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Library Bookwatch

Volume 8, Number 3 March 2013 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Economic Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf
Architecture Shelf Music Shelf Psychology Shelf
Education Shelf Biography Shelf Fiction Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Memoir Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Library Science Shelf Native American Studies Shelf
Poetry Shelf Art Shelf Sports Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Homeowner's Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Business Shelf Civil War Shelf
International Studies Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Multimedia Shelf Language Studies Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf Biology Shelf Criminology Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Philosophy Shelf African-American Studies Shelf
Botany Shelf Photography Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Agriculture Shelf Interior Design Shelf Gardening Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook
Randolph Hock
CyberAge Books
c/o Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781937290023, $24.95, www.infotoday.com

The internet is vast, and sifting through it is quite the task. "The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher" is an advisory for readers about how to get the most out of the internet searching. Chapters explain how to narrow down one's search with a minimum of time and effort, vetting valuable information and clearing away the useless chatter that invariably that comes up. "The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook" is an invaluable tool for those who have to sift through the internet on a regular basis.

The Age of Knowledge
James Dzisah & Henry Etzkowitz
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165
Chicago, IL 60618
9781608462414, $28.00, www.haymarketbooks.org

Knowledge has always been vital in furthering society for the better. "The Age of Knowledge: The Dynamics of Universities, Knowledge, and Society" discusses the recent evolution in the furtherment of knowledge in society, as Professors and Researchers James Dzisah and Henry Etzkowitz provide a scholarly take on the advancements of education in a globalized world. Offering many insights on postmodern transformations in communication, politics, cultural identity, and much more, "The Age of Knowledge" is a strong addition to cultural studies and academic studies collections, highly recommended.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Creating Competitiveness
David B. Audretsch & Mary Lindenstein Walshok, eds.
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781781954041, $99.95, www.amazon.com

A fundamental aspect of capitalism as an economic system is the concept of competition, a condition which greatly benefits from innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of David B. Audretsch (Distinguished Professor and Ameritech Chair of Economic Development, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana) and Mary Lindenstein Walshok (Associate Vice Chancellor, Public Programs, Dean, University Extension and Adjunct Professor of Socilogy, University of California, San Diego, California), "Creating Competitiveness: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policies for Growth" is a 256 page compendium comprised of ten major articles ranging from the editors' own contribution 'Creating Competitiveness: Introduction And Overview'; to 'The Invention of San Diego's Innovation Economy' by Mary Lindenstein Walshok and Abraham J. Shragge. Of special note is the article 'Enhancing Economic Growth? University Technology Commercialization' by Shiri M. Breznitz and Neela Ram and 'Academic Entrepreneurship: Lessons Learned For university Administrators And Policymakers' by Donald S. Siegel. An impressive body of original and seminal academic scholarship, "Creating Competitiveness: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policies for Growth" is very strongly recommended for professional and academic library Economic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Political Science Shelf

Persuasion and Power
James P. Farwell
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781589019423, $29.95, www.amazon.com

The key to effective politics and effective politicians (regardless of partisan affiliation) is the ability to persuasively communicate. "Persuasion and Power: The Art of Strategic Communication" by James P. Farwell (Senior Research Fellow in Strategic Studies, Canada Centre for Global Security Studies, Munk School of global Affairs, University of Toronto) is a 288 page compendium with a specif focus on communications strategies and techniques within political frameworks. Organized into five major sections (The Forms of Strategic Communication; Words, Images and Symbols, and Deeds; Campaigns of Influence; Weapons of Strategic Communication; and More Effective Strategic Communication), "Persuasion and Power" lays out the communication tools and techniques employed by such governmental agencies as the U.S. State Department to present and ultimately achieve their policy objectives. Of special note are the chapters on 'Television as a Weapon' and 'Radio as a Weapons'. "Persuasion and Power" is informed, informative, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and an absolutely recommended addition to professional, NGO, governmental, academic, and community library Political Science and Communication Science reference collections. It should also be noted that "Persuasion and Power: The Art of Strategic Communication" is also available in an ebook edition (9781589019430, $29.95).

Civility and Democracy in America
Cornell W. Clayton and Richard Elgar, editors
WSU Press
PO Box 645910
Pullman, WA 99164-5910
9780874223125 $25.95 www.wsupress.wsu.edu

When a television comedian's "Rally to Restore Sanity" stunt event is the strongest open call for civil discourse in America's political debate, what does that say about the health of our democracy? Civility and Democracy in America: A Reasonable Understanding consists of twenty-two papers by leading scholars from a diversity of disciplines, originally presented at a March, 2011 conference held at Washington State University to discuss the current (and unfortunately deteriorating) state of civility in American democracy. The essays relate civility and democracy in the areas of history, religion, architecture, philosophy, and the media; each comes with its own meticulous list of references. "Newsrooms would be wise to openly position themselves as a place in print and digitally where civil discussion can take place, a wide array of opinions are available (especially in combination with websites), and the political middle still has a home. How can newsrooms accomplish that? One simple way is to hold the line against the crass language that has become so normal of late. It may be a little thing, but keeping the language in print at a civil level (no obscenities, etc.) is not a bad place to start. Most newspapers are still holding the line, even if the bar online is lower." Civility and Democracy in America directly addresses a disturbing trend that ultimately threatens the foundations of the United States government, and is therefore worthy of the highest recommendation especially for public and college library Political Science collections.

Constitutional Conservatism
Peter Berkowitz
Hoover Institution Press
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford, CA 94305
9780817916046 $19.95 www.stanford.edu

Constitutional Conservatism: Liberty, Self-Government, and Political Moderation is a thoughtful, in-depth essay that strives to reconcile the American political philosophies of social conservatism and libertarianism. Author Peter Berkowitz proposes that constitutional conservatism - a political creed that emphasizes the core principles of the U.S. constitution. Berkowtiz draws upon the insightful and almost timeless speeches and writings of eighteenth-century British statesman Edmund Burke and "The Federalist" papers (a series of eighty-five articles and essays written by Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution) to distill core principles immediately applicable to the dilemmas facing modern conservatives. Of particular interest is Berkowitz's message that compromise and moderation to achieve conservative ends - such reining in big government - can be an indispensable tool. "...the era of big government is here to stay. This is particularly important for libertarians to absorb... for three-quarters of a century, the New Deal settlement has been reshaping Americans' expectations about the nation-state's reach and role... While conservatives must redouble their efforts to reform sloppy and incompetent government and resist government's inherent expansionist tendencies and progressivism's reflexive leveling proclivities, the attempt to dismantle or even substantially roll back the welfare and regulatory state reflects a distinctly unconservative refusal to ground political goals in political realities." Although Constitutional Conservatism's message is expressly dedicated to strengthening the principles and practice of those who embrace a conservative philosophy, Americans of all political leanings will find it measured, thought-provoking, and succinctly argued.

Reforming Democracies
Douglas A. Chalmers
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231162944, $29.50, http://cup.columbia.edu

Democracy needs to evolve and change with the times to keep serving the people it is supposedly for. "Reforming Democracies: Six Facts About Politics That Demand a New Agenda" is a political discussion volume from Douglas A. Chalmers who states the flaws with modern representative democracy and what can be done to update it for the twenty first century. Advocating using updated technologies to allow voters to have their voices heard more effectively on many levels, "Reforming Democracies" has much to ponder about the modern feel of the political landscape, highly recommended.


The Architecture Shelf

The Sniper's Log
Alejandro Zaera-Polo
Actar D
c/o ActarBirkhauser Distribution
151 Grand Street, 5th fl., NY, NY 10013
www.actar-d.com
9788492861224, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Born in Madrid, Spain, in 1963, Alejandro Zaera Polo is a contemporary architect and founder of London and Barcelona-based Alejandro Zaera-Polo Architecture (AZPA). He is also a Visiting Professor in Princeton and Yale Schools of Architecture, and a prolific theorist, widely published in different professional media. Now his significant architectural writings drawn from professional magazines, academic papers, and speeches are compiled into "The Sniper's Log: An Architectural Perspective of Generation-X", a 592-page illustrated compendium selected and compiled by Zaera-Polo to showcase his thought, commentaries, accomplishments, and contributions with respect to architectural studies. A seminal body of work, "The Sniper's Log" is a highly recommended addition to professional and academic library Contemporary Architectural Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Hans Dieter Schaal
Claus-Wilhelm Hoffmann & Frank R. Werner
Edition Axel Menges
c/o National Book Network
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9783936681499, $119.00, www.amazon.com

The editorial collaboration of Claus-Wilhelm Hoffmann and Frank R. Werner, "Hans Dieter Schaal" is a superbly illustrated, 608 page, bilingual (German & English) compendium showcasing the work of multi-talented Hans Dieter Schaal as an architect, a graphic artist, an exhibition designer, a stage designer, and a landscape designer. Beginning with an informative Foreword by Claus-Wilhelm Hoffmann and an informed description of Schaal's thought, particularly in reference to architecture, "Hans Dieter Schaal" is chronologically organized into three major sections: 1967-1980; 1981-2000; 2001-2012. Of special note is the concluding section called 'Prospects' showcasing as yet unrealized thoughts and sketches for possible future projects. Offering a wealth of photographed images, sketches, models, and drawings, "Hans Dieter Schaal" is an impressive and seminal body of work making it a highly recommended addition to professional and academic library Architecture and Interior Design reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The White House
Patrick Phillips-Schrock
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786471522, $75.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

The White House has been a focal point of America through its many forms over two hundred years. "The White House: An Illustrated Architectural History" discussing the history of the structure and its changes over the years. Patrick Phillips-Schrock offers plenty of photos and insight into the history of the structure, renovations from its original construction, its rooms, wings, the first presidential mansions, and much more. "The White House" is a strong addition to history and photography collections focusing on architecture, highly recommended.


The Music Shelf

The Geometry Of Musical Rhythm
Godfried T. Toussaint
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781466512023, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Music is mathematical. Music is patterns. Music is rhythmical. What makes some music pleasant and engaging while other music is decidedly unpleasant and repellent. Why is one person's masterpiece of music another person's 'jangle of noise'? With respect to the rhythmic composition of a piece of music, that is the focus of "The Geometry of Musical Rhythm: What Makes a "Good" Rhythm Good?" by Godfried T. Toussaint. This is a 365 page compendium that provides a science-based explanation that begins with the definition of 'rhythm', 'beat', 'meter' and more, then proceeds with the classification of rhythms, the isomorphism of rhythm and scale, syncopated rhythms, thorough a complete analysis of rhythms and rhythm combinations. Of special note is the chapter focused upon the 'Evolution and Phylogenesis of Music Rhythm'. A work of seminal scholarship, exceedingly well presented with illustrative drawings by Yang Liu, "The Geometry Of Musical Rhythm" is enhanced with an Epilogue, an extended list of references, and a comprehensive index, making it very highly recommended for professional and academic library Musicology reference collections and supplementary reading lists.

Johann Leisentrit's Geistliche Lider Und Psalment, 1567
Richard Wetzel & Erika Heitmeyer
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
www.rowman.com
9781611475500, $90.00, www.amazon.com

Johann Leisentrit was a 16th century Roman Catholic Priest who, while serving as dean at the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Bautzen, Germany, compiled a hymnal for Catholic congregations in response to the sacred music hymnals that were being created for Protestant congregations. Leisentrif's book of vernacular hymns was published in three successive complete editions in 1567, 1573, and 1584. Abridged editions were published in 1575, 1576, and 1589. This was all in the hopes of bringing back members of the Lutheran congregations to the Roman Catholic Church. May of the approximately 260 texts set to 175 notated melodies were adaptations drawn from Protestant sources. "Johann Leisentrit's Geistliche Lieder und Psalmen, 1567: Hymnody of the Counter-Reformation in Germany" by the academic team of Richard Wetzel (School of Music of Ohio University, Athens, Ohio) and Erika Heitmeyer (former Director of Studies at Gymnasium Schools, Dortmund, Germany) is a 380 page compendium providing a comprehensive and seminal study in English of the work of Johann Lesigntrit and his work in the wake of the Council of Trent, as well as providing insight into the relationship between Catholics and Lutherans in 16th century Europe. Informed, informative, enhanced with six appendices, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Johann Leisentrit's Geistliche Lieder und Psalmen, 1567: Hymnody of the Counter-Reformation in Germany" is a critically significant and highly recommended addition to academic library Musicology, Renaissance Music History, Catholic History, and 16th Century European Reformation History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Psychology Shelf

Cognition And Brain Development
Bhoomika Rastogi Kar, editor
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433812712, $79.95, www.amazon.com

The advances in our understanding of how the human brain develops continues as the result of work in laboratories, hospitals, and clinics around the world. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Bhoomika Rastogi Kar (Associate Professor at the Centre of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India), "Cognition and Brain Development: Converging Evidence from Various Methodologies" is a 328 page compendium comprised of fourteen major articles by researchers in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. These contributions are organized into four major sections: Development of Attention and Control; Developmental Disorders: ADHD and Autism; Origin of Self, Culture, and Social Cognition; Language and Reading Development. Of special note is the seminal article 'Culture and Cognitive Development: The Development of Geocentric Language and Cognition' by Ramesh C. Mishra and Pierre R. Dasen. Enhanced with and informative Foreword by Michael I. Posner; an informed Introduction by Bhoomika Rastogi Kar; and a comprehensive index, "Cognition and Brain Development: Converging Evidence from Various Methodologies" is the newest addition to the American Psychological Association's outstanding 'Human Brain Development' series. A seminal body of impressive scholarship, ""Cognition and Brain Development: Converging Evidence from Various Methodologies" is a strongly recommended and core addition to professional and academic library Human Psychology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Education Shelf

Educating Engineers
Prepared by Steve Olson
National Academy of Engineering
c/o National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9780309267700 $32.00 www.nap.edu

Educating Engineers: Preparing 21st Century Leaders in the Context of New Modes of Learning is the summary of a three-hour forum held in 2012 by the National Academy of Engineering. Questions directly addressed include "Should engineering education become more interdisciplinary?", "How can US scientific and technological literacy be improved?", "How can more children become interested in engineering?", and much more. "Speaking as an employer of engineers, Khan agreed with the need for more problem solving in education. Rigor in education is useful, but if not done properly, it can squeeze out creativity, he said. He often talks with students from top engineering schools, but when he asks them what they have built, he finds that they have simply done problem sets and projects that were already well defined. 'That's one of our main filters for people: if they ever created anything.'" Color photographs of the forum participants intersperse this brief but enlightening gathering of visionary ideas for preparing the next generation of America's engineers.

Teaching STEM in the Early Years
Sally Moomaw
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court
St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605541211, $39.95, www.redleafpress.org

The early years are prime grounds for educational success. "Teaching STEM in the Early Years: Activities for Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics" is a guide for encouraging the basic fundamentals of these points of education, using many simple activities in the classroom, in the kitchen, outdoors, field trips, and much more. With plenty of photographs and illustrations throughout, "Teaching STEM in the Early Years" is an invaluable resource for early childhood educators who are looking to more completely round their curriculum.

American Indian Educators in Reservation Schools
Terry Huffman
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874179071, $34.95, www.unpress.nevada.edu

Education is invaluable, and the Native Americans who call their independent reservations realize this as well. "American Indian Educators in Reservation Schools" discusses the educational concerns in American Indian reservations across the country, who commonly deal with their own matters, subject only to federal regulations like the No Child Left Behind act. Discussing cultural issues that concern many of these schools, and the added weight put on these teachers in their community, "American Indian Educators" is a strong addition to education and Native studies collections, a core addition for community and college libraries.

Common Sense Assessment in the Classroom
Lynda Rice
Shell Education
5301 Oceanus Drive
Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1030
9781452806903, $21.99, www.shelleducation.com

Realizing what was learned is an important part of the educational process. "Common Sense Assessment in the Classroom" discusses new approaches to instruction and how teachers and administrators can more effectively reach out to their students and better understand their progress in a curriculum. With plenty of practical and traditional information as well as new ideas throughout, "Common Sense Assessment in the Classroom" is a core addition to any educational studies reference collection, enthusiastically recommended.

Common Core Standards for Middle School Mathematics
Amitra Schwols & Kathleen Dempsey
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416614647, $22.95, www.ascd.org

Middle School is the last preparation for the tough gauntlet of mathematics. "Common Core Standards for Middle School Mathematics: A Quick-Start Guide" is an educational reference and curriculum guide from educational professionals Amitra Schwols & Kathleen Dempsey as they advise teachers on building a more effective set of standards for math and academics on many levels, dealing with the common concepts that will prepare students for high level mathematics in high school and let them face real world problems. "Common Core Standards for Middle School Mathematics" is a must for curriculum reference collections for educators and administrators.

Step-by-Step Professional Development in Technology
Sarah T. Meltzer
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West
Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596671980, $29.95, www.eyeoneducation.com

As technology advances, businesses ride to flourish alongside them. "Step-by-Step Professional Development in Technology" seeks to advise leaders in education on how to keep their teachers and other professionals on the cutting edge of technology, fully understanding how to use it to further education in practical and wise ways. Chapters discuss building a technology educational plan for immediate and long term use, as well as identifying the technology literacy of one's school. "Step-by-Step Professional Development in Technology" is a must for educational reference collections, highly recommended.

An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky
Carol Garhart Mooney
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court
St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605541389, $24.95, www.redleafpress.org

Young minds are intuitive and very much willing to learn. "An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, & Vygotsky: Theories of Childhood" explores the many ideas behind how the human mind learns, the innate nature of our souls, and how to best understand the potential of child and help them grow and flourish into their own goals, taking notes from many acclaimed and revered childhood theorists. "An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky" is a scholarly and vital addition to any collection focusing on theories in early childhood education.


The Biography Shelf

Out Of Time
Tanya Buchdahl Tintner
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
www.wlupress.wlu.ca
9781554589388, $39.99, www.amazon.com

Georg Tintner, CM (22 May 1917 - 2 October 1999) was an Austrian-born conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. As a child he was a singer in the Vienna Boys' Choir, directed by Franz Schalk. At the Vienna State Academy he studied composition with Joseph Marx and conducting with Felix Weingartner. Soon he was assistant conductor of the Vienna Volksoper. Due to the persecution of Jews, Tintner moved out of Vienna in 1938, arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1940. He conducted a church choir until after the war, when he took over the Auckland Choral Society in 1947, and the Auckland String Players in 1948. He became a New Zealand citizen in 1946. In 1954, he went to Australia and became resident conductor of the National Opera of Australia (a private company) before joining the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera in 1957. Tintner is credited with pioneering televised opera in Australia. Now at last there is an informed and informative biography of Georg Tintner. "Out of Time: The Vexed Life of Georg Tintner" by Tanya Buchdahl Tintner, his third wife and widow. An accomplished freelance classical music writer and editor, Tanya Tintner has written a 430 page compendium of a man who began composing music at the age of six, an orchestra conductor at nineteen, escaped what was to become the Nazi holocaust in 1938, struggled to make a living for himself in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England, and finally moving to Canada at the age of seventy. Comprehensive in scope, superbly written and occasionally illustrated with period photos, and highly recommended for academic library 20th Century Musicology reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Out of Time: The Vexed Life of Georg Tintner" is the definitive biography of a remarkable man who has lived a remarkable life.

The Secret History Of Vladimir Nabokov
Andrea Pitzer
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, NY, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781605984117, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (22 April 1899 - 2 July 1977) was a Russian-American novelist. Nabokov's first nine novels were in Russian. He then rose to international prominence as a writer of English prose. He also made serious contributions as a lepidopterist and chess composer. Nabokov's Lolita (1955) is his most famous novel, and often considered his finest work in English. It exhibits the love of intricate word play and synesthetic detail that characterized all his works. The novel was ranked at No. 4 in the list of the Modern Library 100 Best Novels. Pale Fire (1962) was ranked at No. 53 on the same list. His memoir, Speak, Memory, was listed No. 8 on the Modern Library nonfiction list. He was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction seven times, but never won it. A significant 20th century literary talent, his biography, "The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov" by Andrea Pitzer is 352 page compendium describing a man born into a life of Russian privilege, only to bear personal witness to the horrors of revolution, world war, escaping utter destruction at the hands of the Nazis because he had a Jewish wife and son. Drawn from newly-declassified intelligence files and recovered military history, biographer and journalist Andrea Pitzer reveals fascinating aspects of Nabokov's eventful life and the impact it has upon his writing. A seminal work of painstaking research and scholarship, "The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov" should be considered essential reading for students of Nabokov's literary works and a highly recommended addition to academic library 20th Century Literary and 20th Century Biography collections. It should also be noted that "The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov" is also available in an ebook edition (Kindle, $14.74).

Gunfighter in Gotham
Robert K. DeArment
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806142630 $29.95 www.oupress.com

The follow-up volume to "Bat Masterson: The Man and the Legend" (9780806122212, $24.95), Gunfighter in Gotham: Bat Masterson's New York City Years continues the true-life story of Bat Masterson, famed nineteenth century gunfighter and sheriff of Dodge City, Kansas. Masterson's (arguably inflated) exploits in the Old West are the stuff of legends, but less historical attention has been paid to the second phase of his life, in which he moved to New York City and wrote an immensely popular sports column. Chapters cover his involvement in the nascent sport of prizefighting, first as a professional gambler, then as a promoter, then as a referee; how his sharply written column in the "New York Morning Telegraph" became reprinted throughout the country; and even his friendship with President Theodore Roosevelt. Thoroughly accessible to lay readers, sports enthusiasts, and historians alike, Gunfighter in Gotham reveals the man behind the legend. Highly recommended.

The Last Love of George Sand
Evelyne Bloch-Dano
Arcade Publishing
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
9781611457162, $24.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

Many creative people struggle to find some sense of normalcy, and all too often it may strike in the strangest of ways. "The Last Love of George Sand: A Literary Biography" tells the story of an unusual woman who lived an independent life, credited for her skill as a writer and social figure in the mid-nineteenth century. Touching on Sand's unusual personal life and relationships with great creative minds (including Musset and Chopin), author Evelyn Bloch-Dano focuses on Sand's stable, long-term relationship with Alexandre Manceau. "The Last Love of George Sand" is a strong addition to any literary studies and biography collections, highly recommended.

William Colenso
A.G. Bafnall & G. C. Petersen
Otago University Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
9781877578151, $65.00, www.isbs.com

Seeking knowledge and spreading knowledge can go hand in hand. "William Colenso: His Life and Journeys" is a biography of this remarkable missionary and printer, among other interests. Bringing a printing press to the Maori of New Zealand in 1837, he became a fierce advocate of their rights in the eyes of the British Empire, seeking to teach and learn from the people he was working with, becoming a contemporary student alongside Darwin, Cunningham, and Hooker. "William Colenso" is a riveting account of how one man could do much to help a nation through education, much recommended.

Walter A. Rodney
Clairmont Chung, editor
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W
New York, NY 10001
9781583673287, $17.95, www.monthlyreview.org

Great minds often face much pushback for their ideas. "Walter A. Rodney: A Promise of Revolution" is a collection of essays and biography surrounding the Caribbean political thinker and his contributions to the academic thought and the future of the Caribbean nations up until his tragic death in 1980. "Walter A. Rodney" is a much recommended addition to biography and history collections focusing on the Americas.

Brilliant Deduction
Matt Kuhns
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane
Guilford, CT 06437
9780988250505, $36.95, www.lyonspress.com

The inspiration for Sherlock Holmes didn't manifest from nothing. "Brilliant Deduction: The Story of Real-Life Great Detectives" seeks to shed life on the true stories of those who take on the mantle of detective in true history, even creating the very concept of the sleuth. From old hands in the crime game trading in their black hat for a white one, spy hunters turning their focus home, freelancers who helped the police bring justice, "Brilliant Deduction" is a must for anyone who loves true crime or wants to learn more about how Sherlock Holmes and his ilk have more connection to reality than we truly know.


The Fiction Shelf

Snow Germans
Dmitry Vachedin
Glas Publishers
c/o Meryl Zegarek Public Relations, Inc.
255 West 108 Street, Suite 9D1
New York, NY 10025
www.mzpr.com
9785717200974 $15.00 www.glas.msk.su

Snow Germans: A Novel is part of a series chosen to translate and share contemporary Russian literature with English-speaking readers worldwide. Each book in the series is penned by a different winner of the Debut Prize, an annual Russian literary award to writers under age 35. Snow Germans is a novel about "Volga Germans" - Germans who settled in Russia centuries ago, though many of them have been moving back to Germany since the 1980's and 1990's. Drawing from author Dmitry Vachedin's own life experience as a repatriated German, Snow Germans portrays people caught dueling nationalities, identities, and cultures. A thought-provoking work of humanistic literature, Snow Germans is highly recommended especially for public library collections and book club reading lists.

Candygirl
M. M. Tawfik
American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2729
9789774165595597, $17.95, www.aucpress.com

A world with no one easily trusted is a difficult one to cope with. "Candygirl" is a novel of the modern Middle East and the fall out of the many recent conflicts. An Egyptian scientist is on the run and finds himself the target of many interests with cruel intentions for him and his knowledge of the defunct Iraqi nuclear program. Hiding in the slums of Cairo, "Candygirl" is a riveting novel of trying to live life, escape capture, and return to something that resembles happiness.

Rosa's Land
Gilbert Morris
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
9781616267582, $12.99, www.barbourbooks.com

There's more than meets the eye for many people. "Rosa's Land" is a novel of the old west, where scholarly Lafayette Riordan takes up the badge to bring justice to the west. When he runs across Rosa Ramirez, he wants to capture her heart, but doing so requires him to break down the hardened warrior facade he has put up for so long. "Rosa's Land" is a strong addition to western romance collections, highly recommended. Also from Barbour for Western romance fans is "The White Flower" (9781620291382, $12.99), following the relationship between exports to the west Rachel and Chan as they cope with their new locations.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Cancer Caregiver Roles
John J. Garnand
Family Caregiving LLC
130 E Turner Avenue, Berthoud, CO 80513-3800
c/o Bohlsen Group (publicity)
www.bohlsengroup.com
9781452553450, softcover $98.98, ebook $3.99, www.amazon.com

Even thought some cancers are diminishing due to the reduction of tobacco usages among Americans, cancer still impacts over a million new patients every year. Each of those patients will have care givers, usually family members, helping them with medical support, insurance and financial management, and household management. In "Cancer Caregiver Roles", author John J. Garnand provides informed and informative information concerning these three essential care taking roles. This detailed and thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction guide will prove invaluable for anyone finding themselves assuming care taking responsibilities for a loved one dealing with the multiple health and life issues that cancer compels from monitoring medical treatment side effects, to financial resources for those without health insurance, to physical therapy, to care giver relief from 24/7 coverage. Simply stated, "Cancer Caregiver Roles" should be brought to the attention and made available to anyone and everyone wanting to help when a friend or family member is dealing with this sometimes curable, sometimes lethal medical condition.

Quick Check Guide to Gluten-Free Foods
Linda McDonald
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438002422, $8.99, www.barronseduc.com

Gluten intolerance is a growing problem for many. "Quick Check Guide to Gluten-Free Foods" is a health and nutrition guide for those with a gluten intolerance. Chapters describe how to best avoid the ubiquitous presence of gluten, providing an excellent reference guide to countless common foods all throughout our super markets. "Quick Check Guide to Gluten-Free Foods" is a treasury of knowledge especially for those who need to shop for people on a gluten-free diet.

The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
Lauren F. Streicher
M. Evans
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781590772119, $22.95, www.rlpgbooks.com

Hysterectomy - the word alone is enough to make women tremble. "The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy: Advice from a Gynecologist On Your Choices Before, During, and After Surgery" is a comprehensive guide for any woman facing this daunting procedure as nationally renown gynecologist Dr. Lauren F. Streicher offers scholarly and comprehensive insight into the process, answering all the questions surrounding the procedure and what will change about our lives. "The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy" is a strongly recommended reference for any woman who wants to arm themselves with knowledge, not to be missed.

How to Keep Your Doctor Happy
John Larkin
Sandstone Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781908737113, $16.95, www.victoriafifield.co.uk

Working with one's doctor is vital for creating a better and more harmonious health environment. "How to Keep Your Doctor Happy: Top Tips for Perfect Patients" is a humorous yet helpful guide on building a good patient-practitioner relationship to help one another more effectively, and unlocking the secret of a healthy doctor to a healthy patient. "How to Keep Your Doctor Happy" is a strong addition to health and self-help collections, much recommended.

Stronger After Stroke
Peter G. Levine
Demos Medical Publishing
11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036
9781936303472, $19.95, www.demosmedpub.com

A stroke is a major event that can permanently change your life. "Stronger After Stroke: Your Roadmap to Recovery" is a manual from stroke recovery researcher Peter G. Levine as he advises readers on how to best deal with their health issues and find their ways to recover and succeed, and live their lives as fully as they could before the stroke. "Stronger After Stroke" is a must for health and wellness collections, especially for those with a focus on age related disorders.


The Memoir Shelf

Back from Tobruk
Croswell Bowen, author
Betsy Connor Bowen, editor
Potomac Books, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166-2012
9781597979856 $29.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com

Back from Tobruk is the memoir of photographer Croswell Bowen's experience as a volunteer ambulance driver of the American Field Service, who aided the British Eighth Army during World War II. As a Catholic and a staunch pacifist, he was deeply troubled by the death and destruction of war, and held fast to his hope that the end of the war would bring peace to the world. He spent time in hospitals and field dressing stations to tend to and aid the wounded, also as a patient when misfortune struck him personally. Above all, he was immensely inspired to see soldiers capable of showing compassion to those who they faced as enemies on the battlefield. An insert of black-and-white photographs accentuates this vivid, unforgettable firsthand testimony, highly recommended especially for public library wartime memoir collections.

Let Burn
Rachel K. Wentz
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860719, $24.95, www.msupress.msu.edu

To become a professional hero is no easy job. "Let Burn: The Making and Breaking of a Firefighter/Paramedic" is a memoir from Rachel K. Wentz as she recounts her personal journey of entering the career of rescue in public service as a woman. The eighth woman to be hired by the Orlando Fire Department, she speaks on this male-dominated field and shows the mindset and training that has to come to succeed in this environment. "Let Burn" is a must for any woman with aspirations to enter the career of rescue where even biology has them at a disadvantage.


The Cookbook Shelf

One-Pot Wonders
Clifford A. Wright, author
John Wiley & Sons
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
9780470615362, $23.99, www.wiley.com

"One-Pot Wonders" introduces 250 fresh, exciting main dish meals that are symbolically coded by the type of single cooking vessel used, from flameproof baking casserole to paella pan to tagine or wok. A sepia colored outline of the pot constitutes the appropriate symbol at the upper left corner of each recipe. And what a great assortment of one-pot wonders we have for recipes: stellar examples include meatball and Spinach Soup, Cocido, Bean and Cabbage Stew, Catalan Chicken and Seafood Paella, Meatball Tagine, Rice With Duck and Sausage, Stir-Fried Chile Chicken with Eggplant, Rice Casserole with Quail and Sausage, Turkey Vindaloo, Southwest Turkey Bake, Spicy Bluefish and Shrimp Stew, and Bullinada. All recipes list ingredients in standard measurements on the left page, with clearly written step by step instructions on the right. Introductory descriptions include comments about the recipe's origin and tips for adapting it to specialized tastes. Typical of the talents of the chef author, many recipes tackle unusual ingredient combinations with an authentic ethnic twist or tradition, sometimes multiple traditions and flavorings. The result is predictably unusual and delicious. For a one-pot culinary reference or even a small ethnic encyclopedia, "One-Pot Wonders" surely more than fills the bill. Many recipes are adapted from gourmet sources and publications such as Bon Appetit or Food and Wine magazines, or others, made accessible and easy for the home chef to tackle and prepare. "One-Pot Wonders" is the ideal crockpot replacement text for newly adventurous cooks desiring to expand their repertoires and palates.

Clean Eating for Busy Families
Michelle Dudash
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1721
9781592335145, $19.99, www.quaysidepublishinggroup.com

Good health and wellness isn't exclusive for those who can cook for hours all day. "Clean Eating for Busy Families" is a cookbook for families who want to make clean eating a habit when the hectic nature of life seems intent on preventing them from realizing such things. Michelle Dudash presents a compilation of recipes dedicated to be clean cooking, made from non-processed ingredients in a matter of a half hour or less. With full color photography spread throughout and recipes like beef and vegetable tacos, spinach-ricotta calzones, macaroni & cheesy cauliflower sauce, "Clean Eating for Busy Families" is a choice addition to any family cookbook collection dedicated to healthier yet quick meals.

The Ultimate Soups & Stews Book
Better Homes & Gardens
c/o Wiley Cookbooks
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9781118335611, $19.99, www.hmhpub.com

A good soup or stew can prove healthy and filling. "The Ultimate Soups & Stews Book" is a guide for those who want to make a wide array of bowl based cuisine presenting plenty of ideas on getting the most out of a meal, with ideas from the simple chicken noodle soup, to chilis, to Jambalaya, and countless ideas in between. With over four hundred recipes and presented in full color all throughout, "The Ultimate Soups & Stews Book" is a must for cookbook collections, highly recommended. For dessert, also from Better Homes and Gardens, is "Cupcakes" (9781118292693, $19.99) laying out one hundred and fifty innovative cupcake recipes to get the most treat out of a tiny little cup.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Les Miserables From Stage to Screen
Benedict Nightingale & Martyn Palmer, authors
Foreword by Cameron Mackintosh
Applause Theatre & Cinema Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781476886831, $45.00, www.ApplauseBooks.com

"Les Miserables From Stage to Screen: The Story So Far of the World's Longest-Running Musical in Words, Pictures and Rare Facsimile Memorabilia" is an amazing collaborative account of a 35-year odyssey of the evolving master musical from the original Victor Hugo manuscript, and on to the medium of screen at last. Fully illustrated with endless pages of color photos documenting this amazing transformative journey, "Les Miserables From Stage to Screen" also contains multiple removable rare facsimiles of such related ephemera as programs, posters, costume designs, opening night party invitations (dated October 8, 1985), and even pages from the original stage manager's list showing the number of props needed to be set for Acts I and II. Accompanied by an introduction and foreword by Cameron Mackintosh, needless to say, the total appeal of the package reaches exponential production values. "Les Miserables From Stage to Screen" is filled with exactly the unique details and touches that made the original theatre production an endless hit. It makes a great gift for any theatre buff as well as fantastic theatre library resource. Get your copy while they are still available in real live paper!

Native Recognition
Joanna Hearne
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza
Albany, NY 12246-0001
9781438443973, $95.00, www.sunypress.edu

Film can tell the story of a culture, and remind people that a culture hasn't yet faded. "Native Recognition: Indigenous Cinema and the Western" discusses the place of Native Americans in contemporary cinema in their many roles as performers, directors, writers, and countless other people in the process. Joanne Hearne, a student of English and film culture, provides a scholarly insight onto the indigenous people in the Americas and their place in film since the inception of the medium. Touching on their presence in the 'Western' genre, the shifting perceptions of the Native American people, chapters provide a comprehensive study of films involving American Indians, up to the modern independent films focusing on the major issues of the tribes. With countless black and white photography all spread throughout, "Native Recognition" is a vital addition to any community or college library collection focusing on filmmaking or Native American issues, highly recommended.

Filmmaking for Change
Jon Fitzgerald
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931217, $24.95, www.mwp.com

Art can win the hearts and minds, and filmmaking is just another art. "Filmmaking for Change: Make Films That Transform the World" is a guide for those who want to make a difference with their art, as Jon Fitzgerald advises readers on the power of storytelling in presenting a message, and how to market your message more effectively in the world of film. "Filmmaking for Change" is a strong addition to any filmmakers reference collection.

Staging An Interactive Mystery Play
Justine Jones & Mary Ann Kelley
Meriwether Publishing
PO Box 7710
Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7710
9781566081894, $23.95, www.meriwether.com

On the fly acting skills can go far in forging ourselves into better actors. "Staging An Interactive Mystery Play: A Six-Week Program for Developing Theatre Skills" is an acting reference and advisory from Justine Jones & Mary Ann Kelley as they provide insight and knowledge on how to building actors through such plays, encouraging aspiring actors to write their own scripts, act on the fly, build characters, and making everything gel together. With plenty to consider, "Staging An Interactive Mystery Play" is a strong addition to theatre reference collections.


The Library Science Shelf

Evaluating the Impact of Your Library, second edition
Sharon Markless & David Streatfield
Facet
9781856048125, $95.00, www.facetpublishing.co.uk

How do libraries help the community? "Evaluating the Impact of Your Library" is a reference for librarians who are arguing for funding and in the community on how to better state the importance and place of their library, building evidence and stating what their library can do for the community, to make it known why your library is important and is a noble cause. With tips on how to get real numbers, presenting a strong argument, comparing to national and intentional situations, "Evaluating the Impact of Your Library" is a strong pick for library science and reference collections, is vital to any librarian's argument collection, highly recommended.


The Native American Studies Shelf

Disinherited Generations
Nellie Carlson & Kathleen Steinhauer
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888646422, $24.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

Women have made great strides in equality, but old laws still favor men strongly. "Disinherited Generations: Our Struggle to Reclaim Treaty Rights for First Nations Women and their Descendants" analyzes the struggles of Canadian first nation women dealing with the discrimination they face against the male power structure surrounding the Indian Act since the cultural revolutions of the 1960s. Chronicling the many court battles that have raged over the years, "Disinherited Generations" is a scholarly study of women's rights, the rights of the First Nation's people, and inheritance, and how all three intersect in Canadian culture and law, very much recommended reading.

Shamans, Witches, and Maya Priests
Krystyna Deuss
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780950784724, $55.00, www.oupress.com

The spiritual nature of man resides in all of us no matter where we hail from in the world. "Shamans, Witches, and Maya Priests: Native Religion and Ritual in Highland Guatemala" is discusses the religions of the native peoples of the Guatemalan Highlands. Krystyna Deuss, a dedicated and educated student of Guatemalan culture, provides insight on the history of faith and ritual tradition of the people of the region. Discussing their ways, their ceremonies, with a focus on the growing threat of these cultural traditions fading away and dying throughout time, "Shamans, Witches, and Maya Priests" is a scholarly must for Native American, international history and religious studies collections.


The Poetry Shelf

Letters to Borges
Stephen Kuusisto
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271
Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556593864, $16.00, www.coppercanyonpress.org

Poetry can speak to us like text won't be able to. "Letters to Borges" is a collection of poetry from best selling author Stephen Kuusisto who shares his views as a blind man, and how a world without sight can give you a very clear vision of the world. "Letters to Borges" is an insightful and much recommended addition to any poetry collection. "As for the World": You who loved the bitter seeds in bread and poems./You who never saw devils./You who laughed at the felicities/Of Russian rhymes.//Winter wheat showed today, it's infused green./A red-tailed hawk I've come to know/Stayed all morning in his oak./Goodbye. Goodbye./The rhymes remain.

The Breaking of the Day
Michael Heffernan
Salmon Poetry
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781908836182, $21.95, www.dufoureditions.com

We speak many words throughout our lives, without any certainty to what they might truly mean. "The Breaking of the Day" is a poetry compilation from Michael Heffernan, who talks on the words of life and the world we see, trying to capture the world he has seen in so many words and our lives. "The Breaking of the Day" has much to consider, strongly recommended for contemporary poetry collections. "The Good Dream": My mind is daylight dancing off water./Swallows blotch the heart's back wall.//Other lives are breaking in./The dead are everywhere.


The Art Shelf

Into The Light
Susan Beilby Magee
Hard Press Editions/Posterity Press
c/o Hudson Hills Press
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
Newman Communications (publicity)
www.hudsonhills.com
9781555953850, $50.00, www.amazon.com

Born in Latvia in 1924, Kalman Aron was an artistic prodigy who at the age of 13 was commissioned to paint the portrait of Latvia's president. "Into the Light: The Healing Art of Kalman Aron" by Susan Beilby Magee (who as a six year old girl had her portrait painted by Kalman Aron) has written a superbly illustrated history of the life and accomplishments of Kalman Aron including his experiences under the Nazi Holocaust of World War II, his coming to America in 1949, his remarkable string of portrait commissions by American politicians and celebrities. Part memoir, part coffee-table art book, "Into the Light: The Healing Art of Kalman Aron" showcases a true 20th Century artistic talent in an impressively produced volume that is enthusiastically recommended for personal, community, and academic library 20th Century Art & Artists reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Watercolor Paintings
Tom Hoffmann
Watson Guptill Publications
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780823006731, $35.00, www.wgpub.com

Watercolor painting has a distinct style, and capturing its essence can bring us far. "Watercolor Paintings: A Comprehensive Approach to Mastering the Medium" discusses how to better master the styles and colors of the watercolor, as Tom Hoffman presents many examples and inspirations among a how to guide for rookie water color painters who want to most effectively capture the artistry of the paints, understanding the physics of water, paint, and paper, and much more. A solid reference as well as an artistic coffee table book, "Watercolor Paintings" is a must for art and reference collections, not to be missed.

Subverting Modernism
Julia R. Myers
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building
4809 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780912042978 $24.95 http://wsupress.wayne.edu

Subverting Modernism: Cass Corridor Revisited, 1966-1980 is an art exhibition catalog created as a companion to the titular show scheduled to be at Eastern Michigan University in the spring of 2013. Full-color photographs of the artworks, paired with scholarly evaluations, fill this examination of the artistic revival that permeated the Cass Corridor (near Wayne State University in Detroit) in the 1960's and 1970's. Sculptures, paintings, and a diversity of original media such as patterns crafted entirely from black tape pepper mark Subverting Modernism as a distinctive and eye-opening collection that strongly reflects a cultural transformation in the perception of modern art. Recommended as a choice pick for college library contemporary art studies shelves.


The Sports Shelf

Bicycle Manifesto
Sam Tracy
PM Press
PO Box 23912
Oakland, CA 94623
9781604866407, $20.00, www.pmpress.org

Keeping a bike running can be done with anyone with a little ambition and know how. "Bicycle!: A Repair & Maintenance Manifesto" is an educational manual from Sam Tracy, who advises readers on how to keep their bikes rolling for years to come, even when improvising on the go. With additional thoughts on those who want to build their own bikes, fighting rust, safety and security, and much more, "Bicycle!" is a fine addition to any collection focusing on practical bicycling wisdom.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Lost Journal of Bram Stoker
Elizabeth Miller & Dacre Stoker, editors
The Robson Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 West 57th Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10107
9781849541886, $30.00, www.perseusbooksgroup.com

What goes on in the mind of the man who is credit with creating Dracula? "The Lost Journal of Bram Stoker: The Dublin Years" is a collection of journal entries by Bram Stoker, author of the classic horror novel "Dracula". The result is a treasury of insight into his life and trains of thought, touching on fascination with history and his insights on the conflicted Victorian culture of the day. Well researched with sources throughout, his descendant and Professor of literature with a long standing focus on Stoker Elizabeth Miller, "The Lost Journal of Bram Stoker" provides much insight in what makes the mind of one of the world's most famed literary minds of history.


The Homeowner's Shelf

Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, tenth edition
Jennifer Thorne Amann, Alex Wilson, & Katie Ackerly
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717251, $18.95, www.newsociety.com

Saving a little bit of energy each month adds up over time. "Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings" is the 10th edition update from Mother Earth News as Jennifer Thorne Amann and her collaborators present wise advice for cutting down a power bill for one's own benefit as well as the benefit of the environment. With plenty of illustrations and diagrams throughout to better explain the purposes, "Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings" is a wise addition to anyone's home reference collection.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing
Michelle Spring and Laurie R. King
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781408131220 $20.00 www.bloomsbury.com

Award-winning mystery/suspense novelists Michelle Spring and Laurie R. King present The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing, a solid primer for aspiring crime novel authors and part of Bloomsbury's excellent series of writing guides. Chapters cover the history and evolution of the genre, advice from an immense diversity of popular writers including Meg Gardiner, Guy Saville, Andrew Taylor, Laura Wilson, and many others; and techniques to apply to problems ranging from writer's block to finding an agent for one's completed book. "Poetic imagery can be useful in less extended forms, in places where you would like the reader to pause briefly to reflect on the sensory meaning of the story. However, take care that your poetic metaphor doesn't distract the reader right out of the fictional dream you've been working so hard to construct. When in doubt, leave out the metaphor." The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing is absolutely invaluable for prospective authors in the crime and mystery genre, and packed with wisdom that writers of other disciplines will find useful regardless. Highly recommended.

HBR Guide to Better Business Writing
Bryan A. Garner
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way
Boston, MA 02163
9781422184035, $19.95, http://hbr.org/books

Good writing persuades and captivates, no matter its ultimate purpose. "HBR Guide to Better Business Writing" is an advisory guide for business writers who want to enhance their potential for business communications, as Bryan A. Garner elaborates on the importance of good writing in corporate writing, from within the company to the outside of the company. From catching the readers attention to driving a persuasive argument home, "HBR Guide to Better Business Writing" is an invaluable and very much recommended resource, not to be overlooked.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Enticed By Eden
Linda S. Schearing and Valarie H. Ziegler
Baylor University Press
PO Box 97363
Waco, TX 76798
9781602585430, $24.95, www.baylorpress.com

The story of Adam and Eve speaks to Western society on a very primal level. "Enticed By Eden: How Western Culture Uses, Confuses, (and Sometimes Abuses) Adam and Eve" looks at the mythos behind the first couple of the Judeo-Christian philosophy. Exploring and trying to gain a more complete interpretation of this keystone story and how it has so strongly influenced our society, "Enticed By Eden" is a fascinating and insightful look at the roots of Western culture, and how one story speaks to it on so many levels.


The Business Shelf

The Professional Guide to Business Development
Stephen Newton
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
97807494664534, $55.00, www.koganpageusa.com

Delivering excellent service is the most vital way to ensure repeat business in the future. "The Professional Guide to Business Development: How to Win Business in the Professional Services" is a guide for business leaders in connecting with their consumers on many services, and delivering that service adequately and effectively, communicating on a higher level with them, reaching out to new clients, and much more. With plenty of sage advice on expanding a business' future, "The Professional Guide to Business Development" is a strong addition to business management collections, a reference not to be overlooked.


The Civil War Shelf

The Prairie Boys Go to War
Rhonda M. Kohl
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809332038, $39.95, www.siupress.com

When war comes, normally peaceful individuals must take the hard call of combat. "The Prairie Boys Go to War: The Fifth Illinois Calvary 1861-1865" tells the story of this Union aligned military unit through the rough years of the civil war, forming a bond with people who they would normally detest for the glory of the union. Looking at the common man, the common soldier, and their interactions with the union army, "The Prairie Boys Go to War" does well in analyzing the people of Illinois and their contributions to the civil war, highly recommended.


The International Studies Shelf

Where No Doctor Has Gone Before
Robert Huish
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554588336, $32.99, wlupress.wlu.ca

Health care is a pressing need all over the world. "Where No Doctor Has Gone Before: Cuba's Place in the Global Health Landscape" discusses the health care system of the struggling country, which in spite of poor resources and economic issues, has triumphed in bringing excellent medical care to the small island country, which has attained its standard by encouraging doctors to learn abroad and what other countries can learn from its practice. "Where No Doctor Has Gone Before" is a strong addition to health care politics collections, much recommended.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

An Enchantment
Christian Durieux
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing
New York, NY 10038
9781561637058 $19.99 www.nbmpublishing.com

Belgian artist Christian Durieux presents An Enchantment, an oversized hardcover graphic novel that uses color to distinguish between the drab hues of everyday life and the vibrancy of the worlds portrayed in classical art. When an aging museum director attends his retirement banquet, he carries a lingering bitterness about the greedy individuals, petty politics, and worse social ills destined to persist despite his best efforts to preserve and protect the museum as a bastion of high culture. He sneaks away from the celebration held in his honor; yet after hours, in the closed-off halls of the Louvre, he encounters a mysterious young woman that transforms his pessimistic outlook. Sly and carefree, she dares him to experience the joys of being impulsive for a change. Their tour incorporates and reflects the timeless treasures of great artworks, including paintings by Verlaine and Montesquieu. But is this lighthearted woman truly real, or an insubstantial Muse made manifest? A story that is truly appreciative of great art, An Enchantment lives up to its title, and highly recommended for graphic novel readers of all ages and backgrounds.


The Audiobook Shelf

Bringing Mulligan Home
Dale Maharidge, author
Pete Larkin, narrator
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781622311712 $34.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and graduate-level journalism instructor Dale Maharidge presents Bringing Mulligan Home: The Other Side of the Good War (now available as an unabridged audiobook), an investigation into the past of his own father. Maharidge's father, Sergeant Steve Maharidge, returned from the his service in the Pacific Theater of World War II bitter and seething with rage. Dale was only a teenager when he witnessed his father screaming protests against unknown accusations, to a wartime photograph of himself and a friend from the service. After Steve passed on, Dale searched to learn more about the war that left such deep scars in his father's psyche. He tracked down members of the Love Company (the Marine unit that his father had served in) and interviewed them about the war. Bringing Mulligan Home portrays not only the battles of war, but the lasting impact they had on the lives of those who served, and the dark memories they would have to carry for the rest of their lives. Highly recommended. 8 CDs, 9 3/4 hours.

Suddenly, A Knock on the Door
Etgar Keret, author
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427226945 $24.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Suddenly, A Knock on the Door is an audiobook anthology of brief stories by Etgar Keret - each performed by a different, celebrated writer or actor, with a bonus story read by Keret himself! A surreal collection that ventures between the worlds of the living and the dead, adults and children, dreams and waking, nature and animals that speak, Suddenly, A Knock on the Door is inventive, sprightly, and perks the listener's curiosity with its shifting perspectives and turn-on-one's-head view of reality. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections. 4 CDs, 5 hours.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Robin Sloan, author
Ari Fliakos, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427233745 $34.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is the unabridged audiobook rendition of an original novel of and for the twenty-first century. After Clay Jannon loses his San Francisco web design job during the Great Recession, he lands a job working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. At first the job appears obtuse and intractable, and Clay notices that few customers actually buy anything, preferring simply to investigate volumes in far corners of the store. But then Clay stumbles across a secret that will lead him on an incredible adventure. A saga of love, high-tech data, international conspiracy, code-breaking and more, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore will keep the listener hooked to the very end. 7 CDs, 7.5 hours.

Happily Ever Madder
Stephanie McAfee, author
Cassandra Campbell, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
2 Business Park Road, Unit 2
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781452609768 $39.99 www.tantor.com

Happily Ever Madder is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the sequel "Diary of a Mad Fat Girl", featuring the extra large Graciela "Ace" Jones in a brand new tongue-in-cheek adventure! Graciela has traveled to Pelican Cove, Florida; her dream of running an art gallery has become real, and she dearly loves her fiance Mason. She resolved to leave her sarcastic side behind and embrace sweetness, but then she runs afoul of Mrs. Lenore Kennashaw and her gaggle of self-important, mean-spirited elderly women who treat everyone else like refuse. Graciela isn't alone though - she has the most fabulous friends (and a faithful chiweenie dog Buster Loo), and she won't hesitate to stand up for her pound-heavy self! Whimsy and sharp-edged humor abound in this upbeat and only slightly crazed adventure. 9 CDs, 11 hours.

A Guide to Wine
Julian Curry, author and narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9789626342909 $28.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Actor and wine buff Julian Curry presents A Guide to Wine, an audiobook tour of the wonderful culture surrounding this cherished alcoholic beverage. Performed with wit and verve, A Guide to Wine teaches the listener about the process of winemaking and the traditions of wine drinking, the many choices that grape-growers and winemakers face, tips and tricks for properly cellaring, serving, tasting and food-matching wine, and more. An extended survey of major wine regions in the Old World and the New rounds out this excellent primer for anyone curious about wine's culinary and social delights. 4 CDs, 5 hours 14 min.


The Library DVD Shelf

A Fierce Green Fire
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772411 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

A selection of the Sundance Film Festival, and fully licensed for public performance, A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet is an uplifting documentary about the environmental movement over the past fifty years. From work to stop dams in the Grand Canyon, to opposing efforts to turn the Love Canal into a toxic waste dump, to Greenpeace's efforts to protect whales and the advent of the global threat of climate change, A Fierce Green Fire chronicles a medley of fascinating true stories of people fighting to preserve the planet upon which their children will live. A bonus Teacher's Guide is accessible via the DVD drive on a computer, making A Fierce Green Fire a choice pick for high school homeroom viewing or DVD libraries. 101 min., SDH captions.

Sun Kissed
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
$295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Sun Kissed: A Documentary is a heart-rending portrayal of a Native American family whose children have been afflicted with a deadly and extremely rare genetic disorder. Dorey and Yolanda Nez are a married Navajo couple who bear an unjust burden: their daughter (Leanndra, 16) and her younger brother (who passed away at age 11) were both born with Xeroderma Pigmentosum, also known as XP. This deadly condition causes neurological damage in severe cases, drastically harms cognitive development and shortens the lifespans of the afflicted, and makes any exposure to sunlight potentially fatal. The couple sought help from both modern medicine and traditional Navajo medicine men. They endured a harrowing shuttle from doctor to doctor before they could get an accurate diagnosis of XP, and encountered severe taboos among their own tribe, including accusations that they did something wrong during their own lives that brought suffering to their children. They eventually learned that despite XP's extreme rarity, they were not the only Navajo family on the reservation to have XP children - far from it. Though it is virtually forbidden among Navajos to openly talk about the historical massacre that was the Long Walk, Dorey and Yolanda learned that this horrific act of genocide has had repercussions of human suffering that remain today. Poignant and profound, Sun Kissed is a vivid portrayal of not only a family's trials and tribulations, but also the cultural cross-currents that engulf modern-day Navajos. Highly recommended, especially for public library DVD collections. An 85-minute and 54-minute classroom version are both available on the DVD; the language options are English and Navajo, with English subtitles.

Create a Great Plate
Learning ZoneXpress
667 East Vine Street
Owatonna, MN 55060
$79.95 www.learningzonexpress.com

Create a Great Plate: My Plate Dietary Guidelines (20 min. closed-captioned) is an educational DVD intended for viewers in grade 6 and up (including adults), about the new "MyPlate" dietary guidelines campaign sponsored by the USDA. Spelling out recommendations for nutritious and balanced eating with easy-to-follow rules of thumb, Create a Great Plate teaches viewers how to vary their dietary vegetables, choose calcium-rich foods, prefer lean protein, favor whole grains at least half of the time, and much more. Create a Great Plate is a brief but valuable instructional tool, ideal for public and school DVD libraries. Also highly recommended for educational viewing during homeroom or health classes is "What's On MyPlate?" ($79.95, 22 min., closed-captioned), an overview of the MyPlate method that features cheerful teenagers talking about the foods they love the most.

No Job for a Lady: The Complete Collection
Directed by John Howard Davies
Starring Penelope Keith
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598288988 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

No Job for a Lady: The Complete Collection gathers all three series of the British comedy-drama following Jean Price (played by Penelope Keith, whose previous credits include "To the Manor Born" and "Good Neighbors"), a woman newly elected as a Member of Parliament for the left-leaning Labour Party. Though she is determined to campaign for more opportunities for women, she faces obstacles at every turn - fierce egos, bureaucratic and procedural obstacles, even outright chauvinism among her alleged compatriots. Her constituents lobby her relentlessly, and though her husband supports her efforts, he questions her long house, quipping that MP stands for "missing person"! A zesty, tongue-in-cheek view askew of trying to make a difference despite all odds, No Job for a Lady is a joy to watch and highly recommended. 18 episodes on 3 DVDs, 432 min., SDH subtitles, fullscreen.

Discoveries... America National Parks
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
13021 - 244 Avenue SE
Issaquah, WA 98027
$24.95 each www.Bennett-Watt.com

Beautifully shot in high definition, the Discoveries... America National Parks DVD series now features three new captivating DVDs that bring the majesty and wonder of striking natural landscapes into one's own living room. "Grand Canyon" is a scenic tour of Grand Canyon National Park, home to one of America's most famous landmarks; scenes from the reintroduction of the California condor, one of the rarest birds of the world, as well as historic footage of river-running guide Georgie White Clark (1911-1992), who was the first woman to row the full length of Marble & Grand Canyons in 1952. "Yosemite: Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Devils Postpile & Carrizo Plain" is an eye-opening portrait of Yosemite National Park, land of gigantic, near-immortal trees, the 60-foot columnar basalt formations of Devils Postpile National Monument, and the National Monument of Carrizo Plain where one can see surface fractures of the San Andreas Fault. "Glacier & Craters of the Moon & other National Park Service Sites & Attractions in Montana & Idaho" explores Glacier National Park and its incredible hiking and wildlife viewing options, the Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve in which one can witness three types of pahoehoe lava with islets of cinder cones and sagebrush, and much more. All three DVDs are spectacular, highly recommended especially for armchair travelers and choice picks for public library collections.


The Multimedia Shelf

Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.RadioTheatre.org/OliverTwist
9781589977136 $39.99 www.tyndale.com

A Focus on the Family Radio Theatre production, Oliver Twist is the full-cast audio dramatization of Charles' Dickens classic novel about a young orphan's struggle to survive in 19th century England. A bonus DVD features a behind-the-scenes "making of" documentary with interviews of modern experts on Charles Dickens, and striking true stories about modern-day orphans. Vividly bringing to life Dickens' powerful and memorable saga, Oliver Twist will appeal to listeners of all ages, and is highly recommended especially for public library audiobook and multimedia collections. 5 CDs plus 1 DVD, 5 1/2 hours.


The Language Studies Shelf

The Handy Guide to New Testament Greek
Douglas S. Huffman
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
9780825427435, $16.99, www.kregelpublications.com

Translation is not a science, and often to more completely understand a text, one must read it in its original language. "The Handy Guide to New Testament Greek: Grammar, Syntax, and Diagramming" is a guide to more completely understanding the New Testament in Greek, by better understanding the countless differences between its written language and the English language. "The Handy Guide to New Testament Greek" is a strong pick for language studies collections.

Federal Street Press
25-13 Old Kings Highway North, #277
Darien, CT 06820
www.federalstreetpress.com

Federal Street Press is a premier publisher of affordable bilingual dictionaries for students and the general public. With continuing emigration, the percentage of Hispanics within the general American population is one of the most rapidly increasing among minority groups. It's clear that Spanish-English fluency would stand anyone in good stead be it for matters of business, culture, or governance. That's where four Spanish-English dictionaries produced by the Federal Street Press (with the active cooperation of the editors for Merriam-Webster) are very highly recommended for personal, community, academic, NGO, and governmental library Language Studies reference collections. They are the handy and inexpensive pocket-book sized "Webster's Everyday Spanish-English Dictionary" (9781596951174, $3.99) featuring 40,000 entries and 50,000 translations; "Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary for Students" (9781596950962, $3.99) which is specifically designed as a Spanish Language curriculum materials supplement for all skill levels; "Webster's New Explorer Spanish-English Dictionary: New Edition (9781596950535, $10.98) featuring more than 80,000 entries and 10,000 translations including 1,000 new English and Spanish words; "Webster's Contemporary Spanish-English Dictionary (9781596950559, $7.98) enhanced with special sections on language and grammar along with examples of words and phrases used in context. Each of these titles individual or all four of them as a set are ideal for Spanish speakers to learn English, and for English language user to communicate effectively with Spanish speakers.


The Money/Finance Shelf

A Guide to Elder Planning, second edition
Steve Weisman
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780133091922, $34.99, www.ftpress.com

As we get older, we have to be prepared for the twilight of our lives. Now in an updated second edition, "A Guide to Elder Planning: Everything You Need to Know to Protect Your Loved Ones and Yourself" is an advisory guide from Steve Weisman as he advises readers on how to best piece together their lives and prepare ourselves and our family for the later years, being prepared financially for later care as well as the inevitable. "A Guide to Elder Planning" is a must for any personal finance and estate planning collection, highly recommended.


The American History Shelf

Civil Liberties And The Legacy Of Harry S. Truman
Richard S. Kirkendall, editor
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street
Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
http://tsup.truman.edu
9781612480848, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 - December 26, 1972) was the 33rd President of the United States (1945 - 1953). The final running mate of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, Truman succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when Roosevelt died after months of declining health. Under Truman, the U.S. successfully concluded World War II; in the aftermath of the conflict, tensions with the Soviet Union increased, marking the start of the Cold War. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Richard S. Kirkendall (Scott & Dorothy Bullit Professor of History Emeritus, University of Washington), "The Civil Liberties Legacy of Harry S. Truman" is the ninth volume in an outstanding Truman State University Press series 'The Truman Legacy'. This 352 page compendium is comprised of eleven informed and informative articles by academicians who focus upon Truman's political balancing act of persuading the American public as to the importance of protecting constitutionally defined civil liberties in a time of Cold War politics and fear mongering. These seminal articles are organized into four major sections: Truman as Civil Libertarian; The National Security System; Three Participants in the Red Scare; Liberty and Security. Of special note is Athan G. Theoharis' contribution 'The Truman Presidency and the FBI'. Enhanced with the inclusion of three appendices, a list of the contributors and their credentials, and a comprehensive index, "The Civil Liberties Legacy of Harry S. Truman" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to academic library 20th Century American History reference collections and Political Science supplemental reading lists.

Dark Realities
Wyn Derbyshire
Spiramus Press Ltd.
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
9781907444784 $16.50 www.isbs.com

Written to be accessible to lay readers and historians alike, Dark Realities: America's Great Depression is a straightforward chronicle of some of the bleakest years in America's history. Chapters examine the boom years of the roaring twenties that led to a horrendous stock market crash, the post-World War I economic struggles of Europe, the immense hardship that precipitated bank failures, deindustrialization, rampant poverty and unemployment, even strikes and riots, President Hoover's well-meaning but ultimately ineffective measures to help, and President Roosevelt's "New Deal". Dark Realities does not support the neo-conservative talking point that Roosevelt's New Deal allegedly prolonged and deepened the Great Depression. "Perhaps as important as the relief provided, the policies of President Roosevelt and his administrations also gave ordinary people hope that their lives would eventually improve. But whether the new Deal policies themselves actually halted the Depression, or whether they just helped alleviate some of its more extreme symptoms is debatable. It is notable that when steps were taken in 1937 to try to cut back the level of federal-sponsored relief, the result was almost immediate recession." Dark Realities is an excellent contribution to American History shelves, highly recommended especially for public and college library collections.

Reporting the Revolutionary War
Todd Andrlik
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139
Naperville, IL 60563
9781402269677 $39.99 www.sourcebooks.com

Reporting the Revolutionary War is an extraordinary, coffee-table sized collection of colonial newspaper articles, town broadsheets, private correspondence, battlefield letters, and more telling the story of the American Revolutionary War as the fledgling nation's people witnessed it firsthand. Revolutionary War archivist Todd Andrlik draws upon the accumulated wisdom of historians to place the pieces of journalism in full context. Reporting the Revolutionary War is a veritable time machine in book form, transporting the reader to an era of great uncertainty, and years of drastic change! Highly recommended, especially for public library American History and Journalism collections.


The World History Shelf

English Nuns And The Law In The Middle Ages
Elizabeth Makowski
Boydell Press
c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Ave.
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781843837862, $99.00, www.amazon.com

Late Medieval England was politically, culturally, economically, and judicially dominated by men. The only institution where women essentially governed themselves and were able to be substantial property owners was the nunnery. Throughout this period cloistered nuns had to engage in almost constant legal actions to defend their rights to owning property through the use of proctors (lawyers), advocates, and men 'of the law' that represented these women in the both the secular courts of the King's government or the religious courts of the Catholic Church. An original and seminal study by Elizabeth Makowski (Ingram Professor of History, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas), "English Nuns and the Law in the Middle Ages: Cloistered Nuns And Their Lawyers, 1293-1540" is a 192 page compendium providing an historical overview and analysis utilizing representative cases drawn from ecclesiastical and royal court proceedings. "English Nuns and the Law in the Middle Ages" clearly documents and demonstrates that the legal defenses of their attorneys were as fundamental to the economic success of nunneries as were their endowing patrons. Of special note are the chapters 'Cloistered Spirituality and English Nuns' and 'Papal Appeals'. Enhanced with an informed and informative Conclusion, an appendix, a selective bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "English Nuns and the Law in the Middle Ages" is the latest addition to the academically impressive Boydell Press series 'Studies in the History of Medieval Religion' and very highly recommended for academic library English Medieval History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Perilous Moon
Stuart Nimmo
Casemate Publishers
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
9781612001241, $34.95, www.casematepublishing.com

Occupied France was quite the historical curiosity. "Perilous Moon: Occupied France, 1944-The End Game" is a blend of history and photography from Stuart Nimmo, who seeks to tell the story of his father's struggles as a British Bomber pilot being shot down over the country. With much historical photography, Stuart tells of father Neil's tale of working through Paris, the conflicts of the resistance and those who tried to live their lives no matter which flag flew over their city. An intriguing and fascinating addition to history and photography collections, "Perilous Moon" is not to be missed.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

The Mental Health Professional in Court
Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D. and Eric Y. Drogin, J.D., Ph.D.
American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.
1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209-3901
9781585624386 $59.00 www.appi.org

Professor of Psychiatry Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D. and Harvard Medical School faculty member Eric Y. Drogin, J.D., Ph.D. present The Mental Health Professional in Court: A Survival Guide, a no-nonsense basic primer written especially for mental health professionals who must interact with courtroom proceedings. Whether being called upon as a fact witness, as an expert witness, or even being personally sued, a mental health professional needs to know how to conduct themselves, how to answer courtroom questions, and what to expect from interrogating attorneys. "When you receive a truly unexpected subpoena, it may be helpful first to call the clerk of the court from which this document was issued and ask what it is about. The reason for this inquiry would be that it is often almost impossible to tell from the stew of jargon the subpoena contains just what the case is about." The Mental Health Professional in Court is a broad guide, ideal for general orientation and preparation, especially for those with little experience in a courtroom; in-depth coverage of specialized types of courtroom cases (such as child custody battles) are left to other literature. Although The Mental Health Professional in Court is tailored toward those practicing in the field, its accessible, plain-spoken advice is worthy of the highest recommendation for readers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended.

Defense From Within
Jeffrey A. Krompier
Quintessence Books & Multimedia
4350 Chandler Drive, Hanover Park, IL 60133
www.quinpub.com
9780867155839, $42.00, www.amazon.com

It is an unhappy reality in today's litigious culture that medical malpractice suits are rampant. While a small percentage of them are justified, the majority of them are not -- but still need to be fought out in court. Quintessence Books is the premier publisher in the field of dentistry and orthodontics. There is one of their instructive titles that should be considered mandatory reading for all dentists and orthodontists practicing today. "Defense From Within: A Guide to Success As a Dental Malpractice Defense Expert" by Jeffrey A. Krompier, an attorney who draws upon his many years of experience an expertise to write this comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' instruction guide to the legal system with respect to malpractice suits. This 144 page compendium begins with an introduction to what the basic requirements are to offering an expert defense. Then ensuing chapters address the perspectives of the attorney, the jury, case participation, expert opinion, the deposition, the trial, and creating an effective Curriculum Vitae. The final three chapters deal with what is expected of a dental malpractice defense expert in terms of 'getting started', rules of conduct, and accepting the challenge and responsibility of defending against malpractice claims in a legal action. Informed, informative, superbly organized and presented, "Defense From Within: A Guide to Success As a Dental Malpractice Defense Expert" is specifically written for defending against dentistry based lawsuits alleging malpractice should be considered mandatory reading for anyone in the practice of dentistry. It should also be noted that "Defense From Within" would also serve as an excellent template for anyone considering becoming a professional defense expert against malpractice suits in other fields of medical practice.

Legal Foundations of Environmental Planning
Jerome G. Rose
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412849272, $59.95, www.transactionpub.com

The environment has many laws to protect it, but all too often these laws are not fully understood. "Legal Foundations of Environmental Planning: Textbook-Casebook and Materials on Environmental Law" describes the legal issues that directly affect business and especially legal professionals in court cases involving the environment. Laws concerning pollution, conservation, and more are scrutinized, as are issues directly affecting their enforcement, on the street or in the courthouse. Legal Foundations of Environmental Planning is an invaluable reference and resource especially for lawyers and judges who have little personal experience in handling environmental cases, as well as environmental professionals and urban planners who are well served to anticipate potential legal problems before making potentially costly decisions. Highly recommended, especially for college library legal studies collections.


The Biology Shelf

Dictionary of Developmental Biology and Embryology, second edition
Frank J. Dye
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148
9780470905951 $59.95 www.wiley.com

Now in an updated second edition, Dictionary of Developmental Biology and Embryology lives up to its title with precise definitions of pertaining to the scientific field's research, discoveries, history, and notable figures. Arranged in alphabetical format, with occasional black-and-white illustrations and a handful of color plates at the end, Dictionary of Developmental Biology and Embryology meticulously explains terms and concepts, along with providing brief biographies of persons of interest. Here's a sample entry: "Wolffian ducts: also called mesonephric ducts; paired ducts that develop during vertebrate development; in human males, they give rise to the vasa deferentia, and in human females, they are relatively undeveloped. In frogs they give rise to kidney ducts." Dictionary of Developmental Biology and Embryology is a "must-have" reference and resource for students in the field as well as college library collections; professional biologists will also find it convenient and useful to keep handy. Highly recommended.


The Criminology Shelf

Sexual Assault In Canada
Elizabeth A. Sheehy
University of Ottawa Press
542 King Edward
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5
www.press.uottawa.ca
9780776630441, $49.95, www.amazon.com

In every culture and in every country, sexual assaults inevitably occur. So it is with Canada, a country not known for high rates of personal violence like those of the United States. That's why "Sexual Assault in Canada: Law, Legal Practice and Women's Activism", a 752 page compendium knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Elizabeth A. Sheehy (Professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Sexual Assault Law, and Defending Battered Women on Trial, at the University of Ottawa) is such a critically important and seminal anthology. Comprised of twenty-eight major articles written by experts in their fields, "Sexual Assault In Canada" is enhanced with an informed and informative Foreword 'Still Punished for Being Female' by The Honourable Claire L'Heureux-Dube and an Afterword 'Jane Doe', a listing of the contributors and their credentials, as well as a comprehensive index. "Sexual Assault In Canada" is a critically important work of original scholarship and an especially recommended addition to professional, judicial, NGO, governmental, and academic library Criminology and Feminist Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

American Honor Killings
David McConnell
Akashic Books
PO Box 1456
New York, NY 10009
9781617751325, $15.95, www.akashicbooks.com

To kill for honor is not a foreign concept in America. "American Honor Killings: Desire and Rage Among Men" is a true-crime examination of murders of gay men in America. Author David McConnell explores how these heinous killings impacted all of those involved, and the cruel reality that at times resembles like grisly fiction. "American Honor Killings" is a strong addition to any criminology or true crime collection with a side focus on gay issues, very much recommended.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Principles Of Sustainable Aquaculture
Stuart W. Bunting
Earthscan
c/o Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8
NY, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9781849710770, $49.95, www.amazon.com

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments and in underwater habitats. "Principles of Sustainable Aquaculture: Promoting Social, Economic and Environmental Resilience" by aquaculture expert Stuart W. Bunting is a 320 page compendium that introduces and defines aquaculture, addresses resource conserving and enhancing aquaculture, identifies equitable aquaculture development, discusses sustainable coastal and marine aquaculture, covers sustainable rural aquaculture, as well as sustainable urban and peri-urban aquaculture, considers enhancing prospects for sustainable aquaculture, and concludes with promoting an enabling environment. Of special note is that each of these eight chapters begins with a 'Key Point' summation and listing. Enhanced with Notes, References, and an Index, "Principles of Sustainable Aquaculture: Promoting Social, Economic and Environmental Resilience" is a seminal work, very highly recommended for professional, governmental, corporate, and academic Environmental Studies reference collections in general, and Agricultural Studies supplemental reading lists in particular.

California Glaciers
Tim Palmer, photographs and text
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145
Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141741 $29.95 www.heydaybooks.com

Striking, full-color photography on virtually every page distinguishes California Glaciers, a tribute to California's stunning natural beauty by award-winning photographer and writer Tim Palmer. "The glaciers have come and gone before, but today this loss is different because we are now the cause of it, and because it is happening very fast. It's one thing for climate to change within great cycles of the earth's orbit, but another for it to change because of avoidable pollution and deforestation. It's one thing to see the glaciers come and go in cycles of hundreds of thousands of years, but another to see the change happening in decades or centuries." Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, California Glaciers is simply beautiful to page through, and makes an excellent giftbook for enthusiasts of hiking and nature.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Suspension of Seriousness
Carlos Alberto Sanchez
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza
Albany, NY 12246-0001
9781438444673 $80.00 www.sunypress.edu

Carlos Alberto Sanchez (Associate Professor of Philosophy, San Jose State University) presents The Suspension of Seriousness: On the Phenomenology of Jorge Portilla, a scholarly examination of the works of Mexican philosopher Jorge Portilla (1919-1963). The Suspension of Seriousness focuses on Portilla's posthumously published "Fenomenologia del relajo", a full English translation of which is included in a lengthy appendix. In this writing, Portilla considered "relajo" to be the state of mind people take when we resist doing that which is required of us - the act of wilfully suspending serious rationale. Sanchez extrapolates a step further, arguing that holding to unexamined values has as much potential to cause harm as the unequivocal rejection of values. "The relajiento does not bring about preoccupation but rather occupation. He or she is an unoccupied person perpetually bent on the task of being unoccupied, of emptying one's consciousness of all seriousness and all commitment." The Suspension of Seriousness is an in-depth scrutiny of a critical aspect of human consciousness and behavior, highly recommended for the philosophy shelves of college and gradual school libraries.


The African-American Studies Shelf

The World Of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Quotation Sourcebook
Meyer Weinberg, editor
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
www.umass.edu/umpress
9781558499904, $24.95, www.amazon.com

William Edward Burghardt "W.E.B." Du Bois (February 23, 1868 - August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author and editor. Born in western Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a tolerant community and experienced little racism as a child. After graduating from Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate, he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois was one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. He worked tirelessly against the 'Jim Crow' laws that plagued the American South, as well as racial discrimination in employment and education. A prolific writer, Du Bois was also a gifted orator. Now a collection of his sayings has been deftly compiled by Meyer Weinberg (a member of the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of African American Studies, University of Massachusetts) into a 296 page compendium titled "The World Of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Quotation Sourcebook" (but which could easily have been called 'The Wit & Wisdom of W.E.B. Du Bois), 956 quotations by Du Bois arranged into twenty subject categories ranging from Mother Africa, to White People, to World Economic and Politics, to Education, to Racism. Enhanced with an informative Introduction, a list of References, and a comprehensive Index, "The World Of W.E.B. Du Bois" is highly recommended reading and an essential addition to academic library African-American Studies reference collections.


The Botany Shelf

Toxic Plants Of North America, second edition
George E. Burrows & Ronald
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com
9780813820347, $299.99, www.amazon.com

Now in a completely updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Toxic Plants Of North America" by George E. Burrows (Emeritus Professor of Toxicology, Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Stillwater) and Ronald J. Tyrl (Emeritus Professor of Botany, Oklahoma State University and Coordinating Editor of the Flora of Oklahoma project) is a massive and seminal 1390 page illustrated compendium providing up-to-date information on wild as well as cultivated toxic plants found on the North American continent. An essential, comprehensive, and reliable reference and resource for veterinarians, toxicologists, agricultural extension agents, animal scientists, poison control professionals, authors researching for their mystery novels, gardeners and horticulturalists, as well as non-professional general readers with a question regarding the toxicity of a given plant, "Toxic Plants Of North America" will prove to be invaluable. Among the key features are to be found useful and usable information on animal and human intoxications; toxic plant morphology and distribution, plant diseases, and a glossary of toxicological, botanical, and chemical terms. Enhanced for ease of use with a comprehensive index, "Toxic Plants Of North America" is a crucially essential addition to professional, governmental, and academic library reference collections.


The Photography Shelf

Johsel Namkung: A Retrospective
Johsel Namkung
Cosgrove Editions
7042 - 20th Place NE, Seattle, WA 98115
1-888-507-7375
9780977978717, $175.00, www.cosgroveeditions.com

For almost 60 of his 93 years of age, Johsel Namkung has produced some of the most breathtaking nature photography featuring the beauty of the American Pacific Northwest. Now in his honor (and only available on the publisher's web site at www.cosgroveeditions.com) is a 144 page, beautifully produced compendium showcasing the best of his work over the total span of his professional career. The result is superb coffee-table book compilation of more than 100 immortal images -- about one-third of which have never been published and available to the general public before. Enhanced with an autobiographical Preface and two informed and informative Forewords by wildlife and landscape photographer Art Wolfe and Elizabeth Brown (former Chief Curator, University of Washington's Henry Art Gallery) respectively, "Johsel Namkung: A Retrospective" will prove to be an enduringly valued and highly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library American Photography reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It is especially ideal for library "Memorial Fund" acquisitions. Also enthusiastically recommended for photography students and enthusiasts are Johsel Namkung's "Johsel Namkung: An Artists View of Nature" (University of Washington Press, 9780295956268) and "Johsel Namkung: Ode to the Earth" (Cosgrove Editions, 9780977978700).


The Needlecraft Shelf

The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs
Sarah Anderson, author
Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603427388, $27.50, www.storey.com

"The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs: Techniques for Creating 80 Yarns" is described as "the first definitive step-by-step guide to creating a full repertoire of yarn styles," including classic cable yarns and novelty supercoils. An inspiring foreword by expert spinner Judith MacKenzie prepares readership for a magical journey through the wonders of spinning yarn, pointing out that new fibers have been created that never existed before. Expert, color photography amply demonstrates many of the spinning techniques and finished product specialty yarns. Truly, the world of spinning encloses an incredibly varied rainbow of domestic fiber arts, and "The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs" is properly labeled a lexicon for spinners to share a common language along with their quests for beauty and practicality in yarns and fibers. Ten amazing chapters present beautifully illustrated information about fiber, spinning basics, singles, spiral yarns, opposing plies, boucles, cable yarns, crepe yarns, core yarns and novelty yarns. All techniques are taught accompanied by clear, colorful, exquisite step by step photos of the process with accompanying descriptive directions. Additions to "The Spinner's book of Yarn Designs" include a handy glossary of terms, bibliography, and 64 unique reference cards presented in a sealed envelope on the back cover to be taken out and kept by the spinner's wheel for reference. "The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs" is filled with truly stunning color photography of yarn spinning projects and results, with photography credits enclosed in the index last page. Spinning is an ancient art with a modern face, as crafters and novice spinners will discover in reading and enjoying "The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs."


The Agriculture Shelf

Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks
Gail Damerow
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781612120140, $24.95, www.storey.com

Raising poultry can be its own reward. "Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks" is a guide to taking care of poultry. Bird raising expert Gail Damerow advises readers on how to best set up the raising environment for these young birds, with specific advice for guinea, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and a few other birds as well. With additional wisdom for shortly after birth care and full color photography throughout, "Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks" is a must for agriculture collections focusing on raising animals and livestock.

The Thinking Beekeeper
Christy Hemenway
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717206, $24.95, www.newsociety.com

A good natural source of honey is excellent if you can get over your fear. "The Thinking Beekeeper: A Guide to Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives" is a guide for would be beekeepers who want to create a habitat for their bees and reap the benefits beyond honey for keeping these bees. Keeping bees is easier than most think, and can even be done in urban settings. "The Thinking Beekeeper" is filled with black and white photography to help guide and educate, making it a must for anyone who wants to embrace this practice.


The Interior Design Shelf

From Organisation to Decoration
Graeme Brooker & Sally Stone
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8
New York, NY 10017-9209
9780415436205, $44.95, www.routledge.com

There's more to a design than making things be pretty. "From Organisation to Decoration: An Interiors Reader" is a scholarly discussion of interior design and how the concepts of interior architecture, interior design, and interior decoration intercept and how they compete with one another and work together. Discussing the ideas and concepts behind design and much more, it presents thoughts on culture, history, and much more, taking notes from many sources. For anyone who wants to best understand the interior design, "From Organisation to Decoration" is a strong addition to interior design studies collections, highly recommended.


The Gardening Shelf

50 Ways to Kill a Slug
Sarah Ford, author/illustrator
KJA-artists.com, illustrators
Hamlyn
www.hamlyn.com
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780600625131, $6.95, www.octopusbooksusa.com

"50 Ways to Kill a Slug" is a pungently witty, yet practical little green book filled with lethal suggestions for reducing or eradicating the slug population from your spring garden. Here are suggestions fro prevention, barriers, traps, baits, organic tools, and biological allies for slug reduction/eradication, all illustrated with comic little green and black slugs attempting to surrender to the inevitable! "50 Ways to Kill a Slug" is a must have gift for a gardener. An example of a super slug-slapping tactic is to create a slug playhouse by preparing and placing an eaten grapefruit shell half upside down, with holes, to attract slugs for a couple of days, after which you collect it and dispose of them (pp. 46-7). Another, perhaps my favorite, is the last tip: "If All Else Fails... Venture out into the garden armed with this book. Locate a slug, remove it from among your plants, place the book unopened on top of the slug and squelch down with your foot. Then flick off the dead remains. Finally, wipe down your book (pp.94-95)!" For a delightful quiver of slug combat tactics, read "50 Ways to Kill a Slug," it is guaranteed to empower and inspire the gardener within you.

The Intelligent Gardener
Steve Solomon with Erica Reinheimer
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717183 $19.95 www.newsociety.com

The Intelligent Gardener: Growing Nutrient-Dense Food is a special gardening guide that focuses on going one step beyond organic gardening, by raising garden plants in nutrient-rich soil. Strategies are discussed for remineralizing soil with natural minerals, understanding basic soil chemistry, and tailoring a soil fortification procedure for local conditions. "One indicator that soil is going out of balance comes when species that once grew well no longer do. Some types of vegetables seem too difficult or too troublesome to attempt, while those species better able to cope with a garden's soil imbalances will come to be viewed as easy to grow." The Intelligent Gardener is an excellent supplementary resource for organic gardeners of all skill and experience levels, highly recommended.

Your Midwest Garden
Jan Riggenbach
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street
Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
9780803240094, $24.95, www.nebraskapress.unl.edu

A wide array of climates can make growing in the Midwest a difficult prospect. "Your Midwest Garden: An Owner's Manual" is a guide for readers on how to best build their own gardens and allow it to flourish more successfully in their lives. With tips on growing a wild array of plants from the pretty flowers to fruits and vegetables to herbs for cooking, "Your Midwest Garden" is an enticing read for any would be gardener who wants to make the most out of their Midwestern location.


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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