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The Bookwatch

Volume 13, Number 8 August 2018 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Education Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Automotive Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Computer Shelf Sports Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Guardianships and the Elderly: The Perfect Crime
Dr. Sugar
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004339, $19.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Guardianships and the Elderly: The Perfect Crime outlines the problems with a justice system that regulates elderly people's freedoms, pinpointing the perils and abuses of the guardianship concept, which exists in every state and which has gone relatively unexamined until this book. Those who know about such guardianships are in the perfect position to abuse it, and this book considers its history, setup, legal and social impact, and how to avoid the common obstacles and pitfalls that often result in elderly victims of a system originally intended to protect them. Every library with a consumer reference or health collection needs this hard-hitting reference.

Principles of Posse Management
Chris Enss
TwoDot Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781493025534, $16.95 PB, $15.99 Kindle, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Principles of Posse Management: Lessons from the Old West for Today's Leaders belongs not just in Western Americana and regional history holdings; but in many a business management collection, and blends historical facts, anecdotes, and insights on Western life with the idea of 'posse management' techniques and tools. Some of these same tools will come in handy in business circles, and the story of how posses were created, operated, managed, and successfully achieved their goals thus is recommended for many different readers who will appreciate the lively and different association between Western history and modern business pursuits.


The Education Shelf

The PBIS Tier Three Handbook
Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan and John E. Hannigan
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781544301174 $29.95 www.corwin.com

The PBIS Tier Three Handbook: A Practical Guide to Implementing Individualized Interventions documents a relatively small community of special needs students whose requirement for 'tier three' support holds a major impact on others in the classroom. It offers teachers an approach to the concept and implementation of individualized interventions for this group, showing how to identify such needs, how to blend them into special needs groups and general classroom structures and objectives, and how to take actions to establish a Tier 3 environment. Many pages assume a workbook-style format with fill-in questionnaires and notes teachers can make directly into the book, while others outline red flags, typical assessment routines, and the elements and strategies of a Tier 3 environment. No educator's collection should be without this specific, important manual to classroom interventions and success.

Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com

Two new titles are recommendations for any educator interested in developing a more flexible, effective classroom. Linda Dacey works with Cathleen O'Connell Hopping and Rebeka Eston Salemi in Why Write in Math Class? K-5 (9781625311603, $33.33), which focuses on five types of writing in math and how these approaches can be added to math teachings. Connections between math and literacy support both disciplines when integrated in such a manner as to be supportive building blocks. This survey is also unique in its personalized approach which outlines techniques and educator reflections on each activity's results and process. From teacher professional development to revised approaches to student learning in both disciplines, educators receive clear discussions of pros, cons, and special challenges and rewards of encouraging these connections. Katherine Mills Hernandez's Activate: Deeper Learning Through Movement, Talk, and Flexible Classrooms (9781625311269, $28.00) promotes student involvement and engagement through activities which involve movement and physical interactions with the environment within and outside the classroom, and provides a collection of ideas teachers can use to link classroom lessons to student energy levels and activities. The author's own classroom serves as an example as she shares her lessons, her learning journal, and her classroom's activities and their results. The result is highly recommended reading for any educator looking to promote a deeper level of student engagement.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Last Sun
K.D. Edwards
Pyr
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633884236, $17.00 PB, $9.99 Kindle, $14.99 MP3 CD, www.amazon.com

The Last Sun introduces a new series, the Tarot Sequence, by opening with the story of Rune Saint John, the last child of the fallen Sun Court who is slated with searching for a missing son on an island city occupied by the Atlanteans after humans destroyed their original home. Rune's journey to find the missing man in the noble ranks of the inhabitants of New Atlantis results in the discovery of a long-kept secret, a legendary monster, and a startling truth about the past in a blend of fantasy and mystery that will immerse readers in a gripping saga.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

A Stone's Throw
James W. Ziskin
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633884199 $15.95 www.seventhstreetbooks.com

A Stone's Throw crafts an Ellie Stone mystery set in 1962, when a suspicious fire takes out a barn on a formerly notable estate, adding to several that have mysteriously affected the remote, abandoned farm. The local sheriff has no particular reason to want to investigate further, until two bodies are found in the ruins and what seems to be arson turns into a double murder case. Ellie finds herself in a dangerous investigation that moves rapidly from building fires to fires of the heart in this riveting thriller.

Dyeing Up Loose Ends
Maggie Sefton
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780425282540 $26.00 www.amazon.com

Dyeing Up Loose Ends is the last book in the Knitting Mystery series, concluding a winning set of mysteries with young mother and knitter Kelly, who springs into action when her favorite waitress is murdered, leaving the knitting circle in shock. Julie appeared to have no enemies; but now it's all too obvious that someone considered her enough of a threat to kill her. Can Kelly and her knitting friends solve this terrible crime before death strikes again? It's sad to see this long-standing series (sixteen books!) conclude. Each book is engrossing, different, yet cemented by the common activity of knitting.

Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Two excellent new mysteries revolve around books and will especially delight readers who like book-based conundrums. Lorna Barrett's Poisoned Pages (9780451489838, $26.00) adds to the best-selling Booktown mystery series. Here bookstore owner Tricia, who seems to have a penchant for attracting murderers, faces let another challenge when a guest drops dead at her housewarming dinner party. She hadn't intended on making food to 'die for' with her new cooking skills, but when the police decide the victim was poisoned, Tricia has even more cause to defend her cooking skills and her world. Add an even bigger complication as Tricia runs her own political campaign and faces a vandal and a sister being blackmailed for a healthy dose of riveting mystery reading. Kate Carlisle's Buried in Books (9780451477743, $25.00) comes from a New York Times best-selling author who provides the twelfth book to her Bibliophile mystery series. Here a San Francisco book restoration expert prepares for her wedding day, only to discover a dead body just a few days before her main event. An unfortunate choice for a surprise bridal shower, an uncertain reunion among troubled acquaintances from the past, and a fake book enter into the foray to make for an unusually fast-paced story. Both are exceptional murder mysteries that book fans will relish.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Pain Companion
Sarah Anne Shockley
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685707, $15.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 192pp, www.amazon.com

The Pain Companion: Everyday Wisdom for Living with and Moving Beyond Chronic Pain joins a host of other books on the subject of pain management, comes from an author who has personally lived with chronic pain for over a decade, and offers sufferers a supportive manual for managing pain in a way that compliments medical healing programs. From meditative approaches to physical pain that use exercises to alleviate physical challenges to understanding lessons that can be applied to one's life from the experience of pain, this offers a range of tools for handling significant, relentless pain and will prove inspiring, hope-filled reading for many who struggle with conventional approaches and treatments.

What You Must Know About Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Jeffrey Anshel, OD and Laura Stevens, M.Sci
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004490, $17.95 PB, $9.95 Kindle, 288pp, www.amazon.com

What You must Know About Age-Related Macular Degeneration: How You Can Prevent, Stop, or Reverse AMD tackles a difficult problem: an age-related eye condition that is a big cause of vision loss in people over fifty. It's irreversible and hard to stop, and few treatments have proven much more than stop gates to the inevitable. This book, written by an optometrist and a medical researcher, refutes common treatment options by examining different nutrients and the eye protection they offer, from over-the-counter supplements to foods. It promotes an Anti-AMD Diet and recommends lifestyle changes that can lead to enhanced eye health and restorative possibilities for those with macular degeneration.


The Cookbook Shelf

Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook
Camilla Fayed with Susie Pearl, et.al.
Aster
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781912023462, $29.99 HC, $17.99 Kindle, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook: Plant-Based Recipes for Conscious Living comes from a successful London restaurant, the business of author Camilla Fayed, and pairs more conscious eating habits with a food lifestyle support system of vegetarian and vegan recipes alike. Readers searching for new inspiration will find herein many dishes unique to Fayed and her creations; from a Fruit Chia Jam and a Sweet Potato & Mushroom Curry to Mushrooms & Chard Stems with Tarragon Sauce. Full-page color photos of the dishes are exceptionally bright and appealing and reinforce the attraction of these dishes. Readers seeking innovative fare that's good for the planet as well as personal health will find Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook an outstanding pick filled with ideas not seen elsewhere.


The Automotive Shelf

Chrysler A-833 Transmissions: How to Rebuild and Modify
Jamie Passon
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613253243, $26.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Chrysler A-833 Transmissions: How to Rebuild and Modify is a recommended reference for any car repair library in general and Chrysler owners in particular who receive the specifics of the A-833 transmission, what makes them work, common problems and solutions, and how to perform a complete rebuild. Auto mechanics and buffs receive the expertise of an owner devoted to the business of rebuilding these transmissions, Passion Performance, which also manufactures many parts for the A-833. The result is packed with color photos and step-by-step details on assembling, disassembling, and repairing these transmissions: a treasure trove of detail that should not be missed by these car owners, tinkerers, and auto repair shops.


The Needlecraft Shelf

That Patchwork Place
c/o Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.ShopMartingale.com

Elegant Embroidery by Reiko Mori (Stitch; 9780986302954, $29.95) provides motifs from a Japanese embroiderer who outlines some forty images; then demonstrates how to incorporate them into a variety of projects. Some of these ideas, such as embellishing boxes with fabric and the motif, are innovative and not readily seen in other collections; while all the motifs are original, revealing, and fun ideas for a range of projects that begin with the introductory pieces featured herein and hold potential for other applications. Kim Diehl's Simple Whatnots: A Brach of Satisfyingly Scrappy Little Quilts (9781604689341, $29.99) provides 18 very small quilt patterns. Five are new to this collection and thirteen were part of her Simple Whatnots Club productions. All receive clear step-by-step directions, color photos, and projects for small patchwork pieces and applique; from home products such as table toppers and layered quilts to wool projects that can be displayed as works of art. The diverse simplicity of these projects makes for an appealingly unique collection needleworkers will relish. Karen M. Burns compiles Fat-Quarter Favorites: 13 Eye-Catching Quilts You'll Love to Make (9781604689020, $22.99), a gathering of new directions and fresh takes on classic quilt block designs. Fat quarters are the foundation of these creations, but they take a different turn than most quilting collections featuring them because they show how to use traditional piecing and applique approaches to design refreshingly different quilts. Full-page photos of finished blocks and quilts accompany specific directions, materials lists, and tips on cutting and piecing. Karen M. Burns and Amelia Johanson's 180 More Doodle Quilting Designs: Free-Motion Ideas for Blocks, Borders, and Corners (9781604689068, $28.99) covers 'doodle quilting' and provides designs that can be used in the process of creating such a quilt, outlining the tracing and drawing practices unique to the doodle machine quilt idea. Sets for blocks, borders, and corners include swirls, curves, feathers, and more, offering a key to this style of machine quilting that will especially interest those who have used their sewing machines for traditional approaches, but who want to expand into more creative avenues. All are recommended picks for serious quilter collections.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Collectibles Handbook & Price Guide 2019-2020
Judith Miller
Miller's Guides / Mitchell Beazley
www.millersguides.com
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784724207, $27.99, PB, 432pp, www.amazon.com

Collectibles Handbook & Price Guide 2019-2020 provides the 25th updated edition of a classic collector's handbook which pairs a completely updated price guide with new listings, photos, special sections, and discussions of ceramics, dolls, media memorabilia, glass, rock and pop cultural oddities, and more. Also included are tips on buying or selling on eBay, to dealers or through shops, and in flea market or garage sale environments. The result will appeal to a wide audience and is recommended as a basic reference especially useful for identification, valuation, and insights on the latest trends in the collectible industry.


The Computer Shelf

Data Structures and Program Design Using C
D. Malhotra and N. Malhotra
Mercury Learning
www.merclearning.com
9781683922070, $59.95, PB, 450pp, www.amazon.com

Data Structures and Program Design Using C: A Self-Teaching Introduction covers the basics of data structures using C and pairs tips, real-world application discussions, and frequently asked questions with a format that includes self-testing exams at the end of each chapter. The purpose and approach is to serve as both an introduction or a refresher course in the subject, offering newcomers and those who may wish reinforcement of their skills an approach that explains technical concepts and how they relate to actual projects and practical applications. Charts, graphs, formulas, and definitions accompany discussions of operations and algorithms in a manner that makes for an invaluable survey easy for self-learners to apply to either accompanying courses on the subject or a basic refresher course for home study.


The Sports Shelf

The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting & River Camping
Molly Absolon
Falcon Press
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.falcon.com
9781493032334, $22.95 PB, $13.19 Kindle, 280pp, www.amazon.com

The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting & River Camping is recommended for new and would-be rafters who may know little about the skills and equipment involved in embarking on a whitewater rafting trip, but who want to learn. Equipment and techniques have changed as new technology has resulted in better and different approaches to whitewater in recent years, and this book incorporates the latest details. From choosing basics and caring for equipment to rafting techniques and basic rescue, this cover everything from planning a trip to handling emergencies. Packed with color photos and sidebars of information such as internet search tips for permits and selected river games, this is the item of choice for anyone who would organize a whitewater rafting and river camping expedition.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Gigged
Sarah Kessler
St. Martins Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250097897, $25.99 HC, $13.99 Kindle, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Gigged: The End of the Job and the Future of Work tells of the "gig economy" and a new type of work Sarah Kessler first reported on years ago. Since her initial expose of the new routines, she's produced many more articles on the topic and here provides not only a history of this new job style, but its trends and impact on traditional jobs over the decades. From how various kinds of businesses use the gig economy, narrating stories from real-life experiences from Uber to Amazon, to how workers experience freedom and challenge in the concept of freelance work, this powerful survey considers not only the pros and cons of freelance operations and their rise in startup and other jobs, but taps individual experience to demonstrate how it affects the idea of work and its future. The result is especially recommended for Millennials and younger workers who are coming of work age in this new gig economy, which has now been around long enough to prove it's not a passing fad.


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