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California Bookwatch

Volume 5, Number 8 August 2010 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Pets/Wildlife Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf American History Shelf Sports Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Nautical Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Music Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Gaming Shelf
Computer Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Military Shelf
Photography Shelf Cookbook Shelf Travel Shelf
Crafts Shelf World History Shelf Science Shelf
Art Shelf Architecture Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Library Reference Shelf Political Science Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Library DVD Shelf California Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

101 Things I Learned in Culinary School
Louis Eguaras with Matthew Frederick
Grand Central Publishing
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446550307, $15.00 www.hachettegroup.com

101 Things I Learned in Culinary School packs in lessons on every course in a restaurant menu, from understanding changing culinary trends and new nutrition basic s to the food supply chain, cooking methods, restaurant management and financing. A chef has written this survey, using two-page layouts demonstrating important industry issues. No culinary library should be without this - as well as many a general lending library where home cooks check out neo-professional guides.

Teaching Yoga
Mark Stephens
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
9781556438851, $22.95 www.northatlanticbooks.com

TEACHING YOGA: ESSENTIAL FOUNDATIONS AND TECHNIQUES is the first comprehensive guide written for practicing and would-be yoga teachers and their students, covering yoga's history, philosophy, and basic teaching methods. It follows the teacher training curriculum standards set by Yoga Alliance and blends traditional yoga with modern techniques and over 150 photos and anatomy illustrations. Any new age or yoga collection must have this!

Babylon's Banksters
Joseph P. Farrell
Feral House
1240 W Sims Way #124, Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781932595796, $19.95 www.feralhouse.com

Babylon's Banksters: The Alchemy of Deep Physics, High Finance and Ancient Religion blends alternative science, history, and new age thinking in a fine survey of the pattern and strategy of bankers in ancient and modern times. From patterns of financial deception to the deep physics these 'banksters' have used to support their financial policies, this provides many eye-opening insights for science, business and new age libraries alike!

Viking Press
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Bruce Watson's FREEDOM SUMMER; THE SAVAGE SEASON THAT MADE MISSISSIPPI BURN AND MADE AMERICA A DEMOCRACY (9780670021703, $27.95) provides a fine survey of racial tensions and the civil rights movement and considers 1964 events, when over seven hundred American college students descended upon Mississippi to register black voters and teach in Freedom schools. Freedom Summer changed American politics and civil rights: this provides important keys to understanding the chain of events central to American history, and should be in every lending library. Imtiaz Gul's THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE: PAKISTAN'S LAWLESS FRONTIER (9780670022250, $26.95) provides a fine survey of the consequences of the war against Al Qaeda, telling how Pakistan's tribal areas have been impacted and have become the epicenter of global terrorism. It surveys the Pakistan Taliban and comes from a reporter who has long surveyed these groups for local and international media - and thus knows their key players and intelligence and military sources. A 'must' for any who would understand the region and its conflicts!


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Forbidden Creatures
Peter Laufer, Ph.D.
Lyons Press
Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9781599219264, $19.95 www.lyonspress.com

FORBIDDEN CREATURES: INSIDE THE WORLD OF ANIMAL SMUGGLING AND EXOTIC PETS provides a fine story of the animal underworld and comes from an investigative journalist who chronicles his global quest to penetrate underworld animal smuggling. His expose of poaches, traders, breeders and customers covers the world in reviewing the processes of illegal animal trafficking, and is a 'must' for any library strong in nature exposes.

Pantanal Wildlife
James Lowen
Bradt
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
9781841623054, $25.99 www.bradtguides.com

Pantanal Wildlife comes from a wildlife expert and guide who provides fine introduction to the fauna and flora of the Pantanal. It reveals where to stay and covers key sites in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, making this a 'must for any destination-bound travelers. The abundance of color animal photos makes it a winning armchair read, as well!

Butterflies, Moths, and Other Invertebrates of Costa Rica
Carroll L. Henderson
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
9780292719668, $29.95 www.utexaspress.com

Butterflies, Moths, and Other Invertebrates of Costa Rica provides any Costa Rica visitor with a field guide packed with photos by the author, helping visitors and residents identify the invertebrates of the region. Over a hundred are included - those travelers are most likely to see in the wild - and accompany details on natural history and ecology gleaned from the author's some forty years of travels and wildlife observation. A 'must' for any Costa Rica traveler!

Chronic Pain in Small Animal Medicine
Steven M. Fox
Manson Publishing
c/o Wiley Professional/Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781840761245, $84.99, www.wiley.com

Chronic Pain in Small Animal Medicine is a top pick for any veterinary medicine library and offers vets a fine focus on measuring and resolving pain and suffering in animals. Vet health care professionals and students alike receive a fine survey of chronic diseases and pain in animals, describing physiological and biochemical theories of pain transmission in a fine survey key to any college-level or practicing vet's collection.

The Seasons of the Robin
Don Grussing
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
9780292721203, $24.95 www.utexaspress.com

The Seasons of the Robin appeared last Fall, but deserves ongoing recommendation as an outstanding ornithology book perfect for any college-level library strong in the subject. It begins with a young American robin breaking his shell and emerging into a world and reads like the classic 'One Day at Teton Marsh' in following the robin's life cycle. The 'robin's eye' perspective is outstanding, here.

My Dog is Blind - But Lives Life to the Full!
Nicole Horsky
Hubble & Hattie/Veloce
info@hubbleandhattie.com
9781845842918, $19.95 www.hubbleandhattie.com

My Dog is Blind - But Lives Life to the Full offers a powerful - and rare - guide to living a happy life with a blind or sight-impaired dog. Owners of such pets receive tips on how to live with such an animal, covering both specific eye conditions and pairing case study examples with solid insights. Any library catering to pet owners will find this a unique, important acquisition!

Canine and Feline Behavior and Training
Linda P. Case
Delmar Cengage Learning
5 Maxwell Drive, Clifton Park, NY 12065-2919
1428310533, $90.95 www.cengage.com/delmar

Canine and Feline Behavior and Training: A Complete Guide to Understanding Our Two Best Friends provides a fine overview of behavior and communication patterns between canines, felines and humans. It packs in over 50 illustrations and photos and discusses non-confrontational methods, providing step-by-step instructions for desirable behaviors and including references for each topic. Case history examples pack a practical primer.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Crash: When UFOs Fall From the Sky
Kevin D. Randle, Ph.D.
New Page Books
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631008, $16.99 www.newpagebooks.com

Crash: When UFOs Fall From the Sky provides a fine history of cover-ups and incidents, using available evidence to examine UFO phenomenon and considering crashes from the 19th century to modern times. Updates, explanations, and solutions for the more controversial crashes make this a definitive 'must' overview for any UFO collection!

Buckland's Book of Gypsy Magic
Raymond Buckland
Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker St. Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578634675, $16.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

Buckland's Book of Gypsy Magic: Travelers' Stories, Spells & Healings comes from an author who grew up hearing his father and grandfather tell of Romani life. His grandfather was one of the first Buckland Gypsies to give up traveling the roads in wagons, and this lively survey of gypsy magical insights makes for a perfect pick for any new age library!


The Women's Studies Shelf

50 is the New Fifty
Suzanne Braun Levine
Plume
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780452296053, $15.00 www.penguin.com

50 is the New Fifty is an outstanding, inspiring guide to self-discovery in the second half of life, offering advice on special challenges and rewards that await women in their fifties, sixties and seventies. Anecdotes capture these experiences and learnings, and make this a top pick for general and women's issues collections.


The American History Shelf

Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement
Danny Lyon
Twin Palms Publishers
54 1/2 East San Francisco St., Santa Fe, NM 87501
9781931885881, $60.00 www.twinpalms.com

Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement is a top pick for a variety of collections, from arts to photography libraries alike, but is featured here for it added value to any American history or social issues college-level library. Danny Lyon is a 'historian with a camera' who offers a visual testimony to the Southern civil rights movement and its events: chapters also offer first-person memories of civil rights confrontations and events, capturing details in a 'you are there' feel key to any coverage of America's civil rights movement. Highly recommended!


The Sports Shelf

Golf Anatomy
Craig Davies & Vince DiSaia, CSCS
Human Kinetics
Box 5976, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736084347, $19.95 www.humankinetics.com

GOLF ANATOMY provides a fine review of the anatomy and muscles required to become a good golfer. It provides keys to increasing strength and power for longer drives and more accurate shots, considering the physical elements that contribute to consistent performance. With color anatomical illustrations to each golf move, this is a top pick!

Mark Donohue: His Life in Photographs
Michael Argetsinger
David Bull Publishing
4250 East Camelback Rd. Suite K-150, Phoenix, AZ 85018
9781935007098, $39.95 www.bullpublishing.com

Mark Donohue: His Life in Photographs offers a fine new book for race car fans well familiar with driver Mark Donohue's achievements. It's devoted entirely to photos of Donohue's life, family and teammates and the cars he drove and packs in over two hundred color and black and white images. Highly recommended: a top pick for any racing library.

Gold Medal Fitness
Dara Torres
Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780767931946, $25.99 www.broadwaybooks.com

Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program comes from an author who holds three world records in swimming and has twelve Olympic medals. Her program is designed to tighten, trim and tone the body and provides a full-body workout complete with strength training, cardio and nutrition. Black and white photos throughout illustrate each step and movement.

Are We Winning?
Will Leitch
Hyperion
114 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011
9781401323707, $24.99 www.hyperionbooks.com

Are We Winning? Fathers and Sons in the New Golden Age of Baseball tells of a father/son trip to Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs play. From a sports journalist's insights of the history and future of the game to how and why baseball is being watched by more people than ever, this dispels myths and offers fine details about an evolving sport in a top pick for sports and general collections alike.

High Heat
Tim Wendel
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780306818486, $25.00 www.dacapopress.com

HIGH HEAT: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE FASTBALL AND THE IMPROBABLE SEARCH FOR THE FASTEST PITCHER OF ALL TIME examines events based on the records of the National baseball Hall of Fame in New York, a lab in Birmingham Alabama studying the science of the fastball, and more. It analyzes the concept and phenomenon of the great pitchers and interviews baseball greats throughout to provide a fast-paced history baseball collections will want.

Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life
Misty May-Treanor
Scribner
c/o Simon & Schuster
1238 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439148549, $25.00 www.simonandschuster.com

Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life comes from a two-time Olympic gold medal winner and offers a vivid autobiography documenting her childhood and behind-the-scenes moments of her Olympic victories. From personal challenges she's never publicly acknowledged before to personal challenges, this is a 'must' for sports libraries and collections where Misty's name is already well known. Public lending libraries will find it a popular choice.

Big Hair and Plastic Grass
Dan Epstein
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
9780312607548, $25.99 www.stmartins.com

Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s documents the legends and struggles of baseball, the personalities of the players, and the fads and social culture of the times. Any who would re-create the 70s atmosphere will find this an engrossing examination of baseball's connections to pop culture and social change, with a lively history of the black power movement, the evolution of disco music, and more lending to an outstanding, lively survey perfect for general lending libraries.


The Social Issues Shelf

Hoboes
Mark Wyman
Hill and Wang
c/o Farrar, Straus & Giroux
18 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9780809030217, $28.00 www.fsgbooks.com

HOBOES: BINDLESTIFFS, FRUIT TRAMPS, AND THE HARVESTING OF THE WEST provides an outstanding history considering the relationship between works and owners and the migrant agricultural workers who come from around the world to work factory fields. College-level collections strong in labor history will appreciate this focus on hoboes who rode the rails and harvested, help creating the economy and culture of the American West. Chapters offer detailed perspectives from a historical, cultural, social and economic perspective.

The Closing of the Muslim Mind
Robert R. Reilly
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Rd, Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
9781933859910, $26.95 www.isibooks.org

The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis is an eye-opening new book from a foreign policy expert who reveals a pivotal struggled waged within the Muslim world nearly a millennium ago. During the battle, irrationality conquered - producing a twisted theology and a pathological worldview that continues to this day. The Closing of the Muslim Mind operates on a spiritual and social level to explain why peace is elusive and conflicts between Muslim and Western society are many and deserves ongoing recommendation!

The War on Privacy
Jacqueline Klosek
Praeger
c/o ABC-CLIO
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275988910, $49.95 www.praeger.com

The War on Privacy provides a powerful survey of privacy rights and how they are being curtailed by the very country - America - purporting to further them. It argues that governments must do more to preserve privacy rights even while protecting citizens against terrorist attacks - and offers assessments of protections in the works. Discussions of privacy issues based on new threats and social freedoms will involve high school to college-level students in important assessments.


The Nautical Shelf

Windward Anchorages
Chris Doyle
Cruising Guide Publications
Box 1017, Dunedin, FL 34697-1017
9780944428832, $29.95 www.cruisingguides.com

Windward Anchorages is an outstanding take-along reference for any sailor who would sail the Caribbean. It features nearly fifty anchorages from St. Pierre to Grenada, offers a companion reference to SAILORS GUIDE TO THE WINDWARD ISLANDS, and pairs small maps with full-sized color photos and navigation charts point out the correct path to each anchorage. Combine lay-flat spine binding with a spine-lettered side for quick location and you have a top pick no Caribbean sailor should be without!

Schooner
Alison Shaw and Tom Dunlop
Vineyard Stories
RR 1 Box 65-B9, Edgartown, MA 02539
9780615342672, $44.95 www.vineyardstories.com

SCHOONER: BUILDING A WOODEN BOAT ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD is a 'must' for any nautical library. Packed with color photos and lively insights, it chronicles the largest sailing vessel built on the island of Martha's Vineyard since Lincoln's time, using photos, words and drawings to document the entire process. Any interested in boat-building will find this a unique, compelling chronicle!

North By Northwestern
Captain Sig Hansen & Mark Sundeen
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
9780312591144, $25.99 www.stmartins.com

North By Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters reveals a family business that challenges safety and health. It tells the multi-generational story of the Hansen family: fishermen who have spent their lives on the open seas crabbing in Alaska, and it provides nautical adventures and insights into seamanship as a whole. Highly recommended!

Peter Vassilopoulos titles
Pacific Marine Publishing
Box 1312, Station A, Delta BC V4M 3Y8 Canada
http://www.chynasea.com/pacific_marine_publisher.htm

Four outstanding sailing guides to Pacific Northwest destinations are 'musts' in any mariner's planning process. DOCKS AND DESTINATIONS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARINAS (9780919317420, $26.95) has been expanded with the addition of over thirty new pages. New photos, new information, and new diagrams accompany details on facilities and services available at marinas throughout the inside passage form Olympia to Prince Rupert and Vancouver Island's west coast. ANCHORAGES AND MARINE PARKS (9780919317444, $29.95) is a revised, new edition offer a color format and a layout designed to provide quick and easy reference details to any mariner. The entire Pacific Northwest and the Inside Passage of the west coast of British Columbia are covered in this practical guide, packed with maps and diagrams. CRUISING TO DESOLATION SOUND (9780919317451, $49.95) covers one of the most popular cruising destinations in the Pacific Northwest, and provides a coverage packed with color photos, illustrations, diagrams, GPS way pints, anchorages and more. From local events and activities to maps, this is a key acquisition for any planning a cruise to the area! GULF ISLANDS CRUISING GUIDE (0919317383, $46.95) does the same for British Columbia's coastal islands, covering the waterways and villages to be found along the way. Cruisers will find this a 'must' reference for trip-planning!

Charlie's Charts
12715 - 17th Avenue, Surrey BC V4A 9G4, Canada
www.charliescharts.com

Charlie's Charts titles by Charles and Margo Wood are so much more than your photo-filled cruiser's guide: they are invaluable take-long nautical references packed with practical anchorage experiences gleaned from the authors' cruising experiences, and should be in the boat libraries of any would-be cruiser to the areas. WESTERN COAST OF MEXICO INCLUDING BAJA (0968637035, $36.00) appears in its twelfth updated edition and pairs facing pages of color photos with very clear, full-page sized diagrams and maps outlining latitudes, anchorages, recommended routes, and notes such as places for snorkeling, island tips with reefs and shoals, rocky beaches, and suggested routes. Descriptions of approaches offer the specifics lacking in many more general cruiser's guides. His coverage CHARLIE'S CHARTS OF THE U.S. PACIFIC COAST: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA INCLUDING THE CHANNEL ISLANDS (0968637043, $36.00) appears in its fifth updated edition to pack in detailed charts of coastal ports, anchorages, and more. Each chart is filled with detailed line drawings detailing everything from traffic lanes through the San Francisco Bay to tide rips, coves, harbors, and marinas. Margo Wood's CHARLIE'S CHARTS OF COSTA RICA (0978134605, $27.50) appears in its third updated edition and covers islas, parks, historic areas and more. All are top 'must have' picks for any sailor planning to travel to any of these regions; they far surpass the usual sailor's map or guide and come straight from author experiences in these waters!


The Audiobook Shelf

The Dark Half
Stephen King
Penguin Audio
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780142428207, $39.95 www.penguin.com

The Dark Half receives a fine narration by Grover Gardner and tells of Thad, whose best-selling novels with their dark twists seems to have something to do with a serious of terrible murders that keep coming closer to his home and life. Has he awakened a dangerous evil force into the world - and is it after him? Grover Gardner's smooth voice adds gripping tension to this exciting novel, and any general lending library will relish it.

Married by Morning
Lisa Kleypas
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1441847383, $29.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Married by Morning enjoys a fine performance by Rosalyn Landor, who has worked as an actress since age seven, and provides a fine, seductive romance. For two years Catherine has been a paid companion to the Hathaway sisters - a satisfying job until her charges' older brother makes a proposal to her, involving a mandate for him to marry and produce an heir within a year. An intriguing romance builds in this exceptional story, perfect for audio lending libraries.

61 Hours
Lee Child
Random House
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780739365939, $45.00 www.randomhouseaudio.com

61 HOURS receives an excellent narration by veteran reader Dick Hill and provides a powerful thriller telling of a tour bush crash in a snowstorm and Jack Reacher's involvement in a deadly situation. His involvement with a brave small town woman prepared to confront a killer makes for an outstanding story perfect for general audio lending libraries!

War
Sebastian Junger
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781607881988, $29.98 www.hachetteaudio.com

WAR receives a powerful narration by the author himself, who for over fifteen months followed a single platoon based at a remote outpost in Afghanistan. His purpose was to write about what war actually feels like - and he does so here, with vivid surveys of the daily lives of those men who fight in modern times. His chronicle joins other memoirs in providing a powerful, more contemporary survey of experience to both military and general-interest collections.


The Music Shelf

Fifth Avenue Famous
Salvatore Basile
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823231874, $29.95 www.fordham.edu

Fifth Avenue Famous: The Extraordinary Story of Music at St Patrick's Cathedral offers a fine history of one of the most important churches in New York City, blending in a history of church music as a whole and telling of singers, music directors, and emerging religious trends and technological changes alike. The stories here offer an in-depth look at the history, choral music and evolution of music at St. Patrick's and makes for a fine collection documenting the cathedral's evolution and importance - a 'must' for any New York or spirituality or music shelf.

La Difference
Salif Keita
Decca/UMG Recordings
c/o RockPaperScissors, Publicist
825 - 8th Avenue, New York NY 10019
$16.98 www.deccarecords-us.com

Salif Keita IS different from most Africans, in that he is albino and has suffered for it, as have other albinos throughout Africa. Profits from LA DIFFERENCE thus will go to Salif's charity to help albinos in Africa. Of course most listeners will not realize this, as the lyrics are not in English or any other European-based language. So why buy this recording? Because it's Keita's most musically realized recording yet, using traditional Malian instruments blended with Western instruments such as piano, electric guitar, but not the brass horns we heard on his early recordings. On some cuts there are Arab-sounding string sections or an oud, perhaps an accordion. Some of these tunes have been in Salif's repertoire for decades but are now done in a softer and more imaginative style. Salif Keita may have started out in a band whose whole purpose was to get people dancing, but now with LA DIFFERENCE and the last two albums that preceded it, Keita shows just how much he has grown as an artist, carefully weaving ancient and modern sounds from around the world into something new, yet deeply rooted and moving. Highly recommended!

Neil Young: Long May You Run
Daniel Durchholz & Gary Graff
Voyageur Press
400 - 1st Avenue North #300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760336472, $30.00 www.voyageurpress.com

Neil Young: Long May You Run is a visual and critical tribute to the songwriter and his music, offering a lavish biography packed with over 400 photos including rare posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, and tickets stubs. It follows Young's life from his childhood to his latest music achievements and is a 'must' for any popular music library, especially collections appealing to Neil Young fans!


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Care of the Soul in Medicine
Thomas Moore
Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
9781401925635, $24.95 www.hayhouse.com

Care of the Soul in Medicine: Healing Guidelines for Patients, Families, and the People Who Care for Them offers a different health care mandate: one that calls for healing the entire person, not just the body. Stories shared from his personal and professional life provide guidance for dealing with illness and mortality, offering guidelines based on research studies and the psychotherapist's experience alike. Spirituality and medical collections alike will find this an important acquisition.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Purpose-Guided Universe
Bernard Haisch
New Page Books
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631220, $19.99 www.newpagebooks.com

The Purpose-Guided Universe: Believing in Einstein, Darwin and God provides an engrossing survey contending that there is a purpose and underlying intelligence to the universe. Recent discoveries that claim there are many coincidences in nature offer a different view of God and purpose, presenting the Universe as more a great thought than a machine.

The Evolution of God
Robert Wright
Back Bay Books
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780316067447, $16.99 www.hachettebookgroup.com

The Evolution of God offers a fascinating survey of the pattern in the evolution of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, providing a fine survey showing how and why religion can strengthen the social order and how modern science supports religion and the religious spirit. The result is a fascinating, engrossing survey that should be included in every spirituality collection.

An Illustrated Introduction to Taoism
Jean C. Cooper
World Wisdom Inc.
1501 E. Hillside Dr., Bloomington, IN 47401
9781935493167, $24.95 www.worldwisdom.com

An Illustrated Introduction to Taoism: The Wisdom of the Sages provides a powerful introduction to Taoism combining scholarship with a lovely illustrated edition introducing readers to the history and development of Taoism. Its exploration of Taoist sages and philosophy includes a survey of Taoist art and makes for a top pick for any new age library!

Nine Lives
William Dalrymple
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307272829, $26.95 www.aaknopf.com

NINE LIVES: IN SEARCH OF THE SACRED IN MODERN INDIA provides a powerful survey of religious life in India and comes from the author's twenty-five years of travel in India. From a Jain nun who watches her closest friend ritually starve herself to a temple prostitute who pushes both daughters into a trade she regards as sacred, this packs in many eye-opening insights perfect for spiritual and general-interest lending collections alike.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Mere Churchianity
Michael Spencer
Waterbrook Press
12265 Oracle Blvd. #200, Colorado Springs CO 80921
9780307459176, $13.99 www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

Mere Churchianity offers a survey of church leaders and followers alike and offers the author's experience as the Internet Monk blogger to reveal that most leave the church in order to find Jesus. How de-churched readers practice faith makes for a powerful religious survey of new material that has never appeared on Spencer's popular blog, making this a top pick for both newcomers and those familiar with Spencer's blog.

Chosen Faith, Chosen Land
Jeannine Lauber
Down East
Box 679, Camden, ME 04833
9780892728114, $30.00 www.downeast.com

Chosen Faith, Chosen Land: The Untold Story of America's 21st-Century Shakers offers a fine study of Shaker faith and uses words and images form a journalist who was granted unprecedented access to the private lives of the last remaining Shakers. Her survey of these contemporary Shakers includes proprietary shaker quotes and presents myths and realities about the Shakers and their history. An outstanding survey!

An Army of Ordinary People
Felicity Dale
Barna
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414322797, $14.99 www.tyndale.com

An Army of Ordinary People: Stories of Real-Life Men and Women Simply Being the Church offers a fine collection of vignettes of 'grassroots soldiers' spreading spirituality in their communities. From a pastor who instigated healing in the business community to the development of house churches and other forms of 'organic faith', this packs in true stories of how ordinary believers are carrying the word of God into their communities in extraordinary ways, and should earn a place in any spirituality collection.

Intended for Pleasure
Ed Wheat, MD & Gaye Wheat
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 E Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
9780800719371, $19.99 www.revellbooks.com

Intended for Pleasure: Sex Technique and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage has sold more than a million copies and is the most important book on Christian sexuality in print. It has been a classic for thirty years, providing an easily-read survey blending biblical teachings on love and marriage with the latest medical details on sexuality. The blend is unique - and successful!

What Did You Expect?
Paul David Tripp
Crossway
1300 Crescent St., Wheaton, IL 60187
1433511762, $21.99 www.crossway.org

WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? REDEEMING THE REALITIES OF MARRIAGE blends spiritual observations with marriage counseling and will make a perfect pick for any spiritual collection. Six commitments for couples to make are the foundation of a guide that offers advice on how to construct a loving, grace-including marriage in this pick for any spirituality library.

Surprised by Grace
Tullian Tchividjian
Crossway
1300 Crescent St., Wheaton, IL 60187
1433507757, $18.99 www.crossway.org

Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels provides an account of Jonah, the famous Old Testament prophet who hesitated to acknowledge God's path. Tullian Tchividjian's study uses Jonah's history to chart how God pursues rebels and those who reject belief, providing chapters pairing Biblical quotes with insights on this pursuit. Spirituality collections will find this an excellent analysis.

Has Christianity Failed You?
Ravi Zacharias
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310269557, $19.99 www.zondervan.com

Has Christianity Failed You offers an outstanding new book and explores what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Common struggles from skeptics and Christians alike come from his wisdom and those familiar with his name will know him from his weekly radio program Let My People Think. Any Christian thinker's library must have this!


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Facing Illness, Finding God
Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler
Jewish Lights Publishing
Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
9781580234238, $16.99 www.jewishlights.com

Facing Illness, Finding God: How Judaism Can Help You and Caregivers Cope When Body or Spirit Fails provides a winning account of the spiritual and emotional needs of all affected by illness. His experience as a rabbi and his insights on Jewish traditions lend to an approach on addressing illness-related issues, from changed normalcy to caregiving and finding God in illness. Judaic studies and spirituality libraries alike will relish this approach.


The Gaming Shelf

The Guild Leader's Handbook
Scott F. Andrews
No Starch Press
38 Ringold St., San Francisco CA 94103
9781593272586, $24.95 www.nostarch.com

The Guild Leader's Handbook: Strategies and Guidance from a Battle-Scarred MMO Veteran teaches the basics of rolepaying games and how to lead a guild in a multiplayer online game. It shows how to create, maintain and foster a healthy guild and comes from a longtime guild leader and advice columnist for wow.com (one of the most popular and successful websites dedicated to World of Warcraft), covering everything from planning successful raids and roleplaying sessions to boosting guild morale and promoting officers. Game players and leaders need this!


The Computer Shelf

Facebook; The Missing Manual, second edition
E.A. Vander Veer
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9781449380144, $19.99 www.oreilly.com

Facebook; The Missing Manual offers a second edition packed with insights on Facebook, from getting started and connected to how business people and others can use Facebook to further their pursuits. From protecting privacy to creating a recruitment page, this is an excellent in-depth pick for any Facebook user.

Video Game Optimization
Ben Garney and Eric Preisz
Course Technology
20 Channel Center St., Boston MA 02210
9781598634358, $39.99 www.courseptr.com

Video Game Optimization teaches video game programmers how to handle performance problems, covering the practice of optimization and providing techniques that apply to a wide range of hardware and software. Its survey of optimizing under different conditions uses small performance tests to give numbers for common optimization scenarios, provides source code for download, and provides examples from a range of game types and performance situations. Highly recommended!

Microsoft SQL Server 2008
William R. Stanek, Editor
Microsoft Press
One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399
9780735627383, $44.99 www.microsoft.com/mspress

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 deserves ongoing recommendation for any administrator of the SQL server environment. It's been updated for R2 and appears in a thick tote format lending to at-a-glance information, quick reference tables, and lists of options. The result is a key programmers can easily use to manage SQL Server environments in the quickest way!

Mac OS X Security and Mobility v10.6
Robert Kite, Ph.D, et.al.
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321635353, $64.99 www.peachpit.com

Mac OS X Security and Mobility v10.6 provides a powerful Apple-certified training course filled with options for administrators to secure access to intranet sites. It teaches IT professionals now to tweak Mac OS X Server v10.6 to provide secure access to network services and covers the basics of establishing critical services. A fine classroom primer and text for any advanced computer collection!

Innovate the Future
David Croslin
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0137055153, $29.99 www.informit.com/ph

Innovate the Future: A Radical New Approach to IT Innovation provides a step-by-step method for creating revolutionary products and services, and uses innovation experiences from start-ups and large companies alike to show how IT managers can innovate for more value and profit. Business and computer collections alike will relish this fine guide to product delivery and quality.

Dynamic Prototyping with SketchFlow in Expression Blend
Chris Bernard and Sara Summers
QUE
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789742799, $34.99 www.quepublishing.com

Dynamic Prototyping with SketchFlow in Expression Blend is for any computer library strong in graphics programming or Microsoft systems, whether the reader be a designer, creative director, developer or more. It teaches how to sketch and validate ideas using SketchFlow, and comes from two veteran experts on the topic. A fine pick!

The Design of Design
Frederick P. Brooks Jr.
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0201362988, $34.99 www.informit.com/aw

The Design of Design: Essays from a Computer Scientist provide new essays by Fred Brooks that offer insights for designers, from patterns consistent in the design process to the hallmarks of an exceptional design. Chapters provide software engineers with insights on the evolution of the design process, budgeting constraints, aesthetics, and more, offering essays that analyze the process of producing exceptional design. Any computer library catering to software engineers needs this!


The Needlecraft Shelf

More! Hand Appliques by Machine
Beth Ferrier
C&T Publishing
Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
9781571208323, $24.95 www.ctpub.com

More! Hand Appliques by Machine offers nine quilt projects, updated techniques, and keys to using assembly-line techniques to reduce preparation time, displaying a range of techniques to be used with wall hangings. Color photos, full-page patterns, and more make this a fine pick for any needlework library.

Weekend Quilts
Judy Laquidara
American Quilters Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781574326550, $26.95 www.americanquilter.com

Weekend Quilts is for quilters who have limited quilting time: it provides instructions divided into one-hour segments and tells how to cut fabrics, produce all sizes of quilts, and use time-saving techniques to piece and make the quilt. It's an outstanding guide for any quilter under the gun but still passionate about quilting!

Vogue Knitting Stitchionary 5: Lace Knitting
Vogue
SixthandSpring Books
181 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10013
9781933027937, $29.95 www.sixthandspringbooks.com

Vogue Knitting Stitchionary 5: Lace Knitting provides knitters with a powerful knitting dictionary covering lacework. It packs lace styles and patterns with designs for all levels of knitter, from beginners to advanced, and it includes close-up color photos with every stitch to reinforce learning. A 'must' for any knitter's collection!


The Military Shelf

The Father of Us All
Victor Davis Hanson
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781608191659, $25.00 www.bloomsburypress.com

The Father of Us All: War and History Ancient and Modern offers a fine collection of essays from a classics scholar who offers insights on the debate surrounding military engagements around the world. In basing modern opinion on past military history and insights gained from them, Victor Davis Hanson offers a far more connected idea of recurring issues and military strategy.

The First Battle of the Marne 1914
Ian Sumner
Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South, Suite 806, New York, NY 10016
9781846035029, $19.95 www.ospreypublishing.com

The First Battle of the Marne 1914 offers a survey of one of the decisive encounters of World War I, when France's victory halted the Germans. Six days of heavy fighting required the Germans to retreat to the trench warfare of the Western Front: photos, maps and art illustrate the events of this pivotal war and military libraries will find its detail essential to a better understanding of Western Front history.

Fighting Words
Richard F. Miller
Savas Beatie
c/o Casemate Publishers, Dist.
Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
9781932714784, $29.95 www.casemate.com

FIGHTING WORDS: PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES FOR WAR AND POLITICS is a powerful recommendation for military and political libraries alike, offering examples of some of history's most successful battle speechmakers to show how military campaigns were promoted outside the ranks. From how a speech by Patton changed young military recruits to a formidable battle unit to how the words of General Petraeus resurrected a losing fight in Iraq, this offers insights into human persuasion and strategies by which men and women are recruited, trained, and prepared for battle. A top pick for a range of libraries!


The Photography Shelf

BetterPhoto Basics
Jim Miotke
Amphoto Books
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
9780817405021, $21.99 www.amphotobooks.com

BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like the Pros offers a guide packed with tips and inspiration to help new photographers take better photos quickly. From getting close to a subject and turning off a flash to locking auto-focus and dealing with a camera's automatic settings, this packs in all the basics on how to take superior photos. Filled with color photo examples, any lending library needs this.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book
Adobe Systems/Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321701763, $54.99 www.adobepress.com

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book comes with a fine DVD-ROM for Windows and Mac OS filled with 2 hours of tutorials, and provides the easiest way to learn Photoshop CS5. The 'classroom' format centers around 14 lessons covering the basics of learning Photoshop and provides tips to become more productive with the program. It can be viewed in a progressive learning environment or referred to as a reference by skipping around: either way, students seeking an at-home course will find this a winner!

The Law (in Plain English) for Photographers
Leonard D. DuBoff and Christy O. King
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd St., $510, New York NY 10110
9781581157123, $24.95 www.allworth.com

The Law (in Plain English) for Photographers comes from two attorneys who provide insights on digital imaging and the Internet. In an era where digital images can be easily captured and altered, discussions of photographer rights and avoiding legal problems become even more important. Details on censorship, obscenity, releases, online stock photos and more make this a key survey.

Zen and the Magic of Photography
Wayne Rowe
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission St., Suite 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2432
9781933952543, $24.95 www.rockynook.com

ZEN AND THE MAGIC OF PHOTOGRAPHY is focused on helping photographers develop their visual awareness, and offers keys to understanding connections between Zen and photography. From relationships between the two to the art of photo analysis, composition, and how to take better photos by merging Zen and photography, this is a different, fine approach photography collections will appreciate.

Fine Art Nature Photography
Tony Sweet
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
9780811735803, $21.95 www.stackpolebooks.com

Fine Art Nature Photography has been revised and updated to include digital techniques and packs in stunning images by the author/photographer - and explanations of what he chose for timing, framing, and equipment, and why. His survey captures the intent behind the image and is a 'must' for any photography collection!

Wedding Photography
Bill Hurter
Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
9781584289906, $34.95 www.amherstmedia.com

Wedding Photography: Advanced Techniques for Digital Photographers provides a series of techniques for working more effectively under pressure, optimizing equipment choices, and benefiting from tips on shooting and workflow, from a variety of professionals. Fine color photo examples throughout accompany specifics of handling lighting and workflow in a practical guide any neo-professional needs!

The Photoshop WOW! Book
Linnea Dayton and Cristen Gillespie
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321514955, $59.99 www.peachpit.com

The Photoshop WOW! Book comes with a DVD-ROM and packs in hundreds of tutorial files, gradients, custom tools and more, providing a strong accompaniment to the latest Photoshop CS3, CS4 and CS5 developments. It reviews all the new and improved features, covers all the basics of building skills with familiar Photoshop features, and teaches how to create amazing special effects. If only one Photoshop 'bible' were to be included in a lending library, this should be a top pick!

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers
Martin Evening
Focal Press
c/o Elsevier/Butterworth Heinemann
30 Corporate Drive, Burlington, MA 01803
9780240521251, $49.95 www.focalpress.com

Deserving of ongoing recommendation for any collection considering Photoshop CS4 references is Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers, a survey packed with digital photo examples, screen shots, and all aspects of working with Photoshop CS4. An accompanying DVD holds two hours of video tutorials, images from the book to work with along with the text, and an interactive help guide. An outstanding way to learn Photoshop CS4!


The Cookbook Shelf

Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly
Joan E. Aller
Andrews McMeel
1130 Walnut St, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
0740779583, $27.99 www.amuniversal.com

Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia is simply a 'must' for any cookbook library strong in American regional cuisine in general and Southern fare in particular. It goes where few other cookbooks focus on, presenting regional specialties from Southern Appalachia. Over 100 recipes range from Cider Beans and Wild Greens Salad to Baked Catfish with Pecans and Spicy Butter Sauce. Color photos pepper an amazing title!

The New Best of BetterBaking.com, expanded edition
Marcy Goldman
Whitecap Books
351 Lynn Avenue, North Vancouver, BC V7J 2C4
9781770500020, $26.95 www.whitecap.ca

The New Best of BetterBaking.com offers over 200 classic recipes from the popular baking website, offering the best from its first decade and creating a baker's square of exceptional dishes. This expanded edition offers thirty new recipes along with classic dishes and peppers color photos throughout. Any library offering baking books will find this an exceptional acquisition.

Culinary Careers
Rick Smilow
Clarkson Potter
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307453204, $16.99 www.clarksonpotter.com

Culinary Careers: How to Get Your Dream Job in Food is a pick for both culinary and business collections alike, offering tips from top culinary professionals on how they got started. From entry into the profession and starting a business to becoming a chef, food writer, and more, this covers a range of positions and tells how to get started in them.

Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages
Stanley Marianski, Adam Marianski
Bookmagic
11771 Park Blvd., Seminole, FL 33772
9780982426739, $26.95 www.bookmagicpublishing.com

Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages represents the author's long-time dedication to smoking meats and sausages, and provides a comprehensive one-volume reference on making them at home. Many cookbooks offer only light information on the topic which doesn't lend to an in-depth understanding of meat technology for amateur enthusiasts - others are written in such technical terms that they appeal only to professionals. This represents a powerful 'happy medium' and is a strong pick for any culinary collection.

Savannah Classic Seafood
Janic Shay
Pelican Publishing
1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781589807440, $15.95 www.pelicanpub.com

Savannah Classic Seafood offers a fine pick, pairing lovely color photos of traditional Low Country favorites with recipes from local restaurants. Each includes an anecdote or restaurant history for each dish, offering an added benefit of being a fine restaurant advertisement for potential visitors. Any seafood cookery collection will welcome these originals!

Asian Vegetables
Sally Cunningham
Eco-Logic Books
c/o Chelsea Green Publishing Company
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781899233168, $24.95 www.chelseagreen.com

ASIAN VEGETABLES: A GUIDE TO GROWING FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND SPICES FROM THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT provides a fine survey to over 40 varieties of fruit, vegetables and spices that are grown on the Indian subcontinent, offering tips on how to buy them and how to grow them. Most can be grown nearly anywhere: gardeners and cooks receive a fine pairing of color photos and growing specifics perfect for home gardeners across the country.

Mayumi's Kitchen
Mayumi Nishimura
Kodansha America Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9784770031105, $29.95 www.kodanshaamerica.com

Mayumi's Kitchen: Macrobiotic Cooking for Body and Soul comes from a fine macrobiotic chef who cooked for Madonna and her family for seven years. Her approach to whole foods cuisine packs in over a hundred tested recipes and begins with a 10-day 'detox diet' to introduce newcomers to macrobiotic cooking, offering seasoned dieters a new look into dishes reflecting world cuisines and culinary trends alike. Any macrobiotic or world cookery library needs this!

Edible Wild Plants
John Kallas, Ph.D.
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1423601505, $24.99 www.gibbs-smith.com

Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods from Dirt to Plate joins others in the 'Wild Food Adventure Series' and offers gardeners, chefs, botanist, dieters and more a fine reference packed with maps, photos of plants at every stage of growth, and more. From choosing leaves and harvesting at the best time to serving wild plants, this makes for a winning pick for any general lending library!

Pig: King of the Southern Table
James Villas
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470194010, $34.95 www.wiley.com

Pig: King of the Southern Table is a fine additional to any Southern or regional American cookery library. It packs in some 300 recipes culled from every state in the South, blending color photos and recipes to provide a satisfying blend of history and local specialties. A top pick for any culinary collection, from general to culinary school libraries!

The Newlywed Kitchen
Lorna Yee & Ali Basye
Sasquatch Books
119 S. Main St. #400, Seattle, WA 98104
9781570616327, $22.95 www.sasquatchbooks.com

The Newlywed Kitchen: Delicious Meals for Couples Cooking Together provides a fine survey simplifying the process of dual cooking, offering over eighty recipes that begin simply and increase in complexity as the book moves forward. Color photos pair with dishes to make this a fine introduction couples can share.

Recipes from An Italian Summer
Silver Spoon Kitchen
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780714857732, $39.95 www.phaidon.com

Recipes from An Italian Summer offers a range of dishes designed to make the most of fresh ingredients using summer produce, and provides seasonal Italian recipes that focus on the peak summer growing season. It's organized by how we eat during the summer and thus offers chapters on Picnics, salads, Light Lunches and more. No library should be without this!

The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbet
F.W. Pearce & Danilo Zecchin
Clarkson Potter Publishers
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
9780307464989, $24.99 www.clarksonpotter.com

The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbet offers a host of recipes perfect for hot summer months and shows anyone with an ice cream maker how to create bold, fresh sorbets and gelatos. Recipes are unusual, from a Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Gelato and Mocha Chip Gelato to Rosemary and Olive Oil Gelato and Rum Raisin Gelato. Ice cream makers will find this a cut above most ice cream cookbooks!


The Travel Shelf

Weird Oregon
Al Eufrasio & Jeff Davis
Sterling Publishing
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8810
9781402754661, $19.95 www.sterlingpublishing.com

Weird Oregon explores the history, unique places and odd tales about Oregon - from an annual UFO festival in wine country to strange property embellishments, sea monster sightings, roadside oddities and haunted lighthouses. Any collection including visitor's guides to Oregon will appreciate the color photos, lively vignettes, and local color of a different approach to Oregon's many attractions.

AIA Guide to New York City, fifth edition
Norval White & Elliot Willensky with Fran Leadon
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
9780195383867, $39.95 www.oup.com

The fifth updated edition of AIA Guide to New York City is a dual pick for both architecture and travel collections It covers each borough of New York City nearly block by block, providing a fine and detailed record of New York's architecture. It's both an encyclopedia and a visitor's documentation of New York's architectural wonders, pairing small black and white photos with addresses and histories. A top pick for arts and New York history libraries alike!

Hiking the Adirondacks
Lisa Densmore
Falcon Guides
Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762745241, $18.95 www.falcon.com

Any potential hiker to the Adirondacks must take along Hiking the Adirondacks: it provides a guide to over forty hiking opportunities in New York State, offering maps, directions, topography, and black and white photos throughout. Each hiking opportunity includes keys to locating the trailhead, difficulty ratings, and extensive notes on the hike itself. Hikers will find the specifics lend to advance planning.

100 Classic Hikes in New England
Jeffrey Romano
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134
9781594851001, $21.95 www.mountaineersbooks.org

100 Classic Hikes in New England offers a fine guide to 100 can't-miss hikes in Maine, New Hampshire, etc. and is a 'must' for any New England hiker. It offers trails for all levels of fitness and abilities from day hikes to remote backpacking trips, pairs photos and topographical maps with a chart of all the trails, and comes from an author who's been hiking them for over thirty years. A 'boon' for any outdoors travel collection!

Moon Handbooks: Dominican Republic
Ana Caamano
Avalon Travel
1700 - 4th St., Berkeley, CA 94710
9781598802535, $17.95 www.moon.com

Moon Handbooks: Dominican Republic profiles sights, activities, and culture alike, offering specific suggestions for tailoring a successful trip to the Dominican Republic. As such, it's packed with maps and useful destination-oriented information and joins others in some of the finest take-along totes in print!

Iceland
Fran Parnell & Brandon Presser
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741044553, $23.99 www.lonelyplanet.com

ICELAND provides color highlights and a fine guide packed with itineraries to plan either short or long trips and chapters covering Iceland's history, culture, environment and outdoors opportunities. From whale watching to exploring glaciers, this blends adventure opportunities with practical tips on where to go and what to see. Highly recommended!


The Crafts Shelf

Simply Stylish Chain & Metal Jewelry
BeadStyle Magazine
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871162977, $17.95 www.kalmbachbooks.com

Simply Stylish Chain & Metal Jewelry tells how to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and jewelry sets from chain and mail, offering some thirty different step-by-step projects for creating lovely pieces. There's no metalworking skills and most of the projects can be constructed using store-bought chain, making this a snap.


The World History Shelf

The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia
Edward Steers, Jr.
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780061787751, $19.99 www.harperperennial.com

The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia offers a fine guide to the murder of President Lincoln, and offers a resource documenting all the known persons, events and conspiracies connected to the event. Over 150 period photos and maps - many brand new to print - accompany a probe of the truth behind accounts of the assassination. History libraries will find this an excellent, well-detailed survey!

Chasing Icarus
Gavin Mortimer
Walker & Company
175 - 5th avenue, Suite 300, New York NY 10010
080271711X, $26.00 www.walkerbooks.com

CHASING ICARUS: THE SEVENTEEN DAYS IN 1910 THAT FOREVER CHANGED AMERICAN AVIATION offers a moment-by-moment survey of a critical moment in aviation history, surveying the history of three events that would bring to life the powerful personalities and aircraft that would change the face of aviation. It's a powerful, inviting read that will appeal to leisure readers as well as aviation history buffs, so belongs in a range of collections.

The North Carolina Gazetteer, second edition
William S. Powell & Michael Hill
University of North Carolina Press
116 S. Boundary St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808
9780807871386, $25.00 www.uncpress.unc.edu

North Carolina residents and any interested in the region's history and culture will delight in this revised, expanded gazetteer edition, which adds nearly 1,200 new entries offering stories attached to place names. Nearly 21,000 North Carolina cities, towns and places are identified with fine history snapshots, local color, and more, making this an engaging reference for any interested in North Carolina.


The Science Shelf

Merchants of Doubt
Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway
Bloomsbury Press
175 - 5th Avenue Suite 300, New York NY 10010
9781596916104, $27.00 www.bloomsburypress.com

MERCHANTS OF DOUBT: HOW A HANDFUL OF SCIENTISTS OBSCURED THE TRUTH ON ISSUES FROM TOBACCO SMOKE TO GLOBAL WARMING provides a powerful study based on a recent study from the Yale Project which begins with the finding that 40 percent of Americans believe there's major scientific disagreement on whether global warming is real. This comes from two science historians who explain the process of evidence and what causes doubt, revealing how political and economic agendas become entwined with scientific facts to produce public confusion. A 'must' for any science collection.

Shooting in the Wild
Chris Palmer
Sierra Club Books
85 Second St., San Francisco CA 94105
9781578051489, $24.95 www.sierraclubbooks.org

Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom belongs in any science, nature or film library, offering a rare behind-the-scenes view of wildlife and nature films and how they are made. It comes from a veteran producer who reveals the wildlife film business, from its pros and cons to the trend toward sensationalism and animal abuse. General collections, too, will appreciate this unique focus!

Nature's Beloved Son
Bonnie J. Gisel with images by Stephen J. Joseph
Heyday Books
Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141260, $35.00 www.heydaybooks.com

Any library strong in botany and plant history or John Muir's life must have this new perspective on Muir's achievements, documenting his success as an adventurer and environmental advocate in his field. Photograph Stephen J. Joseph's prints of Muir's botanical specimens and related correspondence juxtapose botanical details and make this a powerful presentation!


The Art Shelf

Constructive Spirit
Mary Kate O'Hare
Pomegranate
Box 808022, Petaluma, CA 94975
9780764952746, $39.95 www.pomegranate.com

CONSTRUCTIVE SPIRIT: ABSTRACT ART IN SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICA, 1920s-50s provides the first survey of Pan-American geometric abstraction of this period and place, and is released in conjunction with the traveling exhibition of the same name. It provides over ninety rarely seen paintings, sculptures, prints and films from public and private collections across both continents, featuring nearly seventy artists and including essays by a range of experts who offer new insights on ideas and influences. The result is an outstanding presentation key for any art library.

Masters: Collage
Randel Plowman
Lark Books
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
9781600591082, $24.95 www.sterling.com

Any arts and crafts collection will find Masters: Collage a powerful pick, presenting a strong survey of collages form leading modern international artists working in the medium. Each page holds one or two several good-sized color photos of the collage, brief descriptions of medium, and makes for a fine portfolio of varied techniques and examples. A wonderfully varied pick of techniques!

Kick-Ass Creativity
Mary Beth Maziarz
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker St., Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781571746214, $16.95 www.hrpub.com

KICK-ASS CREATIVITY: AN ENERGY MAKEOVER FOR ARTISTS, EXPLORERS, AND CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS comes from a professional songwriter and performer who shows how to tap into creative energy. From overcoming negative thinking and low energy to tapping into emotions and developing an inspirational support group, this provides many insights artists will relish!

The Art of Toy Story 3
Charles Solomon
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811874342, $40.00 www.chroniclebooks.com

The Art of Toy Story 3 is a top pick for any library strong in animation studies. It comes from an animation historian who explores the hurdles that faced the Pixar team as they developed the latest addition to the Toy Story series, including an introduction showcasing the story and the development of the first two films. Over 250 pieces of concept art from Toy Story 3 pack a survey filled with storyboards, color keys, reference photos and much more!


The Architecture Shelf

The Green House
Alanna Stang & Christopher Hawthorne
Princeton Architectural Press
37 E. 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568989501, $24.95 www.papress.com

THE GREEN HOUSE: NEW DIRECTIONS IN SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE provides art and architecture collections with a fine international survey of new architecture that combines aesthetics with environmental consciousness. Color photos of interiors and exteriors accompany floor plans and history, as well as a biography of each architect's approach and intentions. An invaluable study for any architecture collection!

LEED Materials: A Resource Guide to Green Building
Ari Meisel
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568988856, $40.00 www.papress.com

LEED Materials: A Resource Guide to Green Building is a 'must' for any architecture collection, especially those concerned with green building techniques. It offers a materials-based approach to sustainable design and offers nearly 200 materials, products and services 'green' architects will need to know about.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Blue Book of Airguns, eighth edition
Dr. Robert D. Beeman and John B. Allen
Blue Book Publications Inc.
8009 - 34th Avenue South Suite 175, Minneapolis, MN 55425
1936120038, $29.95 www.bluebookinc.com

The eighth updated edition of Blue Book of Airguns offers nearly six hundred pages of detail on the latest airgun prices and values on both modern and vintage models. Black and white photos of guns and rifles accompany not just the latest values, but a new color Photo Percentage Grading System that allows for specific airgun condition identification, and an expanded Trademark Index of the latest information. Any library strong in gun or collector references needs this!

2011 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000
George S. Cuhaj. Editor and Thomas Michael, Market Analyst
Krause Publications
701 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
1440211582, $65.00 www.krausebooks.com

2011 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 appears in its updated 38th edition to pack in 50,000 actual-sized illustrations and coverage of the latest values of world coins. It's a 'must' for avid coin collectors, filled with numerous detailed illustrations on every page lending to easy identification and valuation, and packing in several thousand pages of detail.


The Library Reference Shelf

Lining Up Data in ArcGIS: A Guide to Map Projections
Margaret M. Maher
ESRI
380 New York St., Redlands, CA 92373-8100
9781589482494, $24.95 www.esri.com

Lining Up Data in ArcGIS: A Guide to Map Projections offers a new, specific reference for geography holdings strong in ArcGIS map referencing. It's designed for beginners and advanced users alike and offers practice techniques for identifying and creating map projections, and covers technical information for users already familiar with ArcGIS working with data conversion or coordinate systems.

RFID-Enabled Sensor Design and Applications
Amin Rida, Li TYang and Manos Tentzeris
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
1607839814, $109.00 www.artechhouse.com

RFID-Enabled Sensor Design and Applications is an outstanding technical reference 'must' for any college-level or professional electrical engineering shelf. It offers basic understanding of the technical principles and applications of RFID sensor systems, describing its operation, reviewing the general world of sensors, and reviewing worldwide applications. The latest technology is surveyed for practitioners who need specific applications insights, such as inkjet printing. Highly recommended for any college-level or professional's collection!


The Political Science Shelf

To Save America
Newt Gingrich
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781596985964, $29.95 www.regnery.com

To Save America: Stopping Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine comes from a former Speaker of the House who argues we have the most radical president in history, and who views Obama's new political model as bullying and bribing to force change in America. His argument: that we must replace, not reform, broken government systems. Libraries with patrons who admire Gingrich will find this a popular lend.

10 Books Every Conservative Must Read
Benjamin Wiker, Ph.D.
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001
9781596986046, $27.95 www.regnery.com

10 Books Every Conservative Must Read Plus Four Not to Miss and One Impostor maintains that socialism is threatening our country and creating a moral crisis - and it covers the major conservative works in a primer for all conservatives who would read books that reinforce conservative thinking. From works by C.S. Lewis and Aristotle to Belloc and Chesterton, this prescribes a course of literary action for any who would reinforce conservative beliefs.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Best of Roy of the Rovers: the 1970s
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781848560246, $17.95 www.titanbooks.com

The Best of Roy of the Rovers: the 1970s offers a fine collection pairing all-color cartoon pages with a collection o the Roy of the Rovers comic strips from the 1970s. Any fan of football or graphic novels will find this a fun story of a soccer player who learns to play American football and who reflects a British interest in American football-themed sagas. Comic, graphic novels and sports collections alike will relish this!


The Library DVD Shelf

Aligned and Well: Fix Your Feet
Katy Bowman
Well Balanced Media
PO Box 194, Ojai, CA 93023
No ISBN, $14.95 www.AlignedandWell.com

This focus on foot care is essential, offering gentle exercises for plantar fasciitis, bunions, hammer toes and other common foot issues. Specific program guidelines discuss what the body should be able to do, what it can do under stress, and which movements contribute to healing.


The California Shelf

Back Lane Wineries of Napa
Tilar Mazzeo
Little Bookroom
435 Hudson St., 3rd Floor, New York NY 10014
9781892145833, $19.95 www.littlebookroom.com

Back Lane Wineries of Napa is a pick for any who would locate the wineries 'off the beaten path' in a California county well known for its winery paths. These are smaller venues offering world-class wines and tastings - but are much lesser-known than the larger chateaus. Some seventy-five discoveries are profiled here, with hours, tasting offerings, websites, locations, and history making them easy to plan for.

The Real Story: Escape From Alcatraz
Smithsonian Networks/Infinity Entertainment
contact@smithsoniannetworks.com
No ISBN DVD, $12.98

The Real Story: Escape From Alcatraz provides an engrossing true story of three prisoners who may have succeeded in escaping an impossible prison. Myths, new facts, classified files and more contribute to stories of legendary events and makes this a 'must' for any California or prison history holding.

Curtin's California Land use and Planning Law, 30th edition
Gary Talbert Barclay
Planning, Land Use and Environmental Publications
Box 773, Point Arena, CA 95468
9780923956875, $80.00 www.solano.com

The 30th updated edition of Curtin's California Land use and Planning Law is a 'must' for any California land use or legal collection: it summarizes the major provisions of land use law in California and this latest edition offers new, expanded discussions on California's development laws, new case law developments governing wetlands, new coverage of non-conforming uses and affordable housing, and more. All significant 2009 California legislation and land use case laws are included in this outstanding winning reference, a top pick 'must' for California libraries throughout the state!

Coastal California, third edition
Sara Benson
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741791792, $19.99 www.lonelyplanet.com

The third updated edition of Coastal California expands its outdoors chapter to include surfing and hiking, offering new highlights of kid-friendly options and identifying sustainable ideas for an eco-friendly trip. Each area is broken down by region and includes tips on getting there, accommodations, nature and outdoors as well as local festival and entertainment options, and more, making this a 'must' take-along tote and reference for any California collection.

California Rocks!
Katherine J. Baylor
Mountain Press Publishing
Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425655, $16.00 www.mtnpress.com

CALIFORNIA ROCKS! A GUIDE TO GEOLOGIC SITES IN THE GOLDEN STATE provides a winning survey blending color photos with over sixty geologic sites at parks and other publicly accessible sites. Location maps and discussions illustrate California's most varied geologic areas, making this a fine pick for science and California travel collections alike!

Greater French Valley
William J. McBurney & Mary Rice Milholland
Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
0738569186, $21.99 www.arcadiapublishing.com

Greater French Valley joins others in the 'Images of America' series and covers the hills and valleys of southwest Riverside County north of Temecula and south of Hemet. It focuses on neighborhoods and towns and culls vintage photos from community collections, and it comes from an author who lived parts of his childhood in the center of the French Valley.

Living Landscapes
Laura McCreery
Wilderness Press
1345 - 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9780899976280, $24.95 www.wildernesspress.com

Living Landscapes: The Extraordinary Rise of the East Bay Regional Park District and How It Preserved 100,000 Acres reflects both California history and East Bay development processes and a major step for the environmental movement as a whole, and deserves a place in any California or environmental history collection. It covers history, law, and environmental conflicts alike as it traces the evolution of the East bay Regional Park District, packing in color photos and lively surveys of park managers and environmental leaders alike. Highly recommended!


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
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

Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net


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