acquaintance duped a New York Sun reporter into writing him up as an extraordinary gunfighter. Bat spent the first half of his adult life in the West, moving between different states and cultivating a reputation for gambling and combat. His interest in prizefighting eventually led to his becoming a writer about the sport, and this focus tells how Masterson built his second career as a sports columnist and commentator on social issues. Any interested in definitive accounts of Masterson will find this a satisfying sequel following up on DeArment's definitive biography, which concludes Masterson's entire life story.

Framing a Legend
M. Andrew Holowchak
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616147297, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Framing a Legend: Exposing the Distorted History of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings argues that the DNA evidence surrounding Thomas Jefferson and his long-standing affair with slave Sally Hemings is inconclusive, and there are flaws in historical scholarship supporting such a liaison. It considers Jefferson's character, genetic evidence that led to unwarranted conclusions, and takes into account Jefferson's racial attitudes. The result is a powerful survey recommended for any study of Presidential history in general and Jefferson's life in particular.


The Audiobook Shelf

Sue Scott: Seriously Silly
Royal Academy of Radio Actors
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781622310074, $16.95, www.highbridgeaudio.com

Sue Scott: Seriously Silly provides a fine Prairie Home Companion piece gathering the best of Sue Scott's vocal talents. From her pieces we receive various fun personas, from Ruth the reference Librarian to supermodel Cynthia Maxwell and a waitress named Vi. Prior fans will relish having 14 sketches and bits in one place, as they've been broadcast live over the years on A Prairie Home Companion, while newcomers to Sue Scott will delight in a fun audio collection perfect for laughter and reflection alike.

Six Years
Harlan Coben
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781455855858, $24.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

Reader Scott Brick lends a seasoned, expert voice to Six Years, a powerful audio saga relating the discoveries of one Jake, who watched the love of his life marry another man six years earlier. Jake has thrown himself into his work and has tried to forget her; but when he comes across an obituary of her husband he can't resist showing up at the funeral - only to find that another woman mourns the husband she was married to for two decades. There's not only no trace of the Natalie that Jake remembers - but nobody even recalls their relationship. Mutual friends have vanished or seem to have amnesia - which leads Jake on a desperate search for a truth that turns out to be as much about himself as about Natalie. A gripping thriller comes to life in audio.

Mom & Me & Mom
Maya Angelou
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780449808221, $30.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

Mom & Me & Mom is narrated by Maya Angelou herself and chronicles her amazing life with a focus on her relationship with her mother, and reveals the underlying struggles of being the daughter of Vivian Baxter. Angelou's mother was largely absent during her early life, when a failing marriage caused her to send the kids away from their California home to live with their Arkansas grandmother. Angelou felt abandoned for years, but her reunion with her mother resulted in a powerful story that is a poignant account of mothers, daughters, and evolving relationships over the decades. This passionate audio telling will reach any general lending collection with fine insights into Angelou's life, relationships, and mother/daughter interactions as a whole.

Life After Life
Kate Atkinson
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9781619696969, $29.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

LIFE AFTER LIFE receives a fine and lively reading by Fenella Woolgar, who has extensive credits in film TV, theatre and radio and who has starred in several films. Her powerful voice lends high drama and action to the story set in 1910 where one Ursula Todd dies before she can draw her first breath and another Ursula Todd is born on that same night, surviving to embark on an unusual life in which she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways. Do her numerous lives give her the power to save the world? This is a powerful story of choices, freedoms, and the bittersweet ironies of life and death, recommended for any fiction collection.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Widow's Tears
Susan Wittig Albert
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425255728, $25.95, www.penguin.com

WIDOW'S TEARS provides a new China Bayless novel in which China witnesses a bank robbery and the murder of a teller. Before she can uncover who killed the teller, a haunted house offers a different mystery and real danger, and soon China finds herself engrossed in thickening plots and ghosts that offer real danger. Any who enjoy their mysteries with a tinge of supernatural drama will find WIDOW'S TEARS packed with high drama, satisfying twists and turns of plot, and plenty of mystery in yet another powerful story of lady P.I. China and her barrels of trouble.


The Fiction Shelf

Helinski Blood
James Thompson
G.P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780399158889, $26.95, www.penguin.com

HELINSKI BLOOD provides a fine thriller and is recommended for any collection strong in thrilling novels. Here Inspector Kari Vaara is facing a nightmare in a scenic, idyllic city rich in history and culture - a city that brings only memories of violence and loss to Kari. HELINSKI WHITE left character Vaara with many physical and psychological wounds: this sequel finds him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and single parenthood when his wife runs away, leaving him alone to care for their infant. Add the complications of romance, riches, and mystery and you have a satisfying thriller packed with depth and twists and turns.

Targets of Revenge
Jeffrey S. Stephens
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451688726, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Targets of Revenge provides a riveting action-driven thriller that is relentless in its energy and details and reads with the suspense of a James Bond thriller. It's a sequel to TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY and so is best enjoyed by prior fans of that setting, returning the revenge-driven CIA Agent Jordan Sandor to the story line as he searches for a terrorist. His hunt for killer Adina will involve a clandestine mission under the radar of superiors as he tracks down the terrorist's presence, infiltrates his camp, and discovers an even more deadly intent that would kill tens of thousands. International intrigue and fast action keep this thriller a solid, unpredictable read especially recommended for collections seeing prior interest in the preceding title.


The Music Shelf

The Songwriting Sourcebook
Rikky Rooksby
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
33 Plymouth Street, Suite 302
Montclair, NJ 07042-2677
www.halleonard.com
9780879309596, $24.99, www.backbeatbooks.com

The Songwriting Sourcebook: How to Turn Chords into Great Songs appears in a completely updated, expanded edition and tells how to lay down chords for the foundation of a simple song, and how to add chords not in key to make for unique arrangements. Chord boxes are given for each example, a 20-track audio CD blends original recordings with examples that strengthen songwriting endeavors, and this book shows how to connect chord choices with emotional layers in songwriting. The result is a solid reference that teaches the fundamentals of songwriting, tying technical prowess to achievement.

Barred for Life
Stewart Dean Ebersole
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604863949, $24.95, www.pmpress.org

BARRED FOR LIFE: HOW BLACK FLAG'S ICONIC LOGO BECAME PUNK ROCK'S SECRET HANDSHAKE provides a fine photo documentary cataloging the American punk rock group Black Flag, and uses stories, interviews and photos to discuss the group, their logo, and their contributions to the culture of punk rock as a whole. Photographer Jared Castaldi's black and white portraits lend to the idea that Black Flag's mythology and ideas are now more prevalent around the world than when the band was touring. Interviews with former members and band associates make for a vivid memoir of their performances, philosophy, and ethics.

The Future of the Music Business
Steve Gordon
Hal Leonard
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781423499695, $29.99, www.halleonardbooks.com

The Future of the Music Business: How to Succeed with the New Digital Technologies provides artists who would go pro with the tools for doing so; addressing everything from selling music online and using blogs and social networks to creating an internet radio station, opening an online music store, and more. Everything having to do with music creation, marketing or sales and new technology is covered here with an accompanying DVD including a comprehensive lecture on how to succeed in the industry. Legal, business and music concerns are addressed in chapters packed with the latest, practical applications to making money from music, making for a real winner.


The California Shelf

California's Best Trips
Sara Benson, et.al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741798104, $22.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

CALIFORNIA'S BEST TRIPS: 35 AMAZING ROAD TRIPS covers the entire state from Napa Valley and Yosemite National park to Big Sur, and offers inspirational trips that range from 2-day escapes to regional journeys. Packed with color photos and sidebars of information, this focuses on lovely scenery, byways, and California history alike and provides car trippers with plenty of options for seeing some of California's best. Any travel collection or California collection needs this specific set of itineraries and options.

The Great Ocean
David Igler
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4314
978019914951, $29.95, www.oup.com/us

THE GREAT OCEAN: PACIFIC WORLDS FROM CAPTAIN COOK TO THE GOLD RUSH offers a powerful history of the waterways, voyages and human encounters upon the Pacific Ocean and is a pick for American history and Western history collections alike. It uses the accounts of explorers, travelers and natives to tell what happened when the world realized the Pacific Ocean's importance and potential, following the expansion of trade routes, how communities were affected by interactions brought by the ocean, and how Pacific relationships differ from those in other parts of the world. History, politics, economics and social change as well as ecological concerns intersect in THE GREAT OCEAN to make for a powerful discourse recommended for any interested in Pacific cultures.

The Golden Shore
David Helvarg
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780312664961, $27.99, www.stmartins.com

The Golden Shore: California's Love Affair with the Sea offers a sweeping historical examination of California's coastline and history, examining what that coast means to the economy, ecology, and future of California and oceans in general. A lively history reveals many points of interest, from how Jack London introduced surfing to California to how an offshore oil disaster instigated a lasting system of coastal protection. History, geography and literary analysis blends in a lively story of the 1,100 miles of California's coastline and its evolution, making for a top pick for California collections in particular and any holding strong in world oceans and coastline management.


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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