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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 3, Number 8 August 2008 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Wisconsin Shelf World History Shelf
Parenting Shelf Travel Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Poetry Shelf Biography Shelf Fiction Shelf
Political Science Shelf Literary Shelf Photography Shelf
Economics Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Business Shelf Psychology Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Art Shelf Sports Shelf
American History Shelf Philosophy Shelf Nautical Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Computer Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Education Shelf Science Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Self-Help Shelf International Studies Shelf
Native American Shelf Gardening Shelf Geriatric Studies Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Model Masters Dragons
Elizabeth Allen, author
Ivan Vazquez & Miriam Hidalgo, illustrators
Silver Dolphin Books
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781592237722, $19.95 www.silverdolphinbooks.com 1-800-788-3123

Intended for dragon lovers age eight to eighty, Model Masters Dragons is an inexpensive kit consisting of four plastic dragon figures, each of which is a couple inches long or tall; a paintbrush; six little pots of paint (yellow, black, blue, green, white, and red - they can be mixed to produce other colors); two little pots of glaze; and a 32-page, full-color softcover book. In addition to giving detailed instructions and guidelines for painting the dragon figures, the softcover book also features an assortment of brief summaries of classic dragon legends, illustrated with fantastic original artwork. A wonderful rainy-day project for stimulating creativity, and enthusiastically recommended not just for young people, but also for teens or adults who want to practice their skills before attempting to paint more expensive figurines!

The Essential Reference Of Domestic Brewers And The Bottled Brands
MC Basset, LLC
PO Box 241, Asbury, NJ 08802
9780977480012, $60.00

Now in an entirely updated third edition, "The Essential Reference Of Domestic Brewers And The Bottled Brands" is a superbly organized professional reference that is divided into seven major sections: an alphabetically arranged lists of breweries; comparison charts of color and bitterness; a beer style index of beer brands; 'Availability by State Charts'; a geographic brewery listing including state commentary; 'How Supplied Charts'; and a comprehensive listing of brewery brand portfolios. An essential resource for academic and professional reference collections, "The Essential Reference Of Domestic Brewers And The Bottled Brands" will also prove to be an invaluable and strongly recommended addition to the collections of beer, ale, and lager enthusiasts who seek to explore all the brewery offerings in their particular state or in other defined regions of the country. For example, in Wisconsin beginning with Angry Minnow Brewing in Hayward and finishing with the William Kuether Brewing Company of Clear Lake.


The Wisconsin Shelf

History of the Territory of Wisconsin from 1836 to 1848
Moses M. Strong
Heritage Books Inc.
100 Railroad Avenue, Suite 104, Westminster, Maryland 21157-4826
0788422316, $29.95, www.HeritageBooks.com 800.876.6103

This is a 665-page facsimile reprint of Moses M. Strong's study of territorial Wisconsin originally published in 1885 by the Democrat Printing Co. State Printers, Madison, Wisconsin. The original of this seminal study is nearly impossible to find, hard to pay for, and frankly needs this re-airing just for the index alone. Strong precedes his territorial history with an account of some pre territorial events that shaped the foundations of Wisconsin. He takes us back to different world, back to the late 1500's covering civil government under Florida and Louisiana, wars with the Fox Indians, the Langlade Family, Carver's explorations, the transfer to British jurisdiction from 1705 to 1775, the various Indian wars, the lead mines, covering civil governments to 1834, right up to the back door of Wisconsin Territory, and on to statehood in 1848, a grand and glorious adventure. For a hundred and forty three years, Moses Strong's very readable study has been a godsend for genealogists and other budding historians. Strong deserves the new market and kudos to the Heritage people for providing this reasonably priced volume.

Wisconsin Dells
Dirk Vanderwilt
Channel Lake Inc.
PO Box 1771, New York, NY 10156
9780979204395, $13.95, www.channellake.com

One of the best known tourist oriented areas of the Badger State are the rides and attractions of Wisconsin Dells, Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "Wisconsin Dells: A Comprehensive Guide To Waterparks, Resorts, Tours, and More" compiled and organized by Dirk Vanderwilt is the ideal trip planning guide to what the Dells have to offer the visitor be it an afternoon outing, an extended weekend, or a full summer vacation experience. the 186 information packed pages provided detailed and practical travel information, a full index, and a thoroughly 'user friendly' format. Of special note is the chapter devoted to the world famous 'House on the Rocks'. Enhanced with a brief history of the Dells, black-and-white photography, recommended travel scenarios, author recommendations, thematically appropriate websites, and an index, "Wisconsin Dells" is an indispensable planning guide and a recommended addition to all Wisconsin library travel reference collections.

Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706
www.wisconsinhistory.org 608-264-6465

Nicknamed the 'Badger State', Wisconsin was settled by successive waves of 19th century immigrants, each of whom left an enduring impact upon Wisconsin history and culture. The Wisconsin Historical Society Press has published an impressive series of monographs showcasing the various ethnic settlers and their roles in the early development of Wisconsin. With informed and informative texts that are enhanced with black-and-white period photography, this outstanding and highly recommended series includes: "Finns In Wisconsin: Revised and Expanded Edition" (978087020390, $9.95) by Mark Knipping; "Danes In Wisconsin: Revised and Expanded Edition" (0870203665, $9.95), "Swedes In Wisconsin: Revised and Expanded Edition" (0870203371, $9.95), and "Swiss In Wisconsin: Revised and Expanded Edition" (9780870203770, $9.95) by Frederick Hale; "Irish In Wisconsin" (0870203460, $9.95) by David G. Holmes; "Norwegians In Wisconsin: Revised and Expanded Edition" (9780870203343, $9.95) by Richard J. Fapso; "Germans In Wisconsin: Revised and Expanded Edition) 087020324X, $9.95) by Richard H. Zeitlin; and "Welsh In Wisconsin: Revised and Expanded Edition" (9780870203565, $9.95) by Phillips G. Davies. Although each title is readily available for personal libraries, community, and school libraries should acquire the entire series for their Wisconsin History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The World History Shelf

The History of Saint Edward the King
Matthew Paris, author
Thelma S. Fenster and Jocelyn Wogan-Browne, translators
Arizona Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies
Arizona State University , P.O. Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
9780866983891, $40.00 www.asu.edu/clas/acmrs 1-480-965-5900

Originally written centuries ago by artist, historian, and Benedictine monk Matthew Paris (c. 1200-1259) and dedicated to Queen Eleanor, The History of Saint Edward the King is a portrayal of the reign of King Edward the Confessor that reveals at least as much (if not more) about the era, values, and dynastic concerns of King Henry III's reign as it does of its titular time period. Portraying King Edward as a wise, benevolent, married virgin king, who presided over harmonious rulership and dispensed miracles, The History of Saint Edward the King is most assuredly not unbiased - its representations of Anglo-Danish relations, vilification of Harold Godwinson's brief reign before the battle of Hastings (and the claiming of the English throne by Norman duke William),and its almost stage-worthy depictions of love affairs, epic events, history and hagiography distinguish this chronicle among records of its time. Skillfully translated from the original French, (no easy task considering the rhymed rubrics peppering the original), The History of Saint Edward the King is enhances with exhaustively extensive notes. An appendix of passages from Paris' original writings, recommended further reading, and an index of proper names round out this seminal references and resource. Highly recommended for college library collections and course teaching lists.

Migrants to the Metropolis
Marie Price and Lisa Benton-Short
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
9780815631866, $24.95 www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu 1-800-365-8929

Migrants to the Metropolis: The Rise of Immigrant Gateway Cities is an assembly of essays by expert authors discussing worldwide immigration trends and issues, with particular focus upon how cities (where the overwhelming majority of immigrants settle) are affected. Observing that many of the most common cities favored by immigrants in various countries are usually diverse, linked globally through transnational networks, and increasingly subject to de facto segregation, Migrants to the Metropolis offers a thought-provoking modern commentary upon demographic shifts in today's increasingly globalized world. Sample essays include "Washington, D.C.: From Biracial City to Multiethnic Gateway", "Immigrants and Natives in Tel Aviv: What's the Difference?", "Amsterdam: A Multicultural Gateway?", "Mean Streets: Johannesburg as an Emergent Gateway" and much more. A seminal and worthy addition to college libraries and immigration studies reading lists, highly recommended.

London: Memories Of Times Past
Rose Barton & Mary Anne Evans
Thunder Bay Press
c/o Advantage Publishers Group
5880 Oberlin Drive, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92121-0653
9781592238583, $24.95, www.thunderbaybooks.com, 1-800-788-3123

Born in Ireland in 1856, Rose Barton studied art in London and Paris, exhibited widely, and was elected a full member of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1911. She died in 1929 leaving behind an immense legacy of superbly accomplished art, including scenes of a 'yesteryear' London. In "London: Memories Of Times Past", writer, editor, and current Chair of the British Guild of Travel Writers, Mary Anne Evans provides an informed and informative text giving the reader an historical context for the sixty-one paintings of Rose Barton, placing these images (along with those taken from period maps, postcards, newspapers, and railway tickets), within the framework of life in London in the early twentieth century. Of special note are the section on 'Sources, Notes, and Captions', and the extensive Bibliography. An elegant, enlightening, entertaining, nostalgic, illustrative urban history, "London: Memories Of Times Past" is very highly recommended reading and a popular addition to personal, academic, and community library collections.

Stalin's Slave Ships
Martin J. Bollinger
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591140467, $19.95, www.navalinstitute.org, 1-800-233-8764

Most students of the Stalin era are aware of the transportation of criminals and political dissidents to Siberia via the Soviet train system. What is not so well know is that from 1932 through 1953 a fleet of Russian cargo ships were pressed into the service of carrying approximately one million forced laborers to the Soviet Gulag in Kolyma, one of the most infamous of the Soviet gulags and located along the Arctic Circle in far northeastern Siberia. Now for the first time, that obscure aspect of Soviet history is thoroughly described and fully documented in "Stalin's Slave Ships: Kolyma, The Gulag Fleet, And The Role Of The West" by Martin J. Bollinger and published by the Naval Institute Press. Of special note is the previously unrecognized role of the American government in this horrific activity as U.S. shipyards constructed most of the Soviet Gulag fleet -- and even overhauled many of these ships free of charge. Drawing from private and public records from both American and Russian archives, as well as firsthand testimony from those directly involved in these transport operations, "Stalin's Slave Ships" reveals just how much Washington knew about the use of American ships by the Russians to transport slave laborers to their gulag destination. Superbly documents, "Stalin's Slave Ships" is an essential, core addition to academic library Soviet Studies and 20th Century Russian History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Parenting Shelf

Confident Parenting
Jim Burns
Bethany House
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55438
9780764202070, $19.99, www.bethanyhouse.com

Children don't come with an instruction manual. "Confident Parenting" is a guide for parents to deal with that. Admitting that the parenting process is more of a feel thing than anything else, "Confident Parenting" gives the best advice it can – to be confident. With practical tips to help parents get by, and guidelines to make one's home as harmonious as possible, "Confident Parenting" is a must for parents striving to do the best they can.

Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child
Patty Cogen
The Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
9781558323261, $14.95, www.harvardcommonpress.com

Civil Wars, famines, tyrannical governments, so many factors may take parents from a child so early in their life. "Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child: From Your First Hours Together Through the Teen Years" is a guide for those parents with big enough hearts to take in a child that is not only not their own, but from another country entirely. Focusing on advice on helping bridging the cultural divide and helping the children get over the loss of their old home, regardless if it was horrible or not, it's an ideal guide for these parents who want to help these children's transitions be as smooth as possible. "Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child" is a must for these parents for the info contained within.

25 Things to Do
Laurie A. Kanyer
Parenting Press, Inc.
PO Box 75267, Seattle, WA 98175-0267
9781884734533, $13.95, www.parentingpress.com

Loss is inevitable, but how one deals with it is personal. "25 Things to Do: Activities to Help Children Suffering Loss or Change" is a guide for parents to help their children when dealing with a radical and likely irrevocable change, such as a divorce or the death of a beloved relative or pet. The activities are all easy to do and will help children come to terms with the world. "25 Things to Do" is a great gift to any child facing difficult times.


The Travel Shelf

Florida for Families
Larry Lain
Interlink Travel
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566566957, $22.00, www.interlinkbooks.com

Florida s truly a beautiful state that has rightfully earned its place as one of the most popular tourism destinations in America. "Florida for Families" is a excellently compiled guide for anyone who want to bring the whole family to Florida, cataloguing the many family-friendly experiences that only the Sunshine State can offer. With entries on aquariums, zoos, nature reserves, hiking, and so much more to bring joy without breaking the bank, "Florida for Families" is a must for any family planning a Florida visit.

The Irish Bed & Breakfast Book
Elsie Dillard & Susan Causin
Pelican
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053
9781589805590, $19.95, www.pelicanpub.com

Nothing can give you that home away from home feel like a bed & breakfast. "The Irish Bed & Breakfast Book" is a comprehensive listing of over one hundred and fifty great bed & breakfast locations throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Touting the lodging provided by these locales may be incentive enough to invite people to visit Ireland! "The Irish Bed & Breakfast Book" is a strong consideration for anyone planning a vacation or business trip to Ireland.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Patient Listening
Loreen Herwaldt
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhkl House, Iowa City, IA 52242
9781587296529, $24.95, www.uiowapress.org

There's more to listening to a patient then just comprehending the words coming out of their mouths. "Patient Listening: A Doctor's Guide" is a guide for doctors to understanding and interpreting patients' complaints. Better listening, claims author Loreen Herwaldt, creates a better bond between doctor and patient, and improves the quality of treatment all around. "Patient Listening" is a recommended read for all physicians and community library health collections.

Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat
Ori Hofmekler
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley 94704
9781556436895, $16.95, www.northatlanticbooks.com

How exactly does one reach peak physical condition? "Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat: The Secret Science Behind Physical Transformation" is a guide to doing just that. Offering advice and tips in order to stimulate one's metabolism, along with advice to pushing one's mind with the body and increasing muscle gain through workout techniques and improved dieting, among other things, "Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat" is a must for anyone who wants to achieve their own, truly healthy form.

The IBS Healing Plan
Theresa Cheung
Hunter House Publishers
PO Box 2914, Alameda, CA 94501-0914
RES Marketing Alliance (publicity)
1927 Michigan Drive, Kissimee, FL 34759
9780897935074, $14.95, www.hunterhouse.com

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is truly an unpleasant condition to be afflicted with. "The IBS Healing Plan: Natural Ways to Beat Your Symptoms" is a guide for sufferers seeking to determine whether they have the affliction, and how to treat it without (or in tandem with) costly medicines or invasive surgery. Promoting five key areas for fighting the symptoms such as monitoring one's diet, vitamin supplements, managing stress in everyday life, and describing the pros and cons of a variety therapies to help sufferers, "The IBS Healing Plan" is a thorough guide on the subject, and a worthy addition to community library health collections.

Conquering Stroke
Valerie Greene
Wiley Publishers
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
9780470137925, $24.95, www.wiley.com

A stroke can radically change one's life – to the point that he or she isn't the same person anymore. "Conquering Stroke: How I Fought My Way Back and How You Can Too" encourages sufferers of strokes to not let it and do whatever it takes to overcome their affliction and live how they want to once more. While offering plenty of advice for both treatment and the recovery process, it acknowledges that the best cure is prevention and has a focus on that subject as well. "Conquering Stroke: How I Fought My Way Back and How You Can Too" is a top pick for senior health collections and for anyone who fears or wants to overcome stroke.


The Poetry Shelf

Bear
Karen Chase
CavanKerry Press
6 Horizon Road, No. 2901, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
9781933880068, $16.00

Fans who enjoyed "Kazimierz Square" will be delighted as Karen Chase returns with her second anthology of poetry with "Bear". She focuses on the inspiration she drew from discovering an illegal bear poaching ring near her home in Massachusetts. The poems mix themes, leading to a varied yet enjoyable poetry experience that her fans will enjoy very much indeed, making "Bear" highly recommended to community library poetry collections. "Then I Talked to a Bear": Bear, you are all the people/ I have ever lost and all those/ I dread losing, who knows the order.// In this house of lost ones, you are my/ soulmate, a word I never used. This prison/ has stolen my subjunctives, my roar and/ lungs – think if a hunter cut your tongue.

Sunrise to Sunset
H.E. McIntyre
American Literary Press
8019 Belair Rd., Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
9781934696088, $12.95, www.americanliterarypress.com

Having composed over four hundred poems in his lifetime, and served as both a former teacher and principal in Maryland, poet H.E. McIntyre is a man of experience. "Sunrise to Sunset: And All That Lies Between" is a compilation of all of that life experience, as McIntyre tries to pass on his lessons and reflections of living on the eastern shore of Maryland. Excellent through and through, "Sunrise to Sunset" is a strong pick for any poetry lover.

The Choreographer Of Raindrops
Carl Lindner
Parallel Press
372 Memorial Library, 728 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
9781934795002, $10.00, http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu 1-800-636-0071

Poetry as its very best induces reflection as it resonates within the mind, imagination, and memory of its reader. Such is the case with the anthology of Carl Linder's free verse poetry presented in the pages of the Parallel Press edition of "The Choreographer Of Raindrops". Elegant, memorable, engaging, and deftly executed, "The Choreographer Of Raindrops" is confidently recommended reading for anyone who appreciates the power of language to convey human experience, aspiration, and observation. "A Certain Way": When I sit a certain/way in my swivel-//rocker, I can see/the bird-feeder, and,//as the wind blows,/it turns so that I//sometimes see the back,/and sometimes the only way//I know there's a bird/on the other side//is the slow rain/of seed//falling into light.

A Most Marvelous Piece of Luck
Greg Williamson
The Waywiser Press
PO Box 6205, Baltimore, MD 21206
Dufour Editions (distributor)
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781904130284, $15.95, www.waywiser-press.com

The third exciting anthology of poetry from award winning poet Greg Williamson, "A Most Marvelous Piece of Luck" is here. Following an everyman as he goes through life, Williamson's poems tackle everything from careers and conspiracy theories to love and death. His verse is gripping and full of black comedy, sure to give fans of his work more of what they have come to love. "Music": 'From Bix to Buxtehude to Boulez,'/ From Dicke Betts to... boy bands? Music is/ (Ok we're in a slump, whatever pays)/ The bread of life, shoes, soft drinks, and Show Biz.

Matter of Fact
Eamon Grennan
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, St. Paul, MN 55114
9781555975005, $15.00, www.graywolfpress.org

With six poetry anthologies to his credit, Eamon Grennan again proves that he is a master of his craft in "Matter of Fact". His verse and lyrics focus the world around us and what is the absolute truth – thus, the matter of facts. "Matter of Fact" is a marvelous work of poetry, sure to be enjoyed by anyone seeking a solid work grounded in the eternal quest for truth. "Signland": Cicadas tear the air to flitters./Stitch it together again/As though nothing had happened.//All the leaves of the locust trees/have been leached of greenness, burned/the brown of a penitential habit:/Brother Fungus does it.


The Biography Shelf

The Seven Deadly Virtues
Lynn Z. Bloom
The University of South Carolina Press
1600 Hampton Street, 5th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
9781570037306, $29.95, www.sc.edu/uscpress

Too much of a good thing can be just as bad as too much of a bad thing. "The Seven Deadly Virtues And Other Lively Essays" is a compilation of essays, autobiographical in nature. Author Lynn Bloom warns of the seven deadly virtues throughout her life – duty, rationality, conformity, efficiency, order, economy, and punctuality – and that the overuse of any of them can sometimes lead to many of the problems normally associated with the seven deadly sins. Full of wit and wisdom, "The Seven Deadly Virtues" is an entertaining read indeed to anyone aspiring to be a writer or teacher, and especially for anyone who fears they may be trying a bit too hard.

River of Hope
David Tank
Planert Creek Press
1404 Silvermine Drive, Eau Claire, WI 54703
9780981506401, $17.95, www.planertcreekpress.com

To overcome an unbeatable disease is viewed by the established medical community as impossible. "River of Hope: My Journey with Kathy in Search of Healing from Lou Gehrig's Disease" is the personal story of Kathy Tank, as told by her husband who was alongside her every step of the way. When doctors wrote her off as doomed, she was determined to beat her Lou Gehrig's disease, and never stopped searching until she did. With great insight to the nuances of this ailment, "River of Hope" is a compelling biography and especially recommended for anyone with a family member with Lou Gehrig's disease or who are themselves afflicted.

A Red Boyhood
Anatole Konstantin
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826217875, $29.95, www.umsystem.edu

Stalinist Russia – no one will ever say that was the pinnacle of Russian civilization, and in fact is well and below considered one of the nation's lowest points. "A Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin" is a memoir focusing on the life of one on the outskirts of society, one who lost countless loved ones to Stalin's purges, and under a mother who struggled just so that her and her boys could manage to survive. An even darker look into a dark era for the country's history, "A Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin" is highly recommended to community library memoir collections, especially those with a focus on world events.

My Journey in Mystic China
John Blofeld
Inner Traditions
1 Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594771576, $24.95, www.innertraditions.com

Some exotic cultures can appear almost like another world to a western traveler. "My Jouney in Mystic China" is author John Blofield's reflections on his time in Peking (now called Beijing) and other Chinese cities and villages in the 1930s and 1940s. The reflections and views are of a time that will not ever return to China, most having been lost to the Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong in the following decades. A vivid portrait of this lost land, "My Journey in Mystic China" is of interest to any Chinese history enthusiast.

Children of the Dust
Betty Grant Henshaw
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726314, $22.95, www.ttup.ttu.edu

The dust bowl was a harsh time, when even finding the backbreaking work needed to eke out a living was hard. "Children of the Dust: An Okie Family Story" is author Betty Grant Henshaw's reflections on her life growing up in this difficult environment, under a father who had to toil long hours in the boiling sun every day, for a pittance of a wage, just so she could eat. A touching story of adolescence in the crux of adversity, "Children of the Dust" is a great read, and effectively a window into the tough times of yesteryear.

The Genizaro & the Artist
Napoleon Garcia & Analinda Dunn
Rio Grande Books
925 Salamanca NW, Los Ranchos de ABQ, NM 87107-5647
9781890689285, $15.95 www.nmsantos.com

Part of the award-winning "Stories from New Mexico Villages" series, The Genizaro & the Artist: Stories from New Mexico Villages is the memoir of author Napoleon Garcia, a longtime Genizaro (individual who claims descent from both Colonial Spanish settlers and Native American tribes) resident of Abiquiu, New Mexico, who knew and worked for Georgia O'Keeffe during the forty years in which she called Abiquiu home. Though Garcia has been interviewed about O'Keeffe before, The Genizaro & the Artist tells in his own words, pace, and style (with help from his friend Analinda Dunn) what it was truly like to know a famous artist as a fellow villager. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this testimony, especially recommended for anyone interested in a different, down-to-earth perspective on Georgia O'Keeffe.

Frances Yates and the Hermetic Tradition
Marjorie G. Jones
Ibis Press
c/o Nicolas Hays
PO Box 540206, Lake Worth, FL 33454-0206
9780892541331, $24.95 www.ibispress.net

Frances Yates and the Hermetic Tradition is the first full-length biography of Frances Yates, the female British historian and intellectual who wrote "Giordano Bruno and The Hermetic Tradition" and "The Art of Memory". Drawing upon excerpts from Yates' own diary and personal papers as well as exhaustive research, Frances Yates and the Hermetic Tradition recreates her scholarly career, and the cultural influences that shaped her interdisciplinary approach to history and literary criticism. A handful of black-and-white photographic plates illustrate this thoughtful biography, especially recommended for public and college library collections.

An Army in Skirts
Frances DeBra Brown
Indiana Historical Society Press
450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-3269
9780871952646, $27.95 www.indianahistory.org

An Army in Skirts: The World War II Letters of Frances Debra collects the letters Frances DeBra Brown sent to her family, while she served in the Women's Army Corps in World War II as a draftsman at American headquarters in London and Paris. Chronicling her WW II service from her training at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia to her assignment at an army air field in Florida to surviving buzz bomb and V-2 rocket attacks in London and witnessing the devastation of Paris a scant two weeks after the city's liberation, An Army in Skirts is the candid testimony of a woman's perspective - thoughtfully discussing the connections Brown made with individual people and the simple day-to-day matters of survival as well as larger issues of war and peace. Highly recommended.

Oklahoma Rough Rider
Billy McGinty, author
Jim Fulbright and Albert Stehno, editing & commentary
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806139357, $19.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Oklahoma Rough Rider: Billy McGinty's Own Story is the firsthand testimony of Billy McGinty, a veteran cowboy whose horsemanship served him well as one of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders. He participated in the battle of Las Guasimas, the attack on San Juan Heights, and the siege of Santiago; later, he performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and won the Cowboy Hall of Fame's Great Westerner award. Editors Jim Fulbright (a former broadcast journalist) and Albert Stehno (a rancher and historian) enhance McGinty's writings with comments on historical context, and a summary of McGinty's later years when McGinty promoted the McGinty Cowboy Band and saw to it that their music - a precursor of modern-day country-western - could be heard on live radio. An absolute must-read for fans of true-life American West exploits, tales and legends.

Reflections of a Khmer Soul
Navy Phim
Wheatmark
610 East Delano Street, Suite 104, Tucson, AZ 85705
9781587368615, $14.95, www.wheatmark.com

To be brought up both in the United States and the killing fields of Cambodia - what is life like for such an individual? "Reflections of a Khmer Soul" is the life story of Navy Phim, who experienced this kind of childhood. She discusses the culture clash and shock that she had to deal with between the two places, and the differences between them. An intriguing tale from an experienced world traveler, "Reflections of a Khmer Soul" is highly recommended to community library biography collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Color of Blood
Les Coalson
Eakin Press
PO Box 21235, Waco, Texas, 76702
9781934645550, $26.95, www.eakinpress.com

To be torn between one's romantic love and one's family is a situation no one is happy to be in. "Color of Blood" is the tale of Clay Aker and the conflict that tears him apart. His girlfriend is in danger from those who want to silence her testimony in a trial, and her mother must search for his lost brother and his beloved, who have vanished seemingly without a trace. All these problems, and Clay hasn't the first clue where to start! A riveting novel with many excellent twists and turns, "Color of Blood" is a great thriller sure to please fans of the genre.

Red Dust, Red Sky
Paul S. Sunga
Coteau Books
2517 Victoria Ave., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4P OT2
9781550503708, $21.00, www.coteaubooks.com

The small kingdom of Lesotho, completely surrounded by South Africa, was a refuge for those persecuted by South Africa's crude apartheid policies. "Red Dust, Red Sky" follows Kokoanyana as she grows up in this harsh world of government sponsored racism. She faces a world that hates her for something she can't change in this riveting tale about a realistic life in a faraway land on our own planet. "Red Dust, Red Sky" is a great read for anyone looking for a novel about real-life hardships, that forces the reader to think about fundamental rights that most people in the western world simply take for granted.

Emma
Ervin R. Stutzman
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottsdale, PA 15683
9780836194128, $23.99, www.heraldpress.com

What do you do with six mouths to feed when the person you loved and cared for the most has ceased to be? "Emma: A Widow Among the Amish" is a novel about an Amish wife after the death of her breadwinning husband. Coping with grief, and faced with pressing immediate need, Emma is at a crossroads; her tale is intriguing all the way through, and many readers will see a bit of themselves within her.

Domestic Affairs
Eileen Goudge
Vanguard Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, Floor 12, New York, NY 10016
9781593154752, $25.95, www.perseusbooks.com

Revenge is suppose to be sweet, right? "Domestic Affairs" is the story of two childhood friends who cease their friendship as a result of family conflicts. Abigail was left penniless, while Lila continued her life of luxury. Decades later, tides turned, and it was Lila who was penniless, and Abigail well off from her life of hard work. Lila begs Abigail for assistance; but their re-entrance into each other's lives does not happen without consequences. A gripping tale about the morality of revenge, the complexity of life, and friendship, "Domestic Affairs" is a highly recommended read for anyone looking for a story with these elements done well.

Apologies Forthcoming
Xujun Eberlein
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama, Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
Gulotta Communications (publicity)
341 Lexington Street, Newton, MA 02466
9781604890075, $15.95, www.uwa.edu

Growing up in Chongquing, China, Xujun Eberlein came to America in the summer of 1988 to advance her education. Receiving a PhD from MIT in 1995, after graduation she became a computer algorithm developer until 2003 when she embarked upon a new career as a writer, for which she has since been awarded a number of literary honors for her stories and personal essays published in the United States, Canada, England, Kenya and Hong Kong. Xujun Eberlein currently hosts the literary and cultural blog 'Inside-out China'. Now eight of her stories have been collected and published by the Livingston Press as "Apologies Forthcoming". These erudite and compelling stories focus on the experiences of people during China's 'Cultural Revolution' which saw the intellectual class of a generation of Chinese under Mao subjected to humiliation and repression. Included in this outstanding anthology of realistic fiction are Snow Line; Pivot Point; Feathers; Men Don't apologize; Watch the Thrill; disciple of the Masses; The Randomness of Love; and Second Encounter. Documenting Xujun Eberlein as an exceptional talented author, "Apologies Forthcoming" is especially recommended to readers with an interest in superbly presented and engaging fiction deftly showcasing the human condition with a particular flair for realism in both character and dialogue.

Vienna Dolorosa
Mykola Dementiuk
Synergy Press
PO Box 8, Flemington, NJ 08822
0975858157, $25.00, www.viennadolorosa.com

A look into the bizarre side of things, never mentioned due to the major events occurring otherwise. "Vienna Dolorosa" is a novel about Hitler's invasion of Austria, as told from the perspective of a transvestite brothel in Vienna. An unusual story filled with unsavory characters and the grittier aspects of humanity, "Vienna Dolorosa" is a skillfully written and intriguing tale, sure to please historical fiction lovers looking to read something different.


The Political Science Shelf

Smart Power
Ted Galen Carpenter
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781933995168, $24.95, www.nbnbooks.com

The most powerful country in the world has to make expert moves in order to achieve peace. "Smart Power: Toward a Prudent Foreign Policy for America" examines the current foreign policies of the country and how they can be improved. From the overthrow of the Taliban to the ousting of Saddam, "Smart Power" discusses both what is right and wrong about current policies, and seeks to keep America out of needless and unnecessary military conflicts. A must for community library politics collections.

The Coming China Wars
Peter Navarro
FT Press
1330 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019
9780132359825, $15.99, www.comingchinawars.com

China has over one billion people and the largest military in the world. Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, "The Coming China Wars" is a discussion of what many politically savvy Americans fear, something that may or may not be inevitable – war with China. Explaining the root problems of growing conflicts between the United States and China, yet with the optimistic message that there is still hope for civility and friendship between the two, "The Coming China Wars" is surprisingly scholarly and a must for anyone concerned about America's greatest potential military threat.


The Literary Shelf

Conversations With C.S. Lewis
Robert Velarde
Inter Varsity Press Books
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830834839, $15.00, www.books.ivpress.com

With the recent success of the Chronicles of Narnia movies, interest in the author of the Narnia books, C.S. Lewis, has risen once again. "Conversations with C.S. Lewis: Imaginative Discussions About Life, Christianity, and God" is a fictional interview with C.S. Lewis as written by one of the most dedicated scholars of his work, Robert Velarde. Covering Lewis's life, his beliefs, and his friendships with other writers as he created the books that inspire so many children today, "Conversations with C.S. Lewis" also touches heavily on Lewis' religion and beliefs, some of which were not wholly traditional. "Conversations with C.S. Lewis" is solid look at C.S. Lewis, highly recommended especially for Narnia fans.

Shakespeare: A Life in Art
Russel Fraser
Transaction Publishers
The State University, 35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854-8042
9781412806053, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

Bringing together two previously published volumes of Author and Professor of English Literature Russel Fraser's excellent scholarly works on William Shakespeare, "Shakespeare: A Life in Art" is a complete and educated look at one of the greatest writers the world has ever known. Primarily focusing on the man's art and life's work first, Fraser doesn't ignore the fact that his personal life and the current events of Shakespeare's time had massive impact on everything the bard did, and covering everything we know about the man, even his time as an actor. "Shakespeare: A Life In Art" is highly recommended for readers seeking an in depth look at the man behind the plays and for community library collections focusing on English History of Classic literature.

Literary Research Guide
James L. Harner
Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10004-1789
9780873528085, $37.50, www.mla.org

With well over eight hundred pages, MLA's "Literary Research Guide" is a complete and comprehensive guide for researchers who study literature. This new fifth edition boasts over 1,000 entries, which inform readers about countless books and other pieces of written media. Also sporting new chapters on cultural studies, "Literary Research Guide" leaves out little on every item discussed. An absolute must for community library reference collections focusing on literary studies, and highly recommended for college libraries as well.

Tante Jolesch or The Decline of the West in Anecdotes
Friedrich Torberg
Ariadne Press
270 Goins Court, Riverside, CA, 92507
9781572411494, $24.00, http://ariadnebooks.com

Friedrich Torberg is not one well known to English speakers, but his impact is still there. "Tante Jolesch or the Decline of the West in Anecdotes" is a memoir of sorts spanning many decades of his life. He reflects on his early days with other intellectuals in Vienna coffee houses towards his time as a budding author only to have his career cut short by Hitler's anti-Judaic sanctions. Fleeing to America, he plied his craft through the war as one of many German Anti-Nazi writers. He returned and kept writing, and his writings are compiled within. "Tante Jolesch" is a look at one of the most treasured German writers, and the book explains why he is rightfully so considered.


The Photography Shelf

Fine Art Printing for Photographs
Uwe Steinmueller & Juergen Gulbins
Rockynook
26 West Mission St. Ste 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2432
9781933952314, $44.95, www.rockynook.com

Both the technologies of digital photography and laser jet printing have been moving along at an excellent pace. Now available in a newly published second edition, "Fine Art Printing for Photographers: Exhibition Quality Prints with Inkjet Printers" is a guide to maximizing one's quality when printing photography, looking to almost perfectly match the quality of a priceless work of art with the quickness of digital photography. The second edition covers the new wave of technology on the subject, making "Fine Art Printing for Photographers" a must for anyone who use these skills on a regular basis, whether amateur or professional.


The Economics Shelf

Small is Possible
Lyle Estill
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
9780865716032, $17.95, www.newsociety.com

Globalization is becoming more and more the name of the game in recent years, but is it really needed? "Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy" is a look why smaller economies are still viable in the modern world. Focusing on self-sufficient towns and cities that produce almost everything they need on their own, and how such locations improve their own economies while importing very little from the outside, "Small Is Possible" is an interesting read which offers something new from an oft-overlooked source – the past.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Pearls, Politics & Power
Madeleine M. Kunin
Chelsea Green Publishing
85 North Main Street, Suite 120, Post Office Box 428, White River Jct. VT 05001
9781933392929, $14.95, www.chelseagreen.com

The near success of Hillary Clinton almost nabbing the Democratic Nomination for 2008 sends a powerful message to women: they, too, can be successful in politics. "Pearls, Politics & Power: How Women Can Win and Lead" pushes women to be everything they can be in the world of politics. Written to inspire fifty percent of America's population to make up fifty percent of the government (a percentage that is unfortunately a far cry to the actual numbers of today's world), "Pearls Politics & Power" is a must for any woman aspiring to gain anything from town council membership to a senate seat, a governor's chair, or even the Oval Office.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Meditations on Violence
Sgt. Rory Miller
YMAA Publication Center
23 North Main Street, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
9781594391187, $18.95, www.ymaa.com

Violence is a necessary evil of the world. "Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence" is a reflection on martial arts and self defense. From a man who has been practicing and using it for well over two decades, Rory Miller hopes to explain the facts and fictions of what is known about martial arts and how to use one's training in a real situation. He also reflects on why and when it should be used, how real life will alter one's actions, and more. "Meditations on Violence" is a scholarly and deft look at martial arts and their uses in the world.


The Social Issues Shelf

Disabling Pedagogy
Linda Komesaroff
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563683619, $45.00, http://gupress.gallaudet.edu

Deafness is all too common in children, but deaf children are perfectly capable of being fully productive members of society, provided they get as high a quality of education as their hearing peers. "Disabling Pedagogy: Power, Politics, and Deaf Education" is a look at deaf education and the power and politics behind it. Examining today's current situations and suggesting improved models to follow with some instances of combining deaf children's education with hearing children's education, "Disabling Pedagogy" is a thorough and scholarly guide on the subject, and a top pick for social issues discussions regarding issues of the deaf.

Segregation
James H. Carr & Nandinee K. Kutty, editors
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Gulotta Communications (publicity)
341 Lexington Street, Newton, MA 02466
0415965330, $36.95, www.routledge.com, 1-800-634-7064

The struggle to end segregation back in the 1950s was only the beginning of a process that is still going on today. While we are no longer a country of Jim Crow laws and segregated lunch counters, the editorial team of James H. Carr and Nandinee K. Kutty have assembled in "Segregation: The Rising Costs For America" no less than eleven compelling studies demonstrating and documenting the continuing and pervasive presence of segregation in various aspects of American society as African-American households still average about one-tenth of the wealth enjoyed by our country's white households; the blacks continue to have twice the number of below federal poverty guidelines families as those of whites; highschool graduation rates half that of white students; higher incarceration rates, and more. The essays and researches comprising "Segregation: The Rising Costs For America" reveal that the American towns and cites of 2008 are authentically more racially segregated than they were in 1908. A work of impressive and seminal scholarship by truly knowledgeable academics and activists, ""Segregation: The Rising Costs For America" is a core addition to professional and academic library collections, and a highly recommended addition to social activist and student reading lists with respect to contemporary race relations in America -- especially when progress appears to have been made with the political phenomena of bi-racial African-American Barack Obama becoming the nominee of a major political party to seek the presidency of the United States.

Transformations of La Familia on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Raquel R. Marquez and Harriett D. Romo
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
9780268035099, $28.00 www.undpress.nd.edu 1-800-621-2736

Transformations of La Familia on the U.S.-Mexico Border is an anthology of papers by expert scholars discussing how Mexican and Mexican-origin families living in the transnational space of the U.S.-Mexico border. Analyzing demographic, historic, economic, political and public policy factors, Transformations of La Familia on the U.S.-Mexico Border is an astute and balanced close study that especially highlights the challenges faced by women, who increasingly work outside the home whether married or not, and migrant children, who are at high risk for dropping out of school on either side of the border. An invaluable resource interpreting the latest statistical data, highly recommended especially for anyone involved in policymaking with regard to issues affecting these families and their neighbors. "...stressful economic conditions generally encourage informal economic activity and, observably, this occurs with a high degree of frequency along the U.S.-Mexico border. The key to harnessing informal economic transactions is to create a network of supportive microbusiness services housed in culturally competent community-based organizations that transition the informal business activities into microenterprises (Robles 2003)."

Civil War and the Rule of Law
Agnes Hurwitz, editor
Lynne Rienner Publishers
1800 30th St., Suite 314, Boulder, CO 80301-1026
9781588265074, $24.50, www.rienner.com

Civil War is not civil at all. "Civil War and the Rule of Law: Security, Development, and Human Rights" is a book written for those in power who want to establish peace in a country after a violent and bloody civil war. Focusing on the three key aspects of safety for the people and the nation itself, rebuilding what was lost, and most importantly that the people of the nation have what they deserve fundamentally as human beings, "Civil War and the Rule of Law" is a must for community library politics collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Mark & Method
Janice Capel Anderson & Stephen D. Moore, editors
Fortress Press
c/o Augsburg Fortress Publishers
PO Box 59304, Minneapolis, MN 55459-0303
9780800638511, $22.00, www.fortresspress.com

People have been studying the Bible in much the same way for the past two thousand years; "Mark & Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies" brings some new methods and ideas to the table. Offering a thorough and scholarly examination of the Bible and present-day theology, including topics such as feminism and cultural diversity, "Mark & Method" is an ideal pick for anyone looking to intelligently discuss the Bible in a modern context. Highly recommended for community library theology collections and church library collections.

Be Last
Jeremy Kingsley
Tyndale
c/o Alive Communications
7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
B&B Media Group
109 South Main Street Corsicana, TX 75110
9781414316413, $12.99, www.tyndale.com

In this harsh world, everyone is seemingly out to protect their own hide, ignoring the needs of everyone else. "Be Last: Descending to Greatness" offers a fresh perspective and a contrary one: the idea that rushing to be number one is not always the best way to do things. Putting the needs of others before oneself can reap its own set of benefits, and can help one's own personal soul with the transformative power of giving charity. A book with a strong Christian message, "Be Last" is recommended reading to anyone interested in becoming a better human being.

A Christianity Worth Believing
Doug Pagitt
Jossey-Bass
c/o Wiley & Company
989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
Dechant & Hughes Associates (publicity)
1440 N. Kingsbury, Chicago, IL 60622
9780787998127, $21.95, www.josseybass.com

So many in the modern era are faced difficult questions of faith, finding themselves bombarded with controversy surrounding their religion. "A Christianity Worth Believing: Hope-Filled, Open-Armed, Alive-And-Well Faith" is a guide for Christians who doubt their own faith but are not yet ready to give up on it all. Seeking to inspire souls to find their faith once more by addressing common problems and answering the questions not normally answered, "A Christianity Worth Believing" is a choice pick for anyone who wants to reclaim their religion.

Transforming Congregations
James Lemler
Church Publishing
445 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780898695847, $16.00, www.churchpublishing.org

Church leaders often become leaders of communities, and therefore are charged with leading them toward their hopes and dreams. "Transforming Congregations" is a guide for these leaders to help improve the communities of their congregations. Good leaders will help their people stay faithful, helpful, and charitable towards others, while bad leaders will have the exact opposite effect. Highly recommended for leaders of congregations of any size, "Transforming Congregations" is a top notch guide for any church authority figure who wants to improve the general lives of their brethren.

God's Welcome
Amy G. Oden
The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
9780829817355, $14.00, www.thepilgrimpress.com

Christians are increasingly viewed as hostile throughout the world, the exact opposite of the religion's intent. "God's Welcome: Hospitality for a Gospel Hungry World" is a guide for Christians who want to bring their religion's hospitable roots back into public view. Author Amy Oden seeks to dispel the negative image surrounding Christianity and promote the hospitality and goodwill that early Christians held so dear. An inspiring look at a side of Christianity that is too often forgotten, "God's Welcome" is especially recommended for Christians who strive for self-improvement.

My Devotions
Deborah Henry
Concordia Publishing House
3558 S. Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118-3968
9780758615930, $12.99, www.cph.org

A piece of wisdom for every day of the year. "My Devotions: 365 Timeless Devotions for Families" is something to consider for all Christian families, packed cover to cover with a devotion for each day of the year. In a special fiftieth anniversary edition, each page has a piece of scripture, a real life anecdote, and a prayer. A book designed to be shared with children by their parents for every day at a low price, "My Devotions" has little reason for it not to be picked up.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Rent
Jonathan Larson
Hal Leonard Corporation
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
9781557837370, $16.95, www.applausepub.com

Celebrating one of the most famous Broadway musicals, "Rent: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical" is the script and songbook for the show that has been running on the famed musical theater street for well over a decade. The play, which focuses on young artists making their way in the world as the AIDS epidemic begins to hit, has gained its popularity for a reason - its no-holds-barred take on contemporary issues is speaks openly to theater goers of all backgrounds. "Rent" is sure to please fans of the play who want a souvenir to cherish as its Broadway run comes to an end.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Cezanne's Quarry
Barbara Corrado Pope
Pegasus Books
45 Walls Street, Suite 1021, New York, NY 10005
9781933648835, $25.00, www.pegasusbooks.us

When one dies young, it's a tragedy. When it's murder, the result is a race to find the one responsible and bring them to justice. "Cezanne's Quarry" tells of Solange Vernet, who is found dead. Bernard Martin is chosen to solve the crime; he is torn between his two prime suspects of Vernet's lover Charles Westbury and her spurned ex-lover Paul Cezanne. The evidence points to both, so Martin must dive into the dark past of all three to find out. An enthralling novel all the way through, "Cezanne's Quarry" is a must for mystery fans who prefer historical settings over contemporary ones.

Green Monster
Rick Shefchik
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590585245, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com, 1-800-421-3976

Boston Red Sox owner Louis Kenwood received an extortion note singed 'Babe Ruth' claiming that the 2004 World Series in which the Sox finally won and ended the 'Curse of the Bambino' was fixed and the author of that extortion note wants $20 million to keep quiet. If the public were to become aware of this accusation, the value of Kenwood's franchise would be eroded so he turns to detective Sam Skarda to find out if the allegation is true, and who's behind the blackmail attempt. Kenwood's lovely assistant heather Canby is assigned to monitor and accompany Sam on his investigation. The clues lead Sam into the Los Angeles underworld, through the slums of Venezuela, and back to Fenway Park. A good mystery novel must have two essential elements: characters that attract our attention and plots that compel our interest from beginning to end. "Green Monster" by Rick Shefchik is highly recommended reading on both those conditions. Also highly recommended reading for mystery buffs is Rick Shefchik's early Sam Skarda detective novel published by Poisoned Pen Press is "Amen Corner".

Spun Tales
Felicia Donovan
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
9780738713106, $13.95, www.midnightinkbooks.com

Authors everywhere desire to become famous and have their novels sell millions. But fame, much like everything, carries a cost. "Spun Tales" is a novel of the Black Widow Agency series, following the group as they protect an author from those who would do her harm and those who would and beg her for an autograph. If that wasn't enough, someone is out for her latest book, and the Agency must deal with irritants in their daily lives. An excellently crafted mystery novel especially recommended for women, "Spun Tales" is thoroughly enjoyable.

Dog Eats Dog
Iain Levison
Bitter Lemon Press
9781904738312, $14.95, www.bitterlemonpress.com

When a teacher goes too far with a student, consequences are to be expected. And sometimes they aren't what one would expect. "Dog Eat Dog" follows bank robber Dixon as he flees to a quiet town in New England where he finds a Professor White with a high school student. Using his savvy and lack of morality, he blackmails White into doing his bidding, including hiding him from the cops. Dixon thinks he's safe for now and enjoyed several hundred thousand for his hard work, but a certain FBI agent won't give up and Professor White isn't as dense as he seems. "Dog Eat Dog" is an original and creative thriller, sure to please readers who want a story of intrigue and suspense.

Death Vows
Richard Stevenson
MLR Press
3052 Gaines Waterport Road, Albion, NY 14411
9781934531334, $14.99, www.mlrpress.com

The allowance of legal gay marriage in Massachusetts has caused many a gay couple to travel there for their opportunity to be wed. "Death Vows" is another chapter in the series of Donald Strachey's adventures as the only gay private investigator in Albany, New York. His latest case deals with the fear and hypocrisy surrounding Gay marriage in Massachusetts, where one person pays a price no one should pay for love. "Death Vows" is a riveting mystery with a good dose of satire on today's worlds opinions on homosexuality.

Harum Scarum
Felicity Young
Fremantle Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781921361104, $22.95, www.fremantlepress.com.au

The internet can both be a tool for good and evil. "Harum Scarum: Spinning a Web of Evil" is a story of the latter, following the trail of certain sick individuals using the web as a tool to pick their next victims for their crimes, which happen to be pre-adolescent girls. DS Stevie Hooper is out to find the root of all this, and must deal with a vigilante who is also after them. Their good intentions can be as much of a problem as the bad intentions of the Dream Team – the name of the very pedophilia ring Stevie Hooper wants to crack down on. "Harum Scarum" is a riveting mystery and a classic tale of good versus evil and those who would use the latter to do the former.

Chain of Evidence
Garry Disher
Soho Press
853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
9781569475003, $13.00, www.sohopress.com

Bad news rarely comes alone. "Chain of Evidence" is a mystery novel featuring previous scene Inspector Hal Challis as he returns to his Australian home where his father is dying, but his brother is law is also missing. He sets out to find him, as back home newcomer to the series Sergeant Ellen Destry tries to track down the scum members of a suspected pedophilia ring. A gripping set of mysteries, "Chain of Evidence" is sure to please fans of the genre everywhere.


The Business Shelf

Marketing Without Advertising
Michael Phillips & Salli Rasberry
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413306323, $20.00, www.nolo.com, 1-800-955-4775

Paid advertising can often be the most expensive and least effective method of marketing goods and services to the public. Now in a significantly updated and expanded sixth edition, "Marketing Without Advertising: Easy Ways To Build A Business Your Customers Will Love & Recommend" by the team of Michael Phillips and Salli Rasberry (both of whom are recognized pioneers in 'values-based' business models) is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and practical instruction manual for high-impact, low-cost marketing strategies that offer a wealth of tips and techniques for developing repeat customers, creating word-of-mouth publicity, transforming dissatisfied customers into a loyal clientele, planning and executing low-cost marketing events, utilizing the Internet and the World Wide Web, attracting media attention, and a whole lot more. Focusing on such essential issues as the physical appearance of the business, pricing, customer education, and marketing plan design, "Marketing Without Advertising" can be considered to be a complete, comprehensive, and invaluable instructional that will enable even the most novice entrepreneur and business manager to succeed in today's volatile marketplace and competitive economic environment no matter what the product or service they are seeking to promote.

What If?
Steve L. Robbins
Davies-Black Publishing
1055 Joaquin Road, 2nd Floor, Mountain View, CA 94043
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publishers
196 Van Dale Road, Woodstock, NY 12498
9780891062752, $18.95, www.daviesblack.com

Some concepts of the workplace aren't taught up front. "What If? Short Stories to Spark Diversity Dialogue" is a series of twenty six stories written to teach those in the workplace what they need to know to truly understand diversity and inclusionary concepts, and how to apply these principles in every day business. "What If?" should be considered essential reading for every manager, and is highly recommended for community library business collections.

How to Survive in an Organization
James J. Heaphey
Today's Books
c/o History Publishing Company LLC
PO Box 700, Palisades, NY 10964-0700
9781933909196, $17.95, www.historypublishingco.com

Understanding one's situation is the first step to achieving excellence. "How to Survive in an Organization" is a guide for those who want to improve their performance at their place of work. With advice on successful management, evaluations, where the power truly lies in organizations, and other elements of success, "How to Survive in an Organization" is a seminal pick for anyone seeking to make the most of their career.


The Psychology Shelf

Healing Scripts
Marlene Hunter, M.D.
Crown House Publishing
PO Box 2223, Williston, VT 05495-2223
9781845900724, $39.95, www.CHPUS.com 1-877-925-1213

The use of hypnosis as a medical tool in the field of psychology and psychiatry predates Sigmund Freud. "Healing Scripts: Using Hypnosis To Treat Trauma And Stress" by Dr. Marlene Hunter (Certificant and Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada) draws upon her more than thirty years experience working with highly dissociative patients. As a past president of the American Society of clinical hypnosis, she writes a particular expertise on the subject of utilizing hypnosis to clinically address acute stress disorders including pain in all of its forms, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (with sections on denial, hypervigilance and hyper-arousal), acute stress, sleep disorders, and dissociation disorders (including ego-strengthening and integration). Of note is the section focused on helping children suffering from acute stress and trauma. An impressively informative work, "Healing Scripts" is particularly recommended reading for students and practitioners of psychiatric medicine, and a core addition to professional and academic library Psychology, Psychiatry, and Medical Science instructional reference collections.

Marie-Louise von Franz: The Classic Jungian and The Classic Jungian Tradition
James A. Hall and Daryl Sharp, editors
Inner City Books
Box 1271, Station Q, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4T 2P4
9781894574235, $25.00 www.innercitybooks.net 1-416-927-0355

Marie-Louise von Franz: The Classic Jungian and The Classic Jungian Tradition gathers testimonies of and memories about Dr. Marie-Louise Von Franz (1915-1998), an expert in the psychological interpretation of dreams, alchemical texts, and fairy tales, who worked with C.G. Jung for nearly thirty years. Contributors include Thomas B. Kirsch, Anne Maguire, James A. Hall, Barbara Davies, and more. In addition to reflecting upon Von Franz's remarkable life and accomplishments, Marie-Louise von Franz: The Classical Jungian and The Classic Jungian Tradition also examines what, precisely is meant by the "classic Jungian tradition" that Dr. von Franz pursued (and added her own individual stamp to). A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this reflective text, especially recommended as a supplement to Jungian psychology collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

The New England Clam Shack Cookbook
Brooke Dojny
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603420266, $16.95 www.storey.com 1-800-827-8673

Now in a completely updated second edition featuring twenty new recipes, six new restaurants and three new recommended "clam-shack weekend itineraries" for making the most of New England dining, The New England Clam Shack Cookbook is far more than just a collection of recipes. Interspersed between the easy-to-follow instructions to make seafood delights from Lobster Stew to Old-Fashioned Salt Codfish Cakes to Creamy Cape Cod Clam Chowder are anecdotes, New England culinary trivia, quotable quotes, and much more. Illustrated with black-and-white and color images throughout, The New England Clam Shack Cookbook is as much fun for gourmands to page through as it is for seafood chefs of all skill and experience levels to cook from. Highly recommended for both personal and community library cookbook collections.

Our Founding Foods
Jane Tennant with S.G.B. Tennant, Jr.
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua WI 54548
9781595435910, $16.95 www.willowcreekpress.com 1-800-850-9453

Our Founding Foods: Classics From the First Century of American Celebrity Cookbooks is a vintage collection of select recipes from eighteenth-century American cookbooks, from recipes collected by Martha Washington (America's first celebrity chef) to choices from Thomas Jefferson's cousin Mary Randolph (many of whose recipes are still used today) to the Thanksgiving traditional fare propagated by enterprising New Yorker Amelia Simmons. Collecting over 200 recipes out of the very best cookbooks created during the first 100 years of America's culinary history, Our Founding Foods is a much-deserved addition to American cookbook shelves.


The Art Shelf

Saints of the Pueblos
Charles M. Carrillo
LPD Press
925 Salamanca NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107-5647
9781890689308, $22.95 www.nmsantos.com

Winner of the Twitchell History Award among other honors, Saints of the Pueblos is a wonderful testimony to the influence that the images of saints have upon Pueblo pottery traditions - a unique melding of Hispanic and Pueblo cultures. Each of the nineteen active pueblos is represented with a retablo as created by author Charlie Carrillo of its patron saint, in the style of the pueblo. Four additional, ancestral pueblos are also represented. The colorful imagery, interspersed with black-and-white photography and thoughtful text about the history of each pueblo and its art makes Saints of the Pueblos a distinguished, viscerally visual exploration of how Catholicism and Pueblo culture are inextricably interwoven. A welcome addition to Native American art studies shelves.

Spirit of the Wedge-Tailed Eagle
Penny Olsen, author
Humphrey Price-Jones, illustrator
CSRIO Publishing
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9780643094338, $43.00 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756

Spirit of the Wedge-Tailed Eagle: The Art of Humphrey Price-Jones is a stunning, oversized hardcover art book showcasing the work of artist Humphrey Price-Jones' and features his lavish illustrations of the wedge-tailed eagle -- Australia's largest true eagle. Both black-and-white sketches and striking, incredibly detailed full-page color artworks fill this compilation which is worthy to stand side-by-side with the works of the master avian artist Audubon himself. The informed and informative text by author Penny Olson is filled with a wealth of fascinating facts about the wedge-tailed eagle. The result is a coffee table art book enthusiastically recommended as an unforgettable gift for bird lovers everywhere, as well as a welcome addition to academic and community library collections.

The Rublev Trinity
Gabriel Bunge
St. Vladimir's Seminary Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
9780881413106, $27.00, www.svspress.com

One piece of art can mean so much to so many people. "The Rublev Trinity" is a look at a monk named Andrei Rublev. Around 1400 A.D., he painted his depiction of the holy trinity of Christianity, which has stayed in the minds of practicing Eastern Orthodox Christians for the following six centuries. With a scholarly history on iconographic traditions of the western world and the power of Rublev's painting all the way up to the modern day, "The Rublev Trinity" is highly recommended to anyone studying the strong connection that exists between art and religion.


The Sports Shelf

Walkoffs, Last Licks, and Final Outs
Bill Chuck and Jim Kaplan
ACTA Publications
5559 West Howard Street, Skokie, IL 60077
9780879463427, $14.95 www.actapublications.com 1-800-397-2282

Walkoffs, Last Licks, and Final Outs: Baseball's Grand (and not-so-grand) Finales is an amazing, year-by-year collection of baseball's greatest (and not-exactly-great) final acts. From the classic moment of Carlton Fisk's home run in the 1975 World Series, to the wince-inducing moment when Fred Merkle failed to touch second base, prompting a 1908 National League tiebreaker, Walkoffs, Last Licks, and Final Outs is a trivia repository of baseball finales throughout the last century. Including a comprehensive breakdown of every perfect game in major league baseball history, box scores and linescores for the greatest games ever played, black-and-white photographs, eulogies and career statistics for baseball players whose lives ended too soon, the heroic (and not so much) endings to Hall of Fame careers, and more, Walkoffs, Last Licks, and Final Outs is sure to delight any baseball trivia fan.


The American History Shelf

1758
William R. Nester
State University of New York Press (SUNY)
194 Washington Ave., Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384
9780791473214, $65.50, www.sunypress.edu

The bloodiest battle in the entire French and Indian War. "1758: The Epic Battles for Ticonderoga" takes a look at the year of 1758 amidst the key battles in this conflict. An in-depth military history covering the conflicts throughout the year on both sides through the minds of their leaders and the blunders that led to that fateful day where almost an entire two thousand British men lost their lives or were injured. With a focus on British General James Abercromby and his unfortunate military blunder, it stays on the failed campaign that was a precursor to the return attempt where Britain finally claimed the land as its own. Enhanced with a bibliography, index, and other appendixes, "1758: The Epic Battles for Ticonderoga" is highly recommended to community library history collections.

Basins of Silver
Eric Twitty
Western Reflections Publishing Company
PO Box 1149, Lake City, CO 81235
9781932738445, $32.95 www.westernreflectionspub.com 970-994-0110

Basins of Silver: The Story of Silverton, Colorado's Las Animas Mining District is a detailed and methodical yet thoroughly accessible history of one of Colorado's richest and longest-worked mining areas, one of the first places in which the economies of scale in mining and milling low-grade ore were practiced and refined. The resulting techniques would forever transform the mining industry. Meticulously distinguishing history from folklore, Basins of Silver covers booms and busts, from The Great Silver Crash of 1983 to the demand surge caused by World War I to the devastating impact of the Great Depression and the end to Silverton's mining era. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful, balanced, and extensive account. A welcome addition to Colorado state history shelves.


The Philosophy Shelf

What Is Philosophy? An Introduction
Alistair J. Sinclair
Dunedin
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
9781903765944, $28.95 www.isbs.com 1-800-944-6190

What Is Philosophy? An Introduction is a serious-minded yet accessible text for readers of all backgrounds, about the origins and history of the mental discipline of philosophy, from the early Greek and classical Greek era to medieval times to the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. Further chapters explore the core and peripheral subjects discussed by philosophy, twentieth-century philosophical movements, and well-known philosophical problems revolving about such fundamental issues as free will, time, truth, facts and values, personal identity, and more. A thoughtful, exhaustively researched, and well-grounded primer, What Is Philosophy? An Introduction lives up to its title - a more difficult task than one might first guess, considering the complexities of the subject. Highly recommended, especially for public and college libraries, and as a textbook for Philosophy 101 courses. "Nietzsche wrongly thought that when the authority of religion is overthrown, a nihilistic view is inevitable, namely, that the world is valueless, purposeless and amounts to nothing... Nietzsche failed to appreciate that truth is a process and not an end in itself. We are responsible for creating our own values and finding our own meaning in life. Religion is just one way of doing this and has become inadequate for our present purposes. Presumably, his theory of eternal recurrence prevented him from thinking of cultural change and improvement since, in his view, everything comes back to the same thing in the end."

The Infinite In Act
Ion G. Soteropoulos
Apeiron Centre
PO Box 4726, Portsmouth, NH 03802
Science Publisher (publicity)
234 May Street, PO Box 699, Enfield, NH 03748
9781931807623, $25.00, www.enfieldbooks.com

The Universe is a complicated place. "The Infinite in Act: A Treatise on the Founding Principle of the Physical Body Endowed with Continuous Motion" is Ion Soteropoulos's attempt to explain it as a whole. Tackling such concepts as the theory of motion, the relativity of good and evil, the nature of science, and knowledge itself, it's an advanced read for those who think deeply about our world and what surrounds it." The Infinite in Act" should be a consideration for all those who ponder the nature of the universe.


The Nautical Shelf

Understanding Boat Plumbing And Water Systems
John C. Payne
Sheridan House Inc.
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
9781574092639, $14.95, www.sheridanhouse.com, 1-888-743-7425

Every owner of a sailing ship or yacht needs to understand the sanitation and water systems that are an integral part of their craft. John C. Payne is an internationally recognized expert in marine electrical systems and electronics who brings to bear his many years of experience and expertise to the technical issues as he addresses the specific issues of marine plumbing systems, fresh water systems, hot water systems, galley plumbing systems, watermaker systems, salt water systems, bilge pump systems, shower (gray) water systems, sewage (black) water and MSD systems. The result is the comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional compendium "Understanding Boat Plumbing And Water Systems" as an concise, compact, and fully illustrated shipboard reference. Also very highly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and library Nautical Reference collections and supplemental reading lists is John C. Payne's "Understanding Boat AC Power Systems" (9781574092622, $14.95, Sheridan House).


The Environmental Studies Shelf

The Climate Diet
Jonathan Harrington
Earthscan
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 21066-2012
9781844075331, $15.95, www.earthscan.co.uk

Sometimes people go on a diet to better themselves. Could the same be said of our climate? "The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs, and Save the Planet" is a guide for humanity as a whole to cut back, so that the world can do the same. Emphasizing that the key purpose to saving the planet is curtail the excesses that too many individuals have been accustomed to, and claiming that a healthier self can lead to a healthier planet, "The Climate Diet" is a solid choice for anyone concerned about the environment.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Dark Side of the Supernatural
Bill Myers & Dave Wimbish
Zondervan
5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
B&B Media Group
109 South Main Street, Corsicana, TX 75110
9780310279242, $12.99, www.zondervan.com

All myths and legends have some basis in a true story. "The Dark Side of the Supernatural: What Is of God and What Isn't" is a look at common stories and mythology to research what is real in the world and what is not. Topic by topic, the book tackles subjects such as Witchcraft, Vampirism, Satanic Possession, Reincarnation, and much more in this eye opening look at what most deem as simply fodder for science fiction and fantasy. "The Dark Side of the Supernatural" is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in these types of phenomena and wants to know their place in reality.


The Computer Shelf

My New Mac
Wallace Wang
No Starch Press
555 De Haro Street, Suite 250, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781593271640, $29.95, www.nostarch.com

The major alternative to PCs with the Windows OS is the Macintosh. "My New Mac" is a complete and comprehensive guide for anyone who wants to do everything they did on a Windows machine and more, using the popular alternative. With countless tips on organization, internet browsing, media creation and archiving, security and more, "My New Mac" is the ideal starter's manual, and even has a few tips veterans will find handy. Highly recommended for community library computer collections.

Murach's ASP.NET 3.5
Anne Boehm
Murach
4340 N. Knoll, Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774479, $52.50, www.murach.com

An innovative and exciting website is a great way to attract customers. "Murach's ASP.NET 3.5: Web Programming with VB 2008" is a highly complete and comprehensive training and reference guide to those seeking to have total mastery over the program to better assist their company. It covers how to create one's own program from scratch using Visual Basic 2008 and using ASP.NET features to enhance one's own programs and how to do it professionally. Enhanced with an index and appendixes which cover the changes Windows Vista brought to the to field, "Murach's ASP.NET 3.5" is a must for community library computer collections.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Rabbi, Mystic Leader: The Life and Times of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson
Merkos Publications
291 Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213
9780826600974, $22.95,www.kehot.com

Everyone is equal if Communism was to be done by the book. But Russian Jews had no such hope in the Soviet Union under the Lenin, Stalin, and their successors. "Rabbi, Mystic, Leader: The Life and Times of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson" is a look at one of the leading Russian Rabis during the time of the Communist rule who risked his own life to keep his faith alive in his home country. A compelling biography of a man who truly lived for his faith, "Rabbi, Mystic, Leader" is a tale of adversity and the human spirit that will inspire many Jews everywhere, (and most especially those who hail from Russia), to love and sacrifice for their faith wherever they may abide and under whatever regimes they must live.

Bubbe Meises
Ronald H. Isaacs
KTAV
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602800328, $19.95, www.ktav.com

Jewish stereotypes are almost as old as Judaism itself. "Bubbe Meises: Jewish Myths, Jewish Realities" is an examination of many of these myths and stereotypes. Written by Ronald H. Isaacs, a rabbi with over three decades of experience, "Bubble Meises" covers range of subjects including Jewish traditions, Jewish sayings, and mis-beliefs about Judaism. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to more completely understand the Jewish people, "Bubbe Meises" is a welcome addition to community library Judaic studies collections.

Jewish Sacred Music & Jewish Identity
Jonathan L. Friedmann & Brad Stetson, editors
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113-2619
9781557788726, $19.95, www.paragonhouse.com

A culture's music is its theme song of identity. "Jewish Sacred Music & Jewish Identity: Continuity and Fragmentation" is a deftly insightful examination of traditional Jewish music with its respects to religion and how it has changed over the years with the assimilation of the cultures around them. Also with a focus on one of the greatest minds in Jewish music Cantor William Sharlin and his place in the history of it, the book is a deft look at the genre as a whole. "Jewish Sacred Music & Jewish Identity" is a must for anyone who wants to more closely examine the relationship between culture, religion, and its music.

Army Fatigues
Mark Werner
Devora Publishing
9781934440087, $21.95, www.devorapublishing.com

A member of a successful law firm in America, Mark Werner felt an obligation to come to the aid of an Israel beset by hostile neighbors. "Army Fatigues: Joining Israel's Army of International Volunteers" is Mark Werner's passionate memoir of his time volunteering in Israel's army, despite his prosperity in America. Enraged by the second Palestinian Intifada, he volunteered. He speaks on why some people give their time and risk their lives for this as well as reflecting on his time. "Army Fatigues" is a compelling read about one man's decision to sacrifice a comfortable life in service to the Jewish nation.

The Law of Nations
Emer De Vattel
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
9780865974517, $12.00, www.libertyfund.org

What makes up the basis of what's called an honorable practice in today's world? "The Law of Nations" is a new and updated edition of Emer De Vattel's classic writing from over two hundred years ago. Despite its age, its wisdom holds true even today, touching on how nations ought to act when dealing with one another in order to promote peace and prosperity. Enhanced with an index and many informative appendixes, "The Law of Nations" is a top pick for anyone who would educate themselves with this international judicial studies classic from the Enlightenment period.


The Education Shelf

Making Links
Janet Gonzalez-Mena
Teachers College Press
Teachers College, Columbia University, 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807748435, $35.95, www.tcpress.com

Life experience counts more than anything. "Making Links: A Collaborative Approach to Planning and Practice in Early Childhood Programs" is a guide for educators who want to make sure children five years of age and younger get the most thorough and complete life experience possible, as much as they can in a classroom setting. With advice on learning about a child's specific culture, and how to be understanding if the child's culture is alien to the educator, "Making Links" is a tolerant guide to helping those who may need a little help to get by. Enhanced with an index and references, "Making Links" is a must for educators who want their questions about teaching young children the best way possible answered in a scholarly manner.

Teaching Your First College Class
Carolyn Lieberg
Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2102
9781579222260, $24.95, www.styluspub.com

Teaching a college class is different from any other teaching situation. "Teaching Your First College Class: A Practical Guide for New Faculty and Graduate Student Instructors" is a guide for fresh professors on how to effectively teach in a college classroom. With proven strategies that work to maintain control and deliver the best educational experience possible, "Teaching Your First College Class" tackles all of the essentials: time management, grading, setting rules with the students, discipline, and more. A great pick for any college educator who is just getting started, and highly recommended for college library education collections.

How to Read Texts
Neil McCaw
Continuum
4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112
9780826492883, $19.95, www.continuumbooks.com

The thousand page textbooks that lie ahead of students are always intimidating. "How to Read Texts: A Student Guide to Critical Approaches and Skills" tells students how to face these daunting behemoth tomes that are handed to them at the start of every semester. The advice laid out within in a form that is not a massive book in itself is designed to help prepare students for the mounds of education that lies before them. Critical theory, history and context, relationships between reader and author, and many more subjects are touched upon. With a solid set of appendixes and an index, "How to Read Texts" is enthusiastically recommended for those facing a tough pile of books in their future.

Attainment's Teaching to Standards Math
Katherine Trela, Bree Jimenez, and Diane Browder
Attainment Company Inc.
PO Box 930160, Verona, WI 53593-0160
1578616395, $199.00 (complete kit), www.AttainmentCompany.com 1-800-327-4269

The implementation guide of "Attainment's Teaching to Standards Math" is a spiral-bound resource created especially for mathematics teachers of geometry, algebra, data analysis, and measurement. The suggested lessons are ideal for use in classrooms of students age twelve to twenty-one, and include comprehensive breakdowns of each unit with recommended lessons, dissected story problems suitable for use in a teaching lecture (and how to break them down so that students better grasp their examples), and much more. An accompanying CD-ROM has copies of PDF files useful to educators drawing from these lesson plans and selections. Reproducible problem statements, assessment forms, and "concept maps" that vividly illustrate key ideas and more enhance this top-quality, professional guide created by expert educators. Highly recommended. The complete Introductory Kit from publisher Attainment Company also includes an accompanying staff training DVD, 11 graphic posters, counting manipulatives, and a student book.


The Science Shelf

Soil Science Simplified
Neal S. Eash & Collaborators
Blackwell Publishing
2121 State Avenue, Ames, IA, 50014
Wiley Publishers (publicity)
350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148
9780813818238, $60.00, www.blackwellprofessional.com

Soil has more uses than just feeding the world (although that is extremely important too). "Soil Science Simplified" is now in a fifth edition that covers this rapidly changing field about furthering the non-agricultural uses of soil in sciences such as engineering. Covering every detail and use for the soil completely and comprehensively, "Soil Science Simplified" is the most user friendly and thorough guide on the subject, as it has been for nearly three decades now. A must for anyone in the field, and highly recommended for college library science collections.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

America's Best Zoos
Allen W. Nyhuis & Jon Wassner
The Intrepid Traveler
PO Box 531, Branford, CT 06405
9781887140768, $15.95, www.intrepidtraveler.com

The United States is home to some of the best zoos in the entire world. "America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families" is a complete and comprehensive listing of the best places to visit humanely kept wildlife in the United States. Featuring a directory complete with tips, driving directions, listings of rare exotic animals and the niches some of them fill (such as Arizona-Sonoroa's Desert Museum for desert creatures), "America's Best Zoos" is a must-have for any wildlife lover traveling across the country. Highly recommended for community library travel collections.


The Self-Help Shelf

Her Inspiration
Mina Parker
Conari Book Publishers
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781573243247, $14.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

What seems obvious may not be. "Her Inspiration: Secrets to Help You Work Smart, Be Successful, and Have Fun" is a compilation of wisdom from hundreds of women worldwide, offering intelligent and simple advice for everyday life. From dealing with one's job to one's family to just life in general, the advice is wide-ranging and invaluable to readers of any age, male or female. A solid pick for community library self-help collections.


The International Studies Shelf

Transnational Actors In Central In Central and East European Transitions
Mitchell A. Orenstein, Stephen Bloom, & Nicole Lindstrom
University of Pittsburgh
Eureka Building, Fifth Floor, 3400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
9780822959946, $27.95, www.upress.pitt.edu

The development of one nation's politics is the business of another's, apparently. "Transnational Actors in Central and East European Transitions" is a look at western Europe and America's involvement in Eastern Europe's affairs. It is a collection of scholarly essays on both the positive and negative effects of these practices and the various subjects they are making themselves involved in from anything from Human Trafficking, Bank Privatization, Stabilizing governments, and more. "Transnational Actors in Central and East European Transitions" is an enlightening array of essays about a lesser known gear in how the world works.


The Native American Shelf

Life on the River
William R. Hildebrandt & Michael J. Darcangelo
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597140867, $13.95, www.heydaybooks.com

Lost to the sands of time was the Wintu people, but the sands of time can be dug through. "Life on the River: The Archaeology of an Early Native American Culture" is the results of that digging. Hilldebrandt and Darcangelo reveal the culture's history as best they can from the artifacts they uncover and the theories about the Wintu's people's life, from how they ate to how they lived to how they died. A riveting look at a time before the touch of the Europeans came to their land, "Life on the River" is highly recommended to any history fanatic seeking something fresh and new to learn.

B Street
Lawney L. Reyes
University of Washington Press
PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096
9780295988535, $18.95 www.washington.edu/uwpress 1-206-543-4050

B Street: The Notorious Playground of Coulee Dam captures an up-close, in-focus glimpse of American history in the making during the era of the Great Depression and beyond. During these difficult times, B Street was a place of recreation for white workingmen, particularly those who labored on the Coulee Dam; filled with shops, restaurants, and brothels, B Street was off-limits to blacks and most dark-skinned individuals, including Indians. Opening with the eyes and memories of author Lawney L. Reyes, a young boy who wandered B Street with his little sister Luana and their dog Pickles while their Indian mother and Filipino father survived hand-to-mouth running a Chinese restaurant, B Street continues through preservations of Reyes' mother's diary, enhanced with stories told by his parents and other members of the Sin-Aikst tribe. B Street is ultimately a profound testimony to the history and culture of the Indians whose way of life was overwhelmed with change through the creation of the Grand Coulee Dam. Highly recommended, especially for Native American reading lists.


The Gardening Shelf

The Green Gardener's Guide
Joe Lamp'l
Cool Springs Press
101 Forrest Crossing Boulevard, Suite 100, Franklin, Tennessee 37064
9781591864264, $16.95 www.coolspringspress.net

Nationally syndicated gardening writer and host of the PBS series "GardenSmart" Joe Lamp'l (a.k.a. Joe Gardener) presents The Green Gardener's Guide: Simple, Significant Actions to Protect & Preserve Our Planet, a straightforward how-to guide that lives up to its title. Written in plain terms for gardeners of all skill and experience levels, The Green Gardener's Guide covers how to reduce water usage (even fixing leaky faucets and collecting roof runoff in rain barrels can make a sizeable difference), minimize the use of chemicals and pesticides, reduce waste through recycling and composting, and much more. Of especial interest is the warning that relying too heavily upon cultivating a single species rather than promoting biodiversity can promote disaster when a parasite that preys upon that one species inevitably appears, as in the great Irish Potato Famine and many other situations. The Green Gardener's Guide is enthusiastically recommended to gardeners everywhere not only for its promotion of social responsibility, but also for its straight-talk and practical advice. "Research conducted by universities, laboratories, and even commercial airports has shown that [Japanese Beetle traps] attract many more beetles than are actually caught. Consequently, susceptible plants along the flight path of the beetles and in the vicinity of traps are likely to suffer much more damage than if no traps are used at all. In most landscape situations, use of Japanese Beetle traps will likely do more harm than good."


The Geriatric Studies Shelf

Seven Strategies for Positive Aging
Robert D. Hill
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393705232, $17.95, www.wwnorton.com

No one likes aging, but it's a fact of life that must be faced. "Seven Strategies for Positive Aging" is a guide for those who don't want the dawning of the late years of their life to curtail their fun. With advice on how to stay healthy, keep learning, gain and impart wisdom, and more aspects to making one's life complete and successful, "Seven Strategies for Positive Aging" is a must for anyone who wants their progression into seniority to be an enjoyable one.


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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