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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 10 October 2007 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Cookbook Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Education Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf American History Shelf
Art Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Railroading Shelf Poetry Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Civil War Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Computer Shelf World History Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Literary Shelf Biography Shelf
Gaming Shelf Social Work Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Political Science Shelf
Native American Shelf Interior Design Shelf Architecture Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Criminology Shelf Military Shelf
Nautical Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf Music Shelf
Gardening Shelf Philosophy Shelf Photography Shelf
International Studies Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Tomahawks
David Grant
Paladin Press
Gunbarrel Tech Center
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
9781581606089, $15.00 www.paladin-press.com 1-800-392-2400

The tomahawk is one of the oldest weapons known to man. It appears in one form or another in virtually every culture around the world because it is exceptionally effective in hand-to-hand combat and can be thrown as a missile weapon. A durable field tool, the tomahawk was also good for breaking through barriers like doors and windows, as well as dispatching captives and wounded enemies. In "Tomahawks: Traditional To Tactical", weapons expert David Grant informatively traces the history of this readily available and easily repaired hand weapons, examines historical and traditional tomahawk designs, and analyses the contributions to the development and use of the tomahawk by such luminaries as Peter LaGana (creator of the legendary Vietnam Tomahawk) and modern masters of the weapon like Wally Hayes, J. Neilson, Daniel Winkler, Kevin McClung, and others. Surveying a variety of tomahawk styles from historical sources as well as contemporary manufacturers, "Tomahawks" features dozens of photographs enhancing the thoroughly 'reader friendly' text. Of special note is the chapter on how to choose the best tomahawk for one's personal needs, as well as contact information for tomahawk designers and manufacturers. "Tomahawks" is a superbly presented and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library reference collections.

Edward Johnston: Master Calligrapher
Peter Holliday
Oak Knoll Press
310 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720-5038
9781584561989, $49.95 www.oakknoll.com 1-800-996-2556

Calligrapher is a graphic art that goes back centuries and is to be found in one form or another in almost every culture. Edward Johnson (1872-1944) was an acknowledge master of calligraphy, a typeface designer, and the creator of the distinctive lettering and branding of the London Underground. Additionally, Johnson was a teacher and philosopher whose practical ideas on calligraphy and lettering are still influential today. In "Edward Johnston: Master Calligrapher", the late photographer, bibliophile and history lecturer at Ravensbourne School of Art, Peter Holliday (1938-2003), presents a profusely illustrated, 398-page compendium on the life and work of Edward Johnston. The result is an informed and informative treatise on Johnston's involvement with the arts and crafts movement, his enduring influence as a calligrapher, as well as his genealogical background. Of special note is the concluding chapter, 'Johnston and John Ruskin: A Social Theory of Design'. A highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic library collections, "Edward Johnston: Master Calligrapher" is a work of seminal scholarship and an important contribution to the 20th Century history of calligraphy in England.

The Half-Life of an American Essayist
Arthur Krystal
David R. Godine, Publisher
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, New Hampshire 03452
9781567923285, $24.95 www.godine.com

Essayist Arthur Krystal's work has previously appeared in such respected publications as "The American Scholar", "The New Yorker", "The Wall Street Journal", and more. The Half-Life of an American Essayist is a selection of twelve literary essays, written in a conversational tone yet addressing both political and semiotic precepts. Topics range from the growth of the Holocaust industry, to the life of Raymond Chandler, to the history of boxing. "While scholarly books and serious documentaries about the Holocaust are invaluable in learning about what happened and why, a certain kind of excess breeds indifference, and even this essay may be in some measure a form of betrayal. There is a part of me that feels that whatever I say for public consumption somehow cheapens the suffering of those who died and those who survived. If I have any justification for writing this, it is that I promised my father I would present his alternative to the pomp and circumstance of remembrance." An eclectic and thought-provoking assortment, recommended for intellectual and casual readers alike.

Finding Betty Crocker
Susan Marks
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
9780816650187, $15.95 www.upress.umn.edu

Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food is the true story behind a commercial icon of 1950's homemaking - Betty Crocker. Created in 1921 as a "friend to homemakers" for the Washburn Crosby Company (a forerunner of modern-day General Mills), "Betty Crocker" was in fact the collective women of the Home Service Department who signed Betty's name. Betty Crocker's local radio show on WCCO expanded, as audiences across the nation learned to appreciate her money-saving recipes and wrote her nearly 5,000 fan letters a day. An amazing look at an enduring culinary and marketing history figure, illustrated with vintage black-and-white photographs.


The Cookbook Shelf

Extra Vegan
Laura Matthias
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
0865715513, $24.95 www.newsociety.com 1-800-283-3572

A superbly compiled and presented compendium of delicious and easy-to-prepare recipes that would please any palate and satisfying any appetite, "Extra Vegan: Original Recipes from Phoenix Organic Farm" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal or community vegetarian cookbook collection! Featuring more than 250 vegan dishes that range from Pumpkin Seed Yam Pate; Garbanzo Bean and Sundried Tomato Spread; Lemon Curried Lentils and Potatoes; and Ginger Anise Peach Muffins; to Creamy Mandarin Orange Icing; Toasted Pecan Apricot Crust; Mocha Hazlenut Spice Cookies; Vegan Baklava; and Blueberry Yogi Popsicles, there are vegan recipes for every dining occasion from daily family meals, to snack time, to that special celebratory occasion. Of special note are the sections on 'Natural Food Dyes' and 'A Glossary of Edible Flowers'. If you only have shelf space for one more vegetarian cookbook, then you'd be well advised to make it "Extra Vegan"!

Eating By Color For Maximum Health
Williams-Sonoma
Oxmoor House
c/o Leisure Arts Inc.
5701 Ranch Drive, Little Rock, AR 72223-9633
9780848731908, $34.95 www.leisurearts.com 1-800-643-8030

Enhanced with beautiful, full-color, photographic images of finished dishes, "Eating By Color For Maximum Health" is a compendium of easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes for a cornucopia of great eating that are as healthy as they are delicious. From Roasted Tuna with Olives, Grapes & Pine Nuts; Grilled Fish Tacos with Green Cabbage Salad; Turkey Sandwiches with Sweet Onions; and Spanish Tortilla with Golden Potatoes; to Baked Stew of Curried Root Vegetables; Lamb Kebabs with Blood Orange Salad; Strawberries in Red Wine; and Oatmeal & Dried Peach Muffins, "Eating By Color For Maximum Health" have dishes that range from the simple to the complex, any of which are suitable for every dining occasion from daily family meals to special event celebratory dining. Simply stated, "Eating By Color For Maximum Health" is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

The Middle Eastern Cookbook
Maria Khalife
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566566759, $20.00 www.interlinkbooks.com

The cuisine of the Middle East reflects centuries of infusions from a multitude of cultures that make up this ancient part of the world, including those culinary influences of the Greeks, the Romans, the Asians, and others who at one time or another impacted upon the nations and cultures of the Middle East. In "The Middle Eastern Cookbook", Maria Khalife (a celebrity chef in the Arab world and founder of the Soufra Daimeh Food Network -- the first Arab food television channel) has compiled more than 120 traditional recipes drawn from the entire Middle East including the countries and cultures of Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. All of these showcased recipes have been adapted to western kitchens and use readily available ingredients for American cooks. From Aish bel lahm (Bread with Meat) from Saudi Arabia; to Warak inab bil zeit (Stuffed Vine Leaves) from Lebanon; to Dajaj salona (Chicken with Vegetables) from Bahrain; to Kebab al rubyan (Shrimp Balls) from Kuwait, "The Middle Eastern Cookbook" is a profusely illustrated and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library international cookbook collections!

Vineyard Cuisine
Merrill Bonarrigo & Paul Bonarrigo
Bright Sky Press
340 South Second Street, Albany, TX 76430
9781933979021, $24.95 www.brightskypress.com 1-866-933-6133

The collaborative effort of Merrill and Paul Bonarrigo who draw upon their more than thirty years of experience and expertise as vintners in Texas, "Vineyard Cuisine: Meals & memories From Mossina Hof" is an historical journal about wine, food, love and laughter. Messing Hof is the first winery in Texas to produce wine based foods. The Bonarrigos also opened a restaurant featuring 'vineyard cuisine' and served gourmet breakfasts in the Villa. The very best of their wine-based dishes are showcased in "Vineyard Cuisine", along with step-by-step instructions that any kitchen cook can follow. Enhanced with color photography throughout, "Vineyard Cuisine" features recipes that range from Almnd Anise Biscotti; Treberwurst (wine-Soaked Bratwurst); and Spicy Calamari; to Champagne Vinaigrette Salad; Port Zabaglione; and Vintage House Focaccia Bread. "Vineyard Cuisine" is an especially recommended addition to the cookbook collections of discriminating connoisseurs of gourmet quality dining.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Deer Rifles & Cartridges
Wayne van Swoll
Stoeger Publishing
17603 Indian Head Highway, Suite 200, Accokeek, MD 20607-2501
9780883173480, $19.95 www.stoegerpublishing.com

An in-depth guide to which rifles and munitions are best for what kind of deer hunting, "Deer Rifles & Cartridges" by avid sportsman Wayne van Zwoll features an informed and informative text that is enhanced throughout with photographs, reference charts, general advice, and specific information on deer scopes and sights. Of special note are the expert tips on marksmanship for deer hunters. Simply stated, "Deer Rifles & Cartridges" should be considered essential reading for dedicated deer and elk hunters of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience.


The Education Shelf

Windows On Learning
Judy Harris Helm, et al.
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807747865, $19.95 www.tcpress.com 1-800-575-6566

Now in a newly expanded and updated second edition, "Windows On Learning: Documenting Young Children's Work" is the collaborative work of educational consultant Judy Harris Helm, educational resource specialist Sallee Beneke, and classroom teacher Kathy Steinheimer (Valseka Hinton Early Childhood Education Center). "Windows On Learning" provides teachers with a proven method for collecting, analyzing and displaying children's work at school. Instructions are provided that will easily enable principles, curriculum coordinators, and Head Start personnel how to develop children's portfolios to share with parents or for assessing children's academic performance. Replete with examples, illustrations, and basic information on incorporating standards into documentation, "Windows On Learning" also discusses how to analyze and talk about documentation in professional learning communities and teams. There is even cogent information on preparing teacher portfolios. Of special note is the "Movie Theater Project, a literacy-rich project from an inner-city pre-kindergarten classroom. "Windows On Learning" is strongly recommended as a resource for any educator involved with documenting the academic and classroom performance of children preschool through second grade.

Playing With Print
Carol Ann Bloom
Good Year Books
PO Box 91858, Tucson, AZ 85752-1858
9781596471337, $18.95 www.goodyearbooks.com 1-888-511-1530

Now in a newly expanded and updated second edition, "Playing With Print: Fun Activities And Ideas For Fostering Emergent Literacy" by early childhood education specialist Carol Ann Bloom offers Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade classroom teachers tools that can greatly improve the development of their students' emergent literacy through utilizing a wide range of play experiences and literacy-related props. "Playing With Print" offers a wealth of different ways to incorporate print into the instruction curriculum for reading and writing that will attract, engage and inspire children to attach meaning to the printed word with a naturalness and expertness that will stand them in very good stead for further academic achievement. The thoroughly 'user friendly' text is enhanced throughout with illustrations and with 'Tips' making "Playing With Print" an invaluable and highly recommended resource for both classroom teachers and home-schooling parents.

Big Ideas For Growing Mathematicians
Ann Kajander
Zephyr Press
c/o Independent Publishers Group
814 North Franklin StreetChicago, IL 60611
9781569762127, $19.95 www.zephyrpress.com 1-800-232-2187

Developed for use by students ages 10 to 14, and in grades 5 through 8, "Big Ideas For Growing Mathematicians: Exploring Elementary Math With 20 Ready-To-Go Activities" by Ann Kajander (founder of the Kindermath Enrich Project and an Adjunct Professor in the Mathematics Department of Lakehead University) is enthusiastically recommended resource for elementary school mathematics enrichment program curriculums. Thoroughly 'kid friendly', "Big Ideas For Growing Mathematicians" showcases twenty intrinsically interesting projects that collectively cover a wide range of math content and skills including triangular tessellations (geometry and repeating patterns), fractional salaries (multiplying and dividing fractions), and kaleidocycles (geometric hexaflexigons). Each united includes an overview, objectives, materials, vocabulary, and step-by-step procedures. Enhanced with reproducible student activity sheets are included for instruction and assessment, "Big Ideas For Growing Mathematicians" is also recommended for use by home-schooling parents.

Promoting Self-Determination In Students With Developmental Disabilities
Michael L. Wehmeyer
Guilford Publications, Inc.
72 Spring Street , New York, NY 10012
9781593854607, $25.00 www.guilford.com 1-800-365-7006

"Promoting Self-Determination In Students With Developmental Disabilities" by Professor of Special Education Michael L. Wehmeyer (who is also the Associate Director of the Beach Center on Disability at the University of Kansas, and the Director of the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities) is based on the finding that self-determination is a significant factor in improving educational performance and transition outcomes in students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Professor Wehmeyer surveys and assesses various methods for teaching components of self-determination (including making choices, problem solving, decision making, goal setting, self-advocacy, and self-regulated learning) and makes practical recommendations that classroom teachers can immediately apply within their classrooms and within their curriculums regardless of the subject matter. A work of seminal scholarship which is enhanced with reproducible worksheets and forms, extensive references, and a comprehensive index, "Promoting Self-Determination In Students With Developmental Disabilities" is a the latest title in the impressive 'What Works for Special-Needs Learners' series from Guilford Publications. Also available in a hardcover edition (9781593854614, $48.00), "Promoting Self-Determination In Students With Developmental Disabilities is strongly recommended reading for the teachers and counselors of special needs students.

Independent Study Program
Susan K. Johnsen & Kathryne Lee Johnson
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
9781593632304, $99.95 www.prufrock.com 1-800-998-2208

Collaboratively compiled and expertly co-authored by academicians Susan K. Johnsen (Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University) and Kathryne Lee Johnson (Adjunct Professor, School of Education, University of Rhode Island), the "Independent Study Program" includes a teacher's guide, a student workbook, and a set of 112 resource cards. Classroom teachers are provided with step-by-step instructions for organizing materials and guiding their students through the research process. Featuring teaching tips for students at all levels, "Independent Study Program" lays out just what is required for successful classroom management including suggestions, advice, helpful rubrics, checklists, and student rating scales. With sample lesson plans and real-world examples, "Independent Study Program" can provide the basis for adding an independent study program to elementary school curriculums regardless of the subject to be studied. "Independent Study Program" is also highly recommended for use by home schooling parents as well.

Sensory Integration
Christy Isbell & Rebecca Isbell
Gryphon House, Inc.
PO Box 207, Beltsville, MD 20704
978876590607, $19.95 www.ghbooks.com 1-800-638-0928

The numbers of young children entering private preschools and the public school system exhibiting sensory processing disorders is increasing every year and currently are estimated to affect 12 to 17 percent of all children in the United States according to the Sensory Integration Education and Research Foundation. The collaborative work of Christy Isbell (Program Directory and Associate Professor for the Occupational Therapy Program at Milligan College in Tennessee) and Rebecca Isbell (Director of Tennessee's Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Learning), "Sensory Integration: A Guide For Preschool Teachers" focuses on providing teachers with the tools they need to help children whose brains are not correctly processing information brought in by their senses. This problem can manifest itself as oversensitivity or undersensitivity to touch, sights, sounds, movement, tastes, or smells; unusually high or low activity levels; coordination problems; poor attention span or difficulty focusing on tasks; and low self-esteem. In addition to helping teachers identify these children, "Sensory Integration" also offers practical, easy-to-use solutions to supporting children's sensory needs. Of special note are the chapters that show how to determine whether a child is a sensory seeker or avoider; create effective learning environments to support the sensory development of all children; and the implementation of practical solutions to meet the needs of individual children in the preschool classroom. "Sensory Integration" is recommended as require reading for all preschool teachers, and would be highly informative reading for the parents of children with sensory disorders as well.

Visual Supports for People with Autism
Marlene J. Cohen, Ed.D., BCBA & Donna L. Sloan M.A., BCBA
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
9781890627478, $21.95 www.woodbinehouse.com 1-800-843-7323

Experts Marlene J. Cohen and Donna L. Sloan combine their expertise in Visual Supports for People with Autism: A Guide for Parents & Professionals, an educational guide for parents and professionals responsible for instructing children with autism spectrum disorder. Packed with examples and black-and-white photographic illustrations of over 140 visual supports, Visual Supports for People with Autism is an excellent supplementary resource for working on problem learning areas such as language, attention, memory, motivation, sequential skills, or social skills. An excellent, reader-friendly guide featuring reproducible diagrams to facilitate its ideas and concepts for enhancing learning.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Finding Community
Diana Leafe Christian
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865715783, $24.95 www.newsociety.com 1-800-283-3572

Environmental issues are becoming more urgent and more prominent with each passing year. More and more members of the general public are trying to live 'eco-friendly' lifestyles. For many, this includes living in eco-villages or communities of like-minded people. "Finding community: How To Join An Ecovillage Or Intentional Community by environmental activist Diana Leafe Christian is, quite literally, a 'how to' manual of instructions, case studies, anecdotes and information about life in an eco-village and becoming a member of a eco-friendly community. Of special note is a North American 'What It Costs' table coving both the United States and Canada and such issues as questions to be asked of community members and oneself, signs of a healthy (and not-so-healthy) community, the costs of joining and staying in a community, as common blunders to be avoided. Enhanced with sample community membership documents and an essay 'Can Living in Community Make a Difference in the Age of Peak Oil?', "Finding Community" should be considered a 'must read' by every environmentally conscious and conscientious man and woman in North America, as well as an essential addition to school and community library Environmental Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Peachtree Creek
David R. Kaufman
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA, 30602-4901
9780820329291, $25.00 www.ugapress.org 1-800-266-5842

Published by the University of Georgia Press in cooperation with the Atlanta History Center, "Peachtree Creek: A Natural And Unnatural History Of Atlanta's Watershed" by David R. Kaufman is a photographically enhanced exploration and survey of Peachtree Creek from its headwaters to its confluence with the Chattoochee River. The result of thirteen years of research, study, and exploration, "Peachtree Creek" artfully combines the informational content of scholarly research with the readability of talented storytelling to present a compelling mix of urban travelog, local history, and a clarion call for conservation. Combining historical images with his own superb examples of color photography, this study of a specific and finite watershed is a seminal example of an original work that would be as at home on the shelves of an academic library's Environmental Studies reference collection as it is on the front room coffee table of a non-specialist general reader with an interest in this history of the Peachtree Creek and its five tributaries (North Fork, South Fork, Clear Creek, Nancy Creek, and Tanyard Creek). An enthusiastically recommended read that is as informed as it is informative, "Peachtree Creek" would also serve as an excellent template for similar histories and studies of other American waterways.


The American History Shelf

Grand Excursion
Steven J. Keillor
Afton Historical Society Press
PO Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
1890434639, $28.00 www.aftonpress.com 1-800-436-8443

"Grand Excursion: Antebellum America Discovers The Upper Mississippi" by academician and Midwest historian Steven J. Keillor is a fascinating and superbly written history of the coming of the railroad to the Mississippi river. In June 1854 the owners of the Chicago & Rock island railroad invited hundreds of shareholders, bondholders, and others to travel by rail as guests of the railroad to Rock Island, Illinois, and from there by steamboat to St. Anthony Falls in the newly settled Minnesota territory. The expedition, termed 'The Grand Excursion', proved to be a huge success, which was played out against the pre-Civil War background when the western territories were the subject of intense and growing conflict over slavery. A consummate historian, Keillor draws upon historical records and eye-witness accounts of the round-trip journey, and provides the reader with an informed and informative account of its historical context and relevance. "Grand Excursion" is a work of impressive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' scholarship, making it an invaluable and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library 19th Century American History collections.

Tied to The Great Packing Machine
Wilson J. Warren
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
1587295369, $39.95 www.uiowapress.org 1-800-621-2736

Based on more than twenty-five years of painstaking scholarship and exhaustive research, "Tied To The Great Packing Machine: The Midwest And Meatpacking" by Wilson Warren (Associate Professor of History, Western Michigan University--Kalamazoo) presents an informed and informative history of the meatpacking industry's considerable impact on the economics, culture, and environment of the Midwest over the past 150 years. Meatpacking was a part of both the rural as well as urban areas, moving from the huge railroad supplied stockyards of Chicago and Kansas City to the meatpacking companies of smaller and less populated communities. The result is a complete and comprehensive picture of the meatpacking industry and its influence within the agro-industrial landscape of the American Midwest. Enhanced with numerous tables, regional and city maps, extensive notes, a bibliography, and an index, "Tied to The Great Packing Machine" is a seminal work and a strongly recommended addition to academic and community library American History reference collections.

Dance and Its Music in America, 1528-1789
Kate Van Winkle Keller
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
9781576471272, $84.00 www.pendragonpress.com 1-518-325-6100

Written by music and dance expert Kate Van Winkle Keller, whose many accomplishments include service as choreographer for the film "The Last of the Mohicans", Dance and Its Music in America, 1528-1789 is an in-depth history and analysis of dances and dance music in America during the era of Spanish, French, and English exploration and settlement. Timelines, a scattering of black-and-white illustrations reproducing vintage artworks and handwritten musical scores, bibliographical references and an index enhance this thoughtful city-by-city, region-by-region history. "At some point, the May King took on the name and attributes of a Delaware Indian Chief named Tammany (?1625-?1701). Subject of many myths, Tammany was credited with supernatural exploits and was chosen in the 1770s as the figurehead of May Day ceremonies that combined elements of British May Day and seasonal visiting traditions with Native American references, the patriotic resistance movement, and dancing." A studious and thorough chronicle of early American music and dance, accessible to lay readers and historians alike.


The Art Shelf

A Dilemma Of English Modernism
Michael J. K. Walsh, editor
University of Delaware Press
c/o Associated University Press
440 Forsgate Drive, Cranbury, NJ 08512
0874139422, $65.00 1-609-655-4770

Compiled and edited by Michael J. K. Walsh (Associate Professor of Art History, Eastern Mediterranean University, Northern Cyprus), "A Dilemma Of English Modernism: Visual And Verbal Politics In The Life And Work Of C. R. W. Nevinson (1889-1946) is a survey of the three-and-a-half decade career of the English artist C. R. W. Nevinson. This was a man who made his reputation as the most important, controversial, and influential artist in London during the years of the Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age. Nevinson subsequently came into conflict with the Royal Academy, Fascism, and the elitism manifesting during the years of the Great Depression. "A Dilemma Of English Modernism" is more than a simple recapping of his biography, it is an impressive and scholarly collection of nine new and important essays illuminating one of the icons of post-World War I English Modernism. Enhanced with an informative introduction by Michael J. K. Walsh, and an appendix by Sir Osbert Sitwell, as well as a selected bibliography, notes on the contributors, and an index, "A Dilemma Of English Modernism" should be considered as a core addition to art department and academic library European Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Painting Katrina
Phil Sandusky
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781589804777, $19.95 www.pelicanpub.com 1-800-843-1724

Now that we have just seen the second anniversary of one of America's worst natural disasters, "Painting Katrina", featuring the art of Phil Sandusky, is a fitting memorial and tribute to all those whose lives were forever impacted by the force of the hurricane. Sandusky's paintings fully capture in panoramic compositions the devastation of New Orleans and the overwhelming power of hurricane Katrina. Showcasing seventy-six Sandusky paintings (thirty created a year before Katrina, depicting New Orleans in better times; thirty in the immediate aftermath of the story; and the last sixteen painted approximately one year after Katrina), reveal what has been lost, and a city's slow, painstaking attempts to rebuilt. Highly recommended as much for the quality of the art and it's subject matter, "Painting Katrina" is an impressively compelling and highly recommended visual journal chronicling an artist's experience exploring and capturing the hurricane's devastation on a beloved American city.

Joe Fafard
Terrence Heath
Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebeck Street, Suite 201, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
9781553652212, $55.00 www.douglas-mcintyre.com 1-800-367-9692

Canadian sculptor Joe Fafard was born in 1942 in a small farming hamlet in southern Saskatchewan. It was in the 1960s and 1970s that he became internationally recognized as of Canada's most innovative sculptors and teachers who was in the vanguard of working with new media and creating new imagery. His trademark ceramic cows and bulls have achieved an iconic status, as has his three-dimensional portraits with their wit and whimsey. Compiled with commentary by curator and art historian Terrence Heath, "Joe Fafard" is a compendium of the best of Fafard's work and is a companion to a retrospective exhibition currently on tour. A welcome addition to any personal, professional, or academic library 20th Century Art History reference collection, "Joe Fafard" will be of special interest to students of contemporary Canadian art in general, and sculpture in particular.

American West Designs
C.B. Mordan
Stemmer House Publishers, Inc.
4 White Brook Road, Gilsum, NH 03448
0880451270, $5.95 www.stemmer.com 1-800-345-6665

One of the titles in the outstanding 'International Design Library' series from Stemmer House Publishers, "American West Designs" by C.B. Mordan is a showcase compendium of icons drawn from the American West. Included are images of cowboy boots, spurs, saddles, hats, and lariats, as well as cattle brands, the badges of lawmen, western textiles, architectural details, and mechanical devices. Of special interest to Western Americana enthusiasts, "American West Designs" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, art department, academic library, and community library American West and Art History reference collections.

Licensing Art 101
Michael Woodward
ArtNetwork
PO Box 1360, Nevada City, CA 95959-1360
9780940899841, $19.95 www.artmarketing.com

Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "Licensing Art 101: Publishing And Licensing Your Artwork For Profit" takes up where most art classes leave off -- how to make a living as an artist. Drawing upon his more than 31 years of experience and expertise in the licensing industry, Michael Woodward clearly covers such fundamental issues for aspiring artists as how to negotiate fees for their services, how to approach various markets with their artworks, targeting a presentation, exhibiting in trade shows, and protecting their rights as artists. "Licensing Art 101" is enhanced with some 300 contacts including calendar publishers, art licensing agents, greeting card publishers, fin are publishers, and book publishers. Taking a comprehensive, step-by-step, real-world approach to the subject of licensing art, this basic introduction is thoroughly 'user friendly' and should be considered essential, mandatory reading for anyone seeking to pursue a professional career as an artist regardless of the medium in which they work.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Consumer's Guide to Dietary Supplements and Alternative Medicines
W. Marvin Davis, Ph.D.
Pharmaceutical Products Press
c/o Hawthorne Press
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580
9780789030412, $49.95 www.HaworthPress.com 1-800-429-6784

Written by Doctor W. Marvin Davis, Consumer's Guide to Dietary Supplements and Alternative Medicines: Servings of Hope is a thoroughly accessible reference for consumers of all backgrounds concerning dietary supplements from vitamins and minerals to herbal and botanical products. Chapters discuss at length modern conflicts on the current health care scene concerning supplements, as well as debunking commonly held myths like "If a little is good for you a lot will be better" or that "herbal" remedies are necessarily purely vegetarian - for example, any product that lists "orchis" as an ingredient refers not to the flower, but rather to male testes! Specific types of supplements such as vitamins, minerals, ascorbic acid, bioflavonoids, soy products, good vs. bad fats and more are scrutinized at length. A glossary, bibliography, and index round out this solid reference highly recommended for the personal bookshelves of health-conscious consumers everywhere.

Dervish Yoga For Health And Longevity
Idris Lahore, et al.
Nicholas Hays
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9780892541317, $16.95 www.redwheelweiser.com 1-800-423-7087

Ably translated into English by Moses Bergmann, "Dervish Yoga For Health And Longevity: Samadeva Gestural Euphony -- The Seven Major Arkanas" is the impressively collaborative work of painter, poet and author Idris Lahore, yoga expert Ennea Tess Griffith, and yoga/massage instructor Emma Thyloch. The focus is upon the art, philosophy and science of the movements of Samadeva as they have been taught and practices by the Sufi dervishes from antiquity down to the present day. "Dervish Yoga For Health And Longevity" details the seven fundamental Samadeva Arkanas (sacred exercises) which are similar to the movements of yoga, T'ai Chi Chuan, and dance. Simple and revitalizing, these exercises are illustrated in the step-by-step presentation by detailed photographs and be easily learned in an exercise program of just ten minutes a day. "Dervish Yoga For Health And Longevity" is confidently recommended for anyone with an interest re-balancing, re-centering, and revitalizing their life through an ancient but effective system of movements.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Encyclopedia Of American Jewish History
Stephen H. Norwood & Eunice G. Pollack, editors
ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781851096381, $195.00 www.abc-clio.com 1-800-368-6868

Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Stephen H. Norwood and Eunice G. Pollack, the "Encyclopedia Of American Jewish History" is a two volume compendium of information covering every aspect of more than three and a half centuries of Jewish immigrants and their descendants with respect to their influence and impact upon American culture -- as well as the Jewish communities elsewhere in the world. Here detailed are the seminal contributions of Jewish Americans to academia, the arts, politics, the professions, the sciences, music, and American popular culture in general. Enhanced throughout, this two volume set features essays, maps, documents, tables, charts, and a thoroughly 'reader friendly' text that makes it especially appropriate and strongly recommended for school as well as community library Judaic Studies and American History reference collections.

New Readings Of Yiddish Montreal
Pierre Anctil, Norman Ravvin, Sherry Simon
University of Ottawa Press
542 King Edward, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5
9782760306318 $35.00 www.uopress.uottawa.ca

Featuring a bilingual (French & English) text, "New Readings Of Yiddish Montreal" is the collaborative project of Pierre Anctil, Norman Ravvin, and Sherry Simon. Occasionally illustrated with black-and-white photography, this compendium of eight informed and informative essays focus upon the use and translation of Yiddish with respect to Jewish literature generated by the Judaic community of Montreal, Canada. Of special note is the biographies section on the contributors. A specialized, scholarly, and fascinating subject, "New Readings Of Yiddish Montreal" is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to academic library Judaic Studies and Canadian Culture Studies reference collections.

A Faithful Heart
Benjamin Levy
UAHC Press
633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6778
0807407542, $13.95 www.uahcpress.com 1-888-489-8242

Very highly recommended as informed and informative reading, "A Faithful Heart: Preparing For The High Holy Days" by Benjamin Levy (the Rabbi of the Monroe Township Jewish Center in Spotswood, New Jersey) is a study text for students of Judaism which is based on The Midrash (Maaseh Avraham Avinu). Specific chapters focus on God's uniqueness, unity, and might. Other chapters deal with idolatry and spiritual survival, what it means to be 'God's Servant', as well as the efficacy of prayer and good intentions. Of special note is the postscript 'A Rabbinic Response to the Challenges of Jewish Survival'. Founded on impeccable scholarship, "A Faithful Heart" is completely accessible to the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Judaism and spirituality.

Turim, Volume One
Dr. Michael Schmidman, editor
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306-6316
9780881259599, $30.00 www.ktav.com

The first of two volumes of Jewish Studies compiled in honor of Dr. Bernard Lander, founder and president of Touro College, Turim: Studies in Jewish History and Literature Presented to Dr. Bernard Lander, Volume One is a collection of scholarly essays by a variety of academic authors discussing topics ranging from the Dead Sea Scrolls to medieval and modern Jewish history, to biblical commentary, rabbinic literature, and Jewish philosophy, ethics, and law. Nearly all the essays are in English, but the final two writings are in Hebrew. From "Circumcision Controversy in Historical Context" to "Orthodox Rabbis Confront the War Refugee Board" to "Destroying Property in Order to Save One's Life", the essays are intellectually challenging, heavily researched and extensively referenced. A welcome addition to Judaic studies shelves and college libraries.

The Time Of Our Lives
Nina Beth Cardin & Scott Blumenthal
Behrman House Inc.
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
087441718X, $9.95 www.behrmanhouse.com 1-800-221-2755

The skillfully collaborative work of Nina Beth Cardin and Scott Blumenthal, "The Time Of Our Lives: A Teen Guide To The Jewish Life Cycle" is specifically designed to introduce Jewish teenagers to the Jewish life cycle as it is demarcated through Jewish traditions and milestone celebrations. A profusely illustrated consumable, "The Time Of Our Lives" is replete with special features that include Fast Forward (assisting teens to envision what their own life cycle events); Step by Step (a sequenced summary of each life cycle event); Be a Give-Your-Best Guest (a series of 'to-do' lists when being a guest at the celebrations of family and friends); From Generation to Generation (how families can share memories of past life cycle events -- and dreams for those events to come); What Do You Think (thoughtful and thought-provoking questions honing a teens ability to think critically); Back to the Sources (citations that connect modern celebrations to ancient Judaic texts); and Spark of a New Tradition (modern customs and practices which help teenagers to visualize how they can contribute to Jewish life in general, and Jewish life cycle events in particular. Regardless of their denominational affiliation (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform), "The Time Of Our Lives" should be considered a 'must' for teenaged boys and girls within the Jewish community.


The Railroading Shelf

First Class
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (distributor)
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780865651883, $35.00 www.abramsbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

"First Class: Legendary Train Journeys Around The World" by Patrick Poivre d'Arvor is a truly elegant book showcasing eleven fabled railroad lines during the golden age of train travel around the world. Featured among these iconic railroads are the Toy Train of Darjeeling and its route along the Himalayan mountains; the fabled Orient Express; the mimosa-scented Train Blue, and the now legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. The informed and informative text is liberally enhanced with the inclusion of historic and contemporary photographs (245 in full-color and 30 in black-and-white) and artifacts, maps, and quotations about these railroads taken from the literature of the world. Superbly organized and featuring its own slipcased box in the form of a steamer trunk, "First Class" is especially recommended to the attention of railroad history buffs.


The Poetry Shelf

Collected Poems
Jane Kenyon
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
9781555974787, $16.00 www.graywolfpress.org 1-651-641-0077

Collected Poems is a complete compilation of the all the published poetry created by poet, essayist, and newspaper columnist Jane Kenyon throughout her rich life. All the poetry from her previous volumes as well as her posthumously published collections, four poems never before published in book form, and her translations in "Twenty Poems of Anna Akhmatova" are included. The flowing free verse grapples with larger than life issues - God, love, death, beauty, loss, and wonder. A definitive and emotionally absorbing volume of life's work, highly recommended. "What Came to Me": I took the last / dusty piece of china / out of the barrel. / It was your gravy boat, / with a hard, brown / drop of gravy still / on the porcelain lip. / I grieved for you then / as I never had before.

Expectation Days
Sandra McPherson
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6975
9780252074752, $18.95 www.press.uillinois.edu 1-800-545-4703

The latest volume in the acclaimed Illinois Poetry Series, "Expectation Days" (also available in a hardcover edition, 9780252032349, $40.00) is a showcased compendium of poetry by Sandra McPherson (Professor of English, University of California--Davis). The author of numerous previously published poetry collections, McPherson takes for her autobiographical themes in "Expectation Days" a variety of subjects ranging form movie-making to medical misadventures, and from meditation on widowhood to feminist protestations. Highly recommended as being both intellectually and emotionally satisfying, McPherson's free verse and prose poetry is always engaging, consistently interesting, and displays her consummate skills as both a word smith and a lyricist. 'Bereavement: 1919': Believing I am going to live,/I begin the war of nerves./When I need just a little calmative/I drink top milk at the creamery./But toward evening let me recommend/This, should you ever need it--/I hang a locket of asafetida around my neck./Works wonders.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Basic Techniques
Fabio Gurgel
Blue Snake Books
PO Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94712
North Atlantic Books (distributor)
1435 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.northatlanticbooks.com 1-800-788-3123
9781583941652, $19.95 www.bluesnakebooks.com

Fabio Gurgel is an eight-time martial arts world champion and co-founder of more than forty academies around the world. He is president of the Professional League of Jiu-Jitsu which is based in Brazil and continues to teach at his own academy in Sao Paulo. Fabio therefore writes with a very special expertise in "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Basic Techniques", a superbly organized and presented, step-by-step, illustrated introduction to a very special and effective form of the martial arts. Fabio begins with a brief history of jiu-jitsu, a martial art that originated in India more than 4,000 years ago as a self-defense technique employed by monks. Ideal for the absolute novice, "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Basic Techniques" is a confidently recommended instruction manual. Also very highly recommended is the companion book by Fabio Gurgel and also published by Blue Snake Books, "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Advanced Techniques (97815893941669, $19.95) which goes on to instruct the reader in additional self-defense techniques including passing the guard, sweeps, side attacks, mounted attacks, rear attacks, guard attacks, mounted escapes, and throws. Together, both volumes of "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" comprise a complete and comprehensive course of do-it-yourself instruction.


The Library DVD Shelf

Dreaming Lhasa
Ritu Sarin & Tenzing Sonam
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
FRF 912808D, $24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

"Dreaming Lhasa" is a superbly produced dramatic feature film set in the refugee community in India comprised of exiled Tibetans who fled the Chinese communist take-over of their native country. In "Dreaming Lhasa", veteran filmmakers, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam have created a compelling story of a generation of men and women born into refugees families and who have never seen the country of their parents' origin. This is the story of Tibetan filmmaker Karma traveling from New York to Dharamsala (the Dali Lama's exile headquarters in northern India) to interview political prisoners who have escaped from Tibet. There she meets Dhondup, an enigmatic ex-monk who has come to India to fulfill his dying mother's last wish -- to deliver a charm box to a long-missing resistance fighter. Soon karma finds herself caught up in his quest, which becomes both a journey into Tibet's fractured past and a voyage of self-discovery. "Dreaming Lhasa" is played out in spectacular settings and features compelling images of people and places largely unknown to American audiences. The DVD format allows for the inclusion of such additional features as a 'Making of Documentary'; interviews with the filmmakers, a short film 'rights...& wrongs'; film notes by Human Rights Watch; and directors' notes and biographies. With a running time of 90 minutes, and featuring Tibetan & English with English subtitles, this full color production is very highly recommended viewing and would make a popular addition to any community library DVD film collection.

Six Days in June
WGBH Boston Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
16027 Ventura Blvd., Suite 206, Encino, CA 91436
9781593757847, $19.95 www.ssapr.com

Originally shown on public television, Six Days in June: The War that Redefined the Middle East is a DVD documentary re-examining the war between Israel and Arab nations that left a historical legacy lingering to the tragic Middle East conflict raging in the current day. Shot on location in Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Moscow, and Washington, Six Days in June incorporates recently declassified archives, home movie footage, personal photographs, and recreations to unfold a composite picture of the war from beginning to end. Highly recommended, especially for public library collections. 108 minutes, letterboxed, color.


The Civil War Shelf

Historic Photos Of The Siege Of Petersburg
Emily J Salmon & John S. Salmon
Turner Publishing Company
200 - 4th Avenue North, Suite 950, Nashville, TN 37219
9781596523920, $39.95 www.turnerpublishing.com 1-800-788-3350

With informative captions provided by Emily and John Salmon, "Historic Photos Of The Siege Of Petersburg" is a photographic documentation of the Union siege of the Confederate city of Petersburg, as part of General Ulysses S. Grant's campaign in 1865 against the forces of Robert E. Lee. This outstanding compilation of hundreds of historic black-and-white photographs showcase the soldiers, their fortifications, their casualties, their effectiveness, and the ultimate fall of the city to Union forces. A work of immense value, "Historic Photos Of The Siege Of Petersburg" is a fundamentally important addition to academic library American Civil War Studies reference collections and will prove to be of intense interest to Civil War scholars, as well as highly recommended and informative for non-specialist general readers with an interest in Civil War history.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Federal Resume Guidebook
Kathryn Kraemer Troutman
JIST Publishing
8902 Otis Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46216-1033
9781593574260, $21.95 www.jist.com 1-800-648-5478

Now in a completely updated and expanded fourth edition, "Federal Resume Guidebook: Strategies For Writing A Winning Federal Electronic Resume, KSAs, And Essays" by federal resume expert, career consultant, and government human resources career trainer Kathryn Kraemer Troutman is a practical and superbly presented compendium of instructions that will readily enable anyone seeking federal employment to maximize the effectiveness of their online resume, analyze federal job announcements, and make the cut for interviews based on an effective presentation of their experiences and qualifications. Job seekers are provided with an illustrative wealth of federal resume samples, detailed procedures, and tips. Of special note is Troutman's advice for those transitioning from military service to a federal career, and for those transitioning from Wage Grade to General Schedule positions. With instruction on preparing for the new Behavioral Interview process and strategies for advancing a federal career, the "Federal Resume Guidebook" continues to be an indispensable and invaluable reference guide for job seekers regardless of the federal position being sought after. Simply stated, the "Federal Resume Guidebook" is essential for anyone seeking federal employment and is a fundamentally necessary addition to personal, professional, academic, governmental job center, and community library Jobs/Careers reference collections.


The Computer Shelf

Object-Oriented Computation in C++ and Java
Conrad Weisert
Dorset House Publishing Company
353 12th Street, New York, NY 10014
9780932633637, $39.93 www.dorsethouse.com

Information systems and advanced programming teacher Conrad Weisert presents Object-Oriented Computation in C++ and Java: A Practical Guide to Design Patterns for Object-Oriented Computing, a guide that especially focuses on aspects of object-oriented programming that other books tend to gloss over. Emphasizing the nuances of dealing with numeric data items, chapters cover a review of techniques for defining classes, how to define a pure numeric data type, the point-extent pattern for pairs of numeric types, inheritance and polymorphism with numeric types, programming with numeric vectors and matrices, and much more. A wealth of problems and exercises offer hands-on practice, and the lessons are thorough and offer numerous lines of sample code. An index rounds out this highly recommended supplement for aspiring and practicing object-oriented computer programmers.


The World History Shelf

Desolation Sound
Heather Harbord
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
9781550174076, $24.95 www.harbourpublishing.com 1-604-883-2730

Desolation Sound: A History is an anecdote-filled chronicle of the rich past of Desolation Sound, one hundred miles north of Vancouver, British Columbia. Today, Desolation Sound is almost as depopulated today as it was in 1792 when the dyspeptic Captain George Vancouver named it. From reclusive hermits, to a Depression-era logging camp that valued life so poorly that accident victims were piled in a heap and not moved until the following day, Sliammon chief Joe Mitchell, and much more. Debunking false legends and confirming true stories, Desolation Sound is a most enjoyable read accessible to history lovers of all backgrounds, and is highly recommended for Canadian History shelves.

Books on Fire
Lucien X. Polastron
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594771675, $24.95 www.innertraditions.com 1-800-246-8648

Historian Lucien X. Polastron presents Books on Fire: The Destruction of Libraries throughout History, a chronicle of the destruction of libraries. The reasons for expunging repositories of human knowledge were varied: educated people are more difficult to govern; some claimed that only the illiterate can save the world; sometimes library's owner succumbed to paranoia; and sometimes destruction came through weather or worms rather than human agencies. From the burning of the great library of Alexandria on three separate occasions, to the biblio-destruction inflicted under Nazi occupation and library ransacking during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Books on Fire explores the literary tragedies of history, and follows up with a new possible threat to the physical paper book - the digital book. With books increasingly being transferred to electronic mediums and read online for free, could old-fashioned libraries one day become a thing of the past? A "must-have" history for public libraries and the shelf of any book lover.


The Self-Help Shelf

Widow Words
Marcia A. Curran
VanderWyk & Burnham
PO Box 2789, Acton, MA 01720-6789
9781889242330, $15.95 www.vandb.com

Written by mother, grandmother, and widow Marcia A. Curran, Widow Words: 100 Simple Pieces of Advice from Another Widow is a compilation of one hundred suggestions for dealing with grief and celebrating the life of a dearly departed husband. Offered ideas and insights include "Take the scissors to that outfit you wore to his funeral. Who needs that reminder around?", "Go to your local diner where you feel comfortable. Dine with friends. The secret is to be relaxed.", and "It's normal for a long, long time to awaken thinking of your husband, and to be thinking of him as you fall asleep. This will lessen, believe it or not." A simple and straightforward self-help guide, highly recommended for personal perusal or as a giftbook to a friend or relative who has recently lost that someone special in her life.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Fortune in Your Hand, revised edition
Elizabeth Daniels Squire, author
C. B. Squire and Worth Squire, editors
Five Star Publications
PO Box 6698, Chandler, AZ 85246-6698
9781589850606, $15.95 www.fortuneinyourhand.com

Now in a revised and expanded edition, Fortune in Your Hand: The Art of Palmistry is a complete how-to guide to palm reading, as well as a comprehensive history of palmistry from prehistoric Indian and Gypsy traditions to the modern day. Featuring all the black-and-white illustrations of the original edition, including hand prints from such well-known figures as Salvador Dali, Carl Sandburg, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Helen Keller, Fortune in Your Hand covers how to make a map of one's own hand; different hand types; the mounts and lines of hands; the traits of a hand that suggest success, luck, or the lack thereof; fingerprints; reading the past and future; and many more fine nuances of the art. The new edition of Fortune in Your Hand is revised by the husband and son of the original author Elizabeth Daniels Squire, and based on her own notes. A bibliography and index round out this excellent standard for anyone interested in palmistry.


The Literary Shelf

American Poets in the 21st Century
Claudia Rankine & Lisa Sewell, editors
Wesleyan University Press
215 Long Lane, Middletown, CT 06459
9780819567284, $27.95 www.wesleyan.edu/wespress 1-800-421-1561

Poets and English professors Claudia Rankine and Lisa Sewell have meticulously assembled an ideal introduction to contemporary American poets and poetry in American Poets in the 21st Century: The New Poetics. The heart of American Poets in the 21st Century is comprised of the voices of thirteen notable contributing poets: Joshua Clover, Stacy Doris, Peter Gizzi, Kenneth Goldsmith, Myung Mi Kim, Mark Levine, Tracie Morris, Mark Nowak, D.A. Powell, Juliana Spahr, Karen Volkman, Susan Wheeler, and Kevin Young. Rounding out the poems themselves are a brief statement from each poet, and thirteen critical essays offering historic context and close analysis of how individual works of poetry can transform American cultural understanding of the art form's look, feel, and sound. An accompanying audio CD of readings from each poet rounds out this superb text, ideal for self-study or college classrooms and poetry libraries.

Windows of the Heart
Ted Mitchell, editor
University of South Carolina Press
718 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29208
9781570036743, $34.95 www.sc.edu/uscpress 1-800-768-2500

Windows of the Heart: The Correspondence of Thomas Wolfe and Margaret Roberts collects seventy-five letters exchanged between twentieth-century author Thomas Wolfe and his influential grade-school teacher, Margaret Roberts, whom he called "the mother of my spirit". These writings reveal their complicated relationship, and a driving force in Wolfe's life and personal growth. For her part, Roberts was one of Wolfe's strongest supporters of his literary potential since his talent shined through in a writing contest he won at age eleven. Now their letters are published in their entirety for the first time, along with forty-two black-and-white photographs; the result is a welcome addition to literary studies shelves and a "must-read" for anyone seeking to understand more about Wolfe's life and works.


The Biography Shelf

The Bending Cross
Ray Ginger
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781931859400, $18.00 www.haymarketbooks.org 1-773-583-7884

Originally published in 1947, The Bending Cross: A Biography of Eugene V. Debs is now in a new 2007 edition featuring an introduction by historian Mike Davis. The Bending Cross unapologetically advocates activism in its story of the life of railway organizer and socialist Eugene Debs. Yet though Debs devoted his life and his passion to his cause, neither did he turn away from people who were nonpolitical, or even anti-socialist, in their hour of need. Though Debs suffered imprisonment for "disloyalty", his moral compass and loyalty to the labor movement were both unwavering. An amazing, in-depth portrait of one of the most eloquent speakers of the socialist movement.

Emerson & Eros
Len Gougeon
State University of New York Press (SUNY)
194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384
9780791470770, $35.00 www.sunypress.edu 1-800-666-2211

Written by a former president of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society, Emerson & Eros: The Making of a Cultural Hero is the story of the life and the spiritual, psychological, and intellectual growth of American literary icon Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). From Emerson's undergraduate studies at Harvard to his Transcendental philosophy to his later career as a social reformer, Emerson & Eros plumbs the depths far beyond the simple events in Emerson's life. Students and scholar's of Emerson's classic works will find the meticulous dissection and reconstruction of Emerson's intellectually formative influences an eye-opening, thoughtful, and compelling assessment. Extensive notes and an index round out this biography especially recommended for college libraries and literary studies shelves.


The Gaming Shelf

Hades, Pits of Hell
Carl Gleba
Palladium Books
12455 Universal Drive, Taylor, MI 48180
9781574571646, $22.95 www.palladiumbooks.com

The tenth volume in the 'Rifts Dimension' gaming series from Palladium Books, "Hades, Pits of Hell" is also the first title in a new multi-part series called the 'Minion War' which will span the Palladium Megaverse and can be played across many of Palladium's existing game lines. Written by Carl Gleba, "Hades, Pits of Hell" maps out Hades, its society and its demon hierarch, features new demons, sub-demons, netherbeasts, a demon high priest, other monsters, and a great deal more. Enhanced with addition text by rift creator Kevin Siembieda, "Hades, Pits of Hell"offers hours of high-quality, 'user friendly', and highly recommended role-play gaming. Those new to the Palladium Megaverse are encouraged to visit the Palladium Books website for a complete listing of their available gaming titles.

Fantasy Gaming
Martin Hackett
Sutton
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
9780750943604, $29.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

Author Martin Hackett applies his thirty years of experience in gaming and rule system writing in Fantasy Gaming: A Guide to Fantasy Role Play and Table-Top Battles, a handy introduction to both fantasy wargaming (which pits armies of mythical creatures against one another) and fantasy role-playing (in which players each take on the role of a single fighter in a small party destined for adventure). Fantasy Gaming introduces the complete, original gaming system "Magic and Monsters", which is easy to learn and adapt to any campaign. A handful of color photographs illustrate this methodical guide, highly recommended for anyone interested in starting a fantasy gaming campaign without investing dozens of dollars into a host of different rule books and supplements.


The Social Work Shelf

Foundations of Social Work Practice, fourth edition
Mark A. Mattaini & Christine T. Lowery
NASW Press
750 First Street, NE, #700 , Washington, DC 20002-4241
9780871013743, $54.99 www.naswpress.org 1-800-227-3590

Now in an updated fourth edition, Foundations of Social Work Practice: A Graduate Text is an instructional reference created especially to teach, challenge, and foster the development of graduate students in the field. The framework of Foundations of Social Work Practice uses an approach that balances and integrates four crucial views on practice: ecosystems, social justice and human rights, evidence-based practice, and shared power. Written especially to help students understand the importance of thinking carefully, and properly evaluating the nuances of each client's or subject's problem, Foundations of Social Work Practice covers a wide range of topics in the realms of theory and application, including "Professional Values and Ethics", "Monitoring Social Work Practice", "Social Work with Families", "Social Work with and in Organizations", "Generalist Practice: People and Programs" and much more. A highly recommended educational text, especially for aspiring professionals in the field.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Bitten by the Black Snake
Manuel Schoch
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
9781591810605, $12.95 www.sentientpublications.com1-303-443-2188

Swiss mystic and therapist Manuel Schoch presents Bitten by the Black Snake: The Ancient Wisdom of Ashtavakra, an interpretation of and commentary upon the timeless wisdom of the ancient Indian text of Ashtavakra, from the classic Vedanta period. Rendering the concepts into modern-day terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Bitten by the Black Snake reveals how to observe, rather than engage in the continual struggle created by the black snake of one's ego. Rather than identifying oneself through body, thoughts, feeling, habits, and experience, one can become connected to the everlasting consciousness that manifests these. "As Ashtavakra says, if you desire liberation, stop dealing with the mind. The Buddha said it differently - that enlightenment is the ending of identification. Only thoughts and fast and slow feelings can be identified with. You can never identify with the atmosphere; you cannot say this is my atmosphere. Climate cannot be identified with, but you can feel it even though you cannot grasp it as your own." A powerful description of how to rest in the stillness that generates the highest qualities of life, love, peace, compassion, and enlightenment.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Truth About Jesus and the Lost Gospels
David Marshall
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736920551, $9.99 www.harvesthousepublishers.com 1-800-547-8979

Written by David Marshall, founder and director of the Kuai Mu Institute for Christianity and World Cultures, The Truth About Jesus and the Lost Gospels: A Reasoned Look at Thomas, Judas, and the Gnostic Gospels is a thoughtful examination of the ancient "Lost Gospels" that portray Jesus Christ in a different manner than the canonical New Testament. Chapters discuss what the "Lost Gospels" are and where they came from, whether these writings can be trusted on par with the Bible, and whether certain popular perceptions of Jesus have been mistaken all along. The Truth About Jesus and the Lost Gospels is sharply critical of Gnosticism, going so far as to declare "'Gnostic Christianity' is a contradiction of terms", and emphasizes that true freedom can only be found through Jesus Christ. Delving into examples of how Christianity has transformed lives throughout history up to the modern day, The Truth About Jesus and the Lost Gospels is a persuasively written, passionate treatise, accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

Starting a House Church
Larry Kreider & Floyd McClung
Regal Books
1957 Eastman Avenue, Ventura, CA 93003
9780830743650, $12.99 www.regalbooks.com 1-800-235-3415

Pastors Larry Kreider and Floyd McClung present Starting a House Church: A New Model for Living Out Your Faith, a handy guide to participating in the growing house-church movement, which has sprouted to meet the needs of Christians and their communities in a manner beyond the ability of traditional churches. Chapters cover how to start one's own house church, ideal models for leading house churches, current and future trends in the house-church movement, how to work together with local, traditional, and mega-churches, and much more. "Who ministers to the children when they meet separately for the second half of the meeting? Whatever works! Here are some ideas: a rotation of all adult house-church members; responsible, trustworthy older kids; a rotation of couples with children; or teams composed of one parent and another adult (so that the other parent can participate in the discussion). Some house churches share children's services and resources with other house churches." A handy and useful "get-started" primer, enthusiastically recommended for any Christian reader interested in supplementing their spiritual gathering needs of their community.

The Moral Measure of the Economy
Chuck Collins & Mary Wright
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570756931, $18.00 www.orbisbooks.com

Institute for Policy Studies senior scholar Chuck Collins and JustFaith Ministries staff member Mary Wright combine their wisdom in The Moral Measure of the Economy, a guide written especially for Catholics in answer to the growing need for economic justice and a strong moral foundation in today's society. Chapters address "Catholic Teachings on Economic Life", "Global Trade and the Power of Corporations", "Solidarity in Action: Alternatives for a Just Economy", and much more. "As a society, we should not permit private actors, such as corporations, to shift their 'costs' onto the commons... A company, for example, has the choice of either illegally dumping polluted water into the stream (where we all pay the 'costs'), or cleaning the water, returning it to the stream, and building the extra cost into its product or service. Economists make the distinction here between 'externalizing' the cost - i.e., getting everyone else to pay - and 'internalizing the cost, by incorporating it into the cost of doing business... Wal-Mart externalizes the costs of its 1.3 million employees by paying them less than a living wage and providing fewer than half of them with health insurance - while encouraging them to enroll in taxpayer-funded health programs." Though The Moral Measure of the Economy is written especially to Catholics, its powerful message about the need for morality and social accountability to provide guidance to economic systems deserves to be heard by readers of all religious backgrounds. A can-do guide to incorporating fundamental human values into one's economic beliefs and actions.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Special Effects
Michael Slone
Michael Wiese Productions
3940 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781932907261, $31.95 www.mwp.com 1-800-833-5738

Independent filmmaker of 12 years' experience Michael Slone presents Special Effects: How to Create A Hollywood Film Look on a Home Studio Budget, a guide especially for small-time filmmakers on a tight budget. Chapters walk the reader through how to apply advances in technology, especially computer technology, to give life to one's dreams and dress up one's films with eye candy. Full-color photographs on high-quality paper illustrate what is possible, while assorted computer screenshots help underscore the nuts and bolts of the step-by-step instructions. Additional insider information from professional and Emmy Award-winning special effects artists round out this absolute "must-have" supplementary resource for aspiring, novice, and independent filmmakers.

Sentimental Fabulations, Contemporary Chinese Films
Rey Chow
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231133333, $22.50 www.columbiaedu/cu/cup 1-800-944-8648

Humanities professor Rey Chow presents Sentimental Fabulations, Contemporary Chinese Films, a thoughtful discussion of what nine contemporary Chinese directors and their cinematic accomplishments have to say about the sentimental side of the human experience. The Chinese directors studied are Chen Kaige, Wong Kar-wai, Zhang Yimou, Ann Hui, Peter Chan, Wayne Wang, Ang Lee, Li Yang, and Tsai Ming-liang; their works touch upon subjects ranging from nostalgia and everyday life, to the feminine, biopolitics, and migration, to homosexuality, kinship, and incest. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful critique of films that can be termed "sentimental fabulations", or screen representations of culture possessing irreducible aesthetic, conceptual and speculative logics unique to themselves. Plot synopses, in-depth analysis, and thoroughly extensive notes characterize this thoughtful critical analysis.


The Political Science Shelf

Forms Of Local Government
Roger L. Kemp, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786431007, $35.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com 1-800-253-2187

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Roger L. Kemp, "Forms Of Local Government: A Handbook On city, County And Regional Options" provides the reader with an overview of all of the various and diverse forms of government below the state level that are currently in use within the United States of America. Included are traditional commissions, mayor-council, strong mayor, and council-manager models for counties, cities, townships, and school districts. Also addressed are governing entities that transcend traditional boundaries of cities and counties, including residential community associations and regional government structures. Sub-metropolitan districts like municipalities and boroughs are also covered. "Forms Of Local Government" features 45 essays addressing issues ranging from revenue and privatization, to strategic planning and suburbanization, as well as city-county consolidation and other urban/rural topics. Of special note is the descriptive analysis of the roles of elected and appointed officials in all of these different models. "Forms Of Local Government" is a core addition to school and community library Political Science reference collections and a highly recommended addition to Social Studies supplemental curriculum reading lists.

The Revolutionary Writings of John Adams
Selected by C. Bradley Thompson
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
9780865972858, $21.00 www.libertyfund.org 1-800-955-8335

Professor of Political Science C. Bradley Thompson has selected an array of principle shorter writings by an American Founding Father in The Revolutionary Writings of John Adams, an anthology of Adams' discussions of the prospect of revolution and the ideal form of government for the newly born United States. Additional documents from before the Revolution reflect upon the nature of the British Constitution and the meaning of rights, sovereignty, representation, and obligation. A principled primary source of political philosophy and enduring wisdom, especially recommended for public library and American History reference shelves.


The Native American Shelf

The Architecture Of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
Stephen H. Lekson, editor
University of Utah Press
1795 East South Campus Drive, #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402
9780874808469, $55.00 www.uofupress.com 1-800-773-6672

Knowledgeably compiled and expertly edited by Stephen H. Lekson (Professor of Anthropology and Curator of Anthropology, Museum of natural History, University of Colorado--Boulder), "The Architecture Of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico" focuses upon the Native American structures of Chaco Canyon built between AD 850 and 1130. These magnificent ruins are numbered upon the most compelling buildings constructing in the pre-Columbian world of North America. The various contributors concentrate on the Chaco Great Houses in terms of three overlapping themes: studies of technology and building types employed by the ancients; analyses of architectural change; and readings of the built environment. Informed and informative, the text is enhanced throughout with the inclusion of more than 150 maps, floor plans, elevations, and photographs (both black-and-white as well as color). "The Architecture Of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico" is a work of superb scholarship and a highly recommended contribution to any academic library's Native American Studies and Pre-Columbian Archaeology Studies reference collections.


The Interior Design Shelf

India Contemporary
Henry Wilson
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500513651, $40.00 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com 1-800-233-4830

Featuring a thoroughly 'reader friendly' text that is enhanced with 261 colored illustrations, "India Contemporary" by Henry Wilson is a compendium of commentary and examples of interior designs and design elements that are breathtakingly beauty in their exotic compositions. These are samples and examples of interior design that are radically modern while hauntingly traditional, evoking the traditional crafts of the Indian subcontinent and wonderfully demonstrate the international appeal of uniquely Indian design sensibilities. As informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring, "India Contemporary" should be considered 'must' reading for student designers, and a highly recommended reference for professional, academic, and community library Interior Design collections.

The Orvis Book Of Cabins
Amy Laughinghouse
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9781599210292, $34.95 www.lyonspress.com 1-800-836-0510

In "The Orvis Book Of Cabins", freelance writer and interior design expert Amy Laughinghouse celebrates a very special form of rural architecture through profiling more than eighteen cabin getaways that cater to anglers, hunters, hikers, canoe paddlers, and simple lovers of nature. Beautifully photographed in full color, the cabins range from small and simple to large and rustic. Some have been the home to generations of families, while others are either newly built or completely remodeled. But all of them are superb examples of an active Orvis lifestyle catering to the enjoyment of the outdoor worlds of mountains, lakes, rivers, and woodlands through every season of the year. "The Orvis Book Of Cabins" is especially recommended for browsing by non-specialist general readers with an interest in cabin architecture and interior design, and of immense value as a reference for professional architects and anyone planning to build a cabin of their own!

Style Source Ireland - Interiors
Eoin Lyons
Currach Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781856079440, $39.95 www.dufoureditions.com 1-800-869-5677

"Style Source Ireland - Interiors" by Eoin Lyons is not just another routine interior design book, but stands out for what it presents by way of advice and resources for acquiring exactly the right furnishings for an Irish-style interior design whether it be for an entrance hall, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, a room for children, or a home office. Of special note is the section on wardrobes for bed linens. A major chapter is devoted to 'Special Things' in terms of 'style sources ranging from the french look, to art deco, to modern. "Style Source Ireland - Interiors" finishes with 'Around the House' covering the subjects of antiques and auctions, flooring, curtains, fabrics, paints, wallpaper, lighting, hanging pictures, fireplaces, shelves and drawers, shopping in Belfast, gifts, and Christmas. There is even a section devoted to 'Supplier's Contact Details'. Very nicely illustrated in full color, "Style Source Ireland - Interiors" is an informed and highly desirable addition to personal and professional Interior Design reference collections.


The Architecture Shelf

Roofing Construction & Estimating
Daniel Atcheson
Craftsman Book Company
6058 Corte del Cedro , Carlsbad, CA 92009
9781572180074, $38.00 www.craftsman-book.com 1-800-829-8123

In "Roofing Construction & Estimating", Dan Atcheson draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a draftsman, as an apprentice in plumbing, electrical and carpenter, as a professional in all areas of construction from earthwork, to framing, to roofing. The result is an impressively 'user friendly' instructional compendium on roof sheathing, underlayment, asphalt shinglers, wood shingles and shakes, mineral-surfaced roll roofing, tile and slate roofing, metal roofing and siding, as well as built-up and elastomeric roofing. Profusely illustrated, enhanced with tables, charts, calculations, examples, step-by-step instruction and repair procedures, "Roofing Construction & Estimating" is ideal for novice or do-it-yourself roofer, and would make an invaluable reference for even the more experienced roofing contractor with respect to making a roofing estimate, installing or repairing roofing in residential or commercial buildings. A highly recommended specialized reference, "Roofing Construction & Estimating" should be a part of every professional, trade school, and community library Building Contractor or Architecture reference collection.


The Language Studies Shelf

A Catullus Workbook
Helena Dettmer & LeaAnn A. Osburn
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1000 Brown Street, Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
9780865166233, $22.00 www.bolchazy.com

Co-authored by academicians Helena Dettmer (Professor of classics and Associate Dean at the University of Iowa) and LeaAnn A. Osburn (who until her recent retirement taught Latin at the Barrington High School, a regular presenter on Latin pedagogy at conferences around the country, and who serves as an editor for Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers for the Latin language instruction titles), "A Cattullus Workbook" is enhanced for the Latin language student with a Latin-to-English glossary developed by Ronnie Ancona. This superbly organized and presented workbook features the complete Latin text for all the selections on the AP Catullus syllabus; short answer questions addressing underlying grammatical and syntactical structures of each Catullus poem; multiple choice questions on grammar, syntax, figures of speech, and content; passages for scansion and translation; short and long essay questions; four review chapters (including essays requiring comparative analysis of the poems). Thoroughly 'student friendly', "A Catullus Workbook" will prove to be an essential and invaluable supplement to any highschool or college level Latin language instructional curriculum.


The Criminology Shelf

Got Murder?
Martin Hintz
Tails Books
c/o Big Earth Publishing
145 North Commercial Street, Suite 100, Neenah, WI 54956
9781931599962, $18.95 www.bigearthpublishing.com 1-800-258-5830

Wisconsin has a very strange and notorious history of serial killers and macabre murders ranging from such infamous characters as Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer. "Got Murder?: The Shocking Story Of Wisconsin's Notorious Killers" by Wisconsin author Martin Hintz is a compilation of Badger State crimes and criminals whose lethal behavior has never been so well detailed and annotated. as they have in this compendium of true crime stories. From the murder of Frank Lloyd Wrights lover and her children with a hatchet; to Ed Gein's grave robbing and bizarre butchery; to a deer-hunting trip that left six people dead, to the cannibalism of Jeffrey Dahmer, these stories range from Wisconsin's pioneer era down to today's newspaper headlines. Strongly recommended for personal and community library 'true crime' collections and reading lists, "Got Murder?" is fascinating, riveting anthology of stories that brings a whole new and dark dimension to Wisconsin history.


The Military Shelf

First to the Rhine
Harry Yeide and Mark Stout
Zenith Books
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
9780760331460, $27.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

International affairs analyst Harry Yeide and defense think-tank researcher Mark Stout present First to the Rhine: The 6th Army Group in World War II, an in-depth study of the 6th Army Group and the "champagne campaign" of World War II - a nine-month struggle to push the Nazis back past the Rhone River, the Vosges Mountains, the Rhine River and the Danube. The 6th Army Group consisted of American veterans, and its French units swelled with tens of thousands of Free French Forces of the Interior and the Maquis. First to the Rhine spotlights little-known battles, such as the one at Montelimar when an ad hoc American armored command plus the 36th Infantry Division almost cut off the entire German Nineteenth Army, in addition to well-known events. First to the Rhine draws upon official American and French after-action reports, contemporary combat records such as detailed S-3 and G-3 operations journals, U.S. Army interviews of its soldiers shortly after actions occurred, and the personal journals of American, French, and German commanders. Of especial interest is the study devoted to the French role in combat and the relationship between the U.S. Army and French forces that faced down enemy fire under American command. A handful of official U.S. Army photographs illustrate this thorough chronicle, accessible to lay readers as well as military historians.

Bayonets for Hire
William Urban
Greenhill Books
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
9781853677427, $39.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

William Urban (Professor of History, Monmouth College) presents Bayonets for Hire: Mercenaries at War 1550-1789, an in-depth scrutiny of how mercenaries - and increasingly, mercenary armies - affected military history through the late 1600s and into the 1700's. The evolution of mercenary service as an increasingly sophisticated profession is traced, though the volunteer armies of the French Revolution would temporarily dethrone the power of money with the power of patriotism. Bridging the tumultuous transformation of the medieval era to modern nation-states, Bayonets for Hire a through study of a unique dynamic of war and conquest in early modern Europe and a highly recommended addition to public and college library military history collections.


The Nautical Shelf

Rigging
Lennarth Petersson
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591147313, $42.95 www.navalinstitute.org 1-800-233-8764

In "Rigging: Period Fore-and-Aft Craft", author and professional illustrator Lennarth Pettersson draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a model maker an draughtsman in the study of eighteenth-century rigs and rigging, to provide readers with a visual compendium concerning ever aspect and facet of a ship's rigging. Three kinds of vessels are used to illustrate and exemplify the rigging: The British Naval Cutter; The French Lugger; and The American Schooner. "Rigging" is a seminal work that should be included into every personal, professional, and academic library Nautical Studies reference collection, and will prove to be of special interest and practical value for model ship builders dedicated to accuracy in their constructions.

Arctic Hell-Ship
William Barr
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888644336, $34.95 www.uap.ualberta.ca

Lifetime Achievement Award-winning Canadian historian William Barr presents Arctic Hell-Ship: The Voyage of HMS Enterprise 1850-1855, the true story of Richard Collinson's sea voyage to the Arctic in search of the missing Franklin expedition. Collinson and his crew approached the Northwest Passage from the west, hoping to find and rescue the Franklin expedition; yet as time passed, relations between Collinson and his officers deteriorated so badly that three of them spent much of the voyage under arrest, though they were later exonerated of wrongful charges in the UK. A handful of color paintings by the ship's assistant surgeon, Edward Adams, illustrate this absorbing true story of bitter and unpredictable survival on the harsh arctic seas.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Muhammad: Islam's First Great General
Richard A. Gabriel
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806138602, $24.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Muhammad: Islam's First Great General is not a typical biography Muhammad, prophet and founder of the religion of Islam. Military historian and retired U.S. Army officer Richard A. Gabriel presents a close examination of Muhammad as a military genius, who introduced innovations that would transform armies and warfare throughout the Arab world. With a keen eye upon the connections between social, economic, and cultural environment in which Muhammad lived and the religion he founded to Muhammad's military achievements, Muhammad: Islam's First Great General is an exceptional chronicle of how a brand-new religious movement survived its tumultuous birth through eight major battles, eighteen raids, and thirty-eight other military operations in its first ten years alone. Also covered is Muhammad's masterful application of nonmilitary methods including bribery, alliance building, and political assassination, to fortify his long-term position and goals, even at the expense of short-term military objectives. Muhammad: Islam's First Great General reveals how Muhammad's talents and inspirations enabled his successors to defeat the armies of Persia and Byzantium, and establish the foundations of the Islamic empire, and is a singularly fascinating study of historical warfare and leadership. Highly recommended.


The Music Shelf

The Cambridge Companion to Schumann
Beate Perrey, editor
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
0521789508, $29.99 www.cambridge.org 1-800-872-7423

Expertly compiled and edited by Beate Perry, "The Cambridge Companion to Schumann" is an up-to-date introduction showcasing the work of nineteenth and twentieth-century classical composer Robert Schumann. An anthology of essays by learned authors discuss topics ranging from "Life and literature, poetry and philosophy: Robert Schumann's aesthetics of music" to "Novel symphonies and dramatic overtures", while other in-depth discussions of Schumann's musical works include "Schumann in his time and since." A very highly recommended, essential addition to academic and university music department reference collections, "The Cambridge Companion to Schumann" is enhanced with extensive notes, an index, and a few measures of musical notation round out this scholarly guide to the works and philosophies of a musical genius.


The Gardening Shelf

Orchids to Know and Grow
Thomas J. Sheehan and Robert J. Black
University Press of Florida
University of Florida, 15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813030654, $19.95 www.upf.com 1-800-226-3822

Professors emeritus of environmental horticulture Thomas J. Sheehan and Robert J. Black combine their talents and expertise in Orchids to Know and Grow, a user-friendly guide to identifying, classifying, and cultivating orchids. Packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for selecting optimum specimens and properly tending to them at home or in a greenhouse, Orchids to Know and Grow also offers an extensive selection of orchid genera, with each listing featuring a black-and-white sketch of the orchid as well as its genus, tribe, subtribe, etymology, native habitat, number of species, commonly grown species, list of what the plant hybridizes with, and its generic description, flowering season, and methods of being cultured. An inset selection of color plates rounds out this easy-to-use guide accessible to gardeners of all skill and experience levels.


The Philosophy Shelf

Kant and the Scandal of Philosophy
Luigi Caranti
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
9780802091321, $60.00 www.utppublishing.com 1-800-565-9523

Philosopher and Marie Curie Fellow at Philipps-Universitat Luigi Caranti presents Kant and the Scandal of Philosophy, an examination of Kant's arguments against Cartesian skepticism. Kant considered it a scandal that philosophy failed to discover a rational proof of the existence of the external world. Caranti addresses this issue with extreme attention to detail, offering a complete historical analysis of Kant's anti-skeptical postulations from the pre-critical period to "Reflexionen zum Idealismus" (1788-93). "Ironically, the more we emphasize Kant's dismissive attitude towards metaphysics and its various problems (including idealism), the harder it becomes for us to explain why only a few years later, in the 1770 Dissertation, he returned in grand style to metaphysics - in particular, to a metaphysical argument against idealism." Revealing how Kant's critique is crucial to understanding the origin of his philosophy, as well as how the skeptical challenge led Kant to a crucial stage in his thought, Kant and the Scandal of Philosophy is an invaluable contribution to philosophy shelves and enthusiastically recommended for intermediate to advanced students and experts in the field.


The Photography Shelf

Now We Are One
Michael Wilson & David Wecker
Orange Frazer Press
PO Box 214, Wilmington, OH 45177
9781933197388, $18.00 www.orangefrazer.com 1-800-852-9332

More than 1.50 million children in the United States are adopted. These include more than 20,000 international adoptions every year. While 64% of these adoptions are girls and 36% are boys, nearly half of all international adopted children are infants, and 90% of international adoptees being less than five years old. Featuring an essay by Melissa Fay Greene, "Now We Are One: Faces of International Adoption" is a compendium of photographs by Michael Wilson with a bit of informational text by Cincinnati Post columnist David Wecker. The focus is on the stories and images of ordinary families in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fifteen families demonstrate the reality of American families adopting children from other countries and is a far cry from the circus atmosphere of some recent Hollywood celebrity foreign adoptions. Here are pictorially documented adoptions that focus on the simple, ordinary ways children from diverse (and sometimes horrific) backgrounds have become integrated as vital and beloved members of their new American families. Highly recommended, especially for anyone considering an international adoption for a family of their own.


The International Studies Shelf

Global Perspectives On The United States, Volume 3
David Levinson & Karen Christensen, editors
Berkshire Publishing Group
314 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230-1615
9781933782072, $150.00 www.berkshirepublishing.com

The newly published third volume of "Global Perspectives On The United States" series from the Berkshire Publishing Group, this compendium of informed and informative essays provides the reader with a series of in-depth analysis of U.S. policies and programs, key historical events, cultural phenomena (including religion and pop culture), and more. Of special note is the section devoted to listing and describing U.S. agencies and organizations. Enhanced with more than 120 sidebars and illustrations that illuminate the original text which includes historic speeches and treaties, firsthand journalistic accounts of personal experiences, "Global Perspectives On The United States" reveals the complexities and diversities of how America is viewed by the men and women of other countries and other cultures. Now complete with this 435 page addition, the three volume set that is "Global Perspectives On The United States" is a necessary and core addition to academic and community library International Studies reference collections.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Terry and the Pirates, Volume 1
Milton Caniff
IDW Publishing
4411 Morena Boulevard, Suite 106, San Diego, CA 92117
9781600101007, $49.99 www.idwpublishing.com

Milton Caniff was one of the most popular and influential newspaper comic strip artists and storytellers of his day. Perhaps his most important and successful strip was "Terry and the Pirates" which began in 1934 and finally concluded some twelve years later. IDW Publishing has published the first volume of this outstanding series which includes more than 800 consecutive comic strips (black-and-white during the weekdays and in color for the Sunday papers) beginning with its 1934 debut and continuing through to the end of 1936 and comprising all of the strips for the series first two years. A whole new generation of readers will be introduced to young Terry lee, his adult pal Pat Ryn, their sidekick Connie, and an unforgettable array of brigands and bad guys including Captain Judas, Blaze, Burma, and the one-and-only Dragon Lady. Very strongly recommended for personal and community library collections, this debut "Terry and the Pirates" collection of high adventure on the China Seas is a genuine treat from beginning to end and will leave the reader looking eagerly toward the arrival of Volume 2!


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