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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 2 February 2007 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Music Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Cookbook Shelf DVD Shelf
Photography Shelf Art Shelf Architecture Shelf
Education Shelf Business Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Language Studies Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Travel Shelf Automotive Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Native American Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Poetry Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

The Compact Tractor Bible
Dr. Graeme R. Quick
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul MN 55101-3885
0760323933 $24.95 www.voyageurpress.com

The small tractor is here defined as under 75 horsepower and there are nearly a hundred brands of compacts offered in North America – with accompanying variations in style and presentation. Any who would use a small tractor will appreciate the clear insights of The Compact Tractor Bible: it surveys power, design, price, and performance levels and offers up everything from safety assessments to operating costs. Color photos and diagrams also cover mowing specifics and operations and use, giving the would-be owner specifics key to understanding the pros and cons of each.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide
Stephen F. Hofer
Bangzoom Publishers
14 Storrs Avenue, Braintree, MA 02184
0977292711, $29.95 www.bangzoom.com

Enhanced with more than 3,700 full color covers from America's most popular, iconic, and widespread weekly magazine, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" compiled by Stephen F. Hofer (Curator of the Philo T. Farnsworth Television History Center, Auburn, Indiana, and who himself is the owner of one of the largest collections of TV Guide magazines and memorabilia in the United States) covers all the national and regional digest size covers from April 10, 1953 to October 9, 2005. Included are TV Guide foldout covers, holographic covers, and multiple covers. For the antique dealer and hobbyist collector, each issue has the current secondary market prices listed. Featuring memorable quotes from TV Guide and from television shows, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" is more than a price guide compendium, (and a superb history of the magazine itself), it is also a very highly recommended tour of American television programming through more than fifty years of popular culture.


The Music Shelf

Singing Cowboys
Douglas B. Green
Gibbs Smith Publisher
P.O. Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586858084 $39.95 www.gibbs-smith.com

An audio cd of music packs added punch to the review of Western cowboy music's development and colorful characters in SINGING COWBOYS, which charts a bygone era when cowboys sang, yodeled, and were active members of the real West. From the singing cowboy movie fad to the evolution of the cowboy from ranch hand to musician, the lives of some sixty 'singing cowboys' are presented in a blend of biographical sketches, photos, and music. An outstanding, colorful history, SINGING COWBOYS will interest even readers who have only a casual affection for the genre, and deserves a spot in any general or music-specific library.

The Baroque Guitar In Spain And The New World
Gaspar Sanz, et al.
Mel Bay Publications
PO Box 66, Pacific, MO 63069
078667525X, $24.95 www.melbay.com 1-800-863-5229

Part of Mel Bay's 'Frank Koonce' series of music transcripbed and adapted for the modern guitar with facsimiles of the original tablatures, "The Baroque Guitar In Spain And The New World" is the collaborative effort of Gaspar Sanz, Antonio de Santa Cruz, Francisco Guerau, and Santiago de Murcia. Aspiring guitarists are presented with the evolution of the five-course guitar; the tuning of the five-course guitar; reading baroque guitar tablature; intepretation and performance from octave selection to meter and temp, to rasgueado techniques and ornaments; editorial procedures. The rest of "The Baroque Guitar In Spain And The New World" is a wealth of musical scores by the four major contributors: Sanz, Santa Cruz, Guerau, and Murcia. Superbly presented and organized, "The Baroque Guitar In Spain And The New World" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and music school reference collections for the five-string acoustic guitar.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Odyssey
Homer
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1415936056, $TBA www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859

Homer's "The Odyssey" is one of the world's oldest adventure stories and holds the same attraction for contemporary readers that it has for Hellenic antiquity some three thousand years ago as an epic chronicle of adventure recounting the trials and tribulations of Odysseus when that famed Greek war hero tried to make his way home after the fall of Troy. Here are the stories of the Cyclops, Circe, the Sirens, the Underworld, and the demanding suitors for the hand of Penelope. This classic story is dramatically narrated by John Lee who is able to fully convey the energy, intellect, and resourcefulness of Odysseus in all of his legendary encounters. Strongly recommended for both school and community library audiobook collections, this complete and unabridged, ten compact disc recording has a total running time of 11 hours and 49 minutes.

Thomas Paine
Craig Nelson
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
1428115196, $TBA www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

In "Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, And The Birth Of Modern Nations", biographer Craig Nelson provides a fully detailed and comprehensive description of the life and times of one of America's most influential patriots in the American Revolution. He was the author of 'The Age of Reason'; 'Common Sense'; and 'The Rights of Man', three of the most important treatises to provide the philosophical underpinnings to America's colonial struggle for emancipation from a dominate and dominating England. Now this outstanding biography is available as a complete and unabridged audiobook on thirteen compact discs and which is very ably narrated by Paul Hecht, with a total running time of 15.75 hours. Masterfully produced and flawlessly recorded, "Thomas Paine" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to academic and community library collections.

The Lion's Game
Nelson Demille
Hachette Audio
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
159463637X, $29.98 www.hachettebookgroupusa.com

The only thing Detective John Corey knows about a serial killer called 'The Lion' is that he is a young Arab who will stop at nothing in his quest for revenge against the Americans who bombed Libya and killed his family. "The Lion's Game" is a suspenseful thriller that presents a roller coaster ride of plot twists peppered with a cast of truly memorable characters. Boyd Games provides a superb narration of Nelson DeMille's riveting thriller in this flawlessly recorded, 8 CD, 8.59 hour audiobook which will easily prove to be an enduringly popular addition to any community library audiobook collection.


The Cookbook Shelf

51 Fast And Fun Packaged Dough Recipes
Dolores Kostelni
Collectors Press, Inc.
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
1933112247, $7.95 www.collectorspress.com 1-800-423-1848

Prepared, boxed, and packaged dough have been American kitchen pantry and freezer staples for decades. In "51 Fast And Fun Packaged Dough Recipes", culinary expert and cookbook author Dolores Kostelni as compiled fifty-one quick, easy, and fun recipes for all dining occasions and with each savory recipe based on the use of packaged dough for time-saving convenience. From Pecan Stucky Buns; Mini Cheese Quiche; and Sunday Chicken Casserole; to Oven Fried Chicken Fillets, Crab Cocktail Quickies; and Country Fruit Pie, "51 Fast And Fun Packaged Dough Recipes" offers even the most novice kitchen cook fool-proof, step-by-step instructions for turning ordinary fare into true mealtime magic! Also very highly recommended are Dolores Kostelni's other Collector's press recipe cookbook collection: "51 Fast And Fun Slow Cooker Recipes".


The DVD Shelf

Dr. Lynn's Anti-Aging Workout For Every Body: Flex & Tone
Lynn Anderson
Razor Digital Entertainment
12031 Ventura Blvd., Suite #3, Studio City, CA 91406
DVD $14.99 www.razorfitness.com

Lynn Anderson is a naturopathic doctor (as well as a certified yoga and fitness instructor specializing in anti-aging workout and alternative medicine), who in "Dr. Lynn's Anti-Aging Workout For Every Body: Flex & Tone" presents a program for a healthy and fit lifestyle. Regular physical exercise will prolong life expectancy. This superbly produced and presented exercise DVD offers 40 minutes of simple-to-follow movements designed to enhance muscle flexibility and strength, improve range motion, balance and core development, and be a 'first step' toward a lifetime of physically fitness. A stability ball and light hand weights are utilized in the workout routine. Thoroughly 'user friendly', this is one exercise DVD that should be a part of every personal, professional, health center, gym, and community library exercise video collection!


The Photography Shelf

5x7
William Eggleston
Twin Palms Publishers
PO Box 10229, Santa Fe, NM 87504
1931885486, $65.00 www.twinpalms.com 1-800-797-0680

William Eggleston is a photographer who has turned his medium into art, and his large format 5x7 camera into an artists tool. "5x7" is a compilation of photographs (fifty-seven plates) taken by Eggleston during the early 1970s and includes images of streetscapes, parked automobiles, portraits of the strange and disenfranchised. Of particular note are the photographs taken in the nightclubs of that time that Eggleston was want to frequent. Enhanced with an informed and informative essay by Michael Alereyda, "5x7" is a superbly organized and presented monograph that is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic library 20th Century American Photography reference collections.


The Art Shelf

Artists of the Canyons & Caminos
Edna Robertson & Sarah Nestor
Ancient City Press
c/o Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
1423601149 $14.95 www.gibbs-smith.com 1-800-748-5439

Written by Edna Robertson (former Curator of Collections at the Fine Arts Museum in Santa Fe) and her daughter Sarah Nestor, Artists of the Canyons & Caminos Santa Fe: Early Twentieth Century is an in-depth exploration into Santa Fe's rich artistic history from the 1880's onward. From the cultural distinctions of Native American art, to names of great artists that looked to the beauty of the land for inspiration, to the inception of an art colony with its first juried show in 1951, Artists of the Canyons & Caminos traces a grand legacy, extensively reconstructing art history from a smorgasboard of sources including quotes from popular newspapers. Black-and-white photographs and a beautiful inset section of 16 color plates illustrate Artists of the Canyons & Caminos, primarily showcasing evocative pieces of art. A one-of-a-kind art history book, especially recommended as a giftbook or souvenir for travelers to Santa Fe.

DADA
Rudolf Kuenzil
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10014
0714844233, $75.00 www.phaidon.com

'Dada' is an art movement of the 20th Century which challenged authority, hierarchy, and political control – making it a subversive force within the established art communities in Western Europe and America. In disturbing societal norms with respect to art and cultural production, it was the forerunner and midwife to such movements as punk rock and pop art, questioning all previous assumptions about originality, art, and the role of the artist. Dada maintained that everyone should be an artist and that almost anything could be classified as art. The result was an influence on the dominant culture with respect to radical groups, social movements, and artistic expression down to the present day. "DADA" by Rudolf Kuenzli provides an descriptive analysis within an historical context, examining Dada's impact and resonance in the art and culture of this opening decade of the 21st Century from the avant-garde work of such Dada luminaries as Hugo Ball, Marcel Duchamp, many Ray, Francis Picabia, Raoul Hausmann, Hannah Hoch, Kurt Schwitter, Max Ernst, Lajos Kassak, and many others. Enhanced with the inclusion of Artists' Biographies, Authors' Biographies, a bibliography and an index, "DADA" is a seminal and core contribution to professional, academic, and community library Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Egyptian Revival Jewelry & Design
Dale Reeves Nicholls, Shelly Foote, Robin Allison
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
076432540X, $39.95 www.schifferbooks.com

"Egyptian Revival Jewelry & Design" is the collaborative work of antique jewelry expert Dale Reeves Nicholls, costume jewelry expert Shelly Foote, and Robin Allison. Beginning with the informative introduction 'The Slumbering Sphinx', this superbly organized and beautifully illustrated compendium is organized into four major sections: 'It's Alive! Ancient Egypt Rediscovered and Revived'; 'Signs & Symbols'; 'Makers & Manufacturers'; 'Collecting Egyptian Revival'; and 'A Brief Overview of Ancient Egyptian Chronology'. Enhanced with notes, a bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Egyptian Revival Jewelry & Design" is also a price guide, making it an invaluable and indispensable research and reference for dealers and collectors, as well as providing terrific browsing for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in antique and costume jewelry. Also very strongly recommended from Schiffer Publishing are two other outstanding volumes for jewelry enthusiasts: Nancy Schiffer's "Costume Jewelry: The Fun Of Collecting: 3rd Edition" (0764312162, $29.95) and Dale Nicholis' "Antique Enameled Jewelry (0764319914, $49.95).


The Architecture Shelf

Frank Lloyd Wright's Hardy House
Mark Hertzberg
Pomegranate Communications, Inc.
PO Box 808022, Petaluma, CA 94975-8022
978-0-7649-3761-3, $19.95 www.pomegranate.com 1-800-227-1428

Architect icon Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was commissioned in 1906 by Thomas P. Hardy to build a house in Racine, Wisconsin, on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. The result was to become known as the 'Hardy House' and considered to be a true architectural gem and an example of Wright's 'organic architecture' concept. Knowledgeably written and photographically illustrated by Mark Hertzberg (a member of the board of directors of the Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program), "Frank Lloyd Wright's Hardy House" provides a complete descriptive history of this remarkable building (including the use of source material that includes historical correspondence and architectural plans from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation) to provide a detailed (with interior and exterior color photographs, as well as historical photographs and architectural drawings) survey of the one hundred years the Hardy House. Enhanced with the inclusion of a bibliography, "Frank Lloyd Wright's Hardy House" is a seminal work that is an essential contribution to professional and academic library Architectural Studies reference collections. Also very highly recommended for students of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is Mark Hertzberg's earlier work, "Wright in Racine" (Pomegranate, 2004).


The Education Shelf

Issues And Innovations In Literacy Education
Richard D. Robinson, editor
Reading Association
PO Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139
0872075990, $28.95 www.reading.org

Knowledgeably compiled, deftly organized and expertly edited by Richard D. Robinson, "Issues And Innovations In Literacy Education: Readings from The Reading Teacher" is a collection of informative articles taken from past issues of 'The Reading Teacher' periodical that provides educators with insights and information on themes, problems, and innovative solutions with respect to literacy education. The diverse contributors include successful classroom teachers and noted academicians with special expertise in this specialized field. The issues addressed in literacy education include language theories, relevant related research results, effective instructional techniques, word recognition, reading comprehension, reading motivation, literacy assessment, content literacy, and more. A publication produced by the International Reading Association, "Issues And Innovations In Literacy Education" is a core addition to teacher college and university reference collections, a 'must read' for anyone who aspires to work in the field of literacy education, and has a great deal of value to offer even the more experienced literacy instructor.


The Business Shelf

Financial Justification Of Nondestructive Testing
Emmanuel P. Papadakis
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
0849397197, $99.95 www.crcpress.com 1-800-272-7737

The testing of products is a core part of any quality control program and must be justified within the framework of a company's total spread sheet and revenue accounts. "Financial Justification Of Nondestructive Testing" provides management with a cogent, comprehensive, informed explanation of how inspection of products by high-tech methods can save money for a manufacturer and how to explain and justify the necessary expenses associated with product testing to upper management and stockholders. "Financial Justification Of Nondestructive Testing" presents three financial methods for proving the validity of a 100% high-tech inspection; demonstrates how to recognize methods for putting cost data into the financial equations; discusses the need for statistical process control utilized in the production process; includes a number of practical, real-world examples of different types of nondestructive testing as high tech inspection methods; and traces the development of industry from its beginning through the implementation of mass production. A superbly organized and presented introduction and instruction manual on this specialized aspect of manufacturing, "Financial Justification Of Nondestructive Testing" is a core addition to professional, corporate, and academic library Quality Control reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Rosh Hashanah Readings
Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, editor
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
1580232396, $24.99 www.jewishlights.com 1-800-962-4544

Knowledgeably compiled and expertly edited by Rabbi Elkins, "Rosh Hashanah Readings: Inspiration, Information And Contemplation" is a collection of selections that are specifically designed to renew the meaning of the High Holy Day themes of sin, repentance, personal and social change, societal justice, forgiveness, spiritual grow, living with joy and hope, commitment to high ideals, and more. These readings are drawn from ancient, medieval, modern, Jewish and non-Jewish sources. Among the central themes addressed are: 'Preparing for the New Year', 'Prayer and Faith', 'roots and Themes from the Torah', 'Inspiration from the Prophets', The Blowing of the Shofar', 'Remembrance', Repentance', as well as Rituals and Customs. Inspired and inspiring, "Rosh Hashanah Readings" is enthusiastically recommended as an addition to personal, rabbinical, academic, and community library Judaic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Ethics of the Sages Annotated & Explained
Rabbi Rami Shapiro, translator and annotator
SkyLight Paths
c/o LongHill Partners
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
1594732078 $16.99 www.skylightpaths.com

Translated by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Ethics of the Sages Annotated & Explained presents wisdom sayings of the early rabbinic sages (250 BCE - 250 CE) collected in the classic "Pirke Avot" with extensive facing-page commentary that clarifies and explains the meaning of every segment. For example, passage 3:13 reads "And he said, / If you bring joy to others, God rejoices in you. / If you bring no joy to others, God does not rejoice in you." The corresponding annotation reads, "Better even than the pursuit of wisdom is the bringing of joy. Wisdom can bring you to the knowledge of God; joy brings you into the presence of God." An introduction, comments on the translation, very brief biographical sketches of the rabbis quoted, a glossary, and a suggested reading list round out this modernized compilation of pithy sayings that vastly transcend their era. Recommended especially for Judaic studies shelves and reading lists, as well as for personal study and enlightenment.

Overcoming Folly
Rabbi Shalom DovBer
Merkos Publications
291 Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213
0826607438 $28.95

Rabbi Shalom DovBer of Lubavitch presents Overcoming Folly, a bilingual English/Hebrew treatise written in the style of traditional ethical Torah teachings. Overcoming Folly especially investigates the reality of material existence, and its obstacles to earning true spiritual understanding. Taking a Chasidic approach that emphasizes the mystical-spiritual aspects of the goals an individual should strive for, Overcoming Folly guides the reader in means to overcome stumbling blocks to enlightenment. A supplemental section of discourse summaries in the back of the book will prove useful to first-time readers. For example, the summary of Discourse Two reads, "Succumbing to sin caused by (a) strength of animal soul through constant indulgence of desire for the permissible, and (b) misconception that he will not be separated from G-d through it, and he shall have peace. True vitality is G-dliness and the 'realm of holiness.'" Grounded firmly in quotes and wisdom from Biblical, Talmudic, and Kabbalistic sources, Overcoming Folly lives up to its title in its instruction for not only avoiding worldly follies, but also committing and devoting oneself to Torah in a manner that is above reason, and thus embodies the positive side of non-rational behavior. Enthusiastically recommended for serious students and scholars, as well as for deeply faithful individuals committed to the Chasidic principles of striving for self-improvement.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Epilepsy
Ilo E. Leppik, MD
Demos Medical Publishing
386 Park Avenue South, Suite 301, New York, NY 10016
1932603204 $19.95 www.demosmedpub.com

Ilo E. Leppik, MD (Director of Research at MINCEP Epilepsy Care Center) presents Epilepsy: A Guide to Balancing Your Life, a resource written especially for individuals diagnosed with epilepsy and their loved ones, sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology. Chapters inform the reader in plain terms about epilepsy and its types of seizures, treatment options including drugs and surgery, issues concerning epilepsy and pregnancy, quality of life concerns, and much more - including a sound debunking of myths (for example, stopping anti-epileptic drugs during pregnancy can potentially do more harm than good since seizures pose a deadly risk to both the baby and the mother). A glossary, index, and list of sources for more information round out this up-do-date, accessible guide strongly recommended for public library collections and the personal reference of epileptics and their families.


The Language Studies Shelf

Frequency of Occurrence and Ease of Articulation of Sign Language Handshapes
Jean Ann
Galluadet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20002-3695
1563682885 $75.00 http://gupress.Gallaudet.edu

Written by Jean Ann (assoc. professor in the Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction, SUNY Oswego), Frequency of Occurrence and Ease of Articulation of Sign Language Handshapes: The Taiwanese Example is a contribution to sign language linguistics research that particularly examines Taiwanese Sign Language in its search to discover whether the use of specific sign language handshapes increases in direct relation to the ease of their physical formation. Chapters discuss the anatomy and physiology of the human hand, followed by a basic model of ease of handshape articulation, and go on to compare ease and frequency at length. A scholarly, in-depth study and a welcome addition to linguistics reference shelves, particularly those concerning sign language.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Freeing Celibacy
Donald Cozzens, Ph.D.
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
0814631606 $15.95 www.litpress.org 1-800-858-5450

Priest, lecturer, and award-winning author Donald Cozzens presents Freeing Celibacy, a serious-minded look at the practice of mandatory celibacy for Latin rite Catholic priests that has been the norm for 900 years. Though Freeing Celibacy extols the gifts of the spirit that voluntary celibacy can bring, Cozzens surveys the history of married priests in centuries past, clergy sexual abuse scandals and the rapidly declining number of priests today, and concludes that it is time to set celibacy free from canonical mandate to become a graced way of life for some but not all of the church's ordained ministers. A thoughtful and deeply spiritual treatise, expressing sincere concern for the future of Catholicism itself. "Just as it is possible for a slave to know more true inner freedom than his master, it is possible for a priest to thrive spiritually and personally in the condition of mandated celibacy. But this does not justify the institution of celibacy any more than a personally liberated slave justifies the institution of slavery."

St. Francis Of Assisi
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
#500854D, $19.99 www.visionvideo.com 1-800-523-0226

Shot on location and with a total running time of 46 minutes, "St. Francis Of Assisi And The Franciscans" is a full color DVD documentary designed to inform adolescent and adult viewers about the life of Francis Bernardone, the man who would be known throughout Christianity as Saint Francis of Assisi and the founder the Franciscan Order. Period paintings and a dramatic performance by Tom Melissis portrays the story of a young man, who left his wealthy family in medieval Assisi in search of knighthood, only to return as someone who found God in his life and in his world, and who was therefore compelled to a transcending purpose in sharing the love of God with others. Various Franciscans guide the viewer through the history of St. Francis including his peaceful life of poverty, his rebuilding the churches of Assisi, his rapidly growing following, and his experiences the stigmata. Franciscans relate how and why they joined the order and dedicated themselves to upholding and continuing the enduring legacy of St. Francis and his mission to aid the impoverished and the needy. "St. Francis of Assisi" is informative and enthusiastically recommended viewing and a wonderful addition to family, church, and community library Christian Studies collections.

Faithful Feelings
Matthew A. Elliott
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2607
0825425425 $19.99 www.kregel.com

Faithful Feelings: Rethinking Emotion in the New Testament is a studious and pious examination of the role emotion plays in the New Testament, how it has been perceived by New Testament writers in cultural context, and how emotion affects modern Christian faith, theology, and ethics in an essential role. Chapters discuss the definition of emotion, including cognitive and non-cognitive perspectives; emotion as perceived in both the Greco-Roman world and in Jewish culture; instances of the emotions of love, joy, hope, jealousy, fear, sorrow, and anger in the New Testament; and more. A thoughtful examination of a dimension of the New Testament that is all too often marginalized in importance.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Cutting The Lines
Christopher J. Petrilli
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
SKU# CUTDVE, $69.95 www.paladin-press.com 1-800-392-2400

Christopher Petrillie is an 8th-degree Doce pares Eskrima black belt master and in "Cutting The Lines: The Vicious Compression Locks of Doce Pares Eskrim" he takes up where he left off in his earlier marital arts instruction DVD "Crashing The Lines". Petrilli goest into great detail to illustrate and demonstrate a new series of locks, throws and chokes that are particular useful when engaged in the thick of a fight. Following a logical profession from the lower part of the body (leg compressions), up to the arm and wrist (finger compressions), and ending at the neck (choke holds), Petrillie goes on to teach the viewer how to access these locks from both the chaotic motion of a fight and from a standing position after an opponent has been softened up through some strikes. Petrilli also demonstrates how to perform these locks using the 'punyo' or but end of the stick, as well as how to counter compressions with simple, fluid motions allowing the re-directions of an opponents force into a more punishing lock or choke. With a total running time of 180 minutes, "Cutting The Lines" is an important and thoroughly 'student friendly' instructional DVD strongly recommended for personal, professional, and dojo reference collections.


The Travel Shelf

Victoria
Ross Crockford
Arsenal Pulp Press
341 water street, Suite 200,Vancouver, Canada V6B 1B8
1551521954 $17.95 www.arsenalpupl.com

Written by Victoria-based, award-winning journalist Ross Crockford, Victoria: The Unknown City is an in-depth guide to one of Canada's and the world's top tourist destinations. Packed with directions, recommendations, and tidbits of history regarding everything from popular bars to the remnants of the original Fort Victoria to local haunted locations and advice for avoiding long waits and bad seats on the BC Ferries, Victoria is the "go-to" guide for experiencing all the adventure and wonder the city has to offer. Black-and-white photographs and an index round out a solid guide to tourist activities from sports to dining to shopping, nightlife, and experiencing local media. Recommended as a supplemental resource for Victoria vacationers looking to get the most out of their visit.


The Automotive Shelf

GM's Motorama
David W. Temple
Motorbooks
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
0760328269, $40.00 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

The General Motors company hit upon showcasing their new cars every year in a presentation that included automobiles from each of their various divisions (Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Chevrolet, GMC), as well as experimental or 'Dream' cars created to test public reaction to new ideas in automotive engineering and design. "GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars Of A Cultural Phenomenon" by David W. Temple (a freelance automotive photojournalist specializing in vintage cars) is a profusely illustrated history of these events and those 'DreamCars' of the 1950s. Featuring both color and black/white historical photographs, the text is informed and informative. The result is a masterpiece of automotive history and an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Automobile History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Dark Water
David Pirie
Pegasus Books
45 Wall Street, Suite 1021, New York, NY 10005
1933648112 $25.00 www.pegasusbooks.us

The Dark Water: The Strange Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes is a unique mystery novel, set in the Victorian countryside, and featuring Sherlock Holmes' creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Holmes' inspirational figure Dr. Joseph Bell as the protagonists. A grisly trail of seemingly unrelated murders entangles the two, and their hunt for the killer eventually leads them to a cliffside village and a breathtaking, cataclysmic struggle with a terrible nemesis from Doyle's past. Tightly written, drawing heavily upon author David Pirie's familiarity with both Sherlock Holmes canon and Doyle's biography, The Dark Water is an enthralling literary work from cover to cover. Also highly recommended for mystery genre enthusiasts are Pirie's previous Arthur Conan Doyle novels, "The Patient's Eyes" and "The Night Calls".


The Native American Shelf

"I Will Fear No Evil"
Dr. Susan Elaine Gray
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, NW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
1552381986 $29.95 www.uofcpress.com

Written by Dr. Susan Elaine Gray (research associate to the Canada Research Chair in Aboriginal Peoples in an Urban and Regional Context, University of Winnipeg), "I Will Fear No Evil": Ojibwa-Missionary Encounters Along the Berens River, 1875-1940 offers a new perspective of the history of Christian missions in Canada - one told from the point of view of the Berens River Ojibwa people of Canada, rather than that of the Methodist and Catholic missionaries dedicated to converting them. Exhaustively researched with keen attention to detail, "I Will Fear No Evil" depicts how the Ojibwa were active participants in missionary encounters, incorporating Christian beliefs and practices into their established belief system, a mixture that remains sincerely woven in the lives of Berens River residents today. A truly fascinating exploration of a the meeting and shaping of cultures.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Pricing and Performance of Initial Public Offerings in the United States
Arvin Ghosh
Transaction Publishers
390 Campus Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873
0765803267 $39.95

Written by Arvin Ghosh (Prof. in the Dept. of Economics, Finance, and Global Business, William Paterson University), Pricing and Performance of Initial Public Offerings in the United States is a timely discussion of newly emerging financial markets and investment strategies. Particularly focusing upon initial public offerings (IPOs) of securities from 1990 to the turn of the century, Pricing and Performance of Initial Public Offerings in the United States offers a addresses mispricing and flipping of internet IPOs, determining accuracy of analyst's IPO earnings forecasts, and more. Pricing and Performance of Initial Public Offerings in the United States is primarily a scholarly text and financial historiography, not a how-to investment guide, yet the lessons and conclusions it draws from past IPOs surely point the way to insight concerning their future. Recommended for college libraries and economic studies shelves.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Devil's Tale, second edition
Dan Wick
iUniverse, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595381979 $20.95 www.iuniverse.com

International award-winning author Dan Wick presents The Devil's Tale, a witty novel that dares to postulate the question: what if Lucifer were in fact a benevolent devil (if such a thing can be said to exist) who wished to save an increasingly despoiled Earth from the rapacious consumption of cruel and ruthless humans? Now in a second edition slightly revised by the author, The Devil's Tale follows as Lucifer assigns his trickster son Loki to live among the Americans, infiltrate their ways, and get to know them better than any devil has. But when Loki falls in love with a mortal woman, his increasingly desperate quest for understanding takes him to both the past and future, learning the tales of heroes, wizards, demons, and ancient gods. A fantastic parable, written with wit, humor, and panache.


The Poetry Shelf

I Hear The Song… And It Wells In Me
Julie George, editor
Authorhouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
1425948421 $16.95 1-800-839-8640 www.authorhouse.com

Edited by Julie George, I Hear The Song… and It Wells In Me is a collection of brief poems by members of the Poetry Society of Michigan, a gathering of talented individuals from all ethnic background educational levels, and age ranges, bound together by a common love of poetry. From free verse to rhyming couplets, poems range in subject matter from the dance of the seasons to recovering from an epileptic seizure to the mystery of what lies beyond death, yet each one takes up no more than one or two pages. An eclectic anthology sure to entice poetry lovers with its medley of fresh ideas. "Atlas": If I connected / all the spots / on the back / of my left hand / with a blue marker, / it would look like / a road map / of southern lower Michigan. / And oh, the rivers!

Circle in the Sand
Brandon Robb
Vantage Press Inc.
419 Park Avenue South, 18th floor, New York, NY 10016
0533145716 $8.95 1-212-736-1767

The debut poetry collection of author Brandon Robb, Circle in the Sand is a free-verse compilation that covers both religious and secular themes, from "His Hands" about the scarred hands of Christ to "A Mother's Sacrifice" about what a woman gives up for the health of her sick child. The short, often didactic format of the poems imparts their meaning directly and simply, in this concise and expressive narrative collection. "Ratings": A dispute turns / Into a litigation. / The litigation / Into prostitution. // Two parties / Each with a story / Go on TV to / Gain their glory. // Although this could / Be solved by sense / And perhaps / Some intelligence, // They decide it's better / To go on television / To settle their affairs / In front of millions. // Thinking, perhaps, that they / Will gain what they deserve. / But, ending up looking like / Buffoons full of nerve.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Philip Roth Novels 1973-1977
Philip Roth, author; Ross Miller, editor
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
1931082960 $35.00 www.loa.com

The third volume of The Library of America's definitive edition of Philip Roth's collected works, Philip Roght Novels 1973-1977 contains "The Great American Novel" (1973), "My Life as a Man" (1974) and "The Professor of Desire" (1977) under one hardbound cover, with an inset ribbon bookmark. From the wry, farcical baseball humor in "The Great American Novel" that builds up to the intercession of the House Un-American Activities Committee, to the cruel marital tragedy and treachery of "My Life as a Man", to the intriguing story of a smart and adventurous man pushing the bounds of erotic possibility in "The Professor of Desire", each classic work explores a different facet of the subtext constantly running beneath the human condition. Very highly recommended for both academic and community library American Literature collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

An Overview of the Old Testament
John Malseed
AMG Publishers
6815 Shallowford Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421
0899573401 $14.99 www.amgpublishers.com

Written by pastor and Bible college lecturer John Malseed, An Overview of the Old Testament is an interactive, consumable study guide meant to facilitate self-examination as well as a greater religious, philosophical, and spiritual understanding of the Old Testament. An Overview of the Old Testament is not a lengthy, detailed summary of the biblical text; it is not even as long as a "Cliff Notes" style summary would be. Rather, each segment of the Old Testament is summarized in a set of sentences, followed by context questions, study questions with scripture cross-referencing, and self-examination questions for the reader. A blank line is provided for the reader to write a brief answer to each question. For example, Genesis Ch. 4 is summarized with "1-8 Abel is killed by his jealous brother Cain. / 9-24 Cain is punished by God and the first civilization is formed. / 25-26 Seth is born and men realize their need for God" and sample questions include "How did God instruct Cain?" (context), "According to the book of Hebrews, what was the key ingredient of Abel's offering? Heb. 11:4" (research study), and "Where in my list of priorities do I put God?" (self-examination). A one-of-a-kind reflective and contemplative, self-study tool, highly recommended for anyone seeking to better understand their personal connection to God through studying the Old Testament.

Encountering Jesus & Buddha
Ulrich Luz & Axel Michaels
Augsburg Fortress
PO Box 59304, Minneapolis, MN 55459-0304
0800635647 $16.00 www.fortresspress.com

New Testament Professor (University of Berlin, Switzerland) Ulrich Luz and Professor of Classical Indology (Southeast Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg) Axel Michaels pool their years of study in Encountering Jesus & Buddha: Their Lives and Teachings, a thoughtful examination of what Jesus Christ and the Buddha preached, contrasting views of each leader's passion and suffering, and the connections between community and church and the words of the original teachers. Presented in an essay-response format, such as "The Buddha and Meditation" by Axel Michaels followed by "Response: Buddhist Meditation Is Not Prayer" by Ulrich Luz, Encountering Jesus & Buddha meticulously traces similarities and disparities resulting in a balanced theological discussion in which each speaker listens to, carefully weighs, and challenges the words of the other. Highly recommended for theology and religious studies shelves.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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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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