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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The History of the Future
Blake J. Harris
Dey Street
c/o HarperCollins
www.harpercollins.com
9780062455970, $19.99
The History of the Future: Oculus, Facebook, and the Revolution That Swept Virtual Reality
begins in 2012, when a teen inventor and gamer living alone in Long Beach building virtual
reality headsets sparks a revolution in the industry when he meets video game developer John
Carmack, who is crafting the perfect adjunct for Palmer Luckey's hardware. The two join forces
with a Russian entrepreneur and others to found Oculus and challenge the world. The story may
read like fiction, but it embraces nonfiction elements of high drama as it explores how a small
group of innovators created a virtual reality revolution that changed the gaming world forever.
No social history or computer collection should be without this lively, engrossing study in
risk-taking, technology development, and adventure.
Whatever It Took
Henry Langrehr & Jim DeFelice
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063027428, $27.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Whatever It Took: An American Paratrooper's Extraordinary Memoir of Escape,
Survival, and Heroism in the Last Days of World War II" and now at the age of 95, Henry
Langrehr is one of the few still living members of the Greatest Generation who shares his
experiences in one of the most remarkable World War II stories ever told.
As the Allied Invasion of Normandy launched in the pre-dawn hours of June 6, 1944, Henry was
an American paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne who parachuted into occupied France.
Surviving heavy anti-aircraft fire, he crashed through the glass roof of a greenhouse in
Sainte-Mere-Eglise. While many of the soldiers in his unit died, Henry and other surviving troops
valiantly battled enemy tanks to a standstill. Then, on June 29th, Henry was captured by the
Nazis. The next phase of his incredible journey was just beginning.
Kept for a week in the outer ring of a death camp, Henry witnessed the Nazis' unspeakable
brutality -- the so-called Final Solution, with people marched to their deaths, their bodies
discarded like cords of wood. Transported to a work camp, he endured horrors of his own when
he was forced to live in unbelievable squalor and labor in a coal mine with other POWs.
Knowing they would be worked to death, he and a friend made a desperate escape. When a
German soldier cornered them in a barn, the friend was fatally shot; Henry struggled with the
soldier, killing him and taking his gun. Perilously traveling westward toward Allied controlled
land on foot, Henry faced the great ethical and moral dilemmas of war firsthand, needing to do
whatever it took to survive. Finally, after two weeks behind enemy lines, he found an American
unit and was rescued.
Awaiting him at home was Arlene, who, like millions of other American women, went to work
in factories and offices to build the armaments Henry and the Allies needed for victory.
"Whatever It Took" is her story, too, bringing to life the hopes and fears of those on the home
front awaiting their loved ones to return.
A tale of heroism, hope, and survival (and enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of 30
historical photographs), "Whatever It Took" is a timely reminder of the human cost of freedom
and a tribute to unbreakable human courage and spirit in the darkest of times.
Critique: A simply fascinating story that although a work of nonfiction, reads with all the
emotional impact of a finely crafted novel, "Whatever It Took: An American Paratrooper's
Extraordinary Memoir of Escape, Survival, and Heroism in the Last Days of World War II" is an
extraordinary and impressively presented military biography that is especially and unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library World War II Military History
collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students, academia,
military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Whatever It Took" is also readily available in a large print paperback edition (9780063040588,
$29.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Blackstone Audio, 9781094156835, $29.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Henry Langrehr served in Europe in World War II with the 82nd Airborne
Division. He is the recipient of two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, and the French Legion of
Honor. After the war, he founded a successful construction company, building schools and other
civic structures.
Jim DeFelice is the co-author, with former U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, of the
multi-million-copy bestseller American Sniper, the source for Clint Eastwood's film starring
Bradley Cooper. His other books include Omar Bradley: General at War; Rangers at Dieppe; and
West Like Lightning: The Brief, Legendary Ride of the Pony Express.
Ridge Stories
Gary Jones
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870209239, $20.00, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Raised on a small dairy farm in the Driftless area of Wisconsin in the mid-twentieth
century, Gary Jones gets real about his rural roots in the pages of "Ridge Stories: Herding Hens,
Powdering Pigs, and Other Recollections from a Boyhood in the Driftless".
"Ridge Stories" is a collection of interrelated stories in which Jones writes with plainspoken
warmth and irreverence about farm, family, and folks on the ridge. His readers will meet Gramp
Jones, whose oversized overalls saved him from losing a chunk of flesh to an irate sow; the
young one-room-school teacher who helped the kids make sled jumps at recess; Charlotte, the
lawn-mowing sheep who once ended up in the living room; Victor the pig-cutter, who learned his
trade from folk tradition rather than vet school; and other colorful characters of the ridge.
Often humorous and occasionally touching, Jones's essays paint a vivid picture that will entertain
city and country folk alike.
Critique: A delightfully entertaining memoir of life growing up in the Driftless area of
Wisconsin, author Gary Jones reveals a natural talent for the kind of entertaining storytelling that
will leave the reader wanting more and eagerly awaiting the next collection of his tales. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary
American Biography and Wisconsin History collections, it should be noted for personal reading
lists that "Ridge Stories: Herding Hens, Powdering Pigs, and Other Recollections from a
Boyhood in the Driftless" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.96).
Editorial Note: Gary Jones earned a bachelor of science degree from UW-Platteville, a master's
from UW- Madison, and a PhD from UW-Milwaukee. Gary Jones has also written professionally
as a freelancer since the 1970s, publishing in the Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee Sentinel,
Milwaukee Magazine, and several Door County publications. He taught high school English for
many years and in retirement has taught college composition courses at University of Wisconsin-
Platteville.
Farm Girl: A Wisconsin Memoir
Beuna Coburn Carlson
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299327545, $21.95, 232pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When Beuna "Bunny" Coburn was growing up, neighbors came together in times of
hardship. No matter the trouble, they faced it with determination, camaraderie, and
resourcefulness. In the midst of the Great Depression, despite record-breaking heat and crop
failure, growing up on the family farm was nevertheless filled with bucolic pleasures.
"Farm Girl" her loving and autobiographical tribute to the gently rolling hills of western
Wisconsin. With an inviting and fluid voice, she shares with her readers intimate moments of
happiness from her childhood: collecting butternuts for homemade maple candy, watching her
father read by the flickering light of a kerosene lamp, and the joy of finding a juicy orange at the
bottom of a Christmas stocking. Underlying each vignette is the courage of a strong family
surviving adversity and finding comfort in one another.
"Farm Girl" is a memoir that readers can dip in and out of with pleasure.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Farm Girl: A Wisconsin
Memoir" is an extraordinarily entertaining and occasionally nostalgic read that is fully and
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary American
Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Farm Girl: A Wisconsin
Memoir " is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Creating Confident Writers
Troy Hicks & Andy Schoenborn
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393714166, $27.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Connecting their classroom experience to research about writing, as well as to framing
documents in the field, in the pages of "Creating Confident Writers: For High School, College,
and Life" two seasoned writing teachers distill the lessons they've learned about creating
confident adolescent and young adult writers.
Troy Hicks and Andy Schoenborn outline a fundamental stance to their approach (to invite,
encourage, and celebrate students' writing) that is then echoed in "Creating Confident Writers"
three-part structure. There are numerous classroom activities and assignments on topics from
creating writing goals to supporting revision, examples of student work, and questions to guide
teachers' reflections.
"Creating Confident Writers" is an ideal curriculum textbook for any teacher of writing, from
middle school through college. "Creating Confident Writers" invites students and other aspiring
writers to try strategies -- and allow students' voices to emerge, while discussing with colleagues
how these approaches might work for them, too.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an eight page listing of References, 10
black-and-white images, and a seven page Index, "Creating Confident Writers: For High School,
College, and Life", with its underlying message that writing should be for an audience beyond
that of a teacher, and for a purpose beyond that of getting a grade, is an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Writing/Publishing collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Troy Hicks is a Professor of English and Education at Central Michigan
University. He directs both the Chippewa River Writing Project and the Master of Arts in
Learning, Design & Technology program. A former middle school teacher, Dr. Hicks is an ISTE
Certified Educator and regularly leads workshops related to writing and technology for schools,
districts, and professional organizations.
Andy Schoenborn is an author and high school English teacher in Michigan at Mt. Pleasant
Public Schools. He's a also the co-facilitator of the monthly #TeachWrite Twitter chat, past
president of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English, and a Regional Representative of the
Michigan Reading Association. Schoenborn is also a contributing author of Using Technology to
Enhance Writing (Solution Tree, 2014) and Continuing the Journey 2 (NCTE, 2018). In
November 2019, he was honored with the 2019 Linda Rief Voices from the Middle Award for
outstanding publication for his article, "Reclaiming the Arts in English Language Arts". He is a
teacher consultant for the Chippewa River Writing Project (NWP) site.
The American History Shelf
Stagecoach Women
Cheryl Mullenbach
TwoDot
c/o Globe Pequot
www.globepequot.com
9781493042593, $18.95
Stagecoach Women: Brave and Daring Women of the Wild West presents a history which should
be in any women's history collection: the story of women stagecoach drivers in the early years of
America who did much of the work of men...including defending their coaches with gun in hand.
Their story provides a fine contribution to stagecoach history in his country, using the personal
stories of women who both defended and robbed stagecoaches as well as being mothers and
housewives. It presents a lively, little-known aspect of frontier history that is highly
recommended for both American history and women's history holdings.
Abraham Among The Yankees
William F. Hanna
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809337798, $14.50, PB, 118pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Filling in a portion of Lincoln's political career that few are aware of, "Abraham
among the Yankees: Lincoln's 1848 Visit to Massachusetts" by historian William F. Hanna is
uniquely engaging travelogue that details Lincoln's twelve-day trip through Massachusetts as a
young, aspiring Illinois politician campaigning for Zachary Taylor -- who was a slaveowner and
the Whig candidate for president in 1848.
Moving swiftly, Hanna follows Lincoln from town to town, explaining why Lincoln supported a
slaveholder and describing one of Lincoln's earliest attempts to appeal to an audience beyond his
home territory.
Hanna also provides excellent context on the politics of the era, particularly the question of
slavery, both in Massachusetts and nationwide, and he features the people Lincoln met and the
cities or towns in which he spoke. Lincoln stumped for Taylor in Worcester, New Bedford,
Boston, Lowell, Dorchester, Chelsea, Dedham, Cambridge, and Taunton.
Lincoln gave twelve speeches in eleven days to audiences who responded with everything from
catcalls to laughter to applause. Whatever they thought of Lincoln's arguments, those who saw
him were impressed by his unusual western style and remembered his style more than the
substance of his talks.
Meticulously researched, "Abraham among the Yankees: Lincoln's 1848 Visit to Massachusetts"
invites readers to take an East Coast journey with a thirty-nine-year-old Lincoln during election
season in 1848 to see how Massachusetts audiences responded to the humorous, informal
approach that served Lincoln well during the rest of his political career.
Critique: A unique and impressively informative work of original historical scholarship,
"Abraham among the Yankees: Lincoln's 1848 Visit to Massachusetts" is an especially
appropriate and recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library 19th
Century American History collections in general, and Lincoln Studies curriculum reading lists in
particular.
Editorial Note: William F. Hanna is a visiting lecturer at Bridgewater State University and serves
as president of the Old Colony History Museum in Taunton, Massachusetts. A past president of
the Lincoln Group of Boston, Hanna is also the author of Avon, Massachusetts, 1720 - 1988 and
A History of Taunton, Massachusetts.
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
Women of Color in Tech
Susanne Tedrick
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119633488, $24.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In the pages of "Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the
Next Generation of Technology Innovators", author Susanne Tedrick seeks to help women of
color overcome the obstacles that prevent them from pursuing and staying in tech careers.
Contrary to popular belief, tech careers are diverse and fun -- and they go far beyond just
coding.
"Women of Color in Tech" reveals that today's tech careers are incredibly dynamic, and aspiring
tech workers will learn how soft skills (communication, public speaking, networking) can help
anyone to succeed in tech.
"Women of Color in Tech" will guide readers through the process of cultivating strong
relationships and building a network that will get you were you want to be. Readers will learn to
identify a strong, knowledgeable support network that they can rely on for guidance or
mentorship. This step is crucial in getting young women of color into tech careers and keeping
them there.
"Women of Color in Tech" is fundamental and instructive with respect to: Building a
professional network to get the guidance needed; Finding a mentor who understands personal
goals and struggles; Overcoming negativity and stay motivated through difficult times; Identify
and develop the hard and soft skills needed to get ahead in tech.
"Women of Color in Tech" will materially help bring to life into a personal vision of a future in
tech. With practical advice and inspiring stories, readers will develop the right tools and the right
mindset. Whether just considering going into tech or wanting to take a current career to the next
level, "Women of Color in Tech" will show how to uncover the resources necessary for
success.
Critique: An impressively comprehensive instructional guide and manual, "Women of Color in
Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators" is
thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, commentary style, organization and presentation. While
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be
noted for the personal and professional reading lists that "Women of Color in Tech" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Susanne Tedrick is a technical specialist for a Fortune 50 technology company.
Fiercely committed to increasing participation of women and people of color in STEM
educational and professional opportunities, she is a career mentor for the Pathways in
Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Initiative and a volunteer workshop technical
assistant for Black Girls Code, a nonprofit that empowers girls of color to develop in-demand IT
skills and prepare for careers in tech. Susanne was awarded the 2018 CompTIA AITP Rising Star
of the Year Award, and nominated for the 2019 CompTIA Advancing Women in Technology
Mentorship Guide Award, for her dedication to advancing her career and that of others.
The Biography Shelf
Invisible Ink
Guy Stern
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814347591, $27.99, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Invisible Ink"is the personal story of Guy Stern's remarkable life. While this is not a
Holocaust memoir, Stern makes it quite clear that the horrors of the Holocaust and his
remarkable escape from Nazi Germany created the central driving force for the rest of his
life.
Stern gives much credit to his father's profound cautionary words, "You have to be like invisible
ink. You will leave traces of your existence when, in better times, we can emerge again and show
ourselves as the individuals we are." Stern carried these words and their psychological impact for
much of his life, shaping himself around them, until his emergence as someone who would be
visible to thousands over the years.
"Invisible Ink" is divided into thirteen chapters, each of which marks a pivotal moment in Stern's
life. His story begins with Stern's parents-"the two met, or else this chronicle would not have
seen the light of day (nor me, for that matter)." Then, in 1933, the Nazis come to power, ushering
in a fiery and destructive timeline that Stern recollects by exact dates and calls "the end of [his]
childhood and adolescence."
Through a series of fortunate occurrences, Stern immigrated to the United States at the tender age
of fifteen. While attending St. Louis University, Stern was drafted into the U.S. Army and soon
found himself selected, along with other German-speaking immigrants, for a special military
intelligence unit that would come to be known as the Ritchie Boys (named so because their
training took place at Ft. Ritchie, MD). Their primary job was to interrogate Nazi prisoners, often
on the front lines. Although his family did not survive the war (the details of which the reader is
spared), Stern did.
He then he went on to have a long and illustrious career as a scholar, author, husband and father,
mentor, decorated veteran, and friend.
"Invisible Ink" is a story that will have a lasting impact as an example of a life lived in hope,
strength, and graciousness in times of uncertainty.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and memorable read from beginning to end, "Invisible Ink: A
Memoir" will prove to be an enduringly appreciated and prized addition to both community and
academic library Contemporary American Biography collections in general, and Jewish
Holocaust History supplemental curriculum 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 "Invisible Ink: A Memoir" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $15.39).
Tom Hartley: The Dealmaker
Tom Hartley & Ken Gibson, authors
Veloce Publishing Ltd.
www.veloce.co.uk
9781787115675, $30.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Walking out of school at the age of 11, unable to read or write, Hartley set up his own
business buying and selling cars. From that moment, he defied logic and ripped up the rule book
on his way to the top. Today he runs one of the most successful independent family run
performance and luxury car businesses in the world. He has built up an unrivaled reputation as
"The Dealmaker."
Tom has been at the top of his trade for over 40 years, survived and thrived through four
recessions, and overcome three life threatening illnesses. In his own brutally honest words,
Hartley tells his gripping story of a boy from a traditional Romany family who swapped the
classroom for the cut-throat world of Glasgow's car auctions, buying and selling his first car at
the age of 12. Having decided to drive himself around illegally, he was only 15 when he had his
first car crash, and they don't come more spectacular than writing off a Ferrari Dino -- nothing
has ever been normal in the world of Tom Hartley!
Hartley had made his first million by the age of 17, but soon suffered major setbacks as his
business went bust, and he found himself at risk of losing his sight without major surgery.
Hartley started all over again, living in a mobile home with his wife and working from the back
of a car. He had gone from hero to zero, but his burning desire to be the best saw him climb his
way back to the top. His ability to clinch deals in some of the most bizarre places has become
legendary, like buying a car in a sauna, while stuck in a traffic jam on a motorway, and even in a
swimming pool!
Family has played a key part in the Tom Hartley story, his wife has been at his side all the way,
and his two sons have followed closely in their father's footsteps. Indeed Tom's belief in family is
one of the inspiring messages that comes through.
Critique: An inherently fascinating biography, "Tom Hartley: The Dealmaker" will prove to be
an immediate and enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library
Automotive History collections in general, and Contemporary Biography collections in
particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Tom Hartley: The Dealmaker" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Power of Giving and Gratitude!
Anthony DeNino
Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740
www.ozarkmt.com
9781940265681, $9.50, PB, 104pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Power of Giving and Gratitude!: A Path to Creating your Reality" by Anthony
DeNino will expand the reader's mind and lay out plans that will help that reader to live a more
meaningful, more powerful, more impactful life. In the process of living this enhanced life, the
reader will be empowered to help others do the same.
"The Power of Giving and Gratitude!" promises to help the reader to have a closer relationship
with their body, their mind, and their soul, while bringing into their life a more meaningful
relationship with God.
The fundamental and underlying message of "The Power of Giving and Gratitude!" is that all it
takes to have a lasting impact on the world is that one person who is you!
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "The Power of Giving and Gratitude!: A Path to Creating your
Reality" is written from a distinctively metaphysical perspective. An extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library Self-Help/Self-
Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that dd"The Power of
Giving and Gratitude!: A Path to Creating your Reality" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.50).
Editorial Note: Anthony DeNino is the founder and president of CORE (Creating Our Reality,
Inc.). Working with both for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations, his talks, trainings,
and workshops are targeted, interactive presentations that are customized to fit the specific needs
of the client.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Chickasaw Adventures: The Complete Collection
Jen Murvin Edwards, author
Tom Lyle, illustrator
White Dog Press
c/o Chickasaw Press
www.chickasawpress.com
9781935684794, $34.95, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Johnny thinks he will never understand Grandfather's pride in their Native American
heritage. What is so special about being Chickasaw anyway? But then a powerful and mysterious
force gives Johnny the gift of time travel, which takes him back to important moments in
Chickasaw history.
Readers will enjoy following Johnny as he journeys into the past, discovering the unconquerable
spirit of his ancestors, and at last learn what it means to be Chickasaw.
"Chickasaw Adventures: The Complete Collection" combines seven published Chickasaw
Adventures comic books with five previously unreleased issues to create a unique, epic graphic
novel that brings the history and culture of the Chickasaw people to life.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and fully entertaining read from cover to cover, "Chickasaw
Adventures: The Complete Collection", although a work of fiction, accurately draws from
authentic Native American history and tradition. While a very special and unreservedly
recommended addition to school and community library Graphic Novel collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Chickasaw Adventures: The Complete Collection" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9781935684800, $24.95).
Editorial Note: The collection features artwork by Marvel and DC comics veteran Tom Lyle. As
readers follow Johnny on his journey through essential scenes of Native American history and
culture, they will also encounter words and names in the Chickasaw language, which are defined
in the glossary included at the end.
The Library DVD/Blu-ray Shelf
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$24.99 DVD or Blu-ray www.acornonline.com
Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears is an all-new,
mystery-adventure featuring a seductive, glamorous, debonair female sleuth, and the first new
installment in the "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" series since 2015. In this feature-length saga,
Phryne Fisher (played by Essie Davis) ventures to 1929 Jerusalem and rescues a Bedouin girl
who was held captive after a village massacre. When a man claiming to have information for the
girl is shot, leaving only a pendant, Miss Fisher joins forces with detective Jack Robinson to
uncover buried secrets of war, hidden tombs, and a horrific curse. A sensational, thrilling mystery
sure to appeal to connoisseurs of the genre, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears is highly
recommended for both personal public library collections. Bonus materials include a Q&A with
the cast and crew, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a fifty-minute interview with Essie Davis.
102 min. plus bonus material, SDH subtitles.
Agatha Raisin, series three
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 DVD www.acornonline.com
Agatha Raisin, series three is a three-disc DVD set featuring four, feature-length episodes of the
British mystery series based on the popular novels by M.C. Beaton. Agatha Raisin (played by
Ashley Jensen) is canny, resourceful, and now officially a private investigator operating her first
detective agency. The four episodes are "Agatha Raisin and The Haunted House", where Agatha
and James (played by Jamie Glover) look into the allegedly haunted Ivy Hall while they await
clients; "Agatha Raisin & the Deadly Dance", where a would-be assassin is found dead; "Agatha
Raisin & the Love from Hell", where James disappears after a bitter argument, leaving behind a
trail of blood and worse; and "Agatha Raisin: As the Pig Turns", where Agatha's vacation to a
traditional winter festival takes an unfortunately gruesome turn. Agatha Raisin, series three is a
treasure for connoisseurs of British mysteries, highly recommended. Bonus materials include a
locations tour and a behind-the-scenes featurette. 4 episodes on 3 DVDs, 398 min., SDH
subtitles.
The General Fiction Shelf
American Follies
Norman Lock
Bellevue Literary Press
c/o NYU School of Medicine
550 First Ave., OBV A612, New York, NY 10016
www.blpress.org
9781942658481, $16.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Ellen Finch is former stenographer to Henry James and recalls her time as an assistant
to Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, heroes of America's woman suffrage
movement, and her friendship with the diminutive Margaret, one of P. T. Barnum's circus
"eccentrics".
But when her infant son is kidnapped by the Klan, Ellen, Margaret, and the two formidable
suffragists travel aboard Barnum's train from New York to Memphis to rescue the baby from
certain death at the fiery cross.
Critique: "American Follies" by author Norman Lock is a an original, inherently fascinating, and
superbly crafted novel that deftly explores the roots of the women's rights movement, its
relationship to the fight for racial justice, and its reverberations in the politics of today. An
absorbing and memorable read from first page to last, "American Follies" is an especially
recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "American Follies" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
The Anatomist's Tale
Tauno Biltsted
Lantern Fish Press
www.lanternfishpress.com
9781941360330,$16.99, PB, 234pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Born into abject poverty in the British Empire, the narrator of "The Anatomist Tale"
aspires to a better life as a ship's surgeon -- until a tyrannical captain provokes a mutiny, forcing
him into a life of piracy and eventually to a tropical commune of maroons called New
Madagascar.
Told through a series of confessions to those who visit the narrator during his imprisonment at
Marshalsea, (a grim prison where the cells are slick with algae and vomit, sweaty with the
resigned terror of their occupants and has seen the end of many rogues and more than a few
innocents), "The Anatomist's Tale" Tauno Biltsted relates one man's brush with the heady
freedom of outlaws --and the price of returning to "civilization.
Critique: An inherently riveting read from cover to cover, "The Anatomist's Tale" showcases
author Tauno Biltsted's exceptional talents and originality as a narrative driven storyteller. This is
a unique and gripping novel that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal
reading lists, as well as community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections.
Sons of War
Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781538556887, $26.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Across the world, the United States recalls troops to combat civil unrest after the
biggest economic meltdown in history. Marine Sergeant Ronaldo Salvatore's platoon comes
home to a powder keg that could ignite a civil war.
While some see the coming collapse as the end, others see opportunity. Fleeing Naples after rival
crime lords decimated his family, Don Antonio Moretti settles in Los Angeles to rebuild his
criminal empire. But he is far from alone in his ambitions -- the cartel and rival gangs all want
the same turf, and they will sacrifice their own soldiers and the blood of innocents to get it.
As open warfare erupts across the states, Salvatore fights his way back to LA, where his son has
joined the police in the battle for a city spiraling into anarchy. Family is everything, and the
Morettis and Salvatores will do what they must to protect their own. But how far will they go to
survive in a new economy where the only currency is violence?
Critique: A deftly crafted dystopian action/adventure novel that is made all the more plausible by
the anticipating coming of a second Covid 19 generated Great Depression, "Sons of War" by
Nicholas Smith is a simply riveting read from cover to cover. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that this simple riveting and impressively original novel is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
The Silence
Susan Allott
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780062983558, $27.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It is 1997, and in a basement flat in Hackney, Isla Green is awakened by a call in the
middle of the night: her father phoning from Sydney. 30 years ago, in the suffocating heat of
summer 1967, the Greens' next-door neighbor Mandy disappeared. At the time, it was thought
she had fled a broken marriage and gone to start a new life; but now Mandy's family is trying to
reconnect, and there is no trace of her. Isla's father Joe was allegedly the last person to see her
alive, and now he's under suspicion of murder.
Isla unwillingly plans to go back to Australia for the first time in a decade to support her father.
The return to Sydney will plunge Isla deep into the past, to a quiet street by the sea where two
couples live side by side. Isla's parents, Louisa and Joe, have recently emigrated from England - a
move that has left Louisa miserably homesick while Joe embraces this new life. Next door, Steve
and Mandy are equally troubled. Mandy doesn't want a baby, even though Steve (a cop trying to
hold it together under the pressures of the job) is desperate to become a father.
The more Isla asks about the past, the more she learns: about both young couples and the secrets
each marriage bore. Could her father be capable of doing something terrible? How much does her
mother know? What will happen to their family if Isla's worst fears are realized? And is there
another secret in this community, one which goes deeper into Australia's colonial past, which has
held them in a conspiracy of silence?
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "The Silence" is author Susan Allott's
debut as a novelist. The narrative driven writing style is fully engaging and the unexpected plot
twists and emotionally compelling turns make for a rewardingly entertaining read from beginning
to end. While an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library
General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Silence" is
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781094157948, $14.99, CD).
Strange Hotel
Eimear McBridge
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
www.fsgbooks.com
9780374270629, $25.00, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A nameless woman enters a hotel room. She's been here once before. In the years
since, the room hasn't changed, but she has. Forever caught between check-in and check-out, she
will go on to occupy other hotel rooms.
From Avignon to Oslo, Auckland to Austin, each hotel room is as anonymous as the last but
bound by rules of her choosing. There, amid the detritus of her travels, the matchbooks,
cigarettes, keys and room-service wine, she negotiates with her memories, with the men she
sometimes meets, with the cliches invented to aggravate middle-aged women, with those she has
lost or left behind -- and with what it might mean to return home.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by an novelist who is a master of narrative driven storytelling,
Eimear McBride's "Strange Hotel" is one of those truly memorable noir novels of dark humor,
the urgency of human desire, and unexpected plot twists and turns. While an exceptional and
unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary
Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Strange Hotel" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (9781528892179, $59.99, CD).
Arroyo
Chip Jacobs
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
https://rarebirdlit.com
www.highbridgeaudio.com
9781644280287, $27.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Set against two distinct epochs in the history of Pasadena, California, Arroyo is a
deftly crafted novel by Chip Jacobs that tells the parallel stories of a young inventor and his
clairvoyant dog in 1913 and 1993. In both lives, they are drawn to the landmark Colorado Street
Bridge, or "Suicide Bridge," as the locals call it, which suffered a lethal collapse during
construction but still opened to fanfare in the early twentieth century automobile age. When the
refurbished structure commemorates its 80th birthday, one of the planet's best known small
towns is virtually unrecognizable from its romanticized, and somewhat invented, past.
Wrought with warmth and wit, (and Jacobs' debut as a novelist), "Arroyo" digs into Pasadena's
most mysterious structure and the city itself. In their exploits around what was then America's
highest, longest roadway, Nick Chance and his impish mutt interact with some of the big
personalities from the Progressive Age, including Teddy Roosevelt, Upton Sinclair, Charles
Fletcher Lummis, and Lilly and Adolphus Busch, whose gardens were once tabbed the "eighth
wonder of the world." They cavort and often sow chaos at Cawston Ostrich Farm, the Mount
Lowe Railway, the Hotel Green and even the Doo Dah Parade. But it's the secrets and turmoil
around the concrete arches over the Arroyo Seco, and what it means for Nick's destiny, that
propels this story of fable versus fact.
While unearthing the truth about the Colorado Street Bridge, in all its eye-catching grandeur and
unavoidable darkness, the characters of "Arroyo" paint a vivid picture of how the home of the
Rose Bowl got its dramatic start.
Critique: Absorbing, entertaining, erudite and engaging from first page to last, "Arroyo" will
prove 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
"Arroyo" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (HighBridge Audio, 9781684572328, $34.99, CD).
What Momma Left Behind
Cindy K. Sproles
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800738716, $29.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Worie Dressar is 17 years old when influenza and typhoid ravage her Appalachian
Mountain community in 1877, leaving behind a growing number of orphaned children with no
way to care for themselves. Worie's mother has been secretly feeding a number of these little
ones on Sourwood Mountain. But when she dies suddenly, Worie is left to figure out why and
how she was caring for them.
Plagued with two good-for-nothing brothers (one who is unrelentingly greedy and the other a
compulsive drunkard) Worie fights to save her home and the orphaned children now in her
begrudging care. Along the way, she will discover the beauty of unconditional love and the
power of forgiveness as she cares for all of Momma's children.
Critique: "What Momma Left Behind is an inherently engaging novel of 'sacrifice, heartache, and
courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles" and reveals author Cindy Sproles as a remarkably
gifted and entertaining novelist with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative
driven storytelling style that will leave her readers looking eagerly toward her next literary
project. While "What Momma Left Behind" is unreservedly recommended as a popular addition
to community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that it is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780800737047, $15.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Golden Pact: Atto Solenne
Howard Eaton
Fithian Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel Publishers
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
www.danielpublishing.com
9781564746153, $15.99, PB, 278pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: An oil heiress has died and left her $20 million dollar estate to be divided among a
group of charities. However, her will stipulates that none of the charities shall receive a penny
until a settlement is reached with her husband. Husband? -- What husband?
A committee of lawyers finds the husband in Milan, Italy. He's a WWII war hero, a former soccer
coach, handsome, athletic, proud, stubborn, and confused. He is fiercely determined that all
promises must be honored. The estate dispute threatens collapse into a confusion of legal
mayhem, conflicted love, and competing interests.
Critique: An original and deftly crafted work of fully reader engaging fiction by an author with a
distinctive and particularly narrative driven storytelling style, "The Golden Pact: Atto Solenne" is
a compelling novel from beginning to end and one that will prove to be an immediate and
enduringly appreciated addition to community and academic library Contemporary Literary
Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Golden Pact: Atto
Solenne" by Howard Eaton is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$15.15).
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Lost Lieutenant
Erica Vetsch
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825446177, $15.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero -- he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the
future of England. And he certainly didn't think that saving the life of a peer would mean being
made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can
change in a hurry.
Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride -- all of which
were thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn't have are all his memories. Traumatized
as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there's something he can't
quite remember. It's important, dangerous -- and if he doesn't recall it in time, will jeopardize not
only his marriage but someone's very life.
Critique: As a novelist, Erica Vetsch demonstrates her complete mastery of the Regency
Romance genre with the publication of "The Lost Lieutenant" -- the first volume of her new
'Serendipity & Secrets' series from Kregel Publications. An impressively engaging and
entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Lost Lieutenant" will prove to be an immediate
and enduringly popular addition to community library Christian Historical Fiction & Regency
Romances collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated romance
fiction fans in general, and Regency Romance enthusiasts in particular, that "The Lost
Lieutenant" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
When You Wish Upon a Rogue
Anna Bennett
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250199508, $7.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Miss Sophie Kendall is happiest arranging the secret meetings of the Debutante
Underground, a group of women who come together to discuss the weekly advice column The
Debutante's Revenge. What makes Sophie most unhappy is her impending march down the aisle
to a man she does not love. But her family's finances are in increasingly dire straits.
Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire, hasn't slept in weeks. Desperate to escape his manor house and
its haunting memories, he heads for one of his abandoned London properties. There he meets a
beautiful, intriguing woman -- trespassing. Reese is far less interested in Sophie's search for a
secret meeting spot than he is in her surprising ability to soothe his demons. So he strikes a
bargain with her: his shop in exchange for spending one night a week with him.
Sophie never expected this to happen. But she cannot deny the fire Reese sparks in her -- and
soon their shared desire burns bright. Sophie is irrevocably promised to another. But maybe these
two ill-fated lovers can find a way to risk it all -- all the way to happily ever after!
Critique: The newest addition to author Anna Bennett's simply outstanding 'A Debutante Diaries'
series, "When You Wish Upon A Rogue" is a 'pitch perfect' Regency Romance novel and will
prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Romance Fiction
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Regency Romance
fans that "When You Wish Upon A Rogue" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
The Western Fiction Shelf
Gun Barrel Justice
P. McCormac
Linford Western Library
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444844108, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Jason Connor, is a wandering preacher who is also very good with a gun. When he
stumbles across a wagon and its dead occupants, he decides he must deliver the only survivor, a
young boy, to his aunt and uncle -- but not before shooting his way through the gang responsible
for the murders. And the trouble is not over yet. When he discovers the scene of a double
lynching, Connor is set on a collision course with the killers of what turns out to be the boy's
uncle and cousin.
Critique: A western novel that has more sudden death twists and turns that a Colorado River
rapids, "Gun Barrel Justice" by P. McCormac fully lives up to the promise of its title. A simple
riveting read from beginning to unexpected ending, this large print edition of "Gun Barrell
Justice" will prove to be an especially prized addition to personal reading lists and community
library Western Fiction collections.
From The Vineyards Of Hell
Harry Jay Thorn
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444842760, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When Texan and ex-lawman Captain Joshua Beaufort is captured by Union troops
during the Civil War, he is given a choice -- help to end the war on their terms, or spend the rest
of it in a prisoner-of-war camp. Persuaded that it's in his best interests to cooperate, he rides in
the company of young Corporal Benbow to his home state of Texas - back to his old love, his old
friends, and enemies both old and new. His task: to bring eliminate a gun runner named Buford
Post, a man who is protected by notorious his own small army of gunslingers and a crooked
sheriff.
Critique: Another hell-bent-for leather ripping good novel by Harry Jay Thorn, "From The
Vineyards Of Hell" is one compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover. This large print
edition of "From The Vineyards Of Hell" should be on the personal reading list of every
dedicated western novel fan and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community
library Western Fiction collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Hidden Salem
Kay Hooper
Berkley
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9781984802897, $27.00
Hidden Salem is a Bishop/Special Crimes Unit novel that revolves around a team of
mind-reading FBI agents and a new series of murders that challenges even their supernatural
abilities, set in the town of Salem. People are vanishing and satanic activity permeates the
village, holding all roots to five founding families who seem to control everything. Nellie is
being drawn to Salem by mysterious forces, and when she discovers she's heir to powerful
abilities coveted by others, she and the unit are charged with combining forces in new ways to
stop an entire town's destruction. Marked by fast-paced action and high drama, Hidden Salem
should come with a warning - it's almost impossible to put down.
Rigged
D. P. Lyle
Oceanview Publishing
1620 Main Street, Suite 11, Sarasota, FL 34236
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608093380, $26.95, HC, 233pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: First loves are never forgotten. Ever. Certainly not for Tommy "Pancake" Jeffers. His
first-kiss, sixth-grade love, Emily, who he has not seen since grammar school, is sliding toward
divorce in the artsy Gulf Coast town of Fairhope, Alabama. Longly Investigations has been
charged with looking into the finances involved.
When Emily doesn't appear for their nervously anticipated meeting, Pancake's radar goes on high
alert. Her body, along with that of Jason - (one of two guys she has been dating) is found
murdered, execution-style, Pancake calls in Jake, Nicole, and Ray. Who would have done this?
Could it be the soon-to-be ex, who has an ironclad alibi; the other guy Emily was seeing --
jealousy being a motive for harm; or do the drugs found in Jason's pocket indicate a drug-related
hit?
That world yields a host of suspects. As they peel back the layers of this idyllic community, dark
secrets come to light and convoluted motives and methods of murder are revealed.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by a master of the suspense/thriller genre, "Rigged" by D. P. Lyle
offers his readers a narrative driven murder mystery laced with unexpected twists and turns laced
with traces of dark humor and inherently fascinating characters. A thoroughly entertaining read
from cover to cover, "Rigged" is very highly recommended, especially for community library
Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
all dedicated mystery buffs that "Rigged" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Berkeley Noir
Jerry Thompson & Owen Hill, editors
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
9781617759239, $36.95, HC, 214pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Berkeley, California, is a town named after a British philosopher. On the surface the
alleys don't seem that dark, until, in the short stories that comprise "Berkeley Noir" we look a
little closer! The sixteen deftly crafted stories comprising "Berkeley Noir" are by storytellers with
a complete mastery of the noir tradition of mystery fiction and are thematically organized into
three major sections: From the People's Republic; Directly Across from the Golden Gate;
Company Town.
Critique: A fun and fully immersive read from cover to cover, "Berkeley Noir" is a mystery
lover's delight and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community
library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all
dedicated mystery fans that "Berkeley Noir" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781617757976, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Silent Shadows
Natalie Walters
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800737818, $29.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Pecca Gallegos moved to the tiny town of Walton, Georgia, to protect her son and
escape the dangerous lifestyle that once defined her. When a series of strange circumstances
evolve into threats, Pecca finds herself confiding in an unlikely ally -- her stubborn patient.
Army veteran Colton Crawford is desperate to recover from the undiagnosed disorder that is
ruining his life, and his instincts are on high alert when threats against his nurse and her son force
him to take action. But Colton's involvement only ramps up the danger when he uncovers a
family secret revealing that whoever is after Pecca is closer (and more deadly) than they
realized.
Critique: In the pages of "Silent Shadows", author Natalie Walters showcases her genuine flair
for originality as a novelist, as well as her impressive and narrative driven storytelling skills.
Certain to keep the reader in a compulsive page turning involvement from first page to last,
"Silent Shadows" will be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated
mystery buffs that "Silent Shadows" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9780800735340, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Pursuit of the Pankera
Robert A. Heinlein
CAEZIK SF & Fantasy
c/o Arc Manor LLC
www.caeziksf.com
9781647100018, $29.99, HC, 503pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Pursuit of the Pankera" by Robert Heinlein (July 7, 1907 - May 8, 1988) is one of
the most audacious experiments ever done in science fiction.
Heinlein wrote "The Number of the Beast", which was published in 1980. In the book Zeb,
Deety, Hilda and Jake are ambushed by the alien "Black Hats" and barely escape with their lives
on a specially configured vehicle (the Gay Deceiver) which can travel along various planes of
existence, allowing them to visit parallel universes.
However, unknown to most fans, Heinlein had already written a "parallel" novel about the four
characters and parallel universes in 1977. He effectively wrote two parallel novels about parallel
universes. The novels share the same start, but as soon as the Gay Deceiver is used to transport
them to a parallel universe, each book transports them to a totally different parallel world.
From that point on the plot lines diverge completely. While "The Number of the Beast" morphs
into something very different, more representative of later Heinlein works, "The Pursuit of the
Pankera" remains on target with a much more traditional Heinleinesque storyline and ending,
reminiscent of his earlier works.
"The Pursuit of the Pankera" was never published and there have been many competing theories
as to why (including significant copyright issues in 1977). Over time the manuscript was largely
forgotten but survived in fragments. A recent re-examination of these fragments, however, made
it clear that put together in the right order they constituted the complete novel.
And here it finally is: Robert A. Heinlein's audacious experiment. A fitting farewell from one of
the most inventive science fiction writers to have ever lived: a parallel novel about parallel
universes as well as a great adventure pitting the forces of good versus evil only the way Heinlein
could do.
Critique: An absolutely essential and 'must read' novel for the legions of Robert Heinlein fans,
"The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes" is an extraordinary work
of science fiction and a welcome addition to both community and academic library collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel
About Parallel Universes" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: This edition of "The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel
Universes" is enhanced for Heinlein fans and academia with the inclusion of an informative
introduction by David Weber, an American science fiction and fantasy author who has written
several science-fiction and fantasy books series, who is best known for his Honor Harrington
science-fiction series.
Starborn and Godsons
Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781982124489, $25.00, HC, 416pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Avalon was thriving. The cold sleep colonists from Earth had settled on a verdant,
livable world. The fast and cunning predators humans named "grendels" were under control, and
the mainland outposts well established. Avalon's new mainland hydroelectric power station was
nearly complete, and when on-line would compensate for the nuclear power systems lost in the
Grendel Wars. Humans would have power, and with power came the ability to make all the
necessities for life. They would survive.
They would not survive as a space faring people.
What they were losing faster than they knew was the ability to get into space. But unbeknownst
to the planet-bound humans, something was moving out there in the stars, decelerating at a rate
impossible for a natural object. And its destination was Avalon. The most probable origin was
Earth's Solar System.
"Starborn & Godsons" is about first contact between the human Starborn and the self-named
Godsons who followed on, between the first generation of Avalon born humans and their
descendants, and between humans and the almost ineffably alien species native to their new
world.
Critique: An inherently entertaining science fiction saga co-written by two legendary SF authors,
Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, along with experienced novelist Steven Barnes, "Starborn &
Godsons" is part of their 'Heorot' series and will prove to be an enormously popular addition to
community, college, and university library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. A 'must read'
for the legions of Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Steven Barnes fans, it should be noted for
personal lists that "Starborn & Godsons" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
The Sports Shelf
Changing the Game
Jim Host, author
Eric A. Moyen, author
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813179551, $34.95, HC, 296, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As founder and CEO of Host Communications, Jim Host was the pioneer in college
sports marketing. Host's prevailing innovation in collegiate sports was the concept of bundled
licensing, which encouraged corporate partners to become official sponsors of athletic programs
across media formats. Host and his team developed the NCAA Radio Network and introduced
what became known as the NCAA's Corporate Partner Program, which employed companies
such as Gillette, Valvoline, Coca-Cola, and Pizza Hut to promote university athletic programs
and the NCAA at large. Host was involved with the construction of Rupp Arena, the Kentucky
Horse Park, and the KFC Yum! Center.
"Changing the Game: My Career in Collegiate Sports Marketing" is the first complete account of
the entrepreneur's professional life, detailing his achievements in sports radio, management, and
broadcasting; his time in minor league baseball, real estate, and the insurance business; and his
foray into Kentucky politics, including his appointments under governors Louie B. Nunn and
Ernie Fletcher. "Changing the Game" provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at the growth of
big-time athletics and offers solutions for current challenges facing college sports.
Critique: A deftly crafted and impressively informative memoir, "Changing the Game: My
Career in Collegiate Sports Marketing" is an instructive and inherently fascinating read that will
hold a very special appeal for dedicated fans of intercollegiate athletics. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Contemporary
American Biography collections in general, and American Sports History curriculum
supplemental studies in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Changing the
Game" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.22).
The Christian Studies Shelf
Honest Answers
Janelle Alberts & Ingrid Faro
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825446443, $15.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Somewhere between "Jesus Loves Me" and high school cynicism, the childlike
acceptance of pat answers about faith is lost -- often forever. But while many parents find this
transitional period daunting, they don't want their kids to leave the Christian faith just because
they didn't get good answers to how prayer works or whether dinosaurs were on Noah's ark.
"Honest Answers: Exploring God Questions with Your Tween" is basically a discussion book
specifically designed to help parents tackle the God questions that make them sweat. This isn't
the place to come for pat answers that will make their kids nod, smile, and disconnect. "Jesus
Loves Me" authors Janelle Alberts and Ingrid Faro know that when tweens start asking questions,
they're already old enough to understand the answers. They're determined to equip parents with
the language, theology, permission, and confidence to join in the discussion -- and to learn how
to offer deeply doctrinal answers in 140 characters or less.
The tween years present an incredible opportunity to build trust with kids and to keep them
coming back to their parents for answers rather than finding other sources. With the tools and
conversational tips here, mom and dad can engage in a hopeful conversation and help their
children build a Christian faith to hold them steady their whole lives.
Critique: Informative, practical, effective and inspiring, "Honest Answers: Exploring God
Questions with Your Tween" is unreservedly recommended to the attention of every parent of a
questioning child with respect to their religious beliefs and faith within a Christian context
regardless of their denominational affiliation. While highly recommended for both community
and church library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Honest
Answers" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.77).
Analog Church
Jay Y. Kim
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830841585, $18.00, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: What does it mean to be an analog church in a digital age -- and most especially in this
time of pandemic, in place sheltering, and social distancing?
In recent decades the digital world has taken over our society at nearly every level, and the
church has increasingly followed suit -- often in ways we're not fully aware of. But as even the
culture at large begins to reckon with the limits of a digital world, it's time for the church to take
stock.
Are online churches, video venues, and brighter lights truly the future? What about the digital
age's effect on discipleship, community, and the Bible?
As a pastor in Silicon Valley, Jay Kim has experienced the digital church in all its splendor. In
the pages of "Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age,
Pastor Kim grapples with the ramifications of a digital church, from our worship and experience
of Christian community to the way we engage Scripture and sacrament.
"Analog Church" carefully address three major questions: Could it be that in our efforts to stay
relevant in our digital age, we've begun to give away the very thing that our age most desperately
needs: transcendence? Could it be that the best way to reach new generations is in fact found in a
more timeless path? Could it be that at its heart, the church has really been analog all along?
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally thought-provoking, exceptionally insightful,
and ultimately inspiring, "Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the
Digital Age" is an expertly written analysis that should be considered mandatory reading for all
members of the Christian community, clergy and laity alike. While a timely and unreservedly
recommended addition to community, church, seminary, and academic library Contemporary
Christianity collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Analog Church" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.20).
Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God
Kaitlin B. Curtice
www.kaitlincurtice.com
Brazos Press
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.brazospress.com
9781587434891, $29.99, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God" by Kaitlin Curtice is about
identity, soul-searching, and the never-ending journey of finding ourselves and finding God. As
both a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and a Christian, Kaitlin offers a unique perspective on
these topics. In the pages of "Native", she shows how reconnecting with her Potawatomi identity
both informs and challenges her faith.
In "Native", Kaitlin draws upon her personal journey, poetry, imagery, and stories of the
Potawatomi people to address themes at the forefront of today's discussions of faith and culture
in a positive and constructive way. She encourages us to embrace our own origins and to share
and listen to each other's stories so we can build a more inclusive and diverse future. Each of our
stories matters for the church to be truly whole. As Kaitlin shares what it means to experience her
faith through the lens of her Indigenous heritage, she reveals that a vibrant spirituality has its
origins in identity, belonging, and a sense of place.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, impressively thoughtful and thought-provoking read
throughout, "Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God" is an extraordinary
combination of personal memories, Native American stories and religiously oriented insights
from a Christian perspective. While especially recommended for community, church, seminary,
and academic library Christian Spirituality collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of seminary students, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God" is also readily available in a
paperback edition (9781587434310, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.17).
Editorial Note: Kaitlin B. Curtice is a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation as well as a Christian,
public speaker, and poet. She travels around the country speaking on faith and justice within the
church as it relates to Indigenous peoples and has been a featured speaker at Why Christian,
Evolving Faith, Wild Goose Festival, The Festival of Faith & Writing, The Revolutionary Love
Conference, and more. Curtice is also a monthly columnist for Sojourners, has contributed to On
Being and Religion News Service, and has been featured on CBS and in USA Today and the
New Yorker for her work on having difficult conversations within the church about colonization.
She is the author of Glory Happening: Finding the Divine in Everyday Places and writes on her
blog at www.kaitlincurtice.com.
Experiencing God in the Ordinary
William A. Barry, SJ
Loyola Press
3441 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
www.loyolapress.com
9780829450330, $14.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Most Christians tend to look for God in dramatic or miraculous moments, but such
expectations can blind us to God's ongoing presence. What if God is already with us, in the life
we have this moment? When we experience ordinary but meaningful events, such as our first
love or a favorite novel, we are in fact encountering God's presence. As we learn to notice
spiritual movement within and around us, we can recognize the many facets of God's love that
touch us daily.
Whether we are in pain or crisis, questioning if we are really worthy of God's attention, or are
simply wondering why God would be in the mundane details of our lives, "Experiencing God in
the Ordinary" can nurture our hope -- that God is always present and can be found in an ordinary
day. Complete with personal stories and various suggestions for prayer and meditation,
"Experiencing God in the Ordinary" is perfect for devotional reading, retreat, or small-group
discussion.
Critique: Thoughtful, insightful, inspiring, "Experiencing God in the Ordinary" is an
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to church and seminary Contemporary
Catholicism collections. It should be noted for the personal Spirituality/Inspiration reading lists
of clergy, seminary students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
from a Catholic perspective, "Experiencing God in the Ordinary" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.59).
Editorial Note: William A. Barry, SJ, is a veteran spiritual director who is currently serving as
tertian director for the New England Province of the Society of Jesus. He is also the author of
several popular books about Ignatian spirituality, including A Friendship Like No Other, Praying
the Truth, and Changed Heart, Changed World.
This Present Reality
Madson Baptiste
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.westbowpress.com
9781973679639, $28.95, HC, 138pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "This Present Reality: Breaking the Timeline of Our Adversary" by Madson Baptiste
was written specifically to help members of the Christian community who find themselves
struggling to find the spiritual wisdom and strength to fight the fear in their lives. "This Present
Reality" offers a selection of revelatory letters to facilitate new breakthroughs for the reader and
provide them with the kind of freedom needed to serve God acceptably and passionately with
boldness and without fear.
The first in a three-part series, "This Present Reality: Breaking the Timeline of Our Adversary"
addresses current events taking place globally to a church in need of guidance where resources
are limited. Baptiste describes the current state of spiritual warfare so the church can more
accurately understand its role as it moves through the timeline of God's redemptive plan.
In this discussion, old foundations are rediscovered, and new revelations are brought forth. "This
Present Reality" shares the hope that the church can find a commonality of purpose in a day when
God's people appear to have lost their focus as his instrument for impacting the world for
Him.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "This Present Reality: Breaking the Timeline of Our Adversary"
is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended church, seminary, and community library
Contemporary Religion/Spirituality collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of all members of the Christian community that "This Present Reality" is also readily available in
a paperback edition (9781973679622, $11.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Located in the heart of America "G.A.T.E. Ministry Fellowship" (Grapevine
Apostolic Transformation Enterprise) is based in Kansas City USA. GATE'S mission is to build
relationships in ministry by providing resources for churches desiring to transition into a higher
level of expression and authenticity in both their local church and mission outreaches.
For more information about the ministry of Madson Baptiste go to:
www.madsonbaptiste.com
Calling
Pierce Brantley
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.davidccook.org
9780830780730, $17.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis; Men today long for a calling but often settle for the next best thing: a job. They aspire
for a higher purpose but still have bills to pay and family to support. But what if men could find
their calling in the work they are already doing?
In "Calling: Awaken to the Purpose of Your Work", author, speaker, entrepreneur, and
businessman Pierce Brantley uses practical language and shares actionable steps to show men
how to redefine the purpose of their work and discover what it means to have a "called
career".
From a Christian perspective, Brantley shows men they can find a meaningful connection with
God in the work they are doing right now. Men were designed for this partnership, and once they
embrace it they will be awakened to the true purpose of their work -- not just a career but a
calling.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Calling: Awaken to the Purpose of Your Work" is especially
commended to the attention those Christians who are involved in their communities as
entrepreneurs, businessmen, or corporate executives. While unreservedly recommended for
community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Calling: Awaken
to the Purpose of Your Work" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
40 Questions About the Great Commission
Daniel L. Akin, Benjamin L. Merkle, Georg G. Robinson
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825444487, $24.99, PB, 360pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The 'Great Commission' of Jesus Christ is one of the key pillars of the Christian
church's evangelistic work and has been the guiding principle for missionaries throughout church
history. In 40 Questions about the Great Commission, Christian scholars Daniel Akin, Benjamin
Merkle, and George Robinson unpack the meaning, history, theology, and practical applications
of Jesus' command to go and make disciples.
Ideal for personal or group study, this volume will reignite your passion for evangelism while
answering key questions like: Where do we stand in relation to fulfilling the Great Commission?;
How do baptism and teaching relate to the Great Commission?; What is the meaning of "I am
with you always, to the end of the age"?; How does the Old Testament relate to the Great
Commission?; What is the special contribution of each Gospel's version of the Great
Commission?; What is the responsibility of the local church to the Great Commission?; What are
some mobilization resources that can help churches and individuals to become Great
Commission focused?
Other highlights include an overview of some of the great evangelists and missionaries in church
history, and a collection of notable quotations on the Great Commission, ideal for teaching and
preaching.
Critique: Expertly and insightful written, deftly and accessible organized, "40 Questions About
the Great Commission" is an ideal curriculum textbook for either personal or group study.
Unreservedly recommended for church, seminal, and academic library Contemporary Christian
Studies collections in general, and Evangelism/Christian Missionary Work supplemental studies
lists in particular.
Editorial Note: All three authors of "40 Questions About the Great Commission" serve as faculty
members at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Daniel
L. Akin is President and teaches theology and preaching. Benjamin L. Merkle teaches Greek and
New Testament. George G. Robinson teaches evangelism, disciple making, missiology and
international church planting.
That Way and No Other
Amy Carmichael
Plough Publishing House
www.plough.com
9780874863031, $12.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Amy Carmichael left everything to become a missionary in India. But then
seven-year-old Preena, fleeing sexual slavery, threw herself on the newcomer's protection. Could
Carmichael relinquish a religious vocation to become a "nursemaid"? A picture of Jesus washing
his disciples' feet came to her mind, and "the question answered itself and was not asked
again."
Joined by a growing team of Indian women, Carmichael founded Dohnavur, a community of
households that has provided family for hundreds of girls who might otherwise have been sold
into prostitution.
A modern-day saint, Amy Carmichael has inspired generations of missionaries and activists. The
practical wisdom in these selections, taken from her many books, confirms her as a trustworthy
spiritual guide for anyone honestly seeking to follow God's path.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "That Way and No Other: Following God through Storm and
Drought" is an inherently fascinating read and an unreservedly recommended addition to church,
seminary, community, and academic library Christian Biography collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "That Way and No Other: Following God through Storm and
Drought" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49).
Editorial Note: Born near Belfast, Ireland, Amy Carmichael (1867 - 1951) left Europe as a
Christian missionary to India at age twenty-seven, never to return. Over the next fifty-five years
she became Amma (mother) to hundreds of children and wrote dozens of books about the way of
discipleship.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
The Importance of the Community Rabbi
Rabbi Daniel Sperber
Urim Publications
c/o KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655242386, $27.95, HC, 367pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A rabbi is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism.[1] One becomes a rabbi by
being ordained by another rabbi, following a course of study of Jewish texts such as the Talmud.
The basic form of the rabbi developed in the Pharisaic and Talmudic era, when learned teachers
assembled to codify Judaism's written and oral laws.
The title "rabbi" was first used in the first century CE. In more recent centuries, the duties of a
rabbi became increasingly influenced by the duties of the Protestant Christian minister, hence the
title "pulpit rabbis", and in 19th-century Germany and the United States rabbinic activities
including sermons, pastoral counseling, and representing the community to the outside, all
increased in importance.
Within the various Jewish denominations there are different requirements for rabbinic ordination,
and differences in opinion regarding who is recognized as a rabbi. For example, Orthodox
Judaism does not ordain women as rabbis. Non-Orthodox movements have chosen to do so for
what they view as halakhic reasons (Conservative Judaism) as well as ethical reasons (Reform
and Reconstructionist Judaism). (Wikipedia)
The contemporary rabbi is influenced by the modern rabbinic establishments throughout the
world, including the rabbinate in Israel. The rabbinate's monopoly on opinions and
interpretations prevents rabbis from expressing their individual positions out of fear of
delegitimization. The current structure gives the public a negative impression of the rabbinic
establishment.
"The Importance of the Community Rabbi: Leading with Compassionate Halachah" by Rabbi
Daniel Sperber strives to describe and delineate key requirements for a good rabbi, i.e., one who
can provide socially acceptable halachic solutions within the parameters of Orthodox thinking.
Rabbi Sperber elucidates the halachic techniques and mechanisms that may be used toward this
goal. These are further illustrated with stories from rabbinic literature and examples from various
responsa.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "The Importance of the Community Rabbi:
Leading with Compassionate Halachah" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of
an informative Foreword by Rabbi Dov Linzer and Chaim Trachtman MD, as well as six
appendices, a subject index, a name index, and a source index. "The Importance of the
Community Rabbi: Leading with Compassionate Halachah" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, synagogue, college, and university
library Judaic Studies collections in general, and Rabbinic Studies supplemental studies reading
lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Chaim Trachtman is chief of pediatric nephrology at NYU Langone Medical
Center. He is on the board of Yeshivat Maharat and is also the editor of the book "Women and
Men in Communal Prayer: Halakhic Perspectives" (KTAV, 2010)
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Bible Stories For All Without the Dogma
Kenneth E. Walsh
Independently Published
9780999156568, $18.95, PB, 226pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Compiled with commentary by Kenneth Walsk, "Bible Stories For All Without the
Dogma: A Part of Cultural Literacy" is comprised of key Bible stories that are presented
concisely without a religious pitch.
"Bible Stories For All Without the Dogma" presents 32 key stories, themes, and universal life
issues which are described simply -- along with the evolution of humans, the impact of farming
on religion, and topics such as travel, trade, slavery, concubines, law, government, taxes,
weapons, warfare, tribute, and the culinary and cultural practices in the ancient Near East.
Essentially, "Bible Stories For All Without the Dogma" covers what happened before the events
in the Bible stories and what was happening in the nearby civilizations to provide a context for
the stories.
With the United States, Canada, and Europe increasingly becoming a population of "Nones"
(unchurched adults who identify with no religion), a growing number of people seek to
understand the Biblical stories and their influence in Western culture without subjecting
themselves to religious dogma. A 2015 Pew Research Center poll found 34% of millennials
(those born after 1980) identified themselves as religious nones.
Bible illiteracy was recently underscored in a major, nationwide newspaper. Perhaps more,
well-informed writers might avoid the embarrassment of the Wall Street Journal. On March 29,
2018 the Journal incorrectly quoted Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Moses
brought water from Iraq. He had actually noted that Moses brought water from a rock. Netanyahu
was referring to the story of Moses striking a rock with his staff to draw water from a rock for the
Israelites who were wandering in the Sinai Desert. Moses was nowhere near today's Iraq and
never was. The published story had passed three staffers uncorrected.
Critique: An absolutely absorbing, engagingly articulate, impressively informative, expertly
written, organized and presented study, "Bible Stories For All Without the Dogma: A Part of
Cultural Literacy" is unique and an extraordinarily 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, and
style. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Biblical Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists, it should be noted for seminary
students, clergy, academicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Bible Stories For All Without the Dogma: A Part of Cultural Literacy" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Ken Walsh has taught the Old Testament for 14 years in a tuition-free, Jesuit,
inner-city middle school for boys from low-income families. Typically, fewer than five percent of
the students were Catholic; and, while most claimed to be Christian, fewer than half attended
church. Some practiced no religion. Some attended a mosque. While he initially taught the Old
Testament stories from a historical perspective so as not to offend anyone, he gradually added
universal lessons. Upon his retirement he decided to write a Bible stories book for all based on
his classroom experience and additional research.
The Music Shelf
Nashville's Songwriting Sweethearts
Bobbie Malone & Bill C. Malone
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806164861, $24.95, HC, 232pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Country music and popular music fans might not know the names of Boudleaux and
Felice Bryant, but they will most certainly know their music! Arriving in Nashville in 1950, the
song writing duo became the first full-time independent songwriters in that musical city. In the
course of their long careers, they created classic hits that pushed the boundaries of country music
into the realms of pop and rock. Songs like "Bye Bye Love," "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "Love
Hurts," and "Rocky Top" inspired young musicians everywhere. Here, for the first time, is a
complete biography of Nashville's power songwriting couple.
In "Nashville's Songwriting Sweethearts: The Boudleaux and Felice Bryant Story", authors
Bobbie Malone and Bill C. Malone informatively recount how Boudleaux and Felice, married in
1945, began their partnership as itinerant musicians living in a trailer home and writing their first
songs together. In Nashville the couple had to deal with racism, classism, and in Felice's case,
sexism. Yet through hard work and business acumen (and a dose of good luck) they overcame
these obstacles and rose to national prominence.
By the late 1990s, the Bryants had written as many as 6,000 songs and had sold more than 350
million copies worldwide. They were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in
1972, and in 1991 they became members of the Country Music Hall of Fame -- a rare occurrence
for songwriters who were not also performers. In 1982 their composition "Rocky Top" was
adopted as one of the official state songs of Tennessee.
The Bryants were lucky enough to arrive in the right place at the right time. Their emergence in
the early fifties coincided with the rise of Nashville as Music City, USA. And their prolific
collaboration with the Everly Brothers, beginning in 1957, sparked a fusion between country and
pop music that endures to this day.
Critique: Wonderfully informative, expertly organized and presented, "Nashville's Songwriting
Sweethearts: The Boudleaux and Felice Bryant Story" is a 'must read' for the legions of country
and popular music fans. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to both
community and academic library American Music History and Contemporary American
Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Nashville's Songwriting
Sweethearts: The Boudleaux and Felice Bryant Story" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $21.23).
Editorial Note: Bill C. Malone is Professor Emeritus of History at Tulane University. He is also
the author of numerous books on country music history. His doctoral dissertation was published
in 1968 as Country Music, U.S.A. and has subsequently seen print in three revised editions.
Malone received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1984 and Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Society for American Music in 2008. He currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin, where he
hosts a weekly country music radio show.
The Doors Summer's Gone
Harvey Kubernik
Otherworld Cottage Industries
https://www.otherworldcottageindustries.com
9781892900036, $22.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Doors Summer's Gone" is a compilation of author Harvey Kubernik's interviews
with the members of the Doors; keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and
guitarist Robby Krieger conducted between 1974 - 2017, as well as Doors' engineer/producer
Bruce Botnick and Elektra Records' founder Jac Holzman.
"The Doors Summer's Gone" also includes Kubernik's reviews of the band's catalog product and
stories, some published, some never in print or online, and reflections over five decades, from
intimate Doors insiders; poets, writers, musicians, engineers, songwriters, authors, screenwriters,
filmmakers, and photographers.
The cover and text of "The Doors Summer's Gone" incorporates rare visuals and photographs
supplied by Kubernik's well-respected, music business contacts, and artifacts from the archives
of Ida Miller.
Kubernik witnessed a 1968 concert by the Doors, and has worked with band members, produced
recordings by Manzarek, theater events with Densmore, and chronicled their legacy since 1974.
His literary journey displays memories and reflections from others who shared the stage and
retail record bins with the Doors over the last half century.
The author of 14 books, Kubernik provided a multi-voice forum for Peter Lewis of Moby Grape,
Alex Del Zoppo of Sweetwater, multi-instrumentalist Chris Darrow, Carlos Santana, Paul
Kantner, Grace Slick, and Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane, Burton Cummings, and Steven Van
Zandt.
There are chapters devoted to deejays Dave Diamond, Rodney Bingenheimer and Rick Williams;
photographers Guy Webster, Henry Diltz, Heather Harris, Kurt Ingham, Tom Gundelfinger
O'Neil, and Helie Robertson; filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker, Murray Lerner and Randall Jahnson;
authors Tosh Berman, Gene Aguilera, Eddi Fiegel, Ram Dass, Daniel Weizmann, Sandy
Robertson, David Dalton, and Jan Henderson; actors Jack Larson, Seymour Cassell, and Bill
Mumy; poets Stephen J. Kalinich, James Cushing and Celeste Goyer; record producers Kim
Fowley, Mark Guerrero and Greg Franco; writers Gary Pig Gold, David N. Pepperell, Michael
Macdonald; journalist Kirk Silsbee; graphic artist Denis Loren, 1970 head of Door's security
Tony Funches, and writer Anne Moore, a Jim Morrison confident.
Additional recollections from poets, deejays, musicians, poster artists and witnesses to the
1965-1971 world of the Doors are also documented.
Critique: Impressively informative and a simply fascinating and meticulously detailed read from
cover to cover, "The Doors Summer's Gone" is a 'must' for the legions of Doors fans and certain
to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library
American Popular Music History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"The Doors Summer's Gone" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
The Cookbook Shelf
Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian
Chetna Makan
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784726621, $29.99
Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian features 80 recipes for Indian-spiced vegetarian fare that
invites anyone with an affection for Indian food to translate these spices to vegetarian dishes.
Both vegetarian and vegan dishes are included in a cookbook that requires only access to Indian
spices (commonly available in ordinary supermarkets, but occasionally specialty affairs, such as
ghee, mangetout, or tamarind paste) and an interest in putting together healthy vegetarian dishes.
From a Roast Tomato and Papad Curry to Asparagus Paneer or Spinach Masala Chickpeas, these
are appealing dishes that invite a different perspective on the potentials of Indian spices and their
connection to vegetarian lifestyles.
The Happy Planet: Cookbook Recipes for Life
Dana Karic
www.danakaric.com
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781982230968, $34.95, PB, 124pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Compiled by Dana Karic, "The Happy Planet: Recipes for Life" is a deftly organized
and presented cookbook filled from cover to cover with vegan and vegetarian recipes -- and a lot
of recipes for life!
"The Happy Planet: Recipes for Life" offers a unique take on food, life, family, friends, work,
and self-care. This compendium of recipes has an underlying message that is all about loving
yourself and being flexible and free with yourself. As in life, freedom, love, peace, joy, and
discovery also rule in the kitchen.
Kitchen cooks will readily discover many interesting recipes and many interesting life recipes in
this unique volume. Browsers utilizing "The Happy Planet: Recipes for Life" to create menus
will also find themselves enjoying the inspirational quotes as well. It is a relaxed read to dip in
and out with and meant to not only to be read -- but to be experienced!
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "The Happy Planet: Recipes for Life" is an ideal and
highly recommended culinary and life-style resource that will prove to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections. It should be
noted for personal reading and culinary reference lists that "The Happy Planet: Recipes for Life"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Dana Karic is a multimedia artist who creates music, books and art, and enjoys
writing creative, fun, inspiring books. She is also a philanthropist and lover of this world and all
the things in it. Her books help people open up their creativity, relax, discover and enjoy
themselves. She also maintains a web site at www.danakaric.com
My Pinewood Kitchen: A Southern Culinary Cure
Mee McCormick
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
9780757323522, $26.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Mee first started cooking when Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto's
brought her debilitating daily pain. When conventional treatments couldn't help, Mee found relief
in a surprising place: her kitchen. Through relentless recipe testing, she put her condition into
remission and completely restored her health with gut-friendly whole foods, most of which she
grew and harvested on her family's farm outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
Once Mee was well, she opened Pinewood Kitchen, a farm-to-table restaurant in which she
shares locally grown and seasonal foods with her community. As restaurants go, Pinewood
Kitchen is unique in that every meal is created with the intention to serve everyone with the same
deliciousness regardless of dietary restrictions.
Inspired by her restaurant menus, "My Pinewood Kitchen: A Southern Culinary Cure " by Mee
McCormick brings a unique Southern twist to comfort food classics with more than 130 gluten
free recipes that heal the gut, reduce inflammation, and reverse chronic autoimmune diseases. To
each of her recipes Mee offers a completely customizable approach for recipe adaptations for
different dietary needs, whether it be gluten-free, Paleo, keto, or vegan in nature.
From immune-boosting smoothies to gut-friendly soups, salads, dinners, and desserts, "My
Pinewood Kitchen" is a four-color cookbook will become a serious and nutritious 'go-to' kitchen
resource, freeing the family cook from bland-tasting healthy food and the nightly question:
"What's for dinner?"
The recipes range from Kentucky Caramel Chicken, Cranberry Hot Wings, Grain-Free Fried
Chicken, and Sizzlin' Short Ribs, to Super Creamy Veggie Mac & Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper
Soup with Polenta Fingers, Roasted Squash & Sweet Potato Soup, Summertime Zucchini Soup,
Black Rice Salad with Snap Peas and Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, Caramel Apple Pancakes,
Raspberry Lemon Keto Muffins, Farm Fresh Eggs & Sausage-Stuffed Bell Peppers.
For desert try a Berry Cobbler, Chocolate Lava Cake, and Key Lime Tart, or Chocolate
Brownies, White Bean Cupcakes, and Chocolate Avocado Mousse!
Whether you want to eat healthier or you have diabetes, lupus, celiac, Crohn's, multiple sclerosis,
rheumatoid arthritis, or another autoimmune issue, you'll find a wealth of delicious, nutritious
recipes. Family cooks will also discover: The importance of intestinal health and how to improve
your own gut microbiome; Which foods are nutritional powerhouses and which must be avoided;
How to eat real food every day without breaking the bank!
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout, "My Pinewood Kitchen, A Southern Culinary Cure"
is a 'must' for anyone needing to deal with medical conditions in general, and autoimmune
impairment situations in particular. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library cookbook collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "My
Pinewood Kitchen, A Southern Culinary Cure" is also readily available in a digital book format
(eTextbook, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Mee McCormick is a real food maven, community food advocate, a restauranteur,
a rancher, a mother, and the author of My Kitchen Cure: How I Cooked My Way Out of Chronic
Autoimmune Disease with Whole Foods and Healing Recipes. When Mee isn't running her
restaurant, Pinewood Kitchen & Mercantile, or working on her biodynamic farm outside of
Nashville, she is touring the country as a speaker and community kitchen organizer. She has
appeared on national and local TV, on radio and in print nationwide. She is a regular on-air
contributor to Today In Nashville and a vital part of the Nashville restaurant scene. She maintains
two web sites: www.meemccormick.com and www.pinewoodkitchenandmercantile.com
The Travel Shelf
Cruising The World
Clark Norton, author
Dennis Cox, photographer
https://www.clarknorton.com
Photo Explorer Productions
c/o Dennis Cox, LLC
www.denniscox.com
9780578459608, $40.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Featuring an informative text by Clark Norton, "Cruising The World: From Gondolas
To Megaships" is a full-color illustrated, hardcover, coffee table style book that is comprised of
535 photos depicting 37 varieties of cruise vessels representing 77 countries on all seven
continents. From modern-day megaships to such timeless vessels as Venetian gondolas, Arabian
dhows, and Asian sampans, seasoned and professional travel photographer Dennis Cox has
drawn on his decades of cruising experience to take the reader on a memorable and fascinating
journey aboard ocean- and sea-going, river, lake, and canal boats around the world.
During a recent flurry of cruises through such widespread locales as the Galapagos Islands, the
Middle East, Hawai'i, Europe, and the Caribbean, "Cruising The World" documents the latest
cutting-edge innovations in cruising and cruise ships, while also showcasing the more exotic
forms of water-borne transportation that have carried sailors, passengers, fishermen, and royalty
over the centuries.
"Cruising The World" features beautiful images of the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, the
Mediterranean, the Middle East, East Asia, the Far East Islands, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the
South Pacific, Africa, and Antarctica.
"Cruising The World" presents timely and timeless information on Megaships, Resorts at Sea,
Luxury Cruises, Cargo Ship Cruising, Cruise Ship Food & Entertainment. 'Most Colorful Ships',
Ferries, Canal Barges, Rice Boats, Tour Boats, River Ships, Tall Ships Expedition Ships, Paddle
Wheelers, Trajineras, Gondolas, and more!
Critique: Entertaining and educational, "Cruising The World: Fropm Gondoloas To Megaships"
is an inherently fascinating browse and ideal for the personal reading lists of armchair travelers in
general, and anyone considering a shipboard world traveling experience in particular. Very
highly recommended, "Cruising The World" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly
popular addition to personal reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library
Travel Guide collections.
Editorial Note: As an assignment photographer for magazines and as a stock travel photo
producer, Dennis Cox has photographed in 130 countries and territories and has made more than
50 trips to China alone.
The Political Science Shelf
The Socialist Manifesto
Bhaskar Sunkara
Basic Books
www.basicbooks.com
c/o Perseus Books Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781541617391, $28.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Bhaskar Sunkara is the founder and editor of Jacobin, which he launched in 2010 as an
undergraduate at George Washington University. He has written for the New York Times, the
Guardian, VICE, and The Washington Post. Sunkara is also the publisher of Catalyst and the
UK-based Tribune.
In "The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality",
Bhaskar Sunkara explores socialism's history since the mid-1800s and presents a realistic vision
for its future. With the stunning popularity of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
Americans are embracing the class politics of socialism. But what, exactly, is socialism? And
what would a socialist system in America look like?
In "The Socialist Manifesto" Sunkara shows that socialism, though often seen primarily as an
economic system, in fact offers the means to fight all forms of oppression, including racism and
sexism. The ultimate goal is not Soviet-style planning, but to win rights to healthcare, education,
and housing, and to create new democratic institutions in workplaces and communities. A primer
on socialism for the 21st century, "The Socialist Manifesto" is for anyone seeking an end to the
vast inequities of our age.
Critique: A timely and impressively informative contribution to our current national political
dialogue in the ethically corrupted Age of Trump, "The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for
Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality" should be considered an essential and core
addition to personal, community, and academic library Contemporary Political Science
collections. 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 "The Socialist
Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality" is also readily
available in a paperback edition (9781541647107, $16.99), in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781549180224,
$35.00, CD)
The Woodworking Shelf
Whittling in Your Free Time
Tom Hindes
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781497100701, $12.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Inside Whittling in Your Free Time" by Woodcarving Illustrated magazine
contributor Tom Hindes showcases and illustrates the basics of whittling by practicing four
simple knife cuts with easy-to-follow exercises. Comprised of 16 fast, easy, fun whittling
projects anyone can complete in just one short sitting, "Whittling in Your Free Time" is packed
from cover to cover with step-by-step instructions, high-quality coordinating photography, and
clear guidance on painting and finishing each piece.
Progressing from very simple to more challenging, each project is meant to encourage novice and
experienced whittlers alike along the rewarding and relaxing path of whittling and help them to
build and hone their carving skills. Especially appropriate for anyone aspiring whittler who is
short on time, the quick and easy designs inside make "Whittling in Your Free Time" the perfect
project book for whittlers of any skill level.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, commentary, instructions, organization and
presentation, "Whittling in Your Free Time: 16 Quick & Easy Projects to Carve in Wood" is a
superb, easy-to-use reference and resource for hobbyists of all skill and experience levels. The
quality photography adds the perfect touch to the step-by-step instructions, and the sample
projects are especially selected to be ideal for hobbyists who are short on spare time. Highly
recommended!
The Needlecraft Shelf
Circus Embroidery
Susie Johns
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784945473, $22.95, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: London based Susie Johns is an artist and designer who has written dozens of craft
books, mostly on knitting, crochet and sewing, including Knitted Pets, Knitted Woodland
Creatures, How to Embroider and Fat Quarter: Bags & Purses (GMC Publications).
In "Circus Embroidery" she draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to compile
an extensive collection of more than 200 bright, playful motifs, each of which makes a handy
resource for any embroidery enthusiast to dip into.
With spreads made up of template outlines on one side and the finished stitched items opposite,
is an ideal resource. The motives comprising "Circus Embroidery" cover every imaginable
spectacle that might be seen at a circus of yesteryear ranging from daring acrobats, tumblers and
tightrope walkers to incredible performing animals. Also included are the tents, signs and
caravans that make up the circus infrastructure along with decorative borders, banners and
lettering, as well as strongmen, acrobats, tumblers, clowns, elephants, train, dancers, musicians,
ringmasters, banners, flags, tents, ticket office, signs, big cats and many more!
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Circus Embrodery" will
prove to be an enduringly welcome and unique addition to personal, professional, and
community library needlecraft resource collections.
The Business Shelf
How to Listen and How to Be Heard
Alissa Carpenter
Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470
www.careerpress.com
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781632651631, $17.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Too often, people avoid difficult conversations; but these discussions often need to
happen to bring people together so we can all succeed.
There's no denying that our workplaces are more diverse than ever. Age, race, gender -- there are
so many different perspectives and experiences being brought to the table. And the best
employees and leaders know that harnessing the power of these differences will build stronger
teams, ideas, and organizations. But how do we do this? If we all think, feel, and act so
differently, how do we get anything done?
The first step is recognizing that these differences exist. And that they're here to stay. We need to
respect and embrace our varied viewpoints, and then we can start to communicate across (not
against) them.
"How to Listen and How to be Heard" shows how to bridge the conversation gap and use the
reader's unique voice to start powerful conversations. About learning how to communicate with,
through, and alongside what makes us different, "Too often, people avoid difficult conversations;
but these discussions often need to happen to bring people together so we can all succeed.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "How to Listen and How to
Be Heard: Inclusive Conversations at Work" is a unique and impressively informative
instructional guide and manual for improving communication skills in our professional (as well
as personal) lives. Inspired and inspiring, "How to Listen and How to Be Heard: Inclusive
Conversations at Work" is particularly recommended for community, corporate, and academic
library Communication Skills collections in general, and Business Conflict Resolution
supplemental curriculum lists. It should be noted be noted for personal reading lists that "How to
Listen and How to Be Heard: Inclusive Conversations at Work" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance
Audio, 9781799754367, $19.99, MP3 CD).
Editorial Note: Alissa Carpenter is a multi-generational workplace expert and owner of
Everything's Not Ok and That's OK, where she provides training, consulting, and speaking
services to organizations all over the world. Carpenter has delivered a TEDx talk on authentic
workplace communication, and has been featured in media outlets including Forbes, ABC, FOX,
and CNN Money.
Growth or Bust!
Mark Faust
Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470
www.careerpress.com
9781601631626, $15.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now more than ever, company leaders need fresh ideas about how to grow their
organization's sales and profits. "Growth or Bust!: Proven Turnaround Strategies to Grow Your
Business " by Mark Faust is a manual that can be used by any company leader for finding
untapped growth potentials.
Whether used by a single member of a management team or as a workbook throughout the
company, "Growth or Bust!" shows how to: Build a growth strategy that will leverage all facets
of your organization; Initiate innovation process for increasing sales and profits; Mine the
untapped potential within your existing customer base; Get more productivity out of your team --
and so much more!
"Growth or Bust!" is a kind of toolbox for growth for top management, sales and marketing
management, and entrepreneurs in any business or industry. It will help identify what can be
implemented directly as well as where new or accelerated growth can be fostered in other parts of
any organization.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Growth or Bust!: Proven Turnaround
Strategies to Grow Your Business" is an extraordinary compendium of business strategy
development techniques and is thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone and commentary. While
unreservedly recommended for community, corporate, and academic library Business
Management collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of business students,
academia, entrepreneurs, business managers, corporate executives, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Growth or Bust!: Proven Turnaround Strategies to
Grow Your Business " is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.19).
Editorial Note: Mark Faust has worked with companies such as IBM, Monsanto, Apple,
Syngenta, Bayer, and John Deere, as well as smaller closely held organizations, second- and
third-generation family-owned companies, government agencies, and nonprofits. He has been an
adjunct COO, a vice president of sales, advisor on company boards and an Adjunct Professor at
the University of Cincinnati and Ohio University.
The Poetry Shelf
Words like Thunder: New and Used Anishinaabe Prayers
Lois Beardslee
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814347485, $15.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Words like Thunder: New and Used Anishinaabe Prayers" is a collection of poetry by
award-winning Ojibwe author Lois Beardslee. Much of the book centers around Native people of
the Great Lakes but has a universal relevance to modern indigenous people worldwide. Beardslee
tackles contemporary topics like climate change and socioeconomic equality with a grace and
readability that empowers readers and celebrates the strengths of today's indigenous peoples. She
transforms the mundane into the sacred. Similar in style to Nikki Giovanni, Beardslee might lure
in readers with the promise of traditional cultural material, even stereotypes, before quickly
pivoting toward a direction of respect for the contemporaneity and adaptability of indigenous
people's tenacious hold on traditions.
"Words Like Thunder" will appeal anyone who appreciates skillfully crafted verse, as well as to
anyone wanting to learn more about indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes, and to people who
care about the environment and socioeconomic equality. Even young readers, especially students
of color, will find parts of "Words Like Thunder" to which they can relate.
Critique: Reflective, inspiring, thought-provoking, deftly written, "Words Like Thunder: New
and Used Anishinaabe Prayers" by Lois Beardslee is the newest addition to the Wayne State
University Press 'Made in Michigan Writers Series'. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Women's Poetry and
Native American Studies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Words
Like Thunder" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Self-Help Shelf
The Power of Letting Go
John Purkiss
Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781783253630, $16.99
The Power of Letting Go: How to Drop Everything That's Holding You Back is about a different
form of survival and achievement than most books cover, and considers the four stages involved
in truly 'letting go' to live life more deeply and richly. This involves identifying and being in the
present, letting go of thoughts and pain that are limiting and which contribute to being stuck in
ruts, and understanding how that process lends to a better life. By discussing the mechanisms
involved in letting go and moving upward, businessman and spiritualist John Purkiss provides all
the tools necessary for taking the next step towards a better life in a book highly recommended
for self-help and spiritual collections alike.
You Are the Key
Caitlin Crosby
www.thegivingkeys.com
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
www.zondervan.com
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9780310357971, $24.99, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The underlying message of "You Are the Key: Turning Imperfections into Purpose" by
Caitlin Crosby is that anyone who feels less-than about their work, worth, body, or the life they
are building can benefit from the fact that they do not have to have it all together to "qualify" for
their life's calling -- whatever they deem that calling to be.
Caitlin Crosby is a former Hollywood talent who didn't finish college, never got an MBA, and
wasn't supposed to become a CEO, yet that's exactly what she did (even if being a new mother
means she forgets to brush her teeth sometimes before heading to the office).
Caitlin's passion for people led her to launch The Giving Keys, a give-back jewelry brand with
the mission of helping its employees transition out of homelessness. Each of their one million
plus keys sold represents a person who wore it, then shared it with someone else, in a unique
pay-it-forward model. Yet just as her jewelry re-purposes throw-away keys to bear bold messages
of hope, faith, and courage, Caitlin has fought hard to believe her own imperfections can lead to
her greatest purpose.
In "You Are the Key", candidly reveals imperfections aplenty: like the time she accidentally
voice-texted a huge fight with her husband to her entire leadership team, or the terrifying day a
disgruntled employee brought a gun to their office, or the time this #girlboss landed herself in the
ER. For the first time, Caitlin also opens up to her readers about her own secret "flaw" that
rocked her sense of self-worth for the better part of two decades, and her private battle to believe
our scars are not sources of shame but proof of courage and prompts toward purpose.
Through Caitlin's all-too-real stories, sparkling with warmth and humor are to be found our own
free pass to embrace our own flaws and reframe our imperfections -- not as limitations but
signposts toward your greatest purpose.
Critique: Inherently fascinating, exceptionally engaging, ultimately inspiring, "You Are the Key:
Turning Imperfections into Purpose" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition
to personal, community, and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "You Are the Key: Turning Imperfections into Purpose" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781799734024, $24.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Caitlin Crosby is an actress, TEDx speaker, singer-songwriter, and founder of
The Giving Keys, a jewelry company with the mission of helping its employees transition out of
homelessness. She was named among Oprah's SuperSoul100 list of visionaries in 2016, and
featured on The Today Show, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, and many other media outlets. She
can be contacted through Instagram @caitlincrosby and maintains a website at
www.thegivingkeys.com
Win Every Day
Mark Miller
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9781523088409, $24.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: All high performance organizations have one thing in common: execution. The men
and women who work there sustain performance at seemingly otherworldly levels of precision,
accuracy, and consistency. "Win Every Day: Proven Practices for Extraordinary Results" is the
fifth and final book of Mark Miller's simply outstanding 'High Performance' series. In it he uses
his trademark business fable format to show how any organization can cultivate the kind of
everyday habits that yield extraordinary results.
"Win Every Day" tells the story of Blake Brown, a CEO who learns how to help his team to
consistently excel at execution from a perhaps unlikely source: his son's high school football
coach. The story is fictional, but the principles and practices are very real, derived from years of
research led by a team from Stanford University.
Miller and his team interviewed leaders and employees from numerous world-class
organizations, including the Navy SEALS, Starbucks, Apple, Southwest Airlines, the Seattle
Seahawks, Mayo Clinic, Cirque du Soleil, and more. The lessons learned were then field-tested
with over seventy businesses employing over 7,000 people.
"Win Every Day" also provides proven tools to release the untapped potential in people, create a
strong competitive advantage, and win not just on game day but every day!
Critique: Impressively 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Win
Every Day: Proven Practices for Extraordinary Results" is an inherently engaging read from
beginning to end. Extraordinarily effective, motivating and inspiring, "Win Every Day" is an
ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Self-
Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Win Every
Day" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.49) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781690584407, $19.99, CD).
Conscious Luck
Gay Hendricks & Carol Kline
St. Martin's Essentials
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250622945, $19.99, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The basic premise of "Conscious Luck: Eight Secrets to Intentionally Change Your
Fortune " by Gay Hendricks and Carol Kline is that we can create your own luck, that living a
charmed life (being lucky in love, lucky in money, lucky in your chosen work) iss within our
control -- all that is necessary is to know how to do it.
"Conscious Luck" showcases eight Secrets that will allow anyone to intentionally change their
fortune. Instead of hoping and wishing that luck will come our way, let Conscious Luck show us
how to seize control of destiny and create the dazzling life of our personal dreams and
aspirations.
This powerful step-by-step program, which includes practical techniques, inspiring true stories,
and the authors' personal journeys, will lead the reader to a greater freedom and abundance. The
Secrets (four core shifts and four daily practices) teach the reader how to: Plant the seeds of luck
in your own psyche; Remove unlucky programming (including lifting "curses"); Move at an
Essence Pace; Practice Radical Gratitude -- and much more!
Critique: Inherently fascinating, thoughtful and thought-provoking, insightful, practical, and
thoroughly 'reader friendly in organization and presentation, "Conscious Luck: Eight Secrets to
Intentionally Change Your Fortune" is a unique and extraordinary addition to community and
academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "Conscious Luck: Eight Secrets to Intentionally Change Your Fortune" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Gay Hendricks has served for more than forty years as one of the major
contributors to the fields of relationship transformation and body-mind therapies. His books
include Conscious Loving and The Big Leap.
Carol Kline has devoted her career to teaching, writing, and speaking about consciousness and
personal growth. Her books include Happy for No Reason, Love for No Reason, and she is the
author of five books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Chickasaw Removal
Amanda L. Paige, author
Fuller L. Bumpers, author
Daniel F. Littlefield, Jr, author
Chickasaw Press
www.chickasawpress.com
9781935684008, $34.95, HC, 220pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In the early nineteenth century, the Chickasaw Indians were a beleaguered people.
Anglo-American settlers were streaming illegally into their homelands east of the Mississippi
River. Then, in 1830, the Indian Removal Act forced the Chickasaw Nation, along with other
eastern tribes, to remove to Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma. "Chickasaw Removal"
provides a detailed account of the Chickasaw removal, from their harrowing journey west to their
first difficult years in an unfamiliar land.
The Chickasaw removal began in 1837, a few years after the departures of the Choctaws and
Creeks. In their gripping account of the Chickasaws' forced trek, authors Amanda L. Paige, Fuller
L. Bumpers, and Daniel F. Littlefield, Jr., collaboratively describe the array of characters the
Chickasaws came across, including missionaries, whiskey peddlers, profiteering government
agents, and contractors, some of whom purchased and distributed rations they knew would go
rancid before the removing parties passed by their way stations.
Although several histories have spotlighted the politics and events of the Removal Era,
"Chickasaw Removal" offers a unique illumination of the "whole business" of removal, including
details of the places where the Chickasaws camped, bought supplies, sought medical attention,
and buried their dead. The story continues on into Indian Territory, where the Chickasaws faced a
new set of obstacles but eventually persevered to become the strong and successful nation they
are today.
Critique: A meticulously detailed and documented history, "Chickasaw Removal" is enhanced
for academia with the inclusion of illustrations, a four page Bibliography and a twelve page
Index. Impressively informative and exceptionally well organized and presented, "Chickasaw
Removal" must be considered a core and critically important addition to community, college, and
university library Native American History collections in general, and Chickasaw supplemental
studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Chickasaw Removal" is also readily available in a
paperback edition (9781935684763, $24.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Associated with the Sequoyah Research Center at the University of
Arkansas-Little Rock,, Amanda L. Paige, is a historian, author, archivist, researcher, and museum
specialist.
An attorney from Batesville, Arkansas, Fuller L. Bumpers, is a writer and historian specializing
in Native American issues.
The Director of the Sequoyah Research Center at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Daniel
F. Littlefield Jr. is the author of numerous books including A Biobibliography of Native
American Writers, 1772-1924.
The Art Shelf
Philip Guston Now
Harry Cooper, et al.
National Gallery of Art
c/o Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9781942884569, $60.00, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Largely self-taught by studying Renaissance painters in reproduction, the Walter and
Louise Arensberg's modern art collection, and the Mexican muralism of Orozco and Siqueiros,
Philip Guston (June 27, 1913 - June 7, 1980) has perhaps more than any other figure in recent
memory given contemporary artists permission to break the rules and paint what, and how, they
want. His nonlinear career, embrace of "high" and "low" sources, and constant aesthetic
reinvention defy easy categorization, and his 1968 figurative turn is one of 20th-century art's
most legendary conversion narratives.
In his own words: "I was feeling split, schizophrenic. The war, what was happening in America,
the brutality of the world. What kind of man am I, sitting at home, reading magazines, going into
a frustrated fury about everything and then going into my studio to adjust a red to a blue?"
And so Guston's cross-hatched abstractions gave way to large, cartoonlike canvases populated by
lumpy, lugubrious figures and personal symbols in a palette of meaty pinks. That Guston
continued mining this vein for the rest of his life (despite initial bewilderment from his peers)
reinforced his reputation as an artist's artist; he has become hugely influential as contemporary art
has followed Guston into its own antic figurative turn.
Published to accompany the first retrospective museum exhibition of Guston's career in 15 years,
"Philip Guston Now" includes a definitive chronology reflecting many new discoveries. It
highlights the voices of artists of our day who have been inspired by the full range of his work
including Tacita Dean, Peter Fischli, Trenton Doyle Hancock, William Kentridge, Glenn Ligon,
David Reed, Dana Schutz, Amy Sillman, Art Spiegelman and Rirkrit Tiravanija.
Informative essays trace the influences, interests and evolution of this singular force in modern
and contemporary art -- including a close look at the 1960s and '70s, when Guston gradually
abandoned abstraction, returning to the figure and to current history but with a personal voice, by
turns comic and apocalyptic, that resonates today more than ever.
Critique: A beautifully produced coffee-table style volume, "Philip Guston Now" is a fitting and
impressively informative survey and analysis of a remarkable artist, his life and his work.
Enhanced with the inclusion of a two page Selected Bibliography, fourteen pages of Notes, and
an eight page Index, "Philip Guston Now" is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Art
History collections in general, and Philip Guston supplemental studies lists in particular.
The Philosophy Shelf
Avengers Infinity Saga and Philosophy
Robert Arp & Heather L. Rivera, editors
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601
www.opencourtbooks.com
9780812694857, $19.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Robert Arp and Heather Rivera, "Avengers
Infinity Saga and Philosophy" is comprised of essays in which philosophers explore the
momentous issues and the fascinating puzzles raised by Marvel's compelling series of
movies.
"Avengers Infinity Saga and Philosophy" address such questions as: Where or not the Thanos
snap truly an answer to overpopulation and famine, or is it simply indefensible mass murder on a
cosmic scale; Are the Avengers who try to stop Thanos dishing out justice or merely fighting a
man who is himself just?; Captain America or Tony Stark -- which leader holds the key to a
civilized society?; Dr. Strange claims to sees 14,000,605 possible futures, in one of which
Thanos is defeated. What does this tell us about the true nature of reality?; Sometimes your best
just isn't enough. How can we cope with inevitability?
Then there are such issues as: How can the Soul Stone and the Binding of Isaac by Abraham help
us understand the Infinity War saga?; Is Thanos a utilitarian? And if so, is his utilitarian calculus
logically sound?; Would it be possible for a group like the Avengers to amass enormous power to
fight for humankind, without themselves becoming a corrupt ruling class?; Can the past Nebula
shooting the future Nebula cause her to cease to exist? Can you change the future by
communicating with yourself or your family in the past?; Can Thanos be seen as the epitome of
non-self-serving behavior, or is Thanos masking his own egoism with the lie that his altruistic
mission is to bring the universe into balance?; Does Thanos show us the danger of living by an
absolute moral compass, which allows us to see only what we believe to be "the right" with no
variations or nuances?
Critique: As fun and entertaining a read as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Avengers
Infinity Saga and Philosophy" will have immense appeal for the legions of Marvel Universe fans
and philosophy students. With thirty-one deftly crafted essays being thematically organized into
six distinctive sections (The Snap; Time Travel; Ethics; Death; Thanos; Character), as well as the
inclusion of a six page Bibliography, a six page listing of the contributors and their credentials,
and a four page Index, "Avengers Infinity Saga and Philosophy" is certain to be an enduringly
popular addition to personal, community, college, and university library Philosophy & Science
Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.
The Autism Shelf
Safeguarding Your Child with Autism
Jack Scott, et al.
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
www.woodbinehouse.com
9781606130056, $24.95, PB, 330pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The focus in "Safeguarding Your Child with Autism: Strategies and Tools to Reduce
Risks" is on preventing unintentional injuries to children, teens, and your adults with autism
because there is a much higher rate of preventable injuries to people with autism compared to
their typically developing peers.
Deficits in communication and comprehension, as well as certain dangerous behaviors and
fixations can have devastating consequences (poisonings, burns, falls, injuries from vehicular
collisions, drowning). Collaboratively written by a team of five experts on autism, "Safeguarding
Your Child with Autism" offers ways to reduce hazards and teach skills to help people with
autism negotiate the world safely, and cover:
Models for child safety include: Caregiver surveillance approach; Root cause analysis of close
calls; Behavior Analytic Approach to determine the reason behind a specific behavior; The
Haddon Matrix which is a prevention planning tool.
Instructional approaches include: Visual supports; Social Stories; Prompts & reinforcement;
Role-play; Modeling; Behavioral Skills Training; and Direct Teaching.
Specific strategies for major risks are considered including: Barriers; Supervision; Pedestrian
safety skills; Water safety skills; Family action plan; IEP; Behavior assessment; Bullying
prevention; Protective gear for sports; Hazards removal from environment.
Also considered are the roll of devices and technology, as well as collaboration with law
enforcement and first responders. monitoring and preventing elopement and wandering
tendencies -- this last of which can create very dangerous, unsupervised environments and can
lead to unintentional injuries.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Safeguarding Your Child with Autism:
Strategies and Tools to Reduce Risks" is not only critically essential reading for parents of
autistic children, but is unreservedly recommended as a supplemental studies text book for
college and universities curriculums in Autism.
Editorial Note: The team of collaborators for "Safeguarding Your Child with Autism: Strategies
and Tools to Reduce Risks" include: Jack Scott (Associate Professor in the Department of
Exceptional Student Education at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and the Executive Director
of the FAU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities); Bairbre Flood (who is the Principal of
the Potential School at the Arc of Palm Beach Country in Riviera Beach, Florida); Dennis
Debbaudt (who is the parent of a young man who has autism, an author, a law enforcement
trainer, and a producer of autism safety training videos and curriculum for law enforcement and
first response agencies); Kyle D. Bennett (Associate Professor in Special Education at Florida
International University -- his work focuses on preparing teachers and related services providers
to educate students with disabilities); Toby Honsberger (who is the Executive Director at The
Learning Academy at The Els Center of Excellence, which is a school for students on the autism
spectrum in Jupiter, Florida).
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Unnatural Companions
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781610919708, $28.00, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and other species have become an essential part of more
families than ever before -- in North America today, pets outnumber people! Pet owners are
drawn to their animal companions through an innate desire to connect with other species. But
there is a dark side to our domestic connection with animal life: the pet industry is contributing to
a global conservation crisis for wildlife -- often without the knowledge of pet owners.
In "Unnatural Companions: Rethinking Our Love of Pets in an Age of Wildlife Extinction",
science journalist and dedicated environmentalist Peter Christie issues a call to action for all pet
owners. If we hope to reverse the alarming trend of wildlife decline, pet owners must
acknowledge the pets-versus-conservation dilemma and concede that our well-fed and sheltered
cats too often prey on small backyard wildlife and seemingly harmless reptiles released into the
wild might be the next destructive invasive species. We want our pets to eat nutritionally healthy
food, but how does the designer food we feed them impact the environment?
"Unnatural Companions" is a cautionary tale to responsible pet owners about why we must
change the ways we love and care for our pets. It concludes with the positive message that the
small changes we make at home can foster better practices within the pet industry that will
ultimately benefit our pets' wild brethren.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and impressively informative, "Unnatural Companions:
Rethinking Our Love of Pets in an Age of Wildlife Extinction" is a timely and unreservedly
recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Environmental
Issues collections in general, and Endangered Species and Nature Conservation supplemental
studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, concerned pet
owners, environmental activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Unnatural Companions" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
Editorial Note: Peter Christie is a Canadian science journalist, pet owner, and author who writes
frequently about conservation. He is a national Science in Society Journalism Award winner
whose stories and features have appeared in The Globe and Mail, Maclean's, On Nature,
Canadian Geographic, The Ottawa Citizen, The Vancouver Sun, The Edmonton Journal, and The
Montreal Gazette. He is also the author of science books for children and young adults.
Additionally, Christie has worked as a science communications consultant for the World Wildlife
Fund, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the Royal Society of Canada, the Boreal
Songbird Initiative, and the Canadian Climate Forum.
The Technology Shelf
High-Power Electromagnetic Effects on Electronic Systems
D.V. Giri, Tichard Hoad, and Frank Sabath
Artech House
www.artechhouse.com
9781630815882, $168.00
High-Power Electromagnetic Effects on Electronic Systems is a solid reference for any
professional or student of electromagnetics, and discusses the effects of high-power
electromagnetic environments on electronics. It considers various testing systems and
approaches, discusses protection and resilience, reviews experimental and new techniques, and
considers uncertainties in methodology and approach to testing. Graphs, equations, and
supporting science explains components, shifts in operating points, field variations, and more,
making for a solid, in-depth technical reference highly recommended for college-level students
and professionals seeking a refresher course.
Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Vacuum Electron Devices
A. S. Gilmour, Jr.
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781650817282, $179.00, HC, 950pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Written by an internationally recognized as an expert on the subject of microwave
(MW) tubes, "Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Vacuum Electron Devices: Inductive Output
Tubes, Klystrons, Traveling-Wave Tubes, Magnetrons, Crossed-Field Amplifiers, and
Gyrotrons" presents and describes the many types of microwave tubes, and despite competition
from solid-state devices (those using GaN, SiC, et cetera), which continue to be used widely and
find new applications in defense, communications, medical, and industrial drying. Helix traveling
wave tubes (TWTs), as well as coupled cavity TWTs are covered. Klystrons, and how they work,
are described, along with the physics behind it and examples of devices and their uses.
Also, vacuum electron devices are explained in detail and examines the harsh environment that
must exist in tubes if they are to operate properly. The secondary emission process and its role in
the operation of crossed-field devices is also discussed.
The design of collectors for linear-beam tubes, including power dissipation and power recovery,
are explored. Discussions of important noise sources and techniques that can be used to minimize
their effects are also included. Presented in full color, "Microwave and Millimeter-Wave
Vacuum Electron Devices" contains a balance of practical and theoretical material so that those
new to microwave tubes as well as experienced microwave tube technicians, engineers, and
managers can benefit from its use.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Vacuum
Electron Devices: Inductive Output Tubes, Klystrons, Traveling-Wave Tubes, Magnetrons,
Crossed-Field Amplifiers, and Gyrotrons" by A. S. Gilmour Jr. is an ideal textbook and
unreservedly recommended as a key addition to college and university library Microwave
Technology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Microwave and
Millimeter-Wave Vacuum Electron Devices" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$179.00).
The Mathematics Shelf
Modelling with Ordinary Differential Equations
Alfio Borzi
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9780815392613, $130.00, HC, 404pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Modelling with Ordinary Differential Equations: A Comprehensive Approach" by
Alfio Borzi provides the reader with a broad and self-contained introduction to the mathematical
tools necessary to investigate and apply ODE models.
"Modelling with Ordinary Differential Equations" starts by establishing the existence of solutions
in various settings and analyzing their stability properties. The next step is to illustrate modelling
issues arising in the calculus of variation and optimal control theory that are of interest in many
applications. This discussion is continued with an introduction to inverse problems governed by
ODE models and to differential games.
"Modelling with Ordinary Differential Equations" is completed with an illustration of stochastic
differential equations and the development of neural networks to solve ODE systems. Many
numerical methods are presented to solve the classes of problems discussed in this volume.
"Modelling with Ordinary Differential Equations" provides: Insight into rigorous mathematical
issues concerning various topics, while discussing many different models of interest in different
disciplines (biology, chemistry, economics, medicine, physics, social sciences, etc.); Is suitable
for undergraduate and graduate students and as an introduction for researchers in engineering and
the sciences; Is accompanied by codes which allow the reader to apply the numerical methods
discussed in this book in those cases where analytical solutions are not available.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Modelling with Ordinary Differential
Equations: A Comprehensive Approach" is an ideal textbook for college and university
Numerical Analysis & Scientific Computing currciulums. While unreservedly recommended as a
critically important addition to academic library collections, it should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Modelling with
Ordinary Differential Equations: A Comprehensive Approach" is also readily available in a
digital book format (eTextbook, $104.00).
Editorial Note: Alfio Borzi is the Professor and Chair of Scientific Computing at the Institute for
Mathematics of the University of W rzburg, Germany. He served as Research Officer at the
University of Oxford (UK) and as an Assistant Professor at the University of Graz (Austria)
where he completed his Habilitation and was appointed as Associate Professor. Since 2011 he
has been Professor of Scientific Computing at University of W rzburg. Alfio Borzi is also the
author of 3 mathematics books and numerous articles in journals. The main topics of his research
and teaching activities are modelling and numerical analysis, optimal control theory and
scientific computing. He is member of the editorial board for the SIAM Journal on
Scientific Computing and for SIAM Review.
The Education Shelf
Design Thinking in Play
Alyssa Gallagher & Kami Thordarson
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416628859, $31.95, PB, 166pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With the publication of "Design Thinking in Play: An Action Guide for Educators",
authors Alyssa Gallagher and Kami Thordarson offer educators a practical guide for navigating
design thinking's invigorating challenges and reaping its considerable rewards. They dig deep
into the five-stage design thinking process, highlighting risk factors and recommending specific
steps to keep you moving forward.
The 25 downloadable and reproducible tools comprising "Design Thinking in Play: An Action
Guide for Educators" provide prompts and supports that will help you and your team: Identify
change opportunities; Dig deeper into complex problems; Analyze topics to isolate specific
challenges; Connect with and solve for user needs; Apply what you've learned about users to
design challenges; Maximize brainstorming power; Create and employ solution prototypes: Pitch
solutions and secure buy-in from stakeholders: Organize and analyze user feedback; Map out a
solution's specific actions and resource requirements.
"Design Thinking in Play" is an essential instructional resource for education leaders who are
tired of waiting for someone else to solve their problems and ready to take action, have fun, and
leverage collective insight to figure out what will really work for their school, their colleagues,
and their students.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Design Thinking in Play:
An Action Guide for Educators" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
school district, college, and university library Education Administration collections and
supplemental curriculum reading lists. It should be noted for in-service training purposes that
"Design Thinking in Play: An Action Guide for Educators" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $30.35).
Editorial Note: Alyssa Gallagheris an experienced public school educator, school and district
administrator, facilitator, and educational consultant. She has successfully led school leadership
teams through the process of using design thinking to solve wicked problems, launched strategic
plans using design thinking, and coached leaders (at all levels of an organization) to embrace the
habits and mindsets of designers to lead more creatively.
Kami Thordarson has worked in many roles as a public educator, from classroom teacher to
professional development and curriculum designer. She enjoys engaging students and teachers
with learning experiences that focus on authenticity and relevance. Kami is involved with the
design thinking movement in K - 12 education; in her current role as an administrator, she works
to lead a district in integrating not only technology but also innovative practices that fully move
students into more personalized learning experiences.
The Military Shelf
The River Battles
Mark Zuehlke
Douglas & McIntyre
c/o Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771622356, $37.95, HC, 480pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In late September 1944, the Emilia-Romagna plain before I Canadian Corps stretched
to the far horizon. It was a a deceptively wide-open space where the tanks could run free.
Throughout British Eighth Army, hopes ran high that once it entered the plain, the Germans
could be driven from Italy. As soon as the advance began, however, the plain's true nature was
revealed: the land was criss-crossed by rivers, canals and drainage ditches over which all the
bridges had been demolished by the Germans.
With higher command urging haste, the Canadians entered a long and nightmarish series of
battles to win crossings over each waterway, whose high banks provided the Germans with
perfect defensive positions. Early fall rains caused rivers to spill their banks and transformed the
countryside into the worst quagmire the soldiers had ever seen.
More than five months of battle followed, with weeks of hard fighting required to advance from
one river to the next. Each month, conditions only worsened, and the casualty rates rose
appallingly. As their comrades fell one by one, most soldiers sought merely to survive. Doing
that much required every measure of stamina, courage and fighting skill they possessed.
The fifth and final Canadian Battle Series volume set in Italy, "The River Battles: Canada's Final
Campaign in World War II Italy "The River Battles: Canada's Final Campaign in World War II
Italy" by Mark Zuehlke tells the story of this campaign's last and hardest months. In riveting
detail and with his trademark "you-are-there" style, Zuehlke shines a light on this forgotten
chapter of Canada's World War II experience.
Critique: Exceedingly detailed, impressively comprehensive, exceptionally informed and
informative, "The River Battles: Canada's Final Campaign in World War II Italy" is an inherently
compelling read and a simply outstanding contribution to the growing library of World War II
histories. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a seven page Bibliography, twenty-six
pages of Notes, a four page Index of Formations, Units, and Corps, and a nine page General
Index, "The River Battles" is unequivocally and unreservedly recommended for personal,
community and academic library World War II collections and supplemental studies reading
lists.
The Computer Shelf
Artificial Intelligence Basics
N. Gupta & R. Mangla
Mercury Learning
www.merclearning.com
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781683925163, $41.95, www.amazon.com
Artificial Intelligence Basics: A Self-Teaching Introduction covers the basics of artificial
intelligence and includes a review of its history and early applications before it moves into the
foundations of its construction and application. Newcomers to the topic will find this a fine
overview of machine learning and different programming approaches, and will especially note
and appreciate the book's attention to typical learning system models, AI programming language
foundations, and examples of common code used for various AI functions. Any student of AI
looking for a basic introduction that moves into more complicated operations will find Artificial
Intelligence Basics an outstanding tutorial.
Mercury Learning
www.merclearning.com
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
O. Campesato's Python 3 for Machine Learning (9781683924951, $51.95) covers basic Python 3
programming concepts, introducing the program's basics as they apply to machine learning, then
covering more advanced machine learning classifiers, code, and theory. The book includes
discussions of expressions, basic programming concepts, and general overviews such as how
classifiers work in machine learning environments. This dual exploration of machine learning
and Python 3 provides programmers with discussions useful for exploring the basics of both and
makes for a solid reference highly recommended for anyone studying either machine learning
concepts and basics or Python 3's intersection with the subject. C.P. Gupta and K.K. Goyal's
Cybersecurity; A Self-Teaching Introduction (9781683924982, $41.95) reviews the basics of
cybersecurity measures and cybercrime topics, covering everything from desktops to grid systems
in a series of discussions of networks, information systems, malicious software, and the obstacles
to their success. Students of cyber security and those seeking a refresher course in the latest
issues receive clear discussions of security policies, standards, cyberlaw, and developing secure
systems that reviews common vulnerabilities, applications, basic concepts and objectives in
development, and more. The result is a primer suitable for introductory study or professional
review which covers the latest concepts, best practices, and the foundations of cybersecurity
measures.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
The Female Gaze
Alicia Malone
https://aliciamalone.com
Mango Publishing
https://mangopublishinggroup.com
9781633538375, $15.99, HC, 236pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: There are movies created with a female perspective. Women have been making movies
since the very beginning of cinema. "The Female Gaze: Essential Movies Made by Women" by
Alicia Malone comprises of a list detailing the essential movies from the past and present made
by women. It also delves into what the female perspective gives to each of the films.
A collection of fascinating biographies under one cover, "The Female Gaze" showcases
brilliantly talented and accomplished women filmmakers that include both world renowned and
obscure filmmakers who have shaped the film industry in ways rarely fully acknowledged.
"The Female Gaze" features the accomplishments of numerous women in film such as Dorothy
Arzner, Ida Lupino, Kathryn Bigelow, Lady Bird's Greta Gerwig and more. It includes the lives
of these women and the struggles they faced carving a place for themselves in the film industry.
It reveals ow these women's unique voices shaped the films they made and influenced all the film
world.
Of special note is an essential list of movies made by women, as well as multiple mini-essays
written by a variety of diverse female film critics, about a woman or a movie made by women
that they love.
Critique: Impressively comprehensive and exceptionally well organized and presented, "The
Female Gaze: Essential Movies Made by Women" is basically an instructive guidebook for
movie lovers who appreciate a feminist perspective on the women who made movies. While
recommended as an essential and core addition to personal, professional, community, and
academic library Film History collections in general, and Movie Directory Biographies
supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for film buffs, film students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Female Gaze:
Essential Movies Made by Women" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$8.99).
Editorial Note: A film reporter, author, and dedicated movie buff, Alicia Malone is a host on
Turner Classic Movies, FilmStruck, The FilmStruck Podcast, and a film correspondent for
Fandango.
The Animated Peter Lorre
Matthew Hahn
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629334608, $40.00, HC, 414pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In the 1940s, no movie show was complete without a cartoon, and no cartoon was
complete without an established character like Bugs Bunny or a caricature of a celebrity like
Jimmy Durante. This tradition continues today in TV shows like The Simpsons (1989).
Peter Lorre is perhaps the most frequently animated movie star of all time. Actors love to play
him, and animators love to draw him. He has been voiced by Mel Blanc, Paul Frees, Daws
Butler, Maurice LaMarche, Rob Paulsen, and Frank Welker. Creators include Tex Avery, Friz
Freleng, Robert McKimson, Robert Clampett, Michael Maltese, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera,
Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, and Tom Ruegger.
Compiled by Matthew Hahn, "The Animated Peter Lorre" is comprised of more than 700
instances of animated cartoons using Lorre's face or voice or both. Often cast as a mad scientist
or a hunchbacked assistant, Lorre has also been seen as a pig, a duck, a fish, a mole, a fox, a toad,
a chameleon, a maggot, a weevil, a ghost, an evil spirit, a monster, a robot, a cyborg, a lamp, and
the cereal mascot Boo Berry.
His animated avatar has played opposite Mr. Magoo, Beany and Cecil, Bozo the Clown,
Snagglepuss, Dick Tracy, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Scooby-Doo, Mighty Mouse, Milton the
Monster, Secret Squirrel, The Beatles, Tiny Toons, Chip 'n Dale, Duckman, The Flintstones,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Count Duckula, Yu-Gi-Oh, Animaniacs, The Tick, Timon &
Pumbaa, Duck Dodgers, Mega Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Harvey Birdman.
He has appeared movies that include Aladdin (1992), Corpse Bride (2005), The Brave Little
Toaster (1987), Stingray (1964), Family Guy (1999), Robot Chicken (2005), Mighty Magiswords
(2015), and The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991).
"The Animated Peter Lorre" includes all known instances of the animated Peter Lorre in
theatrical cartoons, TV shows, commercials, video games, and more, including abandoned
projects, coincidences, connections, and apocrypha.
Critique: Enhanced for Peter Lorre fans, as well as academia, "The Animated Peter Lorre"
includes a six page Bibliography, four pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index -- making it an
ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library
Popular Culture, Animation History, and Theatre/Cinema/TV collections. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of animation history students, classic movie enthusiasts, gamers, pop
culture and history buffs, as well as the legions of Peter Lorre fans that "The Animated Peter
Lorre" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781629334592, $30.00).
The Camping Shelf
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
www.globepequot.com
Mark Warren's 'Secrets of the Forest' series ($24.95 each) opens with Wild Plants and Survival
Lore (9781493045556, $24.95) and comes from an outdoorsman who explains how to identify
and use some hundred wild plants as food, medicine, and for survival. It's a survey that will
interest Scouts and survivalists alike, including over two hundred activities suitable for teachers,
scout leaders, and wilderness program participants alike, and profiles many forgotten skills that
otherwise could only be found in the weighty Foxfire series. With its clear insights for educators
and survivalists alike, this should be considered essential reading for any outdoors-oriented
reader. Fire-Making, Storytelling, and Ceremony (9781493045570) adds the second volume to
the Secrets of the Forest series and covers everything an outdoors person needs to know about
creating fire, from what kinds of trees and dried weeds can make a good fire kit to different
combustion attributes of tinder, how to mix fuel with wood, and how to store a smoldering fire
which can last for days. The broader 'forest' theme takes place in a second section of storytelling
and ceremonies that reinforce survival lessons covering everything from archery and tracking to
outdoor crafts. Collections strong in survival topics or native American outdoors traditions will
find Fire-Making, Storytelling, and Ceremony a powerful addition to Secrets of the Forest.
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
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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