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Reviewer's Choice
Informed Societies
Stephane Goldstein
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783304226, $101.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In early 21st century societies, individuals and organizations are deluged with
information, particularly online information. Much of this is useful, valuable or enriching. But a
lot of it is of dubious quality and provenance, if not downright dangerous. Misinformation forms
part of the mix. The ability to get the most out of the information flow, finding, interpreting and
using it, and particularly developing a critical mindset towards it, requires skills, know-how,
judgement and confidence - such is the premise of information literacy. This is true for many
aspects of human endeavour, including education, work, health and self-enrichment. It is notably
true also for acquiring an understanding of the wider world, for reaching informed views, for
recognizing bias and misinformation, and thereby for playing a part as active citizens, in
democratic life and society.
"Informed Societies: Why information literacy matters for citizenship, participation and
democracy" is a ground-breaking and uniquely multi-disciplinary book that explores how
information literacy can contribute to fostering attitudes, habits and practices that underpin an
informed citizenry including information literacy itself, as well as political science, pedagogy,
information science, psychology.
Critique: Compiled and edited by Stephane Goldstein, "Informed Societies: Why information
literacy matters for citizenship, participation and democracy" is comprised of eleven erudite
articles by experts that collectively explain how and why information literacy can help to foster
critical thinking and discerning attitudes, enabling citizens to play an informed role in society and
its democratic processes. A seminal body of outstanding scholarship, "Informed Societies" is an
especially recommended addition to community and academic library Information Science
collections, as well as supplemental studies reading lists for students, academia, and non-
specialist readers with an interest in the subject.
Five Rules for Tomorrow's Cities
Patrick M. Condon
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781610919609, $35.00, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With the onset of dramatic climate change, how we design our cities over the next four
decades will be critical for our planet. If we continue to spill excessive greenhouse gas into the
atmosphere, we will run out of time to keep our global temperature from increasing. Since
approximately 80% of greenhouse gases come from cities, it follows that in the design of cities
lies the fate of the world.
As urban designers respond to the critical issue of climate change they must also address three
cresting cultural waves: the worldwide rural-to-urban migration; the collapse of global fertility
rates; and the disappearance of the middle class. In "Five Rules for Tomorrow's Cities", planning
and design expert Patrick Condon explains how urban designers can assimilate these
interconnected changes into their work.
Condon shows how the very things that constrain cities (climate change, migration, financial
stress, population change) could actually enable the emergence of a more equitable and
resource-efficient city. He provides five rules for urban designers: (1) See the City as a System;
(2) Recognize Patterns in the Urban Environment; (3) Apply Lighter, Greener, Smarter
Infrastructure; (4) Strengthen Social and Economic Urban Resilience; and (5) Adapt to Shifts in
Jobs, Retail, and Wages.
In "Five Rules for Tomorrow's Cities", Condon also provides grounded and financially feasible
design examples for tomorrow's sustainable cities, and the design tools needed to achieve
them.
Critique: An ideal curriculum textbook for college and university level urban planning classes,
"Five Rules for Tomorrow's Cities: Design in an Age of Urban Migration, Demographic Change,
and a Disappearing Middle Class" it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, urban planning professionals, environmental activists, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Five Rules for Tomorrow's Cities" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $19.24).
Editorial Note: Also the author of "Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities", Patrick Condon
has over 30 years of experience in sustainable urban design: first as a professional city planner
and then as a teacher and researcher. Condon started his academic career in 1985 at the
University of Minnesota before moving to the University of British Columbia in 1992. After
acting as the director of the landscape architecture program, he became the James Taylor Chair in
Landscape and Liveable Environments. In that capacity, he has worked to advance sustainable
urban design in scores of jurisdictions in the US, Canada, and Australia. He and his research
partners collaborated with the City of North Vancouver to produce a 100-year plan to make the
city carbon-neutral by 2107. Condon and his partners received the Canadian Institute of Planners
Award for Planning Excellence, an ASLA award for research, and the BC Union of
Municipalities Award of Excellence for this work. He was the founding chair of the new UBC
Master of Urban Design program where his teaching and research are now concentrated.
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2020
Sarah Janssen
World Almanac
c/o Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10001
www.infobasepublishing.com
9781600572289, $36.95, 1008pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated edition for 2020, for more than 150 years, "The World
Almanac and Book of Facts" is impressively comprehensive compendium of information
resource for all entertainment, reference, and learning needs. This 2020 edition of The World
Almanac reviews the biggest events of 2019 and will be a definitive source for questions on any
topic in the upcoming year ranging from history and sports to geography, pop culture, and much
more.
Features include Decade in Review: As the 'teens' decade closes, take a look at the highlights,
low points, and everything-in-between of the past 10 years. From the introduction of Obamacare
and iPads in 2010 to "Old Town Road" and the immigration policy debate in 2019, The World
Almanac provides a recap of events and puts into perspective just how much has - and hasn't)
changed in the last 10 years.
Also features is a 2020 Election Preview: The World Almanac provides a comprehensive look at
the entire 2020 election process, including a calendar of state primaries and caucuses. Also
includes 2019 election results for governors' seats and special congressional elections.
Then there are the World Almanac Editors' Picks: Never Say Die: With Tiger Woods achieving
the seemingly impossible in 2019 with his 15th major title (his first Masters win in 14 years) the
editors list their favorite major comeback moments from athletes across the sports universe.
Unique to this almanac is: The World at a Glance which is annual feature that provides a quick
look at the surprising stats and curious facts that define the changing world. Includes a sneak
peek at upcoming celebrity milestone birthdays in 2020.
Statistical Spotlight is a popular annual graphic feature highlights statistics relevant to the biggest
news of the year. These data visualizations provide important context and new perspectives to
give readers a fresh angle on key issues.
Then there are the Other New Highlights: New statistics on income tax reform, top-grossing
movies, biggest YouTube channels, religious populations in the U.S. and worldwide, and much
more.
Critique: Simply stated, "The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2020" should be a part of every
family, public and private school, community, college, and university informational resource
collections. An ideal information source for local bar trivia games, it should be noted that "The
World Almanac and Book of Facts 2020" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781600572302, $15.99), and in a digital book format (eTextbook, $10.99).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Funny You Should Ask
Barbara Poelle
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440355073, $18.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: There is a certain perception that the publishing industry is a near insurmountable
fortress, with gatekeepers and nay sayers manning the turrets looking for any way to fire a
flaming arrow at the dreams of an aspiring writer. "Funny You Should Ask: Serious Questions
About the Book Publishing Industry" is based on the popular Writer's Digest column by literary
agent Barbara Poelle and will deconstruct, inform, and illuminate the path to publication and
beyond, all while dispelling the rumor that those in the industry are better than thou.
And even though each writer's publishing journey is like a game of PLINKO (you can drop the
chip in the same slot every time and get a different result) there are still common constructs and
confusions that can be shared and explored together in order to help inform all writers. From
understanding the nuts and bolts of a query letter, to learning how to process the soul-searing
envy of watching someone else's career flourish, to how to talk to your editor, veteran literary
agent Barbara Poelle covers the approach and execution of the common and uncommon bumps
along the traditional publishing path.
"Funny You Should Ask: Serious Questions About the Book Publishing Industry" is comprised
of more than 100 questions answered including expanded answers to topics that didn't get the full
treatment in a column, along with a wealth of writing exercises, submission checklists, and
publishing BINGO for every publishing milestone.
Of special note is the advice concerning what every author should ask their editor, mistakes to
avoid when querying a literary agent, publishing trends and insights.
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, and an
unreservedly recommended 'must read' for every aspiring author with an ambition to be
published, "Funny You Should Ask: Serious Questions About the Book Publishing Industry" will
also be of immense value for already published authors wanting to keep up with the changes and
evolution of the publishing industry. "Funny You Should Ask: Serious Questions About the
Book Publishing Industry" should be a part of every personal, professional, community, and
academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collection.
Editorial Note: Barbara Poelle is a vice president at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, where
she has served as an agent since 2007. Barbara is a much sought-after expert for publishing
industry seminars and conferences. She also pens the popular Funny You Should Ask column at
Writer's Digest online.
Adapting Bestsellers
Ken Gelder
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781108731089, $12.99, PB, 75pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A part of the Cambridge University Press 'Elements in Publishing and Book Culture'
series, "Adapting Bestsellers: Fantasy, Franchise and the Afterlife of Storyworlds" by Ken Gelder
examines adaptations of best selling works of popular fiction to cinema, television, stage, radio,
video games and other media platforms.
"Adapting Bestsellers" focuses on 'transmedia storytelling', building its case studies around the
genre of modern fantasy: because the elaborate story worlds produced by writers like J. R. R.
Tolkien, J. K. Rowling and George R. R. Martin which have readily lent themselves to
adaptations across various media platforms.
There commercial success has also made it possible for media entertainment corporations to
invest in them over the long term, enabling the development of franchises through which their
story worlds are presented and marketed in new ways to new audiences.
Critique: A succinct and impressively informative study, "Adapting Bestsellers: Fantasy,
Franchise and the Afterlife of Storyworlds" is an inherently interesting and thought-provoking
read that will have particular interest for writers and publishers interested in their books being
expanded into other entertainment (and money-making) platforms. While unreservedly
recommended for professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing
instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Adapting
Bestsellers" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.34).
Story Selling
Heather Hale
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932818, $26.95, PB, 220pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Pitching is an art form that brings together content and communication channels. Regardless of what you're pitching, the universally applicable principles of Where,
When and to Whom always apply. But it's ow you pitch that matters most -- and there are
countless strategies that combine elements in different combinations.
"Story Selling: How to Develop, Market, and Pitch Your Film & TV Projects", Heather Hale
details all of them, their construction and applications, in a fun and interactive way that inspires
her readers to create memorable and saleable pitches in order to get their own projects made.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "Story Selling: How to Develop, Market, and Pitch
Your Film & TV Projects" offers a wealth of practical and effective tips, tricks and techniques
that aspiring writers can immediate begin using when pitching their projects for television and
movie productions. While unreservedly recommended for professional, community, and
academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Story Selling" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.47).
Editorial Note: Heather Hale is a film and television producer, director, screenwriter, teacher and
consultant. She directed, produced and co-wrote the million-dollar thriller Absolute Killers
(2011) which was marketed at Le Marche du Film and the American Film Market. She wrote the
$5.5 million-dollar Lifetime Original Movie The Courage to Love and has over 60 hours of
produced reality credits which have won Emmys, Ace, and Telly awards. Her How to Work the
Film & TV Markets: A Guide for Content Creators was published by Focal Press/Routledge. She
was the Independent Film and Television Alliance's Industry Liaison for the 2013 American Film
Market (AFM) and had a four-year development deal with NBC Universal (through IFTA).
The Science Shelf
Introducing Palaeontology: A Guide to Ancient Life, second edition
Patrick N. Wyse Jackson
Dunedin Academic Press
https://www.dunedinacademicpress.co.uk
9781780460833, $16.50, PB, 164pp, www.amazno.com
Synopsis: Life on Earth can be traced back over three billion years into the past. Many examples
of the Earth's former inhabitants are to be found in rocks, preserved as beautiful and fascinating
fossils. The earliest life forms were bacteria and algae; these produced the oxygen that enabled
more complex life forms to develop. About 600 million years ago multi-cellular organisms
appeared on Earth, some of which could protect themselves with hard parts such as shells. Many
of these life forms were readily fossilized and are used to subdivide geological time. Numerous
species have evolved and most are now extinct. Lineages can be traced and extinctions explained
as a consequence of terrestrial and extra-terrestrial events.
Now in a revised, updated and expanded Second Edition "Introducing Palaeontology: A Guide to
Ancient Life" by Patrick Wyse Jackson (who is a Senior Lecturer in Geology and Curator of the
Geological Museum at Trinity College, Dublin) expertly provides readers with a concise and
accessible introduction to the science of palaeontology.
Critique: Profusely illustrated and exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this new
and impressively informative second edition of "Introducing Palaeontology: A Guide to Ancient
Life" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections, as well
as the personal reading list of palaeontology students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject.
Breakthroughs in Geology
Graham Park
Dunedin Academic Press
https://www.dunedinacademicpress.co.uk
9781780460765, $35.00, HC, 279pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Geological research does not flow steadily onwards by means of small incremental
advances but can be better understood as a series of significant discoveries or changes in
interpretation that transformed the way we understand the Earth. Each of these changes or new
ideas encouraged a burst of activity as researchers attempted to apply them more widely in order
to test their universality, and thereby their validity as a scientific theory.
Probably the best example of such a transformative idea is Plate Tectonics, which, although
questioned at the time it was introduced, is now universally accepted as a general principle. A
large number of the subsequent advances in geological understanding have been based upon this
breakthrough. Each of the 12 chapters comprising "Breakthroughs in Geology: Ideas That
Transformed Earth Science" by geology professor Graham Park represents a new idea or
discovery, which is discussed in its historical context. In each case the salient features of these
ideas are described, together with some biographical details of the individual scientists credited
with them - but also mentioning others whose role in the generation of the idea is perhaps not so
obvious.
Of instant appeal to geologists and other earth scientists interested in how their science evolved
over time by means of a number of revolutionary ideas, "Breakthroughs in Geology" also serves
as a paradigm for the history of science across many disciplines.
Critique: Impressively informed and informative, expertly organized and presented, enhanced for
academia with the inclusion of numerous illustrations, a sixteen page Glossary, an eight page
listing of References, and an eight page Index, "Breakthroughs in Geology: Ideas That
Transformed Earth Science" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
community, college, and university library Earth Science & Geology collections and
supplemental studies lists.
Editorial Note: Graham Park is Emeritus Professor of Tectonic Geology at the University of
Keele. He is the author of the best-selling Introducing Geology (now in its third edition), The
Making of Europe: A geological history and the award-winning Mountains: The origins of the
Earth's mountain systems also published by Dunedin Academic Press.
Sedimentary Structures, fourth edition
John Collinson & Nigel Mountney
Dunedin Academic Press
https://www.dunedinacademicpress.co.uk
9781780460628, $45.00, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now enhanced with colour photographs and illustrations, this thoroughly revised
fourth edition of "Sedimentary Structures" is a pre-eminent resource that sets out a clear
methodology and philosophy for understanding present-day sediments and sedimentary rocks as
the product of dynamic processes. The newly revised and expanded fourth edition introduces
erosional, depositional and post-depositional sedimentary processes in an easily accessible way.
It also shows how sedimentary structures can be interpreted, across a wide range of scales, in
terms of those processes.
Sedimentary structures produced by erosion, deposition and post-depositional change are all
clearly explained and related to the processes that formed them. Hydrodynamic and aerodynamic
controls on the development of subaqueous and aeolian bedforms are discussed, as are the styles
of deformation to which sediments can be subjected after deposition.
Structures that characterize deposition caused by chemical and biologically influenced processes
are explained and illustrated, along with the complex effects of chemical changes, and of animal
and plant activity in modifying sediments after they have been deposited.
"Sedimentary Structures" concludes with an introduction to the methods and principles of
environmental interpretation, for which earlier chapters provide an invaluable basis.
"Sedimentary Structures" is designed principally for use in undergraduate settings and will be
invaluable to students reading geology, earth sciences, physical geography and environmental
sciences throughout their degree studies. It will also appeal to enthusiastic students at colleges
and schools, as well as to amateur geologists who want to gain an understanding of sedimentary
processes and products.
Furthermore, "Sedimentary Structures" is also valuable as a reference for both academic
researchers and industry professionals alike -- with this new fourth edition covering all major
recent developments in the subject. It is characterized by an abundance of informative
illustrations and photographic examples, and introduces colour figures for the first time.
Critique: This newly update and expanded fourth edition of "Sedimentary Structures" is an ideal
curriculum textbook and an unreservedly recommended addition to college and university library
Geology collections and supplemental studies lists.
Editorial Note: John Collinson, was a Professor of Sedimentology at the University of Bergen,
Norway, and until recently ran his own geological consultancy.
Nigel Mountney is a Professor of Sedimentology in the School of Earth and Environment at the
University of Leeds where he is the Director of the Fluvial & Eolian Research Group;
additionally, he is a former Chief Editor of Sedimentology, a leading academic journal.
The American History Shelf
William F. Tolmie at Fort Nisqually: Letters, 1850-1853
Steve A. Anderson, editor
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
www.wsupress.wsu.edu
9780874223712, $34.95, PB, 287pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Scottish-born Hudson's Bay Company Chief Trader William Fraser Tolmie took
charge of Fort Nisqually in 1843, but soon the International Boundary Treaty of 1846 between
Great Britain and the United States spawned myriad legal and regulatory problems.
In 2006, former Fort Nisqually and now Living History Museum manager Steve A. Anderson
discovered volumes of Fort Nisqually's letter books at HBC Archives. He transcribed several,
spanning from January 1850 to the threshold of Puget Sound's Indian War. The more than 400
documents offer private conversations, weighty business discussions, gossip, political intrigue,
patterns of commerce, deadly epidemics, and an eyewitness account of San Francisco's
devastating fire, and present a rare British perspective on higher-level HBC and Puget Sound
Agricultural Company operations, as well as insight into conflicts that followed the 1846
treaty.
Critique: A unique and impressively informative collection, "William F. Tolmie at Fort
Nisqually: Letters, 1850-1853" is an especially and unreservedly recommended and significant
addition to community, college, and academic library American History collections, and would
prove to be especially noteworthy for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Steve A. Anderson managed the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum for ten
years. He has published multiple journal articles and books, including "Angus McDonald of the
Great Divide: The Uncommon Life of a Fur Trader, 1816-1899."
Greene and Cornwallis in the Carolinas
Jeffrey A. Denman & John F. Walsh
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476667232, $39.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The story of the Revolutionary War in the Northern colonies is well known but the war
that raged across the South in 1780-1781 (referred to by some historians as the "unknown
Revolution") included some of the most important yet least studied engagements.
Drawing extensively on their letters, "Greene and Cornwallis in the Carolinas: The Pivotal
Struggle in the American Revolution, 1780-1781" follows the campaigns of General Nathanael
Greene and Lord Charles Cornwallis as they fought across the Carolinas, and offers a compelling
look at their leadership. The theater of war in which the two commanders operated was populated
by various ethnic and religious groups and separated geographically, economically and politically
into the low country and the simmering backcountry, setting the stage for what was to come.
Critique: A deftly scripted work of seminal scholarship by educators Jeffrey Denman and John
Walsh, and enhanced for academia with the inclusion of eighteen pages of Chapter Notes, an
eight page Bibliography, and a three page Index, "Greene and Cornwallis in the Carolinas: The
Pivotal Struggle in the American Revolution, 1780-1781" is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to community, college, and university library 18th Century American
History collections in general, and American Revolutionary War supplemental studies reading
lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Jeffrey A. Denman is a retired American history and geography teacher from the
Brookline Public Schools in Brookline, Massachusetts. He has written seven articles dealing with
the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II and other topics in American history.
John F. Walsh is a middle school Latin teacher in Burlington, Massachusetts. His past research
has focused on British history in the seventeenth century.
The World History Shelf
Empire: A New History of the World
Paul Strathern
Pegasus Books
148 West 37th Street, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781643133317, $26.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In the pages of "Empire: A New History of the World", historian Paul Strathern begins
with the Akkadian civilization, which ruled over a vast expanse of the region of ancient
Mesopotamia, then turns to the immense Roman Empire, where we trace back our Western and
Eastern roots.
Next the narrative describes how a great deal of Western Classical culture was developed in the
Abbasid and Umayyad Caliphates. Then, while Europe was beginning to emerge from a period of
cultural stagnation, it almost fell to a whirlwind invasion from the East, at which point we meet
the Emperors of the Mongol Empire.
Combining breathtaking scope with masterful narrative control, Strathern deftly traces these
connections across four millennia and sheds new light on these major civilizations -- from the
Mongol Empire and the Yuan Dynasty to the Aztec and Ottoman, through to the most recent and
biggest empires: the British, Russo-Soviet, and American.
Charting five thousand years of global history in ten lucid chapters, "Empire" makes
comprehensive and inspiring reading to anyone fascinated by the history of the world.
Critique: A work of history that readers with all the dramatic smoothness of a fine tuned novel,
"Empire: A New History of the World" will prove to be an immediately popular addition to both
community and academic World History collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that "Empire: A New History of
the World" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781618035141, $24.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in England, Paul Strathern is a Somerset Maugham Award
winning novelist whose his nonfiction works include The Venetians, Death in Florence, and The
Medici -- all of which are in print and available from Pegasus Books.
The Reformers on War, Peace, and Justice
Timothy J. Demy, Mark J. Larson, and J. Daryl Charles
Pickwick Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401-2960
http://wipfandstock.com
9781498206990, $45.00, HC, 196pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Conflict and war were common during the Reformation era. Throughout the sixteenth
century, rising religious and political tensions led to frequent conflict and culminated in the
Thirty Years' War (1618-48) that devastated much of Germany and killed one-third of its
population.
Some of the warfare, as in central and southern Europe, was between Christians and Muslims.
Other warfare, in central and northwestern Europe, was confessional warfare between Catholics
and Protestants. Religion was not the only cause of war during the period. Revolts, territorial
ambitions, and the beginnings of the contemporary nation-state system and international order
that emerged after the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) also fueled the trauma and tragedy of
war.
In many ways, the world of the Reformers and Protestant Reformation was a violent world, and it
was within such a sociopolitical framework that the Reformers and their followers lived, worked,
and died. "The Reformers on War, Peace, and Justice" introduces the teachings of the Protestant
Reformers on war and peace, in their context, before offering relevant primary source
readings.
Critique: A fascinating and informative history that is embellished for academia with the
inclusion of a fourteen page Bibliography, "The Reformers on War, Peace, and Justice" is an
extraordinary work of detailed and documented scholarship. Exceptionally well written,
organized and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of history students, academia, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Reformers on War, Peace,
and Justice" is also available in a paperback edition (9781498206976, $25.00) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Timothy J. Demy is Professor of Military Ethics at the US Naval War College.
He has authored numerous academic books.
Mark J. Larson is the author of Abraham Kuyper, Conservatism, and Church and State (2015)
and Calvin's Doctrine of the State (2009).
J. Daryl Charles is a 2018 Affiliate Scholar of the Acton Institute, a contributing editor of the
journals Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy and Touchstone, and
an affiliated scholar of the John Jay Institute.
The Invention of Yesterday
Tamim Ansary
Public Affairs Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 West 57th Street, #1321, New York, NY 10107
www.publicaffairsbooks.com
9781610397964, $30.00, HC, 448pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Traveling across millennia, weaving the experiences and world views of cultures both
extinct and extant, "The Invention of Yesterday: A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture,
Conflict, and Connection" by Tamim Ansary shows that the engine of history is not so much
heroic (battles won), geographic (farmers thrive), or anthropogenic (humans change the planet)
as it is narrative.
Many thousands of years ago, when we existed only as countless small autonomous bands of
hunter-gatherers widely distributed through the wilderness, we began inventing stories -- to
organize for survival, to find purpose and meaning, to explain the unfathomable. Ultimately these
became the basis for empires, civilizations, and cultures. And when various narratives began to
collide and overlap, the encounters produced everything from confusion, chaos, and war to
cultural efflorescence, religious awakenings, and intellectual breakthroughs.
Through vivid stories studded with insights, Tamim Ansary illuminates the world-historical
consequences of the unique human capacity to invent and communicate abstract ideas. In doing
so, he also explains our ever-more-intertwined present: the narratives now shaping us, the
reasons we still battle one another, and the future we may yet create.
Critique: A unique, exceptionally informative, and inherently fascinating approach to human
history, "The Invention of Yesterday: A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict, and
Connection" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college
and university library World History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Invention of Yesterday" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781549155055,
$44.00, CD).
Editorial Note: Tamim Ansary is also the author of Destiny Disrupted and Games without Rules,
among other books. For ten years he wrote a monthly column for Encarta.com, and has published
essays and commentary in the San Francisco Chronicle, Salon, Alternet, TomPaine.com,
Edutopia, Parade, Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey
Show, Bill Moyers, PBS The News Hour, Al Jazeera, and NPR. Born in Afghanistan in 1948, he
moved to the U.S. in 1964 and currently resides in San Francisco, California.
The Civil War Shelf
Lincoln Takes Command
Steve Norder
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214574, $32.95, HC, 408pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: On a rainy evening during the Civil War's second May, President Abraham Lincoln
and two of his cabinet secretaries boarded a treasury department ship to sail to Union-held Fort
Monroe in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The trip resulted in the first and only time in the country's
history that a sitting president took direct control of military forces, both army and navy, to wage
a campaign with wide-ranging consequences. This little-known slice of the war and its effect on
the president is the subject of Steve Norder's new Civil War study, "Lincoln Takes Command:
The Campaign to Seize Norfolk and the Destruction of the CSS Virginia".
For five days that May, Lincoln studied maps, suggested military actions and (in his quiet,
respectful way) issued direct orders to subordinate commanders. Helped by movements farther
up the Virginia peninsula, the president's decisions resulted in a host of military actions and
successes, including: a naval bombardment of a Confederate fort, the sailing of Union ships up
the James River closer to the enemy capital, an amphibious landing of Union soldiers, the capture
of Norfolk and the vital Portsmouth and Gosport navy yards, and the destruction of the Rebel
ironclad CSS Virginia. Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln's treasury secretary, described the actions as a
"brilliant week's campaign." The president returned to Washington in triumph, hailed as a
military and civilian leader. Indeed, some urged him to take direct command of the nation's field
armies.
Norder's years-long investigation draws upon a host of primary sources, including letters, diaries,
official reports, and memoirs. This rich blending of material allows for a fresh perspective and
interesting insights. While untold numbers of books have been penned about Abraham Lincoln,
his presidency, and his struggles during the Civil War, this one fascinating week as recorded with
commentary within the covers of "Lincoln Takes Command" (and which helped shape him as a
war president) has never has been told in such full and documented detail. The successes that
crowned his short time in Hampton Roads changed the nation's commander in chief by giving
him more of an understanding and confidence in his ability to see what needed to be
accomplished, insight that sustained him through the rest of the war.
Critique: A unique and very special contribution to the ever growing library of American Civil
War literature, histories, studies and biographies, "Lincoln Takes Command: The Campaign to
Seize Norfolk and the Destruction of the CSS Virginia" is an exemplary and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library American Civil War
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia,
Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Lincoln
Takes Command" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.89).
Editorial Note: Steve Norder has worked as a genealogist, teacher, author, newspaper reporter,
and book editor. He has a strong interest in researching and writing about the tragic Civil War
years, and his work has appeared in many places, including Civil War Times, Illustrated. Steve
currently resides in Georgia, where he is a member of the Civil War Round Table of
Atlanta.
The Civil War in the South Carolina Lowcountry
Ron Roth
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476677101, $35.00, PB, 197pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Some of the most dramatic and consequential events of the Civil War era took place in
the South Carolina Lowcountry between Charleston and Savannah. From Robert Barnwell
Rhett's inflammatory 1844 speech in Bluffton calling for secession, to the last desperate attempts
by Confederate forces to halt Sherman's juggernaut, the region was torn apart by the American
civil war.
"The Civil War in the South Carolina Lowcountry" by Ron Roth is a detailed and documented
history that tells the story through the experiences of two radically different military units -- the
Confederate Beaufort Volunteer Artillery and the U.S. 1st South Carolina Regiment, the first
black Union regiment to fight in the war, both of which were organized in Beaufort, the heart of
the Lowcountry.
Critique: "The Civil War in the South Carolina Lowcountry: How a Confederate Artillery Battery
and a Black Union Regiment Defined the War" is enhanced for academia and dedicated Civil
War history buffs with the inclusion of an epilogue (Everything was going to confusion and
ruin), two appendices (Rosters; Two Addresses); four pages of Chapter Notes, a four page
Bibliography, and a three page Index. A unique and original contribution to the growing library
of American Civil War literature and history, "The Civil War in the South Carolina Lowcountry"
is an especially recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library
American Civil War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Retired museum director Ron Roth curated an exhibition on the history of the
Beaufort Volunteer Artillery for the Historic Beaufort Foundation in Beaufort, South Carolina.
He was a featured speaker on the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery at the 2017 Annual Civil War
Symposium of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and was a seasonal
historian and licensed guide for the Gettysburg National Military Park.
The Economic Studies Shelf
Uprooting Economics: A Manifesto for Change
Bart Nooteboom
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781789908411, $110.00, HC, 168pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Much-needed in the face of present political upheavals, including the rise of populism
and re-emergence of nationalism and authoritarian regimes, "Uprooting Economics: A Manifesto
for Change" by Bart Nooteboom (Professor Emeritus, Tilburg University, the Netherlands) is
radical in both its critique and proposals for a new economics. Taking an interdisciplinary
approach, Professor Nooteboom offers insights drawn from economics, sociology, cognitive
science, social psychology and philosophy.
Exploring ways in which economics is developing, "Uprooting Economics" investigates how
new economics has moved away from considering individuals as autonomous and instead studies
their involvement and interactions with each other. "Uprooting Economics" also discusses a new
relational economics: less contractual, hierarchical and controlled, and more based on trust and
mutual adjustment. Professor Nooteboom proposes a shift from utility ethics to the virtue ethics
of prudence, courage, moderation and justice.
A provocative read for economics students, "Uprooting Economics" is especially pertinent to
those interested in rethinking the subject and expanding upon heterodox theories. It will also
prove a useful read to critical economists and sociologists looking to better understand a way
forward in our current economic climate.
Critique: An exceptionally thoughtful and thought-provoking study, "Uprooting Economics: A
Manifesto for Change" is an informative, cogent and scholastically meticulous contribution to
community, college, and university library Contemporary Economics collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Uprooting Economics: A Manifesto for Change" is also available
in a paperback edition (9781789908435, $29.95).
Institutions and Evolution of Capitalism
Francesca Gagliardi & David Gindis, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781785364990, $165.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Geoffrey Martin Hodgson (born 28 July 1946) is a Professor in Management at the
London campus of Loughborough University, and also the editor-in-chief of the Journal of
Institutional Economics.
Professor Hodgson has made substantial contributions to institutional and evolutionary
economics, economic methodology, the history of economic thought and social theory. To mark
his seminal work, "Institutions and Evolution of Capitalism: Essays in Honour of Geoffrey M.
Hodgson" features original contributions by world-leading scholars from fields that have played a
significant role in influencing his thinking or represent key debates to which he has
contributed.
Building on some of the central philosophical and methodological foundations underlying
Hodgson's thinking, "Institutions and Evolution of Capitalism" is organized around the recurring
themes of institutions, evolution and capitalism. The contributors explore key connections
between philosophy, the history of economic thought, and institutional and evolutionary
economics in the light of Professor Hodgson's often path-breaking work.
A vital read for institutional, evolutionary and heterodox economists, "Institutions and Evolution
of Capitalism" sheds new light on Hodgson's position in these fields. Drawing together critical
insights, this is also an important book for economics scholars looking to improve their
understanding of current theory.
Critique: Comprised of twenty-one erudite and informative articles by experts that are deftly
organized into five major sections (Introduction, Foundations, Institutional Economics,
Evolutionary Economics, Geoff Hodgson on Geoff Hodgson), "Institutions and Evolution of
Capitalism: Essays in Honour of Geoffrey M. Hodgson" is enhanced for academia with the
inclusion of figures, tables, a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a
twenty-page Index. An impressively informative work of collaborative scholarship, "Institutions
and Evolution of Capitalism" is unreservedly recommended for college and university library
Contemporary Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Contributors to "Institutions and Evolution of Capitalism" include: M.C. Becker,
C. Camic, J.B. Davis, S. Deakin, K. Dopfer, G. Dosi, S. Dow, F. Gagliardi, D. Gindis, J.
Groenewegen, G.M. Hodgson, T. Knudsen, R.N. Langlois, T. Lawson, L. Marengo, C. Menard,
J.S. Metcalfe, P. Mirowski, A. Nuvolari, U. Pagano, J. Potts, J.W. Stoelhorst, A. Tylecote, V.J.
Vanberg, J. Vromen
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
Helping Skills for Human Service Workers, fourth edition
Kenneth France & Kim Weikel
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093044, $59.95, PB, 402pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded fourth edition, "Helping Skills for
Human Service Workers" emphasizes current supporting research on ways that human service
workers can build relationships with their clients and encourage productive change.
The chapters comprising "Helping Skills for Human Service Workers" discusses several basic
issues regarding the development and use of helping skills; explores common modes of response;
examines several keys to fostering positive relationships; presents a step-by-step approach to
problem solving; focuses on responses that can hinder progress; presents a straightforward
approach to establishing goals, objectives, and plans; describes channels of nonverbal
information and commonly encountered nonverbal messages; highlight endeavors that take
center stage before, during, and after scheduled appointments; considers the needs of several
groups, such as children, older persons, clients having low socioeconomic status, individuals
experiencing psychosis, and persons dealing with longstanding issues.
New research on the following topics is included: the helping alliance, client feedback,
communicating positive regard, self-efficacy and stress in helping skills students, responding to
negative feelings, methods for implementing plans, and person-centered decision making that is
required by law (under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) for certain older and
disabled individuals. There are learning aids in the form of multiple-choice, short-answer, and
fill-in-the-response questions and answers.
Two complete client interviews illustrate the value of the skills being advocated. The text is
further enhanced by an appendix offering helpful exercises and sample formats. This informative
book is designed for students and professionals in a variety of human service fields, including
counseling, psychology, social work, and criminal justice.
Critique: This completely updated and deftly organized fourth edition of "Helping Skills for
Human Service Workers: Building Relationships And Encouraging Productive Change" is an
ideal and unreservedly recommended textbook for college and university social work counseling
curriculums and would be an invaluable instructional reference and manual for social service
agency in-service training programs.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
The Complete Book of Cat and Dog Health
Lisa Ansen, DVM MRCVS
Hubble & Hattie
c/o Veloce House
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781787114159, $22.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Complete Book of Cat and Dog Health" by veterinarian Lisa Hansen is a
complete and comprehensive guide to health care for cats and dogs, providing invaluable advice
on essential aspects of care, such as diet and vaccinations, as well as a guide to holistic
treatments.
The first part of "The Complete Book of Cat and Dog Health" describes the main lifestyle
choices every dog and cat owner makes, whether or not they are aware of them: settling in a new
puppy or kitten, vaccination, neutering, diet, finding the right veterinarian, and caring for the
ageing animal.
The second part of "The Complete Book of Cat and Dog Health" describes the main holistic
modalities and their relevance when animals become sick. What they are, how they work, when
they are useful, and how to find a practitioner. Also includes chapters on osteopathy,
homeopathy, acupuncture, Bach's flower remedies, and herbal medicine.
The third part of "The Complete Book of Cat and Dog Health" discusses a range of common
health problems in dogs and cats, both from a conventional veterinary point of view and from an
holistic perspective, and aims to help the owner understand the condition they are facing, as well
as providing tips on how to supplement their veterinarian's advice and treatment.
Critique: Comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The
Complete Book of Cat and Dog Health" is nicely illustrated, making it an ideal and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and veterinary school library
instructional reference collections for feline and canine care and maintenance. It should be noted
for pet owners and veterinary students that "The Complete Book of Cat and Dog Health" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Since graduating veternary school in 1994, Lise Hansen, DVM MRCVS
CertIAVH PCH, has spent the last 25 years working in small animal practice. Early in her
veterinary career, Lise pursued post-graduate training in veterinary homeopathy and acupuncture.
Today, Lise focuses on her homeopathic referral practice spread over three clinics: her own
practice in Aarhus, Denmark, as well as a veterinary clinic just north of Copenhagen, and Hyde
Park Veterinary Centre in central London. Lise is passionate about sharing her knowledge and
experiences for the benefit of dogs and cats, and she teaches and lectures internationally to
animal care givers and veterinary colleagues alike.
The General Fiction Shelf
Garden by the Sea
Merce Rodoreda
Open Letter Books
c/o University of Rochester
Lattimore Hall 411, Box 270082, Rochester, NY 14627
www.openletterbooks.org
9781948830089, $15.95, PB, 230pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Set in 1920s Spain, Merce Rodoreda's novel "Garden by the Sea" takes place over six
summers at a villa by the sea inhabited by a young couple and their beautiful, rich, joyous
friends. They swim, drink, tease each other, and fully enjoy themselves. All the while, the guests
are observed by the villa's gardener, a widower who's been tending the garden for several
decades.
As the true protagonist of the novel, we get to see the dissolution of these magical summers
through his eyes, as a sense of darkness and ending creeps in, precipitated by the construction of
a new, larger, more glamorous villa next door.
Critique: An erudite, graceful, deftly crafted, reader engaging novel from first page to last, Merce
Rodoreda's "Garden By The Sea" is expertly translated into English for an American readership
by Martha Tennent, making this edition from Open Letter Books unreservedly recommended for
personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
and Women's Literature & Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Merce Rodoreda is widely regarded as the most important Catalan writer of the
twentieth century. Exiled in France and Switzerland following the Spanish Civil War, Rodoreda
began writing the novels and short stories (Twenty-Two Short Stories, The Time of the Doves,
Camellia Street, Garden by the Sea) that would eventually make her internationally famous,
while at the same time earning a living as a seamstress. In the mid-1960s, she returned to
Catalonia, where she continued to write. Camellia Street, Death in Spring, The Selected Stories
of Merce Rodoreda, and War, So Much War are also available from Open Letter Books.
Martha Tennent is an English-language translator who works primarily from Catalan and
Spanish. She was born in the United States, but has lived most of her life in Barcelona. She
received a fellowship from the NEA for her translation of The Selected Stories of Merce
Rodoreda . Her work has appeared in Epiphany, Two Lines, Words Without Borders, A Public
Space, World Literature Today, PEN America, and Review of Contemporary Fiction.
Santa Fe Noir
Ariel Gore, editor
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
9781617757228, $15.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies first
launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each individual book comprises all new stories, and each
story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.
Compiled and edited by Ariel Gore, "Santa Fe Noir" is comprised of brand new stories by: Ana
Castillo, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Byron F. Aspaas, Barbara Robidoux, Elizabeth Lee, Ana June,
Israel Francisco Haros Lopez, Ariel Gore, Darryl Lorenzo Wellington, Candace Walsh, Hida
Viloria, Cornelia Read, Miriam Sagan, James Reich, Kevin Atkinson, Katie Johnson, and Tomas
Moniz.
Critique: Pure entertainment by a collection of impressively skilled storytellers, "Santa Fe Noir"
is especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Santa Fe Noir" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Ariel Gore is a Lambda Literary and Alternative Press award-winning editor and
the author of eleven books, including The Hip Mama Survival Guide, Atlas of the Human Heart
(a finalist for the Oregon Book Award), and Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of
Happiness. Her memoir The End of Eve and her novel We Were Witches both won New
Mexico/Arizona Book Awards. Her spell collection, Hexing the Patriarchy, is out now from Seal
Press. She has taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts and the University of New Mexico
and currently teaches online at literarykitchen.com.
Milkman
Anna Burns
Charnwood Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781444841800, $TBA, HC, Large Print, 474pp, www.ulverscroftusa.com
Synopsis: In Northern Ireland during the period known as 'The Troubles', to be interesting is
dangerous. Middle sister, the protagonist in this Anna Burns novel, is busy attempting to keep
her mother from discovering her maybe-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her
encounter with Milkman. But when first brother-in-law sniffs out her struggle, and rumors start
to swell, middle sister becomes 'interesting'. The last thing she ever wanted to be. To be
interesting is to be noticed and to be noticed is dangerous. Set against the backdrop of the
Northern Ireland conflict between the Catholic and Protestant communities, "Milkman" is a tale
of gossip and hearsay, silence and deliberate deafness -- and of inaction with enormous
consequences.
Critique: Another deftly penned and original novel by author Anna Burns, this large print edition
of "Milkman" will prove to be an enduringly popular and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections.
Pastures New
Margaret Thornton
Magna Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780750547208, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 330pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Having been firm friends ever since they met in a Blackpool boarding house five years
before, Val, Cissie and Janice are all now happily married, preoccupied with their growing
families. But the new decade will bring change for all three families.
Val and Sam's son's behavior is causing concern, and Val finds it hard at times to love him as she
should. Running a thriving cafe in Harrogate, Janice and her husband Phil decide to expand into
the restaurant business: have they bitten off more than they can chew? Meanwhile Cissie's life is
thrown into jeopardy when she encounters an old flame.
Critique: Set in 1960 England, "Pastures New" by Margaret Thornton is an immediately engaging
novel by an author with a novelists knack for originality and the kind of narrative driven
storytelling that holds the readers full attention from beginning to end. A fully entertaining read
throughout, this large print edition "Pastures New" is especially recommended for both personal
reading lists and community library General Fiction collections.
Death Stalks The Range
Brett Rider
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785416873, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 258pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Rand Kenzie watches the runaway stage race through the streets, its driver wounded,
the reins held by lively Benita Ellison, and realizes he's reached Palo Pinto too late. Benita's
father had sent an appeal to the Kenzies for help; but he's been dead a week. It was an act of
murdered that left no clue to the nature of the trouble or the identity of his enemies -- and the
bullets are still flying. Though Rand has no idea where to begin, he is determined to solve the
mystery. He soon finds there are many men in Palo Pinto whose actions need explaining. When
an attempt is made to frame him for the murder, he's sure he's on the right trail. But danger and
double dealing are never far away, and Rand must unravel many threads of crime and treachery
before he can unmask the real killers.
Critique: Deftly blending a traditional western with elements of a murder mystery, this large print
edition of "Death Stalks The Range" by Brett Rider is an inherently entertaining and compelling
read from beginning to end and is very highly recommended for both the personal reading lists of
dedicated western novel fans and community library Western Fiction collections.
Jemez Brand
L. L. Foreman
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785416866, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 174pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For hundreds of years, the Jemez high country of New Mexico has been steeped in
rumor and legend. Some say one of the original Seven Golden Cities of the Cibola Indians was
once there, sought by Spanish conquistadors. In more recent times, stories of men having gone
missing along the fabled Rio Del Gato (the River of the Cat) have become part of local folklore.
When Preacher Devlin discovers two murdered men with the face of a cat cut into their palms,
and then surreptitiously observes a small band of Indians traveling through a canyon and led by a
woman wearing a gold cat's-head mask, he reckons he's stumbled upon something extraordinary.
With an ethnologist as his new companion, Devlin must fend off gun slinging fortune-hunters in
a race to be the first to unravel the secret of the lost Cibola gold!
Critique: An original and fully entertaining western by an author with a genuine knack for
storytelling, this large print edition of "Jemez Brand" by L. L. Foreman will prove to be an
especially appreciated addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction
collections.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Locket of Logan Hall
Christina Garbutt
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444843262, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Newly widowed Emily believes she will never love again. Working as an assistant in
flirtatious Cameron's antiques shop, she finds a romantic keepsake in an old writing desk. Emily
and Cameron set off on a hunt for the original owner, and the discoveries they make on the way
change both of them forever. But Emily doesn't realise that Cameron is slowly falling in love
with her. Is his love doomed to be unrequited, or will Emily see what's right in front of her -
before it's too late?
Critique: An immediately engaging, deftly crafted, and thoroughly entertaining read from first
page to last, author Christina Garbutt's new novel (and now available in a large print edition),
"The Locket of Logan Hall" is an especially recommended addition to both community library
Romance Fiction collections, as well as the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fiction
fans.
A Merry Bramblewick Christmas
Sharon Booth
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444843255, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Recovering from a break-up, Izzy is throwing herself into the primary school
Christmas play -- it's a huge project, even with fellow teacher and volunteer assistant Ash by her
side. As Christmas draws nearer and the snow begins to fall, Izzy and Ash develop a warm and
growing attraction. But Izzy's best friend Anna has been acting coldly towards her since she
revealed the reason her last relationship ended. With Anna judging her so harshly, dare Izzy tell
Ash the truth about herself and risk everything they have built so far?
Critique: A wonderfully entertaining read from cover to cover, this large print edition of author
Sharon Booth's "A Merry Bramblewick Christmas" is especially and particularly recommended
for community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections, as well as the personal
reading lists of all dedicated romance novel fans.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Lakota Justice
Will Durey
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444842715, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 236pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The stagecoach from the north has failed to arrive in the small settlement of Laramie,
and when two men ride in fresh from a fight with hostile Native American war party, the
inhabitants begin to fear that the rumoured unrest among the Sioux following the discovery of
gold in the Black Hills has become reality. Their concerns are relayed to the nearby fort, where
visiting wagon-train scout Wes Gray agrees to join an army patrol sent to find the missing coach
-- but it's the first step along a trail which includes murder, kidnapping and inter-tribal
warfare.
Critique: An absolute cliff hanger of a read, the action in "Lakota Justice" will keep the reader's
attention truly riveted to author Will Durey's "Lakota Justice" from beginning to end. This is the
stuff of which block buster western movies are made! This large print edition is an especially
recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction
collections.
The Man From Painted Rock
Jackson Gregory
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785416880, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 222pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For over a year, the Up and Down ranch has been plagued by a series of thefts, mainly
cattle; but now the foreman, Hard Ross, has lost Silver Slippers, the mare he raised from a
filly.
Then a new owner rolls up to the ranch in his red automobile: "Fancy" Jim Sherrod, a city guy
and first-class dandy - and instant laughing stock of the cowhands. Hard Ross isn't amused,
however, and decks his new boss as soon as he receives an order demeaning to his respected
position. He's headed for the road - until Sherrod strikes a deal with him: stay for a month and
help him run the ranch until he can get the swing of it.
But there's more to Fancy Jim Sherrod than meets the eye - as cowhands and rustlers alike will
soon discover, when the bullets start to fly!
Critique: A western novel whose descriptive background text often rises to the level of prose
poetry when describing lakes, valleys, cliffs, forests, and streams, "The Man From Painted Rock"
is packed with action and cliff hangers, making this large print edition an ideal and highly
recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction
collections.
Spirit Walker: A Cheyenne Saga
Rusty Davis
Five Star Publishing
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432860110, $25.95, HC, 271pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Spirit Walker: A Cheyenne Saga" by Rusty Davis tells the legend of a time when the
spirits walked with the living, resistance never stopped, and dreams lived on even when the
dreamers lay cold. It was a time of violence and death.
After their surrender against overwhelming odds in the months after the Battle of the Little
Bighorn, the northern Cheyenne were marched from their homeland near Montana to an
overcrowded Indian reservation in Oklahoma. Against the odds, spirit warriors arose in defiance:
Rides a Crow, a Spirit Walker who vowed to return from exile even if she were the only one left
alive to make the journey; Hunter, an outcast who walked outside the laws of men; Talks to
Horses, a spirit horse who has roamed the Plains and now brings her herd to help the Northern
Cheyenne; and Dead Face, a warrior scarred for life by the soldiers who vows never to stop
fighting.
From the misery of a forced march at bayonet point to the squalor of a reservation and to the race
for freedom with death riding on their shoulders, the northern Cheyenne refuse to admit defeat,
even at the point of death.
Critique: Another deftly crafted and simply riveting action/adventure story from the imaginative
pen of western novelist Rusty Davis that this time takes on the Native American perspective,
"Spirit Walker: A Cheyenne Saga" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition
to community library Western Fiction collections, as well as the personal reading lists of any and
all dedicated western novel buffs.
Editorial Note: Rusty Davis is a free-lance writer who believes that the American West is the
backdrop where the age-old fights of individuals to stand tall and proud in defiance of the
powerful bring the spheres of history and fiction together. In his works, men and women fight for
their freedom against those who would use the rugged lands of the West as a place for enriching
themselves at the expense of others. To Rusty, Western fiction distills the essential elements of
America -- men and women against the land, the rugged against the mighty, and the endless
struggle of flawed men and women for a chance at redemption. The West has always been drama
on a grand scale, lived out by men and women who had the strength to make the West great, the
courage to risk everything when it was time to stand tall, and the tenacity to keep going, even
when the price of being a man was going out with a gun to stand in a wind-blown street.
The Man Who Tamed Lone Pine
I. J. Parnham
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444840131, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 232pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When Nathaniel McBain and Shackleton Frost arrive in Lone Pine to escort a prisoner
to Beaver Ridge jail, they are shocked to discover it is Shackleton's old friend Sheriff Ashton
Clarke. Five years ago, Ashton tamed the town, but now he's been charged with killing in cold
blood. Ashton claims that someone from his past has framed him, and Shackleton believes his
friend. But as more bodies are found, all the evidence points to Ashton, and the case against him
begins to look watertight.
Critique: Another simply riveting read from the pen of accomplished western novelist I. J.
Parnham, "The Man Who Tamed Lone Pine" features a wealth of unexpected plot twist right
down to the unexpected by fully satisfying finale -- making this large print edition of "The Man
Who Tamed Lone Pine" an unreservedly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of
all dedicated western fans, and guarantees it to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition
to community library collections.
Thunder Trail
Bradford Scott
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785416842, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The prairie surrounding Redmon, Texas is a cattlemen's empire, where the barons of
the open range live in almost feudal splendor. But a railroad is now fighting its way into the
territory, attended by tumult, violence and death. There are plenty of people whose fervent wish
is to halt its disruptive progress -- including a vicious masked outlaw and his gang who strikes
mercilessly in the dark, wrecking trains, robbing and killing. Walt Slade, stalwart undercover
agent of the Texas Rangers and fastest gunslinger in the Southwest, is given the job of hunting
him down, but his reputation precedes him: barely has he set foot in the town when three gunmen
try to put him in an early grave. Can Slade elude bullets and dynamite long enough to force a
showdown with the head of the gang, and restore peace to the land?
Critique: Another carefully crafted western adventure by Bradford Scott, "Thunder Trail" is a
riveting read with more unexpected plot twists and turns than the trail of a Texas tornado. This
new large print edition of "Thunder Trail" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular
addition to the personal reading lists of all western novel buffs and community library Western
Fiction collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Manifestations of Sherlock Holmes
James Lovegrove
Titan Books
c/o Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781789092004, $14.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Maverick detective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful chronicler Dr John Watson return
in "The Manifestations of Sherlock Holmes", a new collection of twelve thrilling short
stories.
The iconic duo find themselves swiftly drawn into a series of puzzling and sinister events: an
otherworldly stone whose touch inflicts fatal bleeding; a hellish potion to unlock a person's
devilish psyche; a fiendishly clever, almost undetectable method of revenge and many more -
including a brand-new Cthulhu Casebooks story.
Critique: Deftly crafted in the Conan Doyle literary tradition and narrative storytelling style, "The
Manifestations of Sherlock Holmes" by James Lovegrove is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to the evolving Sherlock Holmes canon. While certain to be an immediate
and enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Sherlock Holmes
fans that "The Manifestations of Sherlock Holmes" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
Claw Enforcement
Sofie Ryan
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9781984802330, $7.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Sarah Grayson owns a delightful secondhand shop in the small town of North Harbor,
Maine, where she and her rescue cat, Elvis, are always finding themselves up to their whiskers in
trouble. With the help of a quirky group of senior citizens (who call themselves Charlotte's
Angels and work out of the store) they solve crimes both new and vintage.
Local squabbles about property development have the town in quite a state of drama -- and it
seems like someone may even be upset enough to kill. When a local man involved in the real
estate quagmire falls over dead at a reception to celebrate the harbor front's redevelopment, Sarah
gets roped in to investigate by her own IT expert, Mr. P., who has long known the victim's
stepfather. Between Sarah, Elvis and Charlotte's Angels, the killer is sure to have claws for
concern!
Critique: A fun and deftly crafted novel that will have a very special appeal for all dedicated
mystery buffs, "Claw Enforcement" by Sofie Ryan will prove to be an immediate and enduringly
popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Claw Enforcement" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781618035028, $24.99,
CD).
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Introductory Lectures on Religious Philosophy
Amir Sabzevary
MSI Press
1760-F Airline Hwy, #203, Hollister, CA 950243
http://msipress.com
9781933455495, $19.95, PB, 186pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Introductory Lectures on Religious Philosophy" is a compendium of informative
dialogues collectively addressing the following questions: Can one be religious in modern,
predominantly secular environments?; What social and psychological functions do religions
serve?; Can one truly learn to live religious philosophies in the modern era?
Professor Sabzevary's intellectual dexterity is matched only by his clarity, not only into perennial
philosophical questions but also the modern condition. Far from leaving religious concepts in the
lofty confines of tradition, Professor Sabzevary speaks a religious language with a modern
tongue, contrasting and ultimately reconciling ancient philosophy with modern life. These
dialogues place religious philosophies within the practical and emotional difficulties of
modernity, while moving in a profound depth that taps into the wellspring from which all
religious philosophies draw their substance.
Professor Sabzevary's intellectual dexterity is matched only by his clarity, not only into perennial
religious questions but also the modern condition. Far from leaving religious concepts in the lofty
confines of tradition, Professor Sabzevary speaks a religious language with a modern tongue.
Rather than simply detailing the nuances of various religious philosophies, Dr. Sabzevary's
dialogues place these nuances within the lives of his students, thus evoking a startling intimacy.
More than an ecumenical discourse, these lectures move in a profound depth that cannot but tap
into the wellspring from which all religious philosophies draw their substance.
Critique: A deftly organized and presented, thoughtful and thought-provoking compendium,
"Introductory Lectures on Religious Philosophy" is a significant and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, community, and academic library Contemporary Religious and
Contemporary Philosophy collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Treating Cancer with Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy
David A. Olle
Mercury Learning
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781683924500, $28.99, PB, 120pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Treating cancer has always been a major challenge because it comes in so many
diverse forms. Although great strides in treatment have taken place in recent years, all too often
current treatments are less than effective, or patients relapse.
Newer methods of cancer treatment, namely targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have
generated great excitement in the scientific community. These newer methods of cancer
treatment hold promise for patients who otherwise may have few options.
"Treating Cancer with Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy" describes the essential features of
cancer treatments available to the general public in an engaging and stimulating manner, using
the principles of health literacy. A simple, question/answer format and the use of illustrations,
tables, charts, and boxes that highlight definitions, facts, and website links provide more detailed
information.
Critique: Comprised of questions and answers about the characteristics of cancer, diagnosis,
classifications, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, adoptive cell therapy,
new developments, and more, "Treating Cancer with Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy" also
cites numerous in-text Web links to information at the National Institutes of Health, the National
Cancer Institute, journals, and other online sources.
Using animations, practical tips, charts and tables, figures, and photos to explain topics under
discussion, "Treating Cancer with Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy" is an ideal
informational resource for non-specialist general readers, as well as medical students, cancer
patients and their caregivers.
While especially recommended for community and academic library Health/Medicine collections
in general, and Cancer supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted that "Treating
Cancer with Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $24.95).
Editorial Note: David Olle is a freelance medical and science writer. His areas of expertise
include oncology, biostatistics, biochemical tests, human and animal nutrition, animal production
and breeding, veterinary medicine, infectious diseases, and complementary and alternative
medicine. He is also the author of Asthma (Mercury Learning).
Chasing the Invisible
Thomas Grogan, MD
Koehler Books
3705 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
www.koehlerbooks.com
9781633939431, $32.95, HC, 212pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Dr. Tom Grogan navigated his way through the interconnected worlds of medicine,
academia, and corporate business to fulfill his vision of diagnosing and abolishing cancer in all
its forms. He ultimately transformed his classic biomedical start-up company (born as a diagram
on a piece of paper and a jerry-rigged prototype built in his garage) into a successful
multi-billion-dollar worldwide enterprise, following its acquisition by a Swiss pharmaceutical
giant. Today his invention of an automated cancer diagnostics device that helps personalize the
detection of cancer and enables doctors to treat it more effectively is transforming medical
practice throughout the world.
Critique: A simply riveting and impressively informative read from cover to cover, "Chasing the
Invisible: A Doctor's Quest to Abolish the Last Unseen Cancer Cell" reveals the detective work
of medicine and its impact on physicians and patients. "Chasing the Invisible" also features a
colorful cast of Wall Street investment bankers, venture capitalists and the titans of a giant
multinational company out to acquire the missing puzzle piece necessary to ensure the next phase
of life-saving innovation -- and the massive fortunes that success would entail.. While especially
and unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary
Health/Medicine collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of medical students,
academia, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Chasing the Invisible" is also available in a paperback edition (9781633939417, $24.95) and in
a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Thomas Grogan, MD, is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona
College of Medicine. He is also the founder and chief scientific advisor emeritus at Ventana
Medical Systems, Inc., a division of Roche, a leading international healthcare leader based in
Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Grogan has authored more than two hundred and fifty scientific papers
and holds eighteen patents. His clinical practice contributions have been recognized in the Best
Doctors in America, published by Woodward/White, Inc., continuously) from 1991 until his
retirement in 2017. Chief among his innovations is the automation of cancer pathology testing
technology that enables physicians to accurately identify the genetic characteristics of their
patients' disease and manage their personalized treatment.
The Education Shelf
Team Leadership in Community Colleges
George R. Boggs & Christine Johnson McPhail, editors
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781620368879, $32.50, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of George R Boggs
(Superintendent and President of Palomar College in California, as well as President and CEO
Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges) and Dr. McPhail (Emerita
Professor of Higher Education and founder of the Community College Leadership Program at
Morgan State University, as well as the former president of Cypress College in California),
"Team Leadership in Community Colleges" specifically addresses the topic of how leaders work
with teams to manage and transform community colleges.
There is a need to develop better leadership teams in order to administer community colleges
effectively and to improve these organizations, whether it be an individual campus, multi-college
system or state-wide organization. Edited by two long-time leaders in the field (both of whom are
recipients of the AACC National Leadership Award), "Team Leadership in Community
Colleges" includes contributions from many other experienced leaders and scholars of
community colleges.
Critique: Comprised of twelve erudite and informative articles by experts in the subject, "Team
Leadership in Community Colleges" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a complete
listing of the contributors and their credentials, as well as a thirteen page Index. While
unreservedly recommended as a core addition to college and university library collections, it
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, administrators, institutional
board members, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Team
Leadership in Community Colleges" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$22.99).
The First Year of College
Robert S. Feldman, editor
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781107176287, $125.00, HC, 364pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Expertly compiled and edited by Robert S. Feldman (who is the Deputy Chancellor
and Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst),
"The First Year of College: Research, Theory, and Practice on Improving the Student Experience
and Increasing Retention" is premised on a very powerful social/educational concern about
college retention rates: one-third of first-year students seriously consider leaving college during
their first term, and only half of all students who start college ultimately graduate.
"The First Year of College" informatively examines the first year of college from a variety of
perspectives to paint a comprehensive picture of the intersecting challenges facing today's
students and higher education institutions. Technological advances, increases in college
attendance costs, and increasing political pressure on colleges to prove their value have changed
the landscape of the first year of college, but researchers have identified new approaches to
improve student and institutional success that have shown considerable success and
promise.
Critique: Comprised of eleven articulate, erudite, thoughtful and thought-provoking essays by
experts in the field, "The First Year of College: Research, Theory, and Practice on Improving the
Student Experience and Increasing Retention" also includes a listing of all the contributors and
their credentials, as well as tables, figures, and an index. While unreservedly recommended as a
core addition to college and university library collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of administrators, educational researchers, school counselors, academic faculty,
school board members, education students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "The First Year of College" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781316629383, $32.99) and in a digital book format (eTextbook, $26.00).
The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM
Angela Byars-Wionston & Maria Lund Dahlberg, editors
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309497299, $75.00, PB, 306pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Mentorship is a catalyst capable of unleashing one's potential for discovery, curiosity,
and participation in STEMM and subsequently improving the training environment in which that
STEMM potential is fostered. Mentoring relationships provide developmental spaces in which
students' STEMM skills are honed and pathways into STEMM fields can be discovered. Because
mentorship can be so influential in shaping the future STEMM workforce, its occurrence should
not be left to chance or idiosyncratic implementation. There is a gap between what we know
about effective mentoring and how it is practiced in higher education.
"The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM" studies mentoring programs and practices at
the undergraduate and graduate levels. It explores the importance of mentorship, the science of
mentoring relationships, mentorship of underrepresented students in STEMM, mentorship
structures and behaviors, and institutional cultures that support mentorship. This report and its
complementary interactive guide present insights on effective programs and practices that can be
adopted and adapted by institutions, departments, and individual faculty members.
Critique: A consensus study report of the National academies of Science3s, Engineering,
Medicine, "The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM" is unreservedly commended for
professional and academic library Science & Technology Teaching Materials, Higher &
Continuing Education, and Education Reform & Policy collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Science of Effective
Mentorship in STEMM" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $59.99).
Teaching about Race and Racism in the College Classroom
Cyndi Kernahan
West Virginia University Press
1535 Mileground, Morgantown, WV 26506
www.wvupressonline.com
9781949199239, $99.99, HC, 228pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Teaching about race and racism in a college classroom can be a difficult business.
Students and instructors alike often struggle with strong emotions, and many people have robust
preexisting beliefs about race. At the same time, this is a moment that demands a clear
understanding of racism. It is important for students to learn how we got here and how racism is
more than just individual acts of meanness. Students also need to understand that color blindness
is not an effective anti-racism strategy.
In "Teaching about Race and Racism in the College Classroom: Notes from a White Professor",
Cyndi Kernahan (Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-River Falls" argues that you
can be honest and unflinching in your teaching about racism while also providing a
compassionate learning environment that allows for mistakes and avoids shaming students.
She also provides evidence for how learning works with respect to race and racism along with
practical teaching strategies rooted in that evidence to help instructors feel more confident. She
then differentiates between how white students and students of color are likely to experience the
classroom, helping instructors provide a more effective learning experience for all students.
Critique: Effectively and expertly written, organized and presented, "Teaching about Race and
Racism in the College Classroom: Notes from a White Professor" is a unique and valued
contribution that is unreservedly recommended for college and university library collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of education students, academia, social activists,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Teaching about Race and
Racism in the College Classroom: Notes from a White Professor" is also available in a paperback
edition (9781949199246, $24.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Becoming a Globally Competent School Leader
Ariel Tichnor-Wagner
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416628507, $29.95, PB, 175pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Today's public school systems face an increasing crisis of relevance in terms of
preparing their students for the rapidly changing world they must live in as adults. Issues that
people everywhere face (e.g. climate change, disease, hunger, technology advancement) require
interdisciplinary solutions. Yet schools are still predominately organized by single-subject
courses and narrowly focused high-stakes tests.
By contrast, our students need to develop a range of academic, social, and emotional
competencies to solve issues that transcend national borders; live peacefully among neighbors in
a culturally, politically, racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse society; and thrive in a global,
knowledge-based economy. Youth and adults alike know this; it's time for schools to catch
up.
Global competence (the set of dispositions, knowledge, and skills needed to live and work in a
diverse, global society) helps educators balance social-emotional and academic learning goals.
To that end, school leaders play a critical role in designing and scaling relevant global learning
experiences for both students and teachers.
"Becoming a Globally Competent School Leader" by Ariel Tichnor-Wagner details how school
leaders can implement change by aligning aspirational initiatives to existing ones, generating will
across school stakeholders, wrangling resources, and creating capacity. It also offers a holistic
approach to school leadership, one that grounds education in the complexities of the real world
and aims to prepare all students to understand, engage with, and influence what happens in that
interconnected world.
Critique: Exceptionally informative, encouragingly thought-provoking, expertly organized and
presented, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.99), "Becoming a Globally
Competent School Leader" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to school
district, college, and university library Education Administration collections and supplemental
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Ariel Tichnor-Wagner is a senior fellow of global competence at ASCD. In her
role, she advocates for, develops, and implements innovative frameworks, tools, and professional
learning experiences that support educators in fostering the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
students need to succeed in a diverse, interconnected world. As an educator and researcher, she is
committed to identifying and leveraging policies and practices that improve academic and
social-emotional outcomes of culturally and linguistically diverse students and that foster global
citizenship.
Classrooms in the Real World
Scott M. Mandel
Myers Education Press
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781975503345, $69.95, HC, 110pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For the past 35 years, Scott Mandel has been teaching students in an urban Los
Angeles school district. In addition, he instructs teachers in professional development courses. In
those classes, he's known for telling stories that are gleaned from his time spent in the
classroom.
"Classrooms in the Real World: Practical Advice from a Veteran Teacher" is a collection of
many of those stories, presented as a set of teachable moments -- a practical how-to book for new
teachers, one that based on interacting with kids on a daily basis. Rather than providing
educational theories about what should be, Mandel shares real-life stories of how to relate to your
students, administrators and parents, along with his thoughts on how to deal with the multiple
curricular and classroom challenges that all teachers face in the real world.
"Classrooms in the Real World" is comprised of chapters such as "Kids Don't Care How Much
You Know As Long As They Know You Care," "Take Curricular Chances," "Administrators
Want You To Succeed," "Keeping My Sanity All These Years," and "What Have I Learned".
These will give the reader practical ideas, philosophies and encouragement from a long-time
classroom teacher, -- someone still in the classroom sharing the lived experience of teaching in
today's school environment.
Critique: A combination of wit, wisdom, humor and practical experience, "Classrooms in the
Real World: Practical Advice from a Veteran Teacher" should be considered essential reading for
anyone aspiring to being a classroom educator. While unreservedly recommended for school
district, college and university library Teacher Education collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of student teachers, classroom educators, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Classrooms in the Real World" is also available in a
paperback edition (9781975503352, $24.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).
Foreign Language Teaching and the Environment
Charlotte Ann Melin, editor
Modern Language Association
85 Broad Street, Suite 500, New York, NY 10004-2434
www.mla.org
9781603294676, $65.00, HC, 322pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: At a time when environmental humanities and sustainability studies are creating new
opportunities for curricular innovation, "Foreign Language Teaching and the Environment" is an
anthology of essays that collectively examines factors key to successful implementation of
cross-curricular initiatives in language programs.
The contributors discuss theoretical issues pertinent to combining sustainability studies with
foreign languages, describe curricular models transferable to a range of instructional contexts,
and introduce program structures supportive of teaching cultures and languages across the
curriculum. Exploring the intersection of ecocritical theory, second language acquisition
research, and disciplinary fields, these essays demonstrate ways in which progressive language
departments are being reconceived as relevant and viable programs of cross-disciplinary
studies.
They provide an ideal introduction to teaching sustainability and environmental humanities
topics in language, literature, and culture courses as well as a wide range of resources for
teachers and diverse stakeholders in areas related to foreign language education.
Critique: Expertly compiled and edited by Charlotte Ann Melin (Professor of German Studies,
University of Minnesota), "Foreign Language Teaching and the Environment" is comprised of
seventeen erudite and informative essays, and is enhanced further with the inclusion of a
complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, as well as a five page glossary. While
unreservedly recommended for college and university library Linguistics and Foreign Language
Instruction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and academia
that "Foreign Language Teaching and the Environment" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781603293945, $40.76) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $32.30).
The Parenting Shelf
When Your Child Learns Differently
Kathryn Fishman-Weaver
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618219091, $19.95, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Advocating for a child who learns differently can sometimes feel like an isolating and
daunting task. With the publication of "When Your Child Learns Differently: A Family
Approach for Navigating Special Education Services With Love and High Expectations" author
and educator Kathryn Fishman-Weaver reminds families that they are not alone.
"When Your Child Learns Differently" is a compassionate guide that: Helps families navigate
special education services from the inside out; Offers targeted advice to families of children with
a wide range of disabilities and challenges; Shares valuable information about special education
language, policy, procedures, and supports; Reminds families that they are the most important
advocates in their child's success plan; Draws on Kathryne's years of experiences and expertise as
both a parent and special education teacher.
Accessible and encouraging, "When Your Child Learns Differently" is a guide that humanizes
the journey of caring for children who learn differently. Its readers will be empowered with
practical policy knowledge and energized by the belief that, with love and high expectations,
almost anything is possible.
Critique: Expertly written, deftly organized, and accessibly presented, "When Your Child Learns
Differently: A Family Approach for Navigating Special Education Services With Love and High
Expectations" is an unreservedly recommended addition to community, school district, college,
and university library Special Education and Special Needs Parenting collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of parents,
education students, classroom teachers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "When Your Child Learns Differently" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, Ph.D., is an educator, author, and advocate for student
leadership. She has worked in special education, gifted education, language arts, and school
administration, and is the author of "Wholehearted Teaching of Gifted Young Women."
The Agriculture Shelf
Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease
Lawrence E. Datnoff, Wade H. Elmer, and Don M. Huber, editors
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890543467, $109.00, HC, 278pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Knowing how each individual mineral affects a plant is beneficial for efficiency in
production and sustaining the ecosystem. From a plant pathology perspective, "Mineral Nutrition
and Plant Disease" explains how mineral nutrients are important in production agriculture and
horticulture because they can often be the first line of defense against plant diseases. It is an area
of knowledge that can be misunderstood or overlooked in the study of diseases and their
diagnosis. This informative reference presents what we know regarding the interactions at
work.
"Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease" is the first collective study to successfully combine two
important plant science disciplines, nutrition and pathology, to provide current information on
theoretical aspects of nutrition in disease physiology while contributing a wealth of basic
practical information for obtaining immediate disease suppression with specific fertilizers.
"Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease" provides a holistic overview of how minerals are made
available in soil and their basic function in plants; helps to understand the interacting affects of
minerals on all types of diseases Abiotic as well as biotic; identifies mineral nutrient forms,
physiological functions, and interactions with numerous diseases; provides valuable tables
showing nutrient-disease interactions that facilitate the use of nutrients to manage diseases;
and tabulates extensive literature reviews with tables to help perform quick searches for any
host/disease system.
Critique: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Lawrence E. Datnoff (Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida - Gainesville), Wade H. Elmer (The
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station - New Haven), and Don M. Huber (Purdue University),
"Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease" collectively presents a comprehensive examination of how
mineral nutrition affects plant disease, as well as improve the overall quality and health of
plants.
An ideal curriculum textbook, "Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease" is unreservedly
recommended for professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary
Agriculture collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Cookbook Shelf
Simply Real Eating
Sarah Adler
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682684115, $29.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Enhanced with the inclusion of more than one hundred full color photographs,
"Simply Real Eating: Everyday Recipes and Rituals for a Healthy Life Made Simple" is a unique
and welcoming cookbook in which culinary expert Sarah Adler invites her readers to cultivate a
healthy lifestyle that will actually last.
Showcasing more than 100 easy #antidiet recipes to share, Adler makes getting healthy effortless.
Her enthusiasm comes through on every page, with chapters including "Weekday Work It"
breakfasts and snacks to share in "Aperitifing Is a Verb." Recipes are all gluten-free, many with
five ingredients or fewer, and have options to customize for other dietary needs. Stunning
photographs of each dish make this book a pleasure to read.
Critique: Featuring a culinary wealth of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health promoting
dishes ranging from Warming Sweet Potato Muffins and Fire-Roasted Herby Corn Salad, to
Broccoli, Basil, and Goat Cheese Pizzas and Salted Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, "Simply
Real Eating" includes all the practical tools and healthy rituals a family cook would need. While
enthusiastically recommended for family, professional, and community library cookbook
collections, it should be noted that "Simply Real Eating" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.16).
Editorial Note: Sarah Adler is a nutrition coach and the founder of the blog, Simply Real Health.
Her recipes have been featured by outlets including Huffington Post, Well + Good, Refinery29,
Cooking Light, Brit + Co., BuzzFeed, and Woman's Day.
Total Gut Balance
Mahmoud Ghannoum
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682683682, $27.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Today the importance of a healthy gut microbiome for digestive health and overall
well being is commonly understood. But what about the mycobiome -- the fungi that live inside
our bodies?
In "Total Gut Balance: Fix Your Mycobiome Fast for Complete Digestive Wellness", Dr.
Mahmoud Ghannoum introduces this important component of the microbiome and explains how
diet affects this population and how its balance or imbalance can cause you to feel -- a poor
balance of fungi can lead to weight gain, pain and bloating, and low energy, and can worsen
symptoms for those with IBS or Crohn's.
But with the recipes showcased in "Total Gut Balance", gut fungi will respond quickly and
dramatically to dietary and lifestyle changes. Within 24 hours, you can remake your mycobiome,
supporting a path to weight loss, better digestion, and more energy.
Alongside this accessible gut science, Dr. Ghannoum outlines fast changes for fostering healthy
fungi as well as 7- and 20-day diet plans, with more than 50 dietician-tested recipes, to cultivate a
thriving mycobiome and methods for tweaking your lifestyle for long-term gut health.
Critique: Nicely illustrated with fifty full color photographs, "Total Gut Balance: Fix Your
Mycobiome Fast for Complete Digestive Wellness" is an extraordinary and thoroughly 'reader
friendly' combination of instruction manual, guide and cookbook. Especially commended to the
attention of anyone suffering from IBS or Chrohn's Disease, "Total Gut Balance" should be a part
of every community and academic library's Health/Medicine and Contemporary Cook Book
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Total Gut Balance" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.16).
Editorial Note: Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum is the director of the Center for Medical Mycology at
Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, studies
Crohn's disease, cancer, and heart disease. He has been featured by Forbes, NPR's Tech Nation,
MindBodyGreen, Well + Good, Goop, and other outlets.
Plant Power
Annie Bell
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
http://www.kylebooks.com
9780857836120, $24.99, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Balancing your diet by consuming animal protein is straightforward (a chicken breast,
salmon fillet, or lamb chop are nearly pure protein) but there is little that offers the vegetarian,
vegan, or flexitarian that ease.
In "Plant Power", vegetarian and vegan culinary expert Annie Bell shows you how to source
plant proteins from high-quality unrefined whole foods. She explains which foods contain
protein and the simplest and most delicious ways to include a broad range in your diet to make
sure that you optimize your protein consumption with no need for expensive supplements or
"fake" meats.
The recipes comprising "Plant Power" range from: Three Seed Porridge with Berries for
breakfast, to Spicy Lentil Baked Eggs for a power brunch, to a nourishing Spring Root and Farro
Salad for lunch on the go, to Halloumi and Pine Nut Burgers for a satisfying dinner. With
comfort food, such as Spaghetti Carbonara, and bowls of energy, such as Cauliflower Dhal with
Coco-Lime Yogurt, Annie shows that good nutrition and good food should always go hand in
hand.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Plant Power" will prove to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, professional, and community
library Vegan/Vegetarian cookbook collections. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in
organization and presentation, it should be noted that "Plant Power" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Annie Bell, having begun her career as a chef, has been a full-time cookery writer
and author for more than ten years. She has written a number of books including Annie Bell's
Vegetable Book, and Evergreen which was shortlisted for the Andre Simon and Glenfiddich
Awards. She collaborated with the architect John Pawson to write Living and Eating and more
recently has written Gorgeous Cakes. She spent several years as Cookery Writer at Vogue, then
as Food Writer on the Independent and she is currently the Cookery Writer on YOU Magazine in
the Mail on Sunday and also contributes to Country Living and Waitrose Food Illustrated.
One Pot Feeds All
Darina Allen
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780857837134, $24.99, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Cooking using just a single pot is liberating, satisfyingly efficient and relatively
inexpensive. There's less juggling of different elements, no complicated techniques, little space
required and less washing up to do. With recipes for cook in one pot meals that will serve for one
person or one hundred, all that is necessary to do is to scale up or down ingredients -- making
"One Pot Feeds All" perfect for solo cooks, families and anyone wanting to rustle up a feast for
friends.
A culinary compendium showcasing 100 dishes to be cooked in a pot, tray or pan comprising
lighter meals, such as soups, baked eggs and frittatas or hearty dishes like stews, tagines and
curries, plus about 10 desserts. Chapters are divided into Eggs, Poultry, Meat, Fish, Vegetables,
Rice, Grains & Pasta and Sweet Things with an international mix of dishes, including Mexican
Fried Eggs, Kung Pao Chicken, Italian Beef Stew, Moroccan Lamb Tagine, Spanakopita,
Chettinad Tomato Rice and Coffee Crema Catalana.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', step-by-step
recipe instructions, "One Pot Feeds All" by Darina Allen is a delight to simply browse through
and an inspiring resource to plan menus with for any and all dining occasions. While
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections, it should be noted that "One Pot Feeds All" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $8.99).
The Art Shelf
The Art of Fine Enameling, second edition
Karen L. Cohen
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811737920, $37.905, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Enameling (the fusing glass to metal under high-temperature conditions) is amazingly
diverse. Practically anything made from enamel-friendly metal can be enameled, from vases to
jewelry to buttons to metal mesh and solid forms. Now in a significantly revised, expanded, and
fully updated second edition "The Art of Fine Enameling" by Karen L. Cohen (an artist and
teacher working primarily in Cloisonne enameling, as well as beadwork and embroidery who
draws upon her 15 years of experience and expertise) showcases twenty-one DIY enameling
projects. Each project has a gallery of the work of other artists working in the same technique, to
give a view of other ways a technique can look and be used. Classic techniques such as
champleve, cloisonne, and plique-a-jour each have projects, as do newer approaches such as the
use of graphite pencil and enameling on steel. Of special note is the extensive chapter on
troubleshooting.
Critique: Profusely illustrated, and step-by-step informative, "The Art of Fine Enameling" is
ideal as a curriculum textbook on enameling and is unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of art students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Art of Fine Enameling" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$24.68).
The Philosophy Shelf
How to Burn a Goat
Scott H. Moore
Baylor University Press
One Bear Place, #97363, Waco, TX 76798-7363
www.baylorpress.com
9781481311526, $29.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The ancient Roman orator Cicero famously believed, "If you have a garden and a
library, you have everything you need.", Scott H. Moore (Associate Professor of Philosophy and
Great Texts at Baylor University) agrees and puts this celebrated aphorism to the test.
In "How to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers", Professor Moore speculates on the
practice of farming through the lens of philosophy and literature. He weaves together a tapestry
of philosophical reflections on work and leisure, the nature of the virtues, and the role and
limitations of technology and higher education with personal reflections on the joys and trials of
farm life on his Crawford, Texas, farm.
Full of self-deprecating humor, Professor Moore relates his own experience of a philosopher
turned farmer. His efforts at scholar-farmer are haunted by questions from the world's great
minds such as: "Does Plato's 'city of sows' ring true?," "Can Ockham help break a recalcitrant
heifer?," "How can Heidegger help with raising swine?," "What insights does Iris Murdoch offer
for pest control?" Combining insight with down-to-earth vignettes, Professor Moore joins
Wendell Berry, E. B. White, George Orwell, and many more in recognizing the truths deeply
rooted in the management of the practical affairs of a farm.
Professor Moore also argues that a return to agrarian roots is needed to restore Aristotelian
wonder and wisdom in a world increasingly defined by technology. Rejecting the idea that
humans are simply cogs in a wheel, he shows how greater human happiness can be found in the
meaningful labor of tending to nature, rather than the ever-expanding march of automation.
Critique: As deftly written, organized and presented, as it is inherently interesting, thoughtful and
thought-provoking, "How to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers" is a unique and
unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary
Philosophy collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists. It should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "How to Burn a
Goat: Farming with the Philosophers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$28.45).
The Military Shelf
Patton's Madness
Jim Sudmeier
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811738545, $22.95, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: His commanding officer, General Dwight D. Eisenhower called General George S.
Patton "mentally unbalanced" and "just like a time bomb," and indeed, the egotistical, mercurial,
aggressive Patton is perhaps as well known for his questionable behavior and eccentric beliefs as
for his daring battlefield exploits.
"Patton's Madness: The Dark Side of a Battlefield Genius" by Jim Sudmeier is a succinct but
probing assessment of Patton's life based on strong research in primary sources and knowledge of
psychology that considers the mind of Patton: what made this military genius tick?
To what extent was Patton's boldness and brilliance as a general, his willingness to welcome risk
and danger, connected to his unstable personality? Sudmeier presents a myth-shattering
reconsideration of one of military history's most famous commanders.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, thoughtful and thought-provoking study, "Patton's Madness:
The Dark Side of a Battlefield Genius" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to
community and academic library 20th Century American Military History collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Patton's Madness" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.90).
Editorial Note: Jim Sudmeier is a scientist and writer originally from Minneapolis. He holds
degrees from Carleton College and Princeton University, has taught at UCLA and UC Riverside,
has held a National Institutes of Health fellowship at Oxford, and for twenty-eight years before
his retirement was senior lecturer at Tufts Medical School.
German Ground Forces of World War II
William T. McCroden & Thomas E. Nutter
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611211092, $59.95, HC, 544pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "German Ground Forces of World War II: Complete Orders of Battle for Army
Groups, Armies, Army Corps, and Other Commands of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS,
September 1, 1939 to May 8, 1945" offers the first comprehensive order of battle for German
ground troops throughout the Second World War, from the invasion of Poland on September 1,
1939, to the destruction of the last remnants of Germany's Wehrmacht and Waffen SS in Berlin
in 1945. Unlike similar works, these orders of battle are dynamic, and so account for the
continuously changing character of Germany's ground forces at war.
This massive new reference work by military historians William T. McCroden and Thoms E.
Nutter is comprised of informative sections that include: Theater Commands, Army Groups,
Armies, and Corps Commands, and presents a detailed analysis of each corresponding order of
battle for every German field formation above division.
Additional new ground is broken by also describing the orders of battle of the myriad German
and Axis satellite formations assigned to security commands throughout occupied Europe and the
combat zones, as well as those attached to fortress commands and to the commanders of German
occupation forces in Eastern and Western Europe. An accompanying narrative describes the
career of each field formation and includes the background and experience of many of their most
famous commanding officers.
For the first time in the pages of "German Ground Forces Of World War II", military buffs can
follow the career of every German division, corps, army, and army group as the German armed
forces shifted units to and from theaters of war, from the period of triumphant successes to the
years of grinding defensive warfare and eventual defeat.
Critique: A seminal work of extraordinary, detailed, and meticulously researched scholarship,
"German Ground Forces of World War II: Complete Orders of Battle for Army Groups, Armies,
Army Corps, and Other Commands of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, September 1, 1939 to
May 8, 1945" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to community,
college, and university library World War II Military History collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "German Ground Forces of World
War II" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.49).
Bait: The Battle of Kham Duc
James D. McLeroy & Gregory W. Sanders
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612008127, $34.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The strategic potential of the three-day attack of two NVA regiments on Kham Duc, a
remote and isolated Army Special Forces camp, on the eve of the first Paris peace talks in May
1968, was so significant that former President Lyndon Johnson included it in his memoirs.
"Bait: The Battle of Kham Duc" by James D. McLeroy and Gregory W. Sanders is grippingly
original, eyewitness narrative and thoroughly researched analysis of a widely misinterpreted
battle at the height of the Vietnam War that radically contradicts all the other published accounts
of it.
In addition to the tactical details of the combat narrative, the authors consider the grand strategies
and political contexts of the U.S. and North Vietnamese leaders.
Critique: Enhanced for academia and the reader with the inclusion of a nineteen page Appendix,
a five page Glossary, a twenty-one page listing of Sources, and an eight page Index, "Bait: The
Battle of Kham Duc" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Vietnam War Military History
collections and supplemental studies lists. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, it
should be noted for military buffs that "Bait: The Battle of Kham Duc" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Both co-authors are former Army officers and Vietnam War veterans. James D.
McLeroy lived at Kham Duc and led an elite group of U.S. and indigenous Special Forces troops
in the battle. Additionally, Gregory Sanders witnessed a detailed analysis of the battle at the
Americal Division headquarters prior to a joint U.S. and South Vietnamese Army (ARVN)
operation at and around Kham Duc in 1970.
4-31 Infantry in Iraq's Triangle of Death
Darrell E. Fawley III
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476676050, $45.00, PB, 229pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The Triangle of Death in Iraq, south of Baghdad, was a raging inferno of insurgent
activity in August of 2006; by November 2007, attacks had been suppressed to such an extent as
to return the area to near obscurity. In the intervening months, the U.S. Army 4th Battalion, 31st
Infantry ("Polar Bears") employed a counterinsurgency approach that set the conditions for a
landmark peace agreement that holds to this day.
With a focus on counterinsurgency, "4-31 Infantry in Iraq's Triangle of Death" by Darrell Fawley
is the first to take a detailed and documented look at the breadth of military operations in
Yusifiyah, Iraq, and analyze the methods the Polar Bears employed. It is a story not of those who
fought in the Triangle of Death, but of how they fought.
Critique: Enhanced for the benefit of military historians with the inclusion of a two page listing
of Acronyms and Abbreviations, ten pages of Chapter Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a
five page Index, "4-31 Infantry in Iraq's Triangle of Death" is a seminal and unreservedly
recommended addition to both community and academic library American Military History
collections in general, and Iraqi War History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, it should be noted for students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "4-31 Infantry in Iraq's
Triangle of Death" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note: U.S. Army officer Darrell E. Fawley III's writing has appeared in Infantry
magazine, Army magazine and Small Wars Journal.
The Biography Shelf
Becoming C. S. Lewis
Harry Lee Poe
Crossway Books
www.crossway.org
9781433562730, $22.99, HC, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The writings of C. S. Lewis cannot be fully understood or appreciated apart from a
grasp of his formative adolescent years from 1898 to 1918. Unfortunately, many biographies
speed over this important season of Lewis's life.
Slowing down to focus on his younger years, "Becoming C. S. Lewis: A Biography of Young
Jack Lewis" offers a detailed portrait of "Jack" Lewis helps us discover seeds of what would
inform his later writings -- such as his delight in literature, his key relationships, his suffering and
struggles, and his intense pursuit of joy.
The chapters comprising "Becoming C. S. Lewis" unfold the habits and tastes he developed
while at boarding school, in college, and in the army, revealing where we see these themes
appear in his works -- bringing to life the man readers have come to know as C. S. Lewis.
Critique: The first volume in a planned trilogy, "Becoming C. S. Lewis: A Biography of Young
Jack Lewis" offers a deftly presented and comprehensive view of the early life of C. S. Lewis and
is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library biography
collections in general, and C. S. Lewis supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should
be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Becoming C. S. Lewis" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.19).
Editorial Note: Harry Lee Poe (who holds a PhD from the Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary) serves as the Charles Colson University Professor of Faith and Culture at Union
University, where he has taught a course on C. S. Lewis for over fifteen years. He is the author of
The Inklings of Oxford and C. S. Lewis Remembered, as well as numerous articles. Poe hosts
regular Inklings Weekend retreats and is a speaker on Lewis at major libraries worldwide.
Meryl Streep: On the Couch
Alma Bond
Bancroft Press
PO Box 65360, Baltimore, MD 21209
www.bancroftpress.com
9781610884990, $27.95, HC, 260pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Meryl Streep is a Hollywood icon, a political activist, a twenty-plus Oscar-nominated
actress, and a mystery. The Devil Wears Prada, Kramer v. Kramer, Julie & Julia, Mama Mia!,
Sophie's Choice, as an actress Meryl does it all. But who is she when the camera stops rolling?
What are the thoughts that she keeps hidden?
Enter Dr. Darcy Dale. The most successful psychoanalyst in New York City, Dr. Dale has treated
a number of the most famous and exceptional women in the world. Marilyn Monroe, Jackie O.,
and Barbra Streisand have all managed to find their way to the doorstep of the office of this
psychoanalyst.
Fully aware of Dr. Dale's notability, Streep decides to pay her a call, but not for psychiatric
treatment. The actress hopes to observe Dr. Dale as a means of preparing for her next role as a
psychoanalyst. The two strike a deal: Streep will undergo analysis herself, just as psychoanalysts
must do as part of their education.
In the newest installment of her 'On the Couch' series, Dr. Alma H. Bond gives us a seat on the
couch next to Meryl as the actress prepares for her next role, and Dr. Dale performs an analysis
of one of Hollywood's most talented actresses. What follows is one of the most thorough and
comprehensive biographies of Meryl Streep.
In this detailed guide to all that made Meryl, anything you have ever wondered is chronicled in
Dr. Dale's session notes. In-depth research spanning Streep's ancestry, childhood, college years,
romantic entanglements, and more all finds its way onto these pages. Anyone who has ever
wanted to learn more about Meryl Streep as a person, or has an interest in her acting methods,
will undoubtedly lap up this book's fascinating contents.
"Meryl Streep: On the Couch" offers what no other biography can: a psychoanalytic perspective
into the life and mind of Meryl Streep. While the media gives us the most versatile and amazing
actress of her generation, Dr. Bond gives us the mother, the wife, the woman.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative biography of an inherently
fascinating and impressively talented woman, "Meryl Streep: On the Couch" will prove to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library
Contemporary American Biography collections, as well as the personal reading lists of the
legions of Meryl Streep fans.
The International Studies Shelf
After ISIS
Seth J. Frantzman
Gefen Publishing House
c/o 3PLCenter, 3003 Woodbridge Ave., Edison, NJ 08837
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789657023099 $16.95 pbk / $9.84 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: This book, based on four years of on-the-ground reporting, research in ten countries in
the Middle East, a thousand hours of interviews with key players and access to generals, spies,
policymakers, soldiers and refugees, is the first comprehensive look at the defeat of ISIS and the
future reshaping of the Middle East. It provides a unique window into the battle for the heart and
soul of the Muslim world and lays out why we need to be informed about changes on the ground
after the defeat of ISIS. More than seventy countries are members of the international coalition
formed in 2014 to defeat Islamic State (ISIS).
After ISIS provides a sobering blueprint for how the US and regional powers will re-shape the
region in years to come. Understanding these events and the choices ahead will determine if ISIS
and similar ideologies reemerge, whether a new war between the US, its allies and Iran comes in
the wake of ISIS, or if a younger generation of leaders can carve out a new Middle East. As ISIS
recedes, the world is at a unique historic crossroads in the Middle East. Decisions made now in
the region and in Washington matter more than ever. Tehran and the US are increasingly on a
collision course to struggle over the vacuum left behind by ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Critique: After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East is a studious analysis of
the years after the defeat of ISIS in the middle east. Tensions, instability, and a power vacuum
threaten to kindle a renewed conflict, especially when Iranian and American interests in the
region clash. In order to forge the most effective strategy going forward, it is essential to
understand the mistakes and realities of the past, making After ISIS an absolutely invaluable
reference, resourse, and contribution to public and college library International Studies shelves.
Highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that After ISIS is also
available in a Kindle edition ($9.84).
Political Corruption in Africa
Inge Amundsen, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781788972512, $130.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Expertly compiled and edited by Inge Amundsen (who is a Senior Researcher at the
Chr. Michelsen Institute in Bergen, Norway), "Political Corruption in Africa: Extraction and
Power Preservation" is an insightful and collective study analyzing political corruption as a
distinct but separate entity from bureaucratic corruption. In a timely publication, "Political
Corruption in Africa" separates these two very different social phenomena in a way that is often
overlooked in contemporary studies. Individual chapters argue that political corruption includes
two basic, critical and related processes: extractive and power-preserving corruption.
Evaluating seven key case studies, "Political Corruption in Africa" illustrates the theoretical basis
of corruption and provides a political-economy analysis of the topic, using examples from
Sub-Saharan Africa. Outlining how and who is involved, these cases explore the present
conditions that enable political corruption. The contemporary study also highlights how political
corruption undermines the political will to curb corruption, a key area that traditional
anti-corruption efforts have failed in.
A pertinent and forward-thinking contribution to the field, "Political Corruption in Africa" will
be of interest to those working in anti-corruption, including in aid agencies, national NGOs and
government agencies. It will also be useful to development studies, development economics and
political theory scholars.
Critique: Comprised of nine erudite and informative articles by experts in this specific field of
study, "Political Corruption in Africa: Extraction and Power Preservation" is enhanced for the
reader with the inclusion of a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, as well as
a twelve page Index. An impressively detailed and documented work of collective and seminal
scholarship, "Political Corruption in Africa: Extraction and Power Preservation" is an
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, university, as well
as corporate and governmental library International Political Science collections in general, and
Contemporary African Studies supplemental curriculum reading lists.
Surviving the Peace
Peter Lippman
Vanderbilt University Press
VU Station B 351813, Nashville, TN 37235-1813
www.vanderbiltuniversitypress.com
9780826522610, $27.95, HC, 488pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Surviving the Peace: The Struggle for Postwar Recovery in Bosnia-Herzegovina" by
Peter Lippman is a monumental feat of ground-level reporting describing two decades of postwar
life in Bosnia, specifically among those fighting for refugee rights of return. Unique in its breadth
and profoundly humanitarian in its focus, "Surviving the Peace" situates digestible explanations
of the region's bewilderingly complex recent history among interviews, conversations, and
tableaus from the lives of everyday Bosnians attempting to make sense of what passes for normal
in a postwar society.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Surviving the Peace" is essential
reading for anyone interested in postwar or post-genocide studies in general, and the Bosnia-
Herzegovina conflict in particular. Also available for personal reading lists in a digital book
format (Kindle, $17.49), "Surviving the Peace" is a perfect example of long-form reporting, an
impossible accomplishment without a lifetime of dedication to a place and people and
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections.
Editorial Note: Peter Lippman is a professional journalist and dedicated human rights activist. A
fascination with the ethnography of southeast Europe led him to Yugoslavia in the early 1980s.
He lived and worked in Bosnia-Herzegovina for two years after the war, and has returned many
times since then. Over more than two decades, he has closely followed the efforts of grassroots
activists to return to their prewar homes, to fight corruption and discrimination, and to regain
their rights.
The Audiobook Shelf
Pressure
David Haig
Directed by Martin Jarvis
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
9781682661048 $29.95 www.latw.org
Synopsis: A Scottish meteorologist locks horns with his American counterpart as both men try to
convince General Dwight D. Eisenhower that they can accurately predict the atmospheric
conditions needed to launch the greatest amphibious assault in the history of mankind - the
D-Day invasion.
Pressure was recorded before a live audience at the UCLA James Bridges Theater in October
2019.
Critique: Pressure is a live-recorded, full-cast production of a play in audiobook format. Set
during World War II. A Scottish meteorologist and his American counterpart clash virulently
with one another, as both men strive to convince General Dwight D. Eisenhower that their
knowledge of atmospheric science can predict the optimal time to launch a mass military landing
at Normandy, France. Intensely performed, Pressure vividly portrays the extreme stress of having
to make critical decisions that hold millions of lives in the balance. Highly recommended,
especially for personal and public library audiobook collections. 2 CDs, 1 hour 43 min.
Bogaazan! The Child on the Battleship Yamato
Akira Hayasaka
Translated by Ichiko Flynn & Robert Solomon
Directed by Mako
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
9781682661192 $29.95 www.latw.org
Synopsis: As the Japanese battleship Yamato steams towards the island of Okinawa in the
closing months of World War II, a naval officer on board makes an unexpected discovery among
the stores of rice, leeks, and pickled radishes. A child has stowed away there, hoping to return to
her mother on Okinawa. His reluctant decision to protect her prompts a voyage of inner
discovery and stirs emotions as deep as the seas that threaten to swallow his unsinkable ship.
Bogaazan! The Child on the Battleship Yamato was recorded live in performance at the
Doubletree Guest Suites, Santa Monica, in July 1995.
Critique: Bogaazan! The Child on the Battleship Yamato is a live-recorded, full-cast production
of a play in audiobook format. Set aboard an "unsinkable" Japanese warship during the final
months of World War II, Bogaazan! begins with the discovery of a stowaway child, which sets of
a host of emotions in a naval officer who resolves to protect her. But amid the dire peril of war,
can any life truly be protected? Bogaazan! The Child on the Battleship Yamato is a welcome
addition to personal and public library audiobook collections, highly recommended. 1 CD, 53
min.
The Library CD Shelf
Love Story
Robin Spielberg
playMountain Music
$14.98 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Love Story is Robin Spielberg's nineteenth album, showcasing her extraordinary talent to arrange
and perform hit songs (originally written by a variety of music artists) solo piano. Each enduring
"radio favorite" song gets its own unique spin, in this joy for piano connoisseurs. Highly
recommended! The tracks are "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "100 Years", "Alone By Myself
(All By Myself)", "Alone Again, Naturally", "Love Story Theme (Where Do I Begin?)", "If",
"Viva La Vida", "Don't Dream It's Over", "You Light Up My Life", "My Hometown", "When We
Were Young", "Both Sides Now", "Love is Blue", "What I Did For Love", "Make You Feel My
Love", and "And So It Goes".
Around The Sun
Kirsten Agresta Copely
www.musiccityharp.com
Privately Published
$15.00 CD / $8.91 MP3 amazon.com
Clasically trained harpist, composer, and arranger Kirsten Agresta Copely presents Around The
Sun, an original, new age harp album designed to sweep the listener on a 365-day voyage
inspired by the Earth's revolution about the star that powers all its life. A bold, captivating way to
experience the harp, Around The Sun makes a welcome addition to personal and public library
music CD collections. The tracks are "Daybreak", "Wind Made Moan", "Persephone Rising",
"Surya", "The Silver Swan", "Water Lilies", "Fall Leaves, Fall", "Riflessioni (Reflections)", and
"Winter's Bone". 40 min., 19 sec.
Peace In This Land
Bob Yonker
Shared Dreams
shareddreamsmusic.com
$TBA CD / $8.91 MP3 amazon.com
Peace In This Land is an original album of spiritual, solo piano music. Tranquil and calming,
Peace In This Land wraps the listener in a soothing audio cocoon, and is a choice pick for
meditation, for supporting concentration, or for gift-giving. Highly recommended. The tracks are
"A Morning Meditation", "Repeating Grace", "Whisper Of The Wind", "Golden", "The Third
Day Dawns", "Circle Of Light", "In The Still Of The Night", "Sun And Moon", and "Peace In
This Land".
A Better Life
Mindful Music Association
mindfulmusicassociation.com
$24.99 CD amazon.com
A Better Life: An Introduction to the Mindful Music Association is a 2-CD album by the
nonprofit Mindful Music Association, which supports educational outreach about the benefits of
mindful music, especially for students in grades K-12. The CDs feature 26 tracks of mellifluous
music by a variety of artists. All songs promote relaxation and harmony, and are well-suited to
reduce stress, improve sleep, elevate mood, assist in meditation, and aid in general wellbeing -
valuable qualities for students who need to devote their focus to mastering lessons. Soothing and
mind-expanding, A Better Life is highly recommended for personal, public library, and school
library music CD collections. The disc one tracks are "Gliding the Current", "Sapphire Moon",
"Afternoon Reflection", "Inside This River", "Sea of Tranquility", "Heaven's Gate", "Pure Joy",
"Breathe", "Take the Time (Learning to Knit", "Be Still", "Equanimity", "Peaceful Forest", and
"In The Gloaming", The disc two tracks are "When I Was Young", "Finding You", "Berceuse for
a Star Child", "Art of Life", "Looking Back", "Now", "Levels of Peace", "Mindful Moments",
"Dream Time", "Gentle Sunshine", "Lavender Moons", "A Thousand Charms", and "Meditation
on a Moonlit Lake".
The Library DVD Shelf
Tai Chi Fit Over 60 series
David-Dorian Ross
YMAA Publications
$29.95 each www.ymaa.com
World-class tai chi expert David-Dorian Ross presents three DVDs in the Tai Chi Fit Over 60
series, each of which offers easy-to-learn exercise routines ideal for promoting strength, balance,
flexibility, and overall health. The entire series is especially intended to be thoroughly accessible
to senior citizens, but their exercises will prove beneficial to all ages. Tai Chi Fit Over 60: Gentle
Exercises for Beginners (40 min.) is especially friendly to those new to an exercise regimen. Tai
Chi Fit Over 60: Healthy Joints (40 min.) features tai chi moves designed to maintain a range of
motion in one's joints and help keep them strong. Tai Chi Fit Over 60: Live Longer Feel Younger
(40 min.) is an exercise program designed to improve vitality and overall well-being. All three
DVDs are designed so that the viewer does not have to memorize complicated patterns, but
rather simply follow along, relax, and enjoy. The Tai Chi Fit Over 60 series is enthusiastically
recommended especially for personal fitness DVD shelves, public library DVD collections, and
senior center collections.
The Political Science Shelf
From Quills to Tweets
Andrewa J. Dew, et al.
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781626167117, $110.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: While today's presidential tweets from Donald Trump may seem a light year apart from
the scratch of our Founding Father's quill pens during the era of the American Revolution, the
importance of political communication is eternal.
"From Quills to Tweets: How America Communicates about War and Revolution" explores the
roles that political narratives, media coverage, and evolving communication technologies have
played in precipitating, shaping, and concluding or prolonging wars and revolutions over the
course of US history.
The case studies begin with the Sons of Liberty in the era of the American Revolution, cover
American wars in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and conclude with a look at the conflict
against ISIS in the Trump era. Special chapters also examine how propagandists shaped
American perceptions of two revolutions of international significance: the Russian Revolution
and the Chinese Revolution.
Each chapter analyzes its subject through the lens of the messengers, messages, and
communications technology media to reveal the effects on public opinion and the trajectory and
conduct of the conflict. The chapters collectively provide an overview of the history of American
strategic communications on wars and revolutions that will interest scholars, students, and
communications strategists.
Critique: Collaborative compiled and co-edited by the team of Andrea J. Dew (who is the
Maritime Irregular Warfare Forces Chair and Co-Director of the Center on Irregular Warfare and
Armed Groups at the US Naval War College), Marc A. Genest (who is the Forrest Sherman
Professor of Public Diplomacy in the Strategy and Policy Department at the US Naval War
College), and S. C. M. Paine (who is the William S. Sims University Professor of History and
Grand Strategy at the US Naval War College), "From Quills to Tweets: How America
Communicates about War and Revolution" is a unique and extraordinary approach to American
political history from the founding of the nation up to the present day. A compelling and
inherently fascinating read, "From Quills to Tweets" is a work of exemplary scholarship and
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library American Political History
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "From Quills to Tweets" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781626167124, $36.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$29.19).
What Is Post-Modern Conservatism
Matthew McManus
Zero Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789042450, $23.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: What is post-modern conservatism? How it has come to dominate the political
landscape in many developed countries? Ably compiled and deftly edited by Matt McManus
(Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Tec de Monterrey), "What
Is Post-Modern Conservatism: Essays On Our Hugely Tremendous Times" touches directly upon
how technological, economic, and social transformations of the post-modern epoch have brought
about a political landscape where the irrational and traditionalist aspects of conservative thought
have mutated into the hugely tremendous, autocratic, and personality cult forms we see
today.
Critique: Featuring contributory essays from Dylan De Jong, Erik Tate, Borna Radnik, David
Hollands and Conrad Hamilton, "What Is Post-Modern Conservatism: Essays On Our Hugely
Tremendous Times" is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand why so many
traditional Republicans have left the Republic Party, which itself has mutated into a haven for
white supremacists, anti-immigrants, isolationists, entrench hostilities toward democratic
institutions such as the State Department and the Judiciary, and effectively becoming a Donald
Trump oriented cult of personality movement willing to abandoned traditional conservative
Republic values of personal decency, balanced budgets, small government, and congressional
oversight of the executive branch. "What Is Post-Modern Conservatism" truly lives up to its
subtitle and is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary
Political Science collections, as well as the personal reading lists of political science students,
academia, political activists, and all former and current members of the Republican Party.
The Great Democracy
Ganesh Sitaraman
Basic Books
www.basicbooks.com
c/o Perseus Books Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9781541618114, $28.00, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Since the New Deal in the 1930s, there have been two eras in our political history: the
liberal era, stretching up to the 1970s, followed by the neoliberal era of privatization and
austerity ever since. In each period, the dominant ideology was so strong that it united even
partisan opponents. But today the neoliberal era is collapsing, and the central question of our
time is what comes next.
As acclaimed legal scholar and policy expert Ganesh Sitaraman (Ganesh Sitaraman who is the
Chancellor's Faculty Fellow, Professor of Law, and Director of the Program in Law and
Government at Vanderbilt Law School) argues in the pages of "The Great Democracy: How to
Fix Our Politics, Unrig the Economy, and Unite America", two political visions now contend for
the future. One is nationalist oligarchy, which rigs the system for the rich and powerful while
using nationalism to mobilize support. The other is the great democracy, which fights corruption
and extends both political and economic power to all people.
At this decisive moment in history, "The Great Democracy" offers a bold, transformative agenda
for achieving real democracy.
Critique: An impressive and insightfully detailed analysis of modern American political history
that has culminated in the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, "The Great Democracy:
How to Fix Our Politics, Unrig the Economy, and Unite America" is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary
Political Science collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for
students, academia, politicians, political activists and reformers that "The Great Democracy" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
The Library Science Shelf
The Sustainable Library's Cookbook
Raymond Pun & Gary L. Shaffer, editors
ACRL
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838946589, $54.55, PB, 140pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In 2019, the American Library Association added sustainability to its Core Values of
Librarianship to foster community awareness and engagement on climate change, resilience,
environmental impact, and a sustainable future. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by
Raymond Pun (who is the Instruction/Research Librarian at Alder Graduate School of Education)
and Gary L. Shaffer (who is the Director of Library Arts and Culture for the City of Glendale,
California) "The Sustainable Library's Cookbook" is an ACRL compendium of a series of
engaging activities for academic libraries interested in implementing sustainability practices.
The three different areas covered include: Applying Sustainability Thinking and Development.
Recipes are focused on applying sustainable thinking processes to library functions and services,
including open educational resources, seed libraries, and reusable supplies and resources;
Teaching, Learning, and Research Services. This section contains lesson plans, learning guides,
research activities, and projects that focus on sustainability in disciplinary and interdisciplinary
approaches, from STEM data literacy to campus sustainability projects to Indigenous
environmental justice; Community Engagement, Outreach, and Partnerships. Recipes emphasize
how community partnerships and outreach can be effective ways to inform and foster
sustainability practices in the library and beyond, including environmental movie nights,
bike-lending programs, and ideas for sustainable fashion.
Many of these described activities include learning outcomes and goals drawn from the ACRL's
Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, disciplinary focuses, and the United
Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This "cookbook" provides librarians with a series
of best and effective practices, case studies, and approaches to support sustainability efforts in the
library and collaboratively across campus.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, and an ideal selection as library staff in-
service training textbook, "The Sustainable Library's Cookbook" is a unique and unreservedly
recommended addition to professional, college, and university Library Science instructional
reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education
association for librarians. Representing more than 11,000 academic and research librarians and
interested individuals, ACRL develops programs, products and services to help academic and
research librarians learn, innovate and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940,
ACRL is committed to advancing learning and transforming scholarship.
The Technology Shelf
Renewable Energy Technologies and Resources
Nader Anani
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630815738, $149.00, HC, 220pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Renewable Energy Technologies and Resources" focuses on photovoltaics, hydro,
tidal, wind, and biomass systems. It explains the scientific principles and physical systems used
for harvesting and harnessing of renewable resources and makes comprehensive use of worked
examples and problems. Readers will also learn how to effectively calculate the cost and payback
time for a given renewable energy plant by understanding the factors affecting the cost of
generating electricity from a renewable energy system.
"Renewable Energy Technologies and Resources" uses a simplified mathematical approach and
provides appropriate background material. The ultimate objective of "Renewable Energy
Technologies and Resources" is to provide a concise text book for university students on science
and engineering courses as well as for professional practitioners. principles and physical systems
used for harvesting and harnessing of renewable resources and makes comprehensive use of
worked examples and problems.
Readers will also learn how to effectively calculate the cost and payback time for a given
renewable energy plant by understanding the factors affecting the cost of generating electricity
from a renewable energy system. "Renewable Energy Technologies and Resources" uses a
simplified mathematical approach and provides appropriate background material.
Critique: Especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, college, and university
library collections, "Renewable Energy Technologies and Resources" by Nader Anani (Associate
Professor, School of Engineering, University of Wolverhamton, UK) presents an impressively
presented, accessibly organized, and comprehensive coverage of renewable energy technologies
and resources, making it an ideal textbook for Power Engineering curriculum lists.
Principles of RF and Microwave Design
Matthew A. Morgan
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630816490, $179.00, HC, 712pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Principles of RF and Microwave Design" highlights and deftly explains the
fundamental physical laws of classical electromagnetics using a foundation of Maxwell's
equations to give insight into the operating principles of circuit elements of all kinds, from
lumped elements to transmission lines, waveguides, optical fibers, and quasi-optical
structures.
Standard passive system components like filters, splitters, couplers, hybrids, baluns, and antennas
are explained to acclimate the reader to considering multiple technological solutions for common
design problems.
A basic overview of active circuit designs, such as amplifiers, mixers, and multipliers is also
provided, along with discussion of the performance characteristics of electronic systems,
including noise and linearity.
Emphasis is placed on visualization and understanding of how and why electronic circuits of all
frequencies are built and operate the way they do.
Readers learn how to match an amplifier for optimum noise performance over the broadest
bandwidth with the fewest number of elements and how to visualize the coupling of various
modes in a mixed waveguide-type structure and avoid resonances due to trapped, higher-order
modes.
"Principles of RF and Microwave Design" also provides the tools needed to design and optimize
a launcher from microstrip into waveguide, and whether the best characteristics can be achieved
by incorporating matching elements in the microstrip section, the waveguide section, or
both.
Packed with references and examples, readers learn not only how to do the math but what the
math means.
Critique: A comprehensive and exceptionally well organized instructional resource, "Principles
of RF and Microwave Design" by Matthew A. Morgan provides a thorough introduction to the
principles of electronic circuits operating in the radio, microwave, and millimeter-wave
frequency ranges -- making it an ideal choice for a curriculum textbook and an unreservedly
recommended addition to professional, college, and university library Microwave Technology
collections and supplemental studies reading and reference lists.
Editorial Note: Matthew A. Morgan is a scientist/research engineer at the Central Development
Lab (CDL) at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, VA. He
received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from California Institute of
Technology and his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia.
The Literary Studies Shelf
Sina: A Novel by the Author of Heidi
Johanna Spyri, author
Anna Lisa Ohm, translator
Modern Language Association
85 Broad Street, Suite 500, New York, NY 10004-2434
www.mla.org
9781603294331, $17.00, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: An English translation of the German-language novel by Johanna Spyri (1827 1901).
"Sina" is the coming-of-age story of a Swiss girl who leaves her village to attend medical school.
"Sina" portrays and delves into a number of social issues including: urban and rural life,
education, gender discrimination, religion, and family values.
Critique: Believed to be a sequel to the novel Heidi, and ably translated into English for an
American readership by Anna Lisa Ohm, "Sina" is unreservedly recommended addition to
community and academic library Literary Fiction collections, and is especially commended as an
addition to the personal reading lists of everyone who has enjoyed author Johanna Spyri's classic
novel "Heidi".
The Music Shelf
The Geometry of Musical Rhythm
Godfried T. Toussaint
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138429604, $205, HC, 351pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Geometry of Musical Rhythm: What Makes a "Good" Rhythm Good?" by
Godfride T. Toussaint is the first book to provide a systematic and accessible computational
geometric analysis of the musical rhythms of the world. It explains how the study of the
mathematical properties of musical rhythm generates common mathematical problems that arise
in a variety of seemingly disparate fields.
For the music community, "The Geometry of Musical Rhythm" also introduces the distance
approach to phylogenetic analysis and illustrates its application to the study of musical rhythm.
Accessible to both academics and musicians, the text requires a minimal set of prerequisites.
Emphasizing a visual geometric treatment of musical rhythm and its underlying structures, "The
Geometry of Musical Rhythm" presents new symbolic geometric approaches and often compares
them to existing methods -- including how distance geometry and phylogenetic analysis can be
used in comparative musicology, ethnomusicology, and evolutionary musicology research.
"The Geometry of Musical Rhythm" also strengthens the bridge between these disciplines and
mathematical music theory. Many concepts are illustrated with examples using a group of six
distinguished rhythms that feature prominently in world music, including the clave son.
Exploring the mathematical properties of good rhythms, "The Geometry of Musical Rhythm"
offers an original computational geometric approach for analyzing musical rhythm and its
underlying structures. With numerous figures to complement the explanations, it is suitable for a
wide audience, from musicians, composers, and electronic music programmers to music theorists
and psychologists to computer scientists and mathematicians. It can also be used in an
undergraduate course on music technology, music and computers, or music and
mathematics.
Critique: A unique and seminal work of original and meticulously detailed scholarship, this
newly published second edition of "The Geometry of Musical Rhythm : What Makes a "Good"
Rhythm Good?" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to both college and university
library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Geometry of Musical
Rhythm" is also available in a paperback edition (9780815370970, $59.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $44.76).
Editorial Note: Godfried Theodore Patrick Toussaint (1944 - July 2019) was a Canadian
Computer Scientist, a Professor of Computer Science, and the Head of the Computer Science
Program at New York University Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He is
considered to be the father of computational geometry in Canada. He did research on various
aspects of computational geometry, discrete geometry, and their applications: pattern recognition
(k-nearest neighbor algorithm, cluster analysis), motion planning, visualization (computer
graphics), knot theory (stuck unknot problem), linkage (mechanical) reconfiguration, the art
gallery problem, polygon triangulation, the largest empty circle problem, unimodality (unimodal
function), and others. Other interests included meander (art), compass and straightedge
constructions, instance-based learning, music information retrieval, and computational music
theory.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Manteo and the Algonquians of the Roanoke Voyages
Brandon Fullam
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476678016, $39.95, PB, 228pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When the English first arrived at the Outer Banks in the summer of 1584, they were
greeted by native Algonquian-speaking people who had long occupied present-day North
Carolina. That historic contact initiated the often-turbulent period of early American history
commonly known as the Roanoke Voyages. Unfortunately, contemporary accounts regularly
mischaracterize or marginalize the Algonquins, and their significance in this period is poorly
understood.
"Manteo and the Algonquians of the Roanoke Voyages" by Brandon Fullam is a unique
collection of narratives highlighting by name all of the Algonquians who played a role in the
often contentious attempts to establish the first permanent English colony in the New World.
Starting with Manteo, the fascinating Croatoan Indian who traveled to England twice and learned
to speak English, "Manteo and the Algonquians of the Roanoke Voyages" focuses on the
identities and endeavors of each of these individual Algonquians and tells their stories.
Critique: Expertly written and organized, "Manteo and the Algonquians of the Roanoke
Voyages" is an impressively informative and skillfully presented work of detailed and
documented scholarship. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of two appendices (Manteo
and Jack Straw; The Legend of the Coharie), eight pages of Chapter Notes, a six page
Bibliography, and a three page Index, "Manteo and the Algonquians of the Roanoke Voyages" is
very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject, as well as the Native American and American Colonial
History collections of community, college, and university libraries.
Editorial Note: Retired educator Brandon Fullam has for many years researched and written
extensively on the early European-Native contact period in general and the 1587 Roanoke Island
colony in particular. His work has appeared in Lost Colony Research Group and Sampson
County Historical Society publications.
The Sports Shelf
The Negro Leagues Were Major Leagues
Todd Peterson
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476665146, $49.95, PB, 323pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: How good was Negro League Baseball (as played from 1920 to 1948)? Some experts
maintain that the quality of play was equal to that of the American and National Leagues. Some
believe the Negro Leagues should be part of Major League Baseball's official record and that
more Negro League players should be in the Hall of Fame. Skeptics contend that while many
players could be rated highly, NL organizations were minor league at best.
Drawing on the most comprehensive data available, including stats from more than 2,000
interracial games, the contributors to "The Negro Leagues Were Major Leagues: Historians
Reappraise Black Baseball" find that black baseball was very good indeed. Negro leaguers beat
the big leaguers more than half the time in head-to-head contests, demonstrated stronger metrics
within their own leagues and excelled when finally allowed into the majors.
"The Negro Leagues Were Major Leagues" also documents the often duplicitous manner in
which MLB has dealt with the legacy of the Negro Leagues, and an appendix includes the scores
and statistics from every known contest between Negro League and Major League teams.
Critique: Informative, documents, accessibly organized and presented, "The Negro Leagues Were
Major Leagues: Historians Reappraise Black Baseball" is essential reading for anyone wanting a
clearer and more accurate history of the accomplishments of baseball's Negro leagues. While
unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library 20th Century
American Sports History and 20th Century African American History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dedicated baseball fans that "The Negro Leagues Were Major Leagues" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $26.99).
The Mathematics Shelf
Mathematics at the Meridian
Raymond Flood, Tony Mann, Mary Croarken, editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9780815368793, $59.90, HC, 258pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Greenwich has been a centre for scientific computing since the foundation of the Royal
Observatory in 1675. Early Astronomers Royal gathered astronomical data with the purpose of
enabling navigators to compute their longitude at sea.
Nevil Maskelyne in the 18th century organized the work of computing tables for the Nautical
Almanac, anticipating later methods used in safety-critical computing systems. The 19th century
saw influential critiques of Charles Babbage's mechanical calculating engines, and in the 20th
century Leslie Comrie and others pioneered the automation of computation.
The arrival of the Royal Naval College in 1873 and the University of Greenwich in 1999 has
brought more mathematicians and different kinds of mathematics to Greenwich. In the 21st
century computational mathematics has found many new applications.
Collaboratively compiled by Raymond Flood, Tony Mann, and Mary Croarken, "Mathematics at
the Meridian: The History of Mathematics at Greenwich" presents an account of the
mathematicians who worked at Greenwich and their achievements and features: A scholarly but
accessible history of mathematics at Greenwich, from the seventeenth century to the present day,
with each chapter written by an expert in the field; a special appeal to astronomical and naval
historians as well as historians of mathematics and scientific computing.
Critique: An impressively organized and presented work of detailed historical research and
scholarship, "Mathematics at the Meridian: The History of Mathematics at Greenwich" is
unreservedly recommended for college and university library History of Mathematics collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Mathematics at the Meridian: The
History of Mathematics at Greenwich" is also available in a paperback edition (9780367362720,
$29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).
Editorial Note: Raymond Flood has spent most of his academic life promoting mathematics and
computing to adult audiences, mainly through his position as University Lecturer at Oxford
University, in the Continuing Education Department and at Kellogg College. In parallel he has
worked extensively on the history of mathematics, producing many books and other educational
material. He is Emeritus Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford, having been Vice-President of the
College and President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics before retiring in
2010. He was Gresham College Professor of Geometry from 2012 to 2016.
Tony Mann is Director of Greenwich Maths Centre at the University of Greenwich, where he has
taught for many years. He is a past President of the British Society for the History of
Mathematics, and has published on mathematics in Victorian Scotland and on mathematics in
fiction. He is a former Visiting Professor of Computing Mathematics at Gresham College.
Mary Croarken started her academic career at the University of Warwick with a degree in
Computer Science and then a PhD in History of Computing. Mary has subsequently held a series
of academic fellowships including the Sackler Fellowship at the Centre for Maritime Research at
the National Maritime Museum (NMM) 2000 - 2002. While at NMM, she helped to organize a
joint NMM and British Society for the History of Mathematics conference called Greenwich:
Some Mathematical Connections which provided the inspiration for this book. Mary continues
her academic interests in human computers but now works full time supporting health research in
the NHS.
The Genealogy Shelf
Tracing Your Ancestors in Lunatic Asylums
Michelle Higgs
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526744852, $29.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: How can you trace forebears who were patients in lunatic asylums and find out about
their lives? What sources can you consult to discover their personal histories and gain an insight
into their experiences? In her concise, accessible instructional guide "Tracing Your Ancestors in
Lunatic Asylums: A Guide for Family Historians", Michelle Higgs answers these questions. She
provides a fascinating introduction to the subject and gives readers the means to explore the
records for themselves.
Higgs concentrates on the period from the eighteenth century through to 1948 when the National
Health Service was founded and looks in particular at the Victorian era which is the most popular
period for research. Using original records, contemporary accounts, photographs, illustrations
and case studies of real individuals, she brings the story of the asylums and their patients to
life.
Different types of institution are described such as private madhouses, county lunatic asylums,
facilities for idiots and imbeciles, and military mental hospitals. Individual chapters look at the
admission procedures and daily routine of patients, plus different kinds of mental illness and how
they were treated - for instance, those with depression or mania, criminal lunatics, mothers with
puerperal insanity, epileptics and soldiers suffering from shell shock. There are sections on the
systems in Scotland and Ireland, as well as England and Wales. Information is provided on all the
relevant sources, from wills and the census to casebooks and admission and discharge
registers.
Critique: Impressively informative, expertly organized and presented, "Tracing Your Ancestors
in Lunatic Asylums: A Guide for Family Historians" is a unique and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library Genealogical
Research collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for genealogy
students, practitioners, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Tracing Your Ancestors in Lunatic Asylums: A Guide for Family Historians" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Michelle Higgs is an established author and has previously written on a variety of
topics, including the Pen &Sword Books genealogical research guide, "Tracing Your Servant
Ancestors".
Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry through Church and State Records
Chris Paton
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526768421, $26.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Despite its Union with England and Wales in 1707, Scotland remained virtually
independent from its partners in many ways, retaining its own legal system, its own state church,
and its own education system.
In "Tracing Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records: A Guide For Family
Historians", genealogist Chris Paton examines the most common records used by family
historians in Scotland, ranging from the vital records kept by the state and the various churches,
the decennial censuses, tax records, registers of land ownership and inheritance, and records of
law and order.
Through precepts of clare constat and ultimus haeres records, feudalism and udal tenure, to
irregular marriages, penny weddings and records of sequestration, Chris Paton expertly explores
the unique concepts and language within many Scottish records that are simply not found
elsewhere within the British Isles. He details their purpose and the information recorded, the
legal basis by which they were created, and where to find them both online and within Scotland's
many archives and institutions.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "Tracing Scottish Ancestry Through Church and
State Records: A Guide For Family Historians" is the ideal instructional guide and reference for
anyone doing genealogical research with Scottish records, making it an essential and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Genealogical Studies reference collections. It should be noted that "Tracing Scottish Ancestry
Through Church and State Records: A Guide For Family Historians" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Chris Paton is a genealogist and writer based in Ayrshire. He runs the Scotland's
Greatest Story research service at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk. He is a regular writer for
several British and Irish genealogy magazines, runs the British GENES news and events blog at
www.BritishGENES.blogspot.com, and gives regular talks to local family history societies and
internationally.
The Holocaust Studies Shelf
The Anatomy of the Holocaust
Raul Hilberg, Walter H. Pehle, and Rene Schlott, editors
Berghahn Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.berghahnbooks.com
9781789203554, $150.00, HC, 258pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Though best known as the author of the landmark 1961 work "The Destruction of the
European Jews", the historian Raul Hilberg produced a variety of archival research, personal
essays, and other works over a career that spanned half a century. "The Anatomy of the
Holocaust: Selected Works from a Life of Scholarship" collects some of Hilberg's most essential
and groundbreaking writings (many of them published in obscure journals or otherwise
inaccessible to nonspecialists) in a single volume.
Supplemented with commentary and notes from Hilberg's longtime German editor and his
biographer, "The Anatomy of the Holocaust" not only offers a multifaceted look at the man and
the scholar, but also traces the evolution of Holocaust research from a marginal subdiscipline
into a diverse and vital intellectual project.
Critique: Comprised of a seminal body of meticulous historical scholarship, "The Anatomy of the
Holocaust: Selected Works from a Life of Scholarship" is a critically important and unreservedly
recommended addition to community, college, and university library Holocaust Studies
collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and
non-specialist general readers that "The Anatomy of the Holocaust" is also available in a
paperback edition (9781789204896, $29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Walter H. Pehle studied in Cologne, Bonn and Dusseldorf, and holds a doctorate
in history. From 1977 to 2011 he was an editor for history at the German publisher S. Fischer
Verlag. Since 1988 he has served as the acquisitions editor for S. Fischer Verlag's series "The
Age of National Socialism", which to date includes over 250 books. His own publications
include, as volume editor, the anthology November 1938: From "Reichskristallnacht" to
Genocide (Berg, 1991) and, together with Wolfgang Benz, Encyclopedia of German Resistance
to the Nazi Movement (Continuum, 1997). He is an honorary professor at the University of
Innsbruck.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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