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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 4, Number 9 September 2009 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Fiction Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Biography Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Parenting Shelf
Human Sexuality Shelf Social Issues Shelf Science Shelf
Mathematics Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Criminology Shelf Self-Help Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Education Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf World History Shelf American History Shelf
Music Shelf Travel Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Native American Shelf Woodworking Shelf
International Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Photography Shelf Fashion Shelf Art Shelf
Economics Shelf Political Science Shelf Civil War Shelf
Poetry Shelf Philosophy Shelf Genealogy Shelf
Computer Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

In the Course of My Walks
August Derleth
Borderland Books
c/o University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780981562025 $25.00 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress 1-800-621-2736

In the Course of My Walks is an anthology of reflections by August Derleth (1909-1971), a resident of Sauk City, Wisconsin who sought the meaning of life in the natural beauty surrounding his home, from the woods, marshes, and waters to the beasts and birds. Derleth identified strongly with Henry David Thoreau, and even considered his home near the Wisconsin River to be "Walden West". Derleth's writings draw heavily upon his observations of nature during his daily walks, and span a gamut of topics from natural history essays to philosophy to narratives of the natural world and more. Written by an erudite nature lover, for erudite nature lovers, In the Course of My Walks is highly recommended for both personal and public library collections.

GIS Tutorial II
David W. Allen
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
9781589482012, $79.95, www.amazon.com

Geographic information system (GIS) technology is now ubiquitous across the globe. The sequel to "GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9", this second volume, "GIS Tutorial II: Spatial Analysis Workbook" focuses on how to perform spatial analysis using the tools in ArcGIS Desktop. Thoroughly 'user friendly', detailed, step-by-step procedures will help guide the reader through a number of spatial analysis methods ranging including comparison, overlay, density, proximity; and statistical, to temporal, distribution, pattern, cluster, auto correlation, and hot spot factors. In addition to the step-by-step instructions, each individual tutorial exercise, also features a review, study questions, and a list of possible real-world applications. Author David Allen draws upon his years of experience and expertise as the GIS manager for the City of Euless, Texas where he designs data structures and custom applications, and as a GIS instructor at the Tarrant county College helping to develop a GIS degree program to make "GIS Tutorial II: Spatial Analysis Workbook" completely user friendly and an ideal, highly recommended textbook for either classroom curriculums or a self-instruction manual.

Combating Violence & Abuse Of People With Disabilities
Nancy M. Fitzsimons
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781598570014, $34.95, www.amazon.com

All too often overlooked or discriminated against by their communities, adults with disabilities are also vulnerable to bullying, exploitation, abuse and neglect. That is why the publication of "Combating Violence & Abuse Of People With Disabilities" by Nancy M. Fitzsimons (MSW Program Director and Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, Minnesota State University, Mankato) is so timely and so necessary and so valuable. This is an informed and informative instruction manual providing sound advice and practical approaches professionals, family members, and self-advocacy empowered disabled adults can employ to prevent violence and avoid abuse by projecting self-confidence and assertiveness, effectively communicate with others, form healthy interpersonal and intimate relationships, and develop practical safety skills for any and all occasions. "Combating Violence & Abuse Of People With Disabilities" also covers what to do and how to do it with respect to identifying, reporting, and dealing with physical assaults, sexual assaults, physical neglect, emotional abuse, and financial exploitation. As practical as it is insightful, "Combating Violence & Abuse Of People With Disabilities" is a very strongly recommended addition to professional, academic, and community library reference collections, and personal resource reading lists for anyone having to deal with the threat of abuse toward themselves or in behalf of a loved one.

Imagining Science
Sean Caulfield and Timothy Caulfield
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
www.uap.ualberta.ca
0888645082, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Compiled and co-edited by Sean and Timothy Caulfield, "Imagining Science" is a distinctive collection of informative essays and memorable original artwork by artists, scientists, and social commentators from around the world addressing complex and controversial legal, ethical, and social concerns about advances in biotechnology ranging from stem cell research, to cloning, to genetic testing. The result is a synthesis of seminal scientific and creative research. "Imagining Science" is a unique series of collaborations highlighting the functional role art plays in accessibly assessing biomedical technologies and challenging ethical, religious and philosophical boundaries. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Imagining Science" is highly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Encyclopedia Of Death And The Human Experience
Clifton D. Bryant & Dennis L. Peck, editors
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.sagepub.com
9781412951784, $350.00, www.amazon.com

Death is the universal experience all human beings will encounter. How those encounters will be interpreted and responded to is heavily influenced by family, tradition, culture and religion. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly co-edited by Clifton D. Bryant (Professor of Sociology, Virginia Tech University) and Dennis L. Peck (Professor of Sociology, University of Alabama), the two-volume "Encyclopedia Of Death And The Human Experience" is an impressively comprehensive and detailed compendium of information and scholarship surveying and examining the beliefs, traditions, mores, customs and social rituals associated with the process of dying and the ritualization of death. Also addressed are such relevant factors as bereavement, mourning, and the process of grieving. Superbly organized and enhanced with figures, tables, images, organizational resources, and detailed appendices, the "Encyclopedia Of Death And The Human Experience" also includes funeral customs and practices, legal issues, cross-cultural perspectives, and the symbolisms associated with death and dying. A seminal work of impeccable scholarship, "Encyclopedia Of Death And The Human Experience" is a core and highly recommended addition to community and academic library reference collections.

Future: A Recent History
Lawrence R. Samuel
University of Texas Press
PO Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
9780292719149 $45.00 www.utexaspress.com 1-800-252-3206

Future: A Recent History is a social history that examines how intellectuals, artists, scientists, businesspeople, and others perceived the impending future, all during the past century. Classifying six different eras of "future narratives" and pervasive tropes permeating in public consciousness, Future: A Recent History reveals as much about ourselves as it does about our predictions past of what the future would bring. Human society's discoveries in everything from space travel to atomic and nuclear weapons to the women's and civil rights movement served to shape not only the actual future, but the visions people had of the future. An amazing and insightful collection, recommended to anyone curious about the future or (more importantly) about those individuals curious enough to dream of something and risk life and limb to fin it.


The Fiction Shelf

The Fifth Ace
Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton
Avalon Books
160 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780803499515 $23.95 http://avalonbooks.com

The second novel in the "Luck of the Draw" western series, The Fifth Ace is an exciting, action-packed adventure capturing the roughshod spirit of the Old West. A supposedly friendly poker game ends with a murdered candidate for governor, and the only clue left behind is a fifth ace by the victim's feet. A swarm of vigilante gunmen seek retribution for the murder. The other poker players finger Drew Woodson's mining partner, an innocent man, for the crime. Woodson must track down the real killer before his partner is wrongfully hanged or the witnesses are themselves murdered one by one! A thrilling tale of old-style justice (and injustice!), The Fifth Ace is highly recommended.

Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200, Hollywood, CA 90028
www.goldenagestories.com
$9.95 each, www.galaxypress.com

Galaxy Press has reprinted four inexpensive anthologies of classic pulp tales of two-fisted action by legendarily popular writer (and Scientology religion founder) L. Ron Hubbard which are sure to satisfy avid readers of the pulp fiction action/adventure genre. "The Sky Crasher" (9781592123308) is a wild adventure about embarking on a round-the-world flight back when making the claim was so great an achievement that the attempts attracted a criminal element. Also present are the stories "Boomerang Bomber" and a preview of "Hurtling Wings". "Wind-Gone-Mad" (9781592122691) is an exciting saga set in the last days of pre-World War II China, where the stalwart Jim Dahlgren, representing the amalgamated Aeronautical Company, is one of the few who can stand against the a ravenous warlord and would-be conqueror known as "The Butcher". Also present are the stories "Tah", "Yellow Loot", and a preview of "Golden Hell". "Hostage to Death" (9781592122820) follows Legionnaire Bill Reilly, challenged by a renegade Berber chieftain to rescue a kidnapped American named Kay MacArthur, possibly from a fate worse than death, even though he knows that he may be plunging headlong into a deadly trap. Also present is the story preview "Yukon Madness". "Under the Diehard Brand" (9781592122615) is a western about a young Lee Thompson, whose aging sheriff father is losing control over the thugs and troublemakers of Wolf River. Thompson must step into his father's shoes and defend his town from the horde of criminals who have heard rumors of his father's infirmity and see Wolf River as easy prey! Also present are the stories "Hoss Tamer", "The Ghost Town Gun-Ghost", and a story preview of "Baron of Coyote River". Each action-packed volume of Stories from the Golden Age is further enhanced with a glossary of regional terms, dialects that have fallen into disuse, and other words that may be esoteric to the casual reader. All are excellent picks for anyone who loves pulp fiction.

Trust Me
Jeff Abbott
Dutton
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780525951216, $25.95, www.penguin.com

The war on terror takes on many forms. "Trust Me" follows Luke Dantry, a man who is charged with infiltrating a group known as the 'Night Road'. Underestimating them, he soon finds himself kidnapped and left in a forest. Finding that the 'Night Road' goes deeper than he thought, he has to live on the edge of his life to stop catastrophe. "Trust Me" is a riveting story of infiltration and how sometimes one has to work with the bad guys for the greater good.

Toxin
Paul Martin Midden
Millennial Mind Publishing
c/o American Book Publishing
5442 So. 900 East #146, Salt Lake City, UT 84117-7204
Mary Glenn McCombs Book Publicist (publicity)
2817 West End Avenue, Suite 126-274
9781589824928, $24.95

The most devastating assaults are the most treacherous. "Toxin" is the story of one United States Senator who must stand against a sinister plot that leaks out from the inside of the government. Despite his fears, he must go beyond the call of duty as a statesman to save the country he loves. "Toxin" is an entertaining political thriller, sure to please.

The Whaler's Forge
Christine Echeverria Bender
Caxton Press
312 Main St., Caldwell, ID 83605
9780870044748, $16.95, www.caxtonpress.com

The most difficult thing someone might have to do in life is survive. "The Whaler's Forge" tells the story of a lost Spanish Whaler who washes up on the coast of North America, before the continent ever gained that name. With winter approaching and no hope of rescue in sight, Kepa De Mendieta has to fight for his very life. "The Whaler's Forge" is an intriguing novel of survival, highly recommended.

A Slow Burn
Mary E. DeMuth
Zondervan
5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310278375, $14.99, www.zondervan.com

Vengeance is a strong reason. "A Slow Burn" is the second story in the Defiance Texas Trilogy, following Emory Chance as she is driven to find her daughter's murderer. But it seems that the pursuit of justice may not be Emory's biggest obstacle, but rather her own grief, as mysteries and problems appear along the way. "A Slow Burn" is a fine novel of a woman overcoming her own grief, and leaves readers seeking the third book in the series.

2045
Peter Seidel
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781591027058, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

There's a pervasive fear of what could happen should corporations grow too powerful. "2045" is a novel of the near future where gigantic corporations have gained the grasp of almost everything in the world. Following a businessman of the early twenty-first century as he falls into a coma and wakes up four decades later, "2045" views the bleak future world through contemporary eyes. "2045" is worth considering for any seeking for modern fiction with a dystopian twist.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Transcendent Wisdom
The Dalai Lama, author
B. Alan Wallace, translator, editor, & annotator
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393294 $16.95 www.SnowLionPub.com

Based on an oral teaching that the Dalai Lama gave in Switzerland, and expertly translated into English, edited, and annotated by Buddhism expert B. Alan Wallace, Transcendent Wisdom is a commentary on the "Wisdom" chapter of the classic Buddhist text "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life", one of the most important sources for the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. A precise, point-by-point discussion of core Buddhist tenets, chapters of Transcendent Wisdom include "Personal Identitylessness", "The four applications of mindfulness", "Proofs of the absence of true existence", and much more. An excellent and eminently accessible addition to modern Buddhist studies shelves, especially recommended to anyone intrigued by the teachings of the Dalai Lama.

The Novice
Stephen Schettini
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
9781608320059, $24.95, www.schettini.com

When searching for oneself, it is not uncommon to consider Buddhism. Author Stephen Schettini didn't consider this the end all be all solution. "The Novice: Why I Became a Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit, & What I Learned" reflects on his own search for self and truth as he traveled through Europe and Asia looking for answers. When he encountered Tibetans in exile, he converted to Buddhism, then found it wasn't for him. He explains his reasons and his travels, making "The Novice" a very far-reaching spiritual read.


The Biography Shelf

Duchess of Death
Richard Hack
Phoenix Books
c/o Hilsinger - Mendelson East
245 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10016
9781597776202, $25.95, www.phoenixbooksandaudio.com

There had to have been something going on in the mind behind that typewriter. "Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie" hopes to paint a more complete and comprehensive portrait of the beloved author whose works have captured the imaginations of countless readers in countless countries around the world. Shunning the press, Christie kept her private life a mystery, but the inspiration behind much of her work comes to light in this compelling investigation of her life. "Duchess of Death" is a must read for anyone fascinated by Agatha Christie and her life's work.

Libation
Deirdre Heekin
Chelsea Green
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603580861, $25.00, www.chelseagreen.com

Wine is an intriguing science in an of itself. "Libation: A Bitter Alchemy" is a collection of essays from author Deirdre Heekin, reflecting upon her life of wine making. The result provides a wealth of information about wine production and how the industry has evolved over the years, from old Italy to New Orleans and New England. Written by a wine lover for wine lovers, "Libation: A Bitter Alchemy" will be a delight for those who view wine as more than an alcoholic beverage.

Lost in Austin: A Nevada Memoir
Jim Andersen
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166, Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874177879 $21.95 www.unpress.nevada.edu 1-877-682-6657

Lost in Austin: A Nevada Memoir is author Jim Andersen's memoir of leaving the congested hustle and bustle of California for Austin, Nevada - a tiny town of about 250 people situated on Highway 50, a.k.a. "the loneliest road in America". The little community had the hallmark of self-sufficiency on virtually every level - people ran their lives, their economy, and their local government their own way, sometimes in disdain of certain conventions. A treasury of wit, wisdom, insight, independence, and true small-town spirit, Lost in Austin is a delight to read from cover to cover. Highly recommended.

Addie of the Flint Hills
Adaline Sorace, as told to Deborah Sorace Prutzman
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306-6316
9781602801233 $25.00 www.ktav.com

Addie of the Flint Hills: A Prairie Child During the Depression is the true-life memoir of 94-year-old Addie Sorace, with particular focus on the years of 1915 to 1935. Addie's family was rural, and they survived the ups and downs of the fluctuating U.S. economy during the 1920s and 1930s. The Great Depression, and the destructive "Dust Bowl" that all but obliterated the land many a farm dweller, remain fresh and vivid in her mind. Addie stays fair and impartial in her chronicle, inviting the reader to make his or her own judgments on the people she remembers. An absorbing saga of adjusting to hard times, Addie of the Flint Hills is highly recommended.

Policing the Fringe
Charles Scheideman
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC V0N 2H0 Canada
9781550174823, $24.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

The strangest things happen in small towns, no matter what country you are in. "Policing the Fringe: The Curious Life of a Small-Town Mountie" is a collection of anecdotes and intriguing stories from a Canadian Mountie. His strange adventures involve drunken Americans, axe-wielding maniacs, nudists, and more. There is no lack of humor and entertainment to be found in Scheidman's writings. A look into the lighter side of the iconic figures, "Policing the Fringe" is an enthusiastically recommended pick.

It's Uphill Most of the Way Down
Barry L. Lane & Jodi L. Raisl
Tate Publishing & Enterprises
127 E. Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, OK 73064-4421
9781606047750, $14.99, www.tatepublishing.com

The north is not a winter wonderland; it is, in fact, potentially deadly. "It's Uphill Most of the Way Down" is a memoir of a young man who accepted a dangerous northern exploration job at the tail end of the sixties. He reflects on the lessons he learned and the daily struggles he faced just staying alive during the expedition, and grants a vivid picture of northern exploration. "It's Uphill Most of the Way Down" is poignant and intriguing reading all the way through.

Orange Picnic
Deborah Chamberlain
Courage Publications
PO Box 26301, Wauwatosa, WI 53226-0301
Donaldson Media & Marketing (publicity)
8524 W. Wright Street, Wauwatosa, WI 53226-1940
9780982163801, $14.95, www.couragepublications.com

War has a high personal price which is never calculated. "Orange Picnic" is a memoir and love story of the Vietnam War era, telling of two teenagers who embark on the journey of romance in a time that seemed much simpler, but soon grew so much more complicated. Showing the lasting effects of deadly conflict on these baby boomers, "Orange Picnic" is a refreshing read that is sure to entertain and make the reader ponder love.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Dust of Death
Paul Charles
Brandon
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9780863223853, $14.95, www.brandonbooks.com

In the search for the truth, it all comes out. "The Dust of Death" is an entry into author Paul Charles' planned mystery series focusing on Inspector Starrett, a grizzled veteran of law enforcement. Working in a small quiet town, he soon finds it's not as quiet as he hopes as a death by crucifixion is found outside the local church. Searching for the one or ones responsible, Starrett finds more truth than he ever bargained for. "The Dust of Death" is a very much recommended read for mystery fans.


The Parenting Shelf

Birth Without Violence
Frederick Leboyer
Healing Arts Press
1 Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594772979, $14.95, www.healingartspress.com

If we could fully remember our births, we'd be completely terrified. "Birth Without Violence: A Revised Edition of the Classic That Changed the Way Children are Met When They Enter Our World" is an updated discussion of a different way of introducing children into the world, emphasizing peace that could lead to long-term benefits for both mother and child. Water births, less hospital chaos and more suggestions for improved birth environments fill "Birth Without Violence", which is worth consideration to any expecting mother.

What's Happening to My Teen?
Mark Gregston
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736924443, $13.99, www.harvesthousepublisher.com

Teenage rebellion leaves every parent baffled. "What's Happening to My Teen?" investigates teenage rebellion for Christian parents. Covering everything from sudden personality shifts to raging arguments to outright criminal behavior, "What's Happening to My Teen?" is a fine piece of counseling for the Christian parent who doesn't know what to do about their rebellious teenage son or daughter.

Some of My Best Friends Are Books, third edition
Judith Wynn Halsted
Great Potential Press
PO Box 5057, Scottsdale, AZ 85261
9780910707961, $29.95, www.giftedbooks.com

A good book can give a child so much. Now in a newly published third edition, "Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers" is an advice manual for parents and educators of gifted and talented children who have taken a liking to the world of reading. Aimed primarily at parents, "Some of My Best Friends are Books" discusses the social and emotional needs of these children, as well as ways to mentor them and help them find more books that they would enjoy. Well organized with indexes for easy reference, "Some of My Best Friends Are Books" is a fine and very much recommended read.


The Human Sexuality Shelf

Your Sexually Addicted Spouse
Barbara Steffens
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931-0669
9780882823096, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

Addictions aren't always to drugs, but they are devastating all the same. "Your Sexually Addicted Spouse: How Partners Can Cope and Heal" discusses sexual addictions - in the matter of pornography, use and abuse, among other issues - from the perspective of the spouse, who may or may not be a victim in the matter. With much support and help, "Your Sexually Addicted Spouse" may be the inspiration many need to move on with their lives after the pain.


The Social Issues Shelf

Ethereal Shadows
Franco Berardi, et al.
Autonomedia
c/o AK Press
674-A 23rd Street, Oakland, CA 94612-1163
9781570271885, $16.95, www.autonomedia.org

New technology and media has changed more than just American politics. The collaborative effort of Franco Berardi, Maren Jacquement, and Gianfranco Vitali, "Ethereal Shadows: Communications and Power in Contemporary Italy" discusses the Italian media and its impact on its politics. Covering a media mogul turned politician, free radio, the internet, and pirate television, "Ethereal Shadows" is an intriguing journey into Italian politics, offering insight on how people around the world have adapted the media to their use. "Ethereal Shadows" is a fascinating read, recommended.


The Science Shelf

The Fluid Envelope of Our Planet
Eric L. Mills
Univeristy of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
9780802096975, $75.00, www.utpublishing.com

Over seventy percent of the planet is covered with water - oceanographers have their work cut out for them. "The Fluid Envelope of Our Planet: How the Study of the Ocean Currents Became a Science" discusses the history of oceanography. In the early twentieth century, scientists began to see the ocean as more than just something to be crossed, and thus the beginnings of early oceanology was born. Tracing its history, its pioneers, its early breakthroughs, and what it has evolved into today in the present era, "The Fluid Envelope of the Planet" is a fine read for any science historian who wants the details of the rise of oceanography.


The Mathematics Shelf

The Manga Guide to Calculus
Hiroyuki Kojima, Shin Togami, & Becom Co., Ltd.
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Street, #250, San Francisco, CO 94107
9781593271947 $19.95 www.nostarch.com

The Manga Guide to Calculus frames a solid and straightforward introduction to calculus with a black-and-white manga (Japanese comic story) about a junior reporter whose boss is instructing her in how to analyze her stories from a mathematical perspective. The result is a fluid primer that makes calculus as easy to follow and understand as possible. Chapters cover how to use differentiation to understand a function's rate of change, the relationship between a function's derivative and its integral, how to integrate and differentiate trigonometric and other complicated functions, use multivariate calculus and partial differentiation to approach complicated functions, and much more. An excellent, calculus-savvy and user-friendly guide for any student needing to brush up on their calculus, whether tackling a course for the first time or seeking a refresher. Highly recommended, particularly for public library collections (and college library collections - especially to help those college students accustomed to a largely on non-mathematical curriculum).

The Math Book
Clifford A. Pickover
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
9781402757969 $29.95 www.sterlingpublishing.com 1-800-805-5489

Each two-page spread of The Math Book: From Pythagoras to the 57th Dimension, 250 Milestones in the History of Mathematics features text describing an amazing mathematical discovery or piece of history on the left, and a gorgeous full-color illustration on the right. The result is a chronicle of fascinating wonders of science revealed, paying tribute to the great minds who unraveled the universe's mysteries, in a format accessible to browsers of all mathematical skill and experience levels. A gorgeous compilation that is thoroughly enjoyable to browse through from first page to last, The Math Book is evidence that the history of mathematics can be beautiful, amazing, and even fun!


The Judicial Studies Shelf

A Good Quarrel
Timothy R. Johnson & Jerry Goldman
The University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
9780472033263, $24.95, www.press.umich.edu

So often the most important events in history come in to play in the courtroom. "A Good Quarrel: America's Top Legal Reporters Share Stories from Inside the Supreme Court" discusses these monumental court cases and the participants who have fervently argued their beliefs. Designed to be read alongside clips on the internet of these speeches, "A Good Quarrel" is a top pick for readers who want an inside look at the cases that have shaped America.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Gospel As Taught By Calvin
R. C. Reed
Banner of Truth
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
www.banneroftruth.org
9781848710306, $11.00, www.amazon.com

Born in Tennessee in 1851, R. C. Reed graduated from the Union Theological Seminary of Virginia and served several pastorates before being appointed in 1898 to the position of Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Church Polity at Columbia Theological Seminary, South Carolina. He died a revered figure within the Christian community in 1925. A part of his legacy was "The Gospel As Taught By Calvin", a book that he wrote to provide a clearer understanding of, and an enhanced appreciation for, the theological contributions of John Calvin. Now brought back into print for a new generation of appreciative readers, "The Gospel As Taught By Calvin" covers such issues as the origins of Calvinism and Arminianism; the effects of Adam's fall upon human nature; God's grace with respect to a sinner's conversion; the nature of atonement; the meaning of 'grace'; the biblical roots of Calvinism; and so much more. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Gospel As Taught By Calvin" is very highly recommended and rewarding reading.

One Heart One Soul Many Communities
Mary Forman, editor
Saint John's University Press
c/o The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814699256 $24.95 www.litpress.org

One Heart One Soul Many Communities preserves the essential discussions and attempts to answer fundamental questions at the annual Monastic Institute of 2006, sponsored by Saint John's University specifically to offer educational and spiritual enrichment for American monastics and everyone curious about monastic spirituality and practical implementation. Essays by a diversity of authors include "Global View of Monasticism Today", "Practices at the Heart of Community Life", "How Women's Experience of Monastic Life Can Speak to Hungers for Community Today", "Summative Probings for the Movement of Monasticism 'Into the Future'", and much more. An erudite and philosophical collection, One Heart One Soul offers an insightful glimpse into daily monastic life as well as meticulous discussion of issues affecting monasticism in today's ever-changing and increasingly globalized world. Highly recommended anyone curious about the subject, regardless of individual background.

My Daily Walk 2010
Abingdon Press
PO Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202
9780687655120 $16.00 www.abingdon.org 1-800-251-3320

My Daily Walk 2010: Living a Generous Life is a consumable calendar and journal designed to help Christians spend the year of 2010 contemplating how to best live a generous life. Beautiful color photography intersperse the pages; each half-page proffers an inspirational biblical passage (for example, the passage for March 22 is "Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it - because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you." from 1 Corinthians 14:1), followed by a blank space for the user to write down his or her spiritual reflections. A simple and beautiful tool to foster spiritual growth.

Facing Death
Linda Watson, author
Maggie Sale, photographer
Health Professions Press
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781932529487 $21.95 www.healthpropress.com 1-888-337-8808

Featuring a wealth of beautiful, full-color nature photography, Facing Death: A Companion in Words and Images is a thoughtful and helpful book intended particularly for the terminally ill or those in the final days or weeks of their lives. Reflective text passages meant to be read aloud or contemplated in private offer comfort and spiritual guidance, and several pages of blank lines for the reader to write down his or her thoughts allow Facing Death to be personalized and passed on as a keepsake. Some of the text passages are religious or spiritual, but Facing Death does not limit itself to any one branch of a faith - there are quotes from Jesus, a Rabbi, the Prophet Mohammed ("I put my trust in God, My Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature, but He hath grasp of its forelock.") and many others. Highly recommended as a gift book for anyone confronting the end of their lives, as well as and those closest to them.

The Uncluttered Heart
Beth A. Richardson
Upper Room Books
1908 Grand Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212
9780835899949, $13.00, www.upperroom.org

Christmas is one of the most stressful times of the year, and we sometimes end up forgetting the most obvious aspect of the holiday - God. "The Uncluttered Heart: Making Room for God During Advent and Christmas" presents much inspiration for the religious in remembering God and Jesus through this hectic and stressful time. For each of the days of th Advent, author Beth Richardson brings scripture and inspiration to help keep the season holy. "The Uncluttered Heart" is a fine addition to any Christian inspiration collection.

Newman on Lent
John Henry Newman
Roman Catholic Books
PO Box 2286, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781934888117, $19.95, www.booksforcatholics.com

One of the more trusted cardinals in the Catholic church today, John Henry Newman speaks out in "Newman on Lent". Discussing Lent, he brings his vast spiritual knowledge of scripture and tradition to the table. Offering an educated Catholic's opinion on a wealth of issues, "Newman on Lent" is an ideal acquisition for discussion and thought, recommended for any intellectual Catholic.

Secondhand Jesus
Glenn Packiam
David C Cook
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
B&B Media Group (publicity)
109 South Main Street, Corsicana, TX 75110
9781434766397, $14.99, www.davidccook.com

The religion that so many follow is often so heavily filtered that it's barely religion anymore. "Secondhand Jesus: Trading Rumors of God for a Firsthand Faith" is an encouragement to Christians to read the Bible and do other theological research in their own right to create a stronger bond with God. The focus is on learning to understand God oneself, instead of having one's understanding passed down and around like a used car. "Secondhand Jesus" brings a solid message that deserves extended contemplation.

Cutting Jesus Down to Size
G.A. Wells
Open Court
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696561, $44.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

For Christians, it goes without saying he's the messiah. But is he perfect? "Cutting Jesus Down to Size: What Higher Criticism Has Achieved and Where It Leaves Christianity" is a discussion of criticism and modern Christianity. Higher criticism focuses on the origins of the sources of the Bible, hoping to visualize the writers for a greater understanding of the Bible. Also responding to religious and right-wing fire against these thinkers, "Cutting Jesus Down to Size" is not an atheist or agnostic book, but presents another way to think about religion.

The Historical Christ and the Theological Jesus
Dale C. Allison Jr.
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
2140 Oak Industrial Drive NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802862624, $16.00, www.eerdmans.com

There is no historic figure in history who draws as much bias in interpretation than Jesus of Nazareth. "The Historical Christ and the Theological Jesus" is a discussion of the true history of one Jesus of Nazareth and the historians who want to approach his story without the bias that many Christian researchers unknowingly add to their work. "The Historical Christ and the Theological Jesus" is an intriguing and scholarly work that compares conflicts between religious accounts and world history, and is an enthusiastically recommended read.


The Criminology Shelf

Mob Files
George Anastasia
Camino Books
PO Box 59026, Philedelphia, PA 19102
9781933822143, $17.95, www.caminobooks.com

The power that the mob once had on the country has been weakening rapidly. "Mob Files: Mobsters, Molls, and Murder" tells the story of the decline of the American mafias through the files of a respected and veteran reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, George Anastasia. Diving into the stories of the mobsters themselves, Anastasia presents a fiction-like but true accounting of the mob. "Mob Files" is a read for anyone who enjoys learning about the classical gangster.


The Self-Help Shelf

Bail Yourself Out
Michael Laitman, Ph.D.
Kabbalah Publishers
info@kabbalahbooks.info
1057 Steeles Avenue West, Suite 532, Toronto, ON M2R 3X1 Canada
9781897448274 $5.00 www.kabbalahbooks.info

Professor of Ontology (with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Kabbalah) Michael Laitman presents Bail Yourself Out: How You Can Emerge Strong from the World Crisis, a unique self-help guide written in response to the current global economic crisis... emphasizing that the root of the crisis is not financial, but rather psychological. When people have too little trust in each other, trade and credit markets freeze up, replaced by isolation, paralysis, and in extreme cases, economic collapse. Furthermore, Laitman asserts that this epidemic of mistrust stems from a natural process that has been evolving over millennia. Therefore, the key to resolving economic woes is to first understand the process that has fomented such alienation, by drawing upon all available mans of communication (books, TV, internet, newspapers, public libraries) and then revamping one's relationships. The bedrock of justified trust is built from collaboration and compassion, traits that need to be cultivated in oneself and others in order to promote economic as well as psychological well-being. A unique perspective on how to respond to financial woes, Bail Yourself Out is highly recommended as a useful self-help supplement to books that focus solely on financial nuts and bolts.

Body, Mind, & Spirit
Gary D. McKay, W. F. Peate, & Erik Mansager
Impact Publishers
PO Box 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016
9781886230811, $19.95, www.impactpublishers.com

You can take vitamins for your body, but what about your soul? "Body, Mind, & Spirit: Vitamins for Your Whole Health" is designed as vitamin to one's whole being, stating that happiness and general well-being is the sum of multiple elements, not just one's physical health. Body, Mind, and Spirit are these three components, and within this text the authors give tips and advice for keeping all three in health. "Body, Mind, & Spirit" is a worthwhile read for those seeking health and happiness.

Unite and Conquer
Kyrsten Sinema
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781576758892, $16.95, www.bkcurrents.com

Sometimes aggression is not the best way to get things done. "Unite and Conquer: How to Build Coalitions That Win - And Last" is a different approach to business ideals that suggest putting away the competition in favor of uniting to get things done. Drawing from her own wisdom from the campaign trail and her own political battles, author Kyrsten Sinema provides real-world proven examples for her theories. "Unite and Conquer: How to Build Coalitions That Win - And Last" is well worth the read for leaders of these types of political organizations.

Just How Do Affirmations Work?
May Sinclair
Wheat Mark
610 East Delano Street, Suite 104, Tucson, AZ 85705
9781604942552, $11.95, www.wheatmark.com

You can say things all you want, but saying and doing are different things. "Just How Do Affirmations Work?" is a guide to understanding the purpose of affirmations and what they are supposed to bring people. Used without understanding, affirmations are nothing more than a useless wastes of time, but author May Sinclair hopes to bring readers a better understanding of the affirmations that can improve one's life. "Just How Do Affirmations Work?" is a worthwhile read.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Living with Chronic Pain, second edition
Jennifer P. Schneider
Hatherleigh
5-22 46th Avenue, Suite 200, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578262854, $16.95, www.amazon.com

Pain is something some people live with every day, but it can be treated. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, "Living with Chronic Pain: The Complete Health Guide tot he Causes and Treatment of Chronic Pain" is a guide for those who want to beat their chronic pains. Filled cover to cover with advice for advising these Americans in finding he doctor right for their problems, beating their problems without potentially habit-forming drugs, and how one can combat it just through their demeanor in life. "Living with Chronic Pain" is a top pick for any who are faced with such ailments.

Cancer on the Margins
Jennifer J. Nelson, et al.
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
9780802094346 $27.95 www.utppublishing.com

Compiled and collaboratively edited by the team of Jennifer J. Nelson, Judy Gould, and Sue Keller-Olaman, "Cancer on the Margins: Method and Meaning in Participatory Research" collects essays by diverse authors reporting the findings of the Ontario Breast Cancer Community Research Initiative, an organization formed expressly to learn more about the experiences of women with breast cancer who belong to marginalized or minority groups. Individual writings include "Ethical Considerations in Participatory Breast Cancer Research", "Listening for Echoes: How Social Location Matters in Women's Experiences of Cancer Care", "Making a Difference with Research", and much more. An enlightening and thoughtful exploration of the unique difficulties that cancer patients in certain marginalized groups face, Cancer on the Margins is highly recommended particularly for college and medical school library collections.

Simple Chinese Medicine
Aihan Kuhn
YMAA Publication Center
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
9781594391248, $16.95, www.ymaa.com

Sometimes the best solution is the simplest solution. "Simple Chinese Medicine: A Beginner's Guide to Natural Healing & Well-Being" is a guide to traditional Chinese medicine and how it can bring much to the Western style of healing. Chinese medicine offers alternative and effective aid for many ailments, from the common cold to cancer. "Simple Chinese Medicine" is an ideal pick for those seeking to look eastwards for supplementary medical knowledge.


The Education Shelf

Readicide
Kelly Gallagher
Stenhouse Publishers
PO Box 11020, Portland, ME 04104-7020
9781571107800, $17.50, www.stenhouse.com

Reading has been on the decline in recent years, but can some of the blame be put on schools? "Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It" is a discussion of how some modern public schools are, without malice or intent, causing a decline in the amount of children embracing the written word. Placing blame on emphasizing tests, putting kids in too deep with difficult texts, not encouraging recreational reading, and more problems, "Readicide" is an intriguing look at many possible solutions to the problem of the decline of reading in American schools.

Gender, Bullying, And Harassment
Elizabeth J. Meyer
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807749531, $24.95, www.amazon.com

It took such tragedies as the Columbine killings to wake the nation up to the problems inherent in bullying and harassment in our nation's schools. Since then there has been a steadily growing literature on the subject of preventing and treating such destructive behaviors. Now advancing the subject is the publication of "Gender, Bullying, And Harassment: Strategies To End Sexism And Homophobia In Schools" by Elizabeth J. Meyer (a McGill University instructor and a researcher at the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance at Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec) specifically addresses the role that gender and gender identification play in school-based bullying. Examining the effects of gender on bullying and harassment, especially with respect to creating a climate for such abuse, along with the legal implications of such gender-based hostilities, "Gender, Bullying, And Harassment" is enhanced with the inclusion of resource lists, a glossary, extensive references, and an index. More than just a clarion denunciation of gender-based bullying, Elizabeth Meyers also provides recommendations for effectively transforming school cultures. Informed and informative, "Gender, Bullying, And Harassment" is especially recommended to the attention of teachers, counselors, student leaders, administrators, school board members, community activists, and concerned parents.

First Year Teacher, third edition
Randy Howe, editor
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th fl, New York, NY 10006
www.kaplanpublishing.com
9781607140658, $12.00, www.amazon.com

While everyone who aspires to the teaching profession must and should take a full course of instruction classes (including field assignment experience) from an accredited college or university to obtain their teaching license, there is still more the novice teacher must know in order to have a successful 'first year' classroom teaching experience. That's why "First Year Teacher: Wit And Wisdom From Teachers Who've Been There" is so critically important. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Randy Howe in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "First Year Teacher" is a compact 239-page compendium of succinct, practical, experienced and memorable advice from teachers of every grade level and subject area. These sage bits of advice and ideas cover everything from the daily realities of classroom instruction, to the importance of first impressions, the role of paperwork and prioritizing, being student oriented, working with parents, relationships with faculty and administration, dealing with prejudice, as well as issues with respect to professional growth and advancement, organizations and resources. Of special note is the final chapter on 'The ABCs of Success'. Thoroughly 'user friendly' and a source book that will be referred to advantage time and time again by the novice classroom teacher, "First Year Teacher" will prove to be an invaluable and enthusiastically reference book.

Understanding Response to Intervention
Robert Howell, et al.
Solution Tree
304 West Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47404
9781934009345 $27.95 www.solution-tree.com

Collaboratively written by the team of Robert Howell, Sandra Patton, and Margaret Deiotte, Understanding Response to Intervention: A Practical Guide to Systemic Implementation is a straightforward guide to "Response to Intervention" (RTI), a system meant to help struggling students through a pyramid of interventions, problem-solving, the collection of data to monitor student progress, and solutions tailored to meet individual needs. Featuring solid recommendations for teachers, principals, district administrators, and parent advocacy groups, Understanding Response to Intervention applies solid examples to illustrate its useful points and suggestions. An excellent "how-to" guidebook for applying a system to improve the quality of education in one's classroom, particularly with regard to those students who need the most.

The Competency Curriculum Toolkit
Jackie Beere and Helen Boyle
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5, Bethel, CT 06801
9781845901264 $51.95 www.CHPUS.com

The Competency Curriculum Toolkit: Developing PLTS Through Themed Learning is a guide for teachers to promote flexibility, self-motivation, and independent learning skills (traits more valuable than ever in today's rapidly changing global economy) in students aged 10-14. Offering a project-based approach, The Competency Curriculum Toolkit offers projects and activities connected to everything from saving the planet to managing one's money and more. An accompanying CD-ROM with all the worksheets needed to carry out the projects rounds out this excellent, easy-to-user resource enthusiastically recommended for junior high and high school teachers.

Save Our Children
Twyla J. Willaims
African American Images
PO Box 1799, Chicago Heights, IL 60412
www.africanamericanimages.com
9781934155165, $15.95, www.amazon.com

There are challenges facing black families that are unique to their causes. "Save Our Children: The Struggle Between Black Parents and Schools" discusses the dilemma that many black families face in educational situations. Though packed with tips and advice especially for black families, "Save Our Children" is a worthwhile read for any parent of school age children, regardless of race.

Challenging the Professionalization of Adult Education
Andre P. Grace, Tonette S. Rocco, and associates
Jossey-Bass
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256
9780787978273 $40.00 www.wiley.com

Challenging the Professionalization of Adult Education: John Ohliger and Contradictions in Modern Practice is an anthology of essays by learned authors examining the wisdom and legacy of John Ohliger, a radical educator with a strong passion for social democracy. Individual writings study Ohliger's work as an adult educator, social activist, and cultural worker, and include some works by Ohliger himself such as "Adult Education: 1984", "Is Lifelong Adult Education a Guarantee of Permanent Inadequacy?", and "The Social Uses of Theorizing in Adult Education", among others. Essays by other contributors include "The Adult Educator as Public Intellectual", "A Mindful Commitment to Connecting Women Toward Intellectual Community", "Mediating Challenges in Adult Education and Culture: John Ohliger's Radical Social Project", and so much more. A thoughtful and provocative discussion of Ohliger's critiques of adult education, "Challenging the Professionalization of Adult Education" is a highly recommended and core addition to academic library Contemporary Educational Issues reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart
Chuck Black
Multnomah
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
9781601421265, $8.99, www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

Knighthood is more than knowing how to handle a weapon. "Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart" tells the story of Dalton, a well respected knight. But his peers are not so dedicated, as he's left to go on a mission himself - hundreds of his peers are mysteriously missing. With only the help of two close friends, he has to defeat a monstrous Shadow Warrior in order to protect his kingdom. "Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart" is a fine and entertaining adventure, sure to entertain many a fantasy fan.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Jewish Day Schools Jewish Communities
Alex Pomson & Howard Deitcher
The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland OR, 97213-3786
9781904113744, $24.95, www.littman.co.uk

Judaism has its own array of private religious schooling. "Jewish Day Schools Jewish Communities" discusses modern Jewish schools across the world which current teach hundreds of thousands of children. Though spread among different continents, the Judaism is the same, though authors Alex Pomson and Howard Deitcher bring light on the cultural differences and their effects on the Jewish community as a whole. "Jewish Day Schools Jewish Communities" is of strong recommendation to any Jewish educator or community leader.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Giv
Boston Teran
High Top Publishing
c/o Atlas Books
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
Kelley & Hall (publicity)
5 Briar Lane, Marblehead, MA 01945
www.giv-thestoryofadogandamerica.com
9781567030556, $22.00, www.amazon.com

Friends provide many inspiring stories, and man's best friend is no different. "Giv: The Story of a Dog and America" is a collection of stories about man and dog, and how they inspire one another. After saving a dog from near death, Boston Teran brings readers many inspiring stories from across the country about the unity of pet and master. An ideal gift for any pet lover, "Giv" will bring a smile to many faces.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Gimme My Money Back
Ali Velshi
Sterling & Ross Publishers
115 West 29th Street, New York, NY 10001
9780981453569, $12.95, www.amazon.com

Ali Velshi is well known to the general public as the Chief Business Correspondent for the CNN television network. His analytical commentary has been a staple of CNN's coverage of the financial collapse of the country's financial infrastructure. Now he has compiled and presents a thoroughly comprehensive and 'reader friendly' guide to how financial markets work, how this current economic recession happened, and then provides sound, practical, applicable, steps that anyone can take to recover from the impact of these hard financial times. "Gimme My Money Back" is a step-by-step guide to calculating personal risk tolerance based upon such factors as personality, goals, age, and years to retirement. Velshi also covers how to avoid losing money, utilize mutual funds, index funds, stocks, ETF's, bonds, and other investment tools to accelerate personal recover from financial losses. Sensible, articulate, and candid, "Gimme My Money Back" is strongly recommended and essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how the country got into its present financial difficulties -- and how they personally can recover from the damages done to their portfolios.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Sensational Slippers
Benedikte Rathmann Hansen
Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05033
www.trafalgarbooks.com
9781570764318, $17.95, www.amazon.com

Nothing is quite so nice as a warm and comfortable pair of slippers. Especially if they were specifically made by a loved one for a friend or family member. "Sensational Slippers: 30 Trendy, Cozy, Dainty, And Practical Designs For comfy Stylish Feet" by needlecraft expert Benedikte Rathmann Hansen showcases superbly presented, step-by-step, 'user friendly' instructions for the hand-made creation of thirty different pairs of felted slippers ranging from the open-toed, to the traditional, to Japanese Tabi Socks (with sequins), to 'Sunshine Boots'. Beautifully illustrated photos of finished slippers, black-and-white diagrams, left foot and right foot knitting instructions, all combine to make "Sensational Slippers" truly live up to its title. A unique and imaginative compilation of specialized needlecraft projects, "Sensational Slippers" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections.

Kanzashi In Bloom
Diane Gilleland
Watson Guptill Publications
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.wgpub.com
9780823084814, $21.95, www.amazon.com

Showcasing step-by-step instructions for twenty simple and easy to make 'fold-and-sew' needlework projects producing lovely items to wear as accessories or to gift to a friend, "Kanzashi In Bloom" by Diane Gilleland is beautifully illustrated throughout with full-color photography of finished projects and/or construction instructions. After an informed introduction to the origins of this unique needlecraft art form, "Kanzashi In Bloom" goes one to cover materials and techniques, followed separate sections distinguished by projects to wear and projects to give as gifts. Enhanced with a Resource list, an afterword, and an index, "Kanzashi In Bloom" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and highly recommended addition to personal and community library needlecraft project collections.

Tips for Knitters
Debbie Bliss
Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road,
North Pomfret, VT 05033
c/o Independent Publishers Group (distributor)
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
9781570764394 $19.95 www.trafalgarbooks.com

Hand-knitting specialist and designer Debbie Bliss presents Tips for Knitters: Stitches and Seams to Finishing Touches, a compact guide spiral-bound to lay flat for easy reference that teaches the reader knitting basics as well as a host of tips, tricks, and techniques that knitters of all skill and experience levels will appreciate. From creating textures to managing color to embroidery and finishing touches, Tips for Knitters lives up to its title with a plethora of helpful hints, illustrated with full-color photography and easy-to-follow diagrams. Highly recommended for anyone who loves to knit by hand. "When knitting with beads, match the weight of your yarn to the beads you are using. Beads will add weight to your garment and beads that are too heavy on a light yarn will make the garment sag."


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Arbatel
Joseph H. Peterson, translator, editor, & annotator
Ibis Press
c/o Nicolas Hays, Inc.
P.O. Box 540206, Lake Worth, FL 33454-0206
9780892541522 $35.00 www.ibispress.net

Arbatel: Concerning the Magic of the Ancients is the new edition of a classic text concerning angels and magic, and the first English translation since Turner's translation in 1655. Experienced translator Joseph H. Peterson offers a meticulously annotated text, of which each two-page spread features the original Latin on the left and the modern English rendition on the right. The result is an eminently accessible esoteric study, which teaches the reader how to seek the aid of angels in matters both spiritual and physical. Arbatel is also a classic injunction against superstition and the trickery and manipulative ways of evil forces. An extensive introduction, black-and-white illustrations, and an index round out this superb addition to metaphysical and occult studies shelves.

The Weiser Field Guide to Ghosts
Raymond Buckland
Weiser Publishers
65 Parker Avenue, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578634514 $14.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

The Weiser Field Guide to Ghosts: Apparitions, Spirits, Spectral Lights, and Other Hauntings of History and Legend is a broad survey of ghosts, phantoms, and supernatural apparitions ranging from vampires to will-o'-the-wisp, as told of in cultures worldwide. Practical tips for seeking out ghosts enhance this excellent introduction to supernatural spirits, illustrated with a handful of black-and-white sketches. A pocket-sized guide perfect for ghostwatching on the go or simply curling up with for late night thrills and chills, The Weiser Field Guide to Ghosts is a treat for anyone intrigued by the paranormal.


The World History Shelf

Blood in the Forum
Pamela Marin
The Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, New York, NY 10038
9781847251671 $29.95 www.continuumbooks.com 1-800-561-7704

Historian Pamela Marin presents Blood in the Forum: The Struggle for the Roman Republic, a close dissection of the last days of the Roman Republic including the assassination of Julius Caesar and the subsequent ascension of Rome's first emperor, Augustus. Marin examines the lasting controversies concerning the interpretation of history - did Julius Caesar doom the Republic, or was he among the first to realize how severely Rome had changed? Was the assassination of Julius Caesar a heroic effort, a necessary evil, or simply an evil? Of particular note is the evidence that the Roman culture had shifted toward indulgence in the first century B.C.E., causing figures of the time to bemoan the loss of Republican values. Blood in the Forum is a worthy addition to world history shelves, and particularly recommended for college and public library collections.

The History of the Kings of Britain
Geoffrey of Monmouth, author
Michael D. Reeve, editor
Neil Wright, translator
Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620-2731
9781843834410 $47.95 www.boydellandbrewer.com

Originally written in the 1130s, "The History of the Kings of Britain" is Geoffrey of Monmouth's history of the Britons from Brutus to Cadwallader is one of the first texts to relate the travails of Lear and the legend of Arthur. Now this classic text is reprinted in its first critical edition since 1929; each two-page spread features the original Latin text on the right page and the English translation on the left page. A seventy-six page introduction, a wealth of footnotes, and an index round out this remarkable classic text. "The History of the Kings of Britain" is a seminal source particularly recommended for college library world history collections.


The American History Shelf

Americanization in the States
Christina A. Ziegler-McPherson
University Press of Florida
University of Florida,
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813033617 $65.00 www.upf.com

Americanization in the States: Immigrant Social Welfare Policy, Citizenship, and National Identity in the United States, 1908-1929 is a scholarly study of American bureaus and programs in the early twentieth century that were designed to help immigrants blend into American society. Though some of these efforts were criticized for being culturally oppressive, forcing those from diverse cultures to conform to Anglo-American cultural norms, Americanization in the States reveals that many of the programs were sympathetic to the immigrants' cultures, and offered solid benefits ranging from adult education to environmental improvement, labor market regulations, or even conflict resolution. A heavily researched and thoughtful read, Americanization in the States is highly recommended as a balanced perspective on a complex social issue. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections. "...conservatives became active in citizenship education for children primarily because they were increasingly skeptical of their ability to influence immigrant adults. By 1921 most patriotic organizations that had been active in Americanization during and immediately after the war had scaled back their immigrant education programs and endorsed immigration restrictions as th best solution to the perceived problems of labor radicalism and undesirable foreign cultures in America. Only the DAR continued its Americanization work among foreign-born adults even as it withdrew support from a wide range of progressive projects and embraced immigration restriction in the mid-1920's."

California Odyssey
William R. Goulding, author
Patricia A. Etter, editor
The Arthur H. Clark Company
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780870623738 $45.00 www.ahclark.com

Volume XXI of the American Trails Series, California Odyssey: An Overland Journey on the Southern Trails, 1849 is the articulate diary of William R. Goulding, a participant of California's legendary Gold Rush. Of particular note is Goulding's meticulous detail of important people, local flora and fauna along the Knickerbocker Exploring Company's alternate route to the Pacific Coast, his encounters with Hispanics and American Indians, and much more. An excellent primary source, highly recommended for college library American History shelves.

The Deadliest Outlaws, second edition
Jeffrey Burton
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574412703 $34.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

Now in an updated second edition with additional material and black-and-white photographs not present in the earlier printing, The Deadliest Outlaws: The Ketchum Gang and the Wild Bunch is the definitive historical chronicle of some of Texas' most notorious villains during the late 1800's. Orphaned at the age of nine, Tom Ketchum was raised by his older brothers, and worked as an itinerant trail driver and ranch hand before he committed his first murder. He and his brother teamed up with other former cowboys to rob trains and wreak havoc. The Ketchum Game would reach startling heights of infamy before their downfall came from the power of the telephone and telegraph (allowing quick communication over long distances), infighting, and their own disregard of the escalating odds against them. An almost luridly fascinating yet historically sound account, The Deadliest Outlaws is especially recommended to anyone curious about tales of true crime in the Old West.


The Music Shelf

The Orpheus Myth and the Powers of Music
Vladimir Marchenkov
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
9781576471760 $42.00 www.pendragonpress.com

The Orpheus Myth and the Powers of Music is a scholarly examination of how the classical myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has affected humankind's perception of the power of music, up to the present day. A three-tiered probe explores the myth's history and alterations in its form, the myth's cultural status, and the impressions that a tale of lovelorn man whose music moved no less than the God of Death have on humanity's perception of music's power. Authors, composers, librettists, and more turn time and again to the ancient tale of Orpheus to express the hold music has over our hearts and souls; The Orpheus Myth and the Powers of Music is an excellent, thoughtful survey of a myth's roots in one aspect of the arts, and is especially recommended for college library collections.


The Travel Shelf

The Little Black Book of Maui & Kauai
Joanne Miller, author
Kerren Barbas Steckler, illustrator
Maps by David Lindroth Inc.
Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
202 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601
9781593597665 $14.95 www.peterpauper.com

The Little Black Book of Maui & Kauai is a pocket-sized, hardcover travel guide with a spiral binding enabling it to lay flat for easy reference. Packed with everything Hawaiian travelers need to know about the popular favorite islands of Maui and Kauai, The Little Black Book of Maui & Kauai covers these islands region by region with a plethora of suggestions regarding what to do and see, places to eat or drink, where to shop, and where to stay. Ten fold-out maps enhance this portable reference, making The Little Black Book of Maui & Kauai an excellent navigational reference for anyone traveling light.

The Voluntary Traveler
Nola Lee Kelsey, editor
Dog's Eye View Press
PO Box 888, Hot Springs, SD 57747
www.DogsEyeViewMedia.com
9780980232363, $18.00, www.amazon.com

There is a new and growing trend. Men and women leaving their homes for vacations that will take them to other lands and other peoples. Then instead of simply seeing the sights, they participate in directly helping those communities by volunteering their labor and expertise to accomplish whatever tasks are needed to elevate the standard of living and/or the quality of life for the people who reside there. In "The Voluntary Traveler: Adventures From The Road Best Traveled", Nola Lee Kelsey has compiled and edited the personal stories of more than twenty men and women who have engaged in traveling around the globe to become more than simple tourists, participating in helping, often through the focus of a charitable organization, those communities they have visited. As 'volunteer travelers', their personal service brought memories and feelings of accomplishment that ordinary tourists and recreational visitors could never know. From Thailand, India, South Africa, and the Marshall Islands, to Mexico, Romania, Nepal, and Cambodia, these are personal stories that illustrate and exemplify what volunteer travel is all about. Of special note is the final section profusely listing additional volunteer organizations, resources, opportunities, and more. For anyone seeking adventure beyond their own local communities and ordinary lives, reading "The Voluntary Traveler" can be the first step towards making a difference when and while journeying to anywhere else in the world.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Just Do Something
Kevin DeYoung
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610-3284
9780802458384, $10.99

God gave us free will for a reason. "Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will" approaches the intentions of God with a shocking new strategy - to not try to interpret God's will in the first place. Many people waste much of their lives looking for signs and signals, but Kevin DeYoung informs people that God's plan is clear - and he isn't a control freak in our lives. "Just Do Something" is a strong pick for spiritual readers.

The Joseph Smith Revelations Text & Commentary
H. Michael Marquardt
Signature Books
564 West 400 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
1560851260 $44.95 www.signaturebooks.com 1-800-356-5687

Retired civil servant and independent historian H. Michael Marquardt presents The Joseph Smith Revelations Text & Commentary, a thoughtful and insightful examination of how canonical Mormon text - indeed, the revelations of Joseph Smith himself - have allegedly been revised and altered in significant ways, an issue visibly noted as early as within Oliver Cowdery's 1835 letter to Bishop Newel K. Whitney, which complained that "the original copy of... The Law of the Church" had substantial alterations from its 1831 rendition. Marquardt advances to the viewpoint that when studying church documents, one should be avoid assumptions of absolute infallibility, but instead explore a dynamic model of revelation, and scrutinize how the text is transformed over time. An in-depth, scholarly, and thought-provoking analysis of doctrine, policy, and history, The Joseph Smith Revelations Text & Commentary is an absolute "must-have" resource for college libraries and private collections featuring extensive studies of Mormon religious belief and history.

Illumine My Family
Baha'i Publishing
415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091-2844
9781931847629 $12.00 www.BahaiBooksUSA.com 1-800-705-4925

Illumine My Family: Prayers and Meditations from the Bahai Faith is an anthology of prayers and meditative selections from writings of the Bahai religion, chosen to aid believers of all walks of life to incorporate more spirituality into their daily routine. The passages chosen cover a wide range of topics, from marriage, children, love, and healing to the loss of a beloved family member or friend. A compilation meant to help families grower closer together and closer to God, Illumine My Family is a spiritual treasury, and highly recommended. "When soldiers of the world draw their swords to kill, soldiers of God clasp each other's hands! So may all the savagery of man disappear by the Mercy of God, working through the pure in heart and the sincere of soul. Do not think the peace of the world an ideal impossible to attain! Nothing is impossible to the Divine Benevolence of God."

Religion as Art
Steven Loza, editor
University of New Mexico Press
MSC04 2820, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
9780826345707 $39.95 unmpress.com

Religion as Art: Guadalupe, Orishas, and Sufi is an anthology of essays by learned authors examining religious icons, and their spiritual value above and beyond symbolism. From the devotion of people's belief in the Virgen de Guadalupe, to the West African Yoruba religion's foundation in a divination system called "orishas", to the Sufi sect of Islam's worship of God through musical and textual pieces of blissful devotion, Religion as Art seeks to compare and contrast cultural practices in search of a better understanding of the human regard for physical embodiments and representations of religious faith. Highly recommended.


The Cookbook Shelf

Cooking Without Milk
Florence E. Schroeder
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
1581823096 $16.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com

Cooking Without Milk: More Than 400 Recipes for Those Who Suffer with Allergies or Intolerance to Milk and Milk By-Products lives up to its title with a cornucopia of delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes that avoid milk, dairy products, and lactose. From Oven Beef Stew to "Cream" of Vegetable or Mushroom soups (which use milk/lactose-free nondairy creamer instead of milk) to Rhubarb Custard Pie (which uses nondairy milk and butter substitutes) and much more, Cooking Without Milk is extremely user-friendly to cooks of all skill and experience levels. Of especial value are the tips and tricks scattered throughout for lactose-intolerance individuals, such as warning against any product packaged on the same line as dairy products, warnings to read the labels on items such as bouillon (which may contain milk sugars even though this might not seem obvious), suggestions on which dairy substitutes cook most effectively in which recipes, and much more. An absolute "must-have" for any household with lactose-intolerant residents!

The Art Of Making Fermented Sausages
Stanley Marianski & Adam Marianski
Bookmagic
11771 Park Blvd., Seminole, FL 33772
www.book-magic.com
9780982426715, $19.95, www.amazon.com

There is both an art and a science to the making of fermented sausages. And both will be found within the pages of Stanley and Adam Marianski's "The Art Of Making Fermented Sausages", a 272-page compendium of illustrated, step-by-step instructions that will enable even the most novice culinary hobbyist with all the information the non-specialist general reader will need to produce quality meats that would grace any dining occasion with friends and family. Readers will learn how to control meat acidity and remove excess moisture; select proper temperatures for fermenting, smoking and drying; both understand and exercise effective control over the fermentation process; choose appropriate starter cultures and make both traditional and fast-fermented products; select and operate the proper equipment, safety measures, and more. Of special note is the extensive section featuring fifty-one fermented sausage recipes. A superbly organized, unique, and highly recommended addition to personal and professional culinary collections. Readers of "The Art Of Making Fermented Sausages" will also want to visit the Marianski website at www.wedlinydomowe.com which is dedicated to the 'art and science' of smoking meats and sausages.

Canning & Preserving Your Own Harvest
Carla Emery & Lorene Edwards Forkner
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main Street, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104-2555
9781570615719 $16.95 www.sasquatchbooks.com

Canning & Preserving Your Own Harvest is a no-nonsense, step-by-step guide to properly (and safely - improper canning can promote food poisoning) preserving one's food, from freezing, drying, and canning to creating a root cellar, making fruit preserves, pickling, and much more. The second half of Canning & Preserving Your Own Harvest is devoted to recipes that make delectable use of one's preserved food! A "must-have", user-friendly guide for anyone interested in preserving what they have grown themselves, Canning & Preserving Your Own Harvest is highly recommended.

Homegrown Whole Grains
Sara Pitzer
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603421539 $14.95 www.storey.com

Homegrown Whole Grains: Grow, Harvest & Cook wheat, Barley, Oats, Rice, Corn & More lives up to its title with meticulous instructions for testing soil, planting seeds, harvesting small plots, threshing, and much more. A smattering of tasty recipes for preparing one's own grain also included! An accessible and thorough guide to each step of the process from seed to bread, Homegrown Whole Grains covers how to raise one's own barley, buckwheat, corn, heirloom grains (amaranth, quinoa, spelt, emmer farro, einkorn), millet, oats, rice, rye, and wheat. A handful of black-and-white illustrations enhance this handy and useful guide.

The Potluck Club Cookbook
Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
9780800733490 $14.99 www.bakerbooks.com

Award-winning authors and potluck experts Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson present The Potluck Club Cookbook, a great, helpful tool especially for anyone interested in starting or participating in a potluck - a group agreement to share delicious, home-cooked food with one's friends. Potlucks are a wonderful idea to pool resources and save money, as well as forge friendships and sample superb homemade delights! The Potluck Club Cookbook offers a wealth of easy-to-make recipes, from crock-pot meals like "Texas Barbecued Chicken in a Crock-Pot" and "Turkey Chili" to light cooking dishes such as "Low-Fat Corn Bread Tamale Pie" and "Oriental Skillet", to breakfast potluck dishes such as "Crispy Potato Quiche" and "Yoder's Old-fashioned Oatmeal Cake", and much more. An excellent, user-friendly recipe book, highly recommended.

Love Soup
Anna Thomas
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393332575 $22.95 www.wwnorton.com

A follow-up to "The Vegetarian Epicure", Love Soup is a compendium of delectable vegetarian broths, soups, gumbos, and more, from "Pea Pod Broth" to "Creamy Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup", "Green Soup with Ginger", "Winter Squash and Yam Soup with Poblano Peppers", "Cauliflower Bisque", "Three- Bean Vegetable Chili", and even holiday-themed treats like "Chestnut Soup". Many of the proffered soups have a theme or flavor meant for the different seasons of the year. Featuring easy-to-prepare vegetarian (and many vegan!) soups for almost every occasion, "Love Soup" is enthusiastically recommended for vegetarian and vegan cooks everywhere.


The Native American Shelf

The Aztecs, third edition
Richard F. Townsend
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500287910 $24.95 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com 1-800-233-4830

Now in a revised and updated third edition, The Aztecs is an in-depth history of this legendary civilization native to ancient Mexico. Exploring the influence of the cultures that preceded the Aztecs (Xochicalco and Tula), The Aztecs reveals breakthroughs in hieroglyphic cryptology (pictographic and phonetic elements combine in Aztec script similar to conventions in Classic Maya writing) and delves into what the latest discoveries (such as that of the twelve-ton monolith of the goddess Tlaltecuhtli) have to tell us about the Aztecs. Black-and-white and a handful of color photographs illustrate this excellent reference, thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds and particularly recommended for public and college library collections.


The Woodworking Shelf

Guide to Making Spinning Wheel Flyers and Wheels
Carson Cooper
Cooper Smith Publishing
PO Box 66554, Scotts Valley, CA 95067
9780981877204 $26.95 www.Ztwist.com

Author Carson Cooper draws upon his extensive expertise in tooling, hardware design, engineering, as well as his personal passion for the classic styled spinning-wheels of yesteryear, in Guide to Making Spinning Wheel Flyers and Wheels - a straightforward, step-by-step walkthrough of the process of making or repairing the flyer or wheel of a classic spinning-wheel. A section devoted to basic spinning-wheel mechanics rounds out this specialized, extensively detailed guide, illustrated with black-and-white photographs and diagrams. An excellent resource especially recommended for anyone charged with fixing or maintaining a beloved antique spinning wheel.

Cabinetmaking, second edition
Alan Peters
Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
www.woodworkerslibrary.com
9781933502267 $27.95 www.amazon.com

Written by professional furniture designer Alan Peters, Cabinetmaking: The Professional Approach covers design principles, influences, suggested equipment, advice on finance and business efficiency, what to keep in mind when working to commission, batch production tips, techniques, and more. The result is a detailed, in-depth guide especially for anyone interested in making professional-quality cabinets for a profit. Black-and-white and a handful of color photographs illustrate this seamless blend of woodworking and business guide. Now in an updated second edition, Cabinetmaking is highly recommended for serious professional or would-be professional woodworkers.


The International Studies Shelf

Laogai
Nicole Kempton and Nan Richardson
Umbrage Editions
111 Front Street, Suite 208, New York, NY 11201
9781884167775 $45.00 www.umbragebooks.com

Laogai: The Machinery of Repression in China is a compendium of black-and-white photographs smuggled out of the People's Republic of China, revealing the dark side of China's grim human rights record Images reveal the coal mines of Sichuan, the giant plantation farms of Zhejiang, and other outposts in which the Chinese prison system exploits over three million convicts as virtual slave labor to fuel the nation's insatiable economy. The text of Laogai discusses in depth human rights problems deeply affecting China, from issues of freedom of expression to religious freedom, police brutality, and the omnipresent threat of ruthless state execution. Further hot issues such as torture, organ trafficking, and forced sterilization are also treated in a serious and sober manner. A wealth of research backs Laogai's proffered timeline and modern Chinese history of human rights; Laogai relies on the combined values of exhaustive fact-finding and soul-touching imagery to drive home its points about the extent to which China's authoritarian government wields its absolute power. Highly recommended especially for college libraries and modern Chinese history shelves.


The Psychology Shelf

Becoming an Effective Psychotherapist
Derek Truscott
Marketing Department
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
9781433804731 $59.95 www.apa.org/books 1-800-368-5777

Written by experienced psychologist Derek Truscott, Becoming an Effective Psychotherapist: Adopting a Theory of Psychotherapy That's Right for You and Your Client lives up to its title by holding to the premise that there is no one, perfectly "right" theory of psychotherapy that fits all patients and situations. Instead, different therapeutic approaches are more effective for individual clients and therapists. Chapters examine the nine leading systems of psychotherapy, the rationale behind each, and each system's inherent assumptions about the relationship between client and therapist, the client's needs, and other critical factors. Terms are defined clearly and cogently, and the advantages and disadvantages of various methods in assorted situations are discussed. An excellent, well-rounded, and unbiased resource, Becoming an Effective Psychotherapist is an absolute "must-have" for college psychotherapy libraries and enthusiastically recommended reading for professional therapists as well as therapists in training.

Cognitive Therapy Techniques For Children And Adolescents
Robert D. Friedberg, et al.
Guilford Publications, Inc.
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
www.guilford.com
9781606233139, $38.00, www.amazon.com

Psychotherapy has come a long way since the original contributions of such pioneers as Freud, Jung, and Adler. What began as cognitive-based therapeutic counseling with adults soon expanded to include children and adolescents and become a universally recognized and appreciated practice in every community across the country. In "Cognitive Therapy Techniques For Children And Adolescents: Tools For Enhancing Practice" the clinical psychology team of Robert D. Friedberg (Associate Professor and Director of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Clinic for Children Adolescents), Jessica M. McClure (Clinical Psychologist, Cincinnati Children's hospital Medical Center), and Jolene Hillwig Garcia (Department of Psychiatry, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University College of Medicine) provide a compendium of cutting edge interventions and activities enabling practitioners to expand their clinical repertoire of treatment tools for engaging difficult clients, resolving challenging problems, and dealing with and/or developing specific cognitive and behavioral skills. Enhanced with more than thirty reproducible forms and handouts (which can also be downloaded and printed from the Guilford publications website at www.guilford.com), "Cognitive Therapy Techniques For Children And Adolescents" is a seminal and highly recommended addition to professional and academic library instructional reference collections. Providing a wealth of practical interventions and activities--all organized within a state-of-the-art modular framework--this invaluable book helps child clinicians expand their intervention toolkits. Building on the bestselling Clinical Practice of Cognitive Therapy with Children and Adolescents, which addresses the basics of treatment, Friedberg et. al., in their latest volume, provide additional effective ways for engaging hard-to-reach clients, addressing challenging problems, and targeting particular cognitive and behavioral skills. Fun and productive games, crafts, and other activities are described in step-by-step detail.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Bark Beetle Outbreaks in Western North America
Bark Beetle Symposium
University of Utah Press
1795 East South Campus Drive, #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402
9780874809657 $4.95 www.uofupress.com

Bark Beetle Outbreaks in Western North America: Causes and Consequences is a flat-spined, softcover summary of an urgent environmental problem: the destruction that bark beetle infestations have wreaked, particularly since 1990. The report covers bark beetle ecology and biology, bark beetle outbreaks, contributing factors to bark beetle devastation, and steps that can help preserve forest ecosystems for the future. "Although there are no known management options to prevent the spread of a large-scale bark beetle outbreak, land-use activities that enhance forest heterogeneity at the regional scale - such as creating patches of forest that contain diverse species and ages of trees - can reduce susceptibility to bark beetle outbreaks." An excellent and informative report especially recommended for anyone responsible for taking care of private or public forested land.

Invasive Plants and Forest Ecosystems
Ravinder Kumar Kohli, et al.
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781420043372, $129.95, www.amazon.com

When a plant that is not native to the region appears and gains a foothold in the local ecological environment, it can prove to be overwhelmingly destructive to native plants and alter an ecological balance of flora and fauna that took tens of thousands of years to establish. That's why "Invasive Plants and Forest Ecosystems" is such a critically important contribution to the literature. The international editorial team of Ravinder Kumar Kohli (Certified Senior Ecologist, Ecological Society of America), Shibu Jose (Associate Professor of Forest Ecology, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville), Harminder Pal Singh (Lecturer of biotic Environment, Centre for Environment and Vocational Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India), and Daizy Rani Batish (Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India) have expertly compiled contributions from forty-two scholars and environmentalists focused specifically on the impact invasive plants have had and continue to represent to forest-based ecosystems around the world with respect to their sustainability, integrity, management issues, socioeconomic impact, and necessary political policies and laws to address the issues raised. "Invasive Plants and Forest Ecosystems" is a seminal work of impeccable scholarship that will prove to be a core addition to academic and governmental Environmental Studies and Forest Management reference collections.


The Photography Shelf

Watt Matthews of Lambshead, second edition
Laura Wilson
Texas State Historical Association
P.O. Box 28527, Austin, TX 78755
9780876112328 $39.95 www.TSHAonline.org

Now in its second edition updated with a new afterword that tells of the passing of Watt Matthews, his funeral, and what happened to his ranch since his death, Watt Matthews of Lambshead remains a stunning black-and-white photographic portrayal of life on a great, rugged ranch that retains a kernel of how America was before the wild west was tamed. Photographs capture natural scenery, moments of day-to-day ranch life, living spaces, cowboys hard at work, and much more. The essay perfectly complements the rugged imagery, making Watt Matthews of Lambshead an unforgettable experience for anyone who has ever wondered what life on a ranch, or as a cowboy, is really like.

First Light
Charles Cramer, et al.
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
www.heydaybooks.com
9781597141024, $27.95, www.amazon.com

Created by a team of outstanding photographers that include Charles Cramer, Karl Kroeber, Scot Miller, and Mike Osbourne, "First Light: Five Photographers Explore Yosemite's Wilderness" showcases the environmental splendors, majesty of Yosemite National Park. From its natural geological phenomena, "First Light: Five Photographers Explore Yosemite's Wilderness" is a beautiful browse for the armchair traveler as it showcases a superb series of iconic full color images enhanced with occasional captioning providing details and a bit of commentary with respect to the individual photographers and their contributions. Unique, memorable, filled from cover to cover with technically flawless reproductions, "First Light: Five Photographers Explore Yosemite's Wilderness" is highly recommended for personal and community library collections.


The Fashion Shelf

20th Century Fashion
Jim Heimann and Alison A. Nieder
Taschen
6671 Sunset Blvd., Suite 1508, Los Angeles, CA 90028
9783836514613 $39.99 www.taschen.com

20th Century Fashion: 100 Years of Apparel Ads is a multilingual (all text is present in English, French, and German), visual reference featuring full-color photography of fashion advertisements and endorsements from throughout the twentieth century. A striking compendium sure to prove particularly useful to theater, movie, television, or even Halloween costume designers seeking to accurately reflect or recreate the advertisements and apparel of past decades, 20th Century Fashion also a treasure to simply browse through and observe how human garments (and ads!) have changed through time. A compendium that treats the history of modern fashion advertisement very seriously, 20th Century Fashion is highly recommended.


The Art Shelf

Selling Art 101, second edition
Robert Regis Dvorak
ArtNetwork
PO Box 1360, Nevada City, CA 95959-1360
9780940899964 $19.95 www.artmarketing.com

Author Robert Regis Devorak has been a professional artist for decades; in this newly updated second edition of "Selling Art 101", he shares tips, tricks, techniques, and practical advice for selling one's art. Now in an updated second edition, Selling Art 101 covers how to find and keep clients, developing rapport with potential buyers, studio selling, telephone techniques, suggestions for effectively closing the deal, and more. Checklists help the reader review and rehearse the helpful recommendations before putting them into practice. Selling Art 101 is so useful that readers charged with selling things other than art are also likely to find invaluable wisdom between its covers! "Answer and talk on the phone with a smile. Put a mirror in front of your telephone to help you remember this. When you smile, you sound more friendly. A friendly disposition and tone of voice help people relax and feel good, and they will like you."


The Economics Shelf

100 Ways to Profit in a Volatile Economy
Barry R. Schimel, CPA and Gary R. Kravitz
Capital Books, Inc.
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781933102818 $20.00 www.amazon.com

Even when the economy isn't booming, one can still make their fortune. "100 Ways to Profit in a Volatile Economy: Battle-Tested Business Strategies" is a guide to making a business work in a rough economy that doesn't seem to be improving anytime soon. There are ways to play it safe and claim one's piece of the pie, and the authors Barry Schimel and Gary Kravitz offering readers much to learn with advice on everything from hiring practices to marketing, and more. "100 Ways to Profit in a Volatile Economy" is of strong interest to any business leader who isn't optimistic for the economy as a whole, but is optimistic for their own business.

Entrepreneurship And Organised Crime
Petter Gottschalk
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781848443167, $115.00, www.amazon.com

In every nation there is a division of economic enterprises and activities providing goods and services that are classified as illegal. But there is still a higher overriding economic law of supply and demand that fuels these outlawed transactions. How do some aspiring entrepreneurs select and develop their criminal business? "Entrepreneurship And Organised Crime: Entrepreneurs In Illegal Business" by Petter Gottschalk (Professor of Information Systems and Knowledge Management, Department of Organisation and Leaders, Norwegian School of Management, Norway) examines this fundamental question. His inquiries are analyzed with stage models that denote and illustrate the similarities between lawful and unlawful business practices. Informed and informative, "Entrepreneurship And Organised Crime" is a seminal study and a unique contribution which is especially recommended for professional and academic library Economic Studies and Modern Criminology Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Political Science Shelf

Energy Politics
Brenda Shaffer
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
www.upenn.edu/pennpress
9780812242003, $29.95, www.amazon.com

With the onset of the industrial age, American politics was to become thoroughly entwined with the need for energy resources in the form of petroleum, both domestic and foreign. "Energy Politics" by Brenda Shaffer (Research Director, Caspian Studies Program, Harvard University, 2000 to 2006) draws upon her years of experience, research, and expertise to provide an informed and informed history of how regional, national, and international American politics has been influenced, financed, shaped, and distorted by the producers and consumers of energy. Of special note is the history of developing concerns with respect to climate change, the 'global energy divide', and the rise of a coordinated international policy, and how six of the world's largest producers and consumers of energy (Russia, Eur0ope, the United States, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia) politically interact with one on the necessity for the petroleum that fuels modern society. Enhanced with extensive notes and an accessible index, "Energy Politics" is a work of impressive scholarship and a critically important contribution to professional, governmental, academic, and community library Political Science reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Resisting McCarthyism
Bob Blauner
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
www.sup.org
9780804759229, $34.95, www.amazon.com

One of the bleakest times in post-war American politics were the 'Red Scare' years of McCarthyism, when the junior senator from Wisconsin was able to capitalize on a wide spread fear of Communism to corrupt the American political system and subvert the United States constitution. McCarthy was able to reach into the educational, social, cultural, governmental, and military institutions to wreck havoc in the lives of ordinary men and women. For example, a total of 69 college and university professors lost their jobs for political reasons during the McCarthy Era -- half of them from the University of California faculty. Yet a small number teaching on California's Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses were able to successfully defy the forces of McCarthyism showcased by their refusal to sign the non-communist loyalty oath imposed upon them by the university. While most college and university professors on other campuses around the nation agreed to sign non-communist oaths in order to keep their jobs, the Berkeley and L.A. "non-signers" felt it incumbent upon themselves to resist in defense of free speech. Reading like some kind of suspense novel, "Resisting McCarthyism: To Sign Or Not To Sign California's Loyalty Oath" by Boby Blauner (Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley) is the detailed story of that resistance in defense of academic freedom and the constitutionally guaranteed right of free speech against a troglodyte suppression born of political fearmongering. Especially relevant with respect to today's corruptions of the national dialogue on everything from health care reform to dealing with international terrorism, the lessons learned in "Resisting McCarthyism" make this an urgently recommended addition to academic and community library collections in general, and the personal reading lists for ordinary men and women concerned about preserving civil liberties in times of national distress.


The Civil War Shelf

Sharpshooting In The Civil War
Major John L. Plaster, USAR (Ret.)
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
www.paladin-press.com
9781581607031, $19.00, www.amazon.com

The American civil war was the most lethal land-combat on American soil from its founding down to the present time. It was this conflict that saw the introduction of deadly military inventions ranging from the repeating rifle to the Gatling gun. It was the beginning of the end for cavalry campaigns, saw battlefields where thousands on both sides were to die in a single day. But amidst the mass killings were the individual assassinations carried out by the sharpshooter, a man with a long range rifle and a superior aim who often killed from hiding at unbelievable distances. Now the story of these unique soldiers is related by Major John L. Plaster, USAR (Ret.) in the profusely illustrated pages of "Sharpshooting In The Civil War", an informed and informative account of how these men were recruited, trained, organize, and deployed. Fully revealed are the arms they used, and the tactics they employed. Of special note are the examples of dozens of these men and their battlefield accomplishments. "Sharpshooting In The Civil War" is a unique and seminal work that should be a core addition to personal, academic, and community library American Civil War reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

In The Shadow Of The Enemy
Mary L. Mackall, Stevan F. Meserve, and Anne Mackall Sasscer, editors
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
www.utpress.org
9781572336582, $44.95, www.amazon.com

It is often through the journals and diaries of ordinary people that we get the truest 'window in time' with respects to the events of history and the daily lives of the men and women who lived through them. Publishing such memoirs does critically important service for historians and for non-specialist general readers with an interest in history. Such is clearly the case with respect to "In The Shadow Of The Enemy: The Civil War Journal Of Ida Powell Dulany", the latest addition to the outstanding 'Voices of the Civil War' series published by the University of Tennessee Press. Deftly co-edited by the team of Mary L. Mackall, Stevan Meserve, and Anne Mackall Sasscer, "In The Shadow Of The Enemy" is a contemporary chronicle kept by Ida Powell Dulany who was mistress of a salve-holding estate and charged with the responsibility for its day-to-day operations when her husband enlisted with the Confederates shortly after the outbreak of the civil war. An elegant written account, "In The Shadow Of The Enemy" provides an informative perspective on how her neighbors and community conducted themselves amidst the turmoil and tribulations that war was to bring them -- including numerous direct confrontations with hostile Union troops. Of special note and value for the reader are the five appendices the editors have provided giving some outline and background providing additional context for the journal entries of Ida Powell Dulany. Enhanced with extensive notes and an index, "In The Shadow Of The Enemy" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Civil War and 19th Century American Biography collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Poetry Shelf

Reservoir Voices
Brendan Kennelly
Bloodaxe Books
c/o Dufour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781852248369, $19.99

Hearing voices when one is alone doesn't necessarily mean one is crazy. "Reservoir Voices" is the contemplation in verse of poet Brenden Kennelly, reflecting on the inspiration he received when enjoying the peace of a reservoir. Profound and intriguing, "Reservoir Voices" is a fine volume of poetry by a skilled writer. "Touch": I work best with flesh/but don't use me overmuch./The most memorable moment can be/a gentle touch.

One Stands Guard, One Sleeps
Nancy Scott
Plain View Press
1509 Dexter Street, Austin, TX 78704
www.plainviewpress.net
9781891386329, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Some people just seem to be born for the craft of poetry. Judging by the quality of her verse, Nancy Scott is clearly one of those gifted with a lyrical mind's eye. "One Stands Guard, One Sleeps" is an impressive compendium of free verse that draws as its source material the poet's family members, social service clients, businessmen, and herself. 'Lyla, 1992': I stop to have a cup of tea with Lyla./Nearly eighty, she counsels parents of suicides,/shows me a photo of a pony-tailed teen.//My daughter slashed her wrists, she says./She says her husband, now deceased,/used to cater fancy meals for Broadway stars.//OJ was there once, she says, grinning./He was something. He could park his shoes/under my bed anytime.

Going Wrong
Marilyn L. Taylor
Parallel Press
372 Memorial Library, 728 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu
9781934795088 $10.00

Going Wrong is a chapbook collection of brief, sonnet poetry by poet laureate and teacher Marilyn L. Taylor, touching upon those moments and aspects of life where one's decision is of paramount importance - the choice for woe or weal could potentially have lifelong or greater repercussions. Other verses skillfully capture everything from love between eighty-year-olds to the symphonic sound of nighttime crickets chirping. An evocative and at times surreal collection, enthusiastically recommended for poetry lovers everywhere. "To a Young Diver" (For R.R.T): So long, silversides. / The lips of the sea / close over you. // I watch you shimmer / and vanish into / the inverted garden // where minnows flock / like sparrows / and tiny pods of air // sequin the powdered / shoulders of / the reef. // Deeper: obsidian walls / flicker with mystery- / fish are flame, coral sways // to the throb of / the young planet / in its skin.

Boys Whistling like Canaries
Jorn Ake
Eastern Washington University Press
534 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, Suite 203, Spokane, WA 99202
9781597660501, $15.95, www.ewupress.ewu.edu

Cruelty is something that happens at all levels, from siblings to the government oppressing its people. "Boys Whistling Like Canaries" explores the politics of the past century, in particular the oppressive nature and viciousness that have happened. Seeking to paint with emotion and inspire people to stand against corruption in their governments, "Boys Whistling Like Canaries" is of strong interest for many readers who enjoy political thought as well as poetry. "Some Truths Noted While Walking Alone": The triangular window holds its corners differently/than the square window./The square window is open to suggestion./The circular window is afraid/of what comes from the sky/and makes its view known simply./The sky always dreams of a dress/made of yellow squares each night/but forgets the image entirely upon waking.//Blue then is the absence of memory.//The clouds are farm animals.//There is no pig.

Obstructed View
Wendy Vardaman
Fireweed Press
PO Box 482, Madison, WI 53701-0482
www.wendyvardaman.com
9781878660244, $12.00, www.amazon.com

Madison, Wisconsin's Wendy Vardaman knows poetry. She is co-editor of Verse Wisconsin and someone whose poems, reviews and interviews have appeared in a large number of anthologies and journals ranging from 'Poetry Daily', to the 'Portland Review'. Now "Obstructed View", a volume of her some of her best work, has been published and made available to the reading public by Madison-based publisher Fireweed Press. A skilled wordsmith and storyteller, Wendy is also a consummate artist whose written poetry is the literary equivalent of a series of impressionist paintings of ordinary life events -- but with words and lines instead of paints and canvas. Highly recommended for poetry readers who appreciate a touch of the 'avant garde' interpretations of the common place and the uncommon moment in verse. 'Unemployed': Mid-week dinner for eight,/husband's work, leave everywhere/early but still run late. Juggle dishwasher,/pots, knives, vegetables, cacuum, a four-layer cake/that wants to fall apart. Before my daughter caught/the bus she said, how nice that I could fit whatever/I like into my day, in contrast to her,/a homework slave. for a minute//I consider leaving mid-mess,/water boiling, onion peel scattered, tomato/dripping, table covered and my bitter/eggplant just/half-baked. Instead I finish my assignment, leave two/wishful sinks soaking for someone else later.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Philosophy Of Death
Steven Luper
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
www.cambridge.org
9780521709125, $28.99, www.amazon.com

A hot political topic these days, 'end of life' issues is seen by some as an essential consideration that everyone should address, while others seen it as an opening wedge for government operated 'death panels'. Death is the inevitable consequence of life. That is why "The Philosophy Of Death" by Steven Luper (Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department, Trinity University) is such a timely and highly recommended title for both academic library Philosophy collections and so well written that it is fully accessible and enthusiastically commended for non-specialist general readers as well. Professor Luper covers in the first half the philosophical aspects of a natural death as part of the process of life, and in the second half deals with the issues of an imposed death such as homicide, suicide, euthanasia, and abortion. A work of impressive and comprehensive scholarship, "The Philosophy Of Death" is enhanced with an extensive section of references and a thorough index.


The Genealogy Shelf

Genealogical Resources Of The Civil War Era
William Dollarhide
Family Roots Publishing Co.
PO Box 830, Bountiful, UT 84011
www.familyrootspublishing.com
9781933194455, $32.95

In "Genealogical Resources Of The Civil War Era", William Dollarhide draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to provide a comprehensive, single-volume instruction and reference guide to utilizing various forms of American Civil War era records and resources for basic genealogical research. Included are both national resources (ranging from the American Civil War Research Database, to 1865-1867 Confederate Amnesty Papers, to General and Organizational Indexes to Pension Files 1861-1934, and more) and state resources (ranging from 1861-169 State Censuses, Statewide Militia Lists, Indexes to Statewide Records, and more). The state resources are listed alphabetically by state. Of special note and value is the final section identifying the best of the civil war resource centers for local and county genealogical research. "Genealogical Resources Of The Civil War Era" is an invaluable reference and research resource which is strongly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library Genealogy Instructional Reference collections.


The Computer Shelf

Murach's ADO.NET 3.5 LINQ and the Entity Framework with C# 2008
Anne Boehm
Mike Murach & Associates
4340 North Knoll Ave., Fresno, CA 93722
www.murach.com
9781890774530, $52.50, www.amazon.com

The latest addition to an outstanding roster of 'how to' books for computer professionals published by Mike Murach & Associates, "Murach's ADO.NET 3.5 LINQ and the Entity Framework with C# 2008" continues a distinctive tradition of publishing comprehensive instructional reference works that are as 'user friendly' as they are cutting edge in the field of software development and application. Author and C# expert Anne Boehm draws upon her more than twenty years of experience and expertise as a programmer specializing in Visual Basic and .NET, and as the author of several previous computer reference works, to instruct C# developers on employing C# 2008 and ADO.NET 3.5 for creating professional quality database applications. Of special note are the twenty-three complete database applications that showcase programming practices utilizing data sources and datasets for Rapid Application Development and prototyping of Windows Forms applications. She then goes on to step-by-step illustrated explanations with respect to building professional level triple layer applications (presentation, business, database classes), as well as the effective use of new LINQ features, XML documents, building database applications using Entity Framework for mapping business objects to database objects. "Murach's ADO.NET 3.5 LINQ and the Entity Framework with C# 2008" is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to personal and professional C# instructional reference collections.

Game Engine Architecture
Jason Gregory, author
Jeff Lander and Matt Whiting, editors
A K Peters, Ltd.
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
www.akpeters.com
9781568814131, $65.00, www.amazon.com

Jason Gregory began his career as a software engineer in 1994, and more specifically, began working in the games industry in March 1999 where he worked in game programming with respect to the tools, engine technology and game play code for 'Hydro thunder. He is the man who wrote the Playstation 2/Xbox animation system for 'Freaky Flyers' and Crank the Weasel. In 2003 he worked on engine and game play technology for 'Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault' and was one of lead engineers on the 'Medal of Honor: Airborne' project. Then he went on to develop engine and gameplay software for 'Uncharted: Drake's Fortune' and is currently working on 'Uncharted 2: Among Thieves'. In his spare time he teaches courses in game technology at the University of Southern California. In 'Game Engine Architecture" (deftly co-edited by Jeff Lander and Matt Whiting), Jason Gregory draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to create a complete and comprehensive textbook on the theory and practice of game engine software development. Informed and informative, replete with examples for every aspect of the game development process, and fully accessible to aspiring game engine developers as well as a very useful reference for even experienced technicians in the field, "Game Engine Architecture" is an invaluable, thoroughly 'user friendly', and highly recommended core addition to personal, professional, and academic Computer Science reference and resource collections in general, as well as gaming engine design instructional reading lists in particular.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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