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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 10, Number 4 April 2015 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Business Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf
DVD Shelf Fiction Shelf Technology Shelf
Poetry Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Science Shelf Biography Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Crafts Shelf Fishing Shelf Art Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Criminology Shelf American History Shelf
Travel Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Sports Shelf
Education Shelf Self-Help Shelf Computer Shelf
Humor Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Flash Wisdom
Russ Kick
Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
9781938875120 $14.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

Flash Wisdom: A Curated Collection of Mind-Blowing, Perspective Changing Quotes is more than an inspirational font; the cross-selection of epiphany-triggering insights will prompt the reader to re-examine their own lives and problem-solving endeavors. "In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways." Flash Wisdom lends itself to voracious browsing, and also makes an excellent giftbook for all occasions!

Heaven's Better
Henry A. Walter
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
Campbell Public Relations
9781477498231, $5.99 Kindle, www.amazon.com

Henry Walter is a retired weekly newspaper publisher. For 33 years he has written columns on life in general, politics and humor. is column, Observations, won second place in the National Newspaper awards 2000 humor category. "Heaven's Better", pure Henry Walter from beginning to end, is part memoir and part recollection of the miracles he experienced during his long journalism career. There is a mixture of serious looks at life today along with humor of the Will Rogers bent. An easy and entertaining read from beginning to end, "Heaven's Better" demonstrates what a gifted storyteller Henry Walter truly is with commentaries and observations that are in turns informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, inspired and inspiring. Very highly recommended!

Canadian Spacewalkers
Bob McDonald
Douglas & McIntyre
#211 - 2323 Quebec Street
Vancouver, BC V5T 4S7 Canada
9781771620444 $29.95 www.douglas-mcintyre.com

Not every astronaut has the opportunity to step into outer space itself. Canadian Spacewalkers: Hadfield, MacLean and Williams Remember the Ultimate High Adventure presents the testimony and perspectives of three Canadian astronauts who have engaged in spacewalking. From their rigorous training, to learning how to use power tools in zero gravity while wearing bulky gloves, to their impressions of opening the hatch and stepping outside into airless void, Canadian Spacewalkers is a compelling blend of science, discovery, and the ultimate travelogue, illustrated with full-color photography throughout. Highly recommended!


The Business Shelf

Persuasive Copywriting
Andy Maslen
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100, Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.koganpageusa.com
9780749473990, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Copywriting is writing copy for the purpose of advertising or marketing. The copy is meant to persuade someone to buy a product, or influence their beliefs. Copywriters are used to help create direct mail pieces, tag lines, jingle lyrics, web page content, online ads, e-mail and other Internet content, television or radio commercial scripts, press releases, white papers, catalogs, billboards, brochures, postcards, sales letters, and other marketing communications media pages. "Persuasive Copywriting: Using Psychology to Engage, Influence and Sell" by Andy Maslen (Managing Director of Sunfish, a business writing agency specializing in direct response, corporate communications and digital content and CEO of the Andy Masten Copywriting Academy, which trains copywriters) is a 256 page instruction manual and guide the provides aspiring copy writers with the confidence to try a psychological approach yielding instant improvements with respect to copywriting; demonstrates how to write enjoyable, compelling copy that stands out in today's extraordinarily competitive marketplace; demystifies advanced copywriting skills with examples, quizzes, exercises and tips. Enhanced with the inclusion of a Glossary, a list of Future Readings, 'Test Your Knowledge: Answers, A Notes On The Type, and an Index, "Persuasive Copywriting" is very strongly recommended for personal, professional, corporate, academic, and community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Persuasive Copywriting" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.72).


The Cookbook Shelf

Sweetly Raw Desserts
Heather Pace
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
c/o Dalyn Miller Public Relations
9781592539789 $24.99 www.quarrybooks.com

Sweetly Raw Desserts is a cookbook of sumptuous delicacies, all of which are vegan (containing no milk, meat, or animal products) and raw (uncooked and unprocessed). Dessert recipes include Mini Cinnamon Cupcakes with Maple Cinnamon Frosting (made with cashews and coconut ground in a food processor), Tropical Parfait, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake, and much more. Full-color photography, and extensive step-by-step instructions for raw vegan food preparation basics such as how to make almond pulp or nut butter, make Sweetly Raw Desserts a wonderful, "user-friendly" resource. Highly recommended!

Passion For Pizza
Craig Whitson, et al.
Agate Surrey
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572841604, $29.95, www.amazon.com

One of America's favorites is the pizza -- an oven-baked flat bread generally topped with tomato sauce and cheese. It is commonly supplemented with a selection of meats, vegetables and condiments. "Passion for Pizza: A Journey Through Thick and Thin to Find the Pizza Elite" is a beautifully and profusely illustrated, 300 page compendium comprised of comprehensive descriptions of all of the types and categories that pizza comes in, ranging from Naples, to New York, to Chicago, to Phoenix, to the distinctly Californian. Organized into four major sections: Italy; USA; Ingredients and Equipment; Recipes (Let's Make a Pizza; Dough Recipes; Sauce Recipes; Pizza Recipes), "Passion For Pizza" is the complete pizza lovers guide. The recipes themselves range from Scampi with Pesta Pizza; BBQ Pizza; Aloha Pizza; Chicago-Deep-Dish Pizza; to Tore's Breakfast pizza; Hot Salami Pizza; Smokin' Salmon Pizza; Blue Pizza; and Dessert Pizza with Chevre. "Passion for Pizza: A Journey Through Thick and Thin to Find the Pizza Elite" will prove to be an especially prized and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Passion for Pizza" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.49).

Santa Fe School of Cooking: Celebrating The Foods Of New Mexico
Susan Curtis & Nicole Curtis Ammerman
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423638131, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Susan Curtis founded the Santa Fe School of Cooking in 1989. Nicole Curtis Ammerman manages the school. Celebrating their 25th year, the Santa Fe School of Cooking is the expert on regional New Mexico cuisine. Each year through cooking classes, restaurant tours and special events, the school teaches thousands of culinary students how to create unique Southwest flavors using fresh local ingredients. Superb recipes and instruction from celebrity and guest chefs over the years make this a collectable cookbook. In celebration, Susan and Nicole have collaborated to publish "Santa Fe School of Cooking: Celebrating The Foods Of New Mexico", a beautifully illustrated, 120 page cookbook showcasing the very best of New Mexico cuisine with recipes ranging from Winter Squash Posole; Grilled Pineapple Salsa; Poblano Chile, Caramelized Onion & Monterey Jack Mashed Potatoes; Red Chile & Cheese Enchiladas; Mexican Burrito Bowls; Smoked Chile-Rubbed Flank Steak with Morita Chile Steak Sauce; and Coconut Pound Cake. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', "Santa Fe School of Cooking: Celebrating The Foods Of New Mexico" is as much fun to browse through as it is to plan meals with, making it an exceptional and highly recommended addition to family and community library cookbook collections.

Fun, Funky & Fabulous
Jyl Benson
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455620609, $24.00, www.amazon.com

New Orleans is widely known to be the home of fabulous restaurants and haute cuisine. Compiled by Jyl Benson, "Fun, Funky and Fabulous: New Orleans' Casual Restaurant Recipes" is a beautifully illustrated, 128 page cookbook showcasing a cornucopia of dishes that would please any palate, satisfying any appetite, and enhance any dining occasion. These 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from Butter Bean Hummus with Rustic Roasted Garlic Bread (a Vegan dish); Lamb Sliders with Creole Tomato Chutney; and Chicken-Fried Sweetbreads with Lamb Sausage Gravy and Pickled Mustard Greens; to Cream of Blue Crab and Wild Mushroom Bisque; Crawfish Beignets; and Chocolate Peanut Butter Creme Brulee. Each individual recipe is accompanied by a succinct commentary called 'Whatcha Know Good?'. Unique and an utter delight to browse through, "Fun, Funky and Fabulous: New Orleans' Casual Restaurant Recipes" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Ciao Biscotti
Domenica Marchetti
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781452124957, $18.95, www.amazon.com

Biscotti are twice-baked cookies (or biscuits) originating in the Italian city of Prato. The biscuits are oblong-shaped almond biscuits, made dry and crunchy through cutting the loaf of dough while still hot and fresh from baking in the oven. Compiled, organized and presented by cookbook author and Italian cuisine expert Domenica Marchietti, "Ciao Biscotti: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Celebrating Italy's Favorite Cookie" is an illustrated, 144 page compendium comprised of showcasing the impressive diversity of flavors that biscotti can come in. The thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes are deftly organized into six major sections: Classic Flavors; Chocolate and Spice; Biscotti with Fruit; Fantasy Flavors; The Savory Side; Beyond Biscotti. From a Honey-Almond Biscotti; to a Browned Butter and Toberone Biscotti; to a Chocolate-Dipped Toasted Coconut Biscotti; to a Spiced and Iced Ginger Biscotti; to a Pepper Jack and Green Peppercorn Biscotti; to Hazelnut Butter Rings, "Ciao Biscotti: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Celebrating Italy's Favorite Cookie" is an impressive and highly recommended addition to family and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Ciao Biscotti: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Celebrating Italy's Favorite Cookie" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).

Canning Cents
Stephanie Petersen
Front Table Books
c/o Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
www.cedarfort.com
9781462115235, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a shelf life typically ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances it can be much longer. "Canning Cents: The Money-saving Whole-foods Canning Handbook" by Stephanie Petersen is a profusely and beautifully illustrated, 192 page compendium comprised of an informative Introduction followed by a thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' chapter dedicated to Home Canning Basics. The following five chapters feature instructions and recipes for canning High-Acid Foods; Soft Spreads; Pickled Foods; Low-Acid Foods; Sweet and Specialty Gourmet Sauces. From Grilled Pineapple; South African Inspired Fresh Fig Jam; Apple Spice Butter; Sweet and Hot Corn Relish; and Marinated Mushrooms; to Balsamic Peppercorn Pot Roast; Spicy Roasted Tomato Soup; Red Rage Taco Sauce; and Cucumber Banna Pepper Salsa, "Canning Cents: The Money-saving Whole-foods Canning Handbook" will prove to be an enduringly popular 'how to' culinary reference for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Canning Cents: The Money-saving Whole-foods Canning Handbook" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Better Homes and Gardens Complete Canning Guide
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhpub.com
9780544454330, $29.99, www.amazon.com

Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a shelf life typically ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances it can be much longer. "Better Homes and Gardens Complete Canning Guide: Freezing, Preserving, Drying" is a 484 page instructional guide in the form of a loose leaf binder. In addition to showcasing 330 recipes (complete with nutrition information) utilizing home-canned produce, "Better Homes and Gardens Complete Canning Guide: Freezing, Preserving, Drying (Better Homes and Gardens Cooking) " offers complete step-by-step instructions for both boiling water canning and pressure canning. Enhanced with the inclusion of numerous tips and techniques for guaranteed success; information on new products relevant to home canning; dedicated chapters on freezing and drying; and superbly illustrated throughout, "Better Homes and Gardens Complete Canning Guide: Freezing, Preserving, Drying" is a highly recommended and enduringly valued and valuable addition to personal, family, and community library collections.

Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking
Nancie McDermott
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
www.robertrose.ca
9780778805052, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Thailand is a country at the center of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India on the Andaman Sea to the southwest. Thailand has its own distinctive history, culture, and cuisine. Compiled with succinct commentaries by Nancie McDermott, "Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking" is a 240 page compendium showcasing 125 recipes showcasing a diverse selection of gourmet quality vegetarian/vegan recipes. These impressively 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes are for dishes that range from Vegetable Curry Puffs; Kale Salad with Thai Flavors; Red Curry with Red Sweet peppers, Snow Peas and Tofu; Five-Spice hard-Boiled Eggs in Sweet soy Stew; and Sticky Rice with Coconut Sauce; Butternut Squash in Fresh Green Curry; Speedy Mango Sorbet; and Garlicky Brussels Sprouts. Of special note the chapter featuring Basic Recipes. Enhanced with the inclusion of Suggested Menus; a Glossary; a list of Resources; and an Index, "Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to any personal, family, professional, or community library Ethnic Cookbook collection.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Capone, The Cobbs, And Me
Rex Burwell
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama
Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
www.livingstonpress.uwa.edu
9781604891485, $17.95, 204pp, www.amazon.com

In "Capone, The Cobbs, And Me", author Rex Burwell takes the reader back to the Roaring 20s, an era when baseball big-leaguer Mort hart is suspected of knowing too much by the infamous Al Capone who tries to kill him. Hot-headed baseball star Ty Cobb has reason to kill Mort as well because of a suspected affair with Cobb's wife. How can Mort save himself and Charlene, the woman he loves, against two such formidable figures? Author Rex Burwell deftly conjures up the age of Jazz and Prohibition, the Mob, and what gave the decade of the 1920s its nickname in a complex rollercoaster ride of a story. A thoroughly entertaining novel by a thoroughly entertaining writer, "Capone, The Cobbs, And Me" is also available in a hardcover edition (9781604891492, $30.00) and highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library General Fiction collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Henry David Thoreau: Spiritual and Prophetic Writings
Edited with an introduction by Tim Flinders
Orbis Books
Price Building, Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302
9781626981102 $22.00 www.orbisbooks.com

Henry David Thoreau: Spiritual and Prophetic Writings is an anthology of works by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), lauded American author known for his quest to seek renewal in nature, and his strong personal convictions. Spiritual and Prophetic Writings focuses particularly on the Thoreau's spiritual testimonies; he was a deeply religious man throughout his life, though he remained unaffiliated with any organized religion. "I am no more lonely than the loon in the pond hat laughs so loud, or than Walden Pond itself. What company has that lonely lake, I pray? And yet it has not the blue devils, but the blue angels in it, in the azure tint of its waters... God is alone - but the devil, he is far from being alone; he sees a great deal of company; he is legion." An introduction and brief notes are present, but for the most part Thoreau's journal entries, letters, essays, and contemplations are left to speak for themselves. A welcome addition to spirituality shelves, Henry David Thoreau: Spiritual and Prophetic Writings is especially wonderful to read while resting during or after a long nature walk.

Being Taoist
Eva Wong
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781611802412 $17.95 www.shambhala.com

Taoism is a philosophical, ethical, political and religious tradition of Chinese origin that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao. The term Tao means "way", "path" or "principle". In Taoism, however, Tao denotes something that is both the source of, and the force behind, everything that exists. The "way" becomes clear when one is in constant mediation with all thoughts being subconsciously regulated outside the state of mental stillness, although emotions will drive thoughts they remain an absolute choice. Translated into English and edited by Eva Wong, "Being Taoist: Wisdom for Living a Balanced Life" is one of the most readable books on Taoist philosophy available. It shines a light on exactly what it takes to live a Taoist life. Taoist living rests on four pillars--the public, the domestic, the private, and the spirit lives. Not only do Taoists strive to live these four aspects fully and in a balanced way, they also believe there is an outlook and an art to each of them. Eva Wong uses the teachings of Taoist masters (one for each pillar) to explain the essential concepts. She then gives voice to these texts -- simplifying them, removing barriers to understanding, and making them completely accessible and relevant to the modern reader. "Being Taoist" is very highly recommended for students of Taoism and for both community and academic library Religion & Spirituality reference collections in general, and Taoist Studies collections in particular.


The Christian Studies Shelf

40 Days With The Holy Spirit
Jack Levison
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781612616384, $16.99, 190pp, www.amazon.com

For the large majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person (hypostasis) of the Trinity: the "Triune God" manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; each person itself being God. The New Testament includes over 90 references to the Holy Spirit. All three Synoptic Gospels proclaim blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin. The Holy Spirit plays a key role in the Pauline epistles. In the Johannine writings, three separate terms, "Holy Spirit", "Spirit of Truth", and "Paraclete" are used. The New Testament details a close relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus during his earthly life and ministry. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew and the Nicene Creed state that Jesus was "conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary". The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus as a dove during his baptism, and in his Farewell Discourse after the Last Supper Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples after his departure. The theology of the Holy Spirit is called pneumatology. "40 Days with the Holy Spirit" will inspire you to encounter God in fresh and surprising ways. You'll develop stronger spiritual muscles as you breathe, read, reflect, and pray -- all with an eye to cultivating a relationship with the least familiar member of the Trinity. "40 Days with the Holy Spirit" is interactive, offering the opportunity to write and pray each day; intelligent, rooted in a rigorous study of scripture, from Genesis to Revelation; and inviting, with 40 insightful, well-planned 20-30 minute daily exercises; and prayerful, with 40 original prayers that capture each day's insight into the deep, spiritual work of the Holy Spirit. "40 Days with the Holy Spirit" is very highly recommended to the attention of all Christians regardless of their denominational affiliation. It should be noted that "40 Days with the Holy Spirit" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.95).

Confessing The Faith
Chad Van Dixhoorn
Banner of Truth
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
www.banneroftruth.org
9781848714045, $30.00, www.amazon.com

Chad B. Van Dixhoorn, is a Canadian-born Reformed theologian and historian, as well as the editor of the five-volume "The Minutes and Papers of the Westminster Assembly: 1643-1652" which was published by Oxford University Press in 2012. An ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, he serves as Associate Professor of Church History at Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C., and as Associate Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Vienna, Virginia. "Confessing the Faith: A Reader's Guide to the Westminster Confession of Faith" is a 512 page compendium that features accessible, biblical, and thoughtful work which digests years of study and teaching into bite-sized sections. Van Dixhoorn's work is historical and practical in its focus. It deliberately presents readers with more than another survey of Reformed theology; it offers a guide to a particular text, considers its original proof-texts, and seeks to deepen our understanding of each paragraph of the Confession. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Confessing The Faith" is recommended for both pastoral and academic library Christian Studies collections, and to the attention of non-specialist Christian readers with an interest in Presbyterian theology.

The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen
Sinclair B. Ferguson, author
Steven J. Lawson, editor
Reformation Trust Publishing
c/o Ligonier Ministries
421 Ligonier Court, Sanford, FL, 32771-8608
www.ligonier.org
9781567694031, $16.00, www.amazon.com

John Owen (1616 - 24 August 1683) was an English Nonconformist church leader, theologian, and academic administrator at the University of Oxford. He was briefly a member of parliament for the University, sitting in the First Protectorate Parliament of 1654 to 1655. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three consubstantial persons, expressions, or hypostases: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit; "one God in three persons". The three persons are distinct, yet are one "substance, essence or nature".[4] In this context, a "nature" is what one is, while a "person" is who one is. The writing and teaching of John Owen, a 17th century pastor and theologian, continues to serve the Christian church. Daily communion with God characterized his life and equipped him for both ministry and persecution. "The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen" is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, proving thoughts and writings of John Owen as relevant today as they were back in the 17th century. Very highly recommended for pastoral and academic library Christian Studies reference collections, for personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.76).

Francis: Bishop of Rome, second edition
Michael Collins
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814637050, $12.95, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December 1936) is Pope of the Catholic Church, a title he holds ex officio for being the Bishop of Rome, in which capacity he is also the absolute sovereign of the Vatican City State. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. "Francis: Bishop of Rome", by Fr. Michael Collins, introduces readers to the pope who has grabbed the attention and the spiritual imaginations of Catholics and others around the world. Now, in this second edition, Collins takes account of the most important events and development of his remarkable pontificate. With a focus on compassion, Francis has challenged world leaders to be more attentive to the poor, begun important reforms of the Curia and the Vatican Bank, and called for two synods of bishops to discuss pastoral challenges that face modern families. This new edition, which is 25% longer than the first, includes more details about Jorge Bergoglio's early life and a far more expansive understanding of the pontificate of this remarkable spiritual leader. "Francis: Bishop of Rome" is very highly recommended for Catholics and non-Catholics wanting to know more about this unique and energetically reform oriented prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Challenge of Jesus
N. T. Wright
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830822003, $20.00, 202pp, www.amazon.com

Today a renewed and vigorous scholarly quest for the historical Jesus is underway. In the midst of well publicized and controversial books on Jesus, N. T. Wright is the former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and one of the world's leading Bible scholars who is now serving as the Chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. His scriptural lectures and writings have been widely recognized for providing a fresh, provocative and historically credible portrait. Out of his own commitment to both historical scholarship and Christian ministry, Wright challenges us to roll up our sleeves and take seriously the study of the historical Jesus. He writes, "Many Christians have been, frankly, sloppy in their thinking and talking about Jesus, and hence, sadly, in their praying and in their practice of discipleship. We cannot assume that by saying the word Jesus, still less the word Christ, we are automatically in touch with the real Jesus who walked and talked in first-century Palestine. . . . Only by hard, historical work can we move toward a fuller comprehension of what the Gospels themselves were trying to say." "The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was & Is" poses a double-edged challenge: to grow in our understanding of the historical Jesus within the Palestinian world of the first century, and to follow Jesus more faithfully into the postmodern world of the twenty-first century. " Very highly recommended for seminary and community library Christian Studies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was & Is" is also available in a paperback edition (9780830836963, $16.00), a Kindle edition ($11.84), and as an Audio Book ($14.95).

Following Egeria
Lawrence R. Farley
Ancient Faith Publishing
PO Box 748, Chesterton, In 46304-0748
http://store.ancientfaith.com
9781936270217, $16.95, 190pp, www.amazon.com

In the fourth century, a nun named Egeria traveled through the Holy Land and kept a diary of her experiences. In the twenty-first century, Fr. Lawrence Farley followed partially in her footsteps and wrote his own account of how he experienced the holy sites as they are today. Whether you're planning your own pilgrimage or want to read about places you may never go, "Following Egeria: A Visit to the Holy Land Through Time and Space" is an exceptional and impressively well written study that will be of interest not only to those who plan on visiting Jerusalem and other sacred sites in Israel, but prove an informed and informative read for any armchair travelers with an interest in how visitors in antiquity and modern times alike saw and experienced the land of Jesus and the place where Christian began. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Following Egeria" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Requiem of the Rose King 1
Aya Kanno
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200
San Francisco CA 94103
9781421567785 $9.99 www.viz.com

Requiem of the Rose King is the first volume in a series of black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novels) based on the classic Shakespearean plays "Henry VI" and "Richard III", which in turn were dramatizations of the violent conflicts surrounding the lives of historical British monarchs. The principal character is young Richard, born to the House of York, which is locked in a vicious, bitter, and bloody rivalry with the House of Lancaster. A pious yet weak king, at times of unstable mind, is incapable of preventing ruthless warfare. The stylized artwork is presented "unflipped", in right-to-left as originally drawn, in this haunting saga of deadly intrigue for the power of the throne.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Highlander's Folly
Barbara Longley, author
Performed by Phil Gigante
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781501236792 $14.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

The Highlander's Folly: A Novel of Loch Moigh is the unabridged audiobook saga of Hunter, a fifteenth-century Highlander gifted by the fae and fierce in battle. Quixotic magic unexpectedly propels Hunter to the present day. He meets a young woman who happens to be talented at self-defense, in part because she was taught by her own father, also a time-traveling Highlander. When the two are pulled back to the fifteenth century, she is desperate to return to her own time, and Hunter finds himself increasingly torn between his family loyalties, his pledge of honor to another woman, and his heart's attraction to the stranger from another era. A saga of intrigue, love, and adventure, The Highlander's Folly is rapturously performed by Audie Award winner Phil Gigante. 8 CDs, 9 hours 37 min.

An Amish Cradle
Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, & Vannetta Chapman, authors
Read by Rebecca Gallagher
Oasis Audio
289 Main Place, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781613756744 $29.99 www.oasisaudio.com

An Amish Cradle is an unabridged audiobook anthology of four novellas, each about a Christian mother and her path to understanding God's plan. Beth Wiseman's "In His Father's Arms" is about a mother and her husband adjusting to the birth of a baby with Down syndrome; "A Son for Always" is about a husband searching for a way to help his wife and her son (from long before their marriage) accept that he will care and provide for them; "A Heart Full of Love" is about a grandmother who can't let go, for reasons that gradually become clear to the stressed new mother of twins; and "An Unexpected Blessing" is about a 42-year-old mother, caught unawares by her pregnancy, seeking to reconcile care for her new infant and her estranged relationship with her grown son. Evocatively performed by Rebecca Gallagher, An Amish Cradle is emotionally moving and highly recommended. 9 CDs.

Resilience
Eric Greitens, Navy SEAL
Read by the author
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427260147 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Navy SEAL, Rhodes Scholar, and humanitarian Eric Greitens presents Resilience, a testimony of strong-souled wisdom now available as an unabridged audiobook on CD. Inspired by the conversations Eric had with a former SEAL comrade and brother-in-arms who suffered from PTSD, heavy drinking, and lack of purpose ever since returning from the war, Resilience is about what it takes to build resilience, endurance, and adaptability into one's day-to-day life. A practical-minded fusion of memoir and self-help testimony, addressed to listeners of all walks of life, Resilience is enlightening, candid, and an evenhanded balance between compassion, commitment to a vocation, and the creation of personal happiness. Highly recommended. 9 CDs, 10.5 hours.

Alien Shores
Vaughn Heppner, author
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781491519165, $14.99, www.amazon.com

Humanity put all its fading hopes in New Eden, a pristine star system 230 light-years from the ravaged Earth. But upon arrival, the would-be colonists encountered the Kresh -- who are a diabolical alien race resembling dinosaur raptors and who quickly captured the human starship and tortured its inhabitants in hopes of learning the coordinates of Earth. Street-smart Cyrus Gant managed to escape, crashing to the surface of a nearby moon terraformed by the Kresh and inhabited by primitive humans. Now Cyrus pursues a desperate hope bound up in a single boy, a prophesied psionic named Klane -- already in the clutches of the Kresh. Soon Cyrus finds himself torn between tracking down this so-called savior and escaping back into space before it's too late. Yet as he gathers allies and firepower, he's desperate to find a way back to Earth and warn them of this alien menace...only to discover even greater dangers to the future existence of the human race in the form of even more alien hive minds and a flotilla of cyborg war ships. Superbly narrated by Jeff Cummings who brings Vaughn Heppner's science fiction action-adventure novel into life with a true 'theatre of the mind' experience, "Alien Shores" is highly recommended for science fiction enthusiasts' personal listening lists and community library audio book collections. 9 CDs, unabridged, 11 hours and 3 minutes.

The Emperor's Blades
Brian Staveley
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781480517554, $29.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

The emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods. Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it's too late. An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test. At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor's final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing--and risk everything--to see that justice is meted out. "The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley is an impressively written fantasy action/adventure that is superbly narrated by Simon Vance. With the usual Brilliance Corporation's attention to providing flawless production values, this audio book production provides a true 'theatre of the mind' listening experience and is very highly recommended for community library collections, as well as to the attention of science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts. Complete and Unabridged, 16 discs; 18 hours 57 minutes.

Graphic Audio
4940 Hampden Lane, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20814
www.graphicaudio.net

Graphic Audio is the premier publisher of audio books whose flawless production values make listening a true 'theatre of the mind' experience. On of their latest and truly impressive efforts is the Simon R. Green fantasy trilogy 'Ghost Finders'. Featuring a gifted multicast performance embellished and enriched with digital sound effects and music, the trilogy consists of: "Ghost of a Chance" (9781628511055, $19.99, 5 CDs, 5 hours); The Carnacki Institute exists to "Do Something" about Ghosts, and agents JC Chance, Melody Chambers, and Happy Jack Palmer will either lay them to rest, send them packing, or kick their nasty ectoplasmic arses with extreme prejudice. "Ghost of a Smile" (9781628511093, $19.99, 5 CDs, 5 hours) The Ghost Finders answer a distress call from the private research center of one of the biggest drug companies in the world, where a team of police enforcement agents have vanished. They have no idea what they're facing-except a deadline that threatens to remove the entire building from existence if they fail to get to the bottom of the mystery.; and "Ghost of a Dream" (9781628521215, $19.99, 5 CDs, 6 hours) The Ghost Finders are investigating a haunting at the long-abandoned Haybarn Theater, which is being renovated. But work has been thrown off-schedule by the some peculiar and unnatural activities. And after the potentially world-altering recent events of their previous assignment, the team thinks that a haunted theater (aren't they all?) will be a walk in the park. Until they encounter the Phantom of the Haybarn - an ancient evil whose ability to alter reality itself will test the skills, science, and blind luck of the Ghost Finders to the limit. The 'Ghost Finders' trilogy is truly extraordinary and very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book science fiction and fantasy collections.


The Music CD Shelf

Reiki: Hands of Love
Deuter
New Earth Records
c/o Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
www.soundstrue.com
c/o The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$13.99 CD / $8.91 MP3 www.amazon.com

Reiki: Hands of Love is new age music CD created especially to accompany the energy of Reiki, an alternative medicine practice involving the healing power of spiritual energy shared through touch. The gentle, flowing music is also ideal for relaxation, meditation, or creative inspiration. Musician Dueter, one of the pioneers of the new age music genre, has composed Reiki: Hands of Love with elements of piano, assorted keyboards and synthesizers, guitars, shakuhachi flute, cello, koto, sitar, tabla, Turkish sasz, Persian tar, santoor, bazuki, Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, drums, some vocalizations, and more. Beautiful and reassuring, Reiki: Hands of Love is a joy to experience, and makes an excellent gift for any fellow new age connoisseur. The tracks are "Morning Light Silhouettes" (7:32), "Morning Light Silhouettes 2" (5:22), "Cloud Surfing" (4:58), "Love's Winged Messenger" (7:14), "Hands of Love" (9:17), "Unknown Doors" (5:53), "Deeper than the Sky" (4:57), "Still Stones of Silence" (8:07), and "Free Forever" (8:09). 61 min.

Visual Music Circus
Composed by Petros Sakelliou
Privately Published
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
$TBA www.amazon.com

Also available digitally, Visual Music Circus is an expressive album blending influences from jazz, classical, and world music into something truly unique. Performed by an ensemble of musicians from diverse backgrounds, Visual Music Cricus features multi-layered orchestration and multi-timbral instrumentation, interweaving to form a grand and unforgettable whole. Highly recommended especially for music connoisseurs in search of something truly original! The tracks are "My Choro", "First Come First", "Stucks", "Ironic Dance Suite I", "Ironic Dance Suite II", "Is It Coincidence?", "Love for Magda and Maximus", and "Swingalong".

Distractions
Beardyman
Tummy Touch Records, LLC
c/o Press Junkie PR
$10.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Distractions is the latest music album by Beardyman (a.k.a. Dareen Foreman), a champion beatbox musician who created a machine that records and mixes in real-time. Though Beardyman is an improvisational performer at heart, Distractions is three years in the making, originally intended to showcase the machine's capabilities. The singsong lyrics echo with a keen beat, in this adventurous, creative expression, enthusiastically recommended for music connoisseurs in search of a unique experience that defies conventional classification. The tracks are "A Cheerful and Sunny Disposition", "2^25,000:1 Against and Falling", "Getting There", "Fndege.Gurp", "You Only Like What You Know", "Brain", "Perfect Waste of Time", "I Will Never Win", "A View", "Mountain Saide", and "Before the Fall / Move On".


The DVD Shelf

Case Histories Complete Collection
Starring Jason Isaacs
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781621723929 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

Based on the books of bestselling author Kate Atkinson, Case Histories Complete Collection is a DVD series originally shown on public television, about an ex-cop turned private detective trying to scrape by. Jason Isaacs (known for his roles in "Harry Potter" and "The Patriot") plays the tough but good-hearted Jackson Brodie, in an international Emmy-nominated performance. Brodie relentlessly searches for missing children and remorseless killers on the job; off the job, his life remains tumultuous. He loves his young daughter but struggles to see her regularly. His loyal assistant Deborah and his former police colleague Louise are at times exasperated by his endeavors, and his romantic relationships are a tangled mess. An engaging mystery-drama series with keenly written scripts and three-dimensional characters, brought to life through superb performances against a breathtaking Scottish setting, Case Histories Complete Collection is a "must-have" for connoisseurs of the genre. Bonus features include a behind-the-scenes short and cast and crew interviews. 9 episodes on 4 DVDs, 620 min. plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Tiger & Bunny The Movie: The Rising
Directed by Yoshitomo Yonetani
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200
San Francisco CA 94103
$19.98 DVD / $29.99 Blu-ray & DVD combo www.viz.com

Tiger & Bunny The Movie: The Rising is a new feature-length anime (Japanese animation) film featuring contentious superheroes and their efforts against a shadowy plot to bring ruin and terror. In a startling development, Apollon Media's new owner Mark Schneider dissolves the partnership between Kotetsu T. Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr., firing Kotetsu and paring Barnaby with a new hero dubbed "Golden Ryan". A string of bizarre incidents connected to the city's Goddess Legend leads the unlikely champions to three superpowered NEXTs, in this action-packed adventure! Special features include promotional videos, a TV series special digest, and more. Also highly recommended for fans of superhero sci-fi is the previous film, "Tiger & Bunny The Movie: The Beginning" ($19.98 DVD / $24.98 Blu-ray). 100 min. plus 40 min. bonus features, Japanese and English audio with English subtitles, widescreen, rated TV-14 (PG).

The Life And Theology Of Paul
Guy Waters
Ligonier Ministries
421 Ligonier Court, Sanford, FL, 32771-8608
DVD, $48.00, www.ligonier.org

Before being beaten and imprisoned, planting multiple churches, and authoring much of the New Testament, Paul had no equal as a Pharisee in his dedication to the law and his persecution of the early church -- but God called Paul to be an Apostle. Join Dr. Guy Waters in this twelve-part lecture series identifies key moments in Paul's life and considers the essence of Paul's God-centered theology. Paul's inspired writings and the story of his life continue to be a precious gift to the church, used by God to encourage and equip His people in every generation. An impressive and complete course of theological instruction in the form a two disc set of twelve 23 minute messages covering Paul's Life; Paul's conversion & Calling; The Two Ages; Sin 1 & 2; Justification 1 & 2; Sanctification 1, 2 & 3; The Church and The Christian Life; and The Future; "The Life And Theology Of Paul" is especially commended to the attention of all members of the Christian community and should be a part of every seminary Christian Studies DVD collection.


The Fiction Shelf

Sabotaged
Dani Pettrey
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764211966, $14.99, 336pp, www.amazon.com

The five book in the outstanding Bethany House Publishers 'Alaskan Courage' series, "Sabotaged" by Dani Pettrey is the story of Kirra Jacobs and Reef McKenna, who growing up were always at odds with each other. Now they are teamed together on Yancey's search-and-rescue canine unite and must answer an emergency call from the iconic Alaskan Iditarod race. Kirra's uncle (a musher in the race, has disappeared. Kirra and Reef quickly track the man but discover that the man's daughter has been kidnapped and is threatening her with death while unleashing one of the largest disasters in Alaskan history. Kirra and Reef must cooperate if they are to rescue the girl and stave off an horrific event. "Sabotaged" once again demonstrates and documents Dani Pettrey's impressive gifts as a natural born storyteller of rich and original imagination. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted that "Sabotaged" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Anna's Crossing
Suzanne Woods Fisher
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800723194, $15.99, 336pp, www.amazon.com

"Anna's Crossing" is the story of a young Amish woman by the name of Anna Konig who fends off the matchmaking efforts of her fellow passengers on the Charming Nancy-the ship that brought the first wave of Amish to America in 1737. This exceptional novel by Suzanne Woods Fisher is based on the actual 1737 crossing of those first Amish settlers. With impressive attention to accurate historical detail, "Anna's Crossing" is a wonderfully entertaining read from first page to last. Very highly recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted that "Anna's Crossing" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.63).


The Technology Shelf

Simulations of Oscillatory Systems
Eugene I. Butikov
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498707688, $89.95, 363pp, www.amazon.com

Oscillation is the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. Familiar examples include a swinging pendulum and alternating current power. The term vibration is sometimes used more narrowly to mean a mechanical oscillation but is sometimes used as a synonym of "oscillation". Oscillations occur not only in mechanical systems but also in dynamic systems in virtually every area of science: for example the beating human heart, business cycles in economics, predator-prey population cycles in ecology, geothermal geysers in geology, vibrating strings in musical instruments, periodic firing of nerve cells in the brain, and the periodic swelling of Cepheid variable stars in astronomy. "Simulations of Oscillatory Systems: with Award-Winning Software, Physics of Oscillations" by Eugene I. Butikov (Department of Physics, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia) provides a hands-on way of visualizing and understanding the fundamental concepts of the physics of oscillations. Both the textbook and software are designed as exploration-oriented supplements for courses in general physics and the theory of oscillations. "Simulations of Oscillatory Systems" is conveniently structured according to mathematical complexity. Each chapter in Part I contains activities, questions, exercises, and problems of varying levels of difficulty, from straightforward to quite challenging. Part II presents more sophisticated, highly mathematical material that delves into the serious theoretical background for the computer-aided study of oscillations. The software package allows students to observe the motion of linear and nonlinear mechanical oscillatory systems and to obtain plots of the variables that describe the systems along with phase diagrams and plots of energy transformations. These computer simulations provide clear, vivid illustrations of oscillations in various physical systems, bringing to life many abstract concepts, developing students' physical intuition, and complementing the analytical study of the subject. Students can investigate phenomena that would otherwise be difficult to study in a more conventional manner. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Simulations of Oscillatory Systems" is an ideal textbook for university level physics curriculums and academic library reference collections.

Introduction To Power Electronics, second edition
Paul H. Chappell
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9780792372707, $159.00, www.amazon.com

Power electronics is the application of solid-state electronics for the control and conversion of electric power. It also refers to a subject of research in electronic and electrical engineering which deals with design, control, computation and integration of nonlinear, time varying energy processing electronic systems with fast dynamics. Now in a fully updated second edition, "Fundamentals of Power Electronics" by Paul H. Chappell (Associate Professor, School of electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton) is an 883 page instructional volume featuring a new chapter on input filters, showing how to design single and multiple section filters; major revisions of material on averaged switch modeling, low-harmonic rectifiers, and the chapter on AC modeling of the discontinuous conduction mode; new material on soft switching, active-clamp snubbers, zero-voltage transition full-bridge converter, and auxiliary resonant commutated pole. Also, new sections on design of multiple-winding magnetic and resonant inverter design; additional appendices on Computer Simulation of Converters using averaged switch modeling, and Middlebrook's Extra Element Theorem, including four tutorial examples; and expanded treatment of current programmed control with complete results for basic converters, and a great deal more. An ideal textbook, "Introduction To Power Electronics" is especially recommended as a classroom textbook and for inclusion into university library reference collections. It should be noted that "Introduction To Power Electronics " is also available in a Kindle edition ($122.89).

Getting to Know Web GIS
Pinde Fu
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
www.esri.com/esripress
9781589483842, $84.99, www.amazon.com

Web mapping is the process of using maps delivered by geographical information systems (GIS). Since a web map on the World Wide Web is both served and consumed, web mapping is more than just web cartography, it is both a service activity and consumer activity. Web GIS emphasizes geodata processing aspects more involved with design aspects such as data acquisition and server software architecture such as data storage and algorithms, than it does the end-user reports themselves. The terms web GIS and web mapping remain somewhat synonymous. Web GIS uses web maps, and end users who are web mapping are gaining analytical capabilities. The term location-based services refers to web mapping consumer goods and services. Web mapping usually involves a web browser or other user agent capable of client-server interactions. While web mapping today is still being developed, challenges and innovations involving the feedback of the quality, the usability, the social benefits, and the legal constraints, drive its evolution. "Getting to Know Web GIS" by Pinde Fu (Project Manager and Senior GIS application developer at Esri) is a 400 page workbook offering detailed, step-by-step exercises that will teach readers how to share resources online and build web GIS applications easily and quickly. It covers Esri's suite of web GIS technologies including ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS for Server, web app templates, WebApp Builder, API for JavaScript, mobile GIS apps, mobile SDKs, CityEngine, and 3D web maps. Holistic Approach: Unlike books that focus on individual products, this book teaches web GIS technologies as a holistic platform. Each chapter completes an application project using multiple products from server side to browser/client side. Easy to Apply: You don't have to be a developer to build web apps. This book facilitates immediate productivity. It teaches how to build engaging web apps without a single line of programming. The two chapters involving programming are easy to follow and don't require a strong programing background. Each of the 10 chapters in this book features a conceptual discussion section that gives readers the big picture and the principles; a system requirements section that helps instructors to prepare for the lab setup; a detailed tutorial section with abundant screenshots that confirm progress along the way; a Q/A section to answer common questions; an assignment section for readers to practice what they have just learned; and a robust reference section. "Getting to Know Web GIS" is the result of Pinde Fu's extensive working experience at Esri and teaching experience at Harvard University Extension and other universities. A practical manual for classroom lab work and on the job training for GIS students, instructors, GIS analysts, managers, web developers, and a broad range of GIS professionals, "Getting to Know Web GIS" is a critically essential addition to professional and academic library GIS instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Poetry Shelf

Trumbull Ave.
Michael Lauchlan
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814340967, $15.99, www.amazon.com

"Trumbull Ave." is an impressive, 80 page anthology of Michael Lauchlan's story poems presenting articulated images of Detroit city's past as a working class community. Each poem is a gem and together they evoke a blue collar world of 'welders, bricklayers, gas meter readers, nursers, teachers, cement masons, and street kids'. "Trumbull Ave." is a very highly recommended and rewarding read. 'Milk, 1933': When the gas man came for your meter, / your oldest let him in. You jumped / from your chair and handed him the baby -- / "Take her, too! How will I feed her / if I can't warm the milk?" After he fled, / you were ashamed. You were nursing / of course, and had never lied to a soul. / Five decades later you still see him, / nearly as hungry as you, his wrench / in one hand and from the other / your quiet Ellie gaping up.

The Shack
Paul Muldoon, et al.
Wake Forest University Press
PO Box 7333, Winston-Salem, NC 27109
www.wfu.edu/wfupress
9781930630710, $15.95, www.amazon.com

The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southernmost portion in Georgia, then ending northward in Pennsylvania. To the west of the Blue Ridge, between it and the bulk of the Appalachians, lies the Great Appalachian Valley, bordered on the west by the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachian range. The Blue Ridge Mountain country has long been a source of inspiration for poets, artists, song writers, and storytellers. "The Shack: Irish Poets in the Foothills and Mountains of the Blue Ridge" is a 72 page compendium showcasing eleven Blue Ridge Mountain poets ranging from Kenneth Frazelle's 'Watercolor', to Ciaran Carson's 'Fiddlin' John's Big Gobstopper'; to the title piece, Michael Longley's 'The Shack'. Enhanced with black-and-white photos of the individual poets and the three full color paintings, "The Shack" is a pleasure to read and a highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Knooking
Veronika Hug
Search Press USA
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
www.searchpressusa.com
9781782212249, $12.95, www.amazon.com

Compiled with expert commentary and instruction by crochet and knitting expert Veronika Hug, "Knooking: Knitting with a Crochet Hook" is a profusely illustrated, 48 page compendium showcasing nineteen projects for knitting with the use of a crochet hook. From a Marled Hat; to a Stylish Bag; to Wrist Warmers; to Baby Shoes, each project is thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation. Also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99), "Knooking: Knitting with a Crochet Hook" is enthusiastically recommended for both personal and community library needlecraft instruction and reference collections.

Pretty Birds
Virginia Lindsay
Running Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.runningpress.com
9780762453856, $18.00, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Pattern-designer and sewer Virginia Lindsay is the creator of Gingercake Patterns and the author of the blog Gingercake. A sewing addict with a passion for fabrics, Virginia creates and sells her own patterns for a whole range of items, from cute plushies and pillows to bags and notebook slipcovers. In "Pretty Birds" Lindsay draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to showcase eighteen simple sewing projects that even the most novice of needlecrafters can use to create fabric art in the form of colorful and charming birds including peacocks, canaries, penguins, and more. Profusely illustrated throughout, each project features informative commentaries and complete 'sewer friendly' step-by-step instructions. Enjoyable, fun and entertaining, "Pretty Birds" is very highly recommended for personal and community library Needlecraft instructional guide collections. It should be noted that "Pretty Birds" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99) and a Flexibound edition ($10.76).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Bar Stool Yoga
Miriam Austin
Imagine Publishing
c/o Charlesbridge Publishing
85 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472
www.imaginebks.com
9781623540470, $14.95, www.amazon.com

From its introduction into American popular culture in the mid-twentieth century, yoga as been a popular form of health-oriented exercise. Profusely illustrated with informative commentary by yoga expert and enthusiast Miriam Austin, "Bar Stool Yoga: The Fun Way Of Being Fit And Flexible At The Bar And Beyond" is a 112 page compendium that showcases yoga exercises that can be done by oneself or with friends in a local community bar or tavern. Of special note is the chapter 'Heaven for Hangovers' that will be greatly appreciated by those who have indulged a little too much! It's important to note that "Bar Stool Yoga: The Fun Way Of Being Fit And Flexible At The Bar And Beyond" is for light fun and entertainment and that alcoholic beverages should be taken after a yoga workout -- not before one or during one. Informed and informative, and a delight to simply browse through, "Bar Stool Yoga: The Fun Way Of Being Fit And Flexible At The Bar And Beyond" is especially commended to yoga practitioners and community library collections.

Natural Treatments For Lyme Coinfections
Stephen Harrod Buhner
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.HealingArtsPress.com
9781620552582, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Borrelia type. The most common sign of infection is an expanding area of redness, known as erythema migrans, that begins at the site of the bite about a week after it has occurred. The rash is typically neither itchy nor painful. About 25% of people do not develop a rash. Other early symptoms may include fever, headache, and feeling tired. If untreated, symptoms may include loss of the ability to move one or both sides of the face, joint pains, severe headaches with neck stiffness, or heart palpitations among others. Month to years later there may be repeated episodes of joint pain and swelling. Occasionally people develop shooting pains or tingling in their arms and legs. About 10 to 20% of people despite appropriate treatment also develop joint pains, have problems with memory, and feel tired much of the time. Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks of the Ixodes type. Usually the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours before the bacteria is spread. "Natural Treatments for Lyme Coinfections: Anaplasma, Babesia, and Ehrlichia" by Stephen Harrod Buhner (Senior Researcher for the Foundation for Gaian Studies) is a 448 page guide to the natural treatment of three coinfections of Lyme disease and includes reviews the latest scientific research on Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma; reveals how these three conditions often go undiagnosed, complicate the treatment of Lyme disease, and cause symptoms from headache to seizures; and outlines effective natural treatments with herbs and supplements for specific symptoms and to combat overreactions of the immune system and the inflammation response. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Natural Treatments For Lyme Coinfections" is especially recommended to the attention of non-specialist general readers with an interest in alternative medicine in general, and the treatment of lyme disease infections in particular.


The Science Shelf

The Science Of Evolution And The Myth Of Creationism
Ardea Skybreak
Insight Press
4044 North Lincoln Avenue, #264, Chicago, IL 60618
www.insight-press.com
9780976023654, $24.95 (PB), 352pp, www.amazon.com

"The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: Knowing What's Real and Why It Matters" offers a clear, lively, and systematic presentation examines the scientific evidence for evolution that is very highly recommended for school and community Science reference collections. Forcefully rejecting creationist objections to evolution and including a critique of so-called 'Intelligent Design', "The Science Of Evolution And The Myth Of Creationism" argues that they are part of a larger social agenda. With discussion that celebrates the fascination to be found in studying the diversity and complexity of life, this examination suggests with some urgency that the science of evolution is crucial to the existence of science itself. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' throughout, "The Science Of Evolution And The Myth Of Creationism" is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. Exceptionally well written and featuring a section of full color photography, "The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism" is especially commended to the attention of non-specialist general readers of all ages who are interested in countering Creationism mythologies and defending the scientific approach to the consideration of how life developed on planet earth. Librarians -- it should be noted that "The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: Knowing What's Real and Why It Matters" is also available in a hardcover edition (9780976023678, $45.00).


The Biography Shelf

Champion of the Barrio
R. Gaines Baty
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781623492663 $24.95 www.tamu.edu/upress

Champion of the Barrio: The Legacy of Coach Buryl Baty is a biography of Buryl Baty (1924-1954), a successful athlete and coach who is especially notable for taking a stand against bigotry and discrimination. A breakout high school football player turned star quarterback of Texas A&M University, and drafted by the Detriot Lions in 1947, Baty choice to focus on coaching. He coached teams at Luling High School in 1949 and in 1950 he earned the position of head football coach at Bowie High School in El Paso. Baty observed that the athletes he coached, all Mexican-Americans from the Segundo Barrio, suffered greatly from the ingrained racism of the time. His inspirational efforts to resist discrimination and usher his team to championship status spread pride throughout the barrio community. Yet just as his team had the chance to win its third district title in 1954, a sudden highway accident shattered their world and ended Baty's life far too soon. In 2013, Baty's legacy was commemorated with a posthumous induction into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame. Champion of the Barrio is more than a biography; it is also the firsthand memories of author R. Gaines Bay, Buryl Baty's son, and the testimonies of nearly one hundred individuals who knew Baty during his life. Highly recommended.

Professional Indian
Michael Leroy Oberg
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
www.upenn.edu/pennpress
9780812246766, $39.95, 280pp, www.amazon.com

Eleazer Williams (May 1788-August 28, 1858) was a Canadian clergyman and missionary. He was born in Sault St. Louis, Quebec, Canada, the son of Thomas Williams, and was educated at Dartmouth College. In 1815, Williams joined the Episcopal Church, after which he performed missionary work with the Oneida people of upstate New York. He accompanied a delegation of these Native Americans to Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1821, where they sought a cession of land from the Menominee and Winnebago. The following year Williams made his home there and was married to a Menominee woman named Madeleine Jourdain. In 1826 he was ordained a deacon. In 1839 and afterwards, Williams began to make the claim that he was the French Lost Dauphin. During the 1850s he openly became a pretender, but he died in poverty at Hogansburg, New York. "Professional Indian: The American Odyssey of Eleazer Williams" by Michael Leroy Oberg (Professor of History, State University of New York - Geneseo) is an original work of exceptionally impressive detail and scholarship showcasing the unusual life and extraordinary claims of a remarkable man. Enhanced with a three page list of abbreviations, forty-six pages of notes, and a comprehensive index, "Professional Indian: The American Odyssey of Eleazer Williams" is an especially recommended addition to academic library American Biography and Early American History reference collections. It should be noted that "Professional Indian: The American Odyssey of Eleazer Williams" is also available in a Kindle edition ($31.94).

Hoe, Heaven, & Hell
Nasario Garcia
University of New Mexico Press
1312 Basehart Road SE
Albuquerque NM 87106-4363
9780826355652 $24.95 www.unmpress.com

Hoe, Heaven, & Hell: My Boyhood in Rural New Mexico is author Nasario Garcia's story of his upbringing in the 1940's Rio Puerco Valley. His parents built their own adobe house, raised their own food, collected their water from the river, and taught their children the old ways. A saga of ranch life, community bonds, the omnipresent threat of drought, and more, Hoe, Heaven, & Hell is the first-person testimony of a traditional way of life that is all but vanished in America today. Highly recommended.

Crane: Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder
Robert Crane and Christopher Fryer
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street
Lexington, KY 40508-4008
9780813160740 $29.95 www.kentuckypress.com

Crane: Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder is a thoroughly accessible blend of biography and memoir about Bob Crane, known to "Hogan's Heroes" fans worldwide as Colonel Hogan, as penned by his son Robert Crane. Bob Crane was a larger-than-life celebrity; his quirks, scandals, stardom, and horrific unsolved murder are each examined at length. Robert Crane also talks of his own life and marriage to artist, writer, and landscape designer Kari Hildebrand, including Hildebrand's personal battle with cancer. An index rounds out this "must-read" for Bob Crane fans!


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Elvis Is Alive
Xaviant Haze
Adventures Unlimited Press
PO Box 74, Kempton, IL 60946
www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com
9781939149398, $19.95, www.amazon.com

What most Americans know is that Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll", or simply, "the King". But while most believe that he died of a drug overdose there were persistent sightings of him over the past four decades. In "Elvis is Alive: The Complete Conspiracy", Xaviant Haze provides a dedicated 264 page study focusing solely on the mysteries surrounding the King of Rock 'n' Roll. While giving an accurate and concise history of the King's life, he also illustrates how Elvis's talent was seized and controlled by the darker forces within the entertainment industry. The rise of an artist to celebrity status, his work while a mind control victim and his (or her) ultimate self-destruction has become an all-too-familiar story in pop culture, so frequently seen it can hardly be considered a coincidence. But Elvis was no manufactured Disney creation, he was a true one-of-a-kind talent rising from epic poverty to become one of the most iconic entertainers the world has ever seen. His was a tale of screaming fans, groundbreaking music, untold riches, dizzying fame and a spectacular free fall into obliteration. The live of Elvis Presley is also a tale of UFO encounters, zany fake funerals, studies in metaphysics, numerology, occult theology -- and a strange connection with Michael Jackson. An infamous pill addiction led the King to an early "death" and in the aftermath a pop culture phenomenon was born, enabling Elvis to sustain a famous afterlife thanks to over three decades of conspiracy theories. "Elvis is Alive: The Complete Conspiracy" is a compelling and occasionally iconoclastic analytical biography and history that is enhanced with the inclusion of the complete comic strips "Elvis Presley: His Story in Pictures" by Angus Allan and Arthur Ranson. Highly recommended to the attention of the legions of Elvis Presley fans, it should be noted that "Elvis is Alive: The Complete Conspiracy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.21).


The Crafts Shelf

Complete Book Of Gourd Carving, new edition
Jim Widess & Ginger Summit
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
GMC Distribution
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781565238251, $24.99, www.amazon.com

A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without and is likely one of the earliest domesticated types of plants. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film and food. Carving is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of that material. Now in a completely revised and significantly expanded new edition, the "Complete Book of Gourd Carving: Ideas and Instructions for Fretwork, Relief, Chip Carving, and Other Decorative Methods" by gourd craft experts Jim Widess and Ginger Summit is a profusely and beautifully illustrated, 224 page compendium that is an essential guide to gourd carving and specifically addressing every method and style of the art. Of special note is that the "Complete Book Of Gourd Carving" includes informed and informative contributions from 92 international gourd artists. For the novice (and with a great deal of relevance for even those more experienced) are the step-by-step instructions for working with both hand tools and powered rotary carvers. As unique as it is 'user friendly', the "Complete Book Of Gourd Carving" is a very highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic Crafts Studies collections.


The Fishing Shelf

Survival Guide for Beginning Fly Anglers
Skip Morris
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
www.amatobooks.com
9781571885227, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial "fly" is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or "lure" requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting. Fly fishermen use hand tied flies that resemble natural invertebrates or other food organisms, or "lures" to provoke the fish to strike. Profusely illustrated with expert instructional commentary by master fly fisher and fly fishing instructor Skip Morris, "Survival Guide for Beginning Fly Anglers" is an 80 page compendium that covers every aspect of fly fishing for the novice from the proper equipment needed, to tying knots and rigging up, to fly casting, to finding fish, to hooking, playing and landing fish. Separate chapters are dedicated to trout in rivers; largemouth bass and bluegills in lakes; smallmouth bass in rivers; other fishes, tying flies, fly fishing safety issues, and more. Thoroughly 'user friendly' from beginning to end, "Survival Guide for Beginning Fly Anglers" is a 'must' for those new to fly fishing, and has a great deal of useful relevance for even the more experienced angler.


The Art Shelf

Carpets Of The Art Deco Era
Susan Day
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500517956, $50.00, www.amazon.com

Art Deco is an influential visual arts design style that first appeared in France after World War I and began flourishing internationally in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s before its popularity waned after World War II. It is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials. The style is often characterized by rich colors, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation. Compiled with expert commentary by Susan Day, "Carpets of the Art Deco Era" is a profusely and beautifully illustrated, 224 page compendium showcasing the very best of carpet designs during the glory days of the art deco movement. Enhanced with the inclusion of a twenty-two page roster of biographies for artists, manufacturers, and retailers of art deco carpeting; a five page listing of signatures and monograms; a fourteen page glossary; a three page select bibliography; and a three page index, "Carpets of the Art Deco Era" is a seminal work of impressive scholarship throughout and highly recommended for both community and academic library Art History collections in general, and Art Deco supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

The Mardi Gras Paintings of Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street
Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455620586 $19.95 www.pelicanpub.com

Aside from a brief text introduction, The Mardi Gras Paintings of Bob Graham is almost entirely devoted to full-color reproductions of Graham's breathtaking oil artwork, which exquisitely captures the vibrant Mardi Gras parades, including costumed portrayals of Zulu, Rex, Hermes, the Muses, Endymion, and other mythological figures. The Mardi Gras Paintings of Bob Graham resonates with joyous celebration, and is a welcome addition to both public library and private artbook collections.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Colleges That Pay You Back, fifteenth edition
Robert Franek, et al.
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.PrincetonReview.com
9780804125888, $21.99, 480pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and expanded fifteenth edition, "Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Best Value Colleges and What It Takes to Get In" continues to be a critically important reference for students contemplating a college education. "Colleges That Pay You Back" showcases 200 schools that offer average grants of over $22,600; nine tuition-free schools; salary and employment satisfaction data from graduates utilizing PayScale.com; and a unique 'Return on Education' rating for each school, with the top 50 ranking by rating. Additionally, "Colleges That Pay You Back" is enhanced by informing aspiring college students of what college admissions officers look for in applicants. Impressively well organized and presented, "Colleges That Pay You Back" is a critically important addition to highschool guidance counselor and community library College Admissions instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Colleges That Pay You Back" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.46).


The Criminology Shelf

The Milwaukee Mafia
Gavin Schmitt
Barricade Books
2037 Lemoine Ave., Suite 362, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
www.barricadebooks.com
9780962303265, $16.95, www.amazon.com

A mafia is a type of organized crime syndicate whose primary activities are protection racketeering and the arbitration of disputes in criminal markets. Secondary activities may be practiced such as drug-trafficking, loan sharking and fraud. Being bonded together by a code of honor, in particular the code of silence (or omerta), safeguards the Mafia from outside intrusion and law enforcement action. The Milwaukee crime family or Balistrieri crime family is an American Mafia crime family based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The crime family was considered a branch of the Chicago Outfit. The family's most influential boss was Frank "Mr. Big" Balistrieri, who was greatly involved in the Las Vegas skimming casinos. Today, the crime family is nearly extinct, since Balistrieri died in 1993, and the Chicago Outfit gaining control over some of the illegal rackets in the area. "The Milwaukee Mafia: Mobsters in the Heartland" by Wisconsin organized crime expert Gavin Schmitt is a 288 page history of the mob in Milwaukee drawn from previously unseen police reports, FBI investigative notes, coroner's records, newspaper articles, family lore and a great deal more to bring to light an era of Milwaukee's history that has been largely undocumented and shrouded in myth. Exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, "The Milwaukee Mafia: Mobsters in the Heartland" will prove to be an informative and fascinating read for anyone with an interest in the rise and fall of organized crime in a major Wisconsin city. Highly recommended for community and academic library Criminology and Wisconsin History collections, for personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Milwaukee Mafia: Mobsters in the Heartland" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.49).


The American History Shelf

Asian Americans in Michigan
Sook Wilkinson and Victor Jew, editors
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building
4809 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814332818 $34.99 http://wsupress.wayne.edu

Asian Americans in Michigan: Voices from the Midwest is an anthology of scholarly writings by diverse authors about Michigan's Asian American communities. Individual writings include "A Demographic Portrait of Asian Americans in Michigan", "Genealogy of a Detroit Childhood", "My Family's Experience of the Japanese American Internment Camps", "Meditating through Memory: The Hmong in Michigan", "Bangladeshis in Hamtramck", "A Brief History of Filipino Americans in Michigan", "Going Back to Chinese School", and much more. Suggestions for further reading and an index round out this diverse, thoughtful, and welcome contribution to American History and Ethnic Studies college library shelves.


The Travel Shelf

Kolibri Languages' Practical Guides
www.kolibrilanguages.com
c/o Casemate Publishers (dist.)
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA19083
www.casematepublishing.com
www.amazon.com

Also available on Kindle, Kolibri Languages' Practical Guides is a book-and-audio-CD series designed to help familiarize readers with French culture, customs, and language phrases, the better to prepare for travel - whether for business or pleasure. Volume 1, "Eating and Shopping in France" (9791091624008, $TBA) teaches the polite way to cut French cheese; regional specialties; things to keep an eye out for when shopping in Paris; and much more. Volume 2, "Meeting the French" (9791091624046, $24.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle) is a primer for making everyday small talk in French, and Volume 3, "Life in France" (9791091624084, $TBA) is a "must-read" for anyone considering becoming an expatriate in France. All three volumes are filled with full-color photography, as well as helpful cultural hints and tips, and the CD accompanying each book is invaluable for French pronunciation and intonation practice. Highly recommended for anyone interested in traveling to or learning more about this beautiful nation!

Keys to France
Pam Bourgeois
Kolibri Languages
c/o Casemate Publishers (dist.)
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA19083
www.casematepublishing.com
9791091624121 $14.95 www.kolibrilanguages.com

Keys to France is a pocket-sized language and travel guide created to be accessible to travelers and tourists who don't know much French. Focusing on crucial words and verbs that are most useful to travelers, Keys to France also discusses French customs, pleasantries, and politeness; common gestures and signs, practical knowledge and much more. Although details such as maps and contact information for specific hotels are left to other guides, Keys to France is an extraordinarily useful "must-have" for anyone who travels to France, whether for business or pleasure. "...it is very useful to have a collection of exclamations that can allow you to react appropriately to what is being said or to something that happens. 'Ah bon' is a good way of showing you are listening and are interested in what the other person is saying. It can be a simple acknowledgment or you can make it an expression of surprise."


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Working Stiff
Kevin J. Anderson
WordFire Press
c/o WordFire, Inc.
PO Box 1840, Monument, CO 80132
wordfirepress.com
9781614752042 $14.99 pbk
9781614752034 $4.99 ebook

Working Stiff: The Cases of Dan Shamble, Zombie PI collects seven standalone stories in a world similar to our own, several years after an inexplicable celestial event (the "Big Uneasy") unleashed monsters of legends, myths, and movies, such as vampires, ghosts, werewolves, mummies, and zombies such as the titular protagonist. Dan "Shamble" Chambeaux is a private investigator so determined that death can't keep him down. With assistance from his ghost girlfriend Sheyenne, firebrand lawyer partner Robin Deyer, and his "best human friend" the beat cop Toby McGoohan, Dan Shamble takes on everything from Santa Claus' missing list to the hunt for a kidnapped hellhound to a murder investigation at a science fiction convention literally populated by monsters. A wry, witty blend of contemporary fantasy and hard-boiled detective genres, Working Stiff is a devilish delight!


The Sports Shelf

Soccer FAQ
Dave Thompson
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
33 Plymouth Street, Suite 302
Montclair, NJ 07042-2677
9781617135989 $24.99 www.halleonard.com

Soccer journalist of thirty years experience Dave Thompson presents Soccer FAQ, an accessible history and spectator's guide to this enormously popular international sport (called "football" in just about every nation other than the U.S.A.). Chapters cover the origins of modern soccer; how soccer leagues stack up in different nations around the world; the finest players of the game then and now; popular soccer songs; FIFA (but it's not all about FIFA!); and much more. "While the World Cup is unquestionably the premier international tournament in the world, it was neither the first, nor - in those regions where qualification for the FIFA showpiece was restricted to just one or two nations - the most important." A handful of black-and-white photographs, a selected glossary, bibliography, and index round out this accessible, user-friendly educational resource.


The Education Shelf

Write This Way
Kelly Boswell
Maupin House Publishing
c/o Capstone Professional
1905 Lookout Drive, N. Mankato, MN 56003
9781625219329 $24.95 www.capstonepress.com

Write This Way: How Modeling Transforms the Writing Classroom reveals how the educational of modeling can be a valuable tool in teaching students how to write. When the teacher thinks aloud and crafts a piece of writing in front of his or her students, it reveals possibilities and creative strategies that students can apply to their own works. Author Kelly Boswell has extensive experience as a classroom teacher and literary coach; she shares her insights into making one's thought processes transparent, the skills that all aspiring writers need, the strong combination of mentors and modeling, and much more. A wealth of sample lessons round out this superb resource especially recommended for creative writing and other literary instructors.


The Self-Help Shelf

Are You Living To Die Or Dying To Live?
Aaron Lumpkin
AaronLumpkin-author.com
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781490849317 $13.95 www.westbowpress.com

Are You Living To Die Or Dying To Live? What Will Your Legacy Be? is a self-help guide to overcoming procrastination in order to better pursue the quest for meaning in life, and work toward a memorable legacy. Inspirational speaker Aaron Lumpkin discusses ways of adapting to challenges, taking better physical and emotional care of oneself, and setting out after one's dreams. Although Are You Living To Die Or Dying To Live has the occasional reference to the Christian faith, its practical, positive-minded advice is invaluable for people of all religions. "We were reading [in the book of Revelation] about men who were so obstinate, they would not change no matter what happened. The men were so turned off by the possibility of changing for the better that even though they were gnawing their tongues with anger, they were saying, 'I will not change. I will not look at life any other way.' I thought, 'What if children acted this way?' They would never grow up."


The Computer Shelf

My Android Tablet
Craig James Johnston
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780789753687 $24.99 www.quepublishing.com

Featuring full-color illustrations and screenshots on virtually every page, My Android Tablet is a hands-on guide to getting the most out of one's portable Android tablet computer, particularly the Android 5.0 "Lollipop". Chapters walk the reader through how to access audio, video and movies; connect to bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and VPNs; browsing the web with Chrome; Google Now and navigation; using Android applications; common troubleshooting issues; taking and editing pictures; and much more. A handy index rounds out this solid, user-friendly guide. Especially recommended for brand new Android tablet owners!

Microsoft Office for iPad
Joan Lambert
Microsoft Press
www.microsoft.com/mspress
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735696952 $29.99 www.oreilly.com

Microsoft Office for iPad: Step By Step is a straightforward guide for iPad users of all skill and experience levels. Chapters discuss how to use Microsoft Office to quickly create Word documents through tapping, typing or dictation; visually portray and analyze information in tables, charts, and PivotTables; develop PowerPoint presentations straight from one's iPad; save and send .pdf files; use the OneNote feature set to share text or iPad photos; and much more. Full color screenshots illuminate the handy instructions, which are divided into numbered steps for ease of use. A "must-have" for anyone looking to make the most of their iPad in a business environment!


The Humor Shelf

Go To Hells
Kali V. Roy, author
Jesse Riggle, illustrator
Pulp
c/o Zest Books
35 Stillman Street, Suite 121, San Francisco, CA, 94107
9781936976829 $14.99 www.zestbooks.net

Grotesque pen-and-ink illustrations on every other page add the perfect touch to Go To Hells, a tongue-in-cheek expansion of Dante's Inferno, describing a multitude of different modern-day sinners that plague everyday life today. Such questionable individuals include "Social Media Hermits: While you 'liked every photo on Facebook, a 'hello' in real life was too much", and "Potluck Cheats: Betty baked brownies; Tom brought the beers; and you brought your specialty: squat", among many more. An outrageously funny portrayal of contemporary selfish behavior!


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


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