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Library Bookwatch

Volume 4, Number 6 June 2009 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Library Science Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Wine Shelf Cookbook Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Biography Shelf Gardening Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf Railroading Shelf Travel Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Military Shelf Parenting Shelf
Gaming Shelf Education Shelf Humor Shelf
Fiction Shelf World History Shelf Political Science Shelf
Economics Shelf Business Shelf Art Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library CD Music Shelf Library DVD Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Extinct Animals
Ross Piper
Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
P.O. Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
9780313349874, $85.00, www.greenwood.com

Little recognized by the general public, but well known to professionals in the botanical and zoological sciences, we are in the midst of one of the world's great extinction events with animal and plant species dying out due primarily to human activities. Nicely illustrated by Renata Cunha and Phil Miller, "Extinct Animals: An Encyclopedia Of Species That Have Disappeared During Human History" is a compendium of just such animal species as compiled by zoologist, independent researcher and natural history enthusiast Ross Piper. Organized chronologically into seven sections beginning with 'Fewer Than 100 Years Ago' to 'More Than 50,000 Years Ago', each of these individual chapters list now extinct species that ranging from the better known Passenger Pigeon, Great Auk, and Dodo, to the more obscure Horned Turtle, Merriam's Teratorn, Australian Thunderbird, and Megatooth Shark. Of special interest is the information presented concerning the extinction of the Neanderthal and Homo Erectus (two competing hominid species that having survived for millions of years became extinct within a millennia of encounter Homo Sapiens -- us -- between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago). Enhanced with the inclusion of a Glossary; a Selected Bibliography, a listing of Selected Museums in the United States, Canada, and Worldwide; and an Index, "Extinct Animals" is a remarkable and highly recommended work of scholarship that is fully accessible to the non-specialist general reader, as well as academia.


The Library Science Shelf

Service Learning
Loriene Roy, Kelly Jensen, & Alex Hershey Meyers
ALA Editions
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838909812, $65.00, www.alastore.ala.org

Does one really need a master's degree to run a library? "Service Learning: Linking Library Education and Practice" is a look at how service education is gaining ground in library education curricula across the country. Linking the two seems to be a natural move, especially with the declining rates of students going for masters degrees. Many brilliant minds converge and speak their piece on the subject. "Service Learning" is of great interest to educators in the field and librarians looking to the future of their career.

You Don't Look Like a Librarian
Ruth Kneale
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
9781573873666, $29.50 www.infotoday.com

Librarians may hold a conservative and stodgy image; You Don't Look Like a Librarian offers alternatives to this traditional stereotype, telling how to foster and grow new images in the Internet age. Written by a blogger and pop culture librarian who offers keys to her own changing role, You Don't Look Like a Librarian includes the results of a 1,000+ respondent survey and interviews with opinionated librarians across the country. Students of library science and practicing librarians alike will find this an eye-opening winner.

Recommended Reference Books For Small And Medium-Sized Libraries And Media Centers
Shannon Graff Hysell,editor
Libraries Unlimited
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
www.greenwood.com
9781591588412, $70.00, www.lu.com

Libraries are in service to their communities, and it is the informational needs of those communities, along with constraints of budgets and physical facilities, that determent what those library collections will contain with respect to their reference book collections. Now in a newly updated and expanded 2009 Edition, "Recommended Reference books For Small And Medium-Sized Libraries And Media Centers" is published by Libraries Unlimited under the supervision of the American Reference Books Annual Advisory Board in general, and Associate Editor Shannon Graff Hysell in particular, to serve small and mid-sized libraries as a guide to making the most of their limited acquisition dollars in the diverse areas of general reference works, social sciences, the humanities, as well as science and technology. Drawing upon contributions by well over one hundred knowledgeable and expert contributors, and well as twelve professional publications ranging from the Library Journal and School Library Journal, to Booklist and the Reference & User Services Quarterly, "Recommended Reference books For Small And Medium-Sized Libraries And Media Centers" is a core addition to the internal library staff reference collections and a mandatory reference work for college and university Library Science collections.

Protecting Intellectual Freedom In Your Academic Library
Barbara M. Jones
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838935804, $55.00, www.amazon.com

Protecting the integrity of library collections and the library acquisition process against community forces that would seek to restrict those collections in accordance with a special interest criteria is a constant struggle for both community and school libraries throughout the country. In "Protecting Intellectual Freedom In Your Academic Library: Scenarios From The Front Lines" Barbara Jones (Caleb T. Winchester University Librarian at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut) draws upon her many years of professional experience and expertise to address the issue of protecting intellectual freedom as represented in school libraries both public and private, grade level or collegiate. Offering illustrative case studies, Jones provides narrative treatment of common situations tailored to academic libraries. Of special note is the provision of detailed, practical, applicable information on dealing with challenges seeking to delete or restrict materials in library collections. Enhanced throughout with sidebars offering sample polices, definitions of key terms, and analysis of important statues and decisions affecting the protections of intellectual freedom in a library environment, "Protecting Intellectual Freedom In Your Academic Library" should be considered required reading by library board members and library staff members at all levels of responsibility. Also very highly recommended is ALA companion book by Pat R. Scales "Protecting Intellectual Freedom In Your School Library: Scenarios From The Front Lines" (9780838935811, $55.00).

Fundamentals of School Library Media Management
Barbara Stein Martin & Marco Zannier
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038
9781555706562, $59.95, www.neal-schuman.com

Libraries have expanded past being simply a wealth of books. "Fundamentals of School Library Media Library Management" is a guide for school librarians who are faced with the daunting task of arranging a new influx of multimedia information, as well as deciding what's appropriate for the school. Chapters include the basics of library management, the latest media technology, tips for working with teachers, special programs, and much more. Enhanced with charts and graphs, as well as recommended sources for more information, "Fundamentals of School Library Media Library Management" is an excellent introduction for those just starting their career as school librarians.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Getting Started As A Freelance Writer
Robert W. Bly
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
www.sentientpublications.com
9781591810698, $19.95, www.amazon.com

The nice things about being a freelance writer include being your own boss, setting your own hours, picking out your own subject matter, seeing your name in print, and basically being in charge of what, when, where, why, and how you make money from your writing. The not-so-nice aspects of freelance writing include the massive competition you face when trying to solicit business, sell your work, and manage the business aspects of your do-it-yourself career. Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, "Getting Started As A Freelance Writer" by Robert W. Bly (himself a professional writer with an average annual income of more than $600,00) who draws upon his more than 25 years of experience and expertise is an ideal instruction manual for anyone who aspires to a successful and profitable career as a freelance writer. Bly provides pertinent and reliable advice and instruction covering every aspect of freelance writing including where to find work, how to obtain paying assignments, how to negotiate fees and contracts to best effect, turning out saleable manuscripts, getting paid on time and in full, and so much more. Of special note and value are Bly's comments on getting started and avoiding common mistakes, writing and selling poetry, as well as the commercial sale of short stories, novels, and essays. "Getting Started As A Freelance Writer" is an ideal and invaluable 'how to' manual that should be considered mandatory reading for anyone who seeks to earn their living (full-time or part-time) through their writing.

MLA Handbook For Writers Of Research Papers
Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, 3rd fl., NY, NY 10004-1789
9781603290241, $22.00, www.mla.org

The Modern Language Association is the premier reference resource of the proprieties of written English. Now in an updated and expanded seventh edition, "MLA Handbook For Writers Of Research Papers" continues to be a comprehensive, current, and authoritative guide to research and writing in an online environment offering simplified guidelines for citing works published on the Internet, as well as citing works from other sources including digital files and graphic narratives. This new edition is enhanced with more than two hundred additional examples, several research project narratives, and research paper formats. Of special note is the chapter devoted to abbreviations. Absolutely indispensable, the "MLA Handbook For Writers Of Research Papers" is an essential addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections.

Basics Film-Making: Screenwriting
Robert Edgar-Hunt, et al.
AVA Publishing
Rue des Fontenailles 16, Case Postale, 1000 Lausanne 6, Switzerland
www.avabooks.ch
9782940373895, $29.95, sales@avabooks.ch

Writing scripts for theatrical, film, and stage productions is a demanding and highly competitive occupation -- but also a potentially lucrative one for writers with talent, imagination, skill, and a thorough understanding of the key elements comprising script writing. The collaborative work of Robert Edgar-Hunt, John Marland, and James Richards, "Basics Film-Making: Screenwriting" is a basic introductory instruction manual addressing the complete spectrum of screenwriting issues including script forms, standard practices, idea creation, theories of storytelling, log lines, screen treatments, 'step treatment', the pitch to potential backers, character development, creating a fictional world, 'mise en scene', action, tone and genre, dialogue, critiquing and feedback, and more. A superbly illustrated compendium of information, examples, concepts, and more, aspiring screenwriters are taken through the complete process of producing a short screenplay especially written for this textbook covering the total process from initial draft to film pitch. "Basics Film-Making: Screenwriting" is an ideal and effective introduction that should be considered an invaluable instructional guide and continuing reference manual for anyone who aspires to write a professional quality screenplay, either alone or in collaboration.

Flogging The Quill
Ray Rhamey
FtQ Press
845 SE Spring St., Pullman, WA 99163
9780578009353, $19.95, www.ftqpress.com

No sector of the publishing industry is as competitive as that of fiction. The competition facing any aspiring novelist is intense and only the best, most imaginative, and technically skilled will succeed. That's why 'how to' books like Ray Rhamey's "Flogging The Quill: Crafting A Novel That Sells" is such important, practical, and recommended reading for anyone who is seeking to establish a profitable career writing fiction, regardless of the genre they choose to specialize in. Drawing upon his years of experience as an author and editor, and as the creator of the 'litblog' 'Flogging the Quill' where writers from around the world can explore the craft of storytelling, Ray Rhamey has organized his instruction manual into seven major sections: Storytelling; Description; Dialogue; Technique; Words; Workouts; and Computer Tips. An invaluable compendium that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Flogging The Quill" will prove to be an invaluable 'workshop in a book' for anyone seeking to hone their storytelling skills and produce novels that will be able to successfully compete for publication and sales.

The Author's Guide To Publishing And Marketing
Tim Ward & John Hunt
O Books
c/o National Book Network
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781846941665, $19.95, www.nbnbooks.com

John Hunt is a publisher. Tim Ward is an author. Together they have drawn upon their many years of experience and expertise to collaborate in creating "The Author's Guide To Publishing And Marketing", a comprehensive introduction to the highly competitive and evolving process of transforming manuscripts into books -- and then selling those books to create a profitable business for the publisher and a lucrative income for the author. It should be noted for the novice American writer and aspiring American publisher that the compendium of information, insight, advice is a British publication so some of the specific resources cited are not readily available here -- but their counterparts most certainly are. Organized into four major sections (Getting Published; Marketing the Book; Using the Internet; and Working with the Media), "The Author's Guide To Publishing And Marketing" offers a highly recommended compendium of useable, practical, explanatory information that will be of immense and immediate usefulness to anyone seeking to earn a living by the writing of books and/or establish a profitable business publishing them.

What You Need To Know To Be A Pro
Terena Scott
Medusa's Muse Press
medusasmuse@gmail.com
9780979715235, $10.00, www.medusamuse.com

When it comes to establishing a publishing enterprise, whether for single title self-published authors, or publishers aspiring to create a stable of authors under one imprint, there is no need to re-invent the wheel. Not when Terena Scott has written "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro: The Business Start-Up Guide For Publishers", a comprehensive but thoroughly accessible instruction manual covering all the elements of launching a publishing enterprise from choosing a name, to structuring the fledgling business enterprise, to creating a business plan, to such issues as licenses, financing, office space, and publishing project evaluation on a case by case basis. "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro" addresses working with authors from contracts to editing; the actual publishing of a book from editing to ISBN, to pricing. "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro" also has invaluable, 'real world' advice on launching a book; keeping track of inventory, royalties and taxes; and establishing how many book titles can be managed by the resources available to the publisher. Of special note are the insertions of practical advice from professional in the publishing industry -- including commentary by James A. Cox, the editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review and the author of this review. Enhanced with the inclusion of lists of 'Helpful Resources' including a list of 'how to' books, recommended publisher organizations, publisher oriented websites, "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro: The Business Start-Up Guide For Publishers" is particularly recommended to those new to the publishing field and will prove to be as practical and invaluable as it is insightful and instructional.


The Wine Shelf

Wine Cocktails
A. J. Rathbun
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com
9781558324077, $12.95, www.amazon.com

A good cocktail is one of the benefits of truly civilized life. That's one of the reasons that culinary authority and author A. J. Rathbun has compiled fifty outstanding recipes in "Wine Cocktails" showcasing this stylish drink's variety and range of flavors when mixing red, white and roses wines with various herbs, spices, spirits, liquors, and fruit juices. In this highly recommended and thoroughly 'user friendly' compendium are to be found cocktails for any and all occasions from a leisurely summer get-together, to formal occasions like weddings, to companionable after-dinner cordials, to elegant pairings with meal-time foods. Beautifully illustrated throughout, the recipes range from an Aloha Punch and a Sangria, to a Moraine Cooler and a Fremont Fruit Bowl; to a Vanilla-Pear Mimosa and a Champagne Bowler; to Sherry Eggnog and a Santernes Melange. "Wine Cocktails" is an especially recommended addition to gourmet cookbook collections for the culinary adventurous, and the reference collections for sophisticated party givers.


The Cookbook Shelf

Slow Cookers For Dummies
Tom Lacalamita & Glenna Vance
Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.dummies.com
9780764552403, $16.99, www.wiley.com

Slow cookers (also called crockpots) is an ideal meal preparation technique for time stressed kitchen cooks. The types of meals that can be prepared in a slow cooker offer diversity as well as ease of timely preparation. The technique is simple -- put into the slow cooker all the ingredients that a particular dish calls for, turn it on, walk away, come back hours later and at your own convenience , dish out, serve and enjoy. But like all good techniques for making a meal, you must begin with the recipe. Here's where "Slow Cookers For Dummies" by kitchen appliance expert and cookbook author Tom Lacalamita in collabortion with food writer and recipe developer Glenna Vance comes into play. "Slow Cookers For Dummies" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' compendium of easy to prepare crockpot recipes the feature casseroles, desserts, hot drinks, sauces, soups and more. You can prepare just about everything and anything from Beef and Bean Burritos; Sweet 'n' Sour Meatballs; and an All American Chili for a Crowd; to Moroccan Vegetable Stew with Couscous; Cobb Salad; Chicken Corn Chowder; and Traditional Sweet potato and Rosemary Soup. Enhanced with basic instructions in the operation of a slow cooker (including safety tips), contact information for slow cooker manufactures, and a metric conversion guide, "Slow Cookers For Dummies" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library specialty cookbook collections.

Cookies To Die For!
Bev Shaffer
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781589806108, $26.95, www.pelicanpub.com

Cookies come in an enormous variety of shapes, textures, and flavors. But they all have certain universal qualities in common from filling the kitchen and the home with a delicious aroma as they bake in the oven to rapidly disappearing from the table as they please palates and satisfy appetites. Cookbook author, food writer and culinary instructor Bev Shaffer has compiled a colorfully illustrated compendium of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for cookies of all kinds in "Cookies To Die For!: The Complete Guide For Cookie Lovers". Here are assembled step-by-step instructions for making such exotic cookies as biscotti, wafers, kilfli, rugelach, shortbreads, Florentines, as well as traditional recipes for butter, sugar, chocolate, peanut butter cookies and more! From Hearty Gingerbread Cookies; Cranberry-Orange Oatmeal Cookies; Mexican Wedding Cookies with a Twist; and Sour Cream Lemon Drops; to Zucchini Lemon Bars; Swedish Filbert Cookies; Orange Madeleines with White Chocolate Glaze and Bev's Raspberry Dust; and Crumb-Topped Pineapple Bars, "Cookies To Die For!" clearly and completely lives up to its title and would enhance any family or community library cookbook collection.

Santa Fe Flavors
Anne Hillerman
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423603184, $9.99, www.amazon.com

Few people can rival the expertise of a professional restaurant critic when it comes to identifying the best cuisine local and gourmet quality culinary establishments have to offer their patrons. Anne Hillerman draws upon her many years of experience and expertise as a restaurant critic to compile superb recipes from a wide range of renowned restaurants in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in "Santa Fe Flavors: Best Restaurants And Recipes". Each feature dish is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in preparation and range from Beer-Battered Chile Rellenos (Santa Fe Bar and Grill); to Atole Pinon Hotcakes (Tecolote Cafe); to Basil Ice Cream (Blue Heron at Sunrise Springs); to Shrimp Veracruz (Mariscos Costa Azul). For gourmet quality meals that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite, "Santa Fe Flavors" is a highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!

Don't Panic: More Dinner's in the Freezer
Susie Marinez, et al.
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287. Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800733179, $14.99, www.revellbooks.com

Today's homemakers are on tight schedules with multiple demands on their time. That's why one of the best things they can do is to plan their meals in advance, prepare them at a time of convenience, utilize their freezers to store them, then thaw and serve them as needed during the week ahead. Based on this practical premise, Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell, and Bonnie Garcia have expertly collaborated to compile "Don't Panic: More Dinner's in the Freezer", an outstanding and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' collection of delicious, nutritious, easy to prepare dishes that can be made in advance to serve at a later time. The recipes range from Hot Soft Pretzels; Sour Cream Coffee Cake; Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup; and Basil Grilled Tuna Kabobs; to Maui Grilled Chicken Sandwiches; Beef Tacquitos; Mediterranean Lasagna; and Caramel Brownies. Enthusiastically recommended for family and community library cookbook collections, "Don't Panic: More Dinner's in the Freezer" is the answer to every time-stressed housewife's (or househusband's!) dinner time needs.

Hip Asian Comfort Food
Dennis Chan
Blue Bamboo Publishing
3820 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32216
www.bluebamboojacksonville.com
9780615258690, $34.95, www.amazon.com

The Blue Bamboo Restaurant is a popular Jacksonville, Florida dining establishment that Dennis Chan established in 2005. Judging by the mouth-watering recipes he has compiled in the profusely illustrated pages of "Hip Asian Comfort Food", he has richly deserved his culinary success as a restaurateur. Each featured recipe begins with a brief introductory paragraph of commentary, followed by serving size information, ingredients list, and step-by-step instructions. The recipes themselves are organized into colorful chapters featuring 'Street Eats', 'Potables', 'Plates', 'Mein Street', and 'Happy Endings'. The dishes themselves range from Crispy-Spicy Oysters; Warm Chai Tea; Kung Pao Tofu; and Vietnamese Coconut-Curry Rice Noodles with Duck; to Easy Jasmine Rice; Kabocha Squash Wontons; Peanut Butter Trifle; and Asian Sangria Granita. "Hip Asian Comfort Food" is an ideal, gourmet quality, highly recommended collection of recipes that would grace any personal, family, or community library regional/ethnic cookbook collection.

Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese
Chen Kenichi
Vertical, Inc.
1185 Avenue of the Americas, 32nd floor, New York, NY 10036
9781934287460, $19.95, www.vertical-inc.com

'Iron Chef', a contest between two competing professional chefs charged with making a minimum of five dishes from a featured ingredient, is one of the most popular culinary shows on television. One of those 'Iron Chefs' is Chen Kenichi, who in "Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese" has compiled a beautifully illustrated, step-by-step, cornucopia of recipes showcasing more than sixty recipes that are as palate pleasing as they are appetite satisfying. These are dishes suitable for all dining occasions ranging from quick meals and light lunches, to seasonal stir-fries and Chinese desserts, from side dishes to fried rice and soups, from creative entries from left-overs to fruit dishes and more! Now anyone can turn out quality meals featuring White Fish Sashimi; Spicy Eggplant Donburi; Stir-fried Bean Sprouts with Garlic Chives; Honey-Coated Fried Bananas; Coconut-Simmered Apples; and Braised Spiny Lobster with Chili Sauce. Of special note are the instructions for making soup stock. Enhanced with as Afterword and a Reference Guide, "Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese" is a highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Dog Lover's Guide To Massage
Megan Ayrault
All About Animal Massage
PO Box 56, Kirkland, WA 98083
www.AllAboutAnimalMassage.com
9780982255605, $14.95, 206-719-5311

One of the not-so-surprising results of a decade's worth of research was the finding that simply petting a dog or a cat has beneficial effects on people's own physical health and emotional well-being. Animal therapy is now a recognized and accept treatment tool for those recovering from an illness or who reside in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Petting a dog is just good plain fun for everyone who has ever owned one. Now Megan Ayrault (a Licensed Massage Practitioner for both animals and humans) has written a superbly presented and effectively illustrated instruction guide, "The Dog Lover's Guide To Massage: What Your dog Wants You To Know". Accessible written for anyone from 12 to 92, this informed and informative manual shows how massage works, how dog (and human) bodies respond to massage, and basic massage techniques to help dogs feel better and will live longer through experiencing competent, effective, and on-going massage routines. Of special note is the "Coach Tips" feature providing guidelines on working with a massage professional, a glossary of massage and anatomy terms, and an index. Every dog owner and veterinary operation should have a copy of "The Dog Lover's Guide To Massage" on their reference shelf. Also very highly recommended is Megan Ayrault's 'user friendly' and informative instruction manual for horse owners and veterinarians, "The Horse Lover's Guide To Massage" (9780982255612, $14.95).


The Language Studies Shelf

A Spymaster's Secrets of Learning a Foreign Language
Graham Fuller
Penton Overseas, Inc.
1958 Kellogg Ave., Carlsbad, CA 92008
www.pentonoverseas.com
1591252286, $19.95, www.amazon.com

American businesses and governmental departments (including the military) are critically short of people who are fluent in more than one language. The numbers of Americans seeking to learn a another language than their native English are also growing. But learning another language as an adult is no easy thing -- unless you have access to "A Spymaster's Secrets of Learning a Foreign Language" by CIA and United States Foreign Service veteran Graham Fuller. A complete and 'listener and viewer friendly' instructional guide effectively providing basic principles and techniques for learning any language, "A Spymaster's Secrets of Learning a Foreign Language" advises that in order to facilitate language acquisition, first listen carefully to this complete 3 hour, 3 CD disc 'how to' primer. By doing so, you will discover how language works, the best techniques for acquiring specific linguistic skills, and be able to utilize Fuller's information and advice as a supplemental reference throughout the learning process of acquiring a new language. Enhanced with the inclusion of a 'Listening Guide', Fuller's "A Spymaster's Secrets of Learning a Foreign Language" is a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Language Studies reference shelves.

Huanying: An Invitation To Chinese
Kiaying Howard & Lanting Xu
Cheng & Tsui Company
25 West Street, Boston, MA 02111-1213
www.cheng-tsui.com

The Cheng & Tsui Company is a premier publisher of Chinese language instructional materials suitable as either classroom instruction textbooks and workbooks or personal self-directed individual language studies. One of their truly impressive co-authored series by Kiaying Howard and Lanting Xu is two volume "Huanying: An Invitation To Chinese". Volume 1 (9780887276620, $79.95) is a textbook specially written for students who have no previous knowledge of Chinese. Here assembled is course material sufficient for a one-year curriculum and includes six units featuring a specific and individualized communication themes and offering containing learning objectives, five lessons, a unit review, and end-of-unit self-assessment. Each lesson has two dialogues or texts, a new word list, language notes, cultural notes, Pronunciation Practice (Units 1-3), a more extensive glimpse into Chinese culture (Units 4-6), and some knowledge-related language activities. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of the spoken and written language, with guided practice in pronunciation and character writing. Three indexes (vocabulary, proper nouns and language notes) are included, as well as three helpful appendixes (pinyin tone & spelling rules, character strokes & radicals, and each lesson's dialogues & texts in traditional characters). The lessons are presented in simplified characters, with English and pinyin. Traditional characters are included in vocabulary lists and indexes. Volume 2 (9780887277252, $79.95) is a second year of study at the secondary school level comprised of six units and covers the topics of Transportation, Food and Drink, Weather and Travel, Window Shopping, Do you Need Help?, and Summer Plans. Each individual unit has Learning Goals, includes 5 lessons plus one unit review, and a Self-Assessment checklist. Each lesson includes, two dialogues/texts, a New Words section with vocabulary in simplified and traditional characters, pinyin, and English, Language Notes that discuss grammar and usage structures through explanation and example, Extend Your Knowledge (supplemental vocabulary), A Glimpse into Chinese Culture, and a Do You Know? section that offers additional cultural information. While the core of the textbook is in simplified characters, the vocabulary is also presented in traditional characters both in the main body of the text as well as in the Chinese-English, English-Chinese, and proper noun indexes at the back of the book. Dialogues are also presented in traditional characters in a special index at the back to facilitate dual-character learning. The Huanying instructional series also has available workbooks for Volume 1: Part 2 (9780887276163, $19.95); Volume 1: Part 2 (9780887277054, $22.95); and Volume 2 (9780887277276, $21.95). Comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly', the "Huanying: An Invitation To Chinese" is a highly recommended addition to Chinese Language Studies curriculums.


The Biography Shelf

Joseph Smith
Dan Vogel
Signature Books
564 West 400 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
www.signaturebooks.com
1560851791, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Joseph Smith is the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, popularly known as the Mormon Church. He led a relative brief and eventful life that ended with the murder of his brother and himself at the hands of a lynch mob. Mormon historian Dan Vogel has written an impressive, new biography based upon some twenty-five years of research into the life and world of Joseph Smith which provides the reader with a fascinating, informed and informative context of Joseph Smith's social and political environment. This outstanding biography expands traditional biographical boundaries to include a kind of intellectual history of the man, his movement, and his world. Among the multiple themes, issues, and elements that are pursued are the kind of home that Joseph Smith was raised in, the impact and influence of the Masons on the political culture of the times, the Smith family's financial setbacks and hardships, Smith's turning to religion for personal solace, his talent and charisma for attracting followers, his unique perspectives on the religious issues of his day, and so much more. Very highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in unique and influential American personalities, "Joseph Smith" should be considered required reading for anyone studying the history of the Mormon Church in general, and its charismatic and controversial founder in particular.

Coretta Scott King
Laura T. McCarty
Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
88 Post Road West, P.O. Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
9780313349812, $35.00, www.greenwood.com

It was the murder of her husband, Martin Luther King Jr. that was to catapult Coretta Scott King into center of the public arena in defense of civil rights and related issues. But even before this tragedy which was to so dramatically influence the course of her life, Coretta was a most remarkable woman and someone whose life story was reflective of race relations in a Jim Crow America. Biographer Laura T. McCarty has done a remarkable and laudable biography tracing the life of an equally remarkable and laudable woman. Revealed in the pages of "Coretta Scott King' is the story of how she went on to raise four children, work to establish her husband's legacy (including the creation of The King Center), and embark upon an international stage as an advocate of civil rights, women's rights, promoting her husband's words, images and legacy, and drawing to her cause some of the finest minds and hearts of our generation. "Coretta Scott King" is a superbly written biography that should be a part of every school and community library system in this country.

John Mitchel
Bryan P. McGovern
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
9781572336544, $36.00, www.utpress.org

19th century local community newspapers in America were the chief means of political communication and persuasion of their day. Every social cause, movement or philosophy had its newspaper proponents and opponents. This was especially true for the political and economic divisions that led to the outbreak and progress of the American civil war. Chief among the newspaper editors on the side of the Confederacy was the Irish expatriate John Mitchel whose influence is now described and appreciated in a new biography, "John Mitchel: Irish Nationalist, Southern Secessionist" by Bryan P. McGovern (Assistant Professor of History, Kennesaw State University). Exiled for his politics by the British government in 1848, educated and Protestant Mitchel became a publisher of several expatriate newspapers and helped to shape the influence of his fellow Catholic and Protestant Irish Americans to protect the institution of slavery and the emancipation of the Confederate states from the American Union. A fascinating biographical study and a strongly recommended addition to academic library American History and American Biography collections, "John Mitchel: Irish Nationalist, Southern Secessionist" is informed, informative, and provides insight into an unusually distinctive and unexpected man who wielded considerable and critically important influence on his contemporaries.


The Gardening Shelf

The Garden Visitor's Companion
Louisa Jones
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Ave, NY, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500514634, $29.95, www.amazon.com

The next best thing to digging in one's own garden is the visiting of another. Written by gardening expert Louisa Jones, "The Garden Visitor's Companion" is a superbly illustrated and deftly written touring exploration of ten types of gardens, representing a diversity of gardening forms and concepts. Along with each selected garden, ten questions that a visitor might ask are posed. A series of international gardening experts respond to these questions, offering their reasons and insights with respect to these horticultural worlds of beauty, elegance, and imagination. Of special note is the advice for opening one's own garden to visitors. Enhanced with the inclusion of addresses and contact numbers for selected gardens and their designers, "The Garden Visitor's Companion" is a perfect browse for dedicated gardeners in the off season, and an invaluable read for anyone planning on visiting gardens during the differing growing seasons -- as well those considering opening up their own gardens for public viewing.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Civil Forfeiture Of Criminal Property
Simon N. M. Young, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781847208262, $170.00, www.e-elgar.com

Organized crime networks range from local gangs to international criminal conspiracies. One of the major tools utilized by governments in their continuing struggle with these lawless elements is the commandeering of the profits and possessions of those convicted of criminal conduct. Expertly compiled and deftly edited by Simon N. M. Young (Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Comparative and Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong), "Civil Forfeiture Of Criminal Property: Legal Measures for Targeting the Proceeds of Crime" is a collection of contributions by experts in this specialized field of jurisprudence and police procedure examining the civil and criminal forfeiture systems of Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Controversial, effective, and complex, these forfeiture and confiscation laws hold great potential for dealing successfully with such issues as money laundering and the deletion of resources available to criminal enterprises for funding further violations of law. But they can also be misused by authorities against the lawful interests of non-criminals as well. Informed and informative, "Civil Forfeiture Of Criminal Property" is a seminal work of impressive scholarship and strongly recommended for professional, academic, and governmental Judicial Studies collections in general, and Criminal Justice reference collections in particular.


The Railroading Shelf

American Passenger Trains
Patrick C. Dorin
Iconografix
PO Box 446, Hudson, WI 54016
www.iconografixinc.com
9781583882320, $29.95, 1-800-289-3504

The railroad was a key element in transporting goods and people across the American landscape. Even with the development of automobiles and interstate highway systems, railroads continue to have a vitally important role in American transportation and development. In "American Passenger Trains: WWII to Amtrak", railroading enthusiast Patrick C. Dorin has compiled a visual history of the trains and train engines most associated with passenger travel by rail during the second half of the 20th Century. Profusely illustrated throughout, "American Passenger Trains" includes an informative caption by each photograph. Also featured are photographs of train schedules as well as passenger car interiors. "American Passenger Trains" is an impressive overview and highly recommended for both academic and community library American Railroading History collections, as well as the personal reference collections of American railroad buffs.


The Travel Shelf

The Out Traveler: South Florida
Paul Rubio
Alyson Books
245 West 17th St., Suite 1200, NY, NY 10011
9781593501037, $15.95, www.alyson.com

A specialized travel book for visitors to South Florida, whether for business or pleasure, "The Out Traveler: South Florida" compiled and written by Paul Rubio includes the Florida Keys, Orlando, and the Tampa Bay Area, as well such major destination areas as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and St. Petersburg. But "The Out Traveler: South Florida" is so much more than an ordinary travel guide as it features a historical overview of the LGBT experience in Floridal from the 1950s down to the present day; Floridian culture, music, and celebrities; as well as LGBT events, spas and gyms, transportation, and shopping. The chapters dedicated to 'where to go' and 'what to do' in the various and varied Southern Florida communities is detailed, informative, and profuse. In a handy pocket-sized and eminently portable edition, any and all LBGT travelers to Southern Florida would be well advised to utilize Paul Rubio's "The Out Traveler: South Florida" to plan their itineraries to not only get the 'biggest bang for the buck' but to acquire truly memorable experiences from their visit.

Junior Jetsetters Guide To Chicago
Junior Jetsetters
3044 Bloor Street West, Suite 550, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M8X 2YB
www.juniorjetsetters.com
9780978460112, $15.95, jj@juniorjetsetters.ca

Specifically designed for young travelers to the Windy City, ages 8 to 12, can now avail themselves of the information and resources of the "Junior Jetsetters Guide To Chicago", an informed and informative, 132-page pocket-sized, and profusely illustrated travel guide and reference on what to see and do in one of America's great cities. Beginning with a brief historical overview of the city and a succinct description of the diversity of its populace, "Junior Jetsetters Guide To Chicago" is an ideal and enthusiastically recommended companion for curious young minds and will be of invaluable help to kids learning about what Chicago has to offer by way of entertainment, recreation, sights, and experiences. Three other titles in this new and handy Jetsetters Guide series are also very highly recommended: "Junior Jetsetters Guide To Amsterdam" (9780978460129, $15.95); "Junior Jetsetters Guide To Lisbon" (9780978460136, $15.95); and "Junior Jetsetters Guide To Paris" (9780978460143, $15.95).


The Genealogy Shelf

International Vital Records Handbook, fifth edition
Thomas Jay Kemp
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
9780806317939, $49.95, www.genealogical.com

Interest in genealogical research and family histories continues to be a popular pastime for hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Now in a newly updated fifth edition, Thomas Jay Kemp's "International Vital Records Handbook" continues to be an indispensable resource for both amateur and professional genealogists with respect to acquiring certificates and other informational records on births, marriages, and deaths. This compendium of application forms is also of critical importance for anyone needing to order information with respect to driver's licenses, passports, proof of identity, employment, even social security. Arranged alphabetically by state, the "International Vital Records Handbook" also covers United States Trust Territories from American Samoa to the Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. Of special note is the major international section devoted the countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. An invaluable contribution, "International Vital Records Handbook" is an indispensable addition to personal, professional, academic, and community reference collections.


The Military Shelf

Safeguarding The Nation
John Roberts
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.navalinstitute.org
9781591148128, $59.95, www.amazon.com

From the time of King Henry the 8th down to the present day, the British navy has been (and continues to be) a key factor in the protection and advancement of British interests and responsibilities around the world, In "Safeguarding The Nation: The Story Of The Modern Royal Navy", John Roberts draws upon his experience and expertise in having spent more than thirty years of serving in the Royal Navy, including ten years in the Ministry of Defense in approaching his history of the modern Royal Navy including complete and illustrated accounts of the men and ships involved in various nautical campaigns, operations and deployments ranging from the Cold War era, to Cod, Falklands and Gulf wars. This is a history of how the Royal Navy adapted to changing political circumstances and advances in weapons technology. Informed and informative, "Safeguarding The Nation" is a fascinating read and a welcome addition to personal and academic 20th Century Military History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Parenting Shelf

Parenting Solutions
Joan Rice
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113-2619
www.paragonhouse.com
9781557788795, $22.95, www.amazon.com

As a parent it's really not necessary to have to 'reinvent the wheel' when it comes to raising kids to be healthy, happy, productive, and prepared for what life has to offer them for good or for ill. Not when there's "Parenting Solutions: Encouragement for Everyday Parenting Concerns" by professional parent educator and pediatric nurse Joan Rice. A practical, accessible, 'user friendly' compendium of instruction, information, advice and insight, "Parenting Solutions" beings with a chapter on life with a baby and dealing with such issues as crying, breast feeding, postpartum depression, teething and weaning. This is followed by informed and informative chapters on establishing a child's self-esteem, life with a toddler, nutrition tips, language development, discipline, toilet training, safety issues, the advent of a new baby in the life of an older sibling, and so much more. Enhanced with the inclusion of bibliography and an index, "Parenting Solutions" is highly recommended reading for anyone having the responsibility of raising a child in today's world.


The Gaming Shelf

Play the Queen's Indian
Andrew Greet
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
9781857445800, $24.95, www.everymanchess.com

Every single move in chess could possibly have its own book written about it. "Play the Queen's Indian" is a guide to working one's game out from this common starting position that tries to gain dominance through use of the central pieces of the board and the use of the most powerful piece in chess, the Queen. Complete and comprehensive on a subject that an overwhelmed player might think it is impossible to be complete and comprehensive on, "Play the Queen's Indian" is a fine choice for any would be chessmaster looking for weaknesses in their game.

Shemarrian Nation
Josh Sinsapaugh
Palladium Books
39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185
www.palladiumbooks.com
9781574571288, $16.95, www.amazon.com

A Rifts Sourcebook, "Shemarrian Nation" is a gaming module for roleplaying on a continent populated by 8 foot tall female warriors who have access to advanced weaponry, bionics, and huge war steeds. A complete description of their society and their intentions is presented. Featured are seven classifications of Shermarrians (Warrior, War Chief, War Goddess, Berserker, Pariah, Spinster, and Male Hunter); new Shemarrian war mounts, pets and weapons; Shermarrian history and culture; androids and robot minions; adventure ideas arising from a secret war on the Splugorth; random encounter tables; and 96 pages of highly recommended and imaginative role playing adventure at its very best.


The Education Shelf

Bit, Bat, Rime with Me!
Linda Armstrong
Linworth Books
3650 Olentangy River Road, Suite 250, Columbus, OH 43214
1586833367, $24.95, www.linworth.com

Specifically designed as a curriculum supplement for grades K-3, "Bit, Bat, Rime with Me!: Word Patterns And Activities" offers a series of age-appropriate activities in the form of short, easy, 'hands on' lessons and reproducibles that teach and illustrate the riming nature of words and word patterns for beginning readers through the use of verses, and crafts. Ideal for use in teaching about word families, and fully in accordance with national standards, "Bit, Bat, Rime with Me!" reviews basic consonant sounds, blends, and digraphs. In addition to classroom use by reading instructors, "Bit, Bat, Rime with Me!" is also ideal and recommended for involved parents to provide reading skills reinforcement in the home.


The Humor Shelf

When In Rome
Marie Carducci Bolchazy
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
9780865167179, $9.99, www.bolchazy.com

Published from 1974 to 2003, 'The Pompeiiana Newsletter' was edited by academician Bernard Barcio and featured as comic relief a variety cartoons by diverse contributors. Marie Carducci Bolchazy has now compiled those cartoons into a single volume and with the publication of "When In Rome: Best Cartoons Of Pompeiiana" has made them once again available to a new generation of readers who will appreciate humor stemming from the academic community who primary interests lay in the study of the ancient languages, cultures, mythologies and histories of the Greco-Roman era. A pleasure to browse through, "When In Rome" is an especially recommended browse and a lot of great cartooning by amateur enthusiasts with a distinctive sense of humor.


The Fiction Shelf

Wheel Of Fortune
Max Brand
Sagebrush
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780753182482, $27.99, www.amazon.com

Ulverscrot Large Print is one of the premier publishers of large print books primarily serving community libraries with books suitable for patrons who need that format. Sagebrush is their Large Print Westerns imprint. Max Brand is justifiably numbered of the most popular authors of western fiction. "Wheel Of Fortune" is a classic Max Brand western anthology containing three short stories. 'Speedy's Bargain' features a young drifter who, although he does not use a gun, is still considered to be one of the most dangerous men in the west -- and is committed to busting out a man from prison. 'Chick's Fall' is the story of a sheriff who accepts a bribe to let a prisoner in his custody escape. 'Wheel of Fortune' is about a miserly millionaire who rescues an escaped convict from dying in a blizzard -- for a reward. "Wheel Of Fortune" is highly recommended for all Max Brand fans -- and most especially for those in need of a large print format.


The World History Shelf

In Search Of The Greeks
James Renshaw
Bristol Classical Press/Duckworth
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Dr, Dulles, VA 20166
www.ducknet.co.uk
9781853996993, $29.95, www.amazon.com

More than any other single historical culture, the Greeks were to influence western civilization in ways and manners that range from art and architecture, to science and philosophy, to drama and sports, to politics and religion. "In Search Of The Greeks" by James Renshaw (Head of Classics, Colet Court, London) is a historical overview and history of the various societies that comprised Classical Greece, drawing from ancient texts and profusely illustrated with black-and-white photographic images, as well as drawings, maps and plans. The focus is upon six key areas: Religion, Olympic Games, Athenian drama, Athenian society, Athenian democracy, and Sparta. Enhanced for students with extensive cross-references, review questions, appendices on Attica and Athens, Greek currency values, Greek musical instruments, and the Greek calendar, "In Search Of The Greek's" is thoroughly accessible and recommended for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in learning about the cultures and accomplishments of ancient Greece.


The Political Science Shelf

Will Your Vote Count?
Herma Percy
Praeger Publishers
c/o Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780313364327, $39.95, www.praeger.com

Recent presidential elections have been plagued by controversy from accusations of voting station irregularities, to the politics of the U.S. Supreme Court, to the role money and political advisors play with respect to influencing political contest outcomes. That is why "Will Your Vote Count: Fixing America's Broken Electoral System" by Herma Percy (Associate Professor, Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Maryland) is such a timely and relevant study of our electoral system in terms of what's gone wrong and what needs to be done to set it right. Of special note is the deft analysis of voter suppression during the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, as well as the dramatic rise of election-based lawsuits (such as that going on in Minnesota at this writing in an attempt by the Republican Party to delay a Democratic Senator from taking his seat in the U.S. Senate). Very highly recommended reading for political activists and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the integrity of the American electoral system, "Will Your Vote Count" offers thoughtful and thought-provoking reform measures to rehabilitate what is an obviously malfunction electoral system at the municipal, state, and federal levels. No academic or community library system should be without a copy of Herma Percy's "Will Your Vote Count?" as a part of their Political Science collection.


The Economics Shelf

The Chinese Economy In The 21st Century
Barbara Krug & Hans Hendrischke
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Ct., Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781845427504, $110.00, www.e-elgar.com

While it is almost universally acknowledged that China will be a major player on the global economic scene during the 21st Century, what is not so widely recognized is that today China is actually a combination of First World and Third World economic conditions. China occupies such a huge landmass that there are wide and dramatic variations within the borders of China ranging from modern and First World conditions in the major cities and along the oceanic coastlines, with endemic poverty -- especially in the rural hinderland. In "The Chinese Economy In The 21st Century: Enterprise And Business Behavior", Barbara Krug (Professor for Economics of Governance in the Rotterdam Schools of Management at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and Hans Hendrischke (Associate Professor in Chinese Studies at the University of new South Wales, Sydney, Australia) have knowledgeably compiled and deftly co-edited an exploration of recent and on-going developments in China as reflected by the establishment of private enterprise businesses and companies, developed knowledge based industries, and evolved a kind of partnership between the institutions of government and business. The contributors are all experts in their respective fields and the range of topics runs from changes in business behavior and the growth of new firms, to the fostering of a business oriented culture and governmental bureaucracy transformations with respect to tax policies and oversight. A seminal work, "The Chinese Economy In The 21st Century" is very strongly recommended for inclusion in professional, corporate, academic, and governmental International Economics reference collections in general, and Contemporary Chinese Studies economic supplemental reading lists in particular.


The Business Shelf

The Entrepreneur's Guide To Raising Capital
David Nour
Praeger Publishers
c/o Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780313356025, $39.95, www.praeger.com

Never was a 'how to' book on raising venture capital so timely as David Nour's "The Entrepreneur's Guide To Raising Capital". The latest addition to the outstanding 'Entrepreneur's Guide' series from Praeger Publishers, "The Entrepreneur's Guide To Raising Capital" is specifically organized and designed to provide aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners with the informational tools necessary to successfully attract financing to launch and/or expand a business enterprise of any kind or category. Author David Nour (founder of Relationship Economics and managing partner of The Nour Group Inc.) draws upon his many years of professional experience and expertise to show how to create a credible financing request; select the ideal funding source; identify and avoid 'capital source' risks; plan for the right kind of financing throughout the life of the company; and get the consistently highest possible returns from capital investment. Of special note is the practical advice on avoiding the most common mistakes entrepreneurs tend to make when engaged in raising capital investments for their enterprises. Enhanced with the inclusion to two appendices ('The Ultimate Resource Library' and 'Google's S-1 Filing'), and an exhaustive index, "The Entrepreneur's Guide To Raising Capital" is an invaluable and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Business Resource reference collections and reading lists.

Doing Business With India
Roderick Millar, consulting editor
Global Market Briefings
c/o GMB Publishing Ltd.
525 South 4th Street, Suite 241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
www.globalmarketbriefings.com
9781846731136, $170.00, www.amazon.com

Even in these internationally depressed economic times, India was able to achieve a 9% growth rate in 2008. This accomplishment is based on a steadily and rapidly expanding consumer market supported by local companies with a 'global perspective' and a government dependably emphasizing economic liberalization for the past 18 years. Now in a newly updated, updated, and substantially revised third edition, "Doing Business With India: A Guide To Investment Opportunities And Business Practices" continues to be a premier and indispensable instructional guide and informational reference resource for any company seeking to engage or expand already existing engagements with Indian-based companies whether for import or export, and with respect to either services or production. Published in association with KPMG and Titus & Co., "Doing Business With India" is comprehensive, detailed, and thoroughly 'user friendly', making it an indispensable and strongly recommended addition for professional, corporate, academic, and governmental library International Business reference collections. Also very highly recommended are four other titles in the Global Marketing Briefings international business series: "Qatar's Business Environment: A Guide To Market Potential And The Rules Of Commercial Engagement" (9781846730948, $90.00); "Unified Business Laws For Africa: Common Law Perspectives On Ohada" (9781846731501, $140.00); "Albania's Business Environment: A Guide To Market Potential And The Rules Of Commercial Engagement (9781846730849, $90.00); and "Doing Business With Saudi Arabia: A Guide To Investment Opportunities And Business Practices" (9781846731082, $143.00).


The Art Shelf

Brilliant Strokes
Ka Bo Tsang
Gutteridge Books
c/o University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
1551952165, $29.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

China is a land of artistic traditions going back thousands of years and representing scores of different and differing cultures, styles, and traditions. In "Brilliant Strokes: Chinese Paintings From the Mactaggart Art Collections", students and connoisseurs of Chines art are treated to a simply outstanding compilation of Chinese art ranging over a time span from the 15th to the 20th centuries and representing such distinctive styles as Plain Drawing (baimiao), Double Outlines (shuanggou), Jotting Down Ideas (xieyi), and Boneless (mogu) which are images rendered in washes with no contours. Published as a companion book to an exhibition drawn from the nationally acclaimed Mactaggart which was created and exhibited by the University of Alberta Museums, "Brilliant Strokes" offers beautifully reproduced images accompanied by an informed and informative text. A work of impressive art history scholarship and imagery, "Brilliant Strokes" is a welcome and invaluable addition to personal and academic Asian Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Translational Medicine
Dennis Cosmatos & Shein-Chung Chow
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781584888727, $89.95, www.crcpress.com

The politics, technology, and necessity of health care reform is now central to an American national dialogue. Foremost among health care issues is the cost and safety of pharmaceutical products being developed and provided to the public. Knowledgeable compiled and deftly co-edited by Dennis Cosmatos (Wyeth Research, Collegeville, Pennsylvania) and Shein-Chung Chow (Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina), Translational Medicine: Strategies And Statistical Methods" is the newest edition to the outstanding "CRC Biostatics Series" and a superbly presented introduction and instructional survey of key design and analysis elements for translating pharmaceutical compound research findings with respect to ultimately delivering new medications into the hands of doctors and their patients. "Translational Medicine" provides basic information on biomaker development in the early phase of clinical trials; establishing medical predictive models of diverse diseases through integrating genomic and clinical databases; addresses decision making issues; as well as dealing the problems and approaches to the introduction of TM into clinical studies. Of special note is the critically important information relevant to building and applying statistical models for data processing at various developmental phases in the creation and testing of pharmaceuticals. Comprehensive, informed and informative, "Translational Medicine" is an ideal textbook that should be a part of every medical school and pharmaceutical industry reference library.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Wealth Will Follow
Jeffrey Dale Hair
Cedar Fort
2373 W. 700 S., Springville, UT 84663
9781599552507, $13.99, www.cedarfort.com

There are simple truths that, if realized, can do much for establishing financial security. "Wealth Will Follow: 21 Amazing Treasures" is a combination finance and inspirational guide, telling readers that there are twenty one things that they must treasure in order to attain not just financial wealth, but spiritual wealth. Everything from love to pennies is discussed, and there is much wisdom to be found within. "Wealth Will Follow" is well worth the read for any head of a household who needs to remember what's really important.


The Audiobook Shelf

Mars Life
Ben Bova, author
Stefan Rudnicki, narrator
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
9781433231261 $90.00 www.BlackstoneAudio.com 1-800-729-2665

Read aloud by multiple AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator Stefan Rudnicki, Mars Life is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Ben Bova's exciting science fiction and political thriller. An amazing discovery reveals that an intelligent race once lived on Mars, before the collision of a gigantic meteor rendered them extinct; but when an ultraconservative New Morality movement seizes control of the American government, all funding for the Mars program is cut. Disgraced anthropologist Carter Carleton and intrepid discoverer Jamie Waterman must put themselves to the test to learn who the ancient Martians were, as well as convince their own government that the answer to this mystery is immediately relevant! An enthralling saga enhanced by a biting commentary on the modern-day war on science, Mars Life is highly recommended for science fiction fans and public library collections alike.

Mike Hammer
Mickey Spillane
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969 , Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781433252594, $33.00, 1-800-729-2665

Next to Sherlock Holmes, perhaps the most popular fictional detective is the late Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, a two-fisted guy who never goes anywhere without his faith Betsy (a snub nosed revolver). Of all the actors who have portrayed the Mike Hammer character in film or television, none were more definitive in the role than Stacy Keach. In this superbly recorded audio theater production, Stacy reprises his role along with a stellar cast in two Mike Hammer adventures, 'Oil and Water' and 'Dangerous Days'. Replete with music and sound effects, both stories are classic private eye adventures with plot twists and turns that keep the listener glued to these two stories as they unfold. Offering fully and expertly dramatized stories that will thrill and entertain dedicated mystery buffs, "Mike Hammer", with a total running time of 3 hours on 3 compact discs, is very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections.

Lorraine Hansberry Audio Collection
Lorraine Hansberry
Caedmon
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061768958 $29.99 www.harpercollins.com www.caedmonaudio.com 1-800-242-7737

Lorraine Hansberry Audio Collection is the audiobook rendition of collected works by award-winning African American playwright Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965). Of especial note in this anthology is "A Raisin in the Sun", a full-cast production of the turbulent emotional drama starring Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black", a full-cast production of Hansberry's classic self-portrait starring James Earl Jones. The third portion is "Lorraine Hansberry Speaks Out", a collection of seven interviews and speeches with the talented playwright, recorded between 1959 and 1964. A captivating anthology offering a glimpse into the mind and spirit of an American genius during the dawn of the civil rights era, highly recommended especially for public library audiobook collections. 5 CDs, 6 hours.

The Consciousness Plague
Paul Levinson, author
Mark Shanahan, narrator
Listen & Live Audio
PO Box 817, Roseland, NJ 07068
1593160380 $29.95 www.listenandlive.com 1-800-653-9400

An Audie Award finalist, The Consciousness Plague is the abridged audiobook on CD adaptation of award-winning science fiction author Paul Levinson's dark saga concerning a sudden, alarming spread of memory loss - and the insidiously destructive impact this pathological memory loss has upon human society. NYPD forensic detective Phil D'Amato discovers evidence of a bacteria-like organism that has lived in human brains for millennia, and might be responsible for human consciousness. A new antibiotic is crossing the blood-brain barrier. As D'Amato himself falls victim to memory loss, he must struggle to get the authorities to pay attention before the fundamental essence of human community and society are lost! An enthralling drama, highly recommended. 7 CDs, 8.5 hours.

Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens, author
Ian McKellen and full cast, performers
BBC Audiobooks America
42 Whitecap Drive, North Kingstown, RI 02852-7445
9781602835610 $29.95

Featuring a full-cast performance starring Ian McKellen, Little Dorrit is the audiobook dramatization of Charles Dickens' classic novel about the youngest daughter of debtor William Dorrit. Born into London's Marshalsea Prison, Amy Dorrit is befriended by Arthur Clennam, whose mother employs "Little Dorrit" as a seamstress. When an unexpected inheritance is revealed, the lives of the Dorrits take a sharp turn and the family moves to Italy. Meanwhile, Arthur falls prey to fraud and is himself sent to Marshalsea where Little Dorrit finds him - but only when the Dorrit fortune is gone can the two of them to be together again. An enjoyable love story that severely satirizes Victorian England, Little Dorrit remains as memorable today as it was in Dickens' era, and is highly recommended.

After Dark
Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle
Joyce Bean, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781423385127 $29.99 www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859

After Dark is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a suspenseful novel following Lydia Smith, licensed para-archaeologist, trying to earn an honest living working for Shrimpton's House of Ancient Horrors, a rock-bottom low-budget museum. But bizarre things keep happening... a dead body appears in the sarcophagus exhibit, and her latest client turns out to be one of the most ruthless men in the city! Narrated by Audie Award winning actress Joyce Bean, After Dark is an enthralling saga from beginning to end. 7 CDs, 8 hours 23 minutes.

A Way With Words IV: Understanding Poetry
Michael D. C. Drout
The Modern Scholar
c/o Recorded Books
270 Skipjack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
UC112, $98.75, www.modernscholar.com

The fourth volume of Professor Michael D. C. Drout's lectures on literature, "A Way With Words IV: Understanding Poetry" presents fourteen lectures with an emphasis on poetry. A professor of English at Wheaton College in Northon Massachusetts, Drout has a natural ease and expertise in providing the listening audience with erudite, articulate, occasionally humorous, and also informative information that keeps his students thoroughly engaged as he relates poetry's past, present and future. The individual lectures begin with the age old question as to 'What Is Poetry', then proceed to explore poetry's oral tradition, Anglo-Saxon roots, the emergence of rhymed poetry, the exploration of form in the ballads of the early Renaissance, Milton and metaphysical poetry, the influences of classical learning during the Eighteenth Century, the Romantic Poets (Bake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats), the poetry of the Victorian age, American poetry and the emergence of free verse, modernism, and contemporary poetry today. Although this fourth volume of lectures stands independent, complete and enthusiastically recommended, it will also serve as a persuasive introduction for academic and community libraries to obtain the earlier three volumes of Professor Drout's literary lectures.


The Library CD Music Shelf

The Color of Sunshine
Lawrence Blatt
William Ackerman, producer
LMB Music
c/o The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
$15.00 www.myspace.com/creativeservicecompany

The Color of Sunshine is the third instrumental guitar album on CD by performer Lawrence Blatt, produced by Grammy winner and founder of Windham Hill Records William Ackerman. Blatt's finger-picking style is highlighted by a beautiful flow of sound meant to acoustically represent colors of the rainbow. The inspirations for each color range from the wondrous deep red sands of the Moorish desert for the song connected to red, to the difficult ordeal of people afflicted with jaundice for the song connected to yellow, to happy memories of growing up in agricultural Indiana for the song connected to green. An emotionally enthralling music album that guitar lovers are sure to enjoy. The tracks include Looking to the Sun (1:34); The Color of Sunshine (4:13); Gray Salt Marsh (4:33); Infrared: The Abyss (3:18); Alhambra (The Red) (3:41); Orange Blossom Honey (3:32); Jaune (Yellow) (5:09); Green Corn and Spring (3:23); Mar Azul (3:39); Violet Blue (3:56); UV Radiations (4:26); Black Rock Beach (2:28); White Light (2:45); and Reach for the Rainbow (3:11). Highly recommended.

European Playground
Putumayo Kids
c/o Beth Blenz-Clucas Publicity
5505 SW Illinois Street, Portland, OR 97221
$15.98 www.putumayokids.com

European Playground is a delightful, family-friendly music CD of fun songs, each by a different artist with roots in nations all over Europe. Liner notes in English, Spanish, French and German round out this playful, multicultural music adventure, enthusiastically recommended for public library children's collections. Highly recommended; adults are sure to enjoy the catchy, cheerful themes too! The nations represented by each track are Finland/Sweden (2:16); Belgium (2:17); England (3:29); Denmark (2:15); Hungary (1:20); France (2:29); Greece (2:12); Portugal (2:23); Germany (2:43); Scotland (2:25); Netherlands (2:13); Spain (1:44); Switzerland (2:28); Italy (1:53) and Ireland (2:07).

A Song of You
Irene and Her Latin Jazz Band
c/o The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
$16.99 www.irenesings.com www.cdbaby.com

The second music CD album by Irene and Her Latin Jazz Band, A Song of You presents fourteen love songs that blend the vibrant musical culture of Southern California with that of Brazil, enhanced by South American rhythms. A dash of rhythmic influences from the Caribbean, Polynesia, Spain and France further broaden this exciting Latin jazz celebration. Irene's enthralling lyrics distinguish this captivating and invigorating album, which makes a perfect gift for any loved one who enjoys the spice of Latin jazz. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Dance With Me", "The Waiting Song", "A Song of You", "Triste", "Tintim Por Tintim", "Change the World", "South Seas Samba", "S'Wonderful", "Fragililidad", "Like a Lover", "It's Too Darn Hot", "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars", "Bim Bom", and "La Foule".

The Elk Dreamers
Elk Soldier
Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
$15.98 www.canyonrecords.com 1-800-268-1141

The Elk Dreamers is a music CD rendering the tradition of the Native American Pow-Wow circle. As the Pow-Wow group sings, dancers move with the rhythm and Elk Soldier prays for blessings to all Native peoples, with humble respect extended to their ancestors and the traditions of the drum. An unforgettably powerful audio experience, The Elk Dreamers is the next best thing to the honor of being permitted to experience a Pow-Wow firsthand. The tracks are "Butters" (4:21), "For the Elders" (3:06), "The Drum Hopper" (3:41), "The Perfect Storm" (3:02), "Rezmerized" (3:51), "Heya" (3:05), "Pow-Wow Inc." (3:25), "The Show (3:21), "Speedway" (3:14), "Ace (3:28), "Dancing Drum" (3:41), "Elk Medicine" (3:05), and "The Wakeman Experience" (5:02). 47 minutes 13 seconds. Also highly recommended are two other Native American music CD releases from Canyon Records, "Love, Lies & Lullabies: Round Dance Songs" by Sullivan & Day ($15.98) and "Awakening of Life" by Cheevers Toppah and Kevin Yazzie ($15.98).

Mariachi Classics
Mariachi Real de San Diego
Mardi Gras Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$17.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Mariachi Classics is a music CD album of traditional Mexican mariachi songs, performed with gusto by Mariachi Real de San Diego. Filled with the celebratory vibrance of a grand musical legacy, Mariachi Classics is a delightful addition to world music collections and especially recommended for anyone who loves the enthusiastic, life-affirming rhythms of a joyful mariachi band. The tracks consist of a wealth of beloved favorite songs from Old Mexico: "Las Mananitas", "San Diego", "Bala Perdida", "El Tranchete", "Noche de Ronda", "La Malaguena", "Las Chipanecas", "El Mariachi", "Solamente Una Vez", "Mexico Lindo Y Querido", "La Periodista", "Quierme Mucho", "Jugueteando", "Sabor a Mi", "Cancion Mixteca", and "Las Golondrinas".

Somethin' Like Love
Steven Pasquale
PS Classics
c/o Miller Wright & Associates, Inc. (publicity)
1650 Broadway, Suite 1210, New York, NY 10019
$17.98 www.millerwright.com

Somethin' Like Love is the debut solo jazz album by Steven Pasquale, perhaps best known for playing the fireman "Sean Garrity" on the popular television series "Rescue Me". A rich collection embracing the heritage of traditional jazz, Somethin' Like Love offers magically flowing reinterpretations of classic jazz favorites, as well as a brand new composition in the title song. Pasquale's legato singing resonates with the listener in this thoroughly enjoyable album enthusiastically recommended for jazz vocal fans. The tracks are "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", "On the Street Where You Live", "Laura", "The Lady's in Love With You", "Somethin' Like Love", "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep", "They All Laughed", "Summertime", "If I Were a Bell", "My Funny Valentine", "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", and "Maybe".

Under the Bones of the Great Blue Whale
Sarah Brooks and Graceful Soul
Whaling City Sound
1178 Tucker Road, No. Dartmouth, MA 02747
c/o Mixed Media (publicity)
mixedmediapromo@cox.net
$16.98 www.whalingcitysound.com

Recorded live in the "Whaling City" of New Bedford, Under the Bones of the Great Blue Whale is a jazz band album featuring singer Sarah Brooks, Bill Miele (bass), Kenny Hadley (drums)Jim Robitaille and Bob Schlink (melody and rhythm guitar). Sarah had not met any of the professional musicians before the night of their performance; together, they worked to create an unforgettable outpouring of soul music. Together they spun their own take on great pop, rock, and rhythm & blues classics. A moment of discovery, adaptation, and sheer musical joy preserved on audio, Under the Bones of the Great Blue Whale is a joy to listen to. The tracks are "Bring It On Home To Me" (5:19), "Look of Love" (6:27), "Chain of Fools" (7:26), "You Can't Do That" (4:35), "At Last" (5:01), "Amazing Grace - Vocal Version" (8:28), Baby I Love You" (5:21), "Since I Fell For You" (5:56), "Fragile" (6:36), "The Chicken" (8:27), and "Amazing Grace - Instrumental Version" (4:20). Also highly recommended is the album "Neon" by jazz guitarist Mike Clinco.

If I Had a Key to the Dawn
Lily Storm
Songbat Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$16.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

If I Had a Key to the Dawn: Love Songs and Laments from Eastern Europe is a music CD album of intimate songs, some instrumental, some featuring Lily Storm's haunting voice, all drawing upon the musical and storytelling traditions of various Eastern and Central European nations from Greece to Hungary to the Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and more. The songs themselves range from bittersweet love ballads to celebrations of a mother's love for her child. If I Had a Key to the Dawn bears witness beauty and the power of human emotion, and deserves the highest recommendation. The tracks are "Sleep, child" (0:48), "The peony" (1:58), "One Friday" (2:39), "Oh, stand aside" (2:36), "A bird flew to my darling's window" (2:52), "Love, love" (2:25), "The lemon tree" (3:13), "Gulo" (6:29), "Little turtle-dove" (4:27), "Instrumental (accordion)" (2:28), "Green leaf of a pear tree" (3:15), "My Nightingale" (2:37), "Years, heavy years" (3:58), "Instrumental (duduk)" (3:07), and "The swallow is flying" (2:57). 45 minutes, 48 seconds.


The Library DVD Shelf

Depeche Mode: The Dark Progression, limited collector's edition
Sexy Intellectual
c/o MVD Entertainment Group (distribution)
PO Box 280, Oaks, PA 19456
$19.95 www.MVDb2b.com 1-800-888-0486

Unauthorized by (and therefore completely independent from) Depeche Mode themselves or their record company, Depeche Mode: The Dark Progression is a new documentary following the development and career of popular electronic band Depeche Mode, from their interest in New Romanticism at the start of their career through the darkness and urban industrial themes that permeated their albums, to the departure of Alan Wilder in 1995 and more. Packed with interviews with all the band members, contributions from their friends, colleagues, and contemporaries (including Gary Numan, Thomas Dolby, band biographer Jonathan Miller, and many more), rare performances by Depeche Mode, archive footage, video clips, location shots, and news reports, Depeche Mode: The Dark Progression is a "must-have" for Depeche Mode fans. Some tracks are also included, such as "Just Can't Get Enough", "People Are People", "Stripped", "Never Let Me Down Again", "Strangelove", "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy the Silence", "Walking In My Shoes", "I Feel You", and more. Highly recommended. 97 minutes, 4:3 screen format, stereo.

Life on Mars Series 1
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
$59.99 www.acornmedia.com

Life on Mars Series 1 is a four-DVD thinpack set collects the first season of the exciting time-bending detective series originally shown on BBC America. Police detective Sam Tyler (played by John Simm) was closing in on a murderer when he was struck by a passing car. He wakes up in the past, in 1973; the procedural tools he is used to have disappeared, and he finds himself on a near-alcoholic homicide squad where forensics takes weeks and his boss has no compunctions against using violence on his subjects - or his workers! Sam does his best to solve crimes in the past while searching for a way back to his home time; yet he is also increasingly intrigued by sympathetic policewoman Annie Cartwright (played by Liz White). An enthralling saga recommended for mystery and time-travel fans alike! DVD bonus features include audio commentaries for every episode with cast and crew, a "Take a Look at the Lawman" hour-long documentary with cast and crew interviews as well as behind-the-scenes footage, an interview clip with director Bharat Nalluri, a "The Music of Life on Mars" featurette, a "Get Sykes" featurette, and an outtakes reel. 4 DVDs, 466 minutes, widescreen.

Agatha Christie's Poirot Set 4: The Movie Collection
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
$49.99 www.acornmedia.com

Poirot Set 4: The Movie Collection is a three-DVD thinpack set of two feature-length mystery adventures starring Agatha Christie's legendarily fastidious Belgian detective, plus a bonus DVD documentary "Super Sleuths" about the Poirot series featuring its stars, producer, and director. The DVD movie adaptations of classic Christie novels are "Mrs. McGinty's Dead", in which Poirot teams up a mystery novelist colleague to save a man from hanging for a murder he may not have committed, and "Cat Among the Pigeons", in which Poirot must investigate murders among the Meadowbank School for Girls, which has recently become embroiled in turmoil since once of its new students is a princess and a political refugee hiding from revolutionaries in her homeland! An excellent gift especially for mystery lovers;,Agatha Christie's Poirot Set 4: The Movie Collection makes for a superb introduction to Christie's brilliantly crafted mysteries. 3 DVDs, 186 minutes plus 47 minutes bonus program, widescreen, color.

Mazda Motivations
c/o Wendy Brickman (publicity)
Brickman@brickmanmarketing.com

Three fitness DVDs created and hosted by exercise physiologist Debra Mazda prove that women of all shapes and sizes can enjoy the benefits of a good workout. Mazda once weighed over three hundred pounds; deciding that diets were not the answer, she devised a fitness regimen and succeeded in losing one hundred forty pounds. She remains curvaceously shapely (with noticeably more meat on her bones than a rail-thin Hollywood model), yet immensely improved and healthy, and her workout DVDs are sure to appeal to viewers of all backgrounds and body sizes. "Let's Get Moving! Low-Impact Cardio" ($19.95, 52 min.) is a beginner to intermediate exercise DVD featuring a basic warm up, a solid cardio routine, and cool down exercises, with a bonus floorwork track. "Let's Get Moving! 2: Cardio Toning With Weights" ($19.95, 56 min.) incorporates simple weights into its cardiovascular routine and rates the viewer's progress with the "ShapelyGirl Intensity Scale". In "Let's Get Stepping! Beginner Step-Cardio" ($19.95, 82 min.) viewers are introduced into a step-cardio workout suitable for beginners, complete with a toning bonus track and step tutorial. All three DVDs have the bonus special feature "Debra Mazda's Circle Time", which is all about working out when one is a plus-sized woman. An excellent DVD set for anyone, female or male, interested in beginning a fitness regimen - especially those who are new to regular physical workouts and need a user-friendly start.

Home: A Film by Mary Haverstick
Monterey Video
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
9781569946633 $26.95 www.montereymedia.com 1-800-424-2593

Starring Academy Award winning actress Marcia Gay Harden in the role of Inga, Home: A Film by Mary Haverstick follows Inga, a mother with the soul of a poet at a crossroads. Her estranged husband Hermann (played by Michael Gaston) is bereft of emotional support for her in the wake of her recovery from breast cancer, let alone her passion for buying and restoring and house that reminds her of her childhood home. She shares a close bond with her eight-year-old daughter, and though she is troubled by her decaying marriage, she retains a strong spirit of optimism, as expressed in her own writing. A dramatic and moving saga, highly recommended; bonus features include deleted scenes, storyboards, and poems. 84 minutes.

The Art of Block Printing
Larry Withers
On Air Video Inc.
8203 Westminster Rd., Elkins Park, PA 19027
$14.95 www.onairvideo.com

Hosted by expert fine arts instructor Larry Withers, The Art of Block Printing is a DVD how-to guide to partaking in the centuries-old art of block printing. From the necessary materials and tools, to creating one's design, carving a printing block, producing one-color or two-color prints, to appropriate color registration, safety tips for block cutting, an introduction to various techniques, and much more, The Art of Block Printing walks viewers of all backgrounds and skill levels through the process. A back-cover checklist of the inexpensive tools one needs to get started rounds out this user-friendly teaching guide, enthusiastically recommended for anyone intrigued to dabble in this art form to create distinctive artworks, handmade cards, or other beautiful projects. 42 minutes.

Ana Brett & Ravi Singh
411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$15.95 each www.411videoinfo.com

New DVDs from fitness teachers Ana Brett and Ravi Singh - whose clients include Olympic athletes and celebrities such as Madonna, Sting, and The Red Hot Chile Peppers - guide the viewer through easy-to-follow, yoga-based workouts. "Yoga for Beginners & Beyond" (90 minutes, $15.95) includes strengthening techniques to improve one's total fitness, chair exercises, a posture primer, and much more. The segments guide one through using Yoga to promote flexibility in one's entire body as well as build up muscle tone. In "Kundalini Yoga Cardio, Stretch, & Strengthen" (90 minutes, $15.95) viewers experience a more high-energy style of Yoga along with catchy music to go along with the cardio. Both DVDs have a special "Matrix menu" option that allows the viewer to customize his or her workout, and make excellent, long-lasting additions to physical fitness and flexibility DVD libraries.

We Shall Remain
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations (publicity)
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
0793670268 $49.99 www.ssapr.com shopPBS.org

We Shall Remain is a three-DVD thinpack set collecting five documentaries from the acclaimed PBS history series "American Experience", about Native American leaders including Massasoit, Tecumseh, Tenskwatawa, Major Ridge, Geronimo, and Fools Crow, all who did everything they could to resist being forcibly removed from their land and preserve their culture. Their strategies ranged from military action to diplomacy, spirituality, or even legal and political means. The stories of these individual leaders span four hundred years; collectively, they give a portrait of an oft-overlooked yet crucial side of American history, and carry the highest recommendation for public library as well as home DVD collections. Special features include behind-the-scenes footage, a thirty-minute preview film, materials for educators and librarians, four ReelNative films of Native Americans sharing their personal stories, and three Native Now films about modern-day issues facing Native Americans. 7 hours.

Murdoch Mysteries Season One
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
$59.99 www.acornmedia.com www.murdochmysteries.com

Set in 1890's Canada, Murdoch Mysteries Season One is a four-DVD thinpack set collecting the first thirteen episodes of this popular mystery series following Detective William Murdoch (played by Yannick Bisson), a sleuth whose genius leads him to discover and use modern techniques such as "finger marks" to catch criminals. His antagonistic boss (Thomas Craig) derides his methods at every turn, but he has willing allies in a beautiful pathologist (Gemini-winner Helene Joy) and an intrepidly inquisitive constable (Johnny Harris). Famous brilliant minds of the era also make appearances, such as Nikola Tesla, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Prince Alfred. Based on the hero of the enjoyable and widely beloved Murdoch novels, Murdoch Mysteries Season One is an excellent adventure sure to please mystery fans, and is especially notable for winning two Geminis and being nominated for twelve more. Special features include episode commentary by stars Yannick Bisson and Jonny Harris, production designer Sandra Kybartas, and executive feature Cal Coons; interviews with the author and cast; a photographic gallery; cast filmographies; and brief cast biographies. 598 minutes, 16:9 widescreen, subtitles.

Inside the Meltdown
PBS Home Video
www.pbs.org
0793670659 $24.99

Inside the Meltdown is an episode of the popular "Frontline" television series, giving the behind-the-scenes stories of the Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers business collapses that kicked off the present day economic crisis, followed by efforts to support insurance giant AIG and a 700 billion dollar bailout. Inside the Meltdown especially focuses upon the sudden, catastrophic dilemma thrust upon Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose fear of "moral hazard" - the concept that bailing out a failing business will only promote and encourage more failure on their part - had to give way to the larger, possibly economy-destroying threat of a resounding ripple effect stemming from the collapse of giants. An absorbing documentary that presents the downfall of multigenerational institutions in plain terms for viewers of all backgrounds, Inside the Meltdown is especially recommended to public library DVD collections. 60 minutes, color.

Combat Knife Throwing
Ralph Thorn
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
www.paladin-press.com
CKTDVD, $49.95, 1-800-392-2400

Thanks to television and the movies, we've all seen that knives and other hand weapons can be thrown with deadly accuracy and effective in personal combat. Ralph Thorn is an expert in this area and with his step-by-step instructional video "Combat Knife Throwing: The Video", demonstrates a combative style of weapons throwing that showcases a 'no spin' knife throw that is practical, effective, and something anyone can learn how to do given a few knives and some practice. Utilizing computer graphics, slow-motion videography, and clear instructions, "Combat Knife Throwing" demonstrates the sidearm throw, the shuriken throw for long-distance attacks, the underhand half-spin throw, blindfolded throwing, behind-the-back throws, and throwing a knife accurately while running. With a total running time of 100 minutes, "Combat Knife Throwing" is a very highly recommended instructional video suitable for personal and professional Martial Arts reference collections and personal combat training programs.


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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