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Reviewer's Choice
Propaganda and Conflict
Market Connelly, et al.
Bloomsbury Academic
c/o Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781788314039, $120.00, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Propaganda is information that is not objective and is used primarily to influence an
audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively to encourage a particular
synthesis or perception, or using loaded language to produce an emotional rather than a rational
response to the information that is presented. Propaganda is often associated with material
prepared by governments, but activist groups, companies, religious organizations and the media
can also produce propaganda. (Wikipedia)
Propaganda has always played a key role in shaping attitudes during periods of conflict and the
academic study of propaganda, commencing in earnest in 1915, has never really left us. We
continue to want to understand propaganda's inner-workings and, in doing so, to control and
confine its influence. We remain anxious about pernicious information warfare campaigns,
especially those that seemingly endanger liberal democracy or freedom of thought.
What are the challenges, then, of studying propaganda studies in the twenty-first century? Much
scholarship remains locked into the study of state-led campaigns, however an area of special
concern in recent years has been the loss of official control over the basic instruments of mass
communication. This has been seen in the rise of 'fake news' and the ability of non-state actors to
influence political events.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Mark Connelly (Professor of Modern
British History, University of Kent), Jo Fox Director at the Institute of Historical Research and
Professor of Modern History, University of London), Ulf Schmidt (Reader in Modern British
History and Director of the Centre for the History of War, Media and Society, University of
Kent), and Stefan Goebel (Professor of Modern History and Director of the Centre for the
History of Medicine, Ethics and Medical Humanities, University of Kine), "Propaganda and
Conflict: War, Media and Shaping the Twentieth Century" presents the latest research in
propaganda studies, featuring contributions from a range of leading scholars and covering the
most cutting-edge scholarship in the study of propaganda from World War I to the present.
Critique: With the collapse of the Soviet Union which ended the Cold War, a new conflict
emerged from the ashes with Russia engaging in a new form of warfare -- Cyber War using the
new technologies of social media to sabotage American democracy. This new form of warfare
made even more effective by helping to elect Donald Trump to the presidency with his overt
program of using propaganda to denigrate the American political institutions of a free press, the
judiciary, the congress, the military, American international relations, and the traditional
protocols of the American presidency itself.
All of this makes the publication of "Propaganda and Conflict: War, Media and Shaping the
Twentieth Century" a timely and invaluable contribution to enabling the citizenry of America and
the European Union (including Great Britain) to become aware of our current perilous situation.
The first condition to solving a problem is to become aware that there is one. The first condition
of winning a propaganda war is to become aware that we are in one -- and currently losing.
Informed and informative, "Propaganda and Conflict: War, Media and Shaping the Twentieth
Century" should be a part of every community, college, and university library collection in the
country. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental
policy makers and elected officials, as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in
the subject that "Propaganda and Conflict: War, Media and Shaping the Twentieth Century" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $86.40).
Literary Trails: Haworth and the Brontes
David F. Walford, author
Catherine Rayner, author
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526720856, $29.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Set in and around the town of Haworth it gives a dual introduction to tourists, visitors,
and lovers of the literature generated by the Brontes when they are exploring this unique area of
Yorkshire and walk in the footsteps of those who knew and loved this town and its moorlands
two hundred years ago.
With guided tours around special buildings as well as outdoor walks and the history of people
and places who lived and worked in Haworth over centuries, it offers an insight into life and
death in the melee of the Industrial Revolution.
Its joint authors, Walford and Rayner, have combined their lifelong interests in Victorian
literature and social history with writing, walking, photography and cartography and have
included quotes from the Brontes' poetry and novels.
Critique: The collaborative work of David F. Walford and Catherine Rayner, "Haworth and the
Brontes" is a deftly written, impressively informative, lighthearted but deeply researched study
that will be of particular interest and informative guidance to on-site tourists, social historians
and those who would enjoy learning about of the Bronte family, their lives and works. An
extraordinary and original study that is especially recommended for personal, community,
college, and academic library Literary Studies, Travel, and British History collections in general,
and Bronte supplemental curriculum studies in particular, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of on-site travelers, studies, and academia that "Literary Trails: Haworth and the
Brontes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.37).
Introduction to Bookbinding & Custom Cases
Tom Hollander & Cindy Hollander
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764357350, $35.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The high quality of traditional bookbinding is as expensive as it is renowned among
bibliophiles for excellence when well done -- and while apprenticeships are difficult to come by
today, "Introduction to Bookbinding & Custom Cases: A Project Approach for Learning
Traditional Methods" by Tom and Cindy Hollander is a step-by-step guide by two expert
hand-binders and is the next best thing to attending a live class in book binding.
Teaching you valuable beginning and intermediate level skills, using their trademark hands-on
approach, the Hollanders explain the basics of the craft, then guide you through five projects.
Detailed instructions and photos help you to success.
With "Introduction to Bookbinding & Custom Cases" the aspiring bookbinder will be able to
master the pamphlet book style, the flat-back book, the round-back book, and the construction of
slipcases and clamshell boxes for decorative book protection.
Along with formulas to help you navigate making your own custom-size books, an extensive
glossary of bookbinding terms and a list of resources offer ongoing support, "Introduction to
Bookbinding & Custom Cases" includes a gallery of the authors' own handmade books and boxes
that will provide inspiration to and for your own projects as a bookbinder and custom case
maker.
Critique: A beautifully produced and illustrated step-by-step instruction guide and manual,
"Introduction to Bookbinding & Custom Cases: A Project Approach for Learning Traditional
Methods" is enhanced with the inclusion of a two page Appendix (Numerical Weight for Paper
Conversions, Text Papers, Cover Papers, Approximate Conversions: Fractional to Decimal,
Fractional to Metic), a six page Glossary, a two page listing of Book and Box Making Resources,
and a one page Hollander's Quick Tips. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Introduction to Bookbinding & Custom Cases" is an essential addition to any
aspiring book binder's instructional reference collection and is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections.
Ruffhouse
Chris Schwartz
Diversion Books
www.diversionbooks.com
9781635765991, $24.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As a struggling musician trying to catch a break in 1980s Philadelphia, Chris Schwartz
navigated the crime-infested, morally bankrupt music industry to found and build one of the most
successful hip-hop record labels in the world. That label was Ruffhouse, which launched the
careers of Nas, The Fugees, Cypress Hill, and others, dominating the charts and generating global
revenues of over one billion dollars.
Schwartz and his partner, Joe Nicolo, built Ruffhouse from one desk and a phone to one of
hip-hop's most revered record companies while simultaneously struggling with drug addiction
and alcoholism.
A story of money, greed, envy, betrayal, violence, addiction, loss, and redemption, not to mention
a whole lot of music, "Ruffhouse: From the Streets of Philly to the Top of the '90s Hip-Hop
Charts" reveals the inside story of the record companies, recording studios, tour buses, private
jets, mansions, radio stations, and concert halls at the height of hip-hop's 1990s heyday while
also uncovering the darker side of the business, from police stations to rehab clinics, courtrooms
to prisons.
Narrated in Schwartz's own candid, searing prose, Ruffhouse is a gripping portrayal of hip-hop
culture at its tipping point, as it transitioned from urban curiosity to a global commercial
platform.
Critique: Impressively candid and exceptionally informative, "Ruffhouse: From the Streets of
Philly to the Top of the '90s Hip-Hop Charts" offers a unique insight into the music business and
will prove to be of immediate and enduring interest that should make it a valued addition to both
community and academic library 20th Century American Music collections and supplemental
studies lists. For the personal reading lists of students, academia, and hip-hop music fans that
"Ruffhouse" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781721374540, $34.99, CD).
The Unforgiven
Edith Brady-Lunny and Steve Vogel
www.edithbradylunny.com
www.stevevogelauthor.com
Bookbaby
www.bookbaby.com
9781543962000, $18.99, print
9781543962017, $8.99, ebook
Just because The Unforgiven: The Untold Story of One Woman's Search for Love and Justice is
a true crime expose doesn't mean that the drama and tension of fiction aren't present. Under the
dual pens of Edith Brady-Lunny and Steve Vogel, more than just the basic facts are covered. The
emotional impact and anguish of a mother whose three children drown in the back seat of a car
driven by her boyfriend when it plunges into the river makes for a case that wavers been a murder
plot and a terrible accident. From the wide-ranging social and legal ramifications of this
particular case and its impact on a community to state social worker concerns over Hamm's
future family makeup and her children's safety, The Unforgiven goes beyond crime and
punishment to consider what constitutes either redemption or a criminal act that can and should
never be forgotten or completely forgiven. True crime readers interested in confessions, court
proceedings, police procedures, and a political and public relations furor within a child welfare
agency will find The Unforgiven goes far beyond the usual 'whodunnit' true crime approach,
offering pointed considerations of justice and forgiveness.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Everybody Has A Book Inside of Them
Ann Marie Sabath
Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470
www.careerpress.com
9781632651693, $16.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Everybody Has a Book Inside of Them: How To Bring It Out", aspiring authors will learn firsthand from Ann Marie Sabath and her army of author colleagues the answers to the roster of questions so often asked about the writing process ranging from how to get their writing motor revved, to ridding themselves of those debilitating writing doubts, or learning the power of KITA for meeting deadlines.
Showing how to make a dream of becoming an author a reality, the 49 topics specifically addressed range from: How long does it take to write a book?; Why knowing your reader is a must before you begin; and What motivates authors? Love or money?; to Why to stop writing while you are ahead; What seasoned authors would tell their younger selves; and How bestselling authors structure their books.
With her honesty, sense of humor, and encouragement, Ann Marie will provides the steps for creating a book, including easy-to-follow guidelines, trade tips, and valuable insights from other experienced authors will get an aspiring author's 'writing engine' started up.
Critique: As 'real world practical' and informational, as it is inspirational and motivating, "Everybody Has A Book Inside of Them: How To Bring It Out" is very highly recommended to the attention of anyone who has ever felt like they would like to create a book whether it would be fiction or non-fiction. I should be noted for personal reading lists that "Everybody Has A Book Inside of Them: How To Bring It Out" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.98) would be of special and particular relevance for anyone contemplating getting published what they have already begun whether it be a memoir, a book of their poetry, an attempt at the next Great American Novel, or anything else that would seek a readership for their work.
Writing for the Cut
Greg Loftin
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933006, $26.95, PB, 190pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Editing is what makes a movie a movie. Consulting with master film editors including
Walter Murch, Juliette Welfling, Eddie Hamilton, and Anne V. Coates (whose insights and
wisdom anchor the book), script writer and author Greg Loftin engagingly, smartly details the
storytelling nuances and tricks screenwriters can learn from their film-editor peers in "Writing for
the Cut: Shaping Your Script for Cinema".
Cutting-room veterans have long maintained that visual juxtaposition fuels film storytelling.
Over-lapped images spark fresh ideas in the minds of viewers, encouraging them to become
active partners in your storytelling and discover your story for themselves.
In later chapters, "Writing for the Cut" shows how we can bring our stories closer to the screen
by writing not only with text, but with images and sounds. The screenwriter is taken deep into the
edit suite to learn the secrets of the sizzle reel.
Critique: A complete course of instruction under one cover, "Writing for the Cut: Shaping Your
Script for Cinema" should be considers essential reading for all aspiring script writers.
Comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Writing for the
Cut" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Writing/Publishing collections in general, and Screen/Script Writing supplemental studies lists in
particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Writing for the Cut" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.60).
Editorial Note: Greg Loftin wrote and directed his first feature film in 2007 -- the award-winning
urban western Saxon. He is also course leader of the very first undergraduate program in film
editing and postproduction in the UK. His world-class program of master classes has attracted
visiting master editors such as Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The Godfather), Paul Machliss
(Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Baby Driver), Tom Rolf (Taxi Driver, Heat), Mick Audsley (Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Murder on the Orient Express), and Lisa Gunning (Nowhere Boy,
Seven Psychopaths). "Writing for the Cut" is the result of a practice-based PhD that the
University of Exeter awarded Loftin in 2016.
The Hollywood Standard, second edition
Christopher Riley
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781932907636, $29.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A professional screen writer with his wife and writing partner, Kathleen Riley,
Christopher Riley ran the script processing department at Warner Bros. Studio. Now in a fully
updated and expanded second edition, "The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and
Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style " by Christopher Riley describes in clear, vivid
prose and hundreds of examples how to format every element of a screenplay or television
script.
A reference for everyone who writes (or aspires to writing) for the screen, from the novice to the
veteran, "The Hollywood Standard" is the dictionary of script format, with instructions for
formatting everything from the simplest master scene heading to the most complex and
challenging musical underwater dream sequence.
This new second edition includes a quick start guide, plus new chapters on avoiding a dozen
deadly formatting mistakes, clarifying the difference between a spec script and production script,
and mastering the vital art of proofreading. For the first time, readers will find instructions for
formatting instant messages, text messages, email exchanges and caller ID.
Critique: Simply stated, "The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to
Script Format and Style" fully lives up to its subtitle and is comprehensive, 'user friendly', and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Script
Writing instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists.
Authors and Apparatus
Monika Dommann
Cornell University Press
512 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
www.cornellpress.cornell.edu
9781501709920, $41.95, HC, 282pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Copyright is under siege. From file sharing to vast library scanning projects, new
technologies, actors, and attitudes toward intellectual property threaten the value of creative
work. However, while digital media and the Internet have made making and sharing perfect
copies of original works almost effortless, debates about protecting authors' rights are nothing
new.
"Authors and Apparatus: A Media History of Copyright" is sweeping account of the evolution of
copyright law since the mid-nineteenth century in which Monika Dommann (Professor of
Modern History, University of Zurich) deftly explores how radical media changes ranging from
sheet music and phonographs to photocopiers and networked information systems -- have
challenged and transformed legal and cultural concept of authors' rights.
Dommann provides a critical transatlantic perspective on developments in copyright law and
mechanical reproduction of words and music, charting how artists, media companies, and
lawmakers in the United States and western Europe approached the complex tangle of
technological innovation, intellectual property, and consumer interests.
From the seemingly innocuous music box, invented around 1800, to BASF's magnetic tapes and
Xerox machines, Dommann demonstrates how copyright has been continuously destabilized by
emerging technologies, requiring new legal norms to regulate commercial and private copying
practices.
Without minimizing digital media's radical disruption to notions of intellectual property,
Dommann uncovers the deep historical roots of the conflict between copyright and media -- a
story that can inform present-day debates over the legal protection of authorship.
Critique: An intrinsically fascinating and meticulously presented history of copyright in
relationship to the ever advancing progress of the technologies affecting the intellectual property
rights of authors (and their publishers!), "Authors and Apparatus: A Media History of Copyright"
is ably translated from the original German into English for an American readership by Sarah
Pybus.
Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a list of illustrations, a list of abbreviations, and
informative Introduction (A Media History of Legal Norms), a summarizing Conclusion (Legal
Histories of Media Transformation), a four page Bibliography Essay (Further Reading), thirty-
four pages of Notes, a thirty page Bibliography, and a six page Index, "Authors and Apparatus: A
Media History of Copyright" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic
library Writing/Publishing collections in general, and Copyright supplemental studies lists in
particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of authors, publishers, students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Authors and
Apparatus: A Media History of Copyright" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$20.99).
Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks, second edition
Wendy Laura Belcher
University of Chicago Press
1427 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
www.press.uchicago.edu
9780226499918, $60.00, PB, 442pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Writing Your Journal Article in
Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success", by Professor Wendy Belcher takes
the seemingly overwhelming task of writing an article for a peer-reviewed scholarly or scientific
journal and breaks it down into small, manageable steps.
With this new edition, Professor Belcher expands her advice to reach beginning scholars in even
more disciplines. She builds on feedback from professors and graduate students who have
successfully used the workbook to complete their articles. A new chapter addresses scholars who
are writing from scratch. This new edition of "Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks"
also includes more targeted exercises and checklists, as well as the latest research on productivity
and scholarly writing.
"Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks" is the only reference to combine expert
guidance with a step-by-step workbook. Each week, readers learn a feature of strong articles and
work on revising theirs accordingly. Every day is mapped out, taking the guesswork and worry
out of writing. There are tasks, templates, and reminders. At the end of twelve weeks, graduate
students, recent PhDs, postdoctoral fellows, adjunct instructors, junior faculty, and international
faculty will feel confident they know that the rules of academic publishing and have the tools
they need to succeed.
Critique: Academia is known as a 'publish or perish' environment for anyone seeking to advance
their career, establish tenure, or otherwise share their discoveries and insights with their fellow
academicians, researchers, and scientists. It is no overstatement to say that it being thoroughly
'user friendly' instructional manual and guide that is also available in a digital book format
(eTextbook, $48.00), "Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic
Publishing Success" is the key to successfully be published in a peer-reviewed publication.
Editorial Note: Wendy Laura Belcher is Professor of African literature at Princeton University
with a joint appointment in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Department for
African American Studies. She wrote (and updated in this second edition) "Writing Your Journal
Article in Twelve Weeks " based on her experiences as an author, a managing editor of a
peer-reviewed journal, and the designer of academic writing workshops that have helped
hundreds of students, scholars and academicians from around the world to publish their
work.
How to Write, Illustrate, Publish & Sell Your Own Book On Amazon!
Heather Konet
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781722489274, $15.99, PB, 71pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Specifically designed for young writers in grades 4-6, "How to Write, Illustrate,
Publish & Sell Your Own Book On Amazon!" by Heather Konet is a straightforward
instructional guide on how to write, illustrate and format files for publication.
Heather Konet is the author of the STEM themed children's book series Li'l Booger Buddies
Inventors and a Mechanical Engineer by trade. In "How to Write, Illustrate, Publish & Sell Your
Own Book On Amazon!" she shares lessons learned over years of learning the book
self-publishing process and has compiled those lessons into a clear, concise guide for those
interested in self-publishing their own stories.
Young readers and writers will learn the steps of publishing printed and eBook versions through
the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Other self-publishing guides are wordy and confusing. But
this particular guide provides concise instructions with clear computer screen shots to guide
aspiring authors through exactly what they need to do.
Now boys and girls ages 9-11 can fulfill the dream of writing their own book and seeing it for
sale on Amazon reaching potential readers around the world! It's time to finally turn that
children's picture book, teaching guide, graphic novel, comic book, art book, cook book,
instructional manual, etc into something real that can be appreciated by others and that will
generate revenue for a self-published author.
Critique: Although specifically intended for young readers who might aspire to become self-
published authors and use Amazon.com as a marketing tool, and now in a fully updated second
edition, "How to Write, Illustrate, Publish & Sell Your Own Book On Amazon!" will prove to be
of value to any and all aspiring self-published writers with respect to using Amazon.com. Of
special note are the computer on-screen charts with clearly marked 'click' instructions. "How to
Write, Illustrate, Publish & Sell Your Own Book On Amazon!" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, elementary school, and community library 'how to' instructional self-publishing and
book marketing reference collections. It should be noted that "How to Write, Illustrate, Publish &
Sell Your Own Book On Amazon!" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99).
Set the Page on Fire
Steve O'Keefe
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608686117, $15.95, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Successful writers write, rather than just think about writing, talk about writing, or
plan what they'll write when they get the proverbial cabin in the woods. Yet even accomplished
writers sometimes get "blocked," losing access to their in-the-zone writing mind.
In "Set the Page on Fire: Secrets of Successful Writers", Steve O'Keefe offers proven techniques
and practices for jump-starting stalled ideas, honed during his many years of working in virtually
every aspect of publishing. His innovative, often unconventional exercises will get aspiring but
creatively blocked writers writing again and accessing their own unique voices.
Packed from cover to cover with a career's worth of writing and publishing savvy, as well as the
advice of expert authors gleaned from hundreds of interviews, "Set the Page on Fire" is the kind
of nuts-and-bolts coaching and encouragement invaluable to novice and veteran writers
alike.
Critique: Every aspiring writer who has ended up staring at a blank page or screen and waiting
vainly for inspiration to strike needs to obtain and give a very careful reading to Steve O'Keefe's
'real world practical' and effective 'things to do' "Set the Page on Fire: Secrets of Successful
Writers". While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal and
professional reading lists that "Set the Page on Fire" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $10.42).
Editorial Note: Steve O'Keefe is content director at Orobora, a firm that hires writers to produce
expert content for publishers such as Random House, Pengiun, HarperCollins and John Wiley &
Sons. Steve wrote the bestselling book "Publicity on the Internet" in 1996 and taught Internet
Public Relations at Tulane University from 2000-2011. From 2004-2008, Steve ran the startup
AuthorViews, criss-crossing North America interviewing authors about their books.
Crazy Screenwriting Secrets
Weiko Lin
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933013, $29.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Through a "Crazy" approach in writing the feature screenplay, the first half of "Crazy
Screenwriting Secrets: How to Capture A Global Audience" by Weiko Lin guides the aspiring
script writer in how to create and develop: Story Idea, Characters, One Page Step Outline, and the
solid script.
In the second half, "Crazy Screenwriting Secrets" covers professional business side of the
ever-changing industry by taking the aspiring screen writer through the work flow of Hollywood
and explores how to work creatively with international countries like China in producing movies
that resonate with a global audience.
Critique: Informative and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Crazy
Screenwriting Secrets: How to Capture A Global Audience" is a critically important and 'real
world practical' instruction manual and guide that will prove to be of enormous benefit for the
novice screen writer -- and have a great deal of value for every the more experienced
professional. Simply stated, "Crazy Screenwriting Secrets" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing collections.
Editorial Note: An Associate Professor at Emerson College, Weiko Line has written projects fo
the Mark Gordon Company, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Don Mischer Productions, Wanda
Pictures, Ivanhoe Pictures, Super Delux, and many other film making companies. His screen
credits include 100 Days.
The Cookbook Shelf
Recipes from the Garden of Contentment
Translated and annotated by Sean J.S. Chen
Berkshire Publishing Group
122 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.berkshirepublishing.com
9781614728528 $140.00 hc / $125.00 pbk amazon.com
Synopsis: Recipes from the Garden of Contentment: Yuan Mei's Manual of Gastronomy is the
first English edition of the Suiyuan Shidan , one of the world's most famous books about food. It
is both a culinary treatise and a cookbook, written in the late eighteenth century by the poet Yuan
Mei. This translation by Sean J. S. Chen conveys the charm, humor, and erudition of one of
China's greatest writers. The book includes recipes for well-known yet exotic dishes such as
bird's nest and shark's fin, and offers modern readers a unique perspective on Chinese history and
culinary culture.
Critique: Recipes from the Garden of Contentment is a bilingual, English/Chinese translation of
a classic text about Chinese food. Both culinary treatise and cookbook, Recipes from the Garden
of Contentment is a bountiful font of insight about the flavors and subtleties of authentic Chinese
cuisine (not the Americanized fast-food that may come to mind when one thinks of Chinese
food). Detailed annotations, explanatory sidebars, and a glossary round out this treasure for
connoisseurs and library culinary studies shelves, highly recommended.
Eat What You Love
Marlene Koch
www.marlenekoch.com
Running Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.runningpress.com
9780762466207, $28.00, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Who doesn't love the creamy, cheesy, gooey, sweet, and fried foods that restaurants
dish up? Now they can all be enjoyed at home guilt-free thanks to "Eat What You Love:
Restaurant Favorites: Classic and Crave-Worthy Recipes Low in Sugar, Fat, and Calories" by
Marlene Koch!
Showcasing recipes that range from a creamy Alfredo pasta, to a cheesy queso dip, fried chicken
'n waffles, as well as both Asian and Steakhouse favorites, along with Starbucks-style drinks, and
more at a fraction of sky-high sugar, fat, calories, carbs and sodium.
With plenty of unbelievable "Dare to Compares" Marlene shows just how much you enjoy
creating a cornucopia of delicious dishes and drinks inspired by The Cheesecake Factory,
Carrabba's, California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang's, Starbucks, Chipotle, McDonald's, Morton's,
Panera, and more!
Eat What You Love: Restaurant Favorites guarantees to satisfy every craving with over 140 easy,
family friendly recipes that provide: Satisfying (not skimpy!) portions; Gluten-free dishes and
all-natural sugar substitute options; Nutrition information with every recipe including weight
watcher freestyle smart point comparisons and diabetic exchanges; Fuss-free, flavorful, fast
recipes made with easy-to-find everyday ingredients.
Just one example of the 'Dare to Compare' feature: A typical order of General Tso's chicken
serves up 1,300 calories including 3,200 milligrams of sodium, over 70 grams of fat, and 3 days'
worth of added sugar! Marlene's equally crave-worthy version is just 300 calories with 80% less
fat, 85% less sodium, and 90% less sugar!
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, each showcased recipe comprising
"Eat What You Love: Restaurant Favorites: Classic and Crave-Worthy Recipes Low in Sugar,
Fat, and Calories" is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and step-by-step
presentation. While unreservedly recommended for family and community library cookbook
collections, it should be noted that "Eat What You Love: Restaurant Favorites" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Cookbook author Marlene Koch is known as a "magician in the kitchen" for her
extraordinary ability to make sugar, fat and calories simply disappear! Marlene's "Eat What You
Love" cookbooks have sold over 1 million copies. She is a regular guest on QVC, and she and
her sought after better-for-you recipes have been featured everywhere from the Today Show to
the Food Network, in print in publications such as Cooking Light, Men's Fitness, and Diabetes
Health, and across the web from Shape and Prevention to Oprah.com. Marlene has her own
website at www.marlenekoch.com
Asian Salads
Maki Watanabe
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804851039, $14.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Showcasing 72 recipes from the cuisines of Vietnam, China, Korea, Thailand and
India, "Asian Salads" shows with illustrated step-by-step instructions on how anyone can prepare
an amazing variety of delicious Asian vegetables, herbs, and seasonings from ingredients found
in any local supermarket, farmers market, and world food market. "Asian Salades presents an
impressive series of salad based recipes that will excite and awaken even the most inexperienced
of palates and thereby open up new food horizons!
Dozens of fragrant herbs like cilantro, Thai basil, and lemongrass are combined with delicious
fresh Asian vegetables like Napa cabbage, spicy kimchi, daikon, and many more!
These healthy recipes are simple and very easy to prepare. Many of the salads have meat or
seafood options, and are perfect as side dishes or as complete and satisfying one-dish meals!
Easy step-by-step instructions and photos provide shortcuts and substitutes to save you time with
exotic salads that range from Marinated Bean Sprouts with Black Vinegar Dressing; Cucumber
Salad with Yogurt & Garlic Dressing; and Korean White Fish Carpaccio; to Crispy Pork with
Watercress Salad; Pork, Kimchi and Leek Salad. Of special note are the multiple homemade
salad dressings and vinaigrettes!
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout and a salad-lovers dream to browse through and plan
menus with, "Asian Salads" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted
that "Asian Salads" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.87).
The Big Bottom Biscuit
Michael Volpatt
Running Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.runningpress.com
9780762465309, $18.00, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Big Bottom Biscuit: Specialty Biscuits and Spreads from Sonoma's Big Bottom
Market" by Michael Volpatt brings the experience of dining at the market to everyone who can't
make it to Sonoma. In 2016, the Big Bottom Market biscuit mix and honey was heralded as one
of Oprah's Favorite Things-- and with good reason! Volpatt's passion for this simple food
showcases its versatility in easy to prepare, accessible recipes.
Volpatt's charming recipes for appetite satisfying, palate pleasing biscuits that range from the
classic Egg in a Biscuit, to Sea Biscuit (with smoked salmon, cr me fraiche, pickled onions, and
capers), to sweet biscuits like Chocolate Bacon and Apple Pie.
"The Big Bottom Biscuit" cookbook also includes butters, jams, and spreads, as well as savory
embellishments.
Critique: Original and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "The
Big Bottom Biscuit" will have a very special and lasting appeal to Californians, Southerners,
Yankees, and anyone else who appreciates the culinary pleasure of a piping-hot biscuit! While
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook
collections, it should be noted that "The Big Bottom Biscuit" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Boat Cookbook
Fiona Sims
Adlard Coles
c/o Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781408192009, $19.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For anyone with a tiny galley kitchen on their boat, there's good news: there need no
longer be more bland leftovers aboard. Not with this newly revised and expanded second edition
of Fiona Sims' "The Boat Cookbook: Real Food for Hungry Sailors"
This culinary compendium of delicious and easy recipes (all made with minimum fuss and
maximum flavor), will allow you to spoil yourself in the harbor and keep things simple at sea --
not to mention rustle up a mean rum punch. With handy ideas on setting up the galley, a lazy
guide to filleting mackerel and tips for hosting the perfect beach barbecue, this is the must-have
guide for sailors and seaside-lovers alike.
"The Boat Cookbook" includes recipe contributions from top chefs (Chris Galvin, Angela
Hartnett, Kevin Mangeolles, Ed Wilson and Judy Joo) and sailing legends (Sir Robin
Knox-Johnston, Mike Golding, Brian Thompson, Shirley Robertson and Dee Caffari). With a
foreword by Chris Galvin, and accompanied throughout by wonderful photography and beautiful
hand-drawn illustrations, "The Boat Cookbook will prove to be an invaluable addition to the food
lover's kitchen or galley.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated and packed from cover to cover with thoroughly 'galley cook
friendly' recipes for palate pleasing and appetite satisfying dishes, "The Boat Cookbook: Real
Food for Hungry Sailors" truly lives up to its title and will prove to be a welcome and enduringly
appreciated personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted for
the space limited ship's galley that "The Boat Cookbook" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Fiona Sims has written for The Times, The Sunday Times, Food & Travel,
Delicious, Decanter, and more. This award-winning food and wine writer has interviewed many
of the world's top chefs, including Alain Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay and Rene Redzepi, and
accompanied Heston Blumenthal on his first trip to the legendary El Bulli. The idea for "The
Boat Cookbook" came after much nagging from her sailing-mad Dad, who kept losing her
scribbled-down recipes for on board cooking in his rather basic galley. Fiona and her husband
Mark split their time between London and Yarmouth, and she sails regularly from the south coast
with her Dad on his 29ft Westerly, always cooking on board!
Wholefood for Children
Jude Blereau
Murdoch Books
www.murdochbooks.co.uk
9781911632092, $27.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The underlying philosophy behind Jude Blereau's "Wholefood for Children:
Nourishing Young Children with Whole and Organic Foods" is the importance of feeding young,
growing children, whole and real food, preferably organic. Not only do children require fuel to
play, they also require it to build every part of their body and future pathways, and to learn.
"Wholefood for Children" is comprised of in two major sections: A very insightful and
informative introduction and a recipe section, which will cater for ages 6 months to 7 years,
starting with introducing solid foods to babies. The recipes range from breakfasts through to
lunch and dinners, as well as ultra-convenient portable snacks for lunch boxes.
Critique: An impressive compendium of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes, of very
special note is the section on raising a vegetarian child, a dairy free child, and a child whose diet
must be wheat and/or gluten free. Enhanced further with the inclusion of a Glossary, a listing of
Recommended Reading, and a seven page Index, "Wholefood for Children" is an inspiring
culinary please to browse through and plan menus with. While unreservedly recommended as a
core addition to family and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that
"Wholefood for Children" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Jude Blereau is a natural foods chef, author, food coach, cooking teacher and real
food activist who has been involved with the organic and wholefoods industry for more than 18
years. In 1997, Jude co-founded The Earth Market, a much loved wholefood store and cafe in
Perth, Western Australia. In 2001 she founded the Whole Food Cooking school and website
(https://wholefoodcooking.com.au). Her focus is on helping people learn about good food (what
it truly is, where to get it, how to use it) and to give them the tools and information they need to
make healthy eating a part of their everyday lives. Jude has written five books with Murdoch,
including "Wholefood From the Ground Up".
The Diabetes Weight-Loss Cookbook
Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi with Jenny Phillips
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780857834492, $24.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com
The Diabetes Weight-Loss Cookbook's creation began when author Giancarlo Caldesi adopted a
low-carb diet after a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. He works with nutritionist Jenny Phillips in a
cookbook which shows how to adapt to a low-carb lifestyle by modifying classic recipes and
using simpler recipes that are easy to reproduce and hard to gain weight on. This doesn't advocate
avoiding carbs altogether; but making the kinds of modifications that lend to incorporating them
into better eating habits. Recipes for Low-Carb Bread, a Rosemary Focaccia that can be
combined with antipasti, a curried Butter chicken that omits the sugar usual to such a dish, and a
Greek Baked Fish with Tomato Sauce & Onions, inspired by the author's travels in Greece, show
that low-carb needn't translate to dryness or lack of flavor. Given that many of the recipes adapt
traditionally fat-laden Italian fare, this cookbook provides a winning approach, packing in
full-page color photos of completed dishes for an appetizing collection of flavor-packed
alternatives.
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
Two new 'Skinny' cookbooks pack in flavor yet advocate healthier adaptations in two areas
traditionally laden with carbs and sugar: pasta and desserts. Kathryn Bruton's Skinny Desserts: 80
Flavour-Packed Recipes of Less Than 300 Calories (9780857834805, $19.99) proves that sweets
needn't be set aside when dieting. Kathryn Bruton offers a collection of familiar sweets that have
been adapted to reduce calories to under 300 per portion, even in traditionally rich dishes such as
creme brulee, cheesecake, and ice cream. There are many new dishes that rely on natural
sweetening from fruits, such as a White Chocolate, Melon and Mint Fruit Salad, while familiar
fare such as ice cream pies are made with frozen yogurt. Dieters who want to sweet taste without
the calories will find many recipes that fit into their diet plan and which offer original
combinations of flavors to add attraction. Julia Azzarello's Skinny Pasta (9780857834959,
$19.99) serves up pasta dishes of less than 500 calories each, and includes some surprises that
neatly fit into this category, such as a Creamy Fettuccine with Garlic and Herbs or a Macaroni
and Cheese dish made with smoked Gouda and grated Romano. The result are mouth-watering,
appetizing dishes which are appealing and which neatly fit into a diet plan.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Wealth Made Easy
Dr. Greg Reid
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781946885463, $19.95, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Long gone are the days when captains of industry like John D. Rockefeller and
Andrew Carnegie dominated the economic arena. Today, the world's richest individuals are a
diverse group of idea-generators who maintain a lower profile, keeping their successes (and their
strategies) hidden from the public eye.
But "Wealth Made Easy: Millionaires and Billionaires Help You Crack the Code to Getting
Rich" by Dr. Greg Reid is that next best thing to being able to speed-dial these entrepreneurs,
inventors, investors, and industry pioneers and personally ask each of them to tell you the one
gold nugget that made them so wealthy?
That's what Greg Reid did, traveling around the globe to meet with many of the world's most
elusive, under-the-radar billionaires to crack the code of prosperity. At long last, anyone who
takes the time to read "Wealth Made Easy" will have access to the wisdom of the world's
wealthiest people ranging from entertainment pioneers to real estate tycoons as they, one by one,
reveal how they built their wealth, held onto it, and continue to thrive in an ever-changing
economy.
Critique: A superbly organized and presented compendium of tips, tricks, strategies, tactics, and
'real world' stories, "Wealth Made Easy: Millionaires and Billionaires Help You Crack the Code
to Getting Rich" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal,
professional, community, corporate, college, and university library Contemporary
Money/Finance instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It
should be noted that "Wealth Made Easy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781543682274,
$29.99, CD).
The Science Shelf
The Handy Science Answer Book
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Rd., #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578596911, $22.95, PB, 540pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Science is everywhere, and it affects our understanding of everything from DNA and
CRISPR. artificial sweeteners, sea level changes caused by melting glaciers, to gravitational
waves, bees in a colony, the human body, microplastics, and virtually everything else around us
in the world. Now celebrating it's twenty-fifth year this newly updated and completely revised
fifth edition of "The Handy Science Answer Book" makes science and its impact on the world
fun and easy to understand.
Clear, concise, and straightforward, this informative primer covers hundreds of intriguing topics,
from the basics of math, physics, and chemistry to the discoveries being made about the human
body, stars, outer space, rivers, mountains, and our entire planet, "The Handy Science Answer
Book" covers plants, animals, computers, planes, trains, and cars. This thoroughly 'user friendly'
resource answers more than 1,600 of the most frequently asked, most interesting, and most
unusual science questions in a succinct and fully accessibly presentation.
For anyone wanting to know how the universe, Earth, plants, animals, and human beings work
and fit into our world, this informative compendium also includes a helpful bibliography, and an
extensive index.
Critique: Long a standard library reference and compiled by the staff of the Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh, this newly updated and expanded fifth edition of "The Handy Sicence Answer Book"
is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, family, school, and community
library Science reference collections.
Exoplanet Science Strategy
Engineering & Medicine National Academies of Sciences
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309479417, $65.00, PB, 186pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first
evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917, but was not recognized as such. The first scientific
detection of an exoplanet was in 1988; it was confirmed to be an exoplanet in 2012. The first
confirmed detection occurred in 1992. As of 1 June 2019, there are 4,071 confirmed planets in
3,043 systems, with 659 systems having more than one planet. (Wikipedia)
As the past decade has delivered remarkable discoveries in the study of exoplanets, hand-in-hand
with these advances, a theoretical understanding of the myriad of processes that dictate the
formation and evolution of planets has matured, spurred on by the avalanche of unexpected
discoveries. Appreciation of the factors that make a planet hospitable to life has grown in
sophistication, as has understanding of the context for biosignatures, the remotely detectable
aspects of a planet's atmosphere or surface that reveal the presence of life.
"Exoplanet Science Strategy" highlights strategic priorities for large, coordinated efforts that will
support the scientific goals of the broad exoplanet science community. This report outlines a
strategic plan that will answer lingering questions through a combination of large, ambitious
community-supported efforts and support for diverse, creative, community-driven investigator
research.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Exoplanet Science Strategy" is an
especially appropriate and highly recommended addition to both community, college, and
university library Science & Astrophysics collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be
noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Exoplanet Science Strategy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $53.79).
The Secret Life of Genes
Derek Harvey
Firefly Books
9780228101758, $24.95, www.fireflybooks.com
The Secret Life of Genes: Decoding the Blueprint of Life will reach both students and leisure
reading adults with a basic survey of genetics and its role in biology, and is recommended as a
lively primer for non-scientists who want to learn about the exciting world of genetics. An
attention to detail and a lively tone of discovery plus an arrangement that lends to building blocks
of understanding makes for a story that is packed with color illustrations throughout. The result
may be directed to students, but holds additional appeal for adults looking for an easily accessible
primer on the subject.
The Secret Life of the Brain
Alfred David
Firefly Books
9780228101765, $24.95, www.fireflybooks.com
The Secret Life of the Brain: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Mind provides insight into human
thinking, consciousness, and neuroscience, and provides a basic primer on the topic intended for
students and adult readers alike. Color illustrations pack discussions of such varied topics as
athletics and brain chemistry, understanding the brain's role in emotions, and understanding how
the nervous system syncs with brain operations and affects mental states. The result is an
appealing, lively study highly recommended for all readers interested in brain function and
chemistry.
Roadside Geology of Tennessee
Marcy B. Davis
Mountain Press Publishing Company
9780878426911, $26.00, www.mountain-press.com
Roadside Geology of Tennessee is recommended reading for two audiences: destination travelers
who like science, and geologists who would learn from an armchair read about Tennessee's
unique geology. Both groups receive a coverage that may surprise those new to the concept of
geology in everyday American surroundings. For example, Tennessee sports unusual meteor
impact sites, fossils, and a history of having some of the largest earthquakes in North America.
Whether the reader is an 'armchair reader' or bound for Tennessee, this book should be consulted
or taken on the trip. It comes packed with color images supporting lively surveys of many
roadside attractions that would otherwise be missed or misunderstood.
The Political Science Shelf
Institutional Theory in Political Science
B. Guy Peters
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781786437921, $145.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: How are institutions formed and how do they change? How do institutions interact to
produce action? And how formal do institutions need to be to become effective actors of
governance? Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded fourth edition, "Institutional
Theory in Political Science: The New Institutionalism" by B. Guy Peters, (the Maurice Falk
Professor of Government, University of Pittsburgh) is a comprehensive textbook that provides a
thorough examination of institutions from a number of theoretical perspectives to identify their
key characteristics.
Key features of this new fourth edition include: Eight consistent questions are used to highlight
the similarities and differences between institutions, using both formal and informal examples;
Two new chapters focus on informal institutions and the process of institutionalization and
deinstitutionalization; A wide range of theories are highlighted, giving students a broad overview
of institutional theory in political science; The application of these institutional theories is
demonstrated using a variety of international examples.
For students of comparative politics, political theory and institutions, "Institutional Theory in
Political Science" is an essential guide to understanding and analyzing institutions in political
science.
Critique: Deftly organized into seven sections (Varieties of Institutional Reform; Applications of
Institutional Theories; Issues in Institutionalism; Wrapping Up), "Institutional Theory in Political
Science: The New Institutionalism" is a seminal contribution that is unreservedly recommended
for college and university library Contemporary Political Science collections and curriculum
supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, political scientists, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Institutional Theory in Political
Science: The New Institutionalism" is also available in a paperback edition ( 9781786437945,
$50.00).
Our Politics
Douglas Kane
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809337095, $26.50, PB, 254pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Our Politics: Reflections on Political Life", Douglas Kane is an American
politician and economist who offers his readers a straightforward and personal account of what it
is like to run for and hold public office, including all the demands, conflicts, temptations, and
rewards created by political, economic, and social forces.
Throughout "Our Politics", Kane references Illinois and Wisconsin politics. The campaigns of his
wife, Kathleen Vinehout, and her years in the Wisconsin state senate show that the centralization
of political power, the structure of campaign organizations, and the policy decisions that Kane
experienced as an Illinois legislator are not unique to any one state.
Also in "Our Politics", Kane reflects on his nearly fifty years of active engagement in state and
local politics. In a series of essays, he seeks to understand the forces, motivations, incentives and
technologies that shape our politics and produce the consequences that we live with every day.
He describes how candidates and officeholders deal with the fundamental contradictions inherent
in the democratic process, and how and why the political power structure has changed. He also
explores the personal experience of being a legislator, from deciding how to vote to building
relationships with party leaders, fellow legislators, the governor, and the voters in the district.
Kane concludes by considering the possibility of change, how it might happen, and the steps that
candidates, political parties, activists and others might take to better our politics with results
more to our liking.
While many journalists record politics from the outside, and numerous political memoirs focus
on personalities and what happened to whom and when, "Our Politics" gives an true insider's
view of politics at the level of state government. Fundamentally, "Our Politics" is not about those
politicians but about our politics, which together we have created and together we must deal
with.
Critique: Candid, informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, Douglas
Kane's "Our Politics: Reflections on Political Life" is an extraordinary account of contemporary
American politics as rarely provided to the general public. An extraordinary, unique, and highly
recommended addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary Political
Science collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "Our Politics" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.17).
Give Them an Argument
Ben Burgis
O Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789042108, $16.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Many serious leftists have learned to distrust talk of logic and logical fallacies,
associated with right-wing "logicbros". This is a serious mistake. Unlike the neoliberal
technocrats, who can point to social problems and tell people "trust us", the serious Left must
learn how to argue and persuade.
Ben Burgis has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Miami. He is a science fiction
writer whose work has appeared in publications such as Tor.com and in Prime Books. Burgis
now teaches at Rutgers University, New Jersey.
In "Give Them an Argument: Logic for the Left", Burgis arms his reader with the essential
knowledge of formal logic and informal fallacies that will be required for any political discussion
in this polarized times.
Critique: Informative, thoughtful, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Give Them an
Argument: Logic for the Left" is an exceptionally effective tutorial. While very highly
recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Political Science
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political
activists, politicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Give
Them an Argument: Logic for the Left" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$10.99).
A Crisis Wasted
Reed Hundt
Rosetta Books
https://www.rosettabooks.com
9781948122313, $27.50, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "A Crisis Wasted: Barack Obama's Defining Decisions", Reed Hundt persuasively
argues that Barack Obama determined the fate of his presidency before he took office. That his
momentous decisions led to Donald Trump (which for Obama the worst person imaginable)
taking his place eight years later.
"A Crisis Wasted" knowledgeably describes these decisions and adroitly discusses how the
results could have been different. Based on dozens of interviews with actors in the Obama
transition, as well as the author's personal observations, "A Crisis Wasted" provides unique
commentary of those defining decisions of winter 2008 - 2009.
A decade later, the ramifications of the Great Recession and the role of government in addressing
the crisis animate the ideological battle between progressivism and neoliberalism in the
Democratic Party and the radical re-direction of the Republican Party. As many seek the
presidency in the November 2020 election, all candidates and of course the eventual winner will
face decisions that may be as critical and difficult as those confronted by Barack Obama. "A
Crisis Wasted" aims to provide the guidance of history.
Critique: An impressive compendium of basic background information, learned and seasoned
argument deftly presented throughout, "A Crisis Wasted: Barack Obama's Defining Decisions" is
one of those unusual historical studies that has a direct relevance to the political science of today.
Simply stated, "A Crisis Wasted" should be on the reading lists of every one seeking office (or
helping someone seek office) in the Congress and in the Administration as the new presidency
cycle of 2020 is underway and being actively contested. While unreservedly recommended for
community and academic library Contemporary Political Science collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists of students, academicians, political activists, politicians, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Crisis Wasted" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Brilliance Audio, 9781721358571, $29.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Reed E. Hundt was a member of the transition teams for the Clinton and Obama
presidencies. He was the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission in 1993-97. He
has taught at Yale College, Law School and School of Management, practiced law in California
and Washington, D.C., started for-profit and non-profit firms, served as a board member for
numerous technology and communications firms, and is the author of "You Say You Want a
Revolution" and "In China's Shadow".
The Fiction Shelf
Elizabeth of Bohemia
David Elias
ECW Press
www.ecwpress.com
9781770414631, $16.95, PB, 360pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: October 1612. King James I is looking to expand England's influence in Europe,
especially among the Protestants. He invites Prince Frederic of the Palatinate to London and
offers him his 16-year-old daughter Elizabeth's hand in marriage.
The fierce and intelligent Elizabeth moves to Heidelberg Castle, Frederic's ancestral home, where
she is favored with whatever she desires, and the couple begins their family. Amid much turmoil,
the Hapsburg emperor is weakened, and with help from Bohemian rebels, Frederic takes over
royal duties in Prague. Thus, Elizabeth becomes the Queen of Bohemia.
But their reign is brief. Within the year, Catholic Europe unites to take back the Hapsburg throne.
Defeated at the Battle of White Mountain, Frederic, Elizabeth, and their children are forced into
exile for a much-reduced life in The Hague. Despite tumultuous seasons of separation and
heartache, the Winter Queen makes every effort to keep her family intact.
Critique: David Elias is a novelist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His work has been nominated
for several awards, and he has travelled extensively in the footsteps of Elizabeth of Bohemia to
examine rare historical documents and artifacts in places such as the British Library, Heidelberg
Castle, and St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. As a result of his meticulous research he has written
with his own distinctive and cinematic flair an historical novel that brings in key figures such as
Shakespeare and Descartes as it recreates the drama and intrigue of 17th-century England and the
Continent. As an historical note, Elizabeth's children included Rupert of the Rhine and Sophia of
Hanover, from whom the Hanoverian line descended to the present Queen Elizabeth II. While
very highly recommended, especially for community and academic library Historical Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Elizabeth of Bohemia" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Honoring the Enemy
Robert N. Macomber
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781682474198, $29.95, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Capt. Peter Wake, USN, is a veteran of Office of Naval Intelligence operations inside
Spanish-occupied Cuba, who describes with vivid detail his experiences as a naval liaison ashore
with the Cuban and U.S. armies in the jungles, hospitals, headquarters, and battlefields in the
1898 campaign to capture Santiago de Cuba from the Spanish. His younger friend, and former
superior, Theodore Roosevelt, is included in Wake's story, as the two of them endure the hell of
war in the tropics.
Wake's account of the military campaign ashore is a window into the woeful incompetence,
impressive innovations, energy-sapping frustration, and breathtaking bravery that is always at the
heart of combat. His description of the great naval battle, from the unique viewpoint of a prisoner
onboard the most famous Spanish warship, is an emotional rendering of how the concept of
honor can transform a hopeless cause into a noble gesture of humanity.
Critique: Pure entertainment from cover to cover, Robert N. Macomber's "Honoring the Enemy"
is the fourteenth book in the award-winning Honor Series of historical naval novels from the
Naval Institute Press. The newest Captain Peter Wake novel, "Honoring the Enemy" will prove
to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Honoring the Enemy" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $20.28).
Yours Truly, Thomas
Rachel Fordham
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800736330, $29.99, HC, 322pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A young woman working at the Dead Letter Office in 1883 opens a series of
heartbreaking love letters. She's determined to find their rightful owner and make things right.
But a trip to Azure Springs, Iowa, may provide love and healing for more than just the letter
writer.
Critique: A deftly penned and original novel by an author with a genuine talent for originality and
reader engagement, "Yours Truly, Thomas" by Rachel Fordham is a compulsive page-turner of
an entertaining read offering a story that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long
after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. While an extraordinary and highly
recommended addition to community library Historical Romance Fiction collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Yours Truly, Thomas" is also available in a paperback
edition (9780800735388, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
White Hell Of Pity
Norah Lofts
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785416118, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 294pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The Bacons live in a charming little village with a Saxon church, green lanes and
comfortable farmhouses called Swything. But the Bacons themselves are anything but charming.
They are slovenly, dirty and poor. There are too many children, and Mrs. Bacon cordially resents
them all. But she hates Emmie the most because it is Emmie that offends the most. Emmie is
different. Then, when Emmie turns twelve, the miracle happens. The chance arrives for her to
learn about a world the other Bacons do not know of. For when Emmie is twelve, she meets Miss
Stanton!
Critique: Another gem of an original and deftly crafted novel by Norah Lofts, this large print
edition of "White Hell Of Pity" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
community library Contemporary General Fiction collections and is a 'must' for the legions of
Norah Lofts fans.
Deep Past
Eugene Linden
RosettaBooks
https://www.rosettabooks.com
9781948122375, $25.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A routine dig in Kazakhstan takes a radical turn for thirty-two-year-old anthropologist
Claire Knowland when a stranger turns up at the site with a bizarre find from a remote section of
the desolate Kazakh Steppe. Her initial skepticism of this mysterious discovery gives way to a
realization that the find will shake the very foundations of our understanding of evolution and
intelligence.
Corrupt politics of Kazakhstan force Claire to take reckless chances with the discovery. Among
the allies she gathers in her fight to save herself and bring the discovery to light is Sergei
Anachev, a brilliant but enigmatic Russian geologist who becomes her unlikely protector even as
he deals with his own unknown crisis.
Ultimately, Claire finds herself fighting not just for the discovery and her academic reputation,
but for her very life as great power conflict engulfs the unstable region and an unscrupulous
oligarch attempts to take advantage of the chaos.
Critique: A deftly blended plotline the encompasses both fact and fiction into a simply riveting
thriller of a novel, Eugene Linden's "Deep Past" is a simply riveting and unfailingly entertaining
read with more plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. While unreservedly
recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Deep Past" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9781982633714, $29.95, MP3 CD).
Editorial Note: Eugene Linden is an award-winning journalist and author on science, nature, and
the environment. His debut novel, Deep Past, draws on his long career in nonfiction as the author
of ten books, including his celebrated works on animal intelligence and climate change: Apes,
Men, and Language; the New York Times Notable Book Silent Partners; and the bestselling
Parrot's Lament. His book Winds of Change, which explored the connection between climate
change and the rise and fall of civilizations, was awarded the Grantham Prize Special Award of
Merit. For many years, Linden wrote about nature and global environmental issues for Time
where he garnered several awards, including the American Geophysical Union's Walter Sullivan
Award. He has also contributed to the New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and National
Geographic, among many other publications.
The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes
Ruth Hogan
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781643852096, $26.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Once a spirited, independent woman with a rebellious streak, Masha's life was forever
changed by a tragic event twelve years ago. Unable to let go of her grief, she finds comfort in her
faithful canine companion Haizum, and peace in the quiet lanes of her town's swimming pool.
Almost without her realizing it, her life has shuddered to a halt.
It's only when Masha begins an unlikely friendship with the mysterious Sally Red Shoes, a bag
lady with a prodigious voice and a penchant for saying just what she means, that a new world of
possibilities opens up: new friendships, new opportunities, and even a chance for new love. For
the first time in years, Masha has the chance to start living again.
But just as Masha dares to imagine the future, her past comes roaring back...
Critique: A fully engaging and impressively crafted novel populated by memorably eccentric
characters, "The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes" is an extraordinary and inherently entertaining
read from cover to cover. While especially recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $10.69).
Reluctant Belle
Beth White
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800736217, $29.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With the Civil War over, Mississippi Belle Joelle Daughtry wants to establish a school
to teach freed slaves. But she might have to form an alliance with her childhood nemesis and
reveal her deepest secret to make changes in her world and her heart.
Critique: An impressively scripted and thoroughly entertaining novel by an author with a genuine
gift for reader engaging narrative storytelling, "Reluctant Belle" is a riveting read from beginning
to end. While very highly recommended, especially for community library collections, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Reluctant Belle" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780800726904, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Tenth Muse
Catherine Chung
Ecco
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.eccobooks.com
9780062574060, $26.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: From childhood, Katherine knows she is different, and that her parents are not who
they seem to be. But in becoming a mathematician, she must face the most human of problems --
who is she? What is the cost of love, and what is the cost of ambition?
On her quest to conquer the Riemann Hypothesis, the greatest unsolved mathematical problem of
her time, she turns to a theorem with a mysterious history that holds both the lock and key to her
identity, and to secrets long buried during World War II in Germany. Forced to confront some of
the most consequential events of the twentieth century and rethink everything she knows of
herself, she strives to take her place in the world of higher mathematics and finds kinship in the
stories of the women who came before her -- their love of the language of numbers connecting
them across generations.
Critique: An inherently engaging, page-turner of a novel by an author with a flair for a distinctive
and entertaining storytelling style, "The Tenth Muse" by Catherine Chung is certain to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Tenth Muse" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
All Manner of Things
Susie Finkbeiner
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800736347, $29.99, HC, 450pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After Annie Jacobson's older brother is deployed to Vietnam during the war, tragedy at
home brings their estranged father home without welcome. As tensions heighten, Annie and her
family must find a way to move forward as they try to hold both hope and grief in the same
hand.
Critique: An inherently riveting read, "All Manner of Things" clearly showcases author Susie
Finkbeiner's natural gift as a novelist for narrative driven storytelling and who is able to make her
characters come alive in the mind's eye of her readers. While very highly recommended,
especially for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "All Manner of Things" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780800735692, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.44).
Finding Mrs. Ford
Deborah Goodrich Royce
Post Hill Press
https://posthillpress.com
9781642931723, $27.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Mrs. Ford leads a privileged life. From her Blenheim spaniels to her cottage on the
coast of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, she carefully curates her world. Hair in place, house in place,
life in place, Susan Ford keeps it under control.
Early one morning in the summer of 2014, the past pays a call to collect. The FBI arrives to
question her about a man from Iraq (a Chaldean Christian from Mosul) where ISIS has just
seized control. Sammy Fakhouri, they say, is his name and they have taken him into custody,
picked up on his way to her house.
Back in the summer of 1979, on the outskirts of a declining Detroit, college coed Susan meets
charismatic and reckless Annie. They are an unlikely pair of friends but they each see something
in the other - something they'd like to possess. Studious Susan is a moth to the flame that is
Annie. Yet, it is dazzling Annie who senses that Susan will be the one who makes it out of
Detroit.
Together, the girls navigate the minefields of a down-market disco where they work their
summer jobs. It's a world filled with pretty girls and powerful men, some of whom (like Sammy
Fakhouri) happen to be Iraqi Chaldeans.
What happened in that summer of 1979 when Susan and Annie met? Why is Sammy looking for
Susan all these years later? And why is Mrs. Ford lying?
Critique: An impressively original, immediately engaging and thoroughly entertaining novel by
an author with a distinctive narrative storytelling style, "Finding Mrs. Ford" by Deborah
Goodrich Royce is unequivocally and unreservedly recommended for community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Finding Mrs. Ford" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781094008752, $39.95, CD).
The Ghost Manuscript
Kris Frieswick
Post Hill Press
https://posthillpress.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9781642930245, $28.00, HC, 432pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Rare book authenticator Carys Jones wanted nothing more than to be left alone to
pursue her obsession with ancient manuscripts. But when her biggest client is committed to an
asylum, he gives Carys an offer she cannot refuse. In exchange for his entire library of priceless,
Dark Age manuscripts, Carys must track the clues hidden in a previously unknown journal, clues
that lead to a tomb that could rewrite the history of Western civilization.
But there are people who would do anything to stop Carys from finding what she seeks - for
reasons both noble and evil. The hunt takes Carys to places she never thought she'd go,
physically and emotionally; first to Wales, her estranged father's homeland, then to bed with
Dafydd, a mysterious Welshman who agrees to help her with the search, and finally, deep inside
her own psyche, when the monk who wrote the journal 1,500 years ago appears and assists her in
her search.
Critique: A true page-turner of an impressively entertaining novel, "The Ghost Manuscript" by
Kris Frieswick showcases an author with a genuine flair for originality and a distinctive narrative
storytelling style. A riveting read with more twists and turns than a Disney Land roller coaster
will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Ghost Manuscript" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781974952991, $29.99, CD).
The Medallion
Cathy Gohlke
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496429667, $24.99, HC, 432pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Seemingly overnight, the German blitzkrieg of Warsaw in 1939 turns its streets to a
war zone and shatters the life of each citizen -- Polish, Jewish, or otherwise. Sophie Kumiega, a
British bride working in the city's library, awaits news of her husband, Janek, recently deployed
with the Polish Air Force. Though Sophie is determined that she and the baby in her womb will
stay safe, the days ahead will draw her into the plight of those around her, compelling her to help,
whatever the danger.
Rosa and Itzhak Dunovich never imagined they would welcome their longed-for first child in the
Jewish ghetto, or that they would let anything tear their family apart. But as daily atrocities
intensify, Rosa soon faces a terrifying reality: to save their daughter's life, she must send her into
hiding. Her only hope of finding her after the war (if any of them survive) is a medallion she cuts
in half and places around her neck.
Inspired by true events of Poland's darkest days and brightest heroes, "The Medallion" paints a
stunning portrait of war and its aftermath, daring us to believe that when all seems lost, God can
make a way forward.
Critique: A deftly crafted and inherently riveting read from cover to cover, Cathy Gohlke's "The
Medallion" is one of those extraordinary novels that will linger in the mind and memory long
after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially recommended for
community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Medallion"
is also available in a paperback edition (9781496429674, $15.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $6.99).
An Improbable Pairing
Gary Dickson
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781626345799, $16.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In September of 1963, Scott Stoddard, an American graduate student, is traveling to
Switzerland, when he meets the Countess de Rovere, a French divorcee; he is smitten, and she is
intrigued. What begins as a little coquetry soon becomes a serious love affair, much to the
consternation of the Countess's ex-husband and mother, not to mention the Countess's friends of
European high society. A meeting of equals poses problems enough, but what about one between
two people who seem to have so many differences? And when a man of traditional attitudes
couples with an independent and self-confident woman, something's got to give. It won't be the
countess. As their liaison transcends an affair that cannot be dismissed, they all agree that
something must be done.
Critique: An historical romance by an author who is master of the genre, Gary Dickson's "An
Improbable Pairing" is a deftly crafted and unfailingly entertaining novel that is certain to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Romance Fiction collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "An Improbable Pairing" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $7.55).
The Gillespie County Fair
Marc Hess
http://marc-hess.com
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781626346048, $14.95, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As rampant land development and tourist money begin to transform the old German
farming community of Fredericksburg, two intermarried pioneer families lock in a life-and-death
struggle over the sale of their homestead. Their vicious feud in an otherwise harmonious and
bucolic community leads to the demise of two pioneer families and culminates in the triumph of
one hard-headed, young girl.
The story of a family that inevitably destroys itself, "The Gillespie County Fair" delves into the
clash of new wealth and ingrained poverty as rural Texas grapples with a changing world.
Critique: A deftly written novel based on the theme of the lethal consequences of gentrification
in a rural Texas community, "The Gillespie County Fair" is an extraordinary read and one that is
unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Gillespie County Fair" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Yours
Lila Jeanne Elliott Sybesma
Indiana History Center
450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
www.indianahistory.org
9780871954312, $9.95, PB, 321pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Yours: The Civil War, a Love Triangle, and the Steamboat Sultana" is an historical
fiction novel by Lila Sybesma that is told in two voices: Sarah and Joseph.
Sarah Sutton and brothers Gabe and Joseph Elliott grew up together in 1860s rural Indianapolis.
As teenagers, the brothers vie for Sarah's attention, but their attempts are disrupted when they
both enlist in the Union army. Sarah also joins the war effort when she follows her father, a
surgeon, to tend wounded soldiers in a regimental hospital.
At the close of the war, the childhood friends unite on the Sultana, a steamboat returning
thousands of Union soldiers home from the South. Tragedy strikes when the boilers explode, and
the fiery vessel sinks in the Mississippi River. Will the three survive?
Critique: An original and deftly crafted work of fiction, "Yours: The Civil War, a Love Triangle,
and the Steamboat Sultana" showcases the author's genuine flair for a thoroughly reader engaging
narrative storytelling style. An inherently interesting novel from first page to last, "Yours" is very
highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.
A Silken Thread
Kim Vogel Sawyer
WaterBrook Press
c/o WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
10807 New Allegiance Drive Suite 500, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780735290129, $14.95, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Laurel Millard, youngest of seven children, is expected to stay home
and "take care of Mama" by her older siblings, but Laurel has dreams of starting her own family.
Operating a silk loom at the Atlanta Exposition will give her the chance to capture the heart of a
man wealthy enough to take care of Laurel and any children she might bear, as well as her
mother.
Langdon Rochester's parents have given him an ultimatum: settle down with a wife or lose his
family inheritance. At the Exposition, Langdon meets Laurel. Marrying her would satisfy his
parents's command, she would look lovely on his arm for social events, and in her besotted state,
he believes she would overlook him continuing pursuing rowdy adventures with his unmarried
buddies. Langdon decides to woo Laurel.
Willie Sharp is not well-off and must take on an extra job at the Atlanta Exposition as a security
guard. When mischief-makers cause trouble in the Women's Building, Willie is put in charge of
keeping the building secure. He enjoys visiting with Laurel, who seems like the little sister he
never had, but his feelings for Laurel change to something much deeper. Can Willie convince
Laurel that he can give her better life--even with so little to offer?
Critique: A true love triangle romance novel, "A Silken Thread" by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a
riveting good read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended, especially for
community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"A Silken Thread" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Welsh Fasting Girl
Varley O'Connor
Bellevue Literary Press
c/o NYU School of Medicine
550 First Ave., OBV A612, New York, NY 10016
www.blpress.org
9781942658627, $16.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Sarah Jacob was the most famous of the Victorian era 'fasting girls',
who claimed to miraculously survive without food, serving as flashpoints between struggling
religious, scientific, and political factions.
"The Welsh Fasting Girl" is a novel based on Sarah's life and premature death from what may be
the first documented case of anorexia.
This is also the story of an American journalist who, recovering from her husband's death in the
Civil War, leaves her home and children behind to travel to Wales, where she investigates
Sarah's bizarre case by becoming the young girl's friend and confidante.
Unable to prevent the girl's tragic decline while doctors, nurses, and a local priest keep watch, the
journalist documents the curious family dynamic, the trial that convicted Sarah's parents, and an
era's hysterical need to both believe and destroy Sarah's seemingly miraculous power.
Critique: An inherently riveting read that is at once intense, dark, and utterly compelling, "The
Welsh Fasting Girl" is one of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader
long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. Varley O'Connor's "The Welsh
Fasting Girl" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Welsh Fasting Girl" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.01).
The King's Mercy
Lori Benton
WaterBrook Press
c/o WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
10807 New Allegiance Drive Suite 500, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9781601429964, $15.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When captured rebel Scotsman Alex MacKinnon is granted the king's mercy in the
form of exile to the Colony of North Carolina where he is indentured to Englishman Edmund
Carey as a blacksmith. Against his will Alex is drawn into the struggles of Carey's slaves -- and
those of his stepdaughter, Joanna Carey.
A mistress with a servant's heart, Joanna is expected to wed her father's overseer, Phineas
Reeves, but finds herself drawn instead to the new blacksmith. As their unlikely relationship
deepens, successive tragedies strike the Careys. When blame falls unfairly upon Alex he flees to
the distant mountains where he encounters Reverend Pauling, itinerant preacher and friend of the
Careys, now a prisoner of the Cherokees.
Haunted by his abandoning of Joanna, Alex tries to settle into life with the Cherokees, until
circumstances thwart yet another attempt to forge his freedom and he's faced with the choice
that's long hounded him: continue down his rebellious path or embrace the faith of a man like
Pauling, whose freedom in Christ no man can steal. But the price of such mercy is total
surrender, and perhaps Alex's very life.
Critique: A deftly written and epic historical romance novel, "The King's Mercy" by Lori Benton
is another extraordinary novel by a master of the genre. A genuinely riveting read with more plot
twists and turns than a Disney Land roller coaster, "The King's Mercy" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to community library Historical Romance Fiction collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The King's Mercy" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $11.99). Librarians should also note that "The King's Mercy" is available in
a large print edition (Center Point Pub., 978-1643582917, $35.49, Library Binding, 500pp).
If I Had Two Lives
Abbigail N. Rosewood
Europa Editions
214 West 29th Street, Suite 1003, New York, N.Y. 10001
www.europaeditions.com
9781609455217, $18.00, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As a child, isolated from the world in a secretive military encampment with her distant
mother, a young woman turns for affection to a sympathetic soldier and to the only other girl in
the camp, forming two friendships that will shape the rest of her life.
As a young adult in New York, cut off from her native country and haunted by the scars of her
youth, she is still in search of a home. She falls in love with a married woman who is the image
of her childhood friend, and follows strangers because they remind her of her soldier. When
tragedy arises, she must return to Vietnam to confront the memories of her youth - and recover
her identity.
An inspiring meditation on love, loss, and the presence of a past that never dies, "If I Had Two
Lives" is a deftly scripted novel by Abbigail N. Rosewood that deftly explores the ancient
question: do we value the people in our lives because of who they are, or because of what we
need them to be?
Critique: An author who can evoke powerful emotional responses in her readers seemingly at
will, Abbigail Rosewood's "If I Had Two Lives" is one of those rare novels that will linger in the
mind and memory long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. While
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "If I Had Two Lives" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.49).
Crashing the A-List
Summer Heacock
Mira Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
9780778369288, $15.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After four months of unemployment, former book editor Clara Montgomery is
officially stuck -- stuck sleeping on her little brother's ugly couch in Queens, stuck scrolling
through job listings in search of a new editorial position. And just desperate enough to take on a
temporary gig clearing out abandoned storage units. If nothing else, she's determined to keep her
rapidly dwindling savings account intact.
Unfortunately, she is in no way prepared for stumbling upon dead snakes or dealing with glass
jars that she's convinced are full of pickled eyeballs. And why does everything seem to smell like
beets?
Then Clara comes across a unit that was once owned by an escort service and finds the brothel
"resume" of a younger Caspian Tiddleswich, an astonishingly famous British actor. She has no
intention of cashing in on her discovery, but her awkward attempts to reassure Caspian that his
secret is safe go awry. Now Caspian is convinced that Clara is a blackmailer, the tabloids have
her pegged as Caspian's newest girlfriend -- and Clara begins to find the A-lister's charms more
irresistible than she expected!
Critique: A riveting great read by an author with a genuine flair for deftly crafted and fully
entertaining storytelling, Summer Heacock's "Crashing the A-List" will prove to be an immediate
and enduringly popular addition to all community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Crashing the A-List" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Morning Side of the Hill
Ezra E. Fitz
2Leaf Press
PO Box 4378, Grand Central Station, New York , NY, 10163-4378
www.2leafpress.org
9781940939261, $16.99, PB, 162pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Ezra E. Fitz' debut as novelist, "The Morning Side of the Hill" is story of Willie and
Mo, the two insecure and incomplete men. It is a novella told in two parallel stories in the format
of alternating chapters that subtly illuminate one another. Set in Harlem and Crown Heights in
Brooklyn, the twin tales gather like a storm to an exhilarating ferocity, culminating in a violent
flood of passions that none of the characters can control, and which threatens to drown them all.
Faulkner fans may think they know what the end holds for these characters. The climatic finale of
"The Morning Side of the Hill" exposes an unexpected coincidence and a uniquely reader
engaging finish.
Critique: Clearly, "The Morning Side of the Hill" reveals author Ezra E. Fitz's genuine flair for
originality and impressively imaginative storytelling skills. A thoroughly reader engaging read
from first page to last, "The Morning Side of the Hill" is an especially recommended addition to
both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Morning Side of the Hill" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $2.37).
Unblinking
Lisa Lenzo
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814346716, $18.99, PB, 191pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Unblinking", short story writer Lisa Lenzo's angels, lovers, and children are back --
older, sometimes wiser, and shedding new light. All ten stories comprising "Unblinking" take
place in or circle back to Detroit and portray both the beauty and grit of the city and its
inhabitants.
In "Up in the Air," a blues musician cherishes his memory of falling from a tree ("the utter
sweetness of falling, of floating, almost still") even though his downward plunge has left him
seriously disabled. The narrator of "In the White Man's House," recalls a high school basketball
game, torn by racial division, and the distress of his teenaged friend who strove to be "blacker."
In "Losing It," a disgruntled angel tries to help a nurse control his outbursts of comic and fruitless
anger. And in "Marching," an old white man, who now has great difficulty walking, remembers
marching fifty miles with Martin Luther King Jr. Despite the hardships they experience, the
characters in the collection find pleasure and solace in what this lovely planet has to offer.
By turns playful and grave, told with humor and candor, these down-to-earth and heavenly stories
will both surprise with fresh insight and remind the reader of what they already know.
"Unblinking" is a short story collection for any lover of contemporary fiction looking for that
strong pulse of feeling.
Critique: Lisa Lenzo is the author of "Within the Lighted City, which was chosen by Ann Beattie
for the 1997 John Simmons Short Fiction Award, as well as the 2015 Michigan Notable Book
Award winner "Strange Love" (Wayne State University Press). Lenzo's other awards include a
PEN Syndicated Fiction Award, a Hemingway Days Festival Award, and First Prize for Fiction
in the 2017 Literature and Medicine Writing Contest. Her stories and essays have appeared in the
Michigan Quarterly Review, Sacred Ground: Stories about Home, Fresh Water: Women Writing
on the Great Lakes, and on NPR. A deftly skilled master of the short story format, Lisa Lenzo's
"Unblinking" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary
Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Unblinking" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
All City
Alex Difrancesco
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
www.sevenstories.com
9781609809393, $17.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In a near-future New York City ravaged by climate change and economic inequality, a
superstorm hits, leaving behind only those who had nowhere else to go and no way to get out.
Among those who remain are 24-year-old Makayla, who works in the city's most ubiquitous
convenience store chain, and Jesse, an 18-year-old, genderqueer anarchist living in an abandoned
IRT station in the Bronx. In the aftermath of the storm, Jesse joins Makayla's group of
remainders in an abandoned luxury condo building, carving out a small sanctuary in the midst of
a destroyed city.
Meanwhile, mysterious, colorful murals begin to appear throughout NYC, bringing hope to the
forsaken and left-behind. But the storm's castaways aren't the only ones who find beauty in the
art: the media, having long abandoned the supposedly-hopeless metropolis, "discovers" the
emergence of the murals. When one appears on Makayla and Jesse's repurposed luxury condo, it
is only a matter of time before the landlord class comes back to claim the city for
themselves.
Critique: A unique and original dystopian novel by a master of the genre, Alex Difrancesco's "All
City" is a simply riveting read from cover to cover. While certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "All City" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Bluff
Michael Kardos
The Mysterious Press
Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802128041, $25.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: At twenty-seven, magician Natalie Webb is already a has-been. A card-trick prodigy,
she took first place at the World of Magic competition at eighteen and has never again reached
such heights. Shunned by the magic world after a disastrous liaison with an older magician, she
now lives alone in a New Jersey apartment with her pigeons and a pile of overdue bills. In a
desperate ploy for extra cash, she follows up on an old offer to write for a glossy magazine and
pitches the editor a seductive topic: the art of cheating at cards.
But when Natalie meets the perfect subject for her piece (a poker cheat who dazzles at sleight of
hand) what begins as a journalistic gamble soon becomes a test of everything she thinks she
knows about her talent, and herself. Natalie soon finds herself facing a dangerous proposition
that could radically alter her fortune -- to help pull off a $1.5 million magic trick that, if done
successfully, no one will ever suspect happened!
Critique: Providing the reader with a kind of literary magic, "Bluff" by Michael Kardos is a deftly
scripted roller coaster of a read from beginning to end. While very highly recommended for
community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller Fiction collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Bluff" is also available in a paperback edition (9780802129659,
$16.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.60).
Focus Lost
Doug Cooper
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
www.rarebirdbooks.com
9781947856899, $18.00, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The line between passion and obsession runs through us all. Levi Combs never
planned to rocket to stardom. Eva Florez knew he would the moment she saw him. Gabe Adams
didn't want anything to do with celebrities. But after Gabe's sister sells his photos of Levi with a
young starlet to a tabloid website, their lives become intertwined forever, bound by rage and
retribution.
Critique: An original and narrative driven novel that showcases the author's genuine talents as a
storyteller captures his reader's dedicated attention from first page to last, Doug Cooper's "Focus
Lost" is a complex tale of 'temptation, indulgence, and revenge' that will prove to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Focus Lost" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $13.45).
The View from Alameda Island
Robyn Carr
Mira
9780778369790, $16.99, www.mirabooks.com
The View from Alameda Island tells of Lauren, who has been stuck in a loveless marriage with
her surgeon husband Brad. Her frustration reaches a peak at the same time as Beau Magellan
decides to end his troubled marriage with Pamela. A chance encounter between the two who are
already on the cusp of big changes after decades of poor relationships leads to more meetings and
the recognition that each are going through similar experiences at the same time. The last thing
either of them needs is a new rebound relationship; but love doesn't always recognize logic, and
the two discover that their connections and emotions over their divorces creates a situation and
friendship in which love blossoms even when doubts set in. A fine story steeped in California
culture evolves to interest romance readers interested in changing senses of place and
purpose.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Circus Train Conspiracy
Edward Marston
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785416088, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In 1860 and following a string of successful performances, the Moscardi Circus is
traveling by train to Newcastle for their next show. Amongst the usual railway hubbub, the
animals have been loaded, the clowns (now out of their make-up and costumes are incognito) are
aboard, and Mauro Moscardi himself is comfortable in a first-class compartment with a
cigar.
Yet when there is a collision on the track with a couple of sleepers pandemonium breaks out as
passengers are thrown about and animals escape into the night making the future of the circus
looks uncertain.
Then when the body of a woman is discovered in woodland next to the derailment, Inspector
Colbeck is despatched to lend assistance, believing the two incidents might be connected. It is up
to Colbeck to put the pieces together to discover the identity of the nameless woman and unmask
who is targeting Moscardi's Magnificent Circus
Critique: An exceptionally well crafted and thoroughly reader engaging mystery from beginning
to end, this large print edition of "The Circus Train Conspiracy" by Edward Marston will prove
to be an enduringly popular addition to both personal reading lists and community library
Mystery/Suspense collections.
The Quiche and the Dead
Kirsten Weiss
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496708960, $7.99, PB, 313pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Owning her own business seemed like pie in the sky to Valentine Harris when she
moved to the coastal California town of San Nicholas, expecting to start a new life with her
fiance. Five months (and one broken engagement) later, at least her dream of opening a pie shop
has become a reality. But when one of her regulars keels over at the counter while eating a
quiche, Val feels like she's living a nightmare.
After the police determine the customer was poisoned, business at Pie Town drops faster than a
fallen crust. Convinced they're both suspects, Val's flaky, seventy-something pie crust maker
Charlene drags her boss into some amateur sleuthing. At first Val dismisses Charlene's
half-baked hypotheses, but before long the ladies uncover some shady dealings hidden in
fog-bound San Nicholas. Now Val must expose the truth -- before a crummy killer tries to shut
her pie hole.
Critique: Another simply riveting and entertaining read from beginning to end by a master of the
genre, Kirsten Weiss' "The Quiche and the Dead" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition
to any and all community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of all Kirsten Weiss fans that "The Quiche and the Dead" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor
Audio, 9781977367402, $24.99, CD).
Off the Grid
Robert McCaw
Oceanview Publishing
1620 Main Street, Suite 11, Sarasota, FL 34236
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608093618, $26.95, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A scrap of cloth fluttering in the wind leads Hilo police Chief Detective Koa Kane to
the tortured remains of an unfortunate soul left to burn in the path of an advancing lava flow. For
Koa, it's the second gruesome homicide of the day, and he soon discovers the murders are linked.
These grisly crimes on Hawai'i's Big Island could rewrite history -- or cost Chief Detective Koa
Kane his career.
The dead, a reclusive couple living off the grid, turn out to be mysterious fugitives. The CIA, the
Chinese government, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, attempt to thwart Koa's investigation
and obscure the victims' true identities. Undeterred by mounting political pressure, Koa pursues
the truth only to find himself drawn into a web of international intrigue.
While Koa investigates, the Big Island scrambles to prepare for the biggest and most explosive
political rally in its history. Despite police resources stretched to the breaking point, Koa
uncovers a government conspiracy so shocking its exposure topples senior officials far beyond
Hawai'i's shores.
Critique: Another carefully crafted gem of a mystery from the author of "Death of a Messenger",
novelist Robert McCaw's "Off the Grid" is a riveting read by a master of the genre and
unreservedly recommended for all community library Mystery/Suspense/Thriller collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Off the Grid" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.95).
More News Tomorrow
Susan Richards Shreve
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393292947, $25.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: On the morning of her seventieth birthday, Georgianna Grove receives an unexpected
letter that calls her back to Missing Lake, Wisconsin, where her mother was murdered sixty-six
years earlier. Georgie's father had confessed to the murder the next morning and was carted off to
a state penitentiary.
Haunted by the night that took both her parents away and determined to unearth the truth,
Georgie takes her reluctant family on what will become a dangerous canoe trip up the
swollen.
Critique: An impressively crafted novel that offers a deftly woven narrative and a cast of
memorable characters, "More News Tomorrow" by Susan Richard Shreve is unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "More News Tomorrow" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.64) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(HighBridge Audio, 9781684419999, $29.99, CD).
A Crafter Hooks a Killer
Holy Quinn
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781643850122, $26.99, HC, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Samantha "Sammy" Kane is settling into her new life in idyllic Heartsford, Wisconsin,
running her late friend Kate Allen's craft shop, Community Craft when one early June day,
bestselling crochet author Jane Johnson visits Heartsford.
Captivated by Community Craft, Jane devotes a chapter in her new book, Behind the Seams, to
the store. Sammy is honored, though satisfaction quickly turns to shock when she finds Jane
strangled to death -- her cold hands clutching a copy of her most recently published book, with
the words "THE END" raggedly scratched into the cover.
Not only must Sammy now contend with the author's inauspicious demise, she has to untie some
knotty details from her own past. It turns out Kate's death was not what it seemed, and instead
somehow hooked to Jane Johnson's demise. Handsome Detective Liam Nash is on the "skein",
more than happy to see the shop owner again, if less than enamored by her sleuthing
interventions. But this was Sammy's best friend -- she has to know.
Fortunately, as a child, Sammy formed the S.H.E. detective team with her cousin, Heidi, and her
sister, Ellie. Having already reconstituted their partnership, the S.H.E. team searches for a pattern
behind the latest death.
Critique: The second title in author Holly Quinn's 'A handcrafted Mystery' series, "A Crafter
Hooks a Killer" is a superbly crafted 'whodunnit' style mystery that will hold the reader's rapt
attention from cover to cover. With more plot twists and turns than a Disney Land roller coaster,
"A Crafter Hooks a Killer" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone that
enjoys an original mystery by an expert in the genre that "A Crafter Hooks a Killer" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Dreamscape Media, 9781974976126, $29.99, CD).
Sweet Tea and Secrets
Joy Avon
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781643850238, $26.99, HC, 281pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Last Christmas, Callie Aspen left her tour guide job and settled in Heart's Harbor,
Maine. Now, she helps out at Book Tea, her great aunt's vintage tearoom, where each treat has a
bookish clue. Though she's excited to start her new life, Callie worries she may regret having
burned her bridges behind her. Fortunately, she finds immediate distraction in the preparations
for a spectacular Fourth of July tea party, which will recreate key moments from the town's rich
history.
Intrigued to learn that 1980s TV star Monica Walker was last seen in Heart's Harbor before she
vanished (allegedly to elope) Callie probes the townsfolk for information. She's stunned when
several locals share contradictory stories about the last day before Monica's disappearance. Did
she intend to leave her hit TV series? Was she being stalked by her ex? And why is the
newspaper editor who investigated the story at the time so anxious about the cold case heating
up?
When one of the talkative townspeople turns up dead, Callie aims to catch the killer. But it's no
picnic: Deputy Falk doesn't want her meddling, and the locals suddenly know more about the
past than they'd been at liberty to admit. If Callie and the Book Tea crew can't crack the case,
they'll have to pay a very steep price!
Critique: Another deftly crafted 'Tea and Read Mystery' by Joy Avon, "Sweet Tea and Secrets" is
an inherently riveting 'whodunnit' by an accomplished master of the genre. While "Sweet Tea and
Secrets" is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for all community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated
mystery buffs that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Dreamscae Media, 9781974976881, $19.99, CD).
The Right Sort of Man
Allison Montclair
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250178367, $26.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In a London slowly recovering from World War II, two very different women join
forces to launch a business venture in the heart of Mayfair -- The Right Sort Marriage Bureau.
Miss Iris Sparks, quick-witted and impulsive, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, practical and
widowed with a young son, are determined to achieve some independence and do some good in a
rapidly changing world.
But the promising start to their marriage bureau is threatened when their newest client, Tillie La
Salle, is found murdered and the man arrested for the crime is the prospective husband they
matched her with. While the police are convinced they have their man, Miss Sparks and Mrs.
Bainbridge are not. To clear his name (and to rescue their fledgling operation's reputation) Sparks
and Bainbridge decide to investigate on their own, using the skills and contacts they've each
acquired through life and their individual adventures during the recent war.
Little do they know that this will put their very lives at risk.
Critique: A deftly scripted and original 'whodunnit' style novel of mystery and suspense, "The
Right Sort of Man" neatly showcases author Allison Montclair's particularly distinctive narrative
storytelling style. A true 'page turner' of a read from beginning to end, "The Right Sort of Man" is
unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "The Right Sort
of Man" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781982636494, $34.95, CD).
A Shot of Murder
J. A. Kazimer
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
www.midnightinkbooks.com
9780738760070, $15.99, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Ten years after leaving the small town of Gett, Florida, for Hollywood stardom,
Charlotte "Charms" Lucky, who has never quite lived up to her surname, returns home to run the
Lucky Whiskey distillery while her grandfather recovers from a heart attack.
Making whiskey is harder than Charlotte imagined, especially with longtime rivals and resentful
townsfolk interfering at every turn. She'll need more than a lucky charm to keep the family afloat,
after she discovers her former high school boyfriend's pickled corpse in a Lucky Whiskey cask,
and her grandfather is arrested for the murder.
Charlotte has one shot to clear his name and save the family business, and that is to find the real
killer among a town full of suspects.
Critique: An entertaining and riveting read with more plot twists than a bakery full of pretzels,
"A Shot of Murder" showcases author J. A. Kazimer's complete mastery of the genre. While A
Shot of Murder" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "A
Shot of Murder" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.44).
Chai Another Day
Leslie Budewitz
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633885363, $15.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As owner of the Spice Shop in Seattle's famed Pike Place Market, Pepper Reece is
always on the go. Between conjuring up new spice blends and serving iced spice tea to customers
looking to beat the summer heat, she finally takes a break for a massage. But the Zen moment is
shattered when she overhears an argument in her friend Aimee's vintage home decor shop that
ends in murder. Wracked by guilt over her failure to intervene, Pepper investigates, only to
discover a web of deadly connections that could ensnare a friend - and Pepper herself.
Critique: Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to all community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, "Chai Another Day" is a superbly crafted suspense thriller of a
mystery read from beginning to end. It should be noted for the personal reading lists that "Chai
Another Day" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781515937135, $29.95, CD).
Grab a Snake by the Tail
Leonardo Padura
Bitter Lemon Press
www.bitterlemonpress.com
9781912242177, $14.95, PB, 284pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Mario Conde investigates a murder in the Barrio Chino, the rundown Chinatown of
Havana. Not his usual beat, but when Conde was asked to take the case by his colleague, the
sultry, perfectly proportioned Lieutenant Patricia Chion, a frequent object of his nightly fantasies,
he couldn't resist.
The case proves to be unusual. Pedro Cuang, a lonely old man, is found hanging naked from a
beam in the ceiling of his dingy room. One of his fingers has been amputated and a drawing of
two arrows was engraved with a knife on his chest. Was this a ritual Santeria killing or a just a
sordid settling of accounts in a world of drug trafficking that began to infiltrate Cuban society in
the 1980s?
Soon Conde discovers unexpected connections, secret businesses and a history of misfortune,
uprooting and loneliness that affected many immigrant families from China. As ever with a
writer like Leondardo Padura, "Grab a Snake by the Tail" is soaked in atmosphere: the drinking
of rum in deliciously smoke-filled bars, the friendships, the food and beautiful women.
Critique: Another riveting read from the pen of a true master of the mystery genre, "Grab a Snake
by the Tail" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated suspense thriller fans
that "Grab a Snake by the Tail" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.59).
Here Today, Gone Tamale
Rebecca Adler
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780425275917, $7.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After losing her newspaper job in Austin and having her former fiance unfriend her on
Facebook, Josie Callahan scoops up her Chihuahua, Lenny, and slinks back to Broken Boot,
Texas. Maybe working as head waitress at Milagro - her aunt and uncle's Tex-Mex restaurant -
isn't exactly living the dream, but it is a fresh start.
And business is booming as tourists pour into Broken Boot for its famous Wild West Festival.
But when a local jewelry designer is found strangled outside Milagro after a tamale-making
party, Josie's reporter instincts kick in. As suspects pile up and alibis crack faster than taco shells,
Josie needs to wrap up this case tighter than her tia's tortillas - before another victim calls for the
check...
Critique: Debuting her new 'Taste of Texas' mystery series by Rebecca Adler, "Here Today, Gone
Tamale" is wonderfully entertaining and deftly crafted page turner of a 'whodunnit' read by a
master of the genre. While very highly recommended for both the personal reading lists of all
dedicated mystery buffs and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted
that "Here Today, Gone Tamale" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
The Fragility of Bodies
Sergio Olguin
Bitter Lemon Press
www.bitterlemonpress.com
9781912242191, $14.95, PB, 348pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When she hears about the suicide of a Buenos Aires train driver who has left a note
confessing to four mortal 'accidents' on the train tracks, journalist Veronica Rosenthal decides to
investigate.
For the police the case is closed (suicide is suicide), for Veronica it is the beginning of a journey
that takes her into an unfamiliar world of grinding poverty, crime-infested neighborhoods, and
train drivers on commuter lines haunted by the memory of bodies hit at speed by their
locomotives in the middle of the night.
Aided by a train driver with whom she has a tumultuous and reckless affair, a junkie in rehab and
two street kids willing to risk everything for a can of Coke, she uncovers a group of men
involved in betting on working-class youngsters convinced to play Russian roulette by standing
in front of fast-coming trains.
Critique: A deftly scripted and page-turner of a read from beginning to end, "The Fragility of
Bodies" is an original and extraordinary novel by an author who exhibits a distinctively reader
engaging narrative storytelling style. While unreservedly recommended for both community and
academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Fragility of Bodies" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.95).
A Nearly Normal Family
M. T. Edvardsson
Celadon Books
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
www.celadonbooks.com
9781250204431, $26.99, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost
fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason
could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him?
Stella's father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses
tested as they defend their daughter, while struggling to understand why she is a suspect. Told in
an unusual three-part structure, "A Nearly Normal Family" asks the questions: How well do you
know your own children? How far would you go to protect them?
Critique: A deftly crafted suspense thriller by a master of the genre, "A Nearly Normal Family"
by M. T. Edvardsson takes the reader on a roller coaster of a ride with its surprising plot twists
and unexpected turns ultimately leading to a climax that will not soon be forgotten. A genuine
page turner of a read from cover to cover, "A Nearly Normal Family" is unreservedly
recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"A Nearly Normal Family" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250221247, $39.99, CD).
Come and Get Me
August Norman
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683319757, $26.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When award-winning journalist Caitlin Bergman is invited back to campus to receive
an honorary degree, she finds an opportunity for a well-earned victory lap -- and a chance to face
the trauma that almost destroyed her as an undergrad. But her lap becomes an all-out race when a
student begs her to probe an unsolved campus disappearance: Angela Chapman went out one
Friday night and never came back.
To find the missing woman, Caitlin must join forces with a local police detective and the
department that botched her own case so long ago. But while Caitlin follows the clues behind
Angela's disappearance, someone else is following her!
Unearthing secrets hidden beneath an idyllic Midwestern college town, Caitlin must expose what
really happened to Angela -- before she herself becomes the newest addition to a twisted
collection.
Critique: Author August Norman's latest Caitlin Bergman novel, "Come and Get Me" is another
of his deftly crafted suspense thrillers with more unexpected twists and turns than a carnival
roller coaster ride. While very highly recommended for community library Contemporary
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Come and Get
Me" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
The Mermaid's Scream
Kate Ellis
Thorpe / Charnwood Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444838336, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Why did Wynn Staniland, a legend in the literary world, suddenly become a recluse in
the 1980s? Most assumed he stopped writing because of his wife's bizarre suicide; a death that
mirrored a murder case from the nineteenth century. And now a promising young author called
Zac Wilkinson is working on Staniland's biography and hopes to reveal the true story to a waiting
world - while keeping his own troubled past hidden from public view.
But when Wilkinson is found brutally murdered, DI Wesley Peterson finds links to the
unexplained poisoning of a middle-aged couple at a local caravan park - and Wynn Staniland
appears to be the connection!
Critique: An inherently engaging and superbly crafted mystery by an author with a genuine flair
for originality and a distinctive narrative storytelling style, this large print edition of "The
Mermaid's Scream" by Kate Ellis is especially recommended for both the personal reading lists
of dedicated mystery buffs and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
The Hard Stuff
David Gordon
The Mysterious Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802129567, $26.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Ex-black-ops-specialist-turned-strip-club-bouncer Joe Brody has a new qualification to
add to his resume: an alliance of New York City's mob bosses has deemed him its "sheriff." In
the straight world, when you "see something" you "say something" to the law. In the bent world,
they call Joe.
Still reeling from a particularly difficult operation, and having plummeted back into the drug and
alcohol addiction that got him kicked out of the military as a result, Joe has just managed to
detox at the clinic of a Chinese herbalist when the mob bosses phone: they need Joe to help them
swindle a group of opioid dealers (of all things). But these are no typical drug-ferrying
gangsters.
Little Maria, the head of the Dominican mob, has discovered that her new heroin suppliers
belong to an al Qaeda splinter group, and that they're planning to use their drug funds to back
their terrorist agenda. With Joe in command, the mob coalition must pull off an intricate heist
that will begin in Manhattan's diamond district. At stake is not only their business, but the state
of the world.
Critique: With an ingenious plot that could easily be pulled from tomorrow's headlines, "The
Hard Stuff" is an inherently riveting read from first page to last. With more twists and turns than
a Coney Island roller coaster ride, "The Hard Stuff" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly
popular addition to community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that David Gordon's "The Hard Stuff" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $16.24).
One Little Secret
Cate Holahan
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683319726, $26.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The glass beach house was supposed to be the getaway that Susan needed. Eager to
help her transplanted family set down roots in their new town (and desperate for some kid-free
conversation) she invites her new neighbors to join in on a week-long sublet with her and her
workaholic husband.
Over the course of the first evening, liquor loosens inhibitions and lips. The three couples begin
picking up on the others' marital tensions and work frustrations, as well as revealing their own.
But someone says too much. And the next morning one of the women is discovered dead on the
private beach.
Town detective Gabby Watkins must figure out who permanently silenced the deceased. As she
investigates, she learns that everyone in the glass house was hiding something that could tie them
to the murder, and that the biggest secrets of all are often in plain sight for anyone willing to
look.
Critique: "One Little Secret" is a perfect example of the locked room mystery genre and features
an unforgettable cast of characters. Clearly, author Cate Holahan is a master of this particular
form and format, making "One Little Secret" a truly and unreservedly recommended addition to
community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of especially dedicated mystery buffs that "One Little Secret" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Carolina Connection
Lee Mims
Black Opal Books
PO Box 504, Parkdale, OR 97041
https://blackopalbooks.com
9781644370797, $14.29, PB, 316pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Boo Overton is known as an oddball, a real loner in the town of Smithfield, North
Carolina. They say she obsesses over germs, never uses makeup, and thinks an old John Deere
cap is enough to tame her unruly curls. The locals hardly ever saw her in town until her husband
was killed in a work accident and overnight she became a young widow in need of an
income.
She boldly decides to risk the little capital she has left to turn his farm into a grass-fed beef
operation -- never mind that she doesn't know beans about cattle. Her plan to hire a well-known
Argentinian horse trainer to handle the cow horses she has yet to buy takes a dark turn when he's
found dead at the prosperous Lost Acres Farm.
Undeterred, she forges on, finding an unexpected friend in Detective Felix Truly, an Iraq veteran
with demons of his own. He's moved back to his hometown to investigate a string of murders
that may be related to gangs, and a strange tattoo. He warns Boo to stay out of amateur sleuthing,
but Boo is stubbornly determined to right wrongs and get over her fears. Their paths keep
crossing as each uncovers the separate, often grisly components of what will become the
Carolina Connection.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by an author whose distinctive and original storytelling style
engages the reader's fully entertained attention from first page to last, "The Carolina Connection"
by Lee Mims is unreservedly and especially recommended for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated
suspense/thriller mystery fans that "The Carolina Connection" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $3.99).
The Dead Girl in 2A
Carter Wilson
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781492686033, $15.99, PB, 416pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Jack Buchanan knows the woman sitting next to him on his business flight to Denver -
- he just can't figure out how he knows her. Clara Stowe isn't in Jake's line of work and didn't go
to college with him. They have nearly nothing in common apart from a deep and shared certainty
that they've met before.
As their airplane conversation deepens, both struggle to figure out what circumstances could
have possibly brought them together. Then, in a revelation that sends Jake reeling, Clara admits
she's traveling to the Colorado mountains to kill herself, and she disappears into the crowded
airport immediately after landing.
"The Dead Girl in 2A" is the story of what happens to Jake and Clara after they get off that plane,
and the manipulative figure who has brought them together decades after they first met.
Critique: A deftly scripted psychological thriller of a novel, "The Dead Girl in 2A" showcases
author Carter Wilson's distinctive narrative storytelling style and expertise. An original and
intensely riveting read from cover to cover, "The Dead Girl in 2A" is unreservedly recommended
for both personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
It should be noted for suspense/thriller fans that "The Dead Girl in 2A" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $10.44).
Charity's Burden
Edith Maxwell
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
www.midnightinkbooks.com
9780738756431, $15.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The winter of 1889 is harsh in Amesbury, Massachusetts, but it doesn't stop Quaker
midwife Rose Carroll from making the rounds to her pregnant and postpartum mothers. But
when Charity Skells dies from an apparent early miscarriage, Rose wonders about the symptoms
that don't match the stated cause of death.
She learns that Charity's husband may be up to no good with a young woman whose mother
appears to offer prohibited medical procedures. A disgraced physician in town does the same,
while Charity's cousin seems to have a nefarious agenda of his own. With several suspects
emerging, each with their own possible motives, Rose and police detective Kevin Donovan race
against time to solve the case before another innocent life is lost.
Critique: Another deftly penned and riveting mystery by a master of the genre, "Charity's
Burden" is the fourth title in author Edith Maxwell's simply outstanding 'A Quaker Midwife
Mystery' series. While "Charity's Burden" is certain to be an immediately popular and
appreciated addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for
the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs and Edith Maxwell fans that it is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.16). Librarians will also want to note that there is
also a hardcover large print edition of "Charity's Burden" available as well (Thorndike Press,
9781432862725, $30.99, 386pp).
Peach Clobbered
Anna Gerard
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781643850061, $26.99, HC, 313pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Nina Fleet's life ought to be as sweet as a Georgia peach. Awarded a tidy sum in her
divorce, Nina retired at 41 to a historic Queen Anne house in quaint Cymbeline, GA. But Nina's
barely settled into her new B&B-to-be when a penguin shows up on her porch. Or, at least, a man
wearing a penguin suit.
Harry Westcott is making ends meet as an ice cream shop's mascot and has a letter from his
great-aunt, pledging to leave him the house. Too bad that's not what her will says. Meanwhile,
the Sisters of Perpetual Poverty have lost their lease. Real estate developer Gregory Bainbridge
intends to turn the convent into a golfing community, so Cymbeline's mayor persuades Nina to
take in the elderly nuns. And then Nina finds the "penguin" again, this time lying in an alley with
a kitchen knife in his chest.
A peek under the beak tells Nina it's not Harry inside the costume, but Bainbridge. What was he
doing in Harry's penguin suit? Was the developer really the intended victim, or did the culprit
mean to kill Harry? Whoever is out to stop Harry from contesting the sale of his great-aunt's
house may also be after Nina, so she teams up with him to cage the killer before someone clips
her wings in Peach Clobbered.
Critique: A superbly crafted and wonderfully entertaining mystery that is a truly compulsive
page-turner of a read from cover to cover, "Peach Clobbered" by Anna Gerard is unreserved
recommended for both dedicated mystery buffs and community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted that "Peach Clobbered" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (9781974975945, Dreamscape
Media, $29.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Anna Gerard is an experienced author who specializes in cozy mysteries with a
southern twist. A Native Texan, she received a degree in journalism from the University of
Oklahoma. The president of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America, she enjoys
reading, landscaping, and selling vintage goods on Etsy. She currently resides in the boonies of
Florida.
Blindsided: A Mystery
Kate Watterson
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683317623, $26.99, HC, 279pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A decade after Cadence Lawrence accused the perpetrator in the brutal murder of her
high school friend, she's finally put the nightmare to rest. But the ghosts of her past won't rest,
and an unexpected encounter with the killer reawakens demons she thought were long dead.
Gripped by paranoia, Cadence fears she's being stalked, and suspects that the murderer has
invaded the sanctity of her home. Could her chance encounter have rekindled the savage rage that
claimed the life of her friend and now threatens Cadence herself?
Half-crazed with fear, Cadence takes flight, but instead of finding sanctuary, she runs headlong
into one of the worst snowstorms to blast northern Wisconsin in years. Stranded, freezing, and
alone, Cadence confronts her worst nightmare -- until deliverance comes in the form of a stranger
who rescues her and offers shelter from the blinding storm. But something is not altogether right
with her savior, and Cadence is faced with another impossible dilemma. Should she trust this
enigmatic stranger, or once again flee for her life? In the midst of an unrelenting storm, the walls
are closing in on Cadence.
Critique: An inherently fascinating suspense thriller of a read from beginning to end,
"Blindsided" showcases author Kate Watterson's truly impressive, reader engaging, narrative
storytelling talents. While especially recommended for community library Contemporary
Suspense/Thiller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Blindsided" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Dreamscape Media, 9781974976003, $29.99, CD).
The Execution of Justice
Friedrich Durrenmatt, author
John E. Woods, translator
Pushkin Vertigo
c/o Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781782273875, $14.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A respected professor is dead - shot in a crowded Zurich restaurant, in front of dozens
of witnesses. The murderer calmly turned himself in to the police. So why has he now hired a
lawyer to clear his name? And why has he chosen the drink-soaked, disreputable attorney named
Spat to defend him?
As he investigates, Spat finds himself obsessed, drawn ever deeper into a case of baffling
complexity until he reaches a deadly conclusion: justice can be restored only by a crime.
Critique: A dark, wicked satire on the legal system and a disturbing, if ambivalent, allegory on
guilt, justice, violence and morality, "The Execution of Justice" is an inherently riveting,
complexly scripted, neo-noir classic by Friedrich Durrenmatt. Translated into English for an
American readership by John E. Woods, "The Execution of Justice" is unreservedly
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections and university library
Contemporary Literary Fiction shelves. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Execution of Justice" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Friedrich Durrenmatt (1921-1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist, most famous
for his plays The Visit and The Physicists, which earned him a reputation as one of the greatest
playwrights in the German language. "The Execution of Justice" is just one of a number of his
highly regarded crime novels.
Booking the Crook
Laurie Cass
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780440000983, $7.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Minnie Hamilton and her rescue cat, Eddie, cruise around lovely Chilson, Michigan
delivering happiness and good reads in their bookmobile. But the feisty librarian is worried that
the bookmobile's future could be uncertain when a new library board chair arrives and doesn't
seem too friendly to her pet project. Still, she has to put her personal worries aside when she and
Eddie are out on their regular route and one of their favorite customers doesn't turn up to collect
her books. Minnie, at Eddie's prodding, checks on the woman and finds her lying dead in her
snow-covered driveway. Now it's up to Minnie and her friends (feline and otherwise) to find the
perpetrator and give them their due.
Critique: Another delightfully entertaining mystery from the mind and imagination of novelist
Laurie Cass, "Book the Crook" is certain to be an immediately popular addition to community
library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the legions of Laurie Cass fans that
"Booking the Crook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781515943211, $29.99, CD).
Buried
Ellison Cooper
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250173867, $26.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Senior Special Agent Sayer Altair studies the minds of psychopaths. But even she
didn't expect to uncover a killer within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Rooting him out and
exposing internal corruption got her a bullet wound and six months of desk duty. Now, she's
finally back in the field, called in when an off-duty FBI agent and his cadaver dog fall into a
sinkhole filled with human bones.
Found deep in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, the skeletal remains date back almost two
decades, the same time a beloved local teen disappeared. The cold case quickly heats up when
Sayer's team finds two fresh corpses among the bones. When a gruesome clue ties these new
bodies to a woman recently kidnapped along with her young daughter, Sayer has to uncover the
connection between the old bones and the new bodies before the mother and child become the
next victims.
But the killer is one step ahead, attacking her team and sabotaging their efforts. With Sayer's
investigation compromised and unsure of who to trust, she receives unwanted help from Subject
037, one of the anonymous psychopaths she is currently studying. She has the chilling realization
that he's someone powerful in Washington D.C. -- and he is not about to let a mundane serial
killer jeopardize his own ominous agenda for Sayer!
Critique: Ellison Cooper has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in
archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She has
conducted fieldwork in Central America, West Africa, Micronesia, and Western Europe. She has
worked as a murder investigator in Washington DC, and is a certified K9 Search and Rescue
Federal Disaster Worker. All of these elements of her experience and background have infused
her writing with an authenticity that results in being able to deftly craft an inherently riveting
thriller of a read from first page to last. While unreservedly recommended for community library
Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Buried" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Macmillan Audio, 9781250224026, $44.99, CD).
Go, Lovely Rose / The Evil Wish
Jean Potts
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781944520656, $19.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Jean Catherine Potts (November 17, 1910 - November 10, 1999) was an American
award winning mystery novelist. Now Stark House Press has reissued under one cover two of her
mystery novels -- Go, Lovely Rose & The Evil Wish.
"Go Lovely Rose" Mrs. Henshaw is found at the bottom of the cellar stairs with her neck broken.
Everyone assumes she has fallen. But when Rose's sister appears on the scene, she immediately
begins to cry murder. And she's right! Young Hartley is the obvious suspect. Mrs. Henshaw had
been his and his sister Rachel's housekeeper for many years, and there was no love lost between
any of them. In fact, no one in town really liked Rose Henshaw. Her ex-husband, Francie,
certainly knew how evil she could be -- she ruined his life. The rest of them were simply afraid of
her: young Dr. Craig, the newcomer in town; and Bix, Hartley's teenage girlfriend; her father,
Hugh Bovard, editor of the local paper; and his shattered wife, Althea, still mourning the loss of
her son. They all hated Rose Henshaw for one reason or another -- but who hated her enough to
push her down the stairs?
"The Evil Wish is the story of Marcia and Lucy who ever since they were little girls, would hide
in the basement of their brownstone and listen in on their father's conversations. But now they are
in their 30s, still living with their domineering father, and one day they eavesdrop on a very
portentous revelation. Their widowed father intends to marry his secretary, give her all his
money, and let her kick his daughters out of their house. In their anger and outrage, Marcia and
Lucy hatch a plot to murder him. When their father and his secretary are involved in a fatal car
crash, their plans prove unnecessary. But what are they to do with their murder scheme and the
residual guilt -- particularly when the aborted plot develops a life of its own?
Critique: The perfect introduction for a new generation of dedicated mystery buffs to an author
who was a master of the genre, "Go, Lovely Rose / The Evil Wish" is unreservedly
recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Go, Lovely Rose / The Evil Wish" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $4.99).
A Cat to Kill For
G. W. Miller
Veloce Publishing Ltd.
www.veloce.co.uk
9781787114098, $12.99, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Gavin Campbell runs a small and struggling classic car dealership in the historic
village of Watkins Glen, New York. When Gavin goes to look at an old Jaguar for a client he
senses that there's something unusual about the car. He also senses that there's something very
unusual about the client's sister, Emily, who has come along with him.
After bringing the car back to his workshop for restoration Gavin learns that the owner has died
in an apparent accident, but has reason to be suspicious about the death, particularly as a
mysterious stranger seems desperate to buy the car. Emily also has reason to believe that her
brother was murdered, and the two join forces to investigate.
Quirky romance develops as Gavin and Emily, who is affected by Asperger syndrome, infiltrate a
car club and play a dangerous game of cat and mouse amid its snobbish and potentially
murderous members!
Critique: Exhibiting a genuine flair for originality, G. W. Miller's "A Cat to Kill For" is a riveting
blend of mystery, suspense, adventure, eccentric characters, and romantic comedy. Deftly
scripted by a writer with an impressively reader engaging narrative storytelling style, "A Cat to
Kill For" is unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "A
Cat to Kill For" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Virus Bomb
D. Greg Scott
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781642791648, $17.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Jerry Barkley never worked for the government. An IT contractor from Minnesota, he
knows nothing about International espionage. But now he's on the front lines of the largest
cyber-attack in history and nobody believes his warnings when Jerry discovers the attackers are
gathering data to plan a series of bombings and a biological attack. To make things worse, the
FBI suspects he's the attacker!
Critique: The author of "Virus Bomb", Greg Scott is a veteran of the tumultuous IT industry who
started Scott Consulting and Infrasupport Corporation with a laser focus on infrastructure and
security. He currently works for an enterprise software company and holds several IT industry
certifications, including CISSP number 358671. This professional background gives his novel a
particularly realistic feel as a backdrop to a genuine suspense thriller of a read from first page to
last. While especially recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Virus Bomb" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99).
Death by the Bay
Patricia Skalka
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299323103, $24.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: On a chilly Monday in late spring, Sheriff Dave Cubiak is at the Green Arbor Lodge
for lunch when a scream from a nearby medical conference disrupts the scene. Leaping into
action, he finds the ninety-three-year-old director of the prestigious Institute for Progressive
Medicine collapsed on the floor, dead of a suspected heart attack.
As Cubiak interrogates the witnesses, he's struck by the inconsistencies in their stories. Some
evade questions while others offer contradictory statements. Then suddenly another scream
pierces the air again!
Past and present merge as long-buried secrets rise to the surface. The resourceful sheriff must
rely on his skills and wits, along with the advice and memories of friends and family, to uncover
the dark truth behind the Institute for Progressive Medicine.
Critique: President of the Chicagoland chapter of Sisters in Crime and dividing her time between
Chicago and Door County, Wisconsin, author Patricia Skalka is an impressively accomplished
master of the mystery genre (Death Stalks Door County, Death at Gills Rock, Death in Cold
Water, and Death Rides the Ferry) and in her latest novel, "Death by the Bay" she once again
fully captures the reader's dedicated attention in a complex mystery with more twists and turns
than a Coney Island roller coaster. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular
addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of the legions of Patricia Skalka fans that "Death by the Bay" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).
Murder on Trinity Place
Victoria Thompson
Berkley Prime Crime
9780399586637, $26.00, www.penguinrandomhouse.com
Murder on Trinity Place is a historical 'gaslight mystery' set at the turn of the century which
centers on Frank and Sarah Malloy, who are set to celebrate the 1900s with a new Year's
celebration at Trinity Church. When they encounter an acquaintance acting strangely and the man
vanishes, only to be found dead the next day, the Malloys are asked to investigate. What they find
involves more than one man's demise in this engrossing addition to the Gaslight Mystery series,
recommended for prior fans and newcomers alike.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Spine of the Dragon
Kevin J. Anderson
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
9781250302106, $26.99, HC, 528pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Two continents at war, the Three Kingdoms and Ishara, are divided by past bloodshed.
When an outside threat arises with the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that wants to
remake the world. The two warring nations must somehow set aside generational hatreds and
form an alliance to fight their true enemy.
Critique: Once again Kevin J. Anderson showcases his complete mastery of the sword & sorcery
genre with "Spine of the Dragon: Wake of the Dragon". A complex world, an enormous roster of
deftly scripted characters and creatures, a seemingly non-stop roller coaster ride of unexpected
plot twists and turns, "Spine of the Dragon" is a page turner of a read from cover to cover -- and
one of Anderson's very best fantasy novels to date! While unreservedly recommended for
community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
the legions of Kevin J. Anderson fans that "Spine of the Dragon" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $13.99).
To Clear Away the Shadows
David Drake
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781481484022, $25.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The truce between Cinnabar and the Alliance is holding, and the Republic of Cinnabar
Navy is able to explore regions of the galaxy without the explorers being swept up in great power
conflict. The Far Traveller is probing sponge space to open routes for Cinnabar traders -- and for
RCN warships if war breaks out again. But besides astrogation, the Far Traveller is to survey and
catalog life forms on the worlds it touches.
Harry Harper has just been posted to the Traveller. He's an RCN officer by convention, a scientist
by training -- and a member of one of leading aristocratic families on Cinnabar by birth.
Lieutenant Rick Grenville would rather serve on a warship in the heart of battle, but peace and
the whim of the Navy Board have put him on an exploration vessel instead. He finds that the
dangers on the fringes of civilization are just as great as those from missiles and gunfire that he
expected to face.
As internal struggles cause the Alliance to relax its iron grip, regional forces are attempting to
increase their own power -- and they're not fussy about the means they use. Besides the biological
answers that officials on Cinnabar expect the Far Traveller to find, the ship's Director of Science,
Doctor Veil, has her own agenda: to learn more about the Archaic Spacefarers who roamed the
universe tens of thousands of years before humans reached the stars.
The crew of the Far Traveller is poised to clear more of the shadows away from the deep past
than ever before in human history -- if they survive!
Critique: David Drake is a master of the science fiction action-adventure genre and with his latest
novel in the Cinnabar nave series "To Clear Away the Shadows" is still another of his inherently
riveting, page-turner epic that is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
the legions of David Drake fans that "To Clear Away the Shadows" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Edge
Tim Lebbon
Titan Books
https://titanbooks.com
9781785650321, $14.95, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: There exists a secret and highly illegal trade in mythological creatures and their
artifacts. Certain individuals pay fortunes for a sliver of a satyr's hoof, a gryphon's claw, a
basilisk's scale, or an angel's wing. Embroiled in the hidden world of the Relics, creatures known
as the Kin, Angela Gough is now on the run in the United States.
Forty years ago the town of Longford was the site of a deadly disease outbreak that wiped out the
entire population. The infection was contained, the town isolated, and the valley in which it sits
flooded and turned into a reservoir. The truth (that the outbreak was intentional, and not every
resident of Longford died) disappeared beneath the waves.
Now the town is revealed again. The Kin have an interest in the ruins, and soon the fairy Grace
and the Nephilim leader Mallian are also drawn to them. The infection has risen from beneath
silent waters, and this forgotten town becomes the focus of the looming battle between
humankind and the Kin.
Critique: A deftly crafted and inherently riveting action/adventure fantasy novel by an author
with a genuine flair for originality and reader engaging narrative storytelling, Tim Lebbon's final
volume in his Relics trilogy and would be an unreservedly popular addition to community library
collections, "The Edge" is a thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover and very highly
recommended to the attention of all dedicated fantasy adventure fans.
Black Harvest
M. C. Planck
Pyr
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633885585, $18.00, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Be careful what you wish for. Christopher finds himself on a throne, squeezing taxes,
and guarding against incipient rebellions. This is a far cry from his democratic socialist
revolution. But the danger is not limited to self-betrayal. He has seen the face of his true enemy,
and it is a face of nightmare. Immortals and nigh-immortals have plans for him, plots that span a
hundred thousand years, and traps of unimaginable deviousness. Against all this, what can one
reluctant ruler do? The answer, of course: build a bigger bomb.
Critique: Book 5 in science fiction author M. C. Planck's World of Prime series, "Black Harvest
is the final chapter in the saga of Christopher Sinclair, mechanical engineer turned priest of war.
A deftly written and riveting conclusion to an outstanding and original science fiction saga,
"Black Harvest" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community
library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction
fans that "Black Harvest" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
House of Rose
T. K. Thorne
Camel Press
www.camelpress.com
9781603817585, $16.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Rookie patrol officer Rose Brighton chases a suspect down an alley. Without warning,
her vision wavers, and the lone suspect appears to divide into two men -- the real suspect, frozen
in time, and a shadow version with a gun. Confused by what she's just seen, but with no time to
second guess it's meaning, Rose shoots the real suspect in the back.
Forced to lie to detectives, she risks her job and her life to discover the shocking truth of who she
really is -- a witch of an ancient House, the prey of one powerful enemy, and the pawn of
another.
Critique: A deftly crafted and riveting read by an author with an impressively deft ability to hold
the reader's rapt attention with her original fantasy novel "House of Rose", readers new to her
will look eagerly forward to the next title in her new Magic City Stories series. While very highly
recommended for personal and community library Contemporary Fantasy Fiction collections, it
should be noted that "House of Rose" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$5.95).
The Window and the Mirror
Henry Thomas
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
www.rarebirdbooks.com
9781644280102, $27.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A captured soldier must escort a mysterious girl to a distant city to broker peace
between two peoples poised on the brink of war. Left to die in a deep chasm, his commander
stumbles on to a dark and powerful secret: how to harness the energy of men's souls and bend
them to his will. Is this the secret that Goblinkind has been hiding from the race of men? That all
the shiny trinkets of the fabled Goblincrafters are powered by the trapped souls of humans? For
Mage Imperator Rhael Lord Uhlmet, the lure of such power is irresistible, even if he must start a
war to attain it!
Critique: "The Window and the Mirror" is the first volume of author Henry Thomas' new fantasy
series, 'Oesteria and the War of Goblinkind' and showcases his genuine flair for originality and
his impressive literary talents for a distinctive reader engaging narrative storytelling style. A
wonderfully entertaining read with more unexpected twists and turns than a Disney Land roller
coaster, "The Window and the Mirror" is an especially recommended addition to community
library collections. It must be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated fantasy fans that
"The Window and the Mirror" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
The Western Fiction Shelf
Six-Gun Law: A Western Duo
James Reasoner & L. J. Washburn
Five Star Publishing
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432857196, $25.95, HC, Library Binding, 311pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Ransom Valley: The Wyoming Territory town of Wind River has gotten so peaceful
that some people think it's downright civilized. But they don't know that a gang of outlaws is
planning a raid that will clean out the bank. Anyone who gets in their way will be cut down in a
hail of bullets. A beautiful young woman finds herself taken prisoner by the outlaws, and it's up
to Marshal Cole Tyler and Texas cowboy Lon Rogers to rescue Brenda Durand . . . if they don't
wind up on the receiving end of some outlaw lead first!
Outlaw Blood: Outlaw Blade Kendrick's wife runs away from him, taking their two young sons
with her. Knowing that he will come after her, she leaves the boys with different families to raise.
Kendrick does catch up to her and she dies accidentally during their confrontation. Kendrick is
sent to prison for another crime. When he gets out ten years later, he starts tracking down the
boys. The older son is with a family that's moved recently to Wind River to start a new church.
When Kendrick arrives with his younger son, whom he has found and recruited into his gang, the
older brother tries to turn bad in order to save his adopted family, but he can't do it. Instead he
ruins his outlaw father's plans, which leads to a showdown between Marshal Cole Tyler and the
dangerous gang.
Critique: Two great western stories by masters of the genre under one cover, "Six-Gun Law: A
Western Duo" (the seventh volume in the'Wind River Series' from Five Star Publishing) is a
terrifically entertaining read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended, especially for
community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated
western novel buffs that "Six-Gun Law: A Western Duo" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $7.99).
Dusk Along the Niobrara
John D. Nesbitt
Five Star Publishing
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432858292, $25.95, HC, Library Binding, 215pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The man known as Dunbar, while working on a ranch in the Niobrara country in
Wyoming, connects the death of a hardscrabble homesteader with the death of an old horse trader
some fifteen years earlier.
As Dunbar goes to work on a corral project in town and then on fall roundup, more murders take
place -- a wandering drunk who has picked up gossip in an alehouse, and then the proprietor of
the alehouse. People who know too much are being silenced.
An old woman named Verona tells of an ancient crime on Old Woman Creek, where a
sheepherder was killed and his partner escaped. In a final scene at the new shipping pens, Dunbar
brings forth the witnesses, and a showdown erupts, with Dunbar bringing justice to the Niobrara
country.
Critique: With "Dusk Along the Niobrara", western novelist John D. Nesbitt is a Spur award
winning author who has once again penned a truly riveting, compulsive page turner of western
that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library
Western Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Dusk Along the
Niobrara" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
High Shoulders
Dale Mike Rogers
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444840148, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As young drifter Tim Jackson rides through the high country, he realizes he is not
alone: shots begin to rain down on him from the undergrowth, and he barely escapes with his life.
As his mount comes to a halt at the edge of the forest, Jackson notices a town ahead. Hoping to
find work, and believing he has outrun the ambusher, he rides in. Accepting the job of sheriff
quickly makes him enemies, however - and soon there are bullets coming at him from every
direction!
Critique: A deftly written western with a surprising and quite satisfying under story of two
professional gunmen, a crooked businessman, and an old debt paid off in coin and blood, the
primary story is one of a gun-gifted young man putting on a star and taking on a master-minded
and ruthless criminal gang that had murdered several other town sheriffs before him, "High
Shoulders" is a simply riveting read from cover to cover -- and this large print edition is
unreservedly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Western
Fiction collections.
Bonachon Blood
Caleb Rand
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781444840773, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Bonachon is a law-abiding town on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. But
waiting on the outskirts is someone who wants to change all that. Colvin Datch carries a grudge
from a crooked past, and when Sheriff Jeff Kayte is killed in a shoot out with a notorious
gunman, and then that gunman is in turn shot down by Colvin's son Bruno , the townsfolk are
shaken -- especially when Colvin has the barroom crowd suddenly elect Bruno to take a deputy
sherif's position as a result of all that sudden gunplay. But Ruben Ballard can't stand by and
watch a small group of desperate men take over. When a few loyal townsfolk offer their support,
he decides to pick up a Colt - but Datch and his allies are ready to fight.
Critique: "Bonachon Blood" is another deftly penned page turner of a western by Caleb Rand that
is very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of devoted western novel fans. This
large print edition of "Bonachon Blood" is particularly recommended for community library
Western Fiction collections as well.
Long Trail To Nirvana
Scott Connor
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444840742, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Bounty hunter Dean Kennedy returns to Dry Creek after another successful hunt, only
to find that his wife Emily has struck up a friendship with outlaw Wolfe Lord. Kennedy reckons
his problems are over when the sheriff runs Lord out of town, but then his wife and young son
disappear. It takes him fifteen years to track Lord down, and the trail eventually leads him to the
lawless town of Nirvana - where, with the help of a minor outlaw named Brewster who insists
that he is now partners with Dean, makes some disturbing discoveries about the fates of those he
has sought so long -- including that his now full grown son is part of a vicious outlaw gang!
Critique: "Long Trail To Nirvana" is a fully absorbing and original western novel by Scott
Connor, an author with a full mastery of the genre. This large print edition from the Linford
Western Library is wholeheartedly recommended for both community library collections and the
personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans. Highly recommended.
Bad Deal In Buckskin
Ethan Flagg
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444840421, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Two unemployed cowboys are given a gold nugget for helping out an old prospector
named Huggy Johnson when his wagon breaks down. Alamo Todd Heffridge and his partner Kid
Streater unwittingly sell the nugget to an unscrupulous assay agent in the Arizona town of
Buckskin who then passes on the information about Huggy's gold strike to the boss of a gang of
unscrupulous killers. When Huggy is shot dead over a map that pin-points the location of the
infamous Lost Dutchman Mine, it is the two wranglers are accused of the crime by Huggy's
daughter and the local sheriff and arrested for murder. But they have an unexpected ally that
allows them to escape from jail and find the real killers -- if they can survive that long!.
Critique: Still another terrific western action/adventure novel by a complete master of the genre,
author Ethan Flagg's most recent western, "Bad Deal In Buckskin" is a true and compulsive page
turner of a read making it unreservedly recommended in this large print edition from the Linford
Western Library series for both the personal reading lists of western fans and community library
Western Fiction collections.
Back From Boot Hill
Colin Bainbridge
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444827507, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After finding himself inside a coffin on the way to Boot Hill, Clay Tulane wants
answers. Whilst local townsfolk Miss Winona and the boy Pocket help him piece together the
story of how he got there, Tulane finds himself drawn into a violent struggle against local
landowner Marsden Rockwell and his Bar Nothing outfit, who want to take over the neighboring
Bar L. As tension mounts, the search for the truth throws up many more questions.
Critique: Nobody writes a riveting western better than seasoned author Colin Bainbridge. With a
plot having more twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster, "Back From Bott Hill" hits
all the basis -- a pretty woman in distress, a range war between two ranchers, a lost gold mine,
and gunplay galore! This Lindford Western Library large print edition of "Back From Boot Hill"
will be an immediate and enduringly appreciated addition to personal reading lists and
community library Western Fiction collections.
The Self-Help Shelf
The Coffee Bean
Jon Gordon & Damon West
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119430278, $17.00, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Life is often difficult. It can be harsh, stressful, and feel like a pot of boiling hot water.
The environments we find ourselves in can change, weaken, or harden us, and test who we truly
are. We can be like the carrot that weakens in the pot or like the egg that hardens. Or, we can be
like the coffee bean and discover the power inside us to transform our environment.
The collaborative work of Jon Gordon and Damon West, "The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to
Create Positive Change" is an inspiring tale that follows Abe, a young man filled with stress and
fear as he faces challenges and pressure at school and home. One day after class, his teacher
shares with him the life-changing lesson of the coffee bean, and this powerful message changes
the way he thinks, acts, and sees the world. Abe discovers that instead of letting his environment
change him for the worse, he can transform any environment he is in for the better. Equipped
with this transformational truth, Abe embarks on an inspirational journey to live his life like the
coffee bean. Wherever his life takes him, from school, to the military, to the business world, Abe
demonstrates how this simple lesson can unleash the unstoppable power within you.
Critique: Taking a unique approach, "The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive
Change" is a informative, inspiring, and entertaining read from first page to last. Exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "The Coffee Bean" is unreservedly recommended for both
community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Coffee Bean" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.00).
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
For Better or For Worse The Complete Library, volume 3 1986-1989
Lynn Johnston
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxton Road, San Diego, CA 92106
www.idwpublishing.com
9781684054268 $49.99 hc / $29.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: The beloved newspaper comic strip that chronicled the saga of the Patterson family in
real time, over three decades, continues in this, the definitive edition.
No phone, no light, no motor car, not a single luxury--John and Phil's canoe trip turns them into
castaways on an island! Once back in civilization, John solves his mid-life crisis by buying a
sportscar, and Elly improbably winds up in front of a judge as a result! Michael enters junior high
school, but not before learning a different sort of life lesson at summer camp with a girl named
Martha, while Liz loses her first tooth, gets her ears pierced, and finds herself in a "Mean Girls"
situation with her friends at school. Then it's wedding bells for Uncle Phil, and Lawrence moves
back to town--with a new family of his own!
Volume Three, which collects the complete daily and Sunday comics from July 6, 1986 through
December 9, 1989, brings to a close the first decade of Lynn Johnston's modern masterwork, but
of course the story is just getting started...
Since their debut in 1979, the Pattersons have felt like family to an audience of over 220 million.
This nine volume series devotes three volumes to each decade of the strip. Each volume also
contains a number of annotations by Lynn Johnston detailing motivations for certain strips, funny
anecdotes, observations about the reaction from fans, and much more!
Critique: A joy to page through from cover to cover, Volume 3 of the complete For Better or For
Worse compilation is packed with more than 1,200 sequential daily and Sunday comic strips
from 1986 to 1989. All Sunday strips are reproduced in full color, and many of the strips are
annotated by author Lynn Johnston. The laugh-out-loud loves, losses, trials, and tribulations of
the Patterson family are as delightful to read today as they were three decades ago! Highly
recommended, especially for public library collections.
Ms. Tree: One Mean Mother
Max Allan Collins & Terry Beatty
Titan Comics
https://www.titan-comics.com
9781787730519 $24.99 pbk / $16.26 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: From the minds of author Max Allan Collins and artist Terry Beatty, comes the first
collection of 5 classic Ms Tree stories. Join Michael Tree, the 6ft, 9mm carrying private detective
on her thrilling adventures. No case is too small, no violence too extreme, just as long as it gets
the job done.
Critique: Ms. Tree: One Mean Mother is a full-color, graphic novel compilation of crime stories
featuring the tough, smart, gun-toting female detective Michael Tree (don't call her Michelle).
Originally published in the 1980's, Ms. Tree: One Mean Mother is a saga rife with treachery,
violence, and intrigue; Michael Tree herself is a strong-willed, no-nonsense private eye,
determined to bring her husband's killers to justice. The stories are also noteworthy for daring
address real-life issues such as homophobia, abortion, and mental health. Ms. Tree: One Mean
Mother is a "must-read" for mystery graphic novel connoisseurs, highly recommended.
Bloodborne: A Song of Crows
Ales Kot, author
Piotr Kowalski, artist
Titan Comics
https://www.titan-comics.com
9781787730144 $16.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: Discover the twisted story of Eileen the Crow in the continuing comic series spinning
out of Fromsoftware/Hidetaka Miyazaki's critically-acclaimed Bloodborne videogame!
The City of Yharnam is buried in snow.
Eileen the Crow buries the Hunters. But one eludes her. Poisoned and overcome with beastly
senses, he prowls Yharnam causing misery and havoc. Meanwhile the bodies mount, reality
shakes, and strange things are amiss in Byrgenwerth. On the hunt for the Hunter, Eileen struggles
with her own sanity and the disturbing change that a glimpse beyond reality brings.
Blood and death pervade Yharnam and those who travel in its wake. Follow the quest of Eileen
as she looks to uncover the truth of the city, and her most inner turmoil.
Critique: Collecting issues #9-12 of the "Bloodborne" comic book, Bloodborne: A Song of
Crows is a full-color graphic novel based on the dark fantasy video game Bloodborne. The story
offers a glimpse into the grim past of Eileen the Crow, the "Hunter of Hunters", one who is
tasked with executing Hunters who have gone mad from the curse of the Old Blood. One
corrupted Hunter eludes Eileen, and as she searches for her quarry, her own sanity is in danger of
fraying apart! As violent and merciless as the game it's based on, Bloodborne: A Song of Crows
is highly recommended to both video game and horror connoisseurs.
Tank Girl Action Alley
Alan Martin, author
Brett Parson, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785864810, $16.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Tank Girl and the Gang are gearing up for a road trip vacation when Tank Girl gets
some bad news. She has to go and visit her ailing (adoptive) mother before it's too late!
Meanwhile Booga has taken in a stray kangaroo - a proper one. It can't talk or anything.
The journey to Tank Girl's mom was never going to be straightforward and the Gang find
themselves faced with the prospect of having to pass through Action Alley where wild mutated
creatures, and dark, evil forces lurk that are all too human.
Critique: A classic Tank Girl adventure complete with gunplay, diabolical bad guys,
misunderstood villains, and more surprising plot twists than a Disney Land roller coaster, "Tank
Girl: Action Alley" is a 'must' for the legions of dedicated Tank Girl fans. While very highly
recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Tank Girl: Action Alley" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.01).
Robotech Volume 5: Showdown
Simon Furman, author
Hendry Prasetya, artist
Titan Comics
https://www.titan-comics.com
9781787730267 $16.99 amazon.com
Synopsis: The hit comic series based on the world-famous, fan favorite animated epic continues
with this fifth volume, featuring an all-new twist on the classic
transforming-jetfighters-versus-giant-aliens adventure! The war between the humans and the
giant Zentraedi aliens continues - and the aliens and humans discover traitors amongst their
ranks...
Collecting issues 17 to 20 of Titan Comics' smash hit series. The Zentraedi/human war continues
- it's all-out war and the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. Plus with the 'Event Horizon' event
looming, secrets are revealed which will change everything you know about the Robotech
universe...
Critique: Robotech Volume 5: Showdown collects issues 17-20 of the "Robotech" comic series
into graphic novel format. This Robotech series adapts the classic anime space opera with full-
color, Western-style art, offering fans of the show a new way to experience the saga of space war,
intrigue, love, and betrayal. In Volume 5, both the humans and the gigantic Zentraedi aliens find
traitors among their ranks, and the "Event Horizon" event draws ever closer. Highly
recommended, especially to military sci-fi connoisseurs!
The Night
Phillippe Druillet, author/illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785866661, $24.99, HC, 72pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Philippe Druillet is a comics artist and writer, known for his innovative approach to
visual design. In the US, he's best known for his graphic adaptation of Michael Moorcock's hit
fantasy series, Elric, the Return to Melnibone, and his work for Heavy Metal, such as City of
Flowers.
In 1975 Philippe lost his wife Nicole to cancer. He exorcized the demons her death left behind in
his graphic novel "The Night", which is a nihilistic story about the inevitable ending that none of
us can avoid. Set in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, "The Night" follows gangs of
dope-addicted bikers on a collision course for a bloody battle for the ultimate "shoot". Desperate,
dark, explosive, and violent -- "The Night" is a baroque classic from the master of the genre
himself.
Critique: A compendium of superbly crafted and distinctively complex images punctuated by a
kind of brutal and futuristic slang expressions, "The Night" is one of those amazing and unique
stories that will be read again and again and again. In a large coffee-table type format, this Titan
Comics edition of "The Night" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle/comiXology,
$16.26).
Buck Danny: Flight of the Spectre
Frederic Zumbiehl, author
Gil Formosa, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184366, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When a Japanese patrol plane is shot down by a mysterious aggressor, the international
community immediately suspects the Chinese because the attack took place off the Japanese
Senkaku Islands, which China also claims as their own. The incident is extremely serious and
could lead to all-out war, and the Pentagon sends the carrier USS Ronald Reagan, with Buck on
board, to investigate the attack and attempt to defuse the situation before it gets out of control.
The ninth volume in the Buck Danny graphic novel series by the team of author Frederic
Zumbiehl and illustrator Gil Formosa, "Buck Danny: Flight of the Spectre" is another fully
entertaining action/adventure story. Of special note is the use of military slang and nomenclatures
embedded in the dialog, every one of which is defined in asterisked footnotes.
Critique: While very highly recommended for both personal and community library graphic
novel collections, it should be noted that "Buck Danny: Flight of the Spectre" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Mermaid Project: Episode 2
Leo, author
Fred Simon, illustrator
Corine Jamar, contributor
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184038, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The second volume in a graphic novelized dystopian near future where America has
become a third world nation, French detective Romane is cooperating with American authorities
with an investigation into a corporation that involved with illegal genetic manipulations and
experimentations involving intelligent dolphins and human subjects.
Critique: A superbly illustrated and original science fiction story, "Mermaid Project: Episode 2"
is a fully satisfying read and will leave its fans looking eagerly toward Episode 3! While highly
recommended for community library graphic novel collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Mermaid Project: Episode 2" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$5.99).
Editorial Note: Brazilian artist Leois best known for his science-fiction, multi-series saga The
Worlds of Aldebaran. He also created Canadian Mountie Trentas well as Kenyaand its second
season Namibia, all three with Rodolphe. Belgian author Corine Jamarhas written children's
books, novels, and several BDs such as Les Filles d'Aphrodite. Fred Simon is a long time comics
fan and professional artist; among his series are adaptations of Jack London's Call of the Wildand
Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.
We Are Here Forever
Michelle Gish
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
www.quirkbooks.com
9781683691204 $14.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: It's the most adorable apocalypse ever! The human race has vanished replaced by
innocent, playful, creatures called the Puramus. In this hilarious and epic graphic novel, short
interlocking stories follow the purple pals as they explore their new home, form a
mini-monarchy, and develop a modern society on par with 21st-century humans. A final act pulls
us across time and space in the search for clues to the origins of the Puramus. Along the way,
humor and intrigue abound: Can King defend his village when nobody understands what war is?
Will Jingle work up the nerve to read her poetry at open mic night? Will Puffpuff ever stop
floating?
Based on the Tumblr comic, We Are Here Forever is for fans of post-apocalyptic sci fi blended
with dry humor and undeniable adorableness. Colorful and cartoony art will have you rooting for
these cute critters through their absurd adventures...but are they really as harmless as they
seem?
Critique: We Are Here Forever is a full-color graphic novel about a mysterious, purple race
called the Puramus, who live on a world devoid of humans. The innocent Puramus love to play,
learn, and discover - but could they have a dark side? We Are Here Forever is a shockingly wry
and delightful post-apocalyptic adventure, highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of
weird and wonderful stories.
The Road to Xibalba
Joaquin Gil
Kino.digital
9780578487557, $20.00, PB, 109pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The gates of a Hell that men called Xibalba lie open and the Gatekeepers are old and
weakened by treason. So a call goes out to the world: Everyone who dares is called to compete
against the cruel riddles posed by the Six Houses of Xibalba and vie to become the next
Gatekeepers. But the price for failure is death.
"The Road to Xibalba" is the story of that competition.
Critique: Written and illustrated by a unique and imaginative author, "The Road to Xibalba" by
Joaquin kGil is a thoroughly entertaining and original fantasy action/adventure graphic novel
adventure in the Steampunk tradition -- and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists
and community library collections.
The Audiobook Shelf
Hachette Audio
www.hachetteaudio.com
These new audios provide listeners with engrossing material and food for thought. James
Patterson works with Maxine Paetro on The 18th Abduction (9781549117282, $35.00), which
receives an evocative reading by January LaVoy as it offers a new Women's Murder Club novel.
Detective Lindsay Boxer's investigation into three vanished teachers involves the club, Lindsay,
and husband Joe in an investigation that winds through the streets of San Francisco in a
compelling saga. Walter R. Borneman's Brothers Down (9781478922810, $35.00) receives a fine
reading by David Baker as it provides a Pearl Harbor story reviewing the fate of the many
brothers aboard the USS Arizona. Plenty of histories have covered the events of that fateful day,
but few incorporate the attention to family impact and experience that is offered by this special,
involving focus. Joe Namath's All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters (9781549143250, $35.00)
includes a PDF of photos and is narrated by the author as Namath works with Sean Mortimer and
Don Yaeger to bring his sports world to life. Anyone interested in the politics, experiences, and
philosophy of professional playing in general and Namath in particular will relish this expose of
his Super Bowl days. All are fine listens for discriminating audio fans.
The Library CD Shelf
Still the River Flows
David M. Edwards
davedwardspiano.com
Higher Level Media
$11.98 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Still the River Flows is the first solo piano album created by composer and pianist David M.
Edwards. The original, New Age songs create a soothing, dreamlike soundscape inspired by the
rhythm of daily life - from building energy through mid-day to winding down at eveningtime.
Beautiful and evocative, Still the River Flows is a welcome contribution to personal and public
library New Age solo piano collections, highly recommended. The tracks are "Morning Song",
"Summer Dance", "Still the River Flows", "Just a Simple Song", "For a Long, Long Time",
"Nineteen in 69", "On a Cloudy Day", "Take Me With You", "Evening Song", "Wistfully", "I
Remember That", "Wherever You Are", "Walking by the Shore", and "Won't You Stay".
World Peace
Putumayo Presents
www.putumayo.com
$15.98 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Inspired by search for peace and justice by 1960's world leaders including President John
Fitzgerald Kennedy and Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., World Peace is an anthology of songs
by a variety of talented music artists championing the causes of peace, tolerance, and love for
one's fellow human beings. World Peace is a treasure for both personal and public library music
collections, highly recommended. The tracks are "Wake Up Everybody", "Africa Unite", "It Is
One", "Redemption Song", "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", "Love Train",
"One", "Freedom for Everyone", "Think of Others", "East Jerusalem/West Jerusalem", and
"Imagine".
Hushabye
Rick Sparks
www.ricksparksmusic.net
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Pianist and composer Rick Sparks presents Hushabye, a new age music album crafted to promote
rest and relaxation for the whole family. Harmonic, multi-part wordless vocals intertwine with
the drifting, peacful melodies. Hushabye is a beautiful treasure, highly recommended especially
for personal and public library collections. The tracks are "My Soul To Keep", "Love Can Make
You Happy", "Dreams of Peace", "Little Flower", "No Greater Love", "When the Stars Come
Out", "Jesus Loves Me", "Cloud Pillow", "And She Dreams", "Angel Song", and "We Are
Loved".
Mackland Ave
Mike Woodlark
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Mackland Ave is an original album crafted in nostalgic tribute to music artist Mike Woodlark's
former Mackland Avenue home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he lived for more than a
decade. Mackland Ave showcases Woodlark's talent with the piano, electronic keyboards, and
synthesizers; five of the twelve songs also have him play the acoustic guitar and sing. Three
special guests (one each on piano, cello, and fiddle) contribute to three of the songs as well,
creating a rich medley. Mackland Ave includes songs with a variety of tempos, from the fast-
paced intensity of the title track to more wistful songs that evoke yearning memories. Creatively
beautiful from beginning to end, Mackland Ave is highly recommended. The tracks are
"Listening to the Pines", "A Sight for Sound", "Dark Locomotive", "An Elephant's Soul",
"Legends of the Southwest", "Hey Vincent", "Rainshine", "Graceful Grim", "Dreamories",
"Home Cooked Dinner", "Mackland Ave", and "Hey Vincent (original)".
Let Go
Christoph Berghorn
christoph-berghorn.com
Capitol Sound Records
$TBA / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Let Go is a new age album by German pianist, synthesist, composer, and arranger Christoph
Berghorn. The twenty-two original songs of Let Go feature compositions involving Berghorn on
the piano and synthesizer as well as real musicians on cello, saxophone, trumpet, and flugelhorn.
Additional arranged sounds of guitar, oboe, flute, harp, violin, viola, drums, and more enrich the
multi-layered soundscape. Vivid and varied, Let Go is a joy to experience, and also makes an
excellent gift for music connoisseurs. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Let Go", "Piano
Reflections 1", "Cellody For Annika", "Piano Reflections 2", "Looking Back", "Once Upon A
Time", "Egyptina", "Going On", "Once Again", "Wind", "Tre di sax", "Illusion", "Total Slow
Down", "From the Heart", "Softly Swaying Away", "Like A Dream", "Elegy", "Closed Eyes",
"Field of Sunflowers", "Melancholia Waltz", "Between Three Worlds", and "Ocean Dream".
The Library DVD Shelf
To a More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor
A film by Donna Zaccaro
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$19.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
To a More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor is a documentary on DVD about the landmark
Supreme Court ruling that set a landmark precedent for same-sex couples and the ideal of
marriage equality. When Edie Windsor outlived her spouse, she had to pay a tremendous estate
tax bill because her spouse was a woman, and the federal government denied federal benefits to
same-sex couples. Edie Windsor and her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, sued the U.S. government
and won, making history in the process. To a More Perfect Union includes an in-depth portrait of
Windsor's and Kaplan's legal and personal sagas, as well as testimony from Lillian Faderman, a
leading scholar on LGBTQ history; Evan Wolfson, also known as the "godfather of marriage
equality"; and more. Highly recommended, especially for public library DVD collections. 63
min.
Poldark: The Complete Collection
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$79.99 www.acornonline.com
Poldark: The Complete Collection is the DVD release of the Emmy and BAFTA-nominated
miniseries, based on the cherished novels by Winston Graham. The saga follows 18th century
English army officer Ross Poldark (played with aplomb by Robin Ellis), who returns to a
homecoming as perilous as any war. His family believes that he perished in battle; his father has
passed on in his absence; the woman he loves has become engaged to his cousin; and a ruthless
businessman schemes to cast his family into financial ruin. First shown on PBS in May of 1977,
Poldark was one of the ten most popular "Masterpiece Theatre" shows (as measured in a 2007
PBS poll). Now this classic is available to the public as an 8-disc DVD set, showcasing all 29
episodes plus bonus material. Poldark: The Complete Collection is a treasure for personal and
public library collections, highly recommended. 8 DVDs, 1500 min. plus bonus, SDH
subtitles.
The Biography Shelf
Dr. David Murray
Benjamin Duke
Rutgers University Press
106 Somerset St., 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
9780813594972, $69.95, HC, 426pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Dr. David Murray: Superintendent of Education in the Empire of Japan, 1873-1879"
by Benjamin Duke (Professor Emeritus of International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan) is
the first biography in English of an uncommon American, David Murray, who was a professor of
mathematics at Rutgers College, and who was appointed by the Japanese government as
Superintendent of Education in the Empire of Japan in 1873.
The founding of the Gakusei (the first public school system launched in Japan) marks the
beginning of modern education in Japan, accommodating all children of elementary school age.
Professor Murray's unwavering commitment to its success renders him an educational pioneer in
Japan in the modern world.
Professor Duke has compiled this comprehensive biography of David Murray to showcase
Murray's work, both in assisting around 100 samurai students in their studies at Rutgers, and in
his unprecedented role in early Japanese-American relations. This fascinating story uncovers a
little-known link between Rutgers University and Japan, and it is the only historical study to
conclude that Rutgers made a greater contribution to the development of modern education in the
early Meiji Era than any other non-Japanese college or university in the world.
Critique: A unique and meticulous work of substantive and meticulous scholarship, "Dr. David
Murray: Superintendent of Education in the Empire of Japan, 1873-1879" is an extraordinary
biography that tells an extraordinary and hitherto obscure story about an American university's
influence with respect to establishing a modern Japanese educational institution and tradition.
Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of forty pages of Notes and a six page Index, "Dr.
David Murray: Superintendent of Education in the Empire of Japan, 1873-1879" is unreservedly
recommended for college and university library 19th Century American Biography collections in
general, and Japanese Education History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Finding W.D. Fard
John Andrew Morrow
Cambridge Scholars Publishing
www.cambridgescholars.com
9781527521995, $119.95, HC, 510pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Wallace D. Fard, also known as Wallace Fard Muhammad (reportedly born February
26, c. 1877 - circa 1934), was the founder of the Nation of Islam. He arrived in Detroit in 1930
with an obscure background and several aliases, and taught an idiosyncratic form of Islam to
members of the city's black population. In 1934 he disappeared from public record, and Elijah
Muhammad succeeded him as leader of the Nation of Islam. (Wikipedia)
Since his arrival in Detroit on July 4, 1930, W.D. Fard, had over fifty other aliases and has
elicited an enormous amount of curiosity. Fard claimed that he was both the Messiah and the
Mahdi, and who was identified as God in Person by his disciple, Elijah Muhammad, whom he
reportedly appointed as his Final Messenger.
The people who actually met him, and the scholars who have studied him, have suggested that he
was variously an African American, an Arab from Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco or Saudi
Arabia, a Jamaican, a Turk, an Afghan, an Indo-Pakistani, an Iranian, an Azeri, a white
American, a Bosnian, a Mexican, a Greek or even a Jew. In an attempt to determine the origins of
W.D. Fard, most scholars have relied on his teachings as passed down, and perhaps modified, by
Elijah Muhammad. Some have suggested that he was a member of the Moorish Science Temple
of America or the Ahmadiyyah Movement. Others have suggested that he was a Druze or a
Shiite.
"Finding W.D. Fard: Unveiling the Identity of the Founder of the Nation of Islam" by John
Andrew Morrow provides an overview of the scholarly literature related to this mysterious
subject and the theories concerning his ethnic and racial origins. This biographical study provides
the most detailed analysis of his teachings to date in order to identify their original and
multifarious sources.
"Finding W.D. Fard" considers the conflicting views shared by his early followers to decipher the
doctrine he actually taught. Did W.D. Fard really profess to be Allah, or was he deified after his
death by Elijah Muhammad? A meticulous study of any and all subjects who fit the profile of
W.D. Fard and providing the most detailed information regarding his life to date, "Finding W.D.
Fard" also offers an overview of turn-of-the-20th-century Islam in the state of Oregon,
demonstrating how much Fard learned about the Muslim faith while residing in the Pacific
Northwest. This study then finishes with a series of conclusions and suggestions for further
scholarship.
Critique: An impressively and meticulously presented work of simply outstanding scholarship,
"Finding W.D. Fard: Unveiling the Identity of the Founder of the Nation of Islam" will prove to
be of intense interest to students of the Nation of Islam and is an unreservedly recommended
addition to both community and academic library 20th Century American Biography collections
in general, and National of Islam supplemental studies lists in particular.
The Gatsby Affair
Kendall Taylor
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781538104934, $27.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The romance between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre has been celebrated as one
of the greatest of the 20th century. From the beginning, their relationship was a tumultuous one,
in which the couple's excesses were as widely known as their passion for each other. Despite
their love, both Scott and Zelda engaged in flirtations that threatened to tear the couple apart. But
none had a more profound impact on the two (and on Scott's writing) as the liaison between
Zelda and a French aviator, Edouard Jozan. Though other biographies have written of Jozan as
one of Scott's romantic rivals, accounts of the pilot's effect on the couple have been superficial at
best.
In "The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal That Shaped an American Classic", Kendall
Taylor examines the dalliance between the southern belle and the French pilot from a fresh
perspective. Drawing on conversations and correspondence with Jozan's daughter, as well as
materials from the Jozan family archives, Taylor sheds new light on this romantic triangle. More
than just a casual fling, Zelda's tryst with Edouard affected Scott as much as it did his wife - and
ultimately influenced the author's most famous creation, Jay Gatsby. Were it not for Zelda's affair
with the pilot, Scott's novel might be less about betrayal and more about lost illusions.
Exploring the private motives of these public figures, Taylor offers new explanations for their
behavior. In addition to the love triangle that included Jozan, Taylor also delves into an earlier
event in Zelda's life (a sexual assault she suffered as a teenager) one that affected her future
relationships. Both a literary study and a probing look at an iconic couple's psychological
makeup, "The Gatsby Affair offers readers a bold interpretation of how one of America's greatest
novels was influenced.
Critique: A critically meticulous and deftly written blend of biography and literary study, "The
Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic" is unreservedly
recommended as a core addition to both community and academic library collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "The Gatsby Affair" is also available for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.68) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Tantor Audio, 9781515938682, $29.99, CD).
Madame Tussaud: Her Life and Legacy
Geri Walton
https://www.geriwalton.com
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
1526734087, $34.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Madame Marie Tussaud (1 December 1761 - 16 April 1850) is known worldwide for
the chain of wax museums she started over 200 hundred years ago. Less known is that her
original wax models were often of the famous and infamous people she personally knew during
and after the French Revolution. These were people like Voltaire, Robespierre, and Napoleon --
people who changed the world. Even more, the wax figures were depicted in scenes drawn from
the horrors she experienced during the reign of terror in Paris during her early adult years.
"Madame Tussaud: Her Life and Legacy" by Geri Walton shows how the traumatic and
cataclysmic experiences of Madame Tussaud's early life became part of her legacy. She created a
succession of scenes in wax, telling events as she personally experienced them. Her wax
sculptures were visceral. She made them herself, at times from the living person's head and at
other times from the recently guillotined head of a former house guest. As a result, people were
drawn to her wax displays in those days because they were the most intense way of experiencing
those events themselves.
Madame Tussaud's story is told through a series of unique and informative stories drawn from an
in-depth study of both Madame Tussaud's life and the dramatic times in which she lived. This
narrative style makes learning about history rewarding for both avid history readers and people
with a casual interest in this unique story.
Critique: A meticulously researched and deftly written biography of a remarkable woman and the
times she lived in, "Madame Tussaud: Her Life and Legacy" is certain to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library biography collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Madame Tussaud: Her Life and Legacy" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.78).
Editorial Note: Geri Walton has long been fascinated by history and the people who create it. As
a child growing up in a large family, she loved to sit around in a big circle with family members,
sharing stories. Her father's many stories (from not only his own childhood but the lives of their
ancestor's) particularly fascinated her. After a long career in technical writing and publishing in
the computer industry, Geri returned to history as her first love. She worked on several different
books, articles, and blog ideas before realizing her passion was around the history and people of
the 1700s and 1800s. So, she started her current blog in 2013 and has her own web site at
https://www.geriwalton.com
Riding the Elephant
Craig Ferguson
Blue Rider Press
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.us.penguingroup.com
9780525533917 $27.00 hc / $13.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: Craig Ferguson has defied the odds his entire life. He has failed when he should have
succeeded and succeeded when he should have failed. The fact that he is neither dead nor in a
locked facility (at the time of printing) is something of a miracle in itself. In Craig's candid and
revealing memoir, readers will get a look into the mind and recollections of the unique and
twisted Scottish American who became a national hero for pioneering the world's first TV robot
skeleton sidekick and reviving two dudes in a horse suit dancing as a form of entertainment.
In Riding the Elephant, there are some stories that are too graphic for television, too politically
incorrect for social media, or too meditative for a stand-up comedy performance. Craig discusses
his deep love for his native Scotland, examines his profound psychic change brought on by
fatherhood, and looks at aging and mortality with a perspective that he was incapable of as a
younger man. Each story is strung together in a colorful tapestry that ultimately reveals a
complicated man who has learned to process - and even enjoy - the unusual trajectory of his
life.
Critique: Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations &
Observations is a memoir-anthology of essays by actor, comedian, and former host of "The Late,
Late Show" Craig Ferguson. Candid, wry, and told with Ferguson's natural flair for witty insight,
Riding the Elephant ranges in tone from laugh-out-loud funny to thoughtful and enlightening.
Here are true tales of the mortal peril of sharing an overloaded boat with an alcoholic on his first
day sober; an astonishingly memorable trip to Sri Lanka; the extraordinary transformations that
fatherhood brings to a man's outlook; and much more. Highly recommended! It should be noted
for personal reading lists that Riding the Elephant is also available in a Kindle edition
($13.99).
The Desk on the Sea
Jonathan Johnson
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814346655, $18.95, PB, 225pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As his memoir, "The Desk on the Sea" begins four years after American poet Jonathan
Johnson spread his mother's ashes in her beloved Lake Superior and moved with his wife and
young daughter into a seventeenth-century cottage on Scotland's North Sea.
On an idyllic, desolate coast and in the wild Highlands, Johnson began his search for a way to
live through ongoing grief and to take in the wonder of each new day. Through years of
extraordinary suffering by way of multiple ailments, Johnson's mother, Sheila, endured an
astounding number of amputations -- a toe, the end of a finger, a foot, whole fingers, the other
foot. What she lost in her physical being, she gained in her kindness and generosity. By the time
she was told that the only way she could survive a little longer was the amputation of both hands,
she was capable of giving those who loved her and herself a beautiful death instead.
Inspired by her example of grace and awareness, Johnson and his family gave themselves one
year on the coast of Scotland to live by Shelia's great, guiding principle: We don't get the days
back.
They wandered trails along windswept shores and past the stone ruins left by people who'd come
and gone before. They played as characters from the Harry Potter novels on deserted beaches.
From their cottage, they watched an island lighthouse, counting the seconds between flashes to
know exactly when to say "goodnight" so the lighthouse would answer with a wink.
"The Desk on the Sea" is a chronicle of progress toward one man's new life goal -- to be a father,
husband, and poet worthy of his mother's legacy. Sustained by an unwavering belief that words
can help us fully occupy our lives, and that imagination and empathy can transform suffering into
what John Keats called "soul-making," Johnson offers readers a raw look at love and loss.
Critique: An erudite, compelling, and intensely personal account, "The Desk On The Sea" is one
of those personal stories that will linger in the mind and memory long after it is completed and
set back upon the shelf. While very highly recommended for both community and academic
library Contemporary Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"The Desk On The Sea" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Sense of Occasion
Harold Prince
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.applausebooks.com
9781540046888, $19.95, PB, 376pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Sense of Occasion" is a fast-moving, candid, conversational, and entertaining memoir
by Harold Prince, who as an honored director/producer and a significant presence in the history
of the American theater, looks back over his seventy-year (and counting!) career.
In 1974, Prince released his first book, "Contradictions: Notes on Twenty-Six Years in the
Theatre". Although "Contradictions" has since attained cult status among producers, directors,
and actors alike, Prince, in hindsight, believes he wasn't ready to publish such a tome at that point
in his career (in fact, doing so was an act of "insane arrogance"). Although he doesn't regret that
effort, he is at last prepared to conclude it, to "see where I was right in my assessments and where
I was wrong." In "Sense of Occasion", Prince returns to this seminal text, invigorating it with
fresh insights cultivated through four decades of additional practice.
"Sense of Occasion" gives an insider's recollection of the making of such landmark musicals as
West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Evita, and
Phantom of the Opera, with Prince's perceptive comments about his mentor George Abbott and
his many celebrated collaborators, including Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Stephen
Sondheim, John Kander, Boris Aronson, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Angela Lansbury, Zero Mostel,
Carol Burnett, and Joel Grey.
As well as detailing his titanic successes that changed the form and content of the American
musical theater, Prince evenhandedly reflects on the shows that didn't work, most memorably and
painfully Merrily We Roll Along. Throughout, he offers insights into the way business is
conducted on Broadway, drawing sharp contrasts between past and present. This thoughtful,
complete account of one of the most legendary and long-lived careers in theater history, written
by the man who lived it, is an essential work of personal and professional recollection.
Critique: An absolutely 'must read' memoir for anyone connected to the American theatre, "Sense
of Occasion" is an extraordinarily and candidly informative account of the life and work of
Harold Prince. While unreservedly recommended for community and academic library American
Theatrical History and American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading
lists that "Sense of Occasion" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.28).
Reckless Steps toward Sanity
Judith Sara Gelt
University of New Mexico Press
MSC05 3185, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826360632, $19.95, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Residing in Denver, Colorado, Judith Sara Gelt is a retired middle school teacher and a
former lecturer in educational psychology and philosophy. Her work has appeared in various
publications, including the Denver Post, the Nashville Review, and Iron Horse Literary
Review.
At sixteen Judith Sara Gelt finally rebelled after spending years watching her warm, Jewish home
in Denver disintegrate. It's 1968 and bipolar disorder has been ravaging her mother and has sent
her father, a powerful attorney, into a spiteful tailspin. To escape Gelt makes one perilous choice
after another, and these decisions carry her, unprepared and alone, into a world that is sometimes
cruel and often dangerous. After returning to Denver she works to understand her parents and her
past, and she is surprised to discover her own strengths.
Throughout her memoir, "Reckless Steps toward Sanity", Gelt reflects upon how risk taking has
shaped her relationships with and her attitudes toward men and sex, her daughter, Judaism, and
her own eventual diagnosis of major depressive disorder.
Critique: An inherently interesting, exceptionally well written and impressively candid memoir,
"Reckless Steps toward Sanity" by Judith Sara Gelt is unreservedly recommended for both
community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Reckless Steps toward Sanity" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Sharp End of Life
Dierdre Wolownick
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680512427, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: At the age of 66, Dierdre Wolownick became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan in
Yosemite -- and in her memoir, "The Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story", she shares her
intimate journey, revealing how her climbing achievement reflects a broader story of courage and
persistence.
Dierdre grew up under the watchful eyes of a domineering mother and realized early on that her
parents' plans for her future weren't what she wanted for herself. Later, what seemed like a
storybook romance brought escape, with new experiences and eye-opening travel, but she quickly
discovered that her husband was not the happy-go-lucky man he had first appeared. Adapting as
best she could, Dierdre juggled work and raising two young children, encouraging them to be
fearlessly confident. She noted with delight how her "little lady" Stasia took it upon herself to
look out for her baby brother, and watched in amazement as little Alex started climbing
practically before he could crawl.
After years of struggle in her marriage and her ultimate divorce, Dierdre found inspiration in her
now-adult children's passions, as well as new depths within herself. At Stasia's urging, she took
up running at age 54 and soon completed several marathons. Then at age 58, Alex led her on her
first rock climbs. A world of friendship and support suddenly opened up to her within the
climbing "tribe", culminating in her record-setting ascent of El Cap with her son.
From confused young wife and busy but lonely mother to confident middle-aged athlete, Dierdre
brings the reader along as she finds new strength, happiness, and community in the outdoors--and
a life of learning, acceptance, and spirit.
Critique: A inherently fascinating life story that is at once instructional and inspirational, "The
Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story" is especially recommended for both community and
academic library Contemporary American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $15.83) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9781982697655, $34.95, CD).
Heroes of the Space Age
Rod Pyle
Prometheus Books
9781633885240, $18.00, www.prometheusbooks.com
Heroes of the Space Age: Incredible Stories of the Famous and Forgotten Men and Women Who
Took Humanity to the Stars comes from an award-winning science writer who features not just
the pilots but the engineers and scientists who worked on space missions behind the scenes.
While it does include profiles of Neil Armstrong and others, the author's focus on those whose
activities help make NASA and other exploration entities successful provides a satisfyingly
different approach to bringing these formerly-unheralded heroes to life. Many rare photos and
illustrations accompany these stories in a survey that is both lively and informative, and highly
recommended for biography and science collections alike.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Book of Blessings and Rituals
Athena Perrakis
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781592338771, $19.99, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Drawing from different world traditions, in "The Book of Blessings and Rituals:
Magical Invocations for Healing, Setting Energy, and Creating Sacred Space", leading
metaphysical teacher Athena Perrakis presents blessings to cover a wide array of occasions and
intentions, including holidays and sacred days, love, healing, protection, prosperity and success,
lunar blessings and rituals, and manifestation.
Organized by month, you'll be able to celebrate the sacred all year long. Included are DIY
projects and rituals will help you perform each blessing. You'll learn how to construct medicine
bundles and altars, which crystals to use to amplify the rituals or clear energy, and how to
smudge for clearing and protection.
In addition, with "The Book of Blessings and rituals" you will learn how to use the power of
invocations and blessings to set the energy of your home or event and to assist in amplifying
goals and intentions -- as well as deepening your experience of the sacred, find inspiration, and
heal with this non-denominational guide to blessings and rituals.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated, "The Book of Blessings and Rituals: Magical Invocations for
Healing, Setting Energy, and Creating Sacred Space" is chronologically organized on a monthly
basies and presented January through December, making it an ideal and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical
Studies collections.
Editorial Note: Dr. Athena Perrakis is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sage Goddess,
the world's largest source of sacred tools and metaphysical education. Each week, Sage Goddess
reaches almost two million people across the globe, on every continent and in more than 60
countries. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in educational
leadership, and has 15 years of experience as a professor, corporate trainer and consultant, and
educator. Athena has traveled the globe and worked with CEOs and senior executives from the
Fortune 50 companies. But her metaphysical experience, in which her current work is largely
rooted, spans more than 30 years. During that time, she has become an expert in gemology,
astrology, Tarot, aromatherapy, Reiki, and herbal medicine.
Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars
Chandra Wickramasinghe, et al.
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591433286, $14.00, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Mainstream consensus is that life arose on Earth spontaneously out of "primordial
soup." Yet this theory, as well as the Darwinian "survival of the fittest" concept as it relates to
major steps in evolution, has no scientific basis or proof. Where, then, did life come from? As
"Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars: The Panspermia Revolution and the Origins of Humanity"
shows with conclusive scientific evidence, life came from space -- a concept known as
"panspermia". We humans, and all other life on Earth, evolved over millennia in response to
viruses that arrived via comets, and we continue to do so.
Exploring the philosophical, psychological, cultural, and environmental ramifications of the
acceptance of panspermia, "Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars" show how the shift will be on par
with the Copernican Revolution -- when it was finally accepted that the Earth was not the center
of the Universe.
Explaining the origins of the panspermia theory in the work of the late Sir Fred Hoyle, "Our
Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars" reveal the vast body of evidence that has accumulated over the
past 4 decades in favor of the cosmic origins of life, including viral inserts found in DNA that
have shaped our human genome over millions of years. This collaborative study reveals how the
tiniest of viruses, microscopic animals (tardigrades), and even seeds have been found to be
natural cosmonauts. "Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars" also shows how space-borne viruses
play a crucial role in the positive evolution of life and that our entire existence on this planet is
contingent on the continuing ingress of cosmic viruses.
Revealing how panspermia offers answers to some of humanity's longstanding questions about
the origins of life, "Our Cosmic Ancestry in the Stars" also discusses the impact this shift in
understanding will have on our relationship with the Earth and on culture, history, and religion.
And perhaps the most dramatic ramification of all is that acceptance of panspermia means
acceptance that Earth is not unique -- that other life-filled planets exist and intelligent life is
common in the Universe. Not only did we come from space, but we are not alone.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and iconoclastic study of the first order, "Our Cosmic
Ancestry in the Stars: The Panspermia Revolution and the Origins of Humanity" is a unique and
highly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library
Metaphysical Science Collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Our Cosmic
Ancestry in the Stars" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Residing in Cardiff, Wales, Chandra Wickramasinghe is the director of the
Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham. A professor of applied mathematics
and astronomy, he is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Astrobiology and Outreach and
coauthor of Cosmic Womb.
Also residing in Cardiff, Wales, Kamala Wickramasinghe, MA, is a freelance writer and editor
with a master's degree in English from the University of Cambridge. The managing editor of the
Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astroeconomics (ISPA).
Living in Japan, Gensuke Tokoro is an honorary professor at Ruhuna University, president and
CEO of Kyoto Biopharma, Inc., and executive director of ISPA.
Edgar Cayce on Angels and the Angelic Forces
Kevin J. Todeschi
ARE Press
www.AREPress.com
9780876049730, $15.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In hundreds of readings given over a period of decades, famed psychic Edgar Cayce
repeatedly confirmed the existence of guardian angels, archangels, spirit guides and divine
messengers?.
Cayce address a number of thematically relevant questions including: Are these emissaries of
light spiritual beings that come directly from God?; Are they somehow responsible for bringing
us information and guidance?; What role do they play in our lives, and how can we enhance that
role?
Cayce's readings not only provide insights into biblical accounts of angels that have been
forgotten by history, but he goes on to describe how, in the face of the Oneness of God, the
nature of "fallen angels" might be very different than we have ever supposed. On more than
twenty occasions, two specific angels also spoke through Edgar Cayce in an effort to bring
information from the world of spirit into the material realm. And what may be most amazing,
Cayce taught that we as individuals can most effectively open ourselves up to the assistance of
the angelic realms by simply seeking our own personal spiritual growth.
Critique: This angelic wisdom developed by Edgar Cayce is shared alongside real-life angelic
testimonies in "Edgar Cayce on Angels and the Angelic Forces", the latest metaphysical study of
the man and his work by Kevin Todeschi who has spent many years in the study and service of
this remarkable man. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Angels/Spirits
supplemental reading lists in particular, it should be noted that "Edgar Cayce on Angels and the
Angelic Forces" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Kevin J. Todeschi is the Executive Director and CEO of Edgar Cayce's
Association for Research & Enlightenment (A.R.E.) and Atlantic University (AU). As both
student and teacher of the Cayce material for 35 years, he has lectured on six continents in front
of thousands of individuals and is the author of more than 25 books, including the best-selling
Edgar Cayce on the Akashic Records (9780876044018), Edgar Cayce on Vibrations
(9780876045671), and Edgar Cayce on Auras & Colors (9780876046128).
The Photography Shelf
William Klein: Celebration
William Klein, photographer
La Fabrica
c/o Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9788417048792, $39.95, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Born in New York in 1928, William Klein studied painting and worked briefly as
Fernand Leger's assistant in Paris, but never received formal training in photography. His fashion
work has been featured prominently in Vogue magazine, and has also been the subject of several
iconic photo books, including Life Is Good and Good for You in New York (1957) and Tokyo
(1964). In the 1980s, he turned to film projects and has produced many memorable documentary
and feature films, such as Muhammed Ali, the Greatest (1969). Klein currently lives and works
in Paris, France. His works are held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New
York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the Art Institute of Chicago, among
others.
"William Klein: Celebration" is essentially a compendium of images showcasing 90 years of
William Klein's favorite photographic work -- those that he considers to be the very best he has
made over the course of his long career.
An homage to the medium of photography itself, "William Klein: Celebration" provides a
visually striking tour of his most emblematic works, traversing New York, Rome, Moscow,
Madrid and Paris, in powerful black and white or striking color.
"William Klein: Celebration" also includes a text by Klein in which he reflects upon the
photographic art and explains what prompted him to make this director's cut, this exceptionally
personal selection.
A small-format but high-voltage volume, in page after page "William Klein: Celebration" makes
it clear why Klein's achievement is one of the summits of contemporary photography.
Critique: An impressively selected, organized and presented compendium of memorable
photograph images by a true master of the visual media, "William Klein: Celebration" should be
considered as an essential and core addition to any serious personal, professional, community, or
academic library Contemporary American Photography collection.
Letizia Battaglia
Letizia Battaglia, photographer
Francesca Alfano Miglietti, editor
Marsilio Editori
c/o Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9788831744331, $45.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Over 300 newly published works by Letizia Battaglia (who is one of Italy's most
celebrated photographers), are collected in "Letizia Battaglia: Photography as a Life Choice", a
major new survey spanning the entirety of her 30-year photographic career.
In photographs and contact prints from Battaglia's own archive, "Letizia Battaglia: Photography
as a Life Choice" offers a comprehensive review of her work's civically engaged model for
photography, typified by her iconic depictions of political protests and Mafia killings in her
native Palermo in Sicily, taken while Battaglia was employed as photography director at the
leftist daily newspaper L'Ora.
Including portraits of subjects such as Pier Paolo Pasolini, the mob boss Leoluca Bagarella and
the Sicilian politician Piersanti Mattarella (assassinated by the Mafia), the photographs in this
collection showcase Battaglia's attention to the most decisive events in Italy, both political and
cultural, along with non-newsworthy records of the daily lives of people in Palermo.
Critique: A simply fascinating volume of journalistic photography, "Letizia Battaglia:
Photography as a Life Choice" impressively showcases Battaglia's genuine flair for capturing the
emotional content of her photographed images. A pure and thoughtful pleasure to browse
through, "Letizia Battaglia: Photography as a Life Choice" is a singularly extraordinary and
highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Contemporary Photography collections.
Jan Welters: Profile
Jan Welters
Damiani
c/o Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9788862086394, $60.00, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Profile" is a highly personal selection of California-based Dutch photographer Jan
Welters' photographic work from the early '90s to 2018. Welters has worked with some of the
most well-respected fashion labels and magazines in the world, including Vogue, Vanity Fair,
Elle and Marie Claire , as well as for the designers Balenciage, Jil Sander and Dior, among
others.
Welters' models are raw, sometimes unconventional beauties quite often with very little
hairstyling and makeup. Whether depicting an androgynous girl with a cowboy hat, a model
smoking a cigarette on a beach, a movie star or a picture of his wife or children, Welters' pictures
are captivating in their simplicity. His approach to his craft remains independent of trends.
Critique: Beautifully showcasing an impressive body of work, this Damiani edition of "Jan
Welters: Profile" is an extraordinary, coffee table format volume that is a true pleasure to browse
through and offers template quality examples for aspiring photographers -- especially in the
world of fashion. Simply stated, "Jan Welters: Profile" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Photography
collections.
The American History Shelf
The Disaffected
Aaron Sullivan
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
www.upenn.edu/pennpress
9780812251265, $39.95, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Elizabeth and Henry Drinker of Philadelphia were no friends of the American
Revolution. Yet neither were they its enemies. The Drinkers were a merchant family who, being
Quakers and pacifists, shunned commitments to both the Revolutionaries and the British. They
strove to endure the war uninvolved and unscathed.
They failed when in 1777 the war came to Philadelphia and the city was taken and occupied by
the British army.
In "The Disaffected: Britain's Occupation of Philadelphia During the American Revolution",
Aaron Sullivan explores the British occupation of Philadelphia, chronicling the experiences of a
group of people who were pursued, pressured, and at times persecuted, not because they chose
the wrong side of the Revolution but because they tried not to choose a side at all. For these
people, the war was neither a glorious cause to be won nor an unnatural rebellion to be
suppressed, but a dangerous and costly calamity to be navigated with care.
Both the Patriots and the British referred to this group as "the disaffected", perceiving correctly
that their defining feature was less loyalty to than a lack of support for either side in the dispute,
and denounced them as opportunistic, apathetic, or even treasonous. "The Disaffected" shows
how Revolutionary authorities embraced desperate measures in their quest to secure their own
legitimacy, suppressing speech, controlling commerce, and mandating military service. In 1778,
without the Patriots firing a shot, the king's army abandoned Philadelphia and the perceived
threat from neutrals began to decline -- as did the coercive and intolerant practices of the
Revolutionary regime.
By highlighting the perspectives of those wearied by and withdrawn from the conflict, "The
Disaffected" reveals the consequences of a Revolutionary ideology that assumed the nation's
people to be a united and homogenous front.
Critique: A seminal work of scholarship, "The Disaffected: Britain's Occupation of Philadelphia
During the American Revolution" is further enhanced with the inclusion of forty pages of Notes,
a fourteen page Bibliography, and a ten page Index. A valued and informative addition to the
growing library of American Revolution histories and commentaries, "The Disaffected" is an
especially recommended addition to both community and academic library 18th Century
American History collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Disaffected"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.45).
Editorial Note: Aaron Sullivan holds a Doctorate from Temple University and a Bachelor's
Degree from Letourneau University. He has also served as a history instructor at Temple
University and Holy Family University in Philadelphia and Rider University in New Jersey.
Germans in Illinois
Miranda E. Wilkerson & Heather Richmond
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809337217, $24.50, PB, 234pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Examining the primary reasons that Germans came to Illinois and describing how they
adapted to life and distinguished themselves through a variety of occupations and community
roles., "Germans in Illinois" is an engagingly informative history of one of the largest ethnic
groups in Illinois as it explores the influence and experiences of German immigrants and their
descendants from their arrival in the middle of the nineteenth century to their heritage identity
today.
The promise of cheap land and fertile soil in rural areas and emerging industries in cities
attracted three major waves of German-speaking immigrants to Illinois in search of freedom and
economic opportunities. Before long the state was dotted with German churches, schools,
cultural institutions, and place names. German churches served not only as meeting places but
also as a means of keeping language and culture alive. Names of Illinois cities and towns of
German origin include New Baden, Darmstadt, Bismarck, and Hamburg. In Chicago, many
streets, parks, and buildings bear German names, including Altgeld Street, Germania Place,
Humboldt Park, and Goethe Elementary School. Some of the most lively and ubiquitous
organizations, such as S ngerbunde, or singer societies, and the Turnverein, or Turner Society,
also preserved a bit of the Fatherland.
Exploring the complex and ever-evolving German American identity in the growing diversity of
Illinois's linguistic and ethnic landscape, "examine the primary reasons that Germans came to
Illinois and describe how they adapted to life and distinguished themselves through a variety of
occupations and community roles." contextualizes their experiences and corrects widely held
assumptions about assimilation and cultural identity. Federal census data, photographs, lively
biographical sketches, and newly created maps bring the complex story of German immigration
to life.
The generously illustrated volume also features detailed notes, suggestions for further reading,
and an annotated list of books, journal articles, and other sources of information.
Critique: The collaborative work of Miranda E. Wilkerson (who is an Associate Professor of
Language and Communication Studies at Columbia College in Missouri) and Heather Richmond
(who is a certified archivist with the State Historical Society of Missouri), "Germans in Illinois"
is an impressive work of original and meticulous scholarship throughout. While especially
recommended for both community and academic library American History collections in general,
and Illinois History supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Germans in Illinois" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.50).
The World History Shelf
Blood on the Snow
Elisabeth Heresch
Paragon House
3600 Labore Road, Suite 1, St. Paul, MN 55110-4144
www.paragonhouse.com
9781557781130, $24.95, HC, 250pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Blood on the Snow: Eyewitness Accounts of the Russian Revolution", Elisabeth
Heresch dramatically reveals, in a chronological story through eye-witness accounts, how the
Russian Empire fell in 1917 to a handful of revolutionaries unknown to the masses. Heresch
reveals the role of Germany in supporting the revolutionaries as an attempt to undermine the
regime it was unable to defeat on the battlefield. And, "Blood on the Snow" shows the role of the
US in financing the revolutionaries in order to get exclusive exploitation rights and contracts
mainly for oil and coal.
Prince Felix Yusupov tells of the night that he, along with others, killed the notorious Rasputin.
Tatyana Botkina, daughter of the Czar's personal physician, witnessed her father, along with the
Czar and his family, driven from exile to execution. P. N. Malyantovich, Justice Minister of the
provisional government, recalls the night that the provisional government was overthrown, and
he and the other members of that government had their lives threatened by an armed mob.
Varvara Levitova, a volunteer nurse who was shot in the battles between the Whites and the
Reds, recounts the horrors of the frontline where Russian battled Russian.
The witnesses question commonly held assumptions about the revolution. Was Czar Nicholas II
an incompetent and aloof autocrat bent on preserving his own power? Was Lenin a brilliant and
popular leader of a popular revolution? Were the people truly clamoring for a revo-lution to
transform Russia into a class-less society? From these stories the reality of the Russian
Revolution is revealed and we can see the Czar and Lenin, the battles, and the secret meetings,
the people, and the events that changed tbe world.
Critique: An impressively researched, written, organized and presented history, "Blood on the
Snow: Eyewitness Accounts of the Russian Revolution" by Elisabeth Heresch is an inherently
fascinating and extraordinarily informative addition to community and academic library 20th
Century Russian History collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Blood on the
Snow" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Elisabeth Heresch is an expert on Russian affairs, publicist, and translator from
Russian and French into German. She traveled throughout Europe, the United States, and the
Soviet Union seeking out and interviewing witnesses of the Russian Revolution. She is a
graduate of the Institute for Slavic Studies and Romanic Studies at the University of Graz, in her
native Austria. She is the author of 12 books on Russian history, culture, and music.
Creating Hitler's Germany
Tim Heath
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526732972, $39.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Germany's devastating defeat in the First World War and the punitively exploitive
Treaty of Versailles that followed were national disasters, with far-reaching consequences not
just for the country but for the world itself.
Weaving the stories of three German families from the beginning of Germany's territorial
aspirations of the First World War to the shattered dream of a thousand-year Reich in the Second
World War, Tim Heath's rich narrative in "Creating Hitler's Germany: The Birth of Extremism"
deftly explores a multitude of rare and untapped resources to explore the darkest recesses of
German social and military history.
Hitler's Germany presents a nation's journey not only through everyday life and war, but through
its own conscience, pain and inevitable search for some form of absolution from its past. It is
real, painful and incredibly human -- and an essential history to further understand the mind-set
of Germany during the most tumultuous years of the nation's history.
Critique: If we do not learn the lessons of history we will be doomed to repeat the behaviors,
national and personal, that have resulted in the tragedies of the past. One outstanding 20th
Century example is how Germany was treated at the end of World War I and how she was treated
at the end of World War II -- that latter treatment having prevented a World War III for the past
75 years. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, Tim Heath's "Creating Hitler's
Germany: The Birth of Extremism" is very highly recommended for community and academic
library 20th Century History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Creating Hitler's Germany" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Plants Go to War
Judith Sumner
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476676128, $49.95, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Plants Go to War: A Botanical History of World War II" examines military history
from the perspective of plant science. From victory gardens to drugs, timber, rubber, and fibers,
plants supplied materials with key roles in victory. Vegetables provided the wartime diet both in
North America and Europe, where vitamin-rich carrots, cabbages, and potatoes nourished
millions. Chicle and cacao provided the chewing gum and chocolate bars in military rations.
In England and Germany, herbs replaced pharmaceutical drugs; feverbark was in demand to treat
malaria, and penicillin culture used a growth medium made from corn. Rubber was needed for
gas masks and barrage balloons, while cotton and hemp provided clothing, canvas, and rope.
Timber was used to manufacture Mosquito bombers, and wood gasification and coal replaced
petroleum in European vehicles.
Lebensraum, the Nazi desire for agricultural land, drove Germans eastward; troops weaponized
conifers with shell bursts that caused splintering. Ironically, the Nazis condemned non-native
plants, but adopted useful Asian soybeans and Mediterranean herbs. Jungle warfare and
camouflage required botanical knowledge, and survival manuals detailed edible plants on Pacific
islands. Botanical gardens relocated valuable specimens to safe areas, and while remote locations
provided opportunities for field botany, Trees surviving in Hiroshima and Nagasaki live as a
symbol of rebirth after the vast nuclear destruction
Critique: A unique blend of botanical and military history by botanist Judith Sumner, "Plants Go
to War: A Botanical History of World War II" in an original and meticulous study that is as
informed and informative as it is accessible organized and reader friendly in presentation. "Plants
Go to War" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college,
and university library World War II histories and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
The Legitimacy of Bastards
Helen Matthews
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526716552, $49.95, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For the nobility and gentry in later medieval England, land was a source of wealth and
status. Their marriages were arranged with this in mind, and it is not surprising that so many of
them had mistresses and illegitimate children. John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, married at the
age of twenty to a ten-year-old granddaughter of Edward I, had at least eight bastards and a
complicated love life.
In theory, bastards were at a considerable disadvantage. Regarded as 'filius nullius' or the son of
no one, they were unable to inherit real property and barred from the priesthood. In practice,
illegitimacy could be less of a stigma in late medieval England than it became between the
sixteenth and late twentieth centuries. There were ways of making provision for illegitimate
offspring and some bastards did extremely well in the church, through marriage, as soldiers, and
a few even succeeding to the family estates.
"The Legitimacy of Bastards: The Place of Illegitimate Children in Later Medieval England" by
Helen Matthes is the first extensive study of the Medieval era in England to consider the
individuals who had illegitimate children, the ways in which they provided for them and attitudes
towards both the parents and the bastard children. It also highlights important differences
between the views of illegitimacy taken by the Church and by the English law.
Critique: It is interesting to note that Helen Matthews studied medieval history at UCL and Royal
Holloway when a chance remark in a footnote inspired her to embark on the thesis on medieval
bastards, on which "The Legitimacy of Bastards" is based. Enhanced for academia with the
inclusion of a one page Glossary, a fifty-nine pag Anex (Dramatis Personae), a five page
Bibliography, and a five page Index, "The Legitimacy of Bastards" is certain to be an enduringly
appreciated and valued addition to both community and academic library English Medieval
History collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, academics, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Legitimacy of Bastards" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.98).
The Ismaili Assassins
James Waterson
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526760821, $29.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The Ismaili Assassins were an underground group of political killers who were ready
to kill Christians and Muslims alike with complete disregard for their own lives. These devoted
murderers were under the powerful control of a grand master who used assassination as part of a
grand strategic vision that embraced Egypt, the Levant and Persia and even reached the court of
the Mongol Khans in far away Qaraqorum.
The Assassins often slayed their victims in public, cultivating their terrifying reputation. They
assumed disguises and their weapon of choice was a dagger. The dagger was blessed by the
grand master and killing with it was a holy and sanctified act poison or other methods of murder
were forbidden to the followers of the sect.
Surviving a mission was considered a deep dishonor and mothers rejoiced when they heard that
their Assassin sons had died having completed their deadly acts. Their formidable reputation
spread far and wide. In 1253, the Mongol chiefs were so fearful of them that they massacred and
enslaved the Assassins women and children in an attempt to liquidate the sect. The English
monarch, Edward I, was nearly dispatched by their blades and Richard the Lionheart's reputation
was sullied by his association with the Assassins murder of Conrad of Montferrat.
Enhanced with eyewitness accounts from Islamic and Western sources, "The Ismaili Assassins:
A History of Medieval Murder" by author and historian James Waterson explores the origins,
actions and legacy of this notorious sect.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, deftly written, and impressively informative read from
beginning to end, "The Ismaili Assassins: A History of Medieval Murder" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Medieval History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"The Ismaili Assassins" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.61).
Parliament's Generals
Malcolm Wanklyn
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473898363, $49.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Waller, Essex, Fairfax, Manchester and Cromwell are among the most famous military
men who fought for the British Parliament during the English Civil War. While their
performance as generals has been explored in numerous books on the campaigns, comparatively
little has been written by military historians about the political aspects of high command, namely
the ever-changing and often fractious relationship with the English Parliament and its executive
committees. That is why "Parliament's Generals: Supreme Command and Politics During the
British Wars 1642-51", Professor Malcolm Wanklyn's study of these men, is of such value, for it
sheds new light on the qualities they employed in their attempts to achieve their military and
political aspirations.
In a series of insightful chapters "Parliament's General's follows their careers through the course
of the conflict, focusing on their successes and failures in battle and the consequences for their
reputations and influence. Dissatisfaction with the leadership of Essex, Manchester and Waller in
the inconclusive early campaigns is examined, as are the contrasting strengths of Fairfax and
Cromwell. This reassessment sheds new light on how these commanders managed promotions,
outmaneuvered their fellow generals and controlled their subordinates.
Critique: An impressively detailed and meticulously researched history, "Parliament's Generals:
Supreme Command and Politics During the British Wars 1642-51" is an extraordinary and highly
recommended as an essential and core addition to both community and academic library 17th
Century British History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and the non-specialist general reader that
"Parliament's Generals" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.97).
Editorial Note: Malcolm Wanklyn was for many years head of the history and war studies
division at the University of Wolverhampton, and he is now Emeritus Professor in the History
Department. He has made a special study of the English Civil War, concentrating on the written
records upon which modern understanding of the military history of the era is based. His
best-known books are A Military History of the English Civil War 1642-1646: Strategy and
Tactics, written in collaboration with Frank Jones, Warrior Generals: Winning the British Civil
Wars, Reconstructing the New Model Army and Decisive Battles of the English Civil War.
Dragon Lords
Eleanor Parker
I. B. Tauris Publishers
www.ibtauris.com
c/o Bloomsbury Academic
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781784537869, $35.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Why did the Vikings sail to England? Were they indiscriminate raiders, motivated
solely by bloodlust and plunder? One narrative, the stereotypical one, might have it so. But
locked away in the buried history of the British Isles are other, far richer and more nuanced,
stories; and these hidden tales paint a picture very different from the ferocious pillagers of
popular repute.
In the pages of "Dragon Lords: The History and Legends of Viking England", academician and
historian Eleanor Parker unlocks secrets that point to more complex motivations within the
marauding army that in the late ninth century voyaged to the shores of eastern England in its
sleek, dragon-powered longships. Exploring legends from forgotten medieval texts, and across
the varied Anglo-Saxon regions, Professor Parker depicts Vikings who came not just to raid but
also to settle personal feuds, intervene in English politics and find a place to call home.
Native tales reveal the links to famous Vikings like Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons; Cnut; and
Havelok the Dane. Each myth shows how the legacy of the newcomers can still be traced in
landscape, place-names and local history. "Dragon Lords" uncovers the remarkable degree to
which England is Viking to its core.
Critique: Meticulously researched, impressively informative, thoughtfully insightful, and an
inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Dragon Lords: The History and Legends of
Viking England" is an extraordinary work of scholarship that is exceptionally accessible for both
academia and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject. While unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Viking History and English History
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in Viking history that "Dragon Lords" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.20).
Editorial Note: Eleanor Parker is Lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Brasenose College,
Oxford. Her DPhil, obtained in 2013 from the University of Oxford, addressed the subject of
Anglo-Scandinavian literature in post-Conquest England. Professor Parker writes an acclaimed
blog in her guise as 'A Clerk of Oxford', described as 'an orchard of golden apples' by Christopher
Howse in the Daily Telegraph. In 2015 her blog won the Longman - History Today Award for
Digital History, and she now writes a regular column for History Today.
Richard III
Matthew Lewis
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526727978, $22.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: King Richard III (2 October 1452 - 22 August 1485) remains one of the most infamous
and recognizable monarchs in English or British history, despite only sitting on the throne for
two years and fifty-eight days. His hold on the popular imagination is largely due to the fictional
portrayal of him by William Shakespeare which, combined with the workings of five centuries of
rumor and gossip, has created two opposing versions of Richard. In fiction he is the evil,
scheming murderer who revels in his plots, but many of the facts point towards a very different
man.
Dissecting a real Richard III from the fictional versions that have taken hold is made difficult by
the inability to discern motives in many instances, leaving a wide gap for interpretation that can
be favorable or damning in varying degrees. It is the facts that will act as the scalpel to begin the
operation of finding a truth obscured by fiction.
Richard III may have been a monster, a saint, or just a man trying to survive, but any view of him
should be based in the realities of his life, not the myths built on rumor and theater. How much of
what we think we know about England's most controversial monarch will remain when the facts
are sifted from the fictions? That is a question that is more than satisfactorily responded to by
Matthew Lewis in his historical biography of this controversial English monarch.
Critique: The informed and informative result of remarkably painstaking and meticulous research
that is deftly organized and presented so as to be of especially impressive value to scholars and
non-specialist general readers alike, this edition of "Richard III" by Matthew Lewis will prove to
be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library late Medieval English
Biography collections in general, and King Richard III supplemental studies reading lists in
particular.
Editorial Note: Matthew Lewis trained in law and is now a full time author of historical fiction
and non-fiction. He also blogs on his website, Matt's History Blog, and can be found on Twitter
as @mattlewisauthor. His main interest is medieval history and he has a number of books on that
topic, including The Wars of the Roses: The Key Players in the Struggle for Supremacy and
Richard, Duke of York: King by Right.
The Vikings: From Odin to Christ
Martyn Whittock & Hannah Whittock
Lion Hudson
www.lionhudson.com
9780745980201, $19.95, HC, 258pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The popular image of the Vikings is of tall red-headed men, raping and pillaging their
way around the coast of Europe, stopping only to ransack monasteries and burn longships. But
the violent Vikings of the 8th century became the pious Christians of the 11th century, who gave
gold crosses to Christian churches and in whose areas of rule pagan idols were destroyed and
churches were built. "The Vikings: From Odin to Christ" reveals how this radical transformation
happened -- and why? What difference it made to Viking culture, to those around them, and their
ultimate legacy that still has relevance today.
Critique: "The Vikings: From Odin to Christ" is a detailed examination of a key period of gradual
transition in Viking history that deftly explores all the major areas of principle Viking
settlements. Especially written so to provide an accessible and engaging overview for the non-
specialist general reader, "The Vikings: From Odin to Christ" is an inherently fascinating and
impressively informative history that is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Viking
History collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and
anyone with an interest in Viking history and culture that "The Vikings: From Odin to Christ" is
also available in a paperback edition (9780745980188, $14.95) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Hannah Whittock has an Master's Degree in Philosophy from Cambridge in
Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic studies. She has co-written three books on Viking and
Anglo-Saxon history and has written journal articles on Anglo-Saxon frontiers and coinage
produced during the Viking Wars. She reads Old English and Old Norse. She co-wrote The
Vikings with Martyn Whittock.
The Civil War Shelf
Targeted Tracks
Scott L. Mingus Sr. & Cooper H. Wingert
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214611, $32.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The American Civil War was the first conflict in which railroads played a major role.
Although much has been written about their role in general, little has been written about specific
lines. The Cumberland Valley Railroad, for example, played an important strategic role by
connecting Hagerstown, Maryland to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Its location enhanced its
importance during some of the Civil War's most critical campaigns. Despite the line's
significance to the Union war effort, its remarkable story remains little known. The publication
of "Targeted Tracks: The Cumberland Valley Railroad in the Civil War, 1861-1865", by Scott L.
Mingus Sr. and Cooper H. Wingert, rectifies that oversight.
Because of its proximity to major cities in the Eastern Theater, the Cumberland Valley Railroad
was an enticing target for Confederate leaders. As invading armies jostled for position, the
CVRR's valuable rolling stock was never far from their minds. Northern military and railway
officials, who knew the line was a prized target, coordinated (and just as often butted heads) in a
series of efforts to ensure the railroad's prized resources remained out of enemy hands. When
they failed to protect the line, as they sometimes did, Southern horsemen wrought havoc on the
Northern war effort by tearing up its tracks, seizing or torching Union supplies, and laying waste
to warehouses, engine houses, and passenger depots.
In October 1859, Abolitionist John Brown used the CVRR in his fateful Harpers Ferry raid. The
line was under direct threat by invading Confederates during the Antietam Campaign, and the
following summer suffered serious damage during the Gettysburg Campaign. In 1864, Rebel
raiders burned much of its headquarters town, Chambersburg, including the homes of many
CVRR employees. The railroad was as vital to residents of the bustling and fertile Cumberland
Valley as it was to the Union war effort.
"Targeted Tracks" is grounded on primary sources including the railway's voluminous reports,
the letters and diaries of local residents and Union and Confederate soldiers, official reports, and
newspaper accounts.
Critique: A welcome and seminal work of meticulous scholarship and exhaustive research,
"Targeted Tracks: The Cumberland Valley Railroad in the Civil War, 1861-1865" is an
extraordinary and original study that will be an especially appreciated contribution to the growing
library of American Civil War histories. While an especially and highly recommended for both
community and academic library American Civil War History collections, it should be noted for
the personal reading lists of students, academia, and Civil War History buffs that "Targeted
Tracks" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Scott Mingus, is the author of a biography of Confederate General William
"Extra Billy" and has won multiple awards, including the Dr. James I. Robertson, Jr. Literary
Award for Confederate history. He has also written articles for many publications including
Gettysburg Magazine.
Cooper Wingert is the author of a dozen books and numerous articles on slavery and the
American Civil War. His book "The Confederate Approach on Harrisburg" won the 2012 Dr.
James I. Robertson, Jr. Literary Award for Confederate history. His other works include "Slavery
and the Underground Railroad in South Central Pennsylvania", "Abolitionists of South Central
Pennsylvania", and "Harrisburg and the Civil War". Cooper has also written articles for
Gettysburg Magazine and has appeared on C-SPAN Book TV and Pennsylvania Cable Network.
Wingert received the Camp Curtin Historical Society's inaugural General Joseph F. Knipe Award
in recognition for his research on the Harrisburg area during the Civil War.
"Too Much for Human Endurance"
Ronald D. Kirkwood
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214512, $34.95, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In ""Too Much for Human Endurance": The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the
Battle of Gettysburg" and using a massive array of firsthand accounts, Ronald D. Kirkwood
re-creates the sprawling XI Corps hospital complex and the people who labored and suffered
there - especially George and Elizabeth Spangler and their four children, who built a thriving
166-acre farm only to witness it nearly destroyed when war paid them a bloody visit that summer
of 1863. Stories rarely if ever told of nurses, surgeons, ambulance workers, musicians, teenage
fighters, and others are weaved seamlessly through gripping, smooth-flowing prose.
A host of notables spent time at the Spangler farm, including Union officers George G. Meade,
Henry J. Hunt, Edward E. Cross, Francis Barlow, Francis Mahler, Freeman McGilvery, and
Samuel K. Zook. Pvt. George Nixon III, great-grandfather of President Richard M. Nixon, would
die there, as would Confederate Gen. Lewis A. Armistead, who fell mortally wounded at the
height of Pickett's Charge. In addition to including the most complete lists ever published of the
dead, wounded, and surgeons at the Spanglers' XI Corps hospital, this study breaks new ground
with stories of the First Division, II Corps hospital at the Spanglers' Granite Schoolhouse.
Kirkwood also establishes the often-overlooked strategic importance of the property and its key
role in the Union victory. Army of the Potomac generals took advantage of the farm's size, access
to roads, and central location to use it as a staging area to get artillery and infantry to the
embattled front line from Little Round Top north to Cemetery Hill just in time to prevent its
collapse and a Confederate breakthrough.
Critique: An original and unique work of meticulous and exhaustive research, "Too Much for
Human Endurance": The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the Battle of Gettysburg" is
further enhanced for academia with the inclusion of six appendices, a ten page bibliography, and
a nine page index. A truly extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community,
college, and university library American Civil War history collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students, academia, and dedicated American Civil War buffs that ""Too
Much for Human Endurance": The George Spangler Farm Hospitals and the Battle of
Gettysburg" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
Gettysburg's Peach Orchard
James A. Hessler & Britt C. Isenberg
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214550, $34.95, HC, 408pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: On July 2, 1863, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered skeptical subordinate Lt.
Gen. James Longstreet to launch a massive assault against the Union left flank. The offensive
was intended to seize the Peach Orchard and surrounding ground along the Emmitsburg Road for
use as an artillery position to support the ongoing attack. However, Union Maj. Gen. Daniel
Sickles, a scheming former congressman from New York, misinterpreted his orders and occupied
the orchard first.
What followed was some of Gettysburg's bloodiest and most controversial fighting. General
Sickles's questionable advance forced Longstreet's artillery and infantry to fight for every inch of
ground to Cemetery Ridge. The Confederate attack crushed the Peach Orchard salient and other
parts of the Union line, threatening the left flank of Maj. Gen. George Meade's army. The
command decisions made in and around the Sherfy property influenced actions on every part of
the battlefield. The occupation of the high ground at the Peach Orchard helped General Lee
rationalize ordering the tragic July 3 assault known as "Pickett's Charge."
Collaboratively written by James A. Hessler and Britt C. Isenberg, "Gettysburg's Peach Orchard:
Longstreet, Sickles, and the Bloody Fight for the "Commanding Ground" Along the Emmitsburg
Road" is a richly detailed study that is based upon scores of primary accounts and a deep
understanding of the terrain. Hessler and Isenberg (who are both Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield
Guides), deftly combine the military aspects of the fighting with human interest stories in a
balanced treatment of the bloody attack and defense of Gettysburg's Peach Orchard.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of an informative introduction (A Fatal Mistake),
photographs, illustrations, and Appendix (Select Order of Battle), a twenty-four page
Bibliography, and an eleven page Index, "Gettysburg's Peach Orchard: Longstreet, Sickles, and
the Bloody Fight for the "Commanding Ground" Along the Emmitsburg Road" is an impressively
informative and exceptionally well presented study that is very highly recommended as a core
addition to personal, community, and academic library American Civil War military history
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Gettysburg's Peach
Orchard: Longstreet, Sickles, and the Bloody Fight for the "Commanding Ground" Along the
Emmitsburg Road" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Gettysburg: The Living and the Dead
Kent Gramm, author
Chris Heisey, photographer
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809337330, $29.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Gettysburg: The Living and the Dead", writer Kent Gramm and photographer Chris
Heisey tell the famous battle's story through the eyes of those who lived and died there. Unlike
histories that simply recount the three furious days in July 1863, this volume deftly combines
commentary with memorable images to transport readers onto the battlefield and into the event's
historical echoes, making for a delightful, immersive experience.
Creative nonfiction, fiction, dramatic dialogue, and poetry combine with full-color photographs
to convey the essential reality of the famous battlefield as a place both terrible and beautiful. The
living and the dead contained here include Confederates and Yankees, soldiers and civilians,
male and female, young and old. Visitors to the battlefield after 1863, both well known and
obscure, provide the voices of the living. They include a female admiral in the U.S. Navy and a
man from rural Virginia who visits the battlefield as a way of working through the death of his
son in Iraq. The ghostly voices of the dead include actual participants in the battle, like a fiery
colonel and a girl in Confederate uniform, as well as their representatives, such as a grieving
widow who has come to seek her husband.
Utilizing light as a central motif and fourscore and seven voices to evoke how Gettysburg
continues to draw visitors and resound throughout history, alternately wounding and stitching the
lives it touches, Gramm's words and Heisey's photographs meld for a historical experience unlike
any other. "Gettysburg: The Living and the Dead" offers a panoramic view wherein the battle and
battlefield of Gettysburg are seen through the eyes of those who lived through it and died on it as
well as those who have sought meaning at the site ever since.
Critique: Offering a unique perspective on one of the major conflicts of the American Civil War,
"Gettysburg: The Living and the Dead" would aptly serve as a template for similar volumes
focusing on other Union/Confederate conflicts. Informative, thought-provoking, and ultimately
inspiring as a memorial to those who died in one of the bloodiest engagements of the conflict,
"Gettysburg: The Living and the Dead" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as
well as both community and academic library collections as an absolutely essential and
enduringly valued contributions to the growing library of American Civil War literature.
Opdycke's Tigers in the Civil War
Thomas Crowl
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476675923, $45.00, PB, 306pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Organized in the fall of 1862, the 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was commanded by
the aggressive and ambitious Colonel Emerson Opdycke, a citizen-soldier with no military
experience who rose to brevet major general.
Part of the Army of the Cumberland, the 125th first saw combat at Chickamauga. Charging into
Dyer's cornfield to blunt a rebel breakthrough, the Buckeyes pressed forward and, despite heavy
casualties, drove the enemy back, buying time for the fractured Union army to rally. Impressed
by the heroic charge of an untested regiment, Union General Thomas Wood labeled them
"Opdycke's Tigers."
After losing a third of their men at Chickamauga, the 125th fought engagements across
Tennessee and Georgia during 1864, and took part in the decisive battles at Franklin and
Nashville.
Drawing on both primary sources and recent scholarship, "Opdycke's Tigers in the Civil War: A
History of the 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry" by Thomas Crowl is the first full-length history of
the regiment in more than 120 years.
Critique: A inherently fascinating, meticulously researched and impressively detailed account,
"Opdycke's Tigers in the Civil War: A History of the 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry" is an
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and
university library American Civil War History collections and supplemental studies reading
lists.
The Nautical Shelf
Reeds Weather Handbook
Frank Singleton
Adlard Coles
c/o Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781472965066, $14.00, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Weather determines when we sail, where we sail to and whether we arrive safely.
"Reeds Weather Handbook" by Frank Singleton is an essential pocket-sized guide that equips the
reader with all the necessary tools to predict and deal with local and distant weather conditions,
whether on a day trip or a longer cruise, along the coast or further offshore.
Each topic is broken down into digestible chapters, explaining the origins and effects of the full
spectrum of weather conditions, including: Using and evaluating weather forecasts; Depressions,
fronts, isobars and other coastal effects; Waves and swell; Weather lore and sky watching.
Meteorology is still advancing and sources of forecasts are changing. This newly updated and
revised second edition of the "Reeds Weather Handbook" keeps the little handbook up-to-date,
with a particular focus on the increasing use of GRIB files, computer weather modeling and
sources of forecasts, especially with the proliferation of computer forecasts becoming available
free of charge.
With practical explanations and helpful diagrams and photographs, the "Reeds Weather
Handbook" is the ideal guide for skippers and crew, especially those studying for their Day
Skipper and Yachtmaster exams.
Critique: Compact, accessibly organized and presented, the "Reeds Weather Handbook" should
be considered an essential instructional reference for anyone who sails any kind of ship of any
size upon the open ocean or sea. While very highly recommended for both community and
academic Maritime reference collections, it should be noted for personal use that this newly
published second edition of the "Reeds Weather Handbook" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Christian Studies Shelf
Between Us Guys
Joel Fitzpatrick
New Growth Press
1301 Carolina Street, #L101, Greensboro, NC 27401
www.newgrowthpress.com
9781948130325, $17.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Between Us Guys: Life-Changing Conversations for Dads and Sons " by Joel
Fitzpatrick is an easy-to-use, life-changing book for fathers and sons that gives readers the tools
to have important conversations with boys about life, faith, and being a man.
With a conversational and captivating tone, fathers and other caregivers are guided into having
gospel-focused conversations with boys ages 6 to 10 about a wide range of topics from social
justice and friendships to money, anger, and what it means to be a man.
Dads are given an incredible opportunity to be one of the primary influences in their children's
lives for the gospel. By inviting conversations in every arena of life, fathers pass down the
message of Christ to the next generation. As a youth and family pastor and father to a young boy
who's entered into many of these conversations, Joel Fitzpatrick knows it's important not to shy
away from difficult subjects.
But he also knows dads and other caregivers need help in how to have intentional conversations
with boys about God, themselves, and what difference knowing the gospel makes to their
everyday life. Fitzpatrick invites fathers to share with their sons how the gospel shapes all aspects
of life, including how they treat women, people from other ethnic groups, and much more.
Specific, practical help is given to dads through suggested activities, Gods Word, and insightful
questions.
In a world where television, the internet, social media, and gaming culture have taken away from
quality time spent between fathers and sons, "Between Us Guys" urges readers to lean in to
important conversations with the grace and knowledge of Christ.
Critique: A welcome contribution and ideal for the fragmented times we live in, "Between Us
Guys: Life-Changing Conversations for Dads and Sons" is an extraordinary and welcome
addition to personal parenting from a Christian perspective. Very highly recommended to all
fathers and sons who are members of the Christian community, "Between Us Guys" is also
available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Joel Fitzpatrick has served as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in
America with a focus on youth and family. He received his MDiv from Westminster Seminary
California. Joel lives in Southern California with his wife of nearly twenty years and their two
children. He is the coauthor of "Mom, Dad . . . What's Sex?" and contributed chapters to "The
Sinner and Saints Devotional: 60 days in the Psalms".
The New Testament: A 21st Century Translation
Michael Straus, translator
Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401-2960
http://wipfandstock.com
9781532648762, $36.00, PB, 586pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Michael Straus holds degrees in classical languages, law, and theology. He has
previously published translations from Greek and Spanish.
In this newly translated work, "The New Testament: A 21st Century Translation", Michael's goal
was to bring some fresh turns of phrase to the Gospels, histories, letters, and revelatory texts
already familiar to English readers and listeners, not least because they are the source of sayings
and stories embedded in our language by virtue of the long dominance of the King James Version
of the Bible.
Although the Hebrew and Greek materials used for that version had their flaws, the quality of the
English can hardly be improved upon. Some later translations relying on better materials have
improved the accuracy of the text, but rarely the rhythm and force of the style. Michael's aim is
therefore not to supplant other translations so much as to shed light on obscure passages; capture
aspects of the man Jesus' personality as presented distinctively in the Gospels; convey in
relatively plain language Christian doctrine and experience as related in Acts and the Epistles;
and reflect the atemporal nature of the Book of Revelation.
With the publication of "The New Testament: A 21st Century Translation", Michael has
generally aimed for fluid, contemporary language -- avoiding the overly literal, freely adopting
the colloquial, and taking grammatical license where the writer employed imagery not subject to
standard linguistic limitations. The result is is a user-friendly translation that is at once enjoyable,
novelistic, and at times poetic.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, and highly recommended for
personal, community, seminary, college, and university library collections, "The New Testament:
A 21st Century Translation" is unreservedly recommended to all members of the Christian
community, both clergy and layman, and would be an ideal selection for New Testament study
groups.
All for Her
Father Patrick Petyon, C.S.C.
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.avemariapress.com
9781594718854, $20.00, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: On December 18, 2017, Pope Francis declared that Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., lived
a life of heroic virtue and gave him the title "venerable," marking another step closer to sainthood
for the "Rosary Priest". "All for Her" is a new edition of Peyton's autobiography and tells the
story of his life and dedication to the Blessed Mother as he discerned his vocation, overcame the
obstacles of advanced tuberculosis and lack of education, and became a priest who eventually
preached to more than 28 million people worldwide, worked with Hollywood stars, and founded
Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions.
Meet one of the newest candidates for sainthood: Father Peyton was a priest who was formed by
his own family's Rosary devotion (and his formation as a Holy Cross priest) to promote peace
and unity across the globe through family prayer.
In "All for Her" Father Peyton describes his travels to America, hoping to become a millionaire
and instead finding work as a janitor in the Scranton cathedral, where he realized the call to the
priesthood. In 1929, Peyton entered the seminary, but after years of study and training he was
diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis. Conventional treatments at the time were not working. He
prayed to the Virgin Mary and his health quickly began to improve. In gratitude he committed his
vocation to promote devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Rosary.
Father Peyton immediately began advocating for the practice of family Rosary devotion. He
embraced the new media as a means to reach people across the globe, and developed radio and
television programs that spread a message of prayer and family unity. He founded Family Theater
Productions in 1947. Performers in his productions included such stars of Hollywood's golden
age as Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, and Lucille Ball.
Father Peyton also preached to millions in person, organizing two hundred-sixty Rosary Crusades
across the globe. These large rallies included worship, prayer, and benediction. Peyton continued
to be active until the 1990s and died in 1992. In 1997, the cause for his canonization was
opened.
Critique: Essential and inspiring reading for all members of the Roman Catholic community, "All
for Her: The Autobiography of Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C." is unreservedly recommended for
personal, community, seminary, and academic library collections. It should be noted that this
edition of "All for Her" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.78).
Interpreting the Gospels and Acts
David Turner, author
John Harvey, editor
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825427602, $36.99, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Interpreting the Gospels and Acts: An Exegetical Handbook" is the final volume of
the Handbooks for New Testament Exegesis series from Kregel Publications. With it, David
Turner provides a comprehensive guide for interpreting and conveying the lives of Jesus and his
early followers.
Key background information such as literary genres, historical setting, and theological themes lay
the groundwork for properly reading this five books series. This is followed by practical guidance
on textual issues and original-language exegesis passages from the Gospels and Acts. In the final
chapter of "Interpreting the Gospels and Acts: An Exegetical Handbook" Turner offers an
extensive bibliography of books and digital resources useful for instructors, students, and church
leaders alike.
Critique: An essential resource for anyone teaching and preaching these foundational books,
Interpreting the Gospels and Acts: An Exegetical Handbook" is exceptionally well organized and
presented, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition (along with the previous
volumes of this outstanding series) to personal, community, seminary, college, and university
library New Testament Studies collections.
Editorial Note: David L. Turner is a is a graduate of Cedarville University, Grace Theological
Seminary, and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati. He also studied at
Ohio University and Jerusalem University College in Israel. David has served on the faculties of
Baptist Bible College (PA), Grace Theological Seminary, and Grand Rapids Theological
Seminary. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at Moody Theological Seminary (Michigan)
and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and has served as a doctoral dissertation examiner
at twelve schools. An ordained Baptist minister, David has served as a pastor and an interim
pastor at four churches. He currently teaches regularly at Chapel Pointe in Hudsonvile MI. David
blogs on biblical, theological, and current issues at www.drdavidlturner.com.
Come and See
Brendan Freeman, OCSO
Cistercian Publications
c/o The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.CistercianPublications.org
978087970229, $24.95, PB, 202pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Come and See: The Monastic Way for Today" by Brendan Freeman is look inside the
mind of a monk. The vision of monastic life proposed here is not new; it is a vision going back to
the Desert Fathers of the fourth century. And yet, it is new because it is rooted in a place in the
soul that never grows old.
Come and see where I live, Jesus said to the disciples who were following him. He could just as
well have said, come and see where you live; where your real life is being lived. Monastic
spirituality is not some esoteric or Gnostic way of perceiving reality or understanding life. It is a
treasure hidden in the field of your own heart; it is a universal spirituality that is the common
inheritance of every human being; it is a search for God. From the atheist to the saint there is in
the heart of all creatures a desire for ultimate meaning, a desire for God. In this sense everyone
has the heart of a monk.
"Come and See" showcases the great themes of monastic life: silence, solitude, community life,
prayer. "Come and See also reveals a sub-theme running through ancient monasticism that
conceives of the monastery as a hospital 'a place for healing the soul, the spirit, the heart. The
place of the heart is highlighted in these conferences and homilies as an ancient theme so
relevant to the modern person.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Come and See: The Monastic
Way for Today" is as informative as it is inspiring. While very highly recommended for
community, seminary, college, and academic library Christian Spirituality collections, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Come and See" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $8.69).
Editorial Note: Abbot Brendan Freeman entered the New Melleray Abbey in Peosta, Iowa, in
1958 at the age of twenty. He received a masters degree in liturgical studies from The Catholic
University of America in 1973. Fr. Brendan was elected abbot of his community in 1984 and has
served in that position ever since.
Truth Plus Love
Matt Brown
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E. Grand Rapids, MI 49530
www.zondervan.com
9780310355243, $17.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In today's turbulent times, the stakes are high and the need is great for Christians to
represent Jesus to a watching world. And today, we have more influence than ever before -- for
better and for worse. We are among the first generations to have access to a global megaphone
through social media. But it's not enough to speak truth louder to a noisy culture. To counter the
reputation Christians have earned, our love must be just as loud.
"Truth Plus Love: The Jesus Way to Influence" invites Christians to rediscover the biblical
framework for engaging culture as ambassadors of Christ. Through biblical insight, cultural
analysis, and practical principles, evangelist Matt Brown outlines how to champion truth without
compromise, how to love unconditionally, and ultimately, how to step into this great adventure of
representing God to the world. It's hard, it's messy, and it's the unfinished project of a lifetime,
yet here we find our great adventure: representing God to a watching world.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Truth Plus Love: The Jesus Way to Influence" is an
extraordinary, articulate, and motivating read that is unreservedly recommended to the attention
of all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations. While very
highly recommended for church, seminary, and community library Christian Studies collections,
it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Truth Plus Love: The Jesus Way to Influence"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio
book (Brilliance Audio, 9781721347971, $22.99, MP3 CD).
Unwavering
Margo Fiesler
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.westbowpress.com
9781973635789, $33.95, HC, 230pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Margo Fieseler is the founder and teacher of Margo Fieseler Ministries, a non-profit
organization providing leadership and teaching to hundreds of women in Southern Wisconsin. A
wife and mother of two daughters and many collies, she spent twenty years in the professional
world and five years in radio before launching her ministry with a passion to have people come to
know Jesus.
Though hundreds of women gather weekly to hear Margo Fieseler teach them how to love and
live God's Word, the details of her life before Christ are largely unknown. Most people see the
compelling Christian teacher running a non-profit that opens the door for people to know Jesus
personally, passionately, powerfully, and pre-eminently. But, there she had a life before
Jesus.
"Unwavering: Learning to Do the Next Right Thing in Your Walk With God" is Margo's
life-story devotional revealing how salvation radically changed one woman's life, healed a
marriage and family, and restored a soul as only God can do. In addition to an authentic and
vulnerable narrative, readers will be able to study the Bible's application in their own life through
devotions and journaling. They will discover the key to walking victoriously, rather than in
woundedness.
Critique: As fascinating a personal life story as it is inspired and inspiring, "Unwavering:
Learning to Do the Next Right Thing in Your Walk With God" is unreservedly recommended
reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Unwavering" is also available in a paperback
edition (9781973635796, $17.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.03).
Praying Our Way Toward Wholeness
Tracy O'Sullivan, O.CARM.
Twenty-Third Publications
1 Montauk Avenue, #200, New London, CT 06320
www.23rdpublications.com
9782896885893, $16.95, PB, 104pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Praying Our Way Toward Wholeness" by Fr. Tracy O'Sullivan (an inner-citypastor for
almost forty years) offers a pastoral approach to prayer in the traditional three stages of spiritual
growth. Its target population is both pastors and parishioners and formation programs for both
clergy and laity.
"Praying Our Way Toward Wholeness" is a practical guide to appreciating, understanding and
teaching prayer. The parish should offer a pastoral approach that calls both pastors and
parishioners to holiness. "Praying Our Way into Life" offers a sensible program to facilitate that
spiritual growth at the parish and provides an enduringly relevant statement on the role of
spirituality and prayer in the parish.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Praying Our Way Toward Wholeness" will prove to be of
particular and enduring value for all those within the Catholic community who are charged with
the spiritual well being of their parishioners -- and is especially recommended for seminary Pray
& Spirituality reference collections and supplemental studies lists.
Faith Is for Weak People
Ray Comfort
Baker Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801093982, $14.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Every day that we as Christians interact with the world, we are in a battle. At stake is
the eternal destiny of the souls of our friends, family members, and coworkers. It is a battle we
wage not only in prayer but also in words. When we are faced with objections to the faith we
profess, are we ready to respond?
Apologist and evangelist Ray Comfort has spent his entire career answering objections to the
faith, and he wants you to be equipped to do the same. That is why he has written "Faith Is for
Weak People: Responding to the Top 20 Objections to the Gospel", a practical book in which he
shows you how to answer 20 objections to Christianity, including questions such as: What
physical proof is there that God even exists?; Why does a "loving" God threaten eternal torture
for not believing in him?; If there's an all-powerful God, why is the world so out of control?
Critique: A vital and useful training guide for answering common questions in defense of belief
in God in general, and Christianity in particular, "Faith Is for Weak People: Responding to the
Top 20 Objections to the Gospel" is a very highly recommended instructional guide and
reference the is particularly commended to the attention of anyone seeking to bring people 'from
darkness into light'. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Faith Is for Weak People"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.78).
When Church Conflict Happens
Michael Hare
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moodypublishers.com
9780802418371, $15.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Human nature being what it is, every church will experience conflict at some point.
But it doesn't have to destroy the individual Christian or damage the Christian community. In
fact, conflict can be an incredible opportunity, if you know how to seize it. Unfortunately, very
few churches use the opportunity well, but with Michael Hare's "When Church Conflict
Happens: A Proven Process for Resolving Unhealthy Disagreements and Embracing Healthy
Ones", any Christian church can.
"When Church Conflict Happens" shows: How to recognize healthy and unhealthy conflicts;
What the five levels of conflict are and why they matter; How to design an action plan that will
succeed; How to prevent unhealthy conflict before it begins. With copious case studies and
practical tools, the reader will find that it is surprisingly manageable to develop these new skills
and that anyone can learn to lead confidently in the face of conflict and invest in their church's
future today.
Of special note are the Additional Resources in the back that include: A conflict management
Style Survey; Conflict Assessment Tools; Interview Questions for Assessing Conflict -- and
more!
Critique: Insightfully practical, exceptionally well organized and presented, the perfect 'how to'
instruction guide and manual for resolving conflicts of any kind within the compass of the
Christian community, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.19), "When
Church Conflict Happens: A Proven Process for Resolving Unhealthy Disagreements and
Embracing Healthy Ones" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, pastoral, seminary, and church library collections.
Editorial Note: Dr. S. Michael Hare never imagined a life looking for conflicts to resolve.
Becoming a Christian at 19, he went to Bible college simply desiring to find out how to better
serve God. However, following that path has led to over two decades of serving in the role of
senior pastor in church turnaround ministries, 15 years of working as a church conflict
consultant, and recently completing a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Dr. Hare also
serves as a senior staff chaplain and ombudsman for Compassion with its nearly 4,000 employees
ministering in 26 third world countries. He has served as an adjunct instructor in several
universities and is currently teaching mediation courses in a doctoral program in Denver.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Mensch-Marks
Joshua Hammerman
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
9780757321771, $14.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Mensch-Marks: Life Lessons of a Human Rabbi Wisdom for Untethered Times" is
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman personal memoir told as a sacred story, as how-to book, as a series of
personal vignettes in dialogue with one another over the span of decades, resonating with eternal
ideas that span centuries.
"Mensch-Marks" traces Rabbi Hammerman's own personal growth while providing a road map
for people of all backgrounds seeking a life of moral vision. The wisdom is shared not from a
pulpit on high, but rather from an unfolding story of a fellow traveler, one who has stumbled,
failed, and persevered, struggling with the questions large and small. Through it all, Rabbi
Hammerman has tried to live with dignity and grace, what he calls the "nobility of
normalcy."
The central message of Rabbi Hammerman's "Mensch-Marks" is that we can turn things around,
one mensch at a time!
Critique: Inherently interesting and ultimately inspiring, "Mensch-Marks: Life Lessons of a
Human Rabbi Wisdom for Untethered Times" is an extraordinary and potentially life enhancing
read that is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary
American Biography collections, as well as Judaic Studies supplemental studies lists. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Mensch-Marks" is also available in a digital book format
(eTextbook, $10.99).
Editorial Note: A celebrated rabbi and award-winning journalist and blogger, Joshua
Hammerman, has served Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut, for over three decades. His
essays have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, Times of Israel,
The New York Jewish Week and many other places. Rabbi Hammerman was a winner of the
Simon Rockower Award, the highest honor in Jewish journalism, for columns on the Bernard
Madoff case. In 2018, he received an award from the Religion News Association for excellence
in commentary. Rabbi Hammerman received ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary
after getting an MA in journalism from NYU and a BA, magna cum laude, from Brown
University.
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
Just Enough
Gesshin Claire Greenwood
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685820, $17.95, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When she was fresh out of college, Gesshin Claire Greenwood found her way to a
Buddhist monastery in Japan and was ordained as a Buddhist nun. Zen appealed to Greenwood
because of its all-encompassing approach to life and how to live it, its willingness to face life's
big questions, and its radically simple yet profound emphasis on presence, reality, the now.
At the monastery, she also discovered an affinity for working in the kitchen, especially the
practice of creating delicious, satisfying meals using whatever was at hand -- even when what
was at hand was bamboo. Based on the philosophy of oryoki, or "just enough", her account in
"Just Enough: Vegan Recipes and Stories from Japan's Buddhist Temples" combines stories with
recipes. From perfect rice, potatoes, and broths to hearty stews, colorful stir-fries, hot and cold
noodles, and delicate sorbet, Greenwood shows food to be a direct, daily way to understand Zen
practice.
With eloquent prose, she takes readers into monasteries and markets, messy kitchens and
predawn meditation rooms, and offers food for thought that nourishes and delights body, mind,
and spirit.
Critique: A deftly written, inherently fascinating, occasionally thought-provoking, and candidly
personal account, "Just Enough: Vegan Recipes and Stories from Japan's Buddhist Temples" is
an original, extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and
academic library Buddhist Studies collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Just Enough" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.55).
The Education Shelf
About Becoming a Teacher
William Ayers
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807761496, $24.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Education activist William Ayers invites new and prospective teachers to consider the
deepest dimensions of a life in teaching in "About Becoming a Teacher" such as: Should I
become a teacher? How can I get to know my students? What commitments come with me into
the classroom? How do I develop my unique teaching signature?
In the pages of "About Becoming A Teacher", Ayers muses on 10 such questions (and a little
more) to shape and structure into an indispensable guide that features hands-on advice and
concrete examples of classroom practice, including curriculum-making, building relationships
with students and parents, fostering an effective learning environment, and teaching toward
freedom.
With a brilliant and concise text, "About Becoming a Teacher" offers a conception of teaching as
both practical art and essentially ethical practice and features: Specific strategies for becoming a
successful classroom teacher; Foregrounds the ethical and intellectual qualities of excellent
teaching; Recognizes the complexity of teaching even as it provides a map to achieve excellence:
Accessibility without oversimplifying the content and reducing teaching to something anemic
and superficial.
Critique: An absolute 'must read' for anyone contemplating teaching as a profession, "About
Becoming a Teacher" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to college and university
library Teacher Education collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "About
Becoming a Teacher" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $16.99).
Editorial Note: William Ayers is Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University
Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago (retired), education activist, and author of
Teaching the Taboo: Courage and Imagination in the Classroom (with Rick Ayers), To Teach:
The Journey of a Teacher, Third Edition, and To Teach: The Journey, in Comics (with Ryan
Alexander-Tanner).
Adventures in Teacher Leadership
Rebecca Mieliwocki & Joseph Fatheree
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416627166, $24.95, PB, 135pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Have you ever imagined yourself as a teacher leader but weren't quite sure whether you
really had (or could develop) the necessary skills? Have you wondered what the first steps toward
becoming a teacher leader might be, what kinds of approaches work best, and how you could
overcome the inevitable challenges that come with leading your colleagues on a journey toward
improvement as professionals?
In "Adventures in Teacher Leadership: Pathways, Strategies, and Inspiration for Every Teacher",
authors and educators Rebecca Mieliwocki (California and National Teacher of the Year for
2012) and Joseph Fatheree (Illinois Teacher of the Year for 2007) answer these questions and
more in this engaging guide to becoming a successful teacher leader.
Organized around five key tools (communication, collaboration, professional development, data,
and advocacy) "Adventures in Teacher Leadership" covers every aspect of what is involved in
taking on leadership responsibilities. Firsthand accounts of the authors' experiences and those of
more than a dozen other State Teachers of the Year describe the various pathways to leadership,
strategies for success, and pitfalls to avoid. These teacher voices add powerful credibility to the
research on teacher leadership and show how leaders can not only improve their schools and
districts but also influence state and national policies and practices.
Both informative and inspiring, "Adventures in Teacher Leadership" invites others to expand
their professional reach, empower the profession of teaching, and, ultimately, make a big
difference in the lives of students everywhere.
Critique: Featuring an informative introduction by Katherine Bassett (who is an education
innovator and advocate who spent 26 years in the classroom as a middle school librarian and is
New Jersey's 2000 State Teacher of the Year), "Adventures in Teacher Leadership: Pathways,
Strategies, and Inspiration for Every Teacher" will prove to be a critically important and core
addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional
reference collections. Especially recommended reading for anyone considering a career in
teaching, "Adventures in Teacher Leadership" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$18.50).
Race Dialogues
Donna Rich Kaplowitz, Shayla Reese Griffin, Sheri Seyka
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807761755, $96.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: From living rooms to barrooms to television shows, it is quite common to have any
attempts at racial discourse in the United States devolve into shouting matches, silence, or
violence, all of which are mirrored in today's classrooms.
"Race Dialogues: A Facilitator's Guide to Tackling the Elephant in the Classroom" will help
individuals develop the skills needed to facilitate difficult dialogues across race in high school
and college classrooms, in teacher professional learning communities, and beyond.
The authors, Donna Rich Kaplowitz, Shayla Reese Griffin, Sheri Seyka, effectively collaborate
to codify best practices in race dialogue facilitation by drawing on decades of research and
examples from their own practices. They share their mistakes and hard-earned lessons to help
readers avoid common pitfalls. Through their concrete lesson plans and hands-on material, both
experienced and novice facilitators can immediately use this inclusive and wide-ranging
curriculum in a variety of classrooms, work spaces, and organizations with diverse
participants.
"Race Dialogues" provides: Specific instruction on how to facilitate dialogues in a way that
promotes deep understanding, empathy, and collaboration across different racial identities;
Comprehensive plans for sequenced and sustained dialogue sessions for a variety of audiences:
Methods for administrators, teachers, community leaders, and facilitators to approach resistant
communities.
Critique: Exceptionally impressive with respect to organization and presentation, "Race
Dialogues: A Facilitator's Guide to Tackling the Elephant in the Classroom" is an extraordinary,
timely, and unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college, and university library
Teacher Education instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of student teachers, classroom teachers, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Race Dialogues" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780807761304, $31.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.35).
Editorial Note: Donna Rich Kaplowitz is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher
Education at the College of Education, Michigan State University. Shayla Reese Griffin is the
equity, diversity, and school culture consultant for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District in
Michigan. Sheri Seyka is a public education teacher in East Lansing Michigan with 22 years of
teaching experience.
Mindful Classrooms
James Butler, M.Ed
Free Spirit Publishing
6325 Sandburg Road, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55427-3674
www.freespirit.com
9781631983696, $32.99, PB, 194pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Teaching students how to focus and self-regulate at a young age can provide them with
skills that will help throughout their schooling and adult lives. Like anyone, they need easy-to
remember tools and strategies to calm their minds and focus on the moment.
"Mindful Classrooms: Daily 5-Minute Practices to Support Social-Emotional Learning" is
interactive, research based curriculum helps pre-K and elementary teachers integrate simple,
ready-to use stretching, breathing, and reflective exercises as well as other mindfulness practices
into their daily routines.
Of special note is that "Mindful Classrooms(TM): Daily 5-Minute Practices to Support
Social-Emotional Learning" also includes digital content with reproducible handouts from its
pages.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Mindful Classrooms:
Daily 5-Minute Practices to Support Social-Emotional Learning" is a unique and especially
recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education
instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists.
Editorial Note: James Buter is the SEL (social-emotional learning) mindfulness specialist for the
Austin Independent School District (AISD) where he works with teachers, staff, administrators,
parents, and students. James helped implement a mindfulness curriculum in all 130 AISD
campuses.
Back in School
A. Fiona Pearson
Rutgers University Press
106 Somerset St., 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
9781978801882, $99.95, HC, 198pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Fifty years ago, students who were parents were a rarity in college classrooms, but by
the beginning of the twenty-first century, over a quarter of all undergraduate students were
parents.
In "Back in School: How Student Parents Are Transforming College and Family", A. Fiona
Pearson (Professor of Sociology, Central Connecticut State University - New Britain) explores
how these student parents navigate cultural norms and institutional resources, forging pathways
as they journey to become better parents and successful students.
"Back in School" definitively examines how policy makers, professors, college administrators,
counselors, and social workers provide or deny access to child care, tutoring, financial aid, or
other campus- or community-based resources. Professor Pearson further explores how social
norms and governmental and organizational policies influence access to these resources and
student parents' experiences on campus and at home.
Critique: A meticulously researched, deftly written, accessibly organized and presented work of
exceptional scholarship and relevancy, "Back in School: How Student Parents Are Transforming
College and Family" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an Appendix (List of Student
Parent Participants and Sample Demographics), eight pages of Notes, a twelve pages listing of
References, and a three page Index. While unreservedly recommended as a core addition to
college and university library Contemporary American Education collections and supplemental
studies lists, it should be noted for education students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Back in School: How Student Parents Are
Transforming College and Family" is also available in a paperback edition (9781978801875,
$28.95).
Making Every Geography Lesson Count
Mark Enser
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785833397, $18.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Mark Enser has been teaching geography for over a decade and is currently a head of
department at Heathfield Community College. He contributes articles to TES and to the Guardian
Teacher Network and often speaks at education conferences. Mark also writes a blog called
Teaching It Real and tweets @EnserMark.
In "Making Every Geography Lesson Count: Six Principles To Support Great Geography
Teaching" Enser effectively maps out the key elements of effective geography teaching and
shows classroom teachers how to develop their students conceptual and contextual understanding
of the subject over time.
What sets geography apart from other subjects is the value placed on seeing the connections
between the different parts of its broad curriculum, on building links between different topics,
and on thinking like a geographer. Writing in the practical, engaging style of the award-winning
"Making Every Lesson Count", Enser has set out to help his fellow practitioners maximize this
value by combining the time-honored wisdom of excellent geography teachers with the most
useful evidence from cognitive science.
"Making Every Geography Lesson Count" is underpinned by six pedagogical principles
challenge, explanation, modeling, practice, feedback and questioning that will enable classroom
teachers to ensure that students leave their lessons with an improved knowledge of the world, a
better understanding of how it works and the geographical skills to support their learning.
Each individual chapter looks at one of the six principles and begins with twin scenarios which
illustrate some of the real challenges faced in geography classrooms. Mark then delves into a
discussion on the underpinning theory and offers a range of practical, gimmick-free strategies
designed to help teachers overcome these obstacles. Furthermore, each chapter also ends with a
case study from a fellow geography teacher who has successfully employed the principle in their
own classroom.
Critique: An ideal curriculum guide for classroom teachers working with students ages 11-18,
"Making Every Geography Lesson Count" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation. While unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library
Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for all middle
school through highschool geography teachers that "Making Every Geography Lesson Count" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Recreational Therapy for Older Adults
Nancy E. Richeson and Betsy Kemeny
Sagamore Publishing Company
1807 North Federal Drive, Urbana, IL 61801
www.sagamorepub.com
9781571679499 $90.00 pbk / $60.00 e-text
Synopsis: The purpose of the book, Recreational Therapy for Older Adults is to provide a
comprehensive textbook for any college or university teaching an undergraduate or graduate
course in recreational therapy or therapeutic recreation for older adults within their curriculum. A
textbook that provides information that connects to health and human service competencies in
the field of geriatric, gerontology, and interprofessional practice is desperately needed. Therefore,
the textbook will provide an overview of gerontology and geriatric topics in addition to best
practices in recreational therapy.
Currently there are no textbooks in existence for teaching this course. This textbook will be key
to providing a workforce that is qualified to provide services to an aging world. In addition, the
approximately 30% of the CTRSs who work with older adults will want to purchase this book for
their professional libraries.
Each chapter will include objectives, key words, an introduction, specific content for each
chapter, conclusion, reading comprehension questions, suggested classroom activities, test
questions, and references. In addition, many chapters will provide case studies and text boxes
highlighting best practices.
Critique: Recreational Therapy for Older Adults lives up to its title as an educational reference
and resource about therapeutic recreation for older adults. Chapters are structured for use in a
curriculum, although Recreational Therapy for Older Adults also makes an excellent self-study
tool. An invaluable resource for improving the quality of health care especially for America's
aging Baby Boomer population, Recreational Therapy for Older Adults is highly recommended
for college and medical school libraries as well as gerontology courses. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that Recreational Therapy for Older Adults is also available in an e-text
edition ($60.00), which can be read on any device with a browser and an internet
connection.
Addiction Nation
Timothy McMahan King
Herald Press
P.O. Box 866, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
www.heraldpress.com
9781513804071, $30.99, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When a near-fatal illness led his doctors to prescribe narcotics, media consultant
Timothy McMahan King ended up where millions of others have: addicted. Eventually King
learned to manage pain without opioids -- but not before he began asking profound questions
about the spiritual and moral nature of addiction, the companies complicit in creating the opioid
epidemic, and the paths toward healing and recovery.
We have become a society not only damaged by addiction but fueled by it. In "Addiction Nation:
What the Opioid Crisis Reveals about Us", King investigates the ways that addiction robs us of
freedom and holds us back from being fully human. Through stories, theology, philosophy, and
cultural analysis, King examines today's most common addictions and their destructive
consequences. In stark yet intimate prose, he looks not only at the rise of opioid abuse but at
policy, pain, virtue, and habit. He also unpacks research showing patterns of addiction to
technology, stress, and even political partisanship.
Addiction of any kind dims the image of God and corrupts who we were created to be.
"Addiction Nation" nudges us toward healing from the ravages of addiction and draws us toward
a spirituality sturdy enough to sate our deepest longings.
Critique: Impressively and candidly informative, exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, ultimately inspiring, "Addiction Nation: What the Opioid Crisis Reveals about Us" is
an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic
library Health & Medicine, Contemporary Social Issues, and Opioid Addiction collections and
supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Addiction Nation" is
also available in a paperback edition (9781513804064, $17.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: A graduate of North Park University with degrees in theology and philosophy,
Timothy McMahan King is a writer, nonprofit professional, and the owner of Vagabond
Consulting. He has worked as a community organizer in Chicago, a chief strategy officer with
Sojourners, and currently serves as a consultant for the Center for Action and Contemplation.
King's work has been published in Christianity Today, Sojourners, and other venues, and he has
been interviewed by ABC, the BBC, TIME, CNN, and the Daily Beast.
The Hospice Team
Chaim J. Wender & Patricia E. Morrison, editors
Health Professions Press
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.healthpropress.com
9781938870835, $32.99, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Hospice care is a type of care and philosophy of care that focuses on the palliation of a
chronically ill, terminally ill or seriously ill patient's pain and symptoms, and attending to their
emotional and spiritual needs. In Western society, the concept of hospice has been evolving in
Europe since the 11th century. Then, and for centuries thereafter in Roman Catholic tradition,
hospices were places of hospitality for the sick, wounded, or dying, as well as those for travelers
and pilgrims. The modern concept of hospice includes palliative care for the incurably ill given in
such institutions as hospitals or nursing homes, but also care provided to those who would rather
spend their last months and days of life in their own homes. The first modern hospice care was
created by Cicely Saunders in 1967. (Wikipedia)
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Chaim J. Wender (a retired Rabbinical Coordinator of
the Hospice of Palm Beach County, Florida) and hospice social worker Patricia E. Morrison,
"The Hospice Team: Who We Are and How We Care" is singular and unique work that offers a
truly interdisciplinary team perspective on caring as collectively presented by 21 veterans of
hospice service representing the array of disciplines in effective teams including physicians,
nurses, certified nurse assistants, social workers, chaplains, music therapists, bereavement
counselors, a volunteer coordinator, and a volunteer of more than 26 years.
The individual contributors share professional and personal experiences that encompass the
medical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, interpersonal, social, cultural, and economic
dimensions of dying and bereavement. These are brought together through a person-centered
approach that champions knowing each person being cared for to create the necessary
opportunity for communication and trust that are the hallmarks of high-quality hospice care.
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The
Hospice Team: Who We Are and How We Care" is a critically important and unreservedly
recommended basic core addition to community, hospice care facilities, college, and university
library Hospice Care collections in general, and End of Life supplemental studies reading lists in
particular. It should be noted for medical students, hospice staff workers, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Hospice Team: Who We Are and How
We Care" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.34).
You Are What You Eat
Sally F. Jackson, RN, CLNC, CPT, Pt. Adv.
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.westbowpress.com
9781973633877 $34.95 pbk / $18.95 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: Through your parent's influence, you learned the importance of eating balanced meals
and drinking plenty of water. But classes on basic body function in relation to food never existed,
so you grasped little about your body functions in relation to true nutrition. In this self-teaching
book you will learn the basics of body function in relation to food. And what your body can and
can't do with the foods you eat - all using basic and easy-to-implement concepts.
You will understand exactly how your body works and how to make dietary changes to improve
your overall health and prevent or eliminate a variety of diseases. Nutrition is not calorie
counting, chemical reactions, or metabolism, but is proper and effective body function as a result
of what you eat.
Proactive Health Education has based this self-teaching book on research gathered from
independent scientists and respected researchers from around the world. You are the sum of
everything you eat, including food, water and exercise. Your body knows exactly what it needs,
learn how to listen, and obtain a happier, longer, healthier life.
Critique: You Are What You Eat: Human Body Function in Relation To Food is a no-nonsense
health and nutrition guide written to be thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds.
Author Sally Jackson (whose credentials include being a registered nurse, a certified legal nurse
consultant, and more) discusses the basic principles biochemistry and cellular metabolism in
plain terms; nutritional deficiencies that can cause problems; why genetically modified
organisms as food could potentially bring ruin to the humans who eat them; and much more. You
Are What You Eat is an excellent supplementary health resource, highly recommended. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that You Are What You Eat is also available in a Kindle
edition ($18.95).
A Pearl in the Brain
H. Bruce Rinker
Koehler Books
210 - 60th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
www.koehlerbooks.com
9781633938038, $24.95, HC, 202pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As a scientist and man of faith, Bruce Rinker agonized over his nightmarish diagnosis
of a terminal brain tumor. Glioblastoma is the deadliest brain cancer, a death sentence. Faced
with likely extinction, Bruce began an uncertain pilgrimage without any helpful guide except for
spotty medical articles, heady conversations with specialists, and rampant misinformation.
Based on his extensive research and personal experience, Rinker wrote "A Pearl in the Brain:
The Cancer Journey of a Scientist in his Search for the Seat of the Soul" to address this dearth of
detail about a killer disease with rising incidence. Rinker tells his personal story with light
humor, hope-filled wonderment, and soul-driven resolve despite the odds of survival. He
playfully combines science, spirituality, a Southern upbringing, and world travels as he scales
this mountain of challenge.
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "A Pearl
in the Brain: The Cancer Journey of a Scientist in his Search for the Seat of the Soul" will prove
to be especially relevant to healthcare practitioners, academics and scientists, theologians, cancer
survivors, and non-specialist general readers concerned about how lifestyle and environment
shape our health and spiritual well-being. While unreservedly recommended for both community
and academic library Contemporary Health/Medicine collections in general, and Cancer
supplemental studies in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Pearl in
the Brain" is also available in a paperback edition (9781633938014, $16.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $7.99).
Natural Compresses and Poultices
Christopher Vasey, N.D.
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620557372, $14.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Knowledgeably compiled and deftly written by Christopher Vasey, "Natural
Compresses and Poultices: Safe and Simple Folk Medicine Treatments for 70 Common
Conditions" is an accessibly written, step-by-step, naturopathic guide to using the hands-on
natural healing method of compresses and poultices. "Natural Compresses and Poultices" articulately explains how to use compresses and poultices for 70 common ailments and chronic
conditions, such as migraine, asthma, acne, sinusitis, earache, arthritis, sprains, hives, shingles,
anxiety, insomnia, mastitis, muscle pains, bronchitis, and more
Also featured are details regarding what type of compress or poultice to use for each ailment,
whether to use it hot or cold, where on the body to apply it, and for how long. Readers can
informatively explores the physiological reasons these simple remedies are so effective and how
they work not only for acute ailments and illness but also for chronic conditions.
Critique: Deftly organized around the differing parts of the body and a section on 'General
Disorders' (Fever, Insomnia, Anxiety, Nervous Tension), "Natural Compresses and Poultices:
Safe and Simple Folk Medicine Treatments for 70 Common Conditions" also includes the two
page index -- Directory of Compresses and Poultices. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization
and presentation, "Natural Compresses and Poultices" is very highly recommended and certain to
be an enduringly useful and popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic
library Health/Medicine collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone
with a specific interest in folk medicine that "Natural Compresses and Poultices" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Living near Montreux, Switzerland, Christopher Vasey is a naturopath
specializing in detoxification and rejuvenation. He is the author of several books, including The
Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health, Liver Detox, and Natural Remedies for
Inflammation.
Get Well Soon
Laura Harris Smith, C.N.C., M.S.O.M.
Chosen
www.chosenbooks.com
c/o Baker Publishing
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780800799175, $16.99
Get Well Soon: Natural and Supernatural Remedies for Vibrant Health pairs Biblical wisdom
with insights on health and wellness, and comes from a nutritional counselor who is also a
co-pastor and TV host. This is an unusual combination for a health or self-help guide, but results
in a multifaceted set of insights that will reach beyond health collections and into the minds of
those interested in faith-based health routines. Spiritual readers will appreciate the references to
'divine health' and other emphasis that links religion to a personal drive to achieve and be the
best.
The Crafts Shelf
Basketry Basics
B. J. Crawford
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764357459, $22.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: BJ Crawford has taught basketmaking at state conferences, festivals, schools, and
universities throughout the US. She has written over fifty basket patterns and is the cofounder of
the craft resource store Earth Guild in Asheville, North Carolina. In "Basketry Basics" she draws
upon her years of experience and expertise to present an easy, accessible, and fun approach to
basketmaking offers instructions for 18 beautiful and useful baskets.
Beginning with simple basket designs and progressing to more-advanced techniques, you build
new skills with each project. Follow along from one to the next, or jump ahead to the more
advanced baskets to expand your intermediate skills.
The practical projects include a market basket, square-to-round storage basket, spiral twill basket,
catch-all bathroom basket, cat-head bowl, and many others. Instructions for adding
embellishments, color, and shaping are included to help new basketmakers turn a project into a
personal treasure. A chart for designing your own market baskets in six different sizes is
invaluable, and photos of work by today's top basketmakers serve as inspiration.
Critique: A thoroughly 'user friendly', profusely illustrated, DIY instruction guide guide for
anyone interested in learning to make handbuilt baskets, "Basketry Basics" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to personal and community library collections.
The Psychology Shelf
Engaging the Ineffable
David Krueger, M.D.
Paragon House
3600 Labore Road, Suite 1, St. Paul, MN 55110-4144
www.paragonhouse.com
9781557789372, $19.95, PB, 310pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Every day we use words like "desire," "time," "story," "hope," and "mastery," thinking
we know what they mean. But these concepts are beyond words -- ineffable. Understanding each
concept passes through neuro filters shaped by our societies and life stories. Each concept,
ubiquitous and elusive like Rorschach's inkblots, shows that it is not just what we think but how
we engage the inexpressible that matters. Engaging the Ineffable is unique in that each of the 21
topics is treated from the perspective of a psychoanalyst, neuroscientist, and Mentor Coach.
The 21 topics discussed in "Engaging the Ineffable Engaging the Ineffable" by David Krueger are
desire, time, memory, nostalgia, belief, hope, story, serendipity, synchronicity, self, feelings,
mastery, gender, secrets, attachment, empathy, psychoanalysis, unlived, joy, fairytales, and
death.
These notions are ineffable, in part, because there is no single place in the brain you can point to
and say, "This is the location of memory, hope, nostalgia, mastery, desire, or serendipity." Nor
are these functions even located in a single hemisphere of the brain.
Standard psychoanalytic literature tends to focus on the pathological aspects of the subjects of
these chapters, but not to address happiness, creativity, hope, humor, inspiration, joy, and other
positive transformations. The insights in "Engaging the Ineffable" will lead to mindfulness and
meaning, guiding us to perspectives that will lead to rewarding choices and happiness.
Critique: An informative, absorbing, thoughtful and thought-provoking read, "Engaging the
Ineffable" is exceptionally well written and thoroughly accessible in organization and
presentation making it an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and academic library Contemporary Psychology collections and supplemental
studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of psychologists, psychiatrists,
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Engaging the Ineffable" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: David Krueger is an Executive Mentor Coach and CEO of MentorPath, an
executive coaching, training, publishing, and wellness firm. His work integrates psychology and
neuroscience with strategic coaching to help executives and professionals write the next chapter
of their lives. His earlier book, "The Secret Language of Money" is a Business Bestseller that has
been translated into ten languages.
Untamed
Suzana E. Flores
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476674421, $29.95, PB, 205pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The character variously known as Wolverine, Logan, and Weapon X is Marvel
Comic's savage, brooding antihero that is, in his own words, the best at what he does -- killing
with gratuitous precision. Paradoxically violent yet humane, the beer-swilling, cigar-smoking
mutant with retractable claws and a powerful self-healing ability is universally misjudged in the
Marvel Universe yet esteemed by fans worldwide.
In "Untamed: The Psychology of Marvel's Wolverine", licensed clinical psychologist, TEDx and
keynote speaker, media commentator, comic book fans and author Suzana E. Flores deftly
explores Wolverine's development from bit character to modern legend over more than four
decades, with a focus on his enduring appeal as an allegory for resilience through torment.
Critique: Impressively informative and the result of meticulous and exhaustive research,
"Untamed: The Psychology of Marvel's Wolverine" is an absolute 'must read' for the legions of
X-Men fans and would well serve as a template for similar studies of other Marvel comics heros
and villains. While very strongly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition
to both community and academic library Popular Culture & Literary Studies collections, it should
be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Wolverine fans that "Untamed" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
The Martial Arts Shelf
Defense with a Knife
Florian Lahner
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764356773, $24.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Defense with a Knife: Techniques, Training, Tactics" by Florian Lahner extensively
covers the use of a knife in self-defense. The technique and tactics described in this instruction
manual involve using the knife in such a way as to disable the attacker by creating only minor
injuries, if possible.
The basic concepts laid out in "Defense with a Knife" can also be used with other weapons or
bare hands. Far away from Hollywood cliches and martial arts myths, Florian Lahner teaches
realistic concepts for defense that are simple, effective, and actually usable. His system is suited
for ordinary persons as well as professionals.
In "Defense with a Knife", the most-important techniques are described and shown in a manner
that also makes it eminently suitable as a training manual. Aware of the social responsibility of
using knives and weapons, Lahner also addresses the psychological and moral aspects of
self-defense.
Critique: Profusely and effectively illustrated throughout, "Defense with a Knife: Techniques,
Training, Tactics" is an ideal and effective instruction manual and guide that is impressively
comprehensive and 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. "Defense with a Knife" is
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Martial
Arts instructional reference collections.
The Business Shelf
The Business of Innovating Online
Kathryn E. Linder, editor
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781620368435, $35.00, PB, 156pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Kathryn E. Linder, "The Business of
Innovating Online: Practical Tips and Advice From Industry Leaders" responds to a critical need
for concrete narratives of innovation success that can serve as a foundation for administrators and
leaders who are in need of practical guidance as they scale and grow their online learning
organizations.
Through specific examples and practical suggestions from experienced e-learning leaders,
readers will be introduced to concrete strategies for how to create a climate of creativity and
innovation that can lead to more successful and scalable online programs and initiatives. "The
Business of Innovating Online" demystifies the relationship between business, creativity, and
innovation by describing the logistics required to create an agile online education enterprise.
"The Business of Innovating Online covers: Defining innovation and creativity for online
education and e-learning; Knowing when and how to innovate; Creating a culture of innovation;
Effectively leading innovation; Collaborative innovation; Making innovation stick and
transitioning innovative strategies into day-to-day practice; Assuring quality in the midst of
innovation; Staffing structures/administrative stability to support creativity and innovation.
The Business of Innovating Online provides both novice and experienced online education
administrators with a comprehensive overview of a range of online innovations, how they came
to be created, the components that led to their success, and concrete steps that they can take to
create a more innovative culture for their own e-learning organization.
Critique: Impressively informative, instructive, organized and presented, "The Business of
Innovating Online: Practical Tips and Advice From Industry Leaders" is an unreservedly
recommended addition to community, corporate, and academic library Business Management
collections and MBA supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA
students, entrepreneurs, business managers, corporate executives, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject the "The Business of Innovating Online" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).
Editorial Note: Nina Huntemann is Senior Director of Academics and Research at edX, an online
learning platform founded by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She
has over 15 years of college-level teaching, program administration, and faculty development
experience. Prior to joining edX, she was an associate professor in the Department of
Communication and Journalism at Suffolk University. Professor Huntemann received her Ph.D.
in communication from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Uniquely You
Ron Kitchens
Baker Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801093746, $22.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For young professionals and entrepreneurs, there is no shortage of gurus, processes,
and quick-fix formulas to chase in the quest to grow their business, lead their team, and find
personal fulfillment. In fact, there are so many out there that it's exhausting. Wouldn't it be better
to realize that the leadership lessons we need to learn are not out there somewhere, but in here, in
our own lives? That instead of becoming a knock-off of someone else, we can be uniquely
ourselves?
That's exactly what Ron Kitchens learned, and it's what he wants to share with today's emerging
leaders in "Uniquely You: Transform Your Organization by Becoming the Leader Only You Can
Be".
Sharing his own journey of discovering what his life was trying to teach him through both trials
and triumphs, Kitchens equips readers to mine their own stories for the relationships and life
lessons that have made them into the unique individuals they are today. He then shows readers
how to leverage those unique experiences into their own personal leadership style that is
authentic, one-of-a-kind, and effective in building businesses and leading teams.
Critique: A deftly written and impressively thoughtful blending of self-help and organizational
management commentary, advice, insights, and technique tips, "Uniquely You: Transform Your
Organization by Becoming the Leader Only You Can Be" is very highly recommended for
personal, community, corporate, and academic library Leadership & Corporate Culture
collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted that "Uniquely You: Transform
Your Organization by Becoming the Leader Only You Can Be" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.54) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio,
9781640911901, $24.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Ron Kitchens is the senior partner and chief executive officer of Southwest
Michigan First, an economic consulting firm, which has grown compounded revenue at 20%
annually during his 14 years as chief executive officer. In addition, Ron leads Consultant
Connect and is the publisher of 269 MAGAZINE, a board member of Impact Athletic, the past
chair of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and a Trustee of Western Michigan University. Ron and
his teams have been extensively featured in over 100 national and international media outlets
including The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, CBS, NBC, Fox, USA Today, Forbes,
Fortune, The Economist and National Public Radio. In 2018, Southwest Michigan First has been
recognized by Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and Outside Magazine as the best
place to work in America. Ron blogs and podcasts at www.ronkitchens.com and can be found on
Twitter @ronkitchens.
101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees
Paul Falcone
www.PaulFalconeHR.com
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9781400212019, $24.99, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Inappropriate workplace conduct, lateness, sexually offensive behavior, productivity
and communication issues are just a few of the uncomfortable topics bosses and supervisors must
sometimes discuss with their employees. Now in a fully updated second edition, "101 Tough
Conversations to Have with Employees" by Paul Falcone offers realistic sample dialogues
managers can use to facilitate clear, direct interactions with their employees, helping to sidestep
potential awkwardness and meet issues head-on.
This practical, solution-oriented instructional guide and manual walks company bosses,
administrators, and supervisors through some of the most common(as well as the most serious)
employee problems they are likely to encounter. While covering everything from substandard
performance reviews to progressive disciplinary warnings and termination meetings, the second
edition of this bestselling resource offers readers twenty new scenarios covering current
hot-button issues like FMLA abuse and ADA accommodations, wage and hour challenges, team
turnarounds, and compensation conflicts.
Critique: "101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees" is handy and 'real world practical'
guide that will help even the most novice of business and corporate managers to treat their
employees with dignity and respect. "101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees"
focusing not just on what to say but also on how to say it. An impressive compilation of proven
techniques to protect themselves and their organizations, "101 Tough Conversations to Have
with Employees" will enable both inexperienced and seasoned managers to get the very best from
their workforce. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia,
shop stewards, supervisors, managers, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Paul Falcone is a human resources executive in Los Angeles and has held senior
level positions with nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and City of Hope. He has extensive
experience in entertainment, healthcare, biotech, and financial services, including in
international, nonprofit, and union environments. He maintains an informative web site at
www.PaulFalconeHR.com
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Empowerment Training for Your Power Dog
Dawn Antoniak-Mitchell
Dogwise Publishing
403 South Mission Street, Wenatchee WA 98801
www.dogwise.com
9781617812323, $19.95, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Dawn Antoniak-Mitchell is a lawyer-turned-professional-dog-trainer with a passion for
helping dog owners see the world from a more canine point of view. She helps her clients
understand and appreciate their dogs as amazing members of a species that started sharing their
lives with humans thousands of years ago. The physical traits and instincts that make every dog
breed unique influence how those dogs behave and often present training challenges.
In "Empowerment Training for Your Power Dog: Unleash the Positive Potential in Bully and
Mastiff Breeds, Pit Bulls, and Other Strong Dogs", Dawn turns to the subject of managing and
training what she labels "Power Dogs". This grouping includes dozens of breeds who were
originally bred to hunt game or to protect people and their property, many of whom were also
employed as fighting dogs.
These are physically strong dogs relative to their size, usually with a mix of ancient Mastiff and
Bulldog ancestry, and some have more recently been bred to Terriers as well. These dogs tend to
be protective, tenacious, and often exhibit aggression toward other dogs, but at the same time are
playful, energetic and smart.
The secrets to successful Power Dog ownership are: First you need to know your individual dog's
traits and drives and then adopt a proactive management program to avoid situations where
problems may arise. Second is to adopt training techniques which allow your dog to be rewarded
consistently for behavior you want to reinforce and remove rewards from behaviors you want to
discourage. These two strategies will help you empower your dog to make the right decisions and
make him a well trained companion dog!
Critique: Expertly written, accessibly organized and impressively presented, "Empowerment
Training for Your Power Dog: Unleash the Positive Potential in Bully and Mastiff Breeds, Pit
Bulls, and Other Strong Dogs" is an ideal instruction manual for anyone whose canine
companion is one of the breeds of dog originally meant for protection and if untrained could
create a hazard to other humans or canines. While highly recommended for personal and
community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of dog owners and
professional dog trainers that "Empowerment Training for Your Power Dog" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
The Gardening Shelf
The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing House Plants
Kay Maguire
White Lion Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780711240001, $16.00, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing House Plants" by Kay Maguire is a beautifully
illustrated gardening instructional reference book that combines exquisite botanical illustrations
with practical indoor projects.
Aspiring gardeners will discover over 70 life-changing plants and are given access to 12
home-transforming projects. Each individual project is described and illustrated with step-by-step
photographs.
Starting from the premise that we want to show how to grow the right plant in the right place,
"The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing House Plants" demonstrate the benefits of all common
house plants and how to care and curate them in the home. Includes cacti, succulents, bromeliads
including air plants, foliage house plants, flowering house plants, house plants for scent and air
freshening.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "The Kew Gardener's Guide to
Growing House Plants" will prove to be as popular as it practical -- and an enduringly
appreciated addition to personal, professional, and community library Gardening collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing House
Plants" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.57).
The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Herbs
Holly Farrell
White Lion Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780711239364, $16.00, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The herbs in showcases in "The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Herbs" by Holly
Farrell provide flavors and scents unlike any other. These culinary herbs are a living trove of
fresh flavors for any cook, with an almost alchemical power to transform the simplest dish.
Herbs can be used as seeds, flowers, or leaves; cooked and eaten themselves or used to infuse a
dish or drink. They are popping up in artisan gin, ice cubes and cocktail syrups; in foraged dishes
and kitchen gardens of the best restaurants as chefs realize that often the only way to capture that
elusive flavour is to have home-grown, freshly harvested herbs on their doorstep.
With "The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Herbs" these intense flavours can now be a reality
for gardeners and food enthusiasts with any size of garden, from an acre to a window box.
Underpinned by the authority of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the expertise of Holly
Farrell herself, "The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Herbs" combines practical elements with
inspiration and beauty. Readers will find out how to grow herbs in all situations, how to plant,
propagate and harvest, then the 80 most exciting herbs are identified, illustrated and their uses
explained.
"The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Herbs" is accompanied by Jason Ingram's specially
commissioned photography for 12 projects which show how to develop a herb garden at the next
level and use herbs in the most interesting ways from planting a herb roof to making herbal
oils.
Critique: An impressively presented source of detailed instruction and encouraging inspiration,
"The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Herbs" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, and community library Gardening and Culinary collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Herbs" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.57).
The Music Shelf
Smoky, Sweaty, Rowdy, and Loud
Mike Olszewski & Janice Olszewski
Gray & Company, Publishers
www.grayco.com
9781598511048, $15.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Smoky, Sweaty, Rowdy, and Loud: Tales of Cleveland's Legendary Rock & Roll
Landmarks", Mike and Janice Olszewski takes their readers backstage at Cleveland's legendary
rock and roll landmarks as club owners, talent bookers, performers, promoters, and concert goers
share stories from the 1950s through 1990s about: Where it all began: the Cleveland Arena, site
of the first-ever rock concert, anywhere; The hugely influential Agora, where Springsteen and so
many other acts burst onto the scene; The Coliseum at Richfield, erected in the middle of
nowhere just in time for the arrival of arena rock; and monster concerts at Cleveland Municipal
Stadium including the epic, multi-year World Series of Rock.
Also covered are: the groundbreaking R&B clubs Gleason's and Leo's Casino; the staid, classical
Public Auditorium, where the Beatles incited a riot and Led Zeppelin grabbed a teenage audience
volunteer to fill in on bass; Musicarnival, the circular big-top tent that alternated summer-stock
with hard-rock (to the dismay of suburban neighbors); Bars and clubs like the Euclid Tavern,
Variety Theater, and Empire Concert Club that rocked the '80s and '90s with punk, thrash,
electronica -- whatever it took; The renowned Swingos' celebrity hotel on Euclid Avenue, where
bands remembered checking in and checking out -- but nothing in-between!; as well as other
classic venues well worth remembering.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative read, "Smoky, Sweaty, Rowdy,
and Loud: Tales of Cleveland's Legendary Rock & Roll Landmarks" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended read for the babyboomer generation of music fans and certain to be
an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library 20thy Century American
Music History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Crochet for Girls
Zess
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811736510, $24.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With "Crochet for Girls: 23 Dresses, Sweaters, and Accessories" even the most novice
of needlecrafters can now dress their favorite girls sizes four to ten in adorable crochet sweaters,
dresses, skirts, hats, purses, and more.
From an elegant white pullover with a ruffle to a pretty pink sweater with fringe and a cardigan
in chevrons, these designs include that extra something that makes them special. The pretty pink
cape is perfect for a cool spring or fall day, and leg warmers and a teddy bear bag will add pizzaz
to any outfit.
Crochet works up quickly, so these pieces can be make right away. A crochet stitch tutorial
section is included for a refresher if needed, and all stitches are explained clearly and charted as
well as written out.
Critique: An ideal 'how to' and profusely illustrated step-by-step instructional guide, "Crochet for
Girls: 23 Dresses, Sweaters, and Accessories" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly
popular addition to personal and community library Needlecraft collections in general, and
crocheting DIY supplemental reading lists in particular.
Super-Quick Colorful Quilts
Rosemary Wilkinson
CompanionHouse Books
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781620083383, $24.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Compiled and edited by rosemary Wilkinson and now brought back into print after
more than a decade in a paperback edition, "Super-Quick Colorful Quilts: 35 Vibrant Designs for
Fast Quilts" showcases twenty gorgeous patchwork quilts in a collection that is specifically
designed for beginners and any quilter whose time is limited.
Using just three shapes, "Super-Quick Colorful Quilts" showcases an amazing variety of designs
made all the more exciting by a clever choice of fabrics in three groups of colorways. These
shapes are cut quickly using the rotary cutter rather than with a template, and they are machine
stitched together with chain-piecing wherever possible.
The quilt "sandwich" (of backing fabric, batting and the pieced top) is held together with
machine quilting, big stitch hand quilting or with simple ties and buttons. Two methods are used
for the binding -- one using four strips applied separately to the four sides, producing abutted
corners, and the other, slightly more complicated, using a continuous binding, mitered at the
corners.
Simple applique is introduced using a heart template and a technique called slashing. Chenille is
used as an alternative to piecing to produce a highly textured surface for a really cuddly
quilt.
Critique: Comprised of 20 quick step-by-step quilt patterns in a kaleidoscope of colors that are
great for beginners and perfect for quilters in a hurry, "Super Quick Colorful Quilts" is
unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Needlecraft collections in
general, and quilt making instructional reference in particular..
The Woodworking Shelf
Woodworking with Power Tools
Editors of Fine Woodworking
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781641550109, $24.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The debate over the merits of power tools vs. hand tools has raged for years, but the
bottom line is that you need both to be a successful woodworker. Machinery provides efficiency
for labor-intensive tasks such as sawing and planing, whereas hand tools are used to create fine
details that machines can't duplicate. Power tools don't replace hand tools, they complement
them.
In "Woodworking with Power Tools: Tools, Techniques & Projects", expert craftsmen and
craftswomen explain how they choose, maintain, and use every kind of power tool, from
tablesaws to plunge routers, bandsaws to bench planers. There's advice on tool maintenance,
techniques for getting the most from your tools, and projects made using power tools. With clear
photographs drawings, and step-by-step instructions, Woodworking with Power Tools will be an
essential resource for anyone who works wood.
"Woodworking with Power Tools" will enable aspiring woodworkers will to: Tune up a
tablesaw; Choose bandsaw blades for resawing; Get started with a plunge router; Install dust
collection in a small shop; Cut easy angled tenons; Get better cuts with a planer; Build a perfect
picture frame, an elegant bookcase, and a pedestal dining table.
Critique: A profusely illustrated, step-by-step 'how to instruction manual, "Woodworking with
Power Tools: Tools, Techniques & Projects" is a comprehensive, thoroughly 'user friendly', and
highly recommended addition to any personal, professional, community, or school woodshop
collection.
Woodburning Realistic Animals
Minisa Robinson
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781565239852, $19.99, PB, 136pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Woodburning Realistic Animals: 12 Step-by-Step Pyrography Projects of Birds, Pets,
and Wildlife" by woodburning artist Minisa Robinson challenges aspiring and even seasoned
woodburning artists to rethink the possibilities of woodburning with her techniques for creating
highly realistic art.
Pyrographers who love animals and portraits will find 12 step-by-step projects here for North
American and African wildlife, including a bobcat, zebra, moose, hummingbird, lion, and more.
From big cats and bunnies to owls and elk, each individual project includes hand-drawn patterns,
photo references, and step-by-step instructions.
Minisa covers all the woodburning basics, from supplies and surface preparation to protecting
and sealing your finished piece -- plus temperature control, carbon cleanup, shading, black
backgrounds, and that ever-frustrating "stop spot." A gorgeous gallery of finished work is
included, to help inspire creativity!
"Woodburning Realistic Animals" amply provides essential skill-building tutorials for creating
realistic eyes, short fur, long fur, manes, and whiskers. Tips and advice on working with photos,
turning photos into patterns, and transferring photos to wood are also included. "Woodburning
Realistic Animals" also features discussions on pens and nibs, hints for woodburning feathers
and noses, and step-by-step suggestions for how to add beautiful splashes of color to a
woodburning work with everything from colored pencils to alcohol inks.
Critique: The perfect gift for any aspiring pyrographer who loves animals and wants to create
better portraits, "Woodburning Realistic Animals" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly
popular and appreciated addition to personal, professional, and community library Woodworking
and Arts & Crafts illustrated instructional reference collections.
Yearn To Burn
Simon Easton
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781565239869, $19.99, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Yearn to Burn: A Pyrography Master Class: 18 Creative Woodburning Projects with
Step-by-Step Instructions" by Simon Easton is essentially a woodburning art masterclass under
one cover and featuring 18 themed projects that will build artistic woodburning skills while
creating household items, gifts, home decor and more.
Featuring step-by-step photographs and clear instructions, "Yearn to Burn"provides aspiring
woodburning artists with clear instructions and step-by-step photographs for DIY project that fit
a wide variety of occasions and decors. By following the impressively illustrated and thoroughly
'user friendly' instructions, even the most novice of woodburning artist can create beautiful and
memorable items like Christmas tree decorations, mirrored box frames, a child's wood pencil
case, a hanging leather, and more.
Critique: The sequel to Simon Easton's groundbreaking "Learn to Burn: A Step-by-Step Guide to
Getting Started in Pyrography" (9781565237285, $16.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle), "Yearn to Burn: A
Pyrography Master Class" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library
Woodworking and Arts/Crafts instructional reference collections.
The Travel Shelf
A Manga Lover's Tokyo Travel Guide
Evangeline Neo
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805315477, $14.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "A Manga Lover's Tokyo Travel Guide: My Favorite Things to See and Do In Japan"
is an utterly charming and effective Tokyo travel guide created by manga artist and author
Evangeline Neo bringing you to all the otaku sights this city has to offer. "A Manga Lover's
Tokyo Travel Guide" shows you where to shop for manga memorabilia in Akihabara and
Nakano, takes you on a tour of famous anime and manga museums like Studio Ghibli and Sanrio
Puroland, and shares Evangeline Neo's experiences at a cosplay studio, a maid and butler cafe,
and a manga drawing class.
In addition to manga and anime-related adventures, Eva brings her readers to all the must-see
Tokyo sites as well, ranging from Asakusa's Sensoji Temple to Tokyo Tower and the Meiji
Shrine. She also introduces travelers to sushi train restaurants, hot spring baths and a kimono
makeover session -- even a day trip to Mt. Fuji! Along the way, she shows you all her favorite
places to shop and eat, and gives advice on what to pack, what to buy, how to get around, and
even how to speak a few words of survival Japanese.
This manga guide to Tokyo is depicted in charming and humorous drawings and stories, which
are as enjoyable for armchair travelers as they are practically useful for visitors to the city.
Readers will step into the world of modern Japanese culture through this amusing and unique
guide to one of the world's top cities.
Critique: A wonderfully entertaining and practical tour guide for visitors to Tokyo, "A Manga
Lover's Tokyo Travel Guide" will prove to be of special interest to personal, community, and
academic library Contemporary Japanese Popular Culture and Japanese Travel Guide collections.
It should be noted that "A Manga Lover's Tokyo Travel Guide" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.87).
The Fishing Shelf
Tying & Fishing Tailwater Flies
Pat Dorsey
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811707220, $39.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Tying & Fishing Tailwater Flies" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide to
creating new flies and old standbys from Pat Dorsey who is one of Umpqua Feather Merchant's
top-selling fly designers. Featuring 500 step-by-step photos for 24 proven patterns for the most
demanding trout, these patterns are for fishing streams across the country, not just tailwaters.
Included are nymphs, emergers, and dry flies that imitate mayflies, midges, stoneflies, and
caddis
Detailed information on how to fish the patterns is enhanced with the inclusion of over 30
rigging illustrations from artist Dave Hall.
Critique: The ideal 'how to' manual for anglers wanting to create their own (and effective) flies,
"Tying & Fishing Tailwater Flies: 500 Step-by-Step Photos for 24 Proven Patterns" is
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library collections. It
should be noted that "Tying & Fishing Tailwater Flies" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780811737180, $29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.36).
The Native American Studies Shelf
Plains Indians Regalia and Customs, second edition
Bad Hand
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764357619, $49.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Plains Indians
Regalia and Customs" is an original study of Plains Indian cultures of the 19th century that is
presented through the use of period writings, paintings, and early photography that relate how life
was carried out.
The author, Bad Hand, deftly juxtaposes the sources with new research and modern color
photography of specific replica items. The comprehensive text documents many of the major
tribes, such as Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Comanche, Crow, Hidatsa, Mandan, Lakota, and others.
Observations of Plains Indian men's and women's experiences include procuring food, dancing,
developing spiritual beliefs, and day-to-day living.
This newly published second edition contains new color photos and text, adding to the richness
and depth of detail in the well-received original. Through original photos and re-creations, rare
primary sources, and updated content, Bad Hand provides an invaluable resource not only on
Plains Indians, but on bringing past peoples to full, colorful life.
Critique: Impressively informative and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Plains Indians Regalia
and Customs" will prove to be a valued and enduringly appreciated addition to personal,
community, college, and university library Native American Culture collections and
supplemental studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Bad Hand is a Native American author, lecturer, historian, replica maker, artist,
model, actor, and stuntman who has worked on and appeared in over 40 Native American films,
television shows, and documentaries. He lectures regularly across the country on Plains Indian
culture from Native schools in Maui, Hawaii, to the American Museum of natural History in new
York City.
Spirit of the Indian Warrior
Michael Oren Fitzgerald & Joseph A. Fitzgerald, editors
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
www.worldwisdom.com
9781936597628, $14.95, PB, 120pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Michael and Joseph Fitzgerald, "Spirit of
the Indian Warrior" is comprised of the thoughts of some of history's greatest warriors and tribal
leaders. Profusely illustrated with historical photographs and paintings, "Spirit of the Indian
Warrior" offers an intimate window into the cultural values of courage, loyalty, and
generosity.
When the first Europeans landed in North America, its native peoples faced a challenge unlike
any before. Many warriors and chiefs vowed, like Tecumseh, "to resist as long as I live and
breathe". Some eventually accepted treaties of peace, but they soon found, like Chief Joseph, that
these were worth little: "What treaty that the whites have kept has the red man broken? Not one.
What treaty that the whites ever made with us red men have they kept? Not one."
Hope for the future, however, remains strong among their proud descendants. And the words of
the Indian warrior live on and inspire the people of America's First Nations, as well as people
across the world.
Critique: An absolutely essential and critically important little volume that deftly showcases
Native American wisdom and experience, "Spirit of the Indian Warrior" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library Native American Studies
collections and supplemental curriculum lists.
The Art Shelf
Painting Culture, Painting Nature
Gunlog Fur
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806162874, $34.95, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In the late 1920s, a group of young Kiowa artists, pursuing their education at the
University of Oklahoma, encountered Swedish-born art professor Oscar Brousse Jacobson (1882
- 1966). With Jacobson's instruction and friendship, the Kiowa Six, as they are now known,
ignited a spectacular movement in American Indian art. Jacobson, who was himself an
accomplished painter, shared a lifelong bond with group member Stephen Mopope (1898 -
1974), a prolific Kiowa painter, dancer, and musician. Painting Culture, Painting Nature explores
the joint creativity of these two visionary figures and reveals how indigenous and immigrant
communities of the early twentieth century traversed cultural, social, and racial divides.
"Painting Culture, Painting Nature: Stephen Mopope, Oscar Jacobson, and the Development of
Indian Art in Oklahoma" by Gunlog Fur (Professor of History and Dean of Arts and Humanities,
Linnaeus University, Sweden) is a story of concurrences. For a specific period, immigrants such
as Jacobson and disenfranchised indigenous people such as Mopope transformed Oklahoma into
the center of exciting new developments in Indian art, which quickly spread to other parts of the
United States and to Europe. Jacobson and Mopope came from radically different worlds, and
were on unequal footing in terms of power and equality, but they both experienced, according to
author Gunlog Fur, forms of diaspora or displacement. Seeking to root themselves anew in
Oklahoma, the dispossessed artists fashioned new mediums of compelling and original art.
Although their goals were compatible, Jacobson's and Mopope's subjects and styles diverged.
Jacobson painted landscapes of the West, following a tradition of painting nature uninfluenced
by human activity. Mopope, in contrast, strove to capture the cultural traditions of his people.
The two artists shared a common nostalgia, however, for a past life that they could only re-create
through their art.
Critique: A seminal work of original and meticulously presented scholarship that is enhanced for
academia with the inclusion of thirty pages of Notes, a fourteen page Bibliography, a thirteen
page Index, as well as full-color reproductions of the artists' works and rare historical
photographs, "Painting Culture, Painting Nature: Stephen Mopope, Oscar Jacobson, and the
Development of Indian Art in Oklahoma" is an extraordinary study that is unreservedly
recommended for personal, community and academic library 20th Century Native American
Studies and American Art History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Painting Culture, Painting Nature" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$29.95).
Decoding Dictatorial Statues
Ted Hyunhak Yoon
Onomatopee
c/o Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9789491677984, $35.00, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In the words of Hannah Arendt, "Half of politics is image-making, the other half is the
art of making people believe the image."
From South Africa to Charlottesville, heated discussions over statues, their removal and their
vandalism frequently make the news. "Decoding Dictatorial Statues" by Korean graphic design
researcher Ted Hyunhak Yoon is a collection of images and texts exploring the visual rhetoric of
statues in public space. How can we decode statues and their languages, their objecthood and
materiality, their role as media icons and their voice in political debates?
"Decoding Dictatorial Statues" responds to urgent concerns about the representation of our
heritage by not only asking us to examine what history gets put on a pedestal, but also to consider
the visual rhetoric of the statue itself.
Critique: A timely and informative contribution to our current on-going national discussion over
Confederacy statuary and Religious Monuments in public places, "Decoding Dictatorial Statues"
is an extraordinarily thoughtful and thought-provoking study that is unreservedly recommended
for personal, social activists, community, college, and university library Contemporary Social
Issues collections and supplemental studies lists.
The Little Book of Drawing Dragons
Walter Foster Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781633228061 $14.99 amazon.com
Synopsis: Featuring drawing lessons, step-by-step projects, and open practice pages, The Little
Book of Drawing Dragons & Fantasy Characters teaches beginning artists how to draw dragons,
fairies, mythological beasts, and more.
Step-by-step projects, creative exercises, interactive prompts, and helpful tips and techniques
bring this popular drawing subject to life and invite creativity and personalization. Drawing
techniques, such as value, shading, and creating texture and perspective, are included to help
artists of all skill levels learn to draw accurately. Learn to draw fur, scales, wings, tails, and how
to put them all together to create your own unique fantasy characters and artwork. More than 15
projects are included.
In the popular, established The Little Book of... series from Walter Foster Publishing, artists and
art hobbyists alike delight in learning a variety of fun, approachable, relevant, and interesting art
topics in a portable format boasting a fresh, contemporary, and interactive design. Open practice
pages, creative exercises, and art prompts encourage interactivity for immediate results while
teaching beginners the fundamentals of the featured medium in a fun, engaging way.
Critique: The Little Book of Drawing Dragons: More than 50 Tips and Techniques for Drawing
Fantastical Fairies, Dragons, Mythological Beasts, and More lives up to its title with instructions,
methodical examples, guidelines, and blank "practice pages" that the reader can use to hone their
artistic skills. A wonderful supplementary resource for budding artists of all ages and
backgrounds, The Little Book of Drawing Dragons also makes an excellent gift!
Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs
William C. Agee, et al.
Merrell Publishers
8755 Lookout Mountain Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
www.merrellpublishers.com
9781858946733, $60.00, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Early in his career, Ralston Crawford (1906 - 1978) earned acclaimed for his
Precisionist paintings of architectural subjects associated with a forward-looking, industrialized
America, most famously his Overseas Highway of 1939. But Crawford was a multifaceted artist
with an adventurous spirit and a curiosity for the world beyond the United States, one whose
work in various media and painting styles continued to evolve throughout his life, with his later,
more abstract painting having a remarkable emotional dimension.
"Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs", a new volume of his work that was published to accompany an
exhibition at the Vilcek Foundation in New York focuses on two series of works - 'Torn Signs'
and 'Semana Santa' - that Crawford developed mostly over the course of the last 20 or so years of
his life (although his first 'Torn Signs' photographs date from the late 1930s, thus making this
Crawford's most enduring theme or motif).
Rick Kinsel, President of the Vilcek Foundation, begins by considering how and why his travels
to Europe, especially to Andalusia in Spain, were so inspiring to Crawford. Semana Santa, or
Holy Week, the last week of Lent, is observed in Seville with public processions of penitential
confraternities through the streets. Witnessing this event proved to be a moving experience for
Crawford, and he revisited the subject of the penitents, with their distinctive conical hats,
multiple times across a number of years.
The art historian William C. Agee provides a biographical essay on Crawford's peripatetic life,
examining in particular the relation between the 'Torn Signs' and 'Semana Santa' bodies of work
and the artist's later decades, after the Second World War, when Crawford was interested less in
the life-affirming view of modernity associated with Precisionism, and more in giving expression
to disillusion and decay. Crawford's son John writes about the complex interrelationship of the
two series, with emphasis on the way in which Crawford's photography relates to his painting and
printmaking. Individual works in both series are then explored in depth in the main part of the
book by Emily Schuchardt Navratil, Curator of the Vilcek Foundation.
Reproductions of the pages of sketchbooks from 1971 (the year he was diagnosed with
leukaemia) illuminate Crawford's approach to remembering colour through writing and his
incredible visual memory; here, drawings of torn signs, Semana Santa and the streets of Seville
are interspersed with the artist's thoughts on colour, the connection between drawing and writing,
and his own life and death.
Critique: Exceptionally informative and profusely illustrated, "Ralston Crawford: Torn Signs" is
an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
college, and university library 20th Century American Art History collections in general, and
Ralston Crawford supplemental studies lists in particular.
The Economic Studies Shelf
A Brief History of Doom
Richard Vague
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
www.upenn.edu/pennpress
9780812251777, $29.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Financial crises happen time and again in post-industrial economies -- and they are
extraordinarily damaging. Building on insights gleaned from many years of work in the banking
industry and drawing on a vast trove of data, in "A Brief History of Doom: Two Hundred Years
of Financial Crises", Richard Vague argues that such crises follow a pattern that makes them
both predictable and avoidable.
"A Brief History of Doom" deftly examines a series of major crises over the past 200 years in the
United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Japan, and China -- including the Great
Depression and the economic meltdown of 2008. Vague demonstrates that the over-accumulation
of private debt does a better job than any other variable of explaining and predicting financial
crises. In a series of clear and gripping chapters, he shows that in each case the rapid growth of
loans produced widespread overcapacity, which then led to the spread of bad loans and bank
failures. This cycle, according to Vague, is the essence of financial crises and the script they
invariably follow.
"A Brief History of Doom" is the story of financial crisis presented as fundamentally the story of
private debt and runaway lending. Convinced that we have it within our power to break the cycle,
Vague provides the tools to enable politicians, bankers, and private citizens to recognize and
respond to the danger signs before it begins again.
Critique: Ably written with the clarity that makes it equally accessible to the non-specialist
general reader and academia alike, "A Brief History of Doom: Two Hundred Years of Financial
Crises" is a particularly timely and informative contribution to our on-going national discussion
with respect to governmental economic policies, private capital investment trends, and our
deeply divided political responses to the national debt, corporate taxation policies, and the Trump
administrations tariff wars with China, Mexico, and others. While unreservedly recommended
for corporate, community, and academic library Contemporary Economics collections and
supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy
makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Brief History of
Doom" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.92).
Editorial Note: Philanthropist and former banker Richard Vague is a managing partner of Gabriel
Investments, Chairman of The Governor's Woods Foundation, and author of "The Next
Economic Disaster: Why It's Coming and How to Avoid It", which is also available from the
University of Pennsylvania Press.
The Future of China's Bond Market
Alfred Schipke, Markus Rodlauer, Zhang Longmei, editors
International Monetary Fund
700 19th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20431
9781484372142, $40.00, PB, 416pp, www.imf.org
Synopsis: China's bond market is destined to play an increasingly important role at home and
abroad. The inclusion of its bonds in global indexes will be a positive milestone for its financial
market integration. For policymakers and investors alike, this calls for a good understanding of
the bond market structure, its unique characteristics, and areas for reform.
The contributors to "The Future of China's Bond Market" comprehensively analyzes segments of
China's bond market, from sovereign and credit bonds to the rapidly growing local government
bond market. It also covers bond futures, green bonds, and asset-backed securities. Academics,
Chinese officials, researchers from the private sector and IMF staff combines rigorous analysis
with institutional details to provide a detailed picture of China's bond market.
Removing obstacles and opening the market to foreign investors, harmonizing regulation,
strengthening financial sector stability, and improving market liquidity will go a long way to
improving market efficiency and contributing to the economy's overall productivity and growth.
Equally important will be the implementation of supporting reforms, such as removing implicit
guarantees, strengthening monetary frameworks, and improving communication. "The Future of
China's Bond Market" covers these issues, as well as China's offshore market, which has played a
major role in onshore market development.
Critique: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Alfred Schipke, Markus
Rodlauer, Zhang Longmei, "The Future of China's Bond Market " is essential and instructive
reading for anyone considering investing in China's bond market or is required to understand
China's financial integration within the global economy. While unreservedly recommended for
corporate, governmental, community, college, and university library Contemporary International
Economics collections in general, and the Chinese Bond Market in particular, it should be noted
for the personal reading lists of investors, economics students, corporate executives, academia,
governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "The Future of China's Bond Market" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$20.00).
Editorial Note: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization of 185
Member Countries. It was established to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange
stability, and orderly exchange arrangements; to foster economic growth and high levels of
employment; and to provide temporary financial assistance to countries in order to help ease
balance of payments adjustments.
The Agriculture Shelf
Sensing the Perfect Tomato
Denise Wilson
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9780367086763, $69.95, HC, 182pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The use of the tomato in some way, shape, or form, in almost every ethnic cuisine
around the world has resulted in a universal culinary popularity of the tomato that in turn has led
to its proliferation in fields and farms around the world.
While some may still argue whether the tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, few would argue that
tomato crops are highly lucrative, attractive to farmers in both developing and developed
countries and on large and small farms alike. In fact, for those crops with significant global
volume and market share, tomatoes are the highest valued among those crops that lack an
affiliation to mind-altering drugs.
But, the tomato can be a persnickety critter. The tomato doesn't like it too hot, too chilly, too wet,
too dry, or too fertile. Many don't ripen at the same time. Most are easily bruised. And, the
selective breeding that has yielded a larger, more attractive, and deep red tomato has also
mercilessly drained much of the taste and flavor from a once sweet and delectable fruit.
Enter the world of sensors and modern sensing technology. The Internet of Things (IOT), when
using well chosen, well networked, and well aggregated sensors, has shown tremendous potential
to support precision agriculture, providing a more detailed picture of crops than was previously
possible using conventional crop monitoring techniques. But, the stringent resources and tight
profit margins that are a fact of life among many tomato growing operations, large and small,
mean that sensor technologies must be chosen and used carefully.
There is no doubt that each sensor must earn its keep in producing the perfect tomato. With that
in mind, "Sensing The Perfect Tomato" explores key opportunities to marry the potential of
sensors that are networked within the IOT to the needs of tomato production in ways that are
economically fruitful, technologically robust, and sustainable overall.
Critique: Impressively comprehensive, exceptionally informative, expertly written, organized and
presented, "Sensing The Perfect Tomato" by Denise Wilson (Adjunct Professor in the School of
Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington - Seattle) is highly and
unreservedly recommended for corporate, college, and university library Agricultural Science
collections in general, and Tomato Grower's supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of agricultural students, tomato farmers, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Sensing The Perfect Tomato" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $55.96 Buy / $18.95 Rent).
The Sports Shelf
Minnesota's 50 Greatest Baseball Players
Jonathan W. Sweet
Brick Pickle Media
www.BrickPickleMedia.com
9781095694350 $14.99 pbk / $5.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: Who are the greatest baseball players in Minnesota history? A look at 50 of the stars
who have played for baseball teams in the North Star state, from the Minnesota Twins to the
Minneapolis Millers, the St. Paul Saints to the St. Cloud Rox, and everywhere in between.
Critique: Minnesota's 50 Greatest Baseball Players lives up to its title with a tour de force of the
lives of Minnesota baseball stars throughout history. Here are the true life stories of Hall of
Famers, star players from the Negro League, and many more legendary individuals. Aptly
researched and enhanced with a bibliography, Minnesota's 50 Greatest Baseball Players is a gem
for baseball fans, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
Minnesota's 50 Greatest Baseball Players is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).
The Philosophy Shelf
Spoiler Alert!
Richard Greene
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601
www.opencourtbooks.com
9780812694697, $19.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Spoilers get folks upset -- wanting to resort to violence upset! Spoilers have a long
history, going back to the time when some Greek theater-goer shouted "That's Oedipus's mom!"
But spoilers didn't use to be so intensely despised as they are today. The new, fierce hatred of
spoilers is associated with the Golden Age of television and the ubiquity of DVR/Netflix/Hulu,
and the like. Today, most people have their own personal "horror story" about the time when they
were subject to the most unfair, unjust, outrageous, and unforgivable spoiler.
A first definition of spoiler might be revealing any information about a work of fiction (in any
form, such as a book, TV show, or movie) to someone who hasn't encountered it. But this isn't
quite good enough. It wouldn't be a spoiler to say "The next Star Trek movie will include a
Vulcan." Nor would it be a spoiler to say, "The story of Shawshank Redemption comes from a
short story by Stephen King." But there has to be something at least a bit unexpected or
unpredictable about the information, and it has to be important to the content of the work. And
you could perpetrate a spoiler by divulging information about something other than a work of
fiction, for example details of a sports game, to someone who has Tivo'd the game but not yet
watched it.
Critique: A unique and inherently fascinating study about the philosophy of spoilers, "Spoiler
Alert!" by Richard Green is certain to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to
community and academic library Contemporary Philosophy collections in general, and the impact
of spoilers in today's social media driven worlds of television and the movies. As informed and
informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Spoiler Alert!" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Philosophy
James K. Dew Jr. & Paul M. Gould
Baker Academic
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9781540961556, $49.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: James K. Dew Jr. (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; PhD, University
of Birmingham) is vice president for undergraduate studies and distance learning and associate
professor of philosophy and the history of ideas at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in
Wake Forest, North Carolina. Paul M. Gould (PhD, Purdue University) is the author of Cultural
Apologetics: Renewing the Christian Voice, Conscience, and Imagination in a Disenchanted
World, the coauthor of Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel, and the
coeditor of Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy and Is Faith in God Reasonable?
In "Philosophy: A Christian Introduction", these two experienced educators offer an up-to-date
introduction to philosophy from a specifically Christian perspective that covers the four major
areas of philosophical thought: epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and ethics.
Written from an analytic perspective, "Philosophy" deftly introduces key concepts and issues
within the main areas of philosophical inquiry in a comprehensive yet accessible way, inviting
readers on a quest for goodness, truth, and beauty that ultimately points to Jesus as the source of
all.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Philosophy: A Christian Introduction" is
enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a six page Glossary, a sixteen page Bibliography, a
two page Scripture Index, a four page Author Index, and a six page Subject Index. While very
highly recommended for community, college, university, and seminary library collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists of students, seminarians, academia, clergy, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Philosophy" is also available in a
paperback edition ($9780801097997, $26.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.51).
The Military Shelf
Saipan
James H. Hallas
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811738439, $34.95, HC, 592pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The World War II story of the Battle of Saipan has it all. Marines at war: on Pacific
beaches, in hellish volcanic landscapes in places like Purple Heart Ridge, Death Valley, and
Hell's Pocket, under a commander known as "Howlin' Mad". Naval combat: carriers battling
carriers from afar, fighters downing Japanese aircraft, submarines sinking carriers. Marine-army
rivalry. Fanatical Japanese defense and resistance.
A turning point of the Pacific War, in "Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II"
journalist and military historian James Hallas reconstructs the full panorama of Saipan in a way
that no recent chronicler of the battle has done. In its comprehensiveness, attention to detail,
scope of research, and ultimate focus on the men who fought and won the battle on the beaches
and at and above the sea, it rivals Richard Frank's modern classic Guadalcanal.
Critique: The definitive military history of the Battle of Saipan, "Saipan: The Battle That
Doomed Japan in World War II" is an essential, core addition to community and academic library
World War II Pacific Theatre collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
military history buffs that "Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.33).
German Submarine U-1105 'Black Panther'
Aaron Stephan Hamilton
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472835819, $35.00, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in its final resting place at the bottom of the Potomac River in Maryland, the
U-Boat U-1105 is unique among German World War II submarines. Technologically innovative,
it was the only U-Boat to conduct a wartime patrol while equipped with the snorkel, GHG
Balkon passive sonar and a rubberized coating known as Alberich designed to reduce its acoustic
signature and hide from Allied sonar.
After the end of World War II, it was the subject of intense testing and evaluation by the Allies,
before finally being sunk to the bottom of the Potomac River. "German Submarine U-1105
'Black Panther': The Naval Archaeology of a U-Boat" is profusely illustrated study by Aaron
Stephan Hamilton that uses many new and previously unpublished images to tell the full story of
this remarkable U-Boat, evaluating the effectiveness of its late World War II submarine warfare
technologies.
Critique: Meticulously researched, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "German
Submarine U-1105 'Black Panther': The Naval Archaeology of a U-Boat" by Aaron Stephan
Hamilton is unique, impressively informative and unreservedly recommended addition to both
community and academic library World War II collections in general, and German Submarine
History supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of dedicated naval warfare history buffs that "German Submarine U-1105 'Black
Panther': The naval Archaeology of a U-Boat" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.46).
Editorial Note: An academically trained historian who holds a Bachelors and Master's degree in
History, as well as the Field Historian designator awarded by the U.S. Army's Combat Studies
Institute, Aaron Stephan Hamilton has spent the last twenty-five years researching and analyzing
the final year of military conflict during World War II in Europe. The focus of his research has
been the primary documents related to the last year of fighting along the Eastern Front. A
time-period and geographic area often negated by Western researchers due to a lack of easily
availability primary sources. His multi-volume, The Oder Front 1945 became the basis for the
U.S. Army Europe's (USAREUR) first Staff Ride and Battle Book about the Battle of the Seelow
Heights. Over the past five years he has transitioned his interests from land combat to naval
operations, specifically the last year of Battle of the Atlantic that foreshadowed the evolution in
undersea warfare. He has a number of books and articles on the topic of late war U-Boat
operations and tactics forthcoming from Osprey Publishing.
US Navy Battleships 1886 - 98
Brian Lane Herder
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472835024, $19.00, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "US Navy Battleships 1886 - 98: The Pre-Dreadnoughts and Monitors that Fought the
Spanish-American War" by Brian Lane Herder is fully illustrated study examines the US's first
six battleships. This is a naval history of political compromises, clean sheet designs, operational
experience, and experimental improvements. These ships directly inspired the creation of an
embryonic American military-industrial complex that enabled a permanent outward-looking shift
in American foreign policy, and laid the foundations of the modern US Navy.
After the American Civil War, the US Navy had been allowed to decay into complete
insignificance, yet the commissioning of the modern Brazilian battleship Riachuelo and poor
performance against the contemporary Spanish fleet, forced the US out of its isolationist posture
towards battleships.
The first true US battleships began with the experimental Maine and Texas, followed by the
three-ship Indiana class, and the Iowa class, which incorporated lessons from the previous ships.
These initial ships set the enduring US battleship standard of being heavily armed and armored at
the expense of speed.
Critique: A succinct but definitive history enhanced with captioned illustrations, charts, an
informative commentary, a Select Bibliography and an Index, "US Navy Battleships 1886 - 98:
The Pre-Dreadnoughts and Monitors that Fought the Spanish-American War" is an especially
recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library 19th Century
American Naval History collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "US Navy Battleships 1886-98" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $10.99).
U.S. Navy Auxiliary Vessels
Ken W. Sayers
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476672564, $45.00, PB, 361pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For more than a century, the U.S. Navy's battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines
and amphibious warfare vessels have depended on a small group of specialized auxiliary ships to
provide fuel, food, ammunition, parts and other material support and services. Without these
workhorse vessels, the U.S. Fleet could not have won in World War II and it could not today
deploy and remain on station in the far distant waters of the world.
In the pages of "U.S. Navy Auxiliary Vessels: A History and Directory from World War I to
Today", Ken W. Sayers (an IBM veteran who is a former naval officer serving on board a Pacific
Fleet destroyer escort and then in the Pentagon on the staff of the Assistant Secretary of Defense)
provides the rosters, histories, specifications and illustrations of 130 different auxiliary ship types
in the last 100 years, including the little-known ones, the latest expeditionary fast transports and
future towing, salvage and rescue ships.
Critique: Nicely illustrated throughout with black/white ship photos, "U.S. Navy Auxiliary
Vessels: A History and Directory from World War I to Today" is a very specialized and highly
recommended addition to the growing library of American Naval military histories and is
especially commended for personal, community, college, and university library collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Barnsley at War 1939 - 45
Mark Green
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526721877, $24.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The 'eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month' of 1918 was supposed to
be the conclusion of the 'war to end all wars'. But just twenty-one years after the armistice ending
World War I was signed, Barnsley, its borough and the world braced itself for a global conflict
that history would eventually testify to be deadlier than the war that destroyed a generation of
Barnsley men and boys.
After the Great War, the famous market town stumbled into a new era that promised social
change, including universal suffrage, economic and political stability and establishments of new
international organizations such as the League of Nations to steer the masses. In reality, the town
suffered in poverty, endured pit disasters, countless industrial deaths all the while still lamenting
its lost generation, mercilessly butchered on The Somme.
In "Barnsley at War 1939 - 45", historian and author Mark Green explains in detail Barnsley's
transition from its interwar years, to the euphoria of victory in 1945, supported by a timeline of
national events that helped shape the town. It steers away from the common two-dimensional
viewpoints some people had on the Home Front and the endless reusing of the same themes - 'the
Great British spirit,' Churchillian greatness, D-Day, Dunkirk and VE day. Although one cannot
dismiss those remarkable qualities the town developed during the war, it also explores
controversial topics such as social impacts, the rise in juvenile delinquency, misplaced optimism,
increase in crime and the acceptance of the status quo by some members of the ruling
council.
Indeed, Barnsley rose to the challenge as it did years earlier, women once again revealed their
rightful place in society as equals, miners smashed productivity records, men and women took up
arms in anticipation of invasion.
The Second World War had arguably the same impacts on Barnsley as the Great War, further
local names etched on the memorials as a timeless reminder of the men, women and children
who died or gave their life for their town, county and country. Never to be forgotten.
Critique: An exemplary and impressively presented history of a single but representative British
community during the war years, "Barnsley at War 1939 - 45" is an extraordinary and
exceptionally informative contribution to the growing library of World War II literature. While
very highly recommended for both community and academic library Military History collections,
it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, military buffs, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Barnsley at War 1939 - 45" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.97).
The Literary Studies Shelf
Reading Homer's Odyssey
Kostas Myrsiades
Bucknell University Press
Bucknell University, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA 17837
www.bucknell.edu/UniversityPress.xml
9781684481361, $24.95, PB, 364pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Homer's Odyssey is the first great travel narrative in Western culture. A compelling
tale about the consequences of war, and about redemption, transformation, and the search for
home, the Odyssey continues to be studied in universities and schools, and to be read and
referred to by ordinary readers.
"Reading Homer's Odyssey" by Kostas Myrsiades (Professor Emeritus of Comparative and Greek
Literature) offers a book-by-book commentary on the epic's themes that informs the
non-specialist general reader and engages the seasoned academic reader in new perspectives.
Among the themes discussed are hospitality, survival, wealth, reputation and immortality, the
Olympian gods, self-reliance and community, civility, behavior, etiquette and technology, ease,
inactivity and stagnation, Penelope's relationship with Odysseus, Telemachus' journey, Odysseus'
rejection of Calypso's offer of immortality, Odysseus' lies, Homer's use of the House of Atreus
and other myths, the cinematic qualities of the epic's structure, women's role in the epic, and the
Odyssey's true ending.
Footnotes clarify and elaborate upon myths that Homer leaves unfinished, explain terms and
phrases, and provide background information. "Reading Homer's Odyssey" concludes with a
general bibliography of work on the Odyssey, in addition to the bibliographies that accompany
each book's commentary.
Critique: An eloquently erudite and insightful analysis of one of the world's most famous works
of literature from Ancient Greece, "Reading Homer's Odyssey" should be considered a core
addition to both community and academic library Homeric Literature collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Reading
Homer's Odyssey" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).
Machado de Assis and Narrative Theory
Earl E. Fitz
Bucknell University Press
Bucknell University, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA 17837
www.bucknell.edu/UniversityPress.xml
9781684481132, $99.95, HC, 222pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Machado de Assis and Narrative Theory: Language, Imitation, Art, and
Verisimilitude in the Last Six Novels" by Earl E. Fitz (Professor of Portuguese, Spanish, and
Comparative Literature at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee) makes the argument
that Machado de Assis, hailed as one of Latin American literature's greatest writers, was also a
major theoretician of the modern novel form.
Steeped in the works of Western literature and an imaginative reader of French Symbolist poetry,
Machado creates, between 1880 and 1908, a "new narrative," one that will presage the
groundbreaking theories of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure by showing how even the
language of narrative cannot escape being elusive and ambiguous in terms of meaning. It is from
this discovery about the nature of language as a self-referential semiotic system that Machado
crafts his "new narrative." Long celebrated in Brazil as a dazzlingly original writer, Machado has
struggled to gain respect and attention outside the Luso-Brazilian ken. He is the epitome of the
"outsider" or "marginal," the iconoclastic and wildly innovative genius who hails from a culture
rarely studied in the Western literary hierarchy and so consigned to the status of "eccentric." Had
the Brazilian master written not in Portuguese but English, French, or German, he would today
be regarded as one of the true exemplars of the modern novel, in expression as well as in
theory.
Critique: A masterwork of original and seminal scholarship that rescues a critically important
Latin American writer from an undeserved obscurity, "Machado de Assis and Narrative Theory:
Language, Imitation, Art, and Verisimilitude in the Last Six Novels" is enhanced for academia
with the inclusion of a prefacing article (A Note on Translations), sixteen pages of Notes, a six
page Bibliography, and a seven page Index. While unreservedly recommended for college and
university library Latin American Literary Studies collections in general, and Machado de Assis
supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Machado de Assis and Narrative
Theory" is also available in a paperback edition (978-1684481125, $34.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $33.20).
Arid Dreams: Stories
Duanwad Pimwana, author
Mui Poopoksakul, translator
The Feminist Press
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.feministpress.org
9781936932566, $16.95, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Arid Dreams: Stories" is comprised of thirteen short stories by Duanwad Pimwana
that investigate ordinary and working-class Thailand through memorable characters who aspire
for more but remain suspended in routine. They bide their time, waiting for an extraordinary
event to end their stasis. A politician's wife imagines her life had her husband's accident been
fatal, a man on death row requests that a friend clear up a misunderstanding with a sex worker,
and an elevator attendant feels himself wasting away while trapped, immobile, at his station all
day.
With curious wit, this original collection of stories offers revelatory insight, subtle critique, and
an exploration of class, gender, and disenchantment in the changing Southeast Asian country of
Thailand.
Critique: Adroitly translated into English for an American readership by Mui Poopoksakul (a
lawyer-turned-translator with a special interest in contemporary Thai literature), Duanwad
Pimwana's "Arid Dreams: Stories" showcases the impressive literary talents of an accomplished
and original storyteller. While highly recommended for both community and academic library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Arid
Dreams: Stories" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.98).
Editorial Note: Duanwad Pimwana (b. 1969) is consistently regarded as an important female
voice in contemporary Thai literature. She won the S.E.A. Write Award, Southeast Asia's most
prestigious literary prize, in 2003 for her novel Changsamran, and is one of only six women to
have won the Thai section of the award. Born to farmer parents, Pimwana attended a vocational
school and started off as a journalist at a local newspaper. She published her first short story at
the age of twenty and quickly gained recognition, earning awards from PEN International
Thailand and the acclaimed Thai literary magazine Chorkaraket. Known for fusing touches of
magic realism with social realism, she has written nine books. English translations of her work
have appeared in Words Without Borders and Asymptote's Translation Tuesday column. She
currently lives in her native seaside province of Chonburi, located on the Thai east coast.
The Technology Shelf
Digital Radiography in Practice
Quinn B. Carroll
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398092719, $39.95, PB, 220pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Radiography is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing
radiation and non-ionizing radiation to view the internal form of an object. Applications of
radiography include medical radiography ("diagnostic" and "therapeutic") and industrial
radiography. (Wikipedia).
Hospital programs, as well as college, and university library medical radiography collections will
appreciate "Digital Radiography in Practice" by Quinn B. Carroll which is an economical
textbook that focuses on the practical aspects of digital radiography. This edition of "Digital
Radiography in Practice" will provide an accurate and adequate description of all the aspects of
digital images and digital equipment, and their implications for radiographic technique and
clinical application in a student-friendly way by providing crisp, clear illustrations along with
readable text. Indeed, many of the lucid illustrations in comprehensive textbook are from the
Quinn Carroll's own collection.
It should be noted that the focus in "Digital Radiography in Practice" is specifically and
exclusively on digital topics and the facts are stated with such brief explanatory material as each
topic will allow. Many digital topics are intimidating, and every attempt is made to reduce these
topics to a descriptive, non-mathematical level that can be intuitively understood by the average
student. A helpful glossary is included whenever a concise definition is needed for a
particular
Critique: Comprehensive and impressively organized and presented, "Digital Radiography in
Practice" is an ideal textbook that should be considered a core addition to all medical radiography
libraries and is especially appropriate for classroom curriculums and supplemental study
lists.
Practical Microstrip and Printed Antenna Design
Anil Pandey
Artech House
9781630816681, $151.00, www.artechhouse.com
Practical Microstrip and Printed Antenna Design joins others in Artech House's Antennas and
Electromagnetics Analysis Library and belongs in any college-level antenna and engineering
collection as a practical guide to microstrip and printed antenna designs. Equations, charts,
illustrations, and applications are discussed for readers who are taught how to evaluate various
antenna designs and how to use full-wave electromagnetic solvers. Chapters cover everything
from Bluetooth applications and feed techniques for array antennas to theories behind various
applications. Anil Pandey has researched this subject for several years and offers the latest
detailed coverage on antenna design and development for RF and microwave applications.
Foundations of Physics
S. Adams
Mercury Learning
c/o Stylus Publishing
9781663921448, $69.95, www.merclearning.com
Foundations of Physics is intended for self-study who know calculus and who seek a basic
introduction to physics concepts, and explains complex topics with plenty of mathematical and
visual support. From basic laws of physics to the science of light, electromagnetic induction,
gravity and quantum theory, this primer moves from basic foundation explorations to more
complex physics discussions, building on the basics to create an accessible primer highly
recommended for any college-level student and courses catering to them.
The Journalism Shelf
The Best American Newspaper Narratives: Volume 6
Gayle Reaves, editor
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574417524, $19.95, PB, 392pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Compiled and edited by Gayle Reaves (the former editor of the alternative newspaper
Fort Worth Weekly), Volume six of "The Best American Newspaper Narratives from the
University of North Texas Press is an anthology that collects the eleven winners of the 2018 Best
American Newspaper Narrative Writing Contest held at the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction
Conference -- an event hosted by the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the
University of North Texas.
Featured are: First place winner: Kale Williams, "The Loneliest Polar Bear" (The Oregonian),
relates the tale of Nora, a baby polar bear raised by humans in a zoo after being abandoned by her
mother.
Second place: Patricia Callahan, "Doomed by Delay" (Chicago Tribune), reveals the experiences
of Illinois families with children diagnosed with Krabbe - a deadly disease that healthcare
professionals could have screened for at birth, and ultimately treated, if it weren't for government
bureaucracy.
Third place: Christopher Goffard, "Dirty John" (Los Angeles Times), is an investigative story
that explores the dynamics of domestic violence with a nuanced, psychologically complex
narrative of family and survival.
The runners-up include John Woodrow Cox, "Twelve Seconds of Gunfire" (The Washington
Post); Tom Hallman Jr., "His Heart, Her Hands" (The Oregonian); Jenna Russell, "The Last
Refugee" (The Boston Globe); Lisa Gartner and Zachary T. Sampson, "Wrong Way" (Tampa Bay
Times); Casey Parks, "About a Boy" (The Oregonian); Jennifer Emily, "Hope for the Rest of Us"
(The Dallas Morning News); Kent Babb, "There's Nowhere to Run" (The Washington Post); and
Lane DeGregory, "The House on the Corner" (Tampa Bay Times).
Critique: Instructive, informative, exemplary, "The Best American Newspaper Narratives"
showcases the best work that journalism has to offer the general reading public and this latest
volume (Number 6) is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as
community, college, and university library Contemporary Journalism Studies collections.
The Genealogy Shelf
Tracing Your Female Ancestors
Adele Emm
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526730138, $29.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Everyone has a mother and a line of female ancestors and often their paths through life
are hard to trace. That is why "Tracing Your Female Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians"
by Adele Emm is of such value -- especially for the novice genealogists. A detailed, accessible
handbook, "Tracing Your Female Ancestors" explores the lives of female ancestors from the end
of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 to the beginning of the First World War.
In 1815 a woman was the chattel of her husband; by 1914, when the menfolk were embarking on
one of the most disastrous wars ever known, the women at home were taking on jobs and
responsibilities never before imagined. Ad le Emm's work is the ideal introduction to the role of
women during this period of dramatic social change.
There are chapters that cover the quintessential experiences of birth, marriage and death, a
woman's working and daily life both middle and working class, through to crime and
punishment, the acquisition of an education and the fight for equality. Each individual chapter
comprising "Tracing Your Female Ancestors" gives advice on where further resources, archives,
wills, newspapers and websites can be found, with plentiful common sense advice on how to use
them.
Critique: A unique and information packed instructional reference and guide, "Tracing Your
Female Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians" is an extraordinary and thoroughly 'user
friendly manual that is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Genealogy collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of genealogists and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Tracing Your Female Ancestors" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Tracing Your Insolvent Ancestors
Paul Blake
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526738653, $29.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Debtors' prisons are infamous but very little has been written about the records of those
confined within them in London or elsewhere in the country. Even less has been written about
the trials of those who were often incarcerated or sentenced to forced overseas relocation
following misfortune or mismanagement rather than criminal intent. That is why Paul Blake's
handbook "Tracing Your Insolvent Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians" will be so useful
for genealogical researchers who want to find out about forebears who may have been caught up
in the insolvency system.
In a series of information-filled chapters Blake covers the historical background to the handling
of debt and debtors, and bankruptcy and bankrupts. In addition he describes the courts and
procedures faced by both creditors and debtors, and the prisons where so many debtors were
confined.
Throughout "Tracing Your Insolvent Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians" details are given
of the records that researchers can turn to in order to explore the subject for themselves. Many
are held at The National Archives, but others are to be found at local record offices around the
country.
Paul Blake's "Tracing Your Insolvent Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians" will be
appreciated by local, social and family historians, as well as those with an interest in debtor crime
and punishment, and bankrupts in general.
Critique: While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.38), "Tracing Your Insolvent
Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians" is a unique, impressively informative, and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Genealogy instructional reference and resource collections.
The Library Science Shelf
Creativity for Library Career Advancement
Vera Gubnitskaia & Carol Smallwood, editors
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476674018, $65.00, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: One of the late Steve Jobs famous observations was that 'creativity is just connecting
things'. In today's diverse, ever-changing job market, creativity is more necessary than ever. In a
profession offering a broad range of job opportunities, librarians are surrounded by myriad
connections to be made. They are trained to recognize them.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Vera Gubnitskaia and Carol Smallwood, "Creativity
for Library Career Advancement: Perspectives, Techniques and Eureka Moments" is an
insightful collection of thirty succinct essays by contributors that collectively cover a wide
spectrum of methods for cultivating creativity as a skill for career fulfillment and success in the
field of library science. Topics include learning through role-playing games, libraries as
publishers, setting up and using makerspaces, developing in-house support for early-career staff,
creating traveling exhibits, creative problem solving, and organizing no-cost conferences.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "Creativity for Library Career Advancement:
Perspectives, Techniques and Eureka Moments" is an extraordinary, informative, comprehensive,
and insightful contribution that is very highly recommended for personal, professional,
community, college, and university 'Library Science' collections and supplemental studies
reading lists.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Acting for Film, second edition
Cathy Haase
Allworth Press
www.allworth.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781621536642, $22.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Acting for Film" by Cathy
Haase is an essential guide for aspiring performers, acting teachers, and anyone interested in
gaining a greater understanding of the craft. Acting students will learn how to apply theatrical
training to film acting and hone a personal approach to rendering a character.
"Acting for Film" also includes: Advice on dealing with new technology including CGI and
motion capture; Concentration and relaxation exercises that will enhance facial expressiveness;
Exploration of sense memory techniques for on-camera work; Animal exercises and their usages;
Tips for maintaining proper eye focus in front of the camera and conveying the "beats" of a
scene, even in the shortest takes.
For any performer who intends to make a living in front of the camera, this new edition of
"Acting for Film" is the most authoritative resource currently available for anyone seeking and
hoping to land the film role they've been dreaming of.
Critique: A comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction manual and guide, this new
edition of "Acting for Film" is a critically important addition to personal, professional,
community, academic, and acting school instructional reference collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Acting for Film" is also available in a digital book format
(eTextbook, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Cathy Haase has been acting professionally for more than thirty years. She is also
a faculty member at the School of Visual Arts and a workshop leader for the Actors Studio.
The Social Issues Shelf
Connecting Generations
Hayim Herring
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781538112168, $34.00, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Social isolation, loneliness, and suicide are conditions we often associate with the
elderly. But in reality, these issues have sharply increased across younger generations. Baby
Boomers, Gen X'ers, Millennials, and post-Millennials all report a declining number of friends
and an increasing number of health issues associated with loneliness.
Even more concerning, it appears that the younger the generation, the greater the feelings of
disconnection. Regardless of age, it feels as though we're living through a period of ongoing
disequilibrium because we're not able to adapt quickly enough to the social and technological
changes swirling around us.
These powerful changes have not only isolated individuals from their own peers but have
contributed to becoming an age-segregated society. And yet we need fulfilling relationships with
people our own age and across the generations to lead lives that are rich in meaning and
purpose.
Even in those rare communities where young and old live near each other, they lack organic
settings that encourage intergenerational relationships. In addition, it isn't technology, but
generational diversity that is our best tool for navigating the changes that affect so many aspects
of our lives - whether it's work, entertainment, education, or family dynamics.
We can't restore yesterday's model of community, where only those who were older transmitted
wisdom downward to the generation below. But we can relearn how much members of different
generations have to offer each other and recreate intergenerational communities for the 21st
century where young, old, and everyone in between is equally valued for their perspectives, and
where each generation views itself as having a stake in the other's success.
In "Connecting Generations: Bridging the Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial Divide", Hayim
Herring focuses more deeply on how Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials perceive one
another and looks underneath the generational labels that compound isolation. He offers ways we
can prepare current and future generations for a world in which ongoing interactions with people
from multiple generations become the norm, and re-experience how enriching intergenerational
relationships are personally and communally.
Critique: An exceptionally informative and impressively presented study "Connecting
Generations: Bridging the Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial Divide" is enhanced for academia
with the inclusion of 15 pages of Notes, a twelve page listing of Works Cited, and a five page
Index. An exceptional work of seminal scholarship, "Connecting Generations" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for college and university library Contemporary Psychology, and
Contemporary Social Issues collections in general, and Inter-Generational Communications
supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, demographic researchers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "Connecting Generations" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$32.00).
Editorial Note: A proven organizational visionary and entrepreneur who works to "create today's
leaders for tomorrow's organizations", Hayim Herring is an author, presenter and nonprofit
organizational futurist, with a specialty in faith-based communities. A former congregational
rabbi and "C-suite" nonprofit executive, Hayim blends original research and real-world
experience to inspire individuals and organizations to achieve their greatest impact. He has
published over 60 scholarly and popular articles and studies about the intersection of technology,
spirituality, and community. Recent publications include Leading Congregations and Nonprofit
Organizations in a Connected World: Platforms, People, and Purpose (Alban Books 2016),
co-authored with Dr. Terri Elton, and Tomorrow's Synagogue Today: Creating Vibrant Centers
of Jewish Life (Alban Institute 2012).
Beating Guns
Shane Clairborne & Michael Martin
Brazos Press
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.brazospress.com
9781587434136, $19.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Parkland. Las Vegas. Dallas. Orlando. San Bernardino. Paris. Charleston. Sutherland
Springs. Newtown. These cities are now known for the people who were shot and killed in them.
More Americans have died from guns in the US in the last fifty years than in all the wars in
American history.
With less than 5% of the world's population, the people of the US own nearly half the world's
guns. America also has the most annual gun deaths (homicide, suicide, and accidental gun
deaths) at 105 per day, or more than 38,000 per year. Some people say it's a heart problem.
Others say it's a gun problem. The authors of Beating Guns believe it's both.
"Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence" is for people who believe the
world doesn't have to be this way. Inspired by the prophetic image of beating swords into plows,
"Beating Guns" provides a provocative look at gun violence in America and offers a clarion call
to change our hearts regarding one of the most significant moral issues of our time.
With "Beating Guns", author, speaker, and activist Shane Claiborne and Mennonite paster
Michael Martin show why Christians should be concerned about gun violence and how they can
be part of the solution. The authors transcend stale rhetoric and old debates about gun control to
offer a creative and productive response.
Full-color images show how guns are being turned into tools and musical instruments across the
nation. Charts, tables, and facts convey the mind-boggling realities of gun violence in America,
but as the authors make clear, there is a story behind every statistic.
"Beating Guns" allows victims and perpetrators of gun violence to tell their own compelling
stories, offering hope for change and helping us reimagine the world as one that turns from death
to life, where swords become plows and guns are turned into garden tools.
Critique: A badly needed and very timely contribution to our on-going national dialogue over the
role of guns in American society and culture, "Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary
of Violence" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to every community,
college, and university library in the country. Deserving of the widest possible readership, it
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, gun control activists, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Beating Guns" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.47).
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Investigating Groundwater
Ian Acworth
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138542495, $199.95, HC, 598pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Investigating Groundwater" by Ian Acworth provides an integrated approach to the
challenges associated with locating groundwater. Uniquely, this comprehensive study provides a
review of the wide range of techniques that can be deployed to investigate this important
resource. Many of the practical examples given are based upon Australian experience but the
methods have worldwide applicability. "Investigating Groundwater" is published in color and
includes many original diagrams and photographs. Particular effort has been made to provide
consistent terminology and SI units are used throughout the text.
Key features of "Investigating Groundwater" include: A presentation of the theoretical
background and a detailed description of the techniques used in the investigation of groundwater;
A description of the general occurrence of groundwater in different rock types; surface water
hydrology and interconnected surface and groundwater systems; The provision of detailed
descriptions of geophysical techniques (seismic, electrical, gravity and heat) and an account of
available geophysical logging methods; Reviews hydrochemical and isotope methods, followed
by an account of drilling techniques; A detailed account of radial flow to a well, including
appropriate modeling and pump-testing techniques and a consideration of non-linear flow.
Critique: A comprehensive textbook on the subject, "Investigating Groundwater" will prove to be
of immense interest and value to anyone involved in the development of groundwater resources,
either for domestic supply, for agriculture or for mining. While unreservedly recommended for
corporate, governmental, college, and university library Environmental, Geology, and
Hydrogeology collections and supplemental curriculum textbook lists, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students, academia, professionals, environmentalists, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject, that "Investigating Groundwater" is also available
in a digital book format (eTextbook, $162.92 Buy / $37.63 Rent).
Editorial Note: Ian Acworth graduated with a degree in Earth Sciences from Leeds University in
the UK and followed up with a Master's in Hydrogeology and a PhD in Groundwater from
Birmingham University. Ian has spent 45 years as a practicing hydrogeologist with 15 years as a
consultant and the remainder at the University of New South Wales Australia, where he has
taught and researched groundwater.
Ian established the Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre at the University in 2006 and
was a team leader in the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training. During his
career he has maintained a major focus on the use of field techniques in the investigation of
groundwater. He has held patents in the use of geophysical techniques applied to groundwater
investigation and has published widely in the area with many well cited papers.
Ian has been an active member of IAH and served on the IAH Council as a Vice President
representing Australia and the Pacific for 8 years. He retired in 2015 but is still actively engaged
in research at UNSW where is appointed as an Emeritus Professor. In 2015 he received the
President's award for contributions to Hydrogeology.
Holistic Management Handbook, third edition
Jody Butterfield, Sam Bingham, Allan Savory
Island Press
2000 M Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781610919760, $35.00, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Holistic management is a systems-thinking approach developed by biologist Allan
Savory to restore the world's grassland soils and minimize the damaging effects of climate
change and desertification on humans and the natural world. Now in a newly updated and
expanded third edition of "Holistic Management Handbook: Regenerating Your Land and
Growing Your Profits" was crafted under the direction of Savory's longtime collaborator Jody
Butterfield. This instructional handbook is the key to developing a comprehensive holistic land
plan based on Savory's principles that will help you to restore health to your land and ensure a
stable, sustainable livelihood from its bounty.
Thoroughly revised, updated, and streamlined, this third edition of the "Holistic Management
Handbook" explains the planning procedures described in Holistic Management, and offers
step-by-step instructions for running a ranch or farm using a holistic management approach.
Butterfield and her coauthors, Sam Binham and Allan Savory describe how to use the handbook
in conjunction with the textbook to tailor a management plan for your unique combination of
land, livestock, and finances. Their mantra is "plan, monitor, control, and replan." Using a
four-part approach, the authors walk readers through basic concepts and techniques, help them
put a plan onto paper, monitor the results, and adjust the details as needed. Appendixes provide
updated worksheets, checklists, planning and monitoring forms, and detailed examples of typical
scenarios a user might encounter. The handbook includes a comprehensive glossary of
terms.
Critique: Comprehensively informative and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Holistic Management Handbook" should be considered essential reading for
ranchers, farmers, pastoralists, social entrepreneurs, government agencies, NGOs, environmental
activists, and anyone else working to address global environmental degradation through
environmentally restorative and effective land management. An indispensable guide to putting
the holistic management concept into action with tangible results they can take to the bank,
"Holistic Management Handbook" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, governmental, and academic library Environmental Restoration, Agriculture,
Agronomy, Soil Science, and Land Management collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Holistic Management Handbook" is also available in a digital book format
(eTextbook, $19.24 - Amazon.com).
Editorial Note: Jody Butterfield is a former journalist specializing in agriculture and the
environment. She is a cofounder of the Savory Institute. Sam Bingham, a Savory Network
Accredited Educator, is the author of five books and numerous articles on the land and the people
who make a living from it. Allan Savory is a former wildlife biologist and farmer who conceived
of and developed Holistic Management. He is a cofounder and President of the Savory
Institute.
The Mythology Shelf
Mythical Irish Beasts
Mark Joyce
Currach Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781782189053, $47.00, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Leprechauns aren't the Irish mythical creatures! Ireland's mythology is bursting with
mysterious and fantastical characters and "Mythical Irish Beasts" by writer and artist Mark Joyce
is the perfect way to explore that mythological heritage.
Showcased in the illustrated pages of "Mythical Irish Beasts" are such supernatural creatures as
the banshee, the Suileach (a monster with 400 eyes who is the namesake of the River Swilly
where it lurks), or the Airetech (a creature from the underworld who has three beautiful daughters
who can transform into werewolves).
In this beautifully designed volume of enhanced folklore, Mark Joyce brings the reader on a
fantastic journey through Irish stories of monsters and enchanted creatures, all brought to life
through his original illustrations!
Critique: An inherently fascinating and elegantly presented study into Irish mythology, folklore,
and fairyland creatures, "Mythical Irish Beasts" will prove to be an impressively and enduringly
popular addition to personal, community, and academic library collections.
The Railroading Shelf
The Great Eastern Railway in South Essex
Charles Phillips
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526720573, $49.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Great Eastern Railway In South Essex: A Definitive
History", railway enthusiast and historian Charles Phillips presents an illustrated history of the
Great Eastern's lines from Shenfield to Southend, Wickford to Southminster and Woodham
Ferrers to Maldon including their ancestor.
This is the only comprehensive history of all three lines and was researched using both
previously published and unpublished material. The history covers not only the history of the
lines in question but also a sample of services from the opening of them to the present day, the
motive power that was and is used on them and a topographical description of them.
"The Great Eastern Railway in South Essex " will have a particular appeal to wide audience: but
most especially to those with an interest in the local history of the area served by the lines, those
interested in the history of Essex, and railway enthusiasts interested in the railways of the eastern
counties in general and the Great Eastern Railway in particular.
Critique: Nicely illustrated throughout, "The Great Eastern Railway in South Essex" A Definitive
History" is an inherently interesting read that is impressively informative and exceptionally well
organized and presented. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
community, and academic library Railroading History collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Great Eastern Railway in South Essex" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $23.98).
Editorial Note: Charles Phillips lives in the village of Stock in Essex. He went to school in
Chelmsford and then joined the civil service from which he retired in 2005. Hi main interest is
transport, the First World War and history in general. He has written a number of books
including Great Eastern Since 1900 (Ian Allan, 1985) and The Story of Billericay. (History Press,
2011).
A Railway History of New Shildon
George Turner Smith
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
152673639X, $49.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: On the 27th September 1825, the first public railway steam train left New Shildon for
Stockton-on-Tees. The driver was George Stephenson and the engine he was driving was the
'Locomotion No.1'. It set off from a settlement which would become New Shildon.
At the time New Shildon consisted of just a set of rails and four houses, none of which had been
there less than a year before. The four houses became a town with a five-figure population; a
town that owed its existence to the railway that made its home there - the 'Stockton and
Darlington'(S&DR).
Some of the earliest and greatest railway pioneers worked there, including George and his son
Robert, the Hackworth brothers, Timothy and Thomas, and the engineer William Bouch. Their
story is part of New Shildon's story.
The locomotive works, created to build and maintain steam locomotives, morphed into the
world's most innovative works whose demise had more to do with politics than productivity.
"A Railway History of New Shildon: From George Stephenson to the Present Day" by railway
historian George Turner Smith covers Shildon's years between 1820 and today, including the war
interludes when the wagon works was manned by women and the output was mostly intended for
the MOD.
The story of the creation of the town's railway museum and the arrival of Hitachi at Newton
Aycliffe brings the history up to date and , to complete the picture, there is also a description of
the on-going new build G5 steam locomotive project on Hackworth Industrial Estate, the very
site where the S&DR locomotive and wagon works was located. Although the story of a railway
town, it is also the story of people who lived there and made it what it is today.
Critique: Another beautifully produced railway history from Pen & Sword Books, "A Railway
History of New Shildon: From George Stephenson to the Present Day" is an extraordinarily
informative and profusely illustrated volume that is unreservedly recommended for the personal
reading lists of dedicated railroading buffs, as well as community and academic library British
Railway History collections.
The Criminology Shelf
Measuring Crime: Behind the Statistics
Sharon L. Lohr
www.sharonlohr.com
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9780367192310, $99.95, HC, 166pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Crime statistics are everywhere, but how do you know when they're valid? If a
newspaper report says "the rate of overall violent crime decreased by 0.9 percent," how can you
tell where that statistic came from, what it measures, and how accurate it is? Is it worth repeating
or sharing?
In "Measuring Crime: Behind the Statistics", gives you the tools to interpret and evaluate crime
statistics' quality and usefulness while focusing on ways of thinking about crime statistics (not
formulas!) and features: Eight questions you should ask before quoting a statistic; The two
sources of information about homicide; FBI statistics with respect to what they measure; How
victimization surveys can reflect your experiences even though you were not asked to participate;
Special considerations when interpreting statistics about sexual assault and fraud; Examples of
experiments and studies on how to improve crime statistics; Two online supplements containing
additional details and links to data sources.
Critique: Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Measuring Crime:
Behind the Statistics" will tell you how to read statistics as a statistician would and should be
considered essential reading for all law enforcement professionals, crime beat journalists, judicial
studies students, social activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
While very highly recommended, especially for college and university library Criminology
Studies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Measuring Crime: Behind
the Statistics" is also available in a paperback edition ( 978-1138489073, $29.95) and in a digital
book format (eTextbook, $28.45 Buy / $5.63 Rent).
Editorial Note: Sharon Lohr, is also the author of Sampling: Design and Analysis, and has
published widely about statistical methods for education, public policy, law, and crime. She has
been recognized as Fellow of the American Statistical Association, elected member of the
International Statistical Institute, and recipient of the Gertrude M. Cox Statistics Award and the
Deming Lecturer Award. Formerly Dean's Distinguished Professor of Statistics at Arizona State
University and a Vice President at Westat. She is now a freelance statistical consultant and writer
and her website is at www.sharonlohr.com.
The Mayfair Mafia
Dick Kirby
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526742612, $29.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It is a little known fact that one immigrant Italian family ran London's thriving vice
trade unchecked from the mid-1930s for some twenty years. The five Messina brothers imported
prostitutes from the Continent on an industrial scale, acquiring the women British citizenship by
phony marriages. Demanding 80% of earnings, the Messina family became fabulously wealthy,
purchasing expensive properties, cars and influence.
"The Mayfair Mafia: The Lives and Crimes of the Messina Brothers" by Dick Kirby is a
revealing and absorbing account that describes in historical detail how the brothers ruled with a
ruthless combination of charm, blackmail and all too credible threats of disfigurement and
death.
It took a sensational Sunday newspaper expose to get the authorities to act. A series of dramatic
arrests and trials followed and one by one the brothers were imprisoned and deported for crimes
including immoral earnings, attempted bribery and firearms offenses. Such was their fortune that
numerous potential beneficiaries came forward -- most recently in 2012.
Critique: A detailed and inherently fascinating account of the rise and fall of an organized crime
family, "The Mayfair Mafia: The Lives and Crimes of the Messina Brothers" will prove to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Criminology
collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subect that "The
Mayfair Mafia" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.37).
Editorial Note: Dick Kirby was born in the East End of London and joined the Metropolitan
Police in 1967. Half of his twenty-six years' service was spent with Scotland Yard's Serious
Crime Squad and the Flying Squad. Kirby contributes to newspapers and magazines on a regular
basis, as well as appearing on television and radio. The Guv'nors, The Sweeney, Scotland Yard's
Ghost Squad, Brave Line Death on the Beat, Scourge of Soho, Crime and Corruption at The Yard
and London Gangs at War are all published under the Wharncliffe True Crime imprint and he has
further other published works to his credit. On retirement he lives near Bury St Edmunds,
Suffolk, Kirby can be visited at his website: www.dickkirby.com.
Blonde Rattlesnake
Julia Bricklin
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
www.globepequot.com
9781493037896, $24.95, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old Burmah Adams, a hairdresser and former Santa Ana High School
student, spent her honeymoon on a crime spree. She and her husband of less than one week,
Thomas White, an ex-con, robbed at least twenty people in and around downtown L.A. at
gunpoint over an eight-week period. But the worst of their crimes was the shooting of a popular
elementary school teacher, Cora Withington, and a former publisher, Crombie Allen, who was
teaching her how to drive his new car.
A few days later, a watchful pair of patrolmen in a Westlake neighborhood called their detective
colleagues at the Los Angeles Police Department; they had spotted a car that looked like one the
duo had stolen days before. Two of these detectives dressed as mechanics and kept an eye on the
apartment building until Burmah and Thomas appeared one afternoon. As police swarmed the
building, Burmah tried to hurl herself out of a third - story window, while Thomas shot at
officers and was immediately gunned down and killed.
"Blonde Rattlesnake: Burmah Adams, Tom White, and the 1933 Crime Spree that Terrorized Los
Angeles" by historian and author Julia Bricklin reveals the events that brought Adams and White
together and details the crime spree they committed in the sweltering hot days and nights of Los
Angeles in the height of the Great Depression. It describes the terror of citizens in their path and
the outrage they directed at the female half of the duo. Politicians exploited Burmah's
incarceration and trial for their own purposes as the press battled for scoops about the "Blonde
Rattlesnake" and created sensation while trying to make sense of her crimes.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and exceptionally well presented case study, "Blonde
Rattlesnake: Burmah Adams, Tom White, and the 1933 Crime Spree that Terrorized Los
Angeles" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Criminology &
True Crime collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Blonde Rattlesnake" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.66).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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
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