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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 6, Number 10 October 2011 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Business Shelf Fiction Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Poetry Shelf Memoir Shelf
Computer Shelf Criminology Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf World History Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Parenting Shelf Science Shelf Humor Shelf
Biography Shelf Cookbook Shelf Wine Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Education Shelf Art Shelf
Woodworking Shelf Gaming Shelf Jewelry Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Large Print Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Holiday Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf DVD Shelf
Sports Shelf Travel Shelf Political Science Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Music Shelf Native American Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Just Trust Me
G. Randy Kasten
Quest Books
306 West Geneva Road, PO Box 270
Wheaton, IL 60187-0270
9780835608893, $16.95, www.questbooks.net

Today's media seems to be found on lies and deception more than anything else. "Just Trust Me: Finding the Truth in a World of Spin" is a discussion of today's world of illusions and spin from all sides and from all sources, G. Randy Kasten offers advice to cutting to the heart of the matter and how to get a leg up on understanding today's confusing world. "Just Trust Me" is filled with sage advice and very much recommended reading.

Winter Carnival in a Western Town
Lisa Gabbert
Utah State University
3078 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-3078
9780874218299, $26.95, www.usupress.org

An annual tradition can tell you much about of how a culture has formed. "Winter Carnival in a Western Town" studies the McCall Winter Carnival in Idaho, a festival that has had quite strong ground over the years. The community surrounding the carnival is unique, done entirely by volunteer work, yet author Lisa Gabbert states there is something deeper to the festival, stating it as a unique look at the community, that brings business as well as unity. "Winter Carnival in a Western Town" is a fascinating look at a piece of Americana, highly recommended.


The Business Shelf

The 30 Day MBA, second edition
Colin Barrow
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.koganpageusa.com
9780749463311, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Now in a completely updated and expanded second edition, Colin Barrow's "The 30 Day MBA: Your Fast Track Guide to Business Success" is a 312-page instruction manual based upon twelve fundamental disciplines that provide the foundation for modern MBA programs. The focus is upon identifying and explaining key tools and concepts for assessing business situations and decisions. Enhanced with references for online resources, "The 30 Day MBA: Your Fast Track Guide to Business Success" will enable the reader to create their own personalized 'Management Information Resource Centre' for accessing business information on markets and competitors, as well as pertinent research data and informative case studies. It will also help prepare the reader for MBA exams. Of special note is the chapter on 'Ethics and Social Responsibility'. Superbly organized and presented, "The 30 Day MBA: Your Fast Track Guide to Business Success" fully lives up to the promise of its title and is strongly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library Business Studies instructional reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Grow Global
Jan Yager
Hannacroix Creek Books
1127 High Ridge Road, #110
Stamford, CT 06905
www.hannacroixcreekbooks.com
9781889262215, $31.95, www.amazon.com

An expert and authority whose thirty instructional business books have been translated into twenty-four languages, Jan Yager draws upon her many years of experience and expertise as a business consultant and writer in "Grow Global: Using International Protocol to Expand Your Business Worldwide", a 200-page compendium of 'real world' information, commentary, and insights into expanding local or nationally based business into the global marketplace with particular attention to the impact of business etiquette and protocol. To be successful in recruiting contacts, resources, clients, and customers there are vital considerations of proper protocols that need to be adhered to. That's why "Grow Global" focuses upon fifteen key international protocol concerns, building a global relationships from individuals to corporations, tips on foreign business travel, developing an effectively global web site, and common embarrassments of conduct and presentation to be avoided. Such pertinent issues as negotiating styles, negotiating contracts, arranging payments, gift-giving, and ethics in a global frame of reference are also addressed. Of special note is the chapter devoted to 'Doing Business Globally Without Leaving Home'. Enhanced with the inclusion of a ten-page appendix, a glossary, a bibliography, and extensive resource lists of organizations and individuals in the field of international protocols business etiquette consultations, "Grow Global" is informed, informative, 'reader friendly', and should be considered mandatory reading for any business owner or corporate manager seeking to expand into the ever evolving and highly competitive global marketplace. Also very highly recommended reading is Jan Yager's early work and now in a second updated and expanded edition, "Business Protocol: How To Survive & Succeed In Business" (1889262145, $21.95).

The Pocket Guru
Guy Browning & Janet Brown
Pearson
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780273755197, $14.99, www.pearson.com

Keeping one's head above water in a rocky business world often proves all too difficult. "The Pocket Guru: Priceless Nuggets of Business Wisdom" is filled with solid and to the point of the business world from the incredibly difficult task of communications to the rewarding joy of actually getting paid. With plenty to absorb in simple and easy to read method, "The Pocket Guru" is a must for any who want to be better equipped for business's twists and turns.

Work Positive in a Negative World
Joey Faucette
Entrepreneur Press
2445 McCabe Way, Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614-6244
9781599184203, $19.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com

When everything breaks down, it can be hard to stay positive and happy. "Work Positive in a Negative World: Redefine Your Reality and Achieve Your Business Dreams" is a guide to keeping positive in today's times where success is a rare thing. Dr. Joey Faucette, a professional at finding the bright side to every dire situation, advises readers and ambitious business people on how to make the most out of their difficult situations. "Work Positive in a Negative World" is a top pick for anyone who realizes that it's only failure if no knowledge or opportunity is gained.

Making Government Great Again
John Baranzelli
Quality Press
600 N. Plankinton Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203
9780873897792, $50.00, www.asq.org

Could the flaw in modern government be structure instead of strategy? "Making Government Great Again: Mapping the Road to Success with ISO 9001:2008" discusses applying the management principles of ISO 9001 to government policy. Using the example of the system's application to the Illinois Department of Transportation, author John D. Baranzelli speaks on experience and education, and how to further apply this to government, as well as to other private and public sector businesses. "Making Government Great Again" is a strong and core addition to community and college library business, politics, and social issues collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Favorite Sons
Robin Yocum
Arcade Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
9781611450040, $24.95, www.arcadepub.com

When someone else takes the fall, it can be hard to face the truth. "Favorite Sons" is a novel from Robin Yocum as he tells the story of a group of friends in their late teens. When one of their own faces an accidental death, the blame of the crime is caught by a local ex-criminal who quickly takes the blame without question. But decades later, Hutch Van Buren fears the truth coming out, and must reconnect with his lost friends to deal with the situation lest the truth come out in all directions. "Favorite Sons" is a riveting read, very much read for literary fiction collections.

Wings of Promise
Bonnie Leon
Revell
c/o Baker
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800733605, $14.99, www.revellbooks.com

In choosing your route through life, you soon find out you don't have forever. "Wings of Promise" follows Kate Evans as the pilot tries to get control of her life. As tragedy strikes, she soon finds that procrastination gets her nowhere and may have lost her more joy than she knows. "Wings of Promise" is profound and entertaining reading, very much recommended for lovers of romance novels with a historical twist.

Green Gospel
L. C. Fiore
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama
Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
9781604890730, $18.95, www.livingstonpress.uwa.edu

To do what you believe is right, you often pay for it with interest. "Green Gospel" follows a young woman running from her past. While she finds people who are willing to help her, she finds letting others help her with her burden won't come easy, concerned about problems of their own. "Green Gospel" is a fine read of ecological concerns and what drives people to take up the cause.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Plugged
Eoin Colfer
Overlook
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
9781590204634, $24.95, www.overlookpress.com

Hair plugs can lead to many unusual problems. "Plugged" follows recent hair plug recipient and nightclub bouncer Daniel as he tries to cope with the sudden string of deaths around him. With the most unusual of allies, he has to evade everyone who is fingering him as the link in all these deaths in order to find the truth, something that becomes much stranger than fiction every day. "Plugged" is a fine pick and very much recommended reading for anyone looking for a mystery that has a strong dose of humor blended in.

Paris to Die For
Maxine Kenneth
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780446567411, $13.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

The history of Jacqueline Kennedy isn't as clear as we think. "Paris to Die For" spins history and takes it somewhere else, casting the former first lady before she met the future president as an agent of the CIA. In a cold war assignment surrounding the potential defection of a Russian official, it quickly turns bloody and she must be fast on her feet to survive and get the job done. "Paris to Die For" is a unique and humorous spin of spy thriller, highly recommended.


The Christian Studies Shelf

How Do We Know the Bible is True?
Ken Ham & Bodie Hodge
Master Books
c/o New Leaf Publishing Group
PO Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638
9780890516331, $14.99, www.masterbooks.net

Faith is powerful, but there are always doubts. "How Do We Know the Bible is True?" discusses the reality of the stories of the bible as Ken Ham & Bodie Hodge offer faith reaffirming discussions of many of the many more unbelievable aspects within the Bible. Offering answers to many questions that many Christians with doubt often ask, "How Do We Know the Bible is True?" is a powerful and quite recommended read for any Christian who wants to ponder their faith intellectually.

Playing Hurt
Brian Goins
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
9780825426735, $11.99, www.kregel.com

The perfect marriage is a lie. "Playing Hurt" is a Christian marriage guide that encourages men to keep their heads up and living the good life even as their relationship hits a rough spot in the road. With a strong sports analogy, "Playing Hurt" has a powerful message that should definitely be considered for the Christian man who wants to stand through the worst of their relationships.

Too Blessed to be Stressed
Debora M. Coty
Barbour
PO Box 719, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
9781616263461, $9.99, www.barbourbooks.com

With so much stress in life it becomes all too easy to lose sight of it all. "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" is a Christian devotional guide from Debora M. Coty as she uses faith to advise readers through strenuous times to flourish and succeed in their lives. "Too Blessed to be Stressed" has unique and thoughtful humor, not to be overlooked for self-help collections.

Revelation to Transformation
Paul White
Westbow Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
9781449719012, $13.95, www.westbowpress.com

A bit of faith can make all the difference to some. "Revelation to Transformation: How Seeing Jesus Will Change Your Life" is a powerful read from Paul White as he advises readers on how to embrace God's will in their life and use him to find their path through life and find that light in the darkness of our lives. "Revelation to Transformation" is a fine read for anyone seeking more motivation to their faith and life.

Prayers for My Baby Boy
Angela Thomas
Harvest House
990 Owen Loop North
Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736945660, $12.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

As your pride and joy enters the world, you want only the best and will go for any extent for them. "Prayers for My Baby Boy" is a dedicated Christian gift book. Angela Thomas and photographer Julie Johnson provide a collection of prayers and dedications to the newborns in their lives and that they mean to their lives. Presented in full color, "Prayers for my Baby Boy" is a choice gift for any Christian mother who has recently been blessed with a new child in her life.

Who is Jesus Christ?
Robert Feduccia Jr. & Maura Thompson Hagarty
Saint Mary's Press
702 Terrace Heights, Winona, MN 55987-1320
9781599821269, $31.37, www.smp.org

Who is Jesus of Nazareth and what did he stand for? "Who is Jesus Christ?: A Primary Source Reader" discusses the many purposes and notes of the Christian faith as the writings of many major thinkers of today and history are compiled to grant a more complete view of the figure of Christ and what it should mean to his followers. Figures include Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI, classical thinkers, and much more. An insightful and scholarly religious discussion, "Who is Jesus Christ?" is a top pick, very much recommended reading.

The World of Saint Paul
Joseph M. Callewaert
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339
Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586174125, $16.95, www.ignatius.com

One of the first people to preach Christianity as a religion, "The World of Saint Paul" analyzes the highly controversial figure of St. Paul, who is credited by some as the inventor of Christianity who changed what much of the faith stood for in clash with the original teachings of crisis. Joseph M. Callewaert a long time student of faith and historian provides a comprehensive story surrounding this figure. "The World of Saint Paul" is a strongly recommended pick for anyone who wants to understand this enigmatic figure of religion and history.

Dimensions of Faith
Stephen C. Taysom
Signature Books
564 West 400 North
Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
9781560852124, $28.95, www.signaturebooks.com

As time passes and people spread, a once uniform series of beliefs warps into something else entirely. "Dimensions of Faith: A Mormon Studies Reader" discusses the development of beliefs throughout the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints. Fifteen essays compile this book are present an intriguing study of the evolution of Mormonism, written both by the faithful and students of religion throughout the world. "Dimensions of Faith" presents a highly intriguing study on how much a faith can splinter even with a history of only one hundred and fifty years.

The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue, East
Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
www.pilgrimpress.com

The Christian life is one of trials, struggle, striving, dealing with successes and with failures, and above everything else, relationships -- with God, with family, with friends, with strangers, and with yourself. 'Your Life, Better' is remarkable series of superbly illustrated booklets filled with twenty succinct suggestions to consider, to contemplate, and to apply. Small compendiums of wit, wisdom, observation, and insight, the booklets comprising the 'Your Life, Better' include: 20 Lessons Learned From Cooking (9780829818895, $6.95); 20 Habits Of Happy People (9780829818901, $6.95); 20 Life Lessons Learned While Shopping (9780829818918, $6.95); Ways To Keep Sabbath (9780829818925, $6.95); 20 Ways To Add More Prayer To Your Life (9780829818796, $6.95); 20 Spiritual Practices That Yard Work Can Teach You (9780829818802, $6.95); 20 Life Lessons That Walking Your Dog Can Teach You (9780829818819, $6.95); 20 Ways To Live Through Anxious Times (9780829818826, $6.95). Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, the 'Your Life, Better' serious are highly recommended reading for anyone and everyone seeking to improve the quality of their ordinary lives in extraordinary times.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Morality for Muggles
Moshe Rosenberg
KTAV Publishing House
888 Newark Avenue, Suite 119, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602801837, $12.95, www.ktav.com

The battle of good and evil sits strong in many works of fiction. "Morality for Muggles: Ethics in the Bible and the World of Harry Potter" is a discussion of the moral and ethical representation throughout the Harry Potter series as Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg discusses its relation to Jewish values and how popular literature such as Harry Potter can be used to teach good values for the real world and for a life time. "Morality for Muggles" is a choice read for community library literary and religious collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Harmony and the Bhagavad-Gita
Visakha
Torchlight Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 52, Badger, CA 93603
9780981727356, $14.95, www.torchlight.com

To return to nature is something many ponder doing, but few ever truly act on. "Harmony and the Bhagavad-Gita: Lessons from a Life-Changing Move to the Wilderness" in which the author and family abandoned their life in Los Angeles, California for instead life in a remote area in British Columbia in Canada. Drawn on the inspiration of Henry David Thoreau and the spiritual writings of the Bhagavad-Gita, "Harmony and Bhagavad-Gita" is a truly unique read of bonding with the wilderness.


The Poetry Shelf

Echo
Blair Mathews, poetry
Bruce Murray, painting
Parallel Press
372 Memorial Library, 728 State Street
Madison, WI 53575
9781934795347 $TBA http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu

Echo: Unspoken Floating World is a beautiful combination of poetry and art. Blair Mathews presents original Japanese Waku-style poems paired with colorful paintings by Bruce Murray, crafted in the inspired tradition of Hiroshige and western landscapes. The result is a moving, sparsely worded yet deeply thought-provoking contemplation of basic, vital concepts. Echo is a stirring mental and visual experience, meant to be mulled at length, and highly recommended. "Cycle": Youthful vigor, / Heading out, / Now aged, / Heading home, / Carried home. Also highly recommended for poetry lovers is the stirring poetry chapbook "Tricks of Light" by Jeanie Tomasko (9781934795279, $10.00).

Happy Life
David Budbill
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556593741, $16.00, www.coppercanyonpress.org

Happiness comes in many strange brands. "Happy Life" is a collection of poetry from David Budbill as he waxes both philosophical and plainly spoken about life and everything else. With a certain charm and wisdom throughout that takes the world with grace and sharing what he's learned, "Happy Life" is a fine compilation, very much recommended for poetry lovers. "The Heart of Evening": Day over. Wind gone./No sound but/an owl far away.//Let my careworn heart/take refuge/in the heart of evening.

Distant Melodies
Shadab Vajdi
Ibex Publishers
PO Box 30087, Bethesda, MD 20824
9781588140784, $14.00, www.ibexpublishers.com

The languages of the world are simply different colors of paint to paint with. "Distant Melodies" is a collection of translated Persian poetry from London based poet Shadab Vajdi. Thoughtful and intriguing with her work, she speaks well and translator Lotfali Khonji works in maintaining the spirit of the work. "Distant Melodies" is a fine compilation of work for world poetry collections, highly recommended. "The End": All the poems of my life/are flowing/in the tiny, blue veins of your hands./All the poems of my life/have ended/in you.//Why should I be worried/about fading and withering?/Why should I be worried/about the boredom of the days/that end/in the vacuum of repetition?//No, I am not worried./It is a long time since/I ended in you.

Anew
Louis Zukofsky
New Directions
80 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
9780811218726, $18.95, www.ndpublishing.com

Poetry and music have always been closely intertwined. "Anew: Complete Shorter Poetry" is a compilation of work from famed poet and writer Louis Zukofsky, seeking to present the shorter volumes of his lyrical poetry, offering a small taste of the man's critically acclaimed work. "Anew" is an enticing and core addition to major poetry collections. "Wire": Wire cage flues/on/the roofs://Paper ash -- whole sheets/in gusts --//Flawed by winds/fly/like doves.

Bringing the Shovel Down
Ross Gay
University of Pittsburgh Press
3400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
9780822961352, $14.95, www.upress.pitt.edu

A love of language is a love to turn it into something beautiful. "Bringing the Shovel Down" is a collection of poetry from Assistant Professor Ross Gay, as he presents a down to earth poetry that asks questions of our world that we all feel slightly disconnected to. "Bringing the Shovel Down" is a thoughtful and very much recommended compilation of verse, recommended. "From My Car on Broad Street": The child's mother pulled him/and he trotted to keep up. She looked straight ahead/and probably did not see/the woman in her shroud of filth/tucked beneath some newspapers and a fraying blanket/on the church steps. Did not see her boy/waving to the lady or the broken/lady lifting her hand to him either.

Clean
Kate Northrop
Persea Books
277 Broadway, Suite 708, New York, NY 10007
9780892553679, $15.00, www.perseabooks.com

The essence of what makes humans human is ever so hard to spot. "Clean" is a collection of poetry from accomplished poet Kate Northrop as she spins the nature of the world and what's natural and offers many unique viewpoints. "Clean" is a fine volume of work, not to be overlooked. "Limes": An e-mail Mary sent: Like all aligned//If only therefore one person//To an over-all black translucency//She said, the better to, the better to//Once inside the dark theater//Effervescent, this mountain light//I wanted to remain vision only//Be careful with that match!


The Memoir Shelf

Thirteen Months
Don Brobst
Westbow Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
9781449713102, $27.95, www.westbowpress.com

Crisis makes you realize just how strong love can truly be. "Thirteen Months: The True Story of One Couple's Journey of Passion, Life, and Undying Love" is a memoir from Don Brobst as he reflects on the pain as a physician he faced as he watched his wife struggle to cling to life, and realize the love that he was losing. With romance and dedication, "Thirteen Months" is a devotional to love with a strong message that one needs to remember such a love daily, for God's plan may soon take it away from you.

The Choosing
Andrea Myers
Rutgers University Press
100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8099
9780813549576, $19.95, www.rutgerspress.rutgers.edu

What is a Jew becomes all the foggier when someone fully embraces the faith as an adult. "The Choosing: A Rabbi's Journey From Silent Nights to High Holy Days" is a memoir of Andrea Myers, a Lutheran girl who fails in her aspirations to be a doctor. But as that dream fails, she finds a unique calling and finding that where her life takes her was nothing that she ever thought, as she comes out as a lesbian, converts to Judaism, and becomes a Rabbi and a parent. "The Choosing" is a devotion of faith and what leads to someone to convert to Judaism in later life.

Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs
Heather Lende
Algonquin Books
c/o Workman Publishing
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014
9781616200510, $14.95, www.algonquin.com

It's a brush with death to understand the value of it all. "Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs: A True Story of Bad Breaks and Small Miracles" is a memoir of Alaska native Heather Lende. When a bicycle accident almost takes her life, she comes to term with everything surrounding it and picks up some good wisdom about life and what we should remember while facing it. "Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs" is a simple yet profound read, not to be overlooked.

Come Into the Water
Merlyn Janet Magner
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501
9780984504114, $18.95, www.sdshspress.com

With a thread of life, one survivor is only left with questions of why as they escape their fate. "Come Into the Water: A Survivor's Story" tells the story of Merlyn Janet Magner as she copes with surviving the surging floods of Rapid City, South Dakota in 1972, which left hundreds dead, including her entire family. Struggling with her loss, she tried to piece it together and come to understanding her own path as the survivor. "Come Into the Water" is a moving memoir of facing the dread of tragedy and trying to find what comes after.

Embrace the Angel
Patti DiMiceli
Tobias & Company
PO Box 4475, Annapolis, MD 21403
9780983180388, $20.00, www.embracetheangel.com

Cancer often leads to a journey to the other side. "Embrace the Angel" is a memoir from Patti DiMiceli as she discusses her bond with her daughter, and her daughter's battle with cancer, and the spiritual nature that she gained from understanding it all together. With drive and inspiration, "Embrace the Angel" is a thoughtful read that will speak well to many a reader who are in their own long standing conflict with cancer, for themselves or for their loved ones.


The Computer Shelf

The Book of Ruby
Huw Collingbourne
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
9781593272944, $39.95, www.nostarch.com

Even the easiest of programming languages require wisdom to master. "The Book of Ruby: A Hands-On Guide for the Adventurous" is a guide to mastering the language of Ruby, known for its simple to learn and hard to master status among programming languages. Huw Collingbourne, a man who works with the development of the language for decades, provides much knowledge in creating efficiency and make ruby work for you as a programming language. "The Book of Ruby" is a must for anyone who wants to use the language to its fullest.

Designed for Use
Lukas Mathis
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356753, $35.00, www.pragprog.com

An accessible interface is vital to get the most out of a program. "Designed for Use: Create Usable Interfaces for Applications and the Web" is a guide for software designers to help them in their war against frustration. Lukas Mathis offers a grand slew of thought and wisdom for creating an accessible interface that doesn't overwhelm the user with options while allowing such options. "Designed for Use" is an excellent read that should be strongly considered for anyone who is in charge of creating accessible applications for use by the masses.


The Criminology Shelf

John Wayne Gacy
Sam L. Amirante & Danny Broderick
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
9781616082482, $24.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

Every man is entitled to a genuine legal defense, even if all evidence points to the contrary. "John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster" tells the story of Sam Amirante, who took the impossible task of creating a defense for Gacy's heinous serial murders, to which he confessed. Amirante states he pushed his defense hardcore because of his belief in the sixth amendment, the right to fair trial. "John Wayne Gacy" provides an intriguing alternative angle to the case of a brutal serial murderer.


The Social Issues Shelf

Arab Detroit 9/11
Nabeel Abraham, Sally Howell, & Andrew Shryock
Great Lakes Books Series
c/o Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814335000, $24.95, www.wsupress.wayne.edu

The eye of racism was focused on those of Middle Eastern descent in the past decade. "Arab Detroit 9/11: Life in the Terror Decade" is a collection of essays from many writers of social issues both Arabic and of other heritage who offer their perspectives of what Middle Eastern people have been facing within the past decade in the city and area surrounding Detroit, as well as the bigger picture of the country. "Arab Detroit 9/11" is a fascinating study of racial issues, highly recommended.

A Plague of Prisons
Ernest Drucker
The New Press
38 Greene Street, New York, NY 10013
9781595584977, $26.95, www.thenewpress.com

Prisons, some argue, are archaic. Ernest Drucker argues that they are a plague upon the world. "A Plague of Prisons: The Epidemiology of Mass Incarceration in America" discusses America's incarceration problem and uses his metaphor well to argue his point quite well. From what has led to this growing problem, he discusses a future for retribution for crimes in our society that moves past an archaic and problematic structure. "A Plague of Prisons" is intriguing and will stir the thoughts of many readers, an excellent addition to community and college social issues collections.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Old World Witchcraft
Raven Grimassi
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781578635054 $19.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

Old World Witchcraft: Ancient Ways for Modern Days is a practical guide to a magical system ("The Ash, Bark, and Willow") that traces its ancestry to the teachings of Old World witchcraft. Neo-Pagan scholar and award-winning author Raven Grimassi seeks to reconnect aspiring witches with an understanding of the origins of their practice, and the roots of their spiritual bond with the earth. History, herbal lore, and the most fundamental tools for basic practice are emphasized, in this witchcraft study that places especial focus on the role of plants life in spellcasting. "When we think of the witch as one of the plant people, there is no tool more pertinent to the witches' craft than the mortar and pestle. Through this tool the witch literally gathers, prepares, refines, and blends the substance of magic." Old World Witchcraft is an excellent choice for any metaphysical or magical studies shelf.

Love by the Numbers
Glynis McCants
Sourcebooks Casablanca
PO Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
9781402244629, $16.95, www.sourcebooks.com

Through the numbers, one can understand what makes a relationship work. "Love by the Numbers: How to Find Great Love or Reignite the Love Your Have Through the Power of Numerology" is a relationship guide from Glynis McCants as she uses numbers to spin advice on how to find Mr. or Ms. Right or make one's current relationship work for them better. "Love by the Numbers" is an excellent pick for anyone struggling with relationships and wants greater advice to make it work for them.

Ghosts, Spirits, & Hauntings
Michael Pye & Kirsten Dalley, editors
New Page
c/o Career Press
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601631749, $15.99, www.newpagebooks.com

The supernatural brings a unique combination of the afterlife and there being something more to our world. "Ghosts, Spirits, & Hauntings: Am I Being Haunted?" is a collection of essays from a great assortment of writers who offer their own ideas on the existence of the beyond, what it mans, our cultural relation, spirituality, faith, and much more. For those with a strong interest in ghosts and the paranormal, "Ghosts, Spirits, & Hauntings" is an excellent and fascinating read, not to be missed.

Dark Star
Henry Stevens
Adventures Unlimited Press
One Adventure Place, Kempton, IL 60946
9781935487401, $19.95, www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com

Nazi Germany's contributions to science didn't end with Hitler's suicide. "Dark Star: The Hidden History of German Secret Bases, Flying Disks, & U-Boats" discusses the potential of a continued existence of a third Reich following Nazi Germany's fall, and how their science continued to be introduced to the world, very much different between the superpowers of America and the Soviet Union. An intriguing look at unknown developments, "Dark Star" is a fine pick for those who those who follow metaphysical history.


The World History Shelf

English Military News Pamphlets 1513-1637
David Randall, editor
ACMRS
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
9780866984270, $60.00, http://acmrs.org

Thanks to the innovation of the printing press, the European militaries on both sides of the many wars and conflicts of the 16th and early 17th centuries utilized pamphlets as a way of advancing their respective causes through the written word given over to the general public. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by David Randall, "English Military News Pamphlets 1513-1637" is a 187-page compendium comprised of fourteen reproduced historical examples accompanied by copious academic footnotes. The representatively selected pamphlets range from 'Hereafter ensue the trew encountre' (1513), to 'A True Relaton of the Late Battel fought in New England' (1637). An invaluable and seminal resource, "English Military News Pamphlets 1513-1637" is informed and informative, a work of superbly presented scholarship, and an especially well recommended addition to academic library collections with respect to European Military History reference collections and Renaissance Studies supplemental reading lists.

The Master Game
Graham Hancock & Robert Bauval
The Disinformation Company
111 East 14th Street, Suite 108
New York, NY 10003
9781934708750, $24.95, www.disinfo.com

The fate of the world has always been in the hands of a few powerful people. "The Master Game: Unmasking the Secret Rulers of the World" muses about a potential of figures who have crafted the status of the Western and Middle Eastern world throughout history, shifting the nature of the world throughout the world, and how it may be affecting the modern picture as two paths clash in a globalized world with a very different view of where the planet is going. "The Master Game" is an enticing spin on how we came where we are and the future of it all.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Fish Tales
Ron Gower
North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.
PO Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56302
9780878394265, $14.95, www.northstarpress.com

The serenity of fishing is quite an allure to many. "Fish Tales: An Autobiography of a Life Growing Up Fishing in Minnesota, and an Instruction Manual, With Some Good Stories Along the Way" is a fishing memoir from Ron Gower as he reflects on the loves of fishing and what we experience out on the water, whatever our preferred discipline is. For anyone who enjoys a good fishing story, "Fish Tales" is a choice pick, highly recommended.


The Parenting Shelf

Hey, Back Off!
Jennie Withers
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823652, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

Harassment leads to toxic environments where few can succeed. "Hey, Back Off!: tips for Stopping Teen Harassment" is a guide to combating teenage harassment during these stressful times where a child becomes an adult and their whole world changes, and bullying can lead to serious issues and concerns of suicide. With sage advice on what an educator or parent can do to combat the problem, "Hey, Back Off!" is a strong addition to any collection of someone who wants to make a difference in young lives.

How to Raise Your Adult Children
Gail Parent & Susan Ende
Plume Book
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780452297203, $16.00, www.penguin.com

The comfort zone under one's parents is hard to abandon. "How to Raise Your Adult Children: Real-Life Advice for When Your Kids Don't Want to Grow Up" is a parenting guide that focuses on the relationship when your children are legally your equal, dealing with how to help with money yet avoiding becoming a financial crutch, dealing with undesirable introductions to the family, and the role of the grandparent. "How to Raise Your Adult Children" is a fine read for anyone who wants to be a mentor in life to their kids more effectively.


The Science Shelf

Smoking Ears and Screaming Teeth
Trevor Norton
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781605982540, $24.95, www.pegasusbooks.us

Using small furry animals as test subjects has become a bit of a cultural faux pas, so Trevor Norton and other bold individuals has turned to themselves as test subjects. "Smoking Ears and Screaming Teeth: A Celebration of Scientific Eccentricity and Self-Experimentation" is an educational, but humorous, but mostly educational exploration into the world of science as Norton shares many stories of science focusing on those who dared to advance science at the risk to self. With a unique and conversational writing tone, "Smoking Ears and Screaming Teeth" is a remarkable and enthusiastically recommended read about daring men of science.

The Human Body Coloring Book
DK Publishing
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780756682347, $21.95, www.dk.com

The human body is a truly fascinating thing. It is also very complicated. "The Human Body Coloring Book: The Ultimate Anatomy Study Guide" is a guide to understanding the ins and outs of what goes on in the human body, acting doubly as a work book along with a study guide. For those who want to understand the many twists and turns surrounding our bodies and what to do with it, "The Human Body Coloring Book" is a strong pick and gift for anyone with a strong interest in anatomy.


The Humor Shelf

The Bachelor Slob in the Kitchen
Robert MacGregor Shaw
Beaver's Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 101, Edina, MN 55439-2129
9781592984152, $15.00, www.beaverspondpress.com

On your own devices, just enough is more than enough. "The Bachelor Slob in the Kitchen" is a humorous exploration of bachelor life from Robert MacGregor Shaw as he advocates a lifestyle that begrudgingly does anything besides breathing. With truly unique wisdom on cooking, cleaning, hygiene, and a bit of dating, "The Bachelor Slob in the Kitchen" is a read that shouldn't be overlooked, highly recommended.

The PLC at Work Cartoon Book
Martha F. Campbell
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
9781935543091, $19.95, www.solution-tree.com

When you're paid to learn, you learn that learning isn't easy. "The PLC at Work Cartoon Book" is a grand assortment of cartoons from Martha F. Campbell as they discuss the lighter side of professional learning communities and the absurdities of many pursuits with in it all. With plenty of relevant humor for any style of PLC and with a little practical wisdom worked in, "The PLC at Work Cartoon Book" is a fine pick for any leader of a PLC who isn't afraid of a little humor with business.


The Biography Shelf

Eminent Pittsburghers
William S. Dietrich
Taylor Trade
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
PO Box 62193, Baltimore, MD 21264-2193
9781589796072, $24.95, www.rlpgtrade.com

When settling off a revolution, it takes a few enterprising individuals who dare to risk it all. "Eminent Pittsburghers: Profiles of the City's Founding Industrialists" is a collection of biographical essays following the many vital figures throughout Pittsburgh's history where a few daring business men dared to make their mark on Pittsburgh. Figures cover include George Westinghouse, Charles Schwab, A. W. Mellon, among others. "Eminent Pittsburghers" is a vital history of one of America's oldest and most storied cities.


The Cookbook Shelf

Notes From A Maine Kitchen
Kathy Gunst
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
www.downeastbooks.com
9780892729173, $27.95, www.amazon.com

Kathy Gunst is a veteran cookbook author with fourteen titles to her credit. "Notes From A Main Kitchen: Seasonally Inspired Recipes" is her latest work. This 196-page compendium is organized into chapters by calendar (January through December) with recipes reflecting major ingredients that are seasonal to that particular month. Of special note is a concluding chapter dedicated to presenting complete menus for special occasions ranging from 'Dinner by the Fire', to 'Snow-Day Dinner', to Valentine's dinner or Dinner for Two Anytime', and more! Enhanced with the inclusion of a month-by-month listing of resources, each individual recipe showcased is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', making "Notes From A Maine Kitchen" very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!

Cucina Povera
Pamela Sheldon Johns
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9781449402389, $21.99, www.amazon.com

Cooking instructor, cookbook author, and culinary expert Pamela Sheldon Johns spend twenty years on Tuscany collecting recipes from a variety of sources. The result is found in Cucina Povera: Tuscan Peasant Cooking, a 192-page compendium showcasing the best of Tuscan cuisine superbly illustrated and presented for the modern kitchen. Showcasing the joy of preparing outstanding meals, this collection of more than sixty authentic Tuscan dishes ranges from Pinzimonio (Crudites with Olive Oil), to Pici all' Aglione (Pasta with Garlic-Tomato Sauce), to Peposo di Guanciale (Stewed Peppery Beef Cheeks), to Pane Sciocco Toscano (Unsalted Tuscan Bread), "Cucina Povera" offers a wealth of dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', "Cucina Povera" is enthusiastically recommended for personal, family, and community library ethnic cookbook collections!

Piece of Cake! One Bowl, No-Fuss, From-Scratch Cakes
Camilla V. Saulsbury
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 1E2
9780778802778 $29.95 www.robertrose.ca

"Piece of Cake!" is the new spiral bound bible of creative, delicious recipes for homemade from scratch star cakes. Recipes are presented with dual equivalent measurements, metric and standard, with simple, clear, step-by step instructions. The easy approach to homemade cake preparation includes timesaving shortcuts such as one-bowl prep, elimination of complicated procedures such as separate creaming of fat, separation of eggs, alternate adding of ingredients while mixing, use of regular all purpose flour instead of cake flour, and elimination of the use of a heavy-duty stand mixer. No sacrifice in flavor or finished baked product is allowed despite these easy approach modifications to cake creation. An interesting chapter on Homemade All-Natural Cake Mixes includes such gems as a traditional yellow cake mix, a vegan yellow cake mix, a gluten-free yellow cake mix and a gluten-free chocolate cake mix. The mixes can be prepared and stored for several months, ready for quick final preparation and inspiration. In addition there are chapters on loaf cakes (or single-decker cakes), sheet cakes, bundt cakes, layer cakes, pound cakes, and frostings, icings, and glazes. Beautiful full color photographs of finished cakes stud the pages. Confections such as Orange Olive Oil Cake with Blackberry Compote dazzle the imagination and tempt the palate. What about Fig Cake with Buttermilk Glaze? Or there's the classic Pumpkin Bundt with Cream Cheese Drippy Icing. "Piece of Cake!" is full of delectable and nutritious cake treats for every occasion and every palate, and can safely be predicted to put a sizeable dent in the traditional cake mix sales market. "Piece of Cake!" belongs on every cake baker's cookbook shelf today.

101 Desserts To Eat Before You Die(t)
Anneka Manning
Thunder Bay Press
c/o Baker & Taylor Publishing Group
10350 Barnes Canyon Rd, Ste 100
San Diego, CA 92121
www.thunderbaybooks.com
9781607102144, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Desserts are not just an after dinner treat anymore. Not when you get your hands on Anneka Manning's "101 Desserts To Eat Before You Die(t)"! This 224-page, superbly illustrated, and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' compendium of recipes offers indulgences that boarder on culinary nirvana! From classics like Crepes Suzette; Baked Alaska; and the Chocolate Sundae, to such mouth-watering avant garde creations such as Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding; Banoffee Pie; and Portuguese Custard Tarts, "101 Desserts To Eat Before You Die(t)" will quickly become one of the favorite 'go to' guides for special deserts for special occasions, as well as a source of private satisfaction for personal indulgences. "101 Desserts To Eat Before You Die(t)" is a unique and enthusiastically recommended addition to any and all personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!

The Hour That Matters Most
Les & Leslie Parrott
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414337449, $15.99, www.tyndale.com

The value of family has faded in recent years. "The Hour That Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal" presents a combination of how to bring back the power of family using dinnertime as a centerpiece. Combining recipes with good advice for families and plenty of color photographs, as well as advice for sparking conversation and more, "The Hour That Matters Most" is a top pick for those who want the bonds of family to remain strong within theirs.

Dress Your Gingerbread: Bake Them! Dress Them! Eat Them!
Joanna Farrow, author
Spruce/Octopus Books
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781846013690 $14.99 www.octopusbooks.co.uk

"Dress Your Gingerbread" is a fun collection of over 100 different ways to dress your gingerbread cutout cookies. Beginning pages give recipes for gingerbread and buttercream frosting, as well as decorating hints and techniques. Specific color pictures of each cookie show the finished "dressed" cookie, and template cutout patterns for costume details are included for reproduction. Equipment and ingredients are listed by each portrait, and step by step decorating instructions are provided. Metric conversions are listed in the beginning chapter, and all the entertainment that is needed for a fun day of baking and decorating a gingerbread project is guaranteed. Kids age 10 and up who are interested in these cookies will do better with some hands on adult supervision.

Perfect Pops
Charity Ferreira
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452101927, $16.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

There's nothing like a cold and sweet treat on a hot day. "Perfect Pops: The 50 Best Classic & Cool Treats" is a full color and easy to follow guide to many unique Popsicle inspired creations. From fruit juiced creations to chocolate and vanilla creations to even some vegetable and other unique ingredients blended into it all, "Perfect Pops" is an excellent and very much recommended pick for those who love frozen treats and want to add some do it yourself taste into it all.

Better Homes and Gardens Very Merry Cookies, 16 Dozen Best Recipes to Bake and Share
Jan Miller, editor
John Wiley & Sons
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
9781118016039 $19.99 201-748-6379

"Very Merry Cookies" is a fabulous BH&G collection of preferred holiday cookies in 13 scrumptious chapters of color photo illustrated recipes. Ingredients are listed on the left, with standard measurements, and paragraph step by step instructions are succinctly presented. Who knew there were so many ways to experience Christmas in cookie flavors? Categorized by flavor dominance, recipes for sugar, nutty, coconut, peanut butter, chocolate, coffee, caramel, fruity, citrusy, pumpkin, spiced, and more types of holiday cookie confections are paraded. Little symbols of green and red elf hats titled Santa's Little Helper identify recipes just right for kids to make. An iced tree labeled Quickie Cookie identifies a recipe that starts with a ready-made dough or cookie mix. Helpful metric conversion information is provided at the end. To summarize, nothing should keep determined holiday bakers from experimenting with this wonderful cookie recipe collection this coming holiday season. There is sure to be a new taste sensation that will prove irresistible to tired palates.

Aunt Barb's Bread Book: Yesterday's Breads for Today's Kitchens
Barbara Swell
Native Ground Books & Music
Historic American Music & Cooking
109 Bell Rd., Asheville, NC 28805
9781883206628 $5.95 www.nativeground.com

"Aunt Barb's Bread Book" is a fond collection of historic American breads, adapted into modern recipes, with copious artistic notes and illustrations about adapting old fashioned hearth and wood stove breads to modern kitchens. Fascinating breads such as wild yeast bread, honey cornmeal bread, Boston brown bread, popovers, buttermilk rolls, and thirded breads (made of graham wheat, cornmeal, and rye) and other mixed grain breads are profiled and supplied in full recipes with footnotes and nostalgic embellishment illustrations. To learn all about the vast variety of historic breads baked by American pioneers, and to jumpstart an effort to recreate some of the tastier, healthful eating habits of past times, read "Aunt Barb's Bread Book" and choose a favorite recipe to try.


The Wine Shelf

Wine
Andre Domine, et al.
H. F. Ullmann
c/o 60 Cycle Media Relations LLC
38 High Avenue, 4th floor office
Nyack, New York 10960
www.ullmann-publishing.com
9783833146145, $49.95, www.amazon.com

Wine has been a part of the human experience stretching back to when man discovered agriculture. It is a part of every major culture in a myriad of categories and classifications. An impressive 928-page compendium, "Wine" offers an encyclopedic comprehensive approach to its complex subject matter beginning with an overview of the history and pleasures of wine; the characteristics of wine including its taste, aroma and color; the handling of wine; as well as the impact and implications of wine in entertaining. Lengthy sections are devoted to the vineyard and the winery. Of special note are wines of the world as grouped by country. Enhanced with a glossary; a listing of vintages; a bibliography; indexes according to subject, place, people, estates and wine producers, "Wine" is the ultimate reference work and the collaborative effort of seventeen accomplished contributors under the editorship of Andre Domine. Superbly illustrated throughout with the photography of Armin Faber and Thomas Pothmann, "Wine" is enthusiastically recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections and to non-specialist general readers with an interest in learning about the wines of the world.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Leadership for Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services
Christopher R. Edginton, & Collaborators
Sagamore Publishing
1807 N. Federal Drive, Urbana, IL 61801-1051
9781571676382, $74.95, www.sagamorepub.com

For a group to truly succeed in its purpose, it needs a worthy leader. "Leadership for Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services" is a guide for leaders of such organizations who want to encourage a more complete understanding of how to successfully manage a park to serve the community and promote a healthy relationship with the environment through their park. With tips on what is called for in a leader in a non-profit situation, working with the staff and groups within one's own park as well as the leadership of other parks. For anyone taking to task leadership for a park, "Leadership for Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services" proves to be a wise and very much recommended read for community administration and management collections, highly recommended.

A Field Guide To Edible Mushrooms Of The Pacific Northwest
Daniel Winkler
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219
Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.harbourpublishing.com
9781550175424, $7.95, www.amazon.com

Mushrooms can be great eating if you get the right ones -- or physically deadly if you inadvertently select the wrongs ones. A glossy, waterproof, multicolored, pocket-sized, fold-out pamphlet, "A Field Guide To Edible Mushrooms Of The Pacific Northwest" is an indispensable and 'user friendly' identification aid for amateurs and professionals seeking edible mushrooms in the forests and meadows of the Pacific Northwest. Beginning with a succinct description of the mushroom and offering a 'Symbol Legend' easily identifying the nutritional worth of a given edible mushroom (as well as with the particularly poisonous ones), "A Field Guide To Edible Mushrooms Of The Pacific Northwest" goes on to offering a full color photograph illustration of fifty-one mushrooms along with descriptive information for each featured mushroom. Author Daniel Winkler is a mycologist and environmental consultant who drew upon his many years of experience and expertise in the creation of this handy mushroom identification chart, making it very highly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections.


The Education Shelf

Nature Sparks
Aerial Cross
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605540412, $29.95, www.redleafpress.com

Understanding the natural world is a great kick off to understanding everything else. "Nature Sparks: Connecting Children's Learning to the Natural World" is a guide for child educators and parents who want to nurture a child's natural curiosity in the world. Aerial Cross presents many activities that are developmentally appropriate, encouraging play and hands on learning. "Nature Sparks" is a fine read with plenty of wise wisdom for nurturing a love of learning.


The Art Shelf

Classic Flash 2
Jeromey "Tilt" McCulloch
Schiffer
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764338670, $25.00, www.schifferbooks.com

When the skin is your easel, you better do something good with it. "Classic Flash 2" is a compilation of designs for making magnificent tattoo art using the five bold colors of black, red, yellow, green, and brown as Jeromey "Tilt" McCulloch walks readers through how to make a wide array of designs of many styles, traditions, and making something that is truly worthy of being worn on the sleeve. "Classic Flash 2" is a choice pick for any fan of tattoo art.


The Woodworking Shelf

How to Build Shaker Furniture
Thos Moser
Popular Woodworking Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781440313042, $24.99, www.popularwoodworking.com

Classic furniture is called classic for a reason. "How to Build Shaker Furniture: The Completely Updated and Improved Classic" discusses the master craftsmanship of the Shaker society and how to emulate it for one's own home. Thos Moser walks readers through the tools used to attain the craft, and step by step instructions to making this work that is elegant in its simplicity. Presented in full color, "The Completely Updated and Improved Classic" is a fine read and very much recommended reading.


The Gaming Shelf

Vampire Kingdoms
Kevin Siembieda
Palladium Books Inc
39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185-7606
9781574571868, $24.95, www.palladiumbooks.com

The touch of humanity is what makes vampires all the more terrifying over traditional undead. "Vampire Kingdoms" is a game source book for the Rifts role playing game system, offering a whole slew of source information for the cruel nature of these intelligent undead and their minions. With options for players, game masters, and much more, "Vampire Kingdoms" is a must for group who wants to bring a new kind of evil into their sessions.


The Jewelry Shelf

Jewelry Designs from Nature
Heather Powers
Kalmbach Stores
21027 Crossroads Circle, PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780871164285, $19.95, www.kalmbachstore.com

The earliest crafters of jewelry took their notes from nature, and sometimes the classics are all you need. "Jewelry Designs from Nature: Woodlands, Gardens, Sea" is a guide from Heather Powers as she advises readers and do it yourself jewelry enthusiasts to take notes for nature and incorporate it into their designs using many materials such as clay, metal, and glass. With plenty of walked through projects, "Jewelry Designs from Nature" proves an inspiration to both novice and experienced jewelry makers in getting in touch with the power of nature.

Rachel Nelson-Smith's Bead Riffs
Rachel Nelson-Smith
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781600597831, $27.95, www.amazon.com

Profusely illustrated in full color, "Rachel Nelson-Smith's Bead Riffs: Jewelry Projects in Peyote & Right Angle Weave " is a 128-page compendium showcasing twenty-three jazz-inspired beaded jewelry projects. Each project is presented with clear and 'user friendly' instructions. After an informed and informative beginning chapter on setting up and supplies for the projects from threads, tools, techniques, terminology, to stitches, weaves, and bead caps, "Rachel Nelson-Smith's Bead Riffs: Jewelry Projects in Peyote & Right Angle Weave" has organized the projects according to Necklaces and Pendants; Rings and Earrings; and Bracelets. Enhanced with a stunning visual gallery of finished pieces, "Rachel Nelson-Smith's Bead Riffs: Jewelry Projects in Peyote & Right Angle Weave" is strongly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Jewelry Making & Crafts references collections.

Ring a Day
Marthe Le Van
Lark Crafts
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
9781600598241, $22.95, www.larkcrafts.com

If you're thinking of rings as only bands of gold and silver, you're lacking creativity. "Ring a Day: 700 Photos From a 365 Day Jewelry Challenge" is a guide to the full potential of inspiration for the many aspects finger ornamentation. The pages are brimming with countless new material ideas and colors from those who dared to create something new every day for a year. "Ring a Day" is a must for anyone who wants to broaden their jewelry horizons.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The 10 Secrets of 100% Healthy People
Patrick Holford
Piatkus
c/o Trafalgar Square Publishing
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
9780749929114, $17.95, www.piatkus.co.uk

How do you stay healthy when everything is out to destroy your health? "The 10 Secrets of 100% Healthy People: Some People Never Get Sick and Are Always Full of Energy - Find Out How!" is a simple guide from Patrick Holford as he presents wisdom of general health and how to maintain it. With plenty of supportive anecdotes on how to plan one's life, tips for feeling great, and much more, "The 10 Secrets of 100% Healthy People" is a solidly recommended pick for anyone who wants to get healthy and stay that way.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Insurance Restoration Contracting
Paul Bianchina
Craftsman Book Company
6058 Corte del Cedro, PO Box 6500,
Carlsbad, CA 92018
9781572182394, $69.00, www.craftsman-book.com

When disaster strikes, all you can do is rebuild. "Insurance Restoration Contracting: Startup to Success" is a guide for construction contractors who want to expand their area of expertise into damage restoration and recovery. A nearly recession proof industry, Paul Bianchina walks readers through everything they need to know to get the work and do it right, while offering solid additional services from your company. With advice on how to deal with restoration jobs from flood to man made damage like vandalism, "Insurance Restoration Contracting" is a strong pick for any contracting business who understands the importance of repairing damage quickly.


The Large Print Shelf

Return of the Gunmen
Jim Bowden
Dales
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230
West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781842628201, $23.99, www.ulverscroftusa.com

Vengeance and Justice have more in common than some would like. "Return of the Gunmen" is a western drama set around the town of Pine Bluffs. Cap Millet, sheriff of the town, departs when he doesn't get the support needed to take out bandit leader Clayton Foster. Hoping to washing his hands of it, when his former deputy is killed, Cap realizes that he cannot walk away so easily and that both vengeance and justice must be his. "Return of the Gunmen" is a fine and very much recommended read for many a western fiction fan, another entry into Dales and Ulverscroft large print Western collections.


The Self-Help Shelf

Dignity
Donna Hicks
Yale University Press
PO Box 209040
New Haven, CT 06520-9040
Newman Communications (publicity)
125 Walnut St, Suite 205, Watertown, MA 02472
9780300163926, $27.50, http://yalepress.yale.edu

No one likes feeling belittled. "Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict" is a straight forward conflict management guide as Donna Hicks presents an intriguing presentation on the power of dignity in achieving and keeping a certain degree of peace in our lives. Stating that good conflict resolution respects and repairs dignity of all figures involved, anyone who understands the importance of personal feelings and their fuel for conflict should consider "Dignity" as a powerful advisory and motivational guide.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Outside the Bones
Lyn Di Iorio
Arte Publico Press
452 Cullen Performance Hall
Houston, TX 77204-2004
9781558857032, $16.95, www.artepublicopress.com

Even when you can bend the spirits of the world to your will, people are still people. "Outside the Bones" follows Fina, a bruja in Manhattan, as she accidentally puts a spell on a Chico, a man who gets hit with the full brunt of pressures of two women reentering his life. A story of witchcraft, voodoo, race, greed, and power, "Outside the Bones" blends them all into a very unique and highly entertaining brew that will be hard to put down.


The Holiday Shelf

Songs of the Darkness
Lawrence Sail
Enitharmon Press
c/o Dufour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781904634980, $22.95, www.enitharmon.co.uk

The winter is a long, cold, dark time, with Christmas as the only light in it all. "Songs of the Darkness: Poems for Christmas" is a collection of poetry from Lawrence Sail, compiled over thirty Christmases and winters, dedicated to the topic. With charming frankness, "Songs of the Darkness" is a fine assortment, highly recommended. "Chickweed": Simple as any wish --/to take on into winter/such modesty, recalled/from the already dark/verges of summer:/those stars, sparse/and profuse, unparticular/yet keeping measure,/scintilla of the spirit,/white sparks that fly/upward to join/the very idea of spring.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Council Of Justice
Edgar Wallace
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843794578, $28.98, www.naxosaudiobooks.com

The sequel to "The Four Just Men" (NA0029, $28.98), Edgar Wallace's "The Council Of Justice" continues the story of four very unusual men that have banded together to bring justice to those special cases that ordinary laws are unable to deal with. The penalty for such miscreants is death. In "The Council Of Justice" these four self-appointed vigilantes take on an international anarchist terrorist organization called 'The Read Hundred' and are able to stop a campaign of both selected and mass killings before they can be carried out. In the aftermath however, one of the leaders of 'The Red Hand' betrays the secret identity of the leader of 'The Four Just Men' leading to his capture by the British police. How can his comrades free him from the condemned man's cell inside a fortress prison guarded by divisions of police? As with "The Four Just Men", the plot of "The Council Of Justice" is simply fascinating and engage's the listener's rapt attention from beginning to end. Superbly narrated by Bill Homewood who does full and complete justice to Edgar Wallace's imaginative and suspenseful story, complete and unabridged, technologically flawless in production values, "The Council Of Justice" is enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library audio book collections.

Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues
Michael Brandman, author
James Naughton, narrator
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780739384893 $32.00 www.randomhouse.com

Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of an adventure featuring the tough-as-nails chief of police Jesse Stone, a character originally created by American crime fiction master Robert B. Parker. Award-winning producer Michael Brandman, who collaborated with Parker for years on the Jesse Stone TV movies starring Tom Selleck, lends his talents as the author of this exciting new Jesse Stone story about a darkness from his past catching up with him. Memories of his struggles as a former L.A. cop plague him, and an unknown, shadowy figure stalks nearby, bent on revenge. Tony award-winning performer James Naughton applies his vocal talents to this captivating mystery, sure to prove a popular lend to public library audiobook collections. 4 CDs, 4 1/2 hours.

Composing Amelia
Alison Strobel, author
Ann Richardson, narrator
Oasis Audio
289 Main Place
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781598599671 $29.99 www.oasisaudio.com

Composing Amelia is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a deeply spiritual novel. Amelia and Marcus have recently graduated from college and married one another; Marcus is trying to earn a pastoral position at a large multicultural city church, while Amelia yearns to become a professional piano player. When a small church gives Marcus a job, they must question the dedication they have to their paths and their faith in each other - accepting the job forces Marcus to compromise his goals, and Amelia to all but abandon hers with her departure from the city. Sacrificing her dreams leads Amelia to the brink of a breakdown, while Marcus re-examines the plans he had for his own life. Can the two of them work out a way to save their marriage, and perhaps even resume pursuit of their respective dreams? An emotional work of faith and love, Composing Amelia is highly recommended. 8 CDs.

Happy Accidents
Jane Lynch, author and narrator
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401326135 $29.99 www.hyperionbooks.com

Carol Burnett reads the forward of Happy Accidents: A Memoir, the audiobook rendition of Jane Lynch's memoir. Lynch herself narrates her story of growing up in Chicago's South Side, the destructive path her early life led, and how she turned her self around at thirty-one - acknowledging her sexuality, coming out to her parents, and abandoning her harmful dependence on alcohol. A chance meeting led to her big break in film, and she was cast in the movies "Best in Show" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"; additional coincidences led to her role of Sue Sylvester in the series "Glee". Wry humor, insightful wisdom, and no-holds-barred straight talk distinguish this audiobook, especially recommended for anyone with an interest in LGBT memoirs. 6 CDs, 7 hours.

Son of Stone
Stuart Woods, author
Tony Roberts, narrator
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
9781611760163 $29.95 http://us.penguingroup.com

Son of Stone is the audiobook rendition of the continuing suspenseful saga of lifelong bachelor Stone Barrington. Barrington hopes to make money off of his partnership at Woodman & Weld; his skills in both underworld circles and the heights of high society stand to serve him well. But his smoldering former love, Arrington Calder, has a hidden agenda, and her manipulations are about to turn Barrington's life upside down. An exciting intrigue, masterfully performed by skilled actor Tony Roberts, Son of Stone is an excellent pick for public library audiobook fiction collections.

Abuse of Power
Michael Savage, author
Peter Larkin, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427213747 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Abuse of Power is the exciting, unabridged audiobook adaptation of a thriller following Jack Hatfield, a war correspondent turned freelance news producer and crime journalist. During a seemingly standard ride-along with the SFPD bomb squad, Hatfield witnesses a deadly carjacking in which military-grade explosives are seized. When the FBI pressures Hatfield to stay away, he responds by latching onto a dark trail from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, London and Paris, cooperating with a Yemeni intelligence agent and a veteran Green Beret to reveal the workings of a terrorist group calling itself the Hand of Allah. A plot with a death toll potentially surpassing the tragedy of 9/11 is in the works, fueling a high-octane confrontation in this suspenseful saga. 9 CDs, 11 hours.


The Music CD Shelf

Fab Fan Memories: The Beatles Bond
Louise Harrison, host
WannaBeats Records
c/o Dennis Scott Productions
$14.95 www.thewannabeatles.com

Fab Fan Memories: The Beatles Bond isn't just a Beatles music album - it's a tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time, by fans, for fans. Louise Harrison hosts interviews, stories, and extended discussion of fond memories of the Beatles, which are the primary focus above and beyond the Beatles song performances by The Liverpool Legends. The result is a nostalgic and satisfying reminiscence, as well as the perfect gift for any long-standing Beatles aficionado. Highly recommended.

Hi Fly
John Stein, et. al.
Whaling City Sound
Mixed Media
20 Lockmere Road
Cranston, RI 02910
$15.27 www.mixedmediapromo.com

Hi Fly is guitarist John Stein's third recording with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario. Keyboard player Jake Sherman adds his own flair to the band's arrangements, creating a soaring musical experience that expands on elements of jazz with a strong vibe of pure joy. Hi Fly is a pleasure to experience, brimming with energy to recharge the listener after a long day, and highly recommended. The tracks are "Speak Low" (6:13), "Skippin'" (5:11), "Hi Fly" (5:46), "Lazy Afternoon" (4:46), "Laura" (5:52), "Threesome" (6:42), "Plum Stone" (5:00), "Sea Smoke" (7:05), "Love Letters" (5:39), and "Funkin' It Up" (5:23).

Eclectic Eve
Christopher Lapina
c/o The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
http://thecreativeservicecompany.com
$24.32 CDbaby.com

Composer and keyboardist Christopher Lapina presents Eclectic Eve, a holistic album of new age, neo-classical, jazz, solo piano, shifting-time-signatures, and much more - some parts are percussion-only or swinging choral, while others are ensemble pieces with guitars, bass and sax. The melodic pastiche fuses into the story of a woman's journey through life as she strives to become more creative, wiser, and grounded in the course of her life. The title of "Eclectic Eve" encapsulates its journey, message, and variety, resulting in a listening experience to remember and treasure. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Highland Return" (4:20), "Hand in Glove" (5:20), "Rolling Blue" (6:01), "This Time" (7:16), "Highland Variation #9" (3:14), "Before You" (4:04), "My Darling Esmerelda" (5:36), "Lucy Turns Eclectic" (4:21), "Highland Variation #1" (2:54), "Moon and Spoon" (4:42), "String Theory" (4:54) and "She's Often Here" (1:57).

Songs of Saints and Scholars
Steven C. Warner, Director
Karen Schneider Kirner, Associate Director
World Library Publications
3708 River Road, Suite 400
Franklin Park, IL 60131-2158
9781584594260 $17.00 www.wlpmusic.com

Songs of Saints and Scholars: A Celtic Pilgrimage with the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir is a hauntingly beautiful album of deeply spiritual music. The songs evoke Celtic heritage as well as Christian reverence, resulting in an emotionally uplifting experience from beginning to end. The tracks are "The Lorica of Ballyloughlin" (2:20), "Cead Mile Failte" (2:55), "A Walking Prayer" (2:48), "Bi Iosa Im Chroise" (4:09), "Psalm 23: Se An Tiarna M'Aoire (The Lord Is My Shepherd)" (5:18), "Bless the Corners of This House" (2:06), "A Iosa, Mhic Mhuire (To Jesus, Son of Mary)" (4:31), "A Circle Blessing" (2:45), "Rian Phadraig (Song of Patrick)" (3:16), "Those Who Love and Those Who Labor" (4:11), "From East to West" (4:06), "Deus Meus, Adiuva Me" (4:04), "Each Step of the Journey" (3:03), and "To Christ, the Seed" (2:20). Also highly recommended for Christian music lovers is the album "Touch Jesus" (9781584594222, $17.00) by W. Clifford Petty.

It's a Love/Hate Thing
Dearly and Denny
Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85017
$15.63 www.canyonrecords.com

It's a Love/Hate Thing is the latest music album of Round Dance jam songs by the reputable singing duo of Dearly and Denny. Their songs blend real life emotions of heartbreak, healing, and wonder into the rhythmic drum score. It's a Love/Hate Thing is a powerful and motivational work, and a choice pick especially for Native American music collections. The tracks are "Straight Cruisin'" (4:12), "Pouring My Love" (3:54), "Hickey Snaggin'" (4:46), "Court Date" (4:43), "The Classroom Blues" (4:32), "All My Babies' Mamas" (3:00), "Love Hurts, Dude Part II" (4:22), "S2o" (4:17), "All Apologies" (5:21), "Hickey Engagement" (4:51), "Wisconsin Sky II" (3:26), and "When You're All Alone" (4:18).


The DVD Shelf

Feasts Of The Bible
Sam Nadler
Rose Publishing
4733 Torrance Blvd., #259
Torrance, CA 90503
9781596364653, $29.99, www.amazon.com

From Biblical times down to the present day, shared meals or feasts were and are hallmark of the Judeo-Christian religious culture and continues with us today ranging from High Holy Day celebrations (Passover, Pentecost, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles) to Church potluck dinners. "Feasts Of The Bible" is a Bible study DVD featuring six thirty minute lessons. The lessons or sessions address how Messiah Jesus is the fulfillment of the feasts and holidays; the Jewish roots of Christianity; the history and symbolism of the Old Testament; the Lord's provision, love and care for those who worship him, the worship of God, and a glorious future with the Messiah. Highly recommended for Bible study groups or personal biblical studies, this impressive DVD also features a PDF leader guide that can be printed out and PDF files for promotional posters, fliers, handouts, bulletin inserts, and banners. Also very highly recommended is the companion study guide "Feasts Of The Bible" (9781596364677, $3.99).

Shiva Rea More Daily Energy
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650
Silver Spring, MD 20910
$19.99 www.acacialifestyle.com

Shiva Rea More Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga is an exceptional fitness DVD packed with seven twenty-minute mix-and-match yoga practices (well over two hours total!) that can be rearranged into a regimen designed to meet one's personal needs in flexibility, balance, and strength. The segments include three beginner (lunar) and four intermediate (solar) sequences, hosted by expert professional instructor Shiva Rea. A superb addition to DVD fitness shelves, Shiva Rea More Daily Energy offers an unprecedented level of variety and customizability, highly recommended. 158 minutes, widescreen. Also highly recommended for fitness enthusiasts looking for a little more cardio is "Ageless with Kathy Smith" (60 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles), a solid strength and calorie burn workout designed to refresh the body and remove stress.


The Sports Shelf

Fighting the Current
Lisa Bier
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786440283 $40.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com

In 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel, and broke the existing speed record in the process; though her pioneer efforts in women's swimming were legendary, she was only part of a long legacy. Fighting the Current: The Rise of American Women's Swimming, 1870-1926 details the true story of early women's competitive swimming during the fifty years before Ederle's historic plunge. Women and girls faced severe challenges to swimming for spot, including negative social beliefs about female physical ability, access to safe and clean places to swim, bathing suits that restricted movement and became heavy in water, and the disapproval of existing sports organizations. Fighting the Current lives up to its title as the saga of how women swimmers battled against all of these obstacles, and is an excellent addition to women's sports history collections.


The Travel Shelf

Montana Waterfalls
Larry Johnson and Nathan Johnson
Riverbend Publishing
PO Box 5833
Helena, MT 59604
9781606390337 $19.95 www.riverbendpublishing.com

Printed on glossy paper and illustrated with beautiful, full-color photographs of each waterfall, Montana Waterfalls: A Guide for Sightseers, Hikers & Waterfall Enthusiasts is a stunning guide to more than 50 grand waterfalls in the state of Montana. Brief descriptions, access routes, nearby campgrounds, latitude and longitude, and more information about each waterfall make Montana Waterfalls an excellent choice for back-to-nature Montana sightseers, and the wonderful photography is a treat for armchair travelers. Highly recommended.

Monumental New York
Chuck D'Imperio
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110
Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9780815609629 $19.95 www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu

Illustrated with black-and-white photographs throughout, Monumental New York! A Guide to 30 Iconic Memorials in Upstate New York spotlights thirty of the most distinctive historical statues and memorials in Upstate New York, some of which are little-known. From tributes to great men such as John Brown, FDR, and Carl Sagan to the cite of Upstate New York's prison camp of the Civil War, to a tribute to a woman who played a role similar to Paul Revere in America's early history, Monumental New York is an eye-opening guide ideal for both New York tourists and armchair travelers. Highly recommended.


The Political Science Shelf

Don't Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid
Marybeth Hicks
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9781596981515 $24.95 www.regnery.com

Don't Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid: Confronting the Left's Assault on Our Families, Faith, and Freedom is a severe, critical attack on left-wing political philosophies, especially their impact on the next generation. Author and columnist Marybeth Hicks takes the perspective of a concerned parent, criticizing liberal trends to de-emphasize the importance of God or traditional marriage, to stress diversity over assimilation, and trumpet ecologically-driven fear over the serious problem of inadequate science education in the classroom, and perhaps worst of all, to downplay the importance of independence, self-discipline, and self-reliance. "Putnam's findings refuted two popular ideas about the impact of diversity - 'contact' and 'conflict' - that is, that people in highly diverse communities will naturally form bonds with people from other races and cultures because of frequent contact, or that living in diverse communities will create racial and ethnic conflict. Apparently neither one actually tends to happen. Instead, Putnam discovered that in conditions of 'diversity' people become 'turtles,' retreating into their shells. Not exactly a recipe for civic engagement." Though the reader may disagree with the broad, sweeping characterization of the entire Left as an institution that uniformly pushes "socialism", among other accusations, Don't Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid still offers invaluable insight into coping with modern cultural problems affecting parents of all political spectrums. Practical courses of action, such as petitioning cable companies to allow individual channel choice instead of forcing channel bundles, teaching children to incorporate social media into their lives in a manner that is balanced and healthy, and instilling positive virtues such as forbearance, humility, honor, and independence, round out this thought-provoking read.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Shelter Puppies
Michael Kloth
Merrell Publishers
c/o 60 Cycle Media
30 High Ave #1 Nyack, NY 10960
9781858945606, $19.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

Turned away by tragedy and neglectful owners, some dogs wait for a second chance to come to them. "Shelter Puppies" is a collection of full color photographs focusing on many puppies of countless breeds who were rescued into shelters. For any lover of dogs and especially cute puppies, they will be delighted by this assortment of photographs with a generous donation to the ASPCA for each book sold. "Shelter Puppies" is a fine addition to pets and photography collections.

The Cat Selector
David Alderton
Publicity Department
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764164248 $24.99 www.barronseduc.com

Illustrated with vivid color photography from cover to cover, The Cat Selector: How to Choose the Right Cat for You is an in-depth guide to the traits of various cat breeds (from rare hairless cats and other exotic pedigrees to common tabby and calico cats), as well as recommendations as to what will suit one's needs when looking for a feline pet. The general personality, behavior tendencies, grooming needs, common health issues, and much more are discussed at length, in terms accessible to cat lovers of all backgrounds. The beautiful color photography of cats and kittens speaks for itself of course, and makes The Cat Selector a captivating book for ailurophiles to simply page through, even if they already have all the furry companions their house can hold. Some general cat care tips and an at-a-glance cat selector that rates different breeds according to "active nature", "grooming needs", "suitable for older owners", and "suitable for families" rounds out this excellent guide. Highly recommended.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Quilting-on-the-Go
Carolyn Forster
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st St., Suite A, Urbandale, IA 50322
9781935726050 $24.95 www.landauercorp.com

"Quilting-on-the-Go" is a manual for active quilters who crave how-to's on creating quilt designs in small, manageable sections, hand or machine quilted in pieced blocks or segments of multiple blocks. Divided into two main sections on Basics and Projects, the thrust of "Quilting-on-the-Go" is to provide projects and instructions for quilters who need to work in a variety of settings with no special bulky quilting equipment (like the large wooden traditional frames) needed. Patterns, designs and instructions for 15 beautiful quilts are included, along with inspiring color photos of finished quilts. Step by step instructions with specific descriptions, organized lists of supplies needed for each project, and templates are included. In all, "Quilting-on-the-Go" is an invaluable, inspirational tool for the modern quilter who seeks to preserve something of past fabric arts using modern conveniences and do-able workbytes for a model.

Give & Take: Fabric Applique
Daphne Greig & Susan Purney Mark
American Quilter's Society
P.O. Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002
9781604600056 $24.95 www.AmericanQuilter.com

"Give & Take: Fabric Applique" is a sampler quilter's workbook about using a new technique called Give And Take Applique. Using fusible web and a Teflon applique pressing sheet, along with an assortment of preferred fabrics, the quilter is taken step by step through the process of choosing design and fabrics, cutting pressing and stitching. The first two chapters deal with fabric fundamentals and tools and technique. Then the quilter is ready to tackle the New York Beauty Table Runner in Chapter 3. Complete patterns for tracing appliques are enclosed for a variety of beautiful applique projects. The first 3 chapters are recommended to be read and followed in sequence, for more effective learning, while the remaining 5 chapters, containing a plethora of creative applique quilted projects, can be tackled at the reader's choice or discretion. An additional page of resources lists names of experts to contact as well as suppliers for fabrics, thread, and quilting services. Stunning full color photos of completed projects are both inspirational and instructional. Clear, concise, complete step by step instructions make the most difficult project accessible to the aspiring, determined quilter. "Give & Take: Fabric Applique" is a beautiful how-to book that belongs in every serious quilter's library. Also recommended from the same publisher on the subject of applique is "Beautiful Wild Flower Applique," by Zena Thorpe (9781604600032, $26.95). This book shows stunning examples of appliqued flowers native to the English countryside, complete with a one page beautiful wildflower index. This book is a treat to read.

The Knitter's Life List: To Do. To Know. To Explore. To Make
Gwen W. Steege
Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603429962 $24.95 www.storey.com

"The Knitter's Life List" is an amazing bucket list collection of varied exotic knitter's projects. Apparently the joy of knitting is so vast and varied that knitters dream passionately of discovering and experiencing new fibers, projects, techniques, ideas, and approaches. If this describes you, 'The Knitter's Life List" is the book for you. Containing 1001 inspirations for every knitter, 122 techniques and tips to learn, 69 styles and traditions to explore, 64 personalities to meet, and 33 yarn fibers to try, "The Knitter's Life List" is a serious attempt to enlarge the experience of all committed or curious knitters, and maybe even entice a few novices along the way. Describing knitting as a voyage or journey, the book divides projects into 11 chapters partly by project, including the yarn, the know-how, the sweaters, the socks, the scarves and shawls, hats, gloves and mittens, bags, kids, home decorating, and fiber-lover's life lists. Containing many thumbnail sketches of famous knitter personalities throughout the book, "The Knitter's Life List" also has a Who's Who chapter on the community of knitting experts, with over 50 brief sketches of famous current knitters and creative consultants. In addition a full appendix lists multiple additional resources as quoted chapter by chapter. Beautiful color photographs of finished projects and steps of instructions are featured throughout the book. In addition special illustrated sidebars contain intriguing bits of knitter's tidbits such as "Kay Gardiner on Rhinebeck (New York Sheep and Wool Festival," (p. 44). Another interesting sidebar is titled Did You Know What Do Knitting and Gardening Have In Common?" (p. 152). "The Knitter's Life List" is a difficult book to resist or to put down, even for a non, or novice knitter. Finally, it features a Knitter's Life List Sweepstakes, which includes a grand prize of a trip for two to an exclusive knitting retreat weekend, a $200 yarn shopping spree, 20 books from Storey's craft library and more. surely "The Knitter's Life List" belongs on every knitter's bookshelf or coffee table as well as in every craft library resource and domestic arts showcase. It offers multiple vibrant glimpses of both the history and current practices of knitting, appealing to both the beginner and the experienced knitter.

Knits To Give
Debbie Bliss
Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road
North Pomfret, VT 05033
www.trafalgarbooks.com
9781570764912, $24.95, www.amazon.com

A handmade, homemade gift offers something bought from a store can never provide -- the knowledge that someone cared enough to invest their thought, time, and talent into the making of the gift. That's why "Knits to Give: 30 Knitted Gifts Made with Love" by needlecraft expert Debbie Bliss is such a welcome addition to the growing library of instructional knitting guides. This 160-page compendium is comprised of thirty outstanding knitting projects very well organized into five specific sections: For Her; For Him; For Baby; For Kids; and For The Home. From a beaded clutch bag, to a baby shawl, to a cabled vest, to seed stitch table mats, "Knits To Give" offers a wealth of knitting gifts suitable for any and all gift giving occasions. With an informed and informative introduction bolstered with information on yarn types and gift-wrapping ideas, as well as concluding with a helpful list of yarn distributors, the very nicely illustrated text provides thoroughly 'user friendly', step-by-step instructions that will enable even the most novice knitter to turn out quality work. "Knits to Give: 30 Knitted Gifts Made with Love" will prove to be a welcome and popular addition to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Buffyverse Catalog
Don Macnaughtan
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786446032, $45.00, www.amazon.com

Although the vampire was a stock figure in horror movies, it was the campy version of the genre starring a valley girl as the protagonist in Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992) that launched what was to become one of the most successful entertainment franchises in modern history. This landmark film was the inspiration for the television series of the same name that ran from 1997 to 2003, which in turn gave rise to the successful spin-off "Angel" which ran from 1998 to 2004. The success of these two long running television series in turn gave rise to a series of comic books, novels, games, fan websites, fan productions, and a wealth of secondary Buffy and Angel themed materials that continue in popularity and popular culture to this very day. In "The Buffyverse Catalog: A Complete Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel in Print, Film, Television, Comics, Games and Other Media, 1992-2010", Don Macnaughton has created a 326-page encyclopedic compendium of all things Buffy and Buffy related. Divided into Licensed (Primary) Materials and Unlicensed (Secondary) Materials, what is provided is a wealth of information that will prove indispensable for popular culture researchers in general, and Buffy fans in particular. Of special note are the two concluding sections featuring a list of thematically relevant websites and an extensive bibliography. ""The Buffyverse Catalog" will prove to be a popular addition to personal, academic, and community library American Popular Culture reference collections.


The Music Shelf

Bluegrass Jamming On Mandolin: Tips, Tunes & Techniques (book and audio CD)
Wayne Erbsen
Native Ground Books & Music, Inc.
109 Bell Road, Asheville, NC 28805
9781883206611 $22.95 www.nativeground.com

"Bluegrass Jamming on Mandolin" is a handy, comprehensive Bluegrass mandolin textbook with audio CD for further instructions, examples and even Word files with tune lyrics for the songs covered in the book. The CD has 81 cuts with slow tempo illustrations of all the tunes and licks described in the text. Corresponding coded gramophone numbers allow the reader to match up songs and tips in the book to the tracks on the CD. Both mandolin and rhythm guitar parts are recorded, and either part can be turned up or down in volume. Written in a "folksy" style, "Bluegrass Jamming On Mandolin" contains both traditional notation for songs and tablature for common guitar chords. A friendly, hands on approach encourages beginning pickers to take on the challenge of learning the style of bluegrass jamming. Even the qualifications for a jammer are listed in the early invitation to the jam circle on page 4. "There's only two things you'll need to know: 1) Your alphabet from A to G, and, 2) How to count from 1 to 7." Music for 31 songs in keys of G, A C and D Major is included grouped by the key. The scales for these four major keys are also included, plus mandolin rhythms in 2/4 and 3/4 time, as well as chords to popular bluegrass songs, fiddle tunes, and simple mandolin chords. A glossary and a song index complete the attractive set. What is especially appealing about "Bluegrass Jamming on Mandolin" is its excellent background information, even including bluegrass jamming manners. "Bluegrass Jamming On Mandolin" is a great textbook for beginners and intermediate performers.

Glee, the Music, Season Two, Volume 4
Hal Leonard
7777 W. Bluemound Road
P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213
9781617805813 $16.99 www.halleonard.com

"Glee" the popular high school glee club music T.V. series has continued to educate upcoming generations in a vast array of popular songs. "Glee, the Music, Season Two, Volume 4" contains full piano-vocal arrangements of such songs as "Me Against the Music," "Toxic," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," River Deep - Mountain High," "Sway (Quien Sera)," "Just the Way You Are," and "I've Had the Time of My Life," as well as many more. Music notation and text is clear and well spaced and arrangements are complete and authentic. "Glee, the Music Season Two, Volume 4" is certain to be a hot seller in the area of pop vocal music.


The Native American Shelf

American Indians in Milwaukee, Images of America series
Antonio J. Doxtator and Renee J. Zakhar, authors
Arcadia Publishing
Charleston, South Carolina
9780738582580 $21.99 www.arcadiapublishing.com

"American Indians in Milwaukee" is an amazing collections of black and white photographs or prints of different American Indians associated with the Milwaukee area over a timespan of two hundred and thirty-plus years. Native American history notes are provided in each chapter and beneath each print or photo, and a gradual unfolding of a limited overview is sequentially implied. Beginning in the 1700's, the area now known as Milwaukee was populated by Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Ottawa, Ojibwa, and Sauk Native American settlements. Other First Nations sent later representatives, such as the Oneida from the Northeast. A complex intermingling of cultures has characterized American Indians in Milwaukee and elsewhere, but also individual tribal customs, histories, and legacies have been sometimes rediscovered, reinterpreted; and hopefully preserved for the future. Beginning with paintings (representing appearances after 8125) of Josette Juneau, the founding mother of Milwaukee, of mixed European and Native American descent, the photo-essay journey through time continues with many group photos in ceremonial costume, and other performance or cultural display-oriented groupings from 1925 and earlier to the present (2009). Reflecting both the ebb and flow of Native American dwellers of the area, "American Indians in Milwaukee" compresses the reality of many trends and movements of history into succeeding documented photographs with illuminating text by each photo. Seven chapters, titled the Gathering place, Indians Return to the City, Powwow Era, Friends, Mascots and Sports, Red Power Movement, Emerging Presence, and Onward. The Native Americans quest for restored sovereignty and autonomy led to demonstrations supporting these concepts rather than inclusion and equality in the 60's, 70's and later. A miraculous cultural exchange type of reversal or trend may be identified in these carefully displayed photographs. While the initial thrust of European contact with the Native Americans was characterized by a lack of respect for Native traditions and heritage, even an attempt to obliterate all evidence of Native cultural influences, this is beginning to be rebalanced by a renaissance of studies, group supports, and celebration and display of many special Native American traditions unique to each tribal group. In fact, the Indians are doing their best to educate the dominant culture, while celebrating and rediscovering their unique heritage. True it is a complex process and very much in the works, but "American Indians in Milwaukee" provides the images to prove it is happening and has been happening for some time in the area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
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