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Library Bookwatch

Volume 18, Number 4 April 2023 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Political Science Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Cookbook Shelf
World History Shelf Civil War Shelf Military Shelf
Photography Shelf Biography Shelf Historical Fiction Shelf
Literary Fiction Shelf Western Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Business Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Art Shelf Native American Studies Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf Library Science Shelf Parenting Shelf
Nautical Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Architecture Shelf Criminology Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Women's Entrepreneurship Policy: A Global Perspective
Colette Henry, et al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781800374645, $145.00 HC / $40.00 ebook, 266pp

https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/women-s-entrepreneurship-policy-9781800374645.html

Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Colette Henry (Adjunct Professor, Griffith University, Australia), Susan Coleman (Professor Emerita, University of Hartford, US), and Kate V. Lewis (Reader, Newcastle University, UK), "Women's Entrepreneurship Policy: A Global Perspective" is comprised of contributions from members of the Global Women's Entrepreneurship Policy Research Network that explores and critiques contemporary policy instruments while also pointing toward potential policy solutions.

Individual chapters aim to deepen understanding of women's entrepreneurship policy and raise awareness among policy makers, programme managers and academics of the dangers associated with gender-blind entrepreneurship policies. "Women's Entrepreneurship Policy: A Global Perspective" then concludes that 'one size fits all' policies that ignore the gender dimension do not support women entrepreneurs effectively.

Research-based and international in approach, "Women's Entrepreneurship Policy: A Global Perspective" will be a useful guide for academics and advanced students in the areas of entrepreneurship, gender and management, diversity and management, and international business. It will also be beneficial for policy makers and those involved in designing and delivering women's entrepreneurship programs.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the readers with the inclusion of illustrations, tables, a listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a sixty-nine page index, "Women's Entrepreneurship Policy: A Global Perspective" is an impressively seminal work that is a particularly and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, corporate, and academic library Contemporary Women's Business & Entrepreneurship collections and supplemental MBS curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Women's Entrepreneurship Policy: A Global Perspective" is also available from Edward Elgar Publishing in a digital book format ($40.00).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Frugal Editor, third edition
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Modern History Press
www.ModernHistoryPress.com
9781615996018, $41.95, HC, 296pp

https://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Editor-Do-Yourself-Secrets/dp/161599601X

Synopsis: Whether you are a new or experienced author, this updated and expanded third edition of "The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets-From Your Query Letters to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller" by veteran author, editor and book marketer Carolyn Howard-Johnson will dramatically assist aspiring and experienced authors to present whistle-clean copy from a one-page cover letter to their entire manuscript in ways that will convince those with the power to say "yea" or "nay" to their book.

This third edition of "The Frugal Editor", is part of Carolyn's multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of Books for writers and has been awarded accolades from Reader Views Literary Award, Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Award, the coveted Irwin Award, and many others. This fully updated edition includes the new help you need from managing gender pronouns to maximizing the usefulness of front and back matter. Altogether, "The Frugal Editor" now provides 50% more information designed for the success of an author's title.

Critique: Speaking as the editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review, one of the most common problems that self- published authors exhibit is a lack of much needed editing with respect to the books they present for me review and for sale to libraries and the general public.

While this newly revised and expanded third edition of "The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets-From Your Query Letters to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller" should be considered as mandatory reading for beginners, and even the more experienced authors will benefit substantially from the experience, expertise, wit and hard earned wisdom of writing and publishing expert Carolyn Howard-Johnson.

While also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781615996001, $26.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.95), "The Frugal Editor" is a seminal and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections and supplemental Writing/Publishing Workshop curriculum studies lists

Editorial Note: Carolyn Howard-Johnson (www.HowToDoItFrugally.com) was the youngest person ever hired as a staff writer for The Salt Lake Tribune where she wrote features for the society page and a column under the name of Debra Paige. That gave her insight into the needs of editors, the very people authors must work with to get free ink and the ones likely to spot unprofessional editing when they see it. Being familiar with the way news is handled helps her see how different books fit into different news cycles.

Later in New York, she was an editorial assistant at Good Housekeeping Magazine. In the Big Apple she also handled accounts for fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert who instituted the first Ten Best Dressed List. There she started writing media releases (then called press releases) for celebrity designers of the day including Pauline Trigere, Rudy Gernreich, and Christian Dior instead of being one of those dreaded gatekeepers of releases who get to say yay or nay.

Carolyn has worked as columnist, reviewer, and staff writer for the Pasadena Star-News, Home Decor Buyer, the Glendale News-Press (an affiliate of the LA Times), and others. She learned marketing skills both in college (University of Utah, and University of Southern California) and as founder and operator of a chain of retail stores. That molded her understanding of how authors might best collaborate with retailers to affect both of their bottom lines. Carolyn's experience in journalism and as a poet and author of fiction and nonfiction helped the multi award-winning author understand how different marketing techniques might be used for each genre.

She was an instructor for UCLA Extension's renowned Writers' Program for nearly a decade and earned an instructor's certificate from that school. She studied writing at Cambridge University, United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University in Prague.

Carolyn turned her knowledge toward helping other writers with her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Her marketing campaign for the first edition of this book won Reader Views Award, USA Book News Award, and the marketing campaign for it won the Next Generation Indie Award for marketing.


The Political Science Shelf

Handbook on Democracy and Security
Nicholas A. Seltzer, editor
Steven Lloyd Wilson, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781839100192, $270.00 HC / $65.00 ebook, 388pp

https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/handbook-on-democracy-and-security-9781839100192.html

Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of N icholas A. Seltzer (Associate Professor, University of Nevada, Reno) and Steven Lloyd Wilson (Assistant Professor, Brandeis University, Massachusetts), "The Handbook on Democracy and Security" offers an insightful new interpretation of the topic that reframes the contemporary challenge of democracy away from competing ideologies or external existential threats, and centers on the security of democracy in the minds and lived experience of its citizens.

With a global focus, the contributors to "The Handbook on Democracy and Security" collectively provide a cutting edge understanding of contemporary developments in democratic breakdown, investigating the role of new media, social media and the Internet. Furthermore, the expert contributors explore how democracy is affected by the resurgence of populism, terrorism and migration alongside the decline of independent mass media and associated conspiracy theories.

"The Handbook on Democracy and Security" contributors further argues that the security of government by the people is best understood through the security of people and examines the analysis of democratic security.

Providing a diverse range of perspectives on how democratic breakdown occurs, "The Handbook on Democracy and Security" is an excellent read for political scientists interested in human security and the effect of social media on democracy. Policymakers interested in policy prescriptions and stabilizing democratic backsliding will also find this an illuminating and informative resource.

Critique: A seminal and impressively work of meticulous scholarship that is exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Handbook on Democracy and Security" is comprised of 19 informative and thought-provoking articles, making it especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "The Handbook on Democracy and Security" is also available from Edward Elgar Publishing in a digital book format ($65.00).

A Mysterious Country
Norman Mailer, author
J. Michael Lennon, editor
John Buffalo Mailer, editor
Arcade Publishing
www.arcadepub.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781956763379, $28.99, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Country-Fragility-American-Democracy/dp/1956763376

Synopsis: Published on the centenary of Norman Mailer's birth, and co-edited by his son, John Buffalo Mailer and Professor J. Michael Lennon, "A Mysterious Country: The Grace and Fragility of American Democracy" a timely and urgent call to preserve our democracy.

From his bestselling first novel, The Naked and the Dead, to his last work, the study of American democracy was a lifelong project for Norman Mailer. It was his grand theme. Nearly all of his books touched on the pros and cons, the strengths and weaknesses, the grace (to use his word) and fragility of the American experiment as well as the threats to it that ranged from autocratic leaders and a complacent citizenry, to violent protest and radical conservative assaults on it, to "soft fascism" and the ills of racism and poverty.

In the sharp and impassioned language of a political Cassandra and with the eye of a novelist and journalist, Norman Mailer explored the underlying psychological, social, and economic causes of the country's fragile polity and offered urgent prescriptions for its reinvigoration.

"A Mysterious Country" is a carefully selected collection of Mailer's most incisive (and sometimes remarkably prophetic) commentary on American democracy and what must be done to safeguard it. This anthology of his writings draws upon both published and unpublished sources, from Mailer's great works of narrative nonfiction and novels as well as essays, interviews, letters, speeches, and talk show appearances. It includes pungent remarks on every president from FDR through George W. Bush, as well as correspondence with several. Throughout, what shines through is Mailer's passion for our democratic project (as well as the freedom that comes with it) along with a keen awareness of its potential for failure, its virtues, and what is required of us to keep it intact.

Critique: An absolute 'must read' selection for the legions of Norman Mailer fans, "A Mysterious Country: The Grace and Fragility of American Democracy" is impressively timely and remarkably pertinent in view of our country's current (and hostile) political polarization that threatens to bring down and end the American experiment with democracy. While an exceptional and unreserved recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Mysterious Country: The Grace and Fragility of American Democracy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note #1: Norman Mailer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Mailer) was a giant of American letters and one of our most consequential public intellectuals of the postwar period. A two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the National Book Award, he was an originator of new journalism and cofounder of the Village Voice. He was the author of twelve novels, among them The Naked and the Dead and Harlot's Ghost, and numerous works of nonfiction, many probing American politics and society, including The Armies of the Night, Miami and the Siege of Chicago, and TheExecutioner's Song, as well as several plays and screenplays. He was also a lifelong activist who ran for mayor of New York City in 1969. He died in 2007.

Editorial Note #2: J. Michael Lennon (https://jmichaellennon.com), Emeritus Professor of English at Wilkes University and chair of the editorial board of the Mailer Review, is the author or editor of several books about Norman Mailer, including his monumental authorized biography, Norman Mailer: A Double Life; Selected Letters of Norman Mailer; and On God: An Uncommon Conversation, coauthored with Mailer. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, the Paris Review, New York Review of Books, New York, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Times Literary Supplement, Provincetown Arts, Hippocampus, and Mailer Review. He teaches in the Maslow Family Graduate Creative Writing Program at Wilkes University, which he co-founded in 2005.

Editorial Note #3: John Buffalo Mailer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Buffalo_Mailer) is the son of Norman Mailer and also a screenwriter, journalist, playwright, actor, and producer. He is currently creative director for the development and production company Mailer Tuchman Media and is executive-producing a feature Showtime documentary about the life of his father. As a journalist, he has freelanced for Playboy, New York Magazine, ESPN Books, The Norman Mailer Review, The American Conservative, Vector, and Inked Magazine, among others.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Humanity's Moment
Joelle Gergis
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781642832846, $30.00, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Humanitys-Moment-Climate-Scientists-Case/dp/1642832847

Synopsis: When climate scientist Joelle Gergis set to work on the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, the research she encountered kept her up at night. Through countless hours spent with the world's top environmental scientists to piece together the latest global assessment of climate change, she realized that the impacts were occurring faster than anyone had predicted.

With the publication of "Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope ", Dr. Gergis takes us through the science in the IPCC report with unflinching honesty, explaining what it means for our future, while sharing her personal reflections on bearing witness to the heartbreak of the climate emergency unfolding in real time. But this is not a lament for a lost world. It is an inspiring reminder that human history is an endless tug-of-war for social justice. We are each a part of an eternal evolutionary force that can transform our world.

Dr. Gergis shows us that the solutions we need to live sustainably already exist -- we just need the social movement and political will to create a better world. Basically, "Humanity's Moment" is a climate scientist's guide to rekindling hope, and a call to action to restore our relationship with ourselves, each other, and our planet.

Critique: A timely and relevant study as our human community on planet Earth continues with activities that accelerate climate change with disastrous consequences world wide, "Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope" offers a justified optimism that we can succeed in mitigating the consequences and impact of our all-to-rapidly changing climate. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope" is a sorely needed and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, governmental, and academic library Environmental Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, environmental activists, government policy makers, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49)

Editorial Note: Dr. Joelle Gergis (https://www.joellegergis.com) is an award-winning climate scientist and writer at the Australian National University. She served as a lead author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and is the author of "Sunburnt Country: The History and Future of Climate Change in Australia".

Toxic Timescapes
Simone M. Muller, editor
Mary-Brith Ohman Nielsen, editor
Ohio University Press
215 Columbus Road, Suite 101, Athens, OH 45701
www.ohioswallow.com
9780821425039, $64.00, HC, 388pp

https://www.ohioswallow.com/book/Toxic+Timescapes

Synopsis: While toxicity and pollution are ever present in modern daily life, politicians, juridical systems, media outlets, scholars, and the public alike show great difficulty in detecting, defining, monitoring, or generally coming to terms with them. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Simone M. Muller and Mary-Brith Ohman Nielsen, the contributors to "Toxic Timescapes: Examining Toxicity across Time and Space" argue that the source of this difficulty lies in the struggle to make sense of the intersecting temporal and spatial scales working on the human and more-than-human body, while continuing to acknowledge race, class, and gender in terms of global environmental justice and social inequality.

The term 'toxic timescapes' refers to this intricate intersectionality of time, space, and bodies in relation to toxic exposure. As a tool of analysis, it unpacks linear understandings of time and explores how harmful substances permeate temporal and physical space as both event and process. It equips scholars with new ways of creating data and conceptualizing the past, present, and future presence and possible effects of harmful substances and provides a theoretical framework for new environmental narratives. To think in terms of toxic timescapes is to radically shift our understanding of toxicants in the complex web of life.

Toxicity, pollution, and modes of exposure are never static; therefore, dose, timing, velocity, mixture, frequency, and chronology matter as much as the geographic location and societal position of those exposed. Together, these factors create a specific toxic timescape that lies at the heart of each contributor's narrative. With the publication of "Toxic Timescapes: Examining Toxicity across Time and Space", erudite contributors from the disciplines of history, human geography, science and technology studies, philosophy, and political ecology come together to demonstrate the complex reality of a toxic existence. Their case studies span the globe as they observe the intersection of multiple times and spaces at such diverse locations as former battlefields in Vietnam, aging nuclear-weapon storage facilities in Greenland, waste deposits in southern Italy, chemical facilities along the Gulf of Mexico, and coral-breeding laboratories across the world.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with a six page listing of the contributors and their credentials, as well as a seven page Index, "Toxic Timescapes: Examining Toxicity across Time and Space" is a seminal and unreservedly recommend addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Environmental Studies collections and supplemental curriculum Historical/Human Geography studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, environmental activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Toxic Timescapes: Examining Toxicity across Time and Space" is also available in a paperback edition (9780821425046, $36.95) and in a digital book format ($0.99).

Editorial Note #1: Simone M. Mller is Heisenberg Professor for Global Environmental History and Environmental Humanities at the University of Augsburg Germany. As a historian and environmental humanities scholar, she works at the intersection of globalization processes, discards, and environmental justice. She has a Rachel Carsen Center website at: https://www.carsoncenter.uni-muenchen.de/staff_fellows/programs-and-projects/mueller_simone1/index.html

Editorial Note #2: May-Brith Ohman Nielsen (https://www.uia.no/kk/profil/mayon) is a professor of history and history didactics at the University of Agder and project leader of the research group "Deadly Dreams: The Cultural History of Poison, 1850 - 2020." Her work in environmental history and environmental humanities focuses on pesticides in social, generational, and historical contexts. Her other research areas include the history of epidemics, everyday life, and ideologies.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Medical Speech-Language Pathology Across the Care Continuum
Alex F. Johnson, et al.
Plural Publishing
www.pluralpublishing.com
9781635502688, $119.95, PB, 378pp

https://www.amazon.com/Medical-Speech-Language-Pathology-Across-Continuum/dp/1635502683

Synopsis: Featuring a comprehensive, engaging, and readable overview to the dynamic field of medical speech-language pathology, "Medical Speech-Language Pathology Across the Care Continuum: An Introduction" is the first medical speech-language pathology textbook that is not focused on the various disorders, but instead examines the scope and key concepts of the profession, such as clinical reasoning, interprofessional practice, and the continuum of care.

"Medical Speech-Language Pathology Across the Care Continuum: An Introduction" provides an in-depth overview of healthcare workplace settings (acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, home health, outpatient care, pediatric service delivery, pharmacology, and neuroimaging. The text also includes numerous case studies that instructors and students can use to explore application of both clinical and setting specific principles as a primer for practice in "the real world".

Key features of "Medical Speech-Language Pathology Across the Care Continuum: An Introduction" include: Chapters are authored by respected experts within both academia and medical speech-language pathology; Numerous figures, tables, and photos enhance readers' visual learning experience; Boxed focal points highlight areas of emphasis, special practice considerations, competencies, and cases; Case studies, where students are introduced to patient assessment, treatment, and management examples across the care continuum; An Appendix listing common medical test procedures and reference values; PowerPoint lecture slides for instructors.

Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, in addition to being an ideal curriculum textbook, "Medical Speech-Language Pathology Across the Care Continuum: An Introduction" is also helpful for speech-language pathologists transitioning from a school based or private practice setting into health care. Collaboratively compiled and co- authored by the team of Alex Johnson, Barbara Jacobson, Megan Schliep, and Bridget Perry, "Medical Speech-Language Pathology Across the Care Continuum: An Introduction" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, medical school, and academic library Audiology, Speech Pathology, and Occupational Therapy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Alex F. Johnson, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Honors, served as Provost at the MGH Institute (Boston, MA) for 14 years. Prior to that he served as department chair at Wayne State University. In 1998, Johnson launched the Division of Speech-Language Sciences and Disorders at the Henry Ford Medical Center i(Department of Neurology) in Detroit, MI. Johnson's academic interests have focused on medical speech-language pathology and neurologic communication disorders. He has been involved in the development of widely used outcome measures in voice and swallowing disorders and communication quality. He co-edited (with Barbara Jacobson), Medical Speech-Language Pathology: A Practitioner's Guide, now in its 3rd edition. Johnson is an ASHA Fellow, has received the Honors of ASHA and NSSLHA, and is a Distinguished Scholar in the National Academies of Practice.

Editorial Note #2: Barbara H. Jacobson served as Associate Professor at Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for 9 years working in medical speech-language pathology administration, clinical education, and as a clinician in acute care. Prior to that, she was Associate Professor in the Vanderbilt Voice Center. She was a senior staff speech-language pathologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI from 1988 to 2003 where she established a Voice Production Laboratory. Her clinical and research interests are in functional and patient-reported outcomes, medical speech language pathology, and neurogenic voice disorders. She is co-editor (with Alex Johnson) of Medical Speech Language Pathology, 3rd ed. She is a co-author of the Voice Handicap Index (1997) and Dysphagia Handicap Index (2012). She is an ASHA Fellow.

Editorial Note #3: Megan Schliep, PhD, CCC-SLP, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA. She also holds a clinical appointment as a speech-language pathologist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, MA. Her research focuses on post-stroke aphasia and explores the implementation of standardized assessment practices across the care continuum and identification of clinical predictors to inform recovery trajectory, with a focus on interdisciplinary research-practice partnerships.

Editorial Note #4: Bridget Perry, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the program director of the Clinical Doctorate in Speech Language Pathology program at MGH Institute of Health Professions. Her research is focused on improving patient-centered management of swallowing and speech impairments for patients diagnosed with serious illness through the use of novel assessment and intervention methodologies.

Prediabetes: A Complete Guide, second edition
Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDCES
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637743607, $19.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Prediabetes-Complete-Lifestyle-Chronic-Illnesses/dp/1637743602

Synopsis: When your doctor announces that you have prediabetes it can be scary -- but it also comes with a silver lining. It means that you have caught the condition just in time-- before it has become a lifetime condition requiring daily treatment to survive. It means that it is your best chance to reverse prediabetes starting now!

Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Prediabetes: A Complete Guide - Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses" reveals in detail what these actions are to reverse a prediabetic condition and empower yourself to find the healthy eating and lifestyle changes that work best for you to help you achieve your health goals.

This new, updated edition includes even more proven tools to make healthy eating easier than ever -- including simple tips for foolproof meal planning, plus even more tasty recipes and meal ideas to cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time.

Critique: Simply stated, this new and expanded edition of "Prediabetes: A Complete Guide - Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses" is comprehensive DIY guide carefully leading you through the dozens of concrete steps that you can take to reverse prediabetes, reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as other lifestyle-related chronic diseases. by: Identifying your risks for developing type 2 diabetes; Setting personalized and meaningful behavioral goals; Eating for weight loss and greater insulin sensitivity; Tweaking your favorite recipes to include wholesome foods; Starting or improving upon an exercise plan; Reducing sedentary time; Organizing and tracking your progress.

Taking an individualized approach to your lifestyle "reset," it allows you to choose your own path to wellness, and maintain a healthful lifestyle so that you can feel better than you have in years.

Critique: Impressively 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, this newly published second edition of "Prediabetes: A Complete Guide - Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses" is an ideal DIY instructional guide and 'how-to' manual and should be considered mandatory reading for anyone having a prediabetes diagnosis. It can also prove to be a life-saving read for anyone having to deal with diabetes 1 or 2. While having the highest possible recommended for personal, professional, and community library Health/Medical collections, it should be noted that "Prediabetes: A Complete Guide" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Jill Weisenberger (https://jillweisenberger.com) is an internationally recognized nutrition, diabetes, and prediabetes expert. She has worked as a clinical dietitian and diabetes educator in a variety of settings, including hospital inpatient and outpatient programs, private practice, and research clinics. She currently works with people with prediabetes through her original digital course Prediabetes Turnaround. Through coaching, speaking, and working with the media, Jill empowers people to grab control of their health one lifestyle habit at a time. Additionally, she is the author of four well-received health and nutrition books, a freelance writer, a consultant and spokesperson to the food industry, and a panelist for the US News & World Report Best Diet Rankings.

101 Tips for Better And More Healthy Sleep
Alan E. Smith
Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
www.lovinghealing.com
9781615997183, $24.95, PB, 56pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tips-Better-More-Healthy-Sleep/dp/1615997180

Synopsis: All of your physical and mental health are founded upon getting a good night's sleep. We all love waking up without an alarm, feeling rested and refreshed, right? Unfortunately, many people don't sleep enough or sleep well, or both. It may feel like your sleep is a combination lock and you can't figure out all the right numbers in the right sequence.

With the publication of "101 Tips for Better And More Healthy Sleep: Practical Advice for More Restful Nights", Alan E. Smith provides a compendium of practical tips specifically designed to help you find the rest you deserve in the best way possible. You will walk through all of the various factors in getting a good night's sleep, from your bed and bedroom to relaxing before bed to solving several sleep problems.

While some of these tips have been around for hundreds or thousands of years, some are as new as they can be. We even talk about the progress that's been made in the medical field regarding sleep in past few decades.

Whatever your sleep situation, you will probably find something here that can help you sleep even better and longer. You just have to have the patience and dedication to solve your own sleep problems.

"101 Tips for Better And More Healthy Sleep: Practical Advice for More Restful Nights" will enable you to: Discover your best sleep possible; See new ways to sleep better, longer; Realize all of the ways to improve your sleep; Explore techniques from ancient to modern; Understand the real importance of sleep.

Critique: Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "101 Tips for Better And More Healthy Sleep: Practical Advice for More Restful Nights" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone struggling with insomnia, having to shift their sleep schedule due to changes in their work schedule, or simply wanting to improve how well and reliable they can fall sleep and stay asleep for good physical and mental health. While unreservedly recommended for community library Health/Medicine collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "101 Tips for Better And More Healthy Sleep: Practical Advice for More Restful Nights" is also available in a paperback edition (9781615997176, $12.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.95).

Editorial Note: Alan Smith discovered amazing therapies to improve his own health. The more he learned the more he wanted to share the hope for better health with others so he wrote the award-winning book UnBreak Your Health. Featuring over 300+ therapies in more than 138 different categories, testimonials and some of the most interesting recent scientific developments this is the place to begin a journey of healing. You can hear him hosting the free podcast program at www.unbreakyourhealth.com.

Biomedical Device Technology: Principles and Design, third edition
Anthony Y. K. Chan
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093921, $79.95, HC, 912pp

https://www.amazon.com/Biomedical-Device-Technology-Principles-Design/dp/039809392X

Synopsis: With the publication of this newly revised and expanded third edition of "Biomedical Device Technology: Principles and Design", Dr. Anthony Chan provides a comprehensive approach to studying the principles and design of biomedical devices and their applications in medicine.

Written specifically for engineers and technologists who are interested in understanding the principles, design, and use of medical device technology, "Biomedical Device Technology: Principles and Design" is also intended to be a textbook or reference for biomedical device technology courses in universities and colleges.

Dr. Chan focuses on the applications, functions and principles of medical devices (which are the invariant components) and uses specific designs and constructions to illustrate the concepts where appropriate. Indication of use as well as common problems and hazards for each device type are included.

"Biomedical Device Technology: Principles and Design" selectively covers diagnostic and therapeutic devices that are either commonly used or whose principles and design represent typical applications of the technology. For those who would like to know more, a collection of published papers and book references has been added to the end of each chapter.

In this third edition of "Biomedical Device Technology: Principles and Design" many chapters have gone through revisions, some with significant updates and additions, to keep up with new applications and advancements in medical technology. A new appendix on infection prevention and control practices relating to medical devices is included. Based on requests, review questions are added for each chapter to help readers to assess their comprehension of the content material.

Critique: Comprehensive, informative, and impressively organized, this new third edition of "Biomedical Device Technology: Principles and Design" is an ideal curriculum textbook and professional reference with respect to contemporary biomedical device technologies and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, college, university, and medical school library Contemporary Medical Technology collections.

Editorial Note: Anthony Y. K. Chan worked for a number of years as a project engineer in the field of electrical instrumentations, control, and systems, and was the director and manager of biomedical engineering in a number of Canadian acute care hospitals. He is currently the Program Head of the Biomedical Engineering Technology Program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and is an Adjunct Professor of the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Chan is a Professional Engineer, a Chartered Engineer, and a Certified Clinical Engineer. He is also a fellow member of CMBES, life senior member of IEEE, member of IET and HKIE.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Vegetarian Reset
Vasudha Viswanath, author
Alexandra Shytsman, photographer
The Collective Book Studio
https://thecollectivebook.studio
https://www.thevegetarianreset.com
9781685550370, $34.99, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Reset-Low-Carb-Plant-Forward-Recipes/dp/1685550371

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Vegetarian Reset", culinary author Vasudha Viswanath celebrates a lifestyle where a foodie sensibility intersects with healthy eating. The 75 recipes comprising "The Vegetarian Rest" collectively solve the never-ending dilemma that all plant-based eaters face: Is life fun when you eat salad every day, or is it worth it to let your health take a backseat to enjoy a big bowl of rice or pasta without enough protein?

In her debut cookbook, Vasudha Viswanath takes her readers on a little culinary trip around the world, drawing inspiration from an array of traditional and global cuisines that are rich in whole foods like vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats. Seasonal vibrant recipes are moderately low-carb and put vegetables front and center, while also being gluten-free!

Kitchen cooks will also learn to bake healthy bread from scratch, make paella out of cauliflower rice, transform paneer into gnocchi, and sweeten brownies with dates! Whether you already follow a low-carb lifestyle or simply want to add more healthy dishes into your rotation,

Simply stated, the purpose of "The Vegetarian Reset" is to delight and inspire vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike to eat well, fully nourish, and reset their bodies.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes by photographer Alexandra Shytsman, "The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World" from culinary expert Vasudha Viswanath will be of special appeal and value to kitchen cooks with an interest in vegetarian cooking, as well as Low Carb and Low Carbohydrate diets. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), "The Vegetarian Reset" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Editorial Note #1: Vasudha Viswanath (https://www.v8well.com/about) is the founder of We Ate Well, a community for foodies that brings you the inside scoop on everything vegetarian. Her mission is to help you eat mindfully, joyfully, and sustainably on a vegetarian diet. She grew up in Bangalore, India and now lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Editorial Note #2: Alexandra Shytsman (https://alexandrashytsman.com) is a writer, recipe developer, food photographer, and creator of The New Baguette, a plant-based recipe site for the veg-curious. She is the co-author of The Complete Vegan Cookbook, and her work has been featured in national media like The Kitchn, Food52, HuffPost, and Cherry Bombe. She is a Ukrainian immigrant and currently lives in New York City.

Broke Vegan
Sam Dixon
Aster
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781783255382, $14.99, HC, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Broke-Vegan-Simple-Plant-based-Recipes/dp/1783255382

Synopsis: Featuring more than 100 plant-based recipes using supermarket staples, along with hints and tips for simplifying vegan cooking, "Broke Vegan: One Pot: Over 100 Simple Plant-based Recipes That Don't Cost The Earth" will have even the most novice of kitchen cooks preparing delicious vegan meals time after time -- meals that save money and help the planet. From easy weeknight meals to fancier dishes for entertaining, Broke Vegan: One Pot will help you cook sustainably without breaking the bank.

Demystifying the vegan diet, "Broke Vegan: One Pot" shows how to can make not only delicious meals without sacrificing any flavor, but being able to switch to a vegan diet without having to worry about extra costs. Whether taking part in Veganuary for the first time, making the move from veggie to vegan or just trying to make grocery money go further, "Broke Vegan: One Pot" will bring treasured variety and flavor to any meal without all the washing up!

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color, full page photographs of finished dishes, "Broke Vegan: One Pot: Over 100 Simple Plant-based Recipes That Don't Cost The Earth" will proved to be a prized and valued resource for menu planning and a welcome addition to personal, professional, and community library Vegan/Vegetarian cookbook collections.

Editorial Note: Sam Dixon (www.samdixonstylist.com) is a self-taught food stylist for cookbooks, magazines, film and TV, learnt through industry with a background in baking. She officially started her career in food at Violet bakery in East London. A love for seasonal ingredients, creativity and aesthetics was developed here. Since then, she has worked with numerous publications and brands such as The Guardian, GQ, The Telegraph, Hix, the White Company, Kyle Books, Quadrille and Hodder and Stoughton. She is also the co-creator of Studio Feast, a food photography studio in Hackney, London.

Flavor Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists
Crystelle Pereira
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
http://www.kylebooks.com
9781914239793, $19.99, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Kitchen-Creative-Recipes-Sharing/dp/1914239792

Synopsis: Cooking has always been an equal passion to baking for Crystelle Pereira, as shown by the coveted 'Hollywood Handshake' she received for her curried chicken and potato pie on The Great British Bake Off, a dish showcasing her Portuguese-Goan roots. Inspired by her travels and heritage, Crystelle's new cookbook, "Flavor Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists" encourages kitchen cooks to experiment with flavors and shows how (just by adding a few more condiments to your cupboard) anyone can elevate classic dishes.

Divided into two halves (savory and sweet), "Flavor Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists" showcases the baking that took Crystelle to the final of The Great British Bake Off, as well as her flair for creative savory dishes. Drawing inspiration from around the world, there is a flavor-packed dish for every occasion, from zingy curries, mouth-watering pastas and zesty salads to scrumptious cakes, pull-apart breads and indulgent brownies. Featuring a handy guide to Crystelle's hero ingredients and star seasonings (all of which feature in multiple recipes) it couldn't be easier to raise any dedicated kitchen cook's flavor game.

Critique: As much fun to browse through as it is inspiring to plan menus with, "Flavor Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists" is beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color, full page photographs of finished dishes. Exceptionally 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Flavor Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Flavor Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Raised in London by Kenyan-born, Portuguese-Goan parents, Crystelle Pereira first showcased her baking skills and winning flavor combinations on The Great British Bake Off. Cooking is an equal passion to baking for Crystelle, and her dishes are known for their inventive twists and exciting flavors. Her appearance on GBBO made Vanity Fair's list of Best Performances of 2021, and she has gone on to cook on acclaimed TV shows such as Good Morning America, The Today Show, Sunday Brunch and ITV Lorraine. She can be followed on Instagram: @crystellepereira

Vegan Chocolate Treats
Emma Hollingsworth
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
http://www.kylebooks.com
9781914239564, $22.99, HC, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Chocolate-Treats-gluten-free-refined-sugar-free/dp/1914239563

Synopsis: After the success of "Vegan Treats" and with the publication of "Vegan Chocolate Treats", Emma Hollingsworth is back with an even more indulgent sequel featuring all things chocolaty. Comprised of 100 delicious dairy-free, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free recipes based on chocolate, "Vegan Chocolate Treats" provides simple, fuss-free instructions for memorable home-made treats created with easy to find, natural, ingredients. The focus is on confectionary, energy balls and bars, cakes, puddings and frozen desserts. Think healthier versions of peanut butter cups, Mars Bars, chocolate spread, Magnums and chocolate mousse as well as lots of birthday cake ideas too.

Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of full page, full color photographs of finished treats, "Vegan Chocolate Treats" is a chocolate lover's dream collection that will appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike! Exceptionally 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Vegan Chocolate Treats" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Vegan Chocolate Treats" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Emma Hollingsworth (https://readitandeatstore.com/pages/emma-hollingsworth) has a first in Economics from Birmingham and also studied at Harvard. Wanting to get healthier, she cut out gluten, sugar and other allergens, qualified as a certified health coach (IIN) and started developing healthy treats. She runs a weekly farmers' market stall, her blog won 'best recipe blog' at the 2017 Health Blog awards, she collaborates with well-known health brands such as Ethos, creates bespoke cakes to order and also runs workshops. Emma lives in London with her husband and daughter.


The World History Shelf

The Road to Barbarossa
Norman Ridley
Frontline Books
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781399068826, $42.95, HC, 232pp

https://www.amazon.com/Road-Barbarossa-Soviet-German-Relations-1917-1941/dp/1399068822

Synopsis: Arising from the chaos of the First World War, during which Germany and Russia had fought each other to a standstill, there emerged two societies whose diametrically opposed ideologies of communism and fascism represented the opposite extremes of the political spectrum. Despite this, in time the governments and military establishments in both countries were able to create an environment where political expediency led to both cooperation and an eventual alliance.

While western democracies found both systems repellent, the two countries of Germany and the Soviet Union, embodied in the case of the Soviets vast resources of raw materials and, in the case of Germany, huge intellectual, scientific and industrial expertise. Both offered massive opportunities for trade, but neither made comfortable partners. Britain (whose sympathies lay more with the Germans), and France (whose history tied them more to Eastern Europe), tended to treat both Germany and the Soviet Union as outcast states. This created a great deal of animosity in return and ultimately drove the outcasts into each other's arms.

while animosity was rampant on a political level, both countries, now having equal pariah status in the eyes of the Western allies, began to see huge benefits in military and economic cooperation. Collaborative ventures for covert armament production and training facilities were initiated in 1921. These schemes would continue, with varying degrees of success, for more than a decade until the rise of Nazism in Germany put an end to it.

The Spanish Civil War saw not only the two rival political philosophies but opposing military doctrines also being tested against each other on the field of battle. It is remarkable, therefore, that these two nations emerged from this maelstrom to rediscover the 'spirit of Rapallo'. It was a spirit which culminated in the signing of the Molotov - Ribbentrop Pact in August 1939. Within weeks, both sides would display their unity as they fell together with ruthless efficiency upon the hapless Poland.

With the publication of "The Road to Barbarossa: Soviet-German Relations, 1917 - 1941", Norman Ridley looks at how these two 'strange bedfellows' dealt with western hostility and found ways to accommodate each other in a bid to recover from the economic devastation and dismantling of their historic territorial boundaries. The extent to which cooperation was achieved is unusual given the circumstances, especially as they had to contend with the machinations of the Western Powers.

The era of the Molotov - Ribbentrop Pact proved to be a brief liaison, one that collapsed into savagery again when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa just a few months later.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a section of historical black/white photographs, an informative Introduction, eight pages of Notes, a six pages listing of Sources, and a four page Index, "The Road to Barbarossa: Soviet-German Relations, 1917 - 1941" by military historian Norman Ridley is an impressively informative and exceptionally well written, organized and presented study which is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library European World War II History collections and supplemental German/Russian Pre-World War II curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Road to Barbarossa" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Norman Ridley (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Norman-Ridley/a/4216) is an Open University Honours graduate and an expert on inter-war intelligence.

Picts: Scourge of Rome, Rulers of the North
Gordon Noble, author
Nicholas Evans, author
Birlinn
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781780277783, $34.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Picts-Scourge-Rome-Rulers-North/dp/1780277784

Synopsis: The Picts emerged c. AD 300 to defy the might of the Roman empire only to disappear at the end of the first millennium AD, yet they left major legacies. They laid the foundations for the medieval Scottish kingdom and their captivating carved stones are some of the most eye-catching yet enigmatic monuments in Europe. Until recently the Picts have been difficult to trace due to limited archaeological investigation and documentary sources, but innovative new research has produced critical new insights into the culture of a highly sophisticated society which defied the might of the Roman Empire and forged a powerful realm dominating much of northern Britain.

"Picts: Scourge of Rome, Rulers of the North" by co-authors Gordon Noble and Nicholas Evans is the first dedicated book on the Picts that covers in detail both their archaeology and their history. It examines their kingdoms, culture, beliefs and everyday lives from their origins to their end, not only incorporating current thinking on the subject, but also offering innovative perspectives that transform our understanding of the early history of Scotland.

Critique: Profusely illustrated with both full color and black/white images, "Picts: Scourge of Rome, Rulers of the North" is additionally enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a twenty-one page Bibliography, a twelve page listing of Sites to Visit, and a nine page Index. Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Picts: Scourge of Rome, Rulers of the North" is a seminal work of meticulous scholarship and research. An inherently fascinating read and an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Archaeology collections, and supplemental curriculum Scottish History studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Picts: Scourge of Rome, Rulers of the North" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note #1: Gordon Noble (https://www.abdn.ac.uk/people/g.noble?count=25) is Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Honorary Curatorial Fellow to the University Museums at the University of Aberdeen. He has also been director of the Rhynie Environs Archaeological Project. He is author of a number of books, including Neolithic Scotland: Timber, Stone, Earth and Fire.

Editorial Note #2: Nicholas Evans (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/nick-evans) is a Research Fellow on the Leverhulme Trust funded Comparative Kingship: the Early Medieval Kingdoms of Northern Britain and Ireland project at the University of Aberdeen. He is a historian whose research and teaching have focussed on the medieval Celtic-speaking societies of Britain and Ireland. He is the author of The Present and the Past in Medieval Irish Chronicles (Boydell Press, 2010), A Historical Introduction to the Northern Picts (Aberdeen University/Tarbat Discovery Centre, 2014) and co-author of King in the North: The Pictish Realms of Fortriu and Ce (Birlinn 2019).

The Wars of the Bruces: Scotland, England and Ireland 1306 - 1328
Colm McNamee
Birlinn Ltd.
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781780276618, $21.95, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wars-Bruces-Scotland-England-Ireland/dp/1780276613

Synopsis: The Bruces of fourteenth-century Scotland were formidable and enthusiastic warriors. While much has been written about events as they happened in Scotland during the chaotic years of the first part of the fourteenth century, England's war with Robert the Bruce profoundly affected the whole of the British Isles.

Scottish raiders struck deep into the heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire; Robert's younger brother, Edward Bruce, was proclaimed King of Ireland and came close to subduing the country; the Isle of Man was captured and a Welsh sea-port was raided; and in the North Sea Scots allied with German and Flemish pirates to cripple England's vital wool trade and disrupt its war effort.

Packed with detail and written with a strong and involving narrative thread, "The Wars of the Bruces: Scotland, England and Ireland 1306 - 1328" by historian Colm McNamee is the first book to link up the various theaters of war and discuss the effect of the wars of the Bruces outside Scotland.

Critique: An impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented history of 14th Century Scotland and its wars with England, "The Wars of the Bruces: Scotland, England and Ireland 1306 - 1328" is a fascinating read and an especially recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Medieval/Renaissance Military History collections.

Editorial Note: Colm McNamee is the Senior Research Officer for the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. He studied at Queens' University, Belfast, and Worcester College, Oxford and has a DPhil in Medieval History.

Wars of the Roses
Paul Kendall
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399097512, $42.95, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wars-Roses-Battlefields-Yorkists-Lancastrians/dp/1399097512

Synopsis: The Wars of the Roses, which saw England and Wales ravaged by warfare for three decades and dynasties rise and fall, decimated the nobility of an entire generation, and saw the rise of the merchant class, the decline of medieval feudalism and opened the country to the enlightened ideals of the Renaissance. Such has been its lasting effects the red and white rose of the Tudors is still a national symbol.

With the publication of "Wars of the Roses: The People, Places and Battlefields of the Yorkists and Lancastrians" historian Paul Kendall provides an exploration of the buildings, monuments, towns and battlefields of that turbulent era across both England and Wales -- places and sites that can still be visited and experienced today.

Also included are the stories of the great battles of St Albans, Stoke Field, Wakefield, Townton, Barnet, Tewksbury and, of course, Bosworth, are told along with beautiful photographs to help guide the reader round these important sites, as well as the dozens of smaller engagements where the supporters of the Houses of York and Lancaster fought and died.

Here are castles and manor houses galore, all of which played their part in this protracted struggle for the throne of England, such as Richard of York's imposing powerbase of Lulow Castle and the magnificent Tudor stronghold of Bamburg. These are compared with the scant remains of Fotheringhay Castle, the birthplace of Richard III (the man whose remains were so dramatically uncovered in Leicester) and Micklegate Bar, York, was where Richard's head was placed on a spike.

We see the Clocktower of St Albans and 'Gabriel' the bell that was rung in 1455 alerting of the Yorkist advance, as well as the Tower of London where Henry VI met his death and the possible burial place of the two princes.

These, and scores of other places, monuments, plaques, buildings and battlegrounds, represent not only a journey across England and Wales, but a journey back in time to the bloody conflict that was to be forever known as the War of the Roses.

Critique: A brilliant and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library English History collections, "Wars of the Roses: The People, Places and Battlefields of the Yorkists and Lancastrians" is an ideal resource for planning travel itineraries for anyone with an interest in the history and surviving monuments associated with the era and personalities associated with the War of the Roses. Profusely illustrated throughout with black- and-white photography, it should be noted for personal reading lists of academia and non-specialist general readers alike that "Wars of the Roses: The People, Places and Battlefields of the Yorkists and Lancastrians" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Paul Kendall (https://www.paul-kendall.co.uk) is a military historian and author from Kent specializing in the First World War. He was educated at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, where he also served as an Honorary Midshipman with the University of London Royal Naval Unit.

Britain's Empires: A History, 1600-2020
James Heartfield
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839987243, $150.00, HC, 506pp

https://www.amazon.com/Britains-Empires-History-1600-2020-Studies/dp/1839987243

Synopsis: With the publication of "Britain's Empires: A History, 1600-2020", author, social justice campaigner and historian James Heartfield presents an accurate and seminal history of the many different British Empires including: the Old Colonial System (1600 - 1776), the Empire of Free Trade (1776 - 1870), the New Imperialism (1870 - 1945), Decolonisation (1945 - 1990) and the era of humanitarian intervention (1990 - 2020).

Critique: Comprehensive, well written, accessible organized, and 'reader friendly' in presentation, and a masterpiece of independent scholarship, "Britain's Empires: A History, 1600-2020" is a seminal study that reveals the complex and controversial story of the Britain's colonial past as being indelible characterized by irresistible change and evolutionary mandated re-invention. While an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library British/English History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Britain's Empires: A History, 1600-2020" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).

Editorial Note: James Heartfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Heartfield) wrote The British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, Who's Afraid of the Easter Rising? The Equal Opportunities Revolution and many other books. James is also a long-standing campaigner for social justice.


The Civil War Shelf

Man of Fire: William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War
Derek D. Maxfield
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215991, $16.95, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Man-Fire-William-Tecumseh-Emerging/dp/1611215994

Synopsis: William Tecumseh Sherman has been accused of "studied and ingenious cruelty". By turns, he has been called a savior and a barbarian, a hero and a villain, a genius and a madman. But whatever you call General Sherman, he is arguably one of the most fascinating character within the context of the American Civil War.

Sherman spent a lifetime in search of who he was, striving to find a place and a calling. Informally adopted by the Ewing family of Lancaster, Ohio, when his own father died when he was just nine, the young redhead lived in a spacious mansion just up the hill from his mother. Later, as a young man, he would marry his adopted sister, Ellen.

After attending West Point, the intrepid Ohioan found that being a soldier suited him. Yet he always seemed to miss his opportunity. The second Seminole War was in its closing days before he saw action. When the Mexican-American War broke out, he anticipated the opportunity to earn military glory only to be posted to Pittsburgh on recruiting duty. Transferred to California, he arrived too late after surviving two shipwrecks, then ended up on administrative duties.

Hounded by his family to leave the military, Sherman tried banking and practicing law. Finally, he became superintendent of a new military academy in Louisiana and thought he had found his place -- until civil war intervened.

After leading his troops at the battle of Bull Run, the anxious brigadier general was sent West to Kentucky. Apprehensive over the situation in the Blue Grass State, suffering from stress, insomnia, and anxiety, Sherman begged to be relieved. Sent home to recover, the newspapers announced he was insane. Colleagues concluded he was "gone in the head".

Instead, like a phoenix, he rose from the ashes to become a hero of the republic. Forging an identity in the fire of war, the unconventional general kindled a friendship with Ulysses S. Grant and proved to everyone at Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Georgia, and in the Carolinas that while he was unorthodox, he was also brilliant and creative. More than that, he was eminently successful and played an important role in the Union's victory.

With the publication of "Man of Fire: William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War", Professor Derek D. Maxfield tells the story of a man who found himself in war -- and that, in turn, secured him a place in history. Condemned for his barbarousness or hailed for his heroics, the life of this peculiar general is nonetheless compelling and thoroughly American.

Critique: illustrated throughout with black/white historical images, this new paperback edition of "Man of Fire: William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War" from Savas Beatie must be considered a core and essential addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library American Civil War History & Biography collections. It should be noted for students, academia, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Man of Fire: William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: Derek Maxfield (https://ddmaxfield.com/about) is an Associate Professor of History at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York. Author of Hellmira: The Union's Most Infamous Civil War Prison Camp - Elmira, NY, Maxfield has written for Emerging Civil War since 2015. In 2019, he was honored with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2013, he was awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.


The Military Shelf

A Pair of Aces and a Trey
Alan L. Roesler
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636241876, $34.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pair-Aces-Trey-Easterbrook-Observation/dp/1636241875

Synopsis: Trained as a pursuit pilot but assigned to an observation squadron, the indefatigable Bill Erwin flew twice as many hours over the front lines as any other pilot in the 1st Aero Squadron. His two primary observers, Byrne Baucom and Arthur Easterbrook, were both previously Army infantry officers and deadly marksmen.

It was their dedication, bravery, and courage under fire that kept them alive throughout the Chateau-Thierry, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne campaigns. Easterbrook scored four of his five victories while flying with Erwin, including two in one day, while Baucom scored all three of his victories with Erwin. Even after returning in shredded Salmsons, being forced down, and shot down on multiple occasions, all three remained relatively unscathed throughout the war.

Erwin's dramatic life culminated in his disappearance during the 1927 Dole Air Race, while Easterbrook became a respected figure in Washington. Revered in his home state of Texas, Baucom became a pilot in the 1920s and rose to become an instructor at an advanced flying school. He died in an aircraft crash in 1928. While Erwin became Dallas's 'favorite son' in life, three thousand people paid tributes to Baucom at his funeral, showing his immense popularity. Easterbrook was the only one of the three to survive to reach his military career potential, retiring as a brigadier general after World War II.

With the publication of "A Pair of Aces and a Trey: 1st Lieutenants William P. Erwin, Arthur E. Easterbrook, and Byrne V. Baucom: America's Top Scoring World War I Observation Pilot and Observers" Alan Roesler retraces the lives and careers of the three men in a unique joint biography.

Critique: Occasionally illustrated with black/white historic photographs, "A Pair of Aces and a Trey: 1st Lieutenants William P. Erwin, Arthur E. Easterbrook, and Byrne V. Baucom: America's Top Scoring World War I Observation Pilot and Observers" is an inherently fascinating read and highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library World War I History & Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated military history buffs that "A Pair of Aces and a Trey" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).

Editorial Note: Alan Roesler is a military aviation historian. He has been a featured speaker at the U.S. Air Force Museum, Commemorative Air Force Museum, Sharlot Hall Museum, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Yavapai College.

Elephant Paths: Combat History of Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 203
Thomas Anderson
PeKo Publishing
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9786155583759, $54.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Paths-Combat-history-Sturmgesch%C3%BCtz-Abteilung/dp/6155583757

Synopsis: "Elephant Paths" (the title of this book) refers to the unit symbol of StuGAbt 203, later redesignated StuGBrig 203, a charging elephant. The unit displayed this coat of arms proudly on their Sturmgeschutze and other vehicles during the often hard fighting on the Eastern Front. "Elephant Paths: Combat history of Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 203" from PeKo Publishing is the combat history of the Abteilung presented by author Thomas Anderson and illustrated with 291 rare and never before published photos, maps and documents.

Critique: Simply stated, "Elephant Paths: Combat History of Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 203" by German military historian Thomas Anderson is an inherently fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionally well presented coffee-table style (11.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches, 2.3 pounds) volume that is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II History collections presenting the German battlefield perspective.

Editorial Note: Thomas Anderson is a German national who specialises in German World War II vehicles. Most of his work are derived from the Bundesarchive and other archives of various military establishments throughout Europe.

Burning Horizon
Julian Whippy
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242972, $34.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Horizon-British-Veteran-Accounts/dp/1636242979

Synopsis: Codenamed Operation Telic, the British component of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the largest gathering of British troops since the Second World War.

While the British public prepared for the worst as its soldiers were facing weapons of mass destruction, most servicemen and women were under no illusion that they were invading Iraq to rid the people of Saddam Hussein.

While much has been said about WMD and Tony Blair's government, not nearly enough has been heard from those men and women that took part in Operation Telic. Based upon dozens of veteran interviews, personal diaries and archival material, with the publication of "Burning Horizon: British Veteran Accounts of the Iraq War, 2003", Julian Whippy presents their stories in the veteran's own words.

From controlling the vast Allied Air Forces at 34,000 feet in an AWACS plane down to submariners beneath the warm waves of the Persian Gulf firing Tomahawk Cruise missiles, from the steaming hot turret of a Challenger Tank as it is peppered with RPGs, to being on your belly in a sandstorm disarming unexploded bombs -- these veteran accounts cover the whole spectrum of experiences.

Polarized public opinion and the post-war media portrayal of the war has detracted from what was achieved by these forces, when tasked to do so, often with insufficient or inadequate resources. These are their stories of courage, fortitude, pride, and brotherhood amidst the harsh realities of modern asymmetric warfare.

Critique: An informative and fascinating contribution to our understanding the the Iraq War that was to topple the dictatorship of Sadam Hussein, "Burning Horizon: British Veteran Accounts of the Iraq War, 2003" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Kuwait and Iraq histories in general, and the Iraq War in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of military history buffs that "Burning Horizon" is also available from Casemate Publishers in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).

Editorial Note: Julian Whippy (https://www.gbg-international.com/guide/julian-whippy) served for 25 years in the British Police, primarily with Firearms teams and as a covert surveillance officer in London. Julian's passion for military history began when he joined the Royal Anglian Regiment as a reservist and has culminated with him owning his own battlefield tour company and working for many years across the world as an accredited battlefield guide. A member of the British Commission for Military History, he wrote The Greater Game, Sportsmen Killed in the Great War.

Dark Waters, Starry Skies
Jeffrey R. Cox
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472849892, $35.00, HC, 528pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Waters-Starry-Skies-Guadalcanal-Solomons/dp/1472849892

Synopsis: Thousands of miles from friendly ports, the US Navy had finally managed to complete the capture of Guadalcanal from the Japanese in early 1943. Now the Allies sought to keep the offensive momentum won at such a high cost. This is the central plot line running through "Dark Waters, Starry Skies: The Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign, March - October 1943" by military historian Jeffrey R. Cox.

This inherently interesting and informative history begins with the Japanese Operation I-Go and the American ambush of Admiral Yamamoto, then continues on to the Allied invasion of New Georgia, northwest of Guadalcanal in the middle of the Solomon Islands and the location of a major Japanese base. Determined not to repeat their mistakes at Guadalcanal, the Allies nonetheless faltered in their continuing efforts to roll back the Japanese land, air and naval forces.

Using first-hand accounts from both sides, "Dark Waters, Starry Skies" vividly recreates all the terror and drama of the nighttime naval battles during this phase of the Solomons campaign and the ferocious firestorm many Marines faced as they disembarked from their landing craft. The reader is transported to the bridge to stand alongside Admiral Walden Ainsworth as he sails to stop another Japanese reinforcement convoy for New Georgia, and vividly feels the fear of an 18-year-old Marine as he fights for survival against a weakened but still determined enemy.

Critique: A definitive and engrossing history which that deftly weaves together both strategy and tactics, enhanced for the reader with a blow-by-blow account of every battle at a vital point in the Pacific War, "Dark Waters, Starry Skies" is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a Prologue (Via Delorosa), an Epilogue (The Akikaze Resunk), forty-eight pages of Notes, a two page Bibliography, and a seven page Index. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.46), "Dark Waters, Starry Skies" is a welcome, valued, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library World War II History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Jeffrey R. Cox (https://ospreypublishing.com/us/author/jeffrey-cox) is a litigation attorney and an independent military historian. A student of history, international affairs, and defence policy for most of his life, his first book was the critically acclaimed Rising Star, Falling Skies (2014) about the Java Sea campaign. This was followed by two volumes on the Guadalcanal-Solomons campaign: Morning Star, Midnight Sun (2018) and Blazing Star, Setting Sun (2020).

Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin
Scott McGaugh
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472852946, $30.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Flying-Coffin-Glider-Pilots/dp/147285294X

Synopsis: With the publication of "Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Glider Pilots of World War II", journalist and military historian Scott McGaugh distills war down to individual young men climbing into defenseless gliders made of plywood, ready to trust the towing aircraft that would pull them into enemy territory by a single cable wrapped with a telephone wire. Based on their after-action reports, journals, oral histories, photos and letters home, "The Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin" reveals every terrifying minute of their missions.

They were all volunteers, for a specialized duty that their own government projected would have a 50 percent casualty rate. None faltered. In every major European invasion of the war they led the way. They landed their gliders ahead of the troops who stormed Omaha Beach, and sometimes miles ahead of the paratroopers bound for the far side of the Rhine River in Germany itself. From there, they had to hold their positions. They delivered medical teams, supplies and gasoline to troops surrounded in the Battle of the Bulge, ahead even of Patton's famous supply truck convoy.

These all-volunteer glider pilots played a pivotal role in liberating the West from tyranny, from the day the Allies invaded Occupied Europe to the day Germany finally surrendered. Yet the story of these anonymous heroes is virtually unknown. Here their story is told in full -- a story which epitomizes courage, dedication and sacrifice.

Critique: Rescuing a very special World War II branch of the American military from an undeserved obscurity, "Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Glider Pilots of World War II" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library American Military Aviation History collections in general, and World War II supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular. Featuring a section of historic black-and-white photography, "Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin" is additionally enhanced with the inclusion of a four page Glossary, a five page Select Bibliography, thirteen pages of Endnotes, and an eight page Index. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, nad military history buffs that "Brootherhood of the Flying Coffin" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.60).

Editorial Note: Scott McGaugh (http://scottmcgaugh.com) is a veteran journalist and published author of Honor Before Glory (Da Capo, 2016), the New York Times bestseller Surgeon in Blue (Arcade, 2013), Battlefield Angels (Osprey, 2011) and Midway Magic (CDS/Perseus, 2004). Midway Magic became the basis for a History Channel program, Hero Ship: The USS Midway. McGaugh served as the founding marketing director of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, the most visited floating ship museum in the world.

Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgian, and Danish Volunteers
Ian Baxter
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399087629, $26.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Waffen-SS-Belgian-Danish-Volunteers-Images/dp/1399087622

Synopsis: Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, numerous Dutchmen, Belgians and Danes volunteered for the Waffen-SS. The largest division, SS Volunteer Legion Netherlands operated in Yugoslavia and then Northern Russia. It was later re-designated 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland.

Fighting alongside the Nederland formation was the SS Volunteer Legion Flanders, manned mainly with Dutch speaking recruits from occupied Belgium. After being disbanded it was later reformed as the SS Assault Brigade Langemarck (SS-Sturmbrigade Langemarck).

The SS Volunteer Legion Walloon, recruited from French-speaking volunteers from German occupied Belgium, was sent to Russia and later integrated with the SS Assault Brigade Wallonia (SS-Sturmbrigade Wallonien).

Finally some 6,000 Danes served in Free Corps Denmark which went to the Eastern Front in May 1942. Within a year the formation was disbanded into Division Nordland, known as `Regiment 24 Danemark`

Drawing on a superb collection of rare and often unpublished photographs, "Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgian, and Danish Volunteers" is the newest addition to the Pen & Sword 'Images of War' series and describes the fighting history of each formation, notably the 1944 battle of Narva, which was known as the battle of the European SS. As its forces were pushed further back across a scarred and burning wasteland it describes how these Dutch, Belgian and Danish units became cut off in the Kurland Pocket until some were evacuated by sea. The remainder were killed or captured in front of Berlin in April 1945.

Critique: One of the lesser known aspects of World War II was the success the Nazi's had in recruited men from conquered and occupied countries to fight against Allied troops. "Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgian, and Danish Volunteers" is impressively illustrated with historical black/white photos documented this unusual military phenomena from the German military perspective. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49), "Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgian, and Danish Volunteers" is a fascinating, informative, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Ian Baxter (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Ian-Baxter/a/716) is a military historian who specializes in German twentieth-century military history. He has written more than fifty books. He has also reviewed numerous military studies for publication, supplied thousands of photographs and important documents to various publishers and film production companies worldwide, and lectures to various schools, colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland.


The Photography Shelf

What We See
Daniella Zaleman, curator
Sara Ickow, curator
White Lion Publishing
Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780711278547, $30.00, HC, 244pp

https://www.amazon.com/Women-Photograph-nonbinary-perspectives-through/dp/0711278547

Synopsis: 85% of photojournalists are men. That means almost everything that is reported in the world photographically is seen through men's eyes. Similarly, spaces and communities men don't have access to are left undocumented and forgotten. With the camera limited to the hands of one gender, photographic 'truth' is more subjective than it seems.

To answer this serious ethical problem, "What We See: Women and Nonbinary Perspectives through the Lens" flips that bias on its head to show what and how women and nonbinary photojournalists see.

From documenting major events such as 9/11 to capturing unseen and misrepresented communities, "What We See: Women and Nonbinary Perspectives through the Lens" presents a revisionist contemporary history: pore over 50 years of women's dispatches in 100 photographs. Each individual image is accompanied by 200 words from the photographer about the experience and the subject, offering fresh insights and a much-needed perspective.

Until we have balanced, representative reporting, the camera cannot offer a mirror to our global society. To get the full picture, we need a diverse range of people behind the lens. "What We See: Women and Nonbinary Perspectives through the Lens" offers a first step.

Critique: A simply fascinating and richly illustrated study, "What We See: Women and Nonbinary Perspectives through the Lens" is a core, essential, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library History of Photography collections in general, and supplemental curriculum Women Photographers studies lists in particular. Rescuing from an undeserved obscurity the visual contributions of women and nonbinary visual storytellers with respect to the camera lens, "What We See: Women and Nonbinary Perspectives through the Lens" is also available for photojournalism students, academia, photographers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note #1: Daniella Zalcman (http://www.dan.iella.net/about) is the founder of Women Photograph, a global, US-based non-profit that launched in 2017 to elevate the voices of women and nonbinary visual journalists. The private database includes more than 1,000 independent documentary photographers based in 100+ countries. Their mission is to shift the makeup of the photojournalism community and ensure that the industry's chief storytellers are as diverse as the communities they hope to represent. They believe that inclusion and equity work must be fully intersectional, and are committed to supporting and highlighting photographers across the spectrum of all identities.

Editorial Note #2: Sara Ickow (@sasickow) is the Senior Manager, Exhibitions and Collections at the International Center of Photography. Previously, she worked as a Curatorial Assistant and Collections Manager with the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in their Department of Photographs and as a freelance collections manager. She holds an MA in art history from NYU's Institute of Fine Arts, where she studied photography and time-based media art and wrote her thesis on Walker Evans in the 1930s.

Athens Unveiled
Anna A. Angelidakis
ORO Editions
31 Commerical Blvd., Suite F, Novato, CA 94949
www.oroeditions.com
9781957183039, $30.00, HC, 300pp

https://www.amazon.com/Athens-Unveiled-portrait-Nineteenth-Neighborhoods/dp/1957183039

Synopsis: Every year millions of travelers arrive in Athens eager to catch a glimpse of the ancient city and savor its classical heritage. But what about the late nineteenth century Athens with her neoclassical buildings, wide avenues and literary salons?

An Athens where music wafted from King Otto's palace and the aristocracy waltzed under crystal chandeliers. A city of dignitaries, scholars and architects drawing plans and reworking them, leaving their mark on every dimension of the young capital. An Athens where commoners hovered around dimly lit fires and children played in the mud amidst the ancient ruins. Where criminals settled disputes with drawn knives and prostitutes roamed the ports luring sailors into filthy, smoke-filled taverns. Where Greek refugees lived in wind-swept streets with no sewers or running water, singing about their troubles under the stars.

An Athens where intellectuals, writers, poets, and artists converged in local cafes planning the future of the newly founded nation, discussing philosophy, literature, and their shared passion for reclaiming Greece for the Greeks.

With the publication of "Athens Unveiled: A portrait of Nineteenth Century Athens Through Her Streets and Neighborhoods", the photography and commentary by Anna Angelidakis pays homage to the people, streets, and neighborhoods of late nineteenth century Athens, where some of the finest neoclassical buildings still stand next to abandoned mansions, brothels, and old factories; where people still bargain the prices of clothes and produce on the old streets of commerce and where young artists create powerful murals, bringing everything about the city into sharp focus.

Critique: Ideal for armchair travelers and on-site visitors alike, "Athens Unveiled: A Portrait of Nineteenth Century Athens Through Her Streets and Neighborhoods" is unique, fascinating, informative, and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Contemporary Photography and Athens/Greece Travel Guide collections.

Editorial Note: Anna Angelidakis is the author of Rooted in the Hood, an Intimate Portrait of New York City's Community Gardens, winner of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Award (Regional Category) and New York City Big Book Award (Green Category). She currently lives and travels between Athens and New York documenting her beloved cities.


The Biography Shelf

Grant at 200
Chris Mackowski, editor
Frank J. Scaturro, editor
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216141, $32.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Grant-200-Reconsidering-Legacy-Ulysses/dp/1611216141

Synopsis: Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 - July 23, 1885) stood at the center of the American Civil War maelstrom. The Ohio native answered his nation's call to service and finished the war as a lieutenant general in command of the U.S. Army. Four years later, he ascended to the presidency to better secure the peace he had helped win on the battlefield. Despite his major achievements in war and peace, political and sectional enemies battered his reputation. For nearly a century, his military and political career remained deeply misunderstood.

Since the Civil War centennial, however, Grant's reputation has blossomed into a full renaissance. His military record garners new respect and, more recently, an appreciation for his political career (particularly his strong advocacy for equal rights) is quickly catching up.

Throughout these decades, his personal memoirs marking him as a significant American "Man of Letters" have never gone out of print. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Chris Mackowski and Frank J. Scaturro, "Grant at 200: Reconsidering the Life and Legacy of Ulysses S. Grant" celebrates the bicentennial of the birth of a man whose towering impact on American history has often been overshadowed and, in many cases, ignored. This collection of essays by some of today's leading Grant scholars offers fresh perspectives on Grant's military career and presidency, as well as underexplored personal topics such as his faith and family life.

Critique: Featuring a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Grant at 200: Reconsidering the Life and Legacy of Ulysses S. Grant" is an extraordinarily informed and informative work of collective scholarship and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library 19th Century American Biography collections and supplemental curriculum Civil War History studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, Civil War history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Grant at 200" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).

Editorial Note #1: The author or co-author more than a dozen books on the Civil War, Chris Mackowski is the editor in chief of Emerging Civil War. He is also a writing professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University as well as the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield. (authored or coauthored more than a dozen books on the Civil War)

Editorial Note #2: Frank Scaturro (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Scaturro) is an attorney and author. His previous writings include President Grant Reconsidered (1998) and The Supreme Court's Retreat from Reconstruction (2000). He is also the president of the Grant Monument Association, which is dedicated to the preservation of Grant's Tomb. Frank served as Counsel for the Constitution for the Senate Judiciary Committee and as special counsel to the House Select Investigative Panel. He currently serves as vice-president and senior counsel of the Judicial Crisis Network.

Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII's Queen
Roland Hui
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399087575, $34.95, HC, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Boleyn-Illustrated-Henry-VIIIs-Queen/dp/1399087576

Synopsis: 'If you remember my love in your prayers as strongly as I adore you, I shall hardly be forgotten, for I am yours,' - Henry Rex, forever

This was written by King Henry VIII to his sweetheart, the seductive and vivacious Anne Boleyn, his passion for her would be so great that Henry would make Anne his queen, launch the Protestant church in Britain, and change the course of English history.

But the woman whom Henry had promised to love for all time would go from palace to prison, charged with heinous crimes. Her life ended on a bloody scaffold in the Tower of London.

Critique: The subject of numerous movies and a basic story found in many a novel and academic study, with the publication of "Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII's Queen", historian Roland Hui brings a new perspective to this the dramatic story romance and tragedy that was the life and times of Anne Boleyn -- arguably the most famous and controversial of Henry VIII's six wives. While a welcome and recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library British Royal Biographies, it should be noted that this exciting and profusely illustrated account of her life told in both words and pictures is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Roland Hui (https://www.tudorsociety.com/roland-hui-tudor-society) received his degree in Art History from Concordia University in Canada. After completing his studies, he went on to work for California State Parks, The U.S. Forest Service, and The National Park Service in interpretive media. Roland is also the author of "The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens" (2017) and is the co-creator of "The Mary Queen of Scots coloring Book" (2019). He blogs about Tudor art and personalities at Tudor Faces: https://tudorfaces.blogspot.ca


The Historical Fiction Shelf

The Rail Splitter
John Cribb
Republic Book Publishers
https://www.republicbookpublishers.com
9781645720645, $28.00, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rail-Splitter-Novel-John-Cribb/dp/1645720640

Synopsis: "The Rail Splitter" by novelist John Cribb begins with Lincoln's youth on the frontier, where he grows up with an ax in one hand and book in the other, determined to make something of himself. He sets off on one adventure after another, from rafting down the Mississippi River to marching in an Indian war. When he is twenty-six, the girl he hopes to marry dies of fever. He spends days wandering the countryside in grief. A few years later, he purchases a ring inscribed with the words "Love Is Eternal" and enters a tempestuous marriage with Mary Todd.

Lincoln literally wrestles his way to prominence on the Illinois prairies. He teaches himself the law and enters the rough and tumble world of frontier politics. With Mary's encouragement, he wins a term in the US Congress, but his political career falters. They are both devastated by the loss of a child. As arguments over slavery sweep the country, Lincoln finds something worth fighting for, and his debates with brash rival Stephen Douglas catapult him toward the White House.

Part coming-of-age story, part adventure story, part love story, and part rags-to-riches story, "The Rail Splitter" is about the making of Abraham Lincoln. The story of a rawboned youth who goes from a log cabin to the White House, this is in many ways, the great American story. "The Rail Splitter reminds us that the country Lincoln loved is a place of wide-open dreams where extraordinary journeys unfold.

Critique: Historical biographic fiction at its very best, "The Rail Splitter" is an entertaining and informative novel that while a work of plausible fiction is soundly based on historical facts. A riveting read from start to finish, "The Rail Splitter" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Biographical Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all Abraham Lincoln admirers that "The Rail Splitter" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: John Cribb (https://www.johncribbauthor.com) has written about subjects ranging from history to education. Old Abe, his first novel, tells the story of the last five years of Abraham Lincoln's life. His other works include coauthoring The American Patriot's Almanac and The Educated Child, both New York Times bestsellers; coediting The Human Odyssey, a 3-volume world history text; and developing online history courses. His writing has been published in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, FoxNews.com, RealClearPolitics, and several other publications. During the Reagan administration, he worked at the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. A native of Spartanburg, SC, John studied literature at Vanderbilt University.


The Literary Fiction Shelf

The Last Beekeeper
Julie Carrick Dalton
Forge Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250269218, $27.99, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Beekeeper-Julie-Carrick-Dalton/dp/1250269210

Synopsis: It's been more than a decade since the world has come undone, and Sasha Severn has returned to her childhood home with one goal in mind -- to find the mythic research her father, the infamous Last Beekeeper, hid before he was incarcerated. There, Sasha is confronted with a group of squatters who have claimed the quiet, idyllic farm as their own. While she initially feels threatened, the group soon becomes her newfound family, offering what she hasn't felt since her father was imprisoned: security and hope. Maybe it's time to forget the family secrets buried on the farm and focus on her future.

But just as she settles into her new life, Sasha witnesses the impossible. She sees a honey bee, presumed extinct. People who claim to see bees are ridiculed and silenced for reasons Sasha doesn't understand, but she can't shake the feeling that this impossible bee is connected to her father's missing research. Fighting to uncover the truth could shatter Sasha's fragile security and threaten the lives of her newfound family -- or it could save them all.

Critique: A celebration of found family, an exploration of truth versus power, and the triumph of hope in the face of despair, Julie Carrick Dalton's new novel, "The Last Beekeeper", is It is a deftly crafted meditation on forgiveness and redemption and a reminder to cherish the beauty that still exists in this fragile world. "The Last Beekeeper" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in an all to plausible dystopian future. A remarkable work of original literary fiction, "The Last Beekeeper" is unreservedly recommended for community, and academic library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Last Beekeeper" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Julie Carrick Dalton (https://juliecarrickdalton.com) is a journalist who has published more than a thousand articles in The Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, The Hollywood Reporter, Orion Magazine, Electric Literature, and other publications. Dalton holds a master's degree in literature and creative writing from Harvard Extension School. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of writing fiction in the age of climate crisis.


The Western Fiction Shelf

Me an' Gus
James D. Crownover
Five Star Publishing
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432895853, $25.95, HC, 245pp

https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Effie-Frost-K-Hollenbeck/dp/1432895850

Synopsis: When Comanches killed their fathers, young Sutter "Sut" Lowery and August "Gus" Bell became the primary supporters of their families until their mothers married again. One night, Gus's mother is beaten again by her husband. Gus kills Ben and dumps the body in a sinkhole.

That night, Sut and Gus hit out for tall cane. And thus begins the odyssey of Sut and Gus into the world of cattle drives, rustlers, Indians, horses, and manhood.

Sut discovers he has inherited his mother's gift of prescience and rescues two white children from a Comanche trap.

At the crossing of the Arkansas, Gus and Sut work to eliminate a gang of thugs from control of the ford. In Abilene they attempt to stop a kid from rolling a drunk -- and end up wanted by half the town and a bunch of vaqueros. They also battle an old Mountain Man who is killing the ranch's cattle.

Sut and Gus's exploits take them far and wide in this coming-of-age adventurous saga set in the American west.

Critique: The stuff of which popular western mini-series are made for television, "Me an' Gus" clearly showcases author James D. Crownover's storytelling skills and why he has receieved the Spur Award for his western novels. Original, entertaining, laced with historical accuracies with respect to the handling of cattle in the west, "Me an' Gus" is a terrific read from beginning to end and highly recommended for both the personal reading lists of dedicated western novel fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: James D. Crownover (https://historicalnovelsociety.org/by/james-d-crownover) began writing a historical novel about four generations of a mixed Cherokee family that migrates from Tennessee to New Mexico Territory in the nineteenth century. His novels include: "Wild Ran the Rivers" (which in 2015 won two Western Writers of America Spurs for best historical novel and best first novel); "The Battle of Half Moon Mountain"; "Picketwire Vaquero" (which was recognized in 2017 by True West Magazine as Best of the Rest Frontier Fiction); "Tales of the Last Frontier"; "Triple Play" (which was finalist in the Will Rogers Medallion Awards and also the 2017 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards); "The Ox That Gored"; and "If These Walls Could Talk".


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Murder Lost And Found
Debbie Young
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781804831168, $41.00, PB, Large Print, 332pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-lost-and-found-debbie-young/1139124458

Synopsis: Sophie Sayers is ready for a glorious summer, but when a dead body is found in the village school's lost property cupboard the summer holidays take an unexpected turn. Even more shocking is when the body goes missing. Without a body, the police refuse to investigate. That's just not good enough. Sophie is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. She needs to find out who has died and nab the culprit if she's going to save the village school from the threat of closure!

Critique: Fun, original, and a pure delight for all cozy mystery fans, "Murder Lost And Found" by novelist Debbie Young has more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller-coaster. This large print paperback edition of "Murder Lost And Found" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Murder Lost And Found" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note: Debbie Young (https://authordebbieyoung.com) writes warm, witty, feel-good contemporary fiction full of English humor and inspired by life in the Cotswold village which has been her home for over 30 years. Originally self-published, in 2022 she won a 13-book contract with the multiple-award-winning Boldwood Books for her novels, and a 7-book audio contract with Saga Egmont, along with a German rights deal with DP Verlag.

A Date To Die For
E. V. Hunter
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781804835678, $41.00, PB, Large Print, 388pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-date-to-die-for-evie-hunter/1142784173

Synopsis: When the unlikely duo of investigative journalist, Alexi Ellis falls victim to cutbacks, she and Cosmo, her anti-social feral cat, head for beautiful Hopgood Hall, where they plan to lick their wounds in the boutique hotel run by her old friends, Cheryl and Drew Hopgood.

But when she arrives Alexi discovers Cheryl and Drew both distraught. Their close friend, Natalie Parker, who recently settled in the area, has gone missing. Alexi's sure the woman has just taken a trip somewhere, but she still has a nose for a story and agrees to look into it.

So too does ex-Met Police detective turned private eye, Jack Maddox. Natalie Parker had been using his sister's online dating agency and Jack needs to find her before his sister's business is ruined. Reluctantly, Alexi, Jack (and Cosmo!) join forces to find out what happened to Natalie. But soon they discover secrets that someone desperately wants to make sure are never revealed!

Critique: As a novelist, E. V. Hunter is a master of the cozy mystery format and this large print paperback edition of "A Date To Die For" is one of her best! While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery fans that "A Date To Die For' is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

The Bark of Zorro
Kathleen Y'Barbo
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719, 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636095172, $14.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bark-Zorro-Gone-Dogs/dp/1636095178

Synopsis: Strange happenings are afoot in Brenham, Texas, as dogs start showing up at the Lone Star Veterinary Clinic with a Z spray painted on them. The cops blame pranksters, while pet owners are blaming each other. Receptionist Cassidy Carter uses her social media expertise to try to get the culprit caught on camera, but Texas game warden, Justin Cameron, thinks online media attention is the last thing this case needs. It's bad enough he's currently being followed around by reality TV cameras. When Cassidy's post goes viral, more dogs are found painted and her new home gets marked with a big Z too. How could her good intentions have backfired so badly?

Critique: Featuring everything a cozy animal mystery fan would want in a fun and delightful story, "The Bark of Zorro" by novelist Kathleen Y'Barbo is a the fourth book in the author's 'Gone to the Dogs' mystery series. Original, delightful, and an ideal recreational read, "The Bark of Zorro" will prove to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery readers that "The Bark of Zorro" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99). "The Bark of Zorro" will also be available in a large print hardcover edition (Center Point, 9781638087212, $38.95, 500pp).

Editorial Note: Kathleen Y'Barbo (www.kathleenybarbo.com) is the author of more than one hundred books. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Student and the Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Novelists Inc., and American Christian Fiction Writers.

The Secret of Chimneys
Agatha Christie, author
Alice H. Murray, annotator
End Game Press
PO Box 206, Nesbit, MS, 38651
https://www.endgamepress.com
9781637970584, $18.99, PB, 300pp

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chimneys-Alice-H-Murray/dp/1637970587

Synopsis: Originally published in the 1920s, this new edition of "The Secret of Chimneys" by that legendary mystery novelist Agatha Christie, is informatively annotated edition by Alice H. Murray for a new generation of appreciative readers.

The story whisks the reader off on a mental trip to faraway places (Rhodesia, the French coast, London, the English countryside) on a rollercoaster ride to determine whodunnit and why. The story isn't just a murder mystery; it involves romance, royalty, political intrigue, imposters, and a stolen diamond. Adding to the enjoyment of this new paperback edition from End Game Press is enlightening bonus material about people, places, and things appearing in "The Secret of Chimneys".

Critique: An absolutely 'must read' for the legions of Agatha Christie fans, "The Secret of Chimneys" features political intrigue spiced with high stakes murder, blackmail, and crime. This outstanding new edition of "The Secret of Chimneys" is unreservedly recommended as a welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to personal, community, and academic library Mystery/Suspense collections in general, and Agatha Christie reading lists in particular.

Editorial Note #1: Agatha Christie ( 15 September 1890 - 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End since 1952. She is known worldwide as a major writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction". (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie)

Editorial Note #2: Alice H. Murray (https://authoralicehmurray.wixsite.com/website) has always been enthusiastic about great writing, and are privileged to have turned their passion into a thriving career as a professional Writer. Alice has two books set for release from End Game Press in April 2023 and April 2024 respectively. She regularly contributes articles to GO! Magazine and pens devotionals for traditional publications such as The Upper Room and various online sites. She's also had pieces published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and the Short and Sweet series. Her wondering mind compels her to write a weekly blog post, WONDER-ing Woman, on topics of current interest peppered with remarks from her distinctive sense of humor.

A Killing of Innocents
Deborah Crombie
https://www.deborahcrombie.com
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780062993397, $30.00, HC, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Innocents-Duncan-Kincaid-Novels/dp/0062993399

Synopsis: On a rainy November evening, trainee doctor Sasha Johnson hurries through the evening crowd in London's historic Russell Square. Out of the darkness, someone jostles her as they brush past. A moment later, Sasha stumbles, then collapses. When Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his sergeant, Doug Cullen, are called to the scene, they discover that she's been stabbed.

Kincaid immediately calls in his detective wife, Gemma James, who has recently been assigned to a task force on knife crimes which are on the rise. Along with her partner, detective sergeant Melody Talbot, Gemma aids the investigation. But Sasha Johnson doesn't fit the profile of the task force's typical knife crime victim. Single, successful, career-driven, she has no history of abusive relationships or any connection to gangs. Sasha had her secrets, though, and some of them lead the detectives uncomfortably close to home.

As the team unravels the victim's tangled connections, another murder raises the stakes. Kincaid, Gemma, and their colleagues must put even friendships on the line to find the killer stalking the dark streets of Bloomsbury.

Critique: With a very special appeal to fans of polic procedurals and traditional detective 'whodunnit' murder mysteries, and women sleuths, "A Killing Of Innocents" by veteran author Deborah Crombie is a highly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the growing legions of Deborah Crombie fans that "A Killing Of Innocents" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should also note that "A Killing Of Innocents" has a large print edition (9780063117754, $34.00) and is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212204842, $41.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Deborah Crombie (https://www.deborahcrombie.com) wrote "A Share in Death", published in 1993 and short-listed for both Agatha and Macavity awards for Best First Novel and was awarded the Macavity. Crombie's fifth novel, "Dreaming of the Bones", was a New York Times Notable Book in 1997, was named by the Independent Mystery Booksellers as one of the 100 Best Crime Novels of the Century, was an Edgar nominee for Best Novel, and won the Macavity award for Best Novel. Subsequent novels have been published to critical acclaim and in a dozen languages. Crombie's 18th novel featuring Metropolitan Police detectives Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Inspector Gemma James is "A Bitter Feast".


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Blind Spots
Thomas Mullen
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250842749, $27.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Spots-Thomas-Mullen/dp/1250842743

Synopsis: Seven years ago, everyone in the world went blind in a matter of months. Technology helped people adjust to the new normal, creating a device that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people's brains. But what happens when someone finds a way to hack it and change what people see?

Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered, and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn't believe her -- until a similar murder happens in front of him. With suspects ranging from tech billionaires to anti-modernity cultists (and with the bodies piling up) Owens must conduct an investigation in which he can't even trust his own eyes.

Critique: Seven years ago, everyone in the world went blind in a matter of months. Technology helped people adjust to the new normal, creating a device that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people's brains. But what happens when someone finds a way to hack it and change what people see?

Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered, and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn't believe her - until a similar murder happens in front of him. With suspects ranging from tech billionaires to anti-modernity cultists - and with the bodies piling up - Owens must conduct an investigation in which he can't even trust his own eyes.

Critique: With the publication of "Blind Sports", novelist Thomas Mullen combines an compelling science fiction crime story about one man's search for truth in a world of ubiquitous surveillance and calculated disinformation manipulating perceptions of reality that's all too recognizable in the technologies of today. Original, thought-provoking, riveting, "Blind Spots" is a thoroughly entertaining read and unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of mystery buffs and science fiction fans that "Blind Spots" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Thomas Mullen (http://www.thomasmullen.net) is the author of several previous novels, including Darktown, an NPR Best Book of 2016, which was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Southern Book Prize, the Indies Choice Book Award, and was nominated for or won prizes in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The follow-up, Lightning Men, was named one of the Top Ten Crime Novels of 2017 by The New York Times and was shortlisted for a CWA Dagger Award. His debut, The Last Town on Earth, set during the 1918 flu pandemic, was named Best Debut Novel of 2006 by USA Today and was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for excellence in historical fiction.

Silver Sable: Payback
Cath Lauria
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839082191, $16.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Sable-Payback-Marvel-Heroines/dp/1839082194

Synopsis: Doctor Victor von Doom holds Symkaria in his despotic grip, selling its treasures to pay off the country's exorbitant debt. Yet patriotic heroine Silver Sable desires its freedom. Doom doesn't do favors, so he offers her a deal: track down the Clairvoyant (a device for seeing the future) and he'll erase her homeland's deficit.

Sable soon discovers she can't outwit someone who can predict her every move. She needs the help of someone wild and unpredictable. Someone like Black Cat. Together they must chase down the Clairvoyant's creator, pull off the ultimate Vegas heist, survive backstabbing exes, and outsmart one of the most powerful people on the planet. All they need now is a little bit of luck.

Critique: A fun read from cover to cover, "Silver Sable: Payback" is a 'must read' for the legions of Marvel Universe fans. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Silver Sable: Payback" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction & Superhero Action/Adventure collections.

Editorial Note: Cath Lauria (https://aconytebooks.com/?authors=cath-lauria) is a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, suspense and romance fiction, and has a vast collection of beautiful edged weapons.


The Business Shelf

Next Generation Retail
Deborah Weinswig, author
Renee Hartmann, author
Kogan Page Inc.
8 W 38th Street, Ste 902, New York, NY 10018
www.koganpage.com
9781398609648, $80.99, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Generation-Retail-Technology-Innovate/dp/1398609641

Synopsis: While change is a constant in retail marketing, flux has accelerated in innovation, digital disruption and changing consumer demands and expectations. Written for both digital-first and physical retailers, with the publication of "Next Generation Retail: How to Use New Technology to Innovate for the Future" by co-authors Deborah Weinswig and Renee Hartmann describes how to respond to the needs and expectations of today's consumers and connect with Generations Z and Alpha in an authentic and relevant way. Highly practical in approach, Next Generation Retail" explores the latest opportunities and pitfalls to avoid for developments including the metaverse, livestream shopping, instant commerce, blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

"Next Generation Retail" also describes how to create compelling content and retail media to drive commerce and monetize data while maintaining customer trust. Featuring original research and interviews with top industry experts, "Next Generation Retail" contains examples and case studies from a range of brands and organizations including Lancome, Burberry, and Walmart.

Critique: An essential resource for retailers of all sizes having to adapt, compete and thrive in today's business environment of breakneck change and innovation, "Next Generation Retail: How to Use New Technology to Innovate for the Future" is exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. A complete course of instruction for corporate executives, marketing directors, advertizing managers, entrepreneurs, MBA students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, "Next Generation Retail" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and academic library Retail Marketing and Business Management collections.. It should be noted that "Next Generation Retail" is also available in a paperback edition (9781398609631, $27.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.39).

Editorial Note #1: Deborah Weinswig (https://www.deborahweinswig.com) is the founder and CEO of Coresight Research, a firm which helps retail clients accelerate innovation and growth. Based in New York City, New York, she was previously Managing Director and Head of the Global Staples and Consumer Discretionary team at Citi Research. A frequent conference keynote speaker, she sits on the advisory board of the World Retail Congress and has been recognized as a Top Retail Influencer of 2022 by RETHINK Retail. She is frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg and Forbes.

Editorial Note #2: Renee Hartmann (https://renee-hartmann.com) is the Co-Founder of CLA, a research and strategy consulting firm that advises consumer brands which include Giorgio Armani, Fendi and Yves Saint Laurent on international expansion and strategy. Based near Los Angeles, California, she has worked as a brand owner, retail operator, consumer researcher and branding and market entry strategist for the last 25 years.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Rules of Rescue
Theron Pummer
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780190884147, $29.95, HC, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Rescue-Distance-Effective-Altruism/dp/0190884142

Synopsis: When do you have to sacrifice life and limb, time and money, to prevent harm to others? When must you save more people rather than fewer? These questions might arise in emergencies involving strangers drowning or trapped in burning buildings, but they also arise in our everyday lives, in which we confront opportunities to donate time or money to help distant strangers in need of food, shelter, or medical care. With the resources available, we can provide more help -- or less.

With the publication of "The Rules of Rescue: Cost, Distance, and Effective Altruism", Professor Theron Pummer argues that we are often morally required to engage in effective altruism, directing altruistic efforts in ways that help the most. Even when the personal sacrifice involved makes it morally permissible not to help at all, he contends, it often remains wrong to provide less help rather than more.

Using carefully crafted examples, Professor Pummer defends the view that helping distant strangers is more morally akin to rescuing nearby strangers than most of us realize. The ubiquity of opportunities to help distant strangers threatens to make morality extremely demanding, and Professor Pummer argues, that it is only thanks to adequate permissions grounded in considerations of cost and autonomy that we may pursue our own plans and projects. He ultimately concludes that many of us are required to provide no less help over our lives than we would have done if we were effective altruists.

Critique: Having a special appeal and value for readers with an interest in the philosophy underpinning ethics, philanthropy, charity, and morality, "The Rules of Rescue: Cost, Distance, and Effective Altruism" is a seminal, thought- provoking work which is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Philosophy collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Rules of Rescue: Cost, Distance, and Effective Altruism" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).

Editorial Note: Theron Pummer (https://theronpummer.com) is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews, and Director of the Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs. Previously he was a Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy at the University of Oxford. He received his PhD from the University of California, San Diego. Pummer's articles have been published in such journals as The Journal of Philosophy, Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Analysis, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and Philosophical Review.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Doing Criticism: Across Literary and Screen Arts
James Chandler
Wiley-Blackwell
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9781405177795, $59.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Doing-Criticism-Across-Literary-Literature/dp/1405177799

Synopsis: With the publication of "Doing Criticism: Across Literary and Screen Arts", James Chandler presents a practical guide to engaging actively and productively with a critical object, whether a film, a novel, or a play. Going beyond the study of lyric poetry and literature to include motion picture and dramatic arts, "Doing Criticism" offers a unique text that provides specific advice on how to best write criticism while offering concrete illustrations of what it looks like on the page.

Divided into two parts, "Doing Criticism" first presents an up-to-date account of the state of criticism in both Anglo-American and Continental contexts by describing both the longstanding mission and the changing functions of criticism over the centuries and discussing critical issues that bridge the literary and screen arts in the contemporary world.

The second part of "Doing Criticism" features a variety of case studies of criticism across media, including works by canonical authors such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and W. B. Yeats; films such as Coppola's The Conversation and Hitchcock's Vertigo; screen adaptations of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day; and a concluding chapter on several of Spike Lee's film "joints" that brings several of the book's central concepts to bear on work of a single film auteur.

Helping students of literature and cinema write well about what they find in their reading and viewing, "Doing Criticism": Discusses how the bridging of the literary arts and screen arts can help criticism flourish in the present day; Illustrates how the doing of criticism is in practice a particular kind of writing; Considers how to generalize the consequences of criticism beyond personal growth and gratification; Addresses the ways the practice of criticism matters to the practice of the critical object; Suggests that doing without criticism is not only unwise, but also perhaps impossible; Features case studies organized under the rubrics of conversation, adaptation, genre, authorship and seriality

Critique: Comprised of six informative chapters (Doing Criticism/Doing without Criticism; Making of the Critical Essay; Conversations; Adaptations; Genres; Authorship and Seriality) "Doing Criticism: Across Literary and Screen Arts" is especially recommended as a curriculum textbook for students in introductory courses in criticism, literary studies, and film studies, novice book/film/theatre reviewers. Highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Literary Criticism collections, it should be noted for students, academic, professional reviewers, as well as general readers with interest in the subject, that "Doing Criticism: Across Literary and Screen Arts" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $48.00).

Editorial Note: James Chandler (https://english.uchicago.edu/people/james-chandler) is William K. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor in the Departments of English and Cinema & Media Studies at the University of Chicago, USA. He has written widely about Romanticism, British and Irish literature since the early Enlightenment, American cinema, and the relationship of literary criticism to film criticism. He is the author of several books including England in 1819 and An Archaeology of Sympathy: The Sentimental Mode in Literature and Cinema.

Best Minds
Stevan M. Weine
Fordham University Press
www.fordhampress.com
9781531502669, $34.95, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Minds-Ginsberg-Revolutionary-Madness/dp/1531502660

Synopsis: Allen Ginsberg's 1956 poem "Howl" opens with one of the most resonant phrases in modern poetry: "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness." Thirty years later, Ginsberg entrusted a Columbia University medical student with materials not shared with anyone else, including psychiatric records that documented how he and his mother, Naomi Ginsberg, struggled with mental illness.

With the publication of "Best Minds: How Allen Ginsberg Made Revolutionary Poetry from Madness", psychiatrist, researcher, and scholar Stevan M. Weine, M.D., who was that medical student, examines how Allen Ginsberg took his visions and psychiatric hospitalization, his mother's devastating illness, confinement, and lobotomy, and the social upheavals of the postwar world and imaginatively transformed them.

Though madness is often linked with hardship and suffering, Ginsberg's showed how it could also lead to profound and redemptive aesthetic, spiritual, and social changes. Through his revolutionary poetry and social advocacy, Ginsberg dedicated himself to leading others toward new ways of being human and easing pain.

Throughout his celebrated career Ginsberg made us feel as though we knew everything there was to know about him. However, much has been left out about his experiences growing up with a mentally ill mother, his visions, and his psychiatric hospitalization.

In "Best Minds", with a forty-year career studying and addressing trauma, Dr. Weine provides a groundbreaking exploration of the poet and his creative process especially in relation to madness.

"Best Minds" examines the complex relationships between mental illness, psychiatry, trauma, poetry, and prophecy -- using the access Ginsberg generously shared to offer new, lively, and indispensable insights into an American icon. Dr. Weine also provides new understandings of the paternalism, treatment failures, ethical lapses, and limitations of American psychiatry in the 1940s and 1950s.

In light of these new discoveries, the challenges Ginsberg faced appear starker and his achievements, both as a poet and an advocate, even more remarkable.

Critique: A masterpiece of original and seminal scholarship, "Best Minds: How Allen Ginsberg Made Revolutionary Poetry from Madness" is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a two page listing of Acknowledgments, nineteen pages of Notes, and an eighteen page Index. An inherently fascinating study, "Best Minds" is especially commended to the attention of the legions of Allen Ginsberg fans and an important, unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library 20th Century American Literary/Poetry Studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Best Minds" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note #1: Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 - April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Generation. He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism, and sexual repression, and he embodied various aspects of this counterculture with his views on drugs, sex, multiculturalism, hostility to bureaucracy, and openness to Eastern religions. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Ginsberg)

Editorial Note #2: Dr. Stevan M. Weine (https://www.psych.uic.edu/profile/stevan-m-weine) is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, where he is also Director of Global Medicine and Director of the Center for Global Health. He is the author of two books: "When History Is a Nightmare: Lives and Memories of Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia-Herzegovina" and :Testimony and Catastrophe: Narrating the Traumas of Political Violence".


The Art Shelf

Ateliers of Europe
John Whelan, author
Oskar Proctor, photographer
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791388175, $60.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ateliers-Europe-Atlas-Decorative-Workshops/dp/3791388177

Synopsis: An atelier is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or visual art released under the master's name or supervision. (Wikipedia)

Beginning in the Renaissance, ateliers were established as places for European artists to work and teach their crafts. Centuries later most of these spaces have disappeared, but a select few continue to produce some of the world's most celebrated and sought-after objects in the areas of crystal, ceramics, wrought iron, fabric, bookbinding, mosaic, wood paneling, and more.

John Whelan and Oskar Proctor traveled throughout Europe to document these important spaces, both to celebrate them and to preserve their disappearing ideals. Ranging from the well- known to the obscure, "Ateliers of Europe: An Atlas of Decorative Arts Workshops" takes readers inside dozens of ateliers from Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Sumptuous double-page spreads feature alluring photography, and fascinating background texts tell their stories.

By shining a light on their collective value as well as their individual expertise, "Ateliers of Europe: An Atlas of Decorative Arts Workshops " offers both a historic evaluation of how ateliers have been shaped by modern forces -- and is also a clarion call appealing for their preservation.

Critique: A beautiful compendium of informative captioned full page, full color photographs, "Ateliers of Europe: An Atlas of Decorative Arts Workshops" is an impressive coffee-table style (9.81 x 0.97 x 11.31 inches, 4.19 pounds) volume that will hold a very special appeal to students and fans of the decorative arts produced in workshops of the past and present. This deluxe edition of "Ateliers of Europe" is a very special and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library European Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Residing in Venice, Italy, John Whelan is a specialist in heritage design and creative direction. His heritage projects include a revival of la brasserie francaise, France's most iconic culinary export, and his clients include brands such as Cire Trudon, the oldest candlemaker in France. His work has been profiled by Architectural Digest, and Vanity Fair. (https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/designer-john-whelan-restores-frances-classic-brasseries-to-their-former-glory)

Editorial Note #2: Oskar Proctor (http://oskarproctor.com) is a photographer specializing in still life and interior imagery. He has worked with numerous magazines, museums, designers, artists and publishers, including two books by Viktor Wynd published by Prestel. He lives in Kent, England.

Rediscovering Black Portraiture
Peter Brathwaite
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606068168, $40.00, HC, 168pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rediscovering-Black-Portraiture-Peter-Brathwaite/dp/1606068164

Synopsis: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter Brathwaite has thoughtfully researched and reimagined more than one hundred artworks featuring portraits of Black sitters -- all posted to social media with the caption "Rediscovering #blackportraiture through #gettymuseumchallenge."

"Rediscovering Black Portraiture" collects and showcases more than fifty of Brathwaite's most intriguing re-creations. Introduced by the author and framed by contributions from experts in art history and visual culture, this fascinating book offers a nuanced look at the complexities and challenges of building identity within the African diaspora and how such forces have informed Black portraits over time.

The artworks featured include The Adoration of the Magi by Georges Trubert, Portrait of an Unknown Man by Jan Mostaert, Rice n Peas by Sonia Boyce, Barack Obama by Kehinde Wiley, and many more. "Rediscovering Black Portraiture" also invites readers behind the scenes, offering a glimpse of the elegant artifice of Brathwaite's props, setup, and process.

An urgent and compelling exploration of embodiment, representation, and agency, "Rediscovering Black Portraiture" serves to remind us that Black subjects have been portrayed in art for nearly a millennium and that their stories demand to be told.

Critique: With each full color image being accompanied with succinctly captioned information, "Rediscovering Black Portraiture" is a delight to browse through and instructively thought-provoking for readers with an interest in Black Pop Culture Artwork and Photography. Of special note are the informative contributions of Cheryl Finley, Temi Odumosu, and Mark Sealy."Rediscovering Black Portraiture" is a unique and highly prized addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Art/Photography portraiture collections.

Editorial Note #1 An exhibition of Brathwaite's re-creations is on view at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in Bristol, UK from April 14 to July 23, 2023.

Editorial Note #2: Peter Brathwaite (https://www.peterbrathwaitebaritone.com) is an acclaimed baritone who performs in operas and concerts throughout Europe. He is a presenter on BBC Radio 3 and has been shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.

Art Cat: Fine Felines of the Art World
Editorial Staff
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922754257, $16.95, HC, 96pp

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Cat-Fine-Felines-World/dp/1922754250

Synopsis: Cats have been charming us with their indifference and serving as artistic inspiration for as long as we have been sketching on canvas. With the publication of "Art Cat: Fine Felines of the Art World", the editorial staff of Smith Street Books offers a compendium artwork featuring cats of the past as they peer out from paintings and sketches, frescoes and prints across art history.

"Art Cat" is a collection of these painted felines, featuring works from artists across the ages and continents. Japanese prints and German oils, American sketches and Italian murals are all included. The work spans eras and styles, but as different as these cats are, one thing shines through: that we have been obsessed with cats for far longer than the Internet.

Critique: A 'must' for anyone with a feline companion of their own, "Art Cat: Fine Felines of the Art World" is a simply delightful and fascinating browse from beginning to end, and an unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Animal Art and Art History collections.


The Native American Studies Shelf

Great Women of Mackinac, 1800-1950
Melissa Croghan
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781611864533, $37.95, PB, 270pp

https://msupress.org/9781611864533/great-women-of-mackinac-1800-1950

Synopsis: With the publication of "Great Women of Mackinac, 1800 - 1950", author and Mackinac Island resident Melissa Croghan tells the dramatic history of thirteen women leaders on Mackinac Island in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their linked visions of family and community define this beautiful island in the western Great Lakes.

In the pages of this collective biography, Melissa reveals how central these Native American women were to the history and literature of Mackinac. Elizabeth Bertrand Mitchell, Madeline Marcot LaFramboise, Therese Marcot Schindler, Elizabeth Therese Baird, Agatha Biddle, and Jane Johnston Schoolcraft were Anishinaabe fur traders, farmers, memoirists, and poets who established the nineteenth-century island community.

Among the women of Mackinac, there were also those who sang the island's praises and recorded the lively relationships of the English, French, and American inhabitants. These writers included Juliette Magill Kinzie, Anna Brownell Jameson, Margaret Fuller, and Constance Fenimore Woolson.

There were also community builders who founded key institutions and midwifed generations of island children: Rosa Truscott Webb, Daisy Peck Blodgett, and Stella King.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Great Women of Mackinac, 1800 - 1950" will have a very special relevance and appeal to readers with an interest in Native American History, Native American Women's Lives, and Mackinac Island's storied history. Informed and informative, "Great Women of Mackinac, 1800 - 1950" is a fascinating, informative, and memorable read from cover to cover. While highly recommended as an original and valued addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Native American History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Great Women of Mackinac, 1800 - 1950" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.95) for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.

Editorial Note: Melissa Croghan's family has lived on Mackinac Island since the 1880s. She is the author of the novel, The Tracking Heart, and the book, Cliff Walk: Mackinac Poems and Paintings. She holds a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, where she taught American literature.

Cherokee Civil Warrior
W. Dale Weeks
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806191577, $32.95, HC, 246pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cherokee-Civil-Warrior-Struggle-Sovereignty/dp/0806191570

Synopsis: For the Cherokee Nation, the American Civil War was more than a contest between the Union and the Confederacy. It was yet another battle in the larger struggle against multiple white governments for land and tribal sovereignty. With the publication of "Cherokee Civil Warrior: Chief John Ross and the Struggle for Tribal Sovereignty", historian and academician W. Dale Weeks tells the story of Chief John Ross as he led the tribe in this struggle.

The son of a Scottish father and mixed-blood Indian mother, John Ross served the Cherokee Nation in a public capacity for nearly fifty years, thirty-eight as its constitutionally elected principal chief. Professor Weeks describes Ross's efforts to protect the tribe's interests amid systematic attacks on indigenous culture throughout the nineteenth century, from the forced removal policies of the 1830s to the exigencies of the Civil War era. At the outset of the Civil War, Ross called for all Cherokees, slaveholding and nonslaveholding, to remain neutral in a war they did not support -- a position that became untenable when the United States withdrew its forces from Indian Territory. The vacated forts were quickly occupied by Confederate troops, who pressured the Cherokees to align with the South.

Viewed from the Cherokee perspective (as Professor Weeks does in this study), these events can be seen in their proper context, as part of the history of U.S. "Indian policy," failed foreign relations, and the Anglo-American conquest of the American West. This approach also clarifies President Abraham Lincoln's acknowledgment of the federal government's abrogation of its treaty obligation and his commitment to restoring political relations with the Cherokees -- a commitment abruptly ended when his successor Andrew Johnson instead sought to punish the Cherokees for their perceived disloyalty.

Centering a Native point of view, "Cherokee Civil Warrior: Chief John Ross and the Struggle for Tribal Sovereignty" recasts and expands what we know about John Ross, the Cherokee Nation, its commitment to maintaining its sovereignty, and the Civil War era in Indian Territory. Weeks also provides historical context for later developments, from the events of Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee to the struggle over tribal citizenship between the Cherokees and the descendants of their former slaves.

Critique: A seminal study underwritten by meticulous scholarship, "Cherokee Civil Warrior: Chief John Ross and the Struggle for Tribal Sovereignty" by Professor W. Dale Weeks is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of Maps, twenty-six pages of Notes, a sixteen page Bibliography, and a ten page Index. While a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library 19th Century Native American History and American Civil War History collections and supplemental curriculum Native American Biography studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Cherokee Civil Warrior: Chief John Ross and the Struggle for Tribal Sovereignty" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: W. Dale Weeks (https://wdaleweeks.com) is a History Instructor at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas. He holds a PhD in history from Texas A&M University.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book, second edition
David L. Hudson, Jr. J.D.
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Rd., #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578598236, $57.95, HC, 448pp

https://www.amazon.com/Handy-Supreme-Court-Answer-Book/dp/1578598230

Synopsis: The U.S. Supreme Court, its decisions, and its nominating process for new justices are often in the news, and given the Trump administration and the machinations of a Republican control Senate with respect to new appointments to the Supreme Court are increasingly controversial with respect to the American public. Maintaining that the Supreme Court is often not well understood, with the publication of this newly revised and updated second edition, "The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book: The History and Issues Explained", Constitutional law professor David L. Hudson, Jr., explains the cases, processes, and important history with an in-depth primer on the U.S. Supreme Court.

How has the Supreme Court justices' thinking on gun rights, abortion, free speech, freedom of religion, and many other controversial issues evolved? What were some of the court's most important and monumental decisions -- and failures? Which justices have (and have had) the most influence on the court? Has the nominating process always been so political and bitter?

Covering the history, nominating process, and court decisions on individual and other rights as well as a few fun facts, The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book: The History and Issues Explained by David L. Hudson, Jr., J.D. provides you with 600 answers to questions ranging from: How was the U.S. Supreme Court created?, to Have any Supreme Court justices been impeached?; to Which Supreme Court justice in the 20th century did not have a law degree?; to Which justice wrote that he couldn't define obscenity, but "I know it when I see it"?; to When did the Supreme Court invalidate a ban on interracial marriages? -- and so much more.

Analyzing controversial issues and various points of view, the second edition of "The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book" sheds a light on the differing and changing interpretations of the critical issues before the court, as well as the confirmation process and some of the court's most important justices.

Critique: Richly illustrated, and informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a helpful bibliography, a glossary, and an extensive index, and thoroughly updated since it was last published fifteen years ago, the second edition of "The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book" is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library American Judicial System collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that the second edition of "The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book" is also available in a paperback edition (9781578597826, $29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: David L. Hudson, Jr. (https://www.ascd.org/people/david-l.-hudson-jr.) is a First Amendment Scholar with the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. He teaches at Vanderbilt University Law School and Nashville School of Law.


The Library Science Shelf

Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian
Brandon K. West, editor
Elizabeth Galoozis, editor
ACRL Books Association of College & Research Libraries
c/o American Library Association
225 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60601-7616
https://www.ala.org
9780838939413, $92.00, PB, 358pp

https://www.amazon.com/Thriving-Mid-Career-Librarian-Identity-Advocacy/dp/0838939414

Synopsis: Mid-career librarianship looks different for everyone. Maybe you've worked in libraries for ten years, or you're halfway to retirement. Maybe you've reached the highest level of a hierarchy you care to reach. Most of the literature about mid-career librarianship tends to focus on advancing to leadership or administration, but many of us are more concerned with how to continue to grow professionally without moving upward; how to make decisions about staying in an institution (or the profession); sustaining yourself amid burnout, constant change, wage compression, or even boredom; and navigating cultures of white supremacy, patriarchy, and hierarchy.

"Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian:: Identity, Advocacy, and Pathways" presents the experiences of mid-career librarians as they grapple with these questions and the roles that marginalized perspectives, intersectionality, and privilege have played in their careers in four major sections, : Staying Engaged in Your Career; The Role of Identity in Shaping Mid-career Librarianship; Being Your Own Advocate; To Lead or Not to Lead?

Individual chapters explore maintaining engagement and avoiding burnout; informal mentorships; the doctorate; union stewardship; addressing incivility; post-tenure fatigue; balancing ambition, personal fulfillment, and life; and much more.

It can feel like everything gets harder, more political, and further under-resourced with each passing year. "Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian" offers strategies of community, support, and advocacy that can help make it possible for us to thrive and help others to thrive. At mid-career, we may not have the same bright-eyed enthusiasm we possessed as new information professionals, but we have other things: the contributions we make to our communities and the wealth of experience we have built up since those days.

Critique: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Brandon K. West and Elizabeth Galoozis, "Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarian: Identity, Advocacy, and Pathways" is an invaluable and informative resource for career librarians working in a community or academic library setting and having to deal with the stresses that such a career is subject to in these political, culturally, and economically volatile times. "Thriving as a Mid-Career Librarians" is an exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic Library & Information Science collections and supplemental curriculum Library Science studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Brandon K. West (https://library.geneseo.edu/staff/brandon-west) is the head of Research Instruction Services and liaison to the social sciences at the State University of New York at Geneseo's Milne Library. His research interests include examining the intersections of information literacy and online learning, applying instructional design principles to enhance student learning, and addressing LGBTQ+ issues in libraries. He has a MEd in educational technology from Grand Valley State University, a MLS from Texas Woman's University, and a MS in curriculum development from the University at Albany. He was awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship in 2019. This is his third volume for ACRL Publications, with the former being Creative Instructional Design: Practical Applications for Librarians (2017) and Reflections on Practitioner Research: A Practical Guide for Information Professionals (2020).

Editorial Note: Elizabeth Galoozis (https://library.claremont.edu/staff/elizabeth-galoozis) is head of Information Literacy and Student Engagement at the Claremont Colleges Library. Her research interests include critical information literacy, feminist pedagogy, and identity in the library workplace. Her work has appeared in Library Quarterly, In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Library Juice Press, and at ACRL, CALM, and LOEX conferences. She is the co-editor, along with Carolyn Caffrey and Rebecca Halpern, of Hidden Architectures of Information Literacy Programs: Structures, Practices, and Contexts. Her creative work has been published in Phoebe, Air/Light, Sinister Wisdom, and RHINO, among others. She advises mid-career librarians to articulate their personal values and come back to them when making decisions.

Unsettling Archival Research
Gesa E. Kirsch, et al.
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809338955, $40.00, PB, 338pp

https://www.amazon.com/Unsettling-Archival-Research-Engaging-Critical/dp/0809338955

Synopsis: What would it mean to unsettle the archives? How can we better see the wounded and wounding places and histories that produce absence and silence in the name of progress and knowledge? Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Gesa E. Kirsch, Romeo Garcia, Caitlin Burns Allen, and Walker P. Smith, "Unsettling Archival Research: Engaging Critical, Communal, and Digital Archives" sets out to answer these urgent questions and more, with essays that chart a more just path for archival work.

"Unsettling Archival Research" is one of the first publications in rhetoric and writing studies dedicated to scholarship that unsettles disciplinary knowledge of archival research by drawing on decolonial, Indigenous, antiracist, queer, and community perspectives. Written by established and emerging scholars, essays critique not only the practices, ideologies, and conventions of archiving, but also offer new tactics for engaging critical, communal, and digital archiving within and against systems of power. The contributors reflect on efforts to unsettle and counteract racist, colonial histories, confront the potentials and pitfalls of common archival methodologies, and chart a path for the future of archival research otherwise.

"Unsettling Archival Research" intervenes in a critical issue: whether the discipline's assumptions about the archives serve or fail the communities they aim to represent and what can be done to center missing voices and perspectives. The aim is to explore the ethos and praxis of bearing witness in unsettling ways, carried out as a project of queering and/or decolonizing the archives.

"Unsettling Archival Research" takes seriously the rhetorical force of place and wrestles honestly with histories that still haunt our nation, including the legacies of slavery, colonial violence, and systemic racism.

Critique: Comprised of fifteen seminal contributions of original research and experiential insight/experience, "Unsettling Archival Research: Engaging Critical, Communal, and Digital Archives" is especially recommended as a core addition for personal, professional, community, and academic library collections and studies lists for Library/Information Science, Library Management, and General Library Information Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Gesa E. Kirsch is professor of Rhetoric and Composition at Soka University of America. Her books include Feminist Rhetorical Practices: New Horizons for Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy Studies; Beyond the Archives: Research as a Lived Process; and Ethical Dilemmas in Feminist Research.

Editorial Note #2: Romeo Garca is assistant professor of writing and rhetoric at the University of Utah and coeditor of Rhetorics Elsewhere and Otherwise.

Editorial Note #3: Caitlin Burns Allen is a doctoral candidate in rhetoric and composition at the University of Louisville. Her work has appeared in Ethics and Representation in Feminist Rhetorical Inquiry and Peitho.

Editorial Note #4: Walker P. Smith holds a PhD in rhetoric and composition from the University of Louisville.

Editorial Note #5: Contributors -- Jennifer Almjeld, Sally F. Benson, Jean Bessette, Mara P. Carvajal Regidor, Lynee Lewis Gaillet, Tarez Samra Graban, Wendy Hayden, Deborah Hollis, Jackie M. James, Amy J. Lueck, Kathryn Manis, Nadia Nasr, Kalyn Prince, Liz Rohan, Jessica A. Rose, Rebecca Schneider, Pamela Takayoshi, and Patty Wilde.

A Handbook of History, Theory and Practice of the Dewey Decimal Classification System
M. P. Satija, author
Alex Kyrios, author
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783306107, $115.95, HC, 198pp

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-History-Practice-Decimal-Classification/dp/1783306106

Synopsis: The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), colloquially known as the Dewey Decimal System, is a proprietary library classification system which allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject. It was first published in the United States by Melvil Dewey in 1876. Originally described in a 44-page pamphlet, it has been expanded to multiple volumes and revised through 23 major editions, the latest printed in 2011. It is also available in an abridged version suitable for smaller libraries. OCLC, a non-profit cooperative that serves libraries, currently maintains the system and licenses online access to WebDewey, a continuously updated version for catalogers. (Wikipedia)

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), currently used in 200,000 libraries across 140 countries, has entered a new age, primarily maintained today as a continuously revised electronic system rather than an occasionally updated set of print volumes. Its editors have added newly emerging topics and made it an increasingly faceted, semantically rich, modern system. Simultaneously, the editorial process has become democratised and more responsive to global needs.

"A Handbook of History, Theory and Practice of the Dewey Decimal Classification System" by co-authors M. P. Satija and Alex Kyrios is a comprehensive, practical guide to today's DDC.

Coverage includes: A brief history of the system, its editors, and its development; Specialized examinations of specific parts of the classification; Extensive guidance on number building, with many examples; A WebDewey-specific chapter, covering the system's benefits and features; Concise summaries of primary takeaways, a glossary, and extensive bibliography.

Critique: Also available in a paperback edition (9781783306091, $57.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $52.11), "A Handbook of History, Theory and Practice of the Dewey Decimal Classification System" is an indispensable guide to 21st-century DDC, as well as an essential companion for DDC classifiers, and fully accessible for students and continuing learners, Simply stated, "A Handbook of History, Theory and Practice of the Dewey Decimal Classification System" is unreservedly recommended for college and university Library Science collections and is ideal for use as a supplemental Library Science curriculum studies and in-service training workshop textbook.

Editorial Note #1: Alex Kyrios (https://sils.unc.edu/people/alumni-profiles/alex-kyrios) is the Senior Editor of the Dewey Decimal Classification at OCLC, based out of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC USA. He is responsible for overseeing the continuous updating and revision of the classification, and works with partners and volunteers around the world to do so. Previously, he was a cataloguer at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. and the University of Idaho. He has an M.S. in library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in English from the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia.

Editorial Note #2: M. P. Satija (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=H8Bm5K0AAAAJ) is an Emeritus fellow in the Department of Library & Information Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, India. In his long professional career he has written extensively on library classification systems, especially the Dewey Decimal Classification and the Colon Classification. He has authored textbooks on every edition of the DDC since the 19th (1979). He has collaborated with three successive editors of the DDC and his works have been translated in many European, and Asian languages. Dr Satija serves on the editorial boards of many international journals including the ISKO journal Knowledge Organization, and is a member of the UDC Consortium, The Hague.


The Parenting Shelf

The Sleep Lady's Gentle Newborn Sleep Guide
Kim West, MSW
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637741566, $19.95, PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Lady%C2%AEs-Gentle-Newborn-Guide/dp/1637741561

Synopsis: Sleep training isn't recommended until your baby is 6 months old, but that doesn't mean you're powerless to help them (and you) sleep better now. For the past three decades, Kim West, known around the world as The Sleep Lady, has personally helped over twenty thousand families gently teach their children how to fall asleep (and fall back asleep) without leaving them to cry it out alone.

Now, with the publication of "The Sleep Lady's Gentle Newborn Sleep Guide", Kim offers gentle, evidenced-based ways to help newborns (and parents) get to sleep! Understand action steps you can take and learn myths you can let go of with easily digestible chapters you can follow along monthly.

In month-by-month chapters that are easily digestible (even in the middle of the night!), Kim and her Gentle Sleep Team share: How feeding, attachment, soothing, and temperament all factor into your infant's sleep; The key developmental milestones from birth through five months and how to encourage sleep at every stage; Safe co-sleeping guidelines and clear answers around this hotly debated topic; Success stories from real parents; Alternatives to the "cry it out" method for newborns, based on an infant's developmental readiness to self-soothe; What parents need to know to make sure they're taking care of themselves, too.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by conflicting advice on sleep training, nap coaching, sleep schedules, and more. The Sleep Lady(R)'s Gentle Newborn Sleep Guide provides clear guidance and a safe haven free of judgment, guilt, and criticism for parents seeking options that align with their parenting values and beliefs. Raising a newborn doesn't have to be a sleep-deprived nightmare. Trust your instincts. Learn how to read and respond to your baby's cues with confidence. And finally get a good night's sleep.

Critique: An absolute 'must read' combination of parental instruction manual and 'how-to' guide for moms and dads with newborn infants, "The Sleep Lady's Gentle Newborn Sleep Guide: Trusted Solutions for Getting You and Your Baby FAST to Sleep Without Leaving Them to Cry It Out" is exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, While "The Sleep Lady's Gentle Newborn Sleep Guide" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Parenting collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Sleep Lady's Gentle Newborn Sleep Guide" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Kim West (http://www.iacsc.com/kim-west) has been a practicing child and family social worker for over 25 years. She has personally helped over twenty thousand families all over the world gently teach their children how to fall asleep -- and fall back asleep without leaving them to cry it out alone. She started training Gentle Sleep Coaches internationally in 2010 and has appeared as a child sleep expert on numerous magazines, newspapers, and television programs including Dr. Phil, TODAY, and Good Morning America.


The Nautical Shelf

Early Ships and Seafaring: European Water Transport
Sean McGrail
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399019453, $32.95, PB, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Early-Ships-Seafaring-European-Transport/dp/1399019457

Synopsis: "Early Ships and Seafaring: Water Transport Within Europe" builds on Professor Sen McGrail's 2006 volume "Ancient Boats and Ships" by delving deeper into the construction and use of boats and ships between the stone age and AD1500 in order to provide up to date information. Regions covered will include the Mediterranean and Atlantic Europe.

"Early Ships and Seafaring: Water Transport Within Europe" is an interesting and informative volume easily accessible to students and non-professional readers with little or no knowledge of the building and uses of boats, whether ancient or modern.

Professor McGrail deftly introduces the reader to this relatively new ancient history discipline through the theory and techniques used in the study of early boats as well as the many different types of evidence available to us, including archaeological, documentary, iconographic, experimental and ethnographic, and the natural, physical laws.

Critique: Newly available in this paperback edition (as well as in a digital book format - Kindle $14.77) for students, academia, and anyone with an interest in the subject, "Early Ships and Seafaring: European Water Transport" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and university library Maritime History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Professor Sen McGrail served in the Royal Navy as a seaman officer from 1946 to 1968; from 1952 he flew as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm. He graduated with a BA at the University of Bristol in 1971, and in 1978 gained a Ph.D. at University College, London with a thesis on The Logboats of England and Wales. In 1988 he was awarded a D.Sc. by the University of Oxford. (https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/9781-4419-0465-2_639)


The Audiobook Shelf

Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies
Blake Snyder, author
George Newbern, narrator
Dreamscape Media
https://dreamscapepublishing.com
9781974970612, $29.99, CD (8 Hours 48 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Save-Cat-Goes-Movies-Screenwriters/dp/1974970612

Synopsis: In the perfect companion piece to his first book (Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need), with the posthumous publication of "Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told", the late Blake Snyder delivers even more insider information gleaned from a twenty-year track record as one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters.

Specifically designed for screenwriters, novelists, and movie fans, "Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told" gives listeners key breakdowns of the fifty most instructional movies from the past thirty years. From M*A*S*H to Crash, Alien to Saw, and 10 to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Of special note is that Snyder reveals how screenwriters in the past tackled the same challenges faced by screenwriters today.

Critique: Of very special appeal to anyone with an interest in screenwriting professionally, as well as film critics and movie buffs, this complete and unabridged edition of "Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told" from Dreamscape Media is deftly narrated by George Newbern and an essential, welcome addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Theatre/Cinema/TV collections in general, and Screenwriting supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular.

Editorial Note #1: The late Blake Snyder (1957-2009) worked as a screenwriter and producer for twenty years. His book "Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need" and its sequels have guided screenwriters, novelists, and other creative thinkers for years and continue to be bestsellers. His methodology is also used by many development executives, managers, and producers due to its precise, easy, and honest appraisal of what it takes to write and develop stories in any medium.

Editorial Note #2: George Newbern (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/bio) has appeared in Father of the Bride, Father of the Bride II, Evening Star, Adventures in Babysitting, and many other films. On television, he has had roles on Scandal, Friends, Nip/Tuck, Hot in Cleveland, CSI, and more. He is also known for providing the voice of Superman in Justice League and for narrating audiobooks.

Directing Great Television
Dan Attias, author/narrator
Dreamscape Media
https://dreamscapepublishing.com
9781666549522, $22.99, CD, (6 Hours 29 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Directing-Great-Television-Inside-Golden/dp/1666549525

Synopsis: Whether it's the high-stakes pressure of solving a last-minute problem on set, or the joy of pulling off a perfect shot by the skin of your teeth, Attias brings you right into the director's chair, sharing his knowledge and taking you through the process one challenging episode at a time.

Offering a fundamental focus on story, and eschewing industry language for plain talk, Attias offers in-depth guidance how best to work with actors, how to "speak" through the camera, how to work with a showrunner, and how to be ready for the many ways a director will be challenged, large and small.

"Directing Great Television" offers a fascinating window into television's best shows, compelling to directors and non-directors alike. Attias's book transcends other filmmaking guides by detailing his journey to a surprising place of self-discovery, one with applications beyond entertainment.

Critique: An Emmy nominated director, "Directing Great Television: Inside TV's Golden Age" by Dan Attias must be considered an essential and invaluable informative resource for anyone aspiring to a television career as a program or series director. Offering a wealth of informative insights and examples from his own illustrious career, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Directing Great Television" from Dreamscape Media is highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Theatre/Cinema/Television audio collections.

Editorial Note: Dan Attias (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Attias) has worked as a director in the film and television industry since 1984. As a director of series television, he has received the Directors Guild of America Award for outstanding direction of dramatic television for The Wire and has been nominated for multiple Emmy awards for his comedy directing. He continues to work on some of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed American television shows, including Homeland, The Americans, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Writing The TV Drama Series
Pamela Douglas, author
Charon Normand-Widmer, narrator
Dreamscape Media
https://dreamscapepublishing.com
9781666508611, $TBA, CD (13 Hours 17 Minutes)

https://dreamscapepublishing.com/catalog/audiobooks/detail/?writing-the-tv-drama-series/pamela-douglas+/&id=0001191 1

Synopsis: Expertly narrated by Charon Normand-Widmer, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of Pamela Douglas' "Writing The TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV" is an invaluable informational resource for anyone who wants to write and produce a television drama series or create an original series, as well as for teachers in screenwriting classes and workshops.

"Writing The TV Drama Series" leads listeners step-by-step through each stage of the development and writing process, offering practical industry information and artistic inspiration. This edition also takes listeners into the future, engaging provocative issues about the interface between traditional TV and emerging technologies. And it's the single most comprehensive source on what is happening in original television drama around the world, with surveys of fifteen countries.

Critique: A complete course of instruction, the "Writing The TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV" audio book is available from Dreamscape Media in both a tradition CD edition and in an MP3-CD format -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Writing/Publishing audio book collections. It should be noted that "Writing The TV Drama Series" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.47), as well as a Library Binding edition (9781615932078, $45.00) from Michael Wiese Productions).

Editorial Note: Pamela Douglas is an award-winning writer with numerous credits in television drama. She is also the author of The Future of Television: Your Guide to Creating TV in the New World (MWP 2015). She consults internationally to professional TV writers and producers, and has lectured in Africa, Europe and throughout the United States. Douglas was awarded the Humanitas Prize for Between Mother and Daughter (CBS), an original drama that also won nomination for a Writers Guild Award. Multiple Emmy nominations and awards, and awards from American Women in Radio and Television went to her other dramas. She was a creator of the series Ghostwriter, and wrote for many shows including Star Trek: The Next Generation, named one of the top 100 shows by the Writers Guild of America She has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, West.

Deep Sleep
Steven Konkoly, author
Seth Podowitz, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713623847, $14.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 18 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Sleep-Steven-Konkoly/dp/1713623846

Synopsis: Countersurveillance expert Devin Gray is unwittingly thrown headfirst into dangerous new territory after the death of his mother. Helen Gray, a paranoid and disgraced former CIA officer, believed she was on the verge of preventing a national catastrophe -- a mission worth dying for. Others, including Devin, believe she was chasing delusions. Until he finds what she left behind.

With the help of longtime friend and former Marine helicopter pilot Marnie Young and a loyal team of covert operatives Helen summoned just before her death, Devin is propelled into a high-stakes chase across the country. What he uncovers, clue by clue, is a conspiracy more widespread and insidious than anyone could have imagined.

Now it's Devin's mission to destroy a covert network poised to deliver a fatal blow to the future of the United States. And also to vindicate his mother, by seeing the mission through to its treacherous end.

Critique: Doing full justice to novelist Steven Konkoly's political thriller "Deep Sleep", this complete and unabridged Brilliance audio book production deftly narrated by Seth Podowitz is a compelling 'theatre of the mind' experience and will prove a welcome addition to personal and community library Action/Adventure Mystery audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Steven Konkoly (www.stevenkonkoly.com) is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and a veteran of several regular and elite US Navy and Marine Corps units. He has brought his in-depth military experience to bear in his fiction, which includes The Rescue, The Raid, The Mountain, and Skystorm in the Ryan Decker series; the speculative postapocalyptic thrillers The Jakarta Pandemic and The Perseid Collapse; the Fractured State series; the Black Flagged series; and the Zulu Virus Chronicles.

Editorial Note #2: Seth Podowitz (https://www.sethpodowitz.com) is passionate about storytelling in audio, particularly in audiobooks. In 2017, Seth began working in audiobooks as a director, engineer, and editor for Mosaic Audio in Los Angeles, and he began narrating the following year. Since then he has narrated over 50 books for independent authors and publishers such as Harper Audio, Blackstone Audio, and Dreamscape Media.

The Fashion Orphans
Randy Susan Meyers & M. J. Rose, authors
Mia Barron & Callie Beaulieu, narrators
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713645641, $14.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 7 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Orphans-Randy-Susan-Meyers/dp/1713645645

Synopsis: Estranged half-sisters Gabrielle Winslow and Lulu Quattro have only two things in common: mounds of debt and coils of unresolved enmity toward Bette Bradford, their controlling and imperious recently deceased mother.

Gabrielle, the firstborn, was raised in relative luxury on Manhattan's rarefied Upper East Side. Now, at fifty-five, her life as a Broadway costume designer married to a heralded Broadway producer has exploded in divorce.

Lulu, who spent half her childhood under the tutelage of her working-class Brooklyn grandparents, is a grieving widow at forty-eight. With her two sons grown, her life feels reduced to her work at the Ditmas Park bakery owned by her late husband's family.

The two sisters arrive for the reading of their mother's will, expecting to divide a sizable inheritance, pay off their debts, and then again turn their backs on each other. But to their shock, what they have been left is their mother's secret walk-in closet jammed with high-end current and vintage designer clothes and accessories -- most from Chanel.

Contemplating the scale of their mother's self-indulgence, the sisters can't help but wonder if Lauren Weisberger had it wrong: because it seems, in fact, that the devil wore Chanel. But as they being to explore their mother's collection, meet and fall in love with her group of warm, wonderful friends, and magically find inspiring messages tucked away in her treasures - it seems as though their mother is advising Lulu and Gabrielle from the beyond -- helping them rediscover themselves and restore their relationship with each other.

Critique: Of special appeal to anyone with an interest in women's literature and family drama, "The Fashion Orphans by co-authors Randy Susan Meyers and M. J. Rose is impressively performed by the vocal tales of co-narrators Mia Barron and Callie Beaulieu in this complete and unabridged Brilliance Audio production. Original, compelling, and flawlessly produced, "The Fashion Orphans" is unreservedly recommended for both personal and community library Contemporary General Fiction audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Randy Susan Meyers (https://randysusanmeyers.com) is the author of the critically acclaimed The Murderer's Daughters, which was chosen as a Massachusetts Center for the Book "Must-Read Book" and a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award.

Editorial Note #2: M.J. Rose (https://www.mjrose.com/content) has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and The Adventurine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, Time, USA Today and on The Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose is also the co-founder of 1001DarkNights.com and TheBlueBoxPress.com

Editorial Note #3: Mia Barron (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mia_Barron) is an American actor known for her extensive New York City theater credits, alongside her television and independent film work. She is also known as the voice of Molotov Cocktease and Sally Impossible on the Cartoon Network's long-running comic science-fiction series,

Editorial Note #4: Callie Beaulieu (https://www.calliebeaulieu.com/audiobooks) is a NY/CT based audiobook narrator and self-professed vintage gal with a love for narrating fiction and non-fiction titles alike. A mature voice that draws on a life marinated in travel, adventure and experience, Callie delivers performances infused with gravitas, humor and over 30 years of experience as an actor and storyteller.

The Lobotomist's Wife
Samantha Greene Woodruff, author
Cassandra Campbell, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713638155, $14.99, MP3-CD (9 Hours 3 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Lobotomists-Wife-Samantha-Greene-Woodruff/dp/1713638150

Synopsis: Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter -- who is a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can't ignore her growing suspicions. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. And a vulnerable young mother, Margaret Baxter, is poised to be his next victim.

Margaret can barely get out of bed, let alone care for her infant. When Dr. Apter diagnoses her with the baby blues and proposes a lobotomy, she believes the procedure is her only hope. Only Ruth can save her (and scores of others) from the harrowing consequences of Robert's ambitions.

Critique: Inspired by a genuinely shocking and quite real chapter in American medical history, "The Lobotomist's Wife" is author Samantha Greene Woodruff debut as a published author. It is a compelling and deftly written novel of a woman fighting against the most grievous odds, of ego, and of the best medical intentions gone horribly awry. This complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The Lobotomist's Wife" from Brilliance Audio is vividly and effectively narrated by Cassandra Campbell and a highly recommended addition to personal and community library General Fiction audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Samantha Greene Woodruff (https://www.samanthawoodruff.com) has a BA in history from Wesleyan University and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. She spent most of her career telling stories to executives at MTV Networks as the senior vice president of strategy and business development and, subsequently, audience research for the Nickelodeon Kids & Family Group. After leaving corporate life, she pursued her varied passions, teaching yoga, cooking, and taking classes at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. It was here that she combined her multifaceted background with her wild imagination and passion for history, reading, and writing.

Editorial Note #2: Cassandra Campbell has recorded nearly two hundred audiobooks and directed many more. She has been nominated for and won multiple Audie Awards, as well as the prestigious Odyssey Award. She has received numerous starred audio reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and more than twenty AudioFile Earphones Awards. Cassandra was also named a Best Voice by AudioFile for 2009 and 2010.

The Night Burns Bright
Rose Barkan, author
Kirby Heyborne, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713649892, $24.99, MP3-CD (13 Hours 17 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Night-Burns-Bright-Novel/dp/1713649896

Synopsis: Lucien has everything he needs: a loving mama, a library full of books, and House of Earth, a private school nestled safely in the woods of upstate New York. It's where Lucien is taught the importance of living in harmony with nature and building a peaceful and sustainable future. But when his youthful curiosity draws him into town and to Gabrielle, a public-school student living a life wholly different from his own, Lucien's inquisitiveness about life beyond the commune and questions regarding the events of 9/11 threaten to unbalance everything he thought he knew.

Slowly, things begin to change at House of Earth. The outside world is off limits. Security measures tighten. New rules are put in place, and anyone who violates them is asked to leave and never spoken of again.

As forbidden questions pile up, Lucien's willingness to obey weakens. Continuing to meet Gabrielle in secret only reinforces his gnawing fear that something about his world is terribly wrong. Unable to remain silent any longer, Lucien will soon discover that looking for answers at House of Earth may be the most dangerous rule he can break.

Critique: Of particular interest to readers with its deft blending of a coming of age story and cult oriented suspense, "The Night Burns Bright" by novelist Ross Barkan is brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience by narrator Kirby Heyborne in this complete and unabridged audio book from Brilliance Audio. Simply stated, "The Night Burns Bright" will prove to be an outstanding and enduringly valued addition to both personal and community library Literary Fiction audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Ross Barkan (https://rossbarkan.com) is a novelist and journalist from New York City. He has published two previous books, Demolition Night and The Prince, and his journalism and essays have appeared in a wide variety of outlets, including the New York Times, the Nation, the Guardian, and the New Yorker.

Editorial Note #2: Kirby Heyhorne (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirby_Heyborne) is an American actor, musician, singer, songwriter, narrator and comedian. He is known for his work in films centered around the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Heyborne has also worked extensively as an audiobook narrator, narrating more than 300 books. He has won two Odyssey Awards and an Audie Award for Middle Grade Title. In 2015, Booklist named him a Voice of Choice narrator.

The Raven Spell
Luanne G. Smith, author
Susannah Jones, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713626206, $14.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 54 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Spell-Luanne-G-Smith/dp/1713626209

Synopsis: After a nearly fatal blow to the skull, traumatized private detective Ian Cameron is found dazed and confused on a muddy riverbank in Victorian London. Among his effects: a bloodstained business card bearing the name of a master wizard and a curious pocket watch that doesn't seem to tell time. To retrieve his lost memories, Ian demands answers from Edwina and Mary Blackwood, sister witches with a murky past. But as their secret is slowly unveiled, a dangerous mystery emerges on the darkened streets of London.

To help piece together Ian's lost time, he and Edwina embark on a journey that will take them from the river foreshore to an East End music hall, and on to a safe house for witches in need of sanctuary from angry mortals. The clues they find suggest a link between a series of gruesome murders, a missing person's case, and a dreadful suspicion that threatens to tear apart the bonds of sisterhood. As the investigation deepens, could Ian and Edwina be the next to die?

Critique: Magnificently performed by the impressive vocal storytelling talents of Susannah Jones, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The Raven Spell" by Luanne G. Smith will have immense appeal to historical fantasy fans and gothic fiction enthusiasts -- making it an immediately and enduringly welcome addition to personal and community library Victorian era fantasy fiction audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Luanne G. Smith (www.luannegsmith.com) is the Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of The Vine Witch, The Glamourist, and The Conjurer.

Editorial Note #2: Susannah Jones is an audiobook narrator, writer and actress with over 150 books under her own name and her pseudonym. Her work on "Rock Chick" by Kristen Ashley was one of the top five Audible romance listens in 2014 and she and her alter ego have two AudioFile Earphones awards. https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Susannah+Jones


The Library CD Shelf

African Yoga
Curated by Dan Storper and Sean Johnson
Putumayo
www.putumayo.com
$14.98 CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/African-Yoga-Putumayo-Presents/dp/B0BW32LW4T

African Yoga: A Peaceful Soundtrack for Yoga and Relaxation is an international anthology of songs, each by a different performer, co-curated by Putumayo World Music founder Dan Storper and New Orleans musician and yoga instructor Sean Johnson. An album download card and liner notes are included with the music CD; African Yoga is also available as an MP3 download or on streaming services. Transcendent, calming, and with beautiful lyrics in a multiplicity of languages, African Yoga is highly recommended especially for world music connoisseurs. The tracks are Mako Mady, Birth of a River, Kumbatia, Au Revoir, Ndikhawulele, Na, C'est La Vie, Mon Amour, Ekanasong, Miliamba, Ndikhethe Wena, and Land of Anaka.

Mighty Poplar
Mighty Poplar
mightypoplar.com
Free Dirt Records
freedirt.net
$14.98 CD / $19.99 vinyl / $8.99 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRP4RYZK

Mighty Poplar is the self-titled debut bluegrass album featuring Andrew Marlin on vocals, mandolin, and guitar; Noam Pikelny on banjo and vocals; Chris Eldridge on guitar, vocals, and mandolin; Greg Garrison on bass and vocals; and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle. This lively performance of beloved classic roots music selections encourages the listener to hum or move with joy. Highly recommended! The tracks are A Distant Land To Roam, Up on the Divide, Grey Eagle, Lovin' Babe, Blackjack Davy, North Country Blues, Little Joe, Let Him Go On Mama, Kicking Up The Devil On A Holiday / Dr. Hecock's Jig, and Story of Isaac. 42 min.

Once Upon a Summertime: The Music of Blossom Dearie
Sharon Sable and Joe Holt
SharonSableMusic.com
JoeHoltNotes.com
Privately Published
$TBA

Once Upon a Summertime: The Music of Blossom Dearie is the collaboration of Sharon Sable (vocals) and Joe Holt (piano) presenting a new performance of timeless jazz classics immortalized by legendary singer and pianist Margrethe Blossom Dearie (1924-2009). A rich, multilayered journey, Once Upon a Summertime is a soundscape treasure for jazz connoisseurs and public library collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Little Jazz Bird, You Fascinate Me So, Down With Love, Once Upon a Summertime, L'etang, They Say it's Spring, Surrey With the Fringe on Top, Inside a Silent Tear, Gentleman Friend, Boum, Tea For Two, and I Like You You're Nice.

Opening
Chris Keefe
Zugzwangbebop Records
$13.98 CD / $6.93 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Chris-Keefe/dp/B0BWK9G5BM

Chris Keefe on piano, Harvie S. on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums present Opening, an instrumental jazz album featuring three original songs and three covers. Vivacious, evocative, and powerful, Opening is an exciting and worthy addition to jazz connoisseur collections! The tracks are Got a Chick? Modern, Along Came Betty, I Fall in Love Too Easily, Just in Time, Chobim, and Dream.


The Genealogy Shelf

Generation by Generation
Drew Smith
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 229, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806321271, $29.95, PB, 178pp

https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Modern-Approach-Basics-Genealogy/dp/080632127X

Synopsis: With the publication of "Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy", Drew Smith has presents the actual processes used in contemporary genealogical research: Start with yourself, then move on to living family and relatives, and then move backwards in time, generation by generation. Each individual chapter describes a time period and the kinds of records available for that era, allowing beginners to learn about new types of records just as they need them.

This informative 'how-to' guide is divided into two parts. Part I discusses such things as relationships between family members, naming practices, genealogy software, how to review existing research, and the basics of DNA testing. Part II begins with a discussion of the major genealogy websites, and then explains the most important record categories for all generations from the present day back to the colonial ea. There are also chapters devoted to searching for the origins of American families in the records of Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and non-English-speaking nations.

"Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy" makes ample use of consecutive Internet screen shots to take the mystery out of online searching. Of special not is that it is written by an expert genealogist and teacher who is equally conversant with traditional search methods and the digital world.

Critique: An ideal instructional resource for those new to genealogical research, and with a great deal of relevance and value for the more experienced genealogists, "Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy" must be considered an essential, core addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Genealogy Research collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Drew Smith and his partner George G. Morgan have been podcasting about genealogy since September 2005, when they launched The Genealogy Guys Podcast (http://genealogyguys.com). Each episode includes the latest news from genealogical companies and organizations, listener email, and other content, such as book reviews and brief interviews.


The Architecture Shelf

A Book on Making a Petite Ecole
Michael Meredith, Hilary Sample, MOS
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
440 Park Avenue S, 17th FL, New York, NY 10016
http://actar.com
9781638400677, $48.74, HC, 158pp

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Making-Petite-%C3%89cole/dp/1638400679

Synopsis: As part of the 2019 Biennale d'architecture et de paysage in Versailles, France, MOS constructed Petite Ecole, a small, open-air pavilion to house educational workshops for children. It is a place for looking and making, and for making and looking, constructed with 688 aluminum pieces modeled, flattened, cut, folded, prefabricated, shipped, and then assembled onsite. It is made to be taken down and reassembled elsewhere. It is designed to be easily understood, made of simple building elements: a long, low roof with columns and stacked beams holding it up.

Undertaken during various design workshops, single page design exercises written by architects were assembled into a large book and given to children. "A Book on Making a Petite Ecole" features an expanded collection of these exercises. Each exercise includes playful illustrations of its steps, starting a conversation about how designers look at, think about, teach, and imagine the foundations of design. Alongside these, the design process of the pavilion is included, as its own design exercise, from colorful illustrations of each step of the pavilion's construction, to actual construction photographs and photographs of the completed pavilion being occupied.

"A Book on Making a Petite Ecole" considers basic questions of design pedagogy, abstraction, accessibility, experimentation, and equity, while considering and reconsidering architecture.

Critique: Novel, original, informative, and fun, "A Book on Making a Petite Ecole" is a large coffee-table style (9.5 x 0.8 x 12.8 inches, 2.5 pounds) volume, "A Book on Making a Petite Ecole" is a unique and very special addition for personal, professional, elementary school, and community library Architecture collections in general, and Architectural collections for children ages 3-6 in particular.

Editorial Note #1: Michael Meredith (https://soa.princeton.edu/content/michael-meredith) is a principal of MOS, an internationally recognized architecture practice based in New York, and Professor at Princeton University School of Architecture. His writing has appeared in Artforum, LOG, Perspecta, Praxis, Domus, and Harvard Design Magazine. Meredith previously taught at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, the University of Michigan, where he was awarded the Muschenheim Fellowship, and the University of Toronto.

Editorial Note #2: Hilary Sample (https://www.arch.columbia.edu/faculty/359-hilary-sample) is the IDC Professor of Housing Design and Sequence Director of the Core Architecture Studios at GSAPP, and Co-Founder of the New York-based architecture and design studio MOS. Since its establishment in 2003, MOS has won major national and international awards and been recognized in significant publications. Monographs about the studio include an issue of El Croquis and Selected Works (Princeton Architectural Press, 2016).


The Criminology Shelf

Tremors in the Blood
Amit Katwala
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Dreamscape Media
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781639103423, $18.99, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tremors-Blood-Murder-Obsession-Detector/dp/1639103422

Synopsis: Late one evening in the summer of 1922, Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife's blood. But was he a grieving husband, or a ruthless killer who conspired with bandits to have her murdered?

To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman's touch.

John Larson, Gus Vollmer and Leonarde Keeler hoped the lie detector would make the justice system fairer -- but their flawed device soon grew too powerful for them to control. It poisoned their lives, turned fast friends into bitter enemies, and as it conquered America and the world, it transformed our relationship with the truth in ways that are still being felt.

As new forms of lie detection gain momentum in the present day, with the publication of "Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector", author Amit Katwala reveals the incredible truth behind the creation of the polygraph, through gripping true crime cases featuring explosive gunfights, shocking twists and high-stakes courtroom drama.

Touching on psychology, technology and the science of the truth, "Tremors in the Blood" is a vibrant, atmospheric thriller, and a warning from history to beware what you believe!

Critique: An exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented contribution to the history of technology and criminology, "Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector" is as inherently fascinating as it is impressively informative. Of special appeal to readers with an interest in the history of the polygraph and its impact on the American judicial systems and use in corporate and governmental screening programs, "Tremors in the Blood" is an original and unreservedly recommended contribution and acquisition for personal, professional, community, and academic library Criminology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Tremors in the Blood" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666629101, $22.99, CD)

Editorial Note: Amit Katwala (https://www.amitkatwala.co.uk) is an award-winning journalist and editor. He is a senior writer at WIRED, based in London. He writes about the collision between technology and culture, and has covered everything from the race for quantum supremacy to the hunt for the mysterious Planet Nine. He grew up in Bournemouth, and studied experimental psychology at Oxford University.


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