 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Library Bookwatch |
Library Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty
Ann McCellan
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804847018, $24.95, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Penjing-Ambassadors-Peace-Beauty/dp/0804847010
Synopsis: "Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty" by Ann McClellan details their valuable role in
international diplomacy and as instruments of American presidential influence. It also describes their inclusion in world's
fair exhibitions, in Asian-inspired gardens around the country, and as a window onto the extensive cultivation of bonsai in
North America today. A lengthy first-hand account by Dr. John L. Creech is included about the first extraordinary gift of 53
bonsai from Japan to the U.S. in 1976 which prompted the founding of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.
"Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace" also describes how Chinese penjing and North American bonsai
were later added to the Museum, making its collection the most comprehensive in the world. Stories of individual trees and
forest plantings are featured, as are the roles played by the skilled and talented creators of these living art forms -- people
such as John Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu. Armchair travelers can experience
what a visit to the Museum is like, including the discovery of its remarkable viewing stones.
"Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace" will delight anyone intrigued by these living works of art and
curious about the stories they bring to life.
Critique: This large format (10.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches, 2.31pounds) hardcover edition of Ann McClellan's "Bonsai and
Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty" from Tuttle Publishing is fascinating, informative, and a pleasure to browse
through from start to finish. Elegantly illustrated in full color throughout, "Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace &
Beauty" will hold a very special value for readers with an interest in Japanese, Houseplant, and Ornamental Gardening and
is unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library Gardening/Horticulture collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty" is also readily
available in paperback (9780804857840, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Ann McClellan (https://annmcclellan.com) is author of books about the flowering cherry trees of
Washington, D.C.: "Cherry Blossoms" and "The Cherry Blossom Festival, Sakura Celebration". These books reflect the
lifelong love of trees that she developed while growing up in New Jersey on an arboretum-like campus laid out by Frederick
Law Olmsted. Her professional career has included executive positions at nonprofit organizations, such as the Smithsonian
Institution, World Wildlife Fund, and the American Association of Museums. She treasures the living collections of the
National Museum of Bonsai & Penjing as profound expressions of the best that people together with nature can create.
Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon
Jeff Burger, editor
Chicago Review Press
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9780912777696, $19.99, PB, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lennon-Conversations-Musicians-Their-Words/dp/0912777699
Synopsis: John Lennon who came to fame with his band The Beatles, was a highly opinionated and controversial figure with
a commanding personality and quick wit. And he made a point of living his adventurous life as openly as possible.
Whether he was experimenting with LSD, Transcendental Meditation, primal therapy, macrobiotic diets, or recording
techniques, the public was on board every step of the way. He spoke candidly about his intense, sometimes tumultuous
relationship with Yoko Ono, his split with the Beatles, his squabbles with Paul McCartney, and just about everything else,
baring his emotional ups and downs for all to see.
By the time he granted his (and this book's) final interview, only hours before his death, he had become one of the most
famous people on the planet and an articulate commentator on politics, human relations, and world peace.
"Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon" is an authoritative, chronologically arranged anthology of some of
Lennon's most illuminating interviews, spanning the years 1964 to 1980.
The majority have not been previously available in print, and several of the most important have not been widely available
in any format. Interspersed throughout the book are key quotes from dozens of additional Q&As.
Together, this material paints a revealing picture of the artist in his own words while offering a window into the cultural
atmosphere of the sixties and seventies.
Critique: An absolute 'must' read selection for the legions of John Lennon fans, this amazing compendium of his comments
and commentaries, deftly edited, organized and presented by music critic Jeff Burger will prove an immediately welcome
and enduringly appreciated pick for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library 20th Century
Musician Biography & Popular Culture collections. It should be noted for dedicated Beatles fans that this paperback edition
of "Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon" is also readily available from Chicago Review Press in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.00).
Editorial Note: Jeff Burger (https://byjeffburger.com) is the editor of "Springsteen on Springsteen" and "Leonard Cohen on
Leonard Cohen". He has contributed to Barron's, Family Circle, GQ, the Los Angeles Times, Reader's Digest, and more than
seventy-five other magazines, newspapers, and books.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design, second edition
Rose Berger
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032571621, $160.00, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dramatic-Storytelling-Narrative-Design-Transmedia/dp/1032571624
Synopsis: Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design" by Professor
Ross Berger provides an industry professional's first-hand perspective on narrative design's practical usage, day-to-day roles
and responsibilities, and keys to breaking in and succeeding.
"Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design, second edition" from the CRC Press delves into the foundations of compelling
storytelling through structural analysis and character archetype breakdowns.
The understanding of game narrative is widened to include examples from other media as Professor Berger breaks down the
structure of popular games and show how the structural elements are applied in practice.
In addition to discussing industry trends, Professor Berger illustrates how the leveraging of transmedia can make a video
game franchise endure over time.
This updated new second edition also contains brand new chapters on Conflict and The Future of Interactive Storytelling, as
well as deepened coverage on Character and World and Roles and Responsibilities. Additionally, Professor Berger adds new
discussion to the Analysis of Narrative in Contemporary Games through an examination of the HBO television adaption of
The Last of Us.
Critique: A complete and detailed textbook level course of DIY instruction, "Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design,
second edition" will be of great and particular interest and relevance to aspiring writers and novice authors interested in the
craft of storytelling, narrative design, and game writing. Especially recommended for personal, professional, community,
and college/university library the writing elements of Computer/Game Designing/Programming, it should be noted for
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Dramatic
Storytelling and Narrative Design, second edition" from CRC Press is also available in paperback (9781032571614, $64.99)
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $51.99).
Editorial Note: Ross Berger (www.rossberger.space/bio) is a writer, narrative designer, and transmedia strategist based in
Los Angeles. His screenwriting credits include: Law & Order and the Webby-Award winning LonelyGirl15. He also served
as the supervising producer for the social media/television experience The Runner. Ross has also worked extensively in
virtual reality as a writer for Meta's Oculus Rift launch title Farlands and the award-winning thriller Eclipse: Edge of Light
for the Google Daydream and Oculus Go. As a narrative designer in the video game industry, he has written AAA and
mobile games for Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Niantic Labs, and many others. Ross is also the author of literary non-fiction
(Purdue University Press, Intellect Books) and short stories including "Football with Leatherman" (2020), "Evie A.I."
(2021), and "Kleiner in the Woods" (2022), published by TulipTree Publishing. A graduate of Brandeis (BA, Philosophy)
and Columbia (MFA, Playwriting) universities, Ross is a member of the Writers Guild of America West (animation caucus)
and the Television Academy and is currently an adjunct professor at University of Southern California's School of
Cinematic Arts and ArtCenter College of Design.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Global Climate Crisis
Hoda Mahmoudi, editor
Kate Seaman, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035308873, $110.00, HC, 170pp
https://www.amazon.com/Global-Climate-Crisis-Environmental-Equality/dp/1035308878
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Hoda Mahoudi and Kate Seaman, "Global Climate Crisis: Seeking
Environmental Justice and Climate Equality" is topical book whose contributors outline one of the most ubiquitous
challenges facing humanity and the planet today: the damaging impact of anthropogenic climate change. Humanizing the
climate debate, it discusses solutions to the crisis and devises a moral framework centered on justice and equality.
The expert contributing authors find environmental justice at the intersection of human stability, accountability, rights, and
dignity, and examine it across distributional, recognitional, and procedural justice dimensions and a capabilities approach.
To advance tangible solutions to climate change, they recommend a plan of action which is sensitive to issues of
implementation for vulnerable populations, such as discrimination, inequality, and injustice.
The individual chapters comprising "Global Climate Crisis: Seeking Environmental Justice and Climate Equality" call for
practical and moral responses from politicians, corporations, and institutions who have the power and capacity to engage in
non-partisan united action. Ultimately, "Global Climate Crisis: Seeking Environmental Justice and Climate Equality"
engages with the complexity of environmental justice to understand the intersectional, multi-scalar, embedded nature of the
problem.
Interdisciplinary in scope, "Global Climate Crisis: Seeking Environmental Justice and Climate Equality" is invaluable to
students and scholars of climate change; environmental governance, regulation, politics, and policy; international relations;
sustainable development studies and human geography. It is also a useful resource for policy advisors and activists
concerned with climate change and environmental justice.
Critique: A compendium of seven informative, seminal, and erudite contributions, and deftly co-edited by the team of Hoda
Mahmoudi and Kate Seaman, "Global Climate Crisis: Seeking Environmental Justice and Climate Equality" also features a
five page listing of the contributors and their credentials, as well as a five page Index. A seminal and ground-breaking work,
"Co-edited by Hoda Mahmoudi and Kate Seaman" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Contemporary Environmental Studies collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Hoda Mahmoudi is an American academic and scholar, specializing in religion and peace studies. Since
July 2012, she has held the Baha'i Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoda_Mahmoudi)
Editorial Note #2: Kate Seaman is the Assistant Director of The Baha'i Chair for World Peace at the University of
Maryland. (https://www.bahaichair.umd.edu/kate-seaman)
The American History Shelf
The Declaration in Script and Print
John Bidwell
Penn State University Press
www.psupress.org
9780271097305, $29.95, PB, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Declaration-Script-Print-Americas-Founding/dp/0271097302
Synopsis: Perhaps the single most important founding document of the United States of America, the Declaration of
Independence became both a work of art and a mass-market commodity during the nineteenth century. With the publication
of "The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America's Founding Document", graphic arts historian John
Bidwell traces the fascinating history of Declaration prints and broadsides and reveals the American public's changing
attitudes toward this iconic text.
The new and improved intaglio, letterpress, and lithographic printing technologies of the nineteenth century led to
increasingly elaborate reproductions of the Declaration. Some were touted as precious relics; others were aimed at the
bottom of the market. Rival publishers claimed to have produced the definitive visualization of the document, attacking the
character and patriotism of other firms even as they promoted their own artistic abilities and attention to detail.
Meanwhile, painter John Trumbull attempted to sell subscriptions for an engraved version of his Declaration painting, and
John Quincy Adams (then secretary of state) commissioned an official 1823 edition in response to the feuding facsimilists
seeking government patronage. Bidwell unravels the intricate web of rivalries surrounding these competing
publications.
Featuring a comprehensive checklist of nearly two hundred prints and broadsides drawn from various collections, this
engrossing history highlights the proliferation and widespread influence of the Declaration of Independence on American
popular culture. It will be equally esteemed by general readers interested in American history, print and autograph
collectors, and art and book historians.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study, "The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America's
Founding Document" is as fascinating as it is informative from cover to cover. A unique and singular contribution to
American history from Penn State University Press, "The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America's
Founding Document" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library collections and supplemental American History curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
students, academia, and non-professional general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Declaration in Script and
Print: A Visual History of America's Founding Document" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.39).
Editorial Note: John Bidwell is Curator Emeritus at the Morgan Library & Museum. He is the author of Graphic Passion:
Matisse and the Book Arts, also published by Penn State University Press.
(https://rarebookschool.org/faculty/history/john-bidwell)
Building a House Divided
Stephen G. Hyslop
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806192734, $32.95, HC, 328pp
https://www.amazon.com/Building-House-Divided-Westward-Expansion/dp/0806192739
Synopsis: By the time Abraham Lincoln asserted in 1858 that the nation could not "endure permanently half slave and half
free", the rift that would split the country in civil war was well defined. The origins and evolution of the coming conflict
between North and South can in fact be traced back to the early years of the American Republic, as Stephen G. Hyslop
demonstrates in "Building a House Divided: Slavery, Westward Expansion, and the Roots of the Civil War", an exploration
of how the incipient fissure between the Union's initial slave states and free states (or those where slaves were gradually
being emancipated) lengthened and deepened as the nation advanced westward.
Independent historian Hyslop focuses on four prominent slaveholding expansionists who were intent on preserving the
Union but nonetheless helped build what Lincoln called a house divided: Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson,
and James K. Polk and Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, who managed a plantation in Mississippi bequeathed by his
father-in-law. Hyslop examines what these men did, collectively and individually, to further what Jefferson called an
"empire of liberty" -- even though it kept millions of Black people in bondage.
Along with these major figures, in all their conflicts and contradictions, he considers other American expansionists who
engaged in and helped extend slavery (among them William Clark, Stephen Austin, and President John Tyler) as well as
examples of principled opposition to the extension of slavery by northerners such as John Quincy Adams and southerners
like Henry Clay and Thomas Hart Benton, who held slaves but placed preserving the Union above extending slavery across
the continent.
The long view of the path to the Civil War, as charted through the Jeffersonian and Jacksonian eras in "Building a House
Divided", reveals the critical fault in the nation's foundation, exacerbated by slaveholding expansionists like Jefferson,
Jackson, Polk, and Douglas, until the house they built upon it could no longer stand for two opposite ideas at once.
Critique: A seminal work of original and ground-breaking historical research, this hardcover edition of Stephen Hyslop's
"Building a House Divided: Slavery, Westward Expansion, and the Roots of the Civil War" from the University of
Oklahoma Press is informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with an Introduction (Lincoln's Architecture and the Fault
in the Nation's Foundation), the inclusion of a twelve page Bibliography, twenty-eight pages of Notes, and a fourteen page
Index. Also featuring the occasional B/W illustration, "Building a House Divided" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library 19th Century American History
collections and supplemental American Civil War curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Building a House Divided" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $26.95).
Editorial Note: Stephen G. Hyslop is an independent historian and the author of several books, including Contest for
California: From Spanish Colonization to the American Conquest; Bound for Santa Fe: The Road to New Mexico and the
American Conquest, 1806 - 1848; and The Old West. He also served as editor of a 23-volume series on Native Americans
for Time-Life Books. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/501559.Stephen_G_Hyslop)
The World History Shelf
Roman Fever
Benjamin Reilly
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476686554, $39.95, PB, 221pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Fever-Malaria-Transalpine-Travelers/dp/1476686556
Synopsis: During the last 1500 years, Rome was the inspiration of artists, the coronation stage of German emperors, the
distant desire of pilgrims, and the seat of the Roman popes. Yet Rome also lies within the northern range of P. falciparum
malaria, the deadliest strain of the disease, against which northern Europeans had no intrinsic or acquired defenses. As a
result, Rome lured a countless number of unacclimated transalpine Europeans to their deaths in the period from 500 to 1850
AD.
With the publication of "Roman Fever: Malaria, Transalpine Travelers and the Eternal City", environmental historian
Benjamin Reilly examines how Rome's allure to European visitors and its resident malaria species impacted the historical
development of Europe. "Roman Fever" covers the environmental and biological factors at play and focuses on two of the
periods when malaria potentially had the greatest impact on the continent: the heyday of the medieval German Empire and
its conflicts with the papacy (c. 800-1300) and the Protestant Reformation (c.1500).
Through explorations into the history of religion, empire, disease, and culture, "Roman Fever" tells the story of how the
veritable capital of the world became the graveyard of nations.
Critique: A unique, seminal, and ground-breaking study on a hitherto obscure element of European history, "Roman Fever:
Malaria, Transalpine Travelers and the Eternal City" by Benjamin Reilly will prove of immense value to readers with an
interest in Italian history in general, and the history of the City of Rome in particular. An impressive application of forensic
medicine to our understanding of how disease shaped and influenced European history, "Roman Fever: Malaria, Transalpine
Travelers and the Eternal City" is a welcome, unusual, informative, and recommended addition to community and
college/university library European/Italian History collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "Roman
Fever: Malaria, Transalpine Travelers and the Eternal City" from McFarland & Company is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Based in Doha, Qatar, Benjamin Reilly is an environmental historian working at Carnegie Mellon
University's branch campus in Qatar. His publications have included French Revolutionary ideological discourse, and
information on lactose tolerance amongst Arabian Bedouins
(https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/history/people/faculty/reilly.html)
Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years
Paula Fredriksen
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691157696, $29.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Christianities-First-Hundred-Years/dp/0691157693
Synopsis: The ancient Mediterranean teemed with gods. For centuries, a practical religious pluralism prevailed. How, then,
did one particular god come to dominate the politics and piety of the late Roman Empire?
With the publication of "Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years", Professor Paula Fredriksen traces the
evolution of early Christianity (or rather, of early Christianities) through five centuries of Empire, mapping its pathways
from the hills of Judea to the halls of Rome and Constantinople.
This is a story with a sprawling cast of characters: not only theologians, bishops, and emperors, but also gods and demons,
angels and magicians, astrologers and ascetics, saints and heretics, aristocratic patrons and millenarian enthusiasts. All
played their part in the development of what became and remains an energetically diverse biblical religion.
The New Testament, as we know it, represents only a small selection of the many gospels, letters, acts of apostles, and
revelations that circulated before the establishment of the imperial church. It tells how the gospel passed from Jesus, to the
apostles, thence to Paul. But by using our peripheral vision, by looking to noncanonical and paracanonical texts, by availing
ourselves of information derived from papyri, inscriptions, and archaeology, we can see a different, richer, much less linear
story emerging.
Professor Fredriksen brings together these many sources to reconstruct the lively interactions of pagans, Jews, and
Christians, tracing the conversions of Christianity from an energetic form of Jewish messianism to an arm of the late Roman
state.
Critique: Viewed from a 1st through 4th century pagan perspective, Jesus Christ was simply another demigod (fathered by a
god upon a mortal woman). But among the Christian communities there was a wide spectrum of interpretations and
variations of who and what Jesus of Nazareth was and/or became. Then with Emperor Constantine's legalization of the
Christian movement a steady emergence of the demigod status of Jesus became dominant -- often at the cost of violent
confrontations between the warring factions of the Christian movement.
"Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years" is a masterpiece of biblical, apocryphal, and Roman research and
scholarship into the history and development of the Christian movement from many different competing factions (which
would continue down through the continuing centuries that would include the Orthodox churches from the Roman Catholic,
and eventually culminating in the Roman Catholic - Protestant divisions that continue to this very day) upon those ancient
Christian communities and their eventual impact on the Roman empire, including its governance and attitudes toward the
ancient pre-Christian gods.
Exceptionally and impressively comprehensive, throughout 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, informative
enhanced for the scholar and the non-specialist general reader alike "Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years"
by Paula Fredriksen includes an 18 page Timeline, a 4 page Glossary, a 22 page bibliographic listing of Supplementary
Reading, a 10 page Sources Index, a 5 page Names/Places Index, and a 4 page Subject Index. An extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, church, seminary, and college/university library
Christian History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, clergy,
seminary studies, and members of the Christian community with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of
"Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years" from the Princeton University Press is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $16.17).
Editorial Note: Paula Fredriksen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Fredriksen) is the Aurelio Professor of Scripture
Emerita at Boston University and professor emerita of comparative religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is a
member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is the author of When Christians Were Jews: The First
Generation; From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of the New Testament Images of Jesus; Sin: The Early History of an Idea
(Princeton); and other books.
The Education Shelf
Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools
Emily Kircher-Morris, author
Amanda Morin, author
Free Spirit Publishing
www.freespirit.com
9798885543972, $39.99, PB, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Neurodiversity-Affirming-Schools-Transforming-Practices-Professional%C2%AE/dp/B0D81QW
SX8
Synopsis: The neurodiversity paradigm is a framework for understanding human brain function that considers the diversity
within sensory processing, motor abilities, social comfort, cognition, and focus as neurobiological differences.
(Wikipedia)
Co-authored by Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin, "Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So
All Students Feel Accepted & Supported" is a guide for K-12 educators to better understand neurodivergence and help
neurodivergent students thrive. Inside, is the background information and concrete practices needed to create a school or
classroom culture where neurodivergent students feel safe, valued, and understood. There are also clear explanations of
behaviors common in neurodivergent learners, such as masking, rejection sensitivity, and novelty seeking -- enabling the
discovery specific practices that can be employed immediately.
"Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools" is an accessible book specifically designed to help the reader to take action. By the end
of each chapter, the reader will understand how the key takeaways apply to a particular situation and how they can be meet
neurodivergent students' needs in ways appropriate to their unique cognition.
"Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools" includes:
Using established practices like strengths-based instruction in neurodiversity-affirming ways
Preventing neurodivergent students from checking out and becoming burnt out
Identifying the unique ways that neurodivergent children express their needs and difficulties
Emphasizing and modeling emotional regulation skills at the classroom level
Creating more effective, strengths-based IEPs and 504 Plans
Of special note is how "Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools" also provides real-world examples in the form of vignettes of
neurodivergent students and the educators that support them. These features contextualize what you've learned to help you
feel confident as you implement change. eurodiversity-Affirming Schools is your practical and comprehensive guide to
creating opportunities for neurodivergent learners to succeed.
Critique: This large format (7.25 x 0.79 x 9.25 inches, 1.53 pounds) paperback edition of "Neurodiversity-Affirming
Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted & Supported" from Free Spirit Publishing is of particular
relevance for educators dealing with children who are gifted, requiring a special education approach to learning, or dealing
with autism. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools" is an ideal curriculum
textbook for Inclusive Education curriculum and Teacher Training In-service Workshop studies lists, as well as a core
addition to personal, professional, school district, and college/university library Special Education collections. It should be
noted that this paperback edition of "Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$26.25).
Editorial Note #1: Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.Ed., LPC, is the author of Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in
Today's Classroom, Raising Twice-Exceptional Children, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools. Emily hosts the
Neurodiversity Podcast, which explores parenting, counseling techniques, and best practices for enriching the lives of
neurodivergent people. Emily has taught in gifted classrooms and is now in private practice as a licensed professional
counselor.
Editorial Note #2: Amanda Morin is an educator and the author of five books, including The Everything Parent's Guide to
Special Education, Adulting Made Easy, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools. She played an integral role in launching
Understood.org and has worked with organizations and publications like Bright & Quirky, Matan, Hidden Sparks Without
Walls, and Edutopia.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Launching Lifelong Health by Improving Health Care for Children, Youth, and Families
The National Academies Press
www.nap.edu
9780309721943, $64.00, PB, 616pp
https://www.amazon.com/Launching-Lifelong-Improving-Children-Families/dp/0309721946
Synopsis: Ensuring every child is on an optimal trajectory to a healthy and productive adulthood is imperative for the
nation's future.
Private and governmental Investments in children and families improves child health, but also health equity, education
outcomes, workforce productivity, and cost-effectiveness in public spending. Despite advances in health care, children,
especially those from historically marginalized groups, face rising rates of chronic diseases, obesity, and mental health
challenges.
"Launching Lifelong Health by Improving Health Care for Children, Youth, And Families" presents a vision for
transforming the child and adolescent health care system. This report also examines how the health care system can be better
positioned to equitably address the needs of all children and families and leverage community supports.
This requires transforming key components, such as health care financing, public health investment, community
partnerships, and accountability strategies, to encourage team-based care delivery models and attention to and health
promotion, prevention, and root causes of health disparities.
Critique: Impressively comprehensive, detailed, organized and presented, "Launching Lifelong Health by Improving Health
Care for Children, Youth, and Families" from the National Academies Press is a seminal and ground-breaking study that is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, governmental, and college/university
library Public Health/Medicine Policy & Planning collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It will prove to be
an essential resource and reference for private sector and governmental Health Care policy makers, health care reform
activists, concerned members of the medical community, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject.
Editorial Note: The National Academies Press (NAP) was created to publish the reports issued by the National Academies
of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the
National Research Council. It publishes nearly 200 books a year on a wide range of topics in the sciences. The NAP's stated
mission is seemingly self-contradictory: to disseminate as widely as possible the works of the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and to be financially self-sustaining through sales. This mission has led to great
experimentation in openness regarding online publishing. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Academies_Press)
The Cookbook Shelf
Taste of Home Vintage Recipes Made Easy
Taste of Home, editor
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889771005, $22.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Vintage-Recipes-Made/dp/B0D6WJLYVY
Synopsis: Rediscover the charm and flavors of yesteryear dishes with "Taste of Home Vintage Recipes Made Easy". This
beautifully curated and beautifully illustrated cookbook features 285 retro dishes and nostalgic baked goods, perfectly
revamped for today's kitchens. Whether it's a comforting-roasted chicken, a green bean casserole like mom used to make, or
a slice of pecan pie right out of your childhood memories, this culinary compendium has it all.
Of special note are the simplified recipes for air fryers, slow cookers, and Instant Pots that will allow you and your family to
enjoy the tastes of classic home-cooked meals without spending hours in the kitchen. Every recipe includes clear
instructions with short ingredient lists and tips designed to save time while preserving authentic flavors.
From hosting a retro cocktail party, baking an old-fashioned dessert, or preparing an unforgettable Easter brunch, "Taste of
Home Vintage Recipes Made Easy" fully lives up to the promise of its titles with kitchen cook recipes ranging from
appetizers to sides, hearty entrees, and timeless sweets, and features:
285 Classic Recipes: Discover retro-inspired dishes, snacks, and desserts adapted for modern kitchens.
Simplified Cooking: Enjoy short ingredient lists, faster preparation, and the convenience of slow cookers, air fryers, and
Instant Pots.
Nostalgic Baking: Indulge in cakes, pies, cookies, and treats inspired by classic family recipes.
Practical Tips: Includes nutrition facts, helpful shortcuts, and meal prep guidance for today's cooks.
Creative Inspiration: Perfect for hosting retro dinner parties, brunches, or recreating grandma's culinary magic.
And a bonus chapter with secret pasta sauces, jams, flavored butters, and more!
Critique: If ever you wanted a nostalgic family cookbook, make it "Taste of Home Vintage Recipes Made Easy: 285 Retro
Dishes and Baked Goods for Today's Cooks". A delight and pleasure to browse through one illustrated recipes at a time, this
classic culinary collections will inspire palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying, memorable and nourishing meals for all formal
and informal dining occasions and events. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and
community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Taste of Home Vintage Recipes
Made Easy" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is America's #1 food/lifestyle brand, inspiring togetherness through cooking, baking and
entertaining. Featuring recipes shared by today's home cooks, Taste of Home magazine has hundreds of thousands of
subscribers throughout North America and publishes best-selling cookbooks and newsstand specials. The brand's web site is
a top destination, featuring kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos and more. Taste of Home has more
than 6.4 million fans on Facebook, 2 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million Pinterest followers and receives more than
28 million unique monthly visitors. You can visit Taste of Home on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to learn more.
The Biography Shelf
Mission to China, second edition
John Holliday
Tallai Books
https://tallaibooks.com
https://www.amberley-books.com
9781445661346, $32.95, HC, 336pp
9780648684848, $20.00, PB,
9780648684855, $10.00, Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Mission-China-Englishman-Brought-Orient/dp/1445661349
Synopsis: Originally published in a hardcover edition by Amberley Publishing; UK (September 2016), this new second
edition of "Mission to China: How an Englishman Brought the West to the Orient" by John Holliday from Tallai Books is
the history and biography of Walter Medhurst who, at the age of only twenty, set sail in August 1816 from London, aboard
the General Graham, bound for Malacca to establish a printing facility for the London Missionary Society. Thereby began a
career as missionary, adventurer, printer, writer, translator, teacher and nineteenth-century pioneer to China.
The adventure begins in Madras, where Walter meets and falls in love with his wife Elizabeth and together they move on to
Malacca, Penang and Batavia, preparing for the day when China opens up to the 'foreign devils' so that he can take the
Christian message to the heart of the Celestial Empire.
Following the First Opium War and the signing of the Treaty of Nanking, Medhurst took the opportunity in 1843 to set up
the LMS mission centre in Shanghai. From this base he built churches, schools, a printing works and a hospital (now a
major Shanghai hospital).
During the time of the Taiping Rebellion, Walter maintained contact with the rebel leaders and he became a leading source
of information in Britain and America about the situation in China.
In the years between 1847 and 1850, he led the team that translated the Bible into Chinese. Encapsulated within this life is
the whole history of the nineteenth-century integration of the West and the Orient -- from a new, shared religious belief to
common trade and enterprise.
"Mission to China: How an Englishman Brought the West to the Orient" is a true story of love, adventure, dedication and
tragedy, set during a time of great turmoil, and one that changed the course of history.
Critique: A truly impressive work of detailed and meticulous scholarship, this new second edition of "Mission to China:
How an Englishman Brought the West to the Orient" from Tallai Books is a truly fascinating and informative read. Under
the authorship of John Holliday it is biography and history raised to an impressive level of literary excellence and will be of
immense appeal to readers with an interest in 19th Century Chinese/British history in general, and Christian Missionary
Work in China in particular. Of special note for the reader's benefit is the inclusion in this new edition of a Bibliography
listing relevant books, articles, essays, dissertations, periodicals. and 'Other Sources'. Additionally included in this second
edition is a four page Index.
A seminal, ground-breaking, exceptionally well crafted, informed and informative biography, and originally published in a
hardcover edition (September 2016) of "Mission to China: How an Englishman Brought the West to the Orient, second
edition " is available in a paperback edition (9780648684848, $20.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.00) as is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, seminary, and college/university
library 19th Century Biography and Christianity in China collections.
Editorial Note: John Holliday (https://tallaibooks.com) was born and grew up in England, where his service in the Royal Air
Force led to an opportunity in the burgeoning computer industry of the 1960s. John moved to Canada in 1968, initially
joining IBM but later breaking out on his own with his first business in a career as a serial entrepreneur. The experiences of
his working life became the subject of a book, 'Toughing It Out: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur', and so started a love
of writing. He is also the author of "Clara Colby: The International Suffragist"
The General Fiction Shelf
A Fate Far Sweeter: The Story of Love & War
Roger Turenko
Planetary Books LLC
https://planetarybooks.com
9798348228682, $29.99, HC, 222pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fate-Far-Sweeter-Kovalenkos-Adventures/dp/B0DSCHV8R2
Synopsis: Former U.S. Army officer John Kovalenko thought he'd left war behind -- until Ukraine's fight for freedom called
him back to arms. Now, he's joined the Ukrainian Foreign Legion and is tasked with destroying a critical Russian missile
facility deep in enemy territory.
But when he joins forces with a band of Crimean Tatar resistance fighters, his mission transforms into something far more
personal. As John works alongside them, he is drawn into their world-and into the heart of Svetlana's beautiful
granddaughter, Yasmina. Their forbidden romance blossoms against the backdrop of gathering storm clouds, as a
treacherous informant threatens to unravel their carefully laid plans.
When the final assault begins, John and his unlikely band of warriors face impossible odds. In one explosive night, they'll
risk everything-their lives, their loves, and their homeland-in a mission that will test the limits of human courage and
sacrifice.
In war-torn Crimea, victory may be impossible -- but surrender is unthinkable.
Critique: Original, compelling, intense, and a fascinating read from start to finish, "A Fate Far Sweeter: The Story of Love
& War" by novelist Roger Turenko deftly incorporates an impressively crafted action/adventure military thriller replete with
ancient hostilities, contemporary European/Russian geo-politics, modern weaponry, romance, personal commitment, and
survival. A memorable work of fiction that could be tomorrow's reality, "A Fate Far Sweeter" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Military Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this
hardcover edition of "A Fate Far Sweeter" from Planetary Books is also readily available in paperback (9798348228309,
$15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: For Roger Turenko, writing it a labor of love. "A Fate Far Sweeter: The Story of Love & War" is his debut
as a novelist. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50600743.Roger_Turenko)
Unlucky Mel
Aggeliki Pelekidis
Three Hills
c/o Cornell University Press
www.cornellpress.cornell.edu
9781501776304, $28.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unlucky-Mel-Novel-Aggeliki-Pelekidis/dp/1501776304
Synopsis: "Unlucky Mel" is the story of PhD candidate Melody Hollings who is in the final year of her creative writing
program in upstate New York. Her dream life of landing the perfect academic job somewhere far away from her small
hometown and publishing her first novel is so close to becoming a reality. But first she has to finish writing that book. Oh,
and graduate. To do both, she needs her good friend Ben to reciprocate all the help she's given him over the years on his
writing.
But when Mel's widowed father starts acting strangely, she is thrown. After chalking it up to a dramatic attempt to
manipulate her into moving back in with him, she discovers that he really is suffering from dementia. Now she'll need to
stay local to care for him. Her dream is dying and her best option is to win a postgraduation fellowship through her alma
mater.
Despite all the upheaval in Mel's life, rather than helping her, Ben turns on her in a shocking betrayal. For the first time, Mel
has a nemesis! The stress of caring for her father, teaching too many students, and living with so much uncertainty over her
future escalates Mel's desire for retribution -- until one night, she discovers an opportunity to ruin Ben's reputation.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Unlucky Mel" is author Aggeliki Pelekidis debut as a novelist, her
distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style is ideal for a satirical approach to the subject of women and how they are
expected (by themselves and by those that surround them) to sacrifice in behalf of their menfolk. Eloquent, erudite, original,
memorable, and a fun read from start to finish, "Unlucky Mel" is raised by its author to a significant level of literary
excellence, making it especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary
American Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Unlucky
Mel" from Three Hills (an imprint of the Cornell University Press) is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.99).
Editorial Note: Aggeliki Pelekidis (https://angiepelekidis.com) holds a PhD in English Literature and Creative Writing from
Binghamton University. Her writing has appeared in many literary journals. She used to work as a public relations executive
in New York City.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
The Exception
Marian Bruno
Little Forest Books
9798990020306, $11.99, PB, 338pp
https://www.amazon.com/Exception-Marian-Bruno/dp/B0CZJ6PQQW
Synopsis: Becca and Mark have been trying to have a baby for years. Technically, there's nothing wrong with them. They
fight a lot, but what couple doesn't? Everyone tells them to relax and it will happen. The next logical step is in vitro, but
that's invasive and scary. If it isn't physically meant to be, why force it? The conundrum leaves Becca feeling anxious,
depressed, and alone, until the day her neighbor Macy, a wild-spirited music producer, introduces her to Heathcliff, an
undeniably attractive and attentive photographer. Becca's loins are awakened, and she wonders whether she and Mark are
truly compatible. When Mark's mom, a sociology professor, admits to swinging and preaches about the social imposition of
monogamy, an idea brews: what if they went outside of their marriage?
Before taking the plunge and making a baby in a lab, they need to know, are they truly meant for one another?
They make an agreement: one month, one exception.
Will their relationship survive? Is letting go of each other, their dreams of being parents truly the secret to getting everything
they've ever wanted? Or will their desires change completely?
Every woman knows someone that has struggled or is struggling with infertility. They need this book! Pass it onto your
friends that love a little humorous fiction. The Exception is a wild ride filled with laughter and a few hard truths. You will
not want to put this contemporary romantic comedy down.
Critique: Silver Lake, Los Angeles, is a place where the young artists and lawless musicians roam, comes and is the
backdrop to "The Exception" by Marian Bruno. A deftly crafted, original, and comedic love story, "The Exception" is raised
by this author's narrative driven and distinctive storytelling style to an impressive level of literary excellence that will prove
of special appeal to readers with an interest in the authentically presented passions and problems of a three part polyamory
romance. A fun and fascinating read from start to finish, "The Exception" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
community and college/university Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that this paperback edition of "The Exception" from Little Forest Books is also available in a digital book formalt (Kindle,
$2.99).
Editorial Note: Marian Bruno (https://www.marianbruno.com) is an emerging author of humorous women's fiction novels.
She used to be an actress but still considers herself a comedian. She studied at the renowned Second City Conservatory and
Upright Citizen Brigade theaters, performed stand up at The Comedy Store, debuted her own one woman show and created
several web series. She has thoroughly enjoyed the transition to novel writing as it has eliminated the need to do her hair and
face: and besided, she'd much rather be outside under a tree with a book.
My Soul to Keep
Lynette M. Burrows
Rocket Dog Publishing
9781732582231, $37.99, HC, 518pp
https://www.amazon.com/My-Soul-Keep-Lynette-Burrows/dp/1732582238
Synopsis: Miranda yearns for a life of her own. Yet as an elite member of the Fellowship, she must marry the man her
parents choose. Live in his shadow. Be his perfect wife. Her life will never be her own.
She escapes. Creates a new identity. Lives a new life. But her newfound freedom reveals a world far more treacherous than
she'd ever imagined. Each new friend carries the scars of pain and loss.
It's a world where the villains of her childhood nightmares, the mythic Angels of Death who punish unbelievers.
Miranda uncovers secrets disguised as truth. Scandalous, deadly secrets that change her life. But someone desperately wants
to hide the truth. Desperately enough to send the Angels of Death after her friends and after her!
To save her friends and country, Miranda must make a choice: return home or confront her past.
Will she return to her life of comfort and lies and rules? Or will she reveal the truth? Fight alongside the rebels? Even if it
destroys her family? Even if she must face the Angel of Death?
Critique: The first volume of a trilogy, "My Soul To Keep" by Lynette M. Burrows is the story about a woman who dares to
break the rules of her society. But in the dystopia of 1961 Fellowship America, those rules aren't optional -- and they are
enforced with a deadly vengeance. As an author, Burrows raises her dystopian novel to an impressive level of literary
excellence. With misogynist elements that are easily extrapolated from the politics of Christian Nationalism of today, "My
Soul To Keep" is a chilling but inherently fascinating read from start to finish. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for both community and college/university library Literary Fiction and Science Fiction collections, it should
be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in dystopian fiction and the struggle for women's rights that
this hardcover edition of "My Soul To Keep" from Rocket Dog Publishing is also readily available in paperback
(9781732582200, $14.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Lynette M. Burrows (https://lynettemburrows.com) is a survivor. She survived moving to seventeen different
schools before she graduated from high school. She contends that this makes her uniquely qualified to write a dystopian
novel or two. Spiced with a dash of intrigue, a dollop of mayhem, and a liberal dose of automatic weapons her stories aim to
entertain. The White Box stories (her collaborations with Rob Chilson), appeared in Analog Science Fiction Science Fact
magazine. She's also had stories published in regional and national children's magazines. She blogs regularly about
inspiration, books, story research, writing, and other subjects of interest.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Ticket To Romance
Philippa Carey
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444854213, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 256pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444854213
Synopsis: At Paddington Station, Sir Martin Locke comes across a young woman whose purse, including her money and her
train ticket, has been stolen. Feeling he cannot just walk on by, he purchases his new acquaintance (Miss Veronica Douglas)
a fresh ticket and luncheon. The two spend the journey in companiable conversation. But the line becomes blocked by snow,
and neither can reach their destination as expected. Martin feels committed to Veronica's rescue, so what is he going to
do?
Critique: Chivalry is not dead -- not while Sir Martin Locke is available to come to the resuce of a damsel in distress.
"Ticket To Romance" by Philippa Carey is a fun, pleasant, and rewarding read from cover to cover. This large print
paperback edition from the Linford Romance Library collections is a solid and happily recommended pick for the personal
reading lists of all dedicated romance fans, as well as community library Romance Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Philippa Carey (https://www.pcarey.uk) writes "Cosy" Romance with no overt sex scenes or erotica.
Philippa does extensive research to ensure historical details are as accurate as possible.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Hired Gun in Hell
Frank Callan
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853360, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 221pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444853360
Synopsis: It is 1858 and the new Texas is expanding, moving closer to the Comancheria, Indian Territory. Around the little
settlement of Bantillo, precariously placed east of San Antonio, the bullets and the arrows fly. The land is teeming with
comancheros, and sometimes the Comanche from up north raid over the Red River. A stage has been chartered, and the
travelers inside all have their own stories.
Leon Brett and Watt Duggan want to assemble a new community (the Liberocracy, living off the land and water by the
shores of the Kimishi River) while Sir Thomas Rowan, speaker and writer, has a message of civilization. Then there is Miss
Emily Nolan, actress and singer, out for her first trip West; politician Harvey Caldy and his dream of railroads; and finally
there is the real celebrity: tall Joe Jardine, infamous gunman known as the Leveller -- a man who puts right what the law has
failed to do.
But Jardine meets an old enemy -- the man who killed the woman he revered -- his wife. He's a hired gun in hell, and he has
to get even with the killer he has hated, while saving the rest of the party from more danger.
Critique: A compulsive suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "Hired Gun in Hell" by Frank Callan is a truly
memorable read and a 'must' for the legions of dedicated western fans of novels that are skillfully written and feature a
vigilante gunfighter who seeks vengeance against someone who has it coming to them at the risk of his own life and in a
blaze of gunfire. This large print paperback edition of "Hired Gun in Hell" truly lives up to the promise of its title and is a
welcome and recommended pick for western fans and community library collections.
Revenge Riders
Alex Frew
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853407, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 238pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444853407
Synopsis: Hawk lived the life of a peaceful rancher. Until, that is, the bandits came. With his wife dead and his son gone,
kidnapped and beyond finding, Hawk returns to the ways of his Indian forebears. He goes hunting, only this time he is
pursuing the hardest game of all - the evil folk who committed the attack. Along with the men who have worked for him for
most of his life, Hawk finds out that a member of his wife's family has conspired against him. But who is the mysterious girl
with his son?
Critique: A classic action/adventure style western vengeance quest novel, "Revenge Riders" by Alex Frew is original, deftly
crafted, and a fun read for western fans from beginning to end. This large print paperback edition of "Revenge Riders" from
the Linford Western Library series is a well advised pick for community library Western Fiction collections, as well as the
personal reading lists of all dedicated western novel enthusiasts.
Editorial Note: Alex Frew is a descendant of the Canadian branch of the Blackfoot Sioux and has had eight BHWs
published. An avid fan of cowboy films and fiction, Alex also writes short stories and screenplays.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/8103933.Alex_Frew)
The Forsaken Man
Pete B. Jenkins
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853346, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 223pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444853346
Synopsis: Jim Sandford has been elected sheriff of Caldwell by a landslide victory. Riding on a wave of popularity, it looks
like he can do no wrong, even securing the attention of the prettiest woman in town. However, she has another admirer who
isn't happy about the liaison. Then Jim hears Wade Baxter is heading to Caldwell, to settle an old score with the townsfolk
who set him up for a crime he didn't commit. Jim confidently waits for his arrival. However, the men of Caldwell abandon
their new sheriff one by one, until Jim is forced to face Wade alone.
Critique: If you liked the movie 'High Noon' with Gary Cooper then you will fully enjoy Pete B. Jenkins's "The Forsaken
Man". A compulsive suspense thriller of a read, this large print paperback edition of "The Forsaken Man" will prove a
welcome addition to both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Pete B. Jenkins has been writing for the past 22 years. "Hell in Paradise" was his first Black Horse Western,
"The Forsaken Man' was his second.
Zococa and the Lady
Roy Patterson
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853278, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 223pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444853278
Synopsis: Flamboyant Mexican bandit Zococa and his mute sidekick Tahoka are hired by Don Pedro Sanchez, the ruler of
the mysterious territory of El Sanchez, to escort a valuable and precious cargo (his daughter Isabella) safely to his hacienda.
But what seems a simple and profitable task soon turns out to be a perilous expedition through Apache land. What makes
the journey even more dangerous is the fact that Don Pedro's ruthless brother is intent on killing Isabella before she reaches
the safety of El Sanchez.
Critique: A riveting read from start to finish, "Zococa and the Lady" by Roy Patterson is western themed action/adventure at
its very best. This large print paperback edition of "Zococa and the Lady" from the Linford Western Library collection will
prove a welcome pick for the personal reading lists of western fans, as well as an enduringly popular addition to
public/community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: An extensive listing of books by Roy Patterson is readily avialable online at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16722586.Roy_Patterson
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
It's Showtime!
Carrie Hewlett
Linford Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444854220, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 291pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444854220
Synopsis: A case for the Lightyear Detective Agency leads Amber to go undercover at the local amateur dramatics group,
the Hampton Players. Money is going missing from their petty cash tin; securing a part in their upcoming production of
SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS is the perfect opportunity for Amber to discreetly investigate. But she has no
idea what is waiting in the wings...
Critique: A cozy mystery lover's delight, "It's Showtime" this large print paperback edition of Carrie Hewlett novel is a fun
read from start to finish -- and especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library
Mystery/Suspense collections.
Tangles: A Cold War Love Story and Mystery
Kay Smith-Blum
Black Rose Writing
https://www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685135065, $17.95, PB, 285pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tangles-Cold-Love-Story-Mystery/dp/1685135064
Synopsis: When a harpooned whale offers proof that the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is endangering all life in the
Columbia River Basin, brash young scientist Luke Hinson seizes the chance to avenge his father's death but a thyroid cancer
diagnosis derails Luke's research. Between treatments, he dives back in, making enemies at every turn.
On an overnight trek, Luke discovers evidence that Mary, his former neighbor, embarked on the same treacherous trail, and
her disappearance, a decade prior, may be tied to Hanford's harmful practices mired in government-mandated secrecy.
Critique: Deftly blending a love story with a suspenseful thriller of a mystery, author Kay Smith-Blum presents "Tangles", a
Cold War era novel that showcases the devastating costs to life and the environment with the emergence of the nuclear age.
Featuring the Kay Smith-Blum's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, "Tangles" reveals 'the courage of
wronged women, the fierce determination of fatherless sons, and the limitless power of the individual'. Original,
exceptional, emotionally engaging, memorable, and raised by its author to an impressive level of literary excellence,
"Tangles" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and public library Contemporary Fiction collections.
It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Tangles" from Black Rose Writing is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Kay Smith-Blum (www.kaysmith-blum.com) spends her mornings writing stories that debunk the tropes of
the mid-20th century and defy genre. Winner of the Black Fox Lit 2023 Short Story contest, Smith-Blum's other short works
have garnered Pushcart and Best of the Net nominations. She can be followed on Instagram @discerningKSB
Yonders, Illinois
Dennis Noyes
Trebol Editions
https://www.treboleditions.com
9788409542918, $17.00, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Yonders-Illinois-Dennis-Noyes/dp/8409542919
Synopsis: Once a sweetcorn-canning boomtown built by a busy railroad crossing, Yonders, Illinois is a community that now
stands as a proud but fading testament to the relentless march of time.
Back in 1959, a gruesome triple homicide was committed, but the police investigation was obstructed when truth was
overshadowed by convenience. Nearly 40 years later, Keelan Putnam, long suspected but never convicted of the murders,
resurfaces in the town.
Police Chief Buster Lawton, an unwavering beacon of justice, finds himself entangled in a maze of law, truth and
redemption.
Even murderers get homesick and small towns can have long memories in this story of lost love, unsettled dilemmas, and
ghosts that refuse to vanish.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, and all the more impressive when
considering that it is his debut as a novelist, "Yonders, Illinois" showcases author Dennis Noyes' genuine flair for the kind of
narrative driven storytelling that holds the reader's rapt attention throughout. Especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of historical thrillers fans
that this paperback edition of "Yonders, Illinois" from Trebol Editions is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Dennis Noyes (https://dennis-noyes.com) is a short story writer and renowned motorsports author whose
writing style is rich in character depth and moral complexity, yet lightened by humor.
The Bank
A. B. Goodman
Planetary Books
9798348427214, $29.99, HC, 290pp
9798348476229, $15.99 PB, 9798230490463 $9.99 eBook
B0DVPJNPD6 $9.99 Kindle (ASIN)
Synopsis: Jim Bentley has it all: a prestigious position at the powerful Bolton Sayres investment bank, a glamorous career
ahead of him, and a marriage to the CEO's daughter. But his life is about to take a darker turn. When Jim discovers the diary
of a murdered bank employee and stumbles upon a suspicious burial site deep in the woods of upstate New York, his world
is shaken to its core. What begins as innocent curiosity soon escalates into a dangerous game of survival.
As Jim digs deeper, he uncovers a massive conspiracy involving missing gold reserves, illegal market manipulation, and a
global financial cover-up, all orchestrated by a shadowy group of elites. Jim finds himself hunted by a ruthless former KGB
killer, hired by deadly forces who seek to eliminate "loose ends."
At the heart of the conspiracy is THEATRES, a high-tech, AI-driven surveillance system that watches every move, every
digital footprint, every conversation. An omnipresent eye that sees everything and leaves no place to hide. Amazingly, this
system ACTUALLY EXISTS in the real world. It's a massive surveillance system, even now in operation inside New York
City, unknown to most people! This pervasive surveillance is supposed to keep us safe. But, it can also be used as a tool for
the powerful to maintain control. What what makes this novel so unique is that it stands firmly upon pillars of reality.
Jim is desperate to find the truth and to avoid the surveillance that could cost him his life. He enlists the help of two unlikely
allies. A brilliant Silicon Alley engineer, who helps him counter the technology tracking his every move, and a beautiful
widow whose husband's murder holds the key to everything. Jim races against time to expose the truth, but navigates a
labyrinth of deception. Even those closest to him may not be what they seem. Can he trust his own wife? And what happens
when the people who seem to be helping him have their own hidden agendas?
From the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan to the rural Catskill Mountains, "The Bank" by A. B. Goodman is a
heart-pounding, fast-paced thriller that takes readers deep into the financial world, complete with pervasive corruption,
cutting-edge surveillance, and the lengths some will go to maintain power. With every twist and turn, the stakes climb
higher - millions of dollars in missing gold, a high-tech surveillance system that never blinks, and a deadly game where one
wrong move could cost Jim everything.
As the bodies pile up and the walls close in, Jim's fight for justice becomes something much larger than he ever anticipated.
His quest to bring the truth to light could topple the entire financial system - but only if he can survive long enough to
expose it!
Critique: An authentically original and deftly crafted story blending financial technologies and crime, with a compulsive
page turner of a suspense thriller. "The Bank" a compelling work of fiction is extrapolated from existing technologies and
autocracies. It embodies the very real question of how much power and privacy have we sacrificed to the systems that run
our world?
We are clearly living in a second Gilded Age of Robber Barron's where the rich and powerful always seem to have the upper
hand. "The Bank" by A. B. Goodman arises from today's pervasive concerns about how much of our lives can be controlled,
watched, and manipulated by those whose wealth and power are now shaping our politics and governance. Authentically
original, novelist A. B. Goodman raises "The Bank" to an impressive level of literary excellence, and it is an inherently
fascinating and memorable read from start to finish.
This hardcover edition of "The Bank" is also available in paperback and in a digital book format (including Kindle) in June,
2025. A digital audiobook is expected from Apple Books in July, 2025. "The Bank" from Planetary Books is unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Mystery/Suspense and
Dystopian Literary Fiction collections.
Abby's Fire
R. I. Partridge, author
Corinne Malcolm Ibeling, author
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685132941, $20.95, PB, 273pp
https://www.amazon.com/Abbys-Fire-Mt-Prospect-Mystery/dp/1685132944
Synopsis: After a fire destroys her home, Abby Bennett emerges from the hospital horribly scarred. Her husband has
abandoned her, and her two little boys are gone.
Determined to reclaim her life and get her boys back, Abby returns to her hometown in Iowa. With the help of a reclusive
neighbor, Jack, she begins renovating her sister's rental property. But the old cottage has a tragic past in the form of a grisly
unsolved murder.
When Abby sees images of the victims (a mother and her children) in a mirror above the fireplace, she realizes it holds the
key to solving the decades-old mystery. As Abby embarks on a quest to unmask the murderer, she learns that evil from the
past still has the power to destroy. Will she sacrifice everything she's worked so hard for to set right an old wrong?
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and co-authored by R.I. Partridge and Corinne Malcolm Ibeling, "Abby's Fire" is a simply
fascinating and memorable read from start to finish and will have a very special interest for fans of novels that so skillfully
combine murder mysteries with the supernatural. A unique and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Mystery/Suspense & Ghost Story collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of
"Abby's Fire" from Black Rose Writing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note #1: Rebecca Inch-Partridge (www.ripartridge.com) is a freelance editor, who specializes in speculative
fiction and mysteries. She's a frequent panelist at science fiction conventions. Her first novel, Escaping the Dashia, was
released earlier this year.
Editorial Note #2: Corinne Malcolm Ibeling comes from a long line of Iowans-farmers, coal miners, and even a couple of
circus owners. Her experiences living in small-town Iowa serves as inspiration for the settings and characters of her novels.
However, her only real-life experience with ghosts was living in an old house where footsteps were occasionally heard at
night going up and down the stairs.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
33 Frivolous Pricks
Michael A. Greco
Independently Published
9798303449244, $13.65 PB, 214pp
https://www.amazon.com/33-Frivolous-Pricks-Michael-Greco/dp/B0DR76PDZR
Synopsis: Danger was not on the agenda as eight time-travelers leave 2025 for a brief excursion into the past. But one of
them commits a big no-no that tears a hole in the dimensions of time and space.
The time-machine, a worn-out device they call The Needs, is now unable to discern the frivolous, or harmless, pricks of
time from the non-frivolous and sends them hurling into a wild spin through history amid a spontaneous parade of perilous
events and dangerous locations. They come face-to-face with some of the goriest disasters and most odious crimes of the
twentieth century, and the longer they stay trapped in the past the deadlier the pricks become.
How to get back home? It's up to a girl with astonishing powers of the mind to help the survivors find a portal homeward --
a girl currently lying comatose in a hospital bed.
Critique: Original, deftly written, and a fun read from start to finish for all dedicated time-travel science fiction fans, "33
Frivolous Pricks" showcases author Michael A. Greco's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style. A cast of
memorable characters caught up in a series of unexpected plot twists and turns, "33 Frivolous Pricks" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists that this paperback edition of "33 Frivolous Pricks" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$5.99).
Editorial Note: Michael A. Greco (www.michaelandrewgreco.com) teaches writing and has jotted extensively about the joy
and frustration of the creative process. Michael shuffles between homes in Japan and Malaysia. His preferred genre is comic
fantasy with temperamental streaks of doom.
Somewhere
Ryan Freerksen
Independently Published
9798990380714, $22.99, HC, 549pp
https://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Ryan-Freerksen/dp/B0D8FMN95B
Synopsis: Tantalized by stories of a cargo ship that ran afoul of a strange anomaly in the 1935 Atlantic Ocean, biology
professor Alec Dorn joins his gregarious but overbearing older brother on a scientific expedition to investigate.
But when they become marooned on an unnamed island ruled by a violently eccentric tyrant, it becomes clear that this is not
our Atlantic... and this is not just any expedition tale.
Out of the ashes of tragedy, enemies will become allies, rogues will become leaders, and the forgotten will become legends.
But leaving one's mark on history comes at a cost, for not all those who obtain great power are fit to wield it...
Critique: With the publication of "Somewhere", gifted author Ryan Freerksen presents an old-fashioned survival meets
otherworldly science fiction fantasy in the form of a truly mind-bending adventure. Original, deftly crafted, imaginatively
clever, and a fun read from start to finish, Freerksen as a novelist has a genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven
storytelling style that keeps his readers fully entertained from beginning to end. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of all dedicated time traveling, sea faring, magical realism, action-adventure fantasy fans that this hardcover edition of
"Somewhere" is also available in paperback (9798990380707, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Ryan Freerksen is a storyteller at heart from a young age. As an adult, it was while working a particularly
mind-numbing desk job that his thoughts began to wander and a whole cast of characters began to creep up from somewhere
in his subconscious. They were persistent enough that he found his long-lost narrative voice once again. He began writing
his debut novel that day, and has been lost in the worlds he has created ever since.
Skellig: The Tales of Conor Archer, Vol. 2
E. R. Barr, author
Howard David Johnson, illustrator
Telemachus Press, LLC
https://www.telemachuspress.com
9781948046862, $14.99, PB, 435pp
https://www.amazon.com/SKELLIG-Tales-Conor-Archer-Vol/dp/1948046865
Synopsis: Rumors of magic and murder hung over the tragedy at Tinker's Grove which destroyed a town and killed some
fine people. Aunt Emily thought sending Conor Archer to Ireland to see his godmother was the solution to keep him safe
and out of harm's way. Conor went, and immediately got himself in trouble with a local landowner, a Japanese war criminal,
and a bunch of Otherworld things that wanted to destroy him.
Not everyone was an enemy. There were the secretive Travelers -- the Tinker folk with legends that tended to come true. Of
course, the Roan were there, the People of the Sea, promising to watch over him. But there was something more -- an
ancient being camped out on the mysterious Skellig Islands, intent on protecting him and the land.
He remembered Aunt Emily slapping an envelope into his pocket saying, "Here's your ticket; have a nice flight; stay safe."
Not a chance he thought. Ireland might be a spectacular place, but it was bound to be dangerous. Good thing he had his
shapeshifting powers.
But would his new found abilities be able to defeat the Dark who wanted him dead?
Critique: Although the sequel to "Roan: The Tale of Conor Archer, Volume 1", author E. R. Barr has intentionally written
"Skellig: The Tales of Conor Archer, Vol. 2" as a stand alone story that while continuing the adventures Conor Archer can
be read with intense pleasure and satisfaction on its own. Original, imaginative, and such deftly crafted storytelling that
raises this fantasy saga of a novel to an impressive level of literary excellence, "Skellig: The Tales of Conor Archer, Vol. 2"
is a fun read from start to finish and is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction &
Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of readers with an interest in epic and heroic
action/adventure fantasy fiction that this paperback edition of "Skellig: The Tales of Conor Archer, Vol. 2" from
Telemachus Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Eric R. Barr (https://anamchara.blogs.com/about.html) is a Catholic priest, a university professor, high
school teacher and administrator, a popular speaker on all things Celtic and Tolkienesque. He is the author of the urban
fantasy series, The Tales of Conor Archer. He is also the author of the paranormal thriller collection, The Vatican Archives
series. All of his novels take place in the 'Conorverse'.
The Poetry Shelf
The Tears of Things: Poems
Catherine Hamrick
www.catherinehamrick.com
Madville Publishing LLC
https://madvillepublishing.com
9781963695113, $19.95, PB, 84pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tears-Things-Poems-Catherine-Hamrick/dp/1963695119
Synopsis: "Whatever life hands me-love, land, or loss-a way to acceptance means embracing earthly cycles, authentic
connections to others, and the comforting puzzle of words," says Catherine Hamrick, poet author of "The Tears of
Things".
Processing depression and the loss of her parents, in her verse Catherine explores the therapeutic value of nature and poetry.
This very special poetry collection charts her movement through changing relationships, landscapes, and gardens in the
Midwest and Deep South.
Seamus Heaney's interpretation of The Aeneid's famous line sunt lacrimae rerum-"there are tears at the heart of things" -
underpins Hamrick's sensibility as she observes seasonal flourishes and decay to reminds us that love, joy, longing, sorrow,
and gratitude arise from life's imperfection and brevity.
Critique: "Dwarf Iris Blessing":
Blue violet-tongues
sing, rapture swelling,
toned with plum speckles,
titanium blotches,
and yellow-flame licks,
leaves like grass,
spring's early lawn --
a green amen.
If you only have time for a single volume of memorable and emotionally engaging poetry, make it "The Tears of Things:
Poems" by Catherine Hamrick. Her free verse compositions paint word picture images that truly resonate with the reader. A
compendium of word smithing raised to an impressive level of literary excellence, "The Tears of Things: Poems" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Poetry
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Tears of Things: Poems" from
Madville Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Catherine Hamrick (www.catherinehamrick.com) is a poet, content strategist, copywriter, and editor who has
previously worked at Southern Living, Cooking Light, Southern Accents, Victoria, Better Homes and Gardens, and
Meredith Books. She has also taught writing and communication arts at several colleges and universities. Her poetry has
appeared in The Blue Mountain Review, Appalachian Places, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, storySouth, The Citron
Review, and elsewhere.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Surrounded: America's First School for Black Girls, 1832
Wilfred Lupano, author
Stephane Fert, illustrator
NBM Publishing
www.nbmpub.com
9781681123486, $24.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Americas-First-School-Black/dp/1681123487
Synopsis: In 1832, in Canterbury, Connecticut, a " charming and picturesque" little school for young girls opens to
accommodate around twenty residents. Educating girls is a bit ridiculous and useless, they think in the area and in those
times -- but harmless enough.
Until the day when the "charming school", led by Prudence Crandall, announces that it will now welcome Black girls...
This was thirty years before the abolition of slavery. Some fifteen young people in the Crandall school are greeted by a wave
of hostility of insane proportion. White America is afraid of some of its children.
The story of this school and its legal legacy for civil rights cannot be understated. Crandall v. State (of Connecticut) was the
first full-throated civil rights case in U.S. history. The arguments by attorneys in the Crandall case played a role in two of
the most fateful Supreme Court decisions, Dred Scott v. Sandford, and the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education.
It catapulted Ms. Crandall into a Civil Rights pioneer.
Critique: This graphic novel style presentation provided by author/storyteller Wilfrid Lupano and artist/illustrator Stephane
Fert with the publication of "Surrounded: America's First School for Black Girls, 1832" from NBM Publishing aptly rescues
a small piece of African-American history that had a major impact in American law, culture, and society. Informative and
fascinating, "Surrounded: America's First School for Black Girls, 1832" is a fun read from start to finish and will be of
interest to readers and students of 19th Century African-American history. While an extraordinary and highly recommended
pick for community and college/university library Black History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
this hardcover edition of "Surrounded: America's First School for Black Girls, 1832" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: Born in 1985, Stephane Fert grew up in the southwest of France, near the Pyrenees mountains. He
obtained a diploma in animation in Paris but nevertheless defined himself as self-taught. It is notably thanks to his taste for
role-playing games that he learns to tell stories. As for images, he was first influenced by modern painting and was
passionate about working with colors, but he was also interested in animation and in particular the artist Mary Blair. He
made his debut in the world of illustration through the Cafe sale collective before launching into comics. In "Morgane"
(Delcourt, 2016), as in "Peau de mille betes" (Delcourt, 2019), for which he received the Imaginales prize, he deconstructs
tales and legends by questioning the position of female characters. With screenwriter Wilfrid Lupano, he signed the
children's comic strip "When the circus came" (Delcourt, 2017), which received the Tibet Prize, and the highly acclaimed
"Blanc Autour"("Surrounded") winner of numerous other prizes. In 2023, he illustrates the new covers of the "Harry Potter"
saga for Gallimard. 2-time Eisner
Editorial Note #2: Award nominee Wilfrid Lupano was born in Nantes in 1971, but it was in Pau that he would spend the
majority of his childhood. His was a childhood spent buried in his parents' comic book collection, even if his wild
imagination and interest in writing is due above all to his love for role-playing games. As a young adult, Lupano worked in
bars to finance his studies - a combination of philosophy and English. He has since blossomed with a multitude of graphic
novels published with many prominent publishers and has been the recipient of a number of awards.
Girl Rebels
Laurent Hopman, et al.
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781787743311, $19.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Rebels-Thunberg-Inspirational-Courage/dp/1787743314
Synopsis: Six young girls, five empowering adventures. From climate activism to fighting for education and gun control,
each biographical story delves deep into the personal struggles and triumphs of truly remarkable individuals.
In a graphic novel format, :Girl Rebels" shares the extraordinary journeys of six young women who refused to be silenced in
the face of adversity and have since become symbols of change.
Through rich storytelling and stunning visuals, readers will be inspired by the unwavering spirit of Greta Thunberg, Malala
Yousafzai, Yusra Mardini, Emma 'X' Gonzalez and the Parkland Kids, and Melati and Isabel Wijsen.
Each turn of the page will draw readers into the lives of these young girls, who never intended to become spokespeople or
flag-bearers, but have now become inspiring icons and role models for thousands of young people all over the world.
Carefully crafted by a talented team of international authors, the anthology presents a compelling exploration of youth
activism and social change. The noblest battles of the modern world are brought to life by diverse and renowned illustrators,
such as Bret Parson and Gije.
"Girl Rebels" is for fans of thrilling real-life stories and youth activism around the globe. Join these brave young women on
their journey to change the world and discover the power of resilience, determination, and solidarity.
Critique: Inspiring, fascinating, memorable, this hardcover, graphic novel style edition of "Girl Rebels" from Titan Comics
is a simply outstanding and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, middle school, highschool, and community
library Contemporary Bibliography and Women's History collections for teens, young adults, and anyone of any age with an
interest in how six young women are seeking to solve critically important issues that the adults of their generation have been
failing to adequately address. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition "Girl Rebels" from
Titan Comics is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: The co-authors and illustrators of "Girl Rebels" include Laurent Hopman, Julien Derain, Fabien Morin, Brett
"BlitzCadet" Parson, Rebecca Traunig, Jerome Gillet, aka Gije, Jocelyn Joret, and Vittoria Macioci.
The Library CD Shelf
The Depths
Monica Logani
www.monicalogani.com
Produced by Gregg Zubowicz
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP4KG5FY
The Depths is a gentle new age album featuring the mellifluous piano performance of Monica Logani, supported by Gregg
Zubowicz on guitar and Maria Grigoryeva on strings. Ideal for meditation sessions, simple relaxation, or fostering creativity,
The Depths is highly recommended for personal and public library new age music collections, and also makes an excellent
gift. The tracks are Dreams of Zagyva, Stars, The Depths, Silver Lining, Midnight Express, Misty, Intermezzo, Wonder,
Wooden Horses, Solitude, Diamond Gaze, Offering, Resurrection, and Eternal.
Lantern in the Dark: Songs of Comfort and Lullabies
Edie Carey and Sarah Sample
ediecarey.com
sarahsample.com
Independently Published
$20.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://www.sarahsample.com/merch/lantern-in-the-dark-cd
https://www.sarahsample.com/merch/lantern-in-the-dark-digital-download
Lantern in the Dark: Songs of Comfort and Lullabies is a beautiful music CD for all ages, featuring original songs ideal for
winding down after a long day. Singer-songwriters Edie Carey and Sarah Sample are supported by a variety of talented
musicians: Scott Wiley on bass, guitar, pump organ, banjo, and drum programming; Mai Bloomfield on cello and
background vocals; Paul Jacobsen on acoustic and electric guitar; Dustin Christensen on acoustic guitar; Aaron Anderson on
percussion and drums; Ryan Shupe on fiddle; Sam Cardon on piano; and Maren Gayle on keyboard. Lantern in the Dark is a
treasure for personal and public library music CD collections, and also makes an excellent gift! Highly recommended. The
tracks are I'm Here; In My Arms; Blackbird; Lullaby 101; Lantern; All The Ways you Comfort Me; Time After Time; My
Darling; Shine To Make You Feel My Love; Heaven Now; and You Can Close Your Eyes.
Cookin' at the Queens
Emily Remler
Resonance Records
https://resonancerecords.org
$26.98 CD / $14.99 digital / $64.99 vinyl
https://resonancerecords.org/product/emily-remlercookin-at-the-queens-live-in-las-vegas-1984-1988-2cd
https://emilyremler.bandcamp.com/album/cookin-at-the-queens-live-in-las-vegas-1984-1988
Emily Remler (1957-1990) was an extraordinarily talented American jazz guitarist, whose life ended far too soon from heart
failure at age 32. Cookin' at the Queens is a 2-CD jazz album capturing the her masterful performances, featuring excerpts
from previously unreleased songs broadcast on KNPR Las Vegas in 1984 and 1988. Remler appears in quartet performances
with pianist Cocho Arbe, bassist Carson Smith, and drummer Tom Montgomery (1984) and trio performances with bassist
Carson Smith and drummer John Pisci. The musical passion captured within Cookin' at the Queens transcends decades, and
will enthrall connoisseurs of all ages and backgrounds! Highly recommended. The disc 1 tracks are Moanin'; How
Insensitive (Insensatez); Autumn Leaves; Polka Dots and Moonbeams; Samba de Orfeu; Hot House/What Is This Thing
Called Love?; You Don't Know What Love Is; West Coast Blues; and Tenor Madness. The disc 2 tracks are Out of
Nowhere; Manha de Carnaval; Cisco; Yesterdays; All Blues; Someday My Prince Will Come; So What/Impressions; and D-
Natural Blues.
Live at the Pump House Music Works
Dan Moretti & Brazilia
https://danmoretti.com
Roots Grooves Records
$TBA CD / $7.92 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMG6MMJR
Recorded live at the Pump House on December 3, 2024, Live at the Pump House Music Works is a music album featuring
Dan Moretti on tenor and soprano saxophones, Oscar Stagnaro on bass, Maxim Lubarsky on piano, Ernesto Diaz on
percussion, and Steve Langone on drums. Together, they present a grand performance dedicated to accomplished jazz
composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Live at the Pump House Music Works adds a Latin jazz rhythmic twist to
Shorter's compositions, creating a vivacious celebration of Shorter's legacy. Highly recommended! The tracks are Black
Nile; Fee Fi Fo Fum; Night Dreamer; Speak No Evil; Witch Hunt; Yes or No; Oriental Folk Song; and Footprints.
Safe Travels
Jerry Kalaf, Tom Ranier, and Trey Henry
www.jerrykalaf.com
Independently Published
$TBA CD / $10.00 digital
https://jerrykalaf.bandcamp.com/album/safe-travels
Safe Travels is a jazz album of original compositions by drummer Jerry Kalaf, performed in collaboration with Tom Ranier
on piano and Trey Henry on bass. The instrumental music takes the listener on a nostalgic journey of the mind, exploring
imagined vistas and getaways through symbolic moments of jazz improvisation, adventurous time signatures, exquisitely
crafted rhythms and harmonies, and much more. Highly recommended! The tracks are 263 Beacon; Another Summer; At
The End of the Day; Bailing; Epilogue; Perspectives; Safe Travels; and Shearing.
Tribute: The Music of Gregg Hill
Rick Roe, Robert Hurst, and Nate Winn
roejazz.com
gregghilljazz.com
Cold Plunge Records
$17.95
https://www.gregghilljazz.com/product-page/rick-roe-tribute-the-music-of-gregg-hill-featuring-robert-hurst-and-nate-winn<
br>
Jazz pianist Rick Roe combines his talent with bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Nate Winn in Tribute: The Music of
Gregg Hill, a music CD homage to Lansing-based composer. All of the tracks are jazz songs originally created by Gregg
Hill, and arranged by Rick Roe. Tribute: The Music of Gregg Hill is a passionate celebration of a venerated music artist's
life and works, highly recommended especially for connoisseurs. The tracks are Elden's Bop; Ducks Night Out; Mr. Pea;
Julie's Tune; Sunday Special; Tribute; Floating Candles; Ballade; Sharrie Sharrie; Soul Element; Summer Nights; & The
Singer.
Yama Kawa Umi
Satoko Fujii, Natsuki Tamura, and Ramon Lopez
www.satokofujii.com
www.ramonlopez.net
Not Two
www.nottwo.com
12.00 Euro CD
https://www.nottwo.com/mw1041
Pianist Satoko Fujii, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, and drummer Ramon Lopez present their second instrumental jazz album
Yama Kawa Umi. The original compositions are sublime in their balanced interplay of rhythm, harmony, and
collaboratively layered performance. Yama Kawa Umi is a choice pick for adventurous connoisseurs of avant-garde jazz,
highly recommended. The tracks are Headwaters; Signpost; Sparkling Water; One Day Later; Cold Water; Yama Kawa
Umi; Dusk Sky; Bolognaise; and Malakoff.
The Architecture Shelf
Bridges as Structural Art
Miguel Rosales
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781961856158, $65.00, HC, 268pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bridges-Structural-Art-Miguel-Rosales/dp/1961856158
Synopsis: "Bridges as Structural Art" showcases twenty-five bridges, each one designed by Miguel Rosales and his firm
Rosales + Partners, Inc.
The firm is characterized by a unique combination of architectural sensitivity, engineering knowledge, and communication
skills that allows it to create iconic, cost-effective and technically innovative bridges. These transformational bridges have
become a source of pride in the areas in which they have been built and tangible expressions of the art of bridge design.
Critique: The large format (11.4 x 1.3 x 11.3 inches, 4.6 pounds) hardcover edition of Miguel Rosales' "Bridges as
Structural Art" from Oro Editions is magnificently illustrated throughout with full color photography, blueprints, and a
succinctly descriptive introduction. Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit, "Bridges as Structural Art" also includes
a six page listing of Bridge Awards, a two page listing of Clients and Collaborators, and two pages of Image Credits. Of
special interest is a nine page introduction on Becoming a Bridge Designer, a two page Bridge Locations Map, and a four
page Bridge Comparisons. A fascinating and unique study, "Bridges as Structural Art is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Bridge Design & Architecture
collections and supplemental Bridge Engineering curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Miguel Rosales is an award-winning bridge designer and architect. He is president of Rosales + Partners,
Inc., a firm that specializes in bridge engineering and design. He started his eponymous firm in 1997. Recognized
internationally as an expert on bridge aesthetics and design, he is also noted for his holistic bridge design approach. Mr
Rosales has designed and built notable landmark bridges across the United States, South America and the Middle East.
Rosales received his Batchelor of Architecture from Universidad Francisco Marroquin and a Master of Science in Urban
Design from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (https://rosalespartners.com/miguel-rosales)
The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975
Alan Hess, et al.
Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9780847842551, $65.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Palm-Springs-School-Modernism-1934-1975/dp/084784255X
Synopsis: Palm Springs is at the center of a unique tradition in architecture marked by invention and a sensitivity to local
conditions that has resulted in design that exerts an influence far greater than the town's small size. "The Palm Springs
School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975" is a seminal and groundbreaking study that fully explores the wide ranging forms
this architecture has taken, from houses to gas stations, hotels to airports, banks to restaurants and spas.
Much more than a California resort destination, Palm Springs has served as an architectural laboratory of the Modern; it was
here that so much architectural innovation and design took form. From the steel-and-glass boxes of Richard Neutra to the
earthy organic homes of John Lautner, and everything in between, the solutions of architects and designers (including
notably William F. Cody, E. Stewart Williams, and Albert Frey) were diverse and are ever more relevant in the face of
contemporary challenges. Their answers addressed questions that still hold urgency: How to design sustainably in harsh
climates? How to use technology efficiently and creatively to meet those challenges? How to build affordable and
high-quality mass-produced housing? How to reflect a region's culture, economy, and distinctive atmosphere?
Architects here responded to nature's climatological demands, and Palm Springs became a center for innovations that were
rooted in practice more than theory. Benefitting from the architectural freedoms offered by the remoteness of the California
desert, designers explored new approaches that we can now identify as central to the Palm Springs School, shown here in
rich archival and contemporary photography.
Critique: This large format (12.4 x 1.14 x 10.29 inches, 1.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Palm Springs School:
Desert Modernism 1934-1975" from Rizzoli is the collaborative work of Alan Hess (architect, historian, and author); Eddie
Jones (an award-winning architect); Ken Lyon (a licensed architect and city planner based in Palm Springs); Christine
Madrid French (an historian and preservationist); George E. Thomas (a cultural and architectural historian); and Sian
Winship (president of the Society of Architectural Historians, Southern California Chapter). Exceptionally well organized
and presented, informed and informative, beautifully and brilliantly illustrated with full color photography throughout, "The
Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975" is a unique, special, and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Architectural History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Designing for Empathy
Aybars Asci
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781957183428, $40.00, PB, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Empathy-Architecture-Connections-Environments/dp/195718342X
Synopsis: "Designing for Empathy: The Architecture of Connections in Learning Environments" explores the deep,
inextricable relationship between developmental psychology and our physical environment. By connecting perspective
taking in psychology to perspectival space in architecture, this seminal and ground-breaking study defines the geometry of
empathy, and it postulates that the forces that operate in our spatial cognition can also shift perspectives, thereby helping us
develop empathy.
The critical question guiding"Designing for Empathy" is: How can architecture influence human development, and by
extension, how can concepts of empathy in development be influenced and catalyzed by architecture?
Planners, architects, and designers are responsible for shaping our physical environment -- from our homes, schools, and
cultural and religious centers to the wider neighborhoods and cities within which human development takes place. However,
architecture is conspicuously absent in most development theories, even though the environment is omnipresent.
Through research and design, architect Aybars Asc explores spatial constructs across a range of scales that situate learning
environments through interpenetrations with their context, while also catalyzing narratives that are generated through
translations between different people, forms of life, ideas, emotions, images, languages, and cultures. The premise of this
approach is the collective rethinking of the learning environments, one that will inherently be more empathic as its spatial
narratives are constructed through the interactions of its learners.
Critique: An illustrated and informative study that will be of particular value to readers with an interest in the
emotional/psychology impact of contemporary architecture, along with its study and materials, "Designing for Empathy:
The Architecture of Connections in Learning Environments" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, architectural school, and college/university library Contemporary Architecture collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Aybars Asc (https://www.kaza.com/designers/aybars-asci) is an architect, an educator, and an advocate of
research-driven design with a focus on designing learning environments. His projects range from planning large scale
campuses to designing play structures. As a practicing architect he has over 25 years of experience, working in New York
and London, on projects located in North America, South America, Middle East, and Asia. Asc is the president and founder
of Efficiency Lab for Architecture, a design practice specializes in the design of Education Facilities.
The Photography Shelf
Hippie India
David Zurick
Goff Books
c/o ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781961856202, $45.00, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hippie-India-Dreamers-Seekers-Nirvana/dp/1961856204
Synopsis: In the 1970s many thousands of young persons traveled from Europe to Asia on the Hippie Trail in search of
adventure, spiritual enlightenment, and personal discovery.
Their sprawling, free-wheeling escapades changed their lives and the places they visited. While the overland route between
Amsterdam and Kathmandu no longer exists, its stopovers in India (Pushkar, Rishikesh, Hampi, Goa, and the Parvati
Valley) continue to attract counterculture travelers from throughout the world. And just as the visitors have absorbed
experiences and material culture, even spiritual wisdom, from their Indian hosts, so, too, have local residents learned a thing
or two from their hippie guests.
During the past half century, an intense cultural intermingling has taken place in these distant locales, where lifeways,
architectures, and philosophies are exchanged as freely as costumes, music, and hairstyles. "Hippie India: Dreamers and
Seekers in the Land of Nirvana" by David Zurick is an impressive volume of captioned full color photography which vividly
captures the beguiling love affair between East and West in its portrayal of modern-day India and the free-spirited people
who travel or reside there -- Westerners and Indians, alike.
Of special note is the informative Foreword, 'The Long Strange Trip" provided by essayist and travel writer Pico Iyer.
Critique: This large format (10.7 x 0.8 x 9.5 inches, 2.5 pounds) hardcover edition of David Zurick's "Hippie India:
Dreamers and Seekers in the Land of Nirvana" by Goff Books also features a one page bibliography of Further Readings. Of
special and particular appeal to readers with an interest in travel photography, travel guides focused on India, and the
cultural history of the Hippie movement and the spread of Hindu philosophy to the West, "Hippie India: Dreamers and
Seekers in the Land of Nirvana" is original, authentic, and an armchair traveler's delight that is a very special and unique
pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections.
Editorial Note: David Zurick (https://davidzurick.com) is an American photographer who first visited India in 1975 on the
Hippie Trail and has been a regular traveler in the country ever since. He is the author of ten books and recipient of
numerous arts and literary awards.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
The Good, the Bad and the Ancient
Sue Matheson, editor
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476667645, $35.95, PB, 227pp
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Bad-Ancient-Greco-Roman-Influence/dp/1476667640
Synopsis: Although Americans are no longer compelled to learn Greek and Latin, classical ideals remain embedded in
American law and politics, philosophy, oratory, history and especially popular culture.
In the Western cinematic genre, many film and television directors (such as John Ford, Raoul Walsh, Howard Hawks,
Anthony Mann and Sam Peckinpah) have drawn inspiration from Greco-Roman antiquity, and the classical values and
influences in their work have shaped our conceptions of the West for years.
Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Professor Sue Matheson, "The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on the
Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" is thought-provoking, first-of-its-kind collection of essays the celebrates, affirms and
critiques the West's movie based relationship with the classical world. Explored are films like Cheyenne Autumn, The Wild
Bunch, The Track of the Cat, Trooper Hook, The Furies, Heaven's Gate, and Slow West, as well as serials like Gunsmoke
and Lonesome Dove.
Critique: A compendium of fifteen erudite and ground-breaking essays by informed and informative contributors, "The
Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on the Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" also features an informative
Introduction (American and Antiquity: Force and Thumos in the Western), a two page Bibliography, a two page listing of
the contributors and their credentials, and a three page Index. A unique and seminal contribution, "The Good, the Bad and
the Ancient: Essays on the Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" is a solid pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Cinematic History collections. It should be noted for film students, academia, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on
the Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" from McFarland & Company is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$25.99).
Editorial Note: Sue Matheson is a professor of English at the University College of the North in Manitoba, Canada.
The Art Shelf
A Chronology of Art, second edition
Iain Zaczek, editor
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500298176, $24.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/a-chronology-of-art-a-timeline-of-western-culture-from-prehistory-to-the-pres
ent-softcover
Synopsis: Most surveys of the history of art come neatly packaged. They are divided up into historic periods, artistic schools
and movements, and the careers of individual painters. They may make the subject appear more manageable, but they are
oversimplifications. In reality, movements and careers overlapped and intertwined, reacting to events in the world around
them.
Now available in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "A Chronology of Art: A Timeline of Western Culture
from Prehistory to the Present" compiled and edited by Iain Saczek places developments in the art world into sharp focus.
By prioritizing a purely chronological approach and side-stepping the cliches of conventional, academic pigeonholes, it
presents an entirely fresh perspective on the subject.
"A Chronology of Art" is structured around a central timeline, which features lavish illustrations of artworks, together with
commentaries and additional information about the social, political, and cultural events of the period. The text is divided
into four historical sections, becoming more detailed as it nears the present. From 1800 onward, each spread covers a
five-year span, which is far more comprehensive than other surveys of this kind. These chronological spreads are deftly
interwoven with lively "In Focus" features, highlighting social, stylistic, and technical developments.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a four page listing of the contributors and
their credentials, as well as more than 350 beautifully illustrations, this large format (8.7 in x 10.1 in x 0.9) paperback
edition of Iain Zaczek's "A Chronology of Art: A Timeline of Western Culture from Prehistory to the Present" from Thames
& Hudson is an exceptionally informative, and simply fascinating read from start to finish -- making it an ideal and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Iain Zaczek writes widely on art and design. His many books include: The Impressionists, Essential Art
Deco, Celtic Art and Design, and The Art of Illuminated Manuscripts: Illustrated Sacred Writings. He was also a
contributing author to Art: The Definitive Visual Guide. (www.britannica.com/contributor/iain-zaczek/12835282)
Goya's The Forge
Hisham Matar, author
Xavier F. Salomon, author
Giles
https://gilesltd.com
9781913875527, $29.95, HC, 72pp
https://www.amazon.com/Goyas-Forge-Frick-Diptych-15/dp/1913875520
Synopsis: Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746 - 1828) is among the most important Spanish artists of the late 18th and
early 19th centuries. A late masterpiece, his Forge derives from the mythological theme of the forge of Vulcan, the
metalworker of the Olympian gods. The figures in Goya's monumental, haunting painting are instead muscular laborers at
work around a blacksmith's anvil. Salomon's deeply researched text is complemented by a poetic piece by Matar.
Designed to foster critical engagement and interest specialist and non-specialist alike, each book in the Frick Diptych series
illuminates a single work in the Frick's rich collection with an essay by a Frick curator paired with a contribution from a
contemporary artist or writer.
Critique: The fifteenth volume of the Frick Diptych art criticism series, "Goya's The Forge" by co-authors Hisham Matar
and Xavier F. Salomon features beautifully reproduced paintings accompanied by insightful and informative commentaries.
Also included is a three page Bibliography and a one page Index. A simply fascinating and thought-provoking study,
"Goya's The Forge" is a very specially and recommended addition to personal, professional, community, art school, and
college/university library Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Hisham Matar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisham_Matar) spent his childhood in Tripoli and Cairo
and has lived most of his adult life in London. His prize-winning memoir, The Return, was published in 2016 and was the
recipient of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize, the PEN/Jean Stein Award, the Prix du Livre Etranger Inter & Le Journal du Dimanche,
the Rathbones Folio Prize, The Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize and Germany's Geschwister Scholl Prize. It was
one of The New York Times' top 10 books of the year. His most recent publication is My Friends (2024).
Editorial Note 32: Xavier F. Salomon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Salomon) is Deputy Director & Peter Jay Sharp
Chief Curator for The Frick Collection, New York.
Bruegel's Three Soldiers
Anna-Claire Stinebring, author
Salman Toor, author
Giles
https://gilesltd.com
9781913875534, $29.95, HC, 72pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bruegels-Three-Soldiers-Frick-Diptych/dp/1913875539
Synopsis: One of the greatest Netherlandish painters of the sixteenth century, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (ca. 1525 1569) is
best known for his landscapes and peasant scenes. One of only three signed works by Bruegel in the United States, The
Three Soldiers was once in the celebrated collection of Charles I of England.
The small panel in grisaille (shades of gray) represents a trio of Landsknechte, the mercenary foot soldiers whose
flamboyant costumes and poses were a popular subject for printmakers of the period. This volume considers the artistic and
political environment of the time and investigates how a colorful subject is transformed by its translation into
monochrome.
Designed to foster critical engagement and interest specialist and non-specialist alike, each book in this series illuminates a
single work in the Frick's rich collection with an essay by an art historian paired with a contribution from a contemporary
artist or writer.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated in support of informative commentary and analysis, "Bruegel's Three Soldiers", co-authored
by curator Anna-Claire Stinebring and artist Salman Toor is the fourteenth title in the Frick Diptych art series from Giles.
This edition of "Bruegel's Three Soldiers" from Giles is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of
an eight page Bibliography and a two page Index. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, art school, and college/university library Art History & Criticism collections -- and will prove to be of special
interest and value to art history students, art historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject.
Editorial Note: Anna-Claire Stinebring ( is assistant curator of European Paintings, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York, NY. Prior to joining The Met, Stinebring served as Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellow at The Frick Collection, NY. At
the Frick she curated a 2023 special display at Frick Madison, Master Printmakers of Northern Europe: Durer, Rembrandt,
Van Dyck. (https://www.codart.nl/guide/curators/anna-claire-stinebring)
Editorial Note #2: Salman Toor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_Toor) was born in Lahore, Pakistan. Toor has had
two solo museum exhibitions No Ordinary Love at the Baltimore Museum of Art (2022) and How Will I Know at the
Whitney Museum of American Art (2020 - 21). Recent exhibitions include Living Histories: Queer Views and Old Masters
at Frick Madison (2021-22) and solo presentation The Pleasure Pavilion: A Series of Installations at Luhring Augustine,
New York (2020 - 21). Toor received his MFA from the Pratt Institute.
Animal Sightings
Jodi Cranston
Penn State University Press
www.psupress.org
9780271097633, $99.95, HC, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Sightings-Animals-European-1400-1550/dp/0271097639
Synopsis: With the publication of "Animal Sightings: Art, Animals, and European Court Culture, 1400 - 1550", Professor
Jodi Cranston challenges two common ideas about the depiction of animals in early modern European court art: first, that
the human figure relegated animals to peripheral and often symbolic roles, both compositionally and conceptually, and
second, that the representation of animals during this period was predominantly tied to a growing interest in naturalism
derived from scientific study and discovery.
As an art historian, Professor Cranston considers the diversity of art representing animals common to that time and place,
including dogs, stags, falcons, and even insects. She discusses how early modern European courts (primarily in northern
Italy, Tyrol, Saxony, and southern Germany, where the preponderance of European courtly activity related to animals
occurred) acquired and kept living animals, sponsored hunts in purpose-cultivated forests, and fostered trade in animal
products. The diverse works created by artists associated with those courts reveal an ambivalent and complex view of
animals as beings who shared and shaped the world alongside humans.
Ultimately, "Animal Sightings" explores how early modern artists and viewers thought about human-animal interactions,
how visual representation facilitated and inhibited knowledge about animals, and how animals could reveal the limits and
possibilities of visual representation. It should be of special interest to scholars of early modern studies, art history, and
animal studies.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely enhanced throughout with both color and b/w illustrations, "Animal Sightings: Art,
Animals, and European Court Culture, 1400 - 1550" is further enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a
seventeen page Bibliography, thirteen pages of Notes, a seven page Index, a sixteen page Introduction, and deftly organized
into four major sections (Animal Observations, Small Winged Animals, Hunted Animals, Worn Animals). This large format
(8 x 0.76 x 10 inches, 1.59 pounds) hardcover edition of "Animal Sightings: Art, Animals, and European Court Culture,
1400 - 1550) is a seminal and ground-breaking study that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Plant/Animal Art History collections and curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Jodi Cranston is Professor of the History of Art at Boston University. She is the author of The Muddied
Mirror: Materiality and Figuration in Titian's Later Paintings and Green Worlds of Renaissance Venice, both published by
Penn State University Press.
The Egyptology Shelf
The Mysterious Fayum Portraits: Faces from Ancient Egypt
Euphrosyne Doxiadis
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500027943, $50.00, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Fayum-Portraits-Faces-Ancient/dp/0500027943
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Mysterious Fayum Portraits: Faces from Ancient Egypt", Euphrosyne Doxiadis (a
Greek artist and writer, who trained as a painter in Europe and the United States) has created an impressive survey of the
Fayum paintings from the enigmatic and compelling funerary portraits created by the inhabitants of Roman Egypt in the first
century CE.
An acclaimed survey, this edition of "The Mysterious Fayum Portraits: Faces from Ancient Egypt" from Thames & Hudson
is presented in an updated format with a new foreword by Egyptian novelist and cultural commentator Ahdaf Soueif, offers
a richly illustrated account of the history and discovery of astonishing funerary portraits from Greco-Roman Egypt.
These remarkable paintings take their name from a district of Roman Egypt, whose inhabitants in the first three centuries
CE included Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Syrians, Libyans, Nubians, and Jews. In the Egyptian tradition, they embalmed the
bodies of their dead; but then placed a painted portrait over the mummified person, preserving the memory of each
individual.
Over one thousand portraits have so far been discovered and include men, women, and children of all ages. Including almost
two hundred of these paintings, Euphrosyne Doxiadis's informative text combines incisive scholarship with a compelling
selection of images of enduring freshness and beauty.
Doxiadis's text sets the people and the paintings in their social, artistic, and geographical context, describing the techniques
used and showing how the Fayum portraits relate to Byzantine icon painting, in a tradition that extends from ancient Greece
to the Renaissance and on to the present day.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illuminated with the inclusion 274 illustrations (124 in color), this large format (8.9 x
1.1 x 11.7 inches, 2.2 pounds) hardcover coffee-table style edition of "The Mysterious Fayum Portraits: Faces from Ancient
Egypt" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a three page Bibliography, five pages of
Notes, Maps of Fayum and the Nile Valley, 'Problems in the Dating of the Mummy Portraits' by Barbara Borg, a two page
identification of Costumes, Hairstyles and Jewelry, and a three page Index. A seminal and ground-breaking study that would
well serve as a Library Memorial Fund acquisition choice, "The Mysterious Fayum Portraits: Faces from Ancient Egypt" is
an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Egyptology collections and supplemental First Century CE Roman Egypt curriculum studies lists.
Mountains of the Pharaohs
Zahi Hawass
American University in Cairo Press
www.aucpress.com
9781649033987, $24.95, PB, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Pharaohs-Untold-Pyramid-Builders/dp/1649033982
Synopsis: Nearly five thousand years ago, the fourth dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom reigned over a highly advanced
civilization. Believed to be gods, the royal family lived amid colossal palaces and temples built to honor them and their
deified ancestors.
With the publication of "Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders", renowned Egyptologist
Zahi Hawass brings these extraordinary historical figures to life, detailing a soap opera-like saga complete with murder,
incest, and the triumphant ascension to the throne of one of only four queens ever to rule Egypt. It was during this dynasty
that the magnificent pyramids of Giza were built. These monuments attest not only to the dynasty's supreme power, but also
to the engineering expertise and architectural sophistication that flourished under its rule.
Hawass tells the complete story of the pyramids, weaving archaeological data with a history of Egypt's powerful pharaohs,
and argues that the pyramids - including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World still
standing -- were built by skilled craftsmen who took great pride in their work.
Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs and drawings, "Mountains of the Pharaohs" is a compelling
account of one of civilization's greatest achievements.
Critique: Originally published in hardcover by the American University of Cairo Press in August 2006, this new paperback
edition of "Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders" by Zahi Hawass will be welcomed by a
new generation of Egyptology students and enthusiasts. A masterpiece of archaeological research and a continuing high
value contribution to Egyptology, "Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Egyptology collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that
"Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.99).
Editorial Note: Zahi Hawass (https://zahilectures.com) is one of the world's best known Egyptologists, former Egyptian
minister of state for antiquities, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. He is the author of many books on ancient
Egypt, including Secrets from the Sand: My Search for Egypt's Past (pbk edition, AUC Press, 2011) and co-author of
Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies (AUC Press, 2016).
The Parenting Shelf
A Parent's Guide to Starting Psychiatric Medications for Kids
Alexander Kolevzon, author
Pilar Trelles, author
Robert Jaffe, author
Familius
www.familius.com
9798893960457, $15.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Parents-Guide-Starting-Psychiatric-Medications/dp/B0DC2PDFF9
Synopsis: For parents and caregivers, considering psychiatric medications for a child can be scary and overwhelming as they
weigh the risks and benefits.
"A Parent's Guide to Starting Psychiatric Medications for Kids" boils down the process of evaluating children and deciding
whether to use medication, and then explores different classes of medications in detail, from the side effects to ongoing
monitoring.
Co-authored by three child psychiatrists from New York's Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Alexander Kolevzon,
MD; Robert Jaffe, MD; and Pilar Trelles, MD, draw upon their years of research and experience to deliver a
straightforward, accessible Q&A guidebook for parents and caregivers.
Whether considering medications for ADHD, anxiety, depression, or autism for their child, this guide empowers non-
profession and inexperienced parents to ask their medical, child psychologist, and psychiatric service provider all the tough
questions to ensure comfortable and confidence in exploring benefits and side-effects of psychiatric medications for a
child.
Critique: This highly portable paperback edition of "A Parent's Guide to Starting Psychiatric Medications for Kids: Start
Low and Go Slow" is thoroughly 'parent friendly' in organization and presentation. Especially and unreservedly
recommended as essential reading for a parent who has psychiatric medication of any kind prescribed for their children, "A
Parent's Guide to Starting Psychiatric Medications for Kids: Start Low and Go Slow" is an critically important addition to
family, community, and college/university library Child Mental Health Diagnosis & Treatment collections for children with
a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, or other emotional/mental conditions requiring treatment. It should be noted that "A Parent's
Guide to Starting Psychiatric Medications for Kids: Start Low and Go Slow" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note #1: Alex Kolevzon, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with more than 20 years of clinical and
research experience. He is a Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New
York where he serves as the Clinical Director of the Seaver Autism for Research and Treatment. His research is focused on
developing new treatments for people with neurodevelopmental disorders, which include behavioral interventions,
medications, and gene therapy. He is also the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for the Mount Sinai Health
System. In this role, Alex is dedicated to ensuring children, adolescents, and families across New York City receive the best
possible care from experts at Mount Sinai, advancing science across childhood psychiatric disorders, and training the next
generation of clinicians specializing in children's mental health. Alex is also passionate about education; he is a frequently
invited speaker nationally and internationally and has won numerous awards as an active teacher, mentor, and clinical
supervisor.
Editorial Note #2: Robbie Jaffe, MD, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine
at Mount Sinai, where he is the Training Director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Robbie teaches the psychiatrists of
tomorrow as the Program Director for Mount Sinai's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. Robbie runs a teaching
clinic working with a team of fellows, psychologists, and social workers to help kids and teens with anxiety,
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and tics and Tourette's disorder. He is also the Director of the Tourette Association
of America's Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai, where he researches novel treatments for Tourette's disorder and
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He has written chapters and given invited lectures on tic disorders and how
they interact with anxiety, OCD, and ADHD.
Editorial Note #3: Pilar Trelles, MD, is a native Peruvian but spent 20 years in the New York City area where she completed
her postgraduate training in general psychiatry at New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, and child and adolescent
psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. After child psychiatry training, she pursued an additional
specialized fellowship in neurodevelopmental disorders, also at Mount Sinai, where she focused on using genetics to
advance therapeutics in the field. She is currently faculty at Harvard Medical School and works at Boston Children Hospital,
where she leads psychiatric care for children with autism spectrum disorder and efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in
psychiatric clinical trials more broadly. Pilar is passionate about working with caregivers and other stakeholders to bridge
advances in the field of child psychiatry to community care and has participated in multiple research projects and
educational initiatives with this goal in mind.
The Urban Planning Shelf
Approximate Translation
Jonathan Jae-an Crisman
Plural Publishing
www.pluralpublishing.com
9781954081505, $35.00, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Approximate-Translation-Narrative-Experience-Design/dp/1954081502
Synopsis: Cities are infinite cultural hyperobjects that contain layers of history, of contemporary life, of material, capital,
infrastructure, of future dreams of what may come. We sometimes call these dreams "urban design plans" --
two-dimensional drawings that are meant to capture our aspirations for the future of a place. Yet these plans are often static
images -- or, worse, building masses without people, narratives, or even nods to contextual histories.
"Approximate Translation: Media, Narrative, and Experience in Urban Design" by Jonathan Jae-an Crisman is a poetic and
practical rumination on how to incorporate what makes a city a city (stories about place, an unexpected encounter, the
immediacy of experience) into practices of urban design. Using a speculative transformation of the Boston neighborhood of
Allston as a demonstration, "Approximate Translation" proposes that we think seriously about topics as disparate as science
fiction, pop art, theme parks, and DJing if we want to better design the cities in which we live
Critique: A unique, inherently interesting, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
and college/university library Architectural Theory collections and supplemental Contemporary Urban Deign curriculum
studies lists, this large format (7 x 0.5 x 10 inches, 1.1 pounds) paperback edition of artist, architect, and academician
Jonathan Jae-an Crisman's "Approximate Translation: Media, Narrative, and Experience in Urban Design" is a prized and
unreservedly recommended addition for architectural/urban design students and practitioners.
Editorial Note: Based in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Jonathan Jae-an Crisman is an artist, teacher, and researcher.
(https://capla.arizona.edu/faculty-staff/jonathan-jae-crisman)
The Music Shelf
Opera, a History of the Impossible Genre
Jeffrey Langford
Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032459806, $200.00, HC, 210pp
https://www.amazon.com/Opera-History-Impossible-Jeffrey-Langford/dp/1032459808
Synopsis: With the publication of "Opera, a History of the Impossible Genre", Professor Jeffrey Langford (Associate Dean
for Doctoral Studies at the Manhattan School of Music) offers an accessible and chronological survey of opera.
Beginning in the 16th century, each chapter comprising "Opera, a History of the Impossible Genre" hones its focus on a
representative opera and composer, and provides discussion on historical and political context. With further reading lists,
key term definitions, and composer biographies to support learning, this book covers the fundamental elements of the genre,
including: subject matter, musical structure, aria and ensemble forms, singing styles, orchestra, and the structure of the
libretto.
"Opera, a History of the Impossible Genre" will also help readers develop an appreciation of opera as a form of musical
entertainment, which, despite seemingly insurmountable financial, philosophical, and artistic hurdles, has overcome the
"impossible" to become one of the most popular and thrilling types of music heard on stage today.
Of special note is the use of "Opera, a History of the Impossible Genre" as an approachable undergraduate textbook for
students of opera and survey courses.
Critique: A seminal and basic history and explanation of Opera as a specific and identifiable music genre, "Opera, a History
of the Impossible Genre" by Professor Jeffrey Langford is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Opera Music History/Theory collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and dedicated opera fans that this hardcover edition of
"Opera, a History of the Impossible Genre" from Routledge is also readily available in paperback (9781032459783, $54.99)
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.99).
Editorial Note: Jeffrey Langford (www.msmnyc.edu/faculty/jeffrey-langford) is Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies at the
Manhattan School of Music in New York, NY. He is author of A History of the Symphony (Routledge, 2019) and Evenings
at the Opera (Amadeus Press, 2011).
The Practice of Popular Music
Trevor de Clercq
Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032362908, $183.99, HC, 492pp
https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Popular-Music-Understanding-Songwriting/dp/1032362901
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Practice of Popular Music: Understanding Harmony, Rhythm, Melody, and Form in
Commercial Songwriting", by Professor Trevor de Clercq (Department of Recording Industry at Middle Tennessee State
University) presents a music theory and musicianship textbook devoted to explaining the organization of contemporary
popular music styles such as pop, rock, R&B, rap, and country.
Rooted in recent research showing that the structure of popular music differs from classical music in important ways, "The
Practice of Popular Music" offers an accessible approach to teaching music theory that is fully oriented around popular and
commercial genres.
Beginning with fundamentals and requiring no previous training in music theory or notation, "The Practice of Popular
Music" guides the reader through a range of advanced topics, including chromatic mixture, secondary chord function,
complex time signatures, and phrase organization. Each chapter develops concepts in tandem with aural comprehension, and
the included exercises balance written tasks with listening activities. A companion website provides links to playlists of the
music discussed.
With an innovative approach designed to broaden the reach of music theory course work to a wide range of students,
including non-majors and those in modern music degree programs such as audio engineering, songwriting, and music
business, "The Practice of Popular Music" enables readers to gain a deep understanding of music theory in the context of
popular music.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with a five page Bibliography and a three page Index, this large
format (8.25 x 0.99 x 11 inches, 2.42 pounds) paperback edition of "The Practice of Popular Music: Understanding
Harmony, Rhythm, Melody, and Form in Commercial Songwriting" by Professor de Clercq is unreservedly recommended
for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Music Composition/Songwriting collections and Music
Theory curriculum studies lists. Exceptional, comprehensive, as well as impressively organized and presented, it should be
noted that this hardcover edition of "The Practice of Popular Music: Understanding Harmony, Rhythm, Melody, and Form
in Commercial Songwriting" from Routledge is also available to students, academia, aspiring and practicing songwriters,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in paperback (9781032362892, $56.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $41.76).
Editorial Note: Trevor de Clercq (https://www.midside.com) is a Professor in the Department of Recording Industry at
Middle Tennessee State University.
The LGBTQ Studies Shelf
When the Band Played On
Michael C. Lee
Chicago Review Press
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9780914090304, $30.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/When-Band-Played-Trailblazing-Journalist/dp/0914090305
Synopsis: Randy Shilts was the preeminent LGBTQ+ reporter of his generation. He was the first openly gay reporter
assigned to a gay beat at a mainstream paper and one of the nation's most influential chroniclers of gay history, politics, and
culture.
Shilts wrote three seminal works on the community: The Mayor of Castro Street, on the life, assassination, and legacy of
Harvey Milk; And the Band Played On, detailing the failure of politics as usual during the early AIDS epidemic; and
Conduct Unbecoming, a history of the US military's mistreatment of LGBTQ servicemembers.
Yet the intimate life story of Randy Shilts has been left unwritten. With the publication from the Chicago Review Press of
"When the Band Played On: The Life of Randy Shilts, America's Trailblazing Gay Journalist", biographer Michael G. Lee
tells that story, recognizing his legacy as a trailblazing figure in gay activism, journalism, and public policy.
As an author and biographer. Michael Lee conducted interviews with Shilts's family, friends, college professors, colleagues,
informants, lovers, and critics. The resulting narrative tells the tale of a singularly gifted voice, a talented yet insecure young
man whose coming of age became intricately linked to the historic peaks and devastating perils of modern gay
liberation.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Prologue (A Character in Two Scenes), a
four page listing of Acknowledgments, thirty-six pages of Notes, and a nine page Index, "When the Band Played On: The
Life of Randy Shilts, America's Trailblazing Gay Journalist" is an extraordinarily compelling and impressively
comprehensive life story told in a equally compelling and narrative driven style. Of special and particular interest to readers
with an interest in journalism and LGBTQ histories/biographies, "When the Band Played On: The Life of Randy Shilts,
America's Trailblazing Gay Journalist" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university
library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "When the Band Played On:
The Life of Randy Shilts, America's Trailblazing Gay Journalist" from the Chcago Review Press is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing,
9798228345645, $49.99, CD).
Editorial Note: For more than twenty years, Michael Lee (https://authormglee.com) has had a passion for storytelling that
has fueled a dynamic career of LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS organizing, human services, research, writing, and teaching. He has
taught graduate courses at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota for more than a decade while working as a professional
grant writer. Michael's interest in Randy Shilts came about while he was researching the origins of 1970s-era gay and
lesbian community services and their influence on AIDS organizations of the 1980s. He lives in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
The Mathematics Shelf
Mathematical Puzzles, revised edition
Peter Winkler
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032709536, $79.99, HC, 450pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mathematical-Puzzles-Revised-Recreational-Mathematics/dp/1032709537
Synopsis: Research in mathematics is much more than solving puzzles, but most people will agree that solving puzzles is
not just fun: it helps focus the mind and increases one's armory of techniques for doing mathematics.
Now in an updated and revised seconded edition, "Mathematical Puzzles" by Professor Peter Winkler makes this connection
explicit by isolating important mathematical methods, then using them to solve puzzles and prove a theorem.
This newly revised second edition of "Mathematical Puzzles" has been thoroughly edited to correct errors and provide
clarifications, and includes some totally different solutions, modified puzzles, and one entirely new puzzle.
"Mathematical Puzzles" features a collection of the world's best mathematical puzzles. Each individual chapter features a
technique for solving mathematical puzzles, examples, and finally a genuine theorem of mathematics that features that
technique in its proof.
It should be noted that the puzzles comprising "Mathematical Puzzles" from CRC Press are entertaining, mystifying,
paradoxical, and satisfying -- and not just exercises or contest problems.
Critique: Instructive, challenging, illustrative, and great fun for the mathematically inclined, this hardcover revised edition
of Professor Peter Winkler's "Mathematical Puzzles" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
college/university library Math Logic & Games collections. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Mathematical Puzzles" is also readily available from CRC Press in a paperback
edition (9781032708485, $33.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.35).
Editorial Note: Peter Winkler (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Winkler) is the William Morrill Professor of
Mathematics and Computer Science at Dartmouth College, and for 2019 - 2020, the Distinguished Visiting Professor for the
Public Dissemination of Mathematics at the National Museum of Mathematics. He is the author of 160 research papers, a
dozen patents, two previous puzzle books, a book on cryptographic techniques in the game of bridge, and a portfolio of
compositions for ragtime piano.
The Business Shelf
Nolo's LLC Handbook
Glen Secor, Attorney
Nolo Press
www.nolo.com
9781413332230, $49.99, PB, 350pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nolos-LLC-Handbook-Agreements-Instructions/dp/1413332234
Synopsis: Specific to the United States, an LLC (limited liability company) is a form of business company. It is a business
structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of a
corporation. An LLC is not a corporation under the laws of every state; it is a legal form of a company that provides limited
liability to its owners in many jurisdictions.
"Nolo's LLC Handbook: A Complete Legal Guide to Creating and Operating Your LLC" by attorney Glen Secor is a DIY
one-stop legal guide for forming and maintaining your multi-member LLC.
The "Nolo's LLC Handbook" explains the forms and agreements you will use to manage the legal aspects of your LLC,
including:
Choosing and reserving a business name
Filing articles of organization
Creating an operating agreement
Creating a buyout agreement
Managing transfers of LLC interests
Maintaining legal and tax compliance
Dissolving your LLC
Critique: Comprehensive, complete, and exceptionally well organized and presented for the benefit of the non-specialist
general reader wanting to establish an LLC, this outstanding paperback edition of "Nolo's LLC Handbook: A Complete
Legal Guide to Creating and Operating Your LLC" by Glen Secor is a practical, up-to-date, legal fees saving, step-by-step
DIY guide to successfully establishing an LLC format for their entrepreneurial or business enterprise. Especially
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Business/Entrepreneurship collections
and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Nolo's LLC Handbook"
from Nolo Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.99).
Editorial Note: Glen Secor is a Nolo editor and a Massachusetts attorney with over 30 years' experience in the practice of
business and intellectual property law. He holds degrees from Suffolk University Law School and Harvard Law School, and
has taught at the University of New Hampshire School of Law.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Nolo's Guide to Estate Planning
Liza Hanks, Attorney
Nolo Press
www.nolo.com
9781413331660, $35.99, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Plan-Your-Estate/dp/1413331661
Synopsis: Estate planning sounds difficult -- but most people just need a few basic documents. With the publication of the
"Nolo's Guide to Estate Planning", estate planning expert Liza Hanks shows the non-specialist general readers just how to
protect their loved ones from legal hassles and financial uncertainty with respect to an inheritance left to them.
"Nolo's Guide to Estate Planning" covers:
Wills and living trusts
Avoiding probate
Bypass (AB) trusts
Leaving property to children and naming guardians
Estate, gift, and inheritance taxes
Strategies for business owners
Health care directives, and
Financial powers of attorney.
Critique: Applies in all U.S. states except Louisiana, this paperback edition of estate attorney Liza Hanks "Nolo's Guide to
Estate Planning" is fully updated, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. If your
aim is to establish and pass on 'Generational Wealth' to your children and grandchildren, then "Nolo's Guide to Estate
Planning" is the ideal instructional guide and 'how to' manual. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$19.99), "Nolo's Guide to Estate Planning" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, senior center, and college/university library Money/Finance Management collections and Estate Planning
reading lists.
Editorial Note: Liza Hanks (https://www.lizahanks.com) has practiced estate planning, trust administration, and probate law
for decades. She has taught Estate Planning and Taxation at Santa Clara University Law School as an adjunct lecturer, is a
graduate of Stanford Law School, a former magazine editor, and the mother of two children (neither of whom has any
interest in becoming an attorney). Liza is also the author of Every Californian's Guide to Estate Planning, and The Trustee's
Legal Companion (with Attorney Carol Elias Zolla).
Banking as a Service
Jason Mikula
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398617902, $134.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Banking-Service-Opportunities-Challenges-Business/dp/1398617903
Synopsis: Banking as a service (BaaS) is a game changer in the financial services sector, radically transforming both how
consumers experience financial products and the business models delivering them.
With the publication of "Banking as a Service: Opportunities, Challenges, and Risks of New Banking Business Models",
Jason Mikula cuts through the hype to provide a measured overview of BaaS, helping readers to demystify a complex
evolving field and understand its key opportunities, challenges and risks. It provides a framework for understanding where
BaaS came from, how BaaS changes the economics and business models of banking products and services, its impact on
key stakeholders, and its key regulatory implications.
"Banking as a Service" also explains how business and operating models work, exploring different models such as
interchange, deposit gathering, loan origination-to-distribute, legacy, API-first, own licence, match-making and bank service
providers and offers a framework for thinking about whether or not they're sustainable.
Additionally, "Banking as a Service" explores how BaaS operating and business models compare in different global
territories and is supported by real-world examples and cases profiling organizations such as Blue Ridge Bank, Unit,
Synapse, Goldman Sachs, Railsr, Starling, Solaris, Cacao Paycard, QNB, OnePipe, Airwallex, Nium and Pomelo. It also
explains the differences between BaaS, embedded finance and open banking.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study, "Banking as a Service: Opportunities, Challenges, and Risks of New
Banking Business Models" must be considered essential reading and an unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, community, corporate, governmental, and college/university library Contemporary Economics, Banking, and
Money/Finance collections and MBA curriculum reading lists. Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit, "Banks as a
Service" features a three page listing of Abbreviations & Definitions, and an eight page Index. Exhaustive, comprehensive,
and exceptionally well presented, it should be noted for students, academia, bank managers, financial service providers, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Banks as a Service" is also available in paperback
(9781398617889, $42.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $38.80).
Editorial Note: Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Jason Mikula is the publisher of Fintech Business Weekly, a
newsletter going beyond the headlines to analyze the technology, regulatory, and business model trends driving the rapidly
evolving financial services ecosystem at the intersection of traditional banking, payments, fintech, and crypto. He also
advises and consults for and invests in early stage startups. Previously, he spent over a decade building and scaling
consumer finance businesses, including at Enova, LendUp, and Goldman Sachs.
The International Studies Shelf
The Definitive Israel-Palestine Reader
BD Publishing LLC
9798332429538, $35.00, PB, 799pp
https://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Israel-Palestine-Reader-BD-Publishing/dp/B0DDY5Z8KZ
Synopsis: "The Definitive Israel-Palestine Reader" from BD Publishing is the story and history of the Israel-Palestine
conflict as told by the people who shaped it. A definitive and comprehensive compilation, "The Definitive Israel-Palestine
Reader" offers informative content creating a compelling and readable narrative of the Israel-Palestine conflict, ranging
from the origins of the conflict up through the present day.
"The Definitive Israel-Palestine Reader" includes contemporary accounts from trustworthy sources, including:
Declassified intelligence reports
Newspaper articles
Diplomatic correspondence
Also offered are invaluable insights from Israeli leaders, including David Ben-Gurion, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Golda
Meir. contributions from Palestinian leaders including Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, and Marwan Barghouti
Then there are perspectives drawn from Arab leaders including Gamal Abdel Nasser, King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, and Hafez
al-Assad.
Of special note are assessments from historical figures including, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, and
Malcolm X. As well as analysis from leading experts including Henry Kissinger, Noam Chomsky, and Dean Acheson
Additional source material includes historical documents, Congressional reports, United Nations reports and resolutions,
and more!
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Definitive Israel-Palestine Reader" is an ideal, fundamental, an
essential informational resource for readers wanting to understand the history and complexities of the continuing
Israel-Palestine conflict that currently shows no signs of any resolution in the foreseeable future. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, political activists,
governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers that this paperback edition of "The Definitive
Israel-Palestine Reader" from BD Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.00).
Editorial Note: The Definitive Israel-Palestine Reader has a forthcoming second edition (ISBN: 9798218592516).
The Nautical Shelf
The Watch's Wild Cry
Robert T. Weir & Andrew W. German
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493081042, $30.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Watchs-Wild-Cry-Voyage-Whaling/dp/1493081047
Synopsis: At the age of nineteen, Robert F. Weir of West Point, New York, ran away to sea, where he spent the next ten
years of his life. Assuming the pseudonym Robert Wallace, Weir sailed aboard the bark Clara Bell out of New Bedford,
Massachusetts, in 1855 for a voyage to the whaling grounds of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Upon the death of one of the
Clara Bell's boatsteerers (harpooners), Weir was promoted to this position of great responsibility. Recording daily events
aboard the Clara Bell over the course of nearly three years, from 1855 to 1858, Weir's journal vividly relates the whaleman's
life, both in prose and in detailed hand-drawn illustrations.
Written by the late Robert T. Weir and edited by Andrew W. German, "The Watch's Wild Cry: A Voyage Aboard the
Whaling Vessel Clara Bell" is a timeless and personal account of life on a nineteenth-century whaler, from the misery of
seasickness and the rigors of sea voyages; to the thrill and violence of whale hunts; to the sights, sounds, and foods of
foreign cultures. The Weir journal is a staff favorite at Mystic Seaport Museum for its compelling story, beautiful
illustrations, and immaculate penmanship.
Critique: A richly informative and exceptional memoir in the form of a personal journal, "The Watch's Wild Cry: A Voyage
Aboard the Whaling Vessel Clara Bell" is Maritime History at it's very best. Of special note is the inclusion of a three page
Bibliography and a nine page Glossary/ Seminal, unique, and an fully recommended as an acquisition choice for personal,
professional, community, of college/university library 19th Century Biography/Memoir collections and as well as a
supplemental American Martime & Whaling History curriculum studies selection, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, Maritime historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that this hardcover edition of "The Watch's Wild Cry" from Lyons Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$28.50).
Editorial Note #1: Robert F. Weir (1836 - 1905), the son of a prominent American artist, earned his living in the various
careers of seaman, naval officer, engineer, and freelance artist. His sailing career spanned the better part of a decade, first on
whaling cruises and later as a junior engineering officer on the USS Richmond during the Civil War. During and shortly
after the war, he pursued his own artistic talents, supplying illustrations to Harper's Weekly, then made his career as a civil
engineer in New York.
Editorial Note #2: Andrew W. German is former director of the publications department at Mystic Seaport Museum and
coauthor of multiple books on Mystic and whaling, including America and the Sea: A Maritime History and The Charles W.
Morgan: The World's Last Wooden Whaleship. (www.goodreads.com/author/show/1917146.Andrew_W_German)
The Holocaust Studies Shelf
Postcards to Hitler
Bruce Neuburger
Monthly Review Press
www.monthlyreview.org
9781685900557, $89.00, HC, 408pp
https://monthlyreview.org/product/postcards-to-hitler
Synopsis: With the publication of "Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew's Defiance in a Time of Terror", Bruce Neuburger
tells the story of the Neuburgers -- Jewish family in Munich living as close neighbors to the demagogue who becomes the
Nazi Fuhrer -- Adolf Hitler.
In a story passionately told by one of their descendants, the narrative begins as Benno Neuburger, a modest German land
investor from Munich, and Anna Einstein, daughter of a cattle dealer, meet at a seder in Laupheim and soon marry. The year
is 1907, a relatively prosperous, optimistic time for German Jews, and there is little hint that this good fortune might soon
unravel. Of all the Jews in Europe, Germans like the Neuburgers feel most secure.
When, on a warm July day in 1914, an assassination strikes an "obscure" Balkan corner of the continent, the news passes
through Munich's beer-gardens like a cold wind. Far from a fleeting chill, what follows is the time of prolonged bloodshed
known as World War I, followed by a period of German humiliation, resurgent revolution, and a brief left-led democratic
interlude in Munich.
What might have been a site of socialist experimentation instead becomes the epicenter of German fascism, and as Benno
and Anna and their extended families cling with vain hope to a peaceful resolution, their beloved haven degenerates into a
state of racialized madness. A bloody pogrom is chased by a second world war, followed by evictions, "resettlements" and
far worse, sounding an inescapable knell despite desperate and defiant acts of resistance.
"Postcards to Hitler" is a deeply researched history drawn from personal interviews and archival documents including
Benno's and Anna's final letters -- written amid a slow-moving parade of horror until the frail boundaries between
themselves and the Holocaust ultimately vanish.
Critique: In service to the laudable cry 'Never Forget', Bruce Neuburger's "Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew's Defiance in
a Time of Terror" is still another biographical testament to the horrific tragedy that was the Holocaust that was to ravage all
of Europe during the course of World War II. An emotionally engaging read from start to finish, "Postcards to Hitler" is
especially and unreservedly recommended as a key contribution to personal, community, and college/university library
World War II and 20th Century Jewish Biography/Memoir collections, as well as supplemental Holocaust curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
this hardcover edition of "Postcards to Hitler" from the Monthly Review Press is also available in paperback
(9781685900540, $29.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.66).
Editorial Note: Bruce Neuburger is the author of Lettuce Wars: Ten Years of Work and Struggle in the Fields of California
and also its Spanish translation, Guerras de Lechuga. His writing and is influenced by years working on farms and in
factories, as a cab driver, an ESL teacher and a video arts instructor, and reflects a worldview both shaped by the great social
justice movements of the 1960s, and his experiences as a child of Holocaust survivors from Germany.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design