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Volume 24, Number 9 September 2014 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Wine Shelf Crafts Shelf
Woodworking Shelf Sports Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Mathematics Shelf Technology Shelf
Parenting Shelf Music Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Photography Shelf Computer Shelf Political Science Shelf
Biography Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Business Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Education Shelf Military Shelf
Automotive Shelf Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Architecture Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf American History Shelf
Civil War Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Travel Shelf Language Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Geology Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Botany Shelf Reference Shelf Archaeology Shelf
Mythology Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Mysteries of the Unknown
Time Inc. Home Entertainment
PO Box 11016, Des Moines, Iowa 50336-1016
c/o Goodman Media (publicity)
750 Seventh Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10019
9781618933522 $17.95 www.time.com

Illustrated with full-color photographs throughout, Mysteries of the Unknown: Inside the World of the Strange and Unexplained is a reader-friendly compendium of the history, legends, and science behind supernatural or metaphysical phenomena. From the real-life killers who inspired tales of vampires (including the notorious Vlad the Impaler), to near-death experiences and people's testimonies of "the other side", to American and Soviet attempts to study psychic powers during the Cold War, to America's most haunted homes, Mysteries of the Unknown explores the bizarre, the unexplained, and the mystical with a decidedly scientific tilt. Humanity may not have all the answers about paranormal happenings, but Mysteries of the Unknown provides one with as much information as modern science and history can offer, in order to make one's own judgment! "Although Jewish law forbids praying for another's death, some believe in the tradition of the pulsa denura (Aramaic for "lashes of fire"), a curse against those who break God's commandments. Two Israeli prime ministers have died after supposedly becoming the target of the pulsa denura..." Fascinating from cover to cover, Mysteries of the Unknown is highly recommended.

A Texas Cowboy's Journal
Jack Bailey, author
David Dary, editor
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806137377 $24.95 hc
9780806146478 $14.95 pbk www.oupress.com

Volume 3 of "The Western Legacies Series", A Texas Cowboy's Journal: Up the Trail to Kansas in 1868 is the first known, day-to-day journal written by a cowboy on a cattle drive from Texas to Kansas, after the American Civil War. Jack Bailey, a farmer of North Texas, gives his firsthand account of his difficult job; he tells of encounters with Indians, U.S. soldiers, Mexicans, freed slaves, and other cowboys. Individual daily entries tend to be brief, but together they paint a vivid picture of life on the trail, as well as working with other crewmembers, who sometimes included African Americans, or even women and children. "Rained all night but we kept dry. It was dark + raining when we stopped. Women mad + quarreling. Children crying. Looked like a storm coming [sic] on us but turned off to a study hard rain. But we are all right this morning. The women slept off their mad..." A Texas Cowboy's Journal is a solid primary historical source, highly recommended for scholars and lay readers alike.

Butch Cassidy My Uncle: A Family Portrait
Bill Betenson
High Plains Press
PO Box 123
Glendo, WY 82213
9781937147037 $19.95 www.highplainspress.com

Penned by Butch Cassidy's great-grandson Bill Betenson, Butch Cassidy My Uncle: A Family Portrait retells the life story of one of America's most famous outlaws. Bill's quest to learn more about his colorful, violent, yet charismatic ancestor led him to jail basements in the American West, to the ranch Butch once owned in Argentina, and to intense study of family archives inherited from Butch Cassidy's younger sister, Lula Parker Betenson. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs illustrate this up-close-and-personal biography, and the successor volume to Lula's classic memoir "Butch Cassidy, My Brother". Highly recommended!

The Art of Memory
Thomas R. Dilley
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building
4809 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814340196 $39.99 http://wsupress.wayne.edu

Cemetery historian and expert Thomas R. Dilley presents The Art of Memory: Historic Cemeteries of Grand Rapids, Michigan, an in-depth history of the art, architecture, and purpose of American cemeteries in general, and fifteen historic cemeteries of Grand Rapids, Michigan in particular. Chapters explore the evolution of cemetery design and development, from religious and decorative symbols used to the types of epitaphs and how the materials used by cemetery makers changed. A wealth of color photography illustrates this fascinating tour through time, space, and history.

The Roman Search for Wisdom
Michael K. Kellogg
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616149253, $28.95, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Roman Search for Wisdom provides a fine review of Roman literature and history and considers the Roman contribution to philosophy, literature, and more: contributions traditionally viewed as inferior to ancient Greek accomplishments. Chapters survey poets, historians and philosophers and how their works influenced the world, creating a different focus on Roman importance. This is recommended reading for college-level readers of literature, history and philosophy alike, and traces the lasting influences of ancient Rome right into modern times.

Outdoor Living
Selina Lake
Ryland Peters Small
519 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10012
9781849755061, $29.95, www.rylandpeters.com

OUTDOOR LIVING provides a fine guide to creating stylish, appealing outdoor spaces, and is a recommendation for any home and garden collection and for homeowners who want to transform an outdoor space for entertainment or leisure dining. Full-page color photos accompany interior and exterior designs alike that range from patios to sunrooms and sheds. What to do with that unattractive hut out back? Transform it! How about the idea of putting a stylish tent in the backyard for romance and fun? From garden florals to table settings, this leaves nothing out and is recommended for any who like interior design projects.

Denali's Howl
Andy Hall
Dutton
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10014-3657
9780525954064, $27.95, www.penguin.com

DENALI'S HOWL: THE DEADLIEST CLIMBING DISASTER ON AMERICA'S WILDEST PEAK recounts a climbing expedition that took place in 1967 when twelve young men tried climbing Alaska's Mount McKinley. The author, a former editor of Alaska magazine and son of the park's superintendent at the time, spent years investigating how seven team members came to be trapped in a rare storm on the summit. From rescuer notes to survivors, lost documents and communications, his focus was to find out why they died, and here provides a moving story of what really happened in a true-life disaster adventure story any general-interest reader will find involving.

Mapping Time
Menno-Jan Kraak
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
9781589483125, $49.99, www.esri.com/esripress

MAPPING TIME: ILLUSTRATED BY MINARD'S MAP OF NAPOLEON'S RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN OF 1812 is all about visualizing time in map format, was inspired by graphic artist Charles Minard's classic map of France's invasion of Russia, and blends history and geographic analysis with cartographic visualizations of mapping changes over time. Over 100 color illustrations will appeal to history buffs, geographers and cartographers alike and probes the graphics and semantics of visual data and its translation. From depicting relative time to portraits of events, this is a fine reference for any cartography holding.

Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Thomas Girst's THE DUCHAMP DICTIONARY (9780500239179, $29.95) is illustrated by Luke Frost and Therese Vandling, considers his life and work using short, alphabetical dictionary entries, and provides a researched A-Z format covering Duchamp's works and themes. From bicycles and anatomy to chess, Dadaism and more, these entries demonstrate how the dictionary form has inspired artists over the centuries, and uses quotes from Duchamp himself to add insights into his thoughts and works. Newly commissioned collages introduce each letter of the alphabet and accompany these entries, making for a solid and engrossing read. Andrew H. Dent & Leslie Sherr's MATERIAL INNOVATION: PRODUCT DESIGN (9780500291290, $29.95) pairs materials technology with art as it provides a selection of products that represent the innovative use of a particular material, from grown materials and composites to recycled materials and more. These materials are used in everything from clothing to art, furniture-making to building, and represent a revolution in the field of materials technology, which intersects art in different areas. Students and professionals will find this especially useful for pursuing particular materials. Volume Two of 'THE MANUAL FOR A STYLISH LIFE': THE MR. PORTER PAPERBACK (9780500291276, $29.95), edited by Jeremy Langmead, is a recommendation for any arts collection strong in fashion design and history and provides interviews with style icons, actors, and others involved in the trends around men's style. From choosing age-appropriate clothing to adopting style to life choices, this is a wide-ranging set of discussions that informs men on the finer points of developing a unique style and approach to life.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

How to Make a Living Writing Articles for Newspapers, Magazines, and Online Sources
Wendy Vincent
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601385673 $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

How to Make a Living Writing Articles for Newspapers, Magazines, and Online Sources: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Successful Freelance Writer in 30 Days lives up to its title as a "must-have" resource for any "writer with a day job" looking to make writing their full-time career. Chapters are filled with tips, tricks, and techniques for dedicating a workspace to the craft (and countering procrastination), marketing oneself, mastering the art of the query letter, targeting one's submissions, supplemental writing income sources (including corporate materials, contract books, travel writing, and more), how to ensure one gets paid, how to determine whether one needs an agent, and much more. "[Never trust] Agents asking for a retainer - Reputable agents are able to pay for their own expenses. They can determine whether a book is marketable and do not request up-front fees or retainers from a writer." Accessible, practical, and grounded in professional experience, How to Make a Living Writing Articles for Newspapers, Magazines, and Online Sources is highly recommended.

Creating Graphic Novels
Sarah Beach
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931941 $26.95 www.mwp.com

Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Creating Graphic Novels: Adapting and Marketing Stories for a Multimillion-Dollar Industry is a guide especially for would-be authors/marketers/publishers of graphic novels. The emphasis here is squarely upon transforming one's story idea (or novel/movie/media) into a script that a comic artist can use to bring the graphic novel to life. Creating Graphic Novels is not a "how to draw" book; it's a "how to write a script that a professional artist can draw" book. The basics of the publishing industry are also covered - what the industry expects from submissions, legal guidelines concerning copyright and appropriate credit, how to understand the terminology of a publishing contract, and more. (The legal basics in particular come with a strong disclaimer: "What follows is only a general explanation of legal matters. Do not take it as legal advice. Always consult a lawyer regarding rights and contracts", but before talking to an expensive lawyer it's very important to have a thorough, personal understanding of these fundamental concepts). Creating Graphic Novels goes in-depth on an seldom-covered aspect of the writing industry - translating a story from one medium to another - and is an absolute "must-have" for anyone interested in seeing their work (stories, movies, or plays) adapted to graphic novel format.

Organic Screenwriting
Mark David Gerson
MDG Media International
9708 Calle Chamisa NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114
9781499306750, $16.00, www.amazon.com

Screenwriting, also called script-writing is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is frequently a freelance profession. Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, developing the narrative, writing the screenplay, and delivering it, in the required format, to development executives. Screenwriters therefore have great influence over the creative direction and emotional impact of the screenplay and, arguably, of the finished film. They either pitch original ideas to producers in the hope that they will be optioned or sold, or screenwriters are commissioned by a producer to create a screenplay from a concept, true story, existing screen work or literary work, such as a novel, poem, play, comic book or short story. "Organic Screenwriting: Writing for Film, Naturally" by professional screenwriter Mark David Gerson is a 222 page instruction manual emphasizes what he describes as a 'Muse Stream' approach to writing scripts. Replete with effective techniques, exceptionally useful exercises, and practical inspiration, "Organic Screenwriting: Writing for Film, Naturally" is a seminal work that should be read carefully by any and all aspiring writers for film or television and will serve as an enduringly useful reference work. Very highly recommended, it should be noted that "Organic Screenwriting: Writing for Film, Naturally" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Estate Jewelry: 1760-1960, second edition
Diana Sanders Cinamon
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764346491, $49.99, www.schifferpublishing.com

Estate Jewelry: 1760-1960 appears in a revised, expanded second edition to cover over 200 years of antique to modern jewelry collecting in the U.S., Canada and Europe, and pairs full-page and good-sized color images with discussions of changes in jewelry construction and style over the centuries. From fittings and maker's marks to collectability and fashion pieces, Estate Jewelry: 1760-1960 provides both background history and identification insights for any involved in the collection, display and history of jewelry.

The Guide Book of United States Coins, 2015 Essential Edition
R.S. Yeoman
Whitman Publishers
4001 Helton Drive, Florence, Alabama, 35630
9780794839266, $14.95, www.whitman.com

This title, popularly known as the "Red Book", provides a fine survey of circulating federal U.S. coins and is printed in full color on 8.5x11 pages to permit for larger photos of coins for easier identification purposes. It provides a solid reference to the latest values for numismatic enthusiasts, presenting a new oversized edition of the classic original Red Book for audiences at all levels of coin collecting skills. Pages of detail on key coins offer everything needed to make a proper identification and to determine value and grade, making this a 'must' reference especially accessible to those newer to the coin collecting field.


The Cookbook Shelf

Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking
Cara Reed
Page Street Publishing Co.
27 Congress Street, Suite 103, Salem, MA 01970
c/o The Trina Kaye Organization (publicity)
9781624140716 $19.99 www.pagestreetpublishing.com

Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking: Delicious Gluten-, Egg- and Dairy-Free Treats and Sweets is a confection connoisseur's delight. Full-color, full-page illustrations wonderful, gluten and animal product-free delicacies such as Chocolate Almond Biscotti (made with flaxseed meal), a gluten-free flour blend (made from rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, and arrowroot powder) used in a tremendous variety of desserts including Pumpkin Spice Muffins, Lazy Man's Tiramisu (made from coconut cream and Chocolate Cloud Cookies), and much more. A treasury especially for adventurous bakers and gourmet palates, Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking is highly recommended.

Easy, Affordable Raw
Lisa Viger
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
Dalyne Miller Public Relations
9781592539291, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Properly prepared, the consumption of raw foods can provide a significantly less expensive and yet more healthy culinary life than eating foods that have been cooked by heating them. "Easy, Affordable Raw: How to Go Raw on $10 a Day" by raw food expert Lisa Viger is a profusely illustrated, 176 page compendium showcasing a cornucopia of easy and delicious raw food recipes. Beginning with four informed and informative chapters concerning raw foods (Why Raw?; Common Questions Answered; Choosing Raw Foods; Tools & Techniques), "Easy, Affordable Raw: How to Go Raw on $10 a Day" goes on to showcasing budget friendly, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes ranging from a Chocolate Nut Butter Smoothie; a Baby Greens and Mango Lime Chipotle Dressing; Raw Farmers' Market Eggplant Tacos; and Cheesy Buckwheat Crackers; to a Tomato Watermelon Salsa; Quick Coconut Macademia Yogurt with Strawberries; Caramel Apple Pear Tart; and Raw Mocha Almond Brownie Bites. Remarkably 'kitchen cook friendly', "Easy, Affordable Raw: How to Go Raw on $10 a Day" is an extraordinary culinary collection and a very highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Easy, Affordable Raw: How to Go Raw on $10 a Day" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).

The Book Of Kale & Friends
Sharon Hanna & Carol Pope
Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771620147, $22.95, www.amazon.com

Kale is a vegetable with green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered by some to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms of vegetables. Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was one of the most common green vegetables in all of Europe. Collaboratively compiled by Sharon Hanna and Carol Pope, "The Book of Kale and Friends: 14 Easy-to-Grow Superfoods with 130+ Recipes" is a nicely illustrated, 224 page compendium that begins with a solid introduction to the growing of kale, answers to most frequently asked questions about kale, and basic descriptive information about arugula, basil, chives, coriander, cilantro, herb fennel, garlic, lovage, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme. "The Book of Kale and Friends: 14 Easy-to-Grow Superfoods with 130+ Recipes" then showcases kale recipes ranging from a Kale, White Bean & Caramelized Onion Dip; Tuscan-Style Arugula Pizza with Kale Petals; Chiffonade of Kale with Salty Sweet Walnuts; and Kale-a-Leekie Soup; to Garlicky Roast Potatoes & Kale; Tomato Kale Nirvana; Kale Pasta with Rose Sauce; and Gluten-Free Kale Fruit Loaf. "The Book of Kale and Friends: 14 Easy-to-Grow Superfoods with 130+ Recipes" is a delight to browse and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' to use, making it an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Holiday Kosher Baker
Paula Shoyer
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016-8810
9781454907145 $35.00 www.sterlingpublishing.com

Gorgeous, full-color photography illuminates The Holiday Kosher Baker: Traditional & Contemporary Holiday Desserts, a cookbook created especially to help home bakers create traditional, kosher delicacies especially for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur (desserts to eat after Yom Kippur ends), Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot. In addition to step-by-step instructions, The Holiday Kosher Book is filled with tips, tricks, techniques, anecdotes, and tidbits about kosher baking. Recipes include Chocolate and Almond Croissants, Red Velvet Hamantaschen, Lemon and Passion Fruit Pavlova, Cheese Babka, Salted Caramel Banana Tart Tatin, and much more. Although The Holiday Kosher Baker is intended especially for preparing kosher treats for Jewish holidays, anyone and everyone with a sweet tooth is sure to enjoy these tasty, mouth-watering delights! Highly recommended.

The Old Rittenhouse Inn Cookbook
Mark Phillips
Lake Superior Port Cities Inc.
PO Box 16417, Duluth, Minnesota 55816-0417
9781938229190 $24.95 www.LakeSuperior.com

Inviting color photography illustrates The Old Rittenhouse Inn Cookbook: Meals & Memories from the Historic Bayfield B&B, a cookbook of delicious, homestyle offerings from the historic Rittenhouse Inn. More than just a recipe collection, The Old Rittenhouse Inn Cookbook is filled with charming anecdotes and fond memories of growing up in the former Victorian mansion turned bed & breakfast. Recipes include Sausage-Apple French Toast, Fried Whitefish Livers, Romaine Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette, Peach Moscato Sorbet, Mascarpone Whipped Yukon Golds, Poached Pear Creme Brulee, and much more. A wonderful guide to crafting the finest Midwest cuisine in the comfort of one's own home, The Old Rittenhouse Inn Cookbook is highly recommended.

The Complete Coconut Cookbook
Camilla V. Saulsbury
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778804888 $24.95 www.robertrose.ca

A handful of color photographs illustrates The Complete Coconut Cookbook: 200 Gluten-Free, Grain-Free and Nut-Free Vegan Recipes Using Coconut Flour, Oil, Sugar and More. This treasury of sumptuous dishes crafted from the humble coconut includes Brain Power Shake (made with coconut water, Hass avocado, strawberries, and a banana), Coconut Flax Tortillas, Spiced Tomato Coconut Soup, Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes (cooked with coconut oil), and much more. The Complete Coconut Cookbook proves the coconut's versatility, especially when its flour, oil, or natural sugar forms the perfect ingredient for a tremendous variety of vegan, gluten-free creations. An excellent addition to cookbook collections!

Nom Nom Paleo
Michelle Tam and Henry Fong
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449450335 $35.00 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans is a cookbook of recipes suited for the Paleo diet and lifestyle - emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables and modest portions of healthy meat, naturally gluten-free foods that have sustained humans since the prehistoric era of the hunter-gatherer. Charming cartoons, tips for stocking the kitchen and packing nutritious lunches, anecdotes and advice on the paleo lifestyle, and more round out this wonderful, all-purpose cookbook. "...the core tenets of ancestral eating remain the same: 1) Prioritize whole, unprocessed, nutrient-rich, nourishing foods. Eat vegetables, grass-fed and pastured meats and eggs, wild-caught seafood, and some fruit, nuts, and seeds. 2) Avoid food that are likely to be more harmful than healthful. Especially when regularly consumed, certain foods can trigger inflammation, cause digestive problems, or derail our natural metabolic processes, such as grains, legumes, sugar, and processed seed and vegetable oils." Recipes such as Paleo Mayonnaise (made from simple ingredients rather than highly-processed, store-bought mayonnaise), Chopped Liver + Bacon (with onion and Italian parsley), Oven-Baked Sweet Potatoes, Watermelon Gazpacho, Slow-Roasted Duck Legs, Mocha Ice Pops, and more make Nom Nom Paleo a choice cookbook regardless of the degree to which one abides by paleo tenets. Highly recommended.

Fresh Cooking
Shelley Boris
Monkfish Book Publishing Company
22 East Market Street, Suite 304, Rhinebeck NY 12572
www.monkfishpublishing.com
9781939681157, $29.99, www.amazon.com

The Garrison Institute was founded in 2003 by Jonathan F. P. Rose and is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization located in Garrison, New York. Its stated mission is "applying the power of contemplation to social and environmental change, helping build a more compassionate, resilient future." Drawing on current scientific research and contemplative practices, the Institute's programs develop and disseminate contemplative-based methodologies designed to enhance resilience, leadership and effectiveness, especially in the fields of education, environmental/climate change, and trauma care. It holds contemplative retreats representing a wide range of traditions and practices, selected for their conduciveness to personal growth and positive social change. One serendipity of the institute is the fabulous quality of the meals produced in its kitchens. Compiled by Shelley Boris and beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography of finished dishes and some of the beauty of the institute itself, "Fresh Cooking: A Year of Recipes from the Garrison Institute Kitchen" is a 260 page compendium offering a cornucopia of wonderful mealtime offerings that range from Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sea Salt and Lemon; Polenta with Spinach, Spring Onions, and Cheese; Haiga Rice, Sesame Seeds, Green Shiso, and Cucumber with Mackeral; to Braise Beef Shanks with Tzatziki; Moroccan Vegetable Stew; Roasted Cauliflower with Juniper and Black Pepper; and Baked French Toast. Nicely organized by month and featuring seasonally appropriate menus, "Fresh Cooking: A Year of Recipes from the Garrison Institute Kitchen" is enhanced further with a chapter dedicated to 'Our Breakfast Buffet with Recipes; a chapter on Salad; a chapter on establishing a quality Pantry; and a very useful index. Very highly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Fresh Cooking: A Year of Recipes from the Garrison Institute Kitchen" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.09).

Food, Family and Tradition
Lynn Kirsche Shapiro
The Cherry Press, LLC
4020 West Oakton Street, Skokie, IL 60076
Trina Kaye Organization
9780989847902, $35.00

Showcasing more than 150 hitherto unpublished kosher dishes and presented within the context of Jewish Hungarian family life and culture prior to the onslaught of the Holocaust, "Food, Family and Tradition: Hungarian Kosher Family Recipes And Remembrances" is a beautifully illustrated and presented 279 page compendium of palate pleasing and appetite satisfying, fully kosher dishes with preparation methods nicely updated for modern kitchens. Interspersed with family reminisces and articles such as 'The Wide World of Kosher Wines', the recipes comprising "Food, Family and Tradition" range from Goldie Weinberger's Blintzes; Mom's Salmon Patties; Fried Liver with Onions and Potatoes; Meatloaf with Beef or Veal; and Candied Carrots; to Latkes; My Mother's Homemade Noodles; Golden Dumplings; Lekech (Honey Cake); and Ibi's Fresh Berry Relish. A culinary delight to simply browse through, "Food, Family and Tradition" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library ethnic cookbook collections.

Eat More Dessert
Jenny Keller
Page Street Publishing
27 Congress Street, Suite 103, Salem, MA 01970
www.pagestreetpublishing.com
9781624140617, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Expertly compiled by Jenny Keller (creator of jennycookies.com), "Eat More Dessert: More than 100 Simple-to-Make & Fun-to-Eat Baked Goods From the Baker to the Stars" is a beautifully and profusely illustrated, 224 page compendium showcasing deliciously palate pleasing baked treats that would grace any dinning occasion from simple family mealtime to elegant celebratory dining occasions. Each thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipe includes a succinct description, a list of ingredients, preparatory instructions, and the number of servings. The dishes themselves range from Royal Chocolate Ruffle Cake; Baby Bliss Cupcakes; Spring Garden Jenny Cookies; and Cannon Cake Pops; to Eye Patch Rice Krispie Treats; German Chocolate Harvest Cake; Let It Snow Coconut Cake; and First Noel Fudge. Of special note is that each chapter open with an informative commentary that is thematically appropriate for the recipes that particular chapter contains. Certain to be enduringly popular, "Eat More Dessert: More than 100 Simple-to-Make & Fun-to-Eat Baked Goods From the Baker to the Stars" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Eat More Dessert: More than 100 Simple-to-Make & Fun-to-Eat Baked Goods From the Baker to the Stars" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.67).

Marshmallows
Tim Kinnaird
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
www.barronseduc.com
9781438004235, $17.99, www.amazon.com

Marshmallow is a sugar candy that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, whipped to a spongy consistency, molded into small cylindrical pieces, and coated with corn starch. Some marshmallow recipes call for eggs. This confection is the modern version of a medicinal confection made from Althaea officinalis, the marshmallow plant. Expertly compiled and presented by Tim Kinnaird, "Marshmallows: 100 Mouthwatering Marshmallow Treats" is a 144 page compendium comprised of beautifully illustrated recipes for palate pleasing marshmallow-based treats that are thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' to prepare. The recipes range from Apple Betty Marshmallows; Egg-Free Chocolate & Hazelnut Marshmallows on Sticks; Raspberry, Rose & Lychee Marshmallows; and Salted Buttered Popcorn Marshmallows; to Spiced Carrot Soup with Toasted Coriander Marshmallows; Marshmallow Rice Krispie Cakes; Toasted Marshmallow Clotted Cream Ice Cream; and Lemon Marshmallow Meringue Pie. "Marshmallows: 100 Mouthwatering Marshmallow Treats" will prove to be an enduringly popular and prized addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections.

300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes
Jane Sharrock
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778804758, $24.95, www.robertrose.ca

300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes isn't just a contemporary collection of innovations: some of these candy recipes date back sixty years or more. And they aren't intended solely for experienced candy-makers, but for novices as well, requiring a minimum of special equipment and offering detailed, step-by-step, photo-enhanced directions for foolproof insights into candy making at home. Sections of color photos pepper recipes for brittles, fudge, truffles and rolls in a delicious production recommended for any would-be candy-maker as well as those who just want to increase their stock of recipes.

Choosing Raw
Gena Hamshaw
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738216874, $19.99, www.dacapopress.com

CHOOSING RAW: MAKING RAW FOODS PART OF THE WAY YOU EAT is packed with details on how to embrace raw foods while on a budget, and discusses everything from getting enough nutrition from a plant-based diet to making the most of raw-based meals. Here are recipes busy chefs can learn to create flavorful meals, from raw corn chowder and Hummus Kale Chips to Basil and Ginger Noodles and Banana Soft Service. The result is a fine survey highly recommended for any interested in the basics of adopting a raw diet plan.

Peek-a-Boo Cakes
Joanna Farrow
Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781846014772, $12.99, www.octopuspublishing.com

Peek-a-Boo Cakes: 28 Fun Cakes With a Surprise Inside presents innovative, fun designs and surprising fillings for cakes and will be a delightful choice for bakers who want to produce something different, with the guise of a simple cake and a secret inside. From special occasion cakes to theme cakes for parties and cakes with everyday twists on classics, this is packed with a wide variety of designs and fillings and is a top recommendation for bakers who enjoy creative design.

Mexican Street Food to Die For: The Cookbook
Shay Ola
Mitchell Beazley
Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845339036, $19.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

Mexican Street Food to Die For: The Cookbook is all about contemporary Mexican street food and cocktails, and stands out from the myriad of cookbooks that focus on Tex-Mex cuisine or traditional Mexican cooking. Here are such recipes as Squid Tacos, Ancho, Lentil & Plaintain Burritos and Nopales and Avocado Tacos - dishes you won't find in most other Mexican cookbooks. Color photos on nearly every page make this a visual treat. Recipes tend to be easy but long, involving multiple steps, so it's the home cook interested in fresh ingredients and preparation who will appreciate this approach and the variety of unusual dishes herein!

Roast Figs Sugar Snow
Diana Henry
Mitchell Beazley
Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845339593, $29.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

Roast Figs Sugar Snow focuses on cold-weather main courses from Europe and North America and provides a range of dishes that use familiar foods in unfamiliar ways. From a Sobronade (similar to a French cassoulet and packed with pork and beans, root vegetables and spices) to a chapter on smoked foods from Haddock and Leek Risotto to Salad of Smoked Duck with Farro, Red Chicory, and Pomegranates and a Russian Georgian Lamb with Damsons and Walnuts, this pairs lovely color photos of foods and country scenes with cultural insights and flavors. The result is a warm cookbook perfect for cold weather.

Pancakes, Crepes, Waffles & French Toast
Hannah Miles
Ryland Peters & Small - CICO Books
519 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10012
9781849754873, $24.95, www.rylandpeters.com

Pancakes, Crepes, Waffles & French Toast: Irresistible Recipes from the Griddle includes classic recipes alongside special variations - and so you'll find everything from Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes to Salted Caramel Waffles or even savory dishes such as Ham and Cheese Crepes and Potato Waffles with BBQ Beans. All this is enhanced by full-page color photos for nearly every dish and artistic presentations and layouts that show cooks how to make the most of finished product displays. The result is a mouth-watering recommendation for any who want different ideas for traditional breakfast choices.


The Wine Shelf

Making Your Own Wine At Home
Lori Stahl
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781565238268, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Winemaking or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruits or plants. Mead is a wine that is made with honey being the primary ingredient after water. Winemaking can be divided into two general categories: still wine production (without carbonation) and sparkling wine production (with carbonation - natural or injected). The science of wine and winemaking is known as oenology. A person who makes wine is traditionally called a winemaker or vintner. The making of a fine wine was once the province of professionals. But with Lori Stahl's "Making Your Own Wine at Home: Creative Recipes for Making Grape, Fruit, and Herb Wines", even the most novice of aspiring amateurs can produce a quality wine in the privacy of their own home. Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Making Your Own Wine at Home: Creative Recipes for Making Grape, Fruit, and Herb Wines" provides clear step-by-step instructions and is a cornucopia of wine making ideas and a treasury of practical advice, making it a truly extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal and community library collections.


The Crafts Shelf

Beautiful Wildflowers
Edle Catharina Norman
Sellers Publishing
161 John Roberts Road
South Portland, ME 04106
9781416245032 $16.95 sellerspublishing.com

Illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Beautiful Wildflowers: Wedding Bouquets, Arrangements & More From Nature's Seasonal Abundance lives up to its title as treasury of beautiful, transient, handmade creations one can assemble from freshly blooming wildflowers. Professional florist Edle Catharina walks the reader through gathering and treating wildflowers (including which ones last longer without water), techniques for binding stems, pairing suggestions, and recommendations for memorable designs, and much more. Whether putting together a tabletop centerpiece, a wonderfully smelling decoration, or a vibrant bouquet, Beautiful Wildflowers is a superb, hands-on guide!

Basic Scenery for Model Railroaders
Lou Sassi
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9781627000796, $21.99, www.kalmbachbooks.com

From forming terrain and constructing paved roads to building trees, this offers tips on using the latest paints and products and provides modelers with color photos of finished scenes and step-by-step photos and drawings for basic and intermediate modeling techniques. All this comes form an author who has been a model railroader since pre-teen years: chapters are packed with detail and provide fine keys to producing realistic modeling scenery.


The Woodworking Shelf

Practical Projects for Self-Sufficiency
Chris Peterson and Philip Schmidt
Cool Springs Press
www.coolspringspress.com
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401
c/o Hachette Book Group (distribution)
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9781591865957 $19.99 www.hbgusa.com

Practical Projects for Self-Sufficiency: DIY Projects to Get Your Self-Reliant Lifestyle Started lives up to its title as a hands-on, user-friendly guide to woodworking creations that aid a more self-reliant lifestyle. The thirty suggested woodcrafting projects are divided into four categories: food preparation and preservation (cider press, herb-drying rack), homestead amenities (backyard fire pit, firewood shelter), garden aids (potato-growing box, soil sifter), and raising animals (chicken cook, brooder box, bee hive). Full color photographs and step-by-step instructions illustrate this excellent guide for intermediate to advanced woodworkers interested in applying their skills to the creation of useful and practical items!

The Creative Woodturner
Terry Martin
Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
c/o Quill Driver Books
9781610352185 $24.95 www.woodworkerslibrary.com

World-class woodturner Terry Martin presents The Creative Woodturner is a guide for intermediate to advanced woodworkers and hobbyists. The reader's familiarity with the basics of how to use a chuck or sharpen a scraper is presumed; chapters focus on intricate techniques and expert-level tools to create wooden works of fine art. Sixteen sample projects, each described at length and illustrated with full-color photography, include wonderfully detailed boxes, vessels, and bowls; the instructions are enhanced with comments from the art community. A treasury for any woodworker interested in taking their decorative as well as their functional skills to the next level!


The Sports Shelf

High-Performance Training for Sports
David Joyce and Daniel Lewindon, Editors
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450444828, $27.95, www.humankinetics.com

High-Performance Training for Sports: The Authoritative Guide for Ultimate Athletic Conditioning offers an athlete-oriented approach to training and gathers a number of authorities and practitioners who cover all aspects of a conditioning program that includes differences in athletic capacities and training and injury histories. Experts share the latest research on performance training, coaching and rehabilitation gained from work with Olympians and top athletes and teams, blending science and research with sports experience and proven training protocols for a fine survey on cross-training and maintaining peak conditioning. Any collection appealing to athletes will find this a powerful study packed with techniques and sports insights.

How to Coach a Soccer Team
Tony Carr
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780600627579, $14.99, www.octopuspublishing.com

How to Coach a Soccer Team is a top pick for any who would direct others to train for a team, and offers 100 easy drills for all aspects of soccer. These illustrated techniques are designed to help improve through practical tips and advice on everything from warm-up routines to problem solving, and are directed to coaches who may have a basic familiarity with the sport and its rules, but need more insights on coaching techniques and strategy. The result is an outstanding survey filled with specific approaches to building better soccer players: one any coach at any skill level will find specific and useful.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Childhood Obesity
Rexford S. Ahima, MD, PhD
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781926895918, $149.95, www.crcpress.com

Childhood Obesity: Prevalence, Pathophysiology, and Prevention is a reference for college-level collection and gathers a range of writings and studies on childhood overweight and obesity issues in recent decades. It covers trends across different demographics, discusses contributing genetic and environmental influences, and provides multiple methods for obesity treatment from medical applications to social and community approaches, from medicine to surgery. A wealth of bibliographic references makes this a solid winner for any college-level health library.

Buzzed, fourth edition
Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, et.al.
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393344516, $19.95, www.wwnorton.com

Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy is written to provide unbiased, research-based details on how a variety of common, popular drugs affect the brain, and will appeal to parents, educators, therapists, patients and more with its discussions blending scientific facts with discussions of newly popular and old, familiar drugs. There are many surprises herein: would you consider bath salts a drug, for example? What about e-cigarettes, or spice? All of these are considered in a completely revised, updated fourth edition that covers health risks, social impact, and more.

Crohn's & Colitis Diet Guide, second edition
Dr. Hillery Steinhart & Julie Cepo
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778804789, $24.95, www.robertrose.ca

The second updated edition of Crohn's & Colitis Diet Guide reflects the latest research on the topic, provides guidelines to foods that might affect IBD as well as those that hold positive benefits, and provide over 175 recipes - 25 new ones added to this edition. The idea is to outline what the disease is, who gets it, causes, and how diet offers opportunities for healing and change. Those newly diagnosed with IBD who are interested in managing their condition will find this offers the latest details on drug therapies, surgical therapies, and self-help options alike.


The Social Issues Shelf

Dangerous Friendship
Ben Kamin
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611861310 $22.95 www.msupress.msu.edu

Dangerous Friendship: Stanley Levison, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Kennedy Brothers is a fascinating examination of how four notable individuals in American history, and the friendship they formed, played a pivotal role in the American Civil Rights movement promoting true social equality regardless of race, and an end to segregation. Researched with scholarly precision, yet eminently accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Dangerous Friendship is as fascinating as it is enlightening... and tragic, as their efforts to make America a better nation earned assassins' ire and an early grave for three of them. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library political science and social issues shelves.

Police State U.S.A.
Cheryl K. Chumley
WND Books
9781936488148, $26.95, www.wndbooks.com

POLICE STATE U.S.A.: HOW ORWELL'S NIGHTMARE IS BECOMING OUR REALITY attacks the current progress of government control and challenges to privacy rights that are leading to attacks on the Fourth Amendment, and makes a case for the current milieu of surveillance which is even more extensive than in Orwell's 1984 novel. Ideological changes, terrorism, social transitions, and the evolution of a possible police state is challenging American ideals of freedom and fairness like never before, and this book is both a history of the rise of this police state and a survey of the past, present and possible futures of American freedoms. No social issues collection should be without.

Thinking Big
Clive Gamble, John Gowlett and Robin Dunbar
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500051801, $35.00, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

THINKING BIG: HOW THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL LIFE SHAPED THE HUMAN MIND offers a history of human beings and the evolution of their social habits, and explores the latest theories posited by evolutionary psychologists. Here a psychologist works with archaeologists to uncover how the theory of the "social brain" and its evolution can be tested against archaeological and fossil evidence, with seven years of supportive research building on the ideas of how human social groups evolved over the centuries. The result is a remarkable collaboration of anthropology, biology and sociology that crosses disciplines to examine the foundations of human behavior and its influences.

Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
www.transactionpub.com

Anton Oleinik's KNOWLEDGE AND NETWORKING: ON COMMUNICATION IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCE (9781412853019, $49.95) covers the basics of how scientists and scholars utilize network to further not just careers but studies and theories, and how a focus on prioritizing networking opportunities serves to diminish professional pursuits in favor of personal connection. Chapters provide insights on status, group affiliation, and the decisions scholars make when juxtaposing the benefits of networking with its detriments. In the competition for research funding and academic status, knowledge networking plays a pivotal role: one certain to affect objective decision-making processes. Knowledge & Networking is an important consideration for any interested in understanding the pros and cons of the entire process. George Serban's THE MASK OF NORMALCY: SOCIAL CONFORMITY AND ITS AMBIGUITIES (9781412852692, $39.95) considers connections between well-adjusted behavior patterns and conformity, using clinical findings and content analysis to explore the interface between social conformity and nonconformist behaviors. Chapters probe definitions of normalcy, degrees of nonconformity indicators, and changing relationships and social values as they pertain to both. The result is a book any college-level sociology student will find specific and intriguing. Anthony Walsh's BIOSOCIOLOGY: BRIDGING THE BIOLOGY-SOCIOLOGY DIVIDE (9781412852562, $44.95) draws important connections between biology and sociology that bring the two together in a college-level discussion arguing that sociology has little to use by acknowledging and working with the theories and concepts in biology research. Chapters use examples from genetics and the biosciences as they research the two disciplines and their interconnected, often complimentary, purposes and consider the standard division between the fields and what can bring them together.


The Mathematics Shelf

Using Numbers in Arabic
Jamal Ali
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781626160057, $34.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Using Numbers in Arabic provides an invaluable pocket guide recommended for intermediate-to-advanced learners of Arabic, and discusses the proper use of numbers. It uses explanations and examples to discuss how to use cardinal and ordinal numbers in Arab, with entries packing in descriptions in English and examples in Arabic. These include citations from literature and media and covers both Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic, making it a unique and important guide that belongs in any Arabic reference library.


The Technology Shelf

The Satellite Communication Ground Segment and Earth Station Handbook, second edition
Bruce Elbert
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781608076734, $169.00, www.artechhouse.com

The second updated edition of The Satellite Communication Ground Segment and Earth Station Handbook has been updated and expanded to reflect the latest earth station designs, and covers everything involved in the project from ground systems to satellite and earth station management. Engineers and managers receive details ranging from requirements and analysis to how to review hardware designs and manage a communications satellite project. With plenty of technical specifications, charts and graphs, and applied math, this is a 'must' for any involved in earth station and satellite communications.


The Parenting Shelf

Parenting on the Go
Dr. David Elkind, PhD
Da Capo Lifelong
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738217505, $14.99, www.dacapopress.com

Parenting on the Go: Birth to Six, A to Z provides a quick A-Z reference format and covers a range of topics, offering parents solutions to different parenting concerns and issues in child psychology and development, based on the latest research in parenting. One would expect an A-Z format would hold quick answers, but this book packs in plenty of facts to over a hundred of the most common questions parents have, from how and when to wean a child to handling common challenges.

I'll Tell You Why....I Can't Wear These Clothes!
Noreen O'Sullivan
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849055109, $16.95, www.jkp.com

I'll Tell You Why....I Can't Wear These Clothes! provides an unusual interactive book format directed to parents, kids and professionals alike and uses the 'drawing journal' format to discuss 'tactile defensiveness', or hypersensitivity to certain kinds of touch (and, by definition, certain kinds of clothing). It's a photographic workbook written from a child's perspective that explores why dressing often becomes a challenging daily routine, and it provides plenty of insights into simple methods to overcome clothing resistance. Parenting, health, psychology and education collections alike will find this a highly accessible, unique coverage.


The Music Shelf

Remember the Time
Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard
Weinstein Books
345 Hudson Street, 13th floor, New York, NY 10014
9781602862500, $26.00, www.weinsteinbooks.com

REMEMBER THE TIME: PROTECTING MICHAEL JACKSON IN HIS FINAL DAYS tells of singer Jackson's final years as he moved from city to city in search of seclusion and peace, trying to escape a world that didn't have much of either. During that time two men was his personal security team; the authors of this book. They were at his side nearly 24/7 - and in a position of unprecedented access to the reclusive singer's life and habits. This therefore is the only definitive, first-person story of Jackson's final years, and is a vivid, authoritative and rare read especially recommended for Jackson fans who have read prior biographies of the man's life, but who want a different, authoritative focus on its end.

Ain't It Time We Said Goodbye
Robert Greenfield
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306823121, $25.99, www.dacapopress.com

Ain't It Time We Said Goodbye: The Rolling Stones on the Road to Exile tells of the author's following of the Stones' farewell tour of their home country, and offers an insider's survey of life backstage and the different personalities and encounters of each Stones member. The ten days before they left England in tax exile are chronicled along with Greenfield's analysis of the tensions between band members and the American tour that would make them famous. An outstanding recommendation for any rock music history collection!


The Needlecraft Shelf

1000 New Embroidery Designs
Joan Waldman
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290
Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604601619 $24.95 www.americanquilter.com

1000 New Embroidery Designs is a pattern book for intermediate to advanced embroiderers. Familiary with the fundamentals of the craft is generally presumed, although a brief introduction does refresh the reader's memory on stitch symbols, as well as how to make basic stitches (including backstitch, right-hand stitch, chain stitch, chevron stitch, cretan stitch, and many more). The overwhelming majority of 1000 New Embroidery Designs is devoted entirely to wordless stitch diagrams, on grid backgrounds for ease of assessment. Each design can be applied to quilts or any other type of decorative embroidery. An excellent and enriching resource for creative embroiderers!

Weave Knit Wear
Judith Shangold, author
Alexis Xenakis, photographer
XRX Books
P. O. Box 965
Sioux Falls, SD 57101-0965
9781933064291 $28.95 www.knittinguniverse.com

Weave Knit Wear: Simply Fabulous Clothing and Accessories for Rigid-Heddle (and other) Weavers is a guide featuring 30 hands-on projects for weaving fashionable clothing, none of which requires expensive equipment, expansive space, or special threads to weave! Craftable items include a modern serape, an Aegean tunic, a "big pockets" jacket, hats, totes, and more. Each project is designed for creation on an affordable, 20-inch wide rigid-heddle loom. Weave Knit Wear teaches explains its basic weaving, hand sewing, and knitting techniques in plain terms, accessible to needlecrafters of all skill and experience levels. Full-color photography and meticulous diagrams illuminate the steps in this "must-have" for anyone interested in broadening their sewing horizons!

Sew Sweet Handmade Clothes for Girls
Yuki Araki, author
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759
9784805313152, $16.95, www.tuttlepublishing.com

"Sew Sweet Handmade Clothes for Girls: 22 Easy-To- Make Dresses, Skirts, Pants & Tops Girls Will Love" contains brightly illustrated instructions and a double-sided pullout pattern set for 22 simple to construct dresses, tops, skirts, and pants for girls. The book presents lovely color photos of finished clothing items modeled by sweet young girls, followed by an alphabetically coded list of garments with specific pages for instructions, or how to make it. Concise sewing notes and fabric layouts plus materials lists are followed by easy to understand step by step instructions, with measurements specified where helpful. Even inexperienced sewing moms or dads will be able to complete these adorable projects for their daughters. Patterns and instructions are included for camisoles, several skirts, several blouses, dresses, leggings, bags, and even a coat. "Sew Sweet Handmade Clothes for Girls" is a bargain treasure for parents who enjoy showing their love through clothing design and construction.

Sassy Knit Outfits for 18-Inch Dolls
Jeanne Kussrow-Larsen
Annie's
P.O. Box 8000
Big Sandy, TX 75755
9781596359741 $9.99 www.anniescatalog.com

Illustrated with full-color photography, Sassy Knit Outfits for 18-Inch Dolls lives up to its title as a collection of hands-on projects that knitters can create to dress favorite dolls in beautiful, original, and gloriously patterned garments. Basic familiarity with the craft of knitting and the conventions of transcribing knitting patterns is presumed; occasional charts or stitch diagrams help clarify aspects of the more complex projects. Sassy Knit Outfits for 18-Inch Dolls is a wonderful way to experiment, improve one's knitting skills, and create unforgettable gifts for doll collectors.

Basic Knitting and Projects
Anita J. Tosten and Missy Burns
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
9780811713535, $24.95, www.stackpolebooks.com

Basic Knitting and Projects: Essential Skills in Detail is for any beginner who wants to get started in knitting with a progressive lesson plan that uses projects to help teach basic skills and help readers move in a logical progression to the next level. Each project offers a new challenge, and each explain how to do dozens of stitches and techniques from cables and lace to stranded colorwork. The result is an outstanding survey packing in 20 patterns for everything from easy scarves to more challenging shawls, socks and sweaters. Highly recommended!

Feathers That Fly
Lee Cleland
That Patchwork Place
c/o Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781564774552, $26.99, www.shopmartingale.com

Feathers That Fly: How To Design, Mark, And Machine Quilt Feather Motifs is for any interested in the specifics of machine quilting classic feather motifs, and provides a handbook packed with projects - some fourteen in all - that teach the basics of feathers, wreaths, and more. Designs offer the foundations of drawing motifs, while different quilting design examples incorporate these into the bigger picture. A photo gallery of examples accompanies step-by-step instructions and bonus feather patterns to create a solid reference for any working with feather quilt motifs.


The Photography Shelf

Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
www.amherstmedia.com

Michael Mowbray's SHOOT TO THRILL: SPEEDLIGHT FLASH TECHNIQUES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS (9781608956913, $27.95) is a 'must' for any photographer with some studio skills under their belt, who have wondered if speedlights could work for lighting everything at a studio. The author is a photographer who asked this question in the course of his own work: his answers spice a step-by-step discussion of creating speedlight images and uses some sixty polished results to explain the entire process. From shooting outdoors with speedlights to adding light modifiers and flashes, this covers all the basics in a top pick for any photographer working with speedlights. Tracy Dorr's SET THE SCENE: USE PROPS TO CREATE MEMORABLE PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY (9781608956975, $27.95) tells how to use more creative props (not necessarily expensive ones!) to make a photo shoot 'pop', and can be as simple as playing a baby in a large colorful bucket! Here are tips for both individual and group shots that propose props with maximum versatility and which lend to common visual scenes. Props for adults and kids alike are featured, making for an outstanding survey highly recommended for any working in portraiture.


The Computer Shelf

Common System and Software Testing Pitfalls
Donald G. Firesmith
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
97803748550, $49.99, www.informit.com/aw

Common System and Software Testing Pitfalls: How to Prevent and Mitigate Them covers the symptoms and causes of such programming errors and is a recommendation for any software engineering collection strong in testing. It's surprising to note that software and system testers repeatedly fall into the same problems: patterns of mistakes that detract from overall efficiency and results. This is for testing professionals involved in different-sized projects who would identify such pitfalls in advance, and offers a series of 'anti-patterns' and solutions that focus on applications and system interactions. The result is a solid guide to improving the overall testing process through recognizing its common failures: a 'must' for any practicing programmer.


The Political Science Shelf

Pathways of Power
Timothy J. Conlan, Paul L. Posner, David R. Beam
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781626160392, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Pathways of Power: The Dynamics of National Policymaking joins others in the 'American Governance and Public Policy' series to provide college-level political science readers with a discussion of how public policy ideals actually work in Washington D.C., and is key to any studying government processes. Chapters argue that policy process can be understood as a set of four distinctive pathways of policymaking that each use different political resources and approaches, and they explore how different strategic behaviors of these distinct pathways impact the overall policy process today. The result is a detailed, in-depth analysis political science readers will find enlightening and well researched.


The Biography Shelf

The Remarkable Life and Career of Ellen Swallow Richards
Pamela Curtis Swallow
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781118923832, $59.95, www.amazon.com

Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards (December 3, 1842 - March 30, 1911) was the foremost female industrial and environmental chemist in the United States during the 19th century. Her pioneering work in sanitary engineering and experimental research in domestic science widened professional opportunities for women in the sciences and laid a foundation for the new science of home economics. "The Remarkable Life and Career of Ellen Swallow Richards: Pioneer in Science and Technology" by Pamela Curtis Swallow (who is a three generations removed first cousin of Ellen Swallow Richards) is a 192 page compendium showcasing the personal life and professional accomplishments of a most remarkable woman laid out in an informative prologue, twenty-two succinct chapters, and a summary epilogue. Enhanced with a list of Acknowledgments, two pages of Author Notes, four pages of Selected Bibliography, and a comprehensive Index, "The Remarkable Life and Career of Ellen Swallow Richards: Pioneer in Science and Technology" is an extraordinary and very highly recommended addition to academic and community library American Biography collections and Women's Studies supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "The Remarkable Life and Career of Ellen Swallow Richards" is also available in a Kindle edition ($34.49).

Hal Moore: A Soldier Once... and Always
Mike Guardia
Casemate Publishers
908 Darby Road
Havertown, PA19083
9781612002071 $32.95 www.casematepublishing.com

Hal Moore: A Soldier Once... and Always is an in-depth biography of one of America's most admired soldiers, who is particularly famous due to Mel Gibson's portrayal of him in the movie "We Were Soldiers". Moore graduated from West Point in 1945, and fought in the Korean and Vietnam War. He was there when America's army began to use "air mobile infantry" - the practice of delivering troops to the battle via helicopter. Moore witnessed the army's transition from the draft to an all-volunteer force, retired as Lieutenant General in 1977, and wrote of his experiences in the well-known boots-on-the-ground memoir, "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young." Vintage black-and-white photography peppers this fascinating, thoroughly researched saga of Moore's life and career in the service, highly recommended for military biography shelves.

Healy's West
Gordon E. Tolton
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399
Missoula, MT 59806
9780878426348 $20.00 www.mountain-press.com

Healy's West: The Life and Times of John J. Healy is the biography of John J. Healy (1840-1908), a notable figure of the American movement to tame the Wild West. Healy's life stretched from Irish famine to service in the army; he challenged monopolies, traded with the Blackfoot, engaged in masterful politics, and battled rustlers with the authority of a sheriff's badge. Healy's West is nonfiction, yet as exciting as any novel, and a choice read any with an interest in daily life, times, hardships, and accomplishments in this bygone era of American history. Highly recommended!

E.E. Cummings: A Life
Susan Cheever
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307379979, $26.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

E.E. Cummings: A Life is a 'must' for any literature reader already enthused about Cummings' works, who wants further information on the controversial poet whose works were influenced by a New England 19th century childhood, a love of nature, and a Harvard education. Cummings evolved into a dark rebellious man whose mentor was Ezra Pound, absorbing a rebellion against authority that resulted in an alienation from the Cambridge intellectualism he'd once revered. From his volunteer work during World War I to his Greenwich Village poets circle, this covers both his life and his times and creates an in-depth, moving portrait that should not be missed by any Cummings reader.

Elihu Yale
Diana Scarisbrick and Benjamin Zucker
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500517260, $39.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

ELIHU YALE: MERCHANT, COLLECTOR & PATRON was an early benefactor of Yale University who made his fortune in India and who became a merchant and trader of much fame, assembling a collection of tens of thousands of gems, textiles and more in 1699. His experiences in Madras and London makes for a biography covering not just the man and his fascinating life, but how his dreams and pursuits came to influence a world-class institution some time later. Any collection strong in biography and history will find this a lively, well-detailed read.

'And Then I Met...'
James E. Rogan
WND Books
9781936488384, $27.95, www.wndbooks.com

'And Then I Met...' gathers the author's stories of meeting famous people and comes from a former congressman who came from an unlikely background for a politician. As the illegitimate son of a convicted felon-single mom on welfare, it seemed highly unlikely that he'd stay out of prison much less become a driving force in history and politics. His book uses his private diaries and some forty years of photos to share dozens of stories of major figures from Ronald Reagan to Cary Grant: some he knew and some he didn't. Reflections on his life and encounters with some of these personalities and their special meaning in his life contribute to a powerful survey recommended for any reader of autobiography or politics.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Apologetics Beyond Reason
James W. Sire
IVP Academic
c/o InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 605151426
www.ivpress.com
9780830840557, $18.00, www.amazon.com

Apologetics (from Greek and meaning "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of information. Early Christian writers (c. 120 - 220) who defended their faith against critics and recommended their faith to outsiders were called apologists. "Apologetics Beyond Reason: Why Seeing Really Is Believing" by James W. Sire (an academician and a former a senior editor at the InterVarsity Press) is a 160 page treatise summing up this Christian scholar and author's personal defense of his Christian faith. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, Sire writes with a true eloquence and a genuine engagement in the form of six 'arguments' drawn from a variety of sources ranging from Rene Descartes, Stanislaw Lem, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Virginia Woolf, Francisco Goya, literary theory, Jesus, and Jehovah. Enhanced with ten pages of Notes, two pages of Bibliography, and a comprehensive Index, "Apologetics Beyond Reason: Why Seeing Really Is Believing" is a challenging and instructive read of extraordinary merit that is very highly recommended for both academia and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Christian apologetics. It should be noted that "Apologetics Beyond Reason: Why Seeing Really Is Believing" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.09).

Christianity and the Political Order
Kenneth R. Himes
Orbis Books
Box 302, Maryknoll NY 10545-0302
9781626980280, $40.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Christianity and the Political Order: Conflict, Cooptation, and Cooperation joins others in the 'Theology in Global Perspective' series and is recommended for any interested in the intersection of politics and Christianity. Chapters consider the relationship between the two from Old and New Testaments through medieval to modern times, questioning the role of the church in politics and global issues as well as in human rights. College-level readers of either religion or politics receive discussions and bibliographic references that offer a classroom text for supporting any inquiry of Christian and global affairs.

Noah: The Real Story
Larry Stone
WND Books
9781936488742, $14.95, www.wndbooks.com

NOAH: THE REAL STORY isn't your usual account of Biblical matters, but provides a survey that well captures the mystery and controversy of the Noah figure. From whether dinosaurs were on the Ark to if and why a 'piece of the ark' was found near a railroad track in California, this is packed with insights about Noah and his Biblical times, his Ark, and all the mysteries surrounding it, and provides a lively, inquisitive read for any Christian thinker.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Shin Buddhist Classical Tradition
Alfred Bloom, editor
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
www.worldwisdom.com
9781936597383, $22.95, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Jodo Shinshu, also known as Shin Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Shin Buddhism is considered the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, with 20% of the population of Japan identifying membership of the sect. The latest volume in the World Wisdom 'Treasures of the World Religions' series, "The Shin Buddhist Classical Tradition: A Reader in Pure Land Teaching" is an anthology of passages gathered from the leading monks and teachers of the Pure Land, or Shin, school of Buddhist teaching focuses on religious practice. Extending from the foundational texts and first interpreters in the 4th century, to Rennyo in the 15th century, Professor Bloom's selections trace the development of Shin Buddhist teaching from monastic visualization practices to the widely popular path to salvation through faith in, and recitation of, the name of Amida Buddha. Volume 2 features a foreword by Kenneth K. Tanaka and an introduction by renowned scholar and editor, Alfred Bloom, whose selected passages have been arranged topically for easy reference on issues of Pure Land teaching. The key interpreters featured are the Seven Great Teachers from India, China, and Japan (Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu; T'an-luan, Tao-ch'o, Shan-tao; Genshin, Honen), selected as doctrinal authorities by Shinran (1173-1263), the founder of the Japanese Pure Land sect. Enhanced with a select Glossary of foreign terms, a Bibliography of references, an Index of Quoted Sources, "The Shin Buddhist Classical Tradition: A Reader in Pure Land Teaching" is a truly exceptional collection under the deft and knowledgeable editorship of Alfred Bloom (an ordained Shin minister and member of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission), making it strongly recommended reading to students of Buddhism, as well as a valued addition to community and academic library Buddhist Studies reference collections and supplement reading lists.

How to Eat
Thich Nhat Hanh
Parallax Press
PO Box 7355
Berkeley, CA 94707
9781937006723 $9.95 www.parallaxpress.com

The second book in Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's "The Mindfulness Essentials Series", How to Eat is a pocket-sized guide to eating mindfully. The principles of How to Eat are in keeping the wisdom of Zen Buddhism, but the practice of mindfulness is beneficial to readers of all faiths and backgrounds. Simple meditations and brief reflections pepper this thoughtful guide to being aware and grateful for the sacrifices of others, even during the simple act of enjoying a meal. "Food as Medicine: In the original Five Contemplations as they were recited during the Buddha's time, food was considered to be medicine. But I think that when the Buddha received good food, he also enjoyed it. I don't think he thought of it as just taking medicine. We know that food nourishes our bodies. But we can also appreciate and savor our food."


The Martial Arts Shelf

Staff Fundamental Training
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594390906, $39.95, www.ymaa.com

Staff Fundamental Training: Solo Drills and matching Practice presents techniques from both Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu, and provides a comprehensive survey of everything from sliding and striking to blocking, chopping, and advanced neutralizing techniques. Having all this on a DVD assures martial arts students receive in-depth visual instructions for each movement and corrections, all demonstrated by students, making for an excellent basic training program.


The Business Shelf

Customer Service Supply Chain Management
Alexandre Oliveira & Anne Gimeno
FT Pearson
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.ftpress.com
9780133764390, $79.99, www.amazon.com

A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials, and components into a finished product that is delivered to the end customer. In sophisticated supply chain systems, used products may re-enter the supply chain at any point where residual value is recyclable. Supply chains link value chains. The proper and effective management of a company's supply chain is essential in terms of efficiency and customer satisfaction. "Customer Service Supply Chain Management: Models for Achieving Customer Satisfaction, Supply Chain Performance, and Shareholder Value" by the team of Alexandre Oliveira and AnneGimeno is a 208 page compendium covering every aspect of supply chain management and the issues involved. "Customer Service Supply Chain Management" will prove to be instrumental for novice managers in growing the company's sales volume, improving overall customer experiences, and growing their corporate margins through reducing the cost of sales, improving asset management, and effectively balancing service levels and cost structures. ""Customer Service Supply Chain Management" is very highly recommended for professional, business school, and corporate Business Management instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Customer Service Supply Chain Management" is also available in a Kindle edition ($45.99).

It's Not the How or the What but the Who
Claudio Fernandez-Araoz
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781625271525, $28.00, www.hbr.com

IT'S NOT THE HOW OR THE WHAT BUT THE WHO: SUCCEED BY SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH THE BEST provides business readers with a fine survey from a global leadership authority who here examines the difference between success and failure in the world of business. It provides short essays consider the major obstacles to decision-making processes, offering solutions and using decades of experience in global executive search and talent development. The result is a recommended pick for any who would enter the global market.

Welcome to the Real World
Lauren Berger
HarperBusiness
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062307309, $16.99, www.harper.com

Welcome to the Real World: Finding Your Place, Perfecting Your Work, and Turning Your Job into Your Dream Career provides an introduction to the workplace with an eye to helping new workers identify goals and strategies to reaching them. It shows how to identify the rules that lead to success, organize one's work life, create and promote a personal brand, and build strong work relationships, and it uses experiences from Berger's life and input from other professionals to guide workers through the confusion of making an impact on the job. The result is a strong, positive book for any who would turn their workplace into an asset.

Financially Fearless
Alexa von Tobel, CFP
Crown Business
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780385347617, $19.99, www.crownbusiness.com

Financially Fearless: The LearnVest Program for Taking Control of Your Money comes from the founder and CEO of a financial management program who believes that managing your money should be a simple affair. Financial planning should be accessible by and affordable to a wide audience of Americans: this reveals her financial planning methods and provides an approach called the '50/20/30' program to address and differentiate basic survival income from money for savings and lifestyle. By using a percentage breakdown of how your take-home pay should be spent each month, a fine blueprint for action is formed that even those with lower incomes or no financial background should find key to successful planning.

Understanding Digital Marketing, third edition
Damian Ryan
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100, Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749471026, $29.95, www.koganpage.com

Understanding Digital Marketing: Marketing Strategies for Engaging the Digital Generation provides a fine, accessible guide to digital marketing and appears here in its third updated edition which has been completely revamped to reflect key changes in digital marketing strategies and the digital environment. New chapters incorporate the latest marketing metrics and show how to use digital media to achieve business success, covering everything from understanding how digital marketing channels work to honing a competitive edge in this market. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any business that would use the Internet as part of its marketing plan.

Mastering Technical Sales, third edition
John Care and Aron Bohlig
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781608077441, $89.00, www.artechhouse.com

Mastering Technical Sales: the Sales Engineer's Handbook has been newly revised and expanded for its third edition and covers not only the basics of selling, but adds new chapters and new material on everything from evaluating business advisors to whiteboarding and using snap demos. Sales engineers receive keys to presentation techniques that are based on technical background, with all ideas explored in step-by-step real-world scenarios. The result is a guide recommended for any involved in the management or technical sales side of a business, offering details far more advanced than your usual sales team management handbook.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Tonoharu Part One
Lars Martinson
larsmartinson.com
Pliant Press
pliantpress.com
c/o Top Shelf Productions (distribution)
9780980102369 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Now available in a brand new paperback edition, Tonoharu Part One is an original graphic novel about living as an expatriate in a foreign land, and the steep language and cultural barriers that obstruct interpersonal socialization. Although the story is fictional, author Lars Martinson draws upon his three years of real-life experience as an assistant English teacher in Japan to present an unvarnished glimpse into the good, the bad, and the ugly of day-to-day life in such a situation. In Tonoharu, Dan Wells has started work as an English teacher in rural Japan. His workload is light, but he struggles to speak basic Japanese, and feels isolated from the local society. Only a few other foreigners live anywhere near Dan - an attractive young woman works a couple towns away, and an extremely eccentric European family, known for their wild and crazy parties, is the prime subject of hushed gossip! Tonoharu Part One features painstaking black-and-white artwork of iconic caricatures and vividly authentic glimpses of Japanese scenery, yet its true soul lies in its frank portrayal of the inherent challenges of living and working abroad. Highly recommended!

Zombillenium 2: Human Resources
Arthur de Pins
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing
New York, NY 10038
9781561638505 $14.99 www.nbmpublishing.com

Zombillenium 2: Human Resources is the second full-color, horror-humor-spoof graphic novel featuring the malevolently misadventurous demons, zombies, werewolves, vampires, witches, and monsters of the Zombillenium amusement park. In Human Resources, the theme park's booming business is beset by two groups of dangerous outsiders: murderous human activists who aren't above kidnapping and dismembering a skeleton employee, and a mysterious woman who is somehow connected to one of the park's most vicious little demons! The first rule of the park is "kill no humans" - but as tempers escalate, could provoked monsters violate a decades-long truce? A chilling glimpse of how infernal Human Resources scares up new undead recruits, Zombillenium 2 is fiendishly delightful, twisted, surprising, and even a little tragic.

Don Heck: A Work of Art
John Coates, author
Don Heck, artist
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive
Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605490588 $39.95 print / $11.95 digital

Also available in a digital edition, Don Heck: A Work of Art is a biography of legendary comic artist Don Heck, well-known a the co-creator of Marvel Comics characters such as Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, as well as his extensive work on the Marvel comic "The Avengers". His 40-year comic career is the stuff of legends. Author John Coates has thoroughly researched Heck's career, and also offers testimony from Don Heck's surviving family, his long-time friends, and unearthed rare interviews with Heck himself. Black-and-white as well as color images of comic pages from Heck's work illustrate this one-of-a-kind tribute. Highly recommended!


The Audiobook Shelf

In a Rocket Made of Ice
Gail Gutradt, author
Lorna Raver, narrator
Books on Tape
www.booksontape.com
c/o Random House Audio Books
1745 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780553546439 $45.00 www.randomhouse.com

Stage actress and award-winning narrator Lorna Raver reads aloud In a Rocket Made of Ice: Among the Children of Wat Opot, the unabridged audiobook rendition of the true-life memoir of a woman who volunteered at an orphanage in rural Cambodia. Author Gail Gutradt worked at the Wat Opot Children's Community, a temple complex transformed into a sanctuary where children with or orphaned by HIV/AIDS could survive and grow. In a Rocket Made of Ice is the story of not only the children whose lives were changed by kindness, but also the transformative effect they had on their caretakers, in a place that Gutradt rightfully describes as "a workshop for souls". Heartwarming and inspirational, In a Rocket Made of Ice is highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections. 10 CDs, 12 hours.

The Masqueraders
Georgette Heyer
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
9781843798514, $59.98, www.amazon.com

After participating in the Jacobite Rising of 1745, Robin and Prudence, brother and sister, become engaged in a swashbuckling, romantic adventure. Our hero and heroine must cross-dress and switch genders if they are to escape prosecution a humorous move that allows Heyer to explore the manners and language affectations of the period as the two romp through the elite saloons and clubs of London. But what the two don't foresee is that they might fall in love along the way: Prudence with the elegant and dashing Sir Anthony Fanshawe, and Robin with the charming Letitia Grayson. Can the two unmask themselves without losing their lives? Georgette Heyer (16 August 1902 - 4 July 1974) was a prolific British historical romance and detective fiction novelist. "The Masqueraders" is accounted as one of her best romance novels and this complete and unabridged audio book edition, skillfully narrated by Ruth Sillers, is especially recommended for personal and community library audio book collections. 9 CDs. Total Running Time is 11:04:12.

The Moonstone
Wilkie Collins
Read by Ronald Pickup and cast
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843797975 $98.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

The Moonstone is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a classic English detective novel, performed by a talented cast of actors. Rachel Verinder inherits the Moonstone, a diamond of incalculable value; suddenly, the gem disappears. Who could have stolen it, and how? Sergeant Cuff of Scotland Yard gradully uncovers and intricate plot, filled with misdirection and nefarious motives, in this keenly timeless saga of whetted suspense. 17 CDs, 22 hours 27 min.

The Long Way Home
Louise Penny, author
Ralph Cosham, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427244291 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

The Long Way Home is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a suspenseful novel featuring the stolid Chief Inspector of Homicide, Armand Gamache. Gamache is happily retired in the quiet village of Three Pines, but when his neighbor Clara Morrow asks Gamache to help find her missing husband - who promised he would return after being separated for a year. Aided by his former second-in-command Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Myrna Landers, Gamache journeys through Quebec to a place so desolate, mariners have called it "the land God gave to Cain". A dark saga of lost fame, desperation, and despair, The Long Way Home is finely tense to the very end. 10 CDs, 12 hours.

Haunted
Randy Wayne White, author
Renee Raudman, narrator
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
9781611763362 $40.00 http://us.penguingroup.com

Haunted is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a mystery that stretches from the Civil War to the modern day. Hannah Smith has been hired by a wealthy widow to block the destruction of a historic home. Did the house's seller fail to give all relevant information when he closed the deal? The house has a storied and sometimes bloody history, including its involvement in a deadly Civil War skirmish and the alleged suicides of two previous owners. Hannah doesn't believe in ghosts or hauntings, but the further she investigates, the more dangerous her appointed task becomes! Suspenseful to the very end, Haunted is especially recommended for mystery connoisseurs. 8 CDs, 10 1/2 hours.

The Wolfe Widow
Victoria Abbott, author
Carla Mercer-Meyer, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781494501013 $42.99 www.tantor.com

The Wolfe Widow is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of book three of Victoria Abbott's "Book Collector Mystery" series. Jordan Bingham enjoys her job researching rare books for Vera Van Alst, despite Van Alst's infamous ill-temper. But then the mysterious Muriel Delgado arrives for a seemingly unsolicited visit, and shortly afterward, Van Alst fires Jordan! What vise-like hold does Delgado possess over Jordan's employer? Jordan's searching uncovers a lethal scheme marked by greed, murder, and a lethal interest in Val Alst's collection of Nero Wolfe first editions. Talented theater performer Carla Mercer-Meyer brings to life this tense and exciting adventure, highly recommended! 9 CDs, 10 1/2 hours.

The Equalizer
Michael Sloan, author
Jeff Gurner, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427239266 $49.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Written by the co-creator of classic 1980's "The Equalizer" television series, The Equalizer is an unabridged audiobook adaptation re-imagining the core concept for the twenty-first century. Robert McCall is a former covert operations officer for the CIA, seeking to atone for his past crimes by serving as a troubleshooter, protector, and investigator, free of charge, to those who need it most. Desperate people find him through the newspaper or the Internet, and with the aid of his contacts, he serves vigilante justice to the worst of humanity. McCall's opponent this time is a ruthless, Chechen nightclub owner who runs a high-priced assassination service, and the life of an innocent woman is at stake! Tense and exciting, The Equalizer is especially recommended for connoisseurs of suspense. 17 CDs, 21 hours.

The Glass Kitchen
Linda Francis Lee, author
www.LindaLeeBooks.com
Julia Whelan, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781491530474 $29.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

The Glass Kitchen: A Novel of Sisters is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a romantic novel about learning to pick up the pieces and move on. Portia Cuthcart lost her claim to the Glass Kitchen restaurant founded by her grandmother due to a succession of heartbreaking betrayals; dejected, she abandons her passion for cooking and moves to Manhattan to be with he sisters. But between a promise to her sisters, and an unexpected meeting with the widower Gabriel and his two young daughters, she finds herself drawn back into cooking as not only a means to nourish the hungry, but also as a way of life. Family can be complicated, but the ties that bind and the love that sustains can be expressed in many ways. Highly recommended, especially for those who treasure heartwarming romance! 9 CDs, 11 hours 2 min.

Marvel: Civil War
Stuart Moore
Graphic Audio
https://graphicaudio.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
9781599509525, $19.99, www.graphicaudio.net

The Marvel Comics universe of superheros is the backdrop for this outstanding theatrical production and adaptation of Stuart Moore's "Civil War" story that pits Iron Man, Shield, and the U.S. Government against Captain America, Spiderman, The Punisher, and a roster of costumed heroes against each other over the issue of the mandatory federal government superhero registration act that would, among other things, compel all 'secret identities' to be revealed. It's an ideological battle over civil rights vs. public safety precipitated by a young team of superheros called the New Warriors combating a small group of supervillians and ending in a catastrophic explosion that wipes out both sides and a whole community of ordinary citizens. The hallmark of Graphic Audio is one of a numerous cast enhanced with sound effects and music, all combined to create a unique and complex listening experience that is pure action/adventure entertainment from beginning to end. This six CD, six hour, impressively produced audio book is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library collections.

Iron Man: Extremis
Marie Javins
Graphic Audio
https://graphicaudio.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
9781628510225, $19.99, www.graphicaudio.net

Adapted from a graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Adi Granow, "Iron Man: Extremis" will have immense appeal for the legions of Marvel Comics fans in this thoroughly entertaining story of Tony Stark who meets his match at the hands of a superhuman terrorist and is saved from death by extremis -- the same substance that created the madman in the first place. Of special note are the deftly crafted villains who, in their own eyes, are but misunderstood heroes. Replete throughout with sound effects, musical underscorings, and the talents of an impressive cast, "Iron Man: Extremis" is a solid, technologically flawless production, offering a five hour, 'theatre of the mind' entertainment from beginning to end and highly recommended for both personal and community library audio book collections.

Nekropolis: Dead Streets
Tim Waggoner
Graphic Audio
https://graphicaudio.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
9781628510225, $19.99, www.graphicaudio.net

"Nekropolis: Dead Streets" continues the adventures of zombie detective Matt Richter and his vampire half-breed companion Devona in the unique city that is a sanctuary of ghouls, ghosts, witches, and every variety of undead imaginable (and some that are unimaginable!). With wild and unexpected twists and turns, this supernatural 'whodunnit' is a rollicking great adventure and a true 'theatre of the mind' experience with sound effects, music, and an incredibly talented cast. With a total running time of seven hours, this flawlessly produced, six disc, audio book adventure is very highly recommended for personal and community library collections.

Close to Home
Lisa Jackson
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781441877239 $36.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Close to Home is a the unabridged audiobook rendition of a tale of grisly suspense, about the hideous secrets lurking within a rundown old Victorian mansion. Sarah McAdams has traumatic personal memories connected to the place, including the sudden loss of her half-sister, and her strained relationship with her cold, distant mother. Rumors persist that the place is haunted; then, local teenage girls start disappearing. Fearing for her own daughters' safety, Sarah must confront the darkest terrors of her past, in order to confront the true horror of the present day. Nail-biting to the very end, Close to Home is especially recommended to fans of the genre. 13 CDs, 15 hours 52 min.

Then Came You
Jill Shalvis, author
Karen White, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781452618913 $39.99 www.tantor.com

Then Came You is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the fifth novel in Jill Shalvis' "Animal Magnetism" series. Veterinary intern Emily has to live in an Idaho small town for a year to finish her scholarship, instead of moving to L.A. like she dreamed. But dreams have a funny way of manifesting themselves, as she learns when the handsome veterinarian man she had a one-night stand with in Reno turns out to be her new boss! Sexy, funny, and charming, Then Came You is a lighthearted romantic delight. 8 CDs, 9.5 hours.

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

Roland Lazenby's MICHAEL JORDAN: THE LIFE (9781478927662, $35.00) includes a .pdf of photos, is unabridged and narrated by Bob Souer, and offers a lively biography of the legendary athlete who has become a modern-day sports legend. Basketball journalist Roland Lazenby spent nearly thirty years covering Jordan's career in college and pro sports: this weighty coverage includes both his sports fame and his personality and life, using Lazenby's personal relationships with Jordan's circle of coaches, friends and family to add details you won't find elsewhere. The entire package in audio format lends a vivid feel to a remarkable lifetime of achievement, and is recommended for basketball fans in general and enthusiasts of Michael Jordan in particular. Anne Rivers Siddons' THE GIRLS OF AUGUST (9781619696501, $30.00) pairs audiobook veteran reader Kate Reading with Siddons' latest, which tells of four girlfriends who spend a week at a new beach house each August: a ritual begun when they were in their twenties. When one dies in a car accident, the group drifts apart and their shared vacations end - but now they're newly reunited, there's a new addition to the group, and this particular trip will test the bonds they once thought close. The result is a fine listen recommended for any who enjoy warm stories of summer, friendship, and change.


The Library CD Shelf

Road to Ambo
Adam Andrews
www.adamandrewsmusic.com
Privately Published
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$10.83 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

The debut album of Adam Andrews, a former member of the world-touring folk-pop group Cede, Road to Ambo is a solo piano music CD of entirely original compositions. The instrumental songs convey emotion from the highs and lows of Andrews' own life - the trials that he and his family braved to adopt an African orphan, his tribute to people who sacrifice and live selflessly, support for a family member grappling with mental illness, and the sustaining, life-affirming gifts that are meditations and breathing exercises. Road to Ambo is a superb gift for connoisseurs of exquisite piano music, highly recommended. The tracks are "Road to Ambo" (3:17), "Unknown Hero" (3:47), "Hope and Joy" (4:40), "We Are Brothers" (3:18), "You Were There" (3:16), "Faces We See" (2:56), "Smoky Hill" (2:58), "Upside Down Church" (4:19), "New Normal" (3:41), "The Well Within" (3:13), and "Breathe" (2:58).

After the Inferno
The Bad Things
Silent City Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Six-piece band The Bad Things (their instrumentation includes accordion, banjo, guitar, upright bass, trumpet, keys, drums, and mandolin) present After the Inferno, an album that treads the tenuous border between love and destruction. Songs resonate with a touch of sadness for the tragedies of the past, but also build upon renewed hope for the future. Intense and powerful, "After the Inferno" reflects resilience, perseverance, and remembrance. The tracks are "Young Emily Rose", "Lincoln", "Bonnie to my Clyde", "Can't Get Enough of Love", "Green Grass", "Grifter's Life", "Carless Maria", "Not Tonight", "Jalisco Serenade", and "Death of the Inferno."

Bedstuyle
Brooklyn Shanti
c/o Rhythm & Culture Music (distribution)
2212 Massachusetts Ave. NW #215
Washington, DC 20008
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221
Austin, TX 78748
www.pressjunkiepr.com
$TBA CD / $TBA download, www.itunes.com

Brooklyn Shanti, hip-hop's official cultural ambassador to India, presents Bedstuyle, an exciting, rhythmic emblem of the hip-hop heritage of Shanti's native neighborhood of Bedstuy, Brooklyn. The songs range in subject from love, to civic duty, to the yearning to connect with others, and carry a positive theme nurturing the brightest sparks of love that lie within us. The tracks are "Midnight in Paris", "Something Beautiful", "This Feeling", "She", "Sun Salutation", "Intervention", "Garden of Ghosts", "33 1/3", "Let It", "The Rain", "A Great Day", and "She Acoustic)".

Cinefonia
Bombay Rickey
Cowboys & Indian
Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Core members of Brooklyn-based ensemble known as Bombay Rickey present Cinefonia, an album inspired by the rich musical traditions of India, plus inspiration from Afro-Latin, all in a jubilant cocktail. Lyrics range from English to Spanish to the purely invented syllables of the opening song "Taki Rari". Elements of mythology blend with kitch pop culture in this extraordinary audio journey. The tracks are "Taki Rari", "Bombay 5-0", "Promontory Summit", "Dum Maro Dum", "Pondicherry Surf Goddess", "El Final del Pachanga", "Coyote in the Land of the Dead", "Queen of the Rhumba", "Pilgrim", and "Tuco's Last Stand".

Maverick
MOA
Privately Published
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221, Austin, TX 78748
www.pressjunkiepr.com
$TBA www.mynameismoa.com

Max Wild, jazz musician and electronic producer, has created his debut full-length album under the artist's name MOA. Maverick is a vivacious fusion of acoustic and electronic elements, with inspiration from electropop, dubstep, jazz, and African rhythmic style. A heady rush of excitement from beginning to end, Maverick is a unique delight especially recommended for adventurous music lovers! The tracks are "My Name is MOA", "Prelude", "Dance Tonight (feat. Chiwoniso)", "Take Me Higher", "In My Funk", "Uncountably Infinite" (feat. Jesse Lewis), "Hands in the Air" (feat. Jahaan Sweet), "Debo", and "Barbarian".

Lento
Youn Sun Nah
Act Music
www.actmusic.com
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
ACT 9030-2 $16.92 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Korean-born, Paris-trained, award-winning jazz singer Youn Sun Nah presents Lento, an album that blends European jazz with elements of pop, Korean folk, Western classical, and a dash of metal and industrial. Jazz guitarist Ulf Wakenius, and others on bass/cello, accordion, and percussion provide the rhythmic and melodic undercurrent to Nah's mesmerizing vocals, in these knife-edge balanced songs sure to stir the hearts of jazz connoisseurs everywhere! The tracks are "Lento" (3:04), "Lament" (3:40), "Hurt" (5:22), "Empty Dream" (4:20), "Momento Magico" (5:32), "Soundless Bye" (3:44), "Full Circle" (3:36), "Ghost Riders in the Sky" (4:58), "Waiting" (3:30), "Arirang" (4:25), and "New Dawn" (3:42).


The Library DVD Shelf

Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death
Dr. Helen Castor
Athena Learning
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781621722069 $34.99 athenalearning.com

Historian and author Dr. Helen Castor presents Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death, a DVD documentary about major milestones of everyday life in medieval England. Three episodes examine why physicians were of no use to women during the dangerous process of childbirth; why newlywed couples were "put to bed" by the priest on their wedding night; and why death was a notably more communal affair than now, including the concept of "dying well". The Church was especially involved in all three processes, and the Protestant Reformation would forever transform how society viewed and undertook birth, marriage, and death. As fascinating as it is educational, Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death is a choice pick for public library collections. Also highly recommended is Castor's previous documentary: "She-Wolves: England's Early Queens". 3 episodes on 2 DVDs, 186 min., SDH subtitles, widescreen.

Eyes Wide Open
A film by Paula Weiman-Kelman
Sisu Home Entertainment
340 W 39th St., 6th. fl.
New York, NY 10018
$24.95 www.sisuent.com

Eyes Wide Open is a documentary about both the positive and the negative reactions that Jewish travelers feel toward the holy land of Israel. Filmmaker Paula Wieman-Kelman asked American Jews "What does Israel mean to you?" in synagogues, airports, ancient sites, and dangerous war zones. An honest and unfettered collection of heartfelt emotions, Eyes Wide Open is unforgettable. 68 min., English and Hebrew with English subtitles, widescreen.

Meridian Qigong
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392955 $39.95 www.ymaa.com

Meridian Qigong is an active, exercise DVD designed to teach the viewer the Meridian Qigong daily exercises practiced by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, a Chinese martial arts master and teacher with decades of experience. These involve yoga stretches, qigong movements, and helpful acupressure techniques. Viewers will also learn about the interconnectedness of yoga and qigong, and how to tap into the strength of qigong practice and acupressure to relieve common ailments such as insomnia. An excellent supplement to health and fitness DVD collections, Meridian Qigong welcomes the benefits of exercise yet reaches beyond, encouraging the viewer to take and active role in his or her own wellness. Highly recommended. English language with optional English subtitles, 180 min.

Francis: The Pope of Renewal
Goya Productions
www.goyaproductiones.com
c/o Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339
Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586179786 $19.95 www.ignatius.com

Francis: The Pope of Renewal is a documentary about the first year of Pope Francis' service. Francis was a virtually unknown Argentinean cardinal; since he became Pope, his humility has won hearts and minds worldwide. His efforts have provoked a renewed appreciation for the good works of the Catholic Church, causing a dramatic, positive shift in public opinion. Francis: The Pope of Renewal deepens the viewer's understanding of Francis' already historic papacy, and is especially recommended for church DVD collections. English and Spanish languages, 53 min.

Murder in Suburbia: Complete Collection
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781621720218 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

Murder in Suburbia: Complete Collection is a DVD collection of both series of the popular British murder mystery. The upper-class, analytical Kate Ashurst and the working-class, intuitive Emma Scribbins are team tasked with investigating murders in the seemingly idyllic suburbs of Midford. A surprisingly lighthearted and sexy crime drama series, Murder in Suburbia has moments of tongue-in-cheek humor, back-sass, and sisterhood, as the unlikely femme not-so-fatale duo must take on political corruption, questionable millionaires, and money-hungry real estate agents, in this capricious saga! 12 episodes on 4 DVDs, 579 min., SDH subtitles, widescreen.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Monster Hunter: Nemesis
Larry Correia
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781476736556, $25.00, www.baen.com

Agent Franks works with the U.S. Monster Control Bureau and has been sworn to protect the U.S. from monsters - even though he is, himself, a seven-foot-tall constructed man who could too easily be deemed a 'monster'. His only request is that the government never make any more like him: such an effort would nullify his agreement to help them. That's why Project Nemesis is so dangerous: it's a secret project designed to create more like Franks, and it could change the world - particularly since Franks is now an undying machine with a vengeance. Prior readers of Correia will find this a fine sequel, while newcomers to the idea will find this an involving and tense sci-fi thriller.

A Bicycle Built for Brew
Rick Katze and Michael Keerpan, Editors
NESFA Press
PO Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701
www.nesfapress.com
9781610373067, $29.00, www.nesfa.org

A Bicycle Belt For Brew: The Collected Short Works Of Poul Anderson is Volume 6 in the series presenting the best of his fantasy and science fiction stories, and pairs five short novels with three novellas for maximum impact. It's not necessary to have the prior books in the series: it stands alone in offering a fine selection of his writings, from a romance story and a humor piece to a rare original magazine version of "Three Hearts and Three Lions", long unavailable except for the original magazines published in 1953. There's stories of invaders and magic, classic struggles between good and evil, and a host of literary approaches that will delight any interested in Anderson's art.


The Education Shelf

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

CRACKING THE SAT PREMIUM EDITION (9780804124676, $34.99) is packed with powerful strategies to avoid traps of the SAT test, packages the latest research and test-taking strategies with insights for the 2015 edition, and pairs four full-length practice tests with answers with exams available online and drills for each section. Multi-week study plans, video tutorials and online support is extensive, covering every facet of the test and offering the basics of how to score high. MCAT PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY REVIEW (9780804124737, $45.00) provides three full-length practice tests, offers complete coverage of the psychology and sociology content for the MCAT 2014, and offers a range of successful, proven strategies for any test taker. In-depth coverage combines psychology and sociology, with chapters including bulleted summaries for quick review, color illustrations and tables, and a detailed glossary for reference. MCAT CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND REASONING SKILLS REVIEW (9780804125031, $35.00) provides a fine survey including three full-length practice tests online, end-of-chapter practice questions, and keys to scoring high in critical analysis and reasoning skills. Drills, 'dos' and 'don'ts' and strategies make for fine references. MCAT GENERAL CHEMISTRY REVIEW (9780804125062, $45.00) details everything needed to study for the MCAT General Chemistry exam, and provides not only practice questions and answers but surveys of tested strategies that work. Complete coverage of all general chemistry content for MCAT 2015 provides a fine gathering of references for any student. MCAT BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY REVIEW (9780804125048, $50.00) surveys biology strategies for the test, reviews microbiology and molecular biology basics, considers biochemistry and body systems and more. From chapter summaries to discussions of system interactions, these are all fine recommendations for any studying for these exams.

Colour Coding for Learners with Autism
Adele Devine
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849054416, $39.95, www.jkp.com

Colour Coding for Learners with Autism explains how colour coding can help youngsters with autism understand lessons, and shows how to assign colors to personal care activities, timetables and more to help kids use their own experiences to understand everything from emotions to diet. Printable resources on a CD-ROM can apply to classroom and home learning efforts while chapters from special needs teacher Devine provide parents and educators with keys to using visuals and color with autism students and family members alike. The fact that this approach can be applied to educational pursuits as well as teaching life and social skills makes it a powerful tool.

The New Science of Learning
Terry Doyle and Todd Zakrajsek
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781620360095, $19.95, www.styluspublishing.com

The New Science of Learning: How to Learn in Harmony with Your Brain offers any involved in secondary education the opportunity to understand the latest brain science involved in learning new material, and explains how sleep, exercise and one's senses can augment the learning process. Teachers will find it filled with specific science relating to how students learn, while students will discover many techniques for enhancing the desire to learn new information and improve memory for tests. Chapter summaries, references for further reading, and discussions of patterns, concept maps, and adopting a multisensory approach to study offer fine specifics recommended for any who would apply the latest scientific research to modify study habits for maximum results.


The Military Shelf

Fallujah Redux
Daniel R. Green and William F. Mullen III
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612511429 $37.95 www.nip.org

Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans Daniel R. Green and Brig. Gen. William F. Mullen III (USMC) present Fallujah Redux: The Anbar Awakening and the Struggle with Al-Qaeda, an in-depth examination of the American military's efforts to make the Iraqi city of Fallujah more secure, despite an ongoing insurgency. Bringing about this change required more than military power; it took leadership, and efforts to form connections with the local people. "Awakening" the people of Fallujah proved to be pivotal, but sectarian misrule from Iraq's central government in Baghdad had a negative effect on efforts to promote peace and democracy. Fallujah Redux is keenly insightful, candid, and an absolute "must-read", especially recommended for collections about modern military history, nation-building, and the ongoing conflicts in Iraq.

Fire on the Water
Robert Haddick
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612517957 $37.95 www.nip.org

Fire on the Water: China, America, and the Future of the Pacific is a strategic and studious examination of how America can best prepare for forthcoming conflicts of interest with China in the Asia-Pacific region. Expert military analyst Robert Haddick (currently a research contractor for U.S. Special Operations Command) presents the evidence for a grim assessment - America has been far too slow to adapt to China's rise in economic and military power; worse, current policies tend to pit America against China's strengths, rather than its weaknesses. Fire on the Water examines competitive strategies to improve America's influence and promote stability and prosperity in the region. "America's allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region are an indispensable component of any successful U.S. strategy. These relationships are vital, both for the political legitimacy of America's regional strategy and for supporting any military strategy... America's partnerships in the region are perhaps its most important competitive advantage." Serious-minded and forward-thinking, Fire on the Water is an invaluable wake-up call to counter America's current drifting on diplomatic, trade, naval, and military matters in the Asia-Pacific region. Highly recommended.

Another Great Day At Sea
Geoff Dyer
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307911582, $24.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

Another Great Day At Sea: Life Aboard the USS George H.W. Bush tells of the author's residency aboard an aircraft carrier and his experiences as he learns the routines of this world and its various players. It discusses drills and alerts, records daily life aboard the ship, and considers wider social issues as it provides a rare glimpse of aircraft carrier experiences. The result is a survey likely to interest a wide audience, from general-interest readers to those of military subjects.

Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com

Gordon L. Rottman's CARLSON'S MARINE RAIDERS: MAKIN ISLAND 1942 (9781472803276, $18.95) provides a detailed military analysis of the great raid representing America's first special forces operation of World War II, and provides a powerful survey of how this raid tested the abilities and perspective of the new Marine Raiders unit. This raid tested the abilities of the new Marine Raiders, and this book comes from a US military history expert and special-forces veteran who tells their story - and of how the raid nearly became a lesson in disaster rather than success. Military collections strong in strategic history will find this a powerful account. Leroy Thompson's THE MP5 SUBMACHINE GUN (9781782009177, $18.95) discusses the history and use of the MP5, uses color artwork paired with vintage black and white photos, and provides expert analysis on this long-lived submachine gun. They achieved worldwide recognition when used by elite special-operations forces around the world and their reputation is unparalleled. This survey covers all aspects of the MP5 and is crucial for any interested in how these weapons changed the face of wars.


The Automotive Shelf

The Complete Book of Corvette
Mike Mueller
Motorbooks
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9780760345740, $50.00, www.motorbooks.com

The Complete Book of Corvette: Every Model Since 1953 is, admittedly, a specialty item, of value to any who own or are interested in the complete history of the Corvette car since 1953, the year the Corvette was first released. Chapters come from an American automotive expert, were produced in cooperation with General Motors, and includes rare color and black-and-white photos from GM's own archives, while technical specifications and history accompany automotive engineering insights specific to the Corvette. The result is a winning celebration recommended for any with a special interest in the car and its evolution.


The Fiction Shelf

North Beach Girl / Scandal on the Sand
John Trinian
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781933586557, $19.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

"North Beach Girl" is set in the world of San Francisco's beatniks, and "Scandal On The Sand" is the story of a dozen strangers thrown together on an isolated stretch of beach with a dying whale and a sadistic cop. Both are superbly reprinted pieces that showcase John Trinian's particular literary style. Today he is perhaps best know as the writer on the popular television series The Rockford Files starring the late James Garner. One of Trinian's most notable novels is "Once A Thief" (New York: Manor Book, 9780532952725). The 'double novel' edition from Stark House Press will admirably serve to introduce the late John Trinian to a whole new generation of appreciative readers.

Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Ascendancy
Erik Van Lustbader
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781478979548, $35.00, www.grandcentralpublishing.com

Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Ascendancy provides a new novel in Ludlum's series, but written by Erik Van Lustbader. Treated to a vivid narration by veteran Holter Graham, Bourne's past readers and new enthusiasts alike will relish a story that centers around agent Bourne's attempt to protect a high-level government minister at an international meeting in Qatar by impersonating him to thwart any assassination attempts. When armed gunmen kill everyone in the room, Bourne comes to realize he himself is the real target - and a special mission leads him to an impossible decision between killing a high-level official or sacrificing someone he loves. All this comes to life in audio and makes for a gripping, involving thriller that's highly recommended both for prior Bourne enthusiasts and newcomers.

Flight of the Sparrow
Amy Belding Brown
NAL
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780451466693, $15.00, www.penguin.com

History is at its best when it has its roots in true-life events, and Flight of the Sparrow is no exception, based on the true story of Mary Rowlandson's capture in 1675 after a native American attack. Sold to a female tribal leader who puts her to work but allows her a degree of freedom, Mary faces exhaustion but comes to witness the Native Americans' random kindnesses and good points. When she develops a relationship with an English-speaking Native American, her worlds collide; and when she's ransomed and returned to her surviving family, she no longer fits into the Puritan world. An engrossing story comes to life, here.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Book Stops Here
Kate Carlisle
Obsidian
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780451415981, $24.95, www.penguin.com

Any reader who loves books and mysteries will relish this book-oriented saga, the latest to enhance the Bibliophile mystery series. Here an appraisal of a valuable first edition of The Secret garden owned by a flower vendor goes awry when its ownership is contested and the vendor is murdered. Naturally Brooklyn and her boyfriend become involved in tracking down the killer - which involves a host of book-related puzzles and encounters in the process of an exciting and involving read, perfect for mystery fans.


The Architecture Shelf

Wisconsin's Own: Twenty Remarkable Houses
M. Caren Connolly & Louis Wasserman
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
9780870204524, $45.00, www.wisconsinhistory.org/whspress

Wisconsin's Own: Twenty Remarkable Houses features full-page color photos by Zane Williams, illustrations by authors Connolly and Wasserman, and represents a collaboration between all involved and the Wisconsin Historical Society in researching some 1,500 potential homes before featuring just twenty of the state's most notable residences. These homes were built between 1854 and 1939 and blend public with private homes. They were chosen as representatives of the state's diverse architectural and home styles and receive not only lavish color photos but watercolors and floor plans plus historical images from the Society. The result is a remarkably lovely collection highly recommended for any home and garden, architecture, or Wisconsin history collection.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

World Gone Wild
David J. Moore
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764345876, $34.99, www.schifferbooks.com

World Gone Wild: A Survivor's Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Movies offers discussions of post-apocalyptic movies from around the world, adds analysis and critical reviews to synopsis information, and is a 'must' for any film collection strong in film analysis. Worlds on the brink of destruction from a range of forces, from zombies and invasions to diseases and nuclear war, are covered in entries that consider large productions and small independent films alike. The result is a fine guide that contains over 800 movie reviews and 60 interviews with producers and actors alike.


The American History Shelf

Gentlemen Bootleggers
Bryce T. Bauer
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
c/o Independent Publishers Group (distribution)
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.ipgbook.com
9781613748480 $27.95 hc / $11.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Gentlemen Bootleggers: The True Story of Templeton, Rye, Prohibition, and a Small Town in Cahoots is the fascinating, heavily-researched chronicle of tiny Iowa town called Templeton during the Prohibition era. Templeton had a population of only 428, yet fostered a bootlegging empire in its own right; its illegal alcohol became so popular that it was well-known by the moniker "Templeton Rye". Prohibition agent Benjamin Franklin Wilson set out to demolish Templeton's lucrative bootlegging business, but the fight over bootleg booze would not explode into violence like it did in Al Capone's Chicago. Gentlemen Bootleggers tells of men who devoted themselves to creating the finest black market whiskey not only for money, but also for love of the drink, and is as intriguing to lay readers as it is to historians researching the Prohibition era. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library American History shelves.

America's Deadliest Twister
Geoff Partlow
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809333462 $19.95 www.siupress.com

America's Deadliest Twister: The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 is the true story of a nightmarish twister that wreaked havoc on southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwestern Indiana, killing 695 people. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs illustrate this story of everyday life in the 1920's when the monster tornado struck, heroes who worked to help people recover, and the memories of a few still-living survivors. Of acute interest is how this terrible disaster sparked a change in how people throughout America contemplated disaster relief, inspiring the more unified relief systems in practice today. A "must-have" for public and college library collections!

The Great Lawrence Textile Strike of 1912
Robert Forrant and Jurg Siegenthaler, editors
Baywood Publishing
26 Austin Avenue, Box 337
Amityville, NY 11701
9780895038623 $49.95 www.baywood.com

The Great Lawrence Textile Strike of 1912 is an anthology of essays by learned authors about a benchmark event in the history of American labor. In 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts, 20,000 to 25,000 immigrant workers (most of them women) from a wide array of countries went on strike to protest a wage cut. Their actions defied assumptions that women couldn't organize for protest, especially women of different ethnicities. The Great Lawrence Textile Strike of 1912 also presents strong evidence against theories that the strike was motivated by outside agitators. Individual writings include "In Harm's Way: The Lawrence Textile Strike Children's Affair", "The 'American Dream' and the 1912 Lawrence Textile Strike", "Voices of Labor Militancy in Lawrence, 1912-1931", "Bread and Roses: Why the Legend Lives On", and much more. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library American History collections.

West of the Revolution
Claudio Saunt
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393240207, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

West of the Revolution: An Uncommon History of 1776 pairs a survey of the nation's native peoples with a discussion of how Russia and Spain maneuvered to control the West Coast and beyond. This is a relatively unknown story of how Spain supported its own Lewis & Clark expedition from Santa Fe to San Francisco, how the Chinese push for sea otter pelts caused conflicts between not just Russian and Chinese empires, but natives of the Aleutian Islands, and how different forces and their political interactions governed how America was explored and settled. It should be required reading for any American history class.


The Civil War Shelf

A Corporal's Story
George Kimball
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806144801 $34.95 www.oupress.com

A Corporal's Story: Civil War Recollections of the Twelfth Massachusetts is a primary testimony of the Civil War through the eyes of George Kimball (1840-1916), a newspaperman who joined the Twelfth Massachusetts in 1861. Kimball's eye for detail, journalistic training, and reporter's integrity shines through in this compilations of his writings, which range from everyday army life to the horrific toll of war, to his own personal yearnings for reconciliation. Kimball never craved revenge upon the Confederates, despite the near-mortal wounds he suffered while in service to the Union. A Corporal's Story is fascinating cover to cover, and highly recommended for public and college library Civil War shelves.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The World's Most Haunted House
William J. Hall
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
c/o Warwick Associates (publicity)
18340 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, California 95476
9781601633378 $15.99 www.newpagebooks.com

The World's Most Haunted House: The True Story of the Bridgeport Poltergeist on Lindley Street recounts one of the most well-documented hauntings of the modern day. Excerpts from primary sources such as interviews, police reports, and rare documents enrich the methodical storytelling of one of the most widely-known yet perplexedly inexplicable paranormal events. A bibliography and an index round out this "must-have" for paranormal studies shelves with a focus on ghosts and spirits.

Meister Eckhart
Matthew Fox
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
www.MatthewFox.org
9781608682652, $17.95, www.amazon.com

Eckhart von Hochheim O.P. (c. 1260 - c. 1328), commonly known as Meister Eckhart, was a German theologian, philosopher and mystic, born near Gotha, in the Landgraviate of Thuringia in the Holy Roman Empire. Eckhart came into prominence during the Avignon Papacy, at a time of increased tensions between the Franciscan Order and Eckhart's Dominican Order of Preachers. In later life he was accused of heresy and brought up before the local Franciscan-led Inquisition, and tried as a heretic by Pope John XXII. He probably died before his verdict was received. Though he lived in the thirteenth century, Meister Eckhart's deeply ecumenical teachings were in many ways modern. He taught about what we call ecology, championed artistic creativity, and advocated for social, economic, and gender justice. All these elements have inspired spiritual maverick Matthew Fox and influenced his Creation Spirituality. In the pages of "Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times, author and Western mysticism expert Matthew Fox creates metaphorical meetings between Eckhart and Teilhard de Chardin, Thich Nhat Hanh, Carl Jung, Black Elk, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, and other radical thinkers. The result is profoundly insightful, substantive, and inspiring. Very highly recommended as informed and informative reading for students of Eckhart's life, thought and work, it should be noted that "Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Poetry Shelf

Hook and Eye
Judith Beveridge
George Braziller, Inc.
174 East 74th Street, Apt 16E, New York, NY 10021-3534
www.georgebraziller.com
9780807600009, $15.95, www.amazon.com

Judith Beveridge (born 1956) is a contemporary Australian poet, editor and academic. Edited for publication by literary critic Paul Kane as the third volume in the outstanding George Braziller series focusing on Australian poets, "Hook and Eye: A Selection of Poems" is a 96 page compendium showcasing the poetry of Judith Beveridge's free verse. With an extraordinary wordsmithing talent, this is a body of poetry that lingers in the mind long after the collection has been closed and set back upon the shelf. "Hook and Eye: A Selection of Poems" is strongly recommended for personal reading lists for poetry enthusiasts as well as both academic and community library Contemporary Poetry collections. 'The Vow': I won't lie down until it walks under my skin. / I won't stop until I hear its voice, / until its tone rings through the night. // I will not give up, not until I feel its sun burn me, / until I feel its god crawl through all my follicles, // until its moon pulls itself from its diet of light / and feeds upon the circles it has given / my bereaved sight. // Brahmins--even among / the cuticles of the dead there is wisdom. / And I'll find it--no matter / who says truth can't be scratched open.

The Sparkling Jewel Of Naturalism
Selima Hill
Bloodaxe Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781780371030, $26.00, www.amazon.com

Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning. "The Sparkling Jewel Of Naturalism" is a 94 page compendium showcasing the exquisite poetry of Selima Hill. A delight to browse through and enjoy these couplets of free verse celebrations and observations, "The Sparking Jewel Of Naturalism" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Contemporary Poetry collections. 'Skating': We Circle round and round the freezing rink / and some of us improve and some don't // and some, like you, who dare to ask the question / nobody dares answer, don't try.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Bram Stoker: Centenary Essays
Jarlath Killeen, editor
Four Courts Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
www.isbs.com
9781846824074, $74.50, www.amazon.com

Abraham "Bram" Stoker (8 November 1847 - 20 April 1912) was an Irish novelist and short story writer best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel, "Dracula". During his lifetime, he was better known as personal assistant of actor Henry Irving and business manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London, which Irving owned. Compiled by Jarlath Killeen (Lecturer in Victorian Literature in English, Trinity College, Dublin), "Bram Stoker: Centenary Essays" is a 206 page compendium comprised of ten erudite and informative essays on the life, accomplishments, and enduring influence of Bram Stoker. Enhanced with occasional illustrations, and informative introduction, a listing of the contributors and their credentials, as well as a comprehensive index, "Bram Stoker: Centenary Essays" is a seminal contribution and highly recommended for academic library Literary Studies reference collections in general, and studies of Bram Stoker's literary works in particular.

Eddic, Skaldic, and Beyond
Martin Chase, editor
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823257812, $55.00, www.amazon.com

The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. The term skald, meaning 'poet', is generally used for poets who composed at the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking Age and Middle Ages. Skaldic poetry forms one of two main groupings of Old Norse poetry, the other being the anonymous Eddic poetry. Knowledgeably compiled by Martin Chase (Associate Editor of English and Medieval Studies, Fordham University), "Eddic, Skaldic, and Beyond: Poetic Variety in Medieval Iceland and Norway" is a 296 page compendium comprised of eleven scholarly articles focused on the traditions, mythological underpinnings, and diverse facets of Eddic poetry and the skalds who performed them. Enhanced with sixty-two pages of Notes, a twenty-four page Bibliography, a list of contributors and their credentials, as well as a comprehensive Index, "Eddic, Skaldic, and Beyond: Poetic Variety in Medieval Iceland and Norway" is a model of academic scholarship and a very highly recommended addition to academic library collections. It should be noted that "Eddic, Skaldic, and Beyond" is also available in a Kindle edition ($31.19).


The Travel Shelf

Dan Poynter's Air Travel Handbook
Dan Poynter
Para Publishing
http://ParaPublishing.com
http://airtravelhandbook.com
9781568601502, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Air travel is a form of travel in vehicles such as airplanes, helicopters, hot air balloons, blimps, gliders, hang gliding, parachuting, or anything else that can sustain flight. Use of air travel by commercial airlines has greatly increased in recent decades - worldwide it doubled between the mid-1980s and the year 2000. Today air travel can be fraught with frustration, delays, lost luggage, high prices, added fees, problematic connections, confusing airport terminals, and more. That's why "Dan Poynter's Air Travel Handbook: Tips, Tricks & Secrets on Flying" will prove to be an invaluable and instructive resource for anyone having to book a flight for personal or professional reasons. Packed with invaluable and practical insights, this 322 page compendium shows how an ordinary air flight passenger can obtain better fares, better seas, and better treatment; use 'airline speak' so as be perceived as an experienced and knowledgeable air traveler; give the appearance of being a frequent flyer and obtain frequent flyer perks; and in general, make travel less hazardous, less frustrating, and a lot more fun! Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Dan Poynter's Air Travel Handbook" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and corporate library collections -- and considered a 'must read' for anyone needing to avail themselves of air travel to get to where they need to go.

20 Things to Do in Dublin Before You Go for a Feckin' Pint
Colin Murphy and Donal O'Dea
The O'Brien Press
www.obrien.ie
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781847176349 $17.00 www.dufoureditions.com

Illustrated with color photography, 20 Things to Do in Dublin Before You Go for a Feckin' Pint is a compact travel guide to enhancing one's visit to the capital and largest city of Ireland. Each of Dublin's 20 memorable locations is paired with an extensive description, historical background, contact information, and the vernacular lowdown on what to expect. A brief Dublin slang glossary rounds out this excellent vacation enrichment resource - also highly recommended for armchair travelers! The locations covered are Christ Church Cathedral, Dublinia, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Guinness Storehouse, Grafton Street, St. Stephen's Green, National Museum, Trinity College, Temple Bar, Old Jameson Distillery, O'Connell Street & GPO, Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship, Garden of Remembrance, The Phoenix Park, War Memorial Gardens, Kilmainham Gaol, Croke Park & Museum, and Glasnevin Cemetery.

Lonely Planet Thailand
China Williams, et. al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
9781742205809 $29.99 lonelyplanet.com

A folding map to the city of Bangkok enhances Lonely Planet Thailand, part of Lonely Planet's definitive guides for all types of travelers - from businesspeople to vacationers to prospective expatriates. Key locations in virtually every part of the country are listed with brief text summaries, hours of operation, phone numbers, and websites. Tips, tricks, and a handy "survival guide" filled with advice help visitors to Thailand prepare to experience the time of their lives. "Thais hold modesty in personal dress in high regard... The importance of modesty extends to the beach as well. Except for urbanites, most provincial Thais swim fully clothed. For this reason, sunbathing nude or topless is not acceptable and in some cases is even illegal. Remember that swimsuits are not proper attire off the beach; wear a cover-up in between the sand and your hotel." An absolute "must-have" for the Thailand-bound traveler!

A Practical Guide To My China
John Sun
China Books & Periodicals, Inc.
360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48
South San Francisco, CA 94080
www.chinabooks.com
9780835100649, $12.95, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated 2014 edition, "A Practical Guide to My China: How to Enjoy Traveling in Paradise and Avoid Travel Hell" by John Sun is a 218 page compendium that will prove to be an invaluable and indispensable resource for planning itineraries for traveling in China whether for business or pleasure. Featured in "A Practical Guide to My China: How to Enjoy Traveling in Paradise and Avoid Travel Hell" are top cities and cultural attractions; etiquette and local customs; negotiation and bargaining; communication and language; budget tips and hostel guides; Chinese cuisine; accommodation and lodging basics; travel rules and regulations; money and budgets; health and safety; festivals and holidays; as well as weather (and how to prepare for it). Of special note is the practical advice on what and what not to bring along. Practical and exceptionally well organized, "A Practical Guide to My China: How to Enjoy Traveling in Paradise and Avoid Travel Hell" should be considered a 'must' for anyone contemplating traveling to and within China whether their reasons are personal or professional. It should be noted that "A Practical Guide to My China: How to Enjoy Traveling in Paradise and Avoid Travel Hell" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.91).


The Language Studies Shelf

Interfaces and Domains of Quantification
Javier Gutierrez-Rexach
Ohio State University Press
180 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Road
Columbus, OH 43210-1002
http://www.ohiostatepress.org
9780814293584, $69.95, www.amazon.com

Quantification is an intrinsically complex mechanism of expression in natural language, comprising a variety of structural shapes and semantic domains whose inventory has not been completely charted to date. Several linguistic forms associated with quantification in Spanish are explored in "Interfaces and Domains of Quantification" by Javier Gutierrez-Rexach (Professor of Spanish and Linguistics), from indefiniteness and ellipsis to the quantificational properties of relative clauses and adverbial particles. "Interfaces and Domains of Quantification" advocates an interface approach to the grammar of Spanish quantification. Only a precise characterization of the syntactic properties of quantificational constructions and of their associated meanings allows us to understand how more general syntactic and semantic constraints are at work. Among other findings, the interaction of scope and parallelism with ellipsis is reconsidered; the structural significance of modal anchoring and essential properties for the interpretation of indefiniteness is explored in detail; additionally, quantificational variability and correlativity phenomena in relative clauses are analyzed; degree expression is characterized for concessive conditionals and superlatives; and, finally, several discourse particles with a quantificational core are shown to be critical for the articulation of semantic and discourse-pragmatic relations. Taking a detailed look at the different forms, patterns and structures associated with several quantificational domains seems to be the only fully explanatory way to advance our knowledge of the syntax, semantics and pragmatics of quantificational structures. Enhanced with a sixteen page Bibliography, an Index of Abbreviations, and a comprehensive index, "Interfaces and Domains of Quantification" is a seminal work of impressive scholarship and very highly recommended for academic library Spanish Language Studies instructional reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Right Thing To Do
Cicero, author
G. B. Cobbold, translator
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
9780865168244, $15.00, www.bolchazy.com

Marcus Tullius Cicero (3 January 106 BC - 7 December 43 BC), was a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists. His influence on the Latin language was so immense that the subsequent history of prose in not only Latin but European languages up to the 19th century was said to be either a reaction against or a return to his style. Cicero introduced the Romans to the chief schools of Greek philosophy and created a Latin philosophical vocabulary (with neologisms such as humanitas, qualitas, quantitas, and essentia) distinguishing himself as a linguist, translator, and philosopher. His writings still form a core curriculum supplement for the study of Latin. Ably translated into English for an American readership by academician G. B. Cobbold (Classics Department, Tabor Academy, Marion, Massachusetts), "The Right Thing To Do: Cicero's De Officiis" is the newest title from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers and will be welcomed as another Latin Studies supplemental curriculum reading list. In addition to an extraordinarily informative introduction, this edition is enhanced with the inclusion of three appendices, a glossary of Names, Places, and Technical Terms, Significant Dates in Roman History and the Life of Cicero, and recommendations for Further Reading. While of primary value for academic library Latin Studies collections, "The Right Thing To Do: Cicero's De Officiis" will also prove to be of immense interest to non-specialist general readers with an interest in the ethics of 'doing right' in contemporary ordinary life.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Religious History of Wales
Edited by Richard C. Allen & David Ceri Jones with Trystan O. Hughes
Welsh Academic Press
www.welsh-academic-press.com
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR, 97213
9781860570797 $65.00 www.isbs.com

The Religious History of Wales: Religious Life and Practice in Wales from the Seventeenth Century to the Present Day lives up to its title as a scholarly chronicle of religion in Wales, beginning in with the end of monolithic Christianity. The sixteenth-century Reformation sparked Protestant sects that directly competed with the established Catholic sect. Divided into chapters written by a diversity of learned authors, focusing on well over a dozen different Welsh religious groups - including Baptists, Quakers, Unitarians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Islam, the Bahai faith and more - The Religious History of Wales is comprehensive, thought-provoking, meticulous in its examination, and an invaluable addition to college and public library Religious Studies shelves. "The Sikh presence in Cardiff is one of the earliest in Britain, along with that of the community in Southall in west London... According to one of the very rare studies on this small group of diaspora Sikhs, Paul Ghuman estimated their number alone to be around 360 in 1980, compared with the current total Sikh population in Cardiff at just over 900."


The Geology Shelf

Iceland, second edition
Thor Thordarson & Armann Hoskuldsson
Dunedin Academic Press Ltd.
International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR, 97213
9781780460215 $49.50 www.isbs.com

Part of the "Classic Geology in Europe" series, the updated second edition of Iceland surveys the geology of Iceland with depth worthy of scientific professionals, and a presentation accessible to students and amateur geologists. Full-color maps and photographs illustrate Iceland's extraordinary landforms, many of which exemplify the legacy of volcanic and tectonic activity. "Effusive eruptions occur when magma pours out onto the surface as lava flows, and Iceland owes its existence to the steady accumulation of lava through time. Lava flows occur in various sizes and shapes, and their form is a good indicator of how readily they flowed." A glossary, bibliography, and index round out this "must-have" for public and college library geology shelves.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

An Indomitable Beast
Alan Rabinowitz
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650
Washington, DC 20036
9781597269964 $30.00 www.islandpress.org

Alan Rabinowitz (big cat expert and CEO of Panthera, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving wild cat species) presents An Indomitable Beast: The Remarkable Journey of the Jaguar, an accessible nonfiction book all about these great cats. From the reverence that ancient civilizations such as the Maya and the Aztec had for jaguars, to the jaguar's struggling to survive amid the loss of its habitat to deforestation and the expansion of agriculture, to exciting modern-day research about the jaguar's DNA, An Indomitable Beast is an extraordinary examination of these dangerous yet magnificent creatures. A bibliography, an index, and a handful of color plates enhance this absolute "must-read" for fans of big cats in general, and jaguars in particular. Highly recommended!


The Botany Shelf

Trees of Eastern North America
Gil Nelson, Christopher J. Earle, and Richard Spellenberg, authors
David More, illustrator
Amy K. Hughes, editor
Princeton University Press
41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
9780691145914 $29.95 http://press.princeton.edu

Featuring detailed, full-color illustrations accurately representing the leaves, flowers, and seeds of every tree, Trees of Eastern North America is well-organized, thorough field guide accessible to botanists and lay readers alike. The entry for each tree species includes a "quick ID" description, an extremely detailed in-depth description complementing the artwork, a habitat/range listing given both in words and a simple diagram of North America, comments about similar tree species, and any miscellaneous notes. (For example, "The nut of the American Beech is a favorite food of small mammals and birds, especially grosbeaks. However, mature trees usually produce abundant fruit only once every few years, particularly in the South, making it unreliable as an annual crop..."). Highly recommended for botany reference shelves!


The Reference Shelf

Vital Statistics of the United States 2014
Shana Hertz-Hattis
Bernan Press
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781598887044 $110.00 www.rowman.com

Also available as an ebook, Vital Statistics of the United States 2014: Births, Life Expectancy, Deaths, and Selected Health Data is a compendium of over 225 updated tables, offering a thorough examination of births, mortality, health, marriage, and divorce in America. Nearly the entire reference volume is devoted to tables of information compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics and other government agencies. An index rounds out this straightforward reference and resource, especially recommended for professional and university library statistics shelves.


The Archaeology Shelf

Native American Artifacts of Wisconsin
Paul Schanen and David Hunzicker, authors
Lauric Press
1314 W. McDermott, Ste. 106-811, Allen, TX 75013
9781932113686 $79.95 www.LauricPress.com

Written to be accessible to professional and amateur archaeologists alike, Native American Artifacts of Wisconsin is an in-depth reference and showcase of prehistoric Native American tools and artifacts commonly found in Wisconsin. Color photographs as well as some black-and-white diagrams illustrate the example pots, farming tools, hunting equipment, and more. Descriptive, reader-friendly text complements the artifact portraits. "Prehistoric ceramics in Wisconsin are one of the least understood and least documented of all artifact types. This is primarily due to one simple factor, poor preservation. Our harsh winters and their freeze-thaw cycles that penetrate deep into ground, frequently acidic soils, and relatively high amounts of moisture combine to ensure that complete or even partially complete pottery vessels are exceptionally rare in the state." A superb addition to college library archaeology collections, Native American Artifacts of Wisconsin is highly recommended.


The Mythology Shelf

Cloudwalker
Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd, authors
Roy Henry Vickers, illustrator
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC V0N 2H0 Canada
9781550176193, $19.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

"Cloudwalker" tells the traditional Tahltan legend of the creation of the Sacred Headwaters of three important salmon bearing rivers of the Great Northwest Coast, in British Columbia. Long ago a strong young man called Cloudwalker, or Astace lived before there were any rivers. Cloudwalker won the contest of carrying the heaviest rock the farthest in his village. He was also a gifted hunter with the bow and arrow, spear and knife. His hunting provided food for his people. He was also a skilled fisherman, athlete, and swimmer, and he always provided food for the elderly first. But he was lonely, for he could find no wife who would be strong like him, and a mate for life. One day swans in a flock came to the lakes of the northern woods. Cloudwalker planned to make strings from cedar bark to tie to the swans feet underwater, to catch them for food for his people. Because he got greedy and tied too many swans' feet with his string, he was pulled up and carried by the whole flock of swans when they panicked and began to fly. Up, up, up he went until he finally had to let go of the swan strings, falling down, down, down, landing softly on the clouds. He walked far over the clouds until he came to a guloonich, a cedar bucket of water. He drank some but saved some for later, carrying the guloonich of saved water. As he walked in a circle, tiring, he spilled water from the water box. It took him very long cloudwalking to find a mountain that he hoped would lead him home. Finally he returned home to his village and a great celebration. Where he had walked, spilling water from his cedar box, there were new lakes and three new rivers, named the Ksien (the juice from the clouds), the Nass River and the Stikine River, the juice from the clouds. The headwaters of these rivers form a semicircle because these are the three points where Cloudwalker fell from the sky. Thus the three great salmon bearing rivers were born, flowing to nurture the bears, the forest, the earth and human beings. The riches of the clean rivers, land and sea are the source of all wealth to the people of the Northwest Coast, so they teach children to be respectful and responsible, taking only what they need, to preserve the river's life for future generations. This reverent telling of the legend of Cloudwalker is stunningly enhanced by paintings in shadows, sky colors, and silhouettes influenced by the traditional art styles of the native peoples of the Northwest Coast.


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


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