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Library Bookwatch

Volume 10, Number 8 August 2015 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Journalism Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Computer Shelf Business Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Large Print Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Cookbook Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Biography Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf
Criminology Shelf Mathematics Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Archaeology Shelf Poetry Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Caregiving Full-Time and Working Full-Time
Dr. Keith Washington
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.caregivingfulltimeworkingfulltime.com
9781490856636 $13.95 www.westbowpress.com

Also available as an ebook, Caregiving Full-Time and Working Full-Time: Managing Dual Roles and Responsibilities distills academic research and studies focusing upon individuals who hold down jobs while caring for loved ones with a disease. Author Dr. Keith Washington can also speak from personal experience, as he has cared for his parents since his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2005, and in the process had to sacrifice some professional goals for the sake of his family responsibilities. Washington realized that the cost of caregiving goes well beyond medical bills - working caregivers often lose wages, health insurance, retirement savings, promotions (especially if the promotion would demand more time out of their schedule) and other career benefits. Caregiving Full-Time and Working Full-Time is primarily a scholarly work of analysis and suggestions for further research, and not necessarily a how-to guide for individuals in the precarious position of caring for adult loved ones while holding down a full-time job (though such individuals will receive a wealth of confirmation that they are not alone in their burdens). Invaluable and enlightening, Caregiving Full-Time and Working Full-Time is especially recommended for policy makers, social scientists, and college library collections.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Eye-Popping Oddities
Ripley's Believe It Or Not!
Ripley Publishing
7576 Kingspointe Parkway, Suite 188, Orlando, FL 32819
http://www.ripleys.com/publishing
9781609911362, $28.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

The annual 2016 edition of "Ripley's Believe It or Not!'s Eye-Popping Oddities is packed full of incredible photographs, unbelievable stories, and amazing facts, strange traditions, and weird collections, along and with thousands of crazy new oddities. "Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Eye-Popping Oddities" is sure to entertain children and adults alike. Superbly and profusely illustrated throughout and very highly recommended for personal, community, and school library collections, "Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Eye-Popping Oddities" is perfect for browsing through again and again and again.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Thinking On The Page
Gwen Hyman & Martha Schulman
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.fwmedia.com/catalog
9781599638690, $19.99, 328pp, www.amazon.com

Martha Schulman has been teaching writing, including developmental writing and English as a Second Language, for over a decade. She has served as a consultant to faculty on writing pedagogy at The Cooper Union. She has also taught writing to American-bound college students in China. Her fiction, essays, and reviews have been widely published. Gwen Hyman is the Director of the Center for Writing at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. She is the author of Making a Man: Gentlemanly Appetites in the Nineteenth-Century British Novel (Ohio) and co-author, with Andrew Carmellini, of Urban Italian (Bloomsbury) and American Flavor (Ecco). In a superbly crafted collaboration, Schulman and Hyman draw upon their many years of experience and expertise to create "Thinking On The Page: A College Student's Guide to Effective Writing", a 328 page instructional guide that is deftly organized into twelve chapters: Reading; Writing; Doing Analysis; What is an Essay?; Asking Questions, Generating Ideas; Idea Threads; Discovery Drafts; Working with Your Discover Draft; Claim Drafts; Assessing and Working with Your Claim Draft; Research; Final Drafts. Itself exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'user friendly' throughout, "Thinking On The Page: A College Student's Guide to Effective Writing" is very highly recommended as a reference for college and university students, and would well serve the needs of non-academic aspiring writers seeking to hone and improve the quality of their writing. Highly recommended for community and academic library Writing/Publishing reference collections, it should be noted that "Thinking On The Page" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.49).

Will Write for Food, third edition
Dianne Jacob
Da Capo Press / Lifelong Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
9780738218052 $16.99 www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Now in an updated third edition, including a new chapter dedicated to making a steady income from food writing and more information about self-publishing/cookbook production, Will Write for Food is a guide especially for culinary writers. Chapters are filled with advice for crafting a standout blog with gorgeous photography, tips for successful freelance work or reviewing, and words of wisdom from award-winning writers, editors and agents. Practical, accessible, and insightful, Will Write for Food is an absolute "must-have" for anyone interested in making either side income or a solid living from culinary writing!


The Journalism Shelf

Rich Media, Poor Democracy
Robert W. McChesney
The New Press
126 Wall Street, floor 31, New York, NY 10005-4007
9781565849754 $22.95 www.thenewpress.com

Now with a new preface by award-winning author Robert W. McChesney (Gutgsell Endowed Professor, Dept. of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times is an alarming warning about the dire consequences of increased media centralization. A free and open press is a cornerstone of democracy, but when a few conglomerates dominate all the media channels, the invaluable work of muckrakers and investigative journalists is potentially compromised. How can corporate-political corruption be exposed or combated when the media is itself controlled by an oligarchy of gigantic corporations? Even America's internet has been subject to the dominating influence of a handful of providers - AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and their well-funded lobbyists. Rich Media, Poor Democracy highlights how America's need for an independent, uncensored media is greater than ever! Also highly recommended is McChesney's social issues call-to-arms "Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy" (9781595588913, $18.95), a warning about how the Internet in America has been heavily and harmfully shaped by private commercial interests.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Patricia C. Wrede
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
$7.99 each www.hmhpub.com

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles is a series of four novels that will appeal to both YA readers and adults, about a headstrong princess and her complicated relationship with dragons, originally written roughly thirty years ago. The series features vivid characters and a tongue-in-cheek writing style that will appeal to fantasy lovers of all ages. Now, all four of these timeless classics have been re-issued, each with a brand new introduction penned by author Patricia C. Wrede. In "Dealing With Dragons" (9780544521221), Princess Cimorene is so bored with the endless demands of a princess' life that she runs away to live with the powerful and dangerous dragon Kazul, and stumbles into a medley of fantastic friends and foes! In "Searching for Dragons" (9780544541467), Kazul has gone missing and it's up to Cimorene to find out why. In "Calling on Dragons" (9780544541474) Cimorene has become a queen, and faces a heart-stopping crisis that threatens the entire Enchanted Forest. In "Talking to Dragons" (9780544541481), young Daystar, the son of Queen Cimorene, is sent out on his own with little more than a magic sword and the sage advice to always be polite when talking to dragons. The tricky part is determining just what he's supposed to do, but a mishmashed motley crew including a hot-tempered fire witch, a loquacious lizard, and a rambunctious baby dragon will (hopefully) help him work it out! The Enchanted Forest Chronicles are a treasure, enthusiastically recommended for fantasy connoisseurs, gift-giving, and public library collections.


The Computer Shelf

Social Media 3.0
Carol L. Morgan, CAPS, CSP, MIRM
MyHome Press
c/o National Association of Home Builders
1201 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005-2800
9780867187205 $19.95 www.myhomepress.com

Social Media 3.0: It's Easier Than You Think is a plain-spoken, no-nonsense guide to tapping into the power of social media for the benefit of one's business or nonprofit organization. Chapters walk the reader through creating websites that are friendly to ubiquitous browsing devices such smartphones, making the most of Facebook features, reaching out to one's markets with Google+, Instragram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Foursquare, Houzz, Linkedin, and more, getting a podcast started, and even how to run contests without breaking one's budget. "When you are submitting press releases directly to media outlets, you should only distribute information that is truly newsworthy. If you constantly send press releases to the media that they do not deem newsworthy, reporters and editors will ignore your email messages. On the other hand, although reporters may not find your latest sales incentive newsworthy (considering it advertising, rather than news), online consumers probably will. Go ahead and write it up for online distribution. Even if it isn't breaking news, you can still post it on a variety of online sites..." In today's increasingly interconnected world, user-friendly instructionals like Social Media 3.0 are a "must-read" for business majors and entrepreneurs everywhere.


The Business Shelf

The Inventor's Complete Handbook
James L. Cairns
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620230183, $19.95, www.amazon.com

In his basic 288 page instruction guide, "The Inventor's Complete Handbook: How to Develop, Patent, and Commercialize Your Ideas", author James L. Cairns draws upon his more than fifty years of experience and expertise as an inventor and holder of over sixty U.S. patents to provide aspiring inventors to originate, develop and benefit from their ideas. "The Inventor's Complete Handbook" comprehensively covers the entire inventing process starting with a creating and developing a sound idea. "The Inventor's Complete Handbook" then directs the reader through the uses of visualization and the importance of planning for all contingencies before ever investing capital. "The Inventor's Complete Handbook" also shows how to protect the creation of a new invention by filing a patent. All the information about this multi-faceted process, from design patents to international patents, is laid out in an easy-to-follow format rigorously proofed by several lawyers. As informed and informative as it is practical and 'user friendly', "The Inventor's Complete Handbook" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library reference collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Little Men, Big World / Vanity Row
W. R. Burnett
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781933586670, $24.95, 342pp, www.amazon.com

William Riley Burnett was born November 25, 1899 in Springfield, Ohio. Moving to Chicago in 1927, he developed an interest in gangsters which prompted him to write his first noir novel, "Little Caesar", in 1929. Soon after that overnight success, Burnett moved to Los Angeles, eventually writing 36 novels (including the classic High Sierra) and 60 screenplays, as well as songs, plays and short stories. Nominated twice for an Academy Award, he received both the MWA Grand Master award and an O. Henry Memorial Award. Burnett died on April 25, 1982. "Little Men, Big World" and "Vanity Row" are two classic noir novels by Burnett that probe the political corruption of a big Midwestern city, where the important deals are always made behind closed doors, and the real power is wielded behind the throne are brought back into print under one cover for the edification of a whole new generation of appreciative readers. Along with "The Asphalt Jungle" (RosettaBooks, B003XRELXE, $8.99 Kindle), these three novels form a thematic trio known as the Urban Trilogy. Very strongly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections, this Stark House Press edition of "Little Men, Big World / Vanity Row" is as compelling a read today as it was when first released decades ago.


The Large Print Shelf

Rebel Raiders
John Dyson
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444823547, $20.99, 234pp, www.amazon.com

A gang of former Confederate soldiers under the diabolical leadership of a former colonel is robbing banks and killing their way across Kansas in the name of a soon to be re-risen Southern Confederacy. Novice lawman Cass Clacy, himself a Texan, is sent out after them, but what chance does he have of out gunning such experienced fighters? When Sheriff Jim Clarke joins Cass in the chase, his main aim is a share of the reward. Together they penetrate deep into the heart of the Indian Nations, where Cass falls under the spell of the lovely mountain girl Audrey -- but can he save her from the clutches of the dangerous Josiah Baines? Another terrific western action/adventure novel form a master of the genre, this edition of "Rebel Raiders" by John Dyson is very highly recommended for personal and community library Large Print collections.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula
Andi Watson
First Second
175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.firstsecondbooks.com
9781626722750 $19.99 hc
9781626721494 $14.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions, Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula is a black-and-white graphic novel that will appeal to all ages, by Eisner-nominated storyteller Andi Watson. In the spooky, beyond-the-veil kingdom of the Underworld, Princess Decomposia is overworked and underappreciated in matters of bureaucracy, diplomacy, and inhuman resources. Her standoffish, elderly father rarely leaves his bed, but someone still has to discuss matters of state with werewolves, yokai, zombie generals and more! When the palace chef abruptly quits, Princess Decomposia almost faints from neglecting to eat; fortunately, the talented vampire chef Count Spatula applies for the job (and reminds her not to skip meals)! Count Spatula's sweet-tooth culinary skills add just the right spice to smooth over potential diplomatic mishaps, but could he be getting a little too familiar with the Underworld king's daughter? And will Princess Decomposia ever find a stable work-unlife balance? A delightfully heartwarming story about responsibility, friendship, juggling priorities, and even love, Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula is highly recommended.

Incredible Herb Trimpe
Dewey Cassell & Aaron Sultan
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490625, $34.95, 160pp, www.twomorrows.com

Herbert William Trimpe (May 26, 1939 - April 13, 2015) was an American comic book artist and occasional writer. A gifted and versatile artist, Trimpe drew licensed characters based on toys such as G.I. Joe, Godzilla, and Transformers, which went on to become blockbuster movies. He drew runs of super-heroes like Iron Man, Defenders, Captain Britain, and even Marvel's flagship character Spider-Man. But he's best known for his definitive eight-year stint drawing the Incredible Hulk. "Incredible Herb Trimpe" was produced by Dewey Cassell and Aaron Sultan with Herb's full cooperation just prior to his recent passing and chronicles the life and art of Trimpe through his own voice, as well as the voices of friends and colleagues like Stan Lee, Tom DeFalco, Roy Thomas, John Romita, Bill Peckmann, Sal Buscema, Joe Sinnott, Larry Hama, Doug Moench, Eliot Brown, Len Wein, Ron Frenz, Steve Englehart, and his son Alex Trimpe. Their testimony to his talent and his legacy of artwork leave no wonder why he was one of the most respect artists in the comics and graphic arts business. "Incredible Herb Trimpe" is a 'must' for his legions of fans, and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library American Art History and Popular Culture reference collections.


The Audiobook Shelf

The China Challenge
Thomas J. Christensen, author
Read by Alan Sklar
Highbridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781622317592 $39.99 www.highbridgeaudio.com

The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power is the unabridged audiobook presentation of an analysis of U.S.-China relations in the modern global order. Author Thomas J. Christensen is a diplomatic expert, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and the William P. Boswell Professor of World Politics and director of the China and the World Program at Princeton University. Christensen argues against the zero-sum doomsday vision of China's rising power as a threat to U.S. leadership in Asia, and against the saber-rattlers who claim that war with a rising China is inevitable. Christiansen points out that China benefits tremendously from the current global order and has no interest in deposing it. However, the Asian and global problems of nuclear proliferation, civil conflicts, financial instability, and climate change are so entrenched that the U.S. and the world need China's cooperation to alleviate them. If China simply declines to support efforts against these problems, let alone acts against such efforts, the result could be disastrous. Christiansen argues that skilled diplomacy is needed now more than ever, advocating a balanced strategic approach. The goal is not to obstruct China's rise, but rather influence China's choices so as to curb regional aggression and encourage participation in international efforts that benefit the global community. Thoroughly accessible to listeners of all backgrounds, The China Challenge is an invaluable contribution to public library and global politics audiobook collections. 13 CDs, 15 3/4 hours.

And the Sun Stood Still
Dava Sobel, author
Performed by Robert Foxworth, Michael Kirby, Kate Steele, et. al.
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
9781580814089 $29.95 www.latw.org

Part of L.A. Theatre Works' "Relativity Series" of science-themed plays, And the Sun Stood Still is an audiobook recording of a play about Nicolaus Copernicus, the Renaissance astronomer and mathematician who proposed a heliocentric model of the universe in which the Sun stands in the center. Threatened by religious censure and troubled by self-doubt, Copernicus disallowed publication of his potentially heretical theories until shortly before his death in 1543. And the Sun Stood Still is about the final years of Copernicus' life, as he struggled to complete his research with the aid of a young disciple, Georg Rheticus. Brought to life with the superb performance of a full cast of trained actors, And the Sun Stood Still is enthusiastically recommended especially for public, high school and college library audiobook collections. 2 CDs, 1 hour 25 min.

A Thousand Miles to Freedom
Eunsun Kim with Sebastien Falletti
Translated by David Tian
Read by Emily Woo Zeller
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781494507718 $34.99 www.tantor.com

A Thousand Miles to Freedom is the unabridged audiobook biography detailing how author Eunsun Kim, her mother, and her sister struggled to escape the oppressive North Korean government. Eusun's grandparents and father both died from the Great Famine that ravaged North Korea in 1990's; Eusun and her surviving family members were also on the brink of starving to death when her mother made the dangerous and desperate decision to escape the country at any cost. Their harrowing journey risked execution, whether from being shot by border patrol guards, or caught and sentenced by the government for daring to leave. Their journey to freedom would take nine years to complete. A sober and eye-opening look at the incompetence and cruelty of the totalitarian North Korean regime, A Thousand Miles to Freedom is highly recommended. 5 CDs, 5.5 hours.

Building Confidence in Your Child
Dr. James Dobson, author
Read by Jon Gauger
Oasis Audio
289 Main Place, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781613757154 $19.99 www.oasisaudio.com

A balanced sense of self-worth is crucial to making good life decisions, choosing and maintaining healthy relationships, and pursuing one's dreams. Building Confidence in Your Child is the unabridged audiobook rendition of Dr. James Dobson's parenting guide to fostering healthy self-esteem in one's children. Grounded in a biblical understanding of human worth, Building Confidence in Your Child is thoroughly practical and sensible. Though intended especially for Christian parents and families, Building Confidence in Your Child is accessible to listeners of all faiths. Highly recommended! 5 CDs.

Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.recordedbooks.com

Two intense, unabridged audiobook mysteries from Recorded Books will fascinate fans of the genre. In Amanda Quick's "Garden of Lies" (9781470380571, $123.75, 8 CDs, 10 hours) Ursula Kern suspects foul play when one of her agency's employees meets her end far too soon. Kern must work together with adventurer-archaeologist Slater Roxton (who might be just a little bit touched in the head after a year-long exile) to track down a potential killer. Elements of romance and suspense blend in this riveting Victorian London drama, brought to life with Louisa Jane Underwood's skilled narration. In Donna Leon's "Falling in Love: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery" (9781490671239, $77.75, 7 CDs, 8.25 hours), Brunetti comes to the aid of his old acquaintance Flavia, a star opera performer who feels growing unease over the increasingly lavish gifts bestowed upon her by a secret admirer. Could the unknown person's obsessive adoration lead to the threat of murder? When a Venetian singer involved with Flavia is savagely attacked, Brunetti worries that Flavia's fears could be justified, and he may be in a race against time to save lives! Both are excellent additions to public library and personal mystery/suspense audiobook collections, as is the first Commissario Guido Brunetti novel, "Death at La Fenice".

Resurrection, Inc.
Kevin J. Anderson
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781480597297, $14.99, www.amazon.com

It is the future the dead walk serve the living, having been resurrected by the cybernetic technology of a corporation called Resurrection, Inc. With a microprocessor brain, a synthetic heart, and artificial blood and anyone with money could buy a Servant with no mind of its own, trained to obey any command. But for every Servant created a living worker was out of a job, and suddenly the profits of Resurrection, Inc. became everyone else's loss. Some of the unemployed take to rioting in the streets, their rampages ruthlessly ended by heavily armed Enforcers, eager for the kill. Others join the ever-growing cult of Neo-Satanism, seeking Heaven in the depths of Hell. Only one man tries to save the world. His name is Danal, and he is the last hope of the living. He is dead, but he remembers everything -- especially the man responsible for the murder of Danal and the woman he loved. "Resurrection, Inc." by Kevin J. Anderson is another terrific and original science fiction novel from a master of the genre. This complete and unabridged audio book edition is superbly narrated by Jim Meskimen and very highly recommended for the personal and community library science fiction audio book collections. (10 Discs -- 11 hours, 15 minutes).

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
Lord Byron, author
Read by Jamie Parker
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843797418 $28.98 CD / $19.00 download www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is an unabridged audiobook rendition of the classic poetic narrative that distinguished English author Lord Byron (1788-1824) as a literary genius of his time. The Spenserian stanzas follow a protagonist's journey through Europe as it reeled from the cruel toll of revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Superbly performed by film, theater, and television actor Jamie Parker, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is enthusiastically recommended for public and college library audiobook collections. 4 CDs, 4 hours 55 min.


The Library CD Shelf

Beyond Borders
Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann
UMP Records
c/o Unu Mondo Productions
PO Box 128, Dover, New Hampshire 03821
www.randyarmstrong.com/beyondborders
$16.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Beyond Borders is a world-fusion music album by Randy Armstrong, Volker Nahrmann, and a global medley of special guests. Drawing upon Latin rhythms, East Indian musical traditions, Native American pow wow, West African and Caribbean stylings, contemporary jazz and much more, Beyond Borders is a holistic sensation, especially recommended for gift-giving and public library music collections. The tracks are "Ciao Bella" (5:04), "Fear Not Fear" (4:43), "Unidad Anthem" (1:02), "Unidad - Tribute to Dizzy Gillespie" (4:56), "Wherever You Are" (4:51), "Shanti Om - Dedicated to Ravi Shankar & George Harrison" (6:37), "White Cloud Black Thunder" (7:15), "There's Always Hope" (5:19), "Love Letters - The Story of Abelard and Heliose" (5:20), "Fun in the Sun" (7:22), and "Unidad Epilogue" (0:58).

Sing Sad Songs
The Earnest Lovers
Elko Record Company
$TBA CD / $5.94 MP3 cdbaby.com

Underground country duet Pete Krebs and Leslie Beia, also known as The Earnest Lovers, present Sing Sad Songs, a music collection that resonates with the hardy pace of outdoor life. Embodying the older, more traditional style of country music, Sing Sad Songs resonates with emotional power and lingering memories. The tracks are "San Andreas' Fault" (3:14), "Lights of Anita" (4:17), "Angel of Sunrise" (3:26), "Still Missing You" (3:53), "No Songs Came By Today" (3:12), and "Everybody's Trying To Be My Pal" (3:04). Also highly recommended is "Tunes from the North, Songs from the South" ($20.00 CD / $9.99 MP3), a fresh fusion of Canadian and Appalachian music traditions by folk/roots duo Karrnnel Sawitsky and Daniel Koulack, a duo popularly known as "Fiddle & Banjo".

Daydream Alley
Holland Phillips
www.musicbyholland.com
Ageless Records
$9.99 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

The fourth album by multi-instrumental artist Holland Phillips, Daydream Alley is a new age soundscape featuring piano, synthesizer, violin, bass, drums, oboe, bassoon, sax, electric piano, French horn, trombones, the flute, and more. Sweeping musical fusion colors the listener's imagination about past and future possibilities, connecting a sense of wonder with dreams of boundless optimism. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Etude in D Minor" (3:55), "Two Pianos" (4:52), "Serendipity" (5:22), "Jazz Nite" (5:11), "Daydream Alley" (4:59), "Changing Times" (4:23), "Touched By Fire" (5:07), "Friends" (3:42), "Last Night Out" (3:50), "Reflexions" (5:18), "Sombrero Key" (3:50), and "Colors" (3:05).

Live from London
Bob Wilber, Dave McKenna & 'Pug' Horton Quintet
Classic Jazz Records
50 Executive Boulevard, Elmsford, NY 10523-1325
$24.95 www.innercityjazz.com

Originally recorded during five successive evenings in 1978 at Pizza Express in London, Live from London is a 2-CD treasury of vivacious jazz performances. Bob Wilber plays saxophone; Dave McKenna the piano; Ron Rubin bass; Derk Hogg drums; and 'Pug' Horton contributes smooth vocals to this timeless anthology. A "must-have" for jazz aficionados! The tracks are (Disc 1) "I'm Nobody's Baby" (2:53), "Jonathan's Way" (9:19), "Black and Blue" (5:30), "Mean To Me" (3:29), "Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight" (3:03), "I'm Beginning To See The Light" (7:59), "I Found A New Baby" (5:06), "The Very Thought Of You" (4:12), "Exactly Like You" (6:31), "Everywhere You Go" (2:53), "Lotus Blossom" (4:58), "Freeman's Way" (9:22), "Puggles" (2:39), and "144 West 54th St." (10:57); (Disc 2) "Rocks In My Bed" (4:45), "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good" (4:37), "Deed I Do" (8:07), "Melancholy Baby" (5:41), "Clarion Song" (7:46), "Samantha" (9:05), "Did I Remember" (3:11), "All Of Me" (7:58), "Wequasset Wail" (7:02), "Rose Of The Rio Grande" (2:56), "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (7:45), and "Indiana" (7:20).


The Library DVD Shelf

Jerusalem Stories: Visions of a Holy City
SISU Home Entertainment, Inc.
22-19 41 Avenue, Suite #509
Long Island City, NY 11101
9781560867548 $39.95 www.sisuent.com

Jerusalem Stories: Visions of a Holy City gathers four award-winning films in a single collection of 3 DVDs. "I Am A Jerusalemite" is the self-directed story of performer Yehoram Gaon, a native-born Jerusalemite who learned to appreciate the city's wonders with time; Ofer Naim's "Voice of Jerusalem" gathers interviews with people of all faiths and backgrounds who call Jerusalem home; Yale Roe's "Jerusalem: The City Touched By God" surveys Jerusalem's 3,000 year history, enriched by the soul-stirring music of the Mormon Tabernacle choir; and Yale Roe's "To Live A Dream: the Teddy Kollek Story" is an amazing portrait of the Jerusalem mayor whose 28-year tenure spanned the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1990 Persian Gulf War. Jerusalem Stories: Visions of a Holy City is an excellent contribution to public and synagogue library DVD shelves, highly recommended. 273 min., English or Hebrew with English subtitles.

The Enemy Within
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1941545408 $350.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

The Enemy Within is an award-winning DVD documentary about the 1984-85 British Miners' Strike, with emphasis on the miners' courage and sacrifice as they dared to defy the decree of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government. In 1984, Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives launched an all-out assault on Britains unions, especially the powerful National Union of Mineworkers. As a tactic, the government began closing coal mines, causing a sudden spike of unemployment that threatened the livelihood of whole communities. 160,00 miners fought back in a historic expression of resistance. The Enemy Within includes never-before-seen archive footage, contributions from miners who were there as well as their wives and supporters, a memorable soundtrack, and multiple extra features such as a filmmakers' commentary and a PDF of "The Ridley Plan". Highly recommended, especially for public and college library and DVD shelves. 113 min.

Committed
A film by Sheila McLaughlin and Lynne Tillman
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Artistically shot in black-and-white in the year 1984, and now digitally restored, Committed: A True Enough Story About Frances Farmer is an interpretive DVD biography of actress and leftist advocate Frances Farmer (1913-1970). In 1935, Farmer skyrocketed to fame as a sweeping Hollywood sensation, yet within ten years, she was placed within a state mental hospital. Committed explores Farmer's state of mind as well as the political and social attitudes of her era, offering a window through time. Highly recommended for both personal and public library collections. 75 min.

The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 1
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781621723769 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

Available as a 4-disc DVD set or a 2-disc Blu-ray set, The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 1 consists of four feature-length mysteries following Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (played by Neill Rea) on his assignment in Brokenwood, a small town nursing deep-seated grudges. Shepherd is a seasoned cop who is far more skilled at tracking criminals than maintaining a stable personal life. His history of failed marriages may or may not run longer than the age of his 1971 "classic" car. Now, the most prominent woman in his life is his assistant, Detective Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland), a straight-laced investigator 20 years younger than her boss' car. Moments of dark humor add a touch of ironic levity to this gritty drama of violence, death, crime, and punishment marring the slow-paced daily life an otherwise idyllic village. Shot amid the beautiful New Zealand countryside, The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 1 is a treat for fans of the genre and a welcome addition to personal and public library DVD collections. Bonus features include brief interviews with the stars and head writer. 4 DVDs, 376 min. plus bonus, SDH subtitles.


The Cookbook Shelf

Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals
Better Homes and Gardens
c/o Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhpub.com
9780544456167, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals is a must-have recipe collection for anyone looking to get homemade dishes on the table with ease. Filled with over 150 recipes and 100 gorgeous photos, plus tips and tricks for quick food prep and complete meals, this book makes planning dinner a breeze. Make-ahead cooking isn't about stocking the freezer with pre-made meals that don't keep well. "Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals: 150+ Recipes to Enjoy Every Day of the Week" shows kitchen cooks how to plan and prep prior to serving, through techniques like freezing carefully to preserve freshness, creating refrigerator casseroles, or using a slow cooker in the morning for dinner that night. Make-ahead cooking also saves money. For time-strapped families, these strategies can be the difference between a home-cooked meal and spending money on packaged meals or ordering in. Profusely and beautifully illustrated in full color throughout, "Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals: 150+ Recipes to Enjoy Every Day of the Week" is a 300 page culinary compendium whose delicious and nutrition and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly recipes range from Cheeseburger Pizza; Spinach Salad with pears and Blue Cheese; Creamy Masala Chicken; and Vegetarian Chili; to Pot Roast Paprikash; Squash Enchilada Casserole; Turkey Meatballs in Pesto Pasta Pie; and White-Chocolate Cheesecake with Triple-Raspberry Sauce. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals: 150+ Recipes to Enjoy Every Day of the Week" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Healthy Family Slow Cooker Cookbook
Christina Dymock, author
Front Table Books
c/o Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 W. 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
9781462116256, $19.99, www.cedarfort.com

"The Healthy Family Slow Cooker Cookbook" is a treasure trove of inviting, nutritious full- meal recipes for busy, thrifty families. Over 70 photo-illustrated recipes are divided into six color-coded categories: Poultry, Pork, Beef, Soup & Salad, Sides, and Sweet Endings. Recipes are compact, easily read with simple directions, and feature readily available healthy food choices. Each recipe title is followed by the number of servings and the estimated total hours of cooking time. Recipe format is particularly user friendly; "The Healthy Family Slow Cooker Cookbook" could be easily adapted for use by supervised young adults. Some examples of tasty entrees and suggestions are: Pepper and Lime Pork Tacos, Chicken and Artichoke Fettuccini, Prime Roast, Shrimp Salad with Rice, Butternut Squash Chili, Salmon Rolls, Beans and Rice, Slow Cooker Artisan Bread, and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze. The introduction features information of the health benefits of slow cooking, basic slow cooker care, and this reader's favorite section, making a low cooker friend. Stunning color photographs of finished recipes accompany each page, inspiring mouth-watering attention to recipe contents. "The Healthy Family Slow Cooker Cookbook" is a basic classic that belongs on every cookbook shelf. Another traditional family -friendly title from Cedar Fort that is also very highly recommended is "Backyard Dutch Oven Cooking (9781462114207, $12.99)," by Bruce Tracy, published out of the Cedar Fort imprint, Hobble Creek Press.

Cook's Country Eats Local
Editors of America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
www.americastestkitchen.com
9781936493999, $26.95, www.amazon.com

All the recipes comprising "Cook's Country Eats Local" have been tested, written, and edited by the test cooks, editors, food scientists, tasters, and cookware specialists at America's Test Kitchen, a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside Boston, Massachusetts. This 320 page culinary treasure showcases some 159 regional recipes that range from Cranberry Up-Side Down Cake; Sweet Potato Biscuits; Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches; and Kalua Pork; to Tex-Mex Rice; Waldorf Salad; Fried Green Tomatoes; Kansas City Sticky Ribs; and Harvey House Chocolate Puffs. Profusely and beautifully illustrated, thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', and as much fun to browse through as it is inspiring to plan menus with, "Cook's Country Eats Local" is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Cook's Country Eats Local" is also available in a Kindle edition ($26.95).

The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook
Fania Lewando, author
Eve Jochnowitz, translator
Schocken
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.schocken.com
9780805243277, $30.00, 272 pp, www.amazon.com

Translated from the Yiddish, annotated and adapted for the modern kitchen by Eve Jochnowitz, "The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook: Garden-Fresh Recipes Rediscovered and Adapted for Today's Kitchen" showcases authentic Yiddish cuisine originally compiled and presented by Fania Lewando -- a pioneering thinker and cook who was a passionate educator and devoted her life to promoting health and vitality. Enhanced with the inclusion of beautifully painted vegetables, the individual recipes are deftly organized into sections featuring Salads; Soups; Cutlets; Stewed Dishes; Miscellaneous Dishes; Blintzes (Stuffed Crepes); Omelets; Porridges; Frittatas; Kugels with Cholents; Puddings; Latkes; Passover Foods; Substantial Puddings; Sauces and Creams; Stuffed Foods; Baked Goods; Jams and Preserves; Turnovers; Compotes and Desserts; Glazes and Garnishes for Cakes; Coffee, Buttermilk, and Yogurt; Marinated Foods; Ices; Wine, Mead, and Liqueur; Vitamin Drinks and Juices. "The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook" is further enhanced for contemporary kitchen cooks with the inclusion of three commentaries (A Lot Treasure from Jewish Vilna by Efraim Sicher; To the Housewife - A Few Words and Practice Advice by Fania Lewando; Vegetarianism as a Jewish Movement by Ben-Zion Kit); and concluding with 'Excerpts from the Guest Book in Fania Lewando's Vegetarian-Dietetic Restaurant; Biographical Sketches from the Guest Book; and a comprehensive Index. "The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook" is an extraordinary culinary compendium and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.79).


The American History Shelf

Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory
Catherine Holder Spude
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806146607 $24.95 www.oupress.com

Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory is a studious local history of vice economy (prostitution, gambling, and saloons) in the city of Skagway, Alaska, from the gold rush of 1897 to the enactment of Prohibition in 1918. Particular focus is placed upon the interplay of money and politics, and how the dynamics of power shifted. Change began when a citizen's committee ejected card sharks and con men from Skagway in 1898, and culminated when middle-class businessmen sided with their wives, banning gambling, prostitution, and saloons. A close study at what these dens of iniquity were really like, and why and how the city's people acted to shut them down, Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory is fascinating and informative from cover to cover.

Sensing Chicago
Adam Mack
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6975
9780252039188 $85.00 hc
9780252080753 $25.00 pbk www.press.uillinois.edu

Sensing Chicago: Noisemakers, Strikebreakers, and Muckrakers is a unique history of the Windy City that emphases its experience to all five of the human senses. Chicago of a hundred years ago looked, sounded, and smelled very different from Chicago of today - streetside hawkers were more common, as was horse manure in the streets; stockyard slaughterhouses left and overwhelming stench in the air; and the river was horrendously polluted. Sensing Chicago closely examines five specific, historical aspects of the city: the Chicago River, the Great Fire, the 1894 Pullman Strike, the publication of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" (which notoriously exposed some of the most stomach-turning aspects of the meat industry), and the rise of the White City amusement park as well as its fall due to the Great Depression. Enhanced with a thorough bibliography and index, Sensing Chicago is expertly researched yet accessible to readers of all backgrounds, and a welcome addition to public and college library urban history shelves.


The World History Shelf

Puerto Rico: An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times to 1900
Olga Jimenez de Wagenheim
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
9781558761223 $26.95 www.markuswiener.com

Puerto Rico: An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times to 1900 is a new history of Puerto Rico that seeks to break away from the prejudices ingrained in older documents, and provide a more balanced approach. Many of the older documents and books about Puerto Rico were written by those who colonized it, and therefore reflect a strong bias. For example, Puerto Rico: An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times to 1900 challenges the notion that the Tainos (native inhabitants) simply capitulated to the colonizing Spaniards, presenting evidence that they fought back against the colonizers for more than sixty years after the battle of Yaguecas. The role of Africans in Puerto Rico, both slaves and free persons, is also discussed. Nuanced, multicultural, and methodical, Puerto Rico: An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times to 1900 is a welcome contribution to public and college library collections.

Samurai and Ninja
Antony Cummins
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9784805313343 $15.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com

Historian Antony Cummins presents Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth that Shatters the Bushido Mystique isn't about the romantic fantasies and myths that have evolved about these warriors, spies, and saboteurs of feudal Japan. Samurai and Ninja scrutinizes the hard reality of these medieval forces, drawing from historical research. In medieval Japan, warfare was brutal and warriors were trained to be merciless; Samurai and Ninja examines the social context of the era, the systems of loyalty that bound these trained warriors, and the horrifying cruelty of military conflict. "Tokugawa Ieyasu was known for his use of shinobi against his own forces. This was to understand the nature of the minds of his 'allies'. Samurai warfare was a shifting political arena. Notions of loyalty at high levels are not adhered to when great amounts of power and gold are in play. Therefore, lords would have shinobi infiltrate their own army or allied forces; especially if an army was a coalition of the clans. This way he could identify if betrayal was in the air or not." Highly recommended for anyone eager to learn the whole truth (good, bad, and ugly) about these fascinating historical figures.


The Biography Shelf

Memoirs of Lieut.-General Winfield Scott
Edited by Timothy D. Johnson
The University of Tennessee Press
110 Conference Center UT, Knoxville, TN 37996
9781621901631 $59.95 www.utpress.org

Memoirs of Lieut.-General Winfield Scott was originally published in 1864, two years before Scott's death; now both volumes are gathered underneath a single cover with over 65 pages of editor's notes, a bibliography, and an index. Today, Scott is relatively little-known except as the aged, ill commander that George McClellan replaced at the beginning of the Civil War. Yet Scott's military career is extensive, with a profound and lasting legacy. His actions of note include leading one of the brilliant campaigns of his time during the Mexican-American War; mentoring the generation of officers who would clash in the Civil War including Generals Grant, Lee, Longstreet, Beauregard, Jackson, and Meade; drafting the first set of regulations to govern the army; and advocating for the professionalization of the U.S. officer corps. An eye-opening testimony that covers historic events ranging from the 1804 duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton to the close of the Civil War, Memoirs of Lieut.-General Winfield Scott is a "must-have" for public and college library biography collections.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Their Lives, Their Wills
Amy M. Porter
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896729322 $39.95 www.ttupress.org

Their Lives, Their Wills: Women in the Borderlands, 1750-1846 examines the last wills and testaments of women who lived in the Spanish and Mexican colonial communities of Santa Fe, El Paso, San Antonio, Saltillo, and San Esteban de Nueva Tlaxcala (in present-day northern Mexico) during the 18th and 19th centuries. Censuses, inventories, court cases, and traveler's accounts are also studied. These documents are invaluable historical primary sources, revealing details about religion, family, economics, and material culture of the day. The wills reflect the hardships and early death that beset frontier life, including the common occurrences of widowhood and child mortality. Their Lives, Their Wills reaches beyond the more common male-dominated histories of the region, revealing a land and a time where women served the community as moneylenders, and that gender role divisions were sometimes more fluid than might be presumed. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library world history or women's studies collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Gene Mapper
Taiyo Fujii, author
Jim Hubbert, translator
Haikasoru
c/o Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421580272 $15.99 www.viz.com

Gene Mapper is a novel set in a near-future where world hunger has been averted through the genetic modification of the world's food supply, and technology has crept its way into virtually every other area of biology and daily life. Gene Mapper Hayashida is one of many who work to keep the world fed; when he discovers that his custom rice plant is failing, he suspects sabotage. But who would tamper with his work, and why? Hayashida's search for answers takes him across Asia to Ho Chi Minh City along with hired gun hacker Yagodo. Danger closes in at every turn, from the omnipresent threat of murder to the distant possibility that the fragile human machinations that keep the planet nourished could fall to ruin! Superbly translated into English, Gene Mapper is as thought-provoking as it is suspenseful to the very end.

War at the Edge of the World
Ian James Ross
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
9781468311211 $26.95 www.overlookpress.com

The epic conclusion to the "Twilight of Empire" series set during the reign of Emperor Constantine, War at the Edge of the World follows promoted centurion Aurelius Castus in a conflict that will decide the future of Rome. Assigned to a remote area in Britain, Castus feels that his days of glory have come to an end... until the king of the savage Pict people beyond Hadrian's wall suddenly dies due to mysterious circumstances. Castus is chosen to command the bodyguard of a Roman envoy sent to negotiate with the barbarians - a mission beset by the shadow of doom, and worse. Castus and his men must fight for their lives, their threadbare fate ruthlessly manipulated by forces, and politics, beyond their control. A vivid period piece thrumming with excitement and intrigue, War at the Edge of the World is highly recommended.


The Criminology Shelf

The Clarke Gang
Peter C. Smith
Rosenberg Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR, 97213
9781925078480 $49.95 www.isbs.com

Enhanced with a handful of vintage black-and-white photographs, The Clarke Gang: Outlawed, Outcast and Forgotten is the true story of the Clarke family gang of bushrangers (armed robbers and outlaws who sought refuge in remote terrain). From 1865 to 1867, they terrorized an area of Australia ranging from present-day Canberra to the coast. Their crimes included assault, robbery, and murder, perpetrated against both police and civilians. Yet they had some sympathy and support, amid a community accustomed to petty crime and horse stealing. The Clarke Gang retraces the rise and fall of these outlaws, and also seeks to understand why they were nearly forgotten with the turn of history while another bushranger, Ned Kelly, remains famous to this day. A riveting saga of crime and punishment, The Clark Gang is enthusiastically recommended for public library world history and criminology shelves.


The Mathematics Shelf

Great Calculations
Colin Pask
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633880283 $18.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

Great Calculations: A Surprising Look Behind 50 Scientific Inquiries is an extraordinary tour of world-changing calculations by great scientists, such as Einstein's famous "E = mc^2". Great Calculations is written especially to be accessible by readers who do not necessarily have more than a basic understanding of algebra and geometry; there is also a little calculus, but Great Calculations makes every effort to be reader-friendly. The amazing implications of what mathematics can tell us about the universe, and how these discoveries changed human lives for generations, make for utterly engrossing reading from cover to cover.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Saussure for Beginners
W. Terrence Gordon, author
Abbe Lubell, illustrator
For Beginners LLC
155 Main Street, Suite 211, Danbury, CT 06810
www.forbeginnersbooks.com
9781939994417 $15.95 pbk / $8.37 Kindle www.amazon.com

Saussure for Beginners is a lavishly illustrated introduction to the work of world-class linguist and philosopher Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913), whose ideas opened new ways to understand a vast array of academic disciplines, including anthropology, literary criticism, and psychoanalysis. Saussure felt that 19th century linguistics was flawed, and did not do enough to answer tough questions about what language is and how it works, so it set out to improve it. His approach to the subject was visionary, yet he was so critical of his own work that he didn't write it down; instead, his students posthumously compiled his teachings and published them as the "Course in General Linguistics". Saussure for Beginners guides readers through the basics of "the Course" including unifying principles, and a glimpse into how these ideas modified human understanding of other subjects as well. What especially distinguishes this guide is the wealth of black-and-white illustrations; virtually every page has artistic sketches and visual aids to help break difficult concepts down into bite-sized pieces that readers of all backgrounds can readily understand. Enthusiastically recommended, especially for school and public library linguistics or literary studies shelves.

Approaches to Teaching Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, second edition
Edited by Peter W. Travis and Frank Grady
Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10004-1789
9781603291415 $24.00 www.mla.org

The second edition of Approaches to Teaching Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is the successor to a scholarly volume originally published in 1980. ("The Canterbury Tales" itself is an anthology of verse and prose stories written at the end of the 14th century; the tales are presented as part of a storytelling contest by a group of pilgrims. These stories have endured for generations due to their wry rhetoric and influence on literature; they were especially notable at the time because they were created vernacular English, not French or Latin.) Over the course of decades, Chaucer scholarship has grown and changed, as have teaching styles. Approaches to Teaching Chaucer's Canterbury Tales includes an incredible assembly of essays from a diversity of learned educators, offering multiple perspectives on how to approach these classic poems. The first section, "Materials", is a detailed review of available editions, scholarship, and audiovisual or electronic resources suitable for studying "The Canterbury Tales". The second section, "Approaches", consists of thirty-six essays about teaching strategies, focus on individual tales, and recommendations for the use of digital resources in the classroom. A "must-have" for literary scholars and college library collections.


The Archaeology Shelf

The Bones of a King
The Greyfriars Research Team with Maev Kennedy and Lin Foxhall
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com
9781118783146 $29.95 hc / $11.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Written by the archaeological team that excavated and identified the remains of Richard III, a medieval king from one of the most war-torn eras of Britain's history. The Bones of a King: Richard III Rediscovered explores what archaeologists, geneticists, and historians learned about the mysteries surrounding this storied monarch, including evidence of his diet, how he died, and the known history leading up to his burial in the Grey Friars church. A handful of color plates illustrate this scholarly yet utterly fascinating close study, highly recommended especially for public and college library world history and archaeology shelves.


The Poetry Shelf

Out of the Depths
Edited by Susan Deborah King
Holy Cow! Press
PO Box 3170, Mount Royal Station, Duluth, Minnesota 55803
www.holycowpress.org
9780985981877 $18.00 www.amazon.com

A project of the Poverty Initiative of the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, Out of the Depths: Poetry of Poverty, Courage and Resilience is an anthology of over 100 poems by numerous authors. Some are well-known poets, such as Martin Espada and Marilyn Nelson; others are emerging or debut poets. The poems speak of firsthand experience with poverty, the unjustified shame and stigma placed upon the poor, and the will to face life's most crushing challenges. Highly recommended. "Street Wise: No rocking chair. / No grandchildren begging for stories. / No tea from a china cup. // Shivering, she pulls her / tattered coat closer to her. // Leaning over the grate, trying / to glean a little of its warmth. // Pulling newspaper from her bag / she wraps her feet, setting in for the night. // Slipping into sleep, she pushes memories of better times away / lets the numbness set in."


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Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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