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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 11 November 2007 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Fiction Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Travel Shelf Science Shelf Military Shelf
Business Shelf Cookbook Shelf Railroading Shelf
Art Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Gardening Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Archaeology Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Literary Studies Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Music Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf
International Studies Shelf Education Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Parenting Shelf Biography Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf Nautical Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Woodworking Shelf Self-Help Shelf Sports Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Psychology Shelf Journalism Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

No Bed Of Roses
Chris Kennedy
Tails Books
c/o Big Earth Publishing
145 North Commercial Street, Suite 100, Neenah, WI 54956
9781931599993, $18.95 www.bigearthpublishing.com 1-800-258-5830

"No Bed Of Roses: My Sideline View Of The Wisconsin Badgers' Return To Greatness" is the extraordinary memoir of Chris Kennedy, whose four years with the University of Wisconsin Badgers football team saw the evolution from mediocrity to Rose Bowl glory under the legendary college football coach Barry Alvarez. Kennedy candidly shares his behind-the-scenes accounts of his thrills and frustrations as a college athlete. A unique and fascinating perspective rarely available to Badger team fans, "No Bed Of Roses" is as informative as it is entertaining -- and very highly recommended for personal reading lists and every Wisconsin community library collection.

Game Day: Wisconsin Football
Athlon Sports
Triumph Books
542 South Dearborn Street, Suite 750, Chicago, IL 60605
9781600780158, $24.95 www.triumphbooks.com

Drawing from the photos and writings of award-winning authors and photographs at Athlon Sports, "Game Day: Wisconsin Football" showcases University of Wisconsin football teams in general, and what it means to be a Badger football fan in particular. Packed from cover to cover with entertaining and informative anecdotes of past and current players, the stories behind Wisconsin football rivalries and traditions, detailed histories of some of the greats players, coaches, teams, and moments in Wisconsin's collegiate football, lists of the most successful seasons, recaps of the most exciting games every played, as well as year-by-year team performance statistics. Profusely illustrated throughout in full color, "Game Day: Wisconsin Football" will be read with interest and appreciation by the legions of Badger fans -- and should be considered 'a must' for all Wisconsin school and community library collections.

Creating Family Harmony Through Tanka
Katsumi Okabe, Ph.D.
Noble House
c/o American Literary Press
8019 Belair Road, Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
9781561679768, $19.95 www.americanliterarypress.com 1-800-873-2003

Professor Katsumi Okabe, Ph.D. presents Creating Family Harmony Through Tanka: An Appeal for Educational Reform in the 21st Century, an introduction to the "whole-personality" approach of ideas and methods designed to serve the individual, organization, or society as a whole. Offered as a means to reform and improve education, the "whole-personality" approach can be applied through tanka, a short form of Japanese poetry with five lines, that can be applied as a form of therapy as well as creative expression. Creating family harmony is a cornerstone of personal and cultural happiness, and Creating Family Harmony Through Tanka offers an invaluable methodology to improving human quality of life, as well as numerous sample tanka poems. "Guest": I put out / some cherry flowers / for the child who / invited a foreigner / over for sukiyaki // seeing / my child discuss / things / with a foreigner / reminds me of busy times.


The Fiction Shelf

The Floor Of The Sky
Pamela Carter Joern
Bison Books
c/o University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
9780803276314, $16.95 www.nebraskapress.unl.edu 1-800-755-1105

Toby Jenkins is an aging widow on the verge of losing her family's ranch in Pamela Carter Joern's superbly crafted novel, "The Floor Of The Sky". When in the midst of her crises Toby's 16-year-old granddaughter Lila shows up for the summer pregnant, painful decisions about the future must be dealt with as Lila uncovers festering secrets about her grandmother's past. Discoveries that compel Toby to reconsider the ambiguous ties she holds to her embittered sister Gettie, her loyal ranch hand George, her not-so-sympathetic daughter Nola Jean, and to herself. "The Floor Of The Sky" is a true gem of the storyteller's art, written with great compassion, wit and wisdom about the human condition, family secrets, and the sweeping changes in a contemporary rural America. "The Floor Of The Sky" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Ancient Treils
C.L. Dague
American Book Publishing
PO Box 65624, Salt Lake City, UT 84165
9781589824102, $22.00

The debut novel of Cindy L. Dague, The Ancient Treils is a fantastic saga in which the natural balance of life teeters dangerously. Winafir is thrust into the crossroads of destiny, guided by the Elements in a quest to return The Light Energy to Treil Forest before all is lost. His search will take him across kingdoms and even below the deathly Shadow Mountain. A sweeping, majestic saga about the effort to fight back against madness and decay, for the sake of survival, honor, and love. Highly recommended.

Dancing With Werewolves
Carole Nelson Douglas
Juno Books
c/o Wildside Press
9710 Traville Gateway Drive, #234, Rockville, MD 20850
9780809572038, $6.99 www.juno-books.com

There came the day when the world learned that such creatures as werewolves, vampires, witches, and other supernaturals were not the stuff of legend and folklore -- they were real! Thirteen years after that realization took place, television reporter Delilah Street (who used to cover the small-town bogeyman back in Kansas) is now working in fabulous Las Vegas -- a gaming mecca that is run be a werewolf mob. Delilah finds herself with a very hot guy, a big bad wolfhound, and holding back the very gates of Hell in "Dancing With Werewolves". This is a smartly written, plot driven, original novel that deftly combines the elements of fantasy, mystery, and romance to the well sated delight of the reader. "Dancing With Werewolves" is enthusiastically recommended and a welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.


The Travel Shelf

Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly
Rita Tregellas Pope
Hunter Publishing
130 Campus Drive, Edison, NJ 08818
9781843063100, $18.99 1-800-255-0343

Written by Cornish Bard and tapestry artist Rita Tregellas Pope, Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly is a high-quality guide for travelers and tourists seeking to experience the best of the best amid Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (located in Britain, also known as "The Land of King Arthur"). From the finest-tasting local foods and beverages, to recommendations of walks and car tours, suggestions for rainy days, "must-see" landmarks, annual events, and much more, Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly is an excellent guide for singles, couples, and families. Color photography on almost every page enhances this easy-to-use travel guide.

From The Vine
Sharon Kegerreis & Lorri Hathaway
Ann Arbor Media Group
2500 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
9781587264603, $34.95 www.AnnArborMediaGroup.com 1-877-722-2264

When people think about trips to the 'wine country', Michigan does not readily come to mind. All that will change with "From The Vine: Exploring Michigan Wineries", a collaborative travel guide by Sharon Kegerries and Lorri hathaway who showcase fifty-one wine country destinations throughout the upper-Midwest state of Michigan. Organized by four designated 'wine trails' and 'beyond the trails', "From The Vine" includes anecdotal stories, features on artisans who handcraft chocolate and cheese, Old World grape stomping, cherry mead, hard cider, ice wine, and more. Profusely and beautiful illustrated throughout, "From The Vine" is enhanced with a useful glossary and a bibliography that travelers through Michigan's wine country will find of immense interest. Informed and informative, "From The Vine" is an entertaining and very highly recommended addition to personal reading lists for anyone traveling through Michigan whether as a day trip or part of an extended vacation. Needless to say, no Michigan college or community library should be without at least one copy of "From The Vine" in their collection!

Rain Shadow
Tom Domek
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
9780974919553, $9.95 www.sdshspress.com

Tom Domek, the author of numerous books and articles on grasslands and state parks, presents Rain Shadow: A Traveler's Guide to the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, an easy-to-use resource for hikers, bikers, off-road vehicle users, rock hounds, canoeists, campers, and more to discovering the natural wonders of Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Black-and-white maps and photographs, as well as a short inset section of color plates, illustrate this tour of sites of interest, peppered with fascinating historical information, and guidelines for responsible recreation. The warm, in-depth description makes Rain Shadow ideal for armchair travelers as well as outdoorsmen. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone interested in seeing all Buffalo Gap National Grassland has to offer.

Rail-Trails: New England
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Wilderness Press
1200 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1306
9780899974491, $15.95 www.wildernesspress.com 1-800-443-7227

There are now more than 13,00 miles of open rail-trails across the country. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is an organization of more than 100,000 members and a leading advocate for trail and greenway 'recycling' of obsolete railroad corridors and rights of way. The official guidebook of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, "Rail-Trails: New England" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide to railroad related trails in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Profusely illustrated with maps, as well as black-and-white photographs, "Rail-Trails: New England" is the perfect planning guide for biking or hiking along pathways created from unused railroad corridors that have been converted to recreational use by the public. some rail-trails are paved and run through scenic parts of New England townships, others are unpaved paths through scenic countrysides. Enhanced with detailed maps for every rail-trail (plus driving directions to trailheads), "Rail-Trails: New England" also features icons indicating each trail's use, along with succinct descriptions written by truly knowledgeable and articulate rail-trail experts. If you are planning to avail yourself of the recreational and exercise opportunities of rail-trails anywhere in the New England region, then begin with a careful browse through the pages of "Rail-Trails: New England"!

After You Mr. Lear
Maldwin Drummond
Sheridan House Inc.
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
9781574092554, $24.95 www.sheridanhouse.com 1-888-743-7425

Maldwin Drummond is a sailor and a farmer who got an idea. He cruised under sail with the specific goal of following in the wake of artist and nonsense poetry writer Edward Lear (1812-1888) The result is "After You Mr. Lear: In The Wake Of Edward Lear In Italy" which relates Maldwin Drummond's nautical and land-based adventures as a result of his unusual quest. Profusely illustrated with cartoons, paintings, photos, and maps, "After You Mr. Lear" is an intrinsically interested account of a modern-day cruise which was embarked upon as a voyage of discovery to the appreciation of armchair travelers and land-bound sailors. Drummond's deftly written accounts of leaving from the Isle of Wight aboard his yacht 'Gang Warily" and crossing the English Channel, then navigating the rivers and canals of France all the way to the Mediterranean, then sailing down the coast of Italy from the Rivera to Naples, then going inland to Campania, Basilicata, Sicily, and Calabria, will hold the reader's rapt attention from first page to last. "After You Mr. Lear" is a highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.


The Science Shelf

Biomechanics
Donald R. Peterson & Joseph D. Bronzino
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
0849385342, $89.95 www.crcpress.com 1-800-272-7737

Compiled and co-edited by Donald R. Peterson (University of Connecticut Health Center, Biodynamics Laboratory, farming, Connecticut) and Joseph D. Bronzino (recipient of the Millennium Award from IEEE/EMBS in 2000 and the Gaddard Award from Worcester Polytechnic Institute for Professional Achievement in June 2004), "Biomechanics: Principles And Applications" is a collection of twenty informed and informative articles on various aspects of, and researches into, the science of biomechanics. The contributors address everything from applications on system-level aspects of the human body (the musculoskeletal system, auditory system, lymphatic system, the cardiovascular system), to biological sub-systems (tissues, cells, molecules). Drawn from the third edition of the "Biomedical Engineering Handbook", these seminal articles introduce current methods and strategies for modeling cellular mechanices, present topics in biofluid mechanics, feature more than 140 illustrations and 60 tables, and provide a number of useful equations to assist in modeling biomechanical behaviors. A volume of truly impressive scholarship, "Biomechanics: Principles And Applications" should be a core acquisition selection for every academic library reference collection on the subject, as well as on the supplemental reading lists for students of Biomechanical Engineering.


The Military Shelf

PSI Spies
Jim Marrs
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
Warwick Associates (publicity)
18340 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95476
9781564149602, $15.99 www.newpagebooks.com 1-800-227-3371

'Remote Viewing' is the term used to describe a psychic or paranormal ability to see places and events far removed from the normal line of physical sight. This would such psychically gifted men and women the perfect reconnaissance and information gatherers on an enemy's operations. In short, it would make them the perfect spy. What is not generally known is that the Russians during the height of the Cold War tried to develop a remote viewing program. When the American military discovered this, they embarked on a similar program. Award-winning journalist Jim Marrs lays out the entire story of this little known aspect to the Cold War confrontation between the Russians and the Americans in "Psi Spies: The True Story Of America's Psychic Warfare Program". He reveals how the U.S. Army trained men and women to try to psychically access secrets of Soviet command centers, missile complexes, biological warfare centers -- even the Kremlin itself. Also included are the stories of how skilled remote viewers learned about the fate of the Mars Observer that was 'lost' as it entered orbit around Mars; gained knowledge of a series of mysteries (the most prominent of which was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy); and even applying remote viewing to the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Of special note are the tips on how the reader can develop remote viewing abilities themselves! "Psi Spies" is a deftly written, thoroughly fascinating, informed and informative reading recommended for anyone with an interest in Metaphysical Studies and 20th Century American Military History.


The Business Shelf

All The Tea In China
Jeremy Haft
Portfolio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
SJ Miller Communications (publicity)
10 Turning Mill Lane, Randolph, MA 02368
9781591841593, $25.95 www.us.penguingroup.com 1-800-847-5515

There is a growing clamor for regulation (if not downright protectionism) with respect to goods bearing the 'Made in China' label. Each week that goes by sees more Chinese products from food to toys to tires being recalled from the American market. Things have gotten so bad that the Chinese government has threatened economic retaliation against the US for this embarrassing state of affairs. That's why Jeremy Haft's "All The Tea In China: How To Buy, Sell, And Make Money On The Mainland" is so timely. Haft (founder of Schinab Inc., a firm that helps American companies buy and sell goods on the mainland of china by leveraging a platform of over 8,000 Chinese factories) offers American businesses seven specific steps to manage a smooth and profitable import chain that consists of doing 'due diligence'; reaching out to a customs broker; setting up financing; setting up commercial, engineering and regulatory terms (in writing!; obtaining as many buying commitments as possible before importing; monitoring documentation, cash, and time flows; and shipping in a correct and timely manner. Simply stated, "All The Tea In China" should be considered mandatory reading for any corporate executive seeking to do business with China -- as well as government agency employees tasked with regulation and quality control of Chinese products.

Manager's Desktop Consultant
Louellen N. Essex & Mitchell E. Kusy
Davies-Black Publishing
1055 Joaquin Road, #200, Mountain View, CA 94043-1243
C.S. Lewis Company (publicity)
196 Van Dale Road, Woodstock, NY 12498
9780891062332, $18.95 www.daviesblack.com 1-800-624-1765

The collaborative work of Louellen N. Essex (a Fellow of the Carlson School of Management's Executive Education Center at the University of Minnesota) and Mitchell E. Kusy (a Fulbright Scholar for International Organization Development and distinguished visiting professor at the University of Auckland, New Zealand), "Manager's Desktop Consultant: Just-in-Time Solutions To The Top People Problems That Keep You Up At Night" focuses on the problem of how to deal effectively with peers who aren't 'team players'; what to do when staff members resist change; managing difficult bosses, and dealing with organizational politics. An effective 'real-world' instruction guide replete with proven strategies, applicable techniques, and practical tools for managing intra-corporate conflict, and drawing upon illustrative scenarios, the "Manager's Desktop Consultant" describes problem situations commonly encountered and then lays out the key action strategies whose application will result in conflict resolution and management success. A very strongly recommended addition to business management reading lists and reference shelves, "Manager's Desktop Consultant" is enhanced with an epilogue (Our Final Words of Advice), references for further reading, and an index.

The Future Of Management
Gary Hamel & Bill Breen
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422102503, $26.95 www.HBSPress.org 1-800-668-6780

A very strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Business & Management reference collections, "The Future Of Management" by Gary Hamel (Visiting Professor of Strategic and International Management at the London Business School) was written with the assistance of Bill Breen (founding senior editor and senior projects editor of the business magazine 'Fast Company'), focuses on answering a set of questions tied to changing corporate agendas through management innovation. Through a process of analyzing management assumptions, traditions, processes and resources, corporate officers and institutional leaders can more readily adapt to changing market conditions, best utilize their company's human resources and talents, and create viable competitive advantages in volatile and technologically evolving industries. "The Future Of Management" uses real-world examples of such innovative and successful management innovators as Google, W. L. Gore, and Whole Foods. The core message, and one that should be carefully studied by MBA students and corporate officers alike, is that future corporate success will necessitate the creation of organizations that are as adaptable and innovative as possible -- and that, in turn, will require managers to utilize their company's human talent pool to help create those innovations and adaptations.


The Cookbook Shelf

Western National Parks' Lodges Cookbook
Kathleen Bryant
Northland Publishing
PO Box 1389, Flagstaff, AZ 86002
9780873589000, $24.95 www.northlandpub.com 1-800-346-3257

The national parks of the American west have had lodges and camping facilities in service to visitors from the very beginning of the national park movement. Some of these lodges are as memorable for their cuisine as they are for their scenery. Travel writer and food connoisseur Kathleen Brant has created a showcase compendium featuring some of the best of these lodges and what they have to offer the discerning gourmet in a collection of authentic recipes that are beautifully illustrated, simple to follow, and result in quality dishes that would grace any family dining occasion. Of special note are the anecdotal stories and histories of the lodges from which these recipes derive. From Roasted Granny Apple Bisque with Apple-Ginger Compote and Curry Creme Fraiche; Wassail Punch; Tuscan Pancetta Soup; and Grilled Artichokes; to Bourbon Buffalo Meatloaf; Watermelon, Tomato, and Feta Salad; Cinnamon-Dusted Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Balsamic Sauce; and Salmon Rucko; "Western National Parks' Lodges Cookbook" offers unique dishes, making it a worth and recommended addition to any family or community library cookbook collection!

Sweety Pies
Patty Pinner
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
9781561588480, $23.00 www.taunton.com 1-800-477-8727

Mouth-wateringly illustrated with showcase quality color photography, "Sweety Pies: an Uncommon Collection Of Womanish Observations, With Pie" is a compendium that combines outstanding recipes for a variety of impressive pies with anecdotal commentaries by Patty Pinner about the women with whom many of these recipes are associated. The recipes are arranged in chapters for Berry Pies; Cereal Pies; Cream & Custard Pies; Fruit Pies; Nut & Sweet Vegetable Pies; and Meringue Pies. Of special note is the beginning chapter dedicated to the culinary subject pie crusts. From Dexarae Triplett's Mixed Berry Pie; Carlean's Sweet Potato-Coconut Custard Pie; Sister Chestermae Hayes's Apple Butter Pie; and Benita's Any Flavor Cobbler; to Mayor Ham's Brown Sugar Peach Pie; Alberta Beasley's Decadent Pecan Pie; Mamma's Zucchini Cobbler; and Daddy's Mother's Blueberry Meringue Pie, "Sweety Pies" is a thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' and very highly recommended addition to any family or community library cookbook collection.

A Finnish Christmas Cookbook
Sargit Warringer & Liisa Krumsieg
North Star Press of St. Cloud
PO Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0451
0878391339, $14.95 www.northstarpress.com 1-888-820-1636

In "A Finnish Christmas Cookbook: Recipes And Traditions From The Old Country", long-time Wisconsin residents Sargit Warriner and Liisa Krumsieg have collaborated to compile and organize the recipes for a series of time-honored and Christmas season appropriate dishes from the culinary heritage of Finland that would grace any family meal or celebratory occasion. Also featured along with the ethnic cuisine, are the Christmas traditions of Finland. From Kotikalja (Homemade Beer); Suolattu lohi (Salted Salmon); Imelletetty perunalaatikko (Sweetened Potao Casserole); and Luumukiisseli (Prune Pudding); to Karinin voirinkilat (Karin's Butter Rings); Jouhatortut (Christmas Tarts); Sekahedelmakeitto (Mixed Fruit Soup); and Kola karamellit (Kola Candies), "A Finnish Christmas Cookbook" is a simply wonderful compendium of kitchen cook friendly recipes that even the most novice of family chefs can accomplish with ease. Of special note are the traditional menus described and offered, as well as a handy Recipe Index. "A Finnish Christmas Cookbook" is especially recommended for family and community multi-ethnic cookbook collections.

12 Steps to Raw Foods
Victoria Boutenko
North Atlantic Books
1435 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781556436512, $16.95 1-800-788-3123

Though 12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food features plenty of recipes, its purpose is to be the antithesis of "cookbooks" per se - author and raw-food diet teacher Victoria Boutenko extols the benefits of raw foods and the disadvantages of cooked foods (notably that cooking often destroys nutrients) to the extent of describing a diet of cooked foods as a "dependency". Now in a revised and expanded edition, 12 Steps to Raw Foods is also a vegan food preparation book, eschewing all meat, milk, egg-based foods. The preponderance of 12 Steps to Raw Foods is devoted not to recipes, but to convincing the reader to switch to an entirely raw-food vegan diet, as well as tips, tricks, techniques for making the transition. The main segments are "Why Raw Food?", "Human Dependency on Cooked Food", "How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food" and "Recipes". The first three segments are filled with tips, tricks, and techniques for dealing with cravings for cooked food, and the recipes range from raw green smoothies to gazpacho to nut or seed cheese, non-cooked vegan burgers, non-cooked vegan pizza, and much more. A "must" for anyone interested in exploring the health benefits of a raw-food vegan diet.


The Railroading Shelf

Railroads Across North America
Claude Wiatrowski
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101
9780760329764, $29.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

Train travel enthusiast and photographer Claude Wiatrowski is a member of the Colorado Midland Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society; the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society; The Colorado Railroad Museum; The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad; Friends of the East Broad Top; the Nevada Northern Railway Museum; the Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation; and the Lexington Group in Transportation History. He is therefore in a particularly knowledgeable position to create a profusely illustrated history of American railroads, and has done so with "Railroads Across North America: An Illustrated History", an amazingly informed and informative 256-page compendium of information and images ranges from the first steam-powered locomotives of the 1800s down to the high-speed commuter trains of today. Enhanced with a descriptive listing of historical societies and other railroad organizations, as well as a section devoted to preserved railways, museums and historic sites, ""Railroads Across North America" also includes a bibliography and a comprehensive index, making it an ideal and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library railroading reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Art Shelf

The Impressionists At Leisure
Pamela Todd
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500238394, $40.00 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com 1-800-233-4830

"The Impressionists At Leisure" by art historian Pamela Todd not only showcases a series of Impressionist paintings ranging from Renoir's picknickers in the countryside, to Degas' elegant race goers, to Morisot's opera enthusiasts, it also includes a broad and original selections of lesser known works, as well as excerpts from diaries and letters revealing the artist's own interests, passions, pleasers, and attitudes about their work and the subjects they chose to paint. From the bars and restaurants of Paris, to tranquil days on the river, to ice rinks, gardens, and seaside holidays, the images have become some of the most respected works in 19th and 20th century art history. Pamela Todd's articulate and informative text clearly documents the zest for life that characterized the Impressionist era painters. "The Impressionists At Leisure" is a seminal work that should be a part of every personal and academic Art History reference collection -- and would make an excellent choice as a community library Memorial Fund acquisition selection.

Mountains Of The Heart
Kameda Bosai
George Braziller, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, Suite 1105, New York, NY 10016
9780807615874, $20.00 www.georgebraziller.com 1-800-233-4830

Kameda Bosai is a Japanese poet and master of the 'ehon' (art-book) literary and artistic tradition of his country. The poetry and paintings of Kameda Bosai as compiled in the pages of this superbly presented edition of "Mountains of The Heart" elegantly portray the relationship between human beings and their environment. This poet/artist depicts homes lost in the mists of immense foothills, small figures wandering through rolling valleys, the transience of roads and buildings with the permanence of their natural surroundings. This is a book to be browsed through with an inevitable appreciation for a master storyteller and keen observer whose ability to inspire through a brush stroke and inform through an image both verbal and visually is enduringly impressive. "Mountains Of The Heart" is strongly recommended for personal, academic, and community library Japanese Culture & Art collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Empowered: Volume 2
Adam Warren
Dark Horse Comics, Inc.
10956 SE Main Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222
9781593078164, $14.95 www.darkhorse.com

The second volume starring the barely clad exploits of an aspiring but less than impressive super heroine who calls herself 'Empowered', writer/artist Adam Warren continues to demonstrate a superb sense of wit, whimsey, and humor that ranges from slapstick to gallows. "Empowered" is a compilation of short (some very short) individual stories of our plucky gal whose powers depend on her skin-tight body suit, a garment that is easily torn (read shredded) resulting in the loss of her superpowers. The result is her almost inevitable capture and bondage by the bad guys (and gals). Humiliation is the result -- and not just from the bad guys! Her boy friend and ninja girlfriend are solidly behind her. Her super team mates somewhat less so. Readers who appreciate a manga style artwork, a wickedly clever short story, a lovely semi-clad female form of the buxom variety, and a rollicking fun read will not only enjoy this second volume of "Empowered", but will avidly seek out Volume 1, and line up at their favorite comic book shop awaiting the arrival of Volume 3!

The Best Of Mutts
Patrick McDonnell
Andrews & McMeel
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111
9780740768446, $24.95 www.andrewsmcmeel.com 1-800-851-8923

Patrick McDonnell's legendary comic strip showcasing the adventures and observations of Earl the dog and Mooch the cat entertained readers throughout its 300+ strip history. These two unlikely buddies were supported by a cast of memorable characters that included Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, and Guard Dog. Deftly embedded in this popular newspaper cartoon series were lessons on love, friendship, animal advocacy, and pet ownership. Now Andrews & McMeel have meticulously published "The Best Of Mutts" featuring McDonnel's own hand-picked favorites from the dailies and the Sunday strips over the past ten years. the cartoons are arranged into ten chapters, each of which is enhanced with an introduction by McDonnell. A welcome addition to any personal or community library collection, "The Best Of Mutts" will well serve to introduce a whole new generation to a superbly crafted series that is as popular today as when it first appeared so many years ago.

Kurohime 1
Masanori Ookamigumi Katakura
Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781421513669, $7.99 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

Kurohime volume 1 is the debut collection of a brand-new shonen (intended especially for boys and action-fans) manga by Japanese creator Masanori Ookamigumi Katakura. In his own words, Katakura has crammed Kurohime cover to cover with everything he loves, and it's all here: sexy women, blazing guns, gigantic summoned monsters, villains, heroes, and everything in between. Kurohime herself is a master of "witch bullets" with the power to call slavering fantastic beasts; her arrogance led her to confront the gods themselves, and they punished her with a curse that traps her in a near-powerless preteen body! Only by experiencing love can she break the curse - but love is a foreign emotion to the self-centered Kurohime. But when she crosses paths with a teenaged gunslinger she once rescued from death and inspired to pursue justice, her fleeting feelings of affection have the power to overcome the curse, if only momentarily! An episodic adventure blending fantasy and wild west themes, with a clean, smooth art style and excitement leaping off every page.

The Complete Peanuts 1965 to 1966
Charles Schulz
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98115
9781560977247, $28.95 www.fantagraphics.com 1-800-657-1100

The Complete Peanuts 1965 to 1966 continues Fantagraphics Books' laudable project of collecting and publishing all of Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" comic strips. This definitive edition features an introduction by Hal Hartley, and chronicles Charlie Brown's visit to summer camp, where he makes a new friend named Roy - who in turn introduces him to the audacious, enthusiastic, sandle-wearing young girl Peppermint Patty! Other sagas include Snoopy's exploits fighting the Red Baron, Charlie Brown's promotion to school safety patrol, and the Van Pelt family's move (as well as the surprising effect the impending loss of Lucy has on young Schroeder!) A true treasure, enjoyable cover to cover and a "must-have" for Peanuts collectors.


The Gardening Shelf

Mountain Wildflowers Of The Southern Rockies
Carolyn Dodson & William W. Dunmire
University of New Mexico Press
MSC04 2820
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
9780826342447, $17.95 www.unmpress.com 1-800-249-7737

Mountain Wildflowers Of The Southern Rockies: Revealing Their Natural History" is the work of retired academician Carolyn Dodson (University of New Mexico General Library) and William W. Dunmire (Associate in Biology at the University of New Mexico). The result of this impressive collaboration is a superbly illustrated and enthusiastically recommended field guide to the principle wildflowers most commonly associated with Southern Rocky Mountain landscapes during the high country seasons ranging spring through to the end of fall. This mountain range runs from Taos, New Mexico to Casper Wyoming, and from Colorado Springs to Boulder on the east and west, to Grand Junction. Featuring 201 color photos, 58 line drawings, and a map, "Mountain Wildflowers Of The Southern Rockies" offers 192 pages of informed and informative information including each featured plant's physical description as a wildflower, the plants individual roles in human history, their relationship with birds and insects, their origins and family characteristics, as well as their evolutionary details. From western wallflower, columbine, larkspur, shooting star, and lupine, to water hemlock, primrose, flax, scarlet penstemon, and bluebells, the flowers showcased in this very highly recommended reference include the individual flower's Latin name. Featuring a glossary, suggested references, a selected bibliography, and an index, "Mountain Wildflowers Of The Southern Rockies" could well serve as a template for similar field guides for wildflowers in other sections of the country.

Complete Roses
Field Roebuck
Creative Homeowner
PO Box 38, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458-0038
9781580113724, $16.95 www.creativehomeowner.com 1-800-631-7795

A beautifully illustrated 175-page compendium of information, instructions, and examples, Field Roebuck's "Complete Roses features one hundred gardener friendly species of roses that even the most novice horticulturalist can successfully grow by following the expert, step-by-step process for choosing, planting, and caring for the most popular flower in the country. Each rose is provided with a complete description of type, classification, and growing habits. Of special note are the tips for propagation and container planting, safe methods for pets and disease control, and best types of soil and fertilizers. With more than 280 color photos and illustrations, "Complete Roses" is a superbly organized and "user friendly" introduction, making it a particularly welcome addition for personal and community library gardening reference collections.


The Philosophy Shelf

Image And Paradigm In Plato's Sophist
David Ambuel
Parmenides Publishing
3753 Howard Hughes Parkway, Suite 200, Las Vegas, NV 89109
University of Chicago Press, distributor
1427 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
9781930972049, $32.00 www.parmenides.com 1-800-621-2736

"Image And Paradigm In Plato's Sophist" by David Ambuel (Associate Professor of Philosophy and the Kurt F. Leidecker Chair of Asian Studies at Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, Virginia) provides contemporary students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the writings of Plato with a new translation of Plato's dialogue, the 'Sophist', along with a comprehensive and articulate commentary that quite reverse dominant trends in mainstream philosophical theories. Professor Ambuel demonstrates and documents that this late dialogue presented with his own unconventional, yet thoughtful and thought-provoking interpretation is a defense of Plato's metaphysics and not a radical departure from them. Lucid, insightful, reasoned, and iconoclastic, "Image And Paradigm In Plato's Sophist" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to academic library Philosophy reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Archaeology Shelf

Archaeology
Timothy Insoll
Duckworth
c/o International Publishers Marketing (IPM)
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9780715634578, $22.00 www.ducknet.co.uk 1-800-758-3756

Part of the 'Duckworth Debates In Archaeology' series, "Archaeology: The Conceptual Challenge" by Timothy Insoll (Professor of Archaeology at the University of Manchester, England) addresses the central question as to whether or not the primary purpose of archaeology is to 'reconstruct a past in our own image, chained solely to our own unacknowledged emotional, intellectual, and philosophical traditions?'. Professor Insoll brings new insights and reasoned argument to fundamental concepts and assumptions ranging from the global to the local, including notions of time, age, and experience; textual, oral, visual, and digital culture; as well as nature, animals and the wild. Of special note is the chapter 'Conclusion' in which Professor Insoll deftly brings together his arguments and observations on the questions and issues that he has raised throughout this accessible written text that is recommended reading for both academics and non-specialist general readers with an interest in archaeological issues. Also very highly recommended and part of this same "Duckworth Debates In Archaeology' series is Tadhg O'Keeffe's "Archaeology and the Pan-European Romanesque" (9780715634349, $22.00).


The American History Shelf

The End Of The Innocence
Lawrence R. Samuel
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
081560890X, $29.95 www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu 1-800-365-8929

With extensive footnotes, an extended bibliography, and occasionally illustrated with historic black-and-white photography, "The End Of The Innocence: The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair" by Lawrence R. Samuel is a descriptive analysis of the New York World's Fair that ran from April 1964 to October 1965 and was attended by approximately fifty-two million people. A seminal event of its decade, and reflective of the cultural climate in which it occurred, this World's Fair had a powerful and enduring impact on the nation which was, for the overwhelming majority of its visitors, was consistently positive, often inspirational, and occasionally transcendent. Held just five months after President John F. Kennedy's assassination, the World Fair was held in a time of turbulence that included American participation in the Vietnam War and an emerging counter-culture among the youth. But the Fair showcased the postwar American dream of an optimistic future. A work of meticulous scholarship combined with Samuel's narrative skill as a writer, "The End Of The Innocence" is especially recommended to the attention of students of American popular culture, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in 20th Century American history.

Popular Ideologies
Susan Smulyan
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
9780812240207, $35.00 www.upenn.edu/pennpress 1-800-537-5487

In "Popular Ideologies: Mass Culture At Mid-Century" by Susan Smulyan (Associate Professor of American Civilization at Brown University) provides an extended, comprehensive, and documented argument that American popular culture provided more than just escapism from the traumas of the 20th century that ranged from economic depression and racism, to cultural conflicts and global wars, it served as a way where the producers of the various and diverse elements of that popular culture sought to impose ideas of race, class, gender, and nationhood upon the consuming public -- and their responses to those efforts. From minstrel skits performed on vaudeville stages to women encountering new products like nylon stockings, to the Hollywood film industry, to disaffected Madison Avenue men writing best-selling novels, the various elements comprising and creating American popular culture, including leisure activities, were forms of mass communication shaping the dominant culture -- with these influences often having their social and political origins in American subcultures. And how, throughout the decades of the 20th century, these influences evolved from being the results of audience input to the expression of increasingly powerful institutions. The result is that in the beginning decade of the 21st century, disaffected individuals are turning to marginal forms ranging from Japanese anime to campus cultural shows to emancipate themselves from contemporary mass media, corporate America mainstream culture in ways similar to those experienced by earlier generations of "amateur minstrels, stocking buyers, movie-goers, as well as the authors and readers of popular novels. Informative and intrinsically fascinating reading, "Popular Ideologies" is an impressive work of seminal and meticulous scholarship that should be a part of every academic and community library 20th Century American History and American Popular Culture reference collection and supplemental reading list..


The World History Shelf

Religion In The Age Of Shakespeare
Christopher Baker
Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780313336362, $75.00 www.greenwood.com 1-800-225-5800

Very highly recommended reading for both academics and non-specialist general readers, "Religion In The Age Of Shakespeare" by academician and historian Christopher Baker (Professor of English at Armstrong Atlantic State University) provides the reader with an informed and informative historical overview and analysis of the major religious contexts and themes as they are found in the mid-17th to early 18th century and reflected in the works of William Shakespeare. Profusely footnoted, the five chapters comprising this deftly written compendium include 'Background'; 'Religion in Shakespeare's World'; 'Religion in Shakespeare's Works'; 'Religion in Performance'; Scholarship & Criticism'. Enhanced with extensive pages of primary documents, an extended glossary, a four page bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Religion In The Age Of Shakespeare" is a much appreciated contribution to the growing library of analytical research and history regarding 17th century in general, and the works of William Shakespeare in particular.

Corregidor in Peace and War
Charles M. Hubbard & Collis H. Davis, Jr.
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826217127, $39.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

Corregidor in Peace and War is the remarkable true history of Corregidor, a beautiful island located at the entrance of Manila Bay, and best known for its crucial role in the defense of the Philippines during World War II. Chronicling Corregidor's story from when Ferdinand Magellan claimed the Philippines for Spain to modern developments after World War II, Corregidor in Peace and War is peppered throughout with more than 150 illustrations, including an amazing gallery of black-and-white and color photography. Written to appeal to readers of all backgrounds, Corregidor in Peace and War is an absorbing contribution to Filipino history and deserves recognition for telling the oft-overlooked side of Corregidor's story.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Realist Short Story Of The Powerful Glimpse
Kerry McSweeney
University of South Carolina Press
718 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29208
9781570036958, $29.95 www.sc.edu/uscpress 1-800-768-2500

"The Realist Short Story Of The Powerful Glimpse: Chekhov To Carver" by Kerry McSweeny (Molson Professor of English at McGill University, Montreal, Canada) focuses the professor's analytical commentary on the published writings of five acknowledged masters of the short story format: Anton Chekov, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, and Raymond Carver. Professor McSweeny deftly argues the idea that realist short stories provide a tightly focused and dramatically powerful form that requires the author to a precisely crafted realism though distinctive literary strategies that transcend the writer's various generational, national, and cultural backgrounds. Professor McSweeney persuasively defends the effective short story has integrating three specific components: the entertainment value of the story; reader response to the story's emotional content; and the reader's reflective reaction to the conceptual or cognitive elements. Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Realist Short Story Of The Powerful Glimpse" is a seminal work of superb scholarship, and a welcome contribution to the literary analysis of the short story format in general, and the application of short story principles to the works of five gifted masters of this distinctive literary form in particular.

Sir Hugh Walpole and the United States
Elizabeth Steele
The Edwin Mellen Press
PO Box 450, Lewiston, NY 14092-0450
9780773455320, $109.95 www.edwinmellenpress.com 1-716-754-2788

Written by Dr. Elizabeth Steele (Professor Emerita of English, University of Toledo), Sir Hugh Walpole and the United States: A Novelist's View of 1919-1936 America is a scholarly examination of the themes and works of knighted English novelist Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole (1884-1941). Drawing upon Walpole's lectures, and especially focusing upon Walpole's view of America in the roaring twenties and the Great Depression, Sir Hugh Walpole and the United States features meticulous documentation in its analysis of Walpole's insights, and especially his visit to Hollywood. Appendices include two of Walpole's short stories, "The Tiger" and "The Exile", and two of Walpole's essays, "An Englishman's View of Modern America" and "Nobody Is Safe in Hollywood." A welcome addition to library and college literary studies shelves, offering a balanced insight into the workings of American society from the point of a view of an outsider who nevertheless formed a bond with the culture of a distant soil.


The Social Issues Shelf

Our Day to End Poverty
Shannon Daley-Harris and Jeffrey Keenan with Karen Speerstra
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781576754467, $14.95 www.bkconnection.com 1-800-929-2929

Our Day to End Poverty: 24 Ways You Can Make a Difference is a guide for readers of all walks of life to making a difference for the better at home and around the world. Using the 24-hour day as a framework, Our Day to End Poverty discusses 24 common daily activities and, in context, the things ordinary people can do to alleviate poverty during the course of their normal lives. From guidelines for charitable giving, to expanding access to the enormously successful microfinance programs, to "volunteer vacations" that enable one to travel with a purpose, to speaking up for social justice through writing letters to elected officials, Our Day to End Poverty offers a wealth of experience-tested strategies that truly make the world a better place to live in. Highly recommended.

How to Live a Low-Carbon Life
Chris Goodall
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781844074266, $24.95 www.styluspub.com 1-800-232-0223

Chris Goodall (Telecommunications chair of software company Dynmark International) presents How to Live a Low-Carbon Life: The Individual's Guide to Stopping Climate Change, a guide for the socially responsible to reducing one's carbon emissions and therefore aid in preventing global catastrophe. Chapters cover how to calculate one's carbon dioxide emissions and reduce them to 3 tonnes a year or less, the amount that the Earth can sustainably absorb per person. From home heating to lighting, appliances, car travel, air travel, means of cancelling out emissions, and much more, How to Live a Low-Carbon Life is thoroughly easy to use. "Anyone looking for energy efficiency should concentrate the search on the smaller fridge freezers. Going from a 300 litre capacity machine to a 400 litre will typically add about 60kWh/year to electricity consumption, so it makes sense to try to buy a moderately sized appliance." Highly recommended.


The Music Shelf

Morrissey
Johnny Rogan
Music Sales Corporation
445 Bellvale Road, PO Box 572,Chester, NY 10918
9780952954057, $19.95 www.musicsales.com

Johnny Rogan, author of the best-selling biography "Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance" presents Morrissey: The Albums, an in-depth study of Morrissey's musical work with the Smiths up through 2006 and "Ringleader of the Tormentors". Each of Smiths' and Morrissey's albums is discussed at length; Rogan explores the themes and context of the lyrics, the pathos of the music, references to each piece's performance and relative success, and much more. An in-depth analytical account especially ideal for music scholars and Morrissey connoisseurs.

Riot On Sunset Strip
Domenic Priore
Jawbone Press
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781906002046, $29.95 www.jawbonepress.com

In 1965 and 1966, the city of Los Angeles saw a sudden burst of rock groups playing in venues on the fabled Sunset Strip. These were bands that included such legendary outfits as The Byrds, The Doors, Love, The Seeds, The Turtles, The Mammas and the Papas, The Standells, and so many others. They appeared with the unexpected suddenness of a comet, then vanished just as swiftly. In "Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Rolls Last Stand In Hollywood" writer, television producer, music and pop culture historian Domenic Priore provides an illustrated history of that remarkable time that saw a unique musical scene come into existence and the fall apart at the Monterey Pop festival as a kind of tragic finale to the fabled Summer of Love. Profusely illustrated, "Riot On Sunset Strip" is a fascinating read that is informed and informative, making it an ideal addition to personal, academic, and community library 20th Century American Music History reference collections and supplemental reading lists..

East Coast Books
PO Box 13142, Hauppauge, NY 11788
$10.95 each www.amazon.com

'Easy Classics' is an impressive series of inexpensive instructional sheet music books designed to teach piano students and performers to play classics created by some of the most recognizable composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. This five volume series is ably compiled and edited by Erika Feuchtner Macris and includes "Easy Classics: Beethoven for the Piano" (#77765); "Easy Classics: Mozart for the Piano" (#77775); "Easy Classics: Chopin for the Piano" (#77770); "Easy Classics: Bach for the Piano" (#77760); and a compilation volume, "Easy Classics: Piano Masters" (#77780) featuring works for the piano by Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Handel, Mozart, and Schubert. The series is ideal and recommended for self-instruction, as well as for school music department curriculums.

Down to the River
Sandra Louise Dyas
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House, 119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
9780877459972, $29.95 www.uiowapress.org 1-800-621-2736

Photographer Sandra Dyas has been documenting Iowa City's music scene since 1987. Down to the River: Portraits of Iowa Musicians features sixty of her black-and-white photographs of musicians in and around the city, at live music venues and elsewhere. A brief forward by Chris Offutt and a very small amount of text by the photographer complement this gallery, but the pages are primarily devoted to the pictures themselves, capturing the intensity of music and performance in the moment. A companion audio CD with eighteen tracks of Iowa's greatest singers and songwriters (including Dave Moore, Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey, David Zollo, and Pieta Brown) is included in this stunning visual presentation.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Light in the Dark Ages
Jon M. Sweeney
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
9781557254764, $16.95 www.paracletepress.com

Light in the Dark Ages: The Friendship of Francis of Francis and Clare of Assisi is a spiritual biography of Francis and Clare of Assisi, written especially to help guide and enlighten fellow Christians in the modern day. Light in the Dark Ages reveals that the Middle Ages themselves were not necessarily innately dark - "dark ages" come whenever humanity forgets the ideals of the Sermon on the Mount. Light in the Dark Ages tells of Francis' calling by God, and how Clare joined him despite the vehement and violent objections of her family. Exploring the realities of the day, including the treatment of lepers in medieval society and corruption in the Church, Light in the Dark Ages follows the example of two deeply spiritual figures to the end of their lives, and asks profound questions: how should one view a young person who rejects family for spiritual reasons? Can men and women share a deep yet purely platonic friendship? Is their value in an intentional vow of poverty? Does placing absolute value on family ignore the words of Jesus Christ? A thought-provoking examination of what it truly meant for Francis and Clare to be followers of Jesus Christ, and what that means for followers of Christ today.

The Benedictine Tradition
Laura Swan, editor; Phyllis Zagano, series editor
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814619148, $15.95 www.litpress.org 1-800-858-5450

St. Benedict wrote his "little rule for beginners" in the sixth century, unwittingly becoming the genesis of a religious order of prayer, humility, and service that continues into the modern day. Across the centuries, Benedictines have dedicated themselves to God, practiced the Liturgy of the Hours and monastic life, and made contributions to chant, theology, and the preservation of spiritual works and scholarship. The Benedictine Tradition: Spirituality in History compiles writings of notable Benedictines throughout history; the essays reflect the power of faith and individual dedication to service, profound aspects that speak to the reader as strongly today as they did when first written. Highly recommended.

The Mass Is Never Ended
Gregory F. Ausustine Pierce
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
9781594710698, $10.95 www.avemariapress.com 1-800-282-1865

Very highly recommended reading, especially for young adults seeking a meaningful reason to become active in their Catholic church and those older Catholics fearing that the Church has diminished commitments to social justice, "The Mass Is Never Ended: Rediscovering Our Mission To Transform The World" by Gregory F. Augustine Pierce (an experienced book editor, as well as the president and co-publisher of ACTA Publications), examines the Roman Catholic Mass with respect to its connection to the remaining 167 hours of the week. The purpose of this beautifully written and spiritually inspiring book is to encourage the reader to renew a dedication to the Christian mission of community and spirituality in the home, in the workplace, and in the community, thereby creating a continuing connection to God resulting in their enjoying richer and more fulfilling personal and professional lives.

44 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage
Jerry Drace
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781589805057, $12.95 www.pelicanpub.com 1-800-843-1724

Written by Jerry Drace, who co-founded of Jerry Drace Evangelistic Association Inc. with his wife Becky, 44 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage is a straightforward collection of insights toward building and maintaining a strong, healthy relationship with one's spouse. Though written expressly from a Christian perspective, 44 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage offers advice useful to readers of all faiths, such as "Never Compare Your Spouse to Others", "Avoid Irritating Comments", "Be Responsible with Your Finances", and "Learn the Difference between Fact and Feeling". 44 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage is also a consumable book, offering blank lines for the reader to write down his or her thoughts every few pages. Highly recommended.

And God Created Human
Jana Tether
Pleasant Word
c/o Winepress Publishing Group
PO Box 428, Enumclaw, WA 98022
9781414108520, $19.99 www.winepressgroup.com

Actress and cable show writer Jana Tether presents And God Created Human: A Collection of Scenes and Monologues, an anthology of brief theater-style scenes suitable for reading or performance that bring to life God's message of love, hope, and support in daily life. The subjects of these creative dramas range from insecurity and temptation to spiritual warfare, fear, and the joy of worship. Scripture verses and thought-provoking questions designed to stimulate discussions on how God's Word applies to the here and now round out this welcome resource for church libraries and Christian community theater.

Biotechnology and the Human Good
C. Ben Mitchell, Edmund D. Pellegrino, Jean Bethke Elshtain, John F. Kilner, & Scott B. Rae
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589011380, $24.95 www.press.georgetown.edu 1-800-246-9606

Written by a team of five scientists and ethicists, Biotechnology and the Human Good is a discussion grounded in Judeo-Christian theism concerning modern leaps and bounds in biotechnology. While medical advances such as antibiotics, transfusions, and pacemakers have improved people's lives, the dark side of biotechnical advances reflects a reckless disdain for human life in the wake of greed. Though from a Christian perspective, Biotechnology and the Human Good is emphatically not antiscience, anti-industry, or anti-progress; instead, it questions how collective human good can most effectively be promoted without violating moral principles. Highly recommended.


The Poetry Shelf

The Pure Inconstancy of Grace
Richard St. John
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
9781931112499, $14.95 http://tsup.truman.edu 1-800-916-6802

Written by Richard St. John, The Pure Inconstancy of Grace is a compilation of free-verse poetry distinguished by the naturally elegant patterning of words and concepts. Both mundane and spiritual topics are touched upon, in the course of bemusing life's greatest mysteries. Highly recommended. "Heidegger's Pear": Imagine a pear. First, its freckled, golden / surface, then the freckles softening / to oozy spots of brown. The pear's dissolution / not a thing that happens to a pear, but one / with its very being, with it from the first / green node upon the stem. But, unlike man, / the pear cannot imagine / what its death might mean: not just / a world without the fragrance of this one pear - gone. Not just / a world without the fizzy orchards / leafing out in spring. The possibility- / the shock - of a not-a-world-at-all, / and no one to imagine one again. / The possibility that signifies "the measureless / impossibility" of anything - the absent / dark, dark soil, from which / these fragile blossoms grow.

Bellini in Istanbul
Lillias Bever
Tupelo Press
PO Box 539, Dorset, VT 05251
9781932195262, $16.95 www.tupelopress.org 1-800-283-3572

Winner of the Tupelo Press Judge's Prize, Bellini in Istanbul is a compilation of free-verse poetry featuring absorbing descriptions of Italian scenes, Turkish fish markets, and other exotic locales as well as deeply personal difficulties. The end of a relationship turned sour in a foreign land, followed by the creation of a new one; the pain and wonder of bringing a child into the world; and the eternal search for meaning in life make for an unforgettable poetic experience. "Ezan": In Bebek, a famous tenor calls / the ezan from Kemalettin's elegant, dove-grey mosque, // his voice spilling like noon light over the park. / It's Friday. The devout are washing // off the morning's dust, their shoes lined up / neatly at the lip of the public fountains.


The International Studies Shelf

Suicide Bombers in Iraq
Mohammed M. Hafez
United States Institute of Peace
1200 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-3011
9781601270047, $17.50 www.usip.com

Professor of political science Mohammed M. Hafez presents Suicide Bombers in Iraq: The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom, a scholarly evaluation of the all-too-real cruelty and tragedy of suicide bombing in Iraq. Suicide bombings in Iraq appear to be perpetrated largely by non-Iraqi volunteers from Saudi Arabia, Europe, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, and North Africa, and the targets are generally either Iraqi security forces and Shia civilians rather than coalition forces. Suicide Bombers in Iraq meticulously dissects and deconstructs the methodologies used to justify suicide bombing and the sectarian equivalent of ethnic cleansing, and adds to the search for means to stem the tide of such attacks. In addition to current strategies, Professor Hafez also recommends a drive to delegitimize suicide bombings, directly attacking the ideological, theological, and other justifications that the masterminds of suicide bombings rely upon to recruit volunteers. Suicide Bombers in Iraq is entirely free of illusions - whether positive or negative - about the Iraq occupation, absolute "must-read" for anyone concerned about the future of Iraq.


The Education Shelf

Straight Talk About Schools Today 101 Q&As for Parents
Judy Molland
Free Spirit Publishing
217 Fifth Avenue North, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1299
9781575422190, $15.95 www.freespirit.com 1-866-703-7322

Award-winning teacher and writer Judy Molland presents Straight Talk About Schools Today 101 Q&As for Parents: Understand the System and Help Your Child Succeed, a question-and-answer format guide discussing what modern parents most need to know. Chapters cover what No Child Left Behind is and how it affects one's child, what charter schools are and how they work, what to do if one's child has a learning disability or disorder, steps one can take if one's child is being bullied at school, good ways to discuss grades and report cards with one's children, and much more. Contact information for a wealth of helpful organizations round out this extremely practical and accessible guide.

Evidence-Based School Counseling
Carey Dimmitt, John C. Carey, & Trish Hatch
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781412948906, $32.95 www.corwinpress.com 1-800-818-7243

Evidence-Based School Counseling: Making a Difference With Data-Driven Practices is a guide especially for school counselors, who now more than ever before are pressured to document their worth with data and the production of quantitative accountability reports. Chapters train the reader in a practical process for using evidence to determine the most crucial issues in school counseling: what needs to be done, which interventions should be implemented, and whether or not the interventions are effective. An utterly invaluable guide to measuring qualities and situations that would seem at first glance to deny quantification, highly recommended for aspiring and working professionals in the field.

Unsmiling Faces, second edition
Lesley Koplow, editor
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807748039, $25.95 www.tcpress.com 1-800-575-6566

Now in a newly updated second edition, Unsmiling Faces: How Preschools Can Heal is a guide especially for professional educators concerning quality intervention and prevention programs for the sake of emotionally fragile and developing young children. Essays by a variety of expert authors discuss subjects ranging from "Developmental Reality and the Reality of Experience" to "Play Therapy as Early Intervention", "Lesson Plans for Emotional Life", "Why Homeless Children Can't Sit Still", and much more, all written with a keen eye toward methodologies for improving the quality of life as well as the education of children. An invaluable asset for any professional preschool educator.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Zero Debt for College Grads
Lynnette Khalfani
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th floor, New York, NY 10006
9781427754646, $14.95 www.kaplanpublishing.com 1-800-223-2336

Personal finance expert and television personality Lynnette Khalfani presents Zero Debt for College Grads: From Student Loans to Financial Freedom, a guide that lives up to its title. Written in plain terms for readers of all backgrounds, Zero Debt for College Grads covers money management lessons not taught in school, how to negotiate with a lender for better terms on a loan (or with an employer for help with loan repayment), determine what to do if immediately paying off a loan is not possible, clear up defaulted loans, establish a good credit rating, and much more. The tips range from cutting housing, transportation, and clothing costs to earning extra money at home (sell extra stuff, get a roommate or tenant, and itemize your deductions) to the pros and cons of loan consolidation to how to wipe out the plague of credit card debt. A "must-have" for anyone about to graduate from college.

100 Ways to Create Wealth
Steve Chandler and Sam Beckford
Robert D. Reed Publishers
PO Box 1992, 1380 Face Rock Drive, Bandon, OR 97411
9781931741781, $24.95 www.rdrpublishers.com

Business consultant Steve Chandler and self-made millionaire Sam Beckford present 100 Ways to Create Wealth, a self-improvement guide to mastering the emotional and personal aspects of earning a respectable living. 100 Ways to Create Wealth lives up to its title by offering valuable tips, tricks, techniques, and attitudes to adopt; all suggestions are quite general and applicable to individuals enacting any business plan or enterprise. The recommendations, each of which is spared a few pages of discussion, include "Don't be a Wealth Wannabe", a warning against getting sucked into false moneymaking schemes such as pyramid scandals or dubious popular real estate trends; "Know Your Customer Better", an encouragement to focus on what the customer needs and stay in a positive mindframe rather than focus on one's own shortcomings; and "Open an Easy-Earned Money Account", which suggests creating a bank account solely for the money one didn't have to sweat bullets to obtain, and use that money to pay for guilt-free luxuries. An excellent supplemental guide for anyone going into business for themselves or otherwise looking to get ahead, without leaving principles or quality of life behind.


The Parenting Shelf

Don't Call Me Shy
Laurie Adelman, B.S.N.
Langmarc Publishing
PO Box 90488, Austin, TX 78709-0488
9781880292327, $14.95 www.booksails.com

Health education expert and former shy child Laurie Adelman presents Don't Call Me Shy: Preparing Shy Children for a Lifetime of Social Success, a guide for parents and educators to helping shy children develop to their fullest social potential. Chapters warn about the harmful effects that too much negative reinforcement have, and emphasize the value of positive reinforcement. Don't Call Me Shy guides the reader to create a mind-set geared toward social comfort in young children, and includes sample lesson plans for teachers, encouragement for shy adults, recommendations for supplemental reading, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone responsible for shy or introverted children.

From Crib to Kindergarten
Dorothy A. Drago, MPH
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9780801885709, $15.00 www.press.jhu.edu 1-800-537-5487

Author Dorothy A. Drago, MPH shares her decades of experience in the field of safety as a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and a private safety consultant in From Crib to Kindergarten: The Essential Child Safety Guide. Written for parents and child care providers of all backgrounds, From Crib to Kindergarten covers how to reduce the risk of injury at home and beyond for children from birth to age five, a time when they are at the most vulnerable. Chapters discuss sleep safety, why infants should never sleep in an adult bed (an infant becoming wedged between an adult bed and the wall is the leading cause of infant suffocation death), preventing falls while changing diapers (caregivers should keep one hand on an infant or toddler at all times when changing the child on an elevated surface), hazardous clothing (buttons, snaps and shoelace accessories can come off and be choking hazards; drawstrings, ribbons and hoods can be strangling hazards), basic fire prevention, tips for preventing backyard drownings, and much more. Literally a lifesaver, From Crib to Kindergarten is a must-read not for parents, teachers, and child care professionals, and should be an absolutely mandatory study text for first-time babysitters.


The Biography Shelf

The Wet Collection
Joni Tevis
Milkweed Editions
1011 Washington Avenue South, #300, Minneapolis, MN 55415-1246
9781571313034, $20.00 1-800-520-6455 www.milkweed.org

The Wet Collection is a memoir anthology of essays drawn from the life experience of author Joni Tevis, and combined with her thoughts on natural history, ancient texts, folk heroes, and found objects. Part memoir, part literature, part measured opinion, and part research, The Wet Collection touches upon Tevis' adventures ranging from her summer spent working as a cemetery salesman to having to dress up as a beaver while serving the duty of a park ranger to the simple hardship of coping with homesickness. An atmospheric and deeply introspective tour of life, thought, and womanhood. "Maybe scraps are all we've ever had; threads of mycelium working through forest duff, a woman made from a crumb of clay. These fragments I have shared, these pieces I have squirreled away. I have wished for sharper ears to hear the rasp of wasp chewing wood into paper, to hear water pumping through the arteries of thin-barked beech trees. Have wished for a body more sensitive, to feel the slow swelling of yeasty lava that lifts the mountain a little more every day. Sometimes I swear I can feel the earth rising, bearing me up."


The Audiobook Shelf

I Am America (And So Can You!)
Stephen Colbert
Hachette Audio
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781600240362, $24.98 www.hbgusa.com

I Am America (And So Can You!) is the audiobook version of irrepressible comedian Stephen Colbert's new, opinionated, cover-to-cover hilarious book. Spoken entirely in character (specifically, the caricature of an over-the-top right-wing pundit that Stephen Colbert plays in his daily "Colbert Report" TV show), I Am America (And So Can You!) features the loud, forceful, and utterly bombastic voice of Colbert himself, though the voices of a number of additional celebrities also appear, including Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show", Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, and others. The politicized laughs range from an alleged glimpse into Stephen's childhood and family life (if his children don't listen to him they risk being deported), to his thunderous denouncements of America's pop culture ills (baby carrots are trying to turn him gay), to his views of other demographics (children are to be feared because they're here to replace us, and old people aren't dying fast enough). Highly recommended, and a top-notch gift for any friend or family member in need of a Colbert-inspired smile. 3 CDs.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Finding Your Smile Again
Jeff A. Johnson
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781929610938, $14.95 www.redleafpress.org 1-800-423-8309

Written by a child care professional Jeff A. Johnson especially for other child care professionals, Finding Your Smile Again: A Child Care Professional's Guide to Reducing Stress and Avoiding Burnout is filled with dozens of experience-proven techniques for coping with stressful situations and preventing burnout, in a field where an estimated 30 to 40 percent of practitioners quit. From recognizing the signs of burnout in oneself and others ("I can't smile at the kids anymore") to taking positive action to bigger issues such as seeking one's Ultimate Purpose, Finding Your Smile Again is utterly invaluable. An absolute "must-have" for anyone working in or considering the field of professional child care.

Hire Me, Inc.
Roy J. Blitzer
Entrepreneur Press
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10121-2298
9781599180830, $19.95 www.entrepreneurpress.com 1-877-833-5524

Roy Blitzer is an executive coach and management consulting who has worked for more than thirty years as a human resources and business management professional. He therefore brings a very special and knowledgeable expertise to "Hire Me, Inc.: Resumes And Cover Letters That Get Results". Blitzer covers the various resume formats (Skills/Functional Resume; Chronological Resume; Combined Resume) as well as the Curriculum Vitae and resume alternatives. Then he goes on to lay out the components of the basic resume format; questions to think about in recording experience; education and professional development; tips and techniques in shaping the resume; and the cover letter and other complementary tools to the resume. Of special note is the chapter devoted to internet tips, hints, and polishing points. Sample resumes are provided for both for-profit and not-for-profit applicants. Simply stated, "Hire Me, Inc." will prove to be an invaluable, indispensable instruction guide for anyone seeking a job or career advancement and using their resume to do so.


The Nautical Shelf

Cruising Guide to Costal South Carolina and Georgia
Claiborne S. Young
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
9780895873439, $26.95 www.blairpub.com 1-800-222-9796

Now in a revised sixth edition, Cruising Guide to Costal South Carolina and Georgia is an in-depth guide to every last marina, anchorage, creek, nook, and cranny along the South Carolina and Georgia coastline. Author Clairborne Young has applied his years of experience boating in sailcraft and powerboats and personally visited every body of water referenced in this local's-eye-view guide. Maps and black-and-white photographs add a visual touch to the richly detailed descriptions sure to appeal to armchair travelers as well as boat travelers. Cruising Guide to Coastal South Carolina and Georgia is a travel guide, not a how-to guide; the reader's familiarity with principles of nautical operation and safety is presumed, and the main focus is upon the marvelous sights, sounds, and history of the South Carolina and Georgia coast. Enthusiastically recommended for area boaters, whether residents or vacationers.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Whimsic Alley Book of Spells
George Beahm & Stan Goldin, editors
Tim Kirk, illustrator
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
9781571745354, $14.95 1-800-766-8009 www.hrpub.com

The Whimsic Alley Book of Spells: Mythical Incantations for Wizards of All Ages is a compilation of spells created by contributors the world over, in a modern contest sponsored by Goldin's Whimsic Alley store of wizarding wares. Offered spells include "Liber cardiacamo" to free someone from pining over unrequited love, "Excito articulus singularis" to never sleep late again, "Elountous saetu" to temporarily change the weather, and much more. From recommendations for a wizarding wardrobe to practical-use spells to the mystery of where wands come from, The Whimsic Alley Book of Spells is sure to delight anyone intrigued by the wonder of mystic powers.

Monster Spotter's Guide to North America
Scott Francis, author
Ben Patrick, illustrator
F + W Publications, Inc.
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781581809299, $14.99 www.fwpublications.com

Monster Spotter's Guide to North America is an exciting field guide to more than one hundred mythical (or are they?) and folklore monsters reputed to roam the North American continent, from the Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest to the hideous Mexican goatsucker called El Chupacabra. Penned with a witty edge by monster enthusiast Scott Francis, and illustrated with black-and-white sketches by artist Ben Patrick, Monster Spotter's Guide to North America is sure to delight anyone with a keen interest in bizarre or even macabre beasts of legend. Quick-reference boxes for identification of key monster traits, a glossary of cryptozoology terms, a remedial course in common monster knowledge, case studies, and more fill this fantastic reference.


The Woodworking Shelf

The Art of Whittling
Walter L. Faurot
Linden Publishing
2006 S. Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
9781933502076, $9.95 www.lindenpub.com

First published in 1930, The Art of Whittling is a classic introduction to the hobby of woodcrafting through whittling. Linden Publishing offers an unabridged edition of the original guide, offering over a dozen woodworking projects including continuous wooden chains, working wooden scissors and pliers, balls in cages, entwined hearts, fans, and even ships inside bottles. Black-and-white illustrations and diagrams round out this time-tested primer.


The Self-Help Shelf

You Can Do It! But Why Bother?
Jeff St. John, Ph.D.
Airleaf Publishing
35 Industrial Drive, Martinsville, IN 46151
9780595416554, $13.95 www.airleaf.com 1-800-342-6068

Self-help and relationship expert Jeff St. John, Ph.D. presents You Can Do It! But Why Bother?: 101 Excuses for Bad Behavior & Stalling Personal Growth, a self-help book peppered with humor. Each page features a brief first-person statement of a "justified" bad behavior, illustrated with a cartoony caricature drawing. "Today, I will delegate my workload onto unsuspecting people who have a hard time saying no. It's almost like they ask for it." A uniquely delightful spoof on a wealth of different ways people bring negativity into their own lives and the lives of their friends, co-workers, family, and children.

Dwelling
Mary Beth Lagerborg
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800732073, $12.99 www.revellbooks.com

Media director Mary Beth Lagerborg presents Dwelling: Living Fully from the Space You Call Home, which is not an interior decorating guide in the traditional sense - rather, Dwelling emphasizes that creating a comfortable home is intimately tied to cultivating the relationships within it. Chapters discuss how to cope with tastes for decorating or cleanliness that are at odds with one another, how to make working from home successful, transforming the atmosphere of one's home into an inviting place for guests, and much more. A wondrous guide to orchestrating a living space to serve the deeper needs of the soul, rather than just the simple aesthetic demands of the eye.


The Sports Shelf

Women Who Win
Lisa Taggart
Seal Press
c/o Avalon Publishing Group
245 West 17th Street, 11th floor, New York, NY 10011-5300
9781580052009, $14.95 www.sealpress.com 1-800-788-3123

Women Who Win: Female Athletes on Being the Best is an anthology of portraits of champion ten female athletes. A black-and-white photograph of each woman introduces her section, peppered with snippets of interviews, tales of training regimens, and stories of the raw struggle required to become the best of the best. The women covered are big-wave surfer Jamilah Star, jockey Julie Krone, soccer player Julie Foudy, runner Deena Kastor, gymnast Wendy Hilliard, volleyball player Misty May-Treanor, swimmer Lynne Cox, basketball player Tamika Catchings, triathlete Karen Smyers, and rock climber Lynn Hill. An amazing true account of what it takes to reach the top of one's game, and an especially inspirational read for women of all ages.


The Genealogy Shelf

Searching For Flemish (Belgian) Ancestors
Josef J. Goethals & Karel Denys
Clearfield Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
0806353422, $19.95 www.genealogical.com 1-800-296-6687

Genealogist Josef J. Goethals, in collaboration with ordained priest Karel Denys (who is also the editor of the "Gazette van Detroit" considered to be the only Belgian newspaper in America), "Searching For Flemish (Belgian) Ancestors" is an invaluable introduction to doing genealogical research involving Flemish (today known as Belgian) ancestors and family lines. Beginning with a brief history of Flanders and Belgium, "Searching For Flemish (Belgian) Ancestors" goes on to identify American sources of Belgian information; civil records in Flanders from 1796; parish records; and other sources of the 'Old Regime'. Enhanced with five appendices including 'Flemish Surnames and First Names'; 'State Archives in Flanders'; 'The Flemish Association for Family History'; 'Currency and Land Measurements'; and a Glossary of Flemish, French and Latin Terms, ; as well as a Bibliography, "Searching For Flemish (Belgian) Ancestors is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and invaluable resource recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library Genealogical Studies reference collections.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

A Whitetail Retrospective
Boone and Crockett Club
250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801
9780940864566, $34.95 www.booneandcrockettclub.com

For more than one hundred years the Boone and Crockett Club (named after fabled frontiersmen and hunters Daniel Boone and David Crockett) has been an organized of hunters who sought out the big-game animals of North America. Now the organizations century-old history has been illustrated and documented in "A Whitetail Retrospective Vintage Photos And Memorabilia From The Boone And Crockett Club Archives", a 340-page compendium of letters, memos, maps, articles, photos, and records showcasing the activities and accomplishments of its membership. Organized by decades in their chronological order, the club's history is presented from its earliest days in 1830 through 1979. Here are the most significant whitetail deer trophies ever recorded, including the Breen Buck, Mel Johnson's archery Worlds Record, James Jordan's legendary typical from Wisconsin, and so much more. "A Whitetail Retrospective" is informative and engaging reading which is especially recommended to contemporary deer hunters, and will provide an excellent introduction to the sport as faithfully recorded in the archives of the fabled Boone and Crockett Club.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Fifty Uncommon Birds Of The Upper Midwest
Nancy Overcott & Dana Gardner
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
1587295903, $34.95 www.uiowapress.org 1-800-621-2736

Superbly executed, museum quality watercolors by gifted artist Nancy Overcott showcasing fifty different species of hard-to-find birds associated with the upper Midwestern habitats are enhanced with an informed and informative narrative text by columnist and author Dana Gardner in "Fifty Uncommon Birds Of The Upper Midwest". Each selected bird is a relatively rare and difficult to find specimen of birdlife ranging from the Surf Scoter, to the Whooping Crane, to the Acadian Flycatcher, to the Evening Grosbeck. Enhanced with an annotated bibliography (including online information about national and international organizations that focus on birds and bird related conservation issues), "Fifty Uncommon Birds Of The Upper Midwest" is an important and popular addition to academic library reference collections, and most especially to community library Pets & Wildlife shelves across the American Midwest. Also very highly recommended are Overcott and Gardner's previously published companion title, "Fifty Common Birds Of The Upper Midwest (University of Iowa Press, 2006).


The Psychology Shelf

Childhood Mental Health Disorders
Ronald T. Brown, et al.
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
9781433801709, $59.95 www.apa.org/books 1-800-368-5777

Ten distinguished academicians and clinicians in this very specialized are of psychology have contributed to "Childhood Mental Health Disorders: Evidence Base And Contextual Factors For Psychosocial, Psychopharmacological, And Combined Interventions", a review of the professional literature focused on evidence-based practice pertaining to psychopharmacology and psychotherapy for a variety of mental health disorders in children. This seminal volume covers currently available information on the effective use of treatment modalities, sequencing, comparative risks and benefits, the integration of psychotropic medications, as well as psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents. Among the conditions or disorders addressed are those that are internalized (anxiety, depression), and those that are externalized (hyperactivity, conduct, oppositional defiance, attention deficits). An impressively informed and informative body of analytical commentary, "Childhood Mental Health Disorders" should be considered an essential acquisition for professional, clinical, and academic library Child Psychology/Child Psychiatric reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Journalism Shelf

Porcupine, Picayune & Post
Jim Bernhard
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826217486, $34.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

"Porcupine, Picayune & Post: How Newspapers Get Their Names" is a fascinating and analytical history of how many of America's newspapers came to carry distinctive, even whimsical, names like 'Jimplecute', 'Acantha', 'Zephry', 'Gondolier', 'Iconoclast' or 'Bazzo'. Author and word sleuth Jim Bernhard also reveals why there are so many newspapers around the country that carry the words 'Herald', 'Journal', 'Post', and 'Tribune' in their titles. Sometimes the names had their roots in politics, sometimes they were personal, sometimes they were meant to represent a philosophy or mission. "Porcupine, Picayune & Post" is wonderfully informative read that is as entertaining as it is instructional. "Porcupine, Picayune & Post" is a well deserved and popular addition to both academic and community library Journalism and American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists. A work of seminal scholarship, "Porcupine, Picayune & Post" is also very highly recommended to non-specialist general readers curious about the origin stories behind their own favorite newspapers.


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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