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Library Bookwatch

Volume 9, Number 6 June 2014 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Political Science Shelf Relationship Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Biography Shelf
Education Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Language Studies Shelf
Biology Shelf Music Shelf Library Science Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Psychology Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Military Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Reference Shelf Law/Justice Shelf Business Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Art Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Civil War Shelf Sports Shelf Autism Shelf
Fiction Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Staying Alive
Michael Dorn, Dr. Sonya Shepherd, Stephen Satterly, and Chris Dorn
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438004082 $14.99 www.barronseduc.com

Staying Alive: How to Act Fast and Survive Deadly Encounters is a practical-minded guide to preparing and strategizing to protect human lives against the worst possible situations - from violent or armed attackers to fires and car accidents. Chapters discuss the value of "natural surveillance" (making areas open to co-worker's, local residents' or public view, since potential criminals are more strongly discouraged by physical witnesses than surveillance cameras), the "broken window" problem (automobiles in disrepair, vandalized property, etc. is more likely to attract crime), the importance of training security people in pattern recognition to spot individuals who just aren't acting normally, the extreme lifesaving value of creating emergency plans and drilling in them, the concept of ***satisfying*** (acting quickly on the first option with a reasonable chance for success can be more likely to save lives than delaying for precious seconds to evaluate all options), why names should not be prominently displayed in reserved parking lots (potential attackers can use them to locate and ambush their victims) and much more. An absolute "must-have" for anyone responsible for the security of a school or workplace, Staying Alive is also packed with invaluable, crisis-tested wisdom for readers of all walks of life. "Another concept that many experts find to be troubling is training people to run in a zigzag fashion if they are being shot at... a gunman actually has a higher hit rate when victims try to flee in this fashion."


The Political Science Shelf

Blocking Public Participation
Byron Sheldrick
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554589296 $39.99 wlupress.wlu.ca

Byron Sheldrick (chair of the Political Science Department, University of Guelph) presents Blocking Public Participation: The Use of Strategic Litigation to Silence Political Expression, an erudite examination of how lawsuits brought by individuals, corporations, groups, or politicians have been wielded like a club to beat political activism into submission. A common theme of such lawsuits is that their intention isn't to win (and they often don't win); their intention is to stifle political expression or opposition. Although Blocking Public Participation especially focuses upon how legal action has been used and abused in Canadian politics, its observations, principles, and precepts also inform American politics, and the political climate of other nations as well. "...if an interim injunction has been issued, failure to comply can amount to contempt of court and be punishable by fines or imprisonment. The stakes in the political struggle are increased considerably, and become much more immediate and personal. Bankruptcy and potential imprisonment are suddenly possibilities that may never have been contemplated when one joined a citizens' group." Blocking Public Participation warns of a dangerous and possibly growing new threat to the fundamental principles of democratic government, and is worthy of the highest recommendation for public and college library political science collections.

Culture In Conflict
Paula Holmes-Eber
Stanford Security Studies
c/o Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
www.sup.org
9780804791892, $24.95, www.amazon.com

The nature of war and conflict in the opening decades of the 21st Century has changed substantially from hot and cold war eras of the 20th Century. That means the role of the American armed forces has to adapt to those changes in which our principle enemies were stateless terrorists often aided covertly by vested interests in destabilizing the cultural and political influence of the United States. In response to the irregular warfare challenges facing the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005, General James Mattis (then commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command) established a new Marine Corps cultural initiative. The goal was simple: teach Marines to interact successfully with the local population in areas of conflict. The implications, however, were anything but simple: transform an elite military culture founded on the principles of "locate, close with, and destroy the enemy" into a "culturally savvy" Marine Corps. "Culture in Conflict: Irregular Warfare, Culture Policy, and the Marine Corps" by Paula Holmes-Eber (Professor of Operational Culture, Marine Corps University) is a 272 page compendium providing a detailed and documents history of a newly evolving American Marine Corps. Organized into two major sections (Ideals: Corps Culture; Realities: 'Marinizing" Culture), "Culture in Conflict: Irregular Warfare, Culture Policy, and the Marine Corps" is enhanced with the inclusion of a number of Figures and Tables; an appendix (Marine Corp Ranks and Organizational Structure); Notes; a Bibliography, and an Index. A work of impressively insightful, informative scholarship, and also available in a hardcover edition (9780804789509, $85.00), "Culture in Conflict: Irregular Warfare, Culture Policy, and the Marine Corps" is very highly recommended, especially for academic library Political Science and Military History reference collections.


The Relationship Shelf

Loving Someone with PTSD
Aphrodite T. Matsakis
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
9781608827862, $16.95, www.amazon.com

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events, such as sexual assault, serious injury, or the threat of death. The diagnosis may be given when a group of symptoms, such as disturbing recurring flashbacks, avoidance or numbing of memories of the event, and hyperarousal continue for more than a month after the traumatic event. Most people having experienced a traumatizing event will not develop PTSD. Women are more likely to experience higher impact events, and are also more likely to develop PTSD than men. Children are less likely to experience PTSD after trauma than adults, especially if they are under ten years of age. War veterans are commonly at risk to PTSD. "Loving Someone with PTSD: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Connecting with Your Partner after Trauma" by trauma expert Aphrodite T. Matsakis is a 256 page compendium comprised of what is essential an instruction manual that begins by defining PTSD and then relating it to relationship issues, basic communication skills, decision making, PTSD triggers and responses, and PTSD based crisis (panic attacks, rage reactions, domestic violence, addiction, suicide). Of special note is the concluding chapter, PTSD Therapy and You. Enhanced with an extensive roster of Resources and References, "Loving Someone with PTSD" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone having to deal with PTSD within themselves or with a loved one. It should be noted that "Loving Someone with PTSD" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.39).


The American History Shelf

The French and Indian War and the Conquest of New France
William R. Nester
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806144351 $34.95 www.oupress.com

The French and Indian War and the Conquest of New France is a heavily researched and detailed accounting of a war destined to shape the futures of France, America, and Native American tribes. Thought the war began with a French victory (in which young Lieutenant Colonel George Washington was soundly defeated at Fort Necessity), it swiftly blossomed into a financial albatross around imperial France's neck. The gigantic cost of soldiers, munitions, and ships was further compounded by systemic incompetence that virtually guaranteed France's defeat. The French and Indian War and the Conquest of New France describes how one military or diplomatic opportunity after another was lost, as well as the dynamic military, cultural, and economic forces shaping the course of the war. Notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this excellent, accessible study, highly recommended especially for public and college library American History collections.

American Carnage: Wounded Knee, 1890
Jerome A. Greene
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806144481 $34.95 www.oupress.com

Historian and Indian Wars specialist Jerome A. Greene presents American Carnage: Wounded Knee, 1890, an exhaustive, in-depth history and analysis of one of the American military's most notorious massacres of American Indian (Lakota) men, women, and children. An extensive catalogue of primary sources, including many little-known or previously unknown testimonies, form the basis of this scholarly, thoughtful, and thorough study, enhanced with notes, a bibliography, and an index. Accessible to readers of all background despite its wealth of detail, American Carnage is a "must-have" especially for public and college library American History and Native American Studies shelves. "It is important to note that earlier conflicts in the West involved the resistance of Indians to being placed on reservations. But Wounded Knee involved the Lakotas' efforts to deal with critical survival issues facing them on their reservations. Wounded Knee therefore was not the last of the Indian wars, as it is frequently called. That distinction rightly belongs to the Apache outbreak preceding Geronimo's surrender in 1886. Wounded Knee was something different."

The Spanish-American War
Brad K. Berner, editor
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
The Gatehouse M010C
285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, dist.
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781611475746, $85.00, www.amazon.com

The Spanish - American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, the result of American intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. American attacks on Spain's Pacific possessions led to involvement in the Philippine Revolution and ultimately to the Philippine - American War and the acquisition of the Philippines as an American possession. "The Spanish-American War: A Documentary History with Commentaries" is a 280 page compendium compiled and edited by Brad K. Berner (Professor of History and English Language in Moscow, Russia) and featuring an informative Foreword by Kalman Goldstein. Providing an historical overview of the conflict with respect to the issues that led to war from 1895 to 1898, including the ultimately failure of diplomacy (1896-1898), "The Spanish-American War: A Documentary History with Commentaries" is organized into chapters devoted to The War at Home; The War in Cuba; The War in the Philippines; The War in Puerto Rico. Of special note are the chapters on Negotiating the Peace (July 18--December 10, 1898) and Post-War Developments. Enhanced with a Selected Bibliography, and a comprehensive Index, "The Spanish-American War: A Documentary History with Commentaries" is an impressive work of detailed scholarship and a highly recommended addition to community and academic library 19th Century American History reference collections in general, and Spanish-American War supplemental reading lists in particular. it should be noted that "The Spanish-American War: A Documentary History with Commentaries" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.00).

Lincoln's Campaign Biographies
Thomas A. Horrocks
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809333318, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 - April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War - its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional and political crisis. In so doing he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy. Reared in a poor family on the western frontier, Lincoln was a self-educated lawyer in Illinois, a Whig Party leader, state legislator during the 1830s, and a one-term member of the Congress during the 1840s. He promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks, canals, railroads and tariffs to encourage the building of factories; he opposed the war with Mexico in 1846. After a series of highly publicized debates in 1858, during which Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery, he lost the U.S. Senate race to his archrival, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln, a moderate from a swing state, secured the Republican Party presidential nomination in 1860. With very little support in the slave states, Lincoln swept the North and was elected president in 1860. His election prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederacy by February 1862. The newest volume in the outstanding 'Concise Lincoln Library' series from Southern Illinois University Press, "Lincoln's Campaign Biographies" by Thomas A. Horrocks (Director of Special Collections and the John Hay Library at Brown University) is a 168 page compendium focused specifically and exclusively on Lincoln's political campaigns for public office in general, and the role more than twenty campaign biographies played in shaping the public image of Lincoln as a candidate in particular. An impressive and seminal work of meticulous scholarship, "Lincoln's Campaign Biographies" is a welcome and invaluable addition to community and academic library Lincoln Studies and 19th Century American Political History reference collections. It should be noted that "Lincoln's Campaign Biographies" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.73).

Nevada: 150 Years in the Silver State
Geoff Schumacher, editor
Stephens Press
c/o University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166, Reno, NV, 89557-0166
www.unpress.nevada.edu
9781935043775, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. Nevada is the 7th most extensive, the 35th most populous, and the 9th least densely populated of the 50 United States. Nearly three-quarters of Nevada's people live in Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas - Paradise metropolitan area where the state's three largest incorporated cities are located. Nevada's capital is Carson City. Nevada is officially known as the "Silver State" due to the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the "Battle Born State", because it achieved statehood during the Civil War; "Sagebrush State", for the native eponymous plant; and "Sage hen State." Nevada is largely desert and semiarid, with much of it located within the Great Basin. Areas south of the Great Basin are located within the Mojave Desert, while Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada lie on the western edge. Approximately 86% of the state's land is managed by various jurisdictions of the U.S. federal government, both civilian and military. Compiled and edited by Geoff Schumacher, "Nevada: 150 Years in the Silver State" is a profusely illustrated, 256 page compendium comprised showcasing the history of the state of Nevada over the past 15 decades. Of special note are the chapters presenting Nevadan culture, sport, and tourist destinations. Informed and informative, "Nevada: 150 Years in the Silver State" is enhanced with the inclusion of a chart of Nevada's population statistics by decade, a roster of Nevada's governors from 1861 to the present day, a two page bibliography of Recommended Readings, and a six page roster of the editors and contributors to "Nevada: 150 Years in the Silver State". Entertaining and educational to simply browse through, "Nevada: 150 Years in the Silver State" is very highly recommended for community and academic library American History collections in general, and Nevadan State History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The World History Shelf

South Pacific Cauldron
Alan Rems
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612514710 $38.95 www.nip.org

Written in a narrative style accessible to readers of all backgrounds, South Pacific Cauldron: World War II's Great Forgotten Battlegrounds is a complete history of all World War II battles and conflicts that took place in the South Pacific Cauldron region, including numerous little-known operations such as the final Australian campaigns. Also studied are the story about the death of a leading Marine Corps general at his headquarters, a cover-up about this death that had Admiral Halsey's approval, and the problems and issues unique to a segregated Army and its African-American combat troops. A handful of black-and-white maps and photographs as well as notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this invaluable contribution to military and world history shelves.

1014: Brian Boru & The Battle For Ireland
Morgan Llywelyn
O'Brien Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781847175571, $20.00, www.amazon.com

Brian Boru (c. 941 - 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Ui Neill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennetig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated Leinster, eventually becoming King of All Ireland. He is the founder of the O'Brien dynasty. "1014: Brian Boru & The Battle For Ireland" by Morgan Llwelynn is the result of some 30 years of dedicated research and study. It's the story (as reconstructed by that seminal research) of a battle that took place by the native Irish and the invading Norsemen in the year 1014 A.D. in which the Irish (at great cost to themselves) were able to drive back the Norsemen. This is a deftly written history that reads as smoothly as a novel. Informed and informative, "1014: Brian Boru & The Battle For Ireland" is an outstanding read and highly recommended for community and academic library Irish History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Biography Shelf

Icon
Gary Vitacco-Robles
BearManor Media
P. O. Box 1129, Duncan, OK 73534-1129
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781593935542, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962) was an American actress, model, and singer, who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s and early 1960s. After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946 with Twentieth Century-Fox. Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) drew attention. By 1952 she had her first leading role in Don't Bother to Knock and 1953 brought a lead in Niagara, a melodramatic film noir that dwelt on her seductiveness. Her "dumb blonde" persona was used to comic effect in subsequent films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and The Seven Year Itch (1955). Limited by typecasting, Monroe studied at the Actors Studio to broaden her range. Her dramatic performance in Bus Stop (1956) was hailed by critics and garnered a Golden Globe nomination. Her production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, released The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination and won a David di Donatello award. She received a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like It Hot. Monroe's last completed film was The Misfits (1961), co-starring Clark Gable, with a screenplay written by her then-husband, Arthur Miller. The final years of Monroe's life were marked by illness, personal problems, and a reputation for unreliability and being difficult to work with. The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture. Though officially classified as a "probable suicide", the possibilities of an accidental overdose or a homicide have not been ruled out. In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth-greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute. In the decades following her death, she has often been cited as both a pop and a cultural icon as well as the quintessential American sex symbol. In 2009, TV Guide Network named her No. 1 in Film's Sexiest Women of All Time. "Icon: The Life, Times, and Films of Marilyn Monroe: Volume 1 1926 to 1956" by psychotherapist and author Gary Vitacco-Robles is an impressively detailed and deftly written 788 page biography of Monroe's personal life and film career. A 'must read' for her legions of fans, "Icon: The Life, Times, and Films of Marilyn Monroe Volume 1 1926 to 1956" is also available in a hardcover edition (9781593935559, $49.95) and highly recommended for community library 20th Century American Biography and academic library Cinematic Studies collections.

Dare Me!
John Burbridge
Monash University Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781921867743, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Gerald Marcus Glaskin (16 December 1923 - 11 March 2000) was a Western Australian author. Although he won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature in 1955, his works were received more favorably in Europe than in Australia where he had virtually no public profile, and he lived mostly in Asia and later the Netherlands, until returning to Perth in 1967. Glaskin's extensive time overseas may have been because of the oppressive Australian moral climate of the period against homosexuality. In 1961 he had been charged with indecent exposure on a Perth beach. His published works were extensive. He wrote poetry, short stories, and novels. Some works also included issues of science fiction and new-age spiritual guidance related to the interpretation of dreams. He was also involved in the Fellowship of Australian Writers. His most commercially successful work was a novel about a homosexual love affair, No End To The Way (1965), published under the pseudonym Neville Jackson. Glaskin was also silent financial partner in The Coffee Pot, a popular Perth meeting place for homosexuals, bohemians and students which was established in the 1950s by Dutch Indonesian migrants, and was then the city's only late night cafe. "Dare Me!: The Life and Work of Gerald Glaskin" by John Burbridge is an impressively detailed, 366 page biography that is enhanced with the inclusion of a color photo section insert, a bibliography of Glaskin's major published works, a six page list of References, and a comprehensive index. Critically important reading for students of Glaskin's work, "Dare Me!: The Life and Work of Gerald Glaskin" is strongly recommended for academic library Gay & Lesbian Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Education Shelf

From Public School To The Ivy League
Mandee Heller Adler & Aimee Heller, authors
Cheree Heller Liebowitz, editor
Biographical Publishing Company
95 Sycamore Drive, Prospect, CT 06712-1493
www.biopub.us
1929882955, $14.95, www.amazon.com

"From Public School to the Ivy League: How to Get into a Top School without Top Dollar Resources" is a 212 page instruction manual for parents and their students who are from modest means and want to be able to avail themselves of the extraordinary opportunities that an Ivy League university education, experience, and contacts will afford them. The primary author, Mandee Heller Adler is the Founder and Principle of international College Counselors and draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to craft an informed and informative guide that covers every thing from writing essays and letters of application, to standardized tests, to choosing a major, to college visits and information sessions, to jobs and internships, scholarships, grants, loans, and more. Of special note are the chapters devoted to 'Schools and Programs for Studies with Learning Disabilities'; 'Free and Inexpensive Schools'; and 'Tips for High School Student Athletes'. A veritable cornucopia of practical and insightful advice, "From Public School to the Ivy League: How to Get into a Top School without Top Dollar Resources" is superbly well organized, thoroughly 'user friendly', and very highly recommended for family, school, and community library Educational Resources reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The New Balanced Literacy School
Margaret Mary Policastro and Becky McTague
Capstone Press
PO Box 669
Mankato, MN 56002-0669
9781625216298 $24.95 www.capstonepress.com

Dr. Margaret Mary Policastro (professor of language and literacy, Roosevelt University in Chicago) and Dr. Becky McTague (associate professor of language and literacy, Roosevelt University) present The New Balanced Literary School: Implementing Common Core, a guide expressly for K-8 teachers, administrators, and school literacy teams. Chapters show to how to shape literacy instruction with respect to Common Core guidelines and research-tested best practices. Approaches discussed include read-alouds, guided language into reading, operating language and literacy centers, in-school libraries, fostering independent reading and writing, and more. "While children are not actually engaged in the act of close reading during the read-aloud, the teacher is modeling the behaviors and showing what the children will learn to do when reading on their own. For example, the teacher might underline key ideas, use sticky notes to record notes, post a question, or jot down an important word in the text." The New Balanced Literacy School is an excellent, supplementary resource for improving literacy and educational programs, created by professionals for professionals.

Universal Design for Learning in Action
Whitney H. Rapp
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781598573909, $34.95, www.amazon.com

"Universal Design for Learning in Action: 100 Ways to Teach All Learners" by Whitney H. Rapp (Associate Professor, St. John Fisher college, Rochester, NY) is a 224 page compendium comprised of one hundred classroom teacher strategies effective classroom space and materials (seating, lighting, bulletin boards, etc.); classroom management (schedules, meetings, etc.); technologies (blogs, videoconferencing, ebooks, etc.); social interaction (games and small group activities); executive functions (templates, rubics, graphic oranizers, timers, web-based materials); transition to adulthood ('real world' charts, goal plans, etc.); and assessment (testing and other ways to reveal what children have learned or mastered). Practical, innovative, and thoroughly 'teacher friendly', "Universal Design for Learning in Action: 100 Ways to Teach All Learners" is very highly recommended as a college or university Teacher Education curriculum supplement, as well as being extraordinarily useful for both novice and experienced classroom teachers K through 12.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Hollywood From Below the Line
Steven M. Levine
Robert D. Reed Publishers
PO Box 1992
1380 Face Rock Drive, Bandon, OR 97411
www.rdrpublishers.com
9781934759851, $14.95, www.amazon.com

In "Hollywood From Below the Line", veteran Hollywood property master Steven M. Levine draws upon his 39 years of experiences and expertise as a movie prop maker and controller to take the reader 'behind the scenes' and showcases the importance of props and what it is like to deal with the often inflated egos of actors, directors, producers, and heads of departments ranging from wardrobe to makeup. "Hollywood From Below the Line" is a 160 page compendium of anecdotes, background information, and movie-making details that cinema buffs will find absolutely fascinating. Informed, informative, and exceptionally well written, "Hollywood From Below the Line" is very highly recommended reading and an important addition to community and academic library Cinematic Studies reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should also be noted that "Hollywood From Below the Line" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).


The Language Studies Shelf

Sanskrit For Seekers
Dennis Waite
Mantra Books
c/o National Book Network
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781782792277, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Sanskrit the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, a philosophical language in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and a scholarly literary language that was in use as a lingua franca in the Indian cultural zone. It is a standardized dialect of Old Indo-Aryan, originating as Vedic Sanskrit and tracing its linguistic ancestry back to Proto-Indo-Iranian and ultimately to Proto-Indo-European. Today it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand. Sanskrit holds a prominent position in Indo-European studies. The corpus of Sanskrit literature encompasses a rich tradition of poetry and drama as well as scientific, technical, philosophical and dharma texts. Sanskrit continues to be widely used as a ceremonial language in Hindu religious rituals and Buddhist practice in the forms of hymns and mantras. Spoken Sanskrit has been revived in some villages with traditional institutions, and there are attempts at further popularization. "Sanskrit for Seekers" by Sanskrit expert and Advaita scholar Dennis Waite is a 205 page instructional guide specifically designed to help readers learn the rudiments of Sanskrit and thereby enabling them to read the script, pronounce words and look them up in a dictionary. "Sanskrit for Seekers" utilizes the ITRANS transliteration scheme commonly found on the Internet. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in its accessibility, organization, and presentation, "Sanskrit For Seekers" is highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Language Studies instructional reference collections in general, and Sanskrit Studies in particular. It should be noted that "Sanskrit For Seekers" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.69).


The Biology Shelf

Endocytosis
Sandra L. Schmid, Alexander Sorkin, Marino Zerial, editors
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
500 Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury NY 11797-2924
www.cshlpress.com
9781621820246, $135.00, www.amazon.com

Endocytosis is an energy-using process by which cells absorb molecules (such as proteins) by engulfing them. It is used by all cells of the body because most substances important to them are large polar molecules that cannot pass through the hydrophobic plasma or cell membrane. The opposite process is exocytosis. The newest addition to the outstanding 'Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology' series, "Endocytosis" is the collaborative editorial project of Sandra L. Schmid (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center), Alexander Sorkin (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine), and Marino Zerial (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics). This illustrated, 590 page compendium is comprised of thirty-two seminal research articles by experts in the field and 'covers all of the major pathways of endocytosis and postendocytic trafficking and how they regulate cellular and organismal physiology. A seminal body of outstanding medical scholarship, "Endocytosis" is an essential addition to academic library Medical Studies reference collections, and will prove to be of immense interest and value tocell biologists, neuroscientists, immunologists, developmental biologists, microbiologists, and anyone with a professional or personal interest in the physiological and therapeutic implications of Endocytosis as a key cellular process.


The Music Shelf

Fernando Sor
Mijndert Jape
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
www.pendragonpress.com
9781576472187, $38.00, www.amazon.com

Josep Ferran Sorts i Muntades (baptized 14 February 1778 - died 10 July 1839) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer. While he is best known for his guitar compositions, he also composed music for a wide range of genres, including opera, orchestra, string quartet, piano, voice, and ballet. His ballet score Cendrillon (Cinderella) received over one hundred performances. Sor's works for guitar range from pieces for beginning players to advanced players such as 'Variations on a Theme of Mozart'. Sor's contemporaries considered him to be the best guitarist in the world, and his works for guitar have been widely played and reprinted since his death. The eight volume in the Pendragon Press 'Annotated Reference Tools in Music' series, "Fernando Sor: A Bibliography of Published Literature and Music" is a 135 page compendium comprised of a chronologically organized and presented bibliography. Included are entries on and about Fernando Sor are included from 532 authors, 105 periodicals, and 154 publishers. Six indexes ably provide access to the information organized in the pages of "Fernando Sor: A Bibliography of Published Literature and Music", making it a critically important addition to academic library Musicology reference collections in general, and students of Fernando Sor life and accomplishments in particular.


The Library Science Shelf

Responsive Web Designs For Libraries
Matthew Reidsma
ALA TechSource
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9781555709945, $60.00, www.amazon.com

The critical and enduring importance of web sites for public, academic, corporate, and governmental library web sites cannot be underestimated. The newest addition to the American Library Associations' outstanding 'Lita Guide' series is "Responsive Web Design for Libraries" by Matthew Reidsma (Web Services Librarian, Grand Valley State university, Allendale, Michigan, and Editor-in-Chief of 'Weave: Journal of Library User Experience) is a 152 page compendium of superbly organized and accessible presented information on the importance of web design; implementing responsive web design on existing sites; invaluable and practical web development and design tips; sound advice for making vendor sites responsive; and a wealth of illustrative screen captures, associated code samples, and links to additional resources. A succinct instruction manual, "Responsive Web Design for Libraries" should be considered an essential study and important addition to academic Library Science reference collections and the supplemental reading lists for any library staff member charged with the responsibility of implementing, developing, maintaining, or improving a library web site.

Web Metrics For Library And Informational Professionals
David Stuart
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781856048743, $85.00, www.amazon.com

"Web Metrics For Library And Informational Professionals" by David Stuart (Researcher in the Centre for e-Research at King's College London) is a 192 page compendium that provides librarians with an informative and practical introduction to web metrics, bibliometrics, webometrics, and data collection tools. "Web Metrics For Library And Informational Professionals" will enable librarians to evaluate social media impact, web impact, relationships between entities on the web; and explore traditional publications in a new cyberspace environment. Of special note is Stuart's commentary on the future of web metrics and the library professional. A seminal work of impressive scholarship, "Web Metrics For Library And Informational Professionals" is very highly recommended for practicing librarians in community, academic, corporate, and governmental library systems, as well as informational professionals charged with the responsibility for gathering, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting web metrics.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Flying-Foxes
Vivien Jones
Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd.
www.rosenbergpub.com.au
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
9781922013552 $39.95 www.isbs.com

Flying-Foxes: Australian Night Foresters is an astounding blend of vivid, full-color photography and brief essays about Australia's Grey-headed Flying-fox, a large, furry, fruit-eating bat that plays a vital role in local forest ecology. Author and photographer Vivien Jones has spent over twenty years studying this intriguing species, and refining her methods for capturing moments on their lives on camera without disturbing them. The wondrous images show fruit bats on the wing, at the roost, giving birth and caring for their young (which must cling to the mother with their claws during their early life), and much more. The text is thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, and provides context for these hardworking fruit bats and the beautiful wilderness they call home. "The most pressing danger is of flying-foxes becoming functionally extinct. That is, their numbers could dwindle to leave only small groups surviving in fixed areas of reliable food such as parks and gardens in big cities. Flying-foxes would no longer carry out their functions in the forests. Large numbers of them are necessary to force them to keep circulating throughout their range, doing their forestry work as they eat." Flying-Foxes: Australian Night Foresters is a captivating treasury from cover to cover, highly recommended for public library collections or as a giftbook for anyone fascinated by bats.

The Extreme Life of the Sea
Stephen R. Palumbi & Anthony R. Palumbi
Princeton University Press
41 William Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
9780691149561 $27.95 http://press.princeton.edu

Marine scientist Stephen Palumbi (Professor of Biology, Stanford University) and his science writer son Anthony Palumbi present The Extreme Life of the Sea, an extraordinary survey of the ocean's most unusual lifeforms, accessible to scientists and lay readers alike. A handful of black-and-white photographs (and an inset selection of color plates) embellish this descriptive examination of flying fish, predatory fish who use biological searchlights to identify food, seahorses raised in the pouch of their male parent, humpback whales whose adaptive flippers provided the inspiration for a more effective commercial fan blade, and much more. Extensive notes and an index round out this fascinating account, enthusiastically recommended for public and college library collections alike.

The Scientific Nomenclature of Birds in the Upper Midwest
James Sandrock & Jean C. Prior
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
www.uiowapress.org
9781609382254, $25.00, www.amazon.com

Nomenclature is a system of names or terms, or the rules for forming these terms in a particular field of arts or sciences. The principles of naming vary from the relatively informal conventions of everyday speech to the internationally-agreed principles, rules and recommendations that govern the formation and use of the specialist terms used in scientific and other disciplines. Compiled by the collaborative efforts of ornithologists James Sandrock and Jean C. Prior, "The Scientific Nomenclature of Birds in the Upper Midwest" is a 192 page compendium comprised of an informative Introduction; an alphabetically presented list of some 450 birds (each entry including their scientific, common, local and regional names); Biographies; a Selected Bibliography; and Index of Common Names; and an Index of Species Names. Highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Ornithological Studies reference collections, it should be noted that "The Scientific Nomenclature of Birds in the Upper Midwest" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.99).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

My Guide: How To Write A Novel
Claire Pickering & Rebecca Richmond
Richard Pickering Ltd.
Carpenter Court, 1 Maple Road
Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire SKY 2DH, UK
www.richmondpickering.co.uk
9780957237209, $15.99, www.amazon.com

A lot of people have ambitions to write the next 'Great American Novel', but very few of them have any idea as to how to go about it. That's where "My Guide: How To Write A Novel" by the team of Claire Pickering and Rebecca Richmond comes into play. This 340 page compendium is a complete and comprehensive instruction manual that is so well designed and presented that it is an ideal, almost step-by-step instructional guide that anyone can follow in creating a novel that will be publishable -- and profitable! Beginning 'Developing Your Craft (an opening chapter on how to get started), "My Guide: How To Write A Novel" is organized offers informed and informative chapters on Research and Preparation; Laying the Foundation for Your Novel; Crafting Your Storyline; Characters; Adding Power; Dialogue; Grammar and Other Important Factors; Spelling, Punctuation and Other Important Considerations; Consolidating and Final Polish. One great distinction that sets "My Guide: How To Write A Novel" above other 'how to' writing manuals is an entire chapter specifically devoted to 'Seven Steps to Publication'. An extraordinarily well crafted instruction manual that is ideal for anyone with no previous experience as a novelist, "My Guide: How To Write A Novel" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections. Ideal as a curriculum textbook for Creative Writing classes, it should be noted that "My Guide: How To Write A Novel" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.35).

Market And Sell Books: A My Guide
Claire Pickering & Rebecca Richmond
Richard Pickering Ltd.
Carpenter Court, 1 Maple Road
Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire SKY 2DH, UK
www.richmondpickering.co.uk
9781910141014, $15.00, www.amazon.com

There are a lot of high school and college classes on writing. A great many Creative Writing Workshops pretty much anywhere in the country. But almost none of them preparing aspiring authors on how to go about being published -- and even fewer that tackle the very real and competitive world of marketing books to the reading public. That's why "Market and Sell Books: A My Guide" will prove to be an invaluable addition to the reference collections of anyone who would seek to become a financially successful author regardless of whether they are writing fiction or non-fiction. This 232 page compendium is the collaborative effort of Claire Pickering and Rebecca Richmond who distill their years of experience and expertise in creating a number of self-help books into a thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction manual that covers every aspect of marketing a book to its intended readership. Beginning with 'Why People Buy a Novel', and covering such essential issues as selecting a title, choosing a cover, setting a price, the role of endorsements, blurbs, and the author bio, to marketing tools ranging from the use of social media including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, Pinterest, web sites, and blogging. Basically a complete course of book marketing under one cover, "Market And Sell Books: A My Guide" will teach authors (and novice publishers as well!) everything needed to create, implement, and evaluate a book marketing promotional campaign. One very special feature are the 'Summary: Key Points & Next Steps' sections that conclude each of the ten major chapters. Enhanced with a 'Final Note From the Authors', a Glossary, and an Index, "Market And Sell Books: A My Guide" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone wanting to bring their work to the attention of reviewers, booksellers, librarians, and the general reading public. Especially recommended for any Creative Writing Class supplemental reading list, it should be noted that "Market And Sell Books: A My Guide" is also available in a Kindle edition ($1.65).


The Psychology Shelf

The Psychology Book
Wade E. Pickren
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
www.sterlingpublishing.com
9781402784811, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors. Psychology has the immediate goal of understanding individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases, and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit society. In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist and can be classified as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and biological processes that underlie cognitive functions and behaviors. Psychologists explore concepts such as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, phenomenology, motivation, brain functioning, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships, including psychological resilience, family resilience, and other areas. Psychologists of diverse orientations also consider the unconscious mind. Psychologists employ empirical methods to infer causal and correlational relationships between psychosocial variables. In addition, or in opposition, to employing empirical and deductive methods, some - especially clinical and counseling psychologists - at times rely upon symbolic interpretation and other inductive techniques. Psychology has been described as a "hub science", with psychological findings linking to research and perspectives from the social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and the humanities, such as philosophy. "The Psychology Book: From Shamanism to Cutting-Edge Neuroscience, 250 Milestones in the History of Psychology" by Wade E. Pickren (Director of the Center for Faculty Excellence; Editor of 'History of Psychology'; and former Historian of the American Psychological Association ) is a profusely illustrated, 528 page compendium comprising a superbly organized and presented chronological history of psychology from antiquity down to the present time. A truly impressive and 'reader friendly' encyclopedic work, "The Psychology Book: From Shamanism to Cutting-Edge Neuroscience, 250 Milestones in the History of Psychology" is especially recommended for school, community, and college library Psychology reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It will also prove to be ideal for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the history and concepts of psychology.

Motivation And Its Regulation
Joeseph P. Forgas & Eddie Harmon-Jones
Psychology Press
c/o Taylor & Francis, Inc
7625 Empire Drive, Florence, KY 41042-2919
www.psypress.com
9781848725621, $59.95, www.amazon.com

Motivation is the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something; the act or process of motivating someone; the condition of being eager to act or work : the condition of being motivated; a force or influence that causes someone to do something. To be truly effective within the framework of daily life, human motivations require directive restraint and focus -- in short, regulating both internally (self directed) or externally (through societal laws or cultural norms). Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Joeseph P. Forgas (Scientia professor of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney) and Eddie Harmon-Jones (Professor of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney), "Motivation and Its Regulation: The Control Within" is a 398 page compendium comprised of an informative introduction followed by nineteen seminal research papers given at The Sydney Symposium of Social Psychology. Organized into four major sections: Introduction and Basic Issues; Affective Mechanisms and Affect Control; Approach and Avoidance Processes in Social Motivation; Interpersonal, Social and Cultural Implications. Very strongly recommended as a significant and important addition to academic library Psychology Studies reference collections and psychological studies supplemental reading lists, it should be noted that "Motivation and Its Regulation: The Control Within" is also available in both a hardcover edition (9781848725614, $150.00) and a Kindle edition ($47.96).

Analytical Psychology
Carl Gustav Jung
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, NY, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9780415738699, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Carl Gustav Jung (26 July 1875 - 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology. Jung proposed and developed the concepts of extraversion and introversion; archetypes, and the collective unconscious. His work has been influential in psychiatry and in the study of religion, philosophy, archeology, anthropology, literature, and related fields. He was a prolific writer, many of whose works were not published until after his death. Featuring a new and informative introduction by Kevin Lu, "Analytical Psychology" is a 240 page compendium comprised of five lectures on analytical psychology given by Jung in 1935 at the Tavistock Clinic in London, England. Of special note are the inclusions of the questions posed to Jung at the end of each lecture, some by leading psychoanalysts of the day. Essential reading of all students of Jung and his work, "Analytical Psychology" is very highly recommended for academic library Psychology Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "Analytical Psychology" is also available in a hardcover edition (Kessinger Publishing, 9781163460672, $39.96) and a Kindle edition ($4.88).


The Cookbook Shelf

Seeking The Historical Cook
Kay K. Moss
University of South Carolina Press
718 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29208
www.sc.edu/uscpress
9781611172607, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Kay K. Moss founded of the Eighteenth-Century Backcountry Lifeways Studies Program at the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, North Carolina, and teaches open-hearth cookery at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Drawing upon her many years of experience and expertise, Moss has compiled with informative commentary the 288 page compendium "Seeking the Historical Cook: Exploring Eighteenth-Century Southern Foodways" in which she presents authentic recipes from the kitchens and hearths of the 1700s. Deftly organized into three major sections (Discovering and Recreating: A Curious Cook, That Has a Good Fancy; Cookery Methods: This Most Noble Art and Mystery; Collected Receipts: Foods of Our Ancestors). Each recipe is cited as to its origin. Occasionally illustrated with black-and-white photos, "Seeking the Historical Cook: Exploring Eighteenth-Century Southern Foodways" is enhanced with the inclusion of three appendices, extensive notes, a selected bibliography, and a comprehensive index. Very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Culinary History and Cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Seeking the Historical Cook: Exploring Eighteenth-Century Southern Foodways" is also available in a hardcover edition (9781611172591, $49.95).


The Military Shelf

Billy Mitchell's War With The Navy
Thomas Wildenberg
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9780870210389, $34.95, www.amazon.com

William "Billy" Mitchell (December 29, 1879 - February 19, 1936) was a United States Army general who is regarded as the father of the U.S. Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, commanded all American air combat units in that country. After the war, he was appointed deputy director of the Air Service and began advocating increased investment in air power, believing that this would prove vital in future wars. He argued particularly for the ability of bombers to sink battleships and organized a series of bombing runs against stationary ships designed to test the idea. "Billy Mitchell's War with the Navy: The Interwar Rivalry Over Air Power" by naval aviation historian Thomas Wildenberg is a 288 page compendium providing a detailed descriptive history of the role Billy Mitchell played in the development of United States military air power and the inter-military service conflicts that lead to his court martial and posthumous exoneration. Enhanced with forty pages of Notes, two appendices, a four page roster of Billy Mitchell biographies, a fourteen page general Biography, and a comprehensive Index, "Billy Mitchell's War with the Navy: The Interwar Rivalry Over Air Power" is a seminal and extraordinary contribution that is especially recommended for academic library 20th Century American Military History reference collections in general, and American Military Aviation Studies supplemental reading lists in particular. It should be noted that "Billy Mitchell's War with the Navy: The Interwar Rivalry Over Air Power" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.99).


The Philosophy Shelf

Ambiguity and the Absolute
Frank Chouraqui
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823254118, $55.00, www.amazon.com

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 - 25 August 1900) was a German philologist, philosopher, cultural critic, poet and composer. He wrote several critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy and science, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and aphorism. Maurice Merleau-Ponty (14 March 1908 - 3 May 1961) was a French phenomenological philosopher, strongly influenced by Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. The constitution of meaning in human experience was his main interest and he wrote on perception, art and politics. "Ambiguity and the Absolute: Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty on the Question of Truth" by Frank Chouraqui (Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey) is a 328 page compendium comprised of six erudite chapters providing an analytical comparison of these two influential European philosophers on the subject and concept of 'truth'. Enhanced with extensive Notes, a ten page Bibliography, and a comprehensive Index, "Ambiguity and the Absolute: Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty on the Question of Truth" is an impressive and seminal work of original scholarship and very highly recommended for academic library Philosophy Studies reference collections, as well as Nietzhian Studies supplemental reading lists in particular.


The Reference Shelf

Webster's New Explorer Spanish-English Dictionary, third edition
Created in cooperation with the editors of Merriam-Webster
Federal Street Press
25-13 Old Kings Highway North, #277, Darien, CT 06820
9781596951594 $12.98 www.federalstreetpress.com

Now in its third updated edition, Webster's New Explorer Spanish-English Dictionary is a hardcover, bilingual reference filled with over 80,000 entries and 1000,000 translations, including 5,000 new translations and hundreds of new words. Spanish-to-English and English-to-Spanish translations are both covered. Introductions and instructions are in English (to explain Spanish grammar) and Spanish (to explain English grammar) as well, including an explanatory notes section, instructions for conjugating verbs, common Spanish and English abbreviations, metric system conversions, and more. Webster's New Explorer Spanish-English Dictionary is a "must-have" for public and college library reference collections, as well as anyone who needs to solve translation problems on a regular basis!

Bicycling and Walking in the United States 2014 Benchmarking Report
Alliance for Biking & Walking
www.BikeWalkAlliance.org
c/o Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650
Washington, DC 20036
9781631739620 $39.95 www.islandpress.org

Alliance for Biking & Walking presents Bicycling and Walking in the United States 2014 Benchmarking Report, a reference compiled by The Benchmarking Project, collecting data from all 50 states and 52 of America's most populated cities (as well as 17 small and midsized cities as of the 2014 edition). The collected data examines the levels of biking and walking, crash fatalities, weekly physical activity, transportation costs, air quality, economic growth, and other interrelated factors. Full-color charts and photographs throughout enhance the raw data, presented with extensive explanations to make it comprehensible and accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Bicycling and Walking in the United States 2014 Benchmarking Report is especially recommended for public library reference collections, and as an indispensable resource when considering any public or private policy concerning these two transportation modes.


The Law/Justice Shelf

Becoming a U.S. Citizen, sixth edition
Ilona Bray, J.D.
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413317459 $29.99 www.nolo.com

Nolo Press is well-known for its thorough, "reader-friendly" legal guides designed expressly to answer the questions of lay readers! Now in an updated sixth edition, Becoming a U.S. Citizen is a resource covering the latest laws and government policies involved in legally earning American citizenship. Chapters clearly explain how to learn whether one is eligible for citizenship, evaluate the risks and rewards of applying for citizenship, fill out application forms, prepare for the citizenship exam and for interviews, handle setbacks in the process, and more. Also covered are how to take advantage of special benefits and procedures if one is disabled, in the military, or the spouse of a U.S. citizen. Author Ilona Bray, J.D. is an expert in immigration law, and skilled and communicating legal concepts in plain terms. Becoming a U.S. Citizen also gives the reader access to a unique web page on nolo.com with relevant podcasts, blogs, and the latest legal updates. Like all legal resources, Becoming a U.S. Citizen cannot substitute for the counsel of a licensed attorney (the text specifically points out situations where seeking such counsel is strongly recommended, or absolutely necessary), but even for readers in these situations, Becoming a U.S. Citizen is an invaluable means to prepare before speaking with professionals who bill by the hour. Highly recommended, especially for public library collections.


The Business Shelf

The PR Professional's Handbook
Caroline Black
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749468422 $34.95 www.koganpageusa.com

Communications professional and PR consultant Caroline Black presents The PR Professional's Handbook: Powerful, Practical Communications, a no-nonsense guide for anyone involved in public relations, from professional veterans to small business owners must necessarily do their own public relations. Chapters discuss how to gain an understanding of one's audience (the right message does little good if it's only heard by the wrong people), how to select the right communications channels and tactics, visual communications, public relations essentials for serious issues and crises, basic skills including body language, briefing, and presentation skills, and much more. "If your organization faces an issue or crisis, friends may desert you if you fail to communicate properly as they may feel they will be tarnished by association. Foes may use the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage or even put the boot in. They will give their version of the story if you don't talk to the media and you can be certain they won't do you any favours. Don't go underground and never, ever say 'no comment'. You are abdicating corporate responsibility." An absolute "must-have" for anyone whose work responsibilities include any aspect of public relations.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Investing Demystified
Lars Kroijer
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780273781349 $44.99 www.ftpress.com

Lars Kroijer, a former fund manager in the asset management industry, presents Investing Demystified: How to Invest Without Speculation and Sleepless Nights, a guide to creating a reliable investment strategy customized for one's specific needs. Also available as an ebook, Investing Demystified avoids excessive jargon and defines investment lingo in plain terms; the result is accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Chapters discuss the importance of broad diversification (spreading one's investments through a mix of stocks, bonds, and cash), how to evaluate the right level of risk for one's own needs, the benefits of a "low-cost approach", implications of tax and liquidity, and much more. "...consider the 85-90% of investors who invest in active managers as opposed to index-tracking funds either directly or via their pension funds. Over the long run only a very small percentage of those investors will be lucky enough to invest with active managers that will give better returns after fees. The rest have simply paid a staggering amount of money to the financial industry over their investment lives." Investing Demystified is a "must-read" for anyone who is not already a financial expert. Highly recommended!


The Art Shelf

An Introduction to Drawing the Human Body
Giovanni Civardi
Search Press
c/o Search Press USA
1338 Ross Street
Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
9781844486090 $24.95 www.searchpressusa.com

An Introduction to Drawing the Human Body lives up to its title with reader-friendly, descriptive instructions and illustrative black-and-white sketches, accessible to artists of all skill and and experience levels. The text discusses how to assess dimensions and proportions, anatomical structure, incorporating unusual viewpoints, capturing a moving sequence, drawing drapery and clothing, and much more. The (mostly nude) adult male and female models are anatomically correct, and accurately demonstrate key points of the text. "You can currently obtain artificial skeletons made from plastic casts of an authentic skeleton and jointed to re-create the relationships between the bone and the natural structure of the skeleton with a good degree of realism. These skeletons can be found in many art schools and artists can use them to study body parts and the body as a whole..." Highly recommended, whether as a supplement to coursework or for independent study and practice in the craft of drawing.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change
Grady Klein and Yoram Bauman, Ph.D.
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650
Washington, DC 20036
9781610914383 $19.95 www.islandpress.org

Gifted cartoonist Grady Klein and "The World's First and Only Stand-Up Economist" Yoram Bauman, Ph.D. present The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change, a graphic novel designed to introduce readers of all ages and backgrounds to the fundamental concepts driving the debate about climate change (a.k.a. "global warming"). The authors are aware of the politically charged debate behind the concept, noting that at least one scientific organization is not convinced that humans are the dominant cause of global warming (while at least six other scientific organizations are convinced that humans are culpable). Chapters walk the reader through basic scientific concepts related to the current conundrum - the theory that carbon dioxide waste gas from the human usage of fossil fuels, combined with human-led deforestation (forests help capture and store carbon) and other factors, is effectively insulating the Earth and prompting an overall rise in global temperature, with the potential to severely disrupt ecosystems worldwide. Just how bad will the global effects be in the immediate future, in a hundred years, or even further? The authors acknowledge that no prediction can be 100% certain, and recommend pro-environmental policies as a form of "insurance" against the most catastrophic possible outcomes. The final chapters weigh the pros and cons of environmental policies such as direct regulation, carbon taxes or cap-and-trade, and promoting cleaner sources of energy. The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change is a "must-read" for its accessible, balanced, and non-judgmental approach to an extremely thorny issue. Also highly recommended are the two-volume "Cartoon Introduction to Economics" and "The Cartoon Introduction to Statistics".


The Audiobook Shelf

Crossfire Trail
Louis L'Amour, author
www.louislamour.com
Read by Jason Culp
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780804192453 $30.00 www.randomhouseaudio.com

Crossfire Trail is the unabridged audiobook production of a classic work by award-winning novelist Louis L'Amour, especially well-known for his vivid stories set in the Wild West. In Crossfire Trail, Rafe Caradec is a gambler, wanderer, and mercenary who swears to a dying Charles Rodney that Rodney's daughter Ann will inherit the Painted Rock, Wyoming ranch that is rightfully hers. But law and order are little known in the beautiful, unforgiving land of Painted Rock; one of the most vicious men in the area is determined to impose his will on both the ranch and Ann. Rafe Caradec will put his life on the line to protect not only his promise, but also the innocent heart of a young woman, in this stark and suspenseful saga. 4 CDs, 5 hours.

The Transcriptionist: A Novel
Amy Rowland, author
Read by Xe Sands
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781622313419 $26.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com

The Transcriptionist: A Novel is a poignant, unabridged audiobook about a woman caught in a stale daily routine. Lena is the last transcriptionist of a big city newspaper; she works with a machine that turns spoken words into print, and happens to get first glimpse of the hottest daily news stories. Yet technology is fast rendering her chosen career obsolete, despite her lifetime's loyalty to her employer. When she encounters a story about a blind woman mauled to death by a lion, she begins to question the journalistic ethics of those who carelessly reported it - why is the woman only mentioned as a "Jane Doe"? Why has no effort been made to identify or notify the victim's family? Lena's search gradually broadens into a greater transformation, as she begins to question the metaphorical box she's hidden herself in all this time, and look outward - for truth, for journalistic responsibility, and for her own path to the future. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook fiction collections. 4 CDs, 5 hours.

Sixth Grave on the Edge
Darynda Jones, author
www.daryndajones.com
Lorelei King, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427239389 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Sixth Grave on the Edge is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a paranormal mystery, written and performed with keenly whetted wit. Charley Davidson is a most unusual young woman; she works as a paranormal private eye and grim-reaper-in-training. Get a little caffeine in her, and she'll raise Hell - maybe even literally! Charley has fallen in love with Reyes Farrow, and the two are engaged to be married, but when she stumbled across the FBI file on his childhood, she learns some disturbing secrets. Mobsters, a corpse turning up in Charley's car, a deaf boy who sees dead people, and Reyes' mounting suspicions threaten to destroy any semblance of a normal, happy marriage for Charley... and who or what is plotting to unleash the fury of the Twelve Beasts of Hell? A vivacious adventure through and through, Sixth Grave on the Edge is highly recommended! 8 CDs, 10 hours.


The Library CD Shelf

Get Me Joe Beck
Joe Beck Trio (Joe Beck, Peter Barshay, & David Rokeach)
with liner notes by John Abercrombie
Whaling City Sound
1310 Tucker Road No., Dartmouth, MA 02747
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Mixed Media
20 Lockmere Road, Cranston, RI 02910
www.mixedmediapromo.com
$12.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Get Me Joe Beck is a tribute album to talented jazz guitarist Joe Beck (1945-2008), originally recorded live at Anna's Jazz Island in Berkeley, California. The Joe Beck Trio (Joe Beck on guitar, Peter Barshay on bass, and David Rokeach on drums) created one of their last rhythm-and-blues touched performances, exploring the depths of experimental chords, and sharing their mastery of unforgettable music. A "must-have" for connoisseurs of jazz guitar, Get Me Joe Beck is highly recommended for both personal and public library CD collections. The tracks are "Stella by Starlight" (8:19), "Manha de Carnaval" (9:13), "The Guitar is a six piece band" (spoken, 0:56), "Georgia on my Mind" (8:19), "Alone Together" (8:14), "Trio Intros" (spoken, 0:50), "Tenderly" (8:43), "On Ballads and Drinking" (spoken, 0:19), "I Can't Get Started" (6:22), "You and the Night and the Music" (8:14), "Jobim" (spoken, 1:41), "Corcovado" (9:42), and "Georgia on my Mind" (radio edit, 4:26).

Recordar: Latin American Songs of Love & Protest
Ani Cordero
anicordero.info
La Nana Music
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221
Austin, TX 78748
$12.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.pressjunkiepr.com

Supported by a successful Kickstarter campaign, Recordar: Latin American Songs of Love & Protest is an anthology of classic songs from the 1930s through the 1970s, by musicians who advocated for social change. All of the songs are in Spanish, performed by the multitalented Ani Cordero (who provides guitar and percussion as well as heartrending vocals) and numerous associated musicians. The result is a treasure worthy of being handed down through the generations, in tribute to all who would risk their lives to make the world a better place. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Deja la vida volar" (originally composed by Victor Jara), "Pena de tu boca" (Piero), "La ultima noche" (Eydie Gorme y Los Panchos), "Panis et circenses" (Os Mutantes), "Chorferito" (Trio Armonico), "Macorina" (Chavela Vargas), "El flamboyan" (Cuarteto Mayari), "Aunque me cueste la vida" (Alberto Beltran), "Volver a los 17" (Violeta Parra), "El primer verso" (Atahualpa Yupanqui), and "Una cancion mansa para mi pueblo bravo" (Ali Primera).


The Library DVD Shelf

Bringing It Home
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1941545017 $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Bringing It Home is a documentary about industrial hemp, especially its potential in America. Industrial hemp is non-toxic, environmentally friendly to grow, edible with the right preparations, and a useful source for everything from rope to building materials. Hemp is non-psychoactive - it can't be used as a drug to get high, like its cousin marijuana. So why is the cultivation of hemp legally prohibited in the U.S., despite its many uses and the jobs it could create? Bringing It Home traces the history of hemp, both in the U.S. and as a worldwide global industry. Looking to the future, Bringing It Home examines the many ways in which hemp could contribute to a more robust American economy, if only prevailing attitudes and laws about it changed. Could such a transformation be underway? Highly recommended especially for public library collections, Bringing It Home should be required viewing for anyone (especially politicians and lobbyists) involved in the making of agricultural laws!

Alexander's Lost World
Hosted by David Adams
Athena
c/o Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781621722359 $49.99 www.acornonline.com

Alexander's Lost World is a six-part documentary on DVD, in which photojournalist David Adams brings the viewer on an amazing journey through the lands that were once the conquered grounds of Alexander the Great, the first European to rule the East. Breathtaking scenery, intriguing history, and reconstructions of what it must have been like to march through some of the most inhospitable lands on Earth, Alexander's Lost World seeks to separate fact from fiction even as it reconstructs the conqueror's legendary journey. Deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, a 16-page viewer's guide, and a biography of Alexander the Great enrich this enlightening documentary, highly recommended for public or college library DVD collections. 6 episodes on 2 DVDs, 276 min., SDH subtitles, widescreen.

Come Hell or High Water
A documentary by Leah Mahan
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
$250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Come Hell or High Water is a documentary about Boston teacher Derrick Evans, who returned to his homeland in coastal Mississippi when he learned the graves of his ancestors were being deliberately bulldozed to accomodate the city of Gulfport. Derrick and his neighbors chose to take a stand against wealthy corporate interests, politicians, even the deadly repercussions of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill for the sake of the land the called home. A true-life saga of individual and group efforts to serve the cause of environmental justice in the wake of threats ranging from urban sprawl to natural disasters, Come Hell or High Water is passionate, involving, and will prompt the viewer to think. 56 min.

Barbary Coast
Starring William Shatner and Doug McClure
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781598289817 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

Barbary Coast is a DVD anthology of the pilot movie and thirteen episodes of an action-packed, vigilante-justice program set in 1880's San Francisco. Golden Globe winner William Shatner (well-known for his famous roles in "Star Trek" and "Boston Legal") plays Jeff Cable, an undercover agent adrift amid the corruption, thuggery, casinos, and bustling economy of boom town San Francisco. Public officials are potentially as untrustworthy as street hoodlums, forcing Cable to weave elaborate schemes to unearth the most entrenched and dastardly crooks. Fast-talking casino operator Cash Conover (played by Doug McClure in the series, and Dennis Cole in the pilot) reluctantly comes to Cable's aid when needed, but will the deadly side of the Wild West catch up to them both? A high-spirited adventure through and through, Barbary Coast is sure to prove a popular pick for public library DVD collections. 4 DVDs, 745 min., SDH subtitles, fullscreen.

Jack Taylor, set 2
Starring Ian Glen
Based on the novels by Ken Bruen
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781621721819 $49.99 www.acornonline.com

Ian Glen, an actor well-known for his roles in the shows "Game of Thrones" and "Downton Abbey", plays the lead role in Jack Taylor, set 2, a DVD collection of television episodes based on the popular crime novels by Ken Bruen. Jack Taylor is an ex-cop struggling with the demons of the past, who works as a private detective in Galway, located in western Ireland. Jack has few friends from his days on the police force; one of the few exceptions is his friend Garda Kate Noonan, whose limited aid to Taylor comes is constant source of irritation to her boss. Six months sober and still working to stay dry, Taylor and his youthful assistant Cody handle cases too murky for the regular police, all to pay the bills while Taylor frets about his elderly mother, who recently suffered a stroke. Raw, realistic, and at times poignant, Jack Taylor, set 2 is a treasury for fans of the contemporary mystery genre, highly recommended.


The Civil War Shelf

Citizen-General
Eugene D. Schmiel
Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Building 19
Athens, OH 45701
9780821420836 $26.95 www.ohioswallow.com

Available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats, Citizen-General: Jacob Dolson Cox and the Civil War Era is the biography of a civilian - Jacob Dolson Cox, a former divinity student who lacked any formal military training - who suddenly became a commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Called upon to lead his fellow citizens in his country's time of need, Cox served in the Battle of Antietam; helped break a Confederate supply line in the Atlanta region; and held a defensive line in the Battle of Franklin, a Union victory that sealed the fate of the Confederate cause in the West. Yet Cox's greatest fame was destined to be not as a military commander, but rather a military historian; to this day, scholars look to his accounts of the conflict as a key primary source of the Civil War. Citizen-General is a welcome addition to Civil War history and biography shelves, highly recommended.


The Sports Shelf

The Main Event
Richard O. Davies
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874179286 $29.95 www.unpress.nevada.edu

The Main Event: Boxing in Nevada from the Mining Camps to the Las Vegas Strip recounts the history of the sport of boxing in Nevada, from the 1897 bill first permitting "glove contests" (supported by businessmen who hoped to lure traffic from affluent sports fans), its sporadic popularity in mining camps, to the Las Vegas championship bouts including the notoriously grisly fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Notes, a bibliographic essay, and an index round out this thoroughly accessible tour of the modern history and evolution of one of Nevada's most popular and well-known sports!


The Autism Shelf

The Wonderful World of Work
Jeanette Purkis
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849054997 $24.95 www.jkp.com

The Wonderful World of Work: A Workbook for Asperteens is meant as a consumable resource for teenagers with Asperger's syndrome (a high-functioning form of autism) preparing to enter the workforce. There are sections that prompt the reader to write answers to the question in the book, such as "list some work-related skills you may have discovered you have." Most of The Wonderful World of Work is straightforward instruction, walking the reader through the basics of applying for a job, and the responsibilities of daily work, with a particular awareness of the unique challenges that those with Asperger's syndrome face. "If you cannot structure your time or have difficulties remembering tasks, write everything down! If prioritizing tasks is difficult for you, you can initially ask your manager to help you." A user-friendly resource presented in plain terms, by an author who has been diagnosed with Asperger's herself (Jeanette Purkis, a policy adviser for the Australian Public Service), The Wonderful World of Work is highly recommended.


The Fiction Shelf

The Woman from Tantoura
Radwa Ashour
American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2729
9789774166150 $19.95 www.aucpress.com

Egyptian author Radwa Ashour reveals her sublime talent in her novel The Woman from Tantoura, a story set amid the chaotic backdrop of Palestine. Although the characters of the novel are fictional (except for some references to historical or political figures), the story draws directly upon real cities and events, including the documented massacres of Tantoura, of the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, and other locations. The Woman from Tantoura is told from the perspective of Ruqayya, who begins as a young girl struggling to make sense of the violence and diaspora that shatters her family and her homeland. Serious-minded, severe, and profound, The Woman from Tantoura is an unforgettable story about the human search for meaning in the wake of suffering and tragedy. Highly recommended.


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


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