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Reviewer's Choice
Lincoln and the Natural Environment
James Tackach
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809336982, $24.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
"Lincoln and the Natural Environment" is groundbreaking environmental biography of Abraham
Lincoln by James Tackach (Professor of English at Roger Williams University and the President
of the Lincoln Group of Boston) in which he maps out Lincoln's lifelong relationship with the
natural world from his birth and boyhood on Midwestern farms through his political career and
presidency dealing with the effects of the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War. As
commander in chief during the Civil War, President Lincoln approved a strategy that included
significant infrastructure and environmental damage. In the South, where most of the battles
occurred, Union troops burned cities and towns and destroyed plantations, farms, and natural
landscapes. In "Lincoln and the Natural Environment" (the latest volume in the outstanding
Southern Illinois University Press 'Concise Lincoln Library' series), Professor Tackach argues
that, midway through his presidency, Lincoln seemed to sense that postwar Reconstruction would
have to be spiritual, political, economic, and environmental in order to heal the nation's wounds.
He signed the Morrill Act, creating the land-grant colleges, and the environmentally progressive
Yosemite Grant Act, which preserved thousands of acres of forest in California. The first scholar
to thoroughly investigate Lincoln's lifelong relationship with the natural environment, Professor
Tackach paints Lincoln's personal and professional life against the backdrop of
nineteenth-century American environmental history, issues, and writers, providing insights into
contemporary environmental issues. Impressively informative and exceptionally well organized
and presented, "Lincoln and the Natural Environment" is a unique biographical study and
essential addition to community and academic library Abraham Lincoln collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Lincoln and the Natural Environment" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $17.27).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
How to Write Well
Tim De Lisle, author
Jolyon Connell, editor
Connell Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781911187905, $14.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Even in the age of computers and social media, writing matters. We all do it, admiring it when
it's done well. It doesn't just express us; it represents us. We write to connect with other people --
to make them laugh, or cry, or think. We also write to work out what we think ourselves: there's
nothing like it for concentrating the mind. So what's the secret of a stylish essay, or story, or
email? How do you make your sentences sparkle? "How to Write Well is a slim volume by Tim
De Lisle, a leading editor who is also a pop critic and sportswriter. In "How to Write Well" Tim
shows how much fun can be enjoyed with the act of writing. Packed from cover to cover with
good, simple advice that includes: be clear, be concise, be vivid, be organized, "How to Write
Well" explains the secrets of good writing, and along the way showcases quotes for dozens of
great lines ranging from the plays of Shakespeare to the journalism of Caitlin Moran. Very highly
recommended for personal and community library Writing/Publishing instructional reference
collections, all aspiring writers would be well advised to spend a couple of hours with "How to
Write Well". That way they will learn things that will help them in their literary work for years to
come.
The Social Issues Shelf
Legal Marijuana
Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III & Mickey P. McGee
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476673097, $39.95, PB, 283pp, www.amazon.com
The legalization of marijuana has spread rapidly throughout the United States, from just a
handful of states ten years ago to now more than half, as well as the nation's capital. In Canada, it
is legal to use and distribute nationally. Thousands of cities and towns are following suit.
Legalization seems to be a win-win proposition. With people who use cannabis for health and
recreation are served, business is brisk, and many governments welcome the much-needed boost
in tax revenue. But not everyone thinks so -- especially on the federal level under the Trump
administration. The rapid pace of legalization has spurred debate among citizens, cities, states
and the federal government. Collaborative compiled and co-edited by the team of Joaquin Jay
Gonzalez III (who is the Mayor George Christopher Professor of Public Administration at
Golden Gate University) and Mickey P. McGee (who is an Associate Professor of Public
Administration at the Golden Gate University), "Legal Marijuana: Perspectives on Public
Benefits, Risks and Policy Approaches" is collection of erudite essays by experts who
collectively explain the benefits and concerns, the policies and actions, and the future of this
controversial issue. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Legal Marijuana" deserves as
wide a readership as possible, making it an unreservedly recommended addition to community,
college, and university library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
political activists, governmental policy makers, students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Legal Marijuana" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $19.99).
American Presidents, Deportations, and Human Rights Violations
Bill Ong Hing
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781108472289, $105.00, HC, 250pp, www.amazon.com
There is no mor controversial social or political issue in our national discourse today than that of
immigration. In the last four presidential and midterm elections, immigration was a defining
issue. Immigration not only involves government policies but also the human rights of millions
of people. "American Presidents, Deportations, and Human Rights Violations: From Carter to
Trump" by Bill Ong Hing (University of San Francisco) studies how recent immigration policies
in the United States developed during the Obama administration and are now being expanded in
the first months of the Trump presidency. Documenting the harsh treatment of immigrants over
the past twenty years, Professor Hing shows how mass detention and deportation of immigrants,
from Clinton's two terms and the Bush administration, have escalated even higher. With such
actions as forcibly separating young (including infants and toddlers) children from their parents
and concentration camps for teenagers in an Arizona desert, "American Presidents, Deportations,
and Human Rights Violations" questions what price the United States is willing to pay for such
harsh immigration policies in terms of our national values, and the impact on the lives of the
millions of immigrants who deserve the full protection of universal human rights obligations. A
timely and invaluable contribution to our national discussion on immigration issues, "American
Presidents, Deportations, and Human Rights Violations" should have as wide a readership as
possible. While unreservedly recommended as a critically important addition to community,
college, and university library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, governmental policy makers, social activists, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "American Presidents, Deportations, and Human
Rights Violations" is also available in a paperback edition (9781108459211, $32.99) and in a
digital book format (eTextbook, $26.00).
The Education Shelf
Developing Creativity in the Classroom
Todd Kettler, et al.
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618218049, $39.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative work of Todd Kettler (Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, School
of Education, Baylor University), Kristen N. Lamb (Research Associate, Robinson Center of
Young Scholars, University of Washington), and Dianna R. Muller (Assistant Professor of
Psychology, School of Arts & Humanities, Navajo Technical University), "Developing Creativity
in the Classroom" morphs the typical classroom into the exceptional classroom with user-friendly
strategies and methods for the modern teacher. "Developing Creativity in the Classroom"
provides teachers with practical classroom strategies built upon current research and empirical
evidence in the field of creativity. The creative pedagogy described in "Developing Creativity in
the Classroom" builds on the premise that deep learning and thinking creatively are intertwined.
Creative thinking is woven throughout the instructional plan, and creativity is no longer
considered the embellishment at the culmination of learning. Specifically, thinking creatively
intensifies learning. "Developing Creativity in the Classroom" not only transforms the classroom
but also transforms the minds and practices of both teachers and students alike. Enhanced for the
reader with the inclusion of an informative Introduction (Creativity: Problem Solving and
Innovation: 21st-Century Imperatives), thirty-eight pages of References, and a five page Index,
"Developing Creativity in the Classroom" will prove to ben an enduringly welcome and valued
addition to school district in-service training curriculums, as well as college and university
library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Making Global Learning Universal
Hilary Landorf, Stephanie Doscher, Jaffus Hardrick
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781620363591, $125.00, HC, 290pp, www.amazon.com
While there is wide consensus in higher education that global learning is essential for all
students' success, there are few models of how to achieve this goal. "Making Global Learning
Universal: Promoting Inclusion and Success for All Students" by the team of Hilary Landorf
(Executive Director of the Office of Global Learning Initiatives at Florida International
University); Stephanie Doscher (Director of the Office of Global Learning Initiatives, Forida
International University); and Jaffus Hardrick (Interim President of Florida Memorial University)
specifically addresses this issue by: Offering a model to make global learning universal; Providing a definition of global learning that incorporates diversity, collaboration, and problem
solving as essential components; Describing effective leadership for implementation consistent
with the attributes of global learning; Illustrating integrative, high-impact global learning
strategies within the access pipeline, students' coursework, and co-curricular activities;
Presenting practical strategies for global learning professional development, student learning
assessment, and program evaluation; Promoting inclusive excellence through universal global
learning. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an eight page listing of References and a
twelve page Index, "Making Global Learning Universal" is an invaluable and unreservedly
recommended addition to college and university library Contemporary Issues in Education
collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Making Global Learning Universal"
is also available in a paperback edition (9781620363607, $32.50) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $25.99).
Substance of Fire
Claire Millikin
2Leaf Press
PO Box 4378, Grand Central Station, NY, NY 10163-4378
www.2leafpress.org
9781940939681, $29.99, PB, 198pp, www.amazon.com
"Substance of Fire: Gender and Race in the College Classroom" by poet and scholar Claire
Millikin brings readers inside the four-year college experience, unfolding multiple perspectives
and voices. A multi-genre book,"Substance of Fire" deftly explores how race and gender function
within the privilege of the four-year college classroom. Additional contributions are drawn from
recent graduates and current faculty, who interrogate the forces of sexism and racism from the
various perspectives of gay, straight, biracial, white, African American, and Latino writers and
artists. How does being a female professor differ from being a male professor? How does being a
lesbian student make a difference in terms of accessing a professor's time, attention, and respect?
How does having dark skin or a non-Anglo last name impact a student's freedom to pursue
different majors? These and more questions are examined in "The Substance of Fire". Gender
and race can ignite, causing pain in the college setting. "Substance of Fire" goes to the heart and
core of this enduring problem. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Substance
of Fire" will prove to be an extraordinary and valued addition to college and university library
Educational Studies collections, as well as the personal reading lists of academia, administrators,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
The Science Shelf
18 Miles
Christopher Dewdney
ECW Press
www.ecwpress.com
9781770413467, $17.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
We live at the bottom of an ocean of air -- 5,200 million tons, to be exact. It sounds like a lot, but
Earth's atmosphere is smeared onto its surface in an alarmingly thin layer -- 99 percent contained
within 18 miles. Yet, within this fragile margin lies a magnificent realm which is at once
gorgeous, terrifying, capricious, and elusive. In "18 Miles: The Epic Drama of Our Atmosphere
and Its Weather", and with his keen eye for identifying and uniting seemingly unrelated events,
author Chris Dewdney reveals to the invisible rivers in the sky that affect how our weather works
and the structure of clouds and storms and seasons, the roller coaster of climate. Dewdney also
details the history of weather forecasting and introduces the eccentric and determined pioneers of
science and observation whose efforts gave us the understanding of weather we have today. "18
Miles" is a kaleidoscopic and fact-filled journey that is both an evocative metaphor and a
physical reality. From the roaring hurricane winds of Katrina to the frozen oceans of Snowball
Earth, "18 Miles" gives readers a long overdue look at the very air we breathe and how human
activity is affecting it. Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "18 Miles" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to
community and academic library Contemporary Science collections in general, and
atmosphere/environmental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students, academia, environmental activists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "18 Miles" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99)
and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781721376735, $14.99, MP3
CD).
The World History Shelf
Among the Wolves of Court
Lauren Mackay
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781788310437 $25.00 amazon.com
Although the tragic tale Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of the future
Queen Elizabeth I, is well-known, the unfortunate fates of her father Thomas and her brother
George are often left as footnotes to Henry VIII's violent reign. Thomas was one of Henry's most
skilled and experienced ambassadors, while George was a talented courtier with high prospects.
Among the Wolves of Court: The Untold Story of Thomas and George Boleyn tells of how
Anne's downfall destroyed both men, ultimately costing their careers and in George's case, his
life. Notes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this historical chronicle of cruelty, intrigue, and
betrayal. Among the Wolves of Court is a welcome contribution to public library British History
collections and personal reading lists.
Citadel of the Saxons
Rory Naismith
I. B. Tauris Publishers
www.ibtauris.com
9781788312226, $30.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Rory Naismith is Lecturer in Medieval British History
at King's College London. His earlier books include Money and Power in Anglo-Saxon England
(2012), which in 2013 won the Best First Book Prize of the International Society of
Anglo-Saxonists. In "Citadel of the Saxons: The Rise of Early London" he draws upon his
impressive history of research and his exhaustive expertise to chart what happened to the Roman
city of Londinium after the collapse of Roman civilization in fourth-century Britannia as a
cultural and political darkness fell over the former province. Villas crumbled to ruin; vital
commodities became scarce; cities decayed; and Londinium was all but abandoned. Yet
memories of its greatness endured like the moss and bindweed which now ensnared its toppled
columns and pilasters. By the 600s a new settlement, Lundenwic, was established on the banks of
the River Thames by enterprising traders who braved the North Sea in their precarious small
boats. The history of the city's phoenix-like resurrection, as it was transformed from an empty
shell into a court of kings, is still virtually unknown. "Citadel of the Saxons" vividly evokes the
forgotten Lundenwic and the later fortress on the Thames (Lundenburgh) of desperate Saxon
defenders who retreated inside their Roman walls to stand fast against menacing Viking
incursions. Recalling the lost cities which laid the foundations of today's metropolis, "Citadel of
the Saxons" tells the stirring story of how Londinium was reborn, against all odds, as a bulwark
against the Danes and pivotal English citadel, as well as how Anglo-Saxon London rose to
become the most important town in England, as well as a vital stronghold in later campaigns
against the Normans in 1066. An essential, impressively informative, and core addition to
personal reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library Medieval Studies
collections, "Citadel of the Saxons" is a non-fiction history that reads as smoothly as the most
well crafted novel.
The Roman Legionaries: Soldiers of Empire
Simon Elliott
Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612006116, $12.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
The might of Rome rested on the back of its legions; the superbly trained and equipped fighting
force with which the imperial Roman army conquered, subdued and ruled an empire for
centuries. The legionary soldier served for 20 years, was rigorously trained, highly equipped, and
motivated by pay, bonuses and a strong sense of identity and camaraderie. Legionaries wore full
body-armor, carried a shield which could be used defensively to form a shield wall or a tortoise,
or it could be used offensively to punch at opponents and throw them off-balance in
close-quarters fighting, as well as two javelins, a sword, and a dagger. In battle they hurled their
javelins and then immediately drew their swords and charged to close combat with the enemy.
They were the finest heavy infantrymen of antiquity. "The Roman Legionaries: Soldiers of
Empire" by archaeologist, historian and leading aerospace journalist Simon Elliot is a concise,
informative, and entertaining history of the Roman legionary covering their history from the age
of Augustus through the heyday of the Roman Empire. Topics featured include training, tactics,
weapons, the men themselves, life on and off the battlefield as well as significant triumphs and
disasters in the great battles of the era. Featuring black-and-white illustrations, "The Roman
Legionaries: Soldiers of Empire" is impressively well written, engagingly informative, and
unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Roman History collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "The Roman Legionaries: Soldiers of Empire" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $7.95).
The Civil War Shelf
Ironclad Captains of the Civil War
Myron J. Smith, Jr.
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476666365, $75.00, PB, 262pp, www.amazon.com
From 1861 to 1865, the American Civil War saw numerous technological innovations in warfare
-- and chief among them was the invention of the ironclad warship. Based on the Official
Records, biographical works, ship and operations histories, newspapers and other sources,
"Ironclad Captains of the Civil War" by Myron J. Smith, Jr. (who is an Emeritus Library Director
and Professor at Tusculum University, Greeneville, Tennesse) is a chronicle of the lives of 158
ironclad captains, both North and South, who were charged with outfitting and commanding
these then-revolutionary vessels in combat. Each individual biography includes (where known)
birth and death information, pre- and post-war career, and details about ships served upon or
commanded. A unique and very special contribution to the growing library of American Civil
War History & Literature, "Ironclad Captains of the Civil War" is an extraordinary and very
highly recommended addition to community and academic library American Civil War
collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Ironclad Captains of the Civil War" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$39.99).
The Fiction Shelf
Down Along the Piney: Ozarks Stories
John Mort
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.undpress.nd.edu
9780268104054, $50.00, HC, 210pp, www.amazon.com
"Down Along the Piney: Ozarks Stories" is John Mort's fourth short-story collection and winner
of the Richard Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction. With settings in Florida, California, Mexico,
Chicago, the Texas Panhandle, and, of course, the Ozarks themselves, "Down Along the Piney"
is comprised of thirteen stories that collectively portray the unsung, amusing, brutal, forever
hopeful lives of ordinary people. Mort chronicles the struggles of "flyover" people who live not
just in the Midwest, but anywhere you can find a farm, small town, or river winding through
forested hills. These iconoclastic, deftly crafted, and inherently engaging short stories reveal the
author's impressive narrative driven storytelling skills. While very highly recommended for both
community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Down Along the Piney" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780268104061, $20.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Miss Royal's Mules
Irene Bennett Brown
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432838553, $25.95, HC, 235pp, www.amazon.com
In 1900 a steadfast and feisty young woman, Jocelyn Belle Royal, joins a mule drive to earn back
her Flint Hills farm in Kansas which she had lost to the bank. Entanglements over the mules,
outlaws, women's suffrage, and a disagreement over the governor's mansion, test her mettle to the
limit. Still, Jocelyn can't give up if 'home' will ever again be more than a few belongings tied in a
shawl, all that she owns! A deftly crafted and unfailingly entertaining read from beginning to
end, "Miss Royal's Mules" is a literary treasure by author Irene Bennett Brown, a novelist with a
genuine flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling. While unreservedly and especially
recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Miss Royal's Mules" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99).
Apache Springs
Frank Leslie
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432847135, $25.95, HC, 374pp, www.amazon.com
"Apache Springs" is comprised of two riveting stories featuring the half-breed wanderer, Yakima
Henry. In "Bloody Arizona", four strangers ride into Apache Springs and shoot the marshal while
Yakima is locked up. Now the marshal's wife Julia convinces Yakima to wear her husband's
badge and take on the kill-crazy, vengeance-hungry Rebel Wilkes, who wants to destroy the town
as well as his former lover, Julia. In "Wildcat of the Sierra Estrada", Apache Springs is
flourishing after gold was discovered in the surrounding mountains. But with wealth comes
trouble, and Yakima is about to have his fill, not the least of which is a canyon filled with lost
Jesuit gold that fortune-hunters are willing to kill for, and the love triangle he becomes involved
in with Julia and Emma, the two beautiful Kosgrove daughters. If the gold-hunters don't kill
Yakima, the love hunters (and their none too happy father!) just might! "Apache Springs" is
another terrifically entertaining read from author Frank Leslie and very highly recommended,
especially for community library Western Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of all dedicated western buffs that "Apache Springs" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Megan's Song
H. Lee Pratt
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432847067, $25.95, HC, 369pp, www.amazon.com
Megan's voice is liquid gold. She dreams of becoming a star and leaving her miserable life in
Jackson, Wyoming. Then Megan accidently stumbles upon a dangerous secret -- it is during the
height of prohibition and her in-laws are selling whiskey from their dude ranch. Fears are
amplified when a rumor spreads of a prohibition agent coming to town. A movie crew, which
includes her celebrity sister, come to shoot in the pristine scenery. There is an instant attraction
between Megan and the director. Whilst filming in the back country, a sudden, massive landslide
kills some of the crew and traps others. The survivors must work together, but greed, selfishness
and paranoia set in. If Megan manages to survive, does she possess the strength to demand a
happier life? As a novelist, author H. Lee Pratt has an impressive flair for narrative storytelling
that brings life to her characters and an ability to rivet her reader's full attention throughout
"Megan's Song". While very highly recommended, especially for community library General
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Megan's Song" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Penhaligon's Pride
Terry Nixon
Magna Large Print Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780750546553, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 396pp, www.amazon.com
It's 1910. Anna Garvey and her daughter are still running the Tin Streamer's Arms in
Caernoweth, Cornwall, and it finally seems like she has left her tumultuous history behind in
Ireland. Meanwhile Freya Penhaligon has blossomed and is now the object of increasing
affection of Hugh, the elder son of the wealthy Batten family. After the dramatic events of the
previous months, it feels like everything is finally getting back to normal. But when Anna
inadvertently reveals something she shouldn't, she finds herself at the centre of a blackmail plot
and it seems like the past she longed to escape is coming back to haunt her. An enormously
entertaining and deftly crafted novel from first page to last, this large print edition of
"Penhaligon's Pride" by Terry Nixon is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal
reading lists for British Romance fans and community library collections!
The Deadly Shadow
Paul Bedford
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444838206, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 264pp, www.amazon.com
In the winter of 1888, a gang of 15 outlaws led by notorious desperado Taw Johnson arrives at a
small ranch near the town of Chinook. Cathy Clemens is recently married, but temporarily alone
on the ranch, and Johnson makes the fateful decision to carry her off. When her husband John
Clemens returns, he swears vengeance and sets off in pursuit, coldly picking the men off one by
one. Against all the odds, the impressionable Cathy finds herself attracted to Johnson - and ever
more alienated by her husband's unrelentingly cruel behavior. Rarely is a western novel so
inherently riveting, laced with so many unexpected twists and turns, and resulting is such an
stunningly unexpected conclusion. Very highly recommended for community library Western
Fiction collections, if dedicated western buffs have only time for one book, make it Paul
Bedford's "The Deadly Shadow" -- a deftly crafted novel that will linger in the mind and memory
long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.
The Siege Of Morton's Cross
K. S. Stanley
Linford Western Library
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444838251, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 304pp, www.amazon.com
The town leaders of Morton's Cross are awaiting with trepidation the imminent release of Dan
McCleery from prison. It is common knowledge that McCleery and his gang of outlaws will want
to exact revenge on the townsfolk for incarcerating him five years earlier. But in planning to
survive what could become an ugly siege, the town's leaders start falling out with each other. In
desperation, they hire bounty hunter Todd McFarlane. For McFarlane to outwit the slippery
McCleery, however, the leaders must first step up and face their demons. "The Siege Of Morton's
Cross" is another deftly crafted western novel by a master of the genre. While very highly
recommended, especially for community library Western Fiction collections, this large print
edition is a 'must read' for all dedicated fans of western action/adventure tales.
Pards Of Buffalo Bill
Tom Curry
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785415579, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 180pp, www.amazon.com
The Sioux are on the warpath. But when Jim Barringer finds his father murdered and scalped on
the prairie there is a distinctive boot mark near the body, along with a shod hoofmark a cork still
smelling of whisky, and empty cartridge shells with a distinctive markings. Seems white men
killed him, and are trying to pin it on the Sioux. In finding and avenging his father Jim has the
help of his friends, the Rio Kid and Buffalo Bill Cody. In "Pards Of Buffalo Bill" author and
novelist Tom Curry has an interesting storytelling knack for language and dialogue that fully
captures the sense of the Old West Frontier. Featuring non-stop action in the form of gun battles,
Indian attacks, and sinister attempts to exploit the new railroad being built through the territory,
"Pards Of Buffalo Bill" is an inherently entertaining read, and in this large print edition can be
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction
collections.
The Art Shelf
A New Way of Seeing
Kelly Grovier
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500239636, $50.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
From a carved mammoth tusk (ca. 40,000 BCE) to Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights (1505 -
1510) to Duchamp's Fountain (1917), a remarkable lexicon of astonishing imagery has imprinted
itself onto the cultural consciousness of the past 40,000 years. In "A New Way of Seeing: The
History of Art in 57 Works", poet, historian, and cultural critic Kelly Grovier devotes himself to
illuminating these and more than fifty other seminal works in this radical new history of art.
Stepping away from biography, style, and the chronology of "isms" that preoccupies most of art
history, "A New Way of Seeing" invites a new interaction with art, one in which we learn from
the artworks and not just about them. Grovier identifies that part of the artwork that bridges the
divide between art and life and elevates its value beyond the visual to the vital. "A New Way of
Seeing" challenges the sensibility that conceives of artists as brands and the works they create as
nothing more than material commodities to hoard, hide, and flip for profit. Lavishly illustrated
with many of the most breathtaking and enduring artworks ever created, "A New Way of Seeing"
casts fresh light on these famous works by daring to isolate a single, and often overlooked, detail
responsible for its greatness and power to move. Visually enhanced with the inclusion of 200
color illustrations, making it a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, community and academic library Art History collections, "A New Way of Seeing" is an
extraordinary history of art and one that will have immense appeal to both academia and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Fantastic Worlds
Ed Leimbacher
Insight Editions
PO Box 3088, San Rafael, CA 94912
www.insighteditions.com
9781608878659, $75.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
William Stout is an American fantasy artist and illustrator with a specialization in
paleontological art. From his cult movie posters to his epic paleoart, "Fantastic Worlds: The Art
of William Stout" celebrates his life and work in the format of a stunning monograph that
features his most iconic imagery from the multitalented muralist, illustrator, and designer. In this
beautifully illustrated pages Stout fans can relive the life and career of their favorite artist. Very
highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Contemporary American
Art & Artists collections, "Fantastic Worlds" provides readers an in-depth understanding of how
Stout developed as an artist and is an ideal informational resource for fans to commemorate and
appreciate the extraordinary work of a truly one-of-a-kind artist fantasy artist.
The Cookbook Shelf
Diabetes Quick-Fix with Magic Foods
Robert A. Barnett, et al.
Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781621454045, $19.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Diabetes is an ailments endured by more than 100 millions Americans today. For diabetics, blood
sugar levels regularly soar and crash, creating such damage to physical health that if not dealt
with could prove lethal. The good news is that by eating the right foods, diabetics can help
control their blood sugar, keep hunger at bay, and still feel satisfied longer. "Diabetes Quick-Fix
with Magic Foods: Balance Your Blood Sugar to Lose Weight and Supercharge Your Energy!" is
based on nutrition science, but designed for non-specialist general readers who just want to know
what to eat. "Diabetes Quick-Fix with Magic Foods" showcases 57 'magic foods' that can help
the diabetic move their diet into sugar-friendly territory. Add just one of these showcased magic
foods to the plate, and diabetics can see results right away, such as: Barley instead of white rice
(thanks to barley's significant stash of soluble fiber it will slash the effect of excess blood sugar
by almost 70%) -- try Mushroom-Barley Pilaf; Add avocados to your diet (avocado contains fats
that actually improve insulin sensitivity) with a Turkey and Bean Chili with Avocado Salsa;
Berries, from ruby red strawberries to mid-night blue blueberries, are magic for your blood sugar
because they are full of fiber, which keeps blood sugar low, and antioxidants, which benefit
every cell in your body -- so try Cherry-Raspberry Crumble; Pasta, although high in carbs, if
cooked al dente and served with a topping containing vegetables, beans, chicken, garlic, and
onions, could get many magic foods on one plate and still keep blood sugar levels in a medium
range -- so try Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach; Cinnamon and vinegar are "secret
ingredients" that can significantly lower your blood sugar response to any meal -- sotry cinnamon
in Moroccan Spiced Carrots or vinegar in Flank Steak with Balsamic Sauce. Featuring more than
125 recipes, meal makeovers, meal plans, and cooking tips making it incredibly simple to get
more of the 57 magic foods onto your plate, "Diabetes Quick-Fix with Magic Foods" will make
meals will taste delicious and, in addition, they will rein in insulin resistance, offload dangerous
belly fat, reverse pre-diabetes, and help heal diabetes while feeling more fully charged and ready
to embrace life every day. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99), "Diabetes
Quick-Fix with Magic Foods" is unreservedly recommended and should be considered an
essential addition to the personal cookbook collections of any family with diabetic members, as
well as community library contemporary cookbook collections.
A Whole New Way to Eat
Vladia Cobrdova
Murdoch Books
www.murdochbooks.co.uk
9781743368985, $28.99, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Covering breakfast, drinks, dips & spreads, salads, soups, lunch, dinner, snacks and sweets "A
Whole New Way to Eat" by Vladia Cobrdova (a nutritionist, recipe developer and Wellness
Ambassador for About Life -- Australia's largest wholefoods retail chain) has every realm of
eating and drinking covered to get you through the week and introducing a diverse range of foods
into your diet. Breakfast inspiration comes in the form of recipes like kohlrabi and sweet potato
rosti with maple bacon and lime avocado paired with a salted almond butter smoothie and chia
and date porridge; lunch comes with recipes like crispy coconut chicken; and main meal ideas
include dishes of lamb-stuffed eggplant with lemon & white bean tahini mash and seafood and
black rice paella. There's even sweet treats and snacks to keep you going, from hazelnut and
ginger chocolate fudge bark to carrot & zucchini cake with ricotta frosting. With inspirational
recipes that are suitable for vegans, paleo and vegetarians, "A Whole New Way to Eat" ensures
that everyone is welcome at the table with truly delicious food that just happens to be good for
you. Beautifully illustrated with full color photography, and featuring throughly 'kitchen cook
friendly' recipes for everything from a Silky Baobab Smoothie; Tumeric & Lime Coconut Baked
Snapper; Clean & Green Soup; and Shepherd's Pie with Lentils; to Lemon & Thyme Cranola;
Vannila & Maple Gut-Healing Marshmallows; Matcha Ice Cream; and Quinoa Scones, "A
Whole New Way to Eat" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, family, and community library vegetarian cookbook collections. While also avalable in
a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), it is interesting to note that each of the more than 135
recipes are listed as to whether they are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or paleo.
The Economic Studies Shelf
International Monetary Reform
John Williamson
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9781857438055, $155.00, HC, 152pp, www.amazon.com
John Williamson was, for the greater part of his career (1981-2012), a Senior Fellow at the
Peterson Institute for International Economics, USA. Before that he was an academic at the
Universities of York and Warwick in the United Kingdom and Pontifˇcia Universidade Catolica
do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, interrupted by spells at the UK Treasury (1968-70) and the
International Monetary Fund (1972-74). He was also a Visiting Professor at the London School
of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University, USA, and took
leave of absence from the Peterson Institute to serve as Chief Economist in the World Bank from
1996-99. His publications have mostly concerned international monetary economics, although he
also achieved a certain notoriety in 1989 for inventing the phrase 'Washington Consensus'. In
"International Monetary Reform: A Specific Set Of Proposals", Williamson draws upon his years
of research, experience, and expertise to examine and analyze the workings of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and suggests how the international monetary system could, through
changes to the IMF, be reshaped and reformed. Individual chapters examine the Palais-Royal
report, explain how the IMF could be granted unlimited bailout powers to confront a global
crisis, propose an exchange-rate based mechanism by which the international community could
discipline excessive imbalances, examine alternative possibilities for the supply of future
reserves, advocate 'enthronement of the Special Drawing Right', and discuss the obstacles in the
way of such an ambitious reform agenda. Exceptionally well organized and presented, informed
and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "International Monetary Reform" is
unreservedly recommended as a valued contribution to our on-going national dialogue, and for
both community, governmental, and academic library Contemporary Economics collections and
supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia,
economists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "International
Monetary Reform" is also available in a paperback edition (9781138386396, $53.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $38.16).
The Bankrupting of America
William Salomone, Jr.
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781480992313, $25.00, HC, 238pp, www.amazon.com
William Salomone, Jr. is a retired businessman and financial executive -- basically a numbers
guy. He previously did not pay much attention to national politics. He was happy living the
American Dream with his wife of 50 years and his son. However, in 2014, he retired and decided
to look into the reported national debt in trillions of dollars and the financial strength of the
government entity that was to be sending him Social Security checks. After his research, he was
stunned and alarmed. It became his strong belief that if a private company reflected the same
financial statement as the U.S. government, that company would be bankrupt and out of business.
In the pages of "The Bankrupting of America" Salomone deftly explores America's unimaginable
national debt -- a debt so large and growing so fast it may never be repaid. "The Bankrupting of
American also addresses such economically relevant issues of illegal immigration and terrorism,
along with suggestions of improving life for Americans. Exceptionally well written, organized
and presented, "The Bankrupting of America" is impressively informed and informative, making
it an ideal and highly recommended addition to community, college, and university library
Contemporary Social Issues collections in general, and Modern Economics supplemental studies
reading lists in particular.
The Gardening Shelf
Container Gardener's Handbook
Frances Tophill
CompanionHouse Books
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781620083307, $19.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Now with "Container Gardener's Handbook: Pots, Techniques, and Projects to Transform Any
Space" even the most novice of aspiring gardeners can add greenery to their homes by utilizing
overlooked pots to their full potential and transform a garden -- even when all they have to work
with is a modest balcony, a small square of patio, or just a windowsill. "Container Gardener's
Handbook" covers a range of different planting schemes and types of container, from urns and
troughs to chimney stacks and hanging baskets. A reliable source of expert advice on what to
grow, ranging from bonsais, bulbs and bamboos to tumbling and creeping plants and flowers,
aspiring gardeners will learn how to make a living wall, a pond in a metal trough, or even your
own homemade containers. Featured in the "Container Gardener's Handbook" are: 41 inspired
projects for creative and sustainable container gardens; How to use containers to bring nature to
the most inhospitable and smallest of spaces; Choosing the right size, shape and materials for
containers; How to pair plants and pots, upcycle existing items, and create personalized
containers; Advice on drainage, compost, additives, fertilizers, mulch, feeding, watering,
deadheading, and more. Showcasing creative ideas and step-by-step instructions with bright and
informative photography, the profusely illustrated Container Gardener's Handbook" is thoroughly
'user friendly in organization and presentation, making it an ideal and highly recommended
addition to personal and community library Gardening instructional reference collections.
The Architecture Shelf
The New Cottage
Katie Hutchison
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781641550130, $34.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
"The New Cottage: Inspiration for America's Favorite Home" by Katie Hutchison (an architect
with over 23 years of experience in residential design) deftly explores how the traditional cottage
is changing and evolving to suit living today. Even in the face of technology's expanding scope
and speed, and the resulting nearly ubiquitous reach of social media, today's new cottage appeals
to our increasing need to balance transience and durability, togetherness and solitude, the high
tech and the home spun. "The New Cottage" showcases ten design strategies that characterize
captivating cottages are introduced. Also included are 25 case study examples revealing today's
updated take on the classic cottage, with visual icons throughout to serve as a reminder of which
strategies are in use where. Beautifully and profusely illustrated with full color photography
throughout making it of particular interest and value to academia and non-specialist general
readers alike, "The New Cottage" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition
to professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Architecture
collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Needlecraft Shelf
A Beginner's Guide to Quilting
Christine Mann
Familius
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
www.familius.com
9781641700337, $24.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Christine Mann is the co-founder of the popular website newquilter.com and founder of the
Quilter's Diary blog and New Quilters blog. In the pages of "A Beginner's Guide to Quilting" she
has drawn upon her years of experience and expertise to craft an ideal and unreservedly
recommended instruction manual and guide for the non-specialist general reader who would like
to learn the basics of quilting. Packed from cover to cover with illustrative full-color photographs
and a wealth of creative inspiration, every detail of "A Beginner's Guide to Quilting" features
step-by-step instructions in a lay-flat spiral binding that is designed specifically with the
beginning quilter in mind. Readers will also find a brief history of quilting and helpful guides on
cutting and coordinating colors, plus delightful extras like templates and quick-reference guides
in the back pocket of this book. Even better, each book comes with a pack of 4 quilt labels so
even the most novice beginner can proudly stitch their very own labels onto their first quilted
creation!
The Sports Shelf
Wrestling Tough, second edition
Mike Chapman
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781492567912, $23.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Now in an updated and revised second edition, "Wrestling Tough" by Mike Chapman, (widely
known for his unique expertise, analysis, and insight into the great sport of wrestling) explores
the attacking mind-set and the importance of psyching up for competition. Readers will: Gain
perspective on the increasing popularity of the sport among women and girls and how female
participants are proving their toughness on the mat at all levels; Examine the rise and importance
of funk-style wrestling, through which an individual's personality is allowed (and encouraged) to
shine; Glimpse the key moments in the careers of many great wrestlers and the training methods
they used to break through barriers and achieve ultimate success. "Wrestling Tough" also features
stories, insights, and coaching philosophies from legendary coaches and wrestlers such as Cael
Sanderson, Dan Gable, Lee Kemp, John Smith, Tom Brands, and Steve Fraser, and even coaches
from other sports such as basketball's John Wooden and football's Vince Lombardi. These stories
will captivate wrestlers, coaches, and fans of wrestling alike. Simply stated, "Wrestling Tough"
provides the information and insights necessary to the development of the mental fortitude to win
and dominate on the mat. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and illustrated presentation,
"Wrestling Tough" is unreservedly recommended for personal, school, and community library
Sports & Athletic collections in general, and Wrestling supplemental studies reading lists in
particular.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
The Comic Hero's Journey
Steve Kaplan
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932870 $26.95 pbk / $17.40 Kindle amazon.com
"The Hero's Journey" for dramatic films is well known, but what of the protagonist of a comedy
film? The Comic Hero's Journey: Serious Story Structure for Fabulously Funny Films examines
the transformative journey of the protagonist in a comedy, with particular attention paid to the
differences between a comedy-film story structure and the dramatic Hero's Journey. Individual
chapters discuss characters in comedy, the catalyst of a comedic narrative, building toward a
madcap race to the finish, and more. A wealth of examples, including excerpts from iconic
comedy film scripts, rounds out this welcome and thought-provoking contribution to college and
public library Theatre/Cinema collections.
The Actor Uncovered
Michael Howard
Allworth Press
www.allworth.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781621535492, $24.99, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Michael Howard has been a major force in American theater for more than seven decades. After
studying with Sanford Meisner in the 1940s and Lee Strasberg in his private classes and in the
Actors Studio in the 1950s, Howard enjoyed an acting career that led him to work with such
American luminaries as Clifford Odets and Uta Hagen before moving on to direct and teach. He
served as the first artistic director of Atlanta's Alliance Theater and later on the faculties of
Julliard and Yale University. A teacher for more than fifty years in the studio he founded,
Michael Howard Studios, he has been and continues to be a trainer of actors who have achieved
international recognition. In "The Actor Uncovered" he draws upon his years of experience and
expertise to provide aspiring actors insights about the process and craft of acting that is at once
intensely personal and relatable by others. "The Actor Uncovered" covers such topics as:
Techniques, styles, and methods in a changing society; Relaxation, concentration, and the breath;
The relationships among actor, director, and writer; Memory; On camera versus on stage; and
Obstacles. A truly extraordinary blend of personal memoir and instructional text, "The Actor
Uncovered" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library
"Theatre Arts" collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of theatre students, professional actors, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "The Actor Uncovered" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781621536369, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.71).
The Actor's Complete Shakespeare Sonnet Bible
Martin Jago
Smith & Kraus Publishers
177 Lyme Road, Lyme NH 03755-6610
www.smithandkraus.com
9781575259307, $21.95, PB, 399pp, www.amazon.com
An expert with respect to the works of Shakespeare, Martin Jago is an Interdisciplinary Theatre
Director from Great Britain with a passion for classical plays, contemporary plays, and new
writing. Drawing upon his years of experience and expertise, he has organized "The Actor's
Complete Shakespeare Sonnet Bible" in two parts: the first includes all one hundred and fifty
four of Shakespeare's Sonnets with side-by-side contemporary version of the text; the second part
uses a handful of sonnets to explore a hundred and one acting games, voice exercises and speech
workouts for actors. The aim is to provide actors a practical, book-in-hand guide to The Sonnets,
the nuts and bolts of iambic pentameter and a workbook of techniques, tips and know-how that
the actor can apply to everything he or she does from the classical to contemporary. Intended for
theatre directors, educators, coaches, "The Actor's Complete Shakespeare Sonnet Bible" is an
extraordinary body of work that would be an excellent textbook for a Shakespearian Studies
curriculum. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Actor's Complete Shakespeare
Sonnet Bible" is very highly recommended for personal, community library, community theatre,
and academic library Theatrical Studies collections in general, and Shakespearian supplemental
studies reading list in particular.
Project Planning for the Stage
Rich Dionne
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809336890, $35.00, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
In the pages of "Project Planning for the Stage: Tools and Techniques for Managing
Extraordinary Performances", Rich Dionne (Assistant Professor and Faculty Technical Director
in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance at Purdue University)
reframes theatre production as a project and provides essential tools for understanding and
managing it efficiently, whether it be a stage play, an opera, a dance piece, or other performance
that requires the collaboration of the artists and artisans creating the visual and aural landscape
for it. Deftly organized into four major sections (Productions as Projects; Planning the Project;
Executing and Managing the Project; Closing Out the Project), "Project Planning for the Stage "
is a complete and comprehensive course of instruction and very highly recommended for
community theatre, community library, college and university library Theatrical Production
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of technical directors, costume shop
managers, master electricians, properties masters, video supervisors, and theatrical production
planners that "Project Planning for the Stage" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$31.59).
The Biography Shelf
Napoleon: A Life
Adam Zamoyski
Basic Books
www.basicbooks.com
c/o Perseus Books Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465055937, $40.00, HC, 784pp, www.amazon.com
The story of Napoleon has been written many times. In some versions, he is a military genius, in
others a war-obsessed tyrant. Here, in "Napoleon: A Life", historian and biographer Adam
Zamoyski cuts through the mythology and explains Napoleon against the background of the
European Enlightenment, and what he was himself seeking to achieve. This most famous of men
is also the most hidden of men, and in "Napoleon: A Life", Zamoyski deftly dives deeper than
any previous biographer to find him. Beautifully written by an author with a genuine flair for
narrative storytelling and documented with scholarly precision so that it brilliantly sets Napoleon
within his European context, this 784 page biography is unreservedly recommended for
community, 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
"Napoleon: A Life" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781549148163, $60.00, CD).
Sergeant York
Alvin York, author
Tom Skeyhill, editor
Racehorse Publishing
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781631582820, $16.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
On October 8th, 1918, amid the last of the Allies attempts to the Germans, Sergeant Alvin York
of Tennessee found himself and his platoon of only seventeen men trapped in the thick of heavy
machine gun fire. Rather than retreating or calling upon the artillery to take out the nest,
sharpshooter York single-handedly took out twenty-five Germans, dropping them one-by-one,
and captured many more. This is only one of the many tales of York's famed heroism, which
were heralded as some of the most impressive battle stories in history of modern warfare. Deftly
edited by Tom Skeyhill, "Sergeant York: His Own Life Story and War Diary" is comprised of
York's war diaries which offer up-close snapshots of his fabled military career. Long out of print
but included in this new paperback edition of a classic work are new forewords written by York's
son and grandson, which provide both personal and historical recollections of their predecessor.
In the pages of "Sergeant York" military buffs will learn about the fascinating life of a true
American World War I hero. While very highly recommended for both community and academic
library 20th Century American Biography and 20th Century Military History collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sergeant York" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.01).
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Supers (Book One)
Frederic Maupome and Dawid
Top Shelf Productions
www.topshelfcomix.com
c/o IDW Publishing
www.idwpublishing.com
9781603094399 $14.99 amazon.com
Supers (Book One): A Little Star Past Cassiopeia is a full-color graphic novel about a trio of
super-powered illegal immigrants - from another planet! Matt, Lily, and Benji were abandoned
on planet Earth at a young age, and they don't dare use their powers in public for fear of their
secret becoming known. Everyday life is hard, and starting at a new school poses additional
challenges. How does one deal with a violent bully when basic self-defense could give away
one's super-speed? A captivating browse for readers of all ages, Supers (Book One) is
enthusiastically recommended for both public library and personal graphic novel collections.
The Audiobook Shelf
The First Conspiracy
Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch, authors
Read by Scott Brick
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427299185 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com
Featuring a bonus interview with authors Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch, The First Conspiracy:
The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a shocking
true story from American history that reads like a thriller. In 1776, an elite group of soldiers was
selected to be George Washington's bodyguards. But there were traitors among them, who along
with the Governor of New York (William Tryon) and Mayor David Mathews, concocted a deadly
plot to eliminate George Washington. A riveting glimpse into just how fragile and tenuous
America's beginning as a nation truly was, The First Conspiracy is highly recommended for
public library and personal audiobook collections. 9 CDs, 11 hours. It should be noted that The
First Conspiracy is also available in hardcover format from Flatiron Books (9781250130334,
$29.99) and in a Kindle edition ($14.99).
Reconstruction: A Concise History
Allen C. Guelzo, author
Read by Bob Souer
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781630153991 $29.99 https://tantor.com
Reconstruction: A Concise History is the unabridged audiobook rendition of an accessible,
reader-friendly history of the post-Civil War Reconstruction era of America. The Reconstruction
era is well-known for its failures (the rise of segregation and Jim Crow, and entrenched Southern
resistance toward a Northern free-labor economy), but its successes are also worth noting (the
Civil Rights Act, ratification of the fourteenth and fifteenth Constitutional Amendments, and the
avoidance of a renewed Civil War). Smoothly narrated by voice professional Bob Souer,
Reconstruction: A Concise History is enlightening, fascinating, and highly recommended
especially for public library and personal audiobook collections. 4 CDs, 4.5 hours.
Ghost Stories
Charles Dickens, author
Read by David Timson
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
9781781981740 $81.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com
Ghost Stories is an audiobook rendition of fifteen classic ghost stories written by Charles
Dickens, showcasing his versatile talents in the realm of supernatural horror. Vividly performed
by BBC Radio Drama veteran David Timson, these Gothic tales include "The Signalman", "The
Haunted Man", "Ghost's Bargain", "The Portrait-Painter's Story", "Captain Murderer and the
Devil's Bargain", "A Christmas Carol", "The Baron of Grogzwig" from "The Pickwick Papers",
and "The Ghost in the Bride's Chamber", a novella co-written with Wilkie Collins. Ghost Stories
is a treasure for connoisseurs of the genre in general and Dickens' classic fiction in particular,
highly recommended for both personal and public library audiobook collections. 14 CDs, 16
hours 20 min. 25 sec.
The Library CD Shelf
Serenity III
Michael Kollwitz
www.MichaelKollwitz.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Serenity III: More Peaceful Music on the Chapman Stick is music artist Michael Kollwitz's third
CD of relaxing music created on the unique, uncommon stringed instrument created by Emmett
Chapman, and known as The Chapman Stick (R) (more info about this marvelous instrument can
be found on www.stick.com or on Wikipedia - it's classified as part of the guitar family, and
known for its ability to play base lines, melody lines, chords or textures). Mellifluous and
soothing, Serenity III is a treasure to experience and makes an excellent gift to connoisseurs of
extraordinary instrumental compositions. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Cloud Number
Eleven", "Soft Forest", "Tell Me Why", "Wherever It Leads", "Gift Of Peace", "Smooth Sailing",
"Sunday Morning", "Contemplation", "Winding Down", "Crystal Caverns", "Playful Curiosity",
"Forgive and Forget", "Have a Good One", "On The Lake", "Secret Cargo", and "Good Night
Sleep Tight".
You're the One
Brian Hagen
bharts.net
Privately Published
$TBA amazon.com
You're the One is a new age solo piano album by music artist Brian Hagen, featuring a blend of
original compositions and beloved classic pieces. All songs share a common theme about the
profound effects of love. You're the One is beautiful, liberating, and makes an excellent gift to
show a loved one how special they are. The track list (with Hagen's original creations marked by
asterisks) is "You're the One" *, "By the Limpid Stream, Friedrich Burgmuller Opus 100, No. 7",
"Nocturne, Alexander Borodin theme from String Quartet #2" (arrangement by Brian Hagen),
"Contemplation, Felix Mendelssohn Opus 30, No. 1, Andante Espressivo", "Diabelli Sonatina,
Diabelli Opus 168, no. 4, movement II: Andantino", "Fantasie, Anton Bruckner WAB 118",
"Lonesome Road" *, "Beethoven Sonatina, Ludwig Van Beethoven" "Afternoon Waltz" *, "Let It
Flow" *, "Now and Forever" *, "Autumn Afternoon Homecoming" *, "Kleine Studie, Robert
Schumann Opus 68, No. 14", and "Sunflower" *.
Reality of Dreams
Dulce Joya
http://dulcejoya.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $7.99 MP3 amazon.com
The debut solo piano collections of pianist and composer Dulce Joya, Reality of Dreams is a
musical journey through the boundaries of imagination. Wondrous and captivating, Reality of
Dreams is an inspirational work of beauty and a choice pick for solo piano connoisseurs, highly
recommended. The tracks are "Romantic Power", "Call of the King", "Lights and Shadows",
"Sad Moments", "Magical Ride", "Pride of Love", "Shadows of my Soul", "Stormchild", "Winter
Dreams", "Bleeding Heart", "Fallen Angel", and "Goodbye".
The Library DVD Shelf
Quiet Heroes
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Quiet Heroes is a DVD documentary about two women who defied the culture of their city to aid
the sick. Salt Lake City, Utah, was a terrible place to contract HIV/AIDS in the 80's and early
90's; the Mormon religious monoculture ostracized those who were sick, and the religion's push
to wed gay men to women led to marital transmissions of HIV, when gay men had secret affairs
and passed HIV on to their wives. For years, there were no doctors in the Salt Lake City area
willing to treat HIV patients - other than two women, Dr. Kristen Ries and her partner (in
medicine and in life) Maggie Snyder. Quiet Heroes is the story of their courageous fight to help
the sick and infected, especially during a time when no one else in their area would. Highly
recommended, particularly for public library DVD collections. 68 min.
Olancho
A film by Chris Valdes & Ted Griswold
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Olancho is a documentary on DVD about musicians in Olancho, the most lawless and dangerous
province of Honduras. In Olancho, the drug trade is entrenched and run by vicious cartels. A
group of musicians finds economic opportunity in performing for crime-bosses. Their songs
lionize the very people whose drug trafficking and other crimes have all but turned Honduras into
a failed state, and who sometimes threaten to kill the musicians' loved ones. Do these musicians
have any choice other than to sing the praises of the drug lords who hold so much power?
Olancho is terrifying, thought-provoking, and highly recommended especially for public library
documentary collections. 70 min.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Life After Carbon
Peter Plastrik & John Cleveland
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781610918497, $35.00, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Life After Carbon presents the new ideas that are replacing the pillars of the modern-city model,
converting climate disaster into urban opportunity, and shaping the next transformation of cities
worldwide. It will inspire anyone who cares about the future of our cities, and help them to map a
sustainable path forward. In "Life After Carbon: The Next Global Transformation of Cities",
urban sustainability consultants Pete Plastrik and John Cleveland assemble a global pattern of
urban re-invention in the form of stories drawn from 25 "innovation lab" cities across the globe
ranging from Copenhagen to Melbourne. A city innovation lab is the entire city -- a complex,
messy, real urban world where innovations must work. It is a city in which government, business,
and community leaders take to heart the challenge of climate change and converge on the radical
changes that are necessary. They free down towns areas from cars, turn buildings into
renewable-energy power plants, re-nature entire neighborhoods, incubate growing numbers of
clean-energy and smart-tech companies, convert waste to energy, and much more. "Life After
Carbon" showcases four transformational ideas are driving urban climate innovation around the
world, in practice, not just in theory: carbon-free advantage, efficient abundance, nature's
benefits, and adaptive futures. And these ideas are thriving in markets, professions, consumer
trends, community movements, and "higher" levels of government that enable cities. Thoughtful
and thought-provoking, inspired and inspiring, impressively presented and enhanced with the
inclusion of forty-four pages of Notes and a sixteen page index, "Life After Carbon" is a critically
important and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library
Contemporary Environmental Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of students, academia, environmental activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Life After Carbon" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $19.24) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance
Audio, 9781721333424, $19.99, MP3 CD).
Ecology and Recovery of Eastern Old-Growth Forests
Andrew M. Brton & William S. Keeton
Island Press
2000 M Street NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781610918893, $80.00, HC, 360pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Ecology and Recovery of Eastern Old-Growth Forests" professional forest
ecologists William Keeton and Andrew Barton bring together a study that breaks new ground in
our understanding of ecological systems and their importance for forest resilience in an age of
rapid environmental change. This deftly edited volume comprised of 15 erudite contributions by
experts in their fields covers a broad geographic canvas, from eastern Canada and the Upper
Great Lakes states to the deep South. "Ecology and Recovery of Eastern Old-Growth Forests"
deftly examines at a wide diversity of ecosystems, including spruce-fir, northern deciduous,
southern Appalachian deciduous, southern swamp hardwoods, and longleaf pine. The individual
chapters are authored by leading old-growth experts examining topics of contemporary forest
ecology including forest structure and dynamics, below-ground soil processes, biological
diversity, differences between historical and modern forests, carbon and climate change
mitigation, management of old growth, and more. "Ecology and Recovery of Eastern Old-Growth
Forests" is a thoughtfully informative treatise that broadly communicates important new
discoveries to scientists, land managers, and students and breathes fresh life into the hope for
sensible, effective management of old-growth stands in eastern forests. While very highly
recommended, especially for community, college, and university library Forest and Rainforest
ecosystems and habitats collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students, academia, ecologists, eco-activists, forest managers,
government policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Ecology and Recovery of Eastern Old-Growth Forests" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781610918909, $40.00) and in a digital book format (eTextbook, $35.04).
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Keepers of the Wolves
Richard P. Thiel
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299320744, $22.95, PB, 264pp, www.uwpress.wisc.edu
It was 1978, and gray wolves had been extinct in Wisconsin for twenty years. Still, there were
rumors from the state's northwestern counties that they had returned. Dick Thiel, then a college
student with a passion for wolves, was determined to find out. Now in a revised and updated
second edition "Keepers of the Wolves" is his engrossing account of tracking and protecting the
recovery of wolves in Wisconsin. Thiel (team chairman for Wisconsin's wolf recovery plan in the
late 1980s and later managed the Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center in Babcock, Wisconsin. He is
active with the Timber Wolf Information Network and the International Wolf Center. He is the
author of The Timber Wolf in Wisconsin and coeditor of Wild Wolves We Have Known)
conveys the wonder, frustrations, humor, and everyday hard work of field biologists, including
the political and public relations pitfalls they regularly face. This new second edition brings
Thiel's story into the twenty-first century, recounting his work monitoring wolves as they spread
to central Wisconsin, conflicts of wolves with landowners and recreationalists, changes in state
and federal policies, the establishment of a state wolf-hunting season in 2012, and Thiel's
forecast for the future of wolves in Wisconsin. Of special note for academia is the inclusion of 6
maps, 3 figures and 1 table. An extraordinary subject that is expertly presented, "Keepers of the
Wolves" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, college, and university library collections for Environmental Conservation
collections in general, and Wolf Biology supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Library Science Shelf
Information Rights for Records Managers
Rachael Maguire
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783302444, $291.53 HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Local, state and federal governmental records managers have tended to find themselves given the
responsibility for managing requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) and Data
Protection Acts (DPA), without necessarily having training and/or an academic background in
legal studies. Specifically written and intended for librarians and information managers without a
legal background, "Information Rights for Records Managers" offers a complete and
comprehensive course of instruction that is a fully up to date, accessible, a comprehensive guide
to information rights, including coverage of the new General Data Protection Regulations
(GDPR), so that the guidance practitioners can provide is as fully informed as possible.
"Information Rights for Records Managers" covers: Responding to FOI requests, including
exemptions, internal reviews and benchmarking; Coverage of DPA and GDPR regulations,
where the differences lie and what the implications are for professionals operating under the acts;
Personal data requests and enquiries under GDPR; Working with the European Information
Regulations (EIR) and where the differences lie with FOI; A discussion of the two strands of
records management and information rights work and how the two interact in daily work;
Practical case studies from a range of organizations and institutions to demonstrate practice.
"Information Rights for Records Managers" is a critically important and applicably useful
reading instructional resource for all professionals in the public and private sectors who have
responsibility for information rights, particularly around FOI and DPA. While unreservedly
recommended for governmental, college, and university Library Science collections and
supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for students, academia, librarians, and
professional records managers that "Information Rights for Records Managers" is also available
in a paperback edition (9781783302444, $82.96).
Information Resource Description
Philip Hider
Alpha Publishing House
c/o Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9780838912010, $103.00, PB, 220pp, www.amazon.com
"Information Resource Description: Creating and Managing Metadata" by Philip Hider (who is
the Head of the School of Information Studies and a Professor of Library and Information
Management at Charles Sturt University, Australia) serves as a basic primer on information and
knowledge organization, with particular reference to digital environments. It introduces the
conventions and standards of contemporary document description, and the principles and trends
of professional practice. Employing the unifying mechanism of the semantic web and the
resource description framework, Professor Hider integrates the various traditions and practices of
information and knowledge organization. Uniquely, he covers both the domain-specific traditions
and practices and the practices of the metadata movement through a single lens that of resource
description in the broadest, semantic web sense. This approach more readily accommodates
coverage of the new RDA: Resource Description and Access standard, which aims to move
library cataloging into the center of the semantic web. "Information Resource Description covers:
Information resource attributes; Metadata for information retrieval; Metadata sources and quality;
Economics and management of metadata; Knowledge organization systems; The semantic web;
Books and e-books, and websites and audiovisual resources; Business and government
documents: Learning resources; The field of information/knowledge organization. Exceptionally
well organized and presented, "Information Resource Description" would well serve as a
curriculum text and should be a part of every college and university's Library Science collection
and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Military Shelf
Post-Feminist War
Mary Douglas Vavrus
Rutgers University Press
106 Somerset St., 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
9780813576817 $28.95 pbk / $23.38 Kindle amazon.com
Post-Feminist War: Women in the Media-Military-Industrial Complex scrutinizes the
relationship between women, the American military, and the media in contemporary times.
Chapters analyze four aspects of this dynamic - women who marry members of the media-
military-industrial complex; mothers connected to the complex; female soldiers who serve; and
the horrifying reality of sexual assault in the military, as well as the media's failings when
reporting on sexual assault. In particular, the media's reluctance to hold American military
culture responsible for tolerating rape (instead, the media usually chooses to limit blame
individual rapists) is discussed, among other salient and disturbing points. Post-Feminist War is a
"must-read" contribution to both military and journalism shelves, highly recommended for
college and public library collections. It should also be noted for personal reading lists that Post-
Feminist War is available in a Kindle edition ($23.38).
Landing on the Edge of Eternity
Robert Kershaw
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681778662, $27.95, HC, 416pp, www.amazon.com
Robert Kershaw joined the Parachute Regiment in 1973 and went on to command the 10th
Parachute Battalion. His active service included several tours in Northern Ireland, the First Gulf
War, and Bosnia. After retiring from the British Army as a full Colonel, he became an author of
military history and a battlefield tour guide. Living in England, Kershaw has written twelve
books published in Great Britain and has participated in numerous National Geographic and
History Channel documentaries. In "Landing on the Edge of Eternity: Twenty-Four Hours at
Omaha Beach" Kershaw shares stories of humanity, resilience, and dark humor; of comradeship
and a gritty patriotism holding beleaguered men together in an extremely hazardous military
engagement. Illustrated with 24 pages of maps and a number of black-and-white historical
photographs, "Landing on the Edge of Eternity" is a dramatic historical ride through an
amphibious landing that looked as though it might never succeed. An absolute 'must have'
addition to community and academic library World War II Military History Collections and
supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, military buffs, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Landing on the Edge of Eternity" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.16).
The Political Science Shelf
Primary Politics
Elaine C. Kamarck
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-2188
www.brookings.edu
9780815735274, $21.99, PB, 251pp, www.amazon.com
In "Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its
Presidential Candidates", Elaine Kamarck (Senior Fellow in the Governance Studies Program at
Brookings and the Founding Director of the Center for Effective Public Management) explains
how the presidential nomination process became the often baffling system we have today,
including the "robot rule". The focus of Professor Kamarck is the largely untold story of how
presidential candidates since the early 1970s have sought to alter the rules in their favor and how
their failures and successes have led to even more change. She describes how candidates have
sought to manipulate the sequencing of primaries to their advantage and how Iowa and New
Hampshire came to dominate the system. Professor Kamarck also analyzes the rules that are used
to translate votes into delegates, paying special attention to the Democrats' twenty-year fight over
proportional representation and some of its arcana. Drawing on meticulous research, interviews
with key figures in both parties, and years of experience, "Primary Politics" deftly explores one
of the most important questions in American politics -- how we narrow the list of presidential
candidates every four years. The 2020 presidential primaries are on the horizon and this fully
updated third edition of "Primary Politics" will once again prove to be an indispensable guide to
understanding the modern nominating system that gave the American electorate a choice between
Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton in 2016. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
community, college, and university library Political Science collections and supplemental studies
lists, it should be noted for students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Primary Politics" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
You Shook Me All Campaign Long
Eric T. Kasper & Benjamin Schoening, editors
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574417340, $29.95, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
From the revolutionary war down to the present day, music has been an integral part of American
politics. Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Eric T. Kasper (Associate Professor of Political
Science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) and Benjamin S.L. Schoening (Associate
Professor of Music at the University of North Georgia), "You Shook Me All Campaign Long:
Music in the 2016 Presidential Election and Beyond" is comprised of ten erudite and insightful
contributions by experts in their fields as they collectively place the music used in 2016 in an
historical perspective before examining musical messaging, strategy, and parody of the selected
music itself. "You Shook Me All Campaign Long" ultimately explores causality: how do music
and musicians affect presidential elections, and how do politicians and campaigns affect music
and musicians? The contributors explain this interaction from various perspectives, with
methodological approaches from several fields, including political science, legal studies,
musicology, cultural studies, rhetorical studies, and communications and journalism. "You
Shook Me All Campaign Long" will help the reader understand music in the 2016 election to
realize how music will be relevant in 2020 and beyond. Impressive informative, expertly
organized and presented, featuring a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials,
"You Shook Me All Campaign Long" is a unique and very highly recommended addition to
community and academic library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental
studies reading lists of political activists and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject.
The Railroading Shelf
Iron Road West
Derek Hayes
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.harbourpublishing.com
9781550178388, $44.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
The Canadian province of British Columbia wouldn't exist without the railway. The province was
brought into the Canadian Confederation in 1871 in exchange for the promise of a
transcontinental line to the West Coast. It was the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in
1886 that set off economic development in the province, created the city of Vancouver and
spurred others to build competing lines. In "Iron Road West: An Illustrated History of British
Columbia's Railways", Derek Hayes (who is a geographer by training with a passion for old maps
and what they can reveal about the past) charts the development of the province through its
railway lines, using a wealth of photographs and other visuals to show how rails were laid
through the wild terrain that characterized much of British Columbia. As railways revolutionized
the province, they inevitably incited fierce competition and personal hatreds, creating an exciting
frontier-like environment that Hayes describes in vivid detail. Profusely and beautifully
illustrated throughout, "Iron Road West" also covers the emergence of the modern freight railway
in British Columbia, including fully automated and computerized trains. Of special note is an
extensive section that details the Canadian railway legacy, including preserved railways,
locomotives and facilities that can still be visited today by railroading enthusiasts. Certain to be
an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library
collections, "Iron Road West" is a 'must read history' for all dedicated railroad fans!
The Music Shelf
The Blues Muse
Emily Ruth Rutter
The University of Alabama Press
PO Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
www.uapress.ua.edu
9780817319946, $49.95, HC, 232pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "The Blues Muse: Race, Gender, and Musical Celebrity in American Poetry", author
Emily Ruth Rutter (Assistant Professor of English at Ball State University) focuses on five key
blues musicians and singers -- Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Robert
Johnson, and Lead Belly. Professor Rutter deftly traces the ways in which these artists and their
personas have been invoked and developed throughout American poetry. "The Blues Muse" is an
impressively informative, exceptionally detailed, scholarly study that spans nearly one hundred
years of literary and musical history ranging from the New Negro Renaissance to the present.
"The Blues Muse" not only examines blues musicians as literary touchstones or poetic devices,
but also investigates the relationship between poetic constructions of blues icons and shifting
discourses of race and gender. Professor Rutter's expert analysis is clear, compelling, and rich in
critical assessments of these writers' portraits of the musical artists, attending to their strategies
and oversights. While very highly recommended for community, college, and university library
American Music History collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject that "The Blues
Muse" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $47.45).
The Reference Shelf
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2019
Sarah Janssen
World Almanac
c/o Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10001
www.infobasepublishing.com
9781600572203, $36.95, HC, 1008pp, www.amazon.com
Special features for this new edition of "The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2019" includes:
The World at a Glance (providing a quick look at the surprising stats and curious facts that define
the changing world and includes a sneak peek at upcoming milestone celebrity birthdays in
2019); Statistical Spotlight (highlighting statistics relevant to the biggest stories of the year);
2018 Election Results; Statistics on crime rates for all major U.S. cities, U.S. trade and
immigration policies, 2018 tax cuts, DACA recipients, mobile app and tech usage, student loan
debt, income inequality, and so much more! Exceptionally well organized and presents, "The
World Almanac and Book of Facts 2019" is an essential addition to school and community
library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The World Almanac and
Book of Facts 2019" is also available in a paperback edition (9781600572227, $14.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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