 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Internet
Bookwatch |
Internet Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The Young Adult's Guide to Selling Your Art, Music, Writing, Photography, & Crafts
Online
Ann O'Phelan
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620231777, $19.95, PB, 189pp, www.amazon.com
"The Young Adult's Guide to... Selling Your Art, Music, Writing, Photography, & Crafts Online:
Turn Your Hobby into Cash" by Ann O'Phelan will provide the practical information and tools
needed to sell material by using the internet. This is an ideal and thoroughly 'user friendly',
step-by-step instruction guide and manual specifically written for writers and artists that have
absolutely no experience with respect to selling on the internet. Included are tutorials, examples,
and research that will turn any hobby into fast cash. "The Young Adult's Guide to Selling Your
Art, Music, Writing, Photography, & Crafts Online" covers online galleries, website design,
search engines, publicity sources, online forums, auction sites, the basics of online marketing,
email marketing, and so much more. Those new to online selling will learn the exact times that
people are most likely to look at a specific social media app so that they can reach as many
people as they can. Of special note is the information regarding popular DIY sites like Etsy and
Pinterest -- as well as how to start an online store. Exceptionally well organized and presented,
"The Young Adult's Guide to Selling Your Art, Music, Writing, Photography, & Crafts Online"
contains everything anyone will need to find customers -- and keep them coming back for repeat
business. While very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted
for personal reading and reference lists that "The Young Adult's Guide to Selling Your Art,
Music, Writing, Photography, & Crafts Online" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$18.57).
The Blood of Patriots
Bill Fulton and Jeanne Devon
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781944648077 $24.95 hc / $14.74 Kindle amazon.com
True patriotism isn't flag-waving - it's service, hard work, and sacrifice. The Blood of Patriots:
How I Took Down an Anti-Government Militia with Beer, Bounty Hunting, and Badassery is the
true-life story of author, Army infantry veteran, and professional bounty hunter Bill Fulton.
When Fulton could no longer serve in the military due to problems with his knees, back, and
ankles, he opened a military surplus supply store in Anchorage, and hired friends to help him
apprehend more than 400 fugitives. When the FBI asked Bill to go undercover, he learned about
the dark plans of Schaeffer Cox - a private militia commander building an arsenal and plotting to
kill judges and law enforcement officers. Bill put his life on the line to take the murderous
conspiracy down, all without a shot being fired - or a dollar of payment for doing the right thing
(he was even shorted on reimbursement for expenses). Funny, honest, raw and candid, The Blood
of Patriots is riveting from cover to cover and sure to prove a popular library lend. Highly
recommended!
Buzz Ride
P. M. White
Lake Claremont Press
c/o Everything Goes Media
PO Box 1524, Milwaukee, WI 53201
https://www.everythinggoesmedia.com
9781893121669, $12.95, 145pp, www.amazon.com
"Buzz Ride: Driven to Disruption: Memoirs of an Uber Driver" is the story of a
financially-comfortable fifty-something father of two (with a Mercedes) who ends up as an Uber
driver late at night on the toughest streets of Chicago. Pat White (the author's pseudonym), is a
financial advisor and business strategist, decided to go undercover to research how the disruptive
technology of ridesharing affects commerce. Soon his business study warped into a study of
humanity and himself. A summer experiment that took White down roads he never imagined he
would travel. Being an Uber driver would entail him having to embrace danger, longing for the
thrill of voyeuristic glimpses into private lives made public, and facing the depths of his shadow
personality. An inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Buzz Ride" is an always wild
ride that is sometimes dark, sometimes humorous, as well as providing a surprisingly insightful
and touching side of Chicago nightlife in the smart-phone generation. An impressively well
crafted and entertaining account, "Buzz Ride" is very highly recommended for personal reading
lists and community library collections.
Apples
Roger Yepsen
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682680193, $18.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
"Apples" is compact and elegant book in which artist/writer Roger Yepsen that succinctly
presents fascinating facts about more than 200 varieties of apples growing in the United States.
With beautiful and distinctive watercolors, one for each apple variety showcased, "Apples"
makes identification a snap. "Apple" also reveals how each variety tastes and which varieties are
best for eating and which are best for cooking. A unique, portable, and extraordinary guide to one
of the most popular and ubiquitous fruits on earth, "Apples" is unreservedly recommended for
both community and academic library Gardening/Horticultural collections. It should be noted for
personal reading and reference lists that "Apples" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $17.48).
The Benevolent Bee
Stephanie Bruneau
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781631592867, $24.99, Flexibound, 160pp, www.amazon.com
A honeybee hive produces much more than honey; it also produces pollen, propolis, royal jelly,
beeswax, and bee venom. And humans have found uses for all these products. "The Benevolent
Bee" by Stephanie Bruneau (who is a beekeeper, herbalist, and artist, and owner of The
Benevolent Bee, a small business selling honey, beeswax candles, herbal body care products, and
other handcrafted and hive-derived items) describes how and why the bees make these products,
how they've been used by humans throughout the ages, and how beekeepers harvest the products.
The Benevolent Bee" also presents simple do-it-yourself recipes for using the products in health
and wellness, body care, nutrition, and craft. "The Benevolent Bee" specially features six
amazing products of the honeybee hive: honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, beeswax, and bee
venom. Appreciative readers will learn how to make a salve for burns and a cough syrup from
raw honey; how to make a tincture, an infused oil, and a mouthwash from propolis, the
anti-bacterial "bee glue" that lines the inside of the hive; and much more. Beautifully and
profusely illustrated in full color from cover to cover, "The Benevolent Bee" is a wonderfully
informative and highly recommended addition to both community and academic library
collections. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "The Benevolent Bee" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.74).
For the Benefit of All
Jeffrey T. Ramsey & Margaret Nettesheim Hoffmann
Marquette University Press
PO Box 3141, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3141
www.marquette.edu/mupress
9781626003026, $20.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Faye McBeath held a position of leadership and authority with the Milwaukee Journal at a time
when women were often relegated to backrooms and not boardrooms. She believed in the
importance of civic duty and in focusing resources on the Milwaukee community. McBeath
chose to use her wealth gained from the success of her uncle, Journal founder Lucius Nieman, to
help others by forming a philanthropic foundation. Her selection of five areas of giving (children,
elderly, health education, health care, and civics and governmental affairs) helped the
foundations board direct her donations to efforts that she loved and cemented her legacy. Deftly
written by the team of historian Jeffrey Ramsey and researcher Margaret Hoffman, "For the
Benefit of All. A Fifty-Year History of the Faye McBeath Foundation" is part of the outstanding
Marquette University Press 'Urban Life' series and will guide the reader through the life of Faye
McBeath and the history of her foundation that was specifically and deliberately designed to end
on Dec. 31, 2014 -- as well as her framework for giving that led to donations of nearly $50
million to worthy causes in the Milwaukee area. Unreservedly recommended for both community
and academic library collections, "For the Benefit of All" will prove to be of special and
particular interest to students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the history of
American philanthropy in general, and the Favye McBeath Foundation in particular.
Why? What Makes Us Curious
Mario Livio
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781476792095, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com
Why? What Makes Us Curious comes from an astrophysicist and author who considers why
people are curious, covering the latest findings in neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary
biology as well as providing biographies of notoriously curious - and successful - individuals
from scientists to musicians. Human curiosity is a key ingredient to human nature, the arts, and
the sciences, but here it's treated to an analysis that nicely documents its foundations, physiology,
impact, and how it enhances humanity. Designed for lay readers as well as scientists across
disciplines, Why? is recommended for both general-interest and high schools on up.
Not Quite a Genius
Nate Dern
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781501122200, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com
Not Quite a Genius comes from a senior writer at Funny or Die who offers funny stories and
essays capturing everything from relationship conundrums and social oddities and
inconsistencies to adventures, apps, a mother's Always Wear Suncreen rule and her hatred of the
word 'murder', and the problems involved in trying to explain business mergers to a child. All
these topics and just about everything in between invite a fun probe into society and self which
offers both humor and food for thought in a production highly recommended for general-interest
collections strong in literary humor observations.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Writer's Market 2018
Robert Lee Brewer, editor
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440352638, $29.99, PB, 896pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded 97th edition, "Writer's Market 2018 " fully
lives up to it's subtitle of 'The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published'. Comprised of thousands
of current listings for book publishers, magazines, contests, literary agents, internet resources and
more, this new edition of "Writer's Market 2018" includes an invaluable webinar by C. Hope
Clark for aspiring authors on funding a writing career. Of special note are the lists of professional
writing organizations, samples of query letters, and a free digital download of Writer's yearbooks,
featuring the 100 Best Markets. Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in
presentation, "Writer's Market 2018" should be considered a core and indispensable reference
work for personal, professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing
collections.
The Cookbook Shelf
Ella's Kitchen: The Easy Family Cookbook ##1
Ella's Kitchen
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780600631859, $19.99, www.amazon.com
Ella's Kitchen: The Easy Family Cookbook features some 100 recipes from the organic baby and
toddler food brand Ella's Kitchen, and arranges chapters by mealtime with recipes designed for
both tots and adults. From weaning babies to toddlers, dishes are designed to provide color and
interested to cooks and their charges, from at-a-glance fold-out pages such as 'What Shall We Eat
Today' which feature small color photos of the dishes in this book and page references to such
fare as Carnival Curry and Sunshine Rice and Ultimate Beef Hotpot with Gnocci to Family Meal
Planner charts for fill-in. Parents seeking inspiration the entire family can enjoy at one sitting will
find this an appealingly delicious guide.
Aperitivo
Kay Plunkett-Hogge
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781784723101, $19.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com
Aperitivo: Drinks and Snacks for the Dolce Vita gathers nearly a hundred recipes from across
Italy and reveals their history and development, including recipes for Italian cocktails and wines
and adding easy recipes for antipasto, crostini, vegetables, meats, and sweets. There's a classic
Bellini drink that represents Venice which was originally named after the glow of a saint's toga in
a fifteenth-century painting, an appetizer of Roast Beef with Horseradish and Watercress, and
heartier dishes such as a Venetian Fish Mousse; all of which are served in bite-sized pieces. The
result is a lively and different approach to appetizers which is nicely steeped in Italian
traditions.
Hachette
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
Two fine new cookbooks from Hachette are recommended picks for readers looking for fresh,
original dishes from chefs. Australia 'masterchef' Adam Liaw's Adam's Big Pot: Easy Meals for
Your Family (9780600634720, $29.99) tells how to prepare family meals from familiar
ingredients using just one wok, pan or pot. He focuses on international classics and fare that is
family-friendly when offering his Thai-Style Braised Pork, a take-off on street vendor foods, his
Big Pan Oyakodon or Japanese "parent and child" dish of chicken and egg, and Nori Butter Roast
Chicken with orange juice and soy, among other ingredients. Add color photos throughout for a
lovely presentation that stretches the boundaries of 'comfort food' to international levels. His The
Zen Kitchen: Easy Japanese Recipes for Home Cooks (9780600634744, $34.99) moves beyond
the usual sushi affiliation for Japanese fare in presenting family-friendly dishes and adaptations
of Japanese fare. Readers who have associated Japanese cooking with a cabinet of specialty
ingredients will find such dishes as the tea-leaf infused Salmon Ochazuke, Potato and Onion
Miso Soup, and Barbarian Salmon with marinated fish and fresh vegetables requires a minimum
of specialty ingredients. Access to just a few Japanese ingredients commonly found in either
Asian or well-stocked supermarkets make for a collection of user-friendly, easy fare.
Betty Crocker Lost Recipes
Betty Crocker
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9781328710338, $25.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Simply stated, "Betty Crocker Lost Recipes" is an absolute 'must have' culinary compendium for
the legions of devoted Betty Crocker fans -- as well as family kitchen cooks who are interested in
recipes with a retro/nostalgic twist. Eighty percent of this beautifully illustrated cookbook
includes tried-and-true recipes that simply aren't in today's cooking repertoire and are mainly
comprised of from-scratch recipes that are hard to find. Twenty percent is a fun and informative
look back at some of the cooking customs of the past that may not be worth repeating, but are
worth remembering. Features include ideas like "How to Throw a Hawaiian Tiki Party," and the
robust introductory pages contain interesting stories, anecdotes, and artwork from Betty Crocker's
history. Recipes are carefully curated to ensure that they are still relevant, achievable, and made
with available ingredients. The featured recipes range from Beef Stroganoff; Chicken la King;
Waldorf Salad; and Chiffon Cake; to Manhattan Cocktails; Raspberry Pee-A-Books; Seven Layer
Salad; Velvet Crumb Cake; and Lemon Schaum Torte. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' from
cover to cover, "Betty Crocker Lost Recipes" will prove to be a treasured addition to family and
community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Betty Crocker Lost Recipes" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Quick & Easy Low-Carb Cookbook
George Stella
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
www.quailridge.com
9781938879234, $19.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Beautifully illustrated and thoroughly kitchen cook friendly in organization and presentation,
"Quick & Easy Low-Carb Cookbook" is comprised of recipes for palate pleasing, appetite
satisfying recipes for anyone wanting a paleo, ketogenic, gluten-free, wheat-free, low-carb, or
sugar-free menu. Featuring recipes for dishes that range from Chicago Deep Dish Quiche;
Cheesy Cauliflower Crown; 2-Hour Pot Roast with Zucchini and Yellow Squash; Tilapia with
Melon Salsa; and Faux Fried Apples; to Berry & Cream Cheese Cookies; Strawberry & Cream
Ice Pops; Mini Fruit Tarts with Lemon Custard; and Coconut Cheesecake with Macadamia Nut
Crust, George Stella's Quick & Easy Low-Carb Cookbook" will prove to be an enduringly
popular and valued addition to both personal and community library cookbook collections.
Instant Pot Miracle
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Editors
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9781328851055, $22.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled by the editorial staff of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,"Instant Pot Miracle: From
Gourmet to Everyday, 175 Must-Have Recipes" is a culinary compendium of recipes especially
appropriate for the family kitchen crockpot. A profusely illustrated cookbook featuring recipes
for all the functions of the Instant Pot ranging from everyday staples to surprising new dishes, the
thoroughly 'kitchen cook easy' dishes that range from an Artichoke Dip; to Chicken Toscana with
White Beans; to Citrus Prawns with Orange-Cashew Rice; to Garlic Broccoli with Lemon &
Olives; to Carrot Ginger Soup, and more! The 175 featured recipes cover everything from
breakfast to dessert. Of special note are the recipes for jams and yogurts -- even an entire
cheesecake. "Instant Pot Miracle" is recommended as the perfect companion to the best-selling
kitchen appliance called an Instant Pot, and will prove to be a popular addition to community
library cookbook collections.
Gumbo Love
Lucy Buffett
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781455566440, $30.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
In the pages of "Gumbo Love: Recipes for Gulf Coast Cooking, Entertaining, and Savoring the
Good Life", Lucy Buffett combines over one hundred new recipes with old favorites.
Incorporating among the authentic Gulf Coast recipes are stories from Lucy's childhood growing
up in Mobile, Alabama, adventures traveling the seas as a cook, time spent working as a chef in
New Orleans, and her philosophy of relaxation, gratitude, and seizing the day. Profusely and
beautifully illustrated throughout, the recipes comprising "Gumbo Love" range from Buttermilk
Orange Chess Pie; Fresh Herb and Garlic Cheese Spread; Pork Roast with Apples and Oranges;
Grouper with Balsamic Butter Glaze; and Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Basil, Balsamic, and
Black Olives; to Florida Lobster Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado; Cucumber Margarita;
Heavenly Fried Crab Claws; Beer-Braised Beef Brisket with Cumin and Garlic; and Braised
Collards with turkey Bacon, Pecans, and Balsamic. While "Gumbo Love" is unreservedly
recommended for community library regional cookbook collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
The Pumpkin Cookbook
Deedee Stovel
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612128337, $16.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a newly revised second edition, "The Pumpkin Cookbook: 139 Recipes Celebrating the
Versatility of Pumpkin and Other Winter Squash" is a compendium of pumpkin oriented dishes
selected and showcased by veteran cookbook author Deedee Stovel to transform any dining
occasion into a truly memorable one. Beautifully illustrated, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook
friendly' recipes for pumpkin and other winter squish dishes range from Thai Curried Pumpkin in
Phyllo Cups; Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Pilaf; Spicy Beef Stew in a Pumpkin Shell; Pumpkin
Donut Muffins; and Chocolate-Pumpkin Brownies; to Almond Bread Pudding; Barbecued
Chicken Thighs with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce; Red Cabbage and Maple-Roasted Delicata Salad;
and Pumpkin Fudge. Whether from a can or a garden, "The Pumpkin Cookbook" will allow year
round pumpkin based cuisine delights. While very highly recommended as an enduringly popular
addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that
"The Pumpkin Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Cambodian Cooking
Joannes Riviere
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804848466, $15.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
A beautifully and profusely illustrated compendium of authentic Cambodian cuisine,
"Cambodian Cooking" brings a previously obscure culinary tradition to the table in a wealth of
thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' dishes that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite. The
easy to prepare, step-by-step recipes range from Fresh Salad Rolls with Shrimp; Hot and Sour
Fish Soup; Beef Consomme with Star Anise; and Pork Ginger and Green Onions; to Coconut
Ham Curry with Pineapple; Palm Sugar Pearls; Khmer Curry; and Pomelo and Shrimp Salad. Of
special note is an ingredients section that includes the Cambodian names as well as the
Vietnamese or Thai names of the ingredients whenever necessary for ease of shopping. While
certain to be an enduringly popular addition to family and community library ethnic cookbook
collections, it should be noted that "Cambodian Cooking" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Good Mood Kitchen
Leslie Korn
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393712223, $24.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
"The Good Mood Kitchen: Simple Recipes and Nutrition Tips for Emotional Balance" by Leslie
Korn (a clinician specializing in mental health nutrition and integrative medicine) is an ideal
cookbook for anyone seeking to revolutionize their personal cooking and eating habits for
optimal energy, health, and emotional well-being. "The Good Mood Kitchen" is a compendium
of mood-savvy tips, tools, and delicious recipes guides, step by step, the family kitchen cook
through all the essentials. "The Good Mood Kitchen" also features dozens of easy-to-understand
graphics, lists, and charts to help prioritize choices for maximum benefit. Kitchen cooks will
learn how to: Assess their unique digestive style and nutritional needs and develop the diet that's
right for them and their family members; Substitute problem foods, ingredients, and habits with
healthy, delectable alternatives; Navigate gluten sensitivity and other allergies; Use smarter,
healthier food preparation options for busy schedules; Identify common nutritional complications
behind depression, anxiety, and other mood challenges; Engage family and friends in nutritional
change -- and so much more! While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
family, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "The Good Mood Kitchen" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Old Farm Country Cookbook
Jerry Apps & Susan Apps-Bodilly
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870208300, $26.95, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Jerry Apps has been a rural Wisconsin historian and environmental writer for more than forty
years. His daughter, Susan Apps-Bodilly, has been an elementary and middle school teacher for
more than twenty years. Now together this father/daughter team has compiled recipes, menus and
memories into an inherently fascinating and highly recommend "Old Farm Country Cookbook".
The authentic country recipes of a yesteryear Wisconsin range from Baked Pork Chops with
Sauerkraut; Beer Batter Fried Fish; and Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies; to Corn and Noodle
Casserole; Green Jell-O Salad; and Homemade Popcorn Balls. Of special note are the personal
reminiscences that are scattered through out. Absolute treat to read and a delight to plan menus
with, "Old Farm Country Cookbook" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to
community library cookbook collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Old
Farm Country Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Christopher Kimball's Milk Street
Christopher Kimball
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316437288, $40.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Christopher Kimball's Milk Street is located in downtown Boston (at 177 Milk Street) and is
home to a cooking school, a bimonthly magazine, and public television and radio shows.
"Christopher Kimball's Milk Street: The New Home Cooking" is Milk Street's first cookbook and
showcases recipes for a simpler, bolder, healthier way to cook that will become an act of pure
pleasure, not a chore. These thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', palate pleasing, appetite
satisfying recipes range from Spanish-Style Eggs with Garlicky Crums and Chorizo;
Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans; Gemelli Pasta with Chevre, Arugula and Walnuts; Brown
Ale Turkey with Gravy; and Vietnamese Caramel Fish; to Multigrain Soda Bread; Date-Stuffed
Semolina Cookies; Chocolate Tart; Tamarind Dipping Sauce; Pickled Chilies. Profusely and
beautifully illustrated with full color photography throughout, "Christopher Kimball's Milk
Street: The New Home Cooking" will prove to be an especially prized addition to personal,
professional, family, and community library cookbook collections! It should be noted that
"Christopher Kimball's Milk Street: The New Home Cooking" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $16.99).
The Needlecraft Shelf
The Mr. X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch
Jamie Chalmers
Search Press USA
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.searchpressusa.com
9781782214243, $19.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
In "The Mr. X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch", needlecraft expert Jamie Chalmers (also known as
Mr X Stitch) shows how to cross stitch using simple step-by-step instructions and also takes the
needlecrafter to the frontiers of cross stitch design. Showcasing colleagues who are pushing the
boundaries of this ancient craft, Mr X Stitch introduces more than 20 lovely, cutting-edge
projects to make, and shows that beauty, innovation and 'craftivism' are alive and kicking in this
inspirational book. Profusely illustrated throughout and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization
and presentation, "The Mr. X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch " is highly recommended for stitchers
of all abilities ranging from absolute beginners looking to learn a new craft to experienced
embroiderers and cross stitchers who want to do something different in cross stitching. Of special
note is Chalmer's focus on typography and there is a good balance of typographical and pictoral
projects to stitch. The book is split into 5 themes: Color, Glow in the Dark, More than a Hobby,
Using Computer Software and Outside the Hoop. Color explores techniques such as ombre
design, inverting color and using geometric shapes; Glow in the Dark looks at how to use
glow-in-the-dark threads to achieve different effects; More than a Hobby considers the idea of
mindfulness in cross stitch, including black work, backstitch etc.; Using Computer Software
looks at photorealism and how to originate your design on a computer; and finally, Outside the
Hoop explores projects not stitched on canvas. The final spread of each section features an
Outlier - the work of another stitcher to illustrate a different aspect of cross stitch made on a
surface other than canvas. The book will be informative, fun, instructive and inspirational.
Unreservedly recommended, "The Mr. X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft
instructional reference collections.
Layered Cloth
Ann Small
Search Press Ltd.
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.searchpressusa.com
9781782213345, $35.00, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Ann Small's imaginative use of cutting and manipulating techniques, and her layering and
coloring tricks, makes "Layered Cloth: The Art of Fabric Manipulation" an ideal 'go-to' guide for
bringing form and texture to the fabric work of even the most novice of needlecrafters. "Layered
Cloth" is a rich resource and reference for any and all textile artists seeking new ideas and who
want to experiment with texture and pattern. Clear, close-up images and exciting hot tips help to
make layering enjoyable and accessible. All aspects of texture and pattern are explored in this
thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional reference manual and guide that will bring new
dimensions to any fabric work. Simply stated, "Layered Cloth: The Art of Fabric Manipulation"
is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
academic library Needlecraft collections in general, and Textile Art supplemental studies reading
lists in particular.
Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible
Hitomi Shida, author
Gayle Roehm, translator
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805314531, $16.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Showcasing 260 superbly crafted patterns, the "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" is comprised of
Hitomi Shida's strikingly original designs and variations on every imaginable classic stitch result
in intricate patterns that form the basis for beautiful and unique knitted fashions. The perfect
instruction guide for the experienced knitter who is looking for new stitches that yield
spectacular results, the "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" features a wide range of rewarding and
intricate stitches including: cables, popcorn stitches, twisted stitches, edgings, and a great many
more. "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" includes a set of detailed, step-by-step diagrams show
needlecrafters how to execute all the basic stitches. Instructions and diagrams for a series of
small projects that offer practice working with large patterns, lacy patterns, pattern arrangement
and round yokes among other things. These knitting projects include: A classic hat made using
large patterns; An elegant scarf in lacy patterns; The ever-popular fingerless mittens; Thick socks
that can be made using various patterns; A feminine collar using round stitching; and more!
Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" is a unique and highly recommended addition to
personal, professional, and community library knitting instructional guide collections.
Pat Sloan's Teach Me to Make My First Quilt
Pat Sloan
Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604688276, $24.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
In "Pat Sloan's Teach Me to Make My First Quilt", Pat (a skilled instructor known for her warm
and patient teaching style) draws upon her years of experience and expertise to guide even the
most novice beginner quilting student through each and every step as they make their first quilt.
Pat's easy-to-follow and profusely illustrated instructions (featuring more than 140 clear how-to
photos) make it fun to start, stitch, and finish nine classic blocks and nine simple quilt projects.
"Pat Sloan's Teach Me to Make My First Quilt" is an ideal instruction manual for the absolute
beginner seeking to learn the basics of quilting ranging from the selecting of notions, to cutting
fabric, to machine sewing, to quilting and binding. While unreservedly and enthusiastically
recommended for personal and community library needlecraft instructional reference collections,
it should be noted that "Pat Sloan's Teach Me to Make My First Quilt" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Superhero Sewing
Lane Huerta
Creative Publishing Interneational
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781589239449, $24.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
In the pages of "Superhero Sewing: Playful Easy Sew and No Sew Designs for Powering Kids'
Big Adventures--Includes Full Size Patterns" Lane Huerta draws upon her years of experience
and expertise to present easy sewing projects for encouraging and satisfying your child's love of
(and need for) richly imaginative play. Herself a mom and the owner of Lovelane Designs, "Lane
Huerta, " is a noted independent maker of imaginative silk-screened playwear who deftly shares
her creative know-how and adapts her charming designs for sewers and other needlecrafters.
Following an overview of essential materials, tools, and techniques, "Superhero Sewing" features
20 projects in five playful themes (heroes, pirates, fairies, magicians, and animals) with color
palette suggestions for both boys and girls. Each project is marked with a level of difficulty.
Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Superhero Sewing" is unreservedly
recommended for the personal instructional collections of all needlecrafting enthusiasts --
especially those with children!
Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
Jen Lucas' Stunning Stitches: 21 Shawls, Scarves, and Cowls You'll Love to Knit
(9781604688238, $24.99) comes from a designer who offers a collection of knitwear that can be
produced from seven stitch patterns, and shows how these simple patterns lead to very
diverse-looking projects from shawls and scarves to hooded scarfs. The lacy-looking creations
are especially inviting while the attention to a nice array of colors, designs, and fabrics offers a
wide range of options knitters will relish. Roseann Meehan Kermes' A Little Something:
Cute-As-Can-Be Patterns for Wool Stitchery (9781604688604, $19.99) focuses on little home
decor projects that can be produced in quick time, from coasters and wall hangings to bags and
accessories, and pairs clear color photos with step-by-step directions for hand stitchers looking
for something different. The materials list, cutting and assembly directions, and final projects are
all appealing and lovely for newcomers and practiced needleworkers alike. Karne M. Burns
compiles Baby Quilts for Beginners (9781604688641, $19.99), a gathering of baby-sized quilts
for kids which offer a blend of traditional and new patterns and innovative, fun displays suitable
for year-round gift-giving. Quilters will find these projects do a fine job of capturing childhood
with bright, colorful patterns.
The Fiction Shelf
Delia's Crossing
V. C. Andrews
Pocket Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 13th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.pocketbooks.com
9781501162220, $5.99, PB, 432pp, www.amazon.com
After her parents are killed in a truck accident, Delia Yebarra's life is turned upside down. At
fifteen, she leaves the rural Mexican village where she grew up and embarks on a new life in
America. Coming to her wealthy aunt Isabella's huge estate in Palm Springs, California, should
be a dream come true for a simple country girl like Delia -- only to become un preso del destino,
a prisoner of destiny. Instead, her aunt refuses to acknowledge Delia's heritage, relegating her to
servants' quarters with a licentious language tutor intent on exploiting the pretty young foreigner.
Her cousin Edward is kind, but cousin Sophia is cruel, manipulative, and resentful of Delia's
beauty. And just when Delia begins to embrace the life of a real American girl, a heartbreaking
chain of events sends her spiraling back to a Mexico she hardly recognizes, making her wonder if
she will ever find a place to call home. A deftly crafted, consistently engaging, extraordinarily
entertaining read from cover to cover, "Delia's Crossing" is another literary gem from the mind
and imagination of V. C. Andrews and a 'must read' for her legions of faithful fans. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Delia's Crossing" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $4.99).
Autopsy of a Father
Pascale Kramer, author
Robert Bononno, translator
Bellevue Literary Press
c/o NYU School of Medicine
550 First Ave., OBV A612, New York, NY 10016
www.blpress.org
9781942658245, $16.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
When a young woman returns to her childhood home after her estranged father's death, she
begins to piece together the final years of his life. What changed him from a prominent left-wing
journalist to a bitter racist who defended the murder of a defenseless African immigrant? Set in
Paris and its suburbs, and inspired by the real-life scandal of a French author and intellectual,
"Autopsy of a Father" blends sharp observations about familial dynamics with resonant political
and philosophical questions, taking a scalpel to the racism and anti-immigrant sentiment
spreading just beneath the skin of modern society. Deftly translated into English for an American
readership, "Autopsy of a Father" by Pascale Kramer (recipient of the 2017 Swiss Grand Prize
for Literature) is a deftly crafted and inherently fascinating read by an impressively talented
novelist. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Autopsy of a Father" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.97).
Snake Oil: Easy Pickins
Marcus Galloway
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432832636, $25.95, HC, 268pp, www.amazon.com
Professor Henry Whiteoak is a salesman, a con artist, and a cheat. Traveling in a brightly colored
wagon, he sells chemical concoctions and steeply priced contraptions to any and all who attend
his medicine shows. When he arrives in the small town of Barbrady, Kansas, Henry Whiteoak
also shows his talents in a fight and a mind that's sharper than a stiletto. Showcasing author
Marcus Galloway's genuine flair for deftly crafted storytelling, "Snake Oil: Easy Pickins" is a
unique and compelling read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for
community library collections where it will quickly become an enduringly popular addition, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Snake Oil: Easy Pickins" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
A Far Trumpet
Fred Grove
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785413810, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 276pp, www.amazon.com
Dishonorably dismissed from the Army after twelve years of service as a First Lieutenant in the
6th Calvary, Scott Dunham sets out to prospect and hunt in New Mexico. There, he meets Holly
Warren, a frontier woman who had buried both a husband and a child. How can these two
possibly make a future together? "A Far Trumpet" in an impressively crafted and consistently
entertaining novel by of the storytelling arts. Indeed, Fred Grove's "A Far Trumpet" is
unreservedly recommended for community library collections and this particular edition will
have an immense appeal for readers needing a large print format.
The Summer That Made Us
Robyn Carr
Mira Books
c/o Harlequin
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON, Canada, M3B 3K9
www.mirabooks.com
9780778331049, $26.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
For the Hempsteads, two sisters who married two brothers and had three daughters each,
summers were idyllic. The women would escape the city the moment school was out to gather at
the family house on Lake Waseka. The lake was a magical place, a haven where they were happy
and carefree. All of their problems drifted away as the days passed in sun-dappled contentment.
Until the summer that changed everything. But after an accidental drowning that turned the lake
house into a site of tragedy and grief, it was closed up. For good. Torn apart, none of the
Hempstead women speak of what happened that summer, and relationships between them are
uneasy at best to hurtful at worst. But in the face of new challenges, one woman is determined to
draw her family together again, and the only way that can happen is to return to the lake and face
the truth. An impressively entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Summer That Made Us"
clearly reveals author Robyn Carr's total mastery of the genre and her genuine flair for deftly
creating characters that linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been
finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended and certain to be an
enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of the legions of Robyn Carr fans that "The Summer That Made Us" is also
available in a paperback edition (9780778330868, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
On Love's Gentle Shore
Liz Johnson
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800728885, $25.99, HC, 338pp, www.amazon.com
When Natalie ORyan returns to Prince Edward Island to plan her wedding, she runs into her
childhood best friend and discovers that the love she's been looking for is right where she left it.
"On Love's Gentle Shore" is another gem of a novel by Liz Johnson who is an accomplished and
skilled author with a genuine flair for originality and the creation of truly memorable characters.
An engaging and entertaining read from cover to cover, "On Love's Gentle Shore" is
unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary Romantic Fiction
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans that "On
Love's Gentle Shore" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800724511, $14.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Mandate of Heaven
Rob Flanigan
L. N. Smith Publishing
9780965331661, $12.95, PB, 306pp, www.amazon.com
The Mandate of Heaven is an ancient Chinese belief that a government's authority is divinely
granted and that this authority lasts only for as long as the leadership rules with virtue. Thus,
when the ruling classes become greedy, corrupt, and immoral, it is the right of the people (or
Mother Nature) to rise up and remove them from power, thus proving they've lost the Mandate of
Heaven. In the election year of 2032 it's the Chinese government that strikes at America's
political vulnerability. Bert Alfred is an unknown American author who is silenced and robbed of
his works by an official of the Chinese government. Unbeknownst to him, however, the strength
of his ideas has won him a Chinese ally and given him a chance to reclaim what is rightfully his
-- but will he, when the future of a brighter generation is at stake? Will Bert's interference in the
lives of two Chinese children and his disruption America's political order end in success or
disaster? An original, deftly crafted, and engagingly entertaining novel from beginning to end,
"The Mandate of Heaven" by Wisconsin author Rob Flanigan is one of those books that will
linger in the mind and memory long after they have been finished and set back upon the shelf.
While unreservedly recommended as an enduringly popular addition to community library
General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Mandate Of
Heaven" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.95).
These Healing Hills
Ann H. Gabhart
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800729721, $25.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Francine Howard has her life all mapped out until the soldier she planned to marry at WWII's end
writes to tell her he's in love with a woman in England. Devastated, Francine seeks a fresh start
in the Appalachian Mountains, training to be a nurse midwife for the Frontier Nursing Service.
Deeply affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, Ben Locke has never thought further ahead
than making it home to Kentucky. His future shrouded in as much mist as his beloved mountains,
he's at a loss when it comes to envisioning what's next for his life. When Francine's and Ben's
paths intersect, it's immediately clear that they are from different worlds and value different
things. But love has a way of healing old wounds and revealing new possibilities for life and
love. With "These Healing Hills" author Ann H. Gabhart once again demonstrates her genuine
flair for deftly crafted and memorable characters embedded in a consistently engaging story that
will linger in the mind long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.
While very highly recommended, especially for community library Romance Fiction collections,
it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance novel enthusiasts that
"These Healing Hills" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800723637, $15.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Western Star
Craig Johnson
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780525426950, $28.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Sheriff Walt Longmire is enjoying a celebratory beer after a weapons certification at the
Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy when a younger sheriff confronts him with a photograph
of twenty-five armed men standing in front of a Challenger steam locomotive. It takes him back
to when, fresh from the battlefields of Vietnam, then-deputy Walt accompanied his mentor
Lucian to the annual Wyoming Sheriff's Association junket held on the excursion train known as
the Western Star, which ran the length of Wyoming from Cheyenne to Evanston and back.
Armed with his trusty Colt .45 and a paperback of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient
Express, the young Walt was ill-prepared for the machinations of twenty-four veteran sheriffs, let
alone the cavalcade of curious characters that accompanied them. The photograph (along with an
upcoming parole hearing for one of the most dangerous men Walt has encountered in a lifetime
of law enforcement) hurtles the sheriff into a head-on collision of past and present, placing him
and everyone he cares about squarely on the tracks of runaway revenge. Once again author Craig
Johnson has penned an impressively entertaining and deftly crafted novel showcasing his genuine
flair for originality and compelling storytelling. While unreservedly recommended for
community library collections, it should be noted for dedicated Sheriff Longmire fans that "The
Western Star" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should be
aware that there is a complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The Western Star"
(Recorded Books, 9781501962592, $34.99, CD).
The Hours Between Us
Carol Graf
Mill City Press
https://www.millcitypress.net
www.thehoursbetweenus.com
9781635052367, $24.95, HC, 370pp, www.amazon.com
Kai Ingersohn was motivated to become a psychiatrist after a childhood of dysfunction with her
tempestuous and manic-depressive grandmother, Dumpling. Now divorced, in private practice,
and raising two teenagers, she starts work with Stephanie, a young grad student with acute
leukemia, who has returned to Charleston and its mystic healing waters and marsh to fight for her
life. Stephanie braves the revelations of shocking family secrets, while Kai seeks peace with her
own past as the therapy unfolds. Both women emerge with new capacities for love, life, and
spiritual truths. Set against a lush Lowcountry backdrop of Spanish moss, salt marshes, silent
oaks, and the pounding sea, "The Hours Between Us" is an artful exploration by an impressively
accomplished novelist of the heartbreaking struggles and unbreakable spirits of two extraordinary
women. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary
General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Hours Between
Us" is also available in a paperback edition (9781635051766, $15.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $6.99).
The Ready Made Thief
Augustus Rose
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780735221833, $26.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Betrayed by her family after taking the fall for a friend, Lee finds refuge in a cooperative of
runaways holed up in an abandoned building they call the Crystal Castle. But the facade of the
Castle conceals a far more sinister agenda, one hatched by a society of fanatical men set on
decoding a series of powerful secrets hidden in plain sight. And they believe Lee holds the key to
it all. Aided by Tomi, a young hacker and artist with whom she has struck a wary alliance, Lee
escapes into the unmapped corners of the city -- empty aquariums, deserted motels, patrolled
museums, and even the homes of vacationing families. But the deeper she goes underground, the
more tightly she finds herself bound in the strange web she's trying to elude. Desperate and out of
options, Lee steps from the shadows to face who is after her -- and why. An impressively original
and consistently well crafted novel from beginning to end, "The Ready Made Thief" by Augustus
Rose will prove to be an instant and enduringly popular addition to community library General
Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Ready Made Thief" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
China Girl
Ho Lin
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587903847, $19.00, PB, 214pp, www.regentpress.net
A compilation of short story by Ho Lin, "China Girl" tells tales of a modern woman adrift in
modern China; would-be lovers connected and separated by random chance; a drunken dissident
and his less-then-happy minder; a researcher of war atrocities who must come to grips with her
own family tragedies; a princess of a kingdom that no longer exists; actors placed at the service
of comedies and tragedies, depending on a filmmaker's whim, and more. In its nine deftly written
and inherently fascinating short stories, "China Girl", although a series of fictional
entertainments, insightfully documents the collisions between East and West, the power of myth
and the burden of history, and loves lost and almost found. These nine short stories encompass
everything from contemporary vignettes about urban life to fable-like musings on memories and
the art of storytelling. Wide-ranging and playful, "China Girl" by a master of the short story
format are little journeys into an Asia of the imagination by a truly gifted storyteller. Simply
stated, "China Girl" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both
community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service
Rhys Bowen
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425283505, $26.00, www.penguin.com
On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service provides a new 'Royal Spyness mystery revolving
around a distantly royal relative who is penniless and resourceful, Lady Georgiana Rannoch. In
this addition to the series, Georgie and her long-time love are ready to wed, but her Majesty
sends Georgie on another mission instead of blessing their union, and Georgie finds herself in the
role of a foreign spy rather than a newlywed. Assigned a dubious task of meddling in another
country's royal affairs, Georgie finds her skills put to the test in a powerful story of intrigue and
fun that's hard to put down.
A Kiss Before Doomsday
Laurence MacNaughton
Pyr
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633882676, $18.00, www.pyrsf.com
A Kiss Before Doomsday provides a Dru Jasper novel that blends fantasy, horror with zombies,
sorcerers, demons and more. But, it's also a mystery and suspense piece as it tells of sorceress
and business owner Dru's confrontation with evil forces that are being loosed on the streets. She's
already thwarted one apocalypse - can she prevent another? A fun story evolves which defies
easy categorization but provides an engrossing tale for fans who like genre-busting
adventure.
The Lake District Murder
John Bude
Magna Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780750544405, $35.50, HC, 348pp, www.amazon.com
John Bude was the pseudonym of Ernest Elmore (1901-1957), who wrote thirty crime novels.
Bude was also a cofounder of the Crime Writers' Association and worked in the theater as a
producer and director. Now one of his very best mysteries, "The Lake District Murder", which
had long been out of print has been brought back for a new generation of appreciative readers in
a large print edition. When a body is found at an isolated garage, Inspector Meredith is drawn
into a complex investigation where every clue leads to another puzzle: was this a suicide, or
something more sinister? Why was the dead man planning to flee the country? This classic
mystery is set amidst the stunning scenery of a small village in the Lake District. Simply stated,
no community library Mystery/Suspense collections should be without a copy of "The Lake
District Murder" in their collections for the benefit of dedicated mystery buffs.
Riverwatcher: A Fly-Fishing Mystery
Ronald Weber
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781620878101, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Lottery winner and ex-journalist Donal Fitzgerald joins forces with his girlfriend, DNR
conservation officer Mercy Virdon, to solve the mysterious death of a beloved angler, Charlie,
who was murdered in his tent in a state campground and who was known by all -- and who may
have known too much. Fitzgerald and Mercy's investigation to discover the deadly secret among
the locals leads to dead ends until a surprisingly bookish theory surfaces. Set in the engaging
small town of Ossning on the Borchard River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (an angler's dream,
filled with eccentric, believable, sympathetic, and unforgettable characters) "Riverwatcher" is a
classic whodunit. Author Ronald Weber expertly weaves this character-driven novel with a
strong sense of place, creating a great yarn for anglers and mystery lovers and, as it turns out, a
literally literary mystery. Absolutely certain to be an enduringly popular addition to any and all
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of each and every dedicated mystery buff that "Riverwatcher: A Fly-Fishing Mystery" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781510719248, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.95).
Moskva
Jack Grimwood
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250124777, $27.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
In 1985, the naked body of a young man is left in Red Square, outside the walls of the Kremlin.
The body is frozen solid (like marble to the touch) and missing the little finger from his right
hand. A week later, Alex Marston, the headstrong fifteen-year-old daughter of the British
Ambassador, disappears. Army Intelligence Officer Tom Fox, posted to Moscow to keep him
from telling the truth to a government committee, is asked to help find her. It's a shot at
redemption. But Russia is reluctant to give up the worst of her secrets. As Fox's investigation
sees him dragged deeper towards the dark heart of a Soviet establishment determined to protect
its own, his fears for Alex's safety grow with those of the girl's father. And if Fox can't find her
soon, she looks likely to become the next victim of a sadistic killer whose story is bound tight to
that of his country's terrible past. A brilliantly written and compelling novel by an author with a
genuine flair for originality, "Moskva" is chilling and sophisticated the serial killer style suspense
thriller that is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Moskva" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Two Nights
Kathy Reichs
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780345544070, $28.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
In Kathy Reichs' new novel, "Two Nights", readers will meet Sunday 'Sunnie' Night, a woman
with physical and psychological scars, and a killer instinct. Sunnie has spent years running from
her past, burying secrets and building a life in which she needs no one and feels nothing. But a
girl has gone missing, lost in the chaos of a bomb explosion, and the family needs Sunnie's help.
Is the girl dead? Did someone take her? If she is out there, why doesn't she want to be found? It's
time for Sunnie to face her own demons -- because they just might lead her to the truth about
what really happened all those years ago. An experienced and gifted novelist of the first order,
"Two Nights" once again reveals Kathy Reichs' total master of the suspense thriller genre. While
very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Kathy Reichs fans that "Two Nights" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Over Maya Dead Body
Sandra Orchard
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800728892, $25.99, HC, 354pp, www.amazon.com
While vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, Serena Jones becomes entangled in a suspicious death
with ties to an international antiquities smuggling ring. Will she find the killer before another
person dies? "Over Maya Dead Body" is another deftly crafted masterpiece of a novel by an
author is an award winning master of the mystery/suspense genre. While unreservedly
recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted
for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Over Maya Dead Body" is also
available in a paperback edition (9780800726706, $14.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.53).
The Last Girl
Danny Lopez
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608092529, $26.95, HC, 229pp, www.amazon.com
After being laid off from his job as a newspaper reporter in a coastal Florida town, Dexter Vega
meets a wealthy retiree who hires him to find his daughter who is supposed to be attending the
local college. When Vega visits his client to inform him that his daughter is in Mexico, he
discovers the man has been murdered. And Vega's prints are all over the murder weapon. As the
police build a case against him, Vega flies to Mexico City to locate his client's daughter, hoping
she will help him find the murderer and thus clear his name. But when he finds the woman, she
tells him a very different story -- nothing is as it seems. Beaten by thugs and ordered to leave
Mexico, Vega returns home to find himself immersed in a web of blackmail, greed, and revenge.
Still pursued by the cops -- and now a target of evil predators. "The Last Girl" is an original and
riveting novel from beginning to end, making it an unreservedly and enthusiastically
recommended addition to community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Last Girl" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Death of an Avid Reader
Frances Brody
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250067395, $25.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Lady Coulton gave up the baby that would have ruined her marriage, born when Lord Coulton
was abroad. Now that her husband is dying, she asks Kate to find Sophia. It is forty years since
the ghost of a dead librarian haunted the old library, yet the stories have begun again. Kate does
not believe in ghosts but obligingly takes part in a ceremony to expel the restless spirit.
Shockingly, there is a body in the basement, strangled, and covered in dusty volumes from a
fallen bookcase. It is Dr. Potter, a mathematician. Dr. Potter's body is taken away. The police find
a sick man sheltering in the basement. He is an Italian, Umberto, an organ grinder and owner of a
lively Capuchin monkey. Umberto becomes the prime suspect and will be charged with murder.
Kate goes with Umberto to the infirmary. But he is too weak to be a suspect. And now Kate must
set out to find the real culprit! A deftly crafted and simply riveting novel from beginning to end,
"Death of an Avid Reader" showcases author Frances Brody impressively originality and
complete master of the genre. While unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of dedicated mystery buffs that "Death of an Avid Reader" is also available in a paperback
edition (9781250067500, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
The Christian Studies Shelf
Thomas and the Thomists
Romanus Cessario, OP & Cajetan Cuddy, OP
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
http://fortresspress.com
9781506405957, $39.00, PB, 170pp, www.amazon.com
Romanus Cessario, OP, is a fellow of the Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas and a
professor of theology at St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts. Cajetan Cuddy, OP, is
completing a doctorate in sacred theology at the Universite de Fribourg in Switzerland. In
"Thomas and the Thomists: The Achievement of Thomas Aquinas and His Interpreters" they
effectively collaborate to produce a new volume in the outstanding Fortress Press 'Mapping the
Tradition' series. "Thomas and the Thomists" effectively serves as an introduction to the life of
Thomas Aquinas, the major contours of his teaching, and the lasting contribution he made to
Christian thought. Together, Romanus Cessario and Cajetan Cuddy also outline the history of the
Thomist tradition from the medieval era through revival in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. "Thomas and the Thomists" is an impressively informed and informative volume that
affords its readers a working guide to understanding the history of Aquinas and his expositors as
well as to grasping their significance for us today. While very highly recommended for seminary,
community, and academic library Christian Studies collections in general, and Thomas Aquinas
supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Thomas and the
Thomists" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.86).
Salvation in Continuity
Mothy Varkey
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
http://fortresspress.com
9781506425061, $79.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
It is clear that according to Matthew's Gospel, Jesus came to "save his people from their sins"
(1:21), to "give his life as a ransom for many" (20:28), to have his blood "poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins" (26:28). But if salvation as promised in 1:21 is achieved only through
Jesus' death, asks Mothy Varkey (who is honorary postdoctoral associate at Murdoch University,
Australia, where he also completed his dissertation under the direction of William Loader), are
the twenty-five preceding chapters merely preamble? Varkey argues, to the contrary, that the key
theme of salvation in the Gospel is presented by Matthew as being in continuity with God's
saving acts in the history of the Jewish people. Further, Varkey insists that, as a consequence of
this theology of continuity, Jesus' death on the cross represents just one of the many ways in
which the Gospel presents God's salvific deeds. The death of Jesus, while unique due to his
ontological status as Son of God, should not be distinguished too sharply from his saving acts
during his earthly ministry, which took the form of salvific teaching of the Torah, healings,
exorcisms, and forgiving of sins. The result is a narrative emphasizing the continuity of salvation
throughout Jesus' life, reaching into Israel's past, and beyond into the work of the disciples. An
impressively erudite work of theological scholarship, "Salvation in Continuity: Reconsidering
Matthew's Soteriology" is unreservedly recommended for seminary, college, and university
library Christian Studies collections.
Grieving a Suicide
Albert Y. Hsu
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830844937, $16.00, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Suicide raises heartrending questions: Why did this happen? Why didn't we see it coming? Could
we have done anything to prevent it? How can we go on? After his father's death by suicide,
Albert Hsu wrestled with the intense emotional and theological questions surrounding suicide.
While acknowledging that there are no easy answers, In "Grieving a Suicide: A Loved One's
Search for Comfort, Answers, and Hope" he draws on the resources of the Christian faith to point
suicide survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future. For those
who have lost a loved one to suicide and for their counselors and pastors, "Grieving a Suicide" is
an essential companion for the journey toward healing. This newly revised edition incorporates
updated statistics, has expanded resources for suicide prevention and mental health ministry, and
now includes a discussion guide for suicide survivor groups. While unreservedly recommended,
especially for seminary, community, and academic library Christian Studies collections in
general, and Death & Dying supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for
ministers, counselors, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Grieving a Suicide" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Saint Benedict for Boomers
Christine M. Fletcher
The Liturgical Press
2950 Saint John's Road, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814647028, $16.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com
"Saint Benedict for Boomers: Wisdom for the Next Stage of Life" by Christine M. Fletcher
(Associate Professor of Theology at Benedictine University and an Oblate of St. Procopius
Abbey, Lisle, Illinois) is based on the idea that no one can retire from being a Christian; we are to
love God and our neighbor throughout our life. And it recognizes that aging presents us with
change, loss, and death, as well as new growth and opportunities for deep gladness and peace.
The Christian vocation is valid when we are healthy and strong and when we are weak and sick.
Taking Saint Benedict of Nursia as a guide, Professor Fletcher insists that those in the autumn of
their lives still have much to contribute to society and to those around them, even when they are
ill and dependent. Benedict's wisdom is perennial, and it remains helpful to those who negotiate
new challenges in living well, preserving bodily health, discerning purpose in new stages of
living, deepening faith, and ultimately, facing sickness and death. Inspired and inspiring, "Saint
Benedict for Boomers" is unreservedly recommended to the attention of all members of the
Christian community.
The Rule of Benedict
Jane Tomaine
Skylight Paths Publishing
Sunset Farms Offices, Route 4
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
www.skylightpaths.com
9781594736322, $16.00, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Many people today are realizing that the cultural focus on competition, success, acquisition and
constant busyness is ultimately not satisfying. They hunger for a way of life that has more lasting
value and deeper meaning. For centuries, people within and outside Christianity have turned to
the writings of Benedict of Nursia, a sixth-century monk committed to shaping a life of humility
and compassion, to guide their spiritual lives. His Rule speaks profoundly to our contemporary
search for spiritual grounding. Anglican laywoman and writer Esther de Waal says that
Benedict's Rule helps her know "how to be human now today, tomorrow and for the rest of my
life". "The Rule of Benedict: Christian Monastic Wisdom for Daily Living--Selections Annotated
& Explained" by Episcopal priest and retreat leader Jane Tomaine is an accessible introduction to
the Rule of Benedict, intended for readers unfamiliar with Benedictine monasticism, and presents
the Rule as a guide to a God-centered, balanced approach to life. "The Rule of Benedict" shows
us how to use Benedict's wisdom to build relationships and communities formed by love and
respect."The Rule of Benedict" offers historical background and personal reflections on
Benedictine topics such as living in the present moment, balance, finding God in everyday life,
individual and community prayer, hospitality, and healthy approaches to work and service.
Highly recommended for church, seminary, and academic library Christian Studies collections in
general, and Benedictine supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted that "The
Rule of Benedict" is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.07).
Imaginative Prayer
Jared Patrick Boyd
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830846252, $19.00, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
How can Christian parents help their children to connect with God? Most parents want their kids
to learn to love God. But most of struggle to facilitate real spiritual experiences. It's hard enough
to have a meaningful conversation with children about spiritual things, let alone help them
experience true transformation in the presence of God. In "Imaginative Prayer: A Yearlong Guide
for Your Child's Spiritual Formation", Jared Patrick Boyd (a pastor, spiritual director, and
founder of The Order of Sustainable Faith -- a missional monastic order for the 21st century)
discovered that children's spiritual formation is rooted in the imagination. When parents lead
their children through guided times of imaginative prayer, they can experience a connection with
God that transcends mere Bible knowledge or doctrinal content. "Imaginative Prayer" is unique
and 'user friendly' resource that provides six units of weekly guided imaginative prayer, themed
around core topics: God's love, loving others, forgiveness, God as king, the good news of God,
and the mission of God. Each unit has six sessions, providing a year long experience of spiritual
formation for children ages five to thirteen. Through imaginative prayer, parents can help their
child connect with God. As they do so, they may find themselves connecting more closely with
their children, and their own formation as a parent will deepen into greater awareness of God's
work in there daily lives. As inspired and inspiring as it is exceptionally well organized and
presented, and while very highly recommended for all members of the Christian community
regardless of denominational affiliation, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Imaginative Prayer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.25).
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
The Life of My Teacher
The Dali Lama, author
Gavin Kitty, translator
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
www.wisdompubs.org
9781614293323, $34.95, HC, 480pp, www.amazon.com
The Sixth Ling Rinpoche (1903 - 83) was a towering figure in Tibetan Buddhism. Combining
great learning with great humility, he was ordained by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and went on to
serve as the head of the Geluk tradition and as the senior tutor to the present Dalai Lama. In
temperament and wisdom, he had a profound influence on the current Dalai Lama's spiritual
development, and he became a steadying presence for His Holiness during the chaotic changes
that defined the Tibetan experience of the twentieth century, with the invasion of their county by
Communist forces and the subsequent rebuilding of their culture in India. Ling Rinpoche's
extensive travels among exiled communities abroad and across India buoyed the spirits of the
Tibetan diaspora, and the training and activities of this consummate Buddhist master, here told
by the Dalai Lama himself in the traditional Tibetan style, will inspire and amaze. Ably translated
into English for an American readership by Gavin Kitty, "The Life of My Teacher: A Biography
of Kyabje Ling Rinpoche" is enriched with more than one hundred archival photos that
wonderfully illustrate an impressively informative text. While unreservedly recommended for
both community and academic library Buddhist Studies collections and supplemental studies
reading lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Life of My Teacher" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Pagan Portals: The Crane Bag
Joanna Van Der Hoeven
Moon Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785355738, $10.95, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Joanna van der Hoeven is a practicing Druid and the cofounder of Druid College UK. In "Pagan
Portals: The Crane Bag: A Druid's Guide to Ritual Tools and Practices" she draws upon her years
of experience and expertise to write a truly 'user friendly' introduction to the ritual tools and
practices found in the Druid tradition. Held deeply within Celtic mythology, the crane bag is both
a symbol of sovereignty, as well as an item containing the ritual tools of the Druid. With the
proper use, it can further the Druid in working with the tides of nature, finding his or her own
place in the environment, living in balance, harmony and peace. In ritual, these tools and
practices can guide one to deeper levels of meaning and understanding within the tradition,
helping the Druid on his or her journey through life and towards integration with the natural
world. Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally well organized and presented,
"Pagan Portals: The Crane Bag" is especially recommended for the novice student of Druidic
Lore and would prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to personal,
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 Druidic
Lore that "Pagan Portals: The Crane Bag" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$4.61).
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
A New Basis for Animal Ethics
Bernard E. Rollin
University of Missouri Press
113 Heinkel Bldg., 201 S. 7th St., Columbia, MO 65211
www.umsystem.edu/upress
9780826221018, $40.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Author Bernard E. Rollin is the University Distinguished Professor at Colorado State University. "A New Basis for Animal Ethics: Telos
and Common Sense" is the culmination of Professor Rollin's forty years of theorizing about the
moral status of animals, explicates and justifies society's moral obligation to animals in terms of
the commonsense metaphysics and ethics of Aristotle's concept of telos. Professor Rollin uses
this concept to assert that humans have a responsibility to treat animals ethically. Aristotle used
the concept, from the Greek word for "end" or "purpose", as the core explanatory concept for the
world we live in. The basic foundational concept is that we understand what an animal is by what
it does. That this is the nature of an animal, and helps us understand our obligations to animals.
Informative, insightful, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "A New Basis for
Animal Ethics" is an impressive work of outstanding scholarship and unreservedly recommended
for both community 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 is that "A New
Basis for Animal Ethics" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.49).
Whose Dog Are You?
Martin Wallen
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781611862584, $49.95, HC, 182pp, www.amazon.com
The intriguing question in the title comes from an inscription on the collar of a dog Alexander
Pope gave to the Prince of Wales. When Pope wrote the famous couplet "I am his Highness' Dog
at Kew, / Pray tell me Sir, whose Dog are You?" the question was received as an expression of
loyalty. That was an era before there were dog breeds and, not coincidentally, before people were
generally believed to develop affectionate bonds with dogs. "The Aesthetics of Modern
Human-Canine Relations" by Martin Wallen (Professor in the English department at Oklahoma
State University) is an interdisciplinary study that focuses on the development of dog breeds in
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Beginning with the Foxhound (the first modern breed)
Professor Wallen examines the aesthetic, political, and technological forces that generate modern
human-canine relations. These forces have colluded over the past two hundred years to impose
narrow descriptions of human-canine relations and to shape the dogs physically into acceptable
and recognizable breeds. The largest question in animal studies today is how alterity affects
human-animal relations. This cannot be fully considered until the two approaches to this question
are understood as complements of one another: one beginning from aesthetics, the other from
technology. Most of all, "Whose Dog Are You?" asks if we can engage with dogs in ways that
allow them to remain dogs. Featuring sixteen pages of Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a
three page Index, "Whose Dog Are You?" is an original and seminal work of simply outstanding
scholarship and will prove to be of immense and enduring interest to both academia and
non-professional general readers with an interest in the history of dog breeding and human/canine
relations. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Pets/Wildlife collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Whose Dog Are
You?" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.63).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The Alzheimer's Medical Advisor
Philip D. Sloane, MD
Sunrise River Press
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.sunriseriverpress.com
9781934716663, $26.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Dr. Philip Sloane is a geriatrician with over 35 years of experience managing and researching
issues related to older persons, with a focus on Alzheimer's disease and related cognitive
disorders and those who assist them with care and services. In "The Alzheimer's Medical
Advisor: A Caregiver's Guide to Common Medical and Behavioral Signs and Symptoms in
Persons with Dementia" he draws upon his professional experience and expertise to provide a
resource for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, the people who
provide support for a variety of medical conditions and dementia-related behaviors. "The
Alzheimer's Medical Advisor " contains information on more than 50 medical and behavioral
conditions that caregivers often address. Each condition is presented in an easy-to-follow,
two-page guide that provides basic facts; signs that indicate a possible emergency; practical
guidance when conferring with health care professionals; and tips on providing relief in the
home. Additional sections address how to best manage visits to medical offices, emergency
departments, hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living residences. Also, an entire chapter is
devoted to how caregivers can take care of their own health and safety while helping someone
with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Based on the latest clinical knowledge and
scientific research, "The Alzheimer's Medical Advisor" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, community, and academic library Health/Medicine collections in general, and
Alzheimer's supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Lifelong Yoga
Sage Rountree & Alexandra Desiato
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623171438, $19.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Sage Rountree is a preeminent yoga authority for athletes, a yoga teacher trainer, and an
endurance sports coach with certifications from USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and the Road
Runners' Club of America. Alexandra Desiato is a seasoned teacher of yoga and an expert Pilates
instructor who has taught several athletic teams at the University of North Carolina, including the
football team, men's basketball team, and women's rowing team. Together they draw upon their
many years of experience and expertise to produce a comprehensive and thoroughly 'user
friendly' instruction guide for students and practitioners of Yoga. This is a form of exercise that
offers vital tools for healthy aging: strength, flexibility, balance, and peace of mind. A unique and
effective 'how to' manual, "Lifelong Yoga' describe the poses and routines that can help keep
people of any age fit and injury free. In addition to demonstrating simple ways to maintain and
even increase our ability to be active into our 50s, 60s, and beyond. Profusely and effectively
illustrated throughout, "Lifelong Yoga" offer poses and routines aimed toward specific goals,
such as improving balance, maintaining strength and flexibility, and recovering properly between
workouts. Each fully illustrated sequence is introduced with a brief overview of its benefits,
along with modifications and options suited to individual requirements. "Lifelong Yoga" also
features sequences that help support specific activities such as running, swimming, or golf, as
well as yard work, travel, and caring for grandchildren. An essential and easy-to-follow guide,
"Lifelong Yoga" offers key practices for maintaining and improving physical and mental
well-being throughout a lifetime. While very highly recommended for both community and
academic library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Yoga supplemental studies reading
lists in particular, it should be noted for yoga students and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Lifelong Yoga" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Pearls Hogs the Road
Stephan Pastis
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449483661, $18.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com
Pearls Hogs the Road provides black and white and a peppering of color cartoon panels to
celebrate all the classic characters from the popular Pearls Before Swine comic strip, and is
recommended for both newcomers to the comic and, especially, prior fans. All the favorite
characters are gathered here, from Pig and Rat to the alligator clan. Wry comments on life range
from finding life's purpose and preparing for a natural disaster with a survival kit of beer and hot
dogs to using a smartphone camera to best advantage. The result is a zany series of
tongue-in-cheek humor, wordplay, and animal magic that will delight any fan of Pastis and his
whimsical comic world; very highly recommended for a wide age range.
She and Her Cat
Story by Makoto Shinkai
Art by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781945054402 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com
She and Her Cat is a black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) about a young woman who
lives alone with her cat Chobi. Told primarily from Chobi's perspective, the complete-in-one-
volume story addresses the troubles and loneliness that come with independence. Heartfelt and
poignant, She and Her Cat is a touching, emotional story, and highly recommended for manga
connoisseurs and public library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that She
and Her Cat is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.15).
Stardrop: Home in Time
Mark Oakley
I Box Publishing
iboxpublishing.com
9781926496054 $9.95
Stardrop: Home in Time is the third black-and-white graphic novel in an all-ages series blending
otherworldly sci-fi and the joys and tribulations of everyday life. Space princess Ashelle and
galatic noblewoman Lady Kytanna have settled into small-town life on Earth, but that doesn't
preclude wacky antics, or even time-travel! In volume 3, Kytanna's genius boyfriend Tom desires
to explore the larger universe beyond the confines of his native Earth; the time-traveling defender
Jenny Mysterious gets tired of being broke; and then galactic invasion fleet appears on the Earth's
horizon! Can space Ashelle, Kytanna, Jenny and their friends turn back an entire space amada
before the Earth is burned to cinders? A charming series with highlights of comedy and
excitement, Stardrop: Home in Time is a choice pick for both personal reading lists and public
library graphic novel collections. Also highly recommended are the first two graphic novels in
the series, "Stardrop" (9780968102572, $9.95) and "Stardrop: A Place to Hang My Space Suit"
(9780968102589, $9.95).
Pride of the Decent Man
T.J. Kirsch
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
c/o Independent Publishers Group (dist.)
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.ipgbook.com
9781681121208 $19.99 www.nbmpub.com
Pride of the Decent Man is a full color graphic novel about the struggle for redemption, set in
upstate New York. Andrew Peters had a tough childhood, and his best friend persuades him to
assist in a robbery - with dire consequences. In prison, Andrew learns that he has a daughter, and
he resolves to reform himself in order to become a decent man and a good father; but the road to
redemption is not easy. Poignant and powerful, Pride of the Decent Man is highly recommended
for both personal and public library graphic novel collections.
The Wendy Project
Osborne Fish
Papercutz
160 Broadway, Suite 700E, New York, NY 10038
www.papercutz.com
9781629917696 $12.99 amazon.com
The Wendy Project is a graphic novel that subtly deconstructs and reinterprets the classic Peter
Pan fable. 16-year-old Wendy accidentally crashes her car in a lake with her two brothers inside;
when she awakes in a hospital, she is told that her younger brother Michael is dead. Yet she is
certain that she saw him fly away in the custody of a mysterious boy, who strongly resembles
Peter Pan. Fantasy, reality, and survivor's guilt blur in her mind as she begins to see the people
around her as characters from "Neverland". The Wendy Project shifts colors between black-and-
white of the everyday world and the fantastic colors of the Neverland world, and is at once both
beautiful and heartrending. The Wendy Project is highly recommended for readers of all ages, as
well as school and public library graphic novel collections.
Reed Crandall: Illustrator of the Comics
Roger Hill
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605490779, $49.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
From the 1940s to the 1970s, Reed Crandall brought a unique and masterful style to American
comic art. Using an illustrator's approach on everything he touched, Crandall gained a reputation
as the "artist's artist" through his skillful interpretations of Golden Age super-heroes Doll Man,
The Ray, and Blackhawk (his signature character); horror and sci-fi for the legendary EC Comics
line; Warren Publishing's Creepy, Eerie, and Blazing Combat; the THUNDER Agents, Edgar
Rice Burroughs characters; and even Flash Gordon for King Features. In "Reed Crandall:
Illustrator of the Comics" comic art historian Roger Hill has compiled a complete and extensive
history of Crandall's life and career, from his early years and major successes, through his tragic
decline and passing in 1982. "Reed Crandall: Illustrator of the Comics" is a full-color
compendium that includes never-before-seen photos, a wealth of rare and unpublished artwork,
and a comprehensive and deftly crafted insight into one of the true illustrators of American comic
books. An extraordinary biography of a major American comic book artist, "Reed Crandall:
Illustrator of the Comics" is a seminal and core addition for both community and academic
library 20th Century American Popular Art collections -- and a 'must' for the legions of Reed
Crandall fans.
Molly and the Bear
Bob Scott
Cameron + Company
149 Kentucky Street, Suite 7, Petaluma, CA 94952
www.cameronbooks.com
9781937359850, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
It can be tough on a family when someone new has moved in, especially if it's a 900-pound
scaredy-bear so terrified of wilderness life that he's fled to the burbs. Fortunately Bear was found
by Molly, a fearlessly optimistic 11-year-old girl who has taken him firmly in hand, devoted to
seeing her hirsute BFF cope with modern life. Molly's Mom is happy with the new sibling --
Bear's an excellent conversationalist and loves her homemade cookies. But Dad is having a
harder time, his role as center of the universe now shared with an ursine behemoth who,
unfortunately, adores him. "Molly and the Bear" is comprised of the popular syndicated comic
strip created by Disney Animation artist Bob Scott, whose illustrious career has spanned over
three decades and has included projects ranging from Warner Brother's Bugs Bunny cartoons to
Pixar's 'The Incredibles' and 'Ratatouille'! A wonderfully entertaining read from cover to cover,
"Molly and the Bear" is highly recommended for community library collections and the personal
reading lists of anyone of any age who appreciates original and consistently imaginative comic
strip style humor!
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, Glory of the Losers 1
Story by Katsuyuki Sumizawa
Art by Tomofumi Ogasawara
Original concept by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781945054341 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, Glory of the Losers 1 is the first graphic novel in a
new retelling of Gundam Endless Waltz, a science fiction epic about violent war among
spacefaring humans who use supremely powerful, piloted robots as deadly weapons. Taking
place at the same time as the Gundam Wing anime (Japanese animation) television series,
Endless Waltz, Glory of the Losers incorporates light novel and manga side-stories into the main
Endless Waltz plot, the better to weave the multifaceted, character-driven war saga of Gundam
Wing into a unified narrative. Set in the year A.C. (After Colony) 195, the story is about how the
United Earth Sphere Alliance's exercise of near-totalitarian control over some of its colonies has
prompted a growing rebellion. But if "Operation Meteor" takes flight, the cost in innocent lives
could be inhumanly staggering! As is characteristic of the Gundam series, Endless Waltz, Glory
of the Losers does not downplay the horrors of war, and is highly recommended for connoisseurs
of military science fiction (with weaponized giant robots)!
The Audiobook Shelf
Jefferson's Garden
Timberlake Wertenbaker
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
9781682660430 $29.95 www.latw.org
Jefferson's Garden is an audiobook rendition of the full-cast, live performance of a play about
America's Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, set primarily during the years from 1776 to the
1790's. The performance by a cast of talented actors is the next best thing to personally
witnessing Jefferson's Garden acted on a stage. Sharply focusing on the shocking contrast
between the lofty principles in America's Declaration of Independence, and the cruel reality of
continued slavery in American colonies, Jefferson's Garden is highly recommended, especially
for personal and public library audiobook collections. 2 CDs, 1 hour 54 min.
Oroonoko
Aphra Behn, author
Read by Clare Wille
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
9781781980545 $22.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com
Oroonoko is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a groundbreaking novel, originally published
in 1688, by one of the first female professional writers of England. The story is a slave narrative,
following Oroonoko, a valiant royal prince who is betrayed, robbed of his status, and sold into
slavery. His kingly nature continues to burn within, but his unwillingness to submit comes at
terrible cost. Controversial in its day for its condemnation of slavery, and its vivid portrayal of
shocking violence, Oroonoko remains a classic work of literature, highly recommended
especially for public and college library collections. 3 CDs, 3 hours 3 min. 22 sec.
Video Game Plotline Tester
Michael Atamanov
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9781515969334, $24.99, CD, www.amazon.com
Would you be prepared to work for free? How would you like to bust your hump for a large
corporation sixty-plus hours a week without a wage or a single day off for the vague promise of
some mysterious perks in the distant future? You'd refuse point blank, wouldn't you? But what if
the job in question was playing a state-of-the-art fantasy MMORPG game? And what if this was
the only thing you're really good at? Especially considering that your in-game partner is someone
really special to you-and this person already lives a virtual life? Knowing all this, would you
consider the mysterious future bonus worth your while? "Video Game Plotline Tester" is the
original and impressively engaging story of a man and his sister who are dedicated role play
gamers in an age where virtual reality machines can, quite literally, put them into the game in the
form of avatar characters (he is a goblin, she is a kind of fairy) who find themselves involved
with a cast of characters that range from trolls, to magicians, to assassins. There are two kinds of
inhabitants in the virtual game of Boundless World -- NPCs (computer creations) and the
Undying (humans who role play). Brought vividly to life in a true theatre of the mind experience
by the narrative skills of Eric Michael Summer, "Video Game Plotline Tester" by Michael
Atamanov is the first volume of the author's 'The Dark Herbalist' series, and especially
commended to the attention of anyone who has ever had to level up a character in a fantasy role
play game!
Dragonsworn
Sherrilyn Kenyon
www.sherrilynkenyon.com
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781511363228 $29.99 www.brillianceaudio.com
Dragonsworn is the unabridged MP3 audiobook (plays on MP3-CD enabled players or transfers
to portable devices) of a dark fantasy about the savage conflict between gods, dragons, and
mortals. The cursed dragon Falcyn harbors endless rage and vengeance toward humanity in
general, and Greek humans in particular, while the Greek god Apollo cruelly dishes out the curse
of death and virulent plague as he pleases. Apollo's granddaughter Medea has also been cursed to
die, but her will is not crushed; to protect her people, she seeks a trump card held by a dragon
that yearns to unleash Armageddon! A striking, fantastic saga featuring a passionate and
resourceful heroine, Dragonsworn is highly recommended. 1 MP3 CD, 9 hours 19 min.
Comanche Trail
Ralph Compton, author
Tom Stechschulte, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781490681269, $TBA, CD, www.recordedbooks.com
Thad Taylor is no one's idea of a fine man. Usually drunk and shiftless, he's disapproved of by
most-especially his father. But when his father doesn't return from a trip across the Kansas plains,
Thad is the only one who can search for him. And he's far from ready for the ordeal. Because his
father is already dead. He has fallen victim to the bloody Benders-a demented family who lures
travelers into their cabin way station only to rob and brutally murder them. Now, for his father's
memory, Thad, accompanied by an expected friend, must hunt the most lethal Benders down and
deliver them either to the law-or to the grave. The problem is that the last surviving and utterly
evil Bender is a woman! Impressively narrated by Tom Stechschulte, "Comanche Trail" is
another thrilling western that continues to showcase author Ralph Compton's originality and
mastery of the genre -- making it certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community
library complete and unabridged audio book collections. (7 CDs, 8.25 Hours).
The Library CD Shelf
Flying Solo Silhouette
Ann Sweeten
Annsweeten.com
Orange Band Records
$16.00 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
Flying Solo Silhouette is the first original solo piano album by composer Ann Sweeten, drawn
from her music at created over ten years and five previous albums. Each of the tracks has been
re-created as solo piano pieces for the first time, arranged in a playlist that naturally flows and is
pleasing to the ear. Every composition has been remixed and remastered, transforming Flying
Solo Silhouette into its own unique expression. Elegant, transformative, and inspirational, Flying
Solo Silhouette is highly recommended for both personal and public library solo piano music
collections. The tracks are "A Light Rain" (4:56), "Dawn on Red Mountain" (4:48), "Veil of
Tears" (4:48), "Elysian Fields" (5:00), "Afterglow" (4:11), "Nikki's Song" (3:57), "December
Snow" (4:40), "Broken Wing at North Light" (4:38), "Eclipse" (5:28), "The Hourglass" (5:38),
"Falling Leaves" (5:03), and "On Wings of Light".
Morning Sun: Adventures with Oboe
Paul McCandless with Paul Winter Consort
www.paulwinter.com
Living Music
$15.00 CD / $8.99 download
Morning Sun: Adventures with Oboe is an anthology of recordings made by double-reed master
Paul McCandless and seven-time Grammy winning group the Paul Winter Consort over the
course of 45 years. Intended as both a historical retrospective and as a tribute, Morning Sun:
Adventures with Oboe is a treasure, enhanced with a 32-page album booklet chronicling the Paul
Winter Consort's history through the eyes of Paul Winter himself. Morning Sun: Adventures with
Oboe is a mellifluous "must", highly recommended for both personal and public library music
collections. The tracks are "All the Mornings Bring", "Elves' Chasm", "Bright Angel", "Whooper
Dance", "On the Steppes of Central Asia", "Witchi Tai To", "Sunset on the Great Sand Dunces",
"Um Abraco (A Big Hug)", "Anabela", "Sunderland", "Eagle", "Common Ground", "Twilight",
"The Last Train", "Fantasia in G", and "Morning Sun". 66 min.
Miyo Kekisepa, Make A Stand
Northern Cree
Canyon Records Productions
1761 West University Drive, Suite 145, Tempe, AZ 85281-3220
$14.98 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.canyonrecords.com
Miyo Kekisepa, Make A Stand: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Red Mountain is from 7-time
Grammy nominee Northern Cree, a group known for their Pow-Wow and Round Dance singing,
and their commitment to their Cree culture, language, and traditions. The songs embody strength,
love, and a way of life expressed with unfettered fervor. Miyo Kekisepa, Make A Stand is a
choice pick for traditional Native American music collections, enthusiastically recommended.
The tracks are "Dancers Only" (4:47), "Old Yeller" (5:23), "Angel Star" (3:20), "Old-Time
Straight Song" (3:41), "TreyJam" (4:27), "Hop to the Drop (Crow Hop)" (3:11), "Str8-2 Vegas"
(3:02), "#TicTac Adventures" (4:10), "Cheezy Legs (Crow Hop)" (3:15), "Don't Forget It" (3:55),
"nimihito awasis ('Dancing Child')" (5:31), and "Red Mountain Royalty" (5:37).
Canyon Records Productions
1761 West University Drive, Suite 145, Tempe, AZ 85281-3220
$14.98 each www.canyonrecords.com
Two albums published by Canyon Records, each by a talented master of the Native American
flute, provide a serene and wondrous audio experience. "Purify" by Tony Duncan melds cedar
and cane flutes into a balance that promotes inner peace and harmony, ideal for accompanying
yoga, massage, or meditation. "Gratitude", the debut recording of Jonah Littlesunday, accents
Native American flute playing with an occasional light touch from Native percussion, and draws
the listener in to its musical theme of unity, peace, and respect for the land itself. Both are a
treasure for connoisseurs of flute music, and highly recommended for both personal and public
library collections.
Before Breakfast
The Grascals
grascals.com
Mountain Home Music Company
mountainhomemusiccompany.com
$9.79 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
The latest album by three-time Grammy-nominated band The Grascals, Before Breakfast is a
celebration of guitar, clawhammer banjo, and cherished popular bluegrass and country songs. A
treasury of top-notch talent, Before Breakfast is highly recommended for both personal and
public library music collections. The tracks are "Sleepin' with the Reaper", "Demons", "Delia",
"I've Been Redeemed", "Lonesome", "Beer Tree", "Pathway of Teardrops", "Lynchburg Chicken
Run", "He Took Your Place", "Lost and Lonesome", "There Is You", and "Clear Corn
Liquor".
Juntos
ESSO Afrojam Funkbeat
Privately Published
$TBA www.essoafrojamfunkbeat.com
Juntos is an album by ESSO Afrojam Funkbeat, an eclectic group of musicians with a unique
spin on afrobeat funk. The original songs have a profound message about transcending divisions
of race, class, or ethnicity, reflecting the need for connection and tolerance. Juntos is lively, soul-
stirring, and highly recommended. The tracks are "Baila", "La Calle", "Mariposa Negra", "Noche
Tras Dia", "Cumbia del Encanto", "Homenaje", "Somos Hermanos", "Mi Gente", "Meet Me
Out", "Cumbia Triste", "Stone Eagle", "Sangre", and "Piramides".
Another Part of Me
Marcus Monteiro
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos (dist.)
www.naxosusa.com
$18.61 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com
Alto saxophonist Marcus Monteiro, along with John Harrison III on piano, Fernando Huergo on
bass, and Steve Langone on drums present Another Part of Me, a jazz album that draws upon
both classic and contemporary musical stylings. Original, windswept, and masterful, Another
Part of Me is a treasure for jazz connoisseurs. The tracks are "Sister Sadie" (6:03), "Adagio"
(7:28), "For Once in My Life" (5:25), "The Monteiro Backhand Var. 1" (4:14), "Easier Said Than
Done" (6:25), "Wait Till You See Her" (5:58), "Another Part of Me" (4:13), "Slammin' Around"
(5:12), "Receipt Please" (3:25), "Fell On Black Days" (4:35), "Mill Street" (7:51), "Sagg Shootin'
His Arrow" (5:11).
Traveler
Sherry Finzer and Peter Sheridan
www.sherryfinzer.com
www.lowflutes.com
Heart Dance Records
www.heartdancerecords.com
$12.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Traveler is a beautiful, collaborative album created by American New Age composer and flutist
Sherry Finzer and Australian classical low flute specialist Peter Sheridan. The original,
instrumental songs encourage relaxation, celebration, and quiet thought. Traveler embodies the
lilting joy of the flute, and is highly recommended for personal and public library instrumental
collections. The tracks are "Leaving Earth" (5:39), "Spiritual Crossing" (7:35), "Nocturnal
Dance" (13:03), "Reverence" (8:44), "Hunt on the Plains" (8:07), and "Joy" (5:26).
Surface
The Ellameno Beat
www.theellamenobeat.com
$TBA CD / $7.99 download cdbaby.com
Surface is the debut full-length music album of The Ellameno Beat, which consists of Reggie
Froom, James Rosenblit on drums, Dylon Hixon on bass, Matt Diamond on trumpet and vocals,
and Walker Brantingham on keyboards. Surface is a deeply introspective album, fostering
contemplation and expansion of the mind. Original and superbly beautiful, Surface is an
extraordinary soundscape, highly recommended. The tracks are "Bumpy Road", "One of Us",
"Half Empty", "Muse", "Distance", "Momentary Light", "Take Me Away", "Used to Be", "Grow
On", and "Last Call (feat. Signal Fire)".
The Light
Ammoye
http://ammoyemusic.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $12.49 MP3 amazon.com
Nominated three times for a Juno award (Canada's answer to the Grammys), The Light is
Jamaican-Canadian singer-songwriter Ammoye's latest album. Ammoye is particularly
noteworthy as a reggae star, since she is one of very few female performers in a male-dominated
genre. The Light carries a profound message of love, conveyed in roots reggae with a dash of
electro-pop and sprinkle of R&B, and also reflects Ammoye's deep spiritual belief in God's
universal presence. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Bloody Fire" (4:06), "Outta Town"
(3:54), "Are You Ready" (3:00), "Soul Rebel" (3:10), "Jah Jah" (5:24), "Good Vibez" (4:26),
"Honeymoon" (4:02), "Cool Gypsy Island" (3:59), "The Light" (3:26), "Reggae Rockit Boy"
(3:28), "Oneness" (5:02), "Salvation/Redemption" (4:51), "Where Do We Go" (4:07), "Guns Off
the Street (Wedda Man)" (3:29), "Don't Count Me Out" (4:31), "Don't Count Me Out (Dub
Version)" (4:33), "Inna Di Ghetto" (3:52), "Sorry" (3:55), and "Shooting" (3:34).
The Library DVD Shelf
The Churchills
Presented by David Starkey
Athena
c/o Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$34.99 www.acornonline.com
Historian David Starkey presents The Churchills, a three-episode documentary on DVD about
two of Britain's greatest war leaders. Winston Churchill stood against Adolf Hitler during World
War II, and Winston's ancestor John Churchill, opposed an earlier tyrant - the "Sun King" Louis
XIV of France. Winston Churchill, a writer and historian before he was Prime Minister, drew
inspiration from his ancestor, and composed a gigantic biography of John Churchill titled
"Marlborough: His Life and Times". Starkey proposes that the decade Winston spent working on
Marlborough is a pivotal aspect of what transformed and prepared him for the monumental task
of leading Britain against Nazi Germany. The Churchills is an extraordinary and fascinating
documentary, highly recommended especially for public and college library DVD collections. 1
DVD, 3 episodes, 150 min.
Louise by the Shore
With the voice of France Castel
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Louise by the Shore is an animated movie for all ages, about 75-year-old Louise who misses the
last train out of a small, seaside resort town. An extremely heavy rainstorm floods the streets, and
the next day she discovers that the town is deserted. Louise survives by herself in dreamlike
solitude, encountering only a talking dog and memories from her past. Bordering on the surreal,
Louise by the Shore is beautiful, introspective, and highly recommended for both personal and
public library DVD collections. 75 min.
Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef
Bennett Watt HD Productions, Inc.
13021 - 244th Avenue SE, Issaquah, WA 98027
9781604902136 $24.95 www.Bennett-Watt.com
Part of the excellent Discoveries... America National Parks series of high-definition video essays,
Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef: Cedar Breaks, Glen Canyon & Rainbow Bridge reveals a
wealth of beautiful national parks found in Utah. From the multi-hued sandstone cliffs of Zion, to
the geologic monocline known as Waterpocket Fold at Capitol Reef, to the subalpine forest of
Cedar Breaks and more, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef is utterly breathtaking, and the next
best thing to experiencing the natural splendor of Utah's parks in person. Highly recommended,
especially for armchair travelers and public library DVD collections. 51 min.
Delicious, Series 1
Starring Dawn French, Emilia Fox, and Iain Glen
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$34.99 www.acornonline.com
Delicious, Series 1 is a television drama on DVD following the glamors and tribulations of
interpersonal relationships. Professional chef Leo Vincent's current wife begins to fear that Leo is
having an affair, and she turns to Leo's first wife for advice - an act that kicks off a gathering
storm of dark secrets and scandals. Is there any hope of reconciliation or friendship in the wake
of harsh words and emotional devastation? World-class cuisine and gorgeous Cornwall scenery
enrich this enjoyable drama-comedy series, highly recommended. Bonus materials include a brief
(7 min.) behind-the-scenes featurette and photo gallery. 4 episodes, 185 min. plus bonus,
widescreen, SDH subtitles.
Dominion Creek Series 2
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 www.acornonline.com
Set in Yukon's remote yet beautiful Klondike Valley during the 1890s gold rush, Dominion
Creek Series 2 continues the television series following the endeavors of the Connolly clan. In
Series 2, eldest brother Tom resolves to build a family empire at any price; Padraig proposes
marriage to his sweetheart; and hot-blooded Seamus realizes that Tom's ambition is the key to
success. But all is not well; a crooked judge may prevent justice from being served to Captain
Pat, in spite of the callous murder that Pat committed. As lawlessness rises and typhoid extracts a
deadly toll, Padraig must make a terrible choice between his family and the needs of the
community. Gripping and unforgettable, Dominion Creek Series 2 is highly recommended both
for personal and public library DVD collections. It should be noted that Dominion Creek Series 2
contains coarse language, graphic violence, nudity, and sexual situations. 4 episodes on 2 DVDs,
215 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.
The Heart Guy, Series 1
Starring Rodger Corser
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 www.acornonline.com
The Heart Guy, Series 1 kicks off a medical dramedy series set in rural Australia. Gifted yet
arrogant heart surgeon Hugh Knight (played by Rodger Corser) has his world upended when an
incident involving alcohol and drugs results in probation and a ban on performing surgery. Now
working as a general practitioner at an underfunded hospital, Hugh precariously adjusts to rural
life and his thrice-complicated family situation (for example, Hugh's ex-girlfriend is now married
to his younger brother). Witty and winsome, The Heart Guy, Series 1 is a "must" for
connoisseurs of medical drama! Although The Heart Guy is not rated, it does contain scenes with
strong language, sexual situations, graphic medical situations, nudity, and drug use, and is
therefore recommended for mature viewers. 10 episodes on 3 DVDs, 489 min., widescreen.
The Self-Help Shelf
An Invitation to Self-Care
Tracey Cleantis, LMFT
Hazelden Publishing
c/o Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
RW 9 PO Box 176, Center City, MN 55012-0011
www.hazelden.org/bookstore
9781616496791, $15.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
"An Invitation to Self-Care: Why Learning to Nurture Yourself Is the Key to the Life You've
Always Wanted, 7 Principles for Abundant Living" by licensed marriage and family therapist
Tracey Cleantis uncovers seven principles for care that are rooted in self-empowerment and
self-knowledge. Through personal stories and observations, exercises and quizzes, and
interviews with experts and everyday people, Tracey invites you to consider self-care across your
relationships, finances, spiritual and professional life -- and more. By accepting who we are, what
we need, and how those needs evolve over time, we create space for self-care's transformational
magic in our lives. In fact, an authentic self-care practice is the secret to the life you've always
wanted. As 'real world' practical as it is 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "An
Invitation to Self-Care" is unreservedly recommended, especially for community and academic
library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "An Invitation to Self-Care" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
The Business Shelf
Digital @ Scale
Jurgen Meffert & Anand Swaminathan
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119433743, $29.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Value in the next phase of the digital era will go to those companies that don't just try digital but
also scale it. The collaborative work of Jurgen Meffert and Anand Swaminathan (both of whom
are senior partners in Digital McKinsey and McKinsey New Ventures helping companies
leverage their technology and digital capabilities), "Digital @ Scale: The Playbook You Need to
Transform Your Company" examines what it takes for companies to break through the
gravitational pull of their legacy organizations and capture the full value of digital. Digging into
more than fifty detailed case studies and years of McKinsey experience and data, the authors,
along with a group of expert contributors, show how companies can move beyond incremental
change to transform the business where the greatest value is generated -- at its core. "Digital @
Scale" provide practical insights into the three pillars of digital transformations that successfully
scale: reinventing the business model, building out a business architecture from the customer
back into the organization, and establishing an 'amoeba' IT and organizational foundation that
learns and evolves. An ideal guide for all leaders who recognize the power and promise of a
digital transformation, "Digital @ Scale" is unreservedly recommended for corporate,
community, and academic library Contemporary Business Management collections and
supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Digital @ Scale" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Think Big Movement
Jon Dwoskin with A. J. Reilly
Waldorf Publishing
2140 Hall Johnson Road 102-345, Grapevine, TX 76051
www.waldorfpublishing.com
9781945173479, $16.95, PB, 350pp, www.amazon.com
In "The Think Big Movement", readers will follow Jacob, the main character in this business
book told as a fable, as he experiences the ups and downs of business like most business owners.
He discovers a mentor in Marc Gardner, a wildly successful, humble man who built a thriving
dental practice using true grit and tenacity. Marc takes Jacob under his wing and leads him down
the path of, not only what success means, but how to achieve it, maintain it and grow it. As Jacob
grows as a business man and as a human being, he begins to realize that the one thing he never
realized is the secret sauce of every company in the world. "The Think Big Movement" is a
unique, impressively written, accessibly organized, instructional guide filled from cover to cover
with invaluable insight on how to grow a business. It gives entrepreneurs the tools, best practices
and step-by-step guidance vital for moving a business forward, at any stage in its growth. Real
world practical, inspiring, effective, and one of the most entertaining approaches to business
education, "The Think Big Movement" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists,
as well as community and academic library Business Management collections and supplemental
studies lists.
The Travel Shelf
Drawn to the Dark
Chris Kullstroem
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455622948, $28.95, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Inspired by a fascination with fear culture, writer Chris Kullstroem left her job and home to
experience firsthand some of the world's most legendary scare shows. Under the guidance of
locals, she saw it all: attractions like the Day of the Dead, the haunts of New Zealand, and even
the mythical Krampus brought to life in the streets of Austria. Each eerie enactment evokes a
sense of wonder, demonstrating powerful emotions that transcend language and culture to reveal
a connection we all share. A lifelong Halloween, horror, and dark tourism enthusiast, Kullstroem
holds seminars on how scare venues blend history, theater, and social interaction, and she enjoys
exploring what these shows can teach us about our society and the people around us. It is
interesting to note that Kullstroem has also worked as a traveling correspondent on the radio
show Paranormal Talk. In "Drawn to the Dark: Explorations in Scare Tourism Around the
World" she draws upon her experiences and expertise to create a truly riveting read from cover to
cover. While highly recommended, especially for community and academic library Folklore &
Mythology, Customs & Traditions collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Drawn
to the Dark" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.83).
Vacation on Location, Midwest
Joey Green
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781613737255, $16.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
"Vacation on Location, Midwest: Explore the Sites Where Your Favorite Movies Were Filmed"
is the perfect guidebook for planning trips to places in the American Midwest where movies were
made. Travel author and movie buff Joey Green gives his readers detailed, chronological,
scene-by-scene breakdowns, complete with addresses and maps, for visiting sites throughout the
Midwest where some of the most popular films of all time were shot. With "Vacation on
Location, Midwest" as a guide, anyone can turn these 'visit the movie site' excursions into
full-scale vacations or making quirky side trips to enhance an appreciation of favorite movies.
The filming sites showcased include: The Blues Brothers, Home Alone, The Breakfast Club,
Hoosiers, A Christmas Story, A League of Their Own, Fargo, Paper Moon, Ferris Bueller's Day
Off, Purple Rain, Field of Dreams, The Shawshank Redemption, The Fugitive, The
Untouchables, Groundhog Day, and 29 more! While very highly recommended for both
community and academic library Travel Guide collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of dedicated movie buffs that "Vacation on Location, Midwest" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $10.97).
Take a Paddle Finger Lakes
Rich Freeman & Sue Freeman
Burford Books, Inc.
101 East State Street, #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
www.burfordbooks.com
9781580801843, $18.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Rich and Sue Freeman are long-time outdoor enthusiasts and authors of many other guides to
outdoor activities in the upstate New York. In "Take a Paddle Finger Lakes: Quiet Water for
Canoes and Kayaks in New York's Finger Lakes" they have created is a thoroughly 'user friendly'
map-filled guide for beginning and intermediate paddlers, as well as anyone else who enjoys the
unique pleasures of flat-water paddling. "Take a Paddle Finger Lakes" covers 64 specific
locations throughout the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York, with 35 ponds and lakes
and over 370 miles of streams and rivers to explore. Comprehensively detailed and 'real world'
practical, "Take a Paddle Finger Lakes" includes locations of launch and take-out sites, difficulty
level of each waterway, nearby campsites, canoe and kayak rental locations, even websites for
current water conditions, and much more. Paddle the historic Erie Canal, inlets to the majestic
Finger Lakes themselves, the broad Susquehanna River and many other classic paddles in this
region. Ideal for family paddles or a quiet day on the water, "Take a Paddle Finger Lakes" is an
indispensable guide for any canoer or kayaker in the region, highly recommended for personal
and community library Travel Guide collections, and an invaluable resource for planning day
trips or extended vacations in New York's Finger Lakes area.
The Education Shelf
Renew!
Shawna Coppola
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625311047, $21.33, www.stenhouse.com
Renew! Become a Better - and More Authentic - Writing Teacher builds upon three basic
principles - rethinking, revising, and renewing - to consider how traditional writing practices can
be rewritten for greater effect. Writing teachers receive encouragement to revise their approaches
in a book that considers how writing instruction matches student needs and interests, and which
shows how to better adjust goals. As chapters cover the process of identifying places to revise
writing instruction, they survey how to better engage modern students and how to revitalize tools
used for teaching writing. No creative writing or English teacher should be without this.
Strategies That Work, third edition
Stephanie Harvey & Anne Goudvis
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625310637, $44.93, PB, 298pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "Strategies That Work: Teaching
Comprehension for Engagement, Understanding, and Building Knowledge, Grades K-8" by
education specialists Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis offer insightful perspectives on how
to explicitly teach thinking strategies so that students become engaged, thoughtful, independent
readers. This new edition of "Strategies That Work" is comprised of thirty new lessons and new
and revised chapters that shine a light on children's thinking, curiosity, and questions. Of special
note is a new chapter on building knowledge through thinking-intensive reading and learning.
Other fully revised chapters focus on digital reading, strategies for integrating comprehension
and technology, and comprehension across the curriculum. This new edition is organized around
three sections: Part I provides readers with a solid introduction to reading comprehension
instruction, including the principles that guide practice, suggestions for text selection, and a
review of recent research that underlies comprehension instruction; Part II contains lessons to put
these principles into practice for all areas of reading comprehension; Part III shows you how to
integrate comprehension instruction across the curriculum and the school day, particularly in
science and social studies. Updated bibliographies, including the popular "Great Books for
Teaching Content," are accessible online. This third edition of "Strategies That Work" is an
essential and core addition to school district, college and university Teacher Education
instructional reference collections, as well as the personal reading lists of both new teachers and
experienced teachers alike.
Making Classroom Assessments Reliable and Valid
Robert J. Marzano
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.solution-tree.com
9781945349171, $29.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
"Making Classroom Assessments Reliable and Valid" by Robert J. Marzano (who is the
cofounder and CAO of Marzano Research in Denver, Colorado with 48 years in the field of
education) maintains that classroom assessments should become the primary method for formally
measuring student learning over other types of assessment in education. Marzano identifies and
explains the key advantages of classroom assessments over interim, end-of-course, and state
assessments in how to assess student learning and measure growth over time. Marzano also
addresses the validity and reliability of classroom assessments and how to improve those metrics
before bringing them to their rightful place in K-12 assessments. "Making Classroom
Assessments Reliable and Valid" outlines how to revamp validity and reliability to match
technical advances made in classroom assessment. Using "Making Classroom Assessments
Reliable and Valid", teachers, schools, and districts can design classroom assessments that are
equally if not more reliable and valid than traditional large-scale assessments. "Making
Classroom Assessments Reliable and Valid" covers: The history of large-scale assessments in US
education and the purpose of standardized testing; Inspects the importance of and future role of
classroom assessment; Explores the three mathematical models of reliability, as well as the three
major types of validity; Understanding the principles of assessment for learning and the
importance of measuring students individual and comparative growth; Using the provided
formulas to create classroom assessments that match traditional interim or end-of-year
assessments in reliability and validity. Impressively organized and presented from beginning to
end, "Making Classroom Assessments Reliable and Valid" is an especially recommended
addition to school district, college, and university Teacher Education collections and
supplemental studies reading lists.
Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines, second edition
Doug Buehl
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625311214, $46.67, PB, 342pp, www.amazon.com
Being literate in an academic discipline means more than simply being able to read and
comprehend text; it means you can think, speak, and write as a historian, scientist,
mathematician, or artist. Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, "Developing
Readers in the Academic Disciplines" by Doug Buehl strips away the one-size-fits-all approach
to content area literacy and presents a much-needed instructional model for disciplinary literacy,
showing how to mentor middle and high school learners to become "academic insiders" who are
college and career ready. "Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines" shows classroom
teachers how to help their students adjust their thinking to comprehend a range of complex texts
that fall outside their reading comfort zones. "Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines"
provides the following supports for teachers with respect to: Instructional tools that adapt generic
literacy practices to discipline-specific variations; Strategies for frontloading instruction to
activate and build background knowledge; New approaches for encouraging inquiry around
disciplinary texts; In-depth exploration of the role of argumentation in informational text;
Numerous examples from science, mathematics, history and social studies, English/language
arts, and related arts to show you what vibrant learning looks like in various classroom settings.
Impressively informative and insightful, "Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines" is
thoroughly 'user friendly' in its organization and presentation, making it unreservedly
recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional
reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
A Professional's Guide to Promoting Self-discovery in Youth
Lissa Masters
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398091842, $38.95, PB, 390pp, www.amazon.com
It is the premise of registered art therapist Lissa masters that education is the alchemical key to
the evolution and enlightenment of humanity. "A Professional's Guide to Promoting
Self-discovery in Youth: A Creative-Based Curriculum" is comprised of forty lessons that guide
students through an exploration of the four domains of the self: physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual. Each individual lesson provides expressive art activities to enhance the process and to
generate meaningful content. "A Professional's Guide to Promoting Self-discovery in Youth"
consists of four sections, each of which offers detailed, easy-to-read, and easy-to-follow
instructions. The contents comprising "A Professional's Guide to Promoting Self-discovery in
Youth" offer children a foundational program of self-exploration, an important support for all
other learning that will take place in preparation for adulthood. In addition, there is an extensive
appendix with templates for Healthy Eating Plate, Medicine Wheel, and a Certificate of
Participation. As well as, Group Warm-up Ideas, The Emergence of a New Educational Paradigm
in America, and Suggested Readings. "A Professional's Guide to Promoting Self-discovery in
Youth" is an unreservedly recommended curriculum textbook, especially for schools adopting
holistic principles with respect to educating their students.
Empower Your Students
Lauren Porosoff & Jonathan Weinstein
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.solution-tree.com
9781945349249, $34.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative effort of Lauren Porosoff (who teaches middle school English at the Ethical
Culture Fieldston School in Bronx, New York) and Jonathan Weinstein (who is a clinical
psychologist with the Veterans Administration), Empower Your Students: Tools to Inspire a
Meaningful School Experience, Grades 6-12" is a complete instruction manual for showing
teachers (regardless of the subject matter being taught) how to motivate their students in the
classroom, using the elements of 'EMPOWER' -- Exploration, Motivation, Participation,
Openness, Willingness, Empathy, and Resilience. By following the 'tips, tricks and techniques'
outlined in this thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional, school teachers can provide a positive,
meaningful experience in their students lives while cultivating intrinsic motivation. A highly
practical resource offering enjoyable, engaging classroom activities, as well as a number of
strategies for refining teaching practices, incorporating student values into course content,
fostering the development of soft skills, and deeply connecting with learners, "Empower Your
Students" covers: Understanding what values are and how they are different from preferences and
goals; Discovering how to help students determine which values they want to enact at school and
in life; Examining how to incorporate values work into the classroom curriculum in all
disciplines; Exploring examples of classroom experiences that highlight the importance of
student empowerment; Learning how to bring your own values to the classroom to become a
better teacher and colleague. An ideal curriculum text for school district teacher education
programs, "Empower Your Students" should be a part of every college and university library
Teacher Education instructional reference collection. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of student teachers and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Empower Your Students" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.20).
Beyond Reform
Lindsay Unified School District
Marzano Research Laboratory
555 N. Morton St., Bloomington, IN 47404
http://www.marzanoresearch.com
9781943360116, $19.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Lindsay Unified School District (LUSD), located in California's Central Valley, serves over four
thousand students in the city of Lindsay and its surrounding area. LUSD's implementation of
performance-based education has become a model and an inspiration for schools and districts
around the country. With the publication of "Beyond Reform: Systemic Shifts Toward
Personalized Learning -Shift from a Traditional Time-Based Education System to a
Learner-Centered Performance-Based System" it has created a detailed resource revealing how
Lindsay Unified took action to improve student learning by shifting from a traditional time-based
education system to a learner-centered performance-based system. By adopting and tailoring
Lindsay Unified's instructional model, you and your team can embark on your own district's
transformation toward establishing a revised education system that empowers and motivates all
students to succeed. Readers will be able to: Consider Lindsay Unified's core values and visions
for leadership, curriculum, assessment, learning, and technology; Meet Lindsay Unified students
and see how the district's performance-based system transformed their learning; Explore core
value rubrics that school staff can use to reflect on personal leadership growth, frame important
conversations, and provide feedback; Study Lindsay; Unified's instructional model, which helps
align the district's instructional decisions with its unified instructional vision; Download a free
reproducible checklist for shifting to a performance-based system and lists of recommended
strategies for ensuring a successful district transformation. A critically important and invaluable
contribution to K-12 public school administration collections on the college and university level,
it should be noted for the personal reading lists of school district administrators, school board
policy makers, classroom teachers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Beyond Reform" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.52).
The Best 382 Colleges: 2018 Edition
Robert Franek, Kristen O'Toole, David Soto
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.PrincetonReview.com
9781524710224, $24.99, PB, 880pp, www.amazon.com
The Princeton Review's college rankings started in 1992 with surveys from 30,000 students. Over
25 years and more than a million student surveys later, it is clear that there is no single "best"
college, only the best college for a particular student. This updated 2018 Edition of "The Best
382 Colleges" is the single best guide available to graduating high school students and their
parents. "The Best 382 Colleges" features 382 in-depth school profiles based on candid feedback
from 137,000 students, covering academics, administration, campus life, and financial aid, while
offering insights on unique college character, social scene, and more. Featured are: Lists of the
top 20 colleges in 62 categories based on students' opinions of academics, campus life, facilities,
and much more; Ratings for every school on Financial Aid, Selectivity, and Quality of Life;
Bonus list of the 200 "best-value" schools featured in Colleges That Pay You Back; The "Inside
Word" on competitive applications, test scores, tuition, and average indebtedness;
Comprehensive information on selectivity, freshman profiles, and application deadlines at each
school. Simply stated, "The Best 382 Colleges: 2018 Edition" is unreservedly recommended as a
core and essential college reference guide for highschool, community, and academic library
collections.
No Kidding About Bullying
Naomi Drew
Free Spirit Publishing
6325 Sandburg Road, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55427-3674
www.freespirit.com
9781631981807, $39.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
With new lessons, an added foreword, and a revised introduction, this updated edition of "No
Kidding About Bullying: 126 Ready-to-Use Activities to Help Kids Manage Anger, Resolve
Conflicts, Build Empathy, and Get Along" by Naomi Drew (who is an expert on conflict
resolution and peacemaking) gives classroom teachers, school administrators, and youth leaders
hands-on activities to prevent bullying in schools and help children in grades 3 - 6 cope with the
effects of bullying when it does occur. Based on a nationwide survey of more than 2,000 students
and teachers, "No Kidding About Bullying" is a flexible resource can be used alone or as a
complement to anti-bullying and character education programs already in place. Each of the 126
lessons may be completed in 20 minutes or less and include games, role-plays, group discussions,
art projects, and language arts exercises that build respect, empathy, and kindness. Digital
content includes student handouts from the book and bonus materials. Thoroughly 'real world
practical' and user friendly in organization and presentation, "No Kidding About Bullying" is
unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education
collections in general, and Anti-Bullying supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Renew!
Shawna Coppola
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625311047, $21.33, PB, 113pp, www.amazon.com
The basic premise of "Renew!: Become a Better and More Authentic Writing Teacher" by K - 6
literacy specialist Shawna Coppola is that students are ever-changing, and so is the global
landscape. While there is nothing inherently wrong with relying on instructional strategies that
have worked in the past, "Renew!" challenges writing teachers to revise and renew their
professional practice regularly. By looking at whether a practice matches students' needs and
interests and examining whether it fits into what we know about children and learning and then
adjusting our teaching accordingly, we can nurture students to become critical thinkers, problem
solvers, and risk takers in the writing classroom and beyond. "Renew!" uses a framework of
Rethinking, Revising, and Renewing to examine the most pervasive educational practices in
writing instruction and to help ask the questions necessary in order to revise those practices so
that they are effective for all students. "Renew!" instructively examines some of the most
ubiquitous practices, including what it means to write, the tools used to teach writing, and how
writing is assessed. "Renew!" also offers 'real world practical' ideas for how teachers can nurture
their own writing lives and thus reinvigorate their instructional practice. Impressively
informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Renew!" is unreservedly
recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional
reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Educational Freedom
Neal McCluskey & Jason Bedrick, editors
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001-5403
www.cato.org
9781944424527, $12.46, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com
Though his life was cut tragically short in 2016, Andrew Coulson had a remarkable impact on
education policy. As director of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom from 2005 to
2015, he consistently advocated for free-market reforms that would make schools more flexible,
innovative, and responsive to parents and students. "Educational Freedom: Remembering
Andrew Coulson - Debating His Ideas" is newly published volume from the Cato Institute in
which prominent education thinkers commemorate his legacy with explorations, expansions, and
critiques of his ideas. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library
Educational Policy collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Educational Freedom: Remembering Andrew Coulson - Debating His Ideas" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Fata Morgana
Steven R. Boyett & Ken Mitchroney
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781504757447, $26.99, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
At the height of the air war in Europe, Captain Joe Farley and the baseball-loving, wisecracking
crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress Fata Morgana are in the middle of a harrowing bombing
mission over East Germany when everything goes sideways. The bombs are still falling and flak
is still exploding all around the 20-ton bomber as it is knocked like a bathtub duck into another
world. Suddenly stranded with the final outcasts of a desolated world, Captain Farley navigates a
maze of treachery and wonder -- and finds a love seemingly decreed by fate -- as his bomber
becomes a pawn in a centuries-old conflict between remnants of advanced but decaying
civilizations. Caught among these bitter enemies, a vast power that has brought them here for its
own purposes, and a terrifying living weapon bent on their destruction, the crew must use every
bit of their formidable inventiveness and courage to survive. An epic and original science fiction
novel of love and duty at war across the reach of time, "Fata Morgana" is an extraordinarily
entertaining read from cover to cover and unreservedly recommended, especially for community
library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated
science fiction fans that "Fata Morgana" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.68).
Librarians should note that there is a complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Fata
Morgana" (Blackstone Audio, 9781504750622, $29.95, MP3 CD).
The Last Magician
Lisa Maxwell
Simon Pulse
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781481432078, $18.99, www.simonandschuster.com/teen
While The Last Magician is intended for a teen audience, it's reviewed here because mature teens
to adult readers will equally find it a compelling story of magic and mayhem set in a New York
where magic is all but gone. Its young protagonist, Esta, is a thief in this world, specializing in
stealing magical artifacts from the Order and talented due to her ability to traverse time. But as
she reaches back into a bygone world in search of these relics, a Magician looms and events
threaten not only Esta's world of the future, but the worlds of the past. This engrossing, complex
story will keep all ages enthralled.
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
Robert Conroy and J.R. Dunn's The Day After Gettysburg: The South Strikes Back
(9781481482516, $25.00) presents a fine alternate history scenario in which General Robert E.
Lee retaliates after Gettysburg by launching a counterattack that pushes back the Union Army
and thwarts surrender. At the same time as an actor has President Lincoln in his sights, major
Steve Thorne, a lawyer who has become a Union fighter, and others find themselves in a battle
for liberty that decidedly does not parallel the history we're familiar with. Fans of alternate
history will find this an absorbing story. Eric Flint, Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett's The
Alexander Inheritance (9781481482486, $25.00) tells of the circumstances surrounding the third
catastrophe hitting the planet and sending pieces of it back in time - this time affecting a cruise
ship in the Caribbean whose passengers discover they've been transported to a strange world
some 2,000 in the past, when Greek civilization was spreading around the world. Can crew and
passengers of the Queen of the Sea survive this bloody world, much less find their way back
home? An engrossing saga comes to life in a different kind of time-slip saga. Travis S. Taylor
and Jody Lynn Nye's Moonbeam (9781481482523, $18.99) tells of teen farm girl Barbara who
has been selected to participate in a reality show that will bring her to the Moon as one of a
doctor's six students. Barbara faces amazing challenges and a new future on this remote Moon
frontier - one that will require this loner to not only become part of a team effort, but which holds
the potential for exposing a miracle. Young adult to adult sci-fi readers will find this an
engrossing tale.
The Biography Shelf
The Unexpected President
Scott S. Greenberger
Da Capo Press
www.dacapopress.com
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306823893 $28.00 hc / $18.99 Kindle amazon.com
Thoroughly accessible to lay readers and scholars alike, The Unexpected President: The Life and
Times of Chester A. Arthur tells the remarkable true story of America's 21st president, Chester
A. Arthur (1829-1886), who served in office from 1881-1885 after president James A. Garfield
was assassinated. A product of the New York political machine, Chester A. Arthur was widely
criticized as unfit to govern - yet when he inherited the highest office in the land, he directly
opposed the corruption that had controlled him for decades. He presided over civil service
reform, signing into law and actively enforcing legislation to do away with the "spoils system"
that used to dole out major political offices as juicy rewards. What brought out the honest within
the generational crony? Biographer Scott S. Greenberger examines the positive influence of a
little-known, bedridden young woman named Julia Sand, who wrote Arthur nearly two dozen
letters urging him to prioritize the country ahead of his party, and find "the spark of true nobility"
within. The Unexpected President is the extraordinary tale of a largely forgotten Gilded Age
politician who found his conscience and his resolve when his country needed him most, and
highly recommended for both public and college library biography and American History
collections.
Until Antietam
Jack C. Mason
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809336111 $22.50 pbk / $21.38 Kindle amazon.com
Until Antietam: The Life and Letters of Major General Israel B. Richardson, U.S. Army is an in-
depth biography of Israel B. Richardson, who served as a Union general in the American Civil
War until his fatal injury at the Battle of Antietam. Author Jack Mason encountered an
unprecedented discovery when researching Richardson's life - more than one hundred previously
unpublished letters from Richardson to his family, spanning Richardson's time as a West Pont
cadet until the day before his lethal injury at Antietam. Richardson was a leader whose laid-back
view of military rules earned him the goodwill of his men, and his leadership skills were just
beginning to catch the eyes of his superiors when his life abruptly ended. Thorough, meticulous,
and engrossing, Until Antietam is enthusiastically recommended for public and college library
Civil War and Biography collections.
Stewart L. Udall: Steward of the Land
Thomas G. Smith
University of New Mexico Press
MSC05 3185, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826357755 $34.95 hc / $24.73 Kindle amazon.com
Expertly researched and presented by Thomas G. Smith (professor emeritus of history, Nichols
College), Stewart L. Udall: Steward of the Land is the first biography of three-term member of
Congress and secretary of the interior during the Kennedy and Johnson cabinets, Stewart L. Udall
(1920-2010). Udall championed wilderness preservation, as well as reforming the seniority
system in Congress, limiting the production and testing of nuclear weapons, and helping
oppressed people of emerging nations. Extensive notes, a bibliography, and an index round out
this studious, in-depth, yet thoroughly accessible and engaging life story of a passionate public
servant. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library biography
collections.
A Missouri Railroad Pioneer
Joel P. Rhodes
University of Missouri Press
113 Heinkel Bldg., 201 S. 7th St., Columbia, MO 65211
www.umsystem.edu/upress
9780826217981 $50 hc
9780826221414 $TBA pbk / $16.89 Kindle amazon.com
Expertly researched and detailed by author Joel P. Rhodes (professor in the History Department
of Southeast Missouri State University), A Missouri Railroad Pioneer: The Life of Louis Houck
is a thoughtful and studious biography of lawyer, journalist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist
Louis Houck, known as the "Father of Southeast Missouri" because his efforts brought the
railroad and industrialization to the state. In addition to economic development, he promoted art,
culture, and formal education for all social classes. Enhanced with a bibliography and an index,
A Missouri Railroad Pioneer will prove fascinating to scholars and lay readers alike, and is
especially recommended for college and public library biography or American history
collections.
A Forgotten Man
Geoffrey Elliott
I. B. Tauris Publishers
www.ibtauris.com
9781784538408, $30.00, HC, 264pp, www.amazon.com
John Lodwick (1916-1959) was one of the great novelists of the early twentieth century. Yet his
novels, and indeed his own extraordinary life story, have been virtually lost to the mists of time.
In "A Forgotten Man: The Life and Death of John Lodwick", independent writer and historian
Geoffrey Elliott pieces together Lodwick's eventful life beginning with his youth in Ireland, then
going on to his wartime experiences in the SOE and Special Boat Service, his subsequent literary
career, and his untimely death in a car crash in Spain at the age of just 43. Initially acclaimed by
Somerset Maugham and Anthony Burgess, soon after his death Lodwick's novels fell out of
fashion and they have largely remained out-of-print since. Elliott makes the case for a revival in
the fortunes of this singular English novelist, in a deftly crafted biography which sheds new light
on the early twentieth century literary scene, the surrealist art world and the real-life experiences
of World War II. Impressively informative and exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "A Forgotten Man" is an invaluable and highly recommended addition to both
community and academic library Biography collections in general, and John Lodwick
supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Million Dollar Man
Thomas Brennan
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587904011 $19.95 www.regentpress.net
The Million Dollar Man: Jack Dempsy is a sports-focused biography of American heavyweight
boxer Jack Dempsy (1895-1983). Dempsy left home at age fifteen, worked grueling jobs as a
miner, and got into fights with anyone and everyone before he found his calling as a professional
boxer. His success and savagery drew attention - and ticket sales. In 1921, Dempsy made history
with the first "million dollar gate", i.e. the first boxing event to earn over a million dollars in
revenue. Chronicling the turbulent and sometimes controversial life of a truly extraordinary
fighter, The Million Dollar Man is utterly fascinating and highly recommended.
ALBRIGHT: The Life and Times of John J. Albright
Mark Goldman
Buffalo Heritage Press
266 Elmwood Avenue, Suite 407, Buffalo, NY 14222
www.buffaloheritage.com
9781942483359, $45.95 HC, 149pp, www.amazon.com
John Joseph Albright (1 January 1848 Buchanan, Virginia - 20 August 1931 Buffalo, New York)
was a businessman, philanthropist, and one of Buffalo's leading socialites at the turn of the 20th
century. "ALBRIGHT: The Life and Times of John J. Albright " is the inherently fascinating
story of the elusive man who brought steel to Buffalo, harnessed the power of Niagara Falls, and
gave Buffalo its most treasured gift, the Albright Art Gallery. To uncover and relate the personal
history of this remarkable individual required a long and circuitous journey by biographer Mark
Goldman that would range from small town archives, to big city libraries, to tracking down
Albright descendents in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, to sifting through the many
layers of mystery which have for so long shrouded this enigmatic man. The result is a beautiful,
illustrated biography of industrialist and philanthropist John J. Albright that reveals the
memorable story of a man and the turn-of-the-century city in which he lived. Exquisite
photographs by Susan Fuller Albright enhance this outstanding biography that is unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library American Biography collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "ALBRIGHT: The Life and Times of John J.
Albright" is also available in a paperback edition (9781942483342, $35.95).
The Railroading Shelf
Steam at Work
Fred Kerr
Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
Casemate (distributor)
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781473896574, $39.95, HC, 127pp, www.amazon.com
Fred Kerr was introduced to the world of industrial railways in 1956 when his parents moved
from Edinburgh to Corby in Northamptonshire, where the local steelworks offered a mix of
locomotives from several manufacturers. When steam traction finished on BR in August 1968,
Fred's interest in railways continued with diesel and electric traction, whilst retaining a passing
interest in industrial locomotives through his visits to the heritage lines which were initiated in
the post-Beeching era. When Fred converted to digital photography in 2001, he visited many
heritage lines as he sought to gain experience in the digital world. When he looked back after a
decade of digital photography, he noted that industrial locomotives were still at work on many
heritage lines throughout the UK. He also noted that during the 1960s the effort to preserve
mainline steam traction had overlooked the availability of industrial locomotives, leading to the
scrapping of many locomotives with both a story to tell and an incomplete working life. The
result is "Steam at Work: Preserved Industrial Locomotives " is a beautifully and profusely
illustrated compendium that pays tribute to industrial locomotives which are still at work by
detailing the manufacturers of these workhorses and the locomotives which they built;
identifying their working lives where possible; showing their entry into preservation and paying
tribute to those heritage lines which appreciated the value of these unsung heroes of the Industrial
Revolution by buying the 'scrap' locomotives then restoring and preserving them for the benefit
of future generations. A unique and highly recommended addition to both community and
academic library History of Railroading collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated railroading buffs that "Steam at Work: Preserved
Industrial Locomotives" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.97).
The Gardening Shelf
The Salad Garden
Joy Larkcom
Frances Lincoln Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
www.franceslincoln.com
9780711238701, $24.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
In this nicely illustrated edition of "The Salad Garden", gardening expert Joy Larkcom draws
upon her years of experience to deftly craft a definitive guide to growing over 200 salad plants in
gardens of all sizes! "The Salad Garden" covers everything necessary for growing a personal or
family garden filled with all manner of salad greens. Featuring the best growing techniques, and
the best which varieties of plants based upon personal palette preferences, "The Salad Garden"
also includes instruction on making a beautifully designed potager garden. Whether you have
space for intricate walkways, or are growing in a window box, "The Salad Garden" will prove to
be a thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional for even the most novice of gardeners. While
unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for community library Gardening instructional
reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Salad Garden" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.10).
Urban Flowers
Carolyn Dunster, author
Jason Ingram, photographer
Frances Lincoln Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
www.franceslincoln.com
9780711238626, $29.99, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Creating color and interest in a small urban garden by growing a range of flowers and other
decorative plants brings with it many rewards. In "Urban Flowers: Creating Abundance in a
Small City Garden" Carolyn Dunster (who trained in floristry with Jane Packer and now works as
a florist and planting designer, running her business, Urban Flowers, from her home in north
London) shows aspiring gardeners what to grow and how to use their own blooms, leaves and
berries in a range of indoor displays and hand-tied bouquets. Locally-grown flowers in season is
a significant and welcome trend in floristry. The most local, seasonal flowers, which are the most
satisfying to give and to display, are the ones that are 'home grown' -- and in "Urban Flowers"
Carolyn Dunster shows how to do this in even the smallest of urban and suburban spaces.
Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with the color photography of Jason Ingram, and
unreservedly recommended for community library Gardening collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Urban Flowers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.98).
Square Foot Gardening: Growing Perfect Vegetables
Mel Bartholomew
Cool Springs Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781591866831, $17.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
For urban and suburban families, Square Foot Gardening is the most popular alternate gardening
method in the world, and "Growing Perfect Vegetables" is a superbly written, organized and
presented instructional guide and manual that gets to the root of what every gardener wants --
perfect produce, and lots of it! Whether you grow in a Square Foot Garden, a straw bale garden,
containers, or a traditional garden plot, you'll be happy to have "Square Foot Gardening: Growing
Perfect Vegetables" is an exceptionally helpful gardening book enabling even the most novice of
gardeners to approach harvest time with confidence. In "Square Foot Gardening: Growing Perfect
Vegetables", aspiring gardeners will find hundreds of beautiful photos that show exactly how
produce should look when perfectly ripe, and ready for picking and buying. Of special note are
the tips and clues to help novice gardeners to interpret what their plants are trying to tell them
about the fruit they are bearing. Providing crucial information that includes optimal planting and
harvesting times for more than 60 fruits and vegetables, along with the many high resolution
photos of perfectly ripe produce, "Square Foot Gardening: Growing Perfect Vegetables" is
thoroughly 'user friendly' and highly recommended for community library Contemporary
Gardening collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of aspiring gardeners that "Square Foot Gardening: Growing Perfect Vegetables " is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Gardens of the High Line
Piet Oudolf & Rick Darke
www.rickdarke.com
Timber Press
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527
www.timberpress.com
9781604696998, $40.00, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
A knowledgeable field ecologist and horticulturist, Rick Darke heads RICK DARKE LLC
(www.rickdarke.com) a Pennsylvania USA-based consulting firm specializing in landscape
ethics, photography, and contextual design. Darke's work blends art, ecology, horticulture, and
cultural geography in the creation, conservation, and management of broadly functional living
landscapes. Piet Oudolf is an innovative garden designer of some thirty years standing and a
leading exponent of naturalist planting. With the publication of "Gardens of the High Line:
Elevating the Nature of Modern Landscapes" Darke and Oudolf collaboratively draw upon their
decades of experience and expertise to present the story of the High Line rail corridor that was an
untouched, abandoned landscape overgrown with wildflowers. Today it is much more than that;
it has become a central plaza, a cultural center, a walkway, and a green retreat in a bustling city
that is free for all to enjoy. But above all else, it is a beautiful, dynamic garden with plantings
designed by Piet Oudolf. Beautifully and profusely illustrated from cover to cover, "Gardens of
the High Line" offers an in-depth view into the planting designs, plant palette, and maintenance
of this landmark achievement. It reveals a four-season garden that is filled with native and exotic
plants, drought-tolerant perennials, and grasses that thrive and spread. It also offers inspiration
and advice to home gardeners and garden designers looking to recreate its iconic, naturalistic
style. A unique and impressively informative study, "Gardens of the High Line" is unreservedly
recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and
academic library Gardening and Landscaping collections and supplemental studies lists. It should
be noted for personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "Gardens of the High Line" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.55).
The Computer Shelf
The Manga Guide to Microprocessors
Michio Shibuya, Takashi Tonagi, and Office Sawa
No Starch Press
245 - 8th Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-3910
www.nostarch.com
9781593278175 $24.95 amazon.com
Part of the excellent "Manga Guide" series designed to make science, technology, engineering,
and math more accessible to readers by incorporating manga (comics drawn in the animated style
of Japanese pop culture) into their lessons, The Manga Guide to Microprocessors is an in-depth
guide to the internal workings of the CPU within all computers, phones, and modern electronic
devices. The story of world-class shogi (a Japanese board game often compared to chess) player
Ayumi who loses a match to a computer - and vows to learn all she can about her new nemesis.
The Manga Guide to Microprocessors alternates manga with text and smaller illustrations
designed to illuminate technical concepts. The result is an in-depth, scientific guide highly
recommended for computer science students and intrigued lay readers alike. Chapters cover how
computers perform arithmetic operations and store information; logic gates and how they're used
in integrated circuits; assembly language and how it differs from high-level programming
languages; and much more. The Manga Guide to Microprocessors is especially recommended,
for public school and college library collections, both for its educational content and its reader-
friendly format!
Procedural Generation in Game Design
Tanya X. Short & Tarn Adams, editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138743311, $149.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Making a computer based video game is an intensive process that if not planned accurately can
easily run over budget. The use of procedural generation in game design can help with the
intricate and multifarious aspects of game development; thus facilitating cost reduction. This
form of development enables games to create their play areas, objects and stories based on a set
of rules, rather than relying on the developer to handcraft each element individually.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Tanya X. Short (Director of Kitfox Games, the indie
game studio behind Moon Hunters and Shattered Planet) and Tarn Adams (wo is best known as
the developer of Dwarf Fortress since 2002 with his older brother Zach), aspiring game designers
will learn to create randomized maps, weave accidental plotlines, and manage complex systems
that are prone to unpredictable behavior. Comprehensive, informative, and exceptionally well
written, organized and presented, "Procedural Generation in Game Design" offers a wide
collection of chapters contributed by an impressive variety of game design experts that cover the
implementation and enactment of procedural generation in games. Designers from a variety of
studios provide concrete examples from their games to illustrate the many facets of this emerging
sub-discipline. Highly recommended for academic library Game Design instructional reference
collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted that "Procedural Generation
in Game Design" is also available in a paperback edition ( 9781498799195, $59.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $47.36).
Murach's Java Programming, fifth edition
Joel Murach, author
Anne Boehm & Mary Delamater, editors
Mike Murach & Associates
4340 North Knoll Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722
www.murach.com
9781943872077, $59.50, PB, 800pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully revised and updated fifth edition, "Murach's Java Programming" continues to be a
complete and comprehensive course of instruction in programming with Java under one cover.
"Murach's Java Programming" presents: Object-oriented features like inheritance, interfaces, and
polymorphism in a way that's both understandable and useful in the real world; New coverage of
JavaFX, the date/time API, lambdas, and working with SQLite databases; Uses a self-paced
approach that works whether you're a beginner or have years of programming experience;
Provides a wealth of practical coding examples that enhance training and that provide starting
code for new applications; Allows aspiring Java programmers to practice what they have just
learned at the end of every chapter, to solidify your skills. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in
organization and presentation, "Murach's Java Programming" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and academic library Computer Science collections in
general, and Java Programming supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Mercury Learning
www.merclearning.com
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
James R. Parker's Python 3 Pocket Primer (9781683920861, $32.95) is for programmers looking
for a quick reference on Python 3 to get them up and running on projects, and covers both basic
concepts and real-world applications. After covering how Python works, it includes a chapter on
PyGame which teaches programmers to handle graphics and device interactions, and reviews the
basics of interfaces and data and communications manipulation in the Python 3 environment. The
result includes source code examples and a companion disc with everything on it, and is a
recommended pick for any with a programming background looking to work with Python 3 in a
manner that builds on prior knowledge and gets them up and running. O. Campesato's Android
Pocket Primer (9781683920885, $32.95) covers the latest features of the Android VR and the
new Google Pixel phone, and reviews all the basics on the latest versions of Android using code
examples. The primer is recommended for self-taught programmers who would learn more about
the Android environment and its applications. The result is a survey which acts as both a class
supplement, self-study tool, and introduction to the latest Android features. L. Wittenberg's Data
Structures and Algorithms in C++ Pocket Primer (9781683920847, $44.95) surveys the basic
topics intrinsic to a successful C++ learning experience, and limits itself to only those basics key
to those learning C++. Unlike similar self-study books, this primer uses 'literate programming
techniques' to present its sample code, and is arranged with an undergrad data course user in
mind. All are excellent choices for refresher, at-a-glance reference, or introductory learning.
The Music Shelf
So Much Things to Say
Roger Steffens
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393058451, $29.95, www.wwnorton.com
So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley offers a different set of insights into
Marley's world through a discussion contributed by those key to his life and career, moderated by
a leading reggae historian, and is a 'must' for any collection seeing interest in Marley's life and
times. There are so many Marley biographies and music coverages on the market that one might
wonder at the need for yet another; but there's actually much remaining to say about his
influences, politics, and musical heritage, and this book's oral history gathers some forty years of
interviews to answer many of these different perspectives and versions of his life. A
chronological arrangement crafts an authoritative approach that readers will find easy to absorb
in a 'must have' for any prior Marley enthusiast.
A Short History of Irish Traditional Music
Gearoid O hAllmhurain
O'Brien Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781847178732, $14.00, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
A leading authority on Irish culture and heritage, Dr Gearoid O hAllmhurain is a 5th generation
Irish traditional musician, scholar and former member of the legendary Kilfenora Ceili Band.
Over the past 30 years, he has presented more than 1,000 concerts, lectures and workshops on
four continents. In "A Short History of Irish Traditional Music" he draws upon his decades of
experience and expertise to present an informed and informative single volume study of the
history of Irish traditional music, song and dance from the mythological harp of the Dagda right
up to Riverdance and beyond. Exploring a wide spectrum of sources, this impressively well
written, organized and presented guide uncovers the contribution of the Normans to Irish
dancing, the role of the music maker in Penal Ireland, as well as the popularity of dance tunes
and set dancing from the end of the 18th century. It also follows the music of the Irish diaspora
from as far apart as Newfoundland and the music halls of vaudeville to the musical tapestry of
Irish America today. While very highly recommended, especially for community and academic
library Irish Music History collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted
for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Short
History of Irish Traditional Music" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.77).
Billy Joel: America's Piano Man
Joshua S. Cuchan
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781442242050, $40.00, HC, 216pp, www.amazon.com
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist who
released his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, and became the sixth best-selling recording
artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States. In "Billy Joel: America's Piano
Man", music historian Joshua S. Duchan (who currently teaches courses on music history and
ethnomusicology at Wayne State University) looks at the career and music of this remarkable
singer-songwriter, exploring the unique ways Joel channels and transforms the cultural life of a
changing America over four decades into bestselling song after song and album after album.
Original interviews with Billy Joel blend with Duchan's engaging analysis to provide readers of
all backgrounds and ages a new look at Billy Joel's unforgettable songs. Music lovers and
historians of both the academic and armchair variety will find this exploration of Joel's work a
rewarding adventure into America's social, cultural, political, economic, and contemporary
American popular music history. While unreservedly recommended for both community and
academic library American Music History collections in general, and Billy Joel supplemental
studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of fans, students
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Billy Joel: America's Piano
Man" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.40).
The Rickenbacker Electric Bass, second edition
Paul D. Boyer
Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781495095214, $27.99, PB, 162pp, www.amazon.com
With the introduction of the two-pickup 4001 model in 1961, the Rickenbacker bass became a
phenomenon among musicians and their audiences. The Beatles's use of Rickenbacker
instruments was pivotal: teen groups everywhere wanted to have the same instruments the
Beatles used so they could achieve the "right" sound. With its ultra-modern design that made the
classic Fender precision bass look downright old-fashioned, the Rick quickly became a darling of
progressive bands that loved its look as much as its different sound. "The Rickenbacker Electric
Bass: 50 Years as Rock's Bottom" by Paul D. Boyer (a journalist, photographer, Rickenbacker
bass player and collector) is the first book history of this iconic guitar, from its prototypes
through its explosion of popularity in such bands as the Beatles, Yes, Deep Purple, and
Motorhead, and so many others. Lavishly illustrated with archival shots, "The Rickenbacker
Electric Bass" is a must-have for anyone who plays the Rick as well as anyone who plays the
bass guitar. Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, "The Rickenbacker Electric
Bass" now features 16 bonus pages with up-to-date information on Rickenbacker's latest electric
bass models, more photo coverage of artists playing Ricks, and some eye-popping custom-built
iterations of the classic Rickenbacker electric bass. "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass" will prove
to be a seminal and core addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Contemporary American Music History collections.
The Automotive Shelf
1964 Pontiac GTO
David Bonaskiewich
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613253205, $18.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
By the mid-1960s, the American automotive market was yearning for faster, more responsive,
and sportier cars, and a crew of high-performance enthusiasts at Pontiac recognized this. Large
V-8s were commonly installed in full-size cars, but performance was hampered by pure chassis
weight. Under the guidance of Bunkie Knudsen, John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and others, Pontiac
installed the high-performance 389 V-8 into the nimble and lightweight intermediate-size
LeMans chassis. It was a watershed moment for Pontiac; the 1964 GTO delivered astounding
performance and created the muscle car blueprint that the Detroit manufacturers followed in the
1960s and 1970s. Profusely illustrated and exceptionally informative, "1964 Pontiac GTO" by
David Bonaskiewich is the latest in the Muscle Cars In Detail Series and delivers a
comprehensive review of this trend-setting and historic car. The GTO housed a 389 V-8 engine
with a single Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetor, and along with dual exhaust and a standard 3-speed
or optional 4-speed manual transmission, it supplied extraordinary performance. To improve
traction and handling, the GTO was fitted with stiffer springs, larger-diameter front sway bar, and
wider wheels. And to give it panache, the GTO was adorned with distinctive badges and hood
scoops. The 1964 GTO is a landmark car, and this book goes well beyond the glossy overview of
other books about this car. "1964 Pontiac GTO" will prove to be of immense interest to
automative historian and fans, making it an enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists
and community library Automotive History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Also very highly recommended in the CarTech 'Muscle Cars In Detail' series is Dan Burill and
Denny Aldrige's "1969-1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429" (9781613253168, $18.95, PB, 96pp).
The Civil War Shelf
Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses
J. D. R. Hawkins
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455623273, $27.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
"Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses" is a unique and informative contribution to the
growing library of American Civil War literature. For the first time, civil war buffs are provided
with a comprehensive look at Confederate military horses in the Civil War -- and their lives
before, during, and after battle. "Horses in Gray" explains why particular breeds or colors were
chosen for specific tasks, what the life expectancy of military horses was, why they died, and the
distinct challenges of caring for horses in wartime conditions. Individual chapters focus on how
these horses were acquired by their owners, their lineages, the stories behind their names, and the
ways in which they were immortalized. Robert E. Lee's Traveller, Stonewall Jackson's Little
Sorrel, Forrest's thirty horses, Ashby's Tom Telegraph, and many more are included in this
unusual and truly exceptionally history that is unreservedly recommended for the personal
reading lists of civil war buffs, as well as both community and academic library American Civil
War collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Solve Your Money Troubles, 16th edition
Amy Loftsgordon & Cara O'Neill
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413321708, $24.99, PB, 392pp, www.amazon.com
For anyone who is facing wage garnishment, car repossession, foreclosure, lawsuits, or collection
calls, "Solve Your Money Troubles: Strategies to Get Out of Debt and Stay That Way" provides
the legal and practical information needed, plus sample letters and budgeting worksheets, so that
they can get out of debt and make a fresh start. Readers will learn how to: prioritize debts and
create a budget; understand your options; negotiate with creditors; stop harassment by debt
collectors; deal with wage garnishment, car repossession, and foreclosure; reduce student loan
payments; know what to expect if a creditor sues you; rebuild credit; decide if bankruptcy is right
for you. This newly expanded 16th edition of "Solve Your Money Troubles" is fully updated with
changes to federal student loan repayment programs, new foreclosure protections, legal
information specific to specific states, and the latest legal developments in the world of debt,
credit, and bankruptcy. Of special note is that this edition of "Solve Your Money Troubles:
Strategies to Get Out of Debt and Stay That Way" has a supportive website where readers can
stay current with legal updates and have access to podcasts and online calculators. While
essential reader for anyone struggling to get out of debt, "Solve Your Money Troubles: Strategies
to Get Out of Debt and Stay That Way" should be a part of every community and academic
library Money Management & Finances collection. For personal reading lists it should be noted
that "Solve Your Money Troubles: Strategies to Get Out of Debt and Stay That Way" is a
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.50).
The Art Shelf
Ancient Ivory: Masterpieces of the Assyrian Empire
Georgina Herrman
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500051917, $60.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Elephant ivory is a tactile, beautiful, and workable material. It can be made into many different
forms and is the strongest material in the animal kingdom. It has been highly prized from the
Paleolithic to the present day, and the impact on elephants has been severe. It was the primary
reason that the Syrian elephant was hunted to extinction and that today's African elephants are in
danger of extinction from the ravages of poachers. During the early first millennium bce (known
historically as "The Age of Ivory") literally thousands of carved ivories found their way to the
Assyrian capital city of Kalhu, or modern Nimrud, in northern Iraq. The majority were not made
there but arrived as gifts, tributes, or booty gathered by the Assyrian kings from the small
neighboring states of the ancient Middle Eastern world, with the ivory itself probably sourced
from the African elephant. These ivories form a unique and unparalleled record of the art of the
Middle East. "Ancient Ivory: Masterpieces of the Assyrian Empire" by Georgina Herrmann
(Honorary Professor and Emeritus Reader in Near Eastern Studies at University College London
and who for a decade directed the archaeological excavations at Merv, Turkmenistan, a series of
medieval settlements on the Silk Road now designated, as a result of her project, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site) documents these outstanding works and includes a general history of the art
of ancient ivory, creating a resource of exquisite detail and exceptional importance, as so many
works have been destroyed or lost in the sacking of the Iraq Museum as well as in the ongoing
conflict and destruction of cultural heritage in the region. Beautifully and profusely illustrated
with more than 350 full color photographs, "Ancient Ivory: Masterpieces of the Assyrian
Empire" is exceptionally informative and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover --
and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Art History
collections.
Terra Magna: Labrador
Jean Claude Roy
Breakwater Books
P.O.Box 2188, St. John's, NL, Canada, A1C 6E6
www.breakwaterbooks.com
9781550816839, $59.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
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 made available to all in Fluctuat Nec
Mergitur: JC Roy's Newfoundland, 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-colour reproductions, and text in English, French, Innuaimun, and Inuttitut, "Terra Magna:
Labrador" is a magnificent visual tribute to the cultures and landscapes of The Big Land.
Elegantly designed and remarkably affordable, this vibrant volume of original and flawless
reproduced art completes an imaginative project like no other and stands as an entirely unique
testament to one artist's exhaustive and passionate commitment to a place. An absorbing visual
experience from cover to cover, "Terra Magna: Labrador" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Canadian Art collections
and supplemental studies reading lists.
How to Draw Manga in Simple Steps
Yishan Li
Search Press USA
www.searchpressusa.com
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781782214724 $19.95 www.pgw.com
Comic creator Yishan Li presents How to Draw Manga in Simple Steps, a how-to drawing book
featuring characters, animals, mythical beasts, and extra-cartoony "chibi" characters in the style
of manga (Japanese comics). How to Draw Manga in Simple Steps has almost no text; each page
is devoted to showing the step-by-step creation of a figure in eight or more stages - from simple
shapes and sketches to the details, and for the final image, the addition of color. How to Draw
Manga in Simple Steps is enthusiastically recommended for budding artists of all ages, especially
for those who excel at visual-based learning.
The Psychology Shelf
Popular Myths about Memory
Brian H. Bornstein
Lexington Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rlpgbooks.com
9780739192184, $105.00, HC, 334pp, www.amazon.com
Misconceptions about memory phenomena often go hand-in-hand with popular
misrepresentations about the function of memory in movies, novels, television, and other forms
of popular media. In "Popular Myths about Memory: Media Representations versus Scientific
Evidence", Brian H. Bornstein (Professor of Psychology and Courtesy Professor of law at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln) draws on examples of these media representations to examine a
number of memory myths dealing with an array of topics, including memory permanence,
recovered memory and repression, amnesia, eyewitness memory, superior memory, and other
topics. Professor Bornstein examines how these myths about memory clash with scientific
research findings, and discusses the consequences of these myths and possible strategies for
debunking them. An exceptionally well written work of seminal scholarship, "Popular Myths
about Memory: Media Representations versus Scientific Evidence" is unreservedly for
professional and academic library Contemporary Psychology, Media & Cultural Studies
collections. For the personal reading lists of students, academics, and non-specialist general
readers with an interested in psychology, media and film studies, communication studies, and
sociology, it should be noted that "Popular Myths about Memory" is also available in a digital
book format (9780739192191, $99.00) from Lexington Books.
Woman's Embodied Self
Joan C. Chrisler & Ingrid Johnston-Robledo
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433827129, $89.95, HC, 273pp, www.amazon.com
"Woman's Embodied Self: Feminist Perspectives on Identity and Image" by the team of Joan C.
Chrisler (Professor of Psychology at Connecticut College, where she teaches courses on the
psychology of women, health psychology, and social psychology) and Ingrid Johnston-Robledo
(Dean of Arts, Sciences, and Community Engagement at Castleton University in Castleton,
Vermont) is compelling and informative examination of how women relate to their bodies and
how attitudes toward the body affect women's sense of self. In particular, it documents the
disturbing, never-ending barrage of standards used to judge women's bodies. These standards
prompt women to pursue life-long body improvement projects, which lead to self-objectification
or a negative embodied self. Professor Chrisler and Dean Johnston-Robledo analyze these
phenomena using various psychological theories, including objectification theory, stigma theory,
terror management theory, and stereotype embodiment theory. Importantly, they also suggest
ways to help women and girls achieve a positive embodied self, which includes challenging and
resisting pressures to alter and discipline their bodies in unhealthy ways. Unreservedly
recommended for college and university library Contemporary Psychology and Women's Studies
collections, "Woman's Embodied Self " is an impressively well organized and presented work of
seminal scholarship that includes seventy-six pages of References and a twelve page Index.
Existential Psychology and the Way of the Tao
Mark C. Yang, editor
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9781138686991, $155.00, HC, 214pp, www.amazon.com
In ancient China, a revered Taoist sage named Zhuangzi told many parables. Compiled and
edited by licensed clinical psychologist Mark C. Yang, "Existential Psychology and the Way of
the Tao: Meditations on the Writings of Zhuangzi" is comprised of fourteen erudite articles
providing insightful and informative commentary on a selection of these parables. Following
each parable, the contributing existential psychologist shares a personal and scholarly reflection
on the meaning and relevance of the parable for psychotherapy and contemporary life. All of the
major tenets of Zhuangzi's philosophy are featured, including: Taoist concepts of emptiness,
stillness, Wu Wei (i.e. intentional non-intentionality), epistemology, dreams and the nature of
reality, character building in the midst of pain, meaning and the centrality of relationships,
authenticity, self-care, the freedom that can come from one's willingness to confront death,
spiritual freedom, and gradations of therapeutic care. A unique compendium of outstanding
scholarship that is very highly recommended for academic library Taoist Studies and Psychology
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Existential Psychology and the Way of the Tao" is
also available in a paperback edition (9781138687004, $52.95) as well as in a digital book
format (Kindle, $42.36).
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com
Three new books feature very different subjects but important keys to helping special kids
through everyday school life. Dr. Siobhan Timmins' Developing Resilience in Young People
with Autism Using Social Stories (9781785923296, $12.95) presents insights on using Carol
Gray's Social Stories(TM) model. This model is designed to help build coping strategies in young
people, and here folks on the autism spectrum benefit from specific strategies geared to them.
Parents and professionals working with kids with autism will find this an excellent survey.
Lauren Brukner's Self-Control to the Rescue! Super Powers to Help Kids Through the Tough
Stuff in Everyday Life (97817859237591, $19.95) pairs black and white cartoon-like illustrations
with admonitions about how to cope with challenges during the day, and is directed to kids ages
4-7 to help them hone the exercises and routines that will help them maintain control. Kids and
adults who work with them will find these routines receive chatty and specific discussion that's
quite accessible and easy to absorb, with plenty of kid-friendly illustrations throughout. Sarah
Helton's A Special Kind of Grief (9781785922732, $24.95) provides special education
professionals with a resource book designed to help special schools address grief in special kids.
From school procedures and support systems to recognizing different forms of grieving and
tailoring activities and approaches to help students handle their loss, this is a guide any special
needs educator will find specific and easy to employ.
The Interior Design Shelf
Celebrating Canada
Peter E. Baker
The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459740327, $65.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Inspired by the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation (the same year recognizing 375
years of settlement in Montreal) Quebec antiques professional Peter E. Baker draws upon his
years of experience and expertise to bring life to Canadian history and demonstrates how
antiques and folk art can successfully be incorporated into a contemporary lifestyle, providing a
home with a unique identity in "Celebrating Canada: Decorating with History in a Contemporary
Home". Drawing from a single collection, Baker selects and showcases objects spanning three
centuries of Canadian history ranging from the early days of French settlement to the creative
boom of late-20th-century folk artists. Amply and beautifully illustrated, deftly and informatively
written in a conversational, easy-to-read style, "Celebrating Canada" is not a traditional technical
study of antiques representing a specific type or region, rather it is a coffee-table style volume
that impressively showcases the story and the artistic merits of each object. An ideal reference for
amateur and professional interior design reference collections, "Celebrating Canada" is
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Celebrating Canada" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $19.24).
The Martial Arts Shelf
Defensive Tactics for Today's Law Enforcement
Stephen K. Hayes & Joe Niehaus
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498776677, $69.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Few of the many defensive tactics books on the law enforcement training manual market include
the training and methods of martial arts. Drawing on the centuries-old techniques of Ninjutsu,
"Defensive Tactics for Today's Law Enforcement" by the team of Stephen K. Hayes (who was
elected to the prestigious Black Belt Hall of Fame for his years of work introducing Japanese
ninja martial arts to the Western world. He was awarded the rare honor of ju-dan 10th degree
Black Belt in the historical ninja tradition.) and Joe Niehaus (who spent 36 years in the law
enforcement field, retiring as a Lieutenant with the Kettering Police Department in Ohio, where
he created the Defensive Tactics Program and developed one of the first Integrated Use of Force
training programs in the United States) offers alternatives to the traditional police defensive
tactics taught to most officers. "Defensive Tactics for Today's Law Enforcement" stresses relying
on natural tendencies in a violent encounter to ensure officer safety and to better utilize the
techniques and training officers do receive. By integrating existing training with martial arts
expertise, "Defensive Tactics for Today's Law Enforcement" provides officers access a full
complement of techniques to better navigate physical conflict safely and effectively. Intended for
law enforcement practitioners, as well as practitioners of any other professions that present a
personal security risk, "Defensive Tactics for Today's Law Enforcement" is unreservedly
recommended for police department, community, and academic library collections, and will be of
special interest to non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject with its wealth of
information on a diverse range of appropriately lawful defensive tactics.
Tai Chi for Depression
Dr. Aihan Kuhn, CMD, OBT
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594395208 $16.95 pbk / $7.99 Kindle amazon.com
Depression is a serious mental health problem, and requires the care of a trained medical
professional. With that understanding in mind, Tai Chi for Depression is a guide to a unique tai
chi form combining elements of qigong and meditation, thoroughly accessible to practitioners of
all skill and experience levels, and especially invaluable as a supplementary program to help
combat depression. Detailed instructions and photographs depict the forms step by step, and
suggest a 10-week plan to help readers incorporate Tai Chi into their journey to wellness. An
index for ease of use rounds out this highly recommended program for both mental and physical
fitness.
The Social Issues Shelf
Machine, Platform, Crowd
Andrew McAfee & Erik Brynjolfsson
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393254297, $28.95, www.wwnorton.com
Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing our Digital Future offers a continuing discussion
companion to The Second Machine Age, which predicted some of the effects of modern digital
technology on human lives, this time focusing not so much upon prediction as upon sources of
digital disruptions in society and how machines are changing minds and products alike. While
there is a focus on exploring what technologies have become part of our lives recently, the
discussions of their social impacts and how platforms are interacting with customers and vendors
in new ways make for particularly intriguing insights into changing business, economic, and
technological structures and their ultimate effects on individuals and crowds alike. The result will
help readers identify how to apply these technological changes to their own lives - and how to
keep up with the pace of change.
Ensuring America's Health
Christy Ford Chapin
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
www.cambridge.org
9781107044883, $113.00, HC, 369pp, www.amazon.com
"Ensuring America's Health: The Public Creation of the Corporate Health Care System" by
Christy Ford Chapin (University of Maryland) explains why the US health care system offers
world-class medical services to some patients but is also exceedingly costly with fragmented
care, poor distribution, and increasingly bureaucratized processes. Based on exhaustive historical
research, this comprehensive study deftly traces how public and private power merged to favor a
distinctive economic model that places insurance companies at the center of the system, where
they both finance and oversee medical care. Although the insurance company model was created
during the 1930s, it continues to drive health care cost and quality problems today. An
impressively wide-ranging work that not only evaluates the overarching political and economic
framework of the medical system but also provides rich narrative detail, examining the political
dramas, corporate maneuvering, and forceful personalities that created American health care as
we know it, "Ensuring America's Health" breaks new ground in the fields of health care history,
organizational studies, and American political economy. An impressive work of original and
seminal scholarship, "Ensuring America's Health" is enhanced with the inclusion of ninety-two
pages of Notes, and a seventeen page Index. While unreservedly recommended as an essential
addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Social Issues collections, it
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, policy makers, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Ensuring America's Health" is also available
in a paperback edition (9781107622876, $32.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$31.34).
The Veterinary Studies Shelf
Ferret Medicine and Surgery
Edited by Cathy A. Johnson-Delaney, DVM
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498707879, $125.95, HC; 544pp, www.amazon.com
An impressively detailed resource illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Ferret
Medicine and Surgery is an in-depth, scholarly guide created for aspiring and practicing
veterinary professionals. Chapters cover applied clinical anatomy and physiology of the ferret;
ferret behavior, housing, and husbandry; preventative care; emergency care; disorders that can
affect various bodily systems of ferrets; analgesia and anaesthesia for ferrets; common surgical
procedures used on ferrets; and much more. Ideal for course instruction or self-study, Ferret
Medicine and Surgery is an absolute "must-have" for veterinary college libraries as well as the
personal study and reference collections of professionals who provide urgent care to ferrets. "It is
important to be aware that removing a ferret from a group or pair for as little as 2 days, for
example for veterinary care or hospitalization, can result in it being perceived as a stranger on
reintroduction and lead to fighting." While unreservedly recommended for veterinary clinic,
college and university library Veterinary Medicine collections in general and Ferret Veterinary
Medicine supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of veterinary students that "Ferret Medicine and Surgery" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $125.95).
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Storyboarding: Turning Script to Motion
Stephanie Torta and Vladimir Minuty
Mercury Learning
www.merclearning.com
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781683920397, $49.95, www.amazon.com
Storyboarding: Turning Script to Motion uses a blend of text and an accompanying DVD to show
how storyboards work in the film and script department, offering a range of techniques for
analyzing scripts and turning them into storyboards that support film, videos, motion graphics
and learning. Exercises and instructions accompany discussions packed with projects and
interviews that include a glossary of terms and a range of storyboards and photos from different
productions. Comparisons of storyboard approaches round out a discussion highly recommended
for film collections appealing to producers and directors.
Forgotten British Film
Phillip Gillet
Cambridge Scholars Publishing
www.cambridgescholars.com
9781443898904, $104.95, HC, 245pp, www.amazon.com
Some films are remembered long after they are released; others are soon forgotten, but do they
deserve oblivion? Are factors other than quality involved? "Forgotten British Film" by
independent researcher and British cinema expert Phillip Gillet exhumes some of the films
released in Britain over the last seventy years from Daybreak (1948) to 16 Years of Alcohol
(2003), and considers the reasons for their neglect. As well as exploring the contributions of
those involved in making the films, "Forgotten British Film" examines such issues as marketing
and the response of critics and audiences. Films are grouped loosely into categories such as B
films and television films. Some works were little seen when they were first released and have
stayed that way; others were popular in their day, but have slipped into obscurity. In some cases,
social change has overtaken them, making the attitudes or subjects they depict seem dated. Even
being released as a DVD does not guarantee that a title will be rehabilitated. In addition, how
significant is the American market? Unreservedly recommended for both community and
academic library Theatre/Cinema/TV collections in general, and British Film History
supplemental studies reading lists in particular, "Forgotten British Film" will have a strong and
special appeal to lovers of British film, as well as to film studies students and everybody curious
about the vagaries of success and failure in the arts.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Our Peaceful Planet
Yasmin Davar
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781683502418, $31.95, HC, 206pp, www.amazon.com
"Our Peaceful Planet: Healing Ourselves and Our World for a Sustainable Future" by
environmental engineer Yasmin Davar contains extraordinary ideas that have the power to
transform lives and the planet. "Our Peaceful Planet" is unique because it provides a practical
healing framework for the whole world, starting at how people can change the beliefs that cause
them to be destructive in their own lives and in their own world, to the actions that they can take
to create global peace and environmental and economic sustainability. As each part of their world
dynamically interacts in terms of their beliefs, their governance, their environment, their
industries and their economy, "Our Peaceful Planet" provides a complete and 'real world
practical' solution by considering all of those interactions in totality. "Our Peaceful Planet"
contains big ideas for world leaders and little ideas for everyday people, because everyone has
the power to make a difference, to themselves and others, and to the world. "Our Peaceful
Planet" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' blueprint for the future in which everyone can play a role.
While very highly recommended, especially for community, college, and university library
Environmental Studies collections, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Our Peaceful Planet" is also available in a paperback
edition (9781683502401, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Botany Shelf
Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada
Timothy J. Baroni
Timber Press
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527
www.timberpress.com
9781604696349, $27.95, Flexibound, 600pp, www.amazon.com
Timothy J. Baroni is a Distinguished Professor of Biology at the State University of New York.
He also teaches at SUNY College at Cortland and works on biodiversity research of macrofungi
globally with emphasis on mushrooms and other fungi found in the Americas. In "Mushrooms of
the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada" he draws upon his many years of experience
and expertise to create a compact and beautifully illustrated 600 page guide that is packed from
cover to cover with descriptions and photographs of more than 400 of the region's most
conspicuous, distinctive, and ecologically important mushrooms. The geographic range covered
by "Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada" includes Connecticut,
Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the Canadian provinces
of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Ontario, and most of Quebec. In addition to profiles on
individual species, "Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada" also
includes a general discussion and definition of fungi; information on where to find mushrooms
and guidelines on collecting them; an overview of fungus ecology; and a discussion on
mushroom poisoning and how to avoid it. Comprehensively definitive and thoroughly 'user
friendly' in organization and presentation, "Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and
Eastern Canada" is an absolutely essential addition to both community and academic library
mushroom identification guides. It should be noted for personal reference and reading lists that
"Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.44).
The Anthropology Shelf
An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
C. Nadia Seremetakis
Cambridge Scholars Publishing
www.cambridgescholars.com
9781443873345, $104.95, HC, 260pp, www.amazon.com
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation
among humans. "An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology" by Professor C. Nadia Seremetakis,
who is a cultural anthropologist at the University of the Peloponnese, Greece where she teaches
anthropology and cultural management, and who is also the founding head of the public
anthropology program on Everyday Life and Culture (culture.uop.gr), engages students, teachers
and anthropology researchers in a critical dialogue with past and present directions in
cultural-historical studies. More particularly, This introductory study prepares prospective
anthropologists, as well as non-specialist general readers interested in human cultures for
understanding basic theoretical and methodological ethnographic principles and pursuing further
what has been known as cultural anthropological perspectives. "An Introduction to Cultural
Anthropology" discusses key, field-based studies in the discipline and places them in dialogue
with related studies in social history, linguistics, philosophy, literature, and photography, among
others. Exceptionally well written, organized, and presented, "An Introduction to Cultural
Anthropology" would well serve as a basic text book for introductory courses in cultural
anthropology and is to be considered as an essential, core addition to community, college, and
university library Anthropology collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Being Godless
Roy Llera Blanes & Galina Oustinova-Stjepanovic, editors
Berghahn Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.berghahnbooks.com
9781785336287, $95.00, HC, 154pp, www.amazon.com
Collaborative compiled and co-edited by the team of Roy Llera Blanes (Ramon y Cajal Fellow at
the Spanish National Research Council) and Galina Oustinova-Stjepanovic (Senior Research
Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh), "Being Godless:
Ethnographies of Atheism and Non-Religion" is comprised of an informative Introduction
(Godless People, Doubt, and Atheism) and Afterword (On Atheism and Non-Religion), and six
erudite and impressively written essays by experts in the field. Drawing on ethnographic inquiry
and the anthropological literature on doubt and atheism, "Being Godless" explores people's
reluctance to pursue religion. The various contributors capture the experiences of godless people
and examine their perspectives on the role of religion in their personal and public lives. In doing
so, "Being Godless" contributes to a critical understanding of the processes of disengagement
from religion and reveals the challenges and paradoxes that godless people face. While
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Philosophy collections in
general, and Atheism/Agnosticism supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be
noted for academia and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Being
Godless" is also available in a paperback format (9781785335730, $27.95).
The Language Studies Shelf
Word Mastery through Derivatives Designed for Students of Latin
Elizabeth Heimbach
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.bolchazy.com
9780865168534, $24.95, PB, 163pp, www.amazon.com
"Word Mastery through Derivatives Designed for Students of Latin" by veteran teacher Elizabeth
Heimbach is workbook is specifically constructed for students studying Latin. Heimbach
organizes English derivatives by topic. Two chapters are devoted to affixes, twelve chapters
present special topics like mythology, and eleven chapters featuring grammar-related derivatives
like prepositions and deponent verb derivatives. A student-friendly and engaging narrative
presents derivatives and demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between Latin and English. The
text provides students the skills and practice to apply word-building analysis to their study of
both Latin vocabulary and English derivatives. Of special note are the "just for fun" activities for
each special topic chapter. Enhanced with appendices that list of derivatives broken out by
chapter, as well as a list of phrases used in English, "Word Mastery through Derivatives
Designed for Students of Latin" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to academic
library Latin Studies instructional reference collections in general, and as a Latin Studies
curriculum supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Biology Shelf
Chromatin: Structure, Dyamics, Regulation
Ralf Blossey
Chapman & Hall
c/o CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498729369, $89.95, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Chromatin is a complex of macromolecules found in cells, consisting of DNA, protein, and
RNA. The primary functions of chromatin are: package DNA into a more compact, denser shape:
reinforce the DNA macromolecule to allow mitosis: prevent DNA damage; and control gene
expression and DNA replication. The primary protein components of chromatin are histones that
compact the DNA. Chromatin is only found in eukaryotic cells (cells with defined nuclei).
"Chromatin: Structure, Dynamics, Regulation" by Ralph Blossey (Research Director, French
National Science Center) is a fully up to date and invaluable resource for computational
biologists and researchers from other fields seeking an introduction to the topic. "Chromatin:
Structure, Dynamics, Regulation" offers comprehensive coverage of this dynamic
interdisciplinary field, from the basics to the latest research. Computational methods from
statistical physics and bioinformatics are detailed whenever possible without lengthy recourse to
specialized techniques. Featuring figures, tables, and a four page index, "Chromatin: Structure,
Dynamics, Regulation" (the latest addition to the outstanding Chapman & Hall 'Mathematical
and Computational Biology' series) is an unreservedly and highly recommended and core
addition to professional, corporate, and academic library Contemporary Biology collections in
general, and Genetics supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academicians, genetics researchers, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Chromatin: Structure, Dynamics, Regulation" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $85.43).
The Judicial Studies Shelf
Multi-Criteria Analysis in Legal Reasoning
Bengt Lindell
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781786430199, $120.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Providing an accessible introduction to the application of multi-criteria analysis in law,
"Multi-Criteria Analysis in Legal Reasoning" by Bengt Lindell (Law Department, Uppsala
University, Sweden) illustrates how simple additive weighing, a well known method in decision
theory, can be used in problem structuring, analysis and decision support for overall assessments
and balancing of interests in the context of law. Through clear illustrations and a variety of
concrete examples, "Multi-Criteria Analysis in Legal Reasoning" shows how simple additive
weighing can be applied in any situation in which there are one or more objectives, multiple
options and multiple decision criteria. Further demonstrating the use of fuzzy logic in
conjunction with this method, Bengt Lindell adeptly shows the reader how extra-disciplinary
methods have much to contribute in a legal decision-making context. The methods covered in
"Multi-Criteria Analysis in Legal Reasoning" help to balance the issues of intuition versus
structural analysis, risk and uncertainty, and the merging of probability and utility in the context
of law. Practical and engaging, "Multi-Criteria Analysis in Legal Reasoning" will prove an
invaluable and 'real world' practical guide for academics and scholars across many legal
disciplines. Public and private decision makers will also benefit from its clear and concise
approach, affording them new insights into the application of multi-criteria analysis in law.
Unreservedly recommended as a curriculum textbook, as well as supplemental studies reading
lists for novice lawyers, "Multi-Criteria Analysis in Legal Reasoning" is a critically important
addition to law firm, college, and university library Contemporary Judicial Studies
collections.
The Criminology Shelf
Criminal Justice Technology in the 21st Century, third edition
Laura J. Moriarty
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398091514, $44.95, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, "Criminal Justice Technology n the 21st
Century" by Laura J. Moriarty and eighteen other contributors offers a welcome and appropriate
mixture of knowledge or information about specific types of technology along with empirical
studies of certain technology used in various subcomponents of the criminal justice system.
Comprised of 12 chapters, with eight completely new and four substantially revised and updated,
"Criminal Justice Technology n the 21st Century" is arranged into two parts: law enforcement
technology and public safety technology. Major topics include: technology infrastructure: what it
is and how it's changing; current overview of law enforcement technology; body-worn cameras:
the new normal; avoiding the technological panacea of the body-worn camera; examining
perceptions of technology-enabled crimes; digital forensics; technological advancements in
keeping victims safe; the evolution of offender electronic monitoring: from radio signals to
satellite technology; technoprisons: technology and prisons; inside the Darknet: techno-crime and
criminal opportunity; securing cyberspace in the 21st century; and assessing the deployment of
automated license place recognition technology and strategies to improve public safety.
Numerous illustrations and tables highlight the chapter contents. Featuring state-of-the-art
information and a thoroughly 'reader friendly' organization and presentation, "Criminal Justice
Technology n the 21st Century" is an ideal textbook and unreservedly recommended for
professional, college, and university library Contemporary Criminology collections and
supplemental studies reading lists.
The Aviation Shelf
Blackbird
James Hamilton-Paterson
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681775050 $26.95 / $12.99 Kindle amazon.com
Blackbird: A History of the Untouchable Spy Plane is the fascinating true history of the SR-71
Blackbird, a "spy" jet designed to be the world's fastest and highest-flying aircraft. First proposed
in the late 1950s, the Blackbird was fully developed in 1964, and used heavily over battlefields in
Vietnam and later the Middle East. Not a single one was ever shot down. The Blackbird's saga of
success comes to a close in 1999, and the modern trend toward unmanned military aircraft imply
that there may never be another line of jets like it. A bibliography, glossary, and index round out
this fascinating history, thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds and especially
recommended for public library collections and aviation history connoisseurs.
The World History Shelf
Midnight in the Pacific
Joseph Wheelan
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306824593 $28.00 hc / $18.99 Kindle amazon.com
Written with scholarly precision, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds,
Midnight in the Pacific: Guadalcanal - The World War II Battle That Turned the Tide of War is a
close study a turning point in the Pacific theater of World War II. The US Navy battled the
Imperial Japanese Navy to a draw, at a heavy cost. Yet it was the first time the previously
unstoppable military juggernaut of Imperial Japan was halted in its tracks. Exhaustively
researched, and drawing directly upon accounts written by Guadalcanal's combatants, military
archives, and oral histories, Midnight in the Pacific is highly recommended especially for public
and college library military history collections.
The Architecture Shelf
The Historic Barns of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Gregory D. Huber
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764353192, $50.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Greg Huber is a barn and house historian, consultant and owner of Past Perspectives and Eastern
Barn Consultants, which are historic cultural resource companies. He has authored more than 210
articles on houseand barn architecture. In "The Historic Barns of Southeastern Pennsylvania:
Architecture & Preservation, Built 1750-1900" he draws upon his years of experience and
expertise to present an informed, informative, and beautifully illustrated volume for anyone who
has ever admired a barn on an old country lane. Here is the background story of that barn and a
great many others in Southeastern Pennsylvania, or, specifically, "the hearth", the area east of the
Susquehanna River and South of the Blue Mountains. This was one of the earliest-settled areas in
North America. This region of the Keystone State, which includes Lehigh, Bucks, and Lancaster
Counties, is home to an astounding 20,000 standing barns, in various states of repair, built from
the early 1800s on. "The Historic Barns of Southeastern Pennsylvania" also discusses the primary
factors that have determined the fundamental structures and appearances of the six great barn
classifications, including forest resources. Other featured topics include architectural aspects and
regionalisms, dates of construction, survival of 18th-century examples, mysterious decorations,
and barn preservation. Completing this exceptionally well written, organized and presented
treatise are representative color photographs, building plan sketches, charts conveying the
prevalence of types, and a glossary of barn terms. "The Historic Barns of Southeastern
Pennsylvania" is an absolute 'must' for personal, community, and academic library Architectural
Studies collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Dance Shelf
Dance Production and Management
Heather Trommer-Beardslee
Princeton Book Company
614 Route 130, Highstown, NJ 08520
www.dancehorizons.com
9780871273840, $24.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Heather Trommer-Beardslee is the director of University Concert Dance Theater at Central
Michigan University, and the booking agent for the Emmy Award-winning company Jump
Rhythm Jazz. She lives in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. In "Dance Production and Management" she
draws upon her years of experience and expertise to present in a single comprehensive
instructional guide everything from early conceptual work through performance and touring. A
thoroughly 'user friendly' and ideal how-to book for dance management, "Dance Production and
Management will allow dancers, as an educational exercise, to create a fictional company and
follow it through a myriad of steps and complexities necessary for a successful production and
troupe. After establishing a mission statement; holding auditions; and considering the specific
needs of music, sound, lighting, costuming, and make up, this superbly organized and presented
manual provides aspiring dance directors with the basic theater terminology and the skills needed
when planning marketing and public relations campaigns for actual dance companies. Covering
music, lighting, programming, technical theatre, box office management, booking, costuming,
makeup, marketing, and fundraising, as well as featuring photographs, drawings, charts,
examples, and 'helpful hints', "Dance Production and Management" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Dance
Studies collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Countering Religious Extremism
David Carlson
New City Press
202 Cardinal Rd., Hyde Park, NY 12538
www.newcitypress.com
9781565486140, $15.95, PB, 147pp, www.amazon.com
"Countering Religious Extremism: The Healing Power of Spiritual Friendships" recounts David
Carlson's personal journey into friendship with people of other faith traditions. "Countering
Religious Extremism" profiles Christians, Muslims, and Jews who come to acknowledge one
another's gifts and so come to value their own. In establishing and nurturing these friendships,
Carlson (a Professor in the Philosophy and Religion Department at Franklin College, Franklin,
Indiana where he has been teaching for 39 years) does not seek to change others, nor to settle for
mere tolerance. He and his friends realize that they are entering into a way of life that asks much
of them but in return gives even more. Indeed, they sense that they are making history. As timely
as it is inspired and inspired, "Countering Religious Extremism" is a much needed contribution
to our national dialogue in view of the current resurgence of antisemitic, anti- Muslim, white
supremacist movements in our country. "Countering Religious Extremism" is an urgently
recommended addition to personal, church, seminary, community, and academic library
Religion/Spirituality collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Photography Shelf
New York in the Snow
Vivienne Gucwa
Ilex
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781781574157, $24.99, www.octopuspublishingusa.com
New York in the Snow: A Magical Vision of New York City comes from the camera of a native
New Yorker who has been documenting New York snowfalls since 2010, going out at night and
in daytime to capture the storms of the city at their best. New Yorkers will find these nighttime
scenes gorgeous representations of how weather transforms the cityscape and its peoples; all
presented in lovely color with many full-page, artistic renditions. The result is an exceptional
presentation which will make a delightful gift for any fond of New York City and its different
atmospheres.
The Relationship Shelf
How to Fall in Love With Anyone
Mandy Len Catron
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781501137440, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com
Through the fun children peering through eyes on the front cover may seem to indicate this book
is intended for a young audience, it should be advised that this blend of memoir and discussion of
love is not intended for children, but for adult audiences interested in the mechanics and
processes of romance. In 2014 the author went on a date and decided to try an experiment based
on a 20-year-old study designed to foster love in a laboratory setting. Mandy and Mark spent
their date asking each other nearly forty questions designed to increase intimacy and possibly
lead to love. Their attempt turned into an intriguing experiment that changed their lives and
results in a book which blends social observational with a psychological approach. The result is a
lively and fun read for any who enjoy accounts of romance and psychological investigation.
The Science Shelf
Geology Underfoot in Southern Idaho
Shawn Willsey
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878426782, $24.00, www.mountain-press.com
Geology Underfoot in Southern Idaho joins others in this publisher's geology series to examine
destinations, geologic history, and travel in Southern Idaho; but readers needn't be either
geologists or destination visitors in order to appreciate this coverage. It comes from a geology
professor who blends photos and illustrations with the geologic stories of over twenty selected
sites from canyons carved by floods to sand dunes and mountains. National reserves, monuments,
and preserves are all considered for their rich history and for the indicators present today which
reflect this heritage, all couched in lively language that makes science accessible to lay
audiences. The result is an engrossing study that any Idaho enthusiast should find compelling
reading, whether they're planning an actual trip or just want an armchair survey of the
region.
The Technology Shelf
Basic Electronics Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition
Sean Westcott and Jean Riescher Westcott
Mercury Learning
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9781683920335, $49.95, www.merclearning.com
The second updated edition of Basic Electronics Theory and Practice is recommended for
students of electronics seeking an in-depth but accessible introduction to the subject, and delves
into theory and applications of basic electronics ranging from wireless communication to
integrated circuits, switches, and memory processing. From digital signal quality and errors in
transmission to sensors and writing code to integrate electronics systems into various projects
such as robotics, this provides an excellent overview which will appeal to novices who want
technical information easily absorbed.
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
Two new books form this publisher are highly recommended as key references to engineering
collections strong in GPS and electrical engineering topics. Hans Hellsten's Meter-Wave
Synthetic Aperture Radar for Concealed Object Detection (9781630810252, $179.00) reviews
the basics of meter wave ground imaging radar and includes discussion of the basic laws of
electromagnetism and reflectivity, among other principles. From design and processing systems
to FFBP methods of processing and SAR design systems, this delves into electrical engineering
basics including the formulas and science needed to understand basic operations and
applications. Elliott CD. Kaplan and Christopher J. Hegarty edit Understanding GPS/GNSS
Principles and Applications (9781630810580, $179.00), which appears in its third updated
edition to bring together a team of experts who consider the GNSS system. Much new material
has been added to this update, including all-new chapters on engineering of GPS, Beidou and
other regional systems, and satellite and navigation systems. In-depth coverage is given to GNSS
receivers, performance, and positioning while chapters include references to different code
generation features, antenna operations with GNSS receivers, code signals, and more. Both are
technical references highly recommended for professional and advanced college-level
engineering science collections. Also highly recommended is Anatoly Belous, Vitali Saladukha
and Siarhei Shevdau's Space Microelectronics Volume 1: Modern Spacecraft, Failure, and
Electrical Component Requirements (9781630812577, $229.00), a first volume dedicated to
exploring modern spacecraft classification and electrical operations. From their design, launch
failures, and accident analysis to the types of electronics used in these craft, readers receive an
in-depth and well-detailed electrical engineering survey of special importance to any working
with electronics systems designed for space. From analysis of launch failure causes to charts and
graphs filled with mathematical insights, this is a powerful reference. Boris Adryan, Domink
Obermaier, and Paul Fremantle's The Technical Foundations of IoT (9781630812515, $129.00)
provides detailed technical introduction to the components and processes of IoT, and offer
engineers a basic survey covering physics, electronics and computing challenges alike. The book
covers how IoT is integrated into various systems, common issues, product development for its
devices, and its different hardware applications, and should be considered an essential 'must
have' reference for an advanced engineering collection strong in IoT science. Zhancang Wang's
High-Efficiency Load Modulation Power Amplifiers for Wireless Communications
(9781608079872, $179.00) reviews the designs of radio frequency high effiency load modulation
amplifiers for wireless systems, and covers all kinds of details for PA design and optimization
that engineers must have. Readers receive technical discussions packed with charts and graphics,
math, and surveys of different configurations and their advantages, including measurement
methods for dynamic load amplifiers and discussions of various PAs and their design procedures.
No college-level reference holding should be without these important discussions.
The Wisconsin Shelf
The Wisconsin Capitol
Michael Edmonds
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870208423, $25.00, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
A state capital building is not just the seat of state government, it is an architectural symbol and a
memorial of all that the state stands for and aspires to. On the occasion of the Wisconsin state
capitol's centennial in 2017, "The Wisconsin Capitol: Stories of a Monument and Its People" by
Michael Edmons tells the remarkable story of the building in all its incarnations over the centur,
as well as the people who made history beneath its dome. "The Wisconsin Capitol" covers the
creation of the territorial capitol in 1837, the construction of the second capitol in the 1860s (and
the fire that almost completely destroyed it in 1904), the eleven-year construction project that
completed the third capitol in 1917, and the extensive conservation project of the 1990s that
restored the building to its grandeur. Supporting the framework of this architectural history are
colorful stories about the people who shaped Wisconsin from within the Capitol including
attorneys, senators, -- and especially the governors (ranging from Henry Dodge to Scott Walker),
as well as protesters, reformers, secretaries, tour guides, custodians, and even Old Abe, the
Capitol's resident eagle. Combining historical photographs with modern, full-color architectural
photos, "The Wisconsin Capitol" provides fascinating details about the building, while also
emphasizing the importance of the Capitol in Wisconsin's storied history. While unreservedly
recommended as an essential and core addition to every school and community library
throughout Wisconsin, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Wisconsin Capitol"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design