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California Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 3 March 2007 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Donovan's Picks Computer Shelf American History Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Business Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Cookbook Shelf True Crime Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Science Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Genealogy Shelf Biography Shelf
Military Shelf Aviation Shelf Civil War Shelf
Islamic Studies Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Judiac Studies Shelf Metaphysical Shelf International Studies Shelf
Psychology Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Literary Shelf
World History Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Sports Shelf Photography Shelf
Architecture Shelf Interior Design Shelf Crafts Shelf
Needlework Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Art Shelf
Music Shelf Political Science Shelf Education Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Library DVD Shelf California Shelf
Automotive Shelf    


Donovan's Picks

Web of Deceit
Barry M. Lando
Other Press
2 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York NY 10016
1590512383 $24.95 www.otherpress.com

George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq is the latest in a series of cynical acts by foreign leaders which began after World War I, when Iraq was held together by foreign interests û and WEB OF DECEIT exposes this long influence of foreign powers in the country before and during the reign of Saddam. WEB OF DECEIT comes not from a university professor but from an award-winning investigative producer with 60 Minutes: chapters chart a range of Washington manipulations which provoked Saddam's actions, led to arming his ambitions, and served to condemn the Iraqi people to a life of misery. This eye-opening title should be part of any collection serious about displaying the roots of terrorism and the underlying effects of U.S. diplomatic and political policies in the region.

Secret Societies
John Lawrence Reynolds
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010
1559708263 $26.00 www.arcadepub.com 1-800-759-0190

Plenty of books have been written on the history of selected secret societies û but this offers far more depth and detail than most, surveying not just Western but global secret societies, from the Middle East to Hollywood, and examining their connections to positions of powers. Some societies are just cult groups while others wield real social power: SECRET SOCIETIES delves into differences, examines histories and rituals, and includes such groups as the Mafia, the Priory of Sion, and others. An excellent pick for any general-interest library, certain to attract patron attention beyond the new age reader's shelf.

Strange and Dangerous Dreams
Geoff Powter
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134
0898869870 $22.95 www.mountaineersbooks.org

The history of adventure and adventure travel has many stories and heroes: so how is the search for adventure defined, and what makes seekers distinct? STRANGE AND DANGEROUS DREAMS: THE FINE LINE BETWEEN ADVENTURE AND MADNESS covers the lives of eleven selected adventurers, some well known and some more obscure, covering two centuries. Chapters categorize these explorers by the emotional turmoil that drove them out into the world û and their common connection is that each has been called 'mad'. Psychological probe meets adventure story in a collection highly recommended for general library acquisition.

Chainsaws: A History
David Lee
Harbour Publishing
Box 219 Madeira Park, BC V0N 2H0
1550173804 $49.95 www.harbourpublishing.com

CHAINSAWS: A HISTORY rips into a little-known set of facts about the invention which changed and created the forest industry and became essential for country dwellers. If you think CHAINSAWS; A HISTORY will be a dry read, think again: both college-level collections specializing in agricultural history and studies as well as general-interest libraries, particularly in rural areas, will find it a most lively coverage holding lovely full-page color photos, discussions of models, specs and innovations, and more.


The Computer Shelf

Practical Poser 7
Denise Tyler
Charles River Media
c/o Thomson Delmar Learning
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1584504781 $49.95 www.charlesriver.com

If you have the basics down with Poser and want to move to the next level, PRACTICAL POSER 7 is for you: the computer user who already has some grounding and wants to move up. It's an updated edition of a best-seller and covers all of Poser 7's capabilities, from saving custom faces in the Face Room and using the Hair Room to add hair to clothing to texturing, creating custom morphs, UV mapping and more. With black and white screen shot examples throughout, you can't go wrong û and many a graphics teacher will want to use PRACTICAL POSER 7 as a classroom text. Computer libraries won't want to miss this.

Writing Scientific Software
Suely Oliveira & David Stewart
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
0521675952, $34.99 www.cambridge.org 1-800-872-7423

Writing Scientific Software: A Guide to Good Style provides college-level audiences studying computer technical writing with a clear guide to writing numerical software. Tips are geared to real-world challenges and scenarios and include plenty of examples, so students learn how to write efficient, workable software, test it for bugs and performance, and more. Examples are provided in Fortran 90, C++ and Java throughout and offer plenty of detail on common scenarios, pitfalls, and the elements of sold scientific software production. A top pick for college libraries.

The Design of Sites, 2nd Edition
Douglas K. Van Duyne, et.al.
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Education
One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
0131345559 $59.99 www.prenhallprofessional.com

The second updated edition of THE DESIGN OF SITES offers a foundation survey of the principles and best practices underlying outstanding Web design, making it a recommended pick not just for computer collections, but for college-level classroom use. Web designers receive a tutorial on the basics of good web site design, with coverage of AJAX, the latest new design patterns, updated patterns, and more accompanied by color screen shots, diagrams, and discussions of site elements. From the basics of accessibility to direct manipulation and website values, all aspects of web design are surveyed. A top pick for classroom assignment and discussion, especially.

Excel for the Math Classroom
Bill Hazlett with Bill Jelen
Holy Macro! Books
Box 82, Uniontown, OH 44685
1932802150 $24.95 www.MrExcel.com

Microsoft Excel helps bring math concepts to life through applied functions that turn theory into real-world practice, and there's no better place to turn to for examples than Excel for The Math Classroom, a series of structured teachings about Excel's capabilities and potentials. From math art, fractions and cryptography to coordinate grid matching and math facts games, Excel for The Math Classroom is written by and for teachers and should be a part of any serious Excel teaching library.

The PayPal Wars
Eric M. Jackson
World Ahead Publishing
2463 W. 208th St, Suite 201, Torrance, CA 90501
0977898431 $15.95 www.worldaheadpublishing.com

THE PAYPAL WARS appeared as a limited-release hardcover in 2004 and received acclaim as one of the best business books of the decade: its wider release as a trade paperback with new, expanded material included is a 'must' not just for libraries strong in business, but for those with healthy computer sections û thus it's reviewed here, so computer holdings don't miss it. It recreates the launch of an online payment service in 1999 which was the first to allow money transfers via the Internet û and it covers the successful rise of the company against overwhelming odds. Of particular note here is the first-person insights into how companies create and hone successful business strategies and compete in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

Code Craft
Pete Goodliffe
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Suite 250, San Francisco CA 94107
1593271190 $44.95 www.nostarch.com

Plenty of books tell how to write code that works û but there's a special art to writing code easy to understand, and that's where CODE CRAFT: THE PRACTICE OF WRITING EXCELLENT CODE comes in. Developers and would-be professionals receive specific tips on how to develop presentation styles, how to handle security issues, and more. From working with teams to developing superior documentation, CODE CRAFT offers up knowledge gleaned from real-world scenarios and reinforces this knowledge with a Q&A section reviewing key concepts. A 'must' for any who would hone coding skills, and for collections strong in software writing and development.

Java & XML, 3rd Edition
O'Reilly & Associates
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
059610149X $49.99 www.oreilly.com

The third updated and expanded edition of JAVA & XML shows how to use a range of XML techniques in real-world applications, beginning with the basics of XML and moving to more advanced levels, APIs, and web podcasting with RSS. It's specifically for the dedicated Java developer who needs to use XML, or wants to keep up with future requirements û and it's also a core acquisition for the personal, academic, and professional computer library seeking a solid reference with respect to Java and XML applications.

Head First Object-Oriented Analysis & Design
Brett D. McClaughlin, Gary Pollice & David West
O'Reilly & Associates
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596008678 $49.99 www.oreilly.com

If you're a software developer or engineer û or a library catering to such patrons û you have to keep Head First Object-Oriented Analysis & Design in your reference section. It appeals to newcomers to the field, offering all the basics on how to analyze, design and write serious object-oriented software, and explains the principles in language that assumes no prior familiarity with such analysis. Plenty of real-world examples and applications makes for a top recommendation.

Lifehacker
Gina Trapani
Wiley Publishers
111 River Street, 4th Floor, Hoboken, NJ 07030
0470050659 $25.00 www.wiley.com

Learn how to 'turbocharge' your day through using a computer to apply technology creatively to reprogram workflow and activities. From backing up data to an iPod and tracking passwords securely to capturing web clippings with Google notebook, Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Day is simply packed with time-saving options key to making the most of daily routines.


The American History Shelf

Dangerous Nation
Robert Kagan
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
0375411054 $30.00 www.aaknopf.com

Readers of American revisionist history will appreciate this approach by the author of PARADISE AND POWER, which continues the re-evaluation of America's place in the world. DANGEROUS NATION: AMERICA'S PLACE IN THE WORLD FROM ITS EARLIEST DAYS TO THE DAWN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY offers plenty of revelations and new ideas, from the underlying ambitions of early Americans who dreamed of world leadership to their beliefs about world ideals and world order. Chapters focus on major documents of American independence and foreign policy, and provide important keys to understanding, making it a top pick not just for college-level holdings strong in American revisionist history, but for public library collections and even some advanced high school libraries.

Popism: The Warhol Sixties
Andy Warhol and Pat Hackett
Harcourt
15 East 26th Street, New York NY 10010
0156031116 $14.00 www.HarcourtBooks.com

The intimate stories of the cultural changes that represented the 1950s are told by one who was at the center of the storm: Andy Warhol. In his studio, the Factory, he created large canvases of what came to define Pop Art, listened to music which reflected a radical new generation's energy, and remained at the hub of the avant garde. No other book recreates the pop atmosphere of the times û and any reader of 1960s history and culture must have it.

1920: The Year of the Six Presidents
David Pietrusza
Carroll & Graf
245 West 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York NY 10011
0786716223 $28.95 www.carrollandgraf.com

The 1920 Presidential election produced six once-and-future presidents û the Roosevelts, Wilson, Harding, Hoover and Coolidge û who tied for office as an anti-war Socialist, Debs, gained a million votes from prison. It was also the era of the 'roaring' twenties, with plenty of social as well as political change û both are captured in this focus on the 1920 election and its pivotal changes, making for a fine and lively recommendation both for high school and college collections strong in American history and politics in particular, or even public lending libraries.

The Black Panthers
Stephen Shames
Aperture
547 West 27th Street, New York NY 10001
1597110248 $35.00 www.aperture.org

While the visual study The Black Panthers could've been profiled in our Arts or Photography sections, it's reviewed here because no serious collection of titles on social issues and 1960s American history should be without it. The foundation of the coverage is black and white photos by Stephen Shames, which have taken nearly forty years to appear in book form. Shames was involved with the Panthers since a student at UC-Berkeley: his photos thus document the party from an insider's viewpoint, not your usual outsider's journalistic documentary approach, offering candid and rare glimpses behind the scenes.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Financial Bliss
Bambi Holzer
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814408850 $21.95 www.amacombooks.org

Veteran financial analyst Bambi teaches couples how to get the most from their financial planning û and how to meld different financial perspectives û in FINANCIAL BLISS: A COUPLE'S GUIDE TO MERGING MONEY STYLES AND BUILDING A RICH LIFE TOGETHER. From understanding different styles of handling money and assessing whether these styles can merge or not to understanding financial 'comfort zones' and preparing for major purchases from home to college education, couples receive an excellent review of all the basics. It's not just for long-time couples either: whether planning to set up a new household or understanding a partner's financial abilities, FINANCIAL BLISS is key to success and deserves a place in any public library holding.


The Business Shelf

Hot Spots
Lynda Gratton
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
1576754189 $24.95 www.bkpub.com

HOT SPOTS: WHY SOME TEAMS, WORKPLACES, AND ORGANIZATIONS BUZZ WITH ENERGY û AND OTHERS DON'T packs in details on what differentiates a thriving, busy organization from a stagnant one, and will find a special place in the busy manager's bookshelf as a basic reference to understanding organizational dynamics. Lynda Gratton has spent a decade uncovering and analyzing what contributes to Hot Spots: her research has uncovered four basic qualities and organization needs to support the creation of Hot Spots of excitement and cooperation. HOT SPOTS is key to building a strong, collaborative organization and shouldn't be missed.

Payback
James P. Andrew & Harold L. Sirkin
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
1422103137 $29.95 www.HVSPress.org

PAYBACK: REAPING THE REWARDS OF INNOVATION is an invaluable key to turning innovative ideas into profits, drawing important connections between encouraging innovation and directly benefitting from the encouragement. It is possible to predict profit levels through successful management of innovations: chapters here tell how, discuss controlling the factors which influence profit margins, and surveys non-cash benefits, from branding to culture. Business libraries and business managers will find it inspirational.

The Essential Guide to Managing Talent
Kaye Thorne & Andy Pellant
Kogan Page
525 South 4th Street #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
0749444630 $35.00 www.kogan-page.co.uk

The Essential Guide to Managing Talent: How Top Companies Recruit, Train & Retain the Best Employees provides companies of all sizes with management strategies, showing how to create an 'employer brand' of quality and how to become the employer of choice. From HR's strategic role in the process to learning what motivates talent, tailoring rewards to foster improvements, and creating and utilizing a 'talent pool', business managers will find much here to lend for building a successful company û and business libraries will find it a popular choice.

Cultural Advantage
Mijnd Huijser
Intercultural Press
100 City Hall Plaza #501, Boston, MA 02108
1931930287 $27.95 www.interculturalpress.com

Business people working on international teams face a myriad of communication and business challenges, addressed here in CULTURAL ADVANTAGE: A NEW MODEL FOR SUCCEEDING WITH GLOBAL TEAMS. The author has over 15 years of international experience training intercultural groups and has tested his tool for overcoming common team problems: his CULTURAL ADVANTAGE reads with the excitement of fiction, following a case study through the book to teach methodology in an inviting, appealing manner business libraries and readers will appreciate.

The Business Guide to Sustainability
Darcy Hitchcock & Marsha Willard
Earthscan
c/o Stylus Publishing
P.O. Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1844073203 $49.95 www.earthscan.co.uk

THE BUSINESS GUIDE TO SUSTAINABILITY: PRACTICAL STRATEGIES AND TOOLS FOR ORGANIZATIONS addresses a myriad of issues, from tools and frameworks to common practices and how average individuals can help move an organizational structure towards sustainable practices. Chapters range from operating a building efficiently to handling senior management and government agencies. Serious business libraries and management-level readers interested in sustainability will relish it.


The Social Issues Shelf

Scapegoats of September 11th
Michael Welch
Rutgers University Press
100 Joyce Kilmar Avenue, Piscataway. NJ 08854
0813538963 $22.95 www.rutgerspress.rutgers.edu

Scapegoats of September 11: Hate Crimes & State Crimes in the War on Terror is an essential title for any college-level collection on criminology and social sciences: it comes from a criminologist who argues that the 'war on terror' is a political charade which produces scapegoats for emotional relief. These scapegoats were not involved in the attacks û but have been targets: displaced aggression is the focus of a hard-hitting title on an unresolved social issue.

Global Social Change
Christopher Chase-Dunn and Salvatore J. Babones, Editors
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
0801882411 $26.95 www.press.jhu.edu

GLOBAL SOCIAL CHANGE: HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES is a top pick for college-level holdings strong in international social studies: it brings together senior sociologists and younger scholars to blend expertise and focus, offering up new methods of thinking about and studying global social change. The combination of newly written works just for this volume and previously published articles from the Journal of World-Systems Research offers a satisfying blend of historical and social science analysis, comparing globalization movements, economic and social integration, and political ideology alike û perfect also for classroom discussion.

The Humane Metropolis
Rutherford H. Platt, Editor
University of Massachusetts Press
P.O. Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
1558495541 $27.95 www.umpress.umass.edu

THE HUMANE METROPOLIS: PEOPLE AND NATURE IN THE 31ST-CENTURY CITY examines strategies for city revitalization and 'green urbanism' movements which seek to make cities more habitable, ecological, and humane. Essays and case studies consider the methodology of such a venture, from organizing urban ecological restoration and building social equity into an urban landscape to urban design which works, this will appeal to college-level students of urban design issues who wish to go beyond your usual architectural study.

Appetite for Change
Warren J. Belasco
Cornell University Press
512 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
0801473292 $21.95 www.cornellpress.cornell.edu

APPETITE FOR CHANGE: HOW THE COUNTERCULTURE TOOK ON THE FOOD INDUSTRY appears in its second updated edition to appeal to college-level students of American culture, particular that of the 1960s û as well as students of culinary history. Food and eating habits changed as a result of the social revolution of the 1960s: this examination considers both sides of the health food industry's rise, charts the rise of ethnic cuisine, and establishes strong connections between social movements and eating habits. APPETITE FOR CHANGE originally appeared in 1989 and is updated here to reflect new alternative diets and organic food's rise.

Fighting for Air
Eric Klinenberg
Metropolitan Books
c/o Henry Holt & Company
175 û 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0805078193 $26.00 www.henryholt.com

FIGHTING FOR AIR: THE BATTLE TO CONTROL AMERICA'S MEDIA examines how national radio shows are adjusted to 'sound local', how the media consolidation is hurting America, and how in fact there is a vanishing case for local representation in the media. The author's interviewed many programming directors, DJs, reporters and more for this book surveying the politics and presence of media conglomerates, FCC and legal influences on media regulations and ownership, and how stories are promoted or killed by special interests. Any college-level course in media studies needs this.

No Questions Asked
Lisa Finnegan
Praeger Publishers
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275993353 $49.95 www.praeger.com

NO QUESTIONS ASKED: NEWS COVERAGE SINCE 9/11 surveys the American media and its manipulation post-9/11, considering how the facts were misunderstood by the American public due to the lack of the right questions from reporters, and pinpointing mistruths about the war in Iraq and the nature of the threat of world terrorism. An eye-opening survey of democratic process and news reporting emerges which holds particular impact and importance for any college-level library strong in media studies.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Facing Your Giants
Max Lucado
Westbow Publishing
c/o Thomas Nelson
Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
0849901812 $24.99 www.thomasnelson.com

The Biblical story of David is punctuated with 'nevertheless' lessons for us all û and FACING YOUR GIANTS focus on this idea, telling how to use God to strengthen resolve and hone a spiritual path in life. Chapters advocate using the David paradigm to evoke miracles in everyday living, and serve as inspiration essential for any modern Christian library.

Following Christ in a Consumer Society
John F. Kavanaugh
Orbis Books
P.O. Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
157075666X $16.00 www.maryknoll.org

Following Christ in a Consumer Society is a classic study written by a Jesuit priest and which appeared nearly two decades ago: its 25th anniversary edition will help spiritual collections replace aging, worn editions with a bright new paperback even more relevant today than when it was originally published. Chapters consider the relationship between Christianity and consumerism, and have been updated to reflect the latest scholarship in the area. The dynamics of commodity and consumerism are revealed in chapters which lend particularly well to study group discussion.

The Evolution Dialogues
Catherine Baker, author
James B. Miller, editor
American Association for Advancement of Science
1200 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
0871687097 $9.95 www.aaas.org

THE EVOLUTION DIALOGUES: SCIENCE, CHRISTIANITY, AND THE QUEST FOR UNDERSTANDING is a top pick for college-level collections strong in both science and Christian thinking. Its contrasting chapters and arguments survey the history of Christian belief and thought, Darwin's impact on such beliefs, and Christian worldviews and the science behind evolution. In providing a series of contrasting chapters juxtaposing scientific history and investigation with Christian faith, readers receive a clear set of insights into the major differences between Darwinian theory and Christianity's contentions û invaluable for classroom discussion.

Praying for My Life
Marion Bond West
GuidePosts Books
16 East 34th Street, New York NY 10016
0824947053 $17.95 www.guidepostsbooks.com

When life became overwhelming, testing author Marion Bond West's faith in God, she found herself praying for confidence and belief û and her spiritual memoir shares her story and how this new approach changed her life. Her twin sons struggled with an auto accident, bipolar disorder, and addiction û when her husband died her faith was sorely tested as a single parent. Her wellspring of inspiration translates well to this vivid memoir: a top pick for any spirituality library.

The Everyday Life Bible
Joyce Meyer
WarnerFaith
c/o Warner Books
1271 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0446578274 $34.99 www.warnerfaith.com

The Bible can be a challenge just to read and understand, so THE EVERYDAY LIFE BIBLE is a perfect choice for those who would go to an easier route. Words added to the original text define meaning and enhance understanding, offering strong connections between Biblical lessons and daily living. Book introductions include facts at the beginning of each book of the Bible, life points draws connections between text and reader life, and articles add the author's insights. The perfect spiritual handbook for any who would absorb the Bible's wisdom, THE EVERYDAY LIFE BIBLE will find a place in any serious spirituality collection whether home or religious library.


The Cookbook Shelf

French Women for All Seasons
Mireille Guiliano
Alfred Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
0307265234 $24.95 www.aaknopf.com

Guiliano's best-selling FRENCH WOMEN DON'T GET FAT resulted in many requests for a sequel with further insights on French diet and weight control: French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, & Pleasure reveals these insights. French women have the longest life expectancy in the Western world: Mireille shows how they achieve this, providing menus and recipes to support her insights. Public lending libraries strong in health and French cuisine will find this a popular lend.

The Food Encyclopedia
Jacques L. Rolland & Carol Sherman, et.al.
Firefly Books
155 East 34th Street #5B, New York NY 10016
0778801500 $49.95 www.fireflybooks.com

This is no casual consumer's guide, but an in-depth reference appropriate for college-level culinary school holdings and many a public lending library's reference collection. Over 8,000 ingredients, tools, techniques and people are profiled in an alphabetical reference defining cooking terms, ingredients, foreign ingredients and more. Many have cross-references and multiple spellings, and there's a healthy dose of culinary history in addition to tips on techniques and over a hundred biographies for prominent food people in the industry, both well known and lesser-known. Cooks seeking a serious all-in-one reference will find this a treasure trove of historical and culinary detail.

A Man & His Meatballs
John LaFemina with Pam Manela
Regan
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY
0060853352 $27.95 www.reganbooks.com

Most chef's autobiographies document an early interest in the field, but A Man & His Meatballs differs radically, telling of a successful New York City jeweler who changed careers in his mid-thirties to become a notable big city chef the hard way û by buying his own restaurant and then learning how to cook. One would anticipate this a recipe for failure: but three successful restaurants later John LaFemina has proved them wrong, and here charts his ups, downs, and elements of luck which have made his establishments quite successful. The addition of recipes makes for more than another chef's autobiography and will appeal to a wide audience of general-interest readers and lending library patrons.

Arabesque
Claudia Roden
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
030726498X $35.00 www.aaknopf.com

ARABESQUE: A TASTE OF MOROCCO, TURKEY & LEBANON revisits three countries the author first explored back in the 1960s: Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon, providing more depth and insight into their history and culture as she provides over a hundred recipes û some new discoveries, some redone classics. Color photos peppered liberally throughout accompany such unique regional dishes as Chicken with Chestnuts and Eggplant Pilaf. Each recipe is accompanied by a paragraph or two of extensive detail on culinary and cultural traditions. Any general-interest library with patrons interested in Middle Eastern cuisine must have ARABESQUE.


The True Crime Shelf

Walking After Midnight
Katy Hutchison
New Harbinger Publications Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
1572245034 $24.95 www.newharbinger.com

On New Year's Eve in 1997 a father left his dinner table to check on a disturbance at a neighbor's house û and never came back. He was killed by an unknown assailant and left behind his wife û author Katy Hutchison û and twin four-year-olds. Katy moved to a different town, made a life for herself, remarried û but always lived with questions about her husband's murder, until in 2002 police arrested a suspect. Her decision to meet with the man who had killed her husband led to new revelations and makes WALKING AFTER MIDNIGHT a powerful autobiography of true crime and redemption that will be a popular pick for any public lending library.


The Language Studies Shelf

Speak Italian: The Fine Art of the Gesture
Bruno Munari
Chronicle Books
85 2nd Street, San Francisco CA 94105
0811847748 $14.95 www.chroniclebooks.com

Take a black and white photo of an Italian gesture and provide a facing page in Italian and English which explains that hand gesture and you may just have the rudiments of learning 'street Italian' û and some of the sign language essential to speaking it. Some surprising subtleties exist here û as in the sign for 'agreement' û as well as some obvious new gestures û such as that for 'ok', an import. The result's funny and informative all in one package.


The Science Shelf

Thumbs, Toes, and Tears
Chip Walter
Walker & Company
104 û 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011
0802715273 $25.95 www.walkerbooks.com

Thumbs, Toes, and Tears And Other Traits That Make Us Human explores links between appendages and the human emotions of love, laughter and tears. Six behaviors and physical traits set humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom: THUMBS, TOES AND TEARS examines these traits and explores their influence and impact on human characteristics and development processes. An excellent, fine survey for not only high school and college science students, but for the general lending library.

Mathematics of Digital Images
S.G. Hogger
Cambridge University Press
100 Brook Hill Drive, West Nyack, NY 10994-2133
0521780292 $80.00 www.cambridge.org

College-level collections strong in either science or computer science û into the intermediate studies levels û will want to add MATHEMATICS OF DIGITAL IMAGES: CREATION, COMPRESSION, RESTORATION, RECOGNITION to their collections. These three elements are key to digital imaging û and the math needed to carry out all these components are explored in a textbook which offers both theory and practical applications and exercises. College-level courses will want to consider this as a classroom text on the subject, but specialty libraries will also find it a popular pick for advanced self-study.

The Future of Everything
David Orrell, Ph.D.
Thunder's Mouth Press
c/o Avalon Publishing Group
245 West 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York NY 10011
1560259752 $27.95 www.thundersmouth.com 1-800-788-3123

How can we predict the future, and can past discoveries help interpret tomorrow's events, from weather to finances? It's time for another probe of prediction science and THE FUTURE OF EVERYTHING: THE SCIENCE OF PREDICTION offers the latest research and methods, examining how past scientists predicted the future and how modern scientists forecast events. The author received his doctorate in mathematics from Oxford: his background provides a grounded, rational examination which considers the pros, cons and uncertainties of prediction science.


The Self-Help Shelf

What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith with Mark Reiter
Hyperion
77 West 66th Street, New York NY 10023-6298
1401301304 $23.95 www.hyperionbooks.com

What holds you back from achievement? Marshall Goldsmith is an executive coach who has worked with over eighty CEOs in the world's top organizations û so he's in the perfect position to examine how global leaders overcome self-defeating habits, translating these lessons to the modern condition and everyday man in What Got You Here Won't Get You There. From key beliefs in successful leaders to common behavior flaws, this book translates drawbacks to success, and will find an audience in any general-interest collection where self-improvement is of interest.


The Philosophy Shelf

Bullshit and Philosophy
Gary L. Hardcastle & Georgia A. Reisch
Open Court Publishing Company
140 S. Dearborn, Suite 1450, Chicago, IL 60603
0812696115 $17.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

BULLSHIT AND PHILOSOPHY is Volume 24 in the Popular Culture and Philosophy Series and provides an important, unusually scholarly study of bullshit and its relevance to philosophical debate. A range of articles define and analyze 'bullshit' and its presence in politics, science, and society and provides an examination of a new kind of public philosophy which should not be omitted from any kind of modern philosophy discussion.


The Genealogy Shelf

Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, 3rd Edition
John Grenham
Genealogical Publishing Inc.
3600 Clipper Mill Road Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211-1953
080631768X $24.95 www.genealogicalpublishing.com

The third new edition of a classic genealogy reference is a major creation because it reflects the vast changes brought to the world of genealogical possibilities by the Internet. Thus, collections who've found prior editions most popular in the past û particularly public libraries û will find this third edition of TRACING YOUR IRISH ANCESTORS of vital importance: it packs in resources, listings, and source materials for locating Irish records both in the U.S. and abroad. A top, highly recommended pick.


The Biography Shelf

Why I Jumped
Tina Zahn with Wanda Dyson
Revell
c/o Baker Book House
Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0800718917 $19.99 www.revellbooks.com

Tina Zahn tried to jump off a bridge 200 feet over the Fox River in Green Bay Wisconsin û but was saved by a trooper who caught her by the wrist as she went over. The whole incident was filmed by the police car's videocam and the event played on TV both locally and nationally. Here, for the first time, Zahn speaks out about why she jumped, and how she eventually recovered from the severe postpartum depression which nearly sent her over the edge. Both health libraries and general-interest lending collections will find WHY I JUMPED: MY TRUE STORY OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION, DRAMATIC RESCUE AND RETURN TO HOPE inspirational and riveting.

Citizen Moore
Roger Rapoport
RDR Books
1487 Glen Avenue, Muskegon MI 49441
1571431632 $15.95 www.rdrbooks.com

Michael Moore is both a hit film maker and best-selling author, so any who have followed his works in either medium will find CITIZEN MOORE the perfect biographical reference to understanding his life and times. Veteran investigative reporter Roger Rapoport interviews over two hundred friends, producers, agents, employees and actors who all contribute different insights: the result is a well-rounded biographical treatment essential for any who would understand the filmmaker's creations and methods.

Tom Crean: An Illustrated Life
Michael Smith
Dufour Editions
P.O. Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
1905172184 $49.95 www.dufoureditions.com

Tom Crean was an Irish hero of Antarctic exploration: one of only three men who returned alive from Scott's trek to the South Pole, and who saved one of his fellow survivors. A few years later he made another rescue attempt when with Ernest Shackleton. His adventures are captured in a visual biography that includes many photos from his expeditions and early life, making this a fine recommendation for general-interest libraries specializing in Irish biography as well as true-life stories of exploration and adventure.


The Military Shelf

Strategic Intelligence
Loch K. Johnson, Editor
Praeger Security International
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275989429 $450.00/set www.praeger.com

College-level specialty collections strong in military and political studies of foreign policy and strategy will find essential the in-depth, five-volume set Strategic Intelligence: Understanding the Hidden Side of Government. Here's a comprehensive survey of how the sixteen major U.S. intelligence agencies operate, how they collect information from around the world, and how they meet special challenges. Chapters analyze the intelligence community and both overt and covert actions, examining differing approaches to intelligence and its management and policies and including a concurrent history of the politics and policies of the community. No serious college-level or specialty military collection should be without this in-depth reference.

Don't Tread on Me
H.W. Crocker III
Crown Forum Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
1400053633 $27.50 www.crownforum.com

DON'T TREAD ON ME: A 400-YEAR HISTORY OF AMERICA AT WAR, FROM INDIAN FIGHTING TO TERRORIST HUNTING is one of the most sweeping military histories in print: it comes from a journalist who offers a close analysis of America's military over the past four hundred years, contrasting wars, strategy, ideology and methodology across the decades. From current insights on why a civil war in Iraq needn't be a U.S. disaster to how 1886 justified Southern succession in the 19th century, many eye-opening discussions arm DON'T TREAD ON ME and make it a top pick not just for general-interest and military collections, but for college-level classrooms debating American military and political policies.

Afghanistan & The Troubled Future of Unconventional Warfare
Hy S. Rothstein
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402-5034
159114745X $26.95 www.usni.org

Any collection strong in terrorist or military history must have Afghanistan & The Troubled Future of Unconventional Warfare: it's a hard-hitting analysis of not just political events but the changing strategies of how wars are fought, going beyond most social analysis books to probe why the U.S. military cannot conduct unconventional warfare. Author Hy Rothstein teaches in the Department of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School and is well versed in his subject, here arguing that the U.S. remains mired in conventional tactics in an increasingly unconventional fighting environment.

50 Military Leaders Who Changed the World
William Weir
New Page Books
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564148661 $24.99 www.newpagebooks.com

You would expect a survey detailing only 50 military leaders worldwide to selectively include only the best: but William Weir's focus is on those who left the world much changed by their decisions, not those who were the best leaders or strategists, necessarily. That's why 50 Military Leaders Who Changed the World is so important not just for military collections but for high school and college-level students of world history: it details both early and modern military leaders who made a strong impact on human history, from Genghis Khan to Yamamoto Isoroku. Chapters focus on how and why they impacted history so greatly.

Battle Rattle: The Stuff a Soldier Carries
Hans Halberstadt
Zenith Press
c/o MBI Publishing Company
380 Jackson Street #200, Saint Paul MN 55101-3885
0760326223 $24.95 www.zenithpress.com

From canteens to ammo clips and uniforms, 'battle rattle' is the stuff a soldier carriers to survive the day, and is here thoroughly explored in a book which examines changes in military clothing, packs and equipment. BATTLE RATTLE is more than an analysis of modern equipment: it also covers items soldiers purchase from civilian companies to supplement government issue and focuses on approach loads, equipment issues, and technological achievement alike, blending all together with vivid color photos throughout. Perfect for the military library.


The Aviation Shelf

Aviation Century: War and Peace in the Air
Ron Dick & Dan Patterson
Boston Mills Press
c/o Firefly Books Limited
155 East 34th Street #5B, New York NY 10016
1550464302 $49.95 www.fireflybooks.com

The Aviation Century series concludes with this fifth, final volume in a series that explores aviation after World War II. Archival and original images of planes accompanies facts and historical events in the aviation world, with chapter considering how military aviation translated to civilian life, flight safety issues, and possible future changes. Libraries with the other volumes must have this concluding chapter, while military libraries will find it a solid stand-alone survey.


The Civil War Shelf

Confederate Heroines
Thomas P. Lowry
Louisiana State University Press
Box 25053, Baton Rouge, LA 70894-5053
0807129909 $29.95 www.lsu.edu

From 1861 through 1865 Southern women in the Confederacy challenged Federal authority, aiding deserters, feeding Confederate bushwhackers, and cutting Federal telegraph wires. Lowry's investigation uses some 75,000 Federal court-martial records recently uncovered in Nation Archives files and largely unrevealed since the Civil War to provide a striking historical survey of the events and lives of these women, making this a major pick not only for military collections strong in Civil War history, but for general holdings strong on women's history.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Now They Call Me Infidel
Nonie Darwish
Sentinel
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
1595230319 $23.95 www.penguin.com

NOW THEY CALL ME INFIDEL: WHY I RENOUNCED JIHAD FOR AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WAR ON TERROR comes from a very unusual source: a Muslim Shahid's daughter whose father was considered a 'shahid' û a martyr for jihad û when he was killed leading covert attacks on Israel. Darwish was educated by Catholic nuns in Cairo and questioned her Muslim culture and upbringing at an early age û especially when her own family believed America had it coming on September 11th. Her move to the U.S. and conversion to Christianity is documented in a book not only providing strong autobiographical insights, but offering facts on Islamic terrorism, teachings, and hatred. A 'must' for any who would understand the premises and teachings of modern Muslim communities.

The Last Crusade: Americanism and the Islamic Reformation
Michael A. Palmer
Potomac Books Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VCA 20166-2012
159797062X $26.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com

The U.S. is engaged in a battle of ideals, trying to modernize the Islamic world û and THE LAST CRUSADE represents professor Michael Palmer's argument that America's goals are in direct conflict with Islamic principles. THE LAST CRUSADE provides the essential background history needed to understand the Muslim world's past up to present times, and makes a case for the fact that the 'Islamic reformation' is in fact happening û but with bin Laden and others reflecting this change. A striking survey, highly recommended for any definitive college-level holding on Islamic history, culture, or terrorism issues.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

What Came Before He Shot Her
Elizabeth George
HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022
0060545623 $26.95 www.harpercollins.com

The brutal death of one Inspector Thomas Lynley's wife has left Scotland Yard shocked, especially since a pre-teen seems to be the murderer. His story involves a group of misplaced youths in this powerful murder probe that is a special recommendation for fans of murder mysteries seeking more depth than your usual 'whodunnit' can offer. Libraries with more literary murder mystery patrons will find this a popular pick.

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Larry Karp's THE RAGTIME KID (1590583264, $24.95) tells of a teen investigator who falls in love with music, runs away from the family farm to Missouri, and literally falls across a body during his flight û a body which implicates his beloved teacher Scott Joplin. It's up to Brun to uncover the real killer û but there are many more levels of personal discovery to THE RAGTIME KID that add complexity and intrigue to a fine story. Ken Kuhlken's THE DO-RE-MI (159058337X, $24.95) is set in California in 1972 and presents a realistic murder mystery revolving around pot farmers, an upcoming festival, hippies, bikers, and more. Clifford is scheduled to perform a guitar gig there û but what he finds will lead to arrest, murder, and more in another coming-of-age mystery. Peter May's EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE (1590583353, $24.95) is subtitled 'The First of the Enzo Files', so be forewarned û more are in the making. A Scot transplanted to France, who trained as a forensic biologist and worked with the Glasgow police û finds himself bored and on the path of a possible new career. In a gripping mystery which circumvents the Paris catacombs to chateau country, EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE moves quickly between protagonists and events to provide a well-rounded investigative mystery probing people, places and events with equal relish. These are outstanding picks for discriminating mystery collections seeking more depth and characterization than your usual offering.


The Fiction Shelf

Head Game
Tim Downs
Westbow
c/o Thomas Nelson Press
Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
1595540237 $22.99 www.thomasnelson.com

Psychological tension springs to life in HEAD GAME, a complex novel which spans the course of nearly two decades and is a recommended pick for public lending libraries strong in detailed leisure reads. A psychological expert and intelligence officer who joined forces during the Desert Storm operation find themselves facing a phoenix-like enemy fifteen years later in an excellent, suspenseful series of twists and turns enhanced by the author's pen and ink drawings.

Once in a Promised Land
Laila Halaby
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-2892
0807083909 $23.95 www.beacon.org

Laila Halaby's second novel tells of a crumbling marriage affected by fallout from 9/11. Halaby is a Jordanian-American writer who directly confronts life for Arab-Americans in a post-911 world: ONCE IN A PROMISED LAND uses the novel form to bring to life the roots of prejudice and cultural differences, making it a top pick for readers seeking something with more depth and insight than your usual novel. Public libraries must have it.

Charity Girl
Michael Lowenthal
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116
0618546294 $24.00 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

Based on a little-known World War I-era government campaign to imprison women who contracted 'social diseases' is CHARITY GIRL, which imagines one such woman's experiences. Frieda is the teen daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants to Boston who has fled her repressive home and an arranged marriage to become an independent worker. Her involvement with soldier Felix will lead to her detention and many eye-opening revelations in this gripping story, perfect for public libraries where patrons appreciate historical fiction.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Jews and Gentiles
Milton Himmelfarb, author
Gertrude Himmelfarb, editor
Encounter Books
900 Broadway Suite 400, New York NY 10003-1239
1594031541 $25.95 www.encounterbooks.com

Essays by Milton Himmelfarb represent an impressive set of reflections on both modern and ancient Jewish history, reflecting on events, states of mind, and personal sayings as well as theological examination. These essays were written at the age of 30 when he contradicted the modern view of the 'vindictive' Jewish God as against the 'merciful' god of Christianity. Its philosophical and spiritual insights are a 'must' for any serious Judaic studies library.

Diplomat Heroes of the Holocaust
Mordecai Paldiel
KTAV Publishing House Inc.
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
0881259098 $29.50 www.ktav.com

During the Holocaust thousands of Jews fled from Nazi Europe û and diplomats in nations around the world risked their lives to save them. Until now little has been written with a focus on these diplomatic efforts: Diplomat Heroes of the Holocaust follows unorthodox methods used to save Jews from Nazis. Chapters cover methods in different countries allowing for both an in-depth country approach and a contrast of methods: a 'must' for any serious Holocaust library.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

How to Practice Mayan Astrology
Bruce Scofield & Barry C. Orr
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions
1 Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
159143064X $20.00 www.BearandCompanyBooks.com

How to Practice Mayan Astrology: The Tzolkin Calendar and Your Life Path offers a modern analysis of the Maya planetary cycle keyed to understanding the Mayan calendar and astrological system. The symbolism and logic are explained in chapters which also assess applications and analysis strategies, making for an important variation on your typical astrological guide: perfect for any comprehensive New Age library.

A Companion to Arthurian and Celtic Myths and Legends
Mike Dixon-Kennedy
Sutton Publishing
Phoenix Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2BU, UK
0750933119 $22.95 www.suttonpublishing.co.uk www.amazon.com

Research into the mythology and facts of Arthurian and Celtic times lends to this reference, which explores the era of the Celtic Golden Age, offering a blend of historical fact and legend in an easy A-Z reference of peoples, events, and lore. Black and white illustrations and a centerfold of color accent a book centered on facts, not author opinions: the pairing of Celtic and Arthurian history makes for an excellent reference for any period scholar; particularly at the high school to college grade levels.

Chinese Sexual Astrology
Shelly Wu
New Page Books
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564149218 $14.99 www.newpagebooks.com

With Chinese Sexual Astrology readers can learn a new method of blending spiritual and physical energies to achieve sexual satisfaction. It's divided into three sections: one exploring spirit, one exploring mind, one exploring body and links between all: new age readers thus receive a well-rounded synthesis of exploration which delves into methods and spiritual insights alike.

Taking Power
Stephen Mace
New Falcon Publications
Box 256, Milford, CT 06460-0256
1561842400 $14.95 www.newfalcon.com

TAKING POWER: CLAIMING OUR DIVINITY THROUGH MAGICK tells how to harness and manipulate psychic energy so it becomes a controllable force. Symbolic orientation is not a part of this structured guide, so all types of New Age practitioners will find TAKING POWER an essential pick, blending works of Austin Osman Sparev and Aleister Crowley and going a step further in analyzing the grounding forces of reality itself.

The Meanings of Magic
Amy Wygant, Editor
Berghahn Books
Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1845451783 $70.00 www.berghahnbooks.com

The Meanings of Magic: From the Bible to Buffalo Bill stretches the definition of magic, providing essays by nine scholars who focus on cultural magic from early Christianity to Surrealism, alchemy, and American fundamentalism. College-level holdings considering cultural issues and superstition will be especially pleased with the researched, scholarly tone and will find it an excellent addition to any collection strong in intercultural understanding, literary themes, or social history.

Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions
1 Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
159143064X $20.00 www.BearandCompanyBooks.com

Barbara Hand Clow's THE MIND CHRONICLES: A VISIONARY GUIDE INTO PAST LIVES (1591430666, $22.00) combines and updates for the first time the three books of The Mind Chronicles Trilogy û Eye of the Centaur, Heart of the Christos, and Signet of Atlantis. Together the three discuss hypnotic regression and collective memory, considering some 100,000 years of human history and using ceremonies and initiations to uncover evolutionary trends. An outstanding record of historical possibilities. Mantak Chia's CHI NEI TSANG: CHI MASSAGE FOR THE VITAL ORGANS (1594771057, $19.95) discusses techniques of Chi Tsang which evolved in early Asia. The energies of negative emotions, stress and more can cause vital functions to stagnate, but the techniques of Chi Nei Tsang are designed to detoxify such energies and CHI NEI TSANG teaches these balancing acts and preventative measures. Mantak Chia is a student of several Taoist masters and provides an excellent guide with clear explanations. Herbert Bangs, M. Arch.'s THE RETURN OF SACRED ARCHITECTURE (1594771324, $24.95) discusses masterworks of past ancestors and surveys how modern dysfunctional buildings bring out the worst in humanity. It's received prior recommendation but deserves ongoing mention as a top-notch title.

Christian Voodoo
Eric Gibbons
Schiffer Books
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764325663 $14.95 www.schifferbooks.com

Are angels at work, and how is luck determined within the context of Christianity? CHRISTIAN VOODOO answers these questions and more with chapters that tell how to meld Christian faith of elements of fortune and voodoo. A unique blend of the two offer up Christian practices for prediction, winning love, and even acknowledging the faith and purpose of saints: perfect for both Christian and New Age libraries or collections relying on both perspectives.


The International Studies Shelf

Global Rivalries from Cold War to Iraq
Kees Van Der Pijl
Pluto Press
c/o University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
0745325416 $50.00 www.plutobooks.com

The history and develop of relations between major countries around the world are examined here through the arena of wars and changes in global politics which have had an impact on how states relate to one another. The English-speaking West has created rivalries between contender states, the author argues: new rivalries are fostered each time the West expands. Chapters examine the evolution of these rivalries and their lasting impact on human rights, war, and peace in a study highly recommended for college-level students of international relations.

Culture and Customs of Mozambique
George O. Ndege
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0313331634 $49.95 www.greenwoodpress.com

Joining others in the 'Culture and Customs of Africa' series is a thorough coverage of Mozambique which will be perfect for reports at the middle to high school grade levels. Libraries will find Culture and Customs of Mozambique a popular lend reaching even into general-interest adult collections strong on African history and culture: it provides a strong survey embracing everything from gender roles and world relationships to customs and cultural history.

Dragon Rising: An Inside Look at China Today
Jasper Becker
National Geographic Books
1145 û 17th Street N.W., Washington DC 20036-4688
0792261933 $35.00 www.nationalgeographic.com

Dragon Rising: An Inside Look at China Today comes from a Beijing-based journalist who examines the major issues around China's transition to a global power. His experiences with a wide range of Chinese residents, from urban to rural û and his observations of the different paths the Chinese are choosing on the road to modernity û lends to a blend of powerful images and social observation key to any understanding of Chinese culture. Both general-interest libraries and high school to college-level holdings strong in intercultural understanding will want to consider this introductory review.


The Psychology Shelf

American Fear
Peter N. Stearns
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
0415955424 $24.95 www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com

Both cultural studies and psychology collections, especially those at the college level, will welcome the blend of psychology and history in AMERICAN FEAR; THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF HIGH ANXIETY. Fear has always been a part of American culture but has become even more ingrained and deeply rooted in modern times: Peter Stearns examines the American psyche, how fear leads to choices on insurance, risk management, and aggression, and more. Also strongly recommended for classroom discussion.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

BL Publishing
1525 Hulse Road Unit 1, Pt. Pleasant, NJ 08742
www.blacklibrary.com

Steven Savile's SLAINE: THE EXILE (1844163873, $7.99) is an excellent adventure fantasy set in a land where warrior tribes fight for all aspects of survival. Slaine MacRoth is son of Sessair and struggles with his warrior's gift and heritage when a battle leads him on an unusual journey. Sandy Mitchell's DEATH'S LEGACY (184416392X, $7.99) provides another satisfying 'Warhammer' fantasy which represents the third installment in the fantasy roleplay. Prior players especially will appreciate the ongoing set of adventures as Rudi and Hanna seek refuge in the capital city of the Empire, only to find family secrets threaten them. Blucher von Vincke's THE EMPIRE AT WAR (1844164152, $29.99) offers up a fine volume for any involved in the Empire fantasy history series. The epic battles of the Empire here receive strong visual embellishment, with full-page color illustration backing biographical and military insights. Steve Lyons' DEATH WORLD (1844163989, $7.99) tells of Catachan jungle fighters which specialize in destroying the Emperor's foes on some dangerous worlds. When they're sent to Roger III they find themselves battling an entire sentient planet in this riveting fast-paced military drama. Fantasy collections û particularly those strong in military fantasy û will find these popular lends.

Baen Publishing
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com

Joel Rosenberg's PALADINS (1416520945, $7.99) is set in the 18th century in an alternate universe where Mordred defeated King Arthur and founded the Pendragon dynasty throughout much of the known world. Their special weapons: swords containing the soul of someone of great powerà whether good or evil. A dangerous evil red sword threatens a fragile social balance in this world, presented as the first novel in a new series. Steve White's THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT (141652097X, $7.99) tells of a secret invisibility device and a private security agent recruited for the Prometheus Project û a disinformation project targeted at aliens who would rule the galaxy. Intrigue, fast action and satisfying drama blend in a unique science fiction story filled with twists and turns.

Mr. Twilight
Michael Reaves & Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
Del Rey
c/o Ballantine Books
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
0345423380 $7.99 www.delreybooks.com

A rare bookshop find sends an avid horror fiction fan into danger while a fighter against the demonic battles a hole in the fabric of reality. Connections between the two events will bring in an investigation team unique in their ability to chase a killer through an underground occult world in this gripping story perfect for dual fans of mysteries and science fiction.

Hydrogen Steel
K.A. Bedford
Edge
c/o Hades Publications Inc.
Box 1714, Calgary, Alberta T2P 217, Canada
1894063201 $19.95 www.edgewebsite.com

It's rare to see a genuine mystery embedded into the rich fabric of a science fiction setting, but HYDROGEN STEEL accomplishes both in the tale of a retired homicide inspector Zette, called out of retirement to help a former android accused of murder. Her attempts to save Kell will endanger her own closely-held secrets and leads to personal danger when Kell is killed and her home is destroyed. You won't find many more science fiction titles holding so much gripping mystery action and twists of plot, making HYDROGEN STEEL a top pick for both science fiction and mystery lending libraries.

Summer of the Apocalypse
James Van Pelt
Fairwood Press
5203 Quincy Avenue SE, Auburn, WA 98092
0974657387 $17.99 www.fairwoodpress.com

When plague wipes out most of humanity, teen Eric embarks on a journey to find his father. Sixty years later he begins another journey through a much-changed America, confronting his own past and seeking out pockets of hope in a destroyed world. SUMMER OF THE APOCALYPSE is an outstanding addition to any library strong in general science fiction and post-holocaust futuristic worlds in particular.

The Masque of Manana
Robert Sheckley
NESFA Press
Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701
1886778604 $29.00 www.nesfa.org/press

Over forty works of short fiction by Robert Sheckley pack a presentation spiced with the science fiction artwork of Bob Eggleton, making MASQUE OF MANANA a 'must have' for any Sheckley fan and many a newcomer. From 'Squirrel Cage' to 'Seventh Victim', this gathers many writings from the 1950s through later years and represents a notable retrospective any serious science fiction holding must have.

Star Begotten: A Biological Fantasia
H.G. Wells, author
John Huntington, editor
Wesleyan University Press
215 Long Lane, Middletown, CT 06459
0819567299 $22.95 www.wesleyan.edu/wespress

STAR BEGOTTEN was first published in 1937 and is a short novel û second of a series by Wells û which covers discoveries in genetic mutations. A simple event turns into a hysterical social reaction in this story of the possible return of Martians from War of the Worlds, and their impact on the nature of humanity itself. A key pick for any Wells fan.

The Jennifer Morgue
Charles Stross
Golden Gryphon Press
3002 Perkins Road, Urbana, IL 61802
1930846452 $25.95 www.goldengryphon.com

Lovecraft's horror meets Ian Fleming's action in THE JENNIFER MORGUE, a gripping saga of a CIA operation's discovery of an underwater artifact that enables communication with the dead. A software developer wants to gain control of the artifact to communicate with a dead warrior who may hold the keys to world control in this gripping saga. JENNIFER MORGUE includes not only the full-length title story, but an added bonus story: perfect for avid fans of the genre and libraries which hold Lovecraft and Fleming action tales.

Infoquake
David Louis Edelman
PYR
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591024420 $15.00 www.pyrsf.com

Libraries strong in speculative fiction will relish INFOQUAKE, a debut novel that takes place in an unusual setting: the corporate boardroom of the far future. Natch is a master of bio/logics, programming the human body û but his skills are involving him with the owner of a new technology who is determined to keep it from the clutches of another high executive. Meanwhile the 'infoquake' burst of energy is threatening all technologies in this fast-paced, engrossing saga of social change.


The Literary Shelf

Unfortunate English
Bill Brohaugh
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F&W Publications
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1582974438 $18.99 www.writersdigest.com

From political incorrectness to offensive expletives of the post, UNFORTUNATE ENGLISH draws some important connections between the older meanings of words and their modern usage, covering both literary and social history in the process. Lively chapters provide informative yet fun histories of selected words and their evolution, from the Old English meaning of 'pretty' as 'artful, clever' to the misinterpretation of 'corsage' today, UNFORTUNATE ENGLISH is a fun way of absorbing the changing histories and meanings of words.

Romancing the Vote
Leslie Petty
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
0820328588 $39.95 www.ugapress.org

ROMANCING THE VOTE: FEMINIST ACTIVISM IN AMERICAN FICTION, 1870-1920 provides insights on novels about politically active women, which became increasingly common during the times. Until now there's been no study of this body of literature: ROMANCING THE VOTE thus will find its home not only in the college-level collections of libraries strong in literature, but in those which cater to students of women's history and civil rights studies. Chapters consider the novels and how they related to and displayed feminist activism, discussing selected major works from Henry James' The Bostonians to Marjorie Shuler's For Rent û One Pedestal.


The World History Shelf

Resolute
Martin W. Sandler
Sterling Publishing Company Inc.
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8810
1402740859 $24.95 www.sterlingpub.com

RESOLUTE: THE EPIC SEARCH FOR THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE AND JOHN FRANKLIN, AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE QUEEN'S GHOST SHIP is true adventure history at its best, and a top pick for any general-interest lending collection. Historian Martin Sandler offers up a high-seas adventure journey set in the early 1800s, following a vanished famous explorer, some 39 attempted rescues, a ghost ship, and many discoveries. It makes for a fascinating, involving journey that reads with the drama of fiction but is entirely factual history.

Cavorting With Strangers
F. Patrick Butler
Cypress House
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
1879384728 $29.95 www.cypresshouse.com

CAVORTING WITH STRANGERS: GREAT IDEAS AND THEIR CHAMPIONS û PARIS tells of one Charly Brooks, who takes a job as a Paris tour guide and who must learn about French culture and history to hold her position. Her probe into French history, ironies and inconsistencies carries readers through the major personalities and figures of French culture and is a key to understanding the French: it reads with quotes, drama and fictional embellishment but is nonfiction at its best.

Historical Dictionary of Marxism
David Walker & Daniel Gray
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Boulevard #200, Lanham, MD 20706
0810854589 $95.00 www.scarecrowpress.com 1-800-462-6420

Marxism is one of the few philosophies which turned into a social and political movement, emerging in societies around the world before its decline û so Historical Dictionary of Marxism is key to any high school to college-level collection surveying the nature and history of Marxist thinking and its various schools of thought. A chronology of events is accompanied by a list of acronyms, bibliography, and numerous cross-referenced dictionary entries on terms, peoples, parties and countries, making for a perfect reference for any school teaching Marxist history and theory.

The Middle Sea
John Julius Norwich
Doubleday
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0385510233 $39.95 www.doubleday.com

THE MIDDLE SEA: A HISTORY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN sums up the author's life's work studying the lands of the Mediterranean from early times to the present. His is a story of ongoing conflicts, the rise and fall of civilizations, and how and why Mediterranean nations changed. While it's a recommended pick for college-level holdings strong in Mediterranean history, its easy access, eye-catching cover art and lively writing style lend to leisure browsing at the public library level, as well.

The Crusades: An Encyclopedia
Alan V. Murray, Editor
ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
1576078620 $385.00/set www.abc-clio.com

The set THE CRUSADES is a 4-volume work of art highly recommended for both high school and college-level libraries as a basic introductory reference. 1,000 A-Z entries and translated texts on individual crusades and crusaders reflect the contributions of over a hundred researchers from over twenty countries, and are accompanied by maps, bibliographic references, and black and white illustrations. It's the only work to embrace the entire crusade movement from the 11th century through modern times û and all throughout Europe into the Middle East, and represents the latest scholarship, organized by a UK lecturer in medieval studies. A highly recommended, basic reference for any school where Crusades history is studied.

Vive La Revolution
Mark Steel
Haymarket Books
Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
193185937X $14.00 www.haymarketbooks.org

VIVE LA REVOLUTION: A STAND-UP HISTORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION is more revealing than your usual dry history, offering a survey of the French revolution's philosophies, key people, and ideals with a eye to defining individuals and their effects on the Revolution. Here's a spirited treatment which is both funny and pointed, injecting humor and critical observation to make for an engrossing and lively survey perfect for high school to college-level holdings seeking student interest in French history.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

The Standard Knife Collector's Guide, 5th Edition
Roy Ritchie & Ron Stewart
Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
1574325205 $16.95 www.collectorbooks.com

The fifth updated edition of The Standard Knife Collector's Guide remains a 'must' pick for any who would regularly consult a 'bible' of knife values and history. Over seven hundred pages pack in details on major knife companies, issues, collectible ratings, current stampings and more, with small black and white photos and illustrations enhancing the book's reference value for collectors. It's a specialty item to be sure û but knife collecting is one of the most popular collector's items and so this book is sure to see ongoing interest for any collector library patron.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Self-Hypnosis Diet
Steven Gurgevich, Ph.D. & Joy Gurgevich
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
1591794757 $21.95 www.soundstrue.com 1-800-333-9185

Medical hypnosis and heath experts Steven and Joy Gurgevich here survey the role and abilities of the subconscious mind in controlling weight û and provides tools readers can use to utilize these subconscious memories in THE SELF-HYPNOSIS DIET: USE THE POWER OF YOUR MIND TO REACH YOUR PERFECT WEIGHT. How? By re-defining 'favorable foods' at the subconscious level, increasing willpower, and encouraging change in eating patterns. An accompany cd program explains self-hypnosis and aids in effective self-hypnosis so even beginners can easily use this at home with no prior familiarity.

Solve It With Supplements
Robert A. Schulman, MD
Rodale Press
400 South 10th Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
157954942X $19.95 www.rodalestore.com

SOLVE IT WITH SUPPLEMENTS: THE BEST HERBAL AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS TO HELP PREVENT AND HEALTH MORE THAN 100 COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS gathers the latest facts on vitamins, minerals and herbs and the conditions they treat. From introductions on what supplements can do to how readers can choose the best products from the range of items available at a pharmacy or grocery, this is one of the most important surveys of supplement characteristics and functions in print û and a 'must' for both health libraries and general-interest reference collections.

Get Fit in Bed
Genie Tartell, DC, RN & Ted Kavanau
New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
1572244607 $15.95 www.newharbinger.com

Learn how to achieve fitness, improve sleep and gain exercise with a workout you can do from your own bed. Here are some forty exercises that use yoga, Pilates, karate and stretches as their foundation and which are grouped into sections û those to be done lying on your back, sides, and stomach. Step-by-step photos accompany easy instructions in a book highly recommended for both general lending collections and the home libraries of those confined to bed.

New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com

Michael J. Lewandowski, Ph.D.'s THE CHRONIC PAIN CARE WORKBOOK: A SELF-TREATMENT APPROACH TO PAIN RELIEF USING THE BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT OF PAIN QUESTIONNAIRE (1572244704, $19.95) offers up a workbook format to help patients monitor their own responses to pain. These notes are paired with assessments to help gauge levels of physical and emotional pain, then with tips on how to use differing techniques to manage medication, reduce fatigue, and heighten appreciation of pleasurable activities. Andrea Fischgrund Stanton, LICSW with Ruth Hiatt-Coblentz's PILATES FOR FRAGILE BACKS (1572244666, $18.95) is for any recovering from a back injury or spinal surgery: it provides a program to help manage pain and regain strength through a series of Pilates-based exercises modified to accommodate partially immobilized spines. The emphasis on stretching, strengthening and toning makes for an invaluable set of recovery routines. Both are top picks for any comprehensive health library and many a public library.

Demos Medical Publishing
386 Park Avenue South Suite 301, New York NY 10016
www.demosmedpub.com

Mark J. Buchfuhrer, MD and Wayne A. Hening, MD, Ph.D. and Clete A. Kushida, MD, PH.D's RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME: COPING WITH YOUR SLEEPLESS NIGHTS (1932603573, $21.95) comes from three respected leaders in their field who describe the causes of RLS and how to manage it. From triggers and drug treatments to modifying activities and handling intermittent as well as nightly conditions, RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME is an important key to understanding the condition and resolving many of its problems. Sylvia Llewelyn Bower with Mary Kay Sharrett and Steve Plogsted's CELIAC DISEASE: A GUIDE TO LIVING WITH GLUTEN INTOLERANCE (1932603255, $16.95) is the only book to be co-authored by a nurse, dietician and clinical pharmacist, and offers a guide for those seeking a wheat-free, gluten-free lifestyle. Recipes and nutritional guidelines are accompanied by clear ideas for those dining out, traveling, and raising a celiac child and provides an excellent patient's tool. Both should be part of any serious health library holding.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Screen World 2006 V. 57
John Willis with Barry Monush
Applause Theatre Books
c/o Hal Leonard Corporation
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
1557837066 $49.95 www.applausepub.com 1-800-637-2852

SCREEN WORLD V. 57 celebrates the major productions of 2005, is a 'must' foundation pick for any in-depth film library holding, and includes both American and foreign films released in the U.S. in 2005. This is more than just a listing û film credits, biographical notes on actors, and black and white photos from Academy Award-winning productions and actors all blend to make for an exceptional film reference.

A Good Year
Ridley Scott and Peter Mayle
Newmarket Press
18 E. 48th Street, New York NY 10017
1557047480 $19.95 www.newmarketpress.com

A GOOD YEAR was set in France and celebrates life in a blend of romance and comedy filmed on scene: both fans of the movie and newcomers will find most accessible a recap of the story, blending over a hundred color photos with interviews with authors Ridley Scott and Peter Mayle. Winemaking culture comes to life under this treatment and A GOOD YEAR is thus recommended for both film libraries and any with an interest in winemaking history and French culture û and comedy.

There's No Business Like Soul Business
Derek Rydall
Michael Wiese Productions
3940 Lauren Canyon Boulevard #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
1932907246 $22.95 www.mwp.com

From exercises to discussions of how to link performing arts with spirituality, THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SOUL BUSINESS: A SPIRITUAL PATH TO ENLIGHTENED SCREENWRITING, FILMMAKING, AND PERFORMING ARTS will reach both new age and film libraries with an unusual link between two genres. Chapters come from a screenwriter and script consultant who has sold or optioned over 20 scripts himself and who regularly helps clients turn books into scripts. Chapters tell how to incorporate meditation, blessings, imagery and self-analysis into the art of screenwriting for maximum results, making this a top pick for both aspiring screenwriters and film libraries catering to the 'how to' reader.

Rough Guide to Westerns
Paul Simpson
Rough Guides
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
345 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
1843536498 $14.99 www.roughguides.com 1-800-847-5515

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO WESTERNS is a top pick for any film collection strong in cinema history û and for any general-interest lending library where patrons enjoy movies and movie history. From the origins of the Western in the silent movie era to its evolution to spaghetti and modern screen, some fifty top Westerns are included, with major actors and films analyzed. Westerns from around the world are also included, along with books, magazines and websites, making THE ROUGH GUIDE TO WESTERNS a far more comprehensive survey than one might initially think. Loaded with black and white photos throughout, it's a title any film library needs.


The Sports Shelf

The Perfect Distance
Tom Rodgers
Velo Press
1830 North 55th Street, Boulder, CO 80301-2700
1931382948 $18.95 www.velopress.com

Any avid sports person involved in triathlon courses will find THE PERFECT DISTANCE: TRAINING FOR LONG-COURSE TRIATHLON the first book dedicated exclusively to the half-Iron distance category. All workouts, nutritional guides and training tops are focused on this, but you needn't be a competitor to benefit from the tips in THE PERFECT DISTANCE. Anyone racer who wishes to race farther and faster will find the author/coach's tips an essential ingredient for success, making THE PERFECT DISTANCE a recommendation for both personal libraries and any public lending library strong in sports and games.


The Photography Shelf

How to Take Great Digital Photos of Your Friend's Wedding
Patrick Rice
Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
1584281995 $17.95 www.amherstmedia.com

Most brides and grooms hire pros to shoot wedding pictures, but those taken from amateurs are even more treasured at times, and How to Take Great Digital Photos of Your Friend's Wedding will thus appeal to the novice who wants to use a home digital camera to maximum benefit. Here are tips ranging from initial hardware to shooting modes, understanding lighting and contrast, and recognizing what elevates a mundane picture to a superior shot. These are all the basics pros use û at the fingertips of the relative amateur here, and enhanced by numerous color examples throughout û perfect for novice photographers and public lending libraries alike.

Looking East
Steve McCurry
Phaidon Press Inc.
180 Varick Street, 14th Floor, New York NY 10014
0714846376 $39.95 www.phaidon.com

Photographer Steve McCurry's images of Asian peoples and culture is renowned the world over, so it's especially pleasing to discover them all together under one cover in LOOKING EAST: PORTRAITS BY STEVE MCCURRY. Don't think you know Steve McCurry? Yes, you probably do û he's the photographer who captured the Afghan girl with the big eyes that appeared on the cover of National Geographic. More big-eyed and striking peoples are captured here, displaying the power of the portrait in cultural understanding.

Work: The World in Photographs
Ferdinand Protzman
National Geographic Books
1145 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20036-4688
0792262042 $35.00 www.ngs.org

Cultural writer Ferdinand Protzman explores the world and captures some of the most striking work images in print in his WORK: THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS, a gathering of the many paths work can take. Some 80 top photographers contribute their images to this volume, which packs in nearly 200 such photos spanning some 150 years. Many, culled from National Geographic archives, have never seen print before. From cowboys to Tibetan monks, urban to rural workers, and unique to common jobs, WORK captures the driving forces of humanity and is a pick any general-interest library will find popular. It lends well to display, also.

Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom
Stephen Wilkes
W.W. Norton
500 û 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0393061450 $75.00 www.wwnorton.com

For five years author Stephen Wilkes explored and photographed the hospital complex which made up the south side of Ellis Island: an area neglected for nearly fifty years. His photos, presented in full-page, oversized and striking displays, are accompanied by overlay pages of impressions that make for a truly striking gathering. While ELLIS ISLAND is a pick for any collection strong in immigration history, it's reviewed here for its hard-hitting impact in the world of cultural photography, as well: not only college-level collections strong in immigration images but general-interest libraries and art libraries specializing in contemporary photography must have it.


The Architecture Shelf

Dream Homes
Andreas von Einsiedel & Johanna Thornycroft
Merrell
49 West 24th Street, 8th Floor, New York NY 10010
1858943493 $29.95 www.merrellpublishers.com

Any collection strong in interior design will want DREAM HOMES: 100 INSPIRATIONAL INTERIORS. It's a sourcebook treasure trove of design ideas from around the world, combines styles from classic to exotic, country to urban, and packs in photos of these homes for any looking for ideas. Photos are accompanied by explanatory commentary on what makes the design choices unique, or special challenges faced in the design process.


The Interior Design Shelf

Your Dream Bathroom
House Beautiful
Hearst Books
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
1588164888 $24.95 www.housebeautiful.com

The modern bathroom holds many possibilities: use as a functional service room, a spa, and even able to hold expanded storage. YOUR DREAM BATHROOM takes it to the next level: use as an appealing, relaxing environment. Tips on how to create this impression in a bathroom range from choice of fixtures and color schemes to advice on how to fit the room with the rest of a household's decor. YOUR DREAM BATHROOM; STYLISH SOLUTIONS FOR THE HOME is the perfect starting point and is a recommended pick for any homeowner/remodeler or public libraries catering to them.

Korea Style
Marcia Iwatate and Kim Unsoo
Charles Tuttle
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759
0804837503 $44.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com

Simplicity, modernity and nature all combine to maximum benefit in Korean style and represent a new movement in that country that reaches out across the waters to interior designers interested in Asian style. Any library collection strong in Asian style representations will find KOREA STYLE a welcome focus: it's also the first international publication to reveal the country's architecture and interior design, so it should be a 'foundation title' for any college-level specialty collection or international home style library.

Renovation 3rd Edition
Michael W. Litchfield
Taunton Press
Box 5506, Newton, CT 06470-5506
1561585882 $39.95 www.taunton.com

RENOVATION has been the home renovator's item of choice for several decades now, and both old fans and newcomers will thus appreciate the completely revised, updated volume with all new color photos and insights on the latest techniques. Litchfield has often been cited by others in his field, so if you're a discriminating library seeking only a few solid basic renovation books, RENOVATION is head and shoulders above the rest.


The Crafts Shelf

Beaded Macrame Jewelry
Sherri Haab
Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0823029522 $12.95 www.watson-guptill.com

You may think of hippie or old-fashioned styles when you think 'macrame' but Sherri Haab demonstrates a vast difference with her modernized Beaded Macrame Jewelry, which goes beyond the usual hemp and wooden beads of the past to display macrame's contemporary possibilities. From bead-enhanced belts to intricate necklaces with plenty of detail, BEADED MACRAME JEWELRY shows you don't have to regulate macrame to the 1960s: any crafts library will welcome the different approach.

Mosaic Patterns
Emma Biggs & Tessa Hunkin
Trafalgar Square Publishing
388 Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
1570763534 $24.95 www.trafalgarsqurebooks.com

MOSAIC PATTERNS: STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUES AND STUNNING PROJECTS explores the use and application of the pattern in mosaics for either ceramics, glass, marble or granite tiles. Nineteen step-by-step mosaic projects serve as examples for different patterns which can be created by color or shape, and which feature a range of techniques and materials. Any working in mosaics will find it enlightening as to the possibilities, and general-interest libraries strong in crafts will find it a bright, appealing lend.

The Best of Bead&Button Magazine: Seed Bead Savvy
Bead&Button Magazine
Kalmbach Publishing Co
Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
0871162385 $19.95 www.kalmbach.com

The Best of Bead&Button Magazine: Seed Bead Savvy covers the tiny seed beads that play a big part in beaded jewelry making. They can be used in conjunction with an overall design with other beads or can stand alone as their own creations: this book shows how, from locating seed beads which are perfect for a project to stringing and blending colors. Any library strong in jewelry-making references will find this a fine addition.

Beautiful Beaded Rings
David & Charles
F&W Publications
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
0715322931 $12.99 www.fwpublications.com

Over 30 ring designs pack a guide that provides a range of ring options and different, eye-catching styles. Close-up photos provide the detail to match easy step-by-step instructions and diagrams perfect for newcomers to jewelry-making. With its focus on bright, contemporary colors and different choices, any jewelry maker will find it a wonderful guide, and libraries with strong crafts sections will find the eye-catching cover lends to repeat patron interest.


The Needlework Shelf

Amazing Crochet Lace
Doris Chan
Potter Craft
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0307339750 $21.95 www.pottercraftnews.com

AMAZING CROCHET LACE: NEW FASHIONS INSPIRED BY OLD-FASHIONED LACE comes from a crochet designer who puts her own ideas into action using the same familiar stitches made to produce afghans and doilies. These same ideas can easily translate to high fashion, from a shawl inspired by a 1950s coffee-table cover to a mini-dress. Many of the instructions are for intermediate crocheters but all levels will find AMAZING CROCHET LACE a winner.

Victorian Lace Today
Jane Sowerby
XRX Books
c/o Independent Publishers Group
Box 1525, Sioux Falls, SD 57101-1525
1933064072 $29.95 www.ipgbooks.com www.knittinguniverse.com

Victorian lacing patterns of the past come to life in this knitting book, which takes the first knitting books and translates their often-sketchy instructions to modern patterns and modern materials. Instructions for unique Victorian lace are accompanied by color photos of finished products and shots of England: they move from the most basic of designs and edgings to more complicated 'real' lace constructions. Forty patterns for scarves to capes and more offer both beginners and advanced knitters a range of projects, making this perfect for both general-interest libraries strong in knitting project guides and for individuals who aspire to produce lace-like results from knitting.

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

Linden Ward and Beryl Hiatt's HANDKNIT STYLE II (1564777103, $34.95) offers more modern sweaters from Tricoter: bold, colorful styles that result in unique blends of stripes and patterns. Here are sixteen sweaters from casual to dressy which offer up unique methods for using cotton, wool, silk and specialty yarns. Full-page color photos and instructions can be viewed simultaneously through a fine fold-out format. Darla Sims' CREATIVE CROCHET: CLEVER WAYS TO USE YOUR YARN STASH (1564776875, $21.95) shows how to take single skeins of yarn and combine them for optimum results. Sweaters, jackets, and more are offered up in some 20 projects designed with basic stitches and simple innovations. Especially recommended for crocheters who have experience but need inspiration for using and combining 'leftovers'. Diane England's CUTE CROCHET FOR KIDS (1564777073, $24.95) presents 12 projects from pullovers to a vest which teach the basics of crochet in the area of children's clothing. Designs are rated by skill level, presented in big, bold type paired with color photos throughout, and lend to simple construction. Linda Repasky edits A PASSION FOR PUNCHNEEDLE (1564777111, $21.95), a fine beginner's guide to the art of punchneedle embroidery. Here are 16 projects which blend appearance from primitive to sophisticated, and which allow for projects ranging from pins and pendants to clothing. Even better û projects come from different designers, so approaches and finished results are quite diverse. All these titles will prove strong picks for any quilter's library and many a public lending library collection.

The Northampton Wools Knitting Book
Linda A. Daniels
Countryman Press
Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091
0881506834 $21.95 www.countrymanpress.com

THE NORTHAMPTON WOOLS KNITTING BOOK: THE SHOP PATTERNS offers knitters a pattern book of designs from the shop called Northampton Wools in Massachusetts, which has been the center of a community of knitters seeking creative knitting designs. Owner Linda Daniels' designs have earned a cult following in knitting communities across the country and here are accompanied by step-by-step instructions and color photos of completed projects. Any collection strong in knitting ideas will want this.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

In the Company of Horses
Kathleen Lindley
Johnson Books
c/o Spring Creek Press
3005 Center Green Drive, #220, Boulder, CO 80301
1555663869 $17.50 www.johnsonbooks.com

IN THE COMPANY OF HORSES: A YEAR ON THE ROAD WITH HORSEMAN MARK RASHID tells of the author's encounter with a 'horse whisperer' who changed her life when she went to him for help with her horse. She became his student and helped foster a new way of horsemanship: her journey is charted in a fine blend of horse savvy and autobiography perfect for not only horse-lover collections but general-interest libraries.

The Feline Patient, 3rd Edition
Gary D. Norsworthy, et.al.
Blackwell Publishing
2121 State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014
0781762685 $124.99 www.blackwellprofessional.com

Any college-level collection strong in veterinary references and practicing vets must have the third updated edition of THE FELINE PATIENT: busy practitioners and students receive a reference that lends to quick consultation: a new edition expanded with new sections, topics arranged alphabetically, and the latest research. Practitioners seeing feline patients will want it close at hand for quick analysis of feline behavior, dermatology problems, dentistry and even surgery. It packs in details yet makes them easy to find, assuring THE FELINE PATIENT a lasting place on any serious vet or vet library's reference shelf.

Eclipse Press
Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
$16.95 Each www.eclipsepress.com

Two new Blood Horse guides for equestrians will delight both horse owners and equine library collections with authoritative guides by the staff and correspondents of Blood-Horse Publications. PINHOOKING FOR PROFIT (1581501455) discusses the basics for new comers on buying and reselling thoroughbreds. From putting together a business plan and finding the right kind of pinhooking to selecting horses and selling them, it's an excellent guide for any who would enter the world of horse selling. BREEDING THOROUGHBREDS (1581501382) is also for novices who would breed thoroughbreds: it tells how to choose a broodmare, selecting stallions, maintaining breeding health, and verifying pedigrees. Surveys of market conditions and sales complete the picture. Both are top picks for horse owners who would enter these new areas.


The Art Shelf

The Lure of Gold
Hans-Gert Bachmann
Abbeville Press
137 Varick Street, New York NY 10013
0789209004 $75.00 www.abbevillepress.com

THE LURE OF GOLD: AN ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL HISTORY tells how the search for gold has shaped mankind from prehistory to modern times. It's a long history and a long story: to best organize the information, THE LURE OF GOLD places each epoch in a different chapter, explaining where people of the era found gold, how they mined and worked it, and how it affected their lives. Nearly three hundred color photos of art objects and relics enhance a detailed, outstanding survey.


The Music Shelf

Key Notes: Creative Steps to Piano Success
Barbara Wing
American Literary Press
8019 Belair Road Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
1561679356 $12.95 www.americanliterarypress.com

From teaching students to become fluent music readers to encouraging keyboard creativity and interpreting classical music, KEY NOTES offers teachers tips based on the author's forty years as a teacher, providing skills needed to develop musical talent. She holds music degrees and performs as a pianist around Washington D.C.: KEY NOTES synthesizes her experience with evaluation guidelines and tips on teaching, and makes for an important teacher's handbook.


The Political Science Shelf

Washington's China
James Peck
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
1558495371 $24.95 www.umpress.umass.edu

College-level students of political science and foreign relations will find plenty of background history in WASHINGTON'S CHINA: THE NATIONAL SECURITY WORLD, THE COLD WAR, AND THE ORIGINS OF GLOBALISM. Why did the U.S. seek to isolate China from all political and economic ties to other nations? Was it more hostile to China than the Soviet Union? These and other questions about China's capabilities are especially meaningful today, as China emerges from its isolation to become a world force to be reckoned with.


The Education Shelf

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

John Barell's second updated edition of PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING: AN INQUIRY APPROACH (141295004X, $30.00) is a winning, application-based analysis of PBL, which helps students identify problems, pose their own questions, research answers and produce reports. Teachers receive an excellent survey of the process with an attention to trouble-shooting common issues and problems, with a step-by-step approach lending to guidelines for developing strategies with students. Jennifer Stepanek, Gary Appel and others produce LEADING LESSON STUDY: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR TEACHERS AND FACILITATORS (1412939887, $34.95), covers the principles of lesson study, first introduced in Japan and gaining ground in U.S. educational circles as a strong collaborative teaching tool. Teachers work in teams with this method, developing lesson plans and collecting data on student learning which is then used to refine and adjust lessons. Educators at all grade levels will appreciate the instruction that uses examples from U.S. classrooms throughout. FINDING THE STORY BEHIND THE NUMBERS by James Cox (1412942446, $27.95) offers a guide for evaluating educational programs, comes from an educational consultant, and tells how to put test scores and data in context. From defining and analyzing the qualities of a program to honing in on what objectives are not being reached and why, FINDING THE STORY BEHIND THE NUMBERS: A TOOL-BASED GUIDE FOR EVALUATING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS is not limited to one type of instructional routine but is applicable to all, making for a very flexible, solid analysis reference. Lynn Kirkland, Jerry Aldridge, and Patricia Kuby's INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL PRINT ACROSS THE CURRICULUM, PRE K-3 (1412937582, $25.95) tells how to make literacy instruction relevant by tapping into a child's prior knowledge. EP is here defined as the print that surrounds kids in their daily lives, and here's a wealth of activity-oriented projects designed to build literacy skills through that familiarity. Teachers will find this a key to meeting reading goals and assessing and strengthening a child's ability levels, with built-in performance ratings per activity.

Handheld Computers in Schools and Media Centers
Ann Bell
Linworth Books
480 East Wilson Bridge Road Suite L, Worthington, OH 43085
1586832123 $39.95 www.linworth.com

Handheld computers can increase student learning and collaboration and can be easily integrated into a library or curriculum setting to reduce budgets and increase literacy skills û and this resource, Handheld Computers in Schools and Media Centers, is the perfect way of making the introduction work smoothly. Educators learn how to teach students to use handheld computers in conjunction with studies, with chapters discussing hardware, plug-in options, and more.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Glacial Period
Nicholas De Crecy
NBM Publishing Inc.
40 Exchange Place Suite 1308, New York NY 10005
1561634832 $14.95 www.nbmpublishing.com

The first volume of 'Glacial Period' represents a departure from the usual graphic novel format, coming from the Louvre, Paris' famous museum, and extending its art into the pop realm. Two French publishing efforts have joined with a literary comics imprint to produce Glacial Period, in which the Louvre will provide a series of four separate graphic novels by four artists: GLACIAL PERIOD is the first, comes from a rising graphic artists star, and is presented in gorgeous, full color throughout. A top pick which stands apart from the usual graphic novel adventure.


The Library DVD Shelf

Ellen, Season 5
A & E Television Networks
PO Box 2284, South Burlington, VT 05407-2284
0767091361 www.aetv.com 1-888-646-3476

Ellen DeGeneres' comedy sitcom's fifth and final season is captured in this complete video set, which presents the lesbian bookstore owner and her host of funny quirky friends. All 22 episodes from the fifth season are included, making for an uninterrupted set, plus two special tribute episodes. It's a 'must have' finale for prior DeGeneres fans and a fine introduction for newcomers û who likely will want to purchase and view the other seasons available from A&E.


The California Shelf

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
$19.99 Each www.arcadiapublishing.com

San Francisco Bay Area residents will find Arcadia does more than compile images from archives: it often delves into private collections and the specialty knowledge of long-time neighborhood residents to provide portfolios of vintage history not readily available elsewhere. Thus Judy Yung works with the Chinese Historical Society of America to produce SAN FRANCISCO'S CHINATOWN (0738531308), providing a historian and Chinatown native's insider's account of neighborhood history and figures; or Bernadette C. Hooper's SAN FRANCISCO'S MISSION DISTRICT (0738546577) gathers photos from longtime Mission families and organizations from local schools to churches to provide rich coverages where the image tells much of the story. Bill Yenne's SAN FRANCISCO'S NOE VALLEY (0738529052) also comes from a historian and longtime Noe Valley resident who provides a rich compilation of images for a powerful volume following the neighborhood's many changes, while Edward Kelley and Peggy Conaway's RAILROADS OF LOS GATOS (0738546615) joins others in the 'Images of Rail' series to celebrate the rail inroads made into the entire region which set the little town of Los Gatos on the map. Remnants of the railroad remain in several local parks: chapters provide strong vintage photos to survey these legends. All these titles are top picks any Northern California public library and many a private or specialty collection should have: the vintage images are unparalleled in scope and quality and while text history can be spottier û the focus is on the vintage images û each book does a fine job of covering local history and is essential for any California history collection.

The Islands of San Francisco Bay
James A. Martin & Michael T. Lee
Down Window Publications
24 Ross Valley Drive, San Rafael, CA 94901
0978724100 $55.00 www.islandsofsfbay.com

Surprisingly little has appeared about the many islands of San Francisco Bay aside from the usual 'hot spot' focus on Alcatraz or Angel Islands, making The Islands of San Francisco Bay a top reference for any comprehensive San Francisco Bay Area library. This oversized, photo-embellished guide uses a blend of photography and text to consider the different habitats of the Bay Islands, discussing native species, human and natural history, and more. A first-person observational style supplements plenty of facts and discussions that survey islands from Skaggs and Mare to Greco and more. Some 48 islands are profiled in an outstanding discussion: a highly recommended, top 'must have' for any library seeking comprehensive coverage of the natural and human history of this region.


The Automotive Shelf

How to Repair Your Car
Paul Brand
Motorbooks
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
380 Jackson Suite 200, Saint Paul MN 55101
0760322732 $19.95 www.motorbooks.com 1-800-458-0454

Auto expert Paul Brand offers consumers all the basics and blends his repair advice into a visual format to provide novices with the easiest tips in HOW TO REPAIR YOUR CAR. It doesn't get much more basic than this: fifty step-by-step projects can be done with a few simple tools yet can save thousands. From helpful troubleshooting charts and maintenance routines to color photos and diagrams, this 'real world guide' is a pick not just for car owners but for general-interest libraries.

David Bull Publishing
4250 East Cambelback Road suite K150, Phoenix, AZ 85018
www.bullpublishing.com

Roger Hart's POSTCARDS FROM DETROIT: REMEMBERING FORMULA 1 IN THE MOTOR CITY (1893618722, $24.95) is a real winner: it documents the 1982 effort by community leaders to lure Formula 1 into running a 2.5-mile course around Detroit's Renaissance Center: after running such for seven years the races left Detroit. Roger Hart documents these golden years, covering the drivers, teams and sponsors of that period of time. Vintage black and white photos on every page capture the moments of great events, while text describes the special challenges and races that made Detroit notable. Any Formula 1 fan must have this û and any library collection catering to race car enthusiasts will find it a popular lend. Murray L. Smith and Charles W. Queener's THE ALPHABET AND THE AUTOMOBILE (1893618773, $17.95) provides a fine survey for all ages, not just A-B-C students: it blends watercolor illustrations with historical facts and car details to explain what makes the selected cars unique. The A-B-C is geared to models and covers all types of vehicles and notable models, from Ferraris to Plymouth Hemis. Put it in the adult section of any car enthusiast lending library and watch the patron involvement.

Iconografix
c/o Motorbooks International
729 Prospect Avenue, Box 1, Osceola, WI 64020
www.motorbooks.com

Dennis David's DE SOTO AUTOMOBILES (1583881727, $34.95) might be considered a specialty item as it's geared to DeSoto enthusiasts û but it's a real winner, covering 32 years of a car which brought sleek styling and bright colors to the pedestrian American car market. Period advertising, full-page color illustrations, vintage and color photos and more pack a celebration of the DeSoto, surveying model changes, features, and innovations. It's a gorgeous presentation any DeSoto enthusiast will want. Gordon Eliot White's AB & MARVIN JENKINS: THE STUDEBAKER CONNECTION AND THE MORMON METEORS (1583881735, $32.95) tells of a father/son team who popularized the Salt Flats as a place to run for speed records. Their popularization of land speed record efforts would change the makeup and construction of automobiles, challenge speed concepts, and foster a new era of design: it's a key title for understanding auto history and development and deserves a spot in any serious transportation lending library.


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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