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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future
Martha Honey and Kelsey Frenkiel, editors
Island Press
www.islandpress.org
9781642830767 $37.00 pbk / $35.15 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Overtourism-Dr-Martha-Honey-PhD/dp/1642830763
Synopsis: Before COVID-19 hit, the biggest problem in the world of travel was overtourism.
Crowds threatened to spoil natural environments and make daily life unbearable for residents of
popular travel destinations. Then, seemingly overnight, tourism nearly ceased. Yet there is no
question that travel will resume; the only question is, when it does, what will it look like? Will
we return to a world of overrun monuments, littered beaches, and gridlocked city streets? Or can
we do things differently this time?
Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future charts a path toward tourism that is not only sustainable
but regenerative for the places we love and the people who live there. Bringing together tourism
officials, city council members, travel journalists, consultants, scholars, and trade association
members, this practical book explores overcrowding from a variety of perspectives. After
examining the causes and effects of overtourism, it turns to management approaches in five
distinct types of tourism destinations:
1. Historic cities;
2. National parks and protected areas;
3. World Heritage Sites;
4. Beaches and coastal communities; and
5. Destinations governed by regional and national authorities.
While each location presents its own challenges, common mitigation strategies are emerging.
Visitor education, traffic planning, and redirection to lesser-known sites are among the measures
that can protect the economic benefit of tourism without overwhelming local communities.
As tourism revives around the world, these innovations will guide government agencies, parks
officials, site managers, civic groups, environmental NGOs, tourism operators, and others with a
stake in protecting our most iconic places.
Critique: Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned
authors discussing the problems created by "overtourism" - unsustainable tourism that has
detrimental effects upon the environment and the lives of local residents. What are the best
models for sustainable tourism that provides economic benefit while conserving the
environment? Individual writings focus on the challenges that specific popular tourism
destinations have faced, around the world. The ramifications that the Covid pandemic has had
and continues to have on the tourism industry are also discussed at length. An index rounds out
this excellent and welcome contribution to college library Environmental Studies and Social
Issues collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Overtourism is also available
in a Kindle edition ($35.15).
"The Million Dead, Too, Summ'd Up"
Ed Folsom, author
Christopher Merrill, author
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
www.uiowapress.org
9781609387464, $35.00, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Million-Dead-Too-Summd-Up/dp/1609387465
Synopsis: "The Million Dead, Too, Summ'd Up": Walt Whitman's Civil War Writings" is the
first to offer a comprehensive selection of Walt Whitman's Civil War poetry and prose with a full
commentary on each work. Ed Folsom and Christopher Merrill carry on a dialogue with
Whitman (and with each other) as they invite readers to trace how Whitman's writing about the
Civil War develops, shifts, and manifests itself in different genres throughout the years of the
war. "The Million Dead, Too, Summ'd Up" offers forty selections of Whitman's war writings,
including not only the well-known war poems but also his prose and personal letters. Each are
followed by Folsom's critical examination and then by Merrill's afterword, suggesting broader
contexts for thinking about the selection.
The real democratic reader, Whitman said, "must himself or herself construct indeed the poem,
argument, history, metaphysical essay -- the text furnishing the hints, the clue, the start or
frame-work," because what is needed for democracy to flourish is "a nation of supple and athletic
minds." Folsom and Merrill model this kind of active reading and encourage both seasoned and
new readers of Whitman's war writings to enter into the challenging and exhilarating mode of
talking back to Whitman, arguing with him, and learning from him.
Critique: An erudite, eloquent, informative, thought-provoking, unique and inherently fascinating
study, "The Million Dead, Too, Summ'd Up": Walt Whitman's Civil War Writings" is an
outstanding and seminal contribution to the growing library of Whitman Studies literature. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library
American Poetry & Literary Criticism collections in general, and Walt Whitman supplemental
studies curriculum reading lists, it should be noted for student, academia, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Million Dead, Too, Summ'd Up" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.25).
Editorial Note #1: Ed Folsom is the Roy J. Carver professor of English at the University of Iowa,
editor of the Walt Whitman Quarterly Review, co-director of the online Whitman Archive, and
editor of the Iowa Whitman Series at the University of Iowa Press. He is also the author or
editor
of numerous books and essays on Whitman and other American writers.
Editorial Note #2: Christopher Merrill is the director of the International Writing Program at the
University of Iowa. He has published six collections of poetry, including Watch Fire, many
edited volumes and books of translations, and six works of nonfiction, among them Only the
Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer
J. Michael Straczynski
BenBella Books
benbellabooks.com
9781950665884 $17.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Writer-Staying-Artistry-Storytelling/dp/1950665887
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael
Straczynski knew he wanted to be a writer ever since he was a child. What he didn't know was
how to actually become, or stay, a writer.
Now, he's giving fellow writers the comprehensive guide he wishes he had all along,
personalized tips and techniques that can't be found in any other book on writing.
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer culls from Straczynski's more than thirty years of
experience writing for film, television, books, and comics. Designed for writers in any stage of
their career, this quirky, insightful and often humorous book provides an inside look at these
industries with advice and wisdom covering such topics such as:
What fledgling writers need to know to improve and sell their work - and avoid wasting valuable
time
Tips for experienced writers who want to get to the next level
Staying disciplined when writing is your day job
Why writers should never wait for inspiration
Story-planning strategies that don't kill your spontaneity
Expert techniques for effective, memorable world-building
How to get an agent and survive the writer's journey in more personal relationships
Revising and editing with precision
When and how to reinvent yourself as an artist
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer includes Straczynski's unique, tried-and-true methodologies
that will help storytellers sharpen their work so that it's polished and ready for publication. Part
toolbox and part survival guide, this book will be an indispensable guide throughout your entire
writing career, offering fresh and practical insights every step of the way.
Critique: A professional writer of thirty years' experience, J. Michael Straczynski presents the
advice book for aspiring writers that he wished he could have read when he was young. Here are
candid tips, tricks, and techniques for both the creative and the practical side of the business.
From how to craft believable characters and revise one's work with high precision, to pitfalls to
watch out for when trying to sell one's work, and much more, Becoming a Writer, Staying a
Writer is candid, thoroughly accessible, and an absolute "must-read" for aspiring and practicing
professionals, and highly recommended for public and college library collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer is also available in a
Kindle edition ($9.99).
The Social Issues Shelf
Domestic Violence
Frances T. Pilch, editor
Robert D. Reed Publishers
www.rdrpublishers.com
9781944297923 $11.95 pbk / $7.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Domestic-Violence-Janet-Kerr-MA/dp/1944297928
Synopsis: Beginning with a discussion of the magnitude of the problem of domestic violence, the
authors present a fictional narrative of "Suzanne," whose relationship with her intimate partner
dissolves into abuse and violence, both physical and emotional. What follows is expert
commentary on her story by law enforcement, a judge and former district attorney, victim
advocate, therapist, and survivor, which provide a unique exploration of the tragedy of abuse and
potential means by which it can be addressed. The main theme of the book is the tendency to
"blame the victim" for staying in an abusive relationship and the need to understand why leaving
can be so difficult and dangerous.
Critique: Domestic Violence: Tragedy and Hope is an anthology of essays by a diversity of
expert authors examining complex, difficult, and often tragic situations of domestic violence. A
fictionalized case story of "Suzanne" provides a point of references for the methodical
commentaries from the perspectives of law enforcement, judges and district attorneys, victim's
advocates, and more. Domestic Violence: Tragedy and Hope is a critical-minded assessment of a
deadly serious social issue, highly recommended for both public and college library collections.
It should be noted for personal reading lists that Domestic Violence: Tragedy and Hope is also
available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).
Media-Ready Feminism and Everyday Sexism
Andrea L. Press and Francesca Tripodi
State University of New York Press
www.sunypress.edu
9781438481951 $95.00 hc
9781438481968 $32.95 pbk / $32.95 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Media-Ready-Feminism-Everyday-Sexism-Audiences/dp/1438481950
Synopsis: Feminism can reflect the cultural moment, especially as media appropriate and use
feminist messaging and agenda to various ends. Yet media can also push boundaries, exposing
audiences to ideas they may not be familiar with and advancing public acceptance of concepts
once considered taboo. Moreover, audiences are far from passive recipients, especially in the
digital age. In Media-Ready Feminism and Everyday Sexism, Andrea L. Press and Francesca
Tripodi focus on how audiences across platforms not only consume but also create meanings
sometimes quite transgressive meanings in engaging with media content.
If television shows such as Game of Thrones and Jersey Shore and dating apps such as Tinder are
sites of persistent everyday sexism, then so, too, are they sites of what Press and Tripodi call
"media-ready feminism." In developing a sociologically based conception of reception that
encompasses media's progressive potential, as well as the processes of domestication through
which audiences and users revert to more limited cultural schemas, Press and Tripodi make a
vital contribution to gender and media studies, and help to illuminate the complexity of our
current moment.
Critique: Media-Ready Feminism and Everyday Sexism is a thoughtful, scholarly examination of
the impact of modern media from a feminist viewpoint. Chapter scrutinize the pervasive power
of media content to spread messages, including both feminist and sexist messages. From
television programs to social media and dating apps, Media-Ready Feminism explores concepts
for applying media's potential to positively convey philosophies. Chapters focus upon the
misogyny present in "Game of Thrones", how female sexuality is portrayed in media, how
media's influence affects the discourse of balancing work and family obligations, the interplay of
"hookup culture" and structural sexism, and more. Media-Ready Feminism and Everyday Sexism
is highly recommended especially for public and college library Media Studies and Women's
Studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Media-Ready Feminism and
Everyday Sexism is also available in a Kindle edition ($32.95).
Power to the Public
Tara Dawson McGuinness and Hana Schank
Princeton University Press
www.press.princeton.edu
9780691207759 $19.95 hc / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Public-Promise-Interest-Technology/dp/0691207755
Synopsis: A powerful new blueprint for how governments and nonprofits can harness the power
of digital technology to help solve the most serious problems of the twenty-first century
As the speed and complexity of the world increases, governments and nonprofit organizations
need new ways to effectively tackle the critical challenges of our time from pandemics and
global warming to social media warfare. In Power to the Public, Tara Dawson McGuinness and
Hana Schank describe a revolutionary new approach public interest technology that has the
potential to transform the way governments and nonprofits around the world solve problems.
Through inspiring stories about successful projects ranging from a texting service for teenagers
in crisis to a streamlined foster care system, the authors show how public interest technology can
make the delivery of services to the public more effective and efficient.
At its heart, public interest technology means putting users at the center of the policymaking
process, using data and metrics in a smart way, and running small experiments and pilot
programs before scaling up. And while this approach may well involve the innovative use of
digital technology, technology alone is no panacea and some of the best solutions may even be
decidedly low-tech.
Clear-eyed yet profoundly optimistic, Power to the Public presents a powerful blueprint for how
government and nonprofits can help solve society's most serious problems.
Critique: Power to the Public: The Promise of Public Interest Technology is a scholarly
discussion of an exciting new tool that governments and nonprofits can use to tackle the greatest
problems of the modern era. The titular "public interest technology" refers to gathering input
from users and recipients front and center when planning policy changes. Data and metrics
should be intelligently harnessed to determine whether a given approach is wise, and small pilot
programs should be tested before scaling up a possible approach. Although modern digital
technology can be enormously useful, sometimes the best potential solutions are low-tech. Notes,
a bibliography, a suggested reading selection and an index round out this "must-read" for policy-
makers from local to national level and beyond. Highly recommended! It should be noted for
personal reading lists that Power to the Public is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Bridge Builders
Nathan Bomey
Polity
politybooks.com
9781509545933 $25.00 hc / $15.00 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Builders-Bringing-Together-Polarized/dp/150954593X
Synopsis: In these turbulent times, defined by ideological chasms, clashes over social justice, and
a pandemic intersecting with misinformation, Americans seem hopelessly divided along fault
lines of politics, race, religion, class, and culture. Yet not everyone is accepting the status
quo.
In Bridge Builders: Bringing People Together in a Polarized Age, journalist Nathan Bomey
paints a forensic portrait of Americans who are spanning gaping divides between people of
difference. From clergy fighting racism in Charlottesville to a former Republican congressman
engaging conservatives on climate change and Appalachian journalists restoring social trust with
the public, these countercultural leaders all believe in the power of forging lasting connections to
bring about profound change. Though the blueprints for political, social, and cultural bridges
vary widely, bridge builders have much in common and we have much to learn from them. In
this book, Bomey dissects the transformational ways in which bridge builders are combating
polarization by pursuing reconciliation, rejecting misinformation, and rethinking the principle of
compromise.
Critique: Journalist Nathan Bomey presents Bridge Builders: Bringing People Together in a
Polarized Age, a close portrayal of the qualities America needs most in this heavily politicized
and polarized era. Here are true-life stories of Americans from opposing political backgrounds
finding ideological common ground and working toward a better future. Chapters discuss the
challenges of bridge-building when different parties may not necessarily agree on what is true,
how misunderstandings can be resolved, and how a blueprint for compromise may be worked
out. "The concept of mediating a conflict without first determining which side deserves the most
blame is decidedly antithetical to our hot-take culture, which teaches us to point fingers and
excoriate others for their failures. But the countercultural principles of mediation can serve as an
effective antidote to the paralysis often caused by conflict." Bridge Builders is a welcome
addition to public and college library Social Issues and Political Science shelves, highly
recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Bridge Builders is also available
in a Kindle edition ($15.00).
The Parenting Shelf
Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Kids
Gary Quesenberry
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594398117, $18.95, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Spotting-Danger-Before-Spots-Your/dp/1594398119
Synopsis: The country becomes more challenging with such atrocities as school shootings and
gun violence becoming commonplace. That's why parents need to take the time to prepare their
children. Not in a threatening or scary way, but with "Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your
Kids: Teaching Situational Awareness To Keep Children Safe" by Gary Quesenberry in a way
that is fun, engaging, and will give them the best possible chance of ensuring their own
wellbeing.
"Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Kids is a book about presenting the concepts of
situational awareness to children ages 5-12 in a way that will keep them engaged and help them
take an active role in their own personal security. This thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional
guide and manual shows how to use fun, interactive games to build situational awareness skills
such as: How children can identify and understand normal environmental behaviors; How
children can spot abnormal behaviors within their given environment; How to give children a
plan and a means of avoidance or escape should a dangerous situation present itself.
Whether you're a parent, relative, or work in the childcare industry, the things you impart upon
children will have a lasting impact on the way they live their lives. Nowhere is this more
important than in the area of personal safety. As caregivers, we have a great responsibility for the
security and well-being of our children, and to guide them along the path to independence. A
child's future success will depend on their ability to interact with their surroundings and make
sound decisions based on what they see. That's the foundation of situational awareness.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, comprehensively informative, impressively organized and
presented, "Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Kids: Teaching Situational Awareness To
Keep Children Safe" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to family and
community library Parenting & Public Safety collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Kids: Teaching Situational Awareness To Keep
Children Safe" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49).
Editorial Note: Gary Quesenberry is a US Army veteran and a career Federal Air Marshal. As a
defensive tactics trainer for Federal and civilian services, he has devoted his life to studying the
areas of violence and predatory behavior. Gary also serves as the CEO of Q-Series LLC and has
developed numerous basic and advanced level training courses focused on mental toughness,
marksmanship, and defensive tactics. He has an extensive background in domestic and foreign
counter-terror training and has worked in both the private and corporate sectors to help educate
others on the importance of situational awareness, and personal safety.
The American History Shelf
The Truman Court: Law and the Limits of Loyalty
Rawn James, Jr.
University of Missouri Press
201 S. 7th Street, Columbia, MO 65211
https://upress.missouri.edu
9780826222299, $36.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Truman-Court-Law-Limits-Loyalty/dp/0826222293
Synopsis: Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of Harry S. Truman's presidency is his judicial
legacy, with even the finest of Truman biographies neglecting to consider the influence he had on
the Supreme Court. Yet, as Rawn James Jr. lays out in engaging detail in the pages of "The
Truman Court: Law and the Limits of Loyalty", president Truman successfully molded the high
court into a judicial body that appeared to actively support his administration's political
agenda.
In rulings that sparked controversy in their own time, the Supreme Court repeatedly upheld
Truman's most contentious policies, including actions to restrict free speech, expand civil rights,
and manage labor union unrest.
"The Truman Court: Law and the Limits of Loyalty" also argues that the years between FDR's
death in 1945 and Chief Justice Earl Warren's confirmation in 1953 (the dawn of the Cold War)
were, contrary to widespread belief, important years in Supreme Court history. Never before or
since has a president so quickly and completely changed the ideological and temperamental
composition of the Court. With remarkable swiftness and certainty, Truman constructed a Court
on which he relied to lend constitutional credence to his political agenda.
Critique: Of special and timely interest given today's political climate and calls from some
quarters for expanding the number of Supreme Court justices, "The Truman Court: Law and the
Limits of Loyalty" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community,
college, and university library American judicial history collections and supplemental studies
curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political
activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Truman
Court: Law and the Limits of Loyalty" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$35.10).
Editorial Note: Rawn James, Jr. has practiced law in Washington, D.C. for 20 years. His previous
books are Root and Branch: Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall and the Struggle to
End Segregation and The Double V: How Wars, Protest and Harry Truman Desegregated
America's Military.
The World History Shelf
American Women Report World War I
Chris Dubbs, editor
University of North Texas Press
http://untpress.unt.edu
9781574418255 $29.95 hc / $23.96 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/American-Women-Report-World-War/dp/1574418254
Synopsis: In the opening decades of the 20th century, war reporting remained one of the most
well-guarded, thoroughly male bastions of journalism. However, when war erupted in Europe in
August 1914, a Boston woman, Mary Boyle O'Reilly, became one of the first journalists to bring
the war to American newspapers. A Saturday Evening Post journalist, Mary Roberts Rinehart,
became the first journalist, of any country, of any gender, to visit the trenches. These women
were only the first wave of female journalists who covered the conflict.
American Women Report World War I collects more than 35 of the best of their articles and
those that highlight the richness of their contribution to the history of the Great War. Editor Chris
Dubbs provides section introductions for background and context to stories such as "Woman
Writer Sees Horrors of Battle," "Star Woman Runs Blockade," and "America Meets
France."
The work of female journalists focuses more squarely on individuals caught in the conflict -
including themselves. It offers a valuable counterpoint to the male, horror-of-the-trenches
experience and demonstrates how World War I served as a catalyst that enabled women to
expand the public forum for their opinions on social and moral issues.
Critique: American Women Report World War I: An Anthology of their Journalism gathers 35 of
the most crucial articles written by female journalists during what was, at the time, called "The
Great War". Editor Chris Dubbs adds contextual information about these intrepid women and the
stories they wrote. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs, a bibliography, and an
index round out this invaluable contribution to public and college library journalism and world
history collections. Highly recommended! It should be noted for personal reading lists that
American Women Report World War I is also available in a Kindle edition ($23.96).
Old Testament Warriors
Simon Elliott
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612009544, $29.95, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Old-Testament-Warriors-Cultures-Ancient/dp/1612009549
Synopsis: The historical period covered by the Old Testament (beginning in approximately 3000
BC) was one of great technological development and innovation in warfare, as competing
cultures clashed in the ancient Middle East. The Sumerians were the first to introduce the use of
bronze into warfare, and were centuries ahead of the Egyptians in the use of the wheel. The
Assyrians developed chariot warfare and set the standard for a new equine-based military culture.
The Babylonians had an army whose people were granted land in return for army service.
Deftly combining biblical records and archaeology findings, "Old Testament Warriors: The Clash
of Cultures in the Ancient Near East" by Simon Elliott is an authoritative history that gives both
academia and the non-specialist general reader an informative overview of warfare and fighting
in the age of the Old Testament, from the Akkadians, Early and Middle Kingdom Egypt and their
enemies, Mycenean and Minoan Greece and Crete, Assyrians and New Kingdom Egyptians, the
Hittites, the Sea Peoples who gave rise to the Philistines, the Hebrew kingdom, the Babylonian
kingdom, the Medes and later Persian Empires, through to early Classical Greece.
Of special note is how archaeologist and historian Simon Elliott deftly explores how archaeology
can shed light on events in the Bible including the famous tumbling walls of Jericho, the career
of David the boy warrior who faced the Philistines, and Gideon, who was able to defeat an army
that vastly outnumbered his own.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an informative Introduction and
Conclusion, a Timeline, a two page Further Reading bibliography, a two page listing of
Acknowledgments, and a three page Index, "Old Testament Warriors: The Clash of Cultures in
the Ancient Near East" is highly and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and
university library Ancient Mesopotamian Military History collections and supplemental studies
curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Old Testament Warriors: The Clash
of Cultures in the Ancient Near East" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.49).
Editorial Note: Simon Elliott is an historian, archaeologist and Honorary Research Fellow at the
University of Kent where he studied for his PhD in Archaeology on the subject of the Roman
military in Britain. He also has an MA in War Studies from KCL and an MA in Archaeology
from UCL. He frequently gives talks on Roman themes and is co-Director at a Roman villa
excavation.
The Civil War Shelf
Embattled Capital
Robert M. Dunkerly, author
Doug Crenshaw, author
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214918, $14.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Richmond-During-Civil-War-Emerging/dp/1611214912
Synopsis: "On To Richmond!" proclaimed the editors for the New York Tribune in the spring of
1861. Thereafter, that call became the rallying cry for the North's eastern armies as they marched,
maneuvered, and fought their way toward the capital of the Confederacy.
Just 100 miles from Washington, DC, Richmond served as a symbol of the rebellion itself. It was
home to the Confederate Congress, cabinet, president, and military leadership. And it housed not
only the Confederate government but also some of the Confederacy's most important industry
and infrastructure. The city was filled with prisons, hospitals, factories, training camps, and
government offices.
Through four years of war, armies battled at its doorsteps and even penetrated its defenses.
Civilians felt the impact of war in many ways: food shortages, rising inflation, a bread riot,
industrial accidents, and eventually, military occupation. To this day, the war's legacy remains
deeply written into the city and its history.
"On to Richmond!: Richmond During the Civil War" by historians Doug Crenshaw and Robert
M. Dunkerly tells the story of the Confederate capital before, during, and after the Civil War.
This DIY guidebook includes a comprehensive list of places to visit: the battlefields around the
city, museums, historic sites, monuments, cemeteries, historical preservation groups, and
more.
Critique: Impressively informed and informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "On to Richmond!: Richmond During the Civil War" is a valued and
enthusiastically recommended addition to community, college and university library American
Civil War histories. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academicians,
Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "On to
Richmond!: Richmond During the Civil War" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note #1: Robert M. Dunkerly is a historian, award-winning author, and speaker who is
actively involved in historic preservation and research. He works as a park ranger at Richmond
National Battlefield Park. Among his several books are two in the ECW Series: To the Bitter
End: Appomattox, Bennett Place, and the Surrenders of the Confederacy and No Turning Back:
A Guide to the 1864 Overland Campaign.
Editorial Note #2: Doug Crenshaw is a volunteer historic interpreter for the Richmond National
Battlefield Park. A member of the Richmond Civil War Roundtable, he is a speaker, presenter,
tour leader, and the author of books on Glendale and Fort Harrison. Doug is a descendant of the
Sydnor family, which lived at Beaver Dam Creek during that battle, and the Binford family,
which lived behind the Malvern Hill battlefield.
The Art Shelf
Object Lessons: Case Studies in Minimal Art
Martha Buskirk, et al.
Guggenheim Museum
c/o Distributed Art Publishers (DAP)
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9780892075560, $55.00, HC, 324pp
https://www.amazon.com/Object-Lessons-Guggenheim-Collection-Initiative/dp/0892075562
Synopsis: Based upon the research of the Panza Collection Initiative at the Guggenheim
Museum, "Object Lessons: Case Studies in Minimal Art" is an ambitious, 10-year study project
that focuses on four works by key figures of 1960s Minimalism and Conceptual art: Dan Flavin,
Donald Judd, Robert Morris and Lawrence Weiner.
Commentators and authors Francesca Esmay, Ted Mann and Jeffrey Weiss present each work
from several vantages: an exhaustive chronological account conveys the surprisingly complicated
history of the work's realization, acquisition, ownership and display. An overview addresses the
broad practical and conceptual implications of this information for the historical identity of the
work and its consequences for the work's future.
A conservation narrative establishes the role of fabricators and the material and technical
standards for the production of the object. Together, the contributors explore how a previously
unaddressed history of production, ownership and display has deeply influenced the life and
legacy of the radical objects of Minimal art.
A separate section, with contributions by Martha Buskirk and Virginia Rutledge, examines the
topic of decommission, a new category of collection classification for works that are contested or
compromised and are therefore no longer viable for display.
Throughout, "Object Lessons: Case Studies in Minimal Art" is copiously illustrated with
photographs of the works, the exhibitions in which they appeared, and related drawings and
proposals. Rounding out this exceptional volume are extensive excerpts of new interviews with
artists and fabricators, key historical documents and previously unpublished
correspondence.
Critique: A seminal study of outstanding scholarship, informative insight, and instructive
commentary, "Object Lessons: Case Studies in Minimal Art" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Conceptual Art History collections and supplemental studies curriculum reading lists.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home
Lynda V. Mapes
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
www.ulyssespress.com
9781680513264, $34.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Orca-Shared-Waters-Home/dp/1680513265
Synopsis: Orca whale J35, also known as "Tahlequah," gave birth in July of 2018 in the waters
off British Columbia, but her calf died soon after, leading its mother to carry her for 17 days
across 1000 miles before finally releasing the calf and rejoining her pod. This extraordinary and
caring behavior sparked not only worldwide sympathy, but also a revival of our awareness of the
critical need to preserve orcas, the chinook salmon they feed on, and their habitat that together
make up the core of Pacific Northwest identity.
In the profusely illustrated pages of "Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home", journalist Lynda V.
Mapes explores the natural history of the orca and the unique challenges for survival of the
Southern Resident group that frequents Puget Sound. These whales are among the most urban in
the world, a focus of researchers, tourists, and politicians alike. Once referred to as "blackfish"
and still known as "killer whales," orcas were for generations regarded as vermin to be avoided
or exterminated, then later were captured live for aquariums all over the world. With greater
exposure, scientists realized how intelligent the mammal is and are learning about their
matriarchal family groups, vocalizations, behavior, and different subspecies.
Today only 74 Southern Resident whales are left, and they are threatened by habitat degradation,
lack of chinook salmon (their primary food source), relentless growth, and climate change. It is
an open question as to wether this trend toward extinction can be reversed.
Critique: An extraordinarily informative and beautifully illustrated account, "Orca: Shared
Waters, Shared Home" is especially and unreservedly recommended, especially for personal,
professional, community, college and university library Aquatic & Marine Wildlife
collections.
Editorial Note #1: Lynda V. Mapes is a journalist, author, and close observer of the natural
world. The Seattle Times has made a point of focusing on environmental issues for its
readership; Lynda has been a key part in this effort, covering natural history, environmental
topics and issues related to Pacific Northwest indigenous cultures. Her writing connects ordinary
people and nature. In 1997, while working at the Spokesman Review in Spokane, Washington,
she was awarded the Gerald Loeb award for a series on salmon recovery efforts in the Columbia
Basin. It was the first time anyone looked at what the region had spent on recovery in the basin
and what had resulted from those efforts. In addition to her newspaper career, she is the author of
two books, Washington: The Spirit of the Land and Breaking Ground. Her first extended
encounter with the Elwha ecosystem, dams, Port Angeles community and Lower Elwha Klallam
tribe, this latter book laid an important groundwork of sources for reporting the forthcoming
newspaper series and this proposed book on the Elwha.
Editorial Note #2: This special project, co-published with the Pulitzer Prize winning Seattle
Times newspaper, features stunning imagery by Times photographer Steve Ringman, as well as
from partner organizations including The Whale Museum, NOAA, and Center for Whale
Research.
The Architecture Shelf
The Threefold Logic of Advanced Architecture
Manuel Gausa, author
Jordi Vivaldi, author
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
440 Park Avenue S, 17th FL, New York, NY 10016
http://actar.com
9781948765572, $44.95, PB, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Threefold-Logic-Advanced-Architecture-Informational/dp/1948765578
Synopsis: During the last 30 years, Advanced Architecture has consolidated an interactive and
informational logic that differs from that of Modernity and Postmodernity. This logic is
threefold; it is modulated through three coexisting protocols (modes of action) whose peaks of
intensity occur in three different decades.
"The Threefold Logic of Advanced Architecture: Conformative, Distributive and Expansive
Protocols for an Informational Practice: 1990-2020" by the team of Manuel Gausa and Jordi
Vivaldi proposes a threefold cultural narrative whose interactive and informational logic differs
from that of modernity and postmodernity. It positions three different ethos by critically
approaching the architectural side of a cultural mutation that has been affecting the Western
experimental areas of knowledge and practice since the end of the last century.
A transformative process constituted by a constellation of transdisciplinary manifestations,
accelerations, turns, shortcuts and clusterizations that by no means can be read under one single
epistemological umbrella. In this sense, rather than approaching the practice of architecture
focusing on its disciplinary inner specificity, "The Threefold Logic of Advanced Architecture"
approaches the research of experimental architecture focusing on its extra-disciplinary
entanglements.
"The Threefold Logic of Advanced Architecture" also argues that a vast multiplicity of fields of
knowledge participates in a cultural endeavour modulated through three protocols (forms of
action) that singularize three decades: Conformative Protocols (1990-2000), Distributive
Protocols (2000-2010) and Expansive Protocols (2010-2020). These three periods shouldn't be
read as three hermetic and concatenated monades, but as three different modulations of the same
narrative, that is, as three overlapping and coexisting systems whose peaks of intensity occur in
three different decades.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Threefold Logic of
Advanced Architecture: Conformative, Distributive and Expansive Protocols for an
Informational Practice: 1990-2020" is an impressively informative and comprehensive study that
must be considered an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, college
and university library Contemporary Architectural Studies collections and supplement curriculum
reading lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of architectural students, academia,
and practicing architects that "The Threefold Logic of Advanced Architecture: Conformative,
Distributive and Expansive Protocols for an Informational Practice: 1990-2020" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.49).
Editorial Note #1: Manuel Gausa PhD is a Full Professor of Architecture and Landscape Design,
DSA- Faculty of Architecture (UNIGE-Universit… degli Studi) of Genova. He is also a Founding
Member of Actar Architecture and Actar Projects Editorials.
Editorial Note #2: Jordi Vivaldi is a writer and theorist based in Vienna. PhD Architect (IOUD,
Austria, 2014-18) and PhD Philosopher (EGS (cand.), Switzerland, 2018 - ...). Jordi's areas of
research include 20th and 21st century's theory of experimental architecture and technology, as
well as various forms of Speculative Realism and New Materialism. Besides his curatorial tasks
as editor in chief of the architectural magazine "IaaC Bits", his work has crystallized in several
articles, essays and lectures.
Terra-Sorta-Firma: Reclaiming the Littoral Gradient
Fadi Masoud
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
440 Park Avenue S, 17th FL, New York, NY 10016
http://actar.com
9781948765381, $39.95, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Terra-Sorta-Firma-Reclaiming-Littoral-Fadi-Masoud/dp/1948765381
Synopsis: For millennia and with the discovery of agriculture, cities have grown and expanded
onto previously saturated grounds; "reclaiming" land from estuaries, marshes, mangroves, and
seabeds. While these artificial coastlines are sites of tremendous real estate, civic, and
infrastructural investments, they are also the most vulnerable to the effects of climate
change.
"Terra-Sorta-Firma: Reclaiming the Littoral Gradient" by Professor Fadi Masoud documents the
global extent of reclaimed coastal lands, and provides a framework for comparison across
varying geographies, cultures, and histories. It renders visible the ubiquity and precarity of urban
coastal reclamation in an age of increased environmental and economic indeterminacy. It
challenges designers, developers, policymakers, engineers, and urbanists to reconsider the design
and construction of land itself, and to re-imagine this most fundamental of all infrastructures
along a gradient of inundation.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout, "Terra-Sorta-Firma: Reclaiming the Littoral Gradient"
is a seminal work of simply outstanding scholarship. Exceptionally informative, well written,
organized and presented, "Terra-Sorta-Firma: Reclaiming the Littoral Gradient" is an especially
and unreservedly recommended addition to college and university library Coastal Ecosystems,
Landscape Architecture, and Urban & Land Use Planning collections and supplemental studies
curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, professionals,
governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Terra-Sorta-Firma: Reclaiming the Littoral Gradient" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $27.95).
Editorial Note: Fadi Masoud is an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism
at the Daniels Faculty. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, Masoud was a Lecturer in
Landscape Architecture and Urban Design at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and
an affiliated faculty with the MIT Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism, where he co-led
research and design projects on coastal urbanism, urban codes, and the Future of Suburbia.
Towers in the City: Berlin Alexanderplatz
Hans Kollhoff, author
Kyle Dugdale, editor
Yale School of Architecture
c/o Actar Publishers
440 Park Avenue S, 17th FL, New York, NY 10016
http://actar.com
9781638409021, $20.00, PB, 156pp
https://www.amazon.com/Towers-City-Alexanderplatz-Hans-Kollhoff/dp/1638409021
Synopsis: Deftly edited by Kyle Dugdale, "Towers in the City: Berlin Alexanderplatz" by
architect and academician Hans Kollhoff examines the tower as the architectural expression of a
long-term commitment to the city of Berlin, arguing that development must be driven not only by
property value and architectural ingenuity but also by a responsibility to collective memory and
to a common humanity.
These public commitments find architectural expression in a tectonic radically different to that of
contemporary patterns of development. Taking Berlin's Alexanderplatz as an opportunity for
studying the role of the skyscraper within the urban fabric, the volume presents a series of
prompts, provocations, and projects to address the challenge of designing a tower that can be
understood as a monolithic whole, even if it is assembled from discrete parts.
Critique: A profusely illustrated, informative, and thought-provoking study, "Towers in the City:
Berlin Alexanderplatz" is a seminal and unreservedly recommended addition to professional,
college and university library Contemporary Architecture collections and supplemental studies
curriculum reading lists.
Editorial Note #1: Hans Kollhoff is a German architect and professor. He is a representative of
Postmodern and New Classical Architecture, as well as a protagonist of New Urbanism.
Editorial Note #2: Kyle Dugdale is an architect and historian. He has taught history, theory, and
design at Yale School of Architecture and at Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture,
Planning and Preservation. He holds an undergraduate degree in classics from Corpus Christi
College, Oxford, a professional degree in architecture from Harvard's Graduate School of
Design, and a doctorate from Yale.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
American Orphan
Jimmy Santiago Baca
Arte Publico Press
University of Houston
4902 Gulf Freeway, Bldg 19, Rm 100, Houston, TX 77204-2004
www.artepublicopress.com
9781558859128, $18.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/American-Orphan-Baca/dp/1558859128
Synopsis: "There's no way you can do this reentry thing," Orlando Lucero tells himself after
getting out of prison. He has spent most of his life institutionalized, first in an orphanage and
then in the Denver Youth Authority for smuggling weed. Orlando knows nothing about freedom.
What does one do with it? What is it?
His brother promised to teach him the carpentry trade, but Orlando quickly discovers Camilo is
like their parents an addict, robbing and stealing to feed his habit. So he turns to Lila, his prison
pen pal who encouraged both his poetry writing and sexual fantasies. Soon he moves in with her
and engages in the acts he dreamed about while incarcerated, but living the straight life seems
impossible. "Freedom is full of hazards, lots of sharp edges, and they cut me at every turn." As he
is sucked back into a life of crime, he can't help but think going back to prison would be a
relief.
In "American Orphan", renowned poet and author Jimmy Santiago Baca explores in lyrical prose
one young man's attempts to break free from the cycle of addiction, violence and abuse that
contributed to his imprisonment and impede his search for happiness and a productive life. In a
society that considers him a criminal because of his brown skin, and where those in authority
including a parade of priests when he was just a boy take advantage of him, Orlando must learn
to believe in himself against all the odds, in spite of the institutionalized racism he has endured
since boyhood.
Critique: A masterpiece of deftly crafted literary fiction that packs an impressive and memorable
emotional punch for the reader, "American Orphan" clearly showcases author Jimmy Santiago
Baca's storytelling telling talents as a novelist. An exceptional work of Hispanic Cultural
Heritage fiction, "American Orphan" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal
reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections.
Editorial Note: An award-winning poet, essayist and novelist, Jimmy Santiago Baca's books
include Laughing in the Light (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2020), When I Walk through That
Door, I Am: An Immigrant Mother's Quest (Beacon Press, 2019), Healing Earthquakes (Grove
Press, 2007) and A Place to Stand (Grove Press, 2002). The recipient of numerous awards
including the American Book Award and a Pushcart Prize, Baca lives and works in his native
New Mexico.
Hieroglyphics
Jill McCorkle
Algonquin Books
PO Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
www.algonquin.com
9781616209728, $19.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hieroglyphics-Jill-McCorkle/dp/1616209720
Synopsis: Lil and Frank married young, launched into courtship when they bonded over how they
both (suddenly, tragically) lost a parent when they were children. Over time, their marriage grew
and strengthened, with each still wishing for so much more understanding of the parents they'd
lost prematurely.
Now, after many years in Boston, they've retired to North Carolina. There, Lil, determined to
leave a history for their children, sifts through letters and notes and diary entries -- perhaps
revealing more secrets than Frank wants their children to know.
Meanwhile, Frank has become obsessed with what might have been left behind at the house he
lived in as a boy on the outskirts of town, where a young single mother, Shelley, is just trying to
raise her son with some sense of normalcy. Frank's repeated visits to Shelley's house begin to
trigger memories of her own family, memories that she'd hoped to keep buried. Because, after all,
not all parents are ones you wish to remember.
Critique: A deftly crafted work that is especially recommended for community, college, and
university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, "Hieroglyphics" reveals the
difficulty of ever really knowing the intentions and dreams and secrets of the people who raised
you. In her deeply layered and masterful novel, Jill McCorkle deconstructs and reconstructs what
it means to be a father or a mother, and what it means to be a child piecing together the world
around us, a child learning to make sense of the hieroglyphics of history and memory.
A truly memorable read, and readily available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition
(9781643751382, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Hieorglyphics" is one of
those novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished
and set back upon the shelf.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Love in Lavender Lane
Jill Barry
Linford Romance
c/o Ulverscroft Publishing
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444847338 $TBA
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444847338
Synopsis: Fiona exchanges her quiet suburban world for 1970s London when she inherits her
great-aunt's marriage bureau near Marble Arch. But she has never been truly in love, so it's going
to be a challenge arranging perfect pairings for her starry-eyed clients... While Fiona's busy
interviewing and arranging introductions, how will she ever find time to make her own dream
come true? And could it be that she and her most difficult client to match are actually meant for
one another?
Critique: Available in reader-friendly large print, Love in Lavender Lane is a heartwarming
romance set in 1970s London. When Fiona inherits her great-aunt's marriage bureau near Marble
Arch, she takes on the challenge of running a matchmaking business when she personally has
never experienced true love. How can Fiona balance her work responsibilities and make her own
dream of finding the right life partner come true? And... could her most difficult client, who
seems to be a match for no one else, be the right match for her? Love in Lavender Lane is an
excellent pick for lending libraries and romance novel connoisseurs alike, highly
recommended.
Wedding Date with the Billionaire
Andrea Bolter
Mills & Boon
c/o HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com
9780263290011 $TBA hc
9780263298956 $13.39 pbk / $2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Date-Billionaire-Harlequin-Romance-ebook/dp/B08CSQ7H
YV
Synopsis: Best man Kento Yamamoto and maid of honor Erin Barclay are thrown together at a
luxury wedding years after their heartbreaking split. Now the fire between them is set ablaze
once more. Tech billionaire Kento's no longer the penniless student Erin's controlling parents
snubbed. Can she finally find the courage to break free from their hold? And could a cunning
recoupling of convenience pave the way to something unexpected but breathtakingly real?
Critique: Available in reader-friendly large print, Wedding Date with the Billionaire is a
sweeping romance about reunion after a heart-rending breakup. Best man Kento Yamamoto and
maid of honor Erin Barclay see one another for the first time in years after their ill-fated
relationship crumbled. Kento is now a tech billionaire, and not the penniless student that Erin's
control-freak parents soundly rejected - but the root of their breakup involved far more than
money. Erin is still dominated by her parents; is there any hope that she and Kento can rekindle
their love? A poignant, character-driven romance, Wedding Date with the Billionaire is highly
recommended for connoisseurs of the genre, and sure to prove a popular lending library pick. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that Wedding Date with the Billionaire is also available
in a Kindle edition ($2.99).
The Western Fiction Shelf
Return to Blood Creek
Frank Callan
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846713, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Return-Blood-Creek-Frank-Callan/dp/144484671X
Synopsis: When the Kenny brothers break out of jail, Deputy Sheriff Ben Stile takes after them,
but at that moment Cal Roney, Pinkerton detective, is riding into town and takes a bullet meant
for Stile. He is nursed back to health by Emilia Stile and Doc Dan Heath. But in his fever, Cal
speaks his real name: one that strikes hatred into the hearts of everyone in Long Corral. Cal's
secret past catches up with him, leading to a final and bloody showdown.
Critique: A superbly crafted and compelling western novel by a master of this action/adventure
genre, this large print paperback edition of Frank Callan's "Return to Blood Creek" is especially
recommended for the personal reading lists of all dedicated gun smoke western fans, and will
prove to be a very welcome addition to community library Western Fiction collections.
Bounty By Chance
J. L. Guin
Lindord Western Library
Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846737, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 265pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444846737
Synopsis: Jeremiah Hackett is a young man who teams up with huckster George Finimin, a tonic
salesman. When Finimin is brutally murdered in front of him, Jeremiah kills two of the three
murders and then dedicates himself to a vengeance quest seeking out the third killer. But things
do not prove straightforward for Jeremiah, and he needs to mature and learn some harsh lessons
before he can finally achieve his aim. Along the way he is joined by a young man named Lester
in an incident that results in him becoming a most unusual kind of bounty hunter.
Critique: J. L. Guin is a master storyteller and "Bounty By Chance" is another of his impressively
original but action packed western stories in this large print paperback edition from the Linford
Western Library series that will prove to be a welcome and prized addition to both the personal
reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.
The Lords of the Plains
Paul Bedford
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846744, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lords-Plains-Paul-Bedford/dp/1444846744
Synopsis: Originally hired on to secure buffalo meat for railroad work crews, after an Indian
attach on the railroad crew Josiah Wakefield and his friend Dan Sturgis are promoted to be
troubleshooters for the Union Pacific Railroad. That's when the pair discover that someone is
supplying Sioux warriors with repeating rifles, and that stolen strongbox filled with 'Double
Eagles' is tied up with corruption at the very top of the Union Pacific. Recovering the gold turns
out to be simple -- but keeping hold of it is something else entirely. Unsure who they can trust,
they return to the railhead. Here, they make a stand against all comers, in the hope that they can
finally bring the ringleader to account.
Critique: Another rousing great western novel by one of the true masters of the genre, Paul
Bedford's "The Lords of the Plains" is a riveting and entertaining read from beginning to end.
This large print edition from the Linford Western Library series is particularly and unreservedly
recommended for the personal reading lists of all dedicated western action/adventure fans and
community library Western Fiction collections.
Revenge at Powder River
John McNally
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846690, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Powder-River-John-McNally/dp/1444846698
Synopsis: Sam Heggarty returns home to hunt for the heartless gunmen who robbed and executed
his father. As he makes his way back, he witnesses another murder and stumbles across a clue to
the people responsible for his father's death. He discovers that the one person who may hold the
key to the identity of his father's murderers is someone that everyone else is intent on killing.
With the help of an Indian, a pegleg marshal, a couple of neighbors, Heggarty will have to save
the life of a man involved in his father's death if he is to find who is involved and deserving of
gun smoke justice.
Critique: A ripping great read with more unexpected plot twists and turns than the Colorado
River in full flood, this large print paperback edition of "Revenge at Powder River" perfectly
showcases the narrative storytelling style of western action/adventure novelist John McNally and
a highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Tom Clancy's Op-Center: The Black Order
Created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik
Written by Jeff Rovin
St Martin's Group
www.stmartins.com
9781250222343 $17.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Clancys-Op-Center-Black-Order/dp/1250222346
Synopsis: In a plot ripped from today's headlines, America's elite task force must take down a
group of ruthless domestic terrorists determined to paralyze the country through extreme acts of
violence in this action-packed new thriller in the bestselling Tom Clancy's Op-Center series.
They are known as the Black Order. Self-proclaimed patriots and survivalists, they refuse to
surrender their values and beliefs to the left-leaning cultural and progressive forces threatening
their nation. Military veterans and high-tech specialists, they've begun a savage war which
includes public assassinations of politicians and celebrities and high-profile bombings, striking
without warning or mercy. The Black Order wants nothing less than complete capitulation by the
US government, giving them free rein to make their ideologies the law of the land.
Only Op-Center's Black Wasp, a skilled team of military operatives answerable to the President,
can defeat these militant revolutionaries. But even as Admiral Chase Williams and his agents
force them on the run, the Black Order possesses a weapon of mass destruction that they will not
hesitate to unleash against millions of innocent civilians.
Critique: Tom Clancy's Op-Center: The Black Order is a thrilling novel about American
domestic terrorism masquerading as claims of patriotism. The Black Order consists of military
veterans and high-tech specialists who assassinate politicians, celebrities, and civilians without
mercy, in a vicious crusade to overthrow the American government. The Black Wasp, a trained
team of military specialists, are America's final line of defense, tasked with wresting a weapon of
mass destruction from the Black Order before apocalypse falls! Riveting to the very end, Tom
Clancy's Op-Center: The Black Order is enthusiastically recommended for genre connoisseurs
and public library military fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
Tom Clancy's Op-Center: The Black Order is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland
Jonathan Green
Winged Hussar Publishing
www.wingedhussarpublishing.com
9781909679818, $42.62, HC, 402pp
https://www.amazon.com/Alices-Nightmare-Wonderland-Jonathan-Green/dp/1909679593
Synopsis: Several years after the events of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the
Looking Glass", Alice once again finds herself back in Wonderland and called upon to save the
world of playing cards and talking animals from the increasingly deranged Queen of Hearts. But
all is not as it first appears in the fluctuating dream world and soon Alice is battling to save
herself from the nightmare that is rapidly overtaking the realm.
Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Alice hadn't drunk from the bottle labeled
'Drink Me', or if she hadn't joined the Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse for tea? Well
now you can find out in "Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland" by Jonathan Green where you as the
reader will decide which route Alice should take, which perils to risk, and which of
Wonderland's strange denizens to fight.
But be warned -- whether Alice succeeds in her quest or meets a dire end as the nightmare
escalates will be down to the choices you as the reader will make as you, along with Alice, go
back down the rabbit-hole!
Critique: Using a 'choose your own adventure' storytelling style, "Alice's Nightmare In
Wonderland" can be read over and over again with great and cliff-hanger style enjoyment by
fantasy enthusiasts of all ages. While very highly recommended for community library Dark
Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Alice in
Wonderland fans that "Alice's Nightmare In Wonderland" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9781909679597, $19.95).
The Blacktongue Thief
Christopher Buehlman
Tor
www.tor-forge.com
9781250621191 $25.99 hc / $13.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Blacktongue-Thief-1/dp/1250621194
Synopsis: Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with
deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief begins a 'dazzling' (Robin Hobb)
fantasy adventure unlike any other.
Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which
includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking,
lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the
old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.
But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.
Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death.
She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.
Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled
with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey
where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few
can afford.
Critique: The Blacktongue Thief is a fast-paced fantasy adventure about a thief, Kinch Na
Shannack, who owes the "Takers Guild" that trained him a modest-sized fortune. Kinch joins
forces with Galva, a knight who survived the deadly goblin wars, on a quest to find her missing
queen. An action-packed saga of fantastic beasts, man-eating goblins, and the otherworldly
equivalent of student loans that can't be discharged through bankruptcy, The Blacktongue Thief
is highly recommended for connoisseurs of the genre and public library collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that The Blacktongue Thief is also available in a Kindle edition
($13.99).
The Agriculture/Horticulture Shelf
A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides, second edition
Richard Latin
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890546734, $215.00, HC, 353pp
https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Turfgrass-Fungicides-Second/dp/0890546738
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "A Practical Guide to Turfgrass
Fungicides" by Richard Latin (Emeritus Professor of Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West
Lafayette, Indiana) is a current, comprehensive, and hands-on resource focused specifically on
the fungicides used for disease control on turfgrass.
Professor Latin developed "A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides" to be a thoroughly
'user-friendly' guide based on his belief that if turf managers understand how and why fungicides
work (and sometimes fail), they will use these products more effectively and efficiently and
communicate disease control issues with greater confidence.
Professor Latin describes this combination instructional guide and manual as "an off-season
resource" that can be used to reflect on past seasons and plan for the season ahead.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "A Practical Guide to Turfgrass
Fungicides" is an impressively comprehensive, nicely illustrated, and informative textbook that is
especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, college and university library
Agriculture/Horticulture collections and supplemental studies curriculums.
The Political Science Shelf
Diplomacy and the Future of World Order
Chester A. Crocker, et al.
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647120931, $110.95, HC, 376pp
https://www.amazon.com/Diplomacy-Future-World-Chester-Crocker/dp/1647120934
Synopsis: Diplomacy in pursuit of peace and security today faces severe challenges that had not
been seen in decades. The reemergence of strong authoritarian states, discord in the UN Security
Council, destabilizing transnational non-state actors, diminishing space for civil society within
states, and the weakening of the international liberal order all present new obstacles to
diplomacy.
In "Diplomacy and the Future of World Order", an international group of academicians, political
scientists, and other experts confronts these challenges to peace and conflict diplomacy -- defined
as the effort to manage others' conflicts, cope with great power competition, and deal with threats
to the state system itself. In doing so, they consider three potential scenarios for world order
where key states decide to go it alone, return to a liberal order, or collaborate on a case-by-case
basis to address common threats and problems.
These three scenarios are then evaluated through the prism of regional perspectives from around
the world and for their potential ramifications for major security threats including peacekeeping,
nuclear nonproliferation, cyber competition, and terrorism. Editors Chester A. Crocker ( James
R. Schlesinger Professor of the Practice of Strategic Studies at the Walsh School of Foreign
Service at Georgetown University), Fen Osler Hampson (Chancellor's Professor and professor of
international affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton
University and president of the World Refugee and Migration Council), and Pamela Aall (senior
advisor for conflict prevention and management at the United States Institute of Peace) conclude
the volume by identifying emerging types of diplomacy that may form the foundation for global
peacemaking and conflict management in an uncertain future.
Critique: A fully absorbing and informative study, "Diplomacy and the Future of World Order" is
a timely and seminal study that should be considered as an essential, core addition to community,
governmental, college, and university library Contemporary International Diplomacy collections
in general, and National/International Security supplemental studies curriculums in particular. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental policy makers,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Diplomacy and the Future
of World Order" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781647120948, $36.95) and in
a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).
The Audiobook Shelf
Drunk
Edward Slingerland, author
Jordan Benlevi, narrator
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713587378, $38.99, MP3-CD (11 Hours, 30 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Drunk-Sipped-Danced-Stumbled-Civilization/dp/1713587378
Synopsis: Offering a comprehensive, convincing answer to the basic question of why humans
want to get high in the first place. "Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to
Civilization" by Professor Edward Slingerland elegantly cuts through the tangle of urban legends
and anecdotal impressions that surround our notions of intoxication to provide the first rigorous,
scientifically-grounded explanation for our love of alcohol.
Drawing on evidence from archaeology, history, cognitive neuroscience, psychopharmacology,
social psychology, literature, and genetics, Slingerland shows that our taste for chemical
intoxicants is not an evolutionary mistake, as we are so often told. In fact, intoxication helps
solve a number of distinctively human challenges: enhancing creativity, alleviating stress,
building trust, and pulling off the miracle of getting fiercely tribal primates to cooperate with
strangers.
Our desire to get drunk, along with the individual and social benefits provided by drunkenness,
played a crucial role in sparking the rise of the first large-scale societies. We would not have
civilization without intoxication.
From marauding Vikings and bacchanalian orgies to sex-starved fruit flies, blind cave fish, and
problem-solving crows, "Drunk" is simply packed with fascinating case studies and engaging
science, as well as practical takeaways for individuals and communities. The result is a
captivating and long overdue investigation into humanity's oldest indulgence -- and one that
explains not only why we want to get drunk, but also how it might actually be good for us to tie
one on now and then.
Critique: A unique and inherently fascinating history of alcohol usage and its relationship to
human civilizations over the past several millennia and around the world, this complete and
unabridged audio book edition of "Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to
Civilization" is ably narrated by Jordan Benievi and will prove to be an immediately popular and
enduringly appreciated addition to personal listening lists, as well as community, college, and
university library Evolutionary Psychology, Civilization, and Cultural History collections.
Editorial Note: Edward Slingerland is a Distinguished University Scholar and Professor of
Philosophy at the University of British Columbia. In addition to academic journal articles in a
wide range of fields, Professor Slingerland has written several scholarly books, including What
Science Offers the Humanities, Mind and Body in Early China, and a translation of the Analects
of Confucius. He maintains an informative UBC homepage at http://eslingerland.arts.ubc.ca/
The Library CD Shelf
Serendipity
John Stein
Whaling City Sound
https://whalingcitysound.com
$16.99 CD / $8.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Serendipity-John-Stein/dp/B0942DW48Z
Serendipity is an album recorded of a live jazz concert, featuring Jon Stein on guitar, Ed Lucie on
bass guitar, and Mike Connors on drums. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the concert was
broadcast virtually, yet its conditions were deliberately similar to playing to a full house. There
were no second takes, no overdubs, and no corrections; just a pure, passionate performance. An
upbeat, vivacious album superbly capturing the spirit of the stage, Serendipity is highly
recommended. The tracks are "Alfie's Theme", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Well, You Needn't",
"Labor of Love", "Insensatez (How Insensitive)", "Bing Bang Boom!", "Elvin!", "The Night Has
a Thousand Eyes", "East of the Sun and West of the Moon", and "Happy Hour".
Carolina Child
Ric Robertson
ricrobertsonmusic.com
Free Dirt Records
freedirt.net
$14.98 CD / $8.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Child-Ric-Robertson/dp/B093RHMFF8
Singer-songwriter Ric Robertson presents Carolina Child, an original album fusing elements of
jazz, funk, and country into a unique Americana perspective. Carolina is emotional and
compelling; the songs range from wistful reflections on love to a metaphorical appreciation of
the natural world's perseverance. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Getting Over Our Love",
"Harmless Feeling", "Carolina Child", "Sycamore Hill", "Thinkin' About You", "Anna Rose",
"My Love Never Sleeps", "I Don't Mind", "Rollin' River", and "Julie".
The Cookbook Shelf
Reader's Digest Plant Based Health Basics
Reader's Digest Press, editor
c/o Trusted Media Brand
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621455516, $19.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Readers-Digest-Plant-Health-Basics/dp/1621455513
Synopsis: "Reader's Digest Plant Based Health Basics: Nourish Your Body and Brain with
Grains, Vegetables, and More" is a compendium of information and recipes on plant-based eating
for middle America, using familiar, easy-to-find ingredients to help readers eat more
healthfully.
Eating a diet higher in plant foods and lower in animal products has been shown to provide many
health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes as well as aiding
in weight loss. Dietary guidelines and recommendations from nutrition experts reflect this,
encouraging the adoption of diets such as the Mediterranean, Flexitarian, Vegan or DASH diet
that are heavy on fruits and vegetables and reduce or restrict the consumption of meat and meat
products.
Whether folks are choosing to boost their nutritional intake by consuming more plants within
their meat-based diets, or avoid animal product once a week such as Meatless Mondays, or go all
out vegan, they need support in starting out with this new way of eating. Understanding the
importance of the nutrients in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help the reader grasp why
eating more plants will improve their overall health.
This A-Z comprehensive guide lays out all the nutrients and other compounds currently known to
researchers that help fight disease. It includes: A guide to the powerful disease-zapping nutrients
in more than 40 superstar foods, from apples to winter squash, with tips on how to maximize
their dietary benefits and tasty ways to include them in your daily diet; A specific food arsenal to
manage and prevent more than 50 common ailments, from asthma to osteoporosis; 90 delicious
disease-combating recipes, including appetizers, main courses, and desserts, that make it easy to
eat for good health; A new introduction explaining how whole food plant-based eating promotes
health and prevents and/or reverses diseases.
Of special note is the inclusion of recent research boxes highlighting the latest studies that show
the health effects of eating a fruits/veggie dense diet on health conditions
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Reader's Digest Plant Based Health
Basics: Nourish Your Body and Brain with Grains, Vegetables, and More" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99). Thoroughly 'user friendly' in style,
organization and presentation, "Reader's Digest Plant Based Health Basics: Nourish Your Body
and Brain with Grains, Vegetables, and More" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, family, and community library Vegetarian Cookbook collections. I
Editorial Note: Founded in 1922 by DeWitt and Lila Wallace, Reader's Digest is recognized
worldwide and today reaches an audience of more than 25 million in the United States. Serving
up a mix of moving stories and trusted information (often told with a good dash of fun), Reader's
Digest aims to inspire the good in people and families everywhere.
Taste of Home Farm to Table Cookbook
Taste of Home, editor
c/o Trusted Media Brand
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621455318, $19.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Farm-Table-Cookbook/dp/1621455319
Synopsis: "Taste of Home Farm to Table Cookbook: 279 Recipes that Make the Most of the
Season's Freshest Foods - All Year Long!" is an impressive culinary compendium of recipes that
will allow kitchen cooks and their families to relish the goodness of garden fresh foods and make
the most of their garden and their farmer's market finds all year long.
Have a bumper crop of tomatoes? Need to use up some rhubarb? Craving blueberry muffins or
peach preserves? Simply turn to the mouth-watering ideas in "Taste of Home Farm to Table
Cookbook" where each of the 279 sensational recipes it showcases take full advantage of fresh
produce all year long. From apples to zucchini and from appetizers to main courses (and, of
course, all those wonderful desserts), "Taste of Home Farm to Table Cookbook" is colorful
collection of dining and menu ideas that will deliver wholesome specialties to your table every
day.
Critique: Enhanced with full color photography throughout, and featuring thoroughly 'kitchen
cook friendly" step-by-step instructions for each recipe, "Taste of Home Farm to Table
Cookbook: 279 Recipes that Make the Most of the Season's Freshest Foods - All Year Long!"
will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to every personal, professional,
family and community library cookbook collection. It should be noted that "Taste of Home Farm
to Table Cookbook: 279 Recipes that Make the Most of the Season's Freshest Foods - All Year
Long!" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food,
cooking and entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort
received from food that's made with love. Taste of Home magazine has a circulation of 3.5
million and publishes best-selling cookbooks; popular bookazines; and engaging newsstand
specials.
The Education Shelf
Schooling Teachers
Megan Blumenreich and Bethany L. Rogers
Teachers College Press
www.tcpress.com
9780807764688 $36.95 pbk / $31.49 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Schooling-Teachers-America-Teacher-Education/dp/080776468X
Synopsis: Schooling Teachers tackles the perennial and pressing issue of how this nation will
attract, prepare, and retain high-quality teachers for all students, particularly those in our most
challenging classrooms.
Drawing on participant voices from the inaugural 1990 cohort of Teach For America, this book
situates their experiences within the larger context of teacher education and reform of the last
three decades. Through an investigation of one of the more influential departures from traditional
teacher preparation during this period, the authors examine the "teacher problem" and illustrate
why solutions remain elusive and limited.
This book moves beyond the purported dichotomy between university-based teacher education
and alternatives such as Teach For America to consider their common challenges, suggesting a
starting place from which to create a future of more effective teacher preparation.
Critique: Schooling Teachers: Teach for America and the Future of Teacher Education is a
practical-minded examination of how to attract, prepare, and retain high-quality teachers in
America. Chapters scrutinize the 1990 cohort of Teach for America, in the context of efforts to
train and improve teachers from the 1990's to the present. Extensive notes and an index round out
this thoughtful, methodical, and highly recommended study. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that Schooling Teachers is also available in ta Kindle edition ($31.49).
Teaching Race in Perilous Times
Jason E. Cohen, editor
Sharon D. Raynor, editor
Dwayne A. Mack, editor
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9781438482255, $95.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Perilous-Critical-Studies-Education/dp/1438482256
Synopsis: The college classroom is inevitably influenced by, and in turn influences, the world
around it. In the United States, this means the complex topic of race can come into play in ways
that are both explicit and implicit. "Teaching Race in Perilous Times" highlights and confronts
the challenges of teaching race in the United States -- from syllabus development and
pedagogical strategies to accreditation and curricular reform.
Comprised of fifteen original essays, the contributors to "Teaching Race in Perilous Times" draw
on their experiences teaching in different institutional contexts and adopt various qualitative
methods from their home disciplines to offer practical strategies for discussing race and racism
with students while also reflecting on broader issues in higher education. The contributors also
examine how teachers can respond productively to emotionally charged contexts, recognize the
roles and pressures that faculty assume as activists in the classroom, focus a timely lens on the
shifting racial politics and economics of higher education, and call for a more historically
sensitive reading of the pedagogies involved in teaching race.
"Teaching Race in Perilous Times" offers a corrective to claims following the 2016 US
presidential election that the current moment is unprecedented, highlighting the pivotal role of
the classroom in contextualizing and responding to our perilous times.
Critique: An ideal curriculum textbook, "Teaching Race in Perilous Times" is an especially
recommended addition to college and university Cultural Anthropology collections in general,
and Higher Education/Continuing Education supplemental curriculum studies reading lists in
particular. It should be noted for students and academia that "Teaching Race in Perilous Times"
is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781438482262, $26.95) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.55).
Editorial Note: Jason E. Cohen Associate Professor of English at Berea College. Sharon D.
Raynor is Dean of the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, and Professor of English at
Elizabeth City State University. Dwayne A. Mack is Professor of History and Carter G. Woodson
Chair in African American History at Berea College.
Talent Development in School
Julie Dingle Swanson, editor
Meta Van Sickle, editor
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781646321223, 39.95, PB, 275pp
https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Development-School-Implementing-Identification/dp/1646321227
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Julie Dingle Swanson and Meta Van Sickle
"Talent Development in School: An Educator's Guide to Implementing a Culturally Responsive
Talent Identification and Development Program" is specifically designed to help educators utilize
research-based curriculum and strategies to implement talent development in the classroom.
Talent Development in School" is a practical guide that: Focuses on a talent development model
that is centered on teacher learning; Highlights talent development's impact on culturally,
linguistically, and economically diverse learners; Details how to apply the talent development
model in one's school or district and opening access and opportunity to all students: Reviews
current theories, concepts, and research on talent development in the field of gifted
education;
Perfect for teachers, coordinators, and administrators, "Talent Development in School" also
features techniques for culturally responsive teaching and considerations for how psychosocial
skills and noncognitive influences on learning (such as motivation, grit, resiliency, and growth
mindset) affect talent development.
Critique: Exceptionally organized and throughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, "Talent
Development in School: An Educator's Guide to Implementing a Culturally Responsive Talent
Identification and Development Program" is a timely and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, school district, college and university library Educational Assessment and
Gifted Education collections and supplemental studies curriculum reading lists.
Editorial Note: Julie Dingle Swanson, Ed.D. is a professor at the College of Charleston, SC and
has taught in and coordinated K - 12 gifted programs and directed federal projects focused on
gifted students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Meta Van Sickle is a professor at the
College of Charleston, having earned a Ph.D. from the University of South Florida. Her research
interests include studying the ethics of care in science education and science for all.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Modern Epidemics: From the Spanish Flu to Covid-19
Salvador Macip
Polity
politybooks.com
9781509546572 $19.95 pbk / $16.00 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Epidemics-Spanish-Flu-COVID-19/dp/150954657X
Synopsis: COVID-19 has made us all aware of the fact that we live in a world full of invisible
enemies. Normally, we don't even realize they're there, but from time to time one of these
microscopic creatures becomes powerful enough to turn everything upside down. What are these
invisible enemies, and how can we prepare ourselves for the pandemics of the future?
A specialist in the cellular biology of diseases, Salvador Macip explains, in a language everyone
can understand, what it means to share the planet with millions of microbes - some wonderful
allies, others terrible foes. He provides a concise account of epidemics that changed history, and
focuses on the great modern plagues that are still causing millions of deaths every year, from
influenza, TB and malaria to COVID-19. Macip also examines the methods we have used - from
vaccines to improved sanitation and social distancing - to try to control these invisible
enemies.
This authoritative overview of modern epidemics and the pathogens that cause them will be
essential reading for anyone who wants to understand our world today, a world in which some of
the greatest threats to the human species come from the invisible microbes with which we share
this planet.
Critique: Modern Epidemics: From the Spanish Flu to Covid-19 is written by cellular biology
specialist Salvador Macip, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Chapters
discuss the history of the past century's epidemics, with particular focus upon influenza, AIDS,
tuberculosis, and malaria. A glossary and an index round out this highly informative study of
deadly microbes, and how human society has struggles to keep their invisible threat under
control. Highly recommended, especially for public library collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that Modern Epidemics is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.00).
Meeting the Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and their Care Partners and
Caregivers
Eric B. Larson and Clare Stroud, editors
The National Academies Press
www.nationalacademies.org
9780309154291 $60.00 pbk / $41.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Management-Effects-Coalbed-Methane-Produced/dp/0309154294
Synopsis: Millions of people are living with dementia in the United States and globally. To live
well with dementia, people need care, services, and supports that reflect their values and
preferences, build on their strengths and abilities, promote well-being, and address needs that
evolve as cognitive impairment deepens.
Persons living with dementia co-manage their care with or rely on the support of a wide range of
care partners and caregivers, including spouses, other family members and friends, and direct
care workers in homes or residential care settings. While dementia care has improved since the
1970s, many individuals still lack access to high-quality care and are not living as well as they
might. Disadvantaged groups, especially racial and ethnic minorities, still face challenges in
access to care, services, and supports, due to deep and persistent inequities.
Meeting the Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners and
Caregivers: A Way Forward examines the complex body of evidence on dementia care and
informs decision making about which interventions are ready to be broadly disseminated and
implemented. It also offers a blueprint to guide future research using rigorous, cutting-edge
methods that are inclusive, equitable, and yield critical information for real-world
implementation, toward the ultimate goal of better supporting persons living with dementia and
their care partners and caregivers in living as well as possible.
Critique: Meeting the Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and their Care
Partners and Caregivers: A Way Forward is a scholarly, close examination of the societal
problem of caring for people whose mental faculties have degenerated due to dementia. Chapters
discuss the current and evolving systems for dementia care, and provide guidelines for future
research in the field. The challenges faced by people in disadvantaged groups are especially
scrutinized. "A lived experience cannot be taught. Diverse, multidisciplinary research times are
needed to ensure that team members collectively have insight into and sensitivity to different
perspectives and cultures." Highly recommended, especially for college and professional library
health and medicine collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Meeting the
Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and their Care Partners and Caregivers is
also available in a Kindle edition ($41.99).
The Parents' Guide to ADHD Medicines
Peter Hill
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com
9781787755680, $19.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Parents-Guide-ADHD-Medicines/dp/1787755681
Synopsis: "The Parents' Guide to ADHD Medicines" by Peter Hill is reassuring guide explains
prescribed ADHD medicines for children in clear, everyday language. Based on questions
Professor Hill has received from countless families in his work as a Consultant Psychiatrist, the
expert information in comprehensive volume answers the most pressing questions a parent will
have about ADHD medicines: how they work, what they do, what is available and how to talk
about them to your children.
"The Parents' Guide to ADHD Medicines" also sheds light on why not all medicines are easily
available, the differences between certain medications and their level of effectiveness, all based
on scientific evidence. This information will support parents in discussions with medical
professionals, explaining the practicalities and demystifying the terminology around medication
and treatments.
"The Parents' Guide to ADHD Medicines" also provides insights into the decisions behind
prescribing certain medicines and how they should be taken. Armed with this guide, parents (as
well as teachers and others working with kids with ADHD) can feel confident and assured when
their child is prescribed treatments for ADHD.
Critique: Thoroughly 'parent friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "The
Parents' Guide to ADHD Medicines" is especially and unreservedly recommended for family and
community, college and university library Parenting & Health/Medicine collections in general,
and ADHD supplemental studies curriculum reading lists in particular. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of parents, caregivers, healthcare workers, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The Parents' Guide to ADHD Medicines" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
The Philosophy Shelf
Parva Naturalia: with On the Motion of Animals
Aristotle, author
David Bolotin, translator
Mercer University Press
1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207-0001
www.mupress.org
9780881467833, $45.00, HC, 260pp
9780881467840, $20.00 pbk
https://www.amazon.com/Parva-Naturalia-Motion-Animals-Aristotle/dp/0881467839
Synopsis: David Bolotin's translation of Aristotle's "Parva Naturalia: with On the Motion of
Animals" aims above all at fidelity to the Greek. It treats Aristotle as a teacher regarding the
topics that he discusses, and hence it tries to convey the meaning, to the extent possible in
English, of his every word.
Aristotle clearly intended these treatises as a sequel to his "De Anima" and Bolotin's translation
is a sequel to his translation of that work. The title "Parva Naturalia" goes back to the Latin
Middle Ages, and though the traditional grouping doesn't include the treatise "On The Motion Of
Animals" it is included here, since there is strong manuscript evidence that it ought to be
included.
Bolotin has made a scrupulous effort to examine the manuscript tradition, and he has relied only
on readings that are well attested in the oldest manuscripts, rather than accepting conjectural
emendations of modern editors, who too often substitute a Greek text that is easy to understand
for any of those from the ancient copyists.
Critique: An erudite and eloquent translation of the Greek into English for an American
readership, "Parva Naturalia: with On the Motion of Animals" is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition college and university library Philosophy collections in
general, and Aristotle supplemental curriculum studies reading lists in particular. It should be
noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Parva Naturalia: with On the Motion of Animals" is also readily available in a paperback
edition ($20.00).
Editorial Note: David Bolotin is a retired teacher from St. John's College in Santa Fe, New
Mexico. He is also the author of "Plato's Dialogue On Friendship" and "An Approach to
Aristotle's Physics", as well as the translator of Aristotle's "De Anima".
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
The Ladder
Andrew Bernard
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781781353745, $22.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ladder-Supporting-students-successful-confident/dp/1781353743
Synopsis: Many people's careers are founded on a series of chance encounters, experiences and
serendipity. School, college, university, jobs, family, sports, hobbies, friends, relationships are all
fertile grounds for career-related conversations and explorations. But what if teachers, guides,
mentors, parents and peers started to notice these seemingly unconnected happenings and,
indeed, started to engineer and encourage them to happen?
Using the mantra 'every adult is a careers teacher', "The Ladder: Supporting students towards
successful futures and confident career choices" will inspire classroom teachers to explicitly link
their subject area to students' futures, both in school and outside its walls, and support them in
doing so. Bernie draws upon his 30-year career in education and business development to bring
clarity, focus and ideas to educators as to how they can best start students on their own ladders to
success.
In doing so, Bernie provides a range of user-friendly, engaging and downloadable materials for
teachers to use with the young people they work with to help uncover their talents and link those
talents to opportunities for growth. He also shares invaluable advice on how best to reach out to
local businesses and external organizations to support a students' careers education.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Ladder: Supporting students
towards successful futures and confident career choices" is also readily available for personal
reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.90) and containing everything classroom
educators and school counselors need to know in order to be effective advocates for young
people and their future aspirations, pathways and career aims is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to school district, college and university library Jobs/Careers Education
collections and supplemental studies curriculum reading lists.
Editorial Note: Andrew 'Bernie' Bernard is an entrepreneur, a TEDx Speaker, a director of both
Innovative Enterprise and National Careers Week, and a Fellow of the Professional Speaking
Association who, since 2006, has worked with schools, businesses, charities, universities and
colleges to help over 150,000 young people bring their future to life through enterprise and
careers workshops.
The Biography Shelf
The Savior of Deadwood
David A. Wolff
South Dakota Historical Society Press
www.sdhspress.com
9781941813355 $29.95 hc
https://www.amazon.com/Savior-Deadwood-James-Miller-Frontier/dp/1941813356
Synopsis: Arriving in Deadwood just days after the death of Wild Bill Hickok in early August
1876, businessman James K. P. Miller found the months\-old mining camp in turmoil. By the
time of his own death in 1890, Miller had gained a reputation as the "savior of Deadwood"; for
his efforts to bring prosperity to the area. Yet, while Deadwood denizens such as Hickok,
Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock became Western legends, Miller faded into obscurity.
After fleeing his native New York in disgrace, Miller sought to redeem himself to his family and
strike it rich in the West. Living under an assumed name in Montana Territory, Miller gained
valuable experience in the grocery trade. He ventured to Deadwood soon after its founding in
1876, and, using his birth name, opened a successful grocery firm and exchange bank with a
partner. The business endured a disastrous fire, a flood, and a series of dramatic economic ups
and downs. Eventually, Miller became the town's preeminent promoter and developer, advancing
several large projects and persuading outside investors to join him. He even played a key role in
convincing railroads to build in Deadwood, bringing a permanency that few would have
predicted.
Author David A. Wolff has pieced together the largely untold story of how Miller helped turn a
rugged gold camp into a permanent settlement. The Savior of Deadwood follows Miller's career
while granting fresh insight into the early history of one of the most legendary towns of the Wild
West, highlighting how violence, relations between settlers and American Indians, economic
changes, and political battles shaped the modern Black Hills.
Critique: The Savior of Deadwood is the true-life biography of a Wild West frontiersman who
made history championing the needs of a frontier town. Businessman James K. P. Miller is
obscure today, perhaps because instead of being a gunslinger or a robber, he was an economic
developer with the charisma to cajole outside investors to put a stake in the South Dakota town
of Deadwood. Miller even played a role in convincing railroads to build in Deadwood. A handful
of black-and-white photographs, notes, a bibliography and an index round out this fascinating
historical portrait, highly recommended especially for public and college library Biography and
American History collections.
The Holocaust Studies Shelf
The Remnant
Michael G. Kesler
Vallentine Mitchell Publishers
https://www.vmbooksusa.com
9781912676637, $22.95, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Remnant-Burning-Displaced-Persons-Beyond/dp/191267663X
Synopsis: Because of the Nazi invasion, Michael Kesler and his sister fled their home in Dubno,
Poland as panicked Jewish teenagers in June 1941, and landed in the Soviet Union amid the
raging war. A flashback catches them in Stalingrad, besieged by the Germans. A stroke of luck
landed them in Uzbekistan where Michael excelled as a veterinary assistant.
Two years later, the Soviet Army drafted Michael and trained him to remove mines planted by
retreating Germans. After a dogged search, his sister found him and persuaded him to desert. An
overnight train took them to Samarkand where they set up shop as weavers and Michael studied
Economics at night.
At war's end, they hastened home and witnessed the mass graves of Dubno's 8,000 Jews,
including their parents. Threatened, they found Moniek's mother and cousins and headed to a
Displaced Persons camp in Germany. Britain dashed Michael's hopes to go to Palestine. A year
later, Hillel surprisingly awarded him a scholarship to Colby College, where he arrived in 1947.
He transferred to MIT and began to build a new life.
Critique: "The Remnant: On Burning Wings: To a Displaced Persons Camp and Beyond" is the
personal biography of Michael G. Kesler and an invaluable contribution to the growing body of
Holocaust literature, World War II histories, and 20th Century Jewish Biographies. Exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "The Remnant: On Burning Wings: To a Displaced
Persons Camp and Beyond" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal reading lists, as well as community, college and university library collections.
Editorial Note: Michael Kesler, with a doctorate in chemical engineering, worked over fifty years
in the petroleum industry. Since his retirement in 2006, due to glaucoma-induced loss of vision,
he has focused his work on his World War II experiences. His notable Shards of War appeared
on the list of bestselling eBooks in Europe for several months. Since then, he has lectured and
presented annual events to raise public awareness of East European Jewish civilization before the
Holocaust.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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