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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 21, Number 12 December 2011 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Computer Shelf Business Shelf
Education Shelf Sports Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Gardening Shelf
Travel Shelf Art Shelf Poetry Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Music Shelf Jewelry Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Fiction Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Memoir Shelf Cookbook Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Photography Shelf Railroading Shelf Architecture Shelf
Psychology Shelf Literary Studies Shelf Gaming Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Military Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Political Science Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf Interior Design Shelf
Crafts Shelf Engineering Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Aviation Shelf Literary Studies Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Law/Justice Shelf Holocaust Studies Self
Mythology Shelf Philosophy Shelf Dance Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Journalism Shelf Library Science Shelf
Native American Studies Shelf Criminology Shelf Biography Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf Reference Shelf Nautical Shelf
Science Shelf Civil War Shelf Anthropology Shelf
Large Print Shelf Geography Shelf Archaeology Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

The Body Politic
Jonathan D. Moreno
Bellevue Literary Press
550 First Avenue, OBV 612
New York, NY 10016
9781934137383, $18.95, www.blpress.org

As science advances, it cannot be ignored by the world of politics. "The Body Politic: The Battle Over Science in America" is a discussion of biopolitics in the future of America from Jonathan D. Moreno, as he states that the culture wars rage, science will play a bigger and more important part. From stem cells to the definition of human, to the benefits and problems with progress, "The Body Politic" presents many intriguing ideas about the future of science and politics in America, a solid addition to any politics collections.

Cabinets of Curiosities
Patrick Mauries
Thames and Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500515945, $45.00, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Cabinets of Curiosities is packed with so many images it will appeal to art libraries as well, but is recommended here for its special interest to collections appealing to collectors of oddities. It documents the history and contents of the 'cabinets of curiosities' of the seventeenth century, gathered by kings and scholars alike and ranging from actual cabinets to entire rooms of curiosities and treasures from around the world. Not many of the actual rooms exist, but the items which occupied them are housed in museums around the world - and Cabinets of Curiosities covers their contents and history, pairing color photos of museum holdings with discussions of how these cabinets evolved.

The Atheist's Guide to Reality
Alex Rosenberg
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393080230, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Atheist's Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life Without Illusions isn't another book arguing against religious beliefs, but a survey that provides a positive perspective for unbelievers who want a blueprint for leading "the reality-driven life". Chapters offer perspectives of science as a worldview, discuss the nature of reality and meaning in an atheist's life, and considers the deepest questions religion addresses that science can also survey. The subtitle 'enjoying life' says it all - and sets this apart from similar-sound - but very different - approaches to atheism and meaning.

Cluck: From Jungle Fowl to City Chicks
Susan Troller, Jane Hamilton, Michael Perry, & Ben Logan, stories
S.V. Medaris, art
Itchy Cat Press
Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
ffg@mhtc.net
9780981516134 $25.00 www.itchycatpress.com

Primarily intended as entertainment rather than an agricultural how-to, Cluck: From Jungle Fowl to City Chicks is an anthology of true stories about the trials, travails, and joys of raising chickens in one's backyard. Colorful artwork by S.V. Medaris illustrates tales about protecting chickens from diseases and predators; raising them from tiny chicks; even how to hypnotize a chicken. Anyone who has ever raised a chicken, or might be contemplating the prospect, will enjoy reading Cluck from cover to cover!

Lunch Bucket Paradise
Fred Setterberg
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145
Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141666, $15.95, www.heydaybooks.com

The past is lost, but how do we reclaim that hope we need? "Lunch Bucket Paradise" is a blend of novel and memoir from Fred Setterberg as he reflects on his past, invoking the innocence of child hood and that hope for the future that seems to be all but lost in today's world. With poignancy, wit, and some humor, "Lunch Bucket Paradise" is a dose of nostalgia that has much to be considered, highly recommended.


The Computer Shelf

Programming Concurrency on the JVM
Venkat Subramaniam
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356760, $35.00, www.pragprog.com

As power increases, potential increases. "Programming Concurrency on the JVM: Mastering Synchronization, STM, and Actors" is a guide to making the most out of modern multicore hardware and developing multiple programs simultaneously, without complication, and avoiding many issues that commonly scare developers away from using such practices. "Programming Concurrency on the JVM" is a fine reference for those who want to expand their developing techniques and efficiency.

Continuous Testing
Ben Rady and Rod Coffin
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356708, $33.00, www.pragprog.com

Continuous Testing: with Ruby, Rails, and JavaScript is for computer collections strong in developer references, and covers the basics of how to get instant feedback on code and design quality. It's based on techniques used in the Agile development environment and tells how companies and developers can get the most out of existing test structures. Chapters are particularly strong in tweaking and customizing code testing and make for a solid developer's guide to better testing processes.

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

Dwight Spivey's MAX OS-X LION PORTABLE GENIUS (9781118022399, $30.00) offers insights on Mac OS-X, a desktop operating system installed on every new Apple computer, in a 'portable genius' title for any newcomer to OS-X Lion who wants to quickly get the most from the system. From customizing and maintaining a Mac to tweaking OS-X Lion for maximum results, this uses a simple writing style, at-a-glance instructions, and provides important keys to any Lion user. Mac collections will find this an easy, invaluable introduction. Brad Miser's MACBOOK PRO PORTABLE GENIUS (9780470642047, $25.00) appears in its third updated edition to provide the latest insights on Apple's popular new notebook computers. From running Windows applications and desktop sharing to customizing the computer and using the 'genius' tabs to streamline common operations, this tells how to get the most from the new MacBook Pro. DESIGN FOR HACKERS: REVERSE ENGINEERING BEAUTY (9781119998952, $39.99) by David Kadavy deconstructs designs to differentiate what makes a 'beautiful' design different from a mediocre one. Chapters study and analyze classic and modern techniques and examples in design, discuss design constraints, innovations and applications, and feature a range of design examples (both computer and non-computer) to reinforce overall concepts of superior design. A top pick for any computer design collection! Dayfdd Stuttard and Marcus Pinto's THE WEB APPLICATION HACKER'S HANDBOOK, second edition (9781118026472, $50.00) provides a fine survey of the latest attack techniques and countermeasures, and shows how to break into modern applications to deliver powerful cross-site scripting attacks. Programmers working on security protocol will find this packed with keys to identifying and diverting cyber attacks, showing how attackers compromise systems and how they can be thwarted. From how HTML5 can be exploited to attack applications to new techniques for automating attacks and forgery, this is a 'must' for any programmer who would understand web application vulnerabilities.

Agile Analytics
Ken Collier
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
032150481X, $49.99, www.informit.com/debilibrary

Agile Analytics: A Value-Driven Approach to Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing is a pick for business and computer holdings alike and teaches the basics of using Agile methods for innovation. Solutions for blending infrastructures offer a mix of business insight and custom code examples, showing how to manage analytics development teams and how to support business objectives while handling data and business intelligence concerns. Many proven solutions packed herein can be applied by IT managers, database administrators, and developers alike, making this a top reference.

Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.microsoft.com/mspress

Andrew Couch's ACCESS 2010 VBA PROGRAMMING INSIDE OUT (9780735659872, $49.99) is for intermediate and advanced programmers working with VBA, and goes beyond the usual basic guides to explore timesaving solutions and workarounds to using VBA. From enhancing applications and working with data in different forms to connecting Access to different kinds of data, this is packed with tips perfect for those seeking to further their Access programming skills. Dan Holme and Alistair Matthews' MCTS EXAM 70-667: CONFIGURING MICROSOFT SHAREPOINT 2010: SELF-PACED TRAINING KIT (9780735638853, $69.99) deserves ongoing recommendation as the item of choice for any studying for the exam or involved in a job requiring SharePoint skills. It tells how to deploy SharePoint Server 2010 and configure its servers, offering step-by-step lessons and reviews that cover the exam objectives. Practice tests on the accompanying CD round out the details and make this a top pick.

Wordpress in Depth, second edition
Bud E. Smith & Michael McCallister
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789741075, $34.99, www.quepublishing.com

The second updated edition of Wordpress in Depth offers a fine guide to the latest WordPress 3.1 and its services, showing how to manage a blog, add features to attract visitors, and more. From using themes and HTML tools to using polls, comments and more to engage readers, WORDPRESS IN DEPTH packs in keys to working with WordPress, integrating social networking features, building themes, using third-party plug-ins, and much more. Any who would use WordPress and its many advanced features must have this primer!


The Business Shelf

Ethical Intelligence
Bruce Weinstein
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781608680542, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

Ethics and dealing with situations make for a more functional intelligence than simply knowing things. "Ethical Intelligence: Five Principles for Untangling Your Toughest Problems at Work and Beyond" is a guide to dealing with the ins and outs of facing practical and people problems that make up many workplace conflicts, whether they be within the office or reaching out to potential customers, "Ethical Intelligence" is filled with plenty of wise advice for the business world and life as well.

Plan B
David Kord Murray
Free Press
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781439198353, $26.00 www.simonandschuster.com

Learning from the past is a key for a better future. "Plan B: How to Hatch a Second Plan That's Always Better Than Your First" is a business guide to making for an adaptive business model that flows with the best and worst of what is thrown at a business to succeed on many levels. Taking real world examples of companies that have flourished under pressure and others which have floundered under it all, "Plan B" is a worthy read for the business manager who realizes success isn't nonstop success, but instead rolling with the punches and making the best out of the worst.

Brilliant Start-Up, second edition
Caspian Woods
Prentice Hall Professional
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780273761976, $24.99, www.mcp.com

Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Brilliant Start-Up" is a 225-page compendium focused on how skilled entrepreneurs set up and operate successful businesses even in such tough and volatile economic climates as we have today. Drawing upon his many years of experience and expertise as a successful entrepreneur, as well as interviews with hundreds of other entrepreneurs, Caspian Woods provides a wealth of information, instruction, 'tips, tricks, tools, and techniques' that make for successful trading. Enhanced with an appendices of 'Useful Contacts' and a comprehensive index, "Brilliant Start-Up" will prove invaluable reading for anyone contemplating the launch of any kind of business enterprise and is highly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library "Business & Entrepreneurial" instructional reference collections.

The Power of Foursquare
Carmine Gallo
The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
9780071773171, $25.00, www.books.mcgraw-hill.com

Social networking means more business opportunities than ever before. "The Power of Foursquare: 7 Innovative Ways to Get Your Customers to Check In Wherever They Are" is a delve into the power of the social networking application foursquare, an application that is targeted at businesses and their customers to maximize usability for all parties involved. A complete and comprehensive guide for getting the most out of foursquare for any size of business, "The Power of Foursquare" shouldn't be overlooked for business leaders and managers looking for new marketing opportunities.

Mob Rule Learning
Michelle Boule
Cyber Age Books
c/o Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9780910965927, $24.95, www.infotoday.com

The mind of a mob is something to be wary of. "Mob Rule Learning: Camps, Unconferences, and Trashing the Talking Head" delves into the conference mentality, what's wrong with it, and the emergence of the unconference movement in response, stating that the gathering forms a mob mentality and may prove ineffective in creating effective ideas for education and training for businesses and other organizations that depend on a gathering of minds to be effective. "Mob Rule Learning" presents many intriguing ideas and shouldn't be overlooked.

The Diversity Index
Susan E. Reed
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
9780814416495, $27.95, www.amacombooks.org

Has the race barrier truly been defeated in the corporate world? "The Diversity Index: The Alarming Truth About Diversity in Corporate America... and What Can be Done About It" cites low numbers of minority executives in Fortune 100 companies, and that diversity may be needed in today's growing global world where working with foreign companies and other cultures is vital to corporate success. With an intriguing approach to racial diversity in the workplace, "The Diversity Index" asks many questions and comes with many intriguing solutions.

Leadership Team Coaching
Peter Hawkins
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749458836, $39.95, www.koganpageusa.com

Good leadership changes all those involved. "Leadership Team Coaching: Developing Collective Transformational Leadership" is a guide to developing a worthy team in a business environment. From understanding a team's performance and adjusting it accordingly, being a coach, and communicating with the powers that be, for all those who want to take a more proactive role in their business to succeed and more, "Leadership Team Coaching" is a practical guide loaded with plenty of examples and much to succeed, a strongly recommended choice.

5 Levels of Leadership
John C. Maxwell
Center Street
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017-0010
9781599953656, $25.99, www.hbgusa.com

Good leadership adds to success on many levels. "5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential" is a guide to business leadership, talking abut five virtues of leadership and how to use them for success. From leading people from simple responsibility to desire to follow a leader due to inspiration and what can be done, Maxwell speaks clearly on what it means to be a leader worth following. "5 Levels of Leadership" is a strong pick for anyone who wants to understand what makes a leadership truly worth following.

Effective Time Management
Lothar Seiwert & Holger Woeltje
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735660045, $29.99, www.oreilly.com

Time is your most valuable resource. "Effective Time Management: Using Microsoft Outlook to Organize Your Work and Personal Life" is a guide to making the most of one's time as a business manager to get the best results out of oneself and the best results of everything else. From the e-mail inbox to making the most of the calendar and personal organization, Lothar Seiwert & Holger Woeltje show how to make the most of Microsoft Outlook for personal time. "Effective Time Management" is a strong pick for business, self-help, and technology collections.

The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs
Carmine Gallo
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
007174875X, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success teaches how to rethink business and revitalize success using the formulas Steve Jobs followed to change the nature of innovation and its presentation. Seven Principles of Innovation inspired by Jobs teaches such ideas as how to sell dreams over products and how to thank differently about design and positive experiences. Jobs' visionary example provides a fine formula for change and innovation and this identifies his key principles.

Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
www.amacombooks.org

John H. McConnell's AUDITING YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO ASSESSING THE KEY AREAS OF YOUR PROGRAM (9780814416617, $79.95) is for any business leader thinking about auditing a human resource department's activities to assure better practices. It provides a framework for a rigorous self-assessment routine, from gathering key information and scoring answers to analyzing data. Forms, checklists, and more are packed into a weighty, in-depth survey in a new second edition that covers the latest workplace laws and developments in technology as they relate to HR audits and operations. A fine reference for any serious business collection. A MANAGER'S GUIDE TO VIRTUAL TEAMS by Yael Zofi (9780814416594, $27.95) tells how virtual teams are reshaping the nature of business, cutting staffing costs and creating both new opportunities and new challenges for managers. From working through cultural and distance differences to proven best practices reflecting some 20-plus years of experience, Yael Zofi provides team managers with an in-depth survey of virtual teams and their organization and potential. A fine pick for any manager's collection!

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

Dr. Joey Faucette's WORK POSITIVE IN A NEGATIVE WORLD: REDEFINE YOUR REALITY AND ACHIEVE YOUR BUSINESS DREAMS (1599184206, $19.95) provides a fine survey of techniques for achieving employee satisfaction, from avoiding negative co-workers to motivating employees and expressing appreciation for work done. The idea is to engage workers more effectively to encourage better attitude and production, looking for the emotional attractor that succeeds in linking business success to engagement. Employees also receive many tips to gaining better satisfaction at work, making Work Positive in a Negative World an exceptional survey that negates the typical focus on how to get a better job. Jay Conrad Levinson and Jeannie Levinson's THE BEST OF GUERRILLA MARKETING: GUERRILLA MARKETING REMIX (9781599184227, $21.95) outlines the basic five secrets to guerrilla marketing concepts and teams with over 35 'Guerrilla' co-authors to explore secrets of such marketing strategies. From being convenient and involved to motivating others to respond and buy, this gathers the best tactics of the guerrilla marketing movement and is a 'must' for any looking at alternative marketing in general and the guerrilla movement's applications specifically.

Content is Cash
Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA
QUE
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789741083, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com

Content is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz tells business owners and entrepreneurs how to use the author's SONAR Content Distribution Model to earn results from content they already have - even if there's no prior familiarity with internet marketing. It shows how to use best web marketing practices to generate excitement and sales for a business, and provides an internet marketing strategy based on real-world results. Any involved in web sales needs to look at this.


The Education Shelf

How Students Learn
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, NW
Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055
0309089492, $34.95, www.national-academies.org

Understanding learning is a key to understanding education. "How Students Learn: Mathematics in the Classroom" delves into the learning process, the young mind, and how to meet them all to create a positive learning environment that leaves a functional and effective experience for children, so that they learn and absorb the material. Focusing on mathematics, a subject very few ever truly become excited for, the National Research Council present a comprehensive and scholarly discussion that will be useful for anyone on the educational professional ladder. "How Students Learn" is an excellent reference for any educational studies or Mathematics education community or college library collection.

Principals Who Dare to Care
A. William Place
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West
Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596671683, $29.95, www.eyeoneducation.com

A good principal is more than a manager. "Principals Who Dare to Care" delves into what makes a good principal great, offering insight on the importance of caring for their staff and their children in order to make a school successful. Offering advice on management and leadership on how to deal with the many problems a school can face, A. William Place reminds readers that a principal must remember the human aspect to achieve greatness for their school. "Principals Who Dare to Care" is a choice and much recommended read, not to be overlooked.

Cell Phones in the Classroom
Liz Kolb
International Society for Technology in Education
180 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300
Eugene, OR 97401-2916
9781564842992, $34.95, www.iste.org

Cell phones are everywhere, even our classrooms. "Cell Phones in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Educators" delves into the growing problem, and for the teachers wise enough to embrace, opportunity, that comes with everyone having a cell phone, even in the class room. Liz Kolb states that using cell phones for class room products and embracing cell phone computing power can be akin to the many ways that laptops used to be used. Stating how to manage these devices to be used in an educational aspect for high school and college courses, "Cell Phones in the Classroom" is a vital read for teachers and other educators who want to turn this nuisance into opportunity.

Spotlight on Young Children and Nature
Amy Shillady, editor
National Association for the Education of Young Children
1313 L Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005-4101
9781928896746 $14.00 www.naeyc.org

Spotlight on Young Children and Nature is a flat-spined resource especially for early childhood educators. Featuring full color photography and fifty-four pages of detailed, in-depth text, Spotlight on Young Children and Nature covers the practicalities of teaching young people about their environment, suggested lesson plans (although there are no explicitly reproducible worksheets or handouts), lists of resources, firsthand testimony from professional educators, and much more. "Open-ended questions and inquisitive children exploring in nature are a great combination to support the development of language skills. Through interaction with nature, each other, and attentive adults children learn rare words and differences, such as between dirt and soil, that guide their exploration." Highly recommended as an inexpensive and idea-filled supplementary resource for early grade educators and home schooling instructors.

Effective Program Practices for Underserved Gifted Students
Cheryll M. Adams & Cecelia Boswell
Publicity Department
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813
Waco, TX 76714-8813
9781593638436, $24.95, www.prufrock.com

A school cannot sometimes meet the needs of all of its students. "Effective Program Practices for Underserved Gifted Students" is a guide for educators and schools in how to reach out to these gifted and talented students when the school cannot traditionally meet such needs. Discussing the problem and what can be done by educators, differentiation, acceleration, enrichment, and much more, "Effective Program Practices for Underserved Gifted Students" is filled with plenty of knowledgeable advice for best helping these students meet their potential.

Every School, Every Team, Every Classroom
Robert Eaker & Janel Keating
Solution Tree
304 West Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47404
9781936765096, $29.95, www.solution-tree.com

If a school is not dedicated to learning, it is not seeking its own purpose. "Every School, Every Team, Every Classroom: District Leadership for Growing Professional Learning Communities at Work" discusses the professional learning community in the standard academic school, stating that a community where the teachers continue to learn will encourage them to keep the students learning, as Robert Eaker & Janel Keating use their collective expertise in education on many levels to discuss how to establish a professional learning community at one's own school. "Every School, Every Team, Every Classroom" is a scholarly and much recommended addition to community and college library education collections.

So This is Normal Too?, second edition
Deborah Hewitt
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court
St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605540726, $29.95, www.redleafpress.org

Normalcy proves to be a myth in youth. "So This is Normal Too?" is the second edition of Deborah Hewitt delving into her experience with early childhood education, as many parents face children who develop in ways that they may not understand as perfectly normal and natural. Discussing brain development, the ins and outs of language, and helping children understand what they might not yet be able to. "So This is Normal Too?" is a fine pick for those concerned about early childhood development.

Lollipop Logic Book 3
Bonnie Risby & Robert K. Risby, II
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813
Waco, TX 76714-8813
9781593638320 $12.95 www.prufrock.com

Intended for young people in grades K-2, Lollipop Logic is a consumable book of reproducible activities and puzzles designed to teach logic, analogies, pattern recognition, inference, and more critical thinking skills to young people. The black-and-white lessons and exercises often take a simple multiple-choice format and utilize simple line drawings to help communicate the exercises. For example, one puzzle reads "[picture of nurse hat] is like [picture of stethoscope] as...", and the correct answer of three choices is "[picture of chef hat] is like [picture of rolling pin]". An excellent supplementary resource for educators, homeschoolers, even parents and babysitters, Lollipop Logic Book 3 is highly recommended.

Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills, third edition
Judith R. Birsh
Brookes Publishing
Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
1598570935, $79.95, www.brookespublishing.com

The third updated edition of Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills is a 'must' for any teacher's education collection and provides the most in-depth book available on multisensory teaching. It's been revised and vastly expanded to include more topics, from fluency to adolescent literacy, and provides educators with keys to helping students develop better learning skills. Chapters survey specific challenges of teaching reading, instructing older students, and developing routines for increasing skills. Training studies, bibliographies for further reading, charts and more make this a key reference suitable for a classroom course text as well as self-education.

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

Nancy W. Sindelar's ASSESSMENT-POWERED TEACHING (9781412992084, $26.95) brings together assessment data and instruction in a how-to handbook packing in step-by-step details for defining learning targets, testing data in the classroom, and using assessment results to enhance instruction. Chapters pair case studies from teachers with data analysis examples and discussions of cultural diversity challenges to provide teachers with powerful tools for enhancing student learning. Very highly recommended! Richard E. Mayer's HOW NOT TO BE A TERRIBLE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER: LESSONS FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND BOARD MEMBERS (9781412997935, $26.95) provides a fine analysis of administrator-board relationships through a serious of humorous yet realistic encounters perfect for any educator's collection. It examines negative encounters common to school boards, analyzes actions, and presents win-win alternative scenarios that can be used to better tailor board member relationships and choices. Any collection on school interrelationships needs this guide to more positive frameworks. Curtis W. Linton's EQUITY 101-BOOK 1: THE EQUITY FRAMEWORK (9781412995177, $19.95) considers the common characteristics of diverse schools and educates leaders on creating an environment that fosters and encourages excellence. Educators receive keys to building an equality framework that works under a variety of classroom conditions and makeups, making this a special pick for urban collections. Marcia Bl. Imbeau's PARALLEL CURRICULUM UNITS FOR GRADES K-5 (9781412963831, $24.95) provides a fine survey of parallel themes in literacy, science and social studies and shows how curriculum can be differentiated so learners gain information and beyond. Teachers receive a guideline to creating engaging programs that help kids apply what they learn to their experiences, with chapters providing specific units and lesson plans created by fellow elementary school teachers. David B. Spangler's STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING FRACTIONS: USING ERROR ANALYSIS FOR INTERVENTION AND ASSESSMENT (9781412993982, $38.95) provides teachers with a fine guide to understanding how students think about fractions, offering meaningful interventions using an RTI framework. Strategies presented here can be tailored to a student's needs and offer keys to diagnosis and practice. Exercises for such practice accompany hands-on activities, game sheets and more to make this a top pick for any math teacher.

The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.princetonreview.com

The revised editions of 11 Practice Tests for the SAT and PSAT (9780375428371, $22.99) have been been a recommendation for any high school collection catering to college-bound students. Its eleven practice tests are accompanied by overviews of the strategies and organization of each test, offering keys to succeeding on different portions of the test - including the written exam. But this 2012 edition comes with a caveat: portions of the summary answer sheets have many mistakes on them - so use the answers in the detailed explanation portion, which are correct. The 2012 edition of Cracking the AP Chemistry Exam (9780375427213, $18.99) comes with two full-length practice tests and accompanying explanations, charts and diagrams, reviews of key laws and formulas, and much more. It's also packed with keys to producing a high-scoring chemistry essay and is a recommendation for any undertaking the AP Chemistry Exam. Princeton Review's other AP 'Cracking' books provide a similar format and approach along with detailed keys to success. Cracking the AP Physics B Exam, 2012 Edition (9780375427312, $18.99) covers vectors, optics, nuclear physics and other topics in the Physics B exam, updating strategies for testing success; Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam, 2012 Edition (9780375427237, $18.99) accompanies two full-length tests with a history of key terms and concepts arranged by time period for quick and easy reference, summarizing all topics covered in the exam; the 2012 edition of Cracking the AP World History Exam (9780375427244, $18.99) reviews topics ranging from prehistoric times to modern day, showing how to maximize a multiple-choice score and how to score high in the essay section and offering an easier at-a-glance format than competing study guides; and Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams, 2012 Edition (9780375427206, $19.99) packs in over five full-length practice tests with detailed explanations to accompany a 'cheat sheet' of key formulas, updated strategies to reflect AP test scoring changes, and detailed reviews of all topics in the exams. All are fine study guide recommendations for student taking these exams.

Brookes Publishing
Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com

The second updated edition of Susan R. Sandal and Ilene S. Schwartz's BUILDING BLOCKS FOR TEACHING PRESCHOOLERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (1557669678, $34.95) offers preschool teachers a fine revision of a best-seller and gives educators research-based inclusion strategies that cover everything from behavior to literacy issues. BUILDING BLOCKS offers a program to help teachers meet the federal requirements for special education, includes a disc of instructive vignettes with all the printable forms in the book from class assignments to worksheets and evaluation forms, and expands information presented in the first edition. Early learning libraries must have this! Also important is the second edition of Jack A. Naglieri and Eric B. Pickering's HELPING CHILDREN LEARN: INTERVENTION HANDOUTS FOR USE IN SCHOOL AND AT HOME (9781557669988, $39.95), with its accompanying CD of handouts in English and Spanish. Collections strong in learning disabilities and psychology for educators will find this opens with a short questionnaire helping school psychologists assess student strengths and weaknesses, then moves to handouts, reproducibles and keys to help teachers work within RTI to build foundation skills. Chapters present intervention handouts and offer strategies to use them effectively, making this a powerful workbook.


The Sports Shelf

Handbook Of Sport Marketing Research
Nancy L. Lough & William A. Sutton, eds.
Fitness Information Technology
275B Coliseum, PO Box 6116
Morgantown, WV, 265066116
9781935412397, $45.00, www.fitinfotech.com

'Sport Marketing Quarterly' is the premier periodical focusing principally on the business aspects of professional sports. "Handbook Of Sport Marketing Research" is a 418-page compendium collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Nancy L. Lough and William A. Sutton who have gone over every issue for the past 20 year of 'Sports Marketing Quarterly' to provide the best presentations and articles on key sports marketing concepts and practices beginning with the basic elements of sport marketing; building a sports marketing brand, researching sport consumers, 'marketing segmentation', fan identity, sponsorship, celebrity athlete and endorsements. Of special note is the section dedicated to Ethical Issues in sports marketing. Informed and informative, the "Handbook Of Sport Marketing Research" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone involved in the business aspects of organized sports, as well as a core addition to professional and academic library Sports & Athletics and Contemporary Business instructional reference collections.

Management Strategies in Athletic Training, fourth edition
Richard Ray and Jeff Konin
Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
9780736077385, $74.00, www.humankinetics.com

The fourth updated edition of Management Strategies in Athletic Training is a recommendation for professional athletic trainers and sports collections catering to them. It covers typical management challenges they'll face on the job and uses real-world case studies to trace these events and their outcomes. Chapters cover everything from health care financial management to patient charting and cultural awareness, include chapter questions to help students think about the kinds of problems and their solutions, and offer new material on finding a job in the field.

The Bill James Handbook
Justin Verlander
ACTA Publications
4848 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
9780879464738, $24.95, www.actapublications.com

The numbers behind baseball sometimes entice fans more than the game itself. "The Bill James Handbook 2012" is an updated statistics book from Bill James as he offers a complete and comprehensive book of stats for every player, team, and manager all throughout the major leagues. For fantasy baseball managers, statistician fans, and more, with new pitch repertoire guides and award listings, "The Bill James Handbook 2012" is an excellent pick and sports reference.

Alpine Skiing
Ronald W. Kipp
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9780736083553, $19.95, www.HumanKinetics.com

Screaming down a mountain is more fun than one would think. "Alpine Skiing" delves into the sport of Alpine skiing, with a solid introductory for those who want to delve into the sport and gain a more complete understanding of its rules, regulations, practices, and much more. For those who want to get into the sport or simply want to know more about it, "Alpine Skiing" is an excellent introductory and reference, very much recommended.


The American History Shelf

Forging a Fur Empire
John Phillip Reid
The Arthur H. Clark Company
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780870624025 $29.95 www.ahclark.com

Forging a Fur Empire: Expeditions in the Snake River Country, 1809-1824 is a thoughtful and scholarly study of early pioneer and fur trader Alexander Ross, who dared to venture into the then-untamed wilderness of the Pacific Northwest (Snake River country in what would eventually become present-day Idaho and Montana) on behalf of Hudson's Bay Company. Alexander Ross wrote a great deal about his entourage's struggles to survive and turn a profit, but Forging a Fur Empire goes beyond Ross' own writings to analytically assemble a dynamic picture of the legal, institutional, and commerce-related forces driving the fur trade of the era. Ross' challenges were varied and complicated - from keeping the peace among his ethnically diverse crew (including Americans, Canadians, mixed-bloods, and Native American independent contractors) to subsisting when supplies ran low, and even stumbling over religious conflicts. Forging a Fur Empire is utterly fascinating and an absolutely invaluable addition to public and college library collections with a focus on early American History.

The Most They Ever Had
Rick Bragg
The University of Alabama Press
PO Box 870380
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
9780817356835, $14.95, www.uapress.ua.edu

For life and hope for a better future, people suffered the growth of industry. "The Most They Ever Had" chronicles the growth of industry and mills in Alabama, as people went to the mills, worked jobs that shortened their lives for their attempt at life. For generations, people toiled, and for generations, lives were harmed, perhaps destroyed. "The Most They Ever Had" tells this tragic history, and makes for a very much recommended read for history collections focusing on the industrial revolution.

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

Wide and vast, Alaska is certainly a unique member of the United States. "Alaska: A History" chronicles the history surrounding this state, from its earliest prehistoric inhabitants to its acquisition by America, its statehood, and its role in America ever since. Natural, political, cultural, Alaska's individual story is a story of many people and many eras, and proves to be an educational and endlessly intriguing reading. "Alaska: A History" is a fine pick for any history collection with a focus on American States history.

Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siu.edu/~siupress

Abraham Lincoln was a pivotal figure in 19th Century American history. Adding to the growing library of Lincoln Studies are four volumes newly published by the Southern Illinois University Press. "Lincoln and the Election of 1860" (9780809330355, $19.95, 144 pages) by Michael S. Green focuses upon the political acumen of Abraham Lincoln in one of the most critically important presidential campaigns. "Lincoln and the Civil War" (9780809330539, $19.95, 160 pages) by Michael Burlingame examines the role of Abraham Lincoln and his administration during the years of the bloodiest conflict our nation has ever known. "Abraham Lincoln and Horace Greeley" (9780809330454, $19.95, 160 pages) by Gregory A. Borchard explores the relationship between the most important political figure and arguably the most influential media mogul of the mid-nineteenth century. "Abraham Lincoln and Mary Lincoln" (9780809330492, $19.95, 160 pages) by Kenneth J. Winkle descriptively assesses the complex and sometimes controversial marriage of America's 'First Family' beginning with their contrasting childhoods, courtship, the 'lawyer Lincoln' years, and their White House tenure which ended tragically with the assassination of Lincoln at the close of the Civil War. Each of these informed and informative titles is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Lincoln Studies and 19th Century American History collections.


The World History Shelf

Jihad in the Arabian Sea
Camille Pecastaing
Hoover Institution Press
c/o Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
www.sup.org
9780817913748, $19.95, www.hooverpress.org

With trade comes those who want to exploit that trade. "Jihad in the Arabian Sea" discusses the troubles facing the historic strait of Bab el-Mandeb, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, proving to be an invaluable trade route between the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Throughout history, it has been plagued by piracy, and in the modern day, it is proving no different. Camille Pecastaing tells the story of this international conflict, including the struggle for statehood for the region. "Jihad in the Arabian Sea" is a fascinating delve into turbulent region and its role in the much bigger world.

The Storied Ice
Joan N. Boothe
Regent Press
2747 Regent Street
Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587902185, $24.95, www.regentpress.net

Man was never meant to explore Antarctica, but this never stops us. "The Storied Ice: Exploration, Discovery, and Adventure in Antarctica's Peninsula Region" discusses the exploration of Antarctica, in particular its peninsula region as around the turn of the century, scientists and explorers turned to what may be the final land frontier, the vast frozen wastes of Antarctica. Telling the stories of those who dared complete with illustrations and photographs, "The Storied Ice" is a riveting read of exploration into dangerous uncharted territory, something that is rare on the planet as it is today.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Puppy Problems? No Problem!
Brenda Aloff
Dogwise Publishing
403 South Mission Street
Wenatchee WA 98801
9781617810510, $39.95, www.dogwisepublishing.com

Puppies are often chosen as pets due to overwhelming cuteness, but early training often proves troublesome. "Puppy Problems? No Problem!" is a training and behavioral guide from Brenda Aloff, as she advises many traditional and practical training techniques to help a puppy behave in an acceptable way to continue harmony as it matures into a full grown dog. "Puppy Problems? No Problem!" is enhanced with a 2 hour training DVD for additional information, and is a top pick for any family adopting a new member into their family.

Invasive Pythons in the United States
Michael E. Dorcas and John D. Willson
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens GA 30602-4901
9780820338354, $24.95, www.ugapress.org

Invasive Pythons in the United States: An Ecology of an Introduced Predator is a 'must' for any collection strong in herpetology. It researches the introduction of pythons into this country in South Florida, providing a survey of the ecology of Burmese pythons in the U.S. and in their native habitats, and covering their environmental and human impacts. Color photos throughout make this an exceptional natural history.

The Story of Brutus
Casey Anderson
Pegasus Books
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110
9781605982533, $14.95, www.wwnorton.com

Godless killing machines to some, bears aren't the most understood of creatures. "The Story of Brutus: My Life with Brutus the Bear and the Grizzlies of North America" is a memoir and wildlife discussion book from Casey Anderson as he shares his life of working with grizzly bears in North America through animal rescue, and how his rescue of Brutus, a particular North American Grizzly, seeks to educate the world and advocate their preservation. "The Story of Brutus" is a must for any animal lover, especially those who want to learn more about these mostly gentle beasts.

The World of Animals
Master Books
c/o New Leaf Publishing Group
PO Box 726
Green Forest, AR 72638
9780890516171, $24.99, www.masterbooks.net

The world is filled with thousands of species and there's no shortage of wonder behind them all. "The World of Animals: Fascinating Facts about the World of Animals" is a beautiful full color photography and reference to the countless animals all over the world, from the jungles, savannahs, seas, and so much more. An excellent choice for either coffee table book or as a gift for an animal lover of any age, "The World of Animals" is an excellent and much recommended pick for wildlife and nature collections, not to be overlooked.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Grumble Hallelujah
Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414338019, $14.99, www.tyndale.com

Grumble Hallelujah: Learning to Love Your Life Even When It Lets You Down is for any who want to connect with God at their lowest moments in life, and pairs humor with stories and scriptural backing to help readers see how a life is meant to be lived and loved, even through adversity. Chapters come from a 'public' blogger who reflects on her own reactions to adversity and the paths that led her to a deeper connection with God. Any spirituality collection will find this reflection both personal and inspirational.

The Names of God Bible
Ann Spangler, General Editor
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800719319, $34.99, www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

THE NAMES OF GOD BIBLE provides a powerful survey intended for readers with no knowledge of Hebrew who want to read through the Bible to locate God's names and titles. Her the Hebrew transliteration of the names and title of God are printed in the biblical text and provides convenient name pages, introductions to each book of the Bible, topical prayer guides, and much more. Any scholarly spirituality collection will find this a fine addition!

The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook
J. Daniel Hays and J. Scott Duvall, Editors
Baker Publishing Group
Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780801012969, $39.99, www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook packs in over 500 color illustrations, maps and photos and is a comprehensive book-by-book guide to the Bible. It pairs references to Biblical passages to paragraphs of analysis explaining each passage and its history and meaning, offering the ability to combine a reading of the Bible with interpretations in plain English. A 'must' for any collection looking for a study adjunct that is inviting and easy.

Day by Day with Saint Francis
Gianluigi Pasquale
New City Press
202 Cardinal Rd.
Hyde Park, NY 12538
9781565483941, $24.95, www.newcitypress.com

Humor's power should not be underestimated. "Day by Day with Saint Francis: 365 Meditations" is a collection of 365 meditations from the saint who looked to joy to spread the love of God, to those who were in need of a bright spot in their lives more than anyone else. With an uplifting drive and no shortage of subjects to ponder about the world, "Day by Day with Saint Francis" is an insightful and much recommended read for the religious who want to preach joy instead of condemnation, highly recommended.

The Emerging Catholic Church
Tom Roberts
Orbis Books
PO Box 308
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759468, $24.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Catholicism must find its way in the world once more. "The Emerging Catholic Church: A Community's Search for Itself" discusses the crisis the Catholic church faces from the surge of Sex abuse scandals, the clerical scandal, and the disillusionment that many have began to feel with the faith. With many musings on the importance of change and the rebirth of faith and reformation within the church, "The Emerging Catholic Church" is a fascinating discussion of the next generation of the Catholic Church, much recommended.

Gospel Basics
Andrew A. Bonar
Banner of Truth
PO Box 621
Carlisle, PA 17013
9781848711235, $15.00, www.banneroftruth.org

With so much crowding today's world, it can be easy to lose sight of the gospel. "Gospel Basics: Trusting, Following, and Winning Christ" is a reprinting of the wisdom of famed pastor Andrew Bonar who preached the faith well throughout the nineteenth century. With much to digest and consider for Christian readers, Bonar discusses many aspects of Christian life that still apply even today. "Gospel Basics" is a choice pick for any Christian reader who seeks wisdom on how to manage their faith in the modern day.

Inspired Work
Scott Ortega
Westbow
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200
Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
9781449720582, $13.95, www.inspired-work.com

Work doesn't have to be free of faith. "Inspired Work: A New Testament Guide to Working with Purpose" is an inspirational guide for those who want to bring God into their everyday life, to give it purpose and meaning, and to remember their faith as they face their daily occupation and what it means to them all. "Inspired Work" is an excellent and inspirational read for those who work their job and wonder what would Jesus do in their situation?

The Edge of Redemption
Troy A. Evans
Wesleyan University Press
215 Long Lane
Middletown, CT 06459
9780898274899, $19.99, www.wesleyan.edu/wespress

You don't know if something is a waste of time until you try it. "The Edge of Redemption: A Story of Hope for Rescuing the Unreachable" is a blend of memoir and inspiration to preaching and spreading the word from Troy A. Evans as he encourages people to reach out to the unreachable and how he turned away from the hip hop dream to teach and help the community he once exploited. "The Edge of Redemption" is an excellent and very much recommended pick, not to be overlooked.

Walk Strong, Look Up
Chantel Hobbs
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 E Fulton
Ada, MI 49301
9780800720490, $13.99, www.revellbooks.com

Health is an all encompassing thing for life. "Walk Strong, Look Up: The Most Powerful Exercise for Your Body and Soul" is a Christian self-help and health guide from Chantell Hobbs as she encourages readers to find their own place in life and empower themselves and their lives to make the most of their lives and empower themselves to take control of their life and live healthier both physically and spiritually. "Walk Strong, Look Up" is a powerful read for religious readers who want to improve their lives and future.

Love Life and See Good Days
Emily Freeman
Deseret Books
PO Box 30178
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0178
9781609087425, $18.99, www.deseretbook.com

What is a good day? "Love Life and See Good Days?" is a Christian inspirational guide from Emily Freeman who encourages people to see good days ahead of them and behind them, and learn to appreciate them for what they are. With powerful words for learning how to appreciate life and seek more joy from it, "Love Life and See Good Days" is an original outlook for life, much recommended.

All is Grace
Brennan Manning
David C. Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9781434764188, $22.99, www.davidccook.com

God's love is unconditional, and the last part is all too often to forgotten. "All is Grace" is a memoir of Brennan Manning as he tells his story of seeking to preach such terms. A man of many roles in life who has never forgotten God's love, he tells his story in hopes that others too will remember the universal nature of love. Through it all, "All is Grace" proves to be a moving and much recommended pick for Christian memoir collections as a whole.

Women of the Passion
Joan D. Lynch
MSJ Press
c/o ACTA Publications
4848 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
9780982964002, $14.95, www.actapublications.com

The women around Christ had as much devotion to the faith as his apostles. "Women of the Passion" is a historical novel that explores the women around Christ, who stood by him in the face of anything and everything that the faith faced in the early days. Drawing from history, scripture, and a Christian imagination, Joan D. Lynch presents a read that is enlightening as it is entertaining. "Women of the Passion" is a fine addition to any Christian fiction collection.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Breath of Life
Rachel Timoner
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568
Orleans, MA 02653
9781557257048, $16.99, www.paracletepress.com

Many Jews lose sight of the spirit of God. "Breath of Life: God as Spirit in Judaism" discusses the role of the Talmud and other rabbinic writings and how they can help bring perspective to many Jews lives, and bring them closer to their faith to live with greater spirit, "Breath of Life" may be also of interest to Christians and other followers of the God of Abraham, very much recommended reading for community college Judaic Studies and religion collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

New Self, New World
Philip Shepherd
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781556439117, $19.95, www.northatlanticbooks.com

Changing with the world is key to making sure it doesn't change you. "New Self, New World: Recovering Our Senses in the Twenty-First Century" is a new age spirituality book from Philip Shepherd as he offers wisdom on how to better face the world, shifting ourselves and controlling ourselves as the world turn. With much philosophy, Philip Shepherd offers much to ponder about our changing world and what it means to be human. "New Self, New World" is an ideal read for spirituality and self-help collections.

The Bible is a Parable
Albert E. Gilding
Elderberry Press
1393 Old Homestead Drive
Oakland, OR 97462
9781934956465, $19.95, www.elderberrypress.com

Knowledge comes in many forms, and a wise man shuns none of them. "The Bible is a Parable: A Middle Ground Between Science and Religion" discusses philosophy and thought and encourages readers to take a more comprehensive search in their search for wisdom. Stating that our search for knowledge can be drawn back to our gatherer instincts and our instinct. With much to think about and plenty of fresh ideas, "The Bible is a Parable" is an enticing and much recommended read, not to be overlooked.

The Warrior Code
Imre Vallyon
Sounding Light Publications
c/o Warwick Associates
18340 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95476
9780909038649, $14.95, www.soundinglight.com

Through discipline, one better prepares themselves to battle life. "The Warrior Code: 365 Aphorisms of the Spiritual Warrior" presents many proverbs and thoughts for those who want to steel themselves to better face life and the battles they will face in life. Advocating calmness, fearlessness, and a never ending search for perfection, "The Warrior Code" is an insightful and much recommended pick for anyone who wants to equip themselves with thought and wisdom against life.

Soulmates
Juliana Geran Pilon
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
1412842492, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

History has long painted women as the submissive, the subservient, and this has often been codified in Eve. "Soulmates: Resurrecting Eve" delves into the biblical story of man and woman, and their relationship with each other and God, and the painting of womankind in its role as the second class, as Juliana Geran Pilon hopes to reconcile this notion through an analysis of legend, myth, and scripture. "Soulmates: Resurrecting Eve" is a fascinating and scholarly discussion of woman in love and life in ancient literature, an excellent choice through and through.


The Gardening Shelf

Backyard Homesteading
David Toht
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way
Saddle River, NJ 07450-2311
9781580115216, $16.95, www.creativehomeowner.com

With rising food costs, self-sufficiency is becoming vogue once more. "Backyard Homesteading: A Back-to-Basics Guide to Self-Sufficiency" is a guide for those who want to embrace backyard agriculture to go beyond gardening and creating a farm of one's own. From the legal aspects of local regulations, raising chickens, goats, bees, and more, David Toht presents an excellent introductory reference on how to create one's own steady source of fresh food. "Backyard Homesteading" is a fine pick with plenty to consider, not to be overlooked for those who want to take a cue from their ancestors.

Aquaponic Gardening
Sylvia Bernstein
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
9780865717015, $29.95, www.newsociety.com

Aquaponic Gardening: A Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together is a pick for any gardening or aquaculture collection and provides a unique handbook on a blend of aquaculture and hydroponics that leads to raising fish together with organic veggies and fruits. Aquaponic systems use up to 90 percent less water than conventional gardens: this covers everything from system options and design to adding fish and plants and maintaining a healthy, productive system. Highly recommended for any gardening collection.

How to Grow Winter Vegetables
Charles Dowding
Green Books
web@greenbooks.co.uk
9781900322881 L14.95, www.greenbooks.co.uk

How to Grow Winter Vegetables offers an inspiring survey of growing vegetables in winter, covering the vegetables that can grow even in under uncertain British weather conditions. Not much grows in winter, but with planning ahead, plots may be sown and planted at specific times during the year to produce winter fare. From a growing calendar to sections covering harvesting and storing produce, this is packed with keys to year-round vegetable gardening and is a fine pick for any vegetable gardener's collection.

New Decorating Book
Better Homes & Gardens
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470887141, $24.99, www.wiley.com

New Decorating Book provides a fine survey of home styles and fresh ideas for makeovers and quick projects and is a top pick for general lending collections who would gain new ideas for everything from bedding choices to tile and paint. Color photos liberally pack every page and provide insights while discussions of design basics cover all the 'dos and don'ts' of a home decorating project.

The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds
Robert Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603425742, $24.95, www.storey.com

Keys to collecting and preserving over three hundred kinds of vegetable, herb, flower and fruit and tree seeds are provided in one of the largest resources available on cultivating all kinds of plants from seed, making for an invaluable reference for any gardening collection. The authors have nearly a century of combined gardening experience and here discuss selecting for the most desirable traits of each plant to maintain favored genetics. An alphabetical arrangement makes it easy to pick specific plants and to work with their special seed requirements.

Bromeliads for Home and Garden
Jack Kramer
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813035444, $26.95, www.upf.com

For many gardens, a symphony of flowers is key to perfecting it all. "Bromeliads for Home and Garden" is a gardening guide from Jack Kramer as he presents to readers on how to best embrace Bromeliads artistically for their garden year round. Packed with more than one hundred color photographs, and tips to adapting them to various climates, "Bromeliads" is an excellent pick for any garden enthusiasts who wants to adapt their garden to these beautiful flowers.


The Travel Shelf

Great Lakes Lighthouses
Wes Oleszewski
Avery Color Studios
511 D. Avenue, Gwinn, MI 49841
9781892384584, $17.95 www.averycolorstudios.com

Relics of another era, Lighthouses often inspire wonder. "Great Lakes Lighthouses: American & Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Over 300 Lighthouses" is a guide to the many light houses surrounding the Great Lakes, throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, and elsewhere throughout the region. For any traveler with an intrigue in light houses, "Great Lakes Lighthouses" is a top pick to find and see them all.

Tea & Cake: London
Zena Alkayat
Black Dog Publishing
10A Acton Street
London, WC1X 9NG
9781907317484, $14.95, www.blackdogonline.com

Sweet and savory, "Tea & Cake: London" is an upfront guide to experiencing all the best that one can see in cafe cuisine and beverage in a city that certainly knows it, London, the United Kingdom. Touching on the countless blends of tea and twists and turns of sweet confections, breaking them into the restaurants that serve them throughout, stand alone and alongside hotels, "Tea & Cake" is a must for any enthusiast of sweets and tea who will soon be traveling through London.

Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Sarina Singh, et.al.'s INDIA (9781741797800, $31.99) appears in its 30th anniversary edition to update all its extensive listings on the country's travel options, and is a 'must' for any planning a trip. Sidebars of color coded detail accompany updated tips on where to stay, eat and what to do in all parts of the country, including assessments of travel options to move between attractions. From top sights to shopping, this is a 'must' trip planner for any independent traveler. Also a 'must' is TASMANIA by Brett Atkinson and Gabi Mocatta (9781741794618, $24.99), packing I n over forty maps and identifying outdoors activities throughout Tasmania, as well as tips on where to eat and sleep. Color photos pepper a presentation that includes small local maps and plenty of insiders' tips on getting around the less-beaten paths of the country. Since Tasmania is usually tossed in with guides to nearby Australia or New Zealand, it's especially pleasing to see this 'dedicated' survey offering far more depth and detail to independent travelers. Lonely Planet Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra (9781741794601, $24.99) by Lindsay Brown is also a top planning tool for destination-bound travelers, and packs in nearly fifty small maps, a pull-out city map, comprehensive planning tools for travel and tips on how to get by in India without a guide. All the key highlights of the region are covered in a guide packed with practical travel tips throughout! BELIZE by Mara Vorhees and Joshua Samuel Brown (9781741794656, $19.99) provides all the keys to getting to and around the country and is packaged in a fine take-along tote recommended for any interested in travel to the country. Small line maps, sidebars of at-a-glance travel detail, and more make this a fine survey! Brendan Sainsbury and Luke Waterson's CUBA (9781741798029, $22.99) achieves the same for Cuba, representing fifteen weeks of research and plenty of details on Cuba's unique culture, cars, and where to find them. Chapters are filled with detail on travel around the entire country, making for a must-have, take-along tote.

Chasing the Devil
Tim Butcher
Atlas & Company
15 West 26th Street, 2nd floor
New York, NY 10010
9781935633297, $26.95, www.atlasandco.com

CHASING THE DEVIL: A JOURNEY THROUGH SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GRAHAM GREENE tells of an expedition undertaken in 1935 by Greene and his cousin Barbara: a 350-mile journey from Sierra Leone to the Liberian coast. Their journey was recreated in 2009 by author Tim Butcher, who compares his experiences and trek with Graham Greene's. His survey of the changing social and political worlds of the nations of Africa makes this a powerful account of modern life in Western Africa.

The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing
Melissa Holbrook Pierson
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393079043, $24.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing: Long-Distance Motorcycling's Endless Road provides a quirky travelogue from an author who participated in long-distance motorcycle trips to understand its obsession. Her observations of a community of distance motorcycle riders, their passion, and the experiences that evolved from long road trips makes for an engrossing travelogue packed with insights on a group that regularly crosses forty-eight contiguous states or undertakes challenging motorcycle drives. Any travel collection or sports collection strong in motorcycle memoirs needs this!


The Art Shelf

Celebrating The American Spirit
Christopher B. Crosman & Emily D. Shapiro
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
www.hudsonhills.com
9781555953713, $60.00, www.amazon.com

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is one of our Arkansas' newest museums and home to one of the finest collections of American Art available to the general public. The emphasis of the history of art in the United States. The collaborative work of Christopher B. Crosman and Emily D. Shapiro, "Celebrating the American Spirit: Masterworks from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art" is a 356-page compendium showcasing the best of the Crystal Bridges Museum collection with each superbly reproduced, full-page painting accompanied by an informed and informative full page commentary, including the artists birth and death dates, as well as the specific dimensions of the painting. Of special note is the inclusion of 'A Conversation with Alice Walton' by John Wilmerding. An impressively illustrated history of American art and artists, "Celebrating The American Spirit" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and academic library American Art History collections and would make an excellent 'Memorial Fund' acquisition for community library collections.

Sports and American Art
Allan Guttmann
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498747, $39.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Sports and American Art From Benjamin West to Andy Warhol comes from an award-winning sports historian who examines the history of sports-themed American art from the 18th to the early 20th century. His is an in-depth coverage of art and sport and covers a range of artistic representations of American sports, from Sheeler's yachts to artists who portrayed tennis, baseball and more. Black and white and color plates accompany scholarly analysis of the artists and their pieces in this powerful survey.

Menus for Chez Panisse
Patricia Curtan
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781616890292, $40.00, www.papress.com

Menus for Chez Panisse presents the hand-painted menus of Berkeley artist Patricia Curtan, who began producing her art years ago when she worked as a cook for the kitchen. Her menus are gathered together in one volume and provide a fine survey of letterpress and linoleum block prints on paper, representing four decades of menus and dinner. While the lovely display is recommended for arts collections, culinary holdings should also consider this a top pick, tracing the menus and evolution of the famous Chez Panisse Restaurant!

All About Acrylics
Oliver Lohr, Kristina Schaper and Ute Zander
Search Press
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA94954-1117
9781844486052, $24.95, www.searchpress.com

ALL ABOUT ACRYLICS: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PAINTING USING THIS VERSATILE MEDIUM offers a fine reference to painting with acrylics and is packed with information and expert advice. From materials and color techniques to using acrylics in all kinds of painting subjects, this celebrates the versatility of the medium and provides budding artists with plenty of projects for producing professional, polished results.

Italian Design is Coming Home. To Switzerland
Polyedra
Actar D
c/o Actar Birkhauser Distribution
151 Grand Street, 5th floor
New York, NY 10013
9788492861743, $39.95, www.actar-d.com

Some design choices apply well no matter where you are. "Italian Design is Coming Home. To Switzerland." is a delve into Italian design, as the folks at Polyedra argue that the best of Italian design actually comes from the Swiss. Discussing the history of the design and the best people behind the discipline to find success within it, it is presented in full color with plenty of examples of the art style throughout. For those who want a good sampling of the best of Italian design from the Swiss, "Italian Design is Coming Home" is an excellent and much recommended pick, not to be overlooked.


The Poetry Shelf

Dhaka Dust
Dilruba Ahmed
Graywolf Press
250 Third Avenue North, Suite 600
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781555975890, $15.00, www.graywolfpress.org

As one sees the world, they see nothing is perfect, and wonder if such a thing is obtainable. "Dhaka Dust" is a collection of poetry from Dilruba Ahmed who ponders on the world as she reflects on her experiences in both Bangladesh and America, and what it means to be a woman of the world, where one's rights aren't so universal. "Dhaka Dust" is an excellent pick for any world poetry collection, very much recommended. "Picasso's Self-Portrait in Blue Period, 1901": At twenty, haggard,/lean as a stray, someone/I cross the street to avoid at night/even as I notice/pink lips, blue//hollowed cheeks. By now, we've both lost friends we won't recover. Huddled/in his navy coat, he watches from room to room, His grief, mine -- eyes two sunken tombs.

Kentucky Derby
Andrea Cohen
Salmon Poetry
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781907056567, $21.95, www.dufoureditions.com

Little men, horses, and a driven thirst for victory. "Kentucky Derby" is a collection of poetry from Andrea Cohen circling the subject of the Derby and spinning out into related subjects with a solid dose of informed humor along with plenty of questions to ponder on top of it all. "Kentucky Derby" is an excellent pick for any poetry collection, much recommended. "Elegy for the Nail": So you get hammered/going in, you get//bent. Forget about it./Forget your princely//carriage when first forged./So you've lived//a little, so you hold/two pieces of a tired/door in place, or better,/the scent of my secret//love's sweater.

New and Selected Poems
Michael D. Higgins
Liberties Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781907593208, $26.95, www.dufoureditions.com

A frank voice can go far in today's world where few things are clear. "Michael D. Higgins" is a collection of new and selected poetry from the titular author who has educated himself all over the Western world and has been a political force for quite some time in the English government. "Michael D. Higgins" is an insightful assortment of poetic work, highly recommended. "Our Lady of the Trolleys": I am leaving my flowers/to Our Lady of the Trolleys./They will not last;/nothing outlasts her./Effervescent,/ceaselessly young,/she deserves my potted plants.

The Smoke of Distant Fires
Eduardo Chirinos, author
G. J. Racz, translator
Open Letter Books
c/o University of Rochester
Lattimore Hall 411, Box 270082
Rochester, NY 14627
9781934824382, $13.95, www.openletterbooks.org

Influences from all over form our view of the world. "The Smoke of Distant Fires" is a collection of poetry from Eduardo Chirinos, expertly translated from his native Spanish by G. J Racz. Truly a man of the modern world, he speaks frankly about what we are and where we've come from, and what we've been twisted into. "The Smoke of Distant Fires" is a thoughtful delve into world poetry, much recommended. "A Theory of Sight After a Poem by Seferis": i looked at you with all the light and the darkness I possess so/ends one poems and begins another or is it perhaps the same one?/i've never been to Greece never breathed in the breeze off the pine trees/the monster is dead its stench/overwhelms the beaches its light/brings with it other skies other equally blue seas yet that sea/is very far away it covers this page with ash and darkens my mouth.

Unexpected Shiny Things
Bruce Dethlefsen
Cowfeather Press
PO Box 620216, Middleton, WI 53562
www.cowfeatherpress.org
9780984656806, $16.00, www.amazon.com

Bruce Dethlefsen is currently Wisconsin's official state poet laureate. "Unexpected Shiny Things" is a newly published, 104-page compendium showcasing his poetry which both demonstrates and documents his skills with the language of verse, as well as his familiarity with, and insights into, the human condition. No Wisconsin library should be without a copy of "Unexpected Shiny Things" as a core part of their poetry collection. 'Death of My Friend': what he offered me / I hold // what he showed me / I see // what he told me / I hear // I know I know / I have

Drive-By Vigils
R. Zamora Linmark
Hanging Loose Press
231 Wyckoff Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
9781934909232, $18.00, www.hangingloospress.com

There's no stopping for life anymore. "Drive-By Vigils" is a collection of poetry from R. Zamaro Linmark who offers he considerations for our lives and our world, following up his previously critically acclaimed works. With much to ponder on, "Drive-By Vigils" is a fine choice that shouldn't be overlooked by general poetry collections. "After Pessoa": Today's rain takes over this city/& my mind gathers everything/about beauty & all that it clutters/so what mattered once/again matters and I become the student:/Whose ghost do I return to here?/To whom do I owe this honor of/the necessary disquietude I keep/tricking myself into believing/is mine to name and unmake?

Original Human
Deborah DeNicola
Word Press
PO Box 541106, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1106
9781936370207, $18.00, www.word-press.com

Humanity is imperfection, and that's the very essence of the species. "Original Human" is an anthology of verse from Deborah DeNicola, who discusses humanity's fall from Eden, the troubles of free will, and our endless quest to obtain that closeness to perfection and paradise once more. "Original Human" is a fine and thought provoking collection, recommended. "Dusk": Futile/to speak of us now/that we are erased./Your name/as if it lived under moon rock,/frostbitten./Even in the bullet holes/of my complaints, all is/ unutterable. Yesterday I wanted to erect a memorial. Post photos amongst/bees and weeds at the beach that no longer/castles my life. I chose instead to watch a few/disassembling clouds slim into spirals/and fade where the hearth/of dusk is hidden. The moon's dark/side begs for navigation/like a psychomantium where a spirit is held. One beam rubs/light beside the vase's shadow/where I've placed white camellias/on the table's white doily,/as if moonlight and fresh flowers/could bring me home consoled.

Leaving the Shade of the Middle Ground
F. R. Scott
Clare Hitchens
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554583676, $16.95, wlupress.wlu.ca

For Canada, defending what Canada is very much important. "Leaving the Shade of the Middle Ground: The Poetry of F.R. Scott" is a compilation of the famed Canadian poet's work, touching on his love for his home country, while honest about the issues that threaten the people of Canada, and its place in the world, from after World War II and for many decades afterwards. "Leaving the Shade of the Middle Ground" is a fine pick for any world poetry collection, much recommended. "Lest We Forget": The British troops at the Dardanelles/Were blown to bits by British shells/Sold to the Turks by Vickers./And many a brave Canadian youth/Will shed his blood on foreign shores,/And die for Democracy, Freedom, Truth,/With his body full of Canadian ores,/Canadian nickel, lead, and scrap, Sold to the German, sold to the Jap,/With Capital watching the tickers.

Boneshepherds
Patrick Rosal
Persea Books
277 Broadway, Suite 708
New York, NY 10007
9780892553860, $15.00, www.perseabooks.com

Violence is as part of human nature as love is. "Boneshepherds" is a collection of poetry from Patrick Rosal who presents poetry that attacks both sides of these extremes and the burning desire to try to understand a world. In the process speaking on everything from everyday life to politics, "Boneshepherds" is sure to entertain as it provides much food for thought. "Making Love to You The Night They Take Your Father to Prison": There's got to be/a chorus/somewhere//for the con-/junction//of honey-suckle//and funk//a verse/for the turn/of your hips//and the slingback/steelbar/anthem//banged-/out breathless//over/your father's/small-time/under-/hand hustle/a tune/that begins/in the skin's/hi-hat/quiver//begins/with a lick/of the fist/of the thrum/of a summer/gust doubled/in the brief/sweet/moan coaxed/from your mouth/and mine//We grind/slow/--two/bodies become/one small/song scarcely//loud enough/to budge God/and any three/of his bloody/saints/Baby/we are our own/wine We/improvise//the gorgeous/toil/stillness/and motion/against each/ other.

Georg Trakl: Poems
Georg Trakl
Oberlin College Press
50 N. Professor St.
Oberlin, OH 44074-1091
9780932440426, $15.95, www.oberlin.edu/ocpress

With a short yet driven spark, Georg Trakl changed the way Europe approached poetry. "Georg Trakl" is a collection of poems from Georg Trakl, revered German writer who at the age of 31, took his own life in the trenches during World War I. Translated from the original German by Stephen Tapscott, the essence of conflict and the search for beauty and social nature are captured well. "Georg Trakl" is an excellent addition to any international poetry collection. "To Novalis": The holy stranger rests in dark earth./God received the dirge from his soft modest mouth/as he sank back, in his bloom-time./One blue flower/sustains his song, in pain's nocturnal house.

She'd Waited Millennia
Lizzie Hutton
New Issues Poetry & Prose
c/o Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008
9781936970025, $15.00, www.wmich.edu/newissues

Through everything life throws at us, we try to find something that resembles life. "She'd Waited Millennia" is a collection of poetry from Lizzie Hutton, teacher of the University of Michigan who speaks with clarity and a certain optimism about life in its many forms. "She'd Waited Millennia" is an insightful and much recommended collection from a newer poet, very much recommended. "Post Equinox": Early in December, early evening. The ever patient/rush hour traffic idles on our avenue,//the image of its brakelights projected on my husband's study window, so these shifting coin-sized fires//seem to stop and start to nowhere/in the real night, what's beyond them,//its swaying, almost emptied trees, its sky filling with blackness/that's fed from deep in the horizon.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Zone One
Colson Whitehead
Doubleday
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780385528078, $25.95, www.doubleday.com

ZONE ONE provides a powerful post-apocalyptic horror novel and is set in a near future where a pandemic has devastated the planet and left humanity in two surviving forms: the uninfected and the infected. The worst is over and the military is in charge of helping rebuild America - but pockets of plague remain. The future world is observed from the viewpoint of one Mark, member of a three-person civilian sweeper unit. This is a tense, riveting thriller any general lending library will find appealing.

The Sunday Books
Mervyn Peake and Michael Moorcock
Duckworth
c/o The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
9781590207116, $27.95, www.overlookpress.com

Mervyn Peake may be best celebrated for his epic Gormenghast series and his illustrations of Treasure Island and Alice in Wonderland, but his work with Michael Moorcock in THE SUNDAY BOOKS offers stories of pirates, shipwrecks and more and comes with fine drawings. Sixty years after their creation Michael Moorcock invented stories and songs to go with Peake's drawings and thus THE SUNDAY BOOKS evolved to mark the centenary of Peake's birth. Families and all ages will find the color drawings and fun action compelling: fantasy at its best!

Carnelians
Catherine Asaro
Baen Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451637489, $25.00, www.baen.com

CARNELIANS provides a new Skolian Empire novel for any interested in political intrigue and military science fiction, and presents a world newly settled by treaty. Assassins are poised on both sides ready to eliminate leaders in favor of peace, when a dangerous strong, 'Carnelians Finale', helps violence escalate on the eve before the peace summit. A fine, tense thriller evolves where peace and war are at the heart of an uncertain future.

Corus the Champion
D. Barkley Briggs
Living Ink Books
c/o AMG Publishers
6815 Shallowford Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421
9780899578644, $12.99, www.AMGpublishers.com

Against the wall, one will take any long shot they can to succeed. "Corus the Champion" is a continuation of D. Barkley Briggs fantasy series following brothers Gabe and Garrett seek to keep their kingdom safe from the rising evils that threaten them. Running out of option, they seek to find a great king of legend sealed away. With little information and certain destruction looming, "Corus the Champion" is a fine and exciting work of fantasy, very much recommended.

Salvation's Reach
Dan Abnett
The Black Library
c/o BL Publishing
1525 Hulse Road, Unit 1
Pt. Pleasant, NJ 08742
9781844168217, $24.99, www.blacklibrary.com

In the face of the impossible, only absolute success is acceptable. "Salvation's Reach" is another entry into the gritty science fiction and fantasy Warhammer 40,000 series, follows the Ghosts of the Tanith First and Only as they are tasked with the impossible into the Sabbat Worlds, as they face enemies countless, both living and dead giving it all. "Salvation's Reach" is another excellent pick for fans of fast paced military science fiction, enthusiastically recommended.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Witches' Book of the Dead
Christian Day
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781578635061, $19.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The Witches' Book of the Dead comes from a modern warlock who reveals the history of necromancy and its relationship to witchcraft. Readers are provided with rituals, spells and incantations on opening the door to the spirit world, receive tips on how to build an ancestral altar, and will enjoy chapters picked with such topics as necromancer rituals of Greece, graveyard rituals and incantations, spirit mediumship and more. New age collections strong in manuals for wiccans will find this a fine addition.

Enlightenment Ain't What It's Cracked Up to Be
Robert K.C. Forman, PhD
O Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
The Bothy, Deershot Lodge Park Lane
Ropley Hampshire SO24 OBE UK
john.hunt@o-books.net
9781846946745, $16.95, www.o-books.com

Enlightenment Ain't What It's Cracked Up to Be pairs a memoir of Robert K.C. Forman's spiritual odyssey with a survey of a new course of action for those still seeking spiritual enlightenment. It explores a nearly-forty-year journey and discusses such issues as following spiritual teachers who don't live up to their goals, living a spiritual life in the midst of everyday life challenges, and understanding different religious perspectives on enlightenment. Any new age or spirituality collection will find this lively and thought-provoking.

The World's Most Haunted Places, revised edition
Jeff Belanger
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631930, $15.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Some places are just unnatural and you can tell it just being there. "The World's Most Haunted Places" is the ghost enthusiast's guide to the many haunted places throughout the world. From the White House to the famous catacombs beneath Paris to countless other location, Jeff Belanger walks readers through a fun journey of paranormal history, making "The World's Most Haunted Places" a choice pick for followers of the paranormal.

The Little Book of True Ghost Stories
Echo Bodine
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker St., Ste. 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
9781571746504, $14.95, www.hrpub.com

Being in touch with the spirits of the world has its own drawbacks. "The Little Book of True Ghost Stories" is the stories of Echo Bodine and the experiences she has faced as a psychic and seeing beyond the mundane. With honesty about what people do and don't believe about the world, "The Little Book of True Ghost Stories" is worth considering for those with interest in the unusual nature of our world.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Chocolate Castle Clue
JoAnna Carl
Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451234742, $22.95, www.penguin.com

The Chocolate Castle Clue: A Chocoholic Mystery provides the 11th book in the Chocoholic Mystery series and tells of Lee Woodyard, who discovers a dusty trophy that belongs to her aunt and her old high school singing group. The trophy brings up an unsolved years-old crime - and also brings the murderer back into action in this fine mystery which comes packed with chocolate trivia for fans of chocolate and mysteries alike.

Grim Reaper: End of Days
Steve Alten
Tor/Forge
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780765367075, $9.99, www.tor-forge.com

Grim Reaper: End of Days provides a gripping thriller and tells of a future where an enlisted soldier loses his family after 9/11, and a biohazard scientist begins a plague, believing God has chosen her to usher in Revelations. As infection spreads around Manhattan the island is sealed off - trapping the President of the United States and Shep, who is determined to find and rescue his wife and child in what is becoming a dangerous wasteland of disease. Fine, gripping action makes for a thrilling reader perfect for general fiction collections.

The Blood Lie
Shirley Reva Vernick
Cinco Puntos Press
701 Texas Avenue, El Paso, TX 79901
9781933693842, $15.95, www.cincopuntos.com

Small town life can be very volatile, and the explosion is easy to trigger. "The Blood Lie" is set in the small town of Massena, New York, as hopeful sixteen year old musician Jack Pool is accused of murder. As his town erupts around him, his dreams seem ever more distant, and he may be destined to the fate of a murderer. "The Blood Lie" is a riveting and hard to put down novel of small town life and the viciousness that lies in some people.

Playing the Hand She's Dealt
David Fingerman
L&L Dream-Spell
9781603183352, $14.95, www.lldreamspell.com

To be the target of a piece by piece execution is a very scary thing. "Playing the Hand She's Dealt" is a thriller from David Fingerman, telling the story of Louise Miller as her career as a cop is striking back at her and leaving her strained from options. As people begin to turn up dead, someone thinks killing Louise isn't enough, as her life seems to fall apart piece by piece, and from her evidence, engineered. "Playing the Hand She's Dealt" is a riveting and hard to put down read, not to be overlooked.


The Music Shelf

Guitar Exercises for Dummies
Mark Phillips and Jon Chappell
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470387665, $22.99, www.wiley.com

Guitar Exercises for Dummies teaches would-be musicians all the basics, from practice warm-ups and scales to playing full-length songs and pieces, and is accompanied by an audio CD packed with playing techniques and examples. From a review of basic guitar fundamentals to notation and warmups, this provides a practice-oriented playbook for any who would further their skills.

Bible & Music
Max Stern
KTAV
888 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602801660, $59.50, www.ktav.com

The Bible is not just a religious book, but a source of major inspiration for centuries. "Bible & Music: Influences of the Old Testament on Western Music" delves into the long standing influence that the old testament has had on the evolution of Western Music. From music of history to the classics, to its lingering effects even on modern popular music, it discusses each of the influences by topic from many religious and musical thinkers. Enhanced with bibliography and indexes, "Bible & Music" is an excellent and scholarly break down on the relationships of faith and music throughout the ages, a core addition to any musical studies or religious studies collection.

You Only Rock Once
Jerry Blavat
Running Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
9780762442157, $23.00, www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Through it all, you only get one chance to make a truly memorable impression. "You Only Rock Once" is a memoir from Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Blavat who was one of the early faces of rock and roll as the style finally began to gain ground in the 1950s and forwards. With plenty of opportunities and the reality of life following him, plus a life entrenched in legal warfare, "You Only Rock Once" is a frank and to the point memoir for anyone who wants another angle on the birth of Rock and Roll from one of the people there to see it all.


The Jewelry Shelf

Lest We Forget
Judith Price
Taylor Trade Publishing
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781589796867, $29.95, www.rowman.com

A token has value in its materials, but that value can be trumped by sentimentality. "Lest We Forget: Masterpieces of Patriotic Jewelry and Military Decorations" discusses the jewelry dedications to military history, before, during, and after the foundations of America. From around the world, these treasures have plenty to embrace for lovers of trophies and jewelry. Presented in full color, "Lest We Forget" is an ideal coffee table pick, highly recommended.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Pretty in Patchwork
Cathy Gaubert
Lark Crafts
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016-8810
9781600599248, $18.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

With color and will, one can make truly magnificent quilts of any size. "Pretty in Patchwork: Doll Quilts" is a guide to making small scale quilts that have as much life and flavor as their full sized brethren. Perfect for early starting projects for ambitious needleworkers, Cathy Gaubert advises readers how to tell a story with fabric and make something special and worth keeping. "Pretty in Patchwork" is presented with full color photography throughout and plenty of diagrams, very much recommended for needlework collections.

Two Patch Scrap Quilts
Pat Yamin
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600025, $26.95, www.americanquilter.com

Two Patch Scrap Quilts offers a host of projects for busy quilters using machines or working by hand, and provides color schemes and ideas for 2-color patch scrap quilts. Over twenty patterns in three quilt sizes cover everything from fat quarters to precut strips and shapes, making this a recommendation for all levels of quilter.

American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com

Patricia L. Brown's EASY BATIK LANDSCAPE QUILTS (9781604600049, $24.95) provides sixteen patterns that can be used as a guide to making landscape quilts, combining piecing and applique‚ for texture and drama. Any who machine or hand quilt will find these patterns very accessible, with pages packed with easy patterns and accompanying instructions and color photos. Lone J. Minkkinen's QUILTING DESIGNS FROM NATURE (9781604600018, $26.95) packs in over 100 continuous line quilting design patterns, arranges them by theme, and provides templates that can be enlarged or reduced to create designs. These have been created for continuous machine quilting but hand quilters will find them adaptable and fun, with 'start and stop' arrows offering fine and easy instructions beginners will appreciate.

Tilda's Studio
Tone Finnanger
David & Charles
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.fwpublications.com
9781446301586, $24.99, www.davidandcharles.co.uk

Tilda's Studio: Over 50 fresh projects for you, your home and loved ones offers crafters an array of home designs for everything from dolls with clothing to home decorations to gifts, and is the perfect grab bag of projects for any needlework collection. It offers lovely photos and provides an array of projects especially suitable to newcomers to Finnanger's crafts style, explored in other 'Tilda' titles.

Knitting Around the World
Lela Nargi
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760337943, $35.00, www.voyageurpress.com

Knitting Around the World: A Multistranded History of a Time-Honored Tradition provides a fine history of hand-knitting in different countries and is a more extensive review of world knitting traditions than most titles offer. Chapters following knitting's evolution from its origins in the Islamic World through Spain and into Western Europe, considering how different traditions evolved in different parts of the world. Any needlework collection looking for an oversized, colorful and in-depth review of world knitting history will find this a fun winner!

Quilting-On-the-Go
Carolyn Forster
Landauer
3100 NW 101st St Suite A, Urbandale, IL 50322
9781935726098, $29.95, www.landauercorp.com

Quilting-On-the-Go explains how to break large quilt designs into small portable sections and displays blocks that can be pieced on one cutting, joined easily, and which offers some 15 projects with full-size templates for easy production. Step-by-step diagrams and color photos round out the presentation which is satisfying for busy quilters who want an easy approach to creating and joining quilts.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The 36-Hour Day
Nancy L. Mace & Peter V. Rabins
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421402802, $16.95, www.press.jhu.edu

As the mind slips away, it can be difficult to cope with the slow loss of a family member. "The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss" is a guide for those struggling with a family member who is coping with the mental malady that affects far too many, and the struggle that goes with both the individual and those who care for them. "The 36-Hour Day" is a strongly recommended pick for anyone who has a debilitating mental illness in the future for their family, and wants to provide the best care possible.

Relax and Renew
Judith Hanson Lasater
Rodmell Press
2147 Blake Street
Berkeley, CA 94704-2715
9781930485297, $23.95, www.rodmellpress.com

Relaxation seems like such a foreign concept. "Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times" is an introductory to Yoga for those who find their lives pressure to be overwhelming and unable to correctly cope with it all. With advice on what poses to embrace to relieve daily stress and balance one's mind and soul for their lives, "Relax and Renew" is packed cover to cover with plenty of diagrams and black and white photography illustrating processes anyone can understand, making it a choice pick for anyone who wants to embrace Yoga for their daily health of mind and body, highly recommended.

Tai Chi Ball Qigong
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming and David Grantham
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
1594391998, $24.95, www.ymaa.com

Tai Chi Ball Qigong for Health and Martial Arts offers fine insight into Tai Chi Ball Qigong training for martial artists, offering exercises for core body movements of the spine that show how to use the Ball to improve breathing, warm-ups and tai chi functions. While this is a pick for martial arts collections, it's featured here under our 'Health Shelf' because any alternative health library should also consider its unique applications outside the martial arts industry!

As Thin as You Think
Kristin Volk Funk
Beaver's Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 101
Edina, MN 55439-2129
9781592984176, $16.95, www.beaverspondpress.com

The mind is a powerful tool for many things, including weight loss. "As Thin as You Think: Discover the Keys to Unlocking Your Weight Loss Power" is a weight loss advisory from Kristin Volk Funk as she advises readers to use mental determination to help them determine their weight loss, and to use positive thinking to keep to their goal of losing weight and not to be lead astray. "As Thin as You Think" is a top pick for anyone who is currently trying to attain better health for the rest of their life.

Weight Resistance Yoga
Max Popov
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street
Rochester, VT 05767
9781594773907, $18.95, www.innertraditions.com

Yoga is good for the body and the soul, and it's more so when you know how to empower it. "Weight Resistance Yoga: Practicing Embodied Spirituality" discusses how to increase the workout benefit of Yoga by incorporating weight lifting into one's routine. Be it machines, free weights, or body weight exercises, Max Popov offers much to get the most out of the practice of Yoga for a healthier body, which in turn leads to a healthier mind. "Weight Resistance Yoga" is a fine addition to any Yoga enthusiast's health reference collection.


The Fiction Shelf

Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
Carla Hagen
North Star Press of St. Cloud
PO Box 451
St. Cloud, MN 56302-0451
9780878394296, $14.95, www.northstarpress.com

For one's plight to be understood, their story must be told. "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" follows young Emil Rousseau, who is charged with photographing the rural slum of Faunce Ridge to present as an argument for resettlement during FDR's New Deal government. Telling the story of a small border town and the lives that flourish there, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" is a strong and much recommended historical novel.

A Small Hotel
Robert Olen Butler
Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway, 4th floor
New York, NY 10003
9780802119872, $24.00, www.groveatlantic.com

What goes wrong in relationships to end them? "A Small Hotel" is a novel from Robert Olen Butler, as Kelly returns to the birth of the romance she had for the past twenty years of her life as the court case to finalize her divorce is nearing its date. As she reflects on her love, how it started, what started to go wrong, "A Small Hotel" is a riveting anatomy of romance and relationships, and makes for an excellent and much recommended read.

Down River People
Bea Exner Liu
New Rivers Press
1104 7th Avenue South
Moorhead, MN 56563
9780898232608, $14.95, www.newriverspress.com

China in World War II was in a constant state of turmoil. "Down River People" is a novel following an American woman, Connie, who is residing in China during World War II, as China was amid a loose peace between the Nationalists and the Communists, united against the Japanese invaders. Taking on her own experiences of living in China during this period, Bea Exner Liu creates a vivid picture of a unique period in history, making "Down River People" very much worth considering.

The Gentleman's Sport & Social Club
Joe Petterle
Langdon Street Press
212 3rd Avenue North, Suite 290, Minneapolis
9781936183647, $19.95, www.langdonstreetpress.com

When one breaks from normalcy, the whole world can change. "The Gentleman's Sport & Social Club" is a novel following John, who in his cynic and stagnant life, meets Evangeline who presents him with more than one way of changing everything at once. Entering into the titular club, John embarks on a journey that changes what he finds in life, what he finds in romance, and leaves readers pondering the nature of modern life. "The Gentleman's Sport & Social Club" is an insightful and riveting read that should prove hard to put down.

Calling Mr. King
Ronald De Feo
Other Press
2 Park Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10016
9781590514757, $14.95, www.otherpress.com

Assassination is a career that can lack fulfillment. "Calling Mr. King" follows an American assassin, Mr. King, in Europe as he seeks what his life lacks, finding a taste for the art and architecture of the world, and his profession calling for travel presents him with plenty of opportunity to see it. But his love and his career can't be kept apart forever, and he will soon be met with a choice that may change his world for good. "Calling Mr. King" is a riveting read with a grand dose of humor, very much worth considering. Also from Other Press in fiction, "Lamb" (9781590514375, $15.95) follows another man in midlife crisis in David Lamb, who tries to do good in the world only to find he is left with only more questions.

Document of Expectations
Devon Abbott Mihesuah
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860115, $19.95, www.msupress.msu.edu

When it comes to money, the competition within a school can be fierce, and maybe even turn bloody. "Document of Expectations" is an intriguing novel set in a dysfunctional school. When some unique American Indian artifacts are stolen, racism and stereotypical assumptions throughout an American university are exposed. Tackling many issues while proving a high entertaining read, "Document of Expectations" is an excellent pick for fiction and Native American studies collections.

Spirits & Wine
Susan Newhof
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
9780472118007, $24.00, www.press.umich.edu

A plague claimed the lives of millions, and the spirits still cry in torment. "Spirits & Wine" tells of a newlywed couple and their brush with paranormal as they take a home in a small town in Lake Michigan. As they look for the truth about their home, they find the tragedy of millions of lives lost to the vicious epidemic of the early twentieth century. "Spirits & Wine" is a thoughtful and unique read, very much recommended.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Investing for Dummies, sixth edition
Eric Tyson
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470905456, $21.99, www.wiley.com

The sixth updated edition of Investing for Dummies is specifically directed to novice investors and provides a fine new, updated edition to reflect recent economic events and changed advice. From how to develop a portfolio of investments to options, tax laws, real estate and much more, this considers the various pros and cons of different approaches and offers a basic 'crash course' on investing as a whole - so no prior knowledge is needed. Real bare-bones beginners at last have a logical starting point!

The Inner Voice of Trading
Michael Martin
FT Press
c/o Pearson
1330 Avenue of the Americans, 35th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780132616256, $26.99, www.mcp.com

Calmness and perseverance are key to succeeding in the market. "The Inner Voice of Trading: Eliminate the Noise, and Profit from the Strategies That are Right for You" is an investment advisory guide for establishing the right mindset about playing the market, as Michael Martin states it is mostly a psychological endeavor and that keeping cool under pressure can lead to better success than one would believe. From picking a strategy and understanding human nature, "The Inner Voice of Trading" is a strong pick that shouldn't be overlooked for market rookies.


The Memoir Shelf

Travels of the Mind
Ettore Grillo
Eloquent Books
c/o AEG Publishing Group
845 Third Avenue, 6th Floor - 6016
New York, NY 10022
9781608606573, $25.75, www.dreamstime.com

For a damaged mind, it can be a long way back to something that resembles normalcy. "Travels of the Mind" is a memoir of Ettore Grillo as struggles with the paranoid schizophrenia that consumes his life. Telling his spiritual journey with trying to deal with the pressures of his life, and conquering his illness through faith and dedication, "Travels of the Mind" is a unique and much recommended pick for those seeking a story of faith and battling paranoid schizophrenia.

Donut Dolly
Joann Puffer Kotcher
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336
Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574413243 $24.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

Donut Dolly: An American Red Cross Girl's War in Vietnam is the true-life memoir of a woman who served as an American Red Cross Donut Dolly who served in Korea and Vietnam, with emphasis on her experiences during the war. As a Donut Dolly, her duty was to lift the spirits and improve the morale of the men who served; she visited troops in the Central Highlands, the Mekong Delta, the Cambodian border and the South China Sea. At her four duty stations, she assembled recreation centers, and made mobile visits as needed; her service sometimes sent her into dangerous, combat zone jungle territory. She kept a daily journal recording her perspective of the war, and the harrowing dangers of her work included a near-ambush and even being abducted. Donut Dolly is as much the story of the men whose spirits she tried to cheer as it is her story, though, and includes powerful wisdom she learned firsthand - such as just what motivates a man to put his life on the line for another. Donut Dolly is a captivating firsthand testimony and a welcome addition to Vietnam War biography and memoir collections.

The Glimpse Traveler
Marianne Boruch
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street
Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
9780253223449, $19.95, www.iupress.indiana.edu

With a risk comes the adventure of a life time. "The Glimpse Traveler" is a memoir of Marianne Boruch, as she recounts a week and a half in 1971 which changed her life forever, embarking on a road trip through the many tenants of the booming counterculture movement of the day. With a frank poignancy which paints the experience as neither good or bad but merely a truly unique experience like none other, "The Glimpse Traveler" is a thoughtful and much recommended pick.


The Cookbook Shelf

Eat Local
Jasia Steinmetz
New World Publishing
11543 Quartz Dr., #1
Auburn, CA 95602
9780963281456, $12.95, www.eatlocalsimplesteps.com

Taking out the travel cost to the world is what makes eating local worth it. "Eat Local: Simple Steps to Enjoy Real, Healthy, & Affordable Food" discusses the value of eating local. Jasia Steinmetz breaks the process down, presenting her argument for fresher food, using shopping savvy and excellent recipes throughout. With plenty to consider for a more comprehensive diet that supports the local community, "Eat Local" is a must for those who want to join in on the local food movement throughout the country.

The "What's For Dinner?" Solution
Kathi Lipp
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North
Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736938372, $12.99, www.amazon.com

Written with considerable humor and insight, Kathi Lipp draws home-made recipes for outstanding home-made meals from women who are seasoned and experienced family kitchen cooks. More than just a collection of thoroughly 'user friendly' recipes, for time stressed homemakers, The "What's For Dinner?" Solution" also offers a wealth of practical tips for saving time and money through bulk shopping and meal preparations. Whether for putting together family meals or special occasion dinners, "The "What's For Dinner?" Solution is made even more accessible through a comprehensive index of recipes, making it especially recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Ultimate Casseroles Book
Better Homes and Gardens
Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118020357, $19.99, www.wiley.com

Enhanced with more than 300 full color illustrations, "The Ultimate Casseroles Book" from Better Homes and Gardens showcases the culinary versatility of one-dish meals with more than 400 recipes that range from the classic to the epicurean. These outstanding crock pot dishes run from such fare as a Three-Bean Tamale Pie; a Hamburger Cheese Hot Dish; and a Turkey Manicotti; to a Spinach Cannelloni with Fontina; Thyme-Roasted Beets; and White Chocolate Bread Pudding. Of special note is a chapter devoted to instructions on turning leftovers into new one-dish dinners. Enriched for the kitchen cook with the inclusion of a guide to bakeware and menu planning advice, "The Ultimate Casseroles Book" truly lives up to its title and would make a very popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Everyday Happy Herbivore
Lindsay S. Nixon
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781936661381, $19.95, www.benbellabooks.com

Gourmet meals are wonderful, but highly impractical. "Everyday Happy Herbivore: Over 175 Quick-and-Easy Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes" is a vegan cookbook from Lindsay S. Nixon as she offers recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less with low calorie intake to make for excellent daily meals, well within vegan standards. Not sacrificing flavor for convenience, "Everyday Happy Herbivore" is an excellent and much recommended reference for any vegan who wants to stay true to their lifestyle, save time, and have excellent meals.

Salsas of the World
Mark Miller & Robert Quintana
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423622086, $19.99, www.gibbs-smith.com

Salsa has now overtaken ketchup as America's most popular and widely used condiment. While any grocery store will have an entire section devoted to commercially produced salsas, "Salsas of the World" is a 192-page compendium containing superbly illustrated, kitchen cook friendly, do-it-yourself salsa based recipes that would put anything 'store bought' to culinary shame. More than just a collection of international recipes (although there are a culinary wealth of those!), "Salsas of the World" offers informed and informative introductory commentary on the history and diversity of salsas. The recipes themselves are drawn from every region of the world and range from Shiso Leaf Tomato (Japan); Verde Trio Salsa (Mexico); Chimichurri (Argentina) ; and Avacado, Bacon, Jalapeno (Texas); to Som Tom (Northeast Thailand); Watermelon Barbecue (Southern United States); Laos Charred Eggplant (Laos); and Lhasa yellow Achar (Tibet). "Salsas of the World" will prove to be an enduringly popular edition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Poulet
Cree LeFavour
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811879699, $27.50, www.chroniclebooks.com

Good chicken is something that can't be beat. "Poulet: More Than 50 Remarkable Meals That Exalt the Honest Chicken" is a wide assortment of chicken based dishes that seek to please any and every palate as Cree LeFavour introduces readers to many flavors, be it sandwiches, pies, chicken as part of a greater dish, or chicken as the star dish. For anyone with a taste for the bird, "Poulet" is an excellent cookbook choice, with a wide array of full color photography throughout.

Dishing Up Oregon
Ashley Gartland
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781603425667, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Superbly showcasing 145 recipes drawn from the state's best restaurants and finest kitchens "Dishing Up Oregon" is a culinary celebration reflecting the impressive diversity of Oregon's cuisine. Beautifully illustrated and superbly organized, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from Radicchio Salad with Parsley[-Hazelnut Pesto; Cermini-Stuffed Squash Blossoms; Roasted Beet and Chevre Spread; and Fettuccine with Caramelized onions, Zucchini Ribbons, and Walnuts in Yogurt Sauce; to Oregon Shrimp Napoleons; Fennel-Roasted Rabbit Salad with Fennel-Pollen Aioli; Gin and Citrus Salt-Cured Salmon Graviax; and Basil-Infused Strawberry Shortcakes. Of special note is the listing section 'Recipes by Category' which is perfect for menu planning purposes, making "Dishing Up Oregon" an outstanding addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections!

Best of the Best from Carolina Cooking
North Carolina AT&T Pioneers
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
9781934193600, $16.95, www.quailridge.com

More than just another collection of southern cuisine recipes (as outstanding as they are!), "Best of the Best from Carolina Cooking" is also replete with historical facts and illustrations showcasing the development of the telephone from its invention by Alexander Graham Bell. 'Best of the Best' refers to the winnowing of more than 3,500 recipes comprising two cookbooks (Carolina Cooking I & II), resulting in four hundred recipes that will serve any dining occasion, please any palate, and satisfy any appetite. Ranging from Salem Tea; No-Salt Seasoning; Frozen Fruit Salad; and Onion Pie; to Spanish Meat Loaf; Easy-Crust Chicken Pie; Grilled Lime Tuna; and Lemonade Pie, "Best of the Best from Carolina Cooking" is further enhanced for kitchen cooks with the provision of an equivalents and substitutions section, as well as a comprehensive index. Spiral bound to lay flat on any kitchen table or counter, "Best of the Best from Carolina Cooking" is an especially recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Delicious Gifts
Jess McCloskey
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764147081, $16.99, www.barronseduc.com

One of the most appreciated gifts anyone can receive is something a friend, family member, or neighbor has made themselves. This most assuredly includes something from the kitchen and that's where Jess McCloskey's "Delicious Gifts: Edible Creations to Make and Give" comes in. This beautifully illustrated, 144-page compendium of "kitchen cook friendly" recipes offers a cornucopia of recipes for truly elegantly edible gifts for any and all occasions. The recipes range from Dark Chocolate Truffles; Red Current Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting; and Honey Tarts; to Brown Sugar and Butter magic Brittle; Apple and Chile Jelly; and Sun-Dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto. Memorably inspiring, "Delicious Gifts" itself would make the perfect gift!

300 Best Potato Recipes
Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh
Robert Rose, Inc.
c/o Firefly Books Ltd.
66 Leek Crescent
Richmond Hills, ON, Canada, L4B 1H1
9780778802785, $24.95, www.fireflybooks.com

The potato is one of the most versatile and popular foods to be found on the average kitchen table. But there's more to the potato than just ending up as french fries or mashed with gravey. That's why Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh as assembled three hundred outstanding culinary recipes showcasing the potato in "300 Best Potato Recipes: A Complete Cook's Guide". This beautifully illustrated, 368-page compendium features a succinct introduction for each individual recipe accompanied by an ingredients list and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' instructions. The immense variety is reflected with recipes ranging from Roadhouse Hashbrowns; Smoked Salmon and Potato Salad; Sweet Potato Hush Puppies; and Yorkshire Pudding Potatoes; to Raeann's One Potato, Two Potatoes Casserole; Cottage Pie for Mac; Two-Potato Tian with Tomato and Sweet Pepper; and Potato, Ricotta and Anchovy Pizza. Simply stated, "300 Best Potato Recipes" well deserves to be a part of any and all family and community library cookbook collections!

Junior's Dessert Cookbook
Alan Rosen & Beth Allen
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street
Newtown, CT 06470
9781600853920, $24.95, www.taunton.com

The sweet tooth must be sated. "Junior's Dessert Cookbook: 75 Recipes for Cheesecakes, Pies, Cookies, Cakes, and More" is a packed guide to many tasty sweets of many flavors. Taken from the kitchens of Junior's Restaurants, a legendary east coast restaurant, these recipes are sure to please anyone with ideas like "The Cookie Monster", Junior's Famous Fresh 3-Berry Shortcake, strawberry cream cheese pie, with plenty of practical and wise tips for replicating that taste. "Junior's Dessert Cookbook" is a must for anyone who wants truly fine dining in their dessert time, highly recommended.

Best Food Writing 2011
Holly Hughes, Editor
DaCapo
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738215181, $16.00, www.dacapopress.com

Best Food Writing 2011 pairs stories and essays from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers and websites to offer a delicious literary culinary feast of history and popular food culture. From how 'soul food' expanded African American culture to how a cook changed from a recipe-follower to a cook operating on instinct and personal knowledge, this is packed with deliciously intriguing discussions of all types of foods, trends, and personal experiences and is a 'must' for literary and culinary collections alike.

Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

Mark and Michael Klebeck with Jess Thomson's TOP POT HAND-FORGED DOUGHNUTS: SECRETS AND RECIPES FOR THE HOME BAKER (9781452102122, $16.95) comes from a Seattle institution that opened in 2002 and continues successfully to this day, and provides hand-made doughnuts with a unique twist. From the pastel-frosted Pink Feather Boa to a double chocolate creation, recipes are packed with extra flavor and avoid the usual deep fryer approach, offering baked yeast-raised, cake-style doughnuts as well as Apple Fritters and more. Any collection strong in dessert cookery will relish this! General collections will also welcome Robin Asbell's BIG VEGAN (9780811874670, $29.95), which packs in over 350 no meat/dairy vegan dishes and celebrates meals that come from the soil. Nutrition insights accompany easy dishes such as Green Apple and Cashew Spring Rolls, Japanese Asparagus with Walnut Dressing, Spicy Southwestern Fruit Salad, and more. Color photos by Kate Sears rounds out the extensive presentation which will delight vegans and non-vegans alike with its unique - and very easy - dishes.

650 Best Food Processor Recipes
George Geary & Judith Finlayson
Robert Rose
120 Eglinton Avenue East Suite 800
Toronto ON, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778802501, $24.95, www.robertrose.ca

650 Best Food Processor Recipes provides a fine survey of dishes that can be churned out of a food processor, and offers time-saving tips for classic dishes ranging from appetizers to soups, sweets and more. Recipes here have been specifically created for use with food processors and show how to make the most of its dicing and mixing capabilities. Recipes even include dressings and condiments. Color photos peppered throughout add to the excitement!

Piece of Cake!
Camilla V. Saulsbury
Robert Rose
120 Eglinton Avenue East Suite 800
Toronto ON, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778802778, $29.95, www.robertrose.ca

Piece of Cake! One Bowl, No-Fuss, From-Scratch Cakes provides an easy formula for making cakes from scratch using only one bowl and easy mixing methods that don't involve sifting, separating eggs, or any other time-consuming methods. Lay-flat, concealed wire hardcover binding offers easy shelving and lay-flat kitchen use and supports an approach that lends to quick and successful from-scratch cakes. Add color photos throughout and you have a winner suitable for any busy cook still interested in making food 'from scratch'.

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

Gretchen Holt-Witt and Lucy Schaeffer's COOKIES FOR KIDS' CANCER (9780470947616, $19.99) comes from a 2007 goal of the author's, to bake and sell 96,000 cookies during the holidays to fund research for pediatric cancer. Her success raised over, $400,000 for new pediatric cancer treatments and prompted the creation of her Cookies for Kids' Cancer program when more orders for cookies continued to pour in. This cookbook stems from her efforts and proceeds from it, too, go to pediatric cancer research, making it a hit for any cookie or philanthropist's collection! Ellie Krieger's COMFORT FOOD FIX: FEEL GOOD FAVORITES MADE HEALTHY (9780470603093, $29.99) provides healthy remakes of comfort foods that don't sacrifice familiar flavor. Over a hundred fifty recipes for meatloaf, lasagna, pot pies, mac and cheese and more eliminate much of the calories and fat but retain flavor and easy preparation, making this a top pick for any lending library. Barbara Ann Kipfer's THE CULINARIAN: A KITCHEN DESK REFERENCE (9780470554241, $19.99) provides a fine culinary reference collection and is compiled by an expert researcher and food-lover who defines a wide range of ingredients, pairing definitions with culinary history, usage, and tips on selecting and storing ingredients and kitchen equipment alike. A fine reference for any home cook, this is packaged in a user-friendly format lending to browsing and quick consultation alike!

Off the Menu
Marissa Guggiana
Welcome Books
6 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9781599621029, $40.00, www.welcomebooks.com

OFF THE MENU: STAFF MEALS FROM AMERICA'S TOP RESTAURANTS is an outstanding recommendation for any serious cookbook collection and provides tips from chefs who work in sustainable restaurants across the country. Staff meals sourced locally feature world influences and include such dishes as Shrimp Curry, Slow-Roasted Korean Pork, and Sal's Chicken Cacciatore - all adapted for easy home use. Color photos throughout lend to an outstanding survey!

Notes from a Maine Kitchen
Kathy Gunst
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
978892729173, $27.95, www.downeast.com

Notes from a Maine Kitchen: Seasonally Inspired Recipes provides a fine literary cookbook that offers a monthly survey of Maine dishes and seasonal activities, and which pares essays and anecdotes with over seventy dishes based on Maine seasonal specialties. From blueberry pie to Creamed Spinach with Yogurt and Nutmeg, this is packed with family reflections and dishes perfect for any who harbor an affection for Maine's culture and culinary attributes.

Menu Cookbook
America's Test Kitchen Editors
America's Test Kitchen
c/o Deborah Broide -- DeborahPub@aol.com
1933615907, $35.00, www.americastestkitchentv.com

THE AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN MENU COOKBOOK provides over fifty menus and 250 foolproof recipes that make menu planning a snap, with a seasonal arrangement lending to dishes perfect for celebrations and holidays. Each seasonal section holds 10 or more complete menus - and each include color photos and clear, easy directions to assure successful results. THE AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN MENU COOKBOOK is a winning pick especially recommended for those home cooks who would gain new entertainment ideas with classy recipes and dishes providing fine showcases.

Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook
Rachel Wharton
Sterling Epicure
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
9781402785542, $18.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook packs in over 100 recipes, tips and techniques for foods that come from Brooklyn kitchens and origins, and makes for pays tribute to those who feed and sustain their community. More than a cookbook, it surveys Brooklyn byways and peoples, packs in color photos, and includes recipes for dishes such as Baked Bluefish and Long Island Clams with Chorizo and Beer. A fine 'must' for any regional American cookbook collection!


The Social Issues Shelf

Homeless Outreach & Housing First
Jay S. Levy
Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
9781615991365, $8.95, www.jayslevy.com

A home is something all too many take for granted. "Homeless Outreach & Housing First" is a discussion of a program that tries to help the homeless find homes, and get them on the first step to climbing out of their economic hole. With plenty to ponder on the process and its noble goal, "Homeless Outreach & Housing First" is a fine pick that shouldn't be overlooked for community library social issues collections.

Censored 2012
Mickey Huff and Project Censored
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts St., New York NY 10013
9781609803478, $19.95, www.sevenstories.com

Censored 2012: The Top 25 Censored Stories of 2010-2011 is a fine collection for any media library and features the top censored stories listed in order of importance according to students, faculty, and a national panel of judges. Each story is presented in detail and includes updates from the reporters who broke them, with additional chapters offering keys to censored news and media analysis and alternative media processes. A 'must' for any college-level collection strong in media, freedom and social issues!

100 Plus
Sonia Arrison
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465019663, $25.99, www.basicbooks.com

100 Plus: How the Coming Age of Longevity Will Change Everything, from Careers and Relationships to Family and Faith is a 'must' for any collection strong in social issues of the future. It comes from a technology analyst and Silicon Valley insider who discusses the future of health and well-being, where fresh organs for transplants will be grown in labs, many terminal diseases will be cured, and living past 100 will be common. A decade of experience observing and writing about technological changes and their impacts makes this an important, lively discussion geared to general-interest readers and general lending collections.

The Transition Companion
Rob Hopkins
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
PO Box 428
White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781603583923, $29.95, www.chelseagreen.com

Times will be changing, whether we want them to or not. "The Transition Companion: Making Your Community More Resilient in Uncertain Times" is an advisory for community leaders and organizers to embrace a return to a more local community in response to rising oil prices, climate change, and the problems that have grown out of both issues throughout history. Many problems come as a community as a whole tries to get away from consumption of oil from the costs of imported food, it encourages creative solutions to the problems of rising costs of living. "The Transition Companion" is a wise pick for anyone concerned about the future of their community and wants to help find a better solution, highly recommended.


The Photography Shelf

Art Photography Now
Susan Bright
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500289426, $29.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Photography can be far more than just a reflection of a situation. "Art Photography Now" is a collection of essays and full color reproductions of many photography, as Susan Bright discusses the many aspects of artistic photography and what makes a photograph leap from simply a photograph to being something worthy of artistic merit. Explaining purpose, narrative, and much more in the context of photography and how a photo can stand for something and tell a story, "Art Photography Now" is a strong pick for anyone who wants to understand the art of photography and its full potential as a medium, highly recommended.

People Pictures
Chris Orwig
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321774972, $29.99, www.peachpit.com

PEOPLE PICTURES: 30 EXERCISES FOR CREATING AUTHENTIC PHOTOGRAPHS provides a measured approach to portraiture and provides a four-color guide of 30 photographic exercises to help capture the best of people. The goal is connection and depth: chapters discuss how to produce exceptional portraits and provide a step-by-step approach to such an achievement, with each photo designed to help users explore personal style. Exercises include using blur, capturing joyful moments, and more.

Advanced Underwater Photography
Larry Gates
Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo NY 14226
9781608952533, $34.95, www.amherstmedia.com

Techniques for Digital Photographers: Advanced Underwater Photography offers a fine survey of how to set up lighting and conditions to create better underwater shots. From using wide-angle lenses and seeking unique underwater subjects to planning a shoot, this shows how to create sharp, flawless underwater scenes and is a pick for any outdoor or underwater photographer's collection.

Light It Shoot it Retouch It
Scott Kelby
New Riders Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321786616, $46.99, www.peachpit.com

Light It Shoot it Retouch It teaches the basic lighting setups pros use to achieve the most from photos, showing how to control and shape light and discussing camera settings and gear for all the color shots packed within. Chapters teach how to achieve professional results without big expenses, providing professional tricks and shortcuts on making the most of special effects and settings. The step-by-step format lends to fine-tuning and polish images, making this a 'must' for any who have basic camera knowledge but would move to the next level of experience.

Alvarado's Classic Modern Pin-Ups
Robert Alvarado
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764338922, $34.99, www.amazon.com

While it is thought that the pin-up (pictures of women that ranges from the down-home to the up-scale, and from the-girl-next-door to silver screen goddess) saw its heyday back in the war-torn years of the 1940s, "Alvarado's Classic Modern Pin-Ups" is a 272-page, superbly compiled collection showcasing 145 of his own contemporary pin-up photographs that would successfully rival anything once seen on a B-27 bomber plane or in a serviceman's kit bag. "Alvarado's Classic Modern Pin-Ups" documents photography as art and the female form as works of art, fun, and frolic. "Alvarado's Classic Modern Pin-Ups" is recommended for simple browsing and as a core addition to personal and academic library Contemporary American Photography collections.

285 Broken Dreams
Chris Enos
University of New Mexico Press
1312 Basehart Road SE
Albuquerque NM 87106-4363
9780890135358, $34.95, www.unmpress.com

What went wrong? "285 Broken Dreams" is a book packed with color photography as Chris Enos presents photography surrounding Southeastern New Mexico and its line into Texas. Focusing on the broken dreams of abandoned restaurants, gas stations, homes and businesses, and other remnants of the fall of human aspirations, as bustling main streets turn into near ghost towns with ruins of failure and the American Dream escaping people. "285 Broken Dreams" is a unique coffee table photography book with a sort of melancholy tone with a glint of optimism that people will always try again once more.

My Wrangell Mountains
Ruedi Homberger, Jon & Jona Van Zyle
Marketing Department
University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
9781602231368, $50.00, www.uaf.edu/uapress

The vastness of it all becomes so apparent as one stays down the mountains of the world. "My Wrangell Mountains" is a collection of full color photography from Ruedi Homberger & Jon and Jona Van Zyle as they offer readers the awe-inspiring nature of Alaska's vast mountain range and the sights that one views throughout the region, from snow capped mountains, to the icy beaches, to the life that thrives all throughout the tundra. A choice pick for any nature enthusiast looking for a fine choice for coffee table collections, "My Wrangell Mountains" is very much not to be overlooked.


The Railroading Shelf

Greenberg's Guides: Marx Trains Pocket Price Guide, ninth edition
Greenberg
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780897785426, $12.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Greenberg's Guides: Marx Trains Pocket Price Guide is a pick for any train buff who wants details on the latest prices for Marx train sets. This updated ninth edition packs in model numbers, the latest prices in good or excellent condition, and is divided by types of cars for easy reference. Any collection catering to rail buffs, modelers or collectors will find this slim pocket-sized guide a winner.

Train Shunting and Marshalling for the Modeller
Bob Essery
Ian Allan Publishing
ianallanplus@servicehelpline.co.uk
9780711036321, $32.95, www.ianallanpublishing.com

Train Shunting and Marshalling for the Modeller is a pick for any involved in model train layouts and provides the author's expertise and insistence on 'realism in miniature'. Chapters narrow the model focus to the practices of shunting and marshaling passenger or freight trains, pairing over 150 historical illustrations with discussion of the evolution of shunting, arrangement of locomotive sheds, and more. Modellers will find this specific and well focused.

Digital Command Control: The Definitive Guide
Ian Morton
Ian Allan Publishing
ianallanplus@servicehelpline.co.uk
9780711035027, $32.95, www.ianallanpublishing.com

Digital Command Control: The Definitive Guide offers instructive text to pair a history of DCC with practical keys to converting an existing layout to DCC or installing DCC on a new layout. Modelers and any working with rail layouts will find this offers specific step-by-step instructions well suited to specific locomotives and decoder options, and will find this a fine pick for any railway model collection.

Garden Railway Manual
Richard Blizzard
Haynes Publishing
b2b@haynes.co.uk
9781844257157, $32.95, www.haynes.co.uk

Garden Railway Manual: The Complete Step-By-Step Guide to Building and Running a Narrow-Gauge Garden Railway is a top recommendation for any modeler who would build a narrow-gauge garden railway and explains all parts of the process, from constructing a railway from kit pieces to putting together outside track, landscaping and logical layouts. Filled with examples and color photos, GARDEN RAILWAY MANUAL covers all the basics and should join any references in the serious outdoor modeler's collection.

Introduction to Model Railroading
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, PO Box 1612
Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780890247921, $19.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

A model railroad can prove to be a great creative endeavor. "Introduction to Model Railroading" is a guide to model railroad construction from Jell Wilson as he teaches readers to plan their ideal layout, build their track, pick their trains, and make an ideal scene for something that is worthy of showing off and of the result of hard work. "Introduction to Model Railroading" is a packed with full color photography and diagrams all throughout, very much recommended.


The Architecture Shelf

The Landmarks Of New York, fifth edition
Barbaralee Diamondstein-Spielvogel
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10003
www.nyupress.org
9781438437699, $75.00, www.amazon.com

New York's iconic architecture fully reflects the enormous diversity of its population both culturally, economically, and technologically. Now in a fully updated and expanded fifth edition, "The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated Record of the City's Historic Buildings" compiled and written by Barbaralee Diamondstein-Spielvogel (Chairperson of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center; Vice-Chair of the new York State Council on the Arts; a Commissioner of the American Battle Monuments Commission; and a Director of the Trust for the National Mall). This profusely illustrated, 750-page compendium showcases 1,276 individual landmarks and 102 historic districts that have been accorded landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission since its establishment in 1965 down to the present day. Presented chronologically by date of construction, this superbly organized and presented architectural history reflects all manner of structures ranging from colonial farmhouses and mansions, to libraries and museums, to the phenomenal skyscrapers that are the hall mark of the New York City skyline. Informed and informative, "The Landmarks Of New York" is highly recommended as a core addition to all professional and academic library Architectural Studies instructional reference collections.

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture, second edition
Francis D.K. Ching
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470648858, $55.00, www.wiley.com

The second updated edition of A Visual Dictionary of Architecture provides a fine, completely revised edition of a classic that should be in any serious architectural library, offering line drawings and text describing essential terms in architecture and buildings. An arrangement by theme from history and forms and construction makes for easy and quick access while readers more inclined to browse will find the diagrams, charts, and black and white illustrations throughout to be eye-catching and clear. No architecture library should be without this!

House in the Landscape
Jeremiah Eck
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568988238, $40.00, www.papress.com

House in the Landscape: Siting Your Home Naturally is for anyone designing or building a home, from architects to involved homeowners and builders, and provides a key book to matching a site to a building. From preserving natural vegetation around the house to making early siting decisions that incorporate better designs and environmental awareness, this features over twenty houses by fine residential architects in the field and discusses the issues each site posed. A fine pick for home builder and architectural collections alike!

Tom Kundig: Houses 2
Tom Kundig
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781616890407, $55.00, www.papress.com

Tom Kundig: Houses 2 provides a fine monograph recommended for home and garden and architectural libraries alike. Over two hundred pages feature 17 homes and follows the original title published in 2006, adding new works and profiling his latest achievements. His recent works offer balances between sophisticated and tactile, offering insights into his architectural innovations and approaches and surveying the mechanics of each house's construction. Highly recommended, especially for college-level architecture holdings.

AutoCAD 2012
M. Hamad
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420216, $41.95, www.internationalpubmarket.com

With the assistance of computers, the full power of an architect's potential can be realized. "AutoCAD 2012: Beginning & Intermediate" is an updated and revised guide to the latest in Computer Assisted Drafting from M. Hamad and Mercury books as they explain everything one needs to know to make the most of this process, and jumping from the blueprints to the computer screen for even experienced drafters. Included is a DVD with even more resources and lessons for those who want a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the process. "AutoCAD 2012" is a solid and core addition to any architecture and drafting collection, enthusiastically recommended. Also from M. Hamad and Mercury Books is "AutoCAD 2012: 3D Modeling" (9781936420216, $41.95) expanding on the subject with a focus on creating detailed 3D models of one's project.


The Psychology Shelf

Subliminal Therapy
Edwin K. Yager
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5
Bethel, CT 06801
9781845907280, $34.95, www.CHPUS.com

If your mind believes it possible, it is possible. "Subliminal Therapy: Using the Mind to Heal" is a guide to this therapy that uses hypnotic techniques to encourage healing and recovery for problems in their lives, be they mental or physical. Introduced nearly thirty years ago, this therapy has been rapidly developed and has proved very much effective for many serious issues that people face in today's society. "Subliminal Therapy" is a fine pick for any psychotherapy professional or for those who simply seek to understand it at a greater level.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Elizabeth Bowen
Susan Osborn, editor
Cork University Press
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781859184356, $62.00, www.styluspub.com

Good literature reflects its era. "Elizabeth Bowen: New Critical Perspectives" discusses the work of Elizabeth Bowen, who many literary critics now discuss and rate highly, among other twentieth century literary great Samuel Beckett. Discussing her work in novels, stories, sensationalism, and on the concepts of modernity in the tumultuous twentieth century, "Elizabeth Bowne" is crafted by many modern literary critics and presents a scholarly and very highly recommended addition for community and college literary studies collections.

Apocalyptic Futures
Russell Samolsky
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823234806, $24.00, www.fordhampress.com

What lies in our end times? "Apocalyptic Futures: Marked Bodies and the Violence of the Text in Kafka, Conrad, and Coetzee" delves into the literary works of those who have stared into the future and prophesied in their own ways the end times. Russell Samolsky investigates these many claims of the end through the works of many great authors of history, he draws connections to these stories and the cruelty of today's world, and presents that Kafka and his ilk may have been closer than what we'd like to believe. "Apocalyptic Futures" is a fine pick, and much recommended reading for literary studies collections.


The Gaming Shelf

Deadly Roles
Chirs Kullstroem
Oak Tree Press
140 E. Palmer St.
Taylorville, IL 62568
9781610090261, $12.95, www.oaktreebooks.com

Roleplaying doesn't need dice or controllers to get going. "Deadly Roles: Interactive Games of Murder & Mystery" is a role playing game book from Chris Kullstroem, who presents games that encourage players to take on the roles of different participants in a murder mystery and invites them to explore the concepts of death throughout the ages and what is to come. "Deadly Roles" is a fun time that will provoke much thought into its players, highly recommended.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Lost Gate
Orson Scott Card
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781441771636, $118.00, www.amazon.com

Orson Scott Card is very well known for his long and successful career as a writer of science fiction. What may not be quite so well known is that he is equally and imaginatively talented as an author of original fantasy. The first volume of Card's 'The Mithermages' series, "The Lost Gate" has been flawlessly produced by Blackstone Audiobooks and features the superb vocal performances of Emily Janice Card and Stefan Rudnicki. It turns out that the old gods of mankind are actually visitors from another world. They traveled to earth and had their various powers enhanced by means of 'gates' created by 'Gate Fathers'. The Norse 'god' Loki was one of these and some 1400 years ago destroyed all the connecting gates leaving his fellow 'gods' stranded and gradually weakening as the generations rolled on. So enraged were the stranded communities of 'gods' that anyone born within their numbers having the ability to create such gates was subject to immediate execution. Enter Danny, a young boy who only gradually discovers his abilities to create gates, an ability that puts him on the run from those of his own family and all the other families of 'gods' who would kill him for it. Along the way Danny discovers allies, increases his understanding of his abilities, and leads to an inevitable showdown
with the infamous 'Gate Eater' who could strip him of his gift forever. Interspersed with Danny's story (narrated by Stefan Rudnicki) is the story of Wad back on the 'gods' home planet (narrated by Emily Janice Card. Ultimately these two intertwining stories come together with unanticipated consequences for both Danny and Wad. An impressive production from beginning to end, this complete and unabridged edition is very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections.

The Watch That Ends the Night
Allan Wolf
Performed by Michael Page, et. al.
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781455829361 $24.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Award-winning author Allan Wolf presents The Watch That Ends the Night, an unabridged audiobook rendition of stories about two dozen of the passengers and crew aboard the RMS Titanic, one of the largest and most luxurious ships to sail the world in 1912, before its horrendous and untimely sinking. Re-creating the Titanic disaster through the eyes of individuals ranging from a young boy who believed in dragons to a shifty gambler always looking to make more money to Captain E.J. Smith who would ultimately go down with his ship, The Watch That Ends the Night is as emotionally moving as it is meticulous in its recreation of early 1900's life. An excellent choice for audiobook connoisseurs or public library collections. 9 CDs, 10 hours 11 min.

Hard Times
Charles Dickens, author
Anton Lesser, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843794431 $59.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Hard Times is the unabridged audiobook rendition of Charles Dickens' classic political novel set in the fictional English city of Coketown, amid the excesses of the industrial revolution. Capitalists Gradgrind and Bounderby teach all others to quell their imagination and dreams, especially their own children. As a result, their children are so divorced from human emotion that they are unable to function as human beings, and only the vibrancy of a traveling circus company seems to offer any hope for the people of Coketown at all. Hard Times rails fiercely against the dehumanizing effects of industry and corporatism, institutions that exploit every last drop of blood out of their laborers, with a cautionary message that reverberates as strongly today as it did in Dickens' time. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections. 9 CDs, 10 hours 41 min.

The Arthur Miller Collection
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard
Venice, CA 90291
1580818242 $79.95 www.latw.org

The Arthur Miller Collection is an incredible, full-cast performance audiobook rendition of ten classic plays by one of the greatest American playwrights of the twentieth century. All the works put ordinary people into difficult situations with no easy answers, and resonate with a message that speaks well beyond the time and place of their setting. A superb compilation, enthusiastically recommended especially for public and college library collections, as well as for any listener far from a theater who nonetheless desires to experience quality performances of Arthur Miller's plays. 19 CDs, 18 hours 38 min.

Shadows From Boot Hill
L. Ron Hubbard
Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200
Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com
9781592123476, $9.95, www.amazon.com

L. Ron Hubbard was a master storyteller from the American 'Golden Age' of pulp magazines. He especially excelled in genre tales set in the American West. One of the distinctions Hubbard held was the ability to find new approaches to the well known material of gunslinger heroes and villains. Now in "Shadows From Boot Hill", a multicast audiobook production from Galaxy Press, three of Hubbards very best western yarns have been compiled. The title story, 'Shadows From Boot Hill' was originally published in the June 1940 issue of "Wild West Weekly" and took the unusual step of including a decidedly supernatural element when the gunslinger outlaw Brazos shoots down a black man whose curse turns out to be all too real. The other two splendidly presented short story westerns by Hubbard include two genuine classics, 'The Gunner From Gehenna' and 'Gunman!'. With its flawless production values, the impressive use of music and special sound effects, along with a talented roster of vocal actors, "Shadows From Boot Hill" creates a true 'theatre of the mind' experience and is very highly recommended for personal and community library audiobook collections!

Flash and Bones
Kathy Reichs, author
Barbara Rosenblat, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781456119102 $72.75 www.recordedbooks.com

Flash and Bones: A Temperance Brennan Novel is the unabridged audiobook performance of an exciting installment in author Kathy Reichs' series following forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. When a corpse is discovered in a barrel of asphalt near the Charlotte Motor Speedway during Race Week, a NASCAR crew member comes to Brennan's office with a tragic story: twelve years ago, his sister and her boyfriend mysteriously vanished. The boyfriend was involved with a group of right-wing extremists; could the body belong to either of the couple, and could the extremists be behind the murder? A riveting mystery unfolds, superbly performed by multiple Audie and Earphone Award-winning narrator Barbara Rosenblat. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections.

The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge
Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker, authors
Adam Lazarre-White
Oasis Audio
289 Main Place
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781613750254 $39.99 www.oasisaudio.com

Superbowl-winning coach Tony Dungy and lawyer Nathan Whitaker present The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge, an unabridged audiobook rendition of their spiritual wisdom. Dungy shares 365 Scripture readings, as well as his own reflections on how to live an "uncommon life" cherishing integrity and honor, as well as making time to form a personal connection with God. An uplifting testimony of how to reinforce one's faith in an increasingly fractured and complex world, The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge lives up to its title and is highly recommended for Christians seeking to better incorporate their faith into the challenges of daily life. 16 CDs.

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
www.hachetteaudio.com

Joyce Meyer's LIVING BEYOND YOUR FEELINGS: CONTROLLING EMOTIONS SO THEY DON'T CONTROL YOU (9781611139082, $26.98) is unabridged on CD, read by the author's youngest daughter Sandra McCollom, and provides a fine survey of how to understand brain processes and how to manage reactions to feelings. From four personality types ad their influences on outlook to the impact of stress on physical and emotional health, this offers a tool box to live beyond emotional reactions, and is a pick for any psychology or self-help collection. Roger Ebert's LIFE ITSELF: A MEMOIR (9781609410353, $34.98) receives a fine reading by Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor Edward Herrmann who has many Broadway credits to his name and provides a fine survey of a movie critic who won a Pulitzer Price for criticism and struggled with complications from thyroid cancer. His entire life is recounted in a powerful memoir perfect for any lending library. Florence Henderson with Joel Brokaw's LIFE IS NOT A STAGE (9781611139563, $29.98) is narrated by Henderson herself and traces her journey from Broadway to television and beyond. It tells of her poor childhood foundations, her life in a home without electricity or running water, and a broken home. Despite it all Henderson evolved to make a big name for herself in the entertainment world, and her memoir charts how and comes to life in audio. John Maxwell's THE FIVE LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP (9781607885177, $26.98) receives Maxwell's own smooth voice and provides a powerful survey of his most popular topic: on leadership. Examples, insights and discussions of five levels of leadership and change make for an inspiring audio especially recommended for business collections. Dr. David Jeremiah's I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY! (9781611139228, $26.98) comes from the senior pastor of a community church in California and examines the decline of Western civilization. From trends in marriage and spiritual failures to the rise of atheism and American rejections of Israel, this charts the fall of morals and ethics in the world and is filled with thought-provoking arguments. Sandra Brown's LETHAL (9781609419172, $34.98) receives a fine reading by Victor Slezak, an American TV and stage actor who has many films to his credit and who lends a spicy voice to LETHAL, the story of a dangerous, armed man and a hostage situation that will change Honor's life. A hidden secret and the involvement of a merciless crime boss and killer may cost Honor and Emily their lives in this tense thriller, which comes to life in audio. Robert Ludlum's THE ARES DECISION (9781600246117, $29.98) provides a story based on Ludlum's series, written by Kyle Mills, and read by Jeffrey Woodman, a seven-time audiobook winning voice. A president's own clandestine group must spring into action when a biological weapon is readied to be released upon the world. A cat-and-mouse game becomes a deadly race with the survival of humanity at stake in this thriller. Christopher Hitchens' ARGUABLY (9781611139068, $34.98) provides a fine collection of essays that come to life in audio under the British voice of Simon Prebble, a veteran audiobook narrator. Here a range of critical insights on basic ethical principles and social and political issues make this a powerful survey with wide-ranging subjects and observations. Any interested in literary and social observation will find these essays bright and inspiring. Nicholas Sparks' THE BEST OF ME (9781611139044, $34.98) receives Sean Pratt's fine audiobook narration skills and tells of two high school students who fall in love. They seem to come from very different worlds and after graduation they part - but now twenty-five years later they are back in the small town for a funeral - and are facing new romance. A fine audio romance novel comes alive for listeners! Michael Moore's HERE COMES TROUBLE (9781600244698, $29.98) is narrated by the author himself and here offers over twenty vignettes from his early life, from being a pre-teen lost in the Senate to ending up on national news when he goes out for a snack. His encounters with top officials and his fun early years pair with his outrageous encounters in later years to make for a winning, fun listen. Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee's FORBIDDEN (9781611139105, $34.98) is another addition to the Books of Mortals, is read unabridged by Henry Leyva who is a classically trained actor, and provides a powerful thriller set years after civilization's brunch with apocalypse, in a world where there's no war or hatred: just peace and fear. Every soul walking the earth is actually dead .but a vile of blood and a puzzle might change that, and bring back a hate-filled world. An exceptional thriller evolves. Ellen Degeneres' SERIOUSLY I'M KIDDING (9781609410414, $26.98) profiles actress and comedian Ellen Degeneres' special brand of humor, appears unabridged on 3 CDs narrated by Degeneres, and tackles a range of fun topics. Any familiar with her unique take on the world will find this a pleasing audio all the better for her own voice narrating her humor.

Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Stuart Woods's SON OF STONE (9781611760173, $29.95) provides a fine new Stone Barrington novel narrated by Tony Roberts, an actor who has appeared on Broadway and in many films. His smooth voice enlivens the story of a bachelor who returns to New York and finds himself investigating the city's underworld once more. Fine intrigue makes this a top recommendation for any audio collection strong in thrillers. John Sandford's SHOCK WAVE (9781611760156, $39.95) is paired with a fine reading by audio award-winner Eric Conger, and provides a fine new Virgil Flowers thriller telling of a risky new case revolving around a chain store's expansion ideas and a protest which turns deadly. Virgil's investigation of a series of bombings leads to a deadly series of encounters in this engrossing thriller. William Shatner works with Chris Regan in SHATNER RULES (9781611760231, $29.95), narrated by Shatner himself and offering a collection of 'rules' based on Shatner's life and career. How he became a larger-than-life television personality and actor makes for an engrossing autobiography that comes to life in audio presentation.


The Music CD Shelf

Out of Context
Michael Patrick Walker
www.michaelpatrickwalker.com
Yellow Sound Label
c/o Miller Wright & Associates, Inc. (publicity)
$16.35 www.yellowsoundlabel.com

Award-winning co-writer/creator of the popular musical "Altar Boyz" Michael Patrick Walker presents Out of Context, an album of Walker's popular songs deliberately taken "out of context" from the musicals they were created for, and performed by a wide diversity of Broadway talent. The musical moments of joy, determination, love, pain, and enlightenment are emotionally written and profoundly brought to life, in this passionate and captivating album that musical lovers will especially enjoy. The tracks are "All About Me", "Weird Little Man", "Never Added Up", "Irene", "Different Kind of Man", "More", "Moonflower", "Someday", "Finding Me", "Pour Poor Me", "The Wall", "Sometimes", and "I Believe".


The Library DVD Shelf

Planeat
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1594587310 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Intended for both adults and young viewers in junior high or high school, Planeat is a documentary that makes a strong case for a plant-based diet - if not entirely vegan, then at least minimizing animal products as much as possible. Scenes range from vegan chefs delighting in new ways to create delicious cuisine from non-dairy ice cream to fresh kale salads; to the extraordinary work of Dr. T. Colin Campell who conducted a wealth of research in China to uncover strong links between consuming animals products and heart disease, among other ailments; to an environmental caution of how consuming animal products effectively creates a much larger carbon footprint than a plant-based diet would. The moral, ethical, and health benefits for adopting a plant-based diet are indisputable in this persuasive and ultimately upbeat film. English SDH captions, 78 min. with a 35 min. version available, subtitles in English, Spanish, German, and simplified Chinese.

Better This World
a film by Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
$295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Better This World is a documentary about David McKay (22) and Bradley Crowder (23), two friends from childhood with a nonviolent history, who were ultimately arrested on charges of domestic terrorism for their alleged plans to use firebombs to disrupt the 2008 Republican National Convention. Key to their conviction was the actions and testimony of Brandon Darby, a government informant who pretended to be their friend while egging them on to construct the deadly firebombs that would ultimately convict them. Better This World vividly portrays a true story of tension, protest, betrayal, and the harsh side of the American justice system, while questioning the wisdom and value of entrapment stings. An excellent and thought-provoking documentary. Also highly recommended is Bullfrog Films' documentary "The War You Don't See" ($295.00) by John Pilger, a history of embedded and independent war reporting from World War I to the present day, when modern weapons of electronic propaganda are potentially as sophisticated and deadly as battlefield armaments.

A Table in Heaven
A film by Andrew Rossi
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

A Table in Heaven is a wonderful documentary about life and times of an Italian restaurant in New York, and the family that runs it. The high-class eatery Le Cirque was closed in 2004, then re-opened two years later; founder Sirio Maccioni and his three sons, Mauro, Marco, and Mario, worked tirelessly to create the finest gourmet dining, worthy of pleasing the most demanding professional restaurant critics. A behind-the-scenes look at the immense amount of work behind the struggle to achieve culinary excellence, as well as the day-to-day difficulties of attempting to pass on a treasured family legacy, A Table in Heaven is an excellent, family-friendly movie especially recommended for gourmets. Public library collections will also find it a worthy addition to their DVD documentary collections! 74 min.

Dare to Cook: Chocolate
Bill "Chocolate Man" Fredericks
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
13021 - 244 Avenue SE
Issaquah, WA 98027
www.Bennett-Watt.com

Confectioners, dessert chefs, and chocolate lovers with a creative flair will absolutely love the latest "Dare to Cook: Chocolate" installments of the "Dare to Cook" DVD series, each available in DVD, Blu-Ray, or downloadable versions. Both are hosted by "Chocolate Man" Bill Fredericks, who guides viewers step-by-step through dessert-making techniques. In "Dare to Cook Chocolate: Tempering" (9781604900651, $24.95) viewers learn how the tempering process that affects the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of chocolate; even slight variations in the temperature as melted chocolate cools can have a drastic effect upon the crystals formed within the cocoa butter and therefore the entire makeup of the finished product. Four different tempering methods (Slab, Seed, Stick Blender Mycryo) are covered in depth, as well as guides to creating wondrously delicious desserts such as Dipped Apricots & Strawberries or Molded Chocolate. In "Dare to Cook Chocolate: Holiday Confections" (9781604900668, $34.95, 3.5 hours, 2 DVDs), viewers can learn to cook a veritable smorgasbord of handmade chocolate treats perfect for Christmas or Easter celebrations, from Chocolate Pizzas to French Truffles, Hazelnut Bars, Peanut Butter Cups, Spring Molds of Bunnies & Eggs, and much more. Both programs are thoroughly accessible to amateur and experienced cooks alike, and highly recommended for anyone interested in trying their hand at making confections with love.

Apocalypse 2012: The World After Time Ends
Reality Films
PO Box 91, Foresthill, CA 95631
$19.95 www.reality-entertainment.com

Apocalypse 2012: The World After Time Ends is a thought-provoking metaphysical documentary that explores humanity's past spiritual roots - and its highly tenuous and uncertain future. Drawing upon insight from Native American spiritualists, the predictions of secular humanists, environmentalists, healers, and major figures in movements for global sustainability, Apocalypse 2012 reveals that the modern world is headed for destruction unless humanity can renew its former spiritual connections and respect for all life. Ultimately a film of revelation, inspiration, and hope, Apocalypse 2012 calls directly to the viewer's soul and is highly recommended.

Tibetan Yoga of Movement: Perfect Rhythm of Life
Senior Instructors Fabio Andrico and Laura Evangelisti
Shang Shung Institute
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$24.95 each www.411videoinfo.com

A two-volume, 4-DVD set introduces viewers to the full practice and benefits of Tibetan Yantra Yoga. In Tibetan Yoga of Movement: Perfect Rhythm of Life, Level One (2 DVDs, 86 min. instruction 60 min. practice), senior instructors Fabio Andrico and laura Evangelisiti demonstrate traditional Yantra Yoga as they personally learned it from Dzogchen Master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu. Viewers can follow the positions and coordinated movements, combined with conscious breathing, designed to promote harmony, relax the mind, and improve one's health and balance. Level Two (2 DVDs, 77 min. instruction 71 min. practice) is an advanced instructional for those who have mastered the poses of the first level, and are ready to learn about the remaining four series of Yantras and the Pranayama of Rhythmic Breathing. Both volumes are divided into 1 DVD of in-depth description and instruction, and 1 DVD designed to be used as a follow-along practice session to enact the poses. An excellent supplement to health and fitness DVD libraries, Tibetan Yoga of Movement: Perfect Rhythm of Life is highly recommended.

Christine Felstead's Yoga for Runners: Intermediate Program
Stingbabe Productions
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$21.95 www.411videoinfo.com yogaforrunners.com

Christine Felstead's Yoga for Runners: Intermediate Program is a workout on DVD that requires no expensive equipment - only a yoga mat and yoga belt (a yoga block and towel are optional). Though selected expressly for runners, with emphases on improving strength, flexibility and balance in the hamstrings, hips, quads, and lower back, the presented yoga poses promote will prove an invaluable supplement to any workout program. Although intended for intermediate level yoga practitioners, Yoga for Runners: Intermediate Program is widely accessible; those new to the practice of yoga are encouraged to remain within their physical limits as they discover the benefits that yoga can bring their overall health and well-being. Enthusiastically recommended for runners of all stripes, from casual joggers to runners training for a marathon. 75 min.

Dance Off the Inches: Hip Hop Body Blast
Jennifer Galardi, instructor
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
$14.98 www.amazon.com

Dance off the Inches Hip Hop Body Blast (65 min.) is a fitness DVD that makes staying in shape through the holiday winter fun. Expert instructor Jennifer Galardi demonstrates how to kick up the cardio workout without sacrificing fun. Hip Hop Body Blast is accessible to viewers of all fitness levels and backgrounds - even those who have never stepped on a dance floor in their lives! Easy-to-follow dance moves are summarized in a Dance Off the Inches Step Guide, in which Galardi breaks down the ten steps and mini combinations used throughout the entire program. Pulse-pounding music and vigorous dance moves make a solid cardio workout into pure fun in this excellent addition to DVD fitness libraries. Also highly recommended Anchor Bay's Personal Training with Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start ($14.98, 51 min.), in which celebrity personal trainer Jackie Warner shares her Power Pyramid Training method for transforming one's entire body, and breaking past personal plateaus with quick results.

SparkPeople: 28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole
Coach Nicole
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650
Silver Spring, MD 20910
9781598287271 $16.99 www.acacialifestyle.com www.SparkPeople.com

No expensive equipment outside of simple hand weights and a mat are needed to benefit from SparkPeople: 28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole, a high-energy workout from expert fitness trainer Nicole Nichols, perhaps best known for her work with SparkPeople, America's online fitness community with 11 million members. More than 200,000 individuals have taken part in Coach Nicole's online boot camps, and now a definitive session on DVD is available complete with four workout segments, recipes, tips for a more vigorous workout and lifestyle, abs exercises that can be done while seated, and much more. Each of the DVD's four workout segments consist of intense cardio intervals mixed with full-body strength-boosting exercises. 28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole is an excellent, user-friendly resource to start working a solid fitness routine into one's daily life, and is highly recommended. 84 min.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Buddha is Still Teaching
Selected and edited by Jack Kornfield
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781590309223 $17.95 www.shambhala.com

The Buddha is Still Teaching: Contemporary Buddhist Wisdom is an anthology of selections by a wide variety of respected Buddhist teachers, seeking to bring the Dharma to readers of all backgrounds in as accessible a manner as possible. Couching the Dharma's relevance to modern-day events and cultures, The Buddha is Still Teaching reveals that the universal truths of the Buddha's wisdom remain as critically invaluable now as they were thousands of years ago. Most passages are brief; some are only a paragraph, while others a few pages, but each illustrates an important principle. "Mind creates both / samsara and nirvana. / Yet there is nothing much to it. / It is just thoughts. / Once we recognize that thoughts are empty, / the mind will no longer have the power to deceive us."

Tibetan Yogas of Body, Speech, and Mind
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393805 $18.95 www.SnowLionPub.com

Master of the Boe practice and founder of the Ligmincha Institute Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche presents Yogas of Body, Speech, and Mind, a guide to Tibetan meditation and yoga practice written in accessible language for readers of all backgrounds and skill levels. Chapters describe and explain the benefits of learning to adopt traditional meditation postures, engaging in physical movements that aid in quieting the ego and purifying oneself, discovering the healing properties of speech, clearing the mind of delusions, and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this excellent "how-to" guide to the nuts and bolts of learning from ancient Tibetan techniques to improve one's Buddhist practice, mental clarity, and physical well-being. Highly recommended, especially for Buddhist studies shelves.


The Military Shelf

Arsenal of Defense
J'Nell L. Pate
Texas State Historical Association
1155 Union Circle #311580
Denton, TX 76203-5017
9780876112496 $39.95 www.TSHAonline.org

Retired college history teacher J'Nell Pate presents Arsenal of Defense: Fort Worth's Military Legacy, a close study of the history and long-term military impact of the American military base of Fort Worth. Particular attention is paid to Fort Worth's role during the World Wars, when Fort Worth became well-known especially for pilot training in World War I and military aircraft construction in World War II, as well their partnership with the nation's largest defense contractor (Lockheed Martin) and the largest helicopter producer (Bell). A fair number of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful, serious-minded, yet thoroughly accessible history and chronicle, ideal for library collections with a focus on Texas military history. Highly recommended.

American Veterans on War
Elise Forbes Tripp
Olive Branch Press
c/o Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street
Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566568678 $22.00 www.interlinkbooks.com

American Veterans on War: Personal Stories from WW II to Afghanistan collects testimonies and thoughts from fifty-five veterans, ages 20 to 90, on the thorny subject of war. They present true stories of fighting non-uniformed enemies, putting their lives on the line, and struggling with aftereffects after returning home from conflict. The contributions are sorted according to time peroid, and each prefaced with a no-nonsense summary of the major wars they touch upon. Perspectives on America's wars for the past 75 years make for a sobering and invaluable addition to military studies and philosophy shelves. Highly recommended.

Fighting Patton
Harry Yeide
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760341285, $30.00, www.zenithpress.com

FIGHTING PATTON: GEORGE S. PATTON JR. THROUGH THE EYES OF HIS ENEMIES is the first book to consider the legendary general through the eyes of opposing German commanders, and thus moves beyond other Patton biographies to analyze the wartime records and military experience of the leader. Extensive research through German wartime records revealed hundreds of unpublished unit reports and officer accounts reflecting the German perception of Patton. This book offers a unique survey that considers German thinking about Patton's military might, and deserves a place in any serious military history holding.

Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
www.ospreypublishing.com

Alex Clark's SMALL-SCALE ARMOUR MODELLING (9781849084147, $39.95) offers an in-depth guide for modelers who want to create military miniatures from World War II to modern times, and uses a visual, step-by-step approach to creating pieces. From painting different styles of camouflage to finishing models and detailing, this is a specialty pick for any involved in military model crafts or who are interested in the specifics of military small-scale armor, and will appeal to crafts and military holdings alike. Piers Brand, et.al.'s AMBUSH VALLEY: VIETNAM 1965-1975 (9781849085342, $24.95) provides wargames players with a fine military survey of Vietnam tactics and strategy which should reach beyond game shelves into military holdings. It packs in history, discussions of unit activities, special tactics, and battle scenarios, includes theater-specific rules for engagement, and provides wargamers with experience for jungle, field and urban settings in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia alike. A pick for wargame and military libraries too. Brian J. Ford's SECRET WEAPONS; TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE & THE RACE TO WIN WORLD WAR II (9781849083904, $25.95) spans over six years and four continents and covers the secret scientific research of the war. From rocket developments to the Manhattan Project and beyond, this introduces the people behind the research, the major discoveries that lead to breakthroughs applied to military might, and provides a story packed with vintage black and white and a few color photos throughout. Chris McNab's HITLER'S ARMIES: A HISTORY OF THE GERMAN WAR MACHINE 1939-45 (9781849086479, $40.00) provides a fine, definitive work on the Nazi war machine's progress from its victories to its downfall, following the strategies of Nazi battles and covering the history of the development and deployment of Hitler's armies. Original artwork and photos accompany a powerful survey recommended for any in-depth World War II library. Len Nordeen's AV-8B HARRIER II UNITS OF OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM (9781849084444, $22.95) provides a narrow focus on the Harrier II, among the first tactical air assets to be deployed in Operation Desert Shield. Any collection strong in the history of this event will find this a powerful focus on the tactical squadrons that participated in air support during the endeavor. A fine pick for any serious military history collection!


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

American Flyer: 2012 Edition
Robert Bubeck
TM Books & Videos
Box 9228, Michigan City, IN 46361
9781936890057, $14.99, www.tmbv.com

Building and operating model railroads continues to be a popular hobby generation after generation. Knowledgeably compiled by Robert Bubeck, "American Flyer: 2012 Edition" is a 170-page compendium of prices for American Flyer's S Gauge trains from 1946 to 2011. Nicely illustrated, authoritative, reliable, fully up to date, superbly organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "American Flyer: 2012 Edition is a thorough and complete listing of Gilbert and Lionel American Flyer S Gauge items and components. Of special note are the chapters on engines, rolling stock, accessories, sets, and paper, making it a highly recommended reference for railroading hobbyist antique and collectible reference collections.


The Political Science Shelf

Debunking Glenn Beck
Karl Rogers
Praeger Publishers
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911
Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781440800290 $48.00 www.abc-clio.com

Debunking Glenn Beck: How to Save America from Media Pundits and Propagandists is not just a hard counter to pro-corporate political pundit Glenn Beckand his so-called "conservative libertarianism" - rather, Debunking Glenn Beck considers Beck to be only a symptom of the problem, no matter how thoroughly his arguments are deconstructed or countered. The true social ill, claims author and progressive professor of philosophy Karl Rogers, lies in the immense and increasing power that wealthy mega-corporations have - both over politicians (through unlimited corporate contributions to their campaigns) and the media. Rogers stresses that this fundamental flaw wearing away American democracy springs from a disastrous Supreme Court decision to allow unlimited corporate funding of politicians, and only a Supreme Court reversal or a constitutional amendment can correct matters. Therefore, a grassroots movement to demand a Constitutional amendment declaring that corporations are not and can never be people is absolutely critical! Debunking Glenn Beck is a thoroughly accessible, forward-thinking, and highly recommended critical treatise. "No matter how the facts show that laissez-faire capitalism has resulted in a global economic crisis and a government that serves corporate interests rather than the citizenry, media pundits and propagandists continue to assert that unrestrained capitalism is the only way to get out of the crisis that government has supposedly caused... Their circularity of logic and denial of facts are quite astounding, as they argue for further deregulation to solve the problems caused by deregulation."

Ronald Reagan In Quotations
David B. Frost
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786465811, $45.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Ronald Reagan has become an icon of the Republican Party. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by David B. Frost, "Ronald Reagan In Quotations" is a 231-page compendium of quotations taken from Regan's speeches and writings during his two-term presidency and arranged in the format of a topical dictionary complete with source notations. Arranged alphabetically by subject ranging from Abortion to Welfare, "Ronald Reagan In Quotations" is enhanced with the inclusion of an informative Introduction and a comprehensive Index, making it a highly recommended addition to school, community, and academic library collections, as well as the personal reading list for anyone who admired his accomplishments by one of the more popular American presidents of the 20th Century.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Understanding Islam, updated edition
Frithjof Schuon
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive
Bloomington, IN 47401
9781935493907, $19.95, www.worldwisdom.com

With misunderstanding comes great fear. "Understanding Islam" is a reprinting and revised translation of Frithjof Schuon's previous work surrounding the nature of Islam and why it has attracted a billion and a half followers. World renown for its scholarly nature that sheds light on this controversial faith, this updated edition contains 77 pages of new material, editor's notes, glossaries, and more. "Understanding Islam" is a core and much recommended addition to community and college religious studies collections.

Puritan Islam
Barry Aron Vann
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145170, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

PURITAN ISLAM: THE GEOEXPANSION OF THE MUSLIM WORLD provides a fine, complete analysis of Muslim population shifts in the Western world and surveys the theological factors that affect these trends. From 'imagined geographies' of Muslims to how their view of the world is divided into and affected by perceptions of sacred spaces, this blends social with religious analysis and observation and makes for a fine pick for Middle East history and spirituality collections alike.

Cotton, Climate and Camels in Early Islamic Iran
Richard W. Bulliet
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd St., New York NY 10023
9780231148375, $24.50, www.cup.columbia.edu

Cotton, Climate and Camels in Early Islamic Iran: A Moment in World History provides a fine history of Iran, which experienced a boom in the production and expert of cotton yet experienced a fall in the eleventh century. Its economic demise and failing powers in the region are charted in a survey that focuses on relationships between Iran's cotton industry and Islam, and how events changed the history of the nation and its relationship with the world. Any college-level Middle East studies collection needs this in-depth survey.


The Interior Design Shelf

Design Thinking for Interiors
Joy Dohr and Margaret Portillo
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470569016, $70.00, www.wiley.com

Architecture and home design collections will find Design Thinking for Interiors provides a serious survey of the design profession and its options and offers interior designers a theory book packed with real-life stories that show hat separates a memorable design from something mundane. Photos and drawings illustrate the basic concepts involved in superior design processes and cover everything from market impact and creating architectural identity to learning design basics from vernacular traditions. Any college-level collection strong in interior design will find this a studied yet very accessible analysis.

A Home of Her Own
Nancy R. Hiller & Kendall Reeves
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street
Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
9780253223531, $29.95, www.iupress.indiana.edu

A Home of Her Own packs in over 100 color photos and provides details on a wide variety of homes and how they evolved. Chapters offers a room-by-room analysis of setting and items and accompany overall history of how the owners evolved their style and made choices. It profiles women who have restored their own homes and it offers a fine pick for home and garden and women's holdings alike.


The Crafts Shelf

Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry
Barbara Lewis
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
1440308861, $24.99, www.createmixedmedia.com

Any crafts or jewelry-making collection interested in different projects will welcome Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: A Workshop in Painting With Fire. The technique blends beading and wire-working and uses torch-fired enameled beads for unique creations. Over twenty projects highlight these beads and offer projects ranging form pendants to necklaces and beyond in a workshop that accompanies production tips with overall step-by-step jewelry and metal-working techniques. The color photos and range of creative projects makes this an attractive, appealing jewelry-maker's introduction to enamel work.

Bead Riffs
Rachel Nelson-Smith
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781600597831, $27.95, www.larkcrafts.com

Bead Riffs: Jewelry Projects in Peyote & Right Angle Weave covers over twenty beaded jewelry projects inspired by jazz, with step-by-step projects offering a right angle weave foundation and building variations on a theme. Unexpected combinations are built into each piece and improvisation is encouraged in a title that uses Riff It suggestions to foster creativity. Any jewelry-making collection needs this!

Color, Texture & Casting for Jewelers
Carles Codina
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781454700173, $29.95, www.larkcrafts.com

Color, Texture & Casting for Jewelers: Hands-on Demonstrations & Practice Applications provides a fine manual covering every process in jewelry design and is a 'must' for any jewelry making library. It comes from a professional studio jeweler who has taught in Spain for over 20 years and exhibited his jewelry worldwide, and it provides step-by-step color photos illustrating the basics of jewelry color and casting. Any newcomer to the process will find this coverage specific and useful!

Made to Play!
Joel Henriques
Roost Books
c/o Shambhala Publications
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781590309124, $18.95, www.shambhala.com

MADE TO PLAY! HANDMADE TOYS AND CRAFTS FOR GROWING IMAGINATION is a fine pick for any parent who wants to work on crafts projects with a child. There are some thirty and more simple toy and craft projects designed for parent/child use, complete with overview, templates, and ideas a child can customize. Most just need paper, scissors, glue, pens and things already around the house. It's a quirky, fun guide no collection should be without!


The Engineering Shelf

Automotive Sheet Metal Forming & Fabrication
Matt Joseph
CarTech
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781934709368, $24.95, www.cartechbooks.com

Automotive Sheet Metal Forming & Fabrication provides instruction and information on how to become a skilled metal craftsman and teaches the basics of designing and fabricating with simple tools. From using a range of specialized metal working tools and equipment to working with different metals and selecting the right ones for fabrication, this covers all the basics and is a 'must' for any working in automotive design.

Frequency Synthesizers: Concept to Product
Alexander Chenakin
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
1596932309, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Frequency Synthesizers: Concept to Product is a pick for any serious engineering collection strong in electronic theory and applications. It provides an extensive resource for RF and microwave engineers, reviewing both classic and modern frequency synthesizer design techniques and offering basic explanations that include how to build a synthesizer from a basic diagram to a completed product. It offers introductions starting from a simple single-loop PLL example and moves into more advanced circuitry and design recipes. Newcomers to seasoned engineers will find this a top pick!

Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com

The third updated edition of Bruce R. Elbert's INTRODUCTION TO SATELLITE COMMUNICATION (1596932104, $99.00) is a key reference for any college-level or professional collection strong in communications engineering. It covers engineering systems as applied to satellite communications, including updates on frequencies, spacecraft, modern satellite networks, and more. All the basics of satellite and ground control and communications systems are covered in a technical survey of the applications and construction of commercial satellite networks, including economic and management issues in running such operations. Rainer Kolle, Garik Markarian and Alex Tarter's AVIATION SECURITY ENGINEERING: A HOLISTIC APPROACH (9781608070725, $99.00) fills a gap in aviation system security and enables pros to understand the industry's requirements for security. Chapters offer in-depth surveys of methods used in designing security controls for various purposes and will appreciate discussions of new areas of aviation security and its applications. College-level and professional collections strong in aviation science need this.

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

J. David Irwin & Robert M. Nelms' BASIC ENGINEERING CIRCUIT ANALYSIS (9780470633229, $154.09) remains an outstanding reference for any engineering collection and offers an updated 10th edition now including color-coding for quick and easy reference. Chapters expand application examples in PSPICE, MATLAB, and LabView, offer new quizzes to help engineers absorb new concepts, and offers a basic survey linking theory to real-world engineering applications in circuit analysis. Chapter exercises provide a key to reinforced learning. Erwin Kreyszig's ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS (9780470458365, $139.12) covers basic concepts, from modeling and qualitative methods of analysis to functions, numeric integration, and more. Problems and solutions offer theorems, proofs, summaries, and formulas throughout to provide professional surveys key to any advanced engineering course or practicing engineer.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Berkshire Manual of Style for International Publishing
Berkshire Publishing Group
120-122 Castle Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230-1506
www.berkshirepublishing.com
9781614729938, $22.95, www.amazon.com

A superbly organized, presented, 188-page compendium of guidelines, rules and rule exceptions for writing on a global level of readership, the "Berkshire Manual of Style for International Publishing" also includes thoughtful and thought-provoking meditations and asides on writing and word use, as well as thematically relevant writing and publishing anecdotes and lore. Essential reading for copy writers and editors, the "Berkshire Manual of Style for International Publishing" also deals with business writing including both email and snail-mail correspondence. Of special note is the section devoted to guidelines for authors and reviewers. Comprehensive and deftly organized and thoroughly 'user friendly', the "Berkshire Manual of Style for International Publishing" will prove to be an indispensable reference and resource.

Writing For The Web
Lynda Felder
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
978032179443, $24.99, www.mcp.com

With the coming of internet communication that ranges from email, to web sites, to the creation of documents and files, a new form of literacy has become essential to success -- writing for and in a medium that includes pictures and sounds integrated with the written word. "Writing for the Web: Creating Compelling Web Content Using Words, Pictures, and Sound" by Lynda Felder is a 192-page compendium of instruction and explanation that will enable the reader to create focused, effective, competent web site copy fully integrated with visuals and sound. Providing a wealth of instructive exercises that include working with images, adding motion and sound, as well as creating interactive and non-linear stories, "Writing For The Web" is an ideal and thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction manual, highly recommended for personal, professional, corporate, community, and academic library instructional resource collections.

10 Things Every Writer Needs To Know
Jeff Anderson
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571108104, $23.00, www.stenhouse.com

Much like painting, the art and craft of writing is as much a matter of skill as it is talent. "Ten Things Every Writer Needs to Know" by Jeff Anderson is a 256-page compendium of insightful information and instruction focusing on ten essential facets of writing: motion, models, locus, detail, form, frames, cohesion, energy, words, and clutter. Each of these aspects of the writing process has a specific chapter beginning with 'Getting and Keeping Writers Motivated' and concluding with 'Deleting the Extraneous'. Of special note is the prologue commentary 'What Writing Instruction Is and Isn't'. Enhanced with an appendix, a bibliography, and an index, "10 Things Every Writer Needs To Know" is informed, informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly', making an excellent textbook for Creative Writing courses and on which should be in every school, community, and academic library instructional reference collection.

Writing the TV Drama Series, third edition
Pam Douglas
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781615930586, $26.95, www.mwp.com

The third updated edition of Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV will appeal to screenwriters, film students and any writer seeking to break into the TV drama realm. It provides the latest information and insights from successful major writers and television producers alike, and is for any writer who wants to produce an original series or television drama. Chapters offer industry information, tips on trends, new media opportunities, and more. Add new interviews and you have a major reference 'must' for any film or screen-writing collection.


The Aviation Shelf

The Space Shuttle
Piers Bizony
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760339411, $40.00, www.zenithpress.com

THE SPACE SHUTTLE: CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS OF NASA'S FIRST SPACE PLANE chronicles the entire career of the space shuttle, from early theories and prototypes to finished accomplishments. An oversized visual presentation accompanies the history and provides a chronicle of NASA's ingenuity, errors, and legacy. Over five hundred photos pack this pictorial legacy in a top recommendation for any interested in space in general and NASA in particular.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Better Off Dead
Deborah Christie and Sarah Juliet Lauro, Editors
Fordham University Press
University Box L, 2546 Belmont Avenue
Bronx NY 10458
9780823234479, $26.00, www.fordham.edu

BETTER OFF DEAD: THE EVOLUTION OF THE ZOMBIE AS POST-HUMAN provides a fine survey discussing the zombie metaphor and its relationship to literary and popular culture. It surveys the monster's folklore and film history, arguing that the image and purpose of the zombie has evolved from its initial narratives to new presences in gothic and performance art circles. Though reviewed here for its foundations in literature, BETTER OFF DEAD is also recommended for any film or cinema collection.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Stan Lee Universe
Danny Fingeroth & Roy Thomas, editors
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490298, $26.95, www.twomorrows.com

Anyone who's ever touched a comic book knows the name Stan Lee. "The Stan Lee Universe" is a devoted biography surrounding Stan Lee, who five decades ago began to change the way people viewed comics and became the force that made Marvel into the goliath it is today. With many interviews by and about Stan Lee, any fan of Stan Lee and the man's work would do well in choosing "The Stan Lee Universe", packed cover to cover with black and white and color photography all throughout.

Marvel Comics in the 1970s
Pierre Comtois
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
1605490342, $27.95, www.twomorrows.com

Any comics history holding must acquire Marvel Comics in the 1970s, a foundation title providing an issue by issue field guide to Marvel's various comic productions in the 1970s. Here is a sequel to Comtois' history covering the 1960s, offering an ongoing consideration of the company's evolution, artists, and major achievements during which Stan Lee moved from writing to publishing, Jack Kirby moved over to DC, and Roy Thomas fostered in a new era of Marvel artists and writers. Interviews and black and white comic page reproductions make this a winner for any serious comic history holding!

MetaMaus
Art Spiegelman
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780375423949, $35.00, www.pantheonbooks.com

METAMAUS: A LOOK INSIDE A MODERN CLASSIC, MAUS provides a rich masterpiece reviewing the classic that altered and emphasized the connections between literature, comics and the Holocaust. Any familiar with Maus must have Metamaus: it considers the origins and meaning behind Maus, offers new analysis and color comics, and includes a bonus DVD providing a digitalized reference copy of The Complete Maus linked to audio interviews with his survivor father, historical documents and Spiegelman's private sketches and notebooks. A 'must' examination of the modern phenomenon that is Maus!


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Shifting Baselines
Jeremy B.C. Jackson, Karen E. Alexander, Enric Sala, editors
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
9781610910019, $35.00, www.islandpress.org

The ocean's bounty is vast, but it is not infinite. "Shifting Baselines: The Past and the Future of Ocean Fisheries" is a collection pondering the history and the future of the sea in its long story with mankind. From conflicts over waters and the dangers of overfishing, the role of science, and much more, Jeremy Jackson and his collaborators present a very much recommended study of sea life. "Shifting Baselines" is a key addition to any science or oceanology community or college library collections.

Drought and Aquatic Ecosystems
P. Sam Lake
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9781405185608, $89.95 www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

DROUGHT AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS: EFFECTS AND RESPONSES provides a fine survey of the climatic conditions that contribute to droughts and provides college-level audiences with a technical survey of the impact of droughts on human societies. It reviews available literature on the lasting impact of such drought patterns on the ecology of aquatic ecosystems from small ponds to streams, examining the ways in which human activities contribute to droughts. Any college-level holding strong in water resource management and ecology needs this outstanding survey!


The Law/Justice Shelf

Legal Liability in Recreation, Sports, and Tourism, fourth edition
John O. Spengler & Bruce B. Hronek
Sagamore Publishing Company
1807 North Federal Drive
Urbana, IL 61801
1978571676436, $69.95, www.sagamorepub.com

The law is a difficult thing, especially when one crosses borders. "Legal Liability in Recreation, Sports, and Tourism" is a legal studies guide from John O. Spengler & Bruce B. Hronek, as they discusses legal liability and law issues when dealing with various leisure activities, and the problems that arise within. Legal agreements, silent agreements, international constitutions, sports issues, and much more, Spengler and Hronek provide a comprehensive reference that shouldn't be passed up for anyone who holds responsibility over such facilities. "Legal Liability in Recreation, Sports, and Tourism" is an excellent and much recommended compendium to keep on hand.

Against the Gallows
Paul Christian Jones
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House
119 West Park Road
Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
9781609380489, $35.00, www.uiowapress.org

For the state to be able to take a life of its citizens for any reason is abhorrent to some. "Against the Gallows: Antebellum American Writers and the Movement to Abolish Capital Punishment" delves into the anti-capital punishment movement of the nineteenth century and how many writers took up their pen to end the hangings throughout the country and for the criminal justice system to be improved. Although failing in their ultimate goal, their successes where they obtained them are still felt to this day. "Against the Gallows" is an excellent addition to any history collection focusing on criminal justice and its history.

Long Star Law
Michael Ariens
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037
Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726956, $49.95, www.ttupress.org

Texas has a long and colorful history, and its law has the same properties. "Long Star Law: A Legal History of Texas" discusses the unique legal history of Texas, a state that was a nation, bouncing between Spain, Mexico, and the United States. Through these many jurisdictions, Texas law has been formed and warped by many sources. Michael Ariens presents a fascinating read with much to ponder on the origins of laws and the evolution of law through the ages using the unique focus of Texas. "Long Star Law" is an excellent and much recommended study of history and law, a choice addition for community and college law collections.

Dust-Up
Jeb Barnes
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
9781589017665, $24.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

It's more than a mess, it's a serious health issue. "Dust-Up: Asbestos Litigation and the Failure of Commonsense Policy Reform" discusses the public policy issues that lie behind asbestos and the problems it can cause for public safety, with a focus on the legal side and litigation that has risen up behind this once common building material. An informed case study, "Dust-Up" is an excellent pick with much to consider for law and social issues collections.


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

To Hope and Back
Kathy Kacer
Second Story Press
20 Maud Street, Suite 401
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5V 2M5
9781897187968, $14.95, www.secondstorypress.on.ca

Escaping oppression is abandoning history. "To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis" draws off history and true stories of the sorrow that many Jews and other Europeans faced as they boarded a ship for America to escape the cruelty of the Nazi regime. Following many young girls as they mingle on the St. Louis, the story of abandoning their homes and everything they knew weighs heavily on their hearts. "To Hope and Back" is a thoughtful and much recommended read, highly recommended for youth history and Holocaust studies collections.


The Mythology Shelf

Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels
Carol K. Mack & Dinah Mack
Arcade Publishing
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
9781611451009, $14.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

To turn you away from goodness is the cruelest of evils. "A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits" discuss these creatures of mythology which seem human but are anything but. Presenting stories of creatures of legend from all cultures from the Bible to folklore to modern mythology, it presents a history of the creature and the traditional way to face such a demon down. "A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits" is an intriguing read that will serve well as a unique reference.


The Philosophy Shelf

Sherlock Holmes & Philosophy
Josef Steiff, editor
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
9780812697315, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

Being ingrained into the modern lexicon, Sherlock Holmes legend won't be going away anytime soon. "Sherlock Holmes & Philosophy: The Footprints of a Gigantic Mind" discusses the impact Sherlock Holmes and company and how they have impacted philosophy and thought in today's society, the questions that the super detective faces beyond solving the case. Holmes' character is dissected as many authors offer a philosophical view of the pursuit of justice, the drive for perfection, and much more. "Sherlock Holmes & Philosophy" is an insightful spin of thought and opinion, very much recommended reading.


The Dance Shelf

Introduction to Modern Dance Techniques
Joshua Legg
Princeton Book Company
614 Route 130
Highstown, NJ 08520
9780871273253, $34.95, www.dancehorizons.com

Modern dance is a sum of a long history. "Introduction to Modern Dance Techniques" discusses modern dance and what it takes to be a dancer in today's versatile dance world. Discussing the history and the many techniques of modern dance, illustrated throughout with black and white photography, Joshua Legg works with an expert staff of collaborators to give "Introduction to Modern Dance Techniques" a complete and comprehensive understanding of what modern dance is.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Ultimate Young Actors Guide
Cindy Marcus
Meriwether Publishing
PO Box 7710, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7710
9781566081795, $19.95, www.meriwether.com

Acting is quite the dream to pursue, but it should be done right. "The Ultimate Young Actors Guide: Getting the Role and Making It Shine" is a guide for rookie actors who want to give their careers some legs and know how to best pursue their dream in regards to their craft and the etiquette of their career on the business side of things. "The Ultimate Young Actors Guide" is a fine choice and much recommended pick for the aspiring and ambitious thespians.

Three Stooges FAQ
David J. Hogan
Applause
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302
Montclair, NJ 07042
9781557837882, $19.99, www.halleonard.com

The misery of others is timeless humor. "Three Stooges FAQ: Everything Left to Know About The Eye-Poking, Face-Slapping, Head-Thumping Geniuses" discusses the famed and favored trio of Larry, Curly, and Moe, as well as less revered Shemp and Joe and their contributions to act. Through countless feature films and mastery of the art of the short, David J. Hogan tracks their act through the 1930s to the falling of the act and the collapse of the group due to age and disease. "Three Stooges FAQ" is an excellent pick for any who want to gain a better understanding of the act and how it has achieved timelessness.


The Journalism Shelf

Censored 2012
Mickey Huff & Project Censored
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street
New York, NY 10013
9781609803476, $19.95, www.sevenstories.com

With twenty four hours of news a day, there are many subjects that are conveniently ignored, instead opting to focus on the very important topic of Charlie Sheen. "Censored 2012: The Top Censored Stories and Media Analysis of 2010-2011" discusses the crisis that is occurring in the American news media surrounding the under-reported stories that seem highly important yet were passed over for whatever reason, the manufacture of and mass consumption of junk news, propaganda, and much more. For a discussion of the serious issue and decline of journalism, "Censored 2012" is a vital and very much recommended pick for journalism and social issues collections.

A Journal of No Illusions
Timothy W. Luke & Ben Agger
Telos Press Publishing
431 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10009
9780914386452, $21.95, www.telospress.com

Anything of worth is worthy of criticism. "A Journal of No Illusions: Telos, Paul Piccone, and the Americanization of Critical Theory" traces the history behind the news journal Telos, which contained many writings discussing the new direction of the American left, with much discussion of European social theory and its future and applications to our world. Paul Piccone created the journal, and never expected it to grow to the place it has, and Timothy W. Luke & Ben Agger present an intriguing literary history behind the publication and where it has came from. "A Journal of No Illusions" is a fine pick for any journalistic studies collection discussing historic publications.


The Library Science Shelf

Case Study Research
Ravonne A. Green
Libraries Unlimited
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911
Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781591588603, $45.00, www.abc-clio.com

Case studies are quite useful, but their exact application is often misunderstood. "Case Study Research: A Program Evaluation Guide for Librarians" is a guide for deciding which case study is appropriate for a libraries purposes by evaluating proposals' construction, methods, and merits. Case studies and their evaluation are accepted by a majority of accreditation committees but as such, many libraries struggle to find appropriate methods. Ravonne A. Green provides everything librarians must know to pick appropriate case studies, and makes "Case Study Research" a reference to have on hand for every librarian and library administrator.

Academic Branch Libraries in Changing Times
Nevenka Zdravkovska
Chandros
c/o Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038-4512
9781843346302, $75.00, www.neal-schuman.com

As money runs thin, libraries often are the first to go. "Academic Branch Libraries in Changing Times" is a guide to keeping efficiency in trying times for branch libraries, the libraries dedicated to certain departments of academia. Nevenka Zdravkovska offers her expertise as the head of department libraries in how these libraries can survive and thrive in trying times while serving their branch well. Practical and straightforward about the future of branch libraries, "Academic Branch Libraries in Changing Times" is an excellent reference for any librarian and library administrator in academic institutions.

Library Management Tips That Work
Carol Smallwood, editor
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
9780838911211, $49.50, www.alastore.ala.org

Good library management is essential to keeping a library successful and functional. "Library Management Tips That Work" is an insightful compilation of essays from many librarians, compiled under the care of Carol Smallwood. Recounting many real experiences and the challenges that came with it, librarians will learn the importance of keeping budget, catering to all ages, and embracing the power of the internet. Additional chapters discuss public relations, staffing concerns, and working with one's superiors, all discussed with much expertise. "Library Management Tips That Work" is a core addition to any library science reference collection.


The Native American Studies Shelf

Go East, Young Man
Richard V. Francaviglia
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill
Logan, Utah 84322
9780874218091, $36.95, www.USUPress.org

Native American culture was an enigma to European Americans, so they turned to what they knew only slightly better - the orient. "Go East, Young Man" delves into the perceptions of the American West and American Indian culture, as Richard V. Francaviglia offers parallels between the depictions of American Indians and the American ideal of China and Japan. Stating that these perceptions were both incorrect, he offers a unique view of history and its impact, and the changing perception of these races of people. "Go East, Young Man" is a strongly recommended discussion of history and race relations, and our the results of the human lack of understanding one another.


The Criminology Shelf

Evidence from the Earth, second edition
Raymond C. Murray
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399
Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425778, $16.00, www.mountain-press.com

What do CSI and geology have in common? A lot more than you'd think. "Evidence from the Earth: Forensic Geology and Criminal Investigation" delves into the uses criminal justice has found with geology and forensics and how they are used to find evidence, debunk fraud, and more. The earth is beneath all of us, and humanity's treks over it leave much evidence that only geologists may be able to understand. A unique look at an important but not often heard of discipline of criminal investigation, "Evidence from the Earth" is a choice pick for any geological science or criminology community library collection.


The Biography Shelf

A Different Time, A Different Man
Stephen Clarkson
Peter E. Randall, Publisher
PO Box 4726, Portsmouth, NH 03802-4726
9781931807982 $24.95 www.perpublisher.com

Accessibly written for readers of all backgrounds, A Different Time, A Different Man: The Story of John L. Sullivan is a biography of the man who served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during FDR's presidency, and Secretary of the Navy to President Truman. His drive and dedication played a key role in securing funds for America's efforts in World War II, and after the war he fought to preserve the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Gifted with vision, Sullivan helped pave the way to unifying America's three military services; made the historic decision to build America's first nuclear-powered submarine (the USS Nautilus); and ultimately resigned his post in protest of Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson's decisions to abruptly cancel the construction of a new aircraft supercarrier, as well as Johnson's desire to end the Marine Corps by merging it with the Army. A man dedicated to his principles throughout his political career, John L. Sullivan was an extraordinary, passionate, and captivating leader, and his biography is an excellent addition to public and college library shelves.

LeMay
Warren Kozak
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9781596987692, $18.95, www.regnery.com

To get anywhere as a leader, you have to be a little crazy. "LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay" is a biography of this controversial figure of World War II through Vietnam by Warren Kozak, journalist who regularly contributes to the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. LeMay shares an air with Patton as often decried as warmonger, but Kozak offers a view of the calculated mind of LeMay and why he made the decisions he did, knowing the consequences and his career as a military man, strategist, adviser, and politician. "LeMay" is an utterly fascinating read of one of the most controversial figures to ever claim the title of General in United States history.

Elizabeth and Hazel
David Margolick
Yale University Press
PO Box 209040
New Haven, CT 06520-9040
9780300141931, $26.00, http://yalepress.yale.edu

Time heals, and makes you regret the decisions you made at as a much younger, more foolish person. "Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock" is a dual biography of sorts, as David Margolick looks at the famous Little Rock Nine in a smaller scope, Elizabeth Eckford, an African American teenager who entered Little Rock Central High School in the force of ending segregation, and one of the white teenagers that day who was angrily shouting at the nine as they entered in Hazel Bryan. The situation was captured in a photograph, and years later, the two met face to face and reconciled. A study of changing attitudes and forgiveness, "Elizabeth and Hazel" makes for a fascinating and music recommended read, not to be overlooked.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Unemployed, But Moving On!
Charyl Butler Long
Impact Publications
9104 Manassas Drive, Suite N
Manassas Park, VA 20111
9781570233258, $13.95, www.impactpublications.com

It's hard to find a good job, but giving up isn't going to make a job spontaneously appear. "Unemployed, But Moving On!: Smart Job Searching in a Web-Based World and a Sucky Economy" is a guide to finding a job in today's rough economy where hope doesn't seem to be in high supply. Stating what to expect, being at one's best, and making it though job losses, "Unemployed, But Moving On!" is a useful and much recommended read for those who want to survive this hostile job market.


The Reference Shelf

BRB's Guide to County Court Records
Facts on Demand Press
BRB Publications
PO Box 27869, Tempe, AZ 85285-7869
9781889150574, $34.50, www.brbpublications.com

Records are immense in number, making them often quite daunting to study. "BRB's Guide to County Court Records: A Complete National Resource to Criminal, Civil, and Probate Records Found at the Nation's State, County, Parish, and Municipal Courts" is a guide for anyone who is tasked with finding anything and everything surrounding record research and study. Stating where to find clerks who are charge of searching records, state by state laws, web databases, fees that may be involved, and much more. A complete and comprehensive research on studying these records, "BRB's Guide to County Court Records" is an excellent pick and much recommended addition to community library collections, a good place to start for anyone who is charging themselves with searching the vast court records of the United States.


The Nautical Shelf

Voyage to Jamestown
Robert D. Hicks
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591143765, $29.95, www.navalinstitute.org

When the world is against your progress, you need to on your toes with your wits to succeed and survive. "Voyage to Jamestown: Practical Navigation in the Age of Discovery" is a discussion of seamanship in the Age of Discovery, where Europeans struck out to find out what was there in the corner of the world. Wisely using the technology they had to the fullest, Robert D. Hicks presents a fictional crew and uses storytelling to show how such a group would fare the oceans with no destination clear. "Voyage to Jamestown" is a riveting delve into history, enhanced with many photographs and illustrations, very much recommended.


The Science Shelf

Solar System
Marcus Chown
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
9781579128852, $29.95, www.blackdogandleventhal.com

Even within our own solar system, there are countless mysteries that intrigue us. "Solar System: A Visual Exploration of the Planets, Moons, and Other Heavenly Bodies that Orbit Our Sun" is a coffee table sized science book that explores the mysteries that lie in our own solar system and the many celestial bodies throughout the Milky Way. Moons, asteroids, the rings of Saturn are all discussed, with articles discussing details about each. From life on Titan, Uranus's first name, the demotion of Pluto, and much more. "Solar System" is an endlessly fascinating read about our little corner of the universe what lies within it.


The Civil War Shelf

Captain Joseph Boyce and the 1st Missouri Infantry, C.S.A.
William C. Winter
Missouri History Museum
c/o University of Missouri Press (distribution)
2910 LeMone Boulevard
Columbia, MO 65201
9781883982706 $23.95 www.mohistory.org www.umsystem.edu/upress

Civil War historian William C. Winter presents Captain Joseph Boyce and the 1st Missouri Infantry, C.S.A. is the detailed, month-by-month story of one of Missouri's most organized and disciplined volunteer regiments during the American Civil War. Chapters collect the primary testimony of Captain Joseph Boyce of Company D (the St. Louis Greys), and expand on it with historical research and perspective, while maintaining a focus on the regiment's actions during the Civil War. A bibliography and index enhance fascinating and thoughtful glimpse of the harsh realities of battle, made accessible to readers of all backgrounds through the author's smooth enhancements, commentaries, notes and bridge narration. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library Civil War history shelves.


The Anthropology Shelf

Young Men In Uncertain Times
Vered Amit & Noel Dyck, editors
Berghahn Books
150 Broadway, Suite 812
New York, NY 10038
www.berghahnbooks.com
9780857452498, $95.00, www.amazon.com

In simpler, pre-industrial societies young males had more definitive criteria as to what constituted the transition from childhood to adulthood, as well as the rights and responsibilities of being a man. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Vered Amit (Professor of Anthropology, Concordia University) and Noel Dyck (Professor of Social Anthropology, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia), "Young Men In Uncertain Times" is a 346-page compendium of studies and reports on contemporary issues facing young men 'coming of age' in various and diverse parts of the world. After an informed and informative introduction by anthropologists Vered Amit and Noel Dyck, the eleven scholarly contributions range from 'Institutionalizing an Extended Youth Phase in Chinese Society', to 'Gendered Modernities and Traditions: Masculinity and Nationalism in the Society Islands', to 'Young Men, Trouble, and the Law: A French Case', to Big Man System, Short Life Culture: Working-Class Boys and Street Violence in Southeast London'. An impressive and seminal body of work, "Young Men In Uncertain Times" is strongly recommended for professional and academic library Social Anthropology reference collections in general, and Male Gender Studies supplemental reading lists in particular.


The Large Print Shelf

Trailing Wing
Abe Dancer
Lindford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781444807882, $20.99, www.ulverscroftusa.com

"Trailing Wing" is the story of Jubal Lorde who is conducting a cattle drive from Colorado to the Wyoming town of Pitchfork when his herd gets stolen and his friend Billy is killed. If there's to be any justice down for himself or his friend, Jubal is going to have to obtain the hard way amidst the smell of gunsmoke. This large print edition of "Trailing Wing" is a highly recommended novel that will prove to be a satisfying read for western adventure enthusiasts and a popular addition to community library Large Print collections. Indeed, librarians would be well served by visiting the Ulverscroft Large Print web site for a complete listing of their 'Lindford Western Library" large print titles in the western fiction genre.


The Geography Shelf

Atlas Of The World, eighteenth edition
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199829958, $89.95, www.oup.com/us

Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded eighteenth edition, the Oxford University Press "Atlas Of The World" is a 448-page, superbly illustrated reference work that will continue to be a cornerstone of all school, community, and academic library reference collections. This new edition features global satellite imagery, newly formed countries such as South Sudan, data on global food distribution, international shipping piracy, world maps, transportation information, climate change, global patterns of employment and industry, standards of living, agriculture, population and migration, and so much more. Of special note is the up-to-date information on global conflicts. Authoritative, informed, informative, and thoroughly 'user friend', "Atlas Of The World" is also very highly recommended for personal studies and family collections as well!


The Archaeology Shelf

Stone Artifacts Of Texas Indians, third edition
Ellen Sue Turner, et al.
Taylor Trade Publishing
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781589794641, $29.95, www.rowman.com

A key archaeological component in the study of antiquarian Native American cultures are the stone implements they've left beyond, especially arrowheads and spearheads. The collaborative work of Ellen Sue Turner, Thomas R. Hester, Harry J. Shafer, and painstakingly illustrated throughout by Richard L. McReynolds, "Stone Artifacts of Texas Indians" is a 366-page compendium showcasing more than 200 projectile points and stone tools taken from Texas-based archaeological digs. Of special note is the informative and descriptive commentary on environmental factors, locales, and types of artifacts creating portraits of ancient Native American cultures. Now in a thoroughly updated and expanded third edition, "Stone Artifacts of Texas Indians" is a critically important and strongly recommended scholarly addition to professional and academic library Native American Studies and American Archaeological Studies instructional reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Handbook Of Research On Entrepreneurship Policies In Central And Eastern Europe
Friederike Welter & David Smallbone
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781848440869, $160.00, www.amazon.com

With the fall of the Soviet Union, European nations that had only socialism-based economic systems suddenly found themselves thrust into the highly competitive world of capitalist economic systems. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Friederike Welter (Jonkoping International Business School, Sweden and TeliaSonera Professorship, Stockholm School of Economics, Riga, Latvia) and David Smallbone (Small Business Research Centre, Kingston University, UK), "Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship Policies in Central and Eastern Europe" is a 272-page compendium comprised of twelve informed and informative articles by experts organized into three major sections: Entrepreneurship Policies in the New Europe; Entrepreneurship Policies Beyond the European Union; and Challenges for Entrepreneurship Policies in a Wider Europe. A work of seminal and original economic scholarship, the "Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship Policies in Central and Eastern Europe" is strongly recommended as a core addition to governmental and academic library Economic Policy Studies reference collections, and critically important reading for economists and academicians concerned with Europeans current economic crisis.

The Devil's Derivatives
Nicholas Dunbar
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way
Boston, MA 02163
9781422177815, $27.95, http://hbr.org/books

Risk at times can be good, but risk junkies on Wall Street all too often ends in tragedy. "The Devil's Derivatives: The Untold Story of the Slick Traders and Hapless Regulators Who Almost Blew Up Wall Street ...and Are Ready To Do It Again" discusses the current financial crisis and what lead to something far worse, and how the world is quickly on a path to another, even more devastating collapse. Stating that Wall Street was once satisfied with safe and predictable economic victories, it has become obsessed with the big ones, which leads to huge risk takers infecting Wall Street and has lead to economic peril for the world at large. "The Devil's Derivatives" presents an intriguing and original analysis of the problems that Wall Street has been spreading to the world.


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


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