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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 20, Number 11 November 2010 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Self-Help Shelf American History Shelf
International Studies Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Crafts Shelf Education Shelf Gardening Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Computer Shelf Architecture Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Cookbook Shelf Art Shelf
Political Science Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Music Shelf Business Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf
Biography Shelf Social Issues Shelf Military Shelf
Photography Shelf Science Shelf Gaming Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Human Sexuality Shelf Fiction Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Travel Shelf Wine Shelf
Library CD Music Shelf Library DVD Shelf Native American Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Criminology Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Agriculture Shelf Holocaust Studies Shelf
Literary Shelf Humor Shelf Poetry Shelf
Library Science Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Economics Shelf
Civil War Shelf Railroading Shelf Mythology Shelf
Sports Shelf World History Shelf Language Studies Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Fashion Shelf Parenting Shelf Psychology Shelf
Hunting/Fishing Shelf Woodworking Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

The Reluctant Entertainer
Sandy Coughlin
Bethany House
c/o Baker Publishing Group
11400 Hampshire Ave. S., Bloomington, MN 55438
9780764207501, $17.99, www.bethanyhouse.com

Not everyone wants to be the hostess, but sometimes it can't be helped. "The Reluctant Entertainer: Every Woman's Guide to Simple and Gracious Hospitality" is a guide to quick and simple hospitality which can cut to the essence of the matter quickly and efficiently. Designed to help those who aren't usually playing the role of hostess to adapt and be a good one on short notice, Sandy Coughlin gives readers a far reaching and grasping outlook for making the most out of low experience. Filled with recipes and other useful resources, "The Reluctant Entertainer" is not to be missed.

A Gathering of Angels
Victoria Leland
ACTA Publications
4848 N, Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60640
9780879464271, $12.95, www.actapublications.com

The loss of a child is at most devastating when life never got a chance to begin. "A Gathering of Angels: Seeking Healing after an Infant's Death" is a grief counseling guide for mothers who are facing the ultimate loss, where they lose their infant children early in their life. Designed as a support to these mothers through the symbolism of angels that will ring true for any faith, "A Gathering of Angels" is a fine read that will support many women on these tragedies.

Pioneers
Stephen MacDonosh
Brandon
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9780863224331, $34.95, www.brandonbooks.com

The family of Barack Obama is one that delves deep into history and has many differing routes. "Pioneers: The Frontier Family of Barack Obama" looks into the roots of the president's maternal family, and the history of the Dunhams. Looking to gain perspective on the individual through his deep family history, an understanding of Obama's mixed roots provides an educational and thoughtful read. "Pioneers" is a unique addition to any history collection focusing on genealogy.

Handmade Living
Lotta Jansdotter
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811865470, $29.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Home crafts can be more than personally fulfilling, it can be very useful, and an outlet for creativity. "Handmade Living: A Fresh Take on Scandinavian Style" is a tour of the home of famed designer Lotta Jansdotter as she gives readers a tour of her home and shows off her take on the traditional Swedish with n n emphasis on handcrafting. Hoping to inspire others to take up the craft with plenty of full color photographs, "Handmade Living" is an excellent design and coffee table book.

Madness at the Gates of the City
Barry Spector
Regent Press
2747 Regent Street, Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587901737, $22.00, www.regentpress.net

Through the classics, one can gain a intriguing look at the status of modern America. "Madness at the Gates of the City: The Myth of American Innocence" uses the lens of Greek Mythology to analyze America and its history. From the mythology created in the modern day about the past to the truth of the same past, America has much in common with the ancient Greek mythology that Western culture draws so much from. "Madness at the Gates of the City" is an excellent read with very much to think about.

Aunting
Laura L. Ellingson & Patricia J. Sotirin
Baylor University
PO Box 97363, Waco, TX 76798
9781602581524, $24.95, www.baylorpress.com

Plenty of books look toward the role of the mother and father, but what of the aunt? "Aunting: Cultural Practices That Sustain Family and Community Life"looks at the role of the aunt, a role that is not necessarily relegated entirely to the sister of a parent. This place of kinship is a major role in the lives of many young people as they grow, and Laura Ellingson and Patricia J. Sotirin provide an expert analysis of this dynamic and its importance. "Aunting" is a fascinating twist on familial life, and makes for a very highly recommended read.

Map Scripting 101
Adam Duvander
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
9781593272715, $34.95, www.nostarch.com

Maps are wonderful ways to display information, and with the advancement of the information age, interactivity has made them even greater sources of information. "Map Scripting 101: An Example-Driven Guide to Building Interactive Maps with Bing, Yahoo! and Google Maps" delves on how create online maps using the many internet map services available through popular providers. Covering the process from start to finish and how to use many advanced languages to enhance one's use, "Map Scripting 101" is a useful resource which shouldn't be missed for any business looking to use interactive maps as a major tool.

Soapmaking the Natural Way
Rebecca Ittner
Lark Books
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781600596018, $19.95, www.larkbooks.com

SOAPMAKING THE NATURAL WAY tells how to use ingredients form herbs and flowers to oils to learn a safer method of soapmaking than the old lye and chemical harsh methods. Basic techniques are covered with over forty eco-friendly projects attached, with color photos providing keys to producing all kinds of soaps, from hand soaps and foot soaps to lemon bar scrubs.

Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things
Reader's Digest
letters@rd.com
9780762106493, $15.95, www.rd.com

Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things offers a fine compendium of ordinary household products and how they can be used for different things. From polishing rings with toothpaste to cleaning ink stains and using cooking spray to prevent sauce stains, this packs in over 2,000 ways to save money and time with common products and is a fine reference for any general lending library!

The VES Handbook of Visual Effects
Jeffrey A. Okun & Susan Zwerman, Editors
Focal Press
30 Corporate Drive, #400, Burlington, MA 01803
9780240812427, $64.95, www.focalpress.com

The VES Handbook of Visual Effects offers a fine technical reference for any college-level collection strong in media technology. It surveys visual effects techniques and best practices learned from both research and practical applications, covering techniques for all VFX artists and producers and applying technical knowledge to industry standards. A 'must' for any involved in any aspect of visual effects production.

How to Disappear
Frank M. Ahearn with Eileen C. Horan
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
www.lyonspress.com
9781599219776, $16.95, www.globepequot.com

HOW TO DISAPPEAR: ERASE YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT, LEAVE FALSE TRAILS, AND VANISH WITHOUT A TRACE comes from an author who built his first career by finding people who didn't want to be found - from celebrities to White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The 'skip tracer' techniques he developed in the process lead to his second career counseling those who didn't want to be found - and lends an expertise to this fine recommendation for any general lending library.


The Self-Help Shelf

Peace in the Present Moment
Eckhart Tolle & Byron Katie
Hampton Roads
c/o Red Wheel, Conari, Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781571746436, $16.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

A bit of peace in the now goes far in making one's life a more serene and enjoyable place. "Peace in the Present Moment" is a collection of spiritual ponderings from Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie as they combine to give readers a collection of musings and affirmations on the world to help ponder the nature of everything. With beautiful full color nature photos throughout, "Peace in the Present Moment" will prove to be a fascinating and very highly recommended pick.

Among Angels
Jane Seymour
Guideposts
16 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016
9780824948504, $14.99

It can be hard to remember there are those who will be there for you. "Among Angels" is a collection of inspiration from Jane Seymour as she discusses the angels, both those of faith and those in everyday life. Hoping to help readers keep their own heads up and drive themselves with faith, "Among Angels" is an excellent collection and a solid recommendation.

You Get to Say
Randy J. Gibbs
Cedar Fort
2373 W. 700 S. Springville, UT 84663
9781599554617, $11.99, www.cedarfort.com

The first step to solving your problems is to stop thinking of them as problems. "You Get to Say: Making Sense of Trials, Setbacks, and Negative Surprises" is an inspirational read from Randy Gibbs, a legally blind man who has ignored his disability to live his life to the fullest and how to make the most of it despite one's problems. With a positive attitude that's hard to overlook, "You Get to Say" is an excellent read, very highly recommended.

I Can Make You Confident
Paul McKenna
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781402769221, $22.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

I Can Make You Confident: The Power to Go for Anything You Want includes a guided hypnosis CD and offers the author's insights on how to activate confidence and motivation. Any library strong in self-help guides will find this a positive survey of easy techniques to short-circuit fear and create confidence and self-belief in a few minutes. Any general self-help collection needs this!

The Power
Rhonda Byrne
Atria Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439181782, $23.95, www.simonandschuster.com

THE POWER provides a fine, vivid survey of how to supercharge and realize the personal power within. From the power's relationship to human lives and aspirations to handling love as the ultimate life power, this identifies powerful aspirations, how to take reactions off negative, automatic pilot, and how to achieve personal power and positive achievement.


The American History Shelf

Domestic Broils
Elizabeth A. De Wolfe
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498082, $19.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

The Shaker society is one that is incredibly strict, and by no means for everyone. "Domestic Broils: Shakes, Antebellum Marriage, and the Narratives of Mary and Joseph Dyer" is an analysis of the historical feud of divorce that erupted between Joseph and Mary Dyer. The Dyers with their children joined the Shaker community in Enfield, New Hampshire. Mary could not take the strictness of the society, and left, but could not take her children with her. Wanting to free her children from her still Shaker-loyal husband, what erupted in what was truly a nasty mudslinging contest between the couple. Looking at the place of the Shakers in early America, "Domestic Broils" is a fascinating read that is an excellent addition to New England history collections.

One Homogeneous People
Trent A. Watts
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
9781572335035 $42.00 www.utpress.org 1-800-621-2736

One Homogeneous People: Narratives of White Southern Identity, 1890-1920 is a scholarly study of the "pan-whiteness" of Southern identity during and after the turn of the 20th century. Author Trent A. Watts (assistant professor of American studies, Missouri University of Science and Technology) presents a convincing portray of turn-of-the-century white Southerners as largely unified by common history, bonds of family and community, and an firmly entrenched and shared belief in white supremacy. Watts argues that these factors surpassed divisions of religion, class and ethnicity. Chapters of "One Homogeneous People" explore the language of white Southern identity; manhood/family/white identity in "The Leopard's Spots"; how Southern history and literature have been canonized; and how the Neshoba County Fair of Mississippi demonstrated the connections of whiteness and community. A measured, critical, and solidly researched accounting of how white Southerners of a century ago perceived one another, One Homogeneous People is an excellent addition to college library American History and sociology shelves.

Forts, Fights, and Frontier Sites
Candy Moulton
High Plains Press
PO Box 123, Glendo, WY 82213
9780931271922 $17.95 www.highplainspress.com 1-800-552-7819

Journalist and historian Candy Moulton presents Forts, Fights, and Frontier Sites: Wyoming Historic Sites lives up to its title with brief yet vivid descriptions of an immense variety of hallmark historical sites that one can visit in Wyoming. From way stations to military establishments, Pony Express stations, Oregon Trail sites, ferries, hog ranches, railroad stations, and more, Forts, Fights, and Frontier Sites is packed with places to intrigue the casual history browser, or even inspire the intrepid tourist. A handful of black-and-white photographs, a bibliography, and an index round out this engaging browser reference.

Woman in the Wilderness
Nancy Bunge
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9780870139789 $24.95 www.msupress.msu.edu

Woman in the Wilderness: Letters of Harriet Wood Wheeler, Missionary Wife, 1832-1892 collects the correspondence written by a nineteenth century missionary wife, particularly notable in how they reveal the relationships between American Indians and white settlers of the Great Lakes region. Her writings also cover her experiences among the female work force at the mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, and at Ipswitch Female Seminary, one of the first schools for women teachers. An absorbing primary testimony of daily life in America well over a century ago, Woman in the Wilderness is highly recommended.

Written in Blood
Richard F. Selcer and Kevin S. Foster
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574412963 $16.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

Written in Blood: The History of Fort Worth's Fallen Lawmen Volume 1 1861-1909 is more than a historical chronicle; it is also a tribute to the policemen, sheriffs, constables, "special officers", and more who gave their lives to uphold law and order in Fort Worth's early years. Vintage black-and-white photographs illustrate this stirring, true-life testimony of heroism and sacrifice. Written in Blood is highly recommended reading, and a commendable addition to both college and public library Texas history shelves.

The Dragon's Tail
Robert A. Jacobs
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558497276, $24.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

THE DRAGON'S TAIL: AMERICANS FACE THE ATOMIC AGE analyzes the early impact of atomic power on American culture and society, considering the common themes and images related to the bomb's development and considering the social climate that evolved around it, from considerations of how to survive a nuclear war to how nuclear power was presented in films, novels, magazines and by the government. A fine, key acquisition for any social history collection focusing on evolving American responses to the nuclear age!

Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment, third edition
John Witte Jr. & Joel A. Nichols
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344751, $42.00, www.westviewpress.com

Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment provides an excellent multidisciplinary approach to American religious liberty, appears in a third updated edition, and provides college-level history classes with an in-depth survey of the history, theory, law and analysis of American religious liberty form colonial to modern times. This is the only coverage to provide a review of all facets of American religious history, and the latest edition includes seven new cases following the latest Supreme Court rulings.


The International Studies Shelf

Latin American Politics and Development, seventh edition
Howard J. Wiarda & Harvey F. Kline
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344591, $49.00, www.westviewpress.com

The seventh updated edition of Latin American Politics and Development is a 'must' for any college-level collection strong in Latin American events and development. It's been updated throughout to include contributions from new experts in the field, offers three new chapters on Bolivia, Ecuador and Mexico, and surveys the current economic crisis in Argentina, among other modern events. No college-level Latin holding should be without this in-depth analysis, which holds expanded sections on key topics.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves
Sophia Yin
TFH Publications
One TFH Plaza, Third and Union Avenues, Neptune City, NJ 07753
9780793806447, $19.95, www.tfh.com

Dogs can be a reflection of their owner in more than one way. "How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves" is a guide to dog behavior for a more harmonious relationship between pet and master. With tips on how to train your dog to behave, communicating more effectively, with graphs and tips to enhance the process, and much more, "How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves" is a read that shouldn't be missed for those seeking a more well behaved companion.

Hunters in the Trees: A Natural History of Arboreal Snakes
Richard A. Sajdak
Krieger Publishing Company
1725 Krieger Lane, Melabar, FL 32950-3323
9781575243030 $64.00 www.krieger-publishing.com

Richard A. Sajdak, formerly a reptile curator at the Milwaukee County Zoo for twenty years, presents Hunters in the Trees: A Natural History of Arboreal Snakes. This extensively researched, meticulously detailed compendium concerning the behaviors these snakes have learned to survive, and how various types of tree snakes differ from one another. Chapter notes, a bibliography, and an index of common and scientific names, and small color photographs interspersed into almost every two-age spread round out this superb addition to any herpetology library.

Going to the Dogs
Jan Nieman
New Chapter Publisher
1765 Ringling Blvd, Ste 300, Sarasota, FL 34236
9780984174577, $22.95, www.newchapterpublisher.com

It's not easy dealing with dogs, especially when traveling. "Going to the Dogs: Confessions of a Mobile Pet Groomer" is a memoir of mobile pet groomer, as author Jan Nieman spent over two decades dealing with the endeavor, giving a unique collection of experiences dealing with raging and somewhat annoying pets of others in order to spruce them up. A tale filled with horror and humor, "Going to the Dogs" is a fine read that will be hard to ignore, highly recommended.

Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care
Elisa M. Mazzaferro, Editor
Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256
9780813820439, $99.99, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care adds to Blackwell's 'Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion' series of vet references and is a 'must' for any college-level vet reference collection. It provides a condensed handbook with bullet points, alphabetically organized topics, and keys based on quick clinical consultation. Emergency and critical care information needs to be fast: this book's approach assures in-depth discussions don't get bogged down in organizational structure.

Do Whales Get the Bends?
Tony Rice
Sheridan House
145 Palisade St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
9781574092905, $17.95, www.sheridanhouse.com

From how deep and far penguins journey to why the blows of different whales look different and how to understand the natural history of various fish species, this belongs on any nautical or nature shelf. It comes from a cruise ship operator's synthesis of common questions by patrons and offers over 118 questions on sea life and man's relationship to the sea. The fact that each entry is only a few pages long at most makes for a title of perfect interest to browsers and lay readers.

Dawn Light
Diane Ackerman
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393338751, $15.95, www.wwnorton.com

DAWN LIGHT: DANCING WITH CRANES AND OTHER WAYS TO START THE DAY comes from a poet and naturalist who offers meditations on animal life and new beginnings in the world. A year of dawns offers both natural history and spiritual reflection on animals rising or sleeping, offering observations of birds and flora reactions to light in a moving account recommended for any general lending library strong in nature topics.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Guide to Good Health
Biran Chicoine & Dannis McGuire
Woodbine House
510 Bells Mill Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817
9781890627898, $29.95, www.woodbinehouse.com

With Down Syndrome, it takes a different approach to maintain a healthy life. "The Guide to Good Health: For Teens & Adults with Down Syndrome" is a discussion of Down syndrome the problem that can occur in individuals with the disorder later in life and the special care needed to counter and prevent them from becoming serious issues. With much thought on the connection of spiritual and mental health, issues regarding the end of life, and specific conditions discussed, "The Guide to Good Health" is a fine volume for one who is caring for another with Down Syndrome.

Clinician's Guide to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Gerald M. Rosen & B. Christopher Frueh, editor
Wiley
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
9780470450956, $70.00, www.wiley.com

Truly terrible events sit with people for a lifetime. "Clinician's Guide to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder" is a discussion of the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, which can ravage people's psyches in their long term health. Clinical psychologists in particular are necessary to understand its effects. Many psychologists offer their thoughts to approaching this challenge, and offer many valuable insights for understanding. Outlining the core issues and offering advice for treatments, "Clinician's Guide to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder" is a fine and scholarly advisory for psychologists and an informative text, highly recommended for community and college psychology collections.

Health Care Emergency Management
Michael J. Reilly & David S. Markenson
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
www.jbpub.com
9780763755133, $74.95, www.amazon.com

Every year finds news stories of hospital deficiencies with respect to their emergency services, especially when tested by an unexpected disaster event. That's why "Health Care Emergency Management: Principles and Practice", the collaborative editorial work of Michael J. Reilly and David S. Markenson, is a welcome and comprehensive instructional text for hospital and emergency services administrators and staff members. This superbly organized and presented, 512-page compendium covers all aspects of emergency care management and disaster planning with chapters written by leading and seasoned experts. Utilizing case studies and 'real world' scenarios, "Health Care Emergency Management" provides an informed and informative text that is embellished with practical examples. There are even downloadable resources (including PowerPoints and a TestBank) for emergency management course instructors, making "Health Care Emergency Management" an ideal and 'user friendly' textbook, as well as being very highly recommended for both personal study and academic reference libraries.

American Nursing
Patricia D'Antonio
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
0801895650, $30.00, www.press.jhu.edu

AMERICAN NURSING: A HISTORY OF KNOWLEDGE, AUTHORITY, AND THE MEANING OF WORK provides a fine, original survey of the history of nursing in America, considering its change from an informal, near-volunteer role to one requiring formal training of primarily women. Nurses became professionals and offered women new choices and opportunities: this offers a rich analysis of the complex relationships between the evolving nursing role and women's changes.

Food Cures
Reader's Digest
letters@rd.com
9780762107971, $17.95, www.rd.com

FOOD CURES pairs immune-boosting recipes with discussions of healing foods, pairing food choices with healing of particular conditions. Learn how to fight disease with immune-boosting food choices, and absorb 'prescriptions' for foods for lung cancer, macular degeneration, cataracts and more. Nutritional supplements are included in recipe and diet advisements.

30-Day Method
Tracy Anderson
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Publishing Company
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446562041, $25.99, www.grandcentrallifeandstyle.com

Tracy Anderson's 30-DAY METHOD: THE WEIGHT-LOSS KICK-START THAT MAKES PERFECTION POSSIBLE offers a unique workout designed to eliminate the pain and increase the benefits of weight loss. Ten years of scientific research blends with proven results training Hollywood's top stars. Unlike most exercise guides, this offers a different focus - on smaller, accessory muscles that create a long, lean look. Three proven 10-day muscle work sequences accompany a dance cardio routine on DVD and dozens of recipes for a well-rounded guide suited to any exercise collection.

Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, fifth edition
Susan M. Love, MD with Karen Lindsey
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738213590, $22.00, www.dacapopress.com

This fully updated, revised fifth edition of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book reflects the latest and many changes in breast health research which represents a virtual revolution in the field. New discoveries are even questioning the foundation of early detection and uniform responses to breast cancer, presenting the concept that more aggressive treatment is more effective. Many shifts in breast health science make this massive coverage a key acquisition for any health library.

Instant Recess
Toni Yancey
University of California Press
2120 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
Jane Wesman Public Relations (publicity)
322 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1702, New York, NY 10001
9780520263765, $22.95, www.ucpress.edu

Good health shouldn't take a lot of time. "Instant Recess: Building a Fit Nation 10 Minutes at a Time"is a guide to finding one's own sense of health and well-being without destroying one's life in the process. Aimed at both employers and employees, Tony Yancey states that healthy people make happier employees and happier employees make for a better running business. "Instant Recess" is full of plenty of wisdom and is a solidly recommended read all around.


The Crafts Shelf

Craft Hope: Homemade Crafts for a Cause
Jade Sims
Lark
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781600596247, $17.95, www.larkbooks.com

Craft Hope: Homemade Crafts for a Cause offers crafters a special book following the meaning and mix of craft and community and tells of her founding of crafthope.com, an organization that combines crafting with a desire to help others. Tens of thousands of crafters in more than 100 countries now follow the Craft Hope site and make handmade items for cause around the world, and this book documents projects that can be made and donated to specific charities.

Blinkybugs! Make Your Own Electronic Insects
Ken Murphy
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811871402, $19.99, www.chroniclebooks.com

Blinkybugs! Make Your Own Electronic Insects receives outstanding illustration by Alexander Tarrant: while not a lending library pick, it's a superior, highly recommended gift pick for anyone with kids. The blinky bugs teach kids about electricity and circuitry and everything needed to build three such bugs is included here. A booklet of step-by-step instruction accompanies very simple tools.

Create Colorful Aluminum Jewelry
Helen Harle
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164049, $14.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Create Colorful Aluminum Jewelry provides an excellent survey of how to use aluminum cans to make fine jewelry. Some 20 projects offer designs and variations, covering punch out shapes and easy steps to making affordable, appealing jewelry designs. A lovely addition to any jeweler's craft guides!


The Education Shelf

Learning to Love Math
Judy Willis
ASCD
1703 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416610366, $23.96, www.ascd.org

Math can prove a hard topic to be enthusiastic for. "Learning to Love Math: Teaching Strategies that Change Student Attitudes and Get Results" is a guide for teachers who want to encourage students to take a stronger interest in mathematics, promoting it as a challenge that anyone can accomplish and encouraging the useful elements one would find for use in everyday life. With advice on appealing to many levels of education, "Learning to Love Math" is a key guide for teachers who want better education through enthusiasm.

The Lessons Learned Handbook
Nick Milton
Chandos Publishing
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038
9781843345879, $99.95, www.chandospublishing.com

All the information in the world won't help you if you don't know what to do with it. "The Lessons Learned Handbook" is a guide for businesses who want to promote the importance of learning from experience, a subject that often falls through the cracks of understanding. Encouraging success from failure and learning form the past, Nick Milton, a knowledge management specialists, states that everything is a learning experience, and explains this concept more completely through how one learns, and the principles of trial and error. With additional notes on technology, how to share knowledge, and experiences from other businesses, "The Lessons Learned Handbook" is full of information and makes for a highly useful and highly recommended read.

The Highly Engaged Classroom
Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, Tammy Heflebower
Solution Tree
304 West Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47404
9780982259245 $29.95 www.solution-tree.com

Part of "The Classroom Strategies Series", The Highly Engaged Classroom is a solid guide for educators to getting high levels of attention from their students. Strategies range from refining one's pacing, to incorporating physical movement, using games or friendly controversy, connecting to students' lives, using effective verbal feedback, and more. Examples, guidelines, and more user-friendly material fill this excellent accessory of classroom-tested tactics recommended for educators of students at all grade levels, from elementary to college students.

Democracy and Higher Education
Scott J. Peters,Theodore R. Alter, Neil Schwartzbach
Michigan State University Press
Manly Miles Building, Suite 25, 1405 South Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9780870139765 $44.95 www.msupress.msu.edu

What is the purpose of academia in today's system of democracy. "Democracy and Higher Education: Traditions and Stories of Civic Engagement" discusses the role of higher education in civics. From the questions asked and their many answers, he details many of those involved in this practice and provides a insightful discussion all the way through. Drawing on many lessons and thoughts, "Democracy and Higher Education" is a scholarly and well composed volume, sure to add to the discussion on the value of academia in the democratic system.

Digital Tools for Teaching
Steve Johnson
Maupin House
2416 NW 71st Plae, Gainesville, FL 32653
9781934338841, $23.95, www.maupinhouse.com

More than every, technological literacy is very important. "Digital Tools for Teaching: 30 E-Tools for Collaborating, Creating, and Publishing Across the Curriculum" is a guide fo using Web 2.0 as a powerful tool for education and how to use it to its fullest. Describing the educational potential from the obvious like Google Earth to the not so obvious like Twitter, Steve Johnson gives a strong and very useful resource that shouldn't be overlooked. "Digital Tools for Teaching" is a must for any technology-minded educator.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, New York, NY 10004-1789
9781603290241, $22.00, www.mla.og

In college, a certain level of skill and style is required in one's work. "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers" is a guide for college students who want to troubleshoot their own research papers and create something truly magnificent and excellently written. A resource that touches on much in working with the English language and what is expected of potentially publishable material, "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers" is an incredibly useful resource for any college student who wants to go that extra mile with their work.

Web 2.0 How to for Educators
Gwen Solomon & Lynne Scrum
ISTE
1710 Rhode Island Ave., NW Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036
9781564842725, $34.95, www.iste.org

The new wave of social media and interactivity with the internet has made many new opportunities for education. "Web 2.0 How-To For Educators" is a guide for educators on how to use the newest form of the internet and communications tools to its fullest extent. With greater amount of information at everyone's fingertips, a teacher can guide their students to a greater educational experience with ease. Filled cover to cover with plenty of ideas and resources, "Web 2.0 How-To for Educators" is something that should be at the hands of every technology-minded teacher.

Lens on Outdoor Learning
Wendy Banning & Ginny Sullivan
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605540245, $49.95, www.redleafpress.org

The great outdoors has plenty to teach the young and curious. "Lens on Outdoor Learning" is a guide for those who want to teach very young children the wonders of the natural world through the great outdoors. Filled with tips and activities to encourage children's natural curiosity about the world around them, Wendy Banning and Ginny Sullivan draw on their own particular experience with outdoor education and provide a packed book with full color photos throughout. A powerful resource for educating pre-Kindergarten to early elementary grade children, "Lens on Outdoor Learning" is not a resource to be missed.

Content-Based Curriculum for High-Ability Learners, second edition
Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D. & Catherine A. Little. Ph.D.
Prufrock Press Inc.
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
1593633998, $95.00, www.prufrock.com

The second edition of Content-Based Curriculum for High-Ability Learners provides a fine introduction to curriculum development in gifted and talented education, and comes from a range of experts who use the latest curriculum design techniques to discuss content and government standards. The basics of curriculum development, from accelerated learning in content areas to concept development, are covered in a fine set of techniques organized into chapters covering how to adapt curricula to student needs. From concept-oriented ideas to professional development to support curriculum changes, this should be a key acquisition for any education collection focusing on gifted learning opportunities and strategies!

Prufrock Press Inc.
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com

Manisha Shelley Kaura And S.R. Kaura, MD's ROCKIN' ROOT WORDS offers a powerful set teaching the most common roots, suffixes and prefixes, providing a series of cartoons and visuals to cement learning, and presenting a workbook packed with charts, reproducibles, and topics. Word parts are taught using 'word webs' and offers relationships students can understand from daily life. Book 1 (9781593634148, $19.95) covers grades 3-5; Book 2 (9781593634155, $19.95) reaches grades 6-8. They're top picks any education collection should have. Also a top pick is BUDDING BOTANISTS: A Life Science Unit for High-Ability Learners in Grades 1-2 (1593633866, $39.95). It comes from the Center for Gifted Education and helps kids investigate botany with a series of discussions on the life cycles of plants and how plants can be used to various purposes. This book easily keys to curriculum objectives in science and is a fine choice.

Deeno's Dream Journeys in the Big Blue Bubble
Julia Langensiepen
Jessica Kingsley, Publishers
400 Market St., Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849050395, $26.95, www.jkp.com

Deeno's Dream Journeys in the Big Blue Bubble: A Relaxation Programme to Help Children Manage Their Emotions provides a fine introduction to special relaxation techniques for children. Each week a new story about the adventures of Deeno the Dinosaur uses a fantasy world to teach a new set of 'magic words' for relaxation. Any adult seeking to guide kids to calming relaxation techniques will find this child-oriented approach to be different and useful.

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

The second updated 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) comes with a CD of handouts in English and Spanish (Spanish handouts by Tulio M. Otero and Mary A. Moreno), and packs in details and photocopiable instructions that fit with RTI goals and help build foundational skills form memory and listening to self-control. Entire classes as well as individuals will benefit from this course of instruction. The second edition includes nearly thirty new handouts and Spanish translations, keeping this an exceptional acquisition. Also exceptional is Dawn M. Den, Victoria Carr and Susan Hart Bell's ADDRESSING CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS (1557669848, $34.95), a teacher's guide to preventing and resolving common behavior problems in young children. Early childhood teachers receive a guide based on the latest research that tells how to use verbal and nonverbal communication to strengthen relationships with kids and families alike, with a CD-ROM included with printable tools and worksheets. From free play to naptime and changes, this comes packed with powerful keys to success. Susan B. Neuman and Michael L. Kamil's PREPARING TEACHERS FOR THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOM: PROVEN MODELS & KEY PRINCIPLES (1598570811, $39.95) provides early childhood educators with a fine survey of lessons learned form the eight top-performing programs to receive grants. From who benefits from professional development participation to proven models for choosing content and mentoring, this is a fine pick for any early education library.

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

David B. Spangler's STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING WHOLE NUMBER COMPUTATION: USING ERROR ANALYSIS FOR INTERVENTION AND ASSESSMENT (1412981069, $35.95) packs in many rare details for teachers on error analysis, offering keys to the common mistakes students make, and how to correct them. Through error analysis teachers can identify common math issues students have - and can encourage students to make their own corrections. No educator's library should be without this approach. Also recommended is Denise H. Daniels and Patricia K. Clarkson's A DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH TO EDUCATING YOUNG CHILDREN (9781412981149, $25.95), a fine survey showing how current research and theory from educational psychology can help create a child-centered learning environment. From how kids develop to how to create positive relationships in developmentally appropriate classrooms, this comes packed with case studies, exercises, games and tools. Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria G. Dove's COLLABORATION AND CO-TEACHING: STRATEGIES FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS (9781412976503, $35.95) provides a fine survey of collaborative programs and how they foster learning for ESL students. From understanding different strategies for ELL students to using templates, planning guides and other tools, this provides both structure and well-grounded applications and is a pick any ESL educator needs. Janet A. Hale and Richard F. Dunlap, Jr.'s AN EDUCATIONAL LEADER'S GUIDE TO CURRICULUM MAPPING; CREATING AND SUSTAINING COLLABORATIVE CULTURES (9781412974196, $33.95) provides a powerful tool for administrator showing how school and district-level leaders can create and guide a curriculum mapping initiative. From how leaders can create professional development maps to examples of educational leaders' curriculum mapping needs, this packs in a fine survey for educational libraries catering to administration professionals!

Is Everybody Ready for Kindergarten?
Angele Sancho Passe
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul MN 55117-1065
9781605540153, $24.95, www.redleafpress.org

Is Everybody Ready for Kindergarten? offers early childhood professionals a range of tools for easing the transition into kindergarten for parents and young learners alike. From descriptions of typical development and characteristics of four- to six-year-olds to common concerns parents hold about kindergarten, this offers planning for kids and parents alike.


The Gardening Shelf

Eat Your Yard!
Nan K. Chase
Gibbs Smith
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1423603842, $19.99, www.gibbs-smith.com

EAT YOUR YARD! EDIBLE TREES, SHRUBS, VINES, HERBS AND FLOWERS FOR YOUR LANDSCAPE offers landscaping ideas and culinary uses for a range of flowering fruit trees and bushes, includes herbs and choices for all climates, and tells how to create an edible landscape. From choosing appropriate plants to recipes for using their bounty, this is packed with fine detail any homeowner/gardener will want to learn about.

The Resilient Gardener
Carol Deppe
Chelsea Green
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603580311, $29.95, www.chelseagreen.com

Self-sufficiency is a value very underrated in today's world. "The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times" discusses how those with space and determination can do much to make their own crops and gardens to help deal with the worst. With additional advice on how to make one's own bread through home grown crops, livestock, and more. "The Resilient Gardener" is a must for the would be do it yourself farmer.

How to Grow a School Garden
Arden Bucklin-Sporer & Rachel Kathleen Pringle
Timber Press
133 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527
9781604690002, $24.95, www.timberpress.com

How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers offers all the instruction necessary to plan for and maintain a school garden. From gaining support from teachers and administration to managing volunteers through different semesters, this tells how to reclaim a piece of schoolyard to turn it into a garden project for students and teachers to work on together. A fine pick for any educator's school project collection.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Showtime
Larry Stempel
W.W. Norton & Company
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393067156, $39.95, www.wwnorton.com

SHOWTIME: A HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL THEATER offers an in-depth, lively history of Broadway musicals in an engaging narrative starting with the Astor Palace Opera House riot of 1849 and following the subsequent growth of the musical form from minstrel shows to burlesque. Broadway stage comes to life in all its evolutionary process in a thorough history representing decades of research.

The Way Back to Mayberry
Joey Fann
B&H Publishing Group
127 Ninth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37234-0143
9781433670466, $12.99, www.bhpublishinggroup.com

The Andy Griffith Show is a classic, and for more than one reason. "The Way Back to Mayberry: Lessons from a Simpler Time" looks at the Andy Griffith show and the lessons that the show and its history has inspired on fans of the show all these years later. Taking a good discussion of the show enhanced with thirty two photos from the show and cast, "The Way Back to Mayberry" is an amusing adventure of the the charm of the Andy Griffith show, not commonly seen in today's television.

The Literary Angel
Amijo Comeford & Tamy Brunett
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
9780786446612, $35.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

The television series Angel has more thought put into than your typical spin off. "The Literary Angel: Essays on Influences and Traditions Reflected in the Joss Whedon Series" discusses the series literary background and the workings of the shows. From common themes of its characters to the story structures and tropes, Amijo Comeford & Tamy Brunett bring new light into many people's favorite series. "The Literary Angel" is a fine take on the show, a top pick for fans and students of the less obvious elements of television.

Mind Your Business
Michele Wallerstein
Michael Wiese
12400 Ventura Blvd #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781932907766, $24.95, www.mwp.com

If you can't sell it, there's really little point to it. "Mind Your Business: A Hollywood Literary Agent's Guide to Your Writing Career" discusses what's needed to write your screenplay and get it ready to have a higher chance of being sold and bought. With advice on the agent/client relationship, how to help your agent, how to find an agent, effective queries, and so much more, "Mind Your Business" is a useful guide with advice from successful screenwriters on how to get your work done in Hollywood.

101 Cult Movies You Must See Before You Die
Steven Jay Schneider
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Happauge, NY 11788
9780764163494, $14.99, www.barronseduc.com

They weren't blockbuster hits, they didn't receive a pile of awards, but they have a following of their own. "101 Cult Movies You Must See Before You Die" is a compilation of cult films that have come to prominence since the medium's inception. With films from around the world, these films have gained much infamy for their humor which pushed the limits of taste and decency during the release in the name of brutal honesty or for the sake of pushing the limit. "101 Cult Movies You Must See Before You Die" is a fine compendium for those who are searching for these films and want an understanding of their popularity.

The Great Acting Teachers
Richard Brestoff
Smith and Kraus Book
PO Box 127, Lyme NH 03768
9781575257709, $16.95

Great actors have more than one way to be great. "The Great Acting Teachers and Their Methods" is a guide to the many educators in acting and how they encourage young actors to great. Drawing from a fine collection of great acting teachers both post and present, he looks at the history of drama teaching and provides the best of what can be perused. "The Great Acting Teachers and Their Methods" is a fine collection and a top resource for drama teachers.

Scenes for Teens
Jason Pizzarello, editor
Playscripts, Inc.
450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 809, New York, NY 10123
9780981909943, $14.95, www.playscripts.com

The acting bug doesn't care what age you are. "Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens" is a collection of simple yet fun scenes aimed at younger teen actors who want to embrace drama as a hobby or even a potential career. Designed for two actors with themes and times easily doable for any would be teen thespian, "Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens" is a resource no drama teacher should miss.

Audio Production & Postproduction
Woody Woodhall
Jones & Bartlett Learning
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
9780763790714, $41.95, www.jblearning.com

A movie can look great, but it'll be shoddy if the audio is shoddy. "Audio Production & Postproduction" is a guide to capturing the sound of films to the most excellent extent possible and how production can make or break a film's audio. With advice on tools to use in audio production, things to do while shooting, dialogue editing and voice overs, and much more, Woody Woodhall compiles a a can't miss resource for any film maker who wants the best audio production possible. "Audio Production & Postproduction" comes with a CD with many useful resources, proving to be a choice pick for any film maker.

Millicent Scowlworthy
Rob Handel
Samuel French, Inc.
45 West 25th Street, NY, NY 10010-2751
www.samuelfrench.com
9780573698781, $8.95, www.amazon.com

Few things are so traumatic to a community as the murder of a child. "Millicent Scowlworthy" by Rob Handel is a deftly written play employing and exploring that theme. A simple synopsis is that a girl is found murdered in a cellar on Christmas morning. Compounding this tragedy is a massacre at the high school. Most of the community simply want to forget the tragedy and move on with their lives. But nine teenagers can't do that. They gather at a neglected memorial and reenact the events that so traumatized their town. A compelling play for twelve actors (seven males, five females), "Millicent Scowlworthy" is a deftly written treatment of a sensitive subject that is as compelling as it is engaging, making it an especially ideal selection for community theatre groups and acting school workshop productions.

Barrier-Free Theatre
Sally Bailey
Idyll Arbor
39129 264th Ave SE, Enumclaw, WA 98022
9781882883783, $36.00

There are aspects of drama that will attract everyone. "Barrier-Free Theatre: Including Everyone in Theatre Arts -- In Schools, Recreation, and Arts Programs -- Regardless of (Dis)Ability" is a guide for theatre instructors to create a more inclusive process that can get everyone involved and spark fun and new interests in many. With extra chapters focusing on theater for special education students, "Barrier-Free Theatre" is a read that covers much, a top pick for any community or school theatre leader.

Sergi Belbel & Catalan Theatre
David George
Tamesis
c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781855662209, $95.00, www.amazon.com

Sergi Belbel is a Catalan playwright, director, and literary translator, as well as serving as the Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Catalonia. "Sergi Belbel and Catalan Theatre: Text, Performance and Identity" by David George (Professor of Hispanic Studies at Swansea University, Wales, UK) is a detailed and scholarly study of Belbel and his influential career, his relationship with critics both at home and abroad, the reception of his own plays, as well as the plays he translated and adapted. Enhanced with an appendix providing plot summaries of selected Belbel plays, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Sergi Belbel & Catalan Theatre" is a 230-page compendium of seminal and meticulous scholarship and research that will prove to be a seminal contribution for professional and academic reference collections and 20th Century Theatrical Studies study lists.

Film Management 101, second edition
Deborah Patz
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781932907773, $39.95, www.mwp.com

The second updated edition of Film Management 101 is a 'must' for any collection strong in video and film references. It offers a guide for production managers and production coordinators alike, surveying film through pre-visualization to post-production and providing chapters form a filmmaker who has worked on award-winning productions since the mid-1980s. From shooting schedules and production calendars to how to absorb daily production reports and set up a tracking system for documentation, this is a powerful winner!


The Computer Shelf

Unreal Game Development
Ashish Amresh and Alex Okita
A K Peters, Ltd.
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
9781568814599 $59.00 www.akpeters.com

The Unreal engine has been used quite well to create many games, and now the method to do so is in the hands of the public. "Unreal Game Development" is a guide to using the Unreal Engine 3 to create elaborate games that may have never have seemed possible without creating one's own engine from scratch. With advice on starting with the fundamentals of design, what can be learned by dissecting Unreal Tournament games, the programming, and so much more. "Unreal Game Development" comes with advice on 3D and 2D image editors, programming advice, and other tools, making a solid guide to using the Unreal engine to make one's ideas come together.

The Facebook Era, second edition
Clara Shih
Prentice Hall Professional
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780137085125 $24.99 www.mcp.com

Facebook is another method that technology has changed the world doing business. "The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social networks to market, Sell, and Innovate" is a guide for businesses to take marketing the to the next level, as Calara Shih discusses how to use Facebook as a new marketing tool as well as other social networking programs such as Facebook and LinkedIn. These mediums are changing how society works and understanding them is almost required for continued business success. "The Facebook Era" is a useful and very highly recommended read that shouldn't be missed for any small business or organization.

Murach's C# 2010
Joel Murach
Murach & Associates
4340 N. Knoll, Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774592, $54.50, www.murach.com

The language C# has withstood the test of time with new techniques being discovered every year. "Murach's C# 2010" is the latest edition of Murach's award winning guides on the language with the latest developments on pushing the language further in regards to the other aspects of programs like .NET, ADO, XML and so much more than that. With countless complete and comprehensive chapters covering nearly everything one would need to know, "Murach's C# 2010" is an ideal text for anyone learning or simply wants a powerful research on hand.

2011 Social Media Directory
Jeffrey A. Riley
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780789747112 $19.99 www.mcp.com

Phone numbers and street addresses aren't what you need anymore. "2011 Social Media Directory: The Ultimate Guide to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn Resources" serves as a guide for readers to find the networking and answers they need in today's world where there's something out there for everyone, no matter what you are planning to do. "2011 Social Media Directory" is a treasure trove of information, highly recommended.

Sams Teach Yourself Facebook in 10 Minutes
Sherry Kinkoph Gunter
Sams
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780672333408, $14.99, www.informit.com/sams

Facebook has quickly made itself a household name. "Sams Teach Yourself Facebook in 10 Minutes" is a guide to quickly gaining a grasp to the social networking tool that Facebook is quickly and efficiently to begin to understand how to use it to its fullest. With plenty of quick ten minute lessons, anyone can learn the most about Facebook and its many features. "Sams Teach Yourself Facebook in 10 Minutes" is a choice pick for anyone who isn't the greatest at technology.

Microsoft Excel Dashboards & Reports
Michael Alexander & John Walkenbach
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470620120, $39.99, www.wiley.com/go/visual

Microsoft Excel Dashboards & Reports packs in a fine survey of spreadsheets and how to use them. Dashboards provide at-a-glance views on business processes, organizing data into fine structures, and Excel is an ideal choice for creating these Dashboards - but how? This book covers all the technical knowledge involved in changing data to reporting tables perfect for high-impact reports. No Excel user should be without this: it tells how to report data in a useful, enhanced fashion!

Top-Down Network Design, third edition
Priscilla Oppenheimer
Cisco Press
800 - E. 9th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240
1587202832, $75.00, www.ciscopress.com

The third updated edition of Top-Down Network Design offers a fine technical book on designing networks that are on par with business goals, providing a guide to reliable, secure networks. The top-down approach allows programmers to focus on applications and user requirements - and this third edition includes updated and expanded materials on wireless networks, virtual private networks, and more. No programming collection should be without this technical guide!

How to Do Everything iPad
Joli Ballew
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th fl., NY, NY 10121-2298
0071748695, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

How to Do Everything iPad tells how to get the most from an iPad, from configuring and customizing the system to selecting a data plan, setting up Mail, downloading apps from the app store, and more. Learn how to navigate, manage contacts, download games and more with a book packed with black and white screen shots and examples throughout!

A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux, third edition
Mark G. Sobell
Prentice Hall Professional
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
013254248X, $49.99, www.informit.com/ph

The third updated edition of A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux offers a fine reference perfect for any Ubuntu Linux computer collection, packing in hundreds of practical applications for Ubuntu with keys to security, Perl scripting, common administration tasks, and more. From keeping Ubuntu systems current to handling configuration issues, this is a solid reference to the latest Ubuntu applications and challenges.

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

Eric Jendrock, et.al.'s THE JAVA EE6 TUTORIAL: BASIC CONCEPTS, fourth edition (9780137081851, $49.99) offers a fine Java programming language key using task-oriented, example-driven details on developing enterprise applications for Java Platform, Enterprise Edition 6. Members of this program's documentation tem contribute valuable practical applications for new and intermediate Java programmers alike, making this a 'must' for any serious Java programmer. Lee Ackerman and Celso Gonzalez's PATTERNS-BASED ENGINEERING: SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERING SOLUTIONS VIA PATTERNS (0321574281, $54.99) is for any college-level software engineering library strong in successful software systems. It comes from two experts who use their enterprise development experience to show how to deliver using a patterns-based approach, and it tells how to optimize the entire development process.

Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML and CSS in One Hour a Day, sixth edition
Laura Lemay and Rafe Colburn
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0672330962, $44.99, www.informit.com/sams

The sixth updated edition of Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML and CSS in One Hour a Day has been completely revised and updated to cover HTML5 and other new web developments. Its step-by-step tutorial offers coverage of all the basics, surveys all the basics, and teaches how to move from beginning to advanced topics - all in one-hour lesson segments. A fine pick for self-study as well as school reference holdings!


The Architecture Shelf

The Woodland House, second edition
Ben Law
Permanent Publications
c/o Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781856230445, $29.95, www.chelseagreen.com

The Woodland House provides a fine manual for any builder who dreams of designing a woodland home. The basics of self-building include discussions on design, budget, and building stages from different angles and include a seven-year update detailing the extension of the house and round-wood engineering calculations. Law's woodsman background - over twenty years of it - lends to this fine second edition with its seven-year update. Any homeowner or builder's library needs this.

Thermally Active Surfaces in Architecture
Kiel Moe
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003
9781568988801, $55.00, www.papress.com

Thermally Active Surfaces in Architecture offers ten modern case studies, including projects around the world by major world architects, and discusses sustainability in building. Based on a groundbreaking new study by 2009 Rome Prize-winning architect Kiel Moe, it argues that water is far better at channeling energy - and that heating and cooling systems separated from ventilation lend to the entire structure becoming the primary thermal system. College-level architecture students must have this specific, in-depth reference!

Inclusive Housing: A Pattern Book
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY
9780393733167, $39.95, www.wwnorton.com

Inclusive Housing: A Pattern Book is a recommendation for any library strong in architecture and social design. It focuses on housing that provides access to people with disabilities and tells how to blend inclusive design practices into neighborhood and housing designs. Urban patterns and design practices offer adaptable applications for all styles of housing in diverse neighborhoods, making this a fine pick for any urban planning collection.


The Audiobook Shelf

A River Runs Through It and Other Stories
Norman Maclean, author
David Manis, narrator
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220, Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781615731121 $26.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com 1-800-755-8532

A River Runs Through It and Other Stories is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Norman Maclean's classic autobiographical novella of a generational, family love of fly-fishing that borders on religion. The river itself is a metaphor for how life flows onward, and the interconnection of all things. In addition to the Maclean's timeless classic, two more of his stories are performed on audio for the first time: "Logging and Pimping and 'Your Pal, Jim'" and "USFS 1919: The Ranger, the Cook, and a Hole in the Sky". Smoothly narrated by network television actor David Manis, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories is an excellent addition to public library audiobook collections, sure to be enduringly popular. 7 CDs, 8 hours.

Gingerbread Cookie Murder
Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781449840907 $123.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Multiple voice actors lend their talents to bring the unabridged audiobook rendition of Gingerbread Cookie Murder to vivid life. Gingerbread Cookie Murder is actually an anthology of three murder mysteries: "Gingerbread Cookie Murder" by Joanne Fluke (when a neighbor is murdered there are suspects aplenty to go around), "The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies" by Laura Levine (which one of a good doctor's jealous lovers could have been willing and able to kill him?), and "Gingerbread Cookies and +Gunshots" by Leslie Meier (a five-year-old has disappeared, his father turns up dead, and a killer could strike again at any moment). Suspenseful and engaging all the way through, Gingerbread Cookie Murder is a holiday-themed mystery lover's delight, and sure to prove a popular lend for any audiobook library. 10 CDs, 11.5 hours.

The Kitchen House
Kathleen Grissom, author
Orlagh Cassidy and Bahni Turpin, narrators
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
9781441761248 $105.00 www.BlackstoneAudio.com 1-800-729-2665

A National Blue Ribbon Book, The Kitchen House is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Kathleen Grissom's antebellum novel of tragedy, family bonds, love, loyalty, prejudice, and ruin. Orphaned as a seven-year-old Irish immigrant, Lavinia grows up living and working with the slaves of a kitchen house on a tobacco plantation. Cared for by Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia shares a strong tie with her adoptive family even though the color of her skin sets her apart. When Lavinia is allowed into the "big house", she finds herself on the border between severely different and utterly unequal worlds. Lavinia must make drastic choices with cruel consequences, in this captivating and suspenseful chronicle. Highly recommended. 10 CDs, 13 hours, tracks every three minutes for easy bookmarking.

The Lost World
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
adapted by John de Lancie & Nat Segaloff
directed by Brendon Fox
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
1580815855 $16.95 www.latw.org 1-800-708-8863

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic adventure about a scientific expedition in the heart of the Amazon jungle - where they encounter a land untouched by time, populated with dinosaurs and cave men - comes alive in The Lost World, a full-cast audiobook presentation. Adapted by veteran actor John de Lancie and Nat Segaloff, The Lost World is read aloud by seven major voice actors and beautifully recreates a forgotten time of danger and excitement. A sound tour of the Dino Lab at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County rounds out this grand adventure, highly recommended especially for audiobook connoisseurs. 1 CD, 58 minutes.

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

Clive Cussler and Grant Blackwood's LOST EMPIRE: A FARGO ADVENTURE (9780142428481, $39.95) receives a fine reading by Scott Brick as it returns the heroes of SPARTA GOLD to a new adventure. Newcomers and old fans will relish this thriller telling of a relic's discovery, a mystery that takes Sam and Remi on a journey around the world, and ruthless enemies. Robin Cook's CURE (9780142428108, $39.95) receives a fine reading from the seasoned voice of George Guidall, who lends smooth excitement to this equally smooth, taunt thriller about a NYC medical examiner who returns to work only to find her first case is a real puzzler - possibly inviting her own death! W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV's THE VIGILANTES (9780142427804, $39.95) receives actor Scott Brick's fine voice as it offers a new novel in Griffin's police chronicle series the Badge of Honor. Murders, copycats, and vigilante groups claiming false credit are only a few of the interactions keeping this story line moving swiftly. Terry McMillan's GETTING TO HAPPY (9780142428412, $39.95) returns to the characters of WAITING TO EXHALE, and is a recommended pick for any prior fans of the group. The audio narration lends drama and action to the story of a group of women friends who face the ups and downs of daily living. William Gibson's ZEDRO HISTORY (9780142428450, $39.95) provides an outstanding pairing of reader Robertson Dean, who has acted on and off Broadway and in local theatre, and Gibson's story of one Hollis Henry, who finds herself too heavily involved in international business and arms dealers. A tense showdown evolves in this engrossing account. These deserve acquisition for any audio lending library!

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

Philip Roth's THE FACTS: A NOVELIST'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY (1441805699, $24.99) offers a fine account of Roth's fiction and provides the autobiography of a writer who has changed the modern novel forever. Five episodes from Roth's life were the impetus for change and evolution: this surveys the progress and process of that change, and will reach any general lending library. Also recommended is Roth's MY LIFE AS A MAN ($29.99, 1441805397), narrated by Dan John Miller who lends a spicy and vivid reading of a long marriage ended by death and fueled by moral blackmail - even after death. Sherryl Woods' HOME IN CAROLINA (1441850088, $29.99) provides a fine performance by Mary Robinette Kowal, whose experienced voice acting lends drama and tension to this story of Annie Sullivan, whose homecoming in South Carolina is bittersweet. Broken romance and rebuilding lives makes for a dramatic account. Robert K. Tanenbaum's BETRAYED (1441868712, $29.99) receives a fine reading by Mel Foster, an Audie award winner whose acting background lends high drama to the story of the founder of a Harlem mosque who faces new allegations of terrorism. Different investigators are turning up sinister facts in this gripping legal thriller. Lyndsay Sands' SINGLE WHITE VAMPIRE (1441817999, $29.99) receives a fine spirited performance by Jeffrey Cummings, a stage actor who lends an avid voice to this funny drama about a publishing editor's involvement with an author whose vampire romances are becoming a hit. A fun set of interactions evolves. John Lescroart's THE MERCY RULE (1423386930, $38.99) receives a fine performance by David Colacci, whose decades of audio recording experience lend a seasoned tone to this story of a former bartender and reluctant defense attorney who faces a challenging case that threatens his family life. Ridley Pearson's IN HARM'S WAY (1423383559, $29.99) receives an excellent performance by Christopher Lane, who has narrated over 100 audio books and those spices the story of a Sun Valley sheriff whose faces romantic issues and possible puzzling connections in his life. Daniel Silva's THE REMBRANDT AFFAIR (1423328159, $36.99) receives a fine performance by veteran Phil Gigante and tells of two families and a terrible secret that ties them. The murder of an art restorer and a long-lost portrait by Rembrandt combine to make for a gripping story. These are fine picks for any lending library.

Rules of Betrayal
Christopher Reich
Random House Audio
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th fl., New York, NY 10019
9780739384985, $40.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

RULES OF BETRAYAL receives a fine, spirited reading by Paul Michael who adds drama and spice to the story of a doctor in Afghanistan who finds himself searching for a missing wife and battling an arms dealer and a decades-old international secret. Espionage and romance combine in a satisfying thriller.

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

POWER THOUGHTS by Joyce Meyer (9781607886310, $29.98) receives Sandra McCollom's fine voice and power as it covers an audio followup to BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND and takes its principles further. Overcoming negative thinking is the focus here, with twelve strategies designed to fight the mind's usual course in developing negative patterns. Nicholas Sparks' SAFE HAVEN (9781607886198, $34.98) receives Rebecca Lowman's TV and stage background and experience, creating a familiar voice to spice the story of a mysterious young woman whose sudden arrival in a small North Carolina town sparks questions about her past. She avoids personal ties until two relationships lead to love and the revelation of a secret pain. Dr. Creflo Dollar's WINNING IN TROUBLED TIMES (9781607883869, $24.98) receives media veteran Vince Bailey's long-time background in narrating audio, commercials and broadcasts, which brings to life his account of how to move beyond personal strife and even addictions to appreciate God's Word and its healing powers. Answer to overcoming common obstacles and moving on through the power of faith makes for inspirational listening spiritual collections will enjoy!


The Cookbook Shelf

Fresh and Fast Vegan
Amanda Grant
Lifelong Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9780738214290 $15.95 www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Fresh and Fast Vegan: Quick, Delicious, and Creative Recipes to Nourish Aspiring and Devoted Vegans lives up to its title with a cornucopia of flavorful and healthy vegan recipes that can be easily prepared within a minimum of time. A brief introduction offers quick tips and tricks for properly stocking one's vegan larder and refrigerator, but nearly all of Fresh and Fast Vegan is devoted to presenting recipes ranging from "Vegetables in a Crispy Chickpea Batter" to "Grilled Eggplant with Black Olive Dressing", "Roasted Garlic and Walnut Linguine", "Moroccan Spiced Rice Pudding", and much more. Nutrition information (including calories, fat, and carbohydrates per serving), an index, and a short yet insightful sidebar of comments about each dish round out this practical cookbook, enthusiastically recommended for all busy meal providers (not just vegans)!

The Hawai'i Farmers Market Cookbook
Hawaii Farm Bureau
Watermark Publishing
1088 Bishop Street, Suite 310, Honolulu, HI 96813
9780984421282, $15.95, www.bookshawaii.net

With the excellent climate of Hawaii, one can get quite the cornucopia out of a simple farmer's market. "The Hawaii Farmers Market Cookbook: Fresh Island Products from A-Z" is the first volume of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation's guides to the finer points of the meals one can make from locally grown foods in the Hawaiian isles. From Hawaiian grown meatloaf to staples of the more traditional pineapple, "The Hawaii Farmers Market Cookbook" is a must for any environmentally conscious Hawaiian who wants to enjoy the range Hawaii offers. Also recommended is the follow up volume, "The Hawaii Farmers Market Cookbook Volume II: The Chef's Guide to Fresh Island Foods" (9780984421206, $15.95), with more of the same wisdom.

Canning & Preserving Your Own Harvest
Carla Emery & Lorene Edwards Forkner
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main Street, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104
9781570615719, $16.95, www.sasquatchbooks.com

If you can grow it, you may as well know how to keep it. "Canning & Preserving Your Own Harvest" is a guide to the many details of food preservation and how one can do it on the small scale in one's own home. With tips on everything from the simpler fruit preservatives to smoking meats and how to use these stored foods to their fullest extent when it comes the time to use them, "Canning & Preserving Your Own Harvest" is an excellent resource for any who grow their own food and want to do more themselves.

Corsican Cuisine
Arthur L. Meyer
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780781812481 $35.00 www.hippocrenebooks.com

A handful of gorgeous color plates illustrate Corsican Cuisine: Flavors of the Perfumed Isle, the first English-language cookbook devoted entirely to the cuisine of the Mediterranean island of Corsica (perhaps best-known as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte). Traditional recipes are painstakingly presented with step-by-step instructions, and the occasional intriguing sidebar of Corsican culinary history. The dishes include "Red Bean and Leek Soup" to "Romaine Salad with Fresh Cheese", "Wild Herb Fritters", "Octopus with Potatoes" (the mouth-watering regional dish featured on the cover), "Leg of Kid Goat Stuffed with Roast Pork Loin", "Chestnut Beignets", and much more. A wonderfully sumptuous and user-friendly addition to international cuisine cookbooks, highly recommended for anyone curious to create and taste the rich flavors of Corsican cuisine.

Prairie Feast
Amy Jo Ehman
Coteau Books
2517 Victoria Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4P 0T2
9781550504132, $24.95, www.coteaubooks.com

Everything you need for a great meal isn't that far from you. "Prairie Feast: A Writer's Journey Home for Dinner" as she discusses fine and locally produced meals that one can make and often is missed when just using everything the grocery store has to offer. With thirty six recipes like Potato bells, Zucchini loaf, Chicken Cacciatore, and so much more, "Prairie Feast" is a choice pick for the locally minded chef.

Baking with Cookie Molds
Anne L. Watson
Shepard Publications
PO Box 280, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250
9780938497479 $14.00 www.shepardpub.com

Baking with Cookie Molds is a guide to using cookie molds to create aesthetic and delicious cookies. Cookie molds are notoriously difficult to use properly, but Baking with Cookie Molds walks the reader through the process step by step, from making the dough, to preparing the mold, to molding the dough, unmolding the dough, and baking the cookies. Nearly two dozen recipes and a hundred black-and-white photographs fill this excellent, spare-no-detail primer ideal for cookie bakers of all skill and experience levels.

Cafe Indiana Cookbook
Joanne Raetz Stuttgen and Jolene Ketzenberger
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299249946 $24.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress 1-800-621-2736

Cafe Indiana Cookbook is a wonderful collection of 130 kitchen-tested recipes from professional cafes across the great state of Indiana. From "Banana Caramel Nut French Toast" to "Fried Bologna Sandwich", "Marinated Vegetable Bowl", "Old-Fashioned Cream Pie" and much more, Cafe Indiana Cookbook is a gustatory tour de force of quality home-town eating. Sidebars with helpful tips round out this excellent addition to any cookbook collection. "For best results, cook fresh or refrigerated hash browns in a nonstick skillet or on a griddle with a bit of cooking oil over fairly high heat. Resist the temptation to stir them around too much; allow hash browns to begin to crisp up on the bottom before carefully flipping them over."

Vicki's Vegan Kitchen
Vicki Chelf
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
9780757002519 $17.95 www.squareonepublishers.com

Vicki's Vegan Kitchen: Eating with Sanity, Compassion & Taste is packed cover to cover with over 375 kitchen-tested recipes, cooking tips, food preparation guidelines with the occasional black-and-white diagram, a glossary of ingredients, sprouting instructions, and more. All recipes are vegan and nutritionally sound, ranging from to Banana-Walnut Muffins to Tempeh Salad, Sauteed Eggplant over Fettucine, Baked Cauliflower Puree, Seitan Crumbles, and much more. The wealth of vegan food preparation information in addition to the wide array of recipes make Vicki's Vegan Kitchen an excellent first pick for anyone interested in sampling vegan cuisine.

Tastes Of Africa
Justice Kamanga
Struik Lifestyle
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781770078024, $30.00, www.amazon.com

For culinary enthusiasts, browsing through a superbly presented and unique cookbook is a pleasure second only to preparing and consuming the exotic dishes pictured and described. Such is the case with "Tastes Of Africa", a 192-page, profusely illustrated compendium of authentic African dishes deftly compiled and expertly presented by Justice Kamanga. Organized into distinctive sections beginning with Starters (appetizers); Fish and Seafood; Polutry and Meats; and concluding with Side Dishes; Breads; and Desserts, this cornucopia of delectable meal-time offerings is provided with thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' instructions. Of special note is an entire section devoted to vegetarian dishes. From Fish Frikkadels with Wasabi Tartare Sauce; Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Olives; and Roast Loin of Pork with Fennel Bulbs; to Baked Mushrooms with Avocado, Asparagus and Cheese; and South African Health Bread; "Tastes Of Africa" ranges the whole continent and offers truly memorable dining experiences for the adventurous. Enhanced with the inclusion of a Glossary; a Conversion Chart and Oven Temperatures; and a comprehensive Index, "Tastes Of Africa" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library cookbook collections.

Anybody Can Cook in a Crockpot!
Debbie Thornton
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
9780974497242, $19.95, www.quailridge.com

A Crockpot can prove to be a very diverse, useful, and easy to use tool. "Anybody Can Cook in a Crockpot!: Slow Cooking Your Way to Heaven" blends Christian affirmation with an assortment of simple yet delicious meals that anyone can prepare through the use of the crockpot. For any Christian who may be cooking-impaired, "Anybody Can Cook in a Crockpot!" may be the book for them.

Cooking With The Movies
Anthony F. Chiffolo & Rayner W. Hesse, Jr.
Greenwood Press
c/o ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
www.abc-clio.com
9780313350306, $55.00, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of film buffs and culinary enthusiasts Anthony F. Chiffolo and Rayner W. Hesse, Jr., "Cooking with the Movies: Meals on Reels" is a 227-page compendium showcasing recipes associated with on-screen dishes featured in fourteen Hollywood movies. The genres of these films ranges from Mafia gangster epics to romantic comedies to doomed ships at sea. Enhanced throughout with black and white illustrations, each selected work of cinematic art is provided with a succinctly descriptive introduction and synopsis, with occasional 'spoiler alerts' and 'fun facts', as well as an 'In Brief' summary included release dates, director, writer, and cast citations, as well as awards won. The recipes themselves (again, each one being taken directly from meals served as part of the featured film) span an impressive culinary spectrum ranging from Pan-seared Rare Steak (Babette's Feast); Salmon with Mousseline Sauce and Cucumber (Titanic); and Barbequed Sweet Potatoes with Spicy Walnuts (What's Cooking?); to Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Guacamole (Tortilla Soup); Florentines with Whipped Cream and Fruit (Mostly Martha); and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (Gosford Park). Supplemented with an informed and informative introduction, a list of abbreviations, a substantial bibliography, and a comprehensive index, a film enthusiast's delight and thoroughly kitchen cook friendly, "Cooking with the Movies: Meals on Reels" is especially recommended for film buff culinary shelves and community library cookbook collections.

Flavors of Malaysia
Susheela Raghavan
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780781812498, $40.00, www.hippocrenebooks.com

The traditional foods of Malaysia utilize the regional resources incredibly well. "Flavors of Malaysia: A Journey Through Time, Tastes, and Traditions" is a cookbook guiding readers through how to embrace Malaysian cooking to their own ends and enjoy the very unique flavors that the country has produced over the years, using its power as a spice trading capital to its fullest. With excellent recipes like spicy peanut sausage, Chicken Rendang, Savory Red Rice, and so much more, "Flavors of Malaysia" is a top pick and very highly recommended addition to any cookbook collection focusing on international gourmet.

Cooking for Isaiah
Silvana Nardone
Sprig
c/o Reader's Digest
letters@rd.com
9781606521656, $24.95, www.rd.com

COOKING FOR ISAIAH: GLUTEN-FREE AND DAIRY-FREE RECIPES FOR EASY, DELICIOUS MEALS tells of the author's search to develop great-tasting meals for her son Isaiah after he was diagnosed with food intolerances to gluten and dairy. Recipes here are easy to make, appealing, and accompanied by color photos as well as insights into how Isaiah's food intolerances lead him to a greater appreciation of food and a willingness to try new flavor combinations. Any general lending library and many a health collection will welcome this.

New York Cooks
Barbara Winkler and Joan Krellenstein
SixthandSpring Books
c/o SoHo Publishing Company
101 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301, New York, NY 10013
1933027789, $29.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

NEW YORK COOKS: 100 RECIPES FROM THE CITY'S BEST CHEFS is a 'must' for any cookbook collection strong in American regional cuisine in general and New York fare in particular. It provides some hundred dishes grouped by ethnic influence or style, it presents dishes presented by chefs who consider them some of their favorite dishes, and it includes many photos and biographical surveys of the chefs, who are profiled as much as their creations. Don't expect a completely new, innovative collection - many of the dishes can be found in other cookbooks; but do expect a superior level of explanation and detail on the New York culinary scene.

Everyday Raw Desserts
Matthew Kenney
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
9781423605997, $19.99, www.gibbs-smith.com

Everyday Raw Desserts packs in a range of dishes from puddings and pies to chocolate and ice cream - all 'raw' and bursting with unexpected flavor. From dehydrated - not baked - Blueberry-Filled Linzer Cookies to no-bake Stone Fruit Pie with a crust made of almonds and maple syrup, this is packed with color photos and exciting desserts any general lending library will relish!

Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook, fifteenth edition
Better Homes & Gardens
Wiley Trade Publications
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470556863, $29.95, www.wiley.com

The fifteenth updated edition of Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook is - shall we say it - better than ever, packing in over 1,400 recipes. As 1,000 are new, with over 1,000 color photos and a new look blending with the classic red plaid cover - this is a top pick for any cook who wants new recipes blending in ethnic flavors that simmer in America's melting pot. Busy cooks will appreciate the 'cook once, eat twice' concept to streamline cooking, while a chapter covering cooking basics and pantry stocking assures success. No cookbook library should be without this updated basic classic!

Desserts 4 Today
Abigail Johnson Dodge
Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
9781600852947, $17.95, www.taunton.com

DESSERTS FOR TODAY: FLAVORFUL DESSERTS WITH JUST FOUR INGREDIENTS offers a collection of over a hundred dessert recipes - each using only 4 ingredients! Most recipes are ready in about 30 minutes from beginning to end and all offer easy step-by-step instructions paired with color photos, making them suitable for any general lending library!

Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016-8810
www.sterlingpublishing.com

Noga Hitron's MINI-CAKES: TINY TREATS TO SURPRISE & DELIGHT (9781402739989, $17.95) uses basic recipes to create small cakes that offer eye-popping, spectacular results. From covering a cake with fondant and supporting paste figures and objects to using modeling pastes, this focus on fine small cake results is packed with color photos throughout, easy instructions, and inspiring mini-cake approaches! Noga Hitron also presents THE ART OF CUPCAKES: MORE THAN 40 FESTIVE RECIPES (9781402759000, $17.95), a survey for creating fun, eye-opening cupcakes, from pandas and hippos to bunnies, baby faces and more. An assortment of cupcake ideas are easy and fun to create!


The Art Shelf

A Universe of Metal Sculpture
Henry Harvey
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764335549 $45.00 www.schifferbooks.com

A Universe of Metal Sculpture is an extraordinary portrait of metal creations made by artist and sculptor Henry Harvey over the course of 30-plus years. From sculpting for feature galleries, to creating commissioned work for presidents, Fortune 500 companies, and private collectors, A Universe of Metal Sculpture blends in-depth narrative text with eye-catching color photography of Harvey's masterpieces on almost every page. Harvey speaks at length about materials, techniques, and common pitfalls as well as the guidance of creative inspiration. A Universe of Metal Sculpture is a one-of-a-kind artbook, highly recommended especially for anyone who loves great metal sculpture or is intrigued by the thought of trying to learn the craft.

Contemporary Art in Eastern Europe
Artworld
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
9781906155841 $49.95 www.workman.com www.blackdogonline.com

The third title of the "Artworld" series, Contemporary Art in Eastern Europe explores some of the most culturally significant art being created by Eastern European artists today. Full color illustrations throughout offer photography, painting, sculpture, collage, and many more forms of expression; the text reveals biographical profiles of the artists as well as insight into the message conveyed by their eclectic creations. A rich treasury of discoveries, Contemporary Art in Eastern Europe is highly recommended for academic and community library art book shelves.

A Decade of Democracy
Double Storey
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1919930507, $51.95

Democracy and freedom are catalysts for the advancement of art. "A Decade of Democracy" looks at ten years of South African art, and how after their first democratic elections, their art world exploded into their own renaissance with artists all over the country bringing a new flare to their expression. Cover to cover, plenty of photographs on the vast array of styles with their content discussed heavily and concisely as the book rolls on. "A Decade of Democracy" is a fine book of art, very highly recommended.

Create Dangerously
Edwidge Danticat
Princeton University Press
41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
9780691140186, $19.95, www.press.princeton.edu

To be understood, you have to explain why. "Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work" is a call from Edwidge Danticat as he urges immigrants to use their artistry to explain why they left their country of origin. So often, the abuses, corruption, and poor condition of the country of origin are not in discussion about immigration, and Danticat uses his own country of Haiti as an example to explain his own immigration. "Create Dangerously" has an important message that shouldn't be overlooked, highly recommended.

A Chosen Path
Mark Shapiro
The University of North Carolina Press
116 S. Boundary St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808
9780807834275, $40.00, www.uncpress.unc.edu

Ceramics aren't just Art for the past, they have a place in the present and future as well "A Chosen path: The Ceramic Art of Karen Karnes" analyzes the career of Karen Karnes as she has taken pottery and kept it a force in the art world, using her work to tell a story and deliver a message in ways one never thought possible with pottery. With a blend of both black and white and full color photos throughout, Karnes career is followed well, making "A Chosen Path" an excellent read for art biographies and art libraries in general, highly recommended.

Romancing the West
Alfred Jacob Miller
University of Washington Press
PO box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096
9780615351711, $34.95, www.washington.edu

The relationship between America and its native neighbors was captured well through the eyes of many artists, but perhaps no better than Alfred Jacob Miller. "Romancing the West: In the Bank of America Collection" collections the work that Miller put forth throughout his career, focusing on capturing the essence of the natives throughout the west, a defeated yet still proud people. His work is reproduced in full color throughout the volume, expertly compiled and commentated on by Margaret C. Conrads. "Romancing the West" is an excellent addition to any art collection.

Abrams
115 - W. 18th St., New York NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com

James Victore's VICTORE OR, WHO DIED AND MADE YOU BOSS? (9780810995918, $40.00) provides an outstanding collection of Victore's visual arts graphic design projects. He's spent over twenty-five years seeking to make his works personal reflections: VICTORE surveys his 'greatest hits' and discusses the business and teaching of modern graphic design using his nearly fifty most popular projects as examples in the course of discussion. Graphic design collections will consider this a huge hit. Mansfield Bascom's WHARTON ESHERICK: THE JOURNEY OF A CREATIVE MIND (9780810995758, $80.00) is published to coincide with an exhibition and gathers the works of the artist. Some forty years in making, this book is based on interviews with the artist and his family, friends and contemporaries and represents the first, only examination of his works and life. No serious arts library should be without!

500 Cabinets
Julie Hale, Editor
Lark
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
www.sterlingpublishing.com
9781600595752, $24.95, www.larkbooks.com

500 CABINETS: A SHOWCASE OF DESIGN & CRAFTSMANSHIP provides a fine survey of 500 cabinets which are works of art as much as functional furniture. They cover special techniques in shape, detailing, color or more and John Grew Sheridan, himself a leading furniture maker, invites readers to appreciate the qualities of these unique pieces in an outstanding survey for arts and interior design libraries.


The Political Science Shelf

Water Politics
Leah J. Wilds
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166, Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874178302, $21.95, www.amazon.com

Water management is important everywhere, perhaps more so in the deserts of Nevada. "Water Politics in Northern Nevada" looks the fierce politics that occur in the environmental concern for the people of Nevada whose water management is a constant and real issue to deal with. Over a century of debate and reform has led to an intriguing political landscape. "Water Politics in Northern Nevada" is a must read for those trying to understand environmental politics across America, highly recommended.

Reclaim Liberty
Robert J. Thorpe
Veritas Communications
PO Box 2075, Canon City, CO 81215
9780615380445, $14.95, www.veritasincorporated.com

The problems that America faces are bigger than simply electing the other guy. "Reclaim Liberty: 3-Step Plan for Restoring Our Constitutional Government" is Robert J. Thorpe's call for reform of our government and how it has lost its way over the years. Saying that both big parties have lost sight of the bigger problem, Thorpe comes to readers with many ideas to make a brighter future for America. "Reclaim Liberty" is a worthwhile addition to political collections.

Onward Christian Soldiers?, fourth edition
Clyde Wilcox and Carin Robinson
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344539, $32.00, www.westviewpress.com

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS? THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT IN AMERICAN POLITICS reviews the expansion of the Christian right and the part it's played in American politics, considering the figureheads of right power, political connections, and the history of the religious right through modern times. This updated fourth edition carries the discussion through the first part of the Obama administration and offers fine, rational discussion for college-level spirituality or political classes alike!

Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
www.westviewpress.com

The fifth updated edition of Colbert C. Held and John Thomas Cummings's MIDDLE EAST PATTERNS (9780813344010, $52.00) has been revised and updated and is a reader recommended for all high school to college-level students of the region's history, politics and economics. New material on development economics and political economy compliment new sections on terrorism, piracy, women's health and perspectives on patterns both within and between nations. Karl Yambert edits THE CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EAST: A WESTVIEW READER (9780813344652, $44.00), introducing the region's most pressing concerns and conflicts. Pieces by a range of leading scholars, journalists and politicians make this a required reader packing in twenty new chapters and a new opening essay. Jan Knippers Black edits the fifth updated edition of LATIN AMERICA: ITS PROBLEMS AND ITS PROMISE (9780813344003, $50.00), providing a multidisciplinary approach for college-level students of Latin American issues. Three new chapters on Bolivia, Ecuador and Mexico and updates with new materials on different Latin nations' developments make this a powerful introduction to the latest Latin American political issues. The sixth updated edition of David El Long, Bernard Reich and Mark Gasiorowski's THE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (9780813344492, $50.00) provides a new introduction to the region's social and physical geography, new updates on individual national interests, and data tables for each country that lend college-level students easy cross-comparisons. These are very highly recommended!

The Blueprint
Ken Blackwell & Ken Klukowski
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762761340, $22.95, www.lyonspress.com

THE BLUEPRINT: OBAMA'S PLAN TO SUBVERT THE CONSTITUTION AND BUILD AN IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY comes from a noted conservative leader and a DC-based constitutional attorney and journalist who write about President Obama's 'blueprint' to centralize power in the White House and change the face of the country. They identify more than twenty tactics being used to this end: whether you agree or not, it's an intriguing survey of Presidential strengths, duties, and the changing American court system.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Onward Christian Soldiers? fourth edition
Clyde Wilcox & Carin Robinson
Westview Press
c/o Perseus
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344539, $32.00, www.westviewpress.com

What is the place of God in today's political landscape? "Onward Christian Soldiers?: The Religious Right in American Politics" looks at the power of the Christian right and the force they have become on the American political landscape. With a high voter turnout, not even Democratic candidates can completely ignore them, as Clyde Wilcox and Carin Robinson give a fine and thoughtful analysis of this political powerhouse on the landscape. Updated to reflect on recent political issues, "Onward Christian Soldiers?" is a volume that shouldn't be ignored.

Thrift Store Saints
Jane Knuth
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
DeChant Hughes Public Relations (publicity)
1440 N Kingsbury St., Chicago, IL 60642
9780829433012, $13.95, www.loyolapress.com

Strapped for cash, one looks to faith more than ever. "Thrift Store Saints: Meeting Jesus 25 cents at a time" is a collection of stories from Jane Knuth, reflecting on her time working at a thrift store which led her to encounter many individuals living on the edge and in need. Stating that during her time as a volunteer, she gained more spiritually than she ever gave in return, she preaches the power of volunteering, making "Thrift Store Saints" a solid and very highly recommended read.

Uncommon Decency
Richard J. Mouw
IVP Books
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830833092, $16.00, www.ivpress.com/media

Love thy enemy is a virtue of Christianity that seems more and more lost. "Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World" is an urging to readers to remember the Christian values of love and respect even for those who do not follow your faith and beliefs. Stating that civility is the key to a better understanding on all sides of an argument, too often Americans fall into name calling and being truly awful to each other to get anything done. "Uncommon Decency" is a powerful read with a stronger message, very highly recommended.

Miracles of the American Revolution
Larkin Spivey
God & Country Press
c/o AMG Publishers
6815 Shallowford Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421
9780899570211, $14.99, www.AMGpublishers.com

A collection of rebels facing off against of the strongest fighting forces in their time. "Miracles of the American Revolution: Divine Intervention and the Birth of the Republic" looks at the miracles that lead to the formation of the United States, stating on the occurrences that turned the tide for the Americans throughout the war. From technical malfunctions to convenient weather to the fall of the world's most powerful Navy, "Miracles of the American Revolution" is a thoughtful look at where God may have been looking out for the success of America.

The Melody of Faith
Vigen Guroian
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802864963 $14.00 www.eerdmans.com 1-800-253-7521

Art and music have gained a cherished place in Orthodox Christianity. "The Melody of Faith: Theology in an Orthodox Key" analyzes the use of music as a metaphor in Orthodox Christianity and how the many themes that are important to Orthodoxy ring strong in their traditional music throughout the countries where Orthodox Christianity is prominent. Thoughtful and intriguing, "The Melody of Faith" is quite the read and is a fine addition to any Christian and musical studies collection.

Follow
Floyd McClung
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9781434701923, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Following the way of Jesus is not a white bread life, it is something far greater. "Follow: A Simple and Profound Call to Live Like Jesus" is a thoughtful take on the teachings of Christ in today's world, encouraging readers to come to understand the new testament as not a safe and sterile life, but a life of passion, caring, and not being restrained by society. "Follow" comes with a simple, yet powerful message, highly recommended.

Introducing the Practice of Ministry
Kathleen A. Cahalan
Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota, 56321-7500
9780814631690, $19.95, www.amazon.com

A ministry is more than one man. "Introducing the Practice of Ministry" discusses that ministry as a whole, and the role of the minister in that community. Kathleen A. Cahalan discusses ministry in this fashion, with an eye for disciples, vocation, leadership, and countless other important practices that are vital to being a good community leader and minister that can help the faith strong in a community with solid values. "Introducing the Practice of Ministry" is a top pick for any minister with doubts on their ability.

Christmas
Donald Heinz
Fortress Press
PO Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440
9780800697334, $25.00, www.fortresspress.com

Jesus had very little to say about Christmas in the New Testament, but why is it such a big deal. "Christmas: A Festival of Incarnation" tells the story of Christmas, looking at the history and how it came to be. An originally much more raunchy and chaotic celebration, Christmas has one of the most unique and riveting histories of any religious holiday, morphing very much over its centuries of existence into the commercial juggernaut of the modern day. "Christmas" is a fine addition to any Christian studies or history collection.

Ancient Christian Writers
Julian of Toledo
Paulist Press
997 MacArthur Blvd., Mahwah, NJ 07403
9780809105687, $49.95, www.paulistpress.com

What happens in the after life is a question that baffles many still in the modern day. "Julian of Toledo" is an entry into Paulist Presses' Ancient Christian Writers series, following the seventh century Spanish writer as he provided many answers to the questions surrounding the afterlife that was on the tip of the tongues of many Christians during his era. Another perspective of early Christianity and Spanish Christianity in general, "Julian of Toledo" is excellently translated and presented by Tommaso Stancati, making it a solid addition to any Christian studies collection.

Know the Words of Jesus in 30 Days
J. Stephen Lang
Guideposts
16 East 34th St., New York NY 10016
9780824948078, $24.99, www.guideposts.com

Know the Words of Jesus in 30 Days offers a fine, definitive guide set in a 30-day format to help teach the words of Jesus in thirty easy lessons. Cultural insights, facts, and spiritual discussions lend an interactive approach to the survey, supplementing Biblical quotes with detailed surveys explaining meaning and underlying ideas in Jesus' teachings.

Tending to Eden
Scott C. Sabin
Judson Press
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
9780817015725, $18.00, www.judsonpress.com

Environmentalism and Christianity do have some crossover. "Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People" discusses being an environmental steward as well as a Christian. Many Christian leaders chime in throughout the book on their own experiences of blending faith and helping the environment and give readers powerful message. "Tending to Eden" is a fine collection, and is highly recommended.

The Road to New Life
Phil Rehberg
Pleasant Word
c/o WinePress Publishing
PO Box 428, Enumclaw, WA 98022
9781414116372, $11.99, www.winepressbooks.com www.theroadtonewlife.com

Knowing you have someone powerful on your side makes life a lot easier to live. "The Road to New Life: The Way of Jesus of Nazareth" is a guide to finding God and living your life with him on his side, to travel through one's life with God in mind to help you through your pain and the nonstop challenges that one constantly faces along the way. Thoughtful and driven reading, "The Road to New Life" holds a powerful message, highly recommended.

Intervarsity Press
Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com

Alister McGrath's THE PASSIONATE INTELLECT: CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE DISCIPLESHIP OF THE MIND (9780830838431, $22.00) explores the roots of Christian faith and identity, considering how Christian leadership and theology has evolved and how divisions have been created in the faith. The focus on changing worship of Jesus and what unifies Christian believers around the world makes for a fine survey college-level spiritual libraries will appreciate. Also a pick is Larry Warner's JOURNEY WITH JESUS: DISCOVERING THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF SAINT IGNATIUS (9780830835416, $18.00). This is a pick for Christians who seek to learn more about Jesus and comes from a spiritual director who uses spiritual exercises from Saint Ignatius to guide believes on the path. Prayers and scripture readings that focus on the life of Christ support exercises that are powerful indicators of Jesus' basic beliefs.

Zondervan Atlas of the Bible
Carl G. Rasmussen
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310270508, $39.99, www.zondervan.com

Zondervan Atlas of the Bible packs in three-dimensional maps, over 100 topic images, chronological charts and more to provide a visual geographic treat representing a major revision of the award-winning NIV Atlas of the Bible. Bible study groups as well as pastors and teachers will find this an outstanding presentation completely revamping images and arrangements, lending to a fine blend of geographic and visual representation of biblical era events perfect for any spirituality collection.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Living the Truth
Klaus Demmer
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589016972, $34.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Religion has long roots in morality throughout history. "Living the Truth: A Theory of Action" is a discussion of truth, religion, and the everyday life of people. Analyzing faith, anthropology, and the universal morality that is shared between much of us, Klaus Demmer offers scholarly thought on how they all blend together to form the moral code that is shared between many of us. Presented for the first time in the English language, "Living the Truth: A Theory of Action" is a thoughtful and scholarly analysis, a core addition to theology sections.

The Cosmic Dance
Joyce Rupp
Orbis Books
Price Bldg, Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545
9781570759031, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

No one is alone, and to live as such is a wreck on the soul. "The Cosmic Dance: An Invitation to Experience Our Oneness" discusses the unity of all peoples and how to fully embrace it further. Calling for greater compassion in life to improve one's own life, she urges people with a powerful message of the power of good and being of something greater. "The Cosmic Dance" comes with powerful inspiration and makes for a very highly recommended read.

A Place for Truth
Dallas Willard, Editor
InterVarsity Press
Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830838455, $20.00, www.ivpress.com

A PLACE FOR TRUTH: LEADING THINKERS EXPLORE LIFE'S HARDEST QUESTIONS gathers the most notable presentations from The Veritas Forum, providing a series of philosophical and social reflections on truth, faith and science, atheism and more. Though many of the reflections are of a spiritual nature, this will easily cross over from religious to secular collections offering many fine insights on the nature of Man as well as God.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

World of Warcraft: The Shattering
Christie Golden
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781416550747 $26.00 www.simonandschuster.com

World of Warcraft: The Shattering is a new fantasy novel set in the universe of the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. The Shattering is a prelude to the game's upcoming Cataclysm expansion, following several different leaders who are troubled by disturbing omens. Thrall, orc Warchief of the Horde and legendary spirit caller, is disturbed by the increasingly restless and rebellious attitude of the elemental spirits; for ages, shamans have communed with them and harnessed them to benefit rather than bring harm to the world of Azeroth and its people. But now the elemental spirits are increasingly confused, uncooperative, and destructive - what could be driving them to such levels of rebellion? As food and supplies dwindle, increased tensions between the orcs and the night elves may yet precipitate renewed bloodshed between the Horde and the Alliance. Meanwhile, King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind, leader of the Alliance, has taken a dim view of the increasing tensions between the Alliance and the Horde. His harsh stance against the Horde may yet play a role in sparking renewed war; even those closest to him question his darkened view of the future and what should be done about. Varian's son Anduin, who is at heart more of a thinker than a warrior, is searching for answers, but the increasing political instability of his environment is potentially as dangerous a threat to him as any battlefield. An absorbing novel of conflicted choices and problems with no easy solutions, set in a world on the brink of great and terrible changes, The Shattering is a "must-read" for World of Warcraft fans and highly recommended to anyone who loves epic fantasy.

The Blackness Within
Gill Ainsworth
Apex Publications
PO Box 24323, Lexington, KY 40524
9780984553525, $16.95

The gods of old still roam and are as cruel as they ever were. "The Blackness Within: Stories of the Pagan God Moccus" is a collection of thirteen short stories surrounding the figure of the Celtic god of fecundity and his wrath during his life and his death. Riveting, dark, violent, and endlessly exciting, "The Blackness Within" is a gripping collection that will be hard to put down.

The Truth of Valor
Tanya Huff
DAW Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780756406202, $24.95, www.dawbooks.com

THE TRUTH OF VALOR provides a fine Confederation novel and tells of Torin, who is trying to build a new life with Craig on his ship the Promise. Pirates attack, Craig is taken prisoner and Torin left for dead, and Torin must call in the Marines to get him back and keep the pirates from even more dangerous intentions in this riveting military science fiction saga.


The Music Shelf

DanceHall
Sonjah Stanley Niaah
University of Ottawa Press
542 King Edward, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5
9780776607368, $65.00, www.amazon.com

Music is constantly changing and evolving through the years. "DanceHall: From Slave Ship to Ghetto" analyzes the development of DanceHall, which has both spawned a cultural movement as well as a new genre and effect on music. The styles it developed from range from American blues to reggae, and how it is linked strongly to the Jamaican ghettos of today. With connections to the growing black culture overall throughout the Americas, "DanceHall" is a fascinating and scholarly look at the music and its tie to Jamaican culture.

Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music
W.K. McNeil, Editor
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com
9780415875691, $54.95, www.amazon.com

Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music is a 'must' for any library and offers a fine reference covering all aspects of Afro-American and white gospel, from history to recording techniques. Organized alphabetically, it covers events, presents biographies of notable musicians, and covers publications, significant songbooks, and the evolution of performing groups and choirs. A 'must' for any music collection, especially those focusing on American music.

Bob Dylan in America
Sean Wilentz
Doubleday & Company
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780385529884, $28.95, www.doubleday.com

BOB DYLAN IN AMERICA offers a fine survey blending a critical analysis of Dylan's music with folk and rock music history and national trends. More than just another biography, this follows Dylan's move into the folk music scene and the culture and literature that sprang up around it. Author Sean Wilentz had rare access to studio tapes, recording notes, rare photos and more - all of which lend a different spin on Dylan's life and influence. No popular music library should be without this!

Tattoos & Tequila
Vince Neil with Mike Sager
Grand Central Publishing
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446548045, $27.99, www.hbgusa.com

Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with one of Rock's most Notorious Frontmen provides a fine collection of reflections, memoirs and vignettes on rock and roll from the legendary lead singer of Motley Crue. Tidbits include behind-the-scenes events and facts that even avid fans may not know, interviews with friends, family and co-stars, and plenty of lively insights. Highly recommended for any library strong in rock star autobiographies.


The Business Shelf

Networking for People Who Hate Networking
Devora Zack
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605095226 $16.95 www.bkconnection.com 1-800-929-2929

Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected lives up to its title as a solidly practical guide to using networking to accomplish one's own goals. Whether one is introverted or extroverted by nature, Networking for People Who Hate Networking revolves around developing a networking style that is true to one's own temperament. "People who hate networking prefer programs and events with a clear format and purpose. Good choices for them? Take a class, attend professional development seminars, coordinate a brown bag event, sign up for a lecture series, join a task force, volunteer for a non-profit board, or attend an educational outing." A user-friendly guide to cultivating social connections to benefit one's business or personal life, as well as to understanding the mindset of individuals with differing outlooks on life, highly recommended.

Latino Link
Joe Kutchera
Paramount Market Publishing
950 Danby Road, Suite 136, Ithaca, NY 14850
9780981986982, $34.95, www.paramountbooks.com

The Hispanic population is the fastest growing population in America. "Latino Link: Building Brands Online with Hispanic Communities and Content" is a guide to expanding one's internet presence to the Hispanic community, by doing more than simply offering Spanish language equivalents for their websites. Outreaching to Latino concerns, needs, and wants, one can tap this massive potential market and succeed well from it. "Latino Link" is a must for any business striving to serve the Latino community.

Managing the Older Worker
Peter Cappelli & Bill Novelli
Harvard Business
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422131657, $29.95, www.hbr.org/books

Age doesn't mean a decline in quality if managed right. "Managing the Older Worker: How to prepare for the New Organizational Order" is a guide for the manager faced with today's growing population of aging people in the workplace as retirement plans are failing and people are returning to the workforce. With advice on how to use these employers to empower one's workplace, be leaders through experience, and will often work because it's what they want to do rather than what they must do. "Managing the Older Worker" is a complete and comprehensive guide for readers who want a more complete understanding of how to manage the useful and complex aging worker.

It's Not Just Who You Know
Tommy Spaulding
Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036
9780307589132 $23.00 www.broadwaybooks.com 1-800-726-0600

There's more success than just knowing a guy who knows a guy. "It's Not Just Who You Know" is a guide for networking taken to the next level, stating that the relationships one forms with their friends and associates have be something stronger than a weak relationship, but that you have to be a leader. It's important to remember relationships are two way streets, and that a relationship that exploits one side won't last long. Friendships are better than business relationships, and so much more, "It's Not Just Who You Know" is a fine read and very highly recommended for any would be business leader.

Entrepreneurship
Mark Casson
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781849800396, $140.00, www.amazon.com

Entrepreneurship originated in prehistory when people first realized that they could trade something they had for something they wanted. Historically, successful entrepreneurship has depended upon a level of trust between trading partners, between merchants and their customers, between vendors and the manufacturers. "Entrepreneurship: Theory, Networks, History" by Mark Casson (Professor of Economics, University of Reading, UK) is a 400-page compendium providing a detailed, informative, insightful, and comprehensive descriptive explanation of the reliance of entrepreneurship upon the social sciences of economics, sociology, and business innovations such as networking and information gathering, the rise of trading companies, modern corporate globalization, and more. Divided into three main sections (Theory; Networks and Institutions; History), "Entrepreneurship" is a work of impressively painstaking scholarship and enhanced with the inclusion of a comprehensive Index, making it an ideal text for academia and invaluable reading for students studying the role of entrepreneurs as a fundamental factor in local, national, and international economic performance.

199 Fun and Effective Fund-raising Events
Eileen Figure Sandlin & Richard Helweg
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Ave, Ocala, FL 34471-0640
9781601381484, $24.95,w ww.atlantic-pub.com

The hardest part of a nonprofit organization is finding the money. "199 Fun and Effective Fundraising Events for Nonprofit Organizations" is a guide for non-profit organizations who want to host fundraisers and want it to prove a boon to the community and a boon to the organization. Breaking the events into different levels and types, one is sure to find the ideal way to make ends meet and further the cause. "199 Fun and Effective Fundraising Events for Nonprofit Organizations" is a strong resource for any nonprofit in need of aid to further its goals.

Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green
Jay Conrad Levinson & Shel Horowitz
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9780470409510, $21.95, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz, "Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet" is a 236-page compendium of insightful commentary and sound advice for the entrepreneur and small business owner on marketing strategies in these difficult and volatile economic times. With 'real world practicality', readers will learn how to significantly reduce their marketing costs and while increasing their profit margins by employing environmentally sound and ethically founded policies and practices; convert their vendors, customers, and competitors into a kind of auxiliary sales resource; successfully persuading business acquaintances to become joint-venture partners; utilizing social media, traditional media, and their own imagination to reduce advertising costs while employing alternative marketing practices. Simply stated, "Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green" is the distilled and effective wisdom of two of the most successful yet frugal entrepreneurs who have combined their many years of experience and expertise in a single volume that should be considered mandatory reading by anyone charged with the responsibility of insuring a healthy financial bottom line for their business while adhering to environmentally and ethically sound principles and practices. "Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green" is a strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, corporate, academic, and community library Business Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Rand Media Co.
265 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06880
http://theskinnyon.com

'The Skinny On' is a five volume series of instructional books by Jim Randel covering personal and financial achievement issues. Each title is an effective combination of illustration and text making them especially 'user friendly', concise, informed, informative, deftly written, and thoroughly accessible to the non-specialist general reader. This outstanding and superbly presented series includes "The Skinny On Time Management: How To Maximize Your 24-Hour Gift" (9780984139392, $14.95); "The Skinny On Direct Sales: Your First 100 Days" (9780982439098, $14.95); "The Skinny On Creativity: Thinking Outside The Box" (9780984441884, $14.95); "The Skinny On The Art Of Persuasion: How To Move Minds" (9780982439005, $14.95); "The Skinny On Networking: Maximizing The Power Of Numbers" (9780984441815, $14.95). Of special note is that each title includes a thematically appropriate bibliography for further study. While each title is independent and strongly recommended for personal reading lists, both school and community libraries would be well advised to acquire all five titles for their Business Studies instructional reference collections.

Chinese Business Etiquette
Stefan H. Verstappen
Stone Bridge Press
PO Box 8208, Berkeley, CA 94707
www.stonebridge.com
9781933330631, $9.95, www.amazon.com

China is one of our country's major trading partners. Every year more and more American firms are doing business with China, soliciting business with the Chinese, developing contacts with China's political establishment and business community. The Chinese business culture has many significant differences with the American business culture. That's why "Chinese Business Etiquette: The Practical Pocket Guide" will prove to be an invaluable and indispensable resource for American entrepreneurs and corporate executives seeking to business with the Chinese. Author Stefan Verstappen draws upon his years of experience and expertise traveling and working in China, as well as exploring internet investment opportunities in China, to compile this handy, pocket-sized, 148-page compendium of etiquette rules for networking, attending meetings, negotiating, and entertaining Chinese businessmen here in the United States or over in China. Of special note is the highly practical information on business gift-giving and language issues. No one doing business with the Chinese should be without their own personal and well-studied copy of Stefan H. Verstappen's "Chinese Business Etiquette: The Practical Pocket Guide"!

Shopper Intimacy
Rick Deherder & Dick Blatt
FT Press
1330 Avenue of the Americans, 35th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780137075430, $34.99, www.ftpress.com

Shoppers are more informed than ever, which means marketing strategies must change to meet them. "Shopper Intimacy: A Practical Guide to Leveraging Marketing Intelligence to Drive Retail Success" is a guide to marketing in this higher informed world, encouraging closer marketing to shoppers which requires more intensive marketing. Also discussed is the cost of doing so and how to understand when it's not worth the costs. "Shopper Intimacy" is a thoughtful dissection of modern marketing, very highly recommended.

It's a Jungle in There
Steven Schussler
Union Square
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781402762895, $19.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

Leaders in societies used to be determined by brawn and cunning. In today's world, the brawn isn't that important. "It's a Jungle In There: Inspiring Lessons, Hard-Won Insights, and Other Acts of Entrepreneurial Daring" is a guide to being the Alpha male in today's business world through examples of those who have dared and succeeded through being bold and confident enough to try. A good entrepreneur is undaunted by bad times and soars during good times, and it's all about being a force of nature in business to succeed. Drawn heavily on his own experiences, Steven Schussler gives readers much practical inspiration, and makes "It's a Jungle In There" quite the guide for succeeding in business.

The Leadership Equation
Gary M. Blau
Paul H. Brookes
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598570922, $49.94, www.brookespublishing.com

A good leader is something universal, in business in the family. "The Leadership Equation: Strategies for Individuals Who Are Champions for Children, Youth, and Families" is a guide for being a leader in the many avenues of life and how to choose the right leadership style for each situation. From building relationships, inspiring greatness in those around you, and much more, "The Leadership Equation" focuses on educational and family based businesses, but its value is useable anywhere.

How to Put Your Book Together and Get a Job in Advertising
Maxine Paetro
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393732856, $32.95, www.wwnorton.com

Simply stated, "How to Put Your Book Together and Get a Job in Advertising" is a 'must have' for any who would break into the ad business. It is a classic and tells the entire reality of the business and how to break into it. Yes, it's been in print for over thirty years - and remains the industry 'bible' and go-to reference, packed with details fully updated to reflect top firm operations in modern times. From editing copy to the odds of employment, this is a fine winner!

Delivering Happiness
Tony Hsieh, CEO
Business Plus
c/o Grand Central
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446563048, $23.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose provides an outstanding survey of Zappos, the online retailer that's grossing over, $1 billion in gross merchandise sales annually - AND debuting unusual business practices in the process. CEO Tony Hsieh shares different lessons he's learned from business and life and presents an amazing story of how he found happiness in the process of business success. Both personal and business collections will relish this approach!

Configuration Management Best Practices
Bob Aiello & Leslie Sachs
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321685865, $39.99, www.informit.com/aw

Configuration Management Best Practices offers practical methods for addressing six ideas basic to software engineering, linking them to real-world business objectives. While this is a title for software development companies, it's reviewed here because no business collection should be without it, either. The keys to implementing a best practices format and designing applications that take full advantage of CM best practices make this an outstanding selection!


The Needlecraft Shelf

Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies
Twinkie Chan
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9780740797583, $14.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

When looking for inspiration, one doesn't have to look far past dessert. "Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies: 20 Yummy Treats to Wear" is a guide to creating twenty confection-driven crochet projects. Complete with material lists, techniques, and plenty of advice and tips, "Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies" is full of plenty of sage advice, very highly recommended.

Knit Wit
Katie Boyette
Sellers Publishing
161 John Roberts Road, South Portland, ME 04106
9781416206088, $18.95, www.sellerspublishing.com

Knitting is more than a useful skill, it can be an artistic outlet. "Knit Wit: 20 Fun Projects for Beginners and Seasoned Knitters" is a guide for those who both want to get started and who already have sewn a sock or two in their day. Focusing on the offbeat and original, Katie Boyette gives readers a fine introduction into the fun and exciting side of knitting. "Knit Wit" is an excellent resource with plenty to teach for the hobbyist knitter, highly recommended.

Creative Sewing Techniques by Machine
Nancy Fiedler
AQS Publishing
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
1574326686, $24.95, www.americanquilter.com

Creative Sewing Techniques by Machine teaches all the basics of how to get the most from a sewing machine, from using basic parts and auxiliary pieces to using the machine for embellishments. Nine sewing machine educators have developed 13 projects to demonstrate the machine's versatility, making this a fine addition to any basic needlework or general lending library.

Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Ave NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com

Laura Militzer Bryant and Barry Klein's THE NEW KNITTER'S TEMPLATE: YOUR GUIDE TO CUSTOM FIT AND STYLE (9781604680102, $24.99) is a pick for any knitter's library. It comes with lay-flat hard cover binding perfect for filing on the shelf or laying open to knit with, it offers keys to knits that fit better and flatter, and reviews techniques and templates from some 16 sizes. Styling details and options receive fine coverage using templates easy to adjust to individual purposes. Outstanding! Also a fine pick is Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene's COUNTRY THREADS GOES TO CHARM SCHOOL (9781604680065, $24.99), packing in a lovely collection of nearly twenty small quilts that can be made from 5" squares. From using low-cost fabrics to making last-minute gifts, these are outstanding creations!


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Another fine Wind River Reservation mystery receives Margaret Coel's hallmark of mixing crime mysteries with Native American characters and issues in THE SPIDER'S WEB (9780425236604, $24.95). Here outsider Marcy moves to the reservation - and introduces murder when the Arapaho she intends on marrying is shot. With Marcy the prime suspect, a Native attorney and a priest find each other on opposing sides of a conflict that could end the peace of the nation in this winning thriller, recommended for any mystery collection. Also a top pick is Susan Wittig Albert's THE TALE OF OAT CAKE CRAG: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter (0425236617, $23.95), a seventh Potter tale that finds Beatrix in hiding from her parents, whom she knows will disapprove of her secret engagement. A teen dragon, an injury to Fred L. Baum, and more blend fantasy into a light mystery perfect for prior Albert fans of the Beatrix Potter series.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

A Plea for Justice
Fred B. McKinley
Eakin Press
PO Box 21235, Waco, TX 76702
9781935632047, $24.95, www.amazon.com

When the truth can't be found, too often a scapegoat is fingered. "A Plea for Justice: The Timothy Cole Story"tells the story of Cole, a tragic one of a man wrongfully accused and who spent the last decade and then some of his life in prison for crimes he never committed. He fought his charges past his conviction, fighting the charges to his death. His family still fought past his death before finally earning it. A look at the Dark Side of Criminal Justice, "A Plea for Justice" is a must read for those skeptical of the court systems.


The Biography Shelf

Black & Bulletproof
Marcus Hardie
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931-0669
9780882823461, $24.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

The Israeli army is open to those who wish to volunteer from other nations. "Black & Bulletproof: An African-American Warrior in the Israeli Army" tells the story of Marcus Hardie, a black man who traveled to Jerusalem and joined an Anti-Terrorism unit designed to stand against the constant and ever present threat that looms over Israel. With doubt and constant challenge, his tale is a unique and riveting one, hard to put down. "Black & Bulletproof" is a solid and very highly recommended read, not to be missed.

The Land, the People
Rachel Peden
Indiana University Press
601 N Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
9780253222299, $19.95, www.iupress.indiana.edu

A land can host generations and in time, those generations become part of the land. "The Land, The People" is a family memoir from Rachel Peden as she reflects on her families history on a farm in Indiana, where they held it for generations. Telling a remarkable story of how the farm gained such strong emotional value, "The Land, The People" is a story of the American farm and how the spirit remains strong.

A Walk in My Shoes
Diane Karper
Alan C. Hood & Company, Inc.
PO box 775, Chambersburg, PA 17201
9780911469356, $15.00, www.hoodbooks.com

Enduring hardship is something everyone experiences in differing degrees. "A Walk in My Shoes: Our Lives of Hope" is a collection of musings from Diane Karper as she reflects on the interviews she conducted with the people of rural Honduras, sharing their stories through a stage that they would have never before shared with others. A poignant look at these unknown lives, "A Walk in My Shoes" is a read that should belong any international memoir collection.

Naked in Eden
Robin Easton
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S. W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757315121, $24.95, www.hcibooks.com

Humans are animals, but the animal side seems to be long lost. "Naked in Eden: My Adventure and Awakening in the Australian Rainforest" tells the story of Robin Easton as she sought to connect with nature along with the love of her life, Ian. Living in a remote area in the rainforest, they find that their life, while different, was more refreshing than anything else they had experienced. "Naked in Eden" is a spiritual look at the human animal and its place in nature.

Countdown to Lockdown
Mick Foley
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780446564618, $26.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

Professional wrestling legend Mick Foley has become known for as much as his memoirs as he has exploits in the ring. "Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal" is the fourth memoir from Foley, continuing his journey through the unique onscreen and offscreen world of professional wrestling. This memoir follows Foley as he leaves the biggest company in pro wrestling the WWE, and moves to a smaller company in TNA Wrestling. He also speaks on his charity work, the challenges of aging wrestlers, his love for Tori Amos, and gives a different opinion on substance abuse in pro wrestling and sports in general. For fans of Foley's previous work as well sports memoirs, "Countdown to Lockdown" will prove a solid addition, highly recommended.

The Color of Law
Steve Babson, Dave Riddle, and David Elsila
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building, 4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814334966 $24.95 http://wsupress.wayne.edu 1-800-978-7323

The Color of Law: Ernie Goodman, Detroit, and the Struggle for Labor and Civil Rights is the in-depth biography of one of America's most dedicated defense attorneys in service to workers and the militant poor. His career involved him in the crux of social justice issues, from the sit-down strikes of the 1930s to the Red Scare of the 1950s to the anti-war demonstrations and ghetto uprisings of the 1960s and 1970s. He labored tirelessly in cases where legal precedents clashed with evolving notions of social justice, serving as an inspiration to all who wished to fight for a better world. The Color of Law spares no detail in its intimate portrayal of a real-life hero of the courtroom, and is a worthy addition to college and public library biography shelves.

A New York Memoir
Richard Goodman
Transaction
300 McGaw Drive-Raritan CTR, Edison, NJ 08837
9781412814928, $29.95, www.transactionpub.com

The massiveness of New York is hard for anyone to take head on. "A New York Memoir" is a memoir from Richard Goodman as he reflects on arriving in New York in 1975 and the challenges he faced in living in the city that never sleeps. A story of chasing one's dream and the constant array of challenges that are tossed at someone over three decades, "A New York Memoir" is an excellent read that will be hard to put down.

The Hard Way Home
Steve Kahn
University of Nebraska Press
1111 Lincoln Mall Ste. 400, Lincoln, NE 68588-0630
9780803232686, $22.95, www.nebraska.unl.edu

Alaska is a state like none other in the union. "The Hard Way Home: Alaska Stories of Adventure, Friendship, and the Hunt" is a memoir from Steve Kahn reflecting on the staples of Alaskan life, as eh shares a collection of essays on his time in Alaska, bringing readers a fine collection of thoughts on Alaska through many important events and natural disasters. A fine read for anyone who wants to understand Alaska better, "The Hard Way Home" is a solid addition to any memoir collection, highly recommended.

Adventures in Global Selling
Gayle Hickok & Bill Wilson
Red Anvil Books
c/o Elderberry Press
1393 Old Homestead Drive, Oakland, OR 97462
9781934956342, $19.95, www.elderberrypress.com

Everyday, you're trying to sell something whether you know it or not. "Adventures in Global Selling" tells the story of Gayle Hickok and his stories of traveling the world as a salesman and what he has learned as his own universal selling truths. He hopes his stories will inspire readers to reach for something greater in their own sales in life, even if they never work retail ever. "Adventures in Global Selling" is a fine read, solidly recommended for memoir collections.

Half Baked
Alexa Stevenson
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
9780762439461, $14.95, www.runningpress.com

The worst thing that ever happened may be the best thing that's ever happened. "Half Baked: The Story of My Nerves, My Newborn, and How We Both Learned to Breathe" is the memoir of Alexa Stevenson and her adventuress with her premature child changed her life, more than a typical child entering a mother's life would. Through her time in intensive care, she came to a new view on life, and "Half Baked" is a humorous and enlightening read that's an excellent addition to any memoir collection.

Writer in Residence
Mark Spitzer
Uno Press
c/o University of New Orleans Publishing
Education Building 210, New Orleans, LA 70148
9781608010202, $15.95, www.unopress.org

Academia isn't simply relegated to dusty old libraries "Writer in Residence" is the quirky memoir from Mark Spitzer as he tells a story of the famous bookstore Shakespeare & Co., and the writer that came through their and the unusual experiences of life that occur along the way. Offbeat, humorous, and endlessly entertaining, Spitzer has a way with words that makes "Writer in Residence" so hilarious and highly entertaining.

To The Rescue
Heidi S. Swinton
Deseret Books
Box 30178, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0178
www.deseretbook.com
9781606418987, $34.99, www.amazon.com

"To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson" is a 588-page compendium covering the life, trials and accomplishments of the man who would become the 16th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormons). The current leader of the church founded by Joseph Smith and which today has members in every country of the world, is a man whose life is as dramatic as his calling. Replete with personal stories of his childhood, his advances within the Mormon Church hierarchy (he was made a Bishop at the age of 22 and became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at 36), and his willingness to endure hazards, dangers, and travels to the ends of the earth in service to individuals and groups in need of what he had to offer as an emissary of his faith and his people, "To the Rescue - the Biography of Thomas S. Monson" is an informed and informative, inspired and inspiring read from beginning to end. Enhanced with color photographs as well as black-and-white images, and including a Timeline, extensive footnotes, and a comprehensive index, "To the Rescue - the Biography of Thomas S. Monson" should be considered mandatory reading for all members of the Mormon faith, as well as anyone with an interest in a truly extraordinary life during extraordinary times.

The Story of One Life
Ludwik Hirszfeld
University of Rochester Press
668 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620-2731
9781580463386, $49.95, www.urpress.com

Where we come from and what drives us is a question that is asked often, but Hirszfeld did much to turn it into a science, among other things in his life "The Story of One Life: Ludwik Hirszfeld" is a republishing of the famed geneticist's autobiography with added content from editors Marta A. Balinska & William H. Schneider. A holocaust survivor and great contributor to the study of human genetics, this story blends history with science, following his life as a war physician in World War I to his utter disgust with the events of World War II. Brilliantly translated by Balinska, "The Story of One Life" is a thoughtful and highly historical read that belongs in any biography collection.

The Life of John Milne of Perth
Horatius Bonar
The Banner of Truth Trust
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
9780851519616, $28.00, www.banneroftruth.co.uk

One of the most famous ministers of Australia, John Milne has a certain bit of reverence to the Christians of Australia. "The Life of John Milne of Perth" is a biography of one of the most famous evangelical ministers in the history. A revision and reprinting of contemporary and friend Horatius Bonar's biography from 1869, the biography has been expended to cover Milne and his close companions as well to provide a vivid picture of the religious time of mid-nineteenth century Australia. "The Life of John Mile of Perth" is a fine addition to community library collections focusing on Australian or Christian history.

Conversations with Cronkite
Walter Cronkite & Don Carleton
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
9780976669739, $29.95, www.utpress.utexas.edu

Conversations with Cronkite offers a fine oral history of newsman Walter Cronkite, who comments on everything from the history he's witnessed and reported to the state of journalism and reporting. Suitable both for college-level journalism libraries and general-interest collections, this offers selections from interviews between the journalist and his friend, oral historian Dr. Don Carleton. Very highly recommended!

Not By Chance Alone
Elliot Aronson
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465018338, $27.50, www.basicbooks.com

NOT BY CHANCE ALONE: MY LIFE AS A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST documents the evolution of a shy boy from an impoverished background who became one of the world's most celebrated social scientists. Elliot Aronson is the only person to have won all three high honors from the American Psychological Association: his autobiography documents his life and era in an inspirational, moving account recommended for general to college-level libraries.


The Social Issues Shelf

Stockpile: The Story Behind 10,000 Strategic Nuclear Wapons
Jerry Miller
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591145318 $37.95 www.navalinstitute.org 1-800-233-8764

Retired nuclear plans monitor Vice Admiral Jerry Miller, USN presents Stockpile: The Story Behind 10,000 Strategic Nuclear Weapons, a straightforward history of America's nuclear arms race, and how America's nuclear weapon stockpile grew to 3,500 in 1960, to over 10,000 in the mid-1970s, as well as modern efforts to keep the stockpile under control. Chapters chronicle the strategies, targeting and attack plans, and arms control measures connected to this proliferation of nuclear weapons, and warn against the failure of the media and academia to fully educate the general public about nuclear warfare and why such a stockpile of weapons should be a paramount concern. Stockpile ultimately examines possible dangerous scenarios and recommends steps that America needs to take in order to bring its arsenal-building under control. An absolutely indispensable commentary on one of the potentially deadliest issues facing the world today, Stockpile deserves the highest recommendation for both college and public library collections.

Reimagining Detroit
John Gallagher
Painted Turtle Press
c/o Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814334690 $19.95 http://wsupress.wayne.edu

Detroit was once known as the motor city. It has now become known for crime. "Reimagining Detroit" examines the decline of Detroit and what can be done to turn the city around and make it rise far ad above what it has become in recent years. Calling for social, economic, and political revitalization the city has a chance of recovering and returning to the greatness it once had. Thoughtful with no shortage of ideas to save Detroit, "Reimagining Detroit" is a solid addition to any social issues collection.

Property Rights
Bruce L. Benson, editor
Palgrave Macmillan
c/o The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428
9780230102477, $30.00, www.palgrave.com

Property law can be something hard to understand, even when you're a lawyer. "Property Rights; Eminent Domain and Regulatory Takings Re-Examined" examines property developments in recent years and the status of eminent domain and how the Kelo v. New London changed a lot on the table about politics. Drawing through many who have practiced property law and what it means for the future of property rights, "Property Rights" is a key read and a solid addition to any political or law collection focused on land ownership.

Reefer Gladness
Michael Konik
Huntington Press
3665 South Procyon Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 29103
1935396404, $15.95, www.huntingtonpress.com

Marijuana is demonized for some, and a saint for others. "Reefer Gladness: Stories, Essays, and Riffs on Marijuana" is a collection of memoirs from Michael Konik as he becomes enlightened on the truth behind marijuana - that it isn't the greatest evil the plague mankind and it has plenty of good use. Thoughtful and persuasive, Konik's style is sure to make the choir and skeptics alike on the issue gain a new thought and intrigue along with it. "Reefer Gladness" is a choice and solidly recommended read, not to be missed.

Do It Anyway
Courtney E. Martin
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-2892
9780807000472, $16.00, www.beacon.org

Doing good is about more than feeling good about yourself. "Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists" is a guide to Activism that encourages getting it done over all else. Courtney Martin comes to readers with her fierce inspiration for would be activists and gives them plenty to do and say to make a bigger difference in life. Drawing on the experiences of activists and others charged with getting it done, "Do It Anyway" is a top pick for those who want meaning in their life.

A Guide to Essential Human Services, second edition
Frederic G. Reamer
NASW Press
750 First Street NE, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20002-4241
9780871013972, $25.99, www.naswpress.org

There is help, it is just a matter of knowing how to get it. "A Guide to Essential Human Services" discusses the many services available to all Americans to help them find the help that they need that is often hard to find. From everything from child protection services, to education, legal action, to knowing about rights many Americans never knew they had, "A Guide to Essential Human Services" is a very useful and highly recommended resource.

Storied Landscapes
Frances Swyripa
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College, Winnipeg, MT, Canada, R3T 2N2
9780887557200, $29.95, www.umanitoba.ca

Although the United States more famously has the melting pot moniker, it is not an exclusive concept. "Storied Landscapes: Ethno-Religious Identity and the Canadian Prairies" discusses the wide range of cultures that exist throughout the western provinces of Canada and the unique array of people and culture throughout the region. Analyzing both religious and ethnic cultures deeply with their history, "Storied Landscapes" is a scholarly and highly educational read on the range of people that call Canada home.

Yes You Can!
Jane Drake & Ann Love
Tundra Books
75 Sherbourne Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5A 2P9
9780887769429, $14.99, www.tundrabooks.com

Making a difference isn't just a job for preachers and politicians. "Yes You Can!: Your Guide to Becoming An Activist!" is a guide to empowering oneself to make a difference and stand up for your beliefs. Looking at the organizations that have made a difference, the strategies of their success are taken from them and give readers a thoughtful and powerful resource on how to get started. "Yes You Can!" is a top pick and very highly recommended read for the ambitious and driven.

Self-Sufficient City
IAAC contributors
Actar D
158 Lafayette Street, 5th fl., New York, NY 10013
9788492861330, $34.95, www.actar.com

SELF SUFFICIENT CITY: ENVISIONING THE HABITAT OF THE FUTURE represents over 100 proposals gathered from a worldwide debate on the future of urban areas, and is much more than a singular vision of city planning. College-level urban studies collections will find this contributes discussions on how humanity will live in the future, based on social, cultural and technological challenges of modern times. Color photos and designs accompany short discussions of projects, re-constructions, and everything from changed energy systems to changed emphasis and values. Packaged in a pocket-sized paperback tote which is thick with detail, this is an outstanding pick!

Virgins? What Virgins?
Ibn Warraq
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616141707, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Virgins? What Virgins? And Other Essays offers a fine gathering of witty, pointed writings gathering Warraq's best works on the Koran and problems inherent in interactions between East and West. From an introductory personal autobiographical piece charting his England upbringing to articles considering political Islam and its promises and threats, this is a 'must' for any collection seeking to understand Muslim beliefs and purpose.

Climatopolis
Matthew E. Kahn
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465019267, $26.95, www.basicbooks.com

CLIMATOPOLIS: HOW OUR CITIES WILL THRIVE IN THE HOTTER FUTURE considers the blend of economic and environmental factors affecting urban dwellings. Author Matthew Kahn is an urban environmental economist who offers surveys of how entrepreneurs will be producing products that help urban areas adapt to changing climate - and shows how capitalism will push this process. Any urban studies or science collection - and many a business holding - will consider this an involving survey.

W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com

Cordelia Fine's DELUSIONS OF GENDER: HOW OUR MINDS, SOCIETY AND NEUROSEXISM CREATE DIFFERENCE (9780393068382, $25.95) is a pick for health and social issues collections alike, examining the foundations of gender differences and questioning research into the sexes and the connection that have been drawn. From hardwired psychological differences between the sexes to new interpretations of research facts, this examines how neuroimaging has been used and questions the false science which has sprung from it, creating an entirely new social milieu. An outstanding survey! Kwame Anthony Appiah's THE HONOR CODE: HOW MORAL REVOLUTIONS HAPPEN (9780393071627, $25.95) blends history, philosophy and social observation in a call to arms from one of the leading public intellectuals in America. It explores the origins and course of moral revolutions in history, considering how political and social revolutions occur and offering insights on a series of historical, social revolutions. The moral challenges of our times are all surveyed in a fine pick for social issues collections at the high school to college level.

The World in 2050
Laurence C. Smith
Dutton
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780525951810, $26.95, www.penguin.com

THE WORLD IN 2050: FOUR FORCES SHAPING CIVILIZATION'S NORTHERN FUTURE considers that the 21st century could see the decline of the southwestern U.S. and European Mediterranean, and the rise of northern nations as new forces shape the geography of the world. Many titles have focused on geographic change: this offers a wider-ranging view of what the world might look like in just forty years - and considers natural resources and social change alike. General libraries will find it an intriguing lend.

Murder City
Charles Bowden
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781568584492, $27.50, www.nationbooks.org

MURDER CITY: CIUDAD JUAREZ AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY'S NEW KILLING FIELDS provides a powerful, eye-opening expose of a city just over the US-Mexican border once filled with factories and American-owned sweat shops. Now that the factories have begun to shut down, the city has fallen into violence - and is known today is a hotspot for murder, kidnapping and extortion rather than a low-scale business center. Its transformation and its soaring murder rate are examined in this thought-provoking survey of what happens in third world nations when business moves elsewhere. A powerful pick for any social issues library!


The Military Shelf

The Royal Navy and the Battle of Britain
Anthony J. Cumming
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591141600, $34.95, www.nip.org

The Battle of Britain was not an air battle alone. "The Royal Navy and the Battle of Britain" is the analysis of the Royal Navy's role in the Battle of Britain, a battle often glorifying the work of the Royal Air Force. Stating that the Navy's contributions are woefully underrated, he explains the details and thoughts of the battle and why the Navy was so important in this battle. "The Royal Navy and the Battle of Britain" is an important read, highly recommended for military and history collections.

Unmanned Combat Air Systems
Norman Friedman
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591142850 $52.95 www.navalinstitute.org

Naval weapons expert Norman Friedman presents Unmanned Combat Air Systems: A New Kind of Carrier Aviation, a detailed examination of how the U.S. Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System aircraft, currently in development, will have enormous repercussions on naval aviation. The unmanned combat air vehicle is the size of a strike fighter, and can potentially complete intelligence missions, surveillance, reconnaissance, and time-sensitive targeting. The X-47B is the first attempt to create such an aircraft; Friedman studies how this aircraft might be used, and compares it to certain current missiles controlled by remote human operators. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this technical, in-depth study of a crucial facet of changing modern warfare.

The Israeli Secret Services and the Struggle Against Terrorism
Ami Pedahzur
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231140430, $22.50, www.cup.columbia.edu

Military might alone is not what's needed to win the war on Terror. "The Israeli Secret Services & the Struggle Against Terrorism" discusses the reliance of Israel on its elite military units to counter terror throughout Israel and the chaotic middle East. Often, this force has been used wrongly or excessively, and Ami Pedahzur speaks out against this misdirected use, and provides a thoughtful and detailed analysis. "The Israeli Secret Services & the Struggle Against Terrorism" is a fine read and solidly recommended.

Between Threats and War
Micah Zenko
Stanford Security Studies
c/o Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804771917 $22.95 www.sup.org

The Cold War is over, but the call for under the radar military operations are not done yet. "Between Threats and War: U. S. Discrete Military Operations in the Post-Cold War World" is an analysis of the military's actions around the world which are not often announced or heard about in the media. Author Micah Zenko presents twenty of these operations and criticizes them for the efficiency or lack their of accomplishing the U.S.'s security goals. "Between Threats and War" is a thoughtful read on the actions of the military during peacetime.

Erwin Rommel
Pier Paolo Battistelli
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219, Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781846036859, $18.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Erwin Rommel, nicknamed 'The Desert Fox', is covered here in a survey that blends over 40 photos from a range of European collectors with color plates of battles, maps, and in-depth coverage of Rommel's strategies. It comes from an author with a PhD in military history and is not to be missed by any in-depth military collection.

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

Jacqueline Mitchell, Compiler's BLITZ SPIRIT (9781849084376, $14.95) tells of the London bombings and the emergence of 'blitz spirit', where ordinary people mustered courage against all odds. This compilation offers the best examples of this spirit, adds color photos and memorabilia shots, and makes for a lively read coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the Blitz in a fine spirited, involving discussion recommended for military and history collections alike. Tony Holmes edits WINGS OF COURAGE: TALES FROM AMERICA'S ELITE FIGHTER GROUPS OF WORLD WAR II (9781849082198, $24.95), which focuses on four elite fighter units across the European and Pacific areas. Using their experiences readers gain a unique insight into battles against Germany and Japan, with eyewitness accounts of campaign histories offering a fine survey of American fighter pilots' experiences from Europe to the Pacific. Lon Nordeen & David Isby's M60 vs. T-62: COLD WAR COMBATANTS 1956-92 (9781846036941, $17.95) tells of the M60 and T-62 weapons designed at the height of the Cold War as the superior combat tanks of their day. Their test in Middle East battles makes for a fine survey here, including technical specs and insights. Alexander Mladenov's MIL MI-24 HIND GUNSHIP (9781846039539, $17.95) provides a fine survey of another Cold War fighting machine: this being the first Soviet helicopter to function as both a gunship and an assault transport. Its experiences in Afghanistan and its use around the world is documented by an expert on the Hind.

Noble Warrior
James E. Livingston, Colin D. Heaton, Anne-Marie Lewis
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760338070, $28.00, www.zenithpress.com

NOBLE WARRIOR: THE STORY OF MAJ. GEN. JAMES E. LIVINGSTON, USMC (RET.), MEDAL OF HONOR documents the life and career of a major general who has seen historic battles and who analyses these events at the highest military level. Personal stories of battlefront experiences and his Medal of Honor actions makes fro a powerful survey of a World War II vet who also helped plan and execute the evacuation of Saigon. Military collections will find this inspiring, vivid reading!


The Photography Shelf

H. H. Bennett Photographer: His American Landscapes
Sara Rath
Terrace Books
c/o University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, 3rd Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299237042 $24.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress

When photography was new, there were many who took it as far as they could for their own legacy. "H. H. Bennett: His American Landscape" looks at this pioneer of photography who not only innovating the technical side of photography but came to use it as his own form of art in the second half of the nineteenth century of Chicago. With plenty of his work, "H. H. Bennett" is a fine biography of a man's work and his lasting legacy.

Horses in Living Color
Barbara D. Livingston
Eclipse Press
3102 Beaumont Centre Circle, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
9781581502176, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Horses are beautiful in their variation, which has earned them idolization by many. "Horses in Living Color" is a collection of full color photography on the beauty and majesty that is held by many of the world's horses. With descriptive text further pointing out the details of the pictures, Barbara D. Livingston mostly lets the pictures talk for themselves. "Horses in Living Color" is the ideal coffee table book for the horse fan, highly recommended.

Shadow Catchers
Martin Barnes
Merrell Publishers
60 Cycle Media, 38 High Ave #1, Nyack, NY 10960
9781858945385, $69.96, www.merrellpublishers.com

In what you need for photography, a camera isn't on the list. "Shadow Catchers: Camera-Less Photography" is an analysis and study of camera-free photography outlining how it's done and its long history, and how modern artists are taking up the path of camera-free photography once more to produce things that are truly unique. Looking at the work of several artists, with a blend of black and white artwork reproductions and full color photographs throughout, "Shadow Catchers" is a fascinating look at this unique artistic method, very highly recommended.

Photo Trekking
Nick Onken
Amphoto Books
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
www.crownpublishing.com
9780817432805, $24.99, www.amphotobooks.com

PHOTO TREKKING comes from a professional photographer who offers keys to the new generation of travel photos. From breaking into the travel photo industry to shooting great, unique photos on location, this pairs full-color, often full-page shots of scenes and people with the author's tips on what makes the photo outstanding. Photographers who travel and intend on documenting their experiences - especially for income - must have this!

Photoshop CS5: Essential Skills
Mark Galer, M.Ed & Philip Andrews
Focal Press
c/o Elsevier/Butterworth Heinemann
30 Corporate Drive, Burlington, MA 01803
9780240522142, $44.95, www.focalpress.com

Photoshop CS5: Essential Skills provides a fine project-oriented approach to mastering CS5 skills. Three parts are presented in a series of stepped-up lessons that lead learners from beginning to advanced techniques, providing a software package of guided lessons based on real-world applications and problems. Over ten hours of accompanying movie tutorials reinforces the lesson plans, making this a top 'must' for any Photoshop learner who would self-study or supplement classroom studies.

Focal Press
c/o Elsevier/Butterworth Heinemann
30 Corporate Drive, Burlington, MA 01803
www.focalpress.com

Corey Hilz's LENSBABY: BENDING YOUR PERSPECTIVE (9780240814025, $29.95) offers a fine survey of possibilities for using different lenses in the Lensbaby suite. Tips on composition accompany full color images created by a Lensbaby expert with complete coverage of all Lensbaby accessories and systems packing a practical guide to photography recommended for any serious user or collection. 3Dtotal.com Ltd's DIGITAL PAINTING TECHNIQUES: MASTERS COLLECTION: V. 1 (9780240521749, $49.95) offers a range of digital inspirations and techniques from some 25 professional artists. More than just a galley of images, this features step-by-step techniques that beginners through intermediate users can easily follow, inspired by world computer graphics artists. Photography, computer and arts collections alike will relish this!


The Science Shelf

Serious Microhydro
Scott Davis
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865716384 $29.95 www.newsociety.com

Serious Microhydro: Water Power Solutions from the Experts is a close examination of how microhydro technology can be used to generate clean, inexpensive, renewable energy from local sources with little environmental impact. Chapters show how water-powered electricity can be used at high pressure sites such as skiing areas, household pressure sites (where microhydro technology can be the cheapest means to provide electricity to an off-grid residence), low-head sites, and more. Market-based, practical solutions to environmental, economic, and energy-conscious problems are discussed in this solid reader of a burgeoning technology that can only become increasingly crucial as the world's supply of fossil fuels diminishes. An excellent resource for both public and college libraries, highly recommended.

What Your Fossils Can Tell You
Robert W. Sinibaldi
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813034256, $39.95, www.upf.com

More than awe-inspiring bones of huge beasts of the past, Fossils are evidence of what was and can be an indicator of what's to come. "What Your Fossils Can Tell You: Vertebrae Morphology, Pathology, and Cultural Modification" is a guide for either new paleontologists or very enthusiastic amateurs, looking to be a guide to the many aspects of fossil hunting and learning to understand what they can tell readers. Explaining the subtle details and more, and outlined with an abundance of black and white photographs and charts, "What Your Fossils Can Tell You" is a fine text for both would be professionals and enthusiastic non-specialist general readers.

Introductory Concepts in Information Science, second edition
Melanie J. Norton
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573873949, $49.50, www.infotoday.com

When information flows like water, what happens to the information stations of old? "Introductory Concepts in Information Science" is the second edition of Melanie J. Norton's study of information and its place in today's world. She and other scholars discuss information science, defining the topic and the place of its study. Looking at the history of information repositories, the economics behind it, and the future of libraries and other such repositories, "Introductory Concepts in Information Science" will prove to be a very useful and very highly recommended read that is a fine addition to community and college library collections.

Am I a Monkey?
Francisco J. Ayala
The John Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9780801897542, $12.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Evolution has been a hot button issue ever since Darwin presented it. "Am I a Monkey?: Six Big Questions About Evolution" looks to explain six concepts about evolution and popular misconceptions about the whole bigger picture according to evolution, and offers reasonable ideas to support the theory and states that evolution and God are not enemies. "Am I a Monkey?" is a strongly recommended read for science collections with plenty of food for thought.

Losing Our Cool
Stan Cox
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th fl., New York, NY 10013
1595584897, $24.95, www.thenewpress.com

LOSING OUR COOL is the first close-up look at air conditioning and how it's affecting our environment, and is a top pick for any library strong in environmental science. Chapters offer documented dangers to both human and environmental health, including insights on how AC can spread disease and how its inefficient use has resulted in vastly increased energy consumption. More than just a condemnation, Stan Cox moves beyond documentation to show how such systems can be replaced with better options. General collections will welcome this survey!

The Shape of Inner Space
Shing-Tung Yau and Steve Nadis
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465020232, $30.00, www.basicbooks.com

The Shape of Inner Space: String Theory and the Geometry of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions comes from an award-winning mathematician and science writer combination who explore the concept of additional dimensions so small we haven't noticed them yet - and how they may be fundamental to our understanding of how the universe operates. From how geometry has been basic in our attempts to understand the universe to how different shapes can correspond to different universes, co-existing along ours, this provides a powerful, thought-provoking consideration perfect for any general science lending library.


The Gaming Shelf

Mastering Chess Strategy
Johan Hellsten
Everyman Chess
PO Box 480, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
9781857446487, $29.95, www.everymanchess.com

There are few games with more complex than Chess, poking at the minds of gamers for centuries. "Mastering Chess Strategy" is a guide for those who want to attain a more perfect mastery of the game, giving the more basics of strategy to a higher and growing mastery through the book. With hundreds of pages of tips from Grandmaster players, plenty of exercises to help one drill into their head the ideas they need to win. "Mastering Chess Strategy" is a must for anyone refining their skill in the game or are just looking to get into the finer points of chess.

Studying Chess Made Easy
Andrew Soltis
Batsford
c/o Anova Books
customerservices@anovabooks.com
9781906388676, $22.95, www.anovabooks.com

Studying Chess Made Easy offers a fine guide to studying chess and holds tips and details perfect for beginners to experienced players who have the basics down but need to learn openings and strategy. From why chess study is unique to how to develop intuition and how to learn from pro players, this focus provides many essential keys to the learning process.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Greenhouse Governance
Barry G. Rabe
Brookings Institution press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
9780815703310, $34.95, www.brookings.edu

The debate over climate change is not a question of is it or is it not happening, but of countless questions within the question. "Greenhouse Governance: Addressing Climate Change in America" is an overview of the policy and politics that are debated over fiercely in today's world. Analyzing the debate from many sides as well as the place of not only America's role, but the world's as well. It also measures the effectiveness of existing policies and the policies that need to come into play to make a real difference. Scholarly and very educational, "Greenhouse Governance" is a core addition to any environmental law collection.

Look Great, Live Green
Deborah Burnes
Hunter House
PO Box 2914, Alameda CA 94501
9780897935210, $16.95, www.hunterhouse.com

There's more to gain than a cleaner planet through savvy shopping. "Look Great, Live Green" is a guide to those who want to indulge their love of beauty without destroying the planet as well as their body. Covering the misconceptions about many products and the illusions many companies try to push their products through and how to use natural and organic products for cheap, "Look Great, Live Green" comes to readers with plenty to ponder and is highly recommended reading.

Losing Our Cool
Stan Cox
The New Press
38 Greene Street, New York, NY 10013
9781595584892, $24.95, www.thenewpress.com

Air conditioning is a huge drain on our resources for a little comfort. "Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditional World (and Finding New Ways To Get Through the Summer)" discusses the impact of air conditioning and how the energy used just to maintain simple comfort proves to be a massive drain on the world's resources. There are unforeseen effects of air conditioning, and Stan Cox looks around the world for influences and encourage a return to traditional cooling systems. "Losing Our Cool" is a much needed read, and a top pick for environmental studies collections.

The Hybrid House
Catherine Wanek
Gibbs Smith
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
9781423603160, $24.99, www.gibbs-smith.com

There's plenty of renewable resources all around one's home, so may as well use them to their fullest. "The Hybrid House: Designing with Sun, Wind, Water, and Earth" is a guide to those who want to tap into these powerful resources to help save the planet and even save themselves money in the bigger picture. From winds to sunlight to rain, and much more, "The Hybrid House" tells how anyone can make the most out of Nature's abundant bounty and leave her better off for doing so.

Practical Green Remodeling
Barry Katz
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, PO Box 5507, Newtown, CT 06470-5507
9781600850882, $24.95, www.taunton.com

Environmentalism can be very fashionable in more than one way. "Practical Green Remodeling" is a guide is a guide to remodeling one's home to take advantage of the latest in green technology and design to make the most out of one's home when considering a remodeling job. With plenty of advice for making simple and to the point design decisions, "Practical Green Remodeling" is a very useful resource, not to be missed.

How to Live a Low-Carbon Life, second edition
Chris Goodall
Earthscan
c/o Stylus Publishing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9781844079100, $24.95, www.styluspub.com

The second updated edition of How to Live a Low-Carbon Life is a continuing pick to any homeowner or renter who would reduce a carbon footprint. New government targets on emissions and the latest calculations on how to lead a low-carbon life accompany chapters discussing water heating, cooking, appliances, home heating and more. All the major energy consumers are surveyed in this fine guide.

Energy for Keeps, third edition
Marilyn Nemzer
Energy Education Group
c/o Pixyjack Press
PO Box 149, Masonville, CO 80541 USA
9780974476551, $24.95, www.pixyjackpress.com

The third expanded edition of ENERGY FOR KEEPS: CREATING CLEAN ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES provides the latest details on green energy sources, from ocean energy and solar power to biomass and geothermal. Explanations of how electricity is produced from a range of sources accompanies a survey useful as a classroom tool for students of science and social studies from 6th grade into college. Packed with inviting illustrations and clear explanations, this is a pick for a wide range of collections.

Design with Microclimate
Robert D. Brown
Island Press
Suite 300, 1718 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009
9781597267403, $30.00, www.islandpress.org

Comfort is more complex than one would think. "Design with Microclimate: The Secret to Comfortable Outdoor Space" discusses microclimate and the finer details of climate that should go into landscape and architecture in providing a comfortable area outdoors. Not all about temperature, the protection of shade and the other effects of plants and trees are also discussed. "Design with Microclimate" is a thoughtful and very useful read for any informed landscaper.


The Human Sexuality Shelf

Sexuality, second edition
Anne Krabill Hershberger
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottsdale, PA 15683-1999
9780836195149, $16.99, www.amazon.com

Sex and Christianity have never been the most understanding of each other. "Sexuality: God's Gift" discusses sexuality and Christianity. Discussing the many moors and values that often come with Christianity and sex, Anne Krabill Hershberger discusses much from pornography, same-sex relationships and compassion, sex before marriage, among other topics. A worthy read for Christian unsure of their own sexual values, "Sexuality: God's Gift" is a fine read, recommended.

The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex
Kristen Schaal & Rich Blomquist
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811871266, $24.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex provides a hilarious survey by a comedy team, sex practitioners and a real-life couple who explore sex in history, social issues, role playing, jokes, and more. Illustrations and funny surveys consider myths, spoof reality, and provide hours of entertaining reading in this exploration of sexual life and human ironies.

Loving Sex
Ellen Nicolas Rathbone
Down There Press
15608 South New Century Drive, Gardena, CA 90248
9780940208384, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Almost every woman would love their intimate experiences to be better. The rest are liars. "Loving Sex: Every Woman's Guide to Sensual Sexuality" is a guide to achieving that higher high when in the throes of passion. Outlining the important elements of a wonderful experience like communication, knowing yourself, knowing your partner, and pushing the experience beyond what you ever thought it could be. From prolonging the experience, certain products, and more, "Loving Sex" is a must for any who want to raise their experiences to another level.


The Fiction Shelf

The Hampton Court Murders
David Hoekenga
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
9781436383271 $34.99 (hc)
9781436383264 $23.99 (pbk)

Set in the year 1530, The Hampton Court Murders is a historical novel in which the young King Henry VIII enlists the aid of a fictional doctor Seamus Scott Weatherby, MB to solve three terrible murders at the king's favorite palace. Among the personages Weatherby encounters are the free-willed Anne Boleyn, the cunning wizard Taliesin, the curmudgeon professor Sir Rodney Shrewsbury, and the alluring and sexy witch Hepsibah. A captivating novel of intrigue, deceit, adventure, and larger-than-life characters, The Hampton Court Murders is highly recommended.

A Call From Jersey
P. F. Kluge
Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
9781590203613, $25.95, www.overlookpress.com

The American dream is something else entirely from what it once was. "A Call From Jersey" tells the story of the travels of elderly Hans Greifinger, a man who through his nationally syndicated newspaper column finds that he's become increasingly jaded with America from when he first migrated to America in 1928, nearly sixty years ago. "A Call From Jersey" is a profound and thought provoking read, sure to entertain many a reader and leave a lasting impact.

The Ascent
Ronald Malfi
Medallion
1020 Cedar Ave., Suite 216, Saint Charles, IL 60174
9781605420677, $24.95, www.medallionpress.com

For those who pushing the limit is the only way to live their lives, the next thrill is of particular interest. "The Ascent" tells the story of caver Tim Overleigh, who in recovering from a near fatal accident agrees to go on a mountain climbing expedition in Nepal. But in his search for adventure and retreat, Tim finds much more than he'd ever bargained for. "The Ascent" is a thoughtful and fun thriller that will prove hard to put down.

100 Whores
Mykola Demetiuk
Synergy Press
PO Box 8, Flemington, NJ 08822
0975858181, $25.00, www.syngergybookserive.com

For some, the allure of the prostitute cannot be resisted. "100 Whores: Memories of a John" is a collection of stories about the many adventures that occur between a John and his hookers. Although two sides of a common illicit transaction, both sides are people with their own quirks and interests which makes every encounter all the more enticing to the reader. "100 Whores" is a top pick for those looking for fiction with an offbeat, humorous, and somewhat sexy twist.

The Rest is Jungle
Mario Benedetti
Host Publications
277 Broadway, Suite 210, New York, NY 10007
9780924047688, $25.00, www.hostpublications.com

Perfection is something that can never be attained, and when you learn that, you can live a more perfect life. "The Rest is Jungle" is a short story collection from Latin writer Mario Benedetti as he offers a fine array of stories set in Latin America, commenting on the dark times the continent has endured throughout the twentieth century. Benedetti used his experience well with this volume, and it is expertly translated by Harry Morales. "The Rest is Jungle" is a top pick for anyone looking for a collection of short fiction set in Latin America.

Blasphemy
Mike Resnick
Golden Gryphon Press
3002 Perkins Road, Urbana, IL 61802
9781930846647, $24.95, www.goldengryphon.com

Evil has many forms and some aren't really that evil. "Blasphemy" is a collection of stories from Mike Resnick. His focus is evil and its many facets. The two novels, 'Walpurgis III' tells of a world of Satanists which finally meets the Satan they've been worshipping, and 'The Branch' tells of the Messiah of the Old Testament who brings the Old Testament with him as he appears in the twenty first century. Sprinkled throughout are other short stories, which make "Blasphemy" an endearing and delightfully evil read.

The Other Crucifix
Benjamin Kwakye
Ayebia
c/o Lynne Rienner Publishers
1800 30th Street, Suite 314, Boulder, CO 80301
9780956240125, $12.12, www.ayebia.co.uk

What's required to be an adult is taught in no school. "The Other Crucifix" is a novel from Benjamin Kwakye, as he tells the story of Jojo Badu, a Ghana man faced with adulthood and a liberal arts college in a time of sweeping social change in America. With a powerful message of the place of the modern African man, "The Other Crucifix" is a fine read that shouldn't be missed for world literary fiction collections.

Unwelcome Light
David Lehner
Fithian Press
c/o Daniel Publishing Company
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
9781564744999, $12.95, www.danielpublishing.com

You go for one thing, you end up with something else entirely. "Unwelcome Light" tells the story of an individual in search of his identity, learning his father was not his true father. To find who he really is, he returns to the boarding school he grew up in as a teacher, and soon finds that romance lurks there instead. Caught in a love triangle, his first goal seems to be lost and may remain lost if he doesn't act soon. "Unwelcome Light" is an exciting novel, highly recommended and hard to put down.

The Shakespeare Conspiracy
Ted Bacino
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorhouse.com
9781452050652 $28.75 (hc)
9781452050669 $18.75 (pbk)

The Shakespeare Conspiracy is an engaging novel grounded in the historical speculation that Shakespeare himself did not write his legendary plays. Instead, the postulate that playwright and known spy Christopher Marlowe was the true author forms the core hypothesis of this engaging narrative. Following the worlds of William Shakespeare, and his notorious sexual escapades resulting in illegitimate children, as well as Christopher Marlowe, who found it acceptable to be homosexual as long as he kept the affiliation within his own class, The Shakespeare Conspiracy is offers wry, page-turning delight and uncountable rationales why only Christopher Marlowe could have been the true playwright behind the classics.

The Sugar Mother
Elizabeth Jolley
Persea Books
853 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY 10003
9780892553624 $15.00 http://www.perseabooks.com

Originally published in 1988 and recognized as a masterpiece, The Sugar Mother is Australian author Elizabeth Jolley's novel of infatuation and its consequences, now brought back into print in America by Persea Books. Middle-aged English professor Edwin Page has chosen to stay at home rather than accompany his childless, obstetrician wife Cecilia on her year-long fellowship abroad. Intending to spend a quiet year at home, he becomes the unexpected benefactor of Mrs. Botts and her alluring twenty-odd daughter Leila when they lock themselves out of their house. They stay with Edwin and refuse to leave; when Mrs. Botts' suggests that Leila become a "sugar mother" (meaning "surrogate mother"), Edwin's increasingly lustful desire for her has predictably procreative consequences. As the day of Cecilia's impending return draws closer, the tension mounts thickly in this at times stream-of-consciousness style story of human foibles. Also highly recommended is Jolley's novel of redemption through an evolving screenplay performance, "Foxybaby" (9780892553631, $15.00).

Whisper on the Wind
Maureen Lang
Tyndale
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414324364, $12.99, www.tyndalefiction.com

Resisting an occupying force never comes without its own challenges. "Whisper on the Wind" tells the story of Isa Lassone, a woman who fled Europe when World War I began to consume it. But in doing so, she left her love behind, who through dedication has helped keep the spirit of the Belgians resisting the Germans alive. Isa returns to Belgium, but finds that love will have no shortage of challenges for her. "Whisper in the Wind" is a riveting thriller, highly recommended.

Arsenic and Old Paint
Hailey Lind
Perseverance press
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
9781564744906, $14.95, www.danielpublishing.com

The world of high art is a world of theft and deceit. "Arsenic and Old Paint" tells the story of Art forget turned legit Annie Kincaid as she's dragged back into her darker career, this time on the other side of the coin. When violence enters the picture, she finds that a copy of a fine work of art isn't worth blood. "Arsenic and Old Paint" is a fine read that shouldn't be missed by those who like a good thriller.

Teach Them Diligently
Bonnie K. Stevens
Behrman House
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
0874411459, $9.50

The holidays of Judaism can do much in the field of education. "Teach Them Diligently: A Midrash on the Jewish Educator's Year" reflects on the principles of the Jewish holidays and their relation to the traditional school year, from the fall holidays to Shabbat as the summer allows students to rest. For any teacher who wants to use Judaism to supplement their curriculum, "Teach Them Diligently" will prove to be an intriguing and useful read.

A Sense of Order
Jack Harrell
Signature Books
564 West 400 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
9781560852094, $26.95, www.signaturebooks.com

Chaos seems to be more prevalent in the world than order- or does it? "A Sense of Order and Other Stories" is a collection of stories from Jack Harrell as he provides a collection of short stories with a collection of characters looking for the status of the world and the problems that lurk everywhere around them, and the order that can be found anywhere as well. "A Sense of Order" is a riveting collection, very highly recommended.

Fatal Loyalty
Sue Duffy
Kregel Publications
733 Wealthy Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
9780825425943, $12.99, www.kregel.com

When your life is threatened, you come to understand what it truly means to you. "Fatal Loyalty" tells the story of Andie Ryborg and Evan Markham, two young individuals who enter situations that aren't the most pleasing to a long and healthy life. A daughter of a governor and a doubtful young man, they look inside themselves and to God to help them through it all. "Fatal Loyalty" is a riveting read for Christian fiction readers, very highly recommended.

The Tiki King
Stacy Tintocalis
Swallow Press Book
c/o Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Athens, OH 45701
9780804011273, $18.95, www.ohioswallow.com

Modern culture is rife with opportunities for conflict. "The Tiki King" " is a collection of short stories from Stacy Tintocalis as she provides an intriguing collection of fiction with many memorable characters facing situations that one often faces with high stakes consequences. "The Tiki King" is an excellent, fun, and quite riveting read of short fiction that will prove very difficult to put down.

Pretty Little Things
Jilliane Hoffman
Vanguard Press
387 Park Avenue South, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016
9781593156077, $25.95, www.vanguardpressbooks.com

The evil of child predators has taken the internet to the next level. "Pretty Little Things" is the story of Bobby Dees, a special agent who specializes in missing children cases. Lainey Emerson has vanished, and no one seems to care, writing her off as a runaway disillusioned with her life. Dees sees the more sinister truth behind it all, that an online predator has Lainey and he's on a race against time. A thrilling novel of facing the evil that preys on confused children, "Pretty Little Things" is an excellent read, solidly recommended.

Cranberry Red
Jerry Apps
Terrace Books
c/o University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299247706 $26.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress 1-800-621-2736

Genetic engineering has noble goals, but even the most noble of intentions can make mistakes. "Cranberry Red" tells the story of the chemical Cranberry Red, which imbues cranberries with many beneficial properties against the disease of age. But there are problems, and Ben Wesley, a recent hiree seems to have the truth placed on his shoulders, and is pulled between honesty and the jobs of the farmers. "Cranberry Red" is a riveting novel of the dilemma that is placed on many who know a dark truth.

Heart With Joy
Steve Cushman
Canterbury House Publishing
225 Ira Harmon Road, Vilas, NC 28692
9780982539637, $14.95, www.canterburyhousepublishing.com

A drastic change one's environment can uproot one's life entirely - or pave the way to greater understanding. "Heart with Joy" is a novel following the changed life of fifteen-year-old Julian Hale, whose mother moves to Florida yet tells him to stay with his father until the end of the school year. He experiences changes, helps his father train for a marathon, befriends an elderly neighbor who loves to observe birds, discovers the joy of cooking, and more. Even as his parents drift apart from each other, he gains a greater appreciation for them both, and a new outlook on life. He must ultimately choose between staying with his father and going to live with his mother, in this thoughtful coming of age tale. "Heart with Joy" is not a read to be missed.

The Miracle of Mercy Land
River Jordan
Water Brook Press
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
9780307457059, $13.99, www.waterbrookmultinomah.com

The mistakes we make are mistakes for a reason. "The Miracle of Mercy Land" follows small town farm girl Mercy Land to the city in Alabama where she works for Doc Philips. Through her time, she learns of a book that maps the causes and effects of the lives of everyone in Bay City, as well as the power to right some wrongs. But is righting these wrongs the smartest idea? "The Miracle of Mercy Land" is a fascinating and riveting read, highly recommended.

Bearing the Saint
Donna Farley
Conciliar Press
PO Box 748, Chesterton, IN 46304
9781936270040, $16.95, www.conciliarpress.com

Running was the one thing Edmund knew he was good at, but his other talents he would soon learn of. "Bearing the Saint" is an adventure set in ninth century England, as young Edmund, messenger for the Bishop, is charged with protecting the relics of St. Cuthbert from Viking invaders. A coming of age read for young Christian readers, "Bearing the Saint" is a read that will prove hard to put down.

My Name is Eric
Rei Kimura
Hannacroix Creek Books
1127 High Ridge Road #110, Stamford, CT 06905
9781889262840, $19.95, www.hannacroixcreekbooks.com

The love a dog to his family is hard to match. "My Name is Eric... and This is My Story" is a novel of family and kindness throughout Oceania from Rei Kimura told from the perspective of Eric, a Pomeranian dog. Thoughtful and charming, "My Name is Eric" is a tale that will make many a dog lover very happy, highly recommended.

Almost Lost, Nearly Found
Nancy Hammerslough
Brown Barn Books
119 Kettle Creek Road, Weston, CT 06883
9780979882425, $9.95, www.brownbarnbooks.com

It can be hard to come to terms with the consequences and weight of adulthood. "Almost Lost, Nearly Found" tells the story of Peggy, a troubled youth in a small town after the end of the World War II. Peggy's experiences leave her unsure of her future and leads her into lessons of sisterhood and friendship. "Almost Lost, Nearly Found" is a riveting read and solidly recommended for younger readers.

Gods of Manhattan
Al Ewing
Abaddon Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781906735869, $9.99, www.abaddonbooks.com

On the same side is only a temporary status. "Gods of Manhattan" is set in a unique world of science fiction with plenty of strange takes and originality. A world with superheroes of sorts but where they are not entirely virtuous, but are still seemingly on the side of the hero. A fascinating story with plenty of twists and original characters, "Gods of Manhattan" will be hard to put down.

Perseus
Richard Matturro
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama, Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
9781604890532, $16.95, www.livingstonpress.com

Not every hero sets out to be a legend. "Perseus" is an original take on the tale of Perseus, serving as all a lampooning, a tribute, and a modernizing. Casting Perseus as an unwilling and unlikely individual who can't catch a break, the journey of Perseus is one of coming of age and coming to understanding with the disappointments of life. "Perseus" is not a read to be missed.

The Twisted Path Home
Fae Bidgoli
Dog Ear Publishing
4010 W. 86th Street, Ste. H, Indianapolis, IN 46268
9781608445172, $15.95, www.bidgoli.info

The past can make it hard to face the future. "The Twisted Path Home" is the story of Arezoo, an Iranian immigrant who has found love and a seemingly charming life in California, but is plagued by nightmares. Through therapy, she finds haunt evidence of her past in Iran and of a woman with a similar past one hundred years ago. "The Twisted Path Home" is a remarkable story of the pain of the past and the remarkable things we're capable of when overcoming adversity.

My Other Women
Pauline Carey
The Porcupine's Quill
68 Main St., Erin, Ontario, N0B IT0
9780889843271, $22.95, www.porcupinesquill.ca

With free love, marriage seems foreign. "My Other Women" follows fiercely independent and marriage abstaining Andrea Dermot, an artist who finds her doses of love in the form of married men on the stage in Canadian theatre. She finds friends in her lovers' wives, and leaves her in an interesting position of friendship, sexuality, independence, and love. Thoughtful and riveting reading, "My Other Women" is a read that will be hard to put down.

Sleepwalker
John Toomey
Dalkey Archive
1805 S. Wright Street, MC-011, Champaign, IL 61820
9781564786012, $13.95, www.dalkeyarchive.com

When you let apathy take control, apathy can take you on quite the ride. "Sleepwalker" tells the story of Stuart Byrne and his dissatisfaction with life, and the adventures he faces in trying to fill that emptyness that is taking apart his soul. One of the beautiful people, he finds that good looks are more than just a perk; they're quite the advantage in society. Thoughtful and humorous, "Sleepwalker" is quite the read, very highly recommended.

Great House
Ncole Krauss
WW Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
Goldberg McDuffie Communications, Inc.(publicity)
444 Madison Avenue, Suite 3300, New York, NY 10022
9780393079982, $24.95, www.wwnorton.com

A mere desk can hold more power than one would think. "Great House" tells the story of a desk, once owned by a Chilean poet who met a tragic end, and now in the possession of a lonely American writer. Twisting many stories, the desk serves as the link between them on and what carries on between us through generations. With plenty to ponder and writing that will be hard to put down, "Great House" is a fine work of literary fiction.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Transforming Through 2012
Presented by Debra Giusti
Yinspire Media
c/o Eileen Duhne, Public Relations (publicity)
6-A Meadow Way, Fairfax, CA 94930
9780981970813 $17.95 www.transform2012book.com

Transforming Through 2012: Leading Perspectives on the New Global Paradigm is an anthology of essays by thirty-three experts discussing the drastic upcoming global change that will occur in 2012. Scientists, researchers, futurists, mystics, astrologers, artists, luminaries, indigenous elders and more contribute their insights on the upcoming great transformation, the prophecies about it, and how best to prepare for it. Individual writings include "Epicenter of a Cultural Earthquake", "Springing the Soul of a Stuck Species", "Connecting with the Divine Spirit", "Energy, Magic and Miracles", "A Message of Compassion" and many more. An invaluable resource offering diverse opinions, highly recommended for metaphysical studies shelves.

The Egypt Code
Robert Bauval
Disinfomation
163 Third Avenue, Suite 108, New York, NY 10003
9781934708491, $19.95, www.robetbauval.co.uk

As time goes on, more is learned about the deeper nature and meaning of Egypt's pyramids. "The Egypt Code" discusses the alignment of the pyramids and why they were aligned the way they were. Theories on it being merely a symbolic alignment, done with practicality, or did it have a deeper use, for anyone intrigued by Egypt and its massive monuments, "The Egypt Code" is an enticing collection of thought, very highly recommended.

Nostradamus, Bibliomancer
Peter Lemesurier
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631329 $18.99 www.newpagebooks.com

Nostradamus is a polarizing figure that divides the believers of mysticism and those who defend rational thought. "Nostradamus, Bibliomancer" looks into the process that Nostradamus used to divine his prophecies, as author Peter Lemesurier claims that Nostradamus simply believed history repeated itself and used his own knowledge of history to make his own prediction of the future, and despite this logic, he has rarely been correct. "Nostradamus, Bibliomancer" is a thoughtful expose on the physician's work, highly recommended.

Live From The Other Side
Maureen McGill & Nola Davis
Ozark Mountain Publishing
PO Box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740
9781886940710, $12.00, www.ozarkmt.com

The affirmation that one is still watching over you can be all you need to go on. "Live from the Other Side" is a collection of experiences that people who have encountered their loved ones who have passed on and how their experiences have done much to empower them and encourage them. "Live from the Other Side" is an insightful and touching metaphysical read, highly recommended.


The Travel Shelf

Universal Orlando 2011
Seth Kubersky
The Intrepid Traveler
PO Box 531, Branford, CT 06405
9781887140904, $15.95, www.intepidtraveler.com

Universal Studios is an experience like none other. "Universal Orlando 2011: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure" is a guide to the many sights and sounds of one of Florida's most famous amusement parks, as the grand assortment of movie memorabilia and those things inspired by it are scattered throughout. With plenty of entries explaining the details of lodgings, attractions, and more, as well as entries on the many other branches of the park, "Universal Orlando 2011" is a guide that any traveler should pick up before making the trip.

Carless in Chicago
Jason Rothstein
Lake Claremont Press
1026 W. Van Buren St., 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60607
9781893121485, $15.95, www.lakeclaremont.com

Chicago is one of the biggest cities in the world, and without a car, it can seem quite overwhelming. "Carless in Chicago" is a guide to getting around the second city without the aid of a personal automobile. From trains, bikes, buses, or even just hoofing it, Jason Rothstein explains that going without a car is not only healthy and good for the environment; it's also very doable. "Carless in Chicago" is a must for any visiting the town, or looking for a way around their home much more easily. Also from Chicago guides are "The Chicago River Architecture Tour" (9781893121331, $12.00) a guide to the finest buildings in Chi-town, and "Historic Bars of Chicago" (9781893121829, $15.95), exploring the best and most famous bars throughout the city.


The Wine Shelf

The Great Domaines of Burgundy, third edition
Remington Norman and Charles Taylor MW
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016-8810
9781402778827, $35.00, www.sterlingpublishing.com

The third edition of The Great Domaines of Burgundy: A Guide to the Finest Wine Producers of the Cote D'Or offers a completely revised, updated edition of a classic work on the wines of Burgundy, offering nearly forty new entries and surveying nearly 140 of Burgundy's best producers. Charles Taylor has interviewed the owners of these estates: his profiles blend with maps, charts, and tips on tasting and buying Burgundy making this a pick for any general wine collection.

Wine by Design
Sean Stanwick & Loraine Fowlow
Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470721414, $75.00, www.wiley.com

Wine by Design discusses the relationship between wine, art and architecture and is a pick for any arts or architectural collection. It explores the design of wineries, presenting surveys of selected wineries and describing how wine establishments work with architects to create establishments that foster wine sales and presentation. A fine survey for any architecture and food collection results.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Mira
Jienat
Self-Published
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
JNCD002 $29.00 Blu-ray CD www.rockpaperscissors.biz www.jienat.com

Mira is a self-released album from the international band Jienat, mixed and mastered on two crystal-clear Blu-ray CDs. One CD offers the album as an audio-only Blu-ray disc; the second presents the album as a standard CD/high-definition SACD. The music plays beautifully on standard CD players as well as SACD or Blu-ray players. Mira is an eclectic celebration of international musical influences from West Africa, Sami culture, and Bahia, yet ultimately embodies the Arctic world music and culture dear to Jienat's collective heart. A love for the land, from its unpredictable weather to its inquisitive wild reindeer, runs through the passionate strains of this unforgettable album. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Sissel" (3:25), "Andreas/Andre" (4:21), "Angelique" (3:56), "Dancehall" (4:01), "Radio Belgrano" (3:26), "Fredrik Albert" (4:57), "Mira" (4:17), "Adama" (5:42), "Tudeer" (2:24), "Gille" (4:32) and "August Samuel" (6:22).

Margie Baker and Friends Live at Rasselas
Produced by Margie Baker
Engineered by Adrian Wong
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
$34.99 www.myspace.com/creativeservicecompany

African-American stage singer Margie Baker and her eclectic band present Margie Baker and Friends Live at Rasselas: A Musical History of San Francisco's Fabulous Fillmore District of the Forties, which features their renditions of some of the most beloved and enduring songs by top-of-the-line black musicians. Embracing the spirit of jazz, soul, and blues, Margie Baker and Friends Live at Rasselas is as much a tribute to African-American popular music as it is pure listening pleasure. The tracks are "Let the Good Times Roll", "Shake A Hand", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good", "Early In The Morning", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", "I Got A Right To Cry", "Please Send Me Someone To Love", "Fine Brown Frame", "Instrumental", "I'm Falling For You", "R.M. Blues", "Jelly, Jelly", "Parker's Mood", "Straighten Up And Fly Right", "Since I Fell For You", "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?", "I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone", "God Bless The Child", and "Encore - Route 66". Highly recommended.


The Library DVD Shelf

Down Under the Sea
Smithsonian Networks
Infinity Entertainment Group
c/o Greenleaf & Associates (publicity)
vicki@greenleafandassociates.com
$19.98 smithsonianchannel.com

Down Under the Sea is a two-DVD documentary collection revealing mysteries and wonders of the deep. "The Big Blue" focuses on the planet's largest living creature, the majestic Blue Whale, with a bonus "Footprints on Water: The Nan Hauser Story" episode about the efforts of a tireless American conservationist. "Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef" reveals Australia's 1,200 mile-long treasure and the unique marine life that inhabit it. Colorful, wondrous, inspirational, and yet also a sadly cautionary tale about the depredations humanity continues to inflict upon the natural environment, Down Under the Sea is a top-notch pick and highly recommended as a gift for nature lovers as well as for public library collections. 2 DVDs, 140 minutes.

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608833078 $49.99 www.shopPBS.org

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures collects a medley of documentaries featuring Peabody and Emmy Award-winning host Jean-Michel Cousteau and his top-notch diving team. Ocean Adventures is not only about the mysteries and wonders of the deep, but also about the need to better understand the ocean as well as practice sustainable management of its wealth and offerings. The documentaries presented are "Sharks at Risk & Gray Whale Obstacle Course", "Sea Ghosts & Call of the Killer Whale", "Return to the Amazon", "Voyage to Kure Parts 1 & 2" (referring to the outermost islands of the Northwest Hawaiian Island Archipelago), and "America's Underwater Treasures Parts 1 and 2". Highly recommended, especially as a gift for nature lovers and for public library collections. 5 DVDs, 11 hours, closed-captioned, widescreen.

The Decade of Destruction: The Indians
Adrian Cowell, producer
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
$59.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

The Decade of Destruction: The Indians (Classroom Version) is part of an educational DVD documentary series chronicling how the Amazonian rainforest has been under siege from 1980 to 1990. "The Indians" specifically focuses upon the hardships endured by the many forest Indian tribes, who have suffered immensely from colonists, loggers, and the many unfamiliar diseases brought by both. Despite the Brazilian Government's Indian Agency's efforts to protect native peoples from devastation, many tribes have succumbed to or are threatened by extinction. A sobering true story of human rapacity, The Decade of Destruction: The Indians is highly recommended for classroom viewing, along with the rest of The Decade of Destruction series: "The Rainforest", "The Colonists", "The Development Road", "The Rubber Tappers" and "The Politicians." 16 minutes.

The Storytelling Class
A film by John Paskievich and John Whiteway
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1594589631 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

The Storytelling Class is a DVD documentary following Gordon Bell High School, located in Winnipeg. Gorden Bell is quite culturally diverse, teaching students from around the world as well as native Canadians - many of the student body are from locations plagued by war and other ravages. The students' reading of the memoir "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah, an accounting of his nightmarish days as a child soldier, prompts the creation of a voluntary, after-school storytelling project through which immigrant students can share their stories with their fellow Canadian students. The climax of the documentary involves Ishmael Beah and professional storyteller Laura Simms traveling all the way from New York, in this heartwarming documentary of finding commonality and learning to listen to one another. 47 and 59 minute versions on one DVD, English SDH captions or Spanish subtitles available.

Smith Show Entertainment
info@smithshowent.com
$24.99 each amazon.com

The "Careers for Teens" series of educational DVDs ideal for introducing young adults to different prospective employment fields. Each brief yet enlightening short film gives an up-close and personal look at the hands-on work men and women do each day in their chosen field. "Surgeon" includes a glimpse of real-life surgeons at work in the operating room before orthopedic and cardiac surgeries, as well as the challenges of balancing work and home life. "Researcher" tells of biomedical researchers who dedicate their time and effort to learning more about what makes living beings tick, and offers suggestions for pursuing scientific research as a career. "Scientist for Disabled Teens" follows three scientists who pursued their respective dreams of clinical psychology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry despite personal disabilities. "Pathologist" follows a teenage girl who becomes involved in the study of pathology when she learns her sister has cervical cancer. The "Careers for Teens" series are inspirational and involving viewing, highly recommended for high school and public library collections. 25 minutes each.

Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen, season three
hosted by Christopher Kimball, et. al.
America's Test Kitchen
c/o SSA Public Relations (publicity)
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608832705 $29.99 www.ssapr.com

The third season of Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen collects all thirteen episodes of the popular cooking show, as seen on public television. Filmed in a beautifully renovated nineteenth-century farmhouse, Cook's Country features classic, family-friendly recipes adjusted for the needs of the modern-day cook. In addition to the easy-to-follow, how-to instructions for preparing delectable dishes (with printable versions of all 29 recipes included), Cook's Country offers tips on selected the best cookware and kitchen tools, as well as tricks and techniques for savvy shopping at the supermarket. Cook's Country is a delight for cooks of all skill and experience levels, and an excellent gift for anyone responsible for making meals to remember! The episodes are "Two Perfect Pies", "Family Supper", "Old Fashioned Park", "Southern Comfort Food", "Beef Meets Grill", "Everybody Loves Chocolate", "Hearty Italian Meals", "Northern Cookout", "Southwestern Suppers", "Breakfast Show Stoppers", "Chicken Two Ways" and "Ultimate Ham Dinner". 2 DVDs.

Core Fusion Bootcamp with Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650, Silver Spring, MD 20910
9781598284522 $16.99 www.acacialifestyle.com

Core Fusion Bootcamp with Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito is a cardio and strength training fitness DVD, featuring five ten-minute workouts that can be mixed, matched, and combined as desired. Featuring fast-paced exercise sequences from the Exhale mind/body spa's nationally renowned Core Fusion classes, Core Fusion Bootcamp is best used with a little inexpensive equipment (light hand weights, a mat, and a playground ball are recommended). Core Fusion co-creators Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito host this excellent fat-burning, heart-strengthening workout, ideal for home DVD fitness libraries. 60 minutes, widescreen. Also highly recommended for the health-conscious is "Shiva Rea Power Flow Yoga" (9781598285062, $24.99 185 min.), which is packed with thirteen of the best segments from Shiva Rea's previous Yoga DVDs, allowing viewers to tailor the length and focus of a flexibility-building yoga workout to their personal needs.

Dance with Julianne: Just Dance!
Julianne Hough
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200, Troy, MI 48084-3304
$14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Choreographer and two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion Julianne Hough presents Dance with Julianne: Just Dance!, a fitness DVD featuring three energetic routines great for burning fat, toning muscles, and feeling good. Dance with Julianne is designed to work the whole body to vigorous and catchy music; it's a great way to have fun while staying active and healthy. In a special bonus feature, Julianne offers a one-on-one personal dance lesson, demonstrating key dance steps at a slower pace and offering helpful tips to improve one's technique and personal style. A "Behind the Scenes" featurette rounds out this enriching addition to exercise and fitness DVD libraries. 46 minutes plus 7 minutes dance lesson.

Building the Great Cathedrals
PBS
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608833030 $24.99 www.ssapr.com

Building the Great Cathedrals ($24.99, 56 min.) is an episode of the award-winning public television series NOVA on DVD, exploring the extraordinary medieval architectural achievements that were the grand Gothic cathedrals. Some of these institutions took the effort of entire towns, and as long as hundred years to build; many are on the verge of collapse today. Modern engineers, architects, art historians, and computer scientists study the great cathedrals today - both to learn more about how such incredible temples were created, and to devise ways to save them from ruin. An amazing study of the genius of medieval builders and the beautiful fruits of their labors, Building the Great Cathedrals is a choice pick for public library DVD collections. Also highly recommended is NOVA episode "Crash of Flight 447" ($24.99, 56 min.), which explores the mysterious 2009 tragedy of Flight AF447, which was lost over the Atlantic Ocean despite its many elaborate safety and navigation features, as well as a pristine safety record.

The Nature of Existence
Roger Nygard, filmmaker
Walking Shadows
www.walking-shadows.com www.TheNatureOfExistence.com
c/o Greenleaf & Associates (publicity)
vicki@greenleafandassociates.com
$24.95 DVD / $29.95 DVD 2-disc collector's set / $29.95 Blu-ray

"Trekkies" filmmaker Roger Nygard presents The Nature of Existence, an extraordinary documentary about The Big Questions - why are we here? Who or what created the Universe? Does God exist? What are morality, and spirituality? The Nature of Existence explores all these mysteries from a multitude of scientific and spiritual perspectives - the people giving testimonies range from physicist Dr. Steve Biller, to Rabbi Boruch Kaplan, to notable author and atheist Richard Dawkins, and many more. The result is a film festival award-winning voyage of ultimate discovery, highly recommended for anyone who has ever wondered: Why? 204 minutes (2-disc collector's set), English subtitles, widescreen.

The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter
Dr. Geo Athena Trevarthen
Reality Films
21321 Oakwood Lane, Foresthill, CA 95631
$19.95 www.reality-entertainment.com

Dr. Geo Athena Trevarthen has extensively and independently researched the lore of the popular Harry Potter fantasy series; now she shares her findings in The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter: The Secrets and Symbols Behind Harry Potter's World, a DVD exploring the hidden secrets of J.K. Rowling's captivating fantasy world. The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter is a completely unauthorized account (not licensed, endorsed, or affiliated with J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros.) that delves into the mythos of the magic in Harry Potter's world, and its shamanic history. A wonderfully enriching supplement to the widely beloved books and movies, highly recommended to devoted Harry Potter fans.

The Legend of Tillamook's Gold
Questar
307 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60601
9781594643736 $14.99 www.questarentertainment.com

The Legend of Tillamook's Gold is an amazing, family-friendly adventure following a Julie (played by Suzanne Marie Doyon), an ordinary 14-year-old girl who stumbles across an ancient coin on the beach connected to a Native American legend about a lost treasure. With the aid of her grandfather (played by Emmy nominee Max Gail) and his friend Standing Elk (played by Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman), she sets out on her quest to discover Tillamook's forgotten gold. An unforgettable journey ensues, in this enthralling saga highly recommended for family and public library collections alike. 107 minutes.


The Native American Shelf

Myth, Memory, and Massacre
Paul H. Carlson and Tom Crum
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896727076 $29.95 www.ttupress.org 1-800-832-4042

Myth, Memory, and Massacre: The Pease River Capture of Cynthia Ann Parker re-examines the Battle of Pease River, an incident that took place in December of 1860 near a creek in northwest Texas. U.S. Cavalry led by Sgt. John Spangler and Texas Rangers led by Sul Ross attacked a Comanche hunting camp, killed a number of Indians, and took three prisoners, one of whom came to be identified as Cynthia Ann Parker, who had been abducted from her white family roughly a quarter century ago. Parker lost her husband and two of her children, while Ross' political career gained momentum. A century and a half later, historians Paul Carlson and Tom Crum re-examine the "battle" as a massacre that deserves to be remembered as one the American military's infamous deeds. Myth, Memory, and Massacre points to evidence that the cruel truth of what really happened at was warped for political and racist reasons: firsthand testimony was fabricated, diaries were altered, and the official Ranger report went missing. Myth, Memory, and Massacre presents a strong case that historical accounts of the so-call battle have been based largely on fiction, and calls on the readers to re-evaluate what should appropriate be considered reliable knowledge when examining events of the past. A sober cautionary tale, highly recommended.

Sitting Bull: Prisoner of War
Dennis C. Pope
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
9780982274941 $16.95 www.sdshspress.com

Sitting Bull: Prisoner of War is a historical chronicle of a pivotal yet rarely explored phase of a great leader's life. After the Hunkpapa chief Sitting Bull surrendered at Ford Buford in 1881, he was kept at Fort Randall for twenty-two months as a prisoner of war. During this time, Sitting Bull conducted tribal business, met with visitors, and spoke with those responsible for his captivity. Author and film producer Dennis C. Pope draws upon a wealth of historical references to relate Sitting Bull's story during these pivotal years. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs illustrates this carefully researched and engagingly presented chronicle. Sitting Bull: Prisoner of War is a choice pick for Native American studies, biography, and college library reference shelves.

Records of the Moravians Among the Cherokees 1752-1802: Volume 1
C. Daniel Crews and Richard W. Starbuck, editors
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780982690703 $55.00 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Records of the Moravians Among the Cherokees 1752-1802: Volume 1: Early Contact and the Establishment of the First Mission is an anthology of primary source material - reports, minutes, diaries, correspondence, and more - penned by members of the Moravian Church who conducted mission work among the Cherokee people. Many writings give a testimony of day-to-day life among the Cherokee, as well as offering insight into their society, customs, and culture during the period. Volume 1 covers initial contact between the Moravians and the Cherokees during the French and Indian War and the Revolution, exploratory visits by Moravian missionaries, and the founding of a mission called Springplace in northern Georgia. An indispensable piece of Native American history, Records of the Moravians Among the Cherokees 1752-1802 is highly recommended for college library collections along with its companion volume, Records of the Moravians Among the Cherokees 1802-1805 Volume 2 (9780982690710, $50.00). Future volumes are slated to provide writings pertaining to the Moravians and the Cherokee through the close of the 19th century.

Thinking In Indian
Jose Barreiro
Fulcrum Publishing
4690 Table Mountain Drive, Suite 100, Golden, Colorado 80403
www.fulcrum-books.com
9781555917388, $19.95, www.amazon.com

John Mohawk is an elder of the Seneca Nation and an Iroquois traditionalist. He is also an accomplished philosopher and Native American issues activist whose impact and influence of 20th Century Native American affairs over the past three decades has been exceptionally influential. "Thinking in Indian: A John Mohawk Reader" is a 320-page compendium of John Mohawk's writings that has been deftly compiled and expertly edited by novelist, essayist, Native American activist Jose Barreiro. Barreiro first became involved with John Mohawk when he was recruited by Mohawk to help publish the national Native American newspaper 'Akwesasne Notes' (published for the Mohawk Nation. Drawing upon his considerable experience and expertise (Barreiro has also published dozens of Mohawk's essays and columns), in "Thinking in Indian: A John Mohawk Reader", Barreiro and Fulcrum Publishing are providing a seminal and valued contribution to Contemporary Native American Studies collections for personal reading lists, as well as academic and community library collections.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Nighttime Novelist
Joseph Bates
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.fwpublications.com
9781582978468, $22.99, www.amazon.com

Most writers have 'day jobs' unrelated to their literary activities and must do their creative writing during times of leisure -- a very limited commodity in these hectic times. Joseph Bates draws upon his extensive experience and considerable expertise as a published writer of both fiction and nonfiction to write "The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time", a 272-page compendium of practical advice and considerable insight into how any aspiring author can write their novel by utilizing the bits and pieces of available time throughout their day (and night). Superbly organized into quick and easy 'mini lessons', "The Nighttime Novelist" offers techniques for breaking down and dealing with the various elements of the novel; overcome commonly encountered obstacles to writing productively; and consistently enhancing the quality of the novel as the writing process progresses. Of special note are the 'Try It Out' assignments and more than twenty-five interactive worksheets that will prove to be of invaluable assistance for the 'spare time author' for starting to write, keeping on with writing, and completing the writing of a novel. With its 'notebook' style spiral binding allowing "The Nighttime Novelist" to lay out flat on a desk or table, this thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide is especially recommended to anyone and everyone trying to write a novel while holding down a day job and meeting their responsibilities to family and friends.

Memoirs of the Soul
Nan Merrick Phifer
Ingot Press
PO Box 40025, Eugene, OR 97404
Blessingway Author's Services (publicity)
134 East Lupita Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505
9780984206001, $19.95, www.ingotpress.com

Everyone has a story; it's getting the story out that's the challenge. "Memoirs of the Soul: A Writing Guide" serves a s a guide to help writers get their feelings and experiences out and on paper and make them into a coherent story easily understood by readers. For those who aren't sure of how to put a pen to paper with meaning, "Memoirs of the Soul" may be the guide that they need.

Make Me a Story
Lisa C. Miller
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571107893, $20.00, www.stenhouse.com

Stories have always been excellent educational mediums, and today is no different. "Make Me a Story: Teaching Writing Through Digital Storytelling" is a guide to teaching young writers the importance of good writing by showing that good writing is the key to a visual presentation of a story. The art and music should empower the writing, and Lisa Miller gives good advice on teaching this writing lesson. "Make Me a Story" is an excellent resource for English and Language arts teachers of elementary students, highly recommended.

Writing To Make a Difference
Dalya F. Massachi
Writing for Community Success
PO Box 5607, Berkeley, CA 94705
9780978883607, $29.95, www.dfmassachi.net

The pen is very mighty indeed if applied right. "Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact" is a guide to writing to make a difference, giving readers a thoughtful and concise guide to make the most out of their writing. With advice on keeping your message clear, concise, and powerful, Dalya F. Massachi gives readers a solid and educational read with plenty of real world examples on the power of the writer in making a difference. "Writing to Make a Difference" is an excellent read and a top pick for the concerned person with a way with the pen.


The Criminology Shelf

System Forensics, Investigation, and Response
John R. Vacca & K. Rudolph
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
www.jbpub.com
9780763791346, $82.95, www.amazon.com

From gun powder to the automobile to the computer, every advance in human technology has been co-opted for criminal use and required law enforcement authorities to evolve the means and resources to counteract them. We now live in an age of computer crime requiring forensic investigators who can find and interpret cyberspace evidence that will identify, capture, and successfully try computer criminals in a court of law. The newest addition to the Jones & Bartlett 'Learning Information Systems Security & Assurance' series, "System Forensics, Investigation, And Response" is a 460-page compendium that includes an overview of computer crime, computer system forensic methods and laboratories, investigatory tools, techniques and methods, and the role of the computer forensic specialist in solving crimes. Of special note is the summary inquiry into the newly emerging technologies and expectations for one of law enforcement's newest areas of involvement. An ideal textbook for academic Criminology courses, each individual chapter concludes with a 'chapter summary', key concepts and terms, and a 'chapter assessment'. Enhanced with a Standard Acronyms, a Glossary, extensive References, and a comprehensive Index, "System Forensics, Investigation, And Response" is an indispensable and valued addition to professional and academic library Criminology Studies instructional reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

The Educator's Privilege
Menachem M. Schneerson
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch
770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213
9780826606891, $12.95, www.kehot.com

The teacher is an important and powerful figure in educational process. "The Educator's Privilege" are musings from Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the pride and privilege of being an educator and spreading wisdom and thought and teaching. Although with a slant towards Jewish education, the Rabbi's wisdom should ring true even with secular or other religion's educators. "The Educator's Privilege" is a read that should not be missed for any educator.

The Relationship of Orthodox Jews with Believing Jews of Other Religious Ideologies and Non-Believing Jews
Adam Mintz, editor
KTAV
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602801400, $30.00, www.ktav.com

Orthodox Jews have gained a reputation for looking down on other Jews, but what is reality in these relations? "The Relationship of Orthodox Jews with Believing Jews of Other Religious Ideologies and Non-Believing Jews" discusses relationships in Judaism between the sects and those who have lapsed from their faith. Also discussing the relationship of those who have embraced Israel as well as those who continue to live in the United States and other locations, many thinkers and Jewish writers offer fascinating insight on this larger picture of relations. A fine addition to any Judaic studies collection, "The Relationship of Orthodox Jews with Believing Jews of Other Religious Ideologies and Non-Believing Jews" is an educational read, through and through.

Byron And The Jews
Sheila A. Spector
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814334423, $59.95, www.amazon.com

Lord Byron is best known as a leading British Romantic poet and his iconoclastic life style. What is not widely known is how popular his writings were with Jewish readers and that his works were translated into Hebrew, enjoying a continuing popularity with the leadership of Jewish cultural and political movements of the 19th and 20th centuries that continues down to the present day. "Byron and the Jews" is a superbly researched and deftly written 244-page compendium authored by independent scholar Sheila A. Spector focusing specifically on Byron's influence and impact on Jewish readers and academics with individual chapters respectively devoted to Bryon and the English Jews, the Maskilim, the Yiddishists, and the Zionists. Of special note is an informed and informative introduction to 'Translation and Identity' and concluding notes on 'Translation and Allegoresis'. Enhanced with the including of an appendix, extensive footnotes, a substantial bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Byron and the Jews" is a informed and informative seminal study, making it highly recommended for students of the life and works of Lord Byron, as well as a valued addition to academic library Judaic Studies and Literary Studies reference collections.

Tropical Diaspora
Robert M. Levine
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
9781558765214, $28.95, www.markuswiener.com

Cuba has had a unique history with Judaism all its own. "Tropical Diaspora: The Jewish Experience in Cuba" is a history examining this history of how Cuba once was an immigration stop on the way to America for many European Jews coming to America during the 1920s, as well as how many fled the Nazi onslaught in Cuba during the second World War. Even as Castro rose to power, the history continues, as Castro has tried to keep accusations of Anti-Semitism down despite rough relations with the populace as well as Israel. "Tropical Diaspora" is a excellent and scholarly read, a fine addition to any history and Judaic studies collection.


The Philosophy Shelf

Existential Aspirations
Charles D. Hayes
Autodidactic Press
575 South Begich Drive, Wasilla, Alaska, 99687
www.autodidactic.com
9780962197987, $16.95, www.amazon.com

Philosophy is not just an cognitive abstract pastime for ivory tower intellectuals. It is a body of knowledge, ideas, concepts, and problem solving approaches that have a genuine value and practical 'real world applications for human life and civilized conduct. At its very best, philosophical insights arise from real life experiences examined carefully and with a minimum of cultural bias. "Existential Aspirations: Reflections of a Self-Taught Philosopher" by Charles D. Hayes is a thoroughly 'reader friendly' 224-page compendium of reflective observation and insightful analysis of a series of contemporary issues ranging from a citizen's responsibility within the framework of a political democracy, to the relationship of our perception of happiness, to the ever present factor of our own mortality, and so much more. Of special note are a featured collection of aphorisms. Deftly written and superbly presented, "Existential Aspirations: Reflections of a Self-Taught Philosopher" is thoughtful and thought-provoking from first page to last, making it an excellent and prized addition to personal reading lists, as well as academic and community library Contemporary Philosophy collections.


The Agriculture Shelf

Rice Biofortification
Sally Brooks
Earthscan
1616 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
9781849711005 $34.95 www.earthscan.co.uk

Rice alone isn't going to be enough for people to survive on. "Rice Biofortification: Lessons for a Global Science and Development" looks at Biofortification, the act of enriching staple food crops with extra nutrients for nutrition to deliver those in need the additional nutrients they need to survive and get by in life. Looking at this method of health promotion and the problems it can bring in addressing world hunger, it's a scholarly dissection of genetic engineering and much more. "Rice Biofortification" is a much needed and highly recommended analysis.


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

I Shall Live
Henry Orenstein
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10011
9780825305979 $15.95 www.beaufortbooks.com

When you label people subhuman, you may find yourself at the mercy of their very human cunning. "I Shall Live: Surviving the Holocaust Against All Odds" reflects on the Orensteins, who survived their ordeal in World War II by defying the higher Nazi plan with a brilliant hoax. A unique holocaust survival story based on wise scheming and determination, "I Shall Live" is not a read to be overlooked for history collections focusing on the Holocaust.


The Literary Shelf

Collecting Stamps Would Have Been More Fun
Sinclair Ross
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888645210, $34.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

When great writers talk to one another, the way with words resonates loudly, even in a casual format. "Collecting Stamps Would Have Been More Fun: Canadian Publishing and the Correspondence of Sinclair 1933-1986" looks at the collection of letters to and from the legendary Canadian writer whose discussions with his contemporaries ring strong, providing much insight as well as wit. Including his only formal interview, "Collecting Stamps Would Have Been More Fun" is a thought provoking read that should be in every literary studies collection focusing on Canada.

Through a Glass Darkly
Holly Faith Nelson, Lynn R. Szabo, Jens Zimmermann
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554581849, $85.00, www.wlupress.wulu.ca

Understanding is something that is hard to obtain, yet endlessly pursued. "Through a Glass Darkly: Suffering, the Sacred, and the Sublime in Literature and Theory" is a discussion of these concepts and how they are often applied to literature and what they mean as a reflection upon society. Many authors look through the history, from ancient Greek literature and the Bible and its progression through history and society. From fantasy to contemporary general fiction, and around the world, the subjects have been used to put forth much about God and the unexplained in our lives. "Through a Glass Darkly" is an educated and scholarly read, a solid addition to any community and college library literary studies collections.

Southern Frontier Humor: An Anthology
M. Thomas Inge and Ed Piacentino, editors
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826218865 $26.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Mark Twain was not the originator of Southern humor. "Southern Frontier Humor: An Anthology" is a collection of the southern humor that Twain studied to gain his own writing chops. Looking at the work of many frontiers writers who put their own thoughts and opinions on America's frontiers. With names such as Samuel Clemens, Thomas Thorpe, David Crockett and others, "Southern Frontier Humor" is a must have to anyone who wants a better understanding of southern thought throughout the civil war.


The Humor Shelf

It's Taken Years to Get This Old
Karen O'Connor
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736929530, $6.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

With age comes wisdom, or at least that's what they say. "It's Taken Years to Get This Old" is a collection of wit and wisdom for the aging individual who is bound to have their life filled wit the beloved senior moments. Encouraging readers to never stop laughing, never stop loving, and never be afraid something new, "It's Taken Years to Get This Old" will prove a wonderful gift for those just passing the half century mark.


The Poetry Shelf

Rootling
Katie Donovan
Bloodaxe Books
c/o DuFour Edtions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781852248819, $23.95, www.dufouredtions.com

Desire for survival and so much more is what drives us through life. "Rootling" is a collection of poetry from Katie Donovan on the many types of hunger that push us through life looking for that satisfaction. Thoughtful and thought provoking, "Rootling" is a fine volume that shouldn't be overlooked. "News Photograph, Grozny, January 1995": The little dolls are covered/with smears of jam and flour,/their mouths slack,/as though left down/in a gingerbread house,/by children, baking.//Past the muzzy grains/of black and white,/I see/the dolls are children,/covered with smears/of blood and dust,/their mouths slack/with crying,/left down/in a shelled house, by adults,/fighting.

Blue Abundance
Noel Hanlon
Salmon Poetry
c/o DuFour Edtions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781907056475, $19.95, www.salmonpoetry.com

In the farms of Oregon, there is no such thing as claustrophobia. "Blue Abundance" is a collection of poetry from Noel Hanlon, reflecting on her life in rural Oregon, musing on the lessons she has learned over the years. "Blue Abundance" is a fine collection with a good deal of humor, highly recommended. "Manual Labor": In spring, my hands/gripping the handle/of a spade each day/to soften the earth,/are growing numb.//As I work, I think/of it as a form/of prayer, feeding/some, saving no one.

Break the Glass
Jean Valentine
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556593215, $22.00, www.coppercanyonpress.com

With plenty of experience, Jean Valentine keeps on chugging with her eleventh volume, "Break the Glass". A National Book Award winner, she focuses on remembering the tragedies of the past and what they have left behind. Thoughtful poetry, "Break the Glass" is a solid addition to any poetry collection. "Who Watches": Who watches/on a moon-surface hillside/the soon-dead children's rubber ball/circle in an oval/sunstruck orbit,/from hand to hand.../Cange, Haiti, Earth.


The Library Science Shelf

Managing the Small College Library
Rachel Applegate
Libraries Unlimited
c/o ABC CLIO
130 Cremona Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781591589174, $55.00, www.abc-clio.com

Not every library can afford to be a grand repository of all knowledge. "Managing the Small College Library" is a guide to running a library in a college where space is one of the most costly luxuries. These libraries must manage their smaller resources more efficiently, as they often cater to the same grueling requirements as their larger college brethren but with a fraction of the money and space. For anyone who is in charge of such libraries, "Managing the Small College Library" is a choice guide with no shortage of advice, a must for any small college librarian.

LibrarySparks
Diane Findlay, editor
Upstart Books
401 S. Wright Road, Janesville, WI 53547
9781602130524, $17.95

Learning in the library comes from more than books. "LibrarySparks Library Lessons: A Collection of the Finest Library Lessons from LibrarySparks Magazine" provides lessons for librarians who want ot educate their younger patrons in the library using a fascinating assortment of activities that goes from reading aloud, teaching technology and crafts, and so much more. A must for any librarian looking for good ideas, "LibrarySparks Library Lessons" is a top pick and very highly recommended.

Web Research in Academic Libraries
Rebecca Sullivan
ACRL
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838999264, $48.00, www.acrl.org

The internet is a great tool for research, but there are catches. "Web Research in Academic Libraries" is a guide for librarian and teachers who want to teach how to accurately use the internet for web research and an educational tool. With plenty of examples, Rebecca Sullivan has constructed a curriculum that is usable both for libraries and colleges who want to promote the Internet as the useful tool that it can be. An important resource that should be on hand for every library-based educator, "Web Research in Academic Libraries" is a must for community and college library collections.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
Steve & Annette Economides
Thomas Nelson
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781400202836, $16.99, www.thomasnelson.com

No one likes going broke on groceries. "Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half: With America's Cheapest Family" is a guide from the appropriately named Economides family as they give readers the advice they need for the family that wants to trim down that grocery bill for money to spend on other things. It also gives advice for trimming down that cooking time, preparing for the picky eater, saving money when eating out, and making money with one's own freezer. "Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half" is a top pick for the family on a budget.


The Economics Shelf

New Financial Horizons
Lorna Gold
New City Press
202 Comforter Blvd., Hyde Park, NY 12538
9781565483545, $16.95, www.newcitypress.com

Not every business operates with goals of getting into the Fortune 500. "New Financial Horizons: The Emergence of an Economy of Communion" examines 800 or so firms throughout the world that have united under the good ideas of sharing, caring, and justice. Examining how these businesses work and stay profitable and viable while still maintaining a high degree of ethics, "New Financial Horizons" is a fascinating look at the potential of redefining the term of good business.

Contemporary Economics, sixth edition
Robert J.Carbaugh
M. E. Sharpe Inc.
80 Business Park Drive, Armonk, NY 10504
9780765624888, $95.00, www.mesharpe.com

Economics can prove hard to understand for many, but it can be learned. "Contemporary Economics: An Applications Approach" is a lesson on economics that uses applicative methods to teach readers what they need to know about economics. In this sixth edition, each chapter provides a textual lesson the subject then gives plenty of examples and plenty of ways to test oneself on the subject at hand complete with answers to help gain a more complete understanding of the topic at hand. "Contemporary Economics" is a valuable read which should be at hands of any economics student.


The Civil War Shelf

Disunion!
Elizabeth R. Varon
University of North Carolina Press
116 South Boundary Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808
9780807871591 $21.00 www.uncpress.unc.edu

Elizabeth R. Varon (professor of history, University of Virginia) presents Disunion!: The Coming of the American Civil War, 1789-1859, a scholarly historical perspective of the political, cultural, and gender debates about "disunion" in America - that is, the specter of the republic's dissolution. Though a great many Americans perceived disunion as a nightmare to be avoided at all costs, others considered it a means by which they could achieve their partisan goals. From America's inception up to the dawn of the Civil War, chapters follow the advent of abolitionism, the role of mass party politics in the ongoing debate, the divisiveness concerning slavery's expansion, events and premonitions foreshadowing the horrendous toll of the Civil War itself, and much more. A handful of black-and-white illustrations enhance this well-reasoned study of the long war of words and ideas predating the open bloodshed of the Civil War.

Summer Thunder
Matt Spruill
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
9781572337275, $29.95, www.utpress.org

Artillery has since its inception played a powerful role in warfare. "Summer Thunder: A Battlefield Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg" discusses Civil War era artillery and the major role it played in many battles surrounding and at the famous Battle at Gettysburg. With plenty of black and white photographs spread throughout the writing as well as technical descriptions and maps, "Summer Thunder" is a fascinating read on civil war artillery, very highly recommended.


The Railroading Shelf

101 Classic Toy Trains
Roger Carp
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780871164100, $24.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Model trains have been innovated well over the years. "101 Classic Toy Trains: Best of the Postwar Years" is a guide to the finest model trains and buildings created throughout the 1945 to 1969 years. Trains from many makers, these trains captivated the youth of America and some of the not so youthful as well to provide quite the hobby for many Americans. Packed with full color photographs and much information for buyers, "101 Classic Toy Trains" is a useful and highly recommended pick for model train enthusiasts.


The Mythology Shelf

The Greek & Roman Myths
Philip Matyszak
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780500251737, $24.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

The mythology of the Greeks has more impact on today's society than any other literature. "The Greek & Roman Myths: A Guide to the Classical Stories" is a literary introduction to the mythology of the Greeks, and its impact on the Roman legends and their strong impact on the world today. Outlining the common and known characters of these tales and their complex relations, "The Greek & Roman Myths" is an educational and very useful resource and literary guide for anyone who wants or needs to know about the classics.


The Sports Shelf

The Little League that Could
Ken Rappoport
Taylor Trade
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781589794627, $22.95

The National Football League was not without its competition. "The Little League That Could: A History of the American Football League" tells the story of the decade where the small league started with nearly nothing and made itself a worthy rival with the monopoly of the American football league, leading the split of the NFC and AFC we have today. "The Little League That Could" is a must for any would-be football historian.

Dallas Cowboys
Ed Housewright
Associated Press
450 West 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001
Cardinal Publishers Group (publicity)
2402 N. Shadeland Ave., Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46219
9780984192717, $27.00, www.cardinalpub.com

There are people who have never even been near Dallas who love the Cowboys. "Dallas Cowboys: America's Team" looks at the Dallas Cowboys and their strong history in the game of football. Under the guidance of legends such of Tom Landry and Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys have become house hold names. With a history of super bowl appearances, a fantasy dream team of Cowboy All stars, and plenty of black and white and full color photos throughout, "Dallas Cowboys: America's Team" is a must for any football fan celebrating their favorite team as a coffee table book.


The World History Shelf

The Great Fire of Rome
Stephen Dando-Collins
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780306818905 $25.00 www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Rome, most powerful city of the ancient world has brought down by the most basic of nature's wrath - fire. "The Great Fire of Rome: The Fall of Emperor Nero and His City" looks at the history of Rome surrounding the fire that destroyed the city in the first century AD. With modern research on the great fire and its original causes, this study looks at the history of Rome's destruction and what it meant in the bigger picture of Roman history. "The Great Fire of Rome" is a fine addition to any history collection focusing on the time of antiquity.

A History of the Middle East
Corm
Garnet Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781859642207, $34.95, www.garnetpublishing.co.uk

The Middle East is one of the oldest regions in the world as far as civilization goes, and it holds many of the world's problems at the same time. "A History of the Middle East: From Antiquity to the Present Day" traces the long history of the region to gain a better understanding of the Islamic world, which since the fall of the Roman Empire has grown apart from Europe and its Christian- driven values. These two very different cultures now come to a forefront in the world stage, and "A History of the Middle East" seeks to explain why.


The Language Studies Shelf

Giveaways
Linda Boyden
University of New Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
9780826347268, $17.95, www.unmpress.com

American English is a linguist's Frankenstein. "Giveaways: An ABC Book of Loanwords" looks at how many words in American English find their roots in decidedly non-American roots. From the native Americans, to Africa, and much more, a thoughtful passage on many of these words with plenty of colorful art accompanying them is a fine pick for younger readers to understand the details of language. "Giveaways" is a fine picture book, very highly recommended.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Touching Peace: Practicing the Art of Mindful Living
Thich Nhat Hanh
Parallax Press
PO Box 7355, Berkeley, CA 94707
9781888375992 $12.95 www.parallaxpress.com

Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (whose commitment to nonviolence prompted Martin Luther King Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967) presents Touching Peace: Practicing the Art of Mindful Living, which continues his testimony concerning how to extend the benefits of the meditation discipline into one's day-to-day life. Particular emphasis is placed on learning to focus upon the most refreshing and nourishing aspects of all that surrounds one. Chapters include "Love in Action", "Sangha Building", "Realizing Ultimate Reality", and much more. Written in plain terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Touching Peace is a useful and practical guide for any who would strive to find harmony and balance in their lives through the tradition of mindful living. Also highly recommended is Thich Nhat Hanh's previous testimony on mindfulness, "Being Peace".


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Ratchet & Clank issues #1 & 2
Wildstorm
dc_publicity@dccomics.com
$3.99 each wildstorm.com

The heroes of Sony's popular and beloved action-platforming-armed combat video games Ratchet & Clank now debut in their very own, full-color comic series, published by Wildstorm (also known for their comics set in the World of Warcraft massively multiplayer online RPG universe). Ratchet is, of course, a humble furry Lombax with a spark of technical genius who has saved the galaxy from destruction so many times he desperately needs some peace and quiet. Yet he and his law-abiding droid friend Clank are inevitably pressed into action in issue #1, when a nefarious force that has been making entire planets disappear targets the remote world they've settled on! In issue #2, Ratchet and Clank are locked within an inescapable(?) prison complex, and the cellmate who seems to have taken the most interest in them is a fierce warrior they've clashed with in the past! Who is the mad, brilliant mind seeking to assemble a brand-new galaxy from pieces of Ratchet's galaxy? And what role did the questionably venal and incompetent Captain (now Galactic President) Quark have in starting all this madness? The Ratchet & Clank comics beautifully capture the irrepressible spirit of its dashing heroes, and the ever-so-slightly cartoony feel of the video game's wild and crazy far-flung future universe. Highly recommended, especially for fans of the video games, but also for anyone who loves sci-fi adventure comics that feature dramatic action, but don't necessarily take themselves too seriously.

Yummy
G. Neri
Lee & Low Books
95 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9781584302674, $16.95, www.leeandlow.com

The vicious cycle of urban life affects those closest to it the most deeply. "Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty" is the graphic novel detailing the fate of a young man who gets drawn into the troubling states of gangs. Told from the perspective of someone close, the story looks at the tragedy that causes such things and how these premature deaths create impacts in lives that has long profound effects. "Yummy" is a choice pick, not to be missed for graphic novel collections.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Food Stylist's Handbook
Denise Vivaldo
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423606031 $50.00 www.gibbs-smith.com 1-800-748-5439

Illustrated with beautiful color photography throughout, Food Stylist's Handbook is a no-nonsense guide to the art and career of food styling - that is, making food products appear irresistibly presentable for commercials, magazine ads, infomercials, and other endeavors. Written by a food stylist professional, for professionals, Food Stylist's Handbook discusses the different niches of food styling, how to start a food styling business and build a styling kit, marketing one's food styling business, the preparation for "magic time" (when the photographer starts to shoot), tricks of the trade, and much more. Food Stylist's Handbook is an absolute "must-have" resource for those interested in pursuing a food styling career, and a fascinating browse for any reader curious about the work that goes into sumptuously appetizing advertisements!


The Fashion Shelf

Scaaasi
American Couturier
MFA Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
D.A.P.
155 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10013
9780878467594, $29.95, www.mfa.org

High fashion is something hard to keep on top of. "Scaasi: American Courtier" looks at the history of famed clothing designer Arnold Scaasi who has become an icon of American fashion, designing wardrobe for many American stars through the years. With plenty of full color photographs of his work where applicable, the essence and theme of Scaasi's design as it evolved with the times."Scaasi" is a fine coffee table book for anyone with a love for fashion, highly recommended.


The Parenting Shelf

A Compromised Generation
Beth Lambert
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
9781591810964, $18.95, www.sentitentpublications.com

There are dangers to our growing children, and many aren't even aware of them. "A Compromised Generation: The Epidemic of Chronic Illness in America's Children" discusses the seemingly chronic illness that affect many of today's children in the wide array of forms such as autism, diabetes, and many other disorders. Placing the blame on over use of pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines, and other elements, "A Compromised Generation" is worth considering for parents who are suspicious of the things that could be the cause of sicknesses.


The Psychology Shelf

Jungian Psychoanalysis
Murray Stein
Open Court
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696684, $59.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

Different disciplines have different approaches. "Jungian Psychoanalysis" is an introductory to the common discipline of psychology made popular by C. G. Jung, and has inspired entire classes to follow his thoughts and opinions of psychology. With chapters on the basic principles of Jungian psychology, today's culture under its microscope. analyzing people and their behavior, the minds of children, and how to study the finer details of Jungian psychology. "Jungian Psychoanalysis" is a powerful read that will do much to explain the discipline, highly recommended.

Love and War
Rudolf Harmsen
Robert D. Reed Publisher
PO Box 1992, Bandon, OR 97411
9781934759462, $17.95, www.rdrpublishers.com

Humans are both social creatures and violent creatures, leading to a fascinating duality. "Love and War: Human Nature in Crisis" discusses two different stories during World War II, as Rudolf Harmsen grows up in occupied Holland and the fearful Paddy Welles, living under the threat of air raids with her family in North Carolina. An interesting look at the status of family in dangerous situations, "Love and War" is a fine take, very highly recommended.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Babine
Pierce Clegg & Peter McMullan
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
PO Bo 82112, Portland, OR 97282
9781571884626, $49.95, www.amatobooks.com

In fishing, not only are great fish and fishermen revered, but great fishing spots. "Babine: A 50-Year Celebration of a World-Renowned Steelhead and Trout River" tells the story of this beloved river in Canada and how it has become a favored and famed fishing river known for its abundant trout and steelhead. With plenty of photographs, anecdotes, tips and so much more, Peter Clegg & Peter McMullan provide a worthy tribute to the river. "Babine" is a fine addition to any Canadian history of fishing collection, very highly recommended.


The Woodworking Shelf

Carving 18th Century American Furniture Elements
Tony Kubalak
Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
9781933502328 $24.95 www.woodworkerslibrary.com

Full color photography on almost every page (plus layout diagrams and more) illustrates the woodworking instructions of Carving 18th Century American Furniture Elements: 10 Step-by-Step Projects for Furniture Makers, a beautiful how-to guide that lives up to its title. Chapters focus especially on the process of creating distinctive period features, such as "Carved Foliage on Knee", "Philadelphia Rosette", "Convex Newport Shell", and many more beautiful and integral designs. The user-friendly instructions make Carving 18th Century American Furniture Elements a "must-have" for any dedicated woodworker looking to put their skills to the test in a period piece.


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


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