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The Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 2 February 2012 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Audiobook Shelf Travel Shelf
Computer Shelf Sports Shelf Gaming Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Psychology Shelf Education Shelf Military Shelf
Aviation Shelf Music Shelf Crafts/Hobbies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Photography Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Fashion Shelf Architecture Shelf
Art Shelf Science Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
American History Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Business Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Biography Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Political Science Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

iPhone 4S for Dummies, fifth edition
Edward C. Baig and Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118036716, $24.99, www.wiley.com

The fifth updated edition of iPhone 4S for Dummies provides a fine, full-color detailed guide to getting the most from an iPhone 4S and teaches all the basics of its use, from managing media and multitasking to creating music playlists and libraries, locating and downloading the best apps, managing email and much more. This book covers all the basic interfaces of the iPhone 4S, packing in screenshots and step-by-step instructions accompanied by sidebars of information. Any iPhone 4S user will consider this an easy 'must' reference.

Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com

Elsa Bertino and Kenji Takahashi's IDENTITY MANAGEMENT: CONCEPTS, TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS (1608070395, $99.00) provides a fine survey of digital identity and its protection, offering designers, managers and any involved in business security a fine technical survey of current trends and directions in identity management. From best practices to the latest research findings, this addresses many challenges involved in the protection process, teaching systems and basic concepts key to employing more effective information security. College-level collections strong in technology security and set-up need this. College-level collections strong in engineering and transport systems also need Umit Ozguner, Tankut Acarman and Keith Redmill's AUTONOMOUS GROUND VEHICLES (1608079128, $129.00). It provides professionals involved in the transportation industry with a fine review of technologies in transportation, from sensors and estimation to technologies needed to perceive vehicle motions and objects. The components that make autonomous vehicle behavior possible are surveyed in chapters covering everything from vehicle-to-vehicle communications to sensor fusion, antilock braking systems, and more. Charts, diagrams, and technical explanations make this a winning guide for any professional or college-level transportation section.

The Nerdist Way
Chris Hardwick
Berkeley Publishing
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780425243541, $24.95, www.penguin.com

THE NERDIST WAY; HOW TO REACH THE NEXT LEVEL (IN REAL LIFE) comes from a blogger whose podcast is one of the top 10 most downloaded on iTunes, whose blog gains 1.3 million page views per month, and who has founded Nerdist.com. Here he provides a productivity book for nerds on how to live up to their Nerd potential and how to benefit from anxieties and mistakes by embracing their gifts. Humor and autobiography permeate a survey that's a productivity guide for fellow nerds on how to live up to their potential. Empowerment and humor combine in a fine, revealing guide!

Someone Else's Twin
Nancy L. Segal
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616144371, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

SOMEONE ELSE'S TWIN; THE TRUE STORY OF BABIES SWITCHED AT BIRTH tells of identical twins born in Spain's Canary Islands. When one is unintentionally switched at birth with another infant in the baby nursery, the two grow up separated - and Dr. Nancy L. Segal, herself a twin, describes the consequences of this accidental separation. The twins grew up never knowing the truth about their birth and their parents had no idea the switch had happened. Only when one twin was confused for the other during a chance encounter did the two finally meet at nearly thirty years of age. The psychology of twins joins with this case history to provide a riveting account

Thames and Hudson
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Michael Petry's THE ART OF NOT MAKING: THE NEW ARTIST/ARTISAN RELATIONSHIP (9780500238820, $50.00) uses examples from a range of media to provide the art of over a hundred modern artists who employ others to produce art on their behalf. These artists provide the initial vision but use others to produce the technical results. But what happens to ownership, copyright and artistic claims when such collaboration happens? This book considers everything from originality to ownership and skills as it considers the relationship between artists and fabricators, making for a unique examination perfect for any modern arts library. Tim Richardson's FUTURESCAPES; DESIGNERS FOR TOMORROW'S OUTDOOR SPACES (9780500515778, $60.00) offers a collection curated by one of the world's leading critics of modern landscape design and features over fifty international design studios whose practices reflect innovation and the latest garden design perspectives. A range of readers, from gardeners to urban planners and landscape designers, will find this filled with inspiration for a wide variety of outdoor spaces that answer concurrent issues of usage and global climate change. Corporate and individual spaces are surveyed in a catalog recommended for any landscape design library.


The Audiobook Shelf

Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouseaudio.com

John Grisham's THE LITIGATORS (9780307943194, $45.00) is narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris, who has won awards for his vocal style and who here spices the thriller revolving around two partners in a tiny law firm always searching for their big break in the legal world. Their chance arrives in the form of a young, burned-out attorney who walks away from his career and winds up on the doorstep of Finley and Figg, bringing with him a case that could change all their lives. A fine legal drama evolves, perfect for any lending library strong in audio thrillers. Bill Clinton's BACK TO WORK (9780307990693, $30.00) is narrated by Clinton himself and provides a powerful set of views on the challenges facing the U.S. today. From how we got into our current economic crisis to specific ideas on how to get people back to work and restore manufacturing, this is filled with candid observations and hope that adopts a nonpartisan stance in its survey. Tom Brokaw's THE TIME OF OUR LIVES: A CONVERSATION ABOUT AMERICA (9780739341049, $35.00) is narrated by the author and comes from a New York Times best- selling writer who here considers how to recapture the American dream. The values and lessons of generations past come into play as Brokaw tells of Americans who are making a difference, and provides stories form his own family history to engage in discussions about this country and its future. Any general audio collection will find this a winner! Lee Lipsenthal, MD narrates his own ENJOY EVERY SANDWICH; LIVING EACH DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST (9780307969903, $27.50), and comes from a medical director who has helped thousands of patients overcome fears of pain and death. His own encounter with cancer only reinforced his perspectives and approaches, presented here to provide inspiration and peace to audio listeners looking for inspirational or self-improvement paths. Judy Collins' SWEET JUDY BLUE EYES (9780307941329, $35.00) includes five original bonus songs written and performed by the author, who narrates her own autobiography of her life as a folk legend. From her love affair with Stephen Stills to her alcoholism and her music industry fame, SWEET JUDY BLUE EYES provides a rich survey of not just her personal evolution, but the rise of folk music in the industry. A 'must' for any folk music fan. Ronald Kessler's THE SECRETS OF THE FBI (9780307914255, $35.00) receives a fine narration by actor and musician Michael Bybee, who enlivens a survey based on access to hundreds of current and former FBI agents. Collections strong in modern journalism will find this investigates the FBI's involvements in citizen affairs, providing a fine history of their most public cases and behind-the-scenes events. Robin Sachs adds a seasoned voice to spark life and thrilling tension to Jo Nesbo's THE LEOPARD (9780307917607, $45.00) Two young women found murdered in Oslo involve Inspector Harry Hole, who has just returned to Norway after years in hiding from his profession, to attend to his dying father. When he learns of the ongoing murders and the lack of clues he decides to re-enter the investigative world, there to find clues to his own past, recovery, and dangerous future. A fine gripping novel of tension springs to life in audio! P.D. James' DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY (9780449011157, $40.00) pairs narrator Rosalyn Landor, who holds many TV narrative performance credits, with a powerful mystery writer to bring to life characters of Jane Austen's novel PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. It's 1803, years after Elizabeth and Darcy left for a life together at Pemberley, when a ball is shattered by a murder. Pemberley is immersed in trouble in this vivid story of murder and too many possible suspects.

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
www.hachetteaudio.com

Anthony Horowitz's THE HOUSE OF SILK: A SHERLOCK HOLMES NOVEL (9781611136890, $29.98) is narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi, one of the UK's most distinguished modern actors who made his name performing on stage and screen. His narration brings to life a vivid account set in 1800s London as a fine arts dealer visits Sherlock and Dr. Watson to seek their help: help that will draw the two into international espionage and danger. This vivid mystery is recommended for any mystery audio collection. Shaquille O'Neal' works with Jackie MacMullan in SHAQ UNCUT: MY STORY (978161135756, $34.98), providing a powerful autobiography powered by HBO narrator Dion Graham, an Audie award winning actor and narrator. It provides a lively account of Shaq's life on and off the court, pairing candid comments about teammates, coaches and games with a survey of how he became a basketball great. Any enthusiast of Shaq's playing will find this a winner! Eric Weiner's MAN SEEKS GOD: MY FLIRTATIONS WITH THE DIVINE (9781611139815, $29.98) is narrated by the author, who adds a fine tone of insight and reflection to his story of a health scare that leads him to re- examine his relationship with God. The author was a longtime 'spiritual voyeur' but never applied spiritual concepts to his own life: faced with his own mortality, he embarks on a worldwide exploration of religions. His story is vivid, personal and spiritual and will enhance any spirituality or general audio collection. James Patterson and Jill Dembowski's WITCH & WIZARD: THE FIRE (9781611139853, $22.98) benefits from a dual narration by Elijah Wood and Spencer Locke, who have TV and film credits to their name, and provides a fantasy of a different nature. The blend of fantasy and thriller worked well in the prior Witch & Wizard tales and continues here, where a battle against evil led by two siblings' magic is coming to a head. An ultimate showdown is coming: one which will transform the world no matter what the outcome. Prior fans of WITCH & WIZARD will find this a satisfyingly thrilling addition that comes to life in audio.

Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com

Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney's LOCKED ON (9781455865796, $39.99) presents a vivid performance by award-winning actor and director Lou Diamond Phillips and offers a fine politically-charged novel revolving around Jack Ryan Jr, who has trained to become a field operative in anti-terrorist intelligence circles as his father campaigns for re-election as President of the U.S. When an enemy launches his own campaign to discredit him by connecting him to a killing in the past, it's up to Jack Ryan Jr. and friends to battle terrorism on many different levels. An outstanding novel of espionage evolves! Joel C. Rosenberg's THE TEHRAN INITIATIVE (1423379373, $36.99) receives a fine narration by Christopher Lane, who has narrated over 100 audiobooks and whose voice lends high drama to this fictional story with so much basis in fact that it seems like the modern news. Here Iran has just conducted its first atomic weapons test and Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah has arrived on earth. A nuclear attack is eminent, along with the annihilation of Israel - and the White House worries Israel will strike first. It's up to CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to sabotage Iran's nuclear warheads first in this gripping thriller. Dean Koontz's DARKNESS UNDER THE SUN (9781455808069, $14.99) receives a fine, vivid performance by Steven Weber and reveals a turning point in the life of one Mr. Blackwood. A killer has perfected the art of hunting down prey - but has not yet perfected his technique. This story of how he learns his darkness makes for a gripping saga perfect for any suspense audio
collection!


The Travel Shelf

The Best Women's Travel Writing 2011
Lavinia Spalding, Editor
Travelers' Tales
853 Alma Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
9781609520120, $18.95, www.travelerstales.com

The Best Women's Travel Writing 2011 provides true stories of women's travel experiences around the world and is a top pick for any travel library. From Elvis presence in Cuba to a woman's experience of the World Testicle Cooking Championship, these are diverse and powerful travel tributes that celebrate experience, cultural encounters, and unusual locales and choices. The contributors have been to some remarkable places and seen remarkable things: now the armchair reader looking for a literary collection of these experience can relish the 'you are there' feel of this gathering, which will appeal to any travel or women's collection.

Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

CENTRAL EUROPE (9781741796827, $29.99) by Lisa Dunford, et.al. combines the experiences of eight authors into a consideration of the different countries of Central Europe and how to best tour within and between them. Chapters provide insights on festivals, include over a hundred small maps, and reveals the social, political and tourist attractions of each country, in detail. Destination-bound European visitors will find it a perfect travel planners. Also key to take-along toting is WESTERN EUROPE (9781741796797, $29.99) by Ryan Ver Berkmoes, et.al, and Tom Masters, et.al.'s EASTERN EUROPE (9781741796759, $29.99), pairing the contributions of numerous expert authors with a country-by-country survey of Western and Eastern European attractions. From where to eat and where to stay on a budget to cultural 'must see' attractions, these cover the byways and highways throughout the entire region and are top picks for any independent traveler's collection. CARIBBEAN ISLANDS by Ryan Ver Berkmoes (9781741794540, $24.99) covers 65 islands in the Caribbean, comes from 13 contributing expert authors, and packs in research and tips for enjoying many beaches and locales throughout the islands. Both greater- and lesser-known regions are covered in a guide packed with small maps and insights on how to get the most from a Caribbean vacation. Lonely Planet's BEST IN TRAVEL 2012 (9781742203058, $14.99) provides a fine survey of the best places to go and things to do in the world, ranking the top 10 countries and regions to visit in 2012 and discussing the 'best travel experiences' available. Over 35 events are mapped by month and outline major events, prices, and byways that the traveler might not ordinary think of. A 'must' for any would- be world traveler.

Einstein on the Road
Josef Eisinger
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616144616, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

EINSTEIN ON THE ROAD offers a rare consideration of Einstein not as a scientist, but as a world traveler, and gathers writings about his wide-reaching travels. At the height of his fame Einstein traveled around the world, between 1922 ands 1933, and kept travel diaries recording his experiences. EINSTEIN ON THE ROAD draws heavily from these diaries and because they've never been published in their entirety, they serve as a powerful document of not just his observations, but his involvement with the politics and social and cultural experiences of other countries. Many may choose this for the Einstein name, anticipating a scientific discussion; but any interested in travel will find it inviting.


The Computer Shelf

Mahout in Action
Sean Owen, et.al.
Manning
Box 261, Shelter Island, NY 11964
1935182684, $44.99, www.manning.com

Mahout in Action covers all the basics of Mahout, Apache's open source machine learning project, and teaches the basics of how to use the program to apply machine learning techniques to other projects. Real-world applications serve as examples for customizing and tailoring Mahout, discussing logical clusters, group data, filters and more. Developers familiar with Java will be the audience for this in-depth coverage.

Photoshop Elements 10 All-in-One for Dummies
Barbara Obermeier and Ted Padova
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118107393, $39.99, www.wiley.com

Photoshop Elements 10 All-in-One for Dummies tells how to bring out the best in photos using the latest features of Photoshop Elements 10. From using the basic features of the program to understanding color modes, resolution and makeovers at all levels, this offers color visual screen shots and examples throughout, provides step-by-step instructions, and offers easy methods for fixing photos and repairing mistakes. It's a recommendation for photography as well as computer collections, and the full color examples make for a captivating, interesting format.

Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.informit.com/awss

The second updated edition of Nick Rozanski and Eoin Woods's SOFTWARE SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE: WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS USING VIEWPOINTS AND PERSPECTIVES (032171833X, $59.99) is for any serious software engineering collection and teachers how to design an architecture that balances different needs. From scenarios to validate this architecture to documenting architecture, this updated second edition includes new standards and developments, updating much of the content. Diagrams and charts illustrate viewpoints, models, points of consistency across the models, and more. Adriaan de Jonge's ESSENTIAL APP ENGINE: BUILDING HIGH-PERFORMANCE JAVA APPS WITH GOOGLE APP ENGINE (032174263X, $39.99) joins others in the 'Developer's Library' series and shows Java developers how to build complex cloud applications using Google App Engine. It uses a start-to- finish case study filled with Java example code to show how to create applications that respond swiftly, discussing technical setup, design, and improving browser performance. A fine technical survey recommended for any developer working with cloud solutions and implementation.

Parallel Programming with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010
Donis Marshall
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735640603, $34.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

Parallel Programming with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 includes access to an online book and practice files as it surveys the basics of parallel programming methods. From applying parallel programming techniques to increase application speed to performing data queries and using concurrent collections in Framework 4, this uses a step-by-step tutorial approach including plenty of screen shots and diagrams, and is a pick for any involved in learning parallel programming.

O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com

Preston Gralla's DROID X2: THE MISSING MANUAL (9781449396862, $19.99) offers the basics of getting organized and navigating the Web using the Droid X2. From syncing DroidX2 with Outlook, using it for Facebook and Twitter, and shooting photos to handling video and connecting to Google maps to get directions, this offers step-by-step surveys of the X2's basic features and is a 'must' for any X2 owner - especially since any in-depth owner's manuals for the new phones are fairly non-existent. Dustin Boswell and Trevor Foucher's THE ART OF READABLE CODE: SIMPLE AND PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR WRITING BETTER CODE (9780596802295, $34.99) is for any software developer's library and provides a fine survey of basic principles and applications used by any who write code. From code examples from different languages to how to simplify code, this offers a different and easier approach to refining programs and is a pick for any software programmer. J.D. Biersdorfer's IPAD2: THE MISSING MANUAL (9781449316167, $24.99) is a 'must' for any owner of the iPad2 who want to do more than fumble through its many enhanced applications. From building a media library and handling email to using the built-in Twitter and storing information on the Cloud, this comes from an iPad expert who provides clear and step-by-step coverage of all of the iPad's new capabilities. A 'must' for any who would use the iPad2's applications! Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein's THE TWITTER BOOK (9781449314200, $19.99) appears in its second updated edition to teach all the basics of Twitter and its applications. It's co-written by two acknowledged Twitter experts and packs in examples on how to use Twitter to connect with customers and friends, addressing the special limitations and challenges of Twitter and how to remain powerful and effective in its environment. Standard features and new options alike are covered in a fine guide. Eleica White's MAKING EMBEDDED SYSTEMS (9781449302146, $39.99) provides a fine survey of embedded systems and teaches the basics of good development practices in constructing them. From updating embedded code directly in the processor to building a small scheduler, combining peripherals and communications, and handling outputs, inputs and timers, this includes charts and illustrations throughout. Developers will consider this a fine step-by-step approach!

Programming Concurrency on the JVM
Venkat Subramaniam
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356760, $35.00, www.pragprog.com

Programming Concurrency on the JVM teaches the basics of programming concurrency and discusses and contrasts a range of concurrency styles to allow readers to thoroughly understand their pros, cons and applications. Hands-on exercises teach the basics of concurrency programming and apply these basics to real-world scenarios, while discussions survey concurrent models and the special challenges inherent in JVM languages. Java programmers both experienced and new will find this a key reference.

Build Your Own ASP.Net 4 Website Using C# & VB, fourth edition
Cristian Darie, et.al.
Sitepoint
1829 Market Street, Suite 202
San Francisco CA 94103
9780987090867, $44.95, www.sitepoint.com

Build Your Own ASP.Net 4 Website Using C# & VB is packed with examples and code samples in C# and VB and appears in a fourth updated edition to help users get an ASP.NET website up and running. From setting up free software needed for ASP.NET to learning the types of code that can apply to future projects, this walks users through best practice techniques and provides working code for a website. A fine pick for any website programmer and collections catering to them.


The Sports Shelf

Gliding for Gold
Mark Denny
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
1421402157, $30.00, www.press.jhu.edu

GLIDING FOR GOLD: THE PHYSICS OF WINTER SPORTS is listed as a science book but is recommended equally for science and sports collections alike. It discusses the physical properties of ice, snow, and their effect on friction, drag, and sports endeavors. From snowboarding to curling and skating, this places physics explanations in the world of sports and offers fans and competitors alike a solid understanding of the physics of sports.

Human Kinetics Press
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
www.humankinetics.com

Ming Li, et.al, Editors' INTERNATIONAL SPORT MANAGEMENT (0736082735, $84.00) offers the first comprehensive textbook devoted to the organization, governance and cross- cultural context of modern sport at the international level, and is a pick for serious college-level coaches and sports libraries. It assembles contributors from around the world to discuss international sport management, offering managers understanding of intercultural influences on the field. Global issues and common challenges sport managers face make for a fine approach to sporting management. Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill's DELAVIER'S CORE TRAINING ANATOMY (1450413994, $21.95) packs in over 100 exercises and 60 programs for abs and core training, using over 450 color photos and illustrations to illustrate its exercises and routines. The illustrations focus on how the muscles interact with skeletal structures and joints and interact well with the Delavier training methods, with opposing pages contrasting step-by- step photos of exercise routines with anatomical translations in facing pages. A top pick for any sports trainer's library! Frederic Delavier's DELAVIER'S STRETCHING ANATOMY (9781405413985, $21.95) packs in over 250 four-color photos and 300 illustrations and provides programs to increase flexibility, muscle tone, and more. Each exercise includes step-by-step instruction for the stretch and variations on the theme, including anatomical illustration of movement. Stretches for each body region make this an invaluable reference. Any involved in sports events will find the in-depth reference SECURITY MANAGEMENT FOR SPORTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS: AN INTERAGENCY APPROACH TO CREATING SAFE FACILITIES by Stacey A. Hall, et.al. (0736071326, $49.00) to be a winner. It provides a systematic approach to stadium and venue security issues and addresses a range of threats, from terrorism and natural disasters to crowd control. Any sport manager will find this explains event security and outlines all the processes and procedures to assuring an arena is safe. Best practices, tips for coordinating staff, law enforcement and more contribute to a fine survey! Lorin A. Cartwright and William A. Pitney's FUNDAMENTALS OF ATHLETIC TRAINING (0736083731, $69.00) appears in its third updated edition to explain basic concepts in athletic training, reviewing injuries commonly encountered by certified trainers and offering assessment and training tips geared to high school student athletics. This covers the latest research and applications in athletic training and adds new and updated topics from handling more than one injury simultaneously to facility design and equipment maintenance. It expands instructor materials and adds online access to the guide, with chapter wrap-ups covering key terms, review questions, and more. The second updated edition of YOGA ANATOMY by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews (9781450400244, $19.95) provides an expanded, updated edition of a best-selling guide and comes from two yoga teachers who combine anatomy and evolutionary theory with yoga practices. Color illustrations throughout provide visual embellishment of all the poses and survey their corresponding anatomical structure. Any collection strong in yoga anatomy needs this vivid text. END BACK AND NECK PAIN (9780736095280, $19.95) by Vincent Fortanasce, et.al. joins the latest research with applications that have been proven to alleviate neck and back pain. Chapters review lifestyle- related influences on developing chronic neck and back pain, offering self-tests, insights on actions that contribute to pain, and how to pair selected exercises to specific areas of the spine. It focuses on different kinds of pain and how to relate this pain to different areas of the spine and different causes, considering options for treatment and home-therapy applications. A 'must' for any who would embark on a self-care plan supporting physician treatments.


The Gaming Shelf

Game Physics Pearls
Gino van den Bergen and Dirk Gregorius, Editors
A K Peters, Ltd.
5 Commonwealth Road, Suite 2C
Natick, MA 01760-1526
9781568814742, $59.95, www.akpeters.com

Game Physics Pearls covers the hands-on connection between computer games and physics and provides college-level audiences in science and gaming with correlations between collision detection, soft-body simulations and more. Topics introduce physics software for games on PCs and consoles with articles describing topics and discussing problems and solutions relating to physics and game applications. A fine, technical guide for any computer programmer or gamer interested in knowing more about the physics behind sports and games.


The Social Issues Shelf

Thirteen Loops
B.J. Hollars
University of Alabama Press
Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
0817317538, $24.95, www.uapress.ua.edu

THIRTEEN LOOPS: RACE, VIOLENCE, AND THE LAST LYNCHING IN AMERICA provides a powerful survey in the story of three innocent victims who suffered violent deaths in Alabama - as recently as 1981 in Mobile. The 1981 crime was deemed the last lynching in America - and began a race debate that became a courtroom drama when the United Klans of America was indicted. The author's research into Alabama's racial and legal systems makes this a key acquisition for any collection strong in civil rights issues and southern history alike.

Seal Press
1700 - 4th St., Berkeley CA 94710
www.sealpress.com

Michael Kaufman and Michael Kimmel's THE GUY'S GUIDE TO FEMINISM (9781580053624, $16.00) offers an A-Z reference of nearly a hundred entries written in various tones and in many forms to consider feminism's changes and how it is improving the lives of not only women and girls, but men and boys who relate to them. It's a quick, fun reference to feminism that intends on highlighting the positive aspects of feminist thinking, revealing in nearly a hundred entries the wide-ranging effects of feminism. A fine guide for any male who would better understand feminist thought! Jaclyn Friedman's WHAT YOU REALLY REALLY WANT: THE SMART GIRL'S SHAME-FREE GUIDE TO SEX AND SAFETY (9781580053440, $17.00) comes from the founder and executive director of Women, Action & the Media and provides young women with an educational guide to sexuality. From sexual communication skills and considering different boundaries to uncovering damaging social norms and refuting negative messages, this is packed with details key to developing social consciousness. Barbara Kelley and Shannon Kelley's UNDECIDED: HOW TO DITCH THE ENDLESS QUEST FOR PERFECT AND FIND THE CAREER - AND LIFE - THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU (9781580053419, $16.95) provides a guide to careers and choices and is directed to young women who face a host of employment issues. From blending a career with full-time motherhood to making the best personal decisions, this provides interviews from academics, experts and other 'undecided' women to explore the job market and social views of what makes success.

Universal Rights Down to Earth
Richard Thompson Ford
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393079005, $23.95, www.wwnorton.com

Universal Rights Down to Earth comes from a legal expert who considers the question of whether universal human rights are working. Most would immediately presume such rights are working well: but this considers such rights in theory and in application to consider the assumptions and implications involved in the concept of a 'universal right' - and why these rights may not be evident. From politics and cost influences to philosophical difficulties in the very concept and spread of 'universal rights', this provides a fine and detailed argument suitable for any college-level social issues or civil rights collection.

American Immigrant
Rosalie Pedalino Porter
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412818353, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

American Immigrant: My Life in Three Languages offers discussions of immigration policy, legal and illegal status, and more and blends a memoir of the author's experiences with an account of her professional activities as a national authority on immigrant education. Her discussions of bilingualism in public education and her discussions of opportunities for women and immigrants make for a fine survey that observes changed traditions, evolving new social paths brought by immigrant experiences, and much more. A fine pick for any collection strong in bilingualism, immigrant influence, and the social issues other cultures bring to the table.

The Consuming Instinct
Gad Saad
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616144296, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Consuming Instinct: What Juicy Burgers, Ferraris, Pornography, and Gift Giving Reveal About Human Nature discusses the underlying scientific basis for consumer behavior patterns and comes from the founder of a new field called 'evolutionary consumption' that draws links between biology and consumer actions. Most acts of consumption can be mapped onto four key Darwinian drives: this book considers the biological basis for buying and shows how marketing and advertising plays right into this basic primal psychology. Business and science collections as well as social issues libraries will find this fascinating.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

A History of Islamic Law
N.J. Coulson
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412818551, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

A History of Islamic Law deserves ongoing recommendation as a fine survey of the historic differences between Western and Islamic legal processes, and is a recommended pick for any collection strong in world legal history and procedures. Chapters produce a basic introduction to Islamic law and its origins, blending legal and social history for those who want a basic survey of legal trends and their evolution. While it tends to skim facts (after all, there's a LOT of history involved), it does serve as a fine starting point for any who would gain insights into the Muslim legal system and its comparison to Western legal processes and will be a pick for college-level collections strong in either law or Middle East history and culture.

Islam Without Extremes
Mustafa Akyol
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393070866, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com

Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty provides a fine survey discussing two extremes happening in Muslim circles: secularist and Islamist authoritarianism. One group wants an Islamic state for the world; the other wants a de-Islamized world without any religious values. Turkish author and blogger Mustafa Akyol argues for yet another path: one which blends Islam, democracy and capitalism. His survey blends a history of Islam with his idea of how Turkey moved away from the Arab world and notions of classical Islam to create its own boundaries. A fine survey, Islam Without Extremes is a pick for general and Middle East collections alike.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Methods in Bioengineering: Organ Preservation and Reengineering
Korkut Oygun and Charles Lee, Editors
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
9781608070138, $139.00, www.artechhouse.com

Research scientists and students receive step-by-step procedures and examples in "Methods in Bioengineering: Organ Preservation and Reengineering", a volume covering organ preservation and re-engineering. Techniques for damaged livers and hearts, imaging techniques, and more are covered in a fine survey for any medical professional involved in tissue engineering. From kidney harvest to engineering lung tissue, this is a 'must' for any medical collection.

Synthetic Biology
Lewis D. Solomon
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412818568, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY: SCIENCE, BUSINESS, AND POLICY tells how scientists have long been limited in their abilities to develop genetic tools by the need for natural genes to transfer from one organism to another - and makes a case for the uses of synthetic genes, instead. Synthetic biology permits more sophisticated biotechnological research, and actually rewrites genetic code. Its limitations are less and its potentials are as yet unrealized: this book recommends a policy based on self-regulation by scientific and business communities in the process of synthetic biological research, and is a powerful pick for any college-level biology or business collection.


The Psychology Shelf

Learning How to Say No When You Usually Say Yes
Maritza Manresa
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601383846, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

Learning How to Say No When You Usually Say Yes: Everything You need to Know Explained Simply uses interviews with parents, educators and psychologists to consider the psychological ramifications and results of making bad communication choices. It covers the basics of saying 'yes or no' clearly, surveys related issues of respect and acknowledgment, and is a pick for any general or psychology holding.

Mindfulness and Hypnosis
Michael D. Yapko
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393706970, $25.95, www.norton.com

MINDFULNESS AND HYPNOSIS; THE POWER OF SUGGESTION TO TRANSFORM EXPERIENCE discusses guided mindfulness meditations, when a therapist makes suggestions to a client, and is a pick for college-level collections strong in psychology and therapeutic applications. Chapters consider guided mindfulness meditations for an audience of clinicians, discussing the clinical setting and how mindfulness can be applied effectively. Any college-level psychology holding will find it thought-provoking.


The Education Shelf

Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com

Dennis D. Munk and Thomas L. Dempsey's LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLWIDE INCLUSION (1598570897, $34.95) offers a fine course on special education inclusion strategies for any school leader, showing how school teams can create a new framework for monitoring inclusion to ensure best practices standards are being met. Inclusion here is broken down into manageable goals and applies the STAR model for research-based strategies. Principals and teachers alike will find this a solid program. David H. Allsopp, Maggie M. Kyger and LouAnn H. Lovin's TEACHING MATHEMATICS MEANINGFULLY: SOLUTIONS FOR REACHING STRUGGLING LEARNERS (1557668663, $31.95) tells classroom teachers how to address math for struggling students. It provides a research-based set of strategies that work with students who have learning disabilities, reviewing the major math concepts endorsed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and surveying educator strengths and applications. Educator collections need this specific guide!

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.corwin.com

David A. Sousa, Editor's THE BEST OF CORWIN: EDUCATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE (9781452217345, $27.95) contains key chapters from critically acclaimed Corwin publications and is divided into three parts: The Developing Brain, The Brain in School, and Instructional Strategies for Every Brain. Chapters discuss what causes the brain to remember, differences between male and female brains, how students with learning disabilities think, and more. The specific application of brain neuroscience to the entire educational process makes this a winning survey! Susan Gingras Fitzell's RTI STRATEGIES FOR SECONDARY TEACHERS (9781412992220, $29.95) provides teachers with sample lesson plans to reach struggling learners and more capable learners simultaneously, and provides a template of projects that make Response to Intervention clear and applied to the secondary level. This is a solutions-oriented book; not theory. Grades 6-12 receive tested strategies that clearly show how RTI fits into secondary education programs. Kathryn Bell McKenzie and Linda Skrla's USING EQUITY AUDITS IN THE CLASSROOM TO REACH AND TEACH ALL STUDENTS (9781412986779, $26.95) outlines a variety of methods to help teachers assess their teaching results, evaluate student achievement, and develop better teaching skills. Each chapter pairs assessment tools with discussions on how teachers can achieve better quality in their classrooms and approaches, making this a fine teacher's pick! Carolyn Chapman and Rita King's DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES: ONE TOOL DOESN'T FIT ALL (978141286148, $33.95) appears in its second updated edition to provide teachers with research- based assessment tools that streamline the process of identifying student strengths and needs. From a new chapter on engaging learners in self-assessment to more assessment tools covering the entire process, this packs in surveys, checklists, work samples, rubrics and more, and makes for a key toolkit for any educator's collection. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES BY DESIGN: PUTTING THE LEARNING BACK INTO PLCS by Lois E. Brown Easton (9781412987110, $44.95) comes from an educator who pairs a case study with a chronological formula for creating professional learning communities. It demonstrates how a school can begin and implement a PLC design that engages most of the faculty, comes from a learning design consultant and coach, and follows models other than the common DuFour model alone. Alan M. Blankstein's THE ANSWER IS IN THE ROOM: HOW EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS SCALE UP STUDENT SUCCESS (9781412998765, $28.95) presents lessons the author's learned from working with schools and developing his 'Failure Is Not An Option' program, and is a pick for educators who are interested in learning about applied practical examples of change around the world. From accountability to motivation, this surveys Blankstein's techniques for assuring the best from students and educator efforts.


The Military Shelf

1812: The Navy's War
George C. Daughan
Basic Books
Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465020461, $32.50, www.basicbooks.com

1812: The Navy's War provides a comprehensive history of our Second War of Independence and blends political and military history representing some fifteen years of research using primary sources from over twenty libraries and special collections on two continents. It considers the causes and outcomes of America's second war of independence, offering an in-depth assessment of the influences upon conflicts and their outcomes. The War of 1812 was a turning point in the Navy's own history, bringing with it support for the Navy's fleet and newfound appreciation for its role in national defense strategies. Military holdings will find this a key history.

Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942-45
Robert Forsyth
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849084383, $22.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942-45 joins others in Osprey's 'Aircraft of the Aces' series and is recommended for military and aviation history collections alike. It provides a fine survey of the Luftwaffe Viermot, considers its pivotal role in military engagements, and documents the campaigns that made the most of its strengths. With vintage black and white illustrations throughout, this is a fine in-depth guide for any collection strong in military aircraft.


The Aviation Shelf

Douglas DC-3 Dakota Owner's Workshop Manual
Paul Blackah
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760342916, $28.00, www.zenithpress.com

Douglas DC-3 Dakota Owner's Workshop Manual describes an air transport craft of the 1930s and 40s that not only played a key role during World War II, but became one of the most influential transport aircraft ever. Noted for its reliability and ease of operations, the DC-3 has been noted for its pivotal role in winning the war, and here is considered in detail. Design, history, and insights into its construction and operations come form owners, pilots and engineers alike and make for a fine survey recommended for any military or aviation collection.


The Music Shelf

The Blues Guitar Handbook
Adam St. James
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781617130113, $29.99, www.backbeatbooks.com

The Blues Guitar Handbook is a powerful selection for any blues guitar player or collection catering to them: it includes a CD in its hardcover lay-flat binding format, and lends to creating a complete course in techniques and styles. From playing all blues styles from basics to advanced to the history of blues guitar and its players and how acoustic differs from electric blues techniques, this packs in keys to playing and is a fine course for any practicing blues player.

The Real Tab Book V. 1
Hal Leonard Corporation
Box 13819, Milwaukee WI 53213
9781423496694, $32.50, www.halleonard.com

The Real Tab Book V. 1 is packed with over five hundred pages of guitar tablature for popular songs ranging from Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana classics to The Beatles, ZZ Top, Jane's Addiction, Howlin Wolf and many more. Lay-flat plastic binding makes this a recommendation not so much for lending libraries as for musicians who want to add to their home reference libraries. The inclusion of lyrics and guitar tabs makes this an outstanding, wide-ranging collection of songs for any contemporary musician.

Best Music Writing 2011
Alex Ross, Editor
Da Capo
c/o Perseus Book Group
44 Farnsworth St., 3rd Floor, Boston MA 02210
9780306819639, $16.00, www.dacapopress.com

Best Music Writing 2011 offers a fine compilation of writings about different musical tastes, topics, and trends around the world. This edition celebrates a wide range of musical genres, with essays, interviews, news reports and blogs coming from the top writers in the industry. Alex Ross, guest editor, is a music critic of The New Yorker; series editor Daphne Carr is a music scholar. The two provide an outstanding collection very highly recommended for any general or music library.


The Crafts/Hobbies Shelf

The Art of Resin Clay
Sherri Haab, Rachel Haab and Michelle Haab
Potter Craft
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.crownpublishing.com
9780823027231, $21.99, www.pottercraft.com

The Art of Resin Clay: Techniques and Projects for Creating Jewelry and Decorative Objects provides a fine account offering tips for choosing the right kind of resin clay and working with it. From 20 projects illustrating a range of techniques to guidelines on safety and embellishments, this is accompanied by examples by influential artists and crafts designers working in resin clay, and is a recommended pick for any jewelry-making or crafting collection.

Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com

Nealay Patel's JEWELRY FOR THE NEW ROMANTIC: UNEXPECTED TECHNIQUES WITH CRYSTALS AND BEADING WIRE (9780871164278, $19.95) provides Edwardian-style jewelry projects that use some 10 jewelry set projects to illustrate basic beading and shaping ideas in a pick for any crafter's library. Clear color illustrations and designs provide sidebars of materials lists and clear directions even newcomers to beading can appreciate. Designs are original creations intended to make it easy for newcomers to create a project. Peter H. Riddle's SCENERY TECHNIQUES FOR TOY TRAINS (9780890247655, $17.95) tells how to use scenery to add to a toy train layout, and shows how to use insulation foam to add mountains, ponds, and other attractions. Techniques for constructing different kinds of railroad scenery use step-by-step photos to cover the construction basics, making this a clear and winning guide for any toy train buff. Tony Koester's MODEL RAILROADER'S GUIDE TO MOUNTAIN RAILROADING (9780890248157, $21.95) comes from an author who has made model railroading his life hobby, editing special issues of Model Railroader Magazine since 1995 and actively participating in the model rail community. This guide discusses layout, track planning, and how to achieve realistic mountain operation and layouts, and is a 'must' for any model railroader. Maggie Roschyk's ARTISTIC SEED BEAD JEWELRY: IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES FOR ORIGINAL DESIGNS (9780871164292, $21.95) offers some thirteen seed/bead projects and teaches how to develop an artistic eye in the process. From choosing bead styles to selecting stitches, this discusses sources for inspiration, the author's experiences with years of techniques, and how she developed versatility in her style choices. Any jewelry crafting collection will find this packed with color and inspirational ideas.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Dairy Production Medicine
Carlos A. Risco and Pedro Melendez Retamal, Editors
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780813815398, $124.99, www.wiley.com

Dairy Production Medicine provides a multidisciplinary approach to the production of livestock and milk, blending in veterinary insights from various disciplines and surveys everything from nutrition to genetics and clinical medicine. Chapters on economics and human resource management accompany technical details on dairy herd management and special concerns, making this a pick for any serious collection on agricultural management or large animal veterinary needs.

Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com

P.J. Quinn, et.al.'s VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY AND MICROBIAL DISEASE, 2ND EDITION (9781405158237, $99.99) is for any veterinary college or reference collection, as microbiology is a basic subject in any vet's curriculum. The prior edition became a basic text for students and this fully revised, expanded new edition updates the topic for pre-clinical and clinical vet students. Twelve new chapters with many new illustrations have been added, each chapter has been updated and the entire book features a new arrangement and color format. Tables, boxes and diagrams provide fine accompaniment to the discussions of diagnostics and infectious conditions. A 'must have' reference, this also will be a college-level vet student's assigned text for many classrooms. Todd L. Towell edits PRACTICAL WEIGHT MANAGEMENT IN DOGS AND CATS ($59.99, 9780813809564) provides a detailed clinical reference for any veterinary business and provides tools to manage pet obesity, offering a blend of nutrition insights, internal medicine and rehabilitation practices, prevention techniques, and programs for educating owners. Chapters provide specific information on everything from taking a nutritional history to understanding feeding options, and provide an overall wellness program key to any pet's health.

Deadly Powers
Paul A. Trout
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145019, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

DEADLY POWERS: ANIMAL PREDATORS AND THE MYTHIC IMAGINATION discusses predatory animals and the innate fears humans harbor about them, exploring the origins of stories and myths surrounding predators and humans. It considers how our ancestors mythologized animal predators as monsters, gods, and benefactors alike, and how fear entered into the predator/human relationship. Any college-level collection interested in the mythos surrounding human/nature relationships will find this an inviting survey.


The Photography Shelf

Buying the Right Photo Equipment
Elin Rantakrans
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
9781933952840, $19.95, www.rockynook.com

Buying the Right Photo Equipment: 70 Tips from the Top teaches the basics of photographic tools and what each tool can accomplish. Color photos outline different equipment and provide examples of what filters, flash and other enhancements do to photographic results. The result is a top pick for any beginner, and for collections catering to them.

Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
www.amherstmedia.com

John Siskin's PHOTOGRAPHING ARCHITECTURE: LIGHTING, COMPOSITION, POSTPRODUCTION, AND MARKETING TECHNIQUES (9781608952595, $34.95) offers a survey of the technical and artistic skills required to produce outstanding interior and exterior images. From planning for the shoot and positioning the camera to balancing mixed light sources, this is a basic acquisition for any professional collection where architectural photography is a highlight. Barry Staver's MASTER'S GUIDE TO OFF-CAMERA FLASH: PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS (9781608952489, $34.95) teaches how adding off-camera flash can help produce outstanding images, and discusses the basics of light, flash, and scenarios where adding flash can supplement existing light as well as being a sole light source. From obtaining the right flash unit and gear to using units more effectively, chapters provide color photo examples of flash-enhanced results and make for a fine survey for any aspiring photographer and for libraries catering to them.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Tipsy Vegan
John Schilmm
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridg MA 02142
9780738215075, $17.00, www.dacapopress.com

THE TIPSY VEGAN: 75 BOOZY RECIPES TO TURN EVERY BITE INTO HAPPY HOUR features over seventy dishes that showcase plant-based recipes. From Wild Rice Under the Influence to Hot Toddy Tofu with Shiitakes and Banana French Toast, these dishes all incorporate various forms of booze yet remain true to vegan form, and will delight vegan cooks wishing to add more spice to their dishes.

Vegan Pie in the Sky
Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridg MA 02142
9780738212746, $17.00, www.dacapopress.com

Vegan Pie in the Sky: 75 Out-of-This-World Recipes for Pies, Tarts, Cobblers, and More offers recipes for fruit pies, cheesecakes, buckles and other traditional dishes redone for vegan dairy- and egg-free pursuits, and is a fine recommendation for any vegan cooking collection. Learn to produce buttery pie crusts without butter, creamy pies that don't rely on dairy products, and innovative pies from S'mores Pie to Sweet Potato Brazil Nut Crunch Pie. Vegan lovers can have desserts traditionally packed with diary with the appealing adaptations here, recommended for any vegan cookbook collection.

Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Better Homes and Gardens publishes appealing cookbooks with the tested name brand offering foolproof results, and two new arrivals are top recommendations. THE ULTIMATE LOW- CALORIE BOOK (9781118038147, $19.99) provides a fine collection of low-calorie dishes that run from main courses and sides to desserts, and provides dishes that can be made in 30 minutes or less. Over 300 color photos accompany such meals as Grilled Chicken with Watermelon Salsa, Thai Tuna Toss, and Curried Apple Soup to provide an outstanding selection of variations on themes perfect for cooks seeking something different. 365 30-MINUTE MEALS (9781118000038, $19.99) provides a fine gathering of family dinners for readers looking for main-course options alone. From soups and stews to sandwiches and all kinds of meats, this offers keys to substituting ingredients and offers nutrition details for each dish. From Salmon and Mozzarella Fettuccine to Apple-Sausage Rigatoni, this is packed with delightful options. Both are top recommendations for general-interest collections. Professional chefs and collections catering to them shouldn't miss The Culinary Institute of America's THE PROFESSIONAL CHEF (9780470421352, $75.00), which appears in its 9th updated edition to probe chefs with a 'bible' packed with professional keys to success. Here are chapters on cooking everything from basics and beyond, with introductions including basic formulas, expert tips for customizing or embellishment, and sections of recipes serving 8-10 people. Cross-references to basics such as homemade stocks provide all the information needed to produce polished, professional results.

A Tea Reader
Katrina Avila Munichiello
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9780804841764, $16.95, www.tuttlepublishing.com

A TEA READER; LIVING LIFE ONE CUP AT A TIME contains stories that share ways in which tea has changed lives, and offers personal accounts from all kinds of tea fans; from those brought up with a background of tea tradition and serving to those new to the art. The stories use the tea ceremony and preparation to discuss everything from friendships and careers to survival tactics, providing a fine and gentle survey of the influence of tea on everyday lives.

Ultimate Cookies
Julia M. Usher
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423619345, $24.99, www.gibbs-smith.com

Julia M. Usher's ULTIMATE COOKIES comes from a pastry chef and food writer who provides an outstanding survey of cookie recipes for readers who would make exceptional cookies. Steve Adams provides the color photos throughout, contributing to a title that covers everything from superior versions of familiar fare to unusual cookies such as cookie bacon and eggs. The focus on decorated cookies makes for a focus that sounds time-consuming but actually is not: stencils, stamps, flocking, even 3-D designs can be done in stages so even busy cooks can produce polished-looking results. Any seeking a different cookie cookbook will love this!

The French Slow Cooker
Michele Scicolone
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547508047, $22.00, www.hmhbooks.com

French food is traditionally considered labor-intensive: not so with THE FRENCH SLOW COOKER, which comes from a food and wine expert who has traveled to nearly every region of France to master the country's traditional dishes. These in turn are revised for the slow cooker - and offer home cooks a fabulous assortment of simplified French fare, from soups and stews to festive and regional dishes. Color photos by Alan Richardson accompany these dishes, which range from the classic Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic to Normandy Pork with Apples and Basque Tuna and Potato Stew.

Kitchen On Fire!
Olivier Said and Chef Mikec
Da Capo
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738214535, $35.00, www.dacapopress.com

Kitchen On Fire! Mastering the Art of Cooking in 12 Weeks (or Less) comes from the founders of a Berkeley cooking school of the same name and surveys the basic cooking principles underlying all dishes. The emphasis is on learning these basics then applying them to overall efforts. The 12-week basics are presented in chapter cooking lessons, which include a recipe at the end of every section to demonstrate the techniques. Step-by-step color photos throughout, measurement conversion charts, tools, and more make this an 'all-in-one' home course for any aspiring to better cooking!

Southern Living 2011 Annual Recipes
Southern Living
Oxmoor House
PO Box 11095
Des Moines, Iowa 50336-1095
9780848734879, $34.95, www.oxmoorhouse.com

Southern Living 2011 Annual Recipes pairs menu plans and test kitchen secrets with every single recipe from 2011 - over 750 of them - to make for a lovely guide that includes black and white and color photos and nutrition details. Sidebars of at-a-glance information on nearly every page discuss how to assure foolproof results, making results more predictable and cooking fun. From quick-fix suppers from farmer's market fare to quick and easy summer ice cream treats, this is a winning collection perfect for any general lending library.

101 Recipes for Preparing Food in Bulk
Richard Helweg
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala FL 34471
9781601393600, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

101 Recipes for Preparing Food in Bulk: Everything You Need to Know About Preparing, Storing, and Consuming covers all topics about bulk food preparations, from where to purchase foods in bulk to kitchen supplies needed to cook with them. Discussions range from handling frozen foods to cooking in large quantities, with recipes included for all meals from breakfast to snacks. The keys to successful storing, freezing and reheating of foods come from interviews with dozens of experts from the food service industry, making this a fine and basic guide.


The Interior Design Shelf

Toward a New Interior
Lois Weinthal, Editor
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003
9781616890360, $24.95, www.papress.com

Toward a New Interior: An Anthology of Interior Design Theory provides college-level collections with a fine gathering of works by Kobo Abe, Charlotte Mullins, Ellen Lupton and others notable in interior design theory. Artistic, philosophical, and architectural reflections on modern interior design theory make for chapters packed with black and white photos and insights on interior design models and engineering concepts. From homes to public performance spaces and American architectural heritage as a whole, this is packed with scholarly, reflective insights perfect for interior designers!

Katie Ridder Rooms
Heather Smith MacIsaac
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (dist.)
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com
9780865652729, $50.00, www.vendomepress.com

Eric Piasecki's fine good-sized color photos enhance an oversized coffee-table style volume based on interior decorator Katie Ridder's eye for blending antique and modern pieces for a unique result. Ridder has produced a wide range of room styles for clients around the world, and some of her most diverse creations are profiled here. Interior designers can use her designs for their own approaches and will find this a virtual treasure trove of ideas, highly recommended for any serious interior design collection!

Exotic Taste
Emmanuelle Gaillard and Marc Walter
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
9780865652736, $75.00, www.vendomepress.com

EXOTIC TASTE: ORIENTIALIST INTERIORS features gorgeous oversized photos by Marc Walter and provides a fine historical survey of the evolution of Asian-inspired Orientalist interiors. Chapters consider Asian source of Orientalist design and offer surveys of 18th and 19th century interiors, from photos to illustrations of fabrics, wallpapers, costumes and more. Presented in an oversized coffee table edition, EXOTIC TASTE is an outstanding survey for any interested in interior design and creates a fine blend of art history and world influences on trends and designs.


The Fashion Shelf

Famous Frocks
Sara Alm and Hannach McDevitt
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811877916, $29.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Famous Frocks: Patterns and Instructions for Recreating Fabulous Iconic Dresses offers 10 patterns for twenty dresses, provides two-color drawings by Kerrie Hess, and covers all kinds of classic dresses, from frocks worn by Marilyn to Farrah's wrap dress. Vintage photos of the original appear beside color illustrations of the finished frock, while full-size sewing patterns for some ten dresses inspired by these classics make for a fine sewing guide for updated patterns.

Advanced Textiles for Health and Well-Being
Marie O'Mahony
Thames and Hudson
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780500515877, $50.00, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Advanced Textiles for Health and Well-Being comes from creative designers and engineers developing new, high-performance fabrics and provides a fine survey of the latest technological advances in manmade fibers and fabrics. Chapters consider the materials, coatings and new developments in biotechnology and nanotechnology and provide over 200 color illustrations in an authoritative resource for design professionals and fashion students alike.


The Architecture Shelf

Nano House
Phyllis Richardson
Thames and Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500342732, $29.96, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

NANO HOUSE: INNOVATIONS FOR SMALL DWELLINGS is a pick for homeowner and architecture collections alike, profiling the latest solutions for houses where space is limited and nature must be preserved and considering new eco-materials and new prefabrication technologies that have led to revolutionary new approaches to small-scale habitats. Phyllis Richardson has written numerous books on interiors and design: her discussion of small dwelling innovations provides a fine survey for architects, designers and homeowners alike.

Mediterranean Architecture
Jock M. Seawall, AIA
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764338915, $100.00, www.schifferbooks.com

MEDITERRANEAN ARCHITECTURE: A SOURCEBOOK OF ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS packs in well over 1,000 images and discussions of specific elements of Mediterranean architectural style and is a 'must' for any collection strong in the region's special attributes. It's an in-depth study organized by type of elements from fountains to wrought iron, roof elements, exterior stairs and other specifics. Full-page color photos offer close-up specifics on these elements, offering a photographic survey intended to help architects identify styles in existing buildings to incorporate them successfully into modern efforts. No
serious architectural library should be without this!

Aesthetic Theory
Mark Foster Gage
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393733495, $29.95, www.wwnorton.com

AESTHETIC THEORY: ESSENTIAL TEXTS FOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN reconsiders historic and modern texts on architecture and objects to blend philosophy, aesthetics, literature and art history in a blend of ideas about structure and beauty, and is a recommended pick for college-level architecture and design collections. It proposes a different framework for understanding aesthetics that embraces these wide-ranging elements, and provides designers and architects with a set of new standards defining design practices across disciplines. A fine recommendation for any college-level architecture and arts holding!

Project Japan: Metabolism Talks
Rem Koolhaas, et.al.
TASCHEN America
107 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
9783836525084, $59.99, www.taschen.com

Project Japan interviews the remaining members of Metabolism, a group of apprentice architects, artists and designers who created a new form of architecture in Japan that proposed a radical makeover of the entire land. This history and artistic survey of their designs is a 'must' for any collection strong in global architectural trends: it provides a rare survey that incorporates the ideals and creations of the group with interviews with their collaborators, rivals, mentors, critics and families, and it documents the last avant-garde movement to realize that architecture was a public philosophy rather than a private endeavor. Simply outstanding!

FEAC Certified Architect CEA Study Guide
Prakash C. Rao, MS, CEA
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
0071756132, $80.00, www.mhprofessional.com

FEAC Certified Architect CEA Study Guide is a 'must' for any who would take the exam, offering a combination of test review and practices. Coverage of all official CEA exam objectives are included in a certification guide that offers simulated exam questions that match the format, tone and difficulty of the real exam. Tables of examples, charts showing operational resource flow and matrix models, and more provide clear, specific details, discussions and exam prototypes. A 'must' reference for any FEAC test-taker!


The Art Shelf

Transport
William Steiger
Hudson Hills Press
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953584, $60.00, www.hudsonhills.com

TRANSPORT is the first monograph of New York artist William Steiger and offers a survey of his landscape paintings and images, making this a fine acquisition for New York or arts collections. Ten section openers provide writings by leading critics and architects to accompany the painting reproductions, which focus on New York themes and places. The ongoing contrast between manmade and natural is highlighted in an fine survey recommended for any arts collection strong in modern artistic representations.

Lessons in Classical Drawing
Juliette Aristides
Watson Guptill Publications
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780823006595, $29.99, www.watsonguptill.com

Lessons in Classical Drawing: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier includes a companion DVD tutorial and provides a complete analysis of drawing and it elements. The entire drawing process is broken down into small, manageable lessons that teach basic techniques and approaches, while the companion DVD, filmed in Italy, provides drawing lessons with live instruction. Black and white and color illustrations throughout provide good-sized illustration of the entire drawing process, making this a top pick for any aspiring illustrator and collections catering to them.


The Science Shelf

Cosmic Numbers
James D. Stein
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465021987, $25.99, www.basicbooks.com

COSMIC NUMBERS: THE NUMBERS THAT DEFINE OUR UNIVERSE comes from a math professor who reveals the power of numbers and considers the idea of 'cosmic numbers' that define our world. His explorations of ideas such as Boltzmann's constant follows the notions of ancient to modern scientists and mathematicians, considering the meaning behind mathematics and its influence on physics, chemistry and astronomy. Any interested in numbers theories will find this a winning survey.

The Infinity Puzzle
Frank Close
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465021444, $28.99, www.basicbooks.com

THE INFINITY PUZZLE: Quantum Field Theory and the Hunt for an Orderly Universe is a recommendation not just for college-level science holdings, but for general-interest libraries and considers the theory and meaning of the Higgs boson. The basic premise, puzzle, and race between physicists to figure out the answer is charted in a series of lively chapters that provide general readers with an accessible basis in physics theory and quantum field research. In the course of explaining the research history, Oxford physicist Frank Close documents the major personalities involved in the Higgs theory and its pursuit. A fine addition to any general science collection!

The Elements: A Visual Exploration
Theodore Gray
Black Dog & Leventhal
151 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
9781579128142, $29.95, www.blackdogandleventhal.com

The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe pairs photos by Theodore Gray and Nick Mann with a fine visual survey of the 118 elements in the periodic table. It comes from five years of research and offers close-up color shots of each element in its pure form, along with facts, figures and scientific data on their properties. General-interest public libraries and school science holdings from high school to college will find this equally attractive to lay and science readers, offering a fine study packed with visual representation rare in the science world. Highly recommended for a wide range of collections!

A Strange Wilderness
Amir D. Aczel
Sterling Publishing
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8610
9781402785849, $24.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

A STRANGE WILDERNESS: THE LIVES OF THE GREAT MATHEMATICIANS reads like fiction but provides a fine story of mathematicians and how they arrived at their groundbreaking theorems. A host of famous mathematicians are revealed, with stories probing their lives, personalities, and eccentric ways. From Rene Descartes, a swordsman extraordinaire who made math one of his many pastimes, to Georg Cantor, who struggled with mental illness even as he produced revolutionary theorems, this provides a fine, lively survey suitable for any math and general-interest science holding.

Shells
Joyce Tenneson
Down East
Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
9780892729760, $40.00, www.downeast.com

SHELLS: NATURE'S EXQUISITE CREATIONS provides a lovely photographic celebration of the art and science of seashells, and provides a fine survey packing in pages of color photos of shells. It comes from a passionate shell collector who packs pages of color photos with natural history details on shells, creating a presentation suitable for arts and science holdings alike. SHELLS is a gorgeous presentation, not to be missed!

The Manga Guide to Biochemistry
Masharu Takemura, Kikuyaro and Office Sawa
No Starch Press
38 Ringold St., San Francisco CA 94103
9781593272760, $24.95, www.nostarch.com/manga

The Manga Guide to Biochemistry joins others in No Starch Press's line of educational comics and uses the black and white manga comic format to offer an introduction to biochemistry. Educational manga has helped students around the world learn complicated math and science: this covers everything from lipids and how DNA is transcribed into RNA to healthy eating and more, offering college and high school students an easily-accessed reference perfect for slow science learners.

Changes in the Technological Landscape
Svante Lindqvist
Science History Publishing
Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562-1240
9780881354003, $55.00, www.shpusa.com

Changes in the Technological Landscape: Essays in the History of Science and Technology provides college-level collections with a gathering of articles and essays synthesizing the author's thinking over several decades on the history and philosophy of science and technology. With subjects such as the history and science of capital punishment to labs in the woods around the world, this offers a fine survey blending philosophy, science, and historical inquiry suitable for any scholarly holding.

The Species Seekers
Richard Conniff
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393341324, $17.95, www.wwnorton.com

THE SPECIES SEEKERS: HEROES, FOOLS, AND THE MAD PURSUIT OF LIFE ON EARTH tells of explorers who made it their mission to help catalog life on earth. There are only a little over 4,000 species listed by Linnaeus in 1758 - and some 2 million today. This recounts the early naturalists who discovered unknown creatures around the world, enduring all kinds of tribulations and trials in the process of discovering new species. THE SPECIES SEEKERS covers an era when humanity hungered for these new discoveries, and provides a history not just of species discovery efforts, but how these discoveries changed belief systems and contributed to scientific and religious changes around the world. A fine guide for any science and nature collection and many a general holding.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Water: Asia's New Battleground
Brahma Chellaney
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect St. NW, Washington DC 20007
9781589017719, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Water: Asia's New Battleground is a top recommendation for any college-level collection strong in Asian or natural resources issues, and tells how the issues of tomorrow's Asia may revolve around water rights. Pollution, global warming and over development are straining the entire region's water resources: this documents the increasing evidence that water stress is to be Asia's defining crisis of the 21st century, discussing water resources over national boundaries and potentials for conflict throughout the region. Any collection strong in links between natural resources management and politics will find this a key acquisition.


The American History Shelf

America, Empire of Liberty
David Reynolds
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465022144, $19.99, www.basicbooks.com

America, Empire of Liberty: A New History of the United States comes from a historian who uses Jefferson's phrase as the foundation for a dialogue about American history from early times to modern. It provides a single-volume history of the U.S. and considers the evolution of this country to superpower status in modern times, considering the pros and cons during the course of its evolution. The concepts of 'empire', 'faith' and 'liberty' are at the heart of discussions that offer a chronological assessment of America's evolutionary process, perfect for general or American history collections alike!


The Christian Studies Shelf

Lazarus, Come Forth!
John Dear
Orbis Books
PO Box 308
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759369, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Lazarus, Come Forth!: How Jesus Confronts the Culture of Death and Invites Us into the New Life of Peace combines scholarship and a personal spiritual journey to show how the Gospel story invites individuals and communities alike to discover the journey from death to new life. The resurrection of Lazarus is recounted from John's Gospel and provides both analysis of passages from John and discussion of the author's personal interpretation. A fine survey evolves!

Catholicism for Dummies, second edition
Rev. John Trigilio, Jr., PhD, ThD
Rev. Keneth Brighenti, PhD
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118077788, $22.99, www.wiley.com

The second updated edition of Catholicism for Dummies provides a basic and easy reference to Catholicism, from prayers and the Church to Catholic interpretations of saints, religion and faith. Catholics receive a fine guide to taking their faith to new levels, including a guide to praying the Rosary, while newcomers to Catholicism receive an excellent overview that is packed with the latest insights on faith, reflection and Catholicism. Any collection seeking a basic introduction for everyone will find Catholicism for Dummies the item of choice.

Raised by the Church
Edward Rohs and Judith Estrine
Fordham University Press
University Box L, Bronx NY 10458
9780823240227, $22.95, www.fordham.edu

RAISED BY THE CHURCH: GROWING UP IN NEW YORK CITY'S CATHOLIC ORPHANAGES follows the author's growth in a series of Catholic orphanages - five in all - in New York City in postwar New York. From 1946 on he was raised in the Catholic orphanage system, and this book charts the history of Catholic orphanages, beliefs about the poor and about religions, and how the Catholic orphanage system in New York exploded with growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. This wide-ranging title will appeal to many types of collections, from spiritual holdings to those strong in social issues or New York history.

Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndalehouse.com

It seems fairly certain the 'Left Behind' authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins couldn't have envisioned what a powerful and lasting impact their religious novel LEFT BEHIND would bring. Based on the Book of Revelation, LEFT BEHIND uses Biblical writings paired with fictional characters and events surrounding the End of Days, creating a vivid plot packed with the power of one unbeliever's conversion just as the world experiences massive disappearances - and just as a political figure seems to rise from conflict and confusion to offer purpose and meaning to a panicked world. In short order four other books joined the LEFT BEHIND: The Tale of the Earth's Last Days (TRIBULATION FORCE: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind, NICOLAE: The Rise of the Anti-Christ, and SOUL HARVEST: The World Takes Sides), extended the story line, and are now available in a slipcased paperback set (0842357459, $55.96). The reading level is purposely set low; not so that a substandard reading level is required, but so as to assure the plot remains an accessible, quick read for the vast majority of general-interest spirituality readers. In the course of four adventures the strongest protagonists left behind face the spectre of Nicolae, the apparent anti-Christ who will lead the world to final battle, and find their own beliefs and hearts changed in the process of their personal and political confrontation with a monster. Volumes 5-8 in the series continue the saga with another 4- paperback slipcased set available (0842357467, $55.96). Continuing the confrontation between good and evil in this set is APOLIYON: The Destroyer is Unleashed, ASSASSINS, THE INDWELLING and THE MARK. In APOLYION Buck and his wife question whether they should have a child in the face of the possible destruction of the world while Nicolae continues his rise to power, Assassins: Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist continues to tell how the scattered Tribulation Force is struggling to regroup as Nicolae is rebuilding the world and his power, The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession follows the assassination of the Antichrist in which Force members are indicted while the world mourns its leader - until a miracle happens at Nicolae's funeral. The Mark: The Beast Rules the World reveals Nicolae for what he is, to the rest of the world: an Antichrist who begins his reign of terror. His wielding of technology allows his personal mark to be placed on all, as the Force struggles against him. The last novels of the series are not yet boxed and slipcased but are no less powerful for their individual presentation. DESECRATION: ANTICHRIST TAKES THE THRONE (9781414334981, $14.99) presents Nicolae in full power roaming the Earth as sores appear upon the flesh of his followers and the Force retreats only to watch bombs begin to fall on a doomed planet. THE REMNANT: ON THE BRINK OF ARMAGEDDON (9781414334998, $14.99) continues to hold the tension as Buck and his friends flee the destructive path the wicked Nicolae is carving through the world. ARMAGEDDON; THE COSMIC BATTLE OF THE AGES (9781414335001, $14.99) moves into the last battleground of the Middle East as the Force awaits the Second Coming. GLORIOUS APPEARING: THE END OF DAYS (9781414335018, $14.99) offers the final conclusion - The Second Coming - and chronicles the final battle between the Force and evil, concluding 7 years of tribulation as prophesied in Revelations. There are repetitions of plot and theme in every book and while some might argue the entire story could've been told in fewer volumes, few will argue that the saga in its entirety offers a depth and drama based on religious and moral inspection that could not have been captured in fewer books. It's this attention to personal struggle by those who have already been passed over for The Rapture that make this entire series so fascinating. Underlying the obvious good vs. evil structure and the direct Biblical quotes and structure is the changing and very real human dilemmas that continue in a world changed by the now-obvious presence of an evil force. LEFT BEHIND's ability to mirror Biblical prophecy while creating protagonists who convert only to find their newfound faiths tested makes for a gripping saga for Christians and secular readers alike. The simpler writing style won't detract from the action even for more educated readers expecting something complex, while allowing wide accessibility for audiences whose reading levels aren't at the advanced college level.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Intimate Life
Judith Blackstone, PhD
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue
Louisville, CO 80027
9781604075625, $16.95, www.soundstrue.com

THE INTIMATE LIFE: AWAKENING TO THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE IN YOURSELF AND OTHERS comes form a teacher and psychotherapist who shares seventeen practices relating psychology to spiritual awakening. These practices teach foundation skills, from overcoming boundary problems to cultivating awareness and physical contact. It's all about making contact with the world on many different levels: THE INTIMATE LIFE discusses these levels and how to get the most from them.


The Business Shelf

Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Karl Denninger's LEVERAGE: HOW CHEAP MONEY WILL DESTROY THE WORLD (9781118122846, $34.95) comes from a market commentator who follows the path of money through history to reveal the addictive power of its political punch, and what happens when that power falls into the hands of only a few. Invaluable connections between business pursuits and politics are drawn in a guide that not only provides historical background but draws connections to current world affairs and relationships between big business and world politics. A powerful title, this is a pick for business and political shelves alike! Ali Velshi and Christine Romans' HOW TO SPEAK MONEY: THE LANGUAGE AND KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED NOW (9781118114957, $24.95) offers a practical coverage that teaches the basics of who controls money. It comes from CNN financial experts who talk about the global language of money and its meaning to individuals, and offers discussions of international economies, wealth-building strategies, and connections between money and social issues. A fine guide for any general business collection and many a basic lending library! Also recommended is Charles H. Green & Andrea P. Howe's THE TRUSTED ADVISOR FIELDBOOK: A COMPREHENSIVE TOOLKIT FOR LEADING WITH TRUST (9781118085646, $27.95). It provides a guide to being a trusted advisor for leaders across a range of industries, offering a companion to the popular THE TRUSTED ADVISOR and providing exercises and resources to handle a range of common situations at work. Color-coded sidebars of detail accompany instructions on everything from delivering a pitch to rating partnering strengths and weaknesses. Any business leader will find these instructions specific, tested, and enlightening.

Exile on Wall Street
Mike Mayo
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118115466, $29.95, www.wileyfinance.com

EXILE ON WALL STREET: ONE ANALYST'S FIGHT TO SAVE THE BIG BANKS FROM THEMSELVES comes form a banking analyst who maintains the financial crisis hasn't changed anything. The author worked for the Federal Reserve and for many of the biggest banks in the world: his accounts of banking encounters, mishaps, and dirty practices makes for a condemnation of the world banking industry's underlying structure, and considers the behind-the- scenes works of the world's largest institutions. Any collection strong in financial and banking history will find this provocative.

Pricing the Future
George Szpiro
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465022489, $28.00, www.basicbooks.com

PRICING THE FUTURE: FINANCE, PHYSICS, AND THE 300-YEAR JOURNEY TO THE BLACK-SCHOLES EQUATION: A STORY OF GENIUS AND DISCOVERY comes from a financial economist who tells the history of the options pricing formula, one of the modern world's most significant intellectual achievements. The discovery of the equation led to very different investment decision routines, and provided the groundwork for accountants and others working around the world. It blends science, math and business pursuits in a lively, detailed coverage drawing important connections between science and business worlds.

Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
www.amacombooks.org

Michelle Tillis Lederman's THE 11 LAWS OF LIKABILITY: RELATIONSHIP NETWORKING... BECAUSE PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THEY LIKE (9780814416372, $16.95) provides a fine survey of how to do conduct more effective networking to support business purposes, showing how networking can be easy as well as beneficial to career goals. Networkers need to place priority on something everyone can relate to: the basics of being liked and likeable. Chapters show how to use 'likability' to establish better business relationships, and provide anecdotes and real-world applications perfect for relative newcomers to business networking concepts. Susan Wilson Solovic's IT'S YOUR BIZ: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BECOMING YOUR OWN BOSS (9780814416716, $22.95) comes from the author's decades of experience as a serial entrepreneur and provides the details all small business owners need to make better business decisions, from the initial idea of a start-up to its growth and the owner's successful selling of the business. Solovic encourages readers to examine their motivation for starting a business and considers the elements, reasoning and influences on success in a fine pick for any small business shelf. R. William Holland's CRACKING THE NEW JOB MARKET; THE 7 RULES FOR GETTING HIRED IN ANY ECONOMY (9780814417348, $17.95) helps job seekers understand what employers are really seeking, offering tools that show their value to HR departments and organizations. Job seekers can use these tools to successful stand out from the crowd in a book that challenges the common approaches to job searches and careers. New research and case histories of successful approaches are presented along with cautions for job searchers, making this an outstanding pick for any library catering to job seekers.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Finishing School
Deborah Newton
SixthandSpring Books
161 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10013
9781936096190, $29.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

Finishing School: A Master Class for Knitters provides techniques and advice to create lovely knits, pairing instructions for 15 projects with illustrated workshops exploring the techniques involved in creating them. Tutorials are featured in sidebars that discuss finishing techniques and survey embellishments, blocking, and more. The focus on not just creating knitted products but adding professional finishing touches to the results makes for a powerful survey recommended for any knitter.

The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook
Nora Abousteit with Alison Kelly
Potter Craft
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307586742, $29.99, www.pottercraft.com

The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook tells how to create fashionable clothing and comes from fashion designers who focus on better-fitting clothing. Tutorials offer five adaptable sewing patterns for a skirt, blouse, dress, coat and bag, and pair them with step-by-step basics that teach how to move from basic sewing to customization. Bare-bones beginners who have never sewed before even receive keys to setting up a sewing space and using a sewing machine. The focus on 'perfect fit' makes this a winning guide, packed with illustrations and examples.

Socktopus
Alice Yu
Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
9781600854101, $19.95, www.taunton.com

Socktopus: 17 Pairs of Socks to Knit and Show Off provides 17 patterns to accompany color photos and a range of tips and techniques for creating vivid, better-fitting socks, making this a fine pick for any knitter's library. It comes from British sock designer Alice Yu and features textured socks that combine a variety of knitting approaches to produce a unique look and patterns not to be found elsewhere. Patterns include close-up photos of any difficult stitches and while basics are also covered, this is a sock guide especially recommended for knitters who already have most of the basics down, and who wish to move to the next level.

Fabric-by-Fabric One-Yard Wonders
Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins
Storey
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603425865, $29.95, www.storey.com

Fabric-by-Fabric One-Yard Wonders offers a range of affordable, easy projects for occasional and dedicated needleworkers alike. And each design requires just one yard of fabric. From gym bags and scarves to dresses and stuffed toys, this provides a fine array of projects which each receive a color photo, step-by-step directions, and a complete cutting layout. All pattern pieces are in an envelope inside the book, making this a fine gift pick for any needleworker.

Sew Up a Home Makeover
Lexie Barnes
Storey
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603427975, $19.95, www.storey.com

Sew Up a Home Makeover offers a fine resource for any interested in using modern fabrics to make changes with just a few simple sewing projects. From a custom slipcover and coordinated pillows to sewing a headboard cover for a bedroom and producing matching window treatments, this offers some 50 pattern-free sewing projects that can be easily adapted to a range of interior spaces. Easy directions include some non-sewing pointers, making for a title perfect for needlework or interior design collections alike!

Ultimate Mittens
Robin Hansen
Down East
Box 679, Camden ME 04843
9780892729753, $35.00, www.downeast.com

Ultimate Mittens: 28 Classic Patterns to Keep You Warm packs in classic patterns from different cultures to create a book filled with all kinds of mitten choices. From Scandinavian and Canadian maritime patterns to Afghan gloves and beyond, this comes not from any original author contribution but from patterns recreated from photos, old directions, and different cultures around the world. All have been updated and adapted for the modern knitter, with projects offering something for all skills levels. A fine addition to any knitting collection!

Voyageur Press
400 - 1st Avenue North #300, Minneapolis MN 55401
www.voyageurpress.com

Editor Kari Cornell's, KNITTING SCARVES FROM AROUND THE WORLD (9780760340646, $24.99) provides over twenty patterns in a variety of styles and techniques from knitters around the world and provides a satisfying collection of unique scarves. Patterns for elaborate lace shawls, colorwork scarves, and cabled scarves offer variety and lovely unique patterns. Any knitting collection will find this a unique and fine addition. Lela Nargi edits KNITTING AROUND THE WORLD (9780760337945, $35.00), a history of world knitting traditions that pairs lovely color photo examples with a history of knitting techniques and regional styles. Profiles of historically significant knitters up to modern times accompany discussions of techniques and unique styles in a fine pick for any knitter's collection.

Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Ave. NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com

Rachel Manring's PLAYFUL LITTLE KNITS: COSTUMES AND CLOTHES FOR A SIMPLE SEWN DOLL (9781604680386, $19.99) is for any knit crafter looking for projects to make for kids, and teaches how to knit doll clothes and how to sew a simple doll to wear them. A 9" doll pattern is included in the book and the wardrobe offers tops and bottoms for different doll costumes. Color photos and close-ups provide excellent accompaniment to the easy step-by-step sewing and knitting directions. Pat Wys' SPOTLIGHT ON NEUTRALS: QUILTS AND MORE FOR ANY DECOR (9781604680508, $24.99) provides a fine survey of pieced and appliqued designs that emphasize use of 'neutral' colors - browns, grays and whites - in home decor. 12 projects include pillows, table toppers and more and are designed to be made with stash holdings. The geometric patterns and neutral blends are appealing and recommended for any needleworker looking for home projects and different color combinations. SLASH YOUR STASH: SCRAP QUILTS FROM MCCALL'S QUILTING (9781604680706, $24.99) provides a fine survey of piecing scrap quilts and uses some sixteen pieced and appliqued designs from McCall's Quilting as examples. A range of designers and scrap design approaches make this a fine recommendation for any quilter's library! Cheryl Almgren Taylor's INSPIRATIONAL APPLIQUE: REFLECTIONS OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE (9781604680485, $26.99) is a recommendation for quilting and crafts collections alike, offering lovely applique designs inspired by Bible passages. Motifs from nature and Biblical images combine in some eleven designs that range from wall hangings and pillows to table toppers. The full-sized applique templates are accompanied by step-by-step directions, color photos of completed projects, and small color illustrations of the techniques involved.


The Biography Shelf

Life is Not a Stage
Florence Henderson with Joel Brokaw
Center Street
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017-0010
9781599955885, $25.99, www.centerstreet.com

LIFE IS NOT A STAGE: FROM BROADWAY BABY TO A LOVELY LADY AND BEYOND provides a fine autobiography of actress Florence Henderson, one of ten children who grew up in rural Indiana. Florence's father was nearly seventy when Florence was born, twenty years after her parents married. Her childhood was filled with struggles with poverty and alcoholism. Her childhood struggles, the path that led her to a successful Hollywood career, and her personal struggles with depression, divorce, and physical problems make for a powerful account of faith and perseverance perfect for film and biography holdings.

Shockaholic
Carrie Fisher
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10020
9780743264822, $22.00, www.simonandschuster.com

SHOCKAHOLIC provides a funny survey of her life and comes from an actress, screenwriter and novelist who offers details about her life - including her bi-polar disorder, a condition for which she recently underwent electroconvulsive therapy with much success. This therapy led to memory loss: she decided she needed to write her memories down before they vanished - and her new book provides a fine collection of colorful experiences and personal revelations perfect for any general lending library.

Howard Cosell
Mark Ribowsky
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393080179, $29.95, www.wwnorton.com

HOWARD COSELL: THE MAN, THE MYTH, AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICAN SPORTS provides a fine biography of the sports legend and discusses sports reporter Howard Cosell's lasting influence on the sports world. In a time when announcers were nearly employees of the teams they covered, Cosell adopted a more critical stance in interviewing his subjects and providing his listeners with a more studied review of the sports world. Ribowsky argues that Cosell indeed changed the method and delivery of sports news reporting, leaving his mark on the world. Any sports or biography collection will find this packed with insights!


The Literary Studies Shelf

Kafka's Leopards
Moacyr Scaliar
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726963, $26.95, www.ttupress.org

Kafka's Leopards is translated and introduced by Thomas O. Beebee and provides a novel based on the Kafka tradition. Set in 1916 just before the Russian revolution, Benjamin "Mousy" has been asked by a sick friend to deliver a message to an agent in Prague. His belief that his mission is directed by Trotsky leads him to leave his home for a rendezvous. When he loses the envelope containing the agent's name he mistakenly meets Franz Kafka and fives him the parable of Kafka's leopards, to be published. A fine novel of intrigue and deception evolves.

Building Their Own Waldos
Robert D. Habich
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House, Iowa City, IA 52242
9781587299629, $29.95, www.uiowa.edu

Building Their Own Waldos: Emerson's First Biographers and the Politics of Life-Writing in the Gilded Age charts the course of Ralph Waldo Emerson's early biographers, considering their problems in recounting his life and using previously-unpublished writings, business records and private documents to provide stories of his first six biographers, their lives, and their challenges in representing his life. Each biographer held a different perspective of Emerson and his life - and represented Emerson in a different light. Literary research and representation are examined in a fine college-level choice for any collection strong in Emerson's life and works.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Story Solution
Eric Edson
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd, #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781615930845, $26.95, www.mwp.com

The Story Solution: 23 Actions All Great Heroes Must Take comes from a professional screenwriter who pinpoints all the reasons why typical stories don't sell. Examples from hit movies outline the elements of successful plots and approaches, with chapters going beyond the usual writing approaches to plot development to consider the pros and cons of building a story for the screen. Stories are broken down into distinct parts for analysis, with plenty of insights into the entire process of creating memorable characters and plots. A 'must' for any screenwriter and collections catering to them.

Writing for the Web
Lynda Felder
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321794435, $24.99, www.newriders.com

WRITING FOR THE WEB teaches the basics of effective Web writing and shows how to blend words with audiovisual effects for maximum impact. It comes from an instructor who offers guidelines along with photos, lists and tables to document how interactive web-based stories make the most of the web's medium, and provides a lively approach to Web writing. Exercises, guidelines, and sidebars of pointers make this an easy and highly recommended survey for computer and literary collections alike.

The College Student's Guide to Writing a Great Research Paper
Erika Eby
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala FL 34471
9781601386052, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

The College Student's Guide to Writing a Great Research Paper: 101 Easy Tips & Tricks to Make Your Work Stand Out offers a complete guide for college students who want to learn tips for formatting a research paper and tackling college course assignments. It covers the entire process of writing a paper from start to finish, from choosing a topic and researching to writing and editing drafts. Further insights on how to check work for plagiarism so as to use research to support rather than define a paper makes this an invaluable survey of all the basics, with exercises and checklists included to help keep a paper professional and polished. College students will find this specific and easy.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Supervolcano: Eruption
Harry Turtledove
ROC Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451464200, $25.95, www.penguin.com

SUPERVOLCANO: ERUPTION is set in Yellowstone Park and covers an eruption that will change the geography and face of the U.S. - but this story focuses not so much on the event and its science as on the lives of various individuals who orbit the eruption in lives that have been disrupted. Readers expecting a focus on the event and its processes may be disappointed, but those interested more in protagonists' lives and their challenges after such an event will find this a satisfying read, recommended for any science fiction holding and especially for those with fans of Harry Turtledove's extensive writings.


The Political Science Shelf

Dupes
Paul Kengor
ISI Books
P.O. Box 4431, Wilmington DE 19807-0431
1935191756, $29.95, www.isibooks.org

DUPES: HOW AMERICA'S ADVERSARIES HAVE MANIPULATED PROGRESSIVES FOR A CENTURY comes form a historian who considers the role of the "dupe" in American history. It's based on never-before-published FBI files, Soviet archives and primary source research to expose the liberals who have unwittingly given advantages to America's adversaries. Such dupes contributed to the rise and spread of Communism but their actions went beyond ideological conflicts. This contains reports on how Ted Kennedy secretly approached the Soviet leadership to undermine two American presidents, and documents modern political dupes whose overseas excursions are financed by foreign intelligence. An intriguing survey recommended for any college-level political science collection.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

A Fatal Flaw
Dana Stabenow
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590588741, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

A Fatal Flaw: The Second Kate Shugak Mystery provides an Aleut P.I. in Alaska who is caught up in danger when a mass murder involves a possible second suspect. Nine neighbors are dead - but one has been killed by a different weapon. Kate and her husky-wolf dog investigate and find many possibilities in this fine thriller, recommended both for prior fans of Kate Shugak and for newcomers to the rugged Alaskan setting.

Foul Play at Four
Ann Purser
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425243596, $24.95, www.penguin.com

Foul Play at Four provides a fine Lois Meade mystery and provides the next in a series revolving around a working-class wife and part-time sleuth in a small English village. As such, it's especially recommended for collections who have and have seen popularity with the prior Lois Meade sagas. A robbery involving Lois' daughter changes from a hunt for two petty thieves to much more, in which Lois' family becomes heavily involved in events and their outcome. An outstanding saga evolves in an excellent mystery.


The Fiction Shelf

The Law of Miracles
Gregory Blake Smith
University of Massachusetts Press
P.O. Box 429, Amherst, MA 01003
9781558499005, $19.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

The Law of Miracles: And Other Stories provide stories diverse in style and scope, whose characters revolve around everyday and extraordinary worlds and events. Connecting all the writings is a sense of the miraculous as the protagonists struggle towards seeing and realizing the miracles in their actions and reactions to the world. Stories offer reflections on conflict, morality, and more and provide a satisfying blend of philosophical and psychological reflection recommended for any short story literary
collection.


The Library DVD Shelf

Mile High + Willpower & Grace
Stacey Lel Krauss
Power Music, Inc.
PO Box 3030, Salt Lake City, UT 84110
www.willpowermethod.com/willpower-gracer-mile-high.html
No ISBN DVD, $24.99, www.willpowerlift.com

Mile High provides a high-energy cardio workout on DVD for any student who would undertake a routine that promotes conditioning and flexibility training. It takes the industry's major fitness approach and blends them into a single all-purpose program of workouts that are equipment-free, barefoot, and blend a positive philosophy into the workout experience. The barefoot training approach promotes stable routines that minimize the risk of injury, making this a fine at-home TV program.

Personal Training with Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start
Jackie Warner
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
No ISBN DVD, $14.98, www.anchorbayent.com

Personal Training with Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start presents the workout method she uses for her celebrity clients and provides two quick workouts, about 20 minutes each, in the DVD. The idea is that viewers who commit to these workouts for 30 days will see a distinct difference in their fitness, getting them on the road to a better lifestyle. Two exercises for each muscle group build a 'power pyramid' training style that provides a logical progression of exercises and challenges. A fine pick for any home fitness program.

Yoga+Weights
Kimberly Fowler
YAS Productions
No ISBN, $14.95, www.go2yas.com

Yoga+Weights combines basic yoga with 3-pound handheld weights and offers a series of weight-bearing poses that match the two, making for a fine approach to using yoga to develop lean muscles. Weight training is a fine method to prevent bone loss and recommended for older women in particular: this approach blends two disciplines for maximum impact and will intrigue any who want to develop a home yoga training program.


The Women's Studies Shelf

A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids
Margot Datz
Atria Books/Beyond Words
c/o Beyond Words Publishing
20827 NW Cornell Road, Suite 500
Hillsboro, OR 97124
9781582701608, $16.99, www.beyondwords.com

A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids pairs lovely painted color portraits of mermaids with discussions of modern women caught in their own emotions and dilemmas. From handling aging to expressing self through dress, choosing a compatible mate, or letting one's love shine, this pairs simple advice with mermaid-oriented anecdotes in one-page easy and entertaining inspirations that go far beyond the usual one-line inspirational guides on the market. Perfect light but pointed reading for women interested in making the most of their lives, and for general-interest libraries.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Boy Who Loved Batman
Michael E. Uslan
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811875509, $29.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

The Boy Who Loved Batman: A Memoir provides the true story of a comics-obsessed kid who came of age in the 1950s and transformed his passion to the Hollywood screen. Michael Uslan's passion for comics and superheroes didn't end with adulthood: instead he transformed it to create the modern Batman franchise. Chapters document this process in a pick highly recommended for collections strong in comics, Hollywood film, and autobiography alike.

The Stan Lee Universe SC
Danny Fingeroth, et.al.
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490298, $26.95, www.twomorrows.com

THE STAN LEE UNIVERSE is packed with interviews and reflections by the leader of Marvel Comics and is a 'must' for any collection serious about presenting comic book history. From the horse's mouth comes insights into the evolution of the comics industry as a whole, with chapters offering rare, previously unpublished interviews with Stan Lee on the topic of how the industry evolved. Supporting interviews with other major personalities who helped shape the field provide a powerful collection of insights accompanied by rare photos, sample scripts, and more. A 'must' for any comics and graphic novel collection.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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