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

Library Bookwatch

Volume 5, Number 3 March 2010 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Library Science Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
American History Shelf Black Studies Shelf Biography Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf Library CD Music Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Political Science Shelf Military Shelf
Native American Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Social Issues Shelf Psychology Shelf
Criminology Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Fiction Shelf
Parenting Shelf Education Shelf Economics Shelf
Science Shelf Music Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Sports Shelf Humor Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Way of Tea
Aaron Fisher
Turtle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9780804840323, $19.95, www.tuttlepublishing.com

No one can chug boiling hot liquid, so it is the perfect beverage for time to think. "The Way of Tea: Reflections on a Life with Tea" is a guide from tea expert Aaron Fisher as he seeks to give readers a better understanding of tea and its role in a more serene and spiritual life. Hoping to serve as an introduction to the wonders of tea and contemplation, Fisher gives plenty of spiritual wisdom, drawing on eastern philosophy and religion to help readers gain a more through understanding. "The Way of Tea" is a must for those who are wondering what the big deal about tea really is.


The Library Science Shelf

Fundamentals of Library Supervision, second edition
Joan Giesecke & Beth McNeil
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838910160, $55.00, www.alastore.ala.org

A good library starts from the top of its management. Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition "Fundamentals of Library Supervision" outlines the important factors that one faces with library management and how to do it efficiently and effectively for maximum productivity in one's library. Weighing budgets, dealing with the constant legal troubles one faces, practical advice, human resources, and so much more are discussed in length. Two expert library managers in Joan Giesecke and Beth McNeil come to readers with wisdom and do much to impart their knowledge in this excellent and complete and comprehensive guide. "Fundamentals of Library Supervision" should be at hand for every library administrator.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Fly Tying Made Clear And Simple II: Advanced Techniques
Skip Morris
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
9781571884534 $24.95 www.amatobooks.com

Spiral-bound to lay flat or fold over on its cover for easy reference, Fly Tying Made Clear And Simple II: Advanced Techniques lives up to its title, offering full-color photography of each step of its methodical instructions. In addition to the advanced fly-tying techniques, Fly Tying Made Clear And Simple II teaches how to craft some amazingly effective flies, such as the Anatomical Green Drake, the Copper John, and many more. Familiarity with the first book in the series is not required; Fly Tying Made Clear And Simple II is thoroughly accessible to any fisherman with even a modest amount of personal experience in crafting and tying flies. A superb resource for dedicated fly fishing enthusiasts everywhere. Also highly recommended is the first volume, the widely popular Fly Tying Made Clear And Simple II: original "Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple".


The American History Shelf

Nexus of Empire
Gene Allen Smith and Sylvia L. Hilton, editors
University Press of Florida
University of Florida, 15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813033990 $69.95 www.upf.com 1-800-226-3822

Nexus of Empire: Negotiating Loyalty and Identity in the Revolutionary Borderlands, 1760s-1820s is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing the people who inhabited the Gulf of Mexico region - a location and era when nations and empires, both political and mercantile, jockeyed fiercely for every strategic and commercial advantage they could get. Individual essays focus upon the experiences of men, women, Native Americans, European colonists, free people of color, slaves, and more. A scholarly, extensively researched and ultimately enlightening cross-examination of history through human experience, Nexus of Empire is highly recommended particularly for college library collections.

President of the Other America
Edward R. Schmitt
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558497306 $39.95 www.umass.edu/umpress

Edward R. Schmitt (associate professor of history, University of Wisconsin-Parkside) presents President of the Other America: Robert Kennedy & the Politics of Poverty, which scrutinizes a lesser-studied aspect of Robert Kennedy's run for the presidency in 1968. This issue, often overshadowed by Kennedy's outspoken stance against the Vietnam War, is Kennedy's relentless crusade against poverty. Schmitt reveals how Kennedy came to involve himself heavily in the concerns of the poor and disenfranchised, and also how he perceived poverty as a long-term threat to America's stability - a warning he made every effort to communicate to business and community leaders. Though Kennedy's vision for steps to a brighter future never came to be as he hoped during his tragically brief lifetime, his efforts left a resounding legacy - and also a hint of wonder as to what type of President Kennedy might have been, had he the opportunity. Superbly researched and presented, President of the Other America is particularly timely given America's modern-day quandary about how to best help the poor (and everybody else) in matters such as health care. A welcome addition to college library American History and Social Issues shelves.

Immigration and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman
Roger Daniels, editor
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
9781931112994 $28.95 http://tsup.truman.edu

Immigration and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman is an anthology of scholarly essays by expert authors revealing Truman's little-known contributions to America's immigration policy and reforms. He was arguably the first twentieth-century American president to become aware of the need to end discrimination in immigration laws, and the changes he wrought continue to shape the nation to the present day. Essays discuss Truman's stance on Holocaust survivors and Palestine; race and ethnic classification in the McCarran-Walter Act; how Florida changed during the Truman years; and much more. An astutely researched and presented account, Immigration and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman is highly recommended especially for college library American History shelves.

Framing the Sixties
Bernard von Bothmer
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558497320 $28.95 www.umass.edu/umpress 1-800-537-5487

Framing the Sixties: The Use and Abuse of a Decade from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush is an extraordinary survey of how left-wing and right-wing factions have framed - or failed to frame - the events and legacy of the turbulent 1960s decade to their political advantage. From Ronald Reagan's vilification of the "Great Society", characterizing it as an abandonment of personal responsibility, to Bill Clinton's use of liberal 1960s icons to promote more moderate or conservative ends than the icons themselves personally endorsed, to George W. Bush's absolute antipathy to most of the radical social change of the 1960s, to how John Kerry - a decorated Vietnam war veteran who protested the war after his honorable discharge - was absolutely vilified in comparison to George W. Bush, who never served in Vietnam at all, Framing the Sixties is a remarkably astute appraisal of how public opinion was carefully shaped by spin on both sides of the debate. Ultimately, it appears as though the Right political wing has been overall more effective in spreading their view of the 60s, but it's not impossible that this could change. "The memory of the 1960s has dominated American politics far longer than the decade itself lasted and has not yet run its course. The much-discussed national divide between Republican 'red states' and Democratic 'blue states' stems primarily from the fight over 'the sixties.' In the 2008 presidential election Republican John McCain, a decorated Vietnam-era prisoner of war, relied on the tried-and-true strategy of 'blaming the sixties' that had propelled Ronald Reagan and two presidents named George Bush into the White House, though this time, against a backdrop of urgent national crises and an opponent who hadn't been born when the 1960s began, the strategy failed." An astute examination of a critical side of America's ongoing political debate, highly recommended.

Finnigans, Slaters and Stonepeggers
Vincent E. Feeney
Images from the Past
PO Box 137, Bennington, Vermont 05201
9781884592522 $19.95 www.ImagesfromthePast.com

Finnigans, Slaters and Stonepeggers is a carefully researched and engagingly presented history of the Irish in Vermont, from those who came with colonial pioneers to the tidal wave of refugees from the great potato famine, through the first half of the twentieth century. A handful of historic black-and-white photographs illustrate this extraordinary tale of cultural shifts, prosperity, demographic transformations, and much more. An enjoyable tour of Irish contributions to Vermont history, accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Finnigans, Slaters and Stonepeggers is an excellent addition to Vermont history collections and college library shelves.


The Black Studies Shelf

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Angela Y. Davis
City Lights Book
261 Columbis Avenue, San Franscisco, CA 94133
9780872865273, $12.95, www.citylights.com

Being an educated man of color was a true anomaly in his day. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Written By Himself" discusses Douglass's famous autobiography as Angela Y. Davis offers much studious insight on the matters she examines Douglass's writings and how the man embraced intellectualism and spirituality to pull himself out of his subservient life in a society that thought of him as an animal. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" is a must for anyone trying to get a greater understanding of the black icon.

The War Before
Safiya Bukhari, author
Laura Whitehorn, editor
The Feminist Press
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9781558616103 $15.95 www.feministpress.org

Featuring a preface by Safiya's daughter and an afterword by death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, The War Before: The True Life Story of Becoming a Black Panther, Keeping the Faith in Prison, & Fighting for Those Left Behind is the personal testimony of Safiya Bukhari, who has devoted her life to fighting for the rights of the oppressed. born in the Bronx, Safiya joined the Black Panther Party in 1969; she spoke out against misogyny, made a crucial life decision to convert to Islam, and served nine years in prison on charges related to the Black Liberation Army. After her release in 1983, she co-founded the New York Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition and other organizations. Her writings reveal an evolution of character and focus, from simple outrage at the corrupt law enforcers and others who abused their power to a revolutionary determined to end injustice in human society. "It begins with an anger at the forces with the immediate power to affect your life. For me, it began with an anger at the police force of New York City for abusing their authority and treating me as less than a human being. It grew into a determination to correct what is wrong with this, to make sure that it didn't continue solely because no one dared to stand up and speak up. It continued with the desire to make sure that my child would not have to endure the same kind of treatment. It was personal, but it became political. And it endures."

Malcolm X Black Liberation & the Road to Workers Power
Jack Barnes
Pathfinder Press
PO Box 162767, Atlanta, GA 30321-2767
9781604880212 $20.00 www.pathfinderpress.com

Written by Jack Barnes, the national secretary of the Socialist Workers Party, Malcolm X Black Liberation & the Road to Workers Power is an unabashedly pro-socialist treatise, discussing the past one hundred and fifty years of exploitation of workers - especially black workers - particularly from the mid-1950s onward, when black people were disproportionately claimed as an under compensated industrial work force and as cannon fodder for the America's wars. During this tumultuous time, Malcolm X emerged as a leader who called for human rights, justice, and equality. Malcolm X Black Liberation & the Road to Workers Power searches for lessons from the past, and seeks to apply those lessons to promote a future where socialism provides a framework for reducing or eliminating exploitation, violence, and racism. A powerful and persuasive political testimony, enhanced with black-and-white photographs, a glossary, and an index. "Everything new and progressive on the Negro question came from Moscow, after the revolution of 1917, and as a result of the revolution... Everybody knew that the Negro was getting the worst of it at every turn, but hardly anybody cared about it or wanted to do anything to try to moderate or change it. The 90 percent white majority of American society, including its working-class sector, North as well as South, was saturated with prejudice against the Negro; and the socialist movement reflected this prejudice to a considerable extent... The old theory of American radicalism turned out in practice to be a formula for inaction on the Negro front... The Russian intervention changed all that, and changed it dramatically, and for the better."


The Biography Shelf

The Diary of Prisoner 17326
John K. Stutterheim
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823231508, $35.00, www.fordhampress.com

The militarization of Japan led to many tragedies throughout Asia. "The Diary of Prisoner 17326: A Boy's Life in a Japanese Labor Camp" is a memoir from John K. Stutterheim, reflecting on his time in Japanese labor camps during World War II, during the Empire of Japan's occupation of Java and the Dutch East Indies. A personal perspective of World War II not often heard and a chapter of history underrepresented, John Stutterheim uses his story to give quite the history of the time and the struggles of the imprisoned under Japan at its most ruthless. "The Diary of Prisoner 17326" is a top pick for any historical memoir collection.

Osama Bin Laden: A Biography
Thomas R. Mockaitis
Greenwood Press
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9780313353741 $35.00 www.abc-clio.com

How well does America truly know its enemy? A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate Osama Bin Laden: A Biography, a scholarly yet thoroughly accessible chronicle of the life of the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks. From his life in Saudi society, to the religious transformation that led him to denounce that society and become a jihadist leader, to the horrendous acts of terror that he orchestrated, and how different segments of the Muslim world perceive him (ranging from enemy to near-mythical hero), Osama Bin Laden: A Biography spares no detail in its efforts to accurately reveal the making of this divisive man. Osama Bin Laden: A Biography also pays note to the spread of radical Islam from Egypt to Saudi Arabia to other nations, and the evolution of al-Qaeda to its current level and abilities. A necessary addition to public and college library biography shelves.

The Uncrowned King
Kenneth Whyte
Counterpoint Press
2117 Fourth Street, Suite D, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781582435541 $17.95 www.counterpointpress.com

Newspaper editor and magazine publisher Kenneth Whyte presents The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst, an engaging, lively, and aptly researched study of the life and skyrocketed career of the man whose impression and influence on the world of news overtook that of Joseph Pulitzer himself. Hearst (1863-1951) laid the foundation of one of America's biggest media empires, yet to this day his reputation remains tarred by accusations of sensationalism, self-promotion, warmongering, and even untruthfulness. The Uncrowned King is as much a pleasure to read as it is jam-packed with researched detail, bringing to life its portrait of a passionate and dedicated American of boundless ambition - not to mention a vivid glimpse of the excesses of the Gilded age. Highly recommended, particularly for both college and public library collections.

Becoming Teddy Roosevelt
Andrew Vietze
Down East
PO Box 679, Camden, Maine 04843
9780892727841 $22.95 www.downeast.com

Award-winning writer and Baxter State Park ranger Andrew Vietze presents Becoming Teddy Roosevelt: How a Maine Guide Inspired America's 26th President, the extraordinary chronicle of William Wingate Sewall, the Maine woodsman who had a profound effect on young Teddy Roosevelt as his mentor and lifelong friend. Chapter chronicle the remarkable connection between these two men - a connection that almost certainly influenced Roosevelt's passionate love for America's wilderness, and his desire to protect and promote national parks. A handful of black-and-white photographs, chapter notes, and an index round out this amazing, true-life tale of lasting camaraderie between great men of strikingly different backgrounds and stations, highly recommended.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Olivia's Story
Jeffrey S. Copeland
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113-2619
9781557788849 $19.95 www.paragonhouse.com

Olivia's Story: The Conspiracy of Heroes Behind Shelley v. Kraemer is the true history of the Shelley v. Kramer court decision, which overturned racial housing restrictions and allowed for fair housing regulations in the United States, as told through the eyes of Olivia Merriweather Perkins. Olivia joined a daring group of people in St. Louis, Missouri who risked their collective safety and well-being to fight for their right to property and residency. The legal ramifications of Shelley v. Kramer would ultimately and fundamentally transform America as a nation, not only in housing but also in other aspects - breaking barriers and setting new norms of equality taken for granted today. Drawing heavily from exhaustive research amid archives, records centers, letters, period legal documents, and interviews with people who were there, Olivia's Story is an enthralling historical chronicle that is as captivating as it is enlightening. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Levantine Indulgence
Gaida
Palmyra Recordings
www.palmyrarecordings.com www.gaidamusic.com
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$21.49 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Syrian singer Gaida, who studied science as well as music in the U.S. and works as a trained speech therapist with both children and professional vocalists, presents Levantine Indulgence, an original album that showcases her wonderful blend of Arabic melodies and jazz-inspired arrangements. Iraqi-American jazz trumpeter and santoor player Amir ElSaffar collaborates with her on several of the inspired songs; also lending their talents to assorted melodies are Adel Hinawi, Arturo Martinez, and Sarah Silbert. A captivating blend of Middle East and West, Levantine Indulgence is an extraordinary addition to world music collections and highly recommended. The tracks are "Dream" (2:14), "Ammar" (3:43), "Illak Shi" (4:02), "Indulgence" (8:26), "Kaifa Uhibuka" (3:38), "Salam Min Dimashq" (7:00), "Almaya" (3:38), "Ghayeb" (4:54), and "Bint Elbalad" (4:59).

Behind the Smile
Antoinette Montague
In the Groove
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
$16.98 www.antoinettemontague.com

Behind the Smile showcases Antoinette Montague's captivating singing voice as she performs classic jazz standards and little-known melodies, blended with elements of blues and gospel, and even adding jazz arrangements to material from other genres such as R&B, classic soul, and pop. The result is a smoothly flowing album sure to delight and entertain, featuring Mulgrew Miller on piano, Bill Easley on saxophone, reeds, and flute, Kenny Washington on the drums, and Peter Washington on bass. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys stellar jazz singing. The tracks are "Behind the Smile" (4:14), "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" (4:56), "Give Your Mama One Smile" (3:35), "Ever Since the One I Love's Been Gone" (4:46), "What's Going On" (4:33), "The Song Is You" (3:12), "I'd Rather Have A Memory Than A Dream" (4:55), "Lost In Meditation" (2:57), "Get Ready" (4:29), "Summer Song" (4:22), "Somewhere In The Night" (3:09), "Meet Me At No Special Place" (4:01), and "23rd Psalm" (2:50).

Altan: 25th Anniversary Celebration
Altan
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$17.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Altan is an acclaimed group of Irish of musicians with a rich repertoire of lilting, poetic, traditional performances, with a passionate emphasis on Celtic heritage and captivating string playing. Altan: 25th Anniversary Celebration is a new album of some of their most beloved works, recorded with the RTE concert orchestra. A quarter century's worth of brilliant, exciting, and lush cultural songs fill this wonderful album, which makes the perfect gift for anyone who loves Celtic music. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Is the Big Man Within?/Tilly Finn's Reel" (3:52), "Citi na gCumann" (4:03), "The Roseville" (2:20), "I Wish My Love Was a Red Red Rose" (3:44), "Donal agus Morag" (4:28), "Mo Ghaoil" (4:19), "Bog an Lochain/The Margaree Reel/The Humours of Westport" (3:34), "A Tune For Frankie" (3:24), "Molly na gCuach Ni Chuilleannain" (2:39), "Soilsena Nollag" (5:17), "As I Roved Out" (4:02), "The Sunset" (3:47), "Gleanntain Ghlas Ghaoth Dobhair" (3:37), "Comb Your Hair and Curl It/Gweebarra Bridge" (3:37), and "Dun Do Shuil" 3:32.


The Library DVD Shelf

What's the Economy For, Anyway?
John de Graaf and Dave Batker
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
$250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, and suitable for viewers in grade 10-12 as well as adults, What's the Economy For, Anyway? is an educational, humorous and user-friendly DVD primer of basic economic facts - what exactly is the GDP? What does our nation's GDP tell us about our economy, and what does it fail to tell us? How does our current economic situation affect our daily lives in terms of health, happiness, security, and amount of free time? (If a credit card company makes a mistake on your bill, you must spend your time doing unpaid work contacting them - often through a hassling series of automated messages - and try to get it fixed, if you can!) How do all these factors in America compare to those of other nations? How did America's current financial morass come to be, and what might be coming next? Ultimately a sharp indictment of the flaws in America's current economic models - underscoring how measurable indicators of quality of life in America pale in comparison to more successful models in other nations - What's the Economy For, Anyway? is thought-provoking, informed and informative, and strongly recommended especially for high school and public library collections. 40 minutes.

The Human Spark with Alan Alda
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608831364 $29.99 www.shopPBS.org

What is it that distinguishes humans from the rest of animal kingdom? Why can only humans communicate through auditory and written symbols that can be recombined into virtually infinite meanings, hypothesize what the future may bring, or imagine the unknown? The Human Spark with Alan Alda explores the differences between modern homo sapiens, our extinct Neanderthal cousins, and modern-day chimpanzees. An extraordinary documentary about what modern-day science has to say about the quintessential distinguishing features of humanity, The Human Spark with Alan Alda is enlightening and intriguing, highly recommended especially for public library collections. 3 hours, widescreen, closed captioned.

The Best of Lidia
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
PBS Distribution
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608831456 $19.99 www.shopPBS.org

The Best of Lidia is a DVD collection some of the most beloved recipes by public television chef Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, best known for her sumptuous Italian cooking that the whole family can enjoy. The Best of Lidia features recipes from Lidia's travels across Italy, from zesty starters to quick pastas, main courses, and desserts fit for a prince! A wonderful addition to culinary DVD libraries, The Best of Lidia lives up to its title with easy-to-follow instructions for preparing delicious recipes, and is highly recommended for aspiring chefs of all skill and experience levels. 85 minutes, widescreen, closed captioned.

Becoming Human
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608831258 $29.99 www.shopPBS.org

Becoming Human: Unearthing Our Earliest Ancestors collects thee episodes of the acclaimed documentary series NOVA exploring what the latest scientific discoveries tell us about the earliest human ancestors - and what makes us human today. The first episode, "Selam", shows how clues from the remains of a 3 million year-old child suggest why and how humanity first came down from the trees and started walking upright. The second episode applies forensics to the mystery of "Turkana Boy", a fossil of Home erectus, the first human ancestor to leave Africa and begin colonization of the globe. What caused this African exodus? The final episode, "Becoming Human", examines how human capacities for art, invention, and survival developed, and the mystery of humanity's interaction with the early Neanderthals. Did humans interbreed with Neanderthals, or cause their extermination? Why did "we" survive when other ancestral cousins died out? An extraordinary collection, and a choice pick especially for public library DVD collections and the libraries of anyone curious about the origins of humanity in prehistoric times. 3 hours, widescreen, closed captioned. Also highly recommended is the NOVA documentary "What Are Dreams? Inside the Sleeping Brain" (9781608831616, $24.99, 56 min., widescreen, closed captioned).

6 Steps to a Successful Acting Career
Aaron Seals
For a Better World Films
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$19.95 www.6StepstoActing.com

Written and directed by the founder of a New York casting company with a ten-year track record, 6 Steps to a Successful Acting Career lives up to its title and is an excellent from-the-ground-up primer for anyone interested in getting started as an actor. The major topics covered include First Steps, Types of work, Skills Needed, Promotion, Day to day life of an actor, and Levels and goals of a career. A special chapter focuses on issues particular to child actors and their parents, including work permits and the value of the kid/parent team. 6 Steps to a Successful Acting Career is an excellent pick for anyone curious to learn more about the acting world as well as aspiring actors seeking to break into the business. 150 minutes.

Stomperobics Version One: "The Nutkracker"
Tony Victory
Tony Victory Fitness, LLC
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$19.95 www.TonyVictory.com

Fitness expert Tony Victory hosts Stomperobics Version One: "The Nutkracker", a cardio workout on DVD based on the college fraternity and sorority dance tradition known as Stomping. Set to an original musical soundtrack, "The Nutkracker" includes an easy-to-follow tutorial, choreographic steps that can be modified for viewers of different skill and intensity levels, and menu chapters that allow one to customize the separate workout programs to one's needs. A great way to liven up one's exercise routine, "The Nutkracker" is an excellent enhancement to personal DVD fitness libraries. 50 minutes.

Dance Off the Inches: Cardio Striptease
Megan Armand
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver road, Suite 200, Troy, MI 48084-3304
$14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Dance Off the Inches: Cardio Striptease adds spice to a cardio workout on DVD, with striptease moves that anyone can learn. A flirtatious way to get into good health, Cardio Striptease makes pretending to remove one's clothes while working out a fun way to blend ten active steps into one's routine. The overall workout consists of three dances, "Work It", "Too Hot to Handle", and "Total Tease", plus a warm up and cool down. Fitness enthusiasts of all skill and experience levels, from beginner to expert, can get into and enjoy Dance Off the Inches: Cardio Striptease for a sexy change of pace! 43 minutes.

Step-by-Step Strength Training with Petra Kolber
Petra Kolber
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650, Silver Spring, MD 20910
$16.99 acacialifestyle.com

Step-by-Step Strength Training with Petra Kolber is a mix-and-match toning workout on DVD, requiring no more equipment than simple hand weights and a chair. Fitness expert and motivational speaker Petra Kolber gives practical tips for an efficient strength training workout ideal for all skill and experience levels. Two ten-minutes segments focus on the lower and upper body, while two twenty-minute segments build strength in the body overall. A bonus 5 minute ab blast section rounds out this excellent and easy-to-follow choice for DVD fitness libraries. 60 minutes, widescreen. Also highly recommended is "Core Fusion Lean & Toned with Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito" ($16.99, 55 minutes, widescreen).

David Goodis ...To A Pulp
On Air Video Inc.
8203 Westminster Rd., Elkins Park, PA 19027
$19.95 www.onairvideo.com

David Goodis ...To A Pulp is the DVD biography of noir writer David Goodis, whose distinctively gritty and realistic prose distinguishes him. He was a screenwriter for the Warner Brothers movie Dark Passage, which was based on one of his novels. Yet shortly after this brush with fame he divorced, left Hollywood, and returned to living in his parents' home in Philadelphia, where he continued to write dark paperback novels for the rest of this life. Just who was Goodis? What caused him to break with Hollywood? What was the end result of his lawsuit against ABC Television over the series "The Fugitive"? David Goodis ...To A Pulp answers all these questions and more, revealing the reclusive life of an isolated yet gifted author. Highly recommended, especially for public library DVD collections. 76 minutes.

Grow Your Own Vegetables
Cam Mather
Aztext Press
Box 214, Tamworth, Ontario, Canada K0K 3G0
9780973323399 $19.95 www.aztext.com

Hosted by Cam Mather, who has grown organic vegetables for thirty years; Grow Your Own Vegetables is a straightforward instructional DVD to economically producing one's own food. From soil preparation to planting, weeding and watering, and dealing with insects and pests, to harvesting, storage, and more, Grow Your Own Vegetables emphasizes low-energy, earth-friendly approaches with step-by-step, easy-to-follow guidance. A superb how-to guide, enthusiastically for organic gardeners of all skill and experience levels. 2 hours.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Burning Land
Bernard Cornwell, author
Stephen Perring, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781440767319 $123.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Stirringly performed by Stephen Perring, The Burning Land is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Bernard Cornwell's historical novel set in the ninth century, when the land that would eventually become England was wracked by the horrors of war. The health of King Alfred of Wessex is failing, and the Vikings seize the opportunity to attack. Alfred's brilliant warlord Uhtred stands fast against the invaders, but a tragedy sets him at against the king. Joining with his former foes, Uhtred seeks to overwhelm Wessex - but the tides of fate and time have one more card to play. An enthralling saga of violence, political intrigue, heroic deeds and more, The Burning Land is captivating to the very end and highly recommended. 10 CDs, 11.25 hours.

The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso 1821-1900
Mike Cox, author
Jonathan Hogan, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781440757617 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Journalist and Texas Ranger grand master Mike Cox presents The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso 1821-1900, an extraordinary anthology of true stories about the men who wore the silver Lone Star in the line of duty. Originally a band of volunteers assembled to counter attacks from the Kamikawa, the Texas Rangers grew in size and required better training as Indian violence escalated. The Texas Rangers confronted Indians, banditos, Yankees, and more in their mission as lawmen. Jonathan Hogan's narration brings to life this unabridged audiobook adaptation, highly recommended for adding a dose of real-life, historical excitement to long car or plane trips. 14 CDs, 17 hours.

Nowhere to Belong: Tales of an Extravagant Stranger
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Merit Publishing International
1095 Jupiter Park Drive, Suite 7, Jupiter, FL 33458
9781873413784 $13.95 meritpi@aol.com

Nowhere to Belong: Tales of an Extravagant Stranger is the audiobook memoir of journalist and political commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Growing up in 1960 Uganda, Yasmin dearly wanted to be an actor, and played Juliet in a multi-racial school play - an action that shocked and surprised her family. As she matured, her love of Shakespeare blossomed into an emotional passion for learning more about politics and the world at large. The extraordinary life journey of an outgoing and dedicated woman, Nowhere to Belong is highly recommended.

Poor Little Bitch Girl
Jackie Collins, author
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427208682 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Poor Little Bitch Girl is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of popular author Jackie Collins' novel of murder, high society, and chickens coming home to roost. Five people - the hotshot attorney Denver Jones, the mistress of a married senator Carolyn Henderson, the madam to the famous Annabelle Maestro, Annabelle's cocaine-addicted boyfriend Frankie, and wealthy heir Bobby Santangelo Stanislopolous find their lots cast together when Annabelle's mother is discovered murdered in her Beverly Hills mansion. Hidden incidents in the group's past come to light in this enthralling deconstruction of the glamorous(?) lives of the rich and famous, skillfully read aloud by the author along with Allison Daugherty, Lara Hirner, and John Bedford Lloyd. 9 CDs, 11.5 hours.

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had
Kristin Levine, author
Kirby Heyborne, narrator
Listening Library, Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780307710567 $34.00 1-800-726-0600

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had is the captivating, unabridged audiobook adaptation of friendship and misguided small-town justice in 1917 Moundville, Alabama. Emma Walker is the educated twelve-year-old daughter of Moundville's new postmaster - both of whom happen to be colored, to the town's surprise. Harry "Dit" Simms was hoping to meet a boy his age, but his mother impresses upon him the importance of being nice to everyone, regardless of race or gender. In time Dit and Emma become fast friends, and their bond makes Dit wonder about why white kids and colored kids can't go to school together. When the town barber (who happens to be black) is accused of a horrendous crime, Dit and Emma know he doesn't deserve the punishment that the town plans to exact upon him. Together they hatch a plan to deliver him from the worst possible fate, in this absorbing and highly recommended story. 6 CDs, 7 hours 9 minutes.

Let the Great World Spin
Colum McCann, author
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781440762338 $123.75 www.recordedbooks.com

Let the Great World Spin is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Colum McCann's National Book Award finalist novel about a diverse group of fictional New Yorkers during the course of a fateful day in 1974. French acrobat Philippe Petit surprised and amazed onlookers everywhere as he performed on a tightrope between the newly constructed Twin Towers, over 1,300 feet in the air - an act dubbed the artistic crime of the century. Individuals who watched him defy death itself reflected on what this meant for their own lives, their confrontations with tragedy and their struggles to survive and build a better future. An emotional, introspective, and ultimately life-affirming experience, Let the Great World Spin is highly recommended. 13 CDs, 15.5 hours, tracks every three minutes for easy bookmarking.

The Northern Clemency
Philip Hensher, author
Carole Boyd, narrator
Clipper Audio
c/o Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781440727498 $123.75 www.recordedbooks.com

The Northern Clemency is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Philip Hensher's Great English Novel, a portrait of the lives of ordinary people in Sheffield as the wheels of history turn from 1974 to the close of Thatcher's government in 1996. As England transforms from a manufacturing and industrial economy into one of shops, restaurants, and service industries, the families must adapt to the change; a dramatic point of this shift is revealed in the miners' strike of 1984. Skillfully read by Carole Boyd, with tracks every three minutes for easy bookmarking, The Northern Clemency is an unforgettably picturesque and revealing novel bringing the years of the last generation to life, highly recommended. 22 CDs, 25.5 hours.


The Political Science Shelf

Shifting Super Powers
Martin Sieff
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781935308218, $26.00, www.nbnbooks.com

They are three of the most powerful countries in the world. The relationship between the United States, China, and India is certainly one to watch with a close eye. "Shifting Superpowers: The New and Emerging Relationship Between the United States, China, and India" is a scholarly investigation into the modern world as it is, where the United States is no longer the sole dominant super power. India and China have taken massive strides of importance to grow into quite the powerhouses, and the United States must now treat the two nations as an political, military, and economic equals on the world stage for a more harmonious existence in the long run. "Shifting Superpowers" is a top pick modern political science collections, very highly recommended.

Reappraising the Right
George H. Nash
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
PO Box 4431, Wilmington, DE 19807-0431
9781935191650, $27.95, www.isibooks.org

There have always been conservatives, but they have had quite the ups and downs throughout history. "Reappraising the Right: The Past & Future of American Conservatism" discusses this history, and discusses the future of the general conservative viewpoint, and how it will favor in a future where so many conservatives have failed in the recent public stage. Author George Nash analyzes conservative history and tries to figure out where the conservative movement has faltered, looking at figures such as Ronald Reagan and Herbert Hoover. "Reappraising the Right" is an intriguing look at the right end of the political spectrum, highly intriguing reading.

Entering the Fray
Jonathan Daniel Wells and Sheila R. Phipps
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826218636 $44.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Entering the Fray: Gender, Politics, and Culture in the New South is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing the intersection of gender, race, culture, and the transformation of politics in the New South (from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and onward). From a children's challenge to segregated recreational spaces in New Orleans, to black women's participation in the 1959 volunteer ticket campaign in Memphis Tennessee, to how white women's organizations in Georgia debated suffrage, each essay focuses upon a pivotal moment illuminating the drastic changes rippling through society. An index for easy reference enhances this informed and informative anthology, highly recommended especially for college library collections.


The Military Shelf

"Cool Deliberate Courage"
Jim Piecuch and John Beakes
The Nautical & Aviation Publishing Company
2055 Middleburg Lane, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
9781877853715 $28.95 www.nauticalaviation.com 1-843-856-0561

"Cool Deliberate Courage: John Eager Howard in The American Revolution" is a scholarly military biography of Lieutenant Colonel John Eager Howard of the Maryland Line, who served in the American Revolutionary War from 1776 to 1781. His skill and distinction on the battlefield were notable; he was awarded a Silver Medal by Congress for his efforts in the Battle of Cowpens in 1781, and there remains written testimony to his shrewdness and valor as observed by his contemporaries, including George Washington and Nathaniel Greene. "Cool Deliberate Courage" is a solidly researched, expertly presented and thoroughly detailed account, and a worthy addition to public and college library military biography shelves.


The Native American Shelf

People of the Wind River
Henry E. Stamm IV
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806141244 $19.95 www.oupress.com

Henry E. Stamm IV (adjunct professor of American Indian History, Idaho State University in Pocatello) presents People of the Wind River: The Eastern Shoshones 1825-1900, a historical chronicle of the Eastern Shoshones from 1825, when they came to mutual accommodations with the first permanent white American settlers in the their land, to 1900, when the passing of Chief Washakie heralded the end of their traditional lifestyle as Plains Indians. Primary documents, interviews with descendants of early Shoshone leaders, and more form the core research for this careful analysis of how the tribe accepted, adapted and endured the coming of miners, trappers, traders, and settlers. For decades they sought to maintain a culture that hunted buffalo on Wind River Reservation, in spite of misguided reservation management and repeated attempts to "civilize" them. As cattle herds grew and buffalo dwindled, the Eastern Shoshone lost their former economic power, and could no longer sustain their physical lives through buffalo hunting alone, but held fast to their spiritual traditions. A handful of black-and-white photographs, notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this superbly researched and presented account, highly recommended especially for college library collections and Native American history shelves.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Fat Chance
Julie Hadden
Guideposts
16 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016
Planned Television Arts (publicity)
1110 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10022
9780824947880, $22.00, www.plannedvarts.com

Self confidence is worth more than any bit of physical health, but that's nice as well. "Fat Chance: Losing the Weight, Gaining My Worth" is a health memoir from Julie Hadden, who tells her own tale of losing weight and the countless benefits it brought her, not just in general health, but her own self-confidence. Earning her own piece of fame on NBC's hit show 'The Biggest Loser', she states how she drove herself to lose the weight to become a better person for herself, her friends and family, and for God. "Fat Chance" is an uplifting read any trying to lose weight should embrace.

Gluten-Free, Hassle Free
Marlisa Brown
Demos Health
11 W. 42nd Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036
9781932603798, $19.98, www.demoshealth.com

Gluten has many qualities that one seeking to improve their health would hope to avoid. "Gluten-Free, Hassle Free: A Simple, Sane, Dietitian-Approved Program for Eating Your Way Back to Health" is a guide to those who want to cut gluten out of their diet, a task that often proves easier said than done. Marlisa Brown comes to readers with gluten free recipes and tips and tricks to avoiding gluten in one's diet, which can be in countless foods one encounters in everyday life. "Gluten-Free, Hassle-Free" is a top pick for those trying to revise their dietary habits.

Busting Loose
Cheryle Swanson
Zumaya Publications
3209 S. 1H35 #1086, Austin, TX 78741-6905
9781934841747, $17.99, www.zumayapublications.comn

The biggest weapon against the threat of cancer is the spirit. "Busting Loose: Cancer Survivors Tell You What Your Doctor Won't" is an inspirational guide as cancer survivors impart their own wisdom for conquering their disease and defeating it, with unconventional wisdom one wouldn't normally hear from a doctor. With endless positivity, "Busting Loose" is an ideal gift to anyone who is fearing or has received the unfortunate news.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Dying Gasp
Leighton Gage
SOHO
853 Broaday, New York, NY 10003
9781569476130, $24.00, www.sohopress.com

When searching for heaven, it's all too easy to find Hell. "Dying Gasp" is a mystery following Mario Silva, Chief Inspector of the Brazilian Federal Police, as he tries to find the granddaughter of a political big wig in the deepest darkest cracks of the Amazon jungle. Maria, the granddaughter, is kidnapped and forced to serve as a prostitute in the deepest ends of the jungle. An ornery prisoner, "Dying Gasp" is a tale of detective's race against time.

Secrets to Die For
L. J. Sellers
Echelon Press
9735 Country Meadows Lane 1-D, Laurel, MD 20723
9781590806548, $13.99, www.echelonpress.com

Nothing is ever so simple, no matter how obvious it seems. "Secrets to Die For: A Detective Jackson Mystery" follows Detective Wade Jackson as he investigates the death of a social worker in Raina Hughes. Believing it to be an ex-con related to one of Hughes cases, when Hughes boyfriend comes into the scene, the omission of the truth seems more annoying than a lie. "Secrets to Die For" is a fascinating mystery that genre fans will relish.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Reading to Live
Raymond Studzinski
Cistercian Publications
c/o Liturgical Press
3642 Monks road, Trappist, KY 40051
9780879072315, $24.95, www.cistercianpublications.org

A prayer is a truly spiritual medium. "Reading to Live: The Evolving Practice of Lectio Divina" dives into the art of prayer reading, and the discussion of God's living word. Speaking of the art's spiritual benefits to its practitioner, Raymond Studzinski offers much insight into Lectio Divina and gives a very highly recommended look into its historical origins and modern practice. "Reading to Live" is a top pick for religious collections, very highly recommended.

God on Campus
Trent Sheppard
IVP Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830836314, $16.00, www.ivpress.com

There is still a place for God in higher education. "God on Campus: Sacred Causes & Global Effects" is a study of religion and campuses, analyzing the fading and re-emergence of faith in higher education. Faith has always had a strong presence in education, and Trent Sheppard analyzes past movements of how students have kept faith strong in institutions of higher learning across the country. "God on Campus" is a top pick, highly recommended.

Marriage Rocks
Harold L. Arnold
Judson Press
c/o American Baptist Churches
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
9780817015664, $16.00, www.judsonpress.com

Marriage is a partnership that should be nourished for decades. "Marriage Rocks: For Christian Couples" analyzes modern Christian couples with a special focus on African American marriages. Author Harold L. Arnold places forth a fine assortment of thoughts and ideas to keeping a marriage strong and keeping the enemies away while keeping that new car smell strong. "Marriage Rocks" is a top pick for any who want to keep their marriage strong for countless years to come.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Deciphering the Lost Symbol
Christopher L. Hodapp
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703-3440
9781569757734, $12.95, www.ulyssespress.com

Symbolism is everywhere; it's their real meaning which is the question. "Deciphering the Lost Symbol: Freemasons, Myths, and the Mysteries of Washington, D. C." dives into the symbolism all throughout the capital of the United States as expert on the Freemasons, Christopher L. Hodapp seeks to explain the deeper meaning in much of the cities design. Alchemy, temples, restricted areas, hidden codes, and more, "Deciphering the Lost Symbol" is a must for those who search for hidden meanings in what seems to be plain sight.


The Poetry Shelf

Passion Maps
Adrianne Kalfopoulou
Red Hen Press
PO Box 3537, Granada Hills, CA 91394
9781597091589, $17.95, www.redhen.org

As you experience the world, you get to mapping it in your head to understanding how the world is. "Passion Maps" is a collection of poetry from Adrianne Kalfopoulou as she reflects on the world as she has learned it to be, both from direct experience and how she has determined what she has not seen to be. Creative and insightful verse, "Passion Maps" is a treasure of poetry, sure to please. "Cut Tomatoes": Red/on a black canvas/background./My life, seeded/in this/opened violence/of the vegetable/in halves/bleeding color/through black.

The Book of Mirrors
Frieda Hughes
Bloodaxe Books
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781852248512, $20.95, www.dufoureditons.com

The answers are within, but it doesn't within isn't a hard to manage mess. "The Book of Mirrors" is a collection of poetry from Frieda Hughes, focusing on the subject of self reflection. Her poems ask the reader many questions of how to find the truth and come to terms with it. Insightful and entertaining reading, "The Book of Mirrors" is not to be missed. "Letters": There's no justice I can do/To the memory of you./Your letters read as clearly to me now/As they did when written./Book-bound they might illuminate/The father that you were, so other see/The loss you are to me.


The Self-Help Shelf

The Forgiveness Solution
Philip H. Friedman
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel, Weiser, Conari Book Publishers
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781573244626, $16.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

Grudges do no favors for anyone. "The Forgiveness Solution: The Whole-Body Rx for Finding True Happiness, Abundant Love, and Inner Peace" is a guide for those who want to fully embrace the healing power of forgiveness. Author Philip Friedman believes forgiveness and the lack of fuels many problems and as soon as people come to terms with that, forgiveness will do wonders for them. "The Forgiveness Solution" is a top pick and very highly recommended read for those who have trouble letting go.

The Fifth Agreement
Don Miguel Ruiz & Don Jose Ruiz
Amber-Allen Publishing
PO Box 6657, San Rafael, CA 94903
9781878424686, $19.95, www.amberallen.com

Could conventional education be killing our innate wisdom? "The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery" looks into the many agreements hat people make throughout like that makes them suffer and puts them through much pain in their life. The Ruiz father and son team discuss these agreements and offer original spiritual thought to help people gain a better grasp of their emotions and regain the knowledge they lose through their normal lives. "The Fifth Agreement" is well worth considering for spirituality readers.


The Social Issues Shelf

Power and Love
Adam Kahane
Berett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605093048, $16.95, www.bkcurrents.com

What's the difference between the successful and not so successful? "Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change" delves into problem solving and the secrets to their success - the combination of the forces of power and love. Adam Kahane seeks to apply these ideas, the drive of purpose and the desire to work with others and how the secret to solving the world's problems lies in combining these forces. "Power and Love" is a top pick and very highly recommended read for those who ponder the problems of the world at any level.


The Psychology Shelf

Valley of Diamonds
J. Gary Sparks
Inner City Books
PO Box 1271, Station Q, Toronto, ON M4T 2P4, Canada
9781894574280, $30.00, www.innercitybooks.net

The mind is one of the great frontiers humanity has not fully explained. "Valley of Diamonds: Adventures in Number and Time with Marie-Louise Von Franz" is a discussion of Jungian psychology through one of his greatest disciples, Marie-Louise Von Franz, exploring the thoughts and theories of the human psyche from C. G. Jung. Another intriguing perspective onto the complexities and depths of the human mind, "Valley of Diamonds" is a fascinating and very highly recommended read that should not be ignored by those interested by psychotherapy.


The Criminology Shelf

Hardboiled Hollywood
Max Decharne
Pegasus Books
c/o W.W. Norton
80 Broad Street, Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781605980836, $14.95, www.pegasusbooks.us

Behind every story there is its inspiration. "Hardboiled Hollywood: The True Crime Stories Behind the Classic Noir Films" investigates the roots of many noir films that captivated the imaginations of many movie goers. Serial killers, the rampage of Bonnie and Clyde, the events within the famous Godfather series, and more, all of these noir films have their ideas founded in reality. Max Decharne tells the these true tales, making "Hardboiled Hollywood" a must for any fan of noir.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Your Money Milestones
Moshe A. Milevsky
FT Press
1330 Avenue of the Americans, 35th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780137029105, $19.99, www.ftpress.com

Everyone is out to get money and everyone is out to take it. "Your Money Milestones: A Guide to Making the 9 Most Important Financial Decisions of Your Life" is a guide to money management, how to make wise financial decisions so the cash flow of one's life goes upwards instead of down. With ideas on everything from saving money to the good kind of debt, Moshe Milevsky gives readers a fine assortment of ideas and thoughts on good money management. "Your Money Milestones" is a top pick for economically cautious readers.


The Fiction Shelf

Going Through Ghosts
Mary Sojourner
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166, Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874178098, $25.00, www.unpress.nevada.edu

A cocktail waitress at 54, Maggie Foltz works at the Crystal Casino in Creosote. That's where she meets Sarah, a member of the Willow tribe of Bone Lake. An unlikely friendship begins which makes Sarah's murder all the more jarring for Maggie. Then with the help of Minnie Siyala, a Willow band healer, the spirit of Sarah guides Maggie to Bone Lake and an ultimate resolution. "Going Through Ghosts" is a deftly written page-turner of a novel with author Mary Sojourner bringing even her peripheral and supporting characters to life in the mind's eye of the reader. Of special note is Sojourner's inclusion of Native American elements into her riveting story making "Going Through Ghosts" a strongly endorsed addition to community library contemporary fiction collections and personal reading lists.

Museum of Human Beings
Colin Sargent
McBooks Press
50 North Meadow Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
9781590133491, $16.95, www.mcbookspress.com

In the face of racism, you may very well embrace what you are mocked for. "Museum of Human Beings" is a tale of the son of Sacagawea and Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau. An intelligent young man, he finds himself on a journey through Europe, exhibited as a half-gentleman half animal, playing upon his mixed native American and European ancestry. Sicked with how he's presented, he returns home and looks deeper into his mother's culture. "Museum of Human Beings" is a riveting story of historical fiction.

Meet Me on the Paisley Roof
Murray Tillman
Bascom Hill Books
212 N 3rd Avenue, Suite 750, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780982093832, $14.95, www.bascomhillpublishing.com

The pursuit of love will take one far and wide through life. "Meet Me on the Paisley Roof" is tale of Trussell Jones, a boy in love with no way to declare it. Oppressed under a nutty stepmother, Trussell's pursuit of Ellen is a truly unique tale with no shortage of zany and offbeat happenings. Original, fresh, and highly entertaining, "Meet Me on the Paisley Roof" is a choice addition to fiction collections.

Perfect Agreement
Michael Downing
Counterpoint
2117 Fourth Street, Suite D, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781582435381, $15.95, www.counterpointpress.com

There is serenity in order, but when that order is violated, one's life can fall apart. "Perfect Agreement" tells the story of Mark Sternum, a man with an idealistic life. Accused of racism, he loses his job as a college professor and soon finds the course of life he was planning to be impossible. What follows is something that will change his life, but not everything is bad. "Perfect Agreement" is a top notch read that is a fine addition to literary fiction collections.

Anything But Normal
Melody Carlson
Revell
c/o Baker
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800732585, $9.99, www.revellbooks.com

The worst of the past has a way of ruining one's present. "Anything But Normal" the story of Sophie Ramsay, who has everything going right for her high school life. Nothing seems to be able to stop her until a foul ghoul of a summer past comes out to ruin her life. "Anything But Normal" is a fine read that younger readers will relish and relate to.


The Parenting Shelf

Eating for Pregnancy
Catherine Jones & Rose Ann Hudson
Da Copo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738213521, $16.95, www.dacapopress.com

As appetizing as the peanut butter cheeseburgers sound, it may not be the best route to a healthy maternity. "Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today's Mothers-to-Be" is a guide to the special diet that many mothers fail to consider during their pregnancy. Offering 150 recipes designed for optimum maternity health, aiming to help expectant mothers avoid unnecessary weight gain, tips for post-natal diets, and for when out on the town, "Eating for Pregnancy" is a complete and comprehensive guide of what to put in until the baby comes out, and beyond.


The Education Shelf

New Teacher Mentoring
Ellen Moir, Dara Barlin, Janet Gless, and Jan Miles
Harvard Education Press
8 Story Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
9781934742365, $29.95, www.harvardeducationpress.org

The finer aspects of teaching are not picked up in a college classroom. "New Teacher Mentoring: Hopes and Promise for Improving Teacher Effectiveness" is a guide aimed at educational administrators who want to try to form solid mentoring programs that pairs rookie teachers with seasoned veterans so that the new teacher can meet their potential much quicker. Stating that mentoring programs have an endless list of positives, the staff and writers of "New Teacher Mentoring" have created a guide that simply should be in every educational sciences collection.

Use of Education
Stephen Bygrave
Bucknell University Press
c/o Associated University Presses
2010 Eastpark Blvd, Cranbury, NJ 08512
9780838757253, $53.00, www.bucknell.edu/universitypress

In a modern society, people need to be educated... but why? "Uses of Education: Readings in Enlightenment in England" of an analysis of education during the enlightenment and the many thoughts and ideas that were tossed around during the period. Despite being centuries old, the thinkers of this time were renown for their forward thinking on education and what the new ideas they brought, many which are still in play today. With chapters on the very point of education, a history of the period and schools, and the education of women, "Uses for Education" is a cornerstone of any educational history collection.


The Economics Shelf

The Economic Point of View
Israel M. Kirzner
Liberty Fund
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
9780865977341, $24.00, www.libertyfund.org

Certain thinkers in a field rise far and above all others in their field to grant new ideas. "The Economic Point of View: The Collected Works of Israel M. Kirzner" is the collected essays of Kirzner, an Austrian economist who is highly revered in scholarly circles that discuss economics. Here, his writings lay out his beliefs and ideas with much evidence on how he believes the world of money works in the modern era. Drawing on debates Kirzner engaged in and other sources, "The Economic Point of View" is an intellectual and educational read that belongs on any economics research shelf.

Self-Enforcing Trade
Chad P. Bown
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
9780815703235, $28.95, www.brookings.edu

Trade is a vital part of a harmonious and prosperous world. "Self-Enforcing Trade: Developing Countries and WTO Dispute Settlement" discusses developing countries, trying to break into the world economic market and the common problems they face transitioning to the international stage. The chapters throughout the book explain the World Trade Organization, international trade law, and the challenges and benefits these laws present to the small countries emerging to the world as a whole. "Self-Enforcing Trade: Developing Countries and WTO Dispute Settlement" is a must for anyone looking to understand emerging economies and how they are bridging the gaps.


The Science Shelf

The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book, second edition
Patricia Barnes-Svarney & Thomas E. Svarney
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578592180, $21.95, www.visibleink.com

The time before humanity's dominance is a topic that intrigues many a reader. Now in an expanded second edition, "The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book, Second Edition" is a question and answer book discussing dinosaurs and the many questions surrounding these legendary beasts. Ancestry, dinosaur habits, and more, Visible Ink Press has expanded on the previous edition and offers even more information that is sure to keep the interest of any dinosaur lover, young or old. "The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book" is a fine addition to any community library science collection.

What's So Great About Granite?
Jennifer H. Carey
Mountain Press
PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425631, $18.00, www.mountain-press.com

Just because it's everywhere doesn't mean it's not a valuable resource. "What's So Great About Granite?" discusses the origins of granite, a common stone with an extraordinary past. Discussing the rock, how it forms, and how it gets its crystals, Jennifer Carey forms a read aimed at young rock lovers who want to feed their never ending curiosity about their natural world. "What's So Great About Granite?" is a choice pick for addition to science collections.


The Music Shelf

Full Metal Jackie Certified
Jackie Kajzer
Cengage Learning
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
9781435454415, $29.99, www.courseptr.com

Some songs are so iconic, that they influence their genre for years to come. "Full Metal Jackie Certified: The 50 Most Influential Heavy Metal Songs of the 80s and the True Stories Behind Their Lyrics" delves into the history surrounding legendary metal and the stories behind them. From Ace of Spades deeper meaning not truly being there when Lemmy was winging it, to the Cult of Personality gaining a personality bigger than the band, "Full Metal Jackie" looks at rock through hard rock through metal and how the eighties proved powerful for music. "Full Metal Jackie Certified" is a top pick for anyone who wants to know the deeper meaning behind the music, written by famed metal writer, Jackie Kajzer.


The Philosophy Shelf

Reinhold Niebuhr Revisited
Daniel F. Rice
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
240 Oak Industrial Drive NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802862570, $26.00, www.eerdmans.com

The work of the best resonates for years after the person themselves is gone. "Reinhold Niebuhr Revisited" is a collection of essays from many writers reflecting on the work of Reinhold Niebuhr, a renown American philosopher who has earned much acclaim and influences many writers on philosophy today. These writers offer new insights on insights, interpreting how Niebuhr's writings have shaped their own viewpoints. "Reinhold Niebuhr Revisited" is a must for any community library philosophy collection, highly recommended.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Crossing the Energy Divide
Robert U. Ayres & Edward H. Ayres
Wharton School Publishing
c/o Pearson Book Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780137015443, $29.99, www.whartonsp.com

Transitioning from fossil fuel use will happen, but whether it will be an early choice or last minute necessity is the question. "Crossing the Energy Divide: Moving From Fuel Dependence to a Clean-Energy Future" examines the harsh reality that there needs to be a transition period where the world begins to phase out fossil fuels and that switching to a more clean and abundant resource will not be an instant and over night change. "Crossing the Energy Divide" comes to readers with harsh truths and many hopes and ideas for a better future, a fine addition to modern environmental studies shelves.


The Sports Shelf

Game Vision in Soccer
Mick Critchell, Jark Bosma, & Keith Granger
Reedswain Publishing
c/o Cardinal Publishers
2402 N. Shadeland Ave., Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46219
9781591641155, $24.95, www.reedswain.com

Sports are not only about who is faster and who is stronger. "Game Vision in Soccer: Theory and Practice to Improve Game Sense" is a guide to teaching the more technical aspects of the game of soccer. The coaches in this volume come together to give readers a book packed cover to cover with exercises to help players gain mastery of the mental aspects of the game, to help them strategize on the fly to overcome the other team. With plenty of exercises for every aspect of the game, "Game Vision in Soccer" is a must for any dedicated soccer coach.


The Humor Shelf

A Knickerbocker's History of New York
Washington Irving
Pelican Publishers
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053
978158906986, $9.99, www.pelicanpub.com

There are pioneers for everything, including mocking the world. "A Knickerbocker's History of New York" is a reissue of Washington Irving's classic work of literature that earned him quite the place in early American Literature. His story, offering a satirical view of New York and its history, holds strong centuries later as it was published in the early nineteenth century. "A Knickerbocker's History of New York" is a fine pick for those who want to see why Washington Irving has the acclaim he has as a literary legend.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design