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Library Bookwatch

Volume 1, Number 3 December 2006 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Library Science Shelf Black Studies Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Railroading Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Poetry Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Biography Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf Art Shelf Interior Design Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Native American Shelf World History Shelf
Political Science Shelf Biography Shelf Philosophy Shelf
American History Shelf Literary Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Education Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Gaming Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf Photography Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Archeology Shelf Military Shelf
Business Shelf Sports Shelf Music Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Every Day Counts
Maria Sirois, Psy. D
Walker & Company
104 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
0802714951 $19.95

Licensed clinical psychologist Maria Sirois presents Every Day Counts: Lessons in Love, Faith, and Resilience From Children Facing Illness, is not a standard, scholarly psychology text; rather, it is a compilation of life lessons learned by the author from her professional experience counseling children facing life-threatening sickness, and their families. Chapters tell stories of sorrow as well as joy, the faith held by children that can far outstrip that of adults, and making peace with the end of life when it comes at a young age. Written for a general audience, and especially to share with those who have or know a severely sick or hurt child, Every Day Counts offers insights to transform one's own view on life, inspiration to emulate the big and little triumphs of small patients, as well as the understanding to cope with inexplicable suffering. Highly recommended.

The Gulf Coast: A Literary Field Guide
Sara St. Antoine, editor
Milkweed Editions
1011 Washington Avenue South, #300, Minneapolis, MN 55415-1246
1571316655 $10.95 www.milkweed.org 1-800-520-6455

Part of the "Stories from Where We Live" series, The Gulf Coast: A Literary Field Guide is a collection of poems, essays, recipes, historical accounts, and true stories about the Gulf Coast region. Written for all ages from kids to adults, The Gulf Coast is as educational as it is entertaining, and the stories within tell of a legend about a Mississippi Choctaw hunter and an alligator; ivory-billed woodpeckers observed by John Audubon; violent hurricanes and mild winters; and land ranging from the watery Everglades to the Rio Grande delta to the beaches of South Padre Island. Black-and-white illustrations intersperse this amazing tour of a rich and diverse land, and the people, plants, and animals who inhabit it.


The Library Science Shelf

Training Library Staff and Volunteers to Provide Extraordinary Customer Service
Julie Todaro & Mark L. Smith
Neal-Schuman Publications Inc.
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038
155570560X $65.00 www.neal-schuman.com

Written by Julie Todaro and Mark L. Smith, both library managers with decades of experience, Training Library Staff and Volunteers to Provide Extraordinary Customer Service is a practical, plain-terms guide to teaching staff members to excel in their interactions with customers. Chapters discuss both general and specific training guidelines, how to assess and anticipate the needs of customers, tracking and responding to customer feedback, instituting continuous learning in libraries and ingraining that practice with customer service, a wealth of resource tools for customer service management and trainers, and much more. A solid compendium of expertise gathered from, tested in, and applied to the field, very highly recommended for library customer service managers and instructors.

Exploring The Bancroft Library
Charles B. Faulhaber & Stephen Vincent
Signature Books
564 West 400 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
1893663191, $39.95 www.signaturebooks.com 1-800-356-5687

Founded in 1860 by San Francisco bookseller, publisher, and collector Hubert Howe Bancroft, The Bancroft Library became one of the premier research institutions anywhere in the world and the repository of a collection on the American West that is unsurpassed. In 1906, this private institution was acquired by the University of California and expanded to include the Mark Twain Papers and Project, the Tebtunis Papyri, Rare Books and Manuscripts, significant collections in the history of science and technology, the Regional Oral History Office, and representative materials showcasing and illustrating the sweep of Western civilization in general. "Exploring The Bancroft Library" is a collaborative production of The Bancroft Library (courtesy of the University of California) and Signature Books (an established and respected publisher based in Salt Lake City, Utah). Under the informed editorship of Charles R. Fayulhaber (Professor of Medieval Spanish Literature, University of California, Berkley, and the James D. Hart Director of The Bancroft Library) and Stephen Vincent (poet, essayist, and the director of Book Studio), "Exploring The Bancroft Library" is a centennial celebration of one of America's finest reference and resource libraries for academic scholarship. Enhanced with contributions by ten leading scholars in their respective fields, "Exploring The Bancroft Library" is a welcome addition to Library Science collections in general, and of immense interest to non-specialist general readers with respect to the Bancroft Library in particular.


The Black Studies Shelf

Project Success
Shelia P. Moses
Atlas Books
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
0977653803, $39.95 www.atlasbooks.com 1-800-BOOKLOG

"Project Success: The Right Thing For The Right Reason" by author, producer and playwright Shelia P. Moses is the story of a remarkable organization founded to advance the cause of help young black people to prepare for and to live successful and productive lives. Begun in 1986, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc. has had as developed and implemented a post-secondary preparation and tuition assistance program called 'Project Success'. Now Shelia Moses has compiled true stories of students who, with the help of Project Success, beat the odds against them with the help and inspiration of the mentors who tried (and succeeded) in making a difference. More than just a showcasing of success stories, "Project Success: The Right Thing For The Right Reason" will serve as a highly recommended model and an enduring inspiration for supporting this and similar efforts to help disadvantaged children to succeed in school and in life.


The Audiobook Shelf

Dreams Of Rio
ZBS Foundation
174 North River Road, Fort Edward, NJ 12828
1881137473, $35.00 1-800-662-3345

That most unusual private eye Jack Flanders is back for yet another metaphysical mystery adventure in "Dreams Of Rio", a 6 hour, 5 CD disc, audiobook adventure that features a full cast of actors, auditory special effects, and original music. This is a superbly crafted and presented tale of ancient treasures, lost cities of the Amazon, strange voodoo rites, a rather creepy crystal skull, and (to be expected in any Jack Flanders story) a steamy romance. With their usual technical excellence and adherence to dramatic recording standards, the folks at ZBS Foundation have produced another true 'theatre of the mind' experience for the listener, making "Dreams Of Rio" a superb choice for science fiction enthusiasts in general – and Jack Flanders fans in particular!

Gypsy In Amber
Martin Cruz Smith
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
RD500, $TBA www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Superbly narrated by Walt MacPherson, "Gypsy In Amber" is another small masterpiece of mystery and suspense by Martin Cruz Smith and features antique dealer Roman Grey, a gypsy who is called upon to solve a grisly murder when the dismembered body of a young woman is found at the scene of a traffic accident. Flavored with elements of gypsy culture, memorable characters, and wickedly clever plot twists, "Gypsy In Amber" provides a true 'theater of the mind' experience and is recommended for personal and community library audiobook collections. Flawless recorded, complete and unabridged, "Gypsy In Amber" has a total running time of 5.5 hours on four cassettes. Also very highly recommended for mystery fans is "Canto For A Gypsy (Recorded Books, RD501), another of Martin Cruz Smith's 'Roman Grey' stories.


The Railroading Shelf

Railroad Fever
Wayne Erbsen
Native Ground Books & Music
109 Bell Road, Asheville, NC 28805-1521
1883206316, $5.95 www.nativeground.com 1-800-752-2656

The director of the Appalachian Music Program at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina and as president of Native Ground Music, Wayne Erbsen draws upon his very special expertise and years of studied experience to compile "Railroad Fever: Songs, Jokes & Train Lore". This impressive, 65-page collection includes railroad oddities, hobo lingo, vintage photos, railroad slang, and diner lingo, railroad superstitions, poetry of the rails, wild train legends and lore, railroad firsts, and more. Then there are the authentic railroad themed songs ranging from such classics as the 'Death of John Henry' and the 'Little Red Caboose', to such folksong fare as 'Blue Train', Early Morning Train', 'Railroad Blues', 'The Hell-Bound Train' and more. Also very strongly recommended for all dedicated railroad enthusiasts and community library collections is Wayne Erbsen's companion title: "Singing Rails: Railroadin' Songs, Joes & Stories" (188320626X, $5.95). Railroading fans, American popular culture musicologists, and academic libraries would also be well advised to add Wayne Erbsen's Native Ground CD music albums to their collections: "Singing Rails" (CD: NG-CD-910, $14.95; Cassette: NG910, $9.95) and "Railroad Fever" (CD: NG-CD-930, $14.95; Cassette: NG930, $9.95).


The Library DVD Shelf

Discoveries America: Vermont
Bennett Watt Entertainment
13021 - 244th Avenue Southeast, Issaquah, WA 98027
DVDDAVT, $24.95 www.Bennett-Watt.com 1-800-327-293

Vermont is one of the small New England states that is known to the general public primarily for its Maple Syrup and Fall Colors when the tree leaves turn from green to gold, yellow, and red. "Discoveries America: Vermont" is a full color, sixty minute, highly informative and entertaining DVD documentary that showcases a great more characteristics and history of this north eastern state which has long been a bastion of individualism and patriotism. It once had more than 600 bridges, a legacy honored by the Covered Bridge Museum in Bennington. It is the home of the Moosefest where dozens of moos art sculptures appear around a small Vermont town. Then there is the Teddy Bear Company which is the only United States based manufacturer still making teddy bears for children. In this superbly presented travelog, viewers will also be treated to a visit to the Cold Hollow Cider Company and the cider making process, the Benedictine monks at the Weston Pirory and their music, the Knights Spider Web farm where real spider webs are employed in the creation of art, and so much more. Also very highly recommended for community library collections is another new release in the Bennett Watt Entertainment travelog documentary series: Discover America: Maine (1932978429, $24.95).

Faces Of The Holocaust
Barbara P. Barnett
Beach Lloyd Publishers
PO Box 2183, Southeaster, PA 19399-2183
0974315834, $30.00 1-866-218-3253

"Faces Of The Holocaust: Marcel Jabelot" is an award winning documentary by Barbara P. Barnett (author, documentary filmmaker, Holocaust educator, and Head of Modern Languages at The Agnes Irwin School) in which Marcel Jabelot, a survivor of the French Holocaust who was imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau tells his personal story with remarkable candor and an inspiring grace. After surviving Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Death March, Marcel somehow found the strength to start a new life in Paris after Germany's defeat in World War II. In the face of a despicable trend of Holocaust denial in some quarters of the western world, it is personal eye-witness testimonies like that of Marcel Jabelot that will stand like a beacon against the return of European anti-Semitic fascism. This 60-minute DVD documentary should be a part of every academic library's Holocaust Studies collection. Also highly recommended is the book form of "Faces Of The Holocaust: Marcel Jabelot" (0974315877, $12.95, 96 pages) which would make an excellent addition to community library World War II and Holocaust Studies reference shelves.

No Greater Love
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
#500937D, $14.99 www.visionvideo.com 1-800-523-0226

"No Greater Love" is the story of a despondent American journalist who, following the failure of an attempted Hungarian revolution against their oppressive Soviet occupation, was sent to rural Austria in the fall of 1956 to cover the story of the refugee flight from Communist Hungary. It was while investigating the story of a devoted father who went to extraordinary measures to get his family out of Community Hungary to safety in the West that the reporter had a change in perspective regarding his own family, and the time he spends away from them, that alters his view on the dramatic events he is covering. "No Greater Love" is based on actual events and real people as it explores and illustrates the theme of sacrificial love. This sixteen minute, full color, enthusiastically recommended DVD is enhanced with a PDF study guide, as well as both an English soundtrack and an Hungarian soundtrack with English sub-titles.


The Poetry Shelf

Milan Rufus: And That's the Truth
Milan Rufus, author; Koloman Sokol, illustrator
Milan Richter, editor
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1000 Brown Street, Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
0865165092 $25.00 www.bolchazy.com

Expertly edited by Milan Richter, "Milan Rufus: And That's the Truth" is the very first bilingual English/Slovak edition of Nobel literature prize candidate Milan Rufus' poetry. Stark black-and-white images by illustrator Koloman Sokol perfectly complement the brief, striking verses embodying the author's embrace of human values, Christian morality, and concept of homeland as a place where man's creativity can shine. Each short poem is presented in its original Slovak and in English translation, on facing pages. "Ordination for a Poet" (for Jozef Mihalkovic): Long ago / when sand still flowed, / God stopped the poet. / And to him said: // "Wherever you come from, / you are my child. / You will bring warmth to the world. // But for the words for each poem / you must enter the deep seams of home."

Live Wire
Golden Style
Publish America
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1424111412 $16.95 www.publishamerica.com

Live Wire is the fourth published book of poetry by Golden Style, written especially to raise awareness in a world where lies and distortions of the truth aren't merely spread person to person, but also publically broadcast on news media. Drawn from hard-learned lessons and the grim realities of current events, Live Wire appeals to voice, body and spirit, using simple rhyming schemes that lend themselves naturally to being read aloud. "Dried Ink": When the ink is still moist, / You have the option of a second choice. / Remember the days not long ago, / When you did things for the show. / You didn't comprehend, so your intellect, / Was put on pause, thus you couldn't grow. / Then you wrote words without thinking. / Now when people see you they see dirt, / You wrote words that left pain and hurt. / Now that the tears have been cried, / Just remember the ink has been dried.

Who-So-Ever
Buhle Nyamazana
American Literary Press
8019 Belair Road, Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
1561676144 $7.95 www.americanliterarypress.com 1-800-873-2003

Zimbabwe-born poet, volunteer, and mother Buhle Nyamazana presents Who-So-Ever, a free-verse poetry collection reflecting her own experiences and challenges. Originally written during a period in which Nyamazama sought employment, Who-So-Ever dwells not only on the trivialities of daily life, but also on the grander picture and the good things to treasure and appreciate. "Still Counting": Are you still counting? / Counting what Grandma? / Your blessings, / I never stopped! Listen: // One. / I am having fun. / Two. / I look good in this shoe. / Three. / I am finally free. / Four. / It doesn't hurt as much as it did before. / Five. / I have a good life. / Six. / I am not sick. / Seven. / I'll be received in Heaven. / Eight. / I don't get to work late. / Nine. / All this stuff is mine. / Ten. / Grandma! Do you want me to count again?

Phosphorescence
Graeme Miles
Fremantle Arts Centre
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
1921064722, $19.95 www.isbs.com 1-800-944-6190

The debut compilation of poetry by Graeme Miles, "Phosphorescence" introduces an outstanding and gifted Australian poet to an American audience. Drawing inspiration from a Western Australian childhood, the individual poems speak to universal themes, common experiences, and fanciful flights of imagination with an artistic flourish documenting Miles as an accomplished and talented wordsmith. "Ego was": a neurotic in its bedroom/frightened to be the warden/of all the mountains in China./Ego was swollen footed/from snakebite/but nimble on its crutches./Ego washed its feet/in the rain/hemmed into the garden./ego wanted/only its music on the street./Ego wished, ego willed, ego washed/repetitively./(say that again).

Terminal Colors
Janet Rodney
Talisman House Publishers
PO Box 3157, Jersey City, NJ 07303-3157
1584980524, $12.95 1-201-938-0698

"Terminal Colors: Selected Poems is a compilation of verse by poet, translator, editor, artist and printer Janet Rodney written between 1974 and 2005. As carefully crafted as they are engaging, her unique verses are snippets of poetic conversations that linger in the mind and imagination. "Bardo of Sleep and Dream": The world sleeps in me/and I in it./My Shadow falls on shadows/and goes among the moods./Under the eyelid's madness/I glide with death/along an emerald road./Waves roll at the coast,/scattering adamantine light./Wrapped in nuptial monsoon,/my body is flayed and dismembered,/its blood red meat/quivering in the spray/sings at the harp of the cliff./Vultures sail in wide arcs round/screaming a song of joy.

Parallel Press
University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries
728 State Street, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
1-800-636-0071 http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu

One of the best of today's university affiliated poetry presses, Parallel Press specializes in publishing poetry chap books. A part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus library system, Parallel Press began publishing poetry chapbooks in 1999 and has so far published twenty-nine chapbooks, one of the most recent of which is "Encore: More of Parallel Press Poets", an anthology edited by Elisabeth R. Owens and aptly selected to showcase poems contributed by forty poets along with fascinating commentaries on their experiences with respect to writing the included poems. Also very highly recommended reading are all the other individual chapbooks thus far published in the Parallel Press poetry program that include "Stilt Man" by Doug Flaherty; "Short Story and Other Short Stories" by Corey Mesler; "What Wisconsin Took" by Paul Dickey; "Sundogs" by James Silas Rogers; "The Discovery of Heaven"; by Richard Hedderman; "Sure Knowledge" by Elizabeth Oness; "Apparition" by Max Garland; "Hosannas" by Katharine Whitcomb; "The Perfect Day" by Andrea Potos; "Wild Apples" by Timothy Walsh; "When Gertrude Married Alice" by Eve Robillard; "What Grandmother Says" by J.D. Whitney; "Our Sainted Lady Esther" by Matt Welter; "Them Poems" by Mason Williams; "The Twig Songs" by Gwen Ebert; "A Visionary's Company" by Rick Hilles; "Anna, Washing" by Ted Genoways; "Cicatrix" by Charles Cantrell; "The Only Everglades in the World" by Robin Chapman; "Eat & Remember" by Carl Lindner; "How Dumb the Stars" by Francine Conley; "Border Crossings" by Heather Dubrow; "What The Body Knows" by Alison Townsend; "Rendered into Paradise" by Jean Feraca; "Small Acts" by Mary Mercier; "Sand Island Succession: Poems of the Apostles" by Judith Strasser; "From the Sketchbooks of Vanessa Bell" by Allison Funk; "A Girl in Water" by Barbara Edelman; "A Little Dinner Music" by Stephen Murabito; "The Heart of War" by Carmine Sarracino; "The Promised Land" by Harriet Brown; "Virgins on the Rocks" by Karla Huston; "Facts of Life" by Jim Ferris; "Alley Scatting" by Sharon F. McDermott; "Now You See It" by Ron Wallace; "The Minimalist's How-to Handbook" by Karl Elder; "White Horses on Sale for a Song" by Shoshauna Shy; "Considerations of Earth and Sky" by Temple Cone; "Chapman's Pack" by John D. Niles; "Getting Out Alive" by Tisha Turk; "Marquees of Buffalo" by Dennis Trudell; "Bones of Light" by Judith Sornberger; "Light Made from Nothing" by Susan Elbe; and "Singing to the Garden" by Roger Pfingston. Highly recommended for both personal and academic library poetry collections, Parallel Press chapbooks are simple, inexpensive, elegant little paperback productions that provide a forum for some of the best and quite diverse poetic talents plying their craft today.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Mary Magdalene: The Illuminator
William Henry
Adventures Unlimited Press
PO Box 74, Kempton, IL 60946
1931882630 $16.95 www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com 1-815-253-6390

Written by the author of "Cloak of the Illuminati", Mary Magdalene: The Illuminator goes beyond ideas mentioned in "The Da Vinci Code" and frankly discusses the Biblical figure of Mary Magdalene as teacher, illuminator, and spiritual visionary. From possible alchemical secrets of Mary Magdalene's anointing oil, to the connections that Gnostics and Cathars held to her, to her parallel role to that of ancient goddesses such as Ishtar and Isis, extraterrestrial presence and influence in the Bible and Gnostic texts, how the Knights Templar wrote secret teachings of Jesus and Mary in religious graffiti at Domme, France and much more. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this holistic exploration of Mary Magdalene in spiritual and metaphysical contexts far beyond mainstream theological imagination.

The Practice of Ally Work
Jeffrey Raff, Ph.D.
Nicolas-Hays
PO Box 1126, Berwick, ME 03901
0892541210 $14.95 www.nicolashays.com

Jungian analyst Jeffrey Raff, Ph.D. presents The Practice of Ally Work: Meeting and Partnering with Your Spirit Guide in the Imaginal World, guide of techniques for achieving intimate contact with the divine through allies - spirit guides unique to each human. Imagination-building practices, ways to identify one's ally and learn its name, methods for receiving guidance from it, and advice for navigating the two-way street in which both human and ally provide for each other's needs fill this soberly written roadmap to spiritual self-help. A purpose and practicality-oriented discussion of the metaphysical and sacred rewards of reaching out to God's divine manifestation.

Numbers
Paul G. Minmar
iUniverse, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
Cate Cummings Publicity & Promotion Group
7601 East 93rd Street, Kansas City, MO 64138-4206
0595380700, $21.95 www.iuniverse.com

"Numbers: The Energy Forces In Your Name" by professional numerologist Paul Minar presents the reader with a comprehensive, deftly written, 'user friendly' introduction and guide to the meaning and methods of Numerology and the use of nine creative forces inherent in a name. Minar combines modern numerology techniques with information channeled to him by the spirit of the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras. Sample charts and motivational exercises build confidence and expertise in applying numerology to life's problems and questions. This approach to numerology is also efficacious with respect to animals as well. "Numbers: The Energy Forces In Your Name" is a welcome and appreciated contribution to the growing library of Metaphysical Studies in general, and the science of numerology in particular.


The Biography Shelf

Earl B. Dickerson
Robert J. Blakely & Marcus Shepard
Northwestern University Press
629 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL 60208-4170
0810123355 $24.95 www.nupress.northwestern.edu

Prominent journalist Robert J. Blakely and freelance writer Marcus Shepard present Earl B. Dickerson: A Voice for Freedom and Equality, the first ever biography of Earl B. Dickerson (1891-1986), an independent-minded African-American who spent his life struggling against racial injustice. The racial oppression in his native Mississippi forced him to flee to Chicago at age fifteen; yet Chicago was no utopia. Dickerson worked his way through preparatory schools and college, a segregated officers' training school, and law school at the University of Chicago. His distinguished career included membership in FDR's first Fair Employment Practices Committee; leadership in the movement that broke the color barrier to membership in the Illinois State Bar Association; and his driving role behind the Hansberry v. Lee U.S. Supreme Court case that brought about the beginning of the end of restrictive real estate covenants, used as a legal tool of segregation in the North. A thoroughly researched, engagingly told life story that brings to life the man behind the pitched legal battles for social progress.

I Have America Surrounded
John Higgs
Barricade Books, Inc.
185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 308-A, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
1569803153, $24.95 www.barricadebooks.com 1-800-592-6657

British biographer John Higgs draws upon previously unavailable archive of documents in "I Have America Surrounded: The Life Of Timothy Leary", new biography of Timothy Leary, the brilliant Harvard University psychologist who was one of the leading proponents of using psychedelic drugs like LSD to expand the mind's perception. A figure of controversy who has achieved an almost cult-like status in the history of the 1960s drug culture – and the man who coined the phrase 'tune in, turn on, drop out' as a mantra of that era – Leary conducted research that led to changes in popular American culture as reflected in its music, cyber-culture, the Mind-Body-Soul movement, and clinical psychological profiling. Very highly recommended reading and an appropriate addition to academic and community library American Biography collections, "I Have America Surrounded" is a compelling, informed, and informative biography of one of the key figures in the 'hippie' cultural movement that stamped the baby boomer coming-of-age experience on and off the college campus.

Memoire Sexuel
Valerie Tasso
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
1569755604, $12.95 www.ulyssespress.com 1-800-377-2542

Memoire Sexuel: The Erotic Diary Of A French Girl In Spain is the extraordinary autobiographical story of Valerie's sexual experiences both in pursuit of love as a young woman then as the life as a prostitute. Her candid account reveals both the benefits and the detriments of emotional passion and commercial sex. This engaging and intensely personal story of unusual sexual adventure and compelling romantic pursuits embodies all the properties of temporary pleasure, inevitable disappointment, unexpected surprise, internal revelation, and poignant self-discovery. Superbly written and highly recommended for personal and academic library Human Sexuality reference collections, "Memoire Sexuel" is a unique memoir and especially recommended for the mature reader.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Step Up To The Mic
Rodney Saulisberry
Tomdor Publishing
PO Box 1735, Agoura Hills, CA 91376
0974767891, $14.95 www.tomdorpublishing.com

"Step Up To The Mic: A Positive Approach To Succeeding In Voice-Overs" by Rodney Saulisberry is the quintessential instructional guide for establishing a productive and commercially successful career doing voice-over work in the advertising and entertainment industries. Now only does Saulisberry draw from his many years of experience and expertise as a successful and sought-after voice-over performer, he draws upon the advice of Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson), Don LaFontaine (known within the film industry as the 'king' of movie trailer voice-overs), Frank Welker (the voice of Scooby Doo), Robe Paulsen (the voice of Pinky in the Warner Brothers animated television series 'Pinky and The Brain'), and Harlan Hogan (author of "VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor"). Aspiring voice-over actors will learn how to control their mental, physical, and emotional well-being through transforming self-doubt and performance anxiety into confidence and professional level performances. Enhanced with a compilation of informed, informative, and even inspiring essays, affirmations and exercises, "Step Up To The Mic" is a welcome and practical addition to academic and professional Performing Arts Jobs/Careers reference collections. Also very highly recommended as an instructional introduction to a career in voice-over work by Rodney Saulisberry is his previous "how to" book; "You Can Bank On Your Voice: Your Guide To A Successful Career In Voice-Overs" (0974767808, $16.95).


The Art Shelf

The Uffizi Gallery Museum
Alexandra Bonfante-Warren
Hugh Lauter Levin Associates Inc.
9 Burr Road, Westport, CT 06880
0883635127, $76.00 www.hlla.com

"The Uffizi Gallery Museum" by Alexandra Bonfante-Warren (freelance writer, translator, and former associate editor in the Department of Publications at the Museum of Modern Art, New York) is the profusely illustrated history of the Galleria degli Uffizi, the world's oldest surviving museum. The building houses the Uffizi museum is itself considered a masterpiece designed by Renaissance architect Giorgia Vasri. Founded in the mid-1500s by the Medici family, The Ufizi museum is offers visitors one of the richest and most complete collections of masterworks that include Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Buontalenti, and Titian, among a legion of other notable artistic talents. Superbly produced and enthusiastically recommended for academicians and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in art, the full-color reproductions perfectly augment and illustrate an informed and informative text in a coffee-table book that will prove to be a popular and core addition to personal, academic, and community library Art History reference collections and reading lists.

Made For Maharajas
Amin Jaffer
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (distributor)
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
0865651744, $65.00 www.abramsbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

Dr. Amin Jaffer is a curator in the Asian Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where he specializes in Indian art and culture during the era of European influence during the British Raj period (1857-1947). With "Made For Maharajas: A Design Diary Of Princely India", Dr. Amin has compiled with narrative commentary an impressive historical overview of art and luxury goods in all manner of media and associated with the aristocracy of the maharajas during these centuries. Superbly illustrated with 290 images (150 of which are in full color), the representative and custom-made artifacts range from private airplanes and luxury cars, to chandeliers, gold dinnerware, couture fashions, fine leather goods, houses, furniture, jewelry, and more. Dr. Amin drew upon the archives of firms that included Louis Vuitton, Boucheron, Chaumet, Cartier, and Hermies, he had access to palace and private collections, and employing his own extensive expertise, has written a text that is as entertaining as it is informative in revealing the extraordinarily varied works commissioned by princes whose personal wealth was exceeded only by their eccentricities. As an impeccable work of scholarship in a coffee-table art book format, "Made For Maharajas" is especially recommended for academic library collections and would make a superb choice as a community library Memorial Fund acquisition.

Zink: The Language Of Enchantment
Hollis Walker
New Mexico Magazine
495 Old Stana Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501
0937206903, $38.95 www.nmmagazine.com

The latest title in the impressive 'New Mexico Magazine Artist Series', Hollis Walker's "Zink: The Language Of Enchantment" showcases the extraordinary career and creations of acclaimed Taos, New Mexico artist Melissa Zink. The works of art showcased in this impressive compilation range from figurative clay dioramas and bronze sculptures to mixed media compositions combining sculpture, painting, and assemblage. Reflecting Zink's love of language and of books, she often incorporates words, individual letters, phrases, illustrations, book fragments, and references to literary figures in her art. Highly recommended to the attention of art enthusiasts and a welcome addition to community and academic library American Art History collections, "Zink: The Language Of Enchantment" is a 90-page art history enhanced with 80 color plates and as informative as it is entertaining to browse through.


The Interior Design Shelf

Making Room
Wendy Jordan
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
1561588024, $19.95 www.taunton.com 1-800-477-8727

In "Making Room: Finding Space In Unexpected Places", author Wendy Jordan draws upon her more than twenty years of experience in the remodeling industry to help apartment dwellers and homeowners to create new areas of 'liveability' within their existing residence without the necessity of major remodeling. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Making Room" features more than one hundred creative, do-it-yourself ways to make the living space within a home bigger and better without adding on or tearing down walls. More than forty case studies illustrate dozens of ideas highlighting transformation that are 'small in scale but big in impact'. From converting the toe-kick under kitchen cabinets into perfect storage areas for serving dishes; to the use of hooks, shelves, and slim cabinetry to enhance the usefulness of a closet, to building a draw into a stair and thereby creating a jumbo-size storage area for bulky items, "Making Room" offers a highly recommended wealth of practical ideas and recommendations for interior design and remodeling that are easy to do and enduringly useful.


The Genealogy Shelf

Getting Started In Genealogy Online
William Dollarhide
Beth A. Zeleny
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211-19533
0806317701, $12.95 www.genealogical.com 1-800-296-6687

A basic, 64-page 'how to' introduction and instruction guide for using the internet in genealogical research by veteran genealogist William Dollarhide, "Getting Started In Genealogy Online" is particularly 'user friendly' for beginning genealogists and anyone relatively unfamiliar with using the computer and the internet for tracing family trees online. Whether a novice needing to master the fundamentals of genealogy or a seasoned genealogist ready to take maximum advantage of what the internet has to offer as a research medium, "Getting Started In Genealogy Online" will prove an invaluable learning tool. Enhanced with a listing of American genealogy resources centers, forms that include a family data sheet, a pedigree chart, and a family group sheet, readers will learn how to start their online researches, as well as where to find more information as their research expands. No personal or community library Genealogy Reference collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of "Getting Started In Genealogy Online"!


The Native American Shelf

Chickasaw
David G. Fitzgerald
Chickasaw Press
c/o Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co. (distributor)
PO Box 10306, Portland, OR 97296-0306
KSB Promotions (publicity)
55 Honey Creek, NE, Ada, MI 49301
1558689923, $35.00 www.gacpc.com 1-800-452-3032

Featuring contributions by Jeanne Barbour, Amanda Cobb, and Linda Hogan on Chickasaw life, history and culture, "Chickasaw: Unconquered And Unconquerable" is a pictorial tribute to the resilience and endurance of the Chickasaw Nation. The full color illustrations by professional photographer David Fitzgerald present a series of accomplished Chickasaw members reflecting the diverse accomplishments contributed to the rich contemporary tapestry of Chickasaw culture in the fields of art, music, literature, athletics, politics, education, health, and even space flight. "Chickasaw: Unconquered And Unconquerable" is an impressive, inspiring, welcome, and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Native American Studies collections.


The World History Shelf

Stories From A Sacred Landscape
Caimin O'Brien
Irish Books & Media, Inc.
1433 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2101
185635489X, $59.95 www.irishbook.com 1-800-229-3505

Profusely illustrated with both color and b/w photography, "Stories From A Sacred Landscape: Croghan Hill To Clonmacnoise" is a 230-page coffee-table book showcasing twenty-three of County Offaly's early Irish Christian monastic sites. Each featured sacred place serves as a narrative and archaeological framework in which to trace the history of Christianity in Offaly. Taken all together, these twenty-three sites offer a composite of the complex and sometimes contradictory history of Christianity in Ireland as a whole. Informed and informative, "Stories From A Sacred Landscape" is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to personal and academic library Irish History and Christian History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Political Science Shelf

Build It Now
Michael A. Lebowitz
Monthly Review Press
122 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001
1583671455, $14.95 www.monthlyreview.org 1-800-670-9499

"Build it Now: Socialism For the Twenty-First Century" by Michael A. Lebowitz (Professor Emeritus of Economics, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada) offers readers an informed and compelling analysis of socialism adapted to the socio-economic and international political changes that are a part of the 21st century. Articulate, persuasive, and exhibiting a realistic optimism, Professor Lebowitz addresses the needs of capital and the needs of human beings, the necessities of ideological and economic development, how to reclaim a socialist vision in a world dominated by national and international corporations. "Build It Now" is a welcome and much needed contribution to the national dialogue of how to achieve economic and social equality in the world today.


The Biography Shelf

Billy Mitchell
Alfred F. Hurley
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
0253201802, $19.95 www.iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796

"Billy Mitchell: Crusader For Air Power" by Alfred F. Hurley (Professor of History, University of North Texas, publisher of 'Air Power History, and a retired USAF Brigadier General) is the biography of the pioneer aviation visionary Billy Mitchell (1879-1936) whose contributions to modern military develop simply cannot be underestimated. The subject of a court-martial in 1925, Brigadier General William 'Billy' Mitchell has been celebrated in books, film and television before. But Alfred Hurley's biography of this influential general goes beyond the more sensational aspects of a controversial military career to provide a fuller and more complete picture of the man who dropped out of college in 1898 at the age of 18 to enlist in a volunteer regiment of the army and fight against Spanish forces in the liberation of Cuba, was an avid horseman and hunter, and became the youngest Army captain at the age of 24, and the youngest member of the General Staff at the age of 32. Enhanced with the inclusion of an appendix, notes, bibliography, index, and historic photos, "Billy Mitchell: Crusader For Air Power" is an impressive and strongly recommended addition to community and academic library Military History, Aviation History, and American Biography collections.


The Philosophy Shelf

Philosophy At The Edge Of Chaos
Jeffrey A. Bell
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
0802094090, $32.95 www.utppublishing.com 1-800-565-9523

"Philosophy At The Edge Of Chaos: Gilles Deleuze And the Philosophy Of Difference" by Jeffrey A. Bell provides students of philosophy with fascinating insights and perspectives on the work of Spinoza, Aristotle, Whitehead, Derrida, and Deleuze. A work of impeccable scholarship, "Philosophy At The Edge Of Chaos" is divided into two major sections: 'Thinking Difference' and 'Rethinking System". Bell fundamentally addresses systematic thinking and what is described as the 'Philosophy of difference". Of special interest is the chapter dedicated to 'Thinking Difference: Heidegger and Deleuze on Aristotle', as well as Bell's thoughtful and compelling conclusions at the end of this extended treatise. Enhanced with extensive notations, an impressive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Philosophy At The Edge Of Chaos" is also available in a hardcover edition (0802091288, $65.00) and is strongly recommended as a core contribution to scholarship and academic library Philosophy Studies collections.


The American History Shelf

Michigan Breweries
Paul Ruschmann & Maryanne Nasiatka
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
0811732991, $16.95 www.stackpolebooks.com 1-800-732-3669

Expertly co-authored by Michigan residents and beer enthusiasts Paul Ruschmann and Mayanne Nasiatka (co- creators of BeerFestivals.org and who write the 'Beer Travelers' column for All About Beer magazine), "Michigan Breweries" is a detailed and authoritative guide to sixty-six of Michigan's best breweries and most popular brewpubs. Beer enthusiasts and connoisseurs are provided a history of Michigan brewing as well as what types of beer are produced at each of the various sites, along with information on tours, food served, lodging and attractions. A 'must' for dedicated beer fans, "Michigan Breweries" is a superbly specialized and highly recommended guide that could well serve as a model for similar brewery-oriented travel guides in other states.


The Literary Shelf

Le Morte D'Arthur
Sir Thomas Malory, author
Retold by Joseph Glaser
Pegasus Press
2641 South Emerson Street, Chandler, AZ 85248
1889818429 $19.95 www.pegpress.org

Le Morte D'Arthur: The Whole Book of King Arthur and of His Noble Knights of the Round Table is a skillful retelling of Sir Thomas Malory's classic rendition of the Arthurian epic, first printed in 1485. Joseph Glaser (Professor of English, Western Kentucky University) applies his skill to make the fifteenth-century manuscript accessible to modern-day readers while retaining the style and spirit of the original. An up-to-date bibliography with websites and video resources and a descriptive index keyed to the book and chapter divisions of the original 1485 printing round out this excellent rendition particularly valuable to college library shelves and literature collections.

The Shambhala Anthology Of Chinese Poetry
J. P. Seaton, editor and translator
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
1570628629, $15.95 www.shambhala.com 1-800-733-3000

In traditional Chinese culture, poetry was a source of entertainment, instruction, prestige, and even political authority. Ably translated and carefully edited by J. P. Seaton (Professor of Chinese at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), "The Shambhala Anthology Of Chinese Poetry" is an impressive and scholarly compilation of Chinese poets and poetry from the classic 'Shih Ching' era down to the twentieth century. No academic library collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without its inclusion as a core addition to their Poetry and Literary Studies reference shelves. 'Moonlight Night': Moon of the night, in Fu-chou,/along in your chamber you gaze./Here, far away, I think of the children,/too young to remember Longpeace.../Fragrant mist, moist cloud of your hair./In that clear light, your arms jade cool./When, again, to lean together, by your curtain there,/alight alike, until our tears have dried. Tu Fu (712-770).

Real Sofistikashun
Tony Hoagland
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
1555974554, $15.00 www.graywolfpress.org 1-651-641-0077

"Real Sofistikashun: Essays On Poetry And Craft" by Tony Hogland (who is the author of three published poetry collections and is the recipient of the Folger Shakespeare Library's O. B. Hardison, Jr. Poetry Prize) is a compilation of essays in which he deftly explores the craft of writing poetry in a more conversational style than that commonly employed in traditional verse. Hogland addresses the use of metaphor, tone, rhetorical and compositional strategies in a thoroughly 'reader friendly' manner that is as inherently fascinating as it is informed and informative. "Real Sofistikashun" is an impressive and invaluable contribution to personal, academic, and community library Literary Studies reference collections and the 'Art of Poetry' supplemental reading lists.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Is it Hot in Here?
Nathan Todd Cool
iUniverse, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
059540622X $19.95 iuniverse.com

Professional forecaster and American Meteorological Society member Nathan Cool presents Is it Hot in Here? The Simple Truth About Global Warming, a plain-terms discussion of what global warming is and what its repercussions for Earth's environment and for human civilization are. Chapters explain the basics of climate change, including both natural and manmade factors that influence it, counterarguments to those who denounce the existence of global warming, natural phenomena that serve as bellwethers to the planet's crisis such as frog populations and temperature trends, future possibilities and the hope provided by green technology, and much more. An enthusiastically recommended and desperately needed wake-up call for lay readers everywhere.

Michigan's State Forests
William B. Botti & Michael D. Moore
Michigan State University Press
Suite 25, Manly Miles Building, 1405 South Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI 48823-5202
0870137808, $29.95 www.msupress.msu.edu

Co-authored by professional naturalists and forestry experts William Botti and Michael Moore, "Michigan's State Forests: A Century Of Stewardship" is a descriptive history of Michigan's timber forests that allowed the lumber industry to become a core part of that state's economy. Detailed are the stories of harvesting, transporting and processing pine logs, the fires that imperiled Michigan settlers, and how an abandoned, cutover, burned out wilderness has been converted once again into highly productive and protected public lands that today are one of Michigan's greatest assets for continued economic development and a rising quality of life for its citizens. "Michigan's State Forests" is a work of impeccable and meticulous research, making it a seminal addition to academic and community library Michigan History and Environmental Studies collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

If You Preach It, They Will Come
Rev. Eduardo A. Samaniego, SJ
Resource Publications, Inc.
160 East Virginia Street, Suite 290, San Jose, CA 95112-5876
0893906468 $23.95 www.rpinet.com 1-888-273-7782

Reverend Eduardo A. Samaniego, SJ presents If You Preach It, They Will Come, a guide filled with "tricks of the trade" to maintaining the interest levels of the faithful, intended especially for fellow preachers. From the four good rules of public speaking, to tips for cultivating one's own preaching style, to the six principles of preparation, and a wealth of anecdotes and lessons in preaching drawn from personal experience, If You Preach It, They Will Come is an invaluable resource for improving both one's technical skills and one's spiritual connection to the all-important task at hand. A bibliography rounds out this straightforward "how to preach it" guide, filled cover to cover with solid advice for preachers of all branches of Christianity.

Pastoral Theology in an Intercultural World
Emmanuel Y. Lartey
The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue, East, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
0829817220 $21.00 www.pilgrimpress.com 1-800-654-5129

Emmanuel Y. Lartey (Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care and Counseling at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta) presents Pastoral Theology in an Intercultural World, a scholarly response to the question: how can today's pastors model their venues of care in an increasingly globalized society characterized by marked sociocultural differences and ambiguities? Chapters explore pastoral theology as contextual theology, care-inspired faith, pastoral theology at work in the modern world, and much more. A studious account, written not just to discuss theory but also to be of practical service to pastors administering to a multicultural flock, Pastoral Theology in an Intercultural World treats its issues with a serious, critical, and balanced eye tempered with faith, passion, and experience.

The God Of Sex
Peter Jones
Victor
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
0781443725, $19.99 www.cookministries.com 1-800-323-7543

"The God Of Sex: How Spirituality Defines Your Sexuality" by Christian theologian Peter Jones (Professor of New Testament, Westminister Seminary, Escondido, California) is an affirmation of biblically based Christian perspectives on the intertwined nature of spirituality and sex, and the corrupting influences of the broader secular culture. In "The God Of Sex", Professor Jones also addresses the concept of spirituality and sexuality as defined in pagan terms, why and how pagan approaches to human sexuality produce a 'culture of death', defines biblically based spirituality and sexuality, why and how the Christian approach to human sexuality produces a 'culture of life', and why the issues of human sexuality and human spirituality are so critically important for the Christian community to understand within the context of biblical teachings, instructions, and commandments. When dealing with these complex and controversial issues, "The God Of Sex" is strongly recommended as critically important and highly informative reading for clergy and laity alike.


The Education Shelf

Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning
Judy Willis, M.D.
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
1416603700 $21.95 www.ascd.org 1-800-933-2723

Board-certified neurologist and middle school teacher Judy Willis, M.D. presents Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning, a guide for K-12 educators that combines the latest findings of learning-centered brain research with practical experience in the classroom. The result is a resource for helping students achieve their full academic potential that covers memory, learning, and test-taking success; strategies to corner student attention; how to mitigate the negative effects and draw benefits from the positive effects of stress and emotion in learning; and much more. A glossary, bibliography for further reading, and index round out this invaluable supplement to enhancing one's grade school curriculum for maximum effectiveness.

Crafting Comparison Papers
Marcia S. Freeman
Maupin House Publishing
PO Box 90148, Gainesville, FL 32607
0929895940 $19.95 www.maupinhouse.com

Internationally recognized author, educator, and writing consultant Marcia S. Freeman presents Crafting Comparison Papers, a resource especially for teachers instructing students in grades 4-10 in the fine art of writing. Crafting Comparison Papers offers lessons to aid students in learning how to create papers that describe both similarities and differences - a skill that will prove invaluable for both higher education and career-related writing. Lessons with specific "Target Skills" (tm) to support student progress, guidelines for assessing student writing, recommendations for helping students learn how to organize a comparison paper and much more fill this solid supplementary tool, highly recommended for middle, junior high, and high school English teachers as well as homeschooling instructors.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Purpose of Physical Reality
John S. Hatcher
Baha'i Publishing
2427 Bond Street, University Park, IL 60466-3101
1931847231 $12.00 www.BahaiBooksUSA.com 1-800-705-4925

Poet, philosopher, Bahai theologist, and English literature graduate studies director John S. Hatcher presents The Purpose of Physical Reality, a thoughtful discussion of theodicy particularly from the Bahai perspective, and the quest for metaphysical justice in a flawed physical world. Chapters address Hatcher's Bahai response to classic passages justifying God in Plato's "The Republic", The Book of Job, Boethius' "Consolation of Philosophy", and Milton's "Pardise Lost"; recommendations of physical reality "prenatal exercises for our second birth"; contemplations on Divine Sustenance and the Bahai concept of afterlife; and much more. A meditative exploration of the purpose of human existence in the physical world, especially if humans are considered to be spiritual beings, The Purpose of Physical Reality approaches challenging theological questions in a sedate, meticulous and serious-minded manner.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Echelon's End: PlanetFall
E. Robert Dunn
The Haworth Press, Inc.
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580
1560235446 $24.95 www.HaworthPress.com 1-800-429-6784

The debut science fiction novel of playwright and article writer E. Robert Dunn, Echelon's End: PlanetFall is set in the far-flung future when Earth is but a distant memory and humanity has colonized the stars. The advanced human civilization has transcended racial and sexual prejudice, yet encounters galaxy-spanning tragedy in the form of a deadly war with the Tauron, a vicious saurian race bent on conquest and destruction. One refugee spaceship's voyage casts it amid a horrifying eugenics project, and eventually leads its survivors to a world scarred by the ravages of the Tauron Occupation - a planet controlled by a "same-gender-oriented-society" where homosexual Echelons wield power and heterosexual "Reproductionists" are persecuted. An enthralling space opera with a gender-bending twist.


The Gaming Shelf

Secrets of Professional Pot-Limit Omaha
Rolf Slotboom
D & B Publishing
c/o Continental Enterprise Group
302 West North 2nd Street, Seneca, SC 29678
1904468306 $19.95 www.dandbpublishing.com 1-864-885-9444

Poker professional and "Card Player" magazine columnist Rolf Slotboom presents Secrets of Professional Pot-Limit Omaha: How to Win Big - Both Live and Online, a guide especially attuned to the complex elements of medium and high-stakes Pot-Limit Omaha poker. Drawing directly on his experience matched against top players, Secrets of Professional Pot-Limit Omaha dispels common misconceptions (such as the idea that an open-ended straight draw on the flop is always a hand to be excited about), presents practice hands and hand match-ups and analysis to test one's poker deductive skills, offers strategies especially for players looking to earn money in online games, and much more. In addition to suggestions for optimum bet sizes, correct seating positions, blocker play, the bare ace bluff, and numerous other tips and tricks, Secrets of Professional Pot-Limit Omaha features an accompanying DVD with Rolf Slotboom, Ed Miller, and Byron Jacobs in person. An excellent resource for poker players of all skill and experience levels looking to hone their Pot-Limit Omaha skills.


The Cookbook Shelf

Countryside Cooking & Chatting
Lucy Leid
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottsdale, PA 15683-1999
083619327X, $19.99 www.heraldpress.com 1-800-759-4447

Expertly compiled by Lucy Leid, "Countryside Cooking & Chatting" is a handy spiral bound treasury of mouth-watering traditional recipes and reflective wisdom drawn from the culinary traditions of Amish and Mennonite communities. From Hot Cross Buns; Pineapple Sweet Potato Casserole; Chunky Beef Soup; Amish Macaroni Salad; and Original Amish Roast; to Grandma's Caramel Pudding; Sweet Midget Pickles; Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie; Easy Coleslaw; and Peanut Butter Fudge, "Countryside Cooking & Chatting" is a prized and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' addition to the family cookbook shelf.

Eating Well Through Cancer
Holly Clegg & Gerald Miletello
Favorite Recipes Press (FRP)
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0961088885, $24.95 www.frpbooks.com 1-866-569-6925

The collaborative work of culinary expert Holly Clegg and medical oncologist Gerald Miletello, "Eating Well Through Cancer: Easy Recipes & Recommendations During & After Treatment" is a specialty cookbook that provides more than two hundred quick and delicious recipes for dishes designed to ease chemotherapy side effects; nutritional analysis; caregiver ideas; a 'tips and food' list; post-treatment recipes, diabetic exchanges, and menus. Nutrition is a critically important factor in the treatment of cancer and such after affects as neutropenia (low white blood cell count), diarrhea, constipation, sore mouth or throat, loss of appetite, etc. "Eating Well Through Cancer" is the perfectly designed and strongly recommended combination of recipes and medical advice specifically designed and intended for non-specialist general readers having to deal with cancer therapies for themselves or a loved one.

Around My Mother's Table
Lisa Burton, editor
Leathers Publishing
4500 College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas 66211
1585973793 $16.95 www.leatherspublishing.com 1-888-888-7696

Compiled by the daughter of a mother lost to breast cancer, Around My Mother's Table: Stories and Recipes Celebrating Lives Lost to Breast Cancer is a unique cookbook that embraces the connection between mothers and daughters. Each recipe has been contributed by a different daughter, in loving memory of a beloved mother whose life ended too soon. From Beef Brisket to Cranberry Salad, Blueberry-Banana Muffins, Almond Rocha, Peanut Blossoms, and more, these delicious time-tested and love-tempered recipes invoke flavors and textures worthy of transcending generations, and accompanying each is a brief, bittersweet memory of the beloved mother who taught it. A treasury to be cherished.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Parliament House
Edward Marston
Magna Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
0750525304 $32.50 www.ulverscroftusa.com 1-800-955-9659

Presented in large print format, The Parliament House is a historical murder mystery set in 1670 London. Architectural designer Christopher Redmayne is delighted to complete his latest masterpiece, a house commissioned for a wealthy merchant; but when one of the merchant's guests is murdered the night of the new house's debut, Redmayne feels personally involved and, with the aid of Puritan Constable Jonathan Bale and his brother Henry, sets out to find the killer. A period piece written with detail and flavor befitting its era, The Parliament House inextricably wraps the reader in its complex yet fluid storytelling style.


The Fiction Shelf

Chameleon
Richard Hains
Beaufort Books
c/o Maryglenn McCombs Book Publicity
2817 West End Avenue, Suite 126-274, Nashville, TN 37203
0825305101, $24.95 www.amazon.com

Jon Phillips is a successful Wall Street bond trader whose personal lifestyle is both lavish and arrogant. He plans to retire after making an unprecedented deal to secure his financial future through gaining control of the U.S. Government bond market through barely-legal procedures and the inclusion of shady investors that include a Russian gangster seeking to launder money through American financial markets that will expose the investment bank he works for to serious regulatory risk. When things go sour, Jon finds himself the target of a potential lethal manhunt and his survival depends on his ability to become more predator than prey in the Wall Street jungle. Author Richard Hains skillfully draws upon his many years as a professional finance expert and successful global investor to provide realistic background detail in his novel "Chameleon", a gripping and highly recommended work of suspense that could have been plucked from the newspaper headlines of today..

The Art of Salvage
Leona Theis
Coteau Books
2517 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK, Canada, S4P 0T2
1550503480 $17.95 www.coteaubooks.com 1-800-440-4471

Two-time Saskatchewan award-winner Leona Theis presents The Art of Salvage, is a complex novel about the distance between mother and daughter. When nineteen-year-old Delorie leaves her parents' small-town home for the big city, an unexpected pregnancy upends her dreams; she responds by renouncing her rights to her daughter, Amber. Twenty-five years later, Amber struggles with her origins and rebuilding her own life despite her biological mother's emotional distance. Amber collects a hoard of souvenirs, and builds a mobile from them to represent herself. The Art of Salvage is an introspective tale, with elements of tragedy, marking the harmful repercussions of deaths and lies even as it explores alternate ways to cope with day-to-day pressures. There is no one "right" way to love or to live in The Art of Salvage; though finding balance and one's own proper terms is difficult, it is the key to life itself. Highly recommended.


The Photography Shelf

Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico
Peter Greene, author
Mike Butterfield, photographer
New Mexico Magazine
Lew Wallace Building, 495 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501
0937206881 $29.95 www.nmmagazine.com

Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico is a rapturous photographic showcase of the natural beauty of New Mexico. Full-color images on almost every other page capture the rainbow hues of the desert, the tenacity of local flora, the glory of sunrise and sunset and the pristine powder of winter snow. Hiker, backpacker, and aspiring naturalist Peter Greene provides text filled with information about the formation of major ranges as well as their recreational opportunities, ecology, true tales of exploration, and pieces of lore. Multiple maps, including a separate fold-out map showing ranges in photographic relief, as well as detailed peak and wilderness lists round out this wondrous guide for armchair travelers and inspiration for outdoor enthusiasts contemplating a New Mexico visit.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Soul To Soul
Vernon Kitabu Turner, Roshi
Hampton Roads Publishing
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
1571744703 $14.95

Written by African-American Zen master and expert martial artist Vernon Kitabu Turner, Soul To Soul is a guide to focusing and stilling one's mind, so that it can become a mirror of the Ultimate. The power to tame one's mind begets the power to change the world, according to Turner; simple exercises and techniques are presented to aid readers of all faiths in taking the first step on the crucial journey to increased mental clarity. Soul To Soul emphasizes that Zen mind is not only for Buddhists, but offers benefits in self-awareness, understanding, and spiritual growth to everyone.


The Archaeology Shelf

Tracking Ancient Footsteps
R. G. Matson & Timothy A. Kohler, editors
WSU Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
0874222907, $22.95 www.wsupress.wsu.edu 1-800-354-7360

Professor William 'Bill' L. Lipe has enjoyed a five decade career that has made him an acknowledged and respected expert in conservation archaeology and the archaeology of the American Southwest where he has worked in Utah's Glen Canyon, Red Rock Plateau, and Cedar Mesa, Colorado's Dolores Valley and Mesa Verde, and key archaeological projects defining much of what we now know about Native American life in antiquity. It was Professor Lipe who developed the concept of 'private archaeology' and served in the Society for American Archaeology, the Register of Professional Archaeologists, and the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center at Cortez, Colorado. Assembled and edited by R. G. Matson and Timothy A. Kohler, "Tracking Ancient Footsteps: William D. Lipe's Contributions To Southwestern Prehistory And Public Archaeology" is a compilation of articles by nine of Professor Lipe's associates, each of whom outlines the archaeological digs and researches associated with his remarkably productive career. Of special note is the final chapter, 'A Conversation with Bill Lipe. An impressive and highly recommended addition to academic library Archaeology and Native American Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Tracking Ancient Footsteps" is not just a testimonial to a consummate professional by his peers, it is also an informed and informative survey of archaeology in the American Southwest and the earliest Native American cultures discovered in the region.

Goodbye To The Vikings?
Richard Hodges
Duckworth
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
0715634291, $31.00 www.ducknet.co.uk 1-800-758-3756

"Goodbye To The Vikings: Re-reading Early Medieval Archaeology" by Richard Hodges (Director of the Institute of World Archaeology, School of World Art Studies, University of East Anglia, and Scientific Director of the Butrint Foundation) presents an informed and informative reevaluation of what archaeology has to tell us about the daily life and communities of the Norsemen and their impact on the Europe from the British Isles to the Balkans. Of special interest are the chapters on 'King Arthur's Britain and the end of the western Roman empire'; 'Charlemagne's elephant'; and 'Beyond feudalism: monasteries and their management in the eight and ninth centuries'. An impressive distillation of superb academic scholarship, "Goodbye To The Vikings" is a welcome and highly commended addition to academic library European History and Viking History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Military Shelf

Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South #806, New York NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com

Osprey's excellent military titles cover campaigns, units and specialized military history, and are perfect references for the in-depth military collection. Si Sheppard's PHARSALUS 48 BC: CAESAR AND POMPEY – CLASH OF THE TITANS (1846030021, $18.95) covers early military history in chronicling the final clash of to Roman world greats. While odds were against Caesar, his battle genius won – and is reviewed here in great details including black and white illustrations throughout. This publisher offers many World War 2 titles: David K. Yelton's HITLER'S HOME GUARD: VOLKSSTURMMANN, WESTERN FRONT 1944-45 (1846030137, $17.95) focuses on the creation of a unit of all able-bodied civilian males between ages 16 and 60 and adds Yelton's capture and treatment as a POW, Ed Gilbert's US MARINE CORPS RAIDER 1942-43 (1841768919, $17.95) covers an elite force modeled on British Commandos who performed special operations within the US forces; Gordon L. Rottman's US WORLD WAR II AMPHIBIOUS TACTICS: MEDITERRANEAN & EUROPEAN THEATERS (1841769541, $17.95) tells of forces who perfected special equipment and tactics needed for amphibious attacks during the war, and Gordon Williamson's WORLD WAR II GERMAN POLICE UNITS (1846030684, $15.95) tells of the German Police, an arm of the Nazis centrally controlled but divided into a range of functions, many with their own uniforms. All provide exact, well detailed history which delves into operations, strategies, and organization alike. Andrew West edits ROLLING THUNDER IN A GENTLE LAND: THE VIETNAM WAR REVISITED (184603020X, $32.95), a group of essays by fifteen historians on the origins and lasting legacy of the Vietnam War. Chapters provide a history that embraces both political and social influences, from its roots in the colonial war with France right up to modern times. Essays come from all circles; from a young Vietnamese girl coming of age during the war to US and world journalists and even a North Vietnamese Colonial who accepted the surrender of the South Vietnamese Army. A diverse, unique set of perspectives are juxtaposed under one cover.


The Business Shelf

Street Smart Franchising
Joe Mathews, Don DeBolt, & Deb Percival
Entrepreneur Press
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10121-2298
1599180219 $19.95 www.entrepreneurpress.com 1-877-833-5524

Joe Mathews (former manager of national chains such as Subway and Blimpie), Don DeBolt (former president of the International Franchise Association), and franchise developer Deb Percival apply their combined experience in Street Smart Franchising, a no-holds-barred insider's guide when, where, why, and how to franchise. From the learning curve to successfully oversee a franchise, to the evolution of the franchisee-franchiser relationship, to skillfully locating optimum franchise opportunities and following a six-step franchise investigation process, Street Smart Franchising spells out the risks and the rewards in plain terms. An absolute "must-have" for any small business owner contemplating, starting, running, or expanding a franchise.


The Sports Shelf

The St. Louis Baseball Reader
Richard Peterson, editor
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
0826216870 $29.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

Edited by Richard Peterson (Professor Emeritus of English, Southern Illinois University), The St. Louis Baseball Reader is a carefully selected anthology of writings by a wide variety of authors about St. Louis' two most famous baseball teams: the Cardinals and the Browns. Covering St. Louis baseball from its late-nineteenth-century origins to the amazing tales of its hall-of-fame players to how Jackie Robinson stood up to racism and Curt Flood challenged the reserve clause to modern-day games. Articles include "World Champs: Cardinals Wrap It Up" by Rick Hummel, "Browns in American League Since 1902" by Frederick J. Lieb, "The Cardinals' First Publicity Man" by Gene Karst, and many more. A delight for sports fans to page through or read straight cover to cover.


The Music Shelf

Let There Be Rock
Susan Masino
Omnibus Press
257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010
0825634695 $22.95 www.musicsales.com

Written by music journalist Susan Masino, who has followed the career of AC/DC since their beginning in the late-1970s, Let Their be Rock: The Story of AC/DC is the exciting true history of the band. Drawing from interviews with numerous industry insiders including Dave Evans (original singer for AC/DC), Kirk Dyer (tour manager for Cheap Trick), "Pyro" Pete Cappadocia (pyro technician for AC/DC since 1982) and many more, Let There Be Rock covers everything from the band's debut in Australia in the early 1970s to the devastating death of their lead singer Bon Scott in 1980 to their continuing fandom into the 21st century and beyond. Inset sections of black-and-white photograph plates round out this comprehensive look behind the scenes of a rock-n-roll legend.


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


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