Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / Library Bookwatch

Library Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 8 August 2012 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Social Issues Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
International Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Art Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Education Shelf Jobs/Career Shelf
Fiction Shelf Parenting Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Biography Shelf Autism Shelf
Sports Shelf Language Studies Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf
Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf Travel Shelf
Architecture Shelf Nautical Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Archeology Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Science Shelf
Aviation Shelf Civil War Shelf Library Science Shelf
Native American Shelf Philosophy Shelf Gardening Shelf
Political Science Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Ethics: Beyond War's End
Eric Patterson, editor
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781589018884, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Jus post bellum (Latin for "Justice after war") deals with the termination phase of war. The concept is the need for rules to end wars completely and fairly. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Eric Patterson (who also provides an informative Introduction and Conclusion), "Ethics Beyond War's End" is comprised of ten thoughtful and thought-provoking contributions on the subject of how to bring warring factions together after the conflict is over. Especially when faced with the realities associated with protracted conflicts, recurring war, failed or failing states, or genocide and war crimes. The necessity to create frameworks establishing an enduring peace that is both pragmatic and moral is underscored in our modern era with conflicts marked by ethnic cleansing, religious bigotries, tribal feuds, and transitions from established dictatorships to fledgling democracies. A body of superbly presented scholarship, "Ethics: Beyond War's End" is highly recommended reading and an outstanding contribution academic library reference collections.

Countering Displacements
Daniel Coleman, Erin Goheen Glanville, Wafaa Hasan & Agnes Kramer-Hamstra, editors
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888645920 $34.95 www.uap.ualberta.ca

Countering Displacements: The Creativity and Resilience of Indigenous and Refugee-ed Peoples is an anthology of scholarly essays examining and drawing parallels between displaced populations, including indigenous peoples, refugees, and diasporic peoples worldwide. The primary focus is not upon the victimization or suffering of displaced peoples, but rather their resilience and adaptation to drastic change. Individual writings include "Israel's Wall, Displacement, and Palestinian Resistance in the West Bank", "Mapping Manipur", "Creativity as a Form of Resilience in Forced Migration" and more. A handful of black-and-white photographs, an extensive list of cited works, and an index round out this thoughtful and strongly humanitarian collection, highly recommended especially for college library anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies collections.

The State of Nonprofit America, second edition
Lester M. Salamon, editor
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-2188
9780815703303, $36.95, www.brookings.edu

Nonprofits dedicate themselves wholly to a greater goal. "The State of Nonprofit America" is a scholarly investigation of non-profit organizations throughout the country and their struggles to make an impact in society. But as America faces greater divisiveness and a rough economy, Nonprofit companies suffer as well. This second edition is completely updated to discuss modern issues and the future of nonprofit organizations. "The State of Nonprofit America" is a fine addition to any business or social issues collections.

The Land Grabbers
Fred Pearce
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108-2892
9780807003244, $27.95, www.beacon.org

With vast natural resources becoming more valuable than ever, the ideas of ownership become more and more central. "The Land Grabbers: The New Fight Over Who Owns the Earth" explores the rush for claiming the world as the billionaires and superpowers of the world are fighting for the planet against each other as the billions without millions struggle to get by. A strong concern for the future of the world and its people, "The Land Grabbers" is a strongly recommended pick for environmental and social issues collections in community and college library collections.

Fuel on the Fire
Greg Muttitt
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10013
9781595588050, $28.95, www.thenewpress.com

The Iraq War is one that is not fully understood by many. "Fuel on the Fire: Oil and Politics in Occupied Iraq" tries to get to the purpose of this conflict that had public opinion from all those involved wanting it to end very quickly. Exploring the interests of American and British oil companies and how they may have been pushing the war and lead to a problematic conflict, and may yet lead to more with many Arabic revolutions. "Fuel on the Fire" is an intriguing dissection of the Iraq War and the influences that have lead to it and may lead to it again.


The Social Issues Shelf

Child Maltreatment Research, Policy, and Practice for the Next Decade
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309254427, $46.00, www.amazon.com

From 'shaken baby syndrome', to physical abuse, to emotional abuse, to sexual exploitation, the maltreatment of children is a chronic problem in America and the basis for a great deal of governmental legislation and medical services. The collaborative effort of the Youth and Families Board on Children; the Institute of Medicine; the National Research Council, and the editorial team of Steve Olson and Clare Stroud, "Child Maltreatment Research, Policy, and Practice for the Next Decade: Workshop Summary" is a 203 page compendium composed of workshop presentations covering a diversity of relevant social issues including the recognition and assessment of child maltreatment, social trends and child maltreatment trends, causes and consequences of child maltreatment, the prevention of child maltreatment, the design and delivery of services to maltreated children, and so much more. An impressive body of work, "Child Maltreatment Research, Policy, and Practice for the Next Decade: Workshop Summary" is an especially recommended contribution to professional and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Future Primitive Revisited
John Zerzan
Feral House
1240 W Sims Way #124
Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781936239290, $15.00, www.feralhouse.com

Could the answer for the future of humanity lie in its deep past? "Future Primitive Revisited" is an exploration of future primitivism by John Zerzan as he explores this philosophy that tries to turn the tide against growing consumerism and over consumption and turning back to the primal needs for a more comprehensive knowledge that blends the ideas and knowledge of the modern day with the freedom of a simpler life. "Future Primitive Revisited" is a strongly recommended addition to social issues collections.

Resilience
Andrew Zolli & Ann Marie Healy
The Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451683806, $26.00, www.simonsays.com

Few things irrevocably break. What leads to recovery? "Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back" explores this concept on a vast scale, as Andrew Zolli & Ann Marie Healy explore the tendency for people, communities, and nations to stand up against adversity and struggles that are came back from time and time again. A multi-level analysis of sociology, psychology, interpersonal relationships, Zolli and Healy present an intriguing and much recommended addition to social issues collections. "Resilience" is a scholarly and core addition to any community library collection.


The Economic Studies Shelf

The Economists' Voice 2.0
Aaron S. Edlin & Joseph E. Stiglitz, editors
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231160148, $27.95, www.amazon.com

It might have taken the worst collapse of the U.S. economy since the Great Depression, but economics has now been at the forefront of the daily news and the centerpiece of our national political discussions. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Aaron S. Edlin and Joseph E. Stiglitz, "The Economists' Voice: Top Economists Take On Today's Problems" has assembled 32 informed and informative essays from leading economists across a diversity of economic issues ranging from health care reform; financial market regulatory reform; financial crisis and bailouts; and innovations in policy and business. Insightful, thoughtful, thought-provoking, "The Economists' Voice 2.0" should be considered mandatory reading for economics students, professionals, corporate and governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in contemporary economic issues.

The Great Divergence
Timothy Noah
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781608196333 $25.00 www.bloomsbury.com

Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Great Divergence: America's Growing Inequality Crisis and What We Can Do About It is a close examination of why the inequality in Americans' incomes has drastically accelerated in recent years. Today, the top 1 percent of Americans control over one-fifth of the nation's wealth, a trend that seems to be increasing with no end in sight. The result is an increasing divide between the nation's rich and poor, with harmful long-term consequences. The Great Divergence explores the reasons behind this growing inequality (such as the stagnation of wage growth relative to inflation; the decline of unions; the rise of globalization, automation, and outsourcing; non-progressive sales and payroll taxes that place the majority of their burden upon the poor; and more), why it is an immediate threat to the American Dream, and what can be done to alleviate the situation. "In the past, productivity increases meant prosperity for everyone. Now they mean prosperity only for the wealthy... That seems a dangerous situation. When ordinary people have nothing to gain from the fruits of their labors even in times of economic growth, the only motivation they have to perform is fear of destitution. In earlier times such conditions bred radicalism. Today it seems to breed a corrosive resentment of the meritocratic elite, whose most visible and recognizable representatives inhabit the upper reaches of U.S. government, and especially the White House." Recommended remedies include raising taxes on the wealthy, expanding government payrolls, importing more skilled labor through immigration, universalizing preschool, imposing price controls on colleges and universities, reregulating wall street, and more. The Great Divergence is a "must-read" for any concerned about this dramatic socio-economic trend in modern America, and highly recommended.

The Business of Black Power
Laura Warren Hill & Julia Rabig, editors
University of Rochester Press
668 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14472
www.urpress.com
9781580464406, $29.95, www.amazon.com

What began as a Black Power movement for political equality and social reform, also evolved to include the business community and economic issues. "The Business of Black Power: Community Development, Capitalism, and Corporate Responsibility in Postwar America" is a 354-page compendium comprised of seminal essays by ten scholars providing insightful analysis of the complex interactions and engagements of a Black Power agenda and the business community with economic, political, and social goals of the African American citizenry. The rise of Black entrepreneurship, the grassroots experiments in economic development ventures, the creation of inner-city markets, development strategies, and more are presented with copious notes and citations. "The Business of Black Power: Community Development, Capitalism, and Corporate Responsibility in Postwar America" is a seminal work that is an especially recommended contribution to academic library Black Studies and Economic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Taylor Rule
Evan F. Koenig, Robert Leeson, George A. Kahn
Hoover Institution Press
434 Galvez Mall, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6010
9780817914042, $34.95, www.hooverpress.org

Economics is a difficult science, built on top of the enigma of human nature. "The Taylor Rule: and the Transformation of Monetary Policy" explores the works of John Taylor as they tried to present rules and laws on economic concepts such as price settings, wages, inflation, resources, and much more, with mixed success on the ideas behind his studies. Analyzing the rule's impact on economic studies and policy decisions in the past few decades. "The Taylor Rule" is a scholarly take on economics, very much recommended reading and addition to community and college economics collections.


The International Studies Shelf

Outlier States
Robert S. Litwak
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421408125, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

When some countries refuse to play by the rules, there are many approaches to handle it. "Outlier States: American Strategies to Change, Contain, or Engage Regimes" discusses America's foreign policy when it comes to 'Outlier States' as dubbed by the Obama administration, or perhaps better known as rogue states under the W. Bush administration. Iran and North Korea are common examples of these states, and the approaches to bring them into the relatively harmonious international community has proven difficult. "Outlier States" is a fine and much recommended read for international studies collections.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Alliances For Obesity Prevention
Institute of Medicine
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309224727, $29.00, www.amazon.com

Obesity in American has never been more pervasive among all age levels of the populace. A combination of acknowledged factors include chronic lack of exercise and the modern 'fast foods' and convenience pre-packaged foods oriented diets. "Alliances For Obesity Prevention: Finding Common Ground" is a compilation of the papers presented at the October 2011 workshop sponsored by the Institute of Medicine exploring opportunities and advantages for join activities by diverse groups with the common goal of improving public health. A seminal contribution, "Alliances For Obesity Prevention" should be a part of academic and professional Health & Medicine reference collections. Also very highly recommended from the Institute of Medicine on the subject of obesity is "Accelerating Progress In Obesity Prevention: Solving The Weight Of The Nation" (9780309221542, $49.00).

Adverse Effects of Vaccines
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.national-academies.org
9780309214353 $79.95 www.nap.edu

Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality is an exhaustive, scholarly review of the scientific and biological evidence of harmful side effects of specific vaccines covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The individual vaccines scrutinized in-depth (with an entire chapter devoted to each) are measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine; varicella virus vaccine; influenza vaccine; hepatitis A vaccine; hepatitis B vaccine; human papillomavirus vaccine; diphtheria toxoid-, tetanus toxoid-, and acellular pertussis-containing vaccines; and meningococcal vaccine (as well as the injection-related adversities of administering vaccines). A host of appendices supplements the findings with a glossary, literature of search strategy, causality conclusion tables, references, and more. Although unsuitable for lay readers due to its immense technical detail, Adverse Effects of Vaccines is the resource of choice for professionals in the field, institutional researchers, and graduate-level college library collections. Highly recommended.

The Yoga Back Book
Stella Weller
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
665 Third Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94107
9781573245760, $19.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

With a healthful emphasis on preventive back care practices and gentle yoga stretches and exercise techniques, "The Yoga Back Book: The Natural Solution to Freedom from Pain" is a perfect owner's manual for good back care practices. Whether the concern is existing back pain issues or problems or prevention of these and good maintenance of the back, "The Yoga Back Book" has substantial, practical, therapeutic advice that can be easily understood and implemented. Referring to these exercises and practices as tools, the author states "These tools include information on how the vertebral (spinal) column is constructed, how to use it intelligently, and how to care for it through a sensible balance of appropriate exercises, relaxation and sound nutrition (p. viii)." Supplemented by black and white diagrams and photographs of models exercising or demonstrating positions, subsequent chapters, provide further information about body moves, warming up and cooling down, diet, back exercises, abdominal support, strong legs for a strong back, relaxing for freedom from pain, and further special needs back care, such as for pregnancy, fibromyalgia, sports, driving, and more. There are simple illustrated instructions and lessons on how to sit, stand, bend, lie down, and get up without stressing the back. "The Yoga Back Book" provides a thumbnail back care manual for both the general population and the professional health care practitioners. This is an invaluable self care book for all adults.

What Went Wrong
Nicholas J. Gonzalez, M.D.
New Spring Press
PO Box 200, New York, NY 10156
9780982196533 $39.95 www.newspringpress.com

What Went Wrong: The Truth Behind the Clinical Trial of the Enzyme Treatment of Cancer excoriates the horrendous mismanagement and subsequent cover-up of a National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health clinical trial to study author Nicholas J. Gonzalez, M.D.'s nutritional treatment methods for patients diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. The project was approved in 1998, but beset with incompetent meddling: oncologists discouraged patient participation and pressed those where admitted to change to conventional therapy, and the Principal Investigator repeatedly gave approval to patients who did not meet entry requirements or who were incapable of following the unsupervised, self-administered regimen. As a result, the National Institutes of Health to conclude in 2005 that so few patients had followed their therapy that the data was essentially meaningless. The therapy was not properly evaluated or analyzed despite years of so-called research, depriving future cancer patients accurate information about all their treatment options. What Went Wrong is a striking case study of a scientific study gone terribly awry, and highly recommended for science and medical professionals as well as for concerned laypeople.

Writings on Medicine
Georges Canguilhem
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823234325, $20.00, www.fordhampress.com

Healing is a complicated field, and as much time researching and writing about it is spent than truly practicing the art. "Writings on Medicine" is a collection of essays from French philosopher and physician Georges Canguilhem, who wrote of many topics of medicine, including an introduction to the man and his writings from translators Stefanos Geroulanos and Todd Meyers. For those who want insight on science and philosophy in the field of medicine, "Writings on Medicine" is a strong addition college library essay collections. Also from Fordham in Philosophy and essays is "Stanley Cavell & The Education of Grownups" (9780823234745, $20.00), an excellent addition to any American philosophy collection.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Like a Yeti Catching Marmots
Pema Tsewang, Shastri
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144
9781614290001, $15.95, www.wisdompubs.org

A little bit of wisdom can go a long way in our lives. "Like a Yeti Catching Marmots: A Little Treasury of Tibetan Proverbs" is a rapid-fire collection of simple proverbs and wisdom, drawing from traditional Buddhist and Tibetan thought presenting much ideals throughout. "Like a Yeti Catching Marmots" is an insightful bite sized pieces of spirituality, highly recommended.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

For Love of Cats
Animal Rescue League
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726135 $21.95 www.landauercorp.com

Compiled from the combined knowledge of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, For Love of Cats is a guide for prospective kitten or cat owners, illustrated with full color photographs on almost every page, over 200 in total. Although For Love of Cats emphasizes the benefits of adopting a shelter animal, need-to-know information for choosing a pet from a breeder is also included. Chapters walk the reader through housebreaking kittens and solving litter box problems (one of the advantages of adopting an older cat from a shelter is that they will very likely already be acclimated to using a litter box), teaching children how to handle cats or kittens, how to introduce a new cat to other pets, keeping one's cat safe, and much more. "Never travel with your cat loose in the car. Cats can get under your feet and can cause visual or movement issues. Be sure to travel with your cat safely in a cat carrier... For longer distances, use a large dog crate and include a litter box, cat bed, toys, food and water." For Love of Cats is a top-quality pet owner's manual, and cat lovers everywhere will enjoy perusing its beautiful color photographs and heartwarming true stories of cats adopted from shelters.

City of Ravens
Boria Sax
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781590207772, $22.00, www.overlookpress.com

The raven has proven a fascinating creature since mankind laid eyes on it. "City of Ravens: London, The Tower, and Its Famous Birds" analyzes the place of the Raven in world culture, where it has been both feared and revered, having an unusual place in mythology, as author Boria Sax presents a fascinating delve into the raven and its relation to humanity, with a special focus on the legends of the Tower of London. "City of Ravens" is a must for anyone curious about the curious bird, very much highly recommended.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Introducing the Old Testament
Tremper Longman III
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310291480, $14.99, www.zondervan.com

The Old Testament is a strong piece of history contained within the Bible, and is often overlooked in many Christian discussions. "Introducing the Old Testament: A Short Guide to its History and Message" is an analysis of the Old Testament and its place in the modern discussion of the Bible and its truths to be applied to the New Testament and its gospels. "Introducing the Old Testament" is a fine addition to Christian and religious studies collections, highly recommended.

The Complete Life of Krishna
Vanamali
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street
Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774751, $24.95, www.innertraditions.com

Krishna is a major component of any Hindu's faith. "The Complete Life of Krishna: Based on the Earliest Oral Traditions and the Sacred Scriptures" seeks to delve into the legends and history of the Hindu oral tradition to tell his story more completely and comprehensively. Scholarly and insightful on the meanings of these legends, "The Complete Life of Krishna" is a strongly recommended pick for religious history collections focusing on Hinduism and eastern religions.

The Mystery of Individuality
Mark Perry
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive
Bloomington, IN 47401
9781936597130 $24.95 www.worldwisdom.com

The Mystery of Individuality: Grandeur and Delusion of the Human Condition examines what distinguishes humans as individuals in twelve chapters that explore spirituality, psychology, sociology, love, and the appreciation of sacred art. Complex social issues including leadership, justice, politics, and crime are also discussed in relation to the essence of human beings as creations in the image of God. If God deliberately created humans with individual personalities, then are the unique traits of personhood are part of our divine essence, even though our frames are destined to return to dust. "Authority derives from Truth, we have said, and certitude is the substance of competence. Now there can be no certitude without perfect objectivity and perfect objectivity presupposes utter humility. In turn, poverty before God means simplicity of soul; and, likewise, simplicity entails transparence of soul cleansed of individualistic arbitrariness; only then can God's light shine unobstructed and only then can it guide, infallibly so." The Mystery of Individuality is a thoughtful, contemplative, and complex work, especially recommended for spirituality shelves.


The Art Shelf

Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct
Adam Duncan Harris, editor
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806143002 $49.95 hc
9780806143019 $29.95 pbk www.oupress.com

Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct is a breathtaking compendium of the work of wildlife artist Robert Kuhn (1920-2007), known for his generosity in mentoring other artists as well as his devotion to capturing portraits of animals (especially mammals) in their wild habit. Rare black-and-white sketches as well as vivid full-color reproductions of Kuhn's most captivating works fill this artbook, which also features an exhaustive commentary describing the events of Kuhn's life and the inspirations behind his pieces. Any nature lover will be immediately struck by Kuhn's realistic style, whether drawing an otter turning within water, a rabbit fleeing its would-be predator at full speed, or a cougar on the prowl. Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct is a treasury that invites comparison to John Audubon's classic works of avian art, and worthy of the highest recommendation.

Van Gogh To Kandinsky
Richard Thomson, et al.
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500238912, $60.00, www.amazon.com

Emerging from the European art world of the late 19th and early 20th century was the 'symbolist' movement lead by such artists as Gauguin, Van Gogh, Munch, Modrian, Kandinsky, Hammershot, Hodler, Khnopff, Gallen-Kallela, and others. Enhanced with informed and informative essays by leading experts in the history of landscape painting. "Van Gogh to Kandinsky: Symbolist Landscape in Europe 1880-1910" is a beautifully illustrated, 208-page compendium showcasing a veritable history of landscape paintings reflecting the best and most influential works of their kind around the them of poetic expressions and interpretations of nature. The collaborative work of Richard Thomason (Watson Gordon Professor of Fine Art, University of Edinburgh), Rodolphe Rapetti (General Curator of Heritage and Associate Researcher, Institut National de L'Historie de l'Art, Paris), Frances Fowle, Senior Lecturer in the History of Art, University of Edinburgh and Senior Curator, Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh), Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff (Curator of Exhibitions, Ateneum Art Museum, Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki), and Nienke Bakker (Curator of Exhibitions, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam), "Van Gogh To Kandinsky" is a work of impressive and comprehensive scholarship, a compelling read for academicians and non-specialist general readers with an interest in art history, and a critically essential addition to personal, academic, and community library European Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Tuhituhi
Laurence Simmons
Otago University Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781877578175, $60.00, www.amazon.com

The history of art is also occasional a history of high adventure. Such is the case of the 18th Century English painter William Hodges (1744-1797) who hired onto the crew of Captain James Cook's for Cook's second voyage to explore the Pacific Ocean. Hodges was able to create a wealth of remarkable sketches and paintings of the exotic locals visited on that historic voyage. In "Tuhituhi: William Hodges, Cook's Painter in the South Pacific", author Laurence Simmons has researched and written a 364-page analytical history of the artwork produced by Hodges on the voyage. Enhanced with full color illustrations throughout, as well as copious footnotes, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Tuhituhi: William Hodges, Cook's Painter in the South Pacific" is a welcome and seminal addition to academic library 18th Century Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

A Mine of Beauty
Anna O. Marley and Linda S. Ferbe, authors
William Trost Richards, artist
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
c/o National Book Network (distribution)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781555953829 $40.00 www.hudsonhills.com

A Mine of Beauty: Landscapes by William Trost Richards is striking, full-color compendium of works by nineteenth-century landscape artist William Trost Richards. Two brief essays introduce readers to the evolution of early American landscape painting and Richards' career, but the majority of A Mine of Beauty is devoted to the paintings themselves, one for each page. Crafted in a strongly realistic style, Richards' extraordinary artwork of both natural landscapes and human dwellings is stirring to behold. A Mine of Beauty is a joy to experience, and highly recommended especially for art connoisseurs and library collections.

Paula Rego: The Complete Graphic Work, second edition
T.G. Rosenthal
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500093689 $125.00 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Now in an updated and expanded second edition with reproductions of Rego's artwork in tritone and color, Paula Rego: The Complete Graphic Work is a gigantic, coffee-table compendium of an extraordinary female artist's creations over the course of her lifetime. Featuring 637 illustrations, 160 in color and 477 in tritone, Paula Rego: The Complete Graphic Work is primarily devoted to prints of Rego's art, complemented with contextual essays by T.G. Rosenthal. Rego's sense of dark humor, complex narratives, intricacies of the human condition, observations of the harmful side of sexuality and family dynamics, and more stand out boldly from the pages of this definitive collection, highly recommended especially for art shelves and college library collections.

Adam & Eve in the Art of Samuel Bak
Essay by Lawrence L. Langer
Pucker Art Publications
c/o Syracuse University Press (distribution)
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110
Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9781879985254 $50.00 www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu

Adam & Eve in the Art of Samuel Bak is a captivating artbook showcasing Samuel Bak's series of paintings extending the Biblical parable of Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman who were expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating the Fruit of Knowledge. In the paintings, Adam and Eve adapt to their harsh new lives in a variety of guises - they appear in impoverished shtetls, as members of the prosperous European middle-class, victims threatened by the onslaught of the Holocaust, and more. Their efforts to forge their own path are always haunted by the overshadowing presence of the Fruit of Knowledge that kickstarted their ongoing struggle. Adam & Eve in the Art of Samuel Bak is primarily devoted to stunning, full-color renditions of Bak's striking artworks, complemented an accompanying essay by veteran art critic and Lawrence L. Langer (well known for six previous volumes in which he collaborated with Samuel Bak on painting and commentary). Adam & Eve in the Art of Samuel Bak is highly recommended especially for personal and college library art shelves.

Art in a Hairshirt
Amy Goldin
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street
Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953423, $19.95, www.hudsonhills.com

Understanding art is not something everyone gets. "Art in a Hairshirt" is a collection of essays from the famed art critic whose work over the last twelve years of her life gained her much acclaim and thought in the last twelve years of her life. Compiling these essays and her thought on the direction of art during this period, "Art in a Hairshirt" is a fine compilation of art criticism for those who want to better understand the genre.

When Art Really Works
Andy Pankhurst & Lucinda Hawksley
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764147883, $14.99, www.barronseduc.com

The essence of art is what many continually pursue and many more never truly understand. "When Art Really Works" is a discussion of what brings artworks past that barrier and takes them to that next level of work. Delving through history and the great works all through it all, Andy Pankhurst & Lucinda Hawksley investigate great works from religion, classics, erotica, and everywhere else. "When Art Really Works" is a must for those who want a deeper understanding of art and what it truly means, highly recommended.


The Cookbook Shelf

Vegeterranean: Italian Vegetable Cooking
Malu Simoes da Cunha & Alberto Musacchio
Earth Aware Editions
PO Box 3088
San Rafael, CA 94912
9781608870790 $40.00 www.earthawareeditions.com

The kitchens of Umbria's widely savored Country House Montali present Vegeterranean: Italian Vegetable Cooking is a treasury of quality vegetarian dishes in the flavorful style of Italy and the Mediterranean region. Vegeterranean proves that meat is not required to experience the sumptuous staples and flavors of the region, offering appetizing vegetarian renditions of Italian classics such as calzone, ravioli, gnocchi, and lasagna. Tips, tricks, and techniques for creating homemade sauces, stocks, and pesto complement the wide assortment of recipes illustrated with fabulous full-color, full-page photographs. Vegeterranean: Italian Vegetable Cooking is a "must-have" for vegetarian gourmets everywhere!


The Education Shelf

How to Handle Difficult Parents
Suzanne Capek Tingley
Prufrock Press
5926 Balcones Drive, Suite 220
Austin, TX 78731
9781503639587, $16.95, www.prufrock.com

"How to Handle Difficult Parents: Proven Solutions for Teachers" is a practical, disciplined organized response to the need for teachers to develop special coping skills to deal with many varieties of Difficult Parents. It is odd to realize that this is a skill area that is crucial to the ongoing success and perhaps even the survival of a dedicated teacher, but the evidence is quite convincing. Written with a light touch and a practical, humorous-tinged approach to problem solving, "How To Handel Difficult Parents" has something for every classic problem faced by teachers dealing with difficult parents. Most effective of all, the techniques are all illustrated with line by line suggested examples of teacher/parent dialogue, allowing the reader to sometimes choose what might be the most effective response for the situation. "How to Handle Difficult Parents" deals with a crucial component of quality education delivery, and if nothing else, it will provide a relieving laugh or two to the belabored education professional.

Evidence-Based Teaching For Higher Education
Beth M. Schwartz & Regan A. R. Gurung, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433811722, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Beth M. Schwartz (Catherine Ehrman Thoresen and William E. Thoresen Professor of Psychology, Randolph College, Lynchburg, Virginia) and Regan A. R. Gurung (Ben J. and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Human Development and Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), "Evidence-Based Teaching For Higher Education" is a 168-page compendium comprised of eight contributions by outstanding scholars and focusing upon university level instructors and teachers selecting and implementing techniques and tools specifically designed to maximize the student learning experience. "Evidence-Based Teaching For Higher Education" includes consideration ranging from teacher-student rapport; online teaching; the utilization of blogs, podcasting, wikis technologies; experience-based teaching such as internships, teaching and research assistantships, in-class research projects; student study habits, etc. Of special note are the articles 'Building Rapport in the Classroom'; and 'Selection of Textbooks or Readings for Your Course'. Informed, informative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, "Evidence-Based Teaching For Higher Education" is very highly recommended for college level classroom teachers and a seminal contribution to academic library Education Studies reference collections.

Funner Grammar
Sandra Wilde
Heinemann
PO Box 6926
Portsmouth, NH 03802-6926
9780325013923 $25.00 www.heinemann.com

Sandra Wilde (Professor of Curriculum and Teaching at Hunter College, City University of New York) presents Funner Grammar: Fresh Ways to Teach Usage, Language, and Writing Conventions, a resource for teachers charged with helping students in grades 3-8 improve their English literacy and writing skills. Packed with innovative approaches to capture students' attention and help them internalize better communication skills, Funner Grammar includes coverage of verb tenses, sentence complexity, word usage issues, kid-friendly linguistics, and much more. "At the Whole Foods supermarket chain, there are check-out lines for those with '10 items or fewer,' where most other stores use [10 items or] less. But I'd never bother talking about this distinction with children, because it's on its way out. If you're tempted to try to enforce your own pet language peeves on students, even though their usages are becoming the norm, think about those teachers 50 years ago who insisted on 'shall'. Why fight a losing battle? Why should your idiosyncratic preferences be more valid than those of the majority of the users of English?" Funner Grammar is a top-quality supplemental resource, worthy of the highest recommendation for not only grade school educators, but also parents and tutors interested in helping children improve their grasp of English language skills.

Young Children & Technology
Amy Shillady & Leah Schoenberg Muccio
National Association for the Education of Young Children
1313 L Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005-4101
9781928896869, $14.00, www.naeyc.org

Technology is opening doors for children earlier than ever. "Young Children and Technology" is a guide to the applications of technology can have for very young children in helping them succeed on many more levels in their life. With plenty of information to consider for those who want to consider more ideas and more options for young children using recent developments in technology, "Young Children and Technology" is a must for any educational reference collection focusing on the early years.

200 Essential Preschool Activities
Julienne M. Olson
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court
St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605541044, $19.95, www.redleafpress.org

The formative years are the best time to learn more out of life. "200 Essential Preschool Activities" is an early childhood education reference guide for preschool teachers who are looking to help their young students get the most they can out of this vital period in education. From building important social skills, promoting thinking, arts, crafts, good play, and much more, the book proves to be a must for any rookie teacher who wants to keep the activities flowing. Each entry includes a list of necessary bits and pieces to make it work, instructions, and how to take it further. "200 Essential Preschool Activities" is an enthusiastically recommended pick for preschool education reference collections.


The Jobs/Career Shelf

Attaining an Academic Appointment
Bill McHenry, S. Kent Butler, & Jim McHenry
Atwood Publishing
PO Box 3185, Madison, WI 537004-0185
9781891859885, $27.95, www.atwoodpublishing.com

Getting the job can sometimes prove as difficult as getting the education. "Attaining an Academic Appointment" is an academic career guide for those who are looking to get appointed and hired by academic committees. With advice on making one's credentials known, how to find potential job prospects, and making a good impression, "Attaining an Academic Appointment" is a strongly recommended pick for general career collections, especially those focusing on academia.


The Fiction Shelf

Freeman
Leonard Pitts
Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street
Evanston, IL 60202
9781932841640, $16.00, www.agatepublishing.com

A chance to return home, no matter the consequences. "Freeman" is set in the post-Civil War South as Sam Freeman, an ex-slave who had fought in the Union Army after fleeing his servitude decades prior, decides to return to his homeland and look for the family he left behind. But tensions are high following this period, and his search will not be easy, and sees that slavery is not an evil that will go quietly, even after a war had abolished it. "Freeman" is a strongly recommended work of historical fiction, highly recommended.


The Parenting Shelf

How Behavioral Optometry Can Unlock Your Child's Potential
Joel H. Warshowsky
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849058810, $19.95, www.jkp.com

Vision can influence one's life more than they know. "How Behavioral Optometry Can Unlock Your Child's Potential: Identifying and Overcoming Blocks to Concentration, Self-Esteem and School Success with Vision Therapy" is a guide to the impact that vision problems can have on a child's behavior and how to understand and face these problems with a young child and help their perception and help them learn more effectively and live younger and happier lives. "How Behavioral Optometry Can Unlock Your Child's Potential" is a strong pick for educational and behavioral therapy collections, very much recommended.


The Self-Help Shelf

Butterflies & Sweaty Palms
Judy Apps
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5
Bethel, CT 06801
9781845907365, $29.95, www.CHPUS.com

Confidence goes far in one's life. "Butterflies & Sweaty Palms: 25 Sure-Fire Ways to Speak and Present with Confidence" is an inspirational read from Judy Apps as she advises readers on how to gain confidence in their speaking and confidence on many levels. From making sure you're always there physically and mentally, doing something new, and much more, "Butterflies & Sweaty Palms" is a strong pick for general inspirational collections, highly recommended.

Healing the Angry Brain
Ronald Potter-Efron
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
9781608821334, $16.95, www.newharbinger.com

Anger affects us in many ways, and controlling it is key to greater happiness in life. "Healing the Angry-Brain: How Understanding the Way Your Brain Works Can Help You Control Anger & Aggression" is a self-help guide from Ronald Potter Efron as he presents an exploration of anger management and how to better control one's emotions to better flourish in life. "Healing the Angry-Brain" is a strongly recommended addition to self-help collections, highly recommended.


The Martial Arts Shelf

The Internal Structure of Cloud Hands
Robert Tangora
Blue Snake Books
c/o North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781583944486, $17.95, www.northatlanticbooks.com

Many martial arts practices are more than just punches and kicks. "The Internal Structure of Cloud Hands: A Gateway to Advanced T'ai Chi Practice" is an advisory guide to the aspect of Cloud Hands in the art of T'ai Chi, bringing the most energy out of these postures and bringing the most out of this concept of T'ai Chi, gaining a greater understanding of how it all flows together. "The Internal Structure of Cloud Hands" is a fine addition to martial arts and health collections, highly recommended.


The Biography Shelf

Sean Connery
Christopher Bray
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, Fifth Floor
New York, NY 10004
9781605983455, $15.95, www.pegasusbooks.us

A legend of acting, Sean Connery has been a unique figure through it all. "Sean Connery" is a biography on the man from Christopher Bray, who explores the troubled nature of the actor who wasn't full on pleased with his own success. Becoming an icon of Britain and cinema as Bond and gaining over a million a film, "Sean Connery" looks into a man who didn't quite fully understand his own popularity and the intriguing human being behind it all.


The Autism Shelf

Simple Strategies That Work!
Brenda Smith Myles, Diane Adreon, & Dena Gitlitz
Autism Asperger Publishing Company
PO Box 23173
Shawne Mission, KS 66283-0173
1931282994, $23.95, www.asperger.net

Having a level of autism or Asperger syndrome isn't a sentence to a lack of education. "Simple Strategies That Work!: Helpful Hints for All Educators of Students with Asperger Syndrome, High-Functioning Autism, and Related Disabilities" explores how to help those with these mental differences succeed in an educational environment with activities and exercises to help retain focus, keep oneself calm, and communicate effectively. "Simple Strategies That Work!" is much recommended for any parent of an autistic or Asperger afflicted child.


The Sports Shelf

Running for Women
Jason R. Karp, PhD. & Carolyn S. Smith, MD
Human Kinetics
1607 North Market Street
P.O. Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825
9781450404679, $17.95, www.humankinetics.com

"Running for Women: Your Complete Guide for a Lifetime of Running" is a compact women's running manual, with chapters on physiology, training, and health and wellness specifically oriented to women. Relying on documented research compiled since the modern evolution of competitive women's running in the late 60's, coauthors Drs. Karp and Smith present pertinent information on the impact of the menstrual cycle, suggestions for how to train during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause, effective workouts for endurance, speed and strength, preventing knee (and other running related) injuries, avoiding eating disorders, osteoporosis and menstrual irregularities, and how to use sex differences to your advantage when running competitively. "Running for Women" is a practical, detailed training guidebook, with many specific photo illustrated exercises, positions, and techniques for female runners. In addition to its substantial clinical contributions to the science of women's running, "Running for Women" has an interesting side focus on the development and history of women's running. In the appendix, a chapter titled Evolution of Women's Competitive Running" traces the history of female running from the ancient Greek runner, Atalanta, to running records set in the 2000's. It is of interest to note that modern women's running has evolved since 1928, essentially. Women were not allowed to compete in marathons until almost the end of the 1960's, interestingly. For a grounded approach to lifetime running practices, women runners and their coaches and supports will find "Running for Women" a very valuable resource.

Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair
Daimeon Shanks
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450507076, $19.95, www.HumanKinetics.com

Bicycling is healthy and through exercise. "Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair" is a comprehensive compilation of many problems that occur in bicycles and how to meet them effectively to keep one's bike working correctly and smoothly for years to come. With advice that applies for ideal situations with the right tools or repairs that can be done on the fly to get the bike home, "Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair" is a strongly recommended pick for anyone who keeps and regularly uses a bicycle.


The Language Studies Shelf

Borrowed Tongues
Eva C. Karpinski
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
978155458357, $39.95, wlupress.wlu.ca

A translation is more than just placing a work in another language. "Borrowed Tongues: Life Writing, Migration, and Translation" is a scholarly analysis of translations between languages as Eva C. Karpinski explores the bridges between language and culture that are exposed by translating works. A feminist look at language across languages and what can be determined from these observations, "Borrowed Tongues" is a strongly recommended pick for literary criticism and studies collections for community and college library collections.


The American History Shelf

Buying America from the Indians
Blake A. Watson
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806142449 $45.00 www.oupress.com

Buying America from the Indians: Johnson v. McIntosh and the History of Native Land Rights is a scholarly, in-depth study of the long-term repercussions of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Johnson v. McIntosh, which determined the legal principles that directly determine American Indian property rights. In the decision, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote for the majority that the "discovery" of America assigned "exclusive title to those who made it" - in other words, no Indian tribe owned the land that they thought they did. Chapters focus heavily on how this impacted the Piankeshaw Indians who had deeded their land twice (once to speculators in 1775, and later to the United States by Treaty), and place the ruling in the environmental and historical context of its time, with particular note to how speculative ventures in Native lands influenced the French & Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the ratification of the Articles of Confederation. A final segment discusses the long-term historical legacy of the Johnson v. McIntosh ruling, which is taught as axiomatic for property title and ownership in the United States, but condemned by the United Nations as a justification for the displacement and genocide of the Indians. Author Blake A. Watson (Professor of Law, University of Dayton) concludes with a rationale of why and how the United States should formally recant the discovery doctrine of Johnson v. McIntosh. Copious notes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this excellent addition to the American History, Legal Studies, and Native American Studies shelves of college and graduate school libraries.

Ho! For the Black Hills
Paul L. Hedren
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive
Pierre, SC 57501-2217
9780984650507, $18.95, www.sdshspress.com

The chance at riches sends people westward, and may provoke war itself. "Ho! For the Black Hills: Captain Jack Crawford Reports the Black Hills Gold Rush and the Great Sioux War" is a delve into South Dakotan history as author Paul L. Hedren focuses on Jack Crawford and his contributions to the expeditions into the black hills and the conflicts with the Sioux Nation. Focusing on the challenges laid before Crawford and granting a vivid picture of the era, "Ho! For the Black Hills" is a must for any American history collection focusing on South Dakota and the Old West expansions.

Louisiana: The First 300 Years
Joan B. Garvey and Mary Lou Widmer
Garmer Press, Inc.
320 New Orleans Hammond Way
New Orleans, LA 70124
9781455617449 $19.95

Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Louisiana: The First 300 Years is a captivating history of the American state of Louisiana, from the land's formation and the Indian civilizations that once dwelt there; to its status as French and Spanish territory, to a colony, to a privately owned company, to a state of the Union; to the harrowing toll of the American Civil War; to a bitter legal battle between Huey P. Long and the Standard Oil Company; and much more. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations enhance this solid overview of the state's development and its rich historical and cultural heritage. Louisiana: The First 300 Years is enthusiastically recommended for both public and college library American History collections.


The World History Shelf

A Lover's Quarrel With The Past
Ranjan Ghosh
Berghahn Books
150 Broadway, Suite 812
New York, NY 10038
www.berghahnbooks.com
9780857454843, $70.00, www.amazon.com

"A Lover's Quarrel With the Past: Romance Representation Reading" by Ranjan Ghosh is the latest addition to Berghahan Books' acclaimed historical cultures studies series 'Making Sense of History'. This 224-page compendium focuses upon the relationship between history and theory as impacted by academia, politics, and cultural bias. Of special note are author Ranjan Ghosh's commentary on the ethics of historians and the ethics of historical studies. Enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, "A Lover's Quarrel With The Past" is informed, informative, thoughtful and thought provoking, making it a highly recommended study for academicians and non-professional general readers with an interest in history and the representation of history.

The Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902
G. D. Scholtz
Protea Boekhuis
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781919825120, $16.95, www.amazon.com

The First Anglo-Boer War (1880 - 1881), was a rebellion of Boers (farmers) against British rule in the Transvaal that re-established their independence. The Second War (1899 - 1902), by contrast, was a lengthy war involving large numbers of troops from many British possessions, which ended with the conversion of the Boer republics into British colonies (with a promise of limited zelf-bestuur). These colonies later formed part of the Union of South Africa. The British fought directly against the Transvaal and the Oranje Vrijstaat, defeating their forces first in open warfare and then in a long and bitter guerrilla campaign. British losses were high due to both disease and combat. The policies of "scorched earth" and civilian internment in concentration camps (adopted by the British to prevent support for the farmers/Boer commando campaign) ravaged the civilian populations in the Transvaal and the Oranje Vrijstaat. "The Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902" is a 460-page account of the conflict enhanced period photography and strategic maps by author G. D. Scholtz. Informed and informative, "The Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902" is especially recommended for personal and academic library World History collections. Also very highly recommended for students of the Boer War is Louis Changuion's "Silence of the Guns: The History of the Long Toms of the Anglo-Boer War" (Protea Boekhuis, 9781919825502, $39.00).


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Climate And Conservation
Jodi a. Hilty, et al.
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
www.islandpress.org
9781610911719, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Climate change is beginning to pass a tipping point and impact dramatically upon the planet necessitating human responses to deal with developments ranging from rising sea levels, to increasing severity of droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other natural hazards relating to climatic impacts. "Climate and Conservation: Landscape and Seascape Science, Planning, and Action" is a 392-page compendium of descriptive information and data that will prove indispensable in efforts to craft and implement scientifically sound conservation principles, procedures, and processes to deal with these sometimes dramatic changes in global climate patterns. Comprised of twenty-two informed and informative contributions by experts in their respective fields, "Climate And Conservation" is a seminal body of work and a critically important addition to professional and academic library Environmental Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Changing Business From the Inside Out
Timothy J. Mohin
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609946401, $24.95, www.bkconnection.com

Good things can be done form the inside out. "Changing Business From the Inside Out: A Treehugger's Guide to Working In Corporations" is a career guide for those who have a strong affinity for environmental issues but often find themselves in such a career that may put themselves at odds with those beliefs. Advising people in corporate business how to steer their companies to more responsible directions, "Changing Business From the Inside Out" is a must for the environmentally conscious corporate worker, highly recommended.


The Psychology Shelf

Personality
Henry Kellerman
American Mental Health Foundation
PO Box 3, Riverdale, NY 10471-0003
9781590563533, $25.00, www.amazon.com

The usual explanations for how a person's personality develops is some combination of 'nurture and nature', that is, the influence and experiences with other people combined with genetic factors -- beginning with gender. In "Personality: How it Forms", author and psychologist Henry Kellerman focuses upon the psychology involved with personality development and personhood formation. Twelve distinctive styles or categories of human personality are identified and illustrated through case examples. Of special note is Kellerman's commentary on the role of emotions such as anger are an organizing principle for personality development and maintenance. Enhanced with an extensive glossary, "Personality: How it Forms" is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in personality development.

All We Have to Fear
Allan V. Horwitz, PhD and Jerome C. Wakefield, PhD, DSW
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199793754 $29.95 www.oup.com/us

All We Have to Fear: Psychiatry's Transformation of Natural Anxieties into Mental Disorders is a sharp criticism of modern trends in psychology and psychiatry to classify human anxieties as "disorders". Should fear of public speaking, meeting new people, or even fear of spiders truly be considered "anxiety disorders"? To what extend should natural anxiousness be medicalized, and could so-called "anxiety disorders" be the product of conflicts between humans and their modern, fast-paced environments? All We Have to Fear warns against the inherent problems of redefining what is considered "normal" for human beings; chapters include a historic overview of anxiety disorders, a harsh critique of the DSM diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders, and a particular focus on post-traumatic stress disorder. "Individuals suffering the often extreme emotional effects of confronting extraordinary traumas deserve social support and any therapeutic help that may be beneficial. However, the psychiatric diagnosis of PTSD, which classifies some individuals' struggles with traumatic experiences as psychotic disorders, raises a number of difficult questions about the boundaries between normality and pathology... What does a 'normal' response to traumas look like?" All We Have To Fear is an invaluable and thought-provoking contribution to ongoing debates on how to best diagnose and help people in need, and is highly recommended especially for college and graduate school psychology collections, as well as for professionals in the field.

Almost a Psychopath
Ronald Schouten, MD & James Silver, JD
Hazelden Foundation
PO Box 11
Center City, MN 55012-0011
9781616491024, $14.95, www.hazelden.org

Sociopaths are defined by their lack of empathy. "Almost a Psychopath: Do I(or Does Someone I Know) Have a Problem with Manipulation and Lack of Empathy" is a discussion of the psychopath and how to better understand them and define their mental illness. Exploring the traits that may be notes of those with these disorders, including how to reach out and interact with them on many levels. "Almost a Psychopath" is a powerful read for those who want to better understand this mental illness and how to work with such individuals.


The Library CD Shelf

Between 2 Worlds
Elikeh
www.elikeh.net
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz

The eight-member Washington DC-based Afropop band Elikeh presents Between 2 Worlds, an album fueld by the burning intensity of percussive drumbeats, the flowing cadence of reggae, and the soulful inspiration of funk and blues. A cross-cultural fusion of African diaspora musical traditions, Between 2 Worlds is grounded in the roots of struggle and survival, and as thought-provoking as it is motivational. Highly recommended. The tracks are "No Vision" (3:36), "Know Who You Are" (4:58), "Alonye (ft Vieux Farka Toure)" (4:27), "Olesafrica (Ojah Awake)" (5:04), "Fly to the Sky" (3:55), "Foot Soldier" (3:49), "Eh Wee" (4:55), "Let Them Talk" (4:58), "Nye'n Mind Na Wo (ft John Kadlecik)" (4:55), and "Nye Dji" (3:20).


The Library DVD Shelf

Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772152 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? And How We Can Get It Back is a politically charged documentary about the causes of the American economic crisis, and the forces that continue to depress the wages and living conditions of working and middle class citizens. Heist reveals how four decades of deregulation, job outsourcing, and tax policies that shift the public burden away from corporations and the wealthy to the poor and middle class, have squeezed the American public. Live footage of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and a call to get involved politically to change disastrous public policies distinguish this sharp wake-up call to Americans everywhere, especially those who are struggling the hardest to survive. 76 min. (58 min. and 22 min. versions are also playable from the DVD), SDH captions.

War in the Mind
A film by Judy Jackson
Paul Gross, narrator
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772195 $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, War in the Mind is a documentary about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the harmful psychological legacy of having the harrowing events of battle burned into one's mind. PTSD may affect up to 15% of all soldiers; it can lead to crushing depression and the breakup of families, or cause those who suffer it to turn to drug addiction or even suicide. War in the Mind also features Senator and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Romeo Dallaire, who has publically spoken out about PTSD including how his personal experience with it drove him to attempt suicide. The tremendous problem of soldier suicide, which currently claims the lives of more soldiers than actual battle, is also examined at length. The good news is that suicide can be prevented with intervention and effective treatment. War in the Mind also examines a UBC/Royal Canadian Legion program designed especially to help soldiers recover from the violence and pain burned into their brains. Extras include an eleven-minute "6 months later Q&A". War in the Mind is worthy of the highest recommendation, especially for public library collections. 64 min., SDH captions.

We Are Not Ghosts
a film by Mark Dworkin & Melissa Young
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
193777225X $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Fifty years ago, Detroit was a nerve center of the auto industry - and when the industry fell on hard times, so did the city as a whole, marred by a morass of ills stemming from sudden, mass unemployment. Many departed the city, but others did not want to leave the home city they loved. We Are Not Ghosts is a documentary about modern-day people working to rebuild and reinvent Detroit for a post-industrial economy in the postmodern world. Here are true stories of community businesspeople, place-based schools, spoken-word artists, and urban communities seeking to redefine their connections and adapt to the challenges of the future. Licensed for public performance, We Are Not Ghosts is a vision of hope and sustainability, and highly recommended for public and classroom viewing as well as for library documentary collections. 52 min, SDH captions.

The Sinking of the Laconia
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287974 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Nominated for the BAFTA award, The Sinking of the Laconia is the complete miniseries dramatization of the true story of the RMS Laconia, a ship torpedoed by the Germans in 1942 during the battle for the Atlantic. The Laconia carried more than 2,000 passengers, many of them civilians; their life-and-death struggle is the stuff of legends. Featuring an outstanding international cast, The Sinking of the Laconia is an extraordinary and gripping drama, highly recommended. Bonus materials include a 29 min. documentary featurette "The Sinking of the Laconia: Survivors' Stories". 2 DVDs, 171 min. plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Megacities
Hosted by Andrew Marr
Athena
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
www.athenalearning.com
9781598288476 $34.99 www.acornonline.com

Megacities is a striking documentary about five of the world's best-known megacities - defined as metropolis communities that have more than 10 million inhabitants. BBC journalist Andrew Marr takes the viewer to visit one of the oldest megacities (London, UK); the fastest growing (Dhaka, Bangladesh); the largest (Tokyo, Japan); one of the most dangerous (Mexico City, Mexico); and one that just might be the new world capital (Shanghai, China). From the struggle to balance sustainability with convenience, to the ongoing threats of crime and social problems, to the incredible network of innovation and confluence of human talent these gigantic cities represent, Megacities is striking in its vivid portrayal of both the light and dark sides of modern human civilization. A bonus 12-page viewer's guide rounds out this excellent film, highly recommended especially for public and community library DVD collections.

Mythos The Complete Series
Joseph Campbell, lecturer
Hosted by Susan Sarandon
Athena
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
www.athenalearning.com
9781598288216 $99.99 www.acornonline.com

Hosted by Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon, Mythos The Complete Series collects the speaking tour that Joseph Campbell embarked upon in his latter years, presented in the order and manner that Campell intended, with enhanced images and minimal editing. Originally seen on PBS, Mythos The Complete Series discusses the origin of a human consciousness that distinguishes us from animals, the evolution of mythology and symbols, mythic themes universally common in the East (particularly Asia) and the modern-day West, and much more. A 12-page viewer's guide with a never-before-published essay by Campbell rounds out this extraordinary compilation. An extraordinary exploration into forces of the mind that express themselves in ways that transcend generations and even human cultures, Mythos The Complete Series is highly recommended especially for public and college library DVD collections. 15 episodes on 6 DVDs (grouped into Mythos I, II, and II), 14 hours, fullscreen. Mythos I & II have closed-captioning; Mythos III has SDH subtitles.

Master Qi and The Monkey King
A film by Alan Govenar
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Master Qi and The Monkey King is an extraordinary documentary chronicling the life and work of star Peking Opera actress Qi Shu Fang. Excerpts from Qi's performances, backstage moments, interviews, dazzling displays of martial arts, and diverting moments of humor pepper this captivating tour de force of a grand cultural tradition. Master Qi and The Monkey King strives to bridge the dearth of understanding between nations and cultures, and the spectacular efforts of Qi and her fellow performers is amazing to behold. A bonus photo gallery, biographies of performers and filmmakers, and more round out this amazing showcase, highly recommended especially for public and community library DVD collections. 81 min.

The Forsyte Saga Collection
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598288711 $79.99 www.acornonline.com

Originally shown on "Masterpiece Theater", The Forsyte Saga Collection gathers two complete British drama series on DVD adapting John Galsworthy's widely popular novels about a family at a crossroads, divided by greed, adultery, and the lust for revenge. Set in the late Victorian era through the 1920s, The Forsyte Saga Collection follows two generations of the Forsyte family and its tragedies, jealousies, and star-crossed love affairs. Riveting and sometimes shocking, The Forsyte Saga Collection is a choice pick for fans of classic television, highly recommended. Bonus features include a 20 min. making-of featurette, photo galleries, a John Galsworthy biography and booklist, and cast biographies and filmographies. 5 DVDs, 702 min., widescreen, English subtitles for series 2.

Tim Winton's Cloudstreet
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598288483 $49.99 www.acornonline.com

Tim Winton's Cloudstreet is the DVD adaptation of the bestselling Australian novel "Cloudstreet", about two rural families in Perth 1943-1963, who struggle with the repercussions of hardship and tragedy. The two families are almost diametric opposites - the Lambs toil hard and pray harder, in spite of the calamity that has befallen them, while the Pickles' problems stem as much from their own misguided decisions as from the vagaries of fate. Superbly performed by its ensemble cast, Tim Winton's Cloudstreet is odyssey of finding strength in common ground, and forging ties that can weather the fiercest of storms; bonus features include a wealth of behind-the-scenes segments. Highly recommended, although sensitive viewers should be aware that there are some scenes with disturbing images or coarse language. 6 episodes on 2 DVDs plus bonus feature DVD, 365 min. plus 101 min. of bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.


The Travel Shelf

Switzerland
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
97817411795844, $22.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

Gorgeous natural beauty combined with history make Switzerland an ideal vacation destination. "Switzerland" is a travel guide from Lonely Planet, filled with maps of the country and with extensive coverage of the things to do within the country, from within to cities to the countless trails that go throughout the country and its mountain ranges. "Switzerland" is a strong addition to any travel collection, and for personal choice of one soon going to Switzerland.


The Architecture Shelf

Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling
Erika Esptein
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781608071395, $129.00, www.amazon.com

The process of creating and managing building data during a building's life cycle is called 'Building Information Modeling' or BIM. In "Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling", architect Erika Epstein explains how BIM works and the changing role of architects within the contemporary building industry. "Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling" covers interoperability and open standards, knowledge sharing, data gathering, a BIM software suite, implementation planning, and project workflow. Comprehensive, illustrated, featuring 'real world' examples from around the globe, and enhanced with a comprehensive index, "Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling" is a valued contribution that is strongly recommended for professional and academic library Contemporary Architecture reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Florence: Art And Architecture
Antonio Paolucci
H. F. Ullmann
c/o 60 Cycle Media Relations LLC
38 High Avenue, 4th floor office
Nyack, New York 10960
978384800081, $29.99, www.amazon.com

Florence was a center of economic, political, and cultural influence in Medieval and Renaissance Italy. With "Florence: Art And Architecture", academician Antonio Paolucci introduces a 528-page compendium on the art and architectural history of Florence over a period of five centuries. Profusely and beautifully illustrated with more than five hundred photographs, readers are treated to a tour-de-force excursion that is organized into five major sections: Medieval Florence; From Gothic To Renaissance; The Cinquecento; The Court Art of the last of the Medici; Neo-Classical, the Academy and the 'Reform'. Magnificent images accompanied by succinct descriptive commentaries, makes "Florence: Art And Architecture" a masterpiece of scholarship as well as a welcome (and inexpensive!) addition to personal, school, academic, and community library European Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Also very highly recommended is the companion volume "Venice: The Golden Centuries" (9783848000135, $29.95).

Veiling Architecture
Ahmed Abdel-Gawad
American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2729
9789774164873 $22.95 www.aucpress.com

Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photography and architectural drawings, Veiling Architecture: Decoration of Domestic Buildings in Upper Egypt, 1672-1950 examines the extraordinary architectural art of surviving Egyptian domestic buildings from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Islamic architecture expert Ahmed Abdel-Gawad writes an insightful and intensely descriptive commentary of the history, form, function, and aesthetics of these striking decorations, complementing the captivatingly patterned images. Veiling Architecture is a superb addition to college library architecture shelves, highly recommended.

Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Charlottenhof, Potsdam-Sanssouci: Opus 12
Reinhard Gorner, photographer
Edition Axel Menges
c/o National Book Network
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9783930698127, $49.00, www.amazon.com

"Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Charlottenhof, Potsdam-Sanssouci: Opus 12" is a 68-page, hardcover volume showcasing the landscape, exteriors, and interiors of a 19th century Prussian palace. The superb full color photography of Reinhard Gorner is nicely enhanced with succinct and numbered bilingual (German/English) captions. Of special note is the informative bilingual introduction by Heinz Schonemann. "Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Charlottenhof, Potsdam-Sanssouci: Opus 12" is a very highly recommended and appreciated contribution to the growing library of 18th Century European Architectural studies.


The Nautical Shelf

Uncommon Warriors
Ken W. Sayers
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591147602 $34.95 www.navalinstitute.org

Uncommon Warriors: 200 Years of the Most Unusual American Naval Vessels is a captivating look at the U.S. Navy's most unusual vessels, designed expressly to serve specialized roles and atypical missions. These are not the standard carriers, submarines, cruisers, or destroyers; they are classified as auxiliary (AG) and miscellaneous (IX) vessels, and sometimes their appearance of function can seem strange indeed. From the "Glomar Explorer", a secret CIA ship that dredged up part of a sunken Soviet ballistic missile submarine, to the "Deal", a cargo ship that transformed into a pirate radio station, Uncommon Warriors gives individual histories, specifications, and black-and-white illustrations of more than forty vessels, as well as providing brief directory listings of four hundred more. A bibliography and a ship name index round out this excellent and thoroughly accessible glimpse of a little-known side of the U.S. Navy.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Women's Work
Pamela A. Parmal
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
9780878467785 $40.00 www.mfa-publications.org

Featuring dozens of full-color photographs of striking needlecraft projects (and the occasional vintage artwork or portrait), Women's Work: Embroidery in Colonial Boston discusses both the artistic and the economic sides of women's needlework in the colonial era. Needlework pushed the silk trade, and provided jobs for women who earned money selling supplies, drawing patterns, or teaching the craft to young girls. Focusing especially on the life stories and embroidered creations of six women in Boston, Women's Work is an astonishingly beautiful and descriptive window into a form of creative expression that enlivened the difficult and challenging lives of American pioneers. Needlecraft lovers of all walks of life, will thoroughly enjoy browsing Women's Work from cover to cover, and American cultural historians will find it informative and invaluable. Women's Work is highly recommended especially for college library collections.

The Sewing Workshop
Linda Lee
Sixth&Spring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013
9781936096404, $17.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

"The Sewing Workshop: Learn to Sew with 30+ Easy, Pattern-Free Projects" is a color-photo illustrated practical beginner's guide to home machine sewing, with full directions for over 30 pattern-free sewing projects. "The Sewing Workshop" is a complete beginner's sewing guide, with chapters on fabric basics, measuring and marking (includes instructions for making and enlarging a pattern), laying out fabric, cutting, sewing with a machine and by hand, constructing a seam (including zipper insertion instructions), sewing a hem, special elements, pressing and finishing. In addition, there are instructions for 30 creative sewing projects for assorted home accents, bags and totes, and wearable clothing items. All projects are clearly described and photo illustrated, with a list of notions and supplies, page references for relevant techniques, and clearly described step by step instructions. Some of the crafted sewing project include a tube top, a fabric pin or brooch, a handsome courier bag, a fringed pillow, and a trimmed napkin. Language and instructions are quite easy to understand, and all photos are colorful and clear and inspiring. For a new set of creative sewing project ideas, or for a novice sewing machine owner, "The Sewing Workshop" is a practical, attractive, non-threatening beginners manual with lots of creative, fun project ideas that are clearly presented and explained.


The Archaeology Shelf

Archaeology of the Southwest, third edition
Linda S. Cordell and Maxine E. McBrinn
Left Coast Press, Inc.
1630 North Main Street, #400
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
9781598746754 $45.00 www.LCoastPress.com

Now in its third edition updated with the latest in research findings and the current debates about their meaning, as well as increased coverage of the Paleoindian period, Archaic period, and the Casas Grandes phenomenon, Archaeology of the Southwest is a comprehensive textbook suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate level study. Authors Lida S. Cordell (Senior Scholar at the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe) and Maxine E. McBrinn (Southwest archaeology Affiliate Faculty at Metropolitan State College of Denver) discuss the natural environments and useful tools, methods, and theory for Southwest archaeology before launching into a historical phase-by-phase parsing of cultural evidence and discoveries that Southwest archaeology has unearthed. "A common southwestern pattern is the depopulation of limited areas, such as a small valley and perhaps its adjacent uplands... In some places, such as the Muddy and Virgin River valleys, ancient farmers settled where agriculture is not practiced today, despite modern farming technology. In other places, as in much of the upland Kayenta area, they established agricultural communities in areas that are now marginal for dry farming. With even minor decreases in rainfall, farming in these areas became untenable, and people moved away." Archaeology of the Southwest is the go-to pick for college-level study, whether independently or part of a course, and highly recommended.

The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel
William G. Dever
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802867018 $25.00 www.eerdmans.com

Syro-Palestinian archaeology expert of fifty years' field experience William G. Dever presents The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel: Where Archaeology and the Bible Intersect, a compendium of the latest archaeological findings and evidence to extrapolate the societies, livelihoods, and culture of the ancient Israelites. Of particular fascination is comparisons of archaeological data to biblical data, including situations where one may appear to contradict the other, and advocates "separation of faith from history." "Judaism, in its Reform manifestation at least, has long since made its peace with such an accommodation. And other non-Christian religions were never so dependent on forced, particularistic historical readings in the first place. Genuine religion should be more about ortho-practice, moral earnestness, than orthodoxy. And if it survives, it will have to be." Copious black-and-white diagrams of archaeological sites intersperse this detailed, scholarly resource (enhanced with a bibliography and name index) that will prove especially valuable to archaeologists and college library reference shelves.

Newly-Discovered Statues from Giza 1990-2009
Zahi Hawass
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4314
9789777045872 $39.50 www.oup.com/us

Illustrated with striking full-color photography throughout, Newly-Discovered Statues from Giza 1990-2009 showcases the extraordinary discovery of numerous unique statues from the cemeteries of Egyptian pyramid builders (as well as the causeway of the Khafre, the south pyramid of Menkaure, and Kafr el-Gebel) during the excavations of Dr. Zahi Awass from 1990 to 2009. Hawass recounts the story behind each piece, including a detailed verbal description to complement the photographs, translations of any inscriptions, where the statue was discovered, efforts to date the state, and historical and cultural insights into the statue's pose. For example, with regard to the statue of a kneeling female miller, Hawass mentions, "It has been suggested that these statues represent servants performing work related to food preparation, which was considered necessary for the deceased's afterlife, and also to assist with any work required by the deceased (Roehrig, 1988, 90). However, we should not apply the term 'servant' to all of these statues because they may frequently represent the wife, daughters, or other relatives of the deceased." Brimming with striking relics that reveal the artistic talents of ancient Egyptians, Newly-Discovered Statues from Giza 1990-2009 is an absolute "must-have" for college library Egyptology collections, and as enjoyable for lay readers to browse through as it is informative for professionals in the fields of archaeology and anthropology.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

A New History of Documentary Film, second edition
Betsy A. McLane
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
newhistoryofdocumentaryfilm2.continuumbooks.com
9781441124579 $34.95 www.continuumbooks.com

Now in an updated second edition with additional material on Experimental Documentary, Visual Anthropology, and Environmental/Nature films, A New History of Documentary Film is a scholarly, chronological evaluation of how documentary media has changed through the decades. A handful of black-and-white photographs (plus a few color plates) illustrate this extraordinary compendium that shines a spotlight on little-known pioneers in filmmaking as well as offering a solid overview of the medium, from the twenties, to the tumult of two world wars, to the postmodern era. An index rounds out this excellent resource for media studies courses, and fascinating browse for lay readers interested in learning more about nonfiction films throughout history.

Theater 61 Press
2373 Broadway, Suite 802
NY, NY 10024
www.theater61press.com

Before he was the last president of Czechoslovakia (1989 - 1992) and the first president of the Czech Republic (1993 - 2003), the late Vaclav Havel (5 October 1936 - 18 December 2011) was an award winning Czech playwright, essayist and poet. Havel wrote more than 20 plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally. Now Theater 61 Press has published English translations of his most representative plays. This outstanding series consists of "The Memo" (9977019756, $14.95, 200 pp.); "The Vanek Plays" (0977019772, $14.95, 224 pp.); "Leaving" (0977019780, $14.95, 158 pp.); "The Pig or Vaclav Havel's Hunt for a Pig" (0977019799, $14.95, 106 pp.); and "The Increased Difficulty of Concentration" (9780977019762, $14.95, 148 pp.). From metaphysical farce, to veiled political commentary, to existential moral dilemmas, these are superbly translated editions that document the literary (and infer the political) genius of Vaclav Havel.


The Science Shelf

The Universal Computer, revised edition
Martin Davis
CRC Press
Suite 300
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466505193 $29.95 www.crcpress.com

Now in a revised edition with added insights concerning Konrad Zuse, the success of the IBM Watson on the game show "Jeopardy", and more, The Universal Computer: The Road from Leibniz to Turing is an extraordinary study of computational pioneers who ultimately transformed the modern world. Beginning with Leibniz in the 17th century, The Universal Computer explores the contributions of mathematicians, logical thinkers, and innovators such as Boole, Frege, Cantor, Hilbert, Godel, and Turing, and their revolutionary discoveries. Author Martin Davis draws on his expertise in the fields of logic and computational theory research to present the early history of computers with academic rigor. The Universal Computer is highly recommended especially for college library computer science shelves, and an exceptional pick for any reader who is curious about the lives and efforts of great thinkers.


The Aviation Shelf

Landing in Las Vegas
Daniel K. Bubb
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874178722 $34.95 www.unpress.nevada.edu

Landing in Las Vegas: Commercial Aviation and the Making of a Tourist City is a modern history of how commercial aviation arose in Las Vegas, becoming a crucial support feature of the city's transformation into a tourism haven. First emerging in 1926, the fledgling aviation industry benefited from the invention of the passenger jet in 1960, government financing, and laws and regulations designed especially to make air travel safer. Although Landing in Las Vegas focuses primarily upon the evolution of air travel in the titular city, chapters also explore and extrapolate the ramifications of commercial airways upon the American West as a whole, taming great distances and interconnecting people in business and leisure like never before. Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Landing in Las Vegas is highly recommended especially for public and college library aviation history collections.


The Civil War Shelf

The Civil War in Missouri
Louis S. Gerteis
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard
Columbia, MO 65201
9780826219725 $29.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Louis S. Gerteis (Professor of History, University of Missouri-St. Louis) presents The Civil War in Missouri: A Military History, a scholarly, in-depth study of Missouri's role in the American Civil War. Gerteis especially focuses upon the conventional battles of the war, rather than the guerilla struggles and skirmishes that all too often define popular perceptions of Missouri's involvement. The truth was that Missouri was a strategic area, and control of the territory was vital to maintaining supply lines and winning the war - which is why the Confederacy sought to keep the Ozarks as a northern border, and why Lincoln recognized the importance of driving rebel troops out of the state. A handful of black-and-white photographs, notes, and an index round out this excellent close scrutiny, highly recommended especially for college library reference shelves and Civil War buff reading lists.


The Library Science Shelf

Cloud Computing For Libraries
Marshall Breeding
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9781555707859, $59.95, www.amazon.com

What began with the introduction of desktop computers has evolved to the cutting edge technology of 'cloud computing'. Written specifically as an instruction manual for library administrators and staff members, "Cloud Computing for Libraries" is a succinct 134 page instructional compendium specifically designed to enable libraries to shift from owning and operating local servers to establishing web-based services. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Cloud Computing for Libraries" provides the practical information and 'real world' advice required to to take full advantage of what cloud computing can provide including examples of how to initiate suitable projects by taking advantage of free services offered by top cloud services providers. Replete with examples include using cloud-based supplemental storage, Google's suite of apps, Amazon's S3 and EC2 services to power a library website, and DuraCloud to host an online library media collection, "Cloud Computing for Libraries" will prove to be an indispensable guide and a welcome addition to community, academic, corporate, and governmental library systems.

A Book Sale How-To Guide
Pat Ditzler & Joann Dumas
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838910740, $40.00, www.amazon.com

All library systems depend upon a part of their financing to be derived from the sale of books. These books are usually a combination of donated books from library patrons and culls from library shelves. Often library book sales are staffed 'Friends of the Library' groups. Sometimes (especially with reference to academic large municipal and academic libraries) they are run by library staff members with the help of volunteers. Fortunately for novices charged with the responsibility of putting on a library book sale there is a superbly written instruction manual by the collaborative team of veteran book sale managers Pat Ditzler and Joann Dumas. "A Book Sale How-To Guide: More Money, Less Stress" is their 97-page instruction manual that covers every aspect of preparing for, putting on, and finishing up a book sale. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "A Book Sale How-To Guide" covers getting book donations, choosing an appropriate site to hold the book sale, creating a committee to put on the book sale, recruiting (and keeping!) volunteers to work the book sale, categorizing and organizing book sale donations, pricing the books to be offered for sale, publicizing the book sale event, setting up and cleaning up the sale, and keeping records of the book sales. Of special note is the chapter dedicated to 'Encore! Encore!: Other Book Sale Opportunities'. Enhanced with appendices providing resource information, rating the condition of books, collectible books, and prices guide resources, "A Book Sale How-To Guide" should be on the library reference shelf of every school, community, academic system, and 'Friends of the Library' organization.

User Studies For Digital Library Development
Milena Dobreva, Andy O'Dwyer, Pierluigi Feliciati
Facet Publishing
7 Ridgmount Street, London, England, WC1E 7AE
http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781856047654, $48.95, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Milena Dobreva (Senior Researcher at CDLR, University of Strathclyde), Andy O'Dwyer (who has been with the BBC since 1986 applying technical solutions to the long term preservation of broadcast material and has managed several European collaborative projects providing online access to parts of the BBC's newly digitized content), and Pierluigi Feliciati (Researcher in the University of Macerata, Italy), "User Studies For Digital Library Development" is a 192-page compendium focusing on the makeup and diverse methods of user studies with respect to digital libraries. "User Studies For Digital Library Development" is a descriptive and instructional guide to methods ranging from surveys, questionnaires, and expert evaluation, to eye tracking, deep log analysis, personae, and ethnographic studies. Of special note are the informative commentaries on the evaluation of digital libraries, digital preservation, social media, the shift to mobile devices, and ethics. "User Studies For Digital Library Development" describes specific types of institutions, including libraries, archives, museums, audiovisual collections, and art collections, while providing thematically appropriate examples of the commonly encountered questions and various identifying actions of special interest to information professionals. "User Studies For Digital Library Development" is especially recommended to the attention of community, academic, corporate, and governmental library staff members assigned the responsibility for the development, design, or support of digital library services.


The Native American Shelf

The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts
Robert Fletcher Manlove, Ph.D., author
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 S. Mary St., Fresno, CA 93721
9781610351485, $19.91, www.CravenStreetBooks.com

"The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts" is a groundbreaking treatise that defines and traces the documentable history of the Chowchilla Yokut tribe of Central California from the 1800's and their earliest known origins to the present. It is the first serious, researched scholarly work to attempt to do so. Containing valuable detailed information about the Chowchilla Yokuts' hunter-gatherer life style in the dual environment of California valley flatland and Sierra foothills, "The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts" provides a wide angle lens view of the vast and traumatic changes endured by this tribe from the time of the Spanish predation, beginning in the 1700's and 1800's. Incredible stories of enforced slavery, rape, enforced subsistence living situations, disease and malnutrition and inhumane treatment are substantiated. Incredibly, the surviving Chowchilla developed a spirit of resistance that marked them as potentially dangerous savages to be feared during this dreadful period. They also used an innate ability to submerge and hide within their landscape, to some extent. From the transformation of the Chowchilla into warriors to the epidemics, American invasion, gold rush, Mariposa war, the beginning through the demise of treaties and reservations, missionaries and boarding schools, the Rancherias and Indian Reorganization Act to the complicated rancheria termination and reinstatement, expulsion from the Picayune Rancheria, and finally the present day major goal and issue for the Chowchilla, which is Federal recognition of the distinct tribe, all aspects of Chowchilla Yokut cultural history are decisively investigated and presented without prejudice. Further enriched by an assortment of black and white historical photographs of period Chowchilla in their native territories, "The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts" is therefore a crucially important creditable work of California Native American scholarship, with far reaching potential impact.


The Philosophy Shelf

Truth And Values
Jamie Tappenden, et al.
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
www.uofcpress.com
9780919491342, $34.95, www.amazon.com

A well respected and influential academician, Hanz Herberger is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. In his honor, the editorial team of Jamie Tappenden, Achille Varzi and William Seager, have collaborated to create a 190-page compendium comprised of six outstanding and original essays on philosophy by Isaac Levi, Calvin Normore, Jamie Tappenden, Alasdair Urquhart, Achille Varzi, and Steven Yablo. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Truth and Values: Essays for Hans Herzberger" is a fitting tribute to Professor Herberger and a masterpiece of collective scholarship, making it a highly recommended addition to academic library Contemporary Philosophy reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Gardening Shelf

Earth Perfect?
Annette Giesecke & Naomi Jacobs
Artifice Books on Architecture
c/o Black Dog Publishing London UK
10A Acton Street, London, WC1X 9NG, UK
http://www.blackdogonline.com
9781907317750, $39.95, www.amazon.com

The collaborative editorial work of Annette Giesecke (Professor of Classics and Chair of Ancient
Greek and Roman Studies at the University of Delaware). and Naomi Jacobs (Professor of English and Chair of the English Department at the University of Maine), "Earth Perfect?: Nature, Utopia and the Garden" is a 240-page, wonderfully illustrated compendium providing the reader with a descriptive analysis on the relationship between human beings and the culturally diverse concepts of the garden. Comprised of eighteen informed and informative essays by experts in the fields, "Earth Perfect?" is deftly organized into six major sections: Being in Nature; Inscribing the Garden; Green House; The Garden Politic; Economies of the Garden; and How Shall We Garden?. Of special note is Douglas W. Tallamy's essay 'Achieving Ecological Utopia in the Garden'. Thoughtful and thought-provoking throughout, "Earth Perfect?" is a seminal work of impressive scholarship throughout and a welcome, highly recommended addition to academic library reference collections.


The Political Science Shelf

The Performance Of Politics
Jeffrey C. Alexander
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780199926435, $24.95, www.amazon.com

It was an unprecedented thing. That an African-American would run for the presidency of the United States of America -- and win! Barack Obama made more than just political history; he also personified cultural changes that were decades in the making. The focus of Jeffrey C. Alexander's 384-page compendium, "The Performance of Politics: Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power" is a descriptive analysis of the landmark 2008 campaign from a sociological as well as a political perspective. An extraordinary work of extraordinary scholarship, "The Performance of Politics: Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power" is a welcome addition to the growing library of 21st Century American political literature and a 'must' for academic library Political Science reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Feminist Rhetorical Resilience
Elizabeth A. Flynn, et al.
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322
www.USUPress.org
9780874218787, $29.95, www.amazon.com

The editorial collaboration of Elizabeth A Flynn, Patricia Sotirin and Ann Brady, "Feminist Rhetorical Resilience" is a 268-page compendium comprised of seven essays arising from papers submitted to the Fifth Biennial International Feminism and Rhetoric Conference. A unique contribution to the growing library of feminist literature, "Feminist Rhetorical Resilience" offers a useful conceptual framework for feminist rhetoric and an intellectually vigorous conception of 'resilience' within a feminist context. Erudite, scholarly, informed, informative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, "Feminist Rhetorical Resilience" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal and academic library Feminist Studies and Language Arts Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

FranklinCovey Style Guide, fifth edition
Stephen R. Covey
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780133090390, $49.99, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded fifth edition, "FranklinCovey Style Guide: For Business and Technical Communication" is a 448-page instructional compendium on creating and presenting written materials ranging from correspondence, to memos, resumes, meeting minutes, mission statements, reports, and more. Offering an alphabetically ordered extensive reference glossary from abbreviations to writing and revising, "Style Guide" is enhanced with an equally extensive section of 'Model Documents'. Informed, informative, and exceptionally 'user friendly', "Style Guide" is highly recommended as a curriculum textbook and would prove to be an invaluable instructional resource and reference for anyone having to communicate with words and images for any purpose or in any venue.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Saints and Scholars
Stuart McWilliams, editor
Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781843843030, $99.00, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Stuart McWilliams (Newby Trust Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh), "Saints and Scholars: New Perspectives on Anglo-Saxon Literature and Culture in Honour of Hugh Magennis" is a 272-page compendium comprised of scholarly and erudite essays by academicians with an especial expertise in medieval poetry, literature, and culture. Additionally there are two poems: 'The Honey Vision' by Medbh McGuckian and 'The Scholar' by Ciaran Carson. Of special note is Ivan Herbison's 'Hugh Magennis: A Bibliography, 1981-2011'. Enhanced with a comprehensive index and a 'Tabula Gratulatoria', "Saints and Scholars: New Perspectives on Anglo-Saxon Literature and Culture in Honour of Hugh Magennis" is an informed and informative anthology which is recommended as a seminal contribution to academic library Medieval Literature reference collections and Medieval Studies supplemental reading lists.


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


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design