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California Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 6 June 2012 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Computer Shelf Photography Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Crafts Shelf
Education Shelf Cookbook Shelf Art Shelf
Architecture Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Psychology Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Science Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Botany Shelf Native American Shelf Military Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf
Business Shelf Music Shelf Travel Shelf
Sports Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Biography Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Automotive Shelf International Studies Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Language Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Library DVD Shelf California Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

UContent
Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford NJ 08055
9781573874250, $49.50, www.infotoday.com

UCONTENT: THE INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL'S GUIDE TO USER-GENERATED CONTENT identifies and discusses UContent: everything from blog posts to online book reviews, Flickr photos, and using tags. It's a guide specifically for librarians and professionals interested in managing UContent and considers its popularity, importance, and how to process and administer UContent in a professional setting. The author uses his own UContent experiences to provide an overview packed with examples and tips for identifying, assessing and managing UContent effectively, in a pick recommended for any reference or information management collection.

Coming Apart, new edition
Daphne Rose Kingma
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781573245470, $16.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

COMING APART: WHY RELATIONSHIPS END AND HOW TO LIVE THROUGH THE ENDING OF YOURS is the cure for a broken heart and life in a book, and offers a plan to follow through the end of a relationship. This new edition offers a new introduction and provides keys to discovering whether a relationship is over, what you encounter at each stage of parting, and how to analyze the relationship's life and death for future information. The focus on understanding what keeps a relationship together and the elements that divide it make for a powerful survey packed with insights not available elsewhere. It's a top pick for any general lending library and any collection strong in relationship analysis.

Asylum on the Hill
Katherine Ziff
Ohio University Press
9780821419731, $35.00, www.ohioswallow.com

Psychiatry, social issues and American history shelves alike will find ASYLUM ON THE HILL: HISTORY OF A HEALING LANDSCAPE to be a powerful college-level survey of a revolution in mental illness care as seen through the history and example of the Athens Lunatic Asylum. It was built after the Civil War and offered cutting edge psychiatric treatments at the time, providing compassionate care based on a pleasing environment, exposure to the arts, outdoor exercise, and more. Ultimately overcrowding and new psychiatry models changed this, but this survey of the 19th century asylum movement offers a fine social, political and economic history of its evolution and makes for a fine survey relevant to any mental health history holding.

Peace, They Say
Jay Nordlinger
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, NY 10003
9781594035982, $27.99, www.encounterbooks.com

PEACE, THEY SAY: A HISTORY OF THE NOVEL PEACE PRIZE, THE MOST FAMOUS AND CONTROVERSIAL PRIZE IN THE WORLD is a recommendation for any general lending library and tells of the history, evolution and culture of the coveted Nobel Peace Prize. From who decides who gets it to how much money it's worth, controversial figures - including Hitler - nominated for the prize over the decades, and more, this provides a lively survey of the people involved in the Nobel Peace Prize. The elements that make up a 'world peace champion' are revealed in a fine survey recommended for any lending library.

What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?
Jonnie Penn, et.al.
Artisan Books
225 Varick Street, New York NY 10014-4381
9781579654764, $19.95, www.artisanbooks.com

What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? comes from a group of college students who in 2006 made a list of 100 mutual lifelong dreams and a pact that each time they crossed a goal off their list, they would help a stranger achieve a goal as well. The result is a powerful survey that charts six years of exploration and giving. The group has completed 80 items on their list, have changed the lives of strangers, and chart their journey here and on Facebook, creating a vibrant identity and purpose called The Buried Life. At once inspirational, exciting, and fun, this book is a 'must' for any general lending library, packing in some 150 color illustrations in the process of telling the story.

Astral Sex - Zen Tea Bags
Gerry Thompson
Findhorn Press
Delft Cottage, Dyke, Forres IV36 2TF, Scotland
9781844095834, $14.95, www.findhornpress.com

Astral Sex - Zen Tea Bags: An Illustrated New Age Spoofapedia comes from an Irish humorist who uses his personal experience to provide a fine collection of spoofs of gurus, therapies, and new age mysticism. Fun cartoons accompanies these spoofs and poke fun at all manner of beliefs and ironies in a fun and whimsical collection recommended for the humor sections of any new age or general lending library.

Bloom
Kelle Hampton
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780062045034, $24.99, www.harpercollins.com

BLOOM: FINDING BEAUTY IN THE UNEXPECTED offers a powerful memoir of new parenthood, Down syndrome, and a mother's certainty that her newborn was different. Everyone around her was celebrating Nella's arrival but Kelle was devastated - until she experienced Nella's first year of life and found unexpected joys and light in her new daughter. Color photos blends with a memoir of parenthood and healing to provide a powerful, inspirational account of a different daughter's many gifts. General lending libraries will find it a top recommendation, packed with positive perspective and moving moments.

Bookshelf
Alex Johnson
Thames & Hudson Inc.
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780500516140, $24.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

BOOKSHELF is packed with over 300 color illustrations and offers a fine survey of different kinds of bookshelves that use limited spaces to display books and serve dual purposes. Chapters display all kinds of bookshelves, from the artistic to the innovative, with color photos accompanying discussions on how much the shelves hold, the reasoning behind their construction, websites for further information, and links to other shelving options. As both an artistic and a practical reference, BOOKSHELF can't be beat!

A Fuller View
L. Steven Sieden
Divine Arts Media
c/o Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781611250091, $19.95, www.divineartsmedia.com

A Fuller View blends science, history and philosophy and explores Buckminster Fuller's insights into life. It comes from an expert on the life and work of Buckminster Fuller and gathers Fuller's reflections and insights on nature, daily life on Earth, architecture, spirituality and more, and is a 'must' for any collection serious about Fuller's vision of hope and abundance for everyone. From his multi-dimensional view of life to his creation of new words to better explain science and observation to young people, this is a powerful, highly recommended survey that is key to any comprehensive understanding of Fuller and his philosophy and science.

A Tour of the Senses
John M. Henshaw
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
9781421404363, $29.95, www.press.jhu.edu

From how we see, feel, taste, touch, and smell to how the senses transmit information differently to different people, A TOUR OF THE SENSES provides both a history of sensory perception science and understanding and the latest science and technology research behind sensory perception, and is a fine guide recommended for health and science general-interest collections. It considers artificial sensing technologies, techniques for improving or even replacing sensory organs, and the foundations of sensory science - but is written in such a way that lay readers can readily access the basics.

The Great Animal Orchestra
Bernie Krause
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780316086875, $26.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

THE GREAT ANIMAL ORCHESTRA: FINDING THE ORIGINS OF MUSIC IN THE WORLD'S WILD PLACES comes from a musician and naturalist who is one of the world's leading experts in natural sound, who has spent his life discovering and recording sounds of the wild planet. Here he shares the science of how animals rely on sounds for survival, offering surveys of sound perception and how the natural world has influenced human music and expression. From the sounds of animals to the sounds of cracking glaciers and storms, Krause uses a lifetime of devotion to recording the world's natural sounds to examine the planet's interconnected natural sounds and rhythms. Music and nature collections alike will find THE GREAT ANIMAL ORCHESTRA a lively, compelling acquisition.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Cooking the Books
Kerry Greenwood
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Avenue, Ste. 103, Scottsdale AZ 85251
9781590589823, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

COOKING THE BOOKS provides a fine Corinna Chapman mystery and revolves around the baker/investigator who is trying to kick back and do nothing at all on her holiday. The problem is: inactivity bores her, so when she accepts an offer to bake for the film set of a new soap opera she becomes intrigued by sabotage, danger, and tests of both her baking and investigative abilities. Add in a case of cooking the books and you have a story that's filled with unexpected twists - and is simply wonderful!

Murder, She Wrote: Trouble at High Tide
Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain
NAL
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451236326, $23.95, www.penguin.com

Murder, She Wrote: Trouble at High Tide adds to the 'Murder, She Wrote' series with the thirty-seventh installment, this revolving around murders in Bermuda where Jessica Fletcher is vacationing. When her friend's niece is found dead on the beach Jessica finds she has more than personal involvement in the events unfolding in this powerful account of murder and a puzzle only Jessica can unravel. Perfect for any murder mystery collection seeing popularity with the prior books!

The Wedding Shawl
Sally Goldenbaum
Obsidian
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451236708, $15.95, www.penguin.com

THE WEDDING SHAWL: A SEASIDE KNITTING MYSTERY provides the fifth installment of a nationally bestselling series and tells of Izzy, about to get married when the wedding party's hair stylist is found dead. The Seaside Knitters gather to help Izzy and find themselves confronting an unsolved murder of years ago and a wedding that could possibly be destroyed by it. With a fast-paced and changing plot, THE WEDDING SHAWL is a special pick for any who have seen popularity with the prior knitting mysteries in the series.

Guilty Wives
James Patterson and David Ellis
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780316097567, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

GUILTY WIVES tells of four best girlfriends on a decadent vacation who are thrown in prison for murder. What begins as the ultimate girls' night out turns into a nightmare when Abbie awakens on a yacht surrounded by police, arrested with her girlfriends and accused of a terrible crime. What has begun as the ultimate vacation of a lifetime turns into a terrible struggle for survival and freedom in a crime thriller packed with international tensions and riveting moments. GUILTY WIVES is impossible to put down and will earn a place in any general lending library.


The Fiction Shelf

Attachments
Rainbow Rowell
Plume
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780452297548, $15.00, www.penguin.com

ATTACHMENTS is a fine and funny account and provides the story of one Lincoln O'Neill, whose job it is to monitor other people's email. His job as an Internet security officer at a newspaper is supposed to be about protecting the paper from dangerous hackers - but aside from an exciting-sounding job, he faces a boring life after a breakup and moving in with his mother. When Lincoln becomes captivated by the exciting emails by two girls who work in the company he can't bear to turn them in - and finds himself falling in love. It's a poignant, funny story that any general collection will find inviting!

The Gilly Salt Sisters
Tiffany Baker
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446194235, $24.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

THE GILLY SALT SISTERS offers a fine story of small town relationships and family interactions and tells of the Gilly sisters, very different sisters growing up on a salt farm. One is popular and yearns to flee her roots, the other is devoted to the family farm. Romance, treachery, deceit, and a daughter estranged from her family yet returned to the fold years later evolve into a complex story of Gilly family history and interactions that weaves satisfying stories from complex relationships. Any collection strong in novels will find this a compelling saga.

The Witch Narratives: Reincarnation
Belinda Vasquez Garcia
www.belindavasquezgarcia.com
CreateSpace
100 Enterprise Way, Suite A200
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
9781466429796, $13.99, www.amazon.com

The Witch Narratives: Reincarnation offers a powerful story of friendship, love and toxic family ties set during the Depression and the Roaring 20s in a small New Mexico coal-mining town affected by clashes between Hispanic and Native American witchcraft and a Catholic Secret Society. The lives of two young girls are threatened when witchcraft and catholic mysticism clash in a fight for supremacy. Salia is a witch raised by a selfish mother and Marcelina is a Catholic girl - but despite their very different upbringings they come together at different times and find healing and comfort in each other's company despite their very different faiths. Family deaths, romance, and conflict come to a head in this first book of a powerful trilogy that holds all the elements of gripping supernatural fiction at its finest.

White Horse
Alex Adams
Emily Bestler Books
c/o Atria Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451642995, $19.99, www.simonandschuster.com

WHITE HORSE is a powerful end-of-the-world saga revolving around thirty-year-old Zoe, who is cleaning floors at Pope Pharmaceuticals when the president of the U.S. announces human s are no longer a viable species - and people began vanishing. Zoe begins running and embarks on a journal struggling for survival in a world suddenly changed from one day to the next.
WHITE HORSE is a gripping story recommended for any collection strong on novels in general and apocalypse stories in particular, providing a different perspective than the usual end-of-the-world scenario, and creating a powerful survivor in Zoe.

Revelation 911: Sun of Apollo
Darab Lawyer and Clinton Libbey
Abny Media Group
1008 S Dinwiddie St., Arlington, VA 22204
www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/04040.htm
9780984716807, $16.95, www.amazon.com

Revelation 911: Sun of Apollo provides a debut novel of the new Revelation 911 series packing in fast-paced action, astrology, ancient philosophies and more, and begins in February 2012 when a stockbroker, Darius prince, faces a demon's image on his trading screen during a powerful trade. It's only the first of a series of mystic forces that are seeking Darius, drawing him into a series of terrifying events that are leading inevitably to December 2012's changes. His quest to find his soulmate and fulfill his destiny makes for a powerful thriller recommended for any library.


The Computer Shelf

SharePoint 2010 for Project Management
Dux Raymond Sy
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449306373, $44.99, www.oreilly.com

SharePoint 2010 for Project Management is written by a certified Project Management Professional with 15 years of IT project management experience and provides chapters filled with step-by-step guides for any working with SharePoint. It teaches how to work more efficiently by managing projects using SharePoint 2010 and is packed with keys to tracking projects, keeping them efficient, using automated reporting and web parts to generate status reports, and much more. Any with some knowledge of PMS techniques or SharePoint will find this specific business focus to be invaluable.

Beginning Android 4 Application Development
Wei-Meng Lee
Wrox
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781118199541, $39.99, www.wrox.com

Beginning Android 4 Application Development teaches how to develop applications for Android 4 smartphones and tablets, one of the hottest growth areas in programming today. It explains how to adapt displays, understand Droid and tablet interfaces, how to put long running tasks in separate threads, and more, and is a key to breaking into the Android market. It comes from the founder of a technology company specializing in Microsoft and Apple technology training, and a key to successful Android applications development.

Core Python Applications Programming, third edition
Wesley J. Chun
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780132678209, $49.99, www.informit.com/coreseries

The third updated edition of Core Python Applications Programming is a 'must' for any Python programmer and comes from a leading Python developer and trainer who helps take Python to a new level. From building clients and servers and using SQL and relational databases to using Django for web development and cloud computing with Google, this provides keys to all the various applications of Python, and is a specific, highly recommended pick for any programming looking to expand their Python applications programming knowledge.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Pocket Consultant
William R. Stanek
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735663763, $39.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Pocket Consultant offers a fine, portable guide for SQL Server administrators and provides quick reference answers for any administering SQL Server 2012. From daily tasks and basic applications, this uses reference tables, step-by-step directions and lists to provide keys to solving problems both at the computer and in the field. It discusses managing server activity, administering security, performing backups and more, and is a key reference acquisition for any administering SQL Server 2012, covering all the code and real-world applications needed to solve problems quickly and effectively.

How Google Tests Software
James Whittaker, Jason Arbon and Jeff Carollo
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321803023, $34.99, www.informit.com/aw

How Google Tests Software uses interviews with Googlers and Google insiders to cover the basics of testing lines of code at Google scale, and comes from a software, engineering and test engineer at Google who cover the basics of how Google tests software. Chapters cover SETs, workflow, test plans and certification processes, writing and making documents accessible to collaborators, and much more, offering insights into the entire testing and certification process. From how Google engineers are hired to their testing processes, this is a top pick for any serious software engineering collection.

The Cucumber Book
Matt Wynne and Aslak Hellesoy
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356807, $30.00, www.pragprog.com

THE CUCUMBER BOOK: BEHAVIOUR-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT FOR TESTERS AND DEVELOPERS discusses the basics of Cucumber, a testing and communication tool that can be used to test nearly any system. Chapters cover the features of Cucumber and describe the types of behaviors customers want from the system, teaching Ruby beginners how to write Ruby code that interprets these specifications. Recipes for some of the most difficult situations encountered using Cucumber accompany tips on how to test applications, web services, and Ruby on Rails apps using Cucumber's abilities. It's written by the creator of Cucumber, so the details and expertise doesn't get better than this!

JQuery Novice to Ninja, second edition
Earle Castledine and Craig Sharkie
Sitepoint
1829 Market Street, Suite 202
San Francisco CA 94103
9780987153012, $39.95, www.sitepoint.com

The second updated edition of JQuery Novice to Ninja: New Kicks and Tricks is a fine Java programmer's guide and offers an updated edition covering all the basics of jQuery, from adding animation to a website structure to using plugins, UI widgets, and the new jQuery Mobile framework. Learn to use jQuery WI in all kinds of real world applications, build a complete working application as you learn its basics, and use jQuery Mobile to create mobile apps with this fine basic primer, highly recommended for any programmer experimenting with jQuery's vast possibilities.

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, second edition
Jon Erickson
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street
San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593271442, $49.95, www.nostarch.com

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation appears in its second updated edition to consider the basic techniques of serous hacking, and includes LiveCD to provide Linux programming and debugging without modifying your current operating system. This disc is a companion to the book and offers the opportunity to follow along with the book's examples as you fill in knowledge gaps and obtain hands-on experience using debugging code and understanding hijacking network communications procedures, overcoming protections, and using cryptographic weaknesses - keys to preventing new exploits. A highly recommended pick for any Linux programmer interested in increasing security and understanding the methods of hackers.

Microsoft Office 365 for Dummies
Ken Withee and Jennifer Reed
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118104507, $24.99, www.dummies.com

Microsoft Office 365 for Dummies tells how to collaborate on documents and presentations, use social networking in daily business pursuits, and work from almost anywhere using a mobile device and Microsoft Office 365. It focuses on cloud operations and how Office 365 makes the most of them, showing how to use Exchange Online for email, how to create browser-based documents, and more. With its step-by-step instructions and screen shots, this handbook is a 'must' for any who would make the most of Office 365.

Mastering Microsoft Lync Server 2010
Nathan Winters and Keith Hanna
Sybex
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
9781118089538, $59.99, www.sybex.com

Mastering Microsoft Lync Server 2010 provides a fine in-depth reference covering Lync Server 23010 Mobility Serve and Lync Mobile Clients, and teaches the basics of mastering Lync under a range of business applications. It's for any in charge of United Communications and teaches professionals how to set up and troubleshoot systems, from using Telephony to planning deployment and handling upgrades.

Android in Action, third edition
W. Frank Abelson, et.al.
Manning
PO Box 261
Shelter Island, NY 11964
9781617290503, $49.99, www.manning.com

The third updated edition of ANDROID IN ACTION provides a fine survey of mobile technology and Android's abilities and covers the popular Google operating system's keys to building advanced applications. Chapters go beyond beginning approaches and teach how to build WebKit apps using HTML5, how to extend or replace Android's built-in features, and how to use Android 3.x to handle tablet concepts and applications. It's written for hobbyists and developers and provides all the basics for any with some Java experience who want to get the most from Android's powerful programming possibilities.


The Photography Shelf

Adventure Sports Photography
Tom Bol
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321809823, $44.99, www.peachpit.com

Adventure Sports Photography comes for a renowned photographer and workshop leader who blends personal stories from field experience with his photo savvy to create a fine collection of photography hints specific to adventure sports. As such, it's a pick for photography and sports holdings alike. It teaches the basics of creative angles and composition for adventure sports images and shows how to create a sequence shot and capture adventure sports on film and video alike. Chapters come packed with color photo examples and discuss the special challenges of adventure sports photography - such as achieving an interesting angle of sea kayakers from a clear ocean by snorkeling under the boats. From bouncing flash to downplaying backgrounds, this is packed with a fine set of examples paired with exact instructions on how they were achieved.

Chasing the Light
Ibarionex Perello
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321822611, $34.99, www.newriders.com

CHASING THE LIGHT: PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE PRACTICE OF SEEING is a powerful recommendation for any aspiring photographer and provides a fine instructional video examining one photographer's approach to seeing and using light. The video format allows for a more specific visual approach to the subject of light than could be captured in book form, and explains the photographers approach to creating great street photography and using light, shadow and color to maximum advantage for street portraits. This video encourages viewers to understand the basics of 'seeing' and develop their own strategies.

Picture Perfect Practice
Roberto Valenzuela
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321803531, $44.99, www.newriders.com

Picture Perfect Practice: A Self-Training Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Taking World-Class Photographs provides a lively survey of what it takes to be a world-class photographer and shows how to develop posing techniques, lighting and skills suitable for any kind of location or shot. Chapters are packed with color, sepia and black and white images but it's the specific first-person assessments of their special shooting challenges and how the author overcame barriers to create outstanding photos that makes this a top pick for any photography collection.

Take Your Best Shot
Miriam Leuchter
Weldon Owen
415 Jackson St. #200, San Francisco CA 94111
9781616281212, $22.95, www.weldonowen.com

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT: ESSENTIAL TIPS & TRICKS FOR SHOOTING AMAZING PHOTOS provides a set of color photos and accompanying step-by-step techniques and comes from Popular Photography experts, providing a fine survey for beginners and professional photographers alike. It's packed with striking keys to successful shoots under a variety of conditions, from choosing modes and ISOs for shooting subjects or landscapes to animal photography, artistic and cultural documentation, and much more. Highly recommended for any interested in improving technique and learning from professional-quality photo results!

LED Lighting
Kirk Tuck
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608954476, $34.95, www.amherstmedia.com

LED LIGHTING: PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS provides a fine guide to LED lighting and shows how it can be used in the studio or on location. From selecting the right LED gear to buying modifiers and using them in the field or under studio conditions, LED LIGHTING is an exceptional guide pairing color photos of professional results with keys to achieving them.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3
Nat Coalson
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470607053, $39.99, www.wiley.com

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 offers a basic primer for digital photographers and covers the software for organizing a photo library. Step-by-step tutorials offer black and white and color screen shots and teach the basics of processing many images at once, saving time with shortcuts, sharing photography with others, and establishing a photo workflow. Chapters are packed with tips on managing, developing, printing and posting photos to web and print resources and include many color sample photos to demonstrate such technical adjustments as using white balance options on the Toolbar. A top pick for any Lightroom 3 user; especially newcomers who want a fine review of all the basics in a progressive learning text!


The Needlecraft Shelf

Mend It Better
Kristin M. Roach
Storey
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603425643, $18.95, www.storey.com

MEND IT BETTER; CREATIVE PATCHING, DARNING, AND STITCHING comes from a popular craft blogger whose website Craft Leftovers has over 30,000 readers. Her book offers a new focus on mending by adapting traditional techniques for modern sewers and uses photography capturing each step of the patching, darning and repair stitching process. Hand and machine sewing alike are profiled in a how-to text that includes examples from Kristin's own work and that of other craft bloggers, making this a fine basic course in garment and fabric repair.

Sweet Shawlettes
Jean Moss
Taunton Press
P.O. Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781600854002, $21.95, www.taunton.com

SWEET SHAWLETTES: 25 IRRESISTIBLE PATTERNS FOR KNITTING COWLS, CAPELETS, AND MORE arranges designs into 4 chapters each reflecting a different mood and offering styles ranging from folk to vintage. It surveys different yarns, designs, stitches and textures and provides easy budget-oriented ideas for knitters of all skill levels who will find this packed with projects for whimsical shawlette patterns. It comes from one of Britain's leading designers and is a treasure trove of fun creations for any knitter's collection.

Kim Hargreaves Vintage Designs to Knit
Kate Buller, Editor
Trafalgar Square Publishing
814 North Franklin St., Chicago IL 60610
9781570764943, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Kim Hargreaves Vintage Designs to Knit: 25 Timeless Patterns for Women and Men from the Rowan Collection provides a lively collection of examples form a knitwear designer and revisits over two dozen of Kim Hargreaves' designs featured in Rowan Yarns' magazine. Lovely photos accompany a range of seasonal projects from jackets and sweaters to tops and dresses, and come from a knitwear designer who formerly managed the Rowan brand. Black and white and color photos accompany fine step-by-step knitting instructions recommended for any knitter's library.

Stitched for Fun
Fiona Goble
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604681413, $24.99, www.martingale-pub.com

STITCHED FOR FUN: 35 EASY AND ADORABLE EMBROIDERY PROJECTS offers a fine collection of simple motifs displayed on a different object and packs in over thirty embroidery projects perfect for beginners with only a few basic sewing skills. The idea is to create fun little works of art on plain textiles: from creating place mats and aprons to bags and more, this pairs full-page color photos of completed projects with easy step-by-step instructions and is a pick for any who would work with embroidery.

Quilts from the House of Tula Pink
Tula Pink
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.krausebooks.com
1440218188, $24.99, www.fwmedia.com

Quilts from the House of Tula Pink: 20 Fabric Projects to Make, Use & Love provides 10 large quilt patterns and 10 accessory sewing projects perfect for blending quilting talents into home design projects. It features fabrics that are familiar and encourages readers to combine and choose fabrics and patterns in fresh ways, pairing step-by-step illustrations hand-drawn by Tula with easy techniques that will appeal to beginning and advanced quilters alike. The result is a fine pick for any needlework collection.

Fairytale Knits
Katharina Ritter
Search Press
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
9781844487431, $19.95, www.searchpress.com

FAIRYTALE KNITS offers fanciful, fun knits inspired by fairytales and blend modern designs with elegance. Each design is based on a different character or story, from a Little Red Riding Hood hat to Goldilocks lacy bolero, Little Mermaid off-the-shoulder sweater, and more. The simple patterns are easy and quick, accompanied by a full-page photo displaying the finished product on a model, and make for a fine idea book for knitters seeking something different.


The Audiobook Shelf

A Century of Wisdom
Caroline Stoessinger
Books on Tape
c/o Random House, Inc.
Attn: Library and School Services
400 Hahn Road, Westminster, MD 21157
9780307967695, $35.00, www.booksontape.com

A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer comes to life in audio, paired with Grammy and Audie award-winning audiobook director and voice-over artist Linda Korn. 108-year-old pianist Alice Herz-Sommer is an eyewitness to the entire last century and has met some of the biggest historical figures of our times. Imprisoned in Theresienstadt and facing the murders of her family and friends by the Nazis, she nonetheless managed to live the rest of her life without bitterness, and A CENTURY OF WISDOM imparts the process of her finding peace in an unsafe world. Any audio collection will find this a remarkable, winning reflection.

Monday Mornings
Sanjay Gupta, MD
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781611135480, $29.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

Christian Rummel has narrated over a hundred audio titles and his smooth acting voice lends well to Sanjay Gupta, MD's fictional story about the life-and-death decisions made by a team of surgeons. MONDAY MORNING provides a review of the experiences of five surgeons and comes from a practicing neurosurgeon who provides a fine insider look at the world of medicine - and how surgeons learn. It's a riveting drama highly recommended for any who have enjoyed Michael Crichton's medical thrillers and who seek a realistic yet fictional view of a surgeon's inner world.

The Good Father
Noah Hawley
Random House Audio
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307970251, $35.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

THE GOOD FATHER receives a fine reading by Bruce Turk who works with Arthur Morey and Ryan Gesell to provide a fine audio rendition of a gripping thriller. Dr. Paul Allen's specialty is diagnosis - but he's drawn into a mystery revolving around a son's implication in a president's shooting. His journey to find out the truth provides new possible connections to father and son in this moving story of redemption and investigation.

Stay Close
Harlan Coben
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781441895363, $36.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

STAY CLOSE enjoys a fine performance by Scott Brick, whose voice adds a lively embellishment to the story of Megan, an urban soccer mom with a middle-class life, paparazzo Ray, who panders to rich kids, and Broome, a detective who can't let go of any investigation. The three find their lives intersecting and their secrets merging as shared boredom leads them into danger and deadly associations. STAY CLOSE slowly builds a powerful story of intrigue and is a 'must' for any audio collection where powerful stories of tension and change are of interest.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Picker's Bible
Joe Willard
Krause Publications
700 East State St., Iola WI 54990-0001
9781440230394, $14.99, www.krausebooks.com

PICKER'S BIBLE: HOW TO PICK ANTIQUES LIKE THE PROS provides fine tips on where and how to find antiques for the best price, how to negotiate price, how to find bargains and avoid problems, and more. With the increased popularity of 'picker' shows on television, this will find a large audience interested in antiques and collectibles and covers everything from auctions to finding choice items and handling the competition. The result is a winning guide offering many insider's tips to the entire process, perfect for any general lending collection.

Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, 18th edition
George S. Cuhaj, Editor
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.krausebooks.com
9781440229565, $70.00, www.shopnumismaster.com

The weighty reference Standard Catalog of World Paper Money Modern Issues, 1961-Present appears in its 18th updated edition as a solid reference packing in over 12,000 black and white illustrations to accompany the latest valuations of paper money from around the world. Bank notes issues around the world since 1961 are profiled in over 19,000 variety listings that offer two grades of condition and country signature charts for variety identification. This tome is the result of a network of over 80 international paper money collectors and dealers who work with the editor on this comprehensive reference. A 'must' for any collector's reference library.

Blue Book of Gun Values, 33rd edition
S.P. Fjestad
Blue Book Publications Inc.
8009 - 34th Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis MN 55425
9781936120208, $49.95, www.bluebookofgunvalues.com

The new 33rd edition of the BLUE BOOK OF GUN VALUES has been expanded to 2,432 pages, updating all values to the latest prices and adding new 2012 makes and models to accompanying listings of antiques and discontinued firearms. The result is the most comprehensive gun values reference in the industry - and a 'must' reference for any gun collection. It provides an 80-page Photo Percentage Grading System with high resolution color images to help determine a firearm's correct condition based on its original condition, covers revolves, pistols, rifles and shotguns, and expands sections on serialization and trademarks. It's the most valuable gun reference book in print, and is packed with keys to accurate valuation and identification.


The Crafts Shelf

Art Nouveau Designs
Penny Brown
Search Press
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
9781844487264, $12.95, www.searchpress.com

Art Nouveau Designs: 100 New and Original Hand-Drawn Copyright-Free Designs comes with a CD-ROM and is packed with designs suitable for needlework, ceramics, graphic design, textiles, and just about any art endeavor you can imagine. It provides designs based on Art Nouveau that can be combined with other images, or enlarged and use as a theme on their own. From flowers and birds to animals and patterns, this is packed with ideas for any working artist.

Basic Model Railroad Benchwork, second edition
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Books
Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780890248362, $19.95, www.kalmbach.com

The second updated edition of Basic Model Railroad Benchwork offers beginners and experienced modelers a fine collection of details on model railroad benchwork, updating all pages, photos and drawings and adding new information on using extruded foam board and steel stud benchwork. It comes from an author who has produced over 20 books on railroads and model railroading, and packs in a range of approaches to model railroading benchwork. With its specific tips on how to streamline the process, it's a top recommendation for any model railroader looking to improve their benchwork approach.

How to Draw Your Dragon
Sergio Guinot
Harper Design
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
978062067319, $24.99, www.harperdesignbooks.com

How to Draw Your Dragon provides a fine, comprehensive guide to drawing the creature and considers the components of a dragon to allow even non-artists to draw a variety of dragons. East step-by-step instructions and explanations provides keys to illustration secrets the best designers use, and come from a renowned Spanish illustrator known for his playful style and wide range of artistic works. Above all, he's a master dragon drawer who packs this survey with unique approaches to creating dozens of different types of dragons, exploring digital and hand-drawing steps alike.

The Workshop Guide to Ceramics
Duncan Hooson & Anthony Quinn
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764164613, $34.99, www.barronseduc.com

THE WORKSHOP GUIDE TO CERAMICS provides a fully illustrated, step-by-step manual of techniques and design principles for all kinds of ceramics, covering techniques and offering detailed explanations of glazing, firing, glaze recipes and applications, and ceramics challenges, and is a top pick for any crafts or ceramics collection. It's designed with students and crafts in mind and provides a practical all-in-one reference to the art covering the ideas and requirements of working with ceramics and kilns. Also included are tips on promoting ceramics pieces through exhibitions, galleries and websites. Add step-by-step color photos throughout and you have an extensive, highly recommended in-depth reference for any general crafts or ceramics-specific collection!


The Education Shelf

Voices of Determination
Kevin P. Chavous
Transaction
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842679, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

VOICES OF DETERMINATION; CHILDREN THAT DEFY THE ODDS is a top pick for college-level readers involved in public education reform processes. It discusses the problems of urban schools and refutes the idea that these problems can't be fixed because of the effects of poverty, and it provides keys to revamping and creating a system that functions well at all levels. Any interested in educational and social issues will find this a powerful assessment that doesn't accept poverty as a reason for substandard approaches to education!

From Tutor Scripts to Talking Sticks
Paula Kluth & Sheila Danaher
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598570809, $34.95, www.brookespublishing.com

From Tutor Scripts to Talking Sticks provides a fine program to boosting student skills across the board, and offers research-based adaptations to strengthen any curriculum. These are teacher-designed, student-tested programs able to help students learn and offer creative new ideas using inexpensive materials and resources teachers often already have. Students in K-12 classrooms of all abilities will be able to use these supplemental activities and teachers will appreciate their simplicity, making for a fine pick for any educator's collection.

Everyday Activities to Help Your Young Child with Autism Live Life to the Full
Debra S. Jacobs and Dion E. Betts
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Box 960, Herndon VA 20172-0960
9781849052382, $19.95, www.jkp.com

Everyday Activities to Help Your Young Child with Autism Live Life to the Full offers a fine set of simple exercises to boost functional skills and coordination among the young autistic child and is a fine pick for parents and teachers alike. From reading times and developing bilateral coordination to fine motor skills and daily living abilities, Everyday Activities to Help Your Young Child with Autism Live Life to the Full is a fine choice for any interested in helping those with a young autistic child.

The Art of Slow Reading
Thomas Newkirk
Heinemann
PO Box 6926, Portsmouth, NH 03802-6926
9780325037318, $25.00, www.heinemann.com

THE ART OF SLOW READING; SIX TIME-HONORED PRACTICES FOR ENGAGEMENT is a fine guide that refutes the trend toward speed reading and teaches the value and techniques of slow reading processes. Advice about who to read, how to read, and understanding memory and association processes makes for chapters that teach various kinds of writing approaches and how they engage different portions of the brain. From the impact of different genres to the kinds of writing approaches that benefit from a slow reading process, THE ART OF SLOW READING is a fine recommendation for any who would get more from their reading.

Off the Clock
Fred Bramante and Rose Colby
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781452217314, $29.56, www.corwin.com

OFF THE CLOCK: MOVING EDUCATION FROM TIME TO COMPETENCY provides a fine survey of how to remove time and space pressures from the teaching process and comes form authors who have implemented their process in New Hampshire, winning an education award for their innovative strategy. The idea is that student achievement should be based on mastering competencies over putting in time: chapters tell how to engage all students through a program that involves them in learning goals. Any educator should look at and learn from this innovative approach!

Choosing the Right College, 2012-13 edition
Intercollegiate Studies Group
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
1610170059, $29.95, www.isibooks.org

Any education or reference collection will find the 2012-13 edition of CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGE: THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT AMERICA'S TOP SCHOOLS to be a fine pick in its updated, expanded form which pairs essays, statistics, and sidebars of information on over 140 schools, from Ivy League institutions to state universities, religious schools and military academies. Details offer statistics these colleges don't want you to know, the truth about student life on and off campus, and keys to getting a real education at any school. From good value colleges to overpriced institutions, this offers an indispensable guide that hones in on the truth about college educations and achievements. No education collection catering to the college-bound should be without this candid, wide-ranging assessment!

Swinging Pendulums
Carol Garhart Mooney
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605540801, $19.95, www.redleafpress.org

SWINGING PENDULUMS: CAUTIONARY TALES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION deserves ongoing mention and recommendation for any early childhood collection, and offers keys to professional development and the swings of opinion in educational approaches and regulations. It provides a happy medium in its focus on high-quality early childhood education and provides essays that help teachers reflect on the pros and cons of various educational options. Any early childhood educator needs to review this for its sensible approach to creating and fostering middle ground in a constantly-changing world of teaching approaches and philosophies.

Cracking the New GMAT 2013
Geoff Martz & Adam Robinson
Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375427466, $22.99, www.princetonreview.com

Cracking the New GMAT 2013 offers proven techniques for a higher score and has been revised and updated for the new test, making this a 'must' for any potential GMAT test-taker. It include two full-length practice tests, expert hints and tips, coverage of the new Integrated Reasoning section, and tips on 'how to crack it' for complicated questions and potentially tricky sections. GMAT takers will find this a 'must' reference, offering a complete game plan to mastering the test.


The Cookbook Shelf

Chronicle Books
680 Second Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

Kit Wohl, et.al.'s THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION'S BEST OF THE BEST: A 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF AMERICA'S OUTSTANDING CHEFS (9780811874663, $60.00) is an exceptional oversized commemoration of the nonprofit James Beard Foundation's 25th anniversary, and comes from an author who spent more than two years working with over twenty chefs who have won the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Chef Award. It pairs with lovely color photos and provides recipes from such famous food personalities as Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, and more. Biographical details of each chef are accompanied by Susie Cushner's lovely images and recipes created by the chefs. Simply a treasure trove of detail for any interested in culinary excellence in America! Ray "Dr. BBQ" Lampe's SLOW FIRE: THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BARBECUE (9781452103037, $22.95) pairs mouth-watering color photos by Leich Beisch with instructions on the basics of cooking authentic barbecue on your grill, whether it be a stovetop smoker or an outdoor Weber, and offers a fine beginner's guide to real barbecue. From Texas-Style Beef Brisket to Cuban-Style Leg of Pork and Pulled Barbecue Beef, this is packed with flavor and specific instructions for getting the best barbecue from each cut. Very highly recommended for any collection looking for an inviting, easy barbecue primer!

The Art of the Confectioner
Ewald Notter
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470398920, $65.00, www.wiley.com

THE ART OF THE CONFECTIONER: SUGARWORK AND PASTILLAGE teaches the basics of creating complex sugarwork showpieces for display and competition and is a top recommendation for any neo-professional confectioner who wants to move into the display level of art. Edible showpieces have been a long tradition, but this in-depth coverage offers insights into the range of pastry and confectionary skills involved in creating the modern display. From introductions covering the history of sugarwork to the techniques of sugar casting, pulling, blowing and more, this incorporates the latest art trends and food displays in a 'must' recommendation for any professional culinary collection.

Quinoa Cuisine
Jessica Harlan & Kelley Sparwasser
Ulysses Press
Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703-3440
9781612430201, $16.95, www.ulyssespress.com

QUINOA CUISINE offers a fine cookbook that introduces quinoa seeds, flakes and flour and tells how to cook with this replacement for common grains. There's added health value to using quinoa, and this book incorporates quinoa in all its variations into dishes such as chili, pot pies, mini pizzas, desserts and appetizers alike. The book's arrangement by seasonal foods and recipe identification for quick and easy choices makes this an outstanding presentation for any intrigued by the grain and its possibilities - and a must for any serious cookbook collection.

Cooking Vegan
Vesanto Melina and Joseph Forest
Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
9781570672675, $19.95, www.bookpubco.com

COOKING VEGAN shows how to adopt a vegan diet that is balanced and which contains all the nutrients and vitamins needed to appeal to all. It comes from a vegan dietitian and a professional chef who combine their skills to provide recipes based on nutritional values. Twelve daily menus blend recipes for maximum effect and focus on optimal nutrition. Beginners looking for easy dishes will find Cashew Cheese Lasagna and Tuscan Minestrone only a few of the vegan delights that are quick and easy to put together. Highly recommended for any would-be vegan cook.

Hall of Fame of Southern Recipes
Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
9781934193228, $24.95, www.quailridge.com

Hall of Fame of Southern Recipes provides over two hundred recipes of classic Southern fare identified as the 'best of the best' from the thousands in the database of the 'Best of the Best State Cookbook' series. So if there's only one Southern cookbook a collection wants, it should be this pick. Recipes for Fried Green Tomatoes, Savannah Cheese Grits, and more pack in flavor, classic traditions, and tested dishes that have a long track record of being 'proven'. Very highly recommended for any cookbook collection!

Funny Food
Bill and Claire Wurtzel
Welcome Books
6 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9781599621111, $19.95, www.welcomebooks.com

FUNNY FOOD: 365 FUN, HEALTHY, SILLY, CREATIVE BREAKFASTS is a 'must' for any general lending collection, especially those catering to parents. It features food that tastes great and can be easily and artistically displayed to entice kids. The author has spent the past fifty years transforming simple breakfast dishes into edible paintings for his wife, using common fare - Cheerios and bananas, lox and bagels, pancakes and more - as the palate for his art. Color photos pack a fun, whimsical collection perfect for any cookbook library and present dishes that will appeal to all ages.

French Kids Eat Everything
Karen Le Billon
Morrow Cookbooks
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062103291, $24.99, www.harpercollins.com

FRENCH KIDS EAT EVERYTHING: HOW OUR FAMILY MOVED TO FRANCE, CURED PICKY EATING, BANNED SNACKING, AND DISCOVERED 10 SIMPLE RULES FOR RAISING HAPPY, HEALTHY EATERS is recommended for any general lending library and provides a lively, fun discourse of one American family's French-inspired food revolution. The author decides to spend a year living with her young family in her husband's hometown in northern France - and finds herself facing a unique French approach to kids' food education which is far different than her views of both eating and parenting. Highly recommended as a powerful, vivid and fun title that will appeal across the board to parenting and food general lending collections alike!

Texas Favorites
Jon Bonnell
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423622598, $30.00, www.gibbs-smith.com

TEXAS FAVORITES comes from the owner and chef at Forth Worth's fine restaurant and shares the author's favorite dishes for parties and family gatherings: Tex-Mex creations that lend to family-style celebrations. Southwestern twists of subject and new creations range from Chicken and Cactus with Southwestern Romesco to Green Chili and Cheese-Stuffed Okra. Color photos and easy step-by-step directions accompany each dish, while attention to different kinds of celebrations assure that tailgathers have as much to choose from as those planning an in-home fiesta party. It's a colorful, lively creation of original dishes that any with an interest in Southwest or Tex-Mex cuisine will find inviting and easy.

Fish: Recipes from the Sea
The Silver Spoon
Phaidon
180 Varick St., 14th Floor
New York NY 10014
9780714863870, $45.00, www.phaidon.com

Fish: Recipes from the Sea packs in over 135 color photos and illustrations and offers easy instructions and close-up photos to accompany some 200 Italian recipes from the Silver Spoon on fish preparation. Recipes are arranged by general type of fish - white fish, oily fish, shellfish and more - and provides a fine collection of dishes for both daily family meals and special celebrations. Lovely illustrations and photos invite novices and chefs alike to savor the Silver Spoon fish dishes that take advantage of Italian spices and flavors, making this a top pick for any collection featuring either fish cookery or the fruits of the famous Silver Spoon restaurant.

Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking
Carla Kelly
The Experiment Publishing
260 - 5th Avenue #3 South
New York NY 10011-6425
9781615190430, $17.95, www.theexperimentpublishing.com

Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking packs in over 150 recipes that are easy and economical, and that use the slower cooker to save money, calories and time while remaining true to vegan ideals. Recipes for all seasons include light summer fare and hearty winter dishes alike, with dishes blending international influences with childhood favorites. The author has been a vegan for over seven years and a vegetarian for over twenty, and here provides dishes ranging from Ratatouille and Thai BBQ Tofu to Potato and White Bean Curry and Beer Stew with Sweet Potato and Celery. The dishes are delicious, unexpected, and come alive with flavor, making this a top pick for any busy vegan cook.

Let Them Eat Vegan!
Dreena Burton
DaCapo Lifelong Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
44 Farnsworth St., 3rd Floor, Boston MA 02210
9780738215617, $20.00, www.dacapopress.com

LET THEM EAT VEGAN! 200 DELICIOUSLY SATISFYING PLANT-STRONG RECIPES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY comes from a longtime vegan and cookbook author who provides whole foods, low-fat dishes and vegan-based options that are both flavorful and unique. From Lemon Infused Mediterranean Lentils to Truffled Cashew Cheese, this is packed with dishes which are easy and surprising - and appealing to vegans and non-vegans alike. No vegan collection should be without this appealing presentation of alternative dishes.

Piatto Unico
Toni Lydecker
Lake Isle Press
2095 Broadway, Suite 301
New York, NY 10023
97811891105487, $19.95, www.lakeislepress.com

Piatto Unico: When One Course Makes a Real Italian Meal provides a range of dishes - including vegetarian options - in chapters that display balanced one-dish healthy meals for busy families. Here are soups, grains, stews, and cold plates that embrace Italian traditional cooking at its best, showing how Italian meals don't have to consist of many time-consuming courses. One-course meals do have a place in Italian culinary traditions, and this gathering makes the most of them, pairing recipes with advice on shopping, cooking, and traveling in Italy. Any cookbook collection seeking something different in Italian fare will relish this guide!

Wicked Good Barbecue
Andy Husbands, Andrea Pyenson and Chris Hart
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1721
www.quaysidepublishinggroup.com
9781592334995, $21.99, www.fairwindspress.com

WICKED GOOD BARBECUE: FEARLESS RECIPES FROM TWO DAMN YANKEES WHO HAVE WON THE BIGGEST, BADDEST BBQ COMPETITION IN THE WORLD remakes classic barbecue recipes with new twists and here reveals the authors' award-winning techniques and recipes. From a pulled pork dish to an award-winning Smoked Buffalo Turkey Wing Explosion to Six-Day Bacon of the Gods, plus a complete chapter on barbecue from around the world and the Jack Daniel's World Championship Winning Rib Recipes, this is packed with competition-winning dishes and is a 'must' for any collection strong in barbecue cookbooks.

Eat More of What You Love
Marlene Koch
Running Press
2300 Chestnut St., Philadelphia PA 19103
9780762445989, $27.00, www.runningpress.com

EAT MORE OF WHAT YOU LOVE: OVER 200 BRAND-NEW RECIPES LOW IN SUGAR, FAT, AND CALORIES shares secrets the author learned helping her own family to eat more healthfully, and offer recipes that promote good eating while keeping weight and blood sugars in control. From tips on how to enjoy savory and sweet dishes such as a Chicken Fried Steak that is under 300 calories and sour cream mashed potatoes under 100 calories to healthier adaptations of family favorites, this provides dishes that are streamlined, easy, and healthier than their originals. A fine guide for any cookbook collection.

Eat Raw, Eat Well
Douglas McNish
Robert Rose
120 Eglinton Avenue East #800
Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2, Canada
9780778802952, $27.95, www.robertrose.ca

EAT RAW, EAT WELL: 400 RAW, VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES comes from a certified Professional Vegan Chef and raw-food consultant who here shares his knowledge about his raw-food lifestyle and how it can be adapted to one's life. It only takes a few hours each week to shop for and prepare raw foods ahead of time, and this guide covers the basics of what constitutes a raw food diet, how to easily embark upon one, and how to adapt favorite recipes to the raw food diet for maximum benefit. From beneficial effects of eating a raw food diet to understanding differences between living and raw foods and eating organic, this is an outstanding cookbook and reference for any who would undertake a raw food conversion, and is packed with colorful descriptions, easy recipe adaptations, photos and more.

Rice & Curry
S.H. Fernando Jr.
Hippocrene Books
171 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
0781812739, $19.95, www.hippocrenebooks.com

RICE & CURRY: SRI LANKAN HOME COOKING provides a fine survey of Sri Lankan dishes and pairs lovely color photos by Susan Now with many traditional dishes not to be easily found elsewhere. From chapatti and other Indian breads to Squid Curry, Potato or Spinach Curry, Chinese Rolls and more, this provides a wealth of Sri Lankan traditional dishes and is a top pick for collections strong in ethnic or Asian cuisine. Explanations of how the dishes are made accompany color photos and easy directions, making this a fine addition to any general lending library.

The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook
Pam Hoenig, Compiler/Editor
Oxmoor House
PO Box 11095, Des Moines, Iowa 50336-1095
0848734343, $24.95, www.oxmoorhouse.com

The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook: A Treasury of Timeless, Delicious Recipes is simply outstanding: a treasure trove of delights that require only a cast iron skillet to prove successful. It covers everything from breakfast and appetizers to main courses and even desserts, and offers a satisfying blend of innovative new dishes and traditional dishes alike. This means the mouth-watering man-pleaser Polish Pork and Cabbage stew - a big hit at a recent dinner - appears along with Mother's Favorite Fried Chicken and a Middle Eastern-influenced Chicken Tagine, making for a delicious and varied set of approaches to using cast iron at its best. Color photos throughout complete a winning, highly recommended guide.

Healthy in a Hurry
Karen Ansel, MS, RD & Charity Ferreira
Weldon Owen
415 Jackson St. #200, San Francisco CA 94111
9781616282134, $29.95, www.wopublishing.com

HEALTHY IN A HURRY: EASY, GOOD-FOR-YOU RECIPES FOR EVERY MEAL OF THE DAY shows how to use 'superfoods' from vegetables to whole grains to appeal to family tastes and health alike. From breakfast through dinner, this provides a fine collection of dishes perfect for all tastes, from a Quinoa Salad with Dried Cherries & Pistachios to Fresh Tomato & Basil Pasta, color photos pair with appealing dishes and healthy grain/vegetable based dishes powered by spices and seasonings. It's a 'must' for any who would look into easier, healthy dishes the entire family can appreciate, and for general lending libraries looking for something different.

Cooking for Two
America's Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline MA 02445
9781936493074, $35.00, www.AmericasTestKitchen.com

COOKING FOR TWO provides fine recipes for a range of dishes from skillet suppers to main dishes, salads and sides, and is a pick for couples tired of the common cookbook approach to family-style portions. Some scaled-down recipes require a change in cooking equipment as well as ingredients - and many can be streamlined for quicker or healthier results than traditional recipes call for. COOKING FOR TWO is a tested guide packed with color photos, adaptations, and explanations of smaller cookware on the market, and is a pick for any general lending library.

Dress Your Cookie
Joanna Farrow
Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781846013928, $14.99, www.octopuspublishing.com

DRESS YOUR COOKIE: BAKE THEM! DRESS THEM! EAT THEM is a cookie cookbook with a different approach advocating decorating cookies using one foolproof icing recipe. From pirates or wedding themes to animals and insects, even storybook figures, this offers holiday and special occasion ideas for decorating cookies and provides recipes for different cookie bases, templates, icing instructions and much more.


The Art Shelf

Colleen Browning: The Enchantment of Realism
Philip Eliasoph
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953669, $60.00, www.hudsonhills.com

Colleen Browning: The Enchantment of Realism is a recommendation for any serious arts collection and provides the first monograph on one of the few women Realist painters who painted Manhattan and Harlem urban scenes. As such, it's a pick for arts and New York history and cultural collections alike. Full-page images accompany details about Colleen Browning's life and influences, and makes for a powerful gathering that is a 'must' for any comprehensive library strong in depicting all the artists influencing the trend and development of Realism.


The Architecture Shelf

Guide to Contemporary New York City Architecture
John Hill
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393733266, $29.95, www.wwnorton.com

Guide to Contemporary New York City Architecture is a recommendation for arts and New York City culture collections alike. It packs in maps, color photos, and discussions that provide a walking companion to 200 of the most notable public buildings throughout New York City's five boroughs, focusing on creations since the new millennium. It's arranged by neighborhood for easy self-guided tours and packs over 350 color photos and over twenty maps with subway and bus directions, offering both artistic and cultural insights into the locations. Any architecture enthusiast, whether native New Yorker or visitor, will find this key to locating and appreciating some of New York City's finest.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Full Service
Scotty Bowers with Lionel Friedberg
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic
841 Broadway, New York NY 10003
9780802120076, $25.00, www.groveatlantic.com

FULL SERVICE: MY ADVENTURES IN HOLLYWOOD AND THE SECRET SEX LIVES OF THE STARS comes from an ex-Marine who suffered the loss of his brother at Iwo Jima, arrived in Hollywood in 1945, and ran into George Cukor, there to become the go-to guy for arranging companionship and sexual liaisons for his expanding circle of famous Hollywood personalities. FULL SERVICE documents his social and sexual encounters with the stars, from Raymond Burr to Vivien Leigh, discussing how he arranged liaisons with many in the industry. Any interested in Hollywood drama and events will find this a vivid recollection sure to appeal to any general reader.

Film Is Not Dead
Jonathan Canlas & Kristen Kalp
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321812803, $59.99, www.newriders.com

Film Is Not Dead: A Digital Photographer's Guide to Shooting Film is for both newcomers to shooting and those with some basic experience, and provides all the tools necessary to move from digital to film shooting. Packed with color photo examples throughout, it discusses hardware and their applications and provides candid assessments of the process of moving from digital to film shoots. From buying and storing film to maintaining the right camera, this is packed with vivid professional assessments and is simply a 'must' for any moving into the film medium from a digital environment.

Sherlock Holmes on Screen
Alan Barnes
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857687760, $19.95, www.titanbooks.com

Sherlock Holmes on Screen offers a complete history of the screen adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's figurehead and packs in over 100 rare photos in the process, making this a definitive guide for any film collection. Sherlock Holmes has appeared on screen more than any other fictional character over the decades, and this book packs in film assessments from the silent era through modern times. With its rare archival photos and entries from everything from full-length films to animated productions, Sherlock Holmes on Screen will more than delight any seeking a definitive guide.

The Godfather Effect
Tom Santopietro
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10010-7848
1250005132, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

The Godfather Effect: Changing Hollywood, America and Me comes on the 40th year anniversary of the release of The Godfather and provides a fine survey of the classic Godfather trilogy and its effects on Americans and the Italian-American community as a whole. It explores how the three films were made and offers behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the actors, their casting and performances, and the underlying politics involved in making the movie. This covers all three movies and their impact, blending in the author's own memories about his experiences growing up Italian-American, and makes for a powerful survey recommended for film history and American cultural history holdings alike.

Hollywood Hypocrites
Jason Mattera
Threshold Editions
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451625615, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

HOLLYWOOD HYPOCRITES: THE DEVASTATING TRUTH ABOUT OBAMA'S BIGGEST BACKERS provides a scathing attack on the left and President Obama and offers a call to action, offering keys to linking Hollywood's powers with politics for maximum effect. It pairs this attack with humor and documents celebrities' beliefs and whether they live by the same environmental and social policy ideals they seek to extol to others. HOLLYWOOD HYPOCRITES is a selection for political, social issues and film collections alike, documenting the rise of Hollywood Progressives and their powers in a pick recommended for any general collection.

Michael Wiese
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com

Carole M. Kirschner's HOLLYWOOD GAME PLAN: HOW TO LAND A JOB IN FILM, TV OR DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT (9781615930869, $26.95) provides an invaluable, industry-specific guide that that packs in keys to locating internships, understanding the types of film and TV jobs that lend to getting a foot in the door, and handling interviews and processes for moving up in the industry. The entire focus is about far more than landing a job - it's about making an entire game plan built on step-by-step approaches to the desired position and it's packed with insider's tips that work. No film collection or business library should be without this! Also invaluable is Dan Fleming's MAKING THE TRANSFORMATIONAL MOMENT IN FILM (9781615930609, $29.95), a fine survey of how to use the raw materials of filmmaking so that a transformational moment is captured. The films of Vincent Ward and other serve as examples of this moment, showing how visual composition and narrative lend to creating a memorable film production. Black and white film shots throughout compliment the in-depth assessments of translating transformation to the film medium making this a special pick for any film student looking to move to the next level.


The Psychology Shelf

Getting Past Your Past
Francine Shapiro, PhD
Rodale Press
733 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781594864254, $26.99, www.rodalebooks.com

Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy provides a user's guide to EMDR therapy and how it can empower those looking to overcome past hurts. EMDR is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, here explained in lay terms. Simple exercises for self-help and details about the brain science involved in the technique makes for a powerful survey showing readers how their automatic responses can be retrained. It's an outstanding pick for any self-help, new age or health collection.

Psychotherapy Lives Intersecting
Louis Breger
Transaction Publishers
Rairtan Center, 300 McGaw Drive, Edison, NJ 08837
1412845750, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

Psychotherapy Lives Intersecting recounts the experiences of numerous patients he worked with over close to fifty years as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. It offers insight into patient developments, blends in the author's own personal history and first-person insights on the psychotherapy experience, and blends in first-person reflections by many of the patients themselves, who evaluate their own experiences. The result is a far more user-friendly manual of the entire experience from both sides, and a top pick for any considering entering into psychotherapy.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Yoga Skills for Therapists
Amy Weintraub
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0393707172, $24.95, www.wwnorton.com

Yoga Skills for Therapists is a pick for any serious psychology collection and offers therapists a groundbreaking discussion from a leader in yoga's application to mental health. This offers keys to using yoga to lead clients to a more centered, balance frame of mind where real therapy work can begin, and it draws upon multiple traditions and sciences to provide a compendium of guided breaking exercises, meditations, self-inquiry practices, and more. It's a 'must' for any collection strong in clinical applications of meditative skills.

The Blood Sugar Solution
Mark Hyman, MD
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780316127370, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

THE BLOOD SUGAR SOLUTION: THE ULTRAHEALTHY PROGRAM FOR LOSING WEIGHT, PREVENTING DISEASE, AND FEELING GREAT NOW addresses the underlying cause of diabetes: weight issues that lead to heart disease, cancer and overall ill health. It reveals 'diabesity' - the imbalance ranging from initial mild insulin resistance to Type 2 Diabetes, and presents a scientifically based program for rebalancing insulin and blood sugar levels. From self-tests to advise on medication and exercise, this is a six-week plan to make lasting changes, and is a pick for any general health library.

Private Practice Made Simple
Randy J. Paterson, PhD
New Harbinger
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781608820238, $39.95, www.newharbinger.com

PRIVATE PRACTICE MADE SIMPLE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SET UP AND MANAGE A SUCCESSFUL MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE is a fine pick for any psychology collection and teaches the basics of getting client referrals and creating a thriving therapy business. It's a complete, all-in-one guide for therapists just starting out, and covers everything from organizing patient information to managing finances and maintaining a good work-life balance. From the appearance of an office down to its smell, this is a fine survey that covers all angles and is a recommendation for business and health collections alike.

Ninety Days
Bill Clegg
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780376122528, $24.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

NINETY DAYS: A MEMOIR OF RECOVERY charts the harrowing progress of an addict and provides a powerful survey of the addition that caused the author to lose everything. The ninety days is his goal to remain sober - and here he details a life filled with meetings, friendships, and recovery focusing entirely on not relapsing. There have been plenty of books written about addiction and its consequences; but few take the day-by-day approach to recovery of NINETY DAYS, making this a fine pick for any health collection.

How to Say Yes When Your Body Says No
Dr. Lee Jampolsky
Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker St., Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781571746641, $18.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

How to Say Yes When Your Body Says No: Discover the Silver Living in Life's Toughest Health Challenges discusses attitude and mental health during health challenges, and shares stories of the author's own health problems and his approaches to handling the mental stress accompanying physical ailments. From cultivating a healthy mind during a health challenge to reducing suffering and moving forward from bad health news, this is a fine focus on physical challenges and mental health approaches during crisis, and is a pick for new age and health collections alike!

Memoirs of an Addicted Brain
Marc Lewis, PhD
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th Street, #1321
New York, NY 10107
9781610391474, $26.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

Memoirs of an Addicted Brain: A Neuroscientist Examines His Former Life on Drugs provides a powerful survey recounting the author's powerful addiction and how he broke an intense hold on drugs. Against all odds he recovered from addiction and achieved his dream of becoming a professor of developmental psychology and a neuroscience researcher, and here provides a memoir that charts his personal and professional odyssey. This will appeal to a range of collections, from those strong in autobiographies to science and health holdings alike.

Chasing Medical Miracles
Alex O'Meara
Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0802716962, $25.00, www.walkerbooks.com

CHASING MEDICAL MIRACLES: THE PROMISE AND PERILS OF CLINICAL TRIALS comes from a journalist enrolled in clinical trails - one of over twenty million Americans - and chronicles the history and regulations surrounding them. Chapters document significant problems in the process and is the first book to provide behind-the-scenes documentation of the trials and how they operate. From consumer health holdings to general-interest lending libraries, CHASING MEDICAL MIRACLES provides a powerful assessment of the industry's pros and cons and reveals what happens during the course of a clinical trail.

The AIDS Conspiracy
Nicoli Nattrass
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231149129, $34.50, www.columbia.edu

THE AIDS CONSPIRACY: SCIENCE FIGHTS BACK explores the social and political influences involved in the belief that the American government manufactured HIV to be used as a biological weapon, providing a compelling argument to be considered a 'must' for health, social and political science holdings alike. There are a host of conspiracy theories evolving around AIDS and HIV: this book identifies four symbolically powerful figures involved in AIDS denialism, and offers an intriguing survey of how pro-science advocates have fought back by using research and political credibility to resist false AIDS myths. The documenting of this historic social wave of opinion makes for a powerful treatise recommended for any general lending collection as well.

National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs
Rebecca L. Johnson, et.al.
National Geographic
c/o National Geographic Society
1145 - 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036-4688
9781426207006, $40.00, www.nationalgeographic.com/books

National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs: The World's Most Effective Healing Plants provides a fine guide arranged by plant name and covering their properties. This gathers the latest research on plant-based healing properties, describing their botany and medicinal uses and offer tips on dosages, medical cautions, and more. The authors working on this include two medical doctors who teach the basics of using these healing herbs on different body systems, and who provide a fine, richly illustrated guide packed with color photos of plants and their special applications. Any general health or lending library will find this a user-friendly reference requiring no special background in herbs.


The Science Shelf

Games Primates Play
Dario Maestripieri
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465020782, $27.99, www.basicbooks.com

GAMES PRIMATES PLAY: AN UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION OF THE EVOLUTION AND ECONOMICS OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS is a fine choice for social science and science collections alike, and applies concepts of evolutionary biology and economics to explain how people behave in all kinds of circumstances. It analyzes social relationships and considers how other primates react and often play the game games - so the theories that apply to them can equally well explain human behaviors. It comes from an award-winning biologist but adopts a lively tone perfect for general and science holdings alike.

Popular Science FYI
Bjorn Carey, Editor
Weldon Owen
415 Jackson St. #200, San Francisco CA 94111
9781616281205, $17.95, www.wopublishing.com

Any general-interest science holding will welcome POPULAR SCIENCE FYI: a fun collection of science trivia that addresses over two hundred fun questions, such as if one can be considered a cannibal for eating lab-grown human tissue. Bright, contemporary color science photos accompany writings from Popular Science writer and scientists who provide lively yet short discussions of each fun, offbeat topic. A research geologist answers how old dirt really is, for one, while a discussion of how long life on Earth would live if the Sun were to go out make for lively accounts perfect for any who like science couched with fun trivia facts - which will be any general lending library.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Practical Handbook for Wetland Identification and Delineation, second edition
John Grimson Lyon and Lynn Krise Lyon
CRC Press
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
9781439838914, $119.95, www.crcpress.com

The second updated edition of Practical Handbook for Wetland Identification and Delineation is a pick for any college-level or professional reference holding strong in water science, and provides the definitive guide to wetland identification addressing real-world issues in water management. New to this updated edition is coverage of options for scientific evaluation of problems, issues of regulatory and permitting requirements and legal changes to management practices, the latest techniques for conducting wetland evaluations, and advances in remote sensing and mapping technologies. Black and white photos and maps pack a pick recommended for any college-level or professional library strong in wetlands management.


The Botany Shelf

The Man Who Planted Trees
Jim Robbins
Spiegel & Grau
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9781400069064, $25.00, www.spiegelandgrau.com

The Man Who Planted Trees: Lost Groves, Champion Trees, and an Urgent Plan to Save the Planet comes from a one-time street brawler and Michigan tree farmer who after a near-death experience went on a mission to clone the super-trees - the world's biggest and oldest trees - to preserve their genetics as the climate changes. His current projects involve cloning the growing California's Coast Redwoods and his focus on spectacular - and threatened - trees provides a unique story of their importance and efforts to save them. The Man Who Planted Trees is a key acquisition for any collection strong in botany and plant preservation.

APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul MN 55121
http://www.apsnet.org/apsstore/shopapspress/Pages/default.aspx

Tom van der Zwet, Noemi Orolaza-Halbrendt, and Wolfgang Zeller's FIRE BLIGHT: HISTORY, BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT (9780890543948, $299.00) is a powerful college-level assessment of the science and nature of one of the most prevalent and devastating diseases affecting fruit trees, and comes from three world-famous experts who pool their knowledge to provide a comprehensive, in-depth assessment of the problem. Nearly 500 pages include a history of the disease, its biology and interactions in the environment, and the many horticultural and biological control methods for keeping it in check. Even more importantly, it includes the latest advancements in genetic research that are providing keys to genetically controlling the disease where chemical and biological approaches have proven unsuccessful. A 'must' for any in-depth botany holding. Also key to such a collection is Gail L. Schumann and Cleora J. D'Arcy's HUNGRY PLANET: STORIES OF PLANT DISEASES (9780890543993, $65.00), a comprehensive and in-depth overview of the nature of plant diseases and their management. Chapters are written for entry-level college students and provide a fine overview of plant disease management in a title intended for general education students. Discussions of controversial topics in plant disease management include genetic manipulation and pesticide use, pair approaches with real-world scenarios, and discuss the relationship between plant management and world food supply concerns. Add online resources for further study and color photos and graphics throughout and you have a highly recommended overview suitable for any general college lending library. Clarence I. Kado's Plant Bacteriology (9780890543887, $139.95) covers the basics any plant scientist should know, and starts with an overview of plant microbiology developments for newcomers to the subject. Chapters then delve into the evolution of bacteriological pathogens, symptoms caused by bacteria, and disease control methods. The result is a powerful introduction covering the basics for any college-level collection strong in botanical studies.


The Native American Shelf

The Cherokee Syllabary
Ellen Cushman
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142203, $34.95, www.oupress.com

THE CHEROKEE SYLLABARY: WRITING THE PEOPLE'S PERSEVERANCE is a pick for any college-level Native American history holding and tells of a writing system introduced in 1821 by Sequoyah, a Cherokee metalworker and inventor. His creation helped his people learn to read and write within five years and this study traces the evolution and distribution of his work from script to print to digital form. The syllabary was based on Cherokee syllables and meanings: it represented a unique and different approach to language. A narrative approach shows how it was created and tells why it is different from Western alphabetic approaches to language. Any college-level linguistics and Native American collection will find this a unique, invaluable choice.


The Military Shelf

The Road to Victory
Robert O'Neill, Editor
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849087162, $27.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

THE ROAD TO VICTORY; FROM PEARL HARBOR TO OKINAWA provides a new history by military publisher Osprey and covers each of the major battles America fought in against Imperial Japan. Each chapter covers battles, Allies' struggles and victories, and uses wartime images and color maps as visual keys to understanding the processes and costs of these victories. Vintage black and white images throughout discuss opposing fleets, battles, individual military figures, political history and much more, making this a 'must' for any definitive World War II collection!

Stealth Fighter
Lt. Col. William B. O'Connor, USAF (Ret.)
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760341353, $30.00, www.zenithpress.com

Stealth Fighter: A Year in the Life of an F-117 Pilot provides the first-person experiences of a pilot who flew the Nighthawk during the NATO bombing campaign over Kosovo in 199, and whose first-person story tells of training, deployment, missions and combats, and the daily life of a pilot operating the world's first stealth fighter. From the plane's design to its turbulent evolution, STEALTH FIGHTER recounts the high and low points of the plane and is a fine pick for any aviation or military library.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Touchstones of the Spirit
Harry Oldmeadow
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
9781936597031, $22.95, www.worldwisdom.com

TOUCHSTONES OF THE SPIRIT: ESSAYS ON RELIGION, TRADITION & MODERNITY explores three general themes: messages of tradition, the obscuring of this wisdom in modern times, and the spiritual dialogue between East and West which holds out hope for better incorporation of spiritual wisdom into modern paths. Essays cover metaphysical and cosmological doctrines of the East and other cultures around the world, offering scholarly assessments of images metaphors and the ideas which connect experience with spirituality. Any new age or general spirituality holding specializing in scholarly dialogues will find this a winner!

Godforsaken
Dinesh D'Souza
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414324852, $24.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

GODFORSAKEN: BAD THINGS HAPPEN. IS THERE A GOD WHO CARES? YES. HERE'S PROOF provides a fine survey that debates whether God is truly good, and comes from one who has debated the question with leading atheists and realized the basic query revolves around the question of evil in the world. Three points are debated revolving around God's responsibility for evil, suffering, and control, with historical and scientific proof presented on why God is worthy of worship and love. Any spirituality collection considering the nature and possibilities of God will find this a thoughtful discussion.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Understanding World Christianity
William R. Burrows, Mark R. Gornick, Janice A. McLean, Editors
Orbis Books
Box 302, Maryknoll NY 10545-0302
9781570759499, $30.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Understanding World Christianity: The Vision and Work of Andrew F. Walls provides a powerful survey designed to provide a scholarly assessment of world Christianity. Chapters consider Andrew Wall's vision of how Christianity has moved around the world, considering the evolution of theology and how Wall's work in world Christianity has affected studies revolving around missionary movements around the world and local interpretations of the Gospel. The result is a fine pick highly recommended for any Christian collection, especially those with prior studies by Andrew F. Walls that seek a scholarly roundup of his ideas and perspectives.

The True Icon
Paul Badde
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586175917, $22.95, www.ignatius.com

THE TRUE ICON: FROM THE SHROUD OF TURIN TO THE VEIL OF MANOPPELLO is a pick for any Christian collection and provides a lovely pairing of color illustrations and a lively account of the author's journey through Europe and the Holy Land tracing the history of the Shroud of Turin. His historical survey and research on the Shroud and the Veil of Manoppello makes for a vivid blend of history, travelogue, and insights into Christian traditions and is a pick for any spirituality collection.

Changing Churches
Mickey L. Mattox & A.G. Roeber
William B. Eerdmans Publishing
2140 Oak Industrial Drive NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802866943, $36.00, www.eerdmans.com

CHANGING CHURCHES; AN ORTHODOX, CATHOLIC, AND LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL CONVERSATION addresses the questions Protestants face when considering conversion and offers the experiences of the two authors, who made similar but different decisions to leave the Lutheran faith - one for Orthodoxy, the other for Roman Catholicism. From longstanding ecumenical divisions between Rome and the Orthodox leaders to issues that confront those moving between traditions, this is a fine survey of the differences between Orthodox and Catholics, and is a recommendation for any spirituality collection.

Loving the Way Jesus Loves
Phil Ryken
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent St., Wheaton IL 60187
9781844745654, $14.99, www.crossway.org

Loving the Way Jesus Loves uses quotes from Corinthians to examine the ways Jesus loves, and to draw connections between St. Paul's text, Jesus' methods and interpretations, and how Bible readers can gain their own insights from the process. Chapters consider the underlying attitudes and insights of the Bible during the process of connecting Biblical text to Jesus' life and the actions of his followers, offering a scholarly yet accessible blueprint for living that belongs in the collections of any Christian spirituality holding.


The Political Science Shelf

Rebuild the Dream
Van Jones
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781568587141, $25.99, www.nationbooks.org

Rebuild the Dream is a critique of Republican Party extremism and how it has created barriers to the progress being made by the Obama administration, and comes from the former Special Advisor to the Obama administration and a human rights pioneer who speaks for the first time about the ongoing conflicts in the White House. The solution to political problems goes far beyond political systems and requires a movement of millions of people dedicated to fixing the nation's political and economic systems, Van Jones maintains. Chapters build the case for this movement and provide keys to just how it could work in a pick recommended for any political studies collection.

White House Burning
Simon Johnson and James Kwak
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307906960, $26.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

WHITE HOUSE BURNING: THE FOUNDING FATHERS, OUR NATIONAL DEBT, AND WHY IT MATTERS TO YOU charts an America mired in debt, fighting over deficits, taxes and spending choices, and how gridlock has halted the government. Despite all best efforts nothing seems to change. WHITE HOUSE BURNING considers the national debt, from where it came from and what it means to ordinary people to its history and political roots with the Founding Fathers, who struggled over taxes and spending. From the rise of the dollar to the changes in our political system that have led to today's dysfunctional Congress, this is a powerful survey highly recommended for any economics or political studies holding.

Find, Fix, Finish
Aki Peritz and Eric Rosenbach
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th St, #1321, New York NY 10107
9781610391283, $26.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

FIND, FIX, FINISH: INSIDE THE COUNTERTERRORISM CAMPAIGNS THAT KILLED BIN LADEN AND DEVASTATED AL-QAEDA provides a fine analysis of the rise of counterterrorism strategies and comes from authors who have experienced firsthand the changes that have taken place in these strategies since 9/11, and is a pick for any library strong in terrorism issues. It comes from the senior national security advisor to the Third Way think tank and a deputy assistant secretary of defense and provides a thorough analysis of our nation's counterterrorism strategy in the intelligence, defense and political communities. Any collection strong in a history of these efforts will find this a welcome addition.

Leaving Without Losing
Mark N. Katz
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421405582, $19.95, www.press.jhu.edu

LEAVING WITHOUT LOSING: THE WAR ON TERROR AFTER IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN uses lessons from the Cold War to make a case for removing military forces from both countries. The author is a professor of government and politics and argues that the U.S. can employ better strategies gained from its Cold War experience than maintaining a military presence in either country, and he assesses what went wrong in both countries and how the U.S. can disentangle itself from both. Using lessons from the Cold War provides a fine backdrop for applied scenarios based on facts and similar previous experience, making this a fine pick for any military or political science holding.


The Business Shelf

Have a Nice Conflict
Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson, Kent Mitchell
Jossey-Bass
Publicity Department
Jossey-Bass
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118202760, $22.95, www.jossey-bass.com

HAVE A NICE CONFLICT: A FABLE follows a sales manager's fight to rescue a sinking career. John Doyle is a top executive at his company - but he's continually passed over for promotion due to his abrasive style. He's forced to re-assess his relationships and how he reacts negatively to conflict and learns how to express his points in a manner conducive to positive change. This borders fiction and nonfiction, providing a business-based story that draws readers into the character of John and his successes and failures. Highly recommended for any business collection!

Lean from the Trenches
Henrik Kniberg
Pragmatic Progammers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356852, $30.00, www.pragprog.com

LEAN FROM THE TRENCHES: MANAGING LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS WITH KANBAN is edited by Kay Keppler and provides a fine survey of how pragmatic practices translate to real-world work environments. It provides a step-by-step survey of how to delivery a successful product using Lean principles and covers a wide range of projects developers face in the process. From process improvement workshops to code sharing during development, this is a winning survey recommended for computer and business collections alike.

Leading at the Edge, second edition
Dennis N.T. Perkins
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
9780814431948, $15.00, www.amacombooks.org

LEADING AT THE EDGE: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE EXTRAORDINARY SAGA OF SHACKLETON'S ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION appears in its second updated edition to present Shackleton as a model of outstanding leadership that business leaders can use to solve crisis and handle risk and uncertainty in their business pursuits. It explores how leadership works in extreme situations, tells how to flourish in the face of adversity and uses stories of Shackleton and others to tackle organizational issues and challenges from global competition to struggling finances and changing models. This second edition has been substantially revised and offers new business cases, an updated epilogue, and an updated expedition toolkit with new tools for assessment and business problem-solving, making it a fine choice for any business reference collection.

Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery St., Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
www.berrettkoehler.com

Bob Johansen's LEADERS MAKE THE FUTURE: TEN NEW LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR AN UNCERTAIN WORLD (9781605090023, $26.95) offers a fine and engaging survey that provides new skill-sets for future leaders. From turning problems into opportunities and defusing tense situations between peoples of other cultures to immersive learning techniques and identifying new innovations that will work if brought to the next step, this is a powerful set of keys to shaping effective leaders over the next decade. Innovative leaders are needed to help organizations navigate change: this is a fine survey of ten new leadership skills that will prove key to the process of adaptation and competitive advantage. Brian Tracy and Christina Tracy Stein's KISS THAT FROG! 12 GREAT WAYS TO TURN NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES IN YOUR LIFE AND WORK (9781609942809, $22.95) provides a step-by-step plan that considers the roots of negativity and helps readers uncover blocks to success. It's a focus on how to transform a negative to a positive, and offers solid insights into the opportunities underlying obstacles. Business and general lending libraries alike will find the approach specific and positive, helping build self-confidence and winning mindsets for handling adversity and change. SOURCE: THE INNER PATH OF KNOWLEDGE CREATION (9781576759042, $26.95) comes from one of the top national experts on transformational leadership and explores practices that allow leaders and groups to access the "Source" - a wellspring for innovation and possibility. Here are four principles that discuss the nature of the Source and how leaders can keep in touch with it, offering keys to tapping a transformational process that can blossom to change business structures as well.

Boundless Potential
Mark S. Walton
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
9780071787857, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL: TRANSFORM YOUR BRAIN, UNLEASH YOUR TALENTS, REINVENT YOUR WORK IN MIDLIFE AND BEYOND comes from an award-winning journalist and Fortune 100 leadership consultant who crossed America in a quest to help re-invent people and research the latest breakthroughs in brain science, psychology, human performance and more. His account blends neuroscience research with basic business insights to show how people are inventing profitable new careers, businesses and avenues that not only make money, but hold positive social impact far into their futures. It's a top pick for any business or social issues collection and draws important connections between business, social and neuroscience pursuits.

Social Work Under Pressure
Kate van Heugten
Jessica Kingsley Publishes
400 Market St. #400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849051163, $32.95, www.jkp.com

Social Work Under Pressure: How to Overcome Stress, Fatigue and Burnout in the Workplace shows how managers and social work practitioners alike can overcome workplace burnout by understanding common causes and useful strategies to identify problems, their impact, and how to overcome them. Stress in specific settings, from bullying in the workplace to making mistakes and working with trauma, is covered in a survey that blends the case histories of social workers with examples of routes to overcoming common problems, making this a 'must' for business and health and psychology holdings alike.

For Better or for Work
Meg Cadoux Hirshberg
Inc. Magazine
7 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007-2195
9780983934004, $23.95, www.inc.com

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORK: A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND THEIR FAMILIES is a powerful assessment of the effects of entrepreneurial businesses on families and relationships, and is a 'must' for any who would understand the impact of small business endeavors on families. It covers the basics of how to have a successful business and a successful family life, from the foundations of living with a home-based business to borrowing money from family and friends and handling succession issues. Few other business titles address the special challenges of juggling small business and home needs: this is a powerful 'must' for any business library or general collection appealing to entrepreneurs.


The Music Shelf

Just Can't Get Enough
Simon Spence
Jawbone Press
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781906002565, $19.95, www.jawbonepress.com

Just Can't Get Enough: The Making of Depeche Mode uses a wealth of new interviews with friends and industry executives to provide new ideas on the lives of the Depeche Mode group, a different kind of band that fostered in electronic pop. It traces the story of Depeche Mode from its British roots to its international influences, surveying their early recordings to their overseas fame and providing many fine insights into the music industry as a whole. Any with a prior interest in Depeche Mode and British popular music will find this a vivid, exciting survey!

This Land Is Your Land
Robert Santelli
Running Press
2300 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103
9780762443284, $24.00, www.runningpress.com

This Land Is Your Land: Woody Guthrie and the Journey of an American Folk Song offers a history detailing Guthrie's journey to discover his country, and is timed to release with Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday celebration in a partnership between the Grammy Museum and the Guthrie Archives. From the author's personal quest to discover every fact about Woody Guthrie to brief discussions of his contemporaries, music trends and history of the time, and Guthrie's numerous friendships and influences, this offers a portrait of both the song and Guthrie's life, and is a pick for folk music holdings, Guthrie fans, and any collection strong in American cultural history.

Making Rumours
Ken Caillat with Steven Stiefel
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118218082, $25.95, www.wiley.com

MAKING RUMOURS: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE CLASSIC FLEETWOOD MAC ALBUM is a top pick for rock music collections and documents the making of an album that generated four top-ten singles and won the Grammy Award in 1977. it became the fifth bestselling album to date and turned a struggling band into a household name. MAKING RUMOURS tells the story behind the album's creation, the band's rise, and the wild personal conflicts that colored the music and its choices. It's a startling, dynamic survey that is a 'must' for any rock music history holding, documenting the behind-the-scenes controversies that influenced the album's creation and choices - and eventual blockbuster success.

Bringing Metal to the Children
Zakk Wylde with Eric Hendrikx
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780062002747, $24.99, www.harpercollins.com

Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Berzerker's Guide to World Tour Domination is a 'must' for any rock music collection strong in heavy metal history, and comes from the man who turned heavy metal touring into a cult. It tells stories of metal tours, discusses everything from pre-show prep to post-show etiquette, and offers wild and zany road stories about musicians and the record business, providing an insider's view of events and behind-the-scenes craziness. Fans of heavy metal music and concerts will find this a vivid memoir that brings the culture of the scene to life.

Iz: The Ukulele Songbook
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Alfred Publishing
Box 1003, Van Nuys, CA 91410-0003
0739080512, $19.99, www.alfred.com

Iz: The Ukulele Songbook provides a fine ukulele tab edition of Hawaiian singer and ukulele player Iz's fine songs, from 'Over the Rainbow' to 'Hawai'i 78', and is a recommendation for any tablature or Hawaiian collection. Verses in Hawaiian and English are presented and attention to including Iz's major works from his top three albums makes this a definitive collection - even more important because ukulele tab books are rarely published.


The Travel Shelf

Living Abroad in New Zealand, second edition
Michelle Waitzman
Moon
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley CA 94710
9781598808872, $19.99, www.moon.com

Living Abroad in New Zealand appears in its second updated edition to provide a fine guide to New Zealand lifestyle and moving to the country. It comes from a former visitor who has become a New Zealand citizen and it's packed with keys to moving to the country, from obtaining visas and handling finances to employment, health care, and daily living. From the best places to live in New Zealand to the nation's culture and activities, this is one of the best starting points a potential resident could have, and belongs on the shelves of any travel collection.

Russia
Simon Richmond, et.al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741795790, $29.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

Any independent, budget-minded traveler heading to Russia should be certain to acquire a copy of the take-along tote RUSSIA. It provides a travel and survival guide packed with everything needed, from obtaining a visa and moving around the country to border permits, breaking the ice with the natives, viewing former top secret installations, and understanding the culture, peoples and attractions of Russia. A 'must' for any who would journey to Russia, this is packed with line maps, tips on places to go and what to see, and insights on the challenges of moving around the country.

Le Road Trip
Vivian Swift
Bloomsbury
175 - 5th Avenue, Suite 300, New York NY 10010
9781608195329, $24.00, www.bloomsbury.com

LE ROAD TRIP: A TRAVELER'S JOURNAL OF LOVE AND FRANCE offers a different perspective of life on the road and pairs a tip sheet of details with a discourse on finding and enjoying adventure while exploring. It pairs a lively chronicle of travel with case histories and advice on how to thrive as a traveler, documenting a thousand-mile journey through France with watercolors and fun observations not just about countryside or peoples, but the various art and options of being a traveler in a top pick for any travel library. One doesn't have to be destination-bound to find LE ROAD TRIP a fascinating survey.


The Sports Shelf

Decisions on the Rules of Golf, 2012-2013
United States Golf Association
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780600623946, $19.95, www.octopusbooksusa.com

Decisions on the Rules of Golf, 2012-2013 offers lay-flat binding with spine lettering and is the official interpretation of the Rules of Golf - and thus a 'must' bible of information for any golfing reference collection and for many an avid golfer. The Rules were updated on January 1, 2012 and this contains the updates and the revised decisions agreed by the USGA and R&A Rules Limited in 2012. It's key for resolving any Rules problems and thus is a 'must' for any serious golfer.

Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery, second edition
Eric Franklin
Human Kinetics
Box 5976, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736067892, $32.95, www.humankinetics.com

The second updated edition of Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery comes from an internationally renowned teacher and dancer who shows how to apply movement exercises to improve dance coordination, alignment, and technique. Over 600 exercises are featured in a new edition that packs in nearly 500 illustrations of these movements, updates all chapters to include new studies on integrated dynamic alignment, and provides movement professionals with a solid series of keys to expanding abilities. Anatomy diagrams and charts, discussions of basic motion physics, and surveys of how different body parts respond to movement requirements make this a solid pick for any professional athletic, dance or yoga collection.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Hunting, Fishing and Camping, new edition
Leon Leonwood Bean
Down East
Box 679, Camden ME 04843
9781608930128, $19.95, www.downeast.com

Hunting, Fishing and Camping provides a fine guide to enjoying the outdoors and was originally published in 1941. Its reprint today continues to offer timely appeal to new outdoors enthusiasts, providing a new edition pairing the original text and nostalgic photos with a modern perspective from L.L.'s great-grandson Bill Gorman. It's packed with practical instruction on everything from hunting birds to canoeing and more - virtually everything needed to assure a successful hunting, fishing or camping trip - and is a recommendation for any outdoors-oriented collection.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Triggers
Robert J. Sawyer
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group USa
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9781937007164, $25.95, www.penguin.com

TRIGGERS offers a riveting near-future thriller telling of a U.S. President who is about to launch a secret military operation when he's shot. At the hospital where surgeons race to save him one Professor Singh is experimenting with a device that can change or erase traumatic memories. When a terrorist's bomb explodes and amplifies the effects of the invention the President has a near-death experience - with another man's memories. If a transfer of memories has taken place, does this mean someone else harbors his knowledge of the secret military mission? Science fiction blends with intrigue in a satisfying and action-packed story hard to put down.

Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, New York 14228-2197
www.pyrsf.com

Two fine 'Kingdom of the Serpent' books by Mark Chadbourn are top recommendations revolving around the fantasy experiences of one Jack Churchill, an archaeologist who walks into Celtic Britain over two thousand years before he was born. JACK OF RAVENS (9781616146078, $17.95) opens the saga, telling of Jack's search for his own time where the woman he loves awaits his return. He finds his way to the Otherworld, home of the gods, and plans to wait out time until his era arrives, but Evil tries to keep him from finding his way back home and Jack must overcome a series of battles and traps. THE BURNING MAN (9781616146115, $17.95) finds Jack back in his modern world - only to continue facing the dark forces that tried to keep him from his home. The population around him is held by a spell and oblivious to their danger, leaving Jack as one of the few people who can break the spell. The keys are people hidden somewhere among the others of the world - and a search for them will threaten Jack's life in this continuing saga. Both are outstanding fantasies.

The Road of Danger
David Drake
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451638158, $25.00, www.baen.com

THE ROAD OF DANGER tells of Captain Daniel Leary and his friend and spy Officer Adele Mundy, who have been assigned to carry out an easy task putting down a small local coup before it takes place. An easy task turns complicated when they discover a rogue intelligence officer who plots the ultimate end-of-the-world disaster, and when they uncover a series of complicated plots and interactions that turn their simple assignment into one of military and diplomatic complexity. THE ROAD OF DANGER is especially recommended for any military science fiction holding.

Wicked City
Alaya Johnson
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312565480, $25.99, www.thomasdunnebooks.com

WICKED CITY provides a fine Zephyr Hollis novel and is a page-turning pick for any intoxicated by vampire tales of intrigue. It follows up to MOONSHINE - and prior readers will be delighted - and tells of dozens of vampires who end up in the city morgue after drinking the blood-based intoxicant Faust. Are they dying naturally, or have them been poisoned? A fine detective story woven into an account of vampires and Zephyr's struggles in the big New York City world to overcome a potential killer makes for a powerful account especially recommended for collections seeing popularity with the prior MOONSHINE.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Zombie Parents
Jerry Scott
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449409739, $12.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

ZOMBIE PARENTS provides another fun Zits comic collection and focuses on parents and their frustrations dealing with teens. It provides a fun new collection of the latest Zits misadventures and focuses on parent/teen encounters, providing zany and hilarious comics that are perfect choices for Zits fans. ZOMBIE PARENTS joins the other Zits collections and provides an excellent survey!

Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Any lending library collection strong in Dilbert books will relish the latest Scott Adams collection, TEAMWORK MEANS YOU CAN'T PICK THE SIDE THAT'S RIGHT (9781449410186, $12.99). It's another fine Dilbert gathering that creates a book from full-page color panels of published strips, and provides a zany set of experiences of an employee who lacks inspiration but works in a cubicle world that revolves round the concept of teamwork. Its dysfunctional presence and warped viewpoints are celebrated in a hilarious collection especially appealing to business holdings. Stephan Pastis' BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOTTA DRAW A COVER WITH YOUR LEFT HAND (9781449410230, $12.99) is a fine Pearls Before Swine gathering and cartoonist Pastis' 12th collection, and provides black and white and some color images of hilarious animal characters and ironies. From Pig and Zebra to Rat and images of Pastis himself, this is another fun gathering for past and new fans of the Pearls Before Swine comic collection.

James Bond Omnibus Volume 003
Ian Fleming, James Lawrence, Yaroslav Horak
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857685889, $19.95, www.titanbooks.com

James Bond Omnibus Volume 003 presents seven of Bond's dangerous missions and is the third installment in the classic 007 comic strip adventure, recommended for Bond and graphic novel fans alike. This gathers the first period of writer Jim Lawrence's stories and provides classic adventures, including Kingsley Amis' controversial post-Fleming story Colonel Sun. It's a powerful collection highly recommended for any fan of Bond's action-packed adventures.


The Biography Shelf

Moonlight on Linoleum
Terry Helwig
Howard Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451628470, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

MOONLIGHT ON LINOLEUM: A DAUGHTER'S MEMOIR tells of the oldest of six girls who attended twelve schools in eleven years. Her stepfather purchased a mobile home to allow his family to move from one oil town to another and Terry's mother had little interest in motherhood and the home, visiting local bars and leaving Terry in charge of her five younger sisters. Her memoir follows Terry's struggles to keep her family together in the midst of chaos, and traces the evolution of the sisters' deep bond and a daughter's determination to keep her family together against all odds. Any general lending library will find this a winner!

Heaven is Here
Stephanie Nielson
Voice
c/o Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401341794, $23.99, www.hyperionbooks.com

HEAVEN IS HERE: AN INCREDIBLE STORY OF HOPE, TRIUMPH, AND EVERYDAY JOY tells of Stephanie Nielson, who has always dreamed of a perfect family and who has four children and the life she's dreamed of, until a horrible plane crash nearly cost their lives. The aftermath of the accident would leave her burned over 80 percent of her body, with her life in jeopardy. Before the accident she was energetic and enjoyed an active life: afterwards, her ability to care for her kids and enjoy a family life are all in question. HEAVEN IS HERE is her account of her survival and how she beat the odds, with help from her husband, family and friends helping her recovery. A powerful saga of survival and faith, this is recommended for Christian and general lending libraries alike.

Missing Links
Jeremy Rich
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens GA 30602-4901
9780820340609, $24.95, www.ugapress.org

MISSING LINKS: THE AFRICAN AND AMERICAN WORLDS OF R.L. GARNER, PRIMATE COLLECTOR uses the life of R.L. Garner to consider the commercial networks that brought the first apes to America during the Progressive Era, a time when ideas about African wildlife, race and evolution were being posited and solidified. Garner was a self-taught zoologist and atheist who lived in Africa off and on, studying primates and developing theories about them. His studies and his efforts to bring some of the first live primates to America offers a powerful account that shouldn't be limited to biography sections, but promoted for science and nature history collections as well.


The Social Issues Shelf

Morality: The Why and the What of It
James P. Sterba
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder CO 80301
9780813346816, $28.00, www.westviewpress.com

Morality: The Why and the What of It comes from a philosopher who offers a social and political perspective on morality and its requirements. The issues of 'why' and 'what' are considered in chapters that combine James Sterba's work with critical thinking from other political philosophers in the field, and uses a debate structure to consider Sterba's moral philosophy ideas and the scholarly responses to them. The dual presentation of idea and critical response makes for a fine college-level discourse perfect for political and social science holdings alike.

"Multiplication is for White People"
Lisa Delpit
New Press
38 Greene St. 4th Floor
New York NY 10013
9781595580467, $26.95, www.thenewpress.com

"Multiplication is for White People" Raising Expectations for Other People's Children argues for a different approach to the education of kids left behind, refuting common myths about how these children learn and showing how they can master complex concepts. Her book argues against the idea of genetic inferiority and poverty being barriers to learning, offering studies that demonstrate there is no achievement gap t birth, and that cultures have little to do with the outcome of education. Chapters consider why black students aren't being taught, and provide a fine survey of how education can better address student potential, making this a recommendation for education and social issues holdings alike.

The Race for What's Left
Michael T. Klare
Metropolitan Books
c/o Henry Holt
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780805091267, $27.00, www.henryholt.com

The Race for What's Left: The Global Scramble for the World's Last Resources comes from a leading resources and energy expert who explores the 'last gold rush' before resource depletion, documenting diminishing world natural history resources and disasters that predict a crisis when the demand for critical natural resources surpasses the world supplies. Michael T. Klare predicts more border disputes, military action, shortages of food and farmland, and conflicts over rare earth elements along with environmental devastation as this shortage progresses, and maintains that only by changing our consumption patterns will the world be saved from economic and environmental crisis. The Race for What's Left is a powerful survey for any social or political issues collection.


The Automotive Shelf

How to Install and Tune Nitrous Oxide Systems
Bob McClurg
CarTech
39966 Grand Avenue
North Branch, MN 55056
9781934709344, $24.95, www.cartechbooks.com

How to Install and Tune Nitrous Oxide Systems offers a fine, specific manual explaining how nitrous oxide works, and how one can purchase and install a pre-engineered kit for a car. It assesses the latest components and explains the best methods of using nitrous oxide, from basics add-on systems to building an engine. Color photos of car parts and systems accompany many details on installation and tricks and tips of the trade, making this a 'must have' reference for any automotive library!


The International Studies Shelf

Dancing in the Glory of Monsters
Jason Stearns
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th St. #1321
New York NY 10107
9781610391078, $16.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa comes from a veteran human rights activist who considers Africa's Great War and how stability in the Congo has been such a challenge. From the origins of the war and its lasting impact on Africa to discussions with the commanders, soldiers and civilians who survived where over 5 million died, Stearns traces the story of the conflict from its origins to modern times and offers a powerful survey of the Congo's greatest challenges. Any collection strong in African history and culture - as well as many a military collection - will find this a 'must'.


The American History Shelf

Forging a Fur Empire
John Phillip Reid
Arthur Clark
c/o University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman OK 73069
9780870624025, $29.95, www.ahclark.com

Forging a Fur Empire: Expeditions in the Snake River Country 1809-1824 offers a fine account of Alexander Ross, a pioneer recorder of the early fur trade of the early 1800s, and provides a lively narrative based on his and other explorer source materials. Legal scholar and historian John Phillip Reid here provides a powerful history of the early fur trapping expeditions - ventures often overlooked by historians - and considers their interactions with the early cultures of the Pacific Northwest. While this is especially recommended for college-level American history holdings, it will hold special interest for any Pacific Northwest history collection.

West
Lars Strandberg, Lars Aberg, and Ronnie Nilsson
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423623502, $45.00, www.gibbs-smith.com

WEST provides an outstanding collection of color photo images certain to be of interest to history and photography holdings alike, and offers a lovely portrait of the modern Western environment. It comes from the efforts of a journalist and an internationally-known photographer, and it offers a unique European take on the American West, blending an artistic consideration of the evolution of the Western landscape in a selection deserving ongoing mention and recommendation for any arts or American history holding.


The World History Shelf

Places of Encounter V. One
Aaron Mackinnon and Elaine Mackinnon, Editors
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813347370, $38.00, www.westviewpress.com

Places of Encounter V. One: Time, Place, and Connectivity in World History provides a fine place-based approach to world history and focuses on special locations at critical moments when human history was changed over physical, cultural, social and political issues. Each chapter selects and documents this moment in history, blending personal commentary from the contributor with an analysis of local and global conditions. Primary sources provide students with readings and further insights into the perspectives of individuals living that moment. This is one of a two-volume set and is a top recommendation for any social science, history or political studies collection at the high school to college level.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Activate Joy
AlixSandra Parness
New Page Books
c/o Career Press
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632135, $14.99, www.newpagebooks.com

ACTIVATE JOY: LIVE YOUR LIFE BEYOND LIMITATIONS comes from a clairvoyant healer who has trained thousands of students in her workshops and healing schools, and who here offers a fine self-help survey on how to use intentional blessings, the laws of attraction and resonance, and goodness to recover from grief, loss, and life's slings and arrows. These are new strategies for creating joy in our lives and offer exercises, techniques and advice anyone can use to tap into joy, changing despair into joy under the most challenging of circumstances. Any new age or self-help collection will find this a remarkable collection of positive paths.

Pearls of Wisdom
Jack Canfield, et.al.
Hierophant Publishing
c/o Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker Avenue Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
9780981877150, $23.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

PEARLS OF WISDOM: 30 INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS TO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE NOW packs in practical wisdom and advice and is designed to help remove blocks that interfere with meaningful ideas and actions leading to a better life. It discusses trust, positive and successful actions, affirmations, theories, and meditations that lead to a more enlightened, happier lifestyle and it provides a simple structure to imparting these pearls of wisdom, making it a fine collection for any interested in transformational leadership or better living. Self-help and new age collections, in particular, will find this packed with fine keys to success.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Bluebird Effect
Julie Zickefoose
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
222 Berkeley St., Boston MA 02116
9780547003092, $28.00, www.hmhbooks.com

THE BLUEBIRD EFFECT: UNCOMMON BONDS WITH COMMON BIRDS comes from an artist, writer and naturalist who here tells stories of the birds she has known, pairing lovely drawings and paintings with her stories. Any fan of birds who enjoys accounts of raising and living with birds will love this gentle collection which blends a memoir with natural history. Each chapter features a different species and a different tale of caring for birds: add over 300 of the author's illustrations in color and you have a lovely account highly recommended for any general lending library.

Lipstick and the Leash
Camilla Gray-Nelson
Double Dove Press
http://www.doubledovepress.com/contact
9780615465586, $17.95 http://www.doubledovepress.com

Lipstick and the Leash: Dog Training a Woman's Way is a basic manual of training for women who have trouble controlling their dogs, and teaches women to communicate with dogs in a better way. From solutions to common dog behavioral problems such as jumping and chewing to anecdotes from the author's farm-girl childhood and observations of how women become involved in the dog training process, Lipstick and the Leash discusses body language, rules enforcement, eye contact, and different strategies women can employ to earn animal respect and obedience, and is a 'must' for any general library or pet section.

Feed Your Best Friend Better
Rick Woodford
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City MO 64106
9781449409937, $16.99, www.andrewsmeel.com

Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs provides a veterinarian-approved cookbook for dogs, offering discussions of everyday dog nutrition and providing information on foods you can make for your dog. From eighty-five recipes for meals, treats and supplements that can be made in literally minutes to discussions of how to give a dog healthier meals, this offers easy portion sizing and nutritional discussions for all sizes of dogs, and is a 'must' for any pet collection appealing to dog owners.

Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion, second edition
Stephen C. Barr & Dwight D. Bowman
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780813820125, $99.99, www.wiley.com

Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Canine and Feline Infectious Diseases and Parasitology appears in its second updated edition to provide coverage on a range of disorders and diseases, and is a pick for any veterinary or college-level animal reference library. It includes details on specific organisms and diseases, employs an alphabetical format for quick reference, and provides diagnostic lists, details on drugs and interactions, tests, treatment options, and more. The result is an in-depth at-a-glance reference highly recommended for any veterinary collection.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Man Who Is and is Not There
Andrew Stambuk
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498983, $24.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

The Man Who Is and is Not There: The Poetry and Prose of Robert Francis charts the life and work of a man who lived for most of his career on the outskirts of Amherst, Massachusetts whose preference for solitude was only equaled by his prolific pen, which produced eight volumes of poetry, an autobiography, a book of fiction, and more. This book tells how Francis experimented with new poetic forms, explores his beliefs and persona, and considers how his distance from the world influenced the course and nature of his literary achievements. Any collection strong in college-level, literary critical examinations of American poets and writings will find this a well-detailed critical examination.


The Language Studies Shelf

Language: The Cultural Tool
Daniel L. Everett
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307378538, $27.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

LANGUAGE: THE CULTURAL TOOL comes from a linguist who argues that language was invented by humans, is not embedded in our genes as an instinct, and can be reinvented or lost. Chapters follow the evolution of different language forms considering how language is affected by society and experiences, and probes different world cultures as it blends anthropology, computer science, linguistics, philosophy and more. Daniel Everett's work with the Amazonian Piraha peoples offers a fine foundation for considering how language evolves and changes in this fine pick for any linguistics collection.


The Poetry Shelf

Walking Safari or, The Hippo Highway
Noel Polk
Texas Review Press
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 78341-2146
9781933896748, $12.95 http://www.shsu.edu/~www_trp

Walking Safari or, The Hippo Highway offers poems inspired by the author's visit with friends in Zambia, and provides poetry that documents his wonder at the South Luangwa Park and its fabulous wildlife. From crocodile to hippo poems, this provides an animal-centered collection of wonders in a combination of rhyming poetry and free verse that evoke images of nature: "Forewarned, foursquare, forearmed with good advice/We move along Luangwa's croc-teemed bice." A lovely collection for any who would enjoy Africa's wildlife and wonders in a literary reflection.


The Interior Design Shelf

Living in a Nutshell
Janet Lee
HarperDesign
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780062060693, $25.00, www.harperdesignbooks.com

LIVING IN A NUTSHELL: POSH AND PORTABLE DECORATING IDEAS FOR SMALL SPACES pairs photography by Aimee Herring with a fine discussion of interior design by DYI blogger and TV show producer Janet Lee, and is a pick for any architecture or home and garden collection. It shares her experiments in living larger in smaller quarters on a budget, and offers up a style that reveals how small spaces can be opened up for a light, airy feel. Over 100 DYI projects are illustrated with over 200 color photos illustrating Lee's three principles for small space design.


The Library DVD Shelf

Frozen Planet
David Attenborough, narrator
BBC Earth
0780685180, $39.98, www.bbcearth.com.

FROZEN PLANET features the original UK series narrated by David Attenborough and provides the series on 3 discs: the original 7-part BBC series in its entirety. FROZEN PLANET offers stunning images above and below the ice at the Arctic and Antarctic, and offers a lovely narrative that will fascinate any science fan. It comes to life on home TV sets and having the complete series in one DVD package assures that audiences can view it in its entirety time and again.

BBC America
www.bbcamerica.com

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY (0780696883, $49.98) was a sensational and revolutionary Torchwood series: revolutionary because unlike the other Torchwood seasons of years past, it took a single premise and expanded it. MIRACLE DAY is a day when suddenly death is halted on the planet - bringing with it all kinds of ethical and practical issues for any alive on that day, now endowed with immortality. For the members of Torchwood it involves an ingoing investigation into the causes of Miracle Day - and the ultimate changes in the human psyche that it brings. It's simply an outstanding show, highly recommended for any prior fan or newcomer to the Torchwood world. Torchwood had its origins in Dr. Who and two new DVDs cover the John Pertwee years from 1970-74, offering episodes in 2-disc sets. DR WHO: THE DAEMONS (0780691946, $34.98) tells of a professor who opens a burial mound and a local white witch who foresees disaster, while black magic is involved in conjuring up an ancient devil. It's up to The Doctor, Jo and UNIT to intervene. The special DVD edition of DR WHO: CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS (0780671023, $34.98) includes audio commentary, early edits, behind the scenes accounts, and much more and tells of the Doctor's test flight in the TARDIS, landing on a cargo ship in 1926. A traveling showman from another world involves The Doctor and his companion in a dangerous game in this tense thriller. All are top recommendations for any science fiction DVD collection.

Project Happiness
Spring Communications
c/o Beyond Words
20827 NW Cornell Rd. Suite 500, Hillsboro OR 97124-9808
No ISBN, $19.95, www.beyondword.com

PROJECT HAPPINESS focuses on four teens from Santa Cruz, California. Each faces personal obstacles to happiness and daily challenges, but through Project Happiness they are introduced to peers in Nigeria and India and become involved in conversations with all kinds of cultural notables, from actor Richard Gere to activist director George Lucas. Project Happiness offered them keys to a happier life, and is presented here as an inspirational choice for any DVD collection.

Titanoboa: Monster Snake
Smithsonian Channel
c/o Inception Media Group
11620 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 900
Los Angeles, CA 90025
No ISBN DVD, $14.98, www.smithsonianchannel.com

Titanoboa: Monster Snake tells of a snake that is longer than a bus and eats crocs for breakfast! Titanoboa, a snake that some 60 million years ago rules the world with an iron squeeze. Scientists provide inviting questions and facts about the truth of Titanoboa, presenting lab research and an expedition that reconstructed the snake's discovery, reconstruction, and life. Any natural history collection, especially those strong in prehistoric life, will find this a winner!


The California Shelf

Herb Ritts: L.A. Style
Paul Martineau
Getty Trust Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
9781606061008, $59.95, www.gettypublications.org

Herb Ritts: L.A. Style accompanies a traveling exhibition that opens in April at Getty Center and chronicles one of the most important photographers of the 1980s, California's Herb Ritts. Ritts made a name for himself in both commercial photography and in fashion, helping revive the male nude genre and offering many memorable and striking images of nudes, celebrities and fashion models alike. This catalog documents both his commercial and private pieces, presenting works of fine art and fashion photography alike and packing in full page presentations of the extent of his photographic talents. This collection should appeal to a wide audience, from arts and photography holdings to those interested in fashion history and California artists. It's a dynamic gathering of all of Herb Ritts' images and is not to be missed.

Califlora
Terry Beers, Editor
Heyday Books
Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141611, $18.95, www.heydaybooks.com

CALIFLORA: A LITERARY FIELD GUIDE gather botanical poetry and prose based on California plants and explores the state's botanical treasures as seen through the eyes of novelists, poets, naturalists, botanists and more. It collects essays, poems and excerpts that reveal California botanical history and is packed with a lively, vivid appreciation of California' landscapes and environments. There are other books on California literature and books on natural history - but this one bridges the gap between the two traditions and is a unique, highly recommended pick for any California collection.

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Tim Danisi's ROHNERT PARK (0738589241, $21.99) joins other 'Images of America' titles as an outstanding survey of one of Sonoma County's bedroom communities, and will be a fine addition to any California history holding in general and Sonoma County history library in particular. Vintage black and white photos have been gathered from archives and assembled by a member of the Rohnert Park Historical Society, of which the author has been President since its inception. Accompanying text is from interviews conducted by the author and celebrates the history of neighborhoods in Rohnert Park and their growth and evolution. Andy Selters writes for the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association with INYO NATIONAL FOREST (9738593052, $21.99), a fine survey gathering vintage photos from many different archives from the national forest. It combines natural history with human history in the mountains and combines these photos with fine discussions tracing the evolution of the entire Inyo region, and is a 'must' for any California history and natural history shelf.


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

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


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