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Reviewer's Choice
Aging and the Digital Life Course
David Prendergast & Chiara Garattini, editors
Berghahn Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.berghahnbooks.com
9781782386919, $120.00, HC, 300pp, www.amazon.com
Across the life course, new forms of community, ways of keeping in contact, and practices for
engaging in work, healthcare, retail, learning and leisure are evolving rapidly. Breaking new
ground in the study of technology and aging, "Aging and the Digital Life Course" examines how
developments in smart phones, the internet, cloud computing, and online social networking are
redefining experiences and expectations around growing older in the twenty-first century.
Drawing on contributions from leading commentators and researchers across the world, "Aging
and the Digital Life Course" is comprised of eleven erudite and informative articles exploring
key themes such as caregiving, the use of social media, robotics, chronic disease and dementia
management, gaming, migration, and data inheritance, and more. Of special note is the
informative introduction (Critical Reflections on Ageing and Technology in the Twenty-First
Century) the editors David Prendergast (a Social Anthropologist based at Intel Labs Europe and a
Principal Investigator in the Intel Collaborative Research Institute for Sustainable Connected
Cities with Imperial College and University College London. He also holds the position of
Visiting Professor of Healthcare Innovation at Trinity College Dublin) and Chiara Garattini (who
is an Anthropologist working as part of the Health & Life Sciences Group at Intel. Enhanced
with the inclusion of a listing of illustrations, a ten page listing of the contributors and their
credentials, and a five page index, "Aging and the Digital Life Course" is unreservedly
recommended as a critically important addition to both community and academic library
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of academia and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Aging and the Digital Life Course" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781785335013, $34.95).
Communicating Emergency Preparedness, revised edition
Damon P. Coppola & Erin K. Maloney
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138721067, $14.95, HC, 278pp, www.amazon.com
Once again the critical importance of local, state, and federal emergency preparedness and
response has been underscored by Hurricane Harvey (in Texas) and Hurricane Irma (in Florida).
Now in a fully revised and updated edition of "Communicating Emergency Preparedness:
Practical Strategies for the Public and Private Sectors" includes timely and informative case
studies, events, and references to articles and opinions about the direction of emergency
preparedness communication. Authors Damon P. Coppola (author of several emergency
management academic and professional texts, including Introduction to International Disaster
Management, Introduction to Homeland Security, and Introduction to Emergency Management.
He is also co-author of several FEMA Emergency Management Institute Higher Education
Courses, including Crisis and Risk Communications and Hazards Risk Management) and Erin K.
Maloney is a Director of Research in the FDA-funded Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science at
the University of Pennsylvania, and an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Communication
Studies at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, and the Milken Institute School of Public
Health at the George Washington University) collaborative draw upon their professional
expertise, experience, and research to inject a new sense of practicality to the subject. New
images displaying emergency preparedness campaigns are used to further illustrate the materials
being presented. For instructors and practitioners alike, this new and expanded edition of
"Communicating Emergency Preparedness" continues to provide the 'real world practical' how-to
instruction that is often required, and will only improve upon the success of the first edition in
doing so. Simply stated, every municipal, county, state, and FEMA agency should have their own
copy of "Communicating Emergency Preparedness" for their in-service training programs. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, first responders, governmental
emergency services policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Communicating Emergency Preparedness" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781498762366, $69.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $52.11).
The Great American Citizenship Quiz
Solomon M. Skolnick
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781635570151 $16.00 pbk / $9.31 Kindle amazon.com
The Great American Citizenship Quiz presents complete test used by the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, which naturalized U.S. citizens must pass. Additional background
material, text of the original documents, quizzes, fun facts about American government and
society, an index, and more round out this "must-read" for anyone aspiring to American
citizenship - or interesting in learning more about this proud nation. The Great American
Citizenship Quiz is highly recommended especially for public library collections.
Scooter Lifestyle
Veloce Publishing
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781845841522, $38.45, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com
It's over sixty years since the first Italian scooters rolled off the production lines but there is still a
buzzing and vibrant lifestyle with the humble scooter as its nucleus. The small capacity machines
have overtaken the lives of thousands of devoted scooter enthusiasts, often to the detriment of
everything else they might hold dear. Careers, relationships and families have been known to
suffer because of an overwhelming and expensive addiction to the scooter experience. An
addiction to which there is no cure for needing the sickly sweet smell of synthetic two stroke oil
and worship at the altar of our chosen gods, Lambretta and Vespa (or occasionally Gilera and
Italjet). All too many devoted scooter enthusiasts are permanently ingrained with the oily
"tattoos" of a thousand engine rebuilds and with major organs having suffered the long term
effects of a scooter oriented and hedonistic lifestyle. Including interviews with well known
Scootering personalities, over 150 color photographs of award winning custom scooters, best
selling scooter models, rallies and events, "Scooter Lifestyle will have an extraordinary appeal
for anyone interested in these fun and all-to-addictive machines! While unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Scooter Lifestyle" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$23.99).
The Art of My Little Pony the Movie
Hasbro and Rebecca Dart
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
www.viz.com
9781421596488 $39.99 hc / $15.99 Kindle amazon.com
The Art of My Little Pony the Movie is an astonishingly beautiful, full-color showcase of art
from the animated movie, which in turn is based on the enormously popular children's television
series with an all-ages fanbase. (The show's popularity transcends demographics because it is
intelligently written, expressly so that little girls and their parents can enjoy it together). Concept
art, storyboards, alternate character interpretations and extensive commentary from the movie's
creators enrich this "must-have" for fans of the series! Highly recommended.
America 51
Corey Taylor
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306825446, $26.00, www.dacapopress.com
There could possibly be no better timing for the appearance of America 51: A Probe Into the
Realities That Are Hiding Inside "The Greatest Country in the World", a tongue-in-cheek humor
piece blending serious social observation and outrage with Corey Taylor's rant about the state of
modern America and world perceptions of its culture. From foreign policy and English speakers
to truths the average American likely won't be happy to hear, this is a hard-hitting but engrossing
and hard look at the state of modern America and those who live in this country, worthy of
inclusion in any general lending library.
The Cookbook Shelf
Plentiful: The Big Book of Buddha Food
Chrisi Loon, et al.
Jacana Media
c/o Independent Publishers Group
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.ipgbook.com
9781431424702, $23.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Plentiful: The Big Book of Buddha Food" is
the collaborative effort of culinary experts Chrisi Loon, Louisvan Loon, Paul Atkinson, and
Angela Shaw. Their dedicated mission is to continue the tradition South African cuisine
comprised of outstanding vegetarian dishes, centered on Mediterranean flavors, as are served at
the Buddhist Retreat Center (BRC) in Ixopo, South African. These are dishes which has always
had the personal touch of the head chef in charge of the menus and that of his co-chefs: the
lovely, friendly local Zulu women who have worked in the kitchen for many years to great
acclaim from visitors. These ladies were taught the skills of traditional Zulu cooking from their
mothers, which they then readily adapted to cooking the vegetarian cuisine served at the BRC.
These women could hold their own in the kitchen of any up-market restaurant anywhere. With
"Plentiful: The Big Book of Buddha Food", the BRC also showcases the exquisite indigenous
environment in which it is set, which has become a spiritual haven for South African and
international visitors. The recipes comprising "Plentiful: The Big Book of Buddha Food " range
from Occasionally Ochre (lightly curried cauliflower soup); A Fez of Carrots (Moroccan carrot
salad); and Fra's Flamenco Frittata (roasted vegetable frittata); to Tantric Tarts (roasted vegetable
and puff pastry tarts); A Choc-Worked Orange (gluten-free chocolate orange brownies); and The
Caprese Strip (stuffed focaccia roulade). Of special note is the recipes for a homemade
sourdough starter! Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Plentiful: The Big Book of Buddha Food" is enthusiastically and unreservedly recommended for
personal, family, professional, and community library Vegetarian Cookbook collections.
The Green City Market Cookbook
Rick Bayless
Midway
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572841574, $24.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Green City Market was founded in Chicago in 1998. It is a nonprofit organization whose mission
is to provide a marketplace for purchasing sustainably grown food, and to educate, promote, and
connect farmers and local producers directly to chefs, restaurateurs, and the greater Chicago
community. Showcasing recipes drawn from this famous Farmer's Market and contributed by the
celebrity chefs, local farmers, loyal customers, and longtime vendors that make up the Green City
Market community, "The Green City Market Cookbook" is beautifully illustrated with full-color
photography. The recipes themselves range from an Artful Asparagus Salad; to Goat Cheese
Bruschetta with Arrabbiata Sauce and Poached Egg; to Sunday Dinner Club Market Burger; to
New World Cassoulet with Chilies and Turkey; to Maple-Glazed Breakfast Bread. With
thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes, "The Green City Market Cookbook" can turn even the
most ordinary family meal into a truly memorable culinary adventure. While very highly
recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections, it
should be noted that "The Green City Market Cookbook" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781572842366, $23.00), a digital book format (Kindle, $14.49), and a flexibound publication
(9781572841574, $24.99).
The Grammar of Spice
Caz Hildebrand
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500519677, $29.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Spices have played an intrinsic part in the human story, running through history, geography,
anthropology, politics, religion, culture, art, and design. From alligator pepper seeds, which in the
Yoruba culture are given to newborn babies to taste a few minutes after birth, to charoli seeds,
which are used in traditional Indian desserts eaten during the festival of Holi, and caraway seeds,
which were added to medieval love potions, each spice has its own significance in the lives of the
people who use it. "The Grammar of Spice" by Caz Hildebrand (an award-winning designer of
cookbooks) is a practical resource for kitchen cooks that also changes the way we understand the
role spices play in defining not only our food but also our place in the world. Featuring custom
illustrations for each of the more than sixty spices featured here (inspired by the work of Owen
Jones, one of the great designers and travelers of his time) this beautifully illustrated,
impressively, informative book, exceptionally well organized and presented volume celebrates
the world of flavors that spices open up to us. Even the most enthusiastic cooks and food lovers
have jars of dusty powders inhabiting kitchen cabinets long past their expiration dates. We often
don't know much about them, where they come from, or how to use them. And yet, spices can
elevate the everyday act of making and consuming food to a higher plane of experience. It was no
accident that the spice trade of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries were responsible for the rise and
fall of empires. Now with "The Grammar of Spice" even the most novice of 21st century family
cooks can create truly memorable meals with the contents of those little jars and cans that
heretofore were just gathering dust in kitchen spice racks all across the country. Unreservedly
recommended for personal and professional cookbook collections, no community library
cookbook collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of a copy of Caz
Hildebrand's "The Grammar of Spice".
Dishes and Beverages of the Old South, third edition
Martha McCulloch-Williams, author
John Egerton, contributor
The University of Tennessee Press
110 Conference Center UT, Knoxville, TN 37996
9781621903000, $38.00, PB, 277pp, www.utpress.org
Originally published in 1923, until its reissue in 1988 with the help of renowned southern culture
scholar John Egerton, "Dishes and Beverages of the Old South" was justifiably considered to be
an exceptionally rare text on southern foodways and cuisine. Now, in its third edition, and with a
new foreword by food writer and American Souther cuisine expert Sheri Castle, this pathfinding
cookbook (one of the first to be written in a narrative style) is available to a new generation of
southern foodies and amateur chefs. In the pages of "Dishes and Beverages of the Old South"
Martha McCulloch-Williams not only provided recipes for the modern cook, but she expounds
upon the importance of quality ingredients, muses on memories brought back by a good meal,
and deftly recognizes that comfort goes hand in hand with southern eats. Sheri Castle deftly
navigates this third edition of "Dishes and Beverages of the Old South" with a clear vision of
McCulloch-Williams and her southern culinary opus, that readers and cooks alike will appreciate
as they browse the pages of this true American classic. Certain to be an enduringly popular and
greatly appreciated contribution to personal, family, professional, community, and academic
library cookbook and culinary history collections, "Dishes and Beverages of the Old South" is
unreservedly, whole-heartedly, and enthusiastically recommended.
The Essential Hot Spice Guide
Dave DeWitt
Terra Nova Books
33 Alondra Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508
www.terranovabooks.com
9781938288319, $14.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com
People have been spicing up their foods ever since cooking began. And it's a trend that's heating
up all across the country. Dave DeWitt is an Associate Professor in Consumer and
Environmental Sciences on the adjunct faculty of New Mexico State University, and also serves
as chair of the Board of Regents of the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. His
interest in chile peppers and spicy foods which has helped make Dave one of the foremost
authorities in the world and popular known as the 'Pope of Peppers'. David's research and
expertise has led to him writing such classics as: The Whole Chile Pepper Book; The Pepper
Garden; The Hot Sauce Bible; The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia; and The Spicy Food Lover's
Bible. Now he has applied his impressive body of knowledge to "The Essential Hot Spice Guide"
and the result is a spice lover's 'must-have' guide to the tastiest and healthiest combos from the
worlds of powerful plants and creative cuisine with recipes ranging from a Ginger Plum Sauce
Mustard; to a Tangerine and Carcked Black Pepper Sorbet; to a Thai Red Curry Paste. Deftly
organized information into five major sections: Roots (Ginger, Horseradish, Wasabi); Pods
(Chile Peppers and Their Condiments; Seeds: Mustard and All kinds of Pepper; Powders (Spice
Blends, Rubs, and Curry); Resources. Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in presentation, "The Essential Hot Spice Guide" will prove to be a welcome and
popular addition to personal, professional, family, and community library culinary reference
collections. Also very highly recommended from his 'Pepper Pantry' series is Dave DeWitt's
companion title "Ancho And Poblano Chiles" (9781938288296, $12.95, PB, 148pp).
Nickel City Chef
Christa Glennie Seychew
Buffalo Heritage Unlimited Press
266 Elmwood Avenue, Suite 407, Buffalo, NY 14222
www.buffaloheritage.com
9780982574584, $24.95, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Nickel City Chef is unique to Buffalo, New York. No other city hosts a culinary challenge
featuring local chefs and local ingredients before a live audience. "Nickel City Chef: Buffalo's
Finest Chefs and Ingredients" profiles, local ingredient resources and stunning photographs
showcase the best of Western New York. Best of all, this unique culinary compendium includes
32 recipes, two from each of the 16 challenges featured, using locally-sourced ingredients from
shiitake mushrooms to pasture-raised heritage pork. There is also a companion DVD
documentary (Nickel City Chef: Food For Change) that features fascinating interviews with
chefs, farmers, foodies and fans and takes you into the challenge kitchens with the chefs as they
cook. An informative and entertaining browse for dedicated foodies, "Nickel City Chef: Buffalo's
Finest Chefs and Ingredients" is inspiring to plan menus with for truly memorable meals and is
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections.
The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook
Carrie Schloss
Surrey Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572842281, $21.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
The Asheville Bee Charmer was opened in 2014 by beekeepers Jillian Kelly and Kim Allen, and
has become a 'must see' destination for both local foodies and tourists. This honey purveyor is
located in one of the most pollinator-friendly parts of the United States and offers a range of
bee-related products and more than 50 different artisanal honey varietals -- each with its own
unique color, texture, and taste. Inspired by the vast honey selection available behind the Honey
Bar, chef Carrie Schloss has created "The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook", a culinary
collection featuring 130 recipes, 20 honey varietals, and 8 special Bee Charmer blends. With a
color, aroma, and tasting guide to honey varietals and dishes like Bee Pollen Nut Brittle, Chipotle
Honey - Marinated Skirt Steak, and Milk and Honey Dinner Rolls, this cookbook proves that
honey is the best way to season or sweeten your next meal. Profusely and beautifully illustrated
throughout, "The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook" is a unique and very special collection of
thoroughly 'kitchen cook recipes' that is a pleasure to browse through and inspiring to plan menus
with. While unreservedly recommended for family, personal, professional, and community
library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.17).
Gizzi's Season's Eatings
Gizzi Erskine
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784722159, $29.99, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
No one loves a get-together more than the bestselling, award-winning British chef Gizzi Erskine,
so in her latest cookbook, "Gizzi's Seasons Eatings: Feasts & Celebrations from Halloween to
Happy New Year", she shows even the most novice of family cooks just how to create delicious,
crowd-pleasing fare for every occasion. Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, a New Year's
brunch or a frightful feast for Halloween: whatever the occasion, "Gizzi's Season's Eatings"
offers something special to share with the loved ones at mealtime. Beautifully illustrated
throughout, the recipes showcases in "Gizzi's Season's Eatings" range from Holiday Turkey Mole
Enchiladas; Wintry Sausage Casserole; and a Jewish Festive Cheesecake; to Smoke-Roasted
Treacle-Cured Salmon with Potato, Cucumber & Buttermilk Salad; Charred Blood Orange
Mimosa; and The Infamous Erskine Turkey Curry. Of special note is the recipe for My French
Dip Christmas Leftover Sandwich! While an outstanding and highly recommended addition to
personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Gizzi's
Season's Eatings" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Super Tuscan
Gabriele Corcos & Debi Mazar
Touchstone Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781501143595, $35.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Good regional Tuscan-Italian cooking is family cooking. From potato gnocchi with a buttery red
sauce, to the Tuscan fried chicken marinated in classic Italian flavors to put a whole new spin on
a traditional American recipe, "Super Tuscan: Heritage Recipes and Simple Pleasures from Our
Kitchen to Your Table" is a culinary showcase of he best of both Tuscan and American food
cultures -- and introduces unique recipes that can only come from a multicultural kitchen. Along
with more 100 tasty recipes, Tuscan cuisine experts Debi and Gabriele share entertaining
anecdotes, useful tips, and day-to-day life in their household, reinforced with over 125 stunning
photographs. Fun to browse and usefully practical to plan truly memorable menus with, "Super
Tuscan" will inspire even the most novice of kitchen cooks to make cooking a daily experience
in family life and live la dolce vita. While very highly recommended for persona, family,
professional, and community library ethnic cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Super
Tuscan" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Southern Seasons: 12 Months of Tea-licious Recipes & Ideas
Linda J. Hawkins
www.lindajhawkins.com
Heart to Heart Publishing
9781937008536, $29.99, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Southern Seasons: 12 Months of Tea-licious
Recipes & Ideas" showcases the significance, etiquette, elegance, diversity, and celebratory uses
of tea in authentic American culture. From traditional tea parties, to fire side sipping on a winter's
eve, to weddings and birthday celebrations. The recipes range from Hawaiian Caprese Sliders;
Mini Stuffed Tomatoes; Blackberry-Peach Dumpling Soup; and Party Cheese Ball; to Turkey
and Ham Roll-Ups; Orange Dreamsicle Fudge; Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake; and Stuffed
Strawberries. Organized and presented seasonally, "Southern Seasons: 12 Months of Tea-licious
Recipes & Ideas" is replete with interesting information and tips, making it fascinating to browse
through and inspiring to plan party events with -- making it unreservedly and enthusiastically
recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Arab Cooking on a Prairie Homestead
Habeeb Salloum
University of Regina Press
University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 0A2
www.uofrpress.ca
9780889775183, $29.95, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
In the 1920s, Habeeb Salloum's parents left behind the orchards and vineyards of
French-occupied Syria to seek a new life on the windswept, drought-stricken Canadian prairies.
With recollections that show the grit and improvisation of early Syrian pioneers, Habeeb Salloum
draws upon his own life experiences and family traditions in "Arab Cooking on a Prairie
Homestead: Recipes and Recollections from a Syrian Pioneer" to demonstrate his love of
traditional Arab cuisine. By growing "exotic" crops brought from their country of origin (such as
lentils, chickpeas, and bulgur) the Salloum family survived the Dust Bowl conditions of the
1930s, and helped change the landscape of Canadian farming. Primarily a massive compendium
of authentic and 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes ranging from a Yogurt and Eggplant Appetizer;
Garlic Bread in Olive Oil; Shrimp Salad; and Deep Fried Sweet Balls; to Chicken and Rice Stew;
Fig and Honey Dessert; Mushroom and Cottage Cheese Pies; Hot Kishk Open-Faced pies; and
Garlic Omelet, "Arab Cooking on a Prairie Homestead" is a delight to browse through and
inspiring to plan menus with. Indeed, "Arab Cooking on a Prairie Homestead" will prove to be a
unique and enduringly favorite addition to personal, family, and community library Ethnic
Cookbook collections.
The Pumpkin Cookbook
Deedee Stovel
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612128337, $16.95, www.amazon.com
The Pumpkin Cookbook: 139 Recipes Celebrating the Versatility of Pumpkin and Other Winter
Squash offers a much broader set of recipes than one would expect, given that the usual pumpkin
cookbook focuses on sweet fare and this one includes savory dishes as well, in keeping with the
'versatility' angle of the book. Picture a Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce infused with
pumpkin, a Pork Stew with Pumpkin and Prunes, or a White Bean, Chicken and Pumpkin Chili,
to name just a few innovative ideas. Of course, there are good-sized sections of breads and
desserts; but pair color photos with a well-rounded sampling of dishes for a cookbook that is a
highly recommended pick for any pumpkin enthusiast looking for variations on the theme.
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
Two new cookbooks offer unusual approaches and recipes not easily found elsewhere, making
them recommended picks for discriminating cooks and collections catering to them. Chlo‰
Callow's Cold Brew Coffee: Techniques, Recipes & Cocktails (9781784723606, $12.99)
provides step-by-step direction for cold brewing coffee and recipes for using it in drinks, as a
concentrate. Nothing is left to wonder, whether it be choosing beans for the process or mixing
coffee with liqueur for desirable drinks. Chetna Makan's Chai, Chaat & Chutney: A Street Food
Journey Through India (9781784722876, $29.99) may, at first glance, seem another Indian
cookbook; but it comes from an author who has sampled regional street food throughout the
country, and who assembles different dishes not to be found in the majority of general Indian
cookbooks. These range from a Mumbai Falooda (a blend of sundae-meets-milkshake that
includes pistachios, glass noodles and basil seeds) and a Bhakarwadi sweet and savory pastry
snack to a Delhi Kaju Kishmish ice cream made of raisins, vanilla, and cashew nuts.
The Fiction Shelf
Mojo Rising: Masters of the Art
James L. Dickerson, editor
Sartoris Literary Group
PO Box 4185, Brandon, MS 39047
www.sartorisliterary.com
9781941644874, $35.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by James L. Dickerson is publisher of Sartoris
Literary Group (who is a successful short story writer and novelist, as well as the Sartoris
Literary Group publisher) "Mojo Rising: Masters of the Art" includes stories by Nobel and
Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Faulkner, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty,
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Tennessee Williams, Richard Wright (generally regarded as one of
the top three African American writers in American history), noted Civil War historian and
novelist Shelby Foote, author Willie Morris (legendary editor of Harper's Magazine in the 1960s,
novelist, and journalist), American Book Award winner Ellen Gilchrist (who contributed a
previously unpublished story), Elizabeth Spencer (graduate of Belhaven College and Vanderbilt
University; University of Mississippi creative writing instructor; five-time winner of the O.
Henry Award for short fiction), Stark Young, former drama critic for the New York Times and
author of a bestselling novel So Red the Rose, and novelist and short writer Ellen Douglas,
whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and in the O. Henry collection of prize stories. An
extraordinary and impressive anthology, "Mojo Rising: Masters of the Art" showcases the
literary art of the short story by true masters of the genre, "Mojo Rising: Masters of the Art" is
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary
Fiction collections. it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Mojo Rising: Masters of the
Art" is also available in a paperback edition (9781941644959, $21.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.95).
Two Guns North
Neil Hunter
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444830798, $TBA, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Jason Brand's latest assignment takes him into the mountains, searching for two missing men - a
Deputy US Marshal and a government geologist. But this apparently routine assignment turns out
to be anything but. For Bodie the Stalker, hunting a brutal killer, rides the same trail. It's just
another manhunt for him - until he finds himself on the wrong end of the chase. But then Bodie
meets Brand. And when they join forces (complicated by the sudden arrival of Bodie's previously
unknown son), it's as if Hell itself has come to the high country in the form of a large and
murderous Monk clan. Another deftly crafted entertainment by a master of the genre, this large
print edition of Neil Hunter's "Two Guns North" is unreservedly and enthusiastically
recommended for both community library collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated
western novel action-adventure fans!
The Honeyfield Bequest
Anna Jacobs
Charnwood Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444833553, $33.50, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Set in Wiltshire, England in 1901, "The Honeyfield Bequest" is the story of Kathleen Keller, a
young woman who is being forced by her cruel father into marriage with a man she despises. In
an act of desperation, Kathleen runs away in a bid for a safer life, although one she might not
otherwise have chosen. But when tragedy strikes, Kathleen is left vulnerable, and one man
threatens the fragile peace she has made for herself. Meanwhile, Nathan Perry, a young man who
works for his father's accountancy firm but yearns for something more satisfying is brought in to
help with the purchase of Honeyfield House, established by a charitable benefactor as a safe
house for women in trouble -- and there he encounters Kathleen. Their lives are set to intertwine,
and neither will be the same again. Now available in a large print hardcover edition, "The
Honeyfield Bequest" by Anna Jacobs is another deftly crafted and consistently entertaining
historical romance by a master of the genre that is unreservedly and enthusiastically for both
community library collections and the personal reading lists of historical romance fans.
Betrayal at Iga
Susan Spann
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633882775, $15.95, www.seventhstreetbooks.com
Betrayal at Iga is set in 1565 and tells of ninja Hiro Hattori and Jesuit Father Mateo, who flee
Kyoto for refuge with Hiro's ninja clan in the Iga province mountains. Trouble follows when an
ambassador from the rival Koga clan is murdered, charging Hiro and Father Mateo with locating
the murderer before the death of an individual erupts into a war between ninja clans. History,
mystery, and tension permeate a novel packed with intrigue and a story line that is fast-paced and
absorbing, making it a top recommendation for historical novel readers looking for more depth to
their mysteries than most books offer.
The Savior's Game
Sean Chercover
www.chercover.com
Thomas & Mercer
9781477848791, $24.95, www.amazon.com
The Savior's Game concludes the Daniel Byrne trilogy with a finale that is drop-dead stunning,
and is recommended reading for prior fans who have been awaiting the conclusion with baited
breath. Around the world, a condition known as Anomalous Information Transfer brings visions
that drive many to madness. For Daniel Byrne, this condition leads to visions of the future - a
future of massacres and catastrophe. Charged with both deciphering the future and preventing it,
Daniel is chased by assassins who want his possible influence eradicated, and embarks on a
journey that translates to a race against time - which is running out. The thriller is well-written
and fast-paced: perfect reading for fans of apocalyptic adventures.
The Mirror Sisters
V. C. Andrews
Pocket Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 13th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.pocketbooks.com
9781476792361, $7.99 PB, $6.99 Kindle, 384pp, www.amazon.com
"The Mirror Sisters" by V. C. Andrews is the first book in a new series featuring identical twin
sisters forced to act, look, and feel truly identical by a perfectionist mother. Two sisters who are
alike in every single way -- with one dark exception. As identical twins, their mother insists that
everything about them be identical: their clothes, their toys, their friends . . . the number of letters
in their names, Haylee Blossom Fitzgerald and Kaylee Blossom Fitzgerald. If one gets a hug, the
other must too. If one gets punished, the other must be too. Homeschooled at an early age, when
the girls attend a real high school they find little ways to highlight the differences between them.
But when Haylee runs headfirst into the dating scene, both sisters are thrust into a world their
mother never prepared them for - causing one twin to pursue the ultimate independence. The one
difference between the two girls may spell the difference between life... and a fate worse than
death. A simply spellbinding and original novel about tormented love, "The Mirror Sisters" will
prove to be a 'must' for all author V. C. Andrews' fans. Also very highly recommended for both
personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections is the
second volume in this outstanding series, "Broken Glass" (9781476792378, $7.99 PB, $6.99
Kindle, 448pp).
Amanda Wakes Up
Alisyn Camerota
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780399563997, $26.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
When Amanda Gallo, fresh from the backwater of local TV, lands the job of her dreams at FAIR
News (the coveted morning anchor slot) she's finally made it: a six-figure salary, wardrobe
allowance, plenty of on-air face time, and a chance to realize her dreams, not to mention buy
herself lunch. Amanda feels for the first time that she can make her mom and her best friend
proud and think about an actual future with her boyfriend, Charlie. But she finds her journalistic
ideals shredded as she struggles to keep up with the issues in a ratings-crazed madhouse --
battling for hair and makeup time, coping with her sexist (but scathingly handsome) co-anchor,
Rob, mixing up the headlines with pajama modeling on the street, and showing Benji Diggs, her
media maestro boss, that she's got what it takes. As the news heats up in a hotly contested
election season and a wild-card candidate, former Hollywood actor Victor Fluke, appears on the
scene, Amanda's pressure-cooker job gets hotter as her personal life unravels. Walking a knife's
edge between ambition and survival, and about to break the biggest story of her career, Amanda
must decide what she's willing to give up to get ahead -- and what she needs to hold on to save
herself. "Amanda Wakes Up" is an inherently entertaining and engaging read that clearly
showcases author Alisyn Camerota's genuine flair for originality in her debut as a novelist. While
very highly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Amanda Wakes Up" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Island of Point Nemo
Jean-Marie Blas de Robles, author
Hannah Chute, translator
Open Letter Books
c/o University of Rochester
Lattimore Hall 411, Box 270082, Rochester, NY 14627
www.openletterbooks.org
9781940953625, $17.95, PB, 397pp, www.amazon.com
A stolen diamond and three right feet, wearing shoes of a non-existent brand, that wash ashore in
Scotland set into motion the first plot of Island of Point Nemo, a rollicking Jules Verne-like
adventure narrative that crosses continents and oceans, involves multilingual codes, a
world-famous villain, and three eccentrically loopy detectives. Running parallel is the story of
B@bil Books, an e-reader factory in France filled with its own set of colorful characters,
including the impotent Dieumercie and his randy wife, who will stop at nothing (including a
suspect ritual involving bees) to fix his "problem," and their abusive boss Wang-ilWong,
obsessed with carrier pigeons and spying on his employees. An impressively crafted literary
puzzle of a novel by a masterfully gifted author, "Island of Point Nemo" is an extraordinarily
entertaining read from beginning to end and very highly recommended, especially for community
library collections in general, and the personal reading lists of readers who enjoy novelty,
originality, and eccentricity in their fiction.
High as the Heavens
Kate Breslin
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764230363, $25.99, HC, 402pp, www.amazon.com
Set in 1917, "High as the Heavens" is the story of British nurse and war widow Evelyn Marche
who is trapped in German occupied Brussels. She works at the hospital by day and as a waitress
by night. But she also has a secret: She is a spy for the resistance. When a British plane crashes in
the park, Evelyn must act quickly to protect the injured soldier who has top-secret orders and a
target on his back. Can they make it out of Belgium alive? A simply riveting read from beginning
to end, "High as the Heavens" is an extraordinarily entertaining and deftly crafted novel by an
impressively gifted author with a genuine flair for originality. While very highly recommended,
especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "High as the Heavens" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764217814,
$15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Eve / More Deadly Than The Male
James Hadley Chase
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781944520403, $19.95, PB, 380pp, www.amazon.com
James Hadley Chase (24 December 1906 - 6 February 1985) was an English writer. While his
birth name was Rene Lodge Brabazon Raymond, he was well known by his various pseudonyms,
including James Hadley Chase, James L. Docherty, Raymond Marshall, R. Raymond, and
Ambrose Grant. He was one of the best known thriller writers of all time. The canon of Chase,
comprising 90 titles, earned him a reputation as the king of thriller writers in Europe. He was
also one of the internationally best-selling authors, and, so far, 50 of his books have been made
into films. Now Stark House Press has brought back into print two of his 'time lost' gems under
one cover with the publication of "Eve / More Deadly Than The Male". In "Eve" we find that
Clive Thurston is living a lie. Having claimed a dying playwright's masterwork as his own, he is
hailed as a brilliant, new author. Thurston is now living the good life in Hollywood. He has a
house in the country, a manservant, a beautiful fiancee....then one night he meets Eve. Eve isn't
beautiful at all, but she's got a way about her. Thurston is captivated, and in no time, he becomes
obsessed. But as everybody knows, Eve is a prostitute, and his reputation around town begins to
suffer. His fiancee has been patient, but she can take no more. Thurston is drinking too much,
and making bad decisions. But what he can't figure is why Eve keeps rejecting him. If he can
only make Eve love him, maybe his own redemption is at hand. "More Deadly Than The Mile" is
the story of George, a man who knew the exact moment when he fell in love with Cora Brant. At
one moment Cora was just someone with whom he hoped to alleviate an hour of lonely boredom;
at the next she was someone he was physically and mentally aware of in a most overpowering
way. He had bought drinks, and he had been startled that she tackled a pint of beer. And when he
looked more closely at her, he realized she was not immaculate in the accepted sense of the word.
But George was not critical. Any woman was a novelty to him, and a girl like Cora Brant was far
more than a novelty - she was an exciting experience. George has been living in a gangster
fantasy in which he is always the hero. Now he meets that world head on. George's troubles have
only just begun... A highly and unreservedly recommended addition to community library
collections, "Eve / More Deadly Than The Male" will send appreciative readers in an energetic
search for other works by this genuinely gifted author.
Whispers of Warning
Jessica Estevo
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780425281611, $15.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Free from the clutches of her con artist father, Ruby Proulx is starting to settle in at the Belden,
her aunt Honoria's seaside hotel. She loves finally being rooted in one place and also feels a sense
of purpose as she helps Honoria keep her business afloat by acting as a psychic medium for the
hotel's metaphysically inclined guests. When one of the guests, renowned Spiritualist and
outspoken suffragist Sophronia Foster Eldridge, checks into the hotel for a month-long stay,
Ruby finds her sense of purpose expands outside the confines of home and family. Sophronia
takes Ruby under her wing and mentors her in the mediumistic abilities, encouraging her to fight
for women's rights. But not everyone is as happy with Sophronia's appearance in Old Orchard.
When a dangerous act of sabotage is carried out and a body is found floating in the pool of a
local bathhouse, Ruby takes it upon herself to find answers - and in the process learns that her
new friend has been hiding some deadly secrets of her own. Another deftly crafted and
consistently entertaining novel by a master of the genre, "Whispers of Warning" by Jessica
Estevo will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to community library
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Whispers of Warning" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Battle For Rome
Ian James Ross
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
www.overlookpress.com
9781468311235, $26.95, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
War is on the horizon for the Roman Empire, and only Maxentius, tyrant of Rome, stands
between the emperor Constantine and supreme power in the west. Aurelius Castus is now a
tribune in Constantine's army. But this great honor brings new challenges, and Castus is
tormented by suspicions that his young wife has been unfaithful. As Constantine becomes
increasingly devoted to Christianity, he is forced to ask himself whether he is following the
wrong man. The approaching war will decide the fate of the empire, but Castus's own battle will
carry him much further, carrying him headlong into the shadowy realms of treachery at the heart
of Rome itself. The third volume in the outstanding 'Twilight of Empire" series by author Ian
James Ross, "Battle For Rome" continues to showcase his genuine flair for writing a compelling
novel that will have enduring appeal to fans of deftly crafted historical fiction. While very highly
recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Battle For Rome" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Flood
Melissa Scholars Young
Center Street
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.centerstreet.com
9781478970781, $26.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Laura Brooks fled her hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, ten years ago after a historic flood and
personal heartbreak. Now she's returned unannounced, and her family and friends don't know
what to make of it. She says she's just home for a brief visit and her high-school reunion, but
she's carrying too much luggage for that: literal and metaphorical. Soon Laura is embroiled in
small-town affairs including the contentious divorce of her rowdy best friend Rose; the campaign
of her twelve-year-old godson, Bobby, to become the town's official Tom Sawyer; and the
renewed interest of the man Laura once thought she'd marry, Sammy McGuire. Leaving town
when she was eighteen had been Laura's only option. She feared a stifling existence in a town
ruled by its past, its mythological devotion to Mark Twain, and the economic and racial divide
that runs as deep as the Mississippi River. She can't forget that fateful Fourth of July when the
levees broke or the decisions that still haunt her. Now as the Mississippi rises again, a deep
wound threatens to reopen, and Laura must decide if running away once more might be the best
way to save herself. The debut novel by author Melissa Scholars Young, "Flood" is a deftly
crafted entertainment from beginning to end and clearly showcases her undeniable flair for
originality and storytelling talent. While very highly recommended, especially for community
library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Flood" is
also available in a paperback edition (9781478970774, $14.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $13.99).
Backed To The Wall
C. M. Wendelboe
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432837327, $25.95, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com
It's a time when outlaws, fueled by cruelty they became addicted to during the War Between the
States, roam and prey upon anyone unfortunate enough to cross their trail. It's a time in the
Dakota Territory of the 1870s, when the line between outlaw and lawman is often blurred. Some
of those sworn to protect the helpless might exploit them instead. And some of those deemed
hard cases might redeem themselves. Another deftly written western novel by C. M. Wendelboe,
"Backed to the Wall" plunges both a lawman and an outlaw into a blood battle that only one of
them can survive -- that is, if the Indian raiders terrorizing homesteaders and cattlemen don't kill
them first! Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Western Fiction
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans that
"Backed To The Wall" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Birthright
David Hingley
Allison & Busby
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9780749020323, $19.95, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
In 1664, some four years after Charles II is restored to the throne, Mercia Blakewood find herself
standing to lose everything: her father to the executioner's axe, her freedom to her treacherous
uncle, her son to his resentful grandparents. But when her father leaves her a cryptic message in
his last speech, she seizes her chance to fight back. With would-be lover Nathan Keyte and
unlikely new friend Nicholas Wildmoor, Mercia must unravel her father's mystery to find a great
prize long thought lost, striving to recover the King's stolen birthright in the hope of reclaiming
her own. From London's bulging metropolis to the forests of Manhattan she will contend with
murder, intrigue and lust, fighting for her future and her life as the town of New York is born.
"Birthright" is a deftly crafted historical novel that will engage the reader's rapt attention from
beginning to end. Showcasing author Davide Hingley's genuine flair for creating memorable
characters and an unfailingly entertaining plot of unexpected twists and turns, "Birthright" is very
highly recommended, especially for community library Historical fiction collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Birthright" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780749020422, $12.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Bounty of Greed: The Lincoln County War
Paul Colt
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432834494, $25.95, HC, 327pp, www.amazon.com
Powerful merchant and political strong man, James Dolan owns Lincoln County, until brash,
young English business man John Tunstall hits town to challenge Dolan's empire. War breaks out
when Tunstall is murdered. Tunstall partisan William Bonney vows revenge, launching the
legendary outlaw career of Billy the Kid. Tunstall and Chisum gunmen, calling themselves
Regulators, systematically hunt down and kill those responsible for Tunstall's murder. Deputy
U.S. Marshal Ty Ledger is swept up in the tides of war, caught between determined forces
swirling toward a bloody confrontation that threatens the woman he loves. The war comes to a
fiery climax when the army is called in to battle for Lincoln. "Bounty of Greed: The Lincoln
County War" by Paul Colt is a deftly written novel that fully captures the greed, cunning and
vengeance that ignited the epic and infamous Lincoln County War. Unreservedly recommended
and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Western Fiction
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated western novel buffs that
"Bounty of Greed: The Lincoln County War" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99).
Mona Lisa
Robyn Sheridan
Waldorf Publishing
2140 Hall Johnson Road 102-345, Grapevine, TX 76051
www.waldorfpublishing.com
9781945172731, $16.95, PB, 340pp, www.amazon.com
When Mona Lisa Cicciarelli is left at the altar by Joey and his overbearing mother Alice, Mona
Lisa wonders what will be worse -- the pitying stares from her friends and family or her parent's
renewed obsession with the age of her ovaries and impending spinsterhood. Her father, Chick,
tries to fix her up the day after she is jilted with the handsome, Italian-Catholic Dante Coletti, and
it is then that Mona Lisa realizes her sanity is at risk. She needs to make a big change and when
she's offered a job opportunity in Atlanta, she consults Noni, her eccentric grandmother and
closest confidante who gives her the push she needs. "Mona Lisa" is an extraordinarily
entertaining read from cover to cover and reveals author Robyn Sheridan's genuine flair for deftly
crafted memorable characters and engagingly original storytelling. While "Mona Lisa" is
unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary Romance
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $3.99) and in a complete and unabridged CD audio book edition (Blackstone
Audio, 9781441749987, $29.95).
The Scot Beds His Wife
Kerrigan Byrne
St. Martin's Paperbacks
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250122544, $7.99, PB, 416pp, www.amazon.com
Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, is a notorious Highlander and an unrelenting Lothario who uses
his slightly menacing charm to get what he wants -- including too many women married to other
men. But now, Gavin wants to put his shady past behind him...more or less. When a fiery lass
who is the heiress to the land he wishes to possess drops into his lap, he sees a perfectly delicious
opportunity of a marriage most convenient. Samantha Masters has come back to Scotland, in a
pair of trousers, and with a whole world of dangerous secrets from her time spent in the Wild
West trailing behind her. Her only hope of protection is to marry -- and to do so quickly. Gavin is
only too willing to provide that service for someone he finds so disturbingly irresistible. But even
as danger approaches, what begins as a scandalous proposition slowly turns into an
all-consuming passion. And Gavin discovers that he will do whatever is necessary to keep the
woman he has claimed as his own. A riveting read from cover to cover, "The Scot Beds His
Wife" shows that author Kerrigan Byrne is a complete master of the historical romance genre.
While very highly recommended for both community library collections and the personal reading
lists of dedicated historical romance fans, it should be noted that "The Scot Beds His Wife" is
also available from St. Martin's Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Whispers of Warning
Jessica Estevao
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780425261611, $15.00, www.amazon.com
Whispers of Warning provides a fine 'Change of Fortune' mystery blending a quick-witted
heroine and psychic, Ruby, with a second tale in a series; this one discussing crime at a small
beachside town in Maine. History, mystery, and supernatural influences blend nicely in the story
of a woman who finally finds her place in a small town after years on the run with her scam artist
father, only to discover that her newfound friendships and home with family is threatened by a
suffragist's stay at the hotel and the town politics that emerge in response. The result is a
powerful and involving tale that operates deftly and efficiently on many levels, recommended for
history and mystery buffs alike.
The Trout
Peter Cunningham
Arcade Publishing
www.arcadepub.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781628727449, $22.99, HC, 296pp, www.amazon.com
Alex Smyth, of Irish birth but living for many years with his wife in rural Canada, receives a
trout fly in the mail, with no message and no return address. It stirs a fear that he is being stalked
after the publication of his most recent book, and it awakens in him deeply buried, inchoate
memories from his childhood in Ireland, before he was old enough to understand the adult world
around him. It also evokes the guilt that he may have murdered a man, a feeling so strong it
changes him and threatens his marriage. Alex has no choice but to return alone to Ireland and his
estranged father, to try and begin to solve the mystery. Another masterfully written novel by
award-winning author Peter Cunningham, "The Trout" is an original and multi-layered
psychological thriller that will hold the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end. Of special
note is how deftly Cunningham has occasionally inserted fishing lore into this narrative story of
predators and prey. While very strongly recommended, especially for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of suspense thriller
fans that "The Trout" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.79).
Wolf's Revenge
Lachlan Smith
Mysterious Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802127075, $25.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Leo Maxwell is no ordinary attorney. He spends as much time tracking corrupt politicians and
gangland leaders across the Bay area to piece together the facts of a crime as he does crafting
courtroom rhetoric. But Leo has never quite recovered from discovering his mother's murdered
corpse as a child, or from growing up in the shadow of his brilliant older brother. Now Maxwell
seeks an exit strategy from his family's deepening entanglement with a ruthless prison-based
gang. Caught between the criminals and the FBI, Leo charts his own hazardous course in defense
of a young woman who was manipulated into brazenly murdering an Aryan Brotherhood
member. In the process, secrets from his own childhood and fractured family are revealed -- and
fair play is the first casualty. "Wolf's Revenge" is the fifth novel in Lachlan Smith's outstanding
series featuring attorney-detective Leo Maxwell and unreservedly recommended, especially for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of dedicated suspense fans and thriller buffs that "Wolf's Revenge" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $14.74). Librarians should be aware of a complete and unabridged audio
book edition of "Wolf's Revenge" (Highbridge Audio, 9781681688053, $29.99, CD).
Chez Betty
Kenneth Farmer
Henschel Haus Publishing
2625 South Greeley Street, Suite 201, Milwaukee, WI 53207
http://henschelhausbooks.com
9781595985248, $16.95, PB, 310pp, www.amazon.com
Alan Newberg is a staid title-company lawyer in the middle of a divorce who escapes to the
French Riviera in an effort to reinvent himself. But instead, he catches a case of careful what you
ask for when his soon-to-be-ex wife freezes his bank accounts. Without access to money,
Newberg gets a job working for a crazy American ex-pat from Texas who owns a questionable
vehicle-for-hire business that is at war with a local mob-run cab company. The ever-growing
predicament leads to Alan being framed for murder and forces him to run the gauntlet of French
criminal justice. His knight in shining armor is the five-year-old daughter of his newly found
love, who acts as his chief alibi witness. A deftly crafted and unfailingly entertaining novel from
cover to cover, "Chez Betty" has everything from dark humor to romantic intrigue in a
picturesque setting, all the while guiding the reader through a mysterious and unfamiliar court
system. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Chez Betty" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Monster Hunter Siege
Larry Correia
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781481482254, $25.00, www.amazon.com
Monster Hunter Siege adds to an outstanding, well-written series about Monster Hunter
International's encounters and tells of Owen Pitt, who finds himself inadvertently involved in a
rescue mission when he receives a tip about missing monster hunters. His efforts become one of
the major operations in the outfit's history as he discovers they are being held prisoner in another
dimension - one that lies beyond a monster-infested war zone that harbors a powerful adversary.
A strong story of intrigue and monsters impossible to defeat makes for a story that is
action-packed and just as satisfyingly unpredictable as its predecessors. Prior fans, especially,
will relish this latest expansion of the purposes and encounters of the Monster Hunter group.
The Castle in Cassiopeia
Mike Resnick
Pyr
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633882317, $17.00, www.pyrsf.com
The Castle in Cassiopeia is Book Three in the 'Dead Enders' series; and as such, is particularly
recommended for prior fans who have already absorbed the setting of Pretorius and his Dead
Enders, who kidnapped a general and substituted a clone who had been trained in their
Democracy. In this title they find that the clone has gone rogue and wants to take over - and
having been raised on Earth, he knows too much about how to do this. Can Pretorius and the
remnants of humanity reach him before disaster strikes? A powerful story evolves, adding depth
and new intrigue to the tale.
The Christian Studies Shelf
The Church Guide for Making Decisions Together
Terence Corking & Julia Kuhn Wallace
Abingdon Press
2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.
PO Box 280988, Nashville, TN 37228-0988
www.abingdonpress.com
9781501838071, $22.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
While Robert's Rules of Order, or the traditional parliamentary style of decision-making used in
many churches, can work for simple decisions that are aggregated and passed by consent, for
complex and divisive issues, Christian churches need a decision process that does not result in a
combative, winner-take-all approach to church life. A healthy church also tries to involve
commitment from a wide range of stakeholders rather than privilege a few well-informed and
capable speakers. A vital and healthy congregation yearns for a more collaborative, respectful,
encouraging, engaging, and empowering process. "The Church Guide for Making Decisions
Together" provides a step-by-step guidance on how to create a new way of working together.
Drawing on tried and tested processes, it advocates for a consensus building approach and
showing people how it can work in their setting (local church or judicatory meetings). Readers
will learn how to design a consensus building business process for their church meeting while
still respecting the denominational and legal requirements under which they must operate.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Church Guide for Making Decisions
Together" is 'real world practical' as it is inspired and inspiring, making is specifically and
unreservedly recommended for leaders, members of church boards and committees, and church
members who know that there is something wrong with the present system but don't know what
to do about it.
Gear Up!
Kay Kotan
Abingdon Press
2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., PO Box 280988, Nashville, TN 37228-0988
www.abingdonpress.com
9781501835513, $14.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Kay Kotan is a credentialed coach, church consultant, speaker and author. She serves on the
Healthy Church Initiative Executive Team for the Missouri Annual Conference of the UMC. In
"Gear Up!: Nine Essential Processes for the Optimized Church" she draws upon her years of
experience, prayer, and expertise to outline nine areas of Christian ministry where congregations
must intentionally design a process. It is not enough to decide, "We are going to refocus in this
direction." Pastors and Lay Leaders must decide how and what steps they will take. Who will do
what, and when? This concise and exceedingly practical new book can help. Exceptionally well
written, 'real world practical' while inspired and inspiring, "Gear Up!: Nine Essential Processes
for the Optimized Church" is unreservedly recommended for church and seminary Christian
Studies collections and supplemental pastoral studies reading lists. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of clergy and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Gear Up!: Nine Essential Processes for the Optimized Church" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Judaic Studies Shelf
A Concise Code of Jewish Law for Converts
Rabbi Michael J. Broyde
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publishers
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655242492, $24.95, HC, 180pp, www.amazon.com
While the topic of conversion in Judaism has been extensively covered in many fine studies, no
one has yet explored the particular laws related to after conversion. In "A Concise Code of
Jewish Law for Converts", Michael J. Broyde (Professor of Law at Emory University School of
Law and a Senior Fellow at Emory University's Center for the Study of Law and Religion. He
served for many years as the Yoshev Rosh (chair) and a dayan (judge) in the SouthEast
Rabbinical Court for Conversion which was part of the GPS Conversion network) deftly explores
many topics and questions that revolve around the life of a Jewish convert. Such topics include
the place of a convert in a Jewish community according to Jewish law, the treatment of a convert
in respect to acceptance and discrimination, and providing affirmative incentives to converts.
Containing a detailed review of every aspect of Jewish law from the convert's perspective and in
relation to them, as well as supplemental essays, "A Concise Code of Jewish Law for Converts"
provides knowledge and guidance on life after conversion. Comprehensive, authoritative,
exceptionally well organized and presented, "A Concise Code of Jewish Law for Converts" is a
critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to synagogue and academic library
Judaic Studies instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Gender Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law
Rabbi Ethan Tucker & Rabbi Michael Rosenberg
Urim Publications
c/o KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225
www.ktav.com
9789655241983, $24.95, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com
As gender equality has spread throughout modern society, including its religiously observant
sectors, traditional Jewish communities turn to their guiding sources to re-examine old questions.
This book opens the reader's eyes to the wealth of Jewish legal material surrounding gender and
prayer, with a particular focus on who can lead the prayers in a traditional service and who can
constitute the communal quorum (or minyan) that they require. With honesty, transparency, and
rigor, "Gender Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law" is a powerfully informed and informative
resource for grappling with these complex questions. Authored by Rabbi Ethan Tucker
(Co-Founder and the Yeshiva Head at Mechon Hadar, where he serves as Chair in Jewish Law)
and Rabbi Michael Rosenberg (Assistant Professor of Rabbinics at Hebrew College), "Gender
Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law" not only explores this specific issue in depth, but it also
provides a model how to mine the Jewish legal tradition for its underlying values, enabling its
complex sources to serve as effective guides for contemporary communal decision-making.
Thoughtful and thought-provoking, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Gender
Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition
to rabbinic, and academic library Judaic Studies collections and supplemental studies reading
lists.
The Islamic Studies Shelf
Islamic Art and Arabic Literature
Oleg Grabar & Cynthia Robinson, editors
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
www.markuswiener.com
9781558762329, $44.95, HC, 162pp, www.amazon.com
Collaboratively compiled and deftly edited by the team of Islamic art history expert Oleg Grabar
(Harvard University and the Institute for Advanced Study), and Cynthia Robinson (University of
New Mexico and who specializes in the visual and literary cultures of the medieval Iberian
peninsula), "Islamic Art and Arabic Literature: Textuality and Visuality in the Islamic World"
breaks new ground in the field of Middle Eastern art history. While illuminated manuscripts from
Persia and the Arab world are outstanding masterpieces of art, only recent scholarship in Islamic
visual culture includes written sources in its consideration of the relationships between the
textual and visual worlds. Likewise, scholars of Arabic and Persian literature have become aware
of the comparative and interpretive possibilities contained within visual sources. Nevertheless,
separation between the two fields of inquiry remains prevalent. Comprised of six essays (three by
art historians and three by specialists in Arabic and Persian literature) "Islamic Art and Arabic
Literature" deftly examine specific instances in which texts and images which would seem to
have been intended as one cultural product have traditionally been studied separately. Each
individual essay reunites visual and written or oral products in order to evaluate the mechanisms
through which written (or spoke) texts and the images produced in conjunction with them operate
in precise contexts. Beautifully illustrated, exceptionally informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly'
in organization and presented, "Islamic Art and Arabic Literature" is an extraordinary body of
scholarship and will prove to be a valued and appreciated addition to the personal reading lists of
both academicians and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, as well as
both community and academic library Islamic Culture collections and supplemental studies
lists.
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
Zen Master Raven
Robert Aitken
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
9781614293842 $19.95 hc / $11.99 Kindle www.wisdompubs.org
Zen Master Raven: The Teachings of a Wise Old Bird is inspired by the koans of ancient Zen
masters. Filled cover to cover with snippets of conversations between forest animals, Zen Master
Raven is true to the tradition of ancient story-dialogues that test one's thoughts and
understanding. "Next day, Woodpecker came around when Raven was cleaning up after a
windstorm and asked, 'Do you think I could be a teacher?' Raven looked her over. 'What is the
dark side?' he asked. Woodpecker hesitated. 'I'm not sure there is one,' she said. Raven turned
away, saying, 'Then how can you be a teacher?'" Thoroughly accessible to readers of all ages and
backgrounds, Zen Master Raven is inspirational, wistful, and highly recommended.
The Fishing Shelf
Wide and Deep
Randy Spencer
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781628736397, $29.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Randy Spencer is a Master Maine Guide based out the Maine town of Grand Lake Stream. He
draws upon his years of experience and expertise in "Wide and Deep: Tales and Recollections
from a Master Maine Fishing Guide" to showcase the remote little town Grand Lake Stream, in
eastern Maine, and its surrounding lakes for the benefit of dedicated anglers and hunters like
himself. "Wide and Deep" will showcase the remote backwoods and crystal clear lakes at Grank
Lake Stream with its most remote, rural Maine landscape in all its breathtaking natural and
undisturbed beauty. The relationship between a sport and his guide is an ongoing conversation,
one that can last hours, days, and even years. The company you offer is just as valued as the
company you keep. Whether they are stories of joy or of pain, there, reading "Wide and Deep" is
the next best thing to sitting around a campfire and listening to Randy Spencer in person. "Wide
and Deep" perfectly captures the moments on the water that people wait their entire lives for and
spend the rest of their lives remembering. While very highly recommended, especially for
community library Fishing/Hunting collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Wide and Deep" is now available in a paperback edition (9781510714328, $17.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $11.62).
The Audiobook Shelf
MiniFarming
Brett L. Markham, author
Read by Christopher Solimene
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781541407206 $34.99 www.tantor.com
MiniFarming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a
thoroughly accessible and user-friendly guide to small-area farming, on as little as 1/4 an acre of
land. No farming or gardening experience is required; MiniFarming covers all the basics for
getting started, including buying and saving seeds, starting seedlings, establishing raised beds,
soil fertility practices, dealing with pests and diseases, crop rotation, and much more. Recipes
and additional supplemental materials in PDF format round out this "must" for anyone interested
in growing food as more than just a hobby - there is potential to create eighty-five percent of a
family's food or earn up to $10,000 in cash annually in less than half the time demanded by a
standard job. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections.
All Day at the Movies
Fiona Kidman, author
Performed by Edwina Wren
Bolinda Audio
c/o Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781489409317 $9.99 www.brillianceaudio.com
All Day at the Movies is an unabridged audiobook on MP3-CD (plays on MP3-CD enabled
players or transfers to portable devices) of Fiona Kidman's multi-generational novel. The story
begins in 1952 when Irene Sandle, widowed by World War II, seeks a fresh start in Motueka,
New Zealand. Yet the reality of her new life is far harsher than the glamor of the silver screen.
All Day at the Movies progresses to the story of Irene's children. The evolution of New Zealand
itself, as cultural views and opportunities advance with the turn of decades, is also a central
theme of this emotional and thought-provoking novel, superbly performed by Edwina Wren.
Highly recommended! 1 MP3-CD, 9 hours 10 min.
A Life of Adventure and Delight
Akhil Sharma, author
Read by Neil Shah and Deepti Gupta
HighBridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781681687124 $29.99 https://highbridgeaudio.com
A Life of Adventure and Delight is the unabridged audiobook rendition of Akhil Sharma's
anthology of short stories about individuals forced to reexamine their preconceptions about their
lives and relationships. A young woman in an arranged marriage suddenly realizes that she does,
in fact, love her husband; a retired divorce tries to improve himself for remarriage by browsing
women's magazines; and a man's enduring contempt for his cousin is called into question when
he witnesses her caring for a sick woman. Superbly performed by Neil Shah and Deepti Gupta, A
Life of Adventure and Delight is erudite, thoughtful, and highly recommended. 5 CDs, 5.5
hours.
Secrets of Southern Girls
Haley Harrigan, author
Narrated by Jeanine Bartel and Liv Anderson
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781501947629 $TBA www.recordedbooks.com
Secrets of Southern Girls is the unabridged audiobook of a suspenseful novel about a young
woman coming to terms with her troubled past and the death of her best friend. Julie Portland
feels as though she killed her friend Reba ten years ago. She was never caught, and buried the
memories. Now, struggling to make ends meet, she learns about a missing journal that Reba kept,
filled with meticulous details of her life... and her relationship with an African-American
boyfriend, against the will of her racist father. Perhaps Julie is not entirely responsible for Reba's
death after all... but if that's so, then who is the other culpable party? A keenly written saga of
buried character flaws, dark secrets, and the toll of racism even in the late 20th century and
beyond, Secrets of Southern Girls is highly recommended. 9 CDs, 10.25 hours.
Assassin's Price
L. E. Modesitt Jr., author
William Dufris, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9781515902478, $54.99, CD, www.amazon.com
Six years have passed since the failed uprising of the High Holders, and the man behind the
conspiracy is where the rex and Maitre Alastar can keep an eye on him. Charyn has come of age
and desperately wants to learn more so that he can become an effective rex after his father - but
he's kept at a distance by the rex. So Charyn sets out to educate himself - circumspectly. When
Jarolian privateers disrupt Solidar's shipping, someone attempts to kill Charyn's younger brother
as an act of protest. Threatening notes follow in the wake of acts of violence against the rex and
his family, demanding action - build more ships or expect someone to die. Superbly narratived by
William Dufrist, this Tantor Media complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Assassin's
Price" by L. E. Modesitt Jr. is a deftly crafted "theatre of the mind" experience that will truly
delight dedicated fantasy action/adventure fans and is certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to community library audio book collections.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Jurassic
Ted Rechlin
RexTooth Studios
www.rextooth.com
9781591522034 $19.95
Jurassic is a striking, full-color graphic novel that will appeal to dinosaur fans of all ages. The
story follows a young Brontosaurus calf who becomes separated from his mother - a terrifying
prospect, given how many ferocious predators roam the Jurassic era! The dinosaurs are not
anthropomorphized at all, but rather portrayed as wild and dangerous. The realistic art style of
author Ted Rechlin perfectly complements an action-packed story in keeping with the latest
scientific findings about dinosaurs (such as the 2015 discovery that the Brontosaurus does in fact
belong to a separate genus from Apatosaurus). Jurassic is a choice pick for school and public
library graphic novel collections, and a "must-read" for anyone who loves dinosaurs! Also highly
recommended is Ted Rechlin's "Tyrannosaurus Rex" (9781591521747. $16.95), a graphic novel
about these mighty apex predators of a bygone time.
Girl Genius Volume 16: The Incorruptible Library
Kaja & Phil Foglio
Airship Entertainment
www.airshipbooks.com
9781890856656 $25.00 www.girlgeniusonline.com
Girl Genius Volume 16: The Incorruptible Library is a full color graphic novel continuing the
wildly unpredictable escapades of Agatha Heterodyne, a brilliant genius in a world where mad
science warps the laws of reality like magic. To free her people from a bubble of stopped time,
Agatha has traveled to Paris, in search of the world's foremost expert on time manipulation.
High-spirited comedy, political intrigue, and mortal peril are the course of the day in this three-
time Hugo Award winning "gaslamp fantasy" series for all ages! Highly recommended.
Death Note All-in-One Edition
Story by Tsugumi Ohba
Art by Takeshi Obata
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421597713 $39.99 www.viz.com
Death Note All-in-One Edition collects the complete, twelve-volume manga (Japanese comics)
series Death Note into a single omnibus volume, along with an epilogue chapter never before
seen in English. The story is a tense thriller with supernatural elements. It begins when a rogue
death god, purely out of boredom, decides to leave his "death note" in the human realm - a
notebook with the unearthly power to kill any person whose name is written within it. The
brilliant student Light Yagami finds the notebook, and starts using it to purge those people he
deems wicked or corrupt. But a cult of personality springs up around Light's ruthless actions,
creating a "Kira" persona that gradually unhinges his sanity. Meanwhile, the expert detective L
tries to track down this unknown vigilante killer who commits murder after murder. The stakes
raise ever higher as both men desperately pursue their respective agendas, in this shocking,
dramatic series intended for adult or older teen readers due to scenes of violence. Highly
recommended, especially for manga and crime-fiction connoisseurs!
Swordquest
Written by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway
Art by George Perez and Dick Giordano
Dynamite
www.dynamite.com
9781524104030 $15.99 pbk / $10.33 Kindle amazon.com
Swordquest is an anthology of the three full-color mini-comics created by beloved storytellers
Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, George Perez, and Dick Giordano, and bundled with Atari video
game cartridges in the early 80's. The trilogy has been superbly remastered and presented along
with a bonus Yars' Revenge comic, and a black-and-white cover gallery of unused cover art by
George Perez. The story is a fantasy action-adventure, about a twin brother and sister who quest
to avenge their family's death at the hands of a despotic king and his nefarious wizard. Their
journey takes them through the hazards and mysteries of the elemental worlds of Earth, Fire, and
Water (a fourth comic and video game set in the world of Air were planned, but never realized).
Swordquest is a classic part of video game history, as well as an engaging, all-ages adventure in
its own right. Notably, Swordquest co-stars a capable heroine, even though the 80's were an era
when strong, self-reliant women in video games were few and far between! Highly
recommended.
Kirby100
John Morrow, editor
Jack Kirby, illustrator
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605490786, $34.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
The late Jack Kirby (August 28, 1917 - February 6, 1994) was an influential American comic
book artist, writer, and editor, who was widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators
and certainly one of its most prolific and influential creators. TwoMorrows Publishing and the
Jack Kirby Collector magazine celebrate Jack Kirby's 100th birthday in style with the release of
"Kirby100", a full-color visual celebration of Jack Kirby's life and work! It features an all-star
line-up of 100 comics pros who critique key images from Kirby's 50-year career, admiring his
page layouts, dramatics, and storytelling skills, and lovingly reminiscing about their favorite
characters and stories. Featured are contributions by Bruce Timm, Alex Ross, Walter Simonson,
John Byrne, Joe Sinnott, Steve Rude, Adam Hughes, Wendy Pini, John Romita Sr., Dave
Gibbons, P. Craig Russell, and dozens more of the top names in comics. Their essays serve to
honor Jack's place in comics history, and prove (as if there's any doubt) that Kirby is King! This
double-length book is edited by John Morrow and Jon B. Cooke, with a Kirby cover inked by
Mike Royer. An absolute 'must' for the legions of Kirby fans, "Kirby100" will prove to be an
enduringly popular and prized addition to personal reading lists, as well as both community and
academic library 20th Century American Popular Culture collections in general, and Jack Kirby
supplemental studies lists in particular.
Deliverance: Barracuda #6
Jean Dufaux, author
Jeremy, artist
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183543, $15.95, PB, 56pp, www.amazon.com
With the publication of "Deliverance", it's time for the final and concluding act in the six part
graphic novel pirate series "Barracuda" by author Jean Dufaux and artist Jeremy. In Puerto
Blanco, the traders, the freebooters and the slaves are in open revolt, led by Raffy and Ferrango.
At sea, Blackdog and the Barracuda have struck an alliance with the Red Hawk. Everywhere the
Spanish are retreating, and the island should soon be recaptured. But beyond political and
military considerations, there remains the question of the Kashar Diamond's fate. How many
lives will be lost in the name of its curse? Who will survive? An absolutely fascinating story
brought vividly to life by the superb action/action artwork of Jeremy, "Deliverance" offers a
compelling and dramatic conclusion to an inherently riveting tale of piracy, power struggles, and
supernaturally induced greed. One of the best graphic novels of the year, "Deliverance: Barracuda
#6" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library
collections.
Ollie and Nina and... Daft Doggie Doings!
Neil Sullivan
Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781787110656 $12.99 amazon.com
Ollie and Nina and... Daft Doggie Doings! is a humorous graphic novel that alternates between
cartoony, full-color comic strips about a pair of precocious dogs (based on the real-life beloved
pets of author Neil Sullivan) and written anecdotes and escapades from their doggie daily lives.
"Ollie loves the beach. When we first took him, he was totally blown away by the wide-open
spaces. He'd bolt off like a loony in long, sweeping loops, pelting at full throttle with a massive
grin on his face." Gentle and heartwarming, Ollie and Nina and... Daft Doggie Doings! is a
choice pick for dog lovers, and makes an excellent giftbook any time of year. Highly
recommended.
The Library CD Shelf
Ardor
Matthew Mayer
www.matthewmayer.com
Privately Published
$9.99 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
Ardor is a new age solo piano album by multi-award winning music artist Matthew Mayer. A
sweeping, beautiful collection of original songs that lift the mind and spirit, Ardor is a choice
pick for new age connoisseurs. The tracks are "Stars on 123", "Ardor", "Source of Blue", "Shoe
Strings", "Disappear It May", "Doc", "A Kindled Soul", "Moonlight Walk", "When Flowers
Grew Wild", "Escape", "Dreams VI", and "We Met Once".
Prelude to a Dream
Shoshana Michel
www.ShoshanaMusic.com
Privately Published
$14.97 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
Prelude to a Dream is a new age solo piano album featuring eleven original songs by talented
music artist Shoshana Michel. The gentle, emotionally moving melodies have a drifting beauty,
as delicate as new-fallen snow. Prelude to the dream is a treasure for connoisseurs of the genre,
highly recommended for personal and public library music collections. The tracks are
"Wonders", "Prelude to a Dream", "A Walk in the Rain", "Butterfly Kisses", "Tender Words",
"Kaleidoscope", "Applewood", "Meditation", "A Most Precious Gift", "Silent Farewell", and
"Ethereal". 50 min, 1 sec.
The Art of the Possible
Fer Isella
Limbo Music
$TBA www.ferisella.com
The Art of the Possible is a solo piano album by Fer Isella, inspired by weekly improvisational
sessions with sound artist Ulises Conti. The sweeping, emotional musical tide envelops the
listener in a finely nuanced experience. Reflective and poignant, The Art of the Possible is a
choice selection for piano connoisseurs and public library music collections. The tracks are
"Conversation", "Simple", "Desire", "Dan", "Sof", "Pendulum", "Cin", "Story", and
"Farewell".
Into the Flow
Joseph Akins
www.josephakins.com
HeartSong Music
$TBA CD / $9.49 download amazon.com
The sixth solo piano album of music artists Joseph Akins, Into the Flow consists of 12 original
compositions of sublime beauty. A soothing experience that relaxes the mind and soul, Into the
Flow includes songs of tribute to people who touched and changed Akins' life. The tracks are
"Into the Flow" (4:43), "A Pretty One for Unita" (4:04), "The Waterfall Waltz" (4:06), "Mystery
Cafe" (4:23), "Winter Is Here" (4:46), "Memories of Far Away" (4:09), "Foster Falls" (4:46), "A
Love Story" (4:23), "Ghost of Mill We Hollow" (5:00), "Lullaby for Baby G" (3:43), "On Saint
Simmons" (3:48), and "Cosmic Microwaves" (2:46). Also highly recommended for solo piano
connoisseurs is the joyful album "Equuis Rising" by Lisa Swerdlow ($12.99 CD / $7.92
MP3).
Dreamers
Lard Dog & The Band of Shy
www.houseoflard.com
Go Records, LLC
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com
Dreamers is the sophomore music album of Lard Dog & The Band of Shy ("Lard" stands for
"Life's A Real Dream"!), crafted in their signature style of "nerd rock". Wacky humor, vibrant
creativity, and a strong message of tolerance and compassion distinguish the original songs in
this all-ages delight. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Dreamers", "I Like", "Don't Let the
Boogah Bug You Out!", "Rock in the Rockefeller", "The Kimbaloo", "Take the Road", "The
Honey Bunny Song", "Who's Your Favorite Beatle?", "Colander Sun", "Have a Good Day", and
"Ode to Flatiron".
A Kingston Story: Come from Far
New Kingston
www.newkingstonmusic.com
Easy Star Records
$TBA CD / $9.49 digital amazon.com
A Kingston Story: Come from Far is a reggae music album by New York-based trio of brothers
New Kingston. Their energy and passion shines through these original songs. Uplifting and
inspiring, A Kingston Story: Come from Far is enthusiastically recommended to connoisseurs of
the genre. The tracks are "Come From Far", "Honorable & the Beast", "Starlight (feat. Pressure
Busspipe)", "Browne's Interlude", "Agape", "Stereotypes", "Meditation", "Solid as a Rock",
"Reggae Music's Playing", and "Kingston Fyah Dub".
Dare to Dream
Unleashed Dreams
www.unleasheddreams.com
L. Walker International Ltd. & Paddisongs Publishing Ltd.
$TBA CD / $12.00 download cdbaby.com
Singer-songwriter duo Unleashed Dreams (Lindsey Gaye Walker and Sean Michael Paddison),
present their debut album Dare to Dream, featuring both vocal and instrumental pieces. A fusion
of new age, neo classical, world music, and pop, Dare to Dream stirs a sense of exploration and
wonder in the listener's psyche. Beautiful and original, Dare to Dream is a one-of-a-kind listening
experience, and also makes a excellent gift. The tracks are "Deep", "dare to Dream Again",
"Resonance", "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep", "My Sacred Inner Child", "Riding the Winds of
Change (instrumental)", "Trust (and Let Go)", "You Give Me Strength", "A New Day", "A
Journey Within (instrumental)", "Onward to Glory, and "Moonlight Waltz (instrumental)".
Lullaby Girl
Lisa Loeb
LisaLoeb.com
Privately Published
$12.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
Grammy-nominated music artist Lisa Loeb presents Lullaby Girl, a family-friendly, all-ages
album featuring dreamlike arrangements of 13 classic songs from a diversity of genres. Lullaby
Girl is beautiful, and encourages the listener to slow down, relax, and experience the joy of the
moment. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Be My Baby", "Don't Stop", "Close Your Eyes",
"Dream a Little Dream", "In My Room", "O-O-H Child", "Rainbow Connection", "All the Pretty
Little Horses", "Lullaby Girl", "Inch Worm", "What the World Needs Now is Love", "A Dream
is a Wish Your Heart Makes", and "Tomorrow".
Loe Loa: Rural Recordings Under the Mango Tree
Betsayda Machado & Parranda El Clavo
Odelia
$18.99 CD / $7.99 MP3 amazon.com
Loe Loa: Rural Recordings Under the Mango Tree is the debut album of Betsayda Machado and
her village's band La Parranda El Clavo. Born of Afro-Latin music and culture, the Spanish-
language songs are vibrant and brimming with festivity, sure to enliven any listener's day. Loe
Loa is highly recommended, especially for world music collections. The tracks are "Oh, Santa
Rosa", "Pueblo de Fiesta", "No La Peles, Papa", "La Situacion", "Borracho", "Gaviota",
"Merengada E' Ron", "Alae Alao", "Sentimiento", and "Barlovento Es".
Under a Second Moon
Holland Phillips
www.musicbyholland.com
Ageless Records
$9.99 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
The sixth album by talented music artist Holland Phillips, Under a Second Moon is a beautiful,
instrumental New Age album distilling piano and keyboard, guitar, and even saxophone into a
dreamlike soundscape. The mellifluous songs reach out to embrace the listener and lift their
spirits, in this timeless treasure. The tracks are "Out of the Frying Pan" (4:10), "Taking the Road
Not Taken" (4:35), "A Moment in Time" (3:50), "Possibly Maybe" (4:15), "Under a Second
Moon" (3:56), "Love Comes Gently" (4:22), "Long Way Home" (4:53), "Deepening Skies"
(3:23), "Looking Back" (3:56), "It Comes To This" (3:58), and "Fairytale Nights" (3:36). Also
highly recommended for connoisseurs of the genre is the acoustic new age album "Serenity" by
Michael Kollwitz ($15.00 CD / $10.00 download).
The Library DVD Shelf
Germans & Jews
A film by Janina Quint & Tal Recanati
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
www.firstrunfeatures.com
$24.95 www.germansandjews.com
Filmmakers and friends Janina Quint and Tal Recanati present Germans & Jews: History is the
Memory of a People, a documentary about Germany's transformation as a society since the end of
World War II. Today, decades after the horror of the Holocaust, Europe's fastest-growing
population is in Berlin. Germany is considered one of the most democratic societies in the world,
and is taking in hundreds of thousands of refugees. Germans & Jews examines through personal,
individual stories how Germany has evolved to facing its past and its future head-on. Highly
recommended, especially for high school and public library DVD collections. 76 min.
Loch Ness, series 1
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 DVD / $49.99 Blu-ray www.acornonline.com
Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Loch Ness, series 1 debuts a new thriller series set
in the beautiful Scottish countryside. Detective Annie Redford (played by Laura Fraser, known
for her performance in "Breaking Bad") is assigned to her first murder case when a man is found
dead at the bottom of a cliff. DCI Lauren Quigley (played by Siobhan Finneran) and forensic
psychologist Blake Albrighton (played by Don Gilet) arrive to lead the investigation, but their
personalities clash with those of the local police. Then more bodies appear, leading to the theory
that a serial killer is targeting people on the shores of Loch Ness! Annie's obsession with the case
distances her from her husband and teenaged daughter, as she strives to uncover a hidden
monster before the death toll soars higher. A gripping mystery filled with shocking twists and
turns, Loch Ness, series 1 is a "must-see" for connoisseurs of the genre. Bonus materials include
cast interviews (19 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette (13 min.), and a photo gallery. 6
episodes on 2 DVDs, 275 min. plus bonus, SDH subtitles, widescreen.
Line of Duty, series 4
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 www.acornonline.com
Line of Duty, series 4 is a DVD of six more episodes from the intense BBC police drama starring
Thandie Newton as DCI Roz Huntley. In series 4, Roz and her team track down and charge
alleged serial murderer. But could the young man they arrested by innocent? The chief forensic
suspects that Roz could be ignoring crucial evidence, and seeks the help of AC-12. Undercover
DS Kate Fleming (played by Vicky McClure) on Roz's team, while DS Steve Arnott openly
questions Roz's methods. But the truth could be more complex than anyone imagined! A dark,
character-driven crime story, Line of Duty is utterly riveting and highly recommended for
connoisseurs of the genre. 6 episodes on 2 DVDs, 366 min., SDH subtitles, widescreen.
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
www.holdenqigong.com
Four DVDs ($29.95 each) from YMAA Publications and expert Qi Gong teacher Lee Holden
introduce viewers to the health and psychological benefits of Qi Gong, an ancient Chinese
practice of coordinated body postures, movements, breathing, and meditation, used to give the
body and mind a workout . "Introduction to Qi Gong" (44 min.) demonstrates basic stretches and
Qi Gong movements for improved flexibility, the release of stress, internal energy, and mental
calm. "Qi Gong for the Upper Back & Neck" (45 min.) focuses upon a Qi Gong routine
specifically tailored to ease tension in the upper back and neck, and is especially recommended
as a preventative measure. "Qi Gong for Anxiety" (37 min.) has exercises that help clear and
anxiety with gentle stretching and long, flowing movements. "Qi Gong for Energy & Vitality"
(52 min.) emphasizes the innate purpose of Qi Gong to promote energy, health, and overall well-
being."Qi Gong for the Upper Back & Neck", "Qi Gong for Anxiety", and "Qi Gong for Energy
& Vitality" each offer an abbreviated 20 minute "short routine" exercise program that is easier to
incorporate into one's daily routine, as an alternative to the full-length exercise program. All four
DVDs are thoroughly accessible to viewers of all backgrounds and skill levels, and highly
recommended for personal health and well-being.
The Sports Shelf
Stretch to Win, second edition
Ann Frederick & Chris Frederick
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781492515876, $24.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Stretch to Win" by Ann and Chris
Frederick is specifically for men and women who are looking for the key to optimal physical
performance including increased speed, power, and agility, A thoroughly 'user friendly'
instructional guide and manual, "Stretch to Win" showcases the most effective techniques for
preparing to engage in any physical sport or event. Using the new "Stretch to Win" fascia
mobility assessment (FMA) protocol, the reader will be able to determine range of motion
deficits and identify your performance inhibitors. Then, with the stretching matrix, they will be
able to personalize a program developed for any particular sports need or goal. Of special note is
the incorporation of the matrix into an existing workout as well as into rest days, when stretching
can aid in recovery and bring a body back in balance. Comprehensive, practical, accessible,
featuring thematically appropriate illustrations, "Stretch to Win" is an extraordinary and highly
recommended addition to both sports center, community, and academic library Sports &
Athletics collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of PE students and teachers,
amateur and professional athletes, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Stretch to Win" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.27).
Borchert Field
Bob Buege
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870207884, $26.95, PB, 392pp, www.amazon.com
Nestled between North Seventh and Eighth Streets and West Chambers and Burleigh, Borchert
Field was Milwaukee, Wisconsin's major sports venue for 64 years. In this rickety wooden
stadium (originally called Athletic Park), Wisconsin residents had a close-up view of sports
history in the making, along with rodeos, thrill shows, and even multiple eruptions of Mount
Vesuvius. In Borchert Field, baseball historian Bob Buege introduces the famous and fascinating
athletes who dazzled audiences in Milwaukee's venerable ballpark. All the legendary baseball
figures ranging from the Babe Ruth, Satchel Paige, and Ty Cobb, to Joltin' Joe, Jackie Robinson,
the Say Hey Kid played there. Olympic heroes Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrikson, and Jesse Owens
displayed their amazing talents in Borchert. Knute Rockne's Fighting Irish competed there, and
Curly Lambeau's Green Bay Packers took the field 10 times. In the pages of "Borchert Field:
Stories from Milwaukee's Legendary Ballpark" Bob Buege (President of the Milwaukee Braves
Historical Association, director of the Wisconsin Old Time Ballplayers Association, and a
member of the Society for American Baseball Research) tells stories of other monumental
moments at Borchert as well, including a presidential visit, women ballplayers, the arrival of
television broadcasting, the 1922 national balloon race, and an appearance by scat-singing
bandleader Cab Calloway. Borchert Field is long gone, but every page of this unique history will
takes readers back to the sights, sounds, and spectacle of its heyday. A simply outstanding work
of sports history, "Borchert Field" is a 'must' for the legions of Wisconsins baseball fans and will
prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to both community and academic
library American Baseball History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Borchert Field" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Needlecraft Shelf
Piece and Quilt With Precuts
Christa Watson
That Patchwork Place
c/o Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604688702, $26.99, www.amazon.com
Piece and Quilt With Precuts features 11 quilt projects and 18 machine-cutting designs and
focuses on tricks and tips to make working with precuts and scraps a cinch. This comes from an
award-winning quilt designer who uses some eleven projects as examples for building skills in
walking-foot, free-motion and blends of these techniques. Complete with patterns, step-by-step
instructions, and an approach that blends piecing and precut handling with innovative designs,
this is a solid reference for any would-be quilter new to these ideas.
Block-Buster Quilts - I Love Star Blocks
Karen M. Burns
That Patchwork Place
c/o Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604688566, $24.99, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com
Assembled by quilting expert Karen Burns, "Block-Buster Quilts - I Love Star Blocks" is
comprised of 16 sparkling projects featuring quilters' favorite Star blocks contributed by array of
stellar designers. Each individual project comes with clear, 'user friendly' instructions and
easy-to-stitch designs, ranging from modern and bright to traditional and scrappy. "an array of
stellar designers comes" is the perfect introduction for novice beginners to quilting with Star
blocks and will hold enormous and lasting appeal for seasoned and experienced quilt makers.
While very highly recommended for community library Needlecraft instructional reference
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Block-Buster Quilts - I Love Star
Blocks: 16 Quilts from an All-Time Favorite Block" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Gradient Knits
Tanis Gray
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
www.barronseduc.com
9781438010595, $21.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Now even the most novice of needlecrafters can add a whole new dimension to their knitting
projects by utilizing gradient colors with help from "Gradient Knits: 10 Lessons and Projects
Using Ombre, Stranded Colorwork, Slip-Stitch, and Texture" by Tanis Grey (who was the Yarn
Editor of Vogue Knitting). A complete course of beautifully and profusely illustrated instruction
under one cover, "Gradient Knits" features eye-catching yarns and 10 unique lessons on topics
such as cabling, lace knitting, alternating stripes, thrumming, stranded colorwork, intarsia polka
dots, modular knitting, German short rows, and simple knit and purl combinations -- all using
gradient yarns. Aspiring needlecrafters can expand their knitting skill set with patterns for
garments and accessories drawn from top designers from around the world. The perfect blend of
beginners and advanced projects and a comprehensive techniques section give novice and
experienced knitters the ability to create stunning gradient knitted accessories including mittens,
a cabled hat, polka dot pillow, blanket, lace shawl, tea cozy, and more! Exceptionally 'user
friendly' in organization and presentation, "Gradient Knits" is an wholeheartedly and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional
reference collections.
The Photography Shelf
Wild Weather on the Prairies
Calgary Herald & Monica Zurowski
Greystone Books
343 Railway Street, Suite 201, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6A 1A4
www.greystonebooks.com
9781771643160, $29.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Life on the open prairie has always been strenuous and often calling for collective cooperation by
those that lived there. But nothing brings Prairie people together like the weather. It's a common
tie and a topic discussed almost daily at water coolers in the region. When weather events rage
across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, there are times when nothing and no one is safe.
But something positive rises from the resulting debris, mud, and ashes. Resolve and grit take
over and Prairie folk rebuild their communities and lend a helping hand to both neighbors and
strangers. With text written by longtime Calgary Herald editor Monica Zurowski and two
hundred striking color photographs pulled from the archives of the Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun,
Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, Regina Leader-Post, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, and Winnipeg
Sun, "Wild Weather on the Prairies" is a visual celebration the indomitable spirit of Prairie
people as they face tornadoes, floods, fires, blizzards, hailstorms, dust storms, and heat waves. A
simply fascinating browse from beginning to end, "Wild Weather on the Prairies" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library Contemporary Canadian
Photography collections.
The Photography Exercise Book
Bert Krages
Allworth Press
www.allworth.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
9781621535379, $24.99 www.skyhorsepublishing.com
The Photography Exercise Book: Training Your Eye to Shoot Like a Pro uses cognitive science
to supplement artistic discussions and the mechanics of taking a superior photograph. While
photographers may not anticipate this approach (most books focus on artistry and mechanics
alone), they will find it just one of the unique aspects particular to a book that teaches visual
perception and how it can be captured in different ways, photographically. Artists thus receive an
overall perspective on making the most of human perception and psychology as they craft their
photos using lessons and exercises designed to better advance their art and its impact, making
this a 'must' that stands out above other photography 'how to' guides.
Rene Magritte: The Revealing Image
Rene Magritte, photographer
Xavier Canonne, author
Ludion
c/o Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9789491819735, $45.00, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Belgian Surrealist Rene Magritte (1898 - 1967) is best known for his cerebral paintings that
explore the distance between object, language and image. Magritte's careful, meticulous handling
of form only makes his scenes more dreamlike; he once described painting as "the art of putting
colors side by side in such a way that their real aspect is effaced". Magritte built up a large photo
and film archive throughout his life, although it was only discovered in the 1970s, more than 10
years after his death. Revealing a lesser-known side of the Surrealist master, these photographs
give us access to an informal Magritte, from his childhood to the last years of his life. Compiled
with commentary by Xavier Canonne, "Rene Magritte: The Revealing Image", is a
comprehensive catalog of Magritte's photography and film. Spontaneous snapshots are
complemented by posed scenes, including improvised tableaus with his fellow artists, parodies of
famous movies, portraits of Magritte at his easel and staged photographs that served as models
for his paintings. Fans of Magritte's iconic paintings will find much to discover here; images
where the artist and his friends hide their faces or turn away from the camera particularly
resonate with his investigation of the "hidden visible". Profusely illustrated throughout, "Rene
Magritte: The Revealing Image " is an extraordinary study of the artist as photographer and very
highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library History of
Photography collections in general, and Rene Magritte supplemental studies reading lists in
particular.
A Beautiful Ghetto
Devin Allen
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
www.haymarketbooks.org
9781608467594, $24.95, HC, 124pp, www.amazon.com
Devin Allen, a Baltimore native, is only the third amateur photographer to have their photograph
appear on the cover of Time. His work has also been featured in New York Magazine, the
Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN, BBC, NBC News, Aperture Magazine, and
"Yahoo!." Allen's photographs have been exhibited in the Smithsonian. On April 18, 2015, the
city of Baltimore erupted in mass protests in response to the brutal murder of Freddie Gray by
police. Devin Allen was there, and his iconic photos of the Baltimore uprising became a viral
sensation. "A Beautiful Ghetto" is a collection of stunning b/w photographs in which Allen
visually documents the uprising as he strives to capture the life of his city and the people who
live there. Each photo reveals the personality, beauty, and spirit of Baltimore and its people, as
his camera complicates popular ideas about the "ghetto". Allen's camera finds hope and beauty
doing battle against a system that sows desperation and fear, and above all, resistance, to the
unrelenting pressures of racism and poverty in a twenty-first-century American city. A unique
compendium of truly memorable images, "A Beautiful Ghetto" is unreservedly recommended,
especially for community and academic library Contemporary American Photography collections
in general, and American Black History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Music Shelf
Music Advocacy
John L. Benham
GIA Publications, Inc.
7404 South Mason Avenue, Chicago, IL 60638
www.giamusic.com
9781622772087, $23.95, PB, 234pp, www.amazon.com
A summary of the practice of music advocacy, "Music Advocacy: Moving from Survival to
Vision" compiles the research of John L. Benham who is one of the nation's most successful
advocates for music education. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Music
Advocacy" gives music educators, administrators, school board members, and community
advocates step-by-step procedures for saving and building school music programs. Benham has
been in music education for over forty years and has worked as an advocacy consultant saving
and building music programs for thirty years. His advocacy work and the methods presented in
"Music Advocacy" have saved $70 million in proposed music cuts, equivalent to approximately
2,000 teaching positions and 500,000 music students. A critically important and urgently
recommended addition to school district, community, and academic library collections -- as well
as to the personal reading lists of the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the
subject.
Music/Video: Histories, Aesthetics, Media
Gina Arnold, Daniel Cookney, Kirsty Fairclough, Michael Goddard, eds.
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781501313905, $120.00, HC, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Collaboratively compiled and edited by the team of Gina Arnold (Visiting Professor at the
Evergreen State College in Washington, USA); Daniel Cookney (Lecturer in Graphic Design at
the University of Salford, UK); Kirsty Fairclough (Director of International and Senior Lecturer
in Media and Performance in the School of Arts and Media at the University of Salford, UK);
and Michael N. Goddard is Senior Lecturer and Course Leader in Film, Television and Moving
image at the University of Westminster, UK), "Music/Video: Histories, Aesthetics, Media" is a
lively, comprehensive and timely reader on the music video, capitalizing on cross-disciplinary
research expertise, which represents a substantial academic engagement with the music video, a
mediated form and practice that still remains relatively under-explored in a 21st century context.
The music video has remained suspended between two distinct poles. On the one hand, the music
video as the visual sheen of late capitalism, at the intersection of celebrity studies and
postmodernism. On the other hand, the music video as art, looking to a prehistory of avant-garde
film-making while perpetually pushing forward the digital frontier with a taste for anarchy,
controversy, and the integration of special effects into a form designed to be disseminated across
digital platforms. In this way, the music video virally re-engenders debates about high art and
low culture. This exceptionally well organized and informative collection presents a
comprehensive account of the music video from a contemporary 21st century perspective. This
entails revisiting key moments in the canonical history of the music video, exploring its
articulations of sexuality and gender, examining its functioning as a form of artistic expression
between music, film and video art, and following the music video's dissemination into the digital
domain, considering how digital media and social media have come to re-invent the forms and
functions of the music video, well beyond the limits of "music television". While very highly
recommended for professional, community, and academic library Music Video instructional
reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Music/Video: Histories,
Aesthetics, Media" is also available in a paperback edition (9781501313912, $29.95) and in a
digital book format (eTextbook, $15.33).
Rock Vegas
Pat Christenson
Huntington Press Publishing
3665 Procyon Street, Las Vegas, NV 89103
www.huntingtonpress.com
9781944877057, $19.95, PB, 300pp, www.amazon.com
As recently as the early '90s, Las Vegas was considered the place where headlining rock and roll
bands went to die. Despite its reputation as the "Entertainment Capital of the World," the city
was all but devoid of major touring acts, as the paradoxically conservative instincts of the casino
bosses and city fathers made it difficult for cutting-edge bands, especially rock 'n' rollers, to gain
a foothold. Then later in the '90s things began to change -- big time! Pat Christenson has
participated in the evolution of live-music events in Las Vegas--working on more than 500
concerts. From 1983 through 2001, he managed the major arena (Thomas and Mack Center) and
stadium (Sam Boyd Stadium) in Las Vegas. Since then, he has been president of Las Vegas
Events. In "Rock Vegas: Live Music Explodes in the Neon Desert", Christenson draws upon his
some 35 years of experience and expertise to write the history of how Las Vegas became a
prestigious, profitable, and critically important venue for live performances as diverse as Van
Halen, U2, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and more. Comprehensive, detailed, impressively
informative, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Rock Vegas" is
unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended addition to both community and academic
library American Music History collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Rock Vegas" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Travel Shelf
Take a Paddle: Western New York
Rich Freeman & Sue Freeman
Burford Books, Inc.
101 East State Street, #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
www.burfordbooks.com
9781580801850, $18.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Authors Rich and Sue Freeman are long-time outdoor enthusiasts and authors of many other
guides to outdoor activities in the upstate New York. From Rochester to Hornell, west to
Chautauqua and north to the Buffalo region, western New York State is home to a wealth of
quiet-water paddling locations for canoers and kayakers at all levels. "Take a Paddle: Western
New York: : Quiet Water for Canoes and Kayaks" by Rich and Sue Freeman (who are long-time
outdoor enthusiasts and authors of many other guides to outdoor activities in the upstate New
York) is a detailed guide to 45 specific locations, with 20 ponds and small lakes and over 250
miles of quiet streams and rivers. Detailed and practical, "Take a Paddle: Western New York"
includes maps of locations for launch and take-out sites, difficulty level of each waterway, nearby
campsites, canoe and kayak rental locations, even web sites for current water conditions, and so
much more. Ideal for family paddles or a quiet day on the water, "Take a Paddle: Western New
York" will prove to be an indispensable guide for any canoer or kayaker in the region. Also very
highly recommended for personal use and community library collections is Rich and Sue
Freeman's other deftly crafted guide "Take a Paddle: Finger Lakes: Quiet Water for Canoes and
Kayaks in New York's Finger Lakes" (9781580801843, $18.95, PB, 288pp).
The Best of the Black Hills
Alan Leftridge
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560376910, $19.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Profusely illustrated throughout with a combination of up-to-date travel information, color
photographs, guides and nine locator maps, "The Best of the Black Hills" of South Dakota is a
comprehensive guide to the very best things to see and do ranging from the best day hikes and
scenic drives, best campgrounds, the best cultural sites, to the best places to see wildlife,
wildflowers, and sunsets. Showcasing the entire region's wealth of national parks and
monuments, forests, grasslands, history and culture, and recreational opportunities, "The Best of
the Black Hills" is the ideal companion for pre-planning a day trip and as a practical reference
guide to better understand an excursion in the Black Hill country. Exceptionally well written,
organized and presented, "The Best of the Black Hills" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, community, and academic library American Travel Guide collections.
The Poetry Shelf
Late Empire
Lisa Olstein
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
www.coppercanyonpress.org
9781556595189, $16.00, PB, 104pp, www.amazon.com
Lisa Olstein is the author of four books of poetry and earned an MFA at the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst. She teaches at the Michener Center at the University of Texas and lives
in Austin, Texas. "Late Empire", her fourth book and an impressive compendium of poems that
are a kind of 'call-to-arms' in the face of our current social and political conditions. Once again
Olstein has employed her signature wit, wordplay, candor, and absurdity in poems that are her
most personal (and political) to date. Very highly recommended for personal, community, and
academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections, Olstein's poetry ranges from
animated discussions of politics, philosophy, and religion, to intimate considerations of
motherhood, friendship, and eros. 'The Canary's Job is to Die': little flame / little match struck /
little sunspot / little filament / golden smudge / silent siren / of no more air / of no longer there /
suddenly fled we flee / go ahead and try / go ahead and die
The Technology Shelf
The Smart Grid as an Application Development Platform
George Koutitas & Stan McClellan
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630811099, $119.00, HC, 220pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative work of George Koutitas (an academic and entrepreneur in electrical and
computer engineering) and Stan McClellan (the Director of the Ingram School of Engineering,
Texas State University), "The Smart Grid as an Application Development Platform" is an
authoritative and impressively informative resource that explores the power grid from its
classical role as a utility or service provider towards its new role as an application development
platform. "The Smart Grid as an Application Development Platform" gives insight into the
vision, problems and solutions, and risks of the smart grid model. The evolution of the power
grid as it develops into an application-centric environment is deftly explained. "The Smart Grid
as an Application Development Platform" is an invaluable resource guides readers to better
understand the primary motivation of the smart grid, and in exploring how the new technologies
are creating a cleaner and more sustainable ecosystem for new business models to blossom.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Smart Grid as an Application
Development Platform" is unreservedly recommended, especially for corporate, college, and
university library Power Engineering collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should
be noted for the personal reading lists of students, professionals, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The Smart Grid as an Application Development
Platform" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $95.20).
The Arduino Inventor's Guide
Brian Huang & Derek Runberg
No Starch Press
245 - 8th Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-3910
www.nostarch.com
9781593276522, $29.95, PB, 360pp, www.amazon.com
With Arduino, anyone can build any hardware project they can imagine. This open-source
platform is designed to help total beginners explore electronics, and with its easy-to-learn
programming language data can be collected from the world around to make something truly
interactive. "The Arduino Inventor's Guide: Learn Electronics by Making 10 Awesome Projects"
opens with an electronics primer filled with essential background knowledge for your DIY
journey. From there, readers will learn their way around the Arduino through a classic hardware
entry point -- blinking LEDs. Over the course of the volume, hands-on projects will teach how to:
Build a stop light with LEDs; Display the volume in a room on a warning dial; Design and build
a desktop fan; Create a robot that draws with a motor and pens; Create a servo-controlled balance
beam; Build a playable mini piano; Make a drag race timer to race toy cars against friends. Each
individual project focuses on a new set of skills, including breadboarding circuits; reading digital
and analog inputs; reading magnetic, temperature, and other sensors; controlling servos and
motors; and talking to a computer and the Web with an Arduino. At the end of every project,
there are tips on how to use it and how to modify it with additional hardware or code. While very
highly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Arduino Inventor's Guide" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $10.99).
Plug-in Electronic Vehicle Grid Integration
Islam Safak Bayram and Ali Tajer
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630810511, $149.00, www.amazon.com
Plug-in Electronic Vehicle Grid Integration provides a detailed introduction to plug-in electronic
vehicles and their adaptation, focusing on technological advancements and technologies but
adding economic and social observations into the picture to help electronics engineers understand
the interfaces and processes of charging infrastructures and PEV drivers. From the special
challenges involved in adopting PEV into mainstream circles and habits to roadblocks to this
integration process, capacity planning for charging stations, cost and demand models, and more,
this is a 'must' for any technical discussion of electronic vehicles and their future.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Chakra Wisdom Oracle
Tori Hartman
Watkins Publishing
Angel Business Club
www.watkinspublishing.com
9781780289151, $14.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Tori Hartman is a world renowned psychic, author and spiritual teacher. In "Chakra Wisdom
Oracle: How To Read The Cards For Yourself and Others" she draws upon her many years of
experience and expertise to reveal to aspiring Tarot readers the secrets of professional card
reading with techniques never shared in full before. "Chakra Wisdom Oracle" how to: Bypass
your logical brain and let your intuition speak; Reprogram your life through buzzwords; Heal
wounds from your family of origin; Use brand-new card spreads and create personalized layouts;
Read the cards using Tori's profound 7 aspects method. Built around the 49 mystical fables
revealed by angels to Tori Hartman, the "Chakra Wisdom Oracle" is a uniquely effective
divination system that empowers even the most novice of Tarot readers to seize control of the
life-changing tools they already have within them. Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "Chakra Wisdom Oracle" is very highly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Tarot Reading
supplemental studies instructional reading lists in particular. It should be noted for that "Chakra
Wisdom Oracle" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Shamanic Healing
Itzhak Beery
ShamanPortal.org
Destiny Books
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620553763, $16.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Itzhak Beery is an internationally recognized shamanic healer and teacher. He was initiated into
the Circle of 24 Yachaks by his Quechua teacher in Ecuador and by Amazonian Kanamari Page.
The founder of ShamanPortal.org and cofounder of the New York Shamanic Circle, he is on the
faculty of New York Open Center and Kripalu. In "Shamanic Healing: Traditional Medicine for
the Modern World" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise to create a story-based
guide to the techniques of shamanic healing. "Shamanic Healing": Details indigenous medicine
tools and soul healing techniques, including diagnosis and energy cleansing with plants, stones,
fire, flower essences, and sound; Offers protection and self-defense techniques for confronting
negative energies such as spirit attachment and possession; Shares healing stories that each
address a specific condition, such as panic attacks, PTSD, depression, cancer, chronic pain, grief,
and relationship problems. Exceptional, comprehensive, informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly'
in organization and presentation, "Shamanic Healing" is an extraordinary and highly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical
Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in shamanism that "Shamanic Healing" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Soul Whispering
Linda Star Wolf & Nita Gage
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591432258, $18.00, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
In today's secular and 'divorced from nature' world, all too often the human soul is damaged and
in critical need of an intimate and personal restoration. In "Soul Whispering: The Art of
Awakening Shamanic Consciousness", Linda Star Wolf (Founding Director and President of
Venus Rising Association for Transformation, Venus Rising University, and the Shamanic
Ministers Global Network) and Nita Gage (Co-Founder of the Neurolmaginal Institute and Direct
of Healer Within retreats), was written to help the reader in restore his or her relationship with
their soul by breaking through patterns of dysfunction and learning how to hear the intuitive
wisdom of their own soul's whisperings. "Soul Whispering" deftly explores shamanic tools,
modern psychotherapy techniques, and ancient indigenous practices, such as the Native
American medicine wheel; explains how to differentiate between our Inner Critic and the
whisperings of our soul; details the Five Cycles of Change that we spiral through on our life's
journey of transformation, detailing what to do if and when becoming stuck in one of the cycles.
Of special note is the access provided to 5 audio journeys. Unreservedly recommended for
personal and community library Metaphysical Studies collections, it should also be noted that
"Soul Whispering" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
The Woodworking Shelf
Build Stuff with Wood
Asa Christiana
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631867118, $21.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
With a background in engineering, woodworking, and journalism, Asa Christiana hit the ground
running when he arrived at Fine Woodworking magazine in 2000, rising to become chief editor,
a job he held for 8 years. Along the way, he helped launch StartWoodworking.com, a free
website for beginning woodworkers. After stepping down in 2013, Asa moved with his family to
Portland, Oregon, where he builds furniture and works as a freelance writer, editor, and
photographer. In "Build Stuff with Wood: Make Awesome Projects with Basic Tools" Asa draws
upon his years of experience and expertise to create a profusely illustrated and thoroughly 'user
friendly' introductory instruction guide and manual for the beginning woodworker operating with
a few portable power tools (cordless drill, jigsaw, etc.) to build a fourteen fun projects with that
basic kit, -- then adding skills and tools as they go. For example, adding a small router to
allowing the novice woodworker to gracefully round edges on tables and shelves; buying a
simple doweling jig and learning the woodworking art of joinery. It should be noted that all of
these individual projects can be built with just a few woodworking tools and off-the-shelf lumber
in a home garage or basic family workshop. Exceptionally well written, illustrated, organized and
presented, "Build Stuff With Wood" is very highly recommended for highschool woodshop
curriculums, community library woodworking collections, and the personal reference shelf of
do-it-yourself woodworking enthusiasts.
The Business Shelf
The Four Dilemmas of the CEO
Tom Biesinger, Ross Wall, Clifford Herbertson
Bloomsbury Business
c/o Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472946843, $30.00, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
The personal journey of every CEO's of every incorporated business will be unique. However,
there exists a very predictable, but previously unknown pattern: the CEO life cycle. "The Four
Dilemmas of the CEO: Mastering the make-or-break moments in every executive's career" by the
team of Tom Biesinger, Ross Wall and Clifford Herbertson (who are founding partners of
Teallach, an exclusive consulting firm that works with mid-large cap CEOs, their boards and
executive committees) outlines the common challenges that every CEO will face during their
tenure, irrespective of geography or industry. Once understood, action can be taken to break
through these glass ceilings that cause CEOs to get stuck in the business, while their mandate for
working on the business is continually diverted. Framed within the life cycle of a CEO, the Four
Dilemmas are: 1. You're in charge of everything, but cannot completely trust anything; 2. You
know that today's executive cannot deliver tomorrow's results; 3. How do you engage the full
capability of your executive working on the business when they are at capacity working in the
business?; 4. At what point does the price of remaining personally relevant outweigh your other
options? "The Four Dilemmas of the CEO" is the first study and instructional guide to focus on
these four issues collectively, as the authors collectively draw on their decades of experience and
expertise as trusted advisers across a range of industries to show every executive how to
recognize and anticipate the individual dilemmas, master them, and accelerate through them.
While unreservedly and assiduously recommended for corporate, community, and academic
library Business Management collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, active CEOs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The Four Dilemmas of the CEO" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
The Supposedly Enlightened Person's Guide to Raising a Dog
Lisa Tenzin-Dolma & Kac Young
Hubble & Hattie
c/o Veloce Publishing
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781787110595, $14.97, HC, 80pp, www.amazon.com
Kac Young never imagined that after a lifetime as a cat person she would fall in love with a tiny
rescue dog named Talulah. Kac took Talulah home to the Californian woodlands to live with her
partner and six cats. The stories of life as a first-time adopter describe Kac's progression from
slightly shell-shocked beginner to savvy, adoring dog guardian. Entertaining and informative,
readers will see how Kac consulted with behaviorist Lisa Tenzin-Dolma on all things
dog-related, and will get Lisa's own observations and guidance on a wide range of subjects
following Kac and Talulah's many stories. An engaging, entertaining, and informative read from
cover to cover, "The Supposedly Enlightened Person's Guide to Raising a Dog" will help anyone
with a new canine companion of their own to start off on the right foot (or paw) with a new dog,
or get reacquainted with a longtime canine friend and companion! In addition to the personal
reading lists of dog enthusiasts, "The Supposedly Enlightened Person's Guide to Raising a Dog"
is very highly recommended for community library Pets/Wildlife collections.
The Secret Life of Flies
Erica McAlister
Firefly Books Ltd.
50 Staples Avenue, Unit 1, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada L4B 0A7
www.fireflybooks.com
9781770858091, $29.95, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Erica McAlister is curator of Diptera at the Natural History Museum, London. As a child, she
kept dead mammals to watch the maggots emerge from them. In "The Secret Life of Flies" she
draws upon her years of experience, research, and expertise to put forth in clear, accessible
language for the non-specialist general reader, an explanation of Diptera taxonomy and forensic
entomology, and descriptions of the potential of flies to transform their relationship with humans
from one of disease vector to partner in environmental preservation. Erica also reveals an
appealing knack for storytelling, deftly transforming what could be dry descriptions of biology,
reproduction and morphology into entertainment. Erica takes readers to piles of poo in Ethiopia
by way of underground caves, latrines and backyard gardens, and opens the drawers at the
Natural History Museum to rhapsodize over her favorite flies. While "The Secret Life of Flies" is
comprised of both stories and tongue-in-check descriptions, be assured that the science is
rigorous, authoritative and will be enjoyed by dipterists, lepidopterists, insect enthusiasts,
naturalists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject. Unique, informative,
exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Secret Life of Flies" is an especially
recommended addition to both community and academic library collections.
A Field Guide to Tracking Mammals in the Northeast
Linda J. Spielman
The Countryman Press
500 - 5th Avenue, LBBY 1, New York, NY 10110-0105
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682680643, $19.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Linda Spielman is an environmental educator and leading expert in animal tracking, having
studied it for more than 25 years. She coordinates the Ithaca chapter of Keeping Track, Inc. and
leads the Ithaca Tracking Club, conducting tracking workshops and outings for trackers of all
skill levels. In "A Field Guide to Tracking Mammals in the Northeast" she draws upon her years
of experience and impressive expertise to create an instruction manual that provides all the
details necessary for following animals large and small, ranging from chipmunks and
woodchucks, to bobcats and black bears. Meticulously drawn illustrations and informative
discussions provide the even the most novice of aspiring trackers with an array of tools for
identification. Impressively informative, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "A Field Guide to Tracking Mammals in the Northeast" is an ideal and highly
recommended addition to both community and academic library Wildlife Studies collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Field Guide to Tracking Mammals in the
Northeast" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Basic Orthopaedic Sciences, second edition
Manoj Ramachandran, editor
Tom Nunn, illustrator
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138091726, $159.90, 544pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Basic Orthopaedic Sciences" as edited by
Manoj Ramachandran (Consultant Pediatric & Young Adult Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon,
Barts NHS Trust, London, UK) has been fully updated and revised, with every chapter rewritten
to reflect and include the latest research and practice. Featuring illustrations by Tom Nunn,
"Basic Orthopaedic Sciences" encompasses all aspects of musculoskeletal basic sciences that are
relevant to the practice of orthopaedics and that are featured and assessed in higher specialty
exams. While its emphasis is on revision, "Basic Orthopaedic Sciences" contains enough
information to serve as a concise textbook, making it an invaluable guide for all trainees in
orthopaedics and trauma preparing for the FRCS (Tr & Orth) as well as for surgeons at MRCS
level, and other clinicians seeking an authoritative guide. Of special note is that "Basic
Orthopaedic Sciences" will material help the reader to understand the science that underpins the
clinical practice of orthopaedics, an often neglected area in orthopaedic training, achieving a
balance between readability and comprehensive detail. "Basic Orthopaedic Sciences" includes
biomechanics, biomaterials, cell & microbiology, histology, structure & function, immunology,
pharmacology, statistics, physics of imaging techniques, and kinesiology. Impressively
comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Basic
Orthopaedic Sciences" is an especially recommended addition to academic library and medical
school collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of medical studies and
orthopedic physicians that "Basic Orthopaedic Sciences" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $53.72).
Assistive Technology Assessment Handbook
Stefano Federici & Marcia J. Scherer, editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781439838655, $159.95, HC, 484pp, www.amazon.com
The process of matching a person who has a disability with the most appropriate assistive
technology requires a series of assessments, typically administered by multidisciplinary teams at
specialized centers for technical aid. "Assistive Technology Assessment Handbook" fills an
urgent need for a comprehensive reference that will help assistive technology experts perform
assessments that more effectively connect the person and the technology. Emphasizing the
well-being of the individual with a disability, "Assistive Technology Assessment Handbook"
proposes an ideal model of the assistive technology assessment process and outlines how this
model can be applied in practice internationally. "Assistive Technology Assessment Handbook"
is deftly organized into three major parts that: 1. Provides readers a toolkit for performing
assessments; 2. Describes the roles of the assessment team members, among them the new
profession of the psychotechnologist, who is skilled in understanding individuals and their
psychosocial and technological needs and preferences; 3. Reviews cutting-edge technologies for
rehabilitation and independent living, including brain - computer interfaces and microswitches.
"Assistive Technology Assessment Handbook" synthesizes information scattered throughout the
international literature, focusing on aspects that are particularly representative or innovative. It
also addresses the challenges posed by the variety of health and social care systems and the
different ways that individuals who need aid are defined -- are they users, patients, clients, or
consumers, and how does that affect the assessment? Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "Assistive Technology Assessment Handbook" is comprised of eighteen impressively
informative articles by contributors who are expert in their fields making it a critically important
addition to professional and academic library Medical Technology collections and supplemental
studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Assistive Technology Assessment
Handbook" is also available in a paperback edition (9781138076716, $80.00) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $72.00 Rent; $80.00 Buy).
The Ear Book
Thomas J. Balkany MD & Kevin D. Brown MD
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu
9781421422848, $49.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Intricately shaped and amazingly sensitive, ears are the organs of hearing and balance. When
something goes wrong with the ears, whether from infection or cancer, eardrum perforation, or
hearing loss, our overall well-being is generally disturbed. In "The Ear Book: A Complete Guide
to Ear Disorders and Health", Drs. Thomas J. Balkany and Kevin D. Brown, who are both
recognized experts on ears and hearing, deftly explain how the anatomy of the ear facilitates
hearing and balance and then examine the causes, symptoms, and treatment of common problems
of the outer, middle, and inner ear. Their explanations take the mystery out of hearing aids, the
proper care of ears, and how the pressurized conditions of scuba diving and air travel affect the
ears. And they debunk ear-related myths ranging from the notion that exposure to loud noise
strengthens the ear, to the idea that tinnitus can be cured with nutrients, and urge readers to stop
using ear candling or Q-tips to get rid of wax. "The Ear Book" also address such common
questions as: Can dizziness be cured? How loud is too loud? Why do my ears ring? Do cochlear
implants work for nerve deafness? What promise do innovations in gene therapy and stem cell
therapy hold for the future? Fully illustrated and including helpful tables, hearing preservation
tips, a glossary of terms, lists of ear medications and resources, as well as suggestions for further
reading, "The Ear Book" is sure to be a welcome family guide. While very highly recommended
for both community and academic library Health/Medicine reference collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Ear Book: A Complete Guide to Ear Disorders and
Health" is also available in a paperback edition (9781421422855, $24.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.49).
Mastering the Addicted Brain
Walter Ling, MD
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685004, $15.95, www.amazon.com
Mastering the Addicted Brain: Building a Sane and Meaningful Life to Stay Clean comes from
the founding director of the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs and an expert in the
field of addiction, and offers insights on how to understand addiction and its management. The
latest scientific evidence supports these tips, which are directed to addicts and their loved ones
and which chronicles the path to recovery and the pressures that can lead to failure. Chapters
explain the mechanics of addiction, the triggers that can make addiction a challenge to overcome,
and the processes of lasting behavioral change in a survey highly recommended for any
struggling with addiction.
Seeing What Others Cannot See
Thomas G. West
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633883017, $18.00, www.amazon.com
Seeing What Others Cannot See: The Hidden Advantages of Visual Thinkers and Differently
Wired Brains combines insights from cognitive psychology with discussions of how to
recognize, educate and use nonverbal strengths, and offers a blend of science and health as it
argues that dyslexics and others who typically fail in traditional educational processes often wind
up excelling because of their special abilities as visual thinkers. Both educators and health
collections will find this an intriguing discussion that blends examinations and examples of
visual thinkers with an overall approach that encourages this process, making it an accessible
'must' for any interested in brain functions, perception, cognitive learning and health.
Smart Yoga
David Moore
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623171414, $21.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
In the illustrated pages of "Smart Yoga: Apply the Alexander Technique to Enhance Your
Practice, Prevent Injury, and Increase Body Awareness", David Moore draws on thirty years of
experience and expertise teaching the Alexander Technique to bring fresh and practical insights
into how it can materially contribute to a safer and more effective yoga practice. With a profusion
of black-and-white photographic images that support the clear, precise explanations, "Smart
Yoga" offers comprehensive advice in modifying a yoga practice to take into account the huge
variability in individual ranges of movement. "Smart Yoga" includes techniques to accommodate
limitations imposed by injuries, structure, body type, strength, and flexibility. "Smart Yoga"
offers an explanation of the Alexander Technique's approach to posture and movement,
suggestions for altering faulty breathing patterns, and information about how Hatha Yoga,
Patanjali, and Buddhist insight practices relate to the Alexander Technique. A complete course of
step-by-step instruction, "Smart Yoga" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Yoga
instructional reference collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of yoga
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Yoga Smart" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
The Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf
Whisky
Aeneas MacDonald
Birlinn Ltd
c/o Independent Publishers Group
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.ipgbook.com
9781780274218, $14.99, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Whisky is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains
(which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn (maize), rye, and
wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, generally made of charred white oak. An
enduringly popular alcoholic beverage and now the subject of a published history by the late
Aeneas MacDonald, "Whisky" is written from the point of view of the consumer. But more than
that, "Whisky" is poetic and polemic in style and has an emphasis on the importance of single
malt whisky and its concern to protect and inform the consumer. it remains fresh and relevant to
the interests of today's whisky drinker. A remarkably prophetic book, this new edition of
"Whisky" is enhanced Ian Buxton's for a new generation of readers with shrewd commentary and
analysis that is combined for the first time with period illustrations. An inherently fascinating
read from cover to cover, "Whisky" is very highly recommended the personal reading lists of all
dedicated whisky aficionados, as well as an enduringly popular addition to both community and
academic library collections.
The Education Shelf
What Makes a World-Class School and How We Can Get There
James H. Stronge with Xianxuan Xu
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416623939, $27.95, PB, 140pp, www.amazon.com
For years, students in the United States have lagged behind students in many other countries on
such measures of achievement as the PISA and TIMSS assessments. In an increasingly
globalized world, such a gap is worrisome. Armed with statistics, examples, and cautionary tales
from Scandinavia to Japan, James H. Stronge (CEO of Stronge and Associates Educational
Consulting, LLC, an educational consulting company that focuses on teacher and leader
effectiveness with projects internationally and in many U.S. states) and Xianxuan Xu (a senior
research associate at Stronge and Associates Educational Consulting, LLC) have collaborated in
"What Makes a World-Class School and How We Can Get There" to help educators better
prepare students and close that gap. "What Makes a World-Class School and How We Can Get
There" presents: Careful analysis of recent international assessment results - what they mean and
what can be done to improve them; In-depth profiles of high-achieving education systems around
the globe - their histories, their lessons learned, and what they can teach educators and
policymakers in the United States; Strategies for aligning successful educational approaches from
international systems to U.S. schools with respect to which strategies to use, in which subjects,
and with which students; Transformative ideas for cultivating a truly world-class system of
schooling - both simple and complex ways to raise the bar for all students, no matter what their
background. Educators in every country must ensure that their students are as prepared as
possible to lead a future generation of citizens. "What Makes a World-Class School and How We
Can Get There" is thought-provoking and copiously researched book provides educators with a
blueprint for radical improvement based on the hard-learned experiences of their peers around
the world. Impressively informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, "What Makes a
World-Class School and How We Can Get There" is an unreservedly recommended addition for
school district and academic library Education Administration collections and supplemental
studies reading lists. For the personal reading lists of education policy makers and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "What Makes a World-Class School and How
We Can Get There" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.53).
Teaching Gifted Children
Jeff Danielian, C. Matthew Fugate, Elizabeth Fogarty
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618216724, $39.95, PB, 578pp, www.amazon.com
"Teaching for High Potential", is a quarterly publication of the National Association for Gifted
Children. "Teaching Gifted Children: Success Strategies for Teaching High-Ability Learners" is a
collection of articles drawn from this outstanding publication. Certain to be of use to any
classroom teacher of high-ability students, "Teaching Gifted Children" includes such topics as:
instructional methods across all content areas; tips and tools for reading and vocabulary
instruction; integrating STEM content; engaging students in math; the identification,
differentiation, and addressing of gifted students' social-emotional needs. The 87 articles also
delve into current issues pertinent to the field of gifted education and this unique group of
students, including underachievement and underrepresented minority populations, as well as new
classroom strategies such as Makerspaces and teaching growth mindset. Exceptionally well
organized and presented, "Teaching Gifted Children"is practical and wide-ranging resource that
can be used to enhance a classroom lesson, guide curriculum development, or supplement
professional development. While unreservedly and highly recommended for school district,
college, and university library Educational Issues collections in general, and Gifted Education
supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
teachers, school district administrators, school board members, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Teaching Gifted Children" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $37.95).
Hope, Heart, and the Humanities
Jean Cheney & L. Jackson Newell, editors
The University of Utah Press
295 South 1500 East, Suite 5400, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0860
www.uofupress.com
9781607815273, $12.95, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
"Hope, Heart, and the Humanities: How a Free College Course is Changing Lives" tells the story
of how Venture, a free, interdisciplinary college humanities course inspired by the national
Clemente Course, has helped open doors to improve the lives of people with low incomes who
face barriers to attending college. For over a decade, this course has given hundreds of adults,
some of them immigrants or refugees, the knowledge, confidence, and power to rechart their
lives. Readers will go inside Venture classrooms to see what occurs when adults enter serious
discussions about literature, critical writing, art history, American history, and philosophy.
Apparent also are the difficulties nontraditional students, who range in age from 18 to 60, often
encounter in a college classroom and the hard choices they and their teachers make. What readers
may remember most are the stories and words from people whose views of the world broaden
and whose directions in life changed. Comprised of ten articulate and informative articles by Jean
Chney, L. Jackson newell, Hilkmet Sidney Loe, Jeff Metcalf, and Bridget M. Newll, "Hope,
Heart, and the Humanities" is an impressively informative and engaging read that includes a four
page Bibliography and a listing of the contributors and their credentials. While very highly
recommended, especially for college and university Contemporary Education collections and
supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Hope, Heart, and the Humanities" is also available in a digital
book format (9781607815280, $21.95).
Strategies That Work, third edition
Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625310637, $49.33, www.amazon.com
The third updated edition of Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding,
Engagement, and Building Knowledge Grades K-8 is packed with new ideas and projects the
authors have done since the second edition a decade ago, and provides new ideas on how to teach
thinking strategies to encourage blossoming readers in grades K-8 to become independent,
engaged critical thinkers. The three sections to this new edition cover the latest research and
materials surrounding comprehension processes, incorporate strategies for teaching
comprehension and include lesson plans and tools supporting this process, and conclude with
cross-discipline applications of these basics. No education collection should be without it.
The Psychology Shelf
Brief Dynamic Therapy, second edition
Hanna Levenson
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433827761, $24.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Hanna Levenson has been specializing in the area of brief psychotherapy as a clinician,
teacher/trainer, and researcher for 40 years In "Brief Dynamic Therapy" she draws upon her
professional experience and expertise to create a concise study that revisits the history, theory,
and practice of brief dynamic therapy. This integrative approach uses techniques from attachment
theory, interpersonal neurobiology, affective-experiential learning, and systems orientations to
help clients with long-standing, dysfunctional ways of relating to others. Fully revised and
expanded, this new second edition of "Brief Dynamic Therapy" features updated case examples,
as well as a wealth of new research findings including process-outcome studies that affirm
treatment effectiveness, and new research on the "reconsolidation process" that demonstrates
how sudden, dramatic change happens in brief dynamic therapy. Impressively informed and
informative, "Brief Dynamic Therapy" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to
professional and academic library Psychology/Psychiatry collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Brief Dynamic Therapy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.81).
Counselling Psychology
David Murphy, editor
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119106852, $105.00, HC, 496pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by David Murphy (who is a Full Member of the British Psychological
Society Division of Counselling Psychology; a Person-Centred Experiential Psychotherapist on
the BPS Register of Psychologists Specializing in Psychotherapy; and the Course Director for the
Master's program in Person-Centred Experiential Counselling and Psychotherapy at the
University of Nottingham, UK), "Counselling Psychology: A Textbook for Study and Practice" is
an ideal curriculum textbook for psychology students at undergraduate or graduate level.
"Counselling Psychology" provides valuable insights into the key issues associated with theory
and practice in this field from expert contributors representing a diverse array of approaches,
reflecting the rich diversity within the area -- with care is taken to avoid favoring any one
approach. "Counselling Psychology" begins with an overview of the historical and philosophical
foundations of counseling psychology, the goes on to take a detailed look at major therapeutic
approaches and exploring issues associated with specific client populations, ethics, research
design, and more. In particular, "Counselling Psychology" seeks to explain how counseling
psychology differs from and informs other areas of contemporary applied psychology. The result
is an engaging balance of the personal and academically rigorous, presented in a highly
accessible format. Simply stated, "Counselling Psychology" takes an authoritative introduction to
and key issues involved with the theory and practice of counselling psychology for students and
practitioners at all levels; considers all major approaches to psychotherapy including existential,
person-centered experiential, psychodynamic, and cognitive-behavioral; and explores issues
commonly encountered when working with specific client groups including children, people with
intellectual disabilities, and emergency trauma victims. Comprised of 29 deftly presented and
informatively erudite articles, "Counselling Psychology" is unreservedly recommended for both
community and academic library Contemporary Psychology collections ans supplemental studies
reading lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "Counselling Psychology" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781119106869, $50.00) and in a digital book format (eTextbook, $99.75).
125 Years of the American Psychological Association
Wade E. Pickren & Alexandra Rutherford
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433827914, $69.95, HC, 464pp, www.amazon.com
"125 Years of the American Psychological Association" is published to coincide with the APA's
125th anniversary. The purpose of its publication is to demonstrates how the APA has evolved
over the years in response to intellectual, cultural, political, economic, and other historical
developments. Individual chapters describe the personalities and events that transformed the
APA from a tiny organization of 26 members to one of the largest professional associations in
the world. Key topics include the changing role of women in the APA, and the organization's
considerable contributions to social change. From its origins in the late nineteenth century,
through the two World Wars and a major reorganization, to the social and cultural turbulence of
the 1960s and the economic uncertainties of the 1970s and 1980s, the APA's development has
mirrored the growth of psychology as a discipline in the United States. This special 125th
anniversary edition describes the unique challenges and triumphs that have marked the APA's
early years in the twenty-first century. While very highly recommended, especially for
professional and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"125 Years of the American Psychological Association" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $62.36).
The Fashion Shelf
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Florence Muller & Fabien Baron, editors
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500021545, $65.00, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Christian Dior's first collection in 1947 heralded the birth of a new fashion silhouette for women.
Knowledgeably compiled and collaboratively edited by Florence Muller and Fabien Baron,
"Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams" is presents seventy of the most memorable looks created
by Christian Dior and his successors (Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John
Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri) have been specially selected and photographed
in intimate detail. This essential volume also features those designs in original sketches, runway
shots, and fashion shoots by the world's greatest fashion photographers, including Irving Penn,
Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, William Klein, Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh, Mario Testino,
Paolo Roversi, and Nick Knight. Exploring the classic elements of Dior in depth, this fully
illustrated study covers the concept of line and architecture in fashion; the influence of history
and art; the use of color; gardens and landscapes as sources of inspiration; and, of course, the
brand's famous muses and clients: the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Princess Grace of
Monaco, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Natalie Portman, and Jennifer Lawrence, among
many others. Impressively informed and informative, "Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams" is an
especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Fashion History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The American History Shelf
The Dawn of Detroit
Tiya Miles
The New Press
120 Wall Street, floor 31, New York, NY 10005
www.thenewpress.com
9781620972311 $27.95 hc / $26.55 Kindle amazon.com
The Dawn of Detroit: A Chronicle of Slavery and Freedom in the City of the Straits examines the
history of the American city of Detroit, Michigan (with emphasis on the years 1760-1817)
through the impact that the heinous practice of slavery had upon it. Even though the
Underground Railroad (a network created to help slaves from the American South escape)
eventually ran through Michigan, loopholes in the Northwest Ordinance in Michigan allowed
forced labor among indigenous people and African Americans. Slaveholders and forced labor are
an unremovable stain on Detroit's history during its early colonial years, although an influx of
renegade bondspeople from British Canada eventually started to push popular sentiment against
slavery - to the extent that "led Detroit dockworkers, hatmakers, and sailors of European descent
to threaten their own lawmakers if they returned runaway slaves." Although Detroit slave
narratives are all but impossible to find, historical evidence reveals much about the sway that
slaveholding had over the city's early years. Extensive notes and an index round out this
scholarly, heavily-researched, and eruditely written recontexualization of Detroit's history, highly
recommended especially for public and college library American History collections.
New Orleans: The First 300 Years
Errol Laborde & Peggy Scott Laborde, editors
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455621606, $35.00,HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
The city of New Orleans is unlike anywhere else on Earth with its fusion of cultures, people, and
food all establishing a whole that is greater than its constituent parts. From migration to politics
to music to ethnic culture and identity, "New Orleans: The First 300 Years" is comprehensive
and profusely illustrated volume touches on all aspects of New Orleans history for the past three
centuries. Under the collaborative editorship of Errol and Petty Laborde, and featuring
contributions from some of the leading influencers and scholars of New Orleans cultural history,
no stone is left unturned in this vivid depiction of one of the most unique cities in the world.
"New Orleans: The First 300 Years" is the quintessential book on New Orleans for every history
buff, citizen of New Orleans, or visitor wanting to know more about the colorful history of New
Orleans. Impressively informative and superbly organized and presented, "New Orleans: The
First 300 Years" is very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community
library American History collections.
Shooting Lincoln
Nicholas J.C. Pistor
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306824692 $28.00 hc / $18.99 Kindle amazon.com
Shooting Lincoln: Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and the Race to Photograph the Story of
the Century is a remarkable history of Civil War era journalism, and the ferocious competition
between two skilled photographers. During the Civil War, photojournalists Mathew Brady and
Alexander Gardner sold out newspapers with their images from Civil War battlefields. After the
Civil War, when the murder of President Lincoln shocked the nation, these two photographers
rushed to produce pictures of the theater where Lincoln was slain, the gallows where the
conspirators in Lincoln's death were hanged, the autopsy table where Lincoln's killer was
identified, and more. Both photographers would be accused of staging some of their photos to
make them appear more dramatic. Shooting Lincoln is as much a history of nascent tabloid
sensationalism at it is a chronicle of how journalists reacted to a horrific tragedy in American
history and culture. An inset selection of black-and-white vintage photographic plates, notes, a
bibliography, and an index round out this highly recommended addition to public and college
library American History shelves.
The Ghost Ship Brooklyn
Robert P. Watson
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306825521, $28.00, www.dacapopress.com
The Ghost Ship Brooklyn: An Untold Story of the American Revolution tells of the HMS Jersey,
a ship which, during the American Revolutionary War, was renowned for the cruelty of its
guards, its notoriously deplorable conditions under which colonial prisoners were kept by the
British after it was converted to a prison ship, and for a reputation that was to spark additional
rebellion in the colonies. The story of how this ship sparked enough outrage to fuel the
Revolution makes for a powerful account which documents individuals who suffered on the ship,
escaped from its conditions, and helped keep its memory a part of American history which has
not been properly examined until this survey. No American history holding should be without
this eye-opening account.
Notre Dame at 175: A Visual History
Charles Lamb & Elizabeth Hogan
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.undpress.nd.edu
9780268102456, $45.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
The year 2017 marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of the University of Notre Dame. To
celebrate this milestone, Charles Lamb (senior archivist for photograph and audio-visual
collections at the University of Notre Dame Archives) and Elizabeth Hogan (photograph
archivist at the University of Notre Dame Archives) have chosen 175 images that illustrate the
evolution of campus culture and its physical environment. Important pieces of Notre Dame's rich
history are highlighted, along with depictions of everyday life on the beautiful campus. Each
image is accompanied by a caption explaining why it is historically and artistically significant.
Lamb and Hogan have taken care to find images that have not been featured in previous pictorial
collections; even longtime and diehard Notre Dame fans will find new and unexpected images
here. The truly memorable images range from a photo of a baseball game in 1888 on Brownson
Field; to one of iconic chemistry professor Emil T. Hofman strolling with his students in 1983; to
the photo of the spontaneous mass held on South Quad on September 11, 2001. Of special note is
the inclusion of an informative foreword by current University President Rev. John I. Jenkins,
C.S.C. A unique and inherently engaging study from beginning to end, "Notre Dame at 175" is
unreservedly recommended for community and academic library American History collections in
general, and Notre Dame University history supplemental studies reading lists in particular, as
well as proving to be of special and enduring interest to the entire Notre Dame family of students,
faculty, staff, alumni, and fans -- as well as amateur and professional photographers, historians,
and art historians.
The Civil War Shelf
The Boys of Company K
Lee M. Cullimore
High Plains Press
PO Box 123, Glendo, WY, 82213
www.highplainspress.com
9781937147013, $18.95, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
"The Boys of Company K: Ohio Cavalry Soldiers in the West During the Civil War" by
researcher, journalist, and historian Lee M. Cullimore shows how daily life on the western
prairies was dangerous and unpredictably lethal for the common soldier. The American calvary
men were faced the threat of hostile Indians, disease, and unpredictable Wyoming weather. "The
Boys of Company K" is the story of one particular troop on their journey from Hillsboro, Dayton,
Cincinnati and other Ohio, Kansas and Nebraska towns to Fort Laramie, Fort Halleck, the
Powder River, and other frontier locations. Accounts are taken from first-hand sources such as
newspaper articles, personal journals, and military records. Impressively detailed with a keen eye
towards historical accuracy, "The Boys of Company K" is an inherently fascinating read from
beginning to end. Impressively informed and informative, exhaustively researched, exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "The Boys of Company K" is unreservedly recommended
for personal, community, and academic library 19th Century American History collections.
Battle Above the Clouds
David A. Powell
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611213775, $14.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
In October 1863, the Union Army of the Cumberland was besieged in Chattanooga, all but
surrounded by The Confederate Army of Tennessee. The Union troops were surviving by the
narrowest of margins, thanks only to a trickle of supplies painstakingly hauled over the sketchiest
of mountain roads. Soon even those quarter-rations would not suffice. Disaster was in the offing.
Yet those Confederates, once jubilant at having routed the Union troops at Chickamauga and
driven them back into the apparent trap of Chattanooga's trenches, found their own circumstances
increasingly difficult to bear. In the immediate aftermath of their victory, the South rejoiced; the
Confederacy's own disasters of the previous summer at Vicksburg and Gettysburg were
seemingly reversed. Then came stalemate in front of those same trenches. The Confederates held
the high ground, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, but they could not completely seal off
Chattanooga from the north. The Union responded. Reinforcements were on the way. A new man
arrived to take command: Ulysses S. Grant. Confederate General Braxton Bragg, unwilling to
launch a frontal attack on Chattanooga's defenses, sought victory elsewhere, diverting troops to
East Tennessee. "Battle Above the Clouds: Lifting the Siege of Chattanooga and the Battle of
Lookout Mountain, October 16 - November 24, 1863" by American Civil War historian David
Powell fully recounts the campaign to lift the siege of Chattanooga, including the opening of the
"cracker line", the unusual night battle of Wauhatchie, and one of the most dramatic battles of the
entire war -- Lookout Mountain. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white historical photos,
"Battle Above The Clouds" is unreservedly and wholeheartedly recommended for both
community and academic library American Civil War collections and supplemental studies lists.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and dedicated Civil War buffs that
"Battle Above The Clouds" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.97).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
How to Write a Book Proposal, fifth edition
Jody Rein & Michael Larsen
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440348174, $19.99, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Jody Rein, former executive editor with divisions of HarperCollins Publishers and Penguin
Random House, is the founder of boutique literary agency Jody Rein Books, Inc., and respected
publishing consulting and coaching firm Author Planet Consulting. Jody has represented,
published and coached hundreds of authors through successful publication in every form, from
e-books to international bestsellers to major motion pictures. Michael Larsen, co-director of the
San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference, is the
author or co-author of eleven books. He is an author coach and a former agent, having
co-founded the Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency, which sold books to more than 100 publishers
and imprints. Together they draw upon their years of experience and expertise to publish the
updated and expanded fifth edition of "How to Write a Book Proposal: The Insider's
Step-by-Step Guide to Proposals that Get You Published". Being a complete and comprehensive
course of step-by-step instructions and impressively informative commentary, "How to Write a
Book Proposal" is absolutely essential reading for any author wanting to 'turn pro' and make a
living with what they write be it fiction, non-fiction, or a combination of both. Of special note are
the four appendices (The Publishing Process; The Virtual Media Kit; Four Sample Proposals;
Sample Proposals Index), a listing of Additional Resources, and a four page Index. Simply stated,
no personal, professional, community, or academic library's Writing/Publishing instructional
reference collections should be without a copy of this newly revised fifth edition of "How to
Write a Book Proposal: The Insider's Step-by-Step Guide to Proposals that Get You
Published".
Divergent Trajectories
Flore Chevaillier
Ohio State University Press
180 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1002
https://ohiostatepress.org
9780814213438 $79.95 hc / $19.95 Kindle amazon.com
Divergent Trajectories: Interviews with Innovative Fiction Writers is an anthology of scholarly
interviews with contemporary fiction writers, in order to examine modern fiction through
political, philosophical, and cultural lenses. The result is a studious exploration of the writer's
journey and the complex choices that shape the creative process. An index rounds out this
welcome contribution to personal and public library Writing/Publishing collections. Highly
recommended.
The Online Writer's Companion
P.J. Aitken
Allworth Press
www.allworth.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781621535287, $19.99, www.amazon.com
The Online Writer's Companion: A Complete Guide to Earning Your Living as a Freelancer
packs in a wealth of information on how to build a career as a freelance writer, and covers
everything from pricing, locating, and bidding on writing jobs to blogging for pay, handling
clients, employing a rating system that will bring in new work and clients, and more. From what
kinds of jobs writers can look for to how to handle work when it comes, this is a writer's guide no
aspiring writer should be without.
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
Soft Skills for the Effective Lawyer
Randall Kiser
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
www.cambridge.org
9781108403504 $29.97 pbk / $14.60 Kindle amazon.com
Soft Skills for the Effective Lawyer lives up to its title with a studious examination of invaluable
"soft skills" for the legal profession - vital abilities that not traditionally studied in law school,
including communication skills, resilience, leadership, and empathy. Chapters discuss the most
essential soft skills, and effective ways to cultivate and maintain them, with particular emphasis
on Wisdom, Self-Awareness, Self-Development, Social Proficiency, Leadership, and
Professionalism. An index rounds out this invaluable supplementary resource for self-
improvement, highly recommended especially for college library collections and the personal
reading lists of legal professionals.
Starting Your Career as a Freelance Photographer
Tad Crawfor & Chuck DeLaney
Allworth Press
www.allworth.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781621535454, $19.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Starting Your Career as a Freelance
Photographer" is a comprehensive compendium of 'real world' advice, insight, and guidance for
anyone who aspires to become a freelance photographer. The step-by-step advice covers the
multitude of concerns facing aspiring and beginning freelance photographers ranging from
compiling a portfolio and promoting your work, to winning the first client and running a healthy,
profitable business. Attorney and writer Tad Crawford has teamed up with expert photography
writer Chuck Delaney (and more than a dozen of the photo industry's leading experts) to provide
comprehensive guidance, including: Photographic careers and the skills they require; How to
shop for equipment and studio locations; Clients, websites, portfolios, and self-promotion; Studio
management, insurance, and safety; Negotiating contracts, pricing, and model and property
releases; Copyright law and protecting your work; Avoiding libel, trespass, and litigation;
Accounting, record keeping, and taxes. For anyone looking to earn money with their
photography, "Starting Your Career as a Freelance Photographer" crucial marketing, business,
and legal know-how for every step of the process. While very highly recommended for both
community and academic library Jobs/Careers instructional reference collections in the field of
photography, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of photography students and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Starting Your Career as a
Freelance Photographer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Starting Your Career as an Illustrator
Michael Fleishman
Allworth Press
www.allworth.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
9781621535096, $24.99 www.skyhorsepublishing.com
Starting Your Career as an Illustrator is for beginners new to the illustration career possibilities
and assumes no prior knowledge in either career pursuit or illustration promotion as it surveys all
the basics. Newcomers will enjoy the step-by-step considerations that range from how to create a
first portfolio and how to show it to making contacts, setting up an office, acquiring supplies,
pricing illustrations, and understanding the market. While some of the information is basic small
business savvy, most is particular to the illustration market and is a solid discussion that
incorporates professional viewpoints into a series of logical steps towards success.
The Computer Shelf
Java 9 for Programmers
Paul Deitel and Harvey Deitel
Pearson
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.pearsoned.com
9780134777566, $59.99, www.informit.com
Java 9 for Programmers joins others in the Deitel Developer Series and provides professional
programmers with a solid reference to Java 9, the latest Java edition. Those with prior
background in the language will find this book uses a live-code approach to teaching its subject
and offers a blend of tested programs with code and discussions of how the code works.
Hundreds of complete Java 9 programs are supported by this code discussion and so
programmers learn this edition of Java through topics that consider graphics, video applications,
database management and interfaces, and more. The content is loaded with examples and
applications that make it easy for professionals to transition from earlier versions to understand
both the differences in Java 9 and best practices for using it in a guide especially recommended
for self-study by practicing Java professionals.
The Economic Studies Shelf
The Great American Economy
Steve Slavin
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633883055, $25.00, www.amazon.com
The Great American Economy: How Inefficiency Broke It and What We Can Do to Fix It
examines the fact that many Americans feel the economy is no longer working on their behalf,
and considers how this is the case and what can be done. Gross inefficiency lies at the heart of
this perspective: a condition which has been growing since the end of World War II. The massive
institutions designed to support Americans in fact are failing in their jobs, Slavin points out; and
he proposes big changes to pinpoint and eradicate inefficiency as a solution to the problem. This
accessible discussion is recommended as a key acquisition for any collection strong in American
economic concerns.
The Social Issues Shelf
Inequality in America, second edition
Stephen M. Caliendo
Westview Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.westviewpress.com
9780813350530, $33.00, HC, 300pp, www.amazon.com
When inequality has such a firm and enduring hold on American society and public policy just
what can an ordinary citizen do about it? Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition,
"Inequality in America: Race, Poverty, and Fulfilling Democracy's Promise" by Stephen M.
Caliendo (Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Political Science at North
Central College, Naperville, Illinois) takes an in-depth look at race, class and gender-based
inequality, across a wide range of issues from housing and education to crime, employment and
health. Professor Caliendo deftly explores how individual attitudes can affect public opinion and
lawmakers' policy solutions. He also illustrates how these policies result in systemic barriers to
advancement that often then contribute to individual perceptions. This cycle of disadvantage and
advantage can be difficult-though not impossible-to break. "Representing" and "What Can I Do?"
feature boxes throughout the book highlight key public figures who have worked to combat
inequality and encourage students to take action to do the same. Of special note in this newly
revised second edition is the inclusion of a chapter on crime and criminal justice and an
expanded discussion of immigration. Concise and accessible, "Inequality in America: is ideal for
getting students to think critically about the attitudes, behaviors and structures of inequality.
While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Social
Issues collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Inequality in America " is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
The Biography Shelf
W. E. B. Du Bois
Shawn Leigh Alexander
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781442207400, $35.00, HC, 168pp, www.amazon.com
William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois (February 23, 1868 - August 27, 1963) was an
African-American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and
editor. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and
integrated community. After completing graduate work at the University of Berlin and Harvard,
where he was the first African-American to earn a doctorate, he became a professor of history,
sociology and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois was one of the co-founders of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. "W. E. B. Du
Bois: An American Intellectual and Activist" by Shawn Leigh Alexander (who is Associate
Professor and Graduate Director of African and African American Studies and Director of the
Langston Hughes Center at the University of Kansas, where he specializes in African American
social and intellectual history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries), is an impressively
informative biography presented in a clear and concise manner, exploring Du Bois' racial
strategy, civil rights activity, journalistic career, and his role as an international spokesman, as
well as his work as an historian, a sociologist, an artist, a propagandist, and a peace activist. Of
special note in this exceptionally well written, organized and presented study is the inclusion of
Du Bois' chief critics including Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Walter White, the
Young Turks of the NAACP -- not to mention the federal government's characterization of his
ever-radicalizing beliefs, particularly after World War II. A simply outstanding body of deftly
crafted scholarship, "W. E. B. Du Bois: An American Intellectual and Activist" is unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Black American History & Biography
collections in general, and W. E. B. Du Bois supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be
noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "W. E. B.
Du Bois: An American Intellectual and Activist" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781442207417, $25.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.00).
The Fearless Benjamin Lay
Marcus Rediker
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
9780807035924 $26.95 hc / $25.99 Kindle amazon.com
Author Markcus Rediker (Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History, University of Pittsburgh)
presents The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary
Activist, an extensively researched biography of Benjamin Lay (1681-1759), a Quaker dwarf and
British-born American immigrant who opposed slavery with a ferocious passion, and who
pushed others, especially his fellow Quakers, to condemn the institution of human bondage. His
legacy inspired the anti-slavery movement for generations. Extensive notes and an index round
out this detailed, inspirational biography of a forceful personality who refused to compromise his
faith or his conscience. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library biography
collections.
Hannibal's Oath
John Prevas
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306824241, $28.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Few men whose lives and deeds in ancient history have managed to capture and hold the popular
imagination down through the succeeding centuries quite like that of Hannibal, the fearless North
African, perched on a monstrous elephant, leading his mercenaries over the Alps, and then,
against all odds, descending the ice-covered peaks to challenge Rome in her own backyard for
mastery of the ancient world. It was a bold move, and it established Hannibal as one of history's
greatest commanders. But this same brilliant tactician is also one of history's most tragic figures;
fate condemned him to win his battles but not his war against Rome. An internationally
recognized expert on Hannibal for nearly thirty years, historian John Prevas has visited every
Hannibal-related site and mountain pass, from Tunisia to Italy, Spain to Turkey, seeking
evidence to dispel the myths surrounding Hannibal's character and his wars. In "Hannibal's Oath:
The Life and Wars of Rome's Greatest Enemy" is an exceptionally well researched,
comprehensive, documented, and deftly written biography of an iconic military leader that reads
with the inherently engaging appeal of a deftly crafted novel. While very highly recommended
for both community and academic library biography collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of history students, librarians, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Hannibal's Oath" is also available in a complete and unabridged audio
book format (Blackston Audio, 9781478975540, $35.00, CD).
The Wandering Princess
Edward Hanson
Fonthill Media Ltd.
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781781555927, $40.00, HC, 464pp, www.amazon.com
Helene was a strong-willed princess who, while raised in France, was closely connected with the
court of Queen Victoria. After the premature end to a romance with Victoria's grandson, she
married into the royal family of Italy. However, Helene began extended adventuresome trips into
Africa where she became a big-game hunter, explorer and travel writer, escaping from an
unhappy marriage and the boredom of court life. Her travels took her around the world, but her
sense of royal duty brought her back to nurse aboard a hospital ship in Libyan waters, then to an
important role as head of the Italian Red Cross nurses during the First World War while her
husband headed Italy's Third Army, and her two sons served in the artillery and the navy.
Afterwards, her strong Italian nationalism made her an ally to Gabriele d'Annunzio and Benito
Mussolini, but the disastrous Second World War saw her grandchildren interned in Austria and
her older son die as a British prisoner-of-war while she continued her charitable work in Naples.
When the country voted to become a republic in 1946, Helene was the only member of the royal
family allowed to remain in Italy with her second 'secret' husband. An extraordinarily well
researched, written, and organized biography, "The Wandering Princess: Princess Helene of
France, Duchess of Aosta (1871-1951)" is impressively comprehensive and informative study of
a singularly unusual woman who lived out her remarkable 80 years of life. An extraordinary and
engaging read from beginning to end, "The Wandering Princess" is unreservedly recommended
for both community and academic library biography collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Wandering Princess" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Silver: The Spy Who Fooled the Nazis
Mihir Bose
Fonthill Media Limited
www.fonthillmedia.com
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781781553718 $40.00 hc / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com
Silver: The Spy Who Fooled the Nazis is the gripping, true-life story of the East Indian spy
Bhagat Ram Talwar, codename Silver - the only quintuple spy of the Second World War. Silver
spied for the Italians, Germans, -Japanese, Soviets, and British; between 1941 and 1945, he made
twelve trips from Peshawar to Kabul to supply false information to the Germans. Each journey
was a treacherous 200-mile trek on foot, over harsh mountain passes and hostile tribal territory.
A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs, endnotes, and a bibliography round out this
fascinating, in-depth portrait of a master manipulator. Highly recommended, especially for public
and college library biography and espionage history shelves.
The Literary Studies Shelf
How to Read World Literature, second edition
David Damrosch
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1119009162.html
9781119009160, $94.95, HC, 216pp
Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition "How to Read World Literature" by David
Damrosch (Chair of the Department of Comparative Literature, Columbia University) continues
to address the unique challenges and joys faced when approaching the literature of other cultures
and eras. Fully revised to address important developments in World Literature, and generously
expanded with new material, this second edition covers a wide variety of genres ranging from
lyric and epic poetry, to drama and prose fiction, as well as discussing how each form has been
used in different eras and cultures. An ideal introduction for those new to the study of World
Literature, as well as beginners to ancient and foreign literature, "How to Read World Literature"
offers a variety of "modes of entry" to reading these texts. "How to Read World Literature"
provide readers with accessible ways of thinking creatively and systematically about key issues,
such as reading across time and cultures, reading works in translation, emerging global
perspectives, post-colonialism, orality and literacy, and more. More specifically, "How to Read
World Literature" is accessible and enlightening in offering readers the tools to navigate works as
varied as Homer, Sophocles, Kalidasa, Du Fu, Dante, Murasaki, Moliere, Kafka, Wole Soyinka,
and Derek Walcott; is fully revised and expanded to reflect the changing face of the study of
World Literature, especially in the English-speaking world; now includes more major authors
featured in the undergraduate World Literature syllabus covered within a fuller critical context;
and features an entirely new chapter on the relationship between World Literature and
postcolonial literature. An ideal curriculum textbook for both undergraduate and postgraduate
courses in World Literature, "How to Read World Literature" will also have immense and
applicable appeal for readers with an interest in foreign and ancient literature. While
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Literary Studies
collections, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "How to Read World Literature" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781405168267, $34.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.39).
The Morals of Monster Stories
Leslie Ormandy, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476664842, $39.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
The simplicity of children's picture books (stories told with illustrations and a few well chosen
words or none at all) makes them powerful tools for teaching morals and personal integrity.
Children follow the story and see the characters' behaviors on the page and interpret them in the
context of their own lives. But unlike many picture books, most children's lives don't feature
monsters. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Leslie Ormandy (who technical writing,
and basic composition courses at a rural Oregon community college), "The Morals of Monster
Stories: Essays on Children's Picture Book Messages" is collection of fourteen new essays each
of which explores the socially sanctioned behaviors imparted to children through the use of
monsters and supernatural characters in the picture books that are to be commonly found in
family, elementary school, and community library collections. The topics covered include
monsters as instructors, the normalization of strangers or the "other," fostering gender norms, and
therapeutic monsters, among others. Impressively informative, thought-provoking, and insightful,
"The Morals of Monster Stories" is especially recommended to the attention of children's
librarians, parents, and anyone with an interest in children's literature. While very highly
recommended for both community and academic library Literary Studies collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Morals of Monster Stories" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $19.99).
The Science Shelf
Practical Handbook of Earth Science
Jane H. Hodgkinson & Frank D. Stacey
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138552234, $150.00, HC, 402pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative work of research geologists Jane H. Hodgkinson and Frank D. Stacey,
"Practical Handbook of Earth Science" is a self-contained handbook that provides readers with a
carefully researched, compact source of key earth science information and data, logically sorted
by subject matter which is then accessibly cross-referenced. Appealing to both experts and
non-experts alike, "Practical Handbook of Earth Science" presents earth science and
environmental science as closely intertwined. "Practical Handbook of Earth Science" includes
tables of the global distributions of fossil fuels, contrasted by tables of the distribution of
non-fossil energy sources. Concise explanations cover the subject matters of geology,
geophysics, oceans, atmosphere with attention to environmental implications and resources.
Written in a simple and clear language by internationally known experts in geology, Written in a
simple and clear language by acknowledged experts in geology, "Practical Handbook of Earth
Science" is an ideal textbook for Earth Science curriculums, and a core addition for corporate and
academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Practical Handbook of Earth
Science" is also available in a paperback edition (9781138054448, $99.95) and in a digital book
format (eTextbook, $142.50).
Dual Use Research of Concern in the Life Sciences
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309458887 $45.00 pbk / $36.99 Kindle amazon.com
Dual Use Research of Concern in the Life Sciences: Current Issues and Controversies directly
addresses a thorny ethical issue in modern scientific research - balancing the need for secrecy to
protect national security with the need for an open and transparent scientific culture, particularly
within the life sciences. Particularly focusing on the U.S. strategy to reduce biosecurity risks in
the life sciences, Dual Use Research of Concern in the Life Sciences is a scholarly analysis with
extensive notes, concisely presenting committee findings as well as mechanisms to allow the
dissemination of research results without impinging on national security. Dual Use Research of
Concern in the Life Sciences is a "must-read" for current or aspiring professionals in the field of
life science research, highly recommended.
The Military Shelf
Destination Casablanca
Meredith Hindley
Public Affairs Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 West 57th Street, #1321, New York, NY 10107
www.publicaffairsbooks.com
9781610394055, $30.00, HC, 512pp, www.amazon.com
In November 1942, as a part of Operation Torch, 33,000 American soldiers sailed undetected
across the Atlantic and stormed the beaches of French Morocco. Seventy-four hours later, the
Americans controlled the country and one of the most valuable wartime ports: Casablanca. In the
years preceding, Casablanca had evolved from an exotic travel destination to a key military target
after France's surrender to Germany. Jewish refugees from Europe poured in, hoping to obtain
visas and passage to the United States and beyond. Nazi agents and collaborators infiltrated the
city in search of power and loyalty. The resistance was not far behind, as shopkeepers,
celebrities, former French Foreign Legionnaires, and disgruntled bureaucrats formed a network
of Allied spies. But once in American hands, Casablanca became a crucial logistical hub in the
fight against Germany -- and the site of Roosevelt and Churchill's demand for "unconditional
surrender". Rife with rogue soldiers, power grabs, and diplomatic intrigue, "Destination
Casablanca" is the riveting and untold story of this glamorous city. Exceptionally well
researched, written, organized and presented, "Destination Casablanca" is a comprehensive and
detailed military history that reads as smoothly and as inherently engaging as any novel. While
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library World War II Military
History collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of students, military buffs, and non-specialist general readers that "Destination Casablanca" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99). Librarians should be aware that there is a
complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Destination Casablanca" (Blackstone Audio,
9781478997696, $40.00, CD).
The Political Science Shelf
Daring Democracy
Frances Moore Lappe & Adam Eichen
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
9780807023815, $15.00, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Ordinary working class and middle class Americans are becoming increasingly distraught as
tightly held economic and political power drowns out their voices and values in the political halls
of power on both the state and federal levels. In "Daring Democracy: Igniting Power, Meaning,
and Connection for the America We Want", Adam Eichen (a Democracy Fellow at the Small
Planet Institute) and Frances Moore Lappe (the author of "Diet for a Small Planet") offers a fresh
and inspiring response to this crisis. "Daring Democracy" opens with an essential truth: It's not
the magnitude of a challenge that crushes the human spirit. It's feeling powerless -- in this case,
fearing that to stand up for democracy is futile. But "Daring Democracy" holds that it is not.
"Daring Democracy" offers riveting stories and little-known evidence that help to demystify how
we got here, exposing the well-orchestrated effort that has robbed Americans of their rightful
power. But at the heart of this unique study are 'real world' solutions. Even in this divisive time,
Americans are uniting across causes and ideologies to create a "canopy of hope" that is aptly
referred to as the Democracy Movement. In this invigorating "movement of movements",
millions of Americans are leaving despair behind as they push for and achieve historic change.
The movement and democracy itself are vital to us as citizens and fulfill human needs (for
power, meaning, and connection) essential to our thriving. The underlying message throughout
"Daring Democracy" is that courage is contagious in the daring fight for democracy! While
unreservedly and urgently recommended for every community and academic library
Contemporary Political Science collection and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for
political science students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Daring Democracy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians
should be aware that there is also a complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Daring
Democracy" (Dreamscape Media, 9781520090610, $24.99, CD).
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Land on Fire
Gary Ferguson
Timber Press
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527
www.timberpress.com
9781604697001, $27.95, HC, 212pp, www.amazon.com
It seams that every year the wildfire season is burning longer and hotter, affecting more and more
people, especially in the western United States. "Land on Fire: The New Reality of Wildfire in
the West" by nature writer Gary Ferguson deftly explores the fascinating science behind this
phenomenon and the ongoing research to find a solution. This gripping narrative details how
years of fire suppression and chronic drought have combined to make the situation so dire. "Land
on Fire" reveals the extraordinary efforts of those responsible for fighting wildfires, and deftly
explains how nature reacts in the aftermath of flames. The inclusion of dramatic photographs
acutely reveals the terror and beauty of fire, as well as the staggering effect it has on the
landscape. Exceptionally well written, impressively informative, thoughtful and
thought-provoking, "Land on Fire" is unreservedly recommended for both community and
academic library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Land on Fire" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.44).
The Philosophy Shelf
The Law of Nations Treated According to the Scientific Method
Christain Wolff, author
Joseph H. Drake, translator
Thomas Ahnert, editor
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Indianapolis, IN 46250
www.libertyfund.org
9780865977655, $24.00, HC, 840pp, www.amazon.com
Christian Wolff's natural law theory was founded on his rationalist philosophy and metaphysics,
which were strongly influenced by the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Like Leibniz,
Wolff was convinced that justice and morality were based on universally valid principles of
reason and that these principles were accessible to human understanding without the aid of
religious revelation. Wolff did not therefore follow the voluntarist tradition of natural law, which
was characteristic of Germany's two other famous natural jurists of the early Enlightenment --
Samuel Pufendorf and Christian Thomasius. The laws of nature, Wolff argued, were not just
because God had willed them; rather, God had willed them because they were just. According to
Wolff, this natural law was the foundation of the law of nations. Wolff's work considered central
issues such as the duties of nations toward themselves and other nations, the laws of war and
peace, and the laws governing the treatment of diplomatic representatives. With this new Liberty
Fund edition, Wolff's work, heretofore relatively unknown to the English-speaking world, will
again become available to scholars and students alike. While unreservedly recommended as a
critically important addition to community, and academic library History of Philosophy
collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Law of Nations Treated According to the Scientific Method" is also available in a paperback
edition (9780865977662, $14.50).
The Art Shelf
Terra Magna: Labrador
Jean Claude Roy
Breakwater Books
P.O.Box 2188, St. John's, NL A1C 6E6
www.breakwaterbooks.com
9781550816839, $59.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Jean Claude (JC) Roy was born in Rochefort-sur-Mer, France, in 1948. After many years living
and painting in the province, he now divides his time between his two countries: Canada and
France. Primarily a landscape painter, he is entirely self-taught. His works can be found in public
and private collections in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It took JC Roy years of
painstaking dedication and travel to paint a scene from every town on the island of
Newfoundland. And after seeing that grand vision of Newfoundland made available to all in
"Fluctuat Nec Mergitur" (also available form Breakwater Books), Roy headed north to finish the
second half of his magnum opus. With Roy's singular brushwork, palette, and vision displayed in
gorgeously rendered full-color reproductions, and text in English, French, Innuaimun, and
Inuttitut, "Terra Magna: Labrador" is a superbly reproduced art book in the form of a landscape
compendium that is a delight to browse through and which would make an appealing Memorial
Fund selection for a community library collection. Featuring bilingual captioning of the
individual paintings, "Terra Magna: Labrador" will prove to be a critically important and
enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and academic library Contemporary
Canadian Art History collections.
Tattoos in Japanese Prints
Sarah Thompson
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
http://www.mfashop.com
9780878468461, $24.95, 152pp, www.amazon.com
The body art of the tattoo is an historical Japanese tradition that is widely recognized as one of
the finest in the world for its detail, complexity and compositional skill. Its style and subject
matter are drawn from the visual treasure trove of Japanese popular culture, in particular the
color woodblock prints of the early 19th century known as ukiyo-e. Beautifully and profusely
illustrated throughout, "Tattoos in Japanese Prints" by Sarah Thompson (Curator of Japanese Art,
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) tells the fascinating story of how ukiyo-e first inspired tattoo
artists as the pictorial tradition of tattooing in Japan was just beginning. "Tattoos in Japanese
Prints" explores the Japanese tattoo's evolving meanings, from symbol of devotion to punishment
and even to crime, and reveals the tales behind specific motifs. With lush, colorful images of
flowers blooming on the arm of a thief, sea monsters coiling across the back of a hero and
legendary warriors battling on the chests of actors, the tattoos in these prints can offer the same
vivid inspiration today as they did some 200+ years ago. A unique tribute to a very special form
of Japanese art history, "Tattoos in Japanese Prints" is unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library Art History collections in general, and Japanese
Art History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Library Science Shelf
Library World Records, third edition
Godfrey Oswald
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476667775, $65.00, PB, 396pp, www.amazon.com
Now in an significantly updated and expanded third edition, "Library World Records" is a
consistently fascinating, informative, and entertaining browse for any dedicated bibliophile or
library enthusiast. It covers a myriad of documented facts answering such questions as: Which
are the oldest public libraries in the world?; In what years were the first books printed in French,
Thai, Japanese, Arabic, Turkish?; What are the oldest extant texts written in Chinese, English,
Russian, Spanish?; When was the first major computer database used in libraries?; What are the
titles of the largest, smallest or most expensive books ever published?; Where is the world's
busiest public library?; Which three books were the first to contain photographs? "Library World
Records" by former librarian and information consultant Godfrey Oswald is an indispensable
reference work that provides hundreds of fascinating facts about libraries, books, periodicals,
reference databases, specialty archives, bookstores, catalogs, technology, information science
organizations and library buildings. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Library World Records" is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for the Library
Science reference collections of both community and academic libraries. For the personal reading
lists of academics, library science students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject it should be noted that "Library World Records" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $35.99).
The Judicial Studies Shelf
Trends in the Judiciary
David Lowe & Dilip K. Das, editors
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9781498715133, $180.00, HC, 254pp, www.amazon.com
Collaborative compiled and edited by David Lowe (Principal Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores
University's Law School) and Dilip K. Das (Professor of Criminal Justice, a former police chief
serving in the Indian Police Service for 14 years, and founding editor-in-chief of Police Practice
and Research: An International Journal) "Trends in the Judiciary: Interviews with Judges Across
the Globe" is the third and newest volume in the outstanding 'Interviews with Global Leaders in
Policing, Courts, and Prisons' series, and provides an insider's view of the judicial system.
Offering interviews from judges in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America, and the
West Indies, "Trends in the Judiciary" explores the behind-the-scenes motivations of judges on a
global scale, delving into the interviewees opinions on diverse legal systems, the interpretation of
legal developments, and current issues in criminal law. Readers of "Trends in the Judiciary" will
be experience the judicial system from within, including the plans, protests, and thought
processes of practicing judges. Comprised of informed and informative contributions, a list of the
contributors and their credentials, a list of acronyms and a glossary of terms, plus two appendices
(Questionnaire and Writing Guide used by the Contributors; International Police Executive
Symposium), and an index, "Trends in the Judiciary" is especially commended to the attention of
criminal justice students and courtroom practitioners alike. While unreservedly recommended for
college and university law school library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Trends in the Judiciary" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $144.00).
The Language Studies Shelf
Plotinus on Beauty and Reality
Sarah Klitenic Wear
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
9780865168428, $29.00, PB, www.bolchazy.com
"Plotinus on Beauty and Reality: A Reader for Enneads I.6 and V.1" by Sarah Klitenic Wear
(Professor of Classics, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, Ohio) makes
accessible to intermediate Greek students two treatises that describe the Neoplatonic cosmos of
Plotinus. Enneads I.6 and V.1 treat the creation of the universe, the structure of the levels of
reality, the place of the human soul in the universe, and how the soul can return to the One, its
creator. The thorough introduction serves as a guide to Plotinus's metaphysics and his reception.
Same- and facing-page notes and vocabulary accompany the Greek text of Enneads I.6 and V.1.
Appendices including Diotima's Speech from Plato's Symposium, Augustine's reception of
Plotinus, and a discussion of Porphyry situate Plotinus's work within a broader philosophical
context. Special Features include: an informative Introduction; a Bibliography; Enneads I.6 and
V.1 with same- and facing-page notes and vocabulary; Appendix 1: Diotima's Speech: Plato's
Symposium, 210a - 211d; Appendix 2: Augustine's Reception of Plotinus: Confessions, Book 9,
Chapter 10; Appendix 3: Porphyry: On the Life of Plotinus and the Arrangement of His Work;
Appendix 4: Plotinian Technical Philosophical Vocabulary from Enneads I.6 and V.1; Appendix
5: Plotinus Word List. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Plotinus on Beauty
and Reality: A Reader for Enneads I.6 and V" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended
addition to highschool, college and university library collections and as a valued and student
friendly Latin Language Studies supplemental curriculum textbook.
The Veterinary Studies Shelf
Treatment and Care of the Geriatric Veterinary Patient
Mary Gardner & Dani McVety, editors
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9781119187219, $79.99, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com
A very large part of urban veterinary practice is providing medical services (including
euthanasia) of elderly family pets. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Mary Gardner
(Hospice Veterinarian, Co-Founder, and Chief Technology Officer at Lap of Love Veterinary
Hospice in Orange County, California, USA and Courtesy Lecturer at the University of Florida
College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville, Florida, USA) and Dani McVety (Hospice
Veterinarian, Co-Founder, and Chief Executive Officer at Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice in
Tampa, Florida, USA and Courtesy Lecturer at the University of Florida College of Veterinary
Medicine in Gainesville, Florida, USA), "Treatment and Care of the Geriatric Veterinary Patient"
is a comprehensive textbook that offers both student veterinarians and practicing professionals
with a complete guide to treating and managing geriatric canine and feline patients. "Treatment
and Care of the Geriatric Veterinary Patient" offers practical guidance on managing all aspects of
veterinary care in geriatric pets; takes a holistic approach to managing the geriatric patient, from
common diseases and quality of life to hospice, euthanasia, client communications, and business
management; focuses on dogs and cats, with a chapter covering common exotic animals;
provides clinically oriented advice for ensuring quality of life for older pets; and includes access
to a companion website with videos, client education handouts, and images. Exceptionally well
written, organized and presented, "Treatment and Care of the Geriatric Veterinary Patient" is
comprised of an informative introduction and 'The Final Chapter' by experienced veterinarian
Mary Gardner, and twenty-eight specific articles by experts in the field which are deftly
organized into three major sections: They Just Don't Live Long Enough; The Aging Body
Systems; What Matters Most In The End. While unreservedly and emphatically recommended
for veterinary clinic and academic library Veterinary Medicine collections and supplemental
studies lists, it should be noted that "Treatment and Care of the Geriatric Veterinary Patient" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $51.19).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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