Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / Internet Bookwatch

Internet Bookwatch

Volume 22, Number 3 March 2012 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Cookbook Shelf Photography Shelf
Art Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Psychology Shelf Mythology Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Social Issues Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Political Science Shelf Gaming Shelf Gardening Shelf
Military Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Memoir Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Fiction Shelf
Biography Shelf Philosophy Shelf Civil War Shelf
Geriatric Studies Shelf Anthropology Shelf Education Shelf
Homeowner's Shelf Language Studies Shelf Science Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Library Science Shelf Mathematics Shelf
Business Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf
International Studies Shelf Parenting Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library DVD Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
Automotive Shelf Agriculture Shelf Native American Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Music Shelf
Computer Shelf Technology Shelf Crafts Shelf
Travel Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Self-Help Shelf Relationship Shelf
Law/Justice Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Hobby Shelf
Wine Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Autism Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Fashion Shelf Wisconsin Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Transforming Diaspora
Robin E. Field & Parmita, editors
Farleigh Dickinson University Press
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781611474410, $60.00, www.rlpgbooks.com

More than ever, a hometown is not always home. "Transforming Diaspora: Communities Beyond National Boundaries" discusses the development of diaspora, or the migration of peoples in the modern day. Many thinkers of many cultures come together to give a unique world wide discussion of the topic, offering ideas surrounding the fundamental nature of diaspora, as well as ideas relating to the future diaspora as the world grows smaller and smaller. "Transforming Diaspora" is a much needed discussion of an important aspect of world culture and social issues.

Flying Fear Free
Sandra M. Pollino
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823737, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

It's natural to be a little anxious thousands of feet in the air. "Flying Fear Free: 7 Steps to Relieving Air Travel Anxiety" is a guide for those who have come to dread flying the skies in a world where many careers consist of constant air travel all over the world. From picking a diet to help with it, preparing mentally, and many other habits that can help one conquer the fear and get through the flight, "Flying Fear Free" is a fine choice for anyone who is petrified of flying but needs to do it anyway.

Kamakwie
Kathleen Martin
Red Deer Press
c/o Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited
311 Washington Street
Brighton, MA 02135
9780889954724, $19.95, www.fitzhenry.ca

All people seek a way to make a living, and the people of Sierra Leone are no different. "Kamakwie: Finding Peace, Love, and Injustice in Sierra Leone" is an international issues memoir from Kathleen Martin as she recalls her journey to one of the poorest countries in the world, Sierra Leone. She recalls meeting with the people who struggling against a world that is not letting them succeed, the exploitation of blood diamonds, and much more. "Kamakwie" is packed with full color photos and is a fascinating study on the injustice of the world.

Dreamers
Jerry Ford
Southeast Missouri State University Press
1 University Plaza, MS 2650
Cape Girardeua, MO 63701
9780983050421, $22.00, www6.semo.edu

To reach the big time, you have to start somewhere with a big dream. "Dreamers: Entertainers from Small Town to Big Time" is by music performer Jerry Ford, who shares stories of many nationwide acts getting off the ground in the small towns of Southeast Missouri. Telling each of their stories from small time to the big time with black and white photography all throughout, "Dreamers" is a fine pick for anyone with big dreams of their own and wants to see how others have truly made it.

Greedy Bastards
Dylan Ratigan
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451642223, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Greedy Bastards: How We Can Stop Corporate Communists, Banksters, and Other Vampires from Sucking America Dry comes from an author furious with government corruption and corporate communism, ailing health care, and American dependency upon foreign oil. His goal is to 'take back the country' and here he advocates a political, economic and social system that achieves real change. Any interested in economics, politics, social issues and change will find this a thought-provoking assessment of fundamental American issues and their possible solutions.

Unstuck
Noah Scalin
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760341346, $17.99, www.voyageurpress.com

UNSTUCK: 52 WAYS TO GET AND KEEP YOUR CREATIVITY FLOWING AT HOME, AT WORK & IN YOUR STUDIO offers a toolbox packed with skills to help any get 'unstuck'. Over fifty project prompts are designed for business and personal creative use alike, offering activities that can be done either randomly or regularly, as the muse strikes. Pages also offer room to sketch, journal and document experiences and inspirations, making this a fine gift choice for any who would 'unstick' their creativity!

Gay Men Don't Get Fat
Simon Doonan
Blue Rider Press
5 Kendal Drive, Oberlin, OH 44074-1901
9780399158735, $24.95, www.blueriderpress.com

Gay Men Don't Get Fat provides a fine and fun survey offering light observation of why gays know how to work, play and dress better than anyone. Building on this basic premise, Simon Doonan tells how adopt their techniques, from using step-by-step approaches to building better wardrobes to acquiring a knowledge of cultural trends, tips for building a better self-image, and adopting a more balanced diet. The combination of whimsy and cultural insights makes this a light and fun read recommended for general lending collections.

Greatness: The 16 Characteristics of True Champions
Don Yeager
Center Street
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9781599954288, $23.99, www.centerstreet.com

Greatness: The 16 Characteristics of True Champions offers a survey on personal and professional greatness and how it can be achieved. For over 20 years sports journalist Don Yaeger has asked what makes it possible for people to move from goodness to being truly great. His interviews and discussions revealed some 16 characteristics shared by the best winners of modern times, and are distilled into this book. Anecdotes accompany surveys of characteristics and how lessons gained from these winners can be incorporated into our daily and personal lives for maximum benefit. Any collection strong on self-improvement will find this a solid survey!

Becoming China's Bitch and Nine More Catastrophes We Must Avoid Right Now
Peter D. Kiernan
Turner Publishing Company
200 - 4th Avenue North, Suite 950
Nashville, TN 37219
9781618580054 $27.95 www.turnerpublishing.com

Becoming China's Bitch and Nine More Catastrophes We Must Avoid Right Now: A Manifesto to the Radical Center warns readers of ten threats to the modern American nation and society. In addition to the monumental debt causing America to borrow potentially crippling sums from China, the hot button issues from the extreme radical polarization of both the Democrat and the Republican party, to the aging population (which will ultimate result in budget busing Social Security and Medicare payouts), to the degree to which think tanks draft our laws and create specious arguments to push them through Congress, to the futility of fighting against the eventual legalization of gay marriage, to the massive and economic, health, and life toll that smoking takes, and much more. Written in short, caustic bursts of prose, punctuating its dire warnings with sardonic wit, Becoming China's Bitch is highly recommended as a plain-terms call to all moderates caught within the wrangling of the political left and right to band together, become more aware, and make their voices heard before it's too late. "One best solution is to negotiate unilaterally with China to create a Free Market Distortion Treaty... about how trade imbalances exceeding 50 percent are to be considered unstable long term... let's push for what I call ' Five over Five' - a five percent per year revaluation over five years, depending on certain agreed to measures of trade imbalance and comparable unemployment and GDP growth rates. I prefer an annual review to a one-time increase because it will promote ongoing dialogue and review, it is measured, and the Chinese just might find it palatable."

Honey in Your Heart
Mary Anne Radmacher
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781573244794, $18.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The source of life's inspiration is our experiences, and taking the best out of them. "Honey in Your Heart: Ways to See and Savor the Simple Good Things" is an inspirational read from Mary Anne Radmacher who inspires readers to find the good things in life, telling her own stories of finding the good even when times are bad. With a dose of good humor and soul, "Honey in Your Heart" is a solid addition to any inspirational and motivational collection.

Dreamtime
Sam Pickering
University of South Carolina Press
718 Devine Street
Columbia, SC 29208
9781611170382, $24.95, www.sc.edu/uscpress

Life has a lot happening and it can always prove all too difficult to bring it all into perspective. "Dreamtime: A Happy Book" is a charming delve into human nature as Sam Pickering provides a sort of lyrical prose as he muses on the world with his essays and travels through life and the world. With a sort of infectious optimism, "Dreamtime" is a fine addition to any literary or essays collection, very much recommended reading from a highly experienced writer.

The Mindful Carnivore
Tovar Cerulli
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street,5th Floor
New York, NY 10004
9781605982779, $26.95, www.pegasusbooks.com

What drives a vegan out to kill his own meat? "The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian's Hunt for Sustenance" discusses the concepts of vegetarianism, veganism, and the more typical omnivore diets and their impact on human society, the self, and our health. Tovar Cerulli has been all over the diet spectrum, and has chosen to accept that our sustenance is driven by death, but offers much wisdom in how to gain a better understanding of what eating means. "The Mindful Carnivore" is a fascinating breakdown of the debates surrounding meat.


The Cookbook Shelf

Fresh From the Farmstand
Vickie and JoAnn, editors
Gooseberry Patch
2500 Farmers Dr., # 110, Columbus, OH 43235
9781612810348, $16.95, www.gooseberrypatch.com

"Fresh From the Farmstand: A Gooseberry Patch Cookbook" is the latest cookbook of favorite submitted recipes using garden fresh produce from Gooseberry Patch. Here are countless creative recipes using zucchini, berries, tomatoes, peaches, apples, rhubarb, broccoli, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, and many more favorites. Recipes are divided into six categories - breakfasts, soups and breads, sides and salads, farmstand feasts, appetizers, and desserts. Whether it's Garden Mini Meat Loaves, Easy Broccoli Quiche, or Rhubarb Crunch, there is sure to be a palate-pleasing, enticing recipe to use up all that fabulous fresh produce so bountiful in the warmest months. As usual, recipes are submitted by interested readers from all over North America, and favorite anecdotes or family traditions/history that go along with each recipe are also included in little introductory anecdotes. This helps make every recipe a memory evoker, and a special gift to the cook/reader. Charming sepia and white illustrations delicately decorate the pages in a homey style, making "Fresh From the Farmstand" a sure collection of tried and true family favorites.

Southwest Comfort Food, Slow and Savory
Marilyn Noble
Rio Nuevo Publishers
P.O. Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
9781933855325, $16.95, www.rionuevo.com

"Southwest Comfort Food" is a fantastic collection of Southwestern slow food recipes with tons of taste and nutrition. Beginning with Basics (with information about common ingredients in Southwestern cooking, history, cooking techniques, and tips), recipes are divided in categories of Simmer, Bake, Slow Cook, Barbecue/Smoke, Braise, and Desserts. Spectacular color photographs display star recipes such as Baked Pork Chops with Peach Whiskey Sauce, Chorizo-stuffed Artichokes, Southwest Corn Bread, and many more. Recipes are clearly displayed with ingredients listed and standard measurements on the left side of the page and instructions in paragraphs on the right. Recipes often have interesting background introductory notes. "Southwest Comfort Food" is a great companion to the slow food cooker's collection, with plenty of smoked, barbecued, and special southwestern flavors and secrets of preparation included.

Cross Creek Kitchens, updated edition
Sally Morrison
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813037998, $24.95, www.upf.com

The recipes of home invoke a time long gone past. "Cross Creek Kitchens: Seasonal Recipes and Reflections" is a cookbook from Sally Morrison looking to compile the recipes of Cross Creek and the local flavors that the community had created. This updated edition features over one hundred and fifty recipes with a focus on slow cooking and matching the dish to the season. With illustrations from Kate Barnes spread throughout, "Cross Creek Kitchens" is a choice cookbook, not to be overlooked, highly recommended.

The Twelve Cakes of Christmas
Heln Leach, Mary Browne, Raelene Inglis
Otago University Press
c/o Internatonal Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave., Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781877578199, $40.00, www.isbs.com

Cake has always been a sweet treat for any celebration. "The Twelve Cakes of Christmas: An Evolutionary History with Recipes" is a history of festive cakes complete with recipes as many writers come together and gain a more complete understanding of the origins of festive cakes, leading up to the modern era of fruitcakes and more standard cakes. For anyone with a strong love of cakes, "The Twelve Cakes of Christmas" is an excellent and much recommended pick that shouldn't be overlooked for cookbook collections.

The Art of Indian Sweets
Priya Dasi
Torchlight Publishing
PO Box 52
Badger, CA 93603
9780981727370, $19.95, www.torchlight.com

The sweet tooth is something that is international in scope. "The Art of Indian Sweets" is a cookbook that delves into the artistry of traditional Indian cooking when it comes to sweets and dessert foods. With full color photos accompanying each recipe, it provides a comprehensive step by step instructions as well as some thoughts on the nature of Indian cooking. "The Art of Indian Sweets" is a choice pick for any cookbook trying to expand its range of international recipes.

Secrets of the Tsil Cafe
Thomas Fox Averill
University of New Mexico Press
1312 Basehart Road SE
Albuquerque NM 87106-4363
9780826351128, $19.95, www.unmpress.com

Novels are stories of life, and cooking is a big part of life. "Secrets of the Tsil Cafe" is a unique novel that blends a cookbook between its pages. Wes Hingler, son of Foodies, finds himself stuck between the cooking styles of the Old World and New World, divided by Columbus, as the traditional cooking styles are set against one another. An intriguing, educational, and delectable book, "Secrets of the Tsil Cafe" is an excellent and much recommended pick for both fiction and cooking history collections.

The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread
Laurie Sadowski
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99
Summertown, TN 38483
9781570672620, $14.95, www.thefarm.org/businesses/bpc.html

Adapting to a vegan diet can be difficult when there seems to be animal products everywhere you turn. "The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free" is a guide to bread in all its many forms for the enthusiastic vegan cook, as Laurie Sadowski encourages healthier eating with many allergy free and vegan-friendly dishes that spin bread into a delicious treat. With plenty of recipes to cover any type of bread from typical to dessert style breads, "The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread" is a strong addition to any cookbook collection trying to increase the health of themselves and those they cook for.

The Nepal Cookbook
Association of Nepalis in the Americas
Illustrations by Palden Choedak Oshoe
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393812 $14.95 www.SnowLionPub.com

The Nepal Cookbook collects recipes from the remote nation of Nepal, ranging from delightful festival dishes to favorite daily staples. Traditional Nepali food is known for its ease of preparation and subtle flavors; The Nepal Cookbook offers easy-to-follow recipes for cuisine ranging from appetizers, soups, and lentils to vegetables, meats, pickles, chutneys, rice, breads, and desserts. Individual recipes include "Barbecued Shredded Chicken", "Mushroom and Potato Curry", "Grilled Tomato and Dried Shrimp Chutney", "Mashed Eggplant Pickle", "Nepali Corn Bread", "Crispy Rice Doughnuts" and much more. Nepali cooking methods and ingredients that may be unfamiliar to a Western audience are described and explained at length, making The Nepal Cookbook a user-friendly choice for prospective cross-cultural gourmets. Highly recommended.

Bean by Bean
Crescent Dragonwagon
Workman Publishing
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014
978076113241132417, $15.95, www.workman.com

Beans come in many forms, granting many varieties for the creative chef. "Bean by Bean" is a collection of nearly two hundred bean based recipes from Crescent Dragonwagon, who presents a comprehensive coverage of the legume, from Mexican-inspired cuisine, soups and salads, chili, and even desserts. For anyone with a love of beans in their money forms, "Bean by Bean" is an excellent pick for those seeking to diversify their diet, very much recommended reading.

Professional Cake Decorating, second edition
Toba Garrett
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148
9780470380093, $65.00, www.wiley.com

The artistry of cake has gone far beyond taste alone. "Professional Cake Decorating" is a guide to the latest techniques and recipes behind more creative designs for colorful and majestic cakes. From embroidering to making edible accessories, to allow nearly anything the imagination can create to be made into a cake. "Professional Cake Decorating is a strongly recommended pick for those who want to try their hand at the practice, or perhaps for culinary students who want further reading, it remains an excellent addition to any culinary studies collection. Also from Wiley's Cookbook collections, "Hot & Cheesy" (9780470615355, $22.99) a comprehensive full color cookbook focusing on the ever-versatile cheese.

Alternative Vegan
Dino Sarama Weierman
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604865080, $17.95, www.pmpress.org

You don't need meat to experience the flavors of the world. "Alternative Vegan: International Vegan Fare Straight from the Produce Aisle" is an alternative guide for vegan cooks looking of original recipes that don't rely on meat substitutes for flavor. A fine assortment of international tastes for those with worldwide palettes, "Alternative Vegan" is an excellent pick that shouldn't be overlooked for vegans looking to broaden their horizons.

Carrabba's Italian Grill
Carrabba's
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118197332, $19.99, www.wiley.com

Carrabba's Italian Grill Recipes from Around Our Family Table provides a fine survey of Italian grill cookery and based on the dishes of an establishment in business for over two decades. Over seventy recipes come form generations of family cooking and teach the basics of grilling and producing Italian side dishes. From Seared Scallops with Spinach Orzo to Lobster Macaroni and Cheese and Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine, this pairs lovely color photos with dishes easy to reproduce at home and is a pick for any general lending library.

Grillhouse
Ross Dobson
Lyons Press
c/o Globe Pequot
P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
9780762773787, $27.50, www.LyonsPress.com

GRILLHOUSE: GASTROPUB AT HOME celebrates 'gastropub' fare which blends classic pub dishes with innovations on classic pub dishes. From Apple and Cheddar Pie to Steaks with Green Peppercorn Sauce and Crispy Pork Belly with Apple Sauce and classic Steak and Kidney Pies, this pairs color photos with classic pub dishes highly recommended for any culinary collection.

Jonny Boweden, PhD, CNS and Jeannette Bessinger, CHHC
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1721
9781592334940, $24.99, www.fairwindspress.com

The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth comes from a team who uses wholesome ingredients from fresh fruits and veggies to wild-caught fish and pasture-raised poultry in recipes that skip canned products commonly used in slow cooker recipes. Flavors abound based on spices and seasonings and natural ingredients, while color photos enhance recipes loaded with attraction from Turkey and Fruit-Sweetened Cranberry Sauce Supper to an unusual Pineapple Pepper Chili and Easy Asian Sweet Chili Chicken. Any seeking an alternate slow cooker cookbook that avoids the usual canned products will relish this emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients.

A Well-Seasoned Kitchen
Sally Clayton & Lee Clayton Roper
MLC Publishing
209 Cook Street, Denver, CO 80206-5304
9780984116331, $34.95, www.seasonedkitchen.com

The mother/daughter Colorado team of Sally Clayton and Lee Clayton Roper join forces to provide a cookbook that began with Sally's early-stage memory loss and her daughter's efforts to collect cherished family recipes. Sally passed away as the cookbook was being completed and until now its 186 tested recipes have only been available in Colorado, so it's a pleasure to see this national presentation and a host of appealing dishes from Rack of Lamb with Nut Crust to Apple Cake. Menus are easy to reproduce, perfect for entertaining and loaded with appeal making this title a recommendation for any general cookbook collection.

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

Sarah Billingsley & Rachel Wharton's HANDHELD PIES: DOZENS OF PINT-SIZE SWEETS & SAVORIES (9781452102146, $19.95) features some forty recipes for miniature pies, from pop tarts to tiny cream pies, and pairs stories of pie-makers with tips on preparation, molds, and recipes that fit the miniature pie concept. From structured pies that need a mold or small pan to bake in to the pop tart concept and pies that an be made in jars, this is filled with innovative baking ideas, color photos, and a wide range of recipes you won't find in competing pie books. Coleman Andrews' THE COUNTRY COOKING OF ITALY (9780811866712, $50.00) offers lovely color photos by Hirsheimer and Hamilton and follows on the success of the authors' best-selling COUNTRY COOKING OF IRELAND. It's based on over forty years of traveling and eating in Italy and packs in over two hundred recipes, capturing the foods and traditions of the Italian countryside in dishes and photos. Some of these recipes are little-known outside of Italy, making this a fine compilation discussing technique, culture, and unique dishes. Any cookbook collection - even those with numerous Italian cookbooks already in their holdings - will find this a winner.


The Photography Shelf

Up North
Joe Brandmeier
Tristan Publishing
2300 Louisiana Avenue North, Suite B
Golden Valley, MN 55427
9780931674600, $19.95, www.tristanpublishing.com

The simplicity of nature is enough to make one think. "Up North: Reflections, Moments, & Memories" is a full color compilation of nature photography from Joe Brandmeier as he walks readers through his breath taking photography, with dashes of inspirational thinking about forests from Brandmeier himself as well as major thinkers of history such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Up North" is a choice pick for anyone with a love of nature and nature photography.

Horses: Grace, Beauty, Spirit, & Fire
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua, WI 54548
9781607554844, $19.95, www.amazon.com

The majesty of the horse has always captured the imagination of mankind. "Horses: Grace, Beauty, Spirit, & Fire" is a collection of photography from assorted photographers assembled by Willow Creek Press. With full color photography all the way through with intriguing passages from many thinkers on the equine race, "Horses" is a choice pick for those who have a special fascination with the equine species.

Pictures and People
Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret
Penfield Books
215 Brown Street
Iowa City, IA 52245-5801
9781932043716, $25.00, www.penfieldbooks.com

America still seems so very divided. "Pictures and People: A Search for Visual Truth and Social Justice" is a photographical memoir from Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret as she shares her journey through life and focusing on her experiences on the country divided, and the people who have been impacted by the struggles against a world that doesn't understand perhaps hates them. A fascinating journey through the middle of the twentieth century, "Pictures and People" is a strong pick for biographical and social issues collections, much recommended.

Social Media Marketing for Digital Photographers
Lawrence Chan
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118014127, $29.99, www.wiley.com

Social Media Marketing for Digital Photographers tells photographers how to gain maximum exposure for their work and teaches how to use social media marketing to explore customer wants and needs. From developing a basic photography marketing strategy to exploring specific social media channels and finding out how to promote luxury photography and lucrative paths, how to listen to customer needs, and how to use social media to brand products. Black and white and color photos throughout illustrate the basics of creating marketing content and converting social media fans and friends into clients. Aspiring professional photographers must have this!

Architectural Photography
Adrian Schulz
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
9781933952888, $44.95, www.rockynook.com

Architecture is in itself art, and a photographer must capture the spirit to capture the building. "Architectural Photography: Composition, Capture, and Digital Image Processing" is a guide for those charged with capturing structures in their photographs. Often, architecture calls for much larger shots than most photographers are used to, and lacks a simple subject to pick and build the shot around. From the principles of capturing architecture, the equipment needed, and how after-production can help greatly, "Architectural Photography" is a full color exploration of how to get the most out of a building's photograph, enthusiastically recommended.

Weekend in Havana
Robert A. McCabe
Abbeville Press
137 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013
9780789209276, $18.95, www.abbeville.com

Many Americans think of Havana, the capital of Cuba, as merely a third world cesspit. "Weekend in Havana: An American Photographer in the Forbidden City" follows Robert A. McCabe as he seeks to disprove such notions as he sought to cut through the red tape that is American/Cuban relations to embark on a trip through the city and capture the spirit of the people who live their lives as people above all else. Presented in full color with notations in English, Spanish, and in Greek, "Weekend in Havana" is an important and thought provoking book for coffee table book selections or international photography collections in general.


The Art Shelf

Awakening Creativity
Lily Yeh
New Village Press
PO Box 3049
Oakland, CA 94609
9780981559377, $34.95, www.newvillagepress.net

Art is in all of us, and the best seek to encourage it in others. "Awakening Creativity: Dandelion School Blossoms" is a chronicle of author Lily Yeh's journeys, offered as an example for encourage art all over the world. Focusing on her campaign in China, where she got an abandoned factory converted to encourage local middle school students, and helped them find artistic expression. Presented in full color and plenty of example art works throughout, "Awakening Creativity" is a choice pick for any educational collection dedicated to promoting the arts.

Martin Kline: Romantic Nature
Martin Kline
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
74-2 Union Street
Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953485, $50.00, www.hudsonhills.com

In a flow of everything, there is truly something worth seeing. "Martin Kline: Romantic Nature" is a self-titled collection of art from Kline, who has tried to find beauty in many things that most people wouldn't dare to look. His use of imperfections and flow in greater things seeks to beg the question of how things may be similar yet so different. Full color with additional essays on the artwork, "Martin Kline" is an excellent addition to any collection focusing on modern art, and worth considering for coffee table book collections.

Voyages to the New World and Beyond
Gordon Miller
Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebeck Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
9781553655732, $55.00, www.douglas-mcintyre.com

To Be at sea for months was a risk many took to find their own fortune. "Voyages to the New World and Beyond" is an illustrated history of the age of exploration, focusing on art works throughout the period that told the story of the journeys of Columbus, Cook, Vasco da Gama, and many other individuals who dared to see what lied beyond the known world. The artwork of Gordon Miller is crafted with dedicated historical authenticity. Full color and majestic pictures that capture the struggles of the men who embarked on these long journeys, Miller crafts an educational and awe-inspiring experience, which serves well as both a history lesson and coffee table selection. "Voyages to the New World and Beyond" is a strongly recommended pick for any art and history collection.

The Pot Book
Edmund De Waal
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780714847993, $49.95, www.phaidon.com

The crafting of pots was once utility with some art thrown in, but pottery has evolved into an art form all of its own. "The Pot Book" is a collection of art all through history, covering a wide array of pottery from the first creations of man, the inspiration of the ancient worlds of China and Rome, to the many creative spins of the modern day where it has began to take on a whole new meaning. Presented in full color with detailed information on each entry, "The Pot Book" is an ideal coffee table book for those with a love for the art style and for general artistic reference collections.

Cover and Uncover
Eric Cameron
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
9781552385340, $49.95, www.uofcpress.com

Art without philosophy isn't really art. "Cover and Uncover: Eric Cameron" discusses the work of the Canadian artist as many artistic scholars come together under the leadership of Editor Ann Davis to provide dedicated study to the mans work and the thoughts behind them. Discussing both his unique works of arts and his writing, these art thinkers provide an insightful analysis. With color where applicable in photos, "Cover and Uncover" is a strongly recommended addition to any artistic studies collections in community and college libraries.

Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
www.hudsonhills.com

Marylyn Dintenfass' commissioned paintings and sculptures contributed to her great achievement constructing the sculpture at Parallel Park in Fort Myers Florida, and Aliza Edelman, et.al.'s MARYLYN DINTENFASS: PARALLEL PARK (9781555953461, $55.00) celebrates the extent of her work and its place in the public art arena. An introductory essay by Aliza Edelman provides the author's background and cultural influences while a particularly enlightening account by Barbara Anderson Hill, Art Consultant to the City of Fort Myers Public Art Program, documents the process by which Dintenfass was commissioned to work with Fort Myers on her production. Color plates of the gallery exhibition and the construction of the sculptures makes this a powerful, highly recommended documentation of the entire process of public art from the artistic to the political levels, recommended for any arts collection. Jack Parsons' DARK BEAUTY: PHOTOGRAPHS OF NEW MEXICO (9781555953706, $60.00) offers a lovely catalog featuring not only Parson's color photos, but the people and landscapes of New Mexico. It covers many byroads and side places not usually seen in other coverages of more common New Mexico destinations, and is a fine example of not only landscape art but New Mexico's diversity. Any collection strong in regional American portraits will find this a fine pick!

Participate
Helen Armstrong & Zvezdana Stojmirovic
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781616890254, $24.95, www.papress.com

PARTICIPATE: DESIGNING WITH USER-GENERATED CONTENT could also have been featured in our Computer Shelf section for its solid application to website and internet design, but offers a wider-reaching survey of how the design shifts sparked by Internet objectives actually affect the industry as a whole. PARTICIPATE considers historical and modern models of design that discuss how designers can lead the newly changed generation of design objectives, and deserves a spot in arts and computer sections alike.


The American History Shelf

Blood and Bone
Jack Shuler
University of South Carolina Press
718 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29208
www.sc.edu/uscpress
9781611170481, $29.95, www.amazon.com

The history of the 1960s Civil Rights movement in the south was a savage, violent, bloody conflict between defenders of white racial superiority against advocates of racial integration and equality. On the night of February 8, 1968, South Carolina state highway patrolmen fired on civil rights demonstrators in front of South Carolina State College, a historically black institution in the town of Orangeburg. Three young black men--Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton, and Henry Smith--were killed, and twenty-seven other protestors were injured. "Blood and Bone: Truth and Reconciliation in a Southern Town" by Orangeburg native Jack Shuler is an informed and informative, 248-page, historical compendium focused upon why these tragic events came about in the way they did, and how those events continue to impact upon members of the community more than forty years later. Of special note is the author's insights into how such historical events such as Slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, racial bigotry, and the Civil Rights movement continues to affect the lives of the Orangeburg citizenry to this day -- and what it might foretell for future generations. An impressive work of scholarship, written with a narrative flair and regard for historical accuracy, "Blood and Bone: Truth and Reconciliation in a Southern Town" is highly recommended reading and a core addition to the growing body of literature on 20th Century race relations in the American South.

Alpha Phi Alpha
Gregory S. Parks & Stefan M. Bradley, editor
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street
Lexington, KY 40508-4008
9780813134215, $39.95, www.kentuckypress.com

Although founded by black men seeking to escape oppression, Alpha Phi Alpha sought unity for all of mankind, regardless of color. "Alpha Phi Alpha: A Legacy of Greatness, the Demands of Transcendence" discusses the history behind this fraternity founded in 1906 in Cornell University, with a legacy of many black intellectuals following its ideals throughout the twentieth century and into today. An intriguing chronicle on the fraternity's impact on these men, and its impact on overall society. "Alpha Phi Alpha" is a fascinating study of the links that bring great minds together.

From Liberation to Conquest
Bonnie M. Miller
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558499249, $29.95, www.,umass.edu.umpress

From Liberation to Conquest: The Visual and Popular Cultures of the Spanish-American War of 1898 explores how the American people supported the nation's entry into the Spanish-American War of 1898, which led to U.S. imperial expansion into the Caribbean and pacific. It was the country's media makers who fueled public excitement in the Cuban crisis, and this book analyzes the media representations of U.S. actions during the conquest from liberation to conquest, showing how it provided 'real world entertainment' by dramatizing events for the American public. Any U.S. history or military collection will find this solid scholarship.

Lost Kingdom
Julia Flynn Siler
Atlantic Monthly
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway
New York, NY 10003-4793
9780802120014 $30.00 www.groveatlantic.com

Lost Kingdom: Hawaii's Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America's First Imperial Adventure is an in-depth historical chronicle of the final decades of the Hawaiian kingdom, culminating in its annexation to America, much to the misery of its final sovereign, Queen Lili'uokalani. Queen Lili'u's predecessors had already traded away many of the monarchy's rights, and left her with a staggering family debt when she gained power. She struggled against the sugar barons who controlled more and more Hawaiian land, seeking to create a constitution that would strengthen her power. Other factions sought annexation, though President Cleveland opposed such a brazen move; yet it was ultimately not the will of the sugar barons, but rather the Spanish-American War that transformed Hawaii into an indispensable strategic asset and forced the issue. Extensively researched, and presented in a style accessible to scholars and lay readers alike, Lost Kingdom is a fascinating chronicle of the Hawaiian Kingdom's end and legacy, and is especially recommended for public and college library American History collections.

The American Experience
Erik Bruun & Jay Crosby
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
9781579129071, $22.95, www.workman.com

In what's approaching two hundred and fifty years, America has amassed a lot of culture. "The American Experience: The History and Culture of the United States" chronicles the bits and pieces of media that make up what is America, culturally, politically, and much more. From documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, to major poems and songs, landmark court cases, Baseball, and so much more, "The American Experience" is a fascinating reference and summary of the American people, very much recommended reading.


The World History Shelf

Learning from the Secret Past
Robert Dover & Michael S. Goodman, editors
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
9781589017702, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

After war ends, those with power want to make damn sure it doesn't simply just begin again. "Learning from the Secret Past: Cases in British Intelligence History" delves through the past fifty years of recently unclassified British intelligence history, highlighting important operations and actions throughout the period. Many writers on intelligence, including intelligence officers, government officials and many scholars, "Learning from the Secret Past" is a strongly recommended pick for those who want to better understand the importance and impact of modern espionage.

Classic Beauty
Gabriela Hernandez
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road
Atglen, PA 19310
9780764336904, $49.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Beauty has driven mankind throughout all of its existence. "Classical Beauty: The History of Makeup" is a stroll through history both ancient and modern, as author Gabriela Hernandez discusses make up and its strong role in human beauty. From the earliest mans and its attempts to add color to their lives to the modern era where the make up of the famous can empower social movements, make up provides an interesting focus of history and mankind's fascination with appearance. "Classical Beauty" is packed cover to cover with full color photos, an excellent pick for social history collections or coffee table book selections.

Leisure, fourth edition
John R. Kelly
Sagamore Publishing
1807 N. Federal Drive
Urbana, IL 61801-1051
9781571676405, $69.96, www.sagamorepub.com

Leisure is a break from the grind, and is more necessary than most would admit. "Leisure" is the fourth edition covering the history of this important aspect of human life, updated for current data covering how people spend their leisure time and embrace their time with to themselves. John R. Kelly continues his study and offers a psychology to it all, offering an explanation why it is so important to our studies of life and its challenges. "Leisure" is a choice pick for anthropology, social issues, and general history collections, offering a strong and highly recommended scholarly work.

A Line in the Sand
James Barr
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393070651, $29.95, www.wwnorton.com

A Line in the Sand: The Anglo-French Struggle for the Middle East, 1914-1948 is a best-seller in the U.K. and provides a blend of political and historic insights into how the Middle East came to be divided up between Britain and France in wartime London in 1915. It's not a dry document but provides a lively examination as it chronicles politics, espionage, terrorism and revenge and moves around the world in a lively dance documenting interactions between world politicians and others. Highly recommended for any Middle East history collection, it chronicles the foundations of many of today's conflicts and is a 'must' for any who would understand Middle East history and culture.

The Royal Stuarts
Allan Massie
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780312581756, $26.99, www.stmartins.com

THE ROYAL STUARTS: A HISTORY OF THE FAMILY THAT SHAPED BRITAIN provides a lively account of the Stuart family, with a violent history of backstabbing, betrayal and more. The Stuarts ruled Scotland for over 300 years and Britain and Ireland for over a century, with wide-reaching influence on the political milestones in British history. This surveys the family's famous members and explores the entire line and is a special recommendation for any collection strong in British history and culture.

Vanished Kingdoms
Norman Davies
Viking Press
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670022731, $40.00, www.penguin.com

VANISHED KINGDOMS: THE RISE AND FALL OF STATES AND NATIONS charts how states and empires rise, fall and vanish and provides an in-depth examination that seeks to challenge our interpretation of the past. It comes from a historian whose histories of Europe and the U.K. have all been best-selling picks and is a recommendation not just for college-level history shelves, but for many a general lending collection. From alternative paths history might have taken in Europe to how the world would be different were it not for a key event, this is an intriguing collection of alternative scenarios!


The Psychology Shelf

On Loss and Losing
Melvyn L. Fein
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842501 $39.95 www.transactionpub.com

On Loss and Losing: Beyond the Medical Model of Personal Distress is an extensive analysis of human psychological motivations, both on an individual and on a societal level, particularly with regard to suffering from loss or distress. Author Melvyn L. Fein (professor of sociology, Kennesaw State University, Georgia) goes far beyond simply dissecting the experience of grief. Chapters explore topics such as flaws in rationality that are more common to those of higher or lower economic station (for example, successful individuals are more susceptible to flattery, while impoverished individuals tend to be worse at impulse control and long-term planning), the personality factors that affect success or failure in long-term relationships, how the imposition of morality can be a double-edged sword in promoting societal survival, and much more. Ultimately, On Loss and Losing attacks the widespread assumption that personal suffering comes primarily from biological sources, purporting that modern assessments all too often neglect the social causes of human loss, suffering, and distress. "Unhappiness is not a disease. If someone's misery is caused by sickness, doctors can help, but if it is caused by loss and losing, they can do little... In suggesting to a patient that his or her discomforts result from disease, the implication is that they should be cured by medical interventions.... The victim is expected to do as the physician recommends, while eagerly awaiting the promised conclusion. Yet if resocialization is the sovereign remedy for loss and losing, this can delay improvements. Patients who accept the disease model will not understand that they must be active in navigating the process of overcoming their distress." On Loss and Losing is an invaluable, "must-have" resource for both college library and professional psychology shelves, yet its plain-terms approach to its scholarly subject render it accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Readers will gain a much greater appreciation for what lays the groundwork for successfully recovering from loss or forming a stable relationship, whether between individuals, factions, or societies, in this fascinating, compelling, and down-to-earth treatise, worthy of the highest recommendation.

Money and Psychotherapy
Richard Trachtman
NASW Press
750 First Street, NE, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20002-4241
9780781014214, $27.99, www.naswpress.org

Money can control our lives. "Money and Psychotherapy: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals" is a discussion of money and the impact it has on the psyche, a subject Richard Trachtman writes is usually considered taboo, but argues it must be talked about to provide the best discussion possible. From what a financial history, how it can change people, alter relationships, and much more, "Money and Psychotherapy" is very much recommended reading for any psychotherapist who wants to better understand the vast way money or lack of it can change a worldview and how to act accordingly.

Understanding Early Childhood Mental Health
Susan Janko Summers & Rachel Chazen-Cohen
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624
Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598570755, $39.95, www.brookespublishing.com

When the mind is forming and learning, it is the most vulnerable. "Understanding Early Childhood Mental Health: A Practical Guide for Professionals" is a guide for pediatricians and other health workers on understanding the mind of an infant and toddler and understanding the indicators of early mental health issues in children, as well as issues in that parents face, fatigue, and much more. An important topic that isn't spoken of often, "Understanding Early Childhood Mental Health" is a choice and recommended pick for health and psychology collections.


The Mythology Shelf

Encyclopedia of Demons
Theresa Bane
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786463602, $75.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Evil creatures beyond nature and humanity have been known throughout history. "Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures" is a unique reference delving into the massive mythologies of the world, discussing the traits and elements that the demons share throughout the world. Going world wide in its scope, for anyone curious about the slew of demons in the world, covering the mythology of Christianity, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, and much more. With detailed descriptions of each spirits origin, and its cousins of other cultures, "Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures" is a fine pick for literary reference collections, enthusiastically recommended.


The Christian Studies Shelf

In Search Of The Whole
John C. Haughey, SJ
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781589017818, $29.95, www.amazon.com

The Jesuit Society of the Roman Catholic Church is deeply associated with Catholic higher education with an approach that emphasizes an intertwined relationship of academic rigor and spiritual development within the context of Catholic doctrine. "In Search of the Whole: Twelve Essays on Faith and Academic Life" is a 232-page compendium featuring twelve major essays by expert contributors in the field of higher education which have knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by John C. Haughey, SJ (Senior Fellow, Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University). Organized into two major sections (Whole as Task; Whole as Identity), identifying, illustrating, exploring, and analyzing the meaning of 'catholic' in 'Catholic higher education'. Diversely informed and informative, "In Search of the Whole: Twelve Essays on Faith and Academic Life" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to academic library Christian Studies in general, and Catholic Education reference collections and supplemental reading lists in particular.

The Struggles of Caregiving
Nell E. Noonan
Upper Room Books
PO Box 340003
Nashville, TN 37203-0003
9780835810913, $10.00, www.upperroom.org

Caring for another can always prove somewhat difficult. "The Struggles of Caregiving" is a prayer book as Nell E. Noonan presents 28 days of prayer aimed at those who are struggling to put together their own struggles with caring for another while maintaining one's own struggles with their soul. "The Struggles of Caregiving" is a solid and much recommended read for spirituality and Christian collections.

And Jesus Said
Henry Michaelson
Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 754
Huntsville, AR 72740
9781886940314, $14.00, www.ozarkmt.com

The questions we ask of others lead to questions of the self. "And Jesus Said" blends Christian philosophy with new age philosophy as Henry Michaelson explores his own conversations with Christ and offers food for thought for those trying to gain a more complete understanding of faith and our own search for wholeness. "And Jesus Said" is a strong pick for metaphysical thinkers who want to understand Christ better by understanding themselves.

Altar'd
Jennifer Kennedy Dean
New Hope Publishers
PO Box 830711
Birmingham, AL 35283-0711
9781596693319, $14.99, www.newhopepublishers.com

As we try to put together our lives, a bit of faith can give what's needed to live life at full speed. "Altar'd : Experience the Power of Resurrection" is an inspirational Christian read from Jennifer Kennedy Dean as she encourages readers to find the altars of their life, and use forty days to reinvigorate their connections to those altars and their faith, pushing for greater reflection and considering scripture. "Altar'd" is a fine read with plenty of ideals to consider for Christians who have lost sights of those bases in their lives.

14 Secrets to Better Relationships
Dave Earley
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
9781616262297, $9.99, www.barbourbooks.com

The ideas behind faith can lead us all to better belief and better faith in our lives. "14 Secrets to Better Relationships: Powerful Principles from the Bible" is a guide to better Christian relationships. Encouraging partners to forge a bond through acceptance and forgiveness, stand by one another through the hard times, Pastor Dave Early encourages any budding relationship to embrace these ideals. "14 Secrets to Better Relationships" is a choice pick for Christians who want to make that relationship matter all the more.

The Lives of the Saints
Jacques Duquesne & Francois Lebrette
Duquesne University Press
600 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15282
9780820704364, $29.95, www.dupress.duq.edu

Inspiration often comes from those who do great deeds, and Saints have been proven responsible for many of those. "The Lives of the Saints: Through 100 Masterpieces" chronicles the lives of many saints of the Christian faith, telling their stories and their endeavors of faith, along with a historic full color art work of said individual. "The Lives of the Saints" is a riveting compilation of classical art with an educational walk through Christian history, making for a very much recommended addition to Christian and Art collections.

Women of Faith
Richard E. Turley Jr. & Brittany A. Chapman
Deseret Books
PO Box 30178
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0178
9781606410332, $34.99, www.deseretbook.com

Women are vital in keeping the wheels of faith turning through history. "Women of Faith in the Latter Days" is the first volume of a series looking to the women who are vital to the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and helped establish the faith through its times of hardship. It follows women who are already commonly revered within the faith, to those lesser known but exalted as models of faith. "Women of Faith in the Latter Days" is a fine pick for Christian studies collections with a focus on Mormonism.

The Bible, Disability, and the Church
Amos Yong
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802866080, $20.00, www.eerdmans.com

What is the view of the disabled in scripture? "The Bible, Disability, and the Church: A New Vision of the People of God" discusses the place that people of disability have in the views of the Bible, as Amos Young presents a more comprehensive view of the world through these problems and how to understand God's plan for the world. "The Bible, Disability, and the Church" is a fascinating and thought provoking discussion of disabilities and Christianity, very much recommended for Christian studies collections.

The Resignation of Eve
Jim Henderson
Barna
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414337302, $14.99, www.tyndale.com

Enthusiasm is not infinite. "The Resignation of Eve: What if Adam's Rib is No Longer Willing to be the Church's Backbone" discussions the disillusionment many women often feel with the Christian church. Jim Henderson writes that many women may be on the brink of leaving their church or the faith entirely, and states that remembering the soul of women is something many churches can do to promote renewed faith in today's world that can often be daunting. "The Resignation of Eve" is a choice and recommended pick for any Christian leader.

The Desert Fathers
Peter H. Gorg
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339
Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586174453, $16.95, www.ignatius.com

When Christianity was young, those seeking the embrace the new faith turned to escape the lands of Rome as much as they could. "The Desert Fathers: Saint Anthony and the Beginnings of Monasticism" tells the story of these early Christians who chose the desert to approach spiritual life and create the concepts of the Christian monk, and form a basis for many Christian thinkers to follow with. "The Desert Fathers" is an excellent pick for any who wants to understand the complexity of early Christianity.

Godly Seed
Allan Carlson
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842617, $29.95, www.transactionpub.com

Godly Seed: American Evangelicals Confront Birth Control, 1873-1973 examines the history and process by which evangelical leaders eventually moved from being against contraception to accepting birth control and even briefly abortion. It uncovers a relatively little-known segment of evangelical history and Christian religion, exploring shifts in arguments and interests in the early Church and following the religious movement's influences and changing interpretations of the Bible. Any Christian collection strong in Christian social history will find this a scholarly survey that fills in many gaps.

Readings from the Edges
Jean-Pierre Ruiz
Orbis Books
Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302
9781570759444, $28.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Readings from the Edges: The Bible and People on the Move comes from a Hispanic scholar who connects the migration of peoples with Biblical texts, connecting the immigrant experience to Biblical experience and weaving together accounts of migration, exile, and cultural and social identity with Biblical perspectives. The result is a survey especially recommended for Hispanic collections examining Christian history and identity from a Hispanic viewpoint.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Ordinary Sacred
Kent Nerburn
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way
Novato, CA 94949
9781608680771, $14.00, www.newworldlibrary.com

The little events in life can lead us to a wonderful place in our lives. "Ordinary Sacred: The Simple Beauty of Everyday Life" is an inspirational read from Kent Nerburn as he advises readers on the many aspects of life and how they should be appreciated for those who want to find something worth loving out of life. Powerful and recommended reading for those seeking fine inspiration, "Ordinary Sacred" is a strong and much recommended pick, not to be missed.

Making Zen Your Own
Janet Jiryu Abels
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144
9780861717026, $16.95, www.wisdompubs.org

The lessons of the Zen masters offer wisdom for even those of other faiths. "Making Zen Your Own: Giving Life to Twelve Key Golden Age Ancestors" discusses the lives of the twelve key Chinese Zen masters, and the lessons learned from their lives, as author Janet Jiryu Abels encourages readers to draw from their own stories and apply it to their own lives. "Making Zen Your Own" is a strong and recommended pick for spirituality collections.

The Angels & Their Mission
Jean Danielou
Sophia Institute Press
PO Box 5284, Manchester, NH 03108
9781933184463, $13.95, www.sophiainstitute.com

Angels have been cast as messengers, guardians, and warriors, but why are they, truly? "The Angels & Their Mission" is a theological discussion of angels and their purpose throughout the history of the faith, and their roles in the place of mortal man. A fascinating history on the evolution of the angel in the eyes of man and the church, "The Angels & Their Mission" is a fascinating and strongly recommended pick for any who want to truly understand the Biblical angel.

The Complete Gospel Parallels
Arthur J. Dewey & Robert J. Miller
Polebridge Press
900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301
9781598150353, $45.00, www.polebridgepress.com

Faith can be used to gain a greater understanding of faith. "The Complete Gospel Parallels" is a studious read from Arthur Dewey and Robert Miller, offering a one-volume synopsis of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Thomas, Peter, and some fragments of other Gospels (such as the Jewish-Christian Gospels of the Hebrews and Nazoreans, the Egerton Gospel, and more). A Scholars Version translation arranged to allow close comparison of parallel passages while gaining a more complete and thorough understanding of Biblical events, "The Complete Gospel Parallels" is highly recommended for any student of the scripture, be they scholar or non specialist general reader.

The Temple of Solomon
James Wasserman
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street
Rochester, VT 05767
9781594772207, $29.95, www.innertraditions.com

One of the most holy of sites for the followers of the religions of Abraham, the Temple of Solomon has a rich and ancient history. "The Temple of Solomon" traces the history of this monument, as James Wasserman provides an intriguing and complex study of the site as a pathway to God, a base for the Crusades, and its modern role as a religious monument. With colorful paintings, illustrations, and photographs all throughout, "The Temple of Solomon" is a strongly recommended pick for community and library religion and history collections.


The Social Issues Shelf

Our Black Year
Maggie Anderson
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th Street, #1321
New York, NY 10107
9781610390248, $25.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

Giving back to your community can often prove difficult if there's no community to give to. "Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy" is a unique memoir of social issues from Maggie Anderson, who writes of her family's efforts to buy only from black owned businesses for one year. In the process, she discovers that black businesses lag behind other ethnicities in their prominence in industry. Urging readers to encourage business through support of black business, "Our Black Year" is an intriguing discussion of business and the struggle for African American businesses to succeed.

Dream of a Nation
Tyson Miller, editor
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9780615482262, $29.95, www.chelseagreen.com

The future of the country will not be determined by one individual, but the desires of a nation. "Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America" is a collection of essays compiled by Tyson Miller as he brings together many thoughts who speak on many vital issues facing the country. From problems of politics, the need for education, environmental issues, unemployment, economics, and much more, "Dream of a Nation" is a worthy read, and its proceeds will go towards the Civil Society movement.

Human Transit
Jarrett Walker
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
9781597269728, $70.00, www.islandpress.org

With more and more people in cities, public transportation becomes more important than ever. "Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking About Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives" discusses the importance of public transportation in meeting the growing need of urban centers in today's world. Jarrett Walker explains this important ideal and how to better implement it in today's cities and how they can help communities grow socially and economically. "Human Transit" is a choice addition for any social issues or urban development collection.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Girl Who Was on Fire
Leah Wilson, editor
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781936661589, $12.95, www.benbellabooks.com

Good stories do far more than entertain you. "The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins Hunger Games Trilogy" discusses the novels that have inspired the soon to be released major feature film 'The Hunger Games'. Discussing the philosophy that lies beneath the film, the characters within, and allegories of society, Leah Wilson and sixteen other writers of young adult fiction come together and provide much to think about with the work. "The Girl Who Was on Fire" is well worth considering for fans of the work.

Dogs in Books
Catherine Britton
Mark Batty Publisher
68 Jay Street, Suite 410, Brooklyn, NY 11201
9781935613404, $14.95, www.markbattypublisher.com

DOGS IN BOOKS: A CELEBRATION OF DOG ILLUSTRATION THROUGH THE AGES celebrates the role of dogs in literature and is a fun celebration of a range of literary canines, from Lassie and Toto to White Fang and more. It comes from the British Library's archives, examines the personas and roles of dogs in different stories, and is packed with classic illustrations culled from dog stories over the decades. Arts as well as literary holdings will find this an attraction.


The Political Science Shelf

Uprising
John Nichols
Nation Books
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10003
9781568587035 $15.99 www.nationbooks.org

Uprising: How Wisconsin Renewed the Politics of Protest, from Madison to Wall Street is a close study of recent politically charged events in Wisconsin culminating in a petition of one million signatures demanding a recall election to remove Governor Scott Walker. This mobilization of an unprecedented proportion of a state's voters reflected widespread outrage against Walker's attacks on the collective bargaining rights of state unions, tax breaks to multinational corporations, and cuts to education and other services. At its height, the uprising had hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites protesting in the streets and occupying the state capitol; their efforts arguably contributed to inspiring the Occupy Wall Street movement. Journalist John Nichols explores the history behind this popular uprising, its rationales, and its potential legacy for the future of far more than just one state. Uprising is not a politically neutral account; it harshly criticizes Walker's policies for allegedly placing greater burdens on the majority of Wisconsinites while conferring advantages to Walker's cronies - for example, refusing to accept funds to bring wireless internet service to rural Wisconsin areas was in the interests of broadband companies, while refusing to accept money to fund a competing high- speed rail transportation system benefitted automotive-related companies. Uprising ultimately tells the true story of fed-up Americans who feel increasingly squeezed by the wealthiest minority, and state policies that tax the rich less and less while demanding more and more of the middle class and poor to make up the shortfall. Highly recommended.

Wisconsin Uprising: Labor Fights Back
Michael D. Yates, editor
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W
New York, NY 10001
9781583672808 $18.95 www.monthlyreview.org

Wisconsin Uprising: Labor Fights Back is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing one of the most surprising American political events of 2011: the en masse protests against Wisconsin governor Scott Walker's attempt to strip union members of their collective bargaining rights. In a modern era of declining union membership and power in America, this adamant yet peaceful movement was a startling turn of events, with a long-term impact that has yet to be fully resolved (as of this writing, Governor Walker will very likely have to face a recall election in the near future). Individual essays include "Who Were the Leaders of the Wisconsin Uprising?", "What Can We Learn from Wisconsin?", "Marching Away from the Cold War", "Building Communities of Solidarity from Madison to Bend", and much more. An excellent, in-depth cross-analysis of a highly current expression of the ongoing labor struggle, Wisconsin Uprising is a highly recommended addition especially for public and college library collections.

Lineages of Political Society
Partha Chatterjee
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231158138, $27.50, http://cup.columbia.edu

Democracy has much to do to live up to what it's trumped up as. "Lineages of Political Society" discusses the future of democracy as Partha Chatterjee, an honorary professor of political science and anthropology, discusses the reality of democracy and its introduction outside the western world, discussing its reality and critiquing its use all throughout. Offering a level headed analysis of world politics that plays no favor, "Lineages of Political Society" is a fascinating look at international politics and the reality of democracy through the world.

Strategic Vision
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465029549, $26.00, www.basicbooks.com

STRATEGIC VISION: AMERICA AND THE CRISIS OF GLOBAL POWER comes from a former National Security Advisor and considers the cause and effect of ongoing shifts in global power, and the role America should plan to foster global stability in the decades to come. Chapters consider the current crisis of changing global power and shifts from West to East, examining the political and international environments involved and showing how American action can re-vitalize America's economy and place in the world. Any political studies holding should have this!


The Gaming Shelf

More Hold'em Wisdom For All Players
Daniel Negreanu
Cardoza Publishing
5473 South Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89119
www.cardozapub.com
1580422241, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Daniel Negreanu is one of professional poker's star players. Entertaining, affable, and very highly thought of by his peers in the professional poker community, Daniel Negreanu has always been a welcome and welcoming source of tips, techniques, and commentaries designed to help amateur players to improve their game. His first instructional guide "Hold'em Wisdom For All Players" (Cardoza Publishing, 9781580422109, $14.95) has been a 'best seller' in the poker community since its first publication in 1977. What players may not know is that in 2008 Daniel published a sequel that has proven to be still another invaluable and indispensable guide for anyone aspiring to improve their game. "More Hold'em Wisdom For All Players" features a wealth of experience tested tips organized into four sections: Winning Tournaments with Smart Play; Playing Your Players, Your Position and (Oh, Yes) Your Cards; Betting and Bluffing with No Fear; and What's the Best play? Using Poker Wisdom as Your Guide. A 176-page compendium of true poker wisdom, "More Hold'em Wisdom For All Players" reads just like Daniel talks -- lively, humorous, informed, informative, and an absolute 'must' for any and every dedicated fan of No Limit Texas Hold'em!

Tap, Move, Shake
Todd Moore
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastapol, CA 95472
9781449303457, $29.99, www.oreilly.com

Limitations of size have revolutionized gaming in their own way. "Tap, Move, Shake: Turning Your Game Ideas into iPhone & iPad Apps" is a guide to creating one's own games for mobile devices, in particular the iPhone and iPad, using the tools that the OSes provide for game creators. From building a game from scratch, adding sound and graphics, and building an AI, "Tap, Move, Shake" is a comprehensive read for aspiring hobbyist game developers of many forms, sure to help one make their ideas a reality.


The Gardening Shelf

Gardening: The Complete Guide
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way
Saddle River, NJ 07450-2311
9781580115438, $21.95, www.creativehomeowner.com

Gardening can prove to be a fruitful and compelling hobby. "Gardening: The Complete Guide" is a complete and comprehensive manual for those who want to embark on gardening as a long term endeavor. From the many options of gardening from simply flowers for their beauty and scent to food crops of many sorts, this full color guide explains the many practices needed to make a truly wonderful and productive garden that adds great color to one's land. "Gardening: The Complete Guide" is an excellent starting point for any aspiring gardener.

Gardening as a Sacred Art
Jeremy Naydler
Floris Books
c/o Myrick Marketing & Media
455 Sam Ridley Parkway West, PMB 248
Smyrna, TN 37167
9780863158346, $35.00, www.myrickmarketing.com

The serenity of a garden is one that will surely catch the eyes of many. "Gardening as a Sacred Art" explores the history of gardening through the writing of Jeremy Naydler as he presents a fascinating exploration of how gardening has been an art, support the beauty o f countless structures and places. A study of the beauty of gardens and how to embrace them fully, "Gardening as a Sacred Art" is a fine pick with a mixture of black and white and color artwork all throughout to make it a visual treat.

The Holistic Orchard
Michael Phillips
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781933392134, $39.95, www.chelseagreen.com

THE HOLISTIC ORCHARD: TREE FRUITS AND BERRIES THE BIOLOGICAL WAY tells how to grow a small-scale orchard of tree fruits and berries and offers basic knowledge for aspiring fruit growers who would avoid chemical solutions to common problems. From pairing varieties with climate to basic horticultural skills and companion planting measures, this teaches how to grow tree fruits and berries under the best conditions and offer individual chapters on all the major pome fruits and woody berries. Newcomers to organic techniques, in particular, will relish the clear and specific instructions in a title recommended for any general home gardening library.


The Military Shelf

The Operators
Michael Hastings
Blue Rider Press
alieen.boyle@us.penguingroup.com
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780399159886 $27.95 www.penguin.com www.theblueriderpress.com

Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Story of America's War in Afghanistan lives up to its title with firsthand, behind-the-scenes reporting of the deadly and chaotic conflict. Author and "Rolling Stone" journalist Michael Hastings gained notoriety when his piece including open attacks on the Obama administration by General Stanley McChrystal led to Gen. McChrystal's abrupt and unceremonious firing; The Operators goes much further in unveiling bickering, high-risk operations, heroism, and corruption. Ultimately, The Operators warns against the perils and endlessly leeching costs of a War on Terror with muddied goals; despite all the civilian and American blood shed in Afghanistan, Osama Bin Laden was ultimately nowhere within the territory; he'd been hiding all along inside a wealthy suburb of Pakistan, allegedly a nation allied with America. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.

Monty and Rommel
Peter Caddick-Adams
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781590207253, $35.00, www.overlookpress.com

A worthy opponent is one that doesn't go down after one battle. "Monty and Rommel: Parallel Lives" traces the history behind these two great generals of the Second World War. Bernard Montgomery led British forces to clash with Erwin Rommel of Germany throughout the second World War. Peter Caddick-Adams shows that both men followed a similar path through their lives and training, serving in the first World War, inspired by their leaders and more. "Monty and Rommel" is a fascinating perspective on two great leaders in war, complete with maps and photographs throughout.

Steel Calvary
Lee Windsor
Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330
Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
9780864926579, $18.95, www.gooselane.com

Speed has always been important war, even when it's tons of steel. "Steel Calvary: The 8th (New Brunswick) Hussars and the Italian Campaign" discusses the tank duels of Europe in World War II, as the 8th (New Brunswick) Hussars proved to be an exceedingly competent regiment of tanks throughout the war. Telling their history of how the regiment modernized from horses to cars to motorcycles to finally armored behemoths, "Steel Calvary" is a fine bit of history, very much recommended.

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

Gordon L. Rottman's THE M16 (9781849086905, $17.95) joins others in Osprey's 'Weapon' series and provides illustrated examinations of a range of operational and historical design and deployment activities surrounding the M16. The M16 is one of the most controversial rifles ever introduced, with a long history of design defects and cleaning difficulties. Discussions take into account the pros and cons of the M16 and analyzes its history and features, and comes from a Vietnam Special Forces veteran. Any serious military equipment analysis needs this! Savin Mortimer's SAS IN WORLD WAR II: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY (9781849086462, $25.95) provides a fine re-creation of war history during 1941 when a young Scots Guard officer persuaded MEHQ to give its backing to sixty men who were to perform the initial SAS raids against Axis airfields and throughout the war. The SAS's formative years are documented in a fine exploration based on Mortimer's expertise and rare access to the SAS Regimental Archives. Interviews with surviving veterans make this a winning history key to any in-depth World War II military library! Osamu Tagaya's AICHI 99 KANBAKU 'VAL' UNITS 1937-42 (9781841769127, $22.95) joins others in Osprey's 'Combat Aircraft' series to explore the Imperial Japanese Navy's carrier bomber force from 1941 plus. Its design and deployment made it an effective, powerful figure in all the great carrier battles during the first year of the Pacific War, and this book pairs vintage black and white photos with history to provide a fine in-depth coverage of the bomber's experiences.

How the End Begins
Ron Rosenbaum
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781416594215, $28.00, www.simonandschuster.com

HOW THE END BEGINS: THE ROAD TO A NUCLEAR WORLD WAR III is a powerful account recommended for any military collection and many a science fiction holding - but its contents are researched nonfiction, not the stuff of fantasy. It provides documentation and analysis of how close - and often - the world has come to nuclear annihilation and why we're once again at the brink, offering insights into war game strategies, underground nuclear command structures, missiles, and the system involved in nuclear launch failsafes. The close attention to specific scenarios and dangers makes for an appealing, involving title.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Understanding the Sociology of Health, second edition
Anne-Marie Barry & Chris Yuill
SAGE Publications
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412936231, $52.00, www.sagepub.co.uk

Our social environment may have very real implications on health. "Understanding the Sociology of Health" discusses the social aspects of illness, the impact that society can have on the health of the individual. Discussing the theories behind the relation, the advancement of medicine, ethnicity and race and its impacts, and the development of chronic illness within a community, authors Anne-Marie Barry & Chris Yuill offer an insightful and educational analysis that sometimes proves surprising. With indexes, glossaries, and graphs all throughout, "Understanding the Sociology of Health" is a vital addition to any community and college health and social studies collections.

Advancing Oral Health in America
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9780309186308, $63.00, www.nap.edu

Good dental health is more than cosmetic. "Advancing Oral Health in America" is a scholarly discussion on how to better promote oral health in America, exploring the facts that oral health has strong links to general health that are not commonly known. Discussing the struggles of the modern dental care system, the workforce, and the hand that the department of health and human services has on the advancement of better dental care, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies provides another comprehensive and scholarly overview of a vital debate over the future of health care. A sidebar to the health care debate that very much must not be overlooked, "Advancing Oral Health in America" is a strong addition to any health issues collections or social issues collections in general, highly recommended.

Living Well with Pain & Illness
Vidyamala Burch
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue
Louisville, CO 80027
9781591797470, $15.95, www.soundstrue.com

Pain is in the mind, and one can train themselves to overcome it. "Living Well with Pain & Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself from Suffering" is a spiritual and health manual from Vidyamala Burch as she discusses her own spinal injuries and the Chronic pain that followed. Through her writing, she advises how she conquered her pain and got her life back, and advises readers on how to better cope with their own chronic pain, be it migraines, arthritis, or other ailments. "Living Well with Pain & Illness" is a fine pick for any looking for ways to beat their own pain.

Quick Check Foods Facts
Barron's Editorial Staff
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438000107, $6.99, www.barronseduc.com

There's a lot of health info to keep under control for those trying to eat a healthier life. "Quick Check Foods Facts" is a guide to those are seeking to eat healthier, providing a comprehensive reference on many foods, with tips and knowledge to keep in mind when dining out, and what foods to avoid and when. "Quick Check Foods Facts" is an excellent and much recommended read for health and nutrition general information collections.

Scared Sick
Robin Karr-Morse & Meredith S. Wiley
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue, New York NY 10016
9780465013548, $26.99, www.basicbooks.com

SCARED SICK: THE ROLE OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA IN ADULT DISEASE comes from a family therapist and a lawyer who together show how the body's fear response in the first thousand days of life lies at the root of many physical and mental illnesses. It's the first book to show how childhood trauma physically alters the body's immune systems and sets the stage for adulthood disease patterns currently attributed to aging and genetics, and uses previously unconnected psychological research to show the wide-ranging effects of chronic fear. Any health or psychology collection as well as general lending libraries will find this invaluable!

A Man's Guide to Muscle and Strength
Stephen Cabral
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
1450402208, $19.95, www.humankinetics.com

A Man's Guide to Muscle and Strength: Transform Your Body in 6 Weeks offers serious programs to develop muscle strength and size, and is packed with step-by-step black and white photos demonstrating workouts. It comes from a personal trainer who focuses on nine proven six-week programs for muscle-building and covers all the basics of building mass, strength, agility and overall conditioning. Each program can also be easily customized to fit one's lifestyle. A fine pick for any sports collection!

A Lethal Inheritance
Victoria Costello
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616144661, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

A LETHAL INHERITANCE: A MOTHER UNCOVERS THE SCIENCE BEHIND THREE GENERATIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS tells of the author's family, where mental illness had been given different names over at least four generations until her own children were endangered by misinformation. It blends autobiography, science, and health issues in recounting how the mental unraveling of her teen son prompted her to more closely examine her family history, there to uncover subtle clues to an insidious mental illness trait. Her struggles to obtain mental health care and treatment that ultimately resulted in full recovery makes for a powerful survey highly recommended for general and mental health collections alike.

Unlock your Muscle Gene
Ori Hofmekler
North Atlantic Books
PO Box 12327
Berkeley, CA 94712
9781583943090, $17.95, www.northatlanticbooks.com

The genetics for muscle growth are there, but they may be hiding from us. "Unlock Your Muscle Gene: Trigger the Biological Mechanisms That Transform Your Body and Extend Your Life" is a health guide from Ori Hofmekler, who encourages readers to seek their own way of building muscle that can lead to greater health in the long term, that embraces a certain bit of youth. "Unlock Your Muscle Gene" is very much worth considering for anyone who wants to move towards a longer life.


The Memoir Shelf

A Kosher Dating Odyssey
Van Wallach
CoffeeTown Press
PO Box 70515, Seattle, WA 98127
9781603811323, $12.95, www.coffeetownpress.com

The faith divide isn't as big as we sometimes think, but it is still there. "A Kosher Dating Odyssey: One Former Texas Baptist's Quest for a Naughty & Nice Jewish Girl" is a blend of humor and memoir from Van Wallach, a man born to Baptist and Jewish parents, seeking a woman like mom, as he seeks a Jewish girl to complement his raised as Baptist faith. A humorous exploration of cross-faith dating, "A Kosher Dating Odyssey" is a strong pick for any humor, memoir, or relationship collections.

Free Me from My Cage
Aubrianna Rose
Balboa Press
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300
Bloomington, IN 47403
9781452537924, $17.95, www.balboapress.com

One mistake can lead one to a crisis of faith. "Free Me from My Cage" is an inspirational memoir as author Aubrianna Rose shares her struggles of her horror story marriage and how she let herself rot in despair before finally gaining the courage to free herself. "Free Me from My Cage" is a strongly recommended read about a serious issue of trying to pull oneself out of a destructive relationship.

Planting Dandelions
Kyran Pittman
Riverhead Books
c/o Penguin
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781594485626, $15.00, www.penguin.com

Family life is anything but normal. "Planting Dandelions: Field Notes from a Semi-Domesticated Life" is a memoir from Kyran Pittman as she recollects her unique journey through life as a wife and mother in domestic life which to her has proven to be anything put. From pursuing romance with after pregnancy with the pressures of parenthood, dealing with economic fears and much more, she comes with frank knowledge and humor all throughout. "Planting Dandelions" is a fine pick for those seeking a fine memoir of life's pressures, highly recommended.

The Beauty of Poverty
Yolisa Dlepu
Dorrance Publishing
701 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
9781434910554, $28.00, www.dorrancebookstore.com

With nothing, it can hard to find something worth cherishing. "The Beauty of Poverty" is a memoir from Yolisa Dlepu, as she recalls coming up from absolutely nothing as a child in South Africa, but through family and faith, she had something truly special in her life nonetheless. Telling her story, her mother's story, and much more, "The Beauty of Poverty" is a positive and faithful read, much recommended.

Born Mad
Robyn Wheeler
Balboa Press
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300
Bloomington, IN 47403
9781452536408, $11.95, www.bornmad.org

Life long depression is a set back, but it can be overcome. "Born Mad" is a memoir of motivation, as Robyn Wheeler writes of her battles with her diagnosis of dysthymia, a mild form of depression that strikes chronically and throughout one's entire life. A story of faith and finding the drive to conquer depression, suicidal tendencies, and much more, "Born Mad" is a thoughtful tale with a very positive message, much recommended.

Joining Africa
Charles Cantalupo
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860368, $27.95, www.msupress.msu.edu

Africa is an often misunderstood place in the western world. "Joining Africa: From Anthills to Asmara" is a traveling memoir from Charles Cantalupo as he shares a personal journey of a New Jersey man who chose to embark on a twenty year journey into Africa to gain a better understanding of the many cultures and people who call the place home. Offering a western and knowledgeable study of this mysterious subject, "Joining Africa" is a strongly recommended pick for community library collections focusing on African cultural studies.

Cider with Rosie
Laurie Lee
David R. Godine, Publisher
PO Box 450
Jaffrey, NH 03452
9781567923551, $15.95, www.godine.com

As we march into adulthood, we look back on what shaped us. "Cider with Rosie" is a republication of the 1959 classical memoir from Laurie Lee, a young man of Gloucestershire, a small town in Britain. From a single mother and a big lot of siblings, the memoir is a charming look at the loss of innocence into a world of understanding. "Cider with Rosie" is a choice for literary memoir collections, and collections focusing on classical works of the twentieth century.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Complete Guide to Puppy Care
Stacy Kennedy
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, Third & Union Avenue
Neptune City, NJ 07753
9780793837274, $24.95, www.tfh.com

Just like humans in infancy, puppies need gentle and caring care. "Complete Guide to Puppy Care: Everything you Need to Know to have a Happy, Healthy, Well-trained Puppy" is a guide for new puppy owners on how to make sure the cute ball of fuzz grows into a lovable dog that is properly cared for and remains healthy throughout its life. From choosing proper breeds to proper training, as well as many practical problems, "Complete Guide to Puppy Care" is a fine pick for anyone who is considering puppy ownership and wants to know what they are getting into.

Venomous Reptiles of the United States, Canada and Northern Mexico V. 2
Carl H. Ernst and Evelyn M. Ernst
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9780801898761, $75.00, www.press.jhu.edu

The second volume of the comprehensive herpetology reference Venomous Reptiles of the United States, Canada and Northern Mexico is a 'must' recommendation for any college-level science holding serious about herpetology. It completely revises their reference VENOMOUS REPTILES OF NORTH AMERICA and includes the authors' research as well as data descriptions and stories from other references. General background information on Crotalus includes specific details on rattlesnake behavior, with each species including color photos, range maps, and specific discussions. Packed with bibliographic references and the latest research, these two volumes together are a 'must'.

Veterinary Infection Prevention and Control
Linda Caveney, Barbara Jones, Kimberly Ellis
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780813815343, $59.99 www.wiley.com

Veterinary Infection Prevention and Control gathers articles key to infection surveillance and control in the veterinary setting and outlines steps for implementing an infection control program for veterinary practices and hospitals. From specific infection prevention strategies in a vet setting to standard procedures for infection control, this includes a companion website with review questions and answers and more resources, and is a pick for vet students and practitioners alike.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Key Financial Market Concepts, second edition
Bob Steiner
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780273750123, $29.99, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Key Financial Market Concepts: The 100 Terms Every Finance Professional Needs To Know" by financial expert Bob Steiner (Managing Director of Markets International Ltd.) is a 328-page compendium of deftly organized and presented financial concepts, formulas and definitions that are fundamentally important to master with respect to today's volatile financial markets both in the United States and abroad. An essential instructional reference for anyone dealing with stocks, bonds, interest yield calculations, and more, "Key Financial Market Concepts" will prove to be an indispensable and invaluable addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library 'Money & Finance' reference book collections.

How the Stock Market Works, fourth edition
Michael Becket
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749464028, $17.95, www.koganpageusa.com

The market plays a big part in today's market, but it can quite difficult to understand for the layman. "How the Stock Market Works: A Beginner's Guide to Investment" explores the Stock Market and how one breaks into investing and wisely playing it for their own fortunes. This fourth edition is updated with the latest stock watches and what to look out for the in future. Explaining the basics and how to break into the game, as well as playing it safe and not turning it into a gambling bet, "How the Stock Market Works" is a fine pick for business and personal finance collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Paradise Misplaced
Sylvia Montgomery Shaw
Swedenborg Publishers
320 North Church Street
West Chester, PA 19380
9780877853411, $15.95, www.swedenborg.com

As justice seems lost, one man must drive to make the difference. "Paradise Misplaced" is the first book of Sylvia Montgomery Shaw's trilogy surrounding the Mexican Revolution. Benjamin Nyman Vizcarra finds himself wrongfully accused and imprisoned, faced with a serious decision to run away from it all, or fight to prove his innocence and claim the woman he loves. "Paradise Misplaced" is an excellent and much recommended pick for historical fiction collections.

Restoration
Olaf Olafsson
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062065650, $14.99, www.harpercollins.com

One off the beaten path decision places Alice in front of a wave of humanity. "Restoration" follows the story of Alice Orsini, who marries into a family of landowners and sets her thoughts to restoring a villa on the fringe. But as World War II begins to break out, she finds many people struggling to survive and a particularly artist catching her eye. "Restoration" is a fine work of historical and literary fiction, a choice pick for anyone looking for a soulful and person driven tale with a dose of romance, highly recommended.

Messengers
David L. Arnett
Unity Books
1901 NW Blue Parkway
Unity Village, MO 64065-0001
9780871593559, $24.95, www.unitybooks.org

When all logic declares your survival impossible, it becomes hard to accept it as is. "Messengers" follows Jake Daniels as a vicious accident leaves him somehow alive. Having a vision of a woman saving his life, he believes her to be his angel, and leaves the life he had in her efforts to find the truth of what happened to him, and in the process asks the questions of the world, finding himself straddling between the angels and demons of the world. "Messengers" is an excellent pick of spiritual fiction that offers many questions of faith and our place in the world.

Where Wildflowers Bloom
Ann Shorey
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 E Fulton
Ada, MI 49301
9780800720742, $14.99, www.revellbooks.com

After war strikes, the desire to move can be strong. "Where Wildflowers Bloom" is a historical romance, following the heartbreak of Faith Lindberg, a woman who wants to travel west after the war takes her family and love from her. Having to debate her grandfather to leave the family's ancestral home, she finds an old love who she thought dead returning, but she also finds that the love may no longer there. "Where Wildflowers Bloom" is a thoughtful exploration of post-civil war America and what was expected of a lady, highly recommended.

The Dave Store Massacre
Ron Ebest
Academy Chicago Publishers
363 West Erie Street
Chicago, IL 60610
9780897336147, $17.95, www.academychicago.com

Murder can be funny. "The Dave Store Massacre" is a novel from Ron Ebest taking notes on modern concerns and reflecting on history, as he tells the story of a clash between unions and the growing might of enterprise, the Dave Store, an encompassing retail outlet. A comedy with plenty of unique characters that happens to spiral into mass murder, "The Dave Store Massacre" is a humorous and much recommended addition to general fiction collections. Also from Academy Chicago Publishers is "The H-Bomb and the Jesus Rock" (9780897336116, $17.95) another off-beat take on modern issues with history blended in.

Country of the Bad Wolfes
James Carlos Blake
Cinco Puntos Press
701 Texas Avenue, El Paso, TX 79901
9781935955030, $16.95, www.cincopuntos.com

The pursuit of fortune is all too often not without bloodshed. "Country of the Bad Wolfes" is a novel following twin brothers as they head towards Mexico from New Hampshire, during Mexico's chaotic years before its ultimate independence and revolution. A story of power and what will be done to keep it, author James Carlos Blake puts together a historical novel packed cover to cover with intrigue. "Country of the Bad Wolfes" is a fine and much recommended addition to any historical fiction collection.

Out of the Gray
Manoucher Parvin
Ibex Publishers
PO Box 30087, Bethesda, MD 20824
9781588140791, $24.00, www.ibexpublishers.com

As we try to understand the complex psyche, we are only left with more questions. "Out of the Gray: A Concerto for Neurons and Synapses" is a novel from Manoucher Parvin as he creates a story of a neuroscientist and social scientist who both try to look for the ultimate explanation of human behavior, rushing against time. A riveting novel that blends many aspects of life and our struggles, "Out of the Gray" is an excellent read with plenty to consider, very much recommended reading.

Land of Painted Caves
Jean M. Auel
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780553289435, $8.99, www.bantamdell.com

This conclusion of the long-running saga Earth's Children is a top pick for any fan of the prehistoric romance between Ayla and Jondalar. The two have an infant daughter and are living with the Zelandoii in the Ninth Cave. Ayla is an acolyte to a spiritual leader and begins training tasks that need to blend with her newfound family obligations. But Jondalar is drifting away from her. A powerful, unexpected conclusion provides a satisfying, consistent ending to this passionate series, recommended for any fiction collection seeing popularity with the past novels.

Mathematics: A Novel
Jacques Roubaud
Dalkey Archive Press
University of Illinois
1805 S. Wright Street, MC-011
Champaign, IL 61820
9781564786838 $14.95 www.dalkeyarchive.com

Third in Oulipo member Jacques Roubaud's "Great Fire of London" series, Mathematics: A Novel blends elements of fiction and memoir into a moving whole. Superbly translated from the original French, Mathematics: A Novel tells of the role of mathematics in attempting to understanding the complexities of life, from fear to the artist's struggle to craft to the loss of loved ones. Peppered with vivid anecdotes, Mathematics: A Novel is a superb literary experience, and an excellent jump-on point to enjoy Roubaud's literary saga.

After Tears
Niq Mhongo
Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Building 19
Athens, OH 45701
9780821419847, $18.95, www.ohioswallow.com

A lie can make everything seem so joyous and wonderful. "After Tears" is a novel of world fiction from African author Niq Mhongo, as he creates a story of Bafana Kuzwayo, a young man who fails at law school, returns home to a family that expected success and he finds himself unable to correct them. As the lie grows bigger, he is faced to solidify the lie, or let the truth be known, and the consequences of each may be bigger than him. "After Tears" is a fine pick for literary and world fiction collections, highly recommended.

The World of a Few Minutes Ago
Jack Driscoll
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building
4809 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814336120, $18.95, http://wsupress.wayne.edu

It can be hard to keep up with a world that is radically different by the day. "The World of a Few Minutes Ago" is a collection of short stories from Jack Driscoll, seeking to go through our world and try to understand our many questions and confusions we have about our world. With a good dose of thought and common sense approached all throughout, "The World of a Few Minutes Ago" is a fine assortment from an experienced and multiple award-winning writer.


The Biography Shelf

Archibald G. Brown: Spurgeon's Successor
Iain H. Murray
Banner of Truth
PO Box 621
Carlisle, PA 17013
9781848711396, $29.00, www.banneroftruth.org

To leave wealth and serve faith is a sacrifice not everyone can make. "Archibald G. Brown: Spurgeon's Successor" tells the story of this son of a banker and trader who used what he was given to build a church that could serve the East End of London well, that helped the people that were struggling in this modernizing period of London. Spending his life serving as a fiery preacher promoting sympathy and kindness to the people, "Archibald G. Brown" is a strong addition to any biography collection focusing on the impacts that Christians can make.

Ima Hogg
Virginia Bernhard
Texas State Historical Association
1155 Union Circle #311580
Denton, TX 76203-5017
9780876112458, $15.95, www.TSHAonline.org

Some individuals aren't satisfied with being in the shadow of a famous relative. "Ima Hogg: The Governor's Daughter" tells the story of the daughter of Texas Governor James Stephen Hogg, who sought to make her own mark through good will and promoting American and Texas history, as well as art and caring for the mentally ill. "Ima Hogg" is a fine biography with a strong message, not to be overlooked.

Herge, Son of TinTin
Benoit Peeters
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9781421404547, $29.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Tina A. Kover translates a fine biography that delves into the psyche of Herge, creator of TinTin, in a survey that appears in English for the first time. Given that the new TinTin movie has made an impact in theatres, this should see much popularity with American audiences. Peeters was the last person to interview Herge, and provides the complete story of how the TinTin character evolved. Differences between Herge's private personality and his public persona are explored in a fine coverage packed with anecdotes and perceptions: a 'must' for any TinTin or Herge fan.

From Slave to State Legislator
David A. Joens
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809330584 $34.95 www.siu.edu/~siupress

From Slave to State Legislator: John W.E. Thomas, Illinois' First African American Lawmaker is a full-length biography of a man who took the American Dream to virtually unprecedented heights. Beginning as a slave owned by a doctor's family in Alabama, John W.E. Thomas (1847?-1899) became a wealthy and well-known attorney committed to improving the lives of those in his community. He played a key role in the passage of Illinois' first civil rights act, yet his legacy has been sadly neglected by history. From Slave to State Legislator remedies this with a carefully researched, in-depth account accessible to scholars and lay readers alike. An excellent choice for public, high school, and college library biography collections, From Slave to State Legislator is ultimately the inspirational true story of the life of an incredibly extraordinary American.

Molotov: Stalin's Cold Warrior
Geoffrey Roberts
Potomac Books, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166-2012
9781574889451, $29.95, www.potomacbooksinc.com

The right hand men of the world are what can make the bigger picture flow forward. "Molotov: Stalin's Cold Warrior" discusses the role of Vyacheslav Molotov, Stalin's right hand man, who is credited with many of the happenings surrounding Stalin and who made sure Stalin's wishes came to be. But like many of Stalin's allies, he came to conflict with him, facing conflicts of family, and even with the Soviet state attempting to organize a coup against Nikita Khrushchev in 1957. "Molotov" is a fascinating read about a major player in the Soviet Union's formative years.

Tyndale
David Teems
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000
Nashville, TN 37214
9781595552211, $15.99, www.thomasnelson.com

To understand the word of God was once a sin. "Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God An English Voice" is a biography of William Tyndale, a man who got himself labeled a heretic for daring to translate the Holy Bible into the English of the time. At the time, the Catholic Church's control on the faith was absolute, and the scripture was to only be in Latin. Tyndale's actions came in the time of Henry the VIII, a time that both helped and fought against his goal. "Tyndale" is a riveting read of Christian history, and a history of the written English language as well, enthusiastically recommended.


The Philosophy Shelf

Tolle Lege
Richard C. Taylor, et al.
Marquette University Press
Memorial Library 166
1415 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53201-3141
www.marquette.edu/mupress
9780874628074, $36.00, www.amazon.com

Jesuit Roland Teske has been a significant scholar in the field of medieval philosophy and especially noted for his impressive scholarship and seminal work in that specialized field of academia. The latest addition to the outstanding Marquette University Press 'Marquette Studies in Philosophy' series, "Tolle Lege: Essays on Augustine and on Medieval Philosophy in Honor of Roland J. Teske, SJ" is a 394-page compendium of fourteen scholarly essays on the theological and metaphysical themes in the works of St. Augustine and the medieval philosophers that built upon the body of his recorded thought. The contributors are all experts in their fields. Under the knowledgeably editorship of Richard C. Taylor, David Twetten, and Michael Wreen, "Tolle Lege" is an important and valued contribution which should be considered an essential addition to academic library "Medieval Studies", "Augustinian Studies", and "History of Philosophy" reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Parmenides, Venerable and Awesome
Nestor-Luis Cordero
Parmenides Publishing
3753 Howard Hughes Parkway, #200
Las Vegas, NV 89169
9781930972339, $65.00, www.parmenides.com

Many ancient thinkers can be tracked back through history, as patriarchs of higher thought. "Parmenides, Venerable and Awesome: Proceedings of the International Symposium" discusses the most vital work of Parmenides, 'On Nature', an epic poem that sprawls deeply, and spoke of many topics that were not extensively discussed prior to his time. Many writers come together and offer an extensive study of the philosophers work, aimed at college level students and non-specialist general readers alike. "Parmenides" is a vital addition to history and philosophy collections.

Readings in Political Philosophy
Diane Jeske & Richard Fumerton, editor
Broadview Press
2215 Kenmore Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14207
9781551117652, $64.95, www.broadviewpress.com

Philosophy was once what one man could learn about the world, but it has grown so complex that it is far beyond that in the modern world. "Readings in Political Philosophy: Theory and Applications" is a collection of essays written throughout the past two hundred years from a slew of writers, with names such as Thomas Hobbes and Milton Friedman, as well classical philosophers such as Plato. This wide stretch of history lends to the many debates that still rings true today, discussing the rights to free speech and a free life, as well as a right to human rights. A scholarly collection from the greatest minds in history from every thought and spectrum, "Readings in Political Philosophy" is a vital addition to community and college library collections that look to add a cornerstone to their philosophy, politics, and history collections.


The Civil War Shelf

Lee's Cavalrymen
Edward G. Longacre
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806142302 $26.95 www.oupress.com

Lee's Cavalrymen: A History of the Mounted Forces of the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861- 1865 is a meticulous, scholarly scrutiny of the horse-mounted troops of the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. From notable traits of the regiments, brigades, and divisions of the cavalry, to how cavalry leadership changed as the war went on (including studies of influential cavalry commanders such as J.E.B. Stuart, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee, and more), to thoughtful analysis of the mounted army's organization and tactics, Lee's Cavalrymen thoroughly examines the military history and legacy of these distinctive warriors. An excellent choice for public library Civil War history collections, Lee's Cavalrymen is highly recommended.

Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles
Walton Rawls, editor
Abbeville Press
137 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013
9780789210647, $29.95, www.abbeville.com

On both sides of the Mason Dixon Line, there were men who went beyond the call of duty. "Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles" discusses the major heroes of the American civil war in command of both the Union and Confederate armies. Packed with drawings, paintings, reproductions of newspapers of the era, color where applicable, Walton Rawls compiles a series of histories from dedicated writers surrounding the major heroes of the era, granting each a thorough biography. "Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles" is a strongly recommended read for military and history collections, highly recommended.


The Geriatric Studies Shelf

Leisure & Aging
Heather J. Gibson & Jerome F. Singleton
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9780736094324, $59.00, www.HumanKinetics.com

Relaxation is a need that never fades as we age. "Leisure and Aging: Theory and Practice" discusses the need for leisure and relaxation as the human body and mind ages. Many thinkers come together and discuss why we require leisure and the effects of aging and their impact through cultures around the world. Discussing its impact on health both physical and mental, across ethnicity, sex, and sexual orientation, concerns of long term care, and tourism, "Leisure and Aging" proves to be a scholarly break down with plenty to consider for those in charge of caring for seniors or for non-specialist general readers.


The Anthropology Shelf

Fatness And The Maternal Body
Maya Unnithan-Kumar & Soraya Tremayne
Berghahn Books
150 Broadway, Suite 812, NY, NY 10038
www.berghahnbooks.com
9780857451224, $75.00, www.amazon.com

The newest edition (Volume 22) to Berghahn Books outstanding 'Fertility, Reproduction and Sexuality' series, "Fatness and the Maternal Body: Women's Experiences of Corporeality and the Shaping of Social Policy" is a 248-page compendium that has been knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of academician Maya Unnithan-Kumar (Reader in Social Anthropology, University of Sussex, England) and social anthropologist Soraya Tremayne (Research Associate, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford, England). The focus for the contributing authors of the eleven essays comprising "Fatness And The Maternal Body" is upon the phenomena of obesity as a rising global health problem and the cultural perceptions associated with body shape, size, and heft in the context of human reproduction and motherhood, social values and morality, health policy implications, and biomedical findings with respect to being overweight. Informed and informative, "Fatness And The Maternal Body" is a seminal collection of impressively presented scholarship and a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Cultural Mobilities
Pascal Gin and Walter Moser, editors
University of Ottawa Press
542 King Edward
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5
9782760307711 $29.95 www.press.uottawa.ca

A bilingual study with each essay presented in both English and French, Cultural Mobilities: A Cross-Perspective Between Brazil and Canada explores how modern-day mobility, from ease of transportation to international shipping to electronic communication, has affected human cultural dynamics. A diversity of scholars from both Canada and Brazil contribute their insights on the phenomena with respect to the fields of urban geography, visual arts, film, literature, dance, and journalism. "It is art's capacity to communicate across and through difference that is central to the new 'expediency of culture'... The notion that culture is a 'resource' is an expression of globalization that arises out of the erosion of the nation-state, the complex interface of global economic interests and the concomitant neo-liberal doctrines that support these interests." A thoughtful, in-depth examination of cross-cultural evolution, Cultural Mobilities is highly recommended for college library social science collections.

The Incas
Craig Morris & Adriana von Hagen
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500289440, $26.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Although defeated by disease and greater technology, it would be foolish to call the society of the Incas strictly primitive. "The Incas" discusses this complex culture that came to dominate central and south America under its empires before the Europeans came. Over a difficult landscape, their empire dwarfed any other in ancient America, and was creating a revolution of thought all its own, with many ideas and thoughts that should be considered by European-originated thinkers. "The Incas" is a strong pick for any intrigued with ancient cultures and their civilizations.


The Education Shelf

Lifelines Intervention book & DVD
Maureen Underwood, L.C.S.W., Judith Springer, Psy.D.,
and Michelle Ann-Rish Scott, M.S.W, Ph.D.
in Partnership with the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
Hazelden Foundation
PO Box 11
Center City, MN 55012-0011
9781616491574 $149.00 www.hazelden.org

Lifelines Intervention: Helping Students At Risk for Suicide is a combination instructional guidebook and DVD resource (37 min., with a teaching guide on CD-ROM to help explain and clarify the videos), designed especially to help educational instructors identify threats or signs of at-risk students, and prevent suicides. A team of experts give practical, grounded advice on how to determine the students who are most at risk (with extra detail given to specific high-risk student populations: bullied students, members of sexual minorities, and students in gifted education programs), how to prepare and conduct an assessment interview, how to engage parents, making effective referrals, and more. An accessible, plain-terms discussion of a deadly serious issue, Lifelines Intervention is an absolute "must-have" for all modern school systems, public and private, and should be part of the educational and orientation program for every school faculty member. "...a relevant concern in our understanding of suicidal youth is whether or not they understand the consequences of death. Most suicidal kids simply equate being dead with not feeling so bad anymore, not with being gone from this life forever. In fact, what most youth do lack is an appreciation for the finality of death. Because most teens have limited exposure to the death of people with whom they are close, their imaginings of death may be that it is simply a different, changed version of life."

Media Literacy
Frank W. Baker
International Society for Technology in Education
180 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300
Eugene, OR 97401-2916
9781564843074, $35.95, www.iste.org

We're surrounded by media, but far too many of us tune it out as white noise. "Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom" is an education and technology guide from Frank W. Baker encouraging teachers to help students take in the media around them thoughtfully instead of turning their minds off. Covering many mediums from television to music to the internet among others, it covers suggestions on how to increase media literacy no matter the student's place in the educational curriculum. "Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom" is a solid addition to any educational collection and teacher who wants their students to understand the media barrage in their lives.

College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities
Chris Wise Tiedemann
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813
Waco, TX 76714-8813
9781593638610, $18.95, www.prufrock.com

When the body is failing, the mind must flourish. "College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities" is a collection of advice and wisdom for students with physical disabilities who want to continue their academic careers into college. Not every university in America is currently equipped to help physically disabled students, and Chris Wise Tiedemann walks these students through the colleges that can help them and what they should know to make the most out of their educational experience. "College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities" is a strong pick for any future college freshman who needs a little assistance to maximize their potential.

Financing American Higher Education in the Era of Globalization
William Zumeta & Collaborators
Harvard Education Press
8 Story Street, 1st floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
9781612501253, $29.95, www.harvardeducationpress.org

Education is what will keep America competitive in today's vicious market place. "Financing American Higher Education in the Era of Globalization" discusses the growing pressures American higher education faces and what stands in front of its success. Tying educational viability and success to individual opportunity and economics, William Zumeta and his league of collaborators come together to prove a scholarly and strongly recommended breakdown on the future and importance of American education. "Financing American Higher Education in the Era of Globalization" is a sage and much recommended pick for community and library educational studies collections.

Into the Classroom
Rosalyn McKeown
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
9781572338166, $14.95, www.utpress.org

Teaching is no easy task, and learning the ropes can prove quite difficult. "Into the Classroom" explores the challenges faced by many teachers in training as they enter the classrooms for the first time and try to gain an understanding fo their craft. Rosalyn McKeown hopes to guide these rookie teachers through how to better understand the tasks of teaching so that they may excel well when they become full time teachers. "Into the Classrooms" is a strong pick for educational collections focusing on teacher education.

101 "Answers" for New Teachers and Mentors, second edition
Annette L. Breaux
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West
Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596671829, $29.95, www.eyeoneducation.com

Teaching can be an often overwhelming experience for rookies. "101 'Answers' for New Teachers and Their Mentors'" is a practical advice guide for the young teacher with some wisdom that may even resonate quite clearly for veteran teachers. From keeping the spirits up in the most trying times of your career, working with students, and driving oneself to be a positive influence in the lives of children, "101 'Answers' for New Teachers and Their Mentors" is a choice pick for any teacher who is looking at their classroom and buckling under pressure.

Culturally Proficient Instruction, third edition
Kikanza J. Nuri-Robins, et.al.
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412988148, $36.95, www.corwin.com

Culturally proficient instruction comes from exploring values and pairing them with a workplace or school's policies, and this title provides a newly updated third edition of a classic exploration featuring a case study showing how cultural proficiency works in the field. It updates discussions of the tools of cultural proficiency and new language for understanding cultures and blends sociology lessons and insights with accounts of proficient instruction. A 'must' for any educator's collection.

Nature Sparks
Aerial Cross
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul MN 55117-1065
9781605540412, $29.95, www.redleafpress.org

NATURE SPARKS: CONNECTING CHILDREN'S LEARNING TO THE NATURAL WORLD provides developmentally appropriate, nature-oriented indoor and outdoor classroom practices that include hands-on learning centers, field trips and hikes along with play activities, and offers teachers and day care providers strategies for involving a child with nature's wonders. From creating nature discovery trails to centers filled with nature observations based on land, water, and air, this tells educators how to involve all ages during all seasons, and is a fine pick for any early childhood collection.

Kaplan ACT Primer 2012
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th floor, New York, NY 10006
9781609780531, $31.99, www.kaplanpublishing.com

Kaplan ACT Primer 2012 packs in six practice tests (two are accessible online), detailed answer explanations to explore correct and incorrect responses, 3-minute video mini-lessons and more in a collection that pairs the best of online, book and accompanying CD-ROM teaching methods. Kaplan's ACT products and programs offer a range of study materials and approaches and mirror realistic testing methods. The result is a well-balanced, authoritative guide perfect for ACT test takers.

GRE For Dummies, 7th edition
Ron Woldoff with Joe Kraynak
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470889268, $29.99, www.wiley.com

Any planning on taking the high school equivalency exam the GRE will find this expanded book and CD combination provides a winning guide on all areas of the exam, from verbal and quantitative reasoning to analytical writing. Five tests reflect real GRE question ns and offer all the basics in a checklist of everything needed for taking the test. Add some 400 vocabulary terms most likely to appear on the test and three brand-new practices and you have a winning updated 7th edition of a classic.

Free Range Learning
Laura Grace Weldon
Hohm Press
PO Box 2501
Prescott, AZ 86302
9781935387091, $24.95, www.hohmpress.com

Natural curiosity is the biggest catalyst to education. "Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything" is a delve into home education from Laura Grace Weldon, as she argues that a home schooled curriculum could lead to a more complete education for children, as parents and would be educators can help children learn through their natural interest in the world. It also notes how to encourage learning in less favored subjects such as language arts and mathematics. "Free Range Learning" is a thoughtful delve into education and the thoughts connected to it, very much recommended.

Education in Small States
Michael Crossley, Mark Bray, & Steve Packer
Commonwealth Secretariat
c/o Stylus Publishing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9781849290364, $24.95, www.thecommonwealth.org

Education is vital, no matter where in the world you are. "Education in Small States: Policies and Priorities" discusses the importance of education and its implementation all throughout the world, in particular small and remote states without massive existing infrastructure. Discussing the legal issues that lie behind these states, the push for greater education through the formation of a commonwealth, and the impact of globalization on the state of education. "Education in Small States" is an intriguing study on international academia and the nature of a globalized world, very much recommended.

Delta Publishing Company
1400 Miller Parkway
McHenry, IL 60050-7030
www.deltapublishing.com

The Delta Publishing Company is a premier producer of instructional books, manuals, and supplemental curriculum materials for learning to speak, read and write English. Specifically designed and written for advanced English language learners grades six through adult, "Three Little Words: A Foreign Student's Guide to English Articles (9780937354469, $13.00) by Elizabeth Claire is a superbly crafted workbook for those whose native languages have no articles and features more than 525 self-checking exercises. "Touchy Situations: A Conversation Text for ESL Students" (9781887744744, $18.50) by Glen Alan Penrod is a 131-page, activity- based combination textbook and workbook enabling ESL (English as a Second Language) students to speak easily and well in a variety of settings ranging from social to business settings. Each individual unit features a 'Warm Up', Conversation Strategies, 20 to 30 new vocabulary words, an illustrative situation of problem solving, and a 'Follow Up" of questions for review. " "Touchy Situations" is an ideal textbook for individual studies and for classroom curriculums. Classroom teachers and school librarians would be well advised to visit the Delta Publishing Company web site for a complete listing of their highly recommended titles which include Nancy Gallagher's "Delta's Key To The TOEFL iBT: Advanced Skill Practice" (9781936402113, $34.95); Janette Haynes' "American Handwriting: Slow and Easy" (9780937354704, $14.50); and "Reading At Home With Your Child: A Workshop for Parents" (9781932748154, $59.95).


The Homeowner's Shelf

Home Accessibility
Shelley Peterman Schwarz
Demos Medical Publishing
11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036
9781936303229, $16.95, www.demosmedpub.com

With age, ability can be reduced, but one can take actions to make it more doable for them. "Home Accessibility: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier" is a collection of practical advice for those who are facing reduced ability from age, injury, disease, or any other problem and want to work to make their home more accessible and working for them as they go through life. From obvious obstacles like stairs to simple changes in doors to make it easier, "Home Accessibility" is a strong pick for those who are looking to their future with remodeling, very much recommended.

Preventing Home Accidents
Dan Hannan
Hunter House Publishers
PO Box 2914
Alameda, CA 94501-2914
9780897936071, $12.95, www.hunterhouse.com

The home can be a dangerous place, but the wise homemaker can make moves to keep the home a more harmonious place. "Preventing Home Accidents: A Quick & Easy Guide" explores what home owners can do to better guard their home from accidents, particularly those that can affect the young and the elderly. By outlining the hidden hazards of homes and keeping up with modern safety standards, Dan Hannan offers plenty of practical advice for avoiding the dangers of life. "Preventing Home Accidents" is a fine pick for community library reference and do it yourself collections.


The Language Studies Shelf

A Glossary of Terms
Richard Upsher Smith, Jr.
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.bolchazy.com
9780865167599, $19.00, www.amazon.com

The principle reason for the study of Greek and Latin languages is that so much of the English language is derived from them. A strong secondary reason is to be able to read the great authors and poets of antiquity in their original tongues because translations (even the best of them) can't always do full justice to their literary beauty and passion. "A Glossary of Terms in Grammar, Rhetoric, and Prosody for Readers of Greek and Latin: A Vade Mecum" by Richard Upsher Smith Jr. (Professor of Classics, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio) is a concise 140- page instructional text that offers students tables of verbal aspect, types of nouns, English personal pronouns, English relative pronouns; the English verb 'to be'; quotations from Greek, Latin, and English masterpieces; and all AP Vergil rhetorical and prosodical terms. Solid scholarship, deftly presented, make "A Glossary of Terms" an invaluable addition to personal, professional, and academic library Greek and Latin instructional reference collections.

Burmese-English English-Burmese Dictionary
Nance Cunningham and Aung Soe Min
Paiboon Publishing
PMB 256
1442A Walnut Street
Berkeley, CA 94709
9781887521581 $18.00 www.paiboonpublishing.com

Paiboon Publishing continues its tradition of high-quality with its Burmese-English English- Burmese Dictionary With Tones for English Speakers, a compact, user-friendly reference divided into three segments: English-to-Burmese alphabetized by letter; Burmese-to-English written and alphabetized by Burmese script; and Burmese-to-English written and alphabetized by phonetic sound (meant especially to help English speakers look up a Burmese word by its phonics). A brief introduction in English explains the simplest basics of Burmese grammar, romanization, alphabetical order for Burmese script, pronunciation and writing tips, and more. The Burmese- English English-Burmese Dictionary is an excellent, user-friendly, and invaluable tool for anyone seeking to better understand the language, and a "must-have" for college library linguistic reference shelves.

Expression and Interpretation in Language
Susan Petrilli
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
1412842638, $44.95, www.transactionpub.com

Language is more than just words. "Expression and Interpretation in Language" discusses the deeper parts of language and linguistics in respects to culture and philosophy, as well as psychology. Susan Petrilli presents a scholarly exploration of the many aspects of language, from our globalizing world, the clashing of languages, the universal language, and the future of language in our ever changing world. "Expression and Interpretation in language" is an excellent pick for community library philosophy and psychology collections, highly recommended.

Basic Spoken Chinese
Cornelius C. Kubler
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive
North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9780804840156, $49.95, www.tuttlepublishing.com

BASIC SPOKEN CHINESE: AN INTRODUCTION TO SPEAKING AND LISTENING FOR BEGINNERS tells how to acquire basic fluency in spoken Mandarin and includes 2 discs of software featuring some 40 native-speaker videos plus an audio disc featuring 6+ hours of audio. The basic spoken lessons are keyed to common daily encounters and inquiries, from visiting an acquaintance at her home to asking about opening and closing times or chatting, and it offers an outstanding guide for any would-be Mandarin speaker. No other book pairs visual, written and spoken insights as well, making this a top recommendation for any languages collection.

Tagalog for Beginners
Joi Barrios
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive
North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9780804841269, $19.95, www.tuttlepublishing.com

TAGALOG FOR BEGINNERS: AN INTRODUCTION comes with a MP3 audio disc and provides a practical focus on conversational Tagalog filled with real-world dialogues and activities and exercises designed to help reinforce the reading, writing and speaking of Tagalog. Any wanting to learn the national language of the Philippines will find this filled with keys to success, offering learners background information, cultural insights, and practical applications. It comes from an author who holds a Ph.D. in Filipino Literature from the University of the Philippines, and is a top pick for any language collection.


The Science Shelf

Introduction to Science
Matthew Wise
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
4050 Westmark Drive
Dubuque, IA 52002
9780757598906 $170.00 www.kendallhunt.com

Spiral-bound for ease of use and reference, Introduction to Science is a basic instructional textbook for readers of all backgrounds - from high school students to college students who have focused on other studies and wish to broaden the base of their knowledge, to everyday adults seeking to acquire the methodical, practical, objective perspective that science offers and apply it to everyday problems and issues. Chapters cover the fundamental principles of the scientific method; measurement units and how to apply them properly, especially when converting units or solving problems; atomic structure; elements and compounds; the shapes of molecules; chemical equations; thermochemistry; and more. Extensive lists of self-test questions following each chapter, as well as sample "hands-on" laboratory experiments, round out this solid, instructional resource and reference, enthusiastically recommended especially for high school and home school instructors alike. "The law of conservation of mass... is the fundamental basis for chemical equations. This law implies that the number and kind of atoms at the beginning of the reaction will be the same as the number and kind of atoms at the end of the reaction... It is important to realize that even though the atoms making up the various molecules are conserved, the molecules themselves are not conserved; rather, they undergo reorganization during the reaction to from new and different substances."

Cost-Driven Design of Smart Microsystems
Michael Niedermayer
Artech House
685 Canton Street
Norwood, MA 02062
9781608070848, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Lowering costs is important, but there's a fine line between efficient and uselessly cheap junk. "Cost-Driven Design of Smart Microsystems" discusses the rapidly developing field of miniaturization in technology, and miniaturization has become a major component in lowering costs in the developmental processes. Finding the balance between miniaturization at a reasonable cost and pushing the envelope to the point where going any smaller would cost more, this endeavor has proved difficult for many managers. Michael Niedermayer outlines what needs to be done by managers to approach holistic designs, a solid methodology, and overall optimization. Enhanced with plenty of photographs and graphs throughout and additional indexes, "Cost-Driven Design of Smart Microsystems" is a strong addition to any community and college library technology collection.

Optical, Acoustic, Magnetic, And Mechanical Sensor Technologies
Krzysztof Iniewski, editor
CRC Press
Suite 300
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781439869758, $149.95, www.amazon.com

The newest addition to the outstanding CRC Press 'Devices, Circuits, and Systems' series, "Optical, Acoustic, Magnetic, And Mechanical Sensor Technologies" is a 357-page compendium of twelve contemporary articles by experts that have been knowledgeably compiled and deftly anthologized by Krzysztof Iniewski (manager of R&D at Redien Technologies Inc., Vancouver, Canada) who also has an extensive academic background and authored numerous texts in his field). "Optical, Acoustic, Magnetic, And Mechanical Sensor Technologies" is organized into two major sections. Part 1: 'Optical and Acoustic Sensors' which is comprised of seven articles ranging from optical fiber sensors, to designing a low-cost underwater acoustic modem. Part 2: Magnetic and Mechanical Sensors comprising five articles ranging from the accurate scanning of magnetic fields to self-powered wireless sensing in ground transport applications. Enhanced with the inclusion of an comprehensive index, "Optical, Acoustic, Magnetic, And Mechanical Sensor Technologies" presents an impressive and seminal body of work making it a core addition to professional, corporate, and academic library Science & Technology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Life of Super-Earths
Dimitar Sasselov
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465021932, $25.99, www.basicbooks.com

The Life of Super-Earths: How the Hunt for Alien Worlds and Artificial Cells Will Revolutionize Life on Our Planet comes from a renowned astronomer and planet hunter who considers how life came to be. The answers to this question may lie in planets billions of miles and millions of light-years from us, and involves exploring other Earth-like planets. THE LIFE OF SUPER-EARTHS adopts a chatty tone as it considers the latest advances in this area, offering a history of the hunt for planets beyond our solar system and explaining planetary environments and their connections to the origins of life. An outstanding survey evolves.

Playing with Fire
Peter Heering, Olvier Hochadael, & David J. Rhees
American Philosophical Society
PO Box 617
Darby, PA 19023-0617
9781606189955, $35.00, www.amazon.com

The power of lightning should never be taken lightly. "Playing with Fire: Histories of the Lightning Rod" is an intriguing observation of the history behind this truly unique invention of mankind, which has straddled the ideas of practicality and advancement of pseudosciences. As many articles are compiled, this invention proves to be a fascinating study in the advancement and history of science. "Playing with Fire" is a strong addition to any history focusing on philosophy and science, very much recommended.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

If You Like Monty Python...
Zack Handlen
Limelight Editions
c/o Hal Leonard
Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302
Montclair, NJ 07042
9780879103934, $14.99, www.halleonardbooks.com

There's a certain brand of absurdity that only the Pythons have brought to pop culture. "If You Like Monty Python...: Here Are Over 200 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love" discusses the programs that have spun out of the comedy that the Monty Python troupe has brought together. From the obvious sketch comedy derivatives to legendary films of pop culture, "If You like Monty Python..." is a must read touching on the past few decades of excellent comedy.

Mime Very Own Book
Doug Jones, Eric Curtis, Scott Allen Perry, & Adam Mock
Medallion Press, Inc.
1020 Cedar Lane, No. 2N
St. Charles, IL 60174
9781605422558, $27.95, www.medallionpress.com

Not the most vocal of groups, the art of the mime is one that is truly unique. "Mime Very Own Book" is a collection of full color photographs of vignettes from an assorted gathering of mimes who present a unique brand of humor using the style of the mime to present a fascinating breakdown of the performance art. A worthy choice for art lovers who don't mind a bit of silence, "Mime Very Own Book" is very much recommended.

Letters to Young Filmmakers
Howard Suber
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781615930630, $20.95, www.mwp.com

Letters to Young Filmmakers is packed with anecdotes, wisdom and insights based on the author's years of relationships in the film business, and is a 'must' for any performing arts and film collection. It provides sage advice for writers and directors alike, with chapters using a question-and-answer format to discuss everything from what is the important element involved in making a classic American movie to understanding how screenplays translate to film. A 'must' for any serious film holding!

Canadian Television
Marian Bredin, Scott Henderson, and Sarah A. Matheson, editors
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554583614, $39.95, wlupress.wlu.ca

Art reflects life, and modern television has proven to be an intriguing method of study. "Canadian Television: Text and Context" is a study of Canadian television and its impact on culture, and how it reflects the cultural, social, and economic problems that modern Canada is facing. Many writers and scholars come together and expand on the current state of television, CBC and its place in public broadcasting. "Canadian Television: Text and Context" is a strongly recommended pick for an intriguing analysis of modern Canadian culture, very much recommended for cultural and television studies collections.


The Library Science Shelf

The Cybrarian's Web
Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874274, $49.50, www.infotoday.com

Although books are still the main focus of many librarians, the internet's presence is more valuable than ever. "The Cybrarian's Web: An A-Z Guide to 101 Free Web 2.0 Tools and Other Resources" discusses the many ins and outs of pursuing a more complete understanding of the advances in internet technology and how it can help librarians make their libraries important community centers. From working with the community, creating events, producing media, and much more, "Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis grants a comprehensive discussion of how a librarian can use internet and technology to the fullest. "The Cybrarian's Web" is a strongly recommended pick for library science collections.

Curriculum Materials Collections and Centers
Rita Kohrman
ACRL
c/o ALA Editions
50 East Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
9780838986028, $48.00, www.alastore.ala.org

There is much to teach, and being able to easily access it is a godsend for teachers. "Curriculum Material Collections and Centers: Legacies from the Past, Visions of the Future" is a guide for educational administrators and librarians on the more efficient ways to manage this often overwhelming collection of information. Taking a historical perspective on how such assortments were managed in the past, the lessons learned from them, and how the future of technology is only bringing greater efficiency if it is more wisely managed. "Curriculum Material Collections and Centers" is a strong addition to any academic library collection that is catering to teachers at any level of education.

Mostly Manga
Elizabeth F. S. Kalen
Libraries Unlimited
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911
Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781598849387, $55.00, www.abc-clio.com

Manga has taken much of the American imagination by storm. "Mostly Manga: A Genre Guide to Popular Manga, Manhwa, Manhua, and Anime" is a librarian's guide to this medium that has taken a recent surge in popularity, in the form of graphic novels and comics. An introductory to the genre and how it can fit in with standard library collections, Elizabeth F. S. Kalen brings an expert opinion on how best to manage manga in the modern library, including outlining important titles. "Mostly Manga" is an excellent reference for any librarian who has the manga requests piling up.

Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings
Vanda Broughton
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038-4512
9781555706401, $64.95, www.neal-schuman.com

A standard of information allows for greater ease of use on many levels. "Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings" is a comprehensive guide for librarians on understanding the system used by the libraries of Congress, its methods and how to implement them to one's own systems. The Library of Congress Subject Headings, or LCSH, focuses on broad subjects and terms, and allows for a thesaurus like-index that allows users to find related topics and articles. A complete and comprehensive breakdown of the Library of Congress's methods this major classification tool offers an excellent standard for all other libraries to follow. Enhanced by indexes and glossaries and other appendixes, "Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings" is an excellent reference addition to any library science collection.


The Mathematics Shelf

The Xs and Whys of Algebra
Anne Collins & Linda Dacey
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571108579, $16.00, www.stenhouse.com

It takes a long path to master algebra. "The Xs and Whys of Algebra: Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions" is a guide for both students and teachers on how to better understand this common and dreaded subject in mathematics, for students trying to understand and for teachers trying to teach. Anne Collins & Linda Dacey use their expertise with the topic at hand to elaborate for better understanding on all fronts for grades 7 to 9. With plenty of sample exercises, "The Xs and Whys of Algebra" is a vital addition to any community library collection dedicated to teacher's resources.


The Business Shelf

The Big Book of HR
Barbara Mitchell & Cornelia Gamlem
Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631893, $19.99, www.careerpress.com

A business can't succeed without good and happy employees. "The Big Book of HR" is a guide to the ins and outs of the modern Human Resources and how to create a human resources department that will create opportunities for success for one's business. Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem encourage readers to take note of their star employees, and states that these employees are what businesses need to keep and seek to inspire others as role models. "The Big Book of HR" is a comprehensive and much needed read for any business needing to find superstar employees and keep them happy.

Stepping Up
John Izzo, Ph.D.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609940577, $16.95, www.bkconnection.com

Stepping Up: How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything provides a fine argument that says nearly all world problems can be solved when everyone looks to themselves to be the agent of change, rather than blaming someone else. With responsibility comes change, and the more each person chooses to initiative change, the more they will discover their own personal power. Examples from business and society make this a fine collection of empowerment stories suitable not just for business but for general-interest audiences and for readers interested in the basics of social change.

Small Business for Dummies
Eric Tyson and Jim Schell
John Wiley & Sons
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118083727, $22.99, www.wiley.com

Small Business for Dummies is a recommendation for any new to starting a business, and offers an in-depth guide that starts from scratch, from the basic idea for a start-up and researching the business opportunity to evaluating an existing business, solving common problems facing the new start-up, and dealing with bankers, lawyers and others. It even includes online marketing strategies and buying a franchise, making this a top first title to turn to!

The Best of Guerrilla Marketing
Jay Conrad Levinson & Jeannie Levinson
Entrepreneur Press
2445 McCabe Way Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614-6244
9781599184227, $21.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com

The Best of Guerrilla Marketing: The Guerrilla marketing Remix offers important insights on everything from internet advertising and networking to career branding, and combines the latest strategies and tools from over 35 Guerrilla books for a new generation. From publicity and marketing to networking, selling, and public speaking, this covers everything from social media to retail sales and beyond, offering a range of proven marketing techniques for any company that would think outside the box. Common pitfalls in traditional business thinking are outlined alongside guerrilla marketing solutions in a powerful 'must have' for any serious business holding!

Why She Buys
Bridget Brennan
Crown Business
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307450395, $15.00, www.crownbusiness.com

WHY SHE BUYS: THE NEW STRATEGY FOR REACHING THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL CONSUMERS exposes the gender gap between people who decide what to manufacture and those who decide what to buy. It identifies gender as the most powerful determinant of purchases, shows how male-dominated companies don't successfully cater to this market, and discusses demographic trends, gender psychology, and new research on brain differences. Interviews with executives in major companies accompany the analysis to help executives re-direct their marketing and thinking approaches in a title recommended for business and women's issues holdings alike.

Lead with Purpose
John Baldoni
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780814417386, $23.00, www.amacombooks.org

To lead without vision is to have the blind lead the blind. "Lead with Purpose: Giving Your Organization a Reason to Believe in Itself" is an inspirational book for business leadership, encouraging managers and other leaders to push themselves forward and create a worthy purpose that pushes people within the organization to treat it as more than simply another job. "Lead with Purpose" is a driven and much recommended read for any business leader who sees the value in creating a job worth doing.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Great Seal Limitless Space & Joy
Lama Ole Nydahl
Firewheel Publishing
c/o Blue Dolphin Publishing (distribution)
PO Box 8
Nevada City, CA 95959-0008
9780975295403 $17.95 www.bluedolphinpublishing.com

Author Lama Ole Nydahl has worked to spread the teachings of Diamond Way Buddhism (also known as the Mahamudra view) worldwide for thirty years, offering guidance to over six hundred meditation centers under the authority of the 17th Karmapa, Thaye Dorje. In The Great Seal Limitless Space & Joy: The Mahamudra View of Diamond Way Buddhism, Nydahl offers a modern commentary to a timeless Buddhist text about the true nature of the mind, rendering these ancient teachings accessible to readers of all faiths and backgrounds. The text that Nydahl analyzes is itself very brief - short sets of verses (presented in both the script of their original language and in English translation), with each set followed by Nydahl's thoughtful and extensive discourse. "'Train in the Buddhas' pure lands' does not mean planting some nice flowers for all to enjoy. Above all else, it means giving people a chance to change their values and their consciousness. Old age, sickness, death, and loss will not go away while bodies and worlds exist; but anyone can shift their awareness from what is transitory and changing to that which has intrinsic and timeless value." "The Great Seal" is an excellent and accessible addition to any private or public library Buddhist Studies collection, and is highly recommended.

Solid Ground
Sylvia Boorstein
Parallax Press
PO Box 7355
Berkeley, CA 94707
9781935209812, $12.95, www.parallax.org

Buddhist wisdom is not for only Buddhists. "Solid Ground: Buddhist Wisdom for Difficult Times" is a collection of simple wisdom aimed at those who may be having their own struggles in today's world and the pressures that come with it. Drawing on the writings on suffering and offering spiritual and perhaps religious answers, "Solid Ground" is a powerful read for Buddhist study collections with wisdom that goes across faiths.

Buddhism Day by Day
Daisaku Ikeda
Middleway Press
606 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
9780972326759 $15.95 www.middlewaypress.com

Daisaku Ikeda, one of the world's most renowned living Buddhist philosophers, presents Buddhism Day by Day: Wisdom for Modern Life. This anthology offers a different quote for every day of the year; the clear, practical-minded guidance of the writings offer an invaluable and accessible message to readers of all faiths and backgrounds. For example, the May 26th entry is "There is a saying that 'Speech is silver, silence is golden.' But when you are engaged in a struggle, the opposite is true. Then, speaking out is golden and silence is defeat." A wonderful source of daily insight, highly recommended.

Middleway Press
606 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401
www.middlewaypress.com

Daisaku Ikeda is a renowned Japanese philosopher and educator, President of the Soka Gakkai International, recipient of the United Nations Peace Award, the Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award, the International Tolerance Award of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and has authored more than sixty books. Middleway Press has published four marvelous little collections of memorable sayings by Daisaku Ikeda in an outstanding 'Buddhism For You' series consisting of "Prayer" (9780972326797, $7.95); "Love" (9780972326773, $7.95); "Determination" (9780972326780, $7.95); and "Courage" (9780972326766, $7.95). Thoughtful and though-provoking, each of these little 57-page collections offers insight, inspiration, and will make treasured additions to personal and community library Buddhist Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Poetry Shelf

Blood Prism
Edward Haworth Hoeppner
Ohio State University Press
180 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Road
Columbus, OH 43210-1002
www.ohiostatepress.org
9780814251812, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Poetry is the use of language to communicate in a manner that arises from the building blocks of speech but organized so that the individual words and phrases 'pack a punch' that simple conversation can't quite manage. An academician (Professor of English, Oakland University) and a published poet (Raw Through High Windows; Ancestral Radio), and a literary critic (Echoes and Moving Fields: Structure and Subjectivity in the Poetry of John Ashbery and W. S. Merwin), Edward Haworth Hoeppner has now brought forth a new volume of his poetry in the form of "Blood Prism", an 88-page compendium of his work that span a life time and is presented in three major sections: Memory; Politics; and Age. Elegantly crafted prose poems with thoughtful and thought-provoking imagery, "Blood Prism" is a superb work of imaginatively constructed word theme constructs that linger in the mind long after the poem is as much experienced as it is read. "Blood Prism" is highly recommended to any and all who admire the versatility of prose poetry to express and illuminate the human condition.

Bird of Paradise
George Young
Parallel Press
372 Memorial Library
728 State Street
Madison, WI 53575
9781934795354 $10.00 http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu

Bird of Paradise is a free-verse poetry chapbook by retired physician, and Washington Prize- winning poet George Young. Although some poems have appeared previously in a variety of other publications, Bird of Paradise is the first to gather together all these verses that draw upon avian life as both inspiration and metaphor. Avid birdwatchers especially will find the desire to observe and reflect upon these magnificent creatures vividly portrayed in this thoughtful collection. "Poem On A Mountain Bluebird": The Navajo stones never managed such a blue as you, / nor the lips of the man / pulled from an icy river last winter. // You are a grace / never mastered by earth's bluest eye / at the foot of the glacier, open to a cloudless sky- // nor recognized by idle school children / staring out the window at what appears to be a blue ribbon / tied to a telephone wire. // You are a flash of living, breathing blue / And Lord what am I / that such a bird can escape from the cage of my skull and fly.

Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys
D. A. Powell
Graywolf Press
250 Third Avenue North, Suite 600
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781555976057, $22.00, www.graywolfpress.org

The many divisions of life can often seem overwhelming. "Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys" is the fifth book of poetry from D. A. Powell who explores the many aspects of what we seek out of the life and the many ways we try to do so. An excellent collection of fine poetry, "Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys" is a fine assortment that shouldn't be overlooked. "Narcissus": Not every boy who desires fame gets it the way he wants./Not every flower, leaning vainly towards his own face/reflected in a murky puddle, gets to meditate upon himself/more than a few transitory days, before he, too, molders.//You should have stayed wild in some valley town/if that's the life you wanted. You can't have it now./Too many people know you as the affable but obvious/mussy downtown hussy. Blown limp by any passing wind.

The City, Our City
Wayne Miller
Milkweed Editions
1011 Washington Avenue South, #300
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1246
9781571314451, $16.00, www.milkweed.org

As life rolls on, the reality of the world can often seem incredibly amusing. "The City, Our City" is a collection of poetry from Wayne Miller who presents a frank and thoughtful delve into personal reflection the irony and thought of our world. With many volumes of poetry to his name, "The City, Our City" is an excellent and much recommended addition to any modern poetry collection. "Identifying the Body": At first, I pictured his thoughts/resting in there -- like coals,//which properly blown on could be brought back to fire.//Against the doctor's directions/I touched his cheek; then//I knew the body was useless./Every side of him was forever//turned inwardly away I knelt/by the cold gurney -- his last//cigarettes had filled his clothes/with smoke. That smell//was as close as I could come to hearing him speak.

White Papers
Martha Collins
University of Pittsburgh Press
3400 Forbes Avenue, 5th floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
9780822961840, $15.95, www.upress.pitt.edu

Award winning poet Martha Collins continues to inspire thought with "White Papers", her latest collection of poetry. Discussing the issues of race, in particular the pit falls of white privilege, "White Papers" is an excellent addition to any literary poetry collection. "42": my white I've said my/baby bed underwear tub/toilet washing machine/whatever got rid of dirt my/wedding dress veil what-/ever could hide X sheets/bleached coffin lined/against the dark dirt/banned when we started/to buy underwear in colors/even black white was on/its way out of cover over.

Winter Sun
Shi Zhi
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806142418, $19.95, www.oupress.com

Poetry can capture the spirit of the people. "Winter Sun" is a collection of poetry from Shi Zhi, whose poetry continued and spoke to those who were dissatisfied with China's Cultural Revolution, speaking to both tradition and the lost youth of a generation. A bilingual collection sharing his work in English, "Winter Sun" is a strong addition to any international poetry collections. "My Youth": In the flourishing spring of life/I met the discontentment of the era of iron and ice/The young blood in my chest froze/As my dark thoughts became poems//Like flames extinguished by a new-fallen snow/From a dark gray pile of firewood rises a twisted thread of smoke/.../...

The Uncertainty Principle
Mark Kraushaar
The Waywiser Press
PO Box 6205, Baltimore, MD 21206
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc. (distribution)
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781904130505 $16.95 http://waywiser-press.com www.dufoureditions.com

Mark Kraushaar, winner of the 2010 Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize, presents The Uncertainty Principle, an anthology of free-verse poems about searching for meaning in a complicated and difficult world. An informal, down-to-earth tone permeates the verses, which have a raw, inner conviction that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended. "Icarus": At first I felt bad because / I didn't feel worse. / But then I felt bad. / I should never have married, / she should never have left. / But it's everything. / I think it's mostly the quiet though / which is strange since that's what I needed / so much of.

4:56
Carlos Fuentes Lemus
Dalkey Archive Press
University of Illinois
1805 S. Wright Street, MC-011
Champaign, IL 61820
9781564786791, $12.95, www.dalkeyarchive.com

The shoes of a parent are difficult to fill, and few authors rise to meet it well. "4:56" is a collection of poetry from Carlos Fuentes Lemus, son of famed Panamanian writer Carlos Fuentes. Although dying young, his life's work in that short time shows a thoughtful collection of life under a famed writer of a father. "4:56" is a strong pick for international poetry collections, highly recommended. "Son of Speranza": At his feet of silver black/Or the pillar of pink, elevating joy/He charms the blossoming lilies at night/Collects suspicious wolves at dawn/aesthetic Orpheus, he charms, charms;/Delicate, hating and shocked alike.//A musical voice in a soft Hercules/He dreams of a flower, a flower of sun/Caressed by silken, lavender hands.


The International Studies Shelf

China Experiments
Ann Florini, Hairong Lai, and Yeling Tan
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-2188
9780815722007, $29.95, www.brookings.edu

China has been surging to prominence in recent years, and the reasons behind it have captivated students of economics and society. "China Experiments: From Local Innovations to National Reform" discusses the recent evolutions of China as an economy and nation in the past few decades. Looking at its recent history, the place of its society, and its future, "China Experiments" is a scholarly break down of China's methods and what it means to the world as a whole as well as its own future.


The Parenting Shelf

Rite of Passage
Jim McBride
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60610
9780802458803, $13.99, www.moody.edu

What is manhood in today's changing world? "Rite of Passage: A Father's Blessing" is a Christian parenting guide from Jim McBride as he presents an intriguing walk into the deeper thought and philosophy of manhood, as he urges fathers to call out the man and woman in their children to better equip them to face down life. "Rite of Passage" is a choice and much recommended pick for Christian and parenting collections with plenty of wise advice.

Connecting with Kids Through Stories, second edition
Denise B. Lacher, Todd Nichols, Melissa Nichols, and Joanne C. May
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849058698, $24.95, www.jkp.com

Stories are the currency of life. "Connecting with Kids Through Stories: Using Narratives to Facilitate Attachment in Adopted Children" discusses the importance of stories in forming bonds with adopted children, to children who may not have had the easiest life coming into a caring parents care. Stories can help them understand where they have come from and where they are going, and the authors provide an intriguing and much needed advisory for adoptive parents who want to give their new children the bonds they need to live their lives well. "Connecting with Kids Through Stories" is a strong pick for parenting collections, especially those with a focus on adoption.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Girl Genius Omnibus Volume One: Agatha Awakens
Phil & Kaja Foglio
Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
9780765331328 $34.99 www.tor-forge.com

Girl Genius Omnibus Volume One: Agatha Awakens gathers the first three chapters ("The Beetleburg Clank", "The Airship City", and "The Monster Engine") of Phil & Kaja Foglio's multiple Hugo-Award winning steampunk comic series, set in a world where those gifted with "The Spark" can warp the laws of physics with their inventions - and win the hearts and minds of rabid followers with their unearthly charisma, no matter how severe their mad scientist proclivities! The land is beset with endless strife from experiments gone amok, belligerent Spark rulers who see their subjects as little more than overgrown lab rats, a noble caste that condemns biophysical resurrection, and worse. The Heterodyne family were once known as Sparks who championed heroism and justice, but they have vanished for twenty years, and in their place the ruthless authoritarian Baron Wulfenbach struggles to keep war and chaos at bay. Amid all this conflict, the young, kind-hearted scientist-in-training Agatha Clay has lived a mostly sheltered life in a university town, but her chance encounter with a thief kicks off a cascading escalation of disasters. Between her talents and her destiny, Agatha is about to cause endless trouble just by existing! Fully recolored and relettered, Agatha Awakens is the perfect gift for any comics fan who is new to Foglio's signature blend of caricature, action, drama and zesty humor! Highly recommended.

Projections
Jared Gardner
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804771474, $24.95, www.sup.org

Comic strips and graphic novels arrived at a new level of literary sophistication and academia awareness with the 1992 Pulitzer Prize being awarded to Art Spiegelman for "Maus". Now this form of graphic storytelling is an integral and universal segment of the literary world. "Projections: Comics and the History of Twenty-First-Century Storytelling" by Jared Gardner (Associate Professor of English and Film, Ohio State University) is an informed and informative exploration and analysis of the history of comics and graphic novels within the context of an expanding interactive media that has melded 19th century comic strips into a 21st century literary and storytelling art form that it is today. A seminal work of superlative scholarship, "Projections: Comics and the History of Twenty-First-Century Storytelling" is also a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in the graphic novel, its origins, and its continuing evolution as a literary art form. Organized into six major chapters presented in chronological order (Fragments of Modernity1889-1920; Serial Pleasures 1907-1938; Fan-Addicts and the Comic Book 1938-1955; Archives and collectors 1990-2010; Coda: Comics, Film, and the Future of Twenty-First Century Storytelling), "Projections" is a unique and seminal contribution to personal, professional, and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Imagination and Meaning in Calvin and Hobbes
Jamey Heit
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786463541, $40.00, www.amazon.com

I have the honor of owning a complete collection of 'Calvin & Hobbes' books that were the published collections of the popular comic strip showcasing the imaginative adventures of a small boy and his 'toy' tiger. The creation of cartoonist Bill Watterson running from 1985 to 1995, 'Calvin & Hobbes' became one of the most popular comic strips of its time. Of particular and unique note was Watterson's refusal to exploit his comic characters in usual merchandising tie-ins so common with other successful cartoon characters. The 'Calvin & Hobbes' strip was more than just a funny cartoon series, that little boy and his tiger companion made observational comments on all manner of philosophical issues and seemingly life-experience paradoxes giving it a consistent intellectual heft that Watterson's contemporaries rarely achieved. That's why "Imagination and Meaning in Calvin and Hobbes", a 220-page compendium of commentary and insights on the work of Bill Watterson in his 'Calvin & Hobbes' series is such pleasure for we dedicated fans of the now long out-of-print series. Thought and thought-provoking, "Imagination and Meaning in Calvin and Hobbes" will prove to be a popular addition to any community or academic library collection, and is especially recommended for the personal reading lists of any and all 'Calvin & Hobbes' fans.

Sunday Brunch
Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
Andrews McMeel
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449407971, $19.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Sixteen year old Jeremy, son of Connie and Walt, struggles with sex, career, school, sleep, and clueless parents in this comic book collection that presents nearly three hundred of the best full-color Zits Sunday strips in an oversized, lovely presentation. Essays from other famous cartoonists round out this latest Zits survey of a teen's perspective, making for an outstanding gathering highly recommended for general lending collections and comic and graphic novels holdings alike.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Third Round
Sapper
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
NA0057, $41.98, www.amazon.com

Once again Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond finds himself and his friends caught up in a tangled and lethally dangerous web woven by that master arch criminal Drummond only knows as 'Carl Peterson'. "The Third Round" is third in the Bulldog Drummond encounters with Peterson and revolves around a scientist's discovery of how to make exceedingly cheap artificial diamonds that are indistinguishable from the real thing -- and therefore threaten to collapse the diamond market. The heads of the diamond syndicate contract with Mr. Peterson to suppress the professor's announcement of his discovery -- even if that means eliminating the professor to do it. Peterson accepts the contract only because he has far more nefarious ideas about what to do with the professor's discovery himself! The action is fast and furious from beginning to end. This unabridged audio production of "The Third Round" is superbly narrated by Roy McMillan on 6 CDs with a total running time of 7 hours and 47 minutes, making it a highly recommended addition to personal and community library audio book collections!

Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200
Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com

Galaxy Press is dedicated to preserving and presenting the literary works of L. Ron Hubbard who was one of the very best of the 'Golden Age of Pulp Magazine' writers who worked in an impressive spectrum of genres and categories. Galaxy Press has converted a great many of L. Ron Hubbard's pulp magazine stories into an audio book format featuring multicast performances, sound effects, musical enhancements, and flawless production values. Two of their newest audio book titles are "Devil's Manhunt" (9781592123858, $9.95) and "A Matter Of Matter" (9781592122394, $9.95). "Devil's Manhunt" is a western collection of three Hubbard stories: 'Johnny The Town Tamer'; 'Stranger In Town'; and the title piece "Devil's Manhunt" (which was originally published in the February 1950 issue of 'Famous Western' magazine. This superbly presented, 2 CD, unabridged audio book has a total running time of two hours. "A Matter Of Matter" (9781592122394, $9.95) is a collection of four of Hubbard's science fiction yarns: 'The Conroy Diary'; 'The Planet Makers'; 'The Obsolete Weapon'; and the title piece "A Matter Of Matter". The title piece was original publishing in the August 1949 issue of 'Astounding Science Fiction' magazine. This 2 CD, unabridged collection audio book anthology has a total running time of two hours. Both of this new audio books from Galaxy Press are enthusiastically recommended 'theatre of the mind' entertainments. Community librarians seeking to build up the genre fiction audio book collections would be well advised to visit the Galaxy Press web site at www.galaxypress.com for a complete listing of all their outstanding audio book titles.

The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
NA0025, $41.98, www.amazon.com

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best know for his Sherlock Holmes stories. But he is also the creator of Etienne Gerard, a calvary officer in the armies of Napoleon. "The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard" is a collection of colorful (and often humorous) stories of Gerard's missions during the Napoleonic Wars ranging from Spain and Italy to England and Russia. "The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard" are deftly and dramatically narrated by Rupert Degas who does the storytelling talents of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle full and complete justice. "The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard" is a complete, unabridged, 6 CD, technically flawless audio production with a total running time of 6 hours and 53 minutes. The result is pure entertainment and the highest possible recommendation for personal and community library audio book collections.

Swann's Way
Marcel Proust, author
Neville Jason, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843796060 $98.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Swann's Way is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the first installment of an epic literary classic, "Remembrance of Things Past"; the entire seven-volume series is projected to run for 140 hours. Swann's Way begins with an awakening of the narrator's memories, brought on by the taste of a little madeleine cake with lime-flavored tea, and progresses to an exquisite rendition of life in France at the close of the 1800's. A beautiful, atmospheric, and nostalgic work, Swann's Way is highly recommended for literary connoisseurs and public library audiobook collections. 17 CDs, 21 hours 34 min.

Finding Your Way in a Wild New World
Martha Beck
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781611747935, $34.95, www.highbridgeaudio.com

Finding Your Way in a Wild New World: Reclaim Your True Nature to Create the Life You Want comes from a life coach who guides you on how to get to the next level in life. Business and spiritual concerns teach the basics of how to find a life path, how to take action and make a lasting impact in the world, and how to find peace with self and the outside world, offering a fine survey recommend for new age and self-help listeners alike!

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

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's BRIMSTONE (9781611139389, $24.98) is thriller listening at its best. Pair Scott Brick's impressive and engrossing voice with a thriller revolving around a body found in the attic of a rich Long Island estate where a hoofprint is scorched into the floor and you have a real mystery that centers around the supernatural. BRIMSTONE holds many unexpected twists and turns of plot in a delightful story that is hard to stop listening to. Both prior fans of Preston and Child and newcomers who love vivid thrillers will find this engrossing! Laurie Sandell's TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES: LIFE INSIDE THE MADOFF FAMILY (9781611135251, $29.98) includes a pdf of photos and is presented with a fine narration by Maggie Hoffman as it tells of the 2008 arrest of financier Bernard Madoff, accused of swindling thousands including friends and family. This audio captures the drama, is spiced with access to the surviving family members, and provides a riveting account of high drama in the real world of finance, suitable for any nonfiction or business holding. Ravi Zacharias' WHY JESUS? (9781609414580, $24.98) is narrated by the author, the founder of International Ministries, and offers a spiritual survey of the modern spiritual world. From Eastern mysticism to New Age religions and paganism, this provides a fine and well-researched survey that considers the Christian church and its evolving roll in the world. A top listen for any Christian! Joshilyn Jackson's A GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY (9781611139921, $29.98) is narrated by the author, a native of the Deep South, and provides a fine account of how trouble comes after three Slocumb women once every fifteen years. Three generations struggle with all kinds of decisions and past mistakes in a gripping novel filled with twists of plot and the story of three related women fighting for their place in the world.

Explosive Eighteen
Janet Evanovich
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307932501, $32.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN receives a vivid narration by Lorelei King, an actress and narrator who has numerous audiobook recordings to her name, and presents a fine survey of Stephanie, whose dream vacation has turned into a nightmare. She's flying home alone, her seatmate on the plane is dead, and her casual involvement turns into a dangerous nightmare of murder and tension in Hawaii that threatens to immerse her. A fine pick for any audio mystery collection!

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

Dean Koontz's 77 SHADOW STREET (9781441818478, $34.99) receives a fine performance by Peter Berkrot, who is a veteran actor with four decades of lively performance behind him. The Pendleton is a Gilded age palace built as a tycoon's dream home: now it is home to wealthy residents who enjoy the apartment building's elegance - until supernatural figures emerge to spark terror in the residents. An engrossing account of terror makes this a powerful pick for any audio collection! Carmine Gallo's THE INNOVATION SECRETS OF STEVE JOBS (9781743105900, $19.99) receives a fine narration by Sean Mangan, who brings to life the assessment of qualities that make the Apple co-founder the most innovative leader in modern business. Jobs' basic business principles are loaded with research, quotes and first-person interviews with business leaders, making this an applied survey that uses Jobs' example to teach the basics of business success. Narrator Sean Mangan was raised in Canada and is a singer, musician, author - and solid narrator. J.D. Robb's CHAOS IN DEATH (145581847X, $19.99) receives a fine performance by veteran narrator Susan Ericksen and tells of a psychotic killer who roams the city with detective Eve Dallas in close pursuit. The only problem is - Eve has an impossible, otherworldly description of the murderer - and finds way too many possibilities fit even the most exotic description in this involving thriller, even more lively in audio than in book format and recommended for any audio thriller library.


The Library DVD Shelf

The Brief: Complete Collection
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287431 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

The Brief: Complete Collection gathers all eight episodes of a British criminal law drama trimmed with a razor-edged sardonic wit. Actor Alan Davies (known for his performance in "Jonathan Creek") brings to life the character of barrister Henry Farmer, an adulterous gambling addict who is nevertheless the last, best hope of innocent people struggling to avoid jail. Farmer's father is liberally harsh with words; his son is distant and distrustful; and his current lover happens to be the wife of a powerful politician! Beset at every turn by the threats of exposure, financial ruin, and disintegrating family life, does Farmer have a prayer of earning a reprieve for himself, let alone his clients? The Brief: Complete Collection is sure to prove a choice pick for public library collections as well as the movie shelves of legal drama aficionados. 8 episodes on 4 DVDs, 559 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Out
Starring Tom Bell
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287486 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Set in the 1970's, Out is a stark British crime drama - from the criminal's point of view! Having served eight years in prison after the fallout of a catastrophic bank heist, newly released gangster Frank Ross searches with a vengeance for the snitch who ratted him out. Intelligent, savvy, streetwise, and brutally ruthless, Ross must evade the machinations of both a murderous crime boss and a dogged detective to achieve the revenge he craves. BAFTA nominee Tom Bell brings to life the mentally scarred lead character of gritty, miserable, crime-ridden world, in this gripping complete collection, highly recommended especially for British drama enthusiasts. Bonus material includes episode commentaries on the first and final episodes by the writer, director, and producer. 6 episodes on 2 DVDs, 302 min., full screen, SDH subtitles.

The Adventures of Merlin, 3rd Season
BBC
0780681576, $49.98, www.bbcdvd.com

The Adventures of Merlin is now in its third season, and this compilation of adventures is finally released for North American audiences who have had prior enthusiasm for the adventures of Merlin and Arthur in early Camelot. Fine monsters, quick action, and plenty of depth of characterization offers many satisfying twists and turns of plot while a 'Making of Merlin Season 3' featurette and the inclusion of deleted scenes makes this a winner for DVD and science fiction and fantasy collections alike.

Primeval Volume 3
BBC America
0780670167, $49.98, www.bbcdvd.com

PRIMEVAL is now in its third season and despite the elimination of many of its characters in prior seasons, it continues to provide a satisfying, gripping range of unpredictable twists and turns based on a team of specialists appointed by the government to handle the rips in time that are affecting the UK and the world. Connor and Abby face more dangerous creatures from past and present as they get closer to understanding the history of the anomalies that are changing their world. Prior fans will consider this a 'must have' acquisition!

Dr. Who releases
BBC America
$34.98 each, www.bbcdvd.com

DR. WHO: INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS (0780684419) covers the Jon Pertwee years from 1970-74, appears in a 2-DVD set, and tells of the Doctor and Sarah Jane's return to London, where they find a dead and vacant city. Somehow dinosaurs have returned to Earth and the Doctor is just beginning to uncover how they are operating when Sarah Jane is kidnapped and he faces added dangers. This re-mastered version of the classic Who has bonus features of audio commentary, a making-of featurette, photo gallery, and more. DR. WHO: THE ANDROID INVASION (0780684427) features The Tom Baker years from 1974-81, where Dr. Who sidekick Sarah Jane returns to her sleepy English village home only to find it deserted with white-suited spacemen patrolling the countryside and the dead coming back to life. The Doctor decides to contact UNIT for help, but his friends are also in danger and UNIT itself may be infected in this riveting story. Both are top picks for any science fiction or Dr. Who collection.

Yang Tai Chi for Beginners
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, Ph.D.
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392306 $29.95 www.ymaa.com

Expert Tai Chi Chuan teacher Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming Ph.D. presents Yang Tai Chi for Beginners, a step-by-step guide to Yang Tai Chi, the most widely practiced Tai Chi style in the world. Viewers will learn the basic exercises that relax the mind and body, bolster physical health, and promote inner calm. Tai Chi is low-impact exercise, suitable for practitioners of all skill and fitness levels; both front and rear angle views the viewer in following the form demonstrations. Nearly five minutes of instructional content distinguish Yang Tai Chi for Beginners as an in- depth resource, far above and beyond most brief fitness DVDs. Yang Tai Chi for Beginners is more than an excellent supplement to any fitness video library; it's a superb guide to reaping the incalculable physical and mental benefits of an ancient cultural practice. Highly recommended. 293 min.

Dare to Cook Chocolate: Holiday Confections
With "Chocolate Man" Bill Fredericks
ChocolateMan.com
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
13021 - 244 Avenue SE
Issaquah, WA 98027
9781604900668 $34.95 www.Bennett-Watt.com

Part of the "Dare to Cook Chocolate" series, Dare to Cook Chocolate: Holiday Confections is an instructional 2-DVD set that lives up to its title with step-by-step, user-friendly instructions to creating exotic, beautiful, and incredibly tasty hand-made chocolates with a seasonal or holiday theme. Hosted by "the Chocolate Man" Bill Frederick, an internationally trained chef of 20 years' experience who specializes in scrumptious chocolate desserts, Dare to Cook Chocolate: Holiday Confections demystifies the craft of the chocolatier for viewers of all culinary backgrounds and experience levels. Viewers are walked through fork and hand dipping techniques; methods for using molds; and instructions for preparing everything from spring molds of bunnies & eggs to tuxedo strawberries, lemon ginger truffles, fondant for hand dipped cherry cordials, peanut butter cups, and much more, even "chocolate pizzas" with fruits and nuts. A wonderful choice for the adventurous chef interested in creating handmade desserts with a difference, Dare to Cook Chocolate: Holiday Confections is highly recommended.

Building an HO Layout
TM Books & Video
PO Box 9228
Michigan City, IN 46361
$14.99 www.tmbv.com

Building an HO Layout is a step-by-step DVD designed to aid model railroad enthusiasts in crafting a realistic setting for their train. Covering a wide range of activities from track plan and bench work to wiring, lighting model buildings, paint surfaces, building a trestle bridge, crafting scenery and mountains, and much more, Building an HO Layout is a comprehensive how-to guide perfect for getting started in this absorbing and delightful pastime. Highly recommended, especially for beginners just getting started in the hobby, or intermediate hobbyists seeking hands-on tips, tricks, and techniques to refine their skill. 70 min.

V.I.E.W. Video
34 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
www.view.com

Featuring digitally mastered audio and video, two installments in the "Hooked On" DVD series by V.I.E.W. Video reinvent the hit songs of wildly popular bands. "Hooked on The Beatles" (0803023383, $14.98, 1 hour) offers a medley of The Beatles's greatest songs - as reinterpreted and performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Royal Choral Society! Conductor Louis Clark leads the grand, full-length live concert performance, attended by Paul and Linda McCartney as well as Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. In "Hooked on Queen" (0803023359, $14.98, 1 hour), The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra lends their talent to performing Queen's exciting and enduring hits, brilliantly paired with stunning live-action footage from a wide variety of sports. Both DVDs dare to transcend genres and reach out to classical and pop culture music buffs alike, daring fans of each musical type to experience and appreciate the joys of the other type. Highly recommended.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Green National Accounting And Sustainability
Krl-Gustaf Lofgren & Chuan-Zhong Li
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court. Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781848446915, $415.00, www.e-elgar.com

The newest addition to the outstanding Edward Elgar Publishing's 'The International Library of Critical Writings in Economics Series', and the collaborative editorial work of academicians and economists Krl-Gustaf Lofgren and Chuan-Zhong Li, "Green National Accounting And Sustainability" is a 768-page compendium featuring informed and informative articles by leading researchers and experts in the field of economics. Organized into three major sections (General Growth and Accounting; Growth and the Environment including Natural Resources; Natural Resources and Environmental Accounting), featuring twelve papers in each section, " "Green National Accounting And Sustainability" is enhanced with occasional grafs, footnotes, formulas, and reference lists. Altogether " "Green National Accounting And Sustainability" is an impressive body of work and the result of painstaking, peer reviewed research making it a mandatory and core addition to professional and academic library Economics reference collections and supplemental economics curriculum reading lists.

Sustaining China's Economic Growth
Nicholas R. Lardy
Peterson Institute for Institutional Economics
1750 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
9780881326260, $21.95, www.piie.com

With the control of communism and the drive of capitalism, China has flourished when the rest of the world has been struggling. "Sustaining China's Economic Growth: After the Global Financial Crisis" is an analysis of China's economic processes in recent years, to gain a more complete understanding of their continued financial success. Studying their policies in response to international financial issues, political concerns, and how this all relates to the American financial troubles and much more, "Sustaining China's Economic Growth" is a strongly recommended addition to any economic studies and international issues collection.

Financing Failure
Vern McKinley
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428
9781598130492, $19.95, www.independent.org

Many Americans don't even understand what many financial institutions do, let alone why they needed bailing out. "Financing Failure: A Century of Bailouts" discusses the financial institutional debates surrounding the bailouts at the end of the 2000s decade. Vern McKinley seeks to elaborate on the issues and grant readers a better understanding of the purposes of these companies and why a bailout was rushed to save them. "Financing Failure" is a strongly recommended pick for those who want a more comprehensive understanding of these tricky economic issues.


The Automotive Shelf

The U. S. Motor Vehicle Reference Book
Michael L. Sankey
BRB Publications
PO Box 27869, Tempe, AZ 85285
9781879792999, $14.95, www.brbpub.com

Every state handles its motor vehicle laws differently, and it can be quite confusing at times. "The U.S. Motor Vehicle Reference Book" is a guide compiled by Michael L. Sankey and Facts on Demand press as they grant a complete and comprehensive reference guide to the laws and regulations for every state of the union, up to date to 2012. For anyone or any business which must deal with many different states' laws, "The U.S. Motor Vehicle Reference Book" is very much worth considering.


The Agriculture Shelf

The Complete Beginner's Guide to Raising Small Animals
Carlotta Cooper
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue
Ocala, FL 34471
9781601383761, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

Raising one's own livestock is slowly coming back into vogue for the self-sufficient. "The Complete Guide to Raising Small Animals: Everything You Need to Know About Raising Cows, Sheep, Chickens, Ducks, and More" is a guide for those who want to embrace raising these animals for themselves, whether they be as pets, sources of milk or eggs, or for meat. Comprehensive and practical with many informative charts, including a full color pull out for children to better understand better practices. "The Complete Guide to Raising Small Animals" is very much recommended reading for those who want to bring more agriculture and farm life back into their everyday lives.

Backyard Beekeeping
Courtenay N. Smithers
Rosenberg
c/o Internatonal Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave., Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781921719196, $19.95, www.isbs.com

Beekeeping sounds scary to some, but the results can be a fine way to get over that fear quickly. "Backyard Beekeeping" discusses how to create one's own hives for honey and hobby. Australian author Courtenay Smithers walks readers through keeping a small scale amount of bees near their home in urban and suburban settings. The advice covers general procedures including fallbacks for dealing with stings and other potential injuries. "Backyard Beekeeping" is an excellent pick for anyone considering this unusual yet rewarding endeavor.

Environmental Safety of Genetically Engineered Crops
Rebecca Grumet, James F. Hancock, Karim M. Maredia, and Cholani Weebadde, editors
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860085 $49.95 www.msupress.msu.edu

Environmental Safety of Genetically Engineered Crops is an anthology of scholarly essays by expert authors discussing modern agricultural issues with regard to genetically engineered crops. Individual writings include "Pests Resistant to Pesticides and Genetically Modified Crop Plants: Theory and Management", "Capacity Building in Biosafety", "Environmental Issues Associated with Agricultural Production Systems", "Control and Monitoring Gene Flow from Genetically Engineered Crops", and much more. A heavily researched, cutting-edge compendium of the latest findings, theories, and prospective solutions for difficult problems, Environmental Safety of Genetically Engineered Crops is an absolute "must-have" for college library agricultural and environmental studies shelves.

The Chicken Encyclopedia
Gail Damerow
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603425612, $19.95, www.storey.com

Chickens are a very useful livestock animal, but one needs more than a chicken brain to fully understand them."The Chicken Encyclopedia: An Illustrated Reference" is a complete and comprehensive informational guide from Gail Damerow as she tells readers how to fully understand the chicken and maximize the health of the chicken so one can have excellent poultry and egg results. "The Chicken Encyclopedia" is presented with full color illustrations and should not be overlooked by anyone who deals with chickens on a regular basis.


The Native American Shelf

Winning the West with Words
James Joseph Buss
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman OK 73069
9780806142142, $34.95, www.oupress.com

Winning the West with Words: Language and Conquest in the Lower Great Lakes explores how 19th century Anglo-Americans used language and rhetoric to claim cultural ownership of the Lower Great Lakes region. It comes from a historian who uses literary studies combined with anthropology to consider images of pioneers and Indians used by American settlers to support their vision of an empty landscape in which they established governments and settlements, showing how this approach replaced a more complex vision of cooperation and encounters between the different groups. From travel journals and treaty ceremonies to newspapers and local histories, this provides an outstanding survey recommended for any literary and Native American history holding.

The People of the Standing Stone
Karim M. Tiro
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498907, $26.95, www.,umass.edu.umpress

The People of the Standing Stone focuses on the Oneida nation from the Revolution through the Era of Removal, and blends scholarly historical examination with a narrative that analyzes the tribe's traumas, tribulations, and involvement with the revolutionaries. The revolution sparked a division in the tribe as they tried to help the patriots while tried to avoid harming their Iroquois brethren. Their reward for loyalty was to be dispossessed of nearly all their lands through treaties with New York. Any Native American history holding needs this well-researched account!

Iroquois Art, Power, and History
Neal B. Keating
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806138909, $55.00, www.oupress.com

"Iroquois Art, Power, and History" is a stunning new unveiling of adjusted interpretations of 5,000 years of Iroquois or Haudenosaunee peoples' legacy of visual art forms, including writing, incising, painting, tree-painting, drawing, tattoo, body painting, photography, videography and digital media, as well as other art media. Previously dismissed or devalued by ignorant Western European art critics, Iroquois art works and forms are examined through the perspectives of both ethnohistory and anthropology and contemporary activism. More than 100 color and black-and-white pages of reproductions of Iroquois art fill this volume, illustrating Keating's central thesis that with regard to the art history of the Haudenosaunee peoples, "the relationship between art and power concerns social memory and its control (p. 301)." He further describes his goal to "visually decolonize the history of Haudenosaunee peoples through a focus on the social relations that are manifest in visual expressions (p.302)." That this is a valuable undertaking in the present moment when North American indigenous peoples art history is only beginning to be studied seriously is paramount. One might wonder why it has taken so long for the slumbering Western mind, pre-convinced of its innate superiority and inevitable domination, to begin to awaken. Brilliant analyses and perspectives of study of Iroquois uses of visual expression to preserve and convey cultural information, history, and ethnic identity through fluctuating tides and times reveal a "powerful resource that in the twenty-first century continues to remain viable and available to those who care to see it (p. 302)." A true visual index, "Iroquois Art, Power, and History" contains both a wealth of visual art reproductions plus interpretations and also extensive appendices of documentation of Haudenosaunee artists' work in the late twentieth century from the Iroquois Art Projects 1 and 2, also including a list of artists with both English and Haudenosaunee names, nation, year of birth, and community. Basically, "Iroquois Art, Power, and History" is a step towards reaffirming the miraculous contributions and cultural identity of a vast collection of indigenous peoples long skilled in the creation of artistic images of power.

Telling Stories in the Face of Danger
Paul V. Kroskrity, editor
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142272, $24.95, www.oupress.com

"Telling Stories in the Face of Danger: Language Renewal in Native American Communities" is a collection of essays on North American tribal stories as case studies showing how storytelling in the original indigenous language preserves and bestows a precious cultural legacy to modern descendants of First Americans and others as well. Included are ten chapter essays covering storytelling traditions and stories from Kiowa, Southern Paiute, Hupa and other Northwestern California tribal groups, Kumiai of Baja, California, White Mountain Apache, Arizona Tewa, the Maliseet of New Brunswick, Canada, and the Navajo of Southwestern United States. Featuring the significance of language renewal programs and efforts in Native American languages, the essays of "Telling Stories in the Face of Danger" point out that teaching, preserving, and renewing indigenous narrative traditions is crucial to cultural, social and individual identity construction and moral development and healing, especially in children. Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo novelist) writes about stories: "They aren't just entertainment. They are all we have...to fight off illness and death. You don't have anything if you don't have the stories ("Ceremony"). Although there are many pressures antithetical to preservation efforts from within and without the indigenous communities whose languages and traditional stories are endangered, "Telling Stories in the Face of Danger" offers a spectrum of ethnographic research to support the need for language endangerment restoration and education. Additional modern cultural education efforts such as the Navajo poetry are also studied in this multi-dimensional study of indigenous language renewal and storytelling traditions.

For King and Kanata
Timothy C. Winegard
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College
Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M5
9780887557286, $28.95, www.uofmpress.ca

No matter who claimed to own it, the land was still theirs and was to be defended. "For King and Kanata: Canadian Indians and the First World War" discusses the First Nations individuals who rose to Canada's call to arms in the first world war. Although Canada initially rejected the volunteers of the First Nations for racist reasons, the need for manpower soon won out, creating a unique chapter in the First Nations of Canada's history. A unique story of racism, valor, and the advancement of minorities, "For King and Kanata" is a strongly recommended read for any assortment focusing on the First Nations or Canadian military history.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Enlightenment Journal
Channelled by noraWalksInSpirit, a.k.a. Nora Anderson
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100
Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
9781452536224 $11.95 www.hayhouse.com

Enlightenment Journal is the firsthand spiritual experience of author and healing shaman Nora Anderson, who has contacted a Divine Presence and gained a transcendent message to pass on. Chapters discuss how to awaken one's own consciousness, understand consciousness energy fields, become and understand the flame of consciousness, and much more. The transcendent experience of being exposed to higher presences are recounted in extensive detail. "And Jesus spoke, 'I began to rearrange MY Documents and Tablets and found that for MY own understanding to teach through the infinite ONE, I shall have to realize the Consciousness Frequencies more accurately, in order that I may house this Child and move Her gracefully into Infinite Immortal Intelligence." Enlightenment Journal is a thoughtful and profound addition to metaphysical spirituality shelves.

The Pocket Book of Stones
Robert Simmons
Heaven & Earth Publishing
c/o North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781583943175 $14.95 www.northatlanticbooks.com

The Pocket Book of Stones: Who They Are & What They Teach is a pocket-sized guide to the metaphysical properties of various minerals. Featuring a full-color photograph of each stone, The Pocket Book of Stones includes a very quick "go-to" summary of the stone's basic metaphysical qualities, followed by a page-long description of the stone's composition, commonly found locations, innate spiritual qualities, and affinities with other gemstones. For example, part of the entry for Smoky Quartz reads, "Smoky Quartz has a way of drawing the ethereal into manifestation. When one is wearing or carrying a Smoky Quartz, one is actually more likely to see such phenomena as ghosts, UFOs, fairies and spirit guides... Smoky Quartz is useful for helping one bring one's most potent dreams and inspired ideas into physical reality." The Pocket Book of Stones is an excellent, easy-to-use reference ideal for supplementing personal metaphysical studies shelves.

Happy
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781742205885, $14.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

HAPPY: SECRETS TO HAPPINESS FROM THE CULTURES OF THE WORLD comes from a travel guide publisher who provides a fine survey of different happiness-generating methods in different cultures, making this a pick for new age and travel holdings alike. HAPPY brings together a host of cultural insights to happiness and shows readers how to bring these insights into their own homes. From using natural celebrations to realizing connections to the outside world to exercising to produce endorphins, HAPPY is an outstanding, positive guide for any general lending library.

The Supernatural series
The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
29 East 21st Street
New York, NY 10010
$39.95 each www.rosenpublishing.com

Featuring black-and-white vintage and full-color modern photography throughout, "The Supernatural" series explores metaphysical and even fantastic topics in great depth; each volume is roughly 250 pages including a glossary, index, and "for further reading" list. Accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds, The Supernatural covers the history behind unexplained phenomena as well as theories and speculation. An excellent, comprehensive set, The Supernatural is highly recommended for any reader curious about matters that lie beyond the natural realm. The volumes are "Bizarre Phenomena and Unexplained Mysteries" by Nancy Carr and Peter Henshaw (9781448859849); "Vampire Legends and Myths" by Roxanne Hellman and Derek Hall (9781448859863); "Supernatural Signs, Symbols, and Codes" by Arlene Billings and Beryl Dhanjal (9781448859870); and "Famous Ghosts and Haunted Places" by Gordon Lynch, Diane Canwell, and Jonathon Sutherland (9781448859856).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Librarian's Guide To Micropublishing
Walt Crawford
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
www.infotoday.com
9781573874304, $49.50, www.amazon.com

A 'micro publisher' is any publisher or self-published author that produces books in a 'print on demand' format thus avoiding the necessity and expense of book storage while awaiting sales. The numbers of authors utilizing publish-on-demand (POD) companies to turn their manuscript into a saleable book is steadily growing and has seen dozens of POD companies arise to service this demand. But there are a great many pitfalls for an author taking this route to see their literary efforts become published and available to the reading public. That's why, although directed primarily to community librarians seeking to assist their patrons on in this area, "The Librarian's Guide to Micropublishing: Helping Patrons and Communities Use Free and Low-cost Publishing Tools to Tell Their Stories" will prove to be an invaluable, comprehensive, superbly presented, and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide for anyone seeking to utilize MS Word to design and edit a manuscript to take advantage of such POD resources as Lulu, CreateSpace, AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Tate, Xlibris, or any of the other dozens of publishing resources.

Video Game Writing
Maurice Suckling and Mark Walton
Mercury Learning
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420155 $41.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com

Video Game Writing From Macro to Micro is a user-friendly, in-depth discussion of video game writing from historical, practical, legal, creative, and game integration perspectives. Chapters cover what is expected of the writing in games of various genres, the basics of Non-Disclosure Agreements and contracts that often go hand in hand with a video game writing job, how a video game writer must collaborate with other members of the team, principles of narrative design, outlines, character documents, environmental storytelling, types of scripts, and much more. Exercises at the end of every chapter (such as "Using a format of your choosing, diagrammatically represent the plot of any two stories you like. One of them should originate from a game.") help the reader get a hands-on understanding of the craft of writing for games. Video Game Writing is a "must-have" instructional resource for any writer seeking to break into the game industry, and is highly recommended for self-study as well as for technical college reference libraries.


The Music Shelf

Companion to Irish Traditional Music, second edition
Fintan Vallely, editor
Cork University Press
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com, www.corkuniversitypress.com
9781859184509, $80.00, www.amazon.com

The "Companion To Irish Traditional Music (Second Edition)" is a complete, compact encyclopedia to the vast field of Irish traditional music in over 800 pages, heavily researched, documented, and cleverly organized with alphabetical indices, a list of abbreviations, plus introductory guide to using the Companion to find desired information. In addition to 761 pages of alphabetically arranged information entries regarding individuals, bands, performers, styles, critics, areas specialties, related literature, and much more, there is a Chronology or Timeline of Irish Music in History that spans from 5935 BC to 2011, and a list of Published Material Relating to Traditional Music, containing useful publications and resources on specific traditional instruments, collections, studies, ethnographies, overviews, popular music, song collections, and more. Filled with both black and white illustrations and succinct summaries of an unimaginable wealth of detailed information on modern and historical applications of Irish traditional music, the "Companion To Irish Traditional Music" presents a tapestry of glittering song lore in a carefully organized format. The list of contributors and acknowledgments is vast and impressive, as might be expected. Useful to the traditional Irish music student, teacher, or beneficiary ("fan"), the "Companion to Irish Traditional Music (Second Edition)" is an essential component of any music library and many private connoisseurs' collections. Many thanks are due to editor Fintan Vallely and all his contributors for this much appreciated edition.

Hal Leonard
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonard.com

GUITAR PLAY ALONG: BOB MARLEY (9781423495345, $16.99) offers a CD and tab book combination that teaches reggae fans how to play 8 songs, and is a top pick for any player who wants a basic introduction to Marley and reggae's style. Some of his top hits - including 'Get Up Stand Up' and 'Three Little Birds' - are covered in this tab and sound-alike CD pairing, helping guitar players get up to speed with both visual and audio keys to success. The CD is playable on any CD player and is enhanced so MAC and PC users can just the tempo without changing the pitch: an added bonus to this easy learner's guide! GUITAR GEAR OF THE GREATS: THE GUITARS, AMPS & EFFECTS BEHIND THE SOUND OF 100 PLAYERS (9781423492221, $19.99) come with a CD and accompanies rare photos and stories from a music historian to accompany tablature, bios, and profiles of 100 selected top guitarists. All music styles are embraced from rock to jazz, with discussions on Brad Paisley, Joe Pass, Larry Carlton, Eric Clapton and more offering specifics on the gear they used and the sound they created or influenced. A fine pick for any music collection!


The Computer Shelf

Murach's HTML5 & CSS3
Zak Ruvalcaba & Anne Boehm
Mike Murach & Associates
4340 N. Knoll Ave.
Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774660, $54.50, www.murach.com

The language of the web grows more complex, and being at the cutting edge can give a leg up on the competition. "Murach's HTML5 & CSS3" is complete and comprehensive guide to the latest developments in the HTML language, as well as the updates in CSS. The latest entry in Murach's long line of technology manuals, Zak Ruvalcaba and Anne Boehm present everything needs to best understand the language and use it to its fullest. "Murach's HTML5 & CSS3" is a choice pick for any computers and technology community and college library collection.

HTML5
Chuck Hudson & Tom Leadbetter
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321769381, $39.99, www.mcp.com

HTML is known for being a major building block of the web, and it has evolved alongside the rest of the internet. "HTML5: Developer's Cookbook" is a guide to the next level of HTML, as Chuck Hudson & Tom Leadbetter walk readers through the ins and outs of understanding HTML5, with its new capabilities and language that can keep it up with the technology needed in today's competitive internet coding world. Complete and comprehensive to understanding everything one needs to know about the latest HTML release, "HTML 5" is a strongly recommended pick for community and college computer and technology collections.

Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.microsoft.com/mspress

Two fine exam guides are top picks for any planning on studying for these exams, and should be considered by any college-level collection strong in software developer education. Tony Northrup and Matthew A. Stoecker's MCPD EXAM REF 70-518 (9780735667236, $39.99) covers the basics of designing Windows applications using Microsoft.NET Framework 4. It uses the exam to follow and teach the basics and is designed for experienced MCTS-certified professionals ready to advance their careers. Arranged by exam objective, this is filled with real-world scenarios and applications analysis. Orin Thomas' MCITP EXAM REF 70-663 (9780735658080, $49.99) covers designing solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, and offers professional-level preparation to help experienced, MCTS-certified professionals advance their careers. From planning and designing Exchange Server infrastructures to deploying antivirus features and configuring subscriptions, this is filled with keys to success not just in the exam, but in advancing knowledge and career objectives. Both are top picks for exam-takers in these IT areas.

The Linux Command Line
William E. Shotts, Jr.
No Starch Press
38 Ringold St., San Francisco CA 94103
9781593273897, $49.95, www.nostarch.com

The Linux Command Line: A Complete Introduction provides an in-depth survey on the command line and comes from one who has been a Linux user for over 15 years. Readers learn tips from their first keystrokes to writing full problems in Bash, the most popular Linux shell, with chapters covering everything from secure communications with remote hosts to a history of printing, compiling programs, and validating input with Linux. A fine pick for any computer collection attracting newcomers to Linux!

New Programmer's Survival Manual
Josh Carter
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356814, $29.00, www.pragprog.com

New Programmer's Survival Manual teaches the basics of assessing and obtaining key industry skills to help apply raw programming talent to a job. It considers what goes on in an office, and how to land that first job using programming skills. From working on larger-scale programs to understanding the corporate working environment from office politics to challenges to teamwork, this provides a top reference to any newly-graduated programmer who wants real-world applications.

O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com

Preston Gralla's GALAXY TAB: THE MISSING MANUAL (9781449396855, $19.99) offers keys to the TouchWiz interface and other features of Galaxy Tab, which lets your mobile device become interactive. Chapters cover all the basics of adding widgets and mini-apps to a screen, downloading programs, using email and browsers, shooting photos and videos and more. From browsing Google Maps to posting on walls, this is packed with details and black and white illustrations throughout, making it a pick for any mobile device owner using Galaxy Tab to stay in touch. Matt Aimonetti's MACRUBY: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE (9781449380373, $39.99) is for any Mac Os X programmer and covers the basics of getting started with MacRuby. From using MacRuby with Apple's Xcode developer package to advanced techniques and applications that can hold examples from a location web service, this is a reference programmers at all levels can readily use. Clay A. Jonson's THE INFORMATION DIET: A CASE FOR CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION (9781449304683, $22.99) is a recommendation for media and computer collections alike and considers the social issues involved in the glut of information available online. Chapters tell how to navigate the information society, from learning what to look for and what to avoid to being selective about media's offerings. Any reader concerned about media marketing and information's underlying purposes will find this a thought-provoking, important guide! J.D. Biersdorfer and David Pogue's IPOD: THE MISSING MANUAL (9781449312855, $21.99) packs in all the details iPod users need, from learning how to load iPods with movies, games, ebooks and more to handling iTunes, using variations such as the Nano and Shuffle, and customizing a media library. It's a powerful pick for any iPod user and should be the 'bible' accompanying any new user's purchase! Lyza Danger Gardner and Jason Grigsby's HEAD FIRST MOBILE WEB (9781449302665, $44.99) uses the latest research in cognitive learning skills to provide a learning experience that's visually rich and quick to absorb. It's patterned on the way the brain works and uses dynamic, inviting pages to teach the basics of adopting a mobile strategy for business: one that takes into account the growing use of phones, tablets and e-reader devices for browsing the web. From strategic changes to mobile web design to learning through puzzles and images, this covers everything from device databases to building hybrid mobile apps, and is a 'must' for business and computer libraries alike.


The Technology Shelf

iPhone 4S for Dummies, 5th edition
Edward C. Baig and Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118036716, $24.99, www.wiley.com

iPhone 4S for Dummies offers a fine survey of the iPhone 4S and all its new possibilities, and should accompany any iPhone new acquisition. It covers all the basics and uses full color, step-by-step examples throughout that teach both basics and more advanced customization techniques. From working with its camera and restricting usage to using utilities, this updated 5th edition covers the latest iPhone 4S, 4 and 3GS, and is a top recommendation!

iPod & iTunes for Dummies, 9th edition
Tony Bove
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118130605, $21.99, www.wiley.com

iPod & iTunes for Dummies teaches how to set up an iPod and iTunes account, how to fill the iPod with music and videos, and how to add music tracks from CDs to a library and iPod. It appears in its 9th updated edition to cover the latest iPod and iTunes editions, and teaches both the basics and advanced functions of obtaining, organizing and working with playlists and content. Step-by-step instructions and use keys make this a winning discussion even for those who have their first iPod and no clue about setup and applications.

iPad2 for Seniors for Dummies, third edition
Nancy C. Muir
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118176788, $24.99, www.wiley.com

iPad2 for Seniors for Dummies offers a full-color third updated edition to teach users how to use the iPad2 to exchange emails, share photos, and more. Tips cover the iPad, iPad2 and iOS 5 and the 'senior' angle teaches the basics of its features and functions, designed for seniors who hold only minimal technology skills. Larger-sized print and easy directions make it easy for seniors to get started learning all the basics.


The Crafts Shelf

Irina's Inspirations for Jewelry
Irina Miech
Kalmbach Publishing Co.
P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780871164025, $21.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Irina's Inspirations for Jewelry comes form a designer who shares photos and notes on where she locates ideas for her handcrafted jewelry. Irina has journeyed around the world and closer to home in Wisconsin, so her ideas come from varied experience. This title offers step-by-step photos to show how to create pieces matching Irina's artistic insights - and offer jewelry makers keys to obtaining ideas from their own worlds. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings use a range of simple techniques making this a pick for any level of beader.

North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.createmixedmedia.com

Thomas Mann's METAL ARTIST'S WORKBENCH: DEMYSTIFYING THE JEWELER'S SAW (1440311463, $27.99) offers an in-depth survey of how to get the most from sawn projects using the jeweler's saw. It comes from a veteran artist who provides exercises designed to start the beginner with some fifteen projects ranging from a chef's knife pendant to pins and switch plates. Each project is designed to teach sawing basics and techniques and uses lovely projects form metal, plastic, wood or paper as a starting point. Step-by-step color close-up photos throughout make the learning process a snap in this recommendation for any jewelry-making or crafting collection. Nita Leland's NEW CREATIVE COLLAGE TECHNIQUES (1440309213, $29.99) is packed with basic methods and innovations on collage and teaches over 50 collage projects using step-by-step directions, charts, and more. Learn techniques that translate to addition creative projects in a survey that uses the work from 60 artists to show various collage options that are far from ordinary. These projects teach color contrasts, texture, using paints and much more. With lay-flat binding and hardcover spine lettering, this is a perfect pick for any budding artist's collection.


The Travel Shelf

US & British Virgin Islands
Karla Zimmerman
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
9781741042016, $18.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

The Virgin islands have a serenity and beauty that can't be found anywhere else. "US & British Virgin Islands" is a guide for those who want to explore these tropical paradises for their own vacations, as the people at Lonely Planet look to equip readers with everything they need to know to plan and enjoy their trip to the fullest, and avoid the pitfalls of traveling to nonstandard lands. With plenty of diagrams and info on lodging, restaurants, and much more, "US & British Virgin Islands" is a strong pick for any potential tropical traveler.

Off the Beaten Path
Ruth J. Colvin
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110
Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9780815609933, $24.95, www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu

People are people, no matter from where in the world they come from. "Off the Beaten Path: Stories of People Around the World" is a travel memoir of Ruth J. Colvin as she shares her journey all over the world, seeing racism at its worst in South Africa, survivors of atrocity, and many other people, living their lives be it under duress or finding their own bits of joy in it all. "Off the Beaten Path" is a fascinating read of life in its many ways, a very much recommended addition to memoir and world culture collections.

Route 66 Lost & Found
Russell A. Olsen
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760339985, $30.00, www.voyageurpress.com

Black and white vintage photos pack the pages of ROUTE 66 LOST & FOUND: MOTHER ROAD RUINS AND RELICS - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, and come from an author and photographer who documents past appearances and provides new profiles of the same scene. Over 200 profiles have been re-sequenced along with updated maps featuring new sites and archival images of each establishment on Route 66, making this a fine armchair read recommended for any American history or travel library.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Collision of Lies
John J. Le Beau
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G
Longboat Key, FL 34228
9781608090457, $25.95, www.oceanviewpub.com

When cover up stacks upon cover up, the truth can be impossible to find. "Collision of Lies" is a tale of international mystery, as a single murder begins to spin out of control into an international plot of coverups and crime all throughout the region. As more and more corruption begins to stir into the plot, it's up to Bavarian Police Kommissar Franz Waldbaer work with the CIA and other agents to find the truth. With plenty of twists and turns, "Collision of Lies" proves a riveting and choice addition to any community library mystery and thriller novel collection.

A Perilous Conception
Larry Karp
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590589731, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

A Perilous Conception provides a fine mystery set in 1976 and telling of Dr. Colin Sanford, a brilliant obstetrician practicing in the Pacific Northwest who resolves to become the first to produce a baby by in vitro fertilization. Politics, competing scientific investigations, and a husband's fatal shooting over a birth create a vivid mystery packed with twists and turns of plot revolving around births, death, and conflict. A satisfying, unusual 'must' for any mystery collection.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Knits for Nerds
Toni Carr
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449407919 $16.99 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Knits for Nerds: 30 Projects for Fans of Science Fiction, Comic Books, Fantasy lives up to its title with step-by-step instructions for handcrafting knitted projects including the red-orange- yellow "Cunning Scarf" and "Cunning Socks" featured on the "Firefly" science fiction show, to Padme's battle cape from "Star Wars", to the red-and-black crewman's shirt similar to those of "Star Trek", to manga-style leg warmers and much more. Full-color photographs and a supplemental reference section walking beginning knitters through basic knitting abbreviations and techniques round out this unique crafts guide perfect for anyone interested in creating trendy, handmade gifts for the science fiction or fantasy fan in their life! Highly recommended.

2 Piece Patchwork
Sandy Petsche
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726036, $24.95, www.landauercorp.com

Quilts can prove to be very eye catching creations, and cozy too. "2 Piece Patchwork" is a guide for quilters who want to create magnificent designs out of simply two pieces in triangles and squares, as Sandy Petsche and the folks at Maple Hill Quilts present a full color guide with plenty of inspiration all throughout. For the rookie or veteran quilter, "2 Piece Patchwork" is sure to give plenty of ideas and what one needs to get started.

Knit Local
Tanis Gray
SixthandSpring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301
New York, NY 10013
9781936096183, $19.95, www.sixth&springbooks.com

KNIT LOCAL: CELEBRATING AMERICA'S HOMEGROWN YARNS offers over thirty knits made in the U.S. from family-owned companies that grow, spin and dye their yarns in this country, and pairs company histories and products with a review of the drive towards home-grown products within the knitting community. Yarns accompany color photos of over thirty projects along with easy directions on their use, with references on events and companies listed in the back. Any knitter's collection will benefit from this unusual, specific guide!

Weave Classic Crackle & More
Susan Wilson
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764339400, $34.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Weave Classic Crackle & More focuses on a specific weave structure that teaches how to create classic crackle. Discussions of design choices, treadling variations, and different challenges presented by crackle are accompanied by over 200 images illustrating techniques throughout. Any hand weaver or library catering to them will appreciate this book's specific focus.

Bobbin Quiltin' & Fusin' Fun
Michele Scott
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600063, $26.95, www.AmericanQuilter.com

Bobbin Quiltin' & Fusin' Fun explores a range of fusing and applique techniques that tells how to finish quilting projects using fun threads in the bobbin, and is a fine pick for any quilter's collection seeking finishing touches. Learn how to choose from a range of decorative threads and yarns and learn to machine quilt from the back with a guide that uses projects to blend fusing and raw edge applique techniques. Color photos, patterns, and examples assure success!


The Women's Studies Shelf

Sisters in the Faith
Glendyne R. Wergland
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498631, $24.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

SISTERS IN THE FAITH: SHAKER WOMEN AND THE EQUALITY OF THE SEXES uses an archive packed with primary documents to support discussions of how and why women joined the Shakers and how they were perceived by those outside their community. From tasks divided between men and women to how Shaker communities succeeded in instigating gender equality at a time when women elsewhere suffered many restrictions, SISTERS IN THE FAITH makes for an involving survey perfect for college-level women's history collections.

Daughters of the Declaration
Claire Gaudiani and David Burnett
Public Affairs
250 West 57th St. Suite 1321, New York NY 10107
9781610390316, $26.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

DAUGHTERS OF THE DECLARATION: HOW WOMEN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS BUILT THE AMERICAN DREAM documents the contributions of women entrepreneurs who built 'social profit' in America before others built universities and foundations bearing their names. Women from the time of the Revolution to the end of the New Deal are documented in a fine collection discussing their goals, influences, contributions, and unique growth tactics. History, politics, economics and social issues come together under one cover and provide a fine survey perfect for any who would gain a sense of women's contributions and influences upon American ideals.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Wiccan Shadows
Lori J. Schiele
ImaJinn Books, Inc.
PO Box 74274, Phoenix, AZ 85087
9781610260022, $16.00, www.imajinnbooks.com

The end of the world can put a damper in all the work you've accomplished so far. "Wiccan Shadows" is the first entry into Lori J. Schiele's The Wiccan Sisterhood series. When the high priestess disappears, Alex Grisham and her sisters find themselves searching for the truth, rushing against Samhain, the end of their world. "Wiccan Shadows" is a riveting modern fantasy, very much worth considering for general fiction collections.

Luthor Huss
Chris Wraight
The Black Library
c/o BL Publishing
1525 Hulse Road, Unit 1
Pt. Pleasant, NJ 08742
9781849701310, $8.99, www.blacklibrary.com

As one crusades for a better future in the present, they cannot forget the past as it was left behind. "Luthor Huss" follows the warrior priest of Sigmar as he works with a witch hunter to find the source of the undead plaguing the empire. Creating a certain bond, Huss realizes he cannot run away from what he left behind, and must face it head on, for the good of himself, and for the good of the empire. "Luthor Huss" is a fine addition to any fantasy collection, a worthy expansion of the Warhammer universe.

Gem of a Ghost
Sue Ann Jaffarian
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738713816, $14.95, www.midnightbooks.com

Generations and death are nothing for family. "Gem of a Ghost" follows Emma Whitecastle as she finds that the ghosts that plague Joanna Reid can only be dealt with by her. With the help of a specter of her centuries old grandmother, Granny Apples, Emma rises to the call reluctantly, and mediate peace between the realms of the living and dead. "Gem of a Ghost" is a fine pick for fans of mystery and quirky ghost stories.

Tribulations
Ken Shufelot
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765365583, $7.99, www.tor-forge.com

TRIBULATIONS begins with a bang: an asteroid storm has obliterated Earth, and Billy and Linda West have built enough space-going arks to save a number of humans who roam the universe searching for a new home. Billy attempts to exceed the speed of light, damages his ship, and winds up drifting alone near a mysterious planet. Strong characters and plot make for a fast-paced survival story with many twists and turns making TRIBULATIONS a fine pick for any science fiction holding.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Hatch Guide For Upper Midwest Streams
Ann R. Miller
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112
Portland, OR 97282
9781571884817 $29.95 www.amatobooks.com

Part of the user-friendly "Hatch Guide" series, Hatch Guide For Upper Midwest Streams is a pocket-sized identification guide to the water and stream insects of the Upper Midwest area, featuring a full-color photograph of each insect and a brief description of its behavior and life cycle. The primary purpose of Hatch Guide For Upper Midwest Streams is to aid fishermen in crafting more lifelike (and therefore more successful) lures for fly fishing, through firsthand knowledge of the creatures that the lures are meant to imitate, amateur entymologists and any others seeking to better understand and identify insects of the region will also find it this guide practical and effective. A brief list of recommended fly patterns to imitate various different nymphs, as well as a glossary, index, and hatch chart round out this handy book especially recommended for dedicated fishermen.

Fishes of the Central United States
Joseph R. Tomelleri & Mark E. Eberle
University Press of Kansas
2501 West 15th Street
Lawrence, KS 66049
9780700618163, $24.95, www.kansaspress.ku.edu

Countless fish inhabit the rivers and lakes, numerous even when the focus is firmly on the center. "Fishes of the Central United States" is a fishing reference and identification guide from fishermen and naturalists Joseph Tomelleri and Mark E. Eberle, as they provide an informative and comprehensive guide to the many species of fish throughout, complete with full color drawings of hundreds of fish. A comprehensive reference of vital use to anyone who works with Central United States waterways, "Fishes of the Central United States" is a strong and much recommended pick not to be overlooked.

Connecticut
Ron Merly
Wilderness Adventures Press
45 Buckskin Road
Belgrade, MT 59714
9781932098891, $29.95, www.store.wildadvpress.com

Some of the best fishing in New England is to be had in Connecticut. "Flyfisher Guide to Connecticut" is a guide to the countless creeks and rivers all over the state and where to go to find the best of fishing. With countless maps as well as guides to the major fishing shops throughout the region and other facilities of interest, for anyone fishing in Connecticut, as a fishing vacation or simply as a fisherman living in the state. "Flyfisher Guide to Connecticut" is not to be missed for the fishing enthusiast.

The Art of Tying the Bass Fly
Skip Morris
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112
Portland, OR 97282
9781571884848, $26.95, www.amatobooks.com

What appears to be a goofy bauble to the untrained eye may be a fisherman's secret to success. "The Art of Tying the Bass Fly" is a guide to creating these lures to bring fish closer to one's trap, to increase the amount of fish they can capture, to make their trip more fruitful. With lures for the many type of bass as well as countless designs with their own uses, "The Art of Tying the Bass Fly" is a full color guide with step by step instructions, to considered by any enthusiastic bass fisherman.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Wisdom By The Week
Naftali Rothenberg
The Yeshiva University Press
c/o KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306-6316
9781602801998, $39.50, www.ktav.com

A 693-page compendium of expert commentary and analysis by leading authorities, writers and artists which have been knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Naftali Rothenberg (Senior Research Fellow and Chaire of Jewish Culture and identity, Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel), "Wisdom by the Week: The Weekly Torah Portion as Inspiration for Thought and Creativity" introduces insightful, inspired, and inspiring perspectives on fifty-four weekly individual Torah readings that will prove of inestimable value for scholars and non-specialist general readers alike. Beginning with an informed and informative introduction by Professor Rothenberg, "Wisdom by the Week: The Weekly Torah Portion as Inspiration for Thought and Creativity" is enhanced with the inclusion of a section of succinct biographies of Talmud authorities and a list of contributing commentary authors. "Wisdom by the Week: The Weekly Torah Portion as Inspiration for Thought and Creativity" is a model of scholarship and is to be very strongly recommended for personal and academic library Judaic Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.

Kosher Jesus
Shmuley Boteach
Gefen Books
11 Edison Place
Springfield, NJ 07081
9789652295781, $26.00, www.gefenpublishing.com

Jesus was undeniably a Jew, but what does that mean to those who remain followers of that faith? "Kosher Jesus" is a Jewish discussion of Jesus Christ from Jewish thinker Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who discusses the figure of Jesus of Nazareth has historically and philosophically had on the Jewish faith. Looking at both historical and Christian writings, Rabbi Boteach offers many fascinating ideas, including a refutation of the legend of Jews being responsible for the death of Jesus. "Kosher Jesus" is a strong addition to Judaic Studies and general religious collections, highly recommended.



The Self-Help Shelf

Echoes of Perennial Wisdom
Frithjof Schuon
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive
Bloomington, IN 47401
9781936597000, $16.95, www.worldwisdom.com

Wisdom knows no time and knows no language. "Echoes of Perennial Wisdom" is a fine volume of spiritual and philosophical writings from Frithjof Schuon who walks readers through the many aspects of our lives and tries to offer something simple and that would unite us all with its philosophy. A sage read from a student of life and religion, "Echoes of Perennial Wisdom" is an excellent addition to any self-help and philosophy collection, highly recommended.

Emotional Equations
Chip Conley
The Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451607253, $24.00, www.simonsays.com

Understanding our emotions can be harder than any math problem, but a bit of math can help us try to get ahead of it all. "Emotional Equations: Simple Truths for Creating Happiness + Success" is an inspirational read from Chip Conley as he tries to guide readers through the ins and outs of dealing with one's emotions, by placing food for thought in equations of how we come to certain feelings that we all face throughout our life. To finding the root of experience to the dividends of happiness, "Emotional Equations" proves to be a uniquely thoughtful read that should prove a highly thoughtful read.

Source
Joseph Jaworski
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781576759042, $26.95, www.bkconnection.com

The potential for greatness resides in us all. "Source: The Inner Path of Knowledge Creation" discusses leadership of the soul, as Joseph Jaworski as he encourages those charged with the importance of leadership to look inside themselves and find the sources of inspiration. Encouraging readers to think and keep their mind and hearts open to the world, he offers anecdotes of crossing with many thinkers and individuals in order to gain the power of visionary leadership. "Source" is a strongly recommended pick for community and library collections focused on business, inspiration, and leadership.


The Relationship Shelf

Two Plus Two
Geoffrey L. Greif & Kathleen Holtz Deal
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
9780414879279, $21.95, www.routledge.com

A healthy couple takes everything about their partner, including their friends. "Two Plus Two: Couples and Their Couple Friendships" discusses the concept of friendship between two couples and the impacts it can have on all involved, through decades of life and dealing with the natural progression of marriages. Aimed at both couples and therapists, Geoffrey L. Greif & Kathleen Holtz bring a fascinating read with many ideas on the impact of longtime friendship between many, making "Two Plus Two" an excellent and can't miss pick.

Stop Calling him Honey...
Maggie Arana & Julienne Davis
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757315312, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

Sex is the glue that can keep a marriage together for decades. "Stop Calling him Honey..and Start Having Sex!' is a guide for renewing passions and keeping the fires going all throughout the marriage. From avoiding the pitfalls that allow one to turn monogamy into a grind. With plenty of practical advice to keep the chemistry alive, "Stop Calling him Honey" is a powerful and much recommended read for anyone who thinks the lust is falling out of their love.

52 Things Wives Need from Their Husband
Jay Payleitner
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North
Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736944717, $12.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Relationships are a two way thing. "52 Things Wives Need From Their Husbands: What Husbands Can Do to Build a Stronger Marriage" is a faith driven guide to relationships from Jay Payleitner as he advises readers on how to build a stronger relationship, by staying true to each other, keeping the love known, and remembering that she's more than a housewife or mother. "52 Things Wives Need from Their Husbands" is a choice read for any Christian husband who wants to keep joy in marriage.

30 Ways to Better Days
Caird
New Road
c/o Smith Publicity (publicity)
1930 E. Marlton Pike, Suite I-46, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
9780987700209, $19.95, www.newroadcoaching.com

It may feel as such at the time, but the end of a relationship isn't the end of the world. "30 Ways to Better Days: How to Rally After You've Been Dumped" is a guide to the rebound for those who have had a relationship ended on them, and want to set themselves back down on the right path to relationship success. From conquering anger and avoiding bad habits, "30 Ways to Better Days" is a choice pick for the recently dating or as a gift, much recommended reading.


The Law/Justice Shelf

The Sky's The Limit
Lise Pearlman
Regent Press
2747 Regent Street, Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587902208, $29.95, www.regentpress.net

Racism is ingrained in America's birth, and it has been a long fight against it ever since. "The Sky's the Limit: People v. Newton: The Real Trial of the 20th Century" discusses the revolutionary implications of this case, where a Black Panther revolutionary leader was put on trial for the involvement with the crimes levied against the group. Former Judge Lise Pearlman argues that this court case lead the way in the Civil Rights movement, and allowed America to eventually elect its first non-white president. "The Sky's the Limit" is a fascinating look at this very important court case of the twentieth century.

After We're Gone
Duane Ruth-Heffelbower
Mennonite Publishing Network
616 Walnut Avenue
Scottdale, PA 15683
9780836195651, $8.99, www.mpn.net

Estate planning can often prove a legal nightmare. "After We're Gone: a Christian Perspective on Estate and Life Planning for Families That Include a Dependent Member with a Disability" a Christian community guide to approaching estate planning from Duane Ruth-Heffelbower as he provides a comprehensive legal and spiritual advice for best dealing with this issue to avoid future legal struggles. "After We're Gone" is a strong pick for any Christian family for whom estate planning will prove to be a vital challenge.

Advocacy to Zealousness
Kelly Lynn Anders
Carolina Academic Press
700 Kent Street
Durham, NC 27701
9781594607981, $28.00, www.cap-press.com

Hollywood isn't the best teacher on most things, but there is still much to be learned from it all. "Advocacy to Zealousness: Learning Lawyering Skills from Classic Films" discusses what can be learned from legal dramas and thrillers about the act of law, the values and skills that care demonstrated and how they can be executed in reality. "Advocacy to Zealousness" is a strongly recommended pick for those who want to understand the passion needed to succeed as a lawyer.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Antiques & Collectibles
Eric Bradley
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781440216954, $21.99, www.krausebooks.com

Some treasures last forever. "Antiques & Collectibles: 2012 Price Guide" is a comprehensive reference from Eric Bradley, as he compiles the resource that covers almost any sort of collectible and relic of the past, from pottery to furniture to vintage toys, comic books and so much more. In full color with price quotes and much more, "Antiques & Collectibles" is a fine collection that shouldn't be overlooked by any enthusiastic collector who wants to know the numbers behind their hobby.


The Hobby Shelf

Basic Model Railroad Benchwork
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53186
9780890248362, $19.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

The best model railroads need a good foundation. "Basic Model Railroad Benchwork" is a guide for those who want to create a solid base for their model railroad plans, as Jeff Wilson guides readers through how to properly construct the many bits of the foundation from making a good plan to laying the finishing touches. With full color photography throughout demonstrating the processes, "Basic Model Railroad Benchwork" is a must for anyone who wants the make the whole project a do-it-yourself endeavor.


The Wine Shelf

The Wine Slinger Chronicles
Russell D. Kane
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037
Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896727380, $29.95, www.ttupress.org

In pursuit of that greater flavor often propels many wine enthusiasts forward. "The Wine Slinger Chronicles: Texas on the Vine" follows Russell Kane in his Texas wine country endeavors, creating a worldwide bold style that only Texas can be known for. A unique spin into the wine culture with plenty of memoir that will entertain anyone with a love of wine culture, "The Wine Slinger Chronicles" is an excellent and entertaining pick, not to be overlooked.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Now Hiring Criminal Justice Professionals
June Werdlow Rogers, Ph.D.
Cable Publishing
14090 E. Keinenen Rd.
Brule, WI 54820
9781934980538 $17.95 www.cablepublishing.com

Although intended especially for those in search of employment in the criminal justice position, Now Hiring Criminal Justice Professionals: An Insider's Tips for Seizing the Ethical Edge is packed with invaluable tips, tricks, and techniques for job-seekers of all backgrounds and career goals. Chapters cover how to evaluate whether one is personally suited to work in the criminal justice system (individuals with an urge to gossip and the inability to keep secrets should pursue another field), the perils of effectively indissoluble electronic communications (almost any phone text, email, or embarrassing photo posted online can be dug up to scuttle one's career, and doing a Google search on prospective applicants is routine for today's employers), the importance of maintaining and even improving one's skill sets after landing the job, and much more. "Life Application Exercises" such as "Think about what others will say about your character when you retire" pepper this accessible, user-friendly career-preparation guide.


The Autism Shelf

Intimate Relationships And Sexual Health
Catherine Davies & Melissa Dubie
AAPC Publishing
PO Box 23173, Overland Park, KS 66283-0173
www.aapcpublishing.net
9781934575888, $27.95, www.amazon.com

A good sex education program is more than just 'the plumbing'. It must also incorporate awareness of the emotional component of human sexual relations, as well as health aspects and reproductive consequences. The collaborative work of academicians and educational consultants at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at the Indiana University, Catherine Davies and Melissa Dubie have produced "Intimate Relationships and Sexual Health: A Curriculum for Teaching Adolescents/Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Social Challenges", a 400-page compendium that provides a sound and comprehensive basis for a curriculum specifically designed for the autism community of adolescents and young adults. Ideal for lesson plan development and presentation, "Intimate Relationships And Sexual Health" is enhanced with the inclusion of a CD with a wealth of easily printed out forms in a pdf format, making this a highly recommended, 'user friendly', and indispensable addition to professional and academic library instructional reference collections.


The Interior Design Shelf

Bookshelf
Alex Johnson
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500516140, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Especially and particularly recommended to anyone whose ideas of interior decoration and design include rooms of bookshelves brimming over with their life-time collections will want to browse the pages of Alex Johnson's "Bookshelf". This 272-page compendium showcases a wealth of bookshelf elements and designs superbly illustrated with 305 full color photographs. Any true bibliophile will tell you that a book shelf is far more than just a shelf upon which to stack books. It is (or at least very well could be) a work of art combining efficiency with aesthetics and as much a work of art as any painting, sculpture, or architectural nicety. The showcased shelves comprising "Bookshelf" are deftly grouped into six sections: Single Shelves; Bookshelf Furniture; Unusual Bookshelves; Bookshelves As Art; Outside The Box; and Bijou Bookshelves. If you've every wanted to make your own bookshelves, then beginning by browsing the fascinating and down-right inspiring examples that Alex Johnson has sought out and presents in the pages of "Bookshelf"!

Best of 500 Contemporary Interiors
Wim Pauwels
Beta-Plus
Termuninck 3, B-7850 Enghien, Belgium
info@betaplus.com
9789089440921, $99.50, www.amazon.com www.betaplus.com

Ably compiled by interior style writer of the outstanding Beta-Plus Home series, Wim Pauwels, "Best of 500 Contemporary Interiors" is a 526-page, tri-lingual (English/French/Dutch) compendium showcasing five hundred impressively diverse interior designs. Organized into sections devoted to Entrance Halls; Sitting Rooms; Dining Rooms; Kitchens; Bathrooms; Bedrooms; Spaces for Relaxation; and Spaces for Work; each full color photograph is accompanied by a web site address so that it can be pursued by the interested reader to greater length. Perfect for browsing by anyone seeking ideas for their own interior design ideas and adaptations, "Best of 500 Contemporary Interiors" enhanced with the inclusion of a comprehensive Index, making it highly recommended for professional architects and interior designers, community and academic library Interior Design reference collections, as well as non- professional general readers with an interest in contemporary interior design.


The Fashion Shelf

A Front Row Seat
Kirstin Sinclair
ACC Editions
c/o National Book Network
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781851496617, $49.95, www.amazon.com

In "A Front Row Seat", fashion photographer Kirstin Sinclair has compiled a superbly illustrated, 304-page compendium of full color photographs showcasing seven years worth of her work at major fashion shows. In addition to a generous sampling of high fashion garments, her photographs also showcase the people most embedded in the world of high fashion including the designers, the models, the make-up and other behind-the-scenes people. A perfect and very highly recommended browse for anyone with an interest in the complex and ever-evolving world of high fashion, "A Front Row Seat" lays out that world both on, in front of, and in back of the runway.


The Wisconsin Shelf

The Round Barn
Jacqueline Dougan Jackson
Beloit College Press
700 College Street, Beloit, WI 53511-5595
9781884941184, $29.95, www.roundbarnstories.com

Farms form a foundation of a nation, and the plights of farmers a hundred years ago can ring true even today. "The Round Barn: A Biography of an American Farm" tells the story of the Dougan Farms in the early twentieth century and the people who strove to keep their farm alive in the coming times of uncertainty. With good humor and frank recollection, "The Round Barn" is an excellent study of American history on the family level and what has become of it.

The Friday Talks
Steve Fleming
Little Creek Press
5341 Sunny Ridge Road, Mineral Point, WI 53565
9780982802380, $14.00, www.littlecreekpress.com

Friendship is a wonderful teaching tool. "The Friday Talks: One Teacher's Legacy" is a thoughtful memoir from Steve Fleming as he reflects on being a teacher in Jump River, Wisconsin. He states the most important lessons taught were those founded by bonds with his students and discussions with them, sharing his life stories and generally sharing life's discussions. "The Friday Talks" is an intriguing and much recommended pick for education and memoir collections.


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


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design